Addressing the Mind, Body, and Spirit Through a Holistic Approach

Health is about more than traditional medical care that only focuses on specific ailments; it is about caring for the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. When a person receives care that addresses all aspects of their well-being, healing takes place. A holistic approach allows an individual to experience a deeper, more impactful form of care that results in overall health and wellness.

The holistic approach is becoming more and more popular among senior living communities and medicine in general. According to Very Well Health, a government survey showed that “36% of U.S. adults ages 18 years and older use some form of complementary and alternative medicine.”

Located throughout Colorado, Vivage uses a mix of holistic and traditional approaches to caregiving, allowing us to provide care that improves the quality of life of the individuals that stay with us.

What is Holistic Care?

The term “holistic care” is often used interchangeably with “complementary” or “alternative” medicine. While this is true to an extent, a holistic approach is more than that. Using a combination of traditional Western medicine and alternative medicine in itself is not holistic care. 

A holistic approach is about caring for the whole person, not just physically. This type of caregiving provides for the physical, mental, spiritual, and social needs of an individual, enhancing overall wellness and well-being. Taylor Mallory Holland, Dignity Health, describes holistic care as “a more comprehensive and personalized way of thinking about wellness.”

What are the Benefits of Holistic Care?

A More Personalized Approach to Caregiving

When individuals are diagnosed with a specific ailment, they will typically receive a standard form of treatment (prescription medication, surgery, etc.). These treatments may work for some, but everyone’s condition and body are different; they could work, do nothing, or cause an array of unwanted side effects. The problem with traditional care alone is that it is broad, catering to people as a whole, not individuals. 

A benefit to the holistic approach to caregiving is that it is personalized and cares for each person as an individual. Care plans are created to address each person’s condition and how it affects him or her specifically.

Healing the Root Cause of the Problem

There are many instances when an individual visits a medical office and receives care that treats their symptoms and even their condition, but that is as deep as it goes. Discovering the root cause of the condition is just as important as healing the symptoms.

The holistic approach extends beyond the symptoms of the disease or condition. It finds the reason it developed in the first place and treats the root cause, improving overall health and preventing other ailments from emerging.

Improving Overall Health

Since holistic care extends beyond the physical aspects of health, it improves the health and well-being of the whole individual. The holistic approach is all-encompassing, caring for the mind, body, and spirit.

All areas of health affect other functions throughout the body. For example, stress, a mental effect, can lead to physical complications such as headaches, weight gain, or trouble sleeping. Using holistic care to treat the whole person leads to improved health and wellness overall.

Avoiding Medication Side Effects

No one likes the side effects that come with using traditional forms of medicine. These side effects can cause other problems, leading to more medication to treat these symptoms. A process that can repeat itself over and over, simply treating the next round of side effects without healing the original ailment.

Implementing a holistic approach is a more natural way of treating these conditions, resulting in fewer side effects while healing the problem.

Integrative Wellness at Vivage

Throughout our communities in Colorado, Vivage practices individualized care and encourages a more holistic approach to the care we provide. We care for the whole person and offer comprehensive services that promote the overall health and wellness of each individual that stays with us. 

Integrative elements that we promote in our communities include:

• Animal/Pet Interactions
• Aromatherapy
• Art Classes
• Guided Meditation
• Horticulture & Gardening
• Massage
• Mindful Movement Programs
• Music/Vibration Therapy

For more information on the services or care we provide, we encourage you to visit our website and find a Vivage community in Colorado.