Pg. 26 2026-27 Health & Wellness Magazine Lincoln Daily News Floyd’s Vibrant Vibrant Colors As people age, they can start to lose independence. This can come in both physical and mental forms. It could be things such as arthritis keeping people from the things that they used to love to do, or it can be things such as dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. When someone gets to a point where living on their own is no longer feasible, moving to an assisted or skilled nursing facility might be something they and their family have to consider. Castle Manor and St. Clara’s Rehab and Senior Care are examples of these facilities in Lincoln. Facilities such as these have their obvious benefits. According to the National Institute on Aging, skilled nursing facilities usually offer “nursing care, 24-hour supervision, three meals a day, and assistance with everyday activities.” St. Clara’s tries to get seniors engaged in activities as well, with an activity room where they hold bingo. Leisure activities like bingo are exceptionally important as people get older. According to a study titled “The impact of leisure activities on older adults’ cognitive function, physical function, and mental health” published in the National Library of Medicine, these activities are very good for older adults. The study’s abstract says “engagement in leisure activities has been claimed to be highly beneficial in the elderly. Practicing such activities is supposed to help older adults to preserve cognitive function, physical function, and mental health.” This study goes on to state that their study confirmed all of these things. Lincoln local Floyd Davis has found a leisure activity of his own that has helped him. Davis was a farmer for most of his life. His job included working with hay, harvesting, grain elevators, and even “skunk killer,” according to his daughter Diana Pickett. He worked in farming until the age of 74, having also spent 25 years working at a grain elevator. In addition to farming for work, he always had a garden to provide his family with fruits and vegetables. Davis is a man who is very used to working with his hands. After a particularly bad fall that broke his ribs, punctured his lungs, and tried to take his life, the decision was made to move Davis into St. Clara’s, a skilled nursing facility. Davis admitted that he could no longer take care of himself, needing the 24-hour care that St. Clara’s provides. In addition to this, arthritis started to keep Davis from working with his arms and hands the way he used to. This led to Davis becoming bored. “After a life of purpose and independence,” Pickett wrote, “he became bored and aggravated with
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