Education

I have some more information on the Idea House that will be at the AAHSA Meeting and Expo next week in Chicago.

Before I even get into all the cool technology and design, its work noting that sustainable design features are used throughout the house including: carpets made from post-consumer recycled content and furniture made from recycled plastic milk jugs.  Go green!

This 2,600 square foot home uses new technologies and design to make it possible for older adults to remain independent at home.  (And like I said before, home might be your independent living home right now...)

Here are some of the highlights I will be looking for and blogging about:

1. Automatic Medication Dispenser & Reminder - can help reduce health care costs and time needed to organize, remind, dispense and monitor.  Can also notify the pharmacy when a refill is needed.

2. Automatic Personal Emergency Response Systems - users critical events are monitored, reported and caregivers can be notified, and no one has to 'press a button'.

3. Temporary Robotic Limbs to Increase Strength - a wearable robotic suit designed to multiply a person's strength.  I could use one of these now or could actually start going to the gym... will be interested in seeing how the patient gets it on.  Could help stroke patients walk and help caregivers move individuals who need help.

4. Height-adjustable Bath and Kitchen Appliances - safe, efficient and comfortable for people with a wide range of mobility limitations - and can extend independent toilet use and abilities diminish.

5. Electronic Medical Records - tracks, monitors and transmits information about an individuals health to family, caregivers, doctors which allows for timely responses.  Can reduce health care costs over time.  (Who's not for that??)

6. Interactive Gaming System - no not the crazy video games the grandchildren are playing with!  We are talking speech therapy, email and radio programs through TV which everyone already knows how to use.  And we already know that seniors have taken to Wii like fish to water. 

7. Artificial Intelligent Robot - PARO is his name-o.  Designed to be used in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living and schools as a substitute for live animal therapy.  Gotta find our more about this.  Like the Jetsons?  And we still love dogs.

Hoping that I may also get a chance to talk with someone from AAHSA or CAST (Center for Aging Services Technologies) or anyone involved with the design of the home to learn more.  Will keep you posted.

The 2009 AAHSA Annual Meeting in Expo this is year is in Chicago at the McCormick Place. This year they are featuring a full scale, 2600 SQFT home which includes and demonstrates cutting edge design and technology from more than 25 companies!The Expo is not open to the public but the home is and I plan on stopping by to check it out, take some pictures and blog about the technology and design. As a professional who works in the industry and as a student of interior design, I can't wait to see what they have in store as the future is now. And many of these technologies can be used in your home today, no matter if you live in a traditional home or a retirement or assisted living community is where you call home.The technology will showcase safety, health and wellness, social connectedness and entertainment. There will also be therapy-based entertainment to improve cognitive development for seniors!Where:McCormick Place Lakeside CenterExhibit Hall Lobby, Level 32301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago IL 60616When:Monday Nov 9 noon - 4pmTuesday Nov 10 noon - 3:30 pmWednesday Nov 11 noon - 3:30 pmI attached this video I found on You Tube that gives you an idea of what to expect. For more information please visit www.aahsaconference.org

Since I brought up the fact that I get asked a lot about how the economy is affecting the senior living industry, I felt I could probably talk more about it here as well.While as a whole, our business is doing great that might be because we offer a valuable service that is much needed and when you need it, you need it fast. So as word gets out about the free referral service finding senior living that we offer, the better business is. However, who knows if it could be even busier?We have received calls from people who made a move to a retirement community or assisted living a few years ago. Based on their budgets at the time, they figured they would be able to remain there for a very long time. With many losses in peoples accounts, things have changed and people have contacted us asking to find a less expensive solution because they are afraid if they stay at the place they are now, they may run out of money.I worked with a young lady (91) who has this situation in Florida. So she and her family are actually turning this into an opportunity to find a place in Chicago, that will get her closer to family and friends (she lived here for 60+ years!) as well as save her money every month. I am just hoping she makes this decision while many communities are offering her great incentives and before it gets too cold here in Chicago.I have also heard stories from some communities where the resident has moved out to go live with their children. Not because of their financial situation, but because of the financial situation of the child. Perhaps they have been laid off and looking for work for months and have a family and a mortgage to support. If mom or dad is still relatively independent it might be attractive to have the elder person move back and help out. This is not often the case when someone is already in assisted living and receiving care. I have heard about it more in independent living situations.

Recently, I have been asked a lot about how business is going in this market. I respond by noting that people are still moving to retirement communities and assisted living. Actually the more need driven the move (ie:dementia, safety causing a need for assisted living) the more likely there will be a quick move in.However in the area of independent living there has been some slowing. Some of this is due to the fact that folks who want to make the move need to sell their house in order to afford to do so. And as we know, homes are not selling as quickly as they used to.When you are considering a Continuum of Care Retirement Community where a hefty entrance fee is required, the sale of the home is even more important. However, some communities have stepped up to the challenge and have started to offer "Deferred Entrance Fees." It allows you to make a small deposit, and then go ahead and move into your new lifestyle (community) while real estate experts work to sell you home. Many programs allow for a full year to sell it. Professionals in my industry and the real estate industry also note that the home is often times easier to sell when the person has moved out. That way updates can be made and staging can take place to make the home more attractive to buyers.Some communities have also partnered with Senior Move Managers - and offer credits to use toward professional downsizing, packing and unpacking, floor plan design and other services designed to make the move easier.Some of the purely rental communities we work with are offering move in incentives as well. Some will offer rent freezes and others are offering free or discounted rent for the first few months if you actually move before winter. (And who wants to move in the Chicago area at winter?)While many communities make these offers known upfront, do not be afraid to ask them if they are running any specials. The worst they can say is no, and the odds are the answer is going to save you some money.

As the number of people facing Alzheimer's continues to sky rocket, it is vital that everyone, those dealing with the disease and those faced with caring for someone who has it, understand that there are resources and options available to help. 

As a result of the progressive nature of Alzheimer's, it is important to comprehend the states of the disease and be informed of what may lie ahead.  Being prepared and ready to respond to the changing needs of the diagnosed individual is necessary to providing the best care possible.

Join Mary O'Hara, social worker and education and outreach specialist at Northwestern's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, for a free seminar on navigating issues related to Alzheimer's disease. 

Reservations are required, so please call today!   773-506-6900

Date:  Wednesday Nov 4, 2009

Time: Refreshments - 5:30 PM - Seminar 6:00 - 7:00 PM

Place: Covenant Home of Chicago, 2720 W. Foster Avenue

Last week I spoke with Claudine Struck a speaker and author of, How to Stay Sane When Life Isn't, series – consisting of 3 books, "Mind, Body, and Spirit."I am going to be a guest "expert" on her radio show on the Voice America Network which will appear on their Health & Wellness channel. The program is entitled Stay Sane Now and it can be heard each week on Thursdays 11:00-12:00 AM PST; 2:00-3:00 PM EST. (It will be re-broadcast 12 hours later from 11-12:00PM EST; plus be available from their archives.)Here's the link to the show https://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vshow.aspx?sid=1481. Check it out, I'm sure you'll enjoy the other programming as well. This show will provide listeners with an inspirational approach to caring for mind, body, spirit. A healthy mind, body and spirit, complete the 3 legged stool of contentment. When one falters, we stumble. When they work collectively, we are complete.I am going to be interviewed the first week of November but the show is set to air November 12, 2009 at 12 noon EST/9:00 am PST (11:00 Chicago time!)After talking with Claudine, I am excited to listen to the show myself as she is going to have an expert there on respite for caregivers that sounds like something every care giver should know about!I hope you can check it out or forward the information to a friend who may need it.

Dale Carter from Transition Aging Parents is putting together a 4 part informational telesummit on all kinds of senior living options.  You can learn about aging in place (staying home), CCRC's, Assisted Living (from me!!!) and nursing homes.  I encourage any and all of my readers to sign up for free and to spread the word to friends or family who may also need this information!  The link to the sign up form is at the bottom of this blog post.

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Do you have an aging parent?
Are you a caregiver of an elderly person?
Are you thinking ahead to your own later years?

You’ll want to listen in as four expertsshare their knowledge, experience and perspective on Senior Livingoptions…and answer your questions!

Join Mark Hager, Jill Gilbert, Lisa Sneddon, and Eleanor Feldman Barbera for our…

*** FREE Telesummit ***

‘Choices: Senior Living Options’

Monday, November 2, 2009 8 pm Eastern
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 8 pm Eastern
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 8 pm Eastern
Thursday, November 5, 2009 8 pm Eastern

Each evening, we’ll explore one of the following:

• “Aging in Place” (11/02)
• Continuing Care Retirement Community -CCRC (11/03)
• assisted living (11/04)
• Nursing Home (11/05)

By the end of our Telesummit, you will walk away with a clear comparison and understanding of each Senior Living option.

These four experts will share their positive vision of aging and howwe can partner with our aging parents and families in making the rightdecision at this point in time in our parents’ lives, as well aspreparing for the future. I have chosen these experts very carefully.Join us and you will see why for yourself.

Here are just some of the questions each expert will answer:

• What is this living option? Why would someone choose this option over one of the others?
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of making this choice?
• After we make this choice, how do we find the right place?
• What’s the cost and how do we pay for it? Where can we get financial help?
• How can I best help transition my aging parent to this new type of living situation?
• How will I know when it’s time to make a change to another option?

Sign up now to get the Call-in details! The telesummit is free. You’llreceive a hand-out to make your note-taking structured and easy.Recordings of calls will be available for a fee.

Nancy just received this email from one of the families she is working with and I think it about sums it up:

"I don't know how I would've done this without your assistance. You have been a Godsend in terms of saving me time and running around.  Even my mother is getting excited about the change now!  Things are definitely starting to fall into place.  Many thanks again."

It feels good to know we are helping and we look forward to continuing to help as many families in the Chicago area that we can search for the best assisted living and retirement communities!

Caregiverlist has just added new caregiver training videos, introduced by newsman Bill Kurtis and produced by the leading producer of training videos for the senior care industry, Terra Nova films:If you are a certified nursing aid, home health aide, companion caregiver or family caregiver, these videos will helpyou improve upon your current skills and learn about the latest approaches for successful care giving.

One of our partners, Barton Senior Residences of Zion, is hosting a Spelling Bee for Seniors 65+ Free registration is now open and cash prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners. ($250 for first prize!!)An active mind is key to maintaining good health. So why not have a spelling bee? Plus most people above the age of 30 remembers a life before the invention of spell check. Apparently some people actually know how to spell without a computer.When: Thursday, Oct 15th 10 amWhere: Barton Senior Residences of Zion, 3500 Sheridan Road, Zion IL 60099Complimentary lunch will be served at noon.To register for this even please call 847-872-1500Editors note: I did have to use spell check on this post. I would never win this contest.

As per Dale Carter, founder of Transition Aging Parents. Dale is dedicated to providing insight and information to adult children of aging parents so their parents may "thrive and find joy" in every stage of life.This is a copy of my favorite article from her site:One of the biggest decisions our aging parents face is where to live. Many see it as making a choice between "aging in place" or a senior living residence (such as a retirement community, assisted living or nursing home). I have seen people argue their choices with a real passion. It reminds me of the fired-up discussions about whether a mother should stay at home or work.I don't view the living choice as one or the other. True, it is a choice you will make at a given point in time. But, because your parents' physical/mental health will change over the years, your choice will need to be evaluated from time to time. Even if you and your aging parent choose the "aging in place" option at this time, consider educating yourself in other options in the event they can no longer live at home. If there's one thing I learned from my experience, it's so very important to think ahead.So, it is in this spirit of respect for all living options, that I share what I've seen as the top ten benefits my mother gained from moving into independent living in a Continuing Care Retirement Community. One year after she moved in, this is what I observed:1. Mom ditched her walker and now enjoys walking with her friends. Not only is this great for her health but also for her spirit! In fact, the first day we visited her community, she entered in a wheelchair.2. Her doctor has been able to cut back her medications due to healthier eating, exercise and weight loss. Her doctor is thrilled that she has lost 40 (unhealthy) pounds and she is also proud of her appearance.3. Mom enjoys and takes advantage of the wide variety of healthy and delicious food served in the dining rooms. They usually have her favorite dessert: sugar-free butter pecan ice cream. This puts a real smile on her face.4. She proactively sought out the onsite nutritionist to understand what foods and how much she should eat, given her diabetes. In the past, my mother had been passive, letting life happen to her. This is a new and good change for her to start asking for things on her own.5. She has access to many of her life-long doctors right on site; and the Wellness Center ensures she stays on track with all her check-ups. The only two things she goes off site for is mammogram and her specialist at Johns Hopkins. She likes having the convenience of on-site but also the need to go off-site sometimes.6. Her mood and outlook on life have gone from sad to joyful. I can hear this even in her conversation. She used to speak in short phrases in a monotone. Now, she sounds like a different person. She articulates, is descriptive in her language and has the cutest lift in her voice.7. Before moving to the retirement community, her network of friends had dwindled down to two dear ladies who had health problems themselves. She had been housebound due to health problems. Now she has a wonderful new group of friends, who truly look out for each other. She loves to tell me about conversations down in the laundry room...and how their floor stayed up until midnight at the New Year's Eve dinner party. She is anticipating the Annual Crab Feast on Labor Day.8. Her view has now changed from being focused on her ailments to more of a world view. She'd much rather talk to me about the economy, politics or her new friends. She says she takes advantage of every lecture / performance that's offered. She was quite excited about seeing her first opera with sub-titles.9. There is no longer a threat of her safety (of her falling in her home or on the ice as she walked to her mailbox). And, she feels so much more secure. A presentation was made recently, informing residents of what exactly happened if they had to be taken to the hospital. She said it took all the fear out of an unknown situation.10. Mom feels respected and loved in a community of her peers. But, she still attends her church and stays in contact with friends, often attending outside lunch events with them. It is important to her to keep her feet in both worlds and stay connected with her community outside.Dale offers a F.R.E.E. 5-Part E-Course and you can sign up to receive her bi-weekly articleson resources, options, and new innovations for aging parents. To do so, visithttps://www.transitionagingparents.com

According to actionalz.org, World Alzheimer's Day was firstlaunched on September 21, 1994, at the Alzheimer's DiseaseInternational (ADI) conference as part of the 10th anniversarycelebration. Since that time events have been planned around the worldto commemorate and honor those who have been affected by thisdevastating disease.

The Alzheimer's Association Greater Illinois Chapter is partnering with the South Side Dementia Consortium to host a conference called You Are Not Alone: Supporting Caregivers of Loved Ones with Memory Loss.This conference will be helped on Saturday, Sept 26 and will be held at Kennedy-King College, Media and Culinary Arts Building, 740 West 63rd Street, Chicago IL 60621.This year they have assembled some of the most prominent leaders in the field of dementia care and research. Anyone caring for a family member is encouraged to attend.$10.00 per person in advance and $15.00 at the door. Lunch is provided. Limited scholarships are availableThe event runs from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. You can register by calling 847-933-2413 or online here.

I received this letter from Amber Leigh Blough at StoryCorp at the end of last month.  I finally had a chance to listen this week and I don't know why I waited.  It is a very quick story and it contains a valuable tip for talking to your parents about moving to assisted living (or regarding any time of care or conflict.)  Please listen if you get a chance, its pretty quick!

Here is the letter:

I'm writing from StoryCorps, America's largest nonprofit national oral history project. I thought you and your readers would be interested in listening to StoryCorps' latest story to broadcast on NPR this morning. Fanni Green tells her daughter, Danyealah, about moving her mother, Pauline, into an assisted living facility after her health began to fail. You can take a listen here (about 2.5 minutes): https://www.storycorps.org/listen/stories/fanni-green-and-her-daughter-danyealah.

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another's lives through listening. Since 2003, tens of thousands of people from across the country have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to take home and share and is also archived for generations to come at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Millions listen to the award-winning broadcasts on public radio and the Internet. Select stories have also been published in the New York Times bestselling book, Listening Is an Act of Love.

Pretty awesome I say.

As of Sept 11, 2009 the office of the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services - Senior Services Division (or as I call it the department on aging..) has moved from 30 N. LaSalle to:

1615 W. Chicago Ave, 3rd Floor, Chicago IL 60622

All phone numbers have been changed and the new phone number is:

312-746-8541

Sept 13 - Sept 19th 2009 is National Assisted Living Week.“This year’s theme, ‘Traditions of the Heart’ pays tribute to thepersonal connection that caregivers, relatives, and volunteers havewith nearly 1 million people residing in more than 38,000 assistedliving and residential care communities nationwide,” said David Kyllo, The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL)'s executive director.NCAL established National assisted living Week in 1995 toprovide a unique opportunity to bring together residents, families,employees, volunteers, and the surrounding community to celebrateresidents and the services provided within assisted living residences.

You are never to old to twitter! Or facebook or blog for that matter.Just read a wonderful article about Ivy Bean, a young (104 y.o.) lady that I happen to be following on twitter. I have been following her for a while, so it was cool to see the article and learn more about her.You can follow her on twitter @IvyBean104 and you can follow me @SeniorLivingExpHere is a link to the article from CNN.

Today I will be touring more communities with a lovely lady in her 90's who has been in Florida for the past 30 years but is now lonely down there.  She is very independent but is considering moving back to Chicago where she was born, grew up, and where she raised her family.

We had a lot of fun on Friday when we toured some communities in the city.  She would be able to move to any of them and they (luckily) are all within her budget its just a matter of her making a decision.  She asked me which one I like best.  I told her I liked them all and would not have chosen them to visit if they were not nice places.  You have to go with your feelings is what I told her she needs to do.  You are going to know when one place just feels more like home than the others.  One place is going to put you more at ease.

So now we just have to see if she made a decision over this long weekend.  We are going to look at two more places this morning, in a completely different area just to compare.  What she has to decide is if she wants to give up the warm winters in Florida for the cold winters here in Chicago.  I know the thought of staying inside for a few months in the winter is not that attractive.  But my guess is most of the seniors in Florida have to spend a few months in the summer trapped indoors as the heat & humidity are unbearable.

So I look forward to hearing her impressions of the communities we look at today and seeing if what she decides to do!

One of the communities that Senior Living Experts works with had a very special weekend.Our local Chicago CBS News station was at The Breakers on Friday to cover a premiere of the new movie PLAY THE GAME, a romantic comedy starring Andy Griffith and Doris Roberts. The movie is based on the life of a former resident and his relationship with his grandson. The movie is about a ladies man who teaches dating tips to his lonely grandfather who lives in a retirement community. Marc Fienberg wrote and directed the film and was inspired by his grandfather’s life and finding love at The Breakers.Derrick Blakely, CBS 2 news reporter, shot a news segment at The Breakers and interviewed the director’s mother and several of our residents in the dining room. They had a special screening of the movie for the residents in their Movie Theater.If you missed the broadcast which aired on Friday, August 28th on the 6 p.m. news, you can view the segment on the CBS:https://cbs2chicago.com/local/playing.the.game.2.1150628.htmlHere are all the places the movie is playing in the Chicago area:Chicago, IL - AMC Pipers Alley 4Highland Park, il - Landmark Renaissance Place 5South Barrington, il - AMC South Barrington 30Naperville, il - AMC Cantera 30Addison, IL - Addison CinemasGurnee, IL - Gurnee CinemasSkokie, il - Kerasotes Village CrossingNiles, il - Kerasotes ShowPlace 12For more information about the movie which opened Friday, go to:Play the Game Movie Website

That is a quote from Catherine Walker who just celebrated her 99th birthday this past Monday with those that she loves in her life.When you live to be 99, you tend to outlive many of the people that you love. This did not stop Catherine from finding new life. Not only does she live in a local retirement community, but she volunteers in their Alzheimer's wing. She has a great sense of humor and enjoys herself there and her neighbors and friends appreciate her time.I first read about her in the Chicago Tribune where you can read the original article.By the way, she makes "damn good cake." I hope she had some damn good cake for her birthday - she deserves it!!(Great!) photo by David Pierini, Chicago Tribune / August 13, 2009