Archive for the ‘Senior Living News’ Category

Announcing the SeniorHomes.com 2013 Best Senior Living Awards!

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 by Angela Stringfellow

SeniorHomes.com is thrilled to announce the launch of our third-annual awards contest! You’re probably familiar with the SeniorHomes.com Best of the Web contest, but this year we’ve done a little re-branding to capture the expanding scope of this initiative. So, we’re pleased to introduce you to the SeniorHomes.com 2013 Best Senior Living Awards.

The SeniorHomes.com 2013 Best Senior Living Awards aims to identify the top resources, people, providers and organizations in a wide variety of senior living categories. Using a combination of public votes and a professional, standardized rating process, we’ve uncovered the most comprehensive, useful resources, influential people and forward-thinking organizations in the senior living space.

Take a look at this year’s category breakdown:

Consumer Resources

Industry Recognition and Resources

The process is the same as in previous years. Anyone may nominate their favorite on- or offline resources by emailing us at SeniorLivingAwards@seniorhomes.com, sending us a Tweet to @seniorhomes using hashtag #SeniorHomesBSL or posting to our Facebook wall or our Google+ page.

To vote for your favorite individuals, websites or resources, head to the nominee page and click Facebook “Like” or Google +1. (That means you can cast your vote twice!) Nominees with the most votes on February 4, 2013 will advance to the finalist round. Finalists will be judged by our panel of esteemed judges using our standardized rating process.

We have a number of judges returning to lend their expertise to the program for the third year in a row, including Joy Loverde, author of the best-selling book The Complete Eldercare Planner: Where to Start, Questions to Ask, How to Find Help, and Shannon Martin, M.S.W., Community Aging Director at Aging Wisely, LLC. Several experts are offering their professional insights for the second year, including Bart Astor, who has authored a dozen books including the upcoming AARP Roadmap for the Rest of Your Life: Smart Choices about Money, Health, Work, Lifestyle, and Pursuing Your Dreams, a joint venture between AARP and John Wiley and Sons.

We’re also pleased to have welcomed a number of new expert faces to our judging panel, including Trisha Parker and John Parker, authors, speakers and Co-Founders of TheBestofOurLives.com and Dorothy Sander, Founder and Publisher of Aging Abundantly.

Head on over to our contest page for the full details!

Tags: 2013 Best Senior Living Awards
Posted in Senior Living News, SeniorHomes News | No Comments »

The Fiscal Cliff Deal: Medicare Cuts for Physicians Averted

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 by Angela Stringfellow

Almost 24 hours past the midnight, December 31, 2012 deadline, Congress cut a last-minute deal to avoid the impending “fiscal cliff” and the potentially devastating economic circumstances which would result from planned tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take effect. The deal isn’t a fix-all, but more a band-aid to buy leaders more time to negotiate longer-term solutions to some of the nation’s most worrisome problems.

Physicians temporarily saved from massive cuts

The deal will have major ramifications on the healthcare system, affecting many seniors in a number of ways. One of the biggest potential crises, a Medicare pay cut to physicians, has been avoided but at the cost of cutting payments to other providers — including hospitals. The scheduled cuts would have cut physician payments by 27 percent, causing many doctors to say they’d have to stop seeing Medicare recipients.

Image by Yuya Tamai on Flickr

A major change to the way Social Security cost-of-living increases has also been avoided, at least for now. Some leaders were pushing to adjust the calculation to a chained-CPI model, which would have reduced Social Security payments to seniors over the long term.

Medicare payment cuts hit hospitals

Of course, the major victory for physicians doesn’t come without a cost: Those $30 billion in funds will be covered by cuts to hospitals, a move providers aren’t thrilled about. Over 10 years, $10.5 billion will be saved by reducing Medicare base payment increases for inpatient care. An additional $4.2 billion over the same time period will be saved by reducing the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital payments, according to Healthcare Finance News. Finally, payments for end-stage renal disease treatments will be re-priced for a potential savings of $4.9 billion over the next decade.

Rich Umbdenstock, president and CEO American Hospital Association, says these cuts will impact hospitals’ ability to provide care for senior citizens. Jeremy Lazarus, MD, president of the American Medical Association, points out that the Medicare program is unreliable due to the current practice of enacting temporary fixes each time current legislature is set to expire, and says the cuts will hinder Medicare’s progress in developing more effective delivery models for the benefit of seniors.

What’s to come?

Many Republican leaders are left frustrated after this final-hour agreement, regretful that the bill does not include any spending cuts. Republican leaders initially pushed hard for major spending cuts which would help control the federal deficit. In the end, they chose to vote on the bill as-is to avoid setting negotiations in motion again which could have significantly stalled progress and sent the nation into a severe financial crisis if middle-class tax cuts were allowed to expire, unemployment benefits halted for millions of Americans and physician payment cuts went into effect.

By March, Congress will be faced with making the decision to raise the debt ceiling to cover additional costs the current deal will add which aren’t offset by savings elsewhere, such as the $30 billion unemployment extension. It’s likely that a push for cost-cutting measures to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will be revisited at that time.

Tags: Fiscal Cliff Deal
Posted in Aging, Health News, Medicare and Medicaid, Senior Health Care Reform, Senior Living News | 1 Comment »

My Grandma Loves Her iPad: Seniors Embrace Tech

Thursday, December 27th, 2012 by Angela Stringfellow

A decade or so ago, it wasn’t uncommon to hear someone say they don’t have a cell phone. Now the thought of being without a mobile device is practically unheard of, whether you’re 8 or 80 years old. As mobile technology has become increasingly widespread, usage is saturating both the younger and older demographics.

When it comes to seniors, technology can serve as so much more than a means to send text messages to friends. Cell phones and mobile devices can be a direct link to valuable health information as well as a lifeline in emergencies and a connection to the outside world.

Today, no one blinks an eye when teens remark that they’re “texting Grandma.” It’s become the norm, and seniors are embracing the value of technology more than ever before. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, nearly 9 out of 10 (87 percent) senior citizens use email and search engines. Back in 2009, Nielsen reported that six million more seniors were using the internet than in 2004 — today, it’s nearly four years later and seniors’ use of technology shows no signs of slowing anytime soon.

Image by Jeena Paradies on Flickr

Pew Internet’s research offers useful insights

Casey Dowd, who writes for The Boomer column at Fox Business, spoke with Mary Madden, senior research specialist at the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project (and co-author of Pew Internet’s recent survey on older adults using the internet) to find out what Madden thinks of the group’s recent findings.

Madden says she believes older demographics are embracing the power of social networking as a way to stay connected to friends and family — both near and far. Madden points out that social media adoption is a “trickle-up” effect, with younger family members being early adopters and encouraging older relatives to take advantage of the benefits technology offers.

Pew Internet’s research shows that adults over the age of 50 say staying in touch with family is the primary reason they use social media. Facebook remains the number one social network among older adult users, with LinkedIn falling in a distant second. It’s worth mentioning, however, that Boomers comprise LinkedIn’s primary user base.

New devices offer ease of use for seniors

About half of adults 65 and older have access to the internet; among them, more than 8 out of 10 (82 percent) are online at least once during an average day. With internet use among the elderly becoming so widespread, younger generations are encouraging them to use modern devices which offer more functionality and increased mobility. Smartphones, for instance, offer internet access but can also be easily carried in a pocket or purse. In an emergency, these devices are much more useful than a desktop PC.

Family members are also increasingly purchasing iPads and other tablet devices for older relatives — especially those who primarily use them to browse the web, send emails and stay in touch via social networking. Tablets are even more practical in many cases than laptops thanks to their easy configuration and use. Sure, you can use a laptop while you’re sitting on the couch, but wouldn’t you rather be using a lighter-weight tablet?

Technology enhances quality of life

The increasing use of technology among older adults isn’t merely a passing trend. Mobile devices help seniors:

Stay in touch with long-distance friends and family
Track health and wellness
Email a physician with a non-emergent question
Keep track of appointments
Read the local and national news
Enhance their social circles
Get involved with local groups and activities
Improve socialization
And much more

If you or an older relative has been hesitant to embrace emerging technologies, give it a shot or encourage them to do so. Modern devices offer impressive usability, and many seniors find that they’re not as intimidating as they thought. Most older adults who decide to give a mobile device a try have never looked back — they’re happily chatting away with friends near and far.

Tags: Health Tech
Posted in active aging, Aging, Baby Boomers, Caregiver Tips, Health Tech, Senior Living News | 2 Comments »

The Looming Fiscal Cliff: Should Seniors Be Worried?

Friday, December 21st, 2012 by Angela Stringfellow

Everyone’s talking about the looming fiscal cliff, otherwise known as the between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place position the U.S. Government will find itself in if a new budget agreement isn’t reached before the end of 2012. Yikes. Sounds scary, right?

The biggest problem is that the conditions of the Budget Control Act of 2011 are scheduled to take effect at that time. And that means — in a nutshell — more taxes.

How will seniors be affected?

Like nearly everything involving the Government, the fiscal cliff carries some significant impacts for seniors. Programs like Medicare are slated for deep cuts in funding, to the tune of $11 billion in 2013 based on an across-the-board two percent cut in payments. There’s already a 27 percent cut to physician payments set to kick in in January 2013; the two percent is on top of that already-drastic cut. Imagine the number of physicians who will cut back on accepting Medicare patients.

Image by fwdthought via Stock.xchng

Based on the details of an emerging but tentative agreement between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner, seniors could receive smaller Social Security cost-of-living adjustments due to a new method for calculating inflation.

According to The Huffington Post, here’s how this would work: The new technique used to calculate inflation would be based on the chained CPI (consumer price index), which accounts for consumer substitutions in response to price increases. If pork prices were to increase while beef prices remained flat, consumers may shift their spending habits — buying more pork and less beef. It essentially takes the law of supply and demand in relation to price changes and applies it to calculating inflation.

The bottom line of chained CPI calculations

The result? After three years, the average Social Security beneficiary would receive $258 less in cumulative benefits. Over the long-term, the effect is much more significant. “If the chained CPI had been in place all along, today an 88-year-old who’d started drawing benefits at age 62 would receive 7.32 percent less in benefits this year, according to the group,” HuffPo explains, referencing calculations released by Social Security Works, an advocacy group based in Washington.

In some cases, the cumulative effect could mean at least $1,000 less in annual benefits and $15,000 over the long-term, 16-year period used in the example above.

What else is on the table?

All of these effects are dependent on the specific deal reached by Congress. And other effects may be possible depending on the terms of the agreement, such as raising the Medicare-eligibility age to 67 or asking higher-income beneficiaries to pay more for their coverage.

Other agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could face cuts reaching hundreds of millions, or billions, of dollars, reports Medscape. This could mean cuts to valuable services or halts to medical research.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution to any of this. Cuts must be made, taxes raised or some other method found to balance the budget. With a Republican-led House and a Democratic President and Senate, these agreements are tougher to reach because of drastically differing party views — although it will hopefully mean a more balanced solution overall. Stay tuned for January 1, 2013.

Posted in Aging, Health News, Obama's Health Care Plan, Senior Living News | No Comments »

Aging: You Are What You…Think?

Thursday, December 20th, 2012 by Angela Stringfellow

Attitude is everything. You’re only as old as you feel. There are tons of old adages designed to communicate the same basic principle: Your emotional state has a huge impact on your physical health. Now, research is showing that older people are heavily affected by their own thoughts and attitudes.

Specifically, the way we feel about the concept of aging based on old stereotypes which may have been instilled during childhood can affect the way you age. If you believe aging is a negative process, that your life won’t be fulfilling when you’re older or that you’ll become useless and helpless, you’re more likely to develop illnesses associated with aging and may die sooner than your peers who have a positive outlook on the aging process.

Subliminal messaging impacts task performance

Image by asifthebes on Stock.xchng

A recent study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) takes a look at this pattern, finding that older people with positive expectations of aging have an easier time recovering from trauma or age-related disability. Seniors with positive feelings about aging are 44 percent more likely to recover from a brief bout of disability than their more negative-thinking peers.

The New York Times reports on the work of Becca Levy, associate professor of epidemiology and psychology at Yale University. Dr. Levy has been investigating the effects of attitude on health and well-being for about two decades, beginning with a laboratory experiment gauging the impact of subliminal messaging.

In Dr. Levy’s early research, she showed older adults a series of words flashed on computer screen too quickly for them to process. But when those adults were later asked to perform a task, the nature of the words they were shown had a big impact on their ability to complete the task.

Those who were showed negative words associated with aging, such as weak, decrepit or dependent, “had poorer handwriting, slower walking speeds, higher levels of cardiovascular stress and a greater willingness to reject hypothetical medical interventions that could prolong their lives,” describes the Times. The other group, exposed to more positive words like wise or resourceful, were able to perform tasks with much more ease.

Internal attitudes affect lifespan

This was just the beginning of Levy’s research. Because this early study showed the effects of external stimuli, Levy was interested in learning about preconceived, internal values and beliefs. Levy consulted prior research, published in The Journal of Personal and Social Psychology, which followed a group of adults for 23 years after an initial survey of their stereotypes on aging. What she found was that out of 660 participants, those who initially reported more positive attitudes and beliefs lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those with the opposite beliefs.

All in all, to date Levy’s research has produced some interesting findings. After further research into the same group and controlling for external influences such as socioeconomic status, gender, race and illness, positive beliefs and emotions have been linked to:

Healthier, balanced diets
Ample exercise
Limited alcohol consumption
Smoking cessation
Regular physical exams
Overall higher levels of physical functioning over time

What’s your attitude on aging?

Levy’s latest research is just a single, small study, but other experts have confirmed that the findings (that those with positive attitudes have a better capability to recover after short-term disability) are in line with their clinical observations over decades of practice.

What can we take away from this? While there will likely be more advanced research into how our stereotypes, attitudes and beliefs affect our body’s ability to cope with and recover from stress and trauma related to aging, we move forward with knowledge that our emotional health and beliefs ingrained in us long ago will affect us as we age.

Can we change the outcome? It’s certainly logical to assume that working towards a healthier attitude about aging will improve both our physical and emotional ability to recover and remain independent as we age. Until more research tells us exactly how we can influence our own minds and bodies with attitude, it’s a good idea to start thinking happy thoughts.

Tags: aging research
Posted in Aging, Baby Boomers, Senior Living News | No Comments »

The Social Web: Shifting the Focus to Senior Living Reputation Management

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012 by Angela Stringfellow

What’s the first thing many of us do when ourselves or a loved one is given a new diagnosis by a physician or other healthcare professional? Head straight for the keyboard and Google it. Why? Even if it’s something we’re somewhat familiar with, we want to know what to expect. We want to know what treatment options are available. And we want to know how other people have coped under the same circumstances.

The Internet continues to be a vast collection of information about anything you ever want to know about. And caregivers continue to use the Web to find information and connect with other people who have had similar experiences for support.

Caregivers tap into the social power of the Web

The past several years have reflected this trend, and research results indicate that caregivers are using the Internet for information more so than any other group. Pew Internet’s latest survey shows that 8 out of 10 caregivers have access to the Web, and 90 percent of those with Internet access use it to find health information for someone other than themselves.

Caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to seek out and follow another person’s health situation and progress online. This trend is made possible by the increasing number of individuals who choose to make their personal health circumstances public, via a blog or a public Facebook page, as a means of self-coping, creating a community of supporters or providing a resource for others going through similar circumstances.

Image via ilco on Stock.xchng

Caregivers are more likely to seek out others’ opinions or read about another person’s experience with a specific drug or treatment, medical facility or provider. The Internet is evolving into a highly social platform, opposed to the static source of factual information it once was.

Reputation management: A top priority for senior living providers

This poses an interesting challenge to senior living providers, who not only have to ensure that they’re putting high-quality information on the Web but also must monitor and maintain positive feedback among social communities.

Providers no longer have complete control over what’s out there on the Internet about themselves or their organizations. A commitment to top-quality service, continuous reputation monitoring and rapid resolutions to problems are the foundation of reputation management in today’s highly connected, social environment.

Online reputation management is increasingly complex

As caregivers adopt more social networks and capitalize on the social aspects of the World Wide Web, online reputation management becomes increasingly complex. Consumers have a greater impact on the purchasing decisions of others than ever before; it’s far simpler to share both positive and negative opinions with thousands of people instead of just a few.

G5, a provider of digital experience management software and services to senior living owners and operators, recently shared some survey results indicating that 75 percent of consumers don’t trust the information that companies put out there about themselves in marketing and advertising messages. “Consumer reviews are 12 times more trusted than descriptions that come from the business or manufacturer,” the company reveals.

First steps: Taking charge of your online reputation

Monitoring consumer opinions is only the first step. Encouraging consumers to provide positive feedback in a public forum can increase trust–but you first must engage them. Like it or not, there will be information about your company on the Web, whether you initiate it or someone else does. The only way to maintain control over your online reputation is to embrace it.

Claim your company’s brand name across popular social networks.
Don’t just monitor the conversation; take an active role in engaging your audience.
Set up Google Alerts for your brand name and other relevant terms to find out when new content is posted about your company.
Be responsive to comments and feedback and strive to create a positive community.
Encourage open discussion, solicit feedback and input and provide useful and relevant information.

Have you embraced your online presence? How does your company manage its online reputation? Share your tips with us in the comments below or visit our Facebook page to join the conversation.

Tags: reputation management
Posted in Assisted Living Marketing, Nursing Home Marketing, Online Media, Senior Housing Marketing, Senior Living News | 4 Comments »

The Changing Landscape of Medicare for 2013 and Beyond

Thursday, December 6th, 2012 by Angela Stringfellow

This is a guest post contributed by Shannon Martin, M.S.W., CMC is Director of Communications for Aging Wisely, LLC and EasyLiving, Inc.

Medicare recipients will experience a variety of changes in 2013, as a result of healthcare reform measures, annual changes and various occurrences within the healthcare system.

The Affordable Care Act included a number of changes to the Medicare program. Preventative care coverage has been expanded to cover many screenings. Participants can take advantage of an annual wellness exam to plan which screenings are appropriate for them each year. Healthcare reform included changing the “donut hole” provision to Medicare’s drug coverage (part D) and the donut hole will be phased out by 2020 (the donut hole is a period in which recipients pay all drug costs when they reach a certain cost level, up until reaching catastrophic coverage). In 2013, people who hit the donut hole will have additional help/discounts during that period.

Image by Images_of_Money via Flickr

Some of the changes that the Affordable Care Act implemented are more provider-oriented, such as quality care incentives and penalties for things such as “avoidable” hospital readmissions. A number of cost savings measures were implemented in order to pay for new additions, but additional cuts may be necessary if the measures do not work as predicted. Many experts predict there will be a lot of changes in the Medicare Advantage market, as significant changes to that payment system roll out.

Medicare recently published the 2013 copays, deductibles and other Medicare costs and most are increasing slightly. Here are some of the primary

2013 Medicare cost updates:

The standard Medicare B monthly premium will increase from $99.90 to $104.90 (higher income individuals will pay more).

The Medicare B (yearly) deductible will increase to $147.

The Medicare A hospital deductible (for stays up to 60 days) will be $1184 and the skilled nursing facility co-pay will be $148 per day (for days 21-100, the first 20 days are covered at 100%).

You can visit www.medicare.gov for more details or download Aging Wisely’s 2013 Medicare Fact Sheet.

Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Requirements: Lawsuit Settlement

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently settled a class action lawsuit (Jimmo v. Sebelius) regarding Medicare’s coverage requirements for skilled nursing and rehab. services. Medicare typically denies coverage for skilled nursing and rehabilitation (under Part A) if a patient does not demonstrate an ability to improve. This class action lawsuit addressed patients who need skilled nursing and rehabilitation services to manage a condition (which may not be expected to improve) or maintain their current health.

Patients must still demonstrate a need for skilled care and meet all of the other criteria (visit medicare.gov or grab a summary at EasyLiving.com Paying for Home Care Tips). Many patients rely on “custodial care” (help with activities of daily living, household assistance), which will remain outside the scope of Medicare coverage. However, this change could have significant impacts on patients who have chronic conditions and rely on occasional skilled care and therapy to maintain functioning and health.

These changes will be rolling out over the next several months to providers and consumers. In the meantime, a number of Medicare beneficiaries who were denied benefits for skilled services (before January 18, 2011 when the lawsuit was filed) will have their claims re-examined. It is an important issue to be aware of and seek help if you (or a loved one) feel you are being denied services under these new standards. You can file an appeal through Medicare’s appeals process or seek help from a patient advocate to understand requirements, care options and ways to appeal or find alternatives.

Tags: Medicare 2013
Posted in Medicare and Medicaid, Senior Health Care Reform, Senior Living News | 1 Comment »

Pin It: 9 Tricks for Using Pinterest as a Senior Living Marketing Tool

Thursday, December 6th, 2012 by Angela Stringfellow

By now, you’ve heard of Pinterest–that crafty, women-focused social networking site based largely around posting photographs to crafts and recipes. At first glance, Pinterest probably doesn’t strike you as the next big social channel you should be using to market your senior living facility. But could it be? Let’s take a look at some stats.

Who’s using Pinterest?

As of February 2012, Pinterest was already boasting more than 10.4 million unique monthly visitors, making it the third most popular social network in the U.S. in terms of traffic. Around that same time, users were spending an average of 97.8 minutes on Pinterest–a decent chunk of time considering U.S. users were spending an average of 3.3 minutes on Google+ during that same period.

Women between 25 and 34 years old are the primary user demographic on Pinterest. But many of those women are the primary household decision-makers, and they have parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who could require senior housing either now or in the coming years.

(Our thanks to HubSpot for rounding up these great stats.)

Why Pinterest?

So why Pinterest? Should you bother?

More than 80 percent of pins are repins–that means there’s a strong tendency towards sharing content posted by others. We’re always looking for ways to get more likes and shares on Facebook, but it’s harder to do there. With Pinterest, your content is more likely to be shared.

Another interesting Facebook tie is that about 20 percent of Facebook users visit Pinterest daily. With Pinterest’s easy Facebook connect and auto-sharing capabilities, it’s likely that percentage will increase as users head to Pinterest by clicking on Pins that appear in their Facebook news feeds.

With the emphasis on sharing content and the strong ties with Facebook users, it’s clear you could gain a lot of exposure for your senior living facility by using Pinterest.

There are a few leading providers already capitalizing on the power of Pinterest:

How to use Pinterest to market your senior living facility

So you’ve decided the evidence is convincing enough to at least give Pinterest a shot. What should you pin? Many users think they’re limited to posting crafty creations or images of food, but there are tons of other possibilities.

Show off your facility. Sure, you’re limited in the images you can make public because of privacy laws. But you can post images of your facility, the grounds, activities rooms and more–including videos. How about a virtual tour?
Make it a tutorial. Tutorial, guide and how-to pins have a 42 percent higher click-through rate than any other type of pin. Doing a fun activity with residents? Write a quick how-to planning article with a quality image and pin it.
Use high-quality images in your blog posts. Make sure your blog posts contain high-quality images; that makes them easily pinnable.
Highlight events. Just be careful that you have the proper permissions before you pin any images including residents.
Introduce your staff. No need to worry about resident privacy if you’re simply showing off your activities staff dressed as Santa’s eight flying reindeer.
Follow the trends. Pins related to trending topics have a 94 percent increase in click-throughs. Find out what’s trending, craft some content around it and pin it.
Brag about your fine dining services. Does your facility have the best chefs in town? Go ahead and share a couple special recipes with photos of your delicious food. Dining is a big decision-making factor when it comes to choosing a senior living provider, so don’t be shy about showing off your dietary department’s culinary prowess.
Use a call-to-action. Research shows that pins with a call-to-action in the description see an 80 percent increase in engagement. Your CTA doesn’t have to be sales-focused; something as simple as “Click to see more photos of our facility,” can be enough to drive visitors to your Website.
Pin in the afternoons. The best time to use Pinterest is between 2 and 4pm Eastern Time. Between 8pm and 1am Eastern Time is also a good time to be pinning. Not inclined to sit in front of your Pinterest boards every evening? Good news: Pins can be scheduled, just like you can schedule your Facebook posts. Jeff Bullas recommends a tool called Pingraphy for doing so, and Reachli is another option.

Pinterest continues to grow. As users develop ever-more-creative ways to use this platform to market all types of products and services, Pinterest is quickly reaching the ranks of Facebook and Twitter as a must-have piece of the social marketing pie.

Tags: Pinterest, senior living marketing
Posted in Assisted Living Marketing, Nursing Home Marketing, Senior Housing Marketing, Senior Living News | 2 Comments »

How to Beat the Holiday Blues: 9 Tips for Caregivers and Seniors

Thursday, November 29th, 2012 by Angela Stringfellow

The holiday season is a time for joyous celebrations with family and friends. It’s the one time of year many of us get to see long-distance friends and loved ones. But for seniors–and caregivers too–the holidays are filled with sadness and sorrow.

Whether you’ve recently lost a loved one, are thinking about the fact that someone close to you may not be here next holiday season, are over-stressed due to the increased demands of caregiving combined with the added holiday stress, or you’re simply lonely and feeling isolated, there are ways you can combat the holiday blues and stress.

Hire some temporary outside help. You can’t do everything! Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If there’s a teenager in your life who wants to make a few extra bucks, hire them as a temporary errand-runner this holiday season. Ask other family members to chip in with caregiving duties so you have more time for holiday prep. You can also hire in-home care through an agency, with services ranging from personal care services to light housekeeping.
Get a massage, exercise or write in your journal.Whether you’re the active type or the pensive type, there’s an activity that can help take your mind of the stress at hand. Exercise has been proven to be a stress-reducer, so even if you’re not a fitness buff, consider taking a nice, long walk to clear your head. If it’s a sunny day and warm enough to be outdoors, the extra Vitamin D can provide an energy and mood boost, as well.
Image via fangol on Stock.xchng
Look ahead to next year and set positive goals. When we’re depressed, we tend to focus on the negative events of the past. Looking forward instead of backwards with an optimistic outlook can help you feel more excited for the future.
Make a resolution to improve your health next year. Stress affects our overall health and well-being, but poor health can also trigger stress. Our bodies are better able to cope with stress if we’re healthier physically and emotionally. Take action on the aspects that you can control; make a resolution to be more healthy in 2013.
Be more efficient. Are there habits you’ve had in the past that are more time-consuming than they need to be? Maybe you always take a major shopping trip to purchase gifts, but you could save time (and possibly some cash) by ordering online and having the items delivered right to your front door. Some retailers also offer gift-wrapping services for a minimal extra fee.
Join a support group. The season is tough for many caregivers and seniors; you’re not alone. Reach out to support groups or community organizations you belong to and connect with others. Having someone to talk to goes a long way in maintaining your emotional health. Support groups can also be found online.
Skip the spirits. A few glasses of wine may seem like a good idea, but alcohol can actually lead to increased depression. Don’t overdo it.
Keep your expectations reasonable. Realize that some less important items on your to-do list may have to wait until after the busy holiday season. Caregiving and aging are both processes, not goals. Things take time, and the stressors in your life aren’t going to magically disappear overnight. Make sure you’re not demanding too much of yourself.
Cherish your memories. Whether you’re busy making new memories or hanging on tight to old ones, memories are a gift that lasts forever. Take time out to appreciate the important moments and fondly reminisce about times from the past.

There’s no getting around the stressful holiday season. Thanksgiving comes whether you’re ready or not. Christmas and Hanukkah come whether you’re prepared or not. The new year is right around the corner. Focus on changing the things you can and taking steps that can help you cope with this busy season more easily.

Tags: caregiver stress, Holidays
Posted in Caregiver Tips, caregivers, Holidays, Senior Living News | No Comments »

8 Holiday Gift Ideas for Caregivers

Monday, November 26th, 2012 by Angela Stringfellow

Attention holiday shoppers!

Is there a caregiver on your holiday gift-giving list this year? This group is often difficult to buy for, because the bulk of their time is spent tending to an aging loved one or spouse. Whether you’re out battling long lines during the busiest shopping season of the year or you plan to cash in on digital deals for Cyber Monday, we have some great gift ideas for you for the caregivers in your lives.

A journal. Documenting your thoughts and emotions is a welcome release for many caregivers. From simple to fancy, journals can make a great gift for caregivers who enjoy writing or journaling.
An Amazon Kindle or a Nook.A Kindle or Nook is an easy-to-transport reading device that can allow a caregiver to read a favorite book, newspaper or magazine anywhere. Long waits in doctor’s office waiting rooms or time spent keeping watch over an elderly loved one can be more enjoyable with some entertainment. (Not to mention, you can avoid touching the germ-filled courtesy magazines and save yourself and your loved one from an unwelcome seasonal cold.) Load it up with an inspirational book, such as Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul, or a new novel by a favorite author.
Image by weliton on Stock.xchng
A smartphone. Caregivers have a lot to keep track of: Medications, appointments, notes and reminders, lists of supplies needed, not to mention important contact information for healthcare providers. A smartphone can be an invaluable resource for a caregiver who’s always on the go but needs to be constantly connected.
A healthcare and scheduling app designed for caregivers. To go along with that new smartphone (or a smartphone they already have), a healthcare application can provide a solid foundation for tracking all that caregiving information. These apps are free or very affordable, such as Caregiver’s Touch for $4.99 or Elder411 for just $1.99 from the iTunes store.
A domain name with one year of hosting. If the caregiver in your life is tech-savvy and the writing type, a domain name and one year of hosting can be exactly what they need to start blogging their journey, a hobby that many caregivers say is a great source of stress relief.
A “gift certificate” for free respite care along with a restaurant or shopping gift card. Offer up your services to provide some respite for a few hours or a few days, and include a gift card for a favorite restaurant or retail store so you know your loved one will get out and do something fun for themselves.
A photobook or scrapbook. Caregivers are sometimes so busy keeping track of medications and appointments they lack the time to do what’s really important: Document memories. A gift of a photobook or scrapbook can be a gentle reminder to take time out to appreciate the memorable moments–and makes it easier to get started.
A spa gift certificate. Caregivers spend hours on their feet tending to their loved ones. A gift certificate for a spa treatment, such as a pedicure or massage, would offer some R&R along with some well-deserved pampering.

The best gift for a caregiver might not be expensive; it could even be free. If you have a caregiver on your list this holiday season, choose a gift from the heart that they’ll cherish and utilize for a long time to come.

Caregivers: What would be the best gift you could receive this holiday season? Tell us in the comments or visit us on Facebook to join the conversation!

Tags: caregivers, gift-giving, Holidays
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