Here are some brain teasers for you. What is the best prescription for depressive mood? What can a person do to keep their brain nimble? How does being outdoors boost your outlook?
First of all, depression is a mood that can come and go, but it also can become a medical issue if it persists. It feeds upon itself if not addressed, and can lead to isolation, insomnia, lack of interest and low energy and concentration. It is a secretive disorder because it can be unrecognized and left untreated. A chat with the doctor can help address and treat depression and help “reset” the brain’s chemical balance. Why let your quality of life decline when there is so much to savor?
Brain exercises such as games, socializing, current events, puzzles and learning something new all contribute to vitality and preservation of memory. These type activities as well as regular exercise keep wits sharp and increase a sense of purpose, all of which contribute to self esteem and engagement. These are crucial ingredients for longer, happier lives.
Outdoor activities can help with preserving bone mass by adding vitamin D to the body. Being outside also increases positive thoughts and feelings such as gratitude, pleasure, and connection. Increased exposure to light can help banish depressive symptoms and boost mood.
All of these comments are aimed to provide food for thought and increase the life satisfaction of our residents. Our goal is to help the whole person to thrive and remain content, as independent as possible, and mentally and physically healthy. We love seeing you make friends, laugh, and flourish.
Back when I first entered senior housing in 1997, the assisted living boom was in full swing.
I can remember the biggest challenge at the time didn’t seem to be if we could care for a resident as much as if we could just get them to move in! Back then, the sales and marketing process was crucial and the operation was relatively easy. Our residents were in their mid to late 70’s; had good cognitive abilities; and were, by today’s standards, relatively healthy. Family members were cooperative, visited frequently, attended events at the community and would usually take Mom or Dad out to lunch or dinner on occasion or take them home for a few days of vacation or a holiday.
A length of stay of 36 months or longer was the industry standard.
My how things have changed!
Late last fall we held our annual Executive Director’s Meeting near our home base in Alpharetta, Georgia. We worked for months in preparation of the meeting and considered several formats for the gathering. We looked into using a guest speaker, perhaps a motivational figure.
We considered hiring a consultant to give us some advice on the best way to plan. When we formed the company we basically had two simple principals: 1) we would never buy something for more than it was sensibly worth, and 2) we wanted to keep as much corporate burden off the communities as possible; meaning, we would keep it simple with as little paperwork and distraction as possible so that our Directors could run the communities. As an example, our purpose statement for the company is simply “we take care of old people”.
That’s it. That’s all we do. And, we adapted the motto from Tony Dungy’s book Quiet Strength, “we do what we do, no excuses, no explanations”.
Operations today boil down to three components: The Financial – can they pay? The Clinical – can we take care of them? The Social – can they thrive? It is still amazing to me that as an industry, we still do not in any official manner financially qualify our prospects but our accounts receivable remains consistently current. The clinical aspects for us are fairly straight-forward; we simply manage by the regulations as published in the states in which we operate. We rarely, if ever, push the limits of regulation even if we believe the regulations to be questionable or petty.
It is just not worth the hassle, time and energy to deal with bureaucrats, surveyors, and state agencies that really aren’t concerned about the resident’s well being.
Our biggest challenge as an operator today is the Social component- can they thrive? I would estimate that on a monthly basis 70% of the questions and issues that our Directors challenge us with are social in nature. Our average resident today is 89 years old, white and female. At least half of our families have some form of dysfunction, meaning that responsible sons or daughters are divorced, have remarried, and live more than 50 miles from Mom and/or Dad. They visit infrequently, are reluctant to spend money on their parents and, don’t want to be bothered or involved. This scenario runs across the continuum of Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care. In many cases, the families seem to seek out our direction and counseling on what they should do, yet very often fail to heed the advice. Today, our Directors must be skilled at managing emotions, be quick to develop generic answers for why residents question the behavior of a son or daughter and, be professional at managing the 30 day notice. We call this “family dynamics” and it is as much a part of our daily management as bingo, the bible and prune juice.
Today’s operator faces tougher challenges than ever before and they are social in nature which makes each situation unique and different. In many cases we spend as much time, if not more, managing the family as we do the resident. We have to be very meticulous in our documentation and our Directors have to have good communication skills and relentless patience. Frankly, I don’t see this scenario getting any better in the near future. But, in the meantime, we strive to provide the best care we possibly can to the resident and their families. We do what we do, no excuses, no explanations.
Chris Sides is co-founder of Senior Solutions Management Group, LLC. Chris and his partner, Todd Barker, formed SSMG in 2004. The company manages various continuums of senior living in
Tennessee, Georgia
and Alabama and is based in Suwanee, GA.
www.ssmgrp.com
This is the final part of a nine part series on finding the right senior living community. This article was written by Jim Moore of Moore Diversified Services (http://www.m-d-s.com/) and published on the Assisted Living Federation of America website (http://www.alfa.com/).
9. Carefully Consider What the Future May Hold
As we all age, all of us will experience increasing levels of frailty and other health complications. You need to understand how the community will justify and charge for the costs of increased services that may be needed. Also, consider the community's policies if it were to determine it could no longer care for you or your loved one. It may seem like an uncomfortable dialog, but knowing the answers to these questions can provide long-term comfort for you and your family.
Senior Solutions Management Group is one of the leading senior housing operators in the country providing the following services to older adults: independent-style living, assisted living, continuum of care retirement communities. We hope you have enjoyed this series and welcome your questions about our facilities and how we might assist in the search for a senior living community.
This is the eighth part of a nine part series on finding the right senior living community. This article was written by Jim Moore of Moore Diversified Services (http://www.m-d-s.com/) and published on the Assisted Living Federation of America website (http://www.alfa.com/).
8. Get Several Detailed, Objective Inputs
Always get a balanced perspective about life in a community you're considering by talking to the professional staff, current residents' family members, and the residents themselves. Ask about a typical day and how staff are involved. Ask about oppportunities for social interaction. Most importantly, ask current residents and their families:
- How do you currently feel about your earlier move-in decision?
- How did you work through the complex decision-making process?
- What were the biggest hurdles you overcame before you actually made the decision?
- If you knew then what you know now, what would you do differently?
Getting inside the minds of residents and their families will help you decide whether the particular community is a good fit.
Senior Solutions Management Group is one of the leading senior housing
operators in the country providing the following services to older
adults: independent-style living, assisted living, continuum of care
retirement communities. We welcome your questions about our facilities
and how we might assist in the search for a senior living community.
This is the seventh part of a nine part series on finding the right senior living community. This article was written by Jim Moore of Moore Diversified Services (http://www.m-d-s.com/) and published on the Assisted Living Federation of America website (http://www.alfa.com/).
7. Balance First Impressions with Reality
Take first impressions of a community seriously, but balance those initial impressions with other factors. Some first impressions might include the overall neighborhood setting - the quality of the landscaping, the campus layout, and the residence's exterior. When you enter a residence, think about your comfort level. Check out the public spaces and remember they are a shared extension of the private living space. Remember that you aren't trying to replace the total living area of your current home. You're making an informed trade-off between a relatively large home with a more appropriate sheltered living that offers an exstensive array of services specifically designed for this stage of your or your loved one's life.
Senior Solutions Management Group is one of the leading seniors housing operators in the country providing the following services to older adults: independent-style living, assisted living, continuum of care retirement communities. We welcome your questions about our facilities and how we might assist in the search for a senior living community.
This is the sixth part of a nine part series on finding the right senior living community. This article was written by Jim Moore of Moore Diversified Services (http://www.m-d-s.com/) and published on the Assisted Living Federation of America website (http://www.alfa.com/).
6. Address the Price vs. Value Dilemma
Throughout your life, you've probably been conservative in making most of your purchase decisions. If senior living is the right fit, it will likely be the most important purchase you ever make. So should you seek the lowest price - buying a commodity - or decide on a comfortable, high-value community of choice? It's important to both consider affordable value and optimum life satisfaction.
Senior Solutions Management Group is one of the leading seniors housing operators in the country providing the following services to older adults: independent-style living, assisted living, continuum of care retirement communities. We welcome your questions about our facilities and how we might assist in the search for a senior living community.
Depression is an insidious problem for anyone, but in the elderly it is often overlooked. It is not to be considered a normal part of growing older, but addressed as a medical condition that responds very well to treatment. Since many people don’t recognize or report the problem, and fear stigma for being weak and unable to “snap out of it”, they suffer needlessly and in silence. What looks like irritability and withdrawal can be a clear signal of depression. Other symptoms include loss of interest in usual activities, a loss of pleasure, poor appetite and weight loss, pervasive feelings of sadness, tearfulness, memory impairment, increased pain complaints, anger, and sleep disturbance such as early morning awakening and insomnia. Increased anxiety and thoughts of suicide must be addressed. Statistically, Caucasian men in the 70-80 age group make up the highest rate of successful suicide since they tend to have access to lethal means such as guns. The good news is that depression is absolutely treatable, and medications are safe, not addictive. The most important thing a loved one can do is insist on a visit and discussion with the primary care doctor. The MD can begin medication and also refer to a geriatric specialist. Talk therapy can speed the recovery in conjunction with medication. There is no reason to assume it is a normal or unavoidable part of aging. Treatment of depression can improve quality of life and restore meaning and purpose to living in a senior community because it allows the individual to interact and enjoy his or her peers, and to accept care and support from staff, which hastens adjustment to the change from home to assisted care. Family members are able to feel comfortable with the move and have less guilt as well. Depression is a serious illness, but imminently treatable. Life in later years should be as comfortable as possible and addressing this illness helps not only the elder but family and caregivers as well.
This is the fifth part of a nine part series on finding the right senior living community. This article was written by Jim Moore of Moore Diversified Services (http://www.m-d-s.com/) and published on the Assisted Living Federation of America website (http://www.alfa.com/).
5. Strike a Delicate Balance Between Affordability, Price, and Value
Senior living is a value-enhanced and service-enriched offering - and as such, it may appear expensive. But with the variety of options available and a careful look at true living expenses, you may be less sensitive to price. Put costs in perspective by first objectively evaluating your or your loved one's current cost of living. You may be surprised to find that the assisted living option is less expensive than your current cost of living. This can be especially true when you consider expenses like real estate taxes, home maintenance, and insurance, along with the comprehensive services that are all provided by a senior living residence.
Senior Solutions Management Group is one of the leading seniors housing operators in the country providing the following services to older adults: independent-style living, assisted living, continuum of care retirement communities
We welcome your questions about our facilities and how we might assist in the search for a senior living community.
This is the fourth part of a nine part series on finding the right senior living community. This article was written by Jim Moore of Moore Diversified Services (http://www.m-d-s.com/) and published on the Assisted Living Federation of America website (http://www.alfa.com/).
4. Prioritize High Standard of Care
In seeking a residence, pay particular attention to clinical procedures and technological innovations that are used daily in the community. You also want to be sure that staffing levels are consistent with high standards. Family members should get answers to these questions
- How will you respond if my "mom" has a medical emergency?
- How will you continuously monitor mom's condition without an unusual invasion of privacy?
- How will you monitor and deal with the possibility that my mom's condition may change?
- How would you describe how you staff the community 24/7 to provide the kind of care my mom will need?
- On average, about how many minutes per 24-hour day does a resident like my mom receive direct, hands-on assistance?
Senior Solutions Management Group is one of the leading seniors housing operators in the country providing the following services to older adults:
- independent-style living
- assisted living
- continuum of care retirement communities
We welcome your questions about our facilities and how we might assist in the search for a senior living community.
These are the next pieces of a nine part series on finding the right senior living community. This article was written by Jim Moore of Moore Diversified Services (http://www.m-d-s.com/) and published on the Assisted Living Federation of America website (http://www.alfa.com/).
Certain situations and signs may indicate it might be time to consider alternative living arrangements. Generally speaking, families and seniors begin to consider alternatives when it becomes difficult for the elderly family member to carry on important activities of daily living without significant support and assistance from others. Some of the challenges elderly adults can face as they age include loss of vision, poor balance, memory loss or forgetfulness, fatigue, loneliness, dementia, or a physician-prescribed move to a care setting.
Whether your needs are immediate or long-term, planning for senior living can seem daunting. The Assisted Living Federation of America developed a Nine Point Program to help you find a senior living community that's right for you!
2. Making the Right Choice Involves Focusing On Three Important Issues:
- Quality of Life
- Standards of Care
- Cost and Value
3. Define and Pursue a High Quality of Life
It's difficult to define quality of life as we age and how that quality of life might be fulfilled in a senior living community. Favorable expected outcomes frequently mentioned by seniors and their families include:
- Comfort and peace of mind
- Affordability and financial security
- Quality and value
- Very high standards of care
- Optimized independence
- Socialization
- Experience/adventures/nostalgia
- Individual recognition
- Intellectual stimulation
- Self-expression and fulfillment
Set your own goals and expectations as you search for a senior living community.