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You are here: Home / Archives for Lifestyle

Lifestyle

August 6, 2020 By Admin Login

Visiting Your Loved One in Assisted Living

Visiting Your Loved One in Assisted Living

 

One of the main reasons residents move to assisted living is to get more socialization and to ensure they are not isolated or feel lonely.  Studies have shown the positive effects of socialization for seniors which includes improved mental health, physical health, and better nutrition.  Unfortunately, the inability to socialize has been one of the biggest obstacles COVID-19 has presented us with during these interesting times.  It is also why Surpass Senior Living believes it is of the utmost importance to maintain regular visitation even if it is a bit different than before. 

Below are a few ways Surpass Senior Living has enabled our residents to keep a close connection with their families.



1. Outdoor Patio Visits with Social Distancing

Patio visits are a great way to see your loved ones and enjoy some fresh air. CDC Guidelines are still in effect, so put on a mask and maintain a distance of 6 feet.

2. Window Visits

If you’re unsure about visiting in person, many family members have taken to window visits as another option. It’s not face to face, but you can still see them up close and in person. You can talk over the phone and bring some fun items like signs to show them.

3. Video Chat

We live in a day and age where technology is widespread and accessible, and our communities are no different. We have set up a video chat service at each of our communities where families can sign up for a time slot and talk with their loved one via a computer. This can be a great alternative if you can’t meet in person.

4. Drive-by Community Parade

Even though this won’t be face to face, it is a nice way to see your loved ones and put on a show for other residents. Parades can show that you’re thinking of them as well as provide a little excitement that they can talk about.

Despite the pandemic, we encourage you to visit your loved one in a manner that is safe for both of you.  Please check with the community your family member resides in first to understand what options are currently available.

Filed Under: Assisted Living, Lifestyle, Uncategorized Tagged With: alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Care, Assisted Living, Difference, mind, Nursing Home, Senior Care, senior living

July 29, 2020 By Admin Login

10 Proven Ways to Keep the Mind Sharp as You Age

10 Proven Ways to Keep the Mind Sharp as You Age

It’s extremely important to practice healthy aging throughout your life even well into your golden years. At Surpass Senior Living communities it’s a priority for us to make sure your loved ones are staying sharp. From exercise and nutrition to intellectual stimulation, we make it our focus to incorporate these aspects into our residents’ daily routines. And even though our priority is with your loved ones, it’s never too late to start stimulating your own mind!

1. Exercise for a healthier mind

Your mind and body are interconnected so, often, what benefits the body benefits the brain. Regular exercise, even taking a simple walk, goes a long way toward improving your memory and cognitive skills, according to Dr. Scott McGinnis, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School.

In fact, the foot’s impact during a walk sends pressure waves through the arteries, increasing blood flow and resulting in a healthier mind, according to researchers at New Mexico Highlands University.

Try adding some of these physical activities to your daily or weekly routine to boost blood flow to your brain:

  • Hiking on nearby nature trails
  • Tennis or pickle ball
  • Walking your dog
  • Yoga or tai chi
  • Water aerobics
  • Functional fitness
  • Weight lifting

 2. Read for intellectual stimulation

In a study in the journal Neurology, regular reading and writing in late life reduced the rate of memory decline by 32%.

Here are ideas to get reading more often:

  • Join or start a book club through your church, temple, or local library or book store.
  • Read to your grandchildren in person or via FaceTime or Skype.
  • Subscribe to a magazine or newspaper.
  • Set aside a time of day for reading.
  • Read only what you like — it’s OK to give up and choose something else.

 3. Eat healthy to stimulate your brain

You may know that nuts, fish, and red wine have been linked to a healthy brain. For an extra brain boost, try including these foods in your diet, suggests Healthline:

  • Salmon is filled with Omega-3 fatty acids, major building blocks of the brain.
  • Green tea improves alertness and focus. It’s rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, and has been linked with a reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s.
  • Eggs have many nutrients tied to brain health such as B6, B12, folate, and choline. Choline helps create a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which helps regulate mood and memory.
  • Blueberries have antioxidants, which have been shown to improve communication between brain cells, delay short-term memory loss, and reduce inflammation.

 4. Strive for good posture

If your mother or teachers told you to sit up, they were right to — maintaining an upright posture improves circulation and blood flow to the brain.

Here are three ways to improve yours:

  • Sleep with your spine aligned: Sleeping on your back or side is generally less stressful on your spine, according to Cleveland Clinic. In back sleeping, gravity keeps your body centered over your spine. If you sleep on your side, keep your head in neutral posture with your chin straight ahead.
  • Improve your balance: Staying balanced reduces the risk of falls and benefits the spine. Try online or in-person yoga for beginner’s classes to improve balance.
  • Maintain a healthy weight: Carrying extra weight adds stress to your muscles and makes it more difficult to maintain proper posture.

5. Get plenty of sleep to improve memory

Sleep problems can lead to trouble with memory, concentration, and other cognitive functions, says the National Institute on Aging. Memories and newly learned skills move to more permanent regions of the brain while you sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). This makes them easier to recall.

Adults 65 and older should aim for seven to eight hours of sleep, says the NSF. If you’re between the ages of 26 and 64, the goal is to get seven to nine hours of sleep.

Do you want to ensure you’re getting the best sleep possible? Here are some tips to help:

  • Stay consistent: Pick a bedtime and stick with it — a routine will help you sleep better overall. This also includes setting a regular time to wake up on weekends.
  • Avoid heavy food: Large serving sizes can irritate your stomach causing you to lose sleep. Instead, when you’re hungry at night, have small snacks like nuts or slices of fruit.
  • Limit stimulants: Try to avoid coffee, cola, cigarettes, and chocolate for up to four to six hours before bed.
  • Limit alcohol: Alcohol disrupts REM and slow-wave sleep, which are important for memory. It’s best to avoid alcohol four to six hours before bed.

6. Play games or draw

Paint, color in an adult coloring book, or grab a pen and paper and draw. Whether it’s a masterpiece, or a mere doodle, making something artistic is a creative workout and an intellectual activity for the brain.

Games are another excellent and simple way to sharpen and stimulate your mind. Here are a few fun games for your brain:

  • Sudoku
  • Chess
  • Scrabble
  • Trivia

7. Listen to music or play an instrument

Many people find listening to or playing music enjoyable, but that’s not the only benefit — it also improves memory function in older adults, according to a 2019 study in Frontiers in Psychology. Finding your favorite tunes, or learning to read or play music is easier than ever thanks to versatile platforms and technology:

  • YouTube: A classic way to search for your favorite songs, music videos, or instrument tutorials. You can listen to your favorite songs while learning to play them.
  • Spotify: A popular platform that includes new and older songs from all around the world. Create playlists easily, and listen to your favorite songs anytime you want.
  • Pandora: Stream music for free and check out new artist or song recommendations. You can easily discover new music based on artists you already like and build your catalog.
  • Take Lessons: Schedule a lesson online or in-person with an instructor at a price that works for you. Group lessons are available too, so you can learn with loved ones.

8. Learn a foreign language to boost cognitive functioning

Even if international travel isn’t in your plans, learning a new language can be beneficial. It improves cognitive functioning in older adults, according to a review of several studies in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

9. Find a new hobby to strengthen your brain

Learning a craft or skill can stimulate your mind, relieve boredom, and liven up your daily routine. Many colleges and senior centers offer engaging, low-cost lectures and classes for older adults. Whether you’re learning a new recipe, beefing up your computer skills, ongoing education is a surefire way to stay sharp. What interests you?

  • Carpentry
  • Sewing
  • Gardening
  • Cooking
  • Knitting
  • Photography
  • Fishing
  • Golfing
  • Swimming

10. Write frequently

Writing improves working memory and communication abilities. In the end, it doesn’t matter what you decide to write because simply expressing yourself will boost your brain activity.

These 9 easy writing exercises can jumpstart your creative energy. Have fun, and enjoy a brain workout by writing one of the following:

  • Poetry
  • Creative stories
  • Song lyrics
  • Handwritten letters
  • Emails
  • Blog posts
  • Cards

Although there are no clinically proven ways to reverse the course of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s, these tips may help combat normal, age-related mental decline. By continuing to find unique ways to stimulate your brain, you increase the odds your brain will thrive for years to come.

Source: Merritt Whitley (Silver Lake)

Filed Under: Assisted Living, Lifestyle, Uncategorized Tagged With: alzheimer's, Alzheimer's Care, Assisted Living, Difference, mind, Nursing Home, Senior Care, senior living

July 22, 2020 By Admin Login

8 Tips for Dealing With Aging Parents Who Won’t Listen

8 Tips for Dealing With Aging Parents Who Won’t Listen

Making the decision to place your loved ones in assisted living can be difficult, especially when you’re met with stubborn parents. At Surpass Senior Living we understand it can be a sensitive and challenging issue to discuss. Even though senior living communities are here to help your loved ones and assist them in their daily routines, convincing them may be harder than you would like. These 8 tips are a great resource to get started.


If you’re struggling with aging parents who refuse help, you’re far from alone: A whopping 77% of adult children believe their parents are stubborn about taking their advice or getting help with daily tasks, according to a study by researchers at Penn State University. Fortunately, the situation isn’t hopeless.

How do you get your aging parents to listen to you?

Mary Heitger-Marek, a 50-year-old program analyst from Annapolis, Maryland, like many of us, is asking this question daily. “I can’t even begin to tell you how many times my husband and I have suggested options to improve my parents’ quality of life, and they’ve turned us down,” she says.

“I feel like we could open a senior care business because of all the programs, aid and other things we’ve looked into for them.”

Unfortunately, Mary’s feelings are not uncommon when caring for aging parents. Aging care and health professionals recommend the following steps to relieve the resentment and anxiety that can accompany caring for aging parents and loved ones:

1. Try to understand the motivation behind their behavior

Aging is a difficult process for virtually everyone. Many older adults are living with dementia or mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Taking time to understand how your parents might be feeling can help you communicate with them better.

“Realizing that your parents’ autonomy is important to them can be beneficial as well,” says social worker Suzanne Modigliani, a Massachusetts-based aging life care specialist who works with families to solve elder care problems. She suggests asking yourself some key questions about your loved ones’ behavior:

  • Are they acting this way out of habit?
  • To assert independence?
  • Due to depression?
  • Because they’re confused or have dementia?
  • What are they afraid of?
  • Identifying the root cause, or causes, of your parents’ behavior can help you identify the best way to make positive changes.

2. Accept the situation

While you might wish you could control your elderly parents for their own good, the reality is you can’t force them to do anything. Modigliani asserts, “[Your parents] are adults with the right to make decisions — even poor ones.”

Accepting this fact — as hard as it is — can help lower your stress and even improve your relationship with your mother and/or father.

3. Choose your battles

People don’t respond well to nagging, real or perceived. In the long run, it might help your case to stop insisting your parents update their phones, join a fitness class or complete other beneficial, but nonessential, tasks.

Instead, decide what issues are the most important and focus on them — at least initially. Matters involving your parents’ safety, for instance, should take top priority.

But remember, they’re much more likely to take your concerns seriously if you don’t bombard them with several at once, no matter how valid they may be.

4. Don’t beat yourself up

Even professional family mediator Roseann Vanella of Marlton, N.J., has found little success in dealing with elderly parents. Her father has dementia, and her mother has a rare blood
disorder. Still, her mother insisted on taking her husband to Sicily on vacation.

“I can’t stop you, so at least get medical jet insurance,” Vanella said. Her mother said she would.

Soon after arriving in Italy, her mother’s disease flared up: she needed a blood transfusion — at home. Vanella’s mother admitted she never purchased insurance, and Vanella and her brother were on the next plane to Italy.

“After that, I said, ‘She’s never going to take him to Europe,’ but she did,” Vanella says. “I told her how bad it was for my dad since his dementia had progressed.”

Again, Vanella had to fly to Italy and bring her parents back. “The hardest part is knowing something could have been averted, especially in terms of my dad’s dementia, but wasn’t,” she notes.

“My advice is not to hit your head against the wall too hard. There isn’t a lot we can do sometimes but stand by, watch closely, and be able to jump in when needed.”

5. Treat your aging parents like adults

While it may feel as if you and your parents have switched roles at times, they’re still your parents, and want to be treated with respect. “Avoid infantilizing your parents,” said Dr. Robert Kane, former director of the Center on Aging at the University of Minnesota, and author of The Good Caregiver in 2015.

“Dealing with a stubborn parent is not the same as dealing with a stubborn child. Older people should be autonomous,” he says.

“When parents are behaving irrationally, it can be tempting to threaten to move them to a nursing home against their will, or insist you know what’s best. But these tactics will only drive a wedge between you and your parents.”

When it comes to dealing with aging parents, remember this: Above all, the goal is to help your parents receive the best care possible.

You’re much more likely to get positive results by treating your aging parents like the adults that they are. This goes for simple tasks, such as helping your parents remember to take their medications, and harder tasks, like helping them get treatment for diabetes.

6. Ask them to do it for the kids (or grandkids)

If your mom isn’t willing to change her behavior for herself, maybe she will for a loved one. Kane’s mother quit smoking after his sister argued that her second-hand smoke was a risk to the grandchildren.

Another approach to dealing with aging parents is to be direct about how it affects you. Communicate your worries to your parent, and explain how your anxieties will be tempered if he or she follows your advice.

7. Find an outlet for your feelings

If you’re angry or resentful that your elderly parent refuses to move to a safer living situation or take their medication as directed, it’s important to vent — but not to your parents. Instead, confide in, or strategize with, a friend, sibling, therapist, online support group or senior living advisor.

This is especially important if you are the primary caregiver to your aging parents.

No matter how deeply you care about your mom and dad, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with frustration, fear and anxiety when constantly dealing with their irrational behavior. Guard against this by caring for yourself and finding activities to help release negative emotions.

8. Plan ahead — and talk about those plans

Even if your parent has not been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, living with any kind of memory loss can be very difficult for seniors to deal with, or even acknowledge. Helping your aging parents remember important dates eases frustration for everyone.

Is there a family celebration they want to attend that’s coming up, such as an anniversary, graduation or wedding? Bring it up. Talk about it frequently. Share in the excitement together.

What do you do when an elderly parent refuses needed care?

Ironically, you should listen.

By paying attention to your aging parents’ needs and heeding the advice of health professionals, you can make dealing with aging parents less stressful for everyone — even if Mom and Dad don’t always listen to you.

 

Source: Kim Acosta (Silver Lake)

 

Filed Under: Assisted Living, Lifestyle, Uncategorized Tagged With: Assisted Living, Difference, Nursing Home, Senior Care, senior living

June 3, 2020 By Admin Login

Difference Between Assisted Living and Nursing Homes

Difference Between Assisted Living and Nursing Homes

 

Less Contact with Outside Healthcare Providers

Overall, assisted living and memory care facilities have had considerably fewer cases than alternative options such as nursing homes. When it comes to nursing homes and other long-term care nursing facilities, residents typically live with more complex health conditions. This type of care requires more outside healthcare providers, which increases the traffic and the chance for COVID cases. With assisted living, our residents require a level of care that our trained staff are able to handle themselves. With a more limited staff, we’re able to screen visitors easier and trace potential cases.

 

Increased Space for Activities and Social Distancing

Assisted Living often has fewer residents and more space than long-term care nursing facilities. Due to the increased distance between contact, residents are less likely to transmit the virus. In addition, residents also have more room to safely move around and participate in activities. As we navigate this situation, we are refining our policies and procedures to mitigate against COVID-19.

 

Personalized Care

Not only do assisted living communities generally have fewer residents, but they also have more manageable health issues. This enables our staff to have the time to provide more personalized care to each resident. Increased check-ups, safely transferring residents to activities, and creating an overall stronger bond with each other.

 

Staying The Course

The safety and comfort of your loved one remains our primary focus. With no end in-site, we are closely monitoring the situation and continuing to use our enhanced safety measures currently in place.

  • Staff trained to identify COVID-19 symptoms and testing is completed on-site if any symptoms arise.
  • Resident temperature checks 2x daily with additional screening.
  • COVID testing completed before move-in.
  • Employees screened before entering the community.
  • Trained care staff on-site 24/7 to monitor health and wellness and provide direct care.
  • We utilize advanced geofencing technology to prohibit entry by people who have been to places with active COVID-19.
  • Dining Restrictions: Residents are able to either eat in the dining hall with 6 feet spacing or continue to eat in their apartments.
  • Social Distancing: We are limiting engagements to small groups and in settings where 6 feet of distance between individuals can be maintained.

Filed Under: Assisted Living, Lifestyle, Uncategorized Tagged With: Assisted Living, Difference, Nursing Home, Senior Care, senior living

May 13, 2020 By Admin Login

Social Distancing Activities in our Communities

Social Distancing Activities in our Communities

 

During these current times, our communities have had to adapt to new policies to maintain social distancing and a safe environment. Here is a list of some activities we have implemented in our communities.

 

  1. Social Activities
    • Bingo – An all-time classic set in larger areas to allow for appropriate social distancing.
    • Old Time Radio Hour – This is a great compliment to hydration/snack passes. Turn it into an afternoon party with music and doorway dance!
    • Virtual Entertainment – Live streaming entertainment and using a projector for the complete experience. This can be done in the hallway if needed. Bring popcorn door to door for a healthy movie snack.
  2. Intellectual
    • Brain Games – Help keep resident's minds sharp and active with puzzles.
    • Independent Activity Books – Including crosswords, sudoku, word scrambles, and word searches with answers in the back.
    • Paint and Pour – Another fun activity to keep residents engaged in the doorways! (Be sure appropriate floor covering is provided to protect carpet/flooring)
  3. Physical
    • Putt-putt game/competition (golf) – This can be done in the hallway or an open area. Take turns and practice social distancing.
    • Exercise – So important right now! Bump up your exercise classes and keep residents moving. Now is a great time to introduce chair yoga. There are so many free instructional videos available online through Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Youtube.
    • Gardening – This can be done on the courtyard patios while social distancing. Plant flowers or vegetables and watch them grow over time!
  4. Emotional
    • Greeting Cards – Residents can create greeting cards for one another sending positive thoughts.
    • Flower Delivery – Staff delivers flowers to each resident.
    • Embroidering Poetry Lover's Club – Read poetry to residents and have them share their favorite poet/poem.
  1. Spiritual
    • Meditation – Set aside time for some peace and quiet as residents get in touch with their inner self.
    • Live Stream for Religious Services – It’s always important to stay in touch with your religion. This is a good compromise during the current shelter-in-place.
    • Bible Trivia – Test residents knowledge by asking trivia questions about the bible.
  2. Intergenerational
    • Pen Pals – Coordinate with local school(s) for being pen pals with students.
    • Youth 2 Seniors – Have ‘Youth 2 Seniors’ write messages to our residents on the windows.
    • 1 on 1 – Time spent with department heads (distant appropriate) with the residents, going door to door, and reassuring them. Especially our Marketer and DRP asking if they want to video chat with family etc.

 

Filed Under: Assisted Living, Lifestyle, Memory Care Tagged With: activities, Assisted Living, Memory Care, senior living, social distancing

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