Do you remember when gay meant happy? Now it has a completely different connotation. When something went well you were pleased as punch, or even happy as a clam at high tide.

A person who was astonished was likely to exclaim sakes alive. What about the term lands-a-goshen? Gee-whiz, that goes way back. Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.

Make no bones about it, people use profanity much more these days. When angry or frustrated, folks used to utter dagnabit, jeepers, cripes or for pete’s sake.

Someone who was off their rocker was mad as a hatter, not playing with a full deck, a complete numskull and ready for the funny farm. On the other hand, you could be sharp as a tack.

Mum’s the word. Keep it close to your chest. Hearing a doozy straight from the horse’s mouth may put you in such a tizzy that you let the cat out of the bag. A cock-and-bull story is likely to spread like wildfire. Better to let sleeping dogs lie than entice people to pick up their ears. Gossip is usually full of malarkey.

A wiseguy was called a smart aleck or smarty-pants. A good-looking guy was a dream boat. A gal was called a dish. She could be persnickety and still keep her dance card full, staying out on a Saturday night until the cows came home.

If you had the Midas touch your money could help you live high on the hog and buy something for an arm and a leg. Hard workers would get it by hook or by crook or just make it by the skin of their teeth.

When manna from heaven falls, you are in like Flynn. But a fool and his money are soon parted when falling for a pig in a poke. It doesn’t matter whether hoisted by your own petard or you can pass the buck. Golly, it’s hard to keep your chin up when you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Does anybody get lumbago anymore? Of course they do. This is an old-fashioned term for lower back pain. I bet it was harder to find a chiropractor back in the olden days. Scrivener’s palsy might be a thing of the past. After all, who uses a feather pen and ink well anymore? BlackBerry thumb is more common these days.

It just goes to show you, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Stay cool, and don’t be a fuddy duddy.

Senior Living is written by Dr. Arlen Burger, Mary Burger and Dave Besana.

Senior Living staff at AutumnGrove Cottage is available to talk with you about your aging family member. We provide Alzheimer’s Care and Personal Care Services in a cottage-like setting. We specialize in Alzheimer’s care while providing Senior Living in Humble, TX.

The Boomer generation has generally gone through life demanding that things be done their way—not the other way around—and this attitude will likely play a large role in the assisted living landscape in the coming years, according to senior living experts.

Today’s seniors aren’t really looking to downsize, and when they come to a senior community they want to bring their “stuff” with them and keep doing the activities they’re used to doing, says Manny Gonzalez, an architect with design firm KTGY Group, Inc., based in California.

“What we’re seeing in a lot of cases is that our clients are trying to bring designs into this next generation of architecture and planning where we don’t want our communities and our floor plans to look like the house Mom and Dad moved into, and certainly not the one we put Grandma into 25 years ago,” he says.

The baby boomer generation “has turned everything on its head that it has touched since the 1960s,” says Tom Grape, and it “won’t be any different” for senior housing.

Many 50+ communities are now sporting a more “contemporary” design and feature modern furnishings and an extensive use of technology, Gonzalez told SHN.

“If you don’t have a place to have Wii fitness in your community, you’re missing the boat,” he says. “You don’t even need to have the personal trainer, you just turn on the game. Putting flexibility into communities and the amenities and allowing people to update things quickly is good.”

The architect also said that his firm is seeing a lot of clients who want to include activities residents used to have to leave behind, and he said they’re putting workshops and gardens into some of their communities.

More pets are being allowed in, too, with pet-washing and dog parks cropping up in rental communities.

Urban locations are becoming increasingly sought after, where amenities can be found alongside the site, as opposed to being located within the community itself.

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While they started as short-term dwellings for wealthy train riders during the railroad boom, they’re now being converted into long-term housing for the latest trend—the aging Baby Boomer generation, 10,000 of which are reaching retirement age each day.

Many hotels, in theory, fit the bill for conversion into an ALF: they’re already divided into units, and most already have private bathrooms.

However, there is a considerable amount of time and money that needs to be invested into renovating an old building into a senior living residence, and there are many challenges that can appear along the way, according to Richard Westin, CEO of Berkely, Calif.-based Agemark Corporation, which specializes in converting historic hotels into ALFs.

“There are always surprises when you’re dealing with historic buildings,” says Westin, adding that it’s almost always simpler to start from scratch and build new, especially because when doing so, a developer has a much firmer grasp on the costs that will be associated with a project. For existing, older structures, developers have to deal with all of the “unknowns,” says Westin, going on to name some of the common challenges.

“You might be dealing with asbestos, or a floor that’s rotten down four stories’ worth,” he says. “Or, the electrical system needs to be totally revamped… there could be other structural issues.” Additionally, sometimes the rooms are just too small to comply with assisted Living standards.

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These days, seniors in newly constructed assisted living and skilled care homes walk around in open and brighter spaces with greater independence and even wireless Internet access.

As the U.S. and Dayton population steadily skews older and people live longer than expected, assisted living and skilled nursing care homes continue to expand and update their campuses to meet needs and evolving expectations.

Continuing care communities, which provide independent and assisted living and skilled care, have responded with multimillion-dollar expansion projects, which have allowed communities to add those wanted features.

Assisted Living staff at AutumnGrove Cottage is available to talk with you about your aging family member. We provide Alzheimer’s Care and Personal Care Services in a cottage-like setting. We specialize in Alzheimer’s care while providing Assisted Living in Eagle Springs – Humble, TX.

The boomers are changing the course of retirement by not only working longer but living longer as well. This generation will also change the future of senior care.

In 2011, the boomers started turning 65 years of age and many are looking more closely at the type of care options offered as they age. They want their independence, not just from a physical standpoint, but also by having influence and control of the environment in which they reside. This group will demand the current models of Assisted Living and Nursing Homes to change. But how?

Assisted Living is for those who cannot live at home anymore and need help with basic activities of daily living (transfers, bathing, grooming, etc.) to more specialized areas including dementia care. Today, there are many options available in Assisted Living including a range from small, family residential homes to facilities with multiple levels of care.

Like the larger facilities or “communities,” the smaller homes are also licensed by each state. They are spread out geographically and may range from four to 12 residents. Some owners own multiple homes which may not be in the same neighborhood. The communities are usually one building that may have several floors and incorporate independent living, assisted Living and dementia care.

With the exception of long-term care insurance and Veteran Administration benefits, assisted Living is not covered by any medical insurance in most states. Knowing that, the boomer generation will want choices. This generation wanted choices in cars – they got it. They wanted choices in coffee – they got it. They will want choices in assisted Living– they will get it.

My experience in dealing with many boomers some,feel that the smaller homes are great but do not have enough activities. On the other hand, they feel the larger facilities are very nice but may be too large or some appear too institutionalized. The future will bring:

A cluster of homes, even an entire sub-division, whereby seniors will have the option to attend activities in a community center, centrally located, just for the residents of the sub-division. At the same time, residents will live in the privacy of a smaller home.

Instead of larger, single structure buildings, there will be multiple single levels, smaller buildings grouped together. Each one will have varied levels of care including dementia care. Though meals and individualized activities will take place in each building separately, there will also be a centrally located community center for larger, group functions.

For these communities to be competitive, they’ll have to provide the most up-to-date technology including:

A continuous update of medical records for physicians to access and make necessary changes to medications.

Technology that will be incorporated to help prevent falls such as motion sensors that monitor balance. In addition, there will be walkers that can automatically steer away from obstacles which can also be reached by remote control.

“Skype like” programs will be installed so residents can see and talk with children, grandchildren and friends. There will be enhancements for those with disabilities, including poor site and hearing, so they can still participate.

Geriatric physicians, podiatrists, dentists, optometrists will be readily available to visit with residents where they reside.

On-site exercise equipment and aquatic therapy will be commonplace at the larger communities.

These locations will have gated, secured communities in order to keep outsiders from coming in without permission.

What about Nursing Homes? Though nursing is dealing with rehabilitation and acute care, a new model called “The Green House Model” has already started. Their goal is described on their website, “The Green House model is a de-institutionalization effort designed to restore individuals to a home in the community by combining small homes with the full range of personal care and clinical services expected in high-quality nursing homes.”

The hope is that these various models will be ready when the “Silver Tsunami” hits.

This list is not intended to all inclusive and your doctor should be consulted about the various screenings that pertain to you and any health condition you may have.

Influenza vaccination for the elderly is recommended each year. Annual vaccinations are necessary because the virus changes each year.

Pneumonia can be a serious condition and can even lead to death. Did you know there are more than 80 different pneumonia bacteria? Twenty-three are covered by the current vaccination. The vaccine stimulates the body’s normal immune system, thereby producing antibodies that fight the pneumonia bacteria. This vaccine does not protect you from pneumonia caused by microbes other than pneumoccous bacteria.

Colon cancer screenings are recommended for those 50 and older. Those in a high-risk group who have had family members with colon cancer need to start earlier.

Friday is Go Red for Women day. Go Red For Women celebrates the energy, passion and power women have to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke. The event is designed to raise awareness that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. Women are encouraged to talk to their doctor about their family health history to determine appropriate medical tests and strategies for managing risks.

Mammogram recommendations have changed. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends mammograms for women 50 to 74 every other year. It says women and their doctors should discuss the benefits and risks of mammograms beginning at age 40. The findings don’t apply to high-risk patients, such as those with a family history of breast cancer.

Prostate cancer screenings can be done with an annual rectal exam and a prostate-sensitive antigen blood test. This screening is recommended for men 50 and older.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and there are more than 1 million new cases each year. From the very least to the most dangerous they are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma first stage called actinic keratosis and melanoma. Those who have had long-term exposure to the sun should be checked annually by a dermatologist.

Osteoporosis is a disease where your bones become less dense, increasing the possibility of bone fractures. Osteoporosis or low bone mass affects an estimated 44 million Americans, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Women are four times likely to develop this disease than men. Postmenopausal women should have a bone density test and follow up at intervals according to their doctor’s recommendation.

Blood testing can reveal conditions including diabetes, liver disease, cholesterol and thyroid issues, just to name a few. Your doctor will start by following general maintenance guidelines as well as creating an individualized plan based on your family medical history.

No one wants to get bad news, but avoiding medical tests doesn’t mean problems will go away. In fact, delaying testing only serves to delay treatment. Early detection and early treatment are your best defenses in effectively managing a health condition.

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1. Physical Health

2. Financial Health

3. Mental Health

According to Samson, “there was a time when nursing homes were the main type of facility for long-term care. Many of us remember going to visit loves ones at these locations with horrible smells and less than adequate care. Today, nursing homes are mainly set up for short-term stays after being hospitalized for recovery and strengthening. Those who need to be in nursing homes for long-term care are either on Medicaid need medical care (i.e. – IV’s, feeding tubes, wound care, coma care, quadriplegics). Most people still believe that if the elderly are not taken care of at their own home, they will have to go to a Nursing or Convalescent Home. That is simply not true.”

Many people use the term Nursing Home synonymously with Assisted Living. However, there are approximately 1,300 Nursing Homes while over 8,000 Assisted Living locations in the State of California alone. These options range from small, family Residential Care Homes to larger, full-service communities with hundreds of residents. The smaller locations are similar to living in someone’s home with live-in caregivers who provide assistance. The larger locations (communities) are more like Senior Apartments with caregivers providing 24/7 assistance. More and more seniors are becoming residents of these locations including those that specialize in dementia care.

Activities of daily living (ADL’s) are considered the routine activities that people tend do everyday without needing assistance. There are six basic ADL’s, including eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring (walking) and continence. For those needing this type of assistance, including supervision for dementia, do not have to live in a Nursing Home long-term.

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Occupancy rates at assisted living facilities and nursing facilities remained relatively flat compared to the previous quarter, according to NIC MAP, a data analysis service of the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry. The average occupancy rate for assisted living facilities was 88.6% in the third quarter, with no change from the previous quarter. For nursing facilities, the average occupancy rate was 88.2%, for a decline of 0.1 percentage points from the third quarter. Only independent living showed growth, increasing .2 percentage points.

“With occupancy continuing to rise, it is clear the recovery is underway, however, independent living has been driving much of the occupancy gains in recent quarters,” said NIC MAP Vice President Michael Hargrave.

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In a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Assisted Living Federation of America said it was “dismayed to see the lack of acknowledgment of the role assisted living has in caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease,” in the HHS taskforce plan released Jan. 9.

The letter points to research by Acclaro Growth Partners that says, as of 2009, one-third all of the residents residing in assisted living communities have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. And, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42% of residents living in residential care facilities have Alzheimer’s.

ALFA’s letter also requests that the taskforce replace the term Alzheimer’s “patient” to “resident” or “individual” in written communications related to Alzheimer’s care. HHS will be accepting feedback about the plan until Feb. 8.

Read the letter here

Alzheimer’s Care in Pearland, TX staff at AutumnGrove Cottages is available to talk with you about your aging family member. We provide Personal Care Services in a Small Intimate Environment. We specialize in Alzheimer’s Care while providing exceptional Assisted Living in Pearland, TX.