The average monthly Social Security benefit was $1,179 in March 2011. A couple who each earns that amount would have a retirement income of $28,296 annually. Here are a few places where the median household income is lower than the average Social Security benefit for a two-earner couple.
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Sunday, December 25, 2011
The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012 - US News & World Report
Whether you want to spend your golden years watching the sun set over the water or taking on a second career, we’ve identified an ideal place to relocate. Using data from Onboard Informatics, U.S. News selected 10 key attributes that many people look for in a retirement locale, and a city that excels in meeting each need. Here are 10 great places to retire.
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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Assisted living facilities are slow to gain acceptance - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
When 91-year-old Marie Holtzapfel arrived at RoseCrest Assisted Living Residence in July from another long-term care facility, she could hardly have been aware she was part of some rare vanguard in Pennsylvania.
For one thing, like all 15 initial residents in the homelike setting in Mars, Mrs. Holtzapfel has had dementia for years. For another, RoseCrest wasn't supposed to be the only licensed assisted-living center in southwestern Pennsylvania as of the end of October, and one of just 10 in the state.
State officials began using the new category of long-term care called assisted living in January as a middle ground between Pennsylvania's long-existing personal care home and nursing home industries. The Rendell administration, which oversaw development of the assisted-living regulations, had predicted there would be at least 150 centers licensed by now, aiming for a less institutional atmosphere than nursing homes but higher standards than what is mandated in personal care homes.
The new category is part of a trend in which state governments have tried to de-emphasize nursing home use because it is the most costly form of long-term care to help fund, in addition to being the least desired by the public.
But assisted living's growth depends on an upgrade to it among the more than 1,300 personal care homes in Pennsylvania. Thus far, they are reacting to it with all the eagerness of frail Aunt Hazel hearing it's time to move out of her longtime home into a group facility for her own good.
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For one thing, like all 15 initial residents in the homelike setting in Mars, Mrs. Holtzapfel has had dementia for years. For another, RoseCrest wasn't supposed to be the only licensed assisted-living center in southwestern Pennsylvania as of the end of October, and one of just 10 in the state.
State officials began using the new category of long-term care called assisted living in January as a middle ground between Pennsylvania's long-existing personal care home and nursing home industries. The Rendell administration, which oversaw development of the assisted-living regulations, had predicted there would be at least 150 centers licensed by now, aiming for a less institutional atmosphere than nursing homes but higher standards than what is mandated in personal care homes.
The new category is part of a trend in which state governments have tried to de-emphasize nursing home use because it is the most costly form of long-term care to help fund, in addition to being the least desired by the public.
But assisted living's growth depends on an upgrade to it among the more than 1,300 personal care homes in Pennsylvania. Thus far, they are reacting to it with all the eagerness of frail Aunt Hazel hearing it's time to move out of her longtime home into a group facility for her own good.
Full Article
Monday, December 12, 2011
Assisted living: What you need to know - Buffalo News
Assisted living may be in your future.
That may not be an ideal scenario for most retirees, given its association with a loss of independence. But it’s becoming reality for many as living in retirement for decades becomes more common.
There are close to a million residents in some 38,000 assisted-living facilities across the country, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. That population is expected to soar as the number of retired baby boomers continues to grow.
But even before their retirement, many boomers are having to deal with placing elderly parents in an assisted- living or other type of care facility. That means it’s time to do some homework on this residential option — an intermediate step between independent living and nursing home care — and in many cases to cast aside preconceived ideas.
“The name has a connotation of ‘I can’t live by myself anymore,’ ” says Ellen Eichelbaum, a Northport, N. Y.- based gerontologist whose company, the SpeakEasy Group, consults on aging issues. “But an assisted-living facility provides a lot of the social and security issues that seniors are worried about.”
It takes away the burden of having to care for your home and allows you to be part of a community, she says. And if you don’t feel well, help is just a button away.
Full Article
That may not be an ideal scenario for most retirees, given its association with a loss of independence. But it’s becoming reality for many as living in retirement for decades becomes more common.
There are close to a million residents in some 38,000 assisted-living facilities across the country, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. That population is expected to soar as the number of retired baby boomers continues to grow.
But even before their retirement, many boomers are having to deal with placing elderly parents in an assisted- living or other type of care facility. That means it’s time to do some homework on this residential option — an intermediate step between independent living and nursing home care — and in many cases to cast aside preconceived ideas.
“The name has a connotation of ‘I can’t live by myself anymore,’ ” says Ellen Eichelbaum, a Northport, N. Y.- based gerontologist whose company, the SpeakEasy Group, consults on aging issues. “But an assisted-living facility provides a lot of the social and security issues that seniors are worried about.”
It takes away the burden of having to care for your home and allows you to be part of a community, she says. And if you don’t feel well, help is just a button away.
Full Article
Friday, December 9, 2011
Gift Giving for a Loved One in Skilled Nursing - Brookdale Senior Living
After buying gifts your entire life, it can be challenging to come up with new and creative ideas for your loved one. As time changes, the needs of your loved one will change. The decorative vases you used to purchase your aunt just aren’t going to cut it anymore.
When you have a loved one in skilled nursing, you know they need practical gifts. By targeting your gift-giving strategy to your loved one’s needs, you will be able to get gifts that show how much you care and that show you understand their needs.
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When you have a loved one in skilled nursing, you know they need practical gifts. By targeting your gift-giving strategy to your loved one’s needs, you will be able to get gifts that show how much you care and that show you understand their needs.
Full Article
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Assisted Living Federation of America & Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics & Neonatal Nurses Join the National Healthcare Career Network
HUNT VALLEY, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Terri Pla, Vice President, Healthcare, National Healthcare Career Network (www.NHCNnetwork.org) has announced the addition of two new NHCN partners. “We are very excited that the Assisted Living Federation of America (www.ALFA.org) and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics & Neonatal Nurses (www.AHWONN.org) have chosen to join the Network. Both organizations represent the best in their fields and bring an impressive depth of talent to employers recruiting for specialists in assisted living and nurses in women’s and newborns’ health.”
AWHONN, which was formed in 1969, is the foremost nursing authority that advances the health care of women and newborns through advocacy, research and the creation of evidence-based standards of care. Tom Quash, CAE, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development of AWHONN said, “AWHONN wants to provide our members with access to careers with prestigious employers. The NHCN’s proven track record of combining technology and management to build and promote successful career centers – and its impressive roster of employer-clients – played a big part in our decision to join.”
Jamison Gosselin, ALFA’s Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, added, “The NHCN’s business model is exclusively dedicated to healthcare associations, which we considered important. The NHCN’s caliber of partners - and its ability to provide a robust career center to our members and specialized job seekers in the senior living industry - made it easy for us to become part of the Network.” ALFA was founded in 1990 and is dedicated to supporting the principles of choice, dignity and independence for seniors and to serving as a voice for operators of senior living communities and seniors and families those communities serve.
Full Article
AWHONN, which was formed in 1969, is the foremost nursing authority that advances the health care of women and newborns through advocacy, research and the creation of evidence-based standards of care. Tom Quash, CAE, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development of AWHONN said, “AWHONN wants to provide our members with access to careers with prestigious employers. The NHCN’s proven track record of combining technology and management to build and promote successful career centers – and its impressive roster of employer-clients – played a big part in our decision to join.”
Jamison Gosselin, ALFA’s Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, added, “The NHCN’s business model is exclusively dedicated to healthcare associations, which we considered important. The NHCN’s caliber of partners - and its ability to provide a robust career center to our members and specialized job seekers in the senior living industry - made it easy for us to become part of the Network.” ALFA was founded in 1990 and is dedicated to supporting the principles of choice, dignity and independence for seniors and to serving as a voice for operators of senior living communities and seniors and families those communities serve.
Full Article
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Modern senior living: homes of the future, worries of the present - Los Angeles Times
The future of senior living -- design, real estate pitfalls, technology -- is the subject of a Home section package in the Saturday print edition of The Times. Among the stories:
Modern design: Retirement communities often rely on a traditional look to create environs that feel familiar and comforting. But rather than reference the past, a design and development team behind a proposed community called Boom in Rancho Mirage is pointing squarely at the future. Ten firms contributed their visions for what modern senior living might look like at Boom, including this rendering from Diller Scofidio & Renfro. The result is an interesting exercise in dreaming about the perfect retirement home. Read the article or check out the 20-image gallery.
Buyers, beware: Financial difficulties at some senior care communities have created a new set of worries for prospective residents and family members trying to ensure their safety and happiness. At some high-end communities, large up-front fees that residents thought were refundable have been lost in bankruptcy. And at more modestly priced, family-run board-and-care homes, a foreclosure can mean all residents are forced to vacate. Writer Rosemary McClure has the full story.
Staying in touch: In an era when extended families are often spread across state lines, companies are developing technologies to help adult children more easily monitor an aging parent from afar. Family Health Network, part of a technology incubator near Durham, N.C., has developed a touch-screen computer system that guides older people living on their own through a series of daily questions, along the lines of “How are you feeling?” and “Have you taken your medications this morning?” By simply touching buttons on a simplified display, answers can be recorded and relayed to family members as reassurance that the loved one is safe. The program can incorporate email, shared calendars for monitoring appointments and shared photo albums for reducing feelings of isolation. The system also can be set up to handle video calls. The touch screen system was one of several advances cited by Majd Alwan, vice president for the Center for Aging Services Technology at Leading Age, a nonprofit group formerly known as the American Assn. of Homes and Services for the Aging.
Monitoring from a distance: WellAware Systems in Glen Allen, Va., has developed a way of embedding motion sensors in homes so caregivers can infer the activities of daily living. The system includes a bed sensor that can alert loved ones if Mom is getting up nine times every night, or if Dad got out of bed at 2 a.m. but never returned, perhaps because of a fall. Or motion sensors might note an unexpected lack of movement in the home all morning -- perhaps another sign of a potential problem.
For readers of McClure's article who would like additional resources of information, keep reading ...
Full Article
Modern design: Retirement communities often rely on a traditional look to create environs that feel familiar and comforting. But rather than reference the past, a design and development team behind a proposed community called Boom in Rancho Mirage is pointing squarely at the future. Ten firms contributed their visions for what modern senior living might look like at Boom, including this rendering from Diller Scofidio & Renfro. The result is an interesting exercise in dreaming about the perfect retirement home. Read the article or check out the 20-image gallery.
Buyers, beware: Financial difficulties at some senior care communities have created a new set of worries for prospective residents and family members trying to ensure their safety and happiness. At some high-end communities, large up-front fees that residents thought were refundable have been lost in bankruptcy. And at more modestly priced, family-run board-and-care homes, a foreclosure can mean all residents are forced to vacate. Writer Rosemary McClure has the full story.
Staying in touch: In an era when extended families are often spread across state lines, companies are developing technologies to help adult children more easily monitor an aging parent from afar. Family Health Network, part of a technology incubator near Durham, N.C., has developed a touch-screen computer system that guides older people living on their own through a series of daily questions, along the lines of “How are you feeling?” and “Have you taken your medications this morning?” By simply touching buttons on a simplified display, answers can be recorded and relayed to family members as reassurance that the loved one is safe. The program can incorporate email, shared calendars for monitoring appointments and shared photo albums for reducing feelings of isolation. The system also can be set up to handle video calls. The touch screen system was one of several advances cited by Majd Alwan, vice president for the Center for Aging Services Technology at Leading Age, a nonprofit group formerly known as the American Assn. of Homes and Services for the Aging.
Monitoring from a distance: WellAware Systems in Glen Allen, Va., has developed a way of embedding motion sensors in homes so caregivers can infer the activities of daily living. The system includes a bed sensor that can alert loved ones if Mom is getting up nine times every night, or if Dad got out of bed at 2 a.m. but never returned, perhaps because of a fall. Or motion sensors might note an unexpected lack of movement in the home all morning -- perhaps another sign of a potential problem.
For readers of McClure's article who would like additional resources of information, keep reading ...
Full Article
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
A Slow Exodus From Nursing Homes - The New York Times
If you’ve helped an older relative move into a nursing home in the past year, you’ve likely heard a nurse or administrator pose The Question: “Do you want to talk to someone about the possibility of returning to the community?”
The resident will hear The Question again every three months, when her condition is reassessed. She’ll hear it if there’s a significant change in her condition. Whatever her health issues, whoever is paying the bill, Medicare regulations adopted in October 2010 mandate that she (or a family member or guardian, if she’s not mentally competent) be asked it.
A nursing home resident has always had the legal right to leave. In the past, though, “the question was asked, and nothing had to happen as a result of the answer,” said Barbara Edwards, director of disabled and elderly health programs for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Now, The Question has been reworded to make its point — you can go home again — more explicit. As important, a resident’s “yes” now triggers contact with an outside agency that will explain how going home might work.
Full Article
The resident will hear The Question again every three months, when her condition is reassessed. She’ll hear it if there’s a significant change in her condition. Whatever her health issues, whoever is paying the bill, Medicare regulations adopted in October 2010 mandate that she (or a family member or guardian, if she’s not mentally competent) be asked it.
A nursing home resident has always had the legal right to leave. In the past, though, “the question was asked, and nothing had to happen as a result of the answer,” said Barbara Edwards, director of disabled and elderly health programs for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Now, The Question has been reworded to make its point — you can go home again — more explicit. As important, a resident’s “yes” now triggers contact with an outside agency that will explain how going home might work.
Full Article
Monday, December 5, 2011
Boom in senior citizen housing - The Buffalo News
Sector of realty market lists 3rd-quarter deals higher than combined total of previous 2 years
PHILADELPHIA -- Though the overall housing market has not escaped the doldrums, the senior citizen housing sector, driven by investment companies, has gone gangbusters since 2010.
In the third quarter of 2011 alone, 39 senior citizen housing deals worth $5.5 billion were completed, primarily by real estate investment trusts that specialize in housing for the elderly. That figure includes independent- and assisted-living communities, but not nursing homes.
The total value of senior citizen housing deals in the quarter ended Sept. 30 was greater than the combined total in the previous two full years, according to the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry in Annapolis, Md.
Brandywine Senior Living in Mount Laurel, N.J., has participated in the consolidation frenzy. Brandywine, which had been owned by New York private-equity firm Warburg Pincus LLC since 2006, sold its 19 assisted-living facilities in five states in December to Health Care REIT of Toledo, Ohio, in a deal valued at $600 million.
The Brandywine firm, now primarily a management company owned by CEO Brenda G. Bacon and other executives, leased the facilities back and continues to operate them.
Full Article
PHILADELPHIA -- Though the overall housing market has not escaped the doldrums, the senior citizen housing sector, driven by investment companies, has gone gangbusters since 2010.
In the third quarter of 2011 alone, 39 senior citizen housing deals worth $5.5 billion were completed, primarily by real estate investment trusts that specialize in housing for the elderly. That figure includes independent- and assisted-living communities, but not nursing homes.
The total value of senior citizen housing deals in the quarter ended Sept. 30 was greater than the combined total in the previous two full years, according to the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry in Annapolis, Md.
Brandywine Senior Living in Mount Laurel, N.J., has participated in the consolidation frenzy. Brandywine, which had been owned by New York private-equity firm Warburg Pincus LLC since 2006, sold its 19 assisted-living facilities in five states in December to Health Care REIT of Toledo, Ohio, in a deal valued at $600 million.
The Brandywine firm, now primarily a management company owned by CEO Brenda G. Bacon and other executives, leased the facilities back and continues to operate them.
Full Article
Friday, December 2, 2011
China elderly facing HIV/AIDS crisis - CNN
When an old widower from the central Chinese city of Wuhan went into hospital last summer because of a persistent high fever, he was diagnosed with the AIDS virus -- and made national news.
The man, in his late 70s, had frequently hired prostitutes after his wife died, and doctors believe he contracted the HIV virus -- which can eventually develop into full-blown AIDS -- through unprotected sex, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
With the population rapidly aging, more than 10% of China's 1.3 billion people are now over the age of 60, census figures show. Improving living standards mean many Chinese are living and remaining sexually active for longer.
Full Article
The man, in his late 70s, had frequently hired prostitutes after his wife died, and doctors believe he contracted the HIV virus -- which can eventually develop into full-blown AIDS -- through unprotected sex, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
With the population rapidly aging, more than 10% of China's 1.3 billion people are now over the age of 60, census figures show. Improving living standards mean many Chinese are living and remaining sexually active for longer.
Full Article
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The 10 Best Places to Retire in 2012 - US News & World Report
Whether you want to spend your golden years watching the sun set over the water or taking on a second career, we’ve identified an ideal place to relocate. Using data from Onboard Informatics, U.S. News selected 10 key attributes that many people look for in a retirement locale, and a city that excels in meeting each need. Here are 10 great places to retire.
Full Article
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