Month: August 2015

From sprawling retirement communities with hundreds of residents to adult family homes with only a few, the options for senior living are endless. Working alone, most people will be overwhelmed with the choices available and will pick something because it is close or familiar, later discovering that it does not meet their needs. Finding the right placement is important for the success of the senior and due to the high need for assistance, referral agencies have become a popular service business in recent years. Simply because any Tom, Dick, or Harriet tells you they can help with placement, doesn’t mean they are following the laws that regulate placement agencies.

As much as we would like to believe that everyone has the best of intentions, unfortunately that is not always the case. A reputable agency will ensure that they are following the laws set out by the Elder and Vulnerable Adult Placement Referral Agency Act (RCW 18.330) providing you, as the consumer, information about their agency and the communities or care providers they are referring.

You will read and sign a Disclosure of Services statement that includes agency and client information, details regarding the fee to be received (and refund policy) for the referral, a description of the services provided, and frequency of facility tours by the agency. Included will be contact information for the Office of the Attorney General if a complaint needs to be filed.

They will use a standardized intake form for each vulnerable adult, which is covered by healthcare confidentiality laws (HIPAA). These questions may be asked by an agency staff member who will ask about your recent medical history, diagnoses, medications, and health concerns. They will inquire as to why you are seeking services and will want to know about the current living situation, as well as if assistance is needed with activities of daily living and if there are any behavioral concerns, dementia, or developmental disabilities.

The intake process also requires a basic understanding of the current financial situation, preferences on location, and other issues that are important to your specific situation. Referral agencies operate on a private pay basis with the senior or their family. If you are on Medicaid or Medicare, a referral agency cannot collect a referral fee for services covered by Federal or State health care programs.

Within 30 days of making a referral, a referral agency must inform you if any of the referred facilities or agencies is in enforcement (violation of RCW or WAC) status.  Referral agencies are required to keep records of all services provided to clients for at least six months, to maintain at least $1 million of general and professional liability insurance, and they are mandatory reporters. They are required to perform a criminal background check every two years on owners, operators, and employees who have contact with vulnerable adults.

When it is time to seek out housing or care, you will benefit from the experience of a referral agency. Having experts in your corner will reduce your stress and save you time. Knowing what to look for in a referral agency, will help you find the best results.

Learn more about the Elder and Vulnerable Adult Referral Agency Act

For years, researchers have confirmed the negative health effects of loneliness. Social isolation raises the risk of depression, heart disease, high blood pressure and a host of other health conditions that decrease both the length and the quality of our lives. University of Chicago’s Dr. John Cacioppo even says, “Chronic loneliness belongs among other health risk factors such as smoking, obesity or a lack of exercise.”

Recently, researchers from Brigham Young University confirmed the damage caused by social isolation, and added a few new interesting pieces to the puzzle. For example, the team, headed by Julianne Holt-Lunstad, found that spending a lot of time by yourself can hurt you even if you are something of a loner. The authors found that whether a person feels “lonely in a crowd” or opts to spend lots of time in solitary pursuits, “the effect on longevity is much the same.” It’s worth the effort to spend more time with other people even if you’re not a social butterfly by nature.

They also found that while seniors are at a higher risk of social isolation due to health challenges and changed circumstances, younger people today also face loneliness. Said study co-author Tim Smith, “Not only are we at the highest recorded rate of living alone across the entire century, but we’re at the highest recorded rates ever on the planet. With loneliness on the rise, we are predicting a possible loneliness epidemic in the future.”

What about electronic socialization? The researchers say it’s a mixed bag: “With the evolution of the Internet, people can keep in contact over distances that they couldn’t before. However, the superficiality of some online experiences may miss emotional context and depth.”

The overall good news is that while a lack of social connections can harm our health, having good-quality relationships can be a health plus. “The effect goes both ways,” according to Holt-Lunstad and her team.

Source: IlluminAge AgeWise reporting on a study from Brigham Young University appearing in Perspectives on Psychological Science.

Several studies over the past few years have shown that as we grow older, we benefit from thinking about higher things such as beauty, the meaning of life, the things that connect us, our place in the world—in short, the quality that is often referred to as “spirituality.”

In most cultures, the elders of the community are looked to as persons of wisdom and mature spirituality. The later years of life inspire many older adults to enhanced spiritual contemplation. Much of life’s work is done. Those past retirement age have already raised their families, been productive in society, given much to their communities. As we age, the reality and inevitability of the end of life grows more present. The pace of life can slow down, allowing for more time and leisu
re to reflect on life’s experience.

Wisdom, life experience, the movement towards completing life—all these combine to bring a rich spiritual possibility to our final decades. For most people, aging successfully will involve some attention to spiritual questions and spiritual life.

What Does It Mean to Nurture Your Spirit?

Spiritual reality is defined in very different words, depending on one’s religious or philosophical tradition. In all traditions, however, to pay attention to the realm of the spiritual is to pay attention to that which connects us. Spiritual reality connects us here in the world with other people, with creation, with the earth itself. Spiritual reality connects us to those who have gone before us and those who will come after. Spiritual questions are those that deal with the meaning of life, of death, of God, of the universe, of what holds us together and what pulls us apart. Nurturing our spirit means taking the time and effort to pay attention, to think, to begin articulating the meaning of what we have known. There are a variety of ways to do this, both within conventional religious communities and, for those who are not drawn to organized religion, outside of traditional religion institutions and concepts.

Spirituality and Religious Communities

If you are currently part of a religious community, use the resources your community offers to engage the spiritual questions that are important to you. If your worship tradition sustains you, then make a point of finding a way to attend worship regularly. If you have given up driving, most religious communities have volunteers who are pleased to give rides to other members. Many retirement communities provide transportation to places of worship; others provide worship opportunities within the facility. Even if it means calling a taxi, if religious observance is important to you, then make a point of going.

If you find yourself needing a more individual approach to spirituality than groups afford, make an appointment to see your religious leader. He or she may know of reading material that will be helpful to you, or may prescribe a spiritual discipline. Sometimes just one-on-one conversation is what you need to point you where you want to go.

Nontraditional Spirituality

Many people consider themselves to be spiritual, but not religious. For one reason or another, traditional religious communities do not meet their needs. That doesn’t mean they are without spiritual resources.

If the spiritual task of later life is coming to see life as whole, assessing the meaning and value of one’s own life, then there are a number of ways to approach this task outside of religious communities. Spirituality is a popular topic these days, and your local bookstore or public library will carry a variety of titles that approach spiritual reality from many perspectives. Look at the titles that interest you, read a few pages and select a few books to take home with you. Learn about groups of people that meet in your area to discuss the topics that are important to you. Some people find practices such as yoga and meditation to be meaningful and fulfilling. Spending time in nature, participating in the arts and in volunteer service are other ways to connect with the world and people around us.

A Word About Electronic Spirituality

Many older people who are homebound or who have not found a good fit in a religious community close to them find spiritual nurture through radio, television and Internet religious organizations. Television evangelists, religious talk shows and Internet chat rooms that focus on spirituality provide spiritual nurture and comfort for thousands of older adults.

Many of these organizations are legitimate religious and spiritual communities. They provide a valuable service to those who watch, listen and log on. However, a word of caution is in order. There are some so-called religious organizations that prey on vulnerable individuals, promising them spiritual benefit, but bombarding them with increasingly urgent pleas for money. It’s important to be cautious before you send any money to such an organization. If you feel that a loved one is being victimized by such an organization, you may need to step in. You can often find information online about a particular televangelist or faith group.

Taking care of ourselves spiritually can help us approach life more positively and build a resilience that can help us through many of life’s difficulties. Paying attention to our spiritual selves and our own unique spiritual needs helps us live life to the best we can, throughout every stage of life.

Will you live to be 100? Would you want to? More and more of us will reach that milestone, say experts. According to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, there are more than 67,000 American centenarians, and that number is expected to double by 2030.

The Boston College experts and other say that Americans should be prepared for these extra years—35 past the age of retirement and even beyond.

What will this longevity mean for our work life? Our relationships? Our ongoing education? Our financial health?

Other experts remind us that healthcare systems should be preparing for this increase in the oldest old. King’s College London researcher Nisha Hazra says, “As the number of people living to 100 continues to increase, it’s very important to understand the evolving health care needs of the oldest old.”

But perhaps some of the best advice comes from centenarians themselves! On their 100th birthday, people are frequently asked by friends, family and even the media to share their thoughts about living a long, happy life. This month’s puzzle  contains the names of 20 things they often name.

Need some help? Click here for the solution.