“Isolation and loneliness affect millions of people, and especially seniors. Thank you so much for taking a minute out of your day to think about what a difference it could make to be a good neighbor.
“Reaching out, spending time, and creating connections are all great ways to help you and your neighbors live longer, more meaningful, and richer lives. Helping seniors who are isolated is one of AARP Foundation’s major goals, and we couldn’t do it without you. But the Good Neighbor ChallengeSM is just the beginning!
This message is shared from an email from the AARP Foundation.
Click here to download the complete information as a .pdf file.
“The Pennhurst story is highlighted this week when Millersville University hosts a forum on disability rights and history on Friday, September 28. Prominent advocates, policymakers, and scholars will address the history of disability rights and current concerns in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Joining Smart Talk on WITF today (9:00 – 10 am live) to discuss the forum and the Suffer the Little Children report are Professor Dennis Downey, Ph.D., Professor of History Ermeritus and Reporter Bill Baldini.” – WITF
“
by Tim Grant
“At 86 years old, Bill Priatko jump-starts every workday with a vigorous three-mile walk and 155 Marine-style pushups, getting energized for another five-hour shift working the soda fountain at Kennywood Park.
“’I don’t call it work,’ he said. ‘Really, it’s like a hobby. I come over here every morning, five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Just enough for me to enjoy it. And I can’t wait to see the kids and work with them.’
“He starts the shift with a ritual that Rodgers and Hammerstein might appreciate and that his young co-workers seem to enjoy. ‘I sing this little ditty to them: ‘Oh, what a beautiful morning. Oh, what a beautiful day. I’ve got a wonderful feeling. Everything’s going our way.’
“And they all go ‘Yeah!’
“For Mr. Priatko, a former Pittsburgh Steeler, the job at the West Mifflin amusement park is a retirement gig.”
Continue reading this Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article, click here.
Lititz, PA – Landis Communities is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Friends Life Care to launch a Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) program in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. This arrangement will allow both organizations to expand their missions through the innovative Friends Life Care service and exceptional senior care. This new offering is a membership-based program designed to help people remain in their home as they age and can be utilized for care at home, if and when needed, and even residence-based care as those needs may evolve. The program, launching in October 2018, will therefore give older adults another option to remain living where they choose for as long as possible.
“Friends Life Care offers the first and largest continuing care at home program in the country,” explained Evon Bergey, VP of Community Initiatives at Landis Communities. “The Friends Life Care program provides a truly unique combination of care coordination and financial benefit needed to help ensure older adults have the resources and support that they will need to remain in their own homes as they age. If care is ever needed, it will be coordinated by Friends Life Care and provided by our trusted network of caregivers.”
“We are delighted to join resources with Landis Communities and bring our distinctive services to Lancaster and Lebanon Counties,” said Carol A. Barbour, president of Friends Life Care. “Friends Life Care’s philosophy is centered upon vitality, independence, growth and resilience and enables us to launch and maintain a strong partnership with Landis Communities.”
The composition of America’s aging population is changing greatly, mainly due to the very important baby boomer generation. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 8.7 million people will be 85 or older by 2030 — the year when all baby boomers join the 65 and older population. According to research, nearly 90% of people want to stay in their own home as they age. This partnership with Friends Life Care to expand the time-tested Continuing Care at Home program provides people with more options to age in place.
Landis Communities and Friends Life Care will begin holding informational seminars in October 2018. These seminars will provide additional detailed information regarding membership in the Continuing Care at Home program. Online webinars will also be made available.
Landis Communities owns and operates Landis Homes, a Continuing Care Retirement Community/ Life Plan Community serving nearly 900 residents, in addition to a number of living options and services for seniors in the area. Friends Life Care is a not-for-profit, mission-focused Quaker-Based organization known for its expertise, integrity and product strength, all vital components for a successful partnership with Landis Communities. More information about Friends Life Care and Landis Communities and dates for seminars and webinars can be found at www.FriendsLifeCare.org/Landis or by calling 1-844-2Landis (1-844-252-6347)
Landis Communities delivers an array of services and housing options throughout the Lancaster County area. Known for enriching lives, they provide caring, high quality service to persons helping them live full lives with access to the services they need. Landis Communities began in the early 1960s when Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities (now EMM) started exploring how they might develop a community for retired mission workers, pastors and others. The organization now operates across a widening spectrum of services based on personal preferences, physical needs and financial resources. Landis Communities is a conference related ministry of LMC: A Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches and Atlantic Coast Conference of Mennonite Church USA.
Friends Life Care offers long-term care protection by providing wellness programs, home health care, related personal care services and facility care to enrolled members in the Philadelphia and Delaware areas. Individuals and couples become members of Friends Life Care in order to protect their independence, guard their financial security and gain peace of mind. All member care is coordinated by a team of credentialed and selected professionals and provided by carefully screened aides.
Each week the Office of the Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Aging releases a Friday newsletter with information relevant to activities, issues and events for older Pennsylvanians and persons with disabilities across the Commonwealth.
Click here download the newsletter as a .pdf file.
“Falls are the No. 1 cause of accidental death in people 65 and older and a major cause of disability.” Photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com
“Baby boomers, who once viewed themselves as the coolest generation in history, are now turning their thoughts away from such things as partying and touring alongside rock bands to how to they can stay healthy as they age. And, one of the most important parts of healthy aging is avoiding a fall, the number one cause of accidental death among people 65 and older.
“The issue is growing more pressing each day. More adults than ever – 46 million – are 65 and older, and their numbers are increasing rapidly.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in four older adults will fall each year. ”
by Anahad O’Connor
“Everyone knows that exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. But most people ignore one crucial component of it: resistance training. According to federal researchers, only 6 percent of adults do the recommended minimum amount of at least two muscle-strengthening workouts each week. Neglecting resistance training – any type of workout that builds strength and muscle – is a big mistake. It increases your metabolism, lowers your body fat and protects you from some of the leading causes of early death and disability. You don’t have to lift like a bodybuilder (or look like one) to benefit from resistance training. And it’s never too late to get started. Here is everything you need to know … ”
This article is so important — not only for the people we serve — but for everyone you know. We’ve already posted it at the Link to Aging and Disability Resources facebook pages.
“Ever get a phone call from a number that looks suspiciously like your own? This video explains them, and what you should do about them.”
by Hazma Shaban
“Nearly half of all cellphone calls next year will come from scammers, according to First Orion, a company that provides phone carriers and their customers caller ID and call blocking technology.
“The Arkansas-based firm projects an explosion of incoming spam calls, marking a leap from 3.7 percent of total calls in 2017 to more than 29 percent this year, to a projected 45 percent by early 2019.
“’Year after year, the scam-call epidemic bombards consumers at record-breaking levels, surpassing the previous year, and scammers increasingly invade our privacy at new extremes,’ Charles Morgan, the chief executive and head data scientist of First Orion, said in a blog post last week.”
Read this article in The Washington Post in its entirety, click here.
According to the current issue of The Voice, “On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule impacting a wide range of Medicare providers that includes revisions to the new emergency preparedness regulations. According to a CMS press release, the proposed rule is part of the agency’s efforts to ‘relieve burden on healthcare providers by removing unnecessary, obsolete or excessively burdensome Medicare compliance requirements for healthcare facilities.’ The emergency preparedness requirements are targeted for rollback even though they were only implemented less than a year ago.
“A preliminary review by Consumer Voice shows that most changes involve a reduction in the frequency with which nursing homes must perform certain activities. For instance, the facility would only have to review and update its emergency preparedness plan, policies and procedures, communication plan, and training and testing program at least every two years instead of annually. In addition, after providing initial training, the facility would be required to provide emergency preparedness training at least every 2 years instead of every year.
“As the country watches the devastation caused by Hurricane Florence, Consumer Voice is concerned that the proposed revisions will make nursing homes less ready when disaster strikes and subject residents to greater danger. In addition, significant turnover rates among both staff and administration in nursing homes raise concerns about staff readiness if emergency preparedness training is extended to every two years.
“To read the proposed rules released for public inspection prior to their publication in the Federal Register, click here.”
“The CDC estimates that 20% of Americans suffer from chronic pain.” (Getty/smartstock)
by Paige Minemyer
“Nearly 20 million Americans suffer from chronic pain that interferes with their daily activities, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The CDC reviewed the 2016 National Health Interview Survey, which includes responses from more than 17,000 adults, and found that 1 in 5 Americans, or about 50 million people, suffer from chronic pain.
“Of those, 8%, or about 19.6 million, suffer from pain that interferes with their daily lives.”
