Landis Communities and Friends Life Care Join to Launch Continuing Care at Home program in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties
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.
“Before the fall: How oldsters can avoid one of old age’s most dangerous events” – The Conversation
“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. ”
“Keeping the lights on: Find housing & utility benefits” – NCOA
“Most older adults want to remain living at home as long as they can, but what happens when the cost of maintaining that home becomes difficult? Fortunately for families struggling to make ends meet, there are several benefits programs that can help.
Keep reading for information on the types of programs available, and where to get more information to find out if you’re eligible and where to apply.
“Preventing Muscle Loss as We Age” – The New York Times
“Sarcopenia, a decline in skeletal muscle in older people, contributes to loss of independence.”
Gracia Lam
by Jane E. Brody
“‘Use it or lose it.’ I’m sure you’re familiar with this advice. And I hope you’ve been following it. I certainly thought I was. I usually do two physical activities a day, alternating among walking, cycling and swimming. I do floor exercises for my back daily, walk up and down many stairs and tackle myriad physical tasks in and around my home.
“My young friends at the Y say I’m in great shape, and I suppose I am compared to most 77-year-old women in America today. But I’ve noticed in recent years that I’m not as strong as I used to be. Loads I once carried rather easily are now difficult, and some are impossible.
“Thanks to an admonition from a savvy physical therapist, Marilyn Moffat, a professor at New York University, I now know why. I, like many people past 50, have a condition called sarcopenia — a decline in skeletal muscle with age.”
Continue reading this New York Times article, click here.
“Are you prepared for long-term care?” – Senior Planet
Photo by Martha Dominguez for Unsplash
by Maryalene LaPonsie
“Many older Americans will need help as they age. Among those reaching age 65 in 2017, almost 70 percent will need some form of long term care in the future, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. While most Americans expect long term care to cost $25,350, the actual price tag is more like $47,000, according to a survey by the Moll Law Group. And on average, those who need care will require three years of it…but how will they pay for their care?
“If you have children, they may be able to pitch in and help. The alternative, Medicaid, will pick up the tab only after all savings have been exhausted; applicants must be destitute. While there are ways to shield assets from Medicaid, government “look back” periods have made that harder to do. It’s important to check with an experienced attorney for more information on possible strategies that will protect assets and let you qualify for Medicaid.
“Many people mistakenly think Medicare can help.”
Read this article in its entirety at SeniorPlanet; click here.
“Companies Respond to an Urgent Health Care Need: Transportation” – The New York Times
“It’s no longer enough to call a taxi or regular car service and hope that frail seniors can get in and out — or through the entrance of a doctor’s office on their own as the driver speeds off.”
by Janet Morrissey
“As America’s baby boomers are hitting 65 at a rate of 10,000 a day, and healthier lifestyles are keeping them in their homes longer, demand is escalating for a little talked-about — yet critical — health care-related job: Transporting people to and from nonemergency medical appointments.
“‘It’s going to become a massive phenomena,’ said Ken Dychtwald, founder and chief executive of Age Wave, a consulting firm specializing in age-related issues. ‘This is an unmet need that’s going to be in the tens of millions of people.’
“It’s no longer enough to call a taxi or regular car service and hope that frail seniors can get in and out — or through the entrance of a doctor’s office on their own as the driver speeds off. For people requiring oxygen tanks and wheelchairs, it’s an even bigger challenge, and long waiting periods are often required to arrange for specially equipped vehicles. Those needing transportation and specialized drivers covered by their insurance often have to wade through another labyrinth of red tape.
“Many older people require sensitive, skilled or specially certified drivers who know how to deal with someone who’s frail, uses a wheelchair or has mild cognitive problems. ‘It’s more than pick up and drop off,’ Mr. Dychtwald said.”
Continue reading this article at The New York Times, click here.
“Alan Alda living with Parkinson’s – a neurologist explains treatment advances” – The Conversation
Alan Alda at en event in New York City, May 23, 2017. Diego Corredor/AP Photo
“For many, hearing the word ‘Parkinson’s’ conjures an image of tremors. But Parkinson’s disease, brought about by loss of nerve and other brain cells, is actually an incredibly complex movement disorder that can cause symptoms as wide-ranging as smell loss, thinking issues, depression and swallowing problems. More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. have the illness, and millions more loved ones and caregivers are affected by it, too.
“Actor Alan Alda announced July 31 that he is one of those. Alda has been living with Parkinson’s for more than a year. He stressed in his announcement that he has been living a full and happy life.
“He is not alone. Thanks to medical advances and better treatments, both patients and physicians understand that Parkinson’s is a livable disease, and that people with this condition can be happy, healthy and successful.”
Continue reading this article at The Conversation, click here.
“The Illness Is Bad Enough. The Hospital May Be Even Worse.” – The New York Times
“The elderly are particularly vulnerable to ‘post-hospital syndrome,’ some experts believe, and that may be why so many patients return.”
“Bernadine Lewandowski and Dona Jones collaborating on a crossword. Ms. Lewandowski’s condition has improved, but she is too frail to live alone. – Credit: Madeline Gray for The New York Times”
by Paula Spahn
“When she moved from Michigan to be near her daughter in Cary, N.C., Bernadine Lewandowski insisted on renting an apartment five minutes away.
“Her daughter, Dona Jones, would have welcomed her mother into her own home, but ‘she’s always been very independent,’ Ms. Jones said.
“Like most people in their 80s, Ms. Lewandowski contended with several chronic illnesses and took medication for osteoporosis, heart failure and pulmonary disease. Increasingly forgetful, she had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. She used a cane for support as she walked around her apartment complex.
Read this New York Times article in its entirety, click here.
Ensuring Health Systems Become Age-Friendly
“An exciting, long-overdue and much needed movement is underway to close current gaps and failures in health care for older adults so that it better meets our needs as we age. The Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, conceptualized in 2015 and launched in 2017, has sparked innovation and improvement across the country and presents a ripe opportunity for community-based organizations to further collaborate with clinical partners. Together, these collaborations can ensure that older adults receive the best care possible across settings—care with better transitions that reduces the risk of harm and poor outcomes, increases satisfaction and achieves greater value for everyone.
“Area Agencies on Aging and other community-based organizations that serve older adults living in the community have long-standing and deep expertise in age-friendly care and come at the work in creative and individualized ways.”
Continue reading this article at the Aging and Disability Business Institute, click here.
“Will We Still Be Relevant ‘When We’re 64’?” – Kaiser Health News
Click here to listen to The Beatles song, “When I’m Sixty-four” while you read this article.
by Sharon Jayson
“A gnawing sense of irrelevancy and invisibility suddenly hits many aging adults, as their life roles shift from hands-on parent to empty nester or from workaholic to retiree. Self-worth and identity may suffer as that feeling that you matter starts to fade. Older adults see it in the workplace when younger colleagues seem uninterested in their feedback. Those who just retired might feel a bit unproductive.
New research suggests this perception of becoming irrelevant is very real. And that’s why some seniors are determined to stay social, remain relevant and avert the loneliness often linked with aging.
“As people get older, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to feel like they make a difference and matter … ”
Click here to read this Kaiser Health News article in its entirety.
