Continuing Care Retirement Communities – Retirement Living, Looking to the Future
Retirement can be an exciting time. It is a time to rediscover the things you enjoy in life. You now have time to branch out and try new things, make new friends, and explore those things you have wanted to learn about. It is time to relax, enjoy life, and become revitalized. Retirement is also the time to look ahead and plan where and how you want to live later in life. One thing to consider is, do you want to live in a retirement community? If you do, what type of community do you want to be in? Retirement communities come in all types, shapes, and sizes. Some offer…
- Assisted Living, Blog, Garden Apartments, Independent Living, Lifestyle, Marden's Place Memory Care, Nursing Care, Rehabilitation, Residential Care, Sierra View Terraces, Skilled Nursing
Macular Degeneration
There is something mystical about sight. Vision is so mechanically complex that we all take our eyesight for granted until something goes wrong. As we age there are numerous ways that our eyesight can be compromised. Many of us are familiar with cataracts and understand what they do to blur vision. Cataracts are one of many possible vision problems as we age. Lately, my attention has been drawn to a number of my friends at Sierra View Homes and family members who have been diagnosed with macular degeneration. I realized I did not know much about the disease and became interested in understanding macular degeneration better. In a healthy eye,…
Train Your Brain
Your brain is like a muscle – don’t use it, you lose it! The following are online resources for training your brain, and some argue that they can increase your intelligence and functional ability in daily tasks: Luminosity – The recognized leader in online brain training, with 40 million registered users. Cognifit – An online brain training program that also offers a downloadable app for iPhone and iPod. Jungle Memory – Brain training designed specifically for children. Cogmed – This offline brain training program claims to help those with traumatic brain injury or ADHD, and has been implemented in hospitals and over 100 U.S. schools. The health of your brain has also been linked…
- Assisted Living, Blog, Garden Apartments, Independent Living, Lifestyle, Marden's Place Memory Care, Residential Care, Sierra View Terraces
Do You Own a Pet?
Pets can be good medicine. Do you own a pet? Pet lovers are quick to tell you about the immediate joys of pet ownership. At Sierra View, we pride ourselves in our lenient pet policy, which has allowed many independent and assisted living residents to bring their furry loved ones with them. As a result, our campus boasts many non-human residents – from small dogs, cats, birds, and fish to a friendly bunny who hops down the Sierra View hallways on a leash! One resident of Sierra View Terraces senior apartments told me she has always had a pet. “When you live on the ranch you must have dogs,” she…
Announcement: Sierra View Homes Applying for CCRC Designation
I am happy to announce that Sierra View Homes Retirement Community has begun the process of applying to convert our multi-level retirement community to a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). A steering committee, as directed by the Strategic Planning Committee and the Sierra View Homes Board of Directors, met with the Continuing Care Contracts Branch of Department of Social Services in Sacramento to discuss this conversion. Lillian Dueck of the Garden Apartments, Joe Halpen of the Terraces, and Bob Mason, Chairman of the Board, were part of this historic meeting. We have contracted with an attorney that specializes in this process and consultants to facilitate the effort that will likely…
Quilters Unite!
“Quilting is the only place where I feel like I’m artistic,” said Joann Kalafut, “I just love fabric!” Joann, along with two other residents of Sierra View’s independent senior apartments, Agnes Jantz and Edith Allensworth, have joined forces on their second quilting project while living at Sierra View. These three ladies enjoy the friendship and conversation hand-quilting promotes and agree that quilters are people who are pleasant to be around. Edith said, “A quilt is a cherished possession,” and each of these ladies have made and given quilts to family members and close friends. “A quilt is something that needs to be shared” said Agnes as she recalled a quilt she made…
Music and Memory
Music is a powerful thing. It is part of our lives from the time we are young to the time we die, and triggers memories and emotions in us. Listening to certain songs tend to bring back feelings and emotions from a particular time in our lives. Music and emotions activate in the same part of the brain, which is why music has the power to sooth or to energize. Music can bring calm to a difficult day, energize and add a spark to an exercise program, help you focus to complete a task, or raise your spirits. Dementia care researchers are studying whether music can help caregivers be less stressed and more successful as they…
Have you laughed today?
Do you know some of laughter’s amazing benefits? Studies show that laughing is very beneficial to one’s overall health. It helps reduce pain, brings greater happiness, reduces stress and even boosts the immune system. Humor is infectious. The sound of someone laughing is very contagious. Laughing is a natural event that we do from a very early age. Infants start to smile after just a few weeks. After several months babies laugh easily, often with gusto. As we age and go through life’s bumps and bruises, our laughter tends to decrease. When people laugh together they feel a bond of happiness and intimacy. It creates a common bond that brings…
What is Assisted Living?
Question: I see advertisements in the newspaper for assisted living facilities, and it is difficult to understand what is offered there in comparison to other care services, such as skilled nursing. Can you explain the differences? – K.A. Reedley CA. Answer: Great question! The term “assisted living” became popular in the 1980’s. At that time, it was a new level of care that allowed retirement communities to provide personal care programs. Before retirement communities provided assisted living, personal care was mostly handled by small board and care facilities or nursing homes. Assisted living facilities provide help for seniors who struggle with daily chores but do not need 24-hour medical care. One room apartments…
Are All Assisted Living Communities Alike? How to Choose.
I am thinking it is time to move my mother into an Assisted Living Residence. How do I go about choosing one? Are all assisted living facilities alike? How do I deal with helping her adjust to the changes in her life? This is a very good question because not all assisted living residences are alike. There is no standard blueprint for what an assisted living facility should look like. Assisted living facilities go by many different names, like “personal care home,” “board and care home,” and “congregate living facility.” Some are multi-story buildings, some are private homes that have been converted into a group living environment, and others are more like…
