News of the Week
Observations About Some Things That Caught My Eye
What is the best post-acute care destination for an assisted living resident? It’s complicated, new study finds
McKnight’s - hospital clinicians and discharge planners often are unfamiliar with the different services and target populations of assisted living communities and nursing homes., Recent reforms may affect post-acute care providers’ ability and willingness to offer certain care to patients.
Better communication between acute care and post-acute care stakeholders would help ensure that residents land in the most appropriate settings, the authors said.
Observation - the knee-jerk reaction, as this article points out, has always been SNF’s. Yes it may be the most comprehensive care but it leads to longer stay, more risk of death and of course much higher costs.
Nursing homes are struggling? Guess he didn’t get the memo.
Love this John O’Connor article in McKnight’s. “By any reasonable standard, these are tough times for many nursing home operators. And the industry has spared no effort making sure that message gets heard. Most seem to be sympathetic to the industry’s plight. Mohammad Qazi could threaten that. The 59-year-old businessman owns a chain of facilities based in Michigan. He just plunked down $26 million to purchase a swanky 14,000 square foot retreat in the lower Hollywood Hills. John concludes - “Any way you look at it, the optics here are not good. In fact, this is just the sort of thing that could give taxpayers and lawmakers the wrong idea.”
Observation - this underscores what I have been saying. This cry poor by the industry only goes so far when you consider that most people do not scrutinize ge financials or the business practices of the places they may place mom and dad. Ownership structure matters. It impacts care. Do your homework.
Dallas senior living community to open Bezos Academy for preschoolers this fall
From McKnight’s - A Dallas senior living community is the second in the nation to support a Bezos Academy preschool program on its campus.
The tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool available to low-income families is scheduled to open this fall at Presbyterian Village North. The Bezos Academy program was launched by Jeff Bezos. It will host 80 to 100 students in four classrooms that follow a full-day, year-round schedule.
Observation - Every example I have seen of combining generations under one roof so to speak has always had phenomenal results. Of course, Jeff can afford to put one of these in every community!
What the ‘Active Grandparent Hypothesis’ Can Tell Us About Aging Well
From NYT - Why is physical activity so good for us as we age? New research indicates the answer lies, in part, in our ancestral need for grandparents. The theory, called the “Active Grandparents Hypothesis” suggests that in the early days of our species, hunter-gatherers who lived past their childbearing years could pitch in and provide extra sustenance to their grandchildren, helping those descendants survive. The theory also makes the case that it was physical activity that helped hunter-gatherers survive long enough to become grandparents — an idea that has potential relevance for us today, because it may explain why exercise is good for us in the first place. This idea that we can, should and even must stay active as we age, thanks to human evolution, is at the heart of the Active Grandparents Hypothesis.
Observation - Well being an active grandparent to six, my wife and I know that you never stop moving. So it makes sense in Neanderthal times, where most of a person’s life was active, that if they survived to being grandparents, that level of activity was amped up and contributed to survival of the fittest. We have heard tons about how exercise is good for us. This helps with the “why.”
Study: social isolation, loneliness increase cardiovascular risk in older women
A new study underscores the increasing health dangers of social isolation and loneliness among seniors.The study of nearly 60,000 postmenopausal women found the risk of heart disease rose as much as 27% in those who had few social contacts and felt they were isolated from others.
Observation - while some choose to not engage, still others often physically can’t move beyond their home environment. That is why any initiatives to increase socialization and participation in society, like Sage Stream, are important.
'Groundhog Day': The movie's final life lessons for getting through the end of the pandemic
From CNN - "What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?" That's what a depressed Phil Connors (played by actor Bill Murray) asks two men at a bar as he contemplates the bleak fate of repeating Groundhog Day over and over. One of them answers: "That about sums it up for me." As we each pass or approach year two of the pandemic, "Groundhog Day" still has lessons on how to manage our own loop. The last act of the film reminds us to focus on three areas that bring us closer to happiness if we can muster the effort.
Do the right thing.
Small things can be a source of profound joy.
Variety is the spice of life.
Observation - The metamorphasis of Phil evolved from self-absorbed to empathetic and caring for others and a drive to become his best self are telling. How have we all spent our pandemic? Have we come out better people or have we been consumed with the divisiveness of our country?
Is AI ageist? Researchers examine impact of technology on older users
From The Financial - Researchers from the University of Toronto and University of Cambridge are looking into the ways ageism can be encoded into technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Most apps created for older adults tend to focus on chronic disease and health-care management, and are rarely associated with pleasure or leisure. Instead, technology created for older adults, tends to view them with a biomedical lens, generating technology that is focused on a health-related need.
Older adults are the fastest growing group of individuals using technology, yet much of the data used to build AI systems are based on younger people.
Observation - Excellent research and can’t wait for further evaluation. I am so proud of our Sage Stream offering because we make no bones about it - we are about pleasure and leisure. Even our so-called competitors focus a lot on disease management. Many employ classes and that is great for expanding the mind. But as my neuroscientist friend Rahul from the Lieber Institute would tell you - just the acts of watching and listening to music or observing dance positively activate areas in the brain and that alone is beneficial for older adults.