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From our Culinary Partner, Martin Brothers
New Recommended Dietary Allowance values for Vitamin D Released. The Institute of Medicine released new RDA values for vitamin D in November 2010.
The new Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin D for seniors 71+ is 800 IU per day. For other adults 19-50 it is 600 IU per day.
After researching over 25 claims about Ca and Vit D they concluded the only sound association with health at this time is Bone Health. All other indicators including cancer, diabetes, physical health were inconclusive . The new Vitamin D requirement is a bump and set as a DRI compared to prior years. It takes into consideration minimum sun exposure and skin conversion of Vitamin D.
Although our bodies can make vitamin D after skin is exposed to sunlight, most people now limit sun exposure. To get the recommended amount of vitamin D, include foods that are good sources — such as fatty fish like salmon and tuna and dairy foods fortified with vitamin D. Most milk is fortified with 100 IU of vitamin D in an 8-ounce serving. Also, look for vitamin D-fortified yogurt, cheese, soy beverages, breakfast cereals and fruit juices.
Safe Winter Walking
From Kim Coonrod Loss Prevention Specialist
Walking to and from parking lots and between buildings during the winter requires special attention to avoid slipping and falling. We often forget how dangerous slips and falls can be. The National Safety Council estimates that occupational falls cause more than 1500 deaths per year, along with approximately 300,000 injuries.
No matter how well the snow and ice is removed from parking lots or sidewalks, you will encounter some slippery surfaces when walking outdoors in the winter. It is important to be constantly aware of these dangers and to learn to walk safely on ice and slippery surfaces. During the winter months keep these important safety tips in mind:
- Plan ahead; give yourself sufficient time and plan your route.
- In cold temperatures, approach with caution and assume that all wet, dark areas on pavement are slippery and icy.
- Wear shoes or boots that provide traction on snow and ice: rubber or neoprene composite with grooved soles are best.
- Avoid plastic and leather soles.
- Use special care when entering and exiting vehicles; use the vehicle for support.
- Always use a handrail when climbing up and down stairs.
- Always use handrail when going in and out of buildings or public transportation.
- Be seen; wear visible clothing especially at night or during heavy snow; wait for vehicles to stop completely before crossing roadways.
- Walk in designated walkways as much as possible. Taking shortcuts over snow piles and other frozen areas can be hazardous. Look ahead when you walk; a snow- or ice-covered sidewalk or driveway, especially if on a hill, may require travel along its grassy edge for traction.
When given no choice but to walk on ice, consider the following:
- Point you feet out slightly and take short steps or shuffle for stability. Spreading your feet out while walking on ice increases your center of gravity.
- Bend slightly forward and walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over the feet as much as possible.
- Watch where you are stepping and walk at a slower pace.
- Take short steps or shuffle for stability.
- Keep your hands out of your pockets. Hands in your pockets while walking decreases your center of gravity and balance.
- Wear a heavy, bulky coat that will cushion you if you should fall.
- Try to avoid landing on you knees, hands / wrists, or spine.
- If you fall, fall with sequential contacts at your thigh, hip, and shoulder to avoid using your arms to protect against breakage.
- Bend your back and head forward so you won't slam your head on the pavement as your feet shoot out from under you.
- When entering buildings, remove snow and water from footwear to prevent creating wet slippery conditions indoors.
- Finally, regularly inspect and mop interior entrance areas to remove potential slip and fall hazards.
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Newsletter: Dec 2010 |
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From the President, Allen Phillips:
What a wonderful time of the year! I am having the time of my life as I have been traveling to all of our communities to meet with the residents and employees and I am so proud of each community with the warm feelings of "home" I get when I walk into each of the communities. Christmas trees, holiday music, seasonal scents, fireplaces glowing and smiling faces on the residents and team members are truly signs of the wonderful culture in our communities.
As I am meeting with the residents and employees, I am very proud of the positive feedback and praises each of our communities are receiving. Congratulations to all of the managers and teams for creating a wonderful culture and family/home like atmosphere.
This year has been a fantastic year for Senior Housing and as it comes to a close I would like to extend my sincerest thank you to each of our residents and families for allowing us into your homes! Also, thank you to all of the community team members for such a wonderful year---your hard work and continued dedication is much appreciated!
From all of us at Senior Housing, our warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season and very Happy New Year!
Sincerely,
Allen Phillips
aphillips@shcshm.com |
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Senior Housing, Nurse Clinician, Kathy Lansing:
As we move through the remainder of this warm and intimate holiday season and the final days of 2010, I think it is a good time to step back and look at the past year. Our communities and their employees put forth so much time, love, compassion and energy into the day to day lives of the residents and families we serve throughout the year. Using kind hands and words, giving freely of themselves, their time and talents and sharing their own families in order to add that something special to what may have been an ordinary day- is an everyday ordinary occurrence! That special touch finds its way into everything from personal cares, meals, activities and housekeeping services to taking folks on special outings or medical appointments. This is truly what makes our communities special! Thank you to each and every one of you!
My wish for you and those you love in the New Year is that you experience the same in your own life! May you have a Merry, Merry Christmas! Wrap yourselves in the love and warmth of the season and through 2011 hold your family and loved ones close!
Kathy Lansing
klansing@seniorhousingcompanies.com |
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Garnett Place Retirement Community gives back!
The Holiday Season is here again and it is a special time for giving. Garnett Place is proud to give back to their community by gathering food donations for the Salvation Army food pantry. Our whole community has kindly donated non-perishable food items for people in need this Holiday Season. Our residents are eagerly awaiting to deliver their donations for a great cause and to brighten someone's Holiday Season. We encourage all of you to spread the Cheer and donate to your local food pantry.
Garnett Place Retirement Community
www.garnettplace.net
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Courtyard Estates Bondurant
"Preventing falls through education"
At Courtyard Estates Bondurant we have had the unique opportunity these past 2 months to offer a workshop to our residents. Falling is always a concern among the elderly; it can lead to injury, hospitalization, and sometimes even a loss of independence. When we heard about a class that was being offered by the Polk County Department of Health, we presented this idea to our residents. They were very interested and ecstatic about the opportunity to have a workshop in our building. We have quickly learned that falling is a major concern for them and this workshop has offered them some peace of mind. Over one half of the community is in attendance at the class which meets every Monday. The Department of Health covers topics such as proper body mechanics in various situations, examining the causes of falls and ways they themselves can help prevent this. The residents at Courtyard Estates Bondurant have enjoyed this experience very much. This has led to residents requesting that we bring in other educational opportunities. We already have cooking classes with our Culinary Coordinator, Wanda Terry and we are adding a computer class at the beginning of 2011. It is so wonderful that our residents were so eager to learn and try new things. Our residents teach us things each and every day. It's nice to see we have a few things we can help them learn as well.
Loren Rand, Courtyard Estates Manager
manager@courtyard-estates.net |
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Parker Place Anniversary
"Dream Come True"
With Don Ehrig living at Parker Place and his wife, Betty, living in another town, Don wondered how they could possibly celebrate their upcoming 20th wedding anniversary together. He wanted to do something special, but didn’t know how to pull it off. When Don mentioned his concerns to staff, the wheels at Parker Place started rolling. Arrangements were made to have Betty brought to Parker Place for a special noon meal on Wednesday, November 24th, the day of their anniversary. The private dining room was reserved, the fancy linens were taken out, flowers were ordered and a special dining experience was planned. The day was a success, despite some less than desirable weather and Don and Betty were able to celebrate their wedding anniversary together. The smiles on their faces and the tears in their eyes expressed their appreciation!
Barb Keninger, Manager
manager@parkerplace.com |
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Senior Housing Consultants, Mark Takes:
A couple of months ago I wrote in this newsletter about the relatively new popularity of converting hotels into housing for seniors. That article got an understandably positive response from some of our readers. As you might expect, we have seen an increase in the second half of 2010 in the number of hotel conversion projects that we are involved in. With this in mind I would like to offer some basic information for the reader interested in this opportunity in what to look for when searching for that hotel to senior housing conversion opportunity. As always if in doubt contact us and we will be happy to assist in the evaluation process.
First the location is a very important component, as most hotels are located in commercial areas it is important to understand what is acceptable and what is not from a market acceptance standpoint. The best locations have tended to be in transitional environments or areas transitioning from commercial to residential or multi-family. It's nice if the property has a connection to both environments, such as a frontage with lots of activity and neighboring businesses and a back door where residents can easily access residential streets and enjoy the feeling of family versus business. Proximity to commercial services such as a hospital, pharmacy, grocery store, and doctor's office are things that our senior residents hold as important even though we provide transportation to these services. A market assessment will help to determine the market's ability to absorb the additional apartments and if a survey of the seniors is included gather opinions from the seniors on their acceptance of this change of use.
Second is the age and physical layout of the building. In order for the building to be converted to a senior housing project it needs to have some basic physical amenities or the ability for these amenities to be added. For example, if the building is multi story, it will need to have an elevator. If an elevator has to be added make sure there is a spot in a central location to place the elevator. A commercial kitchen and dining room will be needed in order to serve meals to the residents. In some cases a kitchen is a part of the hotel commons and can be easily updated to meet the needs of the new senior housing project. In others a kitchen was not part of the hotel services and will need to be added. Most developers avoid interior elevation changes where a half flight of stairs was used to access another level with additional hotel rooms. In this case they look for an opportunity to install a ramp to allow residents access to both levels meeting ADA requirements. The total number of rooms and the amount of common area are also a consideration in hotel conversions. In most cases the developer combines two hotel rooms into a one bedroom senior housing apartment. In this conversion one of the bathrooms is converted to a kitchenette for the apartment. Often hotels offer amenities that are not commonly a part of senior housing projects. Pools both indoor and out, game rooms, and even spas are often included in the development of hotels but rarely included in new senior housing development. These amenities can be a great selling point.
Third is to examine the purchase cost coupled with the cost of the rehab. Draft a rough budget for the remodel of the building. Include additions if needed for an elevator or commercial kitchen. When budgeting special attention needs to be placed on state rules and regulations for assisted living to insure the budget includes updating fire alarms, and sprinkler systems if needed. By addressing the state regulations early things like common area corridor widths and apartment minimum square foot requirements can be addressed and evaluated. Address the building exterior as it is best to update the look to take away the former hotel look and add a residential styling. If the numbers look good and you can see the cost is substantially less per square foot than new build it's time to take the idea to the next level.
Contact Senior Housing Consultants for an evaluation of your project.
Mark Takes
mtakes@seniorhousingcompanies.com |
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