My grandparents were healthy active, and extremely independent until the day my grandfather got lost on his daily jog through the park. My grandmother, 83, panicked when he didn’t arrive home at his usual time. A neighbor went out looking and, thankfully, found him safe, sound and very confused. Within a week she and my grandfather made the decision to move to an assisted living community. I sent them the following information, to help them prepare for their search.

“Dear G & G,

Dad says you’ve decided to look for an assisted living community. I think that’s fantastic! You’re both so active, and simplifying life will free you up for the fun stuff! I know it can be a very confusing process and I wanted to give you a few tips to keep in mind as you start checking out places.

Comparing Communities

Just because they’re called assisted living doesn’t mean they’re all the same! Ask the following questions:

• What level of care do you provide? Ask to see a “Disclosure of Services” document, which outlines the services the community is designed to provide.
• Will I be charged for care I don’t actually receive? Some companies use ‘care levels’ where you pay for a certain amount even if you don’t use certain services. I prefer the model where you are charged only for services you receive.
• Do you have a Medicaid contract? This is an important one. You may be able to afford an assisted living community now, but if your needs increase so will your costs. If this happens, or if you simply outlive your savings (let’s hope not!), you don’t want to have to move. If you run out of money and qualify for Medicaid, and your community contracts with Medicaid, you can stay in the same place (as long as they can provide appropriate care). However, if a community does not have a Medicaid contract you may be required to move somewhere else. the problem is that many communities require a private-pay stay before they allow residents to convert to Medicaid; so it’s best if you start out in a place that offers Medicaid, just in case!

Referral Agencies

I heard through the grapevine that you were considering using a referral agency to help you find a place. Just be choosy about who you work with and the advice they give. Some agencies may seem helpful, but many of them earn a high commission from the community you choose, so they benefit from recommending places where they have contracts. I just want to make sure you’re not missing out on a more appropriate place because they don’t contract with whatever referral agency you use. Rather than use the sales people, you could just get someone to print out a list of local places, or I could do it and email it to you!

These are just a few things that came to mind. Hopefully they help you avoid some potential pitfalls. Good luck and congratulations on the new adventure! -Tracy”

Village Concepts announced the hire of Tanya Laeger as the community relations director for the company’s Woodland Village community located in Chehalis, Washington.

In her new role, Laeger will work closely with the local community to strengthen the bond with the residents of Woodland Village. Most recently, she served as a real estate broker for Century 21 and launched “Inspire Communication,” where she specialized in website content, social media creation and management.

“Tanya brings a wealth of experience in hospitality and administration to the table with an unmatched passion for the Chehalis community, and we’re lucky to have her on board,” Stuart Brown, COO of Village Concepts, said in a statement. “Her ability to make people feel warmly welcomed, comfortable and heard will benefit the residents of Woodland Village greatly as she continues to develop their relationship with the community.”

Village Concepts owns and operates 16 residential and assisted living communities throughout Washington state and provides property management and consulting services for owners of assisted living communities.

This year the Milton Activity Center (MAC) Senior Activity Boards annual event was held at Mill Ridge Village and thanks to them, and our fantastic sponsors, they raised $2177.00 to go towards the Milton Activity Center programs.

A huge “Thank You” to Mill Ridge Village for hosting the event, the citizens who participated and a big shout out to our contributing sponsors without them none of this would have been possible; The Fife Milton Edgewood Chamber, Edgewood Fife Milton Kiwanis, Karate Edge, Gina Barber, Nightside Distillery, Comcast, Puyallup Nissan, Suzanne Kincaid, Jersey Mikes of Fife, More Decor, Lee’s Martial Arts, and Denise Christofferson with Keller Williams.

On March 31, residents of a local assisted living community volunteered to feed homeless individuals at the fire station on East Sunset Way.

Residents of Spiritwood at Pine Lake, in north Issaquah just outside Sammamish, brought lasagna and salad for 35 people at the fire station.

“Serving salad brought back memories of serving dinner for the homeless in Seattle years ago,” resident Ria Wells said. Wells prepared and served salad for a Pike Place Market Senior Center homeless dinner for 10 years.

The fire station dinner is regularly organized by State Board of Education member Connie Fletcher through the Kiwanis Club of Issaquah, with rotating volunteers.

Spiritwood volunteers once a month, Spiritwood Executive Director Michelle Strazis said.

When you, or a loved one, come to a point where senior housing is being considered as an option it is easy to be confused by the terminology. Understandably, many people don’t know the difference between Independent Living, Retirement Living, Assisted Living- let alone when health care professionals start throwing around acronyms: what’s a SNF? An AFH? And how do you know what’s right for you or your family member?

Those of us who work in this field are always happy to explain, and in fact, a lot of what we do when people visit our buildings is education regarding the choices available in senior living. But, if you’d like to be prepared before you begin navigating these options, read on!

When considering a move to senior housing, think about your needs, or the needs of your family member. Every day we do things to take care of ourselves; these things are called “Activities of Daily Living”, or ADL’s; they include: meal preparation, bathing, dressing, grooming, and leisure.

Medical needs are part of the aging experience of many; sometimes these become more than a person can manage themselves and support is needed. These needs can be part of a chronic condition or arise unexpectedly.

Social needs are also essential to consider! Research has linked being socially engaged with being mentally and physically healthy. It may become more difficult to stay involved in social groups as we age, so it is important to include social and spiritual activity in your plan for housing.

Financial needs are, unfortunately, a factor in considering senior housing, as well. Long term care can be expensive, and balancing the care you need with where you want to live requires careful evaluation of your budget, and may include a need for public assistance in the form of Medicaid.

There are five basic types of “senior housing” available:

• In-Home Services: Support services include assistance with errands, companionship, activities of daily living (ADL’s), and other non-medical tasks. In-Home services serve people who want or need non-medical assistance in their home or a community living situation.  In-home services can range from a couple hours a week, to live-in care.
• Independent Retirement Living: This option refers to any housing arrangement designed exclusively for seniors, generally age 55 and over. Housing varies widely, from apartment style living to freestanding homes. You may also hear the terms: retirement community, senior housing, or senior apartments. Independent Living serves seniors who want the advantage of a community environment, meals, housekeeping, and transportation but don’t anticipate needing assistance with ADL’s.
• Assisted Living: These (AL) communities offer safety and security of 24 hour support and access to care. If you or your family member is having difficulty, or anticipates having difficulty with showering, dressing medication management, or other “ADL’s”, this option may be a good choice, as residents get the support they need while remaining as independent as possible. You can expect all the activities offered in Independent Living Communities, but with that additional support as needed. The staff in assisted living buildings is trained to provide support; in addition they are trained to observe residents to help ensure their health, safety, and well-being.
• Adult Family Homes: These “homes” are literally residential homes licensed to provide professional care for up to six residents. They provide room, board, and help with ADL’s in a small setting. Adult Family Homes (AFH) typically serve seniors who need 24 hour care and supervision, including for individuals with dementia, Parkinson’s, strokes, special diets and hospice care.
• Memory Care: Memory and Alzheimer’s care communities provide a secure environment with 24 hour care in which specific physical and mental needs of each individual are met. Support with ADL’s is provided, often at a higher level than is available in AL communities. Memory care is appropriate for people who need a secure environment, or constant checking to be safe. These communities are specially adapted for people with poor judgement, or tendencies to wander.
• Skilled Nursing: Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) were referred to as “Nursing Homes” in the not too distant past; they provide assistance in ADL’s and offer a high level of medical care, as well. SNF’s serve long and short term patients, often for rehabilitation after a surgery or injury, or those who suffer from chronic health issues that are too complicated to be tended at home or in a community setting.

Here in Gig Harbor we are fortunate to have senior housing options at every level, so if you are curious about what is available I encourage you to reach out to any community and learn more!

Susan Pfundt is the Executive Director of Sound Vista Village, a Village Concepts Community in Gig Harbor, Washington. Her experience in Senior Living also includes several years as Program Coordinator, during which she developed a profound awareness of how attitude and lifestyle affect the experience of aging.

 

Sound Vista Village, in partnership with the Museum of Northwest Art (MONA), will present an exhibit of reproductions of works donated to MONA by Sound Vista Village resident Paul Gingrich.

The prints will be displayed in the library at Sound Vista Village, 6633 McDonald Ave., from April 25-29.

A lecture from Chloe Dryer Sherpe, curatorial assistant at MONA, on the pieces from Gingrich is scheduled for 2 p.m. April 25. A reception from 6 to 7:30 that evening will follow the lecture.

Gingrich’s lifelong love of art began to focus, although not exclusively, on Northwest artists, beginning in the 1960s. His keen and persistent devotion to Northwest art, and his sincere and ongoing dialogue with prominent artists and others in the art world has resulted in one of the more personally-informed collections in the region.

Gingrich met Guy Anderson through his many visits to La Conner in the 1960s, and he purchased early, select works by Anderson from Francine Seders Gallery in Seattle. Over time, as his intrigue of Northwest artists expanded, Gingrich diversified his collection with works by Northwest masters, including Kenneth Callahan, Richard Gilkey, Margaret Tompkins and George Tsutakawa, as well as “next generation” artists including Lee Kelly, Phillip Levine, Philip McCracken, Michael Spafford and Gerard Tsutakawa.

With a keen eye for discovering cutting-edge talent, he also collected works by Lucinda Parker and Judy Cooke. Comprised of more than 60 artworks, the paintings and sculptures Gingrich has donated date from the 1960s to the present day. His donation is the largest gift of Northwest Art the museum has received to date.

Sound Vista is operated by Village Concepts, a leader in delivering retirement services to seniors for more than 40 years.

Village Concepts, a community-focused retirement and assisted living community, recently acquired Woodland Estates in Chehalis and re-branded the facility as Woodland Village. The new location marks the 16th Village Concepts location, all of which are western or central Washington.

The refurbished Woodland Village is a 51-unit community complete with cottages, townhouses and apartments. The company also has plans to expand its local operation in the future in hopes of, “helping to solve Lewis County’s growing need for senior housing,” explained a press release. “Village Concepts and the former Woodland Estates share a common mission: to provide community housing for seniors where they can feel welcomed, valued and secure.”

Drivers traveling along Milton Way may notice a myriad of birdhouses greeting them from Alder Ridge Senior Apartments, located at 2800 Alder St. The houses come from the mind of Jerry Borderlon, a resident of Alder Ridge who over the last year has crafted more than 30 unique birdhouses to decorate the grounds of the senior living facility.

Borderlon began the project in order to utilize flagpoles on the grounds that were just going to waste. Residents on that side of the building loved them so much that neighbors on the other side wanted birdhouse views too, so Borderlon continued his work. He also decided to get creative with his designs, making everything from airports to old west saloons for our feathered friends.

“I started thinking, well I can’t keep building a standard little birdhouse. It can be anything really. It can be whatever idea you want. The birds don’t really care, so let’s make something fun and that’s what I started to do,” Borderlon said.

Borderlon repurposed an empty former trash room into his workshop, and has always had a project on his plate since then. Whenever a resident has something they might throw away, Borderlon is thinking about how he can turn it into a birdhouse. One of his more creative creations involves a repackaged Folger’s coffee can that a neighbor was going to throw away.

“We called it ‘Cup A Joe.’ It was stuff that [a neighbor] was going to throw it away and I said hey let me try it, and I just tried it,” Borderlon said.

This can-do attitude has given Borderlon a whole list of ideas he works from when he has time. Alder Ridge recently received a new bus for transportation, and Borderlon was creative enough to reuse the old license plates and turn them into a birdhouse.

Borderlon draws inspiration from residents in the building, including making a cantina based on his wife’s old tavern. Another resident requested a bank, which was completed just a short time later.

Borderlon sets up themes for various houses. After gathering some water damaged deck wood, he decided it was perfect for a western theme and created a jailhouse and saloon.

Despite having no real experience painting, Borderlon is self-taught and every house brings a new spark of color to Alder Ridge. No matter how professional they look, Borderlon is not looking to make a profit – he does it strictly for the smiles.

“I don’t sell them. The only reason I make them is to have people smile when they go out the front door. That’s the whole reason for it really, to brighten your day. So that’s what I did. I started making them and people liked them.”

 

After a life in PR, Louie Richmond’s latest pitch is musical outreach.

Most people know Louie Richmond as the quick-witted public-relations man behind a number of Seattle-area hotels and restaurants.

For years, he was the face of the Alexis Hotel, then the Sheraton Seattle before opening his own firm, Richmond Public Relations — a place he eased out of last year and into retirement.

Before any of that, though, Richmond was a musician. A cellist. He started playing when he was 6, majored in music, then performed and taught for years before changing careers and entering PR (though he did help start the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s concerts-in-the-park series along the way).

Retirement has allowed Richmond to return to his first love, this time engaging those just a little bit ahead of him in the dance of life.

He has volunteered to be the music director for Village Concepts University, a pilot program that allows residents of the Village Concepts assisted-living chain to earn credits by taking classes. Everything from music to science and technology, political science and agriculture. There’s even an internship program, where residents volunteer off-site. So far, four of Village Concepts’ 16 campuses are participating.

Village Concepts University started last year and was inspired by research that shows that an educational model involving course study and credits can enhance brain cognition and physical and emotional growth in the elderly — as well as offset depression.

This week, Richmond, 73, will hold his first class at Village Concepts, focusing on Bach and his cello suites.

“I guess I’ve come full circle,” Richmond said the other day in the living room of his Blue Ridge home. “All the people who knew me all that time never knew I was a musician. It was never a part of the conversation.”

Now, it is all he wants to talk about, to do.

It all started several years ago when Richmond agreed to accompany a friend who was playing piano at a Christmas party.

The friend’s mother was a resident at The Summit at First Hill. When she died, the friend donated a piano to the retirement home in her mother’s name and invited Richmond to accompany her when she first played it for residents.

Richmond did, and kept going back, then added the Kline Galland Home in Seward Park to his play list.

“I wound up loving it,” Richmond said. He has been playing there every other week for the last five years and last year was named Volunteer of the Year.

“This was a highlight for a lot of people,” he said without ego, “and for some, the only chance to hear a live concert.”

He has played at the bedsides of those too sick to get down the hall to see him play.

One woman, a former cellist, gave him all her sheet music.

Another resident asked that Richmond play the Bach Cello Suite No. 2 at his memorial service.

Tracy Willis, the director of corporate development for Village Concepts, praised Richmond’s relationship with the residents.

“He really understands the importance of not just performing, but engaging with residents,” she said. “We’re so used to playing for people, and not considering their feelings about what they are seeing or experiencing.

“So we’re bringing residents into the process.”

Richmond not only plays, he talks about Bach and what was going on in his life at the time he composed his cello suites — and what was going on in the United States at the same time.

“That makes it more relevant to people,” Richmond said, and more accessible.

“I think, ‘Why is classical music so staid? And how can it be more relevant to people, more entertaining?’ “

“Clap when you want to clap,” he tells audiences. “Ask me questions.”

It helps, he said, that he’s 73.

“If I was in my early forties, I don’t know if they could relate to me.”

So often, he said, people talk down to older people, or they assume they can’t hear and talk too loudly at them.

“One woman said, ‘You treat us well. You don’t play silly music.’ I treat these sessions as if they were paying money.”

Bach wrote six cello suites; Richmond performs four.

“I’m saying to myself, ‘Next year, I’ll do the fifth.’ That way, I’ll always have something to look forward to,” he said. “I have goals. The great thing about music is that you never get there.”

He is grateful to have an audience along for the ride, listening, engaging and encouraging him. He hopes he does the same for them.

“I have an obligation to the composer, first, to play it well. Then I have an obligation to the audience.”

“I do it because it’s the right thing to do,” Richmond said. “And that sounds so cliche-ish. But there’s no other answer.”

Senior housing operators want their communities to possess an “it” factor: Something that catches future residents’ interest and persuades them to move in. For Federal Way, Washington-based Village Concepts, the “it” factor may come in the form of former NBA player Brian Scalabrine.

Scalabrine, who has played for the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets and is affectionately known as “The White Mamba,” has partnered with Village Concepts to build its newest community—The Adriana—on his land in Des Moines, Washington.

“Des Moines is a diamond in the rough, affordable and close to the water,” Scalabrine told Senior Housing News. “There’s a need for affordable senior housing, so we’re providing that need.”

The new community, named after Scalabrine’s daughters Adria and Elliana, is anticipated to open its doors March 2017. The five-story, 101,427-square-foot building will have 119 units and be available to seniors earning 60% or less of the area’s median income.

It’s not everyday that a former NBA player gets into the senior housing sector. And it’s unusual to find a partner—athlete or otherwise— who is so involved in the development process, Dave Baus, the development coordinator at Village Concepts, told SHN.

“It is a rare opportunity to be involved with a landowner who actually cares about seniors and is willing to walk with the developer,” Baus explained. “It was nice to see an owner take interest.”

Scalabrine became acquainted with Village Concepts through a friend, who introduced him to Chief Financial Officer Peter Jorgensen. At the time, Village Concepts was looking to expand its portfolio of 15 independent living, assisted living and memory care facilities across Washington state, and Scalabrine was looking to develop his plot of land in Des Moines.

Without Scalabrine, the land, which is a few blocks away from the city’s marina, would have cost more, Baus explained.

“The landowner in this deal has made it so the project can happen,” he added. “The site is an excellent site.”

Andy Langsford of Bellevue, Washington-based Venture Real Estate Group is one of Scalabrine’s investment partners. The team for The Adriana project is led by Jeffrey J. Hummel Architects of Seattle, and CG Engineering and Emerald City Engineering are the project’s engineers.

The value Scalabrine’s name brings to the community is not lost on Village Concepts.

“I think having a caliber name athlete brings strength to the project,” Baus told SHN. Scalabrine is well known in the area, too; he attended Highline College in Des Moines, he’s involved in the community of Enumclaw, Washington, where he grew up, and “he’s out there in the sports world.”

“He brings awareness to the project,” Baus explained. Already, Village Concepts has had three people who said they’ve wanted to move in to The Adriana.

For Scalabrine, the decision to go ahead with the investment is both practical and personal.

Des Moines has a special place in Scalabrine’s heart. His wife grew up about a mile and a half away from The Adriana site, and her parents still live nearby. He used to take his wife on dates by the water. He has felt for years that the area is underutilized, and could be better than it is.

This may not be the last the senior housing industry sees of Brian Scalabrine.

“I really like the sector, and I love working with Village Concepts,” he said.

Baus likely wouldn’t mind the chance to work with Scalabrine again.

“He’s as cool as they get,” he said.