Senior Living News

Letter Writing and Other Lost Arts

Thursday, Dec. 7 is National Letter Writing Day, an opportunity to sit down and write some actual hard copy correspondence. In today’s world of email, texts and tweets, letter writing is quaintly old-fashioned if not a completely lost art.

What’s Your Unique Talent? (And What Do You Do If You Don’t

Watch out! Nov. 24th is “Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day,” an unofficial holiday that encourages all of us to embrace our unique talent, skill, hobby or interest and celebrate by sharing one of the things that makes you, you.

Downsizing 101: Getting More Out of Cutting Back

Every stage in life has its trends: the transient younger years where we move from job to job and home to home to find our place in the world; the middle years where we settle down with a family; and the retirement years where the kids have flown the nest and we begin to evaluate a lifetime of accumulated stuff.Most seniors go through a phase where they take stock and decide life would be a little easier if they could downsize. Perhaps it’s in the name of de-cluttering for a cleaner home, ...

What’s the Difference Between Assisted Living and Memory

When a loved one is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia, there are a number of challenges families must face—and decisions to make at a time of high stress and limited information. Can the family take care of the relative? Is in-home assistance possible?

‘Digital Marketing on a Dime’: BSLC Presents at LeadingAge

The LeadingAge Annual Meeting & Expo is coming up Oct. 29 to Nov. 1.

See What Our Residents Are Smiling About

World Smile Day is coming up during the first week of October, an annual event created by commercial artist Harvey Ball. His slogan was, “Do an act of kindness. Help one person.

5 Alzheimer’s and Dementia Tips for Caregivers

As our population ages, more and more Baby Boomers, and even Generation Xers, are going to find themselves in the position of being a caregiver for their parents or other loved ones. Being a caregiver to someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia can be particularly challenging because of the way these diseases progress.Your goal may be to preserve as much independence for the person, for as long as possible, while you weigh the financial considerations of a memory care community versus the time commi...

Are Seniors the True Engine of Our Economy?

If all you read were the business headlines, you would think Millennials are the biggest and best thing going in the American economy. Everyone seems to be talking about how to market to Millennials, and employers are adapting everything from dress codes to standards of work-life balance for younger workers.Yet beyond the headlines, seniors—particularly older Baby Boomers—continue to play a powerful role in the American economy. As employees and as consumers, senior citizens simultaneously are h...

5 Reasons to Love Seniors on August 21st

August 21 is National Senior Citizens Day. Recognized every year since President Ronald Reagan’s 1988 proclamation, this special day is a time to reflect on the role of senior citizens in our society—and to recognize the value seniors play in all of our lives.At Bethesda Senior Living Communities, seniors are at the very heart of our world and our business, and not a day goes by that we aren’t thankful to have our senior residents and their families in our lives. In honor of th...

What It Means to Age in Place

A lot goes into the decision to move into a senior living community, both for their families and their loved ones. Your research should look at the types of amenities and activities offered, such as dining options, fitness classes and social outings. Two important considerations are the ability for seniors to “age in place” as they get older, and determining the right time to move into an assisted living community.What is “aging in place”?The CDC defines “aging in p...

Reasons Why You Should Leave the Office Early

Would you believe there was such a thing as “Leave the Office Early Day”? June 2 was officially Leave the Office Early Day in the United States. However, in a country that also recognizes “Fruitcake Toss Day” (Jan 3), “National Sea Monkey Day” (May 16), and “French Toast Day” (Nov 28), it may not be that surprising.This “holiday” was created by Employee Productivity Specialist Laura Stack.

How to Stay Safe on National Selfie Day

A few weeks ago, we told you about “Leave the Office Early Day.” We thought that might be the strangest “holiday” in June. We were wrong. That honor belongs to June 21.Welcome to National Selfie Day.It’s easy to ask, “How did selfies become a thing?” And even easier to ask, “Do we really need a national holiday devoted to them?” Then again, we live in a country where the first Saturday of February is “Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day&rdq...

Hospital Re-admissions: 5 Things Your Senior Living

Hospital re-admittance is one of the great health care challenges of our time. Not only is it extremely costly—accounting for nearly a third of the $2 trillion spent on health care every year—re-admittance also indicates something went wrong during treatment. Perhaps the patient was misdiagnosed or neglected to comply with post-hospital directions.While many of the circumstances leading to re-admittance are unavoidable, there are a few actions people in the health-care sector can tak...

Pay for Senior Care with the Veteran's Benefit Program

The men and women of our armed forces sacrifice greatly to protect our nation. As seniors, this selfless service entitles veterans to a number of benefits to help pay for their care and well-being through the Veterans Aid & Attendance program.Retirees who served in the military often overlook this powerful offering. Below are a few fast facts about the program, courtesy of Bethesda Senior Living Communities.

Is Your Assisted Living Community Structured?

When it comes to selecting an assisted living community, you have to weigh a number of decisions. Do you prefer a national chain’s resources or a local community’s control? Do you need Medicare or Medicaid certification?

Announcing the 2016 Phil Borsom Customer Service Award

Bethesda Senior Living Communities (BSLC) is pleased to announce it has presented its 2016 Phil Borsom Customer Service Award to Gina McAuley, Director of Maintenance at The Gardens of Springfield, Missouri. This award recognizes one employee annually for demonstrating our organization’s SERVANT values.“Gina exemplifies Bethesda’s value of service as much as anyone I can think of,” said Denise Eleiott, Executive Director for The Gardens. “The world can be crashing down around her, and she will s...

Quit Drowning in Email: 5 Ways to De-clutter Your Inbox

Email clutter is nothing new, but whether you’re walking around with 25 unread emails or 1,000, the sight of an inbox to-do list can drive your spirits—and your productivity—to zero. At Bethesda Senior Living Communities, our primary mission is “service.” We’re here to serve our residents and their families with care and compassion, and we can’t do that if the business side of our organization is cluttered and chaotic.Here are five tips we use to help ke...