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Your immune system is a tremendously sustainable system! But we can exercise it with a dose of... laughter.

John Cleese takes us on a tour of a laughter therapy practice in India.

Laughter promotes stress reduction, community bonding, stronger immune system... and joy. What a simple solution!

CAREGIVING IN AMERICA is a monthly magazine published by Minnesota publisher Kay Sauck, premiered in December 2009 to address the needs and concerns of the 50 million caregivers of family and friends. 

The magazine and website, www.CaregivingInAmerica.com, will draw on a stable of experts in health and aging and two organizations devoted to caregiver support: the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving and the Aging with Dignity organization.

The Green House Project is a radically new and innovative approach to long-term, skilled nursing care.

Caring for our seniors, our parents, aunts, uncles and neighbors weighs heavily on our society. While medical breakthroughs extend the years of life, social breakthroughs have been sparse to make those years meaningful and fruitful...and affordable for our loved ones. The Green House Project offers a model and hope. Here are details about this new concept in skilled nursing home care that can be applied to a wide variety of cooperative living arrangements for seniors.

Green House Homes for Skilled Nursing Care

Green House® homes are residences for 6 to 10 elders who require skilled nursing care and want to live a rich life. They are a radical departure from traditional skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilities, altering size, design, and organization to create a warm community. Their innovative architecture and services offer privacy, autonomy, support, enjoyment and a place to call home. Green House® homes are developed and operated by long-term care organizations in partnership with The Green House Project and NCB Capital Impact.

Read the details about this model for senior living and nursing care.

Having just tried to find more cost effective health insurance and long term care insurance, I can tell you how frustrating it is to get good data. 

The Dartmouth Atlas Project has documented glaring variations in how medical resources are distributed and used in the United States. 

This interactive US Atlas of Health Care shows you various information by local areas... the best, the growth, by hospital referral region.

As you can see, the Los Angeles region has a bit of a difference in prices and cost increases than counties north and south of it.  Hmmmm....

The cost of providing health care to seniors is rising more than twice as fast in Dallas as in San Diego, and Medicare now spends nearly three times more to care for its enrollees in Miami than it does in Honolulu.

Nationally, Medicare spent an average of $8,304 per enrollee in 2006, and national spending grew at a rate of 3.5 percent annually from 1992 to 2006. Among states, New York was tops in spending per enrollee, at $9,564. Hawaii was lowest, at $5,311.

Where Medicare spending per enrollee grew at an annual rate of 5 percent in Miami, the rate was less than half, at 2.4 percent, in San Francisco. Medicare spent $16,351 per enrollee in Miami in 2006, almost twice the spending of $8,331 in San Francisco.

The researchers project that, at current spending rates, Medicare will be $660 billion in the red by 2023.

But by reducing the annual growth in per capita spending from 3.5 percent, the national average, to 2.4 percent, the rate in San Francisco, Medicare could save $1.42 trillion and turn the deficit into a healthy surplus.

Small Differences Make a Huge Savings

Small differences, because of compounding, can make an enormous difference.

The authors call on physicians to lead an effort to reform how the U.S. delivers and pays for health care to bring spending under control.

Systems of Quality Care

They write: "Payment systems could then shift from purely volume-based payments to systems ... that foster accountability for the overall costs and quality of care, allowing physicians to align their work more closely with the values that brought them to health care. "

Read more at:  SolutionsForYourHealthCare.com 

Many seniors live frugally because they were taught good work and play and living habits as a child or developed them to manage their own homes and lives.  So you might realize how "green" you already are -- and how a few choices can also save you significant money!

For example, 

Biking or walking for short errands ... or even to your volunteer or paid jobs

Learn to take the city bus -- many cities have significant discounts for seniors and even if you pay full price...bus rides cost much less than a car and gasoline and maintenance!  My husband and I are having a ball exploring our city on the bus...and at $ .25 a ride!

Save water -- as water supplies becomes more volatile, they also become more expensive.  Consider converting water-guzzling lawns to hardscape or native plants, or mulched beds.
And you can remind  yourself daily of the value of water by changing to a glass of water for tooth brushing instead of wasting a gallon of running water every time!

 Manage your window drapes and shades to enjoy the beautiful rays of free sunshine during your active times...and close them for filtered light to keep your rooms cool when not in use,

Make or use home-made alternatives -- like baking soda for scrubbing and scouring.  Vinegar and basic soaps are easier on the environment...and will save you big bucks over fancy cleaners.

 Simple things like reusing paper -- both sides ,,, and using mugs and glasses instead of disposable cups are simple changes to make.  Just take the time to create an easy to use system ... and you'll have them handy every time!

Pay your bills on time...avoid late charges and interest charges.  Fees for banking services are growing rapidly and by using an automated payment, you can even avoid monthly interst charges on your credit card.  Just make sure you cover your minimum payment each month with an automated payment...and then add a second payment at your leisure to finish your payment.  This can save BIG BUCKS as well as preserve your credit rating!

Gift giving can be even more special when you use your own arts and crafts to make cookies, or paintings, or embroidered dishtowels or potholders!  Wrap them in a usable cover -- such as a dishtowel or wash cloth...and your gift truly is appreciated through and through!

Going green can be a game...with unending ideas and strategies that you can use your imagination to refine and your friendships to share ideas and resources.  And then, Mother Earth becomes a valued friend, as well.

NAHC takes the lead on addressing housing crisis
The NAHC board, during its October meeting, approved a policy of encouraging cooperative homeownership as a better way to deal with large-scale single-family foreclosure disasters. Properly established membership cooperatives have a good record of acquiring, owning and operating distressed properties, including single-family homes, on a continuing and more affordable basis.

"A Cooperative Solution," by the NAHC legislative committee
Established in 1960, NAHC and its 10 regional associations provide education, inspiration and service to housing cooperatives with well over a million families. NAHC's Board of Directors at its September 2008 meeting unanimously supported a cooperative approach to affordable housing ownership and preservation of individually owned houses faced with foreclosures.

Basic premises: Housing cooperatives provide cooperative homeownership at significantly lower cost, especially for families of low and moderate income.

Membership in NAHC offers networking, technical assistance, legislative representation, education, cooperative information and much more for the housing cooperative community. 

National Association of Housing Cooperatives
1614 King St.,
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 549-5201

The leading housing and community development advocate for the provision of adequate and affordable housing and strong, viable communities for all Americans particularly those for low - and moderate- incomes.

 

Baby Boomers are looking for alternatives...and senior housi ng cooperatives are one way to share resources and contribute valuable time, talent and resources to shared quality of life.

A growing group of nonprofits are developing HUD financed housing that is available for senior cooperative living.

We will gather information about cooperative housing opportunities and methods in this section to provide you with options... and ideas for how YOU can help seniors find quality of life in cooperative communities!

I'm looking for cooperative housing myself...so this topic is close to my heart.  If you know of cooperative GREEN housing in Southern California that has openings...or if you're also looking, let's talk.  Call or email me.  Carolyn Allen, editor, 310-827-2510,  carolyn AT californiagreensolutions.com

Over the last decade technology has created a whole new world - but it has largely been  geared to the young. Computer games. Camera phones. Reality TV.  But technology always seeks new market niches, especially those with scale -- and the Baby Boomer generation is bringing about that marketing nirvana.  Boomers love technology...and they are going to need practical applications of technology to help them live independently and cost effectively.

Technology is both helpful and fun -- "It's fun."  "And challenging,"

Leaders in the aging services field say introducing new technology is much more than a smart business move. They call it a must.

• Touch‐screen computers
• Software to test - and polish -  mental skills.

      Example:  The program by Dakim called (m)Power "It helps us keep our brains active."

Andrew Carle, nationally known for coining the term "nana technology" to identify innovations that improve seniors' quality of life. "They're not optional. They're mandatory," says Carle, who managed hospitals and senior housing before joining the faculty at George Mason University, where he directs a program in assisted living/senior housing administration.

Technologies that help provide care and well‐being will be essential as people live longer and a huge baby boom generation - those born between 1946 and 1964 - edges into retirement and later life, he says.

By 2030, 1 of every 5 people in the United States will be 65 or older, compared to 12 percent in that age group now.

And by 2050, there will be more than a million people over age 100.

"We have to have technology to help seniors live independently, or to allow one's caregiver to be as productive as three or four are today," he says. "Or we're not going to have enough professional caregivers."

Eric Dishman, general manager for health, research and innovation for the California‐based Intel Corp., backs up Carle's theory.

Dr. Michael Magee, son of a house‐call‐making doctor and director of the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, frames the challenge this way: "how to increase services for three times (3X)  as many seniors while reducing health‐care costs."

Technology is at the core of the solution, say Dishman and Magee in a video created for the Center for Aging Services Technology (CAST). In "Transforming an Aging Nation" (www.agingtech.org/index.aspx) and a companion video on the Web site, they share a look at one of many ways technology can bring efficiency to aging services.

The "new caregiver model"

What are some of these assistive technologies for seniors?

• Online games of solitaire and poker help seniors exercise their minds.
• A high‐tech watch reminds you to take  medications,
• Sensors turn off the burners on the stove if forgotten.
• Medical information is digitally recorded so any doctor has immediate access to it.
• A "reality family TV" monitor in the home allows two‐way communication with family members

Specific Senior Health Care Technologies Marry Information and Access

Health care always benefits from good information -- easily accessible at the right time.  And technology is capturing that information and making it readily available.

A Portable Health Profile on a miniature CD and tiny flash drive made by Critical Access  stores all sorts of medical records including X‐rays.

Many diabetics now carry cell phones that can analyze a strip of blood within seconds and send results to their doctors' offices.

Intel is researching how new technology can bring three pieces together: cell phones, inexpensive sensors that capture biological data and the infrastructure of health care.

Good decision‐making requires good information.

In Ecumen's senior housing communities, technology reduces doctor visits with a device called Invivi Soft Pulse that uses electromagnetic frequencies to minimize the pain of wounds from injuries or skin breakdown - a common condition as people age ‐‐ and help them heal.

A system called CareTracker makes recordkeeping and other "paperwork" more efficient, freeing up additional time for nurses and aides to deal directly with residents.

"Magic floors," are being developed in which sensors in a layer of carpet can track footstep patterns and detect changes in a person's gait that warn of potential falls.

Plastic pill cases are being designed to remind people when to take their pills. Sensors on a pill bottle alert someone that they are taking the wrong pill or taking a pill at the wrong time.

Ecumen residents barely notice the seven pocket‐flashlight sized motion sensors tucked in seven strategic places in residents' kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom to monitor  movement in the apartment. They're at the heart of a system called QuietCare  to detect longer‐than‐normal time spent in bed or the bathroom, which can signal something is wrong.

Technology for Seniors Goes Beyond Physical Health

Internet entrepreneurs are "dabbling in" a new twist on Web sites popular with teenagers. Sites like Eons, Razoom, Multiply and Boomertown help older adults stay connected from anywhere.

ABOUT the reference author:  Kay Harvey writes for Eldr Magazine and reports on aging, demographics, gender and psychology for the online newspaper MinnPost.com.

http://www.ecumen.org - Aging services provider Ecumen, one of the country's largest non-profit senior housing companies, is developing a green senior housing for North Country Health services in Bemidji, Minn. It is seeking to be one of the country's few LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) senior housing developments.

The $20 million senior housing development, to be owned by North Country Health Services and developed by Ecumen, is being built using environmentally friendly or "green" features and methods. For example,

• Underground parking will lessen impervious surface space and reduce water use,
• Lighting features will prevent light and energy waste, and
• Many construction materials will be harvested locally.

North Country Health Services and Ecumen plan to submit the project for third-party LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the United States Green Building Council.

"Three words stood out as we began to shape this project - mission, vibrancy and sustainability," said Jim Hanko, president and CEO of North Country Health Services. "The new housing will complement our mission of assuring a lifetime continuum of quality healthcare services, it will be a vibrant community that allows people to live in Bemidji for a lifetime, and it will help sustain natural resources that we all share."

"This project fully embraces a philosophy that aging is all about living," said Sandy Bensen, North Country Health Services' (NCHS) vice president of senior and community living services. "This will be a community that promotes healthy, successful aging and that honors and celebrates a person's life to its very end."

Slated for a late-summer groundbreaking, the senior housing development will include independent living apartments, assisted living apartments, and memory care apartments. The link to the NCHS mission is most evident with the "aging in place" concept where older adults can move in not needing any services and as they age, assisted living services are brought to them when they need them and on an ala carte basis. All living spaces will link to Neilson Place, the North Country Health Services skilled nursing care center that opened in 2004. The project is anticipated to open in the fall of 2009.

When completed, the Anne Street site will have more than 148,000 square feet of livable space in two buildings. Eighty catered living apartment homes, which feature independent living and assisted living, will have underground parking. The one-story memory care building will have 27 studio apartments.

Other features will include a library and media center, grand fireplace lounge, commercial kitchen and dining room, two guest motel-like suites, a hair salon and barber shop, community room, fitness room, and outdoor patios and walking paths.

"We're extremely proud to be working with North Country Health Services and helping make this shared vision become a reality," said Steve Ordahl, senior vice president of business development for Ecumen.

About North Country Health Services
North Country Health Services (www.nchs.com) is a community-owned, not-for-profit health system comprised of North Country Regional Hospital, Neilson Place, Baker Park, Bemidji Medical Equipment, and the North Country Health Services Foundation.

About Ecumen
Ecumen (www.ecumen.org) is based in Shoreview, Minn., and is one of the largest non-profit senior housing, services and development companies in the United States. The name Ecumen comes from the word ecumenical, which in turn is derived from the Greek word for home: "Oikos." Ecumen's mission is to create "home" for older adults wherever they choose to live. Ecumen is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and has 4,000 team members.

Ecumen writes about news and ideas that are shaping the future of aging services at its Changing Aging blog: http://www.ecumen.org/changing-aging/

At the National Alliance for Caregiving's Lotsa Helping Hands website, visitors may create their own caregiving site to coordinate support needed for the caregiver and care recipient.

Most of us have experienced the crisis of a friend or loved one suddenly unable to function as they had for their family or themselves. Perhaps it's a debilitating illness, or post-surgery rehabilitation necessitating weeks or months of bed rest.

In many instances of long-term family caregiving or caring for an aging loved one, those affected must also cope with finding support for meal preparation, grocery shopping, transportation for themselves and their dependent family members.

But it is often difficult for patients and family caregivers to ask for help. And if help is offered, managing that help can be a significant part-time job: coordinating family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and church or synagogue members who do not all know each other can be complex and time-consuming, with endless phone tag and forgotten commitments.

Private Group Calendar for Sharing Caregiver Tasks

Lotsa Helping Hands is a free caregiving coordination web service that provides a private, group calendar where tasks for which a caregiver needs assistance can be posted. Family and friends may visit the site and sign up online for a task.

The website generates a summary report showing who has volunteered for which tasks and which tasks remain unassigned. The site tracks each task and notification and reminder emails are sent to the appropriate parties.

To sign up for a free Lotsa Helping Hands account or to learn more, please visit the National Alliance for Caregiving's Lotsa Helping Hands website.