By Rick Banas of assisted living and senior living provider BMA Management, Ltd.
The nine teams of residents from affordable assisted living communities in northern Illinois were gathered together at the Manteno Golf Club in Manteno, Illinois.
They were joined by Arlene Allen and Ann Atkinson. Arlene grew up in Jo Davies County, Illinois, where she attended school in a one-room schoolhouse for seven years. She taught school in the Kankakee area for 38 years. Ann taught kindergarten in Quincy, Massachusetts and Bourbonnais, Illinois, and worked for 22 years in the Graduate School at Olivet Nazarene University.
Anne and Arlene were there to serve as judges for the Illinois Supportive Living Spelling Bee Regional Finals for the North Region. The competition is being sponsored by the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC), an organization that represents affordable assisted living communities that operate through the Illinois Supportive Living program.
The program enables older adults and adults with physical disabilities of all incomes, including those on Medicaid, to live in a residential-apartment home environment and receive personal assistance, help with medications, and services such as meals, housekeeping and laundry.
Also there to help as assistant judges were six students from Manteno Middle School. Nora Crockett, Taylor Gilliam, Caitlin Godsey, Colin Smith, Olzea Smolinski and Cassidy St. Peter are all members of the school’s Spelling Bee team. They were joined by the school’s Spelling Bee team’s sponsor Erica Lehrus.
More than 100 teams of residents from communities located throughout Illinois had entered the Spelling Bee, with nine teams qualifying for the regional finals in the North Region.
Standard spelling bee rules were followed, with judges giving the team a word to spell. The team had two minutes to work together to agree on a spelling. They could ask the judge to repeat the word, for the definition and for the word to be used in a sentence. One member of the team needed to correctly spell the word for the judges. One wrong letter and the team was out.
The Gold Medal winners was the team from Heritage Woods of Rockford, with Heritage Woods of Manteno coming in second, and Victory Center of Joliet finishing in third.
All three teams qualified for the Spelling Bee Finals, which will be held on May 14 and 15 at the Decatur Hotel and Conference Center in Decatur, Illinois. The most frequently used words in the Scripps national Spelling Bee will be used.
They will be competing against the teams that qualified in the Cook County, Central and Southern Divisions.
Cook County
Eden Supportive Living of Chicago
Victory Centre of Bartlett
Victory Centre of River Woods
Central Division
Springfield Supportive Living
Mary Bryant Home in Springfield
Heritage Woods of Charleston
South Division
Prairie Living at Chautauqua
Cambridge House of Maryville
Cambridge House of Swansea
Dorie Johnson, one of the members of the winning team from Heritage Woods of Rockford, mentioned that winning the regional title and qualifying for the state finals was an early birthday present. She is celebrating her 90th Birthday today. Like judge Arlene Allen, she grew up in Jo Davies County.
Dorie’s teammate, Nita Mahan, will be 85 on June 26. She started her teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse and then taught second and third grades.
When Dorie and Nita returned home to Heritage Woods of Rockford from the competition in Manteno last Thursday, they were honored by residents and staff with a victory celebration and a banner congratulated them on victory.
Spectators are welcome to attend the Spelling Bee Finals next month in Decatur. We hope to see you there.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
All of the communities are certified to operate through the Illinois Supportive Living program and either serve older adults or adults with physical disabilities who need some help to maintain their independence.
The teams earned the right to participate in the playoffs by posting the highest scores in their divisions after seven weeks of bowling.
Nearly 80 teams had entered the tournament.
The playoffs will culminate in a Final Four competition May 14 and 15 at the Decatur Conference Center in Decatur, Illinois.
Last year, teams from Cambridge House of Maryville, Glenhaven Gardens in Alton, Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook and Prairie Living in Carbondale bowled in the Final Four. The Gardeners from Glenhaven took home the First Place trophy for the second year in a row, and Oy Vey! from Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook took Second Place.
Teams from the following communities qualified for the playoffs this year:
Cambridge House of Maryville
Cambridge House of O’Fallon (two teams)
Castle Manor in Lincoln
Eagle Ridge of Decatur
Eastgate Manor in Algonquin
Eden Supportive Living in Chicago (two teams)
Eden Supportive Living in North Chicago
Evergreen Place in Streator
Glenhaven Gardens of Alton (two teams)
Glenwood in Staunton
Heritage Woods of Aledo
Heritage Woods of Batavia
Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook (two teams)
Heritage Woods of Centralia
Heritage Woods of Charleston
Heritage Woods of DeKalb
Heritage Woods of Manteno
Heritage Woods of McHenry
Heritage Woods of Moline
Heritage Woods of Mt. Vernon
Heritage Woods of Plainfield
Heritage Woods of Watseka
Heritage Woods of Yorkville
Manor at Craig Farms in Chester
Mary Bryant Home in Springfield
Morraine Court in Bridgeview
Springfield Supportive Living (two teams)
Who are you cheering for to make the Final Four?
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
By Rod Burkett, President and CEO of BMA Management, Ltd.
When it comes to affordable assisted living, the State of Illinois continues to set the standard through its Supportive Living program.
I was reminded of this once again last week as I read a news story about the opening of an affordable assisted living community in Detroit. The affordable assisted living community is part of the first phase of a $40 million senior living development.
What really caught my attention was the indication that the newly opened community is one of only two designated affordable assisted living communities in the entire State of Michigan. The other is in Grand Rapids.
By comparison, Illinois, through its Supportive Living program, has nearly 140 affordable assisted living communities that are in operation. The communities are located in more than 70 Counties in northern, central and southern Illinois. Together, they house nearly 11,000 apartments.
We at BMA have been actively involved with the Supportive Living program since its inception. We opened our first affordable assisted living community 13 years ago, in May of 2000, in Flora, Illinois. Heritage Woods of Flora was the third affordable assisted living community in the state and the first to be housed in a newly constructed building.
Today, BMA operates nearly 25% of the affordable assisted living communities in Illinois.
From our experience, here are some of the reasons why the Illinois Supportive Living program has been so successful:
The program provides older adults and adults with physical disabilities with the opportunity to live in an environment that is much more appropriate for their needs. Rather they living in a nursing home or struggling alone at home, they are able to live in a residential environment and receive the personal assistance and help with medications they need to maintain their independence.
The emphasis of the program is on personal choice, dignity, privacy and individuality.
Supportive Living communities are able to serve residents of all financial means, including those on Medicaid.
The cost to the State of Illinois and its taxpayers for a person on Medicaid to live in a Supportive Living community is nearly half the cost of a nursing home. The savings can be used to support other programs and services.
More recently, the State approved the development of five Supportive Living Memory Care pilot projects to serve those with Alzheimer’s or related dementia. We were honored to receive approval to develop one of the five. We opened White Oaks at Heritage Woods of South Elgin this past fall; the 32 affordable memory care apartments were filled in three weeks.
In many areas, as many as two-thirds of the older adult population do not have the financial resources to afford traditional private pay assisted living, at least for any extended period of time.
Yet, while the need for affordable assisted living is tremendous, we have yet to find a state where we can duplicate what we have been able to do here in Illinois.
In the just published edition of Senior Living Executive, the magazine published by the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), I challenged our industry to join with us in evaluating how to better care for all those who cannot afford traditional assisted living.
The Illinois Supportive Living program certainly can serve as a model.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
By Rick Banas of senior living and assisted living provider BMA Management, Ltd.
Pre-planning can help protect you from the pitfalls of guardianship, Attorney Melissa Wick emphasized during her “All About Guardianship” presentation last week at the Heritage Woods assisted living community that BMA manages in Huntley, Illinois.
Melissa is an Elder Law Attorney with Michling, Hofmann, Plaza & Wick, PC, (MHVPW) in Woodstock, Illinois.
Guardianship is an issue that comes up a lot, Melissa noted, because the aging process in the United States follows a fairly predictable course. Only 3% of us die suddenly while apparently healthy. For 97% of us, the course goes from being healthy to developing illnesses that over time diminish our physical and mental abilities and increase our need for assistance.
The best approach is to pre-plan and execute the appropriate legal documents while you are healthy, Melissa says.
Through pre-planning, you can take the steps necessary to ensure that you have maximum control about who makes health care decisions on your behalf and who handles your financial matters should the need arise.
You can designate Powers of Attorney for Health Care and for Property who have the legal authority to act as your “agent.”
You need, however, to have “Legal Mental Capacity” to execute any pre-planning documents, including the following:
Last Will and Testament
Revocable Living Trust
Living Will and Power of Attorney for Health Care
Durable Power of Attorney for Property
HIPPA Release so someone other than you can see your Medical Records
DNR Advanced Directive
In Illinois, this means you must have the ability to understand; the ability to appreciate the nature and consequences of a decision; and the ability to reach and communicate an informed decision in the matter.
If you wait and reach a point where you are unable to meet any one of these three criteria, you are no longer able to legally sign any of the documents mentioned above.
Not having Powers of Attorney for Health Care and Property means that you will be subject to Guardianship proceedings should the need arise.
Here are some of the consequences of the Guardianship process:
The process places outsiders in control. Decisions about who will be appointed as Guardian(s) to handle your financial and health care needs will be in hands of a judge and an attorney appointed by the judge.
The proceedings are time consuming. In the meantime, you are vulnerable. There is no one who physicians and other health care personnel can talk to about your treatment. Physicians are unable to withhold treatment even though that may be your wish. In addition, there is no way anyone can access funds to pay for your care.
The proceedings impact your privacy. Since the proceedings are conducted in open court, they are a matter of public record. Anybody who wants to can see what took place. The process requires the court appointed financial Guardian to compile a list of all of your assets and income. The list becomes a matter of public record
The proceedings are expensive. There are court costs, and the court-appointed Guardian(s) are able tap into your financial resources to pay themselves for the services provided. Engaging competent legal counsel to guide you through the pre-planning process and the execution of the necessary legal documents can be cheaper than the cost of a Court-appointed Guardian.
The proceedings are often subject to family disputes. They can be almost as traumatic as a divorce.
Perhaps worst of all is that Guardianship proceedings usually occur in the midst of a crisis, which adds deeply to the stress of the situation.
Through proper pre-planning, you can avoid the need for guardianship proceedings, Melissa advises.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
I grew up watching Art’s television show “People Are Funny.” I especially loved his interviews with children.
The best people to interview are women over the age of 80 and children under the age of 10, Art contended. “Both are refreshing and surprisingly frank.” They tend to be “completely unaffected by what other people think.”
Art, who died at the age of 97, was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. During an interview with TV Legends, he noted that one of the biggest changes that he witnessed during his lifetime was the tremendous increase in life expectancy. When he was born in 1912, the average life expectancy for a child was 47.
In the interview, he talked about being adopted when he was about a month old and being raised by parents who really were “grandparents,” considering the standards of the day. His adoptive father was 59 so was considered “old.” My father worked as a shoemaker on Mondays through Saturdays and as a minister on Sundays so “he saved souls seven days a week,” Art joked.
His book “Old Age is Not for Sissies” was published in 1988. I thought it would be interesting to take a look back on what he had to say about Senior Americans (his term), aging and ageism 25 years ago.
Age does nothing more than mark the year you were born. It has nothing to do with who you are, what you are, or how you live your life.
He decries the stereotypes that typify Senior Americans by senility, frailty and boring, repetitive stories. Our society, he says, is measured by the manner in which we venerate advanced age. The “good old days” weren’t all good, but “old age was venerated.” Rather than getting senior discounts, Senior Americans were given a “greater level of respect and more consideration.”
Senior Americans are not “decrepit senile people who need to be tolerated. We are a national resource with minds of our own.”
He talks about the rights of Seniors Americans to consideration and dignity and the right to live independently.
He talks about the importance of attitude, positive thinking and having the enthusiasm of a child.
He notes the importance of exercise “not because it will roll back the years,” but because it will make you feel better and help “diminish the natural effects of living more years.” Creaking a little is not sufficient reason to “throw in the towel.” For Senior Americans, walking is the recommended physical activity. Start gradually and learn to enjoy what you are doing.
He also notes the importance of healthy eating, and cited three reasons why many Senior Americans eat poorly. They don’t enjoy eating by themselves; food does not seem important; and that it is easier to eat whatever is handy than taking the time and making the effort to cook a nutritious meal.
He urges Senior Americans who are lonely “to get involved in something right now.”
In the Introduction to the book, Art features five of his “famous friends” and discusses the attitudes that guide their lives.
Illinois native Betty White is the first of the “featured friends.” Art applauds Betty and the other “Golden Girls” for what they have done for Senior Americans. “They deserve a standing ovation.” Now, a quarter of a century later, Betty is starring in two television shows – “Hot in Cleveland” and “Off Their Rockers.” She celebrated her 91st Birthday on Jan. 17.
Art mentions talking with Betty about catastrophic illness and how we have come to expect insurance companies and the government to pay for everything. They shared a common concern for those who lament having to use up their retirement nest egg to pay for care because it will leave nothing to pass on as an inheritance. We should consider ourselves fortunate to be in position to be able to pay for whatever care we need.
What also caught my attention were the opinions cited by Art’s “famous friends” about “retirement.”
Phyllis Diller labeled “retirement” as the “most awful think I could think of doing.”
George Burns attributed his secret to a long life to his belief that “you should not retire” and “being able to get up in the morning and do something you love doing.” George was in his early 90s at the time.
Art believed that Senior Americans comprise one of our most treasured, and undervalued, resources. He also believed that Senior Americans need to “stand up for themselves to receive the recognition they deserve.”
As he notes in the first paragraph of the Introduction to “Old Age is Not for Sissies,” remember Thomas Jefferson’s recommendation about “a little rebellion now and then is a good thing.”
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
