By Rick Banas, Vice President of Strategic Marketing for BMA Management, Ltd.
One of the keys ways to maintain your independence and avoid a move to a nursing home is to keep moving.
“People in motion stay in motion,” Dr. David Fisher, a Board Certified Gerontologist, notes in his newly released book entitled “How to Keep Mom (and Yourself) Out of a Nursing Home.” One of the seven keys to keeping your independence that he cites in the book is to keep moving.
“When we lose the ability to move, we inch that much closer to nursing home placement as we become more likely to fall, become socially isolated, develop functional incontinence, lose access to medical care and become unable to maintain our homes,” Dr. Fisher writes.
He talks about regular exercise perhaps being the most important factor in preserving one’s mobility and the importance of proper nutrition for maintaining muscle and bone strength. He says that “thirty minutes of aerobic exercise four days a week is an excellent goal to set.”
Be sure to exercise your quadriceps, the muscles that sit on the front of your thighs and connect your hips with your kneecap, because these are the muscles that you primarily use to stand up and sit down. They also help with walking and balance.
Dan Buettner, a National Geographic writer who has done groundbreaking work on longevity, echoes Dr. Fisher comments, in his book “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Living the Longest.”
Buettner shares nine tips for living longer and healthier lives. The first up on the list involves being active and moving naturally.
He talks about walking being one activity that successful centenarians do almost daily; about making your lifestyle more active rather than exercising for the sake of exercising; and about having fun and getting out and about with other people.
He recommends getting into the habit of doing at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week and discussing with your doctor a combination of aerobic, balancing and muscle strengthening activities.
The real enemy, as Dr. Fisher notes, is not aging but is the loss of independence.
Our mission is to help you maintain your independence and avoid a nursing home, if at all possible. Hope this helps.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of affordable assisted living in Illinois and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
By Rick Banas, Vice President of Strategic Marketing for BMA Management, Ltd.
A Week of national celebration for Supportive Living will commence on April 26 and run through April 30. Each of the 29 Supportive Living Communities that BMA manages will be joining by nearly 90 other communities through Illinois as we celebrate 2010 Supportive Living Week.
For those who may not be familiar, The Supportive Living Program is an innovative lifestyle program developed in Illinois more than ten years ago. The program is designed to benefit adults 65 and older of all incomes, with disabilities or who need some help to maintain their independence but do not require skilled nursing care. The program is especially designed to benefit those who do not have the financial resources to afford private pay assisted living.
There are nearly 120 Supportive Living Communities in operation throughout Illinois. Last year, over 6,000 individuals on Medicaid benefitted from the program.
Our company, BMA Management, Ltd. is the largest provider of Supportive Living in the state.
Highlights of the Supportive Living Week celebration include:
Wayne Smallwood
, Executive Director of the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (aalc.org), will be talking with Dr. David Fisher, host of a weekly radio program that BMA sponsors, this Sunday night, April 25. The “House Calls” radio show airs from 9 to 10 p.m. on WIND 560-AM in Chicago. Supportive Living was Wayne Smallwood’s brainchild while he was serving with the Illinois Department of Public Aid, now Healthcare and Family Services.
The Supportive Living Wii Bowling Final Four competition will be taking place in Springfield on Monday and Tuesday, April 26 and 27. The competition features teams of residents from Supportive Living communities. BMA is proud that three of the teams in the Final Four are from communities that we manage. Two of the teams are from our Eagle Ridge of Decatur community and one from Cambridge House of Maryville. The semi-finals are scheduled for Monday afternoon and the finals for Tuesday morning at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel on E. Adam Street.
Virtually all of our communities will be hosting Special Supportive Living Week Open Houses on Wednesday, April 28. To find out more, visit our site at www.bma-mgmt.com. On the site click on the “Our Community” drop down list (top right) and choose the community of your choice. While on the community page, click the “You’re Invited” tab on the left (seven down) and view the community calendar.
Other activities being planned by our communities include an antique car show, balloon launches, resident talent shows, musical entertainment, and ice cream socials.
The 2010 Supportive Living Week activities provide great opportunity to meet residents and staff, learn more about Supportive Living, and see all that Supportive Living communities have to offer.
We invite you to join us in celebration Supportive Living Week 2010.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of affordable assisted living in Illinois and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
By Rick Banas, Vice President of Strategic Marketing for BMA Management, Ltd.
As part of our mission to help enhance the quality of life for older adults and their families, BMA Management sponsors a weekly radio show.
The House Calls show is hosted by Dr. David Fisher, who is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Geriatric Medicine. He also is a Hospice and Palliative Care Physician.
The show is designed to help you make the most out of your health care experience.
During the program, Dr. Fisher discusses the latest in health headlines and research. He brings you information that can help you navigate the health care system and take control of your health. He also takes your phone calls and e-mails.
This past Sunday, for instance, Dr. Fisher took issue with Dr. Jack Kervorkian, especially Dr. Kervorkian’s recent comment on CNN that doctors who do not intentionally cause the death of patients who are suffering are cowards.
He also talked about how diet can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, how your cat or dog may be a health hazard, and how silk is being used to help those suffering from brain illness and spinal cord injuries.
The previous week, Dr. Fisher discussed an ink-jet device that sprays skin cells onto burn victims, the relationship between sleep and your appetite, will baby boomers outlive their children, and one of the most common fears people have about their health.
His guest of the program was an Elder Care Attorney who also is a Certified Public Accountant. They reviewed the importance of legal and financial planning to cover what happens if you were to become ill for a long period of time.
The show is broadcast from 9 to 10 p.m. on Sundays on WIND in Chicago. You can listen live at 560-AM on your radio dial or by streaming via the Internet at www.560wind.com.
For those of you who are not able to listen live or are interested in listening to a show again, we maintain an archive of previous shows on our website at www.bma-mgmt.com.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of affordable assisted living in Illinois and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
I thought it would be of value to our readers to share Dr. Fisher’s “Top Five Ways to Keep Your Feet Healthy.”
Don’t Ignore Foot Pain. It is not normal for your feet to hurt. Pain could be an indication of other problems.
Inspect and Wash Your Feet Regularly and Dry Them Carefully.
Trim Your Toenails Straight Across. Don’t cut corners and don’t cut them too short.
Make Sure You Get Properly Fitted Shoes. The best time to shop for shoes is toward the end of the day.
Alternate Your Shoes. Don’t wear the same pair of shoes everyday.
On this program, Dr. Fisher also discussed a new technology for treating foot fungus with Podiatrist Joel Feder of Affiliated Podiatry.
To listen to the “House Calls” program on “Foot Health,” click here.
Radio “House Calls” airs at 9 p.m. on Sundays on WIND AM-560 in Chicago. You can listen by tuning in to 560 AM on your radio dial or listen live at www.560wind.com.
To listen to previous broadcasts, click on the logo to go to our website.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of affordable assisted living in Illinois and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
By Rick Banas, Vice President of Strategic Marketing at BMA Management
The Twitter message hit my computer earlier today.An 86-year old woman was found unresponsive on the porch of her home on the northwest side of Chicago, according to the Health News article in the on-line version of the Chicago Sun-Times.She was the latest victim of our cold winter weather.
A little further down, the article mentioned the Chicago Fire Department responding to call to help a woman who had fallen down a flight of stairs in her home sometime on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to discuss with Dr. David Fisher the question of older adults living alone at home versus moving in with family or to assisted living. Dr. Fisher, who is a gerontologist, hosts a weekly radio program called “House Calls,” and our discussion aired on this past Sunday’s show.
My comments are based on my more than 30 years of experience in health care and older adult housing fields.In particular, I suggest four key factors that should be taken into consideration.
I invite you to click the button below to listen to our discussion.
To see a listing of past week house calls click here.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management is the leading provider of affordable assisted living in Illinois and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
