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BMA Blog |
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Touching Lives · Providing Dignified Lifestyles
Posts Tagged ‘senior living’
Thursday, May 16th, 2013
By Rick Banas of assisted living and senior living provider BMA Management, Ltd.
With May designated as National Stroke Awareness Month, we wanted to share with you some important information about strokes that can help save lives.
The information comes from the National Stroke Association.
Strokes do not just strike seniors. Anyone of any age, race or gender can have a stroke.
Many of the risk factors for stroke are controllable. These include alcohol use, atherosclerosis (the build-up of plaque in the walls of your arteries), diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, and the use of tobacco and smoking.
With strokes, every minute counts so it is vital for you to think FAST. The most effective treatments for stroke are only available within the first three hours of experiencing the first symptoms of a stroke.
The following are common symptoms of a stroke:
SUDDEN numbness or weakness of the face,
arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
SUDDEN confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
SUDDEN trouble seeing in one of both eyes.
SUDDEN trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance,
loss of coordination.
SUDDEN severe headache with no known cause.
To help you remember how to recognize the warning signs of a stroke and how you should respond, the National Stroke Association recommends that you think FAST.
| F |
Face |
Ask the person to smile.
Does one side of the face droop? |
| A |
Arms |
Ask the person to raise both arms.
Does one side drift downward? |
| S |
Speech |
Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase.
Is the speech slurred or strange? |
| T |
Time |
If you observe any of the signs of a stroke,
call 9-1-1 immediately. |
To help you remember how to Think FAST, the National Stroke Association has provided a FAST Wallet Card that you can download and print to carry with you. Click the link to the right to view the Fast Wallet Card http://goo.gl/dHYcs
The National Stroke Association also urges you to note the time you first experienced the first symptom of a stroke. The information is important to health care providers and can affect treatment decisions.
For more information about how you can become a Stroke Champion by helping raise stroke awareness during the month of May and throughout the year, visit theStroke Awareness Resource Center.
Post Script Heritage Woods of Flora, a BMA affordable assisted living community in Flora, Illinois, is hosting a Stroke Awareness Mother-Daughter Tea in partnership with Clay County Hospital at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, 2013.
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.”
Tags: affordable assisted living, alcohol use, assisted living illinois, atherosclerosis, bma, diabetes, FAST Wallet Card, Heritage Woods of Flora, High Blood Pressure, high cholesterol, National Stoke Association, National Stroke Awareness Month, obesity, physical inactivity, senior living, stroke, stroke awareness, Stroke Champion, Symptoms of a stroke
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Thursday, May 9th, 2013
By Rick Banas of assisted living and senior living provider BMA Management, Ltd.
 John O’Leary cautioned those of us attending his keynote address at the Life Services Network’s (LSN) 2013 Annual Meeting & Exhibition about a couple of pictures that he was about to show.
John is President of Rising Above. LSN is the largest elder care association in Illinois and the state affiliate of Leading Age and the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA).
He was talking about growing and thriving through adversity, igniting your life, and making a difference in the lives of others.
John is living proof of the message he delivers.
The pictures that John was about to show those attending the keynote address, were of John lying in a hospital bed when he was nine years of age. Burns covered 100% of his body. Nearly 90% of the burns were third degree. His chances of making it through the night were less than 1%.
He was an adventurous boy who had been playing with gasoline in the garage.
He endured months in the hospital, including a five-month period in which his arms and legs were strapped down. He underwent dozens of surgeries and spent years in therapy. All of his fingers had to be amputated.
Today, he is a business owner and international speaker, who defines his greatest success in life as marriage to his wife, Beth, and their four children.
What I most noticed about John during this presentation and in meeting with him afterward is his remarkable spark for live.
What I will remember most were his comments and stories about the Powers of Love, One and More.
 Igniting your life so that you thrive both professionally and personally starts with the Power of Love. A heart on fire is powerful.
The Power of One reflects the ability of each of us individually to change the world. In John’s case, it was the Power of One plus One. He talked about the two individuals, each acting alone, who had the biggest impact on his recovery. The individuals were a care aide and Jack Buck, the announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals. John is a native of the St. Louis area and a big Cardinal fan.
The Power of More reflects a focus on what more can I do for myself and for others. After you do something for someone, ask yourself what else can I do to make a difference.
As John said, everything you do has the power to push people down or pull people up.
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.”
Tags: adversity, ALFA, Assisted Living Federation of America, assisted living illinois, bma, Business Owner, Igniting Your Life, International Speaker, John O'Leary, Keynote Address, Leading Age, Life Services Network, Life Services Network's 2013 Annual Meeting & Exhibition, LSN, Making a Difference, Power of Love, Power of More, Power of One, Rising Above, senior living, St. Louis Cardinals, third degree burns
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Friday, April 26th, 2013
By Rick Banas of assisted and senior living provider BMA Management, Ltd.
With my years of experience in assisted and senior living, an article recently posted on the Medical News Today website really has me thinking.
The article <link> is about research that ties social isolation to shorter lifespans in older adults.
One of the surprising results, the article notes, is that even people who are happy being alone are more likely to die prematurely if they don’t have enough social interactions with other humans.
One of the biggest benefits of living in an assisted living community is all of the opportunities that are available for residents to socialize with others.
Instead of eating alone in front of a television, older adults in assisted living communities are dining with other residents.
They can gather with other residents in a lounge area to watch a movie, a ball game or their favorite television shows.
They can join others for exercise programs. Our Heritage Woods of DeKalb community, for instance, offers Tai Chi on Thursdays; Heritage Woods of Centralia has Yoga on Wednesdays; John Evans Supportive Living in Pekin hosts a “Move Those Joints” program three times a week. Residents of Bridle Brook in Champaign County can stay active with a Walking Club in the indoor comfort of their assisted living and memory care community.
They can participate with other residents in the activities and special events offered by the community.
Wii Bowling has become a very popular activity, with the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC) hosting an annual statewide Wii Bowling Tournament. This year, nearly 80 teams of residents from affordable assisted living communities in Illinois entered the competition, which will culminate with the top teams bowling against each other in a Final Four on May 14 and 15 in Decatur, Illinois.
This year, the AALC also is hosting a statewide Spelling Bee. More than 100 teams of residents entered the competition, with 12 teams qualifying to compete in the Spelling Finals in Decatur on May 14 and 15. The most frequently used words in the Scripps National Spelling Bee will be used.
Other recent and upcoming programs at the communities BMA manages include:
Laughter Yoga
Mother’s Day Celebrations and Memorial Day Tributes
Fashion Shows with residents and staff modeling the clothing
BBQs, Ice Cream Socials and Happy Hours
Senior Proms
Hawaiian Luaus
Musical entertainment and health education programs
Residents can participate no matter what the weather.
With this in mind, isn’t it possible that assisted living can help prevent premature death among seniors?
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.”
Tags: Affordable Assisted Living Coalition, assisted living, Bridle Brook of Mahomet, Fashion Show, Heritage Woods of Centralia, Heritage Woods of DeKalb, John Evans Supportive Living, Laughter Yoga, Medical News Today, Memorial Day, Memory Care, Mother's Day, older adults, Premature Death, senior living, Seniors, Shorter Lifespans, Social Isolation, Spelling Bee, Wii Bowling
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Wednesday, March 20th, 2013
By Rick Banas of senior living and assisted living provider BMA Management, Ltd.
For seniors, inactivity can be risky.
Taking it easy can lead to a loss of independence and to more visits to your doctor, more stays in the hospital, and more medications, says the National Institutes for Health (NIH).
Older adults tend to lose their ability to do things on their own not simply because they are growing older, but because they have become less physically active, notes an NIH article on the benefits of exercise.
Making regular physical activity part of your daily life is one of the best steps you can take to maintain your independence. In addition, it is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental well-being.
In a recent presentation at the Heritage Woods affordable assisted living community that BMA manages in McLeansboro, Illinois, Jennifer Hawkins of NovaCare Rehabilitation talked about the most common causes of decreased physical activity in seniors.
These include osteoarthritis, balance disorders, fear of falling, depression and insomnia.
Osteoarthritis affects 43 million people and is the leading cause of disability in the United States, Jennifer said. “Exercise is the key to treating this disease,” yet is “under prescribed.” Pharmaceutical treatment tends to be “the most common method of managing the symptoms,” she added.
On average, one in three people in the United States over the age of 65 fall each year, and falls are the leading cause of injury, hospital admissions for trauma, and death due to injury among older adults, Hawkins said.
There are many reasons for poor balance among older adults, including the lack of physical activity due to a fear of falling. Physical therapy that incorporates balance exercises is the cornerstone in treating many of the causes, said Hawkins.
Anxiety and depression among older adults often is under diagnosed and under treated. The symptoms can impact the ability of older adults to enjoy life and can lead to a disability and loss of independence.
Insomnia is one of the most common complaints among seniors. It can cause “decreased feelings of social well-being” and can affect one’s ability to concentrate, said Hawkins.
Exercise can also help with diabetes, glaucoma, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, and colorectal cancer.
If you have any of these conditions or symptoms, you should contact your doctor and ask if exercise is appropriate for you, says Hawkins. When you exercise, oxygen will run through your blood better. You’ll be in a better mood. It will help you sleep better. And, you’ll feel better.
To stay active, the best thing you can do is to stay active.
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.”
Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Anxiety, assisted living, assisted living illinois, bma, cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, Depression, glaucoma, Heritage Woods of McLeansboro, hypertension, Insomnia, Jennifer Hawkins, National Institute for Health, NovaCare Rehabilitation, Osteoarthritis, physical activity, Physical Therapy, pulmonary disease, senior living, United States
Posted in BMA Management | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 13th, 2013
By Rick Banas of senior living and assisted living provider BMA Management, Ltd.
 If you think assisted living residents do nothing but sit around and play BINGO, you should have been at the Heritage Woods affordable assisted living community that we manage in Manteno, Illinois, this past Friday afternoon.
For the second year in a row, residents on the community’s Wii bowling team smoked firefighters and paramedics with the Manteno Fire Protection District during an annual Wii Bowling Challenge.
In fact, the members of the Acorns did themselves one better in this year’s competition. Last year, they beat the firefighters by a combined total of 225 pins, or an average of 37.5 pins per bowler per game. This year, they won by a combined total of 226 pins.
Resident Helen Wotring, who is 86 years young, had the high game, tossing a 236. Her game included a turkey and a four bagger.
“I like to show off,” Helen told those who were gathered in the dining room at Heritage Woods to cheer on the bowlers. It only took a couple of thousand games to be able to do this, she said.
“You have every right to be bragging,” Mary Robbins of the Fire Protection told Helen.
Scott Spanos rolled the high game for the Fire Protection District, tossing a 167.
Wii Bowling is an activity that has become very popular at the assisted living communities that BMA manages.
We have 44 teams of residents entered into the 2013 Supportive Living Wii Bowling Championship sponsored by the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC).
AALC represents affordble assisted living communities located throughout Illinois that operate through the state’s Supportive Living program. The program enables the communities to serve older adults and adults with physical disabilities of all incomes, including those on Medicaid.
The 4th Annual Supportive Living Wii Championship will culminate with a Final Four competition to be held on May 14 and 15 at the Decatur Conference Center & Hotel in Decatur, Illinois.
Last year, three of teams competing in the Final Four were from BMA communities.
The Oy Vey! team of residents from Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook brought home the Second Place trophy. Team member Michael Malina had the high game in the Final Four competition. He rolled a 279 in the semi-finals. In addition, team member Manny Shellist was recognized for being the oldest bowler ever to compete in an AALC Wii bowling Final Four. Manny, who turned 101 not long after the Final Four, averaged 176.
The Prairie Pins from Prairie Living at Chautauqua in Carbondale finished in Third Place.
For the Silver Sliders from Cambridge House of Maryville, qualifying for the Final Four was old hat. It was the third year in a row that the team from the community in the St. Louis Metro East area were among the four best teams in the state. In 2010, the Silver Sliders struck gold and brought home the First Place trophy.
For those of you who might be interested, we invite you to watch the 4th Annual Wii Bowling Championship Final Four live in Decatur. If you cannot make it, live streaming on the Internet will be available.
We will be sure to keep your informed.
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.”
Tags: 2013 Supportive Living Wii Bowling Championship, 4th Annual Supportive Living Wii Championship, aalc, Affordable Assisted Living Coalition, assisted living, bma, Cambridge House of Maryville, Decatur Conference Center & Hotel, FIrefighters, Helen Wotring, Heritage Woods, Heritage Woods of Bolingbrook, Heritage Woods of Manteno, Mary Robbins, Paramedics, Prairie Living at Chautauqua, Scott Spanos, senior living, Wii Bowling, Wii Bowling Challenge
Posted in BMA Management | No Comments »
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