|
 |
|
|
BMA Blog |
|
|
Touching Lives · Providing Dignified Lifestyles
Posts Tagged ‘supportive living’
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
By Rod Burkett of BMA Management, Ltd.
Illinois continues to be headed in the right direction.
No, I have not tipped back a few too many glasses of the Spiked Egg Nog. And yes, I am aware of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute poll referenced yesterday in a Chicago Tribune editorial that says Illinois voters believe otherwise.
When it comes to older adults and adults with physical disabilities, Illinois in 2011 continued to head in the right direction with its innovative Supportive Living Program.
For those of you who are not familiar with Supportive Living, the program grew out of the state budget crunch. Rather than follow the usual paths of cutting services or raising taxes, the state developed a wonderfully innovative program that benefits both the state and those who need some level of help to maintain their independence.
The program gives those of all financial means, including those on Medicaid, the opportunity to enjoy a residential-style apartment living with the availability of personal assistance and support services. For those unable to afford private pay assisted living, struggling alone at home or moving to a nursing home are no longer the only options.
In a press announcement earlier this month that summarizes a decision to continue to expand the Supportive Living program, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) noted that Supportive Living “makes these critical services available at a significantly lower cost than in a nursing home.” The program also “can successfully prevent or postpone the need for nursing home care.”
The Dec. 19 announcement highlighted the State’s approval of five new Supportive Living communities designed to serve adults with physical disabilities who are 22 to 64 years of age.
Our company, BMA Management, is involved with three of the five communities.
BMA Ventures, LLC, a sister company of BMA Management, Ltd., will own and develop the community that was approved for Bourbonnais, Illinois. The community will house 76 apartments. BMA Management will manage the community.
BMA will assist the owner, Budslick Investments, LLC in developing the community that was approved for Carbondale, Illinois. The community will house 76 apartments, and BMA Management will serve as the management entity for the community.
BMA Management will manage the community that was approved for Peoria, Illinois. The community is being developed by Vermilion Development of Chicago. While we will be serving a younger age group in these communities, our focus will be the same as in our affordable assisted living communities that serve older adults. Our emphasis will be on promoting the resident’s independence and will be framed by our values of love, compassion and dignity.
2011 also marked two other milestones for the Supportive Living program:
The number of apartments available in Supportive Living communities topped the 10,000 mark. There are now 133 communities in operation in more than 70 Counties throughout the State. Thirty-three of our communities are affordable assisted living communities that operate through the Supportive Living program.
The first two Memory Care Supportive Living communities opened for occupancy as pilot projects. We were also pleased to learn in November, that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services gave BMA approval to develop a pilot Memory Care Supportive Living community as part of Heritage Woods of South Elgin. The Memory Care community will house 32 apartments in two specially designed neighborhoods of 16 apartments each.
As we look back at 2011, we express our thanks to the State of Illinois for its continued promotion of the Supportive Living program.
Rod Burkett is Chief Executive Officer and President of BMA Management, the largest provider of assisted living in Illinois. He has served for the past two years as President of the Springfield based Affordable Assisted Living Coalition (AALC).
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.”
Follow on  Twitter  Facebook  YouTube  Google+
Tags: assisted living in Illinois, BMA Management Ltd, BMA Ventures LLC, Budslick Investments LLC, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Medicaid, Memory Care Supportive Living, Public Policy Institute, Rod Burkett, senior living, Spiked Egg Nog, supportive living, Supportive Living Program
Posted in BMA Management | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
By Rick Banas of BMA Management, Ltd. The leading provider of Assisted Living in Illinois.
This past Sunday, Father Terry Keehan of Holy Family Catholic Community in Inverness, Illinois, asked a classic question about what motivates us in life.
“Why do you do what you do?”
At BMA Management, we have spent considerable time examining the question. We are a mission-driven company that believes strongly that the “why” has to drive what we do and how we do it.
For BMA, our why is our mission, which is to “Touch Lives” by making a difference in the lives of older adults and their families each and every day.
How we do that is by providing dignified lifestyles enriched by our values of love, compassion and dignity.
What we do is to operate senior living communities that focus on helping residents achieve as much independence as possible for as long as possible. We currently operate 36 communities, all of which are located in Illinois. Together these communities house more than 3,200 homes and apartments.
Thirty-three of the communities operate under the Illinois Supportive Living (SLF) program, which enables the communities to serve older adults of all incomes, including those on Medicaid or who only receive monthly Social Security benefits.
Our philosophy is to place those we serve first in each and every decision that we make.
We work hard at making sure that our mission, our values and our philosophy are not just nice words and statements that hang on the walls in our communities or are mentioned in handbooks and manuals.
Our why, our mission of “Touching Lives,” is our driving force.
What is your mission? Why do you do what you do?
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.”
Follow on Twitter Facebook YouTube Google+
Tags: assisted living, assisted living in Illinois, BMA Management Ltd, Father Terry Keehan, Holy Family Catholic Community, Illinois Supportive Living Program, LinkedIn, Medicaid, Mission, Rick Banas, Senior Living Community, Social Security, supportive living, The BMA Blog, Touching Lives
Posted in BMA Management | No Comments »
Thursday, September 1st, 2011
By Bridget Rumler, Director of Marketing for John Evans Supportive Living, the affordable assisted living community that BMA manages in Pekin, Illinois.
As the Baby Boomers boom, the Sandwich Generation grows and many people are finding themselves simultaneously caring for their parents, children and grandchildren.
How do we manage to care for everyone, including ourselves, at the same time?
We must prepare in advance by anticipating what the future holds. Role reversal – becoming a Parent to Our Parents – is truly a life altering event that can change our lives forever.
When possible, it is best to create a team of willing assistants to travel this journey with you. Juggling doctor and hair appointments, grocery and prescription management, laundry and housekeeping, meal preparation along with yard and home maintenance can become overwhelming. If you are an only child or the only child who lives in the area, you can find yourself trapped in a whirlwind, feeling like there is no escape.
There are many options that we often do not explore because Mom or Dad refuses to consider living anywhere other than their memory-filled family home. Clinging to what is familiar and routine often can result in isolation, loneliness and depression. Many older adults fear the financial burden of leaving their home or hiring in-home help. All too often, I have heard someone say that they want to save their money so they can leave to their children or grandchildren. Often at the same time, their children are saying that they just wish that Mom or Dad would let go of their money and use it to care for themselves.
When the independence of our parents has been compromised and they are now depending on us for their needs, we are losing, or have lost, the natural order of our relationship. We find that there is very little, if any, quality time spent together due to all of the “caregiving chores” needed by our parents.
Often times, the situation is tolerable if it is temporary and we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. We frequently see, however, the light burning out when dependency needs increase.
Doesn’t it seem strange that we often times base our decisions on how to handle the situation on what we feel we cannot do versus what we can do. Rather than basing our decisions on the negatives, we should instead focus on the positives. It’s not about leaving home; it’s about a new home with the services necessary to maintain an independent lifestyle. It’s not about leaving the neighbors; it’s about making new neighbor friends with whom we can share life experiences. It is about writing another chapter on our book of “Life.”
Approached positively and with encouragement, a move or transition from living dependent at home to living independent in a new home can prove to be a great decision.
By now, we are all familiar with options such as Independent Living, Assisted Living and Nursing Home care. In Illinois, there is another, much newer option, called Supportive Living. This option is similar to Assisted Living. The biggest difference is that Supportive Living is designed for those who need some help to maintain their independence, of all incomes and financial means. Those on Medicaid or who only receive monthly Social Security benefits can qualify to live in a Supportive Living community. With Assisted Living communities, you must have the financial ability to pay out of your own pocket. If you should reach the point where your income and assets are no longer sufficient to pay the monthly charges, you must move out.
The emphasis of Supportive Living is on personal choice, dignity, privacy and individuality
Residents live in a residential environment and certified staff is on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services include . . .
Personal assistance with such activities of daily living as bathing, walking, dressing and hygiene.
Medication set-up, reminders and assistance.
Three meals a day plus snacks.
Housekeeping and laundry.
On-going health monitoring and assessments..
Assistance with transportation needs.
For residents of John Evans as well as the residents of all of the other Supportive Living communities operated by BMA Management, our management company, all of these services are included in the monthly fee, which makes it easier to budget how much it will cost each month. They don’t have to worry about paying any additional fees should the amount of care or the frequency of assistance change.
Plus residents of Supportive Living communities benefit from plenty of opportunities to socialize with neighbors and friends and to participate in social and recreational events and programs.
Currently, there are 128 Supportive Living communities in operation in more than 70 Counties throughout Illinois.
BMA Management, Ltd., the company that manages John Evans, is the largest provider of Supportive Living in the State, operating 31 communities from as far north as McHenry and Rockford to as far south as Benton and Carbondale.
You can learn more about Supportive Living by clicking on Supportive Living or Affordable Assisted Living.
You can click here here to view a map showing where BMA Supportive Living communities are located.
To reach Bridget Rumler at the John Evans Supportive Living Community in Pekin, Illinois, call 309-477-8800.
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of affordable assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
Follow on Twitter Facebook YouTube Google+
Tags: assisted living, Baby Boomers, BMA Management, John Evans Supportive Living, Sandwich Generation, supportive living
Posted in BMA Management | No Comments »
Thursday, June 30th, 2011
By Rick Banas of BMA Management, Ltd.
Let me tell you, I love the Fourth of July.
As I watch fireworks light up the night sky with family and friends, I thank my lucky stars that I was born and live in the United States of America. As Lee Greenwood so aptly notes in his song “God Bless the U.S.A.,” I deeply appreciate living in a country “where at least I know I’m free.”
If you have never done so or have not done so in a while, I encourage you as we celebrate Independence Day to click hereThomas Jefferson in June of 1776 and adopted by Congress on July 4 of that year.
I also am so thankful to be working for a mission-driven company that has as its focus helping folks of all financial means maintain as much independence as possible for as long as possible.
Thirty-one of our 34 senior living communities operate through a special program here in Illinois called Supportive Living. The program is designed for adults 65 years of age and older and disabled adults ages 22 to 64 who need some help to maintain their independence but do not require licensed skilled nursing care.
One beauty of the program is that the emphasis is on personal choice, dignity, privacy and independence. Another is that it especially benefits those who cannot afford private pay assisted living, including those who are on or would qualify for Medicaid.
Since the first Supportive Living community opened more than 10 years ago, the program has experienced significant growth. Today, there are more than 125 Supportive Living communities housing nearly 10,000 apartments located throughout the State.
The communities provide a wonderful alternative to living in a nursing home or to struggling alone at home.
The Supportive Living communities managed by BMA combine the opportunity to live in a residential apartment-home environment with the availability of personal assistance and support services. Each of the private apartments at these affordable assisted living communities feature a kitchenette, spacious bathroom with shower, individually controlled heating and air conditioning, and emergency alert system.
Certified nursing assistants are on-duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide help with medications and personal assistance. Meals, housekeeping and laundry are included.
Residents also benefit from plenty of opportunities to easily socialize with friends and neighbors and to participate in activities and special events.
Our focus at each of the communities that we manage is on providing residents with the love, compassion and dignity that they so richly deserve in addition to the care, services and assistance that they need. Our approach is to place residents first in each and every decision that we make.
You can find Supportive Living communities managed by BMA in the City of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs as well as in northern, central and southern Illinois.
Click here to see a Map of where our communities are located.
May you have wonderful and safe Fourth of July.
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.”
Follow on Twitter Facebook YouTube Google+
Tags: assisted living, Declaration of Independence, Forth of July, Independence Day, Lee Greenwood, supportive living, The BMA Blog, Thomas Jefferson, United States of America
Posted in BMA Management | No Comments »
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
By Rick Banas of BMA Management, Ltd.
The Supportive Living Program in Illinois makes affordable assisted living available to adults 65 and older of all incomes, including those on or who would qualify for Medicaid.
The program has grown significantly since the first Supportive Living community opened more than ten years ago.
Today, there are 123 Supportive Living communities located in cities, suburban and rural areas in nearly 70 Counties in Illinois. Together, these communities house nearly 9,700 apartments, with most of the communities designed for adults 65 and older (three are designed for adults with physical disabilities who are 22 to 64 years of age and two for the blind).
More than 35 additional Supportive Living communities have been approved by the State for development.
At BMA Management, we are proud to be the largest operator of affordable assisted living communities in Illinois. Of our 34 senior living communities, 30 operate through the Illinois Supportive Living program.
We thought this Guide to Affordable Assisted Living in Illinois that explains the Supportive Living program would be helpful.
What is Supportive Living?
Supportive Living is a special program developed by the State of Illinois that benefits older adults who may need some help to maintain their independence but do not require skilled nursing home care. The program provides older adults of all incomes with the opportunity to live in a highly residential environment while receiving the personal assistance and support services they need. The emphasis is maintaining health, wellness, dignity and independence.
Who might benefit from the Supportive Living Program?
The program can benefit adults who are at least 65 years of age who might be struggling with . . .
- Meal preparation/proper nutrition
- Maintaining their house and doing laundry
- Taking their medications when and as they should
- Bathing, grooming and dressing
- Lack of/not enough opportunities for socialization and companionship
Generally Acceptable for Residency
Medications: Can take medications with reminders or assistance.
Assistance: Can participate in activities of daily living; requires the assistance of no more than one person.
Memory: Needs reminders and direction, but not a risk of wandering outside the building or a behavioral risk.
What services are available for older adults who live in a Supportive Living community?
- Daily wellness checks
- Regular nursing assessments
- Medication set-up, reminders and assistance
- Personal assistance with bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, personal hygiene, getting to and from dining and activities, getting in and out of bed
- Three meals a day plus snacks, including therapeutic diets
- Maintenance, housekeeping and laundry
- 24-hour emergency response
- Social, recreational, educational programs and activities
- Health promotion and exercise programs
An individualized service plan is developed for each resident based on the nursing assessments.
Should a resident require health services that we cannot provide, we will offer to assist the resident or the resident’s family in accessing the services that are needed.
Residents can use a home health agency to provide services that we are not able to provide, including outpatient rehabilitation.
How does Supportive Living differ from Assisted Living?
The biggest difference is that Supportive Living communities can serve adults 65 and older of all incomes, especially those who may not have the financial resources to afford Assisted Living. Persons who only receive Social Security or who are on or who can qualify for Medicaid can qualify for residency.
As a Supportive Living community, we are required to have Certified Nursing Assistants on-duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide residents with the assistance they need. Our CNAs work under the direction of a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse.
Supportive Living Communities are certified and fully regulated by the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services.
How does Supportive Living differ from a Nursing Home?
Supportive living communities offer residents the opportunity to live in a highly residential environment while receiving the personal assistance and support services they need.
- At our communities, residents live in private apartments rather than having to share a room.
- Residents also do not have to share a bathroom or shower. Each apartment has its own spacious bathroom. The bathrooms can accommodate the turning radius of a wheelchair and feature a shower and grab bars.
- Each apartment also features a kitchenette and emergency call system and has its own heating and air conditioning system.
- Unlike a nursing home, residents can and are encouraged to furnish their apartment in the style of their choosing (increase comfort level.)
How much money does an older adult have to have to live in a Supportive Living community?
One of the best aspects of the Supportive Living Program is that older adults of all incomes can qualify for residency. The program is especially designed for those older adults who do not have the financial resources to afford private pay assisted living.
At our Supportive Living communities, residents who can afford to pay privately pay a monthly fee based on the size of apartment for as long the financial resources are available. All of the assistance provided is included in the monthly fee. There are no large Entrance or Community Fees due at the time of occupancy and no leveling charges or additional fees if additional assistance is required. Long-term care insurance may apply.
Financial assistance is available for those who cannot afford to pay the monthly fee.
Do residents have to change physicians if they move to a Supportive Living community?
Not unless the resident personally decides to change their physicians.
We encourage residents to maintain a strong relationship with their doctor. We will assist residents in scheduling and remembering their doctors’ appointments as well as with arranging for transportation. We can provide residents with a list of questions or concerns that they should discuss with their physician. We can coordinate having lab work done on-site and fax the results directly to a resident’s physician. For residents who receive help with their medications, we can provide the resident with a list of their prescriptions that they can take to their doctor.
Whom should I contact with any questions I have about the Supportive Living program or any of the Affordable Assisted Living communities managed by BMA?
You can contact any of the Affordable Assisted Living communities managed by BMA. Click here for a list of communities and their locations and contact information. (g-map)
All of us at BMA Management, Ltd strongly encourage you to call us at 877-882-1495 or you can contact us through email at info@bma-mgmt.com.
To learn more about the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services visit online at www.hfs.illinois.gov or by phone 217-782-1200.
What if I am not sure if someone would be appropriate for Supportive Living?
Just contact one of our 34 communities or the BMA office. We would be happy to answer any of your questions and evaluate your current situation to see if Supportive Living might be appropriate.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of being able to see firsthand how the Supportive Living program has made a difference in the lives of older adults and their families. The program makes available a wonderful alternative to a nursing home or to struggling alone at home.
Hopefully, this Guide is of benefit to you. We welcome your comments.
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.”
Follow on Twitter Facebook YouTube Google+
Tags: Affordable Assisted Living Community, BMA Management, Guide to Affordable Assisted Living, Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services, senior living, supportive living, Supportive Living Program, The BMA Blog
Posted in BMA Management | 2 Comments »
|
|
|
|
