Medical Attention Following a Fall Is Critical to Senior Health
Falling down is hazardous to a senior citizen’s health, yet fewer than half of all seniors see a doctor after a fall. And those who don’t seek medical attention are far less likely to engage in any of the six widely recommended activities — such as a review of their medications or getting a cane or walker — that might prevent repeated falls, according to a new policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. In the study, researchers, using data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, found ...

People Who Work After Retiring Enjoy Better Health
Retirees who transition from full-time work into a temporary or part-time job experience fewer major diseases and are able to function better day-to-day than people who stop working altogether, according to a national study. And the findings were significant even after controlling for people’s physical and mental health before retirement. Read full article via Science Daily

NHS – ‘addicted to crisis’
The NHS has an ‘addiction to crisis’ and runs most efficiently when under pressure responding to new policies, adverse incidents and deadlines, a major report has found. This means the NHS will either be well-placed to cope with the impending financial squeeze on public services due to the recession, or will struggle because the slow build-up to the expected cuts means it is unable to swing into action quickly enough. Read full story via University of Leeds.

Government ‘must triple’ dementia research funding or ‘pay price’, scientists warn
Government ‘must triple’ dementia research funding or ‘pay price’, scientists warn Elderly woman with carer31 of the UK’s leading dementia scientists have signed an open letter calling on the government to use today’s 21st July ministerial summit on dementia research to end “years of underfunding�. They are calling for a threefold increase in investment into efforts to find new treatments, preventions and cures for Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The Alzheimer’s Research Trust coordinated campaign has the backing of two other charities: the Alzheimer’s Society and Parkinson’s Disease Society. The letter warns that ...

Sunrise Senior Living Enters Into 30 Day Standstill For Two Communities
Sunrise Senior Living announced in an 8-K filing earlier this week that it had entered into standstill/amended agreements with some of its lenders extending the term of previous agreements for its Hannover and München communities. The amendments expire on April 30, 2009 and shall automatically terminate upon the occurrence of an event of default, as defined in the respective agreements. As previously reported, Sunrise expects to have enough cash to operate its businesses until April 30, 2009 based upon restructurings and the sale of its Greystone interests. Read full ...

Demand for affordable senior housing is high
Winchester resident Karen Capellman wants to move her mother-in-law into the Mary Hardesty House Apartments for seniors. Demand for the affordable senior housing apartments is high, with about 40 people on a waiting list. Read full story via Winchester Star

Frederick panel backs retirement community
The Frederick County Planning Commission has given its blessing to rezoning about 370 acres for a campus-style development that will include a National Lutheran Home retirement community in Winchester VA on the north side of U.S. 50 (Northwestern Pike) just west of the city. Winchester Star.

Senior-friendly Green Project Takes Top Prize in MBI’s Student Design Contest
Tasked with designing a high-performance, modular community center for seniors, 12 architecture students recently competed in the Modular Building Institute’s fourth annual student green building design competition. The competition included a real-world client, Piedmont Housing Alliance, which is currently planning a replacement community center at its low-income senior housing development in Crozet, Va. Read full article via: Building Design & Construction.

Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc. Files Voluntary Petitions for Chapter 11 Protection
Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc. (”Fleetwood”), a leading producer of recreational vehicles and manufactured housing, today filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions for itself and certain operating subsidiaries in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California in Riverside. The filings do not include any of the company’s foreign or non-operating entities Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc. Files Voluntary Petitions for Chapter 11 Protection; Motor Home, Housing Businesses Will Continue Operations – Mar 10, 2009.

Brookdale Senior Living :: Financial Options for Seniors
Selling a home and moving into a senior living community may be one of the most important decisions an individual, couple and/or family will ever make. For most seniors, the time to tap into home equity and take advantage of special offerings tailored to their needs is now rather than later. However, during times of economic downturn, this decision is often unnecessarily delayed. Today’s seniors can turn that equity into a lifestyle of comfort and security at a senior living community.” Read full press release here:

Senior Moving And Downsizing Businesses Gain Steam For Entrepreneurs
As the role of downsizing housing and living spaces accelerates for the aging population, many small businesses are popping up to serve the needs of seniors and baby boomers. These business are sprouting up across the United States either as new stand-alone businesses or in conjunction with a senior living community or real estate company. Read full article here: Senior Housing News

Leesburg Commission Recommends Senior Housing Approval
Members of the Leesburg Planning Commission took little time Thursday  November 21, 2008 to endorse an application that all agreed would be an asset to downtown Leesburg. Commissioners voted 6-0-1, with Vice Chairman Earl Hoovler absent, to recommend approval of a special exception for a 19-unit elderly housing facility on Gibson Street. Read full article here: Leesburg Today

Ecumen Helping Churches Realize Senior Housing Opportunities in an Aging America
We’ve seen a few successful ventures in Northern Virginia with this kind of model. One developer I spoke with said he had investors clammoring to be involved because the profit margins and ROI were so compelling. It is a great way to benefit the entire community and keep affordable senior living facilities near the occupants families. The following is an excerpt from a press release for a Lutheran senior housing partnership. Lutheran senior housing partnership provides model for expanding ministries and revenues. Sandpoint, ID, February 12, 2009 –(PR.com)– http://www.ecumen.org – Churches, such ...

Detox Diet
Lisa Magee is a busy mother of four. She says that’s all the more reason to get her body straight and off her intense sugar cravings. Lisa got the idea for the detox and many of her recipes from the Hallelujah Diet. She was turned on to the group by her mother who recently died of cancer. Detox Diet | WSPA.

New Insurance Option Helps Protect Assets of Relatives in Assisted Living Facilities
Families can get insurance to help protect the assets of relatives in assisted living facilities through the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. Under Chubb’s Masterpiece® assisted living care option, policyholders can help protect the assets of parents or grandparents in an assisted living facility, children or siblings living indefinitely in a mental health care facility or any relative who requires continuous and indefinite residential care. “Moving loved ones into an assisted living facility is a difficult decision that can expose them to new risks, such as theft and damage of personal belongings, ...

Affording Senior Living: The Financial Options
Everyone has unique circumstances that help determine how they can best fund senior living for themselves or their loved ones. In the past, people have relied on the sale of a home or traditional savings to afford senior living. But today, a variety of financial options are available through a number of sources offering more flexibility and access to resources when it is most needed. Here are a few good options to consider. To learn about additional financial resources that may suit your needs, download our complete Financial Options Guide ...

Downsizing? Seniors Moving to New Home Face Storage Problems
Whether you’ve settled into your new downsized home or are thinking about moving, finding safe, secure and affordable storage for a lifetime of memories and mementoes can be one of biggest challenges seniors face. You’re not alone. According to data compiled by the National Association of Home Builders 50+ Council, more than a 100,000 units targeting the over-55 seniors market were built in 2008. And although these units tend to be roomy — the average home in an active senior community has two bedrooms and about 2,000 square feet, the Council ...