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Category: Orlando Senior Living

Searching for Security in Orlando Retirement Living Communities

Searching for Security

How to tell whether a continuing-care community will be able to keep its financial promises

By KELLY GREENE, The Wall Street Journal

For years, the primary selling point of continuing-care retirement communities has been security: the knowledge that a person or couple could settle—and remain—in a development, whatever the changes to their health.

The Journal Report

See the complete Encore report.

Today, though, with parts of the continuing-care market in financial trouble, residents and would-be residents are grappling with a fundamental question: Can continuing-care developments keep their promise?

The picture currently isn’t pretty.  As the economic downturn has made it tougher for potential new residents to sell their existing homes and move in, a number of individual communities and one of the country’s largest developers of such facilities, Erickson Retirement Communities, have sought bankruptcy protection.

Some projects have been abandoned mid-construction.  Others are trimming staff, reducing the number of meals served or delaying the opening of assisted-living or skilled-nursing units.

Would-be residents, meanwhile, are discovering the difficulties in looking beyond the amenities that make many continuing-care developments so attractive at first glance—upscale housing, fine dining, fitness centers—and digging into a community’s finances.

“One should be careful, as with any investment, to know the fine print,” says Nan Rideout, age 65, a state-government retiree in Chapel Hill, N.C., who with her husband has been scrutinizing continuing-care communities and their finances up and down the East Coast.

For instance, “CCRCs will advertise that they will guarantee you life occupancy even if your financial circumstances change,” Ms. Rideout says. But “the fine print [says] they can go after your estate when you’re dead to recoup money they advanced on your behalf. How would that be calculated? How much interest are they going to charge your estate for that? Those details I’ve never seen spelled out.”

If you’re considering a move to one of these communities—and are trying to determine how the finances work and whether a development will remain solvent for as long as you might need it—here’s what to look for.

A good first stop is two industry groups that have developed dozens of questions to help with your research. At carf.org, the Web site for the group that accredits continuing-care communities, you can download the “Consumer Guide to Understanding Financial Performance and Reporting in Continuing Care Retirement Communities” by clicking on “Free Publications” and scrolling down to “Special reports.” The site also has a more general section titled, “How to select a continuing care retirement community,” which you can find by clicking “Consumer Services” and then “Choosing a provider.”

To get another free guide, “The Continuing Care Retirement Community: A Guidebook for Consumers,” go to aahsa.org, the Web site for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, and click on “Consumers.” Scroll down to “Choosing Services,” and click on “The Continuing Care Retirement Community: A Guidebook for Consumers.”

Next, get a copy of the facility’s audited financial statements. If you get any resistance at all when you make this request, it should serve as a big red flag, says Susanne Matthiesen, managing director of aging services for Carf International, which oversees the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission.

Look for the facility’s “days of cash on hand,” which reflects how long it could operate with no additional revenue—a good indication of financial stability. The community should be able to provide the figure, but to calculate it yourself, add together these two lines from the report to get the numerator: “unrestricted current cash and investments” plus “unrestricted noncurrent cash and investments.” To get the denominator, find “operating expenses,” then subtract “depreciation” and “amortization,” then divide the result by 365. Finally, divide the numerator by the denominator.

The result is the number of days the facility could operate with the cash it has at its disposal. Accredited communities with one campus or development average 306 days of cash on hand; those with multiple sites average 281 days.

There are other numbers to consider, including the facility’s cash-to-debt ratio, which should be about 35%, says Jill Collins, chief operating officer of Pacific Retirement Services in Medford, Ore., which runs 11 continuing-care communities.

She encourages people considering a facility to ask for its ratio calculations, along with how it stacks up against other places. Those doing well are in the 75th percentile or higher nationally, she says.

Other things to watch out for, according to Ms. Collins, include facilities that rely heavily on investment income, donations or entry fees, which may be a signal that the facility can’t support itself with income from operations, she says.

Even if you aren’t comfortable reading financial statements, you should ask for them anyway. “Give them to your tax guy if you’re not very financially savvy,” Ms. Collins says. “They should be able to give you any financial information you’re looking for. I hate to get into what we’re paying for lettuce, but we have benchmarks.”

You can also ask for any bond covenants—and whether the facility is meeting them. Typically, banks require 300 days of cash on hand and a minimum of 25% cash to debt, Ms. Collins adds.

Also keep in mind that if the facility you’re considering is part of a group, it’s worth asking about the financial health of the group’s other communities and whether your investment could be used to prop them up, Ms. Collins says.

If a community’s marketing staff can’t answer your questions about the facility’s financial condition, ask to speak to the chief financial officer, executive director or chief executive officer, Ms. Matthiesen says. Another option: Most facilities have a residents’ finance committee, so you could ask to speak to members of that group to get the information you need.

The ways in which residents buy into continuing-care developments also can affect a community’s finances.

In the so-called life-care model, residents pay a large upfront deposit (usually at least a few hundred thousand dollars) plus a monthly fee that generally stays the same no matter how much care they need. Typically, residents forfeit their deposit after living at the community a certain number of years.

With such a model, it’s particularly important to ask for actuarial analysis that shows “how there’s enough money in the kitty if everyone needs care 20 years from now,” says John Endicott, a resident of a life-care facility in Pomona, Calif., who helped write the accreditation commission’s consumer guide.

With the increasingly common “Type B” model, residents pay a smaller upfront deposit, some of which may be refundable if they move out or die, and pay larger monthly fees if they need to use assisted-living or skilled nursing care. With that model, you’ll need to consider whether you could afford higher monthly fees and whether you hold—or should obtain—long-term-care insurance that could help cover them.

Another potentially thorny issue: How would you, or your heirs, get your deposit back? Many places make you wait until the unit is resold, and you may have to pay a monthly fee until that happens. Ms. Rideout worries that this requirement creates a “disincentive for the [community] to use all available efforts to resell a unit”—particularly if it’s also marketing new units at the same time.

In addition, find out what happens if you run out of money. Many continuing-care communities have created a benevolence fund specifically to help residents who find themselves in that situation. But the contract’s fine print sometimes gives the facility the right to recoup any unpaid fees from your estate.

Ms. Greene is a staff reporter in The Wall Street Journal’s New York bureau. She can be reached at
encore@wsj.com

 

 Give your loved one the lifestyle they need and deserve. Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary offers resort style living and freedom from home maintenence – at a price more affordable than remaining at home. Our active lifestyle is backed by rehabilitative services and home care as well as a continuum of care through our future assisted living and memory care community.  Oakmonte Village offers all inclusive services with no buy-in demand.  Call us at 407.732.5800 to schedule dinner and a tour.

Orlando Senior Residents Celebrate Passover Seder

The Jewish holiday of Passover Starts Tuesday, the 30th of March & continues until Monday, the 5th of April. The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish Holiday of Passover. The Seder is a ritual performed by a community of multiple generations of a family, involving a retelling of the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Seder customs include drinking four cups of wine, eating matza and partaking of symbolic food placed on the Passover Seder Plate. For more information on the tradition behind the Passover Seder click here.
The residents at Oakmonte Village celebrated the Passover Seder  with residents, guests, and staff. Each table was beautifully prepared with Sedar Plates, candles and traditional wine. Chef Rolf served a lovely dinner of Matzoh Ball soup, Briskit, Roasted Chicken, and all traditional accompaniments. Traditional prayers, singing and much laughter made the evening enjoyable for all.
Oakmonte Village is a new 25 acre luxury senior living community that is located with in minutes of down town Orlando. Click here to contact us.

The Jewish holiday of Passover Starts Tuesday, the 30th of March & continues until Monday, the 5th of April. The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish Holiday of Passover. The Seder is a ritual performed by a community of multiple generations of a family, involving a retelling of the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Seder customs include drinking four cups of wine, eating matza and partaking of symbolic food placed on the Passover Seder Plate.

The residents at Oakmonte Village celebrated the Passover Seder  with residents, guests, and staff. Each table was beautifully prepared with Sedar Plates, candles and traditional wine. Chef Rolf served a lovely dinner of Matzoh Ball soup, Briskit, Roasted Chicken, and all traditional accompaniments. Traditional prayers, singing and much laughter made the evening enjoyable for all.

Oakmonte Village is a new 25 acre luxury senior living community that is located with in minutes of down town Orlando. Click here to contact us.

Orlando Area Seniors are Online!

Generations Online in 2009

by Sydney Jones, Research Assistant and Susannah Fox, Associate Director, Pew Internet & American Life Project

January 28, 2009

Contrary to the image of Generation Y as the “Net Generation,” internet users in their twenties do not dominate every aspect of online life. Generation X is the most likely group to bank, shop and look for health information online. Boomers are just as likely as Generation Y to make travel reservations online. And even Silent Generation internet users are competitive when it comes to email (although teens might point out that this is proof that email is for old people).

Internet use and email

The web continues to be populated largely by younger generations, as more than half of the adult internet population is between 18 and 44 years old. But larger percentages of older generations are online now than in the past and they are doing more activities online, according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project surveys taken from 2006-2008. The biggest increase in internet use since 2005 can be seen in the 70-75 year-old age group.

While just over one-fourth (26%) of 70-75 year olds were online in 2005, 45% of that age group is currently online. Much as we watch demographic and age groups move up in “degrees of access” on our “thermometers,” we can probably expect to see these bars become more level as time goes on. For now, though, young people dominate the online population.

Instant messaging, social networking, and blogging have gained ground as communications tools, but email remains the most popular online activity, particularly among older internet users. Fully 74% of internet users age 64 and older send and receive email, making email the most popular online activity for this age group. At the same time, email has lost some ground among teens; whereas 89% of teens said they used email in 2004, just 73% currently say they do.

Older generations use the internet as a tool for research, shopping and banking

Compared with teens and Generation Y, older generations use the internet less for socializing and entertainment and more as a tool for information searches, emailing, and buying products. In particular, older internet users are significantly more likely than younger generations to look online for health information. Health questions drive internet users age 73 and older to the internet just as frequently as they drive Generation Y users, outpacing teens by a significant margin.

Researching health information is the third most popular online activity with the most senior age group, after email and online search.

Internet users ages 33-72 are also significantly more likely than younger users to look online for religious information and they are more likely to visit government websites in search of information.  Generation X (internet users ages 33-44) continues to lead in online shopping. Fully 80% of Generation X internet users buy products online, compared with 71% of internet users ages 18-32. Interest in online shopping is significantly lower among the youngest and oldest groups; 38% of online teens buy products online, as do 56% of internet users ages 64-72 and 47% of internet users age 73 and older.

Generation X internet users have also maintained their edge in online banking, as they are significantly more likely than any other generation to do their banking online (67%). As Generation Y users grow older, however, they have become much more likely to bank online as well: The percentage of online Generation Y who does banking online rose from 38% in 2005 to 57% in 2008. There has been no significant growth among older generations when it comes to banking online.

Video downloads, online travel reservations and work-related research are now pursued more equally by young and old

A few online activities previously dominated by either older generations or younger generations are now being done more equally across all generations under 73 years old. One such activity is downloading videos, an activity that in 2005 was significantly more popular with teens and Generation Y than with any other generation. Generation X is catching up, as 31% of that generation claim to download videos as of 2007, compared with 38% of Generation Y.

Generations on the oldest end of the spectrum also became significantly more likely than they had been two years before to download videos. Some 13% of G.I. Generation internet users (age 73+) reported downloading videos, up from 1% in 2005, and another 13% of the online Silent Generation (ages 64-72) says they download videos, up from 8% in 2005.  Perhaps less surprisingly, Generation Y is also gaining significant ground in some activities previously dominated by Generation X and older. In addition to becoming more likely to do banking online, Generation Y has also grown more likely to make travel reservations online. In 2005, half (50%) of Generation Y internet users had booked travel arrangements online and in 2008 that number rose to 65%. During the same period, the percentages of Generation X and older generations to make online travel reservations remained about the same.

The workplace online network is expanding to include more Generation Y users.5 Internet users 18-32 are going online more than ever to do research for their jobs. In 2007, 51% said they used the internet for their jobs other than for email, compared with 44% of the same group in 2005.

For the complete article visit:  http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1093/generations-online

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre Orlando luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living Community contact us today.

Julie Fernandez, Director of Marketing
Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary
407.732.5800
www.oakmontevillage.com

Great Purim Baking Day features hamantashen filled with love

Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary participated in in the Great Purim Baking Day that was coordinated by the Jewish Pavilion. Residents from Oakmonte Village shared their experience and expertise by demonstrating and assisting with proper technique for the perfect shape. Click here to view the FULL STORY.

Orlando Area Retirement Community Supports Senior Intervention Group (SIG)

The Senior Intervention Group (SIG) is a grass roots effort which began to accommodate seniors throughout the Lake Mary community who cannot perform basic tasks and chores. These are often urgent, but not life-threatening needs. The local police department was determined to fulfill the need and is working to link area churches and local businesses to designate volunteers, and donate discounted products or services. Immediate assistance provided to seniors includes: basic home or vehicle repair, transportation, short-term financial assistance, yard work, elder abuse/neglect prevention, food delivery, furniture moving, pet care, home health, safety equipment, health education. As word spreads about SIG, more elderly residents call, confirming the need for greater outreach and funds, as not all needs can be met through volunteers. Unlike some government programs, SIG is meeting needs without the waiting list. Our vision is to grow program outreach, at least county-wide.

CALL TO ACTION!

 PLEASE HELP US WITH THE PEPSI GRANT.  We need your vote!  The Senior Intervention Group (SIG) started about a year ago, and community need is rapidly growing. SIG Would like to expand its volunteer base and funding to help seniors throughout Seminole County, and this grant opportunity makes it so easy for you to help. 

 Just log on to the link below and register,  then you can vote for this idea once a day until 3/31/10 (please!). If our idea is one of the top 10 with the most votes this month-we win the grant!  Forward this information to everyone you know.  If you have Facebook, Twitter or many other social media sources, you can help spread the word too! 

http://www.refresheverything.com/sigoutreach

Please tell everyone you know to log on and vote for the SENIOR INTERVENTION GROUP grant request.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!

Information on SIG provideed by:
Stacey M. Burton, M.Ed., CDMS, CMC
Geriatric Care Manager
407-353-8491
 http://www.agscares.com/

 Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living community contact us today.

 Julie Fernandez, Director of Marketing
407.732.5800
www.oakmontevillage.com

Orlando Area Senior Living Community Promotes Healthy Lifestyle

Retirement living men who are married may be healthier, study suggests.

PDF Print E-mail
Written by Francis Ma   
Thursday, 25 February 2010 18:04
Retirement livingmen who eat a balanced diet, get plenty of exercise and follow doctor’s orders are likely to be enhancing their overall well-being. Happily, studies show that being married can also reduce a man’s risk of having a fatal stroke.

The findings are based on the Israeli Ischemic Heart Disease Study, which began in 1963. Retirement living men who are married may be healthier, study suggestsResearchers have found that 8.4 percent of men who were single at the start of the study died of a fatal stroke, compared to 7.1 percent of men who were married, according to TheHindu.com.

The study followed over 10,000 men, and the data gathered has been used to draw a variety of conclusions about men’s health.

Uri Goldbourt, a professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine at Tel Aviv University, presented the findings on the correlation between marriage and a reduced risk of stroke at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference, WebMD.com reports.

Though men are more likely to have a stroke than their spouses, retirement living women can reduce their risk by controlling their blood pressure, reducing their exposure to cigarette smoke and eating a healthy diet, according to the American Heart

Read more: http://www.retirementhomes.com/library/senior-living/retirement-living/retirement-living-men-who-are-married-may-be-healthier,-study-suggests-201002251075.html#ixzz0geOtaDxS

The best opportunity to find your way to a healthier, worry-free lifestyle can be found at Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary.  Oakmonte Village offers restaurant quality dining, a fitness center, walking trails, on-site home health care as well as a variety of ways to meet up with your friends for a movie in our state of the art theatre or for wine at the daily social hour! 

There is no time like today to stop by Oakmonte and see how the personal Concierge service and exceptional amenities will improve your quality of life!

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, shopping, restaurants, and more.  For more information on our Senior Living community contact us today.

Julie Fernandez, Director of Marketing
407.732.5800
www.oakmontevillage.com

Orlando Area Retirement Community Planning Antique Car Show and Swap Meet!

What if he wants to look at cars and she wants to shop?  How can these two spend their day together and still get to do what they want!  There is no better way than to come to the “First Annual Community Antique Car, Hot Rod, Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet”  being held on Sunday, March 21st from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary.

The event will feature a large variety of antique and classic cars and motorcycles, food vendors, arts and craft booths as well as rummage sales and other area businesses.  There is something for everyone – including plenty of parking!  Booth space is still available.  Please call 407.732.5800 for more information.

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, shopping, restaurants, and more.   The residents of Oakmonte enjoy events such as the car show and swap meet which are held regularly at the independent living community. 

Mark your calendar now for Sunday, March 21st starting at 10:00 am.  This is a great opportunity to have a great day outdoors as well as learn more about the lifestyle available to seniors at Oakmonte Village.  Please go to our website at www.oakmontevillage.com for a map and driving directions.

Orlando Area Senior Retirement Community “Listens” to MorganStanleySmithBarney

Congress, the White House and Your Portfolio
As the U.S. economy looks forward to a recovery, government policies are likely to continue driving growth significantly. And while such federal intervention may be necessary, the resulting legislation may produce some undesirable long-term consequences. But you can take steps to make your portfolio ready for inflation, higher taxes or other possible side effects of these initiatives.Between March and October 2009, the feds spent $92.8 billion on business tax incentives, the expansion of COBRA health care benefits and many other recovery programs.1 When you add health care reform—estimated to cost $871 billion over the next 10 years2—it’s inevitable that the already large federal budget deficit will increase considerably.

Rising deficits can depreciate the dollar, opening the door to inflation. What’s more, the government may need to raise the top income tax brackets, as well as the capital gains and dividend taxes. If these possibilities concern you, consider these asset-protection measures:

Deal with Inflation . . . on Your Terms Thankfully, rising prices are not yet an issue: in November, the last month for which data are available, core inflation was flat compared with the previous month, and rose only 1.7% compared with the November 2008 rate.3 The Federal Reserve expects a low inflation rate, at least until the economy recovers.4 At that point, the combination of low interest rates and large budget deficits could raise prices significantly—and weaken Americans’ purchasing power.

Here’s how to be ready for this possible scenario: First, maintain adequate exposure to equities. Also consider investing a small portion of your portfolio in inflation hedges such as commercial real estate and commodities, which typically perform well during inflationary times.

Conversely, inflation typically has a negative impact on bonds, since it mitigates the expected buying power of future interest payments. That said, if you’re a bond investor, consider diversifying your fixed income holdings among bonds of various maturities so that you can attempt to capture any future increase in interest rates. At the same time, minimize your position in long-term bonds, since these are especially vulnerable to inflation.

The same long-term caveat applies to certificates of deposit (CDs). Avoid tying up cash, such as your household emergency fund, in this way. Instead, consider maintaining a CD ladder, in which your portfolio holds several CDs with staggered maturity dates. When the CD with the shortest term matures, you can roll the cash into a longer-term CD.

Give Yourself a (Tax) Break

Many analysts believe that Congress will raise taxes this year to finance health care reform and ongoing economic stimulus programs. With that in mind, you may want to adopt forward-thinking, tax-minimizing strategies for your earned and investment income.

First, contribute as much as you can to your traditional IRA, 401(k) or other traditional tax-deferred plans to reduce your taxable income. Roth accounts are particularly useful if you anticipate that your tax rate in retirement will be higher or if you will not need the income from the Roth account in retirement. Though your contributions are not tax deductible, your retirement-time withdrawals will be tax-free (provided you’ve held the account for at least five years and have reached age 59½). Consider a Roth 401(k) if you have access to one, or look into converting a portion of your regular savings into a Roth IRA either directly (if you are eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA under IRS rules) or by making after-tax contributions to a traditional IRA and then converting to a Roth IRA. In any case, you should consult your tax advisor before contributing to an account to determine the tax consequences of electing the Roth option.

Also consider taking advantage of new and existing tax breaks before they expire. Among them:

  • Tax credits for first-time homebuyers and certain repeat homebuyers
  • Credits for energy-efficient home repairs
  • An expanded tuition tax credit
  • The $2,500–$7,500 electric vehicle credit

The past year has presented investors with a difficult set of challenges—with more to come as the economic cycle continues to play out. Under these circumstances, investors who guard themselves now against inflation and possible tax hikes will enjoy a financial advantage if these possibilities come to pass. 

1 Recovery.gov, “92.8b in Tax Relief,” http://www.recovery.gov/News/featured/Pages/TaxReliefOct2009.aspx.
2 David M. Herszenhorn and Carl Hulse, “Hopes Dim, G.O.P. Still Vows to Fight Health Bill,” New York Times, Dec. 20, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/health/policy/21health.html?hp.
3 “Consumer Price Index—November 2009,” http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm.
4 Untitled Federal Open Market Committee press release, Dec. 16, 2009, http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/monetary/20091216a.htm.

Information courtesy of:
Joe Kelly
Financial Advisor
250 S. Park Avenue
Suite 500
Winter Park, FL 32789
 407 740-4972

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living community contact us today.

Julie Fernandez, Director of Marketing
Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary
407.732.5800
www.oakmontevillage.com

Shedding Light On Seasonal Depression: What Seniors Can Do To Relieve The Symptoms

As days grow shorter, and daylight becomes scarce in late fall and winter, 4 to 6 percent of Americans experience a form of depression called winter-onset Seasonal Affective Disorder *(SAD). Another 10 to 20 percent have milder cases. Many mistakenly write off SAD as the winter blues or cabin fever, but as a recognized type of clinical depression, SAD requires professional diagnosis and attention, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) advises.

Although SAD is more common among younger adults (75 percent of SAD patients are women, most in their 20s, 30s and 40s), it also affects seniors.

And seniors diagnosed with other forms of depression may have symptoms aggravated by the isolating effect of forbidding winter weather. Treatment for SAD and other forms of depression is especially critical for older adults, who are at greater risk of suicide than the rest of the U.S. population, according to the Centers for Disease Control.  While American seniors make up 12 percent of the population they account for 16 percent of all suicides—and white men over 85 are at six times greater risk of suicide than other population segments.

Despite this, only 10 percent of seniors suffering from depression receive therapy, the National Institute of Mental Health reports.

Those with SAD exhibit many of the common signs of depression—sadness, anxiety, irritability, social withdrawal, loss of interest in normal activities, and inability to concentrate. Other symptoms of winter-onset SAD, which usually begin in October or November and subside in March or April, include:

  • Craving for carbohydrates, overeating and weight gain
  • Fatigue and loss of energy
  • Oversleeping
  • Increased sensitivity to social rejection

Symptoms vary from one person to another as does the degree of depression—for most individuals, mild to moderate, and for a few, severe to the point of suicidal thoughts.

Winter-Onset SAD is more common at higher  latitudes as it is closely associated with a decrease in daylight. It is thought that lessened exposure to sunlight alters the biological clock that regulates mood, sleep, and hormones. Another explanation for SAD is that the neurotransmitters, the brain chemicals that relay information between the nerves, may be altered in the brains of persons with SAD.

Light therapy, using a specially designed light box or light visor, is a common treatment for correcting the imbalances in persons with SAD. This therapy often is prescribed in combination with antidepressants and behavioral therapy.

Other means to help seniors elevate mood and fend off the effects of winter and depression include:

  • Open curtains and blinds to allow in as much daylight as possible. Sitting near a window can increase daylight’s positive effects.
  • As safety permits, spend time outdoors every day. Even on cloudy days the effect of daylight can be beneficial. For the added benefit of companionship, as well as safety, a family or professional caregiver may need to accompany a senior.
  • Eat a well-balanced diet that provides recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals to maintain energy. Limit consumption of starchy and sweet foods.
  • Get physical activity 30 minutes a day, three times a week. Again, a family or professional caregiver can help seniors achieve this safely with the added, healthful benefit of companionship.
  • Stay involved with hobbies, church and social activities and friends to prevent feelings of isolation that winter can bring.

A Harvard University study found that therapies that incorporate activity for seniors have proven effective in treating depression. Studies also have shown the benefits of physical activity in treating depression.

*A much smaller portion of the population experiences SAD during hot, humid summer months. Fewer yet encounter SAD in both winter and summer.

Information courtesy of:
Comfort Keepers
Matt Auker, Owner/Administrator
 650 Douglas Ave., Suite 1027
Altamonte Springs, Fl 32714 
Telephone:  (407) 774 – 4457  or toll free  (866) 871 – 5540
Email: altamonte@comfortkeepers.com
www.ComfortKeepers.com/office-228

Oakmonte Village is a new 25-acre luxury senior living community in the heart of prestigious Lake Mary, Florida. Ideally located for ease and convenience, Oakmonte Village is within easy reach of many local Orlando amenities such as parks, walking trails, lakes, and more. For more information on our Senior Living community contact us today.

Julie Fernandez, Director of Marketing
Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary

407-732-5800
www.oakmontevillage.com

Oakmonte Village Encourages Seniors to Participate in 2010 Census

Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary is encouraging all of its residents & all seniors to complete the 2010 census. The 2010 Census will help communities receive more that $400 billion in federal funds each year for things such as: Hospital, Job Training Centers, Schools, Senior Centers, Bridges, Tunnels, & Emergency Services.
Forms will be delivered to every residence in the United State & Puerto Rico in March of 2010. The form is a short 10 question form collecting information such as age, sex, race, household relationships and more. The form helps to determine how the money will be allocated to communities across the country.
Your participation in the 2010 Census is vital and required by law, (Section 221, of Title 13 of the U.S. Code). April 1, 2010 is National Census Day & is used as a point of reference for sending your completed forms back in the mail.
If you have any concerns or questions regarding your participation in the 2010 Census, visit the 2010 Census Website for detailed information, FAQ’s, and to learn how you can take part. Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary supports the 2010 Census & highly encourages all citizens to take part.
“The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of 10 years, in such manner as they shall by Law direct.”
– Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States

Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary is encouraging all of its residents & all seniors to complete the 2010 census. The 2010 Census will help communities receive more that $400 billion in federal funds each year for things such as: Hospital, Job Training Centers, Schools, Senior Centers, Bridges, Tunnels, & Emergency Services.

Forms will be delivered to every residence in the United State & Puerto Rico in March of 2010. The form is a short 10 question form collecting information such as age, sex, race, household relationships and more. The form helps to determine how the money will be allocated to communities across the country.

Your participation in the 2010 Census is vital and required by law, (Section 221, of Title 13 of the U.S. Code). April 1, 2010 is National Census Day & is used as a point of reference for sending your completed forms back in the mail.

If you have any concerns or questions regarding your participation in the 2010 Census, visit the 2010 Census Website for detailed information, FAQ’s, and to learn how you can take part. Oakmonte Village at Lake Mary supports the 2010 Census & highly encourages all citizens to take part.

“The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of 10 years, in such manner as they shall by Law direct.”

– Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States

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