Optimum Life

A B rookdale S enior L iving ® P ublication

OPTIMUM LIFE Vol. 3, Issue 1

Ageless

The

pirit S

Discover the power of positive aging Harmony with your inner spirit is one of the secrets of living an Optimum LifeÂŽ.

Now through Ageless Spirit events at Brookdale Senior Living communities you can learn about the spiritual growth that comes only to those with the gift of years. Learn and practice techniques such as meditation and relaxation with our Ageless Spirit CD designed to enhance the spiritual dimension of Optimum Life.

Ask your Brookdale Senior Living community when it will host events for The Ageless Spirit, and how you can obtain your personal copy of this powerful CD.

Your story continues here... www.brookdaleliving.com Optimum Life is Brookdale’s culture of well-being that supports a positive aging experience through six key dimensionspurposeful, emotional, physical, social, spiritual and intellectual.

From the Editor People ask me almost every day...what is Optimum Life®?

Contents

Simply stated, Optimum Life is our philosophy of well-being, our “way of life” at Brookdale Senior Living...for our residents and our associates. Because it is a “way of life” here it means that we are

1

Wish of a Lifetime

5

Seniors Can Dance

9

Her Soul Soars

passionate about the well-being of our residents and associates and we embrace the whole person.

From someone who is 96 years old and playing tennis every day to a resident on Hospice with dreams and direction on how to live the last few days of their life, we believe in this concept so strongly that we take the time, make a commitment and support our residents and associates to pursue their Optimum Life, each in their own way.

We learn everyday from our residents and associates what it means to make a difference: a dining server that has a special

11 Wellness in the Balance 15 Music of Our Times

bond with a resident; an associate who serves a resident living with dementia, that shares a dictated letter with the family; a resident who

17 Purpose through Aging

serves as a Hospice volunteer; an associate who takes the extra time to really listen and make dreams come true; a resident who makes

19 Flavor Up!

a difference in their senior community and the greater community.

At Brookdale, we choose to enrich the lives of those we serve by helping them to live what we call an Optimum Life – and to make a positive difference for our residents every day. This is not a job requirement at Brookdale; rather, it is our culture, something we embrace because it is a core belief that Brookdale people share.

In return we receive meaningful, purposeful lives of service and

21 A Connected Life 23 Committed to Green 25 Reflecting on Life

relationships that transcend the norm.

This issue of Optimum Life magazine tells stories of purpose...

27 Research Studies

from residents dancing, to a classically trained pianist with dementia performing in a concert hall; these are the stories of our residents’

29 History with a Heart

lives told with the best of intentions. It is our hope that they will inspire courage, continued growth and ultimately change both the experience and perception of aging. Thanks for joining us in this

31 Wishes do come True

fantastic movement that celebrates aging with wellness and purpose.

Sara Terry

Optimum Life® is a publication of Brookdale Senior Living®, Inc. Optimum Life is available free of charge to the residents, associates and friends of Brookdale Senior Living communities. Subjects in feature articles are actual residents or associates of Brookdale communities across the country, or Brookdale home offices in Chicago, Milwaukee and Nashville. Inquiries about content or suggestions for future articles should be directed to the Lifestyle or Life Enrichment associate at any Brookdale Senior Living community. ® Reg. U.S. Pat. and TM Office. “Daily Moments of SuccessSM is a Service Mark of Brookdale Senior Living Inc., Nashville, TN, USA

Wish of a Lifetime Williamsburg Veteran Honored at National War Memorial

Sonja Landvogt has dedicated much of her life to serving others. From military service as an Army nurse and a career as a nursing professional to volunteerism in her community, she has made a significant commitment to giving back. Today, 89-year-old Landvogt is still active in service to her country and her community.

And recently, her spirit of service to others returned dividends as she received her Wish of a Lifetime.

Landvogt’s lifetime wish was to honor her fellow servicemen and servicewomen and reflect on her own military career with a visit to the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

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Brookdale Senior Living / 2 Photographs by Abbie Rufener

On Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011, Landvogt, accompanied by her son, Tom, and daughter, Kathleen, traveled to Arlington, Va. There, they visited the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at the Arlington National Cemetery. At the Memorial, Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught, president of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, presented Landvogt with a World War II victory medal and an honorary certificate. After the honor, Landvogt was treated to a VIP tour of the Memorial. She also visited the rest of the Arlington National Cemetery and the Nurse’s Memorial.

“It was truly a wish of a lifetime and one that I will never, ever forget,” Landvogt said. “I was completely speechless.”

Landvogt is a charter member of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation and stays active in local military causes. She also participates in her Lutheran church, the Women’s Club and the Ambassador’s Club at Chambrel Williamsburg.

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A resident of Chambrel Williamsburg, a Brookdale Senior Living retirement community in Williamsburg, Va., Landvogt’s wish was granted through a partnership between Brookdale and Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting life-enriching wishes to older Americans.

In honor of Veterans Day, Brookdale Senior Living invited veteran residents to submit wishes related to their war experiences. To request her wish, Landvogt filled out a wish application explaining an experience she would like to have fulfilled. The partnership between Brookdale and Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime provides a helping hand in making some of the dreams of Brookdale’s residents come true.

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Seniors Know They Can Dance!

In the 1940s, a dance wave swept the country.

People across the United States used dancing as an escape from worrying about the war. Whether to socialize, exercise, or take a break from everyday stress, young people loved this new hobby.

Although this influential generation has aged, their love for dance remains intact. To bring residents back to the days of swing dancing, sock hops and the Jitterbug, Brookdale Senior Living launched Seniors Know They Can Dance, an inter generational dance competition that pairs seniors’ love of dance with young choreographers’ knowledge and techniques.

Seniors danced their way to an Optimum Life® through Seniors Know They Can Dance and have continued to keep pep in their step ever since.

The first installment of Seniors Know They Can Dance featured 16 couples facing off on the Seymour Center Stage in Chapel Hill, N.C., in Spring of 2011.

Dancers from five Brookdale communities, Carolina House Chapel Hill, Carolina House Durham, Wynwood Chapel Hill, Clare Bridge® Chapel Hill, Heritage Raleigh, and the Pearl and Robert Seymour Center, a senior center in Chapel Hill, N.C., showcased the skills taught by their choreographers in jazz, hip-hop, Broadway, the waltz and the Charleston.

Ranging from age 66 to 99, dancers brought

unique reasoning and motivations for participating in the competition. Norman Burke, resident of Carolina House Chapel Hill, joined the competition to honor his late wife by learning her favorite dance, the waltz.

After completing two half-marathons, Becci Riter, a participant from the Pearl and Robert Seymour Center, signed up as a personal challenge for herself. At 95 years old, Julia Hill, resident of Heritage Raleigh, returned to dancing through Seniors Know They Can Dance after

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years of dancing in her church’s couples dance club with her husband.

“I hope to gain confidence to do something that I’ve done before,” Hill said. “It peps up my spirit to return to dance.”

Although varying in skills and abilities, seniors jumped at the chance to be a part of this special event.

Stacy DeLorenzo, creator of Seniors Know They Can Dance and life enrichment coordinator at Carolina House Durham, a Brookdale Senior Living assisted living community in Durham, N.C., created the competition to renew seniors’ passion for dancing while assisting them in overcoming physical and cognitive barriers to one of their generation’s most popular hobbies. Supporting each resident’s pursuit of achieving an Optimum Life, DeLorenzo designed the competition as a remedy to seniors’ concerns about dancing at their age.

Regardless of abilities, the Optimum Life approach is directed by the individual, honoring his or her preferences and choices. DeLorenzo incorporated this facet by considering each participant’s skills, abilities and goals for the competition.

“You can see in our residents’ eyes how much they want to dance again,” said DeLorenzo.

Hoping to provide a positive learning environment for the seniors, DeLorenzo reached out to young dancers from local universities. Volunteers from university dance clubs, such as the Star Heels and Dancing with

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Wolves, eagerly donated their time and skills. The inter generational competition created an opportunity for young dancers to learn the seniors’ favorite styles of dance.

When DeLorenzo suggested the idea to Brookdale residents and local seniors, she was overwhelmed by the positive responses she received. “I was unprepared for how enthusiastic the senior population was to give it a try,” DeLorenzo said. “Their enthusiasm exceeded even my wildest hopes.”

Bringing varying degrees of experience to the competition, the only prerequisite to compete was a love of dance. Participants were evaluated by the Innovative Senior CareSM team to assess any physical or cognitive concerns that needed to be considered to ensure the safety and success of all senior participants.

As part of Brookdale’s health and wellness program, ISC offers ancillary services including physical, occupational and speech therapies; specialized clinical programs designed for seniors; and health education programs. Together, Seniors Know They Can Dance and ISC created a safe, healthy setting for seniors to achieve an Optimum Life through physical wellness, social interaction and newfound purpose.

Mary Garren, second-place winner of the spring competition, was eager to sign up when she learned about the competition from her local senior center.

Dancing since she was a teenager, Garren used her

hobby as a stress-reliever and motivator later in life.

“When I had a demanding job, I would work for eight hours and still dance for several more after work,” Garren explained. “I would wake up feeling more refreshed than I felt on days I did not dance. When you are paying attention to the beat and following your partner’s lead, all stressful thoughts leave your mind.”

Garren, 66, looked to Seniors Know They Can Dance to recreate this sentiment, despite her age.

Motivated by her upcoming performance, Garren eagerly anticipated the positive results she would gain, including increased discipline, improved skills, and accomplishment, from her dance experience with her choreographer, Courtney Saffie.

Understanding the importance of physical activity for seniors, Saffie, a dancer, choreographer and student at University of North Carolina Greensboro, created a hip-hop routine for the pair based on Garren’s request to try a challenging style of dance.

“There is a common perception that after a certain age you’re too old to dance,” Saffie said. “But in reality, you can do anything you put your mind to, regardless of age. Teaching seniors new dance steps requires a little confidence-building, followed by repetition. My biggest surprise was how much my seniors would doubt themselves. But after practicing the moves, they had it down.”

Continued on page 33

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Her Soul Soars with Music

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Living with Alzheimer’s, concert pianist makes grand debut.

If you visit the Cumberland Green Hills, a Brookdale Senior Living assisted living community in Nashville, you may just be fortunate enough to hear a Chopin prelude, Beethoven sonata or waltz by Strauss performed live on the community’s grand piano. The touch will be from the hands of Maria Malone playing her favorite classical tunes and dazzling all fortunate enough to be within earshot. Maria’s hands are her memory.

At 82, Maria has been a pianist for most of her life.

To this day, she still plays from memory, despite an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. After losing her eyesight to macular degeneration, she can no longer see to read music. But, Maria has never allowed obstacles to take away her love of performing music. She continues to play for delighted audiences of residents, associates and visitors. Truth be told, she never stopped dreaming of one day performing for family and friends in a grand U.S. concert hall.

Maria’s wish finally came true in the fall of 2011 thanks to Brookdale Senior Living and Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime, a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting life-enriching wishes to older Americans.

Both Brookdale and Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime provide a helping hand in making some of the dreams of Brookdale’s residents come true.

Maria grew up in Brazil and spent her days practicing the piano at her local church because her family of nine could not afford their own piano. She discovered at an early age that her passion opened many doors for her.

When a music instructor heard Maria practicing, he immediately offered her a full scholarship to learn the piano in a formal setting, so she jumped at the chance to study classical piano at a conservatory. In Brazil, she studied for many years and honed her skills to become a highly regarded musician.

“I have no talent,” Maria says humbly. “I simply Continued on page 34

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Wellness in the balance

Going for a long walk, easily traveling up and down stairs and tying a shoe usually go unnoticed in a daily routine. But for seniors struggling with loss of balance, strength or other physical ailments, these tasks can seem daunting.

Innovative Senior Care (ISC) addresses these and many other concerns to help seniors maintain or improve their independence through physical wellness.

Seniors with varying needs of therapy have benefitted dramatically after working with ISC. In addition to physical improvements, ISC users reported overall improvement in quality of life. As seniors regain independence in functional and practical areas of their lives, a new sense of hope reinforces their quest for an Optimum Life速, a cultural platform encouraging whole-person wellness, positively impacting emotional, purposeful and social dimensions.

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ISC, a collaborative effort within Brookdale Senior Living, takes a proactive, resident-centered approach to treat residents’ wellness needs. ISC initially focused on residents living in Brookdale healthcare centers, but the ISC team quickly realized residents in assisted living and independent living had needs that ISC could address.

Exclusive to Brookdale, ISC offers ancillary therapy services including physical, occupational and speech; specialized clinical programs designed for seniors; health education programs; as well as private and Medicare-certified home health services.

“ISC demonstrates that physical improvements can happen at any age,” said Jack Carney, vice president of regional operations for ISC. “Seniors may think, ‘if my neighbor two doors down who could not walk to the dining room without assistance can do it now independently, then maybe I can make improvements also.’”

“We all need hope and a belief that it is possible,” Carney said. “Hearing and seeing changes in those around us inspire us to have this hope and give us renewed energy to try not to accept the status quo.”

The success stories of past ISC users serve as models of hope to seniors wary of therapy. Although acknowledging a need for therapy may be difficult to accept, these seniors overcame fears, doubts and personal pride in order to reach a new level of fulfillment in their lives. Noticed by family and friends, ISC users’ renewed spirits represent new opportunities in an overlooked chapter of seniors’ lives, providing

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motivation and encouragement to other seniors in need of help.

After losing the ability to perform daily activities, Sam Kaufman decided to take his sister’s advice to begin therapy with ISC. Ruth Sacks, Kaufman’s sister and a resident of Hallmark Creve Coeur, a Brookdale Senior Living retirement community in Creve Coeur, Mo., referred her brother, who lived alone, to ISC. Losing the ability to tie his shoes, walk long distances and maneuver stairs threatened Kaufman’s independent living, and he realized he could not maintain his current lifestyle while struggling with these tasks.

In the summer of 2011, Kaufman entered into ISC therapy at Hallmark Creve Coeur. Three times a week, he came to the community to perform strength and balance exercises with ISC therapists. Kaufman dedicated himself to his therapeutic activities, determined to maintain his current level of independence.

After just two months of ISC therapy, Kaufman’s physical improvements cultivated fulfillment in other areas of his life. When Kaufman’s family came in from out of town, he surprised them with his physical improvements. With a new sense of pride and confidence, he walked comfortably, easily entered and exited the family’s van and put his shoes on without assistance.

Kaufman’s biggest reward from his ISC therapy came when he was finally able to walk to his sister’s apartment, which is at the end of the hallway at Hallmark Creve Coeur. For more than two years, Continued on page 34

Georgia J., a Brookdale resident, had been unable to walk for long distances for years and was on the verge of needing kidney dialysis. For several months she worked with ISC therapy services in an effort to regain independence in walking. This year she not only completed the mile walk at the Kern County Senior Olympics; she won the gold medal in the race!

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C E L E B R A T I N G

Music of Our January – Big Band

February – Soul

March – World Music

April – Jazz

July – Rock and Roll

August – Blues

September – Classical

October – Opera

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Times

Whether our favorite band in high school, the song we danced to at our wedding or magical holiday songs, music helps capture memorable moments in our lives. The times in which we live are defined by music. In Celebrations 2012, we honor the times in which we live with a special tribute to the Music of Our Times.

A

May – Latin

June – Broadway

year-long

program

life

designed

enrichment

exclusively

for

Brookdale residents, Celebrations offers authentically

themed

experiences,

memorable special events and dining programs. In 2012, Celebrations will relive the songs, styles and memories November – Country

December – Holiday

that comprise the Music of Our Times.

The

music

of

the

Brookdale

communities will create opportunities representing the Music of Our Times for each month. These programs, opportunities and experiences will touch each of the six dimensions of Optimum Life®, a platform geared toward cultivating whole-person wellness. The six dimensions of Optimum Life are purposeful, emotional, physical, social, Continued on page 35 Brookdale Senior Living / 16

Purpose Aging REDEFINING

THROUGH

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M

aintaining a sense of purpose in life, especially in the later years, establishes the need for a foundation of continuous self-discovery, socialization and happiness. The following seniors represent the pinnacle of purposeful living in the later years of life.

Each week for eight months, Margaret Walker, resident of Sterling House® Shelby, a Brookdale Senior Living assisted living community in Shelby, N.C., visited the resident store to purchase wash cloths, soap and toothbrushes with reward “money” she earned through community programming. Lindsey Albrecht, life enrichment coordinator at the community, watched Walker as she gathered practical, rather than indulgent, items at the resident store.

Walker patiently gathered all of the materials she needed before she began her project. In her apartment at Sterling House Shelby, Walker assembled boxes of care products for the less fortunate. After PHOTO she finished her care packages, Walker contacted the local mayor to discuss where these items were the most needed.

Amazed by this senior’s volunteer efforts, Mayor Ted Alexander came to Sterling House Shelby to meet Walker. Mayor Alexander then personally picked up the care packages and delivered them to Shelby’s women’s abuse safe house and men’s homeless shelter.

A few weeks later, Walker received a letter from Mayor Alexander and the town council requesting her attendance at the next town council meeting, where she was presented with the City of Shelby’s Certificate of Outstanding Volunteerism.

An avid volunteer, Walker is president of the community’s resident council, volunteers annually for the community’s yard sale and donates her time to organizations such as Meals on Wheels, the Cleveland County Partnership for Children and the Alzheimer’s

Association. She also leads the Good Deed Gals, a club that makes lunch for the homeless once a month.

When Walker began feeling ill, she remained determined to have a lasting impact on her local community. Even though she could no longer physically donate her time, Walker refused to compromise her love of volunteering. She found a new purpose through organizing and preparing the care packages.

Throughout 2011, Brookdale Senior Living residents lived out the theme Be Well on Purpose. The theme promoted the importance of the purposeful dimension of the Optimum Life® platform by encouraging residents to be intentionally purposeful in their journey to whole-person wellness. Optimum Life is a cultural platform designed for both residents and employees throughout Brookdale Senior Living communities to achieve whole-person wellness through fulfillment in six key dimensions. The six key dimensions of Optimum Life are purposeful, emotional, physical, social, spiritual and intellectual.

Dr. Kevin O’Neil, Chief Medical Officer of Optimum Life, Sara Terry, Director of Optimum Life Development and Carol Cummings, Manager of Optimum Life Wellness Programs, delivered Be Well on Purpose presentations throughout the year at various Brookdale locations across the country. During the presentations, O’Neil, Terry and Cummings provided theme-related activities for communities to enact based on the dimensions.

Suggested activities included laughter yoga, educational sessions about health and wellness, memory aerobics and ballroom dancing. Residents across the country fulfilled their purpose in unique ways this year.

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BROOKDALE MINIS: Small in Size, Big in Flavor!

Great chefs take pride in providing memorable dining experiences for those they serve. Nowhere is that more evident than in Brookdale communities, where resident palates represent the ultimate judge of quality and flavor.

At The Culinary Arts Institute at Brookdale, our chefs are on a continual quest to enhance the company’s signature dining programs that are available to residents.

This serves as a mark of distinction and underscores our commitment to providing the highest quality of food and service.

As a complement to Brookdale’s award-winning dining programs, The Culinary Arts Institute at Brookdale is proud to introduce the Bakery & Pastry Certification program. This innovative program offers the culinary associates at each community additional development and training in creating delicious, bitesized breakfast pastries, muffins, bread twists and rolls, decadent dessert shooters, and individually sized cakes, all baked fresh in-house on a daily basis. This program is designed to inspire our

culinary teams and satisfy each resident’s sweet tooth. In addition the program is a perfect fit for communities of any size, raising the bar for our fresh-baked offerings to new heights.

“This program elevates the art of patisserie,” said Joska J.W. Hajdu, Senior Vice President of Dining Services for Brookdale Senior Living. “Culinary associates certified through this program will be able to offer residents at our communities, pastry and bakery fare that is highly refined and unsurpassed.”

During the month of April, the faculty of the Culinary Arts Institute conducted a certification seminar to educate select Brookdale chefs as trainers. These associates come from 16 different communities, which act as training centers and are located in the following markets: Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh, Tampa and San Jose.

At the end of the training session, the chefs are tested on their bakery and pastry knowledge and submit to a hands-on demonstration of their skills. In addition, they are provided with the tools and Continued on page 36

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A “Connected” Life...

Build and Maintain Relationships through New Computer Skills When Jay and Renee Turoff’s daughter and three grandchildren moved from Connecticut to Florida, the couple worried their connection with family would suffer. Unable to travel the long distance, the grandparents were left feeling discouraged.

Shortly after their family’s relocation, the Turoffs learned about Skype through a Connected Living Ambassador. Connected Living, a senior-focused social impact company and web-based platform, provides ongoing support to retirement communities, residents, and their families through a team of Ambassadors who provide individualized help for seniors and lead group activities and classes on computer use, memoir sharing, and book clubs. Integrating “high-tech” and “high-touch,” Connected Living helps seniors to bridge

the digital divide through simplified technology and personalized support.

In an age where email, social networking sites, cell phones, and texting are main threads of communication, seniors are eager to understand and use the latest technology. Connected Living provides a solution for seniors by demonstrating how technology can improve their quality of life by providing opportunities for socialization, lifelong learning, and engagement with friends and family, whether down the street or across the country. The first technology-based company targeting tech-timid seniors, Connected Living combines access to intuitive computer applications and individualized support to help seniors get online in a fun, easy, and Continued on page 36

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GREEN LIVING

COMMITTED T

We live in a “green” world — not necessarily the color green, but the concept of green. Brookdale® has been taking great strides in growing programs to reduce waste, cut energy costs and diminish its impact on the environment.

With its recent acquisition of Horizon Bay, Brookdale also inherited a great program called Eco Friends, a partnership between staff and residents which focuses on creating green programs like recycling and renewable energy. Today, Eco Friends is helping Brookdale create a new focused approach to the concept of “green” for 2012 and beyond.

A partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program in 2011 resulted in recognition of Horizon Bay by the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) for communities that earned the ENERGY STAR for superior energy efficiency. This great work got Brookdale firmly on the right track to initiate energy management efforts across all of the company’s senior living communities.

Brookdale has made a commitment to continue building on this partnership and now represents the largest ENERGY STAR and ALFA energy partner!

In 2010, with the help of the residents and

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associates, Brookdale communities switched out 870,000 incandescent light bulbs and inefficient older fluorescent bulbs across 600 communities. These were replaced with much more efficient and longer lasting fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) to save energy.

Behind the scenes Brookdale also has done some exciting work to measure and reduce energy consumption. The company has been hard at work identifying other ways to conserve resources. With some great successes already, Brookdale has a strong foundation for building programs that inspire pride company-wide.

ENERGY It’s a fact that people manage best what they measure. In seeking to measure efficiency, Brookdale has partnered with Ecova, a company that specializes in total energy and sustainability management. This program is helping Brookdale to get a strong grasp on energy use and ensure it’s managed with the best information possible about each site’s use. The company has already seen a reduction in energy consumption since last year and will continue to focus on reduction.

TO GREEN WASTE Waste creates a huge strain on natural resources as processing waste safely takes a great deal of energy, water and land use.

The majority of Brookdale sites don’t currently have access to recycling services. By working with local waste-hauling agencies programs will be put in place in 2012. The company has a great opportunity to reduce its waste stream impacts. Be sure to watch for information on available services and best practices for recycling at your community.

DOING MORE In addition to the efforts above, Brookdale will assess its water consumption, purchasing practices and operational procedures. Already, the company is doing some great work in these areas, but wants to ensure best practices are identified and shared across all Brookdale communities and corporate offices.

WORKING TOGETHER Together, we have a responsibility for the health of our planet.

And we all have many opportunities to make a difference. Often the best ideas for doing so come from Brookdale residents and associates as the company continues to create and implement “green” programs. Join in and be part of the “green” solution.

Energy • The major energy sources in the United States are petroleum (oil), natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewable energy. The major users are residential and commercial buildings, industry, transportation, and electric power generators. Recently surpassed by China, the U.S. is the second largest energy consuming country in the world.

• E NERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.

• Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2010 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 33 million cars — all while saving nearly $18 billion on their utility bills.

Waste • The solid waste industry in the U.S. manages 250 million tons of garbage every year. Of the U.S. garbage waste, 61 million tons are recyclables, and 22 million tons are yard/food waste.

Water • If the earth’s water fit into a one-gallon bottle, the fresh water available for human use would equal just over one tablespoon.

• The average American family uses 400 gallons of water every day. This is equal to almost 150 trillion gallons of water used in the U.S. every year!

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Reflecting on Life Our Residents Share Important Lessons with Younger Generations If a young person asked, what you have you learned in your amount of years in the world, what would you tell him or her?

Dr. Karl Andrew Pillemer, Ph.D. asked more than 1,000 Americans 65 or older this very question in the process of developing 30 Lessons for Living, a book compiling advice from the wisest Americans.

The book was developed as a part of the Legacy Project, an effort created by Pillemer to compile the greatest generation’s stories, lessons and advice.

Pillemer, an associate dean in the College of Human Ecology and professor of Human Development at Cornell University, began The Legacy Project in 2004.

Also a professor of Gerontology in Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College, Pillemer utilized a variety of research methods to reach the heart of seniors’ answers to life’s difficult questions.

A dual-purpose endeavor, the Legacy Project aspires to fully communicate the profound life lessons of the wisest generation while simultaneously creating an opportunity for seniors to adopt a new life purpose.

By presenting seniors with an outlet for sharing their knowledge, the project provides motivation for them to develop more lessons through purposeful living.

Beginning with pilot studies, Pillemer and his team contacted several colleges’ alumni to answer the question, “What are the most important lessons you have learned over the course of your life?” Next, Pillemer expanded his research by conducting 20-minute phone interviews with a random sample of Americans 65 or better. Although he had gathered interesting lessons, Pillemer knew more personal stories and meaningful advice were available.

Life advice and important lessons could not be quickly developed. Seniors, like anyone faced with 2 5 / O p t i m u m L i f e - V o l . 3 , I ss u e 1

these difficult questions, needed time to develop their answers. To resolve this issue, Pillemer conducted hour-long interviews with individuals nominated by professionals who thought they had exceptional stories to share.

He presented the contributors with the following questions: • Some people say that they have had difficult or stressful experiences but they have learned important lessons from them. Is that true for you?

• As you look back on your life, do you see any “turning point”; that is, a key event or experience that changed the course of your life or set you on a different track?

• What would you say you know now about living a happy and successful life that you didn’t know when you were 20?

• What would you say are the major values or principles that you live by?

• What can younger people do to avoid having regrets later in life?

Through each of Pillemer’s interviews, the seniors repeatedly mentioned 30 areas of advice they wished they had heard when they were younger.

They commented on how to be happy, age well, raise children, live compassionately and build a successful marriage.

Along with thousands of senior contributors from across the country, seniors from several Brookdale Senior Living communities shared their advice for the project.

“Our seniors were proud to have contributed their personal stories and life lessons to Dr. Pillemer’s Continued on page 38

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Choice

Memory Why?

Pain Emotional Solution Active Process

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The

I M P O R TA N C E

and

BE N E FITS

of

R E S E A RC H STU D I E S

By Dr. Jim Concotelli MSW, Ph.D.

Imagine that you have lived in the same threebedroom home since 1977. There’s a spot you place your keys each time you return home. You don’t think “I should put my keys there.” Automatically, your arm extends, your fingers open, and the keys settle into their special spot until the next time you need them.

The platter for the Thanksgiving turkey also has a specific home. It rests there until the morning of the fourth Thursday of November when you send a loved one to retrieve and rinse it for its annual grand entrance.

Does someone need a twist tie to secure the top of a bag? Check the junk drawer, and you’re sure to find several possibilities beside the empty flashlight and some lint-covered screws.

Now, imagine that you’ve decided to move from your three-bedroom home to a lovely one-bedroom apartment in a retirement community. How do you even begin to decide what to do with the possessions of a lifetime?

Researchers at three universities are working together to ask families that question. If you live in Detroit, Kansas City or Lawrence, Kan., they want to talk to you about how you decided the fate of the Thanksgiving platter. Why? Because moving can be a very emotional process. Even when you know that a move is the best option, you may have a hard time making the choices and taking the action necessary for a change of residence.

What if we could discover ways to make the entire process easier or less stressful; would you want to hear those suggestions? Brookdale residents who recently moved have the opportunity to talk with the researchers of the Household Moves project so that people following in their footsteps can learn from their

insight, regrets and/or brilliant solutions.

If a person has dementia, their brain is physically different than it was 40 years earlier; it is also different than the brain of a person who will never have dementia. If we can discover what those differences are, we may be able to prevent or reverse those braindestroying changes. Researchers at 50 different brainscanning sites are looking for older volunteers who do not have dementia symptoms and who are willing to have their brains scanned. They hope that the images of these brains can help them solve the mystery of what happens to a healthy brain to cause dementia.

Brookdale residents, friends and family members can volunteer for this research project. When one resident was asked why she had volunteered, she replied, “This may not make a difference for me, but maybe we can stop this thing before my kids have to face it themselves.”

There are thousands of active research projects currently trying to find answers that can improve or change our lives. You may recall impossible problems that were overcome through research. Perhaps you remember the days when parents were terrified of allowing their children to leave the house because of polio.

Today’s American parents can feel confident that their children will never be threatened by polio.

Researchers have developed drugs that help people live active lives with a chronic disease that would have ended the life of a person a century ago. Whether we are aware of it or not, many of the choices we make each day are influenced by the results of research. Watch the advertisements during the national evening news broadcasts, and you will be told to ask your doctor about treatments developed by researchers to help with Continued on next page 39

Brookdale Senior Living / 28

2 9 / O p t i m u m L i f e - V o l . 3 , I ss u e 1

H I S T O RY W I T H A

By Grace Oplinger

“Most

Heart...

histories are written about rather unpleasant topics: wars, famines, natural disasters, and the rise and fall of empires. How about a history filled with nothing but the joy of living? How about the history of the memories of a little boy who grew up during the golden years of the thirties and forties?

A wonderful time to be a child; a time that will never come again.”

So begins Golden Memories of the 1930s, a compilation book of Brookdale® Place at Jones Farm resident Robert T. Riley’s nostalgic reveries of a different time when “television was still just a distant dream, radio was in its infancy, and motion pictures had just begun to talk.”

With the overwhelmingly positive response Mr. Riley’s most recent creation has received, it should come as no surprise that this is not his first tinkering in the world of publishing: growing up in Millville, New Jersey, and spending more than a few afternoons at the Atlantic City casinos during his adult life, Mr. Riley wrote an advice book for the aspiring poker player entitled Poker Expertise through Probability. Of course, Mr. Riley’s long afternoons playing the game with Monopoly money as a child and an eventual degree in mathematics from the highly esteemed Villanova University certainly must have helped him achieve poker mastery and his coveted title of “The Professor” from the casino’s card shark staff.

A self-proclaimed “Local Yokel,” Mr. Riley lived in South Jersey for 80 years. It was there that he experienced the many joys of childhood chronicled in Golden Memories; there that he taught high school math for 36 years; and there that he met and married the love of his life, Alcina, with whom he would have

three daughters – Mr. Riley never protested to a life surrounded by the lovely women in his family.

Mr. Riley has always embraced new passions and exploits: he took up amateur body building at the age of 57, winning over 40 tournaments by his “retirement” from the sport at the ripe age of 72! Thus, his wife was not in the least surprised when he approached her one day and declared, “I’d like to write a book on something.” Without hesitation, she responded, “You’re always talking about how much you enjoyed being a little boy!” And so was born Golden Memories, a book he wrote initially as a family history for the enjoyment of his children and grandchildren. When health conditions made it expedient, Mr. and Mrs. Riley moved into Brookdale Place of Jones Farm. There, it dawned on him that his fellow residents may find pleasure in reminiscing about their own childhoods through the memories captured in his book.

No sooner had Mr. Riley placed 10 copies of Golden Memories in the community library than all were checked out, and he became known as “The Writer.”

He was stopped frequently in the hallways and dining room by his many enthusiasts, recounting their own childhood memories brought back to life through his words. By far, the positive response Mr. Riley has received from those who have read his book has been one of the most gratifying experiences of his life.

As one supporter proclaimed, “I also remember the 30s. It is so nice to have our memories brought back to us. I am glad to have had the opportunity and privilege to read your book.”

Brookdale Senior Living / 30

Wish of a Lifetime

Turn your

T he power of wishes...we all have them, whether it means reconnecting with an old friend, creating a legacy, returning to a place of service or experiencing a thrill of adventure.

Wishes are coming true for Brookdale® residents all over America through our unique partnership with Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime Foundation. Brookdale Wishes rewards you for daring to dream and then having the fortitude to embrace the fulfillment of your dreams. What’s

3 1 / O p t i m u m L i f e - V o l . 3 , I ss u e 1

into the experience of a lifetime!

more, your fulfilled wish can inspire others to dream as well.

So if you are a Brookdale resident, submit your wish today through the Resident Programs Director or Resident Programs Coordinator at your Brookdale Senior LivingÂŽ community.

Together, we’ll discover the joy of having dreams and making wishes come true.

Brookdale Senior Living / 32

Continued from page 8

Seniors Can Dance Saffie quickly bonded with Garren, whose late sister was an alum and supporter of Saffie’s university.

Both Saffie and Garren’s sister studied in the dance department, creating a link from Garren’s dance life to her late sister’s.

“Saffie was a wonderful teacher, kind and loving like my sister,” Garren explained. “The circle back to my sister was profoundly meaningful.”

Just like Garren and Saffie, many senior students and young teachers learned more than dance from each other, forming a personal bond through the competition.

Rina Jaffe, student and dancer at North Carolina State, credits her student, Ernestine (Tina) Emerson, resident of Heritage Raleigh, with influencing her throughout the dance experience. Jaffe and Emerson both danced a Broadway number for the first time, learning and growing together through the competition.

“Miss Tina was the real star of this piece and it was a pleasure to dance with her,” said Jaffe. “The whole thing was a humbling and moving experience. I have made lovely new friends in the Brookdale community and am looking forward to dancing with Miss Tina sometime soon.”

Based on the success of the spring competition, DeLorenzo created a fall competition featuring several choreographers returning from the spring competition.

“Brookdale believes that everyone can live an Optimum Life regardless of age and physical limitation,” said DeLorenzo.

“I simply applied Brookdale’s Optimum Life platform to find a way they could do it safely and successfully.”

Eight residents from Heritage Raleigh, a Brookdale Senior Living retirement community in Raleigh, N.C.; Carolina House Wake Forest, a Brookdale Senior Living assisted living community in Cary, N.C.; and Carolina House Cary, a Brookdale Senior Living assisted living community in Cary, N.C., showed off their newly learned dance skills in front of an audience of 350 eager guests.

3 3 / O p t i m u m L i f e - V o l . 3 , I ss u e 1

Seniors from the Triangle Swing Dance Society, a nonprofit volunteer organization that promotes swing dance and live swing music, and Independence Health, a senior healthcare center that provides a place for seniors to socialize and expand their interests, also competed in Seniors Know They Can Dance.

Laura Singleton, volunteer at Heritage Raleigh, earned first place by dancing the Jitterbug with her partner Cullen Whitely.

One dancing couple learned more than new dance moves from the competition. Harv Huisenfeldt, 71, and his wife, Charlene Torres, 67, learned about Seniors Know They Can Dance while DeLorenzo was recruiting young dancers.

Huisenfeldt partnered with Kirstie Martin, a 17-year-old self-proclaimed “tomboy,” and Torres partnered with Billy Poole, a 16-year-old with a difficult background. The young dancers previously participated in a 4-H ballroom dance program last summer, but learned new dances for this competition.

Poole worked with choreographer Sofia Hernandez to learn the Charleston. Martin also worked with Hernandez to learn the Cha Cha. Through the competition, the couple became adopted grandparents to Poole and Martin. Impressed with her work ethic, Huisenfeldt made special arrangements with a dance store so Martin and her mother could pick up her dance outfit. Huisenfeldt and Martin earned second place at the competition.

Poole’s dedication also earned a special gift.

Courtney Saffie, who danced with second-place winner Garren during the first installment of Seniors Know They Can Dance, offered Poole free hip-hop lessons after the competition. She was moved by Poole’s story and impressed with his abilities. After learning he was interested in hip-hop, Saffie knew she could help the young student.

Seniors Know They Can Dance touched each of the dimensions of the Optimum Life platform, geared toward cultivating whole-person wellness through fulfillment in the six key dimensions: purposeful, emotional, physical, social, spiritual and intellectual.

Through Seniors Know They Can Dance, Brookdale residents and seniors gained confidence in their

physical abilities, socialized with other dancers and applied themselves intellectually to develop new skills.

Many senior dancers created emotional bonds with their young dance partners. Some even connected spiritually with lost loved ones through their meaningful routines.

Reflecting on their dancing past, participating seniors renewed their passion and enthusiasm for dancing and, most importantly, life.

Continued from page 10

Her Soul Soars practiced 8 to 10 hours each day, every day when I was young. Accomplishing anything worthwhile in life requires time and dedication.”

Maria graduated early, but was forced to give up her dream when other obligations and responsibilities took priority. She moved to the United States, married the love of her life and went to work to help support her burgeoning family. She soon embarked on a 35year career in the foreign language department at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Between working and raising a family, Maria had limited time to play her beloved piano, but the music never left her. She can still sit at the piano and play a repertoire she learned 65 years ago at the conservatory in Brazil. Even though she sometimes struggles to remember familiar faces and names, she has never forgotten the music or her dream of playing in a grand concert hall.

On Wednesday, October 26, 2011, Maria’s dream came true as she performed “An Adventure in Music with Ms. Maria Malone” in the Turner Recital Hall at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University.

The event was sponsored by Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime, Brookdale Senior Living and Miller Piano Specialists. The performance was attended by family and friends. Afterward, there was a reception to celebrate her inspiring performance.

“It’s just incredible,” said Maria. “I never dreamed that somebody would do something that nice for me.

It has been fascinating, and I know I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight.”

Although she wows everyone who hears her

with her impressive talent and passion for music, she remains humble. Her performance was the culmination of a lifetime of hard work, practice, and passion, and it stands as a reminder to all that dreams can come true.

Continued from page 13

Wellness Kaufman has been visiting his sister at Hallmark Creve Coeur, but would wait in the lobby while his daughter brought Sacks downstairs to him. Until his success with ISC, he was never able to visit his sister’s home. Kaufman’s physical improvements through therapy allowed him to reach new levels of fulfillment emotionally and socially by overcoming past obstacles.

According to Carney, Brookdale has experienced a significant improvement in overall satisfaction surveys from users of ISC. He contributes this improvement to the therapy-users’ increased feelings of independence and quality of life. After ISC, family members of users often notice a dramatic change in their loved ones.

“A daughter recently reported that she saw her mother smile for the first time in two years,” said Carney.

“She attributed this to the progress and independence her mother had gained through ISC therapy. We feel ISC users improve in the other five dimensions of Optimum Life. They are better able to socialize and they have more purpose in life. It can positively impact their spiritual, intellectual and emotional dimensions, also.”

Mary Luther, a resident at Cumberland Green Hills, a Brookdale Senior Living independent and assisted living community in Nashville, also found greater overall satisfaction after engaging in ISC therapy and finding a new purpose in her community.

Having recently moved to Cumberland Green Hills in the summer of 2011, Luther suffered from Parkinson’s disease and transitional depression. She also had difficulty walking due to an injury. Initially, Luther kept to herself at Cumberland Green Hills, spending most of her time in her room. ISC recognized Luther’s situation and immediately stepped in to help. Luther worked diligently with the ISC team for two months to Brookdale Senior Living / 34

improve her mobility, energy level and interaction with other residents.

After her therapy, Luther improved physically, socially and emotionally. Moving from her wheelchair to a walker, Luther became very active in the community. Residents and associates at Cumberland Green Hills now often find Luther smiling as she plays the community’s piano. Luther even became a member of the Cumberland Green Hills Ambassador Committee, responsible for welcoming new residents into the community.

Studies have shown residents of senior living communities who engage in a comprehensive health and wellness program – including rehabilitation, fitness and education – achieve a higher quality of life and maintain their independence longer. Engaging seniors in health and wellness programs supports Brookdale’s Optimum Life, a platform geared toward cultivating whole-person wellness through fulfillment in six key dimensions. The six dimensions of Optimum Life are purposeful, emotional, physical, social, spiritual and intellectual.

Established in 2000, ISC employs more than 3,000 full-time therapists, 400 nurses and operates over 400 clinics and 40 home health agencies in retirement communities, assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities.

Continued from page 16

Celebrations spiritual and intellectual. Optimum Life goals will guide residents through experiencing each month’s theme.

Based on each month’s musical style, a theme song will be chosen to exemplify that particular type of music. Residents will have the opportunity to explore the month’s musical style further through dimensionthemed programs.

Swing dancing, the Charleston and the Foxtrot created a dancing generation. Former dancers will bring back their favorite moves through the “Move to the Music” program. This series will provide lessons about the history of each month’s dance along with its stand3 5 / O p t i m u m L i f e - V o l . 3 , I ss u e 1

out moves. Residents will learn and rehearse popular dances before the monthly theme dinner dance.

Each month, communities will recreate their dining rooms to build a themed environment for the dinner dance. Culinary associates will design a menu supporting the theme. At the dinner dance, residents will showcase the dances they have learned through “Move to the Music.”

Residents will continue to socialize at regularly scheduled “Mix and Mingle” events. At each event, residents will enjoy a specialty drink that highlights the music of the month in the themed dining room.

Having a strong emotional connection, music will help residents reminisce on their pasts. Reminiscence is an important part of the emotional and intellectual dimensions of Optimum Life. The “Musical Memories” program will offer a reminiscence topic that is focused on the music of the month, the era of music or a time in our residents’ lives. Designed to facilitate discussion, residents will share their stories with each other.

The “Music and Lyrics Trivia” program, supporting the intellectual dimension, will also help residents reflect on the Music of Our Times. Listening to music will help residents remember various times in their lives from childhood to adult years. Each month, residents will complete crossword puzzles, music trivia and other intellectual games related to the month’s theme.

“Spiritual Journeys” will focus on the life story of popular musicians in the month’s style. The series will help residents discover how a musician’s spiritual quest provided them with motivation and inspiration to create and perform their style of music. Historical backgrounds, relationships and other influences will be discussed.

Residents will also learn through monthly cooking demonstrations from the community chefs. The interactive cooking demonstration will allow residents to enjoy the talents of the chefs, learn about food related to the music and sample delicious recipes.

Additionally, chefs will prepare special snacks each week for residents at “action stations.” One station will feature a dish that incorporates the month’s musical theme. Dining associates and residents will have the opportunity to mingle and learn while traveling

between stations.

“This year’s Celebrations theme strongly resonates with our residents and directly supports the dimensions of Optimum Life,” said Sara Terry, vice president of Optimum Life. “Our residents grew up in some of the most influential musical periods, making this a tangible theme. Through this program, residents are able to learn more about an existing area of interest and explore it in new, exciting ways. Music of Our Times is especially meaningful because residents can actively enjoy this theme in their everyday lives, despite age or physical limitations. We hope this theme will inspire seniors to appreciate the joy found in music.”

communities will have the opportunity for their culinary associates to be trained and certified to function as training centers, which will in turn allow additional communities across the country the opportunity to be trained and receive their certification in this program.

The Bakery & Pastry Certification program is yet another example of Brookdale’s continued commitment, investment and research in culinary systems and training to ensure the best dining experiences for the residents.

Enjoy!

Continued from page 22

A Connected Life Continued from page 20

Flavor Up! support necessary to roll out the program at their home communities. These two-day certification seminars are led by Brookdale’s distinguished faculty of The Culinary Arts Institute.

After implementing the program for 30 days, representatives of The Culinary Arts Institute followup the training, confirm that all of the elements of the program are being used appropriately, and present the chef their certification. Once certified, communities will receive an accreditation plaque proclaiming this achievement to proudly display in their community. The chefs also receive a certificate of completion as well as being provided a custom patch displaying the Bakery & Pastry Certification program seal to be applied to their chef coats.

The 16 certified training communities conduct weekly training sessions with culinary associates in Brookdale communities in their area to further expand this great program. As chefs complete the weekly training and successfully receive their certification in the program, they in turn will also receive a certification plaque for their community, a certificate of completion and a patch to apply to their chef coat.

Additional two-day certification seminars for future training communities are planned for June, August and October of 2012. During each seminar, additional

social way.

Eager to stay connected with their family members, the Turoffs utilized the expertise of Connected Living Ambassadors at their community to help them become more tech-savvy. After weekly lessons with their Connected Living Ambassador, the Turoffs were ready to Skype, proving to themselves and their grandchildren that age is no longer a hurdle to taking advantage of technology. Proud of their grandparents’ computer skills, the three grandchildren toured the couple around the house by carrying a laptop to each room. The Turoffs even saw the family’s outdoor pool.

Through Connected Living, the Turoffs transformed their travel limitations into a profound learning and emotional experience. Acquiring new computer skills enabled the Turoffs to personally connect with their family even though they were thousands of miles away.

Connected Living’s mission to enhance the lives of seniors by connecting them with family, friends, and community supports Brookdale’s Optimum Life® platform. Using the senior-focused technology offers opportunities for connection, fostering seniors’ relationships and encouraging a renewed sense of purpose.

Optimum Life is Brookdale’s philosophy of wellbeing that establishes the foundation for a positive aging experience by supporting the whole-person wellness of residents and associates through six key dimensions: purposeful, emotional, physical, social, spiritual, and Brookdale Senior Living / 36

intellectual. Through the six dimensions of wellness, Brookdale Senior Living creates opportunities based on the goals of residents to choose a healthy lifestyle that adds value to their lives. Studies have shown meaningful interactions and increased socialization can increase fulfillment considerably.

“We developed Connected Living as a resource for seniors to get connected and avoid being left behind in the digital age,” explains Sarah Hoit, chief executive officer and co-founder of Connected Living. “We want seniors to realize how their world opens up once they gain access to and knowledge about the internet, and how easily they can stay in touch with loved ones.

Seniors, in particular, need to have the technology to keep them out of isolation, slowing down the aging process.”

Connected Living strives to eliminate barriers to and stereotypes about seniors’ abilities. Together, Brookdale and Connected Living encourage seniors to continuously learn and grow.

Connected Living provides Brookdale residents with a customized homepage and personalized training from Ambassadors who provide explanations, motivation, and encouragement. Once a week, Connected Living Ambassadors run discussion group presentations to actively engage residents. Focusing on ways technology can enhance their lives and increase their knowledge, discussion group topics have included “Travelling the Great Barrier Reef,” “Presidential Trivia,” and “History of the First Ladies.”

“The discussion groups are very successful, and our residents love sharing their stories,” said Sarah Rieger, Resident Programs Director at the Seasons of Glenview, a Brookdale Senior Living retirement community in Glenview, Ill. “Residents are reaching out to people they might never have before. Our residents are sharing about families, careers, growing up, and also things that are harder to talk about, like surviving the Holocaust.”

Residents have a variety of options on the easy-touse Connected Living homepage. By choosing photos of recipients, residents are able to send emails to loved ones without having to remember—or find—individual email addresses. Through email, residents share stories of milestone life achievements, war stories, and family 3 7 / O p t i m u m L i f e - V o l . 3 , I ss u e 1

memories. Residents also upload photos to their page to permanently preserve their memories.

The internet section of the homepage lists the top visited websites for seniors, including Wikipedia, AARP, Google, and Skype, eliminating the daunting task of determining where to look for information.

To avoid frustration, Ambassadors teach residents the most efficient way to search for information online.

By gaining computer skills, seniors open up new avenues to learn through reading articles, watching videos, or emailing. These skills promote seniors’ independence and encourage growth.

Within communities, Connected Living helps residents achieve an Optimum Life through simplified ways to socialize. A resident photo directory allows Connected Living users to find fellow residents with shared interests and backgrounds, encouraging engagement within communities. An online calendar allows residents to view activities, menus, and schedules. Links to online videos provide residents with information about community activities, such as yoga, to determine if they are able to participate.

Social engagement is a more potent predictor of health and longevity than age, chronic disease, or risk factors such as smoking, according to Dr. Kevin O’Neil, MD, FACP, and chief medical director for Brookdale Senior Living. Through Connected Living, residents are finding new forms of social engagement.

One resident formed a special connection with his Connected Living Ambassador, who helped him find purpose and happiness in his final days. Tom Sheats, resident at Cedar Springs, a Brookdale Senior Living retirement community in Decatur, Ala., was reluctant to begin his Connected Living lessons with Ambassador Kourtney Henderson. After persistent encouragement from Henderson, Sheats finally opened up the idea of tackling the frustrating lesson of computer use.

The student and teacher quickly became close friends through their weekly lessons. Henderson became Sheats’ main confidant in the community.

Letter writing became the primary focus of their lessons. Sheats’ letters and computer skills improved significantly with the help of his friend and teacher, Henderson.

A few weeks later, Sheats passed away, but his memories live on as a result of his new-found talent for letter writing. When Sheats’ daughter came to Cedar Springs shortly after the loss of her father, Henderson expressed her condolences and explained to her that she was her father’s computer teacher.

“Yeah, Daddy showed me the letters he wrote,” his daughter said sorrowfully. “He was so happy to show them to me.”

Henderson realized she could show Sheats’ daughter something to bring her father’s memory to life. Henderson showed her Sheats’ latest work on his Connected Living page from just a few days prior to his passing. In his last entry, he talked about his daughter.

Through Connected Living, Brookdale residents learn a purposeful skill which enables them to reach new emotional and social levels. Sheats’ and Henderson’s work toward creating an Optimum Life enriched Sheats in his final days and created a lasting memory for his family.

Brookdale and Connected Living continue to develop additional programs supporting residents’ desire to acquire and improve their computer skills. In Fall 2011, Brookdale residents at the Heritage of Des Plaines, a Brookdale Senior Living community in Des Plaines, Ill., received tablets from Hewlett-Packard.

With the addition of the tablets, residents have learned the comfort and ease of technology first-hand. Residents reported enjoying the portability and ease of using the tablets anywhere in the community. Many residents even used the tablets from the comfort of their beds.

Based on the success of Connected Living in the Chicagoland communities, Brookdale introduced Connected Living to four communities in Arizona.

Residents from Heritage of Des Plaines skyped with their new Connected Living sister communities in Arizona to share their latest technology experiences.

Residents’ enthusiasm for the Connected Living program inspires Brookdale and Connected Living to create new opportunities for seniors to learn and to continue expanding the program at Brookdale Senior Living communities. As communities of the future, Brookdale communities utilizing Connected Living provide residents with endless possibilities for staying

engaged and connected.

Continued from page 25

Reflecting on Life meaningful project,” said Sara Terry, vice president of Optimum Life® for Brookdale Senior Living. “Dr. Pillemer’s work echoes the message of Brookdale’s Optimum Life platform, which encourages seniors to remain engaged and lead purposeful lives. Dr. Pillemer’s work will empower this generation to achieve an Optimum Life.”

Brookdale’s Optimum Life platform is geared toward cultivating whole-person wellness through fulfillment in the six key dimensions. The six dimensions of Optimum Life are purposeful, emotional, physical, social, spiritual and intellectual.

Contributing advice to 30 Lessons for Living created a new purpose for the senior participants. Dr. Pillemer relied on the seniors to provide their stories, and they could not let him down. He presented the seniors with intellectually stimulating questions whose answers required thoughtful reflection. Looking back on some of the most important times of their lives, the seniors contemplated emotional, social, physical and spiritual milestones.

“I feel honored and privileged to have my thoughts and life experiences included in this work,” said Irene Price, resident of Villas Summerfield, a Brookdale Senior Living retirement community in Syracuse, N.Y. “The sharing of one’s stories is very important for the generations. There is so much for the young generations to learn from our lives.”

The senior contributors provided readers with the most important lesson of all by simply partaking in the project: age cannot provide limitations on the remarkable influence an individual can generate.

Brookdale Senior Living / 38

Continued from page 28

Importance of Research sleep, incontinence, cholesterol, dry eyes and a dozen other ailments.

Have you heard that you should exercise several times each week? That suggestion is based on research that determined how long you should move and how hard you need to work. Do you wear a hat when you spend time in the sun? Research has shown that wearing a tightly-woven wide-brimmed hat may help protect your skin from sun damage. Making the right choices can help keep us healthier, happier and wealthier.

Research is what helps us separate worthwhile choices from bad habits and misinformation.

Do you know someone who is often in pain? Many people believe that being in pain is something that older adults just have to learn to live with. Pain wasn’t “normal” when you were 30, and it’s not “normal” now.

However, pain is a common concern for people over 70.

If we want to discover the most effective ways for older adults to control pain, it does not make sense to ask 20-year-olds to test a treatment. This approach may give us insight into relieving pain for 20-year-olds, but the results may be quite different when we inform an 80-year-old woman that we have the solution for her aching joints. Good research should involve people who are just like the people who will benefit from the discovery or the invention.

The residents of Trillium Place, a Brookdale Senior Living community in Columbus, Ohio, are learning new ways to manage pain. The Trillium Place residents who volunteer for this research project should benefit in two ways. They will learn how to manage their pain, and they will have the satisfaction of helping in the development of a pain management program designed specifically for older adults.

Despite the obvious, positive impact that research has on our lives, it can be hard to find older adults to participate in research studies. In fact, it is so difficult that several researchers have published articles on the challenges of locating older research volunteers, rather than publishing the answer to their original research 3 9 / O p t i m u m L i f e - V o l . 3 , I ss u e 1

question. The Institute for Optimal Aging is a research and education nonprofit organization that helps Brookdale Senior Living residents find safe research projects and helps researchers recruit willing older adults to take part in their studies.

Brookdale Senior Living associates pride themselves on providing Brookdale residents the opportunity to live an Optimum Life® by developing programs and services based on conversations with residents and family members and strengthened by empirical research.

A team from Brookdale and the Institute for Optimal Aging decides what research opportunities to offer to residents based on a list of topics that Brookdale residents and family members helped create. This list of research priorities helps us focus on issues that Brookdale residents listed as most important and that experts agreed are significant for optimal aging.

If you are interested in learning about research opportunities please contact the Institute for Optimal Aging at contact@optimalaging.com or by calling 615564-8155.

Purposeful

Emotional

Physical

Are you living your Optimum Life?

Spiritual

Social

Intellectual

Rock & Roll JULY 2012

Life at Brookdale is a Celebration!

Celebrations is Brookdale’s award winning, yearlong life enrichment and dining program that offers themed experiences, special events, and learning opportunities designed exclusively for our residents.

This

year

our

Celebrations

experience is themed: “Music of Our Times.” It provides opportunities to listen, learn, dance, and reminisce, supported by programs within the six dimensions of wellness. Our 2012 journey will encourage our residents to share their stories, make new friends, and have fun.

Join us to celebrate the songs, styles, and memories that comprise the “Music of Our Times.”