Spring Senior Living

POLK COUNTY SENIOR LI V ING

Jana’s

sale process so much easier for both of us. She seemed to have all the answers to our real estate questions. Her SRES (Senior Real Estate Specialist) designation means that she has been trained specifically focusing on the needs of buyers who are 50+.

made

Jana assisted us in selling our home and finding a new one. Jana was very knowledgeable about market conditions and appropriate terms and pricing. All went smoothly, and we proceeded from contract to closing with very little effort required on our end.

THE SINGLETONS

Jana and Megan Fogg are a mother-daughter team. Megan is a 3rd generation Realtor! Jana has 20+ years of Real Estate experience and has her SRES designation. Why work with a Seniors Real Estate Specialist? SRES® designees have unparalleled training and experience in seniors real estate. So whether you are looking for your first home or your happily ever after, Jana and Megan Fogg is here to help!

JANA

Walk Your Way to Wellness

Exercise doesn’t have to be complicated. For older adults in particular, walking 20-30 minutes per day is a simple, enjoyable, and accessible way to help seniors maintain a healthy lifestyle that’s focused on whole-person wellness.

The Dallas Retirement Village offers its residents an 8 Dimensions of Wellness program — a holistic approach to senior living that supports an ongoing pursuit of life enrichment. Here are just a few ideas to illustrate how walking covers all the bases of 8 Dimensions:

- Physical: Walking as a physical activity supports a strong and healthy body. It’s tremendously effective as a low-cost senior wellness program as it improves cardiovascular health and prevents/manages various conditions such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and pain reduction. And it improves overall mood, reduces stress, relieves tension, and more.

- Social: What’s better than using a nice long walk as an opportunity to connect with friends and combat all too common social isolation and elderly loneliness.

- Emotional: Talk to a regular walker and he or she will attest that walking helps clear the mind and enhances one’s outlook on life.

- Spiritual: Walking provides time to meditate, reflect, explore, and deepen your inner-most thoughts and beliefs.

- Vocational: Walking is a great way to use your physical abilities for life enrichment through exercise.

- Intellectual: Use your walking time to exercise your mind to maintain cognitive function and/or learn something new. Listen to a book, podcast or music, or investigate nature.

- Environmental: Walking outdoors helps make you one with nature and promotes a positive impact on you due to the quality of the world around you.

- Health Services: These are there when or if you might need them, but they’re held at bay by walking that helps you feel well and stay well, too!

A HEALTHY APPRECIATION FOR A GOOD WALK

Dallas Retirement Village makes wellness an enjoyable part of every day. Life Enrichment Director Hilary Boyce said several of the residents seek out opportunities to walk for exercise regularly either on their own or with a friend.

“Currently, regularly scheduled walking classes are in transition, but our Wellness Coordinator Tiffany Garcia is starting up a walking group and mapping our beautiful 30-acre campus where there’s plenty of room to roam,” Boyce said. “Additionally, the town of Dallas is extremely walkable, and Dallas City Park — with its lovely trails, a creek, and botanical garden — is right across the street from our community.”

DALLAS RETIREMENT VILLAGE PHOTO

Dallas Retirement Village Wellness leader, Barbara, takes residents on an outdoor walk.

TIPS FROM TIFFANY

Balance and fall prevention is a topic of interest for many seniors. So, as you walk:

- Focus on your posture and form as a good way to improve your balance and coordination.

- Make sure your posture is helping you, not hurting you. Walk with your head up, neck and back relaxed, arms swinging.

- Walk in areas that are clearly defined by paths and walkways.

THE VILLAGE BIRDERS: WALKING, LEARNING AND LOVING OUTDOOR LIFE

Three years ago, Dallas Retirement Village residents Jim and Jeanette Scott discovered a unique opportunity to combine many of the 8 Dimensions of Wellness through birdwatching in and around the community. Walking for exercise. Sharing time with friends. Learning about birds. Experiencing nature all around. Since 2020, a resident interest group has grown out of the Scotts’ idea. It’s called The Village Birders.

“Getting outside to enjoy the fresh air and all the beauty of nature has always been a way to ‘trick’ myself into exercising,” Jim said. “Beyond that, I always find our bird walks relaxing and emotionally recharging.”

TRAMMART

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The walks are twice a month April through June, and then again in September and October. Normally, there are around a dozen resident Birders — the right number for good participation and hearing Jim said. The Birders start in the morning at 9 a.m., and the walk is normally under a mile in length.

“Once we make our way out of the bus, we go at a slow pace so everyone can participate,” Jim said.

When the bird walks began in 2020, the group just walked around the campus of Dallas Retirement Village. The next year, the community provided a bus and driver. Now, the group goes to a variety of local, city, county, and state parks — those recognized as area Hotspots by ebird.com where Jim submits all his birding observations. (Jim also registered Dallas Retirement Village on the national eBird Hotspot.)

“I’ve come to realize the bus ride is a primary motivation — birding is secondary,” Jim joked. “Almost 100% of our residents would never go for a bird walk on their own — it’s socialization that’s the draw!”

Jim originally started collecting wildlife data in the early 1980s on high mountain lakes for fly-fishing. It grew to include hiking and skiing destinations, and then information on everything from wildflowers to birds and animals. You can check out Jim’s Cascade Ramblings website at http:// cascaderamblings.blogspot.com and see photos depicting all the fun The Village Birders have on his excursions.

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Planning Your Retirement

Are you eligible to claim the IRS Saver’s Credit?

“The IRS offers an incentive to lower your tax bill when you save for retirement. Many taxpayers may be eligible to claim the Saver’s Credit, but they may not know that it exists. Also referred to as the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit, the Saver’s Credit can reduce federal income taxes for eligible taxpayers who save for retirement through a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

The 23rd Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey finds that fewer than half (49 percent) of workers are aware of the Saver’s Credit.

“People who are saving for retirement may be able to claim the Saver’s Credit and reduce their federal taxes,” said Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of nonprofit Transamerica Institute® and its Center for Retirement Studies. “Some people may be confusing the tax credit with the tax-advantaged treatment of retirement accounts. The idea of a double tax benefit may sound too good to be true, but both are available to eligible savers.”

WHAT IS THE SAVER’S CREDIT?

The Retirement Savings Contributions Credit is a non-refundable tax credit for contributions an eligible taxpayer makes to a 401(k), 403(b) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan, a traditional or Roth IRA, or an ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) account. In this context, “non-refundable” means the credit cannot exceed a person’s federal income tax for the year. The maximum credit is $1,000 for single filers or individuals and $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. According to TCRS’ analysis of IRS data, the average amount of the Saver’s Credit in 2020 was $186.

TIPS FOR CLAIMING THE SAVER’S CREDIT

1. Check Your Eligibility

To be eligible, the maximum Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for single filers is $34,000 in 2022 and $36,500 in 2023. For the head of a household, the AGI maximum is $51,000 in 2022 and $54,750 in 2023. For those who are married filing jointly, the AGI maximum is $68,000 in 2022 and $73,000 in 2023.

You must be 18 years or older by Jan. 1 and cannot be a full-time student or be claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return. Consider using the IRS’s online tool to help determine if you are eligible for the Saver’s Credit.

2. Save for Retirement

To claim the Saver’s Credit on your 2022 tax return, you must have contributed to a 401(k), a 403(b), or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan, or an ABLE account during 2022. Contributions to traditional or Roth IRAs are also eligible, and you have until April 18 to make an IRA contribution for tax year 2022. Rollover contributions are not eligible for the credit.

3. File Your Tax Return and Claim the Saver’s Credit

Let the IRS help you file your federal taxes with its Free File program. The program’s eight partners offer online tax preparation tools, free, to taxpayers with an AGI of $73,000 or less. More at www.irs.gov/FreeFile.

- When using an online tax preparation tool, be sure to answer questions about the Saver’s Credit, also referred to by the IRS as the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit, and Credit for Qualified Retirement Savings Contributions.

- If you prepare your tax return manually, complete

GRAPHIC BY NAPSI

Form 8880, Credit for Qualified Retirement Savings Contributions, to determine your exact credit rate and amount. Then transfer the amount to line 4 on Schedule 3, which is used with Forms 1040, 1040-SR, and 1040-NR.

- If you use a professional tax preparer, be sure to ask about the Saver’s Credit.

“Saving consistently over time is fundamental to achieving a financially secure retirement,” said Collinson. “Another way to help boost your savings is to directly deposit your tax refund into an IRA. Saving more now could help you reap more later.”

Remember, this important tax credit may help reduce what you owe in federal taxes or increase your refund. Be sure to check your eligibility. Help spread the word about the Saver’s Credit by telling family, friends, and colleagues.

For more details and resources on the Saver’s Credit in English and Spanish, visit Transamerica Institute at www.transamericainstitute.org/SaversCredit or the IRS at www.irs.gov.

Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies® is an operating division of Transamerica Institute®, a nonprofit, private foundation.

Senior Centers: Community Cornerstones

Over time, people collect a lot of ideas. Some of these ideas have to do with aging, what being an “older adult” looks like, and what a Senior Center can be to them. Many people are surprised when they look at a calendar of events at their local Senior Center and discover more than just cards and bingo.

There are exciting opportunities to try new things. At the Monmouth Senior Community Center (located at 180 Warren St. S in downtown Monmouth), we are able to provide a diverse offering of programs and events to promote life-long learning, health and wellness, and ways to thrive in the community as a whole.

Through some wonderful and strong partnerships with outside organizations, we have been able to keep the majority of our programs and classes free to the public. We are supported as part of the City of Monmouth and also have a non-profit fundraising arm called the Friends of the Monmouth Senior Center. Our Friends group offers regular fundraising events such as a monthly pancake breakfast, Soup & Pie, Victorian Tea, and Holiday Bazaar.

Our regular programming includes a variety of exercise classes, art, scrapbooking, movie matinees, bingo, music, cards, writing, storytelling, health and wellness education, and so much more. In addition to all of the events in our physical building we are a resource hub for the community. Call with any questions and we will help direct you to the right

agency to help with your needs. Support groups, financial assistance, transportation, and more can just be a phone call away. We are here to help.

When a person first walks in the front door, they are often starting a new chapter of their life. This can be due to a loss, a move, retirement, or a number of other transitions. When a newcomer enters this space, we try and make them feel welcomed and also provide information. We want to be able to offer programs to older community members that cater to the whole person.

It’s important to consistently provide resources, classes, and information that impact any individual on a physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social level. By offering a wide variety of choices and even classes that touch on all of these elements at once, we are helping older community members to challenge their ideas about what an “older adult” looks like and how they can utilize a Senior Center.

BARBARA CRONIN, Director of Monmouth Senior Center

We invite you to walk in the door, grab a cup of coffee, connect with other community members, engage in life-long learning, and have some fun! To join in the fun, there is no fee and only a simple form to fill out to receive a sign-in key tag. This helps us collect information about how the building is being used day to day. It is possible to not only to connect through programs, but also by volunteering.

Whether it’s joining a board, answering phones, or serving food, there are dozens of ways to stay busy while benefiting the community as a thriving, active member. Take the opportunity to update your notions of what a Senior Center can do for you!

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Eldergrow garden connects seniors to nature year round

With the help of an innovative therapeutic sensory gardening program, residents of Dallas Retirement Village’s memory care and skilled nursing care can now enjoy a connection to nature all year long. In October, the community acquired two indoor, mobile gardens, each one featuring a raised area with organic soil for planting flowers, vegetables and herbs.

Created by Seattle-based Eldergrow™ and funded through a grant from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that was spearheaded by LeadingAge Oregon, Eldergrow therapeutic sensory gardens encourage seniors to work with and nurture plants even during the coldest months of the year. Residents help create the initial garden, maintain the plants, and replace them seasonally.

Watch a short video to see how the Eldergrow therapeutic sensory garden works online at https://watch.oneday.com/v/zbNwscoPwT.

The Eldergrow garden club comes with big benefits. Studies show that being around plants improves emotional well-being, reduces anxiety, stress, and depression, and improves memory and focus—all important contributors to quality of life, especially for older adults living in memory care and skilled nursing care residences. Gardening increases physical activity and improves motor skills. Eldergrow gardens also cultivate a shared sense of purpose among residents and encourage interacting and socializing.

In addition to visual stimulation that lifts people’s moods, the gardens include engaging educator-led therapeutic programs and activities for seniors focused on horticulture, nutrition, and garden art. In one of our classes this fall, residents learned about the health benefits of pumpkins, the difference between herbs and spices, and made a spiced pumpkin mousse. In another class, residents created festive terrarium holiday ornaments from moss, plant cuttings, and other natural items.

“The gardens have been well received by residents. They’re engaged and look forward to the classes,” said Hilary Boyce, life enrichment director for Dallas Retirement Village.

During warmer months, residents garden in outdoor raised beds, growing flowers, herbs, and seasonal vegetables. The Eldergrow gardens are the first to bring nature indoors. They are the latest example of the community’s ongoing pursuit to provide meaningful programs for older adults that contribute to all dimensions of wellness.

Eldergrow gardens are handcrafted locally in Washington by a team of veterans and adults with disabilities as part of a job-skills training program.

If you have questions or want to see the new Eldergrow gardens in person, contact the Dallas Retirement Village at https://bit.ly/3YKCnxB.

Shining Light on Fall Prevention

Falls in nursing homes

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in U.S. adults aged 65 or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The economic impact of falls is immense, with fatal falls estimated to cost $754 million and nonfatal falls $50 billion annually. As the aging population enters long-term care facilities, fall prevention will become an increasingly important public health priority. The good news is a novel approach has recently come to light.

A first-of-its-kind, two-year study conducted by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders—a division of Harvard University—and the Midwest Lighting Institute (MLI) found that dynamic, tunable lighting systems, when implemented at long-term care facilities, reduced falls by 43% compared to facilities that retained traditional lighting. The study focused on the positive effects of lighting on alertness, cognitive function, and sleep and how this affects fall risk.

For people who seldom get outside to experience daylight, such as older adults living in nursing homes, the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle is disrupted. While this disruption can cause dangerous falls leading to injuries and worse, the results of this study show how institutional settings can implement lighting changes to their environment to make it safer for both residents and workers.

“The lighting we used in the study implemented specific spectrum and intensity levels timed to regularize sleep-wake cycles and boost the daytime alerting effects of light,” said Brian Liebel, director of research at MLI, the non-profit organization that designed the study as part of its mission to improve lives by putting existing scientific findings about light into real-world practice. “When residents experience improved alertness and cognitive function during the day and better sleep at night, it not only improves their well-being, but also improves the working conditions for staff.”

The system was installed in several long-term care facilities with goals of maximizing the home-like environment and helping residents, especially dementia patients, with “sundowning,” which is the increased confusion, exit seeking, anxiety and verbal/physical aggression many experience in the afternoon and evening.

“There was just a general calmness at 6 p.m. with the lights dimmed, noticeably different as soon as it was installed,” said Jennifer Nelson, dietary aide at Maple Ridge Care Center in Wisconsin. She noticed a tremendous difference in terms of behaviors such as exit seek-

ing and anxiety, especially among dementia patients. Current strategies to reduce falls typically include complex, multicomponent interventions requiring significant resources, staff time and resident education. The study’s promising results, published in the “Journal of the American Medical Directors Association,” provide a noninvasive and relatively inexpensive method for lowering the risk of falls in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

“What we know now is that modern lighting technology can promote the body’s health and overall well-being, resulting in a decreased risk of falls among seniors.” said Rodney Heller, president of MLI. “We believe these findings could pave the way for improving the health outcomes of those not only in nursing homes and longterm care facilities, but also in schools, hospitals, office buildings and in industrial environments with 24-hour shifts.”

In the years ahead, fall prevention will become an increasingly important public health priority. The good news is that we have a solution to reducing falls and it has enormous potential to improve well-being and save lives.

PHOTO BY MONKEYBUSINESSIMAGES / ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES PLUS

✓ First walk-in tub available with a customizable shower

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