Beatitudes Community

Come Learn About Touchtown

It’s an old slogan, and a new product: TOUCHTOWN. Paper will not be going away but as a campus we continually work towards different ways to communicate with all of you. We feel touchtown is a great way to work towards reducing paper usage and a great way to keep everyone engaged and in the know! Resident touchtown ambassadors have been hard at work crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s in regards to the toucthtown app and developing a training class on the best way to utilize touchtown.

Ambassadors will be at the “touchtown help desk” every day from 11:00a-1:00p in the Bistro helping others download the app on your phone in preparation for trainings. Ambassadors will also be holding in person touchtown trainings on 9.10, 9.11, 9.12, and 9.13, you will need to sign up to attend those trainings but…..you can also do that at the “touchtown help desk”! Stop by during the help desk hours and sign up for a class, we hope all can come and visit!

Helping Keep Aging Couples Together

One of the things that we are so often asked about by couples visiting Beatitudes Campus and considering their future is about what the future may look like as the years go by. About 70 percent of people over the age of 65 will need some type of long-term care during their lifetime, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). On average, women will need care for a longer period of time (3.7 years), compared to men (2.2 years), and 20 percent of those age 65 and older will need care for more than five years.

An active, healthy lifestyle can help protect your mind and body from disease and injury—which often leads to a need for long-term care. This is why we offer such a wide range of opportunities through the Life Enrichment department.Mike Smallwood and Jon Schilling are always eager to help you put together individual plans to support that healthy lifestyle. However, there are no guarantees in life and the question of whether—and how long—you or your spouse may need care remains unknown.

Since aging is an individual thing, a couple should not expect that both partners will have the same needs throughout retirement. As a couple ages, one partner may require assisted living or skilled nursing services, while the other partner remains able to live independently.

A continuing care retirement community (CCRC)/lifeplan community can help couples prepare for the challenges that an unknown future may offer. CCRCs provide a continuum of services—from independent living to nursing-home level health care—that is available if and when needed. I often hear Becky Black, our Director of Sales & Marketing, refer to it as “peace of mind” in your back pocket. If, after moving onto the campus, one spouse eventually needs a higher level of health care services, the couple can still be together here at Beatitudes.

Here is an example of how a lifeplan community such as Beatitudes Campus can meet the needs of both partners over time:

Jim and Jane move into an independent living apartment or patio home here at the campus. A few years later, Jane is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The couple continues to live together for a couple of years, but as Jane’s needs change, she moves into another section of the campus to receive additional care and support. Jim continues to enjoy the social benefits of living within the retirement community and can visit with Jane, who is just a short walk away, whenever he wants.

Those of you who are reading this article as residents – congratulations! You took one of the most significant steps you could in planning for your future. Those who are reading and still considering—our residency counselors can help you take a look at all of the variables and help you develop a plan. Couples who seek peace of mind in the face of uncertainty may want to consider a lifeplan community/CCRC as a viable retirement living choice to ensure that both partners will be taken care of now and in the future. And residents, don’t forget that you can be financially rewarded for sharing the good news with friends and family – your first successful referral will earn you $1,000 and the amounts go up from there. Stop by the sales center to get your referral form and begin earning!

 

CLEAN KIDS – CLEAN CLOTHES – OFF TO SCHOOL!!

EASY, RIGHT?  NOT ALWAYS……..If you are a refugee family, buying cleaning supplies is a challenge, as you cannot get them with food stamps. Help us provide a month’s supply for a Maryland School refugee family.

Here’s what we need:

  • Laundry detergent
  • Dishwashing soap
  • Lotion
  • Toilet Cleaner
  • Toothpaste
  • Body soap
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Lotion
  • Two bath towels

Drop off Donations in the Box by February 10th.
Donation boxes are located in all building lobbies.

We are hoping to deliver these supplies to 22 families.  If you like, please include a note of support and encouragement to the family.  If they cannot read it, it is likely the children can translate for them – they are learning more quickly, especially with the help of tutors from our partnership who are helping them!

 

Solve the Puzzle

The puzzle of advance care medical planning has several factors working against it: while many of us have thought about what types of care we would – or would not — want if we were unable to communicate our wishes, only about one-third of adults have completed plans that make these wishes known. Of those over age 65, that number increases to just over half.

Like tax forms, these documents meet the needs of procrastinators nationwide. They seem, somehow, both complicated and boring at the same time, but are nevertheless essential to complete. Unlike taxes, there is no federal law compelling us to complete them. That is why April 16th has been designated as National Healthcare Decision Day, as a gentle nudge to move forward with this very personal task.

Barriers to completing this puzzle are typically either emotional or informational. We either simply don’t want to think about (or cannot imagine) a time when we are unable to exert control over ourselves and our bodies, or we aren’t sure how to go about making our wishes known ahead of time. However, the benefits of doing so far outweigh the minor inconvenience and forced introspection of putting a plan in place.

Not having documents such as Health Care Power of Attorney, Mental Health Care Power of Attorney, and Living Will compromise your independence when you need it most. We need to be able to assert our wishes so that our values can emerge even under difficult circumstances, should they arise. In this spirit, I invite you to attend the Advance Planning Puzzle 101 on Wednesday, April 12th, from 2:00-3:00PM in the Agelink Great Room. We will review the scope of these three documents, as well as how to complete them and what to do with them once completed. No need to RSVP for this event.

Upcoming Focus Group

In addition to helping you with your Advance Planning needs, I would love to hear from you about other issues or resource assistance you feel is relevant to improving your experience here at Beatitudes Campus. I will be meeting informally with interested residents on Tuesday, March 7th, from 10:00 to 11:00AM, here in the Success Matters office in the Agelink building. If you’d like to stop by, please let me know at x16117. If you can’t make it that morning, just give me a call to share your thoughts any time.

Success Matters Welcomes Josephine Levy

Thank you for welcoming me to Beatitudes Campus – I am so happy to be here as the new Success Matters Resource Navigator, a position that will enable me to work with residents to find needed resources and answer questions. This is a new position that will develop under the guidance of Jessica Meyer, who is already a tremendous resource herself as well as a delightful colleague.

I first became interested in learning more about the aging process when I was a hospice volunteer. From that six-year experience I learned firsthand that we are all part of this great thing called living and dying, and that we are intimately tied to one another throughout this whirlwind of a journey. I also learned how to double-bag trash cans, haul laundry bags, and make a great grilled cheese sandwich.

At that time I was working as a high school guidance counselor; before that I taught English for nine years. Some people might wonder about the shift from working with adolescents to older adults, but I see it as a natural transition. Both younger people and older people are faced with issues of changing identity and growth. Both are subject to stereotyping and generalizations. It seemed to me that our society does not take the time to appreciate the subtleties of the aging process.

My academic interests culminated in a Master of Arts, Gerontology degree from USC. This exposed me to a wide range of social, political and biological issues that affect our lives. I completed the USC Andrus Gerontology Center’s Executive Certificate in Home Modification, as well as the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) designation. I realized how much the physical living environment plays a key role in maintaining dignity and autonomy, and how we can alter it to suit our changing needs. Too often we assume the problem is within ourselves, when really, it is in the physical barriers we have created that surround us.

Most recently, I worked as the Managing Director of Tempe Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a volunteer-based nonprofit that provides resources to Tempe residents who are aging in place. My work in this capacity solidified my interest in providing resources to others that help make aging a more satisfying experience.

I’m a Phoenix native and although every summer I can’t believe I still live here, that seems to be the case. I have a husband, four cats and a dog who surround me with affection, joy and chores. I enjoy yoga, reading newspapers, watching Frasier reruns and desert landscaping. Again, thank you for welcoming me to Beatitudes Campus and I look forward to learning and growing along with you on our common journey.

Third Class Ticket

Back when the West was being settled the major means of transportation was the stagecoach – we have all seen them in western movies. What you might not know is that the stagecoach had three different kinds of tickets: first-class, second-class, and third-class. If you had a first-class ticket that meant you could remain seated during the entire trip no matter what happened. If the stagecoach got stuck in the mud, or had trouble making it up a steep hill, or even if a wheel fell off, you could remain seated because you had a first-class ticket.

If you had a second-class ticket you also could remain seated…until there was a problem. In case of a problem, second-class ticket holders would have to get off until the problem was resolved. You could stand off to the side and watch as other people worked. You did not have to get your hands dirty. But second-class ticket holders were not allowed to stay on board. When the stagecoach was unstuck you would get back on and take your seat.

If you had a third-class ticket, you would definitely have to get off if there was a problem. Why? Because it was your responsibility to help solve the problem. You had to get out and push or help lift to fix a broken wheel or whatever was needed because you only had a third-class ticket.  I believe that God intended for us all to have 3rd class tickets because we all need to be a part in helping to solve the problems in this world.  Those who feel they have 1st class tickets can bemoan the state of our country and complain about what’s happening and they sit there watching everyone else do the work.  2nd class ticket holders can stand on the sidelines as well, passively marking the passage of time until the train starts again.  3rd class ticket holders are co-creators with God getting the job done. How are you participating in bringing heaven to earth?

A Dog Named Angel

Last month, on my way to work each day, I would see a homeless man and his dog on the corner of Thunderbird and 7th Street with a sign saying “Social Security is not enough”. After seeing him each day I decided to stop and talk with him to find out his story.

He told me his name is Richard and his dog is Angel. I, being a rescue dog owner of three dogs, was drawn to him by Angel. He told me he has advanced neuropathy in his legs, loss of teeth and memory lapse all due to exposure to mercury vapor while at his place of employment for the past decade.

I brought food for both him and his dog. After talking with him I sensed that he was a good guy and not a scammer. He just fell on hard times and needs someone to give him a helping hand. Both he and Angel looked miserable since it was very cold. They both were dirty and in need of a shower. I found him a hotel room for the night and drove him there. He cried when I got him to the hotel room. I told him all was good, to get a shower, bathe the dog and be ready for the next day.

I picked Richard and Angel up the next morning to visit social services to get shelter. We went downtown to Jackson Street where the homeless center is located. It was shocking to see hundreds of homeless people and pets camped out around the facility. We found our way there and got into the office only to be turned away due to the fact that Angel did not have proof of all her shots. We left there and headed back to central Phoenix. We tried a weekly apartment complex. He had money to pay but the manager turned us away saying his dog was not allowed. She was too big. This was not true since we heard a large dog barking in one of the apartments. She just did not like the way he looked, homeless.

I took him to his medical appointments and then back to Sunnyslope where he camps out, back on the street once again. I told him I would continue to help him and Angel get back on their feet.

I contacted my veterinarian, Dr. Cook, at Lookout Mountain Vet Clinic in Moon Valley. I asked if he could donate spay and shots for Angel. He offered to do microchip ID, all shots, and spay for just $100, his cost. I then needed to find a place for Angel to recover from her surgery. I contacted Second Home Pet Resort also in Moon Valley. Jordan, the director, offered a week stay and bath for free. Both places deserve a big thank you for their kindness.

During my weekly visits with Richard at his “work corner” I was amazed and pleased by the outpouring of support from drivers stopping to help. Angel was supplied with bags of food, treats and doggie vests to keep warm. Richard got money, food, gift cards and clothes. It was nice to see that there still is some compassion in our world these days.

Halo Animal Rescue Thrift store had a customer buy a brand new dog vest from PetSmart. Angel loved wearing it. Michelle, at the Halo store, has offered to help furnish a place once Richard is settled. The outpouring continues. Everyone to whom I tell the story offers to help.

I am now working on finding Richard a new home, either an affordable guest house, trailer park home, or apartment so that he can once again feel good about himself and look forward to each day once again. So you see, angels come to us in the most unexpected ways. Angel, his dog and companion for her three years of life, beckoned me to approach them. Her eyes said please help us. She truly is his guardian angel.
I have learned a lot from my befriending Richard and Angel. I found parts of me that were buried deep inside. The joy I feel in helping them is so rewarding. The fact that I can make someone’s or an animal’s life better makes it all worth doing.

I now am so thankful that I have our home, my partner David of 17 years and my career at the Gift Shop at Beatitudes Campus to support us. God has blessed my life. He has given me the means to help others. Giving and sharing is what life is all about. So, thank you to a very special dog named Angel. *