Changes ahead in long-term care
Changes ahead in long-term care
UMRA’s February workshop, moderated by Ron Anderson, presented three speakers picked for their expertise in the fields of senior housing and long-term care.
Trends in senior housing
Susan Farr, a vice president at Ebenezer, Minnesota’s largest senior-living operator, noted that Minnesota was #3 in the overall rankings of Best States in the 2019 Aging in America report from U.S. News and World Report. Farr predicted that the share of seniors choosing to remain in single-family residences will remain “flat” for the next 15 years. She also predicted shortages in caregivers, chore service providers, and others needed to enable seniors to “age in place.” Farr expects costs to rise for seniors who live in either homes or facilities, including assisted living, memory care, and general retirement communities. All specialized services will require better-trained staff. Farr also predicted increased use of “smart technology” for senior care in the future.
Advocating for seniors in conflicts
Cheryl Hennen, director of the State Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care, coordinates 20 full-time and hundreds of volunteer advocates for seniors in housing and caregiving conflicts. Together, these advocates receive, investigate, and resolve complaints from residents and families involved in long-term care, including seniors living at home who use a variety of in-home care services. Hennen said her office will double in size after the new Minnesota assisted living licensing system goes into effect August 1, 2021.
Assessing satisfaction with assisted living
Tetyana Shippee, PhD, a social gerontologist and associate professor in the School of Public Health, described a collaboration between the University and the Minnesota Department of Human Services to develop a statewide “report card” to help consumers make better-informed decisions about individual assisted living facilities. There is currently no standardized comparative information available, she said, adding, “Assisted living as a field is still in its infancy, but it is growing exponentially.” Shippee serves on the Minnesota Department of Health Assisted Living Licensure Advisory Committee and described many of the intricacies of state decision-making.
Adjusting to senior housing
Earl Nolting acted as discussant for the workshop, describing his downsizing and 2018 move to a continuing care retirement community and briefly highlighting the decisions, problems, and satisfactions involved. As an UMRA Cares Committee member, he has volunteered to share the details of his experience with others considering a move. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or call/text him at 651-895-4289.
—Earl Nolting, UMRA Cares Committee
February workshop: Senior housing and long-term care
Tue, February 25 2020, 1:30pm
Campus Club 4th Floor, West Wing Dining Room
Probably the most difficult decisions we face as retirees concern where and how we live and how to make arrangements for long-term care (LTC). February’s workshop will bring in experts to help us with these decisions.
Depicting the fast-evolving senior housing and health delivery landscape will be Susan Farr, a vice president at Ebenezer, Minnesota’s largest senior-living operator. Describing how to get help on LTC issues will be Cheryl Hennen, state ombudsman for long-term care at the Minnesota Board on Aging. And discussing quality of life indicators for senior care will be Tetyana Shippee, PhD, a social gerontologist and associate professor in the U of M School of Public Health Division of Health Policy and Management. Earl Nolting, former chair of the UMRA Cares Committee, will serve as discussant, and Ron Anderson will be the moderator.
Of those turning 65 in the U.S. today, a third will eventually move into assisted living or skilled nursing facilities. Minnesota had no assisted living facilities in 1980, but now has 1,500. The number of “memory care” facilities is also skyrocketing. However, the majority of people older than 65 who need LTC get care at home, called “aging in place.”
Given the large number of LTC facilities, it is not surprising that quality-of-service issues arise. The State established the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care to help. Its work will double in 2021 when Minnesota’s new licensing framework for assisted living communities goes into effect.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services “Nursing Home Report Card” gives nursing homes quality ratings that can be used in selecting facilities. The U’s Division of Health Policy and Management has projects to help move toward creating an Assisted Living Report Card.
Keep in mind that the senior housing facilities with the best reputations have long waiting lists, some with wait times of five to ten years. Seniors should plan many years in advance of actual need, and our February workshop is designed with that in mind.
Come with your stories and questions for the speaker panel.
—Ron Anderson, Cares Committee
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.