Must Reads: Broken Promises in Assisted Living, Health Care’s Weakest Link

Top news organizations around the country recently ran these must-read stories related to senior housing.

How a Retirement Community is Embracing the Internet of Things—Episcopal Senior Communities is one of the senior living providers turning to pendant technology to monitor residents’ whereabouts, as well as get more data on the responsiveness of staff. The technology is improving resident safety, but an Episcopal program manager and systems analyst still sees the industry lagging because it is so tied to paper records.

The Median Cost of a U.S. Nursing Home Tops $91,000 a Year, Forcing Families to Reconsider Care—Some assisted living facilities promise not to evict residents who tap out personal funds and must enroll on Medicaid, but then go back on their word, The Associated Press reports. That’s just one difficult scenario that seniors and family members are facing due to the ballooning costs of care and lack of financing mechanisms for middle-income individuals. 

When Losing Memory Means Losing Home—Journalist and writer Greg O’Brien was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2009. Now he’s preparing to leave his long-time home and has uncovered a “trove of memories” in the form of old notes and journals, including some from his children.

The Weakest Part Of America’s Health Care System—“Leaving a hospital with a frail older adult in tow is like stepping off a cliff blindfolded,” writes Anne Tumlinson, formerly of Avalere Health and founder of Anne Tumlinson Innovations and daughterhood.org. The expert on aging issues shares five tips on making the transition smoother, including being proactive about choosing where to receive post-acute rehab care.

The Secret to a Happier, Healthier Life: Just Retire—Contrary to some depictions of retirement as causing a sense of purposelessness, it actually increases happiness and improves health, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper. This is the first study to link retirement with long-run health benefits, the authors say.

Written by Tim Mullaney