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Aged Care Communities Planned to Serve Unique Interests

Auburn_Gallipoli_Mosque
Image Credit: Gallipoli Mosque, Sydney Australia by photographer, Jbarta, Wickipedia

A Muslim Aged Care Community is planned in Sydney, adjacent to the Gallipoli mosque. The architects have blended the mosque and the care community. The community plans seek to address religious requirements, such as beds facing the Qibla, prayer rooms, residential clusters to allow for segregation and Islamic themed decor. The Mosque attracts worshippers from over 20 nationalities including Turkish, Lebanese, Indian, Egyptian, Iranian, Syrian, Afghani, Iraqi, Pakistani and Bangladeshi.

This is one example of a growing trend of aged care providers who are integrating the lifestyle and preferences of an affinity group into the development and design of their communities.

Person-Centered + Non-Invasive Technology = Excellence in Dementia Care

IAHSA’s U.S. Chapter, LeadingAge recently awarded the Excellence in Dementia Care Award to Presbyterian SeniorCare, a nonprofit provider of aging services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that developed a residential Alzheimer’s community aimed at promoting self-care through non-invasive technology. The award recognizes an organization for creating programs or services that are models of excellence and contribute significantly to the quality of life of individuals with dementia.

At the personal care community of Woodside Place, Presbyterian SeniorCare developed the Woodside Experience over 20 years ago and has been improving it ever since as a model of Alzheimer’s and dementia care. They continue to take advantage of new ideas, technologies and practices including spaced retrieval, Montessori-based dementia programming and adaptive technologies such as It’s Never 2 Late (IN2L).

In 2012, Presbyterian SeniorCare began to work closely with NewCare Solutions to adapt their bed sensors without alarms to meet the needs of a dementia specific community. The solution called Silent Alert was piloted in phases across the community to carefully track outcomes, identify issues and opportunities, and make modifications to optimize the solution. As a result, the product underwent real-time and significant changes based upon feedback provided by the Woodside Place team. The sleep algorithm, for instance, did not exist at the beginning of the pilot, but was added after NewCare and the Woodside Place team realized that the data could be interpreted to highlight residents that were not feeling well. NewCare took this input and automated the process by developing the SASI sleep index.

To measure the impact of implementing the SilentAlert Sleep Monitoring System, night time falls were analyzed for a period of 7 months prior to our implementation of the system. The data were compared to the average results between October 2012 and June, 2014 and revealed more than a 40% reduction in night time falls. The Sleep Monitoring Algorithm also proved effective in helping identify resident health issues such as urinary tract infections. The system tracks the sleep cycle of the each resident and the team is able to see changes in baseline. The early identification of these issues allowed staff to proactively address these conditions, thereby avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and reducing overall falls risk to the residents – even during the day.

Person-Centered + Non-Invasive Technology = Excellence in Dementia Care

IAHSA’s U.S. Chapter, LeadingAge recently awarded the Excellence in Dementia Care Award to Presbyterian SeniorCare, a nonprofit provider of aging services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that developed a residential Alzheimer’s community aimed at promoting self-care through non-invasive technology. The award recognizes an organization for creating programs or services that are models of excellence and contribute significantly to the quality of life of individuals with dementia.

At the personal care community of Woodside Place, Presbyterian SeniorCare developed the Woodside Experience over 20 years ago and has been improving it ever since as a model of Alzheimer’s and dementia care. They continue to take advantage of new ideas, technologies and practices including spaced retrieval, Montessori-based dementia programming and adaptive technologies such as It’s Never 2 Late (IN2L).

In 2012, Presbyterian SeniorCare began to work closely with NewCare Solutions to adapt their bed sensors without alarms to meet the needs of a dementia specific community. The solution called Silent Alert was piloted in phases across the community to carefully track outcomes, identify issues and opportunities, and make modifications to optimize the solution. As a result, the product underwent real-time and significant changes based upon feedback provided by the Woodside Place team. The sleep algorithm, for instance, did not exist at the beginning of the pilot, but was added after NewCare and the Woodside Place team realized that the data could be interpreted to highlight residents that were not feeling well. NewCare took this input and automated the process by developing the SASI sleep index.

To measure the impact of implementing the SilentAlert Sleep Monitoring System, night time falls were analyzed for a period of 7 months prior to our implementation of the system. The data were compared to the average results between October 2012 and June, 2014 and revealed more than a 40% reduction in night time falls. The Sleep Monitoring Algorithm also proved effective in helping identify resident health issues such as urinary tract infections. The system tracks the sleep cycle of the each resident and the team is able to see changes in baseline. The early identification of these issues allowed staff to proactively address these conditions, thereby avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and reducing overall falls risk to the residents – even during the day.

Global Ageing Hero to Speak at Perth

Dr. Alexandre Kalache, an early champion of health promotion who coined the term “active aging” and introduced the idea of age-friendly communities in 2007 will be a features speaker at the IAHSA/ACSA Conference in Perth Australia 31 August – 4 September 2015.

Dr. Kalache looks to the future optimistically, noting that those who are coming of age have a very different life course than those in the current cohort of older people. He cites the emergence of women with their own money and able to make their own decisions, a cohort that is healthier, with greater access to information and, for many, a better idea about what they want to do with the rest of their lives. These and other factors will create a vibrancy as societies grow older. Kalache notes, “it will be different, although I can’t tell you exactly how it will be different.”

Dr. Kalache directed the WHO Global Ageing and Life Course Programme. During that time, he launched the Active Ageing Policy framework. He is currently President of the International Longevity Centre in Brazil and serves as a global ambassador of HelpAge International.

Click here to learn more about the Global Ageing Conference in Perth Australia. 

Image Credit: Photo taken from http://zh.clicrbs.com.br/ credited to Ver Descricao

“The World We Want” — Join the UN Campaign!

As the United Nations looks to adopt the proposed the 2015 Sustainability Development Goals. IAHSA has joined other NGO’s to ensure that ageing is among the priorities. The United Nations is reaching out to find out what matters to people the most through its “World We Want” campaign.  Lend your voice!

What are the key challenges of older people today? What must we do today to improve the lives of future generations of older people? What would you like to say to heads of states about the ever increasing global population of older people? 

This is your chance to not only express your hopes but to encourage those we serve, those who live in our neighborhoods and our family members to speak out. Share your thoughts on these important issues today!

Age Friendly Ireland Goes to Perth

Hugh O’Connor, head of the expansive and successful age friendly cities and counties initiative in Ireland, will be delivering a plenary address at the IAHSA/ACSAjoint conference in Perth, Australia August 31 – September 1. Ireland was the first EU country to commit to a nationwide age-friendly initiative. The goal: make Ireland a truly great place in which to grow old.

The voice of older people is at the heart of the program and they have spoken – above all, they want to be safe and secure and they want to get where they need to go. Age-friendly programs are now in place in 24 cities and counties with 3 more on the drawing board. Hugh O’Connor will share the secret to his success as CEO of Age Friendly Ireland. He was worked for 15 years in social policy, research and consulting. His published work has focused on marginalized and at-risk groups in Irish society.

To learn more about this plenary session or other session speakers at the Global Ageing Conference in Perth, visit our conference website.