Healthy, Happy Relationships are Helping Seniors Live Longer

Study after study has shown that good relationships do wonders for our health, quality of life and happiness – and the same goes for seniors! Strong social connections are just as important as eating well, getting exercise and accessing quality medical care. Here are some insights from our independent living community in Sussex County, NJ.

• A feeling of purpose: Often times, people  in senior living could be vulnerable to losing their sense of purpose in life, making them vulnerable to depression. Social connections through friendships, hobby clubs and other groups, give residents reasons to get up in the morning, care for themselves and look forward to what life has to offer.
• Motivation to get healthy and active: Social groups and relationships work to encourage individuals to try new things, take on new challenges and keep improving themselves. Whether it’s a book group keeping up with current literature, a dance group teaching ballroom dancing or a walking club that helps people to keep exploring the outdoors, social groups help support intellectual and physical health.
• Change for the better together: Changes, as we age, can become more and more difficult to cope with, whether we’re facing mobility problems, chronic health conditions or recovering from a sickness or fall. A support group that not only includes therapists and professionals, but also peers going through the same struggles, means finding a helpful community to provide that essential support and encouragement.
• A positive knock-on effect: One of the most important results of healthy social connections is the positive effects they have down the line. A phone call from a loved one may lead to a better food choice at lunch, or a decision to try harder at physical therapy. An afternoon with the gardening club may lead to a choice to go out to enjoy the beauty of nature in a park, or uplift your mental state.

Essentially, good social relationships encourage us all to try a bit harder to make more of our lives, and that applies to seniors as well as the rest of us!

Experience senior living and relationship beautiful CCRC in New Jersey

Bristol Glen, a CCRC in Sussex County, New Jersey, offers seniors independence, comfort and a vibrant social life along with high quality care when needed. Part of United Methodist Communities, we offer a personalized and customized set of services, seniors are able to fully access the level of care they require, when they require it. We are also fully equipped and able to assist Alzheimer’s and dementia residents through our memory care and support services.

Contact us to find out more about our CCRC and book your visit today.

Original content posted on https://umcommunities.org/blog/healthy-happy-relationships-helping-seniors-live-longer/ 

Biography on Eve Knudsen, a Resident of UMH

Her fingers glide across the keys, making that rare kind of music you hear with your ears but feel with your soul. Eve Knudsen, a resident of United Methodist Homes Francis Asbury Manor, is a gifted pianist.

Eve Knudsen, born in Manhattan in 1921 is the only child in a loving home where music sessions were the norm. As she balanced her studies between school and music, Eve was a good student.

Eve did many solo works, local concerts and symphonies in Newark with the help of Ruth Dautel, her music teacher and a protégé of the dean of the Julliard School of Music in New York City. Her strong suit, however, was as an accompanist. “I spent three years during high school and the first year after graduation doing accompanying work for many groups, including the New Jersey State Chorus, the New Jersey Symphony, various church groups, and even the Russian Cossacks, who traveled here from Russia.”

Eve earned her scholarship to Julliard following high school. When she is about to participate in a solo for Julliard’s dean of music, who would finalize the scholarship, an unfortunate and surprising turn of events occurred. “The dean passed away of a heart attack the night before my test,” Eve says. Instead of waiting six months to finalize her scholarship, Eve took a job as a bank bookkeeper to “repay my parents in some small way for all they had invested in my musical education.”

Eve looks back on a life filled with music as “very rewarding.” She is now a great grandmother of six and an excellent spokesperson for The United Methodist Homes communities. Francis Asbury Manor has been her home for almost 20 years.

United Methodist Homes is dedicated to our communities, associates, volunteers and residents.  We celebrate the experiences, stories and lives of all those that make our close knit communities. To find out more information about UMH, visit http://www.umh-nj.org/

Wayne Ford A.K.A. Papa San, A NJ Martial Arts Community Icon

Papa San, has been a NJ martial arts community icon for 50 years. He is a karate teacher, trusted mentor and a loyal friend to parents, students, and contemporaries alike. Not to mention a celebrated resident at UMH Covenant Manor.

Wayne’s martial skills were first recognized as a young boxer on the 4th Street YMCA Boxing Team. After working four years in the U.S. Navy, he returned to the U.S. and dedicated his life to the study of martial arts.

Wayne trained under the Late Min Pai for five years, becoming his teacher’s favorite sparring partner. He remembers Min Pai striking him during a sparring session. “Min didn’t even move,” Wayne recalled. “However, after we got finished, he took me over in a corner and said, “You spar good. You just don’t hit hard enough!”

In 1964, he established his own school in Plainfield and after many years of teaching, Wayne met James Fain, a Black Belt Hall of Fame (International Association of Martial Arts) inductee and Grand Master in the American Goshi Shun Style. Through International Association of Martial Arts Papa San learned Aiki-Jujitsu, a demanding introspective form of Japanese jujitsu. He also perfected his skills in karate and excelled in Aiki-Jujitsu.

Papa San remembered, “When my formal training started with Fain, I was still a truck driver. Coincidentally, one of my deliveries was near his school in Newark. Fain was training with the Great Grand Master Dwight Wilson and he invited me to train for an introduction. The movement was so efficient with an entrancing focus and spirit. I enjoyed the conditioning and drills and knew this signaled something special in my martial arts training. I began again as a novice and that humility, has proven to be the best decision I ever made, for my martial arts and for my life.”

He began to study the true spirit of martial movement and explore an evolved level of discipline. Today, Papa San is an 8th degree black belt in both karate and Aiki-Jujitsu and a recognized Grand Master and a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame.

At United Methodist Homes, we cherish the stories and experiences of our assisted living residents and associates alike. These caring and compassionate individuals contribute to the tight knit fabric of our communities. To find out more about assisted living at United Methodist homes visit us at www.umh-nj.org.

What is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)?

Are you among the many Americans 65 years or older, who wish to enjoy retirement without the added distraction and hassle of maintaining a home? Are you turned-off by the stigma of moving to a “senior facility?” United Methodist Homes of NJ can offer an answer with a look into a living arrangement known as a CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community).  CCRCs, with multiple living options, can significantly increase your quality of life and security while preserving your assets for your loved ones.

What Can A CCRC Offer Me?

For those that aren’t familiar with the acronym CCRC, it stands for Continuing Care Retirement Community.   The State of New Jersey imposes specific requirements on organizations before they can be classified in this way. CCRCs are unique types of senior communities, dedicated to adults 65 years or older, that provide apartment style independent living accommodations as well as a continuum of care. “Continuum of care” implies that, even though a resident may not require any assistance initially, as their needs increase so can the care provided by the CCRC. In return for an entrance fee and a monthly service fee, a CCRC resident can live completely independently, but be in close proximity to social activities, have enhanced security, and gain access to incrementally greater assistance of all kinds as ongoing needs dictate. 

CCRCs provide many of the same things for active seniors that over 55 communities offer but with a few important distinctions:

1.      A CCRC provides access to more services and programs, more easily than an over 55 community.

2.      The buy-in for an apartment home in a CCRC is typically much less than buying a condo or townhome in an over 55 community.

3.      You don’t pay taxes or utility bills on your CCRC apartment home, just a monthly fee based on its size and the additional services you require, if any.  CCRC living is “all inclusive.”

4.      State licensed CCRC communities oftentimes offer a “Legacy Preservation” option which allows a large portion, usually 90% of the cost of the buy-in to be refunded to your estate when you die.

5.      In a CCRC you are easily able to incrementally transition to greater levels of personal and medical assistance as you age or needs change.

6.      CCRC fees typically include dinner in beautiful onsite dining rooms, access to a robust variety of senior activities, exercise programs, transportation assistance, concierge services and much more.

7.      At UMH CCRC residents have access to assisted living services.  Should your medical needs change, you are given priority into any of our assisted living programs.

Who is a Good Candidate for a Continuing Care Retirement Community?

Many seniors who choose to live in an independent living community, such as United Methodist Homes’ continuing care retirement community, Bristol Glen, may not initially require assistance with daily activities, but enjoy the peace of mind that comes with living in a secure community, access to continuing care, and the ready companionship of other seniors, along with numerous other benefits. 

These benefits include:

·        Independent Senior Living – CCRC style independent living lets you leave behind the chores and errands you no longer care to do so you can enjoy maintenance and worry-free living.

·        Socialization & Entertainment – Similar to a college campus, a CCRC offers direct access to a thriving hub of recreational activities and social engagement inside and outside of the community.

·        All Inclusive Rent – Downsizing will simplify your life by eliminating the ongoing taxes, utility and maintenance costs associated with home ownership.

·        CCRC Amenities – UMH’s CCRC,  Bristol Glen, includes amenities that you may previously not had access to such as fitness centers, movie theaters, bustling activities centers, and scenic grounds to name a few.  Bristol Glen resembles a rural college campus with 74 beautiful acres of wooded grounds, meadows, trails, gardens, and terraces for walking, sitting, and enjoying nature.

·        Assistance (if you need it) – CCRCs differ from other retirement communities in that they assure access to specific health care services, including long-term care, should the need arise.

·        Flexible Financial Options – NJ State licensed CCRC communities also offer flexible financial options, including programs that allow for a refundable equity payment.

Understanding the CCRC Living Arrangement

If you are a senior looking for a secure but independent lifestyle without the added stress and responsibility of managing a home, then a CCRC may be the right choice for you.  To find more about the services at Bristol Glen, visit our website at http://www.bristol-glen.umh-nj.org/.