AARP’s ‘Random Acts of Kindness for Caregivers’ contest is underway. The contest encourages people of all ages to recognize and reward family caregivers in their lives in small but meaningful ways, especially during National Family Caregivers Month in November.
Many family caregivers spend 18 hours per week or more providing care like bathing, dressing, preparing meals, administering medications, driving to doctor visits, or paying bills. Sixty percent of caregivers are helping care for a loved one while holding down a job at the same time. ‘Random Acts of Kindness for Caregivers’ might be something as simple as doing a caregiver’s grocery shopping, taking their dog for a walk, or even cutting the lawn.
“I’ve been a family caregiver my entire adult life and I know that unexpected kindness can go a long way for a caregiver,” says AARP Family and Caregiving Expert Amy Goyer, author of the new book Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving. “If you are not one of the 40 million caregivers in the U.S. now, you either have been a caregiver or will be one in the future.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7607231-aarp-caregivers/
AARP is announcing the winners of a unique contest that encourages filmmakers to tell the story of family caregiving through short films. The competition was launched as part of Ad Council and AARP’s National Caregiver Awareness Campaign to help reveal the hard work and dedication of the nation’s 40 million family caregivers. These stories focus on three family caregiving themes: The Changing Face of Caregiving, Roles Change, and Random Acts of Kindness for Caregivers. The winners share a $25,000 prize and the opportunity for their work to be featured on AARP and Ad Council web and social platforms.
“These three minute or shorter films really open up the world of family caregiving helping people to better understand the intense challenges as well as the deep personal rewards of caring for a loved one,” said Amy Goyer, AARP family and caregiving expert and author of the new award-winning book Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving. “But more importantly, the stories show how much love is present in family caregiving, whether it comes from a family member, friend or even a stranger.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7607231-aarp-caregivers/
For a group of budding business people, living with senior citizens for five days gives impetus to their dreams. It also encourages innovation that could improve the lives of the aging. They are all participants in Brookdale’s Entrepreneur in Residence program, part of the company’s “Rewiring Aging” initiative to enrich seniors’ lives through technology. Recently launched by America’s largest senior living provider, the program offers those entrepreneurs developing products and services for seniors the opportunity to move in for that period of time so they can better understand the true wants and needs of the aging.
“The majority of start-ups focus on younger markets, but we have seen a growing number of entrepreneurs interested in building solutions for seniors and their families” said Andrew Smith, Brookdale’s director of strategy and innovation. “The 80 and above age group is America’s fastest-growing population. We believe there’s an enormous opportunity to enhance seniors’ lives with new technologies, services, products and business models. This program gives entrepreneurs a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we hope will inspire even more innovation for the aging.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722155-brookdale-senior-living-innovate/
Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, has implemented an internal customer satisfaction scoring system aimed at measuring the overall experience of its home loan origination process.
The internal customer satisfaction score that Vanderbilt has created is a metric calculated from surveyed responses by customers within two weeks of funding their loan. The customers are asked to give a score ranging from zero to 10 on how likely they are to recommend Vanderbilt Mortgage to family and friends based on their home loan origination experience.
“We want to be transparent about the feedback we receive from our customers,” said Eric Hamilton, president of Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc. “Continuously listening to customers’ needs in order to improve is our top priority. This scored system gives us a structured way to measure how we are doing and determine in which areas we can do better. It’s important for us to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7716456-vanderbilt-mortgage-customer-survey/
As a leader in the senior living industry, Brookdale has released “Creating Enduring Value: 2016 Sustainability Report,” the first in what will be an annual summary of progress in making a positive impact on people, places and performance. The sustainability report comes after the company established the Brookdale Sustainability Leadership Council and developed a three-year roadmap for achieving its sustainability goals.
“The core of our business approach is simple, which is that Brookdale cares,” said Andy Smith, Brookdale’s president and chief executive officer. “The sustainability practices that we have developed are an extension of our mission of caring, and they reflect our efforts to create enduring value for our stakeholders. These practices will have a significant direct impact on our residents and their families, our associates and the environment, not just now, but for generations to come. As a leader in the industry and the first operator to establish this kind of initiative, we hope to offer a model for others to follow.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722158-brookdale-sustainability-report/
After analyzing millions of Internet visits and interviewing scores of consumers, Brookdale Senior Living has built a new website based on fresh insights into what’s most important to families searching for senior care. The first phase, which is a $4 million investment, went live on brookdale.com mid-August.
“With Brookdale’s website attracting more than 500,000 visits every month, it’s imperative to make it as useful to consumers as possible,” said David Cygan, Brookdale’s senior vice president of marketing. “As the nation’s largest senior living provider, we know our website is a primary source of information, with many people coming to us first as they embark on this journey,” Cygan said. “It’s important that we offer substantive resources that make it easier to find help in evaluating senior care options.” More than 80 percent of adult children turn to the Internet when they look for care for an aging parent, according to the company’s research.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722159-new-brookdale-senior-living-website/
Ever since Donna and John met at work three decades ago, they've had the kind of smooth, comfortable relationship that comes when attraction is accompanied by compatible interests as well as strengths and weaknesses that balance each other. They pictured their senior years as an extension of what Donna Dean calls “this nice, easy life. We didn't see the calamity that was coming.”
Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's largest dementia care provider, has created new resources for care partners as part of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month in November. The candid discussion of many of the disease's most difficult challenges includes an up-close look at Donna's and John’s lives since he developed dementia.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722131-brookdale-alzheimers-awareness/
Ever since Donna and John met at work three decades ago, they've had the kind of smooth, comfortable relationship that comes when attraction is accompanied by compatible interests as well as strengths and weaknesses that balance each other. They pictured their senior years as an extension of what Donna Dean calls “this nice, easy life. We didn't see the calamity that was coming.”
Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's largest dementia care provider, has created new resources for care partners as part of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month in November. The candid discussion of many of the disease's most difficult challenges includes an up-close look at Donna's and John’s lives since he developed dementia.
The couple shares on video how following John's diagnosis, they adapted and sustained daily routines, emotional connection and affection. Donna speaks of her uncertainties about how to manage her reactions to behavioral expressions, the adjustment to John's move to a dementia care community and how keeping a journal helped her logistically and emotionally.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722131-brookdale-alzheimers-awareness/
More than 40 million Americans are family caregivers, taking care of parents, spouses, partners, and other adult loved ones. To help caregivers get the support they need to take care of themselves and their loved ones, AARP and the Ad Council are continuing their successful Caregiver Assistance campaign with new PSAs, created pro bono by agency Spike DDB, designed to reach the underserved African-American caregiver population.
“Many people will spend more of their time and resources caring for their aging parents than they did raising their own children,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. “African-American caregivers are disproportionately affected as most are much younger than their white counterparts and often leave the workforce to provide care on a full-time basis. These new PSAs will help create greater awareness for caregivers who tackle tough issues every day, and provide information on the many resources that are available to help them meet their needs and those of their loved ones.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7980451-ad-council-aarp-caregiver-assistance-campaign/
Ever since Donna and John met at work three decades ago, they've had the kind of smooth, comfortable relationship that comes when attraction is accompanied by compatible interests as well as strengths and weaknesses that balance each other. They pictured their senior years as an extension of what Donna Dean calls “this nice, easy life. We didn't see the calamity that was coming.”
Brookdale Senior Living, the nation's largest dementia care provider, has created new resources for care partners as part of National Alzheimer's Awareness Month in November. The candid discussion of many of the disease's most difficult challenges includes an up-close look at Donna's and John’s lives since he developed dementia.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722131-brookdale-alzheimers-awareness/
Most Americans appear hopeful and optimistic about aging according to a new, national study from Parker, one of America’s leading aging services organizations that this year celebrates its 110th anniversary. Key findings from Parker’s “Aging in America Survey”—which examines the nation’s changing attitudes and opinions around growing older in the U.S.—include:
• A vast majority of Americans (71%) do not fear or worry about aging very much or at all.
• More than half of those surveyed (62%) believe that 80 is not too old to serve in government, run a marathon, be CEO of a Fortune 500 company, teach a class, or practice yoga.
• Those surveyed were evenly split (49% each) in describing the experience of growing older in America today with positive words (e.g., “hopeful,” “relevant,” “vibrant”) vs. negative words (e.g., “scary,” “depressing,” “lonely”).
• Nearly two-thirds (59%) of Americans feel that not enough technology innovation focuses on the lifestyles of older people.
• While 38% of Americans feel the most positive thing about getting older is gaining more experience and wisdom, only 1% believes it is acquiring greater wealth and material goods.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8100251-parker-aging-in-america-survey-anniversary/
Playing the harmonica, dancing, bowling: For Brookdale Senior Living resident Dorothy Plummer, these longtime passions bring purpose as well as pleasure to daily life. What may be surprising is that Plummer is not only 103 – she is living with dementia. Plummer embodies Brookdale’s mission of person-centered care, which focuses on sustaining individual interests and daily routines to give meaning to each person’s life. As part of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, Brookdale is offering a free downloadable journal to help others with dementia look for ways to live life to the fullest.
“When people hear someone has Alzheimer’s, the label of the disease can unfortunately replace who the person is,” said Juliet Holt Klinger, senior director of dementia care for Brookdale. “Their life becomes shaped by the diagnosis. The things they love to do may be taken away when they don’t need to be. This can cause disengagement, potentially leading to depression, isolation, loss of appetite, weight loss, and even falls.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7722151-brookdale-senior-living-alzheimers-awareness/
