Keep On Learning—It’s Good For You!

Throughout our lives, we’re teachers and learners. It doesn’t just stop when we reach a certain age. In fact, it often increases when we get older and have more free time. As we celebrate a new year, it’s exciting to think about the new opportunities that await us. Did you know that beyond increasing our knowledge, learning is actually good for our health?

Lifelong learning programs are growing all over the world, according to Pass It On, an international grassroots organization that promotes teaching and learning opportunities for older adults. In many countries, it’s common for older adults to attend classes alongside younger students. The topics range from the serious—law, politics, science, and technology—to the fun and entertaining—fashion, belly dancing, music, and art.

When it comes to lifelong learning, experts tout big benefits, from generating new neuron connections in your brain to a feeling of overall well-being.

Here are more benefits that come with lifelong learning:

Better health – https://bit.ly/31obxhK
Better memory – https://bbc.in/2OpuM5t
Increased happiness – https://bit.ly/2UhNfEV
Improved emotional balance – https://bit.ly/2OEh1Ab

Discover lifelong learning at Beatitudes Campus
As we live longer and healthier, enjoy access to enormous amounts of information, and have myriad ways to shape the world around us, older adults are taking charge of their learning. And, it’s happening right here at Beatitudes Campus.

With traditional education, peer-to-peer learning and new experiences, it’s easy to be a part of this important growing trend. Beatitudes offers guest speaker presentations, art classes, day trips, social and entertainment opportunities and more. The topics and venues continually change to give you a rich variety of easy in, easy out learning experiences.

Meanwhile, the Beatitudes Center for Lifelong Learners offers a structured academic program akin to a college environment. Entirely managed by residents, the program features nearly two-dozen non-credit courses each semester. There are no grades or tests. The relaxed classes foster an atmosphere of learning by encouraging discussion, exploration, and understanding.

In tandem with learning, Beatitudes Campus offers the chance to pass on what you know to others through teaching and mentoring opportunities—from leading a committee to participating in our own Design Studio (the campus residents’ “think tank”) to teaching a literature course and more. Our new Life Enrichment & Activities Guide highlights these and the many other options available here on campus.

If you’re as excited as we are about the new year and looking forward to sharing what you know and learning more as you go, we invite you to visit Beatitudes Campus. To schedule your visit or request a FREE Life Enrichment & Activities Guide, call us today at (602) 833-1358 or submit a form online. We look forward to hearing from you!

Have you heard the term life enrichment? It’s used quite a bit these days by parks and recreation departments, senior living communities, and colleges. While it may bring to mind a list of activities, life enrichment isn’t adding things to do to your calendar for the sake of being busy.

A well-created life enrichment program brings joy, meaning, and a sense of purpose and belonging. It indulges your curiosity and creativity and teaches you something new. Above all, it’s good for your health.

“A fully comprehensive life enrichment program in a retirement community hits all five dimensions of wellness—emotional, social, spiritual, physical and educational,” according to LeadingAge, a well-recognized, national trade organization focused on education, advocacy and applied research in senior living, to which Beatitudes Campus has belonged for more than 40 years.

Developing a great life enrichment program is a team effort, requiring the time, talents, experience, and expertise of many people. At Beatitudes Campus, our team is comprised of several life enrichment specialists, as well as staff from a variety of areas, including fitness, transportation, and our CARECorps volunteer program.

“Collectively, we spend hundreds of hours every year ensuring residents have an abundance of opportunities to socialize, take Lifelong Learners classes, volunteer, exercise, attend special events on and off-campus, and more,” explained Director of Life Enrichment Jon Schilling, who has been with Beatitudes Campus for 11 years.

The life enrichment team at Beatitudes Campus has built its success on being:

Creative. While routines and familiarity are important, people need diversity. The team incorporates a variety of social, educational, spiritual and wellness opportunities.
Organized. It takes a well-organized team to coordinate and plan dozens of complex programs. Everyone knows their role and is empowered to make decisions for the greater good of residents.
Good Communicators. Whether it’s arranging a speaker presentation, creating a new fitness class or planning a holiday party, ongoing communication ensures that the many details are taken care of correctly and on time.
Adaptable. Even the most organized group can experience issues related to equipment, venues, weather or resident health. The team is flexible in any situation.
Collaborative. To promote the health and well-being of residents, the team understands residents’ interests as well as their strengths and limitations and chooses appropriate activities and programs. When needed, the Beatitudes’ life enrichment team collaborates with the resident, as well as their family and caregivers to ensure the best possible outcome.

Most importantly, the team follows the lead of residents.

While most senior living communities boast about their activities and amenities, only a few have a well-developed life enrichment program driven by residents themselves.

“At Beatitudes Campus, residents are integral to the process. In fact, they help manage and drive it. We listen to them, get their feedback and incorporate their ideas. Here, anyone can make an idea come to life,” said Schilling.

Before choosing a senior living community, be sure to check out its life enrichment program. Here are a few questions to consider:

What’s on the calendar? Are there a wide variety of activities and programs? Would you enjoy participating in any of the options?
Is their a life enrichment team dedicated to developing new and interesting programs? Who is on the team?
Are residents encouraged to participate in the process, provide feedback, and help develop ideas?

“At Beatitudes Campus, our team works great together. We do our best to create an environment where there are no barriers to participating,” said Schilling. “Wherever you live at Beatitudes, we want you to feel welcome at each and every program.”

To learn more about Beatitudes Campus’ extraordinary life enrichment program, call us today at (602) 833-1358 or get in touch with us online.

A Wonderful Time Of Year At Beatitudes Campus: Connecting, Learning, & Giving Back

More than any other time of the year, the holidays feel like they’re made for families, connecting with neighbors and friends, and bringing joy to children. At Beatitudes Campus, you’ll find a big, intergenerational family eager to share friendship and laughter.

Throughout the holidays, we host special activities and events that encourage the feeling of community and connection. You can join in holiday celebrations, attend worship services, and make holiday gifts in the art studio and woodworking shop.

I’m sure you know that connecting with today’s younger generations means having to be tech-savvy. Are you proficient at texting? Do you know how to use FaceTime and Skype? At Beatitudes Campus, our Lifelong Learners program features technology classes to help you build your skills with computers, tablets, smartphones, texting, email, video calls, and more. That way, even if you’re hundreds of miles away during the holidays, you can still feel like you’re next door to your loved ones.

Want to connect with the younger generation during the holidays and all year long? Here are some quick tips:

Share time in the kitchen.
Pick a casual day with little expectations and a recipe that takes time. Few memories are more powerful than cooking and enjoying good food with a loving family.
Host a game night.
Game nights are generally popular among the younger set. Order pizza or their favorite takeout food. Let them help plan the evening of charades, cards, video games, and board games, including those that can be played with teams such as Pandemic and Codenames. If you’re up for it, ask teens and twenty-somethings to bring their games and be prepared for an evening of bawdy entertainment.
Attend their events.
Find out what’s happening in your young person’s life. Are they in a school musical, playing in a band or on a sports team, preparing for a science fair, or entering a spelling bee or debate contest? Show interest and pride in their activities and ask if you can attend their events.
Enlist their help on a project.
Play the grandparent card and ask for some assistance on a special project. Build a bookshelf, make holiday gifts or a family scrapbook, visit a Christmas tree farm, create a neighborhood Blessing Box, or shop for gifts for a charity that supports terminally ill kids or children in foster care or shelters. They’ll come away with warm memories of time well spent with you.

If you want to do some good during the season of giving or any time of the year, Beatitudes Campus makes it easy to get involved. Whatever your interest, you’ll likely find a program to match. You can volunteer your time and talents, and work side-by-side with people of all ages from Beatitudes Campus, as well as the local community.

Some residents read to children and tutor local students while others help families with English translation. You can help decorate the campus, organize a charity event or join the Buzy Bees in crafting, sewing, quilting, knitting, and crocheting winter essentials for kids and families. From visiting veterans and delivering holiday meals to homebound seniors, there are so many ways you can make a positive impact.

This holiday season, we invite you to learn more about how Beatitudes Campus helps connect people across the generations. Call us today at (602) 833-1358 or get in touch via contact form.

What, Exactly, Is Long-Term Care?

Long-term care is the common phrase used to describe on-going assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, eating, or walking. The need for long-term care can be indefinite, often lasting years.

Long-term care may include skilled nursing care, which is typically provided in a nursing facility and involves 24-hour healthcare provided, or supervised, by a registered nurse. Those requiring skilled nursing care almost always also require assistance with activities of daily living. However, skilled nursing care, by itself, is often short-term in nature, typically following a serious medical occurrence, such as a stroke, fall, or surgery. The goal of skilled nursing care is to help restore one’s health to the point where they are again able to live independently or with assisted living only.

The vast majority of long-term care is provided in one’s home by an unpaid family caregiver. Alternatively, some families choose to arrange for paid caregiver services. An assisted living facility is the typical alternative for those who require a higher level of assisted living than that which can adequately or safely be provided in a home setting.

Those who like to plan ahead and are not as comfortable with the uncertainties of managing in-home care may choose to move to a setting such as a life plan community. Life plan communities, such as Beatitudes Campus, cater to those who live independently today, but they are equipped to provide the appropriate levels of assisted living or skilled nursing care that may be needed in the future.

As a life plan community, Beatitudes Campus encompasses a wide range of health services. These include assisted living, in-home care services, memory support, rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and long-term care. It can be overwhelming to see all of these options at first glance, but our goal is to ultimately bring a sense of comfort knowing that if a health issue is to arise, no matter how big or small, there is care available on campus.

For more information about the options at Beatitudes, check out our health services page or give us a call at (602) 833-1358.

The above article was written by Brad Breeding of myLifeSite and is legally licensed for use.

Cultivating Community Through Diversity

At a time when diversity feels under attack, Beatitudes Campus is a heartwarming, welcoming place open to everyone. Since our founding in 1965, we’ve nurtured an inclusive community that welcomes all people. Our friends and neighbors hail from around the globe, representing all walks of life’s journey.

We value every person regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation. This philosophy is so important to us that we’ve put it into words. You’ll find it on our website, posted around campus, and printed in our brochures and other materials.

See why it matters

Embracing diversity and inclusion ensures each individual in our community feels valued. A strong sense of connection and belonging encourages people to help each other, learn more, stay active, and feel more secure–all of which leads to higher satisfaction with life, healthier minds, and bodies. The latter link includes a wonderful infographic on the benefits of feeling connected by Dr. Emma Seppala at Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.

Follow your own path

Whether you look to the stars for heavenly inspiration or to marvel at the beauty of science, Beatitudes Campus offers a variety of programs that foster spiritual fellowship and lifelong learning.

You can choose from several types of worship services, religious classes, faith-based volunteer opportunities, pastoral care and counseling, and more. Broadly organized like a college curriculum, our Lifelong Learners program features nearly two-dozen non-credit courses each semester exploring art, history, science, foreign languages, and skill-building topics.

Express yourself

At Beatitudes Campus, we know that diversity isn’t limited to gender or race or sexual orientation. It’s about learning from each other’s perspective.

Here, you’ll find an array of ways to express yourself. Every week, we host what we call a Hootenanny. It’s an open mic night where everyone is welcome to come together to sing and play instruments in an all-out jam session. Residents also perform poetry, philosophize, and inspire the audience to think about the world around us.

If you like to advance new ideas, you’ll love the Design Studio Residents’ Think Tank. The Design Studio works with management and the Board of Directors to foster and create innovative resident-driven programs.

The management and staff at Beatitudes Campus firmly believe in ongoing communication, which is why you’ll find us in the community talking with residents virtually every day. From one-on-one conversations and resident council meetings to Newcomers Coffee events, we’re out and about more than we’re behind our desks. When you get a chance, tell us what you think. We want to hear it.

Share our vision

If you want to live in a community with heart, that’s open and welcoming, and that values you for who you are, we invite you to come for a visit. To schedule lunch and a personal tour, give us a call at (602) 833-1358.

What Is Skilled Nursing Care?

Designed for individuals with serious health challenges, skilled nursing care provides higher-level medical services and ongoing supervision by a registered nurse, LPN, and other health professionals. This can include monitoring vital signs, wound care, IV therapy, injections, and physical, occupational and speech therapies.

Nursing care also encompasses assistance with everyday activities, from medication management and meals to personal care and hygiene. Nurses, certified nursing assistants, and support staff are on call 24/7. There are two types of skilled nursing care–short-term and long-term. Below is a summary of each type:

Short-term skilled nursing care: Time to heal
Short-term care is provided to those who need time to recover from an illness, injury or surgery. This can range from a few days or weeks to a few months.

For example, a loved one who leaves the hospital after a stroke or joint replacement surgery may not be capable of returning home immediately. He or she may need additional time to heal or to go through a concentrated rehabilitative process with a mix of physical, occupational and speech therapies.

Nursing care helps bridge the gap. The goal is to regain capabilities, health, and strength in order to return home safely, or to another living situation such as with a family member or an assisted living apartment.

Long-term skilled nursing care: Ongoing care and support
Long-term care provides hands-on, around-the-clock support and monitoring for those who have a chronic condition or complex health issues. There is skilled care, which requires higher-level medical services, and custodial care, which includes occasional medical care but primarily focuses on help with everyday tasks. Most of the time, long-term nursing care involves the latter.

Long-term nursing care centers can be a residential option for those who cannot live on their own and require a high degree of continual assistance and monitoring. For example, someone in the late stage of a progressive condition such as congestive heart failure or Parkinson’s disease. If a loved one is very frail, has serious health issues, falls often, lives alone and is unable to care for their own well-being, they may benefit from the stability and supervision of nursing care.

Not all nursing care centers are alike. Many, such as Beatitudes Campus, offer a stimulating atmosphere with enjoyable programs and amenities as well as friendly volunteers who help keep residents as active and engaged as possible. If your loved one needs the support of nursing care, take some time to tour the various centers to find one that fits their needs and preferences best.

Nursing care at Beatitudes Campus
The Health Care Center at Beatitudes Campus offers both short-term skilled care and long-term nursing care. We offer shared suites along with delicious, restaurant-style dining and special activities and programs.

The Health Care Center at Beatitudes Campus is Medicare and ALTCS Medicaid-approved and fully licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. We are continually recognized in Arizona state inspections for outstanding care.

To learn more about nursing care at Beatitudes Campus and whether it’s right for you or a loved one, visit the Health Services page on our website or call us at (602) 833-1358.