Where do you plan to age with grace? When choosing a senior living community, consider that most of us will need some type of long-term care after age 65, according to AARP. The trick is to find a senior living option that offers the lifestyle you want today and the health care services you may need in the future, all within your budget. Sorting through the long-term care options to find the best fit can be challenging. Two popular long-term, senior living choices, Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) and Assisted Living, both offer older adults the setting and opportunity to age w ..read more

Help, I have fallen and can’t get up! While most older people believe this scenario will never happen to them, the odds are likely that a fall will someday occur.  Falls should not be considered a normal part of aging.  Yet, as we age, the risk for falls becomes common amongst older adults and is potentially overlooked as part of the aging process.  One-third of the older adult population over the age of 65 falls each year and the risk of falling increases proportionately with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls of older adults result ..read more

Creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is something that’s always essential, but it becomes more and more important as you grow and go through life.  And while life does throw some curveballs that are a little harder to navigate when it comes to your health, keeping up with some simple daily habits can reap huge dividends.  Incorporate these 3 simple tips into your lifestyle, and you’re bound to see improvements over time in not just your physical health, but your mental wellbeing too! 1. Incorporate Healthy Foods & Have Your Cake! It shouldn’t come as a surprise that ..read more

Five Benefits of a Senior Living Career Five Benefits of a Senior Living Career  It seems like “Now Hiring” signs are in storefronts everywhere these days. If you are looking for a new job or a job change, choose wisely. Consider what you are passionate about and look for an opportunity with room to grow and advance.  Have you considered a career in senior living?  Senior living communities offer older adults various living options such as independent living, assisted living and/or memory support. As such, senior living communities employ lots of people in a variety of rewar ..read more

VIVA! in Action with Jenny Rocco In an excellent example of Pathway to Living’s guiding philosophy, “Care to Know and Make Matter,” Jenny Rocco, VIVA! Life Coordinator from  Victory Centre of River Woods  located in Melrose Park, studied sign language, so she could communicate better with Peggy, a Victory Centre resident who is deaf. Peggy is a great lip reader, but when people started wearing masks, communicating with others became even more challenging. With Peggy’s help, Jenny began learning the sign language alphabet. Over three years, Jenny has been picking up more and more ..read more

This February commemorates 57 consecutive years of American Heart Month, which is a designated time for everyone, especially older adults, to focus on their cardiovascular health. You only have one heart, so treat it well to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Maintaining a healthy, happy heart is important because cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Don’t despair! There are healthy lifestyle choices you can make to help prevent many types of heart disease, such as heart failure, stroke and hy ..read more

Insider Tips for Touring a Senior Living Community When you are exploring a retirement community for yourself or an older adult loved one, taking an in-person tour is the best way, without question, to decide if it is a good fit or not. Retirees have several living options to consider, including independent living, assisted living, memory care and continuing care retirement communities, also known as CCRCs. They each offer different services, amenities and levels of care to accommodate each older adult’s unique lifestyle vision and healthcare needs, present and future. The number of retir ..read more

Fall is a Fine Time for a Senior Living Move Fall is a Fine Time for a Senior Living Move    Older adults who are ready to embrace the benefits of senior living are wondering, with the holidays on the horizon and the pandemic in flux, if it is the right time to move. Even when a move to assisted living make sense now and may even be necessary for a senior’s wellbeing, some families are taking a wait-and-see approach to ensure that they can celebrate the upcoming holidays together in person, no matter what. While worrying about being able to keep family holiday traditions going is ..read more

Fa, La, La, La, Fun Grandparent Gift Ideas The older adult family members on your “nice” list deserve something, well, nice!  We have some suggestions to help you find very special holiday gifts that parents and grandparents will ooh and ahh over. The following gift idea list was curated by Pathway to Living team members who spend a lot of time with seniors and, as such, know the best Christmas gifts and Hanukkah gifts for seniors to recommend.  Twelve Gifts Ideas for Seniors to Spread JOY Photo Key Fob from Thirty-One Gifts   Personalize a key chain with a family photo o ..read more

How Our Signature Programs Promote Healthy Aging What does healthy aging mean to you? For many of us, it means feeling well and being able to do the things we want to do, no matter how old we get. Sure, as we age, we may need a little extra help in order to live our best lives, but that doesn’t mean you’re unable to do things – far from it. “We believe that healthy aging is something that everyone can do at every age,” says Tracy Deal, Executive Director of  Azpira at Windermere , an Assisted Living and Memory Support community providing thoughtful and award-winning care to seniors. “E ..read more