The Fountains has compiled this web page full of Educational Resources to help you learn more about aging well in general and retirement living in particular.  We've also published a Glossary of Terms which you may access from this page, top left hand of your screen.  We hope you find all these educational resources helpful.

In addition, every Fountains community is full of live resources who are standing by to help answer your questions.  Click on Contact Us at the top of the page for a complete list of Fountains locations and phone numbers or click on Request Information on our home page to submit your inquiry on line.  At The Fountains, we consider it a privilege to help America age well.

Another excellent resource for older adults and their adult children is the new publication, Aging in Stride, Your Premier Guide to Healthy Aging and Eldercare,  co-published by Fountains Foundation and a coalition of leaders in the fields of aging services, senior living and health care. Aging in Stride is co-authored by three experts on aging and eldercare, each with a different focus: a physician, a minister and family counselor, and a lawyer. The book presents 45 aging issues clearly and honestly; strategies to help you plan ahead and make smart choices; forms to help you get organized and stay on track; access to more resources on line and in your community; and an on-line reader support center for extra copies of forms and direct click-through to on-line resources.  Reading this book is "like having an important conversation with a wise friend." Click on the following link for more information: www.aginginstride.org/fountains.

Behavioral problems are among the most challenging aspects of caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease.  Caregivers can not wave a magic wand and will away the behavioral problems, any more than they can will away the disease itself; but they can learn to better cope with the behaviors and thereby reduce their own related health risks, a new study shows. 

The study, published by the Journal of Gerontology: PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2004, Vol. 59B, No. 1, P27-P34, concludes that caregivers (of persons suffering from Alzheimer's) are less prone to stress-induced depression and less likely to wind up in a nursing home themselves due to caregiver stress, when those caregivers receive counseling and support.  This study echoes and builds on findings of a recent Stanford University study that concludes skill-building training greatly reduces caregiver stress.

With the aging of America, no family is immune to the growing Alzheimer's epidemic facing our nation.  The incidence of this disease occurring in populations over 85 years is believed by some experts to be as high as 50%, and for every person afflicted, there is at least one primary caregiver who is at significant risk for stress and depression.  To aid caregiving families and spouses, The Fountains, www.thefountains.com, has teamed up with the Alzheimer's Association to host free caregiver training and support groups in locations throughout the U.S.  Many Fountains locations also offer residential Alzheimer's care.  For information, contact your nearest Fountains community or call 1-800-635-9457.

The Alzheimer's Association is wonderful resource for information and support.  To locate your nearest chapter, subscribe to their newsletter or print out information about Alzheimer's, go to www.alz.org.  Another valuable link is www.pbs.org/theforgetting.

Ask around.  Do not rely on Yellow Page advertising.  Word of mouth referrals (from residents, families and professionals) account for most inquiries to quality operations.  Visit.  Do not simply call and ask for a brochure.  You can not compare communities on paper alone.  Visit again.  Get to know the place and its people.  Know the company behind the product.  Talk it over with your family.  Be realistic.  Plan ahead.  Be proactive.  Make the move.  Don't wait until a crisis intervenes. 

Yes!  And you will need it.  Trust officers, estate planners, elderlaw attorneys, doctors, hospital discharge planners, clergy--all can help you navigate the inevitable maze of emotions and information that will confront you as you begin your investigation into retirement living options.  Start this process as early as possible.  There are also agencies that specialize in making referrals, but be careful to note how they make their fees.  Are they paid by the community or by the client?  Don't discount the value of a good sales counselor at the retirement community.  They've helped hundreds of people through the decision-making process.  A good sales person will ask more than they tell; will care to really get to know you; will not pressure but rather gain your confidence and trust over time.

Costs are all over the map.  There is a very limited supply of low-income (subsidized) communities.  Most communities are affordable to people of moderate to unlimited means. This is true of Fountains communities.  Some are straight rental.  Others are entry fee/buy in communities.  Others still are fee simple or life estate ownership.  Please Contact Us for more information.

The Fountains is  proud to be a member of the International Council for Active Aging and as such we support our residents in their quest for optimal wellness. 

The ICAA is the only organization in North America dedicated to changing the way we age by uniting and working with professionals in the retirement, assisted living, fitness, recreation, rehabilitation and wellness fields. It connects a community of like-minded professionals who share the goals of changing society's perceptions of aging and improving the quality of life for aging Baby Boomers and older adults within the six dimensions of wellness. The council supports these professionals with education, information, resources and tools, so they can achieve optimal success with this growing market.

The ICAA also takes an active role in helping to change the way society perceives aging. The council recently joined 49 of the nation's most prominent health and aging organizations to work on the development and implementation of the National Blueprint on Aging. Contributors to the Blueprint's development include AARP, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Geriatrics Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute on Aging and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

For the in-depth information about active aging, visit: http://www.icaa.cc.

Elder Rage, or Take My Father… Please!  How to Survive Caring for Aging Parents.  A Book-of-the-Month Club Selection, written with humor and love on how to manage challenging elders: http://www.ElderRage.com
 
Coping with Caregiving, Internet Radio Program, archives hundreds of Jacqueline’s interviews with healthcare professionals for free listening-on-demand: http://www.wsRadio.com/CopingWithCaregiving
 
Jacqueline Marcell, B.S.
Author / Publisher / Radio Host / Speaker / Eldercare Advocate / Breast Cancer Survivor

Impressive Press
25 Via Lucca,  Suite J-333
Irvine, CA 92612-0673
P  949-975-1012
F  949-975-1013
C  714-878-3713
J.Marcell@cox.net

A free monthly electronic newsletter, HUMAN VALUES IN AGING, is now available containing news about humanistic gerontology, including topics such as late-life creativity, spirituality, lifelong learning, and ethics and aging. The newsletter is published by the Institute for Human Values in Aging, affiliated with the International Longevity Center, under support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  For a sample copy or a free subscription, e-mail request to: valuesinaging@yahoo.com

To see past issues of the Human Values in Aging newsletter, visit the ILC website at: http://www.ilcusa.org/pub/news.htm

You can access health information on line at http://content.health.msn.com.