3 Tips for Choosing an Assisted-Living Home for Your Parent
Expert Also Shares the Biggest Mistake You Can Make

Seventy percent of people age 65 and older will need long-term care at some point in their lives, according to a 2014 study by CareScout, a division of Genworth Financial Services.

"But that doesn't mean they have to sacrifice their quality of life," says Peder Johnsen, CEO of Concordis Senior Living, www.concordisseniorliving.com, which owns, operates and develops senior housing communities.

"In fact, a person who needs some assistance with day-to-day living will often find he or she is much happier in a good assisted-living community with an atmosphere that reminds them of their former home."

And it doesn't have to be outrageously priced, notes Johnsen, a third-generation ALF operator whose family pioneered the contemporary congregate community model.

The median price for a private, one-bed home in an ALF community is $42,000, he says, citing the CareScout report. By contrast, a semi-private nursing home bed costs a median $77,000 a year.

But it's up to prospective residents and their families to ascertain the quality of the community and whether it's a good match for the person who will be living there.

"ALFs are not federally regulated and states vary widely on the breadth of oversight they provide, so you can't necessarily rely on the law," Johnsen says. "And don't rely on salespeople either - that's the biggest mistake people make."

There are, however, a number of easy ways to see if a home has a truly caring atmosphere and well-trained staff.

Johnsen offers these tips:

•  Ask to see the home's state licensing survey, an assessment that usually includes inspections, audits, interviews with residents, etc.

Every state has an ALF licensing agency and all have some form of survey system for ensuring that certain standards of quality are met, according to the Assisted Living Federation of America.

"Requirements vary from state to state about how often the surveys are conducted and how the public can access the reports, but no matter what state you live in, you should be able to ask the ALF for its most recent report, or obtain it from the licensing agency," Johnsen says.

The surveys will tell you if problems were found - or not - and what the ALF did to address them.

•  Visit the ALF during non-business hours.

Go before breakfast or after dinner - times when the administrators aren't around. What's the atmosphere? How do employees behave with the residents?

"That's a good time to talk to residents, too," Johnsen says.

Be a "mystery shopper," he suggests. Pretend you're just visiting the community - not scouting it out as a prospective customer.

•  Ascertain how truly "homelike" the community is.

In your own home, if you don't feel like eating breakfast at 7:30 a.m., you don't have to. You can have breakfast at 10. You can get snacks when you want them.

"Depending on what's important to your loved one, there are potentially many rules that can affect how 'at home' a person feels," Johnsen says. "Some communities allow residents to have pets, others don't. Some provide lots of activities. At some, residents can quickly and easily arrange for transportation or a service like hair styling."

Not every community can offer everything, he notes. That's why it's important to look for those features that are especially important to your loved one.

About Peder Johnsen

Peder Johnsen is the CEO of Concordis Senior Living, www.concordisseniorliving.com, which owns, operates and develops senior housing communities. He's a third-generation assisted-living specialist whose grandfather and father built one of the first contemporary-style ALFs in Florida more than 30 years ago. Johnsen took over administration of two small facilities at age 18. Today, he specializes the full spectrum of ALFs - from "ALF lites," where most residents live very independent lifestyles but know assisted-living services are available if they should need them, to homes specializing in care for residents with Alzheimer's and dementia. He is an industry leader in staff development and training, and has overseen the development, acquisition and financing of several communities.

QUAD CITIES - The Epilepsy Foundation announces Illinois Epilepsy Awareness Day on May 14, 2014.  Individuals with epilepsy, parents of children with epilepsy, and supporting family members and friends will join with representatives of the Epilepsy Foundation throughout the state to meet with Illinois State Representatives at the statehouse in Springfield.  Discussed will be issues relevant to those living with Epilepsy including the support of Illinois Senate Bill 2636.  The bill, which adds seizure conditions, including those characteristic of epilepsy, to the list of qualifying medical conditions in Illinois' Medical Cannabis Program was passed by the Illinois Senate by a vote of 49-5 on April 2, 2014.  The bill has been sent to the House for approval.

The Iowa Senate just recently voted 36-12 to approve their Senate File 2360. The bill creates a licensing system for patients with "intractable" epilepsy and their caregivers to pursue treatment with cannabidiol, an oil derived from marijuana.  Patients or their caregivers who receive a neurologist's recommendation for cannabidiol would be able to apply for a state-issued identification card allowing them to possess and use the oil without fear of prosecution under state marijuana laws.  That bill has been sent to the Iowa House for approval.

The Epilepsy Foundation's national office issued a press release on 2.20.2014 calling for increased medical marijuana access and research:

http://epilepsyfoundation.org/news/Epilepsy-Foundation-Calls-for-Increased-Medical-Marijuana-Access-and-Research.cfm

• 1 in 26 have or will have epilepsy at some point in their lives - that means over 14,700 people in the Quad Cities Metro Area currently have or will develop epilepsy, a neurological condition that include recurring seizures.

• Approximately 1/3 of those will live with uncontrolled seizures.

• People living with uncontrolled seizures live with the continual risk of serious injury and loss of life.

• Illinois has a law that lists 35 other conditions for which medical marijuana may be prescribed.

• Unlike 18 of the other 20 states that permit the use of medical marijuana, epilepsy is not included in the conditions for which marijuana may be prescribed under Illinois law.

• In vitro and in vivo evidence exists of the impact that cannabidiol ("CBD") can have on seizures, as well as anecdotal human evidence.

• For epilepsy, the useful form of marijuana is an oil; it is not smoked.

• It is high in CBD and low in THC, the hallucinogenic component of marijuana.

• There is no alternative recreational use for this form of marijuana; it is formulated to treat seizures.

• It is appropriate to allow patients, parents and physicians the ability to determine collectively if the compassionate use of medical marijuana is reasonable in each individual epilepsy case, including intractable pediatric cases.

• Illinois residents suffering from seizures should be afforded the same benefits available to those suffering from any of the 35 conditions included in the Illinois medical marijuana law.

• Illinois families shouldn't have to split up and move out of state in order to gain access to a viable treatment for intractable seizures.

• Senate Bill SB2636 Adds "Seizures, including those characteristic of Epilepsy" to the list of qualifying conditions.

• Senate Bill SB2636 also adds pediatric patients, under the age of 18, suffering from "Seizures, including those characteristic of Epilepsy" as qualifying patients.

For more information contact the Epilepsy Foundation - Quad Cities at 309.373.0377 or email to efqc@efncil.org.

Epilepsy affects 65 million people worldwide.  Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder in the U.S. after migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Its prevalence is greater than autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined. 1 in 26 will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime:  that translates to over 14,700 individuals in our Quad Cities region.

UnityPoint Health - Trinity / 4th Floor North

2701 - 17th St., Rock Island, IL  61201

DES MOINES, IA (04/28/2014)(readMedia)-- Premium books and entry forms for competitive events at the 2014 Iowa State Fair will be available at iowastatefair.org beginning Thursday, May 1. The "Amazingly Amusing" Iowa State Fair will run August 7-17.

Premium books and entry forms can be accessed at www.iowastatefair.org/competition/categories. Entrants in competitive events may enter online or may submit their entry by mail. While most entries are due July 1, deadlines do vary by department. Check iowastatefair.org for specific deadlines. Fine arts and photography entrants in particular should note that their deadline is earlier than most other divisions as materials must be submitted by June 14 and 15, respectively.

The Iowa State Fair accepts entries in a variety of categories, including the largest Food Department of any state fair, the state's largest art show, one of the largest livestock shows in the world and Iowa's finest exhibits of agricultural commodities.

For more information regarding entry deadlines, competitions or the online entry system, contact the Competitive Events Department at 515/262-3111 ext. 207.

"Nothing Compares" to the 2014 Iowa State Fair, August 7-17. The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University Avenue, just 10 minutes east of downtown Des Moines. Discounted gate admission tickets are on sale now through our convenient print at home ticket option at www.iowastatefair.org. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit www.iowastatefair.org.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Iowa City-based film production company Backrow Studios' latest feature, "The Formula,' will be released in Redbox this Tuesday, April 29th. The romantic comedy, starring Brandon Baker, Reginald VelJohnson and Sasha Jackson, screened in several college campuses across the Midwest, and also garnered numerous awards in various film festivals across the state.

Released through Level 33 Entertainment, Backrow Studios' production team Ravi Patel, Tim Nash, and Joe Clarke bring the story of two engineers who invent a mathematical formula for wooing women with "The Formula." The film stars Brandon Baker, best known for his work in Disney movies such as "Johnny Tsunami," "The Jungle Book," "Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board," as well as the NBC sitcom "One World." Also starring in the film is Reginald VelJohnson, a veteran actor best known for his roles in the classic action picture, "Die Hard," and as Carl Winslow in the long running family sitcom, "Family Matters." Rounding out the cast is Sasha Jackson, who played the lead role of "Dana" in 2011's "Blue Crush: Wild Coast." She also plays the recurring character of "Kylie" on the popular TV series, "One Tree Hill."

"The Formula" is the story of Quinn (Baker) and Graham (Second City's Mike Schminke), two engineering students who discover a mathematical formula to pick up women with ease. Quinn is a hopeless romantic who falls head over heels for a young student teacher. Graham is a chauvinistic womanizer who thinks the key to finding the woman of his dreams is by wooing as many as possible. As "The Formula" follows Quinn and Graham from one date to the next, they discover that there is no shortcut to finding true love.

With many of the cast and crew reigning from Iowa, "The Formula" is the third film produced by Backrow Studios, LLC. Its first feature length film "Kung Fu Graffiti" signed a contract for sales and distribution with Los Angeles -based production house Entertainment 7. The company's second feature "The Wedge" is hitting the film festival circuit, and landed three awards including Best Professional Feature at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Makers Festival on April '12. Go to www.backrowstudios.com to see the trailer for "The Formula" and other films and digital shorts by Joe Clarke.