THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2016
A special supplement to the AUSTIN DAILY HERALD
Primrose hires new sales director, nursing director rector of nursing, and it promoted former Life Enrichment Coordinator Rebecca Earl to the position of sales director.
Austin Daily Herald
newsroom@austindailyherald.com
Primrose Retirement Community of Austin welcomed a new employee and saw one take a new role last month. Primrose hired Lexy Smith to be the new di-
Smith
Earl
See STAFF, Page 3-SL
Finger is new St. Mark’s director Austin Daily Herald
newsroom@austindailyherald.com
Murray Finger has been named the new executive director of St. Marks Living in Austin. St. Marks is a senior living and healthcare campus that provides a full continuum of housing and care options for older adults in Austin. Finger spent the last eight years traveling in many states doing interim work as
executive director in several locations. Finger has over 2 0 ye a r s experience in Finger nursing home administration and has worked in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and South Dakota.
Finger began his career as a nursing assistant in 1984 and has worked in nursing homes ever since. According to Finger, he has really developed a passion for caring for the elderly in high school and it’s only grown since then. “I stayed in the field because I have a love for the elderly and a true passion for taking care of them,” he said.
The Cedars celebrates a milestone Austin Daily Herald
newsroom@austindailyherald.com
The Cedars of Austin turned 30 last month and celebrated in style. The senior housing community held an event with a car show, food and beverages and live entertainment to mark the occasion. “It was a good successful event,” said Lisa Nelson, director of sales and marketing. A row of cupcakes is lined up to celebrate the 30th anniver-
See 30TH, Page 3-SL sary of The Cedars of Austin last month. Photo provided
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OCTOBER 20, 2016
Senior Living
AUSTIN DAILY HERALD
Upcoming events Oct. 21 •Volunteer Appreciation, 9 a.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. If you volunteer at or for the Senior Center, stop by for free coffee and muffins. Please RSVP at the Front Desk or call 507-433-2370 so we know you are coming. •Tater Time, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. Fun, food, and fellowship. This month features cream of broccoli soup along with the potato bar and fixings. All this with dessert for only $5. For more information, call 507-433-2370. •Jewelry Making Class, 2 p.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. Free class showing the latest techniques in making jewelry. Materials will be available for a fee if you would like to practice them yourselves. For more information, call 507-433-2370. •Austin ArtWorks Open Jam Session, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Austin ArtWorks Center. All are welcome! The house band hosts, but guest players, singers, performers invited to participate. The event is free, but we wouldn’t say no to a donation at the door. For more information, call 507-434-0934. Oct. 22 •Exploring Abstract Art with Watercolor and Acrylics, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Austin ArtWorks Center. Presented by
James Wegner. For ages 18 and up; cost: $150 (supplies included). For more information, call 507-434-0934. •2016 Austin Police Officers Association Fall Country Western Spectacular, 7 p.m. in Knowlton Auditorium, Austin High School. Featuring James Otto, with guest artist Thom Bresh. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door. Advance tickets will be available at the Austin Law Enforcement Center one week before the show. For more information, call 507-437-9407. •Sola Fide Observatory Viewing, 8 p.m. at the Sola Fide Observatory. Learn about the night sky from our local experts. From I90 take Hwy 218 south 2 miles to CR 28. Turn right (west) 1 mile to stop sign. Turn south on CR 29 for 1.5 miles to 180th St. Turn right for a quarter of a mile - the driveway is on the right. For more information, call Keith at 507-440-1244 or emailimstar@smig.net. Oct. 25 •Chef Jack’s Fall Harvest Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. Chef Jack will be serving a soup luncheon with dessert and beverage for a free will donation; all donations will go back to the Senior Center. Luncheon begins at 11:30 am; music by Gary Froiland
begins at 12:30 pm. For more information, call507-433-2370. •Our Family Matters – Advance Planning: 7 Substantial Benefits, 4 p.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. Educational opportunity presented by the Senior Center and Mayer Funeral Home staff on a variety of subjects important to families. Refreshments will be served, and door prizes awarded. Register in advance by stopping by the Senior Center front desk or calling 507-4332370. Second of a series of three sessions - next session will be Nov. 15. Oct. 27 •Lunchbox History Series, noon in the Pioneer Building, Mower County Historical Society. Bring your lunch and take in a little history with your friends and neighbors. For more information, call 507-437-6082. •Historical Society Presentation – George Washington, Myth vs History, 2 p.m. at the Mower County Senior Center. Most people know George Washington best as the first president of the US, but the list of his accomplishments is long. Come to this interesting presentation by John Haymond, Executive Director of the Mower County Historical Society and learn more. For more information, call 507-437-6082. Oct. 31 •Trick or treating at St. Mark’s, 4-5 p.m. in the St. Mark’s Chapel. St. Mark’s will welcome trick-or-treaters on Halloween. It’s also accepting candy donations from local businesses to sponsor the event. If a business donates candy we will advertise their business at the event.
Senior Living 30th: A ‘very cool’ celebration Staff:
A special supplement to the AUSTIN DAILY HERALD
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Earl ready to put passion to work
From Page 1
More than 400 people attended the event, which featured a history wall outlining the facility’s history back to 1957 when it opened as the Red Cedar Inn. An addition was added before it opened as The Cedars in 1986. “The whole thing was just very cool,” Nelson said of the history wall. The history wall will become a staple at The Cedars, as Nelson said they plan to add it near the Mill Pond entrance to the facility. Moving ahead, The Cedars will soon add a pub bar to give residents a spot where the can gather with friends and family over snacks, appetiz-
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2016
From Page 1
People take in a River Rats car show during The Cedars of Austin’s 30th anniversary celebration last month. Photos provided
ers and beverages in the style of an old fashioned Veterans of Foreign War or Legion club. The Cedars chef also
plans to make appetizer trays for the spot. “From there, we’ll kind of see what they like,” Nelson said.
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As director of nursing, Smith will guide and oversee the overall care of residents and, in conjunction with Executive Director Annette Ross, manage the nursing staff. She will also ensure compliance with all necessary regulations. “I am excited to be at Primrose,” Smith said in a press release. “I look forward to helping the residents here to receive the quality care that they deserve.” Smith attended Rasmussen College and obtained her associates degree in nursing and is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing through Western Governors University.
As sales director, Earl will oversee all marketing and sales efforts, as well as public relations events and community outreach, for Primrose of Austin. Earl worked in sales and accounting for the Austin Bruins junior hockey team before star ting at Primrose. She studied professional communications and emerging media at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. “I am excited to help g row our community,” Earl said in the release. “I plan to bring m u ch d e d i c at i o n a n d hard work to this team and am so happy to be part of such a welcoming atmosphere full of great people.” Ross praised Earl for what she’ll bring to the
retirement housing community. “She will bring a great deal of passion and energy for our residents,” Ross said in the release. “I have no doubt that Rebecca will help take Primrose to the next level.” Primrose Retirement Community of Austin, located at 1701 22nd Ave. SW, consists of 40 independent living apar tment homes and 24 assisted-living apartment homes. Primrose Retirement Communities, L.L.C., headquar tered in Aberdeen, South Dakota, provides inde pendent living, assisted living, and memory care communities across the country and specializes in personalized services a n d re s i d e n t - fo c u s e d care.
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Senior Living
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2016
A special supplement to the AUSTIN DAILY HERALD
How long can people live? Study suggests there’s a limit Associated Press
Walking is medicine? Study shows it helped high-risk seniors stay mobile Associated Press
WASHINGTON — It’s not too late to get moving: Simple physical activity — mostly walking — helped high-risk seniors stay mobile after disability-inducing ailments even if, at 70 and beyond, they’d long been couch potatoes. One health policy specialist said the study released recently suggests prescribing exercise may be just as important as prescribing medications. “Once you lose that mobility piece of your life, then you really lose independence,” said Patricia Katz of the University of California, San Francisco, who wasn’t part of the new research but said physicians need to put the findings to use. Katz called it striking that among the walkers, “if you start to have problems, you have a greater ability to recover and get your functioning back.” Older adults often shift back and forth between independence and conditions that can be disabling at least temporarily — a broken bone, an operation or a hospitalization from illness that requires time and rehab if they’re to get
back on their feet. Monday’s research examined whether regular physical activity could help even the oldest seniors stay mobile for longer despite other health conditions. The study enrolled more than 1,600 adults between the ages of 70 and 89 considered at high risk for disability because they were sedentary and had various chronic health problems, such as heart disease or diabetes. More than 2 in 5 were 80 or older. To enroll, they had to be able to walk a quarter of a mile in 15 minutes — a long time, and some needed every minute. “ We we re t a r g e t i n g folks who potentially had the most to gain,” said Dr. Thomas Gill, a Yale University geriatrician who led the work. The study compared seniors assigned to a regular walking program, plus a little strength and balance exercise, with a control group given health education. Over 3½ years, the walking prog ram reduced the amount of time seniors spent suffering from a major mobility problem by 25 percent, the researchers reported in Annals of In-
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ternal Medicine. The walkers were less likely to experience a mobility-robbing condition in the first place, more likely to recover if they did and less likely to suffer another one, Gill said. While the walking didn’t replace any necessary physical therapy, too often seniors “leave the hospital more debilitated than when they entered,” Gill said. The goal was to get them walking again as soon as possible. Only half of U.S. adults of all ages get the amount of physical activity recommended for good health. And if they weren’t active during middle age, older adults often are especially wary of getting started. Maybe they have arthritic pain, or are worried if it’s safe given other illnesses,
or fear they’ll fall. Gill said the study shows many sedentary seniors can start walking safely, no gym membership needed — just a safe place such as a sidewalk or shopping mall. Those who were physically active were less likely to be injured in a fall, he noted. There were six more deaths among the walkers over the course of the study, a difference that wasn’t statistically significant, he said. “A lot of people probably don’t know where to start,” said UCSF’s Katz, who co-authored an editorial in Monday’s Annals that said an actual prescription from the doctor could help, maybe more than a medication prescription.
LOS ANGELES — Just how long can people live? New research suggests there may be a limit to our life span — one that’s hard to extend without some sort of breakthrough that fixes all age-related problems. The record for the world’s oldest person is 122 years and the odds of shattering that record are slim, according to an analysis published Wednesday in the journal Nature. “It seems extremely difficult if not impossible to break through that ceiling due to the complexity of the aging process,” one of the researchers, Jan Vijg, a geneticist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said in an email. Life expectancies in many countries have risen dramatically because of improvements in medical care and sanitation in the last century. The maximum age of death has also increased, leading some to believe that there’s no boundary to how long people can live. In the new study, researchers analyzed mortality data from a global database. They found that while there have been strides in reducing deaths among certain groups — children, women during childbirth and the elderly — the rate of improvement was slower for the very old, those over 100 years old. Next they examined how old centenarians were when they died. The record holder is Jeanne Calment, of France, who lived until 122 years old. Since her death in 1997, no one has
broken her record. The researchers calculated the odds of someone reaching 125 years in a given year are less than 1 in 10,000. They think the human life span more likely maxes out at 115 years. Some aging specialists said the study doesn’t take into account advances that have been made in extending the life span — and health — of certain laboratory animals including mice, worms and flies through genetic manipulation and other techniques. The goal is to eventually find treatments that might slow the aging process in humans and keep them healthier longer. “We can greatly extend the life spans of many different types of animals. I don’t think humans are an exception,” said David Sinclair, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School and a spokesman for the American Federation For Aging Research. S. Jay Olshansky, a longevity researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said it remains to be seen just how much further life span can be stretched with technology. “If we succeed, current limits are likely to be broken. How much they are broken depends on the nature of the breakthrough,” he said in an email. Studies of centenarians have found that lifestyle choices play a bigger role than genetics in their longevity and most were able to delay disease and disability until late in life. Among supercentenarians — people who survive to 110 years old or longer — genes are key.