Spectrum Enriched Senior Living

Plus! A n i n s i d e lo o k at li fe i n o u r co m m u n it y

Enriched Senior Living Spring 2012

healing

Gardens The good in the green

That Devotion Emotion

How one Spectrum couple found love wisdom at 100

Centenarians share their stories triumphant journey

A WWII P.O.W. looks back A Publication of Spectrum Retirement Communities, LLC

Spectrum Retirement Communities, LLC

Registering a team gets you to the starting line.

Fundraising gets us closer to a cure.

The end of Alzheimer’s starts with your donation.

Join the Movement to End Alzheimer’s!

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offers flexible, affordable month-to-month rental programs, enabling residents to enjoy the luxury they desire without a prohibitive financial commitment or buy-in fee. Lifestyle options include independent, assisted living, and memory care. Spectrum Retirement Communities, LLC has multiple locations in ten states across the country.

To learn more or find a community near you, call 888-516-2188 or visit us online at www.spectrumretirement.com.

John Sevo managing director Jeff Kraus managing director Phillip Luebbers Senior VP & CFO Joe Mikalajunas Senior VP & COO

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Welcome to

Spectrum

Try this informal experiment: Search for “Renewal Older Age” on the Internet, and see what you get. If you’re like us, you’ll find more hits than you’ll ever need … about driver’s license renewal. Now expand your search and try “Life Renewal Old Age.” Again, a lot of hits, on life insurance renewal.

Try “Personal Renewal and Older Adults,” and you’re facing reams of academic studies – the kind you gladly left behind in college.

We could try more combinations with varying outcomes, but our results were already in line with that third attempt. The search engine gave us exactly what we did not want — and it also proves our point (renewal in later years).

At Spectrum, we understand that life is a perpetual evolution and that older adults seek new direction, new relationships, new energy.

In this issue, we look at opportunities for personal renewal as we age. In “Landscape’s Alter Ego,” we examine the strong connection between horticulture and its effect on our health, including how certain garden tasks become therapeutic exercise. And symbolically, does anything say renewal like watching your carefully tended seeds sprout into a spring garden?

In “When Mom Just Has to Move,” we look at helping a loved one move, likely from a long-time

Managing Directors Jeff Kraus and John Sevo

home with its potpourri of memories. Though an often complex and sensitive transition, it also poses an opportunity for renewal. Renewal, too, is pervasive in “A P.O.W.’s Perspective,” where a courageous World War II veteran describes his journey from prisoner of war to wisdom.

In “The Spirit of Well-Being,” we focus on studies showing how religious and spiritual beliefs can positively affect one’s health and outlook. And don’t miss “A Love Story” to see how one couple found love and a new life together in a Spectrum community.

The Spectrum community is truly an extended family. As such, we extend a warm welcome to your family. Whether you are a resident, or seeking help for a loved one, we are here for you. We invite your thoughts, questions and feedback at any time. Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy this issue of Spectrum Magazine, our magazine for enriched senior living.

John Sevo and Jeff Kraus Managing Directors Spectrum Retirement Communities, LLC s p e ct ru m / sprin g 20 1 2

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CONTENTS Spectrum Lifestyle

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The Spirit of Well-Being Studies show a strong link between religion or spirituality, and health in older adults

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A Love Story A charming tale of a Spectrum couple’s encounter with Cupid

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Words of Wisdom

11 A P.O.W. ’s Perspective Hank Cornellisson’s journey from war to wisdom

Spectrum Wellness

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Landscape’s Alter Ego That serene Spectrum landscape aims to heal; plus, a look at horticulture therapy

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When Mom Just Has to Move Help for one of life’s toughest transitions

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Tales from the road to 100

Spectrum Advisor

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What Makes a Marriage?

Tips for wedded bliss from seasoned matrimonial veterans

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Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way Tips on bringing order to your estate documents

Inside Spectrum

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Honoring Spectrum’s Team We recognize three of our team members for their distinguished service

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Looking Ahead Spectrum debuts in the New Mexico market with the launch of Palmilla Senior Living

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Landscape’s Alter Ego That serene Spectrum landscape

By Anne Kerven packs a dual purpose Stroll the paths of our garden some soft summer evening. Breathe deeply. Absorb the scent of freshly tended soil, the floral fragrances, the distinct aroma of recently watered vegetables.

Gaze off over the home-like landscaped grounds.

To observers, the scene is fresh, fragrant, restful, and in some cases, edible. To residents, the grounds and gardens represent that and more: exercise, renewal, memories, a social venue, and perhaps, a purpose. It is comforting and stimulating, all at once.

Heading this horticultural potpourri is Keith Clarke, Director of Landscape for Spectrum Retirement Communities. With great sensitivity to the needs and desires of residents, Clarke navigates the many facets of creating an outdoor world that is simultaneously reminiscent of home, therapeutic and just plain fun.

“Our main goal is to create a residential setting as close as possible to what residents had in their homes,” he says.

To achieve that, Clarke taps an army of contract landscape designers, as well as experts in the aging and therapy fields. Together, they consider the future residents’ mobility levels, the location’s climate and geography, and the aesthetics of native plants.

“Many of the residents have been in their homes in that region for 40 or 50 years,” Clarke says. The goal is to replicate that environment as closely as possible to allow walking, wheelchairs and walkers.

For independent and assisted living residents, that might mean lawns and walkways with occasional benches, umbrella tables and shade sources.

Each new resident receives the resources for an s p e ctru m / sprin g 20 1 2

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individual garden, if desired, usually close to the buildings for easy shade access. Options may include a garden at ground level, but recently, Clarke has been incorporating raised beds and vertical gardens with wheelchair accessibility.

At Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby in Shelby Township, Michigan, for example, residents often help with the four four-by-eight-foot raised gardens, says Director of Fun Tonya Wilson. In the spring, talk is thick about soil and seeds, and in the summer, the gardeners pull together to plant, weed and tend the vegetables and zinnias. “It’s definitely a community effort,” she says.

In memory care, Clarke uses the latest in memory care garden design, including a figure-eight walkway, water sources and a fireplace that is always cool to the touch. But, he notes, actual models for these contained gardens are still fairly rare. Each memory-garden component has a purpose and a theme, based on the region. Clarke may use color to suggest a theme or a mood – blues for coolness to match a water theme in Phoenix, for example. He chooses plants carefully, focused on helping to stimulate the senses – and trigger memories – while ensuring safety. Roses and their thorns are not used, but a leaf of thyme can be rubbed, smelled, seen and tasted. Likewise, a resident might see a tomato and know what it is, but not know he can eat it until a caregiver tells him, Clarke says. Once he eats it, the tomato may trigger more memories – a favorite recipe, a long-ago meal or a gardening experience.

Most residents plant vegetable gardens, he says, providing fresh produce for their own, private, in-room kitchens. To foster that off-season, Clarke’s crew has recently fashioned greenhouses inside the building. In turn, those have attracted local garden clubs for meetings and demos, furthering the social

“Our goal is to create a setting as close as possible to what residents had in their homes.”

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aspects of gardening. The greenhouses will be a new standard, he says.

Finally, Clarke focuses on three key points in any Spectrum location: The entrance and dining patio (one and two) must be aesthetically pleasing, and the grounds (three) should allow safe and easy outdoor walking. Future plans include devising ways to accommodate visits from adult children and grandchildren, many of whom prefer the outdoors. “We’re working on that now,” he says.

Horticulture Therapy Nothing quite says renewal like a garden.

Each year, seeds go in, bud, grow and produce again. But gardens provide a parallel renewal, one that directly affects the human body.

Horticulture Therapy is a relatively new field.

Denver-based Horticulture Therapy Institute describes it as “a professional practice that uses the cultivation of plants and gardening activities to improve the mental and physical health of its participants.”

For older adults, though, gardening can simply blend endurance and resistance exercises that help offset aging symptoms. Gardening’s exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic disease, improve balance and reduce the risk of falls.

A 2008 Kansas State University study shows that mixing soil and filling pots promotes hand strength, particularly in stroke victims. A separate KSU study found that “a task like raking, which uses the whole body, had the most exercise benefit, whereas activities like mixing soil or transplanting seedlings give the most benefit to the upper body.” Gardening can provide both moderate and low-level exercise.

For its part, in an article titled “Low Protein + Low Exercise = Sarcopenia,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture says that gardening can offset Sarcopenia, a slow decline in muscle mass stemming from low protein and low exercise.

Rutgers University, in an article called “Gardening With Seniors,” goes into even greater detail about gardening’s benefits: Planting and transplanting seedlings strengthens fine motor skills, digging and raking use gross motor skills, and the oxygen from plants “can be stimulating.”

Spiritually, “Working with plants brings people closer to the mysteries of growth and development.”

Gardening provides mental stimulation by encouraging use of problem-solving, research and memory skills.

A garden’s shapes, colors, textures, and fragrances can stimulate sight, touch, taste and smell.

Gardening enhances social skills as gardeners share stories, tools and produce.

Finally, Ohio State University’s Extension released a Fact Sheet, “Gardening With the Elderly,” describing how to adapt gardens and tools to accommodate aging: As one ages, vision yellows, affecting sight and depth perception. Try painting tools bright colors, use vertical gardens and ensure pathways have smooth surfaces.

Muscle and bone density decline, affecting strength and balance. Try raised gardens with stools, and adaptive tools with good grips.

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When Mom Just Has to Move Helping the older adult in your world with one of life’s toughest transitions

Home. Few words are more potent, loaded with context, meaning and experiences. When people define home, the physical structure usually comes far down the list, after security, safety, privacy, warmth, families, memories and comfort, according to a Kansas State University report.

For older adults, home may represent stability, family and friends, a fixed routine, or a long-time identity. Indeed, many women age 65-plus traditionally were full-time homemakers, and “their identities are often tied to their families, homes and possessions,” according to an article in the 2004 issue of The Journal of Aging Studies. Because of this, home can be hard to leave behind. Older adults age 65-plus move at a rate of 4.1 percent a year, the article adds. If that older adult does move, it’s usually in the first year of widowhood. Probability goes down from there.

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That partly explains why helping a loved one make that transition can be such a formidable task. Many aging parents decide to move closer to family. But what if that isn’t your case? What if your loved one shows signs of fall or health risks, or cognition changes, and is no longer safe at home?

How do you help?

Moving is overwhelming, especially for older adults, but you needn’t start this alone. A first step: Call your local Area Agency on Aging referral line. Describe your situation. These folks listen and can help you find resources.

Likewise, professional Geriatric Care Managers (GCM) can coordinate the move and movers, from start to finish. They can help find a new residence, assist with the logistics, and most of all keep an advocating ear open to what your loved one wants and feels. GCMs can lend a compassionate, objective voice to the discussion, and can navigate not only the seemingly piecemeal senior-services system, but sibling and family relationships as well. Some even offer geriatric counseling.

A few other points, for the run-up to and the day of the move, might help. From Jennifer Prell, owner of Cary, Illinois-based Paxem Inc., a senior-relocation company:

The National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers offers a few helpful hints for caregivers considering a move:

C onsider hiring a professional

With your loved one, list the tasks and build a timeline that includes each one.

Include

her in the process as

much as possible. If you begin to sort through years of belongings and she grows agitated or emotional, stop and redirect. Find another job to do.

S tart early in the day and stop for breaks.

S ee things from her view. Stay calm if she moves slowly, or makes poor or no decisions.

H elp list what goes to the new home, and what is optional. Use

sticky notes on each item. Ask her to number each by order of importance.

senior-move manager. That person does the planning and work, while you and your loved one can reminisce and sort.

U se “I” messages. Say that you are

concerned for her safety, not that she “should” hire someone or move.

S tart care “in spoonfuls instead

of buckets” – two hours, a few times a week. Spend more time as the relationship develops.

A llow your parent to tour a few

retirement communities for the “future.”

No pressure. This is about exposure to options.

Finally, remember to use every available resource in the new home. Spectrum Retirement Communities has a contingent of Directors of Fun, who thoroughly understand what the move means to new residents.

“We always tell families it takes a couple of weeks to adjust to moving from home to a community residence,” says Eric Lindley, Director of Fun at Spectrum Retirement Communities’ Pheasant Pointe location in Molalla, Oregon.

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Once, Lindley found that a new resident missed having toaster waffles in the morning.

Lindley purchased waffles, and other residents served them up. Appreciating the gesture, that new resident began to help other newcomers adjust.

Likewise, Michele Scott, Director of Fun at Spectrum’s Palos Verdes location in Peoria, Arizona, has a coffee bar in the lobby. New residents can get a cup of coffee and choose to join others to discuss any given topic. Alternately, an upstairs greenhouse attracts residents for its serenity. Debi Bruni, Coordinator of Fun at Palos Verdes, hosts several activities designed to engage and integrate residents, such as lunch and a movie in town and regular bingo events.

Lindley points to outdated assumptions of retirement communities as an adjustment issue. At one time, housing choices were few and most fell under the umbrella of “nursing home.”

Too often, older adults don’t realize times have changed, bringing more choices, he says. He distinguishes between independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing. “I wish people knew more about the differences,” he says.

These days, “It’s not about restrictions and housing people,” he says. “We want to help people live independently so they can have a full and fulfilling life.”

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Call for a free no-obligation estimate,

847-269-6272 or email info@paxem.com

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A P.O.W.’s

Perspective A WWII veteran describes his journey from war to wisdom Hank Cornellisson, 92, lists his top three, most-important priorities: things, people and ideas. “That’s reverse order of importance,” he says from his studio apartment at Lakeview Senior Living in Lakewood, Colorado.

“Things don’t mean a whole lot. But without ideas, we would still be hunting woolly mammoth with a rock.”

An upbeat and energetic man, Cornellisson’s priorities come from a unique perspective. Fate and the Army Air Corps took him from the harvests of Kansas to the Philippines as part of the 28th Bombardment Squadron and, after Pearl Harbor, to war.

And then, a drastic turn: Cornellisson was captured by the Japanese and remained a

prisoner of war in a Kawasaki camp for 3 1/2 years, until the war ended.

He married Ruth in April 1947, and the couple raised three boys. Cornellisson retired from the military in 1960, and promptly began civilian work for the Army and Air Force, work that took him and his family to Brazil for three years. Ruth died in October 1995, and he lived alone in Greeley until marrying again five years later. He and his bride, Genie, traveled and played until her passing in January 2011.

In February, he sold his home and moved to Spectrum’s Lakewood location, nearer to his three sons.

Through the years, he has stayed connected with his war-time buddies, spoken to school groups about his experiences, and recorded them for the Veteran’s History Project at the s p e ctru m / sprin g 20 1 2

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Library of Congress. He is writing a book about his experiences and what he learned. Here, he shares his story with Spectrum Magazine.

Where did you grow up?

I was raised in Kansas. We lived in town, but my father sold farm equipment and volunteered my work to the local farmers for the harvests.

The first nine or ten years, things were good.

But then, there was the Depression. I graduated high school in 1938, and considered college.

Why didn’t you go?

I got the mumps. I couldn’t work for six weeks, and my summer was shot.

What took you to the military?

Hank Cornellisson, after the war

It was 1939, and a high school friend said, ‘Let’s join the Navy.’ On Sept. 6, 1939, we joined the Army Air Corps. On Oct. 4, we left San Francisco for the Philippines. I signed up for two years in Manila, assigned to Clark Field, but when the war started, the Army automatically detained me.

What happened?

And then the war started?

They took me to a prison camp in Mindanao, then to Manila and then to Osaka on the [Hellship] Tottori Maru. It took 1,600 of us 30 days to get to Japan, just across the China Sea. Down in the hold, it was so crowded, if you wanted to lie down, your friend sat or stood. I stayed on deck as much as possible. From Osaka, we took a train directly to Kawasaki.

We knew the war was going to happen. We just didn’t know when. We saw freighters in the Philippine waters. Our captain flew over Taiwan the day after Thanksgiving, 1941, and the airport was full of planes. One morning, we woke up and heard about Pearl Harbor.

We knew we were next, and were attacked [on December 8]. We went to Mindanao, the southernmost island. But then [General Jonathan M.] Wainwright surrendered the islands.

It was chaos.

I was captured May 10, 1942. I was driving a bus and slowed for a town. Suddenly, there was a Japanese guard on each running board with bayonets in my ribs. I thought of going for my gun. But there was nothing I could do.

What then?

How did you survive?

It was about hate and love, and living one day at a time.

“It was about hate and love, 12

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“ The day I was liberated outshone everything.”

And after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings?

They had also bombed Kawasaki and destroyed the camp. We moved up into the mountains to an iron mine. One day, a Dutch man said, ‘Those Americans have done it again.’ He said they dropped a bomb that blew things 1,000 feet in the air. I thought he was crazy and didn’t believe him.

But later, the guards started patrolling outside of the fence. Aircraft carriers dropped food, papers, flags – I was the one who picked up the flag. Our captain said, ‘Run it up.’ I was released Sept. 6, 1945, six years to the day from joining.

What happened then?

missile guidance systems for the Army, and as an electrician for the Air Force. I studied psychology for 20 years, self-taught. I learned about PTSD, and how the mind works, how people perceive things, human nature. I was able to move forward in life and do things.

Did you help Spectrum with a project for Japanese tsunami victims? Why?

Yes, someone donated a lot of socks, and we opened the large packages and put the socks into smaller bags to send. That (being in the path of a tsunami) must be the most awful thing in the world. They’re people, too.

What would you want someone to learn from your story?

We took a train to Yokohama, flew to Manila and took a boat to San Francisco. When I stepped off the boat, it was a great feeling. But the day I was liberated outshone everything. I landed October 8, 1945, six years and four days since I enlisted for a two-year tour!

Did you stay in the military?

I retired in 1960 as a master sergeant, then worked as a civilian, overhauling missiles and

Hank Cornellisson, 1958

If you hate something – I did have hate from prison – it hurts no one but you. It doesn’t affect the other person at all. I try very hard to never say anything negative about anyone.

There’s a difference between not liking what someone does and not liking the person.

I learned that people sometimes hesitate to do things because they might fail. But failing is a part of life. If you fail, you get up again and do it differently, and you don’t quit.

and living one day at a time.” s p e ct rum / sprin g 20 1 2

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The Spirit of Well-Being How religious belief and practice affects health in older adults With religion and spirituality prominent in news coverage lately, perhaps it’s time to take a quick look at how, or if, one’s beliefs affect health and well-being in life’s later years.

Most studies on the topic – and there are many – begin by trying to define the terms religion and spirituality. It’s challenging.

“Much debate surrounds the definition of both terms,” according to the National Center for Cultural Competence, a unit of Georgetown University’s Center for Child and Human Development. “The breadth of spirituality and religion along with a lack of clarity and 14

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agreement on definitions” hinders research.

The ambiguity comes from spirituality, says an article in Psychology and Aging’s December 2003 issue. The term can apply to anything from traditional religious beliefs to someone seeking a meaning in life.

Generally, religion involves participation in an institution with leaders, traditions, practices and a community of like-minded people.

Spirituality is considered more individual, and entails one’s search for meaning, sometimes by looking inward but also outward in community or social projects.

Most Americans age 70-plus are Baptists (21 percent), according to Pew Research Center’s ARIS 2008 Summary Report. The next largest groups are Judaism at 18 percent, Protestant, 14 percent, and Catholic, 13 percent. Americans ages 50 to 69 also are largely Baptist (37 percent), with Pentecostal a close second at 36 percent, then Protestant and Catholic at 28 percent. A minority of both groups report no religion at all.

Overall, more than 90 percent of older Americans consider themselves religious and spiritual, and about 5 percent consider themselves spiritual but not religious, the Merck Manual reports in “Social Issues of the Elderly.” Moreover, 96 percent believe in God or a universal spirit, more than 90 percent pray, and more than 50 percent attend services one or more times per week.

More women than men tend toward religion, and among low-income African American, Native American and Hispanic older adults, formal and informal religious participation is high, according to an overview in “Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood.”

What does that mean to you? Studies connect religion and spirituality positively to better health and well-being, although, Merck

that jumps to 43 percent after an illness or “feeling sad.”

Most studies seem to link religion and spirituality to coping and building social networks, which in turn can improve physical health.

“Spiritual practices tend to improve coping skills and social support, foster feelings of optimism and hope, promote healthy behavior, reduce feelings of depression and anxiety, and encourage a sense of relaxation,” the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. “By alleviating stressful feelings and promoting healing ones, spirituality can positively influence immune, cardiovascular (heart and blood vessels), hormonal, and nervous systems.”

On the downside, religions that instill guilt, shame and fear don’t compel the same benefits as more positive beliefs. And finally, as people age, it becomes harder to get to a service, as reflected in participation numbers.

While it has no formal services, Palos Verdes Senior Living, in Peoria, Arizona, tries to respond to residents’ spiritual needs by either helping to arrange transportation to a local church service, or, if requested, helping arrange clergy to visit.

“The only thing we offer here right now is Catholic communion,” says Michele Scott,

Studies link religion and spirituality to coping and building social networks, which in turn can improve physical health. notes, religion may simply attract healthy people. Experts aren’t sure. Still, a good example: “Having a hopeful, positive attitude about the future helps people with physical problems remain motivated to recover,” it reports.

Pew also reported that 34 percent of adults older than 65 say religion has become more important to them over the years – a number

Director of Fun. “We’re looking to start up a bible study. And in memory care, we gear Sunday activities around gospel singing.”

Debi Bruni, Fun Coordinator, agrees with Scott that religion and spirituality, while respected, aren’t a focus. “It isn’t about religion,” she says. “It’s about talking with them and getting them out to see other people.” s p e ct rum / sprin g 20 1 2

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a love story The charming tale of a Spectrum couple’s encounter with Cupid

Editor’s note: Writer Gina Oldenburg stresses the importance of recording one’s legacy. What follows is her rendering of a story from Spectrum’s Ocean Ridge Community in Coos Bay, Oregon.

By Gina Oldenburg

Joyce and Jack Henry

Jack and Joyce Henry – A Love Story

The story begins in 2006 When Joyce Sherwood moved to Ocean Ridge She had lived a full and rewarding life And was ready to cross her next bridge.

For the next two years she went through the motions Of living from day to day Little did she realize That her life was about to change It all started in the dining room In November 2008 Two people came together Not knowing they were creating their fate Now, things might not have happened so quickly If it wasn’t for a friend Who found a seat elsewhere To help this romance begin

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Jack Henry had just moved to Ocean Ridge While Joyce had been there awhile Jack thought she was adorable And Joyce liked his great smile They talked together easily And found they had much to say They loved music, dancing, and laughing And discovered more about each other every single day

Jack stated one day (without really asking) “Joyce, you have to decide where you’d like to dine” To his surprise he had won a drawing And for Joyce, dinner out with Jack would be just fine They went to the Coach House on a crowded night And enjoyed ribs and evening out They had no trouble conversing There was always something to talk about They continued to learn about each other

And acknowledged there were health challenges to be met But they knew they were falling in love And were sure there would be no regret

And don’t forget Jeopardy Another time to just cuddle Their love for dance and music Keeps them in the groove Practicing routines in their room or hall Or anywhere they can move

They took it slow and continued to grow Taking part in all of life’s treasures Dancing together, or visiting friends Their excitement couldn’t be measured Then on July 20th, 2009 With friends and family coming together A celebration sealed their love Jack and Joyce promised the rest of their lives to each other.

They took a vacation in 2010 Through the Canadian Rockies they toured Banff, Calgary, and the City of Kamloops As long as they were together – they were never bored.

Their favorite occasions are simple ones Dinner out and flowers from Jack They enjoy their “couch dates” with Wheel of Fortune Together they relax and just sit back They share a love of the English language Completing newspaper puzzles

And don’t forget the Jug Band Joyce on tambourine Jack is hot on the Bongos Just having fun and being seen On July the 20th The year of 2012 They celebrate their 3rd Anniversary And their birthdays as well Jack will celebrate 91 And Joyce a year behind What an amazing gift they have What a treasured find.

Two people were meant to be together Love awakened their souls And made them reach a little more To trust and release control Jack and Joyce share their joy With everyone they meet Their love for life is evident Their lives have become complete.

“Not only are we a couple, we are on a daily basis each other’s caregiver – in the most loving ways.” - Joyce s p e ct ru m / sprin g 20 1 2

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Words of Spectrum centenarians share insight from the road to 100

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isdom. Philosophers, academics, psychologists, spiritualists, religious leaders and others have tussled for centuries with its definition. What exactly is it? Can only certain people be wise? Is it true that, “With age comes wisdom?”

Our centenarians may smile calmly at such questions. They have lived life’s complexities, ambiguities, and ups and downs. Experience and years have taught them to recognize and coolly navigate uncertainty. In short, they offer wisdom and invaluable insight into life, and living it well.

With great pleasure, we bring you the accumulated wisdom of three Spectrum centenarian residents.

Good People, Good Health What are the most important things in life?

Having good people in your life, getting along with others, staying in good health.

What should one’s priorities be?

God, family, and having good health.

What was your greatest adventure?

Raising a family.

What are your favorite childhood memories?

My dad was a businessman. He had a restaurant, a bar, and a chicken and fish store. Mother was a housewife and helped with the business.

What role does attitude play in your health and longevity?

A positive attitude is key to good health and longevity.

What about diet and exercise?

Simply put: Time spent with family.

I exercise every day with a physical therapist. No special diet here, I eat whatever I feel like eating!

What did you do for a living?

What do you enjoy doing?

I worked for a dentist as a dental assistant. I met my husband Anthony there when he was a patient. We got married in Detroit in 1932 at St. Francis Church.

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What did your parents do?

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I used to knit and crochet, and now I enjoy time with family more than anything else.

Marie DiMaggio Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby Shelby Township, Michigan Birthday: 12/11/11

If you could do one thing over, what would it be?

I would go to school and become a teacher.

What keeps you going today?

Do you have any regrets?

God’s good graces upon me.

Not at all.

WISDOM What should one’s priorities be?

Stay in good health. Think about it, and stay that way as long as you can.

What was the greatest adventure of your life?

Raising my sons. I really enjoyed them and loved being their mother.

Milbur Ingram Ocean Ridge Coos Bay, Oregon Birthday: 11/01/1911

Putting People First What are the most important things in life?

Loving one another and having consideration for each other, especially the elderly.

What matters most?

I don’t have any family left alive, but my friends are my family and they matter most to me.

What are your favorite childhood memories?

I remember playing in the creek at home in Toledo [Washington] and riding my horse.

My brother and I used to beg my dad, “Why can’t we have a horse?” And we got one!

What did you do for a living?

I was a bookkeeper in a bank.

I went to business college and really liked the business end of things.

What did your parents do?

My father was a blacksmith, carpenter, farmer, and a wonderful man. Mom was a housewife, but she was his partner and helped him with everything. They worked together.

What role does attitude play in your health and longevity?

Staying positive and loving people keeps you young.

What do you enjoy doing?

I love to read, and I love all kinds of music. I enjoy the musicians that come here.

What keeps you going today?

Faith in the Bible and the way I was raised keep me strong.

If you could do one thing in life again, what would it be?

I would become a lawyer.

“Love one another and have consideration for each other.”

Did you marry?

In Chehalis, Washington, to George. I can’t remember the anniversary date, but it was in 1934 and we were married for 28 years. We were high-school sweethearts.

Any regrets?

None.

If you could do anything today, what would it be?

I would go into music and encourage people to get into it, because it’s one of the greatest things in life.

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Exercising the Mind What was the greatest adventure of your life?

My greatest adventure was trying to raise a family with no money, I guess! I was married and had two children during the Great Depression, and that was quite a challenge.

Maxine Allen Redwood Heights Salem, Oregon Birthday: 10/04/11

What are the most important things in life?

I think the most important things in life are the people that you’re close to. Yes, that’s it.

What matters most?

Trying to get along with people, having lots of friends and making people happy. Having an interest in most everything.

Having a desire to learn and gain knowledge. You need to keep your brain working!

What should one’s priorities be?

I should think that living your life in a way that contributes to the lives of others should be a priority.

Being a good friend to others.

Can you share some favorite childhood memories?

I don’t have a lot of memories from my childhood, but after retiring, I was a part of a travel group. We did a lot of traveling throughout Oregon and I took some cruises to Alaska and the Hawaiian islands. Those were good memories. I did a lot of camping, hiking and swimming in the rivers. I enjoyed looking at the birds and animals. I enjoyed being outdoors.

What did you do for a living?

Oh mercy! I guess it was during the Depression that I first started working. I babysat and worked for Dole Packaging Company. I worked in a dry-cleaning factory, waited on tables and a lot more than that.

I could do most anything I had to in order to eat. Later though, I worked for quite some time with the Department of Motor Vehicles and then the Department of Employment. After that,

“Live your life in a way that contributes to the lives of others.”

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I worked for the Salem-Keizer School District. When I finally retired, I retired from the Salem Public Library.

What role does attitude play in your health and longevity?

Just being interested in everything I run into, and trying to learn more about it. I haven’t always had a positive attitude.

My kids say I growl and grumble too much. I say, ‘Wait till you get as old as I am, and you may do a little grumbling, too!’ But I guess without the Lord, this life would have been a lot harder!

What do you enjoy doing?

Not much I can do now that I enjoy. I like to hike a lot around the building, and I really enjoy good, interesting conversation with people I like.

If you could do one thing in life again, what would it be?

Oh that’s a hard question.

Maybe make people miss me when I’m gone. I’d be more helpful and more encouraging to other people, showing more compassion and understanding for others.

If you could do anything today, what would it be?

I’ve lived a good life. I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do and seen everything I’ve wanted to see. It’s been a good life.

WELLNE SS

what makes a marriage?

Tips for wedded bliss from seasoned matrimonial veterans After Alex Ryan, maintenance and housekeeping director at Spectrum’s Lakeview Senior Living in Lakewood, Colorado, announced his engagement, we asked residents for their advice on how to have a happy marriage. With gratitude, we offer what they shared from their accumulated centuries of experience.

“Most marriages don’t survive because couples stop communicating with each other.” – Pat “use the word ‘i,’ ‘i feel,’ ‘i wish,’ ‘i believe,’ ‘what do you think?’” – warren

“ Always be kind to your mother-in-law — she could be your best friend!” – Dorothy “ Whatever ‘kind of’ bugs you about another person will, after you are married for awhile, drive you absolutely nuts.”

– Terri

“A key to success is to put each other first.”

“ I f you are not perfect, don’t expect your wife to be perfect.”

– Anne

– Pat

“When you found the one who touches your soul, who fills your life and makes you whole, then you found true love.” – Debbie

“ D on’t fight over money. There is never enough!” – Jean

“ Happiness is fleeting, but your joy can carry you through some tough times. Your marriage and your family will always be worth it.” – Jackie

“ Remember – love is a verb!”

– Holly

“ L ove, respect, patience, tolerance, trust and a willingness to listen and compromise will go a long way to ensure a lasting, happy marriage.”

– Bob

“ My husband and I were married 60 years. We always kept in mind the vows we took on our wedding day – ‘til death do us part,’ to love and honor each other.” – Mary

“2 cups patience, 1 gallon of trust (undiluted), 1 cup of respect, 2 cups of encouragement, 1 pinch of respect for in-laws.” – Ella “Always have a sense of humor.”

– Becky

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advisor

Where There’s a Will,

There’s a Way Remember the last time you went to a library? What would happen if you needed a certain book and someone forgot to create a catalog of the inventory? Or imagine an Internet with no search engines.

Because that’s what your estate is like without a list of where your assets and documents are. Planning your estate is one thing. Carrying it out is another. Too many people prepare for the former without considering the latter.

According to the National Association of 22

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How to leave your heirs with an orderly estate

Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), state treasurers and other agencies currently hold at least $32.877 billion in unclaimed property for 117 million accounts. Perhaps your life insurance policy – that one your employer gave you when you left – is in that stash. Those particular policies are one of the most commonly overlooked by estate planners, the Wall Street Journal reports.

But maybe it’s your bank accounts, your insurance policies, your stocks and bonds, and

your other ownership papers that are stuffed in drawers, file cabinets or boxes – somewhere.

Before your heirs can follow your wishes, they must know where to start. Without readily available documents, they may spend valuable time searching, getting court orders or painstakingly piecing your financial world together without your help. Assets can slip away to the state treasury and be held in perpetuity.

NAUPA stresses that property becomes lost because communication stops. It recommends contacting annually any company where you have money, particularly if you’ve moved or married in that year. It also advises: eeping accurate financial records and K details on where those are; ecording all insurance policies, bank R account numbers with bank names and addresses, types of accounts, stock certificates, and rent and utility deposits; ashing all checks for dividends, wages, and C insurance settlements without delay; esponding to requests for confirmation of R account balances and stockholder proxies; ecording safe deposit box numbers, and R bank name and address, and leaving the extra key with a trusted person; and reparing and filing a will detailing the P disposition of your assets.

For its part, the Wall Street Journal suggests designing your “death dossier – or you could be setting up your heirs for frustration and financial pain.” In an article titled, “The 25 Documents You Need Before You Die,” it says frankly that an estate plan and end-of-life instructions aren’t enough. “You also have to make your heirs aware of them and leave the documents where they can find them,” it says.

Among the documents to collect and store in a readily available spot:

our will/revocable living trust left with your Y attorney or at the courthouse, and a letter of instruction left where heirs can find it. The instructions should have contact information for attorneys, financial advisors, accountants and others. roof of ownership for mortgages, stocks P and savings, corporate partnerships, “and a list of brokerage and escrow mortgage accounts.” Include your debts, loans you’ve made and the last three tax returns.

Bank accounts and numbers afe deposit boxes – do you really want your S belongings listed on eBay by your state after a few years? NAUPA’s site suggests just how common it is for unclaimed safe-deposit box belongings to be auctioned after a multiyear holding period. The funds are kept for your heirs – if they know to claim them.

Health care papers, including a durable power of attorney and authorized release of health information. Include advanced directives.

Life Insurance information Retirement account information arital information, including qualified M domestic-relations orders The Chicago Tribune, in “Orderly Papers Will Ease Way for Heirs,” also suggests having available all family personal and medical histories, birth papers, veterans benefits, social security information, funeral instructions and clear instructions on dividing personal possessions. It, too, advises a clear list of investments and other financial papers, and details on where those papers are.

Too often, it says, heirs find old stocks in drawers and stuffed away, for companies that have since lost value. If heirs had known the stocks existed, they might have sold when the time was right.

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inside

honoring

spectrum’s team Three of our own earn awards for distinguished service

Sarah Wylie memory care coordinator, gerontologist

Sarah heads the Path to the Present Memory Care program at Palos Verdes Senior Living in Peoria, Arizona, and is recognized for her development of the program and catering to the needs of its residents.

Wylie’s knowledge, warmth and compassion for those suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia has made a tremendous difference for the residents and family members at Palos Verdes.

“Throughout my life I have had the privilege of being near older adults, being raised in a multigenerational home, and enjoying them as neighbors and close friends. I have been a caregiver to my own parents’ needs, and experienced the loss of a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease. I have spent many years serving the senior population in a variety of venues. I SM

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delight in serving them and their families.”

Wylie was selected “Student of the Year” by the Oregon Gerontological Society and has a master’s degree (summa cum laude) in Gerontology from the University of Central Oklahoma.

“Sarah’s knowledge and dedication has made the Memory Care program at Palos Verdes one of the best in Arizona,” says Bob Bailey, executive director at Palos Verdes. “We are very lucky to have her.”

Lisa Jensen concierge, gatekeeper award

Lisa Jensen received the inaugural Gatekeeper award at Spectrum Retirement Communities’ recent leadership conference. Jensen was nominated by residents and peers for demonstrating the company’s core values as Concierge at Lincoln Meadows Senior Living in Parker, Colorado.

Jensen has been with Lincoln Meadows since its July 2009 opening. As Concierge, she greets all visitors and residents, and serves resident’s requests.

“Lisa is the glue that holds the community together and is a great representative of the Spectrum Core Values,” wrote one resident.

“We congratulate Lisa on this award — it is well deserved” says John Sevo, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Spectrum.

Spectrum debuted the Gatekeeper award at its annual Leadership Conference this year. The Gatekeeper Award stems from a bit of history from the

Jeff Kraus, Christina Melaragno and John Sevo

Christina Melaragno executive director and director of nursing

John Sevo, Lisa Jensen and Jeff Kraus

4,000-mile Great Wall of China. The monument has more than 10,000 watchtowers, and reaches 25 feet high and 30 feet wide in places. Considered impenetrable when designed, it was breached three times in its first 100 years of use – not by force, but by bribing the gatekeepers to look the other way. The massive wall could not compensate for one greedy gate guard. Thus, Spectrum imbues each team member with a responsibility to work hard, keep the walls of its culture strong and keep residents safe. At Spectrum, each employee is a gatekeeper.

Christina Melaragno is a visionary with extraordinary talent and creativity, and her goal has always been to make life better for those whose lives she touches along the way.

She recently received a Community of the Year award at Spectrum Retirement Communities’ annual leadership conference. The designation is the event’s top honor.

Despite her executive status at Gardens at Westlake Assisted Living in Westlake, Ohio, she pitches in to help her employees. She serves meals to residents, mops a flooded bathroom, and assists her nurses and caregivers with hands-on care.

Melaragno was recently awarded Outstanding Director/Administrator for 2011 by The Ohio Assisted Living Association.

“Everything goes back to the residents,” Melaragno says. “They encourage us to be the best and give all we can.” s p e ct rum / sprin g 20 1 2

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inside

Looking Ahead Newest community marks Spectrum’s New Mexico debut Deep in the Land of Enchantment, near the banks of the Rio Grande, sits a site that soon will host Spectrum’s newest retirement community. Located in the Westside area of Albuquerque’s northwest quadrant, Palmilla Senior Living will welcome new residents in 2013.

Plans call for a 136-room, independent living, assisted living, and memory care community close to Cottonwood Mall, restaurants, Lovelace Westside Hospital and Desert Greens Golf Course.

Construction began in February 2012 on the complex, which boasts the latest amenities in senior living. Residents will relax with restaurantstyle dining, exercise on the latest in Technogym equipment, and savor the satisfaction inherent in the full-service beauty salon, theater and game rooms. With more than 40 percent of the campus dedicated to community rooms, residents will have a variety of daily activity choices.

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Palmilla’s memory care wing will have a private dining room, living room, and beautifully landscaped and secure memory garden. Its compassionate, highly trained staff will follow Spectrum Retirement’s “The Path to the Present ” Memory Care program.

This new, three-story community represents Spectrum Retirement’s entry into New Mexico.

See it for yourself. You’ll find it, when complete, at Golf Course Road NW and the first traffic light south of McMahon Boulevard NW. Since its 2003 founding, Denver-based Spectrum Retirement Communities, LLC has opened and operates 22 communities in nine different states, with three more under construction. Spectrum employs more than 1,200 compassionate and caring team members. For more information on Spectrum Retirement Communities, please visit www.spectrumretirement.com.

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T R E AT

Yourself

Treat yourself or someone you love

Due to its increasing popularity, Spectrum Retirement is pleased to continue our Treat Yourself Dining Program.

TREAT YOURSELF is a unique dining program that offers a new special every quarter.

Featuring such items as steak and lobster for only a third of the price of an upscale restaurant.

This program is separate from the dining program. Selections and prices may vary. Purchase tickets at participating Spectrum Retirement Communities. www.spectrumretirement.com

A

F U L L

Rack of Lamb for $15.95

New Zealand mustard & herbed rack of lamb

SPECTRUM

O F

• Marvelous Minds • SpectraFitness • What’s News • Spectrum Travel Adventures • Just For Laughs

E V E N T S • Great Moments in Entertainment • Reflections of a Life Well Lived • History’s Mysteries • Quality Living

Visit a Spectrum Community today and be a part of what’s happening.

Your mind, body and spirit will thank you!

888.516.2188

www.SpectrumRetirement.com s p e ct rum / sprin g 20 1 2

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INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE

She’s Still Mom. Now With a New Lease on Life.

Northeast Communities

Gardens at Westlake - Westlake, OH Maple Heights - Allen Park, MI Parkrose Estates - Liverpool, NY Pine Ridge Garfield - Clinton Township, MI Pine Ridge Hayes - Sterling Heights, MI Pine Ridge Plumbrook - Sterling Heights, MI Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby - Shelby Township, MI

Midwest Communities

Clairview - Lake Zurich, IL - Coming Soon!

Crestview - Crestwood, MO Homestead at Hickory View - Washington, MO Park Meadows - Overland Park, KS Shawnee Hills - Shawnee, KS Southview - St. Louis, MO - Now Leasing!

Three Oaks - Cary, IL - Now Leasing!

Westview at Ellisville - Ellisville, MO - Now Leasing!

Please call or visit today!

888-516-2188

Northwest Communities Cedar Village - Salem, OR Clearwater Springs - Vancouver, WA Ocean Crest - Coos Bay, OR Ocean Ridge - Coos Bay, OR Pheasant Pointe - Molalla, OR Redwood Heights - Salem, OR

West Communities

HighPointe - Denver, CO - Coming Soon!

Lakeview - Lakewood, CO Lincoln Meadows - Parker, CO Mountain Park - Phoenix, AZ - Now Open!

Palmilla - Albuqerque, NM - Coming Soon!

Palos Verdes - Peoria, AZ Rigden Farm - Ft. Collins, CO

This feels like home.

SM

SPECTRUM RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES | www.SpectrumRetirement.com