SUMTER 2021
Senior Living
Covenant Place offers many lifestyle options for premier retirement living
A
A group of caring people in Sumter made a unique promise – a covenant – to their community to create a Continuing Care Retirement Community where the needs of mature adults and their loved ones could be met. The result of that promise is Covenant Place – a warm, inviting retirement community that is tastefully designed to reflect Southern charm and hospitality with a neighbor-helping-neighbor philosophy. In the early 1980s, First Presbyterian Church began discussing plans to begin a senior living community in Sumter. At that time, all Sumter had to offer our seniors was the hospital and nursing homes. The concept of a Continuing Care Retirement Community was novel to our area, even though they have been around for more than a century. They first opened in Europe and were typically affiliated with fraternal organizations and religious groups. As the older population experienced growth in the United States during the 1960s, there was a corresponding growth in Continuing Care Retirement Communities, and it continues to day. Now, there are around 2,000 in the United States, but only one in Sumter – Covenant Place.
With the vision of local leadership, a retirement management company was hired to study the Sumter area and advised First Presbyterian leaders to bring in other congregations to give the community the support and financial strength needed for the start of a successful Continuing Care Retirement Community. Eight area congregations – First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Grace Baptist Church, The Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, Saint Anne Catholic Church, Salem Black River Church, Trinity United Methodist Church and Temple Sinai – came together, and in 1991, the late Sumter businessman Glen Sharp was asked to head the project. The late Lad Owens served as vice chairman.
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Many of the area churches were still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Hugo, but together this group raised $30,000 as seed money. It is uncommon for Continuing Care Retirement Communities to have multi-denominational sponsorships, which makes Covenant Place even more special. Preliminary plans for Covenant Place were drawn by the architect firm of James, DuRant, Matthews and Shelley. The land on Carter Road was donated by the late Billy Carter, and Jack Erter handled the legal work. The accounting was done by Wilson MacEwen’s accounting firm. Many of these services were offered at no charge. Pledges in the amount of $1.2 million dollars were raised with a personal guarantee of $300,000, making the total cash fund raised of more than $1.5 million within a short period of time. Sumter believed in Covenant Place. Construction began, and, in April of 1994, Covenant Place opened. The original structure of the community filled quickly. By 1997, a west wing was added, which doubled the assisted living capacity and added 24 more apartment homes. In 2000, the Nursing Center was added. The Life Enrichment Center opened in 2015, and the Marian Carey Rehabilitation Center opened in 2016. Covenant Place continues to grow not only
structurally but with its services and programs offered to its seniors. As a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) Continuing Care Retirement Community, Covenant Place offers the perfect lifestyle options for those who enjoy their independence with security for the future. Covenant Place provides a range of lifestyle options, including Apartment Home Living, Assisted Living, Connections Memory Care and Skilled Nursing Care. Covenant Place is also a participant with Medicare Part B for outpatient rehabilitation, using our state-of-the-art Marian Carey Rehabilitation Center. As the only Continuing Care Retirement Community in the area, Covenant Place is a rental community with no buy-in fees or long-term contract. Our board of trustees and management team work together to maintain our exclusive retirement community. Thank you, Sumter and surrounding areas, for your continued support of our community. Covenant Place is truly a treasure for our seniors, and it could not be a success without the continued support of our greater Sumter community. Covenant Place is located at 2825 Carter Road in Sumter. To schedule your personal visit and discover why Covenant Place is the choice for retirement living, contact Melissa Colvin Bean at (803) 469-7007 or at www.covenantplace.org.
COVENANT PLACE
Living at its best
Lifestyle Options: • •
Apartment Homes Assisted Living
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Memory Care Skilled Nursing
Call us today to learn more about our lifestyle options!
COVENANT PLACE
S u m ter ʼs Onl y Ful l Ser vice Cont inu ing Car e Re ti r e m e nt Co m m uni ty 2825 Carter Road | Sumter, South Carolina 29150 | 803-469-7007 | www.covenantplace.org
Covenant Place is a locally owned, not-for-profit, continuing care community. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
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2021 SUMTER SENIOR LIVING
AUGUST 28-30, 2021
THE SUMTER ITEM
h lt a e h t r a e h k in h t e r o It’s time t BY FAMILY FEATURES
Understand your risk
from cardiovascu-
COVID-19 has shown that those with underlying CVD face an especially high risk of serious COVID-19-related illness or even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Regardless of whether you’ve received your COVID-19 vaccination, now is a good time to discuss your risk for heart disease with your doctor.
lar disease every
How cardiovascular disease develops
On average, someone in the United States dies
36 seconds, approximately 2,380 deaths each day, according to the American Heart Association. Each day, 405 deaths occur in the U.S. as the result of strokes, an average of one death every 3:33. More people die annually from CVD than from any other cause including cancer, COPD, diabetes, lung infections and the flu, according to the American Heart Association’s 2021 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. Consider these steps to #RethinkCVRisk to change the course of the disease and your
Risk factors for CVD include high cholesterol, high triglycerides, diabetes and high blood pressure. Other factors that contribute to risk are family history, prior cardiovascular (CV) events, smoking, being overweight or obese and unhealthy diet and exercise habits. Over time, these risk factors can lead to injury of the blood vessel lining, causing inflammation, which can then trigger plaque growth. Plaque grows at different rates and in different arteries in the body for everyone and is often a slow, gradual process without symptoms. As plaque buildup continues, the risk of suffering a CV event – such as heart attack or stroke – increases. If plaque ruptures, the body will try to repair the injury, potentially causing a blockage to form, and when an artery becomes fully blocked, blood flow is restricted. Blocked blood flow to the heart causes a heart attack while blocked blood flow to the brain causes a stroke.
Managing risk factors The most effective way to prevent CVD is to understand and address risk factors. Triglycerides play an important role in heart health. Triglycerides store unused calories to give your body energy and are the most common type of fat in the body. They come from foods you eat such as butter, oils and other fats, as well as carbohydrates, sugars and alcohol. Your diet, lack of exercise, medical conditions, certain drugs and genetics can all cause high triglycerides. In the past, medicines used to lower triglycerides, like fenofibrates and niacin, were commonly prescribed to help manage CV risk along with statins. However, clinical studies failed to show benefits and both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and American Diabetes Association discourage combining niacin and fenofibrates with statins. Some turn to dietary supplement fish oil to help manage CV risk. However, supplements contain only 30% of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) with the majority of the product consisting of non-omega-3 ingredients, including saturated fats. Some data suggests certain ingredients in dietary supplement fish oils, such as DHA and saturated fats, may raise bad cholesterol. While high triglycerides are an indicator of CV risk, lowering them won’t necessarily reduce your risk. However, addressing the underlying causes of high triglycerides can help, according to the AHA.
Talk with your doctor about FDA-approved options that can help further reduce your heart risk if you already take statins. For more information about CVD and what you can do, look for #RethinkCVRisk on social media or visit truetoyourheart.com.
Truths and falsehoods about heart disease risk 1. Statins reduce your chance of experiencing a CV event by up to 90%. False. Statins, diet and exercise can lower your risk by about 25-35%, but for many patients, controlled cholesterol doesn’t eliminate CV risk. This residual risk, or “persistent CV risk,” puts millions of patients at risk and has been the focus of therapeutic development for many years. 2. Managing high triglycerides along with taking statins is enough to reduce your risk. False. High triglycerides are a CV risk factor but lowering them won’t necessarily reduce your risk. For example, earlier generation medicines prescribed to lower triglycerides, like fenofibrates and niacin, failed to show clinical benefit when used with statins to reduce CV risk. In fact, the FDA withdrew approval for fenofibrates and niacin in combination with statins because they add potential risk with no proven benefit to heart health. 3. Fish oil supplements are a proven way to get protection from a CV event. False. Fish oil supplements are not FDA-approved medicines intended to treat or prevent a medical condition. Despite multiple clinical studies, these products have not been proven, to reduce CV risk on top of current medical therapies including statins. 4. Having a first CV event, such as a heart attack or stroke, puts you at greater risk to suffer another. True. Having a CV event makes you more likely to suffer another. That’s why it’s important to protect against a first CV event or future events. To closely monitor your heart health, stay in close contact with your doctor and reduce your risk by keeping up with your medications, exercising and sticking to a healthy diet.
Treatment options With ongoing research, new standards-of-care are emerging. High cholesterol is a key CV risk factor with statins currently the first-line therapy for lowering cholesterol. Statins, diet and exercise can lower your CV risk by about 25-35%, but, for many people, controlled cholesterol doesn’t eliminate CV risk. This residual risk, or “persistent CV risk,” puts millions of patients at risk and has been the focus of therapeutic development for many years.
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AUGUST 28-30, 2021
2021 SUMTER SENIOR LIVING
THE SUMTER ITEM
How to build friendships in your golden years Making friends as a child or even as a parent to school-aged children is relatively easy. Classrooms and school functions facilitate the building of friendships. Even as one gets older and enters the workforce, it’s not uncommon for people to become friends with their coworkers. As people near retirement age, their situations may have changed considerably. Children have moved out, careers are coming to an end and friendships may be hard to maintain due to people relocating or traveling. Older adults may aspire to make
new friends, but they may not know how. According to Irene S Levine, Ph.D., The Friendship Doctor and contributor to Psychology Today, it is not unique for seniors to want to make new friends. Age can be a barrier because there are stereotypes that pigeonhole people of certain ages. But Levine notes that state of mind and physical ability is not directly tied to chronological age. Making friends is possible at any age. These guidelines can help along the way.
• Explore online connections. A 2016 study pub-
lished in the Journal of
Gerontology found seniors (even those in their 80s) who stay connected with friends and family using social media report feeling less lonely and better overall. Connected seniors also demonstrated higher executive reasoning skills. There are plenty of ways to meet new people online by joining social media groups that cater to your interests. In person meetings in particular cities or regions of the country also can make for great ways to make new friends. Exercise caution when meeting people in person after contacting them online. Bring another person along, whether it’s a
What to know before claiming Social Security benefits age refers to the age at which people can begin collecting their full benefits. Depending on the year you were born, you can begin collecting your full benefit at age 66 or 67. Claiming your benefit before you reach full retirement age will lead to a permanent decrease in your monthly benefits. Conversely, claiming after you reach full retirement age will lead to a permanent increase in your monthly benefits.
Since the stakes are so considerable, it’s vital for adults to confirm their full retirement age before they claim their benefits.
• Continue working. Remaining in the workforce full-time or even part-time can have a considerable impact on the size of your Social Security benefit. The CFPB notes that continuing to work for one or two additional years can replace low- or no-income earnings from your earnings record, thereby increasing your benefit.
• Delay claiming if you can.
The CFPB notes that you can expect to get an additional 5 to 8 percent in monthly benefits for every year you wait to claim your Social Security benefits after age 62, maxing out at age 70. If you can afford to do so, wait to claim your full benefit until age 70, as doing so can translate to a benefit that’s 32 percent higher than it would have been had you claimed your benefit at age 62.
• Budget for retirement.
Short- and long-term budgeting for retirement can help you assess how much money you will need to cover your expenses when you stop working. This step can help you understand how much a reduced or increased Social Security benefit will affect your bottom line in retirement.
• Consider the long-term needs of your spouse. Sur-
viving spouses receive the higher of the two spouses’ benefits. So it makes sense for the higher earning spouse to wait to collect his or her benefit until he or she reaches full retirement age. The decision about when to collect your Social Security benefit is complex. Discussing your options with your spouse and financial advisor can help you make the most informed decision.
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Health screenings are a vital component of preventative health care. Specific screenings for older adults can help them stay healthy. Healthline and WebMD recommend older adults schedule these routine tests. The frequency of the screenings may depend on individuals’ health histories, so each test should be discussed with a physician during adults’ annual checkups. • Blood pressure check • Blood test to check cholesterol and triglyceride levels • Colorectal cancer exam starting at age 50 • Weight screening to check for gains or losses • Prostate cancer screening for men age 70 and older • Breast exam and mammogram for women, start ing at age 40 • Pap smear and HPV tests at the recommended in tervals advised by a doctor • Hearing test • Osteoporosis test • Shingles and pneumococcal vaccines • Eye exam • Periodontal exam once per year
• Confirm your full retirement age. Full retirement
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Did you know?
benefits.
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in 1935. The program consists of retirement, disability and survivor benefits, and workers in the United States contribute to Social Security each week. The decision about when to claim Social Security retirement benefits is one all those who have contributed to the program must eventually make. In recognition of the difficulty of that decision, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers the following tips to people wondering when they should begin collecting their Social Security
isn’t just a great place to get physically fit. Group exercise classes also can be ideal places to meet other people who enjoy working out. Strike up a conversation with another class participant you see on a regular basis. Once you develop a rapport, schedule lunch dates so your friendship grows outside of the gym. Making friends is not just for the young. Men and women over 50 also can find ways to build new friendships.
Pr
Hardworking adults spend years striving to achieve their professional goals. Along the way, planning for retirement is a way to ensure all that hard work pays off when the time comes to call it a career. In the United States, men and women nearing retirement age may be thinking about when they should begin collecting their Social Security retirement benefits. Social Security is a social insurance program instituted by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
spouse or an adult child, to ensure that you are safe. • Volunteer your time. One way to meet new people is to get involved with causes or activities you love. This serves the double benefit of getting you outside and active and puts you in touch with people who share your passions and interests. • Attend alumni events. If you have an interest getting in touch with someone from your past and reconnecting, make the time to attend school reunions and other alumni activities. It can be fun to reconnect with friends from high school or college. • Join a gym. The local gym
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2021 SUMTER SENIOR LIVING
AUGUST 28-30, 2021
THE SUMTER ITEM
How exercise can help you live longer There are many reasons to get in shape. Weight loss is a prime motivator, as is reversing a negative health effect, such as high cholesterol or increased diabetes risk. Routine exercise also can improve life expectancy. WebMD says exercise keeps the body and brain healthy. That’s why exercise should be an important component of daily life no matter one’s age. Research published in the journal Immune Aging found that how people age is 75 percent lifestyle and only 25 percent genetics, which underscores the importance of the lifestyle choices people make.
Why closing the technology gap for older adults matters
Cardiorespiratory fitness
BY STATE POINT MEDIA (StatePoint). The COVID19 pandemic brought with it a rapid acceleration of telehealth as people looked for ways to access care safely. While technology kept many in the United States connected to care and loved ones, many low-income older adults were left behind by the sudden need to understand and access technology and internet services. However, among those who could stand to benefit the most from these services are 22 million older adults (ages 65 and above) in the United States who don’t have broadband access at home. What’s more, older adults (ages 62 and above) with an income below $25,000 are 10 times more likely to be offline at home. Many older adults lack the technological literacy needed to leverage digital resources for health and social support. New efforts are helping to address these inequities. CITRIS Health, an organization dedicated to advancing the well-being of older
adults and family caregivers with enabling technology, recently launched “Lighthouse for Older Adults.” This project is offering one-on-one training, in-language support and peer-based technical support to equip older adult residents of affordable housing communities with high-speed broadband access, user-friendly devices and digital literacy training. Following an initial pilot, participants reported both an increase in device usage as well as confidence in using their devices. Technology helped to connect them to loved ones they were isolated from, and improved their overall health and wellbeing by reducing social isolation and loneliness. When asked about their favorite part of using a Google device, one participant stated, “Being able to connect visually with family and friends. And visually means a lot.” Those at the helm of the project say they hope its
success will serve as a model for other such programs. “Older adults have so much to gain from the connections and health care opportunities available with internet access and a basic understanding of technology,” says CITRIS Health director and Lighthouse project lead David Lindeman. “We’re eager to see this program replicated to improve equity in telehealth.” For resources that can help other organizations implement similar programs, visit the Lighthouse project page on the CITRIS Health website, citris-uc. org. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that technology literacy and access are more crucial for older adults than ever before. When it comes to improving the health and well-being of communities, addressing this gap is essential.
Many health experts say that cardiorespiratory fitness may be just as valuable a metric to determine overall health as blood pressure and lipid levels. People with a high aerobic capacity can deliver oxygen to tissues and cells efficiently to fuel exercise, according to data published in 2014 in the journal Aging & Disease. In a study involving 11,335 women, researchers compared V02 max, also known as aerobic capacity, in women with mortality data. Women who were fit from a cardiovascular perspective had a lower death rate from all causes, irrespective of the women’s weight.
Manage stress and mood
Exercise has direct stress-busting benefits that can promote longevity. The Mayo Clinic says physical activity can increase the production of endorphins, which are the body’s feel-good neurotransmitters. In addition, exercise can imitate the effects of stress, helping the body adjust its flight or fight response accordingly, and help them cope with mildly stressful situations. While engaged in exercise, people may forget about their problems as they are focused on the activity at hand.
Improve bone health
Strength training and physical activity can stave off the effects of frailty and osteoporosis, which affects bone strength. A study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine in 2017 found that hip fractures are associated with diminished quality of life and survival among the elderly. One in three adults aged 50 and over dies within 12 months of suffering a hip fracture, and older adults have a five- to eight-times greater risk of dying within three months following a hip fracture. Building muscle strength, balance and bone density through exercise can reduce falls and frailty, helping to prevent fracture-related health risks. These are just some of the ways exercise can help older adults live longer, healthier lives.
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