Vintage Senior Living Wins California Championship

Posted on April 30, 2012 by vintageuser

On Thursday, April 26, 2012 seniors from all over California gathered at Vintage Westwood Horizons in Los Angeles, CA to compete in the 2012 California Senior Championship of the NSL (National Senior League). This year, Vintage Senior Living had eleven teams participating in western regional tournaments in California and Washington including Vintage Cerritos, who captured the National Senior League’s 2012 Wii Bowling State Championship.

Vintage Cerritos, better known as the “Cerritos Falcons” were lead by 95-year-old Bill Burd who aided the team in successfully bringing home not only the California Championship title but a title of Western Regional Finalists.

“This significant win marks the end of a long journey that included an entire year of practice,” said Burd. “Bringing home the first place trophy was important for us old-timers who still believe one is never too old to compete and have fun.”

The Cerritos Falcons battled the South Bay Blasters from Front Porch Community in San Diego at Vintage Westwood Horizons in Los Angeles. Surrounded by cheering fans, the eight-member teams played two games resulting in the following scores: Game one: Falcons- 879, Blasters- 653 and game two: Falcons- 830, Blasters- 583.

“The team has mastered the electronic game to a degree that they see it as real bowling with all the rules and playing techniques,” said Tracy Cofield, Activities Director of Vintage Cerritos. “What they enjoy most from Wii Bowling is being together and experiencing camaraderie and competition regardless of their age.”

In today’s electronic gaming world, even seniors are having a blast in front of the big screen—reliving the glory days of the neighborhood bowling alley. Wii Bowling is giving Vintage Senior Living residents many thrills, especially after bowling a strike. From a health standpoint, Wii Bowling offers a new form of exercise, and more importantly, encourages seniors to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. The game has even inspired the forming of teams from retirement communities across the country.

The communities’ common areas have been transformed into an electronic-driven playground where players and spectators enthusiastically exchange tips and comments. The opportunity to be on a team and participate in a league creates camaraderie among residents who might otherwise have trouble socializing. Wii Bowling has even spanned across generations by encouraging young volunteers and grandchildren, who are no strangers to electronic games, to participate.

Featured Resident of the Week

Posted on April 16, 2012 by vintageuser

Our resident of the month is Gloria Klein. Gloria was born in sunny Los Angeles in 1925 as an only child to two loving parents. As a young adult, Gloria started working at MGM Studios as Head Secretary for the Music Department. She enjoyed being a young woman in Hollywood, going to all the glamorous parties and dancing the night away. But that soon changed after Gloria took a trip to New York to visit one of her girlfriends. She was set up on a blind date with a very handsome man by the name of Dick. At first glance Gloria and Dick fell in love, and ten days later the two were married. Gloria cherishes the fact that she lived a very good life. She has traveled all over the world with her husband and lived in many different places such as New York and Florida, before finally settling into the East Bay. Gloria has raised two children, many grandchildren, and just recently welcomed her very first great-grandchild.

Today Gloria lives a very active life. Her days consist of running to and from activities, going on trips and being an active member of the Berkshire’s Ambassador Club. You will always find her encouraging other residents to sign up for trips or activities. She is always willing to lend a helping hand when it comes to decorating for a special event, or even giving guidance to new residents of the Berkshire. Gloria is always smiling and has a very contagious laugh. She is what many like to call a social butterfly at its finest. We are very proud to call Gloria a resident of The Berkshire in Berkeley, CA.

Ask The Expert, Episode 3

Posted on April 9, 2012 by vintageuser

Is it better for you to try and care for a loved one alone? David Hahklotubbe, Gerontologist and Executive Director of Vintage Sonoma explains why it is a bad idea. Hahklotubbe also discusses caregiver burnout and why we shouldn’t delay a decision to move our loved ones.

Glossary of Helpful Senior Living Terms

Posted on April 2, 2012 by vintageuser

Searching for assisted living and a little lost on the lingo? Here’s a list published by the Assisted Living Federation of America detailing all those confusing acronyms and words:

http://www.alfa.org/alfa/Glossary_of_Terms.asp

Some of the most commonly used are:

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – Bathing, dressing and grooming, walking and moving about, eating, toileting, and other personal care tasks.
Independent Living Units – Units that may include some basic services such as meals and housekeeping. Sometimes also referred to as “Instrumental Activities of Daily Living” or IADLs)
Caregiver or (CNA) – Refers to day-to-day caregivers in senior living settings who may aid with medications, dressing, dining, ambulating, etc. These are often certified professionals (Certified Nursing Aides)
Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) – A community that offers several levels of assistance, including independent living, assisted living and nursing home care. It is different from other housing and care options for seniors because it usually provides a written agreement or long-term contract between the resident and the community, which offers a continuum of housing, services and health care system, commonly all on one campus or site.

Visit vintagesenior.com to find a location for you with the best ADLs and CNAs!