By Steve Moran

I do this less often than I used to, but this is simply a list of interesting articles that have relevance in providing first-class senior living. There is something here for everyone.

  • “Feeling Lonely and Unhappy Ages You Quicker Than SMOKING, Study Warns”: This story continues to be the single lowest hanging fruit for senior living communities. We save lives by solving the loneliness problem of aging. This of course assumes you are proactively making sure the lonely residents are being assisted in making real connections.
  • “Nearly 70% of Americans Are Looking for Extra Work to Combat Inflation”: The lead story includes someone who works as an “activity director” in a senior living community. This has so many implications: Higher wage rates are coming; working a second job means having team members who are not as engaged because of the second job and because of money worries.
  • “Nature Can Affect Human Well-Being in Many More Ways Than You Think”: Getting out in nature is a big part of my life, and it refreshes my soul. This article got me thinking I am not sure I have ever seen anyone really talk about building time in nature into a life enrichment program. This might make a real difference in our residents’ lives.
  • “The Utility of Suffering”: Suffering, pain, and loss are big parts of everyone’s lives, and they impact every single resident and their families, which means they impact the team. A very short read, but worth contemplating.
  • “Fit for the Role: 6 in 10 Think They Could Be an Action Movie Star”: I am not sure this one should even be included in the list, but what caught my eye was the impact of physical exercise and music on well-being.
  • “Baby Boomers More Likely to Have Multiple Health Issues Than Earlier Generations”: I am not sure what this means for senior living, but something. It could be good news because boomers will need senior living earlier than older generations, or it could be bad news, in that they won’t live long enough to need senior living or that they will require more care, which means more staffing and costs.
  • “To Fill the Job Gap, Rehiring Older Could Be Wiser”: There is so much meat in this article for senior living communities that are struggling to find staff. Not included in the article, but I continue to believe residents would make a big difference and might even help with the affordability gap for a few.
  • “A Restaurant Open to the Public in Senior Living”: Incremental revenue, exposing the local marketplace to your community, adding variety to the lives of residents and team members. What is not to like about this idea?
  • “Meditating Probably Won’t Make You a Better Person”: I was thrilled when I read this article, only because I am someone who has tried meditation more times than you can imagine, and it simply does not work for me. If you are one of these, people you will love this article. If you love meditation, skip this one. I only love it because I am jealous of you.
  • “Adults Feel Good Just 47% of the Time”: We live in a world where it is easy to believe that other people, as in nearly everyone, has a better, more perfect life. We actually do it to each other on social media, posting the good stuff way more than the bad. Maybe … this will make you feel better, because, after all, misery does love company.
  • “What Makes Teams Effective”: In senior living, everyone is on a team, intentionally or unintentionally. Some teams work better than others. Here are the five things Google has found to work well.

I now have a bunch fewer tabs open, and I hope you enjoy at least some of these as much as I did. If you have items we should include in a future article, send them to us.

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