By Steve Moran

A number of news topics caught my attention over the past few weeks. None worthy of a full article, but all have implications for senior living.

Early Alzheimer’s Diagnosis By Looking In The Eyes (CNN)

Researchers are looking at how what is happening in an older person’s eyes might help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms can be seen.

How Old You Feel — How Old You Are (The Atlantic)

There is a puzzling gap between how old people are and how old people feel. This article tackles an interesting idea — that “how old do you feel?” is completely different from “how old are you in your head?” Something I am not sure I agree with. But I find myself wondering some things:

    • Does senior living make people feel older or younger, or is there no difference?
    • Would it be possible for senior living to help residents feel younger?

Using ChatGPT to Save Time and Make More Money (Inc.)

I have been using ChatGPT off and on for a couple of months now. I write better than it does, and I know my style, and it does not. I am finding more and more uses. I recently wrote a fun article announcing my new senior living company, Sugar Shack Senior Living, and while the idea was all mine, the AI helped me figure out the right fun, crazy names for my fictional company … though the more I think about it, I kind of want to do it.

Time in Nature May Protect Against Dementia (The Washington Post)

A story of 62 million Medicare beneficiaries suggests nature can help protect against dementia and other disorders. What they found was that older people who lived in zip codes with more green space had lower rates of hospitalization for things such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias, such as vascular dementia and Lewy body dementia. The same was true for zip codes with bodies of water — lakes, rivers, and ocean.

Could getting residents out in nature more result in healthier residents and longer lengths of stay?

Text a Friend Right Now (The New York Times) 

We talk a lot about loneliness in older people and the benefits of community and connection as a value proposition for senior living. What we rarely if ever talk about is the connection factor for senior living leaders. We all assume that everyone has enough friends. It turns out that you could make someone’s day by simply texting them a short message saying, “I hope you are having a great day today,” or, “Thinking of you.”

Try it and see what kind of response you get. If you have my number, I would be delighted to hear from you.

And if you want to get them from me on occasion, sign up for my inspiration text messages, no cost and no spam. Simply text “inspiration” to 916-659-5287. You will have to fill out a little information about yourself, including date of birth. I have no control over that, but feel free to just make up a date.

Are You Feeling a Little Depressed or Anxious? (Study Finds)

If you are, trying doing something nice for someone else. It will make you feel more connected and take your mind off the things that depress you, that cause anxiety. It is shockingly easy and effective.