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November 24 - 30, 2021 c-ville.com
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C-VILLE’s Monthly Guide to Navigating Senior Living Options in Central Virginia
Compassionate care for her. Peace of mind for you.
“JABA’s adult day care center has been a welcome resource for Mom— and me. The staff are professional and compassionate and demonstrate a warmth and concern for her as if she were their own loved one. This allows me to have a day of respite knowing Mom is cared for, protected and loved, just like family.” JABA’s Adult Care Centers Personalized daytime care for adults with dementia or disabilities Engaging activities Caring, trained staff Nutritious lunch and snacks Affordable, with scholarships available
Call today to schedule a visit. Charlottesville (434) 817-5235 Louisa (540) 967-4435 Jefferson Area Board for Aging jabacares.org
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ANTHOLOGY SENIOR LIVING
CHARTER CLUB MEMBERS REAP REWARDS Join our Charter Club and start enjoying the perks of living here before you move in. The rewards include being first to reserve the apartment of your choice ahead of the general public. Members also receive special benefits like credits to the community spa, a white-glove moving package, invitations to exclusive events and tours, and a delicious meal with family in our private dining room. We invite you to a no-obligation virtual meeting or private tour to learn more about our Charter Club rewards and benefits.
REAP THE REWARDS TODAY! 434-218-5102
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ANTHOLOGY OF CHARLOT TESVILLE Independent Living / Assisted Living / Memory Care 343 Archer Ave. / Charlottesville, VA AnthologyCharlottesville.com
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CONTINUE YOUR LIFE STORY WITH US
November 24 - 30, 2021 c-ville.com
Now Open!
All That You Desire:
V SER ING S
Heeding The Wisdom Of Youth
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At Our Lady of Peace, the health and well-being of our residents remains—as always—our top priority. Welcoming new residents! Call today to learn more about the compassionate care, lovely apartments, wonderful amenities, and active, family-oriented lifestyle that makes our community one-of-a-kind. What Residents Are Saying “Here I feel safe, loved, respected, and not alone.” Barbara Allison, Our Lady of Peace Resident
Residential Living • Assisted Living Memory Care • Nursing Care
434-973-1155 our-lady-of-peace.com 751 Hillsdale Dr. | Charlottesville
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Coordinated Services Management, Inc. Professional Management of Retirement Communities Since 1981
small pet friendly
Charlottesville’s premium in-home care provider “We found Commonwise after struggling to find reliable care. We felt the difference immediately and they have provided a consistently high level of service ever since. Every caregiver has been delightful and professional.” To learn more about Commonwise, call 434-202-8565 or visit commonwisecare.com
We like framing things in generational terms. Boomers, Millennials, Generations Y and X, and so on. In reality, we are all aging, chronologically anyway, on a journey that flows more like a river than it is separated by generational blocks. And as such, people of different ages are dependent on each other, linking the past, present and future into a continuum of support and understanding across the generations. For instance, research and common sense have told us that younger people benefit when older people share their knowledge and wisdom. Indeed, older people, with lived experience that’s mostly in the rearview mirror, can help children and young adults, who have yet to discover what’s down the road, deal with the worry and anxiety that often comes with not knowing what the future holds. But it’s also a twoway street. According to once 12-year-old child prodigy and TEDTalk star Adora Svitak, older people have much to learn, and be reminded of, from children. Svitak believed that referring to things as “childish” always has had a negative connotation, but said that was discriminatory and misguided. She pointed out that wars and environmental degradation aren’t being caused by children, and she suggested that adults are the ones “really causing all the trouble” by not listening to young people. “Kids aren’t hampered by reasons not to do things, like older people often are,” Svitak said during one of her original TEDTalks. “Kids still dream about perfection, and to create anything worthwhile, you have to dream first.” Svitak believed that learning between the generations needed to
be reciprocal, and that older people needed to listen to and trust younger people. “You must lend an ear today,” she said, “because we are the leaders of tomorrow.” In our effort to pass along guidance and wisdom to our children and young people, we sometimes forget that “childishness” comes with a kind of wisdom, and that childhood itself reminds us of ways of being that we sometimes ignore or dismiss as “childish” or selfish when we get older. For instance, the ideas that being creative and having fun are good for you; that being vulnerable and showing your emotions are necessary for your health; that it is okay to play and laugh; and that it is okay to complain and ask for help. Children, too, often see themselves as the heroes of their own lives, not the victims of time and circumstance, and they approach things with fearlessness. And when they get hurt, or things don’t go their way, they cry and yell and stomp their feet — but they move on. Too often, as adults and older people, we settle for ways of being that aren’t necessarily that joyful, rewarding or even healthy. Set in our ways, perhaps, and veterans of a struggle the young can’t even begin to imagine, we can get hardened and wary. That’s where the wisdom of youth comes in. “A child can teach an adult three things,” wrote Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho de Souza, “to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.”
David McNair handles communications, media relations, and social media efforts for the Jefferson Area Board for Aging.
Q&A
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“I had been living in a home that was not safe or healthy for me or anyone else. I don’t know where I would be living today if it weren’t for AHIP.”
Caregiver Ambassador, Victoria Chipampe, CNA with Commonwise
Commonwise offers top pay, benefits, and a supportive work environment. We also invest a lot of time in training to make sure our caregivers are prepared to deliver quality care in our clients’ homes. We value both our caregivers and clients and know that happy caregivers delivery better care. 3. Why is Central Virginia the best place for seniors to retire? It’s a beautiful area and we have access to excellent hospitals and doctors. Plus, there are so many engagement opportunities for area seniors within this community, like activities, classes, trips, and services like The Center. 4. Favorite part of your job?
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Seniors Safe at Home helps local senior citizens age in place by taking care of urgent repairs: leaking roofs, access ramps, plumbing and electrical issues, failed furnaces, and more.
GEN
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Look for our next Gen Now section in December! View our digital copy online at C-VILLE.COM
Safe at Home
AHIP + CAAR + BRHBA | AHIPVA.org SPONSORS
Champion: Wells Fargo Benefactors: Pape and Company, Inc. and Home Instead Senior Care Supporters: Better Living, Inc.; Central Virginia Waterproofing; and Blue Ridge Termite and Pest Management
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More than anything else, you must have a caring heart. If you don’t, this is not the job for you. Beyond that, you need to be patient and empathetic. If you have those qualities, senior care can be a truly rewarding career.
S E N I O R S
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My favorite part of this job is working with our clients. Knowing that I am doing something to help them maintain their quality of life and help them meet their goals makes me smile. And seeing them smile at me makes my day. 5. What should people know about working with seniors?
elderly neighbors are waiting for critical home repairs right now. Your support will keep them safe.
November 24 - 30, 2021 c-ville.com
2. What makes Commonwise different from other local senior living or care options?
Safe at Home
My first experience with senior care was when my mother got sick. The hospital said that there was not much that could be done for her, and my family was unable to help with her care. So, I quit college and became her caregiver. After she passed, I continued caring for older adults as a volunteer at a senior home. I then knew that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life, so I went back to school to study psychosocial counseling and to become a CNA.
SENIORS
1. How did you first become interested in the senior care industry?
—Seniors Safe at Home client