Misconceptions about assisted living and what it really is.
In my opinion (as is always the case in these spaces, knowing I don't know it all), deciding if, or when to make a life-changing decision, especially in regard to changing the locales of the physical spaces in which we live, because we might NEED to make those changes, has to be one of the most important decisions we can ever make. Again in my opinion, perhaps it's THE most important decision. There are several reasons, I opine, as follows: 

When many of us, or possibly most, decide it's time to live our remaining senior years in relative comfort, without some of the anxieties that come with individual basic needs not being met, as well as home ownership and maintenance, it's comforting to know assisted living exists. 

For some of us, perhaps many, it's difficult to ever admit we're "slowing down." Maybe it’s hard to admit we are not always doing what we should in regards to our personal care. Things that used simple and routine like dressing for the day, cooking and cleaning, bathing, and even managing our medication  may be getting increasingly challenging as we age.

Even though many of us are blessed with minds that are still sharp and aware, chronological age can still play a major role regarding how ALWAYS alert we are, or are not. It's tough to admit, but sometimes many of us feel those moments and realize it IS time to "slow down" and perhaps let a 102-year-young organization such as Ebenezer, and its many assisted living  communities, help make life a lot easier and, truly, happier.

One of several misconceptions about assisted living is that when one decides to move into an assisted living community, the new lifestyle will cause you to lose your independence. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, choosing some a la carte home health services as needed, meals, or housekeeping assistance helps seniors to keep their independence. Often times, by continuing to neglect the issues we need help with, we’re increasing the chance of a health crisis which would in turn cause our loss of independence.

As noted on the http://www.EbenezerCares.org website, if you or a loved one need help managing daily activities or if care giving is consuming too much of your time, Ebenezer offers solutions that are close to home and may be even more affordable than you think. Ebenezer's assisted living communities are designed for those who are looking for a more carefree lifestyle (the word "happy" comes to my mind again, and based on the truth) and who may need help with daily activities, like  dressing, cooking and cleaning, medication management and bathing. Also noted on part of Ebenezer's website, Ebenezer’s beautifully-designed assisted living rental apartments provide the care and services needed and the independence residents want.  Ebenezer’s affordable monthly fee includes a meal plan and light housekeeping. One can add personal and care services as needed.

Ebenezer assisted living communities are a great solution for those who want more services than independent living communities can provide. Staff is on duty 24-hours a day.

Please consult with one of our assisted living specialists at Ebenezer and they can help you navigate and understand assisted living. Thank you for reading, as always!

Medication management tips, safety, and how you can best manage your medication. 
Moms, or even Dads, who forget to take their medications should not feel as though their forgetfulness is something too unusual, or if they should consider accepting Pariah status, Heaven forbid.
 
Even those of us who are perfectionists, even in our 80s, sometimes forget to take those all-important medications. I take a total of at least 14 pills (meds) a day to control, among other ailments, Type-2 Diabetes; high blood pressure (hypertension); Chronic Lymphocytic: Leukemia (under control, I’m happy to state, thanks to the meds); Neuropathy, and more. Sometimes I feel like a walking pharmacy! I'm certain you can possibly identify with that unenviable description, too. Regardless, all the prescribed and over-the-counter meds many of us are taking are either helping us live more healthful lives or elongating our years via the wonderful breakthroughs that have developed to amplify our quality and length of life.
 
Regardless, as we age and not necessarily because of dementia, some of us DO sometimes forget to take our meds. If it happens once in a long while (the case for yours truly), one missed dose should not be taken with the next dose. That's the advice from my wife who during her early work years, was employed at the Minneapolis VA Hospital and learned considerable information about patients who were on enough multiple meds that missing one scheduled intake would not be life-threatening. Missing the meds on a recurring basis could be.
 
Respectfully, following is the regimen to which I subscribe daily to not miss the very necessary meds I ingest:
1. Keep the compartmentalized meds container on the kitchen counter 24/7/365 reminding me it's there to help me remember to take the pills contained in each day-part "compartment" (for breakfast, evening dinnertime and bedtime).
2. Leave the meds container on the kitchen counter at the very same spot, as a constant reminder.
3. If for some reason a dosage is missed, just skip that dosage, as previously suggested and resume "full speed" with the next scheduled intake.
 
Obviously, my suggestions are strictly based on the regimen I've been following for many years. Hopefully they may serve as a successful guideline to you, your Mom, Dad or any relative or loved one who shouldn't be forgetting taking those all-important meds.
 
If you find you or a loved one is needing more help with their medications, please visit Fairview Lifeline for medication dispensers. 
Thank you for reading, as always.
Barry ZeVan

THE BEST TIME TO MAKE A PLAN IS WHEN YOU DON'T NEED ONE.
I've never been a procrastinator. In fact, especially in these days of phone calls not returned in a timely fashion, or emails also not acknowledged, at least within a couple hours, I'm the antithesis of what was just described. Perhaps it's the era into which I was born, i.e., the late 1930s. Non-procrastination and planning ahead was instilled in me by my mother. Indeed, the common practice, in those days and until at least the 1970s, to be considerate of other people's needs for punctual responses, as well as preparing for possible eventualities that NEED to be addressed before they occur, is almost a lost and much-needed "art."
 
Obviously, people still purchase life and other sorts of insurance and the outstanding Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared," hasn't yet been abandoned. Regardless, there are some families and individuals who still wait to take action until disaster strikes. Some of those disasters affecting mostly seniors are, of course, strokes, heart attacks, pneumonia (from which I'm thankfully just successfully recovering), dementia, Alzheimer's, physical trauma, automobile accidents and so many more too numerous to mention, or predict. 
 
What can you do to prepare for the above-stated possibilities (or probabilities) when one or more of all the preceding haven't yet occurred and life is presently "good?" In my opinion, common sense should prevail. Just those two Boy Scout words, "Be Prepared,"should be the mantra for almost everything we might encounter in life. There have been very few times in my life, even when times were good, when I didn't have the blessing of forward-thinking Plans A, B, C, D and beyond, again, in my opinion, attributable to my mother and that era into which I was born.
 
Hopefully, the preceding respectful admonition to create Plans A, B, C, D (and beyond) will motivate those who haven't yet made safety-net plans for their senior loved-ones before those plans need to be activated, to please do so, not only because it's common sense but also because your pre-planning will help create peace of mind for you and/or your senior loved ones. 
 
Thank you for reading, as always. I hope these thoughts have been helpful. 

 Television producer/actor Carl Reiner is in his 90s. So are Producer/actor Mel Brooks, comedian/actor Jerry Stiller and singer Ed Ames. Actor Kirk Douglas is 102. They all have one thing in common. In my opinion, they pay no attention to their ages, and a few of them are still strong enough, physically and emotionally, to still be in the business (pleasure) of creating entertainment for millions of us. They are, of course, all multi-millionaires who have the luxury of access to only the world's finest medical and emotional help, with cost not a factor. I've been blessed to have close relationships with all of them, except for Kirk Douglas. (His son, Michael, and I have had some good professional and personal times together, however.)
 
I also have met, even recently at Ebenezer's Trails of Orono, community members in their 80s and 90s who are as alert and alive in spirit as people half their ages. I'm 81-1/2 and still psychologically feel 20 most days. Regardless, moods are normal, especially as we get older, since we've had more life experiences occur than people chronologically younger than we are. Sometimes, I think the moody negatives jump into our minds because we have too much time to think. 
 
Regardless, there are a few "secrets" in my opinion, to ridding ourselves of remembrances of our chronological ages, if those remembrances tend to make us feel depressed. One "secret" in my opinion and to which I refer frequently. is just telling my mind to "be quiet" and simply think of happy thoughts and memories. Also listening to uplifting music. It can really be achieved, sometimes not easily, but can definitely become a good and relatively easy habit in relation to knowing aging is just a number.
 
One of my long-ago friends was a man named Everett Kircher. Everett founded the Boyne Ski Resorts in Michigan and eventually bought Big Sky, Montana and Crystal Mountain, Washington resorts. I was blessed to have Everett's son, John, have Everett and me as passengers on their private jet to visit Big Sky (I'd been there several times previously), flying from Kalamazoo. Michigan to Bozeman, Montana, the airport closest to Big Sky. During the flight, Everett, who was then 75, told me he was depressed. here was a man who could buy and sell half the U.S. About what was he depressed? He told me, at age 75, he hadn't done one-tenth of what he wanted to accomplish in life, but also stated he knew age was just a number and was bound and determined to do as much else as possible until he could do no more. I'm not certain at what age Everett left us, but I know he definitely didn't consider age being a deterrent to additional successes.
 
There are numerous stories about people, famous or not, powerful or not, that echo those chronicled above. The numbers on our birthday cards should not deter us from realizing we're more than  blessed to have achieved living more than the three-score-ten the Bible states would be the goal to achieve chronologically. Knowing we have those blessings, in my opinion, we should forget the annual numbers and rejoice in the daily numbers we're been blessed to have and ENJOY.

Ebenezer has been blessed with numbers as well.  For instance they've been around more than 100 years. Another happy number for Ebenezer is 91.  As of today, Ebenezer has 91 locations in Minnesota and Iowa. And just like my age, Ebenezer's number's keep growing! Oh, and here's another number to consider:  612-672-7262. That's a great number to know if you are looking for senior living.
Best!
Barry

The old adage stating, “One's good health is the most important thing one has,” is certainly true. Although not heart-related, I've been blessed to "cheat death" at least three times throughout my life. I was told, during two of those life-threatening times, I was blessed with a strong heart and it made all the difference regarding survival. As we’re annually aware, February is annually American Heart Month.
As American Heart Month continues, the AMA encourages all Americans to take control of their heart health by monitoring their blood pressure levels and making healthy lifestyle changes that can significantly reduce the risk of serious health consequences associated with high blood pressure. According to the AMA, an overwhelming number of Americans are living with uncontrolled high blood pressure — putting them at increased risk for heart attack and stroke. By empowering more people to monitor and control their blood pressure, there will be a continuum to not only help improve health outcomes for everyone, but also reduce health care costs.”
The AMA’s six tips for improving heart health to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, include the following:

1. Know your blood pressure numbers — Visit LowerYourHBP.org to find resources on understanding your numbers and take necessary steps to get your high blood pressure — or hypertension — under control. There are often no symptoms or signs of high blood pressure, often referred to as the “silent killer,” but if left untreated the condition damages the blood vessels and increases the risk for heart attack, stroke, and other serious conditions.
2. Commit to a treatment plan to manage high blood pressure — Work with your doctor to create an individualized treatment plan that focuses on healthy lifestyle changes that you can realistically stick to long-term to help you maintain a lower blood pressure and lower your risk for negative health consequences.
3. Be more physically active — Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure. It is recommended that healthy adults 18 to 65 years of age should get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity five days per week, or 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity three days a week.
4. Eat a healthy diet — Making simple dietary changes can help you manage or prevent high blood pressure, including eating less sodium, reducing the amount of packaged, processed foods you consume, and eating foods that are rich in potassium.
5. Maintain or achieve a healthy weight — Take steps to lose weight, if overweight as being 20 pounds or more overweight could put you at increased risk of developing high blood pressure.
6. Drink alcohol in moderation — If you consume alcohol, do so in moderation as defined by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans — up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men, and only by adults of legal drinking age.

 
Improving and maintaining the health of Ebenezer Community residents is a top priority for Ebenezer. As part of Fairview Health Services, Ebenezer is committed to helping our residents maintain their health.
!

In my opinion, the longer we live, the number of memories and life experiences we’ve had, and are still having, create a mental avalanche, sometimes too overwhelming to accept. As everyone reading this is more than aware, those memories and life experiences certainly create a potpourri of happiness and sadness. For yours truly to try to identify what makes us happy, aside from the obvious, would require more descriptions than space herein will allow, but I'll do my best and hopefully elicit a happy smile from you, dear reader.  

One thing that makes me happy is visiting the oncology doctors at the VA. What? I'm not only happy when they tell me I'm doing well, but also when they start feeling for lumps in my armpits. I'm ticklish under my right arm and giggle. The doctors at the VA  are kind enough to accept it and start laughing, too, thus when they're checking for those lumps, they just kindly accept the fact that "The Giggler" is there and are more gentle performing the examination.

What makes us happy if we're parents, grandparents or great-grandparents is seeing the joy on the faces of the littlest ones when they receive presents for their birthdays, during holidays or just surprise presents given for no more reason than the fact they're loved and they know it. Our youngest of nine great-grandchildren, named Mercy Grace (aged one), has irresistible cheeks. Great-grandpa here can't resist gently "chucking" them. It's been the case for each kid, grand-kid (we have four) and the nine great-grandchildren since 1961! Just a simple description of something that brings perpetual smiles to yours truly. Without presumption here, I'm certain if you have children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, you can easily identify with the happiness I've described.

Obviously, if certain entertainment makes us happy, the producers of the entertainment have succeeded. Cherished friendships, of course, should contribute daily to our happiness. Those living in Ebenezer Communities are blessed to have the wonderful opportunity to develop new friendships at advanced ages, amplifying the happiness factor.
On the other side of the spectrum, depression sometimes rears its ugly head and we need to conquer it as intelligently and rapidly as possible. I experienced that not-so-pleasant feeling more than once. While I've not found a "magic wand" to eliminate the depression, I know that every time I've felt depressed I've been blessed to be able to snap out of it more rapidly every time. Counting our blessings is one way to realize we're always on the plus side of life. It's not easy to do, but it is do-able. Also, not being timid about letting friends know through what you may be going in regard to "the blues", is very helpful, to say the least.  
We're not alone on this journey. Ebenezer's offers many resources and support groups regarding this subject are available. Thank you for reading, as always. (Be happy!)

 
 

LOVE the process of aging and those around you. 
Valentine’s Day is approaching. What better reason than to also approach the subject of love. I think Saint Valentine would be humbly flattered that his mantra has flourished into the 21st century. I think he would also be delighted to know love, in its many forms, is actually considered the ultimate emotion for which we strive to both receive and convey. Loving the fact we of senior ages should love the process of aging and love those of similar ages around us should be, in my opinion, one of the major goals to achieve as we advance annually.
There are so many "pluses" to aging, again in my opinion. Some of them include the fact we've lived enough years to amass a multitude of wisdom about how life's twists and turns have made us into stronger people, enabling us to better cope with those twists and turns because we've probably been through those times more times than we can count. "Been there, done that" is the colloquialism that enters my mind in that regard.
Wisdom from others also helps guide us in the proper emotional and mental direction when adding up how wonderful it is to have reached the senior years of our lives. Some motivational wisdom has been uttered by many we respect and admire, as follows:

• "It's never too late to be who you might have been" - Female authoress George Eliot
• "I've never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation." - Mike Todd (Elizabeth Taylor's favorite husband, who perished in a New Mexico plane crash and a Minneapolis native.)
• "We must be willing to let got of the life we have planned, so as to live the life that is waiting for us." - Novelist E.M. Forster
• "I never got a good job I didn't create for myself." - Actress Ruth Gordon
• "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein
• "The only things worth learning are the things you learn after you know it all." - President Harry Truman
• "You must live the life you were born to live." - Fictional Mother Superior's admonition to Maria Von Trapp in "The Sound of Music". Profound, though a quote from fiction.
• "Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." - Sir Winston Churchill
• "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt
• "The heart has its reasons, of which reason knows nothing." - Samuel French
• "You never stop paying your dues." - Actor/sincere Joel Grey to me during a television interview
• "Life is being to take the bitter with the better." - J. Allen Jensen, broadcast executive
• "Follow every rainbow, 'til you find your dream" - Partial lyrics from The Sound of Music song, Climb Every Mountain

In  my opinion, every one of these has a positive message, attuned to all the thinking and doing we've amassed during our blessed longer lives. Loving the process of aging and loving it for our contemporaries are thoughts that should keep us going productively and happily for the remainder of our life-loving lives. Again, Saint Valentine would be proud.
Thank you for reading and Happy Valentine's Day.

“Food, glorious food!" Unabashedly quoting that line from both the play and feature film OLIVER!, I confess it evokes and parallels the fact I'm a "foodie", "chow-hound" or any other appellation one might choose to apply to a person who is into what keeps us alive, along with water, of course. Also, of course, the foods we choose to eat, especially at advanced ages, most likely are much different, and probably more healthful, than those we chose to ingest in younger years. I know that's the case for yours truly. 

Until about age 30, my reputation for being the human equivalent of a goat or human garbage can, was rampant and well-deserved. I ate almost everything in sight and, truthfully, the more I ate, the thinner I became! It's true. My metabolism was reacting to my non-stop energy, both physical and mental. I have a feeling you may be among those who also experienced that enviable trait to be able to eat and drink almost everything in sight, in mass quantities and never gain weight. That's when my waist-size remained at between 26 and 28.

Today and for the past at least ten years, my waist size, at age 81, has increased to between 42 and 44, depending upon how successfully I can breathe in while fastening the top fastener on my trousers. I've saved some size 26 and 28-sized pants to only look at them wistfully and nostalgically. Unless there's some sort of metamorphosis, I think I won't be able to wear them again. Just seeing them, however, provides a modicum of some incentive to reach that probably impossible goal. 

In my opinion, the title of this blog, HEALTHY EATING IN THE NEW YEAR, should be among those sensible goals and mantras we should wish to achieve every new year. In my opinion, it's definitely do-able, simply using the common sense we all have, or should have. I think, for yours truly, at least, cravings are part of a non-healthful diet. Obviously, we all need an occasional "treat," but "occasional" should be the guiding word.

We can train and wean ourselves to avoid excess intakes of soft drinks, candy, fatty foods, desserts with high sugar content and so forth. It isn't easy, but once that discipline is achieved, even most of the time, the chances of adding longevity to our years is obviously one of the benefits to adding discipline to our eating habits. 

At every Ebenezer community, our culinary team works together to ensure our residents enjoy their dining experiences. Our skilled teams prepare nutritious and delicious meals that please the palate as well as the eye. Freshly prepared and locally sourced (whenever possible), produce and high quality meats and seafood are at the heart of our dining experiences. We offer a variety of options for each meal all of which are flavorful and are prepared with no added salt, utilizing heart healthy techniques.
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VERY happily, Ebenezer is currently inviting you to enjoy a healthful complimentary lunch and tour as a guest at an Ebenezer Assisted Living community close to you, or an Ebenezer Assisted Living location where you’d be interested to move. It's Ebenezer's "treat" to hopefully provide some incentive for you to think about eating and drinking in a more health-conscious fashion. Of course, if you already do eat healthfully, please enjoy the gratis Ebenezer lunch and tour anyway and congratulations for achieving that much-sought-after goal! Thank you for reading! 

How Ebenezer can help with socialization, support groups and activities
 
For yours truly, just seeing the word isolation initially conjures thoughts of despair, loneliness and hopelessness. Hopefully, those thoughts are, with further examination and deliberation, extreme and need not exemplify a total picture of isolation, but rather just emotional snapshots. 
 
From time immemorial, people have been and still are social creatures. That's why we call the culture in which live, society. Regardless of the protestations of those who have even chosen to be hermits, living in self-imposed isolation, every human being cannot consistently or comfortably sustain life or healthy thought processes without at least some interaction with another human being. We have an innate need to communicate with one another, regardless of what thoughts or needs are shared. Thus, when the subject of isolation arises, there are multiple visions that also arise, but none, in my opinion, that require the most desperate or debilitating thinking or conclusions.
 
Without presumption here, I assume all human beings, at one time or another, have experienced a form of loneliness that propels minds to think in extreme terms that parallel isolation, leading to almost terrified thinking. The isolation, in most instances, is identified with being alone, feeling there's no one with whom one can express oft-times self-induced desperate thought processes and definitely thinking expressing those feelings will fall on deaf, or even mocking, ears. My comments are based on personal experience, as well as experiences of those I know whom no one would ever think experienced isolation or isolationist thinking. Negative thoughts are almost always self-made, fearing if they're shared with others, no one will really care, understand nor want to offer solace or help. In regard to Ebenezer, caring and help are parts of a permanent mantra dedicated to helping create better lives and more positive thinking for those who feel alone or isolated. 
 
Those blessed to have any connection with Ebenezer and/or its multiple services should know the help Ebenezer can provide to alleviate feelings of isolation and helplessness is available 24/7/365. Professional Ebenezer personnel are aware that people of any age experience extreme thoughts of loneliness. Again, thanks to part of Ebenezer's mission to provide the best possible senior housing and social experiences connected thereto, Ebenezer’s trained professionals can speak with any Ebenezer resident, or even potential resident, about why and how socialization is so necessary to enjoy a well-rounded life. That socialization includes interaction with support groups and uplifting activities. 
 
Without social interaction, isolation can indeed create much less of a life than we deserve, again of our own making. If you or others you know need to do so, please explore and avail yourself (or selves) of Ebenezer's genuine caring and proven solutions.
 
Thank you for reading Barry's Blog and please, if it applies to you, move from isolation to socialization, soon!

In my opinion (and the opinion of many), asking for help is one of life's most uncomfortable challenges. To some, including myself at more than one time in my life, asking for help paralleled the words failure, weakness or the inability to privately cope with difficult times, be they personal, professional, financial or any combination thereof, including transitional.
 
When a person lives a significant number of years (I'm 81), inner strength to overcome challenging times of transition from one life chapter to another has one riding an emotional roller coaster. Some of the ups and downs are almost too overwhelming with which to cope, but coping and overcoming any trepidation is within the power of each of us. I know that to be true and, possibly, maybe even probably, so do you. If not, there are people within the Ebenezer "family" with special skills who are available to help bring you to that wonderful emotional and mental epiphany and addressed more directly at the conclusion of this blog. I'll also illustrate some real life examples farther down this tome. First, however, in regard to financial stress, Minneapolis's own Mike Todd (nee Avrom Goldbogen, and Elizabeth Taylor's favorite husband) once stated, "I've never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation." Mr. Todd's whimsy can be uplifting, for almost no situation is beyond being happily resolved. Humbly stated, I'm a living example of that truth.
 
Another living example of helping make the transition from one stage of life to another is the example of working all one's life in one profession, then transitioning to "retirement". One of my very close relatives retired last February after 52 years working in the same profession. Retirement for her was tantamount to a bullet-train coming to an abrupt stop and not continuing down any tracks. She was unaware that the routines with which she had lived for over a half-century had also come to an abrupt stop. After one month of "retirement," she decided to work at least part-time in a totally different arena, but one with which she had considerable expertise as a customer. Now, following a few months of "getting used to it," she's very happy in her transitional life. 
 
In regard to my own transitions, they've been many. Very few have been easy, but most have led to positive outcomes I hadn't expected nor predicted. One of my favorite sayings in regard to our lives emanated from author George Eliot, (Mary Ann Evans) to wit: "It's never too late to be who you might have been." That saying has been an inspiration to me more than once, almost a mantra. Perhaps it resonates with you, too. 
 
One special path to coping with the world of transitions is being provided by Ebenezer's outreach specialists at all Ebenezer facilities, with numerous optional resources to help those in need navigate to the smoothest possible transitions to life's next stages, compassionately and intelligently. A form guiding you or anyone you know who may wish to explore Ebenezer's assistance in regard to life transitions follows this closing paragraph. Thank you for reading!