NEWS & ARTICLES

3 Ways to Age Wisely and Live Longer

Aging Wisely Depending on who you ask, some would say that age is just a number while other will say it’s all about your state of mind. Either way, we are all “growing older and wiser” each day.  But, what can you do now to help prepare your body, mind, soul, and family for the inevitability of aging?  In this article, we will highlight a few tips to help you

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Cooperative Senior Living Is Superior. Here’s Why.

Cooperative Senior Living We all reach a point in our lives when living in your home doesn’t seem like the best alternative. Sometimes not even safe. Many turn to senior living communities for an easier alternative lifestyle for assistance. Cooperative living is more or less the best of both worlds. Owning in a Co-Op offers benefits that traditional options lack. Here’s why you should consider a cooperative arrangement for your retiree. Your Living Space and Yes you own it. Seniors sometimes feel as if they’re losing autonomy when they move to senior living communities. In a cooperative living environment, residents can choose their own Apartment home and can customize their living space. Co-Ops provide a clear sense of ownership and a place to call home. Take a virtual tour of one of our living spaces. A Community for the Residents At BayWoods, the residents are the community. An elected board meets monthly to propose community improvements and organize well thought through budgets. Our Residents have the option of voting on proposals and shaping the future. Don’t take our word for it – come and see what we’re all about! It’s A Resort Lifestyle Unlike traditional senior living communities residents are

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Does Your Retirement Community Provide On-Site Health Care?

On-Site Care When you enter a retirement community, you may be fit and healthy, but as you age, there may come a time when you require additional health services.  On-site health care is an important benefit providing convenience and peace of mind to you and your family.  Here are the top 3 reasons why it’s important to choose a retirement community that provides on site care. Providing a continuum of care is the foundation of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) like Baywoods of Annapolis. CCRC means that the community provides services for Independent Living and Assisted Living. Why is this important? Limits your need to travel. For you, the retiree, it means that you will likely have most of your health care needs handled in the community in which you live.  This eliminates most the need for most residents to travel for: Doctor’s Appointments Wellness Visits Pharmacies Coordination of Services Comfort, Convenience, Friends. Imagine being transported to another facility where your spouse and friends cannot readily visit you during your treatment.  When you enter our assisted living facility, you’ll be within the same community, with the same friends, getting the care and support that you need.  Your spouse or

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5 Tips for Dementia Caregivers

Dementia Caregivers With over 5 million people in the US with Alzheimer’s and/or dementia, more and more families are tasked with caring for a loved one who suffers from these tragic diseases.  A long-term continuing care retirement community (CCRC) can be of great assistance, but it’s also important to educate and empower the family and loved ones.  This article will provide insight on how to care for and communicate with a loved one with Alzheimer’s and/or dementia. ADAPTING THE HOME When an Alzheimer’s or dementia patient still lives at home, there are many concerns that must be addressed regarding safety.  While we always want to treat these patients with love and dignity, we must remember that they often have poor memory, difficulty following instructions, and periods of agitation or irritability.  So, like young children, we must adapt their living environment to accommodate for these shortcomings.  Cooking appliances must be adapted with safety mechanisms to avoid something being left on and the risk of fire.  Door and window alarms may need to be installed.  Hazardous materials may need to be stored in a locked cabinet. HELP IS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK Caregivers are often overwhelmed, uncertain, or scared.  However, there are a

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Is Your Retirement Community Pet-Friendly?

Pet Friendly Retirement Community Pets can bring so much joy and help relieve anxiety and stress.  In this article, we’ll review how to make sure your retirement community is well-aligned with the needs of you and your pet. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that pets can be comforting companions, particularly as we grow older.   Walking a dog can provide great exercise, loving companionship, and help provide purpose.  So, you may wonder why a retirement community would have policies against pets?  As it turns out, there are some very valid things to consider, on both sides of the proverbial fence. One of the top priorities with a senior bringing a beloved pet to any community is to ensure that both the senior and their pets’ well-being is taken into consideration.  While pets can provide an array of benefits to their human parents, unfortunately, they can also present some challenges.  Seniors may not be able to continue to remember to properly medicate or feed their pets.  As the animal gets older, the pet may require special care or costly medications.  Getting them to a veterinarian for routine care may also be a challenge.  Furthermore, if you begin to experience

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Cooperative Senior Living: Part 1 – A Smart Financial Decision

Cooperative Senior Living When you are touring communities for a place to retire, there are a variety of lifestyles and options available.  In this article, we provide you with five reasons you should consider a cooperative community (co-op) like Baywoods of Annapolis for your retirement! Cooperative communities, also referred to as ‘co-ops,’ are a great consideration when looking at Retirement communities. Include them as part of your search.  First, you should understand that a typical co-op is often structured so that all of the residents own the cooperative together, which allows them to share in the tax and financial benefits of ownership.  So, residents reap many of the same benefits as owning a home. Most co-ops have monthly dues that cover the costs of routine maintenance, landscaping, cleaning, and in some cases, on-site dining and various supportive services. By pooling together the needs of the entire community, and eliminating the middle-man, you have the ability to control costs, without the burden of sole ownership. Co-ops have the potential to build equity, just like real estate. For example, the Baywoods of Annapolis co-op offers a unique lifestyle, with a prime waterfront location.  A waterfront community is a sought-after feature not available

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Cooperative Senior Living: Part 3 – Virtual Dividends

Virtual Dividends In this series, we have discussed many benefits of living in a co-op community, with continuing care.  But, while writing this series, something amazing happened!  The residents of Baywoods of Annapolis received something that is literally unheard of in the industry – virtual dividends!  That’s right, for the month of December? the residents voted to give themselves a fee-free holiday!  Here’s how it happened! For-Profit Housing Cooperative As we have discussed, Baywoods of Annapolis is a Continuing Care Retirement Community that is structured as a for-profit housing cooperative (co-op) for seniors.  As such, residents are shareholders in the community and collectively make decisions on the activities, services, and food provided.  They have a direct hand in the future of the community.  Each of these decisions is influenced by the preferences of the community, but the group also make decisions that will be beneficially cost-effective. Exceeded Sales Goals So, in 2016, the sales for Baywoods Cooperative Housing Corporation (BCHC) were better than expected.  Actually, sales far exceeded goals and most expenses were well within budget!  So, the residents decided to take those profits and provide a ‘fee-free holiday’ for each resident, for one month.  This fee free holiday is like receiving a

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Cooperative Senior Living: Part 2 – More than just Smart Finances

COOPERATIVE SENIOR LIVING In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the significant financial benefits that cooperative living can provide retirees.  In Part 2, we review additional benefits that Co-Op Living can offer you in a retirement community setting. Community and collaboration are important benefits of cooperative living.  Since residents jointly own shares in the community, their desire to be involved is natural.  Involvement and engagement in the community is a key benefit for seniors. Co-ops like Baywoods of Annapolis offer residents a true sense of community by offering the services and activities that are of greatest interest to the members of the community.  The residents have a voice in the community through their own elected board of Directors whom represent the Community. The Community is NOT owned by an outside corporation instead it’s owned collectively by the resident shareholders. Continuing Care Retirement Communities, (CCRC’s), co-ops are designed to help members age-in-place.  Aging in place means that the co-op has designed the Campus to accommodate it’s residents as they grow older.  A Variety of amenities that make your day to day life easier and stress free for instance Wellness Checks by an RN, Daily health monitoring, Home Care services available.

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Cooperative Senior Living: Part 1 – A Smart Financial Decision

Cooperative Senior Living When you are touring communities for a place to retire, there are a variety of lifestyles and options available.  In this article, we provide you with five reasons you should consider a cooperative community (co-op) like Baywoods of Annapolis for your retirement! Cooperative communities, also referred to as ‘co-ops,’ are a great consideration when looking at Retirement communities. Include them as part of your search.  First, you should understand that a typical co-op is often structured so that all of the residents own the cooperative together, which allows them to share in the tax and financial benefits of ownership.  So, residents reap many of the same benefits as owning a home. Most co-ops have monthly dues that cover the costs of routine maintenance, landscaping, cleaning, and in some cases, on-site dining and various supportive services. By pooling together the needs of the entire community, and eliminating the middle-man, you have the ability to control costs, without the burden of sole ownership. Co-ops have the potential to build equity, just like real estate. For example, the Baywoods of Annapolis co-op offers a unique lifestyle, with a prime waterfront location.  A waterfront community is a sought-after feature not available

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Three Reasons to Choose Cooperative Living

Choose Cooperative Living Cooperative living arrangements provide extra benefits in senior living communities. The role of happiness in longevity is well documented; a cooperative living space allows residents an environment that allows them to thrive. Consider these unique advantages to cooperative living when deciding on an arrangement for your retiree. 1) For the Residents, by the Residents Independence is a key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. BayWoods residents lead a vibrant lifestyle through a system of self-governance. By electing their own board members, all residents have a say in what their future will look like. Residents have the option of guiding the program schedule, making improvements to the property, even adding books to the library. We believe our residents thrive on the autonomy they experience at BayWoods. Come and see for yourself. 2) Financial Stewardship Unlike other assisted-living arrangements, cooperative living environments offer your senior loved one a high-quality financial investment. Residents here act as the direct financial stewards of their living space here at BayWoods. We believe that maintaining financial independence is an important aspect of retaining the dignity of our residents. To understand how this works, call us for a more detailed explanation. 3) Tax Benefits In a

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Does Your Retirement Community Provide On-Site Health Care?

On-Site Care When you enter a retirement community, you may be fit and healthy, but as you age, there may come a time when you require additional health services.  On-site health care is an important benefit providing convenience and peace of mind to you and your family.  Here are the top 3 reasons why it’s important to choose a retirement community that provides on site care. Providing a continuum of care is the foundation of a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) like Baywoods of Annapolis.  CCRC means that the community provides services for: Independent Living Assisted Living Skilled Nursing Care Why is this important? Limits your need to travel. For you, the retiree, it means that you will likely have most of your health care needs handled in the community in which you live.  This eliminates most the need for most residents to travel for: Doctor’s Appointments Wellness Visits Pharmacies Coordination of Services Comfort, Convenience, Friends. Imagine being transported to another facility where your spouse and friends cannot readily visit you during your treatment.  When you enter our short-term rehabilitation facility or assisted living facility, you’ll be within the same community, with the same friends, getting the care and support

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