One of our highest priorities at Sunset Communities is preventing those who live here from experiencing the loneliness prevalent among society’s older adults. Toward that end, we nurture companionship by fostering close and continuing contact between residents and people inside and outside our buildings. But in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) have issued restrictions that significantly limit visitation and group activities at senior living facilities.

As the nation strives to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), federal health authorities have instructed senior living communities to restrict all visitors and group activities. How to ease the strain on those affected most.

Whatever your preferred news source—newspapers, newsfeeds, news networks—it’s hard to avoid headlines about the latest coronavirus outbreak. The extensive media coverage is helping to raise awareness of steps people can take to reduce their chances of contracting the virus. But, at the same time, conflicting news stories are causing many people to panic.

From our expert vantage point at Sunset Communities, one thing appears obvious when it comes to individuals making senior living decisions: that is, most older adults prefer maintaining independent lifestyles for as long as their overall health allows. But while many seniors might appreciate assistance with routine household chores, some require help with essential aspects of daily activity. For those reasons, Sunset offers both independent and assisted living options on its Toledo and Sylvania campuses.

As we age, changes in our hearts and blood vessels increase our risk of developing heart disease. Our arteries could harden, for example, or narrow from plaque that builds up over time. Our heart muscles might naturally weaken as we get older, or we could experience hypertension and high blood pressure. It’s little wonder that cardiovascular disease is most prevalent among people age 65 and older.

Scams targeting people 65 and older abound, with swindlers attempting to convince unsuspecting seniors to wire them money or divulge private financial information. Medicare scams involve criminals soliciting—either online or over the phone—private data needed to steal recipients’ federal health insurance benefits or access their bank accounts.

The beginning of a new year—and in the case of 2020, a new decade—is a time when nearly half of all American adults resolve to make changes intended to improve their lives. While not everyone follows through on those goals, a good many people do. So here are three new year's resolution ideas that older adults might consider to kick off 2020 with improvement in mind.

Lovi and Dick have been married for 50 years. When they moved into The Woodlands, the couple decorated their 1,100-square-foot apartment with belongings that reflect a lifetime together: favorite furniture pieces, treasured artwork, and cherished souvenirs from past travels. They are as comfortable in their personalized living space as they are with each other.

Picking an assisted living facility for an aging loved one is hard. We know because we regularly field questions from family members struggling to make the right choices.