GUY RANKIN

Pets Move in to Senior Living

Are you a dog-person, cat-person or just an every day animal lover? If so, you’ll be happy to know that most senior living communities encourage residents to bring their pets with them! When Emeritus says, “Our family is committed to yours,” that includes this important member of your family.

The healing power of animals is one that is sometimes difficult to quantify, but that many will attest improves residents mental health and purpose. Residents communicate and nurture their community pets. Pets make senior living communities feel like home by bringing life and love into the lives of the residents.

Studies also show a positive influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people, including the benefits of pet ownership in maintaining or slightly enhancing ADL levels of older people.

• Additional physical health benefits accredited to animals include:
• Lower blood pressure and stress, improving results for individuals who experience anxiety and/or depression
• Help residents cope with life changes
• Helping facilitate social interactions
• Provide recreational activity such as dog walking
• [Service animals] help people with disabilities live active lives

Loren Shook, Silverado’s President, CEO and co-founder, understands the power and influence that animals can have to our connection with the world. Back in his days working at Fairfax Hospital, Loren encountered a woman who had been catatonic for years. He learned that she used to have a great love for horses, so he brought a gentle horse to meet her in the driveway. “To the amazement of everyone observing, the woman moved her arm and began petting the horse. She had regained her consciousness in the presence of a loving animal. Eventually she was able to walk and speak again. Her bonding experience with the horse and her subsequent recovery defied medical reasoning”.

Silverado’s Pet Therapy program, Emeritus’s Pet Friendly Living program, and many other senior living companys’ pet policies are integrating animals into residents’ dynamic lifestyles to improve quality of life. Do you know a senior living company that strengthens moral and resident engagement at their communities through the healing power of animals? I would love it if you would share with me!

via Pets Move in to Senior Living.

NAHB Recognizes Houston Senior Housing Community for Energy Efficiency

Alyssa Gerace | September 19, 2011

Cypresswood Estates, an affordable housing community for active adults aged 55 or older, has been named by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as a finalist for the Multifamily Pillars of the Industry award for its energy-efficient construction.

Located in Houston, Tex., the community achieved NAHB’s recognition as the nation’s first affordable housing for seniors that exceeds the criteria for Platinum LEED and Emerald Green certifications—the highest certification available.

Cypresswood Estates demonstrates the possibility of providing affordable, environmentally friendly housing without overburdening the budget, says the Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA). Residents can expect significantly lower utility bills thanks to energy-efficient construction and Energy Star appliances.

The community features solar panels, which can generate up to 60% of the complex’s projected energy needs, and its HVAC systems, along with insulation material such as Thermax and recycled cellulose, create the most energy-efficient units in Houston senior housing, says HCHA.

Although making Cypresswood Estates energy-efficient led to slightly elevated expenses, at 8 to 10% more per square foot, HCHA says the 88-unit construction was only marginally more expensive than a 90-unit community it built just months earlier, and considers it worth the cost.

“What we’ve learned on this build breaks new ground on issues important to America’s future,” said HCHA President and CEO Guy Rankin in a statement. “Cypresswood Estates could serve as a road map for President Obama as he begins to put more emphasis on environmental stewardship, new energy alternatives and the development of green industries.”

via NAHB Recognizes Houston Senior Housing Community for Energy Efficiency : Senior Housing News.

Cypresswood Estates, a housing community for active adults over the age of 55, is a finalist for this year’s Multifamily Pillars of the Industry award by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The grounds for the nomination: the community’s highly energy-efficient construction.

The NAHB Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Award program is a chance for the association to recognize the best innovations in multifamily construction and design. The award may be given to those deserving of recognition for effective and creative marketing campaigns, or to the top property managers and developers. This is not the first time that a community with impressive green qualities has been nominated for the award.

As the Cypresswood Estates website boasts, “Green has a new home.” Along with it’s energy-efficient HVAC system, the community also features solar panels which are able to generate about 60 percent of the energy needs of the complex. The buildings are insulated with Thermax and recycled cellulose. According to the Harris County Housing Authority (HCHA), Cypresswood is home to the most energy-efficient units in Houston’s senior housing market.

NAHB considers Cypresswood the first affordable senior housing in Houston that meets criteria for the highest available green certifications, the Platinum LEED and the Emerald Green. Cypresswood residents can expect their utility bills to be significantly lower thanks to the energy-efficient construction of the complex.

Even though Cypresswood has been defined as affordable, it is slightly more expensive than those Houston complexes not meeting maximum green requirements. Expenses are expected to be raised about eight to ten percent per square foot. Yet, according to HCHA, with the lowered utility costs and the great benefits to the environment, the community is well worth the extra expense.

Guy Rankin, HCHA President and CEO, sees Cypresswood’s construction as not only a benefit for Houston, but for the entire United States. “What we’ve learned on this build breaks new ground on issues important to America’s future. Cypresswood Estates could serve as a road map for President Obama as he begins to put more emphasis on environmental stewardship, new energy alternatives and the development of green industries.”