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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Satellite TV for Retirement Homes: A Must Have Feature for Retirement Communities


Satellite TV for retirement homes can help in making the transition to a new environment more pleasant, and for established residents, it can make daily living both safer and more entertaining. All of the standard TV programming is available plus additional channels, as are options that make life more rewarding and enjoyable.

Companies that provide satellite TV for retirement homes often include features such as internet access, and a community information channel can keep residents up to date on what's happening now, and lets them be aware of future activities that might be of interest.

Other services include features for the safety of residents. An in-house cameras channel can provide monitoring of public areas such as entrances, gardens, lobby and dining areas and so on. Wired and wireless nurse call, and resident monitoring features are available to residents should they be needed.

Management that employs satellite TV for retirement homes find that the service is very affordable, and can easily be incorporated into their total package. The entertainment value and the safety benefits help make their retirement community a very desirable place to live.

With satellite based TV, the full service can be offered anywhere, even in remote areas of the country where cable services are unavailable. The large, single dish antenna provides a much stronger signal than those of typical home dish units, so every room in a facility can experience high quality audio and video displays.

Satellite TV for retirement homes is an affordable service that enhances quality of life during retirement years, while providing safety benefits that retirees tend to need more with advancing age. It is a must have item in the list of features when choosing a retirement community.

Friday, September 21, 2012

DirecTV & Amenities to Consider When Choosing a Retirement Home



Like it or not, for most of us, spending time in a retirement center is likely to be a part of our future. It may be as a guest of someone who already lives there or perhaps it might be something in one’s personal future. If you have yet to reach the age of living in a retirement center (either by choice or of necessity), then you may have never given any thought to what it would be like to spend day after day in the same place.

However, if you have recently been tasked with helping a loved one find a retirement home, then you will want to pay close attention to the various activities and options available to the residents. For instance, what types of television viewing options are there? Did you know that retirement centers can be equipped with bulk direct television packages designed especially for retirement homes? That’s right. There is specially designed DirecTV for retirement homes that offer programming such as the Retirement Living Television channel along with specialty programing that the center can choose that helps make residents aware of other activities and events available at the home.  

Not only will you want to check on what type of cable television is in place, but you will also want to take some to look for other activities the retirement center has. (Typically, there will be an assortment of things to keep guests happy and engaged as Medicaid and Medicare certified facilities are required to have someone appointed as an activities director.)  Some common activities available at retirement centers include:

  • Holiday celebrations, special dances and music groups
  • Monthly birthday parties where residents, families and friends are able to attend
  • Exercise sessions
  • Arts and crafts classes that may be taught by other residents or from area artisans
  • Computer /technology classes
  • Gardening opportunities
  • Cookouts—these sometime require help from extended family members, as smaller retirement centers might not have enough staffing to do this, or gardening, without help.
  • Some larger retirement centers will have small cafes or coffee bars to encourage socializing
  • Book clubs and library visits from area book mobiles
  • Discussion groups that may be led by other residents, staff or outside guests
  • Church services-these are also another requirement of facilities accepting Medicaid and Medicare. 

Most retirement homes will have local religious groups come in to perform these services. Family members are welcomed to attend.

In addition to making sure that a prospective nursing home has a variety of amenities, be sure to take the time note the friendliness, attentiveness and responsiveness of the staff. These are even more important than whether or not the facility has bulk direct television service or weekly socializing opportunities. After all, you will be entrusting your loved one’s care to them and you want to know that they will be cared for properly, in the event that your family member needs help.

Choosing a retirement facility does not have to be a difficult decision. Simply take the time to think about the elements that would be important to you, if you were the moving there, and then select a place that meets as many of the criteria as possible. It may take time, but it will be time well spent!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Making the Days More Entertaining at an Assisted Living Facility


Do you have a loved one in a nursing home or assisted living facility? Have you ever given any thought to what they do all day? After all, your life is one filled with work hours, errands, sporting events and much more. Then when the day is over, you can, if you choose, sit back and watch a television program or two to help you unwind. 

But what if your day was spent without the many obligations? What if your day was spent at a nursing home where, quite often, your company was that of the television? That could get old- fast! In addition, what if the nursing home had a very limited number of channels to choose from? Hmm ... Definitely could make for some long days! 

Thankfully, if one must be in a nursing home or assisted living center, there does not have to be a limit on what can be watched. There are companies who offer bulk cable television for nursing homes at reasonable rates, so that those who spend their days in a retirement home can have a broader glimpse into what is happening in the world around them. The bulk cable packages include a wide assortment of cable channels so no matter what one’s viewing preferences are, they are certain to find programming that entertains or educates. 

With a bulk cable package, it is possible for residents to feel more in touch with what is going on. Then, when they have guests, they can interact even more as they will be up to date with more than just news and medicine.  If you manage a retirement center or assisted living center and have not yet purchased bulk cable for your location, be sure to check out companies like Aufderworld. We would love to help your residents get more channels at a rate that won’t break the budget! Call today!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Movie Theater Experience in a Retirement Home

For older adults in a retirement home, one way to keep them happy and active is to provide a lot of different entertainment options. That's why many centers will organize group activities, events like bingo nights, and even senior proms. Another entertainment option you can add to your retirement home is an on-site movie theater.

In a large, unoccupied room, Aufderworld can add a large 1080p widescreen television, along with surround sound, and other extras. By creating a movie theater setting for those who reside in your retirement home community, you can add additional programming to your entertainment schedule, such as movie nights, parties for big sports events, and more. And, because you'll have DirecTV for retirement homes, you'll have access to all of the most popular channels and shows from the major networks, as well as niche interest networks.

Interested in learning more about the types of packages Aufderworld offers? Get in touch with us today at (800) 922-9411.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Providing your Retirement Home with DirecTV

One of the best parts about relaxing at home can be the time you spend watching a favorite TV show. Whether you enjoy daytime soap operas like General Hospital, game shows like Jeopardy, or prime-time dramas like CSI, there's something comforting about actively engaging your mind in a well-written script or exercising your brain through trivia. Growing old shouldn't mean you have to miss out on these times, which is why many retirement homes opt to provide DirecTV service through Aufderworld.

With Aufderworld's wholesale DirecTV packages, you can provide your retirement home residents with all of the channels they're used to, plus additional channels that can keep them informed on what's going on in the center and in the community. Such a service can also act as an incentive for potential residents to choose your home when presented with other choices, which can help keep your rooms full and make your retirement community more successful.

To learn more about how Aufderworld can help you provide your residents DirecTV for retirement homes, call us at (800) 922-9411.

Monday, May 28, 2012

More about the DirecTV Upgrade System

Nursing home residents may come from a home where they previously had access to certain channels they really liked -- say, HGTV, for example. Upon moving into your facility, they might discover that you don't carry HGTV as one of your nursing home's available channels. Normally, this might be cause for disappointment, but not with the bulk DirecTV Upgrade System.

When you come to Aufderworld for your bulk DirecTV needs, you never have to say "no" to one of your residents again. Does someone new to your nursing home want HGTV added to their lineup? You can use the DirecTV Upgrade System to add it for them. And, if the channel is part of a package you're already offering those in your facility, it won't cost you anything more.

And, of course, since Aufderworld utilizes DirecTV as the backbone for its bulk TV service, your residents can have the same DirecTV interface they might already be familiar with, along with custom channels tailored to your nursing home.

So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with Aufderworld today and learn more about bulk DirecTV for your nursing home. Call (800) 922-9411.