Recently, Premier Transitions’ own Jean Cherni gave a presentation to the Shoreline Eldercare Alliance of Connecticut. She engaged the audience in a discussion about the Myths and Realities of Aging. We invite you to enjoy this insightful and entertaining video of Jean at her best!
The Myths and Realities of Aging
ERC Distinguished Service Award
Maureen Campbell Honored with
Distinguished Service Award from Worldwide ERC®
Maureen Campbell, Senior Vice President of Premier Transitions has earned a Distinguished Service Award from Worldwide ERC®, the workforce mobility association. The award was announced at the Worldwide ERC® Spring Conference in Houston, Texas on May 19, 2016.
Since its inception in 1989, the Worldwide ERC® Service Recognition Awards Program has been honoring members who voluntarily share their time, talent and expertise through various contributions to the association. Members earn a Distinguished Service Award upon accumulating 25 service points.
Campbell earned the award for her individual contributions to the organization, including her involvement in the 2015 Spring Conference Planning Committee, a two year commitment to the CRP Examination Committee, a seat on the U.S. Advisory Council, and participation in several Worldwide ERC Focus Groups. Additionally, she has been a contributor to Mobility Magazine (“Relocation for the Ages”), and has served as a speaker at Worldwide ERC spring and fall conferences. Campbell is one of only 443 members who have received the Distinguished Service Award since 1989.
Since 1964, Worldwide ERC® has been the forum for bringing workforce mobility professionals together, and our success is a direct result of our collaboration. Worldwide ERC® is honored to congratulate and formally recognize those dedicated members for their contributions to that success.
About Premier Transitions: Premier Transitions is a full-service relocation company assisting employers to facilitate job related moves for their employees. Additionally, Premier Transitions offers a unique relocation program for seniors moving into retirement communities. Premier works directly with independent living, assisted living, and continuing care communities to deliver a full-service program that facilitates downsizing, home preparation and sale, and household goods moves. Corporate transferees and seniors are provided with a single point of contact from the beginning of their moves until they are successfully settled into their new location.
Premier Transitions is the newest member of Armstrong Relocation’s family of companies and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Since its founding in 1922, Armstrong has been committed to providing a growing complement of relocation services that are recognizably superior by building trust, reducing stress and delivering reliability. For additional information, visit www.armstrongrelocation.com.
About Worldwide ERC®
Worldwide ERC® has served for over 50 years as the membership association and foremost center for corporate and government mobility, educating and connecting mobility professionals worldwide. The recognized industry authority on talent mobility and assignments in the U.S. and major global traffic areas, Worldwide ERC® is headquartered in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with representation in Belgium and China. Contact Worldwide ERC® at +1 703 842 3400, or visit www.WorldwideERC.org.
To learn more about Premier Transitions, call 888-254-0005 or email [email protected]. Visit our website at www.premiertransitions.com.
Keeping Pace with Technology
Jean Cherni: I’m beginning to wonder if some things are worth the trouble
I try hard to keep up, to stay abreast of what is happening. I really do!
I read the New York Times on a daily basis. The Week, an excellent weekly condensation of news from a variety of sources, arrives every Friday. And I tune in nightly to several different news channels on television. In addition, my work involves many committees and meetings with people considerably younger than myself.
But lately there have been several times when I have felt I am living in a foreign country, or perhaps on a strange planet.
I came across this question on my computer recently: “Can I use the Fitbit flex without the wireless sync dangle?” Not having the foggiest idea of whether either of these was animal, vegetable or mineral, I did some research and found that Fitbit is a popular new device that looks like a watch and keeps track of pulse and heart rate, your workout summaries, sleep tracking, all-day activities, number of steps taken, floors climbed, active minutes and calories burned.
Further research revealed the wireless Fitbit dangle was not a new species of bat, but a small USB (a popular connection used to connect a computer to devices such as a digital camera or printer) that allows the Fitbit device to synchronize its data onto a computer and upload the info to your Fitbit website.
While I know exercise is good for everyone — and we all should probably get more than we do — keeping track of how many steps climbed or how many hours of deep sleep we get a night seems like a lot of unnecessary and almost obsessive trouble. For the legions of us trying to lose weight, I found that there are also many new devices and websites offering help.
There is, for instance, the gram-o-meter, the Fat Secret (couldn’t they have come up with a better name than that?) and My Fitness Pal, which features a message board where subscribers offer advice to one another on topics like overcoming binge eating. Membership to the site is free, but, of course, there is also a “Shop” area offering all kinds of exercise and weight-loss accessories.
My Fitness Pal has the most comprehensive list of the exact number of calories and chemical content of most popular brands of food. After figuring all of the ingredients of every bite of food involved in a typical meal, not only do I have a headache, forget ever enjoying food again.
There must be a less compulsive way to sensible eating. One of the newest technological advances which I haven’t tried is virtual reality; a device that through the use of goggles or a headset imprisons us in a programing experience that will have major positive and negative effects.
According to a New York Times report, “you are swaddled in goggles and headphones with the result that your power-forward senses (sight and hearing) are steamrolled by a visually and orally complete universe that seals out opportunity for doubt.” While the proposed medical and research uses for virtual reality are exciting, the possible misuse is indeed scary.
For every new invention, from the steam engine to the telephone and the automobile to the computer, we pay a price in a lost way of life.
Occasionally, looking back, we realize perhaps it wasn’t worth it.
Contact Jean Cherni, senior adviser for Premier Transitions, a full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at [email protected] or 49 Rose St., Apt. 510, Branford, 06405.
Baby Boomers: Home Is Where The Heart Is
Baby Boomers: Home Is Where The Heart Is
Within the next five years, Baby Boomers are projected to have the largest household growth of any other generation during that same time period, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard. Let’s take a look at why…
In Merrill Lynch’s latest study, “Home in Retirement: More Freedom, New Choices” they surveyed nearly 6,000 adults ages 21 and older about housing.
Crossing the “Freedom Threshold”
Throughout our lives, there are often responsibilities that dictate where we live. Whether being in the best school district for our children, being close to our jobs, or some other factor is preventing a move, the study found that there is a substantial shift that takes place at age 61.
The study refers to this change as “Crossing the Freedom Threshold”. When where you live is no longer determined by responsibilities, but rather a freedom to live wherever you like. (see the chart below)
As one participant in the study stated:
“In retirement, you have the chance to live anywhere you want. Or you can just stay where you are. There hasn’t been another time in life when we’ve had that kind of freedom.”
On the Move
According to the study, “an estimated 4.2 million retirees moved into a new home last year alone.” Two-thirds of retirees say that they are likely to move at least once during retirement.
The top reason to relocate cited was “wanting to be closer to family” at 29%, a close second was “wanting to reduce home expenses”. See the chart below for the top 6 reasons broken down.
Not Every Baby Boomer Downsizes
There is a common misconception that as retirees find themselves with less children at home that they will instantly desire a smaller home to maintain. While that may be the case for half of those surveyed, the study found that three in ten decide to actually upsize to a larger home.
Some choose to buy a home in a desirable destination with extra space for large family vacations, reunions, extended visits, or to allow other family members to move in with them.
“Retirees often find their homes become places for family to come together and reconnect, particularly during holidays or summer vacations.”
Bottom Line
If your housing needs have changed or are about to change, meet with a local real estate professional in your area who can help with deciding your next step.
About Premier Transitions
Premier offers a full-service relocation program for seniors. Every client has a personal Senior Consultant who provides professional guidance, real estate expertise, oversight of necessary resources, and management of every aspect of the move. Retirement communities benefit from the expedition of the decision-making and home sale process. Our continuous feedback loop ensures that communities are fully informed on every detail of their depositor’s move, enabling the sales team to focus on the next client.
For more information about Premier, visit www.premiertransitions.com or contact us at [email protected]
‘Oldest Daughters’ Helping Seniors
Premier couldn’t help but feel a connection to the Senior Housing News (SHN) article published earlier this month featuring a life plan community who employs move-in coordinators at their locations in Illinois and Arizona. Senior Housing News (SHN) is the leading source for news and information covering the senior housing industry. The article shares the story of these professionals who fulfill the role of the oldest daughter in a family, often the one who takes charge of helping their parents move to a new community. Premier’s Senior Consultants also assume the role of the ‘Oldest Daughter’ when supporting our senior clients through their transition into community living. We research and screen the local resources necessary to facilitate the move, coordinate appointments, follow-up on the promises made by real estate agents, professional downsizers and the van line. We oversee and manage every aspect of the transition with the goal of easing the stress and strain that any move can bring. We embrace our role as the ‘Oldest Daughter’ many seniors wish they had to help them and invite you to enjoy the following article.
Provider Takes on ‘Oldest Daughter’ Duties to Drive Move-Ins
January 4, 2016 by Mary Kate Nelson
Coordinating a move into senior housing and all that goes with it—the downsizing, the movers, the emotions, the realtors—is a burden that typically falls on a prospective resident’s oldest adult daughter. But what if the burden were removed from her shoulders?
One senior housing provider clued Senior Housing News into how it is, in a sense, providing a stand-in oldest adult daughter for its new residents, and why doing so may give it a competitive edge.
A Stress-Free Transition
Mather LifeWays, which operates an independent living community in Wilmette, Illinois, and life plan communities (formerly known as CCRCs) in Evanston, Illinois, and Tucson, Arizona, employs a move-in coordinator at each of its locations who essentially fills the role of future residents’ “oldest adult daughter.”
“Oldest adult daughters typically love the service,” Gale Morgan, Mather LifeWays’ vice president of sales, told Senior Housing News. Mather LifeWays has reasons to love it as well.
Often, the actual move from a long-time home into a senior living community is what keeps prospective residents from making the choice to go forward, according to Morgan. The idea of where to begin can be overwhelming for the senior and the loved one who has been charged with arranging the transition.
That’s where the Mather’s move-in coordinators come in. As soon as a future resident makes a deposit, the coordinator begins making the moving process “as manageable and stress-free for the depositor as possible,” Morgan said.
Morgan explained that the top challenge when it comes to moving revolves around what exactly the residents can bring with them to their new homes. Consequently, Mather’s move-in coordinators visit each depositor’s home to get a sense of his or her belongings and help make downsizing decisions, if necessary. Perhaps a certain sofa will not fit in the new apartment, or they have to choose one of three coffee tables to bring along.
The move-in coordinator also consults a space planner and an interior designer to guarantee that the items future residents want to bring with them will fit. Then, they plan the new space, all the way down to what artwork goes where.
Marisela Panzarella, the move-in coordinator at Mather Lifeways’ Splendido at Rancho Vistoso life plan community in Tucson, doubles as an interior designer.
Move-in coordinators also work to ensure that a space plan is hung in the entryway of residents’ new homes so the moving company knows where every single piece of furniture should be placed.
Some other services the move-in coordinator takes care of? They can set depositors up with recommended realtors and moving companies, and home staging services are provided free of charge to depositors to help sell their homes quickly and efficiently.
On move-in day, it’s the move-in coordinator’s job to meet new residents at the door of the community while Mather’s building services works with the movers.
A new resident is then shown to his or her new apartment, which is outfitted with a huge red bow on the door and a red carpet laid out in the hallway preceding it.
“We make it positive because they just left their home, which maybe was their home of 30 years,” Morgan told SHN. “There’s a lot of emotions that go with that.”
Prior to this moment, the move-in coordinator will have gathered some personal details about the new resident, such as favorite snacks and types of flowers. That way, when new residents arrive at the new apartment, their favorite foods will be waiting for them in the fridge and their favorite song will be playing.
“We make sure that home is ready for them,” Morgan explained. “Home is your favorite things.”
On top of that, the move-in coordinator has made sure the new apartment has “all of the necessities” that can be overlooked during a busy time—paper towels, toilet tissue, a pad of paper and a pen. There is also a temporary phone service available and some folding chairs ready to use while the furniture is being moved in.
A Value Proposition
According to Morgan, the decision to offer these services to Mather LifeWays depositors is, in part, a value proposition.
“We have a relatively high-end customer,” Morgan explained.
The process the move-in coordinator goes through also leads to depositors’ homes selling more quickly, and residents moving into Mather LifeWays properties faster, she said.
“We simply have learned that it benefits everyone to make this process as easy as possible,” Morgan said. “The residents arrive happier, they settle in faster, they settle into the community and their resident satisfaction is higher.”
Written by Mary Kate Nelson
About Premier Transitions
Premier offers a full-service relocation program for seniors. Every client has a personal Senior Consultant who provides professional guidance, real estate expertise, oversight of necessary resources, and management of every aspect of the move. Retirement communities benefit from the expedition of the decision-making and home sale process. Our continuous feedback loop ensures that communities are fully informed on every detail of their depositor’s move, enabling the sales team to focus on the next client.
For more information about Premier, visit www.premiertransitions.com or contact us at [email protected]
Moving in the U.S. – What state would you pick?
United National Movers Study –
If you were going to move anywhere in the U.S., what state would you pick? For the 39th year, United Van Lines conducted a migration study of our customers to see where they wanted to go.
Jan 1, 2016 –
For the third consecutive year, Oregon holds on to the No. 1 spot as “Top Moving Destination,” as Americans continue to pack up and head West and South. Those are the results of United Van Lines’ 39th Annual National Movers Study, which tracks customers’ state-to-state migration patterns over the past year.
Oregon is the most popular moving destination of 2015 with 69 percent of moves to and from the state being inbound. The state has continued to climb the ranks, increasing inbound migration by 10 percent over the past six years. New to the 2015 top inbound list is another Pacific West state,Washington, which came in at No. 10 with 56 percent inbound moves.
The Southern states also saw a high number of people moving in with 53 percent of total moves being inbound. In a separate survey of its customers, United Van Lines found the top reasons for moving South included company transfer/new job, retirement and proximity to family.
The Northeast continues to experience a moving deficit with New Jersey (67 percent outbound) and New York (65 percent) making the list of top outbound states for the fourth consecutive year. Two other states in the region — Connecticut (63 percent) and Massachusetts (57 percent) — also joined the top outbound list this year. The exception to this trend is Vermont (62 percent inbound), which moved up two spots on the list of top inbound states to No. 3.
“For nearly 40 years, we’ve been tracking which states people are moving to and from, and we’ve also recently started surveying our customers to understand why they are making these moves across state lines,” said Melissa Sullivan, director of marketing communications at United Van Lines. “Because of United Van Lines’ position as the nation’s largest household goods mover, our data is reflective of national migration trends.”
“This year’s data reflects longer-term trends of people moving to the Pacific West, where cities such as Portland and Seattle are seeing the combination of a boom in the technology and creative marketing industry, as well as a growing ‘want’ for outdoor activity and green space,” said Michael Stoll, economist, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The aging Boomer population is driving relocation from the Northeast and Midwest to the West and South, as more and more people retire to warmer regions.”
United has tracked migration patterns annually on a state-by-state basis since 1977. For 2015, the study is based on household moves handled by United within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. United classifies states as “high inbound” if 55 percent or more of the moves are going into a state, “high outbound” if 55 percent or more moves were coming out of a state or “balanced” if the difference between inbound and outbound is negligible.
Moving In
The top inbound states of 2015 were:
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Vermont
- Idaho
- North Carolina
- Florida
- Nevada
- District of Columbia
- Texas
- Washington
The Western U.S. is represented on the high-inbound list by Oregon (69 percent), Nevada (57 percent) and Washington (56 percent). Of moves to Oregon, a new job or company transfer (53 percent) and wanting to be closer to family (20 percent) led the reasons for most inbound moves. Nevada remained on the high inbound list for the fifth consecutive year.
Moving Out
The top outbound states for 2015 were:
- New Jersey
- New York
- Illinois
- Connecticut
- Ohio
- Kansas
- Massachusetts
- West Virginia
- Mississippi
- Maryland
In addition to theNortheast, Illinois (63 percent) held steady at the No. 3 spot, ranking in the top five for the last seven years.
New additions to the 2014 top outbound list include Connecticut (63 percent), Massachusetts(57 percent) and Mississippi (56 percent).
Balanced
Several states gained approximately the same number of residents as those that left. This list of “balanced” states includes Alabama, North Dakota, Delaware and Louisiana.
Please click on the following link to download the entire study.
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About United Van Lines
United Van Lines is America’s #1 Mover®, offering a full range of moving solutions from do-it-yourself to full-service. With headquarters in suburban St. Louis, United Van Lines maintains a network of 400 affiliated agencies. For more information about United Van Lines visit UnitedVanLines.com.
Editor’s note: Attached, for your reference, is a map showing migration trends for each state. If you are interested in specific information for your area, please contact Melissa Sullivan at[email protected].
About Premier Transitions
Premier Transitions is part of the family of companies within Armstrong Relocation, a United Van Lines Agent. Premier offers a full-service relocation program for seniors. Every client has a personal Senior Consultant who provides professional guidance, real estate expertise, oversight of necessary resources, and management of every aspect of the move. Retirement communities benefit from the expedition of the decision-making and home sale process. Our continuous feedback loop ensures that communities are fully informed on every detail of their depositor’s move, enabling the sales team to focus on the next client.
For more information about Premier, visit www.premiertransitions.com or contact us at [email protected]