LifeBio News

The Stayton Helps Senior Residents Capture Memories For family members to enjoy for years to Come through LifeBio™ Classes Offered on-site

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 01:10:00 +0000

Biography class for seniors

FORT WORTH, TEXAS March 4, 2015: Often people look back after it is too late to capture their memories and wish they had written down more about themselves or shared more about their personal life’s journey. As young children, many enjoy listening to a grandparent tell stories of the past, and recent movies like “Still Alice” and the documentary “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me” are making everyone realize the importance of capturing such meaningful memories, whether in videos or written documents. TheStayton at Museum Way retirement community in Fort Worth wants to help its residents ensure their personal memories and family history are not forgotten over the years, so the staff recently began offering classes on campus to teach them how to write downthe stories of their lives. The classes are for residents at all levels of care, from independent living to those in memory support, and help them explore life lessons learned, details about their own parents, significant memories and personal values. The residents determine how to log these memories so that family members can hold on to such details about their heritage for years to come.

The Stayton’s lifestyles director, Amy Janak, meets with residents once a week to help them reflect on their lives and discuss what details should be included in their personal autobiographies. One participating resident, Cheryl Dobbs, thinks of her children and grandchildren as she writes about her life and background. After surviving a car accident and a coma, Dobbs struggles with short- and long-term memory problems. She has come to realize the importance of documenting life memories for her own sake and for future generations.

“I have found the group meetings and the writing process to be incredibly intriguing and eye-opening,” said Dobbs. “I thought about checking into something like this before, but it seemed very tedious and I didn’t feel I had the time to tackle it. Doing this as a group activity at The Stayton with discussions and the types of questions we all ponder in our LifeBio^™ booklets has helped me focus on making this more of an unbelievable story-telling process, not just a listing of dates and facts. It has opened so many doors for me to explore about myself and about my own parents, and it’s really been fun.”

The Stayton uses the LifeBio™website and materials to offer multiple options of journal booklets for the residents to use: one helps them take an in-depth look at their pasts; a second option is slightly more condensed for those in memory support so as not to overwhelm them; and another version is tailored for a veteran’s reflections. The concept of writing one’s life story can be daunting to many, so this class offered at The Stayton is meant to help the residents recall memories in small portions at a time and capture stories of their past that have shaped them into who they are today.

“I think the entire process of writing out a life bio helps people tap into memories that have been tucked away or taken for granted. It can bring about a true sense of purpose and lead to fascinating family discoveries as well as self-exploration in many regards,” said Janak. “I personally am learning so much about our residents and am excited to help them preserve their memories and wisdom.”

Janak offers the residents sample entries and discusses specific writing prompts or thought-provoking questions through the LifeBio^™ resources that help residents reflect on personal experiences they don’t think about day-to-day. She has provided booklets for the residents and encourages them to discuss topics during group meetings and outside of the meetings with family and friends. The ongoing conversations help generate more ideas and content for their life bios.

“This is such an important and truly beneficial experience for everyone involved,” said Scott Polzin, executive director of The Stayton. “It is greatly appreciated by the family members and friends, but it’s just as valuable for the individuals doing the reminiscing and writing to have a chance to reflect on and analyze certain pieces of their lives. It gives the residents the opportunity to think about what they want others to remember in the future and why.”

About 10 residents regularly join for the group meetings on Tuesday afternoons at The Stayton currently, and the residents and staff members hope that more decide to try it and start journaling about their lives in this way.

Members of the media: If you want to cover this story or arrange interviews with Amy Janak and/or the participating residents at The Stayton, email Gabrielle Wallace at gwallace@fortegroupinc.com or call (214) 890-7912 ext. 41, or contact Amy Jones at ajones@fortegroupinc.com or ext. 30.

ABOUT THE STAYTON AT MUSEUM WAY

Located in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, The Stayton at Museum Way is an 11-story, three building community featuring 188 independent living residences with a variety of spacious one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans. In addition to resort-style independent living, The Stayton provides onsite assisted living, memory support, and private skilled nursing for life care residents and others in the community.

The Stayton at Museum Way, a Masterpiece Living® community, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit senior living community sponsored by Senior Quality Lifestyles Corporation (SQLC), a Texas-based nonprofit organization that sponsors sister communities The Buckingham in Houston, Edgemere in Dallas, Querencia at Barton Creek in Austin, Mirador in Corpus Christi and The Barrington of Carmel in Indianapolis. For information call (817) 439-6936 or visit www.thestayton.com.

PS Magazine: Article on Building Bridges in a Virtual World (Blessings and Curses of Technology) (See Page 22)

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 13:31:00 +0000

LifeBio is featured in this article as a solution to build bridges -- thanks Eden Alternative for the work you do! Amazing!

http://issuu.com/magazineps/docs/issue5-technology?utm_source=September+2014%2C+Learn+%26+Grow+&utm_campaign=The+Eden+Alternative&utm_medium=email

LifeBio’s family focus fits with Columbus’ welcoming community

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 13:42:00 +0000

http://www.columbusceo.com/content/stories/2014/10/Columbus_2020/lifebios-family-focus-fits-with-columbus-welcoming-community.html

By TC Brown

From the October 2014 issue of Columbus CEO ColumbusCEO.com

LifeBio likes to see itself as “born and raised” in the Columbus Region.

It fits. After all, this Marysville-based company is dedicated to helping people tell stories about themselves or loved ones, and much in the region is geared toward family, says Beth Sanders, founder and CEO of LifeBio.

“For us, the Columbus Region is a family-oriented community, so it just seems logical for a company like LifeBio, that helps families with our web, apps and journals, to be ‘born and raised’ here,” she says. “We like to bridge together grandparents with their grandchildren through sharing life stories.”

The company, started in 2006, allows people to go online to create an autobiography or the biography of a loved one and then assists them in publishing a book of those stories. The goal is to bring people together, promote better communication and deepen relationships. It can become a group activity and is used by senior living communities across the country.

The Region offers other advantages, too.

“It’s central and easy to get anywhere in the U.S. in an hour or just a few hours, and this is good when you’re serving customers from coast to coast like us,” Sanders says. “We have an educated workforce, and it’s affordable to live here, so salaries can be reasonable. Talent is in our backyard.”

Any new startup business in the area should be able to find plenty of help. An early stop Sanders recommends for a new company is Wakeup Startup at the Ohio State University, a monthly event where company founders can pitch their ideas and get feedback from entrepreneurs, investors, students, faculty and the community.

LifeBio, which has eight employees/contractors and license agreements to train senior living and healthcare organization staff, attracted its clients by “listening to what they needed beyond the web and beyond the journal,” Sanders says.

“Organizations asked for assistance in training their staff members about how and why to gather the biography as a tool for wellness, engagement and to reduce loneliness and isolation,” Sanders says.

That avenue was a twist from early expectations when the company focused on individual consumers.

“We didn’t know that we would be serving healthcare and senior care providers,” Sanders says. “We learned that LifeBio really resonated when people were in long-term care settings, facing life-threatening illnesses or experiencing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.”

Looking ahead, raising money and expanding technology will be keys to success for this company.

“Fundraising is going to be a priority to continue scaling as fast as we need to for the size of the senior care and healthcare market,” Sanders says. “We will also need to continue to build out the technology with all the features clients are asking for today.”

The future holds much promise as the population continues to age, and LifeBio is helping with some of the research into these areas.

“We are part of research that the Mayo Clinic is conducting right now,” Sanders says. “This groundbreaking research is providing new quantitative data showing increased happiness and life satisfaction as people participate in the LifeBio process.”

TC Brown is a freelance writer.

LifeBio in Senior Housing News: Providers Look to the Past for Future of Memory Care

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 13:39:00 +0000

http://seniorhousingnews.com/innovation/providers-look-to-the-past-for-future-of-memory-care/

Memory care providers have long focused on new and forward looking technology as a way to improve cognitive outcomes and quality of life for those experiencing memory impairment. But one solution growing in popularity across senior living communities nationwide takes the opposite approach: going back in time.

LifeBio, a story gathering tool used in 100 communities nationwide, and The Best Friends Approach, a strategy implemented in more than 60 communities in the U.S. and Canada, seek to encourage senior living staff members to get to know the life stories of memory care residents and to use that knowledge to provide them customized care.

LifeBio has been licensing its story tools to senior living communities through its LifeBio Authorized Organization program since 2006 and has since been licensed at 100 communities in 29 states. The company provides Web- and phone-based training to senior living staff members who then are able to offer the story tools to residents.

Similarly, the Best Friends Approach, implemented across 117 memory care programs in 61 organizations, uses a training program run by Health Professions Press that licenses and trains senior living staff members on this approach. After completing the training, staff members can then bring the approach to their memory care communities and label these communities as Best Friends Environments that use the logo, materials and intellectual property of the Best Friends Approach.

“Traditionally, organizations made decisions, wrote policies and established processes because they were most efficient for staff,” said David Troxel, co-founder of the Best Friends Approach and ABHOW memory care consultant. “That’s why many old models of nursing and dementia care are broken.”

But, operators such as ABHOW have found, with an emphasis on understanding residents’ unique life stories, caregivers are experiencing success with memory care patients, particularly through enhanced resident engagement.

Engagement can help decrease feelings of loneliness, which, studies show, are linked to an increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline. Lonely individuals — those who experience social isolation or have few interactions with others — are twice as likely to develop the type of dementia linked to Alzheimer’s disease later in life compared to those who are not lonely, according to a study by researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in Chicago.

“That isolation, that loneliness, can be as detrimental as a variety of chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes,” said Khristine Rogers, virtual vice president of memory care in senior living and founder of Get Booming LLC in Golden, Colo. Rogers, who has worked in the memory care field for more than 25 years, has worked with LifeBio for the past year and has both trained and operated memory care programs using the Best Friends Approach.

Providers have experienced success in using LifeBio as a measure to help residents before memory problems kick in — and as a resource if and when those residents develop memory loss. Through LifeBio, seniors are able to document their past in Web-based and physical journals. They can start a biography, record special events and archive family history documents — all of which can be used as a legacy for family members and a resource for caregivers should the seniors develop dementia.

“We’re not just gathering the story but we’re using it to customize activities and conversations you have with that person in the future,” said Beth Sanders, founder and CEO of LifeBio. “Sometimes knowing their past gives you a connection point that helps you get them up and moving.”

For example, a former teacher may respond better to language like “let’s go get your lesson ready,” instead of “let’s go eat.” If staff members know and recognize that a resident used to teach, they’re more likely to use personalized techniques that ultimately provide the resident with better care, Sanders says.

“If you don’t understand who they are, you’re operating with one hand tied behind your back every day,” she said. “Operators are in a more competitive environment where they’ve got to differentiate themselves. Doing a really good job of knowing the whole story of a resident is going to differentiate them.”

Ardenwoods, an independent and assisted living community in Arden, N.C., is a LifeBio Authorized Organization that uses LifeBio 101, a curriculum of eight-week classes that facilitate small group discussions with residents. During the classes, residents are asked specific questions about their past that are meant to guide them through the process of remembering, sharing and writing down their life experiences.

“When you reminisce you’re able to build new highways in your brain for memory, so there’s a cognitive benefit and the friendships they’ve formed in the class are also a benefit,” said Janice Husk, community life services director at Ardenwoods, which is managed by Life Care Services. “We see an improvement in day-to-day memory of people who are in the class. Beyond that, it just helps people to be more engaged in conversation.”

The Best Friends Approach is a similar strategy that uses life stories as a basis for memory care treatment. This approach focuses on training staff members to become “best friends” with residents by learning their life stories and engaging with them on both a structured and spontaneous level. The idea is that staff members know and understand everything about a resident — including likes, dislikes, fears, passions and hobbies — to help that person feel safe, secured and valued, just as a best friend would.

“In senior housing, when the resident feels connected with the team, when they’re happy and not bored, [bad] behaviors go down and cooperation goes up,” Troxel said. “My belief is that the market will reward you when you do a great job.”

Piedmont Gardens in Oakland, Calif., an ABHOW community, is one facility that uses the Best Friends Approach in its memory support program, The Grove. The approach is implemented at each of ABHOW’s nine grove communities and has been successful in terms of resident satisfaction and engagement.

“The Grove has the highest satisfaction scores when compared to any other level of living [within ABHOW communities],” said Melissa B. Honig, ABHOW vice president of clinical services. “Best Friends believe that all residents can grow and have potential, and that makes residents want to engage.”

By using life stories as a means for connecting to residents, engaging with them on a structured and unstructured level and providing them more specialized care, both the Best Friends Approach and LifeBio have helped memory care communities succeed.

“I really push companies and say that by doing a good job, you’ll end up with this therapeutic environment and have much fewer challenging behaviors, happier families and better personal care,” Troxel said.

Written by Emily Study

M.O. Interview with Beth Sanders - Jan 4, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:37:00 +0000

http://www.mo.com/lifebio-beth-sanders

LifeBio captures life stories and promotes better health through reminiscence. LifeBio generates short or longer biographies, specialized stories (ex. travel story, veterans story, baby story, love story, etc.), or provides a platform for journaling. It’s even possible to pull together a compilation of everyone’s remembrances of a parent or grandparent in LifeBio’s “Stories and Memories” chapter.
LifeBio’s online system creates instant ready-to-print, ready-to-share life stories—so it’s easier than ever to create a lasting legacy and to build strong relationships with your own family. Stories, photos, video, and audio are uploaded into the LifeBio too. LifeBio also publishes the information in hardcover Legacy Books.

MO: How did you come up with the concept for LifeBio?
Beth: One of the most powerful experiences I have had in my life was interviewing my own grandmother. When I decided that I really wanted to start my own company, I put together my passion for biography, my love of people, and my interest in business. I’m grateful for the chance to bring families together and start new conversations….by helping them ask the right questions of their loved ones.

Read more....
http://www.mo.com/lifebio-beth-sanders

Columbus Business First: Entrepreneur Helps Others Tell Their Stories

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:53:00 +0000

Every life deserves a book.

Read about LifeBio's reminiscence and life review work in senior living communities, hospice, hospitals, and long-term care settings to help people record and share life stories.

LifeBio creates instant ready-to-print digital books and physical books that summarize someone's life story. Using the prompting questions, anyone can create a family memory book with ease.

Here is the Columbus Business First article that appeared Friday, August 24, 2012

http://digital.bizjournals.com/launch.aspx?eid=ea5c8718-1269-4583-b835-c89e1444bc37&pnum=4

The Metropreneur: LifeBio helps everday people capture their life stories

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:40:00 +0000

In 1993, it hit Beth Sanders that her grandmother wouldn’t be around forever. Plus, the 85-year-old’s memory wasn’t what it used to be, so Sanders, who was 24 at the time, thought it would be nice to get some of her stories recorded while she could still recall them.

http://www.themetropreneur.com/columbus/lifebio-helps-everyday-people-capture-life-stories/

Despite growing up across the street, it turns out Sanders didn’t know her grandmother well. It wasn’t until she began asking detailed questions about her past that she began to see a three-dimensional person who had many memorable experiences over the course of her life.
“She was a little girl seeing an airplane for the first time,” says Sanders. “She was a teenager playing basketball. She was graduating from college and getting her first job. She was getting married and having children. In other words, her life was a lot like mine. That realization changed everything. My seemingly “ordinary” grandma was truly extraordinary!”
That realization also inspired the idea for her business, LifeBio, which helps everyday people preserve the story of their lives.
She kicked off the business with LifeBio.com, which provides a Web platform for building biographies, then added LifeBio Memory Journal books. Sanders figured out that some of her customers wanted to be online and some wanted to be offline.
“A LifeBio consumer client may give a Memory Journal to her mom for Mother’s Day and then help her type her memories online at LifeBio.com,” she says. “Over time, we began building our business-to-business clientele in health care. As a result, we developed and changed both our web-based system and our physical tools to meet their needs.”
Senior living communities, nursing homes, hospices, and hospitals can now become LifeBio authorized organizations and license the company’s technology and tools so they can offer them to clients.
Back in 2000, Sanders noticed a void in the market for a product like the one she envisioned.
“I looked around and saw a lot of expensive video services that were doing this type of personal history work,” she says. “I thought that there needed to be a better way, a simple, affordable way to get it done. After all, everyone has a story to tell. The web was the perfect medium for creating a “do-it-yourself” biography, and families began helping older loved ones answer the biography questions online, too. The website generates an instant, ready-to-print document and members can also order a leather-bound edition of the book.”
Two things have surprised Sanders since she started LifeBio, one being how truly amazing and resilient people are.
“It’s hard getting older,” she says. “I see a lot of people who take the challenges in stride. I have the best job in the world because I gain wisdom and strength from the people I meet in this work.”
The other surprise is how much can be learned by listening customers.
“LifeBio has developed a robust system to make it easy for health care clients to reminisce and record the essence of life experiences. But it took time to build everything— the web platform, the Life Story Journal and other physical tools, and the curriculum and training that our health care clients need.”
Ultimately, LifeBio aims to give people the same eye-opening experience Sanders got when her grandmother shared her life story.
“Once you see the whole person and all they have been through in the roller coaster of life, it really does change everything,” she says. “That’s how we reduce ageism.”
Sanders predicts her work is going to be incredibly important as the Baby Boomers continue hitting retirement age.
“Our prejudices toward older people must end, and their wisdom and experience needs to be valued more,” she adds.
LifeBio is currently seeking more health care clients in the Columbus market who want their patients or clients to experience the clinical benefits that come from reminiscence.
“We’re in 23 states, but we would like to connect more in our local community,” she says.

LifeBio class for #cancer patients

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 23:40:00 +0000

The LifeBio 101 class offered at North Star Lodge in Yakima, WA was featured in the news as part of the Cancer Care program.

http://www.kndu.com/category/189473/video-center?clipId=6999368&flvUri=&partnerclipid=&topVideoCatNo=0&c=&autoStart=true&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&clipFormat=flv

This class can be led by local facilitators anywhere. Contact LifeBio at 937-303-4576 or at info@lifebio.com for more details.

CBS Dallas Story on LifeBio at Christian Care Centers

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:12:00 +0000

A colorful glimpse into the past. History from the Great Depression. An enduring love story too.

http://video.dallas.cbslocal.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?vt1=v&clipFormat=flv&clipId1=5592262&at1=News&h1=Mesquite%20Retirement%20Center%20Starts%20Scrapbooking&flvUri=&partnerclipid=&rnd=80131123

LifeBio helps everyday people capture their life stories

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:14:00 +0000

http://www.themetropreneur.com/columbus/lifebio-helps-everyday-people-capture-life-stories/

LifeBio helps everyday people capture their life stories

Business Profiles — By Melanie McIntyre on March 23, 2012 at 8:00 am
In 1993, it hit Beth Sanders that her grandmother wouldn’t be around forever. Plus, the 85-year-old’s memory wasn’t what it used to be, so Sanders, who was 24 at the time, thought it would be nice to get some of her stories recorded while she could still recall them.
Despite growing up across the street, it turns out Sanders didn’t know her grandmother well. It wasn’t until she began asking detailed questions about her past that she began to see a three-dimensional person who had many memorable experiences over the course of her life.
“She was a little girl seeing an airplane for the first time,” says Sanders. “She was a teenager playing basketball. She was graduating from college and getting her first job. She was getting married and having children. In other words, her life was a lot like mine. That realization changed everything. My seemingly “ordinary” grandma was truly extraordinary!”
That realization also inspired the idea for her business, LifeBio, which helps everyday people preserve the story of their lives.
She kicked off the business with LifeBio.com, which provides a Web platform for building biographies, then added LifeBio Memory Journal books. Sanders figured out that some of her customers wanted to be online and some wanted to be offline.
“A LifeBio consumer client may give a Memory Journal to her mom for Mother’s Day and then help her type her memories online at LifeBio.com,” she says. “Over time, we began building our business-to-business clientele in health care. As a result, we developed and changed both our web-based system and our physical tools to meet their needs.”
Senior living communities, nursing homes, hospices, and hospitals can now become LifeBio authorized organizations and license the company’s technology and tools so they can offer them to clients.
Back in 2000, Sanders noticed a void in the market for a product like the one she envisioned.
“I looked around and saw a lot of expensive video services that were doing this type of personal history work,” she says. “I thought that there needed to be a better way, a simple, affordable way to get it done. After all, everyone has a story to tell. The web was the perfect medium for creating a “do-it-yourself” biography, and families began helping older loved ones answer the biography questions online, too. The website generates an instant, ready-to-print document and members can also order a leather-bound edition of the book.”
Two things have surprised Sanders since she started LifeBio, one being how truly amazing and resilient people are.
“It’s hard getting older,” she says. “I see a lot of people who take the challenges in stride. I have the best job in the world because I gain wisdom and strength from the people I meet in this work.”
The other surprise is how much can be learned by listening customers.
“LifeBio has developed a robust system to make it easy for health care clients to reminisce and record the essence of life experiences. But it took time to build everything— the web platform, the Life Story Journal and other physical tools, and the curriculum and training that our health care clients need.”
Ultimately, LifeBio aims to give people the same eye-opening experience Sanders got when her grandmother shared her life story.
“Once you see the whole person and all they have been through in the roller coaster of life, it really does change everything,” she says. “That’s how we reduce ageism.”
Sanders predicts her work is going to be incredibly important as the Baby Boomers continue hitting retirement age.
“Our prejudices toward older people must end, and their wisdom and experience needs to be valued more,” she adds.
LifeBio is currently seeking more health care clients in the Columbus market who want their patients or clients to experience the clinical benefits that come from reminiscence.
“We’re in 23 states, but we would like to connect more in our local community,” she says.
To learn more about LifeBio, visit LifeBio.com.

We All Have Stories - McKnight's

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:01:00 +0000

http://www.mcknights.com/we-all-have-stories/article/221843/

By Mary Gustafson
I recently stumbled on one of the most captivating obituaries I've ever read. It chronicled the life of a woman named Lana Peters, who died in a Wisconsin nursing home. The reason her death made The New York Times shortly after Thanksgiving? She was the last surviving child of Josef Stalin.

Peters changed her last name from Stalina to her mother's last name, Alliluyeva, after her father died in 1953. After leaving Russia in the late 1960s — when the KGB was alleged to have had orders to assassinate her — Peters bounced around India, Europe and finally the United States. She eventually married William Wesley Peters, who was an apprentice to the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The couple even lived for a time at Wright's famous home Taliesin West, in Scottsdale, AZ.

But the part I wanted to know more about, and what The Times probably could not do without violating confidentiality rules, was Peters' time in the Wisconsin nursing home. She wrote two memoirs under her most famous last name, so it's possible that the facility's staff and residents didn't know they had such a historical figure in their midst. Did she share her past with those around her? Would they have believed her if she did?

Ultimately, it doesn't matter if she did. Every long-term care resident has led a remarkable life, regardless of his or her family tree.

To this end, last weekend's New York Times Magazine published its annual “Lives They Lived” issue, which was edited this year by staffers from Chicago Public Radio's show “This American Life.” The magazine tells fascinating stories about people who led ordinary lives — at least by Hollywood standards. And their stories were anything but ordinary.
I'm curious to hear from long-term care workers who commemorate their own residents. The Maine Health Care Association has a program that does this. And a company called LifeBio has a line of products dedicated to helping residents tell their own stories.
What is your facility doing to help document the lives led by your residents?

I couldn't live without...LifeBio McKnight's

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:04:00 +0000

It's almost a given that most people love to talk about themselves, and nursing home and memory care patients are no exception. LifeBio products, which include conversation-starting story cards, electronic recording kits, hardcover journals and more, are the perfect way to get the process started, says Teresa Scott.

She's the vice president of advancement and marketing for Christian Care Centers in Texas. She's used LifeBio products in one of the operator's three long-term care facilities to great success. Knowing who residents were in the past allows them to better serve their needs in the present and future, Scott says.

“It is just amazing to hear the stories of those we serve. It has engaged our staff and volunteers with the residents. We are all anxious to hear their stories. I would recommend the program to anyone involved in senior living,” Scott says.

Resident stories

Everyone has a story to tell, and LifeBio products ensure that everyone, regardless of their technological capabilities, has a means of documenting it. Questions are provided to let the loved one create his or her memoir. LifeBio also gives an option of having the book printed. For more info: (866) 543-3246 or www.lifebio.com.

http://www.mcknights.com/i-couldnt-live-withoutlifebio/article/203720/

Aging Well Magazine: Life in the Rear View Mirror

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:30:00 +0000

Life in the Rear-View Mirror
By Barbara Worthington

Older adults’ life review preserves elders’ life histories for family, friends, and the community, reinforcing the value and importance of the individual’s existence.

The powerful elements of life review have emerged as the basis for directed or deliberate reminiscence among older adults. In the midst of the third age, it’s not unusual for elders to ponder the decades that have comprised their lives, examining the relationships, triumphs, challenges, and special events. Often, such a review serves to outline an individual’s legacy or emphasize the value of a life well spent.

Although throughout recent memory, older adults have enjoyed nostalgic returns to the days of their youth, early marriage, births of children, vacations, graduations, and weddings, Robert N. Butler, MD, president and CEO of the International Longevity Center in New York, identified reminiscence as a valuable psychological process. The process enables older adults to view their lives as a personal continuum of particular significance—and a source of enhanced self-esteem.

Psychologists, therapists, and aging experts view an organized life review as an important event in the lives of older adults. Such a review can take a number of different forms: autobiographical, a personal history collected by family members and preserved in some form, information collected in a group setting, or professional organizations that gather information aimed at eliciting specific facts in order to develop an elder’s biography.

In addition to building strong relationships, life review increases elders’ life satisfaction, prevents or decreases depression, increases feelings of competence, increases social interaction, and affords older adults the opportunity to share their wisdom, according to Beth Sanders, founder and CEO of www.LifeBio.com. “People are reminded of their accomplishments, and they see that they do have important knowledge to share with their children and grandchildren,” she says.

“It creates an eternal record and reference point for individuals, their families, and communities,” says Peter Gudmundsson, CEO for Priceless Legacy Company in Dallas. “It provides invaluable and irreplaceable validation and affirmation that one’s life had meaning and importance to the self, family, and community.”

Life review enables older adults to share memories of childhood, important individuals and events in their lives, and even the value of lessons learned with their family members, friends, and communities. “There is no greater gift or legacy to give than one’s life story,” says Sarah McCue, PhD, cofounder of The Remembering Site in Washington, DC.

The methods generally take similar form. Organizers gather basic life facts, such as chronologies, names of people and places, and impressions and opinions related to various events. For example, survivors of World War II may be asked, “How did it feel to be away from home and fighting a war?” Elders are also asked to share their wisdom from lessons they’ve learned or experiences they’ve endured.

Such recall serves a valuable purpose in elders’ lives, says Gudmundsson. It provides therapeutic benefits, sometimes enabling older adults to let go of past mistakes and embrace the inevitable passage of time. “It’s also flattering to know that the family and community care enough to listen and want to record [the life story],” he says.

Life Review Process

Gathering and preserving elders’ information can take a variety of forms. Interviews conducted by family members often offer a sense of comfort to the elder. “It’s very rewarding for family members or [institutional] staff or friends to connect in person or by phone with loved ones,” says Sanders. “Staff members in a community setting learn so much when they have the opportunity to really get to know the older adults around them. It changes everything. We see quality increase in community settings when life story recording becomes ingrained in the lifestyle.”

“A nonfamily member [such as a professional consultant] can often get a more candid appraisal from the subject than a family member,” says Gudmundsson. “But a family member is still better than nothing.”

“It’s also possible to use a personal historian,” says Sanders, noting that the Association of Personal Historians offers resources to assist in recalling and recording life histories.

The length of time required to thoroughly explore the past varies. It may take as little as several hours or stretch into a period of several months. There’s no set timing to complete one’s life review, according to McCue. Timing can also depend on the health and stamina of the subject, says Gudmundsson.

Some companies provide questionnaires designed to prompt the recall of events over a lifetime. They explore such questions as: As a child, did you have a pet? What was its name? Did you go to college? What was your roommate’s name?

Some older adults particularly enjoy the exciting adventure into the past. They may have a regular volunteer who comes to visit and work cooperatively with the elder, according to Sanders. “Sometimes older adults don’t want the process to end,” she says. “The process is more important to them than the finished product.”

Gudmundsson finds it helpful to review photographs from older adults’ early childhood, teen years, early career, starting a family, and other milestone events. After reviewing pictures, open-ended questions provoke the recall of specific events. He says some older adults like to focus on service, while others choose to focus on work, and others discuss family and hobbies. It’s a very personal choice.

An elder’s life review “puts one’s life into perspective,” says Dennis Stack, founder of Project StoryKeeper. “It provides a bridging opportunity for disparate generations of the family to interact in a meaningful way through a mutually beneficial experience.” Such a review often prompts a renewed or rediscovered sense of purpose for older adults, creating a “validation of life achievements,” he says.

Older adults are welcome to include anything that comes to mind, says McCue. “How you lived your life will be fascinating to many people—not just those in your family.”

Let’s Not Go There

Everyone’s life includes both high points and low points. Gudmundsson says that within his organization, officials typically ask open-ended questions to which older adults always have the right to respond or ask to move on to another topic. They may choose not to discuss the death of a child or a tragic accident that occurred in their early years. “You don’t know without asking,” he says. But it’s a policy to respect elders’ sensitivities and desire to avoid painful memories.

Stack finds that when tragedy is a part of elders’ lives, sometimes they choose to revisit events without prompting. “It does provide the opportunity for a cathartic relief,” he says. Additionally, he says, “Much can be beneficially learned from how people deal with the challenges that life provides.” Relating such stories can serve future generations to better prepare to handle adversity in their own lives. In general, Stack says the process doesn’t seek to delve into stressful experiences in older adults’ lives in the life review process.

Sanders agrees that sometimes older adults choose not to think about or discuss tragic, difficult times in their lives. “It’s always their own choice to share or not to share.” She’s found through her experiences that everyone has had negative or bad memories and when older adults share some of them, they reach realizations that sometimes provide comfort and different perspectives.

She says talking about some of the rougher periods in their lives helps elders to recognize that “they’re not alone, they have overcome difficult times and gained strength and courage, and they can inspire other people who may be going through something similar.” Sanders believes sharing or discussing some of the more difficult aspects of their personal lives helps older adults discover a sort of healing process.

A Rewarding Experience

It isn’t always easy to persuade older adults to undertake the production of a life biography. Some feel the story of a life without fame and fanfare isn’t worth telling, or they may feel that there isn’t sufficient interest in that life to warrant the effort. But they’re often surprised.

“Older adults need to be convinced that they have something to say and that someone will actually want to read their autobiographies someday,” says Sanders. “But once they get started, they enjoy the reminiscing sessions.” She says when elders reminisce in a group setting, everyone remembers more than they could on their own since one individual’s memories and stories frequently prompt another elder’s similar memories.

Family members who review the life stories express “pure joy” in learning of the anecdotes and life experiences a parent or grandparent details, according to McCue. And, she says, so many of the older adults who create their life stories find that it’s “the most joyful experience they’ve had.”

Gudmundsson agrees that elders find the experience satisfying and beneficial. “Invariably, there are tears of joy and satisfaction among males and females. Many cite the event as the most emotion filled of their lives.” He says families are generally equally pleased and proud of the results.

McCue says once older adults complete the life review, they can e-mail their stories to loved ones, print them from the computer, have them bound into a handsome volume, or even archive with an archivist who creates digital records for the Smithsonian Institute. Each individual selects an option that’s as personal as the life it details.

“In the end,” says Stack, “every one of us needs to know that our lives, struggles, and experience meant something—that we made a difference—if not to the world, then at least in our own little corner of it: our family.”

— Barbara Worthington is editor of Aging Well.

American House residents map lives with LifeBio 101

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:57:00 +0000

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20100527/BUSINESS/5270552

Sometimes it's tough to know how to start an autobiography, but residents at American House on Hunter in Westland have not only started, but finished their biographies using a new group class, journals and storyboards.

Five residents of American House Westland graduated from the LifeBio 101 Class on April 30. For the last few months, residents have met together weekly to complete reminiscence exercises during class and to recall important details of their lives that deserve to be recorded. Their completed Storyboards, a collection of pictures and memories on a display, were presented at the Story Sharing and Graduation Party with many family members in attendance.

The class has covered the people, history, childhood memories, love, marriage, children, grandchildren, pets, friendship, beliefs, values and much more. Residents have grown closer and forged new friendships and they have realized how unique each life story is.

“They have gone through their whole lives, and they have created such beautiful stories to share with their families. It's been an honor to get to know them even better,” said Cindy Lear, American House—Westland activity director.

American House has been committed to capturing the life stories of the Greatest Generation and the LifeBio program is helping them accomplish that goal. LifeBio helps thousands of people to capture their life stories through journals, an online template at www.lifebio.com, classes, Storyboards and more.

Founded in 2000, LifeBio is the nation's leading legacy company, helping to preserve relationships and memories that last for generations. The LifeBio product and service line includes the Memory Journal, LifeBio 101 Classes, the LifeBio Video Recording Kit, MemoryBio Photo Album and Journal, The Great Story and Your Story and much more.

These tools help fight against ageism, improve intergenerational relationships and help people redefine their lives through self discovery. For more information, visit www.lifebio.com

Autobiography made easy

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:38:00 +0000

Autobiography made easy

WESTLAND, Mich., May 5, 2010—Sometimes it’s tough to know how to start an autobiography, but residents at American House Westland (on Hunter Ave.) have not only started, but finished their biographies using a new group class, journals and storyboards.

Five residents of American House Westland graduated from the LifeBio 101 Class on Friday, April 30, 2010. For the last few months, residents have met together weekly to complete reminiscence exercises during class and to recall important details of their lives that deserve to be recorded. Their completed Storyboards, a collection of pictures and memories on a display, were presented at the Story Sharing and Graduation Party with many family members in attendance.

The class has covered the people, history, childhood memories, love, marriage, children, grandchildren, pets, friendship, beliefs, values and much more. Residents have grown closer and forged new friendships and they have realized how unique each life story is. “They have gone through their whole lives, and they have created such beautiful stories to share with their families. It’s been an honor to get to know them even better,” said Cindy Lear, American House—Westland activity director.

American House has been committed to capturing the life stories of the Greatest Generation and the LifeBio program is helping them accomplish that goal. LifeBio helps thousands of people to capture their life stories through journals, an online template at www.lifebio.com, classes, Storyboards and more. Reminiscence touches all dimensions of wellness and is an excellent form of brain fitness.

About LifeBio.com
Founded in 2000, LifeBio is the nation’s leading legacy company, helping to preserve relationships and memories that last for generations. The LifeBio product and service line includes the Memory Journal, LifeBio 101 Classes, the LifeBio Video Recording Kit, MemoryBio Photo Album and Journal, The Great Story and Your Story and much more. These invaluable tools help fight against ageism, improve intergenerational relationships and help people redefine their lives through self discovery.
###

LifeBio Honored by Chamber

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:31:00 +0000

LifeBio was named the 2009 Union County Small Business of the Year on Saturday, March 6, 2010. For more details on the event, please see the ThisWeek article.

LifeBio honored by chamber

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:16:00 +0000

LifeBio, Select Sires, Shortell honored by chamber

By LIN RICE

ThisWeek Community NewsSunday March 14, 2010 12:05 AM

Two area businesses and an individual have been honored as business leaders of the year by the Union County Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber recognized its 2009 small and large businesses of the year and the 2009 business community leader of the year at its annual dinner on March 6. Selected as small business of the year was LifeBio, Inc.; Select Sires, Inc. was honored as large business of the year; and chosen as business leader of the year was Rick Shortell, vice president of community and economic development for Union Rural Electric Cooperative.

LifeBio is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month. According to tourism director Christy Clark, the small business of the year is selected for exemplifying a strong commitment to the community through volunteer and/or financial support, chamber involvement, and success in their respective business sector. Small business is considered to employ 50 people or fewer.

Since opening in 2000, LifeBio has helped about 20,000 to tell their life stories by providing various autobiographical tools and services. The tools make it easier for different generations to share their histories with one another in a meaningful way, according to founder and CEO Beth Sanders.

"There are so many ordinary, yet extraordinary, people with rich and complex life experiences lying dormant, just waiting to be uncovered," Sanders said. "Once the reminiscence process has begun, it's truly amazing to wee what invaluable stories and memories are revealed."

The large business of the year is considered to employ more than 50 employees, and also is selected for exemplifying a strong commitment to the community through volunteer and financial support, chamber involvement and success in their respective business sector, according to Clark.

Select Sires is a federation of 10 farmer owned and controlled cooperatives, that provides highly fertile genetics, along with reproductive and heard management products and services, to livestock breeders around the world.

The business leader of the year award is chosen based upon exceptional leadership in the business community by dedicating that leader's efforts to community projects, events or organizations thereby improving the quality of life in Union County, according to Clark. Shortell is a volunteer for numerous non-profit organizations, his church and serves on several committees at the Union County Chamber of Commerce.

Another Amazing Life Story Revealed -- Meet David Greenspan

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:57:00 +0000

Boy scout advisor and mentor still going strong at 95 years of age. http://www.wiredprnews.com/?p=7549

Another Amazing Life Story Uncovered by LifeBio -- Meet David Greenspan

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:45:00 +0000

N E W S For immediate release December 16, 2009 Contact: Beth Sanders, LifeBio Founder and President, 1-614-580-0333, or 1-866-LIFEBIO, bsanders@lifebio.com Another Amazing Life Story Uncovered By LifeBio David Greenspan: Michigan Boy Scout Advisor and Ageless Mentor at 95 Marysville, OH-- Few boys who took the Boy Scout oath in 1927 are still living today. David Greenspan is one of them. At 95, he remembers the day like it was yesterday, according to reminiscence expert and life story publisher Beth Sanders. She has been interviewing Greenspan weekly over the telephone this fall at the request of his daughter, helping him record his life story as a legacy for his family. Sanders, who founded LifeBio.com in 2000, says she never ceases to be amazed by the extraordinary lives of seemingly ordinary people. Take Greenspan. It wasn’t until the fourth phone interview that Sanders learned the 95-year old, who is blind, is still a very active volunteer in the Boy Scouts. It gets better. He specializes in mentoring developmentally disabled and mentally challenged scouts, some of whom have been scouting for decades themselves. In fact, on November 5, five of the scouts that Greenspan worked with were presented with their Eagle badges. “The fact is there are millions of people like Mr. Greenspan---people whose lives are so rich and complex that it takes many conversations and follow-up questions to gain a full understanding of their life experiences, values, beliefs, and a lifetime of wisdom gained,” said Sanders. “Once you start to engage people intentionally in conversations for this purpose, the layers of stories and memories just keep coming.” For example, she learned that Greenspan’s first job was making buttons. He also helped raise his siblings when he was only a teenager himself, worked on multiple political campaigns from the 1940s until present time, even campaigning by train with John F. Kennedy in 1960. “LifeBio helps people like Mr. Greenspan tell their stories in a way that will touch the hearts of family, friends and even total strangers for generations to come. In the nine years I’ve been helping people tell their stories, I continue to be amazed at the depth of knowledge and interesting perspectives that are laying fallow, at risk of being lost forever. Each interview is like an excavating mission,” Sanders said. LifeBio offers different approaches for recording one’s life story. Greenspan’s story is being recorded using LifeBio’s Phone Recording option. Others publish their stories online using the simple publishing template available at www.lifebio.com. Still others use LifeBio’s Memory Journal to record their memories by hand in a pre-published book format. Everyone has a story to tell. Sanders hopes Greenspan’s story will inspire more Americans to take the time to tell their stories. She believes the tools available through LifeBio make telling one’s story easy and affordable for every American. For more information, visit www.lifebio.com. # # #

The Great Story & Your Story - intergenerational Bible study

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:16:00 +0000

Many churches are seeking ways to bring the generations together. This 12-week Bible study is designed to make that possible. This study goes through 12 stories from the Bible and then the co-authors share their own unique perspectives on the biblical stories. The small group is invited to then share their own story of how the Bible story relates to their own lives. Amazing results...includes worship service ideas and leader's ideas at the back of the book. $14.95 for 1-4 quantity. $11.00 for 5 or more books. www.lifebio.com. SHOP or call 1-866-543-3246

FREE Family and Friends Conversation Kit just in time for the holidays

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:01:00 +0000

MARYSVILLE, Ohio, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Christmas and the holidays are all about family togetherness, but how many Americans will be able to move this year's table conversation away from the same old talk about sports, weather and cranberry sauce? Older loved ones can be gold mines of wisdom and experience as well as windows into living history, yet many families may never discover these "nuggets" simply because they don't ask the right questions. Just in time for the holidays, LifeBio is offering a free Family and Friends Conversation Kit, available at www.lifebio.com through December 31, 2009. Company founder, Beth Sanders, guarantees the kit will make family dinner conversations richer and more meaningful. "The holidays are one of the best opportunities families have to permanently capture family stories and make them last forever," stated Sanders. LifeBio's free Family and Friends Conversation Kit includes.... Life story questions ideal for Christmas Day or anytime. These table tents can actually be printed and set right on the dinner table. Answer cards for recording memories are provided. LifeBio's 7 Tips for Interviewing Ideas for kids to draw or write the memories being discussed 5 good reasons to capture life stories NOW "Everyone has a story to tell, yet not everyone knows it, or knows quite how to tell it. That's where LifeBio comes in," Sanders said. LifeBio offers numerous other ways to capture life stories. A web membership to www.lifebio.com provides access to over 250+ life story questions about the people who shaped you, historical events, childhood memories, love, jobs and careers, family relationships, beliefs and values. LifeBio also offers a Memory Journal and provides Video and Phone Recording options. Sanders founded LifeBio in 2000 to help people capture life stories, having been inspired by interviews with her own grandmother. "I learned so many valuable life lessons from my grandmother because my intentional questions excavated her most cherished memories and most meaningful life experiences. I felt so fortunate to have her answers to those questions. Now, LifeBio gives other families that same opportunity," she said. Since 2000, LifeBio has helped thousands of people tell and share life stories. Retirement communities, senior groups, churches, and individuals all have used LifeBio's simple, proven approach to record and share family histories, biographies, autobiographies, and family photos. Go to www.lifebio.com to access the FREE family and friends conversation kit.

97-Year-Old Teacher Inspires Others to Write an Autobiography and Wins LifeBio.com Award

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:41:00 +0000

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/09/prweb2897404.htm
Vi Gura, age 97, of Sun City Center, Florida has won the first LifeBio.com Outstanding Volunteer Award for teaching LifeBio 101 autobiography classes.
Marysville, OH (PRWEB) September 18, 2009 -- Vi Gura, age 97, of Sun City Center, Florida has won the first LifeBio.com Outstanding Volunteer Award for teaching LifeBio 101 autobiography classes.
"LifeBio revived my dream of still teaching! I'm a volunteer, but the biggest pay I get is when people come to me and show me their finished books. There is so much happiness and lasting friendships too." said Gura. Gura began teaching the LifeBio 101 classes at age 94, resulting in more than 70 residents from Sun Towers and Sun City Center recording their own life stories with a do-it-yourself autobiography template and interactive discussions.
Gura brought a bell to each class. She remembers using her grandmother's bell during all her 27 years of teaching social studies and literature to 7th and 8th graders in Illinois. Gura put that bell to good use again at Sun Towers' in the autobiography classes with participants ages 65 to 105. "Once they started talking, sometimes they would just go on an on. So I had to ring the bell so everyone had a chance to share," Gura added with a laugh.
"Vi Gura is awe inspiring," said Michele Hannigan, a participant in Sun Towers' LifeBio class. "She has a way of making you feel that your life is worthwhile. It is really worth putting down on paper for others to feel and experiencw... to know you better. It just all came together and it was therapeutic too. It has been an amazing and wonderful journey. Someday other generations will enjoy what we've worked so hard to accomplish."
Gura was presented with the first LifeBio Outstanding Volunteer Award. LifeBio recognized her commitment to teaching the step-by-step LifeBio process that has been vital in encouraging people to write in the autobiography template. LifeBio is offered throughout the U.S. and Canada to individuals, organizations, or communities of all types that are committed to building relationships while capturing life stories--promoting health and wellness along the way.
For more information on LifeBio or Vi Gura, please contact Beth Sanders at 937-303-4574. Visit www.lifebio.com for more information.

"LIFE BIO” PROGRAM AT FAIRVIEW HELPS RESIDENTS

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:38:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Photos Attached LIFE BIO PROGRAM AT FAIRVIEW HELPS RESIDENTS TURN THEIR LIFE STORIES INTO KEEPSAKE BOOKS Downers Grove, IL (January 8, 2008) Deep down, most individuals have a book brewing inside of them just waiting to be written. Now, getting started on that novel is no longer the hardest part with an innovative new program called Life Bio offered at Fairview --a Vibrant Living Community. Fairview is an accredited Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) located on 40 pastoral acres offering several levels of living from independent apartments to skilled nursing and memory support. Through a Life Bio template of open-ended questions and the choice of writing long-hand or on the computer, Fairview residents can weave their stories and leave a legacy of family history for their loved ones. “From a psychological standpoint, recalling and sharing life stories is a powerful activity, observed Chris Fenn, Vice President of Elder Enterprises & PEP Coach. PEP stands for People Energized through Purpose.
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PRWEB November 2007

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:37:00 +0000

Holiday Gift Giving Ideas: Web Retailers Announce Unique Gifts for the Hard to Buy For
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PRWEB October 2007

noreply@blogger.com (LifeBio) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:36:00 +0000

Senior Living Communities Adopting New Program and Online Tool to Help Residents Create Autobiographies
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