An interview with Gardant CEO Rod Burkett was featured in The Leadership Series produced by Senior Housing News and PointClickCare.
The series highlights interviews with chief executive officers of senior living companies. The interviews focus on their personal stories, management hurdles, outlooks on the future of senior housing, and the top challenges facing senior living.
Preview Party Held for New Affordable Assisted Living
A VIP Preview Party was held on 
May 18 for a new affordable assisted living community that Gardant is managing. The community opened for occupancy on May 25.
Silver Birch of Hammond of Hammond was developed by Vermilion Development of Chicago on property on Sohl Avenue in Hammond, Indiana. The four-story building features 125 private studio and one-bedroom apartments for older adults who need help to maintain their independence.
Vermilion is also developing affordable assisted living communities in Kokomo, Michigan City and Muncie, Indiana, that will be managed by Gardant.
Sleeping Pills & Hip Fractures
New research indicates that sleeping pills increase the risk of falls and hip fractures among older adults, says a story posted on the Medline Plus website.
Wii Bowling & Spelling Bee State Finals
Eleven teams of residents from Gardant-managed communities will be competing in the Affordable Assisted Living Coalition's 2017 Illinois Wii Bowling and Spelling championships slated to be held May 31 and June 1 in Springfield, Illinois. Teams of residents from the more than 140 communities that operate through the Illinois Supportive Living program are eligible to enter the competition.
Wii Bowling
Three of the Final Four teams are from Gardant
communities:
- The Fabulous 5 from Heritage Woods of Batavia
- Heritage Woodsmen Plus from Heritage Woods of
Charleston
- The Prairie Pin Heads from Prairie Living at
Chautauqua
in
Carbondale
Spelling Bee
Eight of the 12 teams that qualified
to
compete for the
Spelling Bee
championship are from Gardant
communities:
- Bee Witched from Cambridge
House of Maryville
- Spellbound from Cambridge
House of O'Fallon
- Deer Path Stingers from Deer Path of Huntley
- Wordsters from Heritage Woods of Batavia
- Bee Happy from Heritage Woods of Rockford
- Honey Bees from John Evans of Pekin
- Prairie Bees from Prairie Living at Chautauqua in
Carbondale
- Spellabrate from St. Anthony of Lansing
Yogurt and Bone Health
A study of men and women in Ireland has linked eating more yogurt with higher density of hip bones and a significantly lower risk of osteoporosis, according to a report posted May 11 on the Medical News Today website.
Exercise and Your Brain
Another story posted on the
Medical News Today website notes that exercise of at least moderate intensity can boost brain power in adults 50 years of age and older. To bolster brain health, researchers recommend a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training.
Tips for Dementia Caregivers
In a breakout session at the Argentum 2017 Senior Living Executive Conference, the wife of NFL Hall of Famer John Mackey offered valuable tips for caregivers of loved ones with dementia based on her experience caring for her husband.
Memory Care Opens at Heritage Woods of Huntley
The expansion of the Heritage Woods assisted living community that Gardant operates in Huntley, Illinois, has been completed.
The expansion featured the development of 30 White Oaks memory care apartments and the addition of nine one-bedroom assisted living apartments. The memory care apartments are specially designed for older adults with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia. The focus of the White Oaks memory care program is on providing opportunities for residents to maintain a sense of purpose and belonging in all seasons of dementia.
Advocating for Affordable Assisted Living
On Wednesday, April 26, more than 150 residents from Supportive Living communities gathered at the Illinois State Capitol to advocate for affordable assisted living and highlight the benefits of the Illinois Supportive Living program. The day included the opportunity to meet with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner.
Executive Leadership
Kendra Garnto, Administrator of Cambridge House of Maryville; Kim Howard, Administrator of Prairie Winds of Urbana; and Tim Renner, Gardant's Director of Culinary Services, graduated earlier this month from the Argentum 2017 Executive Leadership Institute.
Working Past Retirement Age
A recent Gallup Survey shows that there has been a decline in the percentage of employees in the United States who believe that they will have to work past their retirement age because of financial reasons.
While three out of four of the survey respondents indicated that they plan to continue to work past their retirement age, most plan to do so because of a desire rather than a need to work, says the story by Amanda Umpierrez that was posted May 15 on the Plan Advisor website.
Celebrating 10 Years of Service
The Prairie Winds of Urbana 
affordable assisted living community held a 10th Anniversary Party earlier this month. Over the past 10 years, the community has served more than 500 older adults who needed some help to maintain their independence. Three staff members were honored for 10 years of services. They are Kim Howard, Administrator; Deven Blobaum, Dietary Manager; and Margaret Seggebruch, who has served the community in administrative, marketing and sales roles.
Middle Income Seniors Housing
Rick Banas of Gardant Management Solutions will be a panelist at the 3rd Annual Interface Seniors Housing Midwest conference being held on June 7 in Chicago. He will be part of a panel that addresses the "Industry's Next Big Challenge: Building and Operating Middle Income Seniors Housing."
Honored for Commitment to Excellence 
Jennifer Bishop, Director of Nursing for Heritage Woods of Plainfield, was honored by LeadingAge Illinois with the 2017 Strive and Thrive award. The award is designed to recognize an individual who demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to excellence through innovation and creative thinking.
Memorial Day 2017
As we celebrate Memorial Day 2017 on Monday, May 29, Gardant salutes all of the individuals who gave their lives for our country while serving in the military. To learn more about this federal holiday that was originally called Decoration Day, visit the history.com website.
