In the early 1900's, Charles and Katherine Hover came to Colorado from Chicago. Charles was semi-retired after a successful and lucrative career as a wholesale pharmaceutical salesman. The Hovers were in Denver a short time when Charles' health began to fail. In hopes that Charles' health would improve with" country living," they moved to Longmont and bought the property west side of town.
Construction of the Hover Home took four years and was ready for occupancy in 1912. The beautiful, Tudor-style Hover Home consists of 3,500 square feet of living space and includes many "modern" conveniences that were unheard of and considered quite eccentric and extravagant at the time. The total cost of the home in 1912 was $25,000.
BEATRICE COMES INTO THEIR LIVES
Around the time the Hovers moved to Longmont they adopted nine year old, Beatrice. She would come to tenderly care for her aging parents throughout their life. People who knew Beatrice said she was a deeply caring, generous, down to earth, and a beautiful woman. Always involved with Longmont community projects, charities and hobbies; her favorite pastime was the Hover home gardens. Interestingly, Beatrice was also an accomplished Braille translator. Collaborating with her mother on the vision of offering a retirement home for low-income elders. The Hover Manor was completed in 1979.
BEATRICE HOVER PERSONAL CARE UNIT
In 1989, the Hover Community, Inc. was established and construction of the Beatrice Hover Personal Care Unit began. With a view from her 5th floor apartment, Beatrice Hover herself served as"Chief Sidewalk Superintendent."
Beatrice passed away in 1991 a few weeks before completion of the Beatrice Hover Personal Care Unit. Her generosity is reflected in the bequest of vacant land for the benefit of the retirement Community.
HOVER WOODS DUPLEXES
In the mid 1980's, the property now known as "the duplexes" was developed for the purpose of erecting retirement cottages. The occupants own the properties and a covenant exists requiring that one must be at least 55 years of age to own one of those properties.
BEATRICE HOVER ASSISTED LIVING
In 1997 the name of the Beatrice Hover Personal Care Unit was changed to the Beatrice Hover Assisted Living Residence to better reflect the services provided. Ithas been the "standard" for assisted living in Longmont and served as a model for excellence in Assisted Living Design.
DECLARED A LANDMARK
In 1997HoverHomewas purchased by the St. Vrain Historical Society, the City of Longmont declared the Hover home a historical landmark and Hover Woods duplexes for owners 55 years or older, were built.
THE KATHERINE & CHARLES HOVER GREEN HOUSES
Thanks to the generosity of the Hover Family Foundation and the dedication of the Leadership team, the innovative, state of the art Green House Nursing Homes are now open on our campus.
Did you know that nearly one-third of the population has difficulty swallowing pills? Most people dont swallow pills correctly. This often results in gagging, choking, and vomiting, which usually results in people not taking their medications at all, or not taking the recommended dosage, which then results in a need for later additional medical care.If you are caring for a senior who has trouble swallowing their pills, here are some medication tips and some good news. Researchers have found new techniques that make pill-popping easier, even for large pills.German researchers recently tested two methods of swallowing pills and found that 80% of the time these methods worked better than the normal way of taking a pill. The first is the pop-bottle method, and it makes tablets go down with ease. The second is the lean-forward technique, which sends capsules straight down the throat. Both have been rigorously tested by 151 volunteers who swallowed numerous dummy pills for the sake of science. And now they are being shared with the world via their publication in the Annals of Family Medicine.Read about each method so you can try it yourself or have the senior you are caring for try it. Just may make life a little easier for you both.
At least 42 percent of U.S. workers have been caregivers for aging loved ones in the last five years. In fact, most family caregivers work full or part-time while caring for their parent, spouse, aunt, uncle, or other loved one. Juggling Your Job and Caring for a Loved One The majority (68 percent) of family caregivers report making work accommodations because of caregiving duties, including: Arriving late/leaving early or taking time off Cutting back on work hours Changing jobs Stopping work entirely If this is you, you understand the challenge of juggling work and caregiving. Youll want to know that AARP is fighting for workplace flexibility, like family leave or paid or unpaid sick leave, to support family caregivers as they balance work and caregiving responsibilities. AARP is pushing for legislation that would: Let employees use their existing sick time to help care for a family member; or Give employees a few hours of unpaid time each year to help care for their loved ones; or Allow employees unpaid leave to take their loved ones to the doctor, in the same way 15 states allow employees to take unpaid time off to attend parent-teacher conferences and school events.
Many people with dementia lose their social filters and no longer understand what is or is not appropriate to say in public. They do not say embarrassing things intentionally but have indeed lost the lens they used to live with. You may have encountered situations like these: Person with Dementia upon hearing someone speaking a different language: Speak English! or they may use a racial slur to describe them.I have seen and heard many elders using racial references that were, to say the least, disrespectful. It doesnt necessarily mean the people are racist. Many of our elders grew up in much less diverse communities than we have today. They have simply lost whatever inhibitions they may have had. When they see someone of another ethnicity, they blurt out labels that they heard as youths, embarrassing everyone involved.How to respond: One of my clients used to make these remarks frequently. He also had travelled a lot. I would apologize calmly to the person and then begin talking about what language I thought they might be speaking and what country they might be from, asking my client if he had ever been there on his travels. This could lead him into a conversation about travel. If the person, he was making the remark about was on staff at the nursing home Id include them in the conversation.Person with Dementia, generally a man pinches a woman or otherwise acts out sexually: Nice butt!Stay calm and realize that this behavior is caused by the disease. Dementia has stripped your dad of his inhibitions and he really cant help it. Try not to overreact from embarrassment.How to respond: Calmly say, Thats inappropriate, Dad, or something to indicate that the action is not acceptable. It wont help to scold, however. Apologize to the person affected and then if possible, move your dad away. Explain to the person that dad has Alzheimers and his actions are the result of the disease. If you cant defuse the situation by moving him away, just allow the affected person to handle it. If it happens to a professional caregiver, they are trained to handle these situations.When these and other uncomfortable situations occur, we are embarrassed for ourselves and for the person our elder once was. Learning that we arent alone in enduring this public embarrassment helps, Talk with other caregivers, either in person or online, for perspective and the chance to laugh about these situations. When we share our stories with people who understand, our pain and embarrassment doesnt take on a life of its own. Try a caregiver forum, such as the one at AgingCare.com
Hover Community Senior Living traditions were established by the Hover Family. We believe in the importance of things like affordability, attentiveness and compassion. Our residents enjoy a lifestyle that is secure, comfortable, stimulating and well-balanced. Our staff is dedicated to assisting residents with respect and consideration. From a wide range of activities to a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere, Hover Community is organized to provide seniors with a home choice where they can age with dignity and continue to grow.