RetirementHomeTV Wins DIRECTV’s L&I Dealer of the Year Award for 2021

FORT WAYNE, IN: September 01, 2022 - RetirementHomeTV Corporation (RHTV), a leading provider of DIRECTV services for commercial properties nationwide, is pleased to announce its recognition as DIRECTV's 2021 Lodging & Institutions Dealer of the Year, announced during the DIRECTV Dealer Revolution Conference held August 24, 2022.

This is the first time RHTV has won this esteemed award, which recognizes the Dealer with the largest amount of new activations the previous year in addition to excelling in customer service and retention.

Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, RHTV brings customized solutions, 24/7/365 personalized support, and mid-west values to the entertainment industry. But don’t let their name fool you! They are more than just retirement homes. RHTV prides itself in serving skilled, assisted and independent living communities and, since its humble beginnings in 1999, has grown to include Lodging, VAMCs, Government, Correctional Institutions, Hospitals, and commercial accounts.

“The DirecTV L&I Dealer of the Year Award is a true testament to our customer focus, unparalleled support, and everyday relentless efforts by everyone on our Team! I am truly proud to be the #1 Partner for DirecTV and look forward to our future success.” -Kurt Schlabach, President, CEO

About RetirementHomeTV

RHTV’s highly-trained technicians custom build each System at its state-of-the-art Lab at its Corporate Headquarters in Fort Wayne, Indiana. RHTV ensures that your solution is built for your unique situation and installed with the same skill and expertise. A truly Nationwide Company, RetirementHomeTV proudly serves over 2,400 communities in 47 states.

2021 Leading Age Annual Meeting winner announced

Recently, we announced that Christy Zeitz with Fellowship Square from Reston, Virginia was the winner of our drawing at the 2021 Leading Age Annual Meeting and Expo held in Atlanta, Georgia. Christy received a $100 Visa gift card. Congrats, Christy!

Newest Technology For Residents

There is an idea that older adults are unable or unwilling to adapt and learn new technology. We don't believe this is true. After extensively working with older adults, we find they adopt technology they find helpful and resist tech they don't. According to Pew Research, 65% of people over 65 use the internet, and 42% have smartphones. The data shows us that older adults want technology that works for them, and they are willing to learn how to use this technology. According to Nielson Data, adults 65+ spend 7 hours watching television. The choice by seniors of television as their primary entertainment source is the number one reason it would be beneficial if your property found a television and entertainment solution that gives your guests what they want.

Advanced Entertainment Platform is technology seniors will use. It will deliver entertainment when it is convenient as well as future-proofing for the next generation of residents. Danette Opaczewski, executive vice president of resident experience and COO at Revel Communities, in a recent article, said, “I think people over 80 are very much struggling with the future of technology, but I think people in their 60s and 70s today absolutely embrace technology. So, we're actively working on making sure all of our interactions with our residents are technology-forward."

Advanced Entertainment Platform from RetirementHomeTV lets your guests participate in app-based television, providing them with freedom of choice. Your guests can choose from a library of on-demand shows from favorite channels like the Hallmark Channel and 10,000 other DIRECTV titles, as well as 80 music channels to enjoy. Advanced Entertainment Platform has many advantages over navigating confusing menus and various apps found in other solutions. With our installation of the Advanced Entertainment Platform, you get the best of live television along with the ability to watch anything you want at any time you want with just your television and an antimicrobial custom remote. No passwords and usernames to remember, only an easy-to-navigate menu accessed via a familiar remote control.

These are just the advantages for your guests. The benefits for you and your staff include cloud-based automatic updates, custom channel lineups, and 4k content. Your team does not need to remember account credentials for each guest, freeing them up to spend less time logging in and more time caring for your guests.

Ask for a quote today, and RetirementHomeTV will install your facility’s new television system with no stress for you or your guests.

Community Involvement is Important for Senior Health

Being part of a community can have a positive effect on mental health and emotional wellbeing. Community involvement provides a sense of belonging and social connectedness. It can also offer extra meaning and purpose to everyday life. RetirementHomeTV believes that now, more than ever, the community is important to your retirement home or assisted living facility.

RetirementHomeTV offers our community channel and computer that is included with every system along with our optional camera. The RetirementHomeTV community channel helps staff keep these connections in place even though many facilities limit community activities. With a RetirementHomeTV system, you can easily implement our optional user-friendly camera to film church services, exercise classes, or any community event that is limited due to social distancing guidelines. We provide the computer and will instruct you and your staff on how to use the technology.

Partner with RetirementHomeTV today and discover how to keep your community connected.

Television is the Most-Watched Medium by Adults according to Nielsen’s Report

According to Nielsen's total audience report from August 2020, adults in the United States spend more time watching television than any other medium. This amount of time increases for Americans between the ages of 50-64. Nielsen data shows that this age group watches close to six hours of television every day, and those 65+ watches seven hours a day. As this is the most chosen entertainment form for seniors, it makes sense to have a reliable television system to offer your guests in your assisted living community. RetirementHomeTV fills all of your criteria for a partner. We offer a robust, user-friendly system with 24/7 support, our community channel, and a proven record of trouble-free and successful installations in Senior Care facilities all over the United States. Please visit our website or give us a call, and we would be happy to discuss what we can do for you.

RetirementHomeTV goes live at a community in Irwin, PA within 4 days of being contacted!

“The Grove at Irwin management reached out to us on November 16th about their current provider going dark and we had live tv for their 122 residents by noon on 11/20! It is a true testament to the care for the staff and population at The Grove at Irwin and the hard work from everyone involved within our organization. It proves once again RHTV is the best in the industry!

Kurt Schlabach, President, CEO.

RetirementHomeTV upgrades Currituck House again!

Currituck House in North Carolina has renewed their services for another 5 years with RHTV for the third time since 2010. The community has been so satisfied that they extended the relationship after a decade of business with RetirementHomeTV serving their residents.

RetirementHomeTV Welcomes Jessica Deprey.

RetirementHomeTV is pleased to announce that Jessica Deprey has joined the team as a Project Coordinator. Jessica previously worked for RetirementHomeTV in our production lab and was responsible for shipping and receiving, and testing Systems.  Jessica has worked as a logistics planner and a freight broker as well as a personal injury legal assistant. Jessica will use all of her skills to make sure your community’s entertainment system is installed in a timely fashion and to your satisfaction.

Jessica says, “I look forward to learning more about our Systems with this position. I enjoy being challenged on a day-to-day basis and always learning something new. It’s satisfying knowing I have a role in helping see a process through to its completion. I’m glad to be back at RetirementHomeTV!” 

Welcome, Jessica!

Brandon Porter joins the team at RetirementHomeTV

RetirementHomeTV is proud to announce that Brandon Porter has joined our sales team as our new Business Development Specialist. Brandon comes to us with a background in Product Planning, Territory Sales Management, and Technical Sales with a focus on satellite technology and DIRECTV systems. Brandon is bringing his strong customer service expertise to our sales department. Brandon can help your Senior Living Residence with a complete entertainment system specifically tailored for your property!

Welcome, Brandon!

RetirementHomeTV Welcomes Steve Atkinson

RetirementHomeTV is pleased to announce Steve Atkinson has joined our Sales Team as our new Business Development Specialist. Steve has extensive experience working with large scale entertainment projects for major hotel corporations, and Senior Living Residences. Steve has 30 years of experience in domestic and international marketing and will utilize his knowledge to help you build a complete entertainment package that will exceed your expectations.

Welcome, Steve!

Steve Shockman joins RetirementHomeTV

RetirementHomeTV is excited to announce that Steve Shockman is joining the team as our Director of Technology. Steve is a leading expert in commercial DIRECTV systems, sales, project management, and training with over thirty years in the industry. Steve will be developing and implementing new technology and ideas to further RetirementHomeTV’s already strong foothold in the senior living television market. He will be working closely with our expert team as we continue to search for new ways to bring our customers the best in technology and customer service.
Welcome, Steve!

Redbanks Regency Apartments selects RetirementHomeTV Corporation as its Television Service Provider

HENDERSON, Kentucky, May 4, 2015—RetirementHomeTV Corporation has announced an agreement with Redbanks Regency Apartments in Henderson to provide 100 percent digital television products and services to the senior living community.

The television package provides 36 television channels, an in–house community channel exclusive to Redbanks Regency Apartment residents, plus a dedicated DVD/CD channel.

RetirementHomeTV provides state–of–the–art turnkey systems and custom programming solutions to CCRC's, retirement communities, long–term care, and assisted living facilities across the U.S. With access to more than 285 channels, a free community channel and high definition (HD) programming without the need of set–top boxes, RetirementHomeTV is one of the nation's leading providers of television services for seniors.

For more information on Retirement Home TV's comprehensive television product and services packages, visit the RetirementHomeTV.com website or call 877–477–3474.

About RetirementHomeTV Corporation:

Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, RetirementHomeTV provides a superior entertainment solution while reducing operating expenditures and potentially saving senior care facilities thousands of dollars, with little to no capital investment and low monthly payments. RetirementHomeTV has successfully installed and maintains custom television systems to more than 70,000 rooms and units throughout the U.S.

RetirementHomeTV takes pride in growing the company by providing the highest quality products and services to its clients.

About Redbanks Pleasant Pointe Apartments:

The Redbanks Regency Apartments community is designed for seniors 62 and over to live an independent life with all the comforts and conveniences of a residential community. The Redbanks Regency Apartments offer plenty of opportunity for entertainment and social gatherings in its spacious dining hall and comfortable lounge areas.

Residents enjoy planned social activities, in–house mail pickup and delivery, coin-operated automatic laundry, grocery and pharmacy delivery services, and personal storage areas. An on site barber/beauty and separate in–building accommodations for overnight guests provide active seniors with plenty of activities and conveniences year–round. All Regency apartments are a part of government affordable housing offered by HUD (Housing and Urban Development). Rent costs are based on income and includes utilities.

For more information visit the Redbanks Regency Apartments website at www.redbanks.org.

Dr. William H. Thomas and Homes that House the Living

Dr. Thomas is a geriatrician, a writer and a rock star. He might shy away from the last label but it's a hook that fits for many of his admirers. Given the way this man plays his instrument and uses his head he certainly deserves all the accolades he has received.

The Eden Alternative

Dr. Thomas graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1986. It was a time when most baby boomers were well into their stride. The top end of the demographic had moved on from the turbulent sixties, establishing families and careers. They were busy being busy. Very few of them were contemplating the afterlife that comes after retirement. Even though it wasn't something boomers were actively thinking about, it became abundantly clear that in his first decade of medicine Dr. Thomas was beginning to seriously rethink and challenge the way we care for the elderly.

Dr. Thomas began his medical career concentrating on emergency medicine but after a short stint working part time in a nursing home, he quickly developed a passion for geriatric medicine. In the early nineties he helped co found, with his wife Jude Thomas, the Eden Alternative. The Eden Alternative is a non–profit group whose focus is the deinstitutionalization of long term care nursing homes. The Eden Alternative proposes that deinstitutionalization can only occur if the culture of nursing homes is challenged and replaced by a more fitting and elder based philosophy.

The Green House Project

In 2003, Dr. Thomas created the Green House Project. The Project was an ambitious undertaking with the direct aim of replacing the institutional nursing home model with much smaller intentional communities. New homes would house only a small population of residents or Elders not exceeding 10–12 members. Elders and staff would interact in a collective fashion with the intent of improving and fashioning a living environment where the quality of life for all, was the main driving force.

The Green House Project has blossomed over the years and as of 2011 there are ninety nine homes operating in America. The design principles have caught on internationally as well with the establishment of likeminded homes in Europe and Canada.

The Big Idea is Small

So what is it about the actual home that makes it different from what you might expect in traditional nursing homes? Well, let's get the first major difference out of the way. Size does matter. Green House Project homes are structurally smaller than their institutional counterpart. They are actually quite similar to the homes you and I would live in only slightly larger to accommodate the ten to twelve residents. The center of the home is the kitchen and the common living space. Each resident or elder has their own bedroom with adjoining bathroom. All rooms and bathrooms are equipped with ceiling lifts to assist less mobile elders if needed. The layout of each room is based on retaining the dignity and quality of care for each of its occupants.

• The Shabaz provides frontline care including personal assistance with hygiene, cooking and feeding and housekeeping. The Shabaz has replaced the old handle of nursing assistant. Due to the small elder populations in these homes the Shabaz to elder ratio is small and works well in establishing a good functioning work environment. Staff enjoys their work and elders benefit from the Shabaz and their commitment to good quality care.

• The Guide is responsible for the supervision of the Shabaz and the general operation of the home.

• The Sage is an elder living in the home who volunteers their time acting as both a resource person and advisor to the work teams in the Green House Project home.

• The Clinical Support Team consists of nurses, therapists and dietary professionals who provide services in close consultation with the Shabaz individualizing the care for each and every one of the elders living in the home.

A Home with a Sense of Community

The Green House Project home is exactly as the name implies. It's a home. Staff and elders alike share the dining room table for meals. Elders can mosey up to the kitchen counter and discuss the planned meals for the day. If they are so inclined they can give staff a hand at prepping the food. Roles are interchangeable and nothing is sacred. A direct result of these embraced attitudes is the sense of community that evolves.

Lifestyle of Elders is Important

New homes for our elders like the ones Dr. Thomas has helped to create and make are shining examples for all of us. It's not about housing away aging populations in large institutional settings where they wither and rot with the passing of time. It's not about maintaining too many people with too little staff. It's not about meeting strict regulations with an even harsher engagement. The life of elders is important to both their families and our community. In the Green House project home elders are afforded the rightful opportunity to continue living as adults. There is no talk of the end years here. These are homes that house the living. We can thank Dr. Thomas for that.

The Changing Face of the Retirement Home Industry

A large and formidable segment of the population is slowly entering the retirement home marketplace. The demographic comprising of at least 77 million strong, in America alone, are baby boomers. Baby boomers are people born between the years of 1946 and 1964.

This segment of the population has fared well with advancements in medicine and technology providing their age group with a much longer life expectancy than ever before. The new wave of retirees began in 2006 and will continue to hit the beaches until 2024. The Retirement Home and Independent Living industry have been preparing for their arrival for some time now and are determined to meet the new needs of this demographic with a variety of innovative ideas and progressive housing solutions.

If recent trends are any indication, baby boomers are seeking new ways to spend their retirement dollars. Not content to be simply corralled into traditional senior housing; boomers are looking for active vibrant living communities that will reflect their eclectic lifestyles.

The current seniors/retirement market

The American seniors/retirement housing market as it stands now can be broken into five classifications, each of them bound by two common characteristics. They are all residential settings and available only to people with the minimum age requirement of 55 years of age. The seniors/retirement housing market is divided into five distinct categories:

• Senior's Apartments

• Independent Living Housing

• Assisted Living Housing

• Nursing Care

• Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Boomers think differently about retirement than previous generations

Although large segments of the baby boomer populations are still living in their own homes there is a growing trend that will redefine where they will move when retirement beckons and their needs change. Boomer retirees have some definite ideas on how they want to live the next phase of their lives. Their thinking is quite different from how their parents perceived retirement. When choice or need calls these retirees will either choose to or simply have to enter the senior's housing market; but they will certainly want to retain as much independence as possible, while doing so.

The changing face of retirement living

Given the fiercely independent and strong-minded nature of today's seniors, the old traditional models of senior's housing are expected to change. The drab brick and mortar low-rise complexes that used to house seniors are turning over a new leaf. Bingo every Thursday evening will no longer be the accepted norm.

Current trends in housing suggest a much more vibrant edge to retirement living. A blending of services has occurred. Seniors are living in housing that is designed to promote independent living but with the added bonus of having services that will address assisted living when and if needed.

Different strokes for different folks

Aside from the need for independent living, some baby boomers are looking for comfort and quality in an amenity-rich environment. For those baby boomers impacted by the investment fiasco of 2008, the emphasis is on housing which provides maximum return for a limited dollar. Depending on their level of income new retirees have begun to explore a variety of housing solutions in which to enjoy their retirement.

A community-built and geared for retirement living is not a new and revolutionary idea. The American landscape is dotted extensively with housing projects that were built for seniors. Developers are continuing to build these enclaves but the focus has changed.

Fifty+ seniors are being offered a variety of housing. Whether it is a small cluster of bungalows with one-level living or small condominiums, the focus continues to be on an independent lifestyle with a wide list of available services offered as part of the package or, at an extra cost. A more deliberate effort is being made to offer new retirees greener housing with a smaller environmental footprint.

Art, music and lifestyle choices are integrated into these communities to reflect the varied tastes of the new senior consumer. There is nothing pale and dull about seniors living in 2013. Retirement living isn't about the end stage of anything. It's about new beginnings and growth. Baby boomers and the new retirees want nothing less than the best.

The plus side of all the new amenities being built into the senior housing model is that when the joints do eventually start to ache, there will be assisted living available. Whether it’s twenty-four-hour nursing consultation or someone to help with small jobs around the house, the intention continues to be independent.

Co–Housing

Some baby boomers have chosen to invest their monies in “intentional communities” or Co-Housing. Co-Housing is a community of privately owned homes on a shared property with shared facilities. The community itself is designed, owned, and run by the residents. Communities may differ from place to place, based on the actual intention of the resident designers, but are typically bound by a philosophy of interaction among neighbors.

When neighborliness is encouraged social and practical benefits result. While homes are privately owned there are facilities in the communities that are shared by residents. Facilities that house publicly used kitchens, dining rooms and recreational areas provide outlets for residents to meet and socialize with others in the community on a weekly basis.

While some co-housing is restricted to the senior demographic, many others are made up of working couples, families as well as seniors. Due to the neighborhood feel that is fostered in these communities this form of housing can appeal to a great many seniors. Seniors can continue to live independently in their own homes but still enjoy the comfort of being a part of a closely-knit community.

Living Abroad

For some retirees, economic pressures have forced them abroad in search of a more manageable cost of living. In some cases, seniors have found adequate and reasonably priced housing in a warmer climate. As attractive as it might be now, the need for family contact or ill health will eventually bring them back. When it does, the home retirement industry will be ready.

Boomers are reshaping the face of retirement

Existing trends fired by the spending dollars of baby boomers have reshaped the face of retirement. Rather than dreading old age, the new retiree is growing old, with new vigor.

Why Retirement Homes Should Be Considered a Positive Option

Before every important stage in your life, you had to make an important decision: before you went to college, before you got a job, before you started up a family. Approaching the years of seniority, you will notice that nothing has changed regarding your power to make life-changing decisions. Just as any other major change, moving to a retirement home implies a lot of thinking and planning ahead, in order to weigh the pros and the cons.

Although the mere thought of moving to such a facility puts most people under a lot of emotional stress, the change may prove beneficial at least in terms of safety, independence, and quality of life. This option is appealing especially for those who fear becoming a burden, which actually includes almost every one of us. Though the hardest part is letting go of the house you lived in for almost all your life, you should try to put your personal comfort ahead of clinging to space, however familiar it may be. One of the good things about retirement homes is that the majority of such facilities allow you to bring your own furniture or decorations so that you can immediately feel at home.

Before taking a closer look into why retirement homes represent a positive option, you should know that there is a big difference between retirement homes and nursing homes: while the former offer independence, privacy, and limited medical care, the latter offer 24/7 supervision and medical care for their patients, who cannot take care of themselves. The senior citizens living in retirement homes are able to do things by themselves, at the same time being assisted in case they need it.

The most important reason to choose to live in a retirement home is the degree of independence offered to senior citizens, who are able to go out as much as their personal mobility allows them to, who can drive their own car anywhere and, generally, who can do as they please without having to give explanations to anyone. This aspect is important especially for the generation of Baby Boomers, who have maintained the individualist, free spirit even at retirement age.

Another important reason why a retirement home would suit you is the improvement of your social life. Perhaps your current neighbors are young, active people, with jobs and families, who have little or no time to spend with you. In the retirement home all that will change, since your neighbors will have as much free time as you and you can visit each other or go out together.

A retirement home will offer you the privacy you are used to, as it is designed to have separate, independent rooms/apartments, while also offering common spaces for social activities. You will be able to remain the self-sufficient person you were before going to the retirement home without having things you would have worried about if you had stayed home, such as paying the utilities or finding a plumber to fix the pipes. Additionally, the living conditions at retirement homes vary, depending on the price range, from no-frills to luxurious ones that include meals, room service, or maids.

How to choose the best retirement home for you? First, if you have the possibility, turn to an eldercare consultant to assess your needs or the needs of your beloved one from different viewpoints: financial, social, or geographic. After this process, the consultant will be able to offer you an entire list of suitable retirement homes. If you can't afford or if you can't find an eldercare consultant, get your own list of retirement homes and narrow it down by applying some criteria: financial, social, pet policy, location, size, or what else interest you. Once you have narrowed down the list to a few homes, go visit them and look out for the behavior of the staff, the general atmosphere, the aspect of the kitchen, the maintenance and cleanliness of the rooms, and anything else that you can think about. After all, you should be 100% sure that it is the place where you want to spend the following years.

People should stop considering going to retirement homes as an obvious sign of decline. On the contrary, choosing to do that means turning toward a facility that can offer more independence, an active social life, and perhaps better-living conditions than at home and possibly a great geographic location. Retirement homes are designed for senior citizens who want to be active for a long time.

RetirementHomeTV and Redbanks Pleasant Point Apartments Team Up for Resident Television Service

HENDERSON, Kentucky, April 28, 2015—Redbanks Pleasant Point Apartments has selected RetirementHomeTV Corporation to provide DIRECTV television programming services to the senior independent living community in Henderson.

The television package provides 36 television channels, an in–house community channel exclusive to Redbanks Pleasant Point Apartment residents, plus a dedicated DVD/CD channel.

RHTV utilizes the latest in state–of–the–art technology to offer a 100 percent digital quality system with access to more than 285 popular channels. Residents can enjoy local channels, popular networks, movies, and sports that they control, for a fraction of the cost of traditional cable television.

For more information on Retirement Home TV's comprehensive television product and services packages, visit the RetirementHomeTV.com website or call 877–477–3474.

About RetirementHomeTV Corporation:

RetirementHomeTV provides a superior entertainment solution while reducing operating expenditures and potentially saving senior care facilities thousands of dollars, with little to no capital investment and low monthly payments. RHTV designs television solutions to fit each customer's specific needs across all levels of care.

RetirementHomeTV takes pride in growing the company by providing the highest quality products and services to its clients.

About Redbanks Pleasant Pointe Apartments:

The Redbanks Pleasant Pointe Apartments community is designed for seniors 55 and over to live an independent life with all the comfort and conveniences of a residential community. Redbanks Pleasant Pointe Apartments offer plenty of opportunities for entertainment and social gatherings in its spacious dining hall and comfortable lounge areas.

Residents enjoy planned social activities, in–house mail pickup and delivery, coin–operated automatic laundry, grocery and pharmacy delivery services, and personal storage areas. An on-site barber/beauty and separate in–building accommodations for overnight guests provide active seniors with plenty of activities and conveniences year–round. For more information visit the Redbanks Pleasant Pointe Apartments website at www.redbanks.org.