As the large metal doors opened to the second floor of the Faatz-Crofut Home in Auburn, 80-year-old Glen Prudom stepped aside and let two women onto the elevator. Being the gentleman he is, he pushed a few buttons for them and stepped out into the white hallway.
Jason Rearick / The Citizen
A resident of the Faatz-Crofut home, Glenn Prudom occupies himself by watching television. Prudom prefers watching his two favorite teams, the Mets and Braves.
"There you go. That will take you to the floor you need," Prudom said, smiling before he headed down to his room at the end of the hallway to work on his word puzzles.
Prudom is one of only nine men currently living in the building. But although men are traditionally outnumbered by women in nursing facilities and adult homes, the gap is closing as the life expectancy between men and women closes.
"If I don't dwell on it to much, it doesn't really bother me that there aren't a lot of men here," Prudom said. "I love this place and am lucky to be here."
With women entering the work force in droves over the past several decades and new cardiac drugs helping men live longer, the gap between male and female life expectancy closed to 5.3 years in 2003, continuing a narrowing trend since the peak gap of 7.8 years in 1979. Nationally, men account for 28 percent of residents in senior homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In New York, men accounted for 30.1 percent of occupants in senior homes in 2003, up from 25.6 percent in 1993. The most recent data available nationally dates back to 1999, when women accounted for 72 percent of residents, marking no real shift in the ratio since 1985.
On average, Faatz-Crofut generally houses about 14 men among their 46 residents, up from just two men eight years ago, when Christina Cummings took over as administrator.
And more change is set to occur as the gap in male and female life expectancy continues to narrow, said Dr. Sidney Stahl, who specializes in long-term care at the National Institutes on Aging.
The average life expectancy for men in 2001 was 74.4 years, up from 70 in 1980. Over the same time, women's life expectancy went up just 2.4 years to 79.8. Susan Weiss, senior vice president of advocacy at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, said the gradual increase of men and widowers in nursing homes and retirement communities has been evident over the past 15 years.
At Evergreen Heights in Weedsport, there is an overwhelming number of male residents looking to get into the home, according to executive director Laurie Hulik. Currently living in the facility are 32 men and 21 women, but the list of people waiting to get into Evergreen is made up of mostly men.
"In the last three to six months, we have had an abundant number of men putting in requests to come here," Hulik said. "We are having trouble filling our female beds."
The increased number of men coming into facilities is bringing to surface a range of issues, including differing dining and medical needs. For example, men are more prone to be diagnosed with heart diseases at an earlier age, Weiss said. That's something that nursing homes will have to address in coming years. Even simple logistical matters, such as pairing people up in rooms, will be affected, she said.
The most immediate challenge for homes experiencing the influx in male enrollment will be keeping men socially engaged. It has long been acknowledged in the medical community that positive social interaction improves overall health and longevity, Weiss said. That's why recreational programs are regarded as such a vital service at nursing homes.
For women, bonding over everything comes naturally. They are more inclined to talk to one another, Cummings said. Men, on the other hand, tend to stay in their rooms watching television, a trend many homes are trying to break.
Both Faatz-Crofut and Evergreen hold events for men, such as bowling and father-son fishing tournaments.
"We put out beer and chips and try to get them to come down for games," Cummings said. "But it still seems like it is the women who always come out."
At Evergreen Heights, the male turnout for activities is a little better as men often turn up for target shooting, BINGO, letter writing workshops and the men's grooming club.
"Here everyone is really social and they all look out for one another," Cummings said.
But as the needs of male residents continue to increase, there is a strong demand for male health care providers, an issue many homes are struggling with.
The Helping Hands List, posted in the Boyle Senior Center in Auburn, details private health care providers that will visit the homes of the elderly. But despite the growing number of men looking for such services, Mike LeFever, an employee of the Cayuga County Mental Health Center, is the only male on the list.
"There is definitely a need for more male caregivers," LeFever said. "But this is just not a traditional field for men."
LeFever works for the mental health center during the day and works as a caregiver at night for two men. LeFever thinks most men in need of a care provider feel more comfortable with another man, especially when it comes to issues like showering and getting dressed.
Peter Cole, a senior at Cato-Meridian High School, started working in the kitchen at Evergreen two years ago. After spending some time interacting with the residents, he asked to be trained as a personal care assistant. Cole is currently one of only three male PCAs at Evergreen.
"I find working with the residents to be fun, and there is never really a dull moment," Cole said. "But it is something you have to want to do."
The Associated Press
contributed to this story.
Staff writer Ashley Lipsky can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 235 or
ashley.lipsky@lee.net
Prudom is one of only nine men currently living in the building. But although men are traditionally outnumbered by women in nursing facilities and adult homes, the gap is closing as the life expectancy between men and women closes.
"If I don't dwell on it to much, it doesn't really bother me that there aren't a lot of men here," Prudom said. "I love this place and am lucky to be here."
With women entering the work force in droves over the past several decades and new cardiac drugs helping men live longer, the gap between male and female life expectancy closed to 5.3 years in 2003, continuing a narrowing trend since the peak gap of 7.8 years in 1979. Nationally, men account for 28 percent of residents in senior homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In New York, men accounted for 30.1 percent of occupants in senior homes in 2003, up from 25.6 percent in 1993. The most recent data available nationally dates back to 1999, when women accounted for 72 percent of residents, marking no real shift in the ratio since 1985.
On average, Faatz-Crofut generally houses about 14 men among their 46 residents, up from just two men eight years ago, when Christina Cummings took over as administrator.
And more change is set to occur as the gap in male and female life expectancy continues to narrow, said Dr. Sidney Stahl, who specializes in long-term care at the National Institutes on Aging.
The average life expectancy for men in 2001 was 74.4 years, up from 70 in 1980. Over the same time, women's life expectancy went up just 2.4 years to 79.8. Susan Weiss, senior vice president of advocacy at the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, said the gradual increase of men and widowers in nursing homes and retirement communities has been evident over the past 15 years.
At Evergreen Heights in Weedsport, there is an overwhelming number of male residents looking to get into the home, according to executive director Laurie Hulik. Currently living in the facility are 32 men and 21 women, but the list of people waiting to get into Evergreen is made up of mostly men.
"In the last three to six months, we have had an abundant number of men putting in requests to come here," Hulik said. "We are having trouble filling our female beds."
The increased number of men coming into facilities is bringing to surface a range of issues, including differing dining and medical needs. For example, men are more prone to be diagnosed with heart diseases at an earlier age, Weiss said. That's something that nursing homes will have to address in coming years. Even simple logistical matters, such as pairing people up in rooms, will be affected, she said.
The most immediate challenge for homes experiencing the influx in male enrollment will be keeping men socially engaged. It has long been acknowledged in the medical community that positive social interaction improves overall health and longevity, Weiss said. That's why recreational programs are regarded as such a vital service at nursing homes.
For women, bonding over everything comes naturally. They are more inclined to talk to one another, Cummings said. Men, on the other hand, tend to stay in their rooms watching television, a trend many homes are trying to break.
Both Faatz-Crofut and Evergreen hold events for men, such as bowling and father-son fishing tournaments.
"We put out beer and chips and try to get them to come down for games," Cummings said. "But it still seems like it is the women who always come out."
At Evergreen Heights, the male turnout for activities is a little better as men often turn up for target shooting, BINGO, letter writing workshops and the men's grooming club.
"Here everyone is really social and they all look out for one another," Cummings said.
But as the needs of male residents continue to increase, there is a strong demand for male health care providers, an issue many homes are struggling with.
The Helping Hands List, posted in the Boyle Senior Center in Auburn, details private health care providers that will visit the homes of the elderly. But despite the growing number of men looking for such services, Mike LeFever, an employee of the Cayuga County Mental Health Center, is the only male on the list.
"There is definitely a need for more male caregivers," LeFever said. "But this is just not a traditional field for men."
LeFever works for the mental health center during the day and works as a caregiver at night for two men. LeFever thinks most men in need of a care provider feel more comfortable with another man, especially when it comes to issues like showering and getting dressed.
Peter Cole, a senior at Cato-Meridian High School, started working in the kitchen at Evergreen two years ago. After spending some time interacting with the residents, he asked to be trained as a personal care assistant. Cole is currently one of only three male PCAs at Evergreen.
"I find working with the residents to be fun, and there is never really a dull moment," Cole said. "But it is something you have to want to do."
The Associated Press
contributed to this story.
Staff writer Ashley Lipsky can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 235 or
ashley.lipsky@lee.net
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