The Senior Scene

Envoy America, which has been expanding its door-to-door transportation service for seniors to other parts of the country since it started in Arizona in 2012, is now in Pierce, King and Thurston counties.

The business, which bills itself as a more affordable alternative to taxis, hires drivers who use their own vehicles to transport clients for errands, medical appointments and social outings. Rides can be requested online or by phone.

The drivers, who are all at least 50 years old and can work full-time or part-time, are screened and drug-tested. They help passengers, including wheelchair users, in and out of vehicles and receive training for interactions with passengers who have memory issues, according to the company.

Co-founder K.C. Kanaan has said his company “is the perfect solution for seniors who don’t want to drive, really shouldn’t drive, or simply can no longer drive safely.”

Envoy America can be contacted for information and reservations at envoyamerica.com and 888-375-5558.

Wesley Health and Home Care’s hospice care services in King County have been accredited by Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) and approved by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in a process that validates compliance with state and national standards.

“Hospice is an important component of care that’s been on the strategic plan of our Board of Trustees for a long time,” said Melinda Moore, Wesley Homes’ community health services. “We are honored that ACHC and CMS certified our ability to demonstrate our commitment to delivering the highest quality services in patient experience.”

Accreditation is a process in which healthcare organizations demonstrate compliance with state and national standards.

“We met 550 individual standards and demonstrated we can sustain those best practices,” said Melinda Moore, Wesley’s executive director of health and homecare.

Hospice services will be provided at Wesley Homes Des Moines Health Center and Wesley Homes Lea Hill Rehabilitation and Care Center in Auburn, as well as in greater King County, Moore said. She added that the next steps include creating bereavement groups, building staffs and a resident volunteer program, creating a guide for families about end-of-life conversation, and education about hospice services.

Hawthorn Retirement Group, which has senior living communities throughout the U.S. and in Canada, now has its first one in the Puget Sound region.

Julian Estates, located in the South Hill area of Puyallup at 13305 94th Ave. E., offers studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Amenities include 24-hour emergency pull cords, cable television, dining services (three chef-prepared meals daily and an all-day coffee and snack bar), a theater and big-screen TV room, barber and beauty shops, a chapel, guest rooms, a library, and exercise, craft and card rooms.

Additional information is available at 253-830-2620 and www.seniorlivinginstyle.com/Puyallup.

Hawthorn Retirement Group formed in 2000 to develop and operate retirement, assisted-living and memory care communities. Julian Estates is the company’s second development in Washington. The other is Springwood Landing in Vancouver, where Hawthorn is based.

Other Hawthorn communities are in Oregon (five), Idaho (one), California (seven), Arizona (four), Colorado (one), New Mexico (two), Kansas (one), Texas (five), Indiana (one), Ohio (four), Pennsylvania (two), Maine (three), Massachusetts (five), Virginia (two), North Carolina (eight), South Carolina (one), Georgia (four) and Florida (six), plus Saskatchewan (one) and Ontario (four) in Canada.

Dr. Perry Ratcliff, a periodontist and expert on dental health and gum disease, had a 50-year career that includes a prominent role in the development of dental products for older adults.

Before his death in 2008 in Scottsdale, Ariz. at the age of 93, Ratcliff worked with other dental professionals to create the CloSYS product line in 1991. The products include CloSYS Silver, a daily oral rinse for 55-and-up adults. Specially formulated for the changing needs of mature mouths, its germ-killing benefits promote oral and overall health. The special formula is dentist-recommended to help relieve dry mouth and contains fluoride to strengthen enamel and protect against cavities, according to Rowpar Pharmaceuticals, which markets it.

During his years of clinical practice, Ratcliff discovered that stabilized chlorine dioxide helped reduce the harmful bacteria in the mouths of his patients. That led him to create the patented formula Cloralstan, the active ingredient of CloSYS.

CloSYS products are available without a prescription through online sales at CloSYS.com, Amazon and Drugstore.com, and from retailers, including Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy and Walmart (select stores).