I paid a visit to several patients last night at Bayshore Hospital in Holmdel New Jersey.
If you have a loved one at Bayshore Hospital who is going to require in-patient Post-acute therapy in a rehabilitation center nearby, consider the heralded 5 star Regency Park Post-acute Rehab and Skilled Nursing Facility, located just two minutes away in Hazlet, NJ.
CHICAGO (AP) — Researchers are tripping seniors on purpose, and it’s not some kind of warped practical joke.
The experiment is among techniques being studied to prevent falls, the leading cause of injury in older adults. Falls in the elderly cost $30 billion yearly to treat and can send them spiraling into poor health and disability.
Conventional efforts to prevent falls include exercises to boost strength and balance, but researchers at the University of Illinois in Chicago are trying a completely different approach. It’s based on promising, preliminary results with a lab-built walkway that causes people to unexpectedly trip, as if stepping on a banana peel.
Read more and watch the video demonstration here.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued a new set of materials to engage older adults and senior living personnel in learning about brain health, particularly how brain health is affected as people age.
The Brain Health Resource includes the basics about Alzheimer’s disease and managing possible risk factors.
“Although no activity or medicine has yet been shown to prevent the disease or reduce risk, some of the healthy lifestyle and chronic disease management strategies presented are good for healthy aging and may prove, with further research, to directly protect against cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease,” HHS says in a news release.
The four-part set of materials — available online — offer best practices for optimal brain functioning, including preventing falls that can lead to head injury, cutting back on excessive alcohol consumption, being well rested and managing diabetes and blood pressure.
The online materials include a powerpoint presentation, educator guide, one-page handout for older adults and a supplementary handout with key facts and resources.
“As we get older, many of us have a little more trouble recalling things quickly or reacting as fast as we used to,” says Dr. Richard J. Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. “Knowing what is normal and not normal, and — more importantly — what you can do to help keep your brain working its best can reduce fears and improve health.”
Two-thirds of the United State’s health care budget is spent on older adults with multiple chronic conditions, HHS says.
“Helping people grow older in good health — including good brain health — benefits them, their families, and their communities,” says Ursula E. Bauer, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
The NIH and CDC approved all of the information provided in the new material this year.
Access The Brain Health Resource here.
Source: C. Dowell – Senior Housing
Technology is constantly evolving. The latest, hottest cellphone or tablet can be yesterday’s news in what feels like no time at all.
Today’s seniors have experienced more technology evolution than any generation. Most remarkable about today’s senior citizens is that they observed the evolution of technology and are experiencing it firsthand as they immerse themselves in the latest, greatest technology to enhance their everyday lives.
Many associate cellphones, the Internet and computers with youth. But this is no longer the case. According to the Pew Research Group, computer use among Americans 65 and older has doubled in the past 10 years, and Internet use among that age group has more than tripled. Moreover, older people are taking the helm as leaders of new technology trends. Studies have found that the buyers, if not lead adopters, of the most high-tech, high-design and high-priced computing and communication devices are likely to be over 50.
The social benefits of technology are tremendous. Seniors are better able to stay in touch with family and reconnect with friends they’ve made over the years. Online videoconferencing allows a senior in Wisconsin to chat with their grandchildren in Texas. Email enables a senior to send pictures of their latest outing to an old friend, and social media is increasingly becoming attractive to seniors who can engage with updates from the people they care about most. In fact, recent reports have found that nearly half of seniors today are joining their grandchildren on Facebook.
Perhaps most remarkable, however, is the quality of life benefits that seniors are realizing through technology. When it comes down to it, new technologies provide seniors with the independence they value. Medical applications allow seniors to track aspects of their health from the comfort of their homes. Email allows seniors to stay in touch with doctors and care providers. Websites allow for online purchasing and bill pay, without the hassle of paper.
New technologies also have proved beneficial to those providing care for seniors. At senior living communitie across the country, staff members are using resident portals as ways to connect their community, online maintenance requests to streamline efficiency and tutorial classes as a way to teach residents how to incorporate these technologies into their daily lives. Cellphones and emails have improved the line of communication between staff, residents, family and doctors, so that we can better provide timely, quality care.
Source: E.A. Fetner – JSonline
Written by Marie Barnes, Regency Corporate Marketing Director.
Wayne, NJ – On a summer’s evening, amongst beautiful gardens, glasses clinked, music drifted through the crowd, the smell of fresh, lush gardens permeated the area, with lively conversation and laughter ringing through the group.
This special evening took place on Thursday, June 12th, with over 125 attendees who joined in at the Wine Tasting event held by St. Joe’s Hospital, Wayne Auxiliary. The event was hosted at Regency Gardens Post-Acute, Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, 296 Hamburg Turnpike, Wayne.
This fundraiser will benefit St. Joe’s Hospital, Wayne campus, and go toward the pledge the Auxiliary has made to the hospital. The volunteer group is a dedicated committee of people, who work very diligently to make a difference in their community. The Auxiliary works in conjunction with the Foundation Office and Development Director, Susan Spatt of St. Joe’s Hospital, Wayne campus.
Many community members knew each other and it was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect in a relaxed, enjoyable environment, many old friends had an opportunity to reminisce, while new friendships were formed.
Warwick Valley Winery served samplings of wines and liqueurs, explaining the various combinations of flavors. Gourmet Pizza was served made freshly from a large pizza oven set outside on the patio grounds of Regency Gardens. The atmosphere provided beautiful surroundings with waterfalls, mature trees, koi ponds, and beautifully manicured grounds.
Live music serenaded the group, and photographer, Michael Lawrence, from Wayne, donated his services, taking photographs. Hot and cold appetizers were also served, along with soft beverages, for a variety of tastes. Vendors set up tables for their wares, and the attendees enjoyed a little shopping.
The collaboration and event was enjoyed by everyone present, and attendees commented that they would enjoy attending another evening like this next year!
For further information about Regency Gardens Post-Acute, Rehabilitation and Nursing and Center, please call 973-790-5800, or visit us online at, http://www.regencynursing.com.
Regency Jewish Heritage in Somerset County honored 18 residents that are 100 years and older during a luncheon at Regency Jewish Heritage Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, May 21, 2014.
Here are some pictures for you!
View many additional photos here.
I was at Bayshore Hospital in Holmdel this morning and will soon be on to Riverview Hospital in Red Bank, NJ.
Both of these hospitals are Meridian facilities and act as feeder hospitals to discharge their patients to our magnificent Regency Park Nursing and Post-Acute Rehabilitation Center, located just minutes away in Hazlet.
The Regency Park Post-Acute Care Center is a singular 5 star rated facility by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
Well, just as in previous years, Meridian is painting the town pink, to raise awareness for breast cancer.
I blogged it last year when I visited Riverview Hospital in Red bank and I actually participated in one of their events.
This morning, I noted all of the pink decals at Bayshore Hospital.
Take a look:
When I’m done in the Hazlet, Holmdel, Red Bank Area (Regency Park is the very best nursing home in the area), I will be visiting the breathtaking Regency Jewish Heritage Post-Acute Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Somerset, NJ!!
Regency Jewish Heritage has also earned the coveted 5 Star Rating for Excellence!!!
We are proud of it too!
Take a look:
Reptile show and tell activity for our residents and they are loving it!!!
I would name the turtle ‘deficiency free,’ after our stellar and ongoing 5 star State survey results, but my betta fish already has the commemorative name!
You folks well know how excited we are at Regency Nursing Centers whenever we hear about technological advancements in the world of Senior Healthcare.
Well then, consider this:
Eating a bowl of cereal in the morning seems like such a simple thing, but it’s close to impossible for some of the 1 million Americans who struggle with the tremors of Parkinson’s disease.
I’ve read that there are also as many as 10 million Americans who have a disorder called essential tremor — sometimes mistaken for Parkinson’s — which, when severe, also can make eating a struggle.
Folks who suffer from this disease experience tremors so strong that the cereal bounces right out of their spoons and back into the bowl.
This is the problem that engineer Anupam Pathak wanted to solve. He looked to develop a spoon that would cancel out its effects. He calls the spoon Liftware.
There’s no on switch; the spoon starts up automatically when it’s lifted from the table. The chunky handle vibrates a little in the user’s hand.
“There’s a little motion sensor right near the spoon,” Pathak explains. “If I had tremor, it’s going to move opposite to what the shaking is doing. So, if I move to the left, it’ll physically move the spoon to the right.”
And that cancels out the tremor as the spoon moves from plate to mouth. In a clinical trial, the Liftware spoon canceled out more than 70 percent of a user’s tremor.
The video of how this works, is even more amazing!
I’ve embedded it here. Check it out below:
The Liftware spoon has been available since this past December. It costs $300 and, as yet, is not covered by Medicare or private insurance. Some Veteran’s Administration medical centers will cover the cost.
New attachments for the device are being developed. A fork and soup spoon should be available by the end of June.
Senior living foodservice bears many similarities to what you might find in any other organized form of dining—or in some cases, exactly what you might find in a restaurant.
But there’s one distinct challenge found among senior living providers when it comes to planning and delivering meals to some of the clientele: food that can be enjoyed without the help of a fork, knife or in some cases, teeth.
For a proportion of the aging population who suffers from memory impairment or lack of cognitive function, eating without common utensils is a daily challenge. But gone are the days when highly processed or soft foods were the only options.
Enter: Grind dining.
Grind Dining is the brainchild of two former foodservice professionals, Sarah Gorham and Stone Morris who are both chefs and have served in hospitality management roles among other foodservice professions.
They were hired as culinary consultants by The Arbor Company to develop a dining program for their memory care residents that met their individual and nutritional needs as well as providing all residents a dignified and quality dining experience.
“We found that finger food was an underserved area,” says Gorham. “It was part of the strategic plan to provide more variety and balance for memory care.”
After an observation, the team, whose tagline is “Dining with Dignity,” found that by no fault of the staff or suppliers, residents were largely existing on finger foods like chicken finger, peanut butter and jelly and applesauce, and that the food often wasn’t able to be served hot.
“It was no fault of the kitchen staff,” says Morris. “They were just ill equipped and didn’t know what to do. We hoped there was an answer. There had to be something we could do.”
The concept was inspired by the memory of Morris’s great grandmother, known as “Bubbie,” who in her childhood had often prepared gefilte fish (“a.k.a. the ‘holy grail’ of Jewish Appetizers,” Morris says), a cooked, ground, and poached whitefish, for a Sabbath meal. The partners had the inspiration to grind cooked traditional food items to preserve taste, texture, and composition of the menu items for residents.
The team also leaned on research from the University of Alabama and Harvard University that found cooked and ground proteins were 24% more digestible than just cooked or raw proteins.They began adding carbohydrates and vegetables for complete meals that were nutritionally complete and didn’t require eating with a fork, knife or spoon or require chewing in order to consume. The anthropologists and scientists used Burmese Pythons for their research due to the fact that the pythons don’t have teeth.
The menu
The Grind Dining concept includes a training component where the Grind team works with a community’s dining services team to analyze and rearrange the menu and come up with new takes on menu components.
The equipment, which usually requires little more than a food grinder, is usually already on site with the food costs already built in. The team then develops menu extensions for each meal service and provides menu direction such as portions, vegetable garnishes and photos of completed meals. The menu doesn’t change, but one menu item is converted a la Grind Dining’s method and technique.
“It’s usually not an easy finger food conversion,” Gorham says. “It might be brisket. Or spaghetti and meatballs. Once we develop those extensions, we put together a tool kit for the community to train.”
To get around the lack of utensils often demanded by memory care units, Grind Dining utilizes lollipop sticks, popsicle sticks and other disposable tools that can help a resident enjoy a meal without the traditional finger food experience.
The food might look different, but the presentation and taste are maintained. Sometimes aromatics are also used to incite the senses of memory care residents before eating.
The result
The outcome from the Grind Dining pilot and implementation was several-fold. Resident family members reported that the residents expressed more enjoyment of their meals, a renewed sense of anticipation at mealtimes, and were more engaged and had responded favorably to the new menu offerings. Likewise, caregivers reported improved experience during meal times and residents needing a lot less help than they had previously.
Some communities have rolled out the program to other residents as well.
“Every community is different,” said Gorham. “Some said this was designed for memory care, but others found it to be so successful they rolled it out into their main dining rooms. It meets their dental needs and nutrition needs.”
Ultimately the program has worked best when it gains the buy-in of the entire community, regardless of need. Comparison plates have showed that the taste can be maintained even if the format has changed.
“It can be used as a point of distinction,” Gorham says. “Dining is an important consideration.”
Via: Elizabeth Ecker review
