A Rural Health Development Publication

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FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK As 2013 comes to a close we reflect back on the many bless-ings that RHD and our managed facilities have been granted. It is truly a privilege to help our com-munities meet the needs of their patients and residents. We are very fortunate to have employees at the facilities and the RHD staff that are passionate and committed; two in-

gredients that make for a recipe of success.

Just as in life, we now need

to focus on 2014 and the work that is ahead. It will take every-one standing together as a team to meet the up-coming chal-lenges of the ever chang-ing health care system.

Best Regards,Ron Ross, President

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1JANUARY 2014

IN THIS ISSUE:Page 1• FromthePresident’sDesk

Page 2• SpotlightArticle• 9WaystoKeepYourBrain

Sharp

Page 3• NoiseandDementia• NationalPopcornDay

Page 4• WinterWordSearch

Find Us Online

From Your Community:According to several different surveys and sources in North America and Western Europe, the fol-lowing ten foods are generally considered to be the most healthy.

Greetings from Colonial Haven and Happy New Year! I am very pleased to let everyone know that we have hired Lora Leathers RN as the new Director of Nurses. Lora lives in the Beemer area and she has previous experience as a director. So stop in this month to help us welcome Lora to the Colo-nial Haven Family.December was filled with par-

ties and visits from family and friends. I would like to take the time to thank everyone who helped make our elders’ Christ-mas special. First Community Bank staff who organized the Tree of Love and the Beemer Community Club who send Santa to visit with treats.A special thanks to the families who visit and bring their celebra-

tions to our facility. And lastly to all our staff that spends the holidays away from their fam-ily and friends to make sure our elders are receiving the best care possible.

From Your Community

Colonial Haven & Colonial Court

424 Harrison St.Beemer, NE 68716

402-528-3268Fax: 402-528-3252

Colonial HaveNN URSING FACILIT Y

Colonial CourtSASSISTED LIVING

Beemer, Nebrask a

Sutton Community Home, Inc. and Hillcrest View Assisted Living are non-profit corporations governed by a Board of Directors.

Sutton Community Home opened its doors in 1964 for the purpose of operating a home for the residents of the area. The facility is licensed to accept Medicare, Medicaid and Private Pay for residential and intermediate nursing care.

We are licensed for 31 individuals in our facility; the perfect size for quality, indi-vidualized care. Hillcrest View Assisted Living was opened for occupancy in 2002. It was built to meet the individual needs of each resident living within the facility, provid-ing a pleasing and comfortable, home-like environment and a wide range of services and activities while maintaining each resi-dent’s independence and ability for self-

care. We are licensed for 20 individuals within our facility and accept Medicaid Waiver clients.

Sutton Community Home hosted an Open House on November 14th to showcase new floors, a new activity area, freshly painted resident rooms, and an introduction the Rehab to Home Room. Community members were taken on guided tours through the facility by Tonya Perrien, DON, Nax Ruiz, SSD, and Hannah Elliott, ADM. The tours began with a bounty of hot food in the dining room and progressed through the facility ending with cake and dessert by the therapy room. Community members joined residents in the dining room after the tours concluded for fellowship and the chance to enjoy the kitchen’s scrumptious treats.

Sutton Community Home1106 N. Sauders Sutton, NE 68979

RHD Spotlight: Sutton Community Home& Hillcrest View Assisted Living

Read:Reading benefits your mind and memory in ways that watching TV doesn’t. The Mayo Clinic Study of Aging found that reading books (in addition to other cog-nitive activities) can lead to a 50 percent decrease in your chances of developing dementia. Try to open a book for at least half an hour every day. If you find it dif-ficult to read for long periods of time, spread it out over the day or read short stories.

Go Back-to-school:If you live near a college, university, com-munity college or adult education center, see what your options are for taking classes. Sitting in a classroom and listen-ing and observing can be a fantastic way to learn and test your mind -- and make you feel young again! Many colleges even offer scholarships, tuition waivers or dis-counts for seniors.

Play Games and Puzzles:The mind-benders you play with your kids or grandkids aren’t just entertaining -- they are good for your brain. Accord-ing to a study in the Archives of Neu-rology, playing games can help prevent Alzheimer’s. Even a few minutes a day can improve your creativity, memory and decision-making abilities. So pull out an old jigsaw puzzle or open up a magazine or newspaper and try the crossword puz-zle or a Sudoku. If you’re with friends or family, do some card or board games together as a group. Even strategy-based video games can have a beneficial effect on your brain.

Pick up an Instrument:Whether you have fond memories of those piano lessons you took as a child, or you’ve never even seen a sheet of music, now is a great time to sign up for music lessons. Recent studies show that after only four months of playing an in-

strument an hour a week, seniors experi-enced improvements in the areas of the brain that control hearing, memory and hand movement. So tune your brain and look into private or group adult music classes through community programs, conservatories with extension programs or even music stores.

Write:Put down the keyboard and pick up a pencil. A study from the Journal of Cog-nitive Neuroscience shows that hand-writing helps stimulate the areas of the brain that deal with thinking, language and memory. Write about memories you have, what’s going on around you, something you saw recently or just let your creative juices flow and make up a story.

Continued on page 4...

9 Ways to Keep an Aging Brain Smart

By Roz PhillipsA person with dementia may be more sensitive to noise. Noise affects people differently from a mild response or catastrophic re-action. Some may have a thresh-old of a few minutes and others may become overwhelmed after an hour.

Each person’s coping style to noise is different. Their individ-ual coping style and personal tol-erance to noise will impact how noise will affect the resident. The person may not be able to tell you how the noise is affecting them. Noise can be frustrating, confus-ing, scary, and can physically hurt. Examples of noise: fire alarms, overhead paging, pagers, etc. Common behaviors with noise include yelling, crying, moan-ing, mumbling, pacing, repetitive behaviors and words, increased pacing, attempts to leave, etc.Noise studies should be conduct-ed yearly as part of the Quality Assurance Program. This study will clearly indicate what chang-es need to be made. Staff often times, become desensitized to noise because they hear it on a day to day basis.

Providing a soothing, calm and quiet environment may help to decrease medications and use of restraints. Some tips to provid-ing this soothing environment include:

• Eliminateoverheadpub-lic address systems.

• Avoid playing musicthroughout the facility.

• Minimize noise fromnecessary institutional support systems such as icemakers, carts, pill-crushers.

• Enforce policies regard-ing care giving staff talking loudly to each other.

• Regulate the amount of noise generated by group ac-tivities; close the doors if neces-sary.

• Utilize sound absorbingmaterialsinpublicareas.

• Use pleasant sounds ascues(birdsongasresidentsarearising or singing show tunes or hymnsbeforemeals).

• Playpleasant,softmusicduring meal time.

RozannePhillips,R.N.

NursingConsultant

Noise and DementiaNational Popcorn Day is celebrated at the end of January, although its exact date is a matter of debate. Various sources report it as January 19; others claim it takes place on whatever day the Super Bowl falls on. The Popcorn Board is often asked about the origins of this day; unfortunately, we do not know how or when this celebration began. Some other individual or or-ganization (with obvious good taste) began this tradition.

The connection to the Super Bowl seems natural enough. It’s a highly regarded annual sporting competition pitting the top two national football teams against each other. Millions of viewers from around the globe hun-ker down with bowls of their favorite snack—popcorn—in heated anticipa-tion of who will win the battle.

N a t i o n a l Popcorn DayIs January 19th

http://www.popcorn.org/AboutUs/Media/NationalPopcornDay/tabid/115/Default.aspx

1919 S. 40th St., Suite 206Lincoln, NE 68506

RHD STAFF:President:RonRossVice President & Regional Manager:MattRossDirector of Reimbursement:JanetLyttonOffice Management Consultant:JoFullerNursing Consultants:SueBooe&RozPhillipsOffice Manager:MargaretMessersmithMarketing Director:EmilyPlagemanSpecial Projects:MikeHarrisRegional Manager:WaltDyeGraphic Designer / Marketing Assistant:ToryMoghadamAccountant:AnnaMcClain

Administrators:MaryGrossJoFullerLaurieLiermanJaniceEdwardsAmyGrubeVirginiaClarkeVickyHendricksStephanieHuffmanSandraPalmerAustinGillardAnnieAllenMaryKentMelissaLarsonHeatherEagleStephanieHahnDonnaSchellenbergerLyddiaGetaweruVailOlesonLucasKaupHannahElliottLisaKisingerShaneFilipiBarbDreyer

Winter Word Search

Sleep:It’s a myth that you need less sleep as you age. When you sleep, your brain has a chance to relax and process everything you did and learned that day. But a study in the Journal of Neuroscience says that as you get older, your brain has difficulty forming these short term memories dur-ing sleep. To help prevent this memory loss, you need to sleep -- and sleep well -- for at least seven or eight hours a night. See a doctor if you’re having trouble drifting off, as it may be due to health problems, anxiety or even your medica-tion. Or you may just need to change up your sleep routine with some easy tips.

Exercise:You know you’re supposed to exercise. There’s no getting around it. But did you know that it’s not only good for your body -- it’s also good for your brain? Re-

searchers from the University of Arizona have found that aerobic exercise can help combat the effects of an aging on your brain. Physical exercise helps blood flow to your brain, and can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes, along with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Whether it’s walking, yard work or yoga, do 30 minutes of moderate physical activity ev-ery day.

EatHealthfully:Scientists have determined that the brain needs the right balance of nutrients to operate well. Numerous studies have proven that a high intake of fats and cho-lesterol is associated with higher risk for Alzheimer’s. Stay away from fried foods and eat more dark fruits and vegetables, fish, lean proteins and nuts. Start with these 18 Quick and Easy Meals for Se-niors.

Socialize:Gathering with a group of friends on a regular basis is not only fun, but also it can help your brain stay sharp. Research published in the May 2012 journal of Experimental Gerontology shows that social relationships can heal aging brains and keep them young. So host a weekly lunch for friends, volunteer at a near-by charity or join local activity groups through your community center or on-line sites like Meetup. And if you need even more encouragement, people who sustain close friendships and continue to socialize live longer than people who become isolated, says the Yale Medical Center.

http://www.care.com/senior-care-9-ways-to-keep-an-aging-brain-smart-p1017-q18792393.html

9 Ways to Keep an Aging Brain Smart Continued:

APPETIZERSBABIESBALLOONSBANNERSBUFFETCELEBRATECHAMPAGNECONFETTIDANCE

DAY ONE DECORATIONSEND OF DECEMBEREVENTSFAMILYFATHER TIMEFEASTFESTIVITIESFIREWORKS

FIRST OF JANUARY

FRIENDS

HATS

HOLIDAY

HORNS

KISS

MIDNIGHT

MUSIC

NEW YEARS DAY

NEW YEARS EVE

NOISEMAKERS

OCCASION

PARADES

PARTY

PUNCH

RESOLUTIONS

SINGING

STREAMERS

THIRTY FIRST

TIARAS

WINE

YEAR IN REVIEW http://www.puzzles.ca/wordsearch/happy_new_year.html