August 2013

In This Issue…

Save the date—Oct 19

Participant Spotlight—

Tom Tracy

Participant Spotlight—

Betty Lloyd

Recognizing our

Podiatrists

Message from

Executive Director

The mission of Adult Care of

Chester County is to support

and empower families in their

caregiving experience by

offering them a welcoming,

friendly day service that

provides state of the art care

from a highly trained,

relentlessly competent, and

compassionate staff dedicated

to enabling their loved ones to

physically and cognitively

thrive so they can remain at

home for as long as possible.

Summer Fun In Exton, July be-

gan with a patriotic

sing-a-long and

dance. We sang a va-

riety of traditional

patriotic tunes and

danced to current day

patriotic music in

styles of country,

rock and rock-and-

roll. Songs like “Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen, Lenard Sky-

nard’s “Red, White and Blue,” and Toby Keith’s “Made in America,”

were a few of the songs that helped us to celebrate the Patriotic Holiday.

Ben Soffer visited and presented a slide show of the beautiful flowers

and trees of The Arboretum. He created a tranquil atmosphere with a flo-

ral scented warming pot that filled the entire room with a wonderful

aroma and enticed our sense of smell. We enjoyed our special snack of

the chocolate fountain with bananas, pound cake, cookies and marshmal-

lows. We enjoyed not only tasting the melting chocolate, but again,

smelling the wonderful aroma.

Ice cream week was delicious! We began with waffle ice cream sand-

wiches...yum. The warm waffles with cold Neapolitan ice cream in the

middle brought back memories of the carnivals and fairs that we attended

in years past. On Tuesday, we made our own sundaes with Heron Home

Health Care staff who donated the special toppings and ice cream for our

participants and staff to enjoy. Wednesday was our ice cream cup day

when we all enjoyed a plain vanilla ice cream cup. On Thursday, we en-

joyed old fashion root beer floats with vanilla ice cream, sipping through

straws the flavors from the past. We reminisced about the neighborhood

corner pharmacies that had soda fountains in them where you could stop

in to get a treat. We ended this tasty week with homemade chocolate

chip cookie sandwiches. The cookies were made by our participants so

they not only enjoyed smelling the aromas while Continued page 2

Exton Center at 201 Sharp Lane, Exton, PA 19341 | 610.363.8044

Southern Center at 500 Old Forge Lane, Suite 503, Kennett Square, PA 19348 | 610.388.1166

the News of

2

Events & Resources

for Caregivers

Save the Date

October 19, 2013 morning Understanding Dementia stages.

Recognizing the gifts and beauty that

lies within each. Caregivers will learn

different approaches to help caregiver

through the challenges/changes as the

disease progresses while maintaining

as much independence for their care

recipient. The theories discussed will

be based on a national speaker Teepa

Snow, Occupational therapist who

spoke a few years back at Alzheimer’s

association conference.

More info to follow.

Celebration Corner

Caregiver Coffee Hour at Adult Care of Chester County

We thank Crystal and Beverly who visited the July Caregiver Cof-

fee Hour and talked about services offered at Chamberlain Chiro-

practic in West Chester; in addition, they provided free chair mas-

sages to each of the attendees.

Looking for a convenient way to get in touch with

other local caregivers? Don’t forget that Adult Care

of Chester County hosts a Caregiver Coffee Hour

on the first Monday of the month during the sum-

mer. We begin at 10:30 and usually end around

noon. Come anytime; no registration is required.

Next Meeting: Monday, August 8, 2013 – “Staycation” - Finding

simple ways for a relaxing escape when you can’t go away or if

the idea of going away on a vacation isn’t as interesting as it

sounded in the past.

Call Kim at 610-363-8044 for more information.

making the cookies, but

also in eating them.

We ended July with a

Beach Party. Our

“beach’ was complete

with a pool of sand in

which to put our feet. In

addition, we danced,

sang and bounced a

beach ball around the

room as we celebrated

having fun at the beach.

Whether it is a favor-

ite “beach” song or the memory of a special sunset, nearly everyone has a memory

of san and surf. We like to bring out those memories in a fun and active way.

Happy Birthday this Month

Participants: Maria I. 8/1, Judy E. 8/2, Robert S. 8/2, Maria R. 8/6,

Lorraine W. 8/7, Jasmine S. 8/10, Nieves B. 8/11, Mark S. 8/14,

Helen W. 8/15, Dana P. 8/16, Carmen P. 8/20, William A. 8/22, Helen L. 8/25,

Peter K. 8/30, and Mark H. 8/31

Staff: Jeff H. 8/17, Pat S. 8/21 and Micaela R. 8/24

Welcoming New Participants

Exton: James G., John T.,

Carl F., Elizabeth C., and

Beatrice D.

Southern CC: Vivian B. and

Esther T.

Continued from front page

3

Exton Participant Spotlight: Tom Tracy Tom was born at Hahnemann Hospital in Phila-

delphia, PA. He was raised in Camden NJ by his

parents, Tom and Margaret Tracy. He has two sib-

lings, Bernard and Eugenie. About twelve years of

age, Tom started delivering newspapers, beginning

as a helper and then getting his own route which he

had for several years. He delivered morning, after-

noon and Sunday papers.

When talking about school, Tom says he and

school had a love-hate relationship because it took

up too much of his time! His best friend’s Dad was a

bus driver and he would ask Tom “Are you going all

the way to Philly, or getting off at school?” He says

his answer depended on whether his homework was

done, or not done! History was always his favorite

subject, and any awards that were given in that sub-

ject went to him.

His favorite game was baseball and he played on

the local team called “The Patriots.” He played first

baseman, only because he had a first baseman’s

mitt. Tom tells us he really should have played cen-

ter field because of his speed.

Tom attended St. Joseph’s in East Camden for grammar school and Camden Catholic High School. He took

several special courses at Rutgers University, mainly in real estate. Tom worked in the food industry doing

Candlelight Catering. He served our country in the US Air Force as a radio mechanic and repairman on B-29’s

and B-47’s. His home base was Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, LA. Tom’s hobbies were fishing,

bird watching and building model planes and ships. He traveled to Bermuda, Azores, North Africa and Eng-

land, mostly with the military. He enjoyed three trips to Alaska with his son, Tommy. They had a one room

cabin on Walker Lake.

Tom and his first wife, Julia, grew up in the same neighborhood, but really made contact in high school at

Camden Catholic; they were married for 20 years. Later, he married Dennie to whom he was married about 15

years until her death. He has 4 children, Tommy, Shari, Scott and Steven, and 2 grandchildren, Chelsea and

Zachary.

Tom has a wonderful sense of humor, is proud of his Irish heritage, and is a great story teller. He has made

many friends here at the center, loves to get into a good conversation and is often seen enjoying a game of

cards. He brightens our days!

In-service Training Day—Saturday, November 2, 2013

Each year every staff member receives at least 24 hours of training. Various types of training are used to

maximize the learning opportunities and styles of each. Some are computer based with a pre-test, chapter

questions and a post-test. There are some topics, like proper body mechanics and safe ambulation assist and

transfer techniques, are better demonstrated and practiced in person. As a result, we hold one In-service Day

each year. This year the date of our In-service Day is Saturday, November 2.

In order to have all staff participate, The Center will be closed on Saturday, November 2, 2013.

4

Betty Jane Lloyd was born on October

17, 1951. She lived her childhood in Ox-

ford, PA and spent a great deal of time at

her grandparents’ house on their farm.

Her parents were Ernie and Stella Pierce.

Growing up, she was the oldest child of

four; her siblings were Beverly, Laura,

and Ernie Jr. There was a big gap in the

ages between her and the rest of the chil-

dren so Betty helped out a lot. She

worked in her aunt’s general store and

was described as a “good girl” and a

“good student.” Betty graduated from the

Oxford Area High School and went on to

graduate from the Coatesville Nursing

School. Professionally, Betty worked as a

nurse for some time at the Jennersville

Hospital and the Kendal Nursing Home;

later she worked at her church as a secre-

tary.

Betty married Russell Lloyd, whom

she met through a coworker, and they had

two children, Lisa and Crystal. Unfortu-

nately, Russell passed away at an early

age leaving Betty to raise their children.

Betty is very church oriented and has

chaired several events for her church. She

also loves to read and often read to her

children when they were young. Also,

Betty chauffeured her children where ever they wanted to go. Betty now has two grandchildren, Dakota and

Kinsey. Betty Lloyd...loving...independent...kind...generous...resilient..loved..

Southern Chester County Participant Spotlight: Betty Lloyd

Betty was all smiles while dancing during the Prom with staff member, Tom

Coming Up in Southern Chester County

The month of August will be a busy month with lots of fun and activities. Our August themes are Name

That Tune Week, Camping Week when we will watch a camping vacation movie, Smile Week and American

Dance Week that will feature a big dance party. Finally, we will have Bowling Week with our very own bowl-

ing marathon. Along with our weekly themes, we will be visited by some familiar guests.

Special guests for August include Ed, the Music Man with his classic tunes, June with a bible study, and

Bill and Carol Lea will be stopping by to sing a few of their hits, including everyone’s favorite birthday song.

Reflections from Southern Chester County

5

“Happy Feet” — Spotlight on our Podiatrists Dr. Mark Ludwick is a very familiar face at our Exton center. He has been caring for our clients since

1985 when we were known as “Pat’s Adult Day Care,” located on Route 100 in Exton. A graduate of Great

Valley High School, he studied at Temple University where he earned his Doctorate in Podiatric Medicine. In

1985, he opened his office in Lionville, and now, he also has an office in Phoenixville. In addition to his pri-

vate practice and his dedication to Adult Care, Dr. Ludwick also services Pocopson Home.

Dr. Ludwick and his wife, Susan, will celebrate 32 years of marriage this year. They have 3 children, Ste-

ven, Ben, and Anna. He and his wife love travelling, enjoying the beach, the mountains and also the Carib-

bean. New England is a favorite vacation area, especially Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hamp-

shire. Dr. Ludwick has loved skiing since he was very young and the mountains speak to his spirit. His favorite

sport is ski racing! They also enjoy visiting his siblings in Colorado and Wyoming.

It is always a pleasure to see Dr. Ludwick when he comes to us. When he is caring for our clients, he makes

them feel comfortable with good conversation and his wonderful smile. He listens to their stories, answers

their questions, comforts their concerns and makes them feel special. We often hear remarks, such as “now I

have happy feet,” or “I feel like dancing” after he treats them.

Dr. Jason Hearn and Dr. Bruce Weiner are podiatrists who offer their services to our clients in Southern

Chester County by diagnosing and treating foot issues. Both men are doctors in podiatric medicine. Dr.

Weiner originally studied to be a pharmacist, but decided that he enjoyed the field of podiatry more. Dr Hearn

was motivated to study podiatry because he can treat all walks of life (no pun intended). Both men enjoy and

are motivated by their ability to help people. Most of all, they enjoy assisting people of all ages from children

to the elderly who come to them with pain, and usually leave their offices, pain free. In their leisure time, Dr.

Hearn enjoys barbeques with his family, and Dr. Weiner enjoys his sports.

Our three podiatrists are very appreciated by our clients, their families and our staff. We think of Dr.

Ludwick, Dr. Hearn and Dr. Weiner as very important members of our team!

July brought us another wonderful month in SCCC. We hosted Ben Stouter and enjoyed the slideshow

that he shared with us. A puppet show provided a special treat for us; it was very unique and loved by all in

attendance. At the end of the month, we were graced by June and her bible study that is very well liked. On a

musical note, Ed, the Music Man visited to sing his classics for every one’s enjoyment. Also, Bill and Carol

Lea came again with their mid-month country show, which is always a hit especially when it is time to sing the

birthday song.

The SCCC Beach Party was sunny and humid. The sky was clear and the dance floor was packed. We remi-

nisced with Beach Boys and Otis Redding’s “Under the Boardwalk” and ended with everyone’s favorite,

”Wipeout”.

In summary, July was an excellent month, full of activities, events and guests. We are looking forward

to August!

It is time to buy your Basket Bingo tickets Contact Dave at 610 363-8611 or BasketBingo@ACofCC.org

Board of Directors

Chair, Amy Balian

Past-Chair Linda M. Rhodes, Ed.D

Treasurer, Joseph Stratton, MBA

Secretary, Judith Royal, MBA

Members:

Karen Kaminskas, Bernice Soffer, MSW, Thomas Egan, Ed.D

Contributors

Southern Center features submitted monthly by

Tom Cahue in collaboration with Judy Brower.

Exton features submitted monthly by Pat DeHart

and Penny Hatrick

Message from our Executive Director

As a child, I spent a great deal of time with my maternal grandparents and enjoyed being

around them; I spent most Sunday afternoons with their friends. My mother developed an

illness when I was nine years old, so my grandparents provided me with many of the learn-

ing experiences that she could not. I have fond memories of Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop and

their friends. Years ago, adult friends of your parents/grandparents were “Aunt” or “Uncle”

even if they were not related by blood. As a result, I became very comfortable with “older

adults” at a very young age.

What I learned once I became a nurse, was that working with older adults with health problems was differ-

ent than being around my grandparents and their friends. I clearly remember my first job working in a nursing

home when I realized that life creates challenges for some older adults that result in their loss of independence

and a need to be assisted with even the simplest tasks of life. Initially, I was saddened by this fact, but one day

I realized that my purpose in being there was to help each person have the best day possible despite their chal-

lenges. If I could bring a happy moment or a smile to a resident or comfort someone in distress, then I would

have made a difference.

I’ve carried that day with me for nearly forty years. Today, I am surrounded by a team of care providers

who get ready for work in the morning with the goal of bringing a smile to the faces of their participants. Each

person has his/her own talent and special personality that interacts with participants in their care. I am also

given the opportunity to interact with family caregivers who share the goal of wanting to make their loved

one’s life the best it can be, despite their medical issues or frailties. Some families can provide care at home

longer than others, but the length of time is not as much a factor as the desire to give them the best life possi-

ble.

Each person on the Adult Care staff has their own story of why they love to work with the individuals that

come to us in our centers each day. As a care team, we truly are fortunate to get the chance to work with our

participants and their caregivers. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make our participants smile or

share a moment with us. Thank you for being part of our team.

Sincerely,

President/CEO

Coming Up in Exton We will begin August with Camping Week, enjoying fireside ghost stories, singing camp fire songs, and

reminiscing about our own camping days when we were younger.

During our celebration of Smile Week, we will have a contest to see who has the biggest smile.

American Dance Week will feature dancing, and learning new dances including their history, origin and

who invented them.

Bowling Week will include participant competition, with a playoff at the end of the week to see who is the

best bowler.

www.acofcc.org