opportunity – Page 2 – Beatitudes Community

A Beautiful Tapestry

Mon, January 23, 2017 Published by Rev. David Ragan, Sr. VP Resident Services

With the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday still fresh in our hearts and minds, I am reminded of one of the greatest reasons I love being a member of Beatitudes Campus. We are a beautiful tapestry of all different types of people. All unique and unrepeatable in our own ways. Much like our country, we have woven together the best of the best from all sorts of backgrounds, heritages, races, religions, countries, sexual orientations, physical abilities, educational backgrounds and ages.

Did you know we have Beatitudians from a multitude of countries? Even more from faith affiliations other than Christian. Racially, we are the living metaphor of a perfectly woven tapestry with nearly 60% of us identifying as other than Caucasian. We are Democrats, Republicans, Independents and no political affiliations. We are male and female and some who identify with neither. We are young, old and older. We are straight, gay, bi-sexual and transgender. We are single, married, divorced and widowed. We have children with two parents at home, single parents, married without children, grandparents raising grandkids and some of us are happily single forever. We are educated with advanced degrees and some with high school educations only. We speak English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Hungarian, French, Romanian and some languages you have yet to hear. We are financially wealthy, middle class, and some of us are just struggling to make ends meet.

Some of us remember every minute of our life and will tell you about it, and some of us have watched those memories slip away, but we can still feel them inside of us even if we cannot tell you about them now. We walk unassisted, with canes, with walkers and use mobile chairs to get to where we want to go. Not a person in this community is valued anymore or any less for who we are. It does not matter where we live on campus, which department we work in, whether we are staff, resident or administration, we are all equal.

What makes it even more beautiful is that we continue to weave more diversity into our tapestry whenever the opportunity is available to us. We yearn for new threads to be incorporated into our growing cloth. We know our diversity is one of our greatest strengths as a community. As a Campus, we come from a faith heritage that sees every child of God as that unique, beautiful, unrepeatable and loved beyond love creation. How can we not see our coming together as a community as anything less than the most beautiful as all of the different threads of our histories and heritages come together?

So want to see something beautiful? Just look around you and see all of the amazing people who make up Beatitudes Campus. And they see you as beautiful as well. It doesn’t get more beautiful than this.

It’s All On A Continuum

Mon, October 31, 2016 Published by Rev. David Ragan, Sr. VP Resident Services

You made a beautiful decision. Maybe one of the best decisions you could have made for this time in your history. You had choices, but you chose, brilliantly, to live in a community where, if your living situation should become less than optimal with your quality of life decreasing – you have wonderful choices. That is because you chose to live in a community that offers you a continuum of increasing possibilities. Change is hard, but you made a hard choice that I believe guarantees the highest quality of life possible for you.

The definition of continuum, according to Merriam-Webster, is a range or series of things that are slightly different from each other and that exist between two different possibilities. As I see it, if a resident wants to maintain a high quality of life, even as some abilities decrease, because they live at Beatitudes Campus they have the beautiful option available to them to enter into an environment of support that will return that quality of life right back to them with one move along the continuum.

Every day I give thanks that we have options for our residents so as to enable them to live life to the fullest. However, a phenomenon takes place, in more instances than not, that so often breaks my heart when it occurs. That is when by all educated observations, a resident who would greatly benefit from utilizing the continuum by flowing through it to a higher level of assistance, would rather stay where they are often risking so much physically and emotionally. The benefit of all that Beatitudes Campus has to offer seems to be wasted and worthless. We often say it, “We will always defend the right of our residents to make their own choices – right choices and wrong choices. But it is heartbreaking to those who know what a difference it would make if only the continuum was embraced as a positive hope for the future.

Being a minister serving churches and visiting multiple communities like ours, I saw my parishioners and listened to them while there. After doing so, I am not naïve as to the many fears and reasons for resisting moving to higher levels of care. Because I am aware I, and my colleagues who feel similarly here at Beatitudes Campus, have worked hard to obliterate the stereotypes that plague higher levels of care feeding into unnecessary resistance. It often starts when considering moving to a community like ours and dreading the move and then, after doing so wishing one had moved “ten years earlier”. I can’t even count the number of times I have heard this.

The same is so true for accepting the opportunity to move to higher assistance apartments. It seems to be so dreaded and, upon finally doing so, life suddenly gets so much better when compared to the months leading up to the move. I have said it a 1000 times, the same Campus, the same dining venues, the same friends, the same activities and events. Nothing changes except for the building one now lives in. One can still do everything they want to do with a little added help available to do so. It is not a decline at that point, it is a step forward toward being safer and freer to not have to worry about the many little things when one was without assistance. Those little things prior to the move and no longer being able to do them were, in almost every case, diminishing the quality of life prior to moving.

If I could, I would remove all of the stigmas and fears and open up everyone’s eyes to all of the continuing possibilities in the continuum

If I could, I would remove all of the stigmas and fears and open up everyone’s eyes to all of the continuing possibilities in the continuum. For now, I hope you might have opened your eyes and, if not for you right now, at least help one of your neighbors see that when the time is right, there is no greater gift to self, family and friends than that of accepting the care and assistance that will truly lift you to a higher level of success. It is a great choice. It is really why you chose to live here. Take advantage of it. After all, we are all on a continuum when it comes to life and there is no end when it comes to the highest quality you deserve.

Senior Driving Safety: CarFit at Beatitudes

Mon, October 17, 2016 Published by Beatitudes Campus

With years of experience, older drivers are some of the safest drivers. In fact, older drivers are more likely to wear seatbelts and less likely to speed or drink and drive. However, older drivers, who do experience accidents, are at greater risk of serious injury, due to greater bone fragility. Older drivers are also more likely to have physical, visual, hearing and memory impairments that can influence their ability to drive safely, and it can be difficult to know when to make the decision to stop driving.

Thankfully, there are a variety of programs and resources that can help keep senior drivers stay safe on the road despite many of these challenges. From 9AM-1PM on October 29th, Beatitudes Campus will be cooperating with the NAU Occupational Therapy Program and AARP to host our second annual CarFit event. CarFit is an educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them. The CarFit program also provides information and materials on community-specific resources that could enhance their safety as drivers, and/or increase their mobility in the community.

At the upcoming CarFit event, a team of trained occupational therapy CarFit technicians will work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety. Each CarFit check takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. During the check, the CarFit technicians will review 12 items, such as line-of sight, proper steering wheel tilt, positioning of airbag and head rest, mirror alignment and neck mobility for blind spot checks. The CarFit technicians will also offer ideas for simple equipment and devices for those who have difficulty getting in and out of their vehicle or reaching the seatbelt.

Additionally, for those who are interested in learning more about whether and when it may be a good idea to stop or limit driving, there will be resources provided for senior driving evaluations, senior driver rehabilitation, top signs that it’s time to stop driving, and how to talk to loved ones about when to give up the keys.

Space is limited at the Saturday, October 29th CarFit event, and residents are required to make appointments. Please contact Jessica Meyer at x16110 (@jmeyer) to learn more and book your CarFit appointment.

Dances with the Daffodils

Sun, September 25, 2016 Published by Andrew Moore

In California, home to many an experimental idea, the latest new trend is to hire what’s called a people walker. According to a national newspaper, entrepreneur Chuck McCarthy, has boosted his income by starting a business offering himself as a walking companion for city strolls, and has found a huge appetite for accompanied walking. We might think LA’s heavy traffic makes it unfriendly to pedestrians, but Chuck McCarthy has found plenty of other reasons why hiring a people walker is taking off in Los Angeles and other cities too.

In his encounters with those who seek his services, Chuck has discovered that many of his customers are engaging with their peers almost exclusively on their phones and computers, often leaving little opportunity for face-to-face interactions, and hence, their need to hire someone to go for a walk with. Apparently many of his customers don’t go out for a stroll simply because they don’t like being alone.

Being alone wasn’t always seen purely as a negative thing. Poets such as William Wordsworth perceived solitude, not as loneliness, but as a time for engaging with nature and with one’s thoughts…

“for oft, when on my couch I lie in vacant or in pensive mood, they flash upon that inward eye which is the bliss of solitude. And then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils.“

No one wants to be alone all of the time, and here at the Campus there are plenty of opportunities to involve ourselves in a rich array of activities, but perhaps it is important for us to reserve some time to be alone, and to use that solitude to good effect. Christianity has long recognized the merits of retreating from the cares of the world. As the word suggests, a purposeful retreat is a prayerful withdrawing from the world, a time to step back and reflect with God, often in silence. Christ himself spent 40 days in the desert in solitude, where, Luke’s Gospel tells us, in the midst of that solitude came temptation. Perhaps this strikes a chord with those who fear solitude, thinking it will mean wrestling with their own demons. But as Christ’s days in the wilderness show, time alone can be a source of strength, growth and peace. Perhaps a little stroll on our own, or a few quiet minutes at home isn’t such a bad thing after all.

Take advantage of Active Aging Week to combine that stroll with contemplation and prayer! A walking prayer labyrinth will be set up in the Life Center on Wed. Sept 28th from 9:00-11:00AM. *

Medicare Benefits and YOU

Sat, September 24, 2016 Published by Cheryl Knupp

1620218 Late each year, beneficiaries are offered the opportunity to review their Medicare plans and make changes accordingly during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period. Understanding how your insurance selection impacts you is more important today than ever before. This is crucial since the Affordable Health Care Plans and Medicare are key Congressional discussion items.

To help educate and inform you on Medicare updates and available options, we have asked a third party insurance consultant, Ellen Dean from Dean and Associates, to come and discuss changes in Medicare on Monday, October 19th at 2:30pm in the Motion Studio at the Nelson Administration Center. Mrs. Dean, an expert on senior health insurance since 1992, will inform you on the complexities of Medicare Insurance Coverage and Part D Prescription Drug Coverage. Ellen’s partner, Katie Ponton, will also be available to specifically discuss changes directly related to the 2017 Part D Drug Plans. Additionally, Ellen has agreed to meet individually with residents and their families to evaluate insurance coverage and re-enroll you into a different insurance plan if you so desire. Medicare open enrollment is scheduled for October 15-December 7, 2016 with changes effective for a January 1, 2017 start date. As a Certified© Financial Planner and Health Insurance Broker, Mrs. Dean and Katie work with many insurance companies and are not restricted to a limited few….their expertise is highly valued!

Like many health care providers, we are not contracted with many Medicare Advantage HMO Plans. This is due, in large part, to the fact that many HMOs do not reimburse our Health Care Center at the rate that covers the cost of care provided. Offering high-quality skilled nursing care services is important to us because we know these services are important to you and your family. In addition, to add to our continuum of care, the services offered by Beatitudes Home Health are only reimbursed by Medicare at this time, as well as our outpatient therapy clinics which are contracted with Medicare and very few other insurance companies.

It is essential that you understand your current options and find a plan that works best for you in regards to costs and access to care. Our experience has shown that residents who have Medicare with a traditional supplement have greater satisfaction with health care services. These residents have more choices in providers and may see lower out-of-pocket costs in the event of a medical emergency, post-hospital skilled care event, or cancer treatments.

I hope you will join us on October 19th for this special informational session covering the 2017 Traditional Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage plan (HMO) Benefits. Additionally, you may set a private appointment with Mrs. Dean right here on Campus by calling 602-266-9200. *

Success Matters!

Mon, February 2, 2015 Published by Beatitudes Campus

It started 50 years ago when a new community opened its doors promising the highest quality of life and opportunity for successful aging. Until those doors opened, the chances for truly successful living, in what were mostly “nursing homes,” were close to none. They were simply a place to exist day in and day out with no real belief in lifestyle choices and options that can strengthen physical and mental outlooks.

What the founders of this new community knew was that offering only day to day existence was beyond an insult because learning, living and growing takes place all the days of our lives no matter what level of physical or mental capability. Fifty years later, Beatitudes Campus continues its mission of offering its residents, at every level in its community, the opportunity to access the highest quality of life and success each day and to embrace those tools that will help create it. And just like fifty years ago, it is our mission to continue to discover new and innovative ways to achieve success for every resident whom we have the honor to serve.

At Beatitudes Campus, success matters – your success matters! No one can force success on another. But we know that if we can offer our residents the insights, tools and programs, that for what others are convinced is inevitable when it comes to aging, our residents can redefine and thrive instead.

What does success look like? It might look like waking up one day realizing that getting out of bed and standing is getting harder and harder – and then going to the Fitness Center and looking for new ways to strengthen those legs and keep them lifting you for years to come. It might look like realizing that your sense of balance is changing – and then instead of waiting for “the fall”, checking with your doctor and taking Fall Prevention classes and balance exercises all aimed at keeping you upright for all those times you want to be. It might look like observing that you have been staying home and even ordering dinner in not only getting out less but socializing less becoming the recipe for depression – and then pushing yourself into the Bistro or Buckwald’s and joining in some activities. By the way, it is not too late to register for a Lifelong Learning class. And it might look like awakening to the fact that days are feeling more sad than happy, and motivation to do anything is slipping away – and then talking to your doctor or pharmacist about medicines that might be causing those feelings – or seeing our excellent counselor in the Wellness Center – or talking to our Chaplains – or pushing yourself back out and surrounding yourself with friends to expose you to some of the most inspiring people right here in your midst. The fact is doing all of the above is part of a recipe for success that you can start cooking up any day you choose. It is the beginning of successful living.

Success matters – your success matters. That is why we are still discovering new ingredients and cooking up new ways to do all we can to be a part of your success. In the next few months, be watching for Resident Services to unveil what we think has been a missing ingredient to our being able to offer you a complete recipe for your mind, body and spirit’s success. We think we have found it and we can’t wait for you to have a taste. Success matters, your success matters at Beatitudes Campus.

Fifty years later this campus is still dedicated to your learning, living and growing – your success – and if you dare to embrace success it is yours. And fifty years later we are still researching and dreaming up innovative approaches and tools to offer, so as to have the greatest potential for achieving the most success at every level. That’s success.

Stay tuned and remember: Your Success Matters to us.

Tag: opportunity