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Touchtown Equipment Options

Wed, November 3, 2021 Published by

Residents without a computer nor smart phone may find an inexpensive device for connecting to our campus Touchtown Community. Amazon has two options either at a cost of about $40 or a cost of around $100 that are easy to operate. The Amazon Fire TV stick can be attached to your TV and provide some of the Touchtown features; that is the least cost method. The Amazon Fire tablet (previously called a Kindle) can be found in a small screen size for as low as $50 but a larger screen will be nearer to $100 without commercial advertising. All Amazon devices have access to Alexa which is useful on Touchtown when asking what is going on today and may be more useful in the future as more features are added. Our campus Touchtown Ambassadors can help you get set up. Currently the Ambassadors are meeting on Thursdays in the Bistro at 2:30PM to offer their services helping residents get connected.

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Thu, October 7, 2021 Published by

It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn’t heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore’s stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore. “Hello Eeyore,” said Pooh. “Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet,” said Eeyore, in a Glum Sounding Voice. “We just thought we’d check in on you,” said Piglet, “because we hadn’t heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay.”

Eeyore was silent for a moment. “Am I okay?” he asked, eventually. “Well, I don’t know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That’s what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. Which is why I haven’t bothered you. Because you wouldn’t want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now.”

Pooh looked at Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house. Eeyore looked at them in surprise. “What are you doing?” “We’re sitting here with you,” said Pooh, “because we are your friends. And true friends don’t care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are.” “Oh,” said Eeyore. “Oh.” And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better. Because Pooh and Piglet were There. No more; no less. (A.A. Milne, E.H. Shepard)

This is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness on this stigmatized, and often taboo, topic. The goal is to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help. Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. In fact, suicide is often the result of an untreated mental health condition. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues. It can be frightening if someone you love talks about suicidal thoughts. It can be even more frightening if you find yourself thinking about dying or giving up on life. Not taking these kinds of thoughts seriously can have devastating outcomes, as suicide is a permanent solution to (often) temporary problems.

Did you know?

  • 78% of all people who die by suicide are male.
  • Although more women than men attempt suicide, men are nearly 4x more likely to die by suicide.
  • Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10–34 and the 10th leading cause of death overall in the U.S.
  • The overall suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by 35% since 1999.
  • 46% of people who die by suicide had a diagnosed mental health condition.
  • Annual prevalence of serious thoughts of suicide, by U.S. demographic group:
    • 4.8% of all adults
    • 11.8% of young adults aged 18-25
    • 18.8% of high school students
    • 46.8% of lesbian, gay and bisexual high school students

If you or someone you know are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255)

You also have crisis resources available here on campus that will connect you to the treatment and support you need. Call Chaplain Peggy (X16109) or Chaplain Andrew (X18481) or Josephine Levy (X16117) and Jessica Meyer from Success Matters (X16110) or speak to any staff member and they will help you find the support you need.

Resident Assistance Fund

Wed, August 4, 2021 Published by

The Resident Assistance Fund provides scholarships to Beatitudes Campus residents who have outlived their resources and need assistance meeting the full cost of their housing and healthcare. Planned giving is an arranged gift which will mature to benefit the campus over time. For more information, please contact Barbara Wood, Director of Development at 602-995-6136 (or x16136 on campus phone).

Dimensions of Wellness Fair

Fri, March 6, 2020 Published by

While the categories of wellness overlap and influence one another, some examples of physical wellness will include Mobile Valley Physicians, Oasis Outpatient Therapy, Dispatch Health, our own Fitness Director, Mike Smallwood, Zounds, Premier and Costco Hearing, mobile dentistry and more.

Home Grown

Sun, March 24, 2019 Published by

We have had some leadership changes within the last few month in the Health Care Center as well as our Assisted Living and we are happy that the changes are familiar faces since we promoted from within.

The first change to take place at the beginning of January is Teresa Borton, RN became the licensed Health Care Administrator of our Health Care Center. Teresa began an Administrator in Training (AIT) program in April of 2018, completed the 6-month program in September, and then passed her State and National exams in November and December. Teresa, prior to her AIT program was our Director of Nursing since April of 2015. Teresa had always expressed an interest in Administration and we are pleased we could assist her.

Prior to joining us at Beatitudes, Teresa was the Director of Nursing at Grandview Care Center. Teresa became an RN, mid-career after spending over 20 years in the dental field. She shared that growing up she always wanted to be a nurse and she made that dream come true. When Teresa is not at work, she is home enjoying time with her husband, Steve. Teresa also is the proud mom to Danielle and Josh and the beloved Grama to Hunter and Dean who she shared are the “lights of her life”! Teresa loves coming to work each day to have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.

The second change in Health Care Center management is Suzanne McLaughlin taking over as the Director of Nursing. Most recently, Sue was the Director of RAI (Resident Assessment Instrument) which oversees the process for submitting resident assessments to Medicare for payment. This is a very detailed process and Sue even holds a certification to ensure the RAI’s were submitted accurately and timely. Medicare and the Office of the Inspector General have been auditing and tightening down on skilled nursing facilities for unnecessary overpayments from Medicare. Beatitudes has not been found to have any unnecessary overpayments. For a couple years prior to her transfer to the Director of RAI position, Sue was our Assistant Director of Nursing supporting Teresa as the Director of Nursing. Now these two are back together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. There is no relationship in skilled nursing as trusting and strong, or as necessary as the Director of Nursing and the Administrator. Sue and Teresa have worked together for years and balance each other well.

When Sue is not working, she, too, is spending time with her love, Steve. Sue also shares her love with her 4 children, 5 wonderful grandchildren, her crazy puppy, Louie, and her 2 furry felines, Stewart and Oliver. Sue will likely retire within the next couple of years to Minnesota as she has another important job awaiting her there as Gramms. Sue said the Beatitudes has been her favorite place of all to work because “of the kindness, caring, compassion and friendliness that embraces our campus.”

The third and final change for our Health Services management team is that of Zeus Del Rosario becoming the Director of Assisted Living and Memory Support. Zeus was hired as the Nurse Manager in September of 2018. We soon found out that Zeus’ compassion, leadership and relationship building was what we were missing in Assisted Living and Memory Support leadership. Zeus completed his Assisted Living Manager certification training and became licensed by the State of Arizona in February. Zeus has made great strides in his couple of months of day-to-day operations and residents and families have expressed how impressed they are with him and his leadership. Prior to coming to Beatitudes, Zeus worked as an LPN in skilled nursing and long-term care as well as his family has a group home in Gilbert, AZ.

Zeus grew up in a Filipino family-oriented culture which “respects and treasures our elders, which I believe is what influenced my drive to be in geriatric care.” When not at work, Zeus enjoys playing basketball, baseball, soccer, football and working out and he is a big comic book fan, especially Marvel comics.

In closing, I would like to share how proud of Teresa, Sue, and Zeus, I and the Administrative team are. These three have chosen stressful, highly regulated jobs and are on call almost 24/7 and they do it out of love, because they love our residents, our staff and our mission. I would also like to thank the staff, residents and families that support Teresa, Sue and Zeus as they work to fulfil our mission daily. Please know that they are there to assist you, answer questions and provide resources as needed. Please join me in congratulating Teresa, Sue and Zeus in their well-deserved and hard-earned promotions.

Buckwald’s Sunday Morning Dining Experience is Moving

Sun, March 3, 2019 Published by

One of our greatest responsibilities as staff serving you is to be the best stewards possible of our resources.  Every few months we analyze our systems and costs looking for inefficiencies and waste.  If discovered, we aim to take immediate action to quickly minimize its impact.  We have watched for some time the lower participation in our Sunday dining option at Buckwald’s Arizona Grille.  In that the low attendance simply does not justify the labor and food costs, we have made the decision to realign our Sunday experience Campus-wide.  Beginning in March, we will close Buckwald’s on Sundays, but Sundays will still be offering you great options.

Our intention is to continue a once-monthly Sunday Brunch in Elaine’s Fine Dining.  The new design will not include a buffet, but rather a delicious menu enticing you to want to bring friends and family for this special experience.  Should we see this become as popular as we believe it will be, we will expand the number of Sundays.  If the day comes that we are busting at the seams for Sunday brunch, we will absolutely revisit expanding back to Buckwald’s.  Again, our goal is to balance costs with the greatest dining experiences possible.

We will be closed effective March 10, 2019 on Sundays.

I am grateful to our Dining Services Team for their continuous commitment to providing the best dining experiences and options with the most efficient use of our resources.

Rev. David W. Ragan, Senior Vice President of Resident Services

Joe Kane, Director of Dining Services

 

Falls Prevention at Beatitudes

Sun, July 8, 2018 Published by

Success Matters is holding a summer session of the SAFER Stepping falls prevention program, which is not offered anywhere else in the country. The SAFER Stepping acronym stands for Surefooted Aging with Falls-related Education and Resources, and the workshop was carefully designed for Beatitudes Campus residents.  When many older adults think about falls risks, they consider balance and the obvious trip hazards, but few consider the many other components that combine to contribute to an overall increased risk of falls.  The SAFER Stepping workshop was developed to address all of these factors.  SAFER Stepping meets twice weekly for an hour and divides time between developing strength, coordination, and balance through exercises, AND systematically addressing the following falls-related factors: fear of falling, vision and hearing related falls risks, brain health and nutrition, medications related to falls, advocacy and how to discuss falls with health professionals, friends, and family, as well as home and environmental risks and adaptations.

The next SAFER Stepping workshop will begin again on Tuesday, August 7th at 3:00PM and will meet every Tuesday and Thursday for six weeks through September 13th. Call Jessica Meyer at x16110 to reserve a spot or be put on the waiting list for the next available course.*

Healthy Living for Healthy Lungs

Mon, March 13, 2017 Published by

With warmer spring weather arriving, we are all enjoying the welcoming temperatures of the season and spending more time outdoors. But with spring comes higher pollen counts and an increase in allergic symptoms. In Arizona, allergens cause more severe and prolonged allergy symptoms due to the extended growing seasons. Phoenix residents also endure more air pollution in the form of soot, dust, aerosols and emissions than most large cities, which can exacerbate allergy symptoms, as well as other lung conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  Allergies, asthma, and COPD combined affect over 56% of the population, and COPD, in particular, has a higher rate of occurrence among older adults.  But breathe easy…we’ve got you covered.

Better Breathers is a group sponsored by the American Lung Association, which meets every 2nd Monday of the month at 4PM in the Motion Studio.  This group supports individuals with various lung conditions and provides valuable insights and tools for lung health.  Under the thoughtful leadership of resident, Barbara Carpenter, the Better Breathers hosts speakers and regularly addresses topics, such as:

  • How COPD, asthma, and allergies affects the lungs
  • Breathing techniques and relaxation to manage lung conditions
  • Exercise
  • Talking with your physician
  • Medications and other treatment options
  • Air pollution

Like many residents on campus, participants in Better Breathers are committed to living their lives to the fullest, despite physical challenges that may arise.  Through peer support and education, Better Breathers helps residents and community members learn proactive ways to face lung conditions head on and embrace life!

On March 25th, members of the Better Breathers group will be making a special trip to the LUNG FORCE Expo. The LUNG FORCE Expo is a program designed for patients, caregivers and healthcare providers to learn more about the latest trends, resources and research surrounding lung conditions.  Speakers from a variety of fields will present current medical information on topics that have the most impact on those whose lives are touched by these conditions.

If you’re interested in learning more about Better Breathers or attending the LUNG FORCE Expo, join us Monday, March 13th at 4PM in the Motion Studio or catch us next month on April 10th. 

National AMD & Low Vision Awareness Month

Wed, February 1, 2017 Published by

February is National Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Awareness Month, and many of the residents at Beatitudes experience low vision in various forms. Macular degeneration causes loss of central vision and is one of the most common low vision diagnoses amongst older adults, but others on campus have glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, and numerous other visual conditions. What many don’t realize, however, is that almost all older adults experience age-related changes in vision.  These age-related changes frequently include increased sensitivity to glare, diminished ability to see contrast, increased sensitivity to light changes, decreased depth perception, diminished visual acuity or sharpness, and decreased ability to see in dim light.  For example, according to University of Kentucky researchers, an 80 year-old needs four times the amount of light to see things as clearly as they did in their 20s!  Thankfully, there are a number of great resources in place to assist residents at Beatitudes Campus to navigate age-related vision changes.

The Low Vision Support Group meets on the second Friday of each month at 1PM in Boardroom East to share resources and support for those who are coping with varying degrees of vision loss. This group is open to ALL residents, and it publishes a reference list of eye doctors, optometrists, specialists, and local organizations that provide services for the visually impaired. In addition to sharing news and information about the latest developments in eye care and vision technology advancements, the Low Vision Support Group makes buttons available to residents with low vision, so that they can easily identify themselves to others.  You may notice your friends and neighbors wearing a button that says, “I HAVE LOW VISION.”  When you see others wearing these buttons, please be mindful of the fact that they may not be able to see your face clearly and may need extra time to orient themselves to their surroundings.  As a courtesy to all residents on campus who may have low vision (whether or not they wear the button), please identify yourself when you say hello.

As an occupational therapist and Director of Success Matters, one of my roles also includes working with individual residents to help make their environments more visually accessible —  from home lighting to computers.  For individualized information on setting up your apartment for improved visibility, feel free to call me, Jessica Meyer, at x16110.  Please contact Mark Pelkey at x15586 or Mary Lou Philips at x18371 for additional information about upcoming Low Vision Support Group meetings.

Success Matters Welcomes Josephine Levy

Wed, January 11, 2017 Published by

Thank you for welcoming me to Beatitudes Campus – I am so happy to be here as the new Success Matters Resource Navigator, a position that will enable me to work with residents to find needed resources and answer questions. This is a new position that will develop under the guidance of Jessica Meyer, who is already a tremendous resource herself as well as a delightful colleague.

I first became interested in learning more about the aging process when I was a hospice volunteer. From that six-year experience I learned firsthand that we are all part of this great thing called living and dying, and that we are intimately tied to one another throughout this whirlwind of a journey. I also learned how to double-bag trash cans, haul laundry bags, and make a great grilled cheese sandwich.

At that time I was working as a high school guidance counselor; before that I taught English for nine years. Some people might wonder about the shift from working with adolescents to older adults, but I see it as a natural transition. Both younger people and older people are faced with issues of changing identity and growth. Both are subject to stereotyping and generalizations. It seemed to me that our society does not take the time to appreciate the subtleties of the aging process.

My academic interests culminated in a Master of Arts, Gerontology degree from USC. This exposed me to a wide range of social, political and biological issues that affect our lives. I completed the USC Andrus Gerontology Center’s Executive Certificate in Home Modification, as well as the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) designation. I realized how much the physical living environment plays a key role in maintaining dignity and autonomy, and how we can alter it to suit our changing needs. Too often we assume the problem is within ourselves, when really, it is in the physical barriers we have created that surround us.

Most recently, I worked as the Managing Director of Tempe Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a volunteer-based nonprofit that provides resources to Tempe residents who are aging in place. My work in this capacity solidified my interest in providing resources to others that help make aging a more satisfying experience.

I’m a Phoenix native and although every summer I can’t believe I still live here, that seems to be the case. I have a husband, four cats and a dog who surround me with affection, joy and chores. I enjoy yoga, reading newspapers, watching Frasier reruns and desert landscaping. Again, thank you for welcoming me to Beatitudes Campus and I look forward to learning and growing along with you on our common journey.

Plan Now to Make More Possible Tomorrow

Mon, January 2, 2017 Published by

Happy New Year to all of you – residents, staff, partners! This is the time of year when we are more mindful about reflecting on our life and our world. New Year’s reflections often remind us to do more of what works – the right things – and less of what doesn’t work.

We now have turned the page on 2016 and are ready to begin a new chapter. With a new year also comes new resolve to think about tomorrow today. What are we truly passionate about? How can we make a difference? How can we be better servant leaders? What organizations or causes do we care about to devote our personal resources of money, time and energy? The list of projects and endeavors we want to be involved in is probably long and varied, but making such a list will help us to think about where we want to place our energy and resources.

You – the residents, staff, family and friends – devote much time, talent and treasure to Beatitudes Campus, through your volunteering, leadership and charitable gifts to many of the campus initiatives, to programs and to the Resident Assistance Fund. I am humbled by your generosity. Thank you!

The start of a new year can also be a signal for us to begin to make plans for future charitable gifts. With a planned gift, you can create a lasting legacy of support and help the campus continue to provide excellent opportunities and services for generations to come. Every day, Beatitudes Campus, along with our residents and friends, are expanding the boundaries of what’s possible through programs that connect us through our mind, body and spirit. We support programs that exercise our minds as well as our bodies, and programs that help us to expand our campus into the community. One of the driving forces behind these programs is you. You make things possible today, and tomorrow, with planned charitable giving. Planning now makes more possible tomorrow.

There are many different types of planned giving options. You can help ensure the future of Beatitudes Campus programming and innovation in a way that works for you. Cash contributions are always appreciated, and there are other creative and flexible options that can benefit you and Beatitudes Campus. There are many ways to make a significant impact through a planned gift – you can consider making a gift that costs nothing in your lifetime through a charitable bequest under your will or trust, or by beneficiary designation. An easy way to include Beatitudes Campus in your estate plan is to name Beatitudes Campus Foundation as a beneficiary of your donor advised fund, retirement plan, IRA or life insurance policy. Planned gifts can also give back—and can help you prepare for your future. They can provide income for you and your loved ones for life. They can also allow you to take income, gift and estate tax deductions and can provide favorable capital gains tax treatment. Planned gifts allow you to leave a legacy for future generations.

All people who have made a bequest or other type of planned gift are invited to join the Culver H. Nelson Founder’s Society at Beatitudes Campus. It’s our way of recognizing you and thanking you for your generosity and for ensuring the future success of Beatitudes Campus. If you have made such a gift, we want to know and recognize you, so please let me know. Throughout the next year, we will offer some workshops on gift planning to help you with your options. In the meantime, I’d love to talk to you. Of course, you will want to talk to your financial or tax adviser also. Feel free to stop by and talk with me about any kind of charitable giving. Please contact me in the Foundation Office (x16136 or stop by the South building – our office is next to Oasis Therapy).

So, let’s turn the page to our next chapter. Exciting possibilities await in 2017!

Senior Driving Safety: CarFit at Beatitudes

Mon, October 17, 2016 Published by

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.  CarFitcarfit-large 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.

“RAM” – Noun or Verb? Animal or Action?

Tue, December 1, 2015 Published by

Neither! At least when you’re referring to computers. 🙂

RAM is actually an acronym which stands for “Random Access Memory”. Because of this, it’s reference is typically shortened to “Memory”. For example, How much memory does your computer have? It’s size or capacity is measured in powers of 2 and these days the increments are in Gigabytes or “GB”. For example, 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB etc. Without a doubt, RAM has the greatest effect on computer performance. If there’s not enough, it can choke and slow your computer to a crawl no matter how fast the processor is. The processor actually relies on RAM to do its job. Imagine RAM as being the top of your desk. The bigger your desk is, the more things you can work on at the same time. If you have a tiny little desk, chances are you can only work on one thing at a time. So still the question remains, HOW MUCH?? To be honest, there’s no exact science for determining this. It’s kind of up to you and your intended computer use. But here’s a road map to help.

All software programs and applications loaded on your computer will take a bite out of available RAM while in use. Including your operating system and antivirus which are always running many services in the background. So if you add to that by opening more programs and applications, you continue to subtract from available RAM. This means the biggest consideration when determining the amount of RAM you may need is how many applications do you intend to use “at the same time”. The most typical user will have email open while browsing the Internet or social sites like Facebook (4 to 8 GB). A more heavy user may do that but add to it heavy word processing, PowerPoint presentation or publication creation (8 to 16 GB). And an even heavier user may be a photographer or graphics artist engaging in heavy duty photo editing and movie creation (16 to 32 GB). So you see, while I’m sure any salesman can convince you that more is always better, in the end only you hold the answers to “How Much” RAM you really need. Be aware, It’s possible to reach overkill if you don’t truly need it and additional RAM seems to come with a pretty hefty price tag. The beauty is that it can be upgraded later if you find you really need it. So don’t stress. Think about what you might need and go for it.