You cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.
As you are reading this, I will be on vacation enjoying some time with my husband and daughter before she goes off to college. I will be doing my best to “disconnect” from the usual busyness of work and other responsibilities and I am looking forward to the Sabbath time. Scripture tells us to “Remember the Sabbath.” Remember that everything we have is a blessing. Remember to stop and offer thanks for the wonder of life. The assumption being that we will forget and given enough time we do. In his book, Sabbath: Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest, author Wayne Muller says: “Long ago, the tradition of Sabbath created an oasis of sacred time within a life of unceasing labor. This consecrated time is available to all of us, regardless of our spiritual tradition. We need not even schedule an entire day each week. Sabbath time can be a Sabbath afternoon, a Sabbath hour, a Sabbath walk. Sabbath time is time off the wheel, time when we take our hand from the plow and allow the essential goodness of creation to nourish our souls.” In many ways, we have lost the rhythm between work and rest. Our society often reinforces that action and accomplishment are better than rest; that doing something is better than doing nothing.
I know that I am not good at doing nothing. I easily become impatient when I am forced to do nothing such as when I need rest when I am sick. Remember the Sabbath. The body needs rest to heal from illness and from exhaustion. Muller says, “Sabbath honors the necessary wisdom of dormancy. If certain plant species, for example, do not lie dormant for winter, they will not bear fruit in the spring. If this continues for more than a season, the plant begins to die. A period of rest—in which nutrition and fertility most readily coalesce—is not simply a human psychological convenience; it is a spiritual and biological necessity. A lack of dormancy produces confusion and erosion in the life force. When we act from a place of deep rest, we are more capable of cultivating what the Buddhists would call right understanding, right action, and right effort.”
As the summer months begin, residents have shared with me that they are leaving for cooler climates or they are looking forward to family reunions or travel for rest and relaxation. Some have shared that even though they will not be going anywhere to escape the heat, they will find moments of Sabbath on their morning walk, in prayer or worship or in moments of silence. In some way, my friends, may you remember the Sabbath this summer and find restoration and renewal for your soul.*
With the onset of summer and warmer weather and water, Beatitudes wants to remind all residents that we offer aquatic therapy as part of our outpatient therapy clinic services for our residents. Nancy Reyes, one of our contracted Occupational Therapists began working with residents for a couple of years now and the residents seem to enjoy it.
Aquatic therapy takes place in a warm water pool with a temperature ranging between 84 to 90 degrees. The principles of aquatic therapy which provide rehabilitative benefits are: hydrostatic pressure, buoyancy and viscosity.
Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted equally on all surface areas of an immersed body resting at a given depth. As pool depth increases, fluid density increases causing an increase in pressure. This principle is beneficial to individuals who may suffer from lower extremity edema. The increase in pressure can help reverse these inflammatory effects which may then cause a decrease in swelling. Hydrostatic pressure can also benefit those with unstable joints. In this case, increased pressure coupled with underwater exercise helps improve joint stability.
Buoyancy is the upward force a fluid exerts on an object of less density. It works in the opposite direction of gravity. For example, someone who is neck deep in water experiences about 10% weight bearing, at chest deep water level this increases to 25 to 30%, etc. This principle may be beneficial for individuals who present with weak muscles, difficulty with weight bearing or restrictions in their range of motion. In these examples, buoyancy can assist by providing weightless movements which allow spastic muscles to relax and allow for an overall increase in movement. The ability to perform movements which were not attainable on land can have a profound positive psychological effect.
Viscosity of water is referred to as, “the stickiness of a fluid”, thusly, resistance can be increased by speed of movement. By creating a more viscous environment, the force of resistance increases. This increase in resistance allows the opportunity for muscle strengthening which can benefit individuals who need to build strength but have difficulty coordinating their movements on land. Individuals suffering from illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease have had positive results in muscle strengthening thanks to therapeutic aquatic exercise. Viscosity allows them to perform strengthening exercises without the challenges of loss of balances they may experience exercising on land.
While aquatic exercise has been shown to have great benefits; there are some reasons aquatic exercise may not be for you, such as: skin infection, open wounds, recent deep x-ray therapy, inability to adjust to fluid loss due to kidney disease, perforated eardrum, incontinence, hyper or hypo tension with short periods of exercises; frequent rest breaks.
Residents that would be good candidates for hydrotherapy include those who may have or had the following: orthopedic surgeries/injuries arm, wrist, hand fractures, total knee replacements, hip replacements and hip pinning, stroke, spinal cord injury, and cardiopulmonary issues like COPD.
Medicare Part B benefits can cover the cost but a physician’s order will need to be obtained. The hours available for aquatic therapy are 11:30A.M to 2:00P.M Monday through Friday by appointment. Please feel free to contact the therapy department for further information or to schedule an appointment with Nancy by calling (602) 433-6153. Nancy is certified in PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation), and has been practicing aquatic therapy for 20 years. She previously ran the aquatic rehab program for 4 years at Chris Ridge Village and taught post therapy aquatic programs at Maryvale’s Women’s Center for the fibromyalgia and arthritis aquatic exercise programs. Please note that all necessary equipment needed will be at the Beatitudes pool and there is a lift for individuals who may have ambulatory difficulties. Nancy and the therapy team look forward to introducing you to the benefits that therapeutic aquatic exercise can provide.*
As the temperatures in Phoenix continue to climb well over 100 degrees, it is particularly important for older adults to stay hydrated. Water represents an average of 55% of our body weight, and it assists in countless important bodily functions including: regulating our temperature and blood pressure, lubricating and cushioning our joints, and ridding our bodies of waste through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements.
Older adults can be at particular risk of dehydration for three key reasons:
How can you tell when you’re dehydrated? While we’ve all been told we should drink 8 glasses of water a day, the actual amount of water each individual requires varies based on weight, external temperatures, how active we are, and a variety of other factors. As a general rule of thumb, if your urine is dark yellow, you should be drinking more water. Pale/light yellow urine typically indicates adequate hydration. It may also be a sign of dehydration if you get dizzy standing up, if you’re unusually confused, if you are constipated, if you have a headache, if you are experiencing dry mouth, or if you have muscle spasms.
Following these tips can help ensure you are well hydrated this summer:
With these tips in mind, you’re sure to have a happier, healthier, hydrated summer!
Heat exhaustion is most likely the culprit when a worker experiences an excessive loss of water and salt and is sweating profusely. Among those most prone to heat exhaustion are employees who work in hot environments such as laundry, grounds, cooks, and maintenance, or who have high blood pressure or who are elderly.
According to the Arizona Department of Health Statistics, nearly 1,500 people in Arizona died between 1992 and 2009 from exposure to excessive natural heat due to weather conditions.
Employees working in hot environments should be trained in first-aid treatment of heat exhaustion. When workers succumb to heat exhaustion:
Some common myths about heat stress are:For more information and tips on how to avoid heat exhaustion visit www.copperpoint.com and search for “Heat Stress”.
Source: CDC, NIOSH
Did you know the campus is a heat relief station for people that need a cool drink?
The Human Resources office has water that has been donated from the City of Phoenix and Heat Relief Network. This program runs from May 1st to October 1st every year. They can sit in our lobby and cool off for up to 30 minutes and get a drink to help avoid dehydration and possibly heat exhaustion. We have also extended this to their pets. So a person can come in with their pet and we can offer water to both. Phoenix has reached record heats of 122 degrees and not everyone has access to water. As part of our culture we want to stand out in the community and help those in need. If someone asks you about the heat relief station please send them over to the Human Resources office Monday-Friday from 7AM-4:30PM.
