Beatitudes Community
Log in
Log in

Tag: support group

National Mental Health Month

Sun, May 26, 2019 Published by

May is National Mental Health Month, and it gives us an opportunity to address issues surrounding mental health and our community. One of the most common conditions that affects many of us at one time or another is depression.

Depression is more than ordinary sadness that comes and goes; although we sometimes use the word in a more casual sense, depression also manifests itself as more than a passing blue mood. Although depression is not an “expected” part of aging, it can accompany life changes that are common to the aging process, such as the death of a partner or friends, physical illness and other life changes.

It’s important to know that help is always available, whether you are feeling down for a day or find yourself in a more persistent state. While sometimes mood can be improved by taking a walk, listening to music, or talking with a friend, there may be times when more intervention is needed.

One group of local professionals is the Crisis Response Network. Available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, their trained counselors are there to listen. Your call is confidential, and they can help by problem solving with whatever situation you present. They are there with the “Hot Line” to help if you have thoughts of suicide, but also have a “Warm Line” if you just need to talk to someone confidentially. The Crisis Response Network Crisis Line can be reached at 602-222-9444.

You can also reach out to our Campus staff with whom you have a good rapport, or to those who have had the Mental Health First-Aid Training course. As the name suggests, the “first-aid” training helps staff evaluate whether you would benefit from a more involved professional intervention, and they may, in turn, suggest calling the Crisis Response Network. The Crisis Response Network can send a team of professionals your way, at no charge, to do a more detailed interview. There are no flashing lights or emergency vehicles, just two “plain clothes” mental health counselors. They may offer either in-patient or out-patient support groups, connected with behavioral health networks, to address more persistent needs. This process lets you be in charge of how much help you want, and when you want it. Whether your feelings of depression are temporary or long term, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the support that is available.

Campus Responders with Mental Health First-Aid Training:

Rev. Peggy Roberts, Sr. VP of Spiritual Life, x16109.

Rev. Andrew Moore, Associate Chaplain, x18481.

Josephine Levy, Success Matters Resource Navigator x16117.

Crisis Response Network Crisis Line (602) 222-9444.

Just A Phone Call Away

Mon, January 22, 2018 Published by

February is National Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Awareness Month, and many residents here experience low vision in various forms. While many have macular degeneration, which causes loss of central vision, others 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.  Not only that, most older adults with vision loss have some degree of hearing loss too, which can make previously simple tasks like talking on the phone more challenging.  To address both vision and hearing challenges on Campus, the Low Vision Support Group will be sponsoring a special presentation on February 9th at 1:00PM in Boardroom East. Connie Short is a representative from CapTel phones and has previously worked with the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  She will be demonstrating and answering questions about the latest telephone technology for those with vision and/or hearing loss. AND THE BEST PART IS…THE PHONES ARE FREE TO RESIDENTS WHO QUALIFY! We hope you’ll join us to learn more!

Success Matters: 2017 Year In Review

Fri, January 5, 2018 Published by

More than once the Success Matters team has been asked, “What is it you do exactly?”  Since this has been a great year for our Success Matters program, we thought we’d share some highlights.

A big part of our work is educational outreach. Our Lifelong Learner classes include: “Family Ties”; TED Talks “Life Lived Well”;  “Healthy Aging”; and “Maintain your Brain”.  We held information sessions on urinary incontinence, Life Planning documents, GoGoGrandparent, and Medicare.

Our SimulAge staff training helps employees continue to do their best work in interacting with residents. We have worked with approximately 150 staff from across Campus.

Jessica and Josephine teamed up to present at the Beatitudes at Home Spring Education Conference. Jessica also presented on the topic of “Assessing and Addressing Frailty” for the AZ Geriatrics Society; Josephine served on a discussion panel about transportation issues, and completed the Area Agency on Aging Medicare Counselor Volunteer Training.

October was Driver Safety Awareness Month, with OT students from NAU conducting Driver Check-Ups, and featuring AARP for the Smart Driver Course. We held A.T. Still University’s “Listen Up” program, which helps couples resolve communication issues stemming from hearing loss. We hosted the A.T. Still course “A Matter of Balance,” and held our own 6-week Safer Stepping series.

Jessica mentored three OT students from A.T. Still University, Mitch Sopko and Rich Fauci, and Maddie Thueson. Having Maddie, Rich, and Mitch in our department was a definite highlight.

Guest speaker Betty Delano from the AZ Attorney General’s Office spoke about scams, and Tony Motley from the AZ Department of Veteran Services presented on VA benefits.

We started an email newsletter and just published our 4th edition. Contact Josephine at x16117 if you want to be added to the email list.

Our daily focus is working directly to help residents maintain independence and a good quality of life. This might include answering questions about Life Planning documents or benefits, facilitating communication, transportation issues, apartment safety, support groups, and more.

Our little garden just outside the back of Agelink continues to grow. Please feel free to come visit. We aren’t growing anything edible but we do have a nice grouping of ferns, succulents, flowers, and cacti. They love to be admired and fussed over. We have seen two hummingbirds at our feeder, and a few lizards taking it easy out back. There is a bench where you can sit and contemplate on the east end of Agelink. Welcome!

Success Matters at Beatitudes Campus was awarded the 2017 Arizona Leading Age Award for Innovative Health and Wellness Programs.

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.

Duet Caregiver Symposium to Offer Critical Skills for Family Caregivers

Thu, September 22, 2016 Published by
SONY DSC

Clara Graham, Caregiver

Are you taking care of a loved one? You are not alone! About twenty million unpaid caregivers take care of almost ten million adults ages 65 and older in the United States, according to a 2014 study from the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Alzheimer’s Association has determined that in Arizona, 130,000 adults ages 65 and older have Alzheimer’s disease and that about 800,000 residents provide unpaid care for their loved ones with disabling conditions.

Support for family caregivers is critical for them to stay healthy so they can keep helping their loved ones and have an improved quality of life, yet most of our community’s caregivers do not know that help is available.

Duet, a non-profit interfaith organization, is offering a Caregiver Symposium: “How to Find Hope while Coping with Stress and Grief” on October 6 at Church of the Beatitudes, 555 W. Glendale Ave., Phoenix. Renowned researcher, educator and therapist, Dr. Pauline, Boss will share proven techniques to help caregivers deal with losses and how to reclaim hope amidst grief. Duet very much appreciates the support of Beatitudes Campus, Beatitudes at Home and Church of the Beatitudes in making this event possible.  Beatitudes at Home is actually providing respite caregivers for those who wish to attend the conference.

Dr. Boss is best known for her groundbreaking research on a form of prolonged grief known as “ambiguous loss.” For over four decades, much of her work has focused on helping family caregivers successfully navigate this unique type of grief in which their loved ones are physically alive but not the person the caregivers once knew.

Her session for family caregivers will take place from 9AM to 1:30PM (includes lunch) and her session for professionals and students will be from 1:30 to 3:30PM.

Clara Graham, an 80-year-old caregiver whose husband has Alzheimer’s disease, appreciates the support she receives at Duet’s family caregivers support group.  “It has been like going from day to night,” Clara said. “He was diagnosed with early onset dementia, and within a year he couldn’t remember what day it was. “Duet is my salvation,” she adds. “It gives me hope.”

After the Symposium, Duet will use a three-year, $460,000 grant from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to pay for the creation of a series of videos based on Dr. Boss’s book, as well as expand other caregiver services. The videos will offer tools to help caregivers navigate losses as well as support a caregiver-to-caregiver volunteer program to better serve isolated and overwhelmed caregivers and expand services for caregivers from diverse, underserved communities.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust for helping us further support family caregivers, who need to preserve their own well-being in their challenging roles,” said Ann Wheat, Duet’s Director of Caregiver Services.

The Reverend Dr. Dosia Carlson and Church of the Beatitudes founded Duet in 1981 as part of Dosia’s vision to provide innovative solutions to community needs. Besides assisting family caregivers, Duet also helps homebound adults, faith communities and grandparents raising grandchildren. To register for the symposium or ask for help visit www.duetaz.org or call 602-274-5022. *