Beatitudes Community

Come Learn About Touchtown

It’s an old slogan, and a new product: TOUCHTOWN. Paper will not be going away but as a campus we continually work towards different ways to communicate with all of you. We feel touchtown is a great way to work towards reducing paper usage and a great way to keep everyone engaged and in the know! Resident touchtown ambassadors have been hard at work crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s in regards to the toucthtown app and developing a training class on the best way to utilize touchtown.

Ambassadors will be at the “touchtown help desk” every day from 11:00a-1:00p in the Bistro helping others download the app on your phone in preparation for trainings. Ambassadors will also be holding in person touchtown trainings on 9.10, 9.11, 9.12, and 9.13, you will need to sign up to attend those trainings but…..you can also do that at the “touchtown help desk”! Stop by during the help desk hours and sign up for a class, we hope all can come and visit!

Lead An Active Life

I was reading about inspirational living the other day and was drawn to an article by Dr. Art Hister, an award winning physician, educator and media personality from Vancouver.  Most seniors want to live longer, but even more important, they want to enjoy a good quality of life. We hear this a great deal as we tour prospective residents and their families around Beatitudes Campus.  It’s really those types of factors that make the difference – our fitness center and incredible training staff, our top flight Center for Life Long Learning and the host of other clubs and organizations in which residents can immerse themselves.

Dr. Hister tackles this issue directly and I’m sufficiently convinced we should listen since it appears that he has more than a bit of credibility.  He is currently a health analyst on The Morning News on Global TV in BC. He is also the author of two Canadian bestsellers, Midlife Man and Dr. Art Hister’s Guide to a Longer and Healthier Life, as well as numerous articles for publications such as Reader’s Digest, The Globe and Mail, and The Medical Post.

“Quality of life is really important,” says Dr. Art. “I want to enjoy the rest of my years, especially with my grandchildren. I want to walk on the beach with them, not have to sit waiting for them to visit me.”

“The single most important thing you can do,” he advises, “is to be more active. Just keep going. The more active you are, the better. There is less chance for your body to deteriorate. Being mobile and active is more important than diet or other factors.” Dr. Art doesn’t like to use the word “exercise” preferring to say “keep moving, keep active.”

“Furthermore, it’s easy. There’s nothing to prevent you; simply make up your mind to be more active. Sadly, our culture does not encourage us to do exercise, quite the opposite.” One only has to look at the parking lots, cars, elevators, and escalators all around us to see that Dr. Art is right.

“Numerous studies have shown that when previously sedentary people become more active, their health improves,” he says. He describes how living a healthier life has several almost immediate benefits including sleeping better, having more energy, having lower stress, and suffering less anxiety. Long-term benefits include living longer, being happier, and reducing the negative effects of chronic diseases. That last benefit is particularly significant, isn’t it?

He also emphasizes you’re never too old to change your habits. Studies show that even 80-year olds benefit from becoming more active and embracing these recommendations.  A resident told me recently that he had never really embraced fitness or involvement in a number of social activities, but that in giving it a try, he was astounded at how much improvement in life in general was being experienced.  This was actually in a conversation which involved his daughter and she chimed in rather immediately, stating rather amusedly that she wasn’t exactly sure who these folks were posing as her parents.  “I pretty much have to book an appointment with them—always on the go and more social than I ever knew them to be.  I keep telling the story to my friends for their folks.”

I am always thrilled to hear reports like these.  In fact, we are always anxious to have our family members share the Beatitudes Campus story.  Did you know that the Friends and Family Referral Program also extends to sons, daughters, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or cousins that recommend a prospect to the campus?  We will be hosting two informational sessions later this month to explain how your family member can earn just like our residents by referring qualified prospects to the campus.  Rewards are paid out after three months for those successful placements.  Be sure to let your family know – we will announce the times and place in the Roadrunner soon.

In the meantime, we remain as excited as ever to continue the progress on campus.  These are exciting times!

From Physical Therapy to Personal Fitness

Graduating from physical therapy is a good reason to celebrate and there’s no better time to start a fitness program, even if you’ve never been physically active. Regular exercise will help you maintain your therapy results and will keep you feeling good for a long time. Create a plan to stay active and fit, even when you don’t have a therapist watching your every move.

Start Smart

Physical therapists usually discharge patients with home exercise instructions. Before you finish therapy, ask any questions you have about exercises you should and shouldn’t be doing. You should have a clear understanding of which exercises to do, how to do them, how often, for how long, at what level and how you should feel while exercising.  As you begin exercising on your own, go easy. Follow your therapist’s instructions to increase your exercise level to avoid injury and discourage setbacks.

The benefits of exercise last only as long as you stay active, so keep a copy of your exercise plan where you’ll see it every day. Track your progress to keep yourself honest. Otherwise, you may end up right where you started, with pain, limited function or injury.

At Home

Beginning your post-rehab personal fitness program at home is a great idea for convenience, privacy, and affordability. Set up your home exercise space with safety in mind. Clear your floor of slipping and tripping hazards and make sure you have a stable surface to sit, stand or lie on and something to hold onto for balance.

Gym Time

You may wish to exercise at a local gym or recreation center, especially if you already belonged to one before you underwent physical therapy. If your home exercise plan calls for using exercise equipment or machines, working out at a gym is a convenient way to go.

Step It Up

When you’re ready to move beyond your post-rehab exercise program, schedule a few sessions with a certified personal trainer specializing in post-rehab training. Doing so decreases your risk of injury and pain as you continue to build strength and fitness.

Speak Up

Once you begin your personal fitness program, you may have some questions. You might try some of the exercises and realize that for some reason, they don’t feel right to you. Instead of ditching the entire plan, contact your physical therapist or trainer. Some simple adjustments to your routine could make all the difference.

Hello Beatitudes!

I was asked to write my first article while Jon Schilling was on vacation.  Since I’m one of the newest full time employees, I thought that it would be best for me to take this opportunity to introduce myself to Beatitudes Campus.

I am a personal fitness instructor, certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine since 1996.  I worked as a fitness instructor in various Health Clubs and Medical Clinics. Most of that time I worked at Mountain Shadows Resort and Golf Club in Paradise Valley.

I am a new full time employee, but I am not new to this campus.  Many of you know me from my previous positions.  I started working here for Beatitudes at Home in July, 2012.

I later became the group instructor in the Functional Fitness class.

I left Beatitudes at Home to work in a physical therapy clinic in 2013 for two years, but I continued to be the instructor for the Functional Fitness class.

From the beginning, I made it clear that I enjoyed working with the people in this environment and that I wanted to work here full time.  The average age of my fitness clients, over the course of my 20 year career, has always been 50+ years old.

My new position title is Fitness Specialist.  My duties include Fitness Center Attendant, Personal Fitness Instructor and Group Fitness Instructor.

Now that I am here full time, I will channel all of my studies into fitness training for residents 65 years and older.   This means that I will find the best ways to address age related physical illnesses and injuries.

I am gathering as much literature on dementia as I can find, so I can create effective workout strategies that best serve residents who may suffer from this terrible disease.  I also want to be able to offer useful tips to help friends, relatives and caregivers to communicate with them through troubling times.

The physical therapists who work on campus are wonderful!  I have a good relationship with them.  Residents who have suffered from an illness or injury that work with the campus therapists may want to extend their physical rehabilitation long after they have been discharged.  I can do one on one fitness sessions to extend the physical therapist’s treatment strategies within my limitations as a Certified Fitness Trainer.  It has been three months since I have been a full time employee on Campus.  I DO NOT need any more time to analyze my decision to take this position.  I already concluded that I made the BEST decision to join this team.

I feel very comfortable with the staff and the residents.  I enjoy getting opportunities to share laughs with everyone, especially when I “goof up” during my fitness classes.

If I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet, please stop me in the hallways, come to one of my fitness classes or stop by the Fitness Center.  I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!

The “Grit Scale”

It was my great privilege and pleasure to attend the national LeadingAge conference last week in Indianapolis, Indiana. There were more than 6,500 like-minded professionals there to listen, learn, share best practices and validate many of the ideas and programs about what makes senior living the career that I love. It was incredibly valuable for me to hear about how other life plan communities are approaching social media, their “digital profile” and how they are creating new formulas for more successful senior living. I was particularly impressed with listening to Dr. Angela Duckworth talk about the subject of “grit.” Do you remember that movie—True Grit? At the time, we knew that John Wayne was the essence of what our folks had told us it took to get through tough times and last through the challenges. But that was a western—and a movie. Plenty of you have had to demonstrate real life “true grit” to succeed in careers, raise children, sustain through hard economic times and persevere when family has passed away or maybe passed us by.

Before she was a psychology professor, Angela Duckworth taught math in middle school and high school. She spent a lot of time thinking about something that might seem obvious: The students who tried hardest did the best, and the students who didn’t try very hard didn’t do very well. Duckworth wanted to know: What is the role of effort in a person’s success?

Now Duckworth is an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and her research focuses on a personality trait she calls “grit.” She defines grit as “sticking with things over the very long term until you master them.” In a paper, she writes that “the gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina.”

I found that very interesting in light of what I know from many seniors over the years of my profession about how they have succeeded in spite of anything and everything. Many of you here on the Beatitudes Campus have been educators, and skilled professionals with life’s ups and downs—challenges, joys, highs and lows. And you are here—you got through it all with aplomb and became heroes to admirers like me.

Duckworth’s research suggests that when it comes to high achievement, grit may be as essential as intelligence. That’s a significant finding because for a long time, intelligence was considered the key to success.

Intelligence “is probably the best-measured trait that there is in all of human psychology,” says Duckworth. “We know how to measure intelligence in a matter of minutes.”

But intelligence leaves a lot unexplained. There are smart people who aren’t high achievers, and there are people who achieve a lot without having the highest test scores. In one study, Duckworth found that smarter students actually had less grit than their peers who scored lower on an intelligence test. This finding suggests that, among the study participants (all students at an Ivy League school) people who are not as bright as their peers “compensate by working harder and with more determination.” And their effort pays off: The grittiest students—not the smartest ones—had the highest GPAs.

Duckworth went on to tell us about her “Grit Scale.” Someday I think we’ll form a lifelong learners class solely dedicated to this very interesting measurement and topic.

Duckworth has developed a test called the “Grit Scale.” You rate yourself on a series of 8 to 12 items. Two examples: “I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important challenge” and “Setbacks don’t discourage me.” It’s entirely self-reported, so you could game the test, and yet what Duckworth has found is that a person’s grit score is highly predictive of achievement under challenging circumstances.

At the elite United States Military Academy, West Point, a cadet’s grit score was the best predictor of success in the rigorous summer training program known as “Beast Barracks.” Grit mattered more than intelligence, leadership ability or physical fitness. This time of the year, I think of the more than 100 veterans who live on this campus and I see the result of authentic grit.

At the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the grittiest contestants were the most likely to advance to the finals — at least in part because they studied longer, not because they were smarter or were better spellers.

Here’s a very interesting dichotomy. The charter schools which have really taken hold here in Arizona have succeeded in providing strong academic preparation. Most of their students go to college. Yet the students graduate from college at lower rates than would be expected based on their academic preparation.

The charter schools want to know why that is. Angela Duckworth wants to know if grit has anything to do with it.

These are complicated questions, and the answers aren’t in yet. I suspect that there are a number of things to think about before jumping to the conclusion that students who don’t finish college aren’t gritty. What I do know is that whenever I need a little grit boosting infusion, I go to the Bistro and engage in conversation with some of the grittiest people I know—you inspire, you teach, you gently coax me with sometimes praise, sometimes suggestions, sometimes just pure friendship.

I would love for us to focus on the populace here at Beatitudes Campus with that “grit spotlight” and really examine the factors that led to success in spite of what many of you have disclosed were significantly tough times through careers, family rearing and economic challenges. I believe there is much to be learned from each other and I am so glad that we hold that as a core value here—life-long learning that inspires, challenges and sustains. We are indeed so rich when we allow each other in the fellowship that so obviously thrives on this campus.

By the way, we’ve had enough grit to wait through the process of our First Impressions/Operation Welcome upgrades to finally play out. All of the new furniture, accessories and case goods will be delivered to campus on December 7th – 9th. It will be quite a “ballet” as we move existing items around, send some to the Backstreet Boutique and retire other pieces. Thanks for hanging in there as we have worked through the process!

Beatitudes as a Teaching Campus – Teresa Borton

Beginning in May of this year the Health Care Center entered into a working relationship with an organization called Med Star Academy.  The programs they offer are Certified Nursing Assistant Program and a Caregiver Program.  The curriculum requires classroom learning hours and also clinical or “hands on” learning hours.  The program consists of the following:

  1. Classroom Education and Skills Lab – 80 Hours
  2. Clinical Requirements – 40 Hours
    • Clinical training and orientation to a licensed healthcare facility.

The clinical training in a licensed facility is where we come in.  The students are paired with one of our trained and certified nursing assistants who mentor and assist in training the students in the hands on application of the skills learned in the classroom.

The Certified Nursing Assistant training program streamlines curriculum by basing training off the Arizona State Board of Nursing exam. The exam consists of a multiple choice knowledge test and a skills test. All subjects featured in classroom, clinical, or lab requirements of the Certified Nursing Assistant program are featured in the competency exam.

  • Safety
  • Infection Control
  • Personal Care
  • Mental Health
  • Care Impaired
  • Resident Rights
  • Communication
  • Data Collection
  • Basic Nursing Skills
  • Role and Responsibility
  • Disease Process
  • Older Adult Growth & Development

Prior to the students coming to the Health Care Center certain standards are required.  Safety of those in our community is of utmost importance.  We have a contractual agreement in place that states the mandatory requirements. Students must meet the following requirements prior to entering the off-site externship:

  • TB test or chest x-ray within 6 months
  • DPS Fingerprint Clearance Card or Application
  • AZBN Fingerprint Card
  • Pass a 5 panel drug test
  • CPR Pro Certification

Upon the completion of the classroom instruction and the 40 hours required of clinical skills performance the CNA student can schedule a time to test with the Arizona State Board of Nursing. In order for a Certified Nursing Assistant student to gain the license and work in the State of Arizona they must successfully pass the board exam and be issued a Certified Nursing Assistant License.

If anyone is interested in pursuing the Certified Nursing Assistant program here are the requirements.

Certified Nursing Assistant students must meet the following requirements to enter the program:

  • Must be at least 17 years of age
  • Pass an Admissions Test
  • Proof of Citizenship
  • Social Security card
  • Medical Clearance from doctor
  • No felony convictions within the last five years

Contact information for Med Star Academy is (623) 773-9000 or http://westerncareertraining.com/cna-training-program/

It brings back memories of when they were back in school beginning their careers in the healthcare field.  In turn we have the opportunity to observe work skills, personalities, and qualities that we could possibly have join our team here in the HCC.  The students and the instructors are informed that once they graduate and receive their license that we would encourage them to apply for any opportunities that we might have on campus.

We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Med Star Academy and we are also looking forward to starting a similar program with the Grand Canyon Nursing Program this fall.

 

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Comfort Matters Education

CM_Logo_With_TagDo you work around people with dementia or Alzheimer’s? The answer is yes. Many residents here on campus suffer from this disease but not all live in our memory support areas. Sometimes you can get in difficult situations with them because you don’t understand how the feel and how they are interpreting their surroundings. There are ways of deescalating these situations in a quick and positive manner and luckily we offer that training right here on campus. Also it will help in future encounters if you can better understand this disease.

We have an eight hour Comfort Matters class scheduled for Thursday, August 18th in the Facilities Management Meeting Room. To sign up please contact Karen Mitchel at x8460 or [email protected].