Describe Your Family: Brave. Hardworking. Patient. Successful.
Describe yourself in five words: Caring, Kind, Loveable, Patient, Happy!
What is something you are proud of: I have the best parents in the world – all three of them.
What do you do for fun: Swim, play video games, eat lots of junk food.
Do you have any hobbies or interests: I love to sing and cook.
Do you have a pet: A snake. It’s name is Gucci.
What is your favorite thing about your job: I love all of the residents. Victoria and Tania are the best managers ever.
What is your favorite food: Crawfish.
What is your favorite song: Necessary by Brandy Norwood.
What would you like people to know about you: I am a really good dancer.
Jeremy Richardson is dedicated to Kirby residents by providing exceptional service with a positive attitude. He arrives with a smile on his face every day. He has always made himself available to work additional shifts during this pandemic. Jeremy’s commitment to Caring in Place is unwavering. We are fortunate to have him on our team!
– Victoria Johnson, Director of Personal Support Services
Did you know that each year more people die from excessive heat waves than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined? Summer weather can be erratic, especially during the spring and summer months. Even with a degree of unpredictability, it`s almost certain that we will see high temperatures climb into the upper 80s, 90s and even 100 degrees. Older adults are at high risk from excessive heat. As we age, the body’s cooling mechanisms may become impaired. Living alone or being confined to a bed and unable to care for one’s self further increases risk to heat related illness. Existing health conditions such as chronic illness, mental impairment, and obesity can also heighten an individual’s vulnerability. In addition, individuals taking certain medications are also susceptible to heat related illness.
You can follow these prevention tips to protect yourself from heat-related stress:
Drink plenty of fluids but avoid alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks
Rest
Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath
If possible, remain indoors in the heat of the day
If you don’t have air conditioning in your home, open windows and shades on the shady side and close them on the sunny side to try to cool it down
Avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day (between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.)
Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing
Wear sunscreen and a ventilated hat (e.g., straw or mesh) when in the sun, even if it is cloudy
Never leave children, pets or those with special needs in a parked car, even briefly. Temperatures in the car can become dangerous within a few minutes
Check on your neighbors, family and friends, especially those who have special needs
How can therapy help prevent heat related stress during the warmer months?
By seeking professional advice to analyze your unique situation, the rehabilitation team can offer assistance and guidance to increase your safety during summer. Your rehabilitation team can offer assistance in creating a plan for summer safety that includes:
Identifying lifestyle changes that can facilitate staying physically and mentally healthy during the summer months.
Facilitating ease of movement throughout the home and outdoor spaces.
Recommending home modifications to keep you safe during the warmer months.
For additional information, please contact your Select Rehabilitation Physical, Occupational and Speech therapists.
Join us for “Fun in the Sun: Outdoor Safety Tips for Older Adults” in the PAC June 9th at 11:00 am
Did you know water makes up about 50 to 60% of your body? True, water is essential to life. Staying hydrated is important for our general health, too. Dehydration can be the result of exercise, certain medications, diarrhea, excessive sweating, breathing, and diseases such as diabetes. With the warm summer days ahead, it is easy to become dehydrated which can cause dry mouth, weakness, dizziness, headaches, heart pounding, cramping, confusion, low blood pressure, rapid but weak pulse and fainting.
Everyone knows—but many people seem to forget—that water is what sustains life. Here are just two of the benefits of being hydrated: Drinking at least five 8-ounce glasses of water daily reduces the risk of fatal coronary heart disease among older adults. Being sufficiently hydrated reduces the discomfort of constipation, improves balance and kidney function (reducing the risk of urinary tract infections). Water helps energize muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue.
How much water is enough? A good formula for how much water is needed every day is to take one-third of the person’s body weight in pounds and drink the equivalent number of ounces of water daily. For example, a 150-pound woman would need 50 ounces of water daily, or about 6 8-ounce glasses of water.
Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to start drinking water: As we age, we are less aware of our thirst and our ability to regulate our body’s fluid balance via kidneys decreases. If you think you may need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of drinking water:
Start your day with a glass of water before breakfast.
Have a beverage with every snack and meal.
Choose beverages you enjoy; you’re likely to drink more liquids. If you’re watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.
Eat more fruits and vegetables especially melons. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.
Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag or walker.
So drink up and stay hydrated and stay well. Don’t forget we have a cool water dispenser in the Oasis when you come to exercise.
ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION WALK TO CURE
Many Thanks to everyone who helped make our fundraiser and Arthritis Awareness Month so successful. I very much appreciate the support for our Walk to Cure with more than 43 walkers and two pups. We are still receiving donations for The Arthritis Foundation but as of this writing we have received over $1,100 in donations which will be used to support research, education, and assistance to people of all ages who live with the pain of Arthritis. We really appreciate your generosity. Way to go Kirby Pines!
On May 22nd of this year John R. Johnson, one of our founding members, celebrated his 101st Birthday. About two years ago he stopped woodturning but stays active making Zentangle diagrams (repetitive figures often involving only straight lines) and other detailed pen and ink drawings. John’s philosophy holds that to enjoy life one needs a goal every day. If you stand outside and knock on John’s window (he is currently restricted to his assisted living room at Kirby Pines) you will most often find him working there where the light is strong. He’ll look up, smile and be delighted with a ‘socially-distanced’ visit and raise the window for a chat.
John was born in Martinez, CA but grew up on a farm in Cleveland, Georgia. Completing his few years of formal schooling (finished 4th grade) and ‘put to the plow behind a mule’ he soon learned farming was not for him. Early radios were often just a galena crystal, a “cats whisker” and a pair of earphones, but John moved on to building and operating a ham radio station which involved diodes, capacitors, resistors and learning the Morse code. At the beginning of WWII this served to get him into the Army Air Force (bypassing boot camp), wherein he was flown over much of the African continent setting up radios at local airports in case the military needed them. In 1946 John took flying lessons and much later built and flew two ultralight planes. He joined the Civil Air Patrol and retired as supervisor of the Memphis unit. Through self-study and various organized courses he became a licensed professional engineer. He is widely read, with an enormous vocabulary and an insatiable curiosity, and has travelled over the entire US and much of Europe in his later years. There are few topics which John does not know something about. Currently he is hindered by defective hearing and frequently has to search for the correct word. Because he recalls a great deal of the Bible he sometimes is asked to stay quiet or leave religious classes because he raises so many questions. For his 91st birthday he wanted to fly one more time, rented a plane with an instructor (who never touched the controls) and greatly enjoyed it.
After retirement, John and his wife spent many winters living in an RV near Phoenix, Arizona where he set up a small shop, turned and sold items. He has turned hundreds of stair bannisters, thousands of clock case finials, numerous bowls, weed pots, and offset items during his 65 years at the lathe, never using a sharpening system! He was a master at making adapters, wooden chucks, and special jigs to hold his work. At one time John got into miniature turning and did many objects within objects, often using a jewelers lathe. His large bowl lathe was a converted horizontal milling machine. His favorite lathe for many years was a Delta rescued from the Lazarov Scrap Yard by his friend John Williams.
In the mid-nineties John moved the small, cramped Hobby Shop at Kirby Pines to a new, larger location and set about outfitting it with a wide variety of machine tools for both flat and turned work. He served as the supervisor of the shop until 4 years ago; this included deciding which residents were qualified to use it safely.
Describe Your Family: I am the proud mother of a daughter & son and 3 precious grandchildren!
Describe yourself in five words: Loyal, Honest, Compassionate, Trustworthy and Funny.
What is something you are proud of: My family.
What do you do for fun: Hang out with my friends, go to the movies and travel.
Do you have any hobbies or interests: Singing, gardening and watching true crime shows.
Do you have a pet: Yes, her name is Rorie. She is a golden retriever rescue.
What is your favorite thing about your job: Knowing that what I do truly helps and benefits the residents.
What is your favorite food: Italian, but I do love crab legs, too!
What is your favorite song: We Shall Behold Him – Sandy Patty
What would you like people to know about you: I am thankful for everything I have experienced. It has taught me valuable life lessons.
Martha Fitzhugh is a great asset to Kirby Pines. She always goes above and beyond to help residents, family members, staff, and vendors. Ensuring the residents and family members get the assistance they need. She has endeared herself to the residents by going out of her way to help, even if it isn’t her job to do what they need help with. Staff turn to her for guidance. It is a true pleasure to work with Martha.
80% of US population will experience one or more episodes of low back pain during their lifetime. By 2050, 40 percent of the population will be older than 50. This growing age group will have a substantial impact on healthcare in the coming decades. As older adults have a greater susceptibility to chronic low back pain, the physical and psychological impact of this pain on society will be considerable. Improper body mechanics (such as improperly lifting heavy items) can put increased pressure on your spine. This may lead to the degeneration of discs, back pain, and other spinal problems. These statistics put into perspective the importance of protecting the spine and reducing the incidences of low back pain in older adults. Many back injuries could be prevented by using appropriate body mechanics during daily activities.
As an example, when lifting objects, you should set your trunk muscles to immobilize your spine, and then the arms and legs can do the lifting. It is important to keep a straight back with the pelvis as this will keep your center of gravity over your base of support. When lifting an object, keep your feet apart for a wide base of support. This broadens your base of support making it easier to maintain your balance while lifting. You should also lift with your knees. This lowers your center of gravity and helps you to use your quadriceps (leg muscles), which are much stronger than your back muscles, to do the lifting. While lifting an object, you should avoid holding your breath. Finally, once the object is lifted, hold the load close to your body. By doing this, the load will be lighter than holding it away from the body because of the effects of gravity and the increased lever length of the arms.
By seeking professional advice to analyze your unique situation, the rehabilitation team can offer assistance and guidance to help protect your spine and prevent back injury and pain. In addition, your rehabilitation team can offer assistance in creating a plan for protecting your lumbar spine. For example:
Your rehab team can suggest product selection, placement and training to help you maintain good body mechanics;
Your rehab team can recommend home modifications which identify the fit between the person and the environment;
Your rehab team can look at what tasks the individual needs and wants to perform each day to ensure comfort, safety and enjoyment in their living environment;
Your rehab team will be able to evaluate your body posture, mechanics, and strength.
The Rehabilitation Team assists each person in staying safe in their living environment. The Rehabilitation Team is there to support them through both their challenges and successes. For additional information, please contact your Select Rehabilitation Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists.
National Nurses Day is the first day of National Nursing Week, which concludes on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Yet the week was first observed in the US in October 1954 to mark the 100th anniversary of Nightingale’s pioneering work in Crimea.
In 1953, Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower asking him to proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October of the following year to coincide with the anniversary. Although the President didn’t act, the celebration was observed thanks to a bill sponsored by Representative Frances P. Bolton, and the following year a new bill was introduced to Congress lobbying for official recognition of the celebration.
Twenty years later, in February of 1974, President Nixon proclaimed a National Nurse Week to be celebrated annually in May. Over the next eight years, various nursing organizations including the American Nurses Association (ANA) rallied to support calls for a “National Recognition Day for Nurses” on May 6, which was eventually proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982.
Arthritis simply means inflammation of the joint and refers to more than 100 types of joint diseases that affect 54 million adults in the U.S. Usually you picture someone with gray hair and retired as a person with arthritis, but today arthritis impacts the whole family when a child develops Juvenile arthritis (more than 300,000 children nationwide). While no cure for arthritis has been developed yet, with much research, medical science has improved its understanding for the causes of arthritis and better treatments including new medications for pain and inflammation relief and experimental restoration treatments. Exercise has an important role in the improvement and continuing function of daily activities. The Arthritis Foundation sponsors research, educational programs, exercise programs, public awareness and advocacy efforts in Congress. Through their bimonthly magazine Arthritis Today, they keep people informed on new products, diet, exercise and medications. Online you can sign up for weekly tips for living successfully with arthritis.
On Wednesday May 19th at 10:30 am we will begin gathering in the Lobby for our Annual Kirby Pines Arthritis Walk to Cure. This walk will be outdoors around the lake if weather permits or indoors through the halls. Pre-register with Mary Hand in the Oasis or sign up on the day of the walk. We want to show our support for the Arthritis Foundation. We’ll have a few door prizes and light refreshments for those who register. This year our goal is to raise $1300 for the Arthritis Foundation. The funds that are raised will go towards research, education for public awareness about arthritis, and sponsoring exercise programs for people of all ages especially seniors. Here at Kirby Pines We have two types of exercises classes (water aerobics, and sit and stand) that were made possible through the Arthritis Foundation. We are grateful for the role the Arthritis Foundation plays at Kirby Pines. Let’s show our support physically and financially.
Kirby Pines, a sister community of The Farms at Bailey Station, is part of the family of LifeCare Communities of Retirement Companies of America. For more information, visit retirementcompanies.com
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