Hopkins ElderPlus September/October

2010

Volume 7, Issue 7

Meet Your Patient Aides A Word from Reverend Testa Occupational Thera-py Says…. HEP Staff Head Back to School

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Upcoming Activi-ties & Events

On-site

Tailgate Party

Ladies Social Club

Trip to Walmart

Fall Carnival

Oktoberfest Cele-bration

Men’s Social Club Fishing Trip

HEP Celebrates Greek Week

Intergenerational Halloween Party

Trip to Weber’s Farm

Craft Show w/Phyllis Adolfo

Introducing Phyllis Adolfo and Her One Woman Craft Show

On Thursday, August 19th, we had the pleasure of attending our first one woman craft show given by Mrs. Phyllis Adolfo. Two words that came to mind during this show were gifted and talented. Mrs. Adolfo has been going green for a very long time. She showed us how to make toilet paper holders using cans, decorative angels using towels, and various decorative items using bricks and the like. Not only did Mrs. Adolfo donate all of her crafts to the participants at Hopkins ElderPlus, but she also agreed to make and personalize any item that they saw at the show and liked. Because of her constant generosity and love for her fellow participants/friends, we honor you, Mrs. Phyllis Adolfo for your kindness, generosity, and your giv-ing heart. Congratulations, on one of many successful craft shows!

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Introducing Your Patient Aides

From Homecare to Healthcare, these ladies do it all. The participants at Hopkins ElderPlus are well cared for with love, patience, and grace. Whether it is giving manicures, hair styling, shaving, showers, restorative care, or simply a hand to hold, these ladies have done it all. In the DHC, you can hear the same sentiment echoed “We love what we do!” With Peggy Gunzelman at the helm, the participants have said “Peggy has been a great addition to the Day Health Center. She is always there when we need her.”

Tiffanie Conaway (below)

From left to right April Holmes, Ken-dra Holiday, Natasha Woods, and Ms. Cath-erine B.

From left to right: Natasha Woods, Winter James, Kendra Holiday, and Dana Rollins

Sabrina Eikenberg (below)

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Dear Participants,

I hope that you are enjoying the summer and keeping cool. As we all try to remember, drink plenty of fluids... If you don’t like water try Gatorade, lemonade, or iced tea. Sometimes you can sit on your front porch and sip a cool drink. Some of us don’t have a porch and besides it is too hot. Well, then you do what is best for you, right?

I am reading a wonderful book I received as a gift called The Four Things. The four things are words it is important to say to the people we love. They are: 1) I love you. 2) Forgive me. 3) I for-give you. 4) Thank you.

You may say: “That’s obvious. Who doesn’t know that?” Really, though, how often do we forget and never say these things to the ones we love. They are a way of making sure that our relationships are close and on sound footing. So many folks never say them, and regret it when a loved one pass-es on. “If only …” are not words you want on your lips at that time. It may be difficult but the re-wards are well worth it. Imagine saying those words to those you love. Pray for courage. Then try to have that conversation.

Peace,

A Word from Reverend Testa

Pastor Dennis Testa

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Occupational Therapy Says... What to do before a Fire

The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your property in the event

of a fire:

Smoke Alarms

Install smoke alarms. Properly working smoke alarms decrease your chances of dying in a fire by half.

Place smoke alarms on every level of your residence. Place them outside bedrooms on the ceiling

or high on a wall (4 to 12 inches from ceiling), at the top of open stairways, or at the bottom of

enclosed stairs and near (but not in) the kitchen.

Test and clean smoke alarms once a month and replace batteries at least once a year. Replace

smoke alarms once every 10 years.

Escaping the Fire

Review escape routes with your family. Practice escaping from each room.

Make sure windows are not nailed or painted shut. Make sure security gratings on windows have

a fire safety opening feature so they can be easily opened from the inside.

Consider escape ladders if your residence has more than one level, and ensure that burglar bars

and other antitheft mechanisms that block outside window entry are easily opened from the inside.

Teach family members to stay low to the floor (where the air is safer in a fire) when escaping from

a fire.

Clean out storage areas. Do not let trash, such as old newspapers and magazines, accumulate.

Flammable Items

Never use gasoline, benzene, naptha, or similar flammable liquids indoors.

Store flammable liquids in approved containers in well-ventilated storage areas.

Never smoke near flammable liquids.

Discard all rags or materials that have been soaked in flammable liquids after you have used

them. Safely discard them outdoors in a metal container.

Insulate chimneys and place spark arresters on top. The chimney should be at least three feet

higher than the roof. Remove branches hanging above and around the chimney.

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Occupational Therapy Fire Safety Continued Heating Sources

Be careful when using alternative heating sources.

Check with your local fire department on the legality of using kerosene heaters in your com-munity. Be sure to fill kerosene heaters outside, and be sure they have cooled.

Place heaters at least three feet away from flammable materials.

Make sure the floor and nearby walls are properly insulated.

Use only the type of fuel designated for your unit and follow manufacturer’s instructions.

Store ashes in a metal container outside and away from your residence.

Keep open flames away from walls, furniture, drapery, and flammable items.

Keep a screen in front of the fireplace.

Have heating units inspected and cleaned annually by a certified specialist.

Matches and Smoking

Keep matches and lighters up high, away from children, and, if possible, in a locked cabinet.

Never smoke in bed or when drowsy or medicated. Provide smokers with deep, sturdy ash-trays. Douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before disposal.

Electrical Wiring

Have the electrical wiring in your residence checked by an electrician.

Inspect extension cords for frayed or exposed wires or loose plugs.

Make sure outlets have cover plates and no exposed wiring.

Make sure wiring does not run under rugs, over nails, or across high traffic areas.

Do not overload extension cords or outlets. If you need to plug in two or three appliances, get a UL-approved unit with built-in circuit breakers to prevent sparks and short circuits.

Other

Sleep with your door closed.

Install A-B-C-type fire extinguishers in your residence and teach family members how to use them.

Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your residence for fire safety and pre-vention.

http://www.fema.gov/hazard/fire

On Thursday, September 23, 2010, the staff at Hopkins ElderPlus are headed back to school, in order to rejuvenate

and

continue to reeducate ourselves on the best way to serve and meet your needs. The Center will be closed so that the staff can attend our annual mandatory trainings. The center will

reopen promptly on

Friday, September 24, 2010.

We look forward to seeing everyone then.

HEP Staff Head Back to School

Janet Haskins, Recreation Therapy Assistant

The Days of Black and White

I REMEMBER ALL OF THOSE DAYS... So children, this is our story!

"Good night and God bless.."

Black and White

I REMEMBER ALL OF THOSE DAYS... So children, this is our story continued!

You could hardly see for the snow, Spread the rabbit ears as far as they go. Pull a chair up to the TV set, ‘ Good Night, David, Good Night, Chet.’ My mom used to cut chicken , chop eggs and spread Mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn’t seem to get food poisoning. My mom used to defrost hamburger on the counter and I used to eat it raw sometimes, too. Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper in a brown paper bag, not in ice pack coolers, but I can’t remember getting e.coli. Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then. The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system. We all took gym, not PE...and risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked’s (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors. I can’t recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now. Flunking gym was not an option...Even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym. Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem, and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention. We must have had horribly damaged psyches. What an archaic health system we had then. Re-member our school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything. I thought that I was supposed to ac-complish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself. I just can’t recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations.

MORE OF REMEMBERING ALL OF THOSE DAYS

I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop, just before he fell off.

Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house. Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck.

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have known that? We needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes. We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn’t even notice that the entire country wasn’t taking Prozac! How did we ever survive?

Love to all of us who shared this ERA and to all who didn’t, sorry for what you missed.

I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

Unknown Author

REMEMBERING THOSE DAYS FINALE!

Please remember that the visiting hours for the HEAL are 12 p.m.-8p.m.

Additional visiting hours for special reasons will be considered by the As-sisted Living Manager. This allows for the staff to do their necessary care with the residents. There is also a sign in book at the front door for anyone visiting to sign in. This helps when another family member may ask the staff if a certain person visited. Also, for anyone that was not aware, the in-side door to the facility is now being locked at 6 p.m. This is for the safety and security of the residents as well as the staff. The door bell will ring when you enter the patio and the staff is alerted to let you in. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at (410) 477-4686.

Lynn Pierce

A Word from Hopkins ElderPlus Assisted Living (HEAL)

NEED TO KNOW INFORMATION:

Hopkins ElderPlus Numbers:

Receptionist/Front Desk (410) 550-7044

Clinic (410) 550-7049

Pharmacy Refill (410) 550-2938

Social Workers:

Avis Crayton (410) 550-7019

Lynda Davis (410) 550-7126

Erin Farace (410) 550-5164

Transportation: (410) 550-7967

Day Health Center Nurse:

Peggy Gunzelman, RN (410) 550-5360

Recreation Supervisor:

Priscilla Love (410) 550-7969

MANAGER ON CALL - 24 HOURS A DAY - 7 DAYS A WEEK

(410) 550-7044

4940 Eastern Avenue

Baltimore, MD. 21224