The Fieldstone Feed

When it comes to considering a move to a senior living setting, most families want to know that their loved ones are receiving exceptional care for their particular needs. Ensuring your peace of mind is a critical factor to a successful community-resident-family relationship. Teepa Snow, world-renowned educator and trainer of the Positive Approach to Care, asks “Can we experience the person as an amazing gem of great value, and give them the right setting and the right care so they can shine?”  Exceptional care embraces this approach and incorporates it into all levels of resident care, staff training and business practices.

When we find ourselves in the darkest days of the year, many of us can find it challenging to harness the hope of the new year. It’s cold and gray and also dark outside, and our spirits can feel a bit dim, too. Many of us, when we think about the idea of “hope” think of a glimmering light, some possibility of good things happening in the future. It can seem like a hard to pin down emotion, slipping through our fingers— here one day, gone the next. When we’re suffering from depression, loneliness, pain, boredom, or just feel like we’re in a funk, what can we do to feel hopeful?

Did you know that open enrollment for Medicare is just around the bend? Open enrollment begins October 15th and goes till December 7th, but you can start reviewing plans now. Each year, it’s wise to take a look at the plans’ costs and coverage.

Neurologist Oliver Sacks famously said, “In forty years of medical practice, I have found only two types of non-pharmaceutical ‘therapy’ to be vitally important for patients with chronic neurological diseases: music and gardens.”

Did you know that a little sunshine each day can do more than just boost your mood? Even a few minutes of sun exposure a day can help increase your levels of vitamin D, which has been known to help fight off osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, and depression. As we age, our body’s ability to make vitamin D lessens—that’s why vitamin D deficiency is common among seniors.

Animal therapy is beneficial at any age, but seniors may experience additional benefits, especially those living in a senior living community.

The sun’s rays are known to be a mood booster and improve Vitamin D levels. We all want to soak in these benefits and at the same time, make sure that we are maximizing sun safety. Here are some tips for safely enjoying your time outside:

Summer is here, and it is important to make sure you and the people in your life stay hydrated while the temperature continues to rise. As you go outside and enjoy the beautiful sunshine, make sure to keep hydration top of mind and take measures to prevent a potential health problem.

We all know the December drill – many of us pack up the kids in the ole minivan and head to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for the holidays. Chances are, if you live more than a few hours away, it’s been at least a couple months since you’ve last seen them. If this rings true to what your holiday season looked like, you may have noticed progressive signs of mental decline or physical aging during your visit.

We all want to believe that our parents are invincible – they raised us, right? But this just isn’t the case. Your occasional trips home might amplify the rate at which you realize your parents are having difficulty. Although they may have seemed “all there” and able to get around the house during your trip over Memorial Day weekend, this may not be the case when Christmas rolls around.

It's no secret that wintertime brings happy things like Christmas, holidays and family time – but it also brings a range of health concerns for the elderly. Winters in northern areas of the U.S. are harsh, especially in the state of Washington. Ice, snow and freezing temperatures make life challenging for everyone in the affected areas. Unfortunately, seniors are more susceptible to feeling the effects of winter mentally and physically.