WINTER 2023 NEWSLETTER | JANUARY 2, 2022 |
|
With the new year, I like to reflect on the previous year. 2022 brought so many wonderful things to Traditions of Lebanon. We officially opened our doors on February 7, 2022. Since opening, we have had the joy of welcoming over 110 residents into our community! We celebrated our first year of holidays with amazing Easter and Thanksgiving meals and a Holiday Open House in December. We’ve had goats, dogs, ukulele players, children, and even Santa in our community to entertain us. 2022 was an exciting and fun year and I look forward to the fun continuing in 2023.
Thank you to everyone who has allowed us to be a part of their lives and/or loved ones lives this past year. It has been such an honor to support, serve, and celebrate with our residents, families, friends, and staff.
I am looking forward to what 2023 will bring to Traditions of Lebanon! In January we will be celebrating being over 60% occupied at the end of 2022, surpassing our goals! We have our 1-year anniversary of opening in February, along with continuing some of our newly developed traditions with Easter, Summer Carnival, Thanksgiving, and the Holiday Season! We have a lot of employees celebrating their 1-year anniversary with Traditions of Lebanon in January, February, and March! We are so fortunate to have so many staff members with us still from the beginning.
Wishing you health, wealth, and new blessings to count each day in 2023!
Beth Deupree, CDP
Executive Director
|
|
As the chill in the air creeps in, let’s look back over the last couple of months to warm our hearts. We have had some spectacular get-togethers with residents and their families, which is what we love to do here at Traditions of Lebanon. We were blessed to welcome 250 people into our community to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner on us. Our Chef prepared a delicious meal for all to enjoy. It was such a beautiful sight to see the families interacting and new friendships being made. Next, was our elegant Christmas Open House where again families came together for magnificent food, connection, entertainment, and friendship. Santa was even here to spread a little Christmas magic to the kids and adults. In between these big events, we had lots of other fun things such as door decorating, wreath making, ornament making, and lots of cookies and hot cocoa. Whew! So much in such a short amount of time and yet we are already looking forward to continuing the fun into 2023 with more family-filled events. |
|
Remove those Winter Blues and come in and join us for one of our fun events happening soon! Living at Traditions of Lebanon has so many perks, such as on-site Chef prepared meals from 7:00am-7:00pm daily, Happy Hour daily, maintenance-free living (so, no more shoveling snow!), activities, friendly residents and staff and so much more. If you would like to learn more or take a tour, please click button below or feel free to reach out to me directly at (513) 409.0900. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
Monique Campbell
Community Relations Director
|
|
VARIETAS COMMUNITY: MEET COURTNEY |
|
Hello Friends, My name is Courtney Price, LPN, and I am the community’s NEW Varietas Director. I am so excited to be a part of this team and get to know all the family, friends and most importantly, the residents in the community. I decided to start working for Traditions of Lebanon because it is right where my husband and I call home. I just love the community as a whole and the welcome home vibe. I graduated from Kings High School, but did attend Lebanon city schools until my sophomore year when we moved into the Kings school district.
I decided to go into healthcare officially when my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s because I didn’t like how I felt when I had to speak to staff, and I wanted to do better. I wanted to keep learning about Alzheimer’s and dementia so I could help others. I worked as an aide and was my grandmother’s primary caregiver while I worked on getting my nursing degree from Hondros College of Nursing. I have experience working with the elderly population as well as the mentally handicapped community.
I must say, the best part of my day is seeing the smiles on my elders' faces and listening to their life stories. I have met some amazing people and heard some great stories in my career with just two cups of coffee or soda and listening ears. Since Joining the community, I have become a certified Fit Minds coach. With that, I am prepared to help residents have fun exercising their brain in five areas through structured cognitive stimulation as well as help them understand the positive impact cognitive stimulation has on quality of life and brain health. This is something I am personally excited to have daily for our Varietas community. Please see the Fit Minds article in this newsletter for more information.
I can’t wait for 2023 and everything we have planned.
Courtney Price
Varietas Director
|
|
2023 brings Fit Minds for our Varietas and Assisted Living residents! We are excited to bring this cutting-edge program to our community!
Fit Minds can be life changing with increased mental stimulation. Cognitive stimulation is an evidence-based intervention that supports what research tells us about the brain’s ability to build resilience and create new neuron pathways. Fit Minds provides mental stimulation, in group and individualized programs for seniors and senior living communities.
Fit Minds exercises five key areas of cognition:
- Language and Music
- Visual/Spatial Orientation
- Memory
- Critical Thinking
- Computation
75% of participants see a positive increase in their cognitive scores after only 8 weeks. Why is improving your cognition important?
“Cognitive stimulation has also been shown to be an effective habit for preserving cognitive degeneration. Low education is a risk factor for dementia and degenerative disease, so stimulating the brain can be helpful in minimizing the risks of cognitive impairment and degenerative diseases.”
Our Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care residents will all be able to utilize Fit Minds in 2023!
|
|
Now that we are in the thick of winter and the holidays are wrapping up, be extra mindful of slippery conditions as you make your way around our community. Black Friday season is over, however black ice will be around for a few more months. Report any slippery areas so we can treat it with ice melt as this can change daily with melting and freezing cycles. Make sure exterior hoses are detached if used during a warm-up week and continue to dress in layers.
Our furry friends will want to play outside, just limit the amount of time that they are out and keep them away from the pond due to thin ice. Please report any activity around the pond that looks unsafe as we have many neighbors who might be enticed. The fountains will be re-installed in the spring when the threat of freezing is over.
Enjoy the winter landscape and creatures scurrying around. If providing food for these creatures, please keep the food in a metal container with a tight lid to discourage small critters and bugs from gathering around your living space.
David Swigart
Maintenance Director
|
|
February is Heart Health Month. This is a great time to look at some small ways we can improve overall health and reduce our risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Stroke is the number one cause of death in the US. We all know the risk factors: smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excessive alcohol consumption. Let us look at ways we can lower high blood pressure, lose weight, and reduce cholesterol.
Increasing physical activity, even in small increments, can produce great health benefits. In life it’s always about the small things! Parking your car in the back of the parking lot, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or investing in a stand-up desk at work can all add positive benefits to your health.
Improving on the amount and quality of sleep we get is a common goal for most Americans. Starting and maintaining a sleep schedule is crucial. Stick to the same bedtime and waking hours. Limit caffeine intake; especially later in the day. Avoid alcohol before bed. Eating a heavy meal too close to bedtime can also disrupt sleep. Keep your bedroom cool and dark. Limit bedroom use to sleeping only. Avoid reading, working, or watching television in your bedroom.
Good hydration is crucial to good health. Proper hydration is essential to every cell in your body. One must drink water throughout the day. Your body will still be dehydrated all day long if you are trying to play catch up at the end of the day. Try adding fruit to your water to enhance the taste. Eat fruits and vegetables that are high in water content. For example, watermelon and cucumbers.
Lastly, we all need to “show up for ourselves” and make regular appointments with a primary care physician. Through examinations and routine yearly bloodwork, conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol can be detected. Prompt treatment will decrease a person’s chances of suffering a stroke or heart attack.
Jackie Karkiewicz
Wellness Director
|
|
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: HAYLEY HAINES |
|
Hayley is a Resident Assistant here at Traditions of Lebanon, and since joining our team she has made a huge impact on our residents’ lives. Hayley is always willing to pitch in and do what is right for the residents. She is a true team player, and we are so glad to have her on the Traditions of Lebanon team!
“I decided to work at Traditions because they were brand new, and I thought it would be a new start. What I like most about my job is seeing all of the residents every day and being able to help them in any way I can.”
Thank you, Hayley, for everything that you do! We appreciate your hard work and kind heart.
|
|
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon each: ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, mustard powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper, cayenne pepper
Chili:
3 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 teaspoons flour
|
|
6 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup half and half, (half milk, half cream)
2 (15.5oz) cans cannellini beans, dried
3 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 (40z) cans mild green chilies
1 ½ lbs. skinless chicken breast
Salt/ pepper to taste
1 (15.25oz) can whole kernel sweet corn, drained
8 oz cream cheese, softened
|
|
Sauté the diced onions and jalapeno pepper in melted butter over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Set aside.
Add the chicken to crock pot along with the chicken broth, soften onions, peppers, garlic and whole beans, hot sauce, green chilies, corn, and seasonings.
Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Stir in the softened cream cheese and half and half.
Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes. Stir and serve!!!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
