Reducing Avoidable Hospitalizations Due to UTIs

Passions Grow, Passions Bloom: Cultivating Wellness at Willow Valley Communities Among the most popular passions at Willow Valley Communities is gardening. And, Residents here have a wide variety of ways to indulge. Three generous gardens are situated across our sprawling 210-acre campus for Residents to use in a multitude of configurations of their choosing. Willow Valley Communities hardworking Grounds Team tills each garden in the spring and plows them in the fall, making them ready for Residents to dig right in. Whether Residents are experienced pros or novices, gardening is a wonderful way for them to get outside, enjoy nature and each other, and learn new things. Some Residents have been gardening for decades, while others have only started gardening after moving to Willow Valley Communities. In keeping with our Life Lived Forward philosophy, some Willow Valley Communities Residents take their love of gardening to deeper levels. For example, several Residents from across the country have achieved the distinction of Master Gardener. Master Gardeners are certified in their home state, and the program can take six months to a year to complete and includes a minimum of 40 hours of classroom training, a score of 80 percent on the final exam, and 50 hours of volunteer service. In another example, Residents Annabelle Simpson and Susan Kelly worked with the Penn State Extension of the Pennsylvania State University to have one of their gardens certified as an official Pennsylvania Pollinator-Friendly Garden. The stunning garden is well-known for attracting huge numbers of bees, butterflies, insects, and birds, helping our ecosystem to thrive. Residents are also able to partner their gardening skills with their desire to volunteer and give back to the Lancaster community. With the areas rich, fertile soil, and the extra special care and attention the plants receive, Residents often have an abundance of vegetables and donate them regularly. Throughout the growing season, the Solanco Neighborhood Ministries food bank receives a variety of beans, lettuce, kale, peas, carrots, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and much more from Willow Valley Communities Resident gardens. Additionally, every fall, a harvest of hundreds of pounds of sweet potatoes and butternut squash goes to the Lancaster County Food Hub, a community resource for free, nutritious food and gently used clothing. Some Residents maintain gardening plots every year just for this purpose.Annabelle Simpson and Susan Kelly Gardening time is couple time for Residents Mike and Susan Ziegler. Sue is an avid gardener, and Mike loves being outdoors supporting her gardening passion at Willow Valley Communities. They both love being together in nature, and Sue is amazed by how magical gardening can be. Its just a miracle when the seeds come up, she says. Resident Pat Mortensen challenges herself every year by growing something completely different. Once she enjoyed a robust harvest of King Tut Purple Peas, a very rare garden pea said to have been taken out of the tomb of King Tut! Resident and Master Gardener Angela Booker-White is originally from Virginia but has lived all over the country. Her interest in gardening grew as she read and learned more about it. In her plot at Spring Run, Angela grows all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and flowers and always tries something new. She has the most success with seeds she purchases from the dollar store! Angela has also learned how gardening can help during challenging times. She is grateful to her garden, as well as to her fellow Willow Valley Communities gardeners, for helping her during the difficult time of her husbands unexpected passing. Gardeners, and she doesnt know exactly who, would come and help by doing extra work around her plot. Residents just came in and helped, Angela says. Weeding, cutting, trimming, harvesting whatever work needed to be done. Thats the way Residents are here at Willow Valley Communities: very supportive. Resident Keith Yoder, who coordinates the Spring Run Garden, is not at all surprised by the variety of gardeners at Willow Valley Communities or by the reasons they enjoy the activity so much. He agrees that gardening is definitely a hobby that enhances well-being. Though hes known this himself for years, he refers to an article put out by CNBC that states how gardening can add years to your life. And life to your years, Keith adds. Gardening gets you into nature. Its good exercise for your body and your mind plus, you get to eat what you grow!

The Willow Valley Communities Day Spa is a destination for wellness and renewal. Its a critical component of the comprehensive Mind, Body, Spirit approach to wellness of Willow Valley Communities. The Day Spa offers many ways to soothe, calm, invigorate, or rejuvenate. A full range of professional services, all performed by our attentive and inviting staff, allows Residents to create their own regimen for personal well-being and beauty. These services include manicures and pedicures, skin care, facials, revitalizing peels, waxing, tanning, microdermabrasion, and body treatments with a wide range of different massage modalities, wraps, and scrubs. The Relaxation Room, with its beautiful waterfall and Himalayan Salt Wall, is a main feature of The Day Spa. It provides a peaceful and well-appointed environment in which to relax and offers a perfect and welcome respite between services. Himalayan salt rich in negative ions and essential nutrients and minerals offers numerous health benefits for our bodies, such as stress reduction, energy increases, and mood boosts at a biochemical level. Day Spa Manager Diamando Wallace says, Self-care is essential. Although manicures and pedicures are a well-deserved treat, they offer so much more to Residents sense of well-being. You can see the boost in a clients self-confidence as they walk out feeling refreshed.  Massages are one of the most popular services requested by Residents, and The Day Spa offers a wide menu of options, including hot stone and aromatherapy. Emily Ransing, Willow Valley Communities Day Spa Massage Therapist, says, Massage is meant to enhance your well-being physically and mentally. I frequently remind my clients that this is their time to focus on themselves to feel healthier. I do all I can to send each client home feeling better than when they arrived. A Willow Valley Communities Resident was asked about her massage as she was leaving The Day Spa one afternoon. She said, After a massage with Emily, your body is so relaxed that you can focus on the things that you often overlook the air is sweeter, the birds are more melodious, the day is brighter. You are better equipped to face the next days, whatever they may bring. As she walked out of the Cultural Center to her car, she added with a smile, Its also a way to take the tension out of your body although theres not much tension at Willow Valley Communities!

When someone you love needs help, stepping in often feels natural.You pick up groceries. Drive Mom to a doctor's appointment. Stop by Dad's house to make dinner. Help with laundry. Call in the morning to make sure medications were taken. Check again at night to be sure everything is okay.At first, these things may not feel like "caregiving."They're simply what families do.But over time, a few helpful tasks can quietly turn into a second job.And somewhere along the way, the caregiver's own needs can begin moving further and further down the list.Family Caregiving Can Be Rewarding and ExhaustingCaring for an aging parent or spouse can be one of life's most meaningful roles.It can also be physically and emotionally demanding.Many family caregivers are balancing several responsibilities at once. They may be working, raising children, managing their own household and trying to maintain relationships while also caring for an aging loved one.There may be appointments to coordinate, meals to prepare, medications to remember, household chores to complete and important decisions to make.And even when the caregiver isn't physically with their loved one, the worry doesn't necessarily stop.Did Mom eat today?Did Dad remember his appointment?What if she falls when I'm not there?Should I stop by again tonight?That constant responsibility can take a toll.Watch for Signs of Caregiver BurnoutCaregiver stress doesn't always arrive dramatically.Like many changes associated with aging, it can happen gradually.You may begin feeling more tired than usual. You might become impatient over small things or have difficulty sleeping because your mind won't shut off.You may stop exercising, seeing friends or doing activities you once enjoyed because there simply isn't enough time.Some caregivers begin feeling resentful and then immediately feel guilty for feeling that way.These emotions don't mean you don't love the person you're caring for.They may simply mean you need support, too.What Is Respite Care?Respite care provides temporary assistance for an older adult so the primary family caregiver can step away for a period of time.That break might be used to go to work, attend an appointment, spend time with friends, exercise, run errands or simply rest.For some families, respite care may mean having professional assistance for a few hours each week.For others, it may be used occasionally when the regular caregiver has another commitment or simply needs some time away.The purpose is simple:Give family caregivers time to recharge while knowing their loved one is receiving compassionate care at home.Taking a Break Is Part of a Sustainable Care PlanFamily caregivers sometimes feel guilty about asking for help.They may think:"I should be able to handle this."Or:"Mom doesn't want anyone else helping her."But caregiving shouldn't depend on one person doing everything indefinitely.Think about it another way.If you become exhausted, overwhelmed or ill, who will provide the care?Building additional support into the plan can help make caregiving more sustainable over the long term.It also gives the older adult an opportunity to develop a relationship with another trusted caregiver before an emergency occurs.Respite Care Can Benefit the Older Adult, TooRespite care isn't only about helping the family caregiver.It can also be good for the person receiving care.A Comfort Keepers caregiver can provide companionship and conversation while assisting with everyday activities such as meal preparation, light housekeeping, personal care and transportation.Depending on the individual's interests and abilities, the visit might also include taking a walk, playing cards, working on a puzzle, listening to music or simply enjoying a cup of coffee and conversation.This fits naturally with Comfort Keepers' Interactive Caregiving philosophy encouraging older adults to remain involved and engaged in everyday life.Instead of simply having someone "watch" Mom or Dad, respite care can become another source of companionship and meaningful interaction.Start Before You're Completely ExhaustedFamilies often wait too long to ask for help.They wait until the caregiver is overwhelmed.Or until Mom falls.Or Dad is hospitalized.Or someone simply can't keep up anymore.But home care doesn't have to begin with a crisis.Introducing a caregiver earlier can make the transition easier for everyone.Perhaps start with a few hours while the family caregiver runs errands or attends an appointment.Over time, the older adult may begin looking forward to the caregiver's visits.And the family caregiver may discover something equally important:It's okay to step away.Use Your Break for Something That Restores YouIf you arrange respite care, try not to fill every minute with more responsibilities.Yes, there will always be errands.But sometimes the best use of a break is something simple.Have lunch with a friend.Take a walk.Read a book.Go to your own medical appointment.Spend time with your spouse.Play with your grandchildren.Or take an afternoon nap without worrying that someone needs you.Caregivers need opportunities to simply be themselves again.You Can Still Be the Caregiver Without Doing EverythingBringing professional home care into the picture doesn't replace the family.It supports the family.You still know your parent's history, personality, preferences and routines better than anyone.You are still the daughter, son, spouse or trusted family member.But you don't necessarily have to be the cook, driver, housekeeper, companion and caregiver every hour of every day.Sometimes accepting help allows families to reclaim something caregiving can unintentionally take away:the relationship itself.Instead of spending every visit working through a list of chores, you may once again have time to simply sit with Mom.Talk with Dad.Look through photographs.Share a meal.Laugh together.And simply be family.Caring for the Caregiver MattersGood caregiving isn't measured by how much one person can handle alone.It's about creating a support system that works for both the older adult and the people who love them.Comfort Keepers serving Osseo and surrounding Twin Cities communities provides personalized in-home care and respite support that can give family caregivers time to rest and recharge while their loved one receives compassionate assistance at home.Because sometimes the best way to continue caring for someone else is to make sure you're caring for yourself, too.Learn more about Comfort Keepers and additional Minnesota senior resources through Seniors Blue Book, or call Comfort Keepers at 763-273-4207.