Blue Zone Your Memory No. 1

Cognition and memory refer to all of our higher mental processes and are a key topic of interest as we age and try to figure out "how do we remember and how do we forget." Recent research findings indicate that forgetting is a matter of interference rather than passive decay. Evidently, there is a form of competition when trying to remember between information stored in memory. Some tips to help improve memory are to think about what you want to remember and pay close attention to details to minimize memory interference. In addition, increasing your socialization will help you minimize interference of memory because of increased clarification of details, which will make your overall memory skills even stronger. Ongoing socialization helps us to organize thoughts by minimizing interference and strengthening the brain. According to Lisa F. Berkman, director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, "the working hypothesis is that social engagement is what makes you mentally engaged."

~Debra

Team JBR a Place of Fun and Function!

Team JBR: Men's Breakfast!

Team JBR Fitness Gurus: Cornhole!

July Employee Wellness Ideas: Social Moments

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These are low cost/no cost wellness ideas that your employees can mix/match or use to create social wellness moments with other employees or departments within your organization.

Team Home and Garden: Late June Vegetable Garden!

"Kiss of the sun for pardon.

Song of the birds for mirth.

You're closer to God's heart in a garden

than any place else on earth."

-- Dorothy Frances Gurney

Team JBR: Environmental Wellness!

Golf cart rides through the woodland trails!

from Ann

How and Why You Eat Are as Important as What You Eat

Consider what, when, why, where and how you eat. Do you snack on high-calorie foods when you’re bored? Do you eat fast to get back to work? Do you have set mealtimes, or do you eat “whenever?”

Think hard about your old ways of eating and, if needed, make changes that will lead to a healthier lifestyle:

• Plan meals and snacks ahead of time. Bring low-calorie snacks with you to work, school or running errands.

• Don’t go grocery shopping or even write your grocery list while you are hungry. This will help you avoid the temptation to buy more than you need.

• Try to stick to an eating schedule. Studies show missed meals can lead to overeating.

• Eat from plates, not out of a container. It is much harder to keep track of how much you’ve eaten if you are snacking from the bag or carton.

• Eat slowly and enjoy each bite.

• Give your stomach a chance to catch up. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you’re full.

New eating habits can help create a whole new you.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team

Your Personal Blue Zone

Blue Zones are those areas of our society where people live measurably longer than our present life expectancy models. Researchers are investigating the reasons for these statistics and although it may take years to understand these longevity pockets found throughout our world, reliable and valid themes are unfolding. We may be able to learn from the early stages of this research. The data consistently generated reveals that maintaining socialization as a foundation for healthy choices may be the key. According to the Framingham studies," happiness, smoking, and obesity are all contagious," and in the blue zones, happiness has a greater focus because of the prevalence of strong families and close-knit communities (Monroe, 2010).

Research from the blue zones indicates that their members place a high value on humor and laughter. The elderly and family units take first place when it comes to developing new cultural norms and choices. Blue zone inhabitants contribute through volunteerism and maintaining strong social circles especially when it comes to physical exercise and a purpose-driven lifestyle. What does your blue zone look like? You can make inspiring changes in your life and others by seeking socialization and positive relationships. According to Monroe (2010), it turns out that "friends, unlike diets, are much more likely to be longer-term undertakings."

~Debra

Team Leisure and Fun: Community Garage Sale!

This event brought neighbors together and at the end of the day everyone had met new neighbors and made new friends!

Team Nutrition: Healthy Choices at Benham's Grove

Chicken asparagus tossed with penne pasta is the healthy dish being prepared by Chef Michael during a recent educational session in the community.

Team Lifelong Learning: Inter-generational

St. Leonard hosts a men's breakfast with members from the Alter Knight's football team. Emphasizing relationships between age groups and sharing life course perspectives and aging grades and norms.

Team Home and Garden: St. Elizabeth Social Garden

Environmental Wellness encompasses our relationship with our planet and our relationships with one another.

Team Spiritual Care: Using our Talents to the Fullest!

Disturb us, Lord

Disturb us, Lord, when

We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

attributed - sir francis drake -1577

~ Submitted by Joe

Team Bella Vita:Animal Rescue

Vocational and Emotional Wellness: Animal Rescue

Residents and staff worked together to save this fawn and find a new home so that she could be released back into the wild. The wonder of this experience was how this tiny "being" shared such affection and gratitude before she left our care.

Thank you for your participation and enthusiasm in our Vital Life Community!

This is an update of our progress concerning the Vital Life Beta Community certification. As of May, St. Leonard now has 25 wellness teams that consist of residents, staff, and volunteers. Our measured and surveyed wellness programs and resident, volunteer and staff initiated wellness events have exceeded 340 since our launch of the program in January. The combined attendance for these programs was a fantastic 3,799!

The Disney social walking program has over 270 walkers and many are close to beginning their return trip home from California! The walkers are logging their miles from the campus, community and even when they are on their vacation.

St. Leonard's Vital Life Community certification process of becoming the Healthiest Community in America is evolving into a remarkable success story! We are on level three of an eight-step certification process and we are close to achieving the next level. It is easy to join this program and the benefits are enormous! We are discovering our optimal health and well-being in a community of like-minded individuals, who are seeking the total value of socialization and stealth health!

Team Lifelong Learning: St. Leonard Studio Art

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.

-Pablo Picasso

June Employee Wellness Ideas: Social Moments

Click to enlarge

These are low cost/no cost wellness ideas that your employees can mix/match or use to create social wellness moments with other employees or departments within your organization.

Case Study 30

Spiritual and Physical Wellness Fun and Function Model

Ted Barlow's lifelong mission is to be well all of the time and to do this requires "staying in shape and being consistent in right ways." This philosophy has made his spiritual and physical wellness the strongest of his dimensions of wellness, although he continues to build on the other aspects of wellness. He reflects that this has been helpful throughout his life, because "life is less stressful when you strive for a sense of total wellness."

Ted's parents were his mentors growing up, and they taught him the value of honesty, socialization, and physical exercise. The way that you treat people is paramount; being compassionate to others fosters socialization, and a lifetime of outstanding friendships. Ted has enjoyed sports throughout his life as he played golf and made a regular habit of taking the time to walk and reflect. He comments that "keeping yourself in shape and spiritually sound is important and by your example you become a role model to others."

Case Study 29

Spiritual and Physical Wellness Fun and Function Model

Jeanne Schement feels her spiritual and physical wellness is the stronger and more developed of the dimensions of wellness. She learned spiritual wellness from her parents, who were Catholic and created a distinctive model to follow for spirituality. They modeled sharing the things that they learned and emphasized being truthful at all times. Jeanne reflects that a parent or mentor can have a tremendous impact on your choices when you are young, because it becomes a starting point in which other exciting ideas develop over time.

Jeanne also kept fit throughout her life; one of the sports that she loved to do is bowling. According to Jeanne, bowling is a formidable all over body exercise that demands coordination and a sense of quickness to make those high scores. Friendships develop easily when you are on a bowling team. Members of the team balance the sport with support and cheering for the entire team and it can be so much fun. Jeanne's philosophy is "that aging happens," but she finds that the aging process can be a little easier managed when enjoyed and shared with others.

Team Noah's Ark: Carry In Luncheon

Team Noah's Ark knows how to relax and have fun! This department is a close knit group that is dedicated to providing the best care possible for our residents and staff.

Team Leisure and Fun: Hawaiian Luau!

Team Life Long Learning: Travels to Pakistan!

Socialization involves learning about each other and sharing our life stories and adventures!

Team Leisure and Fun: Birthday Celebration!

Celebrations are an important part of a life!

Team Bella Vita: Birthday Celebration

Celebrations are an important part of life!

Case Study 28

Social, Vocational, and Physical Wellness Fun and Function Model

Nancy Dafler learned about socialization in the 4-H program of her hometown. The goal of the 4-H program is to help young people develop leadership and life skills through exemplary citizenship and experienced-based programs. As Nancy grew up and raised her own family, she also became a 4-H leader and continued to help her children learn socialization skills. Nancy began her vocational wellness at an early age as she volunteered in high school, where she filled in for teachers when they were absent. Nancy was one of the first volunteers at St. Leonard. In fact, she sponsored the first craft class just for St. Leonard, which later developed into Kreative Korner. Sister Rose gave her $10.00 to start the program, and it has been self-sustaining every since.

Nancy believes in physical exercise and remembers walking with her husband and later with a friend. To be able to exercise on a regular basis it is essential to find a friend; its fun and the buddy system keeps you on track and motivated. To do this Nancy suggests, "Open yourself up to others, go out and meet people."

Case Study 27

Spiritual Wellness Fun and Function Model

Maribeth Finafrock learned spiritual wellness from her mother, who was a role model when it came to giving to others and treating people with respect. Maribeth's mother would help everyone, and she was someone people could depend on in times of trouble. Maribeth remembers with a smile that her mother was a strong woman, who when she said her piece everyone obeyed.

Maribeth had faced some difficult times in her life especially during times when her family was sick. By talking to the Blessed Virgin Mary, she finds peace as it keeps the faith that she learned from her mother strong enough to handle whatever comes. Maribeth's advice to others is to pray and live a virtuous life and treat people fairly.

Team Leisure and Fun: Bluegrass Music!

Team Home and Garden: Social Vegetable Garden

The weather turned warmer than expected this spring making it difficult to tend to the social vegetable gardens as often as the gardeners would have liked. Still, through camaraderie and resolve, the expected summer bounty is on its way.

Team Fitness Gurus: Ballroom Dance Class!

Ballroom dancing is so much fun! This fitness program takes concentration and attention from each couple to be able to understand the dance pattern and establish a social partnership. Dancing is one of the healthiest fitness programs that you can attend because it improves balance and the mind-body connection.

Team Wellness: Lunch and Learn

Team wellness meets monthly to have lunch and socialize. This lunch and learn session ended with the group choreographing different moves for their next resident-focused wellness class, which will be based on wheelchair line dancing! This group knows how to have fun and works tremendously well together when they brainstorm ideas and create new programs for St. Leonard's Vital Life Beta Community!

Team Norman and Martin Family: Tae Kwon Do

JaiShawn Norman is working out with his friends during a demo for his martial arts school. His grandmother Ernestine Martin brings him to class and school events. She is highly committed to helping JaiShawn discover his optimal wellness. Together they share many fantastic memories as JaiShawn grows in his confidence, fitness and social skills.

Advisory Committee Member: Bill Feldmann

from Bill

The 8 Dimensions of Wellness St. Leonard Staff/Residents have identified are vital to every person who lives here. I believe spiritual wellness is and should always be number 1 on the list simply because it impacts the 7 other dimensions. A healthy understand of how Jesus Christ loves each person He created will lead into other dimensions; and impact how each of us can fulfill our roles in God's Plan to Love Him and Our Neighbor as Ourselves.

Everyone should believe that they are a Divine, magnificent expression of God's Divine love so see what they do each day with the eyes of God. From social interactions, to providing emotional support, to keeping physically fit, you are doing God's work. St. Paul says in Corinthians "God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more then enough for every cause".

Bill