Definition of a neighbor: a fellow being or a kindred human spirit.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Team St. Leonard Veterans' Service Organization: Vocational Wellness
from our Marketing Department
Bill Greger was drafted twice. The first time, during the late stages of World War II, he was placed on limited service until the war ended, when he was shipped to Manila, Philippines, to help with the rebuilding effort.
More than 60 years later, in January 2005, Bill found himself conscripted for active duty once again. That's when a group of his fellow St. Leonard residents and former service members "volunteered" Bill to lead their new veterans organization.
As he had so long ago, Bill accepted his post without grumbling and endeavored to do his best as president pro tem of the group. Bill earned the loftier title of Commander, but his work has remained essentially the same. The group formed on the recommendation of Wellness Director Deb Stewart, who thought a regular gathering of St. Leonard's veterans might promote fellowship. Inspired to do more than simply enjoy one another's company, the 127 veterans initiated a project to create a memorial to deceased former residents who had served their country. This project eventually evolved into a large display with brass nameplates listing veterans among St. Leonard's current residents, as well as those who have passed on.
While this multi-year effort progressed, the group undertook a series of service projects to support local soldiers deployed overseas. Over the years, the veterans have raised funds to purchase and distribute phone cards, commissary cards, and desert cooling/hydration towels to members of the National Guard unit based in Kettering and a Dayton Marine military police (MP) company. Representatives of the veterans group also regularly participate in special activities such as the annual Veterans Day celebration at St. Leonard, dedication ceremonies to accompany ongoing construction of new facilities and amenities, and volunteer projects on campus and throughout the region. Members have also helped to organize group trips through the Honor Flight Network, a program based in Springfield that flies veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the WWII Memorial. In July 2007, the veterans began a project to capture and share some of the historic experiences of their members. St. Leonard had an active memoir group for residents, and Lou Liebold and Bob Lamb decided to encourage their fellow veterans to get involved.
Nearly two and a half years later, Liebold expects a collection of more than 30 stories by the veterans, ranging from brief remembrances to lengthy memoirs, to be published in 2010. He and Lamb found the work of soliciting and editing all of these tales more challenging than expected, but well worth the effort. They were also surprised by the content of those stories. While he doesn't consider his own service in Europe, which involved only a few months of combat, particularly exciting by comparison, Liebold contributed his own tale, which includes a firsthand account of liberating a concentration camp. Lamb, who was involved in the memoir group before helping to launch the veterans' version, published his own book-length memoir, War Stories and Memories, in 2008. Lamb's book is available, as the forthcoming compilation will be, through the St. Leonard store.
After 10 and 14 years at St. Leonard, respectively, Greger and Liebold are still thrilled to be part of this community and contribute to it whenever the opportunity arises. "It just gets to be like one big family," Greger said.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Spiritual Wellness
from Marcy Morgan
Spiritual Care
People often seem to shy away from the topic of “Spiritual Wellness”. Perhaps they are thinking someone is out to convert them, or they don’t see how it has relevance to their lives. Spiritual Wellness, though, has everything to do with our lives! Our spirituality, in many ways, is the “essence” of who we are. Are we comfortable with our relationship with God? With our relationships with other people? Whatever your religion or faith tradition, a wonderful guide for one’s Spiritual Wellness is to look at how closely the way you live lines up with what you believe. When we are healthy spiritually, our beliefs are reflected in our actions, in how we live. Otherwise, we have conflict – within ourselves! That creates a lot of stress – much more stress than is healthy for a person.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Team Leisure and Fun: Shopping with Friends!
St. Leonard's Off the Cuff Fashion Boutique offers the thrill of the hunt, and it is a gathering place for bargain hunters and friends.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Getting to Know Sous Chef Adam Rita
from your Marketing Department
Growing up in a “big Italian family” inspired Adam Rita with a passion for delicious food — and the joy that comes from sharing it with others. A native of Columbus, Adam moved to
After completing an internship at the Oakwood Club, Adam became an intern in the
Maintaining a high level of quality and variety for upwards of 1,000 diners each day can be challenging, especially given the need to accommodate dietary restrictions, serve guests in two different dining halls, and prepare room service meals for many residents. Adam embraces this challenge, though, often drawing inspiration from his colleagues.
“I think everyone who works in the kitchen is very talented, and they all have a lot to bring to the table,” he said. They truly take pride in their work and never skimp on quality. They really care, and I think that definitely makes a difference.”
Not all Carbohydrates are Created Equal!
from Ann
The other day I overheard someone say, “Oh, I am not eating any carbohydrates, I need to lose weight.” My first reaction to that statement is so; you are not eating any fruits, vegetables or grain. When carbohydrates come to mind the first thought is bread & starch. But the carbohydrate group embraces a wide variety of foods.
Carbohydrates include sugar, starch & fiber. The most important function of carbohydrates is to provide fuel for our bodies and our brains!! So, if you fail to eat carbohydrates you may feel a little tired & perhaps not thinking very clearly.
There are two types of carbohydrates:
SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES-These have one or two sugars and can be found in the following foods. Fruits, milk & milk products and vegetables represent the simple carbohydrate group. These foods contain vitamins and minerals. Some of the culprits of weight gain live here. They would be non-diet soft drinks, candy, syrup & table sugar.
COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES- This group has three or more sugars and is sometimes referred to as the starchy group. It includes legumes, starchy vegetables like peas, carrots & potatoes. Whole grain breads and cereals are considered complex carbohydrates.
So, keep this thought in mind: No one single food group causes us to experience weight gain, excess caloric intake is the culprit responsible when that occurs. Too many calories in and not enough calories out will cause our waistlines to expand.
Team Fitness Gurus: Creating Your Fitness Plan No. 1
An athlete is someone who regularly participates in fitness and plans a systematic approach for physical well-being. Whether you are a person training for a 5k or attending a balance class, you should consider yourself an athlete. This mindset will help you to become alert to the basic needs of an athlete, which we will discuss in the next Team Fitness Guru’s: Creating Your Fitness Plan.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Team Leisure and Fun: Social Moment
Socialization can be a grand event or just connecting with a friend and catching up on the day's events.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Blue Zone Your Memory No. 3
A picture is worth a thousand words
Improving your memory with visual imagery and other mnemonics is a memory tool that has been used since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Science has supported this memory recall practice through studies that confirm that it is easier to remember data when we connect it to a visual image. This method of loci uses common paths to identify landmarks that you can associate with the data or items that you do not want to forget or misplace. It is a great concept to research, it takes a little practice, but it works very well.
Do You Leave Your Wellness to Chance?
Click to enlarge
This form is a sample of the Vital Net Worth designed by Bill Witte of the Vital Life Community, and it asks the simple question "what is my net worth." Imagine a strategy for your personal wellness that will help you evaluate your life plan for increased fun and function. Through personal survey to determine where you are now, and where you truly want to be, you can live a life that leaves nothing to chance and protects your most cherished asset, which is having a life of good health.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Team Fitness Gurus: 5K Run/Walk
On this beautiful Saturday over 400 walkers and runners gathered to support wellness, fun, function, socialization and community!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Lessons Learned from the Case Studies
Social
Social connectivity is the foundation for the Vital life Community concept. Research has proven that sharing life with others enhances memory and motivation for individuals within a social circle to expand their Fun and Function stages of life. This search results in finding new ways to stay well and to help others stay well within our community.
Nutritional
Learning about proper nutrition in a group setting, led by professionals in the field, can help you sort out the massive amount of nutritional information that is on the market today. This method of learning will help you find the nutritional strategy that is right for you. Learning in a social environment speeds learning and the transfer of information to long-term memory. This transfer becomes easier because learning in a social setting offers more cues for recall as you process new information into your existing knowledge frameworks.
Environmental
Environmental wellness and social wellness go hand-in-hand, and this is because we interact daily with our living spaces, both personal and with our relationship with the planet. Together, we establish a culture of gratitude and caring for our neighbors and the living spaces that surround us on our campus. Collectively, we grow in respect of the environment and this helps us to balance our needs and the needs of the earth.
Spiritual
Spiritual wellness is highly individual and yet at the same time it is universal. We seek to find balance with the meaning and purpose of our existence, and almost in every case this leads to harmony with others.
Physical
Physical wellness not only involves exercise, but it also involves how we manage our bodies and proactively take care of possible medical issues. When we exercise with others, it helps to build a sense of excitement about making progress concerning endurance, strength, and flexibility. This motivation that we receive from others reminds us that to remain active will require seeking medical help when needed.
Occupational
Occupational wellness can encompass working outside of the home or volunteering in the community. It involves maintaining our skills, competencies and crafts that we have carefully developed over a lifetime. Sharing these gifts with others offers a continuous sense of achievement, and is a fantastic way to give back to the world the blessings that we have received.
Intellectual
Intellectual wellness is about learning and re-learning processes. Intellectual pursuit builds upon existing knowledge and strengthens our connection to past learning. Keeping our intellect strong and healthy is a continual process that takes patience and nurturing of the emotional self. We needed this strategy when we were younger; when we were trying to complete our education or learn new skills or hobbies, and we still need it today.
Emotional
Positive relationships are important for emotional wellness and an optimistic approach to life. Coping strategies for life developed from our social environment help us learn to adjust to change as we share our philosophies, and feelings and thoughts with others.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Team Leisure and Fun: River Downs Race Track!
The excitement was intense at the 1925 opening of River Downs race track and today the fun still continues as members of Team Leisure and Fun visit the track on River Down's 85th anniversary.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Team Wellness: Lunch and Learn
Conductorcise comes to St. Leonard as group wellness leaders practice their curriculum for exercise and music. The exercise can be practiced from the chair or from a standing position. It encourages balance, increased core strength, socialization and fun!
Case Study 32
Social and Physical Fun and Function Wellness Model
Ted Sickle believes that having a personal wellness philosophy is a good idea, because it helps to act as a filter for one's beliefs about wellness and it helps to form an action plan or strategy for wellness. Ted balances his wellness strategy with moderation; he eats healthy most of the time, and enjoys the pleasures of other foods only on occasion. Ted has exercised throughout his life, enjoying such sports as walking, golf, swimming, and football.Ted recommends for new or returning fitness enthusiasts that walking is a fantastic way to begin.
Socialization is also important in Ted's life as is the emotion of love. Ted feels that love develops over time and whether the love is for an individual or humankind, Ted says it is a "grow-on" phenomena. The more you love the more you can love. It is a process; it does not just happen, "bend and give, be kind, and be willing to go further with socialization is key." After all, it is just a matter of caring.
Case Study 31
Social and Emotional Wellness Fun and Function Model
Margaret Peter's wellness philosophy involves living life with a sense of humor and a heart for helping others. She remembers when she was younger how vital it was to go to church, and take care of the family, and garden. It seemed like we worked from sun-up to sun-down, but people did not think anything about it, as it was an expected way of life at that time. Neighbors helped neighbors, and having a sense of humor was a basic need of life to survive difficult times.
Margaret confides that socialization is extremely beneficial throughout life and it may be found in the form of friendship or just offering a sandwich in time of need. Over the years, Margaret has come to realize how valuable it is to talk and communicate. Things can happen quickly in life, and sometimes it is essential to sit down and think things over, and taking stock of one's life is easier with the help of a friend.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Team: St. Leonard Veterans' Service Organization
Members of the St. Leonard Veterans' Service Organization prepare to take their position in the 2010 Centerville-Washington Township Americana Festival Parade. This group represents over one-hundred men and women at St. Leonard, who continue to serve their country through volunteerism and support of our troops.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Blue Zone Your Memory No. 2
More tips from recent research on memory are evolving as science begins to unravel why we forget. Research suggests that we should engage in distributed learning/practice. In other words, when you are reminiscing or relearning skills, space your work over several sessions. Bookmark your progress with a few notes for later recall and in the next session review before you begin. This technique has proven to be effective in recent studies and curriculum development, because the effort of recalling memories casually and without stress, creates less interference from other memories and thoughts that are competing for your attention.
Hope for Dementia Care
Dr. Govind Bharwani, Director of Nursing Ergonomics at Nursing Institute of West Central Ohio and Co-Director of Ergonomics at BIE department, College of Engineering, Wright State University, along with Meena Bharwani, a local independent consultant and a graduate of MIT and Cornell, have guided our professionals in dementia care to develop a program that is making an incredible difference in the lives of our residents with dementia. Their tireless efforts have created a renewed synergy concerning research and development in this area of study. Dr. Bharwani and Meena have created a Behavior-Based Ergonomics (BBE) program that utilizes comforting and stimulating interventions for our dementia residents during times of increased confusion and disengagement. St Leonard is blessed to have this opportunity to connect our residents and staff in this innovative program that touches so many lives in a truly person-centered way.
Wellness Center Operations Meeting
The wellness center is in the process of construction, and it is now time to plan the wellness center operations and activities. These leaders are brainstorming ideas that will energize our vital citizens to pursue optimal health strategies in all of the dimensions of wellness.
Team Spiritual Care:Franciscan Forum!
This fantastic Spiritual Care educational opportunity was sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio on the Regis University campus in Denver! The staff from the Franciscan Living Communities participated and they found that they grew spiritually as they learned, laughed and shared together.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Cholesterol: What it is and how to lower yours!
from Ann Partlow
Dietary cholesterol is found in the foods we eat. Any food that does not originate from a plant will have cholesterol. Cholesterol is found in meats, fish & poultry. Vegetables & fruit have no cholesterol. The other cholesterol in our bodies is blood serum cholesterol. Blood serum cholesterol occurs naturally & makes different hormones in our body as well as aiding in digestion.
Cholesterol is packaged in your liver. In fact the liver processes everything we ingest. Think of your liver as a factory where your cholesterol is manufactured. Once the cholesterol has been created it is loaded onto two different trucks. These trucks carry good cholesterol: HDL or high density lipoprotein and LDL or low density lipoprotein. The LDL trucking line carries the cholesterol away and out to the body. The HDL line brings the cholesterol back to the warehouse where it gets repackaged and sent out when needed. The problem arises when too much low density lipoprotein gets dumped on the road, or into your arteries, this will cause a traffic jam or clogged arteries.
So, now that we know some facts about cholesterol, what can we do to keep our cholesterol in the normal range which is 180-200 for our overall cholesterol? Studies have proven that reducing our intake of certain fats will aid us in reaching this goal. Not all fats are bad, the fats that are beneficial are found in vegetable oils, the best oil is olive oil but other healthy oils include corn, sunflower or soybean. The fats that should be avoided are any fat derived from animal, butter, saturated fats & trans fats are fats that can cause problems with your cholesterol.
Lifestyle changes will help lower your cholesterol following these simple changes will help you get on the road to lower cholesterol.
Weight loss: losing a few as 5 to 10 pounds can make a difference in your cholesterol. Take a realistic look at what you eat, make gradually changes. Change from 2% milk to 1%, all the nutrients are the same but you will be drinking less fat.
Eat Heart Healthy: Chose healthy fats: Fats from vegetables are best. Eliminate trans fats which are found in cookies & crackers. Even though the label states trans fat free a serving can contain .05 grams of trans fat & be considered trans fat free by government standards.
Limit the cholesterol in your food: Try to consume less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day. Use lean cuts of meat, egg substitutes and skim milk.
Choose Whole Grains: Whole grains provide fiber in your diet; fiber is harder for your body to digest so it helps you feel fuller for a longer period of time. Look for the whole grain symbol on bread, rolls & pasta. Choose brown rice & use whole wheat flour.
Eat Fruits & Vegetables: Snack on seasonal fruits & vegetables. They are rich in fiber & can help lower your cholesterol. Make a dinner without meat, use beans as your protein.
Exercise is a good way to help lower your cholesterol. Always check with your doctor before you begin any exercise program. Walking is a great way to start. Park a little further from the door of your office or the mall. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Studies have shown that 10 minutes of exercise done three different times is as beneficial as doing 30 minutes at once. So, start slow and work up to a goal.
Quit smoking and drink in moderation. These are all ways to get on the road to lower cholesterol. You'll look better & feel vital!!!
Team Leisure and Fun: Out to Supper Group
Members of this group celebrate birthdays and everyday successes with going out to eat together and sharing memories and stories.
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