The Quest for Emotional Wellness No. 16: Weather Related Emotional Decline

Our weather has been a challenge recently as we are experiencing extremes consisting of intense heat to threatening storms. Unpredictable weather and heat does impact how we feel emotionally. Researchers find that emotions are often more intense during extreme temperatures and threatening weather conditions, and that fatigue and sleepiness are often elevated symptoms of this relationship with the weather and our mood. This is helpful to know as we can nurture our feelings and emotions and guide them toward appropriate expressions during weather related emotional decline.

Sedentary Scales: I love to sit and enjoy reading a book for long periods at a time!

SEDENTARY ACTIVITY BOOSTER GUIDE

• Approximate calories burned when reading for 3 hours = 264

• Approximate calories burned when reading and engaging in 3 intervals of 10 minutes of light stretching spaced throughout the 3 hours = 342

Added benefits: Mental and brain health, and positive physiological stimulation

 

St. Leonard is a Vital Life Community

Team Leisure and Fun: Music on the Lawn!

Fred entertains residents, friends, and neighbors on the lawn during a beautiful evening social.

Virtual Team Brain Storm: Update!



Team Captain
Kelly Lance





Team Brain Storm is still at 15 members…please tell your family & friends to sign up so that our team can grow.


This week we did some “Mentalrobics”, exercising our brains to stay mentally fit.





Tim Barringer, Massage Therapist at TFC, submitted this play on words:
 
To the point.
Not pointed.


What is the word? The answer is below.

We then looked at how well we could remember quotes! The following are humorous quotes from famous people in history. Can you match the quotes in Part 1 with the person who said it in Part 2? Answers are below.

Part 1:

1. "Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them."

2. "I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down at us. Pigs treat us as equals."

3. "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. THAT'S relativity."

4. "A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read."

5. "Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip."

6. "God heals and the doctor takes the fee."

Part 2:

Albert Einstein

Will Rogers

Abraham Lincoln

Benjamin Franklin

Winston Churchill

Mark Twain

Virtual Team Parkinson's Research: Removing Stereotypes

Team Captain

Dr. Jack Harless

We now have 15 members. This week we covered a study that points to the fact that many people develop negative impressions about individuals with Parkinson's disease, based solely on how they communicate. This is an important reminder to never judge a book by its cover and to always treat every person with respect and understanding, regardless of condition.

Team Spelling Bee: Spelling Club Invitation!

Spellers…Spellers!!! We’re looking for those residents who enjoy spelling and would like to gather to have some fun with WORDS. I know there are many spellers in our midst; you may be one of them, so why not consider the Spelling Club? This is a great intellectual Vital Life activity—it definitely keeps your mind alert! It has been in operation for over two years now, but we’re getting into full swing for the third year and would like to invite other residents to join us. Now would be a good time to join this very exciting, mind-challenging activity. Think about it. We look at and study many new and challenging words as well as everyday words and the most commonly misspelled words in the English language. Come see for yourself and experience the thrill of being able to spell some very unique words. We do have a good time, and who knows, you may even decide to be in the 3rd Annual Campus-Wide Spelling Bee in April of 2013. You do not, however, have to be in the Spelling Bee to join the club, but you are certainly welcome. That will be your decision. You can join the Spelling Club now or at any time throughout the year. Watch the calendars for the time and place. Our first gathering for this year is Friday, August 17th, at 11:15 a.m. in JBR. At that time new lists of words will be distributed. Call me at 212-4484 if you have any questions. We hope to see you there.


Sister Christine Doerger Spelling Moderator

Team HCC: Relocation of Baby Ducks!

Beth and her wellness team let the residents know that the baby ducks that were recenty relocated are doing very well. Each year the residents participate in the care and feeding of the baby ducks, which are always born near or around our courtyards. 

Team Social Walking Program: Walking in Sylvania, Ohio!

It is amazing what you can see when you walk for leisure and fun! Send us pictures of scenic views from your social walking program, and we will post them for others to enjoy!

Team Assisted Care: Karaoke!

A big group of Assisted Care Residents come to Karaoke.   Everyone enjoys singing along with the words printed on the big screen TV. This week one resident kept saying, "I really like this”!

~Program design by Sister Christine Doerger~

Team Sisters of Sylvania: Golden Jubilee!

On June 24th Sister Patricia Hejna celebrated her Golden Jubilee as a Sister of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio.  Many Sisters, family, co-workers and friends attended the beautiful Mass in Sylvania with the Bishop of Toledo officiating.  The celebration continued in a wonderfully decorated room with a very delicious catered dinner.  What a day to remember!

~submitted by Sister Christine Doerger~

Team Spiritual Care:The Art of Discipline

Degas was called an “impressionist” by the artistic community—a painter who does not set out to replicate reality, as had most artists up to that era. Instead, this new breed of artists sought to create an emotional impact in the observer of what the scene evokes in the soul of the viewer—excitement, perhaps, or happiness, depression, terror, or spiritual insight. Impressionists did not set out to take us to places we had never been and most probably would never see without them. They set out to take us into the meaning of a scene rather than a precisely designed photographic rendering of a scene.


Degas’s picture is obviously not a snapshot of a dancing lesson. It is a psychological icon of what it means to learn to dance. It conjures up thoughts of hard work, of endless repetitions, of total dedication to being just one more member of a company of dancers where everyone is of the same ilk, the same world, the same devotion to the art, the same community of life.

And yet, Degas rejects the label “impressionist” and calls himself always a “realist,” an artist who shows us life as it is. And he does. The only difference is that Degas shows us life as it is internally—as it is in the souls of the dancers—rather than as it is externally in all the details of the costumes and the studio and the steps.

The point is an interesting one. In each of us it is how life affects us that counts. It is how we prepare ourselves to live life that counts. It is the concentration, the discipline, the commitment, the skill and sense of human community we bring to life that really count. That constitutes reality at its rawest, at its most meaningful.

Anything else, Degas makes us see, is not life lived to the hilt.

A life well lived, deeply drunk, totally tasted, Degas shows us, is a life formed slowly, painfully even, to the point of the fullness of the self. It is a life that demands our total attention, our complete commitment, our willingness to stay at something until we become the very best that we can be at it.

It is life as a spiritual discipline that Degas confronts us with here rather than simply an exercise in breathing. It is a lesson worth considering if life is to have any kind of substance at all.

by Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB


—Introduction to The Monastic Way, August 2012.

Team A/L: Dayton Doll Study Club!

On a bright afternoon in June the traditional Assisted Care residents were graced with the presence of the Dayton Doll Study Club.  Kathleen Spoon and club members had a wonderful display of old dolls and gave the names and histories of each one holding the interest of all present.  This brought back many memories to the residents, who also brought in some of their own dolls, which have been kept these many years.
~Submitted by Sister Christine Doerger~

Team Home and Garden: St. Elizabeth Meditation Gardens

The meditation gardens came to full bloom after the long awaited rains came last week.

It is amazing what you can see when you walk for leisure and fun! Send us pictures of scenic views from your social walking program and we will post them for others to enjoy!

Team Corely: Walking for the Health of It!

Walking is one of the easiest and simplest exercises you can perform for overall health and it doesn’t require any special equipment or a lot of money to get started. If you think just walking seems to be too easy of an exercise to be an effective fitness method then...think again. Walking can lower blood pressure, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, raise HDL (good) cholesterol, reduce risk or manage type 2 diabetes, reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, and manage your weight. Did you know that walking is a weight bearing exercise that helps maintain bone density and also walking is very easy on the joints? The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association recommends a moderate intensity physical activity most days of the week for 30 minutes. Walking at a brisk pace enables you to meet the criteria for physical activity for health benefits.

To start a walking program all you would need is a well fitted walking or running shoe with a flexible sole that provides a good arch support and plenty of cushion for your heels. Your clothing should be loose fitting and comfortable. If you’re walking outside make sure to wear sunscreen and don’t forget the sunglasses for the sun. If you want to keep track of the distance you walk, a pedometer would be a good investment.

So there you have it, starting a walking program can be as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. The health benefits that come along with walking are too numerous to be ignored.

Lassonia Corely
Exercise Specialist
Sinclair Community College

Team Knight of Columbus Volunteer of the Year Award!

Tom was recognized as Volunteer of the Year for his service, personal mission, and fantastic attitude toward teamwork and collaboration.

55+ Worker No. 7: Skill Development or Career Enhancement?

Finding a second career or going back to work after a sabbatical may require that you reevaluate your portfolio. The leading questions are often based on what choices to make concerning skill development or career enhancement. Learning a new skill can be fun and interesting, and going back to college can also be rewarding. This decision-making process should begin with a personal reflection concerning your goals, talents and abilities, your interests and passions, and the settings that are best for your learning abilities. It is important to mention that quality of life should also be a factor in your decision-making, and achieving a feeling of congruence about your new job and your beliefs, values, and your personal vision.

Team BBET: Alzheimer's Association Caregiver Essentials Panel

St. Leonard, Wright State University, and the Alzheimer's Associate promote the Behavior Based Ergonomics Therapies (BBET) and the Memory Resource Center.

Team Franciscan Center: Exercise: Adding Years to Life or Life to Years?

In a 2011 study published in the Lancet, researchers found that those “who exercised for an average of 92 min per week or 15 min a day, had a 14% reduced risk of all-cause mortality (death by any cause), and had a 3 year longer life expectancy. Every additional 15 min of daily exercise beyond the minimum amount of 15 min a day further reduced all-cause mortality by 4%.”

This is a fine study, with a large population studied (over 400,000). This kind of study confirms what seems to make logical sense, if we’re active, we tend to function better, and in a very linear fashion shows we can add years to life.

What isn’t addressed, and in my opinion is every bit as important as life longevity, is quality of life, or adding “life to years.”

What we call exercise today, was for our ancestors movement out of necessity. Movement usually equated to staying alive. Today, we no longer have these concerns and exercise is very often compensatory movement, or movement to make up for a mostly sedentary lifestyle.

Because the clan no longer needs to move to live, and in fact, the group itself has been relegated to a secondary status to the individual, we now find ourselves trudging away on a treadmill, alone, with a headset to keep us company instead of family and friends.

The richness and depth of life, what I feel to be synonymous with wellness, is lost. Yes, exercising by yourself will add years to life, but will it add life to those years? We miss out on the vital and necessary social aspects of life that are the building blocks for wellness or wholeness.

As many of you know, our Vital Life program is based on this fundamental principle, socialization leads to fun and function, and delays frailty and failure. The great news is that by living and participating in the Vital Life, not only will you add years to life with our exciting exercise classes and facility, but you will add life to your years through the richness of our socialization based programs and philosophy. It’s a win-win!

Team Houck: Disneyland and Warner Brother's Vacation!

Team Houck: Zack's Graduation!

Team Fit-for-Driving No. 16: Summer Heat Issues

This summer has been particularly hot concerning weather conditions, and interior temperatures of parked cars are sometimes exceeding 100 degrees. It goes without saying that people, pets, and perishables should not be left in hot cars. But did you know that chemicals, soft plastics, and personal care items should not be left in the car during excessive heat episodes? Research has found that excessive heat in cars can be a catalyst that can change the nature or composition of certain products. This could easily create a dangerous situation where unknown reactions can create unpredictable outcomes.  

Team Franciscan Center: Presenting Anna-Bridgette Shorten!

After planning a magnificent 5k, Anna-Bridgette, our event coordinator, went on to complete her perfect wedding!

Virtual Team Parkinson's Research: Update!

Dr. Jack Harless
Team Captain

We have 14 members. This week we looked at a new method of cell isolation discovered by Greengard, Heiman, and colleagues, called Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (TRAP), that reveals translational profiles in cells by isolating the genetic messages as they pass through the protein production factories called ribosomes.




This new technique will help propel the scientific community, which has struggled to sleuth out the subtle molecular differences amongst the hundreds of specialized cell types that are tangled together in the brain tissues, toward a better understanding of the causes of Parkinson's disease.

Virtual Team Brain Storm: Update!

This week, Team Brain Storm looked at research that revealed physical, social, and mental activity may protect memory and alertness. For example, mice raised in an “enriched” environment, which contains other mice and a variety of stimulating toys, displayed dendrite growth and performed better on learning tasks than inactive, isolated mice did. Thus, mental, social, and physical stimulation are all positive regulators of neural growth and seem to have an additive effect on learning and memory.


In our brain teaser for the week, team members had to find the odd ones out in the following groups of words. Each group of words has TWO words which do not belong.

Here is an example to get started:

Lily - Jane - Tulip - Rose

Jane does not belong as it's the only one which is not a flower.

Tulip also does not belong because it's the only one which is not a girl's name.


You're on your own for the rest! Answers are below.

1. Dodge - Ford - Lincoln - Hoover

2. King - Earl - Knight - Bishop

3. Yellow - Green - Dead - Black

Have a great week!

Kelly Lance

Answer

1. Hoover does not belong as it's the only one which is not a car manufacturer. Dodge does not belong as it's the only one which is not the last name of a President of USA.

 2.Bishop does not belong as it's the only one which is not a class of nobility. Earl does not belong as it's the only one which is not a Chess piece.

3. Dead does not belong as it's the only one which is not a color. Green does not belong as it's the only one which is not the name of a sea.

Team Spiritual Care: Fighting for Peace

Sister Kateri Theriault
Mission Integration

Most people prefer an environment without conflict. When home is a domestic battlefield, the workplace a war zone of envy and competition, or national politics a reenactment of the gunfight at the OK Corral, they seek refuge in calmer quarters—like, say, in church. But what do you do when the conflict moves into the realm of religion? Jesus reminds you that faith rarely takes you down the path of least resistance. The prophet Elijah waged a bloody battle for religious fidelity on Mt. Carmel, and later monks erected a monastery there in comparative tranquility. If you seek peace, you may first have to do battle with the issues that divide.


TODAY’S READINGS: Isaiah 1:10-17; Matthew 10:34-11:1 (389)

“I have not come to bring peace but the sword.”

Team HCC: Strength and Endurance Training!

Team HCC tried their first self-defense class and learned how to Ki-up and speak Korean!

Team JBR: Ragtime River Rats!

JBR residents spent a great afternoon enjoying music and friends!

Team Home and Garden: The Butterfly House!

Residents attend an outing to Cox Aboretum to see the butterfly house!

Team Fitness Gurus No.29 : Muscles and More Muscles!

When you plan your exercise program, do you have specific goals in mind, such as strength, flexibility, and endurance? These are common goals for athletes of all ages, and these goals will support activities from sports to the activities of daily living. Many people do not realize that they need to also strengthen supporting muscles and antagonist muscles as well. Additionally, it is beneficial to consider setting goals for range of motion and the smaller muscles that you have throughout your body.


Some fun facts about muscles are that we have about 700 named skeletal muscles in the body. 200 of these muscles are well known in the gym, and another 100 or so are essential to massage therapy. All in all, if we group categories together there are over 50 million muscles in our body, which include the little muscles that move our hairs on our arms, to the muscles that allow our eyes to move, to the larger skeletal muscles, and more….

Team Leisure and Fun:Treasured Memories

This entertainment duo shared many songs of the 40s and 50s.

It was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Team St. Leonard Veterans' Service Organization: Travelogue

Veterans enjoy a travelogue featuring the memorials in Washington DC.

Team University of Dayton Engineering & Safety Lab No. 14: What Does This Research Mean to Me?

When results of medical studies are reported to the public, some of the information can be misleading. In particular, studies that are researching new types of drugs seem the most confusing. Is it possible that one drug could be “300% more effective” than another? How do we know what is worth paying attention to?


First, see if the study was a “randomized controlled clinical trial”. This type is usually the most reliable because it involves a large number of subjects randomly put into test groups and control groups. Neither the doctors nor the subjects know which group the subjects are placed in. Randomized controlled clinical trials minimize bias.

Two other tell-tale terms are “relative risk” and “absolute risk.” Absolute risk shows the actual number of people the drug helps, but relative risk just indicates the likelihood that the drug helps. Saying “Relative risk” can make a drug seem more effective than it actually was. Lastly, make sure the subjects were similar to you in age, gender, and medical history.

“The bottom line is: talk to your doctor. He or she can help you understand the results and what they could mean for your health.”

Team Leisure and Fun: Senior Sensations!

The local  senior dance troupe called the Senior Sensations gave a fabulous performance!

Team Wellness Advisory Committee: Self-Esteem Ups and Downs

Dr. Dennis O'Grady

Practical Ways to Raise Self-Esteem

Self-esteem permits you to interact in a world that basically welcomes the best of your ambitions and talents. In such a world, you can become a positive actor on the stage of life instead of a passive member of the audience. When your self-esteem comes under attack, refuse to think negatively or act irrationally against your own best interests. Accept that you are adequate and deserving of love and success.



Negative feelings often disguise the fact that you are changing successfully. Learn to reinforce small positive changes.

Do you panic when you are running dangerously low on self-esteem fuel, or do you take a deep breath, review your goals, and keep on changing? Low self-esteem is not a permanent state. Remember, being a winner means staying in a learning mode. Beware of pleasing others too much, beating yourself up with self-criticisms, or getting caught in power plays that use up your best energies.

Stay in the driver’s seat. Challenge any beliefs that do not allow you to change and feel happy.

MINDPLAY:

the three types of self-esteem

In which mindset do you find yourself most of the time? Do you have Excessive Self-Esteem (ESE), High Self-Esteem (HSE), or Low Self-Esteem (LSE)? Mark the descriptors below, in each column, that currently apply to you. The category with the most check marks will tell you a great deal about your present level of self-esteem.

Have some fun. Don’t be too serious about analyzing yourself. The same trait is used in numbered sequence across types so you can see how people change their personalities when self-esteem is added or subtracted.

Excessive Self-Esteem (ESE)

 Aggressive

 Hedonistic goals

 Arrogant

 Takes daring risks

 Intolerant

 Blaming

 I don’t care what you think

 Verbally abusive

 Too focused

 Feel superior

 Cocky

 Worth more

 Brutally blunt

 Priority: physically attractive

 High energy


High Self-Esteem (HSE)

 Assertive

 Goal seeking

 Confident

 Takes reasonable risks

 Tolerant to a point

 Self-encouraging

 What do you really think

 Verbally affirming

 Focuses as needed

 Feel adequate

 Courageous

 Worthwhile

 Direct and honest

 Priority: inner beauty

 Positive energy

Low Self-Esteem (LSE)

 Passive victim

 Goalless

 Self-doubting

 Afraid to risk

 Too tolerant

 Self-critical

 Nobody cares what I think

 Verbally demeaning

 Unfocused/scattered

 Feels inferior

 Ashamed

 Convinced of worthlessness

 Indirect and evasive

 Feels unattractive

 Low energy level

interPLAY:

Self-esteem can be excessively high or excessively low. Both ends of the self-esteem spectrum are exaggerations of high self-esteem.

Unmanaged strengths can be weaknesses. Different words have been used to describe the same trait across the three types of self-esteem: (1) aggressive (ESE), assertive (HSE), and passive victim (LSE). Each trait is part of the self-esteem spectrum. Refuse to let your strengths become weaknesses.

Displeasers have excessive self-esteem (ESE). As one ESE was fond of telling me, “It’s tough to soar like an eagle when you are surrounded by sparrows.” Intolerance, blaming, and despising weakness can make these people quite intimidating.

Pleasers have low self-esteem (LSE). Pleasers are trying to receive high self-esteem as if by magic. What they get instead is lowered self-esteem, and more-of-the-same frustrations.
Pleasing yourself leads to high self-esteem (HSE). Pleasing yourself forces you to raise your low self-esteem. High self-esteem reduces the need to please.

Self-esteem matches your inner beliefs to a tee. Learn to think of any belief as changeable. Changing self-critical beliefs always adds to the level of your self-esteem.

Due to the devilry of negative thinking, who you think you are isn’t necessarily who you really are. My clients hang on to their negative self-opinions with the power of a death grip. Learn to let go of your negative self-ideas more easily.

Team Red Rooster: Summer Recipes!



Chef Chelsea

 Chef Chelsea offers this cool summer recipe:

Gazpacho:

2 cucumbers
4 Tomatoes
2 Bell peppers
1 Clove Garlic
1/4 c Red Wine vinegar
1/4 c Olive Oil
2 tsp. parsley
to tast Salt and pepper

1) Roast peppers and tomatoes
2) Peel peppers & tomatoes
3) Combine all ingredients in blender
4) Season to taste & chill till ready to serve

Team Franciscan Center: Spinning Classes

Jon Dolph
Expercise Supervisor

According to the Science of Cycling website, there are definite advantages to using a spinning bike.  It is a low-impact workout, so the joints do not take a lot of damage      while cycling. The spinning bike's sturdy construction supports the body very well to ensure this. There are several muscle groups that are worked at the same time, so a spinning bike can provide a total body workout in one session. In fact, a spinning bike can help you burn up to 500 calories  an hour if you exercise at a high level.

Team Franciscan Center: Massage Designed for You!

Kristin Pitstick
Spa Manager

Summer is in full swing and that means heat, heat, HEAT! It’s important to stay hydrated and wear appropriate clothing. Too hot outside? The Franciscan Center is a great place to meet your friends and socialize (and maybe grab a workout too!). In this month’s issue, I’d like to highlight an article about massage and seniors from the Massage Therapy Journal (MTJ) of the American Massage Therapy Association. If you wish to read the article in full, you may find it here: http://www.amtamassage.org/articles/3/MTJ/detail/2318


“Several studies have investigated whether massage therapy can relieve some of the symptoms of two common conditions associated with aging: osteoarthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.

Massage has a great deal to offer in ameliorating the aches and pains associated with aging. Along with exercise and NSAIDs, massage can reduce symptoms of common OA. For people living with Alzheimer’s disease, massage is a low-risk and relatively low-cost intervention that can be easily taught to caregivers. Particularly with the concern over the long-term side effects associated with many of the medications used to manage behavior in patients with Alzheimer's disease, massage is a promising intervention that may reduce caregiver stress as well.”

It’s important to note that while you receive a lot of benefits from being on the table, you can still receive benefits from sitting in a chair with hand/foot massage. Massage does not have to be full body for you to see improvements!

Team Franciscan Center: Summer is Here!

Dr. Jack Harless
Manager of The Franciscan Center

Summer is Here! It’s heating up around the Miami Valley and as the temperature continues to soar upward, we must make sure that we are taking every available precaution before going out in the heat.


As I write this it is 104 degrees . It’s nearly too hot to do anything outside., and exercising in this kind of weather can be dangerous.

If you don’t want to miss out on your already established exercise routine, because of the heat, the air conditioning in TFC is just right, always safe, and actually refreshing on these dog days of summer.

The pool is perfect for this season. Come in, take a dip, move your body to one of our vital life infused water classes like Aqua Zumba, or Plyometrics. We have over 15 different water classes for your enjoyment.

The aerobics studio is actually the coolest room on campus! Spinning is one of our newest classes in the aerobics studio and one of the most exciting classes at TFC.

Spinning is an up-tempo, high-energy cycling class that really gets the heart pumping. It’s definitely in the Summer is Here! It’s heating up around the Miami Valley and as the temperature continues to soar upward, we must make sure that we are taking every available precaution before going out in the heat. Spinning is an up-tempo, high-energy cycling class that really gets the heart pumping. It’s definitely in the exercise-in-disguise” category. 45 minutes of fun and function goes by in a flash!

What all of these “stealth-health” classes do for us is allow us to achieve a level of consistency and sustainability that conventional exercise won’t.

In short, the internal motivation required to go have fun is much less than gearing up to do a “have-to” or “should-do”.

So put the fun back into function and energize your summer without burning yourself up or out on monotonous workouts.

Blue Zone Your Memory No. 33: Be Patriotic!

Patriotism is a healthy emotion finding its origins in the hormone secretion known as Oxytocin. This hormonal secretion is the foundation for the emotions involving trust and loyalty, which can also provide a sense of well-being and safety. This neurotransmitter is also responsible for the desire to hug, and to be hugged, and touched. Fostering these secretions will also help to promote stable bonding with significant others, and socialization in group settings.

Team Stewart: Grandchildren and Friends Walking in Buck Creek

Team Stewart has a new backyard! Grandchildren and friends are exploring the minnows and crawdads!

It is amazing what you can see when you walk for leisure and fun! Send us pictures of scenic views from your social walking program and we will post them for others to enjoy!

Music Therapy and Stroke Recovery Part 2

Steve Makofka

Quick notes on the session this morning. I took Charlie through the Heart Song Workshop in order to help with memory recovery and heart song identification. The best moment of the workshop was when he said, "Oh yeah, I did take piano lessons as a child. I'd forgotten about that." He was then able to remember the name of his piano teacher and describe, in detail, the piano he practiced on. He also remembered using the JW Thompson piano course.

As we went through the Life Soundtrack Worksheet we identified three areas of musical interest. The first was that the music of his youth was the folk music of Pete Seeger, The Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, and Bob Dylan. An interesting side note. He would rather listen to the original recordings or videos of a song than watch the PBS specials with people in their 70s singing the same songs they were singing in their 20s. We decided this was because Charlie is very much of a life-long learner. He still enjoys the music, but his life has moved on. The "rockasaurus" singers give the impression that they haven't. For test purposes, we played the orginal radio version of "Puff, the Magic Dragon."

The second area of musical interest is Boogie Woogie music. The exposure to this music goes back to his youth and listening to Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and some Pat Boone. The song he chose to listen to for the test was the Glenn Miller version of Chattanooga Choo-Choo. In this song, like the last, he sang along.

The third area of interest is in Classical music, which Charlie identified as music of the 16th, 17th, and 18th century. It should be noted that Charlie has a college degree in Psychology and went back to school in the 70s and got an MBA. Classical music is the music he listens to while driving. Charlie couldn't really identify a particular song that he was attached to, so for test purposes we played first Brandenburg Concerto no. 3. That didn't elicit much of a response, so I went for the reliable Beethoven's 5th Symphony. first movement. This was more exciting for Charlie. I played the Beethoven's 5th Symphony graphical score. (click on link to view)

Summary: I believe that Charlie's experience reflects all 6 of the music preference principles. His favorite music is music that he was exposed to in childhood and youth. The seeds for his current love of classical music were planted by his parents, who loved opera and classical music, and by his early exposure to piano studies. Charlie participates in the music he likes. (boogie-woogie more than classical and folk) And the classical music is music that resonates with him. He said he likes the order and the structure of it. He likes listening to the interaction between the parts.

Perhaps the most significant observation is that he is a life-long learner and actively seeks out opportunities to learn new skills and areas of knowledge. The accordion playing, for which he is famous, started as almost a fluke. He saw an accordion at the music store while he was taking his daughter for her flute lesson. He bought it and started taking lessons on it, first from Darlene Terry and then from Ricky Nye.

http://www.makofka.blogspot.com/2012/06/music-therapy-and-stroke-recovery-part_14.html

Team Spiritual Care: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Sister Kateri Theriault Mission Integration


Many of us associate the prophet Hosea with the sweet-sounding song “Come Back to Me.” His life, however, was anything but sugar-coated. He challenged the people of Israel, seduced by false gods, by allowing his own life to become the medium of his message. By God’s instruction Hosea married a prostitute, and, though she abandoned him for other men, he kept loving her, sought her out, forgave her, and brought her back. He warned the leaders of his day to stop prostituting themselves and assured them of God’s enduring mercy. He allowed his very life to mirror the mercy of God. In some real way the life of every Christian must reflect the one who commanded, “Love one another.”



TODAY’S READINGS: Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13; Matthew 9:32-38 (384)

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few.”

Tina's Corner: Zucchini Boats!

Using some extra zucchini  from my garden I came up with this amazing summer dish!….I sliced each zucchini long ways, hollowed them out, shredded the middle part, mixed the shredded zucchini with fat free cream cheese, 1 egg, fresh parmesan cheese and some garlic powder and Italian seasoning. I added a spread of just a little bit of tomato sauce in the “zucchini boats” and topped with the mixture…put more fresh parmesan cheese on top and baked them at 400 for about 1/2hour….

Vital Life: A Friar's Experience

Fellow Residents and Staff,



As we celebrate our national holiday, what do you know about the founders of our nation? Do you have any personal heroes or villains among them? George Washington? Thomas Jefferson? Crispus Attucks? John Barry? Benedict Arnold? Ethan Allen? Abigail Adams? Marquis de la Fayette? John Paul Jones? Francis Vigo? Charles Carroll? Baron von Steuben? John Hancock? Pierre Gibault? James Madison? Benjamin Franklin, who has been called the first American, tops my list of favorites.


Franklin was born in Massachusetts, had no formal schooling after the age of ten, learned the printer’s trade from an older brother, and moved three hundred miles away to Pennsylvania at age seventeen. There this self-taught genius edited a newspaper, studied electricity, founded a library, established a fire department, became postmaster general of the colonies, and represented Pennsylvania before the British government. At age seventy, when anyone could have reasonably expected him to retire, Franklin participated in the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence, and then set off to Paris to enlist French help in the Revolution. Later he helped negotiate the treaty with Britain recognizing the independence of the United States and then returned home, only to participate four years later, at the age of eighty-one, in the constitutional convention, his last significant contribution to his country.

Known for his pithy sayings and charming personality, Benjamin Franklin was a deist, a man of the Enlightenment. No one would seriously call him a model of Christian spirituality. Never-the-less, he took the talents that God gave him and throughout his long life developed them over and over again in the service of his fellows. This oldest of our nation’s founders and the service that he rendered well into his eighties inspire and challenge me. As I prepare to enter my eighth decade, what service can I offer? What service can you?

In the words of Saint Francis, Peace and every Blessing!

Loren Connell, OFM,

sacramental minister

P S Did you recognize two Hoosier heroes among the list of founders? What do you know about them?



July 1, 2012

July's Blessing from Denise!

July 2012 Employee Wellness Moments

Physical	Environmental
Plan  meaningful rest breaks from the heat.	Design a cooling basket for hot work stations.
Update your on-the-go hydration plan.	During the hottest part of the day alternate work and rest periods.
Redesign your workout times around the summer heat.	Acclimate slowly to extreme temperatures.
Conduct self-assessments frequently regarding heat and humidity stressors on the body.	Instead of ditching the safety equipment in warm environments, work for shorter periods with the appropriate safety equipment.
Be flexible with your workout goals, but do not give up!	Have a heat stress prevention plan for yourself and volunteers.
Social	Spiritual
Plan cool get-togethers.	Stay hydrated during meditation and reflection.
Be patient, heat may make others less social.	Stay flexible with your summer meditation schedule
Check on a friend when temperatures are high.	Uncomfortably warm prayer environments may impact meditation.
Socialize pets in the cooler part of the day.	Begin planning your next level of spiritual wellness
When it is too hot to socialize outside, catch up on emails or send a fun greeting to another.	Reflect on your life skills and how they compliment your spiritual wellness
Nutritional	Occupational
Wash fruits and vegetables carefully.	Research ways to add one more skill.
Observe the calorie content of cool sweet treats.	Reflect on your work/life balance.
Keep picnic food at the proper temperatures.	Organize a leisure and fun event after work hours.
Change healthy recipes often to keep the menu exciting.	Make a list of all of the positive aspects of your job.
Know you food sources and their handling practices especially at roadside or farmer's markets.	Create a digital portfolio.
Intellectual	Emotional
Find out how a warm environment impacts, learning and memory.	Remember when the heat and humidity indexes are high emotions are more difficult to handle.
Take a friend to a free concert in the park.	Summer heat blues are possible in extreme heat.
Find out how you can contribute to the local art community	Take extra rest breaks and stay nutritionally balanced especially during the warm weather.
Take a TV break and read a new book instead.	Doing a good deed for another is an excellent way to relieve the heat blues.
Enhance your work environment to increase brain cell growth.	Track the good things at the end of each day .