By Carrie Esselman, Therapeutic Recreational Specialist at Valley VNA

Whether an older person still lives at home or she has moved into an apartment or assisted living complex, chances are she wants more joy and not more stuff. If you are planning your holiday gift giving, consider these presents for your friend or family member. At Valley VNA, we know from experience they will bring smiles, help start conversations, and boost our clients’ and residents’ engagement with their friends and the world.

• A pretty bulletin board with large easy-to-use pushpins. Pre-decorate the bulletin board with updated photos. Add captions if they will help with names or specific events. (Friends and staff will be able to ask about the photos if they have a prompt.) If you are ready to splurge, include an instant camera. It’s not just a Polaroid anymore. Other manufacturers make similar styles. Your next gifting opportunity? Send more instant film!

• Flower arrangements and houseplants are a beautiful gesture, but they can be short-lived. Terrariums are self-contained mini eco-systems, so they need much less attention when it comes to watering. Plus, how many of us have at one time imagined living in a miniature forest? Terrariums are a joy for the imagination and can offer a soothing variety of natural colors and textures. Florists or garden stores offer nice quality choices.

• Speaking of miniature forests, why not create a fairy garden with your grandma? Fairy gardens are magical miniature landscapes that integrate dish gardens with miniscule furniture, fairy figurines, and houses. Grandma will enjoy making her garden with you and she’ll be able to rearrange it whenever the spirit moves her. Young children love to play with them when they visit, too. The VNA Life Enrichment team set up five fairy gardens this summer in the outdoor courtyard of our assisted living wing. We’d be happy to help set up and maintain a fairy garden you may give as a gift.

• Does your friend enjoy knitting? Crocheting? Tying flies? It can be very hard to get out to the store to get supplies for a hobby, so why not restock his or her shelves? A beautiful skein of yarn may even result in a beautiful scarf for you.

• Music is a gateway to memories, and a very thoughtful gift is an iPod or other MP3 player preloaded with your loved one’s personalized song collection. Consider a mix of meaningful hymns, folk songs (especially in his or her mother tongue if it’s different than English), popular dance tunes from his or her era, TV show theme songs, and patriotic marches. We’ve found these soft headphones work well for our residents.

• Books! Large print books, magazine subscriptions, or devotionals will be enjoyed and shared with friends. Books on tape are available online or at the library. Consider a personal bookmobile service where you visit every couple of weeks to switch out reading and listening materials. Your visits will have built in-conversation topics: What have you read? What would you like to try next? If you go the digital route, you can download a fresh book from a service like audible.com while you visit.

• Pamper your special person. Valley VNA offers salon/barber services and foot care clinics on site. Each service requires a relatively small out-of-pocket payment. If you’d like to put some money on account for your loved one, we’ll be sure to apply it to these special services.

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned visit to lift the spirits of an elderly person—and our staff! We hope you’ll visit for the holidays and come back often. To learn more about scheduled life enrichment programs at Valley VNA, or to volunteer to share your talents and assist in the life enrichment department, please call (920) 727-5555.

7 Tips for Handling a Hospital Stay in a Strange Town

By Gina Larsen, guest blogger

I regularly blog on issues of health care and aging. Many times I interview experts or research topics so I can write helpful articles that advise, guide, and inform. This time, it’s different. I went through a stressful experience and learned many things firsthand.

As part of a planned overnight trip to Lower Michigan to attend a family funeral, I drove my parents down through Chicago on a Tuesday, and we attended a peaceful farewell for a lovely elderly woman who was so looking forward to heaven! On the way home on Wednesday, however, my father had a health crisis in the car as I was driving him and my mother through Indiana. Three days later, we arrived back in Wisconsin after a tumultuous stay in a hospital in Valparaiso. (My precious dad is doing much better now, thank goodness.) I have a “blogger’s view” of the world, so I asked Tammy at Valley VNA if I could share what I learned about traveling with aging parents—or anyone we love:

1. Travel with prescriptions in their original pharmacy containers. If you want to only bring what you need for the trip, not the entire bottle full of pills, leave the extra ones at home. It is imperative that you travel with your pill bottles (or bubble packs) so you know what you take, the proper dosage, and how and when you take your medication. This means no more little plastic pill sorters! It’s not worth it to “save space” when having your prescription information could save a whole lot of trouble, and maybe even your life.
2. If you find yourself in a hospital or clinic far from home, reiterate to each of your caregivers that you are from out of town. Each person needs to understand that you are not in need of local follow-up appointments; rather, you will need your medical records printed before you leave so you can share them with your own doctor. When staff know you are from out of town, they will also be more helpful about lodging and meal suggestions for your family, or understanding your need for an efficient discharge given your travel plans. (My family was eager to get an early start on discharge day because we had to get through Chicago before the Friday rush hour.)
3. You must request a printed copy of your tests and results. Some health care systems will send you home with a CD or disk of your medical records from their facility. This is fine; however, your doctor’s office at home may refuse to insert an unknown disk into their computer system for fear of a computer virus. Our Wisconsin doctors much preferred to scan the paper sheets into their system.
4. Carry with you contact information for your loved one’s primary care provider (PCP). (First, insist that he or she has a PCP.) With one phone call, you will have access to your loved one’s important medical history and even connect your regular doctor with your current health care providers.
5. Insist that your loved one is given his or her daily medications while in the hospital. Unfortunately, my own dad’s daily medicines were never ordered by hospital staff, and he went through a traumatic withdrawal that rivaled the health crisis he had just had on the roadside. Your doctor will be able to tell you if and why a daily medication may be inconsistent with your parent’s current plan of care; otherwise, he or she should be taking daily meds. Because you have your medications in their prescription bottles on hand (see #1), you can ensure that each medication is entered and ordered.
6. Advocate, advocate, advocate! During my stay in Indiana, I was struck with how warm, caring, skilled, and empowered our local Fox Valley hospital nurses are! At home, when I ask a question, I am given an informed answer or an offer to “find out for you, and I’ll be right back.” When I asked a question of my father’s nurses, I was not satisfied with, “I don’t know, and I don’t know when I will find out.” If you need to go stand at the nurse’s station and wait for an answer or a request to be fulfilled, remember to smile while you wait. Be polite always.
7. Practice good self-care. Take time away from the hospital room for a nap at your hotel. If you are like me, and can’t eat when you are anxious, be sure to stay hydrated. Carry a water bottle with you. Remember that you are in the midst of a crisis, so you have every right to call in reinforcements, including asking others to travel to help you. In our case, my husband took a day off work to come and pick up our teenage son, who was being very brave and compassionate. However, it lifted a burden on me to have him safe at home, away from the trauma he had just witnessed, including his grandpa being loaded into an ambulance.

Health crises are scary no matter where they happen, but being far from home adds another layer of complexity and anxiety. Take small steps to be prepared for an emergency, and they will pay off in big ways. Here’s hoping you will never need them!

Families and Stories Are Forever

 People do not live forever, but stories can; that’s what makes them so precious. If you think about it, a person is never forgotten as long as his or her story continues to be told. The next time you plan a visit to a friend or loved one who lives in an assisted living community, think about how to elicit a story from him or her. Lasting stories honor the teller as much as the listener. The three magic words are “Tell me about … , ”  then fill in the blank, as in:

Tell me about …

• When you first saw the man you would marry (or the woman who would become your wife)
• When you joined the military (or your brothers/sisters went off to war)
• Your first job
• Your mother (or father), cousins or favorite grandparent
• What downtown looked like when you were a child
• The church you attended as a youngster
• What it was like when you had your first baby
• What kind of chores you had as a child
• Your favorite radio or TV show
• What you did for fun as a teenager
• Where you lived when you were first married
• Your favorite car
• Your first job or early career
• What you liked to cook

Our Valley VNA staff spends every day and night caring for our residents, and we come to know and love them like family. We get very close to their family members who come to visit, too. The poet Maya Angelou once wrote, “Family isn’t always blood, it’s the people in your life who want you in theirs: the ones who accept you for who you are, the ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.” During Assisted Living Week, it’s a perfect time to say thank you for inviting us to be part of your family.

5 Tips to Help Seniors Enjoy and Engage in Family Gatherings

By Mark Conradt, Au.D of Audiology and Hearing Aid Center of Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialists of Wisconsin

People who experience hearing loss have different ways of dealing with this distressing change. Some expect their spouse to repeat everything for them, while others try lip reading or opt to get tested and fitted for hearing aids. Hearing loss also can be a threat to your long-term mental health, as shown by research that found hearing loss in middle age may be a precursor to dementia. As we disengage from healthy family and social interactions, we also increase our “mental load” spent on deciphering language and neglect other parts of our healthy brain function.

First, a short lesson on age-related hearing loss: Our ears and brain work together to help “bring out” the sounds we want to hear by using pattern recognition. When the delicate cells in the ear that receive sound deteriorate because of aging, genetics, or noise exposure, the brain doesn’t have as many sound clues to solve the puzzle of what is being transmitted. Add distracting background sounds from a full household—or a mind that does not follow things quite as quickly as it used to—and it becomes impossible to understand what is being said.

Hearing loss affects the majority of Americans as we age. According to the National Institute on Aging, 18 percent of American adults 45-64 years old already have hearing loss, and by the time we are 75, nearly 47 percent us will have a hearing impairment. Hearing loss especially affects a person’s ability to interact socially. Older people with hearing loss might:

• Turn down invitations to family gatherings or events or withdraw from conversations once they arrive
• Experience isolation and depression as a result of their hearing limitations
• Feel guilty or ridiculed because of the extra help and effort they require to participate in conversations

My job as a doctor of audiology is to help people restore their hearing—and with it, their self-esteem, ability to enjoy life, and their hopes for a healthy future. I work with individuals and families to choose the best tools, like hearing aids, to help restore hearing. Also consider these tips when in the midst of a large family gathering:

• Try to converse with one person at a time. Conversations with multiple people can be hard to follow, especially if a person in relying on lip reading to some extent.
• Don’t be afraid to ask people to swap seats. This is especially true if a grandchild is telling a story to a grandparent. A soft-spoken young person should switch to the spot right next to grandma or grandpa so they can see and hear one another.
• Be aware of listening fatigue. It takes a lot of effort to focus, decode, and respond to conversation when the primary sense (hearing) is not 100 percent. The person with hearing loss will benefit from a break from conversation, which might mean a short nap, walking the dog, or even a bathroom break.
• Be sure your older person is paying attention to you before you start speaking. This will cut down on the need to play catch-up and repeat the first things you said.
• If dining out, pick a restaurant—or a time at a restaurant—that is less busy or noisy. The lunch or dinner rush may be a very inhospitable environment for a person who has hearing loss to try and hold a conversation or hear the waiter.

Everyone deserves the chance to enjoy the company of others, especially as we age and want to experience the joy of our grown kids and grandkids. Hearing is a very big part of our ability to stay involved and engaged with the people we love. If you or someone you love is showing signs of hearing loss, make an appointment with a qualified audiologist. You will also learn about how to properly clean your ears, what to expect during a hearing test, and how to choose properly fitting hearing aids.

4 Tools Used in Interior Design for Senior Living Communities

By Lissa Rolenc, ASID, Owner and Director of Interior Design at 4Design

 Valley VNA is in the midst of a multi-stage renovation of its interior design, and my team was given the opportunity to consult with Valley VNA’s leadership team on planning, scheduling, and budgeting this project. My firm, 4Design of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is one of a select number of interior design companies in the U.S. that works specifically in the realm of senior living communities. Our focus is different from that of hospitality and health care facilities like hotels hospitals, and clinics. We make it a priority to design comfortable homelike environments that also help elderly people engage in their interests and confidently find their way around their complex. We pay special attention to the safety of the people we serve and are attentive to budget constraints.

These four specialized tools of the trade will help us bring a fresh look and a new energy to Valley VNA, for its residents, families, and staff:

Lighting: We design using LED lighting to keep a facility’s energy costs down; however, we must make the light appear incandescent; that is, warm and homelike and not like an overly bright hospital corridor. Simultaneously, we need light that is bright enough for seniors to safely see their way and complete tasks. Lighting design for senior housing takes skill, experience—and quite a bit of math!

Artwork: We use color and artwork to create soothing pathways for residents. Coordinated and on-trend colors for carpeting or walls can help seniors find their way, and thoughtfully chosen artwork helps them mark their progress or engage them in thoughts or stories about their interests or memories. We consider the local culture and community as we choose art and sometimes even collaborate with local historical societies to bring in images that residents will enjoy reminiscing about.

Color: In many senior living communities, budgets remain tight and we do a lot of freshening simply by using updated paint colors.

• We mix warm and cool tones so we don’t prioritize one mood—energizing versus soothing—over the other.
• We also know from our research that meaningful contrasts in color are necessary because as our eyes age, many colors look similar (as in blue and purple, for instance).
• Our team pays special attention to carpet color and texture, because certain patterns or specks in the design might cause an elderly person to reach down and try to pick something up off the floor, causing a fall hazard.
• Another way to use color to increase safety is to choose a contrasting color for chair seats to help older people better see their chair because it stands out from the color of the floor.
• At Valley VNA, individual apartments are all painted in neutral colors so residents can personalize their homes. They are also given the choice of three accent colors for the living room and kitchen and maintenance staff will paint for them. No matter your age, it’s important to have choices!

Flow: When we are working an established community like Valley VNA, sometimes 20 or more years after it was first constructed, we also make suggestions about the overall layout of the housing complex. Changes in lifestyle preferences and the characteristics and needs of the resident population are key considerations. For instance, we’ve helped clients move their wellness activities into a former dining room, and then turned the remaining space into a more intimate café. In a similar way, we help assign meaningful purpose to common spaces that might otherwise seem like wide hallways filled with furniture. One lounge may be dedicated to table games while another has a large-screen TV for football games or family parties. Residents assign meaning to each space and seek out the specific place and activity where they know they will be joined by friends who share their hobbies or interests.

I love designing for senior living communities because I can directly see the positive impact we make on the comfort, safety, and enjoyment of people’s lives. Thank you for inviting me into your loved ones’ home, your workplace, and your gathering place..

Stacie Clark of Kenton Designs in Neenah is collaborating with 4Design and Valley VNA to refresh and refurbish the lobby area of Valley VNA. New furnishings, paint, and décor are expected in in September. Visit soon and see our fresh new look!

Accessible Activity Van and Bicycle Rickshaws for Residents & Clients

By Tammy Malewski, Marketing & Development Director at Valley VNA Senior Care

Our First VAN at VNA

It’s been such a happy time at Valley VNA these days. After months of fundraising and research we were proud to accept delivery of our first-ever fully accessible activity van for residents. The 2016 ARBOC Spirit of Freedom van is a 15-passenger van whose low-ride design has a ramp for passengers to easily get into the van weather they are walking on their own, with a cane or a walker, or in a wheelchair.   We are in the midst of decorating the van with our VNA logo and training staff members as drivers and expect to take our first resident excursion within a few weeks.

This is a wonderful gift of mobility, as our residents and clients will now be able to attend more events and programs in Neenah. (Think concerts, holiday light tours, veterans programming, picking up In-Home Care clients for activities at Valley VNA, or Dairy Queen ice cream trips!)

Our own ARBOC Spirit of Freedom van will soon be decked out in the Valley VNA logo and taking residents to programs and events around the community. This is Valley VNA’s first resident activity van.

We are very grateful to these generous donors who helped us secure our beautiful new van: Galloway Company, the Robert Arndt Family, the Schmerein Fund from the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley, the Robert L. Keller Fund from the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley, the George & Gussie Balck and Art & Mary Leske Charitable Fund from the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley, the Cathryn Probst Fund from the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley, the Lucille and Edward Plashko Fund from the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, and the Guenther-Motz Trust Fund from the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation.

Valley VNA is still in need of grants and donations to offset the purchase of the van.  It was purchased for $80,000 and we have raised approximately $35,000 to date. If you are interested in making a contribution, please contact me, Tammy Malewski at tammym@valleyvna.org or call (920) 727-5555. Thank you for understanding the importance to getting out and staying engaged with our beautiful community, no matter our age or ability.

Become a Bike Pilot with our New Bicycle Rickshaws

Soon residents of Neenah will see shiny new red pedal-powered rickshaws gliding around town. One or two riders will experience the wind in their hair as a trained volunteer bike pilot smoothly coasts them along sidewalks, city streets, and trails.

Photos courtesy of Cycling Without Age

Valley VNA is recruiting volunteer bike pilots for our two new bike rickshaws. Please contact Carrie Esselman at carriee@valleyvna.org or call Valley VNA at 727-5555 to learn more.

Technically called trishaws because of their three-wheeled construction, the bikes are part of a new program of Valley VNA and Cycling Without Age, the brainchild of a Danish man who wanted to help seniors get back to the joy of bicycling. But the best part is the rides go far beyond a few new bikes. It’s about getting outside, exploring the community we love, seeing active and happy people at work and play, and participating in the city and nature the way we used to, when we were younger and more mobile. Just think what it would be like to experience the wind in your hair after so many years without that feeling. It’s exhilarating! (Bike helmets are available to our residents.)

The global Cycling Without Age program is based on core values of generosity and multigenerational relationships. Volunteer bike pilots are trained to take less-able people out for bike rides. Their training encompasses safety, approved bike routes, and how to facilitate the emotional connections and storytelling that make these experiences meaningful for young and old. The rickshaws are primarily for the use of Valley VNA residents and in-home care clients, yet Valley VNA plans to offer public rides this summer at special events around Neenah.

Photos courtesy of Cycling Without Age

Valley VNA was able to purchase two rickshaws from Denmark and enroll in the Cycling Without Age program thanks to the generosity of the Menasha Corporation Foundation and Fox Cities Greenways. We are working with the East Central Regional Planning Commission to choose bike routes and partnering with the Wisconsin Bike Fed to train volunteer pilots on safety.

Become a Bike Pilot and Pedal Some Joy

Valley VNA’s rickshaws arrive this month and volunteer bike pilots are needed. Pilots go through training and make themselves available on their own schedules to take elders out on rides via a web-based sign-up. To learn more about how to become a bike pilot, please e-mail Carrie Esselman, Valley VNA Life Enrichment Program Manager, at carriee@valleyvna.org or call Valley VNA at 727-5555.