Our House
NHC Maryland Heights Monthly Publication
June 2015
Care Is Our Business
Happy June to all!!
Hard to believe that we are almost halfway through the
year already. Time seems to go by faster to me as I get
older. That being said, it is a nice time of year...the lawn
mowers are goin, sounds of children playing outside and
the sweet smell of the barbecue grill. You gotta love it!
June 21st, brings us to the first official day of summer.
This is also the longest day for daylight. Now I’m going
to share something I remember from grade school. After
June 21st, daylight decreases by one minute every day
until we reach December 21st, then we start to increase
daylight by one minute every day. (Funny how some
things just stick with you.)
June 2015 Daily Holidays...Special and Wacky Days
1 Flip a Coin Day
4 Applesauce Cake Day—hope someone remembers
this one
4 Hug Your Cat Day
5 National Doughnut Day—always the first Friday
in June
5 World Environment Day
6 National Yo-Yo Day...a Duncan yo-yo, now that’s
a memory
7 National Chocolate Ice Cream Day...my favorite
8 Best Friends Day
9 Donald Duck Day
10 Iced Tea Day
11 National Corn on the Cobb Day
12 Red Rose Day
14 Flag Day
15 Smile Power Day—Yes, Yes, Yes, SMILE
18 International Picnic Day
18 National Splurge Day—Oh yeah!!
20 Ice Cream Soda Day...root beer float comes
to mind
20 National Hollerin’ Contest Day—always
third Saturday in June
20 World Juggler’s Day—Saturday closest to
June 17th
21 Father’s Day—third Sunday
21 Go Skate Day
21 Finally Summer Day
22 National Chocolate Éclair Day...yummy
23 National Pink Day
24 Swim a Lap Day...not me, ha, ha
25 National Catfish Day
26 Beautician’s Day—remember our hair
dresser, Missy
26 Take Your Dog to Work Day—Friday
After Father’s Day
27 Sunglasses Day
29 Camera Day—Say cheese
What really makes June special is Father’s Day. As I
think about my dad and my husband on this day, I am in
awe. There are so many adjectives to describe how
wonderful they are and how much they are an important
part of my life. So I will narrow it down to FATHER...fantastic, awesome, terrific, honorable, encouraging, and remarkable!! Happy Father’s Day Dad and
David!!
Hope you have a great June and take time to stop and
smell the flowers.
Take care...til next month,
Susan Taylor—Administrator
Alzheimer’s Association Support Group Meeting
June 18, 7-8:30pm at NHC
Multi-Purpose Room
The Alzheimer’s Association Support Group meets monthly,
led by Social Services Director, Maria McAllister. This group
is open to all who are care-givers for someone with dementia.
Staff News and Other Notes
Congratulations to Heather Stiff for being the winner
of the first staff weight-loss challenge. Heather is our
Central Supply partner. She and Tracy Smith had an
incredibly close 1-2 finish. No surprise, they are two
very hard workers with anything they do. They have
inspired other staff for the next weight-loss challenge.
Rehab Therapy Department News
You’ve probably noticed him moving up and down
the halls working with patients on walking and other exercises. Oshkie Scorsone is the newest member of the Rehab Therapy department. He has actually been here several months as a physical therapy
assistant (PTA). Interesting to note that he has a
background in competitive body-building. Oshkie
also has done some personal trainer work. Currently, he and his girlfriend are taking dance lessons in
exchange for Oshkie doing some personal trainer
work with the dance instructor!
NHC wishes to express our deepest sympathies for the family
and friends of the residents who have recently passed.
Partner of the Month
Congratulations to Beverly Barnes! She is the June
2015 NHC Maryland Heights partner of the month.
Beverly, the Wing 3 daytime charge-nurse has
worked for 7 years straight and about 12 years total
at NHC as a nurse. Over the years she did try some
other areas of nursing, but obviously she has settled in here because as she says, “I love old people.”
Born and raised in St. Louis, Beverly use to come
here as a youth with a church group to sing at
Christmas time and other holiday times. Different
residents made a lasting impression on her. Watching her work with different residents and staff you
can see her practical approach mixed with her
sense of humor and nurturing to provide the care
needed by all of the different patients she sees. As
she develops relationships with her patients,
Beverly usually focuses on a few key issues. How
comfortable is the patient? Are they struggling
with loneliness and even abandonment issues? And
of course, how is the patient responding to any
medications prescribed? The many issues and
needs of all the patients takes a team approach and
Beverly speaks highly of her Wing 3 team. Two of
her team members, Roshelle and Ricjeana, were
also up for this June partner of the month honor
(see photo below). Excellent care does take a team.
Away from work, Beverly is into her two grandsons, (soon to be in 1st and 3rd grades) and helping
her mom. When she has time to herself, Beverly
reads a lot of forensic murder mysteries. She says
she usually reads two books a week. She is currently reading Bad Medicine.
For the new and less experienced nursing team
members, Beverly tries to impart that some patients may act up because they are afraid. And staff
have to maintain patience to give the proper care.
Resident of the Month
Congratulations to Bernice Hopkins. She has been
selected as the June 2015 resident of the month at NHC
Maryland Heights. Bernice is a quiet but charming, and
has a delightful manner and smile.
Bernice grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. She was one of
nine children. She attended Pleasant Green Missionary
Baptist Church and sang in the choir. Her favorite song is
“Amazing Grace” and her favorite singer is Mahalia
Jackson. She also enjoys plenty of other music, with the
blues probably being her favorite. She says she also had
next door neighbors who had no children and “took me
in,” so life was good—she always had more than enough
from her family and her neighbors. After graduating from
high school and marrying, Bernice and her husband
moved to St. Louis where she raised her two children. She
laughs about learning to cook when she got married. She
says with her older brothers and sisters and mom taking
care of things in the kitchen, she just stayed out of the
way. One other thing about moving to St. Louis—Bernice
is a for real Cardinals baseball fan. Her favorite all-time
player is Willie McGee. Fun to listen to her descriptions
of Willie playing the game. She’s got him down.
“NHC offers many different things,” says Bernice. “I
enjoy it here.” Bernice really enjoys participating in the
musical happy hours on Fridays and the Mentors
luncheon and sometimes just sitting in center court to
watch and visit with people. Most of all she is very
pleased with the way she has been able to decorate her
room. Congratulations again, Bernice!
Coco and Friends
Woahhh!!! We’re having fun now. Pictured here
you see a couple of my friends. We are just enjoying a beautiful day and a good laugh. I just love
getting a good pat on the head...a little love and
attention...which truly keeps on coming from all of
my friends. I even enjoyed an apple as soon as this
photo-shoot ended. These are good days and I’m
soaking up every minute. Come share some of
these moments with me whenever you can.
Activities Department News
We are into June and summer! May was a wonderful
month of activities with some of the best Friday afternoon happy hour music performances. Residents and
staff were caught up in the music and dancing. Faces
hurt from all the laughing and smiling. We are sad to
say goodbye to Amber as she goes to pursue gradeschool teaching. We are happy to welcome Christopher
States, our newest activities assistant. He has worked
dietary and the front desk when not at school the past
two years. He was already voted partner of the month
back in December of 2014. He will start off primarily
focused on Memory Care work with Ivy and Meadows.
NHC
2920 Fee Fee Road,
Maryland Heights, MO 63043
(314)-291-0121
People in the Know
Susan Taylor
Jeff Loraine
Tom Gianino
Sheri Terry
Phil Barker
Maria McAllister
Ashlie Koechner
Lori Thacker
Rebecca Goedeker
Megan Jameson
Nancy Maurer
Martin Barry
Mark Arroyo
Robin Sopshire
LaVerne King-Geralds
Cyndi Dimicelli
Extensions
Administrator
Director of Nursing
Assistant Director of Nursing
Facility Rehab Coordinator
Chaplain
Social Services
Admissions Coordinator
Business Office Manager
Recreation Director
Dietician
Dietary Manager
Dietary Manager
Maintenance Director
Enviro/Laundry Supervisor
Health Information
Care Plan Coordinator
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Non-Discrimination Policy
As a recipient of federal financial assistance,
NHC Maryland Heights does not exclude,
deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate
against any person on the grounds of race,
color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, or
on the basis of disability or age in admission
to, participation in, or receipt of their services
and benefits of any of its programs and activities or in employment.
Resident Birthdays
Partner Birthdays
Da’vette Hester
Ollie Brown
Deion Logan
Phyllis Wangui
Melanie Scorfina
Enrico Sheard
Ibtissam Mohssen
Elaine Agee
Michael Farwig
Santokh Kainth
Yanseen Tanveer
Felicia Dauria
Amber Caswell
Maria McAllister
Nicole Layton
Irene Bryant
Lori Thacker
Corteema Berryhill
Tina Smith
Wendy Hamilton
06/01
06/03
06/05
06/08
06/11
06/11
06/12
06/15
06/15
06/15
06/15
06/16
06/18
06/18
06/19
06/20
06/21
06/22
06/22
06/28
Partner Anniversaries
Anthony Silver
Robin Sopshire
Cheryl Bene
Maria McAllister
Linda Crutchfield
Marlo Lee-Taylor
Sherri Terri
Janice Todd
James Ngure
Cynthia Johnson
Karen Wings
Florentino Agasino
Paula King
Heather Stiff
Sheila Walker
Maurice Ogbevon
Trenia Robinson
Peria Ngethe
24 years
19 years
13 years
13 years
13 years
12 years
9 years
9 years
9 years
7 years
6 years
5 years
` 4 years
4 years
4 years
2 years
1 year
1 year
Margaret Lewis
Jeanette Merritt
Frances Beatty
Carol Dunn
Mary Long
Opal Courtois
Betty Pierce
Brigida Henriquez
Linda Cloy
Louise Hill
Barbara Tobin
Ruth Richmond
Leavean Gross
Goldie Davidson
Fred Prost
Susan Brown
06/03
06/05
06/06
06/06
06/08
06/14
06/14
06/15
06/15
06/21
06/21
06/22
06/22
06/23
06/29
06/29
Welcome to Ivy House
June 2015
Lots happening even with quite unusual May weather. As you
can see, the Ivy House residents are into everything from gardening and chess and nerf hoops to just being outside. Spring
and summer have been teasing all of us, but no matter what the
weather, spirits of the residents are great as you can see. Hopefully the summer months will...bring us an abundance of days
to be active outside. One great thing is the arrival of
Christopher States, the new activities assistant in charge of
Memory Care activities on Ivy House and Meadows. Please
welcome him when you have the chance.
Welcome to Meadows
June 2015
Everyday brings sunshine to the
Meadows. Inside and outside,
time spent together with staff,
family and other residents is always time well spent. Activities
like nerf-hoops and dancing just
add to the good times. But we
will miss Amber’s great smile
and laugh in the mix!
Alzheimer’s Association
Give yourself credit, not guilt!
Be realistic. The car e you give does make a
difference, but many behaviors can’t be
controlled. Grieve the losses, focus on the
positive times as they arise, and enjoy good
memories.
www.alz.org