WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 | ALBERTLEATRIBUNE.COM | PAGE 1
SENIOR LIVING Thorne Crest Now Offers...
Respite Care:
Short Term Stays Now Offered In Our Assisted Living
O
ne of the best ways you can care for your loved one is to take care of yourself. Whether you are planning a vacation, or need to meet the demands of an illness or recuperation, the Thorne Crest Respite Care Program can help.
Call Catherine Buboltz to schedule a tour and learn the benefits of Respite Care at Thorne Crest Senior Living Community 1201 Garfield Avenue • Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373-2311 • www.ThorneCrest.net
Thorne Crest Sen ior L i v i ng C om mun i t y
Thorne Crest is owned and operated by American Baptist Homes of the Midwest, a not-for-profit provider of senior health care since 1930.
Introducing Thorne Crest’s NEW
“Snowbird” Savings Program!
Save Up To $1,000/month! n The Snowbird Savings Program offers you peace of mind and
savings while you travel over the winter months!
n One and two bedroom apartment homes available now! n Call Catherine Buboltz today to schedule a private tour and
learn more about the program.
1201 Garfield Avenue • Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373-2311 • www.ThorneCrest.net
Thorne Crest Sen ior L i v i ng C om mun i t y
Thorne Crest is owned and operated by American Baptist Homes of the Midwest, a not-for-profit provider of senior health care since 1930.
A CELEBRATION OF BIRTHDAYS
Residents in the health care wing at Thorne Crest Senior Living Community are asked for birthday meal requests that are served in a special meal just for them and a family member. Assisted living residents also have birthday parties once a month, where they are served cake and occasionally have music or trivia events. PROVIDED
Thorne Crest hosts special meal for residents during their birthday month By Sarah Kocher
sarah.kocher@albertleatribune.com
As residents celebrate another year, Thorne Crest celebrates with them. The senior care facility hosts parties and meals for residents throughout the building in an effort to make the occasions special, Activities Director Marilyn Claassen said. “All birthdays are important,” Claassen said. Thorne Crest asks residents in the facility’s health care wing for birthday meal requests and works to fill those requests in a special meal served just for them and a family member they invite, she said. She hopes Thorne Crest can start offering this to assisted living residents next month as well.
The building also hosts birthday parties once a month. All residents are invited, Claassen said, but those with birthdays sit at a special table. They usually dress up. “We don’t tell them to,” Claassen said. “They come that way.” Residents are served cake, and the parties occasionally have entertainment like music or trivia events. “We try to make the parties really special for them,” she said. Claassen said residents also get carnations and a card on their birthday. Claassen noted the festivities’ importance specifically for those who cannot leave Thorne Crest for health reasons. “You gotta do what you can in the building to make life special,” she said.
The senior care facility offers special events for residents’ birthdays to make the occasions special.
Tips from new study for driving safely into your golden years Because more senior drivers on the road than in years past, the importance of assessing driver fitness has increased. In the latest issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers look at this topic, along with tools that clinicians can use to determine if patients are able to safely operate a vehicle. “Driving retirement is a normal part of aging, and should be carefully considered and discussed openly,” said Dr. Ericka Tung, a Mayo Clinic internist
and geriatrician and lead study author. “Primary care providers are uniquely poised to counsel patients about driving safety because they understand their patients’ health conditions, capacities, challenges and goals.” While there isn’t a single one-size-fits-all test that can be performed, providers can look at several areas of functioning to assess driving fitness. These areas include: • Cognition, including changes in memory, attention or language.
• Vision, including visual fields and depth perception. • Mobility and physical function, including functional range of motion, and coordination of the neck, upper body and lower body. • Health conditions, including underlying conditions that could affect the ability to safely operate a vehicle • Medications. A medication list should be reviewed to verify that there is no drug interaction that could impair driving alertness.
Equally important in a patient’s workup is the input of family members or care partners. The authors note that recorded observations of a loved one’s driving performance, his or her ability in completing basic tasks of life, or a history of falls can be useful in determining when it’s time to stop driving. Depending on clinical findings, driving rehabilitation or alternative transportation may be warranted. Since driving provides a sense of independence and control for
many seniors, it is important that any decision be communicated clearly and with compassion. When determining if it’s time to stop driving, it is critical that a conversation with a patient’s primary care provider occurs, so that patient can retire from driving at the appropriate time — rather than waiting for an accident. “Open dialogue is encouraged between patients, families and primary care teams to ensure safety on the road,” Tung said.