Thanks to the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona!
Forty-five Med-Start students and 35 Elders sat down together to share their life stories as part of Who We Are, a special program funded by a stART grant from the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Who We Are brought together individuals who would not typically spend time listening to one another. Elders and students met weekly for lunch and filled out a simple questionnaire about their parents, grandparents and family tradition. Profiles included words, collage, photos and drawings.
The third-year cohort of the University of Arizona’s Med-Start Summer Program wound up July 1 with a special ceremony at St. Luke’s. The program runs through the College of Medicine and is sponsored by the UA Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
A special thanks to the Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern Arizona for making the project possible. Thanks also to the students and the University of Arizona, our strong partners in furthering Elder health, research and well-being.
Brain Aerobics for St. Luke’s Elders
St. Luke’s Summer Intern Eleanor Batista-Malat (above left) joined forces with L’Don Sawyer to offer Brain Aerobics for St. Luke’s Elders on June 25th. Eleanor will be a senior at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and plans a career in gerontology. She discovered St. Luke’s through the EPIC program at Earlham that provides opportunities for career exploration
“I am excited to work with L’Don,” Eleanor said. “She has so much experience with Elders. It is a wonderful opportunity to be at St. Luke’s and work first-hand with so many great people.”
The two led nearly 30 Elders through a range of brain-twisting exercises after providing a brief explanation of brain functions and how to recognize the difference between dementia and simply forgetting.
The session also provided the Elders with strategies on how to strengthen brain functions. These included paying full attention, repeating names and associating them with objects, exaggerating or assigning an adjective as a means of remembering.
Fall Prevention Clinics Offered for Staff and Elders
Susan Kinkade, RN, BSN, CEN, Trauma Outreach/ Injury Prevention Coordinator at Banner University Medical Center led a clinic for the Elders and informational session for St. Luke’s staff to heighten awareness on fall prevention. (She is pictured above, far right, leading Elders through fall prevention exercises).
“Falls are the leading cause of serious injury and death among people aged 65 and older. Two thirds of those who fall will fall again within 6 months,” Kinkade told Elders and staff. “And 25% of seniors who fracture a hip will die within six months of injury. The rate of falls for residents in care homes is twice as large as the rate of falls which occur for elders living in the community.”
She had good news too. There is much that can be done to decrease the risk of falls. She noted that new medicines, inner ear problems, vision changes and dehydration can all impact balance. Both staff and Elders were urged to pay attention to these potential causes of falls.
St. Luke’s will also conduct a room-by-room review, led by Intern Eleanor Batista-Malat, to make sure rooms are safe. She will be looking for such things as freeing up floor clutter and ensuring well-lit paths to the bathroom.
St. Luke’s Home Was Belled!
St. Luke’s residents and staff were surprised and proud recently to be the recipients of one of Ben’s Bells. The handmade creation was hung in one of the mesquite trees in front of the building by a mystery person representing the charity organization.
The nonprofit launched in Tucson but has expanded to Phoenix and Connecticut. Its mission: “Inspire, educate, and motivate people to realize the impact of intentional kindness, and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby strengthening ourselves, our relationships and our communities.”
Thanks so much to the mystery person who honored St. Luke’s and to the Ben’s Bell’s organization! St. Luke’s, a registry of the Eden Model, prides itself on its life-affirming mission for all low-income Elders. We will continue our own goal of spreading intentional kindness each day.
Happenings at St. Luke’s Home
Mark Your Calendars!
Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Review of Durable Medical Equipment for Elders: July 9, SLH Dining Room, 1:30 pm
Town Hall: July 10, SLH Dining Room, 2:00-3:00pm
Educational Presentation: July 23, SLH Dining Room, 6:30 pm: Legal issues around aging, medical and end-of-life planning by the Hospice Education and Legal Partnership. All welcome!
Your donations to St. Luke’s Home are deeply appreciated and easy to do.
Click on the donate button pictured above to make an on-line donation that supports the mission of St. Luke’s Home.
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