Louise Smith, Activities Sterling Healthcare Media PA wins Star Award 2013

This information taken from: http://www.recreativeresources.com/STARS.2013.htm
To see the monthly newsletter, click on this link: REC Room Newsletter - Louise Smith wins Star Award 2013. Article written by Gloria Hoffner, owner of Guitar with Gloria and Science for Seniors.
Mary’s first days and weeks in the dementia unit of the nursing home were filled with the same two words, “Come on, come on, come on." They were the same words her family said Mary began to repeat over and over as her dementia progressed. Even the hospice nurse who visited Mary at the nursing home said no one had been able to change Mary’s two-word vocabulary.
All that changed when Louise Smith, an activity professional at Sterling Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Media, Pennsylvania entered Mary’s life. These days, Mary converses with the staff, sings songs, plays ball, works on art and finishes puzzles. The secret, Smith said, is working one-on-one and building up Mary’s skills day by day. She began by introducing Mary to large piece easy to assemble puzzles. “I started with large puzzles,” Smith said. “I put the puzzle pieces with the finished edge towards her. Then together we added a piece at a time until the puzzle was completed.” As they worked, Smith talked with Mary and encouraged her work on the puzzle. When each large piece puzzle was completed, Smith would use the subject matter to extend Mary’s conversations. So they might talk about the Golden Retriever dog or the tall red barn featured in the puzzle.
To read rest of article: click HERE or link at beginning of this post.

Media's Sterling Nursing and Rehab wins STAR Award

Gloria Hoffner, of Guitar by Gloria and Science for Seniors shared this with me.

Re-Creative Resources Magazine has named The Sterling Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center Activity Department as winner of the June 2011 STAR Award for outstanding activity programs, highlighting The Great Ticket Turn-In. Sterling is located at 318 South Orange Street in Media.

Nancy Newman, is Sterling Activity Director. Kelley Smith, Sterling Activity Assistant, created The Great Ticket Turn-In. Activity department members are: Joan DiSciullo, Sharyn Carr, Carole Erricson, Joyce McCormick, Inna Melnyk, Louise Smith, Jean Walker and Gloria Hoffner.

The Great Ticket Turn-In brings together residents who enjoy different program events into a shared day of fun!
Here is how it works....
Throughout the year residents receive tickets when they participate in programs at Sterling. These tickets may be redeemed weekly for snacks, toiletries, etc. and can be used twice each year for The Great Ticket Turn-In.

Newman selects a date for the event and posts it on the calendar. Residents then have two weeks to turn in all their tickets to Smith. She counts the tickets and makes a master list of residents and their number of tickets - this list is a secret until the day of The Great Ticket Turn-In.

On that day, Sterling's dining room becomes a Game Show Stage! Smith - dressed in formal wear and a blond wig - is the Vanna White of Sterling. As residents "Ohh” and "aah" a collection of goodies are modeled in Carol Merrill style by Smith. The special prizes, gathered by Newman and her staff who watch local store sales for bargains, range from purses to costume jewelry, perfume and aftershave to hats and men's wear to handmade afghans.

Residents gathered in a horseshoe wait in anticipation as Smith then announces the resident with the most tickets - last time the winner had 1,662 tickets!!! The winner is then invited to "Come on Down!" They may select ANY gift. When they have chosen, the residents and staff clap and each winner has their photo taken with 'Vanna'.

As the event continues, the resident with the next highest number of participation tickets selects a prize. When everyone who has turned in tickets has received a prize, anyone who did not have any tickets selects a gift from a table filled with smaller prizes. Everyone at the event, all residents, receive a prize and enjoy their own Queen (or King) for a Day moment.

And there are special contests - all residents have an equal chance on the grand prize - recently a jewelry box - for guessing the total number of tickets collected. The last time this was 10, 554 tickets. The resident who guessed closest without going over guessed 9,000 tickets. There is also The Great Ticket Turn Over-Under Flip, an all resident heads and tails game where the winner wins 25 tickets to start them on their way for the next Great Ticket Turn-In.

The Great Ticket Turn-In has become a resident favorite. Family members attend, residents congratulate the top ticket holders for weeks afterward, and gifts are shown off with pride. But most of all this activity encourages all residents to come out, be engaged in activities and try new programs throughout the year.

Congratulations to Sterling Nursing and Rehab Center on Orange Street, Media, PA for winning the June 2011 Star Award.

Science for Seniors? What's that?

Gloria Hoffner, a resident here in Delaware County has started a new activity program called Science for Seniors. If you asked her about it, I think the first thing she would tell you is seniors are interested in learning and having fun. Just because they are older does not mean they cannot learn something new or be reminded of something they learned early in life.

Her program Science for Seniors is catching on quite rapidly. She is teaching at Sterling Nursing and Rehab Center in Media, PA. The residents there love Gloria's classes and are quite interested and look forward to what Gloria will come up with next for class. Sterling continues to be a fore runner in activities and recently won a Star Award for their activities including the Great Ticket Turn In. To read about their award and the Great Ticket game, click HERE. To read all about Science for Seniors, click HERE.

Sterling Nursing Home Media, PA Wins National Best Practices Award

Sterling Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is pleased to announce the Sterling Activity Department has won the 2010 National Certification Council for Activity Professionals’ (NCCAP) Best Practices Award.

Selected as first in the nation from entries submitted by retirement communities, assisted living facilities, adult day care and nursing homes across the United States, the award was presented by the NCCAP at their annual symposium held recently (June 4 -5th) in Ohio. NCCAP is the only national certification body specifically serving senior populations.

Under the leadership of Nancy Newman, Sterling Activity Director, the award recognized the monthly Sterling Science Program during which residents enjoy learning about scientific discoveries and current events through hands-on experiments, such as a model volcano built by Kelley Smith, Sterling activity assistant with science information provided by Gloria Hoffner, a Sterling musician.

Sterling’s activity department provides residents with a wealth of daily activities including music, art lessons, cooking demonstrations, garden club, men’s poker club, religious services, brain strengthening games, pet therapy and in season bar-b-qs and box lunch socials. Special events include carnivals with games of chance and mouth watering funnel cake, guest entertainers, garden tea parties with strolling musicians, and holiday theme parties from a festival musical Flag Day celebration to Halloween costume parades!

The residents enjoy outings to local sights including Redwood, a community center in Upland with live music and dancing, as well as trips to local stores, baseball games in season, Hedgerow Theatre, church dinners, and the senior center.

And every day, sometimes twice a day, Sterling presents residents with individual birthday cakes and celebrations because Sterling believes each special resident deserves recognition on their special day! To learn more about Sterling, click HERE.
The information in this blog was reported to me by Gloria Hoffner of Guitar with Gloria.