PERMIT NO. 50 HolidayAvenue - Valley VNA Senior Care Sessions of Lyrics & Laughter Offered in 2016 In collaboration with Fox Valley Memory Project, Valley VNA Senior Services, and

Our Valley VNA caregivers are the heart of our organization.

Their commitment and patience shown to our resi-dents, clients, and fellow team members is both awesome and humbling. Our future looks bright at Valley VNA. It’s a great place to live—and work! Help us spread the good word. We are accepting applications.

By Theresa Pichelmeyer, President & CEO Our leadership team, to-gether with colleagues across the state and coun-try, is intently focused on the current and projected shortage of caregivers in senior care. As Baby Boom-ers age, there will be an in-flux of seniors in need of in-home and residential care, and the real concern is that there will not be qualified staff to meet the need. At Valley VNA, we’ve creat-ed an engaged employee retention committee that recognizes excellent em-ployees and develops new ones.

A recent caregiver recruit-ment video asked several caregivers to explain the meaning behind our VNA values: trust, communica-tion, safety, and teamwork. These primarily young peo-ple are skilled communica-tors, passionate caregivers, and an inspiration to all of us on the leadership team.

Shining Bright: The Character of Our Caregivers

Welcome Candice, Valley VNA Wellness Coordinator Candice Freese was named Val-ley VNA wellness coordinator in June. She has been a resident assistant at the VNA since 2012. After completing her training in occupational therapy, Candice now coordinates home exercise for Valley VNA residents. “I am a liaison between residents’ vis-iting therapists and the VNA. I help ensure residents follow through on their home exercises to maintain their progress,

educate and support staff, and plan on-site wellness activities for individuals and groups,” she said. Candice’s most popular group activities are indoor cycling (residents use a foot pedal device while seated in a chair), Walking Club, and Movement & Medita-tion. Her classes are already attracting 10-12 residents and growing.

Fall/Winter 2016 There’s So Much More Online!

www.valleyvna.org Recent Blog Topics:

When to Stay Home with the Flu

How to Tour an Assisted Living Facility & Questions to Ask

Healthy Snacks for Seniors

Night Out and Out-of-Town Packages for Caregivers Storytelling with an Elder

Engaging Friends with Dementia

Valley VNA’s Mission Providing quality choices for

senior living. In-Home Care

Allows seniors to stay in their home with assistance. Services include help

with household tasks, meal prep, bathing and dressing, medication

reminders, errands, transportation, companionship, specialized dementia

care, and more.

Senior Living Community Located in southeast Neenah, our community of 92 apartments and

suites offers independent and assisted living options including

specialized care settings for those with early and later stage Alzheimer’s or dementia.

920-727-5555

Candice Freese, Valley VNA wellness coordi-nator

2017 Sessions Jan.12-Feb. 16 March 19- April 13 May 4- June 8 Sept. 14-Oct. 19 Nov. 9- Dec.14 (5-week session due to Thanksgiving)

Lyrics & Laughter is a lively group activity designed around the benefits of music and singing for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Through music, participants are able to engage and socialize in a safe and compassionate environ-ment. The program is free and open to all people in the community with Alzheimer’s or other de-mentias and their care partners. There are six Thursdays in a session. Choose one of two times: 9:30-10:30 a.m. or 1-2 p.m. For more information, please call (920) 727-5555.

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NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

NEENAH WI

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2016 Frank Kearny, Chairman of the Board

Curtis Baltz, M.D. Dianne Bergstrom Sam Bomier Jeff Buchta Denise Burkett Tim Galloway Joe McGrane Jon McMurtrie Steve Morton Leslie Neal-Boylan, PhD Theresa Pichelmeyer

Would you like to update your mailing information or prefer to receive this newsletter via email? Call (920) 727-5555 ext. 2207 or send an email to - [email protected]

Music Therapy & Enjoyment Open to Community Members

their care partners. Lyrics & Laughter Sessions in 2016 Each 6-week session is held on Thursdays at two different times: 9:30–10:30 am or 1-2 pm.

Jan 14-Feb 18

Mar 10-Apr 14

May 5-Jun 9

Sep 15-Oct 20

Nov 10-Dec 15*

To learn more, please call (920) 727-5555. *5-week session due to Thanksgiving

We are pleased to offer five sessions of Lyrics & Laughter in 2016. The Lyrics & Laughter Community Program is a lively, fun group activity designed around the benefits of music and singing for individuals with dementia and their caretakers. Through music, participants are able to engage and socialize in in a friendly and safe environment. This program is free and open to all people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias and

Page 4

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

NEENAH WI

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2016 Frank Kearny, Chairman of the Board

Curtis Baltz, M.D. Dianne Bergstrom Sam Bomier Jeff Buchta Denise Burkett Tim Galloway Joe McGrane Jon McMurtrie Steve Morton Theresa Pichelmeyer

Would you like to update your mailing information or prefer to receive this newsletter via email? Call (920) 727 -5555 ext. 2207 or send an email to [email protected]

Five Sessions of Lyrics & Laughter Offered in 2016

In collaboration with Fox Valley Memory Project, Valley VNA Senior Services, and city hall, Neenah was officially declared a Dementia Friendly Community on Nov 24th. A Dementia Friendly Community makes a concerted effort to understand Alzheimer’s and dementia and is able to support community members with the disease. Retailers and service providers are trained to recognize people who may be confused or anxious and help them complete their tasks, like shopping or banking. Dementia is a disability that can be accommodated through patience, kindness and understanding.

Education can help break down barriers and allay fears that hold back the understanding of the disease process. Community members can contribute to everyday joys that result when someone can stay in his or her home and community. If your business would like to be trained as dementia aware, please call Renee at (920) 727-5555.

Businesses who complete the training are asked to display a Purple Angel at their front door as a sign of their commitment to dementia awareness and

Neenah Named A Dementia Friendly Community

Welcome Rev. John McFadden as Chaplain at Valley VNA

The Rev. John McFadden is a graduate of Drew Univer-sity School of Theology and served at First Congregational Church in Appleton as their senior pastor from 1983 to 2006. John serves as chaplain for the memory units at Bridges of Appleton and Valley VNA with a

particular focus on pastoral presence to persons with advanced dementia. He writes and speaks extensively about aging, spirituality and dementia. John and his wife, Dr. Susan H. McFadden, are co-authors of Aging Together: Dementia, Friendship and Flourishing Communities. Welcome, John.

Newsletter Date

Winter/Spring 2016 Special points of interest:

Neenah Proclaimed a Dementia Friendly Community

Rev. John McFadden Welcomed as Valley VNA Chaplain

Inside this issue:

FVTC New Americans Program Trains CNAs

Meals-on-Wheels

Love Light Angel Program

Mission & Programs

A Year in Review

Lyrics & Laughter

City of Neenah Mayor Dean Kaufert and Theresa Pichelmeyer, Valley VNA president and CEO, declare Neenah a Dementia Friendly Community.

Rev. John & and Dr. Susan McFadden at Holiday Avenue 2015.

Valley VNA’s Mission

Provide seniors with resource information, choices for living, and personalized compassionate care.

In-Home Care Help seniors to stay in their homes with

assistance. Services include help with household tasks, meal prep, bathing and dressing, medication reminders,

errands, transportation, companionship, and specialized

dementia care.

Senior Living Community Located in southeast Neenah, our community of 92 apartments and

suites offers independent and assisted living options including specialized

care settings for those with early and later stage Alzheimer’s or dementia.

(920) 727-5555

their pledge to help people with the disease.

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDNEENAH WI

PERMIT NO. 50

HolidayAvenueSHOPPING FOR A CAUSE - 2016!

• Shop One-of-a-Kind Items and Gifts from Wisconsin Boutiques

• Enjoy Delicious Food, Shopping and Door Prizes

• Participate in Awesome Raffles and New Event Boards!

Call: 920-727-5555 or purchase ticketson our website www.valleyvna.org

SENIOR SERVICES

Benefit for:

SENIOR SERVICES

Benefit for:

Noon-3 pm4-7 pm

Bistro LunchHors d’oeuvres

Thursday, Nov. 3 Bridgewood Resort, Neenah

Last May veterans Mike Hert and Adam Alexander teamed up as facilitators of the Valley VNA veteran’s group. Hert has 35 years of U.S. Army military service with 10 years on active duty in both Cold War Europe and post 9/11 in Iraq, Afghani-stan, and the Horn of Africa. He is also a mentor to vets who participate in the Out-agamie County Veteran’s Court. Army Reservist Adam Alexander served in the 432nd

Civil Affairs Battalion and was seriously injured by insurgent gunfire in Afghanistan in 2011. Alexander is the recipient of the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Badge, and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor. The men invite any vet-eran in the community to join the VNA veteran’s group. Par-ticipants suggest and coordi-nate outings and conversa-tions around members’ shared experiences.

Paper ornaments and invitations are mailed in advance and also available the day of the ceremony. Donations are gratefully accepted. All Are Invited: Thursday, December 1 at 6 pm, Valley VNA 1535 Lyon Drive in Neenah Invocation by Rev. John McFadden Music by the Neenah High School

Fairest of the Fair Choir Refreshments

The Love Light Angel program is a dedication and tree lighting ceremo-ny that calls to mind family and friends who are with us in spirit and those who have touched our lives in a special way. We celebrate the evening through inspirational words and music as the tree is lit for the first time this season. Angel ornaments are adorned with the names of people we love and remember and placed on the tree.

Camaraderie at the Heart of VNA Vets Group

2016 Love Light Angels Program: A Warm Start to the Season

Will You Be a Meals-on-Wheels Driver? We are currently seeking more Meals-on-Wheels drivers. Please consider volunteering with a friend or as a couple. You com-mit to driving just one day per month for about 90 minutes over the noon hour. Friendly training is provided. Please call Bobbie at Valley VNA at 727-5555 if you are interested is this rewarding service opportunity.

Valley VNA coordinates the Meals-on-Wheels program for people within the cities of Neenah and Menasha in partner-ship with the Neenah-Menasha Emergency Society and ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah. Nutritious meals are delivered to our clients Monday through Friday during the noon hour.

Page 2 Fall/Winter 2016

Meals-on-Wheels volunteers drive one day per month for about 90 minutes.

The Valley VNA veterans group took a trip to the Military Veterans Museum in Oshkosh in October. So much to see, so many stories to tell!

Quality Improvement Nets Exemplary Rankings We continue to be busy with many quality improvement pro-jects as part of the Diamond Accreditation program through the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA).

In addition to the Eatwell system, we are actively working on fall prevention, medication training and administration accuracy, resident rights awareness, congestive heart failure/pneumonia manage-ment, proper documentation, staff retention, and review of the discharge process. In early August we received from the WALA Diamond reviewers exemplary status in three areas and satisfactory rankings in four areas with an overall satisfactory status. We are proud of the hard work our teams have done to make quality a vital part of the care we give.

of dementia by reconnecting them with the world through music-triggered memories. We are grateful for this grant and the beautiful gift of music. Valley VNA Values Video An articulate and enthusias-tic team if caregivers came together in September to help produce a VNA Values video that has since been shared all over social media. Our objective was to spot-light our professional, com-passionate caregivers and give them the chance to share how VNA values of trust, communication, safe-ty, and teamwork relate to them, their coworkers, resi-dents, clients, and families. Spread the word about Val-ley VNA and help us recruit more fantastic caregivers. The video can be seen on YouTube at Valley VNA Sen-ior Services.

Grants Received Valley VNA received a grant from The John N. Berg-strom Endowment Com-mittee of First Presby-terian Church in Neenah to help with the purchase of Eatwell tableware sets. The tableware set is designed to support independence dur-ing meal times for people with Alzheimer’s and de-mentia by using high con-trast colors, deep dish chambers, anti-slip bases, and ergonomically designed silverware. We will pilot this new system with a small group of residents and track its outcomes before ex-panding its use within the VNA community. We are grateful for this opportunity to innovate at Valley VNA. The George & Gussie Balck and Art & Mary Leske Charitable Fund within the Community Foundation of the Fox Val-ley Region will support our Lyrics & Laughter™ and Music & Memory life enrich-ment programs along with our caregiver training program. The grant will allow us to provide enrich-ing music programming for those in early to late stages

2016 in Review—Accomplishments & Celebrations

Page 3 Fall/Winter 2016