During the holiday season, if we’re lucky, we get to spend time celebrating with our loved ones, but for many, especially seniors, December can be lonely if loved ones live far away or have passed. Many seniors suffer from depression during this time of year, and we work hard to lift their spirits.

At the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center, December is party month and we keep the celebrations going through New Year’s Eve. In addition to 4 holiday parties and a New Year’s Eve celebration, we have a Chanukah party,…

We have regular discussion groups at the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center. Sometimes they are stand-alone activities and sometimes they’re incorporated into existing activities like exercise or art classes. Sometimes they focus on current events and sometimes through reminiscence therapy, they focus on their pasts, families, relationships, occupations or whatever our seniors want to talk about.

Whatever the context and content, they’re always interesting and they always provide an opportunity for cognitive stimulation, socialization and expressing thoughts and feelings. Below are some questions and interesting answers from a recent group:

What were…

Some things are difficult. For example, most people when they are told that a habit of theirs is harmful will take heed and try to change. Others, on the other hand, think they know more than their doctor or nurse and decide on the spot they are changing for no one! Spanning my career I have had many patients who fall into either of these two categories. Some patients are quite memorable for their strong will and high goals to prove me wrong or to prove that they are stronger…

In my past blogs, I’ve talked about how invaluable are our Home Health Aides. They’re the heart and soul of our Day Center, and they’re in constant contact with our seniors to meet their needs. During a recent meeting, the aides were asked to talk about what makes them unique and what special qualities they bring to the center. I was quite touched by their responses and wanted to share them with you…

• I give security and make seniors feel safe to talk about their issues.
• This center has brought me up –…

No caregiver should face Alzheimer’s disease alone. I’ve witnessed the emotional and physical strain that caregivers endure when helping those with the disease the National Institute of Aging estimates affects between 2.4 million and 5.1 million Americans.

I have also seen caregivers connect to a supportive community that enables them to provide better care for their loved ones and themselves. If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, here are some steps you can take to receive the support you need:

Connect with a support group

• A local Alzheimer’s support group is a…

Last month, the VNSNY CHOICE Adult Day Center celebrated our 11 year anniversary. Someone recently asked me to describe my favorite center moment or special event. As I thought about it, I realized that my favorite moments are not the special events. They’re the times that I’m sitting in my office and I hear laughter throughout the center or I see members breaking out into spontaneous song or dance. They’re the times a Home Health Aide is walking down the hallway with someone and I overhear the beautiful way our…

A recent New York Times headline caught my attention: “Tennessee’s Summit Reveals Dementia Diagnosis”.

If you are not familiar with Pat Summit, she is widely considered the most successful college basketball coach of all time. Her recognition is well deserved after coaching Tennessee University’s women’s basketball team to a record eight national championships and more than 1,000 wins.

Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post writes:

“Denial was followed by anger. For the first few weeks, Summitt would barely even discuss the subject. She told her doctors, ‘You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m capable…

When I first became an RN in a hospital setting I would ‘moonlight’ as a visiting nurse in Upstate NY. I enjoyed the variety in my caseload and would meet families in varying levels of care need. In the wake of the recent earthquake/hurricane, I recall some significant hurricanes in the late 1980s that took out power for a week at a time. Although most patients had their homes equipped with some alternate power, many did not. This left them pretty much stranded with no way to keep insulin cold…

Welcome to my very first blog entry! I thought I would use it as a sneak peek as to some of what I will be discussing in the coming weeks and months. The title for today’s entry struck me as very pertinent as to what is happening currently in my personal life. I guess I am in what some people refer to as “the sandwich generation.” With aging sick parents (my father was recently diagnosed with lung cancer), a two-year-old daughter with pervasive developmental disorder-nos (a disorder on the autistic spectrum), a husband…

Every day our visiting nurses enrich the lives of the elderly by helping them manage their health needs in the home. The benefits of their visits extend to caregivers, family and friends as well.

Can you imagine a world where the elderly weren’t an important part of our lives? It’s difficult for me to envision a world like this.

When I travel to my home visits, it is a pleasure to see older adults exercising outdoors, socializing with one another at the local bakery or taking their grandchildren for a stroll in the…