Category Archives: Liberty Lutheran

Dementia: Recognizing the Symptoms

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-Karen Read, MSN, RN, Nurse Educator

“Within all of us resides the need to be whole.” – Oliver Sacks, M.D.

alzheimersAmericans are living longer lives than ever before. In fact, it’s estimated that 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day. But with that, it seems, we are also hearing about more cases of dementia. Chances are that we have or will cross paths with someone who is diagnosed with dementia symptoms. The more we know about dementia, the more help we can get for those battling the disease. Continue reading →

Big Things Happen in Small Places

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P5030022The small storefront on South 7th street in South Philly doesn’t look like much on the outside, but inside it’s a different story. The walls are covered in photos, paintings and drawings. The colors are bold and bright. The main room is filled with people socializing, enjoying a mild spring afternoon together. Children are laughing and playing. This is the home of the Philadelphia Refugee Mental Health Collaborative (PRMHC) – ground zero for a group of resettlement agencies, mental health providers, physicians and arts organizations that are working to link refugees to culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health care. P5030039The PRMHC is led by Liberty’s Lutheran Children and Family Service and uses therapy, support groups and arts projects to help families process past exposure to violence and current resettlement stresses. It is a lifeline for refugees who are starting over, after surviving unimaginable trauma in their home countries.

On Friday, May 3rd, dozens of families of Burmese and Bhutanese decent packed the small storefront for a modest but lively celebration. It featured many delicious dishes that are popular in the Burmese and Bhutanese cultures, as well as some classic American foods.   Continue reading →

How have you taken care of yourself lately? Achieving Work-Life Balance.

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-Kelli McIntyre, Wellness Coach, Liberty Lutheran

Let’s face it. No one is immune to the pressures of life. We all face issues that we must learn to cope with in one way or another. Unfortunately, in my role as an Employee Wellness Coach at Liberty Lutheran, all too often I hear stories of staff members that didn’t address pressures in their lives, hoping those pressures would just go away, the way an ostrich sticks its head in the sand.

Kelli McIntyre, Wellness Coach, Liberty Lutheran

Kelli McIntyre, Wellness Coach, Liberty Lutheran

There are also some employees who, when faced with too much stress, choose harmful coping mechanisms – such as smoking, drinking, lashing out, and emotional eating. I can assure you that those things will not help you manage stress, and may also leave you feeling guilty and ashamed.

Achieving Balance

The demands from career and family can be mentally and physically exhausting. Liberty Lutheran’s workforce can be particularly prone to work/life imbalance – since so many staff members serve as different types of professional caregivers, and also care for their own families at home, once the work day ends. In an ideal world, we would honor ourselves the same way that we honor our residents, clients, and loved ones, by being proactive in seeking balance. But often caregivers put themselves last on the list of priorities.     Continue reading →

Dining with the Doc: Valuable Community Resource

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More than 80 people packed the Atrium at Artman on Thursday, May 2nd for the latest installment of the Dining with the Doc series. This event featured Dr. Eric Goosenberg, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Temple University School of Medicine, who practices Gastrointestinal Associates, Inc in Jenkintown. Dr. Goosenberg spoke to the crowd about GERD: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD,) a chronic digestive disease that occurs when stomach acid or bile flows back (refluxes) into your esophagus.   Continue reading →

Life-Changing Renovations Unveiled at Paul’s Run

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 Paul’s Run, a Continuous Care Retirement Community in Northeast Philadelphia and service of Liberty Lutheran, unveiled major renovations to its Halle Health Center at a VIP Open House on Wednesday, April 24th. Doctors, social workers, hospital discharge planners and representatives from neighboring retirement communities enjoyed breakfast and tours of the newly renovated community. Organizations represented at the event included the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Nazareth Hospital, Holy Redeemer Hospital, Philadelphia Protestant Home, Deer Meadows Retirement Community, Wesley Enhanced Living and Oakwood Residence. Continue reading →

Liberty Awarded Grant With Help from Local Business Owners

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Dolores & Skip Urban present a check on behalf of the York Children’s Foundation to Mary Ellen Glick, Pogram Director of the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program and David Merrick, Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer of Liberty Lutheran

Ambler, PA – Liberty Lutheran is proud to announce it is the recipient of a $500 grant from the York Children’s Foundation to support its Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) program. The grant was made possible with help from Dolores and Skip Urban, who own Urban Funeral Home in Ambler.

Mrs. Urban has worked part-time for the last four years as a Registered Nurse at Artman, one of Liberty’s Senior Communities located in Ambler. Inspired by Liberty’s dedication to helping our community’s most vulnerable individuals, Mrs. Urban wrote a letter to the York Children’s Foundation (YCF) last fall recommending the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors Program for a grant. YCF, which is funded by the Matthews Casket Company, awards funding to programs whose sole purpose are to support children. Continue reading →

Be a Work of Art! 6 Things Every Woman Can Do to Age with Beauty, Grace & Good Health

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By Karen Read, MSN, RN,

As Nurse Educator for Artman and Paul’s Run, I have noticed that women outnumber the men living at both retirement communities. Robert Butler, renowned gerontologist, psychiatrist and Pulitzer Prize winning author says more than 31% of 65-year old women can expect to live to age 90 or beyond. He also says that genes account for only 25% of an individual’s health and longevity, while “our environment and personal behaviors account for the rest.”

My greatest wish is, if I have the gift of 90 years, is to continue to be as productive and as vital as possible. So what does this mean for me, a woman, as I age? What things can I do to keep myself as healthy as possible?  The experts seem to agree on a holistic approach to aging, an approach that must include mind, body and spirit.

Here is my checklist: Continue reading →

Staying Young at Heart May Require A Little Extra Help

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By Lisa Beck, Assistant Director of Nursing, Paul’s Run

Feeling young at heart doesn’t always mean the heart is healthy. As we age, our bodies go through many changes and blood pressure is a prime example. The normal blood pressure for someone in their 20’s can be much different than a person in their older years. If not managed properly, high blood pressure can lead to life-threatening conditions, especially for seniors.

Your Primary Care Provider (PCP) uses various tools to measure your health status, one of the basic assessments measures blood pressure. Normally the heart continuously works to efficiently supply blood to all our body parts. However, as we age an older heart may not be able to pump as well and some arteries become thicker, stiffer and less flexible. This leads to an increase in blood pressure over our lifespan. The blood pressure is the amount of pressure the bloodstream pushes on your arteries, produced by the contraction of the heart muscle. The blood pressure has two numbers which provides important information – the top number which is the higher number of the two, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (when the muscle contracts). This number is called Systolic blood pressure. The Diastolic blood pressure, or the bottom number, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest between heartbeats. Generally, more consideration is given to the reading of the top number – the systolic blood pressure – which is an indicator of risk factors such cardiovascular disease, especially for people over the age of 50. Continue reading →

Liberty’s “Traditions” Engage Employees

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Director of Employee Engagement Training Christopher Ridenhour conducts an exercise with new employees.

25 new members of the Liberty Lutheran team attended “Traditions” orientation today at the corporate offices in Ambler. Employees spent the day learning more about Liberty Lutheran, specifically its culture of strong employee engagement and excellent customer service.

Liberty Lutheran President and CEO Luanne Fisher spoke to the group about why this type of orientation is vital to the work we do.

“Culture is critical, it’s what sets us apart from other organizations,” Luanne said. “We want you to love where you work,” she added.

A panel of seasoned employees across the Liberty Family of Services spoke to the group about the culture at Liberty and offered their advice to class members.

Panel of seasoned employees offered insight and advice to new staffers

Christopher Ridenhour, Director of Employee Engagement Training, coached the group through various exercises that allowed the employees to better get to know each other and themselves. Class lessons also demonstrated behaviors and traits that are valued within the organization – such as being present, creative, pleasant, sincere, willing, perceptive, enthusiastic and serving as a role model.

“The more you practice being nice, the more your own cup with be filled,” Christopher explained during a lesson about making colleagues feel valued and appreciated.

The day concluded with each class participant receiving a thoughtful gift bag from Liberty. The bag contained a special note to explain its contents:

Just for you…

Snickers: to remind you to take time to laugh

Smarties: for the days when you don’t feel very smart

Gum: to encourage you to always stick with it

A Lifesaver: to keep you afloat whenever you get that sinking feeling

A Candle: to remind you to light a fire when you feel burned out

A Tootsie Roll: to remind you not to bite off more than you can chew

A Safety Pin: to remind you to stay sharp

A Payday: to remind you every day is pay day

And…

A Bag: to remind you to continue to keep it all together!

Artman Nutritionist Discusses Incorporating Alcohol in a Healthy Lifestyle

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April marks Alcohol Awareness Month, a nationwide campaign intended to raise awareness of health problems that excessive alcohol consumption can cause. The nutrition department at Artman counsels clients on the effects of alcohol in their diet but also coaches them in ways they can incorporate safe amounts into their lifestyle. Our staff nutrition counselor, John Fairchild, has helped many clients overcome their weight loss barriers that include; healthy substitutions, proper portion control, recipe planning and weekly coaching sessions. Here is some information he provides to his clients, when it comes to alcohol and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Definition of a “drink”:

  • 5oz. of wine
  • 12oz. bottle of beer
  • 1.5oz. shot of alcohol

Moderate drinking is defined as “the consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men,” according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Women are often more vulnerable than men to the long-term health effects of alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol over a significant amount of time can lead to:

  • Cancer: Alcohol consumption increases the risk for breast cancer and cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon.
  • Liver Disease: The risk for cirrhosis and other alcohol-related liver diseases is higher for women than for men.
  • Heart Problems: Studies have shown that women who drink excessively are at increased risk for damage to the heart muscle than men.
  • Brain: Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways, and can affect the way the brain works. These disruptions can change mood and behavior, and make it harder to think clearly and move with coordination.
  • Heart: Drinking a lot over a long time or too much on a single occasion can damage the heart, causing problems including: Cardiomyopathy – Stretching and drooping of heart muscle, Arrhythmias – Irregular heartbeat, Stroke and High blood pressure.
  • Liver: Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including: Steatosis, or fatty liver, Alcoholic hepatitis, Fibrosis and Cirrhosis.
  • Pancreas: Alcohol causes the pancreas to produce toxic substances that can eventually lead to pancreatitis, a dangerous inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels in the pancreas that prevents proper digestion.
  • Immune System: Drinking too much can weaken your immune system, making your body a much easier target for disease.  Chronic drinkers are more liable to contract diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis than people who do not drink too much.

Avoid drinking any amount of alcohol if pregnant or planning to become pregnant.  When trying to control your alcohol intake, take several days day off a week to abstain from alcohol if you are drinking too much. Keep track of how much you drink by writing in a journal, avoid places where overdrinking occurs and find new ways to deal with stress.

Many health issues can be prevented by reducing your total alcohol consumption. If you need help cutting back there are many organizations to which you can turn to for help.

Alcoholics Anonymous
Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS)
SMART Recovery
Women for Sobriety (WFS)