Extraordinary Individuals: #CentersHeroes

A message from CEO, Kenny Rozenberg, to #CentersHeroes:

Our thanks—and our hearts—go out to you.

I’ve never been more proud of—or awed by—the Bishop Rehabilitation & Nursing Center teams across our network and throughout our facilities. At this critical time, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of you—administrators, therapists, nurses and nurses aides, social workers, hospital liaisons, receptionists, recreational, food and cleaning staffs—have stood up and met the challenge head on. You are the best. You are the bravest. You are Centers Heroes!

 

 Watch our #CentersHeroes in action. 

 

Every day, without fail, you demonstrate the courage to step up—and the commitment to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our patients, residents and your co-workers. The world is changing. You are not…because I’ve seen it with my own eyes: you have always been steadfast in your dedication and courage.

I want to highlight a #CentersHero, Shellan Robinson, LPN at Ellicott Center. “I love what I do. I can’t think of anything more rewarding than being a nurse: taking care of people in need, easing their pain, comforting and engaging them. In the last several months, with the arrival of COVID-19, we have experienced dramatic new challenges in our work. But one thing remains the same: I still love what I do.” Click here to read more

Shellan’s story is just one of many—stories of the unsung heroes throughout Bishop Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. We honor you. We salute you. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You are our heroes.

Our partners at the Amsterdam Sabres also recognize and salute our #CentersHeroes. Goaltender Carter Hutton, sends a shoutout to you all:

“On behalf of the Sabres, I want to say thank you to our friends at Bishop Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. You show up every single day to help prevent Covid-19. Your support is great for the community. Thanks for keeping us safe.”

Watch the full video of Carter here

I know this is not easy—for you or your families. The pandemic may in fact be the greatest challenge you ever face. But you have proven by your every day actions—by your commitment and your compassion—that you are up to the challenge.

I want to join the Sabres in thanking every #CentersHero…as well as all healthcare workers and first responders on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Special Perks for Special Healthcare Workers—Like You.

Take advantage of these special FREE resources now available to healthcare workers and first responders.

 

Companies across New York and across the country are stepping up to support health care workers who are on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19. Please explore these resources. Thanks for your hard work. You deserve all the help you get!

 

Allbirds

Allbirds is donating shoes to the medical community. They’ve already given out $500,000 worth.
Email together@allbirds.com for your free pair of wool runners.

 

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme is offering anyone in the medical community a dozen doughnuts, free of charge. Valid every Monday through May 11.
“Just go to a Krispy Kreme drive-thru and show us your employer badge. That’s it,” the company said. “Pick up some free dozens on the way to work for you and your colleagues, or maybe a free dozen on your way home to family after a long shift.”

 

Sweetgreen

Sweetgreen is delivering free salads and bowls to hospital workers.

 

Hertz Car Rentals

Hertz is offering NYC healthcare workers a free rental car, up to 1 month! 

 

Starbucks Coffee

A free tall hot or iced brewed coffee to anyone that identifies themselves as a COVID-19 front line responder through May 3rd.

 

Uber Eats

Uber Eats has pledged to give 300,000 free meals to first responders and health care workers.

 

Four Seasons Hotel

The Four Seasons Hotel on 57th Street will provide FREE lodging to doctors, nurses & medical personnel currently working to respond to the pandemic.
The hotel, like many, is closed due to COVID-19 until 4/15. But healthcare workers can call the hotel at 212-758-5700 to book a free room.

 

Crocs Shoes

Get a free pair of crocs to help you, while you help us alot.

 

AirBnb

Providing health care professionals, relief workers and first responders free or subsidized housing.

 

Childcare

Westchester Childcare

All school districts in Westchester County are now providing childcare for children ages 5 to 12 for healthcare workers and first responders with no other childcare options.

New York City Childcare

Regional Enrichment Centers—places where the children of front-line workers can be safely cared for while their parents continue to serve the city in this time of need.

Long Island Childcare

Emergency childcare is available for residents of Nassau and Suffolk County.

 

For more special perks and discounts, click here. 

How to use Facetime to talk to friends and loves ones

How to use Facetime to talk to friends and loves ones

Available to iPhone and iPad users

 

1. In the Facetime app, tap the plus button and type the person’s phone number or email address.
2. Tap the number or address, then tap Audio or Video.
3. If you have the person’s phone number or email address saved in your contacts, you can start typing their name and tap the name when it appears.

Once you have made the call, the next time you open the app, their name will appear when you open the app. Simply tap on their name.

How to use WhatsApp to talk to your loved ones

How to use Whatsapp to talk to your loved ones

Simple:

1. Install Whatsapp on your phone.
2. Tap on Whatsapp.
3. Tap on the contact you want to call.
4. Tap on the movie camera icon.
5. You’re on!

How to use Skype to talk to friends and loved ones

How to use Skype to talk to friends and loved ones.

1. Check for a webcam.Be sure your computer has a webcam. On most laptops, the webcam will look like a small hole in the top border of the screen.

 

2. Install Skype.Depending on whether or not you have a Mac or a PC, the download link is different.

• For Windows users:Go to this link: http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/. Click on the green button that says, “Get Skype for Windows Desktop.”
• For Mac users:Go to this link: http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-mac/. Click on the green button that says, “Get Skype for Mac.”

 

3. Follow installer instructions.The Skype download should start automatically and the installer will guide you through how to install the program.

 

4. Open Skype.After the program is finished installing, open up Skype. If you have trouble finding the program, follow these instructions for Mac or PC.

• For Windows users:Press your Windows key (left of Alt key), type “Skype” and press ↵ Enter.
• For Mac users:Open up Finder, search for “Skype,” then click on the program

 

5. Click on a contact.In the left side of your screen, you will see a list of contacts if you have added any. Click on the name to open up a conversation with that person.

• If you haven’t added any contacts, you will first have to add at least one. Ask for a friend’s Skype ID, click Contacts in the upper left of the window, click Add Contact in the dropdown menu, then type your friend’s Skype ID.

 

6. Start a video call.To start a video call, you must first be in a conversation with a contact. The instructions are slightly different for Mac and PC users.

• For Windows users:Click on the icon in the upper right corner of the window that looks like a video camera. It should be a blue circle with a white video camera inside.
• For Mac users:Click on the icon in the upper right corner of the window that looks like a video camera. It should be a green circle with a white video camera inside. Depending on your version of Skype, the icon may instead simply say, “Video Call.”
• You may be asked for permission for Skype to use your video camera, click “Allow” if you are comfortable with Skype having access to your camera.

 

7. End the call when done.End the call by pressing the red button on the bottom of the video call window. The icon looks like a red circle with a white phone inside of the circle.

• You may need to move your cursor around the inside of the video call window to reveal the hang-up button.

 

Coronavirus Notice:

Bishop Rehabilitation & Nursing Center Discusses Hormone Replacement Therapy and Aging

Combating the negative effects of aging is the constant focus of everyone at long-term care facilities like the Amsterdam Cares for Rehabilitation and Nursing, so we try to always remain abreast of new theories and advancements in the areas of anti-aging and gerontology. One of the major considerations in the anti-aging field in the mid-1990s and early 2000s was the idea of hormone replacement therapy in an attempt to slow or eliminate some common negative effects of natural aging. Since its conception, this approach has met with mixed results of which we should all be aware.

Predominantly used in women to counteract the severity of menopause symptoms, hormone replacement therapy using progesterone and estrogen has also been used to aid in preventing osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. However, in the early 2000s, two major studies by the Women’s Health Initiative found increases in the occurrence of endometrial, breast, and ovarian cancers in women who had undergone this type of hormone replacement therapy. Predictably, the popularity of these treatments waned. More recent critics of the studies, however, have pointed out that the results of the studies were less conclusive than presented and that a combination therapy of progesterone and estrogen was only linked to one extra case of breast cancer, for instance, in one thousand.

Currently, the balance of benefit versus risk for hormone replacement therapy is still not completely clear, and further investigation is necessary. There is significant evidence to support the claims that hormone replacement therapy may improve muscle function, heart health, and skin aging, as well as potentially lowering mortality in younger, postmenopausal women. It is currently officially approved for treating severe symptoms of menopause and for treating or preventing osteoporosis. There are indications, however, that it may not be suitable for women who have a history of: strokes; heart disease; endometrial, breast, or ovarian cancer, thrombosis, migraines, or high blood pressure. Always discuss your particular medical history and conditions with your doctor when considering the possibility of hormone replacement therapy.

To learn more about the Amsterdam Cares for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit https://centershealthcare.com/buffalo_center.

Report: Falling for Scams Could be an Early Sign of Dementia

Being the victim of a scam can be distressing. Besides the loss of funds, seniors can feel shame for falling for the scam and lose trust in people.

The range of scams vary. There are con artists who make phone calls pretending to be from a government agency looking for money that you “owe,” from a lottery promising anything from cash to luxury vacations, and even pretending to be a grandchild who’s in trouble and looking for quick money to get out of a jam (this is referred to as the Grandparents Scam). All told, seniors in the United States lose more than $35 billion each year to financial fraud.

Now, there could be more long-term concern over falling for a scam. Amsterdam Cares for Rehabilitation and Nursing wants to bring to your attention a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people who are easily tricked by scams could be in the early stages of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

The study included 935 seniors over the course of six years. It asked questions that measured how they would handle sales pitches and how informed they were about elderly scams, among other things. The subjects also underwent brain tests each year to check for Alzheimer’s and other memory problems.

The study, which was primarily funded by the National Institute on Aging, found that testing poorly on the scam awareness exam was associated with an increased risk for dementia. Researchers did caution that falling victim to a scam doesn’t mean the person will have Alzheimer’s in the future, and additional work is needed to support the theory.

Researchers hope that being able to identify another potential risk factor of Alzheimer’s can lead to earlier diagnoses, which can slow the progression of the disease.

To learn more about Amsterdam Cares for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://centershealthcare.com/buffalo_center/.

Three Centers Rehabilitation and Nursing Facilities Receive Top Rated Honor from NursingHomes.com

Bishop Rehabilitation & Nursing Center is proud to announce that three Centers-owned facilities received a prestigious “Top Rated” designation from the national website, NursingHomes.com.

Bannister Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing (Providence, Rhode Island), Amsterdam Cares for Rehabilitation and Nursing (Amsterdam, New York), and Ellicott Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing (Amsterdam, New York) received the honor.

The website honors skilled nursing facilities that compile consistent, exemplary reviews from residents, patients, and their families. It’s a tool that allows people looking for a nursing home to get a measure of confidence as they find the facility that’s right for their family member.

“A family choosing this level of care for their loved one is one of the most difficult and deeply personal decisions one can make,” said Centers Health Care CEO Kenneth Rozenberg. “I’m thrilled that the families of our residents and rehab patients think so highly of our services that they were moved to leave such kind reviews with NursingHomes.com.

“It’s a testament to our dedicated staff and leadership team that makes our facilities caring homes, so I credit all Bishop Rehabilitation & Nursing Center employees for this humbling honor.”

All Bishop Rehabilitation & Nursing Center facilities feature first-class nursing care, 24-hour access to medical personnel, a variety of nutritious meal options, and a calendar filled with activities that are designed to keep the mind and body active.

In addition to our care for long-term residents, Bannister, Amsterdam, and Ellicott Centers also feature the GO Rehab program for short-term residents recovering from an injury or surgery. The state-of-the-art program combines physical and occupational therapy with all the comforts of home to ensure the patient successfully returns to the lifestyle they were used to at home.

Bishop Rehabilitation & Nursing Center Recalls the City’s Proud Irish Heritage on St. Patrick’s Day

The shamrocks and leprechauns of St. Patrick’s Day are right around the corner, and the Amsterdam Cares for Nursing and Rehabilitation are proud to look back on the significant historical contributions of the Irish immigrants and community in the city and in the region. The influence of this community was certainly profound enough to have touched the earlier lives of some of our residents.

The Great Famine in Ireland inspired an influx of somewhere between 1.5 and 2.0 million Irish immigrants between 1845 and 1855, many of whom settled in northeastern urban centers. By just 1850, the Irish constituted a quarter of the populations of Amsterdam, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore. Immigrant groups at the time often congregated in small communities of their fellow ex-countrymen, and Irish communities were especially close-knit.

One of the most interesting events in Irish-American history began in Amsterdam just a year after the end of the American Civil War. Early in the morning of the 1st of June, 1866, Amsterdam members of the Fenian Movement (reportedly started on St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Ireland, in 1858) stormed across the Niagara River on canal boats towed by tugs with the intent of taking Fort Erie. Stories indicate that city residents lined the Amsterdam bank of the river and cheered when the Irish flag was planted in Canadian soil on the other side. The long-term goal of the attack was to force independence for Ireland.

Amsterdam may not have the national St. Patrick’s Day recognition of cities like Boston, New York City, or even Chicago, but here at the Amsterdam Cares for Nursing and Rehabilitation, we remember the early contributions of Amsterdam’s Irish immigrants and the city’s curious place in the history of the Irish independence movement.

To learn more about our services, visit us in person or online at https://centershealthcare.com/buffalo_center