Celebrate Senior Citizen’s Day With Your Favorite Senior Citizen!

In 1988, President Ronald Reagan and the U.S. Congress declared that August 21 was to be known as National Senior Citizen’s Day. This was to be a day where we would be reminded to honor the senior citizens who blazed the trail for the rest of us, and especially our parents and grandparents for their love, wisdom and contributions to our society and upbringing.

At Centers Health Care we honor our seniors every day, and in recognition of this very day we’re encouraging everyone else to show the senior citizens in your life how much you care.

If they are living at a nursing home or assisted living facility, pay them a visit! And bring the grandchildren along too. Their shining smiles will brighten everyone’s day. Most facilities encourage residents decorate their rooms, so feel free to bring some family pictures, paintings and other heirlooms that no doubt hold a special place in your parent’s heart. Bring one or two family photo albums and enjoy the time together reflecting on years of wonderful memories.

Games are welcome, too. Bring along a pack of cards or any other kind of game to play with them. They’re not only fun, they can also help improve brain functions and slow down mental decline that comes with aging. We touched on this topic in a previous blog post that you can read here. Kids can also have a book with them and they can read it with their grandma or grandpa.

There are many ways to show gratitude and appreciation for the senior citizens in our lives, the ones that raised us and helped shape our society. At Centers Health Care, we have so many fun activities scheduled every day of the year for our residents. If you have a parent or grandparent living with us, you are welcome to visit at any time.

To all of you who aren’t getting older, just better, Happy Senior Citizen’s Day from all of us at Center’s Health Care!

“What’s Up With Grandma?” Explaining Alzheimer’s & Dementia to Young Children

Words alone can’t describe the difficulty a family goes through when a loved one succumbs to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. It’s hard seeing your parent’s slow but inexorable transformation into someone very different. But young children are often the most confused, and frightened. Why can’t their grandpa remember who they are? And why are they acting strange? Explaining these diseases to a child is difficult, but not impossible. Here are some ways you can explain to your child what Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are and what’s going to happen to their grandma or grandpa:

1) Talk to them: Children are smarter than we think. Don’t try to “protect them” by hiding what’s happening. Sit down with them and have a meaningful conversation about their grandparent. Answer any questions they have about Grandma or Grandpa’s unusual behavior and sayings. Ask questions! Find out more about their perspective and if they feel any different about their grandparent, especially if your parent did or said something that unintentionally hurt your child’s feelings.

2) Explain the circumstances as simply as possible: Don’t try to offer deep explanations or clinical instructions. Instead, use simple terms. “Grandpa has an illness that sometime comes with old age that makes him forget things.” “Grandma’s illness sometimes make think she’s in a different place”. Your child will not get it right away, but they usually accept the simple explanations, and they will question you further when they are ready to hear more. Try to be patient and provide as much reassurance as you can. As your child grows, you can provide more specific details about the diseases.

3) Be positive: As tough as it is to care for a parent whose is living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, keep smiling for the sake of your child. If the child sees that you’re still smiling and positive, they’ll be reassured that they don’t have anything to be worried about either.

4) Involve them: Every circumstance is different. If your parent’s Alzheimer’s or dementia isn’t too severe, you should still have your children spend time with them or involve them in their care, even if it’s just sitting and talking with their grandparent. If your parent lives in a nursing home or assisted living facility, take your children with you for your next visit. A simple walk, chat, or game can go a long way in make sure that your child still has a good relationship with their grandparent. It will lift your parent’s spirits, and yours as well.

It can be stressful making sure your parent is getting the treatment and the attention they need for their Alzheimer’s or dementia. Centers Health Care has several facilities with specific programs for those that have Alzheimer’s or dementia. Contact us today for more information. We’ll do all that we can to help you and your parent.

Centers Healthcare Teams Up with Senior Wishes

Senior Wishes, the United Church Home Society (UCHS) group located in Orchard Park, has been making the wishes of Western New York’s elderly come true for the past three years. And thanks to Centers Health Care and their Amsterdam Cares for Nursing and Rehabilitation and Waterfront Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare, they made one local resident very happy indeed. Mary D. desperately wanted to be able to attend her grandson’s wedding in Atlanta, Georgia, but the airfare and other expenses put it out of her reach. That’s when she thought of UCHS and entered an application for a Senior Wish.

To grant this special wish, UCHS turned to Centers Health Care, which has long been an ardent supporter of the group. “We’re a community resource” said Dave Denny, administrator of the Amsterdam Cares Rehabilitation and Nursing. “We see our role here in Amsterdam as providing for the care and well-being of all our neighbors, not just those who are in need of full time care.” Colin Hart, administrator of the Waterfront Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare echoed those feelings. “A large number of our residents are here for just a short time while they rehabilitate from surgery or some other medical issue. And we host the local community here all the time, for educational seminars, entertainment, health screenings and the like. We consider ourselves family here, so when got the call about helping Mary stay connected with her family by attending this very special event, we were happy to try and help out.”

Centers Super Stock Racing Team Roars into Action

Centers Health Care is proud to continue to sponsor the wonderful Tim Gullo Super Stocks Racing Team. Come find out more about our team, and how you can help cheer on our stock car racing drivers!

Orthopedic Care at Amsterdam Cares: What You Need to Know

Many individuals will come to a point in their lives when they will have to undergo surgery to help repair musculoskeletal issues that can result from things such as degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and more. The musculoskeletal system includes bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves. The branch of medicine that primarily focuses on these body parts is called orthopedics. An orthopedic specialist can treat something as small as a sprained ankle all the way to something more serious such as a hip transplant.

So when should you seek the help of an orthopedic specialist? Here are a list of common signs:

After physical therapy there is no improvement in pain

Having trouble standing or walking

Swelling, deformity or bruising around joints or injuries

Joint pain that causes trouble sleeping

Trouble moving around or reaching

If it ever comes to the point where you need orthopedic surgery, don’t forget about the importance of post-surgical care. Checking on your wounds can be easily done at home. Keep your wound clean and dry and keep up with your follow up appointments. Make sure there is no unexplained redness, swelling, or discharge at the incision area. These may be signs of infection.

Here at Amsterdam Cares, our therapists and physicians make sure you can get the greatest benefit from your surgery by providing treatment plans based on your individual needs. This can help improve mobility, balance, strength and make everyday living much easier. Don’t hesitate to contact our facility for more information about the program.

Amsterdam Cares is part of the Centers Healthcare family; New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island’s premier group of skilled nursing, rehabilitation and senior care services. To speak to a healthcare specialist and find out more about Amsterdam Cares, contact us by phone 24/7 at 716.883.6782, or visit us at 1014 Delaware Avenue, Amsterdam, NY 14209.

Heart. Health. Home.