Senior News

The good news about elder care services today is that families seeking help for a loved one can consider many options, ranging from home care to a traditional nursing home. Those choices, however, are sometimes overwhelming. One question we frequently hear is: What is a rest home?

Rest homes offers more care than an assisted living facility. For frail elders who do not require skilled nursing, a rest home provides nursing supervision, medication management, and help with daily living.
At Homestead Hall every day residents enjoy three home-cooked meals, assistance with bathing and dressing, and stimulating social activities in a safe, secure environment. Yet, with the privacy of their own room and bathroom, they are able to maintain a lifestyle of dignity and independence.

When seeking the right care solution for your elder loved one, remember to include rest homes on your list of possibilities for a less costly alternative to a nursing home.

This article was published in the Spring 2008 issue of “Our Homes to Yours,” a publication of Goddard/Homestead, Inc. For permission to reprint all or part of this piece, contact:

Goddard/Homestead
1199 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610
Tel: 508-753-4890
email: mpn@goddardhomestead.org

Care for residents with dementia in a rest home, or Level IV facility, requires a team approach, according to Homestead Hall Clinical Administrator Mary Chernak, RN. “Everyone here, from our cook to the activity staff, plays a role in ensuring the safety and quality of life for our residents,” she says.
Care Coordinators, who assist residents daily with bathing and dressing, monitor each person’s cognitive status, noting any changes from day to day. This is important, Mary explains, “because a change in behavior can indicate a physical condition, such as a UTI (urinary tract infection).” Regular in-service training sessions keep Care Coordinators’ skills up to date.

Mary herself does a daily health check on each resident and takes their vital signs every month, or more often if she feels it is warranted. “We get to know them as people, so we can tell right away when there is a change,” she says. “That’s an advantage to our small size.”

Activity programs, scheduled seven days a week, are an important part of this team effort. “Our activity staff is very good at zeroing in on what the residents can do or want to do on a particular day,” Mary explains. Whether it’s listening to popular music from the 40’s, playing memory games, exercising, or going to an off-site event, the goal is to help Homestead Hall residents maintain their dignity and enhance their enjoyment of life.

This article was published in the Fall 2009 issue of “Our Homes to Yours,” a publication of Goddard/Homestead, Inc. For permission to reprint all or part of this piece, contact:

Goddard/Homestead
1199 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610
T el: 508-753-4890
email: mpn@goddardhomestead.org

On a lazy Saturday morning, a small group of Homestead Hall residents relaxed in the living room. More than one person was nodding off, even as Russ Varney sat down at the piano. However, within seconds of his beginning to play, “Always,” the familiar tune by Irving Berlin, eyes opened and toes started tapping. By the second number, “Me and My Gal,” almost everyone present was singing along, and by the third song, “Bye, Bye Blackbird,” the room began to fill as other residents heard the music and came to join the fun.
Once again, music had worked its magic, reaching back to touch long ago memories and reawaken minds and bodies. Russ, a Worcester native who now lives in Boston, says this happens whenever he plays for elders. “I always play songs they recognize. The whole idea is to get them involved with the music.” The insurance executive plays occasionally at senior communities and says helping to draw the residents out of themselves makes him feel good. “The music brings them out of their day-to-day routine and makes them remember things.”

According to the American Music Therapy Association, there is extensive scientific evidence that music is therapeutic to persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. In addition to reducing depression among older adults, musical experiences can enhance social and emotional skills, assist in recall and language skill, and decrease problem behaviors, such as agitation and aggression.
Goddard/Homestead Program Director Susan Foisy says music is an important part of the daily activities at Homestead Hall. About three times a week, a resident musician plays old favorite songs on the piano or organ, and at least once a month a hired entertainer performs. On the other days, residents listen to compact disks of hits from the 40s and 50s and other popular tunes. On Sundays, a Music for the Soul program of favorite hymns is offered before the weekly Mass.

“It definitely makes a difference,” Susan says. “The old songs bring them back to the days when they were more active. Connecting to that time is beneficial for our residents, and we try to provide opportunities for them to do that as often as we can.”

This article was published in the Fall 2007 issue of “G&H Times,” a publication of Goddard/Homestead, Inc. For permission to reprint all or part of this piece, contact:

Goddard/Homestead
1199 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610
T el: 508-753-4890
email: mpn@goddardhomestead.org