event{full}

EVENT{FULL}
Monthly updates from your {FULL} Life community
Team members earn Best Friends™
Master Trainer certifications
David Troxel, MPH, president of the Best Friends
Approach and renowned Alzheimer’s author and
trainer, worked with team members, including
Touchmark on South Hill’s Danielle Rossi,
RN, Devonshire supervisor, at Touchmark in
Idaho. David was on site for a multiday training
with staff from all Touchmark communities
that provide memory care services. Following
an intensive written and oral exam, staff were
certified as a Best Friends Master Trainer. This
certification is new, having only been launched a
year ago.
easier for individuals with the disease as well as
caregivers.
Marge Coalman, EdD, vice president of Wellness
& Programs at Touchmark (pictured left, in blue
sweater) also helped lead the staff training. Marge
oversees Touchmark’s memory care services
across the company.
David and co-creator Virginia Bell developed the
Best Friends approach to providing memory care
services. The method centers on what people
with dementia need most – a professional “best
friend.” The model of care makes coping with
memory loss, confusion, and mood changes
TOUCHMARK ON SOUTH HILL
Issue 4, 2013
October
2011 | page 1
Dressed to dance
The Senior Serenades’ Choir performed for a full crowd, and one couple dressed for the evening,
enjoying a waltz to one of their favorite songs.
BRAIN BUILDERS
Complete the words in these famous quotes; it’s like Wheel of Fortune.
1. Yo _ mu _ t b _ t _ e c _ ang _ you _ ish to se _ i_ th_ wo _ ld.
~ Mahatma Gandhi
2. W_ m _ ke a l _ vin _ by w _ at _e ge _, w _ ma _ e a l _ fe b_ w _ at w_ gi _ e.
~ Sir Winston Churchill
3. Mo _ t f _ lks a _ e a _ out a _ h _ p_ y as th _ y mak _ u_ t _ eir mi _ ds to b _.
~ Abraham Lincoln
a life by what we give. 3.Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
1.You must be the change you wish to see in the world. 2.We make a living by what we get, we make
TOUCHMARK ON SOUTH HILL
Issue 4, 2013 | page 2
Put a spring in your step
Imagine living in a
full-service retirement
community. You’ll enjoy
hospitality services, fun
activities, delicious dining,
a fitness center, and more.
Call or stop by today to learn
about the {FULL} Life.
Marge
Coalman, EdD
Vice President
of Wellness &
Programs
Active aging—and
life balance
“Live in the sunshine, swim
the sea, drink the wild air…”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Human beings, like all species,
are aging from the time they
are born. This is particularly
true beginning at 25 years
of age, when scientists and
epidemiologists agree the body
starts to decline in muscle
mass, brain development, and
overall indicators of wellbeing.
It is highly unlikely that
you will ever see media or
educational offerings focus
TOUCHMARK ON SOUTH HILL
October 2011 | page 1
on this well-known fact. In
fact, media around the world
portray the young (usually
25 or younger) as vital and
energetic—except for the
unfortunate percentage of
those who are obese, inactive,
or psychologically unbalanced.
Instead, the media spotlight
shines on those over 55 years
of age—and increasingly
on people over 65. This
population segment is often
portrayed as hopeless,
helpless, and bored. Yet
anyone who has visited a
Touchmark community knows
that this is a fallacy. Residents
well into their 90s and beyond
are engaged in physical
activity, lifelong learning,
civic engagement, and more.
These active, vital individuals
have calendars filled with so
many events that they have
to look hard to find 30-45
minutes when I am requesting
to interview them. They’re
humans—being.
Why is the mainstream media
so wrong about the lifebalance equation? I’m not
sure, although it seems to be
based on the premise that the
young are their target market,
when in fact, it is older
adults who have the wisdom,
disposable income, and
interest in acquiring lifestyle
items to enhance their wellbeing.
At Touchmark, there are any
number of opportunities
for personal growth and
development. To find out more
about the Full Life offerings,
contact Betty Doerschlag,
Life Enrichment/Wellness
director, or join one of the
many resident committee
meetings that focus on
program development and
events. (Of course, you may
not have time, given all your
other activities!)
Issue 4, 2013 | page 3
EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS
Contact a Full Life team member
for additional details, including
registration, transportation
information, and participation
requirements.
Tuesday, Apr. 9, 5:45 pm
Making a Difference,
presented by renowned
primatologist Dr. Jane
Goodall at Gonzaga University
McCarthy Center.
Saturday, Apr. 13, 7:15 pm
Bus leaves for the Spokane
Symphony: Classics 9:
Schumann’s Rhenish
Symphony.
Tuesday, Apr. 16, 1 pm
Wellness Speaker Series
features Eyes Wide Open,
by Jonathan Haymore, MD.
Forum.
Tuesday, Apr. 16
Small-scale version of Ferris
High School’s Ham on Regal
show. Residents can sign up to
see the full production (Apr.
26). Lobby.
Friday, Apr. 19
Senior Fitness Testing with
Spokane Falls Community
College physical therapy
students.
Tuesday, Apr. 23, 1 pm
US Constitution discussion
with Jeff Bair, with emphasis
on FDR’s New Bill of Rights.
Forum.
Friday, Apr. 26, 6:30 pm
Ham on Regal show. Bus
leaves at 6:30 pm.
Wednesday, May 1, 5 pm
Ladies Dinner with special
guests, the 2013 Spokane Lilac
Court. Four Seasons Dining
Room.
Thursday, May 30
Tour of Foods with
Touchmark’s Executive Chef
Steven Mitchell, who will
present Italian cooking tips
from his vacation to Italy.
See the full calendar of events
online: TouchmarkSpokane.com/
pdf/community-event-calendar.
pdf
FallProof™ improves lives one step at a time
Shortly after Allison Douthitt made Touchmark at
South Hill her home in December 2011, Health &
Fitness Director Lori McCormick, PT, invited her
to participate in a fitness assessment.
“I failed miserably on that,” says Allison. “I did
not do well. Lori was very encouraging, but I just
couldn’t do it. I needed something.”
Just living at Touchmark made Allison more
active than she had been in quite some time.
“When I came to Touchmark, I had not done
any exercising for quite a while,” she says. “My
husband had been ill and then died, and I had
been quite sedentary. I moved in here, and you
have to walk to get to your meals, so that in itself
is exercise. And with all the other things going on,
I had greater activity. But I needed to improve my
endurance.”
So when the fall 2012 session of FallProof Balance
and Mobility Training opened up for registration,
Allison jumped at the opportunity to benefit from
TOUCHMARK ON SOUTH HILL
the award-winning training program. “Some
friends of mine had taken the course and said it
was very good.”
The eight-week, 16-session program kicked
off with a 10-item balance test and overall
assessment. “I was able to figure out what my
weaknesses were,” says Allison. From there, Lori
worked with the class participants on balance and
mobility skills that would help them in everyday
life.
“She concentrated on not necessarily doing
exercises but on your ability to perform
certain things you would do under normal
circumstances,” says Allison. “For example,
stepping on cushions—you’re not on solid ground
and have to keep your balance. Balance is a tricky
thing, and you need to have that. I was very bad
at that in the beginning, but by the time it was
over, I was able to do it very well. I had much
more confidence when I finished. It was
(cont.)
very exciting!”
Issue 4, 2013 | page 4
(cont.) Lori beams over Allison’s
improvement over the course of the
program. “She improved her score
(on the 10-item balance test) 53%,”
Lori says. “The change in her score
demonstrated improved ability to keep
her center of gravity over her base of
support while she’s moving.”
Lori explains that initially Allison
wasn’t able to step up and over a sixinch step—she had to stop on top. After
the course, she was able to step up
and over confidently. “This would be
expressed in daily life as an improved
ability to step over obstacles or up onto
a curb,” says Lori.
“Her confidence with walking also improved.
Her walking speed and stride length increased in
‘preferred’ walking speed and ‘fast’ walking speed
conditions. In daily life, it’s important to be able
to walk more than one speed, such as when the
light changes, and you need to hurry to get across
the street. Faster walking speeds and longer
strides are associated with decreased risk of falls,”
Lori points out.
Allison echoes Lori’s excitement over her
improved walking abilities. “My walking has so
improved. I can walk greater distances. I don’t
tire, and I’m not getting out of breath as much,”
she says. “I also feel—and a number of us did—
the way Lori presents it is very friendly and right
down to business. I am very impressed with her
planning. She runs a good class, and I’m not
just saying that! I am greatly impressed with the
change in me.”
Looking back at how far she has come, Allison
reflects on that initial assessment. “My
weaknesses were in my legs and stepping up on
steps. That was very poor at first. I needed to
hold onto something to do that. By the time I
finished, I was able to do that with no problem. It
was a fun graduation day—and I made some new
friends!”
More community events
Physical Therapist Lori McCormick presented at
the kick-off party for the Touchmark Champion
Program (Champions strive to inspire others to
live a full life). Brainstorming ideas included an
exercise class with college students promoting
the importance of exercise throughout our lives,
teaching a Proper Manners class to young children,
and inviting junior high and high school students
to walk the Centennial Trail with residents next
summer. To learn more about the program, please
contact Lori McCormick at 509-321-8201. Left:
Executive Director Jeff Bair and Marge Coalman,
EdD, visit with residents after the program.
TOUCHMARK ON SOUTH HILL
October 2011 | page 1
Issue 4, 2013 | page 5
Sharing her legacy
Resident Bettie Kinyon shared the following
story for Touchmark’s Legacy Project.
“Over the
years, Ray
and I have
watched
the center
court here at
Touchmark
fulfill the
function for
which it was designed. It holds water from the
melting snow during the winter months and the
runoff waters from the rains in the spring and
summer. In winter, we have the antics of the
visiting ducks on the pond … or is it a puddle?
It is the puddle that inspired my poem. The
poem is an oblique reference to our differences.
Our differences in tastes, likes, opinions and
expectations. We need to acknowledge our
differences and respect them. Especially, we need
to be grateful for them. Otherwise, our whole
world could be upholstered in the same color, and
all ice cream might be vanilla.”
A Puddle or a Pond
“When did our puddle become a pond?”
the boy asked his restless G-pa.
“When the ducks came and were
swimming around.”
A quacking duck is a beautiful sound.
Johnny looked out the window
to see what he could see,
“I think I’ll go down now,” said he.
“Don’t waste your time, John,
TOUCHMARK ON SOUTH HILL
2929 S Waterford Drive • Spokane, WA 99203
509-536-2929 • Touchmark.com
(located at 29th and Pittsburg)
© 2011 Touchmark Living Centers, Inc., all rights reserved
it’s a mere puddle today.
Go question your Pa,
See what he has to say.”
“When did our puddle become a pond?”
The boy repeated to Dad.
“When it grew BIG and
all frozen into a rink,”
his father responded,
hardly needing to think.
“Does it need ducks?”
G-Pa wants ducks to stay.
If the water is frozen,
will the ducks fly away?”
“I’ll try to explain my son,
so it’s clear to you.
Our answers can vary,
though each one is true.”
“I don’t relish ducks,
and your G-Pa doesn’t skate.
Little issues like this
create a debate.”
“Dad, I hear what you’re saying,
and I can see why,
what’s important to one
escapes the other guy.”
Johnny stood by the window
for quite a little while,
then turned to his dad
and said with a mischievous smile,
“A puddle or a pond?
It makes no difference to me.
There’s a lot of good mud
at the end by a tree!”