Wheelock Terrace
Fall 2015
Dear Residents, Friends and Families of
Wheelock Terrace,
It is with great honor that I am sitting
here writing my first newsletter message as
the Executive Director of Wheelock Terrace.
Although I am new to the position, I am not
new to the Wheelock Terrace community.
In fact, for the past 12 years I have worked
as an Occupational Therapist for Genesis
Rehabilitation Services; a role that allowed me
to become acquainted with many staff and
residents, as well as the day-to-day operations
of the facility – even before joining the
Wheelock Terrace family! Making the transition
has been a great joy for me, both personally
and professionally.
To date, I have been overwhelmed with
the outpouring of support by everyone in
the Wheelock Terrace community - it is a
testament to the welcoming nature of staff,
residents and families. I have also enjoyed
visiting with each and every one of you on
various levels, and hope to have many more
meaningful interactions in the future.
As some of you may already know, I support
and maintain an open door policy, so
New Executive Director Melissa Suckling
please do not hesitate to check in with me
about any issues, suggestions, or concerns
you may have. I look forward to your visits in
any capacity, as well as all of our adventures
together in the months and years to come.
Warmest Regards,
Melissa
Is Stress to Blame for Your Memory Lapses?
We’ve heard for years how stress can wreak
havoc on your body. Now,
it’s clear stress also can
harm your mind. Whether
it’s short-term stress or
long-term, the body releases
powerful fight-or-flight stress
hormones (adrenaline,
cortisol).
While these hormones do
sharpen attention and spur
us to take needed action,
humans weren’t designed to
handle high levels of stress
hormones day after day, year
after year.
Indeed, in the brain those
stress hormones weaken
blood vessels, kill off neurons and even shrink
the hippocampus, a known risk factor for late-life
Alzheimer’s disease.
But the news on the stress-brain connection isn’t
all bleak: There have been heartening developments,
too. Stress per se isn’t the enemy of brain health,
experts note; the way we perceive and handle it
matters a lot, too. In fact, research shows that stressreduction techniques, coupled with exercise and a
healthy diet, can slow or even reverse the damage
inside cells.
How do you begin to dial down your stress?
Try some of the following strategies.
• Get to know your stress response
• Before you can tame tension, you need to
understand what triggers it. But getting at that
isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Thanks to a
mix of genetics, hormones and cultural factors,
stress affects everyone differently: Also, stress
symptoms can be so subtle — a knot in the
stomach or a tightening of the throat — that you
may not even register them as such, especially if
unaddressed stress is a constant in your life.
Tip: Do a personal body scan. Does your heart
race? Do you struggle with a pain in your gut that
antacids can’t quell? Do you often forget or misplace
things, or find yourself barking at people for no good
reason? All of these may be signs of stress. Try to
home in on what might be triggering it: Keeping a
daily log can help you spot patterns, and be sure
to consult your physician to rule out serious health
issues.
Move it!
“Exercise is essential for
anyone under chronic stress,
and that includes most of
us,” says Epel. Exercise shortcircuits the stress response by
triggering the release of BDNF
(brain-derived neuropathic
factor), which nourishes cell
growth, as well as endorphins
(serotonin, dopamine and
norepinephrine), brain
chemicals that boost feelings of
well-being, ease muscle tension
and improve sleep.
Tip: The cognitive functions
and brain regions showing the
most significant decay in late adulthood are the same
regions that may benefit the most from exercise, says
Benjamin L. Willis, M.D., an epidemiologist at the
Cooper Institute in Dallas.
So don’t procrastinate: Carve out 150 minutes a
week of moderate aerobic exercise. Just walk briskly,
jog, swim or bike — anything you enjoy doing that
gets your heart pumping a bit faster and makes you
break a sweat. Don’t forget resistance training (20
minutes every other day, using exercise bands or light
weights) to boost muscle tone, balance and flexibility
as well as your brain’s gray matter.
Sleep on it
“Sleep loss means mind loss,” says John Medina,
director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning at
Seattle Pacific University and author of Brain Rules.
“When you sleep poorly, your mood, memory,
creativity and problem-solving capabilities [all]
suffer.”
A good night’s sleep can help decrease the risk of
dementia. “Sleep turns off the toxins that build up in
the brain and ultimately lead to Alzheimer’s disease,”
says Harvard neurology professor Rudolph Tanzi.
Tip: How much is enough? There’s no magic
number, but the National Sleep Foundation suggests
adults aim for seven to nine hours of uninterrupted
sleep each night. Stick to a regular schedule, going to
bed and waking up about the same time everyday.
If sleep escapes you, don’t toss and turn in bed. Get
up, read a book or listen to music until you start to
feel sleepy. Relaxation techniques
such as yoga, meditation and
guided imagery may also help.
Try Meditation
Over the years, researchers
have linked different forms of
meditation to cardiovascular health,
pain relief, a healthy immune
system and stress reduction. Now,
they’re discovering it also changes
the very structure of the brain and
may help preserve cognitive function.
Researchers in the Psychiatric Neuroimaging
Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital
took MRI scans of a small group of people with no
meditation experience before and after they enrolled
in an eight-week mindfulness stress-reduction
program.
The results were remarkable: Compared to a
control group, meditators showed an increase in gray
matter in the hippocampus (devoted to learning,
memory and attention) and a decrease in gray
matter in the amygdala (the part of
the brain associated with emotions,
anxiety and stress).
Tip: There are many types of
meditation. No one method is
better than another, and there’s no
right or wrong way to meditate. Try
different types until you find one
that works for you. Be patient with
yourself since it may initially feel
silly, even unsettling, to disengage
from the busyness of your mind.
Ideally, set aside at least 15 to 20 minutes twice a
day to meditate. But even a five-minute break to sit
quietly, feel planted on the floor, breathing slowly
and deeply from your abdomen, can break the
gridlock of stress.
Honestly, no one’s keeping score.
AARP: Margery D. Rosen, June 13, 2013
Change is in the Air
John F. Kennedy once said that “change is the law
of life”; a statement that has never seemed truer than
in the last few months at Wheelock Terrace.
Wheelock is alive with change; from
environmental updates like furniture, carpet, and
drapes to the addition of new staff and residents.
In July, we said goodbye to our leader of 12 years,
Nan Abbot; we were in turn rewarded with the high
energy “can-do” attitude of Melissa Suckling, our new
Executive Director. Lots of positive improvements
have already occurred during her tenure, and more
are sure to come.
Additionally, our Health Service Director Laurie
Kinne, was joined by Kim Langlois, an on-site RN
who assumed the new role of Clinical Coordinator.
Together, the dynamic duo will continue to ensure
the most thorough and comprehensive care to our
residents; from appropriate staffing to the more
medically specific needs.
In September, our Business Manager Amy Hull,
will also be making a change; she will be joining
Gretchen Stoddard, our Director of Sales, in the
marketing department. With her new title of Sales
Associate, Amy will continue to maintain a presence
at Wheelock Terrace, but will also be working from
Valley Terrace and Woodstock Terrace, two of our
sister facilities in the area.
We are very excited about all of these great
changes, and hope you join us in congratulating and
supporting everyone as the transitions occur.
Hello All!
Just wanted to make sure everyone was
aware of some changes in our dining room, and
our menus going forward.
•
First and foremost: We encourage all of you
to invite guests to join you during meal times.
However, to ensure the most enjoyable and
comfortable dining experience for both you and
your guests, we ask that you please give us a 24
HOUR ADVANCE NOTICE.
•
Second: We have made the evening portion
of our menu more user friendly. For those of
you that often prefer an alternative meal choice,
you will notice that the available selections
are more clearly indicated. This will hopefully
reduce confusion for both residents and the chef
preparing the meal. Additionally, we have added
tuna salad and chicken salad plates as alternative
options for the evening meal.
•
Finally: We have instituted a monthly Food
Council meeting. This meeting will specifically
address compliments or concerns surrounding
the food and dining experience. We encourage
all of you to attend. Our first meeting was held at
the end of July, and was very productive. Please
refer to your monthly calendars for upcoming
meeting dates and times.
Mark Your Calendars!
• September 12th
Upper Valley Community Band
• September 15th
Comedian May Vittum
• September 19th
Manchester Music Festival
• October 3rd
Western Day with Rob Oxford
and Horses
• October 23rd
Oktoberfest with Brent Buswell
• October 31st
Halloween Party with Jim Hollis
• November 21st
Friends & Family Concert
• November 26th
Happy Thanksgiving!
32 Buck Road, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755 (603) 643-7290 Assisted Living, Respite Care, Alzheimer’s & Dementia Memory Care
TerraceCommunities.com