Health, Mind & Body 2019

HEALTH, MIND Body Friday, May 3, 2019

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The Perfect Five-Star Quality Experience When The Neighborhoods at Brookview skilled nursing home opened in 2013, it wasn’t just a new building Brookings Health System launched. The care team, who transitioned from the old nursing home, Brookview Manor, also introduced a new care approach: the household model.

“The household model really aims to create a homelike, social setting for residents,” said Administrator Jason Hanssen. “It’s all about the natural patterns of life. As a resident, you wake up when you want, eat when you want, bathe and go to bed when you want. And the environment is really structured to feel like a home.”

That home includes three distinct neighborhoods for a total of 73 private rooms plus three semi-private rooms to house couples. Each neighborhood comprises of two households; the households each accommodate 13 residents. Amenities on each household include a living room, kitchen and dining area, laundry and a private family dining room in addition to a restoration room for therapy and an outdoor courtyard.

Other amenities at The Neighborhoods include the Town Center, a common area that acts as the activity hub for residents. It includes the Great Room which hosts activities like craft club, bingo and movie night. It also has a chapel for spiritual services, a library with books and local newspapers, a country store with café for socializing, and a beauty shop with nail station.

To help care for residents’ clinical needs, there is also a therapy center. Here physical, occupational and speech therapists work with residents to restore function and ability. It includes computerized power and strength equipment, a kitchen, and treatment rooms. Adjacent to the gym is the therapy garden which features different surfaces to help residents re-learn how to move safely.

The household care model also emphasizes the

resident-caregiver relationship. Team members are consistently assigned to the same households in order to build bond with residents. In addition, teams are self-directed, meaning they are trained to identify and supports individuals’ care needs and choices.

“Our staff is amazing,” says Hanssen. “Part of what makes them amazing is how much they truly and deeply care for our residents. We are 100 percent like family here.”

That level of care is reflected in several quality measurements gathered by The Neighborhoods, most notably the annual family/resident survey.

The most recent survey results showed residents and their families ranked overall satisfaction with The Neighborhoods and their team at 95%.

“That’s the impact of the household model of care,” said Hanssen. “It’s revolutionized the longterm care industry by improving residents’ physical and behavioral health outcomes, improving staff-resident relationships and improving overall resident and family satisfaction.”

That impact has carried over to The Neighborhoods’ star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For the past six years, the CMS website Nursing Home Compare has given The Neighborhoods at Brookview an overall five star rating. And for the past two years, CMS has given The Neighborhoods a perfect fivestar rating in all four ranked categories.

“We’re one of only two facilities in South Dakota to have a perfect five-star rating,” said Hanssen.

“In addition to an overall star rating, CMS rates nursing homes on their health inspections, staffing and quality measures.”

CMS’s nursing home quality measures come from resident assessment data that nursing homes routinely collect. These measures assess residents’ physical and clinical conditions and abilities, as

well as preferences and life care wishes. CMS converts this assessment data to develop quality measures that give residents and families another source of information that shows how well nursing homes care for their residents’ physical and clinical needs.

With all the areas CMS examines, earning a perfect five-star rating requires dedication and hard work.

“That’s again thanks to our team,” said Hanssen. “We really reinforce the five person-directed values in our care: choice, dignity, respect, self determination and purposeful living. We’re also blessed to have a beautiful facility that allows us to deliver a high-level of care to residents. Combining that with clinical excellence makes for a great experience for residents and their families alike.”

The Neighborhoods at Brookview resident Judy Kirby smiles for the camera as she works on making chocolate chunk magic bars to be served with afternoon coffee at the Oak Lane and Birch Way households.

Members of the men’s club gather for morning coffee and conversation at the Town Center’s coffee shop.

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Taking care of the basics Being healthy starts well before you ever get sick and need a doctor.

Preventative health care can go a long way toward keeping your immune system strong and helping you physically and mentally cope better with stress.

EATING RIGHT Everyone knows to eat a balanced diet, but it’s still one of the most important factors in good health.

Eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while avoiding too many rich and heavy foods, can help you have more energy and feel better. A healthy diet can also help stave off conditions like diabetes, heart disease and obesity or help you in controlling those conditions.

EXERCISING Regular exercise can also help you feel better overall, in addition to managing long-term health conditions such as diabetes. Your joints last longer and hurt less if you’re exercising regularly, plus getting outside and working up a sweat is good for your mental health. Find physical activity that you enjoy and can do regularly. This can be high-intensity exercises like running, hiking, kickboxing or weightlifting, or low-intensity exercises like walking, yoga and pilates.

ply being in bed for that long isn’t sufficient, though; you need good quality sleep at night. If you’re waking up after eight hours of sleep and still feeling tired, waking up multiple times a night or if you snore or gasp for air while you sleep, you’re probably not getting enough deep sleep. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day and cultivate other good sleep habits, including reducing screen time right before bed; having a quiet, dark room; keeping screens out of the bedroom; and not eating large meals of drinking caffeine right before you go to bed.

GETTING REGULAR HEALTH CARE

See your doctor for an annual physical to get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked and get any tests you may need (such as for mammograms and pap smears for women and prostate exams for men). Make sure you’re up to date on vaccines, and take this chance to talk over any concerns or ask questions. You SLEEPING ENOUGH The CDC suggests seven to nine should see a dentist twice a year and hours of sleep a night for adults. Sim- see an eye doctor regularly as well.

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STRESS Management How you handle stress is a huge factor in the rest of your health as well as your overall quality of life; poor stress management can make you feel under the weather, exacerbate conditions you already have, interrupt your sleep, and cause you to have a shorter fuse in dealing with people or issues and feeling overwhelmed when dealing with problems.

If it goes on long enough, your brain is exposed to cortisol, which can weaken your immune system as well. The National Association of Mental Illness talked about stress, what to watch out for and how you can handle this normal part of life in a healthy way.

SIGNS OF STRESS Like other conditions, stress can cause physical symptoms, including headaches, difficulty sleeping, jaw pain, appetite changes, frequent mood swings, having difficulty concentrating and feeling overwhelmed and unable to deal with difficulties that come your way.

TRIGGERS FOR STRESS Stress is a part of everyday life, so it’s important to know where it is likely to come from in your life. Your job, family relationships, financial worries, school, health concerns, not getting enough sleep and not eating well can all lead to stress, which, while it not be overwhelming at first, can become that way if not handled well. On top of this stress, other life events can make you even more vulnerable, such as experiencing a major life change (moving, the death of a loved one, starting a new job, having a child, getting married), feeling alone or without a social network for support.

REDUCING STRESS Everyone handles stress a little differently, so don’t feel bad if your friend’s way of coping doesn’t work for you. NAMI suggested starting

with accepting your needs — know what your triggers are, avoid them if possible or allow time and energy to handle them. Schedule your days so you have time to take breaks as needed, you’re getting enough sleep, you have time for hobbies or read-

ing or other self-care; exercise; and eat well. Lean on your support network and consider talking to a therapist or support group. Be careful not to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs.

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The Brookings Register • Friday, May 3, 2019 - 7

What to look for in a gym Not all gyms are the same. Depending on whether you want a wide array of fitness classes, a variety of different offerings like a swimming pool, a basketball court or child care, or you’re looking for a trainer, there’s a gym for you, but it might take a little work to find the right gym.

VeryWell Fit offered tips for finding the gym that will help you achieve your fitness goals.

LOGISTICS: HOURS, LOCATION AND PARKING

The best way to ensure you regularly make it to the gym is its convenience. If it’s open early enough to go before your office or late enough for a late-night run, you’re more likely to go. And look for one close to your home, work or school. No matter how great the facility is, you’re way less likely to drive all the way across town after a long day at the office than to go to a gym half a mile from your home.

While you don’t need a front-row parking spot at the gym, it’s also good to scope out the parking lot. Visit at the time you plan to work out to ensure you’ll have a place to park.

COST

Most gyms require a contract, either annually or on a month-to-month basis, and you pay monthly. Visit different gyms in your area and find the one you like, then see if they’re offering any spe-

cials. Many gyms also will negotiate; see if they’ll waive an initiation fee, throw in a few sessions with a personal trainer or let you have a month-tomonth instead of yearly contract. As with anytime you sign a contract, read it.

and get comfortable. See how many machines they have; you don’t want to wait for half an hour to use the treadmill. Check out the pool and sauna, walk through the kids center and tour the locker rooms.

You also want a sense of the gym’s atmosphere.

Make sure you’ll want to work out there—the music FEATURES AND ATMOSPHERE isn’t too loud, the place is clean, there’s enough Figure out your top priorities and make sure room for you to work out comfortably, there are your gym offers those. If you want to use tread- ample spray bottles and people are wiping down mills or stationary bikes, try out the machines equipment.

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