Elm Crest - Winter Newsletter 2019

Life AT ELM CREST

Elm Crest’s New Exercise Program Delivering Big Benefits How Elm Crest Is Battling Against Hearing Loss Online Reviews: Your Chance to Rate and Review Elm Crest!

WINTER 2019

Elm Crest’s New Exercise Program Delivering Big Benefits

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recent study reports that roughly 67% of the older population is sedentary for at least 8.5 hours each day, suggesting the need to increase activity levels that help improve senior health. Exercise for older adults should be something performed regularly, and making it fun and routine can help in the long term.

To help Elm Crest residents maintain and improve their health, in January 2019, Elm Crest started a new exercise program for our Assisted Living and Independent Living residents. The program is run

by Alexa Connell, an exercise physiologist. Alexa is working with our activities department to create a fun, new exercise program. The program consists of four types of classes: 1. Resistance Band Training (RBT) — Designed to replicate functional movements while applying movement retraining and muscle-building resistance.

2. Active Aging — Geared toward improving endurance, stamina and range of motion.

3. Muscle Maintenance — Designed to increase muscle strength and improve posture.

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4. Flex — Intended to move participants through a complete series of seated and standing dynamic stretches to increase flexibility, balance and range of movement.

We are excited to offer this new program to Elm Crest residents and hope they enjoy their new found strength and energy. By participating residents should experience the following benefits: • Improve strength - Helps you stay independent.

• Improve balance - Reduces the risk of falls.

• Increase energy levels – Improves quality of life • Prevent or delay diseases – Such as heart disease, diabetes, or osteoporosis.

• Improve mood – Helps to fight off depression.

• Improve cognitive function – Increases social interaction.

To learn more or sign up for this exciting new program, contact Alexa Connell at Elm Crest.

712-755-5174

Four Decades of Making A Difference: Meet Elm Crest’s Patti Kumm

By Elm Crest employee Patti Kumm.

During my 43 year career at Elm Crest, I’ve seen many changes—not only in the business office but throughout the entire Community. When I started at Elm Crest in 1976 the Health Care Center was on the third floor and we worked without air-conditioning on those hot Iowa days. At that time all the accounting, payroll statements and time cards were done by hand using pen and paper. I played a major part in completing that work and staff always said I was a “perfectionist” and had the best penmanship in the community. Despite the work being done by hand, we still had to keep track of details and meet all the deadlines. Today that same work is done with computers and is almost completely paperless.

the Memory Care residents here at Elm Crest, and want to do everything possible to find new ways to help with this disease.

After more than four decades at Elm Crest what remains most important to me is the quality of care we provide, our Christian principles and the staff’s dedication to the residents. I have enjoyed working at Elm Crest — it’s truly been the experience of a lifetime.

Over the past 40 years I have played an active role in two major construction projects, handling the transition team notes and assisting with communications throughout construction projects.

However, my involvement hasn’t just been in the business office. I’ve worked as the Chair of the Soup Supper that the Auxiliary group hosted for many years. In addition, I’ve been Chair of the local Alzheimer’s Walk, which is a role very dear to my heart. My husband’s mother suffered from Alzheimers, as a result I have strong connection to

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Elm Crest four-decade employee Patti Kumm

Limited Time Offer on Independent Living ApARTMENT RENTALS:

MONTHS FREE!

Elm Crest promo ad of some sort?

When you move to Elm Crest in February, March or April!

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*Call Tim at 712-755-5174 for complete details and to learn about the advantages of living at Elm Crest.

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ElmCrest.net

Hear Here!

How Elm Crest and other ABHM communities are leading the way to better hearing.

Hearing loss is a natural part of aging. But that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. Missing the details of conversations, entertainment and other activities means missing out on life. If left unaddressed, hearing loss can have other unforeseen consequences, including mental decline, social isolation and depression.

That’s why Elm Crest and parent-company ABHM have partnered with Eversound, to help residents hear better, stay engaged and live life to the fullest.

Hearing tech designed for seniors Eversound designs and develops proprietary audio technologies to help seniors hear more clearly during movies, presentations and other group activities. Their patented wireless headphone system is specifically tuned to the needs of seniors and provides an enhanced listening experience compared to conventional hearing aids.

“While hearing aids amplify all sound, Eversound focuses in on the source of what someone is listening to and amplifies that specifically,” says Leah Atz, Wellness Director at ABHM’s Thorne Crest Senior Living Community in Albert Lea, MN.

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ABHM wellness directors like Leah create and plan entertaining programs for residents of each community. Unfortunately residents may not participate simply because they struggle to hear clearly due to natural age-related hearing loss.

Eversound, which is designed specifically for older adults, improves hearing clarity by providing direct audio to users’ ears. ABHM’s communities using Eversound report significant improvements in resident participation, engagement, well-being and quality of life.

Breaking age-old sound barriers Thorne Crest was the first of ABHM’s communities to use the Eversound technology, and the results have been overwhelmingly positive.

“You really see Eversound’s impact when residents have headsets on and they just light up,” Leah says. “It’s like night and day.”

Due to its focus on age-related hearing issues, Jake Reisch, CEO and co-founder of Eversound, sees Eversound technology as a viable alternative to hearing aids, especially in community event settings. “Helpful as they are, hearing aids are often overly expensive, easy to lose and challenging to operate for users

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Berniece “Tom” Thompson from ABHM community Thorne Crest in Albert Lea, MN, uses the Eversound system while talking with Wellness Director Leah Atz. who lack manual dexterity,” he says. “We believe that beautiful, easy-to-use audio products can be the answer, and our team is excited to be delivering high fidelity sound to a larger audience for less than the cost of one premium hearing aid.”

Resident Berniece Thompson agrees: “I can hear better with the Eversound system and have enjoyed using the system to listen to guest speakers here at Thorne Crest.”

A partnership to improve lives After experiencing success at Thorne Crest, Eversound will soon go nationwide, thanks in large part to its partnership with ABHM. “We are pleased to be partnering with American Baptist Homes of the Midwest and offering their residents this new experience,” says Matt Reiners, VP of Customer Impact and co-founder

of Eversound. “Giving the gift of hearing is incredible and has a dramatic impact on both residents and staff.”

Eversound and ABHM will continue the Eversound roll out to all seven ABHM communities in 2019, enabling every resident who needs it to enjoy this transformative technology. “The mission of ABHM is to create healthy Christian communities that empower people, and Eversound is an important tool for accomplishing that mission” said Jeff Hongslo, CEO/president, of ABHM. “Eversound enables our hearing impaired residents to hear with a level of clarity they haven’t experienced in years. It has increased resident participation in our life enrichment programs and their quality of life. The response by ABHM residents and staff to Eversound has been extremely positive.”

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ElmCrest.net

Rate & Review Us! Online!

Now YOU Can

Senior living communities are finding out how important online reviews can be. Now Elm Crest residents and families can have their say, too

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hy are online reviews important?

Think of the last time you wanted to try a new restaurant or head out with family to the movies. In the past, you might have checked the paper or talked to a neighbor for recommendations on where to go or what to see. Today, chances are the first place you go for information is online.

survey called, “Online Review Use in Assisted Living Facility Selection.” Tabulating over 2,700 responses from a random selection of U.S. respondents, the survey results revealed that: • 82% of people looking for assisted living facilities read online reviews as part of their research process.

• 73% said that positive reviews would make The fact is we rely on online reviews to make edthem feel more comfortable and trusting toucated purchase decisions all the time—which ward a community. product to buy, hotel to book or plumber to hire. But what about using online reviews to • 42% would seek out online reviews of assisted choose where to live during your retirement, seliving facilities as the first method of their relect a rehab location or long-term care commusearch and planning process. nity? When it comes to some of life’s most Those are powerful staimportant decisions are tistics. They reveal just online reviews just as “There is an established culture of respect how important the role useful? between the residents, residents and employees online reviews play in and between employees. The physical facilities A software research decision making today— and amenities are also excellent. The result is a firm, Software Advice, even in decisions as sigvery good and pleasant place to be.” set out to explore this nificant as the transition – An ABHM resident’s online review question and recently to senior living. released the results of a

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Helping families make the right choice Making the transition to senior living or to a more acute level of healthcare is a big step, and can be fraught with a host of overwhelming options and emotional decisions. At Elm Crest our goal is to help families and loved ones make decisions that are right for them. Online reviews can help do just that—especially when you consider that for 9 out of 10 online decision makers, a review is just as important as a personal recommendation.

Enhancing care and responding to needs Every ABHM community is dedicated to delivering the highest quality senior living and health care experience possible. We accomplish this by being responsive to the needs of those in our care, listening to families, and encouraging communication among staff and residents. Through this process we are able to continually customize

our services, amenities and care plans to meet the ever changing needs of residents.

Leave your online review at ElmCrest.net To ensure we meet the needs of seniors and families we have created a new online review page on our website. The new page offers residents, families and staff the ability to share what they love about their community with others as well as provide valuable feedback on programs, care, amenities, staff and more. The reviews will give online visitors the information and peace of mind they need to take the next step in their search process.

Share the Elm Crest story ABHM is proud of the lifestyle and care provided at each of our communities. Who better to share that experience than the people who live it every day? Visit elmcrest.net/review today and spread the word about our great community.

To share your thoughts on what makes Elm Crest a great community, visit www.ElmCrest.net

YOUR THOUGHTS HERE

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ElmCrest.net

Owned and operated by AMERICAN BAPTIST HOMES OF THE MIDWEST, a not-for-profit provider of senior health care since 1930.

14850 SCENIC HEIGHTS RD, STE 125, EDEN PRAIRIE MN 55344

2104 12th Street Harlan, IA 51537 www.ElmCrest.net

AT ELM CREST

WINTER 2019

Elm Crest is a faith-based, not-for-profit senior living community. Our mission is to create healthy Christian communities that empower older adults. We provide choices for housing, services, and technology that enrich body, mind and spirit.

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Limited Time Offer on Independent Living ApARTMENT RENTALS:

MONTHS FREE! When you move to Elm Crest in February, March or April!

*

*Call Tim at 712-755-5174 for complete details and to learn about the advantages of living at Elm Crest.

Take a fly-thru VIDEO TOUR of the community at ElmCrest.net!