Donations for the Music Therapy Opera

Sunshine Terrace is excited to announce the Music Therapy Opera that will be held on October 2nd!!  Our residents have worked hard in preparing for this much anticipated event and will continue to work hard until it is over!  However, there are a few things for this opera that we are in need of.  These are items that we have not been able to find, especially in bulk.  So if any of you have any of these things that you are willing to donate, it would be incredibly appreciated!

- Cowboy Hats

- Baseball Caps

- Wedding Veil

- Feather Boa

- Fake Flowers

- Red Carpet (red paper would do!)

- Apple Tree (actually any tree is great)

- Sponges

So if you have any of these things that you're willing to give up, bring 'em on down!  If you have questions about location and such, please email Amanda at Amanda.Cannon@sunshineTerrace.com. Again, we are so appreciative of all the help we receive to enhance the lives of our residents.  Thank you all!

Misconceptions About Nursing Homes

It's okay, every once in a while we may have a thought or two about the misconceptions concerning nursing homes and we may wonder if these are true.  There are many stereotypes about the negative things with such agencies and I wonder where they come from.  Perhaps they were developed from the very early days when nursing homes were becoming a popular way of care and there weren't very many regulations at the time.  Well, whatever it is, I am hoping to settle a few of these preconceived notions and explain what really goes on in a nursing home.



Misconception #1: The residents in nursing homes are very lonely. Many people think that living in a nursing home means these individuals never see anyone, especially their families.  It is actually quite the opposite.  Many individuals in nursing homes comment on the immense difference between living at home and living in a nursing facility when it comes to interaction with people.  In actuality, people are more likely to be much more lonely in their homes than they are in a nursing home.  There are always around the clock caregivers that are constantly checking up on the well-being of each resident.  And yes they are caregivers and they are paid to interact with the residents, but each caregiver (especially here at Sunshine Terrace) has a goal to not only help the residents, but to also be their friends to enhance the nursing home experience.  Apart from caregivers, many facilities have therapeutic recreational activities in which residents interact with more staff and other residents thus creating more friendships.  And families are here all the time!  We have lots of people coming in and out of this place!




Misconception #2: There is no privacy for residents in a nursing home.  Yes it's true, caregivers are frequently coming in to check up on residents.  That is something they are required to do.  If they didn't, that would kind of defeat the purpose of why individuals are in a nursing facility.  However, there are rules and regulations regarding privacy; it is mandatory that each resident receives his/her own sense of privacy and when caregivers are with a resident, they are required to provide as much privacy as possible. 




Misconception #3: Nursing homes are like hospitals.  A lot of people are afraid of hospitals which may be why people are scared of nursing homes too.  Many think that hospitals and nursing homes are the same........and they're not.  Hospitals are a place where the sick and injured are to reside in hopes to get better and eventually leave; it is temporary.  And yes, nursing homes usually have a part in short-term care (here at Sunshine Terrace we have a rehabilitation center which is short-term).  But many residents live here, like, for good.  This is their home.  So a nursing home has a different approach on how they present themselves compared to hospitals.  Instead of rushing to get you in then get you out, here we understand this is home for many people and we take care of it as such.  I guess you could say that nursing homes are houses with medical attention readily available. 




Misconception #4: Caregivers use restraints to control residents.  Okay.....this is absolutely not true.  As stated before, nursing homes are, well, homes and it is not our philosophy to control each residents and it is simply ridiculous (and illegal) to use any type of restraint.  Now, there may be an instance where a resident is causing imminent harm to themselves and/or those around them.  If that is the case, caregivers are legally allowed to use a minor restraint to prevent anyone from getting hurt.  You may say "Well, a caregiver will just use that excuse to use restraints on everyone."  Again, that is wrong.  There are strict (and I mean strict) regulations concerning forms of restraints.  I can promise you that these ways of harm-prevention will not be abused!   If you ever have a suspicion of abuse, you have every single right to report it!




Misconception #5: Nursing homes are on the caregiver's schedule.  I believe this is one of the biggest misconceptions about nursing homes.  While it holds true that caregivers do have lunch breaks and such, these breaks are needed.  If any of you have been a caregiver before, you will understand that in order to help other people, you need to take care of yourself.  So that starts with the simple things such as small breaks, eating, drinking, etc.  Now I am not excusing those that abuse these schedule breaks.  Once again, there are tight restrictions concerning a caregiver using their time wisely.  Nursing homes (like Sunshine Terrace!) are taking a more holistic approach in providing the needs for residents.  Individuality is key with us and we know that if each individual is taken care of with good, consolidated timing, the outcomes will be phenomenal. 




So what do you guys think?  Any other myths you've heard about and/or would like to discuss?  If you have any requests as to what we should post on our blog, please feel free to let us know!

Adopt a Grandparent

 Here at the Sunshine Terrace Skilled Nursing Facility we have a program called Adopt a Grandparent. The program entails exactly what it sounds like. You come in and sign up and we will assign you to visit with one of our many wonderful residents.

One of the constant challenges we face in recreation therapy is giving people individualized attention. That is what makes the Adopt a Grandparent program so vital to our success here. Every volunteer who signs up for this program helps us give much needed one on one time.

Everyone involved quickly discovers this program requires you to be self motivated. You will not have a weekly email reminding you to come and visit your adopted grandparent. All that is required of each volunteer is two hours each month. When you stop and think about it, two hours is really not that much.  It equates to about 30 minutes a week.

 We encourage our volunteers to come and visit their adopted grandparent weekly. Weekly visits benefit you and your adopted grandparent by helping you build a more meaningful relationship together. Sometimes it can be lonely living in a care facility, but a short weekly visit from a friend goes a long way to ward off loneliness and depression.

 Some of our volunteers wonder what to do when they come visit their grandparent. The answer to that problem is really only limited by your imagination. You can bring in music, crafts, books to read, or just sit and talk. Our volunteers have access to hundreds of games, puzzles, and movies through the recreation department. Of course you can always come and join your adopted grandparent during any of our regularly scheduled daily activities. Those activities are generally held at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on week days and 10:00 am on Saturdays.  Check out our calendar for specific activities and events you can join us for at http://www.sunshineterrace.net/sunshine-skilled-nursing-rehabilitation.

If you feel like you are too busy to fit a visit in on a week day or only have evenings available, remember we are open every day of the week. You can come any day that best fits your schedule. ( Please consider confirming with your adopted grandparent when they would prefer a visit.) The only times that are harder to visit are during our meal hours and after 7:00 pm, since most of our residents like to get to bed early.

If you are worried that you won't know what to do or say when you come to visit your adopted grandparent just remember that people are people no matter where they are in life. Our residents have been businessmen, doctors, and scientists. Parents, friends, and confidants. Many of these residents will teach you a thing or two about really living. It can be a life changing experience working with an adopted grandparent.  If you still can't think of anything, come to the Recreational Therapy office and we'll get you a list of questions to ask your grandparent.

So come in and sign up for our Adopt a Grandparent program and get started today! We have residents waiting for you!  You may even find you really need them too!