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Celebrate May!
The staff at Poet's Seat Health Care Center is very excited about the month of May. We would like to start by wish all of the moms a very happy Mother's Day. May is also Older Americans Month; and the week of May 9th is National Nursing Home Week. We have many fun activities planned to celebrate, including a chair decorating contest, a staff appreciation meal, a pie-throwing event and the very popular staff & resident Outburst game. Also, with the start of summer just around the corner, we're celebrating Memorial Day weekend with root beer floats and ice cream sundaes. What could be better?!
Poet's Seat Health Care Center awarded accreditation from The Joint Commission
Poet's Seat Health Care Center is proud to announce that it has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ for accreditation by demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety in long term care.
This certification proves to be another example of our on-going commitment to providing consistent, safe and high quality care.
"Joint Commission accreditation allows us to take our organization to the next level and helps create a culture of excellence," says Patrick McManus, Poet's Seat Health Care Center Administrator. "Achieving this accreditation is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continuing our commitment to help people in the community in need of skilled nursing and long-term care."
Poet's Seat Health Care Center underwent a rigorous unannounced on-site survey in January 2011. A team of Joint Commission expert surveyors evaluated the facility for compliance with standards of care specific to the needs of residents, including infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management.
"In achieving Joint Commission accreditation, Poet's Seat Health Care Center has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its residents that goes above and beyond federal and state requirements," says Gina Zimmermann, M.S., senior executive director, Long Term Care Accreditation, The Joint Commission. "Accreditation is a voluntary process and I commend Poet's Seat for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves."
To view our Quality Report (including the accreditation decision, special quality awards and level of compliance with the National Patient Safety Goals) visit the Quality Check section of The Joint Commission's web site.
Volunteers recognized at luncheon
By definition, a volunteer is a person that offers themselves for a service or undertaking without pay or compensation. However, what that vague description fails to recognize is the selfless generosity possessed by volunteers. They take time out of their busy day to provide assistance where ever needed, help those that may not have the means to help themselves and aid local organizations and institutions in need of support. The importance of their contribution is immeasurable.
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2nd Franklin District State Rep. Dennis Andrews awards volunteers with a Citation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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At Poet's Seat Health Care Center, we are very fortunate to have an outstanding group of volunteers that generously donate their time. Week after week, they spend time visiting with residence, reading to them and engaging them in crossword puzzles and trivia games. Others will come in to support the staff by helping with laundry or assisting on bus trips.
To show our appreciation to all of our volunteers, Poet's Seat held a lunch reception on Tuesday, April 12, at our facility. Each volunteer received a certificate and gift from Poet's Seat as a small token of our appreciation. Without the efforts of all of our volunteers, we could not be the best health care facility that we are.
Attending the reception was 2nd Franklin District State Representative Dennis Andrews, who took time out of her schedule to come from Boston to join us. She individually acknowledged the efforts of each volunteer and presented them with a Citation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in recognition of their dedication, compassion and continued service.
We are very privileged to have such a wonderful and dedicated group of volunteers. And we thank them for their on-going support and look forward to all of their future efforts.
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny
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Paul was the winner of the 20oz. chocolate bunny.
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On April 16, Poet's Seat Health Care Center hosted its annual Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. We would like to thank all of the families that made it out to this fun event. Kids and adults of all ages enjoyed visiting with the Easter Bunny, while savoring some great food cooked-up by our staff. All proceeds from the event went to the residents' activity fund.
Congratulations to 5-year-old Paul Petrin of Greenfield who
was the winner of the 20 oz. Chocolate bunny. Paul's guess
of 265 jelly beans in the jar was the closest to the actual amount of 262!
In the Community
In our continuing commitment to support our community, Poet's Seat Health Care Center is proud to, once again, be sponsoring the Franklin County Home Care Corp's Walkathon for Meals on Wheels. We feel this is an excellent opportunity to lend a helping hand to an outstanding organization providing an important service to local elders in need. Meals on Wheels is currently delivering 120,000 meals/year throughout Franklin County and the North Quabbin area.
In addition to our sponsorship, Poet's Seat will also be forming a team to walk in the event, being held on Saturday, May 7 from 8-11 am at the Franklin County Tech School in Turners Falls. The event will also include clowns, balloons, singing, prizes and snacks & refreshments. If you are interested in joining our team, please contact Chris at (413) 774-6318 ext.13, or e-mail inquiries@pshcc.com.
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Poet's Seat Healthcare Center will be conducting a "Breathe Easy" respiratory screening on Wednesday, May 25 from 9am - noon at the Greenfield YMCA (451 Main St., Greenfield). This screening focuses on good pulmonary health, and improving self-care for those with COPD. A Registered Pulmonary Therapist will be available to discuss the aspects of identifying the early stages of respiratory problems, as well as preventative measures that can be taken.
"It's not just about the care...it's about the caring."
Poet's Seat Health Care Center is managed by
Somerset Health Care Management Group.
