McLean Newsletter

November 2011 Hospice Memorial Quilt

In This Issue:

Exciting New Strategic Initiatives
Winter Health
Top 500 Home Care Agency
Hospice Events
Top10% Nursing Home
Village News

November 1, 2011

To the McLean Community,

I hope that this letter finds you well. As President of McLean, I want to take the opportunity to share some very exciting news regarding the new McLean. McLean continues to be committed to increasing the services people want today and tomorrow. We will be moving ahead to implement even more initiatives in the strategic plan I have discussed over the past couple of years.

Our strategic initiatives are designed to optimize the quality of lives of our clients, whether they live in the community or on campus, and we continue our commitment to excellence in programs and services. The new McLean means we must and will be constantly evolving to best serve our clients and to remain a successful organization.

I am proud to say that at McLean we have worked hard and long at our strategic plan, which I am confident positions McLean to meet the needs of the community and to remain a financially strong organization, in light of continuing changes in government and insurance reimbursements. The plan enhances the independent living lifestyle on campus, as well as adds more assisted living, specifically for those with memory care.

What has already been accomplished and what's next?

The Robinson was very successfully transitioned to provide the Assisted Living services which people wanted, and you'll see even more assisted living residents in this neighborhood in the next few months.

The Village was transitioned to a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) with both entrance fee and rental options. We have built nine of the sixteen villas to date - a great accomplishment. The Village members are enjoying a more extensive range of activities and services under the CCRC. Look for several more exciting enhancements in the Village over the next few months.

Post Acute Care is rehabilitation and nursing care delivered on a short term basis. It can be delivered in the patient's home, in a Skilled Nursing Facility or in an outpatient setting. Since the trend for Post Acute care is to send more patients directly from the hospital to Home Care and Outpatient services, by design, McLean is positioned well for the future.

McLean Hospice has grown substantially, is delivering excellent care and services to the community, and is positioned for further growth with the increasing demand.

Our new market studies reaffirm that people want to maintain their independence and receive services at the appropriate level. The key program that is needed, that McLean does not offer, is memory care assisted living. I want you to know that we are filing an application with the State to transition the Sunnyside (Unit V) neighborhood to memory care assisted living, as we did the Robinson for medical model assisted living a couple of years ago. With this transition, we will continue to serve similar numbers of residents with new and additional assisted living services.

As in the past, we will work closely with residents, families and employees, meeting individually with many of you over the next few weeks, to personally discuss the exciting plans and engage you in the next steps. I hope this letter conveys my enthusiasm for how the new McLean is evolving and growing. With your support, McLean will continue to move forward and provide a continuum of great services for the community, today and tomorrow.

Sincerely,

David J. Bordonaro

President

To learn more about McLean's exciting new

strategic initiatives...

Call Freddi Hoffmann at 860-658-3744

How you can stay well this winter

and help our residents stay well

1. Get your FLU SHOT.

2. Remember hand washing is the first defense against infection.

3. Stay well hydrated: remember to drink plenty of water.

4. Cough or sneeze into your arm or a tissue rather than your hand.

5. Good nutrition is another key to health! Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

6. Exercise can lower stress, improve your mood, and even improve your immune function so that
you can stay well!

7. Keep walking over the winter by gearing up with:

a. A fleece scarf over your nose and mouth to warm the air,

b. Sturdy boots with attachable ice cleats or crampons can make walking safer. They

are available at sporting goods stores or on line at www.wintercleats.com.

c. Nordic Poles: Using walking poles to burn more calories and lengthen your stride. You can

improve your endurance, balance and posture and improve your safety and confidence in walking

on uneven terrain. They can be a great holiday gift and are available at most big box stores

or sporting goods stores.

d. Walk indoors at the mall, the grocery store, or through the halls if it is too blustery outside.

8. Stay strong and flexible! Stand more! Sit less! Walk often!
a. Standing ankle exercises can improve ankle strength and balance. Try holding onto your

kitchen counter or a sturdy chair and rise up onto your toes 10 times.

b. Standing slow marching can improve your ability to stand on one leg.

c. Try warm water exercise in a therapy pool to ease joint stiffness, improve flexibility and
strength.

9. Learn a new hobby or game to keep your mind sharp and keep boredom at bay.

10. Keep in touch with friends and loved ones - companionship is the best way to make it through
winter even if it is on-line. Come to the Sorenson Technology Center at McLean to learn
how to use Skype to keep connected with our residents. Call 860-658-2713.

11. Enjoy yourself by listening to music and laughing! Avoid the winter doldrums by watching a
funny movie, listening to your favorite songs, telling a silly joke, or sharing a humorous story.

McLean Home Care & Hospice

in Top 500 Agencies in Nation

McLean Home Care & Hospice has been honored for the third time by HomeCare Elite as one of the top agencies in the nation. But, in 2011, the recognition is even more prestigious as McLean is one of the top 500 agencies in the nation.

McLean Hospice Celebrates November's

National Hospice Month with Special Events

Hospice, a special kind of care for people facing life limiting illness, began in this country in 1974 as a response to the kind of care dying patients were receiving in our medical institutions at that time. From one patient and the first hospice program in the United States in 1974, the number of hospice programs has and the number of patients receiving hospice care in the U.S. has shown steady growth. In the year 2000, there were over 3,000 hospice programs in this country who provided care for 700,000 patients. A record 1.56 million patients received care from 5,000 hospices across the country in 2009. Rising statistics show that more Americans are choosing the compassionate holistic care of hospice at end of life. An estimated 41.6% of all people who died in the U.S. in 2009 were under the care of a hospice program and this was up from 38.8% in 2008 and 35% in 2007. These statistics show that more Americans are choosing the compassionate holistic care of hospice at end of life. (NHPCO Facts and Figures 2010)

Read more...

McLean Health Center Nationally Recognized

for Exceptional Family Satisfaction

Lisa Clark, Administrator of the McLean Health Center in Simsbury, proudly announced this week that McLean is the only nursing home in the area and only one of five in the state to receive the Excellence in Action award from My InnerView. This is a subsidiary of the National Research Corporation that conducts patient satisfaction surveys and tallies comparative data.