A Publication of Wexner Heritage Village

March 2015

Village eNews

Also in this issue...

Wexner Home Care

Program Focus is on Continuous Improvement of Services

Employee Advisory Committee Meets for the First Time

The Wexner Home Care leadership team last month hosted the first meeting of the six-member Home Care Employee Advisory Committee.

The committee will meet quarterly and is charged with helping to identify the areas on which the organization will focus its continuous improvement efforts for the year.

"It doesn't make sense to establish goals and procedures if they are not practical to implement in the field," said Kim Hsia, Wexner Home Care Administrative Director. "Our employees are in our clients' homes every day and they have the experience to know what is realistic and what is not."

So far, Hsia said, one area the committee has been instrumental in is helping to identify and resolve glitches in the new telephony system Wexner Home Care adopted late last year. The system allows home care aides to track the services they provide electronically, via the clients home telephone, eliminating the need for paper records.

"As employees become more comfortable using it and issues get resolved, the system will provide more accurate and timely data than we were able to keep on paper," Hsia said. "Our aides like it because they don't have to come in to the office just to drop off paperwork, giving them more time to spend with clients."

Senior Options Case Managers Attend WHV Open House

Last month, a group of case managers from Franklin County Senior Options visited Wexner Heritage Village for an open house designed to help improve the flow of information between the two senior care organizations.

The open house was hosted by the Wexner Home Care leadership team. Senior Options connects older adults and their families to community based services. Wexner Home Care provides non-skilled home care and respite care to dozens of the agency's clients.

"Our goal was really to create an environment where the case managers felt comfortable sharing their insights with the Wexner Home Care staff," said Kim Hsia, Wexner Home Care Administrative Director. "They see things from the customers' point of view and were able to give us really good feedback about where to focus our improvement efforts."

The group of 16 case managers joined the Wexner Home Care team for lunch and then toured WHV's Zusman Hospice, Wexner Rehabilitation and Wexner Heritage House.

"At the end of the day, both groups left feeling like they had a better understanding of the way the other works," Hsia said. "That, together with the personal connection an event like this allows us to build, will help us both meet our shared goal of improving customer service everywhere we can."

Care Coordination

WHV Adds Hospital Clinical Liaison to Ease Transitions

To make it easier for patients to go from the hospital to being cared for by Wexner Heritage Village, a Hospital Clinical Liaison has been added to the WHV staff.

Ginny Olff, LISW-S, has been tapped as WHV's first full-time Hospital Clinical Liaison. Ginny earned Masters of Social Work degree from The Ohio State University and brings with her more than 30 years of social work experience in clinical settings, most recently at Marietta Memorial Hospital. She has also worked as a social worker at Riverside Methodist Hospital and Doctors Hospital North and is certified as an oncology social worker by the Board of Oncology Social Work.

"We want to create a seamless experience for patients and their families," said Erin Keller, WHV's Executive Director of Care Coordination. "I am confident Ginny has the experience and expertise to make that happen, regardless of what WHV service they need."

Ginny will work directly with hospital discharge planners, patients and their families to smoothly transfer patients to Zusman Hospice, Wexner Rehabilitation, Wexner Home Care or other WHV services. She will spend most of her time at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. WHV's Zusman Hospice maintains and staffs two hospice beds at the OSUWMC Ross Heart Hospital.

"This is just the next step in the evolution of quality patient care," Keller said. "We want to be out front with the right person in place to make sure our patients and their families get the very best customer service possible."

Quality of Life

Programs to Enrich Clients' Lives Are Preparing to Get Started

Music & Memory Nearly Prepared to Get Underway

Wexner Heritage House nursing staff members and social workers will participate in an in-service this month that will complete WHV's preparation for the launch of one of Central Ohio's first certified Music & Memory programs.

Founded in 2010, Music & Memory is the national non-profit program featured in the award winning documentary "Alive Inside: The Story of Music and Memory." Used in hundreds of long-term care facilities, Music & Memory leverages digital music technology to bring personalized playlists to people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The goal is to improve their quality of life by reducing agitation, sundowning, resistance to care and reliance on anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety medications.

WHV Patients and Families Able to Access to Urban Zen at Home

Wexner Heritage Village patients and their families now have the opportunity to take the Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) experience home with them.

Urban Zen at Home is an outgrowth of the UZIT program that has been serving WHV patients, families and associates since 2013, when the organization became the first clinical setting in the Midwest to offer it. Urban Zen is a revolutionary program that combines yoga, reiki, breathing techniques and aroma therapy to reduce pain and anxiety, ease nausea and improve restfulness. Since then, WHV has become a hub for training dozens of new Urban Zen practitioners.

Events

Mark Your Calendar... Don't Miss These Upcoming Events

Save the Date:

In Christy's Shoes

7th Annual Sole Celebration

Thursday, May 14

6 to 9 pm

St. Charles Preparatory School Walter Commons

Mark your calendar now for this very special annual event benefiting the patients and families of Zusman Hospice.

To date, the organization has given $45,000 to support Zusman Hospice. Last year, In Christy's Shoes pledged to raise an additional $50,000 over a 5-year period.

Named for Christy Levy Peters, a Zusman Hospice patient for six months before succumbing to brain cancer at age 34, the organization's mission is to inspire women in challenging circumstances to walk with strength, confidence and stability and to support women on their journey of personal growth by collaboration with community partners.

In addition to Zusman Hospice, In Christy's Shoes helps support Amethyst and Dress for Success Columbus.

For more information about In Christy's Shoes or the event on May 14, visit the organization online at inchristysshoes.org or on Facebook.

Coming Soon:

WHV Annual Yard Sale to Support Activities for Residents

Friday, May 8

10:30 am to 3 pm

Wexner Heritage Village

1151 College Ave., Columbus

Looking to get a jump on your annual spring cleaning?

Get started by donating your unwanted household items, clothes, books, crafts, sports equipment, etc. to Wexner Heritage Village for our annual "yard sale" to support enriching activities for our residents and patients.

Items to donate for the sale can be brought to the WHV Welcome Center any time before May 8. We will even provide a tax receipt.

And don't forget to come back and shop from 10:30 am to 3 pm on Friday, May 8. There are sure to be many treasures to be found.

For more information, contact Emily Prieto, WHV Activities Director, by phone at 614-559-0223 or by email at eprieto@whv.org.

Also this month...

Medicare Counseling | March 4, 10 am to noon | by appointment at 614-559-5502 or mmayer@whv.org.
Bagel Bunch: Expressing Emotions, Stages of Loss and Taking Care of Yourself | March 4, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm | 614-559-0350 or zh@whv.org to register.
Hospice 101: Myths and Realities of Hospice | March 5, 7 to 8 pm | 614-559-0350 or zh@whv.org to register.
Support for Widows and Widowers | March 6, 11 am to 12 pm | 614-559-0243 or zh@whv.org to register.
Love & Hugs for Zusman Hospice 3rd Anniversary Event | March 8, 6 to 8 pm | 614-309-2588 or loveandhugsforzusman@gmail.com to RSVP.
Support for Men in Mourning | March 11, 7 to 8 pm | 614-559-0243 or zh@whv.org to register.
Medicare Counseling | March 12, 2:30 to 4 pm | by appointment at 614-559-5502 or mmayer@whv.org.
Nadav Spiritual Volunteer Program Training | March 13, 12 to 1 pm | 614-559-0243 or dlefton@whv.org to register.
Medicare Counseling | March 16, 10 am to noon | by appointment at 614-559-5502 or mmayer@whv.org.
Talking Over Tea | March 25, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm | 614-559-0350 or zh@whv.org to register.
Coffee Talk (at Heritage Tower, 1145 College Ave.) | March 31, 11 am to 12 pm | 614-559-0243 or dlefton@whv.org to register.

Click here to view a detailed listing of all the programs offered at Wexner Heritage Village.

Health &

Wellness

Facts and Recipes to Support Your Healthy Lifestyle

National Nutrition Month:

15 Healthy Eating Tips for 2015

Have your healthy New Year's habits already begun to fade? Recharge your resolutions during National Nutrition Month by adopting eating and physical activity plans that are focused on consuming fewer calories, making informed food choices and getting daily exercise.

To help you get back on track and stay there, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has compiled a list of 15 food, nutrition and exercise tips for 2015.

Eat Breakfast

Include lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Try oatmeal cooked with low-fat milk, sliced almonds and berries, or top a toaster waffle with low-fat yogurt and fruit. Find more quick breakfast ideas at www.eatright.org/nutritiontipsheets.

Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables

Make 2 cups of fruit and 2 � cups of vegetables your daily goal. Don't let cost stop you from enjoying produce. Frozen and canned are great alternatives. See "20 Ways to Enjoy More Fruits and Vegetables" at www.eatright.org/nutritiontipsheets.

Sky's the Limit for Special Treat Marking Jewish Holiday

Typically celebrated in March, the Jewish holiday of Purim is one of the most joyous and fun holidays of the year. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in ancient Persia were saved from extermination. Today, Jews around the world celebrate the story of survival with parties, costume parades and, of course, food.

One of the most traditional, and recognizable, foods used to celebrate Purim is the hamentashen - a triangular little pastry filled with fruits and other goodies. Traditionalists stick with a plain, vanilla cookie dough and fillings such as poppy seeds, prune butter, apricots, cherries and raspberries. But over the years, the silly nature of the holiday has inspired dozens of more creative varieties.

This year, it seems, the most popular newcomer uses chocolate cookie dough filled with chocolate chip cookies. A quick search of the internet turns up Nutella filled hamentashen, Bubbe's secret recipe, even rainbow colored hamenstashen. The possibilities are endless.

Click Here for some links to some of the hundreds of hamentashen recipes on the web that range from the ridiculous to sublime.

Donate Online Now

Wexner Heritage Village

1151 College Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43209

whv.org � 614.231.4900