Keep Your Heart Healthy

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. In Kentucky, 15.5%* of adults age 65+ are affected by heart disease. February is American Heart Month, and Nazareth Home is raising awareness to help prevent heart disease and increase knowledge of its effects.

Making healthy lifestyle choices can help lower your risk of developing heart disease. It is also essential for people currently living with heart disease to control and prevent risk factors. To reduce your risk:

Exercise and eat healthy
Watch your weight
Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke
Control your cholesterol and blood pressure
If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation

*Reported by americashealthrankings.org

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January 15, 2019January 15, 2019

“Chicken Soup for the Soul” Group

At Nazareth Home, our person-centered approach is carried over into our activities. We create an environment based on compassionate caring and stimulating activities that enhance elders’ spiritual and emotional needs.

In early January, we launched a “Chicken Soup for the Soul” group that meets bi-weekly to share heartwarming stories. During the group, selections from the book “Chicken Soup for the Golden Soul” are chosen and read aloud, thought-provoking questions are asked and elders share their memories and life stories. This group allows residents to get involved, form relationships with other elders and staff, share their life experiences and most importantly enjoy each others company.

This group is also an essential tool for promoting socialization and intellectual stimulation. Studies have shown that remaining active and social can play a role in aging well. It’s those connections that help elders thrive.

“It’s a joy to see the elders get involved, share their stories, and most importantly enjoy themselves,” said Bridget Bunning, Director of Pastoral Care & Mission at Nazareth Home. “Personal response from the questions have led elders to remember events that have happened in their own lives and share them with the group.”

The “Chicken Soup for the Soul” group meets every other Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in the Spalding Square neighborhood at Nazareth Home. Elders and their family members are invited to attend. For more information, contact Bridget Bunning at 502-479-2533 or bbunning@nazhome.org.

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December 20, 2018

Nazareth Home Receives Multiple Awards for Excellence in Care

Nazareth Home has been recognized for their excellence in care by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Nazareth Home and Nazareth Home Clifton were two among the top four skilled-nursing facilities in the Louisville area awarded a Medicare bonus by CMS for reducing hospital readmission rates.

The CMS program, Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (SNF VBP), focuses on better outcomes and the quality of care given to people with Medicare. Organizations are measured on how often patients are readmitted to a hospital within 30 days after being discharged to a skilled nursing facility.

“Our short stay Medicare program has delivered top of the class outcomes for quite a few years now due to the excellent team of medical, nursing and therapy providers,” said Mary Haynes, president and CEO of Nazareth Home. “We are committed to recovering patients and getting them home as soon as possible.”

In addition to the national recognition, both Nazareth Home campuses were recently recognized by the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities (KAHCF) at their Annual Quality Awards Banquet.

For the second year in a row, KAHCF honored Nazareth Home with three awards for their outstanding commitment to quality care and leadership. Nazareth Home and Nazareth Home Clifton were recognized as “Best of Kentucky – Nursing and Rehabilitation,” Jessica Klausing, with Nazareth Home Clifton, was recognized as “Best Nursing Care,” and Dr. Bonnie Lazor, Medical Director at Nazareth Home, was recognized as “Best Health Care Partner.”

“We are honored to receive three Best of Kentucky awards, and are proud of the expertise our care team brings to elders on a daily basis,” said Haynes.

Nazareth Home was also recognized at LeadingAge Kentucky’s annual conference with two awards. Nazareth Home volunteer, Anita Fitzgibbon, received the 2018 Adult Volunteer Award and Nazareth Home Clifton received the 2018 Innovation Award for their Opioid Project.

This program provides non-opioid options and other alternatives for pain relief along with the use of pain medications. A “Comfort Menu” was established that provides alternative options for chronic pain such as lavender essential oil, hand massages or a relaxing sound machine. Since implementing this program, Nazareth Home Clifton has seen a decrease in the percentage of residents with prescriptions for opioid pain medication, a decrease in residents’ indicators of pain and a decrease in incontinence caused by opioid use.

Haynes credits the employees of Nazareth Home and Nazareth Home Clifton with their recent accomplishments, “Our success is due to the research and commitment of our team to bring the absolute best standard of care to the people we serve.”

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December 3, 2018December 3, 2018

Caring with Innovative Compassion

Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer once said, “The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” At Nazareth Home campuses, we seek to serve others by focusing on innovative compassion and providing individualized attention to each residents’ needs and desires.

We seek high-tech and low-tech solutions to foster an engaging environment where elders and staff thrive, together. Stroll through our homes, and you will see first-hand the role innovative compassion plays in person-centered care.

Throughout our homes, you will see elders utilizing It’s Never 2 Late technology systems to foster human-connectedness while receiving palliative care. This system empowers residents to connect and engage through technology. By providing tablets, residents can skype with family, explore, recall experiences and continue to write their own life- story.

In our Memory Care neighborhood, Charity Court, you will see those with dementia benefit from our personalized True Doors decals. These decals that are placed over the residents’ door look like a door from their past home or another door from around the world. It creates a warm and familiar environment, bringing residents’ identities to the forefront while creating an atmosphere that feels more like home.

Our Namaste program improves quality of life through meaningful sensory activities that stimulate the senses, promote relaxation and offer comfort and serenity to those living with dementia. This program diminishes feelings of stress and anxiety and promotes feelings of personal meaningfulness.

With our approach in care, the involvement of the elders family is crucial and encouraged. Our Peace of Mind program helps elders and families adjust to the transition of moving to Nazareth Home by developing relationships with them. One designated staff member visits with family and the elder before moving in, along with spending 8-24 hours with the elder for the first few days of their move. Our goal is to build deep relationships with our residents so that we can tailor to their specific needs and desires. After all, this is their home, and we are simply the guest.

When transitioning from the hospital to our rehabilitation program and back to home, our BEST (Building Effective and Safe Transitions) program ensures residents, along with their families, experience a smooth, safe and effective transition. Our nurse practitioners continually track and follow up with residents and families throughout the process.

Our support groups for caregivers and family members of those who have Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or dealing with grief provide the opportunity for people to share personal experiences and feelings. Together we discuss coping strategies or firsthand information about innovative treatments or therapies. We strive to be a resource for our residents’ families and the greater community.

In the course of everyday life, our staff forms endearing relationships with elders by honoring and nurturing each of them. By utilizing staffing and financial platforms, we ensure our ability to maintain a consistent staffing model for higher quality care and service. Working in real-time, we can engage employees for higher retention and fill open shifts to ensure proper staffing, allowing for better care. These modern platforms empower the staff and create a culture of excellence.

Innovative compassion is how we serve elders, their families and our staff. It is with this same compassion that we aspire to accomplish person-center care. Care that creates a meaningful, nurturing home that revolves around the elders’ interests and preferences. Nazareth Home campuses are where people come to live, work and play.

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November 29, 2018November 29, 2018

Nazareth Home Launches New Website

Nazareth Home is pleased to announce the launch of its new website today.

Our new website features a clean, professional layout using the most up to date web tools and services. It is intended to serve the needs of elders, their families and our community. Nazareth Home will regularly share information about pertinent topics related to our home.

Nazareth Home credits Hardin County-based marketing communications firm, Heartland Communications Consultants, Inc. with the design and development of the website.

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November 3, 2018December 14, 2018

Message From Our President/CEO

Nazareth Home is dedicated to the highest quality of service, individually tailored for every resident at Nazareth Home. We put the elder first with our innovative person-centered focus. We value the needs and wants of each resident. Nazareth Home creates community through collaboration among elders, their families, and our staff to ensure we base the elder’s day on their choices. This collaboration also provides a unique opportunity for the elder and their family to share their story, allowing us to honor each resident’s wishes. We are committed to putting the person before the routine. Nazareth Home’s goals are simple – we do everything possible to put our residents in the driver’s seat.