Next senior health and wellness event Wednesday

Posted

The Senior Center has a pilot program expanding health and wellness services to Archuleta County seniors. The program includes wellness and blood pressure monitoring, or allows individual area seniors to discuss two subjects of their choice.

The next health and wellness event will be Wednesday, April 25.

There is no charge for Medicare enrollees. Participant IDs will include Medicare card, photo ID and, if necessary, any supplemental insurances. No Medicaid is accepted at this time. Participants are encouraged to bring a list of their current medications.

Clinical assessment will be provided by Tabitha Zappone, FNP-C.

The goal of the outreach clinic is to provide care to those who are not able to travel.

Medical alert system

Medical alert monitoring systems are available for seniors. We can help you get set up with a system and assist with the monthly service charges or, if you already have a system in place, we can help supplement the monthly service fees.

Please call 264-2167 for more information or to sign up.

San Juan Basin Area Agency on Aging: Pine Ridge survey

By Kay Kaylor

I advocate for residents at Pine Ridge and BeeHive Homes as the part-time, long-term care ombudsman for Archuleta County. Federal and state laws protect residents to promote quality of care and quality of life.

The Pine Ridge health department annual (not exact) survey was completed March 22. Surveyors found four deficiencies, all in nursing, and Pine Ridge’s Plan of Correction deadline was April 11. The plan must include not only corrective action, but also must identify residents who might be affected by the same deficiencies and must describe how the home will monitor its performance. Pine Ridge must follow the completion and compliance deadlines.

When I visited Pine Ridge March 22, the staff expressed satisfaction with the overall survey because no residents complained (all were interviewed) and the deficiencies, or tags, were in one department.

The four tags, based on a sample of 18 residents, follow: failing to ensure cleanliness and grooming for two dependent residents; failure to ensure one resident (of seven observed) was free from a significant medication error (involving insulin); failure to maintain infection control for one resident of one reviewed, regarding the changing of dressings; and failure to develop and implement policies and procedures related to pneumococcal immunizations for one of five residents reviewed. The 26-page report gives details of the relevant laws, observations and interviews.

The 2018 survey will be available for the public. The 2016 report, involving three tags, may be found on medicare.gov, Nursing Home Compare, which gives Pine Ridge a five-star rating. Reports are also provided in the Pine Ridge lobby notebook.

For further information, you may call me at 403-2164 or send an email to ombudsman2@sjbaaa.org.

Memberships

Senior Discount Club memberships are offered Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Menu

Everyone is welcome to join us for lunch. If you are a senior (60 years and older), for only a $4 suggested donation, you are eligible for a hot meal, drink and a salad prepared by our kitchen staff.

The guest fee for those 59 and under is $10 and children 10 years and under can eat for $5 each. Access to the salad bar is only $6 for those under 60.

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday, April 19 — Beef pot roast, gravy, green peas, cornbread with butter, milk and salad bar.

Friday, April 20 — Chicken enchiladas, charro beans squash calabacitas, milk, salad bar and snickerdoodle cookie.

Monday, April 23 — Ham, French toast, baked apples with cinnamon, spinach and Mandarin orange salad, milk and salad bar.

Tuesday, April 24 — Turkey stuffed peppers, potato and leek soup, Italian bread, milk and salad bar.

Wednesday, April 25 — Beef cheeseburger with whole-wheat bun, sweet potato fries, creamy coleslaw, milk, salad bar and strawberries with bananas.

Thursday, April 26 — Hot chicken salad, roasted broccoli, zucchini medley, milk, salad bar and peach cobbler.

Reservations and cancellations are required. You can make a reservation at 264-2167 by 9 a.m. the morning of the day you would like to din e in the Community Cafe at the Senior Center.

For your convenience, you can make your reservations in advance or have a standing reservation on days you know you will always attend. Please cancel if you cannot attend on your standing reservation days.