The struggle is real!  Staffing shortages have U.S. nursing homes in crisis. There's a shortage of nursing home beds for the elderly in America due to a severe staffing crisis that has caused long-term care communities to cut back on new move ins, new research shows. Three out of five nursing homes (61%) have limited new move ins due to staffing shortages, according to a survey conducted by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) of 759 nursing home providers.

Nearly three out of four (73%) are concerned that they’ll have to close their communities over staffing problems, the survey found.

"We project that more than 400 nursing homes could close this year due to this workforce and economic crisis," said Beth Martino, senior vice president of public affairs for the AHCA/NCAL.

Why you ask? The pandemic added strain to a system that was already experiencing shortages. Staffing among nursing homes has been tight for quite some time, Martino said.

"For decades, Medicaid has notoriously underfunded nursing home care, and this chronic underfunding left long-term care providers struggling to compete for qualified, dedicated caregivers," she said. "We have been calling for help for years."

Read the full article at:

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-06-29/staffing-shortages-have-u-s-nursing-homes-in-crisis

What can you do to help? Contact legislators and let them know the nursing home profession needs funding to meet the demands of higher acuity, competing with staffing agency wages/prices, and inflation.  You can also help us promote new people to our profession. If you know of someone that would be good at serving older adults, send them our way.  We can pay for education and provide training.

Evergreen Hospice Social Worker and Volunteer Coordinator, Amanda brought her two favorite scouts (her adorable daughters) in to Evergreen Community to discuss what they do. The group introduced themselves and the residents talked about what they did for a living. The girls talked about how they earn their badges, what the badges mean, how it rains every time they go camping, and how long they have been in scouts. They did a great job and the residents were truly interested. Of course, cookies were served!

Save the Date!

Wine Down for Evergreen 2022 

The Barn at Kill Creek Farm

9200 Kill Creek Road 

De Soto, Kansas

Saturday, September 24, 2022

4-7 PM

Open-house style, so you can come and go as you please.

If you are interested in sponsoring or donating an item for the silent auction please email [email protected] or call 913-477-8242.

Congratulations to our own Evergreen Community of Johnson County Horticulture Therapy for being awarded second place in the 2021 David Gibby Search For Excellence award. The David Gibby Search for Excellence award recognizes exemplary volunteer master gardener contributions throughout the United States, Canada and South Korea.  SFE has seven categories in which master gardener programs compete. Evergreen submitted their entry in the category of “Special Needs Audiences”.

Evergreen will be honored at this year's virtual IMGC conference in Norfolk. A 3-minute video highlighting the Evergreen program, starring Ann Harvey, Michael McDermott and the Evergreen residents will debut at the conference in September.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xOvubVnmuIY&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR02A9nUNFzvXnfVD-SRjwTrwHsJ8OBhqjGUb9vuIz7x8jmbyDkE4ERpChQ 

Click the link below to read the Volunteer Newsletter

March 2021 Volunteer Newsletter

Know Your Options and Let Your Options Be Known

Our expert panel will discuss options in senior health care, housing and long-term planning. Bring your questions about how to stay at home longer, pre-planning your future needs and how to make sure they are carried out as you wish.

March 24th 12:00PM-1:00PM on Zoom

Contact Machelle at Machelleg@ehc4u.org for more information.

Increasing and Protecting Your Emotional Well-Being

by Amanda Peters, LMSW

Brr! The cold weather is finally upon us. As an introvert, I love this weather – it helps me engage in all things “cozy” – fires, hot drinks, warm sweatshirts, heavy blankets, comfort foods. The Danish call it hygge, and considering their climate, I would consider them experts on all things hygge. But even someone like me can feel cooped up after several days of cold, cloudy, and dark. I guess there is such thing as too much of a good thing?

Many of us can do small things for our mental and physical health when the weather (or the pandemic) doesn’t allow us to engage in our normal activities. First, we need to adjust our expectations. If you are relying on a gym that had to shut down in the spring due to the pandemic, come up with an alternate plan in case it happens again. If you plan to walk your neighborhood every afternoon for fresh air, come up with a plan for days when it is too rainy or windy to spend time outside.

Here are a few small things you can do for your own physical or mental health:

Stock up on your favorite drinks, whether hot or cold: teas, coffee, seltzers, cider, hot chocolate, flavored water. Drinks without caffeine will keep you hydrated and be more interesting if you struggle otherwise to stay hydrated. There is a large selection of flavored teas at the grocery store – try a new one out!

Make books accessible: I can reread my favorite books, but I know people who couldn’t imagine rereading a book. If you don’t have stack available to you at home, make sure to get a card at your local public library. My 10 year old is a voracious reader and even though we stocked up on books at the library before the spring shutdown, she still was able to use her library account online in the following weeks to access ebooks. Public libraries give patrons access to online books through large eLibraries and oftentimes those libraries include magazines and audiobooks as well!

If you need something other than books: If you don’t like to read or want to do rest your eyes, try podcasts. Podcasts come in a variety of genres and can vary in length. Audiobooks, puzzles, movies, and television shows are good alternatives as well. Proceed with caution when watching television or movies – it is easy to watch endlessly if you don’t have other plans. Set a time limit or a show/movie limit when sitting down in front of the TV.

Get a light therapy lamp: if you have Seasonal Affective Disorder (technically called Major Depressive Disorder with Seasonal Trends) or just really struggle with darkness setting in each day around 5:00, you may already be familiar with light therapy lamps. These lights are available as cheap as about $25 on Amazon and give you an extra dose of sunlight. It can also help you get your days and nights on track if your sleep pattern is off track.

Get a pedometer or activity tracker and set a goal: Smartwatches and apps on phones are made for this very purpose. Sometimes you just need it for the reminder to get up and move!

Do something with your hands: I am not a person of many talents, but sometimes I get the urge to make something with my hands. Usually for me that means knitting. I have two projects that I’ve been working on for over a year and I don’t know if I will ever get them done, but I’m doing it! So I’ll sit there and knit two rows and dream of the big, beautiful projects I will have time to complete when I don’t have kids in my home anymore. You can also bake, crochet, paint, diamond paint (look it up!), color, clean, organize, write, or build.

Become a savvy communicator: Are you a little apprehensive about using Zoom or FaceTime? Online tutorials can be extremely helpful. Have a confident friend or family member show you the steps. Set up regularly scheduled group chats or online get-togethers with friends or family. If you want to go offline, stock up on cards, stationery, and stamps so that you can stay in touch with family and friends even if you abhor technology.

Soothe all your senses: If you find yourself becoming anxious, pay attention to all your senses and find a way to meet the needs of each one. Sight (dim the lights, open the curtains), smell (light a candle, start cooking a pleasantly aromatic food), touch (put on comfortable clothes, take a shower), hearing (turn on some soothing music, reduce noise pollution), taste (put a piece of chocolate in your mouth, cleanse your palette with some ice water).

These are just a few ideas to reduce stress and increase your emotional well-being. What have you used to increase your well-being?

Join us for a free CEU for

Social Workers, Nurses, Adult Care Home Administrators and Operators. 

This CEU will be presented via Zoom on Tuesday, November 17th 5:30-6:30pm

Email Machelle at machelleg@ehc4u.org or Katie at kaaronson@jkv.org to RSVP.

The holidays can be stressful even during the best of times, particularly for those in the health care profession. During our current situation, stress is magnified. Join us for a fun and interactive presentation on reducing and managing stress, so you can enjoy your holiday season.

Presenter, Belinda Vierthaler, LMSW, LACHA, started her career working with older adults in an in-patient psychiatric setting. Her passion for maintaining the highest quality of life for older adults has spanned her entire career, over the last 20 years. She is an advocate for individualized care, putting the person first, and empowering people.

Mark your calendars for the 3rd Tuesday of each month (no December CEU). We will be presenting a new, free CEU same time, same place.

Participants must be able to access Zoom. Video and audio are highly suggested because there will be opportunity for discussion.