The Manor | Live Well Lamoille

When to Visit, When to Stay Home

Jan 18 2018

By: Mary L. Collins

My great aunt was well into her 90’s when she passed away some years ago. She was an independent, active person who continued to work as a volunteer at her church, walking the three blocks from home, up the steep steps of the cathedral’s entry, spending many hours there multiple times a week to dust the pews – of which there were hundreds. She also mowed her own lawn – with a push mower – the old-fashioned kind that relied not on a gas-powered engine, but on physical strength.

You might say she had an indomitable spirit. She did, indeed. But she did not have an indomitable body.

When my great aunt passed away in the spring of the year, it followed two weeks of sickness due to a cold that evolved into pneumonia. That evolved into a hospital stay, and finally, sadly, her eventual passing. It is not uncommon for vulnerable elders to succumb to pneumonia. Respiratory illnesses younger persons can more easily recover from are often extremely risky when contracted by an elder.

This is not an alarmist’s tale, but one of practicality and consideration. Given that flu season is upon us, and with the recent frigid temperatures, it’s especially important that the most vulnerable among us are shielded in all the ways that we can provide it from exposure to illness. It is essential to be vaccinated and be provided proper medical care to prevent outbreaks of the flu and other airborne illnesses, but it is equally important to be aware of one’s exposure.

It will probably come as no surprise that my great aunt had been exposed to someone who visited her when they were still experiencing flu-like symptoms. Those of us who are younger and often “tough it out” when we are sick do not always recognize when we might still be contagious to others and when we might risk putting a more vulnerable loved one in harm’s way. Contagious winter illnesses can create a real risk for the elderly, young children and the more vulnerable among us. It is not our intent to cause harm, but we sometimes do so without knowing.

At The Manor, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center and residence to approximately 88 vulnerable elderly people at any given time, staff education, and training is critical to maintaining a safe environment for residents, staff and visitors alike. Policies and procedures are in place for staff who are taught what are “best practices” when working with residents who may have shown symptoms that could be contagious. In closed environments like The Manor, it is critical that these procedures be followed to minimize the risk to residents, visitors, and fellow staff. According to Staff Educator and Infection Preventionist, Nicole Keaty, RN,

“We are working very hard to keep our residents and staff healthy at all times but especially during the winter months when Flu and other viruses are more prevalent. We ask the community’s help in this effort. We love to see family and friends visit the residents but we strongly encourage that if you are ill, feeling under the weather, or have family members who are ill, it may be better to not visit.”

Getting an annual flu vaccine is the first and best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. It’s not too late to schedule yours. Contact your health care provider to find out what’s best for you.

Keaty offered a few tips on what works best when visiting a loved one during cold and Flu season. “Most viruses are contagious before we are having symptoms. If you do visit The Manor, we have hand sanitizer at our entrances as well as masks. These are for visitors’ use. We recommend that visitors sanitize upon entering and again when you leave so you don’t bring anything home with you.” She offered that masks are available for visitor’s use should you have a cough, cold or sore throat or if you are visiting a resident who has any respiratory illness. And, the tried and true recommendation of frequent handwashing is also one of the best things we all can do to prevent the spread of any viruses.

The public has a critical role in this prescription for health care management – and it is a simple one:

“If you are not feeling well or believe you may be suffering from a cold, Flu or other communicable illness; it is always best to err on the side of caution and NOT visit your loved one until you are no longer contagious.”

Your consideration of your loved ones includes your own self-care. By keeping yourself healthy, you also protect the people you love most.

Mary L. Collins is the Marketing Director at Lamoille Home Health & Hospice. A 2014 Home Care Elite Top Agency, LHH&H is one of eleven VNAs of Vermont home health and hospice agencies serving Vermont. She also serves as Marketing Director at The Manor, a 4 star nursing home and short term rehabilitation facility in Morrisville, VT, and she chairs the Lamoille Region Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

The Wellness Garden at Lamoille Home Health & Hospice

May 23 2017

By: Mary L. Collins

It’s no secret that wellness among those who provide care to others can often suffer from neglect. While it may be benign neglect, the fact is, nurses, LNAs, PCAs, homemakers, therapists and others in the direct care field can often place themselves last on the list of health and wellness.

The American Nurses Association defines a healthy caregiver as:

“one who actively focuses on creating and maintaining a balance and synergy of physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, personal and professional wellbeing. A healthy caregiver lives life to the fullest capacity, across the wellness/illness continuum, as they become stronger role models, advocates, and educators, personally, for their families, their communities and work environments, and ultimately for their patients.”

So, how do our caregivers manage their own needs?

By choosing nutritious foods and an active lifestyle, managing stress, living tobacco-free, getting preventive immunizations and screenings, and choosing protective measures such as wearing sunscreen and bicycle helmets, health care professionals and providers can set an example of how to be, themselves, healthy.

Lamoille Home Health & Hospice is dedicated to supporting its staff’s wellness by encouraging physical activity. Office staff are often seen walking the few miles each day around the health care campus on Washington Hwy that includes Copley Hospital, The Manor nursing home and short term rehabilitation facility, Copley Terrace, Morrisville Family Practice, and LHH&H’s offices. Staff can easily complete a two mile walk just by circling the campus. Many have invested in Fitbits to track their steps and activity. Most have dropped a few pounds in the process.

It is not only a physical benefit; the mental health benefits are also noted. According to Director of Nursing, Jennifer Beebe, “Nurses and caregivers are fully dedicated to their work, so much so, that we sometimes neglect our own health and wellness as we care for others. Lamoille Home Health is dedicated to providing the tools and resources our staff needs in order to stay physically and mentally healthy. It’s essential that we do in order to be examples to ourselves and to our patients.”

LHH&H has also received a grant from the Vermont Department of Health to launch our first Wellness Garden to benefit staff and families. If you agree with the adage, “Your body is your temple,” it starts with what we ingest, or don’t. LHH&H sees the wellness garden as a collective benefit and example for its staff and volunteers. All are invited to participate in the maintenance and harvest.

How does the wellness garden work?

Four years ago, the Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Community Garden Network, Gardener’s Supply Company, and Master Gardener, Charlie Nardozzi, started working together to create a way for small employers (under 100 people) to initiate a garden at their worksite. From that, the Green Thumbs at Work Program was born. Through it, cash grants are awarded to companies and nonprofit organizations through a competitive application process. The grants must be matched by the employer. Grantees also receive a gift certificate from Gardener’s Supply Company and technical assistance from the Vermont Community Garden Network and Nardozzi. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont provided more grant money to expand the program. To date, 26 employers in the state have started Green Thumbs at Work gardens. Eight more organizations were chosen to launch gardens in 2017. LHH&H is among those eight.

The LHH&H Garden will benefit staff, volunteers, and our clients. The support of the grant and donations from local organizations and businesses including the HA Manosh Corp., many community volunteers, and staff, including PCA, Peggy Sprague, who is donating ALL the starter plants from her own extensive home gardens, will help LHH&H to complete the garden and encourage good health habits among our employees. A bimonthly newsletter will be shared among staff, volunteers and patients and will include gardening tips, healthy recipes, and the benefits of eating certain vegetables and herbs.

The LHH&H Wellness Garden will provide much needed physical activity as well as the bounty of fresh produce harvested throughout the growing season. For more information, contact, Mary L. Collins, Marketing Director, Lamoille Home Health & Hospice at (802) 888-4651 or, email her at mcollins@lhha.org

It is essential that you seek professional advice for all issues concerning your health. Do not take any of the information in this blog (either in posts or comments) as professional advice or official communication from Copley Hospital or any of the blog authors. Posts and comments on this blog are not intended to be professional advice, unless implicitly indicated in the blog post, and do not necessarily reflect Copley Hospital policy or corporate opinion. The opinions and/or views expressed on Live Well Lamoille represent the thoughts of the individual bloggers and commenters, not those necessarily of the organizations they represent or organizations affiliated with the blog.

All links to other Web sites found linked from Live Well Lamoille, Copley Hospital’s blog, and social media sites, are provided as a service to readers, but linkage does not constitute endorsement of those sites by Copley Hospital, and as such we are not responsible for the content of external Web sites.

Tag - The Manor