Judson Courier

From the Executive Director’s Desk

We’re so happy Spring is finally here! I just wanted to take a moment in this month’s newsletter to address some of the common questions asked by our residents and staff, as well as to update you on upcoming news.

The curtains and blinds for the resident common areas will be installed starting next week into the

following week to make our space more homelike and reduce glare. Further, we are currently hunting for the perfect clock to go in the dining room, as was suggested by residents.

A significant donation has been made to Judson Meadows for a meditation room/chapel, which is currently being planned. The location is across the hall from the private dining room. It will be very calming, and peaceful – with a soft color palate and soft lighting. The colors, fabrics, lighting, and furniture have been chosen and are being ready to be ordered. Construction will begin once the items arrive. We are very excited to be able to offer this to the residents and their families should they wish to utilize the space. It will also serve as a perfect location for church services and meditative activities programming. It will be available at all hours.

Baptist and Judson Meadows are currently meeting to plan a Strawberry Festival for June so we can invite members of the community to interact and visit Judson Meadows, as well as having fun activities, vendors, foods and entertainers.

Thank Christine for the Baby Grand you now see in seating area located off of the lobby. Through hard work and searching, Christine has obtained something that will be an asset to Judson Meadows as well as a beautiful way to entertain the residents and invite performers. Thank you Christine for your dedication to providing activities and opportunities to the residents of Judson Meadows.

There will be further information sent out soon as we will have Dr. Kirk Panneton will be speaking at the end of the month on a topic applicable for seniors.

Lastly, we are happy to now be able to offer podiatry services through Dr. Gines, who also sees residents at Baptist Nursing Home.

I’m looking forward to the warmer months ahead, and all of your smiling faces as we continue on through our first year at Judson Meadows together, and as the warmer weather brings us outside to our beautiful pergola and patio area!

Celebrating

April

Lawn and Garden Month

Humor Month

Welding Month

Laugh at Work Week

April 1–7

Volunteer Week

April 6–13

Peanut Butter and Jelly Day

April 2

World Rat Day

April 4

Teflon Day

April 6

Take a Wild Guess Day

April 15

Earth Day

April 22

Talk Like Shakespeare Day

April 23

International Jazz Day

April 30

April 2014

Find us on Facebook!

Employee Spotlight:

Darlene Wells Front Desk

Receptionist/ Marketing Assistant

What inspired you to work in the health care field? I wasn’t really looking for a job in the health care field. I was working in the banking industry at the time, and when I had the opportunity to help the elderly it gave me a great feeling of satisfaction. Listening to that inner voice, I decided to do some research with the help of a career counselor. The more I looked into the many facets of Senior Care, I knew that I could find my niche and pursue a new career.

How long have you been at Judson Meadows? Judson Meadows was still under construction when I came on board. I started in August 2013. Our office was located in Family Practice behind Baptist. We had this small office that five of us shared. We were packed like sardines in that office. How we would laugh! They are some of my fondest memories.

What do you do when you aren't working? Many things, depends on the season. I love the outdoors. In the winter, I cross-country ski. Spring, Summer & Fall, I try to hike, bike, and horseback ride. Every Sunday, I take care of a barn full of horses. I have this need to be outside and be in touch with nature. When I am in touch with nature, it quiets my mind and brings peace to my heart. I always find the time to spend with my family, companion, and friends.

What do you find most rewarding about working here? The opportunity to serve our elderly. It is important to me that they feel safe, and cared for. I am here to help them in any way that I can.

What do you find most challenging? Being able to touch base with all of my coworkers about what is going on each day. It is often such a busy environment, and sometimes we don’t all see each other. Since I am the person who is addressed first, I always try to be aware of the daily comings and goings.

What is the best thing that’s happened since you began working here? The people that I work with. Each person brings a unique personality to the table.

What advice would you give to someone looking to work in this field? You have to be patient and caring. Definitely patient! It’s not your agenda, it’s theirs.

What do you wish other people knew about Judson Meadows? That we are open. It’s amazing that there are people in our community that ask me “when did you open?”

What might someone be surprised to know about you? People are always surprised to hear that I was a smoker once. It’s because I am so heath conscious.

What do you think sets us apart from other communities in the area? The love and commitment we have towards each other and our residents.

How would you describe your role in the Judson Meadows community? My title is Receptionist/Marketing Assistant. I feel I wear many hats. I would describe myself as the “go to girl” Have a problem? Come to the front desk. I will either figure it out, or find the right person to help.

April 2014

A Fool’s Errand

It is a strange tradition that on April 1 we celebrate the practice of making others look foolish through tricks and practical jokes. But April Fools’ Day, or All Fools Day as it’s sometimes called, is boisterously celebrated through-out the world as an unofficial holiday.

There is confusion surrounding the origins of April Fools’ Day. Some believe it sprang from the ancient Roman festival of Hilaria, which celebrated the arrival of spring with silly masquerade parties. Another belief is that it developed out of the medieval celebration known as the Feast of Fools. On this December holiday, common folk and young people were allowed to become popes, archbishops, and bishops for a day. The social order was turned upside down, and power was handed over to those who did not have much. These people took names such as “Lord of Misrule” and “Pope of Fools.”

But how did two separate celebrations, one in March and the other in December, turn into the holiday celebrated on April 1? Some think April Fools’ Day became official when Pope Gregory XIII established his new Gregorian calendar in 1582. This new calendar ordered that New Year’s Day be changed to January 1. While many adopted this change, some refused and continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1. As a result, these traditionalists became the butt of jokes every April 1.

In France, someone who is tricked is called a poisson d’avril, or “April fish.” Victims are humiliated by unknowingly having a paper fish taped to their back. In the United Kingdom, joking traditionally ceases at midday, and anyone playing a joke after noon is a fool themselves. Iranians have been playing pranks on April 1 since the year 536 BC, which makes Iran's holiday of Sizdah Bedar the oldest pranking holiday in the world.

The Best Policy

You may find that April 4 goes against your moral code, for it’s Tell a Lie Day. Many ethical people live by the credo “Always tell the truth.” But do we? Researchers have discovered that most everyone tells untruths, and we tell lies for several reasons. Sometimes we lie to gain other peoples’ respect or to cover up for making mistakes. The good news is that most people lie to spare another’s feelings from being hurt. If people chose to always be honest regardless of the consequences, then that honesty could possibly lead to injury or harm. Compassion may sometimes override honesty. Lucky, then, that April 30 is Honesty Day. Certainly, honesty can sometimes hurt, but it also takes courage and maturity to be honest in difficult situations. Furthermore, staying honest attracts other honest people to you. When you are surrounded by the truth, you can be your authentic self. The freedom that comes with honesty is worth celebrating!

Tit-for-Tat While a handkerchief, table runner, doily, or collar made of intricate knotted lace appears nearly impossible to construct, the art of tatting is easy to learn. All you need to start tatting is thread, a shuttle (a small device that helps guide a silk thread through loops into knots), and your two hands. Give it a try on April 1, International Tatting Day. Perhaps this decorative art form grew from the netting and ropework handmade by sailors and fishermen of olden times. Tatting became fashionable in the 1800s and enjoyed a surge in popularity during the 1950s and 1960s. Technology has usurped the handiwork required to make tatted lace, making handmade tatting more appreciated than ever.

Playing for Keeps All April long, opponents will be throwing their knuckles down. This isn’t anything sinister. “Knuckles down” is the position you assume before shooting in a classic game of marbles. So this April, Knuckles Down Month, you too can play for keeps. The classic game of marbles is called “ringer.” Two parallel lines, called lag lines, are drawn 10 feet away from each other. A large 10-foot circle is drawn between the lag lines. In the middle of the circle is a cross made of 13 target marbles, or “mibs.” To determine who plays first, each player “lags” from one lag line to the other; that is, they toss their “shooter” marble to the opposite line. The player whose shooter lands closest to the lag line goes first. Play starts by knuckling down along the edge of the ring and using your thumb to cast your shooter at the mibs inside. The object is to knock a mib outside the circle while keeping your shooter inside. You next knuckle down inside the ring where your shooter landed. If you fail to knock out a mib, then it is your opponent’s turn. The first player to knock out a majority of marbles wins, and it’s up to you to determine whether to play for fair (return all marbles to their original owners) or play for keeps (the winner keeps all the marbles.)

Cellular History

On April 3, 1973, Motorola employee Martin Cooper stood on a New York City street corner and made the first cellular phone call to a colleague at Bell Labs in New Jersey. Unlike the first telegraph message (“What hath God wrought”) or the first telephone conversation (“Watson, come here. I want to see you”), Cooper’s words are forgotten. His device, however, is now everywhere thanks to a purchase price far below the original price tag of $3,995.

April 2014

Slow Motion

April 12 is Slow Art Day. No, this doesn’t mean it’s a day to draw pictures of turtles or molasses. It’s a day to spend some quality time with art, pondering the composition, and inspecting them for many minutes at a time.

For some, staring at a work of art for 10 minutes or more may present a challenge. But Phil Terry,

the founder of the slow art concept, discovered something highly rewarding when he spent hours studying two paintings in a New York City art museum one afternoon. He realized he did not have to be a professional art critic to understand and appreciate art.

How does looking slowly at a piece of art heighten the experience of viewing art? In the good old days, the expert craftsmanship of products was appreciated. Modern culture places an emphasis on mass production, often at the hands of unskilled craftspeople or in mechanized factories. One of the major benefits of slow art is appreciating the amazing expert craftsmanship it takes to make a work of art. Slowly looking at art allows us to appreciate each brushstroke, the choice of materials, the step-by-step process of creating a work of art. With this heightened awareness of craftsmanship comes a deeper emotional connection to the artwork.

Museums around the world have embraced the slow art movement, and on April 12, many will offer tours that visit only a few works of art. These tours end with lunch, where visitors can discuss what they saw and how the art affected them. But Terry is quick to point out that Slow Art Day isn’t confined to just museums. Taking the time to appreciate art can happen anywhere, from sculpture gardens to city parks to historic houses. In essence, Terry is simply repeating the old maxim “Stop and smell the roses.” These roses just happen to be in a museum.

In the Good Old Days In April 1970: The average income was $8,734. The average new house cost $26,600. A dozen eggs were $0.62, and a gallon of milk cost $1.15. ($1 in 1970 = $5.58 today) In April 1985: The average income was $64,600. The average new house cost $100,800. A dozen eggs were $.80, and a gallon of milk cost $2.26. ($1 in 1985 = $2.17 today)

The Future Is Now

From April 5–13, science and technology geeks will gather for RoboWeek 2014 to explore the future of robots and their useful place in society. Robots have long fascinated humans. Leonardo da Vinci may have been the first to envision a human-like robot. The original Renaissance man, da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, inventor, and engineer. He sketched his idea of a “mechanical knight” and engineered a suit of armor that could be moved by a system of pulleys and levers. When does a simple machine become a robot? Robots often possess computers that enable them to sense the environment and react accordingly. Also, they are able to move, either by themselves or via remote control. In these ways, robots are truly intelligent machines. From R2-D2 and C-3PO of Star Wars to Rosie the robot maid in The Jetsons, robots have become an integral part of our vision of the future. The word robot first appeared in 1920, when the Czech writer Karel Capek wrote a play about a factory that makes human-like android workers. The word robot in Czech means “serf labor,” “drudgery,” and “hard work.” Today, companies are beginning to manufacture intelligent machines that perform many laborious household tasks. For example, the Roomba is a floor-cleaning robot about the size and shape of a round cake that moves inde-pendently around the room sucking up dirt. Sure, it may get stuck under the couch or miss some dirt in the corner, but it could make vacuums obsolete. A similar lawn-mowing robot, the Automower, cuts lawns by itself. Sensors keep it from running into lawn furniture, flowers, or pets. There are even robots with arms that can feed people with disabilities, and soft pillows with robot arms inside that can be remotely directed to contract, hugging whoever is holding the pillow.

April 2014

VitamIn D

the Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because it is produced in the skin by ultraviolet rays (UV) from sunlight. Over the last decade, the health impact of this important vitamin has been overlooked. Today, research shows that inadequate amounts of vitamin D can potentially have serious health effects. How can you make sure that you are getting enough vitamin D?

Role in Health

Vitamin D is important for bone health and plays a critical role in calcium absorption and preventing osteoporosis. Before the U.S. milk supply was fortified with vitamin D, children often suffered from rickets, a condition where the bones become soft and bend. As research develops, the role that vitamin D plays in preventing disease is becoming clearer. The vitamin appears to reduce pain from arthritis and fibromyalgia, and improve muscle strength and coordination. Vitamin D is also thought to play a role in preventing certain cancers, diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks and stroke. It may also preserve thinking and memory, protect against depression and even

prevent and treat multiple sclerosis1,2.

Are You “D”-Pleted?

Today, people spend less time in the sun. When they are in the sun, they use plenty of sunscreen to block the harmful rays that can cause skin cancer. Unfortunately, this can also block the vitamin D that your skin produces. Where you live in the country and what season it is can also impact the amount of vitamin D your body might produce. Between the months of November - February, people who live in areas of the U.S. that are north of Atlanta, GA do not make enough vitamin D due to

limited winter sun exposure3. People with dark skin are also at

risk due to the higher SPF (sun protection factor) of their skin. If that weren’t enough cause for concern, there are only a few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. Fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D in American diets. The recommended intake of vitamin D is 200 IU (international units) for adults 19 – 50 years old; however many experts suggest that this level

should be increased to 1000 IU daily1.

What Can You Do? The most important step you can take is to ask your doctor to check your vitamin D level. Emerging research suggests that your serum vitamin D should be greater than 30 ng/ml. It is recommended to have sun exposure on your arms and legs for at least 1015 minutes, twice per week, before app-lying sunscreen. Consuming at least 2 servings of milk or yogurt daily in addition to taking a multivitamin and 1000 IU of supple-mental vitamin D will also help you maintain optimal levels of vitamin D. References: Holick MF. Vitamin D Deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:266-81. Pierrot-Deseilligny C. Clinical implica-tions of a possible role of vita-min D in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol. 2009;256(9):1468-79. Epub 2009 Apr 28. Scragg R, Camargo CA. Frequency of Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels in the US Population: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Am. J. Epidemiol. 2008;168 (6): 577-586. U.S. Department of Agriculture,

Agricultural Research Service. USDA Nutrient Database for

Standard Reference. Release

22, 2009.

Written by Lisa Roberson, RD,

LD.

Published November 2010.

Fatty Fish 150-800 IU per 3 ounces

Egg Yolks

25 IU per yolk

Beef Liver

46 IU per 3.5 ounces

Fortified Mushrooms 400 IU per 3 ounces

Fortified Milk

100 IU per one cup

Fortified Yogurt

80 IU per 6 ounces

CHECK OUT THE VITAMIN D IN

THESE FOODS:

Birds of a Feather

Many have heard of the Audubon Society and know it as an environmental organization dedicated to studying and preserving birds and their natural habitats. This organization is named after John James Audubon, the French-American painter of birds who dedicated his life to his unique art. His birthday, April 26, is now celebrated as Audubon Day. Audubon showed an affinity for birds starting in childhood. He spent hours roaming the countryside, collecting birds’ nests and eggs, drawing them once he returned home. Audubon’s father was a sailor, so John James went to military school. However, he suffered from seasickness and so returned to the woods. In 1803, the Napoleonic Wars broke out in France. Audubon’s father obtained a fake passport and sent John James to America to avoid the war. It was at his family’s farm in Pennsylvania that Audubon devoted himself full-time to the outdoors: hunting, fishing, and drawing birds. Audubon was obsessed with birds. In an effort to study their habits, he tied string around their legs to see if they returned year after year. He learned the art of taxidermy and worked in natural museums. But his greatest contribution to ornithology was his brilliant book Birds of America. He dedicated his life to drawing every single bird in America. His style was new and different: a highly detailed drawing of each bird, more accurate than ever before. His drawings were life-sized, with pages over three feet tall and two feet wide. After 14 years of traveling the entire country, Audubon drew over 700 species of birds. Birds of America is often considered the greatest picture book ever made, and original copies have sold for over 10 million dollars. How’s that for a nest egg?

April Birthdays

If you were born between April 1–19, you are Aries, the Ram. These independent adventurers like to strike out on their own and are natural leaders. Their enthusiasm and confidence give them big and outgoing personalities. Those born between April 20–30 are Bulls of Taurus. Bulls show a steady persistence in endeavors both professional and personal, and after working hard, like to reward themselves for a job well done. JOHN J. – April 23rd MARY G. – April 27th

Emmylou Harris (musician) – April 2, 1947 Marlon Brando (actor) – April 3, 1924 James D. Watson (scientist) – April 6, 1928 Beverly Cleary (author) – April 12, 1916 James Franco (actor) – April 19, 1978 Queen Elizabeth II (royalty) – April 21, 1926 Barbra Streisand (entertainer) – April 24, 1942 Kelly Clarkson (singer) – April 24, 1982 Jay Leno (comedian) – April 28, 1950 Duke Ellington (pianist) – April 29, 1899

Breaking the Color Barrier

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson played his first major league baseball game with the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Boston Braves in front of a crowd of 25,000 spectators at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. This marked the first moment that an African American played a sport in any of the major sports leagues.

Robinson did not get a hit that day, but he was awarded the first ever Rookie of the Year title that same year. In 1949, he was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player. The next year, he became the Dodgers’ highest paid player with a salary of $35,000. In 1955, Robinson led the Dodgers to a World Series victory over the New York Yankees. A perennial All-Star and Hall of Famer, Robinson’s number 42 was retired by all of baseball on April 15, 1997.

April 2014