Tag Archives: senior living

Carlton Senior Living Wins Silver in 2012 McKnight’s Technology Awards

San Francisco-California-based Carlton Senior Living took home silver at the 2012 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards — Connect Our World competition. The family-owned senior living provider was honored for its therapeutic music program at its memory care communities.

Carlton Senior Living (www.carltonseniorliving.com) has won the Silver Award at the 2012 McKnight’s Technology Awards. The organization received the award in the ‘Dignity Through Technology’ category that celebrated a community that effectively leveraged technology to improve the level of dignity its residents enjoy. The award was in recognition of Carlton Senior Living’s CORO Health music therapy and LiFE (Letting Individuality Freely Exist) program.

McKnight’s Technology Awards recognize technology-related innovations in the senior care field, felicitating facilities/communities that have harnessed technology to enhance, among other things, staff-resident interaction, residents’ dignity, and level of care. The McKnight award is another feather in Carlton Senior Living’s cap, with the provider having won accolades in the field of ‘Advanced Caregiver Training’, ‘Balance Fitness and Mobility Assistance’ and ‘Diabetes Management’, from the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), a national trade association representing assisting living providers.

Carlton’s one free-standing dementia care community is Chateau Poet’s Corner in Pleasant Hill; the organization operates LiFE memory care units in Chateau III, Pleasant Hill, Carlton Plazas in San Leandro, San Jose and Sacramento. One at Elk Grove is currently in the works. In each memory care community, therapeutic music through the Coro Health Media Tablet is provided. The medical and scientific communities unanimously agree on the healing effects of music. From helping brain trauma victims develop new pathways around damaged brain areas to allowing the brain to display emotional connections, music has a special place in senior care centers.

Carlton Senior Living’s partnership with Coro Health is in keeping with its mission to explore innovations that reaffirm its commitment to delivering love, honor and top-notch care to its residents. Coro Health’s MusicFirst product was a perfect fit to Carlton’s goal of putting the power of music to good use in its communities and delivering ‘care in the air’ that positively impacts residents’ behavior as well as psychological and physiological well being.

Coro’s patented technology has registered many success stories at Carlton Senior Living. “The Coro Media system has increased the quality of life for our residents, their loved ones, and our staff. We have music to compliment the environment for activities and dining to reinforce our person centered care dedication. These common environments have been inspired by the rich therapeutic music and we have witnessed increased engagement, storytelling, and in some cases increased of caloric intake by some residents during meal times” says a spokesperson from the organization. In a more recent incident, Coro Health Music helped an unwell resident at the Chateau III community stay calm under stress until the fire department arrived to take her vital signs.

Carlton Senior Living’s LiFE program for residents living with dementia, adopts a person-centric approach that values all people as unique and recognizes individual viewpoints. Best practices for dementia care,state-of-the-art sensory integration and therapeutic treatment tools integrate to effectively tackle challenges faced by seniors and their families, whilst ensuring a secure, invigorating and pleasant environment.

Via EPR Network
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Med-Q Introduces Tool to Reduce Medication Errors

When Lee DeMar was running a Phoenix-based nursing agency, he constantly heard his nurses voice their frustration over the fact that many of their older clients were not taking their medications when they should and as a result cycling back to the ER (the nurses worked exclusively at hospitals). Known as medication non-compliance (or non-adherence), it is the failure to take prescription medication on time and in the dosages prescribed.

Medication non-compliance — which has been called America’s “other drug problem” by The New York Times — results in an estimated $290 billion in emergency room visits and other avoidable medical expenses and health crises. These medication errors account for 10 percent of all hospital admissions, and is attributed to at least 125,000 deaths annually, according to the New England Healthcare Institute.

DeMar immediately recognized the urgency of this growing problem and through his company, Med-Q, developed the Med-Q Pillbox, an innovative solution to the challenges of medication non-compliance. The unit retails for $49.95 and is being launched at a special introductory price of $39.95.

Featuring a unique modern design, the Med-Q Pillbox is unlike any pill organizer on the market. It is a self-contained, “all-in-one” electronic weekly organizer, reminder and dispenser. According to DeMar, “The Med-Q Pillbox features a user-friendly design and multipurpose functionality to assist a wide range of individuals taking daily medications and vitamins.”

The Med-Q Pillbox consists of 14 days’ worth of roomy, individualized compartments to accommodate once a day (for 14 days) or twice a day (for 7 days) medication regimens. Each individual compartment is specially fitted with large flip-up tabs for easy opening and can hold the equivalent of up to 30 regular-size aspirins. Additionally, each compartment can be removed from the pillbox base eliminating the potential to spill pills from other compartments that may not be closed securely. An extra large LED makes it easier to program and see the day, time and “next alert.”

Med-Q’s electronic dual reminder system, according to DeMar “is a technology and design breakthrough for individuals and families trying to adhere to daily medication regimens and live a medically-independent life.”

Powered by two AA batteries, the Med-Q Pillbox combines advanced audio and visual alarms, and may be programmed to fit any schedule. The audio alarm, available in one- or two-beep options, cascades in volume and is loud enough to be heard through a nightstand drawer. The visual alarm utilizes LED-Lightbox Technology™ to illuminate individual compartments with a flashing light and indicates which pills to take.

The goal of the Med-Q Pillbox is to reduce medication errors. For more information or to purchase the Med-Q Pillbox, please visit www.medqpillbox.com or call 480-648-4977.

Via EPR Network
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Georgia Senior Communities Launch Mission for Haiti

As aid drives continue for Haiti, Dogwood Forest Assisted Living communities are partnering to launch “Hands on Haiti: Family to Family,” an ongoing aid mission to lend support towards the restoration efforts in Haiti and to support Dogwood Forest employees that were personally affected by the earthquake.

Georgia Senior Communities Launch Mission for Haiti

“The months ahead are going to be tough,” said Tami Tucker, life enrichment director at Dogwood Forest of Fayetteville.” “After the media leaves, they will still be there needing our help. Our residents, family members and employees are all pitching in.”

Dogwood Forest aid drives range from collecting packed large zip-closed bags containing cloths, undergarments and toiletries to collecting water, tents and baby formula.

Communities are teaming up with local organizations that are such as Hosea Feed the Homeless the Red Cross and local church ministries to transport items to Haiti.

Kathy Pittman, life enrichment director for Dogwood Forest of Gainesville, said the Haiti mission has spiritual significance for her. “The Spirit of the Lord reminded me of the miracle that Jesus did with two loaves of bread and five fish,” Pittman said. “I believe God will do the same for this ministry if we give. He will bless it and give it back multiplied for the people of Haiti.”

To assist Dogwood Forest communities with Haiti relief efforts, please visit Dogwood Forest at www.trinitylifestyles.com, or contact Trinity at (678)566-0034.

Via EPR Network
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