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Gloucester County Improvement Authority Fall 2007 Volume 2, Issue 2 Shady Lane Times Heroes Among Us Inside this issu...

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Gloucester County Improvement Authority

Fall 2007 Volume 2, Issue 2

Shady Lane Times Heroes Among Us

Inside this issue:

Veterans & Ordinary People Have Their Stories to Tell Infection Control

2

Back Care

2

Freeholder Director’s Message

2

Recreation

3

Food Service

3

Employee Profile

3

GCIA Projects

4

Administrator’s Message

4

Jim Angorala—1944

US Army’s 456th Ordinance Evacuation Company

September 7, 1961: The facility was called the Shady Lane Home for the very first time. November 2, 1961: The Board allocates a parcel of land for use by the county’s firemen. December 6, 1962: The Board approved payment of time and a half for overtime for employees, starting Jan, 1963.

Jimmy Angorala didn’t really talk about it with his kids. Like many veterans, he never discussed his combat experiences with his children. His daughter Kathleen certainly knew that her Dad was part of what Tom Brokaw called “the Greatest Generation” and a Sergeant in World War II, but she didn’t know that her Dad was part of the D-Day Invasion on the beaches of Normandy until only a couple of years ago. As a member of the 456th Ordinance Evacuation Company, he was part of General George Patton’s 3rd Army that marched across Europe. After the war, Jimmy stayed in touch with the men that served with and under him, even traveling to reunions over the years. Jim is not alone in the sacrifices he made throughout his life for his country and his family. Nor is he the only veteran at Shady Lane. Alfred Heery, for instance, served under British General Bernard Montgomery in North Africa as one of the Famed “Desert Rats.” But Jim’s story is indicative of other residents and their relationships with their families. While many veterans have been residents over the years at Shady Lane, many ordinary heroes have and are among us too. How many Moms are there that worked multiple jobs to make ends meet and still cooked, ironed, cleaned and made it to games or helped with homework, all without

letting on to their children the daily struggles they were undergoing? How many uncles or grandmothers are among us that raised their grandkids or supported their nieces and nephews with money earned through the sacrifice of overtime? They fortunately may never have had to deal with the horrors of “Bloody Omaha Beach” in Normandy or were never a part of the “Band of Brothers” at the decisive Battle of the Bulge but, none the less, are certainly heroes just the same. The fact of the matter is that they don’t have to be our residents either. Often by taking the time to sit and talk with our residents we can find out who they are and what they’re all about. In the process, we not only have the potential to be entertained but learn a great deal about ourselves. In return they will hopefully know that the sacrifices they made for the ones they loved so dearly were appreciated, even if they are uncomfortable sharing those experiences with them. We can also help to cure one of the most chronic, crippling and deadly diseases within a long term care facility, loneliness. Beyond a debt of gratitude, we owe the Sergeant Angorala’s of the world nothing less.

Workplace Safety a Priority at Shady Lane The Communications Workers of America takes safety in the workplace very seriously. To that end, the CWA has a myriad of resources available for its membership. The Union’s website provides information on and links to other websites dedicated to different aspects of safety. The Union’s website provides links to resources in categories including government agencies, occupational

safety and health information, Unions and Committees on Occupational Safety and Health (COSH), public health and support. It even goes so far as to include international resources. Go to http://www.cwa-union.org/issues/osh/ links.html for more information.

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Shady Lane Times

Infection Control

There she is Miss Shady Lane Lillian Sheridan!

With flu season upon us, now more than ever it is important to remember to wash your hands. Hand washing is the number one way to prevent the spread of germs and viruses. As basic as it may seem, attention to this fundamental aspect of our daily life can help prevent illness in our workplace and at home. There is a proper way to wash

Residents enjoying the sounds of the Hobo Band during Family Night BBQ.

With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world. - Dalai Lama

your hands. It is important to use warm water (not hot or cold). Wet hands and then apply soap out of the stream of water, applying friction so as to lather all surfaces to your wrist, front, back and between your fingers. Rinse for 15-20 seconds, starting with the wrist and working your way down. Hand sanitizer is a good supplement to regular hand washing. The use of moisturizer will help prevent chapping.

Volume 2, Issue 2

Not Taken the Fall! Shady Lane had only 3 resident falls in the month of September and 2 for October. This is per approximately 1000 patient days per month. There has been a steady decline in the past couple of months, even though our rate was extraordinarily low to begin with. While the bed alarms may be annoying, this shows that they are working. This is also a tribute to the teamwork of our facility and the cooperative effort of folks in the Nursing Department and the Falls Committee. Thanks for everyone’s help in keeping our residents safe.

Take Care of Your Back ... … so your back will take care of you. There is no secret to the fact that if you hurt your back, you’ve got a problem. After all, you only get one. There is certainly a great deal of training at Shady Lane on proper techniques and equipment like the easy lift to help transfer residents to prevent injury. Back pain is still one of the most common problems anywhere.

as easily as at work. At home we don’t always have the resources available or the time and energy to consider consequences of simple quick actions that could lead to bulging disks, or strained ligaments. Exercise is the key to most things and especially helping with back problems. Good core training will help with stomach muscles that will hopefully offset back strain. Appropriate exercise, done regularly But you are not at work every hour will help with your overall health of everyday and even following all and not just in helping your back. techniques from log rolling residents with a colleague to lifting with Believe it or not, your knees won’t always help when sitting is one of the you are not on the job. Paying most common attention to your “back health” is causes of back pain. none the less important at home. When working at Proper techniques and body meyour home computer chanics should be followed at home or driving, you need as well as work to help preserve to be cognizant that your health. You can certainly hurt injury can occur. yourself lifting your kids or bending Using proper posture is step one. over the trunk to get groceries just Know that it’s best when your head

A Message From Freeholder Director Steve Sweeney This is a very exciting time in our county as projects that were years in the making and will benefit our communities have come to fruition or are about to get underway.

Freeholder Director Stephen M. Sweeney

With the beginning of the new school year, we saw the opening of the Bankbridge Development Center adjacent to the Gloucester County College Campus. This school is geared to address the growing problem of autism by providing a state of the art learn-

ing environment for kids aged 3 to 21 and also act as a resource to their families and our communities as a whole.

is positioned so that your shoulder is in line with your ear and your chin is parallel with the floor. When you bend forward, make sure to bend at the hips to allow you to keep your back straight instead of rounding your lower back. When sitting at your computer, make sure your chair is pulled in, you are sitting up straight (just like Mom told you!). Hopefully you have an office chair with an adjustable height. A swivel chair will allow you to work without twisting your back. You should also make sure that the monitor, key board and other equipment are as directly in front of you as possible. When talking on the phone, repeatedly holding it between your neck and shoulder is common cause of neck pain. There are even specially designed supports to alleviate pressure on the lower back when sitting or driving.

jobs within the port itself but also for the businesses it will support. The equestrian center at the Gloucester County DREAM Park in Logan Township is also clicking toward the finish line. The horse industry is a billion dollar business in our state. Our project will not only yield a world class facility that will infuse tourist dollars into our economy but provide recreational opportunities for our residents.

The Port of Paulsboro is progressing as well. While we are several years away from it opening, the permitting and design process for the port itself and the road for trucks to bypass the nearby neighborhoods are moving forward. This project will literally mean thousands of new living wage This is a great time to be in Gloucester County!

Shady Lane Times

Volume 2, Issue 2

Food Service Notes

Temperature is also very important to make sure meat is Anyone who has ever had food- cooked all the way through and poisoning knows that there are any dangerous bacteria are not better ways to spend your time. present. This is easily done with Never is the old adage – an a clean meat therounce of prevention is better mometer which will than a pound of cure – more accurately measure applicable. By spending a little the internal temperatime with attention to the deture. You should tails of preparation and cleanup, make sure to cook ground meat you could save time in the bath- to at least 160oF. Unfortunately for those medium rare types this room or more seriously at the means more medium than rare doctor or hospital. as this generally leaves no pink Most of us thaw meat on the left in the middle. You should kitchen counter or in the sink also cook poultry, whether before preparing it for dinner. whole or in parts, to 165oF. So as to not give as great a chance for bacteria to grow, it is Steaks, and roasts of beef, veal important to thaw food in your or lamb should have an internal microwave or refrigerator. You temperature of at least 145oF, should also make sure to mari- which is in the medium rare zone with a slightly pink center. nate in the fridge as well.

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Pork, whether chops, roasts and ribs should be cooked at the slightly higher temp of at least 160oF. Last but not lest, fish should be cooked until it flakes with a fork and is “opaque.” Cleanup after preparation is also very important. It goes without saying that you should Residents participated in a chick hatch project courtesy of the make sure to wash all utensils and surfaces that have come in Quiver Farm contact with food with hot, soapy water. There are numerous antibacterial soaps and cleaning products these day to make this process both easier and more effective. For more info visit: http://www.ific.org/ publications/other/ consumersguideom.cfm

Hobo Band rocking the house on Family Night.

Therapeutic Recreation With Fall here, a full program for Therapeutic Recreation continues. Unfortunately, summer is behind us, but we did have a great time highlighted by trips to the shore, several BBQ’s, the Hobo Band and a successful Family Night . Our Red Hat Club continues to meet at 5:30 pm every Tuesday. On October 18th at 2:00Pm all residents will be carving pumpkins to be judged with the winners

Employee Profile DENISE TAKES THE PLUNGE! For this edition of the Shady Lane Times, we’d like to highlight our Staff Education and MDS Coordinator, Denise McFeeley. Denise should have been surprised on a Saturday in late August when her then boyfriend Jeff not only proposed to her, but had made plans for their wedding in the coming days in Key West Florida. Bowing to years of pressure and torment, he had made all the arrangements even

announced at the Halloween Party on October 31st at 1pm. “Tom Evans & Memory” will be here on October 20th at 2 pm. The incredible sounds of “Unforgettable” will be entertaining our residents on Thursday, October 25th. November will see our annual Thanksgiving feast. On November 5th at 5:30 pm, there will be entertainment with Chuck Sikora, and Veterans’ Day acknowledgment on Nov. 11th, and Nov 16th at 10:30 there will be music by “Yesterday Boyz.”

We are certainly happy to have our new additions of Maryann Montemore & Lyndora High to our TR team that also includes Debbie Blake & Barb Walker.

We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.

down to ordering her a wedding dress. It’s all over now except for the shouting!

- Mother Teresa

Denise and Jeff purchased a home in Pittsgrove Township and have a dog named Jager. She began working at Shady Lane in September of 2006. She is a Register Nurse and has her nursing degree from Gloucester County College. She spent a number of her formative years in the great state of Oregon. We thank Denise for her continued efforts and congratulate her on her marriage. We invite you to do the same!

Nurses Rhonda Guinaugh & Denise McFeeley try out a new shower chair.

Volunteer Cindy McGrath plays the piano (background) in our dining room before dinner

Gloucester County Improvement Authority Shady Lane Home 256 County House Road Clarksboro, NJ 08020

Phone: 856-224-6979 Fax: 856-423-3634 Email: [email protected] We’re on the web! Visit us at: www.gcianj.com/shady_main.htm

Shady Lane celebrated CNA Appreciation Week on June 20th with a dinner catered by Botto’s and gift bags for attendees. Our Administrator, George Strachan and Director of Nursing, Sherry Faulkner gave some brief remarks. Msgr. Michael T. Mannion, Rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden spoke as well. “Father Mike” talked about the special relationship focused on compassion that our CNA’s have with our residents. He also discussed his amazing experiences with knowing Mother Teresa for 28 years and their friendship while living and working with her in Calcutta. According to Fr. Mike, her incredible power came from her compassion for others, her simplicity and from the legitimacy of her vocation of serving the poor. Maybe more importantly according to Fr. Mike, she didn’t need anything and he saw first hand how that made very powerful people be in awe of her.

Other GCIA Projects! Autism School Opens —The GCIA financed the county’s school constructed to specialize in

educating children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. The state of the art learning facility opened at the beginning of September for the new school year . The new autism school will maximize classroom design to specifically address issues such as specialized lighting, textures and bathroom accessibility so that difficulties related to the disorder are minimized and the learning environment is maximized. Governor Corzine was on hand for the ribbon cutting, as he was for the groundbreaking. The school will be operated by the Gloucester County Special Services School District which currently operates Bankbridge Elementary and Bankbridge Regional schools. It is envisioned that the autism school would serve up to 200 students from pre-school age to age 21. The 52,016 square foot school will have 20 classrooms and be located on the campus of Gloucester County College. It is anticipated that the new Bankbridge Development Center will ultimately save county taxpayers $1 million per year.

Gloucester County DREAM Park Nears Completion— The equestrian center project will eventually allow for mixed use with riding trails and agricultural components after the construction of equine competition rings and outbuildings. The primary goal of the project is to increase recreational capacity for our residents. The first phase of the project involves construction of facilities to host equestrian events and provide other recreational opportunities for Gloucester County residents, such as a therapeutic riding program for children with special needs. The Phase I construction is located on approximately 70 acres over 4 lots in Logan Township along Route 130, with site entrance directly across from High Hill Road. Phase II of the project envisions riding trails that could be utilized in conjunction with the equestrian facility or independently. “This type of park has always been a wish for so many of our residents, and shortly we will be home to one of the most modern equestrian centers on the east coast. We have many people excited to come here for shows and competitions and it is going to be a wonderful amenity for the people of Gloucester County and our visitors,” Freeholder Director Stephen M. Sweeney recently stated.

From the Administrator’s Desk Thanks to everyone for their hard work as we had a successful survey this year. Our Freeholder Liaison, Steve Sweeney, Executive Director and especially our Board Chairman, Joe Brigandi have all said time and again that they want Shady Lane to be number one and they’re right. We should strive to be the best nursing home in Gloucester County and, yes, the State of New Jersey. To reach this goal of being number 1 involves striving for the

most within yourself and standing shoulder to shoulder with your coworkers, through difficult spots and the day-to-day. We need to be focused on the quality of care our residents and their families receive. That means attention to the little things that become mundane and can easily be overlooked. What you do everyday effects the outcome of our survey. Attention to detail through and

through is what will get us to this goal. The overall focus of our activities has to be compassionately caring for each resident as if they were one of our own family members. That truly is the bottom line. All decision making goes to what would be done on their behalf if they were your Mom or Dad, Aunt, Uncle, etc. At the very least, someday it might be you or me who is in the same situation and we would expect the same. It is also important to keep things in perspective that this is the residents’ home.

Equestrian Center Groundbreaking Ceremony

As basic and fundamental as it may seem, it starts and ends with treating others with dignity and respect. The Golden Rule is still in effect for our residents, their families, and not least of all, our coworkers. I haven’t heard otherwise Thanks again for your hard work. George D. Strachan