May is a special month here at Castle Country. May includes some very important holiday’s such as Mothers Day, Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day. We are all called to remember the women that raised us as well as the people who gave their lives for our freedoms. The managers at Castle Country have also decided that Staff Appreciation week will be this month, to let our staff know just how thankful we are for them and their efforts to care for our most special residents.

For Mother’s Day, we will be having a special luncheon (noon) served to our residents and any family members that are able to join them. For Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day, we will be having cookout’s, grilling all kinds of yummy things to eat and enjoying an exciting new entertainer! We will be hanging our flags and working on our memorial garden at the Valley House.

For Staff Appreciation week (May16-20), we have teamed with Discover Health & Wellness to provide free chair massages for our employees.Our residents and Activities Coordinators have already begun sprucing up our gardens at each house, getting ready for the summer growing season. They have made pots, planted seeds and cleaned up some of our exterior so that we can host our family members on May 14th for Family Planting Day!

There are some fun events this month, please be sure to check out our website for a full calendar!

Remember you can stay current with the latest CCAL news by following us on Facebook. You can also check out our website at www.davec12.sg-host.com

Sincerely,

Pat Logue, RN
Executive Director
Castle Country Assisted Living

Castle Country’s Managers just attended the Colorado Assisted Living Association’s conference in Blackhawk, Colorado. It was an intensive two days, with many different speakers and topics covered. There were lectures on food management, customer service, hiring & keeping top performing employees, discussions on elderly abuse and neglect, leadership and dementia.

Perhaps the most impactful of all these amazing sessions was given by Amelia Schafer of the Alzheimer’s Association and Marty Rieswig, a man who’s entire family has been impacted by Alzheimer’s. They came to tell us about the new research being done, the things they have learned about how the disease works and the incredible actions the Association is taking. Listening to these two speak was both terribly sad and wonderfully uplifting.

At this time, 100% of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s die. There is no cure. In Colorado alone, there are approximately 67,000 people with this disease. It is costing the U.S. over $500 million dollars in health care costs each year and is the single most expensive disease around. With these facts, many of our hearts dropped. But then, Marty spoke and we all realized that for the first time in a long time, there is hope of a cure. He told us about a research project he and his family are a part of, telling us about a gene that’s been isolated that can show doctors if someone will have early onset Alzheimer’s. He explained that many doctors are starting to recognize certain bio-markers and characteristics of the disease earlier than ever. He went on to tell us about his personal story, involving his own father and that he was the reason Marty decided to join this study. The advancement he spoke of along with the deeply personal story had many of us in the room crying and clapping and smiling all at the same time!
We encourage each one of you reading this newsletter to go to www.alz.org to learn more. CCAL will be participating in the Alzheimer’s Walk in Denver, September 17 and we would love for you all to join us in the fight.