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		Inside ElderHealth

In This Issue:

July/August 2008

•	ElderHealth Receives Excellence in Practice, Trustee of the Year Awards

•	James Finds Love of His Life at Buchanan Place

•	New Adult Day Health Center in Northern Snohomish County

•	ElderFriends Participants Meet Over Tea

•	ElderHealth Northwest Video Available on YouTube

•	Memory Wellness Program Seeks Research Volunteers

ElderHealth Receives Excellence in Practice, Trustee of the Year Awards

The Washington Association of Housing and Services for the Aging (WAHSA) recognized ElderHealth Northwest at its 2008 annual conference. ElderHealth board member Joshua Brower received the Trustee of the Year award for his significant contribution to the well being of the elderly and outstanding leadership to ElderHealth and the community at large.

Joshua Brower is a partner at Tupper, Mack, Brower PLLC, and is recognized as a “Super Lawyer” by Washington Law & Politics magazine. He has applied his tremendous skills to the growth of ElderHealth Northwest. Since he joined the board in 2001, the agency has more than doubled the number of frail elders and disabled adults that it serves every year.

Dave Budd, ElderHealth Northwest Assistant Director, says, “Josh is a strategic thinker who has played a leadership role in planning the direction of the agency, helping our adult day health programs expand to create specialized programs for adults with brain injuries and developmental disabilities.”

WAHSA also granted ElderHealth the Excellence in Practice award for the agency’s superior achievement throughout the continuum of aging services.

PICTURED: Executive Director Nora Gibson and ElderHealth Board Member Keri Heinen. Nora's holding the Excellence in Practice Award (not a glass of wine).

Visit the ElderHealth Northwest website

New Adult Day Health Center in Northern Snohomish County

In May, ElderHealth launched its newest adult day health center, located at the Saint Philip's Episcopal Church in Marysville.

The new center serves frail elders and also has specialized programs for adults with acquired brain injury ("Heads Up") and developmental disabilities ("Get Active").

Kristin Ott, Snohomish County Services Manager, says “There are only three programs in Snohomish County that serve the DD population. Two of those are job training programs and the other is an art program for younger people with developmental disabilities. ElderHealth’s specialized day programs in Everett and Marysville provide a place for these adults to socialize, get nursing treatments and engage in occupational therapy group activities.”

To find out more about ElderHealth’s programs in Snohomish County, call (425) 355-1313.

PICTURED: Heads Up staffer Teresa helps Marisha with her toss in ladder ball.

http://www.elderhealth.org/adult_day_centers.html#snohomish_county

ElderHealth Northwest Video Available on YouTube

Don’t have time to visit an ElderHealth Northwest adult day health center? Or perhaps you’re wondering more about ElderHealth’s supported living homes or in-home care.

ElderHealth’s community-based programs help frail elders and disabled adults avoid premature or unnecessary placement into institutional settings. See the inner workings of our programs in this video, now available on YouTube and at www.elderhealth.org.

PICTURED: A scene from ElderHealth Northwest's video.

Watch the ElderHealth Northwest Video on our Home Page

http://www.youtube.com/v/EwRiE8yaHrk&hl=en

James Finds Love of His Life at Buchanan Place

James Weeks remembered the cats he had loved in his youth. Now a resident of ElderHealth Northwest’s Buchanan Place, he expressed interest in having a “lap cat.” But how could he find the perfect feline?

Enter SageConnections, a new nonprofit founded by Brandi Fairchild. The organization helps connect low-income and isolated persons with animal companions. Brandi met with James to learn more about his cat preferences. He said he wanted a large, gentle, male, tabby. Just to cover the bases he said a four-legged cat with fur would be okay too!
James met a number of prospects at PAWS Cat City in Greenwood, and it was the last cat he met that stole his heart: a small, black, female named Frieda.

James and his new companion have settled into a routine at Buchanan Place. Brandi has followed up a number of times to confirm that the match is working for everyone. James recently exclaimed that “Frieda is the love of my life.”

PICTURED: James, Frieda and Brandi (background)

Read more about SageConnections

ElderFriends Participants Meet Over Tea

On June 7th, thirty ElderFriends participants attended a spring tea at the Burke Museum. Guests snacked on bread, pastries, and sandwiches donated by M Street Market and Essential Baking Company while conversing over a cup of fine, hand-selected tea generously provided by Teahouse Kuan Yin. Participants enjoyed a free raffle, with prizes donated by Woodland Park Zoo, Ivar’s Restaurant, Essential Baking Company, Mariners Care and the Northwest Film Forum.

On a more serious note, personal emergency plan worksheets were distributed to the group along with a whistle/flashlight key chain and instructions on how to use these to stay safe in the event of a disaster. Guests were then treated to a guided tour of the exhibit, “Pacific Voices: Northwest Coast Native Americans” and received free admission to the rest of the museum. While the weather outside was blustery, attendees enjoyed a lovely afternoon, in a cozy atmosphere.

A special thanks to our donors, and to EverCare and the Burke Museum for making this event possible.

The ElderFriends program provides companionship to isolated elders through regular friendly visits with volunteers. Social events such as the spring tea and upcoming summer picnic provide opportunities for participants to celebrate together and expand their social networks.

To volunteer or make a donation for the ElderFriends picnic on September 7, contact Tiffany Hammer at tiffany@elderhealth.org.

PICTURED: Elder Barbara with volunteersJesse and Elizabeth.