Maristhill Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Maristhill joined with the American Cancer Society in October to participate in “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer,” with events and fundraising throughout the month. 

As an organization dominated by women (residents and staff!), many of us have been touched by this dreadful disease.  We started the month by dressing ourselves, our lobby, our trees and our signs “pretty in pink!" 

A bake-sale with the pink theme was a big success – never have I seen so many pink confections in one place!! 

On October 5^th, the “Maristhill Pink Warriors,” led by Lori Savlon, our Human Resource Director, walked in the “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Boston event, raising $5,000 towards the cause on a beautiful fall day along the Charles River. 

The month ended with a local “Making Strides” Luncheon held each year by the Orifice Family – this event typically raises between $18-20,000 per year in the fight against this disease.  Truly, it was an amazing month of teamwork and camaraderie. 

Thank you for all your hard work, energy, and good humor above all!

An Engaged Community

It seems like there is always something happening at Maristhill!

Or at the very least, our engaged community of residents, patients, team members and community members are involved in a wide range of activities every week.  For example, some of the things happening in October at Maristhill include:

• Exercise classes
• Monthly luncheon
• Pet therapy
• Singer Kerry Maher
• Saturday yoga
• Pumpkin carving w/St. Jude's students
• Halloween Party!

Wide Range of Items & Activities Planned for Maristhill's Fall Marketplace

As noted in our previous post, this year's fall marketplace will take place on September 26 & 27. You'll find a wide range of items and "goodies," including jewelry, kitchenware, furniture, and more!

 

There will also be a bake sale table, a raffle ticket table, a table of handmade greeting cards created by our residents, and a table where the Marist Sisters sell little toys and things to raise money for the convent next door.

Here are a few pictures from the 2013 marketplace - hope you'll be able to join us this year!

Annual Fall Marketplace September 26 & 27 - Join Us!

Maristhill's 7th Annual Fall Marketplace on Friday has been scheduled for September 26th from 1:00-6:00pm, and on Saturday, September 27th from 9:00am-12:00pm.

As in previous years, the Marketplace fundraiser will take place on the last Friday and Saturday of the month, with the raffle drawing set to begin at 12:30pm on Saturday the 27th.

A wide-range of collectibles will be offered at the sale, as well as jewelry, small furniture, holiday items, kitchenware, and baked goods. This year's raffle will have a 1st prize of $1000, a 2nd prize of $500, and more than 25 additional prizes donated by the generous Waltham business community.

"Everyone looks forward to the Marketplace," said Bill Driscoll, Activities Director. "Residents, families and friends enjoy the community spirit and camaraderie that this annual fundraiser generates, and all proceeds go to the Resident Council fund, which sponsors special events, programs and outings throughout the year for all our residents."

Have it your Way - Breakfast at Maristhill

As part of our effort to engage residents and provide a little something "extra," Maristhill has initiated an on-unit breakfast program that has been an instant hit!

The objective is to simply provide residents with a wider range of personal choices, and to prepare their breakfast of choice in a fashion similar to "tableside cooking" at various restaurants.

Everyone that is involved, including our kitchen staff, enjoys the interaction and fun!

Ultimately, residents can enjoy watching the cooking process as well as a freshly-cooked breakfast of their choice, giving them an added sense of well-being.

Saturday Morning Yoga at Maristhill

As noted in an earlier post, exercise programs at Maristhill have been extremely well received by our Residents.

So, in addition to our regular programming, we've added a "Saturday Morning Yoga" session to our calendar - and it has quickly become one of our favorites!

As you may know, when carefully done and managed by a qualified instructor, yoga can help elders improve their balance, strength and overall sense of well-being. In addition, an Illinois study showed that yoga can often help elders improve a range of cognitive tasks, including information recall, mental flexibility and multi-tasking. 

Maristhill Receives Another Deficiency-free Survey from Department of Public Health

I am happy to report that Maristhill recently received a Deficiency-Free survey from the Department of Public Health during their annual visit.

The surveyors interviewed residents, families, and staff, reviewed numerous medical records, observed medication and treatment administration, and toured the facility. With our help they were able to access the information they needed and they were very complimentary about our quality of care.

This means a lot to us, as there are so many regulations and requirements that govern our work. I congratulate and thank our staff for this accomplishment – we couldn’t do it without teamwork!

Sincerely, Carolyn Fenn, Administrator