Santa Visits Maristhill!

Christmas spirit, holiday excitement, and a range of engaging activites have made December a lot of fun here at Maristhill.

A caroling and eggnog gathering, coffee social, entertainment by the wonderful "Bobby G" as well as our local Kiwanis club, and a family Christmas party have all been joyous occasions for our residents and staff.

And a surprise visit from Santa was a great way to top it all off! 

Merry Christmas to all, and a very happy New Year...

Construction Project Update & Holidays at Maristhill

Holidays at Maristhill will be a bit different this year, as we continue with our construction project and the space limitations involved. It appears the project will be completed in January, which means we will be unable to host our usual Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day Dinners, a tradition we all have enjoyed for many years here at Maristhill.

We certainly appreciate the importance of being able to celebrate the holidays with loved ones, and we are sorry for this change, but we welcome families to come by before or after dinner to spend some time with loved ones or go to holiday Mass together in our lovely chapel. In addition, we will be unable to accommodate any private party requests for the duration of the construction.

On the bright side, we will still have a holiday Christmas Party for each unit, with music and goodies. This has traditionally been a good time for families to get together to share the joy of the season, so we hope to see many of you there. Keep your eye out for dates and times, which will be posted.

Maristhill Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Celebrates Veterans Day

Veterans of multiple generations and service branches greeted each other with smiles and flag pins at Maristhill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center’s Veterans Day ceremony.

 

The function was organized by Good Shepherd Community Care in conjunction with Maristhill’s Activities Department. Residents and staff alike enjoyed the festivities, which is par for the course given our engaged community here at Maristhill.

 

Going to the Dogs at Maristhill - A Pet Therapy Story

Over the past several years, residents at Maristhill have enjoyed spending "quality" time with animals, thanks to Activities Director Bill Driscoll and Dawn Cordeiro, who runs “Farm Visits” in Rehoboth, MA. 

Farm Visits is a traveling petting farm, enabling people to interact with a wide range of “farm” animals.  

As you may know, interaction with animals has numerous positive effects on well-being.

In fact, studies have shown that regular visits with pets can have positive physical, emotional, and mental benefits for the elderly, especially those living in nursing or long-term care facilities.

Physical benefits include lowering blood pressure, lowering heart rate, and reducing overall stress.

Emotional benefits include reducing anxiety and depression, and decreasing loneliness through regular social interaction with the pets.

Going to the Dogs!
This month Maristhill has added an additional program to their monthly rotation, provided by Therapy Dogs International (TDI^®). 

TDI is a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions and wherever else therapy dogs are needed.

This type of therapy is consistent with Maristhill’s practice of holistic care, addressing each resident’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs. 

Maristhill Renovation Update

Our renovations have been going well, and we're all anxiously awaiting the upgrades and new space!

Construction is moving along, slowly but surely. We are in the process of installing the supports that will carry the additional weight of the third floor addition and embedding those supports in the current walls.

Thanks to all for your patience and the extra exercise of parking and stairs!

Maristhill Receives Second Consecutive Deficiency-Free State Survey

We are proud to announce that, for the second consecutive year, Maristhill was found to be deficiency-free in a survey performed by  the Commonwealth of  Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

The deficiency-free findings were based on the results of an on-site facility-wide survey, which indicated Maristhill was found to be in compliance with the requirements Long Term Care Facilities and with all applicable requirements for certification in the Medicare and/or Medicaid Programs. As in the past, surveyors interviewed residents, families, and staff, reviewed numerous medical records, observed medication and treatment administration, and toured the facility.

Read the full story...

Renovation Update!

As many of you may know, our renovation plan is in full-swing and we'll be sharing some great photos with you soon.

Ultimately the work, which was conceptualized nearly twenty-years ago, will result in added living space in our Long-term Care unite so residents and their families will have more room for family events or extended visits.

In addition the lobby will be given some nice upgrades, as will our outside terrace.  

An Author at Maristhill!

We are proud to announce that Noah Beit-Aharon, Assistant Director of Activities at Maristhill, is also a talented author of fantasy novels!

In fact, Noah has secured a two-book contract under his pen name N.S. Dolkart with Angry Robot, a  global imprint based in the UK, and dedicated to the best in modern adult science fiction, fantasy and everything in between. His first novel, "Silent Hall" is scheduled to be released next year.

“I am dangerously excited to be publishing with Angry Robot. If I get any more excited, they may have to terminate me. I feel like I’ve won an Oscar!

Noah has had an exceptionally-positive impact on our residents over the past four years, and we hope you'll join us in congratulating him on this great accomplishment.

Read SFF World interview...

Spiritual Care at Maristhill Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

In the month of August we will observe an important solemnity in the Church calendar, that is, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Assumption is Church dogma that states that Mary was taken up, body and soul, into heaven at the completion of her earthly life. 

We are told in Luke 2:19 after the visit of the shepherds to the baby Jesus that, “Mary treasured all these things and reflected on them in her heart.” 

May we too take the time to reflect on God’s working in our lives and trust in His plan for us.

Read more...

Summertime on the Patio at Maristhill

Residents Ellen O’Neill and Lucila Cohen relax on the patio during an outdoor ice cream social at Maristhill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

The patio is an ideal place for residents and their guests to enjoy the sunshine and warm summer weather. 

It seems like there's always something happening at Maristhill. In addition to our ice cream socials, cookouts, birthday celebrations, and gardening activities are also conducted on the patio. Movies, concerts, sporting events, bingo, family birthday celebrations and parties are among the many social and educational activities that Maristhill's active community of patients and residents regularly enjoy.

July 4th Celebration at Maristhill

Maristhill's engaged community will enjoy a patio cookout this weekend, as our residents, their families, and members of our staff join together to celebrate the holiday.

Our patio is an ideal spot for enjoying the glorious summer weather, and for enjoying the company of family and friends. In addition, medical studies have consistently indicated that seniors who maintain more active social lives are happier and healthier...

Which is part of our mission here at Maristhill.

Volunteer Opportunities at Maristhill

Would you like to volunteer at Maristhill?

Spiritual care is an important element of well-being, and is a crucial component of our holistic approach at Maristhill.

Similarly, volunteers are essential to and at the heart of our mission. We look to people with open hearts and welcoming smiles who desire to serve our elderly population through friendly visits, distribution of Eucharist, transporting residents to and from our chapel, and assisting at Mass.

Please consider joining the wonderful team at Maristhill.

Read more...

Camerata Vocal Group Performs at Maristhill

Maintaining high-levels of engagement and well-being among our residents and patients is important to all of us at Maristhill.

Among the any activities and events we were thrilled to welcome the Camerata Vocal Group, who performed here on May 16^th.

Camerata is regarded as one of world’s best a Capella groups. They represent the best of the great Russian choir tradition. Their experiments with new forms and sounds make them totally different from other groups, and has brought Camerata admiration of audiences all over the world and at festivals of all music traditions.

“Their compositions are very special,” said one attendee. “Heavenly and human!”

An Engaged Community at Maristhill

In addition to celebrating "National Nursing Home Week," Maristhill's engaged community is enjoying another busy month, enriched by music, art and social interaction all geared to promote the well-being of our residents and patients.

May activities include:

• Exercise Classes
• Stations of the Cross
• Bingo w/St. Jude's Students
• Monthly Luncheon
• Mothers Day w/Tony Funches
• Ice Cream Social
• Camerata Vocal Group
• Geography Lessons

An Intergenerational Earth Day at Maristhill Nursing & Rehabilitation Center

Children and elders collaborated to make Earth Day and Boston Marathon posters at Maristhill Nursing & Rehabilitation Center during an intergenerational program with St. Jude School.

 

Research has consistently shown that intergenerational activities are important to both the development of children and the quality of life of the elders.

 

Children bring noise—laughter, screams and giggles—and their physical presence completely changes the atmosphere, injecting enthusiasm, energy and youthful excitement. At the same time, residents are teaching the children about respect, understanding and celebrating other cultures.

Maristhill's Monthly Luncheon is a Resident Favorite!

Residents at Maristhill Nursing & Rehabilitation Center truly enjoy our Activity Department’s monthly luncheons. 

The luncheons, which are sponsored by Maristhill’s Resident Council Fund, give residents an opportunity to socialize, which research has shown helps promote both good physical and emotional health as well as cognitive function in elders. 

In addition, these luncheon's are a great opportunity for members of our community to enjoy a restaurant-quality meal – without the drive! 

A Busy St. Patrick's Day at Maristhill

While the Maristhill community is consistently engaged in a wide range of activities,  holiday celebrations are a favorite.

St. Patrick's Day is a good example. In addition to enjoying a round of March 17th trivia, a number of our residents also participated in St. Patrick's Day-related crafts. Then the day was capped off with an energizing and uplifting musical performance by Down East Revival.

It seems there is always something happening at Maristhill!

Games Can Be Good Exercise and Good Fun

Numerous sources in the medical community have said that elderly games are excellent ways to exercise the “mental muscles," and to have fun at the same time.

This has certainly been our experience here at Maristhill.

Consider that we use different different skills to perform different physical tasks, and our brains "exercise" in similar fashion when we play different games, such as card games, board games, word games and, more recently, computer games. The special value of certain video games is that they can stimulate or "exercise" components of both mental and physical muscle groups. In fact, one study indicated that certain computer games can improve mental agility and even slow the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Either way, games have a definite place in our ongoing effort to engage our community and continually improve their well being.

Happy Valentines Day at Maristhill

Holidays can boost our spirits and it was another happy Valentines Day here at Maristhill Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

In addition to various activities, which included a very popular afternoon of lollipop making, the residents enjoyed a festive Valentine's Day party, complete with refreshments and a rousing performance by singer Tony Funches, former lead singer for Herb Reed's Platters.

It seems there's always something happening here at Maristhill!

Super Times & Super People!

Despite some challenging weather, many residents and team members enjoyed a fine time celebrating this year's Super Bowl!

Regardless of which team they were rooting for, people always enjoy gathering in a social setting, especially when there is a major happening such as the biggest game of the season.

Administrator Carolyn Fenn noted the high spirits, and extended a special thanks to all who made the extra effort to come to work during the stormy stretch of New England's winter.

"As we celebrated with a "Super bowl/Snowstorm" party today, it was not only how hard the staff worked to get here, but their attitude once they arrived – positive, proud, energetic, and cheerful – that really impressed me," she said.

 

"They truly embody the mission of our organization! In my opinion, all of our staff members are the "Champions" of our own Winter Super bowl!  Congratulations and thank you!!!"

 

Annual Appeal Thank You!

All of us at Maristhill are sincerely thankful to those of you who generously participated in our Annual Appeal this year... especially at a time when the economy is so tight and there are so many competing needs in our community.

We know that 2015 will bring new challenges as the pace of health care reform continues to increase. We hope and pray that our elected leaders have the wisdom and compassion to protect those most vulnerable when they are making the difficult decisions they face.

Through it all, with your help, Maristhill will continue to be the premier provider of quality non-profit care in the greater Waltham area.


A Happy New Year to all!

Sincerely,
Carolyn Fenn, Administrator

Tony Funches Performs at Maristhill

All of us at Maristhill have enjoyed the talents of the incomparable Tony Funches, former lead singer of Herb Reed’s Platters, who has performed at Maristhill numerous times over the past several years.

A favorite among residents and staff, Tony’s stage career has spanned nearly thirty 30 years, more than twelve of which were spent with the Platters.

The wide vocal range of this incredible singer is just the beginning of his talents, as his on stage personality and ability to engage audiences of all age levels – as shown at left while crooning with patient Susan Burke during Maristhill’s annual Family Christmas Party – is truly impressive.