Copley at Stoughton

Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

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Summer at Copley

by Steven Tyer

Boating is a favorite summertime activity – particularly here in New England, where there is no shortage of beautiful waterways. You might be surprised to hear that boating is also a favorite activity for many Copley at Stoughton residents. Each summer, we reserve space on a charter boat for a Cape Cod Canal Cruise. It’s the perfect summer outing – all the fun and adventure of a sea cruise, but safely protected from the high winds and waves.

Is this a normal outing for a skilled nursing home? Perhaps not at other facilities, but it certainly is at Copley. One of the myths about skilled nursing facilities is that residents sit around inside all day playing Bingo. Don’t get us wrong, Bingo is popular at Copley, but in the summer months, we feel there is so much more to do.

Outdoor activities start with the facility itself. Our fully furnished outdoor patio is a great place to spend an afternoon with family or to sit and enjoy a book. Each summer season Copley hires a few additional staff for our activities department so our residents can enjoy our outdoor space as much as possible. Residents also enjoy gardening and walking the grounds. Cheryl Woodward, who plans all our activities, posts an upcoming schedule of events so that residents can plan accordingly. We’ve found that the excitement of an upcoming event is almost as important as the event itself! Besides the Cape Cod Canal cruises, there are shopping trips, restaurant outings, and other activities. Cheryl is always on the lookout for new adventures; feel free to call her if you have a suggestion.

These summer outings are important for our residents. Not only do they provide a great way to enjoy the nice weather, but these events also dramatically increase our residents’ quality of life – keeping them active and mentally engaged. As we always like to say, our residents don’t have time to sit around much! 

You can read more about the Copley lifestyle here: https://copleystoughton.com/lifestyle/ and of course, don’t hesitate to contact me personally if you have any questions or to book a tour.

Happy Summer!

Steve Tyer

World-Class Care Doesn’t Mean “Somewhere Else in the World”

by Steven Tyer

We always want the best for ourselves and our loved ones. Too often we’re conditioned that the “best” means something that can only be found in a big city. It’s true that we’re lucky to be in close proximity to Boston, which is home to some of the best hospitals in the country – perhaps the world. But when it comes to long-term care or short-term rehab for a loved one, the best care could very well be right around the corner.

Location plays a big part in selecting these services, but convenience shouldn’t be a priority over quality care and affordability. Luckily, Copley at Stoughton meets all these requirements. In fact, Copley was rated one of the Best Nursing Homes in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. It’s a designation we’re very proud of.

It’s that community connection that is so important in health care. As you know, I was born and raised in Stoughton. It’s not unusual for me to run into previous rehab guests while shopping at Stop and Shop or dining at the Town Spa, thanking me for the care they received and asking if I can help them again or help a loved one. “Of course,” I say. “I’d be happy to.”

Copley is part of the Stoughton culture. The fact that we are a Skilled Nursing Facility as well means that we are a temporary home for people of all ages here for rehabilitation and recovery. We touch the lives of so many of our residents, both directly and indirectly.

Copley’s close-knit feeling of family and community leads to world-class care. I know many people are comforted by the fact that they can get what they need without having to go far. Providing this comfort to our “neighbors” is something we are very proud of too.

MassHealth an Incredible Program for Many of Our Residents

by Steven Tyer

MassHealth is a safety net for many of our residents. The state agency oversees Medicaid, the federal program that provides health coverage for low-income individuals. That includes nursing homes, assisting individuals with the monthly cost of their care that they would not have otherwise been able to afford.

However, there has been an alarming trend in MassHealth funding lately. Perhaps you’ve heard that the rates paid to nursing homes are based on 2007 costs. That means despite rising costs, all nursing homes caring for MassHealth residents still receive payments calculated on costs that they’ve incurred over 12 years ago. Copley has the same cost increases in labor, utilities, and food that you have in your own home – just on a much larger scale.

Tara Gregorio, the president of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, and Naomi Prendergast, president and CEO of D’Youville Life and Wellness Community in Lowell have “sounded the alarm” about rates being too low. “This is a severely underfunded system,” Gregorio told CommonWealth Magazine’s The Codcast. They are calling for a restructuring of the program and funding based on more current costs. You can listen to the whole podcast and read an article based on their conversation here.

Copley at Stoughton fully supports this initiative. We see the tremendous impact MassHealth has for our residents and their families. But many nursing homes in Massachusetts are on the verge of bankruptcy, which will have an impact on many more residents and the industry as a whole.

Thankfully, that’s not the case for Copley at Stoughton. I credit our staff 100% for the great job they do ensuring our residents receive the care they need. In a previous blog post, I talked about how our staff routinely goes above and beyond budgets to provide outstanding care. This is part of the reason why we are consistently ranked one of the “Best Nursing Homes in the United States.” 

We believe in a strong skilled nursing home industry. We are optimistic that MassHealth will adjust their payment structure soon, thanks to the hard work of people like Tara Gregorio and Naomi Prendergast. But no matter what the outcome, Copley will remain a strong community partner providing care that goes above and beyond.

You can find out more about applying for MassHealth for your skilled nursing care home needs HERE. 

The Meaning of “Loved One” at Copley

by Steven Tyer

End-of-life care is so difficult, especially when your loved ones are no longer able to make their own choices. My father, who recently passed, was a resident at Copley at Stoughton. Having him here at Copley helped me look at the facility from both sides: as an administrator and as a family member of a resident. These insights guide me and help make Copley the skilled nursing facility that it is today.

I was lucky that it was a short walk up the hall to stop by for a meal or just to talk. The staff members here were great with him too, and not just because he was my father. They take good care of every resident, providing them with all that they need whether it’s a helping hand or offering a hand to hold. Residents are never alone at Copley. I’m extremely pleased with the level of attention our staff gives residents from day-to-day activities or end-of-life care. That’s where a community-based facility really excels.

I trust that other family members feel that community spirit at Copley, too. I was struck with the realization about how many physicians choose Copley for their loved ones. Doctors have their ear to the ground, and they know which nursing homes are which. The fact they choose Copley tells me we’re on the right track – being part of a community is truly important to people.

Saying goodbye though is never easy. Obviously, that was especially true with my father – it was one of the toughest things I’ve had to do. But it made me realize how connected the staff and I are with all residents here. They are our friends, our neighbors, and our loved ones, too. They are never simply names on a file folder that get shuffled from one box to another.

Did I make all the right choices for my father? I’d like to believe I did. I do know that I was proud he could call Copley home. He was constantly surrounded by people who cared about him. Could we ask for anything better?

Caring for Older Adults Means Keeping Everyone Active and Engaged

by Steven Tyer

I asked our activities director, Cheryl Woodward, to assist me in writing the blog this month. Getting older doesn’t have to mean getting less active! In fact it’s quite the opposite. Older adults who are less physically and socially active are at higher risk of losing the ability to do everyday routines. That includes everything from walking and dressing to dialing a telephone.

Exercise affects the mental well-being of older adults, too. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that lack of physical activity can lead to a greater risk of dementia-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s. A good fitness program, on the other hand, can help delay or even avoid symptoms of these diseases. Yet at least one study found that older adults in long-term facilities spend up to 65% of their time alone in their rooms.

I can tell you, that is not the case at Copley at Stoughton!

We do everything possible to help our residents stay fit and active for their physical, mental, and social well-being. Our Activities team, led Ms. Woodward, developed the “Fitness Fun” program with activities designed to keep our residents active and engaged. These include group calisthenics, guided walks in and around Copley, gardening, dancing, and other activities. Even simple things like encouraging residents to walk to the cafeteria at mealtimes rather than take a wheelchair can go a long way to increasing quality of life.

Regular outings are big social events here which usually have some sort of physical element such as walking. Other activities at Copley include cooking, arts and crafts, and cognitive games and puzzles. These are great ways of keeping the mind active as well.

The most important thing is that we do these activities together. Copley is a little community, and we encourage everyone to participate and interact socially. I like to think of our community as that neighborly house we all envision retiring in, but with all the comfort and convenience Copley offers.

Activities are important for our short-stay residents, too. Getting rehab after surgery or an injury can be difficult physically, mentally, and emotionally. This is especially true when you are away from home. Our professional Activities staff at Copley helps the time pass a lot faster.

If you have any questions about our Fitness Fun program or any of our lifestyle programming, please feel free to contact me anytime. We can even arrange for a tour so you can see for yourself how Copley keeps residents active and engaged. 

Visits Keep Loved Ones Young

by Steven Tyer

The families of our residents often ask me what they can do to help their loved ones. It’s one of the easiest questions because it’s simple: visit as much as possible.

We do our best to provide a family atmosphere here at Copley.  We offer engaging activities to encourage socialization among our residents. But nothing replaces family, and that’s why visits are so important. This is particularly important if your loved one has lost a spouse. The grieving process is intensified with the stress of life changes and particularly moving into a new “home.”  Visits from familiar faces help alleviate the feeling of loneliness.

Visits also keep residents engaged with the world around them. This includes emotionally engaged as well as mentally engaged – it’s all interconnected. Planning future visits gives them another activity to look forward to. Try to plan for outings if possible; not just visits at Copley. It may take some extra arranging depending on a medical condition, but I can tell you from personal experience that it is well worth it.

When you do visit, make a point to bring something to show: a grandchild’s artwork from school or pictures from a recent vacation. You can also bring family photos on visits from when they were younger, or old letters and cards to help them remember earlier days.

Bringing a pet is a great idea, especially if he or she used to have one themselves. You’ll often see dogs walking the grounds at Copley with residents, or simply sitting up on their bed. We are learning more and more about the therapeutic value of pets for long-term care residents and our short-term guests recovering at Copley.

Visits from family members – and pets – help keep loved ones young and the family bonds strong. If you have any questions about planned visits to Copley at Stoughton, ideas for activities, or our pet policies, please feel free to contact me directly. I’d be happy to discuss!

 

No Math Can Measure Family

by Steven Tyer

The other day I noticed Cheryl, our activities director, helping one of our residents with one of her creative projects.  Cheryl has been our activities director for over 10 years and it struck me at that moment that many of our staff have been at Copley for a decade or more.   Jill C., Jenn E., Kathy C., Chris S., Claire F., Marie R., Jill O., Evelyn R. and Gislene F., have all been at Copley for over 20 years!  I work with another group of 15 seriously dedicated staff that have been at Copley for over 15 years.  I personally will be at Copley for 8 years this coming February and still feel like the new kid on the block.  It is a great feeling to have as the administrator since staff turnover is notoriously high in healthcare facilities.

So what makes us different? Cheryl has said that Copley at Stoughton feels more like a home than a workplace, and that we all feel like family rather than co-workers and residents.  I’ll admit, this fills me with pride. It’s a validation that our philosophy of care has a positive impact on our employees as well as our residents.

Copley at Stoughton is one of the last privately owned nursing homes in the state. More than that, we do everything we can to hire directly from the community. As many of you know, I was born and raised in Stoughton. I think any care facility works best if it’s community-based – care-focused programs built by the community, for the community. Long-term care facilities owned by large companies have a completely different focus. It’s not that they don’t care about their residents; they do. But that type of environment changes the experience for the resident and the employees as well.

The reason you see such a high staff turnover in this industry is that you can get burned out too easily. Long-term care and rehabilitation can be emotionally exhausting for care professionals. Organizations need to provide support, not add more stress. We have an open door policy here for our employees. We want to know how they are doing, and how we are doing to make sure their needs are being met and they feel appreciated.  We are committed to providing a level of support to our employees so they know we value them professionally and personally.

The bottom line for me is that you cannot quantify care. When staff focuses on providing outstanding care rather than all the care that fits within a budget, our residents are in better hands. And when administration treats staff like family instead of replaceable parts in a system, you get great staff members who treat our residents like family, too.

 

Importance of Community

by Steven Tyer

I recently had the distinct honor of receiving the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce “Business Person of the Year” award. It was truly humbling to be recognized by the Chamber. I am privileged to have the good fortune to have a career centered on my community.

Copley at Stoughton is one of the few locally owned and operated Skilled Nursing facilities in the state which gives us the luxury of having strong personal connections with our staff, residents and their families as well as control over how our facility runs. They are our neighbors, friends, past teachers and coaches, and our families.

Serving our community members with whom we share values and experiences allows us to make the process of post-acute rehab much more personal. There is a mutual understanding, respect and a genuine concern over each and every person who is with us – short or long term.

Serving our community is a major part of Copley’s mission. We are proud to be able to support the SOLA initiative, Stoughton school field trips and many other town programs. We focus on the values of community, and that is what we strive to uphold inside and outside our doors.

Whether someone is looking at Copley for themselves, a family member, or is just curious about post-acute Skilled Nursing as a career, our doors are open to any and everyone to visit. Stoughton has given us a wonderful home, and we hope our efforts to support the community continue to show our gratitude.

 

Helping Others Find a Career Path

by Steven Tyer

Setting out to find a career is an exciting, yet terrifying time in everyone’s life. It’s easy to wonder – am I choosing the right path? What if I end up not liking the job?  Am I wasting my time? All of these questions are completely legitimate, but having a mentor to turn to for advice and guidance can make the journey less terrifying.

When we look back on when we first embarked on our career paths, there is usually a special someone who helped shape our careers by sharing their knowledge and past experiences. While it is said that struggles prove to be one of life’s greatest teachers, a mentor can help guide you through those struggles.

We’ve always taken mentoring very seriously. In fact, we encourage our staffs’ children and close family friends to shadow our employees if they show an interest in nursing, physical or occupational therapy or administration.  As a locally-owned and managed facility, we can offer an exceptional learning environment with hands-on experience. We have employees that started as CNAs that are now RNs, nursing station secretaries that have gone on to nursing school and students from Blue Hills Technical School who have finished their technical hours at our facility.

Jill Owens is the MDS Coordinator here at Copley. As an MDS Coordinator, Jill’s daily tasks consist of assessing the quality of the emotional, mental and physical care that is given to long-term patients. She started as a CNA back in 1995 and has since worked her way through nursing school and up to a management position that is very important for the everyday function of our facility, staff, and patients.

We open our doors and not only welcome but encourage younger generations to use our facility and our well-trained staff as a source of knowledge for their future. Know someone looking for hands-on experience in nursing or any part of the skilled nursing field? We would love to hear from them and learn how we can work together to start them on their way to a rewarding career. Whether it is through volunteering, interning or finishing up technical hours, there are many opportunities to learn and grow in any field if you put yourself out there!

Community

by Steven Tyer

The holiday season is without a doubt my favorite time of year to reflect on how wonderful it is to be part of this community.  From holiday parties and shopping to religious services, and our annual Holiday Open House, I know that there will be many opportunities for me to see people I have known for years and remember those who have passed on.

Having the chance to work in the town where I grew up and raised my family gives me the chance to assist numerous people that I know personally- some since elementary school. Because we are locally owned and operated, the majority of our Copley employees also reside in the surrounding area.  Almost all of our residents and guests here know someone on our staff through a personal connection. Our ability to provide services with a personal touch is not something many Skilled Nursing Facilities can say they do.

Even if you don’t need our services at present, feel free to stop by for a tour or give us a call to connect. And, if you are interested in working in a supportive environment that values community, I’d love to hear from you.  Chances are you probably know one or more of our residents or a member of our staff. Give us a call at 781-341-2300 X119 or check us out on Indeed to learn more about our open positions.

It’s hard to believe that I have been here for seven years now. I’ve come to realize that it’s true what they say- if you enjoy what you do and most importantly who you work with the time flies. I am always looking to grow my ties within this community; I hope to hear from you soon!