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Summer at Copley

July 31, 2019 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

The Meaning of “Loved One” at Copley

April 29, 2019 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

February 27, 2019 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.

Employee Spotlight: Cheryl Woodward

September 28, 2017 by Steven Tyer

Activity Directors at Skilled Nursing Facilities play a vital role in developing and implementing different activities that will engage residents, give them something to look forward to and encourage socialization.

Cheryl Woodward has been our Activities Director for ten years now, planning and implementing the daily and annual activities for our residents. Cheryl lives locally in Taunton, MA and in her free time enjoys painting, decorating, arts and crafts and anything that gets her creative juices flowing.

Cheryl works hard to reconnect our residents with the hobbies they love to make their lives feel fulfilled and meaningful. Each month a thoughtfully planned calendar outlining activities gives residents something to look forward to, which helps tremendously with their mental well-being. There are also many events that occur on a regular basis including coffee hour & word games to keep residents minds sharp, fitness fun to encourage an active lifestyle, painting classes for artistic residents, spa days, restaurant outings, casino trips and more! Cheryl’s favorite activities to plan are the ones that involve bringing the resident’s families together. Some of the annual family events are the Winter Holiday Celebration in December and National Nursing Home Week in May.

Each season, our residents work collectively on a mural that graces the front lobby of Copley. Each resident participating is given one to two squares of a larger picture to complete. The individual paintings are then put together and revealed to the residents in a grand unveiling ceremony. This is one of the most looked forward to events each season as it takes hours of hard work and dedication. Cheryl started incorporating these murals into our activities three years ago, and past and present residents have now completed twelve collaborative murals, and we recently started donating the older ones to town buildings. Our spring 2015 mural entitled “April Showers Bring May Flowers” is on display at the Stoughton Public Library. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area.

Cheryl enjoys working here for many reasons but said that what she appreciates most about her job is how it feels like home. It is not only a comfortable environment, but she loves the people she works alongside and the special bond she has with our residents.