Crowds cheered as construction crews lifted the final steel beam into the frame of the new Love Family Women’s Center Monday. The facility is under construction on the campus of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and will increase the hospital’s capacity to deliver babies by 40%.
The women’s center is being built at the northwest corner of Mercy’s campus at West Memorial Road and North Meridian Avenue. Construction kicked off in July 2021 and is on schedule to be complete in fall 2023.
Labor and delivery and postpartum services at Mercy have been at capacity for years, limiting the hospital’s ability to serve more patients. Over the last decade, Mercy has seen a 34% increase in births. The hospital, built in the 1970s, was designed to accommodate up to 3,000 births annually, but the hospital made room for a record 4,035 births last year.
“Like Mary and Joseph experienced the night Jesus was born, many days there’s just not enough room in the inn here at Mercy,” said Dr. Chad Smith, chief medical officer and obstetrician/gynecologist at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. “Our Mercy Birthplace team is awe-inspiring, and they do everything in their power to create as much room and serve as many families as possible. But we’re excited this building will give us much more space to serve many more families when they need us.”
The hospital currently has 43 patient rooms dedicated to labor and delivery and postpartum services. When the Love Family Women’s Center opens, that number will increase to a total of 73 patient rooms.
The four-story, 175,000-square-foot building will feature an obstetrics emergency department and the state’s first hospital-based low intervention birthing unit staffed by certified midwives. It will also serve as a hub for services designed for women of all ages, including women’s surgical recovery and physical therapy.
Three large caesarean section suites in the women’s center will connect to the hospital on the first floor via the existing hospital surgical suite. This strategic design allows for quick, safe access to additional services if medical emergencies occur during delivery.
Postpartum rooms will be on the third floor of the women’s center and connect to the hospital via a skybridge. This allows moms of babies needing a higher level of care to have direct elevator access to the existing neonatal intensive care unit on the fifth floor of the hospital.
A large conference center will host support groups and classes on everything from childbirth and infant care to CPR and more.
“What makes this building so special is the love and support from our community that made it all possible,” said Lori Cummins, vice president of development at Mercy Health Foundation Oklahoma. “They say it takes a village to raise a child. With more than 40% of this project funded through donations, it’s taken a village of generous people across Oklahoma and the country to make this longtime dream a reality.”
The Tom and Judy Love family, for whom the center is named, gave a $10 million lead donation to kick off the project, inspiring another $33 million total in donations toward the Love Family Women’s Center.
Oklahoma Assisted Living Association Executive Director Melissa Holland has been fighting for seniors amid the state’s budget crisis.
by Bobby Anderson
Staff Writer
Weeks of political wrangling at the Oklahoma Legislature in November put the immediate future of 20,000 Oklahoma seniors in jeopardy with only a temporary fix agreed upon as the year draws to a close.
In mid-November the ADvantage Waiver program, designed to help them live at home instead of a nursing home faced elimination. By the end of the month a temporary reprieve was granted with the program’s future still uncertain in 2018.
Melissa Holland serves as the executive director of the Oklahoma Assisted Living Association.
She says her phone rang off the hook throughout the legislature’s special session.
“It shouldn’t have come to this point,” Holland said of the 11th-hour reprieve the waiver program received from Gov. Mary Fallin.
ADVANTAGE WAIVER
Financially, the ADvantage Waiver requires that applicants qualify for Oklahoma’s Institutional Medicaid known as SoonerCare.
The SoonerCare income limit for long term care services for a single applicant is $2,205 per month. The countable resources limit is $2,000.
Holland points out the program is actually a federal one through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Which means it was funded through taxes paid into Social Security.
“So Oklahoma receives funds for that and they should be disbursing accordingly,” Holland said. “The funds come from CMS.”
After learning of the Oklahoma Legislature’s intent to short the Oklahoma Department of Human Services $69 million in funding for the next fiscal year, DHS sent out a letter in October announcing that the ADvantage Waiver program would end Nov. 30.
The move would cover $39.44 million of the department’s $69 million funding shortfall.
State Rep. Pat Ownbey, chairman of the House Human Services Committee, said he believes the program will survive.
“The intent of the Legislature is not to allow the ADvantage Waiver program to be cut,” he said. “It’s not going to happen. … We will get that (budget) hole filled.”
Even though DHS was required by law to notify recipients of the impending cut it was criticized by legislators for fear mongering.
“What’s interesting was I started fielding calls from seniors that needed to go into communities that were looking for long-term care options and they had nowhere to go,” Holland said.
One of Holland’s members had to send out 26 eviction notices in one day. A pharmacy service called and said it would be forced to lay off employees.
“The thing is these residents, these seniors, have paid that to society,” Holland said. “Some are veterans. Most have worked hard and they deserve this. They’ve paid into the system and this is basically their money that should be coming back to them from the government from the taxes they’ve paid.”
“They’re not people who have never worked or are trying to live off the system.”
The program faced elimination in the new budget sent to Fallin’s desk.
But Fallin struck down all but five of the 170 sections of the budget plan. The measure did ensure the ADvantage program would be funded until January.
“House Bill 1019X does not provide a long-term solution to the re-occurring budget deficits, and within three months we will come back facing an estimated $600 million shortfall,” she said.
“This will preserve a safety net for core health and human services until legislators come back for a second special session, which I intend to call in the near future,” said Fallin.
Fallin said she vetoed most of HB 1019X because it came perilously close to using most of the state’s available one-time funds in various accounts and drawing down on available savings in the Rainy Day Fund. Signing the measure would have left the state with few available funds to deal with an estimated shortfall of more than $600 million in the next regular legislative session, which begins in February.
Senior Joan Dark is an ADvantage program member who lives in a Yukon assisted living facility.
She was one of thousands of Oklahoma seniors who spent an anxious November waiting for news.
“I turn the news on and turn it back off. It’s not pleasant but I pray a lot,” Dark said. “I honestly don’t know. I just don’t know. I love it here. I just don’t want the legislature to close us down. I like the people, both the residents and the staff. They are so good to us.”
The green highlights Oklahoma City governed by Mayor Couch. The blue highlights South Oklahoma (south of Reno), separately governed by Mayor Patrick and others until July 1890.
Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor
Built in 1931, the art deco First National Center at right begins an upward sweep to today’s 50-story giant of the plains Devon Tower at left. When first built in 2011 it was the tallest building between Chicago and Dallas. The BancFirst Tower’s steel and glass facade in the center was built in 1971.
Many seniors have read that Oklahoma City was built in a day, although historians will tell you that many facets of its rich Western Heritage have not been brought forward to today. That could not be truer than what is commonly thought of as Oklahoma City’s history.
“The world can find the real story of Oklahoma City online at The First Eight Months of Oklahoma City (okgenweb.net), which provides a factual account of the birth of Oklahoma City in its two halves,” said Larry Floyd, 69. The adjunct U.S. history teacher at OSU-OKC said in an interview, “Research often bears out far more detail and sometimes a more surprising history than what gets published in popular accounts of any historic event.”
Although more than 50,000 settlers swarmed into the 2-million-acre “Unassigned Lands” of central Oklahoma Territory during the land run of April 22, 1889, Oklahoma City was not built in a day, month, or even a year. (story continues below)
https://www.sibleyinsures.com/
Most future Oklahoma City residents came in by train to the Oklahoma Station townsite, arriving from the north and the south. The train coming north from Purcell was one hour late to the central depot for the three largest railways in the Southwest: Rock Island, Katy, and Santa Fe.
Because of this Oklahoma City began as two cities. Soon known as Oklahoma City and South Oklahoma City, this instant Western heritage was energized by people seeking the last of the free land folks had moved west to settle. Part of that heritage was the abundance of land, a fact that complicated the city’s beginning.
Many settlers wanted to claim their 160 acres while living close to the new townsite since it featured transportation and water as the North Canadian River ran through it. The 22 packed railroad cars arriving an hour late from Purcell brought new residents to a townsite already filled by hundreds of new Oklahoma Cityans. They had already staked their claims after arriving first on the train from Guthrie.
Oklahomans have consistently proven themselves resourceful, so the late arrivals set about creating South Oklahoma south of the Oklahoma City townsite. For every description of people staking claims and securing lots, the same took place on a prairie south of Reno Avenue in the new South Oklahoma City.
When G.W. Patrick found the most desirable lots taken and unable to do any better, he staked two lots on the south side of block three. His fellow late arrivals from the train followed his lead.
On April 23, Patrick began surveying south from the section line at Reno Avenue as the Citizens’ Survey began working north. Encountering no conflicting surveys, Patrick’s crew laid out 35 blocks along seven streets, and settlers made adjustments as required.
By Saturday, April 27, the citizens of South Oklahoma elected Patrick mayor and a full slate of city officials. They also drafted and adopted a city charter. Oklahoma City to the north elected Capt. W.L. Couch as mayor on May 1.
According to the City Directory published by the Oklahoma Chief newspaper in August 1889, South Oklahoma contained approximately 1,300 residents compared with about 3,700 north of Reno Avenue in Oklahoma City. The commercial district was mainly in Oklahoma City (except for the south side of Reno Avenue) and was the most densely developed portion of the two cities.
During the 15 months of its separate existence, South Oklahoma City saw three months of public schools, two churches, construction of an ice factory, lumberyards, and hundreds of homes built.
On May 2, 1890, the U.S. Congress passed the Organic Act, which provided for the organization of Oklahoma Territory and governing municipal incorporation. A petition was accepted on July 15, 1890, consolidating Oklahoma City and South Oklahoma into Oklahoma City.
This info is available online at https://www.89ertrail.com/12/# .
Capitol Hill was incorporated as a city in 1905. By then, a strong sense of community and civic activity made this area an economic and cultural force remaining independent until it joined with Oklahoma City in 1911.
The southern part of Oklahoma City continued to provide space to grow in the decade of statehood in 1907, Oklahoma City became the nation’s fastest-growing city from 1900 to 1910 and the new state’s capitol city.
Oklahoma City’s first major park, Wheeler Park, was established on the banks of the North Canadian River in 1903. The park included extensive gardens and places to relax and picnic. In 1904 the city’s first zoo opened in the park. After two great floods swept down the river in 1923, wiping out Wheeler Park, the zoo was relocated. The playground, park, and baseball diamonds were restored.
Oklahoma City’s first airport was built in south Oklahoma City. In 1911, the Oklahoma City Municipal Airfield opened the skies for future travel. The airfield brought new opportunities and visitors to the city, and in 1941 it was rededicated as Will Rogers World Airport.
Oklahoma City has since capitalized on its strategic central location from its beginning to its present status as the crossroads of America. Just like its beginning as a railroad hub, it assumed the crossroads are our nation’s two main interstate highways (I-35 and I-40). They intersect in Oklahoma City and share the same roadway for two miles. Even before the interstate highway system, OKC gained from being on historic Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Farmer-stockmen found the city’s location along the North Canadian River strategic and its railroad services a lifeline to the rest of the country. Once the area’s largest employer, the Oklahoma City Stockyards and its business district maintain a high profile, it is a tourist destination and unofficial Western heritage center. Although no longer a focal point for local slaughterhouses, the daily cattle auctions still make it the world’s largest stocker/feeder market.
The city has cultivated its place as the centrally located Western Heritage center. It hosts more horse-related shows and competitions each year than any city globally. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is the official steward of that Western heritage. After a recent expansion, it now houses the most extensive collection of Western art and Americana west of the Smithsonian.
Jobs. Kids. Commutes. Spouses.
With wall-to-wall daily schedules, it’s tough to carve out time for healthy habits. Too often, packed days claim two victims: adequate sleep and exercise. But if you’re forced to choose between the two, should you hit the gym or the pillow?
“That’s like asking whether food or water is more important,” said Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation President Stephen Prescott, M.D. “Both are cornerstones of good health.”
Still, he said, “If we could get everyone exercising regularly, we would be better off as a society than if everyone was getting eight hours of sleep nightly.” Working out helps stave off the effects of aging, fights heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and controls obesity, which has reached epidemic levels.
That certainly doesn’t make sleep less important, though, said Prescott. Adequate sleep helps maintain a healthy immune system and, like exercise, plays a role in maintaining healthy weight. “Most of all, it keeps us alert and allows us to concentrate, whether at our jobs or while driving,” he said.
Indeed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving is responsible for 72,000 accidents in the U.S. each year. An analysis found that those who’d had 5 to 6 hours of sleep in the previous 24 hours were twice as likely to get in an accident as drivers who’d slept for 7 hours or more.
“Sleep needs vary by individual, but most of us fall somewhere between 7 and 9 hours a night to get all the health benefits needed,” said Prescott. Hitting that 7-hour mark, he said, is crucial. But, perhaps, he suggested, once you reach that mark, if you have to choose between an extra hour of sleep and exercising, getting up to hit the gym could be worthwhile.
“If you can do this and not suffer any consequences from it—falling asleep during the day, disrupted metabolism, reduced energy—then I believe it’s a worthwhile pursuit,” said Prescott.
“Still, I don’t like the having to pick between the two,” he said. “And if we’re really honest with ourselves, most of us don’t have to sacrifice one for the other. We can find the time if we make it a priority.”
“I would encourage anyone with a 15-minute window to get up and do something,” said Prescott. “Even if you can’t make it to the gym, take a quick walk. Go up and down the stairs. Do something that gets your heart rate up and makes you work.”
These quick bursts of exercise aren’t optimal, said Prescott, but they’re preferable to inactivity.
“Once you start any type of regular exercise, you’ll sleep better,” he said. “And better sleep means more energy. It’s a wonderful cycle of positive effects; you just have to commit to finding the time.”
Amy Shirola, VillagesOKC Administration and Finance Director, is excited about the upcoming fundraiser.
By Marilyn Olson, Executive Director, VillagesOKC
VillagesOKC is inviting adults of all ages to join them in a fundraiser at Topgolf Oklahoma City, a premier entertainment destination in the metro. The event will be on April 18 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at 13313 Pawnee Dr.
“This is more than just your average golf tournament,” said Amy Shirola, VillagesOKC Administration and Finance Director. “It’s a great way to get together with friends and raise money for VillagesOKC.
We are a 501c3 nonprofit, and 80% of our operating budget is from donations. We want to continue giving stellar educational opportunities with great speakers, consulting with those who are in the middle of a major life transition or crisis, and connecting the 50+ population in the Oklahoma City metro with valuable resources.”
Cost is a $100 each for a six-person team; single-player registration is $125. Dinner is included. There will be a raffle going on all evening for great prizes and a Hole-In-One Contest where players can take a shot at a hole-in-1 for $10,000.
Shirola said there are sponsor opportunities also. Sponsorships range from $500 to $15,000.
“There are six sponsorship levels to choose from with various promotional opportunities,” she said. “Whether you choose to be a Putter Sponsor or Hole-in-One Sponsor, we sincerely appreciate your sponsorship of our Topgolf tournament.”
In 2023, VillagesOKC made 2,507 connections at its events for older adults. The goal is to increase that number significantly in 2024.
“Join us for a night out with friends and a delicious dinner while supporting our mission of empowering adults to age with vitality and purpose,” Shirola said.
Registration and sponsorship details are available at
https://villagesokc.org/top-golf-tournament/ or by calling (405) 990-6637.
Topgolf showcases a dartboard type driving range with golf balls that are tracked electronically and a scorecard that is updated automatically. Concentric circles mark the score for the session, and closer to the bulls-eye gets a higher score.
The fundraiser will use Top Contender Game Play rules. Here is how the Topgolf website describes this play:
• Choose 8 or 12 shots per player. Players rotate every 4 shots.
• Hit the glowing targets for double points.
• Aim closer to the center of each target for maximum points.
• Hit the glowing target that is furthest in the distance for maximum points.
“Get a hole-in-1 while you are playing Top Contender, and you can go home with up to $750 cash,” Shirola said. “The winning team will take home a cash prize.”
Brian Smith is helping bring cruising back to 12th Street in Moore.
by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer
Who’s cruising tonight?
Whether you grew up in the 1950s or the 1980s that simple question eventually led to meeting up with friends along a main stretch of road in your hometown.
That road usually passed by a local drive-in.
A burger and a coke and lots of conversation about school, cars and life usually followed.
But with technology becoming more prevalent, cruising – or dragging main – simply became a lost art.
That was until Covid came along and the original social distancing came back to fashion.
Brian Smith didn’t grow up in Moore. He moved there at the age of 15.
When he was old enough to get behind the wheel he fell in love with the weekly bumper-to-bumper madness that was cruising in his newfound home along 12th Street.
In 2010 he made a page on Facebook – “Bring Cruising Back to 12th Street!!” – as a way to gather both pictures and memories.
“I had lost track of all the car guys,” Smith said. “I lost track of everybody. I didn’t even fathom it would possibly come back. I was just looking for pictures.”
It took him nine years for the page to amass 350 regular followers.
In the meantime, he researched the history of cruising in Moore.
In his research, Smith came upon an old Rolling Stone magazine story.
The story ranked 12th Street as the No. 3 cruising destination in the nation.
Smith believed it.
“I’ve personally met people from the East Coast and the West Coast who have come just to cruise,” he said.
In the late ‘80s the city encountered pushback from residents when it tried to ban cruising altogether.
But Smith always felt that cruising would make a comeback.
And then in April of this year something changed. Maybe it was people beginning to get stir crazy for what would be the start of a long Covid lockdown.
Maybe it was Lori Smith Meyers posting her car club would be going out on a Wednesday night.
Whatever it was ignited a spark.
By the end of that Thursday, Smith’s followers on Facebook doubled.
The page pushed over 1,000 followers the next day and then doubled again the next day.
By the end of that weekend, 4,000 people were interested in reviving cruising in the community.
“It was really, really cool,” Smith said. “It just kept snowballing.”
There were cars coming out that hadn’t been out for decades.”
That first Saturday night in April an estimated 3,500 cars cruised up and down 12th Street. Another 2,500 came the next week.
The sleepy, Oklahoma CIty suburb had gridlock at 10 on a Saturday night.
Smith was in awe.
You could see him smiling ear-to-ear when he pulled up to the local Sonic in his 1963 Ford Fairlane.
He was told stories of guys who had cruised decades before him in legendary vehicles.
Grandfathers began bringing their grandsons after working on their cars.
Guys like Jerry Beard and his 1926 Ford Model-T started showing up.
Mike Jury remembers he used to beg his dad to take him out to Braum’s on a Saturday night just to watch the cars go by.
Now he’s helping Smith’s effort to revive cruising for generations to come.
Smith and Jury put together the “Covid List,” a listing of businesses that were still open in Moore during the pandemic that would be meet-up friendly.
The number of cars grew so quickly that the Moore Police Department got involved, but not in the way you might expect.
“They took my list on their page,” Smith said. “The new police chief gave them a trial run.”
“It kind of made me official.”
“Moore (PD) never told them to stop cruising. They wanted to support it. It was part of Moore’s heritage.”
As the numbers grew – and a few noise complaints – Moore did have to step in and provide some guidance.
Entrances to businesses could not be blocked. All vehicles must be properly tagged and road compliant.
Meyers – now a moderator of the page – says the group has done a good job of policing itself.
Her and her husband own a local garage, one they started after he retired from General Motors 14 years ago.
At 62, Lori Meyers says the movement took off during a perfect storm.
“It’s a freedom to socialize. You feel safe and you’re in the fresh air,” said Meyers, who brings her 1946 Chevy Stylemaster out to cruise. “The Moore community is a good place.”
The interest keeps growing.
By the end of September, Smith’s Facebook page was pushing 10,000 followers.
“It’s insane. The word spreads like wildfire,” he said.
So who’s cruising again?
The Tinker Honor Guard presents the colors to kick off the 2016 Armed Forces Day parade May 21 in Del City. (Air Force photo by April McDonald)
The City of Del City and the Del City Chamber of Commerce are proud to announce the annual Armed Forces Day and Shriners Parade is returning on May 15. This long-standing tradition of nearly three decades is one of the largest of its kind in Oklahoma.
Dozens of parade entries have already signed up for what organizers are preparing as a record-breaking turnout. The parade will feature military vehicles, India Shriners, veteran groups, community organizations and more.
The parade will start at 10 a.m. at SE 15th and Sunnylane. It will travel south on Sunnylane to SE 29th, where it will turn east and proceed to Vickie Drive.
Oklahomans of all ages are invited to line the streets in honor and celebration of the men and women serving in our armed forces.
Anyone who would like to take part in the parade is encouraged to fill out the application online at cityofdelcity.com/armed-forces-day-parade.
If you would like to participate in this year’s parade or additional information, please contact Monica Cardin via 405-671-2815 or email mcardin@cityofdelcity.org.
Ben Pearce wraps himself in fiber optics from Iris Memory Cares cutting edge Snoezelen Therapy Machine, “Quality of life is continuous and people expect and need to be engaged in that quality of life so they can remain positive, focused and enriched.” This unique portable unit helps residents do just that by incorporating lights, sounds and smells.
Iris Memory Care of Edmond Engages Residents
Ben Pearce, consultant for Iris Memory Care and world renowned expert and educator on Alzheimer’s and dementia visits with Jessie Motsinger, Marketing Director at Iris Memory care, while looking at residents spring gardening projects. Just one of the many enriching activities that help residents thrive.
by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer
With a lifetime spent serving seniors battling age-related memory diseases, Ben Pearce noticed a pattern. Living options for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia issues focused on keeping them protected in environments that often separated them from the things they once lived for. So he devoted his life to finding ways to help people regain that happiness and helping them thrive.
“People are people and even though they have a disease it doesn’t mean they become the disease,” said Pearce, a recognized worldwide expert on the subject of aging. “They want as much engagement as you and I would. Our dementia program allows us to understand a person not only as someone who suffers from illness, but also as someone who inhabits healthy routines and a personality that remains even though it seems to be hidden by illness. Engaging the person behind the impairment allows activities to become therapy.”
With more than three decades of experience working with more than 200 communities in 36 states, Pearce also teaches on the subject at Johns Hopkins University. Pearce’s results in seeing through the fog of dementia to reach people are both innovative and groundbreaking and that’s why David Krukiel and Brandon Meszaros – owners and founders of Iris Memory Care of Edmond – engaged him to provide residents the best possible experience.
“Brandon and I sought high and low, all around the nation, to bring in the best operations team to make our mission of providing the best care for our residents a reality. Upon meeting Ben, it was an easy decision. We founded Iris Memory Care on three principles: Compassion, Dignity and Comfort. Ben not only understands our principles, he lives them!” said Krukiel. “Ben’s knowledge and hands-on-approach is a key component to ‘The Iris Difference’”.
THE IRIS DIFFERENCE
From the moment you walk through the front door you can tell Iris is different. The familiar sights, sounds, and aromas invite you to engage with your loved one in a comfortable, stimulating environment. The kitchen is traditionally known as the heart of the home, and at Iris Memory Care it serves as the heart of the community. The open-concept kitchen encourages residents and visitors to interact with cooks as they prepare classic dishes with fresh seasonal ingredients. Menus include meals your loved one will be familiar with, as well as family recipes shared by others. The food is only part of the dining experience; the sensory cues and social interactions that go along with each meal are equally important.
In the great room, a grand piano sets the tone for expression as residents, caregivers, and visitors are welcome to play. Countertops throughout are made of high-end granite, providing visual warmth and natural durability. Strikingly beautiful hardwood-like floors provide an elegant look while minimizing fall risks. Even the wall colors are specially chosen for their calming qualities.
PERSONAL PATH OF CARE
Krukiel and Meszaros understand residents experience the challenges of memory loss in different ways – and a routine that works well today may not be as effective tomorrow. That’s why Iris provides Personalized Paths of Care with the flexibility to adapt to the moment and be regularly updated with input from caregivers and nursing staff.
The Iris Memory Care approach to care revolves around four simple, yet powerful, factors:
· Getting to Know Your Loved One
When a new resident joins the Iris community, staff conducts a personal evaluation to identify your loved one’s cognitive function, social interaction, mobility challenges, special dietary needs, and more. Family members are welcome to attend the evaluation to offer insights about past events, personality traits, friends, relatives, hobbies, and other details that will help Iris staff connect with your loved one.
· Attentive Physical Care
From proper nutrition, hydration, and medication management to compassionate assistance with activities of daily life, the needs of your loved one are central to each care pathway. Once a Personalized Path of Care is created, staff works daily to strengthen their abilities and promote independence.
·Positive Social Engagement
An important point of difference for Iris Memory Care is the emphasis placed on making connections. Staff members visit each resident multiple times per day, and make it a point to facilitate connections among residents with similar interests. Outings to foster connections with the surrounding community are also offered.
· Sensory Enrichment
With memory impairment, activities that stimulate the senses and encourage hands-on participation can be invaluable ways to soothe or delight your loved one in the moment. Music and art play an important role in the care provided, as do stage-appropriate tasks.
Pearce has discovered the type of engagement offered at Iris is critical in helping residents thrive. “The industry standard is offering care with random activities. We’re reversing that paradigm to provide continuous therapeutic activities as our main focus, with the care that residents routinely need as supportive,” Pearce says. “This means we offer activities with care, not care with activities. Quality of life goes on all day long at Iris Memory Care. Quality of life is continuous and people expect and need to be engaged in that quality of life so they can remain positive, focused and enriched.”
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is outraged that a registered nurse was handcuffed and arrested by a police officer for following her hospital’s policy and the law, and is calling for the Salt Lake City Police Department to conduct a full investigation, make amends to the nurse, and take action to prevent future abuses.
The incident occurred July 26 at University Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah and video footage of the incident was recently released. Registered nurse Alex Wubbels was arrested after refusing to draw blood from an unconscious patient who had been injured in a collision and was a patient on the burn unit.
According to the video, Nurse Wubbels shared details about the hospital’s policy with the police officers and consulted her supervisors in responding to the detective’s request. Wubbels cited the hospital’s policy, stating that blood could not be taken from an unconscious patient unless the patient is under arrest, a warrant had been issued for the blood draw, or the patient consents. The police officers stated that they had implied consent to get the blood sample and they believed that the hospital’s policy contravened their duty to enforce the law. However, “implied consent” has not been Utah law for more than a decade. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that warrantless blood tests go against privacy interests and public safety and therefore are not allowed. “It is outrageous and unacceptable that a nurse should be treated in this way for following her professional duty to advocate on behalf of the patient as well as following the policies of her employer and the law,” said ANA President Pam Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN.
According to the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, “the nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient.” Unfortunately, nurses often are victims of violence on the job. In 2015, ANA adopted a policy of “zero tolerance” for workplace violence and called on nurses and their employers to work together to prevent and reduce the incidence of workplace violence. “Nurses and police officers work collaboratively in many communities,” said Cipriano. “What occurred is simply outrageous and unacceptable. Nurse Wubbels did everything right. It is imperative that law enforcement and nursing professionals respect each other and resolve conflicts through dialogue and due process.”
