Blog

The best way to kick off the fall season is with our very own OKTOBERFEST!  Residents enjoyed a German feast for lunch and then joined us in the beer garden for beer and soft pretzels.  Prost!!

Our amazing volunteer Deb has been spending time creating crafts with the residents.  Everyone painted their own terracotta pot and then the following week, planted ivy seeds. . . now we will watch them grow!

The residents had a wonderful time listening to the 50’s and 60’s songs from the past with the talented singer Chris Darin!  The residents were moving and grooving while singing along to their favorite tunes.

One of my grandfather’s favorite sayings was that we should not let fear of mistakes override the excitement of trying something new.  I recently shared this advice with my oldest daughter who is in the process of making the biggest decision of her teenaged life – what college to attend.   In continuing with my reminiscence, I recalled that he would also say that when facing a major decision, learn as much as you can about the matter.  So, my daughter and I created a complex spreadsheet which outlined and ranked over 20 colleges and universities on a dozen key factors – with specific focus on fields of study, NCAA conference, distance from home, graduation and retention rates, crime on campus, quality of food programs, virtual tours, and even YouTube reviews… just to name a few.   Ella is following a very logical process but as the days come and go, she is feeling less confident and more frustrated in the pending event.  Her mom and I continued to give her reassurances and plenty of hugs but her fear of making the wrong choice persisted.  Finally, our youngest daughter came to the rescue by stating something very simple.  She said, “Ella, don’t you remember what we learned last Sunday at church… about how we can seek God’s Face and He will guide us with His counsel?  The instructor encouraged us to go ahead and make the decisions we needed to do and pray that His will to be done in the matter but most importantly, we should release the results to God.”  We all just sat there in amazement over what this 15-year-old girl was reciting because she was so right!  When choices need to be made, anxiety can cloud our thinking – perhaps even immobilizing us.  The remedy is to remember that He is with us and for us.  We do not have to perform well for God to keep loving us.  Absolutely nothing, including our worst mistakes, can separate us from our Loving God.  Again, some heavy advice from a little youthful soul.  More to come on the “final” college selection – I promise.

The residents had a great time helping to shuck corn for an upcoming meal!

American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living honor National Assisted Living Week in September! Themed “Joyful Moments” the celebration took place September 11th – September 17 th. During the week, Columbia cottage enjoyed entertainment from Mike Evans and Robert Banks, a special prize bingo, and a visit from Sweet Ride Ice Cream Truck!

The two latest Columbia Cottage babies joined our family! On July 24, Nurse Angie welcomed little girl, Rylie. On August 29, Mel welcomed little boy, Ja’Mel. For those of you keeping track, that’s four Columbia Cottage babies in a year!

How do we survive the dog days of summer?  With 590 water balloons! Residents were given water balloons and water guns as staff “ran the gauntlet”! Peals of laughter filled the air as the residents hit their favorite “targets” and we all became thoroughly soaked!

We had the opportunity of a lifetime during Assisted Living Week to hold a baby kangaroo! Thank you to Rehab 1 for sponsoring this fun event and Aldinger Farms for bringing two baby kangaroos to visit our residents. Isla was the oldest kangaroo at 9 months old and the 2nd kangaroo was 6 months old and still waiting to be named. Our residents and staff recommended naming the baby kangaroo “CC” short for Columbia Cottage.

Alzheimer's isn't waiting — and neither are we. This year, we are participating in the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's® to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer's care, support, and research. Will you stand with us in this fight by supporting the Columbia Cottage team? Due to safety concerns, we will not be walking on City Island; instead, we will join and walk around our own campus on October 14 th. Please consider donating to the teams fundraising efforts. Every dollar you donate helps the Alzheimer's Association® provide care and support to all those facing Alzheimer's and all other dementia, and advance critical research. 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer's - Harrisburg, PA: Columbia Cottage | Walk to End Alzheimer's.

While we know a lot about what memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease look like, but why some people develop these illnesses is still mostly a mystery. Still, there is evidence that treating health problems like high blood pressure and diabetes reduces the chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory loss. For example, people with poor hearing have a higher risk of memory loss. This may be because they become socially isolated when they can’t communicate easily with others. Other research has pointed to air pollution, excessive alcohol consumption, and brain injuries as risk factors for memory loss. Many of these studies are sponsored by the Lancet Commission, including a newly released study that suggests impaired vision puts people at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory loss. Like hearing, vision is important for reducing isolation and depression, other probable risk factors for memory loss. It’s hard to enjoy playing a board game and talking with friends if you can’t see or hear what’s happening. Phone calls become strained, too. There’s also an increased risk of falling, yet another potential risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss. There may be a physiological aspect as well. Vision, like hearing, allows for sensory experiences. Sensory experiences stimulate neural pathways in the brain. When sensory experiences are diminished, these neurons may die, reducing brain function. Publishing data about memory loss risk factors has a two-fold purpose. Of course, scientific findings help people make decisions about their health care. Such data can also be used to pressure Medicare/Medicaid and other insurers to provide better coverage. Many insurers, including Medicaid, pay for only a small portion of the cost of hearing aids and glasses and may not replace lost or broken ones. Good hearing aids cost thousands of dollars, and Medicaid Advantage may cover only a few hundred dollars of that cost. Glasses can be another mostly out-of-pocket expense, so people may skip buying them or delay getting a prescription upgrade when needed. In 2021, the House of Representatives passed a bill to expand Medicare coverage, including increased hearing and vision care. The Senate did not approve the bill. Consider writing to your local representatives if this is an issue you would like to see them focus on.

This month’s lifelong learning session was about the Honeybee and how to extract honey. Our Resident Services Director, Kimmie, has lived on a farm all her life and shared pictures, videos, and stories from her honeybee adventures. Her farm, Three Sisters Farm, has 30 hives and they extract almost 200 pounds of honey yearly. They use the honey in various recipes and to make lip balm and candles. Kimmie’s favorite part in caring for the bees is finding and tagging the queen bee. Kimmie brought fresh honey and honeycombs for residents and staff to taste. Delicious!