Giving to Others

by admin on December 18th, 2009

The spirit of Christmas is alive and well at GreenField Health & Rehabilitation Center in Lancaster, an affiliate of the Niagara Lutheran Health System. And, families going through tough times will be the beneficiaries.

This facility-wide project goes on all year. Money is raised through hot dog sales, raffles, Chinese auctions, car washes special lunches, and many more activities in which residents staff and visitors participate. Then names of families are obtained through Child & Family Services, and staff members adopt a family.

It’s not just the people who receive the gifts who benefit. Staff members tell stories about how they saw the spirit of giving demonstrated in their own families while shopping for gifts for others and even at the mall. One woman’s husband got involved in picking out the gifts for their family of a single mom and two children and even did a little shopping of his own on the side for them. A young nurse used coupons from a trendy store for teenagers and when she explained to the clerk at the store who the gifts were for, the clerk added an employee discount to make the money go further.

Staff and volunteers spent a good portion of one day wrapping and tagging a huge roomful of gifts that took two vans to deliver to Child and Family service the week before Christmas.

Guild Members & Volunteers shared the Spirit of Christmas with Residents

by admin on December 15th, 2009

Our wonderful Guild members and volunteers pitched in to wrap some of the many presents that will be delivered to residents on Christmas Day. Thanks for your help!

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The GreenFields Outpatient Clinic Designated as WNY Center for Falls Prevention

by admin on December 5th, 2009

A serious fall can be a life changing event, especially for the elderly.  Statistics show that one out of three senior citizens will take such a fall this year and, as a result, the risk is high for them to be robbed of their independence, their ability to function, and in some cases, their lives.

The people at The GreenField Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic & Wellness Center in Lancaster are doing their part to help, and the outpatient clinic was recently named a Western New York center for falls prevention.  Staff members are working closely with the experts at Learning Partners to develop a train-the-trainer toolkit and program for physicians, home care agencies and others to identify people at risk for falls. Guidelines for screening and assessing people at risk, as well as intervention and referral resources are being developed.  Balance exercises, medication management, and home safety recommendations are examples of some of the topics that will be covered.  Funding for the program comes from a grant received through the WNY Falls Collaborative and “Step-Up-To-Stop-Falls” initiative.

Jurgen Arndt, President and CEO of the Niagara Lutheran Health System, which operates the GreenField Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic & Wellness Center, says, “If we can help just one person avoid a devastating fall and continue living a happy, productive life, this program will have been worth all the effort that has gone into it.”