Let Me Take a Moment to Brag Unabashedly

Recently we were sent a beautiful letter from a wound tech consultant that often treats patients at our facility. He praises our top notch wound care led by our amazing wound specialist, Sophia Villareal, and our dedicated nursing staff for making his job easier and every patients’ healing process very successful.

Here is the bulk of the letter so we can brag about our amazing staff and the terrific job they’re doing:

“Dear Mr. Little,

I am writing to let you know that I am really impressed by your facility. I have been taking care of patient ___________ in your facility for over 5 months for multiple chronic wounds. It was even recommended for the patient to have one of her affected limbs removed due to circulatory issues and the wound may not heal. As I continue to visit and do treatment for this patient twice a week, slowly the wound on the affected limb is getting better and better. I am very happy to report to you that finally it is healed! We know that there are lots of factors that may promote or hinder wound healing. This patient receives extraordinary care in your facility that really facilitates the healing process for her wound. Since I started taking care of this patient, I have never seen her leg/foot not off-loaded on her bed. She is always in a very comfortable position that further enhances the resolution of her wound to her limb. I may be an expert in wound healing but the treatment modalities I use will not be beneficial if other factors for wound healing are not present.

I congratulate your treatment nurses for their hard work as well as the charge nurses and CNAs who are mostly involved with the care of the above patient. Her limb is still there because of them! I know the patient still has some wounds and we need to continue our work. It may take some time to heal it, but I am confident that her other wounds will also continue to move forward due to the care she receives.”

We appreciate this kind of feedback and love to bask in the knowledge that our staff truly is the best.

We’re Having a Very Merry Chistmas

Here at Upland Rehab and Care Center we know the holidays are fast approaching and this week and next are full of fun Christmas activities and events.

Since the beginning of December, we have invited carolers to come and sing for our patients several days a week. Young children walk up and down our halls, singing Christmas songs outside the rooms of every patient. Their beautiful voices make everyone stop in their tracks and listen to the sweet sounds of the holidays. Despite the unseasonably warm weather, which can often detract from the the feelings we often associate with Christmas time, we are able to imagine snow slowly falling outside and rosy cheeks as these children sing about a White Christmas and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. We’ve also put up our decorations which include a beautiful and very real Christmas tree in our lobby full of ornaments and dawned with curling red ribbons and bows.

This week we’ve invited the cream of the crop from the caroling world. On Wednesday, the 11th Street Baptist Church Carolers will be putting on a concert in our event hall and every resident has the opportunity to come and enjoy this well-known local choir and sing along to songs about the miracle of Christmas. On Thursday, the Upland High School Choir, will be putting on a concert as well. These students dress in full Elizabethan regalia and sing classic Christmas carols from times past. These students have competed in competitions throughout the state and create sounds with their altos, sopranos, and bass’s that cannot be rivaled, even by the North Pole Choir of Elves.

I’ve included a video of a performance by the amazing students to give you a taste of what we anticipate to be a joyful morning of song and cheer.

We will also be hosting a Christmas party for residents (with a special guest!) and fun games like Christmas bingo. We’re nothing if not festive here at Upland Rehab and plan to make our New Year’s celebrations just as exciting. Stay tuned to read more!

5-Star Hotel Status

As a part of our attempts to create a skilled nursing care facility that is unlike the stereotypical views that most people associate with nursing homes, we have integrated into our business plan ideas that make upscale hotels popular such as our in-house Concierge. This relatively new position that Upland Rehab created this past summer has proven quite successful. Our concierge is in charge of the general well-being of each patient in our rehabilitation facility, making sure they have everything they need outside of their medical and therapy care. While patients are not involved in therapy or wound care, we want them to have more to do than simply sit in bed and watch television. While there are many things to do here including activities, visiting the patio and garden, and taking advantage of our game room, patients are often tired after therapy and choose to do restful activities that allow them to remain in their rooms.

The concierge is there for patients when they need something that a busy nurse or physical therapist cannot give. Often times that simply means having a 20-minute chat about their lives, their past, their interests, and explanations of what they hope to be able to continue doing after they recover and go home. During these conversations, the concierge learns about their hobbies and interests, and is able to provide patients with books and magazines about fishing, sports cars, celebrity gossip, travel, or whatever else may strike a patient’s fancy, The concierge is also able to provide patients with their favorite music to listen to while they rest or to take with them in the form of CD or MP3 players while they receive dialysis which can often taks hours to complete.

In addition, the concierge is able to advocate for the patient, relating information, questions, and preferences to other departments such as dietary, therapy, and others. For example, if a patient feels they receive too much dairy, the concierge can make sure that replacements are given at lunch and dinner. This go-between makes the nurse’s job much easier so they can focus on patient care while also allowing patient’s less vital needs to be met quickly. By relating to patients on a deeper level, we are better able to meet their needs and cater our care to their personality and preferences. The concierge will speak to occupational therapy, letting them know that a particular patient loves to cook or to make quilts and the therapists are able to incorporate these fun and familiar activities into the patient’s therapy.

The concierge is like a magic genie, able to fulfill the wishes of each patient. During Halloween, a patient really wanted to watch some scary movies so the concierge used a portable DVD player, purchased some classic horror films, and gave the patient a fun and scary Halloween. When a patient discussed her love of Italian cooking, the concierge gathered all the necessary ingredients so she could make a delicious meal during her therapy which was then passed out to other patients to enjoy. When a patient was feeling down, wishing he could go home and be with family but knowing that he needed to complete therapy in order to be in tip-top shape, the concierge was able to give him the listening ear he needed and provide him with puzzle books, art projects, books, magazines and more that made his stay more enjoyable and filled his free time with so many fun options that he did not have time to ruminate over his homesickness.

Though these things may sound trivial, they are an important part of our mission to make sure our patients and residents are strong in mind, body, and soul. It is so much easier to heal and find the motivation to improve when we are content. We hope that the concierge service provides patients with the extra care and attention they need to make the most of their rehabilitation process.

Happy Volunteers Make Happy Residents

Did you know that recent psychological research has linked happiness to volunteering? Selfless acts aimed outward, towards others, can help reduce depression and give every individual a sense of well-being as they feel accomplished and connected. Volunteering is often required of high school and college students, at least a hundred hours are needed for college applications and volunteer experience always looks good on a resume en lieu of work experience. In addition, many volunteers are court mandated as many individuals charged with petty crimes choose community service as their punishment. This may not seem like the ideal volunteer candidate but this community-based alternative sentencing proves to be both beneficial for the volunteer and the people they serve. Giving back always produces positive vibes and we at Upland Rehab & Care Center welcome all who are willing (or forced) to dedicate their time to our facility and help our residents in therapy, activities, and daily living.

Our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and not all are required to be here, they simply want to help. For over two years the Upland Incredible Edible Community Garden group has been coming by weekly and helping our residents work on the garden, tending to all our fruits and vegetables so that the produce we grow can be used in our kitchen. It’s truly amazing the amount of delicious veggies that come out of that garden and, when the season’s right, we have strawberries, watermelon, and pumpkins!

In addition, we have the Key Club of Los Ojos, a group of high school students that run our game night here once a week; a college art student that teaches art classes to interested residents; a volunteer club from Cal Poly Pomona that comes in to take over all CNA duties so they can dedicate that time to extra patient needs; Girl Scouts volunteer their time to do fun things like decorate wheelchairs for Christmas and sing carrols; a mentor group comes in to work on exercises and gardening with residents; a pet therapy group comes in with two very sweet dogs every Wednesday to visit with the residents and provide them with the adorable love that only a dog can give; the School of Holistic Touch sends a group of massage therapists to give free massages to residents whose tender muscles react very well to their professional touch; other volunteers come simply to visit, chat, and/or read to residents; therapy students put in volunteer hours with our therapy team to gain experience and offer extra help. The number of volunteers we have is truly a blessing and the type of work they do a real help to the facility and residents.

We procure our volunteers through a variety of sources. Our volunteer coordinators, Sarah Faucher and Mary Mason, visit volunteer expos at universities throughout the area, advertising the unique opportunity of working at a skilled nursing facility with a strong emphasis on rehabilitation. They also create profiles on websites such as Volunteer Match and Hands on the Inland Empire – organizations that pair businesses and other community-based organizations with ready volunteers. Also, CalWorks, a government program that offers aid in exchange for volunteer hours, gives people the opportunity to volunteer their time in exchange for financial aid when finding full time work proves difficult. Not to mention programs that allow individuals to pay off their traffic tickets by volunteering – creative ways to give people the opportunity to give back to society, feel good about themselves, and learn a valuable lesson.

We are very thankful for our volunteers as they allow us to do so much more than we would be capable of otherwise. Running our activities programs is challenging and the more help we have, the better. Residents can often receive one-on-one help if our volunteers are here and set-up is a breeze when you have a happy group of selfless people ready to get the job done. At Upland Rehab, we try to engage the community as much as possible, gratefully taking what others have to give and gladly giving ourselves. Here’s a big thank you to all of our volunteers for all the hard work they do!

The Upland Incredible Edible Community Garden Club

‘Tis the Season for Charitable Giving

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about our “Dream Team” – the group of very special residents who volunteer their time and efforts in order to fund-raise for different charities throughout the community. I wrote about their baking prowess as they make lots of sweet treats for holiday grams and bake sales. They’ve also made and sold jewelry and hope to create beautifully decorated bags as their next project. You remember now? Well, last week this wonderful group of residents celebrated their fundraising efforts by presenting a check for $500 to the Foothill Family Shelter!

The Shelter provides housing for those in need from 120 days up to a full-year. They also run a food pantry and offer counselling and social services for men, women, and families. Each individual or family is required to search for jobs, save significant portions of their paychecks or welfare checks, and make proven progress towards becoming independent. This leg up that so many families, single mothers, and out-of-work fathers need is tremendous, giving them a chance to create the lives they want for themselves and their families. Much of the support the shelter receives is from community support, just like our dream team. Offering donations, whether food, money, clothing, or other needed item is what keeps this shelter going and many struggling families off the street. Our donation will likely be used to support their Thanksgiving basket event in which the food pantry supplies families with all the items they need for a great Thanksgiving Day meal. We are proud to support the work they are doing and wish them all the best.

As our residents sat and listened to Megan Nehamen, Community Development Director for Foothill Family Shelter, speak about the shelter, all the hard work they do, and how much these families will gain from their generous donation, many residents were moved and overwhelmed, wishing they could do more but so glad they were able to offer something. It was a beautiful day as we celebrated our “acts of service” culture during a time when grace, appreciation, and generosity are on all of our minds.

We promote healthy bodies and minds here at Upland Rehab & Care Center and encourage everyone in this industry to do the same. Give back.

Let’s Talk About Innovation

The purpose of this blog is to highlight what makes Upland Rehabilitation and Care Center special, what sets us apart from other skilled nursing facilities, and how those differences make happy, healthy residents. As our slogan – Passion, Innovation, Care – suggests, we enjoy what we do while encouraging an up-to-date, innovative approach to care that challenges the norms surrounding nursing homes. 

By innovation we mean, not only our creative approach to physical therapy which I addressed in a blog post from earlier this month, but the way in which we treat our residents and the services we offer them. In the long-term care wings of the facility we offer daily activities which involve an array of fun ranging from musical guests to church services to the traditional bingo and more. There is a constant stream of magazines, newspapers, and books to keep the avid readers interested. There are televisions for each patient full of fun cable programs such as cooking, soap operas, and comedies for patients who don’t want to miss their favorite shows. There’s a beautiful garden, a covered patio for socializing, a large bird cage full of adorable finches, coffee carts that roll up and down the halls throughout the day with coffee, hot chocolate, tea, soup, and snacks. Residents are able to help in the laundry rooms if they prefer to do their own laundry which is a practical form of physical therapy that allows residents to feel self-efficient and in control of the normal aspects of their daily lives. Residents are often a part of a club or group, whether for volunteer purposes or simply social such as knitting or card playing, making each day something to look forward to. An active day full of activities and goals is so necessary in the life of every individual and we make sure that our residents have a variety of things to do.

Our innovation also reaches our nursing staff. With more CNAs working per shift than the standard skilled nursing facility we make sure that patient needs are met, especially on our short-term rehabilitation wing where residents are recovering from surgery, stroke, illness, or some other serious malady and need help doing even simple things like visiting the restroom. When a call light is pushed, we have a 2-minute policy that requires that either a nurse, CNA, or other staff member visit the room and figure out how they can help. We know that an under-staffed facility makes it difficult to meet patient needs and we pride ourselves on our busy nursing stations and hallways full of helpful and capable staff. In addition, our staff communicates by radio. Small headphones in every ear and microphones attached to the front of every scrub are used to keep our staff in constant communication with one another, making collaboration so much easier. If a CNA is busy with another patient, they can radio for help and make sure that no one is left without the help they need for long. If a nurse needs an extra hand moving a patient, they can radio to every other staff member and someone will be in to help them shortly. This creates efficiency and teamwork, both of which maintain a happy nurses station and happy residents. 

Recently, a concierge service has been created to specifically meet the emotional needs of each patient. The concierge gets to know residents on a personal level, makes their stay as comfortable as possible, offers entertainment, helps to procure things they may need or miss from home, and encourages them to pursue their therapy with everything they’ve got in order to achieve the greatest benefits from our therapy staff. The concierge often prints personal pictures that brighten the rooms of each residents, offers music of the residents choosing because music is healing for the soul, organizes opportunities for residents to get together and enjoy a game or tea party or social hour, and much much more. The concierge service is welcomed by residents because it is not associated with anything medical and requires nothing more from them than a friendly conversation about books, music, family, and life. 

It’s important to remember that innovation implies a constant pursuance of a better solution that meets new requirements and needs. In order to achieve this, our creative staff have daily and weekly meetings where they discuss ways to improve every aspect of the organization. With this innovative mindset leading the way, our facility is sure to remain a wonderful place for healing and care. 

The Value of Rehabilitative Care

There are many reasons for a doctor to send patients straight from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility including: surgery; injury; broken bones such as hips, backs, or knees; stroke; heart attack; and serious illness. Each of these ailments require both hospital care as well as rehabilitative care targeted towards the re-acquisition of basic life skills and abilities.

Our Rehabilitation Vision:

We understand each patient is pausing a lifestyle that is full of activities and purpose. Our rehab programs are designed to get each patient back on their feet in ways that are meaningful and familiar.

Once an injury or illness has occurred, treatment is the obvious priority. Fix the problem. Whether that’s a new hip, a round of antibiotics, or serious surgery, the immediate goal is to treat what ails us. But then what? After a traumatic physical event we are left weak, unable to carry out tasks that were once simple. If a patient has suffered a stroke, they may need to learn how to re-use an entire side of their body or possibly learn how to live with their new body, one that does not  function quite the way it did before. If a patient has a new hip or knee, they will need to slowly learn how to walk again. This may seem extreme but it’s very common – rehabilitation is a major part of any recovery process.

What many people don’t know is that rehabilitation comes in a variety forms. What we offer at Upland Rehabilitation & Care Center includes physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

Physical Therapy – targeted to develop, maintain, and restore maximum movement, strength, and functional ability.

Occupational Therapy – working to restore functional skills like sensory motor integration (these include the five classic senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste), coordination , and fine motor skills (small movements that occur in the hands, wrists, fingers, feet, toes, lips and tongue).

Speech Therapy – Rehabilitation treatment focused on improving speech, language, cognition, voice, and the ability to swallow.

In addition, our in-house rehab team customizes every therapy program to meet the individual needs of each resident. The rehab rooms are energetic with state of the art equipment to help get residents back on their feet as soon as possible.

Rehabilitation is not easy but the value is incalculable.

Active Lives = Healthy Lives

While our facility specializes in short-term, rehabilitative care we also offer long-term care for high functioning residents, low functioning residents, and sub-acute residents needing specialized nursing. With this wide variety of care and specialization, there is a common thread that unites every resident: activities. While a patient’s day is often full, whether it’s meal time, medications and treatments, or therapy, there still exists within each day a certain amount of free time. While some patients choose this time to catch up on reading, television, or strolling through the facility and its grounds, many patients enjoy taking part in our daily activities. A calendar of events, posted boldly across an entire wall, lists all of the fun and entertaining activities available to patients of all functional levels.

What’s more exciting is the recent addition to our staff, Dulce Muller, as the new activities director! With knowledge and experience in this field, she already has some big plans for the activities department and hopes to not only create new and fun ways to engage residents but she hopes to encourage short-term, rehabilitation patients to become involved in more activities despite the fact that their stay may only last for a few weeks. Staying active and happy is an important part to any healing process and the Activities Department hopes to help that process along and make it fun.

In fact, by combining physical and occupational therapy treatments into weekly activities, patients are able to partake in fun events such as gardening, stationary bike riding, golf, arts & crafts, and more! This structured and productive activity schedule allows patients to build their strength, re-learn important skills, and grow closer to their rehabilitative goals while also enjoying themselves. 

We are excited to welcome Dulce to our team and even more excited to see how the Activities Department will transform patient life for the better. 

Stay tuned for more from the Activities Department as we’re sure there are many exciting things to come!

A Marketing Success Story

Our marketer, Juliene Bubeck, not only promotes our facility in hospitals and doctor’s offices throughout the Upland area with class, charm, and a real passion for placing patients in the right rehabilitation or long-term care facility, she also hosts a radio program every Saturday morning from 10:30am on station AM590 – The Answer. On this program she interviews doctors, discusses hot topics in rehabilitative care, and offers insight into a world that few consider until the need for specialty care presents itself such as after a surgery, stroke, or serious infection.

Juliene has been a part of the Upland team since 2011, transforming the marketing and admissions department by creating a rapport with doctors that fosters trust, honesty, and constant communication. Many of these doctors from facilities such as San Antonio Community Hospital, Kindred – Rancho Cucamonga, and Kindred – Ontario are invited to take part in this weekly broadcast. Their expertise in the areas of internal medicine and orthopedics make for an informative show, shedding light on an important topic: the care of elderly patients. As the Baby Boomer generation begins to enter the 65+ age-group, the need for short-term, rehabilitative care as well as long-term, resident care is ever increasing.

Juliene and the AM590 radio host

To learn more about Upland Rehabilitation and Care Center and our passionate and innovative approach to patient care, tune in to AM590 Saturday mornings and listen to the experts discuss a variety of informative topics.