Speech Therapy Success!

Meet Howard Heiss

We are delighted to announce that one of our long-term care residents, Howard Heiss, has had a very successful journey with speech therapy and some recent milestones to show for it. Having previously been on a PEG tube for nutrition, Howard was reintroduced to food with the help of our Speech Language Pathologist, and thanks to her help, he can now successfully eat a mechanical soft diet by mouth!

When Howard first arrived at Gwynedd in 2018, he was not eating by mouth and had a significant swallowing deficit. At the time he did months of extensive swallowing therapy but did not improve enough to safely eat by mouth. In 2021, he went for a swallow study and had some improvement in his overall swallow function. Following recent months of intensive speech therapy, Howard can once again enjoy his food!

Congratulations, Howard. Your hard work has paid off and we’re all proud of your amazing accomplishment!

Meet Our New Admissions Director

Stacie Warner

We are pleased to welcome our new Admission Director Stacie Warner, who has been with us now since August. Having grown up in Indiana, Stacie has her bachelor’s degree in speech pathology, and worked for Toyota Car Dealerships in California and Cincinnati – which she describes, tongue-in-cheek, as “very exciting and glamorous.”

When Stacie’s mother got sick and began suffering from dementia eight years ago, she moved back home and began working in the Indiana healthcare sector, her true calling. She worked in admissions at a wonderful nursing home, which she loved so much that she made the choice to place her mom in the facility.

After her mother transferred to a different home in Arizona, Stacie and her fiancé made the move to the Philadelphia area. After first trying out three other facilities, Stacie found Gwynedd, which she describes as “a diamond in the rough.”

“What I love most about Gwynedd, is that I can always be an asset to families since I understand what they are going through and can guide them through the Medicaid process. I can bond with the families and understand them,” she says, adding that “I can sleep well at night, knowing that what I did during the day provides peace of mind to others that their loved ones are safe and well-cared for.”
Join us in giving Stacie a warm welcome to Gwynedd!

Staff Behind the Mask Spotlight!

Leonilla Sandlin, Activities Assistant

A beloved Activities Assistant who has been with us for close to seven years, Leonilla’s loyalty to Gwynedd is unwavering. Originally from the Philippines, a friend at church recommended she apply to Gwynedd, which was her first job here in the United States.

Leonilla, who lives with her husband and cat in nearby Norristown, enjoys spending time with friends, meeting new people, singing, dancing, and learning how to cook new dishes. She has shown amazing support and dedication to our residents throughout the COVID crisis and has not missed a day since the pandemic first hit, which speaks to how much she cares about our residents!

With a related degree in education for day care, Leonilla really loves keeping the Gwynedd community active and upbeat. From greeting each resident with a smiling face to singing with them every morning, Leonilla is a ray of sunshine here in our community. She says she learns a lot from the residents and gets a kick when they correct her English. “I love seeing the resident’s smiling faces every morning,” she says, adding that in addition to leading sing-alongs, she enjoys getting creative with fun arts and crafts.

Aloha!

Time for Some Summer Fun

Everyone was so glad to see their loved ones in our recent parking lot visits. We hope to resume them soon.

We’ve been busy celebrating summer with socially-distanced activities and games. Some of our residents’ favorite activities include Hallway Bingo where they play from their doorways (we all sanitize after every game), and our popular Movies on Thursdays in the Garden Lounge with participation limited to five residents at a time (masks and physical distancing are mandatory).

Our residents savored some delicious summer-themed events and treats including a Luau, Watermelon Day, National Cupcake Day and our new ice cream cart, which staff and residents enjoy every other Friday. These summer treats go a long way to rejuvenate and refresh!

We’re also ensuring residents stay active and engaged with one-on-one room activities including coloring, crossword puzzles, reading books to residents, trivia discussions, and much more. We encourage you to follow us on social media to keep track of the fun here at Gwynedd!

Staff Behind the Mask Spotlight!

Marie Deller, CNA

Marie Deller is a well known face here at Gwynedd, where she’s worked for the past 21 years as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Marie currently lives in Philadelphia, PA and is extremely proud of her three children and two grandchildren. She loves to garden and is very active in her local church community, the Church of God by Faith, where she enjoys attending many church events.

Marie provides exceptional care for our residents who appreciate her compassionate nature, warm smile and big heart. Here for more than two decades, our community is like a second home to Marie, who “loves working at Gwynedd and taking care of the residents.”

Rehabilitation Success!

Meet Loretta Feenstra

Loretta Feenstra was admitted to Gwynedd Healthcare as a short-term resident after a nasty fall at home due to cellulitis. Loretta, who has had many recent falls, began with physical and occupational therapy in July and, after much work and determination, was discharged to an assisted living facility where she feels safer than being home alone.

While at Gwynedd, Loretta made wonderful progress on improving her balance, strength and mobility in just one month! She especially enjoyed working on the stairs. Loretta rated her time at Gwynedd very highly, and we’ve loved having her here. The staff and residents at Gwynedd wish Loretta the best. We miss her!

Introducing our new Director of Nursing

Lisa Kline, RN

It’s our pleasure to introduce you to Lisa Kline, our new Director of Nursing! Lisa comes to us with exceptional experience having spent over thirty years in nursing.

Lisa, who is very process-oriented is a perfect fit for the Director of Nursing role. Lisa’s motto is “work smarter, not harder.” She is excited to streamline our processes, increase efficiencies, and harness the technology here at Gwynedd to ensure our team continues to provide exceptional care.

Lisa has taken on every job in a long term care setting (except cook), so she understands and appreciates the different roles of our staff and their unique needs. “Gwynedd is truly a lovely community, with a lot of staff longevity,” she says. “The staff really, really cares.”

Rehab Spotlight

Heart to Heart with Short-Term Resident Gladys Krieble

An independent 90-year-old who loves to cook, do word search puzzles and spend time with her three children, Gladys Krieble lived with one of her daughters in Telford prior to coming to Gwynedd Healthcare as a short-term resident.

Admitted from Grandview Hospital with a diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Gladys was unable to walk on her own but had a high level of physical functioning which helped to keep her motivated through her daily physical therapy and occupational therapy sessions. With help from her team of specialists, including her devoted therapist, Karie, they worked on a variety of breathing techniques, energy conservation and activity tolerance to gradually build up Gladys’ endurance and muscle training.

Celebrating

American Heart Month

February is Heart Month, an important time to bring more awareness to cardiac issues such as heart disease, which according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, affects 11% of Americans (more than 1 out of every 9 people). Heart.org reports that heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, yet 72% of Americans don’t consider themselves at risk.

Fortunately, heart disease is one of the most preventable illnesses through healthy nutrition choices and closely monitoring sodium intake, blood sugar and cholesterol, as well as choosing to not smoke, effectively managing stress and aiming to get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week.

Meet Subacute Resident

Louis Pauzano

Louis arrived at Gwynedd weakened by Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and kidney disease. As a short term subacute resident, Louis chose to recover his strength at our community because some of his family members had lived here and highly recommended us.

With the goals to be self-sufficient and independent once more, Louis works hard during his Physical and Occupational Therapy sessions. When he’s not at the gym, he enjoys the karaoke group and is eager to join any activity, with a positive and joyful sense of humor. While participating in creating craft pumpkins recently, he joked, “Just don’t tell my army buddies.”

While his stay at Gwynedd has been great and the staff have been very helpful with all of his needs, Louis looks forward to returning back home to Lansdale to be with his loving wife.

The Korean Thanksgiving Festival

Celebrating Chuseok

Home to many Korean residents, Gwynedd’s special Korean program offers an all-encompassing cultural experience in the rich Korean tradition. Residents enjoy special activities and celebrations, religious services, Korean TV & newspapers, gourmet ethnic cuisine and staff that speaks their language.

On the recent Chuseok holiday, all our residents gathered to enjoy festivities which featured a dance performance by volunteers from the Hope Network Foundation and some delicious
Korean fare.

Meet Lisa Johns

Our New Admissions Director

We’re sure many of you have experienced Lisa’s energetic presence in our halls. Lisa is a proud mother of three, an avid sports enthusiast, and a wonderful new addition to our Admissions Team.

Lisa has spent 26 years in the healthcare realm with extensive experience in acute care, acute rehab, hospice and home care. With a degree in social work from Temple University, Lisa loves helping others and working with the senior population.

“I look forward to building strong working relationships within the building and throughout the community at large.”

How Flowers Impact

Our Residents’ Wellbeing

A recent study by Rutgers University indicates that flowers have a positive effect on our emotional health. Flowers are instrumental in boosting mood, socialization, and overall satisfaction – making floral arranging an ideal activity for seniors.

The benefits of flower arranging include:

• Sensory stimulation. The bright colors, scents, and textures of flowers delight and stimulate the senses.
• Focus and cognition. Working on a flower arrangement exercises parts of the brain responsible for spatial awareness (the ability to be aware of oneself in space) – a major cognitive function when recovering from stroke or orthopedic surgery.
• Preserving dexterity. The fine motor skills required to manipulate and place each flower gives the hands and fingers a good workout.
• Sense of accomplishment. Beyond the activity being a relaxing, low pressure way to socialize and get to know people, the beautiful end result is a very personal accomplishment one can be proud of!

Noted & Quoted

“When I got here, they gave me only 2 weeks to live, and look at me now! Therapy is going great and I love being in the gym.You know, the house where I was raised is only a mile away . . . I’ve come back to my roots, I’m home.”

– Howard Heiss
Resident at Gwynedd

When Howard Heiss arrived here from the hospital this past summer in precarious health due to Congestive Heart Failure, his stay at Gwynedd was supposed to be stepping stone to hospice care. Defying all odds, today Howard is a walking miracle as he strolls our halls on his own two feet while enjoying life to the fullest.

Our therapists worked intensively with Howard to help him regain his independence – and together they’ve succeeded! Although he’s completed his physical therapy regimen, he exercises regularly with our restorative nursing assistants to keep up his strength. In fact, his time spent in the gym is his favorite part of the day! Howard delights in the daily visits from his family, and enjoys watching TV in the comfort of his own chair that he brought from home.

“Dad’s a different man now,” says his grateful son.

will you be my valentine?

CandyGram Time at Gwynedd!

Love was in the air as our residents prepared CandyGrams to present to their favorite staff members on Valentine’s Day. The close bonds developed between our staff and residents is what makes Gwynedd so unique. Here, everyone is family!

DID YOU KNOW?

For Valentine’s Day 1959, Western Union
introduced CandyGram, “the sweetest message in the world.” A one-pound box of chocolates that could be sent anywhere in the country seemed a great idea for Valentine’s Day and a great way to expand their customer base as they competed with the growing popularity of the telephone.

Spotlight on our Activities Director

Nicole Staropoli

An integral part of our Activity Department for close to 12 years, Nicole was recently promoted to the helm of our Activities Program.

A resident of nearby Lansdale, she began her career at Gwynedd in the Dietary Department, transferred to Unit Clerk for a year, and then found her true calling in our Activities Department.

“There are many great things going on here, I plan to keep building on this fabulous momentum,” observes Nicole. “Whether it’s our weekly Kitchen Kapers, our daily Sunshine Club or Friendship Circle, or a special event – there is always something exciting scheduled to suit everyone’s needs!”

A Rehab Success Story

It speaks volumes about our caliber of care when one of very own past employees chooses to return to our center for a rehab stay. Myrtle Nelson, a recently discharged short-term rehab resident, worked at Gwynedd as a CNA and Unit Secretary for 14 years until her retirement.

When Myrtle suffered a hip fracture following a fall, she knew Gwynedd Healthcare was the ideal setting for her recuperation. The icing on the cake was having her lovely daughter-in-law Cory Nelson who serves as our Business Office Manager, in-house, as she was able to see her daily.

Myrtle underwent 3 weeks of intensive physical and occupational therapy to regain her mobility and physical functionality, and she did remarkably well. Our wonderful therapy staff also initiated a post-discharge plan of care to identify and address deficits to reduce her risk of falls, along with muscle-strengthening exercises to do daily at home.

Spotlight On

VitalStim Therapy

Our expanded therapy services at Gwynedd now include VitalStim – a non-invasive and effective modality used to treat patients with difficulty swallowing or dysphagia.

Jinnie James, our Speech-Language Pathologist, has recently become VitalStim certified. VitalStim is a form of neuromuscular stimulation, where electrodes are placed on the neck. Typically, it is used alongside traditional swallowing exercises. The goal is to stimulate and re-educate the muscles involved in swallowing to minimize the risk of aspiration when eating and drinking.

Jinnie has been treating Dale Scerati, a Gwynedd resident, with VitalStim since her admission to our center in March. Dale arrived on a puree diet with honey thick liquids. After several weeks of VitalStim and traditional dysphagia therapy, Dale now enjoys a regular diet with thin liquids and is tolerating this without any signs of aspiration. She is preparing for discharge home with her new and improved swallowing function.

Meet Our New

Director of Nursing

We extend a warm welcome to Katherine Clowney, our new Director of Nursing

A DON and Nursing Supervisor since 2010, Katherine has managed different levels of care throughout her career – including independent living, subacute rehab, and skilled nursing.
Katherine’s compassionate and outgoing personality is displayed in her interactions with both residents and staff, and she has expressed her enthusiasm to be at the helm of a nursing staff recognized for providing excellence in clinical care.

“What we gain from our residents through our interactions, conversations and experiences is priceless”, says Katherine. “I look forward to managing the nursing department, and ensuring the regulatory compliance that makes Gwynedd a 5-Star Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center”.

Knitted With Love

Lorraine Clayton, a part of the Gwynedd family since 2015, is a master knitter and crocheter with a heart of gold who is glad to share her talents. She enjoys crocheting blankets for our residents, and donates some of her masterpieces to our annual holiday fundraising bazaar for families in need. We look forward to spreading the warmth by gifting her blankets to hospital patients, and a Knitting/Crochet Club at Gwynedd with Lorraine at the helm is in the works!

Up Close with Activities Director

Jamie Meyers

Jamie lives in the Perkasie area and has been working in activities in long term care facilities for 13 years. She started out as an assistant and through opportunity, encouragement and drive, worked her way up to Activities Director. She is currently in the process of earning her certification in activities.

Jamie is a firm believer in embracing change to best meet the needs of our residents. Through carefully designed activities, innovative programs and incorporating new forms of entertainment such as the hands-on “Science for Seniors”, Jamie and the activities staff truly enhance the quality of life of our residents at Gwynedd. As Jamie remarked: “It doesn’t matter your age, everyone loves to learn new things!”

result-driven rehab

Getting Our Residents Back On Their Feet

Mr. Joseph Murray was admitted to Gwynedd Healthcare & Rehabilitation in December, recovering from surgery that resulted in the need for specialized wound care on his foot. Upon arrival, he was unable to bear weight on that foot and was severely
deconditioned due to his hospital stay.

Following intensive wound treatment and a customized therapy regimen, Joe is fast approaching his goals of walking independently, being pain-free and having his wound healed.

Paying Tribute

To Our Dedicated Volunteers

Our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, recently held on October 20th, was a gala event. Our Recreation Team went all out transforming our dining room into an elegant venue in honor of the wonderful individuals who selflessly give of their time to volunteer at Gwynedd. Some of our volunteers have been with us for more than 30 years!

Spanning a wide spectrum of ages, our volunteers all have one thing in common – respect for our residents and a desire to make a positive difference in the lives
of our seniors.

Up Close & Personal with

Alicia Singh

“Always Ready, Always There!” – Alicia is the personification of the well-known motto of The National Guard.

At the National Guard, Alicia trained as a flight medic to take care of injured soldiers, prepared to tackle challenges, and to address the healthcare needs of civilians after natural disasters or civil emergencies. Back from Iraq in 2008, she graduated with a BA of Science Nursing from Thomas Jefferson University in 2011, and from Eastern University in 2016 with an MBA in Health Administration.

A full-time member of the National Guard for the past 15 years, Alicia was intent on putting her skills to work during the weekends and the position of Weekend Nursing Supervisor at Gwynedd seemed like the perfect fit. Extensively trained to be the first line of defense against injuries and illnesses suffered by the soldiers, Alicia is qualified with a wide set of nursing skills to provide immediate emergency care, ongoing care, and every kind of support needed to restore wellbeing.

Originally from Trinidad, she came to the US at age 14. In need of a college education – but with no idea how to pay for it – upon a friend’s suggestion she looked into the options offered by the military. She recalls how she wanted to be part of an organization that cares for their people, in addition to accessing the education benefits:

Spotlight On

Fall Prevention

Our Rising Stars program, developed by Gwynedd’s Recreation Department, protects our residents who are at high risk of falls.

With increased supervision and intervention provided throughout the day, the program’s focal point is our Garden Lounge – a bright, airy room featuring comfortable chairs and glass doors opening to our beautiful courtyard. In this warm, comfortable and secure setting, our residents enjoy a full schedule of activities geared to their specific needs. Because at Gwynedd, the safety and wellbeing of ALL our residents is our highest priority.

Meet Doctor Kwasi A. Manu

Our Wound Care Specialist

Here at Gwynedd, we are committed to bringing the
best wound care directly to our residents’ bedside. Under the direction of Dr. Kwasi A. Manu, (aka Dr. K), a general surgeon who specializes in wound management, our nursing team effectively heals complex and simple wounds.

Dr. Manu graduated from Hunter College of City University of New York, 2003 with Cum Laude in Biological Sciences, and obtained his Doctorate in Medicine (MD) in 2007 from Boston University School of Medicine. He trained in general surgery and trauma for 3 years at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ. Since 2010, Dr. Manu has dedicated his profession to wound care in nursing homes and rehab centers.