More information can be found here: http://www.musicandmemory.org/. Could be an interesting documentary. The trailer is below.

Martha & Mary Health and Rehab facility received a visit from Muffin, an American Miniature Horse Therapy Pet. Muffin came through our Poulsbo Center hallways to greet residents, patients, staff and families. Muffin (and her companion, Carly) also went to the rooms of those unable to come to the hallway bringing cheer to the bedside.

This is one example of our Pet Therapy Program. Another example was displayed on the front page of the North Kitsap Herald last March featuring  Marty, a Great Pyrenees dog.

Muffin and Carly are available to visit all those patients wherever they reside in Health Care Facilities where licensed Therapy Animals are permitted. To see the story, please visit the Kitsap Sun’s story. Thank you Muffin and Carly!

Why Social Work Matters

The social work profession has been instrumental in achieving civil rights and human rights advances in the United States and across the globe for more than a century. The primary mission of social work is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people, especially the most vulnerable.

Social Workers strive to achieve this mission through many different roles in more than 50 fields of practice. One of the core areas of impact by social workers is in the area of Aging and Family Caregiving.

Social Work is an integrative field which seeks to improve social functioning and social conditions for people in emotional, psychological, economic, and/or physical need.

Talking Points

When it comes to the area of Aging and Family Caregiving, here are some helpful talking points:

1. With the aging of the Baby Boomers and the lengthening of life spans, both the number and proportion of older people in the U.S. is rapidly increasing.
2. Shifting demographics have created a greater demand for professionals with specialized knowledge and experience in aging.
3. Social workers, other professionals, and the public increasingly recognize that advanced age is a time of continued growth and that older adults contribute significantly to their families, communities, and society.
4. There is great diversity in the strength and needs of older people.  Many older adult clients of social workers cope with multiple challenges, including grief and loss, mental health concerns, chronic physical illness and disability, economic insecurity, and family caregiving.
5. Older adults constitute a valuable, often under-recognized resource in society. They offer vast experience, skills, and creativity in the paid workforce and as volunteers, mentors to younger generations, and as family caregivers. Social workers play a key role in supporting older adults’ civic engagement and in creating aging-friendly communities.
6. Families of all descriptions struggle to provide the best long-term care options for their loved ones—whether that care is in a person’s home, in the community, or in a facility.
7. As the number of individuals in need of long-term care services rises, new issues surrounding staffing needs, family involvement, quality of life, the role of spirituality, end-of-life care, coordination of medical care, program development, funding gaps, and overall service delivery are emerging.
8. The social work profession is a significant, experienced provider of frontline services to older adults and their families.
9. Social workers interact with family caregivers of older adults not only throughout the network of aging services and across the health, mental/behavioral health, and long-term care continuum, but also in diverse settings such as child welfare agencies, employee assistance programs, faith-based organizations, housing programs, schools, and veterans service programs.
10. Social work’s unique biopsychosocial perspective underlies assessment and service delivery for older adults and their families.  Social workers bring an effective strengths-based, person-in-environment approach to services.
11. Social workers play an integral role in care coordination for older adults, especially those living with advanced illness or multiple chronic conditions, by facilitating access to health and psychosocial services that improve health outcomes and support aging in place.
12. Caring for older relatives requires planning and support, but most families report not being fully prepared for the challenge or knowing how to access the support they need.
13. Family members, friends, and other unpaid caregivers provide the backbone for much of the care that is received by older adults. Many family caregivers support their loved ones at significant cost to their own physical, emotional, and financial well-being.
14. Even with the safety net of Social Security and Medicare, almost one in ten adults 65 and older lives in poverty.
15. Social workers advocate for the continued solvency of Social Security and the expansion of public and private systems that enhance older people’s financial security and quality of life.

What can you expect?

1. Free massages
2. Costco giveaways
3. Free cholesterol checks
4. Free smoothies
5. Free consulting from health professionals
6. Smoking cessation incentives
7. Blood pressure checks
8. Bone density scans
9. Infrared scanning
10. Chemical toxicity testing
11. Muscle testing

Also, register to in a Bodybugg Calories Management System

Our Administrator, Randy Hardin, just received word from Home Care Pulse that Martha & Mary AT HOME has been named a Best of Home Care 2012 Leader in Excellence. This prestigious recognition is awarded only to those who achieve Best of Home Care in 10 or more categories for at least 12 consecutive months, and who represent the top performers among Best of Home Care agencies. Congratulations to the staff and caregivers for a wonderful accomplishment.

We were really happy to see the North Kitsap Herald pick up the story on George Othur Snow, a resident at Martha & Mary Health and Rehab Center who is celebrating his 103 birthday on February 26. This makes George one of the oldest residents of the city.

Check out the article here: http://www.northkitsapherald.com/community/139480088.html

This is the last day of “Child Care Appreciation Week.” To all the staff at Martha & Mary KIDS – we sure do appreciate the work you do for over 1000 children in Kitsap County.