Assisted Living Residences

Director of Mission and Spiritual Care.As we do our best to help you stay engaged and connected, please remember that the coronavirus is still very much active, highly contagious and on the rise in our country, especially in the Northeast. While we have not had any infections or exposure to the disease at Youville, we must all remember to exercise extreme caution when we come in contact with others or venture out of the building. Wash your hands as often as you can and make liberal use of the hand sanitizer placed near our front and rear entrances and by the elevators. Try to refrain from touching your face and keep a six-foot distance from others. These measures may seem small, but following them can make all the difference in keeping our community healthy. It is in times like these that I realize how much we all rely on one another at Youville. We are truly a big, connected family and we are all in this together. If you at any time are feeling isolated or have concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Sincerely,

Nicole BreslinPresident/CEOYouville Assisted Living Residences

Dear Residents,

I cannot thank you enough for your patience and understanding during this unprecedented moment in history. As community of older adults, we are especially vulnerable to infection by the coronavirus and our staff have been working tirelessly to ensure that you remain safe and infection-free. As residents, you have helped immensely by practicing social distancing and accepting the many changes we have had to make at Youville over the last few weeks.I know that for many of you, one of the most important aspects of living at Youville is the sense of community that exists here. Unfortunately, we have had to take the steps of restricting visitors and temporarily shutting down all group programs and group meals. I know that being deprived of these social opportunities has not been easy. This month, we plan to offer limited, small group activities with no more than 6 people at a time so that participants can safely practice social distancing. I am sure that this will be well-received by all and a welcome return to community life. In addition to limited, small-group activities, we will continue to offer one-on-one programs per resident request, one-on-one exercise sessions and spiritual visits with Kathleen Kelleher,

April 2020A Letter from Nicole Breslin

Just one page can require multiple sittings and hours of focused activity to complete. Like a jigsaw puzzle, the finished product can be a source of genuine accomplishment.

Explaining the TrendAccording to Scott Bea, PSYD, a clinical psychologist with the Cleveland Clinic, “Coloring draws attention away from yourself and helps you stay in the present moment. In this way, it is very much like a meditative exercise. When your mind is focused on a simple activity and not disturbed by thoughts and appraisals, your brain tends to relax. The fact that coloring has a predictable outcome also can be relaxing. It is hard to mess up, and, even if you do, there is no real consequence. As a result, adult coloring can be a wonderful lark, rather than an arduous test of your capacities.”

Julie Beck, Senior Editor at The Atlantic, believes that engaging with interesting patterns is inherently relaxing. Beck’s article, “The Zen of Adult Coloring Books,” documents her own conversion from skeptic to a full-fledged colorist. She writes that adult coloring books are part of today’s “trend of meditation and mindfulnessthat’s been going for some time now, one response among many to the high levels of stress many adults are living with.”

Psychologists tend to agree with this meditative take on the coloring craze. Dr. Ben Michaelis, a clinical psychologist in New York, says that “it’s the repetition that’s key to the relaxation response.” Michaelis and others have cited Carl Jung, the father of analytical psychology, in connection with adult coloring. Always ahead of his time, one of Jung’s relaxation exercises for patients was to “prescribe” them intricate mandalas to color.

Interested in getting started? Simply call the Programs Department and request coloring supplies. We will be happy to provide pencils, a packet of illustrations, manadalas and other designs for you to beautify!

Keeping Your Hands Busy: Coloring Books for AdultsHave you heard about the “adult coloring craze”? Believe it or not, adults young and old are getting out their colored pencils and buying coloring books like never before. In the process, they have helped to fuel an emerging, multimillion dollar industry of adult coloring books.

What, you may wonder, makes for an “adult” coloringbook? According to Johanna Basford, author of the ground-breaking Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book, the difference lies in the artwork. Adult coloring books are more “sophisticated – noimages of a car or a bunny with a bow in its hair,” she says.

Basford might well be regarded as the inventor of the entire adult coloring genre. Her Secret Garden has sold over 10 million copies since it first appeared on shelves in 2013. The follow-up, Enchanted Forest (2015) has proven to be just as popular, selling a quarter of a million copies in its first month of publication.

The illustrations in Secret Garden feature highly detailed, outdoor scenes based on the artist’s expansive home garden. These intricate landscapes are inviting to the eye, and many find it hard to stop coloring them. In keeping with the book’s title, Basford has populated her scenes with “secrets” that colorists can uncover as they go. Secret Garden includes a catalogue of hidden items to be found throughout the book, lending an element of pursuit to each page.

While Basford’s designs would probably not hold the fleeting attention of a child, their intricacy is the main draw for adults. Katie Blanchard, Director of Programs at Youville House, recently took time after a busy day to color in a page from Secret Garden. “When I first looked at the page it was a bit overwhelming,” she says. “I didn’t think I’d be able to sit still for it. But after about ten minutes my mind calmed down and I got really engaged in filling in the shapes.”

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Meditation has been found to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and to lead to greater levels of satisfactionin life. Dr. Herbert Benson, founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at MGH, offers the followingtechnique in his book The Relaxation Response. This technique relies on four basic components: a quiet environment, a mental device to prevent the mind from wandering, a passive attitude, and a comfortable position.

1. Sit quietly in a comfortable position.

2. Close your eyes.

3. Relax all your muscles, beginning at your feet, progressing up to your face.

4. Breathe through your nose and become aware of your breathing. As you breathe out say the word “one” silently to yourself. Don’t worry about the meaning of the word – just experience the way it sounds in your mind. Breathe easily and naturally.

5. Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. You may use your eyes to check the time. Do not use an alarm. When you finish, sit quietly for several minutes, at first with your eyes closed, then open. Do not stand up right away.

6. Don’t worry about achieving a deep level of relaxation. Maintain a passive attitude and permit relaxation to occur at its own pace. When distracting thoughts occur, try to ignore them by not dwelling upon them and return to repeating “one.”

7. Practice the technique once or twice daily, but not within two hours after any meal as the digestive process seems to interfere with the elicitation of the relaxation response.

A Meditation Technique to Reduce Stress Riddle Corner The Farmer’s Almanac has a centuries-long history of printing riddles in its issues. Can you solve all four of them?Find the answers on the back cover of the newsletter.

1. Often when covered with wisdom and wit, And oft with a cloth where the dinner guests sit; In beauty around you and over your head, We are countless, Though numbered when bound to be read. 2. Forsaken when my use was past Wherever man has dwelt, Or on some lonely island cast, Unseen I still am felt. Brim full of talent, sense and wit, I nothing understand; I’m out of sight in church, But fit for temples made by hand.3. I am a handmaid and my master Travels with even pace, not faster, Or slower for the high or lowly. I wait alone upon his measures, And heedless of man’s pain and pleasures, I always make haste slowly.4. There is a word of five syllables; Take away the first

April SkiesOn the evening of Tuesday, April 7, we will be treated to a supermoon. Supermoons can appear 14% larger and significantly brighter than normal full moons because of the irregular orbital path the moon takes around the earth. A supermoon occurs when the moon is in its full phase and at its nearest distance to the earth.April’s full moon has special significance: it is known as the Full Pink Moon because it heralds the arrival of “moss pink,” also known as wild ground flox, one of the earliest spring flowers to appear. For centuries, Christians have also relied on the Full Pink Moon to determine the date of Easter. The rule is that Easter occurs after the Paschal Full Moon, which is the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. Though this sometimes occurs in late March, this year the Paschal Full Moon is the Full Pink Moon of April. 3

Youville House Management TeamNicole Breslin CEO/President Joanne Scianna COOLydia Kirunda Director of WellnessKatie Blanchard Director of Programs Yanira Burgos Director of Community RelationsBob Salamanca Director of Environmental ServicesVirginia Ellis Director of Community LifeDan MacRae Director of Dining ServicesTom Landry Director of Human ResourcesPaula Desmond-Wallace Regional ControllerAbygail Frankel Director of MarketingKathleen Kelleher Director of Mission & Spiritual Care

Car/Van Transportation Monday through Friday8:00 AM - 2:00 PMPlease submit your requests for transportation to the Reception Desk forty-eight hours before the date of your appointment. Requests with less than forty-eight hours notice will be accommodated whenever possible, but not guaranteed. The fee for transportation is $10.00 for Cambridge and $20.00 for surrounding communities. As always, we will do our best to meet your needs. If you have any questions, feel free to stop by or call.

Katie Blanchard, Director of Programs

Shopping RequestsYouville offers concierge service for your shopping needs every Tuesday. Shopping forms are available at the Reception desk. A surcharge of $5.00 will be charged for requests exceeding five items.

Earth Day: 50th AnniversaryWednesday, April 22The 50th anniversary of Earth Day will focus on climate change, the “biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.” Normally a day of massive gatherings, talks and outdoor activities, this year’s activities will take place entirely online as people continue to practice social distancing. The good news is that anyone with an internet connection can join! To participate or learn more, visit www.earthday.org

Answers to Riddles1. Leaves2. Hat3. Hour hand on a clock4. Monosyllable

Happy Easter Sunday, April 12“Our Lord hath written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.” -Martin Luther

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Spiritual

Physical

Cognitive

Nutritional

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” -– Albert Einstein

For many, the desire to learn diminishes over time. We’re born with an enormous share of curiosity, but we tend to become less curious over the years. The select few who continue to strive for knowledge tend to experience better physical and mental well being throughout adulthood. The relationship between mental health and a spirit of learning suggests that age is as much a state of mind as a tally of years lived.

The late Olga Kotelko, a Canadian world champion athlete, is an inspiring example of how such an attitude can benefit us both mentally and physically in our later years. She did not begin her training in track and field until she was 77 years old. Shortly before her death in 2014, Olga still competed in many events, including long jump, high jump, discus, and various sprints: she was 95 years old. She kept an impressive collection of medals in her closet and held around 26 world records. In an interview with the Huffington Post, when asked about how she stayed in such stellar shape, Olga described both her mental and physical exercises, professing an affinity for Sudoku, card games, and anything that challenges the mind.

“Anyone who stops learning is old,” she said. “Knowledge is power. Age is but a number…. I’m still learning every day.”

Olga treated her brain the way she treated her body, subjecting it to a regular routine of mental exercises. Health experts have long been in agreement that physical exercise is one of the best ways to ward off age-related decline. Now, they are considering whether an exercise routine for the mind can have as great an impact on health.

The Rise of Brain Training

Even with a lifetime of facts and impressions crammed into our brains, we always have the ability to learn new things. The brain retains what is called “neuroplasticity” in later life, the ability to make new neural pathways. Some neurologists are looking to tap into this unique feature to keep the brain active and healthy, using an approach that mimics physical exercise. “Brain training” makes use of computerized games that target specific areas of the brain, just as different physical exercises targets different muscles. The games are designed to be fun while engaging a variety of brain functions, such as short-term memory and reaction speed.

April 2020Brain Training, Curiosity & Aging

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Get fit. Stay sharp. Age well.©

Youville House • 1573 Cambridge Street • Cambridge, MA 02138 • 617.491.1234Youville Place • 10 Pelham Road • Lexington, MA 02421 • 781.861.3535 • www.youvilleassistedliving.org

Assisted Living Residences

The Brain Fit Club at Beth Israel Deaconess combines computerized brain training games with a variety of intellectual and social activities. Members of the club take a series of cognitive tests to determine which areas of the brain need the most work. One member’s weaknesses may include reaction speed or attention span. The team of neurologists that work at the Brain Fit Club then develop a personalized brain fitness program that specifically tests and improves these areas.

Interested in exploring the world of brain training? Members of AARP can access a trove of online brain games through their “Staying Sharp” program. Simply visit www.stayingsharp.aarp.org to get started (if you are not an AARP member, you can access Staying Sharp for a fee). Other online games are available from web sites like Lumosity and Brain HQ. See www.lumosity.com or www.brainhq.com to try out a few of the games (unfortunately, full membership to these sites requires a fee).

Aside from computer games, there are many paths to becoming a “brain athlete.” According to their web site, additional courses offered at the Brain Fit Club include “nutritional coaching, mindfulness training, sleep and lifestyle education, gait and balance evaluation and treatment, and group classes in meditation, tai chi and gentle yoga designed to target a full range of cognitive struggles or decline.”

You can also reap benefits from the stimulating activities you might already engage in every day: reading, drawing, singing, writing or playing an instrument. These activities are all great for different areas of the brain.

As Americans retreat from social spaces to slow the spread of the coronavirus, we all have an abundance to time to devote to intellectually stimulating activities. This month, the Programs Department will continue to assemble packets that contain word puzzles, number games, trivia and other activities to keep your brain limber. If you have an idea for an activity or puzzle, please do not hesitate to share it with a member of the Programs staff and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Yoga Balance Challenge Dance with Parkinson’s Exercise with Madeline

Dark leafy greens are a rich source of vitamins C, K, E and B, as well as iron, calcium and fiber, which are essential for good health.

Visit with Kathleen Meditation Open Reflection

Word Games History Lectures Trivia Virtual Tours Writing Workshops

Open Art Studio Live Concerts Streamed Online Zoo Live Cams Virtual National Parks Tours

Get fit. Stay sharp. Age well.©