The Roadrunner · 2020-06-29 · 2 Deadline: Monday, Jul 27 @ Noon: [email protected] Next...

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1 Deadline: Monday, Jul 27 @ Noon: [email protected] Next Publication Date: Friday, Jul 31 COVID-19 UPDATES By Wendy Carpenter, Chief Health Services Officer San Antonio / Bexar County reported 7,814 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 104 deaths, as of June 24. Numbers in San Antonio and surrounding Bexar County continue to rise as the San Antonio Stay Home, Work Safe proclamation had been lifted and people are venturing outside of their home. The rise in cases is a sobering reminder: we must remain vigilant with preventative measures and consider the risk as we travel outside of our home. Last week, Blue Skies of Texas closed its campus again as a direct result of the increase in numbers and risk to our community. Travel Outside of Blue Skies of Texas A reminder: residents planning to travel outside of the San Antonio community may be required to stay at home (quarantine) for at least 14 days if the situation warrants self- isolation. Residents are asked to provide the community with travel plans so appropriate precautions can be implemented if required. To protect all, the community asks residents to postpone travel if possible, but if travel does occur, we ask you provide details to include destination, mode of travel, planned activities and precautions used during travel. Travel via airplane will require at-home quarantine for at least 14 days. It is important to remember, especially with numbers in San Antonio on the rise, all travel outside of your home is a risk. COVID-19 Positive Case Blue Skies of Texas had hoped we would not have to post notices regarding positive cases of COVID-19 within our community, but the reality is that Blue Skies of Texas, and many senior living communities in San Antonio, are experiencing positive cases amongst staff and residents. Since our last update, additional staff have tested positive for COVID-19. All cases have been managed in accordance with our COVID-19 Pandemic Response Plan and in close coordination with the SA Metro Health Department and Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The most recent positive cases are from staff members within The Vista (one Licensed Nurse) and The Mission (one Certified Nursing Assistant). As a result, both The Mission and The Vista residents have been placed on 14-day in-room quarantine, and additional testing of staff will be completed per San Antonio Metro Health guidelines. No resident at either July 2020 The Roadrunner A Monthly Newsletter of Blue Skies West

Transcript of The Roadrunner · 2020-06-29 · 2 Deadline: Monday, Jul 27 @ Noon: [email protected] Next...

Page 1: The Roadrunner · 2020-06-29 · 2 Deadline: Monday, Jul 27 @ Noon: Roadrunner@blueskiestx.org Next Publication Date: Friday, Jul 31 facility has tested positive, and none are showing

1 Deadline: Monday, Jul 27 @ Noon: [email protected]

Next Publication Date: Friday, Jul 31

COVID-19 UPDATES By Wendy Carpenter, Chief Health Services Officer

San Antonio / Bexar County reported 7,814 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 104 deaths, as of June 24. Numbers in San Antonio and surrounding Bexar County continue to rise as the San Antonio Stay Home, Work Safe proclamation had been lifted and people are venturing outside of their home. The rise in cases is a sobering reminder: we must remain vigilant with preventative measures and consider the risk as we travel outside of our home. Last week, Blue Skies of Texas closed its campus again as a direct result of the increase in numbers and risk to our community.

Travel Outside of Blue Skies of Texas A reminder: residents planning to travel outside of the San Antonio community may be required to stay at home (quarantine) for at least 14 days if the situation warrants self-isolation. Residents are asked to provide the community with travel plans so appropriate precautions can be implemented if required. To protect all, the community asks residents to postpone travel if possible, but if travel does occur, we ask you provide details to include destination, mode of travel, planned activities and precautions used during travel. Travel via airplane will require at-home quarantine for at least 14 days. It is important to remember, especially with numbers in San Antonio on the rise, all travel outside of your home is a risk.

COVID-19 Positive Case Blue Skies of Texas had hoped we would not have to post notices regarding positive cases of COVID-19 within our community, but the reality is that Blue Skies of Texas, and many senior living communities in San Antonio, are experiencing positive cases amongst staff and residents. Since our last update, additional staff have tested positive for COVID-19. All cases have been managed in accordance with our COVID-19 Pandemic Response Plan and in close coordination with the SA Metro Health Department and Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The most recent positive cases are from staff members within The Vista (one Licensed Nurse) and The Mission (one Certified Nursing Assistant). As a result, both The Mission and The Vista residents have been placed on 14-day in-room quarantine, and additional testing of staff will be completed per San Antonio Metro Health guidelines. No resident at either

July 2020

The Roadrunner A Monthly Newsletter of Blue Skies West

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facility has tested positive, and none are showing any signs or symptoms of COVID-19. While no resident within our licensed facilities is exhibiting any signs or symptoms, one of our Independent Living residents, at the East campus, has tested positive. All precautions and appropriate response to this latest development have been taken to include in-home isolation and notifying residents who may have had close contact with the infected person.

In-Home Isolation Residents who test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic or mildly ill are able to recover at home. In these instances, both Wellness and Resident Services will work closely with the resident to coordinate delivery support as needed. The in-home isolation guidelines posted below are intended to promote a safe and full recovery while protecting the rest of the community:

• People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 can isolate at home during their illness.

• The ill person should separate themselves from other people and animals in their home. All people residing in the home will be on isolation precautions and restricted to their home.

• As much as possible, the resident should be directed to stay in a specific room and away from other people in the home. Also, they should use a separate bathroom, if available.

• Experts advise limiting contact with pets and other animals while sick with COVID-19, just like one would around other people. If a resident must care for a pet while sick, attention to hand hygiene and wearing a mask is recommended.

If a resident must leave their home for medical appointments, they are not allowed to use BST transportation nor should they use public transportation. Care Cabs are the best option. The Care Cab should be notified prior to pickup, and the resident should be directed to wear a mask. Housekeeping and other in-home services will be suspended for those in quarantine. Only emergency maintenance or housekeeping, as approved by the Resident Services Director, will be allowed to enter. Medical emergencies will be responded to by 911 or other emergency-trained first responders.

Discontinuing In-Home Isolation Patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 should remain under home isolation precautions until the risk of secondary transmission to others is low. The decision to discontinue home isolation precautions will be made in consultation with healthcare providers and state and local health departments.

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NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR OF RESIDENT SERVICES By Lori DeWitt

Friday, Jun 26, 10am – Siren Testing Wednesday, Jul 1, 10am and 2pm – Financial Planning Webinar rebroadcast Wednesday, Jul 8, 2pm – Wellness Webinar – “Staying Safe in a Pandemic” Tuesday, Jul 14 – 2020 Primary Runoff Election – Please Vote! Are you an expert? Have a unique skill / unique experience? A special talent? – We would love to video you and show it on the in-house channel. Don’t be shy, you are all a wealth of knowledge…maybe you can talk about a previous job, play the piano for us, sing, show us how to build a watch ☺. Really – almost anything. Our world has shrunk, so we would like to stimulate our brains, get people thinking or entertain them. Too shy? We can just broadcast your voice. Sort of a “Today I Learned” segment. Please reach out to Lori at x3301 if you’re interested. Dining Services – Nothing Looks Like It Used To – Just when we were looking to returning to some sense of normal…phew. As you saw, this next week’s menu is very limited, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we get through this personnel shortage. We were already in talks about ways of improving the delivery process when we had to implement the most recent changes. Attached to this week’s Roadrunner is a synopsis of the changes you can expect, which we hope to implement on or about Sunday, Jul 12. Spraying of The Lakes (meaning the area, not just the bodies of water there) & The Oaks – Spraying starts, weather pending, on Friday, Jun 26 at 10:30am. They will continue through the Lakes and into the Oaks. On Monday Jun 29, they will complete any areas they do not get to Friday. The spray can irritate the throat and cause a cough if you are in the mist. If residents see Frontrunner spraying around their home, avoid the sprayed area for about 10 minutes to allow the mist to settle. Use the same caution for your pets.

Dry Cleaners – Tower residents may drop their bag off at the Front Desk. Dry cleaners will pick up soiled items from the Front Desk and may also drop off cleaned items at the Front Desk. Front Desk will call residents when items arrive. Residents in the Oaks, Lakes, or Gardens: items will be picked up / delivered to your door directly by the dry cleaners. Grounds Email – The Grounds email has been permanently removed. All landscaping requests should be sent to [email protected].

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Just Curious – We often get asked by prospective / new residents what the average electric bill is. We know it’s based on your comfort zone, but I would like to have a # to give, when asked. Survey boxes will be in the Lobby, by area (Towers, The Oaks, The Lakes, The Gardens). If you’ll just jot down what your average CPS bill is either for the year, or you can divide it by summer / winter. Again, just looking for an average. In-House Channel – Even if you have Dish / Direct TV / AT&T, etc. please consider having Spectrum bring one of their boxes out and hook one of your TVs up to it. Several residents do this for a TV in their spare bedroom / office. That way, you’ll always have access to the in-house channel. Reminder – for those of you who don’t have access, you’re always welcome to come to the Lobby to watch important updates, Church services, etc. Safety –

• Masks – Reminder, masks are required on the Blue Skies Campus. Always in common areas (inside the building) and outside if you’re not maintaining social distancing.

• Are you on oxygen? – If so, please notify Wellness so we can add you to the list of residents we would notify in the event of a power outage (especially in the wee hours, when you may be sleeping). We have plugs that are connected to our generator that we will make accommodations for you to connect to.

• Calling 911? – If you’re able, please notify the Front Desk that you’ve called; that way, we can expedite emergency personnel to the correct location.

IN MEMORIAM

Maj James Langabeer Mar 3, 2020 Lt Col Arthur Lundh Mar 4, 2020 Col Robert Shipman Mar 6, 2020 Maj Gen William Overacker Mar 12, 2020 Capt Robert Yanke Mar 14, 2020 Mrs. Joan Allen Mar 25, 2020 Mrs. Patricia Schirhart Apr 5, 2020 Mrs. Evelyn Sharp Apr 23, 2020

Maj Doug Curtis Apr 25, 2020 Lt Gen William Snavely May 14, 2020 Mrs. Judy Atherton May 20, 2020 Mr. Leland Briggs May 31, 2020 Lt Col Donald Miller Jun 3, 2020 Lt Col Harold Bonath Jun 6, 2020 Mrs. Louise Turner Jun 9, 2020 Dr. Jeannette Dupont Jun 24, 2020

WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS By Teresa Santana, Assistant Resident Services Director

Please give the following new residents a warm Blue Skies West “Welcome” in your respective neighborhoods.

➢ Lt Col Charles & Mrs. Mary Lou Sneed, #801 ➢ Ms. Sue Shields, #1407 ➢ Gen Walter & Mrs. Kay Kross, #2605

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SCAM ALERT By Shirley Clay, Resident Counselor

USAA Email – Several USAA members have reported receiving very official looking emails noting a problem with their USAA credit card. The email instructs the recipient to contact a specific number for more information on how to correct the problem. But when the legitimate USAA number is called, there is no problem. The email is a scam with a bogus telephone number to gain personal financial information

from the caller. When receiving a letter, email or automated phone call requesting a response due to a “problem”, always use the official number that you have for that institution, not the number from the communication received. You can always get the correct number for a financial institution or account via the Internet, or by looking at statements or debit/credit cards associated with the institution. This method of gaining financial information for scam use can be duplicated by using any company name, and very often it is a company that the receiver uses. I recently received a similar email about a problem with a PayPal account that I use regularly. The email requested that I contact PayPal through a specific number or link. But when I used the legitimate link for PayPal, I found that there was no problem with the account. Beware! Destroyed Economic Stimulus Debit Card – Some people received their Economic Stimulus payment in a debit card rather than by direct deposit or check. Thinking the card was part of a scam, they threw the card away. If you destroyed a card that you now believe was your Economic Stimulus Card, please call 1-800-240-8100 for a replacement.

FINANCIAL WEBINAR REBROADCAST By Jennifer Z. Berg, Director of Development

Your AFV Charitable Foundation hosted its first financial webinar for residents on Wednesday, Jun 17. If you were interested in the content but were unable to attend, we will be streaming on the in-house channel on Wednesday, Jul 1 at 10am and again at 2pm. Please call me at (210) 568-3206 or email me at [email protected] if you have any questions, need further information from our presenters, or would like a copy of the slides shown in the video.

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FREE WELLNESS WEBINAR – “STAYING SAFE” By Jennifer Z. Berg, Director of Development

Feeling a little worried about visiting the doctor’s office or running to the grocery store? Are you frustrated with the current restrictions and wondering why we can’t go back to normal? Please join us for a free webinar on Wednesday, Jul 8 at 2pm via Zoom: “Staying Safe in a Pandemic: Guidelines for Reentering Society” by: Col (Dr.) Heather C. Yun, MD, Deputy Commander for Medical Services at BAMC. Dr. Yun is an infectious disease and outbreak control specialist, skills that are especially important in times like these. Given her background, we thought Dr. Yun would be the perfect candidate to bring to light the current climate in San Antonio and how you can stay safe and help your loved ones to do the same. For those of you who need to run errands, visit medical facilities, or interact with anyone not in your household, Dr. Yun will explain how to mitigate your risk of exposure to COVID-19. If you’d like to attend, please call me at (210) 568-3206 or email me at [email protected]. This is meant to be an interactive session, so please bring your questions as well as a listening ear! Although we may limit the number of participants in the live webinar, we hope to stream video of the event for everyone on the in-house channel. Stay safe, and we hope to see you virtually on the 8th!

ANNIVERSARY MILESTONES OF SERVICE By HR Team

The Human Resources Team (HR) would like to thank the following employees for reaching an Anniversary Milestone of Service with Blue Skies of Texas. Thank you for serving our residents with love and care throughout the years. We appreciate you!

Employee Anniversary Date

Years of Service

Department

Kimberly Conners Jul 2 1 Memory Care - West

Jorge Navarrete Jul 2 1 Food Services - West

Ally Knight Jul 8 1 Hospice - West

Shonda High Jul 16 1 Memory Care - West

Diana Reina Jul 19 1 Vista Healthcare - West

San Juanita Garcia Jul 23 10 Env. Services - West

Regina Garza Jul 23 1 Env. Services - West

Ida Leithead Jul 23 10 Mission Healthcare – East

Mireya Velasquez Jul 24 5 Memory Care – West

Gloria Williams Jul 24 5 Mission Healthcare – East

Regina Guel Jul 30 1 Mission Healthcare – East

Jessica Spaustat Jul 30 1 Mission Healthcare - East

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BOB’S BLOG By B b

You would think with all this craziness in the world that Bob would appreciate a nice, quiet day off. Not so. If I know I’m in for a really busy day, or if Bob’s not bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when I’m ready to leave for work, I leave Bob at home. What does Bob do on these days? Pout. Refuse to go outside. Refuse to eat a treat, refuse to eat at all. Refuse to drink. UNTIL… mom gets home, then he turns into Mr. Personality…runs around like a happy dog, goes outside immediately to meet me, eats all the treats he wouldn’t touch all day, eats his food, and lies down for a nice drink of water. Yes, for those of you have not seen it – Bob always lies down to eat or drink. He has repeated this depressing behavior enough times that we are certain it’s tied to the fact that I have left him for the day. Sigh.

VOTE ON JULY 14: 2020 PRIMARY RUNOFF ELECTION By Ellen Alkire

The sample ballot for the Tuesday, Jul 14 Primary Runoff Election that you will be voting on are now available. Go to bexar.org/elections, check registration, put in your date of birth and use 5100 as your address. This will bring up the sample ballots - Democrat and Republican. Click on the one you want for your information.

There are 3 voting selections available:

Vote by Mail – if you wish to vote by mail, contact the Bexar County Elections Office by calling 210-335-0362 or 210-335-8683 or go to bexar.org/elections to request a mail ballot. You may request a mail ballot 2 months before Tuesday Jul 14 and no

RESIDENTS’ CORNER

STAFF

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later than 11 days before the Tuesday, Jul 14 election. Once you receive your ballot, complete it and mail it in before Tuesday, Jul 14.

OR

Early voting – you may vote in any early voting site in Bexar County, with Johnson Library, 6307 Valley Road being the closest early voting site to the Village.

OR

Voting on election day – Tuesday, Jul 14 – again, you may vote from any voting site in Bexar County. There will be voting at the Village in the lobby area from 7am-7pm. This is a new site for us at this time; please bear with us as we conduct the business of this election.

Any questions/concerns, please let me know.

BST AMATEUR RADIO CLUB NEWS By Betty Overacker

This news segment is called “Saved by Tape”! On Tower 3, the G5RV all-band high-frequency antenna stretches across the roof to provide worldwide amateur radio communication. Attached to this antenna is a balun, a type of transformer weighing two pounds which converts an unbalanced signal to a balanced one, which is necessary for radio usage. Even though this balun is firmly secured to the ladder line, there is always some motion with Texas’ breezes. Inspection of this antenna by Joel Lichtenstein, Bob Stuckert, and Bob Seigel after the vicious late May windy and rainy storm revealed the separation of one side of the ladder line to the balun. Fortunately, electrical contact was maintained by mechanical pressure from the electrical tape! Tape saved our communication capability. If you ever need assistance with the type, usage and application of electrical tape, please contact our expert, Bob Stuckert. BST’s Amateur Radio Club meets on the third Thursday of each month at 11:30am in Room CC1. The July meeting remains “on hold” at this time due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please contact Joel Lichtenstein for more information. 73—(Best regards, in Ham language).

MOVIE AND MUSIC, ANNIVERSARY CLUB, RC NEWS By Bennie Blansett

Attention, Movie and Music lovers: Don Jordan has moved to New York and I have assumed this duty, so if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or ideas about how I can serve you better, please let me know. One thing I do need help with is more shelf space; I have over 300 DVD movies and 150 music CDs that have been generously donated by residents, but I do not have a place for you to have a look at the collection, so you can then take some home for your viewing and listening pleasure. If anyone has any ideas, please share them with me, Dougie Clark, or Lori DeWitt.

I have also assumed the duty of 65-Year Anniversary Club Action Officer, taking over from Jim Conner. Since the monthly B&A was the primary source of new members

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and we haven’t had one in a long time, I am asking anyone who is eligible to join this elite club to please contact me so I can get your plate made and posted on the board on the wall just outside the Village Mini-Exchange. If anyone knows of anyone who is eligible but too shy or embarrassed to admit it, let me know and I will talk to them.

Finally, hear this, all Tower 4 Residents: Bill Wilkins and I are your RC Reps, and I will be attending the Thursday, Jul 16 mini-meeting, so if you have anything you would like me to bring to the Council, please slip me a note. (My contact information is in the Resident Directory.)

DRAC SPECIAL NOTES By: Bill Ball, Chair, 2020 DRAC

We send our prayers and best wishes to our Blue Skies staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 and hope they have a speedy recovery. This really catches our attention when it is someone close to us, and brings home the scale of the pandemic and its risk to us as a senior living community. Fortunately, the Village works very hard to keep us as safe as possible, and we have been much more fortunate than many senior living communities around the country so far this year. By the way, have you seen the new “official” mascot for the year 2020? Morrison, Blue Skies, and the DRAC are working on ways to improve our meals during this terrible time of the global pandemic. I personally believe that our food deliveries have continued to improve thanks to Chef David and his team. And now we have more choices since the Village Bistro has opened for takeout. If you haven’t tried some of the specials that the Bistro is producing, you definitely should. I can say that I have tried several burgers, and every one of them has been good. The weekly specials are even better. For the first few days, we had pasta, pizzas, and a Caprese sandwich, and the next week we had shrimp quesadillas, beef fajita taco salads and wonderful (warning, though – a bit spicy) chicken tortilla soup. We love Greek food, so we are keenly anticipating the eggplant gyro wrap, moussaka, Greek salad, and lemon chicken soup. But the big week including the 4th of July features a greatly expanded list of Bistro foods with an American theme – chili cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chili cheese hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, onion rings, macaroni & cheese with ham, wedge salad, and tomato soup! So if you’d like to take a break from what’s on the weekly menu, in the Village Store, or from your own cooking, stop by the Village Bistro and get takeout for a really nice change of pace. Eventually, we will get back to dining together and socializing again, although no one knows when that will be. To prepare for that time, the DRAC has a team working with the Blue Skies dietitian and Chef David to come up with a new Bon Appétit menu and schedule, plus a new “Always Available” menu to be introduced once we come fully back up to speed.

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Thank you again for the patience you have shown as we work through this terrible time. We very much appreciate it. Bill Ball, food enthusiast!

AARP DRIVER SAFETY COURSES By Al Wesson

AARP has extended cancellation of all in-person events and activities until Thursday, Dec 31, which includes AARP Driver Safety Courses here at

Blue Skies, as a precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blue Skies Instructor Team will notify residents when it is authorized and safe to resume a Course Program Schedule. Residents who now need to update their certifications for Insurance Premium Discount Benefits can always take the course on line at the website www.aarpdriversafety.org Use promo code DRIVINGSKILLS for a 25% course discount.

PURPLE MARTIN UPDATE By Tom Carter

We’ve enjoyed Purple Martins at BST West since their first sighting on Sunday, Feb 23. However, the nesting season for Martins that come to the San Antonio area is nearing its end. As of Friday, Jun 19, weekly nest checks revealed that at The Oaks lake nesting site we had 121 eggs, of which 105 hatched and 75 have fledged, and at the Liberty House fishing lake site, we had 67 eggs, of which 53 hatched and 16 fledged. Despite very wet, cold weather in March and April, these numbers exceed those in 2019. The six Martin houses behind Cottage 2001 (Rich Bendorf) are managed by Robert and Barbara Boucher, who report 30 eggs, 24 hatchlings, and 11 fledglings as of Monday, Jun 15. A final report for all will be published in the August newsletter. Purple Martins are almost totally dependent on humans for housing since their historical nesting locations in trees are almost non-existent, due to the mass cutting of old-growth forests in the US.

GREAT COURSES DISCUSSION GROUP By Allan Novak

Unfortunately, we still cannot state at this time as to when or if classes will resume. As soon as this information is known, it will be published in the Roadrunner.

THANK YOU! By Tom Atherton

I am so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community to help me through the loss of my "perfect wife", Judy. Judy loved volunteering at the Library, attending Mass, and all the fun we shared at Happy Hours and social gatherings at Blue Skies. After her move to Freedom House, my attention has mostly been on her. I want to thank the staff at Freedom House for their incredible love and support of Judy for the 2 years that she lived there. Your cards, calls, companionship, emails, food, and Facebook messages have meant so much to me and my family. When we can, let's have a toast to Judy Atherton, together.

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THANK YOU! By Ruby and Howard Williams

Thank you very much for your gift of prayer, cards with get-well wishes and words of encouragement to Howard and me. Howard was experiencing a lot of tribulations –cardiac issues from March through May. So many people – family, church families, friends and acquaintances – stood in the gap and prayed for his healing and recovery. God heard all of our cries for healing! True to His Word, “...Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20 (NIV). We can truly say God has never left his side through stent placements, open heart surgery to repair a tear in his major heart artery, and now through rehabilitation. We know all praise, honor and glory goes to God the Father that we called upon for His healing grace!

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COMPETITIVE RUNNING By John MacIntyre

Recent activities of Blue Skies runners/walkers: On Sunday, May 24, while you were all smart enough to be enjoying your morning breakfasts, I was running the virtual race of the River City-Leon Creek Half marathon which was originally scheduled for March, but was cancelled by COVID-19 and converted to a virtual race.

I ran it here at BSTW. I got a late start, so I had the questionable pleasure of plenty of sun, high temps, and high humidity. Not much fun, actually. I would rather run the real race, and have the pleasure of other runners

around me, such as the BSTW run/walkers. Even though COVID-19 has caused most races to be cancelled, many allowed the runners to do the required distance, send in the results to the Race Director, and receive the regular medals and finishers’ t-shirts. These are called virtual races. In the Siesta races, Pat Hochstat was a finisher in the 5K race, Pat Perry ran the 10K race and John MacIntyre ran the Half Marathon. All are residents of BSTW. They did their virtual races on the BSTW campus.

SPORTS, GAMES AND SCORES

STAFF

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THE FIFTH STEP TO PREVENT YOUR NEXT FALL By Barbara Boucher, Ph.D., Resident Expert in Fall Prevention, Physical & Occupational Therapist

While the whole world is trying to mitigate the risk of contracting COVID-19, isolation may have increased your risk of falling – also a life-threatening event in the lives of people in their elder years. If you are able, use the information in this educational series to prevent your next fall. Each step in this educational series is a prompt for you to assess your risk for falling, and to get help to reduce your risk. Previously identified risks are: refusing to use an assistive device, taking multiple medications, loss of vision & hearing, eating a less than nutritious diet, overeating, and drinking too much alcohol. The math for determining your risk for falling is simple addition – the more risks you see in your lifestyle, the greater your chances of falling (again). However, the reasons people fall are the results of lifestyle choices and of aging. Another previously-identified sign of risk for falling is poor posture - a result of both aging and lifestyle. The reasons people fall from physical changes such as poor balance, weakness, and especially weakness in certain muscles, and neurological impairments. Have you determined the reason for your last fall? In keeping with model of a 12-step program, say your first name and state how long it has been since your last fall – all in the privacy of your own home. STEP 5: Admit to yourself and someone you trust that the reason you have fallen is due to some failure in your body’s ability to move. The reason you fell is not because you tripped on a throw rug. The reason you fell is because your body could not respond protectively from a small obstruction on the floor. Removing throw rugs from your home reduces some risk of falling in a particular place. However, the reason a person falls is that they have lost the ability to react to the displacement of their body from their base of support (feet). Thinking that a fall was caused by a change in floor surface (or because of shoes) is a form of denial. Accepting physical losses due to aging is difficult, but acceptance can be a step toward making lifestyle choices that mitigate the effects of aging. Some people don’t remember how they fell, which indicates entirely different reasons for the fall. Accepting mental losses due to aging is also difficult, and critical for asking help from professionals. You might be able to prevent your next fall. After completing Step 5: 1. Report every fall to your primary care provider – who can help determine the

reason you fell. 2. You may have to ask for physical therapy, which must be prescribed by a physician

or certain other specialist providers.

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Prescriptive exercise or physical therapy has been proven effective for improving posture, improving balance, strengthening muscles, and reducing neurological symptoms after a fall. Reminder: once you have fallen, your risk for falling again doubles. Every fall is a risk for severe injury, long-term disability and earlier death.

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DINING SERVICES - West

MENU & PROCESS CHANGES

Our team is working to implement these changes,

effective Sunday, Jul 12. We will release specific

details before the start date, but we wanted to give

you a sneak peek now!

2 HOT DELIVERIES DAILY

Deliveries start at 11am & 4pm.

NEW MENU SELECTIONS

TWO! higher-end meal selections weekly

At the request of the DRAC:

Casserole Day

H-E-B Simple Meals

PERSONALIZED SERVICE

Customize…YOU pick your sides.

Want a salad? You got it! Want soup? You got it!

All delivered to your door directly from the line –

requiring just a quick reheat in the microwave.

BISTRO CURBSIDE

Available from 10am-5pm daily. Details to follow!!

We are focused on making things better despite the

huge impact COVID-19 has made on all of us. Thank

you for your patience and support – our mission is

always to keep you healthy and safe.

DINING SERVICES CONTACT – 210-568-3235

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