From the desk of ………….
If you have been to your doctor, dentist or had prescriptions filled in the past few weeks, you have no doubt been informed of new privacy rules regarding your personal health information. All health care providers must now follow rules and regulations contained in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law, which went into effect last month, is designed to give each one of us more control of our health information and assures us that information about us will be held in confidence by providers and only used for treatment of billing purposes.
Our facility is covered under the HIPAA privacy rules and we need to review this information with our family members who are serving as Responsible Party. It would certainly help us out if you would call your Social Worker or drop by their office when you are in the facility. It will only take a few minutes and we will ask that you acknowledge by your signature that we have made you aware of our privacy rules. We thank you in advance for your help.
Please make plans to be with us for the Eden Celebration and please visit with us often.
Wilson K. Dillard, Administrator
Posted on October 06, 2002
Memory Walk raises Alzheimer's awareness
|
|
Friends and loved ones gathered Saturday to walk in memory of those who are suffering and who have died from Alzheimer's disease.
Approximately 150 people participated in the Upstate South Carolina Chapter of the National Alzheimer's Association's annual fund-raiser, the Memory Walk. The event was held at the Mountainview Nursing Home in Spartanburg.
"We're here to raise funds and awareness," said Ralph Winn, from the board of directors for the chapter. This year's three-mile walk was Winn's fourth. He participated in honor of his wife, who lost her 12-year battle with the disease this past January.
"There are more than 4,000 cases in Spartanburg County alone and 4 million nationwide," Winn said. "With enough research and awareness we can beat this thing, just like polio was conquered."
Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. It involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. Every day scientists learn more, but right now the causes of the disease are still unknown, and there is no cure. The disease usually begins after age 60, and the risk goes up with age.
Many of the memory walkers joined the effort in support of a loved one.
"I'm here for my mother," said Karen Harris, a Spartanburg resident. "It's devastating to see the suffering that comes with this disease."
Harris's efforts were supported by fellow teammates from Morningside Baptist Church.
The Upstate chapter set a goal of $40,000 for this year's walk.
"We didn't quite make last year's goal of $50,000," said Janice Finkle, chapter coordinator. "The economy was so upset this time last year. We're hoping this year will be better."
One way these funds help is by letting local families of Alzheimer's victims hire day sitters to assist in the homes.
"All funds raised during the Memory Walk stay local," Finkle said. "By local, I mean within the 17 counties covered by our chapter."
The Spartanburg High Tippers was one of this year's largest fund-raisers, bringing in more than $3,000. These 54 high school students raised money by going door-to-door and speaking with community members about Alzheimer's disease. The Tippers also provided a carnival after the event to entertain children who participated in the walk.
"We've got something for everyone during the day," said Sue Kemp of Mountainview Nursing Home.
The nursing home donated its grounds for the walk. Afterward, it provided walkers with a free barbeque lunch.
Posted on December 06, 2002
Power loss forges unlikely bond between SCSDB students, elderly
|
|
By BENNY LEE SMITH
Staff Writer
Love is ageless. Visit us.
Those words are on a sign that hangs above the entrance of Mountainview Nursing Home on Cedar Springs Road.
The winter storm forced more than 200 S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind teachers and students to ride buses across the street and take the nursing home residents up on that offer Thursday. The group made the visit because of a power outage at the school.
"This is the first time we have ever had to evacuate since I have been here for more than 25 years," said Craig Jacobs, principal of SCSDB's Multihandicapped School.
Students ranging from elementary to middle school ages interacted throughout the day with elderly residents as they waited for power to be restored. The school's nearly 90 older teens and their teachers spent Thursday at Croft Fire Department.
The school lost power about 3:30 a.m., and administrators went into action.
"We knew what to do; we just don't want to have to do it again, ever," said SCSDB President Sheila Breitweiser.
They first called nursing home administrators and Croft firefighters to let them know they would be putting their winter storm plan into action. The school does not have generators.
"I heard a knock on my door and then they said we had to get up, get dressed because the power was out," said 13-year-old Jennifer Paul.
Paul and about 250 other students from around the state stay at the school as residential students during the week. They go home on the weekends.
Once students got to the nursing home and fire department, they were split into groups with their teachers. They spent the rest of the day playing games, watching television and taking short walks outside.
Students made the best of their situation by interacting with residents at the nursing home.
Cleveland Hallman, 10, of Columbia played with a large yellow ball, regularly used as a therapy tool. He bounced the ball in the hall of the nursing home back and forth for about 20 minutes with a nursing home resident.
Fourteen-year-old twins Latiesha and Lakeieshia Baskin of Anderson used their time to practice cheerleading moves. As they moved their arms and jumped up and down, nursing home residents rolled their wheelchairs in to get a look.
Administrator Wilson Dillard said it was the first time the nursing home has had the opportunity to accommodate the students, who are directly across the street from the nursing home.
"We have a good relationship and past understanding that if this ever happened we would be there for them," Wilson said.
Power was restored at SCSDB late Thursday, but the students spent Thursday night at the fire department and nursing home while the school heated back up.
Benny Lee Smith can be reached at 582-4511, Ext. 7216, or
Posted on December 10, 2002
Grateful at SCSDB
|
|
By Sheila S. Breitweiser
President,
I want to thank the wonderful Spartanburg community for coming to our aid at the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind during the recent winter storm.
When we lost power in Thursday's pre-dawn hours, 270 of our students needed a warm place to stay. Both the Croft Fire Department and the Mountainview Nursing Home had emergency generators and opened their warm facilities to us for a full 24 hours.
Their staff members (and, at Mountainview, their residents as well) basically treated all members of our SCSDB group just as if we were family members.
In fact, a highlight of the experience was to see so many of the Mountainview residents engaged in wonderful activities with our special kids -- playing ball, working puzzles, singing Christmas carols and much more.
When the campus telephones went out, the local mass media helped us notify the community of an emergency cell phone number. And when we discovered that 50 of the students did not have suitable coats for the extremely cold weather, a community donor covered the full bill for 50 new coats -- and then provided pizza for our staff!
I want to extend heartfelt appreciation, on behalf of everyone at SCSDB, to all of our wonderful neighbors for the warm reception and great care extended to our children.
I also want to thank our wonderful staff members who traveled, at times in dangerous conditions, to care for our special kids, even though many of these staff members did not have power at their own homes. The evacuation was carried out quickly and smoothly thanks to the generosity of our neighbors and our staff's careful planning.