Home Care News from VNA Northwest

Northfield resident Brandon Lajoie has known Steve Chenail, PT, for more than 20 years. When Steve makes his weekly visit, Brandon updates him on the latest sports news. They both root for the University of Connecticut teams. And when it comes to baseball, they both like the Yankees. Football is a different story, though. Brandon is a Cowboys fan and Steve s favorite team is the Jets. This keeps their conversation lively. And over the years, Steve claims he has forgiven Brandon for liking the Cowboys, and Brandon says, He got me to like the Jets more! Steve is VNA Northwest s Rehabilitation Supervisor. He says he met Brandon one day when he was treating Brandon s grandmother. Brandon, 19 at the time, was racing around the house in his wheelchair. Steve told his mother that Brandon needed footrests for his wheelchair, and from there the two developed a working relationship that has blossomed into a friendship over the years. Brandon, now 43, has been contending with muscular dystrophy since he was very young and has had multiple surgeries. He was once a goodwill ambassador for a local Jerry Lewis telethon. Steve continues to make weekly physical therapy visits to stretch out Brandon s joints, which become tight because of his disease. Brandon says the stretching, makes my daily living more comfortable. Though he is able to operate his sophisticated motorized wheelchair with subtle movements of his thumbs and forefingers, he requires the help of caregivers for most aspects of daily living. He is able to travel with the help of a specially-equipped van, and he and his wife, Jennifer, recently drove to Florida to visit his mother. A VNA Northwest nurse makes regular visits to check Brandon s vital signs and general health. It gives me peace of mind when she comes and she always reminds me to call her whenever I have a concern or a question, he says. Home Care News from VNA Northwest Since 1928: Where the Care Comes to You Patient and Therapist Are Friends and Fellow Sports Fans Brandon Lajoie with Steve Chenail, PT Spring /Summer 2013 issue: Kent Patient Peter Lacey.3 Litchfield Client Terrence McGurk...4 May 16 th Hospice Presentation 5 14 th Annual Golf Tournament..2 Bend & Stretch Program...3 VNA Northwest Nursing Registry...4 Serving All Towns in Litchfi eld County

14th Annual Golf Tournament is Sept. 16th 2012 Players (l-r) JeanGuy Godbout, Mark Michener,Tim Nelson, & Jim Arndt We are preparing for our 14 th Annual Golf Tournament scheduled for Monday, September 16th, at Fairview Farm Golf Course in Harwinton. Proceeds help fund services for Hospice and Home Care patients throughout Litchfield County. Sponsors, donors and golfers are encouraged to join this worthwhile cause.this year s tournament chairperson is Bridget Beauchaine of Torrington. Other members of the committee are: Peter Belval of Woodbury, Susan Burton of Bantam, Alice Dember of Goshen, Cindy Donaldson of Torrington, Laurel Galloway of Litchfield, Arthur J. Mulligan, III, of Southbury, Ann Somero of Middlebury, and Margret Warner of Torrington. Staff members Nancy Deming and Joyce Dunn are also on the committee. The cost per player is still $150. Golfers are encouraged to reserve spots early since space is limited. On-line registration and details are available at www.vnanw.org. Non-golfers can attend the social and dinner for just $35 per person. Please call the agency at 860-567-6000 to learn more. Join Us for Annual Legacy Tree Celebration September 11th Our annual Legacy Tree Celebration has become a traditional time to honor our donors, patients and friends, and to showcase the newly-inscribed leaves that have been added to our wall-size Legacy Tree sculpture. This year it will be held Wednesday evening, September 11th at our Bantam office. Please call us at 860-567-6000 if you would like to attend. How Your Donation Helps VNA Northwest makes every effort to provide services to all who need our care. However, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance and other resources often do not cover the entire cost of care. So your donations -- in any amount -- help insure that we can provide the highest quality care to each patient, regardless of the patient s ability to pay for services. Leaves on our Legacy Tree are inscribed to commemorate a life, pay tribute to someone, or to celebrate a significant milestone.for details on Legacy Tree donations, please call our fund development office at 860-567-6000 or visit www.vnanw.org and click on How You Can Help. If you would like to help provide home care and hospice to future generations of your friends and neighbors please consider including VNA Northwest in your will. 2 VNA Northwest, Inc. Board of Directors Officers Arthur J. Mulligan, III, President Terri Ruot, Vice President Laurance Weber, Treasurer Cindy Donaldson, Corporate Secretary Board of Directors Susan Burton, Bantam Denise Cloutier, Esq., Goshen Timothy Cook, Torrington Cindy Donaldson, Torrington Laurel R. Galloway, Litchfield Michael D. Lynch, Esq., Sharon Meryl Eve Matisoff, Harwinton Michael McCormack, Woodbury Georgianna Middlebrook, Washington Arthur J. Mulligan, III, Southbury Mike Patterson, Torrington Maureen Pratt, Litchfield Terri Ruot, Harwinton Margret K. Warner, Torrington Laurance Weber, New Preston Staff Nancy Deming, RN, BSHA Executive Director Bridget A. Beauchaine Corresponding Secretary Newsletter Editor Joyce B. Dunn Join our email newsletter list: write to us at info@vnannw.org or: 607 Bantam Road Unit F Bantam, CT 06750

Kent Patient Continues to Reach Out to Others Although James Peter Lacey has been receiving chemotherapy for a rare form of cancer, he enjoys having visitors, and still manages to do some volunteer work in his community of Kent. He is currently involved with a program that provides transportation for local residents to and from medical appointments. I enjoy helping people in need. You never know when you are going to be in that situation, says Peter, as he is called. He has experienced injuries, illnesses and hospitalizations, and says he appreciates the different types of home care he s received during the past several years. This includes skilled nursing, as well as physical and occupational therapy from VNA Northwest clinicians. In the past several months, VNA Northwest has monitored Peter during his chemotherapy and provided wound care. Tara Golden, RN, one of our wound care certified nurses, has been involved in Peter s case. He says he feels she is a very good nurse. Peter served in the Marine Corps as a young man and then had a career as building contractor. He and his wife, Ann, have been married for 50 years. They have five grown children and several grandchildren. Both Ann and one of their daughters are nurses. Peter is outgoing and friendly despite the discomfort he is experiencing. He has a way of putting others at ease. In fact, during a six-month stay last year at the VA Hospital, he says he made an effort to get around toas many other rooms as possible to spend time chatting with the other veterans there, and offering them encouragement. In photo above, Tara Golden, RN, with Peter Lacey Bend & Stretch Program Growing With Help From Grant Funding Connecticut Community Foundation has funded a series of four Bend and Stretch fall prevention clinics for older adults this year. They re taking place at the Litchfield Community Center and being presented by VNA Northwest. These clinics are in addition to a series that has been running at the Sullivan Senior Center in Torrington and the McCarthy Senior Center in Winsted. This series is funded by the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging. A recent grant from The Canaan Foundation will fund a second clinic in North Canaan beginning this year. These popular clinics have been funded by several towns in our service area for years. You can also find them in Bethlehem, Cornwall, Falls Village, Sharon,* Warren and Washington. Dates and times for each of the clinics are posted on the Calendar page of VNA Northwest s website, www.vnanw.org. *VNA Northwest will not receive town funding to run a clinic in Sharon next year. 3 Instructor Ruthellen Griffi n with Bend & Stretch participants at the Litchfi eld Community Center.

This Litchfield Client Has A Long Record of Service Lieutenant Colonel Terrence J. McGurk served over 31 years in the Army National Guard. When he retired in 1984, he was commander of an artillery battalion in Norwalk, Connecticut. During the time he served in the Guard, he worked as a geologist, completed graduate studies, and then was hired as a science teacher at Litchfield High School. He taught there from 1961-1995.He also taught an Introduction to Geology course at two local branches of the University of Connecticut. Terry and his wife, Ann, met in college in Ohio. Before moving to Connecticut, they lived in Idaho, Wyoming, and Indiana. He also went through Basic Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he was first in his class of 180. Terry says he and Ann have been in all 50 states. They have been married 56 years and have four adult children and six grandchildren. Although illness now limits his mobility, Terry has maintained his interest in geology over the years. He continues to read Earth Science magazine and says he likes to hunt for fossils. These days, he gets assistance with some of the more challenging aspects of daily living from VNA Northwest Nursing Registry. Most mornings, registry caregiver Augustine Acheampong is at the McGurk home to help Terry get ready for the day. He provides whatever assistance Terry needs with his activities. Augustine and Terry in front of a banner that displays some of Terry s military badges and medals. Marion Lent is Terry s other caregiver from the registry. She and Terry are working diligently to increase his mobility, says Ann. How Our Registry Can Help Find a Blood Pressure Clinic Near You Our nurses conduct walk-in screenings in many local towns. They are sponsored by the towns and VNA Northwest. Above, Patrice Lago, RN, at the monthly clinic in Cornwall with a local resident. Call 860-567-6000 or visit our Calendar page at www.vnanw.org for a schedule. 4 VNA Northwest Nursing Registry (formerly known as West Street Home Care) is the private duty arm of VNA Northwest, and is also a notfor-profit agency. Registry caregivers provide personal assistance to clients in their homes with basic activities such as bathing and personal hygiene, transfers, dressing, eating and food preparation, companionship and medications oversight. The registry also provides skilled nursing care at the request of the client and his/her family. The quality of life for client and family can be significantly enhanced when in-home caregivers, scheduled as needed, allow the client to remain safe in a comfortable, familiar environment. For more information, please visit our Private Duty page at www.vnanw.org, or call 860-567-2476.

Community Hospice Program May 16th in Litchfield On Thursday evening, May 16 th, VNA Northwest will present a community Linda Campanella awareness program at The Litchfield Inn, featuring Linda Campanella, an acclaimed author and advocate for compassionate end-of-life care. Linda published her first book, When All That s Left of Me Is Love, to critical acclaim in 2011. She will offer her perspective on terminal illness, death of a loved one, and the gift of hospice. She will share intimate insights from the perspec tive of a daughter who was a primary caregiver as well as her family s primary partner with the hospice team that cared for her mother. Copies of her book will also be available for sale at the event. The Litchfield Inn is located at 432 Bantam Road, Litchfield. The program is open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis, and is sponsored in part by Thomaston Savings Bank Foundation, Inc., with additional funding from Junior Women s Club of Litchfield Hills.It is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and will include a light dinner for attendees. Registration is required, and will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please call VNA Northwest at 860-567-6000 to make a reservation, and ask to speak with Joyce or Bridget. Alzheimer s Disease Topic of Program at Litchfield Library May 15th VNA Northwest is co-sponsoring a program with the Oliver Wolcott Library in Litchfield that highlights the experiences of a Connecticut writer and his father, who suffered from Alzheimer s Disease. Acclaimed author Jonathan Gillman, MFA, will read from his moving series of poems, My Father, Humming, on Wednesday, May 15 th, from 7-8 p.m. at the library, located at 160 South Street. A wine and cheese reception will follow his reading. Registration is required, since space is limited. Register by calling the library at 860-567-8030 or by visiting the website at www.owlibrary.org, and selecting Adult Programs. Both the book and audio book will be available for sale at the event. VNA Northwest in Bethlehem June 5th Staff members from VNA Northwest will present an overview of services that the agency offers on Wednesday, evening, June 5 th, at the Bethlehem Public Library. They ll share information and field questions about home care and hospice services, as well as private duty options that VNA Northwest offers through VNA Northwest Nursing Registry. For more information about this program, which begins at 7 p.m., please call the library at 203-266-7792. If your group or organization would like to learn more about these topics, please call VNA Northwest at 860-567-6000 to schedule a presentation. VNA Northwest, Inc. is a not-for-profit, Medicare-certified, state-licensed home care and hospice agency based in Bantam, CT. Founded in 1928 by Dr. W. Bradford Walker, the agency now serves all towns in Litchfield County, providing home care, hospice and private duty services. 5 VNA Northwest nurse Kristina Douglas, RN, at the weekly Blood Pressure Clinic in Bethlehem with local resident Nadzia Borowski. For the schedule of Bend & Stretch and Blood Pressure clinics, as well as other events, visit our Calendar page at www.vnanw.org

You Have a Choice -- Ask For Us by Name Learn more about our programs and services at www.vnanw.org Above, Jean Fabianski of Thomaston receives a blood pressure check from VNA Northwest s Ashley Tortora, RN. We Serve All of Litchfield County: Bantam, Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Colebrook, Cornwall, Cornwall Bridge, Falls Village, Gaylordsville, Goshen, Harwinton, Kent, Lakeside, Lakeville, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, New Milford, New Preston, Norfolk, Northfield, North Canaan, Oakville, Pequabuck, Pleasant Valley, Plymouth, Riverton, Roxbury, Salisbury, Sharon, South Kent, Taconic, Terryville, Thomaston, Torrington, Warren, Watertown, Washington, Washington Depot, Watertown, West Cornwall, Winchester Center, Winsted, Woodbury Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 118 Waterbury, CT 6 VNA Northwest, Inc. 607 Bantam Road Unit F Bantam, CT 06750 (800) 752-0215 or (860) 567-6000 info@vnanw.org www.vnanw.org