Melissa Powell Published in CEO World and quoted in a skilled nursing news piece

Allure COO Melissa Powell writes about the importance of a business leader establishing a culture in which employees are fully engaged in her piece “New Rules For Effective Leadership,” which was posted on CEO World’s website.

Creating such a culture is no small challenge, Melissa writes, but greatly impacts performance, retention and patient outcomes. And the general consensus seems to be that leaders can bring out the best in their employees by concentrating on such soft skills as communication, transparency and empathy.

Melissa Powell also discussed the importance of a skilled nursing operator meeting insurance providers halfway in a piece on Skilled Nursing News’ website entitled “I-SNP Exec: Skilled Nursing Operators Must Approach Insurers to Succeed — But Few Do.”  She was quoted as saying that SNF operators too often take to heart what they have “been taught to believe about” themselves, notably that they are in a position where they must simply follow the lead of others.

That is changing, she told Skilled Nursing News:

“Some of the things that we’re able to now bring to an Advantage plan, and talk about what we can do for them, didn’t exist (as recently as three or four years ago).”

Longevity Garden Team Attends 2019 Good Health Day

The Longevity Garden Team attended Good Health Day, which was sponsored by the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center and held in early August. The event, which has been held for over 30 years, features free screenings for such things as cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension, and health activity booths health activity booths that address concerns like oral health, diabetes, cardiovascular health, pediatrics and women’s health issues. There were also demonstrations of things like CPR, Zumba and martial arts.

Harlem Center Staff Holds BBQ

The Harlem Center staff held a barbecue recently, and invited not only members of the community but also staffers from Harlem Hospital. It was a great time to celebrate the warm summer weather with the Harlem Center community, thanks to everyone who came! 

Linden Center Green Thumbs Club

The Linden Center recently held a meeting of its “Green Thumbs Club,” where the many virtues of gardening were discussed. Not only does it enable seniors to improve their mobility, flexibility, motor skills, endurance and strength, it also reduces stress, stimulates an interest in nature and provides nutritious food. While there are caveats, like seniors’ susceptibility to sunburn and dehydration, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

Hamilton Park holds Bowling Competition

A bowling competition like the one held by Hamilton Park Center residents offers a reminder that bowling is a lifetime sport, and one in which virtually anyone can take part. Some alleys, for instance, reserve lanes for those who are visually impaired or confined to wheelchairs. 

No matter the participant, bowling can improve eye-hand coordination, balance and strength, while also providing a social outlet.

Hamilton Park Casino Event

Hamilton Park recently staged a Casino Night, during which residents enjoyed card games, a roulette wheel and various other games of chance. 

Bedford Center Tie-Dye Fun

Tie-dyeing, a practice that dates back to Sixth Century Asia, is most often associated in the U.S. with the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Residents of the Bedford Center brought it into the 21st century with their recent event, which was nothing short of groovy.

Bedford Center Visit To Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Bedford Center residents visited the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on Aug. 14, where they were able to see some of the Garden’s recent upgrades — part of a decade-long project geared toward modernizing the place’s infrastructure and introducing greener practices — as well as staples like the Rose, Herb and Rock Gardens.

Linden Center Yomenco Rhythm and Dance and Yoga Class

The Linden Center recently hosted a Yomenco Rhythm and Dance and Yoga Class. Yoga certainly needs no introduction, and its benefits — strength, flexibility and cardiovascular health — have long been extolled. Yomenco, on the other hand, is a relatively new creation of New York City-based yoga instructor Bruce Van Horn. It combines breathing and stretching, not to mention flamenco music, and has been found to be especially beneficial to seniors.

From Our Blog: Five Ways Seniors Benefit From Pet Therapy

Over the last two decades scientists and researchers have taken a much closer look at the benefits seniors derive from animal therapy, which involves introducing a pet companion into the life of an elderly person in order to enrich their lives. Click here to read the full blog post! 

5 Ways Technology is Improving Post-Acute Care, by Melissa Powell

The Allure Group has always strived to be on the cutting edge of technology, and The Allure Group COO Melissa Powell writes in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News that it is critical for a post-acute facility to consider many factors when implementing tech.

Among them, she adds, are clinical effectiveness, adaptability for staff and whether it can be easily understood by a resident’s family.

She went on to note the many ways in which Allure has integrated tech into its care, including EarlySense, a contact-free patient monitoring system, robotics, telehealth and electronic medical records. Click here to read the full article!

Healthy Heart Month at Allure

February was Healthy Heart Month, and to mark the occasion The Allure Group offered free blood-pressure screening for all residents, at each of the six centers in The Allure Group network. In addition there was a cooking demonstration on Feb. 20 at the Hamilton Park Center in Brooklyn, and a CEU seminar and spa event at the Crown Heights Center on Feb. 28 to promote healthy hearts!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, killing some 610,000 people every year. Some 735,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year.

We’re Hiring – Director of Nursing Services

The Allure Group is seeking a Director of Nursing Services. Interested parties should contact ToniAnn Franco at Tfranco@allurecare.com, and if you know if anyone that would be a great fit, please pass along the word that we’re looking!

King David Center Employee of the month

A huge congratulations to our King David Center Employee of the Month, Max Kenigsberg! Thanks for all that you do for The Allure Group!

Harlem Center Celebrates Black History Month With Music Program

Did you know that, according to Johns Hopkins, music can be considered medicine for your mind? There are many health benefits associated with music, from improved memory to stress relief, motivation, and even decreased pain from chronic illness. It may come as a surprise to you that something as simple as listening to music can so dramatically improve your quality-of-life.

Harlem Center celebrated Black History Month with a program through music with Mr. William Spaulding. Our residents had a fun filled afternoon singing and dancing together and we are very thankful to everyone who came and participated, thanks to you all!

Chinese new year celebrations

Chinese New Year this year, The Year of the Pig, officially begun this year on February 5th, 2019, and ended on February 19th.

The Pig is the twelfth of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. Pig was late because he overslept.

We spent time celebrating across multiple centers and want to thank everyone who helped out and attended our celebrations! Below are some fun photos from the celebration at our Bedford Center:

Valentine’s Day Celebrations

We celebrated Valentine’s Day across our centers this month with musical guests, festive decorations, and fun parties for our residents who spent time decorating cookies and enjoying the performances.

President’s Day entertainment

We had a musical guest come to Bedford Center on President’s Day who spent some time serenading our residents with some lovely tunes. Thanks so much for everyone who came and enjoyed the festivities with us.

Harlem Center Painting Program

Our Harlem Center held a painting program this month for our residents with a group of volunteers from Art 4 New York. Our residents had a great time painting and embracing their creativity!

Blog Post: Winter Safety Tips For Seniors

The winter months pose various challenges for seniors, presented not only by ice and illness, but the possibility of isolation — even in a bustling eldercare facility, like one of the six in the Allure network.

So what is a senior to do? Click to read our blog post!