The Coronavirus has impacted everyone in some way. It hard to imagine living in a time like this as a health care professional. Here at Dobie Road, we are beyond thankful for all of our team members – from front line members to leadership. At the beginning of the pandemic, it was determined that all employees were essential and asked to continue our mission—Dedicated to Improving Lives—for our patients, residents, and their families. Our team was even honored by the Ingham County Board of Commissioners for our team’s continued dedication, sacrifice, and commitment. We are so lucky to have the team we do!
Wellness has always been a strong advocate for self-care throughout these unprecedented times, but especially through September as it is self-care awareness month. We want to encourage you to practice self-care at home too by taking care of your mind and body. Some ways Wellness has promoted self-care through this pandemic are the following:
- Cheers for Peers – Team members recognize and post their peer who is taking good care of themselves.
- Wellness Wednesday— Each week Wellness sends out a weekly e-mail often promoting ways to eat healthier, exercising tips, importance of mindfulness, etc. This is a weekly reminder for our team to take care of themselves.
- Staff have been provided resources to assist in personal needs during the pandemic.
- We continue to promote movement by walking, running, biking, or any way that benefits our team.
Wellness is looking forward to the days when our community can utilize our space again for Tai Chi, Aquatics, and our 24/7 Senior Fitness Center. Throughout the pandemic, we have been limited on our community services, as skilled nursing facilities, like ours, have had visitor restrictions. When we can have visitors, we are excited to announce that we are proud members of the SilverSneakers program! Once opened, we can check to see if your SilverSneakers eligibility and sign you up for the fitness center. We are looking forward to seeing you take care of yourselves again! In the meantime, we encourage you to continue your exercises in your home. The CDC offers some resources for exercising at home, including the following:
10 Minutes Chair workout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZx1iWNM4MI
Seniors Stay Strong!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev1rMBecvnM
Sit and Be Fit
https://www.youtube.com/user/SitandBeFitTVSHOW
We know that self-care is more than just exercise though. We encourage you to address your emotional health as well. While exercise can help you do this, the CDC also recommends the following coping strategies.
- Connect with others.
- Take breaks.
- Stay informed
- Avoid too much exposure to news.
- Seek help when needed– If you need to seek help, you can talk to a clergy member, counselor, or doctor, or contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-985-5990.
Even though we are not seeing you face to face right now, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions about our services or exercises you can do at home at 517-381-6169. You can also sign up for our newsletter at www.dobieroad.org by scrolling to the bottom of the webpage and filling out your contact information.