Family Is Forever - Genesis HealthCare

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3 Everybody And Their Cousin | 3 Apple-Picking Season Is Here. Ingredients: Crumb Topping: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour. 1/
Skillet Apple Crisp Serves 6 Apple Filling:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced Pinch of kosher salt 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon vanilla Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation: Special equipment: an 8-inch cast-iron skillet Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cover the apple filling in the skillet evenly with the crumb topping. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until crisp and brown on top, an additional 20 to 30 minutes.

Today

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Page 2 The Family That Eats (and talks) Together! |

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Everybody And Their Cousin |

“Family Is Forever” National Assisted Living Week celebrates the bond you share with the people you care about most.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Apple-Picking Season Is Here

caregivers’ Maintaining Family Traditions Every family has its traditions. These are the customs, practices, and beliefs handed down from one generation to the next. Traditions allow families to spend quality time together — promoting a feeling of closeness, strengthening bonds and creating fond memories. For those residing in assisted living facilities, however, maintaining family traditions is not always easy. Many may feel that they are missing out on, or no longer participating in, the traditions they’ve always looked forward to in the past.

This newsletter is published quarterly and provides information and resources for caregivers and older adults. Information and comments are welcomed and should be sent to, [email protected]. You may also contact Lori Mayer at 610-925-4138. PG

With Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaching, now is the time to consider ways to keep tradition alive. Start by talking to your family members about the traditions they cherish the most. Make a list together and identify the customs and practices that can easily be maintained. You can also gather the thoughts and memories of extended family members to add to the list.

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Even the simplest traditions can mean so much. Few things in this world — if any — are more important than family. Through good times, bad times, sickness, and health, your family is your support group. They are the people you turn to for comfort, safety, and a sympathetic ear. The theme for this year’s National Assisted Living Week (September 10 – 16) is “Family Is Forever.” It was inspired by this quote from the late poet, Maya Angelou: “Family isn’t always blood, it’s the people in your life who want you in theirs: the ones who accept you for who you are, the ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.”

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For the crumb topping: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt using a fork or pastry cutter. Cut the butter into small pieces and gradually add it to the flour mixture until evenly mixed. Set aside.

For the apple filling: In an 8-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the apple slices and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice.

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Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond

Ingredients: Crumb Topping:

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Genesis Today

Indeed, a family does not always consist of people who are related to each other. Family can evolve from any type of close relationship, or group of people connected in some meaningful way. Ultimately, the word “family” defines the people who influence us, teach us lessons, and shape our lives.

So it’s no surprise that many assisted living facility staff members come to think of elderly and disabled residents as family. According to Scott Tittle, Executive Director of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), community residents “leave a lasting imprint” on those who care for them. “It takes a special person to work in our profession,” he says, “and often, caregivers form bonds that can never be broken.” During National Assisted Living Week, facility residents, caregivers, staff, and communities are encouraged to focus on family — to recognize the role of loved ones in caring for aging Americans and people with disabilities. The articles in this issue of Genesis Today focus on the importance of family and maintaining an unbreakable bond with the people you care about most. For more information about National Assisted Living Week and this year’s theme, visit www.ahcancal.org/ncal/events

Traditions, of course, don’t have to involve elaborate rituals to be meaningful. They can be as simple as wearing fuzzy socks on New Year’s Day, or having everyone at the Thanksgiving dinner table express what makes them thankful. Here are few easy ways to keep everyone engaged in family holiday customs: • When visiting during a holiday, bring a gift or food item that your family always associates with that holiday. • If cooking and baking are an important part of your family traditions, consider exchanging seasonal recipes. • If you’re unable to visit family or loved ones during a holiday or for a special occasion, use technology (such as Skype) to include them in the celebration. • If elderly family members are not able to be present for holidays and other celebrations, they can read bedtime stories to grandchildren over the phone or by video. Just as “family is forever,” tradition should be as well. But it’s up to each family to keep their respective traditions alive. For assisted living facility residents, tradition can evoke fond, deeply rooted memories, and a feeling of emotional security.

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Genesis Today

Everybody and Their Cousin It’s been said that your cousins are your very first friends. After all, you spent your childhood with them, frequently visiting each other’s houses. You may have even thought of their parents (your aunt and uncle) as a second mom and dad to you. If you’re lucky, the bonds you formed with your cousins as a child have lasted for life.

Genesis HealthCare Residences ALABAMA Hilltop at Glenwood, Florence Magnolia Village, Gardendale CALIFORNIA Fountain Senior ALF, Orange Spring Senior Assisted Living, Torrance COLORADO Cheyenne Place, Colorado Springs Genesis Senior Living, Lafayette CONNECTICUT Groton Regency Retirement, Groton GEORGIA The Village at Renaissance, Griffin IDAHO Sunny Ridge, Nampa Meridian Center, Meridian KENTUCKY Heritage Place, Owensboro MASSACHUSETTS Heritage Woods, Agawam MONTANA The Lodge, Great Falls NEVADA Vintage Park at San Martin, Las Vegas NEW HAMPSHIRE Granite Ledges of Concord, Concord Partridge House, Hampton Langdon Place of Nashua, Nashua Langdon Place of Keene, Keene Langdon Place of Dover, Dover Langdon Place of Exeter, Exeter Clipper Harbor Assisted Living, Portsmouth NEW JERSEY Heritage at Clara Barton, Edison Victoria Commons, North Cape May Brakeley Park Villas, Phillipsburg NEW MEXICO Village at Northrise - The Hallmark, Las Cruces Village at Northrise - Morningside, Las Cruces PENNSYLVANIA Laurel Center, Hamburg Lehigh Commons, Macungie Highgate at Paoli Pointe, Paoli Sanatoga Court, Pottstown Berkshire Commons, Reading Mifflin Court, Shillington Riverview Ridge, Wilkes-Barre MapleShade Meadows, Nesquehoning WASHINGTON Monroe House, Moses Lake WEST VIRGINIA Wishing Well Assisted Living Community at Fairmont Campus, Fairmont

Call 866-745-2273 or visit genesishcc.com to learn more.

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The Family That Eats (and Talks) Together If you could have any superpower, what would it be? If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? If you could be a famous person for a week, who would you be? These are a few questions to keep tucked away for the next time your family comes to visit for dinner. After all, the most nourishing family dinners require an essential ingredient: conversation. Mealtime conversation provides opportunities for families to connect and learn more from (and about) each other. You can share information and the latest news of each other’s lives. Family meals create a feeling of warmth, security, and love — a bonding experience that makes everyone at the table feel welcome.

In addition to the questions at the beginning of this article, here are a few conversation starters that could spark a lively dialog: “What was the best part of your day (or week)?” “Do you have any funny stories?” “If you traded places with your parents for a day, what would you do?” “What is one way that you helped another person this week?” “What is your favorite childhood memory?” “If you could pick your own name, what would it be and why?”

Chances are, you recall a time when family meals were a truly special part of the day — and conversation around the table helped to bring a positive atmosphere to the meal. In fact, studies have shown that sharing meals together can have a positive influence on families, especially children. That’s why, during family meals that span generations, it’s important to make sure your children or grandchildren are part of the conversation.

For an engaging dinner discussion, be sure to: • Have only one conversation at a time. • Ask open-ended questions that require more than a yes or no response. • Include everyone in the conversation. Also, be sure the TV is turned off and make a rule that there should be no cell phones at the table. So what topics should you bring up? You might think that with multiple generations at the table it would be hard to find common ground. But if you keep the topics universal (avoiding controversial matters, such as politics), you may be surprised where the discussion leads.

No doubt, you can think of many more conversation starters based your family’s specific interests. If your children or grandchildren have hobbies or activities they enjoy, be sure to ask about those as well. In today’s fast-paced, high-tech world, meals are often rushed or served as an afterthought. Taking the time for a traditional family dinner with great conversation can be a welcome and meaningful experience — for young and old alike.

But of course, you and your cousins are more than friends — you’re blood. As cousins, you share a common set of grandparents. One of your parents is a sibling to one of theirs. They’re a part of your extended family, as are their children and grandchildren. As you think about your extended family, however, you may not be clear on how you’re related to everyone. For example, do you know how you are related to your cousins’ children? Or to your parents’ cousins?

Second cousin…or first cousin once removed? When the word “removed” is used to describe a relationship, it means that the two people are from different generations. “Once removed” means that there is a difference of one generation. For instance, the children of your cousins would be your first cousins once removed. Also, your mother or father’s first cousins are your first cousins once removed, because they are a generation older than you. Children of your cousins’ children would be “twice removed.” So what is a second cousin? That’s someone in your family who has the same great-grandparents as you, but not the same grandparents. In other words, your second cousin would be the grandchild of one of your great aunts or uncles. Your third cousins have the same great-great-grandparents, fourth cousins have the same great-great-great-grandparents…and so on.

Confused? The chart may help. It shows how you are connected with all the relatives in your extended family. greatgrandfather

=

greatgrandmother

grandfather =

grandmother

grand-uncle or grand aunt

mother

uncle or aunt

first cousin once removed

SELF

brother or sister

first cousin

second cousin

son or daughter

nephew or niece

first cousin once removed

second cousin once removed

grand- son or granddaughter

grand- nephew or grand-niece

first cousin twice removed

second cousin twice removed

father

=

Apple-picking season is here! Can you feel your mouth watering already? It’s time to start gathering recipes for apple pie, apple cobbler, apple bread, apple cider, applesauce, and…well, you get the picture. Family traditions often revolve around food, and this time of year may conjure happy memories celebrated with apple-based delicacies. Early fall is when some of the more popular varieties of apples — such as Honeycrisp, Sweet Tango, MacIntosh and Gala — are the most tart and crisp. MacIntosh apples are best for making sauce; but, if you like baking, Cortland, Empire and Jonathans also ripen in September.

You know what they say about “an apple a day.” Not only do they taste good, fresh-picked apples are “nutritional powerhouses.” That’s because they contain the following important health-enhancing nutrients: Vitamin C — an abundant water-soluble antioxidant that boosts the body’s resistance to infectious diseases. Vitamin C also combats the damage caused by toxins like pollution and cigarette smoke, and helps prevent cell and tissue damage that could lead to a number of diseases. B-complex vitamins (riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamin B-6) — to help maintain red blood cells and keep the nervous system in good health. Dietary fiber — which helps prevent the development of infectious diseases and slow the amount of bad cholesterol in your body.

Calcium — a mineral that slows down bonedensity loss and helps regulate your heartbeat. Calcium also plays an important role in blood clotting. Potassium — an electrolyte that counters the effects of sodium to help maintain a healthy blood pressure level. Potassium also helps regulate fluid balance and controls the electrical activity of the heart and other muscles. Have you ever noticed that your mouth puckers when you bite into an apple? That’s due to a nutrient called polyphenol that adds astringency to your mouth, causing you to salivate. So apples literally are mouth-watering! Here’s a suggestion for when your family visits this fall: be prepared to serve a variety of fresh apples. Slice the apples, add caramel, and have an apple tasting celebration. Experience and compare the subtle differences in the flavors of the September varieties. Better yet: bake an apple pie together. You’ll be apple of your family’s eye.

10 Fun Facts About Apples 1. There are 8,000 varieties of apples. 2. There is only one apple that is native to North America: the crabapple. 3. The apple tree is a member of the rose family. 4. Americans eat more apples per capita than any other fruit.

5. 25% of an apple’s volume is air. (That’s why they float!)

8. The largest apple ever produced was 3 pounds, 2 ounces.

6. A medium-sized apple has about 80 calories (but 0 grams of fat and no cholesterol).

9. The science of apple growing is called pomology.

7. It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of cider.

10. One of George Washington’s hobbies was pruning his apple trees.

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