Today I appeared on the ABC Channel 15 show, "Sonoran Living Live". The following is the video and the text from my interview.
As the Wellness Services Coordinator for La Siena Senior Living, I have a unique position. I am not a nurse; I am a prevention specialist who promotes the total well being of La Siena's residents. My job is not about assessing and evaluating, it's about enhancing and building. It's my job to get people connected to and participating in things that make them feel alive, happy and fully engaged in life.
The wellness philosophy of Leisure Care and La Siena is best expressed as whole person wellness. It is one thing to take care of a person's basic physical needs. It is quite another to look after and nurture the whole person. La Siena's wellness programs are designed to provide expert guidance in physical fitness, dining and nutrition, intellectual and artistic pursuits, social and travel adventure, and relaxation.
Wellness reaches beyond physical health and includes seven dimensions that are reflective of our whole lives as social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical beings. Our wellness also includes our vocation and our environment - because all of these things affect our day to day lives. Wellness is not about living the "perfect" life and never eating a donut or missing a day of exercise. Wellness is about finding a balanced approach to life.
One of the unique wellness programs at La Siena is our Brain Fitness Program by Posit Science. "Brain Fit" was designed by top scientists to provide the brain with the precise exercise it needs to grow stronger and sharper. Scientific research studies have shown that Brain Fit can significantly improve memory. After taking the program, people report feeling sharper or more "on the ball," happier, more confident, and excited about things. Brain Fit has also helped some people feel that they have improved their hearing, listening and communication skills.
La Siena also has monthly wellness education lectures called LivWell Series. These sessions are not the typical "heart health" or "diabetes prevention" seminars you might expect. At La Siena or motto is "1 percent Retirement, 99 percent Fun!" and our LivWell Series is reflective of that with sessions like "Common Exercise Myths - Busted!", Vickie Mullins' "Leaving a Legacy is Easy: Let Your Grandkids Know Their Unibrows Came from Grandpa's Side of the Family!", and "Laugh for the Health of It" with Elaine Lundburg which is coming up on Wednesday, February 18th, at La Siena from 11:00 - 12:30 PM. La Siena is located at 909 E. Northen Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. Call 602-870-5500 to RSVP for events.