LECOM at Asbury Ridge
Title: Bridging Wellness: Addressing Holistic Health in the Geriatric Population
Student Interns:
Abigail Cloud
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Lauryn Haag
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Noelle Thielman, PhD
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Community Preceptor:
LeeAnne Pukylo, MSOL
LECOM at Asbury Ridge
Community Site:
LECOM at Asbury Ridge is a skilled nursing facility within St. Mary’s at Asbury Ridge, a nonprofit continuing care retirement community (CCRC) offering a range of services designed to deliver the best care for the geriatric population. The CCRC includes many carriage homes designed for independent living, but with access to services such as maintenance, social activities, and transportation to appointments. Residential living and personal care provide support while still allowing the residents to remain independent. Rehabilitation services are available for those who need acute care: physical, occupational, speech, or respiratory therapies. The skilled nursing facility, LECOM at Asbury Ridge, provides 24/7 personal and nursing care for short-term and long-term residents. The Alzheimer’s/Memory Care unit is designed to promote independence and provide specialized services for those suffering from memory loss.
Team’s Experience:
The goal of the Bridging the Gaps interns’ project was to encourage holistic health for LECOM at Asbury Ridge residents by implementing four mini activities. The first activity was an oral-health-themed Bingo game filled with educational facts residents might not have known before playing, and residents won goody bags of dental hygiene products. The interns’ next activity was to develop a campus-wide cookbook. They invited residents to contribute family recipes, which helped build community while allowing families to take a trip down memory lane. The third activity was a “Rock ‘N Walk,” which encouraged gentle movement and got the residents outside for sunshine and fresh air to look at a rock garden decorated by residents and staff. The final activity, a yogurt parfait bar and nutrition trivia, focused on healthy eating and gave residents a choice in building their own snacks.
Reflections
My experience at LECOM at Asbury Ridge has made me a better person and provided me with tools and experiences that will make me a better physician. Through working with the geriatric population, I have developed more confidence, patience, and empathy. I spent a lot of time getting to know residents through conversations and activities. I worked on building connections and trust with residents, which I can use to build strong patient-physician relationships. I became aware of many of the hardships that the geriatric population faces and the needs the population has. I am very grateful for the residents and staff at LECOM at Asbury Ridge who allowed me to be a part of their family this summer.
Abigail Cloud
I feel fortunate to have spent my summer at LECOM at Asbury Ridge, and I have learned lessons that I will carry with me into a career as a physician. I was able to work on and improve skills like empathy, active listening, patience, and problem-solving through our time with the Recreation Department. Through getting to help with and lead certain activities, I got to know and build relationships with the residents. I enjoyed getting to hear their stories and wisdom and looked forward to chatting with them every day. We also got the opportunity to shadow many departments at LECOM at Asbury Ridge, which exposed me to all the aspects that go into rehab care and maintenance care in this population. Working with the residents and staff at this site reminded me to find the joy in life. The staff is always looking to provide the best care and truly treat each other as a family, and they do a great job of making the facility feel like home to their residents and celebrating the beauty of life.
Lauryn Haag
