Parkside Regency at South Shore
Title: Pieces of the PIE(SS)
Student Interns:
Anna Betler
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Luke Geiger
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Jack Lee, PhD
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Marie Heberlein
LECOM Regency at South Shore
Community Site:
Parkside Regency at South Shore is a senior living community situated in the heart of Erie’s Frontier Park. The Regency provides full-service accommodations (both independent and personal care plans) to the aging population. Residents are provided with ample opportunities to interact, socialize, and enjoy healthy aging.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns’ project focused on the PIESS philosophy, created and promoted by Recreation Coordinator Marie Heberlein. PIESS represents the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of a person’s life. An end-of-internship carnival allowed residents to engage in all these “slices” while enjoying an afternoon of games, live music, and themed food. Reflecting themes of reminiscence and gratitude, the carnival served as a culminating event that incorporated the PIESS framework.
Reflections
“My time at the Regency taught me about the thin line between living life and preparing for death in the aging population. From our first day at the Regency, life, love, and a whole lot of laughter filled the atriums. Without even knowing it, the residents taught me that the fun of life only stops if you make it stop. Those who ventured to participate in the activities coordinated by the recreation team exuded joy and an appreciation for life. The PIESS framework is an important and effective tactic for residents to enjoy a well-balanced life. This model is something I would like to implement in my practice as a future healthcare professional. I also hope to instill the PIESS philosophy in my patients’ lives, as well as embody the sentiment in my own life.”
Anna Betler
The experiences that I had at the Regency have given me an enhanced outlook on life and how I wish to serve in future medical practice. From the first week, it was apparent that the community is very strong, and the care that permeates through this building is what gives it its notable life and charm. There have been lessons throughout this summer that have reshaped my view on different cultures, populations, and needs, while still striving to hit all of the PIESS slices. While in the later years of life, the residents at the Regency still live fully and wholeheartedly every day; as they will tell you, they are just becoming ‘more mature.’ The value that the residents bring to this world is immense, and I am grateful that this experience allowed me to live alongside them and learn every story that they had to share.”
Luke Geiger