Elkhorn, NE: Her First Bicycle Ride!

LeEtta Murphy had never been on a bicycle ride. That was before April 26th. That was the day she and her daughter were able to try the new “All Ability Cycle.” Nothing but smiles radiated from the resident’s faces as they enjoyed the beautiful weather and sunshine.John, from All Ability Cycles came to show us the bicycles that would be available to purchase in the future. All the bikes were accessible to all residents to show that everyone can ride a bike. There is even a bicycle with an electric motor to assist the peddler if needed. One of the bikes the resident’s wheelchair could click into and away they went. Another was a side by side bike and the resident transferred with assistance and the fun began immediately! Imagine the feeling… warm sunshine, the breeze in your hair and feeling the freedom of a bicycle just like when we were kids!
Nursing staff as well as therapist got involved in the fun. Seeing the excitement on the resident’s faces was the highlight of the day. The Brookestone Meadows residents were talking about the fun they had for days.
Brookestone Meadows Life Enrichment Team would LOVE to purchase a bike for the residents to use all spring, summer and fall. Stay tuned for fundraising efforts!

Vetter Foundation Supports Bringing a Story of Family, Love, and The Impact of Dementia in the Movie It Snows All The Time

Erich Hover, originally from Omaha approached the Vetter Foundation a couple of years ago and shared his passion for getting his family’s story shared on the silver screen. Erich’s father, Ed was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia at age 58. Frontotemporal dementia significantly impacts social behavior and emotions. There are also major deficits in expressive and receptive language that create significant challenges for communication.
The film tells the story of the experiences of this family. In the movie Erich plays Jesse, who moves back to Omaha after his father, Paul (played by actor Brett Cullen) starts demonstrating out-of-character behavioral expressions and loses his job working at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
This film shows the frustration and fear experienced by the family when they do not know what is happening to Paul, the change in the relationship and dynamics between Paul and his wife (played by actress Lesley Ann Warren), and the ultimate love and family bond that helps the family process to understand their new reality.
This story was filmed on location in Omaha and there are many prominent Omaha locations highlighted in the film including Eppley Airfield, The Green Onion, The University of Nebraska Omaha Campus, and midtown neighborhoods in Omaha. The cast includes some Omaha based actors including John Beasley.Cameo Rogers, Life Enrichment Coordinator from Vetter Health Services and Lynn Paup, Memory Support Coordinator from Brookestone Village in Omaha were grateful representatives of Vetter Health Services at the Omaha premiere during the Omaha Film Festival. There was a panel discussion after the movie that included lead actors Brett Cullen and Erich Hover, as well as John Beasley. It was apparent from the discussion how passionate the entire cast and crew are about sharing this story and creating greater awareness about dementia and the impact of families who may or may not have resources and knowledge about what their loved one is going through.
Actor Brett Cullen shared that this project was a personal one to him as he has recently lost his mother to Alzheimer’s. He spent a great deal of time observing and spending time with Erich’s father Ed, to prepare himself for the role. It was wonderful to see the entire Hover family in attendance at the premiere in Omaha, including Erich’s father Ed.
This independent film is now making the rounds at various film festivals across the country including the Omaha and Boston Film Festivals. You can learn more about the story behind the making of this movie at www.itsnowsallthetime.com and you can find them on Twitter @ISATTmovie and can share about this on social media using #isatt.
See the full article at: It Snows All The Time
Submitted by: Cameo Rogers, CTRS

Elkhorn, NE: Vetter Health Services Celebrates Recreational Therapy Month!

Cameo Rogers Advocates for TR

The representative for Nebraska’s 2nd District, Congressman Brad Ashford visited with constituents in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday September 5, 2015. The event titled, “Coffee with your Congressman” provided a venue for Omaha citizens to share about issues and legislation of interest. Cameo Rogers, CTRS, Life Enrichment Coordinator for Vetter Health Services attended the event to share concerns related to new CMS proposed regulations for skilled care environments.
Cameo, an active member of the Nebraska Recreation and Parks Association, Therapeutic Recreation Section, also shared support for a legislative bill, H.R. 1906 titled, “Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Therapy Act.” The bill provides the ability for physicians and treatment teams to identify the therapies deemed medically necessary to improve a patient’s functional level including the need for physical, speech, occupational, recreational, orthotic, or prosthetic therapies. Current legislation for inpatient rehabilitation deems that only specified services within the regulations can be deemed medically necessary so this bill provides greater decision-making to the medical experts involved in creating the plan of care in the inpatient rehabilitation hospital setting. The new proposed legislation provides greater opportunities for restoration, remediation, and rehabilitation to enhance independence for people with physical and cognitive limitations.
Vetter Health Services is committed to “Changing the View of Long-Term Care,” and political advocacy through connecting with legislators is one of many ways to help ensure that legislation that is enacted truly will have positive impact on those we are privileged to care for, versus creating additional bureaucratic steps for providers without any tangible benefit to residents and families. We are grateful for opportunities to connect with our representatives; thank you Congressman Ashford for taking the time tohear concerns that have potential to impact so many Nebraskans.

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