Valentine’s Day at The Scottish Home

The history of Valentine’s Day and the holiday’s namesake, Saint Valentine, is not entirely known. The holiday is thought to have began as a Christian celebration of the martyr Saint Valentine of Rome. It is believed that Valentine’s Day was created many centuries ago to be celebrated at the same time the three-day Roman pagan fertility festival, Lupercalia, was observed. Thus, Valentine’s Day fell on February 14th, right smack in the middle of Lupercalia.

According to history.com, the legend of Saint Valentine contends that he was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Legend claims an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is said that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a heroic and romantic figure.

Today, Valentine’s Day is still a holiday of love. It is punctuated by flowers, chocolates, poetic greeting cards and paper hearts. About 150 million cards are exchanged for Valentine’s Day each year, making it the second most popular card-sending holiday next to Christmas. For many residents of The Scottish Home, though, Valentine’s Day can be a lonely one. If you have a loved one residing in a nursing home or assisted living center, take the time to pay them a visit or send them a homemade Valentine. Receiving a visit, a greeting card, or a vase of flowers will undoubtedly brighten their day. Thoughtful gestures like these can mean so much to our residents! Beyond holidays, keeping a consistent visiting schedule will help reduce loneliness. And as always, know that your loved ones are in the good hands of our staff at The Scottish Home.

Thanks For a Great Holiday Season!

Thank you to our residents, family members, volunteers and employees who participated in The Scottish Home holiday celebrations!  Even though residents were away from home, we were happy to provide our seniors with the comforts of home during the holidays.  Take a look at what made the 2015 holiday season at The Scottish Home great!

The holidays were a busy and festive time as residents and staff were hard at work creating a magical atmosphere throughout The Scottish Home.  Carolers from churches, schools and scouts filled the air with joyful holiday sounds.  The residents enjoyed the glow of Christmas lights during an evening, guided bus tour through Holiday Magic at Brookfield Zoo.

By far, the highlight of the season had to be the annual Resident Family Christmas Party.  Residents and their families indulged in a variety of sweets while listening to carolers.  They were even surprised with a performance by the Thistle and Heather Dancers.  The night was closed out with a visit from Santa and plenty of goodies for the residents and children at the party.

Once again, thank you to all who participated in our Holiday festivities and we look forward to a great 2016!  Even after the holidays end, we are proud to provide our residents with warm, friendly and loving care.  No matter the time of year, The Scottish Home is a place where friends become family.  To learn more about The Scottish Home, please visit our website and schedule a tour today!  We are conveniently located at 2800 Des Plaines Avenue in North Riverside, Illinois. 

Caledonian House

2015 has been an incredible year for the Illinois Saint Andrew Society. Our supporters have recognized that there is something very special about this organization and they have given passionately and generously to encourage and enable us to accomplish our mission. We are truly grateful for the commitment of our Scottish community. Thank you.

One very special highlight of the year is that construction on our new building is well underway. For many years, we dreamed of enhancing our Scottish Home campus by building a new residence for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. On May 12^th 2015, our dream became a reality. We broke ground and began to build the Caledonian House. Designed as a home rather than an institution, the Caledonian House will offer state-of-the art memory care whilst remaining true to the Scottish Home’s heritage of being a place where friends become family.

We invite you to watch our new video and learn more about the Caledonian House and what makes its thoughtful design and person-centered memory care so important.

Many have already made contributions to help build the Caledonian House. We appreciate the support very much and hope that donors are inspired to offer their continued commitment. We would like to share one example that illustrates the power of philanthropy and the necessity of our bold, innovative response to Alzheimer’s disease.

Last year, Barry and MaryAnn MacLean, longtime members of the Society, chose to support the Caledonian House with a transformational gift of $1 million. Their extraordinary philanthropy enabled us to begin construction. And incredibly, after seeing our recent progress on the building, they have increased their pledge from $1 million to $1.5 million. We are deeply grateful to the MacLeans for their investment and humbly gratified by the confidence it represents.

On behalf of the MacLean family, our Board and all the families – past, present and future – whose lives are enriched by the Scottish Home and soon the Caledonian House, we invite you to join us in our battle against Alzheimer’s disease.

You can join us in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease by making a tax-deductible donation to the Caledonian House or on their website.

If you are looking for care and are interested in learning more about the Scottish Home and the Caledonian House, please contact Becky Drennan at 708-426-7175 or email her.

Celebrate Thanksgiving With The Scottish Home

Turkey, traveling, friends and family…What comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving?  For many of us, the holidays are a great time to share the joy of life with friends and family.  However, the holidays can be a stressful, confusing, and depressing time for senior citizens.

Reducing loneliness in older individuals around the holiday season is essential for their happiness and well being.  Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to create a fun and interactive community for residents of nursing homes.  Take a look at some important points to remember this holiday season with your elders:

Activities and Crafts – Thanksgiving for nursing homes can be a great opportunity to bring traditional decorations and fun new activities.  Having senior citizens create holiday-inspired crafts and using those to decorate their home can make a space feel festive and lively!  Try crafting a fall wreath, leaf artwork, or turkey centerpiece with your residents.

Maintain a Regular Schedule – Thanksgiving can be a highly stressful time with the hustle and bustle of holiday festivities.  To help the older individuals in your life feel a sense of stability, be sure to maintain a regular schedule of sleep and medication.  In addition, monitor the amount of alcohol consumed because it can interfere with medication.

Encourage Family Visits – The easiest way to make the holiday season special for the elderly is by spending time with them.  Talk about old times, inquire about their life and thank them for all they have done.  Taking an hour out of your day means the world to the older individuals in your life. 

At The Scottish Home, we are proud to support and bring joy to our residents during the holiday season.  This Thanksgiving, know that your loved one is in good hands with our dedicated and trained staff.  To learn more about Thanksgiving at The Scottish Home, contact our team or call 708-447-5092.

Craft & Vendor Fair at The Scottish Home

On October 17^th from 9 am to 2 pm, The Scottish Home will be holding a craft and vendor fair for residents and their families!  Everyone is welcome to this fun-filled event and guests are encouraged to purchase a table beforehand.  At The Scottish Home, we had a fun summer with our residents partaking in a number of activities.  We are looking forward to a fun-filled fall with plenty of autumn-inspired events.

The importance of special events throughout the year is important to the happiness of residents in nursing homes.  Helping residents cope with aging into long-term facility care can be challenging for everyone involved including residents, families and even nursing home employees.  A poor adjustment can lead to health problems and a diminishing quality of life.  One way that The Scottish Home helps adjust residents is with social interactions through activities and events.

Activities play an important role in helping residents of all physical abilities live as fully as possible.  They should be designed to fit resident preferences and needs as well as engage the body and mind.  Studies show that a mixture of physical activity, intellectual challenge, socialization and spirituality can help add to a fulfilling life.  At The Scottish Home, we are proud to offer assisted living and nursing care to residents of need.  With all of our residents, we encourage physical activities and social events.

Autumn-inspired crafts are a wonderful way to get seniors involved.  The Craft & Vendor Fair on October 17^th will feature handmade items and crafting tools to connect residents and their families.  This is the perfect opportunity to create something special to decorate your living space this Halloween!

To learn more about the Craft & Vendor Fair, contact The Scottish Home as 708-447-5092 or visit our website.  

Medical Resident Program at The Scottish Home

At The Scottish Home, we strive to foster a sense of belonging within a safe and nurturing environment by providing quality care while respecting our residents.  Serving our community, our primary concern is the health of our residents.  The Scottish Home is partnered with Hinsdale Hospital’s Medical Resident Program.  Because of this partnership, our residents have access to physicians who visit the Scottish Home weekly. 

Imagine first-rate medical care for you or your loved one without ever having to leave your door.  With excellent nursing facilities and superior medical services, Hinsdale Hospital’s Medical Resident Program ensures a professional standard to meeting resident’s medical needs.  On visits, skilled Hinsdale Hospital physicians provide checkups and physical exams including blood pressure monitoring, blood draws, and vitals assessment.  In addition, we can also answer questions and address concerns that you or your family may have.  

If you are unsure about moving to a senior home with assisted living and nursing care, consider the benefits of living in an environment with medical and home care.  The Scottish Home helps make the transition of moving into a senior living facility easier with incredible accommodations and health care.  Our residents benefit from the finest elderly care with our partnership with Hinsdale Hospital’s Medical Resident Program. 

For more than 100 years, The Scottish Home has been providing care to seniors in North Riverside.  We are proud to offer loving care, friendship, peace of mind and a variety of enriching activities.  With assisted living and nursing care, The Scottish Home blends personalized assistance, compassionate care and encouragement so that residents can live as independent as possible.  To learn more about our 24 hour nursing staff and the medical professionals from Hinsdale Hospital’s Medical Resident Program, contact The Scottish Home at 708-447-5092 or on our website.

Aid and Assistance for Veterans

For America’s heroes, life after war is never easy.  Not only do they have to adjust to life back home but they also must worry about financial income.  Many wartime veterans and their spouses are not aware that they may be eligible for financial benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs that may improve their monthly income.

Serving veterans and their families since 2002, the AAWV is a privately held community outreach service educating wartime veterans, surviving spouses and their families on the Aid and Attendance pension under the Improvised Pension Program payable by the Department of Veteran Affairs.  AAVW works in harmony with assisted living and private pay nursing home communities to educate veterans and families on the benefits, qualifications and what is necessary to apply.

If you are a wartime veteran interested in Aid and Attendance Benefits, there are 3 key eligibility requirements that must be met:

• The veteran must have served in active military for 90 or more consecutive days, with at least one day during a period of wartime as defined by the Veterans Administration.
• The veteran must have been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.
• The veteran must be over the age of 65 or disabled.

With this in mind, the Veteran Affairs defines Aid and Assistance eligibility following four criteria including who is eligible, income, assets and medical requirements.  All of these criteria areas must work together before the Aid and Attendance pension is approved.  This tax-free benefit is paid out monthly to the veteran and/or spouse who are approved.

At Scottish Home, we work with AAWV to educate and assist the veterans in our home.  Providing both assisted living and nursing care, we aim to enrich the lives of our residents in every way possible.  To learn more about what the Scottish Home has to offer, visit our website.  For more information on veteran Aid and Assistance, contact AAWV.