Bishop Wicke in Shelton wins Best Nursing Homes ranking

Contributed photo

SHELTON - Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center was recently selected by U.S. News and World Report to receive a Best Nursing Homes Ranking for 2016-17, a title they have continued to earn since 2013. 

U.S. News rated over 15,000 nursing homes across the country in an effort to help caregivers and families find the best nursing home for their loved one. 

At the top of the Connecticut nursing homes list are those with a rating of five stars from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for their overall performance in health inspections, nurse staffing and quality of medical care. 

Of the 227 nursing homes in the state, 16 percent earned an overall five-star rating, including Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center. 

To view the rankings by location, visit http://health.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes.

Bishop Wicke offers short-term rehab and skilled nursing care, including specialized programs for surgical recovery, orthopedics, cardiac and respiratory rehab, heart failure and more. 

The facility is located on the Wesley Village Campus, 584 Long Hill Ave. and is owned and operated by United Methodist Homes, a local, not-for-profit organization. 

For more information about relationship-centered care at Bishop Wicke, visit www.wesleyvillage-ct.org or call 203-929-5321.

This is a press release from United Methodist Homes.

Handmade market slated Saturday in Shelton

Griffin Hospital Lifeline offers free online tips for caregivers

TV host and caregiver advocate Leeza Gibbons, who cares for her father, Carlos, offers free online tips and advice on caregiving at lifeline.philips.com/caregiver./ Contributed photo

Griffin Hospital Lifeline and TV host and caregiver advocate Leeza Gibbons have teamed up to offer free online tips and advice for those caring for seniors.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 34 million informal caregivers in the U.S. 

Often, caregivers face incredible pressures helping to ensure their loved ones are safe and aging well at home, while simultaneously maintaining their own day-to-day life.

As a caregiver herself, Gibbons understands the roller coaster of emotions involved - feeling angry, frustrated, exhausted, alone or sad, while also feeling fulfilled in helping them age healthy and happy. 

To help other caregivers cope with this unique and important role, Gibbons, who is a caregiver for her father, Carlos, and Philips Lifeline offer these tips:

· Take your oxygen first - Caregivers are nurturers, but if you really want to nurture someone, you have to fill yourself up first - mind, body, soul and spirit. That’s the first way to give love to your loved one. When you feel better and are mentally stronger as the caregiver, you can go the distance and your loved one will also benefit from the positive change.

· Talk as a family - To keep everyone on the same page and ensure everyone’s voice is heard, set up time for a family “check in.” This could be a family dinner or monthly video conference, where family members come together to talk through important topics and emotions top of mind with everyone. This also serves as an open environment to make everyone’s voice count. You may not all agree but it’s a time to go from conflict to consensus.

· Incorporate technology into your caregiving - There are solutions available right now - and they’re getting better every day - that can support your role as caregiver. In addition, these solutions can help engage your loved ones to help improve their overall quality of life and independence. One solution is a medical alert service. Have a conversation about how this service can benefit both of you, as it will give you peace of mind knowing your loved one will have access to help, even if you’re not there.

More advice from Gibbons is available at lifeline.philips.com/caregiver, including tips for managing caregiver stress, how caregivers can stay healthy, reducing stress when caring for kids and aging parents, balancing family caregiving obligations and your career, and finding caregiver support.

“As caregivers, we worry about parents who live too far away for us to check on them, or fathers who live alone and get up in the middle of the night, or mothers who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, diabetes, or another chronic condition,” Gibbons said. 

“Being a caregiver can be an isolating experience, and it’s hard to know where to turn. I hope these tips and information can lessen the toll caregiving can take on us so that we can care for ourselves and our loved ones.”

Griffin Hospital partners with Phillips Lifeline to provide seniors with America’s most trusted medical alert service as well as other caregiving technology to help people to live with greater independence, peace of mind and dignity in the place they feel most comfortable – their own homes. 

For more information, call (800) 242-1306 x4722 or visit griffinhealth.org/lifeline.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.

TEAM Toys4Kids seeks to brighten Christmas for needy children in Valley

Students in the culinary department at Emmett O'Brien Technical High School in Ansonia recently prepared and hosted a kickoff breakfast for TEAM's Toys 4 Kids campaign./ Contributed photo


The 2016 Valley Toys 4 Kids Campaign is underway and TEAM, Inc. is hoping to provide more than 1,300 needy Valley children with something special under their Christmas tree this year. 
This campaign collects new, unwrapped toys for under-served children in the Lower Naugatuck Valley.

More than 80 TEAM volunteers celebrated the spirit of caring and giving at the annual Toys 4 Kids kickoff breakfast hosted by Emmett O’Brien Technical School Culinary Department. Breakfast was prepared and served by the Senior Class Culinary Students. 

The annual Toys for tots program provides thousands of Christmas toys for children from low-income families across the Valley - children who otherwise might “go without” during the holidays. 

“Many of our children suffer the effects of poverty every day, continuously going without, knowing that luxuries like new toys are simply not available to them," TEAM Executive Vice President Diane Stroman said. 

"When families are struggling, they have to make decisions during this time of year between paying for heat and rent or buying the children Christmas toys. The Toys 4 Kids toy drive ensures that every child can have a good Christmas.” 

Last year due to the generosity of the community, TEAM provided 1,200 children with toys to place under their Christmas trees.  

Donations of new unwrapped toys to Toys4Kids can be dropped off at TEAM, Inc. headquarters, 30 Elizabeth St., Derby, weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and at various drop-off sites throughout the Valley. 

Financial donations are accepted and should be sent to TEAM, Inc., Valley Toys 4 Kids Campaign, 30 Elizabeth St., Derby, CT. 06418. 

“Christmas is a difficult time of year for the families we serve due to the expense and expectations of the season," said David Morgan, TEAM President/CEO. 

“Parents surviving on low incomes are often overwhelmed trying to fit the expense of gifts into an already stretched budget. Toys 4 Kids assists parents or guardians in providing presents to their children during tough economic times. Our message is that Christmas should be fun and not just about survival.  

"Contributions to TEAM’s Toys 4 Kids Toy Drive help our families provide a festive holiday for their children.”  

Applications for the program are being accepted weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 15 at TEAM, Inc.’s headquarters, 30 Elizabeth St., Derby.  

Parents/Guardians who apply for the program must meet low income eligibility requirements and provide identification and proof of residence for themselves and a birth certificate or Social Security card for their children.

For information on donations, volunteering, or the application process, contact Diane Stroman at dstroman@teaminc.org or 203-736-5420 ext. 234. 

This is a press release from TEAM Inc., a private, 501c (3) non-profit corporation whose mission is to strengthen our community by educating, supporting and empowering individuals and families. 

TEAM programs serve the communities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Milford, Orange, Oxford, Shelton, Seymour and Woodbridge. 

Drop off sites listed below:

Ansonia remembers Pearl Harbor on 75th anniversary of attack

Ansonia Mayor David S. Cassetti reads a proclamation Wednesday during a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of the U.S. Naval Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. More than 50 people attended the annual ceremony held at Veterans Park next to Ansonia City Hall.


* Please stay tuned for more photos in the next issue of The Valley Voice newsletter.

Naugatuck Community Band to perform in Seymour

SEYMOUR - The Naugatuck Community Band will present "Sounds of the Season" at 7 p.m. Saturday at Seymour Middle School.

The free concert sponsored by the Seymour Culture and Arts Commission will feature favorite Christmas and holiday classics. 
The band is under the direction of Joel Knecht. 

A food drive for a local charity will be part of the event; please bring a non-perishable food item. 

The Naugatuck Community Band is a volunteer, non-profit organization consisting of musicians from the Naugatuck Valley area and beyond. 

The school is at 211 Mountain Road. 

For more information call Kim, 203-888-7880.


This is a press release from the Seymour Culture and Arts Commission.

Santa to visit Legion Pool in Seymour Saturday