With the heavy snow here and the scary “winter vortex” (part two) coming our way, I’d like to mention our awesome Regency Maintenance Departments for special praise.

One of the defining and characteristic hallmarks of our beloved Regency Founder is his attention to detail. Nothing is overlooked, forgotten about, or skipped.
(In fact, I met Mr. Gross at Regency Park this morning and he was inquiring about and following up on minutia of day to day activities from weeks ago! He misses nary a thing.)

This commitment and attention to detail is evident in the superb staff of the Regency Maintenance departments! It isn’t easy to maintain our stellar facilities which comprise sprawling facilities of multiple buildings and acreage and many hundreds of beds!

However, they do yeoman’s work and look after every single detail to upkeep and maintain our gorgeous facilities.

You know, last night, I had to replace a small part of our forced hot air furnace at home. When the house started to freeze, I realized that the ‘ignition plug’ was kaput. Don’t ask me how I came to this conclusion, which was a feat unto itself! So I went to home depot to pick up a replacement part and $50 later I walked into the house determined to fix it on my own!

I was gonna show my Wife how I could handle maintenance around the house! No big deal right?

Wrong.

The minute I opened everything up, I knew I was in way over my head!

You have any clue what this does and how to install it? Neither do I but I learned!

Screws and wires protruding from everywhere and I had no clue as to where I put what? The diagram which accompanied the device wasn’t much help either. I kept turning it around and around wondering if I was looking at it upside down. Ultimately, I discarded it, because it seems you need a degree in nuclear physics to make any sense of it.

So I puttered around for two hours with the thing, while wondering aloud what “all the extra screws were for?” My wife pointed out that nothing is “extra.” If the manufacturer spent money on the screws, then they are there to serve a function. Clearly, I had no idea what that function was.
Bottom line is that I got it done! I think she was more surprised than I was, but it did give me a new and heightened appreciation for what our maintenance staff does day in and day out!!

BOB C. in the jacket. Maintenance Director at Regency Park!

This week we celebrated National Activity Professionals week which is held from Jan. 19^th -25^th2014

Activity Professionals provide person-centered ,therapeutic  activities that recreate the mind, body and spirit of older adults and elders.

Nobody does this better than the dedicated Regency Staff.

Take a look at these photos with the Regency ‘Rockstar’ Staff!!!

I’m not into the vaunted Super Bowl halftime show.

Sounds crazy, I know.

The fact is, the halftime shows have been in the news these past several years for their sometimes racy and inappropriately themed performances ostensibly catered to “all ages.”

When there was the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” at the halftime show several years ago, parents were rightfully livid over the egregious mismanagement (before and after the malfunction) which exposed their children (quite literally – and figuratively too) to images better left for a far different venue.

Thankfully, – yes thankfully, we do not keep a television at home for our children to be exposed to the filth of immorality, indifference, murder and corruption that makes for today’s ‘viewing programs,’ so the superbowl and halftime show is immaterial and purely academic in my home.

But wait a second, I’ll be at Regency Park Nursing in Hazlet this Sunday!!

They have TV’s!

The latest Flat screens!

BIG ones!

Panasonic, Vizio, Samsung, you name it, we have it. The latest in LCD flat screen nirvana!!

Shall I watch the Superbowl and halftime show at Regency?

Will I experience a state of blissful ecstasy, rapture, contentment and delight watching the great Peyton Manning unload on those hapless Seahawks (there, you have my pick for what it’s worth!) on his way to a ring and an MVP trophy?

Perhaps.

However, I’m gonna enjoy the Regency version of a “halftime show” first!

What in tarnation is a “Regency Halftime Show, you wonder?!”

Well, it looks virtually identical to the concert we hosted at Regency just this very afternoon!

Take a gander at our awesome FULL time “Regency Show:”

our performer!

Our enthusiastic viewers!!

In an ever expanding market of smart phones equipped with robust GPS capabilities, those old dinosaurs who are exclusively GPS, need to be innovative in order to stay relevant.

Garmin just conjured up a fanciful idea which was brought to light by our indefatigable Regency Gardens Admissions Director, Carmela Petrozza!
It seems, if you are stationed in close proximity to any Regency facility Statewide, Garmin would like to jump on our bandwagon of success and piggy back on our name brand recognition!

They are actually feeding the driver with a Regency ‘review’ tool and inviting the viewer to rate our facilities!!

I LOVE IT!!!

Of course I say this all tongue in cheek, but the salient point is Regency is the subliminal message of success espoused by all who seek to thrive off our business model via osmosis!

(I’ve got no idea what the heck I just wrote, but it sounds cool and hopefully, you get my point)

Take a look at what Carmela saw on her (completely archaic, irrelevant, passé, old school, obsolete and defunct Garmin GPS. Sorry Carmela ) GPS device:

Garmin piggy backing on Regency!!
Hey, do we get a commission?

Carmela,

Good stuff and thanks for bringing this to all of our attention at today’s marketing meeting at the GORGEOUS Regency Heritage 5 Star Hotel Caliber (and 5 star CMS rated), Skilled Nursing and Rehab Facility in Somerset NJ!

It is always great to see all of you Regency superstars and to discuss our ever evolving initiatives for growth. Of course, Mr. Gross never ceases to amaze and inspire with his acumen and relentless pursuit of innovative concepts and strategies.

In quintessential Regency tradition, the food was great too.

Good thing I ran 10 miles this morning! (Did I ever tell you folks how boring it is to run on a treadmill? I’d rather watch paint dry, count sheep or otherwise lay dormant in a vegetative state as I contemplate the cosmos and other such deep philosophical and esoteric concepts.

Alas, I need to feed my addiction.

Ok, time to get back to feeding my other addiction: REGENCY NUSRING CENTERS!!!!

We are so proud that there have been no call outs during this blizzard from any of our nursing staff, many of whom live an hour+ away from our Nursing Centers!

Where there is compassion there is commitment.
Our Nurses and aids run here during all temperatures and in the most inclement weather in order to care for our patients!

left to right: ADON, Regency Park, Marylin S. DON, Regency Park, Beverly S. Nurse Mgr, Regency Park, Lisa M.

I am on 3 west with Emerson on my left and Jay on my right! Two Regency superstars!

Speaking of running, I’ve been unable to run outdoors of late, so I’m putting in extensive running miles on the treadmill. I’m already over 40 miles for this week and the monotony of running in place on a belt, is wearing me down.

So I’ve got a few daredevil running friends who are braving the weather to go out for their constitutional. They think it’s safe.

Take a look at the video clip below of a running couple in Portland OR. during this Polar Vortex!

Talk about eating your words.

These two joggers in Portland stopped during a nighttime, snowy run to have a brief chat with news station KOIN-6. The jogger, named Chelsea, raved about the beauty and benefits of running in the chilly weather.

Then, like a perfectly-executed-and-planned bit, Chelsea jogs away from the reporter only to slip and fall, straight on her bottom (around the 1:30 mark), and limps slowly away.

Moral of the story is, “Run for your Life” – when the objective is to extend it, not destroy it!

Happy Birthday to our wonderful Director of Recreation, Maribel Restrepo!!!!!!

From Your Entire Regency Family!

Maribel’s Party!

Maribel’s Cake!

Our Recreation Director, Maribel Restrepo, being her caring, compassionate and kind self!

Dearest Friends,

Remember how Regency Nursing Centers shined during last years Hurricane Sandy! I sure do. Regency Nursing Centers across New Jersey received high praise from all sectors of the healthcare community!

We were literally a beacon of light to the elderly who reside in our communities.

I blogged it here and here.

We took in folks who required nebulizers and oxygen treatments. We were simultaneously a nursing home, rehab facility and shelter!

We did all of this while we had segments of our operations functioning off of our generators! No small feat. Our accomplishments and our ability to keep our residents happy, warm, smiling, satisfied, and completely engaged in therapy and activities was simply mind boggling.

Yours truly during the Hurricane providing love, balloons, and teddy bears!

Well, a few days ago we got a call here to the Regency Park Admissions Department from a grateful family who wanted to meet to discuss long term placement for Mom.

Sure thing we said, come on over!

It turns out that Mom was here for several days during Hurricane Sandy when the power went out in her home and she couldn’t breathe because her oxygen concentrator was useless.

We took her in and offered her dollops of care and compassion, a roof over her head, delicious food, recreation, concerts, camaraderie and good cheer!

The grateful family never forgot our kindness, so when the decision was made recently to place her for long term care, the choice was quite easy!

IT WAS GOING TO BE THE REGENCY PARK NURSING CENTER IN HAZLET, NJ!

She will be here tonight!

Can you sense the swelling pride I feel in my heart for all of us?

Does it pop right through the screen to hit you square in the jaw?

Darned right I’m proud! P R O U D !!

Proud and EXTREMELY grateful to be here and to be a part of what we do at Regency every day!

Regency Park in Hazlet welcomes Mr. Chaim Ribiat as our new Administrator.

Mr. Ribiat has a well deserved reputation for his passion and commitment to providing the best in Senior Healthcare.
We wish him every success as he joins the fabulous Regency team of caregivers!

Welcome to the Regency Family.

Regency Park Administrator, Chaim Ribiat, with DON, Beverly Sevellino

One the beautiful aspects of working at Regency, is the fact that you are given all the tools to succeed and are empowered with the confidence to do so.

This is truly a unique and defining characteristic of the Regency business model. Our Founder and President, is fond of saying that his overarching criteria when hiring, is to hire an employee who is “nice.”

He says; “I can train my employees in the world class Regency way, but I cannot teach nice.”

So long as the individual possesses the essential Regency qualification of compassion, which is the sine qua non of our approach to senior care, everything else can be taught.

In my previous career, I sold expensive diamonds and designed custom jewelry, now I take care of people. Pretty significant career change right there!

I knew nothing about the world of Healthcare, but I was given the tools to succeed and I am constantly surrounded by caregivers who are at the pinnacle of their profession and willing to share of their vast knowledge and experience.

A friend of mine who works in healthcare recently complained to me that in his new job, he “inherited all kinds of problems” from his predecessor which he needs to now deal with retroactively.

I don’t know why people seem to confide in me for everything, even where discretion would be advised. (“Discretion is the better part of valor,” as the saying goes).

However, I chuckled at the incongruity of a man as capable as he, decrying the perceived injustice of having to adapt to a new reality.

I thought to myself, don’t pillory your predecessor more than once because you’ll never get away with it the second time.

It reminds me of the joke about the newly elected politician whose departing predecessor gives him two envelopes on his way out, along with the following missive:

(He says) “When you encounter your first problem as a newly elected official, open the first envelope. The second time you are faced with a crisis, open the second envelope.”

So, a few weeks into his tenure, he runs headlong into a crisis. He quickly opens the envelope and reads the instructions of his predecessor, which states as follows: “Blame this mishap on me and you’ll be ok.”

So he does just that and it allows for him to maintain his position and move on.

A little while later, he finds himself in a new predicament, so he sits down to open the second envelope, which instructs him as follows:
“Bob, at this time, please sit down and create two separate envelopes…….”

Friends,

At Regency, the business of being a compassionate caregiver, is innate and a result of nature.
However, the tools for success are developed and nurtured.

Our stellar reputation is a testament to our success!

Written and prepared for publication by Marie Barnes – Regency Marketing Director

Milton and Roslyn Dinkin presided over the Sweetheart’s Ball on February 25, when crowned King and Queen of the annual event, celebrating Valentine’s Day, held at Regency Jewish Heritage Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 380 DeMott Lane, Somerset, NJ. The participants were in high gear to enjoy the love in the room, and the live entertainment, by Bobby Brescia singing their favorite loves songs.
Approximately 70 residents were in attendance, including several other couples that were vying for the status of King and Queen.

Milton and Roslyn Dinkin were ultimately crowned king and queen, as one of the more active couples, and daily reflect the tremendous love they share between them. They are always joining in the many activities provided, including live entertainment, bingo, arts and crafts, women’s club and men’s club, crocheting, Jewish Services, and all the other fun and interesting gatherings the center has on their full calendar of events. They are constantly together! Milton will go to the crocheting group/beading class just to be with Roslyn while she crochets and beads. He loves being with her and they enjoy their life together very much. You can see in their beaming, smiling faces and how they hold each other’s hand so tenderly.

Their Special Love Story:

Milton was a coin dealer and owned a store on 44th street in NYC. He was a widower. Roslyn’s mother was a customer at Milton’s store and told Roslyn she needed to meet Milton because he was Jewish, a widower (she was a widow herself), and a business owner. Roslyn came by the store and when Milton and Roslyn laid eyes on each other, it was “love at first sight.”

A year later, they married on December 7, in Long Island, and are now married 41 years. They lived in Queens, NY, and Roslyn began working in the store with Milton. Milton taught her everything she needed to know about the coin business, and they enjoyed their business, and appreciated being together every day.

They moved to the Rossmoor Community in Jamesburg, NJ and lived there for 20 years before moving to Regency Jewish Heritage in 2013.

Together, the couple has 5 children, all from their previous marriages. Roslyn has 3 children, Scott, Michael & Tina, and Milton has 2 children, Carol & Len. The have 9 grandchildren cumulatively and several great-grandchildren.

They are so grateful that they found each other, and Roslyn’s mother did her matchmaking. They have been together and inseparable since that fateful day. They are King and Queen in honor of their wonderful love for this celebration and every day! Love abounds at Regency Jewish Heritage, and Milton and Ros are one of 6 couples that reside at the center, and continue living together and enjoying every day with all the activities, delicious meals, and kind and caring staff that provide them care. “Where Caring Comes to Live”. Regency Heritage has been awarded “Best Nursing Home in New Jersey”, with the CMS Five Star Rating. Other Regency Centers are located in Dover, Hazlet and Wayne.

Pictured are Milton and Roslyn, after they were crowned Queen and King. Also the couple poses with Recreation Director, Caroline Santiago.

For further information about Regency Jewish Heritage, call 732-873-2000, or visit www.regencynursing.com.

The very best Nursing Home Administrators are at the Regency Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers in New Jersey.

This week is officially “Nursing Home Administrators Week” in the Healthcare community.

The industry salutes long-term care administrators this week, thanking them for the leadership and daily attention to detail that results in quality of care and quality of life in the nation’s long-term care communities.

Appreciation for hardworking administrators deserves to be shown on both an individual level and a group level, notes the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA), which has sponsored the national observance each March since 1994. Individual recognition can range from a certificate of appreciation to flowers, a special gift or a donation to an administrator’s favorite cause. Another idea is to give your administrators something relaxing or pampering, such as gift card to a spa, so they “can be on the receiving end of caregiving,” the ACHCA website suggests.

Left to Right: Regency Park Administrator, Chaim Ribiat, with Regency Grande Administrator, Joe Olszewski

This happened here today:

Social Workers and Dept. Heads

Of the many Regency hallmarks which give me cause for pride, I am immensely proud of how we maintain and promote the dignity of each of our patients and residents.

This commitment is evident in our focus to ensure that every resident be properly clothed during the course of the day.

Walk into the inferior “nursing homes” and you will unfortunately find residents sitting in common areas clothed in their night pajamas in middle of the day!
This not only has a deleterious impact on their sense of dignity, it also cultivates a general sense of indifference and neglect.

You will NEVER find such a thing at any of our magnificent, world class Regency Nursing and Postacute Centers.

Our places resemble the comfortable and elegant hotels you are familiar with, in part because our residents are happy, active and fully clothed!

This may sound like a simple and common sense issue. If it only were, you wouldn’t find an unfortunate plethora of nursing facilities that allow their residents to remain in their pj’s all day, feeling sorry, morose and depressed.

Families will often ask me what type of clothing to bring for Mom or Dad while they are here and my response is always the same, whatever makes them feel comfortable and ‘at home.’

Indeed, we are a home to many and in every sense of the word.

In fact, we even have annual clothing sales for our residents, where outside vendors will come in to sell tasteful elder wear and accoutrements. This is designed once again to ensure our residents maintain a healthy sense of autonomy and dignity, with the knowledge that they could use their own funds (PNA) for discretionary purchases.

Speaking of clothing and clothing sales..

From the 1900s to 1950s, American consumers spent approximately 12-14% of their annual income on clothing. Today, we spend about 3%. But our closets are actually bigger.

The average American house has doubled in size since the 1950s and closet space has increased, too, particularly with the advent of the walk-in closet in the 1980s. We likely have more than five times as many clothing items as we did in the first part of the 20th century. The move of clothing production overseas where labor costs are low has made it possible for us to have large quantities of items without paying much for them. But this could be changing.

Much like several other consumer product categories, the price of clothing is looking to go up, yet the quality we currently see will remain the same. Forecasts continue to predict rising costs of production, increased compliance costs, and not many options for meeting quality standards beyond China and other countries that currently produce clothing. Raw materials will cost more, wages for workers will go up, and the infrastructure needed to produce items at the right quality standards will be costly—all of which will be passed on to the consumer.

At this point, the primary concern for manufacturers and retailers are rising labor costs. In China, manufacturing wages have increased by 71% since 2008 and are projected to rise by 10% this year. Manufacturers are searching for other production locations with cheaper labor, but wages are rising in those countries as well. For instance, the minimum wage is Bangladesh has risen by 77% as a result of much debate following the tragic Rana Plaza factory collapse on April 24, 2013, and Indonesian unions recently staged a strike in demand of a 30% wage increase.

As reported by the Sourcing Journal Online, clothing costs will rise in the coming years, maybe not dramatically but the upward trajectory is eminent.

While low-cost “fast fashion” appeals to the consumer wallet, more consumers now associate low-cost clothing with the ethical issues of low wages, poor working conditions, and excessive environmental waste. Some retailers are trying debunk these negative associations. H&M, which is known for being a low-price fast fashion retailer, is increasing its focus on sustainability, per consumer interest. As reported on The Business of Fashion, H&M is considering production in sub-Saharan Africa, plans to source more sustainable raw materials, and in the coming months will feature a denim collection made from recycled materials and organic cotton. These sound like good ideas but will they actually work or simply assuage the minds of worried consumers?
So what should shoppers do when faced with rising costs and the ethical dilemmas of cheap clothing?

I honestly have no ideas!
You figure it out.

Our superstar Admissions Director at Regency Gardens, Carmela Petrozza, has this to share with all of you!!

Hi Everyone!!

I would like to recognize one of our incredible Regency Gardens nurses.

His name is  Naser.

We are fortunate to have someone like him in a building already brimming of talent!

Today, one of our post acute residents was discharged home.

She not only received the highest quality of nursing and rehab care, but made life long friends/family.
Naser, as always, ensured her stay was unique, positive, with the highest level of care. His knowledge and calm demeanor, instantly establishes trust with residents.

He formed a bond with her. He truly Connected. He went above and beyond to extend himself after discharge, for support. He further reassured her that we will always be available to her in her time of need.

The recreation team ensured that she enjoyed the time in between rehab.
Ruth, Liz, Daniella, Elly, were instrumental.

Prior to admission, I spent time researching her case and speaking with her family. After our team reviewed her case, I decided she would be a good match with one of our long term residents who recently lost her husband, (also our resident). Both had much in common.

They became inseparable. Both residents were extremely moved when parting from each other, as though they were lifelong friends.
In between her emotional embraces, she stated she would return to visit her new family.

This is a testament to the Regency family!

From administration to housekeeping, you all play a huge role in guaranteeing our patients a stellar experience.

My deepest appreciation to our team and our team leader, Mark.

Thank you,
Carmela

Emotional Goodbye as Regency Gardens sends another healed patient back home to tackle the world all over again!!

Many people fight tooth and nail against any signs of aging — and the arrival of gray hair is no exception.

Some people go so far as to burn their scalp with do-it-yourself hair coloring products, all because of an unwillingness to look older. Others make costly visits to their hairdresser every four to six weeks. No matter what their age, folks will do almost anything to prevent the appearance of snowy hair.

At Regency Nursing Centers, we embrace hair in any measure, color and hue.

We actually have a professional beauty parlor on each of our premises and our ladies are constantly getting their hair (and nails) done. I often look inside the parlor as I’m passing by and it warms my heart to see our residents getting pampered and catered to.

I cannot tell you how vital it is for us to encourage and ensure our residents maintain their dignity and sense of autonomy.

We were one of the first in the industry to build out robust beauty parlors in each of our facilities. Honestly, I don’t know what half of those contraptions are, including the helmets (?) which are affixed to the chairs and placed over the ladies heads (please don’t laugh at my ignorance). However, I do know that the ladies love our specialized beauty treatments, including hair dressing, manicures and pedicures.

Just the other day, my precious daughter looks up at me and exclaims as though she just had an epiphany, “your hair is turning white!”

After I recovered, I tried to corrected her in an absurd attempt at self defense with a child and I said, ‘no, not white, but salt and pepper.’

That really confused her as she wondered aloud why I would coat my hair with salt and pepper?!

So I backtracked and vainly presumed to explain to my 9 year old that salt and pepper is a combination of brown hair ‘peppered’ with grey streaks and that many people (aside from her Mom) find that highly desirable.

It didn’t work.

So I told her that at Regency Park, there is a beautiful beauty parlor where they ‘color hair.’ I asked her what she thought about getting my hair done?

“No, that’s only for ladies to make them look good and feel better,” was her response.

Bingo!

This 9 year old innately understands what many of our competitors do not.

At Regency, we heal the body AND the spirit!

On April 9, 1994, Maribel Restrepo began working at Regency after volunteering as a teenager. Fast forward 20 years and that volunteer is now Activities Director here at Regency Park!

Resident Ray W. has developed a wonderful friendship with Maribel and when he heard about her service anniversary approaching he decided to honor her and all she does for our residents. He designed a certificate which he had printed up and ordered a cake for a small party in her honor. He invited residents and co-workers for coffee and cake and presented her with the framed certificate.

Maribel and Ray

Picture courtesy of Marilyn.

Regency Park Staff

Debbie W. dropped by this morning with a gift for our 3 west nurses.
She was so grateful for the care we provided her beloved Mom, Louise B.

In particular, she expressed her profound gratitude to our dear nurse, Vilma!

Here they are together.

Left to right: Vilma with Debbie!

Yesterday, I posted a beautiful testimonial letter we received from a grateful family at Regency Park in Hazlet.

Today, I’d like to highlight a beautiful letter we just received from a grateful family at Regency Jewish Heritage in Somerset. The letter was addressed to Marlene Grossman, our superstar Admissions Director.

The letter is dated April 15, 2014, and reads as follows:

Dear Marlene,

My Dad F.M. was so lucky to have you as his last place of care. The last 20 days in Regency was so comfortable and warm for my Dad and was also really helpful for my Mom. You have a beautiful facility and grounds and you have a wonderfully caring and attentive staff of professionals. The service provided was also very professional. We really felt that you addressed every one of our needs in your effort to see that my Dad receive the best care.

The decision to place my Dad in Regency Heritage was the best decision we could have made!

Your nurturing and sensitive staff ensured his comfort as well as his safety and were instrumental in his decision to remain as a long term Regency resident. We also developed a close relationship with your staff and other happy Regency families.

The most poignant experience for me was going back to Regency to pick up my Dad’s possessions after he passed away. When the staff learned of his passing, several employees were brought to tears and stated that although he was with them for a relatively short amount of time, they had developed a love for him.

These words left a strong impression on my family and we will always remember this with affection.

I deeply appreciate that you took such wonderful care of my Dad and we would like to thank your entire staff in G2 and especially Emanuel and also Katie Ladner.

Sincerely,

Y.M.

I just noted the following two 5 star testimonials posted yesterday and today to our Regency Park Wellness.com Feedback Page

“Our relative is at Regency Park in Hazlet for almost one year and thoroughly enjoys the entertainment. Who knew our family member was a singer! He can now be seen enjoying karaoke and singing along at the frequent events. The patriotic tributes are his favorites. At +90 he is content and being well cared for there. The staff has been most courteous to us. The site may be older than others that were visited, but it has a homey atmosphere which is very inviting to those who have difficulty with change.”