Heritage Operations Group Blog

It's been too long since we've had an on-campus event, and we're so excited to see you again! Heritage Health in Normal, Evergreen Place Assisted Living, and Adelaide Independent Living are teaming up to offer "Cruise-In Through the Years," a complimentary (and socially distant) progressive breakfast. All you have to do is pull up to each location ...

Growing a garden, planting flowers, or caring for container herbs is rewarding, fun, and good for your health! Community gardens are becoming more common in many healthcare facilities. Whether indoor or outdoor, these green spaces have many positive effects on seniors' health and well-being. Horticulture therapy is a recognized method in helping pe...

​Since 1963, Older Americans Month has been celebrated during the month of May. This celebration became a designated month as a result of the realization that persons age 65 and older did not have significant programs to meet their needs. In the early 1960s, only about 17 million Americans were 65 or older, and about one-third of them lived in pove...

Effective the week of May 3, all residents will be required to wear a mask when they are outside of their room, in accordance with the social distancing guidelines. We wanted to communicate this to you so you are not alarmed if you see a mask on your loved one. We are doing this universally in all of our buildings as a precautionary measure to prev...

​Nursing homes are a battleground in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. While nursing home professionals heroically work on the frontlines to protect and care for their residents, families and the community at large feel powerless as the numbers of diagnosed cases climb higher and higher. From the start, the coronavirus has been a moving t...

We all anticipate the coming of spring. After a long, cold winter full of gray skies, the budding trees and blossoming flowers are more than a welcome sight. The less than exciting part of spring is what comes along with that blooming flora: allergies. Depending on where you live, allergies can be mild or extremely difficult to cope with. Take into...

 In accordance with President Trump's national emergency declaration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued the following guidance to all long term care facilities. All skilled nursing, assisted living and supportive living facilities will be subject to a prohibition of visitors. Exceptions will only be made on a ca...

To our Residents, Families, Employees, and Community Members: During this period of heightened awareness regarding the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), we want to keep you informed of our efforts to keep our residents and employees in our buildings from being infected and contracting symptoms of COVID-19 that could compromise thei...

March is National Nutrition Month! Proper nutrition is critical for healthy development and overall health no matter what your age, although what our bodies need does change as we progress through life. For seniors, aging bodies require different nutrients than when we are children, teenagers, and even middle-aged adults. Physical changes as we age...

​Skilled nursing facilities, or SNFs, (referred to in the past as nursing homes or convalescent homes) offer various levels of care, modern amenities and thriving activities for short-term recovery. Seniors today want to recover quickly and return home, thus there is a hard focus on providing short-term recovery services for these seniors. Finding ...

​The Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier every year. Many people love this time of year and revel in the early decorating and extension of the season. However, despite the magic and excitement that accompanies this festive time of year, the holiday season can be a sad and stressful time for many people.The holidays can bring depress...

From a health observance prospective, October is often most associated with Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But there is another important observance happening in October – Healthy Lung Month. Most of us probably do not pay our lungs much attention unless we experience trouble breathing. The most basic function of our lungs is to provide oxygen to o...

We all have heard that we need lots of good vitamins and minerals as part of our diet and daily routine. Do you know the difference between these two materials? What are the most important ones as we age vs. when we are younger and developing? A quick definition of a vitamin is that they are organic materials. That means they can be broken down by ...

Fall has arrived, and while we welcome this kind of fall, the kind that involves injuries to seniors is not desirable. According to the National Council on Aging, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries for older Americans.  Fall Facts Here are a few facts as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: ...

Yoga and Seniors Yoga has been around for thousands of years. The yoga discipline originated in India and is defined as a system of physical and mental exercises that bring the body and mind together into a harmonious experience. In Sanskrit, yoga means to unite various parts to create balance in the mind, body and spirit. September celebrates Nati...

Bones are living tissues that are always changing. Our bones continue to grow and strengthen throughout our lives. A person achieves "peak bone mass" in their early 20s, this is when our bones are at their most dense. During a process called remodeling, our bones are dissolving and growing new cells.This process continues as we age and is necessary...

Pet therapy is a scientifically proven method of therapy that offers tremendous benefits to people of all ages. It is proven to: Lower blood pressureImprove heart healthDiminish physical painInduce feelings of relaxation and promote stress relief Let's not forget that the act of petting a furry critter, whether it be a dog, cat, llama, horse, hedge...

Around age 40, a person's vision starts to change. Trouble seeing up close can require the use of special glasses or multi-focal contacts. Other common changes a person might notice as they age is a diminished ability to see colors or adjust to glare. These are normal occurrences that do not stop a person from living an active life. Common Eye Dise...

Our sense of smell is one of our five senses. It is an important sense that can help alert us to potential threats: gas leaks, rotten food or the smell of a fire. It is also closely tied to parts of the brain that process memories and emotions. Like music, particular smells can trigger good or bad memories. Like many things that change as we age, o...