Poet's Seat Health Care Center adds new procedure to rehab
Poet's Seat Heath Care Center has added a new diagnostic procedure to its Speech & Language Pathology program. F.E.E.S. will allow our clinical and rehabilitation staff to better diagnose, plan and treat our residents, ensuring the best possible care.

F.E.E.S. stands for Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing. It is a procedure which provides invaluable information to help evaluate and manage patients suffering from dysphagia (difficultly swallowing) and/or aspiration (foreign material into the lungs or trachea), most commonly associated with acute stroke. A fiberoptic cable, approximately the size of a single piece of spaghetti, is passed through the nose and into the pharynx. This allows the clinician to accurately identify swallowing physiology and determine the necessary types of food and consistency that a patient may consume.

The examination takes approximately 10-20 minutes for an accurate assessment. The equipment used in the procedure is portable enough to easily be conducted at one's bedside, in an office or any skilled nursing facility.

The F.E.E.S. procedure has been proven to be extremely safe. Of the 2,189 patients evaluated between 2000 and 2004, only .4% of patients experienced nosebleeds as of result of the procedure, and there was no difference between the average pre- and post-test heart rates. Furthermore, 95.7% of 1818 patients said they would repeat the test if recommended.

Accurate assessment is essential in determining the best procedure for feeding strategy and dysphagia treatment. F.E.E.S. has proven to be so successful in this, that it is currently used as a benchmark from which to test other methods of swallowing evaluation. We are very excited to now offer this safe and accurate procedure at Poet's Seat Health Care Center.

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Craft fair supports residents' fund
On May 14, Poet's Seat Health Care Center held its annual craft fair. This year's event saw the most vendors yet, and was held outside on a beautiful Spring day. Attending vendors offered such crafts as carved coins, jewelry, and other hand-crafted items. The Tea Time Totties, Poet's Seat's resident ladies social club, was also on-hand, selling homemade cookies. The event raised over $170 for the residents' activities fund. Thank you to all of those who participated and helped make this such a successful event.

Accepting donations for annual Tag Sale
On Saturday, July 16, Poet's Seat Health Care Center will be holding its annual outdoor Tag Sale at our facility at 359 High Street in Greenfield from 8am-2pm. Past sales have included a variety of items from furniture, to knick-knacks, and even kitchen appliances.

All sale items are donated by residents and their families, staff members and the community. All money raised will go towards the residents' activities fund. If you would like to donate an item, please contact the activities director, Zenaida Diaz, at 774-6318.

Ladies form Tea Time Totties
This Spring, the activities directors decided that it was high time for the residents of Poet's Seat Health Care Center to have their own ladies social club. After much deliberation, the plan was generated, a name was selected, and the Tea Time Totties were formed.

They meet once a month, and (by their own choice) have no official agenda-they're simply interested in spending time together and having fun. Conversations at the meeting do not revolve around nursing home life. Instead, the ladies share funny stories from their past, tell jokes, and talk about current events, their families and even old boyfriends. They also decided that their meeting attire will consist of a purple & green feather to be worn in their hair, along with purple gloves. At each meeting, a "Tottie of Ta-Day" is selected by drawing a name out of a purple and gold crown, who then will be awarded special treats at the meeting and be allowed to wear the crown for the remainder of the day.

The Tea Time Totties have several projects planned for the coming months. They are currently looking to collect recipes from residents and family members to create a cookbook to sell at fund raising events. They also hope to create a calendar for the new year, featuring photos of club members donned in various seasonal attire. Finally, on July 16, the ladies will be helping with Poet's Seat's annual tag sale.

The group is open to all residents of Poet's Seat Health Care Center, both short- and long-term. There are currently 11 ladies in the group, with no one person "in charge." They decided that they wanted to have everyone "be equal." They feel this helps keep the mood fun and relaxed. "You don't have to read the Bible backwards," says Tea Time Totties member Virginia Taylor. "It's all about having fun!"

In The Community
This summer, we have several presentations and screenings planned throughout the Pioneer Valley. To find out more information about our upcoming events, you can contact Poet's Seat Health Care Center at (413) 774-6318, or by e-mail at inquiries@pshcc.com.

• June 16: Balance Screening at Amherst Senior Center/Council on Aging (70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst)
• June 29: 'Just In Case' at Easthampton Council on Aging and Senior Center (19 Union St., Easthampton)
• July 7: Breathe Easy at Amherst Senior Center/Council on Aging
• July 8: Belchertown Health & Safety Fair (Belchertown High School Gym, 142 Springfield Rd., Belchertown)
• July 21: 'Just In Case' at Amherst Senior Center/Council on Aging
• Aug. 11: Breathe Easy at Holyoke Council on Aging (310 Appleton Street, Holyoke)

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Breathe Easy, Now offered at Poet's Seat Health Care Center

Click here to see coverage of Breathe Easy, our inpatient respiratory therapy program, on Channel 22 News

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