Second Annual Taste of Park Springs

Posted on March 29, 2012
By Park Springs

Don’t miss the second annual Taste of Park Springs on April 18th. Held at the nationally recognized retirement community, the event will feature food and wine tastings, cooking and decorating demonstrations, and the most current nutrition information. At Park Springs, food and nutrition are top priorities where Members can enjoy dining experiences that range from a quick deli-style soup and sandwich to high-end steakhouse cuisine at four different venues throughout the community.

Showcasing the work of local culinary school apprentice chefs, the Taste of Park Springs is also a competition for the chefs to get their dishes added to the menu. Park Springs head chef Derrick Henry loves the idea of a little competition to keep the menu interesting for the Members. “Bringing young talent to the table helps keep our menu fresh and exciting. We serve nearly 800 meals a week with the goal of delighting every Member every day,” said Henry.

Visitors to the Taste of Park Springs are invited to tour the community and see why Park Springs is the wise choice. We look forward to seeing you on April 18th from 1 to 5 pm in the Clubhouse community room! Please RSVP for the event at www.parksprings.com and receive parking information, register for prizes, etc.

For more information on the Taste of Park Springs event and how you can live in one of Atlanta’s premiere retirement communities, call 678-684-3300 or visit ParkSprings.com.

Family Matters: Park Springs works to stay connected to resident’s families

Posted on March 29, 2012
By Park Springs

Here at Park Springs, we care about our resident’s families. See the letter below to see how much our community is valued by not just the residents, but those who care for them as much as we do.

Dear Lisa K,

My mother, Gail G, has lived at Park Springs for two and a half years. I have visited her many times since then for several days each visit and I want to commend certain members of your staff who, in my mind, are exemplary employees.

I particularly want to mention Allen J. as concierge. Mr. Allen is always calm, courteous, informed and ready to help with anything. He is a wonderful and welcoming presence a thte front door of the building. He ably assists the members with their interests and problems.

All of the Park Springs drivers are likewise very commendable. Maurice W. has been kind and helpful to my mother on the many occasions when he has taken her to appointments. He is always cheerful and positive. Charles, Vernard and William are also very courteous and reliable. I am very glad that my mother is able to have help from these capable men. Their enthusiasm for getting things done and their friendly, professional attitude adds a lot to the positive ambiance of Park Springs.

I think it is out of your purview, but while I am on the subject of wonderful Park Springs employees, I must mention Trina R. the housekeeper in my mother’s building who is always exemplary and of course Nancy in the dining room, who sets the tone there of cordial professional help.

I live at a distance fromAtlantaand it is a great relief to me that my mother has such wonderful employees at Park Springs to help with her daily life.

Yours truly,

Martha G.

If you build it, will they come?

Posted on March 27, 2012
By Park Springs

On Thursday, March 22, Maricita Hughes, Park Springs’ Director of Interiors, joined a panel of experts at the quarterly 50+ Atlanta Housing Council dinner. Approximately 65 members and guests attended the presentation for builders and realtors, titled “If you build it…will they come?”

As many Members at Park Springs know, Maricita, who has been with Isakson Living since 1984, has worked on many floor plans in order to reflect the new owners’ dreams and lifestyles at Atlanta CCRC’s. As she noted during the panel discussion, “Always get feedback from your clients. Ask yourself: will this feature or finish really work? How can we tweak our design so that we make the living space perfect?” Clearly, the many beautiful homes of Park Springs illustrate Maricita’s expertise!

From a Members Point of View: A Week at Park Springs

Posted on March 27, 2012
By Park Springs

Every wondered what it would be like to live your retirement as a Park Springs resident? Read the below testimony from one of our many happy residents about how great a week can be here at Park Springs, a premiere Atlanta Retirement Community.

“It’s been an exciting week for Park Springs residents. It took the big red bus we have to transport the many Park Springs residents to the dinner club venture to Dante’s Down the Hatch restaurant in Atlanta. The restaurant was designed around an 18^th century sailing ship concept with ship cabins provided for seating small groups to enjoy the experience of a delicious fondue dinner. The hostess fired up the oil pots while we sipped drinks and indulged on the fine bread. The menu offered many fine items to choose from. I ordered the mandarin combo which included cut pieces of chicken, pork, beef, shrimp and vegetables. Each bite was cooked to taste on the long fondue forks. We enjoyed the live entertainment of a guitar player located right behind our table. The diner encouraged fun and friendly conversation and tons of great food. The experience was enjoyed by everyone.

We finished the last of the Olli: Great Decisions series this week as well, with a most interesting lecture onIndonesia. This is a county that many of us knew very little about. These lectures have been extremely interesting and well presented by experts from the field. Each one was thought provoking and very informative and we all look forward to the next series schedule.

On Wednesday, Simone escorted a group of fifteen residents on an architectural tour of Bulkhead and downtownAtlanta. We picked up Jim H,many of us knew him from his guided tour of Northern Atlanta and his visual presentation ofWestern Europe. Jim led us on a leisurely tour through the Bulkhead community pointing out many architecturally outstanding homes of the rich and famous people who live inAtlanta. We learned to identify four basic styles of Greek architecture displayed on many of the house columns. This part of the tour was completed in time to have a delicious lunch at Six Feet Under, located right across the street from the famousOaklandCemetery. The restaurant is noted for its delicious fish dishes and many of us had their famous shrimp or fish baskets which includes their thin sliced fried potatoes. Everyone enjoyed the lunch.

We then took a bus tour aroundOaklandCemeterywith frequent stops for briefing information regarding the history and significant of the cemetery. We then toured downtown, midtown and uptownAtlantawith interesting briefings regarding the architect, architectural significance and history of many ofAtlanta’s famous buildings. It was noted that many of the downtown buildings were designed by world famous architects like I.M Pei and Richard Meier. We then drove through Olympic park to end up at the world famous Peachtree Christian Church. The church is famous for its world class stained glass windows. The Minster escorted us through the sanctuary explaining each window and how they depicted the birth, life and crucifixion of Christ. This church is world famous and is more beautiful than any that I have see in Europe.

It was great week for Park Springs residents which provided many opportunities for site seeing, entertainment, knowledge of the area and good dining.

Park Springs Member- William S.

Cobblestone Pet Therapy

Posted on March 26, 2012
By Amy Medina

We have new and exciting additions to our pet therapy program at Cobblestone. We have two new pets from the Therapy Dogs International Program that have joined us this month as another perk of our Atlanta continuing care retirement community.

Karen Ann Thornton pet therapist and her dog Amanda, a beautiful German shepherd will be visiting here weekly on Julia’s Suites, Pebble brook, and The Bridges.

Roberta “Bobbie” Traick pet therapist and her dog Scarlett, a Shetland sheepdog will be here each Thursday afternoon on Julia’s Suites.

From one of our local hospice companies we have Celia Moore pet therapist and her umbrella cockatoo Sheena that visits each unit on a monthly basis. Sheena does a lot of 1 on 1 in room visits with our members. Sheena loves lively music and loves to dance and show off for our members. She has a special attraction to our male members. Please come over and enjoy seeing our pet therapist in action at any of these times.

Cobblestone Advancements in Technology

Posted on March 22, 2012
By Amy Medina

Cobblestone has now crossed over into the new technology of Electronic Medical Records. In early January 2012 Cobblestone employees began training on new Electronic Medical Records, and we went live with our new processes later that month.

If you have been over to Cobblestone recently you probably have noticed our new Dell Touch screens that are inset in the hallways of Cobblestone. These touch screens are where the certified nurse’s assistants now perform their documentation immediately as they exit a member’s room.

This has improved our documentation by helping capture a more complete assessment of care the member has received, and therefore, increasing our revenue reimbursement for each member.

It is also a faster way of documentation for the C. N. A. so it allows for more time for actual care to be spent with the resident. These nurses are now documenting their progress notes on the computer and entering admission assessments, daily, weekly and quarterly assessments.

This is only phase one of our Electronic Medical Records process, phase two is scheduled to begin mid April, and phase three should be completed before the end of the year. It will be mandatory by 2014 for all medical facilities to go to using Electronic Medical Records, so we applaud Cobblestone staff for the efforts to work hard and get ahead of the regulatory deadlines and continuing to provide skilled nursing in Atlanta.

Park Springs Home Care Introduces Levels of Care to meet your Needs

Posted on March 19, 2012
By Shona Alexander

As the health care landscape continually changes Park Springs Home Care is committed to the same quality and access to care that has been the hallmark of its services since inception in 2004. We have put considerable thought into modifying our home care program to provide quality services at rates that are competitive with the current market. In April 2012, Park Springs Home Care will re-structure its home care services into the following levels:

Level 1- errands, sitter services, light housekeeping services *

Level 2- assist with dressing, ambulation, transfers to bed, chair*

Level 3- feeding, bathing of any kind, toileting *

Park Springs provides services to members on campus and to five counties within the Atlanta metropolitan area which include Gwinnett, Dekalb, Cobb, Forsyth, and Fulton counties.

*This list is not inclusive of all the services within each level of care and additional information including billing rates can be obtained by contacting the Park Springs Home Care Department at 678-684-3036.

Contact us today and let us help you develop a plan of care to meet your needs in Atlanta Rehabilitation. We look forward to serving you!

Healthfully Yours,

Shona Alexander

Director of Clinical and Home Care Services

Atlanta Journal Constitution Features Park Springs Couple Who Reunited And Married After 50+ Years

Posted on March 13, 2012
By Park Springs

An intriguing and heartfelt story encompasses the lives of Park Springs residents, Allen Rosset and Peggy Fennell. In January, the couple wed after over half a century of time apart – a story that could be straight out of a Nicholas Sparks book.

Park Springs was proud to host the event and to commemorate such a beautiful love story. The couple was recently featured in the article “59 years later, lives cross…with a vow” by H.M. Cauley for the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The article explains that while Rosset and Fennell never dated when they were young, Rosset “always had a crush on her.”

It was Rosset who sought out Fennell and began pursuing a relationship. After 27 years on her own, Fennell had “no intention of getting married again;” however, Rosset was determined to change her mind. After dozens of roses and repeated visits, she was convinced, and he began to move his things to Atlanta. The couple now enjoys their life together at Park Springs senior community in Atlanta, after what seems to be a destined reunion.

To read the entire article, click here.

For more information on Park Springs and how you can live in one of Atlanta’s premiere retirement communities, visit ParkSpringsCommunities.com or call 800-267-7126.

The Lady Chatterley Caper – The Latest Theatrical Production from Park Springs

Posted on March 12, 2012
By Park Springs

All are invited to this year’s play by Barbara Rives called Life at Park Springs or the Lady Chatterley Caper. There is a cast of 35 players and ten barbershop singers who will perform for the Atlanta area retirement community.

The play is about a mysterious donation of twenty-five Lady Chatterley’s Lover books to the Park Springs library. All have disappeared and many strange phenomena have begun to occur. Cornerstoners from the Tuesday religious group are trying to get to the bottom of the matter and root out the licentious behavior spotted around the campus. Prada shoes seem to be the identifying badge of membership in the underground movement although there has been a run on a new perfume, Savage Secretions, sold at Kroger. In fact, the grocery shelves were wiped clean three minutes after the Park springs bus arrived there. Michael Hasselbarth claims to be on the side of the morality police but it is discovered that he has broken out in hives because of his own application of a dab of Savage Secretions. While he is recuperating, our Food and Beverage Director, Nils Stein, takes matters into his own hands and unfortunately accuses the wrong couple of being the ringleaders of the movement. All is forgiven them in the end when the real culprits are caught by two of our employees while fleeing down the laundry chute in disgracefully inappropriate clothing.

Tickets are $5 with all profits going to the Park Springs Foundation. Performances are three nights, April 12, 13 and 14 at 7:30 in the Community Hall.

2011 Was Another Great Year for Park Springs

Posted on March 9, 2012
By Michael Heselbarth

2011 was another great year for Park Springs. Park Springs has now completed its seventh year of operations, and continues to grow and exceed all expectations. Park Springs continues to provide a great place to live and work in Atlanta senior living.

In reviewing some of the accomplishments in 2011 there are a few that astonish me that I would like to share. First I would like to recognize the wonderful staff that serves the members of Park Springs and their accomplishments.

The Facility Services team at Park Springs average a work order turn around rate of under forty-eight hours, and completed refurbishments of over forty houses and villas this year.

The Environmental Services team did over 350,000 pounds of laundry in 2011 which is equal to the weight of six fully loaded semi trucks.

The Cobblestone Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living team of Park Springs had another great survey from the Department of Health, we received four minor deficiencies compared to a Georgia state average of eight and ZERO were related to nursing care.

The Home Health department completed 2011 with its seventh consecutive deficiency free survey.

The Food and Beverage department served and cook over 276,000 meals.

As you can see it has been a busy year here at Park Springs. We accomplished all these and much more while remaining 91% occupied and having an employee turn over of 30% for an all time low.