Leeza’s Place is “A Place for Caregivers”, a community gathering place and resource center for caregivers impacted by chronic or progressive illness.We support all families by connecting caregivers to one another, and by offering individual guidance, information and referrals, as well as a calendar full of programs designed to Educate, Empower & Energize.

FEBRUARY 2010

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EDUCATION:

• Memory Screenings (Monday, February 15, 2PM - 4PM; reservations required)
• Stress and Time Management (Tuesday, February 16 at 11AM)
  

EMPOWERMENT:

• Empowered Caregivers Support Group (Tuesdays at 11AM and Introducing an Evening Caregiver Support Group on Thursdays at 6:30PM)
• Memory Preservation Through Scrapbooking (Wednesdays at 10AM)
• Brain Injury Support Group (Wednesdays at 6:30PM)
• Memory Workshop Through Journaling Exercises (Thursdays at 10AM or 1PM)
• Heartfelt & Handmade Valentine’s Day Cards (Wednesday, February 10 at 10AM)
• Bunco Bonding (Thursday, February 11 at 2PM)
• Stroke Support Group (Thursday, February 25 at 3PM)

ENERGY:

• Walk It Off – Leeza’s Place Walk Team (Tuesdays at 9:30AM; Thursdays at 2:30PM)
• Crochet Stress Away Workshop (Tuesdays at 1PM)
• Hands & Hearts Working Together – Volunteer Recognition Luncheon (Thursday, February 11 at 11AM)
• This Month’s Refreshments Sponsor – Touching Hearts at Home

 

EDUCATION

MEMORY SCREENINGS – Healthy Aging and Early Detection of Memory Loss
Take care of your brain the same way you would take care of your heart – get it assessed! The memory screen assessment, a research-based set of questions, takes approximately 10 minutes and is an excellent indicator for early detection of a memory problem. The assessment focuses on five areas: orientation, retention, attention, recall, and language. A staff person from Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center will meet with you or your loved one individually to conduct the assessment and discuss your results.
APPOINTMENTS ARE NECESSARY. Please call Leeza’s Place at 741-0077 to schedule an appointment for a FREE memory screening. We will be offering screenings quarterly in 2010 (February 15, May 17, August 16, and October 18).

• Monday, February 15, 2010 ~ 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

STRESS AND TIME MANAGEMENT – Healthy Coping Strategies
Dana Schmeckpepper from Touching Hearts at Home will be at Leeza’s Place on Tuesday, February 16, at 11:00. She will be our guest speaker touching on the topic of the “Principles of Caregiving”. Dana will address: STRESS MANAGEMENT - Identification and the causes of stress, coping strategies, taking action, and relaxation techniques. TIME MANAGEMENT - Importance of time management, prioritizing duties, developing a work schedule, and time management activity. BOUNDARIES - Personal and professional boundaries, knowing your personal boundaries, and guidelines for professional boundaries.

• Tuesday, February 16, 2010 ~ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

EMPOWERMENT

EMPOWERED CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP–Leeza’s Place Support Group
LEEZA’S PLACE AT PROVENA SAINT JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER offer Caregiver Support Group sessions that provide an atmosphere of understanding and support for caregivers to explore common difficulties and experiences that come with being the primary caregiver. Group discussions will be facilitated by Kathy A. Miller, Joliet’s Leeza Care Advocate and Kim Jackson, Leeza Care Advocate Assistant. You are welcome to join us for a time of education, sharing, caregiver support, and to enjoy the company of other caregivers. NOTE: We are starting an evening caregiver support group in February.

• Tuesday, February 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2010 ~ 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
• Thursday, February 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2010 ~ 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

MEMORY PRESERVATION THROUGH SCRAPBOOKING–Building & Preserving Family Memories
LEEZA’S PLACE AT PROVENA SAINT JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER offers an on-going Memory Preservation Workshop for the caregiver and their recently diagnosed loved one. Each workshop is designed to help families create Family Memory Books. Our instructor Kathy Mueller, a scrapbooking genius, teaches participants how to use materials in an artistic way providing an enjoyable and uplifting experience. All materials are provided; just bring your family photos and enjoy! This workshop is for all levels of scrapbookers from beginners to experienced. Please RSVP to 741-0077.

• Wednesday, February 3, 17, and 24, 2010 ~ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Participants may attend classes on an ongoing, or “drop in” basis

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP–You Are Not Alone
LEEZA’S PLACE AT PROVENA SAINT JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER offers a weekly support group for persons who have suffered a brain injury. Support groups enable individuals to exchange ideas in a confidential atmosphere where both positive and negative views can be expressed without being judged. Remember – you are not alone. Support groups provide: hope, information, friendship, sharing, problem-solving, personal growth, and self-advocacy.

• Wednesday, February 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2010 ~ 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM

MEMORY WORKSHOP THROUGH JOURNALINGEXERCISES – EmpoweringYour Words
This memory workshop, using journaling, will help you exercise your mind and strengthen your memory, and at the same time help you reduce stress by releasing the intensity of your feelings. You will use questions from the book “Journaling, The footprints of your life…” (available for purchase at Leeza’s Place, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Leeza’s Place). Each week a specific life event will be introduced. An outline created by the instructor, Kim Jackson, will walk you through the process of remembering details of the specific topic being discussed and help you to write in a creative and detailed manner about each topic. Your memories will be stored in your journaling book in a chronological order making it very easy for others to read and cherish. With Kim’s help, stories from your life will emerge. She will help you create a keepsake and legacy for future generations. This journey will bring back experiences from the day you were born through your teens and into your adult life, and also touch base on the present. Join our workshop and help your mind to remember. Please RSVP to 815-741-0077.

• Thursday, February 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2010 ~ 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
• Thursday, February 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2010 ~ 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

HEARTFELT & HANDMADE – Valentine’s Day Cardsthe Scrapbooking Way
A young Frenchman, Charles, Duke of Orleans, was one of the earliest creators of Valentines, called "poetical or amorous addresses." From his confinement in the Tower of London after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, he sent several poems or rhymed love letters or "valentines" to his wife in France.

During the seventeenth century people made their own Valentines using original verse or poems copied from booklets with appropriate verse. Manufactured Valentine’s cards didn’t appear until the end of the nineteenth century. Today, they are manufactured on an enormous scale, and in terms of the number of greeting cards sent, Valentine’s Day ranks second only to Christmas.

If you would like to go back to a time when Valentine’s cards were handcrafted, join us during our regular scrapbooking workshop on Wednesday, February 10. We will be using a variety of medium to craft your heartfelt wishes for your Valentine; bring photos if you would like to make it part of your special Valentine.

• Wednesday, February 10, 2010 ~ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

STROKE SUPPORT GROUP – You Have the Power to End Stroke!
LEEZA’S PLACE AT PROVENA SAINT JOSEPH MEDICAL CENTER offers a monthly support group for stroke survivors and their families. Guests will have the opportunity to increase their knowledge of diagnostic and treatment options and to develop problem-solving and coping skills. This is a monthly support group and is held the last Thursday of the month.

• Thursday, February 25, 2010 ~ 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

ENERGY

WALK IT OFF – Taking Your Oxygen First with Leeza’s Place Walk Team
Whether you want to walk off some weight, walk off stress, or just get out and get some fresh air, take your oxygen first at Leeza’s Place and join our walk team. Every Tuesday and Thursday (weather permitting and no conflicting programs) we will be donning our walking shoes and “Trekking the Trails on Tuesdays & Thursdays”. We walk the Joliet Junction Trail which is located behind Leeza’s Place.

• Tuesday, February 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2010 ~ 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
  
• Thursday, February 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2010 ~ 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

CROCHET (STRESS) AWAY – Crochet, Coffee, and Caregivers Club
Join us for our Crochet (STRESS) Away Club at Leeza’s Place at Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve never held a crochet hook in your hand before or you whiz through crochet projects daily, join us for an afternoon of carefree sharing and fun.
For those who don’t know how to crochet but would like to learn, lessons will be provided by Kathy A. Miller, Leeza Care Advocate. If you prefer to knit instead of crochet, we are equal opportunity crafters and invite you to join us; knitting lessons will be provided by Kim Jackson, Leeza Care Advocate Assistant.
Take time for yourself and reconnect with your spirit… … crochet or knit the stress away!
Supplies (yarn, crochet hooks, and patterns) will be provided; or you may bring your own favorites.
We are also crocheting and knitting baby hats and lap robes that we donate to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center. All yarn is supplied and volunteer hours are provided.

• Tuesday, February 2, 9, 16 and 23, 2010 ~ 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

HANDS & HEARTS WORKING TOGETHER – Volunteer Recognition Luncheon
If you have been an active volunteer for Leeza’s Place this past year, we are inviting you to join us for a special Thank You Volunteer Luncheon. We wish to pamper, thank, and show you our appreciation for all your generous time, donations, and support. The luncheon is compliments of Touching Hearts at Home, our February refreshment sponsor. Let Leeza’s Place remember you with heartfelt gratitude. It is because of our wonderful volunteers, we are able to attend so many community affairs, take vacations, and allow Leeza’s Place to run with confidence when we are out of the building. Thanks to so many generous donations of time and in-kind gifts, we have generated a working atmosphere that many find comforting during their struggle with life changes.
We ask that you RSVP (815-741-0077) by Thursday, February 4th if you plan to attend.

• Thursday, February 11, 2010 ~ 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

GOODIES & TREATS – This month’s refreshments sponsored by….

Touching Hearts at Home helps seniors live independently for as long as possible, while bringing peace of mind to their families and loved ones. We provide customized care to your loved one wherever home is, and services can be provided for as little as two hours per visit, and up to 24 hours per day, seven days per week, including weekends and holidays.

Our services include basic conveniences like housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, errands, and transportation to appointments; rehabilitation care upon return home from the hospital or rehabilitation center; memory care and companionship; hospice care; and respite for family caregivers, while families are away on vacation, attending a personal appointment or social function, or who need uninterrupted sleep at night.

We offer families a no-obligation consultation in your home, where we design a care program together. If you choose to secure our services, we then introduce you to a Caregiver who is compatible with your specific needs and lifestyle.

For more information or to schedule your consultation, please call our office at (815) 609-1122. We service the following counties: DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Will, and portions of Cook, DeKalb, Kankakee, and LaSalle.