“At Thrive, we believe standards for senior living have been too low for too long,” said Les Strech, President of Thrive, in a press release. “The benchmark of ‘providing great care’ causes residents to feel like objects in need of care -- rather than individuals with a purpose and a great deal to offer others.  Thrive creates an environment where older adults can build new and meaningful relationships, and ‘great care’ follows as a natural result. Our new campaign intentionally crosses a line and illustrates our non-traditional approach. While we can grow gardenias and bake a killer cupcake with the best of them, this campaign illustrates our commitment to our residents’ greater wellbeing and sense of purpose.”

“When I first got involved with the senior living industry, I was honestly mortified, and I started looking into what our competitors were like. There was no life in the building, there was no energy, there was no excitement, you could tell there wasn’t a lot of thought put into the design. With that very first community I vowed, I’m going to do this differently,” said Jeremy Ragsdale, president and founder, in an interview on the company’s YouTube channel.

Thrive Senior Living provides assisted living and memory care communities that are disrupting the industry of elder care. Rather than simply providing a care facility, they are creating communities where seniors can thrive instead of just surviving. Seniors enjoy amenities like cocktail hours and fine dining. They promote independence and assist their members 24 hours a day.  

If you’ve ever wondered how local CEOs, top executives, and leaders really live, then you’ll enjoy this Q&A with Sam Hill, Ed.D. Hill is Provost of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) Woodbridge Campus. The college, comprised of six campuses — two of which are in Prince William County — is the largest public educational institution in Virginia and the second-largest community college in the U.S.

Having more than 75,000 students and 2,600 faculty and staff members, NOVA is also one of the most internationally diverse colleges in the nation, with a student body representing more than 180 countries. Here’s an inside look at the life of one of NOVA’s key figures.

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The Virginia Tourism Corporation has released the 2017 state and local economic impact data.  It is another record year for Virginia with expenditures reaching $25 billion supporting 230,000 jobs, $5.9 billion in salaries & wages and $1.7 billion in state & local taxes. 

All Virginia localities saw an increase in travel expenditures in 2017 compared to previous year.  The travel industry in the Commonwealth has continued to grow eight years in a row.  Travel expenditures increased at a compound annual growth rate of 3.9% since 2010.  

In Manassas tourism-related expenditures rose 4.5% to $71,114,795.  Annual payroll rose 4.7% to $12,124,407.  Employment rose 1.5% to 589 and local tax receipts rose 2.7% to $1,851,267.

Tourism is an important part of the local economy in many communities and especially in the City of Manassas.  Few localities in the nation experienced such seminal events as Manassas did during the Civil War.  The First and Second Battles of Manassas helped define our City’s place in history and historical-based tourism is a key market for the City.  The Manassas National Battlefield Park, Liberia Plantation and Manassas Museum serve as key attractions for visitors.

However, the City’s appeal to visitors now also includes the charm of its Historic Downtown (a Virginia Main Street community), its specialty shopping and dining, and special events.  Special events and activities alone account for 300,000 annual visitors to Downtown.  In addition to the jobs it creates and the revenue it generates, visitors may be prospective business owners or residents who become attracted to a community because of its tourism vibrancy.  Tourism is economic development. 

As students around Prince William County head back to class, we chat with Sentara Nurse Practitioner Stephanie Schutter RN, MSN, CFNP on some tips you & your family might want to consider for the new school year.

SB: How long have you been with Sentara?

SS: I’ve been with Sentara for 7 years.

SB: What does a typical day entail?

SS: My typical day consists of many different types of visits: sick visits, well-child visits, physicals and office visits for management of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, asthma, allergies, thyroid disease, etc.

SB: What’s your favorite part of your job?

SS: My favorite part is taking care of families. I tried specialty medicine, but this is my true love, family practice. Knowing whole families of the infants, to teens, to parents and grandparents. There is nothing more rewarding, watching my kids grow and my adults move through different phases of their lives. I get to be there going through it with them, they are all like family to me.

SB: As parents get their children ready for back to school, what would you like them to know?

SS: As kids prepare for back to school stay positive for them, there is so much negativity and fear out there your kids need your positive support, the stressors they deal with are more than we had growing up. It is a different time, know your kids’ friends, know their families, always know where they are, be vigilant- trust your gut, you know your children better than anyone. Keep them involved, keep them busy, but allow time for fun too. Too many clubs, too many sports sometimes can be a challenge, find the balance so that they are getting just as much time to spend with their friends and have fun. Monitor their phones, their computer usage, and the apps they are using, stay informed!

SB: What are some of the biggest things you see that get forgotten as kids head back to class?

SS: Make sure prior to school that immunizations are up to date, make sure if your child plays sports they have an up to date sports physical and concussion training as the schools now require this prior to tryouts. Try to get back to sleep routine, the first weeks back are hard enough, sleep is so important for our kids. Reestablish routines to get them into their good organization and study habits, have a place in the house that is theirs to get work done. Parents have childcare back up plans in case of emergency or illness, working parents always need a backup. After school routines- keep them reading always, keep attitudes positive- if you stay positive, their year will be the best one, and they will go in with a positive attitude!

SB: In recent years, we’ve heard a lot about ADHD, bullying and other issues in the classroom. What advice do you give parents who are concerned about something that is affecting their child?

SS: For my parents concerned about things affecting your children, it’s best to discuss it with them, help them to come up with solutions on their own and with you to deal with stressful situations at school, especially if there is no imminent danger. Learning how to deal with bullies or conflicts will be something they need to learn in the future. If this isn’t possible, and you are worried for safety or concerned about the severity of an issue, as parents you have to step in, communicate with the teacher see if there is anything they can do in the classroom to assist the situation and if this still isn’t working, go higher and make sure your kids are safe, that’s most important. As for concerns with ADHD and learning disabilities- bring it up with your provider. If testing is needed, they’ll get you to the right places or to the correct specialists.

SB: What do you want to stress to parents going into this new school year?

SS: The most important message to my parents is: TALK to your children, and take time to LISTEN. We only get them for physicals once a year if they are healthy and we try to cover everything and educate, but they need to hear it from you, too. Talk to them about drugs, depression, anxiety, smoking, alcohol, a plan for safety if they are in a situation they are not comfortable in, etc. They need to hear the truth from their providers, their parents, and their teachers. If we aren’t talking about it with them, someone else is, and you want to make sure the information they’re receiving is accurate. My kids love to pretend they are ignoring me, but I know even if they only hear one thing each time they will get a little of all of it in the end!

If you’re looking for a primary care provider, call 1-800-Sentara or visit Sentara.com.

In a previous article, we discussed the importance of recognizing symptoms of Lyme disease in seniors. We said Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose, especially in seniors, as it can mirror dementia, as well as chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis and more. Because it is common for seniors to report joint pain, muscle aches, fatigue and dizziness, doctors often feel that the symptoms may not be that out of the ordinary and miss a diagnosis. Knowing all this and advocating for testing is the first step. Next comes treatment.

Treat Lyme disease

If you see a tick on the skin of a senior in your care, document it. Be sure to note the date of the bite. Set up an auto-reminder to check the bite site each day for any irritation or other symptoms. (Lesions typically develop 7-10 days after a tick bite.) Having this information to share with your doctor can greatly help with diagnosis, even if you are able to bring the senior you care for to the doctor right away.

If you find a tick, follow these Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for removal:

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
• Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
• After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
• Dispose of a live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.

Avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible–not waiting for it to detach.

According to the CDC, “People treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely. Antibiotics commonly used for oral treatment include doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil. People with certain neurological or cardiac forms of illness may require intravenous treatment with antibiotics such as ceftriaxone or penicillin.”

The CDC also says, “These regimens are guidelines only and may need to be adjusted depending on a person’s age, medical history, underlying health conditions, pregnancy status, or allergies.”

It’s important to note that the immune system deteriorates as we get older. Therefore, seniors usually respond slower to treatment, which increases risk of the disease becoming worse, especially if diagnosis and timely treatment were delayed. Lyme disease not cured by antibiotics becomes increasingly difficult for doctors to counter and can become fatal. Prevention is the best defense against Lyme disease.

Prevent Lyme disease

Lyme disease cases are concentrated in the Northeast and upper Midwest, with 14 states accounting for over 96% of cases reported to CDC.

The CDC reports that more than 329,000 people are likely to contract Lyme disease every year in the U.S. alone. This estimated number of annual infections is 1.5 times the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer, and six times the number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS each year in the US. Lyme disease accounts for more than 90% of all reported cases of diseases carried by animals (vector-borne illness). But only one in ten cases of Lyme are reported, since many clinicians are not looking for Lyme disease specifically.

As ticks continue to migrate to more and more areas, we can expect cases to continue to rise. This makes prevention all the more difficult and important, especially for seniors who are more vulnerable to symptoms.

Here are some ideas to keep ticks away:

• Avoid wooded areas with high grass or brush.
• Keep grass cut in and around the yard.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants, and tuck pant legs into socks when in tick territory.
• Use bug repellent on exposed skin and clothing. Ask a medical professional for an option that is safe for the senior in your care.
• Carefully inspect yourself and the senior in your care for ticks after being out in a natural setting.
• Treat pets that can bring ticks inside. Ask a vet for safe options.

The CDC and the Lyme Disease Association offer a wealth of information about symptoms and prevention, as well as patient support resources. Learn as much as possible, and if you suspect the senior in your care has been exposed to environments that harbor ticks, consult a medical professional right away.

This post is sponsored by Home Instead Senior Care serving Prince William and Fauquier counties.

In this day and age of social media, if you would have told me 10 years ago that email would still the most trusted form of online communication, I would have laughed at you.

Well, you would have been right.

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Patients and visitors to Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, as well as all Sentara Healthcare hospitals and outpatient facilities, are now able to receive timely text messages during critical safety events. A new opt-in emergency notification service dubbed SentarAlert allows anyone in Sentara facilities to receive the same texts Sentara employees receive through our emergency notification system (ENS).

SentarAlert allows patients and visitors to text a keyword unique to each Sentara facility or region to 333111 and immediately begin receiving critical safety messages. SentarAlert will begin the service with two critical safety notifications: Active Shooter and Evacuation. At 120 characters, notifications are brief and cryptic, like tweets, and designed to be augmented by overhead pages in hospitals and sites with public address systems.

“Sentara takes safety very seriously. We want to ensure our patients and guests are informed of emergency situations as they arise,” explains Tim Bowers, MS, CHSO, Director of Security for Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. “Sentara is offering a new emergency notification system to anyone who signs up. This system is very similar to those used on college campuses and by governments across the nation to alert authorized people of emergency situations. To receive the Sentara Northern Virginia emergency notifications on your phone, please text the keyword SENTARANV to 333111.”

Opt-in subscriptions last for seven-day cycles when subscribers are notified by text that they are unsubscribed. But they can subscribe again right away for the next cycle. SentarAlert is designed as a safety enhancement for patients and visitors while they are in Sentara hospitals, nursing centers, therapy centers and other ambulatory sites of care. The texts are designed to help employees, patients and visitors make informed decisions during critical safety events.

Call to Action is a column written by Volunteer Prince William Executive Director Mary Foley.

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