November 2008 - Recently, Heritage Park Rehab & Skilled Nursing held a “Wall Bustin” ceremony to officially begin construction of its new Connections Center.  The Connections Center will be the first of its kind as part of Heritage Ministries’ Connections dementia care program.

On hand for the special event were NYS Senator Catharine Young, Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation Executive Director Linda Swanson, and a host of other supporters.  The Connections Center was made possible by grants from the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation, Senator Catharine Young, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Johnson Foundation, Butterfield Memorial Foundation, and the Hultquist Foundation.

In describing the importance of the Connections program, Senator Young stated, “This is a way for people who have dementia and Alzheimer’s to receive the services they require.  The Connections program is tailored to meet each individual resident’s specific needs.  It also allows residents to be more productive and lead a higher quality of life.  The result of this is a positive effect on the resident’s family as well.  Connections is a great program and I am very proud to support it.” 

The event began with opening remarks by William Carroll, Heritage Park Rehab & Skilled Nursing Administrator.   Mr. Carroll stated, “The purpose of Connections is to enhance the quality of life for our residents.  In the process, we are providing them with hope, dignity, and a purpose for living.”  The rest of the program was led by David Smeltzer, Heritage Ministries Executive Director, and consisted of an overview of the purpose behind the Connections program and a family member testimonial with Dianna Buttafaro, daughter of Josephine Grice, Connections resident. 

After the opening festivities, all in attendance were asked to move to the second floor to begin the official Wall Bustin’ ceremony.  Those receiving golden sledgehammers were Senator Catharine Young, Linda Swanson, David Smeltzer, William Carroll, Burdette Cattley (Chair Resident Council), Agnes Murphy (Vice Chair Resident Council), Dianna Buttafaro, and Trish Johnson, 2nd Floor Unit Manager.  Each used their very best hammering skills to officially start the construction process.

Speaking about the need and importance of Connections, David Smeltzer, explained, “Any needs that arise throughout the day will be provided in this dedicated space.  The more time our residents are in a dedicated space and away from other distractions, the better they seem to react to the environment around them.  We can’t reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia, but our hope is to maintain a residents cognitive ability for as long as we possibly can and improve their quality of life.”

Connections is a groundbreaking program developed by Heritage Ministries.  It is a multi-faceted, person-centered dementia care program designed to engage skilled nursing residents in purposeful activities.  Connections is offered at Heritage Park (Jamestown), Heritage Green (Greenhurst), and Heritage Village (Gerry) Rehab & Skilled Nursing.  Connections includes an in-patient Day Center (or the new “Protective Care Unit” at Heritage Village) and focuses on and validates the residents’ remaining cognitive, emotional, physical, and social abilities, rather than their losses.

Connections provides greater flexibility in resident participation, as residents from all units of a skilled nursing facility are able to participate.  The program is run by staff in the Activities department, with assistance from Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).  In this model, residents who typically remain on their unit without formal activity due to behaviors or intolerance can participate by daily attending the inpatient day care program.  The program provides the resident with a structured and purposeful day.  

To learn more about Connections, please contact Heritage Admissions at (716) 484-6695