Nov 13, 2017

Holmes Honored With Life Improved Honorable Mention

From left, Administrator Tim Parsons, Staff Development Assistant Jennifer LaFlair, Bobbi Jo Holmes, Assistant Director of Nursing Madison Brossoit, Director of Nursing Brittany Thornton and CEO Steve Knight.

OGDENSBURG – One of the many challenges facing skilled nursing facilities, especially during a time when filling nursing vacancies is becoming more and more difficult, is completing a schedule that ensures each wing of the building is staffed at a level where its residents can be assured quality care.

At RiverLedge Health Care & Rehabilitation Center that challenge falls to nursing scheduler Bobbi Jo Holmes, who began her career at the facility more than 20 years ago as a housekeeper.

“Every day she is in constant communication with nursing staff, helping them to create schedules that also work with their lives outside of work,” said Assistant Director of Nursing Madison Brossoit.  “She does this all while making sure the facility is staffed properly to ensure the care of our residents. This is a very challenging job.”

Staff Development Assistant Jennifer LaFlair noted Ms. Holmes often goes above and beyond and attempt to do whatever is possible to accommodate staff.

“Bobbie Jo is direct, straight-forward, honest and polite,” she said. “She has an open door policy for all co-workers and it doesn’t matter what department they’re in. I’ve witnessed firsthand how supportive she is with someone co-workers who had no one to help guide them or talk to.”

Simply put, Ms. Brossoit said it is her goal to make everyone happy, every day.

“Happy staff equals a happy work environment,” she said. “Bobbi Jo has a positive attitude that is contagious and spreads throughout the building.”

And although Ms. Brossoit may not work directly with residents, Ms. LaFlair said her impact on the residents is felt nearly every day.


“Because of her the staff can give our residents the love and care they deserve every day.”

United Helpers Hosts Annual Employee Recognition Luncheon


OGDENSBURG -  Nearly 75 employees from United Helpers were honored at the company's annual Employee Recognition Luncheon held at the Gran View in Ogdensburg. Employees with 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30-plus years of service were all recognized, as were this year's Margaret Spies Award winners, Patricia Kerr from Maplewood, Debra Bice from Mosaic and Brook Duprey from Riverledge.



30 plus years
Honored for 30 or more years of service were, from left, Carole Castor, Brenda Jones, Bernie Bezio, Sherry Schmidt, Terry Ames, Linda Wert, Renny Bice, Gloria Bezio, Randy Adams, Cindy Lawrence, Deborah Smith, Robert Ethridge, Cynthia Cota, Sheri Sharpe, Sue English, Joyce Gladle, Rick Pirie, Robin Hamilton, Debra Farrand, Terry Hooper, Deborah Polniak and Winnie Delorenzo. Absent from photo, Michael Lawrence, Melissa Fuller, Venetia Wood and Jeanne Narrow.


15, 20 and 25 years
Honored for either 15, 20 or 25 years of service were, from left, Sarah Duvall, David Young, Denise Groulx, Todd Amo, Tammy Smithers, Nick Boswell, Michelle Matthews, Danielle Batholomew, Amanda LaVair, Jennifer LaFlair, Laurie Robinson, Beth Snyder, Grace MacMartin, Kathy Harris, Rebecca MacMartin and John Miller. Absent from photo, Jason Hitsman, Cindy Delarge, Sue Morse, Linda Buchanan, Georgeanna Christman, Bethanne Bishop and Deborah LaRock.


10 years
Honored for 10 years of service were, Bridgett Fanizzie, Laurie Cummings, Sharon Baker, Richard Tressider, Carmen Paone, Sara Wert, Jane Rector, Bonnie Cutrie, Ryann Cunningham, Crystal Lalonde, Nora Hance, Melissa Burke and Alicia Todd. Absent from photo, Jennifer Bouchey, Crystal Crosbie, Stacy LaRock, Sherri Reynolds, David Knowlton, Nicole Kennedy and Jamie Haro.

For an album of photos from this year's event, vist United Helpers on Facebook here.

Nov 3, 2017

Welcome New Hires


Please welcome the following new employees to the United Helpers family.

RiverLedge
Melissa Fink - RN
Natalie Chambers - CNA
Tori MacDougall - Task Aide
Diance Ransom - Task Aide
Christian Iuraduri - Food Service Attendant

Maplewood
Richelle Cisco - RN Nurse Manager
Amber Davis - CNA
Brooklyn Haverstock - LPN
Jessica Witherhead - RN
Lyndsey Graham - Task Aide
Roxanne Vallance - Task Aide
Elizabeth Hebert - Food Service Attendant

United Helpers Management Company
Joseph Shaw - Maintenance II (Housing)

Partridge Knoll
Christopher Merrill - Maintenance II

Pleasant Valley IRA
Sarah Tuper - RN

Bernard Avenue IRA
Tara Putney - DSP


Potsdam Day Habilitation
Erin Dorety - DSP

High Street IRA
Whitney Atkins - Assistant Program Manager

Spruce Street IRA
Amber Duprey - DSP
Shawn Crosby - Cook/Housekeeper

Irish Settlement Road IRA
Chelsea Kerr - DSP

Service Coordination
Brooke Binion-Evans - Social Worker/Case Manager

Oct 17, 2017

Brabaw Honored With Life Improved Award

Dawn L. Brabaw, of Canton was recently honored with the Summer 2017 Life Improved Award. Ms. Brabaw, who works as an RN for the United Helpers ACT Team was nominated for the award by two of her colleagues with the team. From left, United Helpers CEO Stephen E. Knight, ACT Team Family Education Specialist Amy Chisolm, Ms. Brabaw and ACT Team Program Manager Nicole Kennedy. Both Ms. Kennedy and Ms. Chisolm nominated her for the honor.
OGDENSBURG – It has often been said that it takes a special kind of person to work in human services – patience, caring and understanding are all personality traits essential to finding success in that career path.

Dawn Brabaw, RN exhibits all those traits and more. 

Ms. Brabaw, of Canton, who works with the United Helpers ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) Team as its registered nurse was nominated for the Summer 2017 Life Improved Award by ACT Team Program Manager Nicole Kennedy and ACT Team Family Education Specialist Amy Chisholm.

“As the registered nurse on the team, Dawn is often the primary contact person for ACT recipients who have significant medical problems. She possesses highly desirable characteristics necessary for community treatment which include patience, empathy, optimism, persuasiveness, flexibility, good judgment and ‘street smarts,’” Ms. Kennedy said.

Prior to joining the ACT Team, Ms, Brabaw worked as a Hospice Nurse giving her valuable experience that is being put to use as the team is now working with a gentleman suffering from terminal cancer.

“She has gone above and beyond to meet his needs to assist with pain management and connecting with his providers for continuity of care,” Ms. Chisholm said. “She has been extremely helpful in helping us to work with him, as she has such a beautiful perspective on end of life.”

In addition to working for the ACT Team, Ms. Brabaw has also provided assistance to the staff at the Behavioral Health Clinic and served as a liaison of sorts between the team and other community agencies.

“She is often engaged with extended treatment teams outside of the United Helpers organization. She is instrumental in gathering information and knowledge from outside community programs and sharing her knowledge with those programs, as well as our team,” Ms. Kennedy said. “Dawn has a clear understanding of the major goal of ACT, which is to help clients live successfully in the community. Through her advocacy of the ACT program and her continued efforts to educate the community in regard to mental illness, she is not only a great contributor United Helpers, but our community as a whole."

The United Helpers Life Improved Awards were created in 2015 as a way to recognize employees who go above and beyond and exhibit the traits behind the organization’s Life Improved mantra. Awards are distributed in the winter and summer each year with employees being nominated for the honor by their co-workers.

Oct 6, 2017

Welcome New Hires


Please welcome the following new employees to the United Helpers family.

RiverLedge
Tiffany Fredericks - Task Aide
Nicholas Green - Task Aide
Marcus Johnson - Task Aide
Darcy Kerr - Task Aide
Kaitlyn Lovely - Task Aide
James Ellard - Maintenance I
Amber Williams - Occupational Therapy Assistant

Maplewood
Arjay Divingracia - CNA
Cathy Newcombe - Housekeeper

United Helpers Management Company
Stephen Douglas - Maintenace II, Caretaker (Housing)

Rensselaer Falls IRA
Jason Reid - Maintenance II

Irish Settlement Road IRA
Matianne Kinche - DSP

Mosaic Day Habilitation

Amy Lalonde - Housekeeper/Office Tech


Sep 26, 2017

Welcome New Hires



Please welcome the following new employees to the United Helpers family.

RiverLedge
Logan Bailey - Food Service Attendant
Carly-Mae Fiacco - Food Service Attendant

Maplewood
Phyllis Coffey - Food Service Attendant
Laura Newton - Food Service Attendant
Misti Bigwarfe - CNA
Tammy Myers - CNA
Ariel Lussier - LPN
Laura Williams - LPN

United Helpers Home Health Services
  Meghan Dobbins - Home Health Aide

United Helpers Management Company
Kevin Murray - Maintenance II (Housing)

Spruce Street IRA
Kelly Eaton - DSP

Sep 19, 2017

Maplewood Allows Potsdam Couple to Grow Old Together

CANTON – Over the past 70 plus years there has only been a few times that Carl and Evelyn Seymour have been away from each other for more than a few hours at a time.

One of those instances came while Mr. Seymour was in the Navy and another came more recently as Mrs. Seymour began battling health problems that led to hospitalizations and a move to Maplewood Health Care & Rehabilitation Center.

According to the couple’s son Glenn, Mrs. Seymour first came to Maplewood in November of 2016 for physical therapy. She then returned in January of 2017 for a rehabilitation stay before moving into building’s Assisted Living wing in March.

Mr. Seymour would then join his wife in Assisted Living in April where they were together until health problems forced Mrs. Seymour into the hospital and the skilled nursing wing upon her release.

“When mom went into the hospital one of our big worries was that she would have to go to a different facility and that was not a happy thought,” Glenn said.

The couple’s other son, Murray Seymour agreed.

“How do you describe it? After 74 years together they still have the ability to sit on the couch and fall asleep in each other’s arms,” Murray said. “At this point in their lives they couldn’t ask for anything better.”

While their time together in the Assisted Living wing was brief, the fact that their mother and father still reside under the same roof despite needing different levels of care isn’t lost on anyone in the family.

 “United Helpers went out of their way to put them together in Assisted Living,” Murray said. “If it wasn’t for mom falling, I believe they would still be together in the same room.”

Glenn and Murray both reside in Potsdam and said they’re fortunate to have a facility such as Maplewood just a short drive away.

“Eleven miles is nothing,” Glenn said. “Having mom and dad together just a short drive a way has allowed us to continue being a family.”

When asked what it means for them to still be together, both Carl and Evelyn had a difficult time putting it into words.

“It means everything,” Mrs. Seymour said, to which Carl replied, “You can’t put into words what it means.”

Glenn even called their family’s situation, “the ultimate success story in the aging process.”

Maplewood currently offers accommodations for those in need of Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, Memory Care and Inpatient Physical and/or Occupational Therapy. Outpatient therapy is also offered.

To schedule a tour or to learn more, please call (315) 386-4541 or visit www.unitedhelpers.org.


Carl jokingly shows off a shirt that says, “Will Work for Bacon,” which he received as a gift from an employee at Arby’s in Potsdam. “I’ve been working for Bacon for more than 70 years,” he said, noting his wife Evelyn’s maiden name is Bacon.