Madrid Man Credits Learning to Parachute Jump for Saving His Life

CANTON – The arrival of spring means we’re all spending more time outside and in some instances that involves climbing on ladders, using dangerous tools or even possibly using dangerous tools while climbing on ladders.

It was while trimming a tree when Craig Ballard, of Madrid took a fall that could have cost him his life. He said a limb from the tree he was cutting fell and inadvertently kicked the ladder out from under him.

“I went down while holding the chainsaw,” he said. “I was fortunate enough that I had my wits about me and enough to do what I needed to do to still be here.”

He attributes knowing what to do in that situation to something he learned while sport parachute jumping. 

“I was able to position my body and fall in a way that helped minimize the damage," he said. “I really think that helped save my life.”

Even though he was able to ditch the chainsaw, Mr. Ballard did not escape uninjured. He broke both of his legs, as well as his left arm. The accident led to a lengthy hospital stay prior to another long stay at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care, where he was admitted into the rehabilitation unit.

“They certainly know what they’re doing,” he said referring to the therapy staff at United Helpers in Canton. “They were able to take a pretty big problem and make it a little more manageable.”

Mr. Ballard, who spent almost 45 years as a member of the Madrid Volunteer Rescue Squad, and another 13 years as a volunteer firefighter in Madrid, said he is not used to being the one on the receiving end of assistance.

“I’m thankful for everyone who helped me out along the way. The first responders who came to the scene, the nurses and the doctors at the hospital, and the nurses and therapy staff here who have helped me get as close to where I would like to be as they could,” he said.

Mr. Ballard’s stay at United Helpers was 100 days, the most his insurance would cover. “While I do wish, I could have stayed a bit longer, I am certainly in a better spot now than I was when I got here.”

When Mr. Ballard arrived in Canton, he wasn’t going anywhere unless it was in his wheelchair. By the time he was discharged this past winter, Mr. Ballard was using a walker.

United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Canton offers both short-term rehabilitation stays and long-term skilled nursing care. To learn more, please visit www.unitedhelpers.org or call (315) 386-4541.

Craig Ballard, of Madrid credit his time at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Canton for helping to get him back on track following a serious accident that occurred while he was trimming a tree. He is seen here working with Physical Therapist Assistant Chelsie Denner.

Clarkson Partners with United Helpers Independent Senior Living for Fall Prevention Program

CANTON – Occupational Therapy students from Clarkson University have teamed up with United Helpers Independent Senior Living to introduce a fall prevention program.

According to the National Safety Council, falls are the leading cause of injuries amongst people 65 and older, with one in four reporting at least one fall each year.

The program began with a fall prevention presentation a few weeks ago and concluded last week when students returned to the building to perform a series of balance assessments with members interested in participating in the program.

Seven first-year students participated with approximately 10 members from the building taking part.

“For our students this is almost like a final exam for them,” said Brittany DiSalvo, who is a professor in the Occupational Therapy Department. “We’re finishing up our year with some hands-on learning.”

One of those students was Lauren Engel, of Charlotte, NC. 

Occupational therapy student Jordyn Whitton works
with Professor Brittany DiSalvo and United Helpers
 Independent Senior Living member Jane Daby. 

“This is our first time getting to work with people from the community,” she said. “Earlier in the spring we did a fall prevention program and this is kind of piggybacking off of that. I feel like we’re teaching them something, but they’re also teaching us too.”

“We’re hoping to come back in the fall with a new group of students,” Mrs. DiSalvo said. “There’s so much we could do and we’d like to explore other areas of functional performance for this group while focusing on keeping them safe, strong, and independent. We are looking to enhance this partnership and become more of a familiar face in the facility.”

While Mrs. DiSalvo said she’s not sure what next year’s students will do with the members, she did say she’s looking forward to working with the people at United Helpers Independent Senior Living again.

“Projects like this are great,” she said. “Working with individuals in the community provide the students with hands-on experiences, things that a textbook just cannot teach.”

Linda Buchanan, a long-time ISL member said she very much enjoyed having the students come in. She attended both their verbal presentation, as well as the hands-on session, where she completed each of the balance assessments.

“I was very impressed with their presentation. The students all did a great job. As we get a little bit older this is very important information to have,” she said.

Some of the assessments included reaching forward, both while sitting and standing, standing up from a seated position, standing with their eyes closed, picking an object up off of the floor, and stepping onto and off of a stool.

“The assessments completed in this experience serve as an indicator for assessing fall risk among this population. Our students can use the results and the information gathered today to address the individual’s deficits while overall focusing on keeping everyone safe,” Mrs. DiSalvo said.

Martinchek Honored with Fannie Frank Distinguished Employee Award

CANTON – When the newly appointed United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care Activities Director was promoted to her new position, she knew exactly who she wanted to step into her old role as Activities Leader – this year’s Fannie Frank Distinguished Employee Award winner Lauren Martinchek. 

Ms. Martinchek, of Canton, began her career with United Helpers in 2017 as a task aide before becoming a CNA and then transitioning into a role with the Activities Department in 2018, a department in which she thrived in for five years before the promotion.

“Lauren is very organized and willing to help whenever or wherever. She also has the ability to learn almost anything related to her position,” said Activities Director Patience Boswell. “But what really separated Lauren from others is her compassion for her residents.”

Talking about the relationship Ms. Martincheck has with her residents, Ms. Boswell said, “It is clear from her interactions with residents that she truly cares for them. When she talks about residents, you can tell she knows them intimately like a relative would. When she shares a laugh or even a cry with a resident, you can tell it is a genuine shared emotion.”

Rehabilitation and Senior Care Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons has heard many such stories from employees, as well as family members of residents and in some instances, residents themselves.

“Lauren has a huge heart and appears to love what she does,” he said. “She is the type of employee you wish you could replicate over and over again.”

While United Helpers has many different employee honors, most of those awards are for people working in direct care. The Fannie Frank Distinguished Employee Award gives Mr. Parsons an opportunity to recognize an outstanding employee even if they do not work in direct care.

“She was an easy choice for this honor,” he said. “We are proud she is a part of the United Helpers team.”

The Fannie Frank Award was established in 2019 by Dr. Gordon and his wife, Barbara, who are both former United Helpers volunteers and board members. Dr. Gordon grew up in New York City in close proximity to his grandmother and credits her with instilling in him a love of animals that would eventually lead to his career as a veterinarian.

The award was created as a way to pay tribute to his grandmother, a Polish immigrant who moved to the U.S. prior to World War I with her parents and six of her nine siblings.

The award includes a cash bonus and is awarded based on the following criteria:

• A remarkably caring demeanor
• Currently employed at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care
• Continuous employment with United Helpers for two or more years

Holding a picture of his beloved grandmother, Dr. Edward Gordon calls the Fannie Frank Distinguished Employee Award presentation “one of my favorite things each year.” This year, Dr. Gordon presented the award to United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care Activities Leader Lauren Martinchek, of Canton. From left, Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons, Dr. Gordon, Ms. Martinchek, Activities Director Patience Boswell and Barbara Gordon.

UH Rocks Bringing the Entertainment to One Lucky Person This Summer!

OGDENSBURG – Bands and musicians like Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Creed, Shania Twain, Rod Stewart and Chicago are all traveling to Upstate New York for shows this summer and if you’re the lucky winner of our UH Rocks ticket drawing, you could be enjoying the show from one of the best seats in the house.

The winner of this drawing will receive a $500 Ticketmaster gift card. Not a fan of live music, comedians like Kevin Hart, Jeff Dunham and Brad Williams will all be coming to the area too. Tickets to events like the WWE, monster trucks and even many theatrical productions could be at your fingertips.

“Following the success of the NFL Fan’s Choice Drawing held this past summer, we wanted to once again do something different, something that would appeal to the masses and something that could once again attract interest from people who may not be our stereotypical fundraising demographic,” said United Helpers Marketing Manager Benny Fairchild. “With the wide range of entertainment options available through Ticketmaster, we feel like this does just that.”

Tickets for this will be $10 each. Bundles are also available with three tickets for $25 or seven tickets for $50.

“While not everyone enjoys football, most people do enjoy live entertainment, whether it’s music, comedy, theatre or something else,” said Assistant Director of Corporate Services Jordan Downing-Duke. “The winner of this drawing really has a ton of options; they could buy one amazing seat to a show of their choice or maybe even enjoy lawn seats for several shows at the amphitheater in Syracuse. The choice is theirs.”

Tickets will be available online at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ticketmasterdrawing/event/uhrocks/. Tickets will also be available during regular business hours at the United Helpers RiverLedge Campus reception desk, located at 8101 State Hwy 68 in Ogdensburg.

Only 1,000 tickets will be printed, with sales continuing until all tickets are sold or 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 30. The drawing will be held on Tuesday, April 1 giving the winner plenty of time to pick out which show or shows they would like to attend.

Transportation, meals, and lodging are not included with the prize.

Whether you like rock, rap, country, comedy or even theatre, the UH Rocks ticket drawing has a prize for you. The winner of this drawing will receive a $500 Ticketmaster gift card, which they may use to purchase ticket(s) to the show or shows of their choice. Tickets are available for $10 each, three for $25 or seven for $50. Tickets will be available online at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ticketmasterdrawing/event/uhrocks/. Tickets may be purchased in person (cash only) at the United Helpers RiverLedge Campus reception desk, 8101 State Hwy 68, in Ogdensburg, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. The drawing will be held on Tuesday, April 1 giving the winner plenty of time to pick out what show or shows they would like to attend.

Home for the Holidays Thanks to United Helpers

CANTON – A stay at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care helped two local women regain the strength they needed to return home for the holidays and the start of the new year.

Elizabeth Ayer, of Massena Center spent 20 days at the facility for her short-term rehabilitation stay which followed surgery on a foot and ankle, which had previously been broken and repaired in 1975.

“It just got worn out,” Mrs. Ayer said, the hardware in foot and ankle was replaced during the procedure. 

Elizabeth Ayer

When Mrs. Ayer arrived at the facility she was in a wheel chair and unable to walk on her own. Now she is using a walker and looking forward to her cast coming off this month.

“My daughter said I’ll be in a walking boot, but it’s another step forward,” she said.

Mrs. Ayer said she’s appreciative of the support and help she received during her stay in Canton.

“If I ever have to go to physical therapy again, this is where I will be coming,” she said. “The staff were all so very positive and here to help, right from the cleaning ladies all the way to the top.”

Patricia Goolden, of Hannawa Falls came to United Helpers following a hospital stay for pneumonia. She also has congestive heart failure.

When it came time for her to be discharged from the hospital, Mrs. Goolden said her children were not comfortable with her going home alone.

“I couldn’t walk and my kids wouldn’t let me go home alone,” she said, noting when she arrived she could only ride the exercise bike for 5 minutes before becoming exhausted and having to stop.

Patricia Goolden with Physical Therapist Trent Worden

“I’m up to 15 minutes now.” “I’ve toned up my body quite a bit. I’ve even gotten to the point where I can walk without my walker. I’m supposed to use it, but sometimes I try to sneak around without it.” she said.

Mrs. Goolden said she owes United Helpers Director of Therapy Trent Worden a big thank you.

“Therapy was hard at first. He would come in and ask if I was ready, and I would say, ‘no,’ but by the end I was looking forward to it.  My stamina is better than it has been in years.”

If you feel like you could benefit from a short-term rehabilitation stay at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Canton, please reach out to Admissions Coordinator Tanya Trotter at (315) 590-2040 or via email at tltrotter@unitedhelpers.org.

You may also visit www.unitedhelpers.org to learn more about this and the other services we offer.

Denesha Honored with Harry E. King Award

OGDENSBURG – One of the longest tenured volunteers in the history of the United Helpers organization was honored at this year’s annual meeting with the Harry E. King Award, an award named for another long-time volunteer of the organization.

Susan Denesha of Dekalb Junction, who has been a United Helpers volunteer since 2005, was surprised with the honor earlier this month.

Mr. King’s daughter, Marti MacArthur nominated her for the honor. 

“My father was quite soft spoken, yet always spoke up when he had something to say, had a great sense of humor and belonged to many community groups. I never heard him say a bad word about anyone. He was loved because he helped anyone who needed it and expected nothing in return,” Mrs. MacArthur said. “You could use those same sentiments to describe Sue. He would be honored to have an award in his name presented to someone like her.”

According to United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons, Mrs. Denesha’s time with United Helpers began when her father was a patient at the United Helpers Canton Nursing Home.

“Her journey with us began as a result of her wanting the best for her father, but she has continued on with us and quite literally helped enhance the quality of life for hundreds of North Country seniors along the way,” Mr. Parsons said.

In addition to assisting activities staff on lunch outings and field trips, Mrs. Denesha has been preparing and serving home cooked meals for residents multiple times each month for nearly 20 years.

“Our residents look forward to these meals perhaps more than anything on the calendar,” said Activities Director Patience Boswell.

In addition to being an active volunteer herself, Mrs. Denesha also helps recruit other volunteers for activities. Mrs. Boswell said she would bring in so many volunteers, that they eventually named Mrs. Denesha Volunteer Coordinator.

“We give her a list of our activities every month and she makes sure they all happen by supplementing our staff with people from her roster of volunteers,” Mrs. Boswell said.

Prior to presenting Mrs. Denesha with the award, Mr. Parsons read through a lengthy, but incomplete list of ways she has helped the facility including leading an Alzheimer’s support group, participating in resident council meetings, fundraising, casino outings, lunch outings, arranging for preferred seating at the county fair, bake sales, help with trick or treating, and more.

“Sue is our biggest cheerleader, but will not hesitate to inform us when we can do better for our residents. She makes it possible for us to offer more activities and programing,” Mr. Parsons said. “She inspires us all to do more and be better people.”

This was third time the Harry E. King Award has been awarded, previously going to Dr. Edward Gordon in 2020 and Wayne Ladouceuer in 2017.

Mrs. MacArthur established the award in honor of her father as a way to recognize outstanding board members.

According to the award’s description, written at the time it was created, “The award is not an annual award by definition. It is to be presented only rarely, in the case of a desire to recognize a volunteer to UH who is virtually unrivaled and exceptional in his/her commitment to UH and his/her service to UH’s residents, clients, and families.”

For only the third time in the award’s history, the Harry E. King Award was presented. Susan Denesha of Dekalb Junction received the honor at this year’s annual meeting. Mrs. Denesha has been a volunteer with United Helpers since 2005 when her father was a resident at the United Helpers Canton Nursing Home. From left, United Helpers Management Company Board of Directors member Marti MacArthur, Rehabilitation and Senior Care Vice President of Operations Timothy Parsons, Mrs. Denesha with her husband Larry Denesha, and Activities Director Patience Boswell.

United Helpers RiverLedge Campus now has Six EV Charging Stations

OGDENSBURG – Thanks to a grant of more than $22,000 United Helpers was able to install six Level II charging stations at its RiverLedge Campus in Ogdensburg.

United Helpers RiverLedge Campus is located just off State Route 37 at 8101 State Route 68. The chargers are available for members of the public to use whether they’re locals or traveling through the area. 

United Helpers employees may also use the stations to charge their vehicle during the workday. United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills Director of Residential Services Kim S. George takes advantage of this opportunity almost every day.

Ms. George drives a Toyota Rav-4 Hybrid, meaning her vehicle can use gas, but she prefers to use the vehicle’s electric battery when possible. “Being able to charge my vehicle while I’m at work is beyond convenient,” she said.

The stations do charge 35 cents per kilowatt hour, but Ms. George said that’s still cheaper than gas and in line with what other stations in the area are charging.

According to JD Power & Associates, an electric vehicle with a range of 300 miles would use between 75 and 100 kilowatt hours meaning a full charge is less than $30.

JD Power & Associates also notes a Level II charger, such as those located here can fully charge a completely drained battery in roughly four hours.

Payment for the service is conveniently done entirely through the EV Connect app, which may be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play. A credit or debit card is then linked to the app with payment deducted at the time of the charge.

United Helpers Director of Facility Operations Rick J. Pirie said he’s glad to see United Helpers installing EV charging stations.

“With electric vehicles becoming more and more common, even amongst our staff, it’s important for people to have a place where they can charge their vehicle’s battery,” he said. “With these charging stations located conveniently just off of the highway people can stop by to charge their vehicles and then be back on the road in no time.”

Ms. George who travels from Massena to Ogdensburg for work each day said her car will reach a full charge in 2.5 hours for less than $6.

Sparx Construction and General Contracting completed the work for this project. 

United Helpers Behavioral Health and Life Skills Director of Residential Service Kim S. George connects her car to the newly installed EV charging stations at United Helpers RiverLedge Campus in Ogdensburg. RiverLedge is located just off State Route 37 at 8101 State Route 68.