Treemont Retirement Blog

by Jane Zimmerman, Treemont Resident

Lively Linda Hopwood has a smiling, friendly face to be seen around Treemont.  During the two years she has been here, Linda has assisted the activity department with many tasks, such as teaching ribbon embroidery in crafts and serving food and beverages at Treemont functions.  Around the time of Hurricane Harvey, she helped organize donations from neighboring communities for clothing and supplies that new Treemont residents, placed here due to flooding, needed.  Linda now works part time for the Activity Office:  teaching knitting, showing movies and making popcorn on Monday nights, serving at the 3:30 Social Hour on Friday afternoons, and various other events like our recent Christmas Party.

Originally from New York state, Linda was born the first of four children in 1947.  Her father was in the Army so the family relocated often.  When he retired in 1961, they planted roots in New Jersey, where Linda went to high school and met her husband.  After high school she began

Treemont Retirement Community has been selected for two Best of Assisted Living in Houston, TX honors in 2019.

ThreeBestRated.com listed Treemont as one of the Top 3 Assisted Living Facilities in Houston, TX in 2019. This is the third year in a row for this accolade, which is based on the following selection criteria: “Our 50-Point Inspection includes everything from checking reputation, history, complaints, local reviews, nearness, satisfaction, trust and cost to the general excellence. That's not all... businesses do not pay us to list them. You deserve only the best!”

In a letter to Treemont, Three Best states, "On behalf of Three Best Rated this Certificate of Excellence award is proudly presented after duly checking extensive customer reviews, ratings, history, complaints, satisfaction, trust, cost and the general excellence. Your commitment to these values and your consistent high quality in your area of business is hereby acknowledged and certified."

The second Treemont accolade is for Best of Assisted Living in Houston” in the annual

Physical Activity and Heart Disease

Healthy Tips for Seniors: Join the Walk and Roll, Learn about Walker Safety

Join us March 8^th at “Walk and Roll,” 2pm to 3pm, Green Room

Assistive Devices such as Walkers are very common among the elderly population.  Walkers can be used temporarily or as a 

Safety precautions when using a walker include:

1. Adjusting the height of the walker is very important. The correct height will ensure that the proper posture of the body is maintained. Your hands should lay on top of the walker with arms relaxed and slightly bent at the elbow at about 15 degrees.

Healthy Tips for Seniors: The Role of Physical Activity in Maintaining Heart Health

As people get older, is very common to see a decline in mobility. A person’s level of activity or type often changes as we age, due to illness, injuries, or general decline.  It is very important, however, to stay active to maintain a healthy life style. Adults who maintain a level of physical activity are at a lower risk for multiple diseases including Diabetes, Cancer, Obesity, Muscle Atrophy, Depression, and overall cognitive function.

Physical Activity can greatly benefit your overall, health, but especially your heart. Without proper functioning of one’s heart, a person becomes susceptible to different conditions such as Coronary Artery disease and Hypertension that can lead to a Heart Attack or a stroke. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that heart disease is the number one cause of death for most people in the U.S.  Almost 525,000 Americans

Spotlight on Houston Nursing Home Admissions Director Kelli Walleck

Welcome to Kelli Walleck, Director of Marketing & Admissions Director!  Residents often come to skilled nursing and rehab or assisted living following medical setbacks, such as a complicated infection, a fall resulting in a fracture, or a stroke resulting in the need for retraining in daily living tasks. One benefit of residing at Treemont is that there is a Health Care Center (HCC) on the campus, just off Building B, to provide rehabilitation after a hospital stay. Kelli is responsible for sharing our historic community with families of seniors who are searching for strong short-term nursing and rehabilitation services or transition to an assisted living setting.

Kelli is generally the first point of contact for residents and families with questions about health care options. Please introduce yourself. You will be impressed with Kelli’s knowledge

Spotlight on Houston Nursing Home Director of Nursing Sheree Wade

Leadership is the key ingredient in the success of any operation. Treemont’s Director of Nursing (DON) Sheree Wade, RN  is the kind of person you want at the helm. Sheree basically grew up in a nursing home, following in the foot steps of her CNA mom and LVN grandmother. “My mother passed away when I was 12 but her work ethic inspired me to become a nurse. I remember visiting the Nursing Home and residents knew me by name, how great I was doing in school. They were like family. I became a CNA at 17 at that same nursing home and obtained my LVN license at 19,” says Sheree. “I feel like I am doing God’s work, no job is ever too small for me to do. I truly believe that nursing is a calling and it takes a special, compassionate person to dedicate their lives to taking care of others.”

Sheree oversees the nursing care and those staff responsible for providing care. “I educate and find new exciting ways for the staff to be engaged and excited about the work that we do. I work hand in

by Jane Zimmerman, Treemont Resident

Lovely lady Barbara Morgan had no doubt in her mind when it came time to retire that she wanted to come to Treemont because she had friends who lived here.  Because she is outgoing and had already visited before, being a newbie for her was easy and she quickly made more friends.  She said she thinks now that she definitely made the right decision.

A native Texan, Barbara was born in 1935 in Noonday, Texas, a small town just outside Tyler.  Due to lack of employment opportunities in Noonday, she and her family moved to Houston when Barbara was five.  Her father worked for Carnation Milk Company.  Barbara attended George Washington Elementary School in the Heights.  She later graduated from Reagan High School and occasionally took college courses in both business and art.

The holidays are a wonderful time to gather with family. It can, however, be a wake up call for adult children that their parent’s or grandparent’s gait has slowed, and they might need a bit of help with activities of daily living.

Here are some key telltale signs that a more supportive environment might be helpful: more accidents, chronic health conditions, difficulty managing daily activities (not eating well, poor hygiene, inconsistent taking of medications), lack of social connection and overall feeling less safe.

What to do? Don’t panic. There are options short of assisted living or a nursing home to keep your family member independent and safe. Initiate a direct, but loving conversation. "We are worried that you are living