Special to The Laker/Lutz News

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

When Joyce Simard was beginning her career as a social worker, she pictured herself working with young children.

That vision never materialized.

The only job she could find at the time was in a nursing home. That unexpected diversion set her off on a path she could never have imagined.

The Land O’ Lakes woman went on to a career in geriatric care, working for nursing home corporations and then becoming an independent consultant.

She still does consulting work, jetting across the United States and to foreign countries to share her expertise on caring for people with advanced dementia.

She wrote a book about a program she developed called Namaste Care and is currently writing an update that will be offered in print and as an e-book.

The book — The End-of-Life Namaste Care Program for People with Dementia — offers practical and simple ways to establish and operate programs honoring the dignity of people with advanced dementia.

Recently, Simard was recognized for her work by Provider magazine and a panel of judges, who selected her as one of 20 to Watch in 2013. The newly created honor recognizes professionals who have made such significant contributions in long-term and post-acute care.

In a profile published by Provider, Simard deflected attention from herself to her Namaste Care program.

Her goal is to help people with advanced dementia to experience quality of life, despite the obvious challenges, Simard said in an interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

When she took her first nursing home job, she expected it to be short-lived.

“I thought, this will just be temporary. And here I am 35 years later, totally fallen in love with the elderly; in particular, those with dementia,” Simard said.

When working at nursing homes, she knew she wouldn’t be able to counsel people suffering from memory loss because they wouldn’t be able to remember what they talked about, she said.

“So, I started by singing with them and dancing with them and helping them to touch feelings through art and through just being busy,” she said.

That approach evolved into a concept called continuous programming, which Simard labeled The Club. She launched the program in a state veterans’ nursing home in Bennington, Vt.

The continuous programming helped reduce some of the problems that occur at nursing homes, Simard said.

Typically, nursing homes might schedule an exercise program from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., then there’d be a break and then something else at 10:30 a.m. and so on.

But between activities, people might wander around and fall or perhaps fall asleep and then be wide-awake at 2 a.m., Simard said.

With The Club, “We were able to lower the falls. We were able to decrease or eliminate the use of antipsychotics,” Simard said.

She traveled nationwide, teaching the approach to staff at facilities providing care for people with moderate, irreversible dementia, she said.

She developed Namaste Care in response to a hospital administrator’s request for help in reaching residents with advanced dementia.

These are the residents who are beyond the point of being able to participate in trivia, sing-alongs and other activities used by The Club, Simard said. Often, they have reached such an advanced stage of dementia that they can no longer walk or talk.

“I knew I needed to develop something very special for them. It needed a name,” Simard said.

At the time, she had been reading something that said, “Namaste — to honor the spirit within,” and decided the name was perfect because that was exactly the aim of her program.

“What I discovered is that people with advanced dementia blossom when they’re lovingly touched,” she said.

Namaste Care emphasizes the power of loving touch.

“We take a room and we lower the lights,” Simard said. “We use the scent of lavender, because there are studies that lavender decreases agitation. We play soft music. … From the moment they enter that room, somebody is there, respecting them as individuals. For some, it’s a hug. For some, it’s a handshake.

“We tuck a quilt around them, very much like you swaddle your babies,” Simard added.

Everything that happens in the room is done at a relaxed pace, she said.

“For instance, we might wash a woman’s face, and as we’re doing it, we say, ‘Oh, you have such beautiful skin.’”

Products are used that may evoke memories for the residents. For instance, Pond’s cold cream is used for the women and Old Spice for the men.

“We brush someone’s hair,” she said, much like the resident’s mother may have done.

“It’s all about love. Some families say that when you go into a Namaste room it’s like being enveloped in a big hug,” Simard said.

“Families find it is so much easier for them to visit when Namaste is taking place. Their visits are so much longer.”

Residents respond to Namaste Care, she said.

“There has not ever been a day when I opened a new program that there has not been a miracle that happened,” Simard said.

It may be a mother saying “I love you” to her daughter, even though the mother hasn’t spoken in years. Or, residents who may have been routinely agitated may become noticeably more relaxed.

Simard recalls an instance when she noticed a woman who had been massaging her mother’s hand had tears streaming down her face.

She asked the woman why she was crying.

“She said, ‘My mother just took my hand and began to massage me.’”

Over time, Namaste Care has been adopted by facilities around the globe in such places as Australia, Greece and Great Britain.

“I never, ever would have anticipated that it would be international,” Simard said.

The program works because it relies on the universal power of human touch.

“What I find is that culture, religion, language, everything just disappears with the power of loving touch,” Simard said.

Understanding what happens with dementia can help family members dealing with a loved one who is struggling with the condition.

“At the beginning, they know something is terribly wrong,” Simard said. In the early stages, just writing things down and using a calendar can help the person struggling with dementia to reduce their sense of confusion, she said.

“When they get to the moderate stage of the disease, they live in a different reality,” she said.

At that stage, family members and friends need to let go of the notion that they can snap their loved one back into reality, Simard said.

“You don’t argue. Join their journey. It makes such a big difference.”

 

Joyce Simard welcomes the opportunity to give talks to local organizations and schools.  Anyone interested should contact her at . For more information, visit www.JoyceSimard.com.

 

These kids would rather work on robotics

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Fourteen-year old Ryder Fitzpatrick said he was probably 3 or 4 years old when he began taking things apart to try to figure out how to put them back together.

Matthew Andresen said he, too, was just about 4 when his dad gave him a radio-controlled car.

The gift was a hit, said Andresen, now 14, “I played with it all of the time.”

And, Marissa Schiereck, 15, traces her interest to building things back to her elementary school days when her dad taught a First LEGO League Team.

Now, the three home-schoolers from Land O’ Lakes, Northdale and Oldsmar are members of FTC Team Duct Tape, a community-based robotics team.

They and their teammates, Bennett Nichols and Mark Adsit, of Gates High in Lutz, and Josh Francis, of Mitchell High, are gearing up to compete at the FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach on March 1 and March 2.

The team is in its fifth season, and, while the team members have changed, Team Duct Tape has a proud legacy, said Terri Willingham, founder and president of Learning is For Everyone, the nonprofit sponsor of the squad.

Team Duct Tape has competed at the state championship ever since its inception. It also has advanced to the FIRST World Championship twice in the last four years, Willingham said.

“We’ve been competitive with the magnet schools and the well-financed schools as a community team,” Willingham said.

This year, the team qualified to compete for the state championship by ranking among the top 24 of the state’s 80 teams.

Willingham said the team forms around September and generally wraps up its competitions in the spring.

Team members gather every Saturday throughout the season for four to five hours. Initially, they build and learn to operate their robot. As the season goes on, they make revisions based on what they have learned. They also take part in competitions and public demonstrations.

Fitzpatrick described how the team gets started each season.

“First we look at the video that gets sent out of what our tasks are, the challenges.

And then from there, we just brainstorm. We come up with a whole bunch of different ideas. And we find out which ones are the best,” said Fitzpatrick, who is interested in pursuing a career in videography or robotics engineering.

Team members discuss the pros and cons of each option, and then vote to decide which to pursue, Andresen said.

Besides learning how to build a competitive robot, team members have a chance to develop a number of other skills, Willingham said. She added that in a single season they cover many scientific and engineering skills.

“They’re using sophisticated engineering tools at a young age, and they’re using them in an applied manner. They can actually see how these things are used. It’s not just a classroom setting. It’s applied learning,” Willingham said.

They keep a notebook charting their activities and progress through the season.

The notebook must be meticulous, Schiereck said.

The experience helps kids to hone their skills and develop new ones, Fitzpatrick said.

“You learn a lot about how to work with others and how to use different tools,” Fitzpatrick said.

In designing their robot, for instance, they used Computer Assisted Design to figure out what parts they needed, weight-bearing capabilities and so on, Fitzpatrick said.

As their experience increases, members are becoming more confident, said Andresen, who is interested in a career in civil or structural engineering.

The name Team Duct Tape is a bit of a misnomer as the team isn’t using duct tape in its designs.

But Willingham said that’s the name the original team came up with, and it has stuck.

Duct tape has a reputation for being able to fix anything, which reflects the team’s “spirit of ingenuity,” she said.

Being on Team Duct Tape is a blast, said Schiereck, who is interested in biomechanics.

“It gets you excited about engineering, math,” Schiereck said.

“You learn how to make robots,” she said, something kids otherwise rarely get a chance to do.

 

Team Duct Tape is seeking sponsors to help cover the $2,500 in expenses they’ll incur in travel, lodging and competition expenses to participate in the state championship at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Businesses, individuals or organizations that would like to help support the team should call (813) 728-2822 or visit www.TeamDuctTape.com.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

Most of them originally hail from locales up north, such as Canada, New York or Maine.

Some have settled for good in Zephyrhills, while others just live there in the winter.

They share a love for music, and that’s why they joined The Zephyr Sound, a ladies barbershop chorus that entertains around the East Pasco County community.

The women gather to practice every Monday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Zephyrhills Wesleyan Church, 38924 C Ave. They perform a couple of times each month, as well.

During a recent practice, Gloria Wagner, the group’s director, was running the chorus through songs like San Francisco Bay Blues, Let’s Get Together Again, Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis and Let there Peace on Earth.

As they blended their voices — without musical accompaniment — Wagner offered bits of encouragement and direction.

“It’s coming. It’s really, really coming,” Wagner said, smiling at the women and coaxing out sweeter sounds. “Nice pitch, nice pitch,” she added.

The basses, though few in number, had a deep rich tone.

“I have to commend our basses,” Wagner said. “You guys do a super, super job.”

The chorus director offered constructive criticism, too.

As the group sang Let there Peace on Earth, Wagner said, “Stop!” — halting the singers.

“I am hearing a lot of tinny stuff coming out. That’s not a nice sound,” the director said.

But Wagner hastened to gently add, “It’s (the criticism) not to hurt your feelings. It’s to (help you) sound better.”

The Zephyr Sound was formed on Feb. 9, 1998, with a dozen women, mostly former members of Sweet Adelines, a worldwide organization of women committed to advancing the art form of barbershop singing.

Wagner herself is a former member of Sweet Adelines, spending 31 years in the organization and singing all over the world, including Holland, France, New Zealand and Australia.

The Zephyr Sound — which categorizes itself as an informal ladies barbershop chorus — performs for audiences at RV parks, churches and community events.

The group sings in four-part harmony using only their voices. Their repertoire includes old-time songs, patriotic tunes, blues numbers, hymns and selections from musicals. Their shows last about 30 minutes and include seven to nine songs.

The chorus suggests a donation of $50 when it performs. It also charges a $10 joining fee and weekly dues of $1. At the end of each season, the nonprofit group donates whatever money it hasn’t needed for expenses to HPH Hospice Foundation and Sunrise of Pasco County.

Group members tend to be retired, and the chorus size fluctuates as members die, become ill or resign for family reasons.

At one point there were just five members. Now, there are 19.

Members come from different musical backgrounds and offer various reasons for joining.

Joann Pasquale, who lives part of the year in Ontario, said she joined three years ago merely because she wanted to sing. She hadn’t sung in a choir since high school.

The group made Pasquale feel at home.

“Everybody was very welcoming and helpful,” Pasquale said. She added, “The music is lovely. It’s interesting to hear the harmony. When you’re singing, you can hear the other parts coming in. It’s a pretty sound. I want to be part of that.”

Rhoda Frederick, who lives in Maine part of the year, loves to harmonize.

“I was a Sweet Adeline in Maine for awhile. Whenever I hear music, I hear the harmony. I just hear it. I love being able to sing it,” she said. “When you hit a chord right, you hear a fifth note.”

Sally Hoffman, now a resident of Zephyrhills, used to live in New York.

“I used to sing barbershop in New York. I missed it when I got down here,” she said, noting she’s one of the newest members of The Zephyr Sound.

Sue Shaffer, who lives in Dade City, is a new member, too.

“I’m a professional musician and have been since I was about 12 years old,” said Shaffer, also who sings and plays the cello when not with the group.

The Zephyr Sound welcomes women who enjoy singing, and doesn’t exclude those who lack lengthy experience or formal training, Shaffer said.

“You don’t have to be able to read music. You don’t have to be a professional in any way, shape or form,” Shaffer said.

Shaffer said there is one requirement, though: “You do need to be able to carry a tune.”

Carolyn Kampf, who sings bass, joined the group in January.

Kampf, who lives part of the year in Michigan, has been in Sweet Adelines for years.

“Barbershop is close harmony,” Kampf said. “I love to hear the chords ring. When you lock in, they ring.”

Jeannie Schutte is another seasonal resident who lives part of the year in Michigan. She said she had to be persuaded to give barbershop singing a try. Much to her surprise, she enjoys it.

Joan Roberts, the group’s president, said being in The Zephyr Sound gives her a chance to make a different kind of music than what she performs professionally.

She and her husband are both musicians. She plays fiddle and he plays bagpipes.

Roberts, who lives part of the year in Ohio, said singers who haven’t sung for years shouldn’t be afraid to give the chorus a try.

“I hadn’t sung in a choir since I was in a church choir in the 1970s,” Roberts said.

Merry Childs, another seasonal resident who spends part of the year in Maine, said she joined The Zephyr Sound because she felt compelled to find a place to sing in the winter.

“I need singing. It’s good for the soul. I love music. It has always been a part of my life.”

Linda Schneider, who lives part of the year in New York, loves the challenge of bringing the music to life for listeners: “You’re telling a story to the audience.”

 

If you want to join

To find out more about The Zephyr Sound, call (352) 588-4492 or (352) 567-1215, or drop by a Monday rehearsal, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Zephyrhills Wesleyan Church, 38924 C Ave. in Zephyrhills.

 

 

By B.C. Manion

 

A family that’s been offering swimming instructions for three decades will be opening a new swim school location in Meadow Pointe this summer.

Seal Swim School will operate out of leased space in a strip center at the southwest corner of County Line Road and Mansfield Boulevard in Wesley Chapel, said Micha Seal Beatty, one of the owners.

“The space that we have is going to be approximately 6,500 square feet,” Beatty said, noting that’s about the same size as the company’s swim school in Lutz.

The new location, at 30062 County Line Road, will offer swimming lessons, birthday parties and a free class for infants and their parents called Water Babies, Beatty said. She expects the facility to have about 15 employees.

Beatty said having a location in the Wesley Chapel/New Tampa area was appealing because many of Seal Swim School clients live in the area.

She thinks the new location will primarily draw from Wesley Chapel and New Tampa, but also may attract people from Zephyrhills, Dade City, Brandon, Temple Terrace and other nearby communities.

“We are very focused on what we do best. Beginner swimming is our niche,” Beatty said. She shares ownership of the new location with her mother, Therese Seal, who began the family’s swim school business at home in 1980.

While the school focuses on beginner swimmers, it also offers more advanced classes for students who want to develop strong technical skills, and offers courses for people of any age, Beatty said.

Its Water Babies course is designed for infants up to 6 months old.

“A lot of times, the new mommies, when they come into the parent-tot class — when their babies are anywhere between 6 and 20 months old — they come in very nervous. That, in turn, can make the child nervous,” Beatty said.

“This Water Babies class, it’s really an introduction to the water without submersion,” Beatty added, “So the babies are not going underwater, but the moms are learning the holds, and I don’t want to leave out the dads because we have lots of dads as well. … It’s preswimming lessons, basically.”

Beatty said parents interested in signing up their children for lessons should feel free to visit the Lutz facility at 19509 N. Dale Mabry Highway to observe lessons and ask questions about the program.

“We highly recommend that if a parent is looking for a swim program, they should come and watch,” Beatty said. “They want to make sure that that swim facility, that swim program, matches their philosophy and what they are looking for for their child. … There are many swim programs out there. You need to make sure that it fits right with your needs.”

People tend to sign up for swimming classes in the spring and early summer, Beatty said but she thinks they should consider lessons in the fall and winter months.

“Our phones go crazy come April and May. That’s when everybody wants to learn how to swim,” Beatty said. “Really and truly, they need to be ready before that, so that when the weather is warm and they’re attracted to that water, they know what to do.”

The most important thing, she said, is to make sure children learn how to swim, especially in Florida where there are so many opportunities for a child to drown.

“We lead the country in accidental childhood death by drowning,” Beatty said. “We have everything. It’s neighborhood pools, it’s ponds, it’s the beach, it’s everywhere.”

Melanie Stairs, the swim school’s marketing manager, added, “Hillsborough County leads the state in drownings under age 4.”

To help combat the problem, Seal Swim School offers a Water Safety Program it presents to preschools and schools.

The new facility, much like the one in Lutz, will have a viewing area where people can watch the lessons. It will also have a retail shop where people can buy swim gear.

Beatty, her sisters and her mother have all devoted their lives to helping others learn to swim.

“When I go to work every morning, I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to do,” Beatty said. “When you get that call from a parent who wants to put their 4-year-old in because their 2-year-old has drowned, you know you’re in the right line of business.”

 

For more information

To learn more about Seal Swim School, visit www.sealswimschool.com.

For more information on drowning prevention, call (813) 615-0589 or visit www.hillsboroughwatersafetyteam.org/.

 

Water Safety Tips

Ways to improve safety:

—Never leave a child unattended at a pool or a spa.

—Teach children basic water safety skills.

—Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings.

—Have a telephone nearby to enable a quick call to emergency agencies.

—If a child is missing, check the pool or spa first.

—Learn CPR.

—Install a 4-foot fence around the perimeter of the pool with a self-closing, self-latching gate.

—Having life-saving equipment such as life rings or floats available and easily accessible.

For more information, visit www.PoolSafely.gov.

Aquafinz Seafood and Steaks grand opening

Aquafinz Seafood and Steaks is having a grand opening Feb. 20 at 16553 Pointe Village Drive in Lutz near SR 54 and the Suncoast Parkway.

The event will feature entertainment from Frank Califiura from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and

free Crown Royal Maple from the Crown Royal Girls from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The celebration also includes a Happy Hour throughout the evening, until close.

 

Land O’ Lakes Rotary welcomes Legg

Newly elected State Sen. John Legg will be the featured speaker at the Land O’ Lakes Rotary Club noon meeting Feb. 25. Come and hear Legg’s thoughts about legislative priorities and pose some questions of your own. The club meets at the lake house at Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que, 3116 US 41. Lunch is $10.

 

Medical Center elects committee

The Medical Center of Trinity staff has elected new officers to its medical executive committee. The committee is responsible for overseeing all activities of the medical staff and leading medical performance improvement initiatives.

Newly elected medical executive committee officers are:

—Dr. Peter Candelora, chief of staff

—Dr. Daniel Rodriguez, vice chair of staff

—Dr. Usha Agarwal, secretary/treasurer

—Dr. Najam Javeed, chief of the department of medicine

—Dr. Jennifer Cook, chief of the department of surgery

—Dr. Linda Badillo, immediate past chief of staff

 

Trade mission to Chile

Gov. Rick Scott will be leading a trade mission to Santiago, Chile May 20 to May 23.

“Chile is a key business partner with our state, and companies there are increasingly interested in expanding their trade operations with Florida companies,” Manny Mencía, senior vice president of Enterprise Florida’s International Trade & Development division, said in a release. “This mission will help businesses identify and establish relationships with buyers in one of the fastest growing markets in the world for Florida products.”

The mission will feature business matchmaking between participating Florida companies and potential business partners in Chile. Space is limited to 20 Florida companies on a first-come, first-served basis after they meet eligibility criteria.

The registration deadline is March 25 for companies and April 10 for others who want to participate as Florida delegates. For more information, contact Juliana Peña by calling (305) 808-3388 or emailing .

 

NetFest sponsors needed

The Pasco Economic Development Council is hosting its 11th Annual NetFest (Networking Festival) from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 17.

It’s an  old-fashioned hoe down, where event-goers put on their blue jeans, plaid shirts and cowboy hats to round up for a night of food, drink, music and plain old socializing with other folks trying to round up business contacts.

The outdoor event is at Starkey Ranch on SR 54 in Odessa. Sponsorships range from $500 to $2,000. Call (813) 926-0827 ext. 226 for additional information.

 

Tax and bookkeeping open house

Sheridan Tax & Bookkeeping had an open house on Feb. 5 at its new offices at 3610 Galileo Drive, Suite 105 in Trinity.

 

Land O’ Lakes resident appointed to council

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Ardian Zika, of Land O’ Lakes, to serve on the Council on Homelessness.

Zika, 32, is vice president of commercial banking at TD Bank. He succeeds Jeffery B. McAdams. His term ends June 30, 2014.

 

BB&T joins PEDC board

BB&T, a longtime investor in Pasco Economic Development Council (PEDC), has increased its financial commitment to economic development and will be joining the board of directors. Representing BB&T on the board will be senior vice president Chip Falk.

 

Sun Yoga open house

Sun Yoga, 19026 Geraci Road in Lutz, is having an open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on March 9 to celebrate its second year of operation. The event offers people a chance to meet the studio’s teachers and sample classes in a variety of styles, including Power Flow, Kundalini Yoga, Yin Yoga, Gentle Hatha and Hatha.

There will be drawings for monthly unlimited class passes valued at $125, and there will be a new student special available during the event. Healthy refreshments will be provided by Abby’s Health Food. For more information, visit www.SunYogaTampa.com.

 

Small business development center grand opening

Saint Leo University and the Small Business Development Center is having a grand opening celebration from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on March 6 at the Donald R. Tapia School of Business, 33701 SR 52. For more information or to RSVP, call (888) 929-2221.

 

Ryland opens Frost II model home

Ryland Homes expects to open a new four-bedroom Frost II model home at Connerton, a new gated community located on Savory Walk Drive in Land O’ Lakes. The house has two-and-a-half baths and a two-car garage.

Ryland Homes plans to build 40 new single-family homes in the first phase at Connerton.

For more information, visit www.ryland.com/tampa.

 

Donna Loman joins Hawley Dental

Donna Loman, a dental hygienist with 13 years of experience, has joined the staff of Hawley Dental Associates, 21752 SR 54 in Lutz.

Loman is a member of the American Dental Hygiene Association and volunteers her time to Mission Smiles, providing dental care to the indigent.

 

PHCC offers anesthesia course for dental hygienists

The Corporate Training department and dental programs faculty at Pasco-Hernando Community College will offer a Certification for Local Anesthesia for Licensed Dental Hygienists. The course will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 18 through April 21, at the West Campus in New Port Richey, 10230 Ridge Road.

The Florida legislation passed a bill permitting registered dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia in the dental office under direct supervision. The tuition is $1,495 and the registration deadline is at noon on March 29. Those enrolling by Feb. 28 will receive a  $100 tuition discount. To register or for more information, call (727) 816-3123, or email .