“Care Notes” Blog

By Stacey Rhodes, MS - Adult Day Program Director DEMENTIA CARE SPECIALIST I’ve got the JOY! JOY! JOY! JOY! Down in my heart to stay! Has COVID got you down, down, down?  Well, join the [...]

Have you ever been caught off guard when someone asks you what they can do to help you? Most of us say thanks but don’t take them up on their offer to help. It could [...]

By Gail Shaw, MPA - Coordinator of Training & Support DEMENTIA CARE SPECIALIST Have you ever had the feeling that something was not quite right, but you could not put your finger on what was [...]

You know that caregiving  is draining. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so let us help you fill yourself back up! It might be gray and cold outside, but there is no need for [...]

St. John’s Community Care and We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym are partnering to host intergenerational music classes called Grandfriends. Intergenerational music is the bringing together of children and their senior friends for an enjoyable [...]

If you are a business owner, part of your city or county’s administration, a first responder, clergy or you just want to learn how to work more effectively with people with dementia, you will want [...]

During the last year, participants at St. John’s Community Care Adult Day Center have been receiving individual and group Art Therapy sessions with SIUE masters level practicum student, Ashley Ramm. Participants from both the Collinsville [...]

Younger people tend to empty their bladder completely upon urination, which helps to keep bacteria from accumulating within the bladder. But elderly men and women experience a weakening of the muscles of the bladder. Poor [...]

If you are serving as a family caregiver then you are most likely taking on the household chores, shopping, transportation, and personal care for you and your loved one. Plus you may also be the [...]

By Missy Athmer, Director of Marketing - It’s spring! And that means it’s time to grab a trowel and plant some seeds on a sunny day! Gardening is a wonderful way to re-connect and build on [...]

Written by: Gail Shaw, Care Coordinator -What do an umbrella and dementia have in common? One of the definitions under the word umbrella, in the Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary, defines an umbrella as something that [...]

    By Patti Haddick, Director of Home Services - The wave of the future for many has come to include Long-Term Care (LTC) Insurance. Even in the recent past there are forward thinking people [...]

Aging INSIGHT with Gail Shaw, Home Service Care Coordinator By Missy Athmer --   Putting the brakes on driving can be one of the most difficult conversations you have with your parent or loved one. [...]

St. John’s support groups provide opportunities for families and friends to discuss their concerns and uncertainties, as well as find resources to help regain a sense of  balance and hope. We also provide information about [...]

By Gail Shaw, Home Services Care Coordinator - It’s exciting to be celebrating our 30th anniversary. During this time, we have formed many relationships with individuals, families and other organizations. These relationships have helped our [...]

Story as told by Lisa Brennan. St. John's has been a wonderful part of our lives these past few months.  My sister, Anita Schmitt, saw the marquee in front of St. John's when it had [...]

There's nothing whatever the matter with me. I'm just as healthy as can be. I have arthritis in both my knees And when I talk, I talk with a wheeze. My pulse is weak and [...]

By Patti Haddick, Home Services Program Director: St. John’s Community Care is a top-notch agency, both in the quality of service we provide to our clients and in the quality of the Caregivers who provide [...]

By Missy Athmer Marketing Director - If you are anything like me, you have lots of photos of your family and friends. Recently my sister, who is moving, decided to pass down our family album to [...]

  Caring compassionately for your aging and disabled loved one!     Donna Bast Home Is Where The Heart Is Donna Bast, a caregiver for St. John’s, has been caring for aging and elder clients [...]

We know that when a loved one suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's is hospitalized for any length of time it can be frightening for your loved one and you. Especially knowing that you can't spend every [...]

It’s that time of the year when it seems every family is busy preparing to celebrate something. . . a wedding, graduation, family reunion, church picnic, barbeques on the 4th, the list goes on and [...]

St. John’s support groups provide opportunities for families and friends to discuss their concerns and uncertainties, as well as find resources to help regain a sense of  balance and hope. We also provide information about [...]