Every Month Is Heart Health Month at Trillium Woods
Every February, we are reminded to care for our cardiac health during American Heart Month — heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country, claiming 1 in 5 people.
While Trillium Woods is hosting a series of special events this February to encourage residents to learn CPR, stay active, and get their blood pressure checked regularly, the premier lifeplan community in Plymouth, MN, promotes a heart-healthy lifestyle year-round through its ample exercise classes, state-of-the-art fitness center and heated pool, stress-reducing and happiness-promoting 8 Dimensions of Wellness Program, and fully customized dining options.
Wear Red Day
To kick off American Heart Month, team members at Trillium Woods were encouraged to participate in National Wear Red Day on February 7. Seeing the entire staff in red served as a powerful visual reminder for the residents (and the team) that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women – not just men — and that adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle is important for everyone.
Expert-Led CPR/AED Demo
Heart attacks can happen at any time, in any place.
To help get residents prepared in case a neighbor or a friend needs help, Health and Wellness Navigator Cari Brastad, RN, joined certified instructor Brian King in an interactive demonstration showing how AEDs (automated external defibrillators) can be used in conjunction with CPR to resuscitate a person experiencing cardiac arrest.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure that uses chest compressions and rescue breaths to help maintain blood flow and oxygen to the body’s vital organs until medical help arrives. An AED is a medical device that analyzes the heart’s rhythm and delivers an electric shock to restore a normal rhythm to people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
King, who is the community’s Head of Security, regularly offers CPR refresher courses for team members at Trillium Woods, ensuring that should a heart attack happen on campus, someone nearby will be able to provide immediate assistance. There are several AEDs located throughout Trillium Woods for their use.
Health Checks and Extensive Fitness Offerings
To help residents stay on top of their own cardiovascular health, Brastad provides convenient blood pressure checks in the community’s relaxing Sunroom every Tuesday and Friday. She also connects each resident with Trillium Woods’ fitness team for evaluation and help tailoring an exercise plan unique to their preferences, abilities, and individual fitness level.
Every month, the community’s schedule is jam-packed with exercise classes, including aquacise, stretching, balance, cardio, dance, and strength training, as well as ongoing
incentives, competitions, and promotions to keep residents’ time in the fitness center fun and invigorating.
In honor of American Heart Month, the Fitness Center’s Sam Lefaive is holding weekly pop-up cardio drumming classes, giving residents a full-body workout as they keep the beat along to their favorite upbeat songs. Cardio drumming gives exercisers a boost in energy while improving coordination, balance, and cardiovascular health.
Holistic Wellness
Trillium Woods’ innovative 8 Dimensions of Wellness program focuses on holistic wellness for the complete person — mind, body, and spirit. By fostering emotional, physical, intellectual, vocational, spiritual, social, and environmental wellness through ample classes, clubs, events, parties, lectures, trips, performances, and volunteering opportunities, the community helps residents reduce stress, lower their blood pressure, keep active and engaged, fight depression, and build strong connections and support networks with their neighbors — all of which helps to keep them happier and healthier. Residents benefit from health services, Trillium Woods’ final dimension of wellness, by taking advantage of the community’s in-house health resources, including physical and occupational therapists, supportive care and rehab, and a dedicated health and wellness navigator who can help find new doctors, arrange hospital stays, assist with insurance paperwork, schedule appointments, and coordinate in-home services.
Heart Healthy Food
To celebrate Valentine’s Day and American Heart Month, the dining team at Trillium Woods offered a special dinner menu on the 14th that includes both healthy and decadent items. On the nourishing side, Chef Rob Silkey and his team prepared traditional French Bouillabaisse Seafood Stew. The medley of fish in Bouillabaisse ensures a diverse range of nutrients, including protein and omega-3 fatty acids, while the tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, which protects cells from damage.
The Bouillabaisse may be a special treat, but made-to-order heart-healthy food options are available at every meal. Registered Dietitian Lindsay Weisberg, MS, RD, LD, works in conjunction with the dining team to create low-sodium, low-sugar, low-fat, and gluten-free recipes and substitutions that meet the needs of residents with dietary restrictions while still delighting their tastebuds.
At Trillium Woods, American Heart Month is more than just a February initiative—it’s a reflection of the community’s ongoing commitment to the cardiovascular health and overall well-being of residents. To discover more about Trillium Woods’ heart-healthy — and fun! — lifestyle, visit https://www.trilliumwoodslcs.com or arrange a tour: https://www.trilliumwoodslcs.com/#/further/55.
