Happy Holidays!

During this time, as we transition into the holidays, we are also looking forward to continued and positive transitions at WeCare Private Duty Services Inc. We are constantly working to improve the level of services that we offer our clients as well as securing the best internal structures and resources to support the work that we do. Here are just a few updates on those efforts: We are pleased to have welcome Keesha Diggs Bond into her new role as Vice President. Her long-standing support and dedication continue to be appreciated. We are also glad to introduce our new RN, Maria Lizza Bravo-Orozco who started in August and is introduced on p. 4.

Lastly, I am so proud to wrap the year as having been recognized as a Best of Baltimore winner by Baltimore Magazine, under the Home & Service category. It’s not something that just happens—it is earned and we are grateful for the recognition and the role that each of you played in achieving it. This is the third time in recent years that we have won this

honor and I feel that this is a testament to the kind of service that we continue to provide throughout our more than 23 years in business.

This honor gives me another opportunity to thank my staff and the caregivers on our registry for their hard work and dedication. Together—we will continue to maintain our standard of excellence. Have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

Ms. Geraldine DiggsFounder, President and CEO

NEWSLETTER

Quality skills.True compassion.Open communication.

That’s how WeCare for our patients

{ISSUE 4:DECEMBER 2018}

Highlights of this Issue:

pg 2

pg 3

pg 4

pg 5

pg 6

Spotlight on Patsy Whitener

The Best Foods For Boosting Your Immune System

In-Service Schedule & Holiday Reminders

Welcome to Maria Lizza Bravo-OrozcoOur Newest WeCare RN

Holiday Recipe

Birthday Acknowledgements

The Home Page

your taxes and be careful with your money,” said Whitener. “Otherwise, it can go through your fingers very easily.”

In fact, as a seasoned caregiver, she offered advice to newer caregivers. “You have to have a caregiver’s spirit,” she said. “If my parents were living, I imagine how I would want someone to treat them and that’s how I care for my clients.”

“We should care about the way they look, the way they smell, the way their hair looks—down to their finger nails,” she chuckled. “I even take my client to the salon and I have her looking nice and people compliment her on how she looks.”

Whitener insists that good caregiving is something that’s inside of you and is about caring for a client’s well-being and going the extra mile.

“I thank God for WeCare,” said Whitener, “and next year if the Lord is willing, we’re going to Switzerland. Then, in 2020, we are planning to go to Africa.”

Patsy Whitener was one of the founding caregivers on the registry when WeCare Private DutyService Inc started nearly 24 years ago. She affectionally calls herself one of the “basement girls” as the initial company had humble beginnings in Ms. Geraldine Digg’s basement.

“Working at WeCare has allowed me to do things that I never thought I could—I mean traveling to places in the world that I otherwise would not have been able to.”

Whitener credits WeCare’s competitive wages for affording her the opportunity to enhance her life. Whitener and her husband, Jerome of 33 years, recently returned from a trip to Vietnam, which was particularly impactful because her husband served in the Vietnam War.

“My husband used to tell me things about it like the underground tunnels and hospitals but you have to see it yourself. It blows your mind,” said Whitener.

Whitener has been successful at WeCare and explained, “My formula of success is beingthankful and grateful.”

I would rather make a little bit a money all the time than a whole lot sometimes,” she said of her steady work. “If you want something, pay

Spotlight on a WeCare Caregiver—Patsy Whitener

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“My formula of success is being thankful and grateful.”

Save the date! WeCare's 6th Annual Basket Bingo will be held on Saturday, August 17th from 4pm-8pm at The Lodge, located at 28329 Mile Circle, Catonsville, MD 21228. There will be Bingo games, raffles, and door prizes! August 17, 2019

BasketB I N G O

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1. BlueberriesBlueberries contain a type of flavonoid called anthocyanin, which has antioxidant properties that can help boost a person’s immune system. A 2016 study noted that flavonoids play an essential role in the respiratory tract’s immune defense system. Researchers found that people who ate foods rich in flavonoids were less likely to get an upper respiratory tract infection, or common cold, than those who did not.

2. Dark chocolateDark chocolate contains an antioxidant called theobromine, which may help to boost the immune system by protecting the body’s cells from free radicals.

Free radicals are molecules that the body produces when it breaks down food or comes into contact with pollutants. Free radicals can damage the body’s cells and may contribute to disease.Despite its potential benefits, dark chocolate is high in calories and saturated fat, so it is important to eat it in moderation.

antioxidants, such as sulforaphane. For these reasons, it is a good choice of vegetable to eat regularly to support immune system health.

6. Sweet potatoesSweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene, a type of antioxidant that gives the skin of the potatoes its orange color. Beta carotene is a source of vitamin A. It helps to make skin healthy and may even provide some protection against skin damage from ultraviolet (UV) rays.

7. SpinachSpinach may boost the immune system, as it contains many essential nutrients and antioxidants, including:flavonoidscarotenoidsvitamin Cvitamin EVitamins C and E can help support the immune system. Research also indicates that flavonoids may help to prevent the common cold in otherwise healthy people.

3. TurmericTurmeric is a yellow spice that many people use in cooking. It is also present in some alternative medicines. Consuming turmeric may improve a person’s immune response. This is due to the qualities of curcumin, a compound in turmeric. According to a 2017 review, curcumin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

4. Oily fishSalmon, tuna, pilchards, and other oily fish are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. According to a 2014 report, long-term intake of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is a chronic autoimmune condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks a healthy part of the body.

5. BroccoliBroccoli is another source of vitamin C. It also contains potent

The Best Foods for Boosting your Immune System Excerpted from Medical News Todaywww.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322412.php

A strong immune system helps to keep a person healthy. The immune system consists of organs, cells, tissues, and proteins. Together, these carry out bodily processes that fight off pathogens, which are the viruses, bacteria, and foreign bodies that cause infection or disease.

When the immune system comes into contact with a pathogen, it triggers an immune response. The immune system releases antibodies, which attach to antigens on the pathogens and kill them. Incorporating specific foods into the diet may strengthen a person’s immune response. Read on to discover 15 foods that boost the immune system.

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Maria Lizza Bravo-Orozco RNBSN, joined WeCare in August after 19 years of working in the nursing field. “I am most excited to practice nursing from a different perspective,” said Bravo-Orozco. “I have mostly worked in hospital environments and I am looking forward to my time at WeCare.” Bravo-Orozco previously worked as an intensive care nurse for nine years, as a hero dialysis nurse for eight, and as a rehabilitation nurse at a center for six years.

Welcome to Maria Lizza Bravo-OrozcoOur Newest WeCare RN

MARCH 2019Saturday, March 23, 201910 am - 2 pmCharlestown Retirement Community, Gallery Room

JUNE 2019Saturday, June 22, 201910 am - 2 pmCharlestown Retirement Community, Erickson Conference Center

SEPTEMBER 2019Thursday, September 19, 20197 pm - 9 pmCharlestown Retirement Community, Gallery Room

DECEMBER 2019Saturday, December 7, 201910 am - 2 pmCharlestown Retirement Community, Erickson Conference Center

In-Service Schedule for 2019

Holiday RemindersAs we enter the holiday season, per our clients request, please remember to:

• Please provide one month written notice for all holiday requests.

• Please remember

to provide notice to your client and receive their signatures on the Client Schedule Change Notification Form.

• Ensure your Client Schedule Change Notification Forms are submitted properly and in a timely fashion to the Scheduling Department.

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt the coconut

oil in the microwave.

Stir in the oats, pecans,

2 tablespoons of the whole

wheat flour, 2 tablespoons of the

sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the salt.

Mix until well combined.

2. Chop the apples and toss them with 1/2 tablespoon

of the whole wheat flour, 1/2 tablespoon of the

sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.

3. Layer a little spoonful of the oat mixture in the

bottom of two 9 ounce ramekins or mugs. Top

with about 1 cup of the chopped apples and heap

the remaining oat mixture over the top. Microwave

for 3 minutes and 30 seconds – the apples should

be bubbling and the whole thing will reduce in

size. Remove and let stand until cool enough to

eat. Be careful because it’s going to be really hot

at first! Also, the texture improves as it rests and

cools. Drizzle with honey for an extra gooey kind

of texture. Yum!

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup quick oats

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

2 1/2 tablespoons whole wheat

flour (divided)

2 1/2 tablespoons turbinado or

brown sugar (divided)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

(divided)

1/8 teaspoon salt

2-3 apples (about 2 cups

chopped)

honey for drizzling

Recipe courtesy of PinchofYum.com

www.pinchofyum.com/five-minute-

single-serving-apple-crisp

A Low-Sugar, Five-Minute

Holiday Dessert

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License Number R921 Licensed as a Residential Service Agency by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Healthcare Quality Independently Owned and Operated

JulyAndrea BordleyEbony Brown Sophia ColemanAudrey Cottrell Lisa EgglestonAsia GriffinJerry GwiraSharyn HallGad Kimani Easter Kimaru Robin KingAlice MahiuhaGeorge ManyaraAngela MatthewsRobert Morgan Jr.Grace Ngugi-MainaIris RosaLuke Wambau

AugustGail AlbaradoMontra AndersonZorita BattleRadiatou BoucarLatoya CantineLoretta ConyersCassandra DavisAudrey Genius Tenae GreenDaria Hall

Staff Acknowledgements

Services• Experienced Care with Specific

Health Issues

• Skilled Nursing Care

• Assistance with Activities of Daily Living

1852 Reisterstown Road Suite 209Pikesville, MD 21208

Phone: 410-602-3993Fax: 410-602-6277

wecare@wecarepds.com

www.wecarepds.com

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Jean HundleyLena JamesSherry JohnstonDiana MaultsbyRebecca MukuiElizabeth OtienoRoberta QuarlesMaureen Robinson-

BakerJacqueline SergonCynthia ShipleyA’shante TuckerTanya Warr Rabiah WatkinsBarbara WhiteFrancine WigginsAnnMarie Williams-

AshmanSha-Juan WilsonMyra Wynn

SeptemberD’Ara AddisonMargaret BagganAmy Birch-HoldenDawnesha BriscoeDonald EkpewohBuffy FreelandPeter GachuchaShantee HollowayFaith Kabugi Jane Karethio

Margaret KariukiEsther MainaGerri MillerLisa MooreEdina MuguongoRuel MuinamiaAdline NwinyiShaterra PlummerWendy PrenticePeter SheairsShantell SorilloMaria StewartAdriana Torres

OctoberMarcia BeachKimberly BoulwareSusana CronanLatoya DickersonMichelle DurantBeverly GwynnAngelle Henry-LeeRamona JohnsonTorrance JohnsonJoyce KariukiMonicah KimaniEvelyn MahuguLucy MahuguRegina NdegeNicole ProctorEvelina Raytcheva

BirthdaysThe birthday acknowledgements are for both WeCare staff members and caregivers. Whether or not your birthday recently passed or is upcoming, WeCare sends Happy Birthday wishes to you all!

Celebrating 23years

in Business!

SeptemberMontrea (“Sophie”) CastleSandra CoxVielka CrocamoDionne DanielsJacqueline Davis-PringleAntoinette DorseyMartha GallowayClarena GoodwinShawdae HawkinsSusan HewittMichelle Jimenez-JenkinsMelissa Johnson-SwainDorcas KamauMercy KinyanjuiAltravease LandrumKaren MosleyFlorence MugiPhyllis MurrayJoyce RascoeMichelle SinghIrene ToomerPatricia Williams June

DecemberAbrahamBridget AlbaradoAnn AsialaJudy Barrett

June BreeceCrystal BucksonRosa Lee CliettSheronda DembyMarilyn EdwardsRodshae GarveyTeena GibsonAnne GikonyoJames GitimuBarbara HaleySharon HarleePauline HillMonique JacksonEva KimaniPeris Kimani-BurrellKaren KnoxShirma MaduekeCrystal MebaneNekia MissouriNaomi NgugiDelvonia (“Dee”) PercellPatsy WhitenerArlinda Wise