Online Registration is now OPEN for Camp Progress 2014!

Progress' Camp Progress for youths with intellectual disabilities opens June 9. Registration is open now!

Though the cold persists, parents - and especially their sons and daughters - are already thinking about warmer days. So, Progress  is inviting families to register their child online now for Camp Progress.

The secure website portal is held by the experts at Eventbrite, and allows parents to fill out information about medication and dietary needs, review camp deadlines and policies and securely and conveniently pay for registration and camp fees.

We are excited to bring Camp Progress back to even more young people with intellectual disabilities this summer. Art therapy, water play and tennis camp will return this summer. We have also learned that the wonderful folks at the Nashville Ballet will offer lessons and learning opportunities for campers this summer! Thanks to Nashville Ballet, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Metro Parks, Kroger and numerous other partners in helping us create a summer full of  “cans” instead of the “cannots.”

The 6-week camp will be held from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. June 9, 2014-July 18, 2014. To register visit, https://campprogressnashville.eventbrite.com . 

For more information on Camp Progress, call 615-399-3000.

Progress Asks: What do seniors think of Progress Inc. In-home Care?

Barbara Joyner first learned of Progress when her husband suffered from Alzhiemer's Disease last year. Since September, Ms. Joyner has seen the benefit of having a senior care attendant by her side for all the little things it's hard for her to do.

Progress Staff Honored at 2013 TNCO Awards of Excellence

Yaeden "Spud" Taylor won the title of Oustanding DSP of the year.

Progress Staff Honored at 2013 TNCO Awards of Excellence

Spud Taylor and Carolyn Huey win big at TNCO Awards on Aug. 14.

Spud Taylor and Carolyn Huey will be honored for their outstanding efforts to keep seniors and people with disabilities healthy, happy and safe. We here at Progress are honored that these two individuals can represent the dozens of other exceptional Progress employees.These two folks go above and beyond their roles as direct support professional and program manager, respectively. 

Spud's nomiantor said: 

Spud always arranges his ‘off time’ to accommodate appointments, picking his guys up early for whatever reason. He has also changed his schedule and adjusted his time off if there was another staff that needed the same time off. He arranged his studies to work around his guys to ensure their well-being and happiness instead of putting himself and his studies before the guys.

Carolyn's nominator said:

Carolyn never hesitates to pull in and work a home when needed, not just because she is without staff, but because she is very familiar with everyone on her caseload. She would rather work in the home herself than place someone in the home that’s not familiar with the service recipient’s needs.. The last couple of years Carolyn began managing homes through our senior program in Cheatham Co. She often also worked the homes, not just to get the home covered but at times the senior client would request Carolyn to work their home.

On Wednesday, the two will accept their awards at the TNCO Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Luncheon at Hotel Preston.
Please share your congratulations here in the comment section for Carolyn and Spud!

Progress Asks: Top 3 Things In-Home Care Provides

Progress Senior Care Manager Patrick Ridner has a personal connection to caring for seniors.

Progress Asks: What's the Top 3 Things In-Home Care Provides?

It's Tuesday, so once again Progress is giving you a peak into the world of senior care with our Progress Asks segment. Today, our guest blogger Progress Senior Care Manager Patrick Ridner will provide a list of some of the major aspects of in-home care through the services Progress Inc. provides.

 Patrick has a heart for the communities we serve. The Middle Tennessee native said his grandfather's passing more than a year ago, opened his eyes to the need for care at home.

"My grandfather passed away two days before I got the job here," Patrick said. "He had been in a nursing home, but if we would have known about something like Progress, he could have been cared for at home. It seems like people know they're there to die at a nursing home."

Working at Progress means he can give families an opportunity his family didn't have. He enjoys interacting with his employees that work in the homes and getting to know the people Progress supports. It's hard to know exactly when someone could utilize in-home care, but Patrick has one piece of advice

 "When a person loses a certain amount of independence, (like they need help with cooking or cleaning), our services are beneficial. That's when we can come in and make the difference."

With in-home care, caregivers can provide a personal touch and add much more to the lives of the people they support, Patrick said.

Here's the TOP 3 Thing Patrick suggests in-home care can provide:

COMPANIONSHIP: The interaction between our senior care attendants and the seniors is often the best benefit for them. We have one person that goes to her church with her senior care attendant. Another loves to go to yard sales with her caregiver. It's all about having someone there rather than being alone for the time their family can't be there.

TRANSPORTATION: Many of our folks need to make it to doctor's appointments, grocery stores and other places, but they don't drive anymore. We get them there and wait with them as long as they need us.

CARING FOR HOME: Sometimes it's difficult for seniors to make meals, do laundry and clean their homes like they once did. Our senior care attendants provide light housekeeping, prepare meals, prepare grocery lists and handle other domestic duties for the people we support.

Let us know what you think about Patrick's blog in the comment section below:

Progress Asks: Is your Elderly Loved One Depressed?

Depression in the elderly community often goes unnoticed. - Courtesy of www.caregiverstress.com .

Progress Asks: Is your Elderly Loved One Depressed?

When caring for an elderly parent or sibling, ensuring their basic needs are met is quite challenging. However, along with caring for the practical needs - feeding, clothing and personal hygiene - the emotional needs of your loved one are also important. In today's Progress Asks' segment, we look at some of the warning signs that could greatly affect the emotional and mental health of your spouse, parent or other loved one.

 According to the NIH, some of the changes and life events you may notice are:

• Adapting to a move from home to an apartment or retirement facility
• Chronic pain
• Feelings of isolation or loneliness as children move away and their spouse and close friends die
• Loss of independence (problems getting around, caring for themselves, or driving)
• Multiple illnesses
• Struggles with memory loss and problems thinking clearly

Look for the signs that an older loved one may be depressed and need help:

• Being more confused or forgetful.
• Eating less. The refrigerator may be empty or contain spoiled food.
• Not bathing or shaving as often. Visitors may notice smells of urine or stool. Clothes may be dirty and wrinkled.
• Not taking care of the home.
• Stopping medicines or not taking them correctly.
• Withdrawing from others. Not talking as much, and not answering the phone or returning phone calls.

For more information on this topic, visit our website www.progress-inc.org/senior.html to find out some of the ways we can assist you in caring for your loved one.
Source:
http://www.caregiverstress.com/illnesses-conditions/senior-depression/signs-of-depression-checklist/

Camp Progress - Full-Day Summer Camp for kids with disabilities - in June!

Camp Progress will be a pilot summer camp that offers Middle Tennessee children with intellectual disabilities a  wonderful summer!

Do you know a child with autism or other intellectual disabilities? Camp Progress, which will begin its inaugural summer on June 3, will be a nurturing and educational place for them this summer! 

Progress Inc. will offer the only 6-week full-day camp for children with intellectual disabilities available in Nashville from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. June 3-July 13th at West End Middle, 3529 West End Avenue. 

Metro Nashville Public Schools has been a great partner by welcoming MNPS students who would benefit from the innovative and engaging camp spearheaded by Progress Director of Programs Meika McClendon. 

Camp Progress will be a natural extension of what Progress provides to dozens of adults with intellectual disabilities. We aim to keep those youths not only "healthy, happy and safe," as our mission says, but also enlightened, entertained & engaged!

We hope to have much more to share about some of the exciting plans for this summer. Please share this information with families that may be interested in the camp.

Register here: http://www.innovation.mnps.org/Page107013.aspx.

SMART! Featured on NewsChannel 5+ Life Style with Denise Simons TONIGHT!

Handmade coasters designed with broken glass scraps, wall tiles and grout by SMART Scrap Made Art's Kelli Monday.

SMART! Scrap Made Art  , Progress' social enterprise that will offer recycled art supplies and materials, will be featured in a series of Repurpose segments on Life Style with Denise Simons, which will air TONIGHT, Monday, April 22 and 9 p.m. on NewsChannel5+ (Comcast 250, Charter 150 and Digital 5.2) and re-air Tuesday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m.

The above stylish coasters will be featured in tonight's episode. Last week, the beautiful stepping stone crafted by Progress Executive Director Donna Goodaker was featured in the Repurpose segment last week. Life Style, hosted by Denise Simons, a local interior decorator,  is an hour show that gives insight on design ideas and features interviews with home decor and art experts every Monday night. 

Denise has been kind enough to feature items made from our stash of recycled materials from SMART! on her show over the next few weeks. Other SMART! Scrap Made Art creations will be featured for the next 4-5 Mondays, so if you miss this week's segment, please plan your DVR for the Repurpose segment of Life Style with Denise Simons over the next few weeks.

We greatly appreciate NewsChannel5+ and Denise for giving our upcycled creations a platform to be viewed by the community. 

Please Watch & DVR the segments to show your support for our social enterprise, which will open soon.

Valentine's Day Fun with Belmont students & Progress

Belmont grad student Cantrell Ellis guides Vanlisha’s hands as she draws a heart inside her greeting card for the arts & crafts project.

Red and pink construction paper sprawled across the day center can only mean one thing - It's the season of love. 

Vanlisha, Shonda and others got a head start on Valentine's Day by making cards for their companions,  friends and loved ones. They had the help of Belmont University grad student Cantrell Ellis. She helped make sure the "hearts" and sweet messages were just right for everyone's special Valentines.

Ellis is one of six students that will spend the next three months at Progress fulfilling Progress’ mission of keeping seniors and adults with disabilities healthy, happy and safe.

The graduate students, who are studying Occupational Therapy, will assist Progress staff in the homes of seniors who receive in-home care and they will also participate in the community activities and employment support teams for adults with intellectual disabilities supported a Progress Inc., a non-profit agency that provides staff support to more than 150 clients.

The volunteer hours will be clocked as fieldwork hours towards the students’ degrees. Belmont selects various human services sites each year for students to get hands-on experience. Progress was one of those fortunate agencies to be chosen by Belmont Academic Fieldwork Coordinator Shelley Hix last fall.

To our wonderful Belmont students, THANK YOU!

Please share this post to highlight this great partnership between Belmont & Progress. To hear more about our updates & stories of Progress, visit our recently updated Progress Inc. website.

Progress Inc. clients Shonda Pevahouse, Vanlisha Harbison and Billy Goodman watch as Belmont graduate student Cantrell Ellis assembles a construction paper Valentine’s Day card.

2012 Top 5 Disability & Senior Blog Posts

2012 was a great first year for the Pressing Forward with Progress blog.

We've had more than 2,600 views of our various blog posts!
We posted about our clients, events & awards more than 30 times! And now we're sharing the top 5 most read blog posts of 2012:

SMART Holds First Donation Day

Channel 5 News Covers Story on Progress' Supported Employment 

Robert Page Becomes Employment Idol 2012

Jerry Adams artwork on display at Vanderbilt's Kennedy Center

Spotlight on Seniors: Scams Against the Elderly

We thank you & we welcome feedback. Please let our Progress blogger Stephanie Toone know what you'd like to hear more about in the New Year.

This year, we have the return of two amazing events Festival on the Fairway and the E.N.D. East Nash Dash. We also have the launch of SMART - Scrap Made Art to look forward to.

Here's to many more Stories of Progress in 2013.

SLIDESHOW: HCA CARING COMMUNITY DAY AT PROGRESS

We cannot thank David Cannady and his crew of HCA employees enough for all their help during the HCA Caring Community Day 2012.  The annual event has helped Progress in so many ways. This year, the employees moved furniture, filed documents, helped assemble emergency kits that will be used at the homes of our clients, gardened and spent time decorating pumpkins with our day program clients. Please view our slideshow dedicated to the day of volunteering.

Progress & Rochelle event will feature golf, food and FUN challenges

Daron Hall, Congressman Jim Cooper and dozens of business including Pinnacle Bank, Walgreens, Bass Tires, Zaxby's, Shoney's, Del Mar Medical and others will come out Thursday for a daylong golf tournament at the Pine Creek Golf Course.

The event is an inaugural collaboration between Progress Inc. and Rochelle Center, two Nashville non-profits that have been committed to providing day programs, employment and other support to adults with intellectual disabilities for more than 40 years.

Golfers from across the area will take on challenging contests and games at many holes, so, in part, they have a glimpse of the daily challenges some of the folks we serve face. Proceeds from the event will help subsidize programs that enrich and enhance the lives of adults with disabilities.

A recent Progress Activities Day with staff and clients gave our folks a chance to play everything from volleyball to Frisbee.

Along with the interesting challenges, including rating the golfer with the "worst" drive and the golfers who drive their balls closest to Pine Creek Golf Course's beautiful creek. The scramble across the 18-hole golf course will benefit two great organizations, but we also hope the golfers will indeed have a "A party at every hole..." Golfers will have goodies from Jonbalaya Food Truck, Corky's, Shoney's, Sonic's, Zaxby's and many others.

Check back here for photos from tomorrow's event!

Progress Inc. client's artwork on display at Vanderbilt

Ebony in Ivory Pool by Jerry Adams Courtesy of Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

Happy midweek everyone.

Wanted to share some exciting news about one of Progress Inc.'s longtime and talented clients Jerry Adams.
Jerry's oil painting "Ebony in Ivory Pool" will be featured in the Creative Expressions XVI exhibit at Vanderbilt University's Kennedy Center for the next week as a part of the center and the Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities annual exhibit. The exhibition features a variety of media by artists with a wide range of disabilities and a wealth of talent. Check out a slideshow of all the artists work here.

Vanderbilt has put the display on since 1976, promoting public education and awareness and advocacy for artists with disabilities. The Kennedy Center will also feature 12 of Jerry's works, including a portrait of him, in a exhibition beginning next month, which will run until May.

Jerry, a Cheatham County resident and Tennessee native, has been painting for more than 30 years, and in that time he has been named Disabled Artist of the Year by the city and been featured in galleries at the Frist Center, TPAC and other venues across the area.

We hope that everyone can go out and support Jerry's work, and we hope to share some photos of his work for next month's exhibition soon.



Jerry Adams

 To view more of Jerry's work, please visit his website http://midtnads.com/Adams.shtml .