Enjoy Some Festive Holiday Trivia

How well do you and your residents know holiday trivia and folkore? Take our quiz and find out! The answers are at the bottom of the post if you get stumped. You can also click here to download a printable PDF of the trivia!

1. Which movie stars Chevy Chase as a father desperately trying to create a fun, old-fashioned family Christmas (with frequently hilarious results)?
2. Fill in the blank: “You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and ____ and Blitzen.”
3. What was the name of the angel tasked with showing George Bailey what the world would be like without him in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life? 
4. What holiday drink is made using sugar, whipped eggs and milk or cream? 
5. What was the name of Tiny Tim’s father in A Christmas Carol? 
6. What is the actual name of the Clement Clarke Moore poem popularly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”? 
7. In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” what gift is given on the tenth day? 
8. This state was the first to make Christmas an official holiday. 
9. During the holiday season, it is customary to share a kiss under a sprig of this plant. 
10. Santa Claus is modeled after the real-life St. Nicholas, a bishop who lived in which modern-day country? 
11. One of the best-known songs from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker suite is “The Dance of the _____ Fairy.” 
12. In A Charlie Brown Christmas, what does Lucy suggest Charlie Brown do to cure his holiday blues? 
13. This polarizing holiday dessert was originally made using raisins, pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and barley mash. Because of its longevity, it was frequently carried by hunters on long journeys. 
14. This plant accounts for 88 percent of all flowering plant purchases at Christmastime. 
15. This mythical figure is also known as Sinterklaas, Pere Noel, de Kerstman, Father Christmas and Babbo Natale, among other names.

Answers 
1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation; 2. Donner; 3. Clarence Odbody; 4. Eggnog; 5. Bob Cratchit; 6. “A Visit from Saint Nicholas”; 7. 10 lords a leaping; 8. Alabama; 9. Mistletoe; 10. Turkey; 11. Sugar Plum; 12. Direct the annual Christmas play; 13. Fruitcake; 14. The poinsettia; 15. Santa Claus

Need Help Finding a Flu Vaccine?

If you haven't yet received your flu vaccine, the CDC has a tool to help. Simply enter your ZIP code in the Flu Vaccine Finder above to be shown locations near your home offering the vaccine. Even though this year's flu vaccine has been shown to not completely align with current flu strains (because of so-called "drift variants"), the CDC still recommends that everyone six months and older get vaccinated because vaccines have been shown to offer some protection against drift variants in the past. The vaccine could also provide protection against other flu strains that might become more common as the season progresses. To learn more, visit flu.gov.

Study: People with Severe Dementia Less Depressed in Nursing Homes

European researchers have found that people with severe dementia are less depressed living in a nursing home than a community-based setting.

The researchers, based out of the University of Manchester, studied about 400 people with late-stage dementia in eight European countries. They found that 23 percent of the people living in facilities showed signs of depression, compared to 37 percent of the subjects living in the community. This pattern was consistent across all eight countries.

The researchers reasoned that the rate of depression might be lower in nursing homes because the residents have more opportunities to socialize and take part in activities than they do in the community. They noted, however, that the results are somewhat subjective based on caregivers' impressions.

To learn more, click here.

Get Around with ProMed

ProMed has everything your residents need to maintain an active, independent lifestyle. Whether they need a little help balancing or are completely wheelchair-dependent, our mobility products will get them where they need to go in style.

What products best fit your residents' needs?

Our rollators are perfect for residents on the go. They provide balance and stability and can also be used as seating. They're ideal for both indoor and outdoor use and include convenient storage pouches for personal items.

We have a wheelchair for every resident. Our team will help you choose the perfect model based on seat width, adjustability, leg options, arm preferences and more. We also stock a complete line of wheelchair cushions to ensure your residents receive optimal support.

Folding walkers are available in both standard and bariatric styles. We also offer a full range of accessories, including glides, wheels, trays and baskets, to customize the walkers to your residents' individual preferences.

The unique LiftWalker is the ideal product for residents who need a little help sitting or standing on their own. It has stand assist bars that easily retract into the unit to turn it into a traditional walker.

If your residents just need a little help getting around, we also offer standard and quad canes.

Your ProMed territory manager is ready to tell you more about our mobility solutions. You can also connect with us by giving us a call at (800) 648-5190 or visiting us online at promedsupply.com.

Study: Seniors See Cognitive, Emotional Benefits from Social Media

It might be time to schedule a "Facebook 101" class at your facility.

Researchers in the United Kingdom found that seniors in long-term care facilities receive a number of cognitive and emotional benefits from being trained in using social media. 

The subjects were given a touchscreen computer and keyboard and received three months of training on using social media applications such as Facebook and Skype. The researchers found that, compared to the control group, the study participants showed improved cognition, a greater sense of self-competence and self-identity and were socially engaged. 

To learn more, click here. 

December 7-13 is National Influenza Vaccination Week!

Click here to download National Influenza Vaccination Week resources from the CDC, including flyers, posters and other educational materials.

Researchers: Hospice Benefit Should Be Redesigned for LTC Residents

Researchers at the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University Center for Aging Research are recommending that Medicare reconsider how they support nursing home residents who need hospice care.

The researchers said the current hospice benefit isn't a good fit for nursing home residents because of the way eligibility criteria is configured. Nursing home residents tend to have longer average hospice stays than individuals living in a community setting (nearly a third of nursing home residents receive hospice services for longer than six months, compared to less than one week for about one-third of hospice users overall). Residents are also more likely to dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, be women and have dementia.

To learn more, click here.