Senior Living News,
October 2025
Madison Heights / Kelley Place Enterprise Newsletter
Around the world with Atlas - October 2025 - Germany
Halloween Special
Resident Birthdays
Linda Haynie 10/8
Gene Reynolds 10/13
Ina O’Neal 10/22
Rebecca Hall 10/29
Paula Crow 10/31
Month's Celebrations
Halloween 10/31
Events Spotlight
Birthday Celebration/Halloween Party 10/23
Community Trick or Treat 10/28
Royal Arms of Germany
The coat of arms of Germany, also known as the Bundeswappen, displays a black eagle with a red beak, a red tongue and red feet on a golden field, which is blazoned:
Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked langued and membered gules.
Associate of the Month
Ashley Poke
Ashley Poke is 40 years old. She has 2 girls ages 7 and 22. She enjoys being a mom and a Wife. Ashely has loved cooking since she was a young teenager. Her goals and passions are to make each meal with love and make them beautiful in appearance and delicious in taste. She has been in dietary at MHKP for almost a year. She loves all the residents and strives to make them the best meals that she can.
German Music Legacy
Alexa, play Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, BWV 1049, Allegro
This concerto is full of life and beauty, with the flute, violin, and harpsichord leading the orchestra in joyful dialogue. At the time, Bach often directed the ensemble from the harpsichord, but he was also one of the most skilled violinists of his era. You can easily imagine him conducting from the harpsichord with a violin in hand—an image that perfectly captures the spirit of this vibrant masterpiece.
Importance of Awareness
Dementia is a group of conditions that cause a decline in cognitive abilities, such as memory, thinking, reasoning, and problem solving, severe enough to interfere with daily life. Early detection and diagnosis are crucial for managing dementia and improving quality of life for patients and their families. Raising awareness helps to reduce stigma and discrimination. It also helps educate the public about dementia and supports research and advancements in care. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s and dementia is not a normal part of aging.
Welcome to Germany
Around the World with Atlas
Germany’s history stretches back to ancient tribes such as the Saxons, Franks, and Goths, whose resilience left a mark on Europe’s foundations. From the crowning of Charlemagne in 800 AD to the rise of the Holy Roman Empire under Otto I, the medieval period saw the growth of a diverse cultural and political landscape. Moments of transformation, like Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation, sparked new ideas that influenced the world far beyond Germany’s borders.
In the centuries that followed, the rise of Prussia and the eventual German unification in 1871 brought together a patchwork of regions into a modern and power nation.
Though the 20th century was marked by hardship and division, after two awful wars, Germany was in ruin and divided by a wall, years of division goes by until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the re-unification of Germany opened the path to a new chapter. Today, Germany stands as a symbol of resilience and renewal—celebrated for its music, philosophy, literature, and innovations, as well as its role as a cultural and economic leader in Europe.
The importance of health screenings
Health screenings are vital for elders because they facilitate early detection of illnesses like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, leading to simpler and more effective treatments and better outcomes. Screenings can also help monitor chronic conditions, promote maintenance of independence and quality of life, and provide personalized preventative advice. Regular screenings can even reduce long-term healthcare costs and ensure seniors remain healthy ad active for longer.
Cognitive and Emotional Benefits of Art for Older Adults
Art provides cognitive and emotional benefits for older adults. Creative activities stimulate the brain, promoting cognitive function and helping to preserve memory and focus. For seniors, art can be a particularly powerful tool in managing or preventing cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Emotionally, art provides a safe space for creative expression, which can reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. The act of creating art fosters a sense of accomplishment and boosts self-esteem, which is especially important as individuals age. Some types of art include watercolor painting, acrylic painting, crafting, knitting, sewing and jewelry making. Using laptops, tablets and even smartphones can also be used for forms of art and creativity.
The Importance of Celebrating Holidays and Seniors
Holiday celebrations with seniors focus on meaningful, comfortable and accessible experiences, prioritizing connection through familiar traditions like decorating, baking, listening to music, and watching holiday movies, or by adapting activities to suit their physical and cognitive abilities. Virtual events, holiday light tours, and simple acts like sharing stories or memories can also be effective ways to include seniors, especially when in person gatherings are challenging. Choosing activities that are realistic and enjoyable for the senior, rather than choosing those that are physically demanding makes a big difference. Always ensure a calm, relaxing atmosphere for activities like watching movies or listening to music by providing blankets and warm drinks.
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The Valknut
The Valknut, a symbol of three interlocked triangles, is tied to Odin in Norse mythology. Found on ancient stones and artifacts, it represents the mysteries of life, death, and the warrior’s passage to the afterlife, other schoolars sugest that the 9 points/intersections represent the 9 worlds in the Norse Mythology and how they are some how interconected.
Resident of the Month
Jerry Austin
Jerry Austin was born in West Virginia November 25, 1935.
After attending William and Mary College he met and married his wife of 66 years. They spent 6 years in Europe, several years in southeast Florida then settled in Enterprise, Alabama. They raised 4 daughters and now have 3 sons-in-law, 8 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.
Jerry had a robust career in Real Estate. He and his beautiful wife Laura (Tinker) have been members of First Baptist Church in Enterprise for over 50 years. They are blessed with wonderful friends.
Jerry loves to sing hymns and Elvis’s songs. He also loves sweets! When you come see him, bring a cookie 
Collaborators
Madison Heights and Kelley Place is the first specialty care community to focus on memory care in Enterprise, Alabama. Naturally, their weevil had to represent the individuals and families who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia daily. 
