Where Better Care is a Family Matter

7 Delicious Foods to Keep Your Heart Healthy

February is American Heart Month, and we’re celebrating by sharing with you 7 foods that can help keep your heart healthy and ticking all year long – and the best part is these foods actually TASTE GOOD!

1. Berries

Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries are all incredibly packed nutrient powerhouses that play a key role in heart health. Studies show that eating regular servings of berries can reduce multiple risk factors for heart disease.

Berries help reduce inflammation and bad cholesterol, both contributors to heart disease. They also can improve the function of cells that line your blood vessels, which helps in controlling blood pressure as well as blood clotting.

2. Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is a GREAT source of delicious food for keeping your heart healthy. In fact, a large study conducted revealed that people that consumed dark chocolate at least five times per week lowered their risk of coronary heart disease by 57% as opposed to those who didn’t eat any chocolate.

Dark chocolate is helpful in decreasing calcified plaque buildup in your arteries, but while it is delicious, it’s important to not consume more than necessary.

3. Oatmeal

The oats in oatmeal are some of the healthiest grains on the planet. Oatmeal provides an excellent source of necessary vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants – all important for keeping your heart at its best.

Studies have shown that oatmeal provides many benefits for heart health including weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and a reduced risk of heart disease. Add some berries to yours for an extra kick of heart-healthy power!

4. Almonds

Almonds are both delicious and powerful in the effort to prevent heart disease. Not only do they contain a multitude of vitamins and minerals necessary to heart health, but almonds are a great source of healthy fats – helping to reduce bad cholesterol levels and lower your risk for heart disease.

Just like dark chocolate, almonds are a tasty treat. However, they are high in calories, so moderation is key.

5. Tomatoes

No matter which way you look at it – a fruit or a vegetable – tomatoes are as heart-healthy as their beautiful red color suggests.

Tomatoes hold a key ingredient for your heart health – lycopene. Lycopene is an extremely powerful antioxidant that helps prevent oxidative damage and inflammation, both large contributors to heart disease. The more lycopene you have in your blood, the lower your risk becomes for heart attack and stroke.

6. Walnuts

Almonds aren’t the only food in the nut family that are great for keeping your heart healthy. Walnuts are a fantastic source as well!

Walnuts provide ample fiber, magnesium, copper, and manganese – all of which help protect against heart disease. In fact, research has shown incorporating a few servings of walnuts into your regular diet can help lower both blood pressure and cholesterol.

7. Oranges

Oranges are the fruit you want in your corner in the fight against heart disease, and with no fat, cholesterol, or sodium, they make for the perfect heart-healthy snack!

Oranges contain an explosive amount of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects the cells in your body from free radicals (things like environmental pollution, cigarette smoke, and stress). Free radicals are known for contributing to heart disease. Just be sure not to overdo it when enjoying this juicy fruit. Consuming too much vitamin C a day can lead to adverse effects.

*Those taking beta-blockers should speak with your doctor before consuming oranges as they are high in potassium.

February is American Heart Month

Did you know heart disease is the #1 killer of women? Find out more about American Heart Month and how you can fight back against heart disease for yourself and your loved ones.

Searching for the best nursing home in Elmhurst for your loved one? Look no further. Elmhurst Extended Care Center is a family-centered facility with expert staff, around-the-clock care, and an excellent short-term rehabilitation program perfect for anyone recovering from heart issues. Contact us to schedule a tour today.

Elmhurst Extended Care Center Voted One of the BEST Companies to Work For

zippia best companies in elmhurst award

Elmhurst Extended Care Center is proud to announce that we have been honored by Zippia as one of the BEST companies to work for in 2019.

Zippia is a career expert site, and every year, they publish a ranking of the best places to work in Elmhurst. This year, Elmhurst Extended Care Center made the list for 2019!

You can find out more about this award here.

Looking for a job in Elmhurst? Come work for one of the best!

If you’ve been searching for a place to call home, fill out an application to come work at Elmhurst Extended Care Center today. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we take great pride in providing a wonderful place and positive environment for all our staff members.

Elmhurst Council Approves Expansion for Elmhurst Extended Care Center

Elmhurst Extended Care Center will be expanding their facilities to offer more private rooms and many other benefits.
A rendering of the planned addition to the facility.

Our vision at Elmhurst Extended Care Center has always been to provide the highest quality of care for our residents and their families centered around a home-like environment filled with love, compassion, and a positive outlook for any that stay with us.

In pursuit of continuing and advancing our already high level of care, we purchased land adjacent to our current location and applied to expand our facility to ultimately provide our residents with the accommodations they deserve.

Elmhurst City Council Approves Expansion

The new, two-story, 31,000 square foot building has officially been approved by Elmhurst City Council and will expand our current Lake Street facility onto Fremont Street. The new building will attach directly to our current location.

This new addition to our facility will bring so much more to our current and future residents. Here are just a few ways the expanded Elmhurst Extended Care Facility will benefit those that stay with us:

More Room for Residents

Once the expansion is complete, our facility will be able to fully utilize its 108 bed license. Currently, the facility operates approximately 85 beds to prevent overcrowding.

In an effort to afford more privacy as well as the home-like environment our residents truly appreciate, the enlarged facility will offer 54 private rooms. These private rooms provide the ability to enjoy extra comfort as well as an increased level of patient care.

For those that are paying privately and are looking for ways to save money, we will also have 27 semi-private rooms.

More Variety in Nutrition

Something we are very excited about at Elmhurst Extended Care Center is the coming of cook-to-order option we will be able to offer with the completion of the expansion!

Residents will have the option to place orders for their meals similar to ordering room service at a hotel. This option is another that really drives home the importance we place on having our residents feel like they’re at home.

For any residents that aren’t able to order for themselves, we will still feature a set menu full of balanced, nutritious meals like we do now.

We are excited about expanding our facility! These improvements will amplify our continuous, high level of care, allowing our residents and their families to feel confident in knowing they’ve chosen the best place for themselves and their loved ones.

While a definitive date has not yet been set, Elmhurst Extended Care Center hopes to break ground this fall!

Interview with Administrator, Love Dave

skilled-nursing-facility

Elmhurst Extended Care Center takes great pride in our staff. Our skilled nursing facility is filled with a great group of caring people, making it a welcoming place for residents and their families. Our administrator, Love, is no exception. Having started as an intern in 2007 with EECC and then coming on full-time the following year, Love has helped in every department, and eventually accepted the position of Administrator as he truly valued the family-first mentality of our facility.

We sat down with Love to get an exclusive view of what brought him here and why he continues to be at the heart of Elmhurst Extended Care Center.

What brought you to choose to intern at EECC?

I wanted to intern at Elmhurst Extended Care Center because I was looking for a career path. I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do going into my last semester in college. I talked to family and friends and my mom was the one that suggested I go to EECC to see if it would be a good fit. She had been employed at EECC for long before that and thought it was a great place to work. I agreed once I started coming in.

What does your day-to-day look like as the Administrator?

My day-to-day changes everyday. That’s actually one of the reasons I like this position so much. It never gets dull or repetitive. My job is to oversee all of the operations, supplement the departments, and give them the tools that they need to succeed. That includes hiring new staff, creating and revising policies and procedures, negotiating contracts, resolving conflicts, handling investigations, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations, and whatever else comes to my attention.

What do you believe sets EECC apart from other skilled nursing facilities?

Elmhurst Extended Care Center is different than other skilled nursing facilities because we are a small family business. We are here everyday and care about the people that have trusted us to help them. We treat our staff, residents, and their families like we would our own. The staff are our own employees, they aren’t contracted from another corporation. Our residents are cared for by the same people everyday and are able to build relationships with us. For people that want a personal touch when they get care, come to us.

EECC’s family-owned skilled nursing facility offers many avenues of care including a rehabilitation center, a certified Alzheimer’s Care Center, and long term care. It really is a place where better care is a family matter.

EECC Makes U.S. News & World Report’s List of Best Nursing Homes AGAIN

skilled nursing facility

Elmhurst Extended Care Center is proud to announce that our skilled nursing facility has received another “5” rating – the highest rating able to achieve – and are considered one of the Best Nursing Homes by U.S. News & World Report. We work hard to make sure our facility is the best it can possibly be for our residents and their families, and we’re excited that we continue to make this distinguished list.

Who receives a Top Performing rating?

Every year, U.S. News & World Report evaluates over 15,000 skilled nursing facilities across the country. These nursing homes are rated from a 1 (poor grade) to a 5 (top performing), and any that receive a grade of 4.5 or higher qualify for the Top Performing rating.

How is a skilled nursing facility rated?

Data is pulled from Nursing Home Compare, a program run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS is a federal agency that sets and enforces standards for nursing homes. Each skilled nursing facility is looked at in the following three areas of performance to help determine their grade:

  1. State-conducted health inspections
  2. Nurse staffing
  3. Medical quality measures

When looking for a long term care or rehabilitation center, you can trust that Elmhurst Extended Care Center is providing you with the best.