West Newsmagazine 5-1-24

14 I NEWS I
May 1, 2024
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER, LIKE GRANDMA
Local family celebrates generational
impact of caring for others
If you've noticed you aren't as
steady on your feet as you used to
be, it's tempting to think that it's just
a normal part of aging. You may
think that because "everyone" your
age seems to be having the same
trouble as you that it's something
you will have to learn to live with.
You may not know when it was that
you started to lose your confidence
and when you started to worry about
every step you take, but now it's
starting to limit what you're able to
do. If this is happening to you,
you're not alone. We hear these
types of things all the time. In fact,
Balance Issues are the most
common problem we see at
HouseFit.
Most people realize that their
balance won't magically get better
on its own, but they still don't take
action. It might be because they
don't know what steps to take to
make their balance better OR they
don't truly believe balance can be
improved "at their age". Fortunately,
there are several options to get you
back on your feet again.
Over the last 17 years, I’ve worked
with hundreds of clients who’ve had
a fall (or several), and I’ve been
able to help them get their lives
back. In working with so many
clients, I’ve been able to put
together a very helpful Guide “How
To Decrease Falls: Helpful Tips To
Keep You Steady On Your Feet”.
THE HARMONY
HANDBOOK: SECRETS TO
SUSTAINABLE BALANCE
BY: DR. BETH TEMPLIN, PT, DPT, GCS
GERIATRIC PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Inside this special guide, I share
detailed information, such as:
Top 3 factors that cause falls
and how to minimize your risk
in each area.
The 4 parts of balance that
work work together to keep us
steady and how to find areas of
improvement.
How to “Test Yourself” to find
out if you're at risk for a fall.
Simple exercises you can do at
home to start improving your
balance.
AND much more!
I want to make this guide available
to you absolutely free of charge! To
claim your free copy, simply call
my office at (314) 939-1377 or visit
www.housefitstl.com/balanceissues-journey
to download the
report directly to your computer.
If you’re ready to start taking
positive steps toward regaining
your balance and an active
lifestyle, this free guide will let you
to start this process with
confidence!
At HouseFit, we help adults 55+
maximize their independence and
fitness, so they can continue to
enjoy a full and active life.
3809 Lemay Ferry Rd.
Saint Louis, MO 63125
(314) 939-1377
info@housefitstl.com
www.housefitstl.com
HouseFit
Paula Allen, Sharla Emery and Jessica Emery
By KATE UPTERGROVE
“I love people.”
Across multiple generations, those
simple words have motivated the women
of one local family to seek careers in
healthcare.
During the pandemic, Paula Allen came
out of retirement and chose to begin a new
career as a concierge/screener at Progress
West and BJC St. Peters hospitals. In many
ways, she was following in the footsteps
of her grandmother, daughter and granddaughter.
“What Paula won’t tell you, because she
is so humble, is that during COVID she
wanted to give back,” Sharla Emery said.
“She took the role of concierge/screener so
that she could be at the hospital and help in
any way she could.”
It was a bold decision, given that most
people her age were being advised at that
time to stay home and stay safe.
“We had lived at the Lake of the Ozarks
for about 20 years,” Paula said of her and
her husband. “When we moved back I
needed something to do and decided to
get into the health field because of Sharla.
Now, I am the first person everyone sees
when they come to the hospital. I get to
greet people and help them. I enjoy that.”
In addition to being the director of
patient care services at Progress West
and BJC St. Peters, Sharla is also Paula’s
daughter and one of her favorite people to
see at work. Paula’s other favorite is her
granddaughter, Jessica Emery, who works
as a patient care technician (PCT) in the
Progress West emergency department.
“I got into healthcare because of my
mama,” Jessica said of Sharla. “She has
been working for BJC for as long as I can
remember, probably longer than I have
been alive.”
She’s not wrong. Sharla has been a nurse
since 1989 and with BJC HealthCare for 31
(BJC photo)
years, though most of her career was spent
in critical care and cardiothoracic surgery
at Missouri Baptist Medical Center.
“In April 2020, I made the decision
to take a position in St. Charles County
because we live in St. Charles County and
there were some exciting things to me
about its growth and where it was going
and community needs for healthcare,”
Sharla said.
Two years ago, she moved into her current
position, and spoke highly of Progress
West and the role it plays in providing care
to the community.
Rachel Yann, with BJC media relations,
said it’s “evident how strong these three
ladies are together, how dedicated they
are to caring for people, how they strive to
inspire each other and how proud they are
of each other.”
“They want each other to grow and succeed,”
Yann said.
In that regard, Paula and Sharla are huge
fans of Jessica, who is working on her
associate’s degree in nursing at St. Charles
Community College. When she graduates
next year, she’ll become the third nurse in
the family.
“My great-grandmother was an LPN,”
Sharla explained. That’s where it all
started. “I have her little ‘Taber’s (medical)
Dictionary,’ and it is so valuable to me.”
While Sharla knew from age 18 that she
wanted to pursue nursing, Jessica took a
more circuitous route.
“I’ve been all around healthcare over
the past eight or nine years,” Jessica said.
“I was a medical assistant. I was a PCT
at St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield. I
was a traveling phlebotomist. Then, right
around COVID, my mom was telling me
about Progress West and how they had
an opening in the ER and that it might
be a good stepping stone to becoming a
See LOCAL FAMILY, next page