Blog

This month’s lifelong learning session was about the Honeybee and how to extract honey. Our Resident Services Director, Kimmie, has lived on a farm all her life and shared pictures, videos, and stories from her honeybee adventures. Her farm, Three Sisters Farm, has 30 hives and they extract almost 200 pounds of honey yearly. They use the honey in various recipes and to make lip balm and candles. Kimmie’s favorite part in caring for the bees is finding and tagging the queen bee. Kimmie brought fresh honey and honeycombs for residents and staff to taste. Delicious!

In August of 1896, gold was discovered in what is now known as Bonanza Creek, Yukon, which began the Klondike Gold Rush. We celebrated this Golden find with a Golden scavenger hunt, Golden oldies, and a Gold Rush Party with delicious Golden food. We had a Golden day!

We live in an overstimulated society, where busy schedules lead to lack of connection, where many people go through life barely looking one another in the eye, where connection is summarized by scrolling down a Facebook newsfeed and clicking “Like” to show we care.  Research shows that helping others can be good for our overall health. It reduces stress, improves our emotional well-being and even benefits our physical health. Doing something nice for someone doesn't cost a lot of time or money. We have all been told that it's the small things in life that can make a big difference.   So, if you are not already in the habit of performing random kind acts — or if it does not come naturally to you — start by thinking about what you like to do.  It’s not about you being like, ‘Oh man, now I have to learn how to bake cookies in order to be nice’.  It’s about, what skills and talents do you already have?  And how can you turn that into an offering for other people? If you do nothing else today, keep an eye out for an opportunity to help someone with a random act of kindness or hold onto that warm feeling, when someone helps you.  Here is a quick list of 10 things to consider: Read stories to school children. Hold the door open for someone. Smile at everyone you see today. Tape some coins on a vending machine for someone else to find. Leave a kind note in a library book. Donate an old toy to charity. Leave positive notes in random places. Help someone with their bags. Buy someone in the queue a coffee. Volunteer at a homeless shelter. Remember, acts of kindness can be done all year round!

Our post office approved mailboxes have been installed! Starting September 1 st, residents may begin utilizing the mailboxes to pick up and send their mail. Each mailbox is labeled by room number.  Karen, Managing Director, will give each resident a key to their personal mailbox. Please note that there is a fee for replacement keys.

Coming soon! A communication channel on your TV. Turn to channel 2 to receive messages about activities, current events, menus, the latest news, birthdays, and more.

“I’ll just listen” was the common response when the residents were invited to join in our Happy Hour/ Karaoke social. However, once the music started playing everyone started to sing and even suggested new songs for the next karaoke program. Our motto for karaoke: everyone can sing if they are willing to try!

When caring for individuals with dementia, caregivers must address many challenges. When is it the right time to limit someone’s independence, and how do you ease the trauma when you do? Some Indicators to Consider Independence Frequent falls Having trouble performing essential self-care like preparing meals and eating Leaving the oven on and other kitchen mishaps Unable to administer medications accurately Unable to maintain home appropriately Confiscating the Keys to the Car Getting lost driving to familiar places Having accidents or close calls Receiving tickets or other traffic violations Trouble reading or recognizing street signs Taking Financial Control Failure to pay bills timely and accurately Overdrafts of bank accounts and unsafe credit card use Impulsive, inappropriate purchases Some Approaches to Consider It takes a village. Enlist the help of family members, friends, physicians, spiritual advisers, and others for help and support. Allow as much control as possible in areas where safety is not an issue. Listen with empathy. Be respectful. Let them know you’re on their side. Remain calm and patient in the face of strong emotions and resistance. Discuss and execute living will and power of attorney documents before health issues arise.

While reminiscing about beach vacations, we decided to paint our favorite beach scene. Thank you, Emily, @ Artistry and Upcycling by Emily Seilhamer, for helping to inspire our creativity. We loved your painting class and how you turned every “happy accident” into a piece of art. We look forward to creating together on the 2 nd Thursday of each month. “Creativity is Contagious. Pass it on” ~Albert Einstein

Thursday mornings are a great time to be pampered! Our beautician, Karen Marberger, is currently available on Thursday mornings if you would like a haircut. You can talk with Karen or any of our staff members to schedule an appointment. Karen will send an invoice so no need to have cash on hand. Additional appointment times will be made available as needed.

“Everybunny needs somebunny sometimes!” We would like to thank, Molly, for bringing her eight-week-old bunnies (Oreo & Cookie Dough) to visit us! Molly is nine years old and loves sharing her bunnies with new friends.

We celebrated Fathers with a Dads & Donuts event! Many of the “Dad” jokes that were shared were greeted with more groans than laughter, but a few did manage to make us chuckle. “Dad, are bugs good to eat?” asked the boy. “Let’s not talk about such things at the dinner table, son,” his father replied. After dinner the father inquired, “Now, son, what did you want to ask me?” “Oh, nothing,” the boy said. “There was a bug in your soup, but now it’s gone.” ~ Mark Y.

Flag Day & US Army 247 th Birthday Celebration!!!!! This cake was a Kitchen Team labor of LOVE, and we are so thrilled that it received many “ooohs and aaahs”.