Please join us on Saturday, April 1 st for a visit from the Easter Bunny and an Easter Egg Hunt for the Kids! All ages welcome! Here are the times for the egg hunt: Ages 1 through 4: 1:30 pm Ages 4 through 7: 1:45 pm Ages 7 and up: 2:00 pm Please RSVP to Tristan at tolmo@horstgroup.com by March 25, 2023
It is believed that limericks date back to the 14th century and originated in the Irish town of Limerick. The limerick is a humorous five-line poem with two rhymes: one shared by the first, second, and fifth lines and the other shared by the shorter third and fourth lines. There was a young fellow from Crete Who was exceedingly neat When he got out of bed He stood on his head To make sure of not soiling his feet
LAST LETTER OF YOUR FIRST NAME: A=Sprinkles J=Clumsy S=Goldie B=Daffodil K=Thunderous T=Peevish C=Fightin L=Tater U=Fearsome D=bunyon M=Bleary V=Potsy E=Warty N=Greenie W=Dizzy F=Toadstool O=Rusty X=Patty G=Wooly P=Lucky Y=Stumpy H=Clover Q=Fortune Z=Whispers I=Blarney R=Shillelagh FIRST LETTER OF YOUR LAST NAME: A=O’Blaze J=McWhisky S=McWoovy B=McTavern K=McTurnips T=O’Shivers C=O’Rainbow L=O’Bourbon U=McCharmless D=McMuffin M=McSmelly V=O’Wickless E=O’Wobbles N=McCoppertop W=McSpud F=McFearsome O=O’Gingerly X=McOutrage G=O’Knuckles P=McFeverish Y=O’Lyn H=McDoodles Q=O’Cranky Z=McSullied I=O’Looney R=McKnob
This year, we were able to host our first Christmas event post-COVID and we were blown away by the overwhelming love and support we have received from our family and friends. What started as a “drop-in happy hour” turned into a 3-hour gathering full of laughs and holiday cheer. It was a pleasure to have everyone in the same room for the first time in over 2 years! We would like to take a moment to thank and congratulate the hard work of the staff members that made the party a huge success. First and foremost, the Food Service Department – the food was incredible, and the presentation was impeccable, guests are still complimenting the amazing selections! Thank you to all the staff who assisted in turning our cottage into a Christmas Wonderland and to those who assisted during the event! We had a blast!
Dear Residents and Families, We are pleased to announce that we are now using an automated resident family notification system. We will be able to notify you right away if there is an outbreak in our facility, a power outage, a special event, or share other important news. This new service will allow our staff to spend more time focusing on providing direct care for your loved ones. These notices will go out by voice call by default, for those of you who prefer email you will receive messages by email. Please feel free to ask any questions or let Noreen know if you would like to change the mode of communication. We are also happy to say that we are finally transitioning to our new call bell system in January. This system is a pendent system that will allow for faster response times for resident care. For example, if your loved one falls or needs assistance in the dining room or in the hairdresser, they will be able to push the pendent and it will be broadcasted over the walkies with their location. The current call bell system will remain in place for emergencies such as power outages. The last change took place in Mid-December as we severed our contract with Comcast Cable, we moved to Retirement TV, you may have noticed that some of the TV’s changed, we opted to provide the TVs at no additional cost for the residents and families. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you might have, thank you for your patience with all our changes!
Thank you to Susquehanna Valley Baptist Church for bringing their Junior Church Class to perform their Christmas scripture and song program for our residents. The children enjoyed popcorn treats after the program.
The smell of fresh baked Gingerbread cookies filled the air as we decorated our Gingerbread men. Fun was had by all as we used icing to bring festive cheer and color to these delicious cookies.
Below are the words of Cindy Geesaman as she reflects upon her parents, Warren & Esther Miller, and how her mom loved to play the piano. Cindy has generously donated her mom’s baby grand piano to our Cottage where it will be cherished and fill the air with music. “ As a girl, my mother was a gifted pianist. She took lessons and practiced diligently. Her sheet music from those days reflects her love of all kinds of music; classical, show tunes, hymns, and country music too. In those days there was always a piano in our home. When Mom was in her early twenties, and I was about five, it was discovered that she had a brain tumor, an acoustic neuroma. Although benign, it had become quite large. The surgery to remove the tumor caused extensive damage to Mom’s right side functions: hearing, eyesight, handedness, and balance. It also robbed her of the ability to play piano like she had as a girl. Mom worked side by side with Daddy in their joint endeavors throughout their fifty-three years together. They built a new home in 1972 and again had a perfect spot for a beautiful piano. In 1975 Daddy bought this piano for my mom. It has been in their home since that day. As we move this piano from their home to yours, we hope it brings your residents the same joy that it brought my Mother and Father.” Special thanks to our friend, Russ Sowers, for coordinating the donation of the piano to its new home!
The words no one wants to hear are, “You (or your loved one) have the beginning stages of dementia.” Whether it's Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, it’s a terrifying and overwhelming diagnosis. However, with all the research and advancements available, steps can be taken to prepare for—and even lessen—some of the symptoms and changes that come with Alzheimer’s disease. Explore treatment options with your physician and seek referrals for dementia experts and support systems. Although currently there is no cure for dementia, some medications have been proven to minimize symptoms. Develop a plan of care. Identify community resources and people who can offer advice and support to help with practical matters such as: Conduct a home safety evaluation and make modifications as needed. Consider home alert systems for summoning help, such as life alert necklaces and ID bracelets. Introduce a system of memory aids for appointments, phone numbers, addresses, and family contact information. Implement a medication organization and administration system to ensure medications are taken promptly and accurately. Preplan meals. If feasible, provide a cell phone with information and applications plugged in to help with memory support, including smart home appliances. Evaluate driving skills and be prepared to conduct regular evaluations for safety. Determine alternative transportation. Very importantly, get legal and financial affairs in order. Determine who will be responsible for managing health care and finances. Establish a living will and durable powers of attorney (POA). An attorney specializing in elder law may be helpful. Maintain a lifestyle that is as mentally and physically active as possible. A healthy diet, ongoing opportunities for social interaction, cognitive stimulation, and a focus on happy times and abilities, not disabilities, are crucial. Resources Alzheimer's Diagnosis: What Next? Next Steps After an Alzheimer's Diagnosis First Steps for Families After Diagnosis
Our Residents had a recent visit with two of our favorite therapy dogs, Austin and Obi-Wan.
Residents and their families enjoyed a holiday party at the Cottage with lots of good food and holiday cheer!
Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is a 15-day festival that begins on January 22. Celebrations can last up to 16 days, depending on the sighting of the new moon, but only the first 7 days are a public holiday. An animal is associated with each Chinese New Year, and 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. If you were born in 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, or 2035, then you are born under the Rabbit The Rabbit symbolizes luck People born under this sign are often in constant pursuit of their ideas and dreams, but they can often get jealous if they don’t get their way. Men born under sign tend to be polite and do whatever to avoid conflict. Women born under this sign are thoughtful and polite and love being social. Lucky numbers are 3,4 and 9
