The Clara City Care Center Connection
THE CLARA CITY CARE CENTER CONNECTION
SEPTEMBER 2009
TIDBITSFROMTROY
Troy Barrick, Administrator
Greetings everyone!
Can you believe that summer has come and gone? What a crazy summer we had…there were very few hot days, and it’s already September!
ClaraCityCareCenter will be undergoing a few changes in the near future!
1)Kitchen addition – we are planning on early October breaking ground for our new kitchen. We are all very excited to see this finally happen, and can’t wait to serve you a meal from our new “state of the art” kitchen!
2)New call light system – by end of September we will have stepped into the world of “wireless.” Our new resident call light system will be a wireless system, and the staff will be wearing walkie-talkies that inform us of the call light going off. There will be no more lights above resident room doors, and there will be a scrolling light at the end of the hallways letting staff know which resident room needs assistance. This is a big change in how we deliver cares, and will help us be more efficient.
3)Aesthetic improvements – we are also hoping to do some colorful improvements to the hallways and common areas by the end of the year as well.
Thank you to everyone for making our first ever annual Clara City Care Center Picnic a HUGE success! We had over 500 people enjoy the wonderful food and beautiful weather, and have received over $5000 in donations to use for something to benefit our resident’s lives. THANK YOU!
If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to call or stop by! Thanks, and have a great fall!
A WRITING FROM REBECCA
Rebecca Hughes, ADON, Interim Director of Nursing
The nursing department has been going through some changes since Jane Wrede, the previous DON, has left the CareCenter. We have been looking for the “right” candidate to lead the wonderful nursing department at the CareCenter and hopefully soon this candidate will join our caring and respectful staff.
We are also preparing for the upcoming flu season. We will once again be vaccinating all eligible residents and employees. Discussions have been underway about the H1N1 virus and how our facility will protect our residents. The ClaraCityCareCenter is following the recommendations of the CDC. Here are some guidelines they suggest we follow:
- Hand wash, hand wash, hand wash. This is one of the simplest ways we can prevent the spread of infection. The CareCenter has installed instant hand sanitizers at each entrance into the facility.
- Stay home if you are sick: coughing, sneezing, running a temperature, all over body aches, etc. The ClaraCityCareCenter will be encouraging our staff to stay home also if they are exhibiting symptoms of respiratory illness.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a Kleenex and then wash your hands.
These very simple measures have been proven effective in slowing the transmission of infectious illnesses. The ClaraCityCareCenter will also be posting signs at the entrances of the facility telling others not to enter if they are ill. Our goal is to keep our residents and staff healthy.
We would like to welcome Angela Rasmussen, RN to our nursing staff. She is the new MDS coordinator and started her employment in July. We are very lucky to have Angela as a member or our team. If you have any MDS questions, feel free to contact her.
As a representative of the nursing department, I encourage all family members to be involved in and with your loved one’s care. Feel free to ask questions and share your concerns at any time. We appreciate the opportunity to care for your loved one and we welcome your feedback.
JUST A BIT FROM JULIE
Julie Holien, Dietary Manager
The kitchen will be undergoing many changes in the next few months. It has been said that ground breaking for the new kitchen is set to tentatively occur the beginning of October, so staff and residents are getting excited. The new kitchen will provide many opportunities for the residents and staff. The kitchen will be bigger and will be equipped with more equipment and some of it will be new equipment. A new mixer was purchased the beginning of July and this has vastly made meal preparation move more quickly and efficiently. It is amazing what a piece of equipment can do for productivity.
The first Annual Clara City Community Picnic was held August 27th 2009 and was a huge success. The meal included BBQ pork sandwiches, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, Potato Chips, Pickles, and bars. Thank you to those who attended and hope to see you again next year.
Fall and winter cycle of menus will start the beginning of October. Each cycle is for five weeks before repeating.
Did You Know?
Food Consumption
In America, an average family of four consumes almost 6000 pounds per year.
Milk
The average American drinks 25 gallons of milk per year. Milk is 88% water and only about 12% is solid substance that has food value.
Butter
Did you know butter is one of our oldest foods?
AUTHORED BY AMBER
Amber Hanson, Social Services
Q & A’s in regards to Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer's Association National Office
225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17
Chicago, IL60601
Alzheimer's Association is a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization. © 2009 Alzheimer's Association. All rights reserved.
Q: How long has Alzheimer's been recognized as a disease?
A: Originally, the symptoms of what we now know as Alzheimer's disease were dismissed as the normal consequences of human aging. Only recently, in the early 1970's, was Alzheimer's disease recognized as the most common cause of intellectual deterioration in older adults.
Q: What is Dementia?
A: Dementia is a progressive loss of intellectual function such as: memory, judgment, abstract thinking, language, ability to calculate special perception, and the ability to carry out purposeful tasks; and the loss of abilities is sufficient to interfere with the individual's ability to function on a day-to-day basis.
Q: If you forget things as you get older, do you have Dementia?
A: Probably not. There is a mild forgetfulness associated with getting older - AAMI (or Age Associated Memory Impairment). Because of stress, having too much to do, distractions, or fatigue, an older person may forget where the keys are or a doctor's appointment. However, annoying as it is, this type of forgetfulness does not affect the person's ability to function.
Q: What is the difference between Dementia and Alzheimer's disease?
A: Dementia is a general term describing a group of symptoms. There are over 70 different dementias. Alzheimer's disease is a specific type of dementia.
- Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer's. But drug and non-drug treatments may help with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms.
- Researchers are looking for new treatments to alter the course of the disease and improve the quality of life for people with dementia.
- National Alzheimer’s Association Day is September 21, 2009. The CareCenter staff will be wearing the color purple to recognize this day.
NOTATIONS FROM NANCY
Nancy Dwire, Activity Director & Volunteer Coordinator
Summer us coming to an end and school has once again started. We have many good memories from the summer to share with you in the photo album part of this Connection.
We have several big events coming up in the next four months. Starting it all off will be our Fall Roundup on October 12th. We also have Halloween to look forward to the end of October with a party and of course the trick and treaters from our community. We look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas every year as we are very blessed with people sharing their time and talents with us. We welcome all groups of Christmas carolers and can arrange a time convenient for your group.
RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT
Diann Dirksen, Activities
Our resident in the spotlight is Taleta, or more commonly know as Tillie, Prekker. She was born 8-04-1909 on the farm place north of ClaraCity of her parents Ben and Ella Doeksen. She had 3 brothers and 2 sisters. They attended a country school, District #46 close to their farm. She recalls cutting through the fields to get to school and her teacher’s name, Minnie Lutgens. She especially remembers the times when all the Districts would get together with families and teachers and have a big picnic around the fourth of July in Montevideo. There would be a Merry Go Round to ride on and all kinds of games and food. She said the prizes were fancy decorations or maybe a book. She also recalls celebrating the last day of school (if there had been a lot of snow that winter) by gathering as much snow as they could find to make homemade ice cream. “What a treat!” She stated the snow use to go over the telephone wires.
She married Everette Prekker at a minister’s home in Montevideo in 1931. He was working with his folks at a ‘filling station’ in town. They had 3 children, the oldest; LuAnn was born in a log cabin in Gluek. Robert and June were both born at their home in ClaraCity with the help of a midwife or Doctor.
She relayed, “Going through the depression that was terrible! My husband lost his job and he had to look for work wherever he could find something. Then the war came and he got drafted.” She said men would jump off the train and come begging for cloths and food for their families. We had a big garden and would give what we could spare, but it was during the drought. She remembers one morning her husband asking her why the kids weren’t dressed. She told him they had all outgrown their clothes, so he took some of his prized hunting and fishing possessions to town and traded them off for new clothes that would fit the children. About that time they moved to the farm and started farming. She always tells this story about having to teach her husband how to milk cows. Besides gardening, she sewed, crocheted, knitted, and took care of the chickens, housework, plus anything else that needed to be done on the farm.
They were blessed with 11 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great grandchildren plus numerous step-families.
Tillie came to the CareCenter in April of 2007. She has been very active coming to activities and special events. Recently she celebrated her 100th birthday with many relatives and friends attending. She had a great time and said she’s still going through all her cards she received. Tillie still walks with a walker and enjoys socializing with family, peers and staff.
Congratulations to Tillie for celebrating 100 years! Now how many 100 years young people do you know that ride a motorcycle? Yes, that is Tillie going for a ride with her grandson Michael on his motorcycle!
We think that was pretty special and so are you Tillie!
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Mary Rood, Activities
We congratulate Kay Gluth for her most recent hard work and continued education accomplishment of becoming a Registered Nurse.
She attended WillmarSenior High School and graduated in 1986. She then continued her nursing education at Minnesota West Community and TechnicalCollege through GraniteFalls and Worthington to attain a licensed practical nurse (LPN) degree in 2008. Now in 2009 she has advanced her career through dedication and study to another very responsible and challenging level, that of RN.
Kay has two children, Katelyn, “Katie” is 14 years old and Cole is 6 years old. She is very proud of them and they light up her world! Her parents are Glenn and JoAnne Shanon. She grew up as the youngest of seven sisters.
A few of her hobbies and past times are cake decorating, reading, watching movies, and being as Girl Scout Leader. She loves to travel and her most memorable trip was to Europe on her 18th birthday.
Kay enjoys spending time with family and friends. She also feels a connection to her second family at ClaraCityCareCenter with the residents and co-workers. Our hats off to Kay for getting her degree and thank you for your dedicated service and caring nature.
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Theresa Wallace, Activities
Marian Wandersee graduated from MACCRAYHigh School on May 24, 2009. She celebrated with open house at her home on May 17th.
Melissa Mulder and Cody Tristan Strand were united in marriage on July 18, 2009 at Emden Christian Reformed Church in Renville. The reception was at the RenvilleCommunity Center. The happy couple plan on a March honeymoon in the Florida Keys.
Sarah Jarett welcomes her bouncing baby boy Brayden Douglas James Hinrichs on July 21st. He weighed in at 7 pounds and 5 ounces.
WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Bible Study leaders for the next four months will come from:
SeptemberRaymond United Methodist
OctoberFaith Lutheran
NovemberScared Heart Hawk CreekLutheran
DecemberRaymond St John’s Lutheran
Weekly worship services on Thursday afternoons are as follows: (Please note holiday changes in bold print.)
Sept. 3 Roseland Reformed
Sept. 10 Maynard Presbyterian
Sept. 17 Maynard Wang Lutheran
Sept. 24 St Clara’s Catholic
Oct. 1 S H Our Savior’s Lutheran
Oct. 8 Monte Salem Lutheran
Oct. 15 Faith Lutheran
Oct. 22 Bunde Christian Reformed
Oct. 29 Raymond United Methodist
Nov. 5 Bethany Reformed
Nov. 12 Monte Our Savior’s Lutheran
Nov. 19 Raymond St John’s Lutheran
Nov. 25ClaraCity Immanuel Lutheran
Dec. 3 Raymond Christian Reformed
Dec. 10 Monte St Paul’s Lutheran
Dec. 17 Roseland Reformed
Dec. 23 Bethany Reformed
Dec 30 Maynard Wang Lutheran
Children and pets – 2 favorite activities.
The Caring Place courtyard picnic.