Lots of Love This Month!

We had a great first month of the year. With some fun movie nights and yummy popcorn, we’ve kicked this year off right. Our New Years’ celebrations were quite wonderful as well. Thank you all for joining in on the festivities!

Our vaccination rollout has been going very well. Our deepest gratitude to all who have been vaccinated. We appreciate your commitment to the health and safety of our community and team members. Now is a time that we all must come together and embrace our duty to protect and show compassion for our community.

While the vaccinations and dealing with COVID-19 are of the utmost importance, don’t forget everything else that goes into taking care of yourself. February is a month of love…in our case, we mean self-love. Read further to find ways to show yourself some love this month and take care of your well-being.

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”

– Oprah Winfrey

Adopt A New Friend

We foster cats through the Hope Animal Rescue.

Please visit the Hope Animal Rescue website for more info.

Some Self-Love for Valentine’s Day

Sometimes we need to focus on ourselves. And what better time than now. With everything going on, we all need to remember to take a moment to practice some self-love. Here are some good ideas on how to treat yourself!

  • Skincare – you don’t need to go to a spa to treat your skin. As the weather changes and we start going out more, remember to use lotions and sunscreen.
  • Be Social – it can be hard with our restrictions, but be sure you are spending time with those you enjoy.
  • Yoga – think all that bending isn’t for you? Well, there are all types of simple, standing, low-impact, no wrist, and many different styles of yoga. Give it a shot!
  • Tidy up – taking care of yourself sometimes means more than just relaxing. Picking up your space can create a place where you feel relaxed.
  • Eat right – make sure you are sticking to your dietary plan and eating food that makes you feel good.
  • Sleep well – prioritize sleep and do all you can to improve your sleep quality when you get it.

What We’re Doing

A significant priority for our community this month continues to be our precautions, as well as working toward getting everyone vaccinated. Be sure to look out for updates, information, and notifications about all follow-up vaccines, additional vaccinations, and especially beginning your vaccination course if you have not yet started. Together we can get this done, and with everyone on board, we will be that much closer to returning to something closer to normal.

Some Ways We Stay Active and Engaged:

  • Flower Gardening: Hanging baskets with annuals, we dead-head and water.
  • 1:1 Activities
  • Gardening
  • Singing & Dancing
  • Reading
  • Music
  • Margaritas on the patio
  • Restorative Therapy
  • Baking
  • Reading & Writing Letters
  • Manicures, Makeovers, & Hairstyling: The Barber / Beauty Shop is open again!
  • Residents Taking Care of the Babies in Evergreen & Birch

And as always, we are having great conversations together!

Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy are also still taking place. Please ask a staff member if you have any questions regarding this.

What’s Going On This Month

We had a fun Leap Year last year, but now we are back to the year’s regular old shortest month. That doesn’t mean we won’t fill it with fun and some great holidays. These celebrations also offer us some time for self-reflection and possibly even self-improvement. Let’s continue that New Year New You attitude and really embrace the roots of these valuable commemorations.

National Freedom Day – February 1st
We’ve been through a lot the last few months…okay, all of 2020 and then some. These times called on us to come together, to remember who we are and the core ideals that bind us. One of those ideals is freedom. And today of all days, take a moment to remember what we are working toward and that we are all striving for it together.

Groundhog Day – February 2nd
Feel like we’ve done this before? Yep. But let’s hope we get the same outcome – no shadow and an early spring. Not to say that spring came particularly early last year, but it’s fun anyway. This holiday is always a great way to kick off February, and definitely our favorite animal-centric holiday.

Valentine’s Day – February 14th
While we’ve been talking about self-love and care around this holiday in our newsletter, today is the day to spread the love to those around you. While it is always nice to get some flowers and a card (or chocolates!), simply sharing a kind word or expressing your gratitude for someone in your life can be just as important.

Ash Wednesday – February 17th
A day of repentance, this sacred Christian holiday marks the first day of Lent, six weeks of fasting and abstinence. While Lent is a much larger and longer observance, it is customary for those celebrating Ash Wednesday to place a mark or cross of ashes on their forehead today.

World Thinking Day – February 22nd
We love exercising our brain and doing some mental strengthening here at Arbor Springs. So we were thrilled to discover this more obscure holiday. Put on those thinking caps and do some of those mind exercises from our previous newsletters.

American Heart Month
While we celebrate this month each year, heart health is a daily journey that we all are on. Be sure you are watching your diet and getting enough exercise as well as taking appropriate preventive measures around things such as blood pressure, diabetes, and warning signs for heart issues.

Black History Month
Our country continues to struggle with its historical and present treatment of Black Americans. While this can seem removed and often something that exists outside our immediate personal circle, we are all part of striving for a more perfect union. Today, learn more about Black history in America and how the actions of the past have impacted today.

Support For Families

While we are committed to supporting our community, we know the best thing for it at the moment is for everyone to be as safe and cautious as possible. During this time, we encourage you to seek out and contribute to an active support group. Often it’s best to just try it and see how it goes. Folks can be surprised by how much their ideas and their presence are beneficial to others. Helping others right now is a wonderful remedy for the helplessness and loneliness we ourselves may feel.

Below is some information about how you can find the help and community you need while respecting the COVID-19 safety concerns:

Hopefully, these tips can help your loved one and you succeed in maintaining your resolutions.

Keep In Touch And Keep Reading!

It’s now been over a year since we’ve launched our newsletter. I am so honored to have had the chance to speak directly to our community, families, and friends. Little things like this newsletter and the information we give you each month can empower folks to make positive choices about their health, life, and community. Also, with our current vaccination program and our move toward a new normal here at Arbor Springs, we will need to keep you updated.

So as we begin another year of lists, articles, events, recipes, factoids, quotes, and whatever else we think up, I’d like to let you know all the ways to stay up to date with what is going on –

This newsletter! – a bit of a no-brainer, but be sure to keep up with this publication. You can read this on our website or in your email. But you probably knew that already. ☺

Our Arbor Springs Writing Series – if you aren’t reading our blog, we think you’d really get a lot out of it. It allows us more time to take a deep dive into many important topics. Check it out here!

Email – this might be the best way to keep current with fast-moving details and the ins and outs of the weekly news at Arbor Springs. To know exactly what is going on, make sure we have your updated email address and that you look out for our email blasts.

Give us a call – if you ever feel you don’t know what is going on or if you want to know more, just pick up the phone. We can help inform you of how significant initiatives and events are happening, explain important community policies such as our COVID-19 precautions, or even discuss the care we are giving your loved one. If you’re not getting the answers you need in the above resources, don’t hesitate to reach out!

What We’ve Been Up To!

The Arbor Bulletin Board

COVID – 19: REMEMBER TO STAY SAFE

We know this time is difficult.

We are all in this together…and we are here for you!

Please call the facility directly at 515-223-1135 with questions or concerns.

WASH YOUR HANDS AND LIMIT CONTACT PLEASE!

Happy Birthday! Let’s Celebrate Together!

  • Harold V.D. – February 9th

  • Barb W. – February 13th

  • Hank M. – February 18th

  • Sharon O. – February 19th

  • Teresa H. – February 20th

  • Betty P. – February 24th

  • Dzenana – February 28th

Now that 2021 is well underway, we’ve got some important things to do. So we’d like to take a moment to remind you to…

Get Vaccinated!

Make sure you make and keep both your first and second vaccination appointments. This is the best and only way to ensure our community reaches immunity to keep those we care about safe.

The guidelines on this page and in this newsletter are in no way all-encompassing and should not be adhered to if medical professionals or staff members inform you otherwise. We are learning more about COVID-19 every day, so be sure to stay informed at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus