Happy Labor Day!

September seemed to fly by. We have all been working so hard to keep our community safe and healthy. We thank you all again for your engagement and courage to keep trudging through this challenging time.

Labor Day was quite wonderful though – celebrating those who are the backbone of our economy! We honored workers with some special “picnic” style lunches and homemade ice cream! We also crafted some extra special decorations for the day. Thank you to all our amazing workers in the community and their commitment to caring for our friends, family, and loved ones.

We also had an opportunity to have a little costume party. With Silvia’s help, our community members dressed up like famous icons! Check out the photos further down in our newsletter…they are marvelous!

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
– Albus Dumbledore

Adopt A New Friend

We foster cats through the Hope Animal Rescue.

Please visit the Hope Animal Rescue website for more info.

Stay Healthy – That Means Your Emotions Too!

This month is Emotional Wellness Month – and a great time to start and keep healthy routines:

  • Sleep – make sure you prioritize getting enough sleep each day – 7 to 8 hours is ideal.
  • Unplug – we talk about this with social media a lot, but even if you don’t use social media, it is still vital to take breaks from whatever you do. Be mindful, focus on quiet times, and try to live in the moment as much as possible.
  • Engage – take time to connect with those around you. Make a friend and be a friend, especially at a time like this.
  • Breathe – finding time to take a deep breath and be present is great for your emotional wellness.
  • Get Active – whether you exercise, stretch, or just move around, make sure you get the blood flowing.
  • Think Positive – this can be hard, particularly in these difficult times, but every little bit helps! Keep your chin up and stay positive.

What We’re Doing

We are continuing to take precautions and roll with the situation as it develops. It is essential in times like these to take it one day at a time. We have good friends and good people here at Arbor Springs. We are so fortunate to have a community and support system to help us through this time. Thank you again for your patience as we ask for a little bit more.

Some Ways We Stay Active and Engaged:

  • Flower Gardening: Hanging baskets with annuals, we dead-head and water.
  • 1:1 Activities
  • Gardening: We are nearing the end of our growing season. Tomatoes are still going strong! Be sure to check out the blog on our website as we share our experience and advice for purposeful gardening while living with dementia.
  • Singing & Dancing
  • Restorative Therapy
  • Baking
  • Margaritas on the patio
  • Reading
  • Music
  • Reading & Writing Letters
  • Manicures, Makeovers, & Hairstyling: The Barber / Beauty Shop is open again! We have missed Brenda the past 5 months. She helps us feel so good by getting everyone in for an appointment
  • Residents Taking Care of the Babies in Evergreen & Birch

Special Announcement: Our Annual Art Show was the evening of Oct 6th at Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea down the street from us. It featured resident-focused and resident-created artwork. We all had such a blast!

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

October is by far the creepiest, crawliest, craziest month of the year! But there are some great holidays and observances to celebrate besides Halloween. As always, remember to practice safe social distancing and adhere to local and national guidelines while gathering or participating in any celebrations.

National Do Something Nice Day – October 5th
With the way the world is now, we can forget the little things. On this day, remember every small deed can make an enormous difference to those around you and for yourself!

Global Cat Day – October 16th
So if you know us or have been reading our newsletter…you know we love cats. So much so, we partnered Hope Animal Rescue to sponsor and foster cats. On Global Cat Day this year, check out these cuties and maybe take one home!

National Medical Assistants Day – October 21st
We appreciate everyone who helps care for us. No job is too small when it comes to keeping our loved ones healthy, and Medical Assistants are the backbone of that essential service. Make sure to send a special thank you to any Medical Assistants you know or who help you with your own care.

Halloween – October 31st
Boo! Did we scare you? Hope not…cause Halloween is one of our favorite holidays! But again, it is one that will look much different this year. Remember to be safe and change the way you celebrate this spooky holiday. You can still dress up…and I’m sure there will still be some candy involved.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is one of the most critical awareness months we have highlighted. About 1 in 8 U.S. women (roughly 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime (breastcancer.org). Check-in with your loved ones and be sure they are getting screened and know the facts.

Emotional Wellness Month
We highlighted this above, but this awareness month is especially timely. This year, it is so important to think about yourself and make sure you are taking care of your own emotional well-being. Remember, we are always here to talk and help in any way we can!

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:

Principles of Montessori

Now that you’ve got an idea of who Maria Montessori was from our last newsletter, what exactly is the Montessori Method? The Montessori Method is a student-focused teaching style that The American Montessori Society describes as a program that

“fosters rigorous, self-motivated growth for children and adolescents in all areas of their development—cognitive, emotional, social, and physical.”

Here at Arbor Springs, we use these principles when doing activities with our community members who have Alzheimer’s and dementia. These principles are highly effective at reaching those who have memory issues or have retreated from their usual routine. Some of these principles for activities include:

Always Ask – before beginning an activity, we always make sure to invite our community members to join in. We never require participation or involvement – asking gives them agency and control.
Have An Achievable Task – we make sure each activity has an achievable outcome. This lets our community members feel accomplishment and success in what they do.
Keep It Simple – whatever we do, we make it simple and straightforward. It is important to do an activity that will not frustrate or confuse the participants.
Have A Positive Attitude – always encourage and be supportive of everyone involved. It is often difficult to participate in activities when you are struggling with memory challenges. Community members get frustrated quickly or feel helpless. We always keep a smile on our face, reassure them, and let them know it’s really okay to make a mistake – no one’s perfect.

Those are some of the principles of The Montessori Method we employ here at Arbor Springs. Stay tuned for more Montessori information next month!

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!

  • Betty Lou L. – October 1st

  • Joyce K. – October 3rd

  • Cecil H. – October 6th

  • Renee – October 19th

  • Donna C. – October 21st

As we continue to work together to keep everyone safe and healthy, we would like to ask you for one thing…

Patience

We are all in this together and taking it one step at a time. Staying together and being sympathetic to one another will make everything a little easier for everyone.

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