It’s December!

by Jill Springer, Woodstone Hutchinson

Happy December!

I’ve always thought December comes quickly after Thanksgiving, and this year was no exception!!  We’re in busy crunch-time for the Holidays and we have an amazing amount of activities and community involvement for December.  

If you are here at all today or tomorrow, you might notice some installations and people working in and around the ceilings.  We are having public cameras installed so that we are able to monitor to the building via cameras.  We are not doing this in place of staff, this is just an added precaution and ability for us to be aware of what is going on in the building.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! 
We are also going to be busy this week decorating for the Christmas season.  One new addition to the building will be a Memory Tree honoring those who have passed while living here at Woodstone.  Anita will be reaching out to families of residents who have passed in the last 6 months to see if they would like to donate an ornament in honor of their loved one.  We will be making ornaments for all those who have passed and these ornaments will be present every year as we honor their memories.  

Nurses Notes

This time of year brings home a lot of family, and it’s a great opportunity to bring the Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren in to see their Grandparents.  For some, this can be a tricky situation to navigate, particularly when their loved one lives in Memory Care.  Here are a few ideas to help assist with conversation and ensure the visit is a success for all!

1. Identify yourself:  no matter what stage of dementia your loved one is in, always greet with a smile and let them know your name and your relationship with them.
2. Bring a favorite and familiar object:  this could include pictures, music or even a pet if the facility allows (Woodstone loves visiting pets!).
3. Be okay with the quiet:  your loved one might not have much to say, and some days you might not either.  Enjoy your time together, I assure you they do with or without a lot of conversation.
4. Change the scenery if possible:  go for a walk, spend time in their room and in the common areas.  All of this will help keep the visit fresh even if you are unable to leave the facility.
5. Shorter visits are often best:  don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of time with your loved to make it count.  Often, shorter visits are best with memory care with about a half hour to an hour being appropriate.  If you want to see more of them, consider coming several times over the course of several days, rather than trying to stay all day.

We hope these tips help you have a successful and memorable visit with your loved ones and family members over the holiday, or any time!
 

Kitchen Corner

We are so pleased with the feedback we have gotten for the Thanksgiving meal and our whole kitchen staff is pleased we could make it such a special day for them!  We look forward to planning and executing the Christmas meal as well and we will have more information coming as to what the menu will be so you can plan your visit!

Community Life

December’s calendar is full of music, crafts and Christmas fun!!  Our Resident Christmas Party is on Wednesday, December 18th and it will be a fun day including Slew Foot Band, a visit from Santa and an amazing meal from the kitchen!  We love this time of year!