Holly Nursing Care Center - AUGUST 2011
SPONTANEOUS JOY
Amy Pierce (Director of Nursing) and Brenda Donaldson (Dietary Manager) surprised our Elders with a visit from a baby goat and a basket of baby kittens—joyful and heartwarming for our Elders.
SPONTANEOUS FULFILLMENT & MEANING
Cindy Jones (Breakfast Cook) hosted a spontaneous activity rich with fulfillment and meaning for Maurine Anson and Opal Conley, who worked in our kitchen one afternoon making sugar cookies. After the cookies came out of the oven, they frosted them and went up and down the halls sharing their cookies with Elders and staff.
CELEBRATING NATIONAL NURSING HOME WEEK
“Fulfilling the Promise—Exceptional People, Exceptional Care”
Holly Nursing Care Center kicked off National Nursing Home Week on Monday, May
9th with our traditional Clown Parade down Holly’s Main Street, with merchants and
schools kids lining Main Street for our parade. The Petting Zoo with a variety of
animals was the highlight on Tuesday and is always a favorite for our Elders.
Wednesday we appreciated our Elders for their volunteer work, and Thursday we had a
pizza party to show appreciation for our staff. We ended this fun-filled week on Friday
with a “50, 60’s day”, sock-hop, and drive-up diner fundraiser where we sold
hamburgers, French fries, and milkshakes, and danced to music out of a jukebox.
What a fun way to celebrate life!
HOLLY NURSING CARE CENTER HONORS LONGEVITY
La Vonda Cathcart, Administrator, presents a $500 bonus to Helen Ibarra.
Last year, Holly Nursing Care Center began a practice of honoring employees who have reached their 20-year anniversaries. This practice began with Sarah Correa, a C.N.A. who reached her 25th anniversary with HNCC last March. Sarah mentioned at the time she thought employees should be recognized in some way for their loyalty to Holly Nursing Care Center, and she is exactly right about that. So that began our practice of honoring employees who reach their 20-year anniversary with a $500 bonus.
In some ways, giving a $500 bonus seems inadequate when considering how to reward such amazing long-term dedication and loyalty to our nursing home. It seems inadequate when considering the hundreds of Elders these individuals have lovingly cared for and devoted themselves to over the past 20+ years. That kind of loyalty and dedication to one profession, one organization, is almost unheard of nowadays. Yet Sarah Correa shared with us recently that she couldn’t think of anything else she would rather do than be a C.N.A. at Holly Nursing Care Center. It certainly is meaningful work for many individuals who are employed at Holly Nursing Care Center who are making caring for our Elders their life’s work such as:
Maria Espinoza, C.N.A. who was honored last year for 22 years of service to our Elders.
Teresa Gingles, who celebrated her 21-year anniversary at HNCC this month and received a $500 bonus. Teresa served our Elders as a C.N.A. for most of those twenty years, and for the last several years has kept our laundry running immaculately and is so appreciated by our Elders for taking such good care of their clothing.
Lanette Wagner, who was honored this month for 24 years at HNCC and received her $500 bonus. Lanette has been our Activity Director for what seems like forever, but she actually began her career at HNCC in dietary.
Helen Ibarra, our Housekeeping Supervisor, who was honored this month for 21 years of cleaning our Elder’s home which is so appreciated by everyone.
We recognize the loyalty and dedication of Sarah, Maria, Lanette, Teresa, & Helen!
HOW TO “SKYPE” WITH THE
ELDERS AT HNCC
by Peggy Rushton, Business Office Assistant
Technology at the Holly Nursing Care Center is a wonderful thing. We recently
had a demonstration in our Sunroom on the IN2L (“It’s Never Too Late”) computer
about Skype. The Elders enjoyed this new technology; they are amazed that they can
talk to a loved one over the computer. They say that it is like their loved one is in the
same room carrying on a conversation with them. A couple of elders have Skype
accounts so they can talk to their family, and every time we use it they are still
amazed. Skype is a way you can communicate (see and talk) with loved ones over
the computer, with a web cam. Most of the newer computers and laptops come with a
built in camera, but for those that don’t have a built in camera, an external camera can
be purchased at any electronic store and then can be installed onto your computer.
The external camera will clip on to the top of your computer. Setting up Skype is easy
and doesn’t require much time. Skype is a great way to communicate with your loved
ones because you can see and talk to them at the same time. If you are interested,
please let me know, and I will gladly help you stay in contact with your loved
ones. For help with Skype, please contact Peggy Rushton at
prushton@pinonmgt.com or call 719/537-6555.
USING TECHNOLOGY TO STAY CONNECTED
Holly Nursing Care Center is using technology to keep our Elders connected with their
family and friends. Recently we had the unexpected opportunity of being part of a Skype
connection between Lee Bland, and his daughter Elaine in California. Lee’s son Andy
from Arizona was visiting Lee, and they connected with Elaine in California using
Skype. What was so amazing was that we were able to see Elaine in her home, with
her dog, talking to us, and she could see us talking to her, just like we were in the
same room. Lee connects with his family on Skype frequently using the It is Never 2 Late
computer(IN2L), and he expresses what an amazing experience it is for him. He also
communicates with his family and friends on email, as do many of our Elders. Several
Elders are also on Facebook. The IN2L is a special touch-screen computer that is easy
for our Elders to use, and Peggy Rushton enjoys helping the Elders use this new
technology.. This is just one of the ways we are helping our Elders stay connected with their loved ones, at Holly Nursing Care Center.
Earl Rowe is very active on Facebook,
especially managing several large
farming operations on Farmville.
CELEBRATING LIFE’S BIG EVENTS AT HNCC
The Eden Alternative teaches us that meaningless activity corrodes the human
spirit, and that the opportunity to do things we find meaningful is essential to human
health. Honoring and celebrating the major events in a person’s life is meaningful.
On Thursday, January 27th, we celebrated the birth of Harley Lynn Gulley, newborn of
C.N.A. Mari Gulley, by giving her a baby shower. The shower was organized by C.N.A.
Rachael Groomer, with Elders and staff attending. Everyone wanted a chance to hold
baby Harley. She is so tiny and sweet, and what a joy for us to have her in our lives.
Harley has a sister, Audrey, who came to work with Mari when she was a baby, so we
got to know her very well, and we are hoping to get to know baby Harley also. Having
the opportunity to form relationships with children is an important aspect of the Eden
Alternative, so we encourage our employees to bring their children to work, because
they give us many warm and spontaneous moments and make our lives richer, fuller,
and more meaningful. The Elders and staff presented Mari and Harley with some
nice gifts. Brenda Crum, our transportation C.N.A., is Mari’s mother-in-law and the
grandmother of baby Harley and Audrey.
Our Elders love to take care of little babies! Opal Conley is enjoying being a grandma to the child of one of our staff members. Children help make our community a “home”.
Halloween was celebrated at Holly Nursing Care Center with enthusiasm! Our staff and Elders dressed in creative costumes and enjoyed the day. Shown in the picture are Tabatha Ferris (activities), Peggy Rushton (dietary), Lanette Wagner (activities), Payne Donaldson (volunteer), and Brenda Donaldson (dietary).
Holly Nursing Care Center Elders attended many of our Holly Wildcat high school football games this fall. We even had a banner made for our van to show support for our team. Pictured are Lee Bland, Brenda Donaldson (Dietary Manager) and Leora Creech.
HOLLY NURSING CARE CENTER
EMPLOYEES RECOGNIZED
FOR EXCELLENCE
Cindy Jones, Breakfast Cook, and Judy Wittman, Business Office Manager,
were both recognized for excellence at the Colorado Health Care Association (CHCA)
annual convention awards banquet on Thursday, September 23rd. Judy Wittman has
served Holly Nursing Care Center as the Business Office Manage for a total of 15 years. She is our“financial Elmer’s Glue” due to her years of experience at our facility, her high sense
of commitment to excellence, and her willingness to promote the well being of our
elders and staff Cindy Jones has served Holly Nursing Care Center for 13 years with a commitment to
excellence, teamwork, service and sacrifice, and is a leader in moving culture change
forward. Thank you, Judy and Cindy, for your excellent dedication to the Elders of
Holly Nusing Care Center!
HOLLY FAIR PARADE
Fifteen Elders attended the Holly Fair Parade on Saturday, September 25th. It was a beautiful, warm fall day – a great day for a parade! We enjoyed seeing the Holly School Band, horses, floats, old cars and tractors, and even had some cotton candy!
CELEBRATING 99 YEARS IN STYLE!!
August 10th, 2010 was a very exciting day at Holly Nursing Care Center, as we helped Leora Creech celebrate her 99th birthday! She and her invited guests (Jo Ward, Margie Smith, Esther Tremain, Maurine Anson, Linda Beaman, Lorene Harmon) rode in a limousine to Chez W. DuVall’s restaurant in Granada for her celebratory luncheon. Many friends, family, and neighbors joined her at Chez DuVall’s to honor her, and after lunch they returned to Holly Nursing Care Center for birthday cake and more celebration.
PEACHES, THE DOG THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE
“Everybody loves Peaches!” The elders at the Holly Nursing Care Center are not referring to the
familiar fruit, but rather to the lovable pooch that came into their lives a year ago. Peaches makes herself
at home in the facility and has captured the hearts of its forty plus residents. The healer mix faced an
uncertain future at the Pueblo pound. That is, until Colorado Boys Ranch Youth Connect (CBRYC)
accepted her into their New Leash on Life (NLOL) program in the spring of 2009. The program teams
each animal with a youth of the treatment center who contracts to train the dog over a six to eight week
period. While in training, the “student” canine learns basic commands, such as “sit”, “down”, “stay”, and
how to walk on a leash.
The day CBRYC staff introduced Peaches to the Holly Nursing Care Center elders at a
community meeting, they voted to accept her into their family. ”We already have two dogs, five cats, a
very large rabbit, and a bird aviary,” states Administrator LaVonda Cathcart. She goes on to explain that
Peaches meets the needs of many residents because she is tall enough for those in wheelchairs to pet,
yet small enough to fit in a lap.
“She has attached herself to me,” says LaVonda with a laugh. Peaches has a dog blanket in
the Administrator’s office, as well as a doggie bed behind a couch in the main living room. A fenced in
yard, accessed by a doggie door, provides plenty of room for exercise. A couple of the elders have accepted responsibility for keeping her supplied with food and
water, but all of them contribute to her need for affection. “Peaches loves to be petted and scratched,”
says one resident. “She is so well-behaved and friendly,” adds another. LaVonda attributes these
qualities to the excellent care and training Peaches received at CBR Youth Connect. “New Leash On Life"
contributed to the fact that she is affectionate and demonstrates excellent behavior.” Peaches is as
much a part of daily life at the Holly Nursing Care Center as the staff and elders themselves.
Several months ago, an emotionally scarred boy established a connection with an abandoned dog that harbored her own wounds. Together, this powerful connection between a boy and his dog eased the loneliness of others, brought laughter to their lives, and healing warmth to the elders hearts. Together, their perseverance, trust in each other, and mutual hard work resulted not only in a companion for a community of elders, but also began the healing journey in the life of a troubled boy.
(This is an
excerpt from an article written by Patti Sheene of the Colorado Boys Ranch Youth Connect Program after
she visited Peaches and the Elders at Holly Nursing Care Center. It was published recently in the La
Junta Democrat Tribune.)
22 YEARS OF SERVICE!
Maria Espinoza, C.N.A., was recently honored for 22 years of service at Holly Nursing Care Center! Maria was presented with a $500 bonus check by La Vonda Cathcart, administrator. Thank you Maria, for 22 years of loyalty and dedication to the Elders of Holly Nursing Care Center.
IT'S BETER TO LIVE IN A GARDEN
The Eden Alternative teaches us that it is better to live in a garden, close to nature, and in a “human habitat”, because a “habitat” is a place where plants, animals, and humans can grow and thrive. Human habitats nurture the spirit as well as the human body and are environments where various species can thrive and interact. A community that has adopted the Eden principles commits to creating a human habitat where life revolves around close and continuing contact with plants, animals, and children. There must be close and continuing contact with elements of the environment—plants, animals, and people—to have genuine impact on the lives of our Elders. Caring helps things grow. We warm the soil in a human habitat with optimism, trust, and generosity.
TENDING TO THE GARDEN
Lee Bland is keeping a close watch on the status of the garden. He can observe the garden from the window of his room, where he also loves to watch the Finches eat at his bird feeder. Lee goes out to the garden frequently with Eric Donaldson to check on what’s ready to pick. In this picture, they brought in several tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and green beans. We have already eaten fried green tomatoes and fried squash from our garden. It’s the best garden we’ve ever had!!
HOLLY HOSTS FAMILY BLUE GRASS BAND
On Monday, June 21st, Holly Nursing Care Center had the pleasure of hosting “The Full Quiver”
family bluegrass band from Collinsville, Texas. There are nine members of the band:
parents John Grubb and wife Shawn, Christina, Melody, Faith, John, James, Abigail,
and the youngest Joshi. They were on their way to a gospel bluegrass festival in
Colorado Springs, so they stopped in and played for us. It was an hour of
wonderful music that our Elders enjoyed and were clapping their hands and tapping
their toes to. For more information click here to go to their web site at www.thefullquiver.com.
DANETTE VONHEMEL NAMED “HOLLY WILDCAT SPORTS BOOSTER OF THE YEAR”!
“The Holly Wildcat Sports Booster of the Year award is given annually to the person who exhibits outstanding support for the Holly Wildcat student athletes. This year’s winner has demonstrated an outstanding ability to overcome the most difficult of obstacles in an effort to attend as many home games as possible. I’am sure she would have loved to attend the road games as well, but due to her circumstances she was unable to. When we talk about having the heart of a Wildcat, this person displays the true definition of that saying. It is not easy for this person to find the determination to attend all of our sports functions, but with the help of her caretakers, the Holly Nursing Care Center, she rolls into the gymnasium always ready to cheer on the Wildcats. I hold a special affection for this person as she was the first babysitter that my son, Stetson, ever knew. It is with great pleasure that I announce Danette VonHemel as this year’s Holly Wildcat Sports Booster of the Year.” (Presented by Shannon Rushton)
PLANTING THE GARDEN
The Elders came out and watched Eric Donaldson put tomato plants in the garden.
They enjoyed telling Eric how to plant the tomatoes and learned how Eric plans on
keeping the weeds out of the garden by using black ground covering. Brenda took a
tomato plant around and let the Elders smell it. Leora Creech said it smelled like the
old days when she would plant her garden and how much she loved the smell of it.
Ester Sniff shared how she used to plant a garden and really enjoyed it. Several of the
others Elders commented on how good the tomato plant smells. A few of the others
smelled the plant and were able to tell that it was a tomato plant before being told what
it was. The Elders are excited about the garden and Eric shared with them that we are
getting two peach trees to plant in the backyard. The Elders are very happy about the
peach trees and can’t wait to have homemade peach cobber with their fresh peaches.
Participating in the garden planting were Jo Ward, Earl Hooks, Eula Mae Hart, Margie
Smith, Juanita May, Clarence Compton, Leona Creech, Glenda Benson, Colleen
Shedeck, Homer England, Eva Anderson, Mary Lynn Willis, dietician; LaVonda
Cathcart, Payne Donaldson and Brenda Donaldson.
ANYONE WANT TO PLAY POKER?
Thursday afternoon poker game is a big hit at Holly Nursing Care Center!
It's a very serious game for the participants!
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE COMPUTER IS A HIT
At Holly Nursing Care Center, the "It's Never Too Late" touch-screen computer is a big hit with the Elders and with the kids who volunteer. The computer has become so popular that we are purchasing a second computer for the Elders! As seen in the picture, the computer provides an opportunity for relationships to develop between the Elders and the kids, as they enjoy the many aspects of this computer together. Many of our Elders send and receive e-mails and enjoy Face book.
ST. PATRICK'S DAY AT HOLLY
We celebrated St. Patrick's Day by dressing up in our green outfits and hats, enjoying pizzas for lunch, and choosing the St. Patrick's Day King and Queen, Albert Beaman and Eva Anderson.
Lee Bland had been anticipating this visit from Josh and Kelly Davis for weeks, saving up cookies to give to them
A VISIT FROM SPECIAL FRIENDS OF HOLLY NURSING CARE CENTER Josh and Kelly Davis are special friends of Holly Nursing Care Center. They both are in the U.S. Army and have recently served our country in the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. Josh and Kelly are the sons of Rhonda Davis, the Therapy Coordinator at Holly Nursing. Josh was employed at Holly Nursing Care Center before he enlisted in the army. They both came hoe to Holly recently on furlough and made a visit to Holly Nursing Care Center to visit our elders and staff. Josh is an Army Specialist stationed at Ft. Drum, New York since returning from Afghanistan in January. Kelly is a Sergeant in the Army Rangers, recently serving in Iraq and will be deployed to Afghanistan at the end of March. We appreciate their service to our country, and we especially appreciate them visiting us at Holly Nursing Care Center!
THE STORY OF GOOSE-GOOSE. Goose-Goose is a big white goose that lives on the Brenda and Eric Donaldson farm and came to Holly Nursing Care Center in a shopping cart. Goose-Goose entertained everyone with his loud chatter. He allowed server of the elders to pet him. Nancy Nichols got really close to him; she was very happy to see him and had a hugh smile on her face. Wilma Johnson was amazed at the size of the goose and kept asking us to have him make noise. A few days later the elders were still talking about Goose-Goose and asking other elders if they had got to see him. Overall it was a very successful "spontaneous activity".
HOLLY NURSING CARE CENTER HOSTS LOCAL NURSING HOMES Nine individuals from Cheyenne Manor in Cheyenne Wells, CO and Grace Manor Care Center in Burlington, CO spent Tuesday, January 26th at Holly Nursing Care Center receiving training in culture change and the Eden Alternative. The guest homes are beginning the journey of de-institutionalizing their homes and they wanted to learn about Holly's journey and see culture change in action.
CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES AT HOLLY NURSING CARE CENTER Christmas is a very special time at Holly Nursing Care Center. Our Elders work all year long at the Craft Shack, selling candy, pop, and craft items, to earn enough money for our Elder's Christmas presents. Fundraiser's throughout the year, such as our Valentine's Balloon Bouquet, bake sales, and craft sales, all contribute to the Craft Shack fund so that our Elders can enjoy a wonderful Christmas.
Our employees appreciate having the Craft Shack open on their shift so they can purchase snacks and drinks, and also it is a nice place to shop for a quick gift for a loved one. We appreciate everyone who shops at our Craft Shack, and encourage you to come in and take a look at the gift items we have for sale. We re-stock periodically with new items, so you might find just the right gift for someone special.
HNCC was beautifully decorated this year for the holidays which put us all into a festive mood. We held our staff Christmas party on December 18th, which included delicious food brought in by the Community Leaders; a drawing for 25 turkeys, and Christmas bonuses. We feel very fortunate at HNCC to have had a good year such that we could give bonuses to all of our employees.
The Elder's party was held on Sunday, December 20th. Ninety-six family members joined us for the family potluck luncheon, where we served a total of 155 people including guests, Elders and staff a traditional holiday meal with all the trimmings! Musical entertainment was provided during the meal by Mel Burg, a professional musician from Denver, whose music captivated everyone. Santa Claus was present and took a picture with each Elder, and we were glad he made a special trip from the North Pole just for us! After the meal, the Elders opened their Christmas gifts. We enjoyed giving our Elders these happy moments. Our staff do the shopping for the Xmas gifts, so seeing the Elder's faces light up means a lot to us. Families stayed and visited throughout the afternoon, and we were pleased to see them enjoying the hospitality our home has to offer. We wish you all a very wonderful New Year!
PICTURE CAPTION: C.N.A. Bonnie Lucero and Santa both give Bud Bell a big hug! By Brenda Donaldson, Dietary Manager
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES Nothing tastes better from a garden than fried zucchini, squash and fried green tomatoes. As most of you all know, our Elders have been growing a garden full of yellow squash and zucchini. Our tomatoes are having a little problem, so we sent Eric (maintenance) and Payne Donaldson (child volunteer) over to LaVonda's house to get some green tomatoes. On Wednesday, August 12th, our Elders helped us prepare supper using these garden fresh vegetables Eva Anderson and Esther Sniff sliced the green tomatoes, while Lucy Campos, Danette VonHemel, Jo Ward, and Payne Donaldson sliced the squash and zucchini. Helen Seals and Ashley Darnel (cook) then helped them bread the vegetables. We used our Elders' recipe for the breading; dipped the vegetables in flour, then into a batter mix of milk and eggs with lots of good seasoning and then coated them with cracker crumbs. We deep-fried them and served them with love. Eva Anderson shared stories of how she used to help her mom in the garden and how she had so much squash that she no longer enjoys eating it, but she enjoyed helping us prepare it. Some of the staff and Elders had never had fried green tomatoes, but they all agreed that fried green tomatoes are great (even if you don't like tomatoes!). Isn't there a move called "Fried Green Tomatoes"?
CORN SHUCKING' & GREEN BEAN SNAPPIN' PARTY We bought a case of corn from Reyman's Grocery, and Lanette Wagner brought in 4 bags of green beans from her garden. Judy Wittman (accounting) and Helen Ibarra (housekeeping) gathered the Elders together in our Sunroom for a big corn shuckin' and green bean snappin' party! Everyone had a great time as they reminisced and prepared the corn and beans to be cooked for lunch the following day. The corn on the cob was delicious!
Brenda Donaldson and Helen Seal are enjoying the interaction as they shuck the corn together.
Danette VonHemel never thought she would have so much fun snapping green beans, but look at that smile!
Margie Smith seems pleased with her corn shucking skills!
Chantel Fuller is getting Jo Ward set up with her own FACEBOOK account! What fun!
Chicken for the Soul. During National Nursing Home Week, we had a petting zoo with baby calves, lambs, ducks, chickens, baby puppies and a rabbit. Zella Canfield really enjoyed holding and talking to the pet chicken. She has on her cute bonnet, as it was also Crazy Hat Day!
Polly Want a Cracker. This guest parrot was a visitor during National Nursing Home Week. While the local radio station was broadcasting live from Holly Nursing Care Center, this parrot was the center of attention, talking and repeating phrases. Eva Anderson especially enjoyed the parrot.
You’re on the Air. KVAY Radio from Lamar, Colorado broadcast live from Holly Nursing Care Center during National Nursing Home Week, with live interviews of our staff, families and Elders. Heather Lee of KVAY participated with us in Crazy Hat Day, interviewing Earl Rowe who told her “this is not a nursing home, it is a real home.”