A Message From Your Executive Director
Dear Residents and Families,
I’m excited to tell you that on Friday morning staff worked together for a few hours to do a revamp of the Wilder Room in Memory Care. Originally designed to be a 2nd dining room, the Wilder Room has become the favorite gathering spot for residents and their guests. The natural light from floor to ceiling windows makes this room an obvious choice. When you get a chance, stop in to see the new layout, furniture, and feel. I’m excited to think of the connections between people that can be much better fostered now. Also, a family member suggested to me that we have a box on Memory Care where family members could express their thanks to staff. I loved the idea and a letter box has been installed on the wall for Cards, Comments, and Kudos for staff.
Our next vaccine clinic has been scheduled. On 10/24/2022 our pharmacy Health Direct will be here to administer flu shots and doses of the Pfizer Bivalent COVID vaccine to residents and staff. Anyone who has not had a booster (or their 2nd dose) in the past 2 months is eligible to receive the Bivalent. Consent forms are available at the front desk and will be emailed to the responsible parties for Memory Care residents. Now is a great time to let us know if you (residents) have received any vaccines off site. Providing us with a copy of your up-to-date vaccine card is the best way to do this. Thank you for your help in keeping our records current.
We welcomed another eight new residents in September and are looking forward to welcoming even more in October. Be sure to say hi to any new faces you see around!
On September 23rd our sales and marketing team welcomed appraisers from W.A. Smith Auctions in Plainfield, NH to The Village where they spoke of the history of auctions and appraisals in our area and then spent some time appraising items brought in by residents and outside community members as well. We had the opportunity to see many cool treasures.
Finally, we often find ourselves with outdated insurance information for our residents. This can make it challenging for pharmacy orders. If/when you have updated insurance cards, Medicare numbers, etc. please provide copies to Shanya or Suzette at spauldingshanya@thevillageatwrj.com or barboursuzette@thevillageatwrj.com. Thank you.
Happy End of Summer!
Be well,
Nikki
Community Updates & Activities from Russell Hardeman
October Events 2022
October 5th – (Once A Week) Halloween Myths, Legends & Beliefs
The origins of Halloween may be traced to the Old Celtic Tradition. The Celts were present in Northern France, the United Kingdom, and Ireland about 200 years ago. The first of November was the day they celebrated their New Year’s Day. Given that it marks the transition between summer and winter, this season is well known for being significant. Since winter is the gloomiest, coldest, and darkest season of the year, it is associated for them with “death.” “Samhain” was observed on the eve of the New Year, which fell on October 31. This incident relates to the coming collision of the living and the dead. For the length of the event, it was thought that the ghosts of the deceased would come back to Earth… what about Werewolves, Frankenstein, or witches. Let’s talk.
October 6th — Lunch Outing – Lui Lui
Pizza, pasta, and other good things!
October 6th — Poverty Lane Orchards & Farnum Hill Ciders
Many look forward to the autumn season simply for what it signifies each year as well; there’s a wonderful aspect to the crispness of the air that makes you want to enjoy everything life has to offer. The traditional fall practice of apple harvesting reflects this as well.
October 7th – Outing: Weekly Swim (At the Aquatic Center) – $8
Residents will be able to go swim laps or exercise in the lap pool at the aquatics center every Friday afternoon for 30 – 45 minutes. Please! Be in the Lobby by 1:30 pm so you can get there in a timely manner…
October 11th – (Weekly) Morning Meditation
Sit quietly, listen, and meditate for at least 30 minutes. You’d be surprised at what your body might be trying to tell you. For mindfulness, spirituality, healing, and other purposes, we will use a guided meditation app from YouTube called contemplative or meditation prayer in thirty (30).
October 12th — Live Music with Cooie
Singer – Songwriter Cooie will play a variety of music that will melt your heart and help you think back… Come enjoy!
October 13th — VINS Nature Center in Woodstock ($13.50 per Person)
We collaborate with top conservation groups to advance environmental science field research, provide current environmental education programs for people, families, and schoolchildren, and run New England’s best avian wildlife rehabilitation facility at the VINS Nature Center. Wheelchairs and strollers can be used on the site of the VINS Nature Center. Spend some time on our nature paths; the ADA-accessible McKnight Trail and Forest Canopy Walk enable guests of all ages and abilities to take in the outdoors and get up close to the trees
October 13th — The US and the Holocaust – Documentary Presented By Carol (8 episodes)
Episode 3: Examines how the American people and our leaders responded to one of the greatest humanitarian disasters of the twentieth century, and how this catastrophe challenged our identity as a nation of immigrants and the very ideals of our democracy.
October 14th — Happy Hour – Featuring Music from Mr. Richard Araldi (Xylophonist)
Performance with music in the backdrop featuring a variety musical number and by popular demand, Mr. Rich Araldi Music plays the xylophone like all the greats. Come hear him…
October 20th — Lunch Outing – 110 Grill
The inviting, upscale-casual ambiance at 110 Grill, replete with open kitchens, substantial horseshoe-shaped bars, and outdoor patios with fire pits, makes it the perfect eating location for any event. We are thrilled to be named one of the Top Ten Allergy-Friendly Restaurant Brands by Allergy Eats. 110 Grill is a devoted adherent.
October 23th – Dartmouth Glee club concert
The Dartmouth Glee Club will be in concert Sunday at 2:00 PM at Christ Church on campus. Tickets will be $12 per person.
October 27th — Sullivan Museum and History Center
We have permanent and rotating exhibitions in our 16,000-square-foot space on the Norwich University campus that tell the history of the institution’s founder, Capt. Alden Partridge (1785 -1854). Partridge’s concept of a “citizen soldier” is intertwined with exhibits and objects throughout the museum through military history, art, academia, music, and sports from 1819 to the present.
October 27th — Fall 2022 Coast Jazz Orchestra at Dartmouth
The student ensemble pays tribute to revolutionary composer, bassist and bandleader Charles Mingus, and premieres new works by student composers. (Ticket are $12.00 dollars)
Saturday, October. 29th., 7:00 PM. / Sunday. Over 30th. 3:00 PM.
Place.: 9 W. Dock St Hanover, NH.
Upper Valley Baroque collaboration with Saint Thomas Episcopal Church presents. Masterworks of the Italian Baroque., GF. In Rome. Dixit, Dominus.
October 31st – Halloween Celebration. “A Beetle Juice Day”
Here at The Village at 2:00 PM.
Other Events
September 27 – October 23, 2022 – Spring Awakening (2nd Visit)
Spring Awakening is the coming-of-age rock musical that tells the story of what happens to young people when a repressive society pushes them past their limits. The 2007 Tony Award winner for Best Musical which has since become a cult phenomenon, Spring Awakening energetically pushes modern teen angst against the backdrop of an 1891 German school and features a contemporary indie-rock score to express the essence of adolescence. Based on a controversial 19th-Century play, the music is by Grammy and Tony Award-winning composer Duncan Sheik, a pop rock composer known for his 1996 debut hit single “Barely Breathing,” with a book and lyrics by Grammy, Tony and Olivier Award winner Steven Sater.
Resident Spotlight
Bob Dodson
Robert Dodson, one of our original residents and a member of The Village at White River Junction Founders Club turned 96 this year. Before retiring to Vermont and eventually moving to The Village, Bob traveled extensively, including 14 expeditions to Antarctica. He lived in various countries with his beloved wife Robbie, including Turkey, India, Switzerland, and Belgium, working as an international business partner for many large American and Canadian companies, and an interim professor at various Universities.
Directly out of high school Bob enlisted in the Navy and was sent to Dartmouth College to take classes. From Dartmouth he transferred to Harvard to study geology. During his senior year at Harvard in 1946, he was asked to join his first Antarctic expedition, where the US Navy was working on building a research center. The expedition overlapped his school semester, and he took one of his final exams on the ship. He was also eagerly awaiting to hear if he was accepted to the Harvard Business School graduate program. When Bob arrived in Antarctica, he was only 20 years old. He was tasked with caring for the sled dog teams, which he found to be quite challenging as he had no experience doing so previously. He worked alongside British naval sailors who had far more knowledge and learned how to interact with the dogs and their individual personalities.
One of Bob’s favorite stories to tell is about his now dear friend, a geophysicist, who he was sent on a mission with to explore the mountains of Antarctica during the continent’s six months of darkness. They had made it 9 miles from the base with their sled dog team, and his friend fell 110 feet into a crevasse, a large opening in a glacier. Bob could not see his friend and could only hear muffled calls for help. Bob navigated through the mountains the 9 miles back to the base to get help and returned to the crevasse with a team of American navy officers and a British doctor. The British doctor rappelled into the crevasse where he found the geophysicist dangling from the rope that was tied to his waist. The team was able to pull both men out of the crevasse, but in total darkness with limited resources, this took many hours. They returned to the base and treated the man for his injuries, and he made a full recovery. He went on to name his son Robert, after the man he credits with saving his life.
Memory Care Minute
In September, as we finished out Summer and moved into Fall, our memory care residents were busy with active and enriching activities and outings. Residents enjoyed live music by Cooie and Richard Araldi on Miller Stage and were treated to a performance by Jim Hollis right in the Wilder Room. On Labor Day we had a BBQ to close out Summer and just before the solstice residents joined staff and assisted living residents, as well as some loved ones, at the Village Harvest Dance. Current and former staff volunteered to help residents with their hair, makeup, and with picking out special event outfits for the big night (thank you to all who helped!). It was so much fun to see everyone get excited for the festivities and to dance, dance, dance.
Other resident pursuits included ball drumming (see photos included), making décor to celebrate the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s, and flower arranging. We received the generous donation of several giant bouquets from a local weekend wedding which were deconstructed and rearranged by residents.
Everyone knows that one of the best parts of fall is using the temperature drop as a good reason to bake. To that end, residents assisted in and then enjoyed the fruits of their labor as we made apple pies, cupcakes, and chewy cookies. In October we will do more baking, learning to make bread and fall/Halloween treats. Be on the lookout for the addition of a Memory Tree on the wall where we will showcase photos of resident outings and daily life at The Village.
Outside of the community in September, we enjoyed a lunch out to Three Tomatoes in Lebanon. The bread and garlic oil were a huge hit! There were also rides to see the classic New England foliage as well as an afternoon at the Montshire Museum of Science where residents had an opportunity to be curious and try new things. In October we plan to go apple picking and to lunch at 99 Restaurant.
Kathleen March
Memory Care Director
COVID-19 In Our Community
We are committed to keeping you informed of how COVID-19 is impacting The Village at White River Junction. We continue our robust commitment to following the guidelines from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities by:
- Based on our current Phase and the positivity rate in our county, the following protocols for visitation are in place:
- We will gather name and contact info for contact tracing for every visit.
- Visits may occur between 8am and 8pm.
- Currently we do not allow guests to eat in the dining rooms.
- Core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention will be enforced. These include:
- Screening before each visit
- Hand hygiene
- Mask use for all visitors and staff; It is currently recommended that fully vaccinated visitors keep their mask on when in a private area, even with a fully vaccinated resident.
- Requiring all staff to wear surgical or procedural masks and adhere to screening processes
- Maintaining the frequency and rigor of cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces
- Reviewing our emergency preparedness and response program
- Coordinating best practices across our large partner network
- Group activities are held
Helpful Links
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
- www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/index.html
LCS COVID-19 website
Local health department website
From the Governor
