A Message From Your Executive Director
Dear Residents and Families,
Happy October!
The Village continues to be a busy place as we work to build our staff and provide a home for new residents. There will be a couple of new faces in the dining room over the next week or 2 as well as some new caregivers and nurses. I’m happy to report that we did not need to deliver any meals last week and over the weekend. We are working hard to keep that from happening but will continue to post for residents should it be necessary. In our efforts for continuous improvement in dining services we have slightly altered the hours of operation for Windsor Dining Room.
As of today, the following hours will be in effect:
Breakfast
Kitchen – 7:30 – 9:30 (no orders after 9:30)
Dining Room – 7:30 – 10:00 (closed for cleaning as of 10:00)
Lunch
Kitchen – 11:30 – 1:30 (no orders after 1:30)
Dining Room – 11:30 – 2:00 (closed for cleaning as of 2:00)
Dinner
Kitchen – 4:30 – 6:30 (no orders after 6:30)
Dining Room – 4:30 – 7:00 (closed for cleaning as of 7:00)
On Thursday last week we hosted a meet & greet with our new chef, Peter. It was a fun opportunity to hear more about his background and for residents to be able to make some suggestions. I continue to hear very positive reviews of the food.
Thank you for your continued support and enjoy the cooling weather.
Nikki
Community Connection
Did you hear about our Harvest Dance?!
We had a wonderful time with our first community dance. Residents and staff came together for an evening of fun and music. Miller Stage was decorated by the Life Enrichment staff including a photo booth and delightful refreshments. When the last dance was announced the comments were “We just got here!” “It’s over already?” “When are we doing it again?” Since we had such a positive response, The Village community will continue to enjoy dances throughout the year. A special thank you to the staff who made the evening special. From our DJ Branten McFadden who spent weeks creating our play list, to Heather White who came in on her day off to do hair and makeup in Memory Care. Not to mention ALL the staff who clocked out for the day and CAME BACK to make sure the evening was a success! It was a wonderful event and we are looking forward to our next one.
The Village community will be hosting a food drive for the Upper Valley Haven in November. Please consider bringing in a donation. There are so many people in need within our own community including the elderly, families, the homeless, and the working poor. Our committee will be sharing more with you in the next newsletter about items that are most popular and what The Haven typically runs low on. Begin getting your donations together now by buying things that are on sale, looking for buy-one-get-one free items, etc. It is so easy to help someone by simply buying a jar of peanut butter or some canned tuna. You may know someone who has needed and accessed a food pantry…join us here at The Village as we fulfill our sense of purpose within our community.
Looking for some Halloween spirit? Stop into our Memory Care center and look at what The Village staff have been up to. Cobwebs, black cats, and pumpkins are all around and our Halloween party date is set for October 29th. Residents are also enjoying mystery movies in the Lyric Cinema every Tuesday evening and all throughout Halloween weekend! We’re looking forward to the rest of the month and our exciting adventures with Life Enrichment, our residents, and The Village staff!
Community Connection – Vaccines
We recently announced to our staff that vaccines will be mandated for all staff by October 16, 2021. We believe this will go a long way to keeping us all safe this fall and winter.
We are watching for guidance from the state and logistical information from our pharmacy about the possibility of We have scheduled our booster clinic for the Pfizer vaccine on 10/25/2021. All residents and staff who received the Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months ago will be eligible to receive the booster. We are also close to finalizing a date for a flu vaccine clinic. Stay tuned.
CDC Frequently Asked Questions
Memory Care Minute
ATTENTION VILLAGE RESIDENTS!
NEVER STOP LEARNING!
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Dartmouth (Osher at Dartmouth) is a volunteer, non-profit (501c3) organization that provides educational programs year-round. Opportunities include studying timely and provocative subjects by participating in courses, attending lectures, interacting at social events, and more.
Osher at Dartmouth was established by Dartmouth College as the Institute for Lifelong Education at Dartmouth (ILEAD) in November 1990 by 38 members of the Upper Valley intrigued with the “idea of continued learning.” The founders relished the challenge of their own self-administered and peer-taught discussion programs. By 2010, the 20th anniversary of our organization, over 25,700 people have participated in the institute’s programs. In 2014, ILEAD formally became a member of the Osher network of lifelong learning institutes.
Osher at Dartmouth member and Study Leader Hank Buermeyer compiled a history of our program in 2010: “The History of ILEAD: The First Twenty Years, 1990-2010”
MISSION
To provide outstanding lifelong educational opportunities to those in the greater Upper Valley.
VISION
To be recognized as a national leader for excellence in lifelong education.
CORE VALUES
- An unwavering commitment to lifelong education.
- Membership opens to all, regardless of educational background.
- A diverse, high-quality program, led by dedicated volunteers.
- A welcoming social environment, within and beyond the classroom.
- An appropriate fee structure that provides for financial sustainability, member affordability, innovation, and growth.
- Strong and continuing two-way relationships with Dartmouth College and the Osher Foundation; and
- Excellence in everything we do.
COURSES
Between 25 and 90 courses are offered in each of the three terms: fall, winter, and spring. In recent years, our participants have:
- Had backstage access to the production of local theater
- Engaged in conversations with several prominent politiciansLearned the best tips and techniques for solving crossword puzzles
- Painted watercolorsLearned tips about selling on eBay
- Traveled to Botswana, the Basque Country, and Cuba
- Written memoirs and screenplaysThere is truly something for everyone throughout the year!
Learn more about this term’s courses by visiting their website. If you need assistance, please let Gretchen Cole know.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Gretchen Cole
Memory Care/Life Enrichment Director
JOIN THE VILLAGE TEAM AS WE RAISE MONEY FOR THE ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION AND THE WALK TO END ALZHEIMERS!
As a community that advocates and offers specialized support to those with dementia, your support is needed. Millions of people around the world struggle with this disease. Their spouses, children, grandchildren, siblings, and friends supply countless, unpaid hours of caregiving every day. Progress with research is being made and needs funding to continue.
PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK TO DONATE TO VILLAGE TEAM!
#ENDALZ – #WalkToEndAlz
Family and Caregiver Support Group
The Village Caregiver Support Group
Our support group meetings will be the 4th Tuesday of each month in the Smith and Sons Kitchen. (2:00PM-3:00PM)
Please contact Gretchen Cole with any questions.
This Week’s Menu
This Week’s Activities
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.
- Vaccinated guests may eat in the dining room at a table with only the resident they are visiting.
- 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; fully vaccinated visitors may remove their mask when in a private area with a fully vaccinated resident.
- Visits can occur in the resident’s apartment or outside.
- 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
