A Message From Your Executive Director
As I let you know in my email on Saturday morning, we have been cleared by the Department of Health regarding the last exposure we had from an outside provider. In response to the exposure, we tested all staff and all assisted living residents on Thursday 4/15. All of those tests came back negative. We keep marching forward!
Our programming continues to expand as we welcome yoga, art classes, live music, and more back into the building. If any residents have a club or game group they would like to be part of please let Samantha know. We would love to connect residents with like interests, whether those interests be board games, playing cards, puzzles, reading, or any of a number of things. Let us know how we can help!
Thank you for your continued support, enjoy the Spring weather, and we will see you soon!
Nikki
Community Connection
Last week at The Village residents enjoyed daily fitness sessions including Chair Yoga and outdoor walking, daily movies, scenic drives, a Waffle Bar Breakfast on Wednesday, and live music with Matt Seiple. Our first Summoning Summer cookout dinner in Windsor Dining Room was a success, thanks to Adam and his team in the kitchen. We are excited to have out next cookout on Thursday night at 5:30.
This week residents can look forward to scenic drives, Happy Hour, daily movies, and live music with Jes & Jacob on Monday at 2:00 in Miller Stage. We also are welcoming local artist Gaal Crowl back to the community for twice monthly painting classes in Abbott Studio. Her first class will be held on Wednesday, April 21st at 1:30. Attendance is limited so please sign up with the concierge if you are interested in attending. As always, masks and social distancing are required for all activities.
NOTE: As always, Skype calls are available to keep everyone connected. To schedule, please sign up at https://teamup.com/kszegtj8g4jco615xw and reach out to Sam with any questions.
Community Connection – Vaccines
Our pharmacy has paused the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. As we work to vaccinate new staff and residents, we hope to be able to get Pfizer or Moderna without interruption.
We understand that you may have questions about this process as well as the vaccines themselves, for that reason we are sharing below the links to the CDC and Johnson & Johnson websites to help answer some of your inquiries.
Memory Care Minute
By Gretchen Cole, Director of Memory Care
Hello everyone,
This past week brought us warmer springtime temperatures, but mother nature reminded us that we still live in New England with the return of the snow on Friday.
The staff and I are trying to encourage our residents in memory care to be outside as much as possible. It amazes me to see the reactions to fresh air and sunshine. I watch our residents (and staff…) smile, relax, and have a look of contentment as they sit outdoors. Some of our residents are enjoying walking outdoors around the Village campus and getting out for drives on our bus or with their family members. I observe some of our residents reviving their personal interests and passions in birds and gardening. I am encouraged to see someone struggling with the progression of their dementia, return to a place of calmness and pure joy simply by being outside.
As I watch our residents, I reflect on myself, our staff, and all our families. The importance of nature, sun, and fresh air is vital to our well-being. Taking time for our spiritual and physical health is such a challenge. Family, time with friends, and our own personal growth should be a priority in our daily lives. The wonderful people I have the privilege of spending time with each week as they journey through their Dementia will tell you that as well.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions about memory care, memory impairment, and the program that is evolving.
Gretchen
Family and Caregiver Support Group
Memory Care Director, Gretchen Cole will be offering a family and caregiver support group in the Month of May for The Village. If you are a family or caregiver of someone with Dementia and would like to join the group, please email me at colegretchen@thevillageatwrj.com. I am excited to be a part of this community and taking small steps towards wellness for our residents and their families. We are in this together!
“I spend time each week volunteering for the Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Association chapters as a trained support group facilitator. The energy and power of our time spent together has made a huge impact on me. I listen to family struggles, help process anger, tears, and moments of joy. We share laughter and encouragement with a group of people who all have something in common – a diagnosis of Dementia. The journey is very individualized, and these wonderful families have much to share with us.”
Suggestions for families –
- Do not take things in life too seriously.
- Understand that someone with Dementia is not a lost cause. Let them continue to work and help to the best of their abilities. It may vary day by day, but they are not invalids.
- Protect their dignity and self-worth.
- Help them to find their sense of purpose in their lives. It may be something as small as sweeping or helping with the dishes.
- Remember that they have a life of accomplishments, love, and memories that they are struggling to hold on to.
- If you are struggling with something you get aggravated and irritable and so do they.
- Be Patient.
Team Member Spotlight
Katie Heidelmeier – Life Enrichment Coordinator
Many of you know Katie already. She began her time with The Village as a housekeeper and in that role she discovered her love of caring for our residents. Katie is a natural caregiver who connects easily with people young and old. A few months ago, Katie changed roles and became a Quality of Life Specialist in order to care more directly for residents. We have all benefited from her passion for The Village. For the next step in her Village journey, Katie will be working with Sam as a Life Enrichment Coordinator. She will run activities and programming 5 days a week and help us expand our offerings in the evening and on weekends. We are proud of Katie and the risks she is willing to take and are so happy to have her as part of the team. Onward and upward, Katie!
Tips For These Times
On March 28th, Live from London was proud to host the debut concert of brand new vocal ensemble, the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers from the USA. It was an incredible concert – here’s some of the highlights. Here’s to seeing more from this fabulous ensemble very soon!
Talk Time
Join Nikki every Wednesday at 10:00 am via Zoom for COVID and community updates and have an opportunity to ask 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, visitors will be allowed beginning 2/26/21
- All visits must be scheduled ahead of time. We need to record the time you enter the community and the time you leave.
- Limit of 2 visitors per resident at a time, up to 4 visitors per day
- We will gather name and contact info for contact tracing for every visit.
- Visits may occur between 9am and 7pm.
- 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
- Physical distancing when possible
- 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
- Asking residents and employees to adhere to the State of Vermont travel restrictions
- Coordinating best practices across our large partner network
- Group activities are held following social-distancing guidelines
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
