Ring In The New Year!!!

Happy New Year!! Goodbye 2020! We had a wonderful Christmas and holiday celebration. Thank you all for bringing joy and cheer to our holiday and respecting how we had to change things up a bit. We want to thank you for your patience and commitment to others’ health and safety and our community.

We also rang in the New Year Arbor Springs style! While we didn’t exactly party all night, we always love spending this joyous occasion with our community. Now let’s get to work on those resolutions (more on that later).

Finally, we would like to acknowledge once again how hard we all worked this year. Vaccinations will continue in January, and we’re thrilled to be the first in line for this life-changing vaccine. More important information and updates to come! We are close to the end; please keep up the good work and remain safe!

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.”

– Brad Paisley

Adopt A New Friend

We foster cats through the Hope Animal Rescue.

Please visit the Hope Animal Rescue website for more info.

New Year. New You. New Resolutions?

This year, we may be able to return to some of our more normal habits and hobbies. Here is a great list to get you started with things you may have missed out on last year and others that are just great resolutions for the New Year.

  • Do more activities (when we have more of them) – when we can begin easing restrictions, make a promise to yourself to get a little more involved.
  • Get outside more (again, when we can) – once restrictions ease, make a habit of getting out more. Get a bit of sunshine and fresh air. Sounds nice…doesn’t it?
  • Do more brain exercises – it’s never too late to start working out your brain and keep it healthy!
  • Do more exercise – same as with your mind, work those muscles. Even if it’s just 5 minutes a day.
  • Practice gratitude – once a day, say something you are grateful for. You’d be surprised the difference it makes.
  • Journal – carve out some time each day. It can be as simple as what happened that day or what you’re thinking at the moment.

What We’re Doing

We hope with the upcoming vaccinations, we will be able to return to some of our more usual activities. It would be great to start doing things together with groups of folks again. However, there are no guarantees at the moment, and even with a successful vaccination campaign, we will still need to be cautious for those who have not been vaccinated yet. So, for now, we will continue with our regular simplified and safety-fied activities schedule.

Some Ways We Stay Active and Engaged:

  • Flower Gardening: Hanging baskets with annuals, we dead-head and water.
  • 1:1 Activities
  • Gardening
  • Singing & Dancing
  • Reading
  • Music
  • Margaritas on the patio
  • Restorative Therapy
  • Baking
  • Reading & Writing Letters
  • Manicures, Makeovers, & Hairstyling: The Barber / Beauty Shop is open again!
  • Residents Taking Care of the Babies in Evergreen & Birch

And as always, we are having great conversations together!

Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy are also still taking place. Please ask a staff member if you have any questions regarding this.

What’s Going On This Month

Welcome to the New Year! While there aren’t too many major holidays in January, there are plenty of fun things to do. Maybe it’s all for the best, after the year we’ve had it might be fun just to relax for a bit. But as always, whatever you do, remember to be careful and adhere to all precautions and restrictions, even as they begin to change. You can never be too careful, especially with hope on the horizon.

New Year’s Day – January 1st
This is sort of the big one this month. Make sure to get your rest after the celebration from the night before☺. We are so happy to leave last year behind and look forward to what 2021 has in store. The new year is full of potential and possibilities – get ready to seize the day!

Elvis Presley’s Birthday – January 8th
Thank you…thank you very much… We love the classics here at Arbor Springs. And you don’t get more classic than Elvis Presley. So celebrate with some tunes, or even some of those movies he was in, and rock out a little bit.

National Clean Your Desk Day – January 11th
The new year is a great time to make a fresh start. For many people, this starts with a good clean up. Even if you don’t have a desk, today might be a good day to clean up your own personal space. Whatever you use often, go ahead and make it look nice and tidy.

National Nothing Day – January 16th
We all had a difficult 2020. Today is a great day to sit back and do nothing. Relax with your favorite hobby, food, or just take some extra time to sleep in and recharge your batteries. Sometimes, doing nothing is the best way to get things done!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 18th
This day honors the life, achievements, and lasting imprint Martin Luther King Jr. left on our country and the world. His legacy permeates not only our story as Americans but the discussion of who we are and want to be as a nation. Take today to reflect on his life and how you can continue to honor him and his ideals.

National Compliment Day – January 24th
Did you know that giving a compliment to someone also benefits you!? Not only do they foster positive mental attitudes and habits, but they also help us appreciate the good people and things in our life. Today, try giving someone a compliment. Anyone! Even if it’s not really your thing…new year, new you!

Opposite Day – January 25th
This is a silly and fun day, which is always a great idea, but it is also an important day. If you’ve been following us for a while now, you know we love strengthening our minds. Well, one way to do this is by performing tasks backward or with your opposite hand. Do your daily routine in reverse or with your off-hand. Do it opposite, and grow your mind.

Support For Families

While we are committed to supporting our community, we know the best thing for it at the moment is for everyone to be as safe and cautious as possible. During this time, we encourage you to seek out and contribute to an active support group. Often it’s best to just try it and see how it goes. Folks can be surprised by how much their ideas and their presence are beneficial to others. Helping others right now is a wonderful remedy for the helplessness and loneliness we ourselves may feel.

Below is some information about how you can find the help and community you need while respecting the COVID-19 safety concerns:

Hopefully, these tips can help your loved one and you succeed in maintaining your resolutions.

Habits For The New Year (with a Montessori twist!)

One way to have a better shot at sticking to those New Year’s resolutions is by building habits. Even so, it can be extremely difficult to maintain those habits for anyone, especially for those suffering from memory loss.

This is where the practices of Montessori can be extra helpful. The Montessori method is excellent for helping seniors, and everyone, build and maintain habits. Here are some tips for sticking to those habits for your loved one using Montessori techniques.

  • Make a plan – write down the habit you want to achieve and how you’re going to do it. If you want to exercise more, pick which days. If it’s journaling, set a specific time each day and set a reminder or remind your loved one about it.
  • Start small and simple – take the habit one step at a time and start as small as possible. Break it into little, achievable chunks and work through it with your loved one. (Sound familiar? ☺)
  • Be supportive, accepting, and understanding…and patient – when working with your loved one who is suffering from memory loss, always be supportive and affirmative. Try to have your language be comforting and nonjudgmental. This can make activities, and your relationship, run a little smoother.
  • Be a part of it – know that you are building habits too and that you will benefit as well. You are learning to work with your loved one and also building the habit of caring for them. This is a positive journey for both of you!

Hopefully, these tips can help your loved one and you succeed in maintaining your resolutions.

What We’ve Been Up To!

The Arbor Bulletin Board

COVID – 19: REMEMBER TO STAY SAFE

We know this time is difficult.

We are all in this together…and we are here for you!

Please call the facility directly at 515-223-1135 with questions or concerns.

WASH YOUR HANDS AND LIMIT CONTACT PLEASE!

Happy Birthday! Let’s Celebrate Together!

  • Chuck G. – January 9th

  • Jean M. – January 14th

  • Claudette – January 18th

  • Shirley S. – January 27th

With the New Year upon us and all of our hard work looking like it will pay off, we would like to say one very important thing…

Congratulations!

We had a trying year, and our struggles revealed who we are as a community and family. Let’s keep it up, but give yourself a little pat on the back while you do.

The guidelines on this page and in this newsletter are in no way all-encompassing and should not be adhered to if medical professionals or staff members inform you otherwise. We are learning more about COVID-19 every day, so be sure to stay informed at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus