VOL. 2 | MARCH 2022
A Community of Compassionate Care s
FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR,
TRACY TROTTER
INSIDE THIS EDITION: I would like to introduce you to our new Food Service Supervisor, Eric Bradfield. He comes to us with 22 years of experience in the food industry. He most recently worked in Dietary Services for Unity Point in Fort Dodge, holding various positions for 13 years. He is married to Tiffany, they have two children, twins, Max and Tesla who are 5 years old and attend Saint Edmond. His favorite hobbies are fishing and collecting sports cards. The family have 2 dogs, Leelee and Copper. We are very excited to have Eric join us. He is more than excited to make sure the dining experience is the best ever, for our residents. Eric’s contact information is ebradfield@marianhome.com and 515-574-5912. Welcome Eric!!!! Update to our outbreak status. As I am writing this, we have one employee out with Covid19 and no residents that are currently in isolation. We will continue to test as required. We will continue to update as needed and know that if we have any positive tests we have to let residents/family and employees know by 5 pm the day following the positive test. Hopefully I will not be emailing you with that news. Pray for us as we do for you. God Bless. Stay healthy and Safe
Tracy Trotter
DIRECTOR OF NURSING 2 HALLWAY ART 2 DIETARY 3 MAINTENANCE/ TRANSPORTATION 3 HOUSEKEEPING 3 SOCIAL WORKER 3 HUMAN RESOURCES 3 ACTIVITIES 4
DIRECTOR OF NURSING Jody Lennon Director of Nursing
February will soon be gone & as we enter into the month of March we think of happier thoughts with Spring ahead, trees & flowers blooming, more sun light & warmer weather. With this in mind, we pray for an end to COVID & isolation for our residents. Again, the Nursing staff have done an excellent job caring for your loved ones, making sure they eat & drink. I am proud of how the staff pull together as a Team to get through each shift & each day. The hours the staff put in to help fill the void of other staff that are out, the effort to make sure the residents do not have sadness, anxiety from being isolated, from the thought of having COVID & thinking of the negative news that they have seen on TV regarding the outcomes of having COVID. Whether the staff sing, play music, take time to talk to residents & laugh, the care is noticed through the reactions of the residents. I would like families to know the residents have yet survived another round of this awful illness. I am happy the residents were not very ill, no high fevers, no shortness of breath, no lingering naggy coughs that keep you awake at night.
2 | In the Loop
We are blessed to have the Providers at Palliative Care to assist in keeping your loved ones safe & healthy. New Employee Spotlight: I would like to welcome Lyndee Mitchell, LPN &Tina Cross, CNA Thank you for your support & may Spring bring us God’s sunlight & warmth.
Jody Lennon
God Bless Jody Lennon, DON
HOUSEKEEPING
MAINTENANCE / TRANSPORTATION
With spring just around the corner, I would like to remind families that your family member will need spring and summer items brought in and the winter items taken home if possible.
It has been a busy time here in the maintenance department. We have been focusing lots of attention on life/safety related work. Within the facility numerous hours have been devoted by our (by all, really)department(s) working together to achieve numerous “temporary’ resident room relocations, the constructing/relocating of multiple Covid quarantine barrier walls, and by performing ongoing general building repairs/maintenance. In addition, the maintenance department strives to ensure that “resident safety” related tasks are completed to meet the many “State/Federal/Health Code” requirements each month! While it is very busy and often challenging I am frequently reminded with smiles, kind words, & laughs with the residents that every day is a gift and that the staff here at the Marian Home & Village are outstanding individuals!
There are also ways to help residents that are not your family also. Volunteering to come and take them for walks outside weather permitting, even if it is just for a short time, you never know how much someone would appreciate the time that you took to do that for them, it could make a huge difference for them Come and sit with someone just to talk and let them share some things with you from their lives, they all have some great stories to tell and most enjoy being able to tell them to someone Read to or with them outside and enjoy the weather Watch the birds, or just look at the flowers. You just never know how much that resident would appreciate you.
Tracey Brownfield
Are you or someone you know interested in becoming a part of our team? The Marian Home has job openings for CNAs, nurses, and dietary staff! We have various vacancies on first, second and third shift. We offer full-time, part-time, and as needed hours to our staff, to offer flexibility that works for you and your lifestyle. At the Marian Home we offer some great incentives such as shift differential pay for our nursing staff. A generous call-in bonus for all staff that work above and beyond their scheduled shifts. As well as tuition assistance for parents whose children attend Saint Edmond Catholic School, must work a minimum of 20 hours per week to qualify. Full-time staff (30 hours or more per week) are offered medical, dental, life insurance at competitive monthly premiums. Other benefits include, PTO, holiday pay, 401k, LTD and Health Savings Account options. If you or someone you know is interested in applying, please contact Catie, Human Resources at 515-574-5903, or you can pick up an application at the front desk! We would love to welcome you to the Marian Home Family!
Spring will soon arrive and I truly welcome the onset of even slightly warmer weather. Unfortunately, cold/inclement weather will continue to be around (at least, on occasion) for the next month or so. Our transportation drivers bravely face the varied weather driving conditions in to ensure residents/tenants arrive safely, comfortably, & promptly to appointments, whenever possible! I can only imagine their daily challenges with: thawing out/warming up vehicle(s) each day, digging the vehicle(s) out of snow/ice when necessary, performing daily safety checks on vehicle(s); I commend them for their commitment and professionalism! Please remember to be careful and stay safe when planning a visit with us or your loved one. Wearing appropriate footwear/apparel and exercising caution is encouraged. The maintenance/transportation departments work together every day to maintain walks by shoveling and applying ice melt product. Remember that during ongoing heavy snow/ice events it is often impossible to always ensure that your path to or from the building will be as safe as we would like. We keep a shovel and barrel of ice melt at all entry doors for our use, but all are always welcome to use either to address any immediate concern areas. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you see a situation that requires our attention. On behalf of the Maintenance & Transportation departments at the Marian Home & Village, stay warm and healthy & see you soon!
Travis Filloon
Travis Filloon Director of Building & Grounds Marian Home & Village
SOCIAL WORKER: MARY LUNDBERG Welcome to March with Ash Wednesday, Start of Spring and St. Patricks Day. I know that I am looking forward to having longer days and warmer weather. I am also praying that COVID will stay away this Spring and summer. If there is anything that I could help you with, please stop in my office and I will be happy to assist. 3 | In the Loop
Please feel free to contact us in the Activity Department at any time. Our direct line is 515-574-5906 or email either of us with questions or suggestions. Email: photz@marianhome.com or lstein@marianhomefd.com
HEAR FROM YOUR ACTIVITY DIRECTORS
Pam Hotz Co-Actvity Director
It’s almost Spring and we are looking forward to some nice weather and hopefully getting outside on some beautiful days. We will be making some homemade doggie treats to take to Almost Home and the newspapers the residents have been saving for us to take. Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats
Laura Stein Co-Actvity Director
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour 2 eggs ½ can canned pumpkin 2 Tablespoons peanut butter ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Add water as needed to help make dough workable, but dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough into ½ inch thick roll. Cut into ½ in pieces. Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! (there’s a little Irish in all of us on the 17th)
Thanks, Pam and Laura Direct # 1-515-574-5906 photz@marianhome.com lstein@marianhomefd.com
A Community of Compassionate Care