VOL. 3 | DECEMBER 2023
A Community of Compassionate Care
As we gather in the warmth of this festive season, we find ourselves surrounded by the twinkling lights of hope, the melodies of joy, and the spirit of giving that defines Christmas. In this special edition of our newsletter, we take a moment to reflect on the year gone by and express our gratitude for the blessings that have enriched The Marian Home.
Inside This Edition: Director of Nursing 3 Business Office Manager 2 Housekeeping 2 Maintenance/Transportation 3 From Dietary Dept. 3 Social Worker 4 Activities 4
December Anniversaries: Jane Crouse Katie McDonald LeeAnn Strutzenberg Tonia Askelson Mary Lundberg David Hankel Kayleigh Smith
38 years 36 years 17 years 12 years 8 years 4 years 2 years
Christmas: A Time of Renewed Hope As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let us open our hearts to the miracles that Christmas brings. The twinkling lights on our Christmas trees remind us of the eternal light that guides us through the darkest nights. It is a season to share the love that fills our hearts, just as Christ shared His love with the world. This Christmas, let us extend our hands in fellowship, sharing the warmth of companionship with those around us. In the spirit of love and giving, let us be the light that brightens the path for others. Year-End Reflections: A Journey of Faith As we reflect on the year behind us, let us remember the moments of triumph and the lessons learned in challenges. Our faith is not tested in times of ease but strengthened in the face of adversity. Through it all, we have seen the resilience of the human spirit and the power of faith that transcends all obstacles. In the coming year, may the Marian Home continue to be a sanctuary of love, compassion, and healing. Together, let us move forward with hope, guided by the values that define us as a community. In closing, we extend our heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to each member of our Marian Home family. May the love of Christ fill your hearts, and may the year ahead be a journey of faith, hope, and endless possibilities. With love and gratitude and a wish for a Merry Christmas,
Tracy
Merry Christmas from the Nursing Department As some of you may know your loved ones previous Provider, Kim Pearson, ARNP is no longer with us. Kim decided to accept a position with Family Practice, Kenyon Road. Although Kim was a good fit for the Residents and did a great job assisting in care needs, we do wish her the best in her career and did appreciate all she was able to do for the Residents during her time.
Jody Lennon | Director of Nursing
Sarah Schluter, ARNP will be the Marian Home’s new provider. Sarah Schluter is a Nurse Practitioner Specialist in Humboldt, Iowa. She graduated with honors in 2017. Having more than 6 years of diverse experiences, especially in NURSE PRACTITIONER, Sarah J Schluter affiliates with many hospitals including Trinity Regional Medical Center, Humboldt County Memorial Hospital, cooperates with many other doctors and specialists in the medical group at Trinity Regional Medical Center. Sarah has Long Term Care experience as she was the ARNP for Humboldt Care Centers. Sarah has been with us now for the last 3 weeks and has done an excellent job. Please let me know if there are any questions you may have and if you would like to talk to her regarding any care, meds Sarah is willing to call and speak with family members. Unfortunately, Sarah will not be with us past June, 2024. The Palliative Care team has interviewed new candidates to replace Kim. Palliative has hired a new ARNP that will be starting at the Marian Home in June. As I receive more information I will again update all of you in a newsletter. I would like to take time to thank all of the nursing staff for their hard work and dedication as we once again went through a bout of Covid. The staff made sure residents could keep as much of a normal routine as they were used to. I am grateful for the Team we have at the Marian Home. I wish everyone a blessed Christmas. Stay safe and healthy,
Jody Lennon
Jody Lennon, RN DON
Tracey Brownfield Tracey Brownfield | Housekeeping December is the last month of the year; it used to be the 10th month before January and February were added to the Roman calendar. Some strange festivals at Christmas include: In Austria, Krampus Santa’s evil twin chases naughty children through the streets. In Brighton England, paper lanterns are burned in a bonfire on December 21st to mark the shortest day of the year. In Mexico on December 23rd, there is a radish carving festival called Night of the Radishes December is the darkest month on the calendar, it contains the shortest days of the year. The constellation Orion dominates the sky in December More people travel in December than any other month of the year, trying to escape the cold and snow depending on where you live. The Grinch is the highest grossing Christmas film ever made, following behind it is Home Alone. Have a Merry Christmas everyone! 2 | In the Loop
Bailey Beebe
Bailey Beebe | Business Office Manager “2024 is fast approaching, and with that means new Medicare forms will be sent out with new premium/deductible amounts that we will need to have signed. We will also have you confirm or update your loved one’s insurance information. We use this information for billing purposes in the event that your loved one would need Skilled or Part B therapy. Having this information correct and up to date in our system helps us speed the process of getting therapy started right away. If you have a Medicare Replacement plan, you will not receive these forms to update. On a side note, if you are interested in changing from a Medicare Replacement plan to Traditional Medicare, contact Medicare to get that process started. We have found having Traditional Medicare in a nursing home is less costly for the patient and all therapy is covered, whereas most Replacement plans do not cover most therapy. If you have any questions on this, please reach out to Bailey or Mary Lundberg. Open enrollment period for switching to Traditional Medicare ends December 7th. One last form we will be requesting you fill out this year, is an updated mail forwarding form. Some things change over the years, and we want to make sure we have the correct information on file for your loved one, whether they receive all of their mail or if you want the mail forwarded to someone in particular. Thanks for your time in filling these out for us!
Maintenance & Transportation | Travis Filloon
From Dietary Dept. | Rachel Pederson Happy Holidays from the Dietary Department
The “Happiest Season of All” is upon us, and the Maintenance & Transportation Department staff wish you and yours the same thing! What makes all of us the happiest may be slightly different for each of us, but I suspect we all share a desire to be appreciated, respected, and loved. I do know that the impending cold weather, snow, and ice doesn’t produce any warm fuzzy “happy” feelings for me as an adult working in the maintenance department, but I do have fond memories from my childhood of spending every waking hour sledding, breaking the ice along the creek, and building fires to warm back up in the woods at Olsen Park without a thought or care in the world about the weather! Oh yeah, reality check, this is a maintenance newsletter article. Here are a few “happy” updates about the work being performed by our professional maintenance staff and others throughout our complexes. Demolition of the Villa Care building is expected to be well under way by the time you read this, with an anticipated completion expected by December 31st. Architects continue to prepare renovation plans for the former Villa Cottages building to become an Assisted Living facility with construction work expected to occur in 2024. All our rental houses are rented currently, thanks to efficient work by our maintenance staff. Marian Village apartments are filled. Replacement (much newer) Water Softeners salvaged from the Villa Care have been installed. Basement storage rooms have been reconfigured with newer storage shelving and light fixtures salvaged from the Villa Care. Painting touchup and changes are underway and will continue throughout the year. Toyota Van received brake & other repairs, along with two new front tires, in advance of the expected weather to ensure safe travels are possible. Numerous ongoing maintenance repairs & tasks are performed every day by both our Maintenance & Transportation staff members. I would like to personally say just how “Happy” all my fellow staff here in all departments make me and our residents feel, especially how thankful I am for our maintenance/transportation: Ron, Kevin, Tom, Jim, Dave, Dennis, and Reggy. We take pride in maintaining the condition of our facilities/vehicles and always welcome your input. I hope you & yours do enjoy this “Happiest Season of All”!
Travis
Every holiday has traditions we enjoy, and food is often at the center of holiday traditions. We will be serving a special Chocolate Mint Poke Cake for our Christmas Day Dessert. Mint and chocolate are a perfect holiday combination. Here is the recipe if you would like to try it. Have a Merry Christmas! Chocolate Mint Poke Cake- serves 12 15.25 oz. box of Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake mix 1 cup water 3 large eggs 1/2 cup vegetable oil 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 3 oz. Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, broken into rectangular pieces 1 ¾ cup cold milk 4 oz. box of instant chocolate pudding mix 8 oz. container of whipped topping, thawed 1-2 drops of green food coloring ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract ¾ cup finely chopped mint chocolate candy (Andes Creme De Menthe Thins) Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 baking dish. 2. Add the cake mix, water, eggs, and vegetable oil to a medium-sized mixing bowl. use a handheld mixer on medium speed to mix the ingredients just until no dry cake mix lumps are visible. Evenly spread the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-27 minutes. 1. Once the cake has come out of the oven, use the rounded end of a wooden spoon to poke holes almost to the bottom of the cake. Be sure to space the holes 1 inch apart. 2. Add the sweetened condensed milk and the broken Hershey bars to a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, on high power, stir and microwave for an additional 15 seconds. Stir until the chocolate mixture is smooth. 3. Use either a spoon or ladle to pour the melted chocolate mixture into the holes in the top of the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely. 4. One the cake has cooled, add the cold milk to a mediumsized mixing bowl. use a handheld mixer to mix in the instant pudding. 5. Use a spatula to spread the pudding over the cake. Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator for about an hour or until the pudding is set. 6. Add the thawed whipped topping to a small bowl. Add the green food color and the peppermint extract. Stir until the whipped topping is a uniform color and no green streaks are visible. 7. Spread the whipped topping over the chocolate pudding layer and evenly sprinkle the chopped mint chocolate over the whipped topping layer. 8. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.3 | In the Loop
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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@marianhome.com
From Your Activity Directors
Pam Hotz Co-Actvity Director
Laura Stein Co-Actvity Director
Is it December already? Time passes by so quickly. December is a great month to gather with family and friends. I love the month of December, I love Christmas music, Hallmark movies and all the decorations! Everything around me fills me with the love and warmth that December brings. December is a great time for a “snowball” fight inside and watching Christmas movies drinking hot chocolate and marshmallows. We can watch it snow and stay warm inside. The staff here at the Marian Home are a giving Team!! We have a Christmas party planned for the residents and time to open gifts from our staff. We love this time of year! More smiles, more love for everyone! Thank you from Pam and Laura. Pam and Laura Direct # 1-515-574-5906 photz@marianhome.com lstein@marianhome.com
Social Worker | Mary Lundberg I hope that this finds you well. In preparing for Christmas day, we all have many traditions we enjoy. I like to do my Christmas baking. I like to give gifts and see the joy they bring to other people. Another thing I like to do this time of year is review the past year and set goals for myself and my home that I would like to accomplish in the new year. All of these things can become overwhelming and cause me to lose sight of what the true meaning of Christmas is. So, I remind myself that if the caramels do not get made, it will be alright (although I would have disappointed nieces). What we need to enjoy is time spent with those we care about and make memories to share for years to come. I hope Christmas joy finds and follows you throughout the year.