We have a couple of announcements to share with you at this busy time of year.
St. Anne’s is celebrating 75 years of care for the elderly and disabled in eastern North Dakota this year! As we mark this milestone, we invite you to join us for our 2nd annual Christmas Pageant. We will be offering two showings: Monday, December 16 at 2 p.m. ~ and ~ 7 p.m. You are welcome to join us for coffee and Christmas cookies afterward.
Also, you might be interested in our new discount cards! They’re only $15. What if you could get great deals and discounts every day of the coming year? Actually, you can!! We’re selling discount cards, so you can get discounts at 15 local establishments all year round! (a perfect idea for a Christmas stocking stuffer) Order yours today! ‘St. Anne’s Discount Cards’ will feature:
Sunday afternoon, we invited residents to gather for popcorn stringing. With the help of a couple of volunteers and eleven residents, we now have a table full of popcorn ready to decorate a Christmas tree at St. Anne’s. While working, we got to enjoy Christmas music as one of our residents had a CD player and Christy Lane Christmas CD. This added a nice touch to the fun afternoon. Everyone seemed to have a great time. Some had never strung popcorn before.
The Christmas tree was a German tradition which became popular in our country in the 1800s. It was common to put fruit on the trees in Germany. In America, cranberries were in season in November, just on time to be put on Christmas trees in December. In the early days, people even dyed their popcorn to make it into a colorful garland on their trees.
In simpler times with less money available, popcorn was an affordable way of helping make Christmastime more festive.
Not only was popcorn inexpensive and available, it also had cultural roots in the Americas: Aztecs would use it for decoration and ornamenting of dancing apparel for festivities.
In modern times, there have even been records marked regarding strings of popcorn. In 2014, there was a string 1,049 feet and ten inches long made in the United Kingdom with help from over 350 people.
One tip we should have known ahead of time (before we did this project) is that it is easier to string day-old popcorn as it is less apt to break.
In case you’d like to try a fun, inexpensive addition to your Christmas tree this year, let’s describe how we did it:
Cut pieces of sewing thread into 3-foot long strings. Knot each one at an end. You’ll need one string for each participant. Thread the needle on the other end and set to work.
Tips:
Be careful to avoid the hull/kernel area as it is hard. Hold onto the end of your thread when putting the needle through so the thread does not come off the needle.
You don’t need to double the thread; this does not work too well. One suggestion is even to use dental floss instead of thread.
Here at St. Anne’s, diabetes is something we are frequently addressing; it comes up in our care conferences and other discussions because a good number of our residents have to deal with this ailment every single day.
Although you probably have some familiarity with this condition, we’ll share some interesting facts about diabetes that you may not have known:
An instance of diabetes was first recorded in Egyptian writings around 1500 BC.
Diabetes comes from a Greek word meaning “flowing through” (referring to increased urination). This term may have first been used around 100 AD.
Today in our country, over 30 million people are afflicted with the disease; a quarter of them are not even aware that they have it. In recent years, with increasing rates of obesity, the number of people with this condition has increased greatly. Unfortunately, people of various minority ethnicities are at higher risk of developing type II diabetes. People who are older, who have a family history, who smoke, and who are overweight are also more likely to be diagnosed. About 7% of pregnancies are plagued with gestational diabetes. Diabetes costs over $300 billion a year.
Having diabetes makes a person’s likelihood of acquiring heart disease or having a stroke double. It is also leading cause of kidney disease, limb amputation, and blindness in adults.
The word ‘insulin’ comes from the Latin insula (island) since the Islets of Langerhans (in the pancreas) secrete it.
If you were around St. Anne’s earlier in the week, you probably noticed things were a bit disheveled.
The end result, however, was well-worth it!
After a number of years, St. Anne’s has new carpeting in the main hall area near the front office and dining room. The mat/rug in the entry way was also replaced.
The man working on its installation finished putting the base boards on last night.
We appreciate a fresh new look and beneficial updates to our first floor level!
Today is the memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damien. For this occasion, we’ll share an article in this month’s St. Anne’s Broadcaster which recognized them as our “Saints of the Month.” It was written by Kathy Lieberg.
Cosmas & Damien were twins, born during the third century in Arabia. The major shrines for them are at the Convent of the Poor Clares in Madrid, Spain, the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian in Rome and in Bitonto, Bari, Italy. There is virtually nothing known about their lives. It was after their deaths that miraculous things began to happen. It is known that they were both doctors and are thus patron saints of physicians, surgeons and pharmacists.
In Brazil, they are known as protectors of children. September 27 (which used to be their feast day) is commemorated, especially in Rio de Janeiro, by giving children bags of candy with the saints’ effigy printed on them. In Utica, NY there is a yearly celebration which takes place at St. Anthony’s Parish with a two-day festival including several busloads from Canada.
There is an interesting Orthodox icon depicting these saints as vested laymen holding medicine boxes. They are often shown holding a spoon with which to dispense medicine. The handle of the spoon is normally shaped like a cross to indicate the importance spiritual as well as physical healing and that all cures come from God!
Between this last Friday and today, residents, staff/sisters, and volunteers husked, “de-haired,” and bagged about 1900 ears of sweet corn.
We are very grateful, first of all, to the Wald family for growing and harvesting all this corn for us! It has been an annual tradition for many years; we appreciate their kindness.
We also want to thank all of the great volunteers who came in to help us! Your hard work and capable hands were a huge asset in “getting the job done.”
Thank you, too, to our staff and residents who were so helpful.
Our residents will be able, thanks to all of you, to enjoy delicious, locally grown sweet corn all year through.
PS: Did you know that, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website, corn provides your body with needed fiber, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, copper, iron and manganese? It also contains antioxidants and other things that help you to have healthy eyes. However, diabetics need to keep in mind its high carbohydrate content.
It’s been a while since we updated you on our little plum trees…Their journey began about two years ago when pits were saved from plums from a relatives land near Fisher, MN.
Now, they range in height from 3′ 1″ to 3′ 11″, soon to be four, we hope. These four trees are an exciting addition to the lawn on the south side of St. Anne’s.
As we honor our patron saint (whose feast day is on Friday) and celebrate our Home, residents and staff alike are enjoying dressing up in themed apparel. Each day’s activities, too, correlate with the theme of the day.
So far, we’ve had “Dress Up Day,” “Sports Day,” and “Western Day.”
“Colorful Sock Day,” “Hat Day,” “Wear Your St. Anne’s Shirt Day,” and “Patriotic Day” are yet to come!
Western Day – St. Anne’s Week
Western Day – St. Anne’s Week
Western Day – St. Anne’s Week
Western Day – St. Anne’s Week
Western Day – St. Anne’s Week
Western Day – St. Anne’s Week
Western Day – St. Anne’s Week
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Moving into an assisted
living or basic care facility is often a big and emotional decision. After all,
many individuals prize their independence and are hesitant to relinquish a
routine that may have worked well for many years. However, there may come a
time when a choice needs to be made. But when is that time? Here are a few
signs that it may be the right time to move into assisted living.
Declining Health
For seniors across the
country, declining health can be
a major challenge to overcome. That is why one of the benefits of moving into
an assisted living or basic care facility is that you will have support for
dealing with a chronic illness. If you or your loved one’s health has gotten
considerably worse, it may be time to move into a place that can monitor and
provide the attention you need to continue to thrive.
Decreased Socialization
With age, many
individuals find that they don’t have the same levels of socialization that
they did in the past. Whether due to the death of a spouse, far-flung family
members, or a lack of activities out of the home, isolation and depression can be very real challenges. Fortunately, moving into an assisted
living or basic care facility can help naturally and organically increase
opportunities for social interaction. This, in turn, could improve emotional
and mental health for the long-term.
Challenges with House
Maintenance
Maintaining a tidy and
well kept home may have been a top priority in younger days. However, according
to House Method, one sign that it may be the right time to move into assisted
living is if it’s getting too difficult to do things around the house. Tasks
such as vacuuming, lawn care, and paying bills on time are essential to your
independence. If you’re having trouble doing day-to-day tasks, can’t keep up
with maintenance of your home, and don’t have a family member or caregiver to
help, assisted living or basic care may be a great solution.
Financial Strain
In many cases, families
or individuals will choose to have at-home care before looking into an assisted
living or basic care facility. However, high levels of at-home care can quickly
add up, making an assisted living or basic care facility a wiser financial choice. If this is the case, it may be the smartest move for you and
your loved ones to look into the potential for assisted living or basic care.
Aversion to Cooking
Eating healthy foods is
an important part of staying well, whether you’re dealing with longer-term
illnesses or simply looking to live out your years in the best shape you can.
However, if you find it difficult to make food for yourself to the point that
you’re skipping meals, it may be time to look into assisted living. This makes
the tasks of daily life—such as eating well—simpler and far more convenient.
Assisted living or basic
care facilities are designed to make life as pleasurable, comfortable, and
stress-free as possible. If you’re experiencing any of the above signs, it may
be time to look into your assisted living or basic care options.
Here at St. Anne’s, diabetes is something we are frequently addressing; it comes up in our care conferences and other discussions because a good number of our residents have to deal with this ailment every single day.
We’re getting ready for our ‘Autumn Extravaganza,” and need your help!
