HERE THEY ARE !

Meet the  2012 Valentine's Day Royalty -- King Jeff McCoy and Queen Dawn Jackson!

Our Valentine's Day Royalty invites all of their loyal subjects to the Valentine's Day Party on Tuesday, February 14 at 2:00 p.m.  Join them for great entertainment and refreshments. 

NEW BABIES !!!

Congratulations to Nursing Assistant Basra Osman on the birth of her grandson.  Baby Kowrah weighed in at 9 pounds, 7 ounces and was 25 inches long.  Mom, dad, baby and Grandma Basra are all doing just fine! 
And congratulations to TMA Berra Toka and his wife Banchi on the birth of their daughter.   Eden weighed in at 9 pounds 8 ounces and was 21.5 inches long.

WELCOME
On Thursday, February 23rd, several children from the Learning for Leadership Charter School will be helping with a snack time and Dollar Bingo event. The children will be here at 1:30 p.m.  All residents are welcome to join us for an afternoon of fun and a chance to make new friends.

SPRING BAKE SALE & PICTURES WITH THE EASTER BUNNY!
When:  Friday, April 6, 2012
Time:    9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Where: Bywood East Health Care
             
Save yourself some time during the Easter holiday by purchasing your homemade baked goods & Easter Baskets all in one place.  While you're here, have your photo taken with the Easter Bunny and enjoy a grilled hot dog, chips and pop.

Baked goods:
If you are donating baked goods, please bring them in on Thursday, April 5, 2012.
You may bring your baked goods in to us plated, priced and labeled, or we will do it for you!
Easter Basket donations: 
Large and small baskets.   Assorted candies like Peeps, chocolates and individually wrapped candies, and anything that is pre-wrapped.  Colorful shredded paper or traditional "Easter" grass.  Clear plastic bags to wrap the baskets in.  We will assemble the baskets on April 3 at 9:00 a.m.  Please volunteer your assistance if you are available on this date.
For more information please contact Mary Farnham at 612-788-9757 or farnhamm@aol.com.
All proceeds support our Residents' Sunshine Club.

PLEASE NOTE
The sound on the T.V. will be turned down at 10:00 p.m. and all T.V.'s in this building will be turned off at 10:30 p.m. The T.V. in the 3rd floor dayroom will be shut off at 1:00 a.m. on Friday & Saturday nights only. Residents cannot walk into any of the rooms and change the channel on the T.V. or radio.   You must ask, and vote on the channel to be watched.  If you see this happen, please notify a member of our staff.  All disagreements will be settled by the staff and may result in the T.V. being turned off.

SUPPLIES NEEDED!
Do you have any old audio equipment that still works but you no longer use?  We are looking for donations of portable radios and audio cassette players (*Walkman*-type), as well as headphones, for our residents* use.  Our residents prefer the older type of headphones that go over the head, NOT the in the ear (*ear-bud*) type.  If you have any equipment that you would like to donate, please bring it in to Crystal Langerud in Social Services.

VOLUNTEERS, FAMILY MEMBERS & FRIENDS WE NEED YOU!
Shopping Trip-Thursday, February 9-9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Valentine's Day Party-Tuesday, February 14-1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Coffee Party-Wednesday, February 15-1:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Birthday Party-Monday, February 20-1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.

RESIDENTS' COUNCIL
There were 20 residents at the January 10, 2012, meeting.  Our next meeting is on Tuesday, February 14, at 9:30 a.m.   The current Resident Council Co-Presidents are Joyce Ammerman and Dawn Jackson.  Mary Farnham is the designated staff liaison.
OLD BUSINESS:
The minutes from the December 2011 meeting were read and approved.

ACTION FORMS:
The action forms that were submitted asked for a milk/juice/sandwich machine and a change machine. 

Our owners have indicated that the food machines would not be a wise choice due to the special diets that many residents require.

Residents in attendance were surprised by these requests and that people actually wanted to pay for items that were already a part of their meals and snack time. 

A change machine would not be needed because there are other options.
Some of those options include getting change daily from the bookkeeping department or the pop machine which gives change for a one dollar bill.    Please ask staff for assistance.

NEW BUSINESS:
Upcoming parties and events for the month of January and February were announced.

PROJECTS:
There will be a Residents' Council Hot Dog Fundraiser on Monday, February 7, 2011, from
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.   All proceeds will go to the resident Sunshine Club.

We will be working on our cancer cap project through March 2012.  For more information please call Mary Farnham at 612-788-9757 or email her at farnhamm@aol.com.

EDUCATION
PROPER HANDWASHING CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE!  Chances are you don't wash your hands as much as you should.  There are 52 million cases of the common cold each year in the U.S.  and more than 250 types of food borne illnesses.  Did you know that the human influenza virus can survive on surfaces from 2 to 8 hours?  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued strong advisories on the importance of practicing regular, proper handwashing.   Proper handwashing is the first line of defense against germs;  it begins with warm water and soap.  While antibacterial soap has its usefulness, regular soap will do just as well.  The key is to lather up your hands and rub vigorously for at least 15 to 20 seconds.  Remember to wash the tops of your hands, as well as your fingers and nails.  Rinse thoroughly with warm water and dry well. Some suggest singing "Happy Birthday" or the ABC's to wash the proper amount of time. In a pinch, when no sink is available, there are a number of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizers that will make do until you can reach a sink.