319.362.3630 www.garnettplace.net

It’s about coming home… Rolling out the red carpet for you!

Volume 19, Issue 5

202 35th St. Dr. S.E. Cedar Rapids, IA

Garnett Gazette, May 2019

Directory of Information

Leadership Team

Manager: Chris Ruzicka 319.929.6894 manager@garnettplace.net Assistant Manager: Ambika Sharma 319.533.0397 assistantmanaer@garnettplace.net Health Care Coordinator: Lee Thoma, RN 319.929.6892 nurse@garnettplace.net Community Relations Coordinator: Taylor Westaby 319.533.5050 marketing@garnettplace.net Life Enrichment Coordinator: Kari Santos, MA, CTRS 319.533.0441 enrichlife@garnettplace.net Culinary Coordinator: Jeremy Curl 319.533.0409 kitchen@garnettplace.net Maintenance Coordinator: Chris Anderson 319.929.6890 maintenance@garnettplace.net

Welcome

Home

David H.

Transportation

Information:

319.540.3630

Please make appointments

48 hours in advance.

Appointment hours:

8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Monday, Wednesday,

Thursday, Friday.

No drives on

Tuesdays Tuesdays are reserved for trips.

Dining Room Hours

of Operation:

Breakfast:

7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Lunch (Dinner):

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Supper:

4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Times may vary per dining room. Please check with your server.

Guest meals are $5 per person, per meal.

We ask that you notify us

if a guest is eating with you 24 hours in advance.

Additional snacks and beverages available 24/7.

Happy

Birthday!

May 11

Angela H.

May 24

Charles

“Chick” A.

Maple Syrup

W e were lucky to have such a

beautiful warm day to go out

to Indian Creek Nature

Center. Our residents learned

all about the process of collecting maple

sugar sap and turning it into syrup. After our

nice walk out to the “sugar shack,” they were

able to enjoy an ice cream cone topped with

maple syrup. We hope you enjoy this sneak

peek photo, look for more from our outing

inside this issue.

May Activity

Highlights

May 3

Garnett Derby

May 7

Nurse’s Week

Donut Social

May 10

Mother’s Day Dance

May 13

Learning series with

Prairie Woods

May 13

Armchair Traveler

“Interesting Places to

Visit”

May 16

Noelridge

Greenhouse Tour

May 27

S’mores

Activities Continuing Education Series

Snack and Learn with Elderkin & Pirnie: Legal Check Up

Tuesday, May 28 at 2:00 p.m.

Todd Anderson with Elderkin & Pirnie will have an interactive discussion that will

cover all aspects of estate planning including Wills, Revocable Trust

Agreements, Powers of Attorney and Advance Directives, as well as probate and

trust administrations. Audience participation and questions will be actively

encouraged. Please bring any topics that you are interested in discussing.

Community Reminders

The walking trail is currently closed for

construction. We’ll let you know as soon

as it has been reopened.

Please help keep our community

beautiful by placing all cigarette butts in

the designated red smoking bins outside.

Transportation Reminders

Construction season is upon us. Please remember to be on time for your drive

appointments. The extra time is to make sure we get you there on time, especially

with traffic and construction.

A Look Back

We Want To Keep You On Your Feet!

T he number one reason people over the age

of 65 experience injuries is because of

falling. There are many reasons for senior

falls. One of biggest reasons is poor

balance. Causes of poor balance could be inner ear

disorders, viral inflammation around the

labyrinthine nerve, other nerve disorders, vision

problems, diabetes, medications and muscle loss.

The loss of muscle mass is a very big problem for

older adults. Studies have shown that older adults

who do not exercise, or are very inactive, tend to

lose 3 – 5 oz. of muscle mass per year. Regular

exercise is one of the most important tools for

seniors seeking to avoid injurious falls. Studies

have shown that exercising can increase muscle

strength and mass, thus improving balance. The

best way that we at Garnett Place can help to keep

you “on your feet” is to offer a great exercise

program like Live 2 B Healthy® three times per

week. The program has proven to help seniors

improve both balance and overall strength. Live 2

B Healthy® Trainers are all Certified Personal

Trainers, experienced in working with the senior

population. They are familiar with the special

challenges that come with age, and they know how

to customize specially-designed exercises to fit the

specific needs of each resident. I encourage you to

join the class each

Monday, Wednesday

and Friday at

10:15am, in the 202

Activity Room!

Chris Ruzicka, Manager

I bet everyone is super excited for warm

weather. May brings in very pleasant weather

and tends to be the city's least humid month.

That means we can engage ourselves in

different outdoor activities. Please check your

activities calendar as we are going to have lots of

activities coming up. Just make sure that you have

your hats and sunscreen on to avoid getting a burn

Please drink plenty of water because it is very

important to keep your body hydrated all the time

especially in this hot weather.

My husband Binod and I are planning for a road trip

on Memorial Day weekend. We haven’t decided

where to go yet. I am also looking forward to lots of

outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and

camping in this warm weather. Our goal is to be

active as much as we can by engaging in different

outdoor activities.

In April, I spent my time teaching Nepali Dance to

kids for the Nepali New Year event in Iowa City. The

event was so successful. I had a great time with all

the kids. They were so excited to perform on the

stage in front of everyone. Our group performed

about 20 minutes on the stage showcasing various

Nepali dance forms, and everyone loved it.

I hope you all have a wonderful month. Please call or stop by at the front desk if you need anything.

Ambika Sharma, Assistant Manager

Coordinator Greetings

Your Resident Council Representatives

We’re here to represent you.

Shirley J. Velda M. Berta P. Carol S. Robert T.

Indian Creek Nature Center: Maple Syrup Marvelous May

Ding-a-Lings perform at City Hall

Big Plans for May

M ay is my favorite month of the year, not only because it’s my birthday but also because it’s finally getting warm outside! I am very much

looking forward to the Dementia Education Series kicking off on May 3. Garnett Place has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association to bring to you important topics like signs of dementia, understanding dementia, communication, behaviors, conversations and holiday tips. The series will be hosted on the 1st Friday of each month at 12:00 p.m. in the 202 activity room. If you have any questions, just ask! Also, don’t miss out on getting your senior photo taken on May 12 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the courtyard. Garnett Place will print out as many copies you would like for you to share with your family.

I will be out of the office for a couple days in May for my birthday, I’m going to Chicago with my mom to celebrate. We are looking forward to trying some new foods and exploring Chi-town for a couple days. Two of my cousins, Lindan and Dane are graduating from high school the following weekend so we will be attending their ceremonies. Lindan is going to be a nurse and Dane is going to be an engineer. I will also be going to Nashville the last weekend in May for my best friend Alyx’s, bachelorette party. I am the maid of honor in the wedding so I have a lot of planning to do and she is getting married on Labor Day weekend. I have a lot to be celebrating in May and very much looking forward to it!

Taylor Westaby, Community Relations Coordinator

Coordinator Greetings

May Flu Bugs?

E veryone seems to be doing a great job here at Garnett Place of staying healthy. But still, we can not take precautions for

granted. Good hand washing and sanitizing are the best defenses against bacteria. There is hand sanitizer at all the entry doors for residents and family members to use coming in or going out. Please take advantage of these for added protection.

On nice days open a window in your apartment if you can and get some fresh air in. Get outside for a little bit when it’s nice and get some sunshine and fresh air. In the dining area or with groups of people cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Throw all Kleenex away; place in your pocket if you cannot throw them away immediately, do not lay them on tables or furniture.

Finally, if you feel you have flu symptoms, let the nurse or one of the health aids know. Please stay in your apartment and rest during this time, to not expose others. Sick trays will be provided for you along with any assistance you may require from staff. Thank you all for your cooperation.

Lee Thoma, RN, Health Care Coordinator

Podiatrist (foot doctor) will be visiting on July 2.

A Look Back

Filling Easter Eggs

University of Iowa Art Program

Guy’s Trip

Arnie loves to get out of the

community, travel around,

and see the world. One of

the places Arnie really

enjoys going to is the local

casino. He’ll often take time

with family and friends to

go test his luck.

For his Dare to Dream, we

decided to give him a real

guy’s day out. He and Steve

(our Transportation

Specialist), took a trip

down to Riverside Casino.

They had a great day of food, luck, and laughter. It turned out to be a

good day as everyone came home in the black.

Thank you for letting us have a special day with you, Arnie! We’re

happy we can help you keep doing the activities you love.

Maybe it’s May

C an anyone else believe that April is over already and we’re looking at May? I know I can’t believe it. May is shaping up to be a very busy month.

We’ll be celebrating Mother’s and Other’s with a Dance on May 10. Tim and Kathy Hulse will perform and give a dancing demonstration. Please invite your loved ones to attend with you. We’ll also be going back to Noelridge Greenhouse for our annual Mother’s Day trip. Please make sure you register for this one early, as it usually fills up quickly.

May also brings us the Kentucky Derby. Therefore we’re going to have our annual Garnett Place Derby (horse race). Get your big hats and mint juleps ready! Don’t forget to check out the horses and get ready to bet your bingo bucks on the one that looks like a winner.

Did you know that Garnett Place has its own Facebook? That’s right, we’ve finally branched out. If you’d like to follow our Facebook page and check out activities, events, photos, and more please visit www.facebook.com/GarnettPlace to see more.

I look forward to having a wonderful May with you.

Kari Santos, MA, CTRS Life Enrichment Coordinator

Coordinator Greetings

244 Days Until the Year End

E njoy the warm weather before it gets supper hot. As some of you may have noticed, in April we installed a new fire alarm system. This will

help us by providing a better monitoring system to protect all of our residents and our buildings. If you have any questions about the new system or other suggestions for improvements around the building, please let me know

Chris Anderson, Maintenance Coordinator

May Changes

A pril had been an up and down month

weather wise. With May approaching I

hope we are all clear of the cold

weather. We’ve had the new menu for

a month now. I’ve been receiving feedback on it,

so I will make changes accordingly. Some of these

changes will include introducing new items and

making sure the pizza party is on the schedule. I

apologize for the inconvenience.

On a family note, it’s been an eventful start to spring. My oldest daughter got her braces off, and my middle child decided to give herself a haircut. My youngest is just still all over the place having fun playing with trucks and cars. Well I hope you all get out and enjoy the nice weather before it gets too hot.

Jeremy Curl, Culinary Coordinator

Dare to Dream

A Look Back

Easter

Dan & Debbie’s Creamery