SEM Haven - Monthly Update

Monthly Update, December 2007

CHRISTMAS SAMPLER - You should have received your invitation for our holiday open house on Thursday, December 13^th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. All families are invited to experience the holidays, SEM style: Visit the different households to see our decorations and have some refreshments. Entertainment will begin in the Gathering Room at 6:30 and end with a special service in our chapel at 7:30.

We ask that all families RSVP to the activity leader on your household so we know which residents will need volunteer or staff escorts to enjoy this terrific evening. This is what the holidays are all about - please join your loved ones for this special event.

EDEN ALTERNATIVE - Our Resident/Staff Holiday parties will be Thursday December 20 at 2:00 pm. Each household plans its individual party and they all take place simultaneously. Over the past couple of years this has been one of our most popular events with the majority of residents and staff participating. In addition, the households are decorating the halls and planning other fun events!

HOUSEHOLD HAPPENINGS - In November Kugler Woods went for a fall ride and had lunch at Montgomery Inn Boathouse. For Thanksgiving the residents and staff prepared a wonderful candle-lit dinner. We had a violinist and ended up in a fiddling fun time. We also have been working on crafts for the bazaar. Boy did the month go by fast!
Ripple Ridge had a formal Holiday Dinner on November 16. 85 staff, residents, and family members enjoyed a home cooked meal prepared by Kelli. The residents planned the menu of roast pork, twice baked potatoes, corn pudding, cranberry salad, and pumpkin cheesecake. We have decided to go to a steak house for lunch this month. We made little clay snowmen and big fluffy snowmen for the bazaar.
Shumard Rehab Center has decorated for the Christmas season, & we’re all looking forward to the holiday parties. Check out our new portrait of Allan Shumard in his younger days playing his horn.
McCormick Landing went to the Olive Garden for lunch, decorated our hall for the holidays and went to Eastgate Mall Christmas shopping. We are going shopping again sometime in December. We have been extremely busy working on our Christmas crafts. Watch for more up-coming craft sales.
Milcroft Manor is getting ready for Christmas! We will be going to the Mall this month, doing our last minute shopping. The residents and staff decorated the household and have been baking cookies and making special Christmas crafts.
Gatch Grove had a fun “Trim the Tree” party that resident families attended. We have been decorating and making crafts. We really enjoy conversations around our fireplace.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - We will soon be seeing workers again to address some heating issues that came up after construction. Please be patient as we fine-tune our systems.

VOLUNTEERS HOLIDAY PARTY - The Holiday party for our volunteers will be on Wednesday, December 27 at 2:00 pm. Chaplain Bill has a fun afternoon planned!

THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE!

Many residents share part of the holiday with relatives or friends. Please let us know in advance so that we can have residents, and their medications, ready.
Many of you have been asking about gifts for staff. Staff cannot receive individual gifts, but you are free to send something for the whole household or facility. We always appreciate donations to our employee fund which we use for on-going staff recognitions, including our annual employee appreciation dinner.
Another reminder: Christmas gifts need to be checked in to the nurse’s station so that they can be properly marked with resident’s name.
A great idea for Christmas gifts - personalized leaves for our giving tree. Also, we have beauty shop gift certificates. Please call Toni in the Business Office.
Please feel free to decorate resident rooms; however the fire marshal does not permit a lot of flammable decorations, so keep it simple! Also, no unapproved extension cords are allowed.
Please check the activities calendar for other events, including many entertainers!

SOCIAL EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS: Dec. 8^th - Girl Scout Tree Decorating; 12^th - "4 Hands, 1 Piano" Carolyn Pratt & Jim Walton will play a piano duet; 15^th - Brownie Troop Christmas Craft; 19^th - Milford Mom’s Santa Visit; 21^st - Christmas Carols with Roseanne Schaffer on the piano; 22^nd - The Danneman Family Singers; 24^th - Christmas Eve Service; 25^th - Jackie McCoy Family Concert; 31^st - New Years Eve Party with Linda Valery.

Kugler Woods (Assisted Living) - December 4^th – 2:00 finish crafts; 6^th - 2:00 make baked goods; 7^th - craft bazaar; 24^th - 2:00 Surprise gift game; 25^th - 10:30 Christmas carols with Suzanne Gregg; 26^th - 10:00 Come meet "Table top cornhole"; 31^st - 6:30 New Years Eve Bash with "The Merry Moores".

Happy Holidays!
Barb Wolf,
Administrator