August 2011 - Harry Meyering Center

Harry Meyering Center, Inc. Employee Newsletter
August 2011
We received a notice that if the State shutdown, so would the MRCI workshop. This shutdown would affect Steve and Roy at House #12. Staff picked up extra hours during the day and the challenge became how to keep them busy. After a few calls I found some volunteer hours for Steve at the ECHO Food Shelf and asked if he could try it to see if he liked volunteering there. Steve went one morning and continued to sign up each day for the following day. Steve really enjoyed volunteering at the ECHO Food Shelf. Steve has now returned to work. Staff was also very creative in finding things that Roy would like to do during the day. Thanks to all the staff for picking up extra hours to make their days enjoyable. From Linda Thomas, SLC The weekend of July 9th and 10th was a very important one for many of the individuals served at the Harry Meyering Center. This weekend was the first ever full play performance for the actors of Aktion Club Theatre. Donna of House 2, was cast in the play “The Soph and the Nana” as the elderly, forest dwelling, Nana. Donna, being a person who tends to have high anxiety, faced many challenges with this role. At practices she would often become anxious and bite her hand or request to leave. A few weeks before the performance her staff, Amanda Deslauriers, was asked if Donna needed a pre‐medication to reduce her anxiety for the performance. She responded by saying, “No, I will get her through it.” Amanda faced this challenge head on. She creatively found ways to entertain, redirect, and distract Donna so her anxiety would not be seen on stage. Amanda’s hard work and creative thinking portrayed Donna in a very We value planning for and positive light. From the audience’s viewpoint Donna was responding to challenges with seen as the excited, fun loving actress that she is. Great job creativity and innovation Amanda and Donna! From Heather Duncanson, SLC Get your Valleyfair tickets for a fun day at the park right here at HMC for a DISCOUNT!!! **Regular admission at the park is $41.99 ‐‐ HMC price is $27.00; that’s a savings of $14.99 per ticket!! **Why not save money on parking? We have parking tickets for $9.00; that’s a savings of $1 per car!! You will need to park anyway, save the $1; that’s one more game for you at the Games Midway area. With over 30 games to choose from, you're sure to be a winner! **We also have the Junior/Senior tickets for $10.00 (3 years & older and less than 48" tall, or 62 years & older). A great day of Fun in the Sun is waiting for you; why not enjoy it at a Discounted rate!! Please see Jami or Jen in Human Resources (Main Office, 109 Homestead Road) to purchase your tickets today!! CASH SALES ONLY; please come with exact change, we will not be able to provide you change back. $27.00 ‐‐ Regular Tickets (Ages 3‐61 & 48" & taller) $10.00 ‐‐ All New ‐ Junior/Senior Tickets (3 years & older and less than 48" tall, or 62 years & older) $9.00 – Parking Tickets ‐ Standard Vehicles (Any vehicle using only one parking space) Wonderful News!
A big Welcome to Shari Rolloff, our new SLS Nurse! You’re going to like it! Congratulations to all the consumers and staff who put on Soph And The Nana at Mankato West High School Auditorium 7/9 and 7/10. It was a fabulous production, and the large crowds were quite entertained. Supporting this play greatly exemplified HMC’s Value of the Month; We Value planning for and responding to challenges with creativity and innovation. HMC staff saw immediately what Wilber Frink and the Aktion Club Theater were trying to do, and they realized what they had to do to help and support the consumers and the production. And you all did it for practices and rehearsals for over a year! So a big Thank You to the ‘supporters,’ – Linda Thomas, Martha Hartman, Jill Huemoeller, AJ Walkingstick, Amanda Deslauriers, and their extra elves Jake and Nick, and anyone else I may be missing or forgetting. —‐ John Ganey Thank you to the staff at 24 for doing such a great job covering shifts while I was on mater‐
nity leave! Thank you Callie for doing such an awesome job as SLC! It was great to come back and have everything taken care of! ‐
Shannon Russell •
Thanks to Cara for doing an excellent job taking Shirley’s place while she’s gone. You are really a quick learner! • Thanks to Ashley Flaten for helping out the week Cara was gone. It really helped and I really appreciate it! ~Connie Dirckx 2
I would like to thank all the staff at House #12 for all their help and support to help Andy, Steve and Timothy get ready for their performance with Aktion Club Theatre. Everyone worked hard to help the men learn their lines for their play. Thanks to Martha for helping Andy be successful with his part. I would also like to thank Jake and Nick for stepping in at the last minute to help Timothy with the perform‐
ance and thank you to the staff who showed their support by coming to watch the play. Thanks, Linda Thomas A note from Katie Shabrack: ICF care and nursing staff ‐ Awesome job working together and assisting 2 clients as needed during Cowboy Jim’s performance! Great example of teamwork! Lisa B‐(SLS) You do a great job with the ladies!!!! But, you were es‐
pecially amazing the last few months with one in particular and helping her transition to her new home. Judi‐ Thanks for helping with the “Wall” for the Ice‐cream social!!! Erin A‐ (SILS) Thanks for always being so willing to fill in for me on Fridays over the summer so I could attend some important family events. Apartment 3 Co‐Leads: Stephanie Miller & Erin McKee This month Myra went to the play “Annie”. She was smiling at the male lead the entire time he was on stage. She really seemed to enjoy the play and all the music. At the end she did not want to leave. Monica has been going to the lake and went swimming at Spring Lake Park earlier this month. After some encouraging she finally went in but stayed close to her staff the entire time. Overall she seemed to have a good time. Donna also went the 4th of July pa‐
rade in Mankato. She was laughing and pointing at all the floats. She loved seeing all the dogs too! This month the men of apartment 1b have been able to enjoy the warm weather and stay cool during the heat wave. Rick enjoyed seeing the parade on the fourth of July. He also finished up his art class and spent the day at the arboretum touring the grounds of flowers, trees, and beautiful scenery. He also has been able to visit quite often with his fam‐
ily this month even seeing a relative from Florida. Louis went swimming this month at Spring Lake Park. He had a great time wading in the water keeping cool. He also went to see fire‐
works on the 4th of July and had a great time! John has been enjoying lazy afternoons on hot days wad‐
ing in his new pool. He also has been having fun trying out all the cold drinks at Caribou on the week‐
ends! He also goes walking at Sibley Park and always wants to keep walking! Richard has gone to music several times this month at Pub 500 and at Sibley Park to hear bands. He also spent the hot days inside keeping cool watching a few funny movies. He is excited for cooler weather to be able to use his outdoor swing more! The men wish everyone a delightful month of August and stay cool! Apt 1 Co‐Leads: Melanie Anhorn and Michelle Brunn 3
Man‐o‐man has Apt 2 had a lot to do this month. Clinton has been spending a lot of his time outside. He was able to go to Mully’s on Madison and had a great time listening to the band, dancing and singing. He also got to attend the live bands at Riverfront Park on the 4th and got to spend a lot of time at the park. Clinton continues to swing whenever he has the chance and even got to see his brother this month. Clinton was supposed to meet for a picnic with his brother at the park but instead due to the heat, Clinton’s brother was able to come and visit Clinton at his home. Lon has had a great month with it being jam packed full of activities. Lon was able to go swimming at Spring Lake Park and seemed to have a ton of fun. Even on the 4th he got to go to see the fireworks and seemed really excited about that. Lon was able to visit with his sis‐
ter this month also, she came over to visit and even had him over to her house to spend the night. You can really tell he loves spending time with her because he can never stop smiling when you talk about her. Not only did Lon get to do a bunch of fun activities outside, but he finally saved up enough money to buy a new Wii game to play on the days when it is too hot to go outside. He really enjoys his new game and likes it when staff plays with him. Doug finally got to take his fishing pole out for a try this year! He went to Madison Lake to go fishing and even though he didn’t catch any fish, he seemed to have a great time being out by the water and trying to catch the big fish he could see that would swim by. Doug is just awaiting his next op‐
portunity to get back out to try and catch a fish the next time. Doug also was able to at‐
tend the 4th of July parade in St.Peter. He was really fo‐
cused on all of the parade floats and was really excited to see a John Deere tractor and a giant cow float. He even received tons of candy and a puzzle! Doug also got the chance to go on an outing to Applebees this month; he got the hamburger special and a pop and seemed to have a great time while he was there. Apartment 2 Co‐Leads: Tessa Huber and Kara Vollmer Great Events!
On Saturday June 11th HMC celebrated the start of summer with over 90 HMC clients and staff in attendance, enjoying another musical performance by the band "Attitude" at our outdoor summer Hawaiian beach party. The sun was out and shining, it was also great seeing several clients in their Ha‐
waiian & beach clothes! Everyone had a great time dancing or just sitting in the shade enjoying the music. A huge delicious fruit salad was also enjoyed.... Of course, a Ha‐
waiian beach party wouldn't be complete without a special guest appearance by Elvis Presley himself! The band gave out cds for all of their fans and Elvis gave out red scarf’s to the ladies. Fun was had by all! A very special thanks to the band for donating their time again this year for this event! By Katie Shabrack 4
COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT WEEK Prairie Restoration Project Harry Meyering Center will be sponsoring its annual Prairie Restoration Project on Saturday, September 24 in conjunction with Minneopa State Park and the Department of Natural Resources. The event kicks off at Minneopa State Park with a bring‐your‐own picnic from 11:30 ‐12:30. Participants will then gather, sort, and scatter the seeds from wild flowers and grasses in hopes of restoring native plants from 12:30 – 2 p.m. The day will end with snacks and beverages provided by HMC. Individuals served and staff must sign up by Wednesday, September 7. Make certain to mention the number of vehicle permits that are needed, we need to reserve them in advance! (All other vehicles will be required to purchase day parking stickers.) Please submit the form on page 5 to Judy A or Katie S For more information contact: Judy A or Katie S. at 507.387.8281 Who:
What:
When: Community Enrichment Week Minneopa State Park Kickoff
People served by Harry Meyering Center, staff, and invited guests Collect, sort, and scatter the seeds of wild flowers and grasses in hopes of restoring the native plants Saturday, September 24 11:30 p.m. Bring your own sack lunch picnic 12:30 p.m. Collect, sort, and scatter seeds 2:00 p.m. Snacks and beverages Where: Minneopa State Park, Falls Shelter 54497 Gadwall Road Mankato, MN 56001 Please bring gloves, clippers, hats, bug spray, sunscreen, and water. It is suggested that pants and long sleeves be worn. This event may occur on a high pollen day – be prepared. To sign up for this event please return this form to Judy Arzdorf or Katie Shabrack or contact them by phone at (507) 387‐8281 by Wednesday, September 7. Names are required for participation and will be submitted to Minneopa State Park staff. (This in‐
cludes all staff/advisors.) Vehicles transporting participants for the event are eligible for free parking stickers; these stickers must be requested with this form. (All other vehicles will be required to pur‐
chase day parking stickers.) Requested stickers will be available at check‐in the day of the event. Name(first and last): ‐‐‐__________________________________________________ Name(first and last): ‐‐‐__________________________________________________ Name(first and last): ‐‐‐__________________________________________________ Name(first and last): ‐‐‐__________________________________________________ Name(first and last): ‐‐‐__________________________________________________ Name(first and last): ‐‐‐__________________________________________________ Name(first and last): ‐‐‐__________________________________________________ Name(first and last): ‐‐‐______________________________________________ (Please list additional names on back if needed.) Name of Site/Program: _________________________________________________ Number of Vehicle Stickers Required: __________ Phone Number to contact in case of cancellation the day of the event: ____________ 5
Staff Recognition
This month we recognize the DSP Supervisors & Home Coordinators for ICF & PE
ICF
Homestead
Amanda Schmidt
ICF DSP Day
Supervisor
Marissa Humburg
ICF DSP
Supervisor
Cassi Vacek
Home Coordinator
Stephanie Menke
ICF DSP
Courtney Mahlman
Home and Health
Assistant
Dar Heffron
ICF Night Shift
Supervisor
Samantha Attleson
ICF Assistant Night
Shift Supervisor
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Prairie’s Edge
Rick’s
Blog
Michelle Brunn asked Rick: When the weather is too hot to be outside, what are we supposed to do?! Michelle, When it’s too hot, you stay inside! Being inside is not nearly as fun as outside, but you just have to be creative like me and think of fun things to do. I enjoyed watching the TWINS ball games from the comfort of my own room instead of being at the game. You can also watch movies, read a nice book, and tackle on that cleaning project you keep putting off, or make up a new game to play with friends. Staying cool and hav‐
ing fun are easy to do inside! I hope we don’t have to have another heat wave though! Sincerely, Rick Madsen
If you have a question for Rick, you can contact him at: icf‐apt1b@harrymeyeringcenter.org Get to know our Nurses!!
Name: Rebecca Nickell
Amount of Nursing Experience: I graduated in May and recently
passed the boards, so my experience is limited, although this will
change.
Family: I have two brothers and one sister, I am the oldest.
Pets: I have a cat whose name is Arwen.
Hobbies/Interests: I love watching movies; one of my favorites is
“Lord of the Rings.” I love to read, and also spending time with family and friends.
Goals: My goal is to learn everything about the consumers that we serve, and also all the staff’s
names.
What do you like about HMC? I like all my co-workers, they have been very supportive and they
have taught me a lot, which I greatly appreciate. I also enjoy getting to know the consumers, and
providing medical needs that they may require.
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Upcoming In-services at HMC
August: September: Values 8/3/2011 – 1:00pm to 2:00pm 8/16/2011 ‐ 9:30am to 10:30am Alternatives to Physical Intervention 8/10/2011 – 1:00pm to 3:00pm Rule 40 8/8/2011 – 3:00pm to 4:00pm Defensive Driving 8/15/2011 – 1:00pm to 1:30pm Fire Safety 8/11/2011 – 9:30am to 10:30am CPR and First Aid – Full Course 8/1/2011 – 12:00pm to 4:30pm 8/30/2011 – 10:00am to 2:30pm CPR and First Aid – Recertification 8/3/2011 – 2:00pm to 3:30pm 8/15/2011 – 2:00pm to 3:30pm Values 9/7/2011 ‐ 10:30a‐11:30a 9/29/2011 ‐ 1:00p‐2:00p Alternatives to Physical Intervention 9/8/2011 ‐ 10:00a‐12:00p Rule 40 9/6/2011 ‐ 4:00p‐5:30p Defensive Driving 9/6/2011 ‐ 3:00p‐3:30p Fire Safety 9/27/2011 ‐ 9:30a‐10:30a CPR and First Aid – Full Course 9/15/2011 ‐ 9:00a‐1:30p 9/19/2011 ‐ 12:30p‐5:00pm CPR and First Aid – Recertification 9/8/2011 ‐ 12:30p‐2:00p 9/27/2011 ‐ 11:00a‐12:30p To register for an in‐service: Contact the Staff Development Director at one of the following: 1. Call: 625‐1329, ext. 254 – leave a message if necessary 2. Email: jleibbrand@harrymeyeringcenter.org 3. Write a note and route to the Business Office Please leave your full name, date and title of the in‐service(s) you wish to attend. Once signed up for an in‐service, staff are expected to attend the in‐service. Failure to attend will be treated as a no show for a scheduled shift. If you are unable to attend, call the above phone number prior to the in‐service to cancel your registration, a minimum of 24 hours notice is required except in the event of an emergency. What’s Happening at Harry’s is published monthly by Harry Meyering Center, Inc.,
Copyright August 2011
109 Homestead Road, Mankato, MN 56001. (507) 388-8972
Newsletter articles are due on or before the 20th of each month. Concerns/corrections should be directed to the Editor.
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On June 28th the HMC Softball Team hosted a FAN APPRECIATION GAME! We had cookies, punch and most
importantly a GREAT TIME!! Overall there were about 75 fans that came out to cheer on the team. We unfortunately
lost the game that evening, but no one seemed to notice because everyone was having such a great time! THANKS to
Amanda Wilcox and Amy Jo Eischens for helping out. And MOST IMPORTANTLY… THANK YOU to ALL of
OUR LOYAL FANS!! The season just would not be the same without you!
BELOW: The fans do the wave...
ABOVE: Christina and Steph lead a cheer for the fans!
LEFT: Joel Chindvall assists Jen Loeffler to
her feet after she literally crawled to home
plate trying to score after being knocked off
her feet by the catcher.
RIGHT: Group of fans enjoying the game!
LEFT: Nicole Walters at bat, ready to
bring Eric Lund around the bases.
We finished our season in 2nd place!! We have
one more night of playoff games on Tuesday
August 2nd. We play at 6:15pm at JC 2 and if we
win that game, we will play another game at
7:15pm for the League Championship!
FALL BALL LEAGUE...
And for those fans who are not quite ready to give up softball yet, we will have a team playing in the Fall Ball
League. Games will continue to be on Tuesday nights starting the week of August 23rd. We will play for 5 weeks,
with double headers each week
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Job Openings
Featured jobs are listed on our website and will be updated
twice a week—Monday and Thursday.
HMC Employees: Please see all our current job
openings in the Employees Only
section of the
website under Current Job
Welcome new employees
Sara Brown
SLS 9
Emily Endorf
SLS 22
Deanne Fritchman
SLS 18
Hillary Hartwig
SLS 12
Lindsey Kaupa
SLS 27
10
Samantha Kenny
SLS 18
Alissa Style
SLS 22
Brittany Donovan
SLS 9
Joseph Stuewe
SLS 22
Michael Curran
ICF Homestead
Elizabeth Hilligoss
ICF Homestead
Carrie Chum
ICF Homestead
Arielle Mastellar
ICF Homestead
John Powers
ICF Homestead
Ann Shevtsov
ICF Homestead
August Anniversaries & Birthdays
21 Years Lorraine Anderson 18 Years Melissa Steffensmeier 7 Years Katie Weber Jill Huemoeller Kristin Wilson 5 Years Martha Hartman 4 Years Andrea Zenk Hillary Chopp JoAnn Doyscher 3 Years Jessica Petersen 2 Years Kristal Miller Molly Cook Sheila Noska Kelli Cline Lisa Popp Jenna Breck Amanda Danberry Lindsey Vaske Michelle Brunn Jessica Raymond 1 Year Tammy Roemhildt Laura Conn Cynthia Fuller Charles Hunt 11
August 30, 1990 August 27, 1993 August 9, 2004 August 23, 2004 August 31, 2004 August 17, 2006 August 9, 2007 August 23, 2007 August 31, 2007 August 21, 2008 August 6, 2009 August 6, 2009 August 6, 2009 August 6, 2009 August 6, 2009 August 6, 2009 August 6, 2009 August 6, 2009 August 20, 2009 August 20, 2009 August 5, 2010 August 5, 2010 August 5, 2010 August 5, 2010 Rebecca Meger August 3 Kayla Scott August 3 Brittany Helgeson August 3 Lanaya Jones August 3 Tiffani Kuebler August 4 Jessica Raymond August 5 Darcele Kies August 6 Amanda Rader August 6 Dawn Sandborg August 8 John Ganey August 9 James Kline August 9 Connor Murphy August 11 Emily Endorf August 11 Ravy Lieng August 16 Kirsten Loe August 16 Darlene Heffron August 17 Cassandra Vacek August 17 Dimitri Rain August 20 Matthew Strehlow August 21 Jacob Jelen August 22 Lindsey Kaupa August 22 Chelsi Johnson August 24 Abigail Higginbotham August 25 Amanda Danberry August 28 Jenna LaTour August 31 2011 HMC Summer
Softball Schedule
Take me out to the ballgame…
Date
4/26
5/3
5/10
5/17
5/24
5/31
6/7
6/14
6/21
6/28
7/5
7/12
7/19
Time
7:15pm
7:15pm
9:15pm
8:15pm
6:15pm
7:15pm
6:15pm
9:15pm
6:15pm
7:15pm
8:15pm
7:15pm
9:15pm
Field
Caswell
Caswell
Caswell
Caswell
Caswell
SCC 5
Caswell
Caswell
Caswell
Caswell
Caswell
Caswell
Caswell
4
5
4
5
1
Vs.
Peace Lutheran (Rain out)
Horizon Milling (WIN 13-6)
IFS, Inc. (WIN 20-0)
Charter Comm. (WIN 8-5)
Buyfun.com (WIN 17-7)
LendSmart Mortgage (WIN 10-0)
1
Long Dog Apparel (LOSS 14-10)
5
Peace Lutheran (Rain out)
2
Horizon Milling (WIN 14-9)
3
IFS, Inc. (LOSS 13-7)
2 Charter Comm. (WIN 16-5)
4 Peace Lutheran (WIN 22-17)
5 Peace Lutheran (WIN 15-4)
HMC Finished the Season in 2nd Place!!!!!!!!
PLAYOFFS: 7/26 9:15pm Charter Comm. (WIN 15-5)
8/2
6:15pm
If HMC wins, we play again at 7:15pm
ADDRESSES TO FIELDS:
Caswell – off of Howard Dr. in North Mankato (for Caswell 5 & 6 park behind the
North Mankato Fire Station for closest access)
SCC – behind South Central College at James Drive and Tower Ave
SEE YOU AT THE GAME!!
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Remember as an employee of HMC, you are expected to comply with the dress code during ALL working hours… this means not only during your scheduled work shifts, but when you attend inservices, staff meetings, and appointments. You are a role model for the people we serve and are expected to represent yourself as a professional. Appropriate footwear: • Good supporting • Back straps on sandals • NO Flip Flips Appropriate pants: • Jeans or Khakis • Fingertip length shorts • No short shorts • No sweatpants or athletic pants UNLESS working out with a person served Appropriate tops: • T‐shirts or sweatshirts • Sweaters • Nice shirts or blouses • NO spaghetti straps Remove hats All clothes need to be clean and good repair and not contain offensive language or images. REMEMBER—if you can see up it, down it or through it — It should not be worn to work. 13