National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

11111 River Hills Drive
Burnsville, MN 55337
(952)890-8553
October 2015
As The Rivers Runs
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its
cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected
by breast cancer.
NBCAM was founded in 1985 as a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division
of Imperial Chemical Industries (now part of AstraZeneca, producer of several anti-breast cancer drugs). The aim of
the NBCAM from the start has been to promote mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast
cancer.[1]
In 1993 Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of the Estée Lauder Companies founded The Breast Cancer
Research Foundation and established the pink ribbon as its symbol, though this was not the first time the ribbon was
used to symbolize breast cancer. In the fall of 1991, the Susan G. Komen Foundation had handed out pink ribbons to
participants in its New York City race for breast cancer survivors.
Here are some recommendations for early breast cancer detection for women (Women age 40 and older should have a
mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health):
Current evidence supporting mammograms is even stronger than in the past. In particular, recent evidence has confirmed that mammograms offer substantial benefit for women in their 40s. Women can
feel confident about the benefits associated with regular mammograms for finding cancer
early. However, mammograms also have limitations. A mammogram can miss some cancers, and it may lead to follow up of findings that are not cancer.
Women should be told about the benefits and limitations linked with yearly mammograms.
But despite their limitations, mammograms are still a very effective and valuable tool for
decreasing suffering and death from breast cancer.
Mammograms should be continued regardless of a woman’s age, as long as she does not
have serious, chronic health problems such as congestive heart failure, end-stage renal
disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and moderate to severe dementia. Age
alone should not be the reason to stop having regular mammograms. Women with serious
health problems or short life expectancies should discuss with their doctors whether to
continue having mammograms.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to be committed to make a difference in our Resident’s life by providing quality services that
promote a healthy, active and caring environment through excellent customer service.
Page 2
Memories
Friends enjoying the day
Touring the Norway House
Anthony
Shore as
Elvis
The raptor center is for the birds
The Rivers Staff and Rivers Healthcare are here to serve you!
Sarah McDonagh, Executive Director ……………………
Linda Ulrich, Director of Sales and Marketing …………...
Ellie Braun, Director of Resident Relations ………………
Jim Rowland, Director of Plant Operations ………………
Cheryl DeVowe, Business Office Manager ………………
Kim Bendickson, Director of Culinary Services ………….
Joe Johnson, Director of Life Enrichment ………………..
Jenessa Cahow (RN), Director of Health Services ……...
LPN Office …………………………………………………...
The Rivers’ Beauty Salon …………………………………..
952-890-0173
952-703-2949
952-890-8174
952-703-2941
952-703-2942
952-703-2940
952-703-2945
952-895-5808
952-703-2982
952-703-2943
Emergency Phone Numbers
Maintenance Cell: 612-867-8051
The Rivers’ Healthcare: 952-895-5805
On-Call pager: 763-544-0315
Office Telephone: 952-890-8553
Page 3
Resident Spotlight - Connie Davis
Allow me to introduce Connie Davis,
who with her husband Gary, is a new
resident at The Rivers. Connie has led
a quiet and interesting life. She grew
up in Humboldt, a small town in North
Central Iowa, the youngest of four children. Connie’s dad was a butcher for
Hormel, and her mother died of breast
cancer when she was only six. But Connie says her three
older brothers made life enjoyable by dotting on her,
making life good.
Connie describes herself as a home body. She enjoyed
playing the piano, reading, and cooking, she says her favorite book was about Helen Keller. Her go-to recipe was
cinnamon rolls, until she left one pan in the oven by
mistake. As the story is told, she made a large number of
pans of rolls, and forgot one in the oven…after a few
times using the oven her father found a not too appetizing
pan of cinnamon “char”!
After high school Connie moved to the Twin Cities where
she worked in the office of Napco, a company that
supplies parts to the military. She also worked in the
accounting office of Braun’s Fashion department store.
Connie met her husband Marlin in 1977 and they married
in 1979. They had six children, five living, who are
scattered around the Twin Cities. Connie lost Marlin in
2001 from a heart attack.
Connie met her second husband, Gary, at church where
she was friends with his family. While helping Gary get
settled after his wife’s death, they took a break sitting on a
cedar chest, when Gary popped the question…”Will you
marry me?” They kept the chest until they moved to The
Rivers. They married in 2004 and melded her five and his
three children into a modern day “Brady Bunch”. Connie
is pleased to report how the eight get along and have now
given Connie and Gary fifteen grandchildren with one on
the way! They range in ages from 3 to 13.
Connie and Gary filled their lives with traveling the
United States. Their goal was to go to as many national
parks as possible. They made it to 20 of the 47 contiguous
national parks; Colorado being their favorite destination.
Connie and Gary moved into The Rivers
in July when Gary became wheelchair
bound because of failing health and an
unstable spinal. Together they have
adopted their nine week old puppy Callie,
a King Charles Cavalier. Connie says
what she and Gary like the best about living at The Rivers is meeting the wonderful residents and hearing their stories. Today Connie credits her good life and serenity to her dedicating her life to
the Lord in 1983.
Nancy
Don’t miss our….
Fantastic Friday Happy
Hour
Halloween Party
Friday October 30th
3:00 in the Seasons Atrium
Food
Fun
Drinks
Prizes for best costume!
Page 4
Thank you for your service, dedication and inspiration…
Employee
of the Month
Angel
of the Month
Volunteer
of the Month
Mary
Knutson
Dottie
Hedeen
Keith
Egli
Most Inspiring / Healthcare Employee
Star of the Month
of the Month
Dottie
Bridget
Hedeen
Hammerschmidt
Please Welcome Our Newest Resident…
Leonard Peterson
Art Oberg
Dean Miesler
10/1
Jean Schelske
10/22
Eileen Green
10/1
Bev Christiansen
10/22
Jane Fitz
10/3
Arvilla Heath
10/25
Loraine Arneson
10/3
Connie Davis
10/25
Jim Franzen
10/16 Phyllis Hindal
10/25
Marge Anderson
Page 5
Flu Shot Clinic and Health Fair
Complete Care Group will hold a Flu shot clinic and health fair at The Rivers on Wednesday October
21st. This will held from 10:00am to 3:00pm and will be in the Seasons Atrium. Payment for the flu
shots will be billed through your insurance.
Instead of waiting in line for your flu shot, feel free to take advantage of complimentary services provided
by Complete Care Group Providers. This includes:
Ellie Braun
Director of

Resident Relations
Blood Pressure and Vitals check by a registered nurse from Home Care Inc.

Chair Massages from Dee Basten, licensed massage therapist.

Balance testing and fall prevention with a physical therapist from
Legacy Rehabilitation Group.
National Diabetes Awareness Month
Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. Most of the food we eat is turned
into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have
diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should.
This causes sugar to build up in your blood.
Jenessa Cahow, RN
Director of
Health Services
A person with prediabetes has a blood sugar level higher than normal, but not high enough yet for a
diagnosis of diabetes. He or she is at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and other serious health
problems, including heart disease and stroke.
You are at increased risk for developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes if you are 45 years of age or older, are overweight,
have a parent with diabetes, have a sister or brother with diabetes, or physically active less than three times a week. 2 out
of every 5 Americans are expected to develop type 2 diabetes during their lifetime. More than 29 million Americans have
diabetes; 1 in 4 doesn't know.
• 86 million adults – more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults – have prediabetes, where their blood sugar levels are higher than normal
but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.
Research shows that modest weight loss and regular physical activity can help prevent or
delay type 2 diabetes by up to 58% in people with prediabetes. Modest weight loss
means 5% to 7% of body weight, which is 10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person.
Getting at least 150 minutes each week of physical activity, such as brisk walking, also
is important.
The lifestyle change program offered through the National Diabetes Prevention Program, led by CDC, can help participants
adopt the healthy habits needed to prevent type 2 diabetes. You can find a program in your community.
Page 6
Autumn Harvest
For most, depending on where home is, autumn brings us cooler weather, shorter days, and nutritious
fall harvests. One distinctively fall food is squash. The many varieties of squash fall into two cate
gories, summer and winter. Summer squash are tall, thin-skinned, and easily punctured with a
fingernail. Examples are straight neck, crooked neck, and zucchini. Acorn, buttercup, butternut,
Kari Stolz RD, LD hubbard, and spaghetti are identified as winter squash. Winter squash have hard shelled skins with a
Dietitian
hollow seed-filled center. Squash, rich in color, is an excellent, natural source of vitamin A. Vitamin
Consultant
A, the first vitamin to be discovered, is a fat-soluble vitamin. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in fatty
tissue and one must consume some fat in their diet in order for these nutrients to be absorbed. There are two forms of
vitamin A: retinoids which are found in animal foods (dairy
products, fish, and meat) and carotenoids which are found in
plant foods. Many of us are aware of vitamin’s A role in vision;
it stimulates night and color vision. However, vitamin A is also
necessary for normal growth and healthy development. It helps
maintain healthy hair and skin and plays a role in bone growth.
This autumn instead of just carving squash for Halloween, try
cooking and eating squash and enjoy their health benefits, as
well as their variety of wonderful textures and flavors.
The October Theme Night Dinner is:
Norwegian
Menu for the Dinner is…
Norwegian Bread Rolls
Arctic Seafood Bisque- A thick creamy, rich,
Kim Bendickson
Director of
Culinary Services
creamy soup that contains shellfish
Fresh fruit, or Garden Salad also available
Entrées:
Lamb & Cabbage Casserole- Lamb and Cabbage slow cooked in gravy.
Norwegian Parsley Potatoes- Baby red potatoes steamed and tossed with butter, fresh parsley,
and fresh marjoram.
or
Poached Salmon and Dill Sauce- Salmon poached and topped with a dill sauce made with yogurt, cider vinegar, cucumbers, and dill.
Almond Brown Rice Pilaf- Brown rice baked in the oven with toasted almond slivers.
Dessert- Mandelkake; a Norwegian Almond Cake
Chef’s Demo will be on October 22nd. Leon will be demonstrating Apple Dumplings.
Page 7
Fall is in the air…
It’s a Mystery to Me
Joe Johnson
Director of
Life Enrichment
It was a dark and stormy night…” Sounds
like the beginning of a good old-fashioned
mystery novel. As the days grow shorter
and chilly winds begin to blow, it may be
a good time to pull off the shelf, a thrilling whodunit novel.
The earliest known crime novel is
"The Rector of Veilbye" by the Danish author Steen
Steensen Blicher, published in 1829 but it is widely
considered that the father of the crime novel was
American author Edgar Allen Poe. His stories “The
Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Mystery of
Marie Roget” in 1842 were the first popular murder
mysteries.
Years later, author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created
one of the greatest fictional detectives: Sherlock
Holmes. Doyle wrote fifty six short stories and four
novels featuring Holmes and his crime solver partner Dr.
Watson. The world record holder for the best selling
author of all time is mystery writer Agatha Christie who
created such famed fictional detectives as Miss
Jane Marple and Hercule Peirot.
American author Earle Stanley Gardner created the
Perry Mason character in 1923. Dashiell Hammett and
Raymond Chandler were widely popular crime novelists
in the 1930’s and 40’s.
Even today crime novels by such authors as James
Patterson, Sue Grafton and Scott Turow fill the bookshelves and best seller lists in bookstores and
newspapers. Check the various book shelves at The
Rivers and you may find a perfect mystery for a dark
and stormy night.
The Duck Soup Players will bring a little mystery to
The Rivers, also. On Tuesday, October 27h, they will be
here to perform the comedy “Mystery of the Purple
Puma” It is a cross between an Agatha Christie murder
mystery and The Pink Panther series. It features music,
dancing, a clumsy detective and some of the worst
jokes ever written.
Joe
so this would be a good time to go over some
Energy $aving Tips! I will be adjusting the
two main entry doors so as not to let “Old
Man Winter” come roaring in so fast. I will
need your help for two reasons: One for
SECURITY reasons not to push the HandiJim Rowland,
cap Opener unless you know “who” you are
Director of
letting in “Our Home” and, also to make sure
Plant Operations
we STAY SAFE! Try to remember that I
turned the timer down on the doors. Also, ask for help if you
are having trouble with anything in the building.
ENERGY $AVING TIPS:

Look for the Energy Star label!

Turn TV off when not watching

$ave by turning off lights not in use
Change furnace filters every 2-3 months more often if
have pets


Choose a laptop computer over the traditional
desktop

Close off unused rooms

Move furniture & rugs away from air ducts

Dishwasher FULL loads only

Laundry FULL loads and COLD water rinse
Breast Cancer Awareness
Cookie and Cinnamon Roll Sale
Friday October 9th
9:00 -11:00
Assisted Living Lobby
All money raised goes to the American Cancer Society
11111 River Hills Drive
Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone: 952-890-8553
Fax: 952-890-9320
theriverslcs.com
LifeSTYLE Promise™
In a effort to go green, you can now view this newsletter and
current activity calendars online!
Join us at The Rivers, and
experience our Lifestyle
difference...
Go to theriverslcs.com
Even when things are changing, one thing remains the same. Friendship.
I had a couple in for a tour the other day and at the end of the tour, the gentleman said to me, “why
should we move to the Rivers?” I knew he was trying to throw me off and put me on the spot, but without hesitation I said to him, “friendship and the residents that create them.” I went on to explain to him
and his wife, the one thing that makes our community such a nice place to be is our residents. Our residents are caring, considerate, witty, and friendly. But what stands out to me the most is the friendships
Linda Ulrich that have formed and how everyone relies on their friends especially during times of change. As we all
process though our most recent changes, one thing continues to help hold me together. Friendship.
Director of
I have seen many friendships blossom here and I’ve seen how those friends have support each other
Sales &
Marketing through times of transition. I know for me, I have had to rely on the friends I have made here to get me
through the hard times that change can bring to all of us. Although I know things will continue to
change, I try hard to balance the stress of the changes with the lessons they teach. With a little help from my friends,
here are a few of the life lessons I have learned:
Aredelle and Bev have taught me a little wine never hurt anyone…unless it spills on your white carpet and you have too
much precious crap to move to replace the stained carpeting!
Audrey taught me it’s not safe to run with your pajama pants down!
Cliff showed me how important it is to have purpose.
Lynea taught me to always be ready and don’t be afraid to wear those pearls!
Coca and Alex have showed me what 73 years of marriage looks like!
Caroline has shown me how to be a good hostess and it’s ok to garden in a skirt!
Ms. Betty has showed me how to age with grace and dignity!
Merle and Janice have shown me what patience looks like.
Connie and Gary have shown me how to have fun with your family in a senior living community.
Keith, Ron, Charlie and Bob have shown me the true meaning of friendship can be as simple as sitting around.
These are just a few of the lessons I have learned. I would tell you more of the lessons that each of you have taught me,
but Joe has limited my space in the newsletter otherwise I would go on and on…
In closing I think Albert Camus said it best…
Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead.
Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Just walk beside me and be my friend.