The CALMRA Communicator The CALMRA

The CALMRA
Communicator
CFC#
32749
Newsletter for and about CALMRA, INC.
(serving people with cognitive disabilities)
5020 Sunnyside Avenue, Suite 206, Beltsville, Md. 20705
Office: 301-982-7177 Fax: 301-982-7805
www.CALMRA.org
2014
No. 1
CALMRA’S MISSION: The Mission of CALMRA, Inc. is to improve the lives of persons with developmental disabilities by providing the highest quality residential or other support services in an ethical and loving environment.
2014 CALMRA Board of Directors
Sheila Saville, , President
Sarah Henry, Vice President
Kathy Labukas, Secretary
Fred Windbeck, Treasurer
Patricia Savory
Joseph W. Lowell, Jr.
Hazel Roeder
Terri Dewitt
Elizabeth Tornquist
Joan Echols
David Saville
Mark Mazz
Stu Eisen
William Dent
Chris Connell
Lois Funk
Administrative Staff
Nancy Tolbert, Executive Director
Patricia Harrison, Director of Operations
Mary Ellen Denny, R.N.
Kelsey Jackson, Director of Finance
Raghad Mohamed, Director of Human Resources
Susie Thompson, Director of Day Services
Peter VanHouten, Program Administrator
Brenda Zupancic, Program Administrator
Shirley Smith-Yates, Program Administrator
Velma Paris, Program Administrator
Emily Brown, Office Manager
Page Index
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Letter From the President..................................... .Pg 1
From the Executive Director...…......…………….Pg 2
Director of Hunan Resource Replacement……….Pg2
Mont. County Staff Recognition..………………..Pg2
Birthdays/&New Employees.…………………….Pg 3
Residential Obituary……………………………...Pg4
Gift Solicitation /Donation……………………….Pg 5-6
Annual Staff Appreciation……………………….Pg 7
Day Program……………………………………..Pg 8-9
News From The Homes………………………….Pg 10-17
Community Support Program...………………….Pg 17
News From The Nurse.…………... ………….....Pg 18-19
Electronic Newsletter...….....……………………Pg 19
Take Care Of Our CALMRA HOMES………….Pg 19
Beechvue.
Prince Georges county funds were acquired
to purchase and install a permanent generator at the Gavin home.
The board approved a new 5 year Strategic
Plan which includes acquiring a building to
house our offices and to expand day program services.
The board funded and completed basement
renovations to the Scott home Live-in area.
A volunteer "paint day" was organized for
the Mary Solko Senior Center.
It is time to begin planning and working on the
goals and challenges of 2014. Planning for
some of our fun events; such as, the CALMRA
Family Picnic, Golf Tournament and Dinner/Sil
ent Auction are underway. It is also time to orA Letter from the President ganize independent quality assurance teams to
tvisit all of CALMRA home’s and talk to the
Sheila Saville
residents. The Facilities Committee is planning
Happy New Year! I hope each of you are keep- visits to each home to inspect them for any
ing warm this Winter and have enjoyed the holi- needed repairs or accessibility improvements.
The board and it’s committees are always busy
day's with your families and friends.
And we look forward to meeting the challenges
For those of you that may have missed the De- of 2014.
cember Annual Meeting, it is the time of year to
reflect on our accomplishments. Here are just If you have some time and would like to volunteer to help with any of the activities for 2014
some of the 2013 accomplishments:
please give us a call.
We purchased and opened a new home in
Silver Spring, MD which provided a larger,
more accessible space for the women who
were living at the Allview home.
We welcomed 7 new residents into the
program.
The Mary Solko Senior Center reached its
maximum capacity for participants.
Montgomery County funds were acquired
to install a permanent generator at the
Beauwick home and to make extensive
renovation for a new live-in quarters at
MONTGOMERY COUNTY’S
2013
Annual Community Service
Staff Recognition
Reception
From the Executive
Director’s Desk
Nancy Tolbert
This quarter has been a blur of activity! In
October and November we honored our wonderful direct care staff. Louis Kamara was
recognized at the Montgomery County Staff
recognition event. Mr. Kamara has worked
at CALMRA for the last 19 years managing
one of our homes in Silver Spring. He is caring, committed, and extremely responsive to
the needs of the men we serve. CALMRA is
blessed to have him as our employee. In
November we celebrated all of CALMRA’s
staff at our annual appreciation event. Staff
were fed by Chef Tim, massaged by
“Massage by Margaret”, entertained by the
Administrative staff dancers, and appreciated
with checks and prizes! Our Direct Care staff
is THE BEST!!!
Raghad Mohamed
Returns As
Director of
Human Resources
I have 13 years of working experience in
various aspects of Human Resource Management and Administrative within the United
States and overseas. I have worked in the
industries of information technology,
healthcare, and various nonprofit organizations. As a subject matter expert, I have
assisted in overseeing strategic guidance on
talent acquisition, recruitment and retention,
performance development, business optimization, compensation and benefits, conflict
resolution and operation streamlining.
I earned a Master’s Degree from Salve Regina University, RL. Currently I am working
toward obtaining a certificate of certification
as a Senior Professional Human Resource
(SPHR). I am a member of the Society for
Human Resources Management (SHRM),
Dubai Human Resources Form and Human
Resources Certification Institute.
Louis Kamara
Community
Live In Supervisor
Beauwick House
On October 21, 2013, INTER-ACC/DD,
which is a coalition of service providers for
the Montgomery County serving people with
disabilities in MONTGOMERY COUNTY,
held its Annual Community Service Staff
Recognition Reception.
The 22nd annual event was held at the Executive Office Building (EOB) in Rockville,
MD. Each community provider recognized
an exceptional direct care professional and a
Community Builder who helps us in the mission serving people with disabilities.
December showed us both sides of Mother
Nature with extreme cold and 70 degree days.
Although our Annual meeting was postponed
due to inclement weather, it was held a week
later and was a success. Mr. Patrick Dooley,
CALMRA, Inc. also recognized JIM WATActing Director of DDA, highlighted the afSON from Montgomery County’s Group
ternoon with his update to members on the We welcome Raghad’s high energy, high
Home Rehabilitation Program. Jim assisted
state of DDA services and Janice Stallworth, quality work back at CALMRA!
CALMRA by working with a contractor to
Director of the Southern MD Regional Office
renovate a home for three women with disaof DDA shared what was happening on the
bilities. Their new home surely enhances
local level. The Board nominated members
their daily lives. We also recognized LOUIS
for 2014 term and everyone shared a holiday
KAMARA. Louis is an exceptional employluncheon.
ee with over 20 years of service to CALMRA
and our residents. He is a caring, dedicated
We are working on replacing one of our
staff person who deserves all our accolades!!
homes with a brand new one as well as tending to our day to day business.
Eighteen CALMRA staff were present to see
Louis receive his award. Folasade from our
The new minimum wage increases will go
Scott home left with a new Wii play system
into effect in the fall and we hope the State
she won as a door prize. Everyone enjoyed
provides us the funds to increase the wages of
all staff doing such tremendous work.
the food and fun.
God Bless! Have a joyous new year!
2
CALMRA would like to recognize
the following participants who have
celebrated or will soon be
celebrating their birthdays:
Ralph Hall 1/2
Chip Fuerst 1/8
Ralph Hall 1/15
Hilda Newman 1/20
Louis Cox 1/24
Gloria Shen 1/27
Revantha Amirthanayagam 1/30
Bernard Degenhardt 2/2
David McDermott 2/21
Joan Wyvill 3/10
Patricia Dent 3/14
Maureen Gray 3/17
Eugene Perry 3/22
Cathy Smith Green 1/22
Mamie Lahai 1/24
Tina Ojo 2/2
Mary Ellen Denny 2/4
Antoinette Patterson 2/6
Atinuke Babayale 2/9
Lajuan Sistrunk 2/14
Zerrota Harris 2/20
Carline Kaham 2/22
Chenegua Hibbert 2/23
Yemisi Akinbolusere 2/27
Shirley Smith Yates 3/1
Patricia Burkins 3/4
Amah Charles Taboko 3/8
Ruth Sackey 3/12
Wosilat Ola Lynch 3/10
Zoe Lafemina 3/21
Ami Amefia 3/27
Isata Jalloh 3/29
Diane Allen Dekoladenu 3/30
In Memory
of
Zoe Lafemina
Paul Hunter
Carlene Kaham
Mariama Kunba Musa
Rukayat Onabiyi
Tewoh-Elow Sallia
Ramotalai Akinfisoye
Morolayo Olaniyi
Chenegua F. Hibbert
A CALMRA CHRISTMAS
CALMRA would also like to recognize the following staff who have
celebrated or will soon be celebrating a birthday:
Oluwaseun Ogunwumiju 1/1
Chimezie Onyima
Cassandra Chijioke 1/5
Louis Kamara 1/8
Amy Marcus 1/10
Adekunbi Dawodu 1/13
Mariaama Kunba Musa 1/14
Sheba Kromah
1/14
Patricia Okongwu 1/16
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the hearts of CALMRA employees!!
This year the CALMRA Administrative Team (Office Employees and Live
In Staff) decided to eliminate their
holiday gift exchange and donated
funds to the victims of the recent typhoon in victims in the Philippines.
We dedicated our donation of over
$500, in the name of “Sonny
Alignay”, our former maintenance
staff. Sonny lost family members in
the tragic storm. Everyone felt great
about being able to help others.
The Christmas giving spirit lives on In
Vivian Whynot
Rosalind Goldberg
Mr. & Mrs. William Kelly
Kathy Coleman
Steven Clark
Ardelle M. Webster
Kathy Wilson
Gayle & David Eble
General Donations
John & Hazel Roeder
Matilda Bradford
James Langworhty
Peggy Raikes
In Memory of Gregory Awkard
1953 – 2013
Greg was born on February 16, 1953 in Olney, Maryland. Greg lived with his mother until 2005
when he moved in with his sister, Alice. He lived with his sister until moving into CALMRA’s
Branch View home on February 22, 2012. Greg worked in lawn care for many years supported
by the Montgomery County ARC. Due to a decline in his general health, Greg transferred to the
Randolph Hills Senior Program in 2010. He was diagnosed with Dementia in 2012. Greg began
attending CALMRA’s Day Program three days a week in June 2013. Greg clearly enjoyed his
time there during the last months of his life, as he would come home bright eyed and smiling.
Greg was hospitalized just before Thanksgiving and then transferred to Arcola Rehabilitation
Center in December. Greg passed away peacefully on the night of December 22 nd 2013, due to
complications from the progression of his dementia, leaving behind his father, two sisters and
two brothers. Greg was interred at The Gates of Heaven Cemetery in Aspen Hill on December
26, 2013.
Greg lived a very full and active life with his family and friends from CALMRA. Greg always
looked forward to family time spent with; his sisters, Nancy and Alice; his brothers, Gary and
Cornelius; and his father. They visited often and were very active in his caregiving right up to
the end. Greg also enjoyed time spent with staff and friends from CALMRA, celebrating birthdays, holidays and other special occasions together.
Greg loved to listen to music and groove along in his own special way. Greg developed deep
relationships with his caregivers. He was generally able to communicate with those who knew
him well using sounds and gestures. Greg enjoyed listening to them talk to him about the day’s
events and upcoming plans as they took care of his daily needs.
Greg will be missed by his CALMRA Family.
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2013 CALMRA GIFT SOLICITATION
FRIENDS OF CALMRA
J. Michael & Donna Fitzgerald, Timothy & Dorothy Gay, Frank and Joan Holmes, Jr.. Joseph & Veronica Lowell, Jr.,
Mark & Marsha Mazz, James & Patricia McDermott, Ashton United Methodist Church, Mary Jane Phillips,
Alco Pharmacy, John M. & Elizabeth Roeder , Joseph H & Hazel C. Roeder, Patricia Savory, Charles & Joan Scaffidi, Alan
W & Susan K Schwartz, Bernice Wilkinson, Kenneth Windbeck, Fred & Carolyn Windbeck
PLATINUM
Maxwell Barbour & Assoc., David Elseroad, Sr., John T & Ruth E. Hudson, Edward Loane, Stephen Nyschot,
David & Sheila Saville, Frederic & Harriet Schwartz
GOLD
Guy L & Dorothy Brown, USMC (Ret), L. Jay, Jr & Gina M Davis , James & Vera Degenhardt,
Carroll & Marion Dudley, Paul & Anne Eggers, Stuart & Rona T Eisen, Carolyn & Don Joaquin Ferrari/Frost, Jr,
Michael & Michelle Gildea, Helen Greenhouse, David & Carolyne Haas, William & Sandra Halloran,
Alene Hill, Mary Kenney, Kathy Labukas, Delbert & Barbara Liphart, Fred & Mary W Lok, Joseph B McDonald,
Joseph McDonald, Jr., Thomas & Marge McKennett, William T & Loretta J Miller , Bill (Wm) & Patricia Mills,
Robert & Elizabeth Newman, Rodney & Eileen O'Neale , George & Mary Prokop, Deborah Ralston,
Bill & Dona M (Charles W) Snead , Clarence & Gloria Turner
(Continue on Page 5)
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2013 CALMRA GIFT SOLICITATION
SILVER
Roy Ackley, George & Patricia Aubin, Mary Bailey, The Barnes Family Barnes, Norman & Virginia Beard,
Donald B & Luana L Beeson, Matilda Bradford, Barbara Brodie, Frances S. & Kathleen B. Brown/Vance,
Philip & Elaine Clarkin, Tim & Sue Conner, Thomas & Diane Cook, Garber & Sally Davidson,Jr,
William Dent, Julie & Greg Derby, Warren & Carole Derrick, Kinsey & Shirley Detweiler,
William & Kaky Drury, Edward J. & Anna Durkin, Betty(Mary E) Farrell, Nancy A Ferrant, Al & Cheryl Geske,
Charles (Terry) & Vickie Gilbert, Albert J & Elaine M Guidry, Steven & Helen J. Haas, Marion Hastings
William & Elaine (Mary E) Hawkins, John & Andrea Hawvermale, Dorothy Hett, Ray & Janice Hite,
Bruce & Cheryl Hutchinson, Carmen & Gwen Infantino, Lawrence & Phornpan Jackson, James & Camellia
Joyce, Barbara Junghans, Theodore & Catherine Junghans, Daniel & Rosemary Kallemyn,
John & JoAnne B Kelly, MD, Willa O & Al Kensinger, Straton Laios, Nancy Leak, R. Michael & Joan S Lefler,
Janet Lombardi-Diller, Isadore & Florence McKinney, Kurt & Rebecca McKinney, Marc & Julie Mercilliott,
Jane (Lester) Miller, Joanne Miller, Maxine Montgomery, Eileen M Morgan, Ken & Doris Nickoles,
Joseph & Anne O'Brien, Ruth O'Neale, Mary Perschy, Carole & John Pescatore, Melvin L Pickett,
Col. Frank A. & Mary M. Orega,Mel & Pat Podwysocki, Donald & Margaret Raab, David & Van Rafaly, Ellen
Reid, John & Mary Roberts, Jr., ,Robert & JoAnne Roche, Daniel & Mary Rose, Tim & Cindi Ruhl, Wesley D &
Patsy O Russell, t & Mary Ann Russo, Frances Schueler, Donald & Mary Alice Silbert, Jr, Nicholas & Beth Sklias
William (Frank) & Patricia Soper, Jr., Robert, Jr & Sue Spiers, Edward & Jane Sutton, Helen Tate,
Nancy & Fred Tolbert, Louis & Edna Torrico, Robert & Diane Tregoning, Napolean & Betty Walker,
Don & Josephine Jackson Wenner, John & Ruth Whiteside, Edward & Jane Wilbur,
Fred & Donna Windbeck, III, Mary S Wright, Gary & Danna Zacharek, Randy & Julie Zackrisson
OTHER
Gary E & Regina M Bruzdzinski, Nancy Cahill
Calmra Would Like To Thank All
Supporting Contributors in 2013
6
CALMRA held its Staff Appreciation
event November 13, 2013. It was held at
The Prince George’s Ballroom with a
beautiful buffet luncheon catered by
“Your Personal Chef Catering”. The food
was an elaborate presentation of American and African/ Caribbean flare dishes
and desserts that was thoroughly enjoyed
by all attendees.
This annual event allows CALMRA to
show the Staff how much they are appreciated in providing outstanding services
and support to our clients throughout the
year. Each staff attending the event was
given a door prize. In addition, the following staffers were recognized for their
years of services with CALMRA:
5 Years of Service: Velma Paris Bakarr,
Kawaljeet Sethi, Sabainah Akinlosotu,
and Elfreda Musa.
10 Years of Service: Mercy Mabry, and
Robyn Roundtree.
15 Years of Service: Rose Nah
A very special thanks to Kathy Labukas,
Fred and Carolyn Windbeck and Bill
Dent (Board Members) along with Emily
Brown, Office Manager, for planning the
event. Also would like to thank the subcommittee members ((Tammy Money,
Joyce Young, Velma Paris, Shirley Smith
-Yates) who were there on the day of the
event to support the committee in decorating the table with the beautiful flower
arrangements and candies. Most of all a
special thanks to the Administrative Staff
for their wonderful song and dance performance, “Please Don’t Leave Me
Staff” (a modified version of the
Temptations version).
Door prizes were donated and others purchased with contributions from families
and friends, CALMRA’s Board of Directors, and vendors contributing to this
very special event.
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with these pumpkins.
We started the fall with Halloween and
now we are CELEBRATING 2014!
Where did the time go? It’s true what
they say Time waits for NO ONE! Over
the past few months The Day Program
has been very busy with all the planned
seasonal activities.
In October we celebrated Halloween in
high fashion. The individuals showed off
their costumes in style. The costumes and
make up was a must see, we had a gladiator, little red riding hood, Superman,
butter fly ,fairy princess, pumpkin, Raggedy Ann, cat, witch and a Elvis sighting! After everyone showed off their
costumes, we put our DIETS on hold
(will resume in the New Year) and enjoyed some tasty treats.
In November a few of the individuals
visited Queen Ann Farm to select pumpkins for our Fall Festival and pumpkin
decorating contest. Yes, our second annual pumpkin decorating contest was very
INTERESTING! The individuals and
staff did not pump the brakes for this
contest. All the pumpkins had a unique
look. We had a spider pumpkin, spy
pumpkin with many eyes, and a Nigerian
pumpkin with special powers. A pumpkin pie was definitely out of the question
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December was of course the favorite
month of the year. We had our second
annual Christmas door decorating contest
and sing along. The staff and the individuals did an excellent job with displaying
their talents. Every door looked wonderful but of course we could only have one
winner. The winning door was “Winter
Wonderland” with a 3D snowman made
out of white Styrofoam cups. The snowman was dressed in his winter scarf and
hat. Everyone was excited about this year
sing along challenge. The staff and the
individuals had to put their minds to
work. Silent Night was the chosen Christmas carol for the sing along. The challenge was to do a remix of Silent Night.
The remix could be changing some of the
lyrics or musical tune. Every sing along
group did something different. One group
did a theatrical scene of The three wise
men. Who says Santa Clause is just for
kids. Well the Day Program was pleasantly surprised when Santa and his elf
stopped by to the spread the Christmas
spirit. Santa and his elf greeted everyone
with smiles and laughter. Santa was able
to meet with each individual and surprise
them with a gift. Santa was very gracious
with taking pictures with everyone. Santa
and his elf did not stay to long they had
other stops to make.
The Day Program is looking forward to
all the upcoming fun and exciting activities for 2014. We wish everyone a Happy
Healthy New Year!
HOLLOWEEN EVENTS
CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAY
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BEAUWICK
The guys send season's greetings to the whole
CALMRA family as we herald the year 2014.
The Gentleman at Beauwick enjoyed the Fall
and celebrated the holiday season.
ALLVIEW
Hello to all of our friends and CALMRA family!
We hope all is well and that everyone had a wonderful holiday. The Allview ladies have been enjoying the winter and staying warm. In October,
we enjoyed dressing up on Halloween and having
fun with our friends at Durant House. Lois won
best costume; she came dressed as Elvis Presley.
In November, Lois celebrated her 75th Birthday.
Lois had a blast celebrating her special day at Ruby Tuesdays with family and friends. An Elvis
impersonator made a surprise appearance and sang
all of Lois’ favorite songs. Lois also visited her
cousin, Joan, the weekend of her birthday. A week
later, Audra (CLS) celebrated her birthday. Audra
was given a luncheon sponsored by Mrs. Mary
Kenney and Ms. Kathy Labukas at the residence of
Mrs. Mary Kenney. The ladies attended along with
Ms. Labukas and her sister Liz who baked a beautiful birthday cake that was quite tasty. Between
Thanksgiving, Birthdays, and Staff Appreciation
Day, November was quite a busy month.
In December we enjoyed the reason for the season.
All of the ladies enjoyed the light shows. Julie and
Lois went to see Miracle on 34th Street. We had a
great time at our Annual Christmas Party at our
house with the ladies, families and friends. The
ladies really enjoyed baking the Christmas cookies
for the party.
The ladies will continue to keep busy with their
social clubs and theater clubs. They are also looking forward to getting back into bowling in January. The ladies at Allview wish you all a healthy
and safe New Year.
10
In October, CALMRA Inc. nominated Beauwick’s Louis Kamara and he was awarded a
Montgomery County Direct Care Employees
of the Year Award. Louis received his award
in front of professional peers and co-workers
at a lovely dinner and celebration on October
21. The guys celebrated Halloween by painting their faces, trick or treating around their
cul-de-sac, and gave out candies to all those
who visited their house that night. In November, we had a very good Thanksgiving dinner
and also celebrated David's 46th birthday
with ice cream cake at home. David left later
to spend the rest of the evening with his parents and relatives. This past Christmas was a
good one as celebrations started with visits to
the Botanical Garden, a ride around Christmas lights sites and exchanging gifts from
parents, relatives and neighbors too. We also
had the opportunity to have a volunteer, who
dedicated his services to do yard work around
the house and he did an extremely good job.
Thanks to Patricia and Nancy for thinking
about us when the opportunity arose.
We are hoping that this year, things will be
even better than the last with more help
around the house to accelerate the guys community integration and maintain quality of
care with less stress.
Andy, Dale, David and staff are wishing everyone a Happy New Year and good health
too.
BEECHVUE
Happy New Years and hello everyone from the
Beechvue ladies!! We have had a busy past three
months! We celebrated Halloween at a great Halloween party at the Durant House!! Everyone
dressed up in costumes and won prizes!! For
Thanksgiving, we went on our annual trip to
Southern Virginia for some great company and
food - we had a great time! We made homemade
pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread!! Thanks to Barbara Nock for the great idea about the pumpkin
bread! We have gone to see several wonderful
Christmas lights exhibits - Watkins Park, Bull
Run, Seneca, and Lights on the Bay - all were
great! We celebrated Nancy's 67th birthday the
weekend before Christmas with a great dinner
party with lots of her friends and lots of great
music and dancing!!
Thanks to everyone for helping us celebrate and
making her feel as special as she is!! We had a
great Christmas with lots of presents and family/
friends!! The day after Christmas we went to Philadelphia to see I Love Lucy on Broadway in Philadelphia!! What a wonderful play! We all enjoyed
it so much the ladies a still talking about it!! Then
we left for a weeks' vacation in Southern Virginia,
including our annual New Year's Eve party celebration! We want to again wish everyone a very
Happy New Year and hope 2014 brings many
blessings!!!
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BRANCH VIEW
Happy New Year to all! Kevin and Wade were in
good spirits during this Holiday Season. Kevin is
settled in to his new home and finally got all the
parts for his new bed delivered. He enjoys going to
the movies, walking around in the pool, shopping,
eating out, and going on long rides and jamming to
his music. Wade still enjoys walking in the neighborhood, going to the movies, eating out, going to
the mall, and parks, and relaxing in the pool. We
had Paul from Merna house as a guest and we all
got into the holiday spirit by going out to the movies, watching the Winter Lights at Seneca State
Park, and eating out at a buffet. Paul also joined us
for spending time in the local community pool, a
favorite Branch View activity. The guys had a
great time at the holiday parties as well. Kevin’s
great smile in the attached picture says it all!
Unfortunately, during this Holiday Season, we had
to say goodbye to one of our own here at Branch
View. The CLS, Robert, would like to thank everyone for their warm condolences sent in response
to the passing of our beloved Gregory, after a
lengthy illness. He will always be in our hearts,
and forevermore be a constant memory that touches our lives, encouraging us to continue to provide
quality care to those we serve with a warm heart
and a helping hand.
Best wishes for a safe and healthy winter and good
luck in 2014!
BUCKLODGE
Happy New Year to all the friends and families of The residents and staff at Columbia want to wish
CALMRA!
everyone a Happy New Year! The holidays have
been really busy for us, as usual. On Halloween,
Louis, Gene and Bernie are doing great with all Donald, Ralph and Chip attended the CHI Hallowtheir new activities with Park & Planning that help een Dance and the Halloween party at Durant
them to stay in shape. The guys had just finished House. The guys wore great costumes; Ralph
their strength training program in December. We dressed as Superman, Chip as a Klingon and Donare now in bowling season on Saturdays and look- ald as a circus clown. Chip won a prize for Best
ing forward to also participating in basketball on Male Costume! They enjoyed giving out candy to
Thursday evenings starting in January. In Decem- the neighborhood children. In November, the guys
ber the guys enjoyed getting into the holiday spirit attended their friend Lois’ birthday party at Ruby
by attending the Annual Holiday Hop and the CHI Tuesday in Greenbelt. Donald spent the ThanksChristmas Dance. We paid a visit to view the giving holiday weekend with his sister and her
Christmas light festival at Watkins Park in Upper family. Columbia staff prepared a traditional turMarlboro and the guys really enjoyed it! Louis key dinner for Ralph and Chip. The residents and
went to Winter Camp and spent time with family staff enjoyed preparing for the Christmas holiday.
over the holidays. Gene and Louis continue to sing They decorated the house and Christmas tree, as
in the Community Chorus every other Wednesday well as shopping for presents for each other and
evening.
family. The guys attended the Annual Holiday
Hop at Prince George’s Ballroom in December.
Bucklodge staff and residents are looking forward They were also able to go out to view Christmas
to celebrating Louis’ 29th birthday in January, lights at Watkins Park in Upper Marlboro.
which will be his first birthday party with his new
CALMRA family! Bernie will be celebrating his The residents and staff of Columbia would like to
52nd birthday in February.
express our sympathy to the Branch View house
staff and residents for the loss of their housemate,
Finally, Louis, Gene, Bernie and the Bucklodge Greg, over the holidays. May God be with you
staff wish to send their sympathy to the staff and throughout year 2014.
residents of Branch View who lost their housemate, Greg, in December. May their grief be eased We wish you all the best for the New Year!!
by the caring concern and shared support of their
co-workers, friends and families.
Best Wishes for the New Year from Bucklodge!
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COLUMBIA
DRESDEN
The ladies of Dresden have enjoyed their Holiday
season. Monique celebrated her 43rd birthday this
October. Her mom treated her to her favorite cake
(Red Velvet) and her favorite mom-cooked meal.
Pam celebrated her 52nd birthday with a special
party – her birthday is on Halloween, so it was a
combination birthday party and Halloween
party. The ladies enjoyed dressing up in costumes,
and friends came over to join the celebration. The
ladies also enjoyed passing out candy to our Trick
or Treat neighborhood visitors. Margery is doing
well – she is enjoying being pampered by staff and
visitors. During the Christmas season, the ladies
went to Watkins Park to view the lights display.
They seemed to enjoy the bright sites. The ladies
also went Christmas shopping at various malls and
shops. The ladies at Dresden are doing well and
enjoying Good Health. They really enjoy Massage By Margaret home visits twice a month! We
hope you all are enjoying the New Year also!
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DURANT
The Durant guys rocked out the end of 2013 with a
lot of parties and fun activities. Michael, David
and Chris hosted their first Halloween Party! They
dressed in costumes of their choice and partied
with many of their friends. Thanksgiving and
Christmas they attended Parking and Planning and
CHI for a holiday hop party and dance where they
dressed to impress. During the holidays they spent
a lot of time with their family and friends.
With Christmas being the guy’s favorite holiday
they came up with the idea to make Christmas
cookies and cards to give to all of the CALMRA
Homes. The guys had private time where they
exchanged gifts and sang Christmas Carols. Christmas went bye so fast before we knew it was New
Year’s Eve. The Durant Family had a great time
celebrating the different holidays and would like to
thank everyone for sharing these special occasions
with us.
GAVIN
2013 was a great year for the ladies! We went to
various parks and malls within our vicinity; we
also went to the movies this November.
GREENCASTLE
First of all, we hoped everyone had a wonderful
Christmas and a beautiful New Years. The folks
here had a fantastic time! We were blessed with a
very special dinner and many wonderful gifts,
Thanksgiving was great! Ms.. Bradford flew in
along with visits from family members and
from Florida and prepared us a wonderful thanksfriends. Our tree was very enjoyable, and seemed
giving meal. The ladies had such a great time-to sparkle more on Christmas night than it did the
they enjoyed the delightful meal prepared by Ms.
whole time it’s been up, which has been since
Bradford.
right after Thanksgiving. This brings to mind the
ole saying of, “half the fun is getting there”. GetThe holiday season was filled with lots of love.
ting ready for Christmas was so much fun. Putting
The ladies participated in putting up the annual
up the tree, watching everyone decorate it the way
Christmas tree. It was a great bonding experience
Our annual tree trimming was on December 9th they wanted to regardless of if it was straight or
for us all. There were plenty of jokes and laughter.
2013. The ladies’ parents came over and helped not, upside down or down side up. Everyone was
The ladies enjoy watching the Christmas tree light
decorate our wonderful Christmas tree. We also happy with the part they played.
at night. We even went on a tour in the neighborinvited ladies from Lackawanna house on this
hood to watch Christmas lights. In our neighborspecial tree trimming day. On December 24th we Patricia, Patsy and Delores had a busy social calhood, there is a house that shows Christmas light.
had a big lunch with the ladies, together with their endar this quarter. We start with attending Sunday
We stopped by and watch the lights. The tour was
families and staff. We had lots of food and drinks church services, as one more reminder of how
amazing and the ladies seem to enjoy it.
and everyone had fun. We had showers of Christ- much we have to be thankful for. Thanksgiving
mas gifts at Greencastle house. The ladies were was a great celebration. We are blessed to have an
Christmas day was definitely a family bonding
happy with their lovely Christmas gifts as well as excellent cook on staff. We were provided with a
experience. We stayed home, open presents—
the staff. The ladies had lots of fun when they fantastic old fashioned southern style dinner fit for
which the ladies enjoyed, and have dinner. It was
attended the annual CHI dance. It was a remarka- queens. Thanks, Cassandra for all the extra hard
a success!
ble and memorable event of the year for both the work you did in preparing that great feast! The
ladies and participating staff.
ladies also shared a pre-Thanksgiving dinner with
UPDATE: After nearly a year of being on bed
Lateef and the guys from Bucklodge house, held
rest, Joan has finally been released by the doctors. We thank the Torricos, the Roeders, and Sheri at our home. They are such a fun and entertaining
She‘s now in stable condition to return back to the Long families for providing us a brand new stove. group, it gives us joy just having them around.
day program. This was a difficult journey for us
We continue to keep Mr. Roeder in our daily pray- We attended; a birthday party for our friend Lois
ers for a speedy and complete recovery. We pray which was held at Ruby Tuesday, a great Hallowall; however, we are so glad that the Lord was
and hope for warmer weather to return, and we een costume party held at Durant House, and a
there to see and guide Joan through this journey.
also pray for safety and good health for all beautiful Christmas Party at the Greencastle
We thank you all for all your love and supports
CALMRA family.
Home. We had the Honor of participating in a
and we are so grateful for all the Lord has done for
special candle lighting Memorial Service in
us. Happy New Year and Stay bless!
memory of Patty Gautier. Thanks to Bill Dent who
was responsible for making the arrangements. A
short time later, a group of her family and friends
met at Patty’s favorite restaurant, The Ole Country
Buffet, to celebrate what would have been her
birthday, a sad and fun occasion. The ladies also
attended; the Annual Holiday Hop, Beltsville’s
Community Center Christmas concert, CHI dances, and a birthday party, for our friend Nancy,
complete with a fantastic spaghetti dinner, held at
Beechvue house. Finally I want to mention the
evening we spent at the Mishkan Torah Synagogue, in Greenbelt, as part of participating in The
Connections Chorus. Delores and Patricia, along
with their friends Eugene and Louis, are members
of the group and gave a great performance!
14
Farewell to fall, welcome to winter, and Happy
New Year (2014) to all CALMRA family. We are
thankful as the winter storm wasn’t as terrible as
other states, as all our utilities were operable without interruption. We celebrated Jennifer’s birthday with her family, staff and the other ladies with
lots of food and fun. We had a wonderful thanksgiving that we celebrated with the ladies and their
families, together with the staff of Greencastle
house. Food and drinks were in abundance and
lots of fun.
LACKAWANNA
LACKAWANNA
(Continue).
We also want to extend a warm “Thank You” to
Bill Dent for the great seasonal veggies he continues to keep us supplied with through the winter.
Because of all the good stuff he plants in his garden, and so generously shares with us, we have
fresh veggies throughout the year. According to
our doctors, the blood work tells the tale and we
are advised that, “whatever you all are doing,
keep doing it!” We want to add a special thank
you to Bill and the entire Dent family, for your
dedication and support to our home, all the residents and staff as well. We don’t say thank you
nearly enough for all you do. Please know this is
what our homes are built on, love of family and
friends such as yourselves. Let us not forget our
other Bill, “Uncle Bill” Gautier. Even though
your sister is no longer with us you have never
waivered with your love and support of us all, and
we pray you will always remember that this will
continue to be your second home, and we are so
thankful for all your love and ongoing support.
Because of family members such as yourselves,
Lackawanna will never be just a house, but always a Home. While we are at it, let us send
special blessings to Lois Wilson, for a speedy
recovery, and a thank you to Dorothy and Tim
Gay, for your love and ongoing support of
CALMRA, and especially of Lackawanna. We
also want to thank our music man, Fred and his
beautiful daughter Eryn for your gift of beautiful
music for our home. There is something to be said
for music therapy to calm us when we are angry
and to sooth us when we have a restless soul.
In closing, we at the Lackawanna home, would
like to take this opportunity to express our warm
and sincere thanks to our Executive Director,
Nancy Tolbert, Bill Dent and our other fantastic
Board Members, for the great Staff Appreciation
event that was given on our behalf in November.
Sometimes, the occasions are so outstanding, that
a mere “Thank You” does not do justice to one’s
true feelings of appreciation. The atmosphere, the
food, the gifts, the entertainment all deserved way
more than a mere “Thank-You”. We are very
aware of all the hard work you went through to
pull this event off and to have it be such a great
success, and a success it was. It’s your turn to
know that you are indeed appreciated. May God
continue to Bless Us All!
Good Luck in the New Year from Patsy, Delores,
Patricia, and staff.
MERNA
The Merna guys started the Fall Season by carving pumpkins. We were invited to Dresden
House for a Halloween Party where we played
games and gave out treats to the trick or treaters
of the neighborhood. We returned to our residence and were able to continue the tradition of
giving treats to the children of the Merna neighborhood. It was exciting for the guys to watch the
different costumes come to the door. Also Paul
was able to attend the dance sponsored by the
CHI Organization.
Thanksgiving the menu was suggested by Paul
who talked about the different foods he remembered his family cooking on this special day and it
was decided that this feast would be served at
Merna for all to enjoy. Michael enjoyed the attention given to him through music, dancing and the
great smells coming out of the kitchen. We all had
fat stomachs after eating and rested while watching football. Michael had the opportunity to go to
the movies and have lunch. He enjoyed the oneon-one attention.
Christmas and Hanukkah decorations were displayed at our house. The guys received many
gifts and seemed to enjoy them. Paul got the
chance to spend the holiday with his family and
friends. He came back to the house with lots of
treats given to him by his grandmother. He shared
these treats with everyone at Merna. Dwayne’s
family came for their visit and wished all of Merna House a happy holiday season. We would like
to wish all of our family at CALMRA a Happy
New Year! See you next year
PRINCESS GARDEN
In spite of the snow and cold, the girls had an
active past two months beginning with spending
Thanksgiving with their family. Parks and Planning had all its clubs to meet at Sir Walter Raleigh
for its annual Thanksgiving dinner on the 23rd of
November. During that weekend, we decorated
for Christmas at Princess Garden by putting up
our tree and stringing lights outside on the bushes. Although I say it is too much work every year,
the enthusiasm when the girls see the reindeer (3)
makes it all worth while.
The Holiday Hop was held on Dec. 5 when they
danced until 10 pm.; ate cookies and drank punch;
and just enjoyed themselves tremendously. Of
course they were "dressed to impress". Then on
the 15th Julie went to see "Miracle on 34th St." at
Toby's in Colombia. Toby's is a dinner theatre so
everyone enjoyed brunch before the musical.
All of the day care centers had Christmas parties a
few days before Christmas. Those are fun occasions with dancing, food, and drinks.
Bowling continued to be held every Saturday
except the Saturday before Thanksgiving and
Christmas. Melynda is bowling close to a 100
while Julie continues to improve with her new
bowling balls.
Julie had such a nice 50th birthday party given by
her parents at their home in Bowie. It was held on
a Saturday afternoon with her brother and sister,
parents, nieces and nephew, plus family friends
and CALMRA staff. After opening her many
lovely presents, she continued to enjoy the afternoon munching pizza and birthday cake.
Again everyone went home to be with their family
for Christmas except Colleen whose parents came
to see her on that day. Colleen enjoyed cookies
and hot cocoa on that day. She can not open the
presents by herself, but there is a gleam in her eye
as someone opens the them for her.
Although it was cold, Julie and Melynda went to
the Kennedy Center to see "Elf, the Musical" on
January 5th.
After all the extra eating during the holidays, we
have to cut down on the calories.
It is a bit cold to get outside to walk off those
calories; but the buds are on the trees, and the
daffodils and crocuses are peeping through the
soil already.
15
SCOTT
We wish everyone compliments of the Season
from the ladies and staff at Scott House! The
ladies are all in good health. They were all excited to go Christmas shopping and decorate the
tree. Gwen really enjoyed standing near the
Christmas tree and humming Christmas Carols.
This fall we also enjoyed shopping and dining out
at various malls (Greenbelt Mall, Bowie Town
Center, Wheaton Mall, and Prince Georges Mall.)
We celebrated two birthdays – Karen on December 24 and Gwen on December 28! Lots of birthday cake enjoyed by all! Gwen was kind enough
to sing the birthday song all day for us. The ladies went to see the Christmas Festival of Lights
at Watkins Park and they all enjoyed looking at
the lights. Karen enjoyed visits with her sister and
family on her birthday and Christmas day. Gwen
still enjoys Sunday visits with her dad every
week, especially having dinner there. Gloria’s
aunt stopped by the day after Christmas and Gloria enjoyed going out with her for a while. All the
ladies look forward to and enjoy home massages
by Wendy of Massage by Margaret twice a
month.
We thank all the family members for their kindness during this period and always, and we ultimately thank God for another winter. We are
looking forward to the cold weather ending so we
can get back to having fun in the sun. Thanks to
all staff that has helped at Scott home – it has
been a wonderful year!
SHANANDALE
SUSQUEHANNA
Compliments of the season!
Happy Holidays to all!
David, Antonio, and James had a good fall season
with various activities completed outdoors. We
visited several places including; Annapolis boat
show, drove to Gibson Island, St. Michaels and
Hollywood area of Southern Maryland. The guys
enjoyed the outings to the fullest.
We hope everyone is enjoying the season. The
ladies here at Susquehanna are enjoying decorating and shopping for the upcoming holidays. We
were invited to Durant House for a wonderful
Halloween Party that was just awesome. The ladies had a wonderful time dressing up and dancing
to the music. Dotti said, “Everything was great and
she can't wait to do it again next year”. Farida and
Dorri couldn't wait for the next big holiday which
was Thanksgiving...of course the staff helped cook
and the ladies helped with the licking of the bowl
that the cookies and the cake were being prepared
in. We love this time of year. I think we all gained
about 5 pounds with the Thanksgiving dinner
alone.
Everyone at Shanandale are all doing well and
enjoying ourselves. We will continue to explore a
place for a good summer vacation this year and the
staff to go with us. All appointments were completed; the guys are well and healthy.
Winter arrived and Christmas was good to the
guys. With new clothing purchased, the cold
weather seemed to surprise everyone; but we kept
Our best holiday of the year is Christmas where
safe and warm by all means.
we do our most decorating and taking the ladies
We would like to thank David’s sisters for the out to see the wonderful Christmas lights. Dotti,
Christmas gifts. We wish them warm and well for Dorri and Farida helped make this Christmas so
festive. They helped to decorate our Christmas
the holiday season.
tree. Dotti got the chance to pick the colors on the
I would like to thank all our well-wishers and May tree and this year it was purple. Our tree looked
wonderful. Christmas morning we all sat around
God continues to bless them wherever they go.
the tree and opened gifts and sang Christmas Carols before having brunch. My parents came from
New York to help us celebrate the holiday. The
families of Dotti and Farida also helped celebrate
our wonderful Christmas.
(Cont. on page 17)
16
lights at Watkins Park, and the train display at the
college Park Aviation Museum. He also enjoyed a
musical play/farce at Montgomery College –
“Lucky Stiff”. He enjoyed watching various sports
events at the Sports and Learning Center, attending a football game, a live performance of various
Gospel Choirs, and CHI dances.
SUSQUEHANNA
Happy Holidays to all!
Debbie also enjoyed Homestead Gardens and a
bowling party for Christmas. She saw her sisters
and bowled at Crofton Lanes for practice. She is
in a bowling league on Saturdays and has been
working a lot at Giant. She’s gone swimming and
works out. She was also at the football party with
Julie, Alan, Linda and Audra – Go Redskins! (Oh,
well, maybe next year.)
HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL! What a joyous and
wonderful time of the year, although for all who
don’t like cold weather, you probably wish you
could travel south, or go to another warmer climate. All the Community Support Folks enjoyed
the holidays. Bobbie saw Christmas lights at four
different places! Her favorites, possibly, were at
the Mormon Temple and Brookside Gardens, but
she also enjoyed very much the drive thru at Seneca Park in Montgomery County and Watkins Park.
She writes that she liked the scenery at the Mormon Temple that talked (the nativity scene with
beautiful choral music). What she liked most
about the lights at Brookside Gardens was a dragon she saw. She collects dragons and refers to
herself as the dragon lady. She also liked a train
set. Christmas is her favorite time of the year, and
she is usually finished with her Christmas shopping by the end of the summer or at least by early
fall. She also likes Thanksgiving and writes that it
was a joyful time with her family. Like Thanksgiving, at Christmas her family went all out and
made enough food to feed an army. She spent
Christmas Eve at Paula’s, an annual tradition,
along with Alvin. Paula prepared an Italian dinner
and they made crispy snowmen.
In addition, Bobbie writes that she enjoyed her
pottery class and is glad her classes are resuming
after the break. She continues to volunteer in the
Meals on Wheels program and is looking to add
other volunteer work. She hopes everyone has a
happy New Year and adds, “Be safe.”
When Alvin went to Paula’s Christmas Eve, he
made a delicious candy cane cake, beautifully
decorated with all kinds of peppermint candies and
a red and white swirl inside. As many of us do, he
is trying to keep his New Year’s resolutions, one
of which was going to work out at the gym daily.
Alvin celebrated his birthday in October, and his
favorite gift was a new cellphone, which is his
constant companion!
Alan and Linda also saw the lights at Watkins
Park and saw the movies “Black Nativity” and
“Madea’s Christmas.” They went duckpin bowling at White Oak Lanes and 10 pin at College
Park. Another movie they saw was Despicable 2.
Alan and Linda really enjoyed a Redskins/Eagles
football game party at Allview house, and our
looking forward to a Super Bowl Party.
Ken went to Homestead Gardens to see the Christmas display. There he saw Santa, model trains
and many Christmas trees. He also enjoyed the
17
Revantha continues to enjoy participating in his
day program – lots of trips in the community ,
including shopping at Dollar Stores. He gets a
stipend for his work with the Gazette and cleaning
contract. He walks at least a mile daily, and is
trying to lose weight. He enjoys visits from his
brother David, and his other brother Idran is moving to this area for at least a year. He enjoyes
outings to Trader Joes and Thai restaurants.
Terry enjoyed holiday festivities with her family
and some Park and Planning dances this fall. She
really enjoys her day program also.
Thanks to all the staff.
Service the radiator and maintain antifreeze level; check tire tread or, if necessary, replace tires with all-weather or
snow tires
Follow these safety rules if you become
stranded in your car.
Stay with your car unless safety
is no more than 100 yards away,
but continue to move arms and
legs.
Stay visible by putting bright
cloth on the antenna, turning on
the inside overhead light (when
engine is running), and raising
the hood when snow stops falling.
Run the engine and heater only
10 minutes every hour.
Keep a downwind window
open.
Make sure the tailpipe is not
blocked.
Keep gas tank full to avoid ice in the tank
and fuel lines.
TIPS FOR A HEALTHY AND SAFE
WINTER
Winter storms and cold temperatures can be
hazardous, but if you plan ahead, you can
stay safe and healthy. Although winter comes
as no surprise, many of us are not ready for
its arrival. If you are prepared for the hazards
of winter, you will be more likely to stay safe
and healthy when temperatures start to fall.
Use a wintertime formula in your windshield washer.
If you live in a well-populated area and
your car breaks down or you get stuck in
snow, changes are help will come along
soon. But people have been stuck for
hours in traffic jams during a snowstorm
in this area. It is still a good idea to prepare a winter emergency kit to keep in
your car in case you become stranded.
Include:
blankets;
food and water;
booster cables, flares, tire pump,
and a bag of sand or cat litter
(for traction);
flashlight, battery-powered radio, and extra batteries;
first-aid kit; and
Many people prefer to remain indoors in the
winter, but staying inside is no guarantee of
safety. Take these steps to keep your home
Be prepared for weather-related emergencies,
safe and warm during the winter months.
including power outages. If there is a severe
Check your heating systems.
snow storm you may be snowed in for several
Have your heating system serviced pro- days, so be sure you have enough food and
get prescriptions refilled if your supply of
fessionally to make sure that it is clean,
medication is running low.
working properly and ventilated to the
outside.
Stock food that needs no cooking or reInspect and clean fireplaces and chimfrigeration and water stored in clean conneys.
tainers.
Install a smoke detector. Test batteries
monthly.
Keep an up-to-date emergency kit, inHave a safe alternate heating source and
cluding:
alternate fuels available.
battery-operated devices, such as a flashPrevent carbon monoxide (CO) emergenlight, a National Oceanic and Atmoscies. Install a CO detector to alert you of
pheric Administration (NOAA) Weather
the presence of the deadly, odorless, colRadio, and lamps;
orless gas. Check batteries regularly.
Also:
extra batteries;
first-aid kit and extra medicine;
Keep grills, camp stoves, and
baby items; and
generators out of the house,
ice melt, cat litter, or sand for
basement and garage.
icy walkways.
Locate generators at least 20
feet from the house.
Leave your home immediately
if the CO detector sounds, and
call 911.
Learn symptoms of CO poisoning: headaches, nausea, and disorientation.
Get your car ready for cold weather use
before winter arrives.
18
When planning travel, be aware of current
and forecast weather conditions.
Many people spend time outdoors in the winter working, traveling, or enjoying winter
sports. Outdoor activities can expose you to
several safety hazards, but you can take these
steps to prepare for them:
Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: layers of light, warm clothing; mittens; hats;
scarves; and waterproof boots.
In extreme cold, limit amount of time
outdoors as much as possible. Take
breaks if you need to be outside and go
inside to warm up. Have a warm beverage before going back outside.
Know the signs of frost bite. Symptoms of
frostbite include:
Pins and needles feeling followed by
numbness
Hard, pale, and cold skin that has been
exposed to the cold for too long
The area may ache or throb.
Lack of sensation; you may not feel it if
someone touches you there
As the area thaws, the flesh becomes red
and very painful
Very severe frostbite may cause:
Blisters
Gangrene (blackened, dead tissue)
Damage to tendons, muscles, nerves and bone
Frostbite may affect any part of the body. The
Avoid traveling when the weather service hands, feet, nose, and ears are the most vulnerable.
has issued advisories.
If the frostbite did not affect your blood vesIf you must travel, inform a
friend or relative of you proposed route and expected time
of arrival..
sels, a complete recovery is possible.
If the frostbite affected the blood vessels, the
damage is permanent. Gangrene may occur.
This may require removal of the affected part
(amputation).
TAKING CARE OF OUR
CALMRA HOMES
from The Facilities Committee
Please remember CALMRA continues to sell GIANT grocery gift cards.
You get the full value of your purchase and CALMRA earns 10%!!!
TIPS FOR A HEALTHY AND SAFE
WINTER (Continue)
As our CALMRA homes get older, there are
many things that need to be maintained on a
daily and weekly basis. Whether you are a
CLS, Resident, Family member, Program Administrator or any other staff member of the
CALMRA organization it is in all of our best
interest to help keep the homes clean and
properly taken care of in order to prevent little
things from becoming major issues. I know we
can’t predict many repairs but we can be vigilant by noticing little things, like light bulbs
blowing frequently, water leaks, windows leaking, worn carpet or flooring. Noticing these
types of things may prevent major issues later
down the road. It is less expensive to repair
minor items than major issues.
Here are a few reminders to help keep our houses in good working order:
Call the office to order!!
(301-982-7177
Furnaces will function better with clean
filters. Check these each month. If dirty,
replace an document your replacement date
on monthly fire drill report.
Air vents return- Clean by vacuuming.
Keeping window blinds drawn at night to
help redue cold air from entering the home
Keep dryer vent clean (clean after every
use)
When operating dishwashers, washing
machines, sinks, toilets and garbage disposals, check periodically for leaks. If you
see any leaks, report it immediately.
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot get
sick just from becoming cold. You must be
exposed to a virus, flu or bacterial infection
to get sick. Most of the time people become
exposed to an illness inside, especially in
crowded area. But becoming cold can lower
your resistance to getting sick so if you have
been exposed to an illness, you are more likely to become sick.
Above all, be prepared to check on family
and neighbors who are especially at risk from
cold weather hazards: young children, older
adults, and the chronically ill. If you have
pets, bring them inside. If you cannot bring
them inside, provide adequate, warm shelter
and unfrozen water to drink.
Check for leaks around windows and the
ceilings. If you see water spots/staining,
report it.
If you see signs of rodents, please report it.
Make sure all outside hoses are unhooked
during the winter
support CALMRA with no
cost to you!
Before buying online, go to the website,
www.goodshop.com, and select CALMRA
No one can stop the onset of winter. Howevas your organization. Then link to one of
er, if you follow these suggestions, you will
the 700 big-name stores hosted by the site
Be ready for it when it comes
(Travelocity, Best Buy, Amazon.com).
GoodShop will automatically donate up to
37 percent of your purchase to CALMRA!
19
When using CFL light bulbs, make sure
you have the correct ones for the fixtures.
Some CFL’s cannot be used in dimming
fixtures or recessed lighting.
If you have lights out and cannot reach
them, put in a work order for replacement.
Test smoke detectors 3x per month and
document on fire drill report.
If you see gutters clogged and overflowing, report it immediately.
20
2014
2013
CALMRA, Inc.
5020 Sunnyside Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705