MAY 2022 RESIDENT NEWSLETTER | |
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In This Issue:
- The Easter Bunny Makes the Rounds
- Duck Painting in Auburn Courts
- "Raised Gardens" being built for Auburn Meadows
- Save the Date! The 26th Annual Call to Care Classic.
- Staff Spotlight on Rachel Hanes
- Crafty Auburn Meadows Residents
- Auburn Ambassadors
- Auburn Home Staff Member Celebrates 35th Work Anniversary
- Pet Parade and May Activities
- Pastor's Corner with Reverend Doctor Jennifer Moran
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The Easter Bunny
Hops on by
Auburn Homes & Services
The Easter Bunny put big smiles on our resident's faces when he visited both of our campuses; whether he was giving hugs or shaking his bunny tail, he brought us all lots of laughs and fun!
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Richard, Auburn Courts Resident, Uses his 3D Printer to Provide a Fun Activity for his Resident Friends!
You might remember learning about Auburn Courts resident, Richard, and his 3D printer in one of last Fall's newsletter; well, Richard used his 3D printer again to make some fun for our residents. He created small ducks using his printer that he gave to the residents to paint and enter into a "best painted duck" contest. Acting as judge and without knowing who painted which duck, Richard chose the winner from a bevy of creatively painted ducks. Congratulations to Malinda for painting the winning duck! Quack, Quack!
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"Raised Gardens" being built for
Auburn Meadows
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April showers bring May flowers……and hopefully some vegetables!
Auburn Meadows is very excited about their raised garden project currently taking place; Chad, Environmental Service Manager, has graciously agreed to use his skills with woodwork in making us three new wheelchair height accessible raised gardens for our patio.
The residents are looking forward to raising some veggies which we can hopefully enter into the exhibit hall at the Carver County Fair as well as working alongside our culinary department in making some salsa. YUM!
The project is being supported by the AHS Foundation funds.
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Save the Date!
The 26th Annual Call to Care Classic
| Please mark your calendars for Monday, July 11th, to join us at the beautiful Stonebrook Golf Course in Shakopee to play a round of golf with friends and raise money for a much needed large, storage facility to be built on our Waconia campus. More information coming soon! | |
Auburn Homes & Services Staff Spotlight:
Rachel Hanes, Health Unit Coordinator,
Auburn Home
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How long have you worked here at AHS? I have worked for Auburn Homes 9 ½ wonderful years! Still currently working here.
What is your work history (brief summary)? I have worked at Millcreek restaurant doing dishes and food prep, Buffalo dry cleaners, Buffalo Legion waitressing, Walmart, and now Auburn Homes where I found my passion of caring for seniors.
What is your favorite thing about working at Auburn Home? My favorite thing would be caring for elderly and making them smile and laugh, lots of jokes! Also getting to know a lot of amazing people!
Do you have a story you can share about an interaction or a relationship you have with one of our residents? I love when I get to hand the residents there mail, because when they get a card from a family member they usually ask for it to be read to them. While reading it to them you get to see the excitement and joy on their face. Plus they like to tell a little story about that family member or friend who sent the card or letter.
Are you married, have children? I’m not married, I have a boyfriend and amazing kids, I have a cat, and we recently got a puppy that joined are family!
Where were you born, grow up? I was born in Waconia MN, grew up in Glencoe and Buffalo MN.
Favorite thing to do outside of work? My favorite thing to do outside of work is paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, bonfires with my family and friends.
Thank you, Rachel, for your dedicated work and serving our residents with integrity and compassion. Keep making the residents smiling and laughing!
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Auburn Meadows Residents Get Crafty!
Whether it's making flower wreaths, creating cards, dying eggs or making Easter bunny "cakes", our residents at Meadows
our always crafting something for others
to enjoy. Keep up the good work, ladies!
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AHS Launches New Ambassador Program to help
New Employees feel Welcome and Valued
What is an Auburn Ambassador? An AHS Ambassador is a loyal and dedicated staff member that encompasses the Mission, Vision and Values of Auburn Homes & Services. The Ambassador program was created to help new staff members feel welcome and to meet a friendly, informative current employee that they can go to if they have any questions.
Here's how the program works: The Ambassador is assigned a new employee and introduces themselves on their first day of work, gives them a Starbucks gift card as a welcome gift and offers to take them on a tour. The Ambassador will then check in on them periodically to see how they are doing and receive any feedback about the work environment. AHS's goal is that every employee is recognized, feels valued and heard; it's part of a new employee retention initiative that is already being well received. Look for staff highlights on all of our new Ambassadors in next month's newsletter!
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Please join AHS in recognizing Kirsten McGowan’s 35th Employment Anniversary on May 1. Lynn Haering, Auburn Home's Social Services Director, shared early memories of how she became acquainted with Kirsten.
Lynn was a social worker at the former Nightingale Nursing Home in Waconia. Kirsten was a nurse on the floor who worked a couple of shifts a week until she left her position with the birth of her son Collin. In the time following, the Administrator Position at Nightingale became vacant and Lynn was asked to take the interim administrator position. She immediately reached out to Kirsten and asked her to come back and assume an interim director of nursing position at Nightingale. The rest is ‘history,’ as they say.
Auburn Homes and Services acquired the Nightingale Nursing Home in 1998. The facility received the name Auburn West, with that acquisition. Kirsten and her team were noted for the incredibly impressive quality of care and life that residents experienced in an old building that once housed Nightingale, but was actually built for and operated as Nagel Hospital. Good Samaritan also had a nursing home in Waconia and when their beds were full, Auburn West would serve the ‘overflow’ of Good Sam’s inquiries. Residents were admitted with the intention of moving out of Auburn West as soon as Good Sam had an available bed. More often than not, when an available bed did become available, residents preferred to stay in the older building with excellent care and a highly dedicated and responsive staff as the reason. Often, when residents were rehabilitated and returned to the community, the next time they needed care they bypassed Good Sam and sought admission back at Auburn West.
With Kirsten’s leadership and guidance, Auburn constructed a new nursing home and transitional care unit on Cherry Drive in Waconia, in 2008. Auburn Home in Waconia continues to be notorious for its remarkable care, quality of life provided for residents, and customer service. Thank you Kirsten, for your continued leadership, commitment and dedication to our residents and staff. I offer my continued appreciation for the opportunity I have to work with you and the entire Auburn Home Team. Lastly, thank you Lynn, for picking up the phone and making that call!
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AHS in Chaska to Hold a Pet Parade!
Staff from both campuses will be bringing their furry friends for a visit to AHS in Chaska for the first ever Dog Parade on Saturday, May 14, at 2:30PM! Well-behaved humans are allowed to bring their dogs to our Chaska Campus and parade them around our gardens for our resident’s entertainment. All furry friends are welcome and encouraged to wear their best clothes or costumes. We can't wait to meet our staff member's fur babies, woof, woof!
*Disclaimer: only calm, well-behaved, leashed pets will be allowed; staff will be responsible for pet waste pick up/clean up.
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It's the month of May and Spring is finally here...we hope! We look forward to a month full of wonderful, family events like Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, the fishing opener and Memorial Day, but also the fantastic activities we have planned for our residents!
Check out your resident's May Activities Calendar to see what activities are in store for the month by clicking on the appropriate link below:
Auburn Home, Auburn Meadows,
Auburn Manor, Auburn Courts
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Pastor's Corner with Reverend Doctor Jennifer Moran | |
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Dear Auburn Family and Friends,
Greetings in this time of Easter joy! It was wonderful to celebrate Easter in person in worship at Auburn this year with you. We are slowly moving into new ways of being in this third year of the pandemic. I am grateful for your patience and grace as we adapt to each new circumstance.
One new circumstances we will be adapting to soon is the departure of one of our chaplains, Alan Hairsine, at the end of April. Alan has served Auburn faithfully for the past four years. His constant care, commitment to sharing the Word, well-planned Bible studies, embrace of Auburn’s mission, excellent preaching, and leadership were invaluable. Alan was a wonderful colleague, who was open to learning as well as to sharing his own knowledge and insight. He was collaborative and dependable, with a passion for pastoral care. I learned much from him and will miss serving in partnership with him. Alan touched many lives and we are thankful God led him to Auburn.
Alan often says that he gives God all the glory for the work in his life and his service to others. We give glory to God that Alan answered the call here and keep Alan in our prayers in his future ministry.
During the month of May we will be searching for a new chaplain. Please keep this process in your prayers. Worship in Waconia at both Home and Meadows will continue on the normal schedule. Bible studies in Waconia will not meet in May, but will resume as soon as possible.
Chaplaincy at Auburn has always relied on the prayers and support of the Auburn community. Thank you for the many ways you are part of the Auburn ministry. From praying for one another to encouraging one another, from collecting hymnals to worshiping and learning together, you are faithful partners in this Auburn congregation. We look forward to each new chapter in ministry, trusting that God has good plans for us as we offer him all glory.
Please feel free to contact Pastor Jenny at 952-361-0316 (o) or 804-497-0408 (c) if you have any questions.
In the Spirit of Christ’s Love,
Pastor Jenny
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The next Resident Newsletter will be emailed out on
June 1, 2022.
If you have a loved one with a unique talent,
history or great story, let us know!
Email myelich@auburnhomes.org
or call Michelle Yelich at (952)361-5076
Have a great rest of the Month!
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Auburn Homes & Services
Mission, Vision and Values Statement
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