BCE News
Brooklyn Community Estate
ACH Payment Option Available
ACH payments are
financial transactions
handled through what is
called the Automated
Clearing House (ACH).
ACH is an electronic
network which
processes very large
volumes of transactions
in the United States. The
network through which
ACH payments are
made is highly reliable
and efficient, and is
used for a variety of
purposes.
A typical ACH
transaction will play out
in the following way.
Once the receiver
authorizes a transaction
to be made, the
originator of the
transaction sends the
transaction data to the
Originating Depository
Financial Institution
(ODFI). This might be,
for example, the
originator’s bank. The
ODFI then transmits the
data to an ACH
operator, usually the
Federal Reserve or
EPN. The ACH operator
acts as a sort of
middleman or mediator
between the originator
and the receiver.
The operator sends the
file with the transaction
data to the Receiving
Depository Financial
Institution (RDFI) which,
put simply, is the
receiver’s bank. The
RDFI then makes the
funds available to the
receiver, and modifies
the receiver’s account
December 2012
Volume 1, Issue 2
statement accordingly.
From the perspective of
the average consumer,
this whole process goes
on unnoticed in the
background. Because of
this, most Americans
have probably made or
received ACH payments
without even realizing it.
Inside this issue:
Please complete the
attached ACH
Authorization form if you
are interested in paying
your resident’s bill
through an ACH
payment. Each
resident will continue to
receive their monthly
statement. Please
contact Shane Sissel at
641-522-9263 if you
have questions about
ACH payment options.
Medications & eMAR 3
Holidays cont.
2
December Birthdays
2
Favorite Christmas
2
Fall Bazaar
3
Christmas Trivia
3
Hand Sanitizer Use
4
Making the Holidays Brighter
Every year around this time, the
sights and sounds of the holiday
season spill over into nearly
every aspect of our lives.
Christmas displays are up in
stores and in our homes, holiday
music is playing on the radio,
and people regularly say “happy
holidays” to each other, so it’s
easy to get in the spirit of the
season. But still, there is a
certain segment of the
population that may feel left out:
nursing home residents.
The holiday season can be a
sad time of year for people who
live in nursing homes. It’s a time
they reflect back on ‘the good
old days,’ and what their lives
were like before they came to
live in the nursing home.
Realizing it can be an emotional
time of year, many homes plan
holiday events their residents
can look forward to -- such as
bringing a local school choir in
to sing, or going on field trips to
see holiday lights. But there
are a lot of things friends and
family members can do, too, to
help lift residents’ spirits.
Room Decorating -- You may
want to start by helping your
loved one decorate his or her
room with holiday decorations.
Small, artificial Christmas trees
decorated with holiday
ornaments look great on
dressers and can really make
the room look and feel festive.
2
Making the Holidays Brighter cont…
Flannel holiday bedding such as
sheets, pillow cases and
comforters will not only keep your
loved ones warm, but add holiday
cheer. Be creative -- the more
festive the better -- and don’t forget
holiday music!
Shopping -- Consider taking your
loved one on a fun holiday shopping
trip. Plan your shopping trip for a
time when there will be fewer
crowds so it will be easier to move
through the stores.
Holiday Cards -- It may be difficult
for your loved one to send holiday
cards to family and friends. You
can help write personal notes in the
cards, address envelopes and
make sure the cards get mailed.
You can also read and display the
holiday cards your loved one
receives.
You may also be wondering what
would be an appropriate gift to give
your loved one in a nursing home.
Just as you would with others on
your list, consider gifts that match
his or her hobbies, interests and
needs. Remember, the nursing
home is their home, so consider
activities or items that help them
feel comfortable and secure.
Above all, Brooklyn
Community Estate reminds
you that sometimes the
simplest gifts are the most
appreciated. If your loved one
is mobile, go to a favorite
restaurant, plan a visit to a
church for services, or invite
friends to the nursing home
for a special lunch. And of
course, visiting your loved one
in a nursing home is often the
best gift.
December Birthdays
Staff Birthdays
Resident Birthdays
Rachel Blankenship – 4th
Leona Ochs – 30th
Debbi Olson – 15th
Kathy Kriegel – 18th
Robert Murtha – 31st
Kim Howe – 23rd
Favorite Christmas Gifts
Marvin Schinckel
Arlene Keiser
Donald Polton
Wind up Popeye toy
Dolls
Red Bicycle
Bruce Reida
Rachel VanTomme
Louise Kuntz
Red Radio Flyer Wagon
Baby doll
Homemade jewelry box
Laverne Busch
Galen Lines
Evelyn Wauters
Toy Train
Spinning multicolor top
My first doll
Marilyn Clayton
Barb Wilson
Lucille Lines
Lady Doll
Hand-stitched doll blanket made
by my grandma with red
reindeer on it.
Pair of green beads
Delmar Willett
Shotgun
Lu Gorsch
Baby doll named “Susie”
3
Fall Bazaar A Success!
Brooklyn Community Estate’s held
our fall bazaar on Saturday
November 17 from 1-4 PM. Events
included a craft sale, bake sale,
cake walk, 50/50 raffle and
Hawkeye blanket raffle. Proceeds
from the bazaar will be used to
purchase an electric fire place for
our residents.
Our residents and visitors enjoyed
refreshments donated by Martin
Brothers, our food distributor.
A big thank you to everyone who
attended the bazaar! We
appreciate your support and look
forward to doing this again next
year.
50/50 Raffle Winner
Judy Calderwood
Hawkeye Blanket Raffle Winner
Sandy Roberts
Christmas Trivia
The word Christmas is Old English,
a contraction of Christ's Mass.
Germany made the first artificial
Christmas trees. They were made
of goose feathers and dyed green.
"It's a Wonderful Life" appears on
TV more often than any other
holiday movie.
Rudolph" was actually created by
Montgomery Ward in the late
1930's for a holiday promotion. The
rest is history.
If you received all of the gifts in the
song "The Twelve Days of
Christmas," you would receive 364
gifts.
The poinsettia plant was brought
into the United States from Mexico
by Joel Poinsett in the early 1800's.
In 1843, "A Christmas Carol" was
written by Charles Dickens in just
six weeks.
The first state to recognize the
Christmas holiday officially was
Alabama.
Christmas became a national
holiday in America on June, 26,
1870.
Contrary to common belief,
poinsettia plants are non-toxic.
Holly berries are poisonous.
Electric lights for trees were
first used in 1895.
Jingle Bells" was first written
for Thanksgiving and then
became one of the most
popular Christmas songs.
Medications and eMAR
Electronic medication
administrations records (eMAR)
enlist bar coding technology to
submit and fill prescriptions with
hand held scanners that read bar
codes and transmit data to the
eMAR workstation.
For this reason Brooklyn
Community Estate will no longer be
able to utilize prescriptions
medications brought from home
except for those residents who
receive their medications from the
VA.
U.S. laws mandate that all health
care facilities and doctor’s offices
move from paper medical records
to electronic medical records
(EMR).
eMAR is just one of many useful
software tools that can reduce
prescription errors. The goal of
the eMAR system is to improve
the quality of care for our
residents.
Brooklyn Community Estate
406 North Street
Brooklyn, Iowa 52211
Phone: 641.522.9263
Fax: 641.522.5873
E-mail:
[email protected]
Brooklyn Community Estate is a skilled nursing facility
dedicated to providing superior standards of care in
services for the aging.
We are committed to making a positive difference in the
lives of each resident and creating an environment
where residents can encounter solace of life,
experience wellness in body and in spirit and construct
meaningful relationships with others.
We are guided in our endeavors by the humanity,
compassion, and intellect of an interdisciplinary team of
professionals.
We’re on the Web!
www.brooklyncommunityestate.com
Hand Sanitizer Use
Hand sanitizers were developed
for use after washing hands or
for those times when soap and
water are not available. They
are gels that contain alcohol in
order to kill the germs present
on the skin. The alcohol works
immediately and effectively in
order to kill bacteria and most
viruses. Alcohol can be very
drying to the skin, so most
brands of sanitizers also contain
a moisturizer to minimize skin
dryness and irritation.
To use hand sanitizers
effectively, place a small
amount, the size of your
thumbnail, on the palm of your
hand and rub it over your entire
hand, including in your nailbeds.
If the gel completely evaporates
in less than 15 seconds, you
have not used enough product.
The use of hand sanitizers is a
habit that can help keep us all
exposed to fewer germs, and
therefore may decrease our
chance of illness. Whether you
are on the playground, using
someone else's computer or
visiting a friend in the hospital,
take the time to rub some on
your hands. It is an easy step
toward a healthy winter season.
Hand sanitizers can be found in
the entrances to the nursing
home, each resident room, the
public restroom and other public
areas of the facility.. We all
know the importance of proper
hand-washing in reducing
harmful germ transmission.
Hand sanitizers offer an
effective alternative.