DAWSON
HEIGHTS
ENLIGHTENMENT
COMMUNITY
HUMOUR
OPTIMISM
October 2016
FOCUS ON RECREATION
October is always one of
our most exciting months
with Cops for Cancer,
Thanksgiving, Oktoberfest,
the Annual Fall Bazaar
and Halloween. As
Thanksgiving approaches we would like
to wish you and your family a very
Happy Thanksgiving.
Cops for Cancer:
This is our 9th year participating in the
Cops for Cancer fundraiser and so far
we have raised $1070. We are trying to
raise $2500 this year. If you haven’t
donated yet there is still time. Friday
October 7th at 11:00 we will be holding
our annual
head shaving
event in the
MPR at The
Cedars. The
Tour de Rock
team will be
at The
Cedars at
1:15 the same day. Come cheer on
both the Dawson Heights head shaving
team and the Tour De Rock team.
Annual Fall Bazaar Saturday October
22nd 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at The
Cedars. This is our 13th Annual Fall
Bazaar. This year we are returning to
our original format with a few small
additions such as a coffee stop.
All proceeds go to our residents’
fund. We encourage you to invite
your family and friends to join you for
some fabulous shopping. We have lots
of books, tasty baked goods, house
hold items, pictures,
Christmas decorations, collectables,
jewellery and more! You
might find that special something and the deals are beyond
compare. We will hold a pre-sale for
Dawson Heights Residents only from
2:00 to 3:00 on Friday October 21st..
Hearing Clinic: Connect Hearing will
be here to check your hearing and
hearing aids on Monday October
24th at 2:00 in the Family Dining
Room. Please use the sign-up
sheet posted outside the MPR to book
your appointment.
A pharmacist from Heart
Pharmacy will be giving
Flu Shots on Tuesday
October 25th from 9:00
to 12:00 in the MPR at The Cedars.
The flu shots are available to all campus
members, volunteers and staff.
October Birthday Party and
Halloween Celebration:
Come celebrate Halloween
and October Birthdays
on
Friday October 28th
at 1:30. Our musical guests
will be the Gypsy Rovers. We
will have plenty of costumes if
you would like to dress up.
Check your Recreation Calendar: Due
to Bazaar Set-ups there will be minimal
Recreation Program starting October
18th to October 22nd. Please check
your calendar that week for changes.
Page 2
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
ECHO
KAREN’S KORNER
It’s that time of year again when we need to start thinking about influenza
and prevention. We will be posting reminder notices as we move closer
towards flu season but here are some identifiers for us all to consider when
we are wondering: Is it a cold or the flu?
Symptoms
Fever
Rare
Headache
Aches and pains
Fatigue and weakness
Extreme fatigue
Runny, stuffy nose
Sneezing
Sore throat
Chest discomfort,
coughing
Rare
Sometimes mild
Influenza (the flu)
Usual, sudden onset 39º-40ºC (102.2104ºF), lasts up to 7 to 10 days
Usual, can be severe
Usual, often severe
Sometimes mild
Usual, may last 2-3 weeks or more
Unusual
Common
Common
Common
Sometimes mild to
moderate
Can lead to sinus
congestion or
earache
Usual, early onset, can be severe
Sometimes
Sometimes
Sometimes
Complications
Prevention
Treatment
Cold
Usual, can be severe
Can lead to pneumonia, respiratory
failure, and more complications in
persons with chronic diseases
Yearly influenza vaccine and frequent
Frequent hand washing
hand washing
No specific treatment is
Antiviral drugs by prescription, which
available; symptom
can reduce symptoms
relief only
Please remember to give particular attention to hand washing and
prevention practices that will keep us all healthy. Staff always increase
their sanitizing protocol through the fall, winter and early spring.
Respectful communication - It is important that we have open and honest
communications with each other when things are not right or we
perceive that a mistake has been made. I realize that at times things
not going right can be upsetting but I would ask that when making a
complaint or a report to one another we remember to be respectful in
our communications. I believe that each of us will always do our best to
listen carefully and accept any suggestions that might help us to do better.
As we move into a busy period of the year, with the extra demands of the season, it
would help us all to remember to be a little gentler with each other, and ourselves!
In a further move towards safeguarding privacy we will no longer be including full
names, specific dates or place of residence in our Monthly Birthday announcements.
ECHO
Page 3
Volunteers are needed for a 5 week Camosun Nursing Student’s Practicum.
Four years ago, we began a partnership with Camosun College where we
host their first year nursing students one afternoon a week for five
weeks. The students meet one on one with residents who have volunteered to partner with them for this five week period. The students will
meet you in your apartment once a week for 2 hours. For these
students it is their first glimpse into working in the community with
seniors. Over those five weeks the students learn from the resident they
are paired with and have the opportunity to develop their skills as
future nurses. Some things that the students will do with you are:
take your blood pressure, go on a walk with you, or accompany
you to a recreation program of interest, including afternoon tea.
What an opportunity to be able to share your knowledge and
help shape future nurses! We are asking for residents from The
Cedars to volunteer for this program. The five weeks will take place on Wednesday
afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00 from November 2, to November 30th. Please come
and see Anita in the Recreation Office if you are interested. If you are unsure you can
commit to the full 5 weeks there is still opportunity to take part in this program.
DID YOU KNOW?
Hummingbird Facts:
In North America, hummingbirds begin migrating
south in late August or mid-September. A few
hummingbirds may begin migrating south
as early as July. Hummingbirds that travel
very long distances between their summer and
winter feeding grounds start migrating earlier
than other birds.
Male birds and mature birds tend to leave earlier
than females and immature birds. Male birds leave a
few days early so they can set up territories before
the females arrive. Immature birds need to grow and
consume more food before they begin their long
migration.
Unlike many migratory birds, hummingbirds do not
travel in flocks. They do, however, travel very long
distances and often take several months twice a year
moving between their winter and summer homes.
Hummingbirds can fly at an average speed of
roughly 25 to 30 miles per hour and can dive at
speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. These tiny
birds can flap their wings approximately 70
times per second during normal flight and
around 200 times per second when they
are diving.
Saturday Shopping Trip:
Just a gentle reminder that if
you are interested in joining
the HandyDART shopping
trips on Saturdays, you need
to reserve your
seat by using
the sign-up
sheet posted
outside the
MPR at The Cedars. You
must sign up by noon on the
Friday prior to the shopping
trip to secure your spot on
the bus. If you do not sign up
we can’t guarantee you a
spot.
Page 4
ECHO
FUNNY BONE
POET’S CORNER
Halloween Haiku’s
Halloween décor;
I sweep away real cobwebs,
To put up fake ones.
K. Dale
Big bags of Snickers
Bought early in October
Gone by Halloween
J. Mumma
FOCUS ON RECREATION cont.
Donations:
Baked Goods Needed: Call out to all
residents, friends and family members of the Dawson Heights
community. We are in need
of baked goods for our Fall
Bazaar. Please drop off your
donations at The Cedars’ Recreation office by noon on October 21st.
We are in need of plastic and paper
grocery bags for the Bazaar. Please
drop them off in the designated area
outside the Recreation Offices prior to
October 16th.
Last call for Bazaar donations. Items
will not be accepted after October 6th.
There will no longer be a donation
clothing box at The Cedars. When this
was started Victoria did not have donation boxes that are now
easily found outside of
most grocery stores.
We would like to thank
Mabel J for her many
years of bringing the items from our
donation boxes to the local thrift store.
No “Pun” Intended……
I thought I saw an eye doctor
on an Alaskan Island, but it turned out to
be an optical Aleutian.
No matter how much you push the
envelope, it’ll still be stationery.
A dog gave birth to puppies near the
road and was cited for littering.
Two silk worms had a race. They ended
up in a tie.
Emergency Preparedness
Tip for the month.
Every month we will remind you to put a
few more things in your ‘Grab and Go
Bag’ and/ or give you some tips. This
month’s tip has to do with water. A
resident recently came to see me with a
concern about her ‘Grab and Go Bag’
being too heavy when water bottles were
added. I suggested to her that she could
add some SOS Emergency Drinking
Water Pouches. They are much lighter
than a water bottle. These water
pouches can be purchased at
Total Prepare located at 48
Crease Ave. (near Uptown) or
you can order them online.
They cost about 50 cents each. Total
Prepare sells other emergency kit items
as well. You still may want to have one
small bottle of water for things like brushing your teeth or washing your face.
Our purpose is to provide safe housing in
a nurturing community for independent seniors on limited income.
DAWSON HEIGHTS HOUSING LTD.
Tel: 250-477-4850
3710 Cedar Hill Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5V5
After Hours Tel: 250-883-2773
Website: www.dawsonheights.ca