Author: oscwebdesign

Here we are approaching the end of July…who would’ve thought we would still be battling this virus. At least here in Maine, right now, it appears we are winning. But the battle isn’t over yet. And here at Bartlett Woods we are definitely winning…but again that battle isn’t over either. We must stay the course to keep ahead of this virus.

It’s been a while since we published a blog… we’ve been busy! Each staff member has taken on more responsibilities to help wherever there is need. We have a great team of dedicated, compassionate, hardworking men and woman who truly care about the well being of every resident and their fellow staff members.

While we are still technically in “lock down”, we have many more freedoms than we did a few months ago. The residents are able to enjoy the ability to move around the building, both inside and out. Masks and social distancing are our best defense against Covid 19 and we make certain the residents are always practicing these guidelines.

Along with being able to socialize with their neighbors in the common areas within the building, they are enjoying so much more time outside on our beautiful grounds.

Several weeks back, the state gave the go ahead for face to face family visits. We were given a list of guidelines that we had to follow. The outcome has been our beautiful screened gazebo, where residents and their families can visit. They still wear masks and maintain the 6 foot distance. Visitors are screened for any symptoms and asked a number of questions regarding their health. Then they enjoy a visit outside under the gazebo, surrounded by flowers and loved ones. The smiles we see on their faces when they come back inside are priceless.

While things aren’t back to normal, we have adapted to our new normal. Everyone is grateful for what we have and thankful for being safe. We look forward to the day when we can welcome families and friends back to Bartlett Woods. We look forward to having our exercise instructors, musicians and speakers come back. We look forward to going shopping, scenic rides, out to eat, picnics and much more. That day will come….until then we keep fighting the good fight!

Covid 19 is not welcome at Bartlett Woods; we will fight until this virus is gone to keep it out.

We wear our masks and let our eyes show our smiles, we use words of compassion to show we care and we let our actions prove we are here for them.

Everyone can fight with us by doing one simple task….please WEAR YOUR MASK!

Stay safe and we hope to see you all soon!
Karen Tooley
Activities Director

Life looks different these days doesn’t it? Life at Bartlett Woods is different, but still good. While it’s true we are still under a “shelter in place” order and our residents are confined to their apartments we are good.

Its difficult being isolated from family and friends, but it’s a good feeling to know our residents are safe. They are well fed, cared for and most of all, loved by all of the staff.

Can I just take a moment and talk about this incredible staff? These men and women who come in everyday with smiles on their faces and caring in their hearts are just phenomenal! They are truly caregivers in every sense of the word. From our executive director all the way down through resident care staff, kitchen staff, administrative staff, housekeeping, activities, maintenance and even our transport driver. The caring and compassion of everyone is palpable. Our residents are the driving force behind everything we are doing. There is nothing we won’t do to keep them all safe and healthy.
The staff truly cares about everyone; therefore, we have made it our mission to keep ourselves out of the public in order to reduce the risk of contracting the virus ourselves and in turn bringing it to work.

While sometimes the days may seem long for our residents, we are offering as much enrichment as we safely can. We have increased our supplies of crossword puzzle books, word search books, Sudoku books and are offering to retrieve books from our library as often as they would like.
The activities team goes to each apartment daily to see what they might need or want. It also gives us a chance to just say “Hi!” and chat for a few minutes. Of course we are wearing masks and keeping the 6 ft distance.

When the weather cooperates, we encourage our residents to enjoy their balconies and soak up some Vitamin D.

We all look forward to the day coming when the virus is no longer a threat and we can emerge from our homes and enjoy the company of family and friends.
The question remains: what will life look like after the virus? Will we go back to where we were or do you think perhaps we have found that there are things we can live without and things we must have in our lives? Let’s hope we are better, stronger, smarter and more compassionate when that day comes.
All of us at Bartlett Woods hope you are all staying home, staying safe and enjoying your time with family.

Karen Tooley
Activities Director

As we all learn to adjust to the changing lifestyle we are living, here at Bartlett Woods our #1 priority is to keep our residents, your loved ones, healthy and happy.

This means, we have closed our facility to visitors.  All staff members are screened daily to make certain we are symptom free and we are washing our hands many, many times per day.
I’m sure you are wondering what the Activities Department does when the residents are all confined to their apartments.   Rest assured, we are here every day and interacting with your loved ones each day. Daily we go to each apartment with some sort of goody.  On St. Patrick’s Day we brought them each an Irish coffee and Shamrock cookies! On other days we have brought them each a little bag of hard candy and chocolate, we have also made popcorn.  Along with the treats we are offering jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, word search, Sudoku, cryptograms and word scrambles. We are also checking books out of the library for them, offering DVD’s to watch and in some cases just visiting so they aren’t lonely.

We have lined up some music entertainment that will take place outside that they can enjoy on their balconies.  When the weather warms up, we will offer more outside entertainment.

We have played “Hallway Bingo” and have other “Hallway Activities” planned.  These events allow them to sit in their doorways and safely socialize with their neighbors.

We have also set up schedules for residents to go outside for short walks.

With our spring snow, we made a couple of snowmen for them to enjoy!

Life is certainly different then what we are all used to, but we are doing our part to slow the curve.

There will be no April Activities calendar on the website, please accept our apologies. We are planning activities day by day at this point, but rest assured we are all practicing social distancing.  The Activities Team personally sees each resident daily and makes certain they are content.

While we have our departments we work within, we are all one big team.   This means everyone pitches in where needed. This week Activities has been on trash duty as well as helped deliver snacks from the kitchen, but I promise we washed our hands in between. ☺

While we work hard to keep our residents safe and healthy, we wish the same for all of you.

Thank You

Karen Tooley

Activities Director

We can only hope the “Luck ‘O the Irish” is on our side this month and brings spring early for us! While we have had a rather mild winter, for Maine, it’s still been long enough and we are ready to get outside and enjoy some fresh air!
Until Mother Nature decides to play nice, we are keeping busy inside here at Bartlett Woods. We are having so much fun with our new games “Wheel of Fortune” and “Concentration” and this month we will be adding “Jeopardy” to the mix. This is one the residents have asked for and we are excited to bring it to them. We are also bringing back a game we haven’t played for awhile…Wii Bowling! Always something to keep us moving and having fun!
We have a very creative bunch of residents and they enjoy trying different crafts whether it is clay, paint, knitting, Origami they enjoy it all. This month we will try our hand at painting mandalas. According to Wikipedia: A mandala is a geometric configuration of symbols with a very different application. In modern, typically American and European use, “mandala” has become a generic term for any circle ornament which can be used as a relaxing tool, for diagnostic or in art therapy.

We are excited to see the designs they create.

While we often have dogs visit us here, we have never been part of a dog reaching his goal of becoming a certified therapy dog. On March 6th, we will be part of the test for “Clio”, a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix as he performs his last test to obtain his certificate. He will be joined by “Jeepers”, a Portuguese water dog, who is already certified. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for Clio!
We have been very fortunate to have a trainer from Penobscot Bay YMCA come twice a week for as long as I can remember and even before that. Victor comes every Tuesday and Thursday morning, usually to packed room, and really gets our resident’s blood pumping and feeling energized. He has become part of the family here and our residents have asked if we could have him more often. Victor was more than willing to do that, therefore, starting this month; Victor will be here on Saturday mornings as well. We still have our chair yoga classes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday too. Six exercise classes a week!! It’s the perfect way to start each morning.
One of those random days we like to celebrate here is” National Plant a Flower Day”! Who doesn’t want a pretty flower for their table? It is sure to bring smiles as we watch them grow.
Of course the big day for March is St. Patrick’s Day! Every year we try to come up with a new way to celebrate this fun holiday. This year, we will enjoy a little “Irish Coffee” while enjoying the music and dancing of the hit River Dance! If that doesn’t make you feel Irish, nothing will!
The first day of spring just makes everyone want to get outside! We are gambling that Mother Nature will provide us with a beautiful spring day on March 19th so we can enjoy our fist “Walking Group” walk of 2020.
Representative Pinny Beebe-Center is serving in her third term in the Maine House of Representatives. She serves on the State and Local Government Committee and represents Rockland and Owl’s Head. We are excited to welcome her to Bartlett Woods on Saturday, March 21st @ 2:00 pm. She will give an update on what is happening in Augusta, as well as answer questions. This event is open to the community; we would love to have you join us.
We also will welcome back Michael Perry, one of our favorite travelers. Michael loves to travel as much as he loves to share his journey with us. He will be here with his amazing photos and stories from his travels to Copenhagen and Greenland. This is one we all look forward to.
Along with all these great events, we also have our, movies, games, shopping trips, dinning out, discussion groups, scenic rides, cocktail hours and just plain fun. Whether it’s sitting by the fire with a friend, enjoying a good book in the library, or taking in one of our great events…we will save a seat for you!

Karen Tooley
Activities Director