Newsletter for August 2006 Volume 3 - Issue 8 - Page 2

Day Services
Sarah Krom
“It’s 89 degrees and only 10:30…” comes chiming over the radio and at SDS that means, we need to re-assign some space in the plant to recycling, and keep folks as cool as possible when they are out on crew assignments, processing materials, or working at the 1st step location. Staff takes extra care to make sure that folks have numerous opportunities to be in cool areas, hydrate themselves, and dress for the temperatures. We notice clients becoming more intolerant of daily frustrations and work hard to help them adjust to conditions we can’t change. For some this means less time working and more time in other activities. Others find themselves working hard in the cooler mornings and tired by the time 2pm rolls around. I am extremely proud of all the efforts clients make to meet the production needs of our customers, and staff makes to meet the needs of our clients. We acknowledged this with our traditional ‘dog days of summer’ lunch on July 12th. Gary and John roasted up some hotdogs and a leisurely lunch provided us all the opportunity to relax.

We had a group of folks participate in a GBRC sewing class and they entered some scarves they made in the Bt. Co. Fair. 3rd place winners were Brian Pfiefer, Autumn Keyser, Tina Jackson, Kim Wagner, and Meggan Bowers.

                      GREAT JOB YOU GUYS!

I would like to express my gratitude to the CHS staff this month. Storm damage left the building uninhabitable for several days and we moved services to the plant. Staff made extraordinary efforts to ensure that their clients’ daily activities were disrupted as little as possible. To those of us who don’t see them everyday it was a real treat to have them at the plant and several of the clients who had not worked in a while chose to do so. Bringing back memories of when we all shared the same building. When they went back ‘home’ the only reminder of that period was a fish they left behind … and he finally went back, too.

As Penny stated “ you don’t realize what you’ve got until it’s gone – we’re so glad to be back!”

Transportation
Revised handbooks were distributed to the drivers at a meeting to review procedures. We have so few emergencies that it becomes important to regularly review what to do if one occurred. From a vehicle accident to just professionally dealing with disruptive passengers keeping a ‘cool’ head’ is the driver’s best tool. Doug has been kept busy making sure all the AC units are working so that heat is the last worry our drivers have.

New state laws required that we change our policies on child seats and, since the law has been changed to allow people to carry concealed weapons, a policy that addressed the issue by banning weapons-concealed or otherwise- on vehicles.

Recycling
Morning hours have been picking up as the summer rolls along. Having the 1st Step building opened up earlier in the day has also improved the conditions in the afternoon. Staff are encouraged to take more frequent breaks in the store front area and this may mean a slight delay in them meeting you at your vehicle to unload materials. Please be patient and as the sign says “ HONK”.
 
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH
Staff at CHS nominated a co-worker this month that exhibits all the best in a Human Services employee. Having the ability to make a client smile just because you’ve entered the room, help them joke and laugh when they have had a bad day, put their needs and those of co-workers above your own, and do it all with a smile is no easy task. This month’s winner does these things and more! “Energetic and un-complaining” Melissa Slack was recognized by all the day services staff for what she ‘gives’ to SDS and the client’s she supports!

Medical Services
Sharon Henderson, RN
Medical Services promotes wellness of body, mind and spirit with education and positive supports. Medical Services staff includes: Sharon Henderson, RN; Candra Deschner, Support Staff; and Diane Ramos, Restorative Aide.

I am glad to be back at work after my surgery. Many clients and staff were so glad to see me able to return to my job.  I was told that all the cancer was removed and I should have a complete recovery.  While I was gone for a month, all the other coordinators supervised my department. Our two staff, Candra Descher and Diane Ramos did a wonderful job of keeping all of our appointments (80 to 100 per month) and of doing lots of paperwork.  I came back to a clean desk.  I thank the coordinators and our medical support staff for doing such a good job.
 
As we all hear so much news about diabetes, I wanted to share about some of our people that are diabetic. We have 3 that are on insulin daily, 8 that are on oral medication and 5 staff that are diabetic that work at the plant. Just this last month 2 of our clients had lab work done and their diabetes was in very good control. All 11 of our clients do a good job of controlling their blood sugar reading but these two had their levels down to the same as a non-diabetic person would have.

The last numbers I had for Barton County was about 21 % of the population are diabetic.  When I teach Medication Administration Class, I do a section on diabetes and we discuss the signs and symptoms of diabetes so they can report to me if they see those signs with someone.  The warning signs of diabetes are frequent urination, unusual thirst, fatigue, irritability, blurred vision, frequent infections and cuts or bruises that are slow to heal. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please see your doctor.