The Haven Quarterly Newsletter
Dear Haven family,

I wanted to send you a message and wish you all a happy holiday season. I love that we are able to connect with family this year – last year our residents had Thanksgiving in the hallway because we were not even doing group dining at the time due to COVID protocols. In the best interest of our residents and staff, I do want to send some reminders on health and safety during this holiday season, especially since COVID rates are still so prevalent in northwest Colorado.

  • Stay home if you are sick – and before bringing your loved one home, please ask all your guests to screen themselves and not come to the family gathering if they have any symptoms or have had any recent exposure.
  • Consider limiting group sizes this holiday season for the safety of your loved ones.
  • Wear a mask when at The Haven and the CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors where transmission is high, which is true for NW Colorado right now.
  • Get tested if you have symptoms; stay away from others until you get a negative PCR test – rapid tests are useful but need to be backed up with the more reliable PCR test.
  • Get vaccinated and get the booster if you are at least 6 months past getting Pfizer/Moderna or 2 months after J&J.
  • Please call The Haven in advance of all visits to make a reservation and come to the front door to be screened by a staff prior to entering. If staff are not around you can call The Haven to let them know you are here and need to be screened (276-4484).

We will be having a small holiday party with 2 fully vaccinated resident families on December 11th – in order to limit group size this will be limited to just family members only. We hope that next year we can invite the community back in to join us for festivities!

Wishing you all a healthy and peaceful holiday season. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or need anything at all.

Sincerely,

Adrienne
Recent Happenings
  • On November 2, our residents and staff received their booster doses courtesy of Lyon’s Drug Pharmacy – Matt, the owner of Lyon’s, came over early in the morning to administer the vaccines and we are so grateful for our partnership with Lyon’s!
  • On October 31, we had a really fun outing taking the ladies shopping at Déjà Vu – everyone was wearing their new threads the next day! Each lady got to spend $50 that we raised via a Facebook fundraiser and also from some donations from Déjà Vu and they had such a great time picking out new items!

  • One of our residents Mary has recently experienced a decline in her health. The most important thing in her life is her dog Walter. In light of her having a more difficult time walking Walter, the Haven caregivers have stepped up to walk him multiple times a day for her so that Walter can continue to live alongside her as she ages.
Like our Facebook page to see more photos and updates from The Haven!
ITS OFFICIAL!
We’re excited to announce that The Haven Assisted Living has officially merged with Northwest Colorado Health. When Northwest Colorado Health acquired The Haven in 2005, the partnership was structured so that each entity would keep its own 501c3 status and would have a separate Boards of Directors. At that time, there were advantages for The Haven’s employee’s health benefits identified so the two organizations remained individual agencies. Over the years, there were more advantages identified for both organizations if the two merged into one agency – with one board of directors and one 501c3 tax ID. What does this mean? You won’t see many visible changes. In reality, the two organizations have been functioning as one for the past 16 years. At The Haven, you’ll find the same wonderful staff and same homelike atmosphere. Small changes will take place “behind the scenes” that will allow for operational efficiencies in HR, Accounting, Maintenance, IT and Quality. The Haven believes that community members deserve the opportunity to age in place and remain a part of our community. For over 25 years, we've been caring for older adults in the Yampa Valley and will continue to provide an affordable assisted living option for residents, because older adults benefit from living the remainder of their years in their home community, near family and friends.
CO GIVES DAY IS DECEMBER 7
Give where you live! Support The Haven on CO Gives Day!

Any donations scheduled or made through December 7 qualify for the $1 Million Incentive Fund. When scheduling your donation, be sure to select "Colorado Gives Day" under donation frequency. We'd love your support on CO Gives Day - whether you donate or simply share our page with your friends and family.

Staff & Resident Highlights/Stories
Rosa Lawton “graduated” from The Haven this past fall to live independently after living here for almost 5 years. While living here, our caregivers always encouraged her independence as it was of utmost importance to her. When she first moved in she needed assistance with her medications, appointments, meals, hygiene, etc. and she really enjoyed having all of her basic needs met over the years.
She got such high quality care from The Haven that she improved enough to go live independently again! We coordinated with Northwest Colorado Health’s home health team for her to continue receiving services in her home to further support her independence. Rosa has already come back to visit her “home away from home” and has played the piano for a few sing-alongs with our residents. She is a true testament of the strong connections we build within The Haven and is a very unique success story.
Upcoming Community Events
Undoubtedly, this has been a hard year in many ways. It may be even more difficult as we move through the Holiday season during December.
 
Each year, the Northwest Colorado Health Hospice Team offers special events to bring light into otherwise dark places during the holidays for those who are coping with loss. It is our hope that these events will assist you with feeling more connected and supported during the Holiday Season. Please see below for the various opportunities available.
 
  • Dec. 7 – Celebration of Light – 6:00 PM. Live Stream via Zoom - Celebrate the holidays while honoring the memories of loved ones. Materials will be available to create ornaments at home.
  • Dec. 21 – Blue Christmas Service – 6-7:00 PM. In person at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Steamboat (masks are required.) Watch via live stream on St. Paul’s Episcopal website. This service is to support individuals who are grieving or feeling down this holiday season.
 
To learn more about these events, please visit northwestcoloradohealth.org/events.

Community Grief Group Support is also available:
  • 1st/3rd Tues of every month at 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM at Rollingstone Respite House in Steamboat
  • Each Monday from 4:30-5:30 PM at the Hayden Library or Zoom ID #82589637698 
  • SOS Group: 2nd Weds. of every month from 6-7:30 PM at Rollingstone Respite House. This is focused on those people who have experienced the death of a loved one from suicide.

Please Contact Jo Anne Grace, Spiritual Care and Bereavement Coordinator with Northwest Colorado Health at 970-846-8319 prior to attending a grief group, or to request more information on individual support.
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Thanks for reading!
Please contact Adrienne Idsal with feedback or suggestions.