Country View Christmas 2006!

Country View had its annual Christmas party on Friday, December 15th. The activity room was transformed into a "Winter Wonderland". The ceiling was full of sparkling snowflakes, blue and white lights lit up the room and there was even a fireplace with a chimney! Everyone had a great time! Santa even took the time out of his busy schedule to stop by to hand out gifts. The wonderful entertainment was provided by the Hurley choir, their singing got everyone in the spirit and the delicious food was provided by Linda Reigle Catering. It was great seeing everyone at this special time of year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We here at Rehabitat Systems of Michigan hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving!
Here is a link with helpful tips, ideas and recipes for your holiday feast!

http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/thanks.html

Halloween Party 2006!

What a party! Country View's Halloween party 2006 was the best ever! Everyone had a great time! Our activity center was transformed into a "Haunted Halloween party room" and everyone was dressed up; it was hard to tell who was who! The food was great, some of the goodies were; finger shaped hot dogs, sloppy joes, salads, cookies, cupcakes and much more! Yummy! Thanks to everyone that brought a dish to pass and a special thanks to "The Three Witches"; Trina, Sue and Pam. The kids even got to take a goodie bag full of toys and treats home with them!

Here are the results from the costume contest! Congratulations to all of our winners!

Adult Costume

Grand Prize – “Roman Goddess”, Marion
1st Place – “King”, David Mantei
2nd Place – “Dark Queen of the Night”, Diana

Kid’s Costumes

Grand Prize – “Captain America”, Jacob Shaw
1st Place – “Skeleton”, Brendon Peterson
2nd Place – “Barbie Princess”, Sarah Falardeau

Best Costume

“Circus Folk” – Amy Mathews, Lauren Turkovics and Adrian Horner

And the winners for the pumpkins...

Pumpkins

Grand Prize – “Cat Stuck in a Tree” Pumpkin, David Mathews
1st Place – “Want some?” Pumpkin, Nancy
2 Place – “Just Clowning Around” Pumpkin, Marion

See you next year!

Here's a picture of the kids dressed up! Lookin' good!

Halloween Party 2006!

What a summer!!

Vacations! Concerts! Parties! More home improvements!

This has been a very busy summer! First off, Country View had it's annual party that was co-hosted with the BIA of Michigan; Summerfest 2006. It was a great party consisting of BBQ, entertainment provided by Nick Bence and everyone had a great time. Soon after Summerfest, the residents were off for a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo! They stayed there a few days and loved every minute of it! A few days after returning home the residents were off again, this time to a summer concert! Billy Currington and Miranda Lambert in concert! Non-stop here at Country View!

Now for the home improvements! We have recently redone both bathrooms and have a new tile floor in the sunroom. It looks very nice and the residents love it! We also have added more cement to the end of the driveway and fixed up the parking lot - Country View is looking good! Feel free to stop by and see all of our new improvements!

Here is a picture of David at the Indianapolis Zoo -

Country View Rummage/Bake Sale 2006!

Country View's Rummage/Bake Sale 2006 was a huge success!

Our anuual rummage/bake sale was Thursday, June 8th and Friday, June 9th. The grand total raised was $363.30! All the money will go towards a client outing of their choice. We have lots to choose from; concerts, races and more! Thanks to everyone that helped out and everyone that made donations of items and baked goods!

Here's a picture of Ruth shopping!

Improvements at Country View!

Lots of things have been going on here at Country View lately! We have been making improvements to the home and it looks great! We have a new kitchen floor in the kitchen and dining area, new counter tops, a new stove and newly stained cabniets! Stop on by and check it out!
Looking good Country View!!!

Health and Safety

Preventing Back Injuries
April 2006

No matter what our jobs are we constantly use our backs. All of these activities put stress on the back; to support our bodies, to bend, to sit, to stand, even to lie down. The back, however, is most prone to injury during lifting. To help avoid back injuries…

· Maintain good body mechanics.
· Stand with your feet at least shoulder width apart.
· Distribute your weight evenly through out both feet.
· Tighten you abdominal muscles (pulling the abdominal muscles back and up toward your spine and curl your tailbone under slightly, you will create a pressure in the abdomen that helps share the loads placed on the spine).
· Bend from the knees (this enables your legs to act as shock absorbers for the body—when you bend your knees, your thighs and hips carry any weight first).
· Maintain a balanced spine—align your shoulders and chest properly over the lower spine to reduce the force placed on the spine.
· Think before you lift. Ask yourself…
1) “Can I lift this alone?”
2) “Do I need help?”
3) “Is it too big or too awkward?”
· If you’re unsure of the correct way to transfer a client, always seek assistance.
· Always check the path of travel to make sure it is clear of obstacles before you begin the lift.
· NEVER twist while lifting. Instead, move one foot at a time in the direction you want to go and then turn with your leg muscles.
· Pay attention to back pain. If you experience a simple strain or sprain, give yourself a rest.
· Always wear a back brace when lifting is necessary.
· If you regularly lift heavy loads or frequently strain your back, you should consider an exercise program to increase your physical condition. Your program should include aerobics, weight training, and stretching exercises. Always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
· Always report any injury to your supervisor.

Helpful Websites

Here are some helpful and informational websites

for you to check out!

http://www.biausa.org - The Brain Injury Association of America

http://www.biami.org - The Brain Injury Association of Michigan

http://www.internationalbrain.org - The International Brain Injury Association

http://www.sci-info-pages.com/personal.html - Personal Spinal Cord Pages & Resource Site

http://www.christopherreeve.org - The Christopher Reeve Foundation

Answers to "Test Your St. Patrick's Day Knowledge"!

Ready for the answers? Let's see how you did!

1) Where was St. Patrick born?
If you answered "Britain", you are correct!

2) Why is St. Patrick's Day celebrated on March 17th?
Because it was "The day that St. Patrick died."

3) Which US city was the first to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
If you guessed Flushing, you were wrong, it's "Boston"!

4) While he was enslaved in Ireland, St. Patrick:
No, he didn't teach himself to yodel, he "Herded and tended to sheep and swine".

5) Which "James Bond" actor was born in Ireland?
Sorry, it wasn't our Vice President, Damon Huffman; it was "Pierce Brosnan"!

6) According to legend, what should you never do if you catch a leprechaun?
"Take your eyes off him!"

Hope you did great! Thanks for checking our blog out!
Feel free to leave a comment! Come back soon!

Country View Caribbean Party 2006!

Our annual Caribbean party was Friday, March 10th. It was a huge success! The residents were all decked out in their tropical gear and ready to have some fun! We brought the sunshine to the activity center by decorating it with palm trees, fish, sharks, monkeys, lights and much much more! The kids had a great time with their pirate hats and eye patches. They played games like "pin the patch on the pirate" and even went on a treasure hunt around the home! There was also a band that played under our large "cabana" umbrella. They played tropical music to set the mood and everyone sang along! The food was also great and kept everyone nice and full. See you next year!

Check out our monthly Health and Safety Flyer!

HOME SAFETY TIPS

March 2006

Here are some home safety tips to help keep you and your family safe;

Security:
· Always lock your home up at night and when you are away.
· Don’t leave a key outside of your home, give one to a trusted neighbor.
· Prune shrubbery so it doesn’t hide doors or windows.
· Install bright lights outside your home and keep them on at night.
· Never leave a message on your answering machine that says that you are away from home, say “I’m not available right now.”

Electrical:
· Always buy electrical products approved by the Underwriters Laboratories Assn.
· Keep electrical appliances away from water.
· Don’t use a 2-slot outlet for appliances with a three-pronged plug. Use an adapter with a grounding tab.
· Always turn off the switch and unplug lamps when replacing bulbs.
· Protect infants and toddlers by covering unused wall outlets with safety caps.
· Never overload an extension- cord. If it even gets warm or hot when in use, unplug the cord and replace with a heavier cord.
· Before digging, always call MISS DIG—800-482-7171” before you dig.

Firearms:
· If you own a gun, unload it and store it in a locked safety storage device.
· Lock bullets and cartridges in a safety storage device in a separate location.
· Never assume ANYTHING about a gun. “All guns should be considered loaded.”
· All gun owners should take a safety course.
· Talk to your children and family members about the dangers of guns.
· Use trigger locks.

Kitchen:
· Never leave cooking food unattended.
· Unplug appliances, such as toasters, when not in use.
· Do not let old newspapers and other waste materials accumulate.
· Store oxygen cylinders safely away from high temperatures.

Open Bed!

We have an open bed!!

Call today or leave your phone number and we will call you for more information!

Hurry! It won't last long!

810-487-3200

Rehabitat Systems of MI Introduction

Welcome to Rehabitat Systems of Michigan's first ever blog!

Here is a place you can post questions, check out what's going on in our company or just to stop by and say "hello"!

Questions about brain injuries or spinal cord injuries? Post them here.
Questions about our home Country View? Ask them here.

We welcome you and hope you find our blog useful! It's nice to have you!


Residential Living for the Traumatic Brain Injured and Spinal Cord Injured.

810-487-3200

www.rehabitatsystems.com