Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September. This year, it is next Monday. September 6^th.  

The first Labor Day in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City.

The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined thus:

A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations..

Traditionally, Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday is often regarded as a day of rest and parades.

Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Similarly, some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school, although school starting times now vary.

From the Dow Rummel Village Community:

        

An education program about Parkinson’s disease for health care professionals will take place in the Halladay-Peterson Chapel, 1310 W. Madison St., on Sept. 13 from 1 to 2 p.m.
The Tulips Program, developed by Struthers Parkinson’s Center, will teach direct care providers what people with Parkinson’s disease need.

The cost is free to attend. RSVP to the Parkinson Association of South Dakota at 271-6113.

        

WHEN: Tuesday, August 24th
WHERE: Main Street, Dow Rummel Village
TIME: 10 AM - 2:30 PM

In addition to well over a dozen vendors' booths along Main Street offering everything from back scans to gourmet foods, there will be a series of presentations in the Elmen Room.
Here is that schedule:
10 AM - Laughter Yoga presented by Tracey Hughes
10:45 AM - Stress Relief: Taking Care of Yourself presented by Interim Home Health Care
12:30 PM - Arthritis: What Can I Do? presented by Interim Home Health Care
1:15 PM - Living Well the First 100 Years
2 PM - Nutrition: Portion Distortion presented by Elisa Olivier-Nielson

Again, the above presentations will be in the Elmen Room at the west end of Main Street.

And....most importantly....

SMOOTHIES will be served at 2 PM on the Terrace outside Covell's Dining Room! Mmmmmmm!

        

This Tuesday, August 24th, is Wellness Day at Dow Rummel Village

From 10 AM to 2:30 PM, Main Street will be lined with booths offering everything from blood sugar testing to back scans to smoothies.
in addition, there will be presentations all day, including yoga, nutrition and diet, and tension busters you can do on your own.

And best of all, it's free! Come down to Main Street in Dow Rummel Village and learn new ways to take care of yourself and your loved ones for the healthy years of your life. 

        

There's nothing like September golf! The air is cooler, the course is clear. And you need to get at least one more round in before the snow flies!
This year marks the 10th year that the Dow Rummel Open will take place at beautiful Spring Creek Country Club in Harrisburg.
Come as a single, put together a foursome or any combination in between!
And if you are feeling lucky, you have a chance to win $10,000!!!
Download our brochure (Dow_Rummel_Golf_Open.pdf ) and return it to Tom Claycomb, Dow Rummel Village, 1320 West. Dow Rummel Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57104. Be sure to enclose payment!
Questions? Call Tom at 336-1490.

        

Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 12th. Guitarist Samuel Foster will fill the Halladay-Peterson Chapel with his own unique mixture of classical, romantic and Spanish guitar. Show time is 7 PM. Samuel is an instructor at the Conservatory of Central Illinois in Champaign. This will be a memorable evening for all who attend. So join us!

        

Massage is no longer available only through luxury spas and upscale health clubs. Today, massage therapy is offered in businesses, clinics, hospitals and even airports. If you've never tried massage, learn about the possible health benefits of massage and what to expect during a massage therapy session.

What is massage?
Massage is a general term for pressing, rubbing and manipulating your skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Massage therapists typically use their hands and fingers for massage but may also use their forearms, elbows and even feet. Massage may range from light stroking to deep pressure techniques.
There are many different types of massage, including these common types: 

• Swedish massage. This is a gentle form of massage that uses long strokes, kneading, deep circular movements, vibration and tapping to help relax and energize you.

• Deep-tissue massage. This massage technique uses slower, more forceful strokes to target the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue, commonly to help with muscle damage from injuries.

• Sports massage. This is similar to Swedish massage but is geared toward people involved in sport activities to help prevent or treat injuries.

• Trigger point massage. This massage focuses on trigger points, or sensitive areas of tight muscle fibers that can form in your muscles after injuries or overuse.

Benefits of massage
Massage is generally considered part of complementary and alternative medicine. It's increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations.
While more research is needed to confirm the benefits of massage, some studies have found massage helpful for:

• Stress relief

• Managing anxiety and depression

• Pain

• Stiffness

• Blood pressure control

• Infant growth

 §  Sports-related injuries

 §  Boosting immunity

 §  Cancer treatment

Despite its benefits, massage isn't meant as a replacement for regular medical care. Let your doctor know you're trying massage and be sure to follow any standard treatment plans you have.

        

Dow Rummel Village will be holding its 10^th Annual Golf Open, Friday, Sept 10^th at the Spring Creek Country Club in Harrisburg SD. We could use volunteers to help with this wonderful event!

Can you help out in any of these areas?
        We need people to man the registration desk

        Two people to be observers at the $10,000 Hole-in-one hole

        People to  sell raffle tickets and keep track of sales

        People to help with general set-up the morning of the outing

 

This will be a great opportunity to spend a beautiful day with great people.
If you are interested in helping us out, please contact either Trish Ferwerda at 336-1490 for more information.

 

        

Ron & Jane Cote return to Dow Rummel Village, Thursday August 5 at 7 PM in the Halladay-Peterson Chapel. It's free, it's fun and they are terrific! They last entertained here during the July Resident Social. This is a sample from that beautiful July evening.Join us this coming Thursday as Ron & Jane perform some of your favorite country & western, folk and Americana music favorites!

        

We had the pleasure of working with Erin and Chris Bonitto of Gemini Consulting last week,  learning new things about serving persons with dementia. 

Erin and Chris showed us how every staff person working at Dow Rummel Village can bring pleasure, purpose and peace to our residents’ lives and at the same time bring more meaning and enjoyment to our work.  Erin shared many ideas to help us effectively communicate with persons with dementia.  Approach and the words you use are so important in communication.   We came away with some great new ideas and opportunities to enhance our resident’s quality of life.

 

In additional to the time they spent with our staff, we hosted an evening event in which Erin spoke about “What Everyone Needs to Know about Memory Loss, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Memory Care Facilities”. A capacity crowd heard Erin outline the very important differences between “Age-Associated Memory Impairment” and “Alzheimer’s Disease”. 

She also talked about how we as caregivers can reduce frustration by learning “the language” of Alzheimer’s disease and how to preserve their independence through simple, but meaningful activities.  We were proud to host this great event and thank the many who came to share and learn. 

It would not have happened if not for the sponsorship from the Fred and Mary Stahmann Family Fund of the SFACF.  A heartfelt thank you to Mary Tidwell for arranging this sponsorship.