Posts Tagged ‘First Call’

First Call Employee Wins Award

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

Katrina Pruett Biller/Coder at First Call Wins Award for Her Miniature Meth House

“The miniature meth house I built makes some people uncomfortable, because they are used to seeing fantasy dream homes,” says Katrina Pruett, second-place winner in the Creatin’ Contest, a national miniatures competition.

Katrina, the biller/coder at First Call Home Health, built the meth house to increase awareness of the issues and dangers associated with meth production. It took her nine months to build the house in her spare time.


The house is almost 22 inches high, built on a base that is 2 feet by 3 feet in size. The scale is 1 inch to 1 foot, which has been the most common scale. The next most common scale is 1/4 inch to 1 foot, because it does not take up as much space.

Not your imaginary beach home
The competition required that everyone start out with a basic structure, but the contestants could make modifications and build whatever kind of house they wanted. Katrina was intrigued by online photos of old rental houses that meth cooks had trashed. “I thought a meth house would be more worthwhile than building my imaginary vacation home at the beach,” Katrina stated.

“Most people doing the hobby fantasize about their dream house. The last thing I need is another pretty miniature house catching dust.” In her mind, Katrina pictured a 70’s house that renters had turned into a meth house. She wanted to build a miniature that would be usable to tell a message of the dangers of meth.

A message at miniature shows
Katrina plans to take her meth house to several major miniature shows this year and hopes to find a school or library that will display it. At the shows, Katrina will give out a brochure that describes:

the dangers of the materials used in making meth
how to know if you have a meth house in your neighborhood
what it is like for people who live in a meth house

“If you are looking to rent or buy a place, be aware that there are real toxic issues with the products that are left behind by meth producers,” Katrina warns.

She knows that awareness will not solve the meth epidemic, but believes awareness will help keep some people from being hurt by meth.

“If you are out hiking and come across a clearing that has certain kinds of containers, you are probably looking at meth production,” Katrina advises. “Get out of there immediately, because of the unsafe chemicals and the dangerous meth cooks who are probably nearby.”

We are impacted by meth
Katrina says that sadly, we are all impacted by meth, whether:

you can no longer get your allergy medicine over-the-counter
you have to pay taxes for police services and rehab or incarceration for addicts
you have friends or family whose lives were ruined by meth

More than a hobby
Building miniatures is a standalone hobby for Katrina. She says she was not thinking about work when she built her meth house creation. She did, however, hope that her meth house would convey a message beyond the enjoyment she gets from her hobby.

As a kid, Katrina made miniature houses out of cereal boxes and cardboard. She made her real first miniature about 10 years ago when she bought a kit. Since then she has made four other miniatures, some of which are not totally complete, since there is always more that can be added to them. “In some ways they are never finished.”

Since the economic downturn caused all miniature retail shops in Oregon close, Katrina either orders online or goes to miniature shows for supplies. “Some things you make yourself. How many things you make depends on the use, your budget and your skills.”

Research on meth
Part of Katrina’s process was researching typical meth houses. She says police agencies usually have a department dedicated to drug prevention, so they have a lot of information to share. The real estate market is becoming increasingly alert to the meth problem, because of issues with the toxic waste that go along with meth houses. Hazmat cleanup companies are also well aware of issues surrounding meth houses.

More information
Katrina suggests that a good source for information is the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office, because they have done a lot of work on meth use. They have taken mug shots over time of people arrested for meth (“From Drugs to Mugs”). Local law enforcement is a good place to start for more information on meth and other drug use. The internet is a good source for information about the negative effects of drug use. The following links provide good information:

1. www.facesofmeth.us

2. http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/photos/gallery.ssf?cgi-bin/view_gallery.cgi/olive/view_gallery.ata?g_id=2927

http://www.methhelponline.com/meth-labs.htm

Tags: Creatin Contest, First Call, Katrina Pruett, Multnomah County Sheriff
Posted in Featured Content | No Comments »

The Fruit of the Vine – Grafting

Saturday, July 16th, 2011

First Call Administrator Jacob Mullin Talks About Grafting in His Vineyard

Trial and Error
Dormant to Green Grafting

A year ago I tried a new technique to me called dormant to green grafting. In this method you cut the existing vine off at the ground. This will force vigorous new shoots to grow. You then graft a dormant cutting onto a green shoot. Using this method you continue to use the existing root system for the new variety. This gives the plant a head start because of the previously developed root system.

On my first attempt none of the grafts worked. We had a late spring which didn’t help and I’m sure my lack of experience played a big part. I had a 100% failure rate! I don’t give up easily, though. I got more advice and am about to try again. This time I expect much more success. By next season, hopefully all the Catawba plants will be replaced, via the dormant to green grafting process, with varieties better suited for our area.

Right after the flood, the first thing that Noah planted was a vineyard. Perhaps he even took cuttings with him on the ark so he would have them to plant. Grapes have been around for so long, and they are so easy to work with. I get a lot of enjoyment out of working in my vineyard.

Tags: First Call, Jacob Mullin
Posted in Fruit of the Vine - Vineyard Updates | No Comments »

We Put the Client First

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

We Put the Client First

When persons need home health care, quality of life is linked to meaningful relationships with the caregivers who assist them, according to several reports. People are social beings whose interaction with others gives them comfort, support and affection. These expressions of love and care are universal needs.

The need for reassurance
When clients have functional and cognitive impairments, their need for reassurance is multiplied.
Care providers serve a crucial role in supporting and validating the worth in their clients.

Respect, relationship and excellence
Respect, relationship and excellence of care impact a client’s life. Firsts Call caregivers not only meet the person’s physical needs, but put the individual before the task.

To do this, they:

build a relationship with the person and offer friendship and companionship
recognize and encourage the individual’s strengths and abilities
provide familiar care routines
encourage growth and development
respect the individual’s religious, cultural and ethnic background
promote a sense of well-being

Not too much, not too little
Our care providers do everything needed for the client, yet do not do too much. Persons needing care appreciate doing what they can for themselves. First Call staff find ways for the person to help themselves and maintain a level of independence.

Quality Care
To provide quality care, First Call caregivers:

identify safety needs and make sure they are met
encourage client’s interests, social life and community involvement so they have the fullest life possible
‘read between the lines’ and employ ‘active listening’ skills’ so they can respond to spoken and unspoken feelings expressed by clients
are sensitive to light, noise, distractions, room temperature, etc., that may affect their clients

Working with families
Our caregivers recognize that the family is an important part of the care-giving team. They incorporate them and communicate with them whenever possible. They respect the family’s culture, relationships and identity.

Professional care
We train our care providers to practice these professional traits as they care for their clients:

they leave their personal life at home: as conversations unfold, they do not burden their clients with personal problems
they smile and use a calming voice: even when they speak up because a client is hard of hearing, they maintain a pleasant voice
they communicate needs to the person who can meet them: if meds need to be changed, the caregiver communicates directly with the doctor
they keep their promises: about when the next visit will be, what they will bring with them next time, what to expect in the future, etc.
they encourage clients to make choices: about location of personal items, clothing choices, how to structure their day, etc.
they take enough time to show their clients they care

The goal of our care providers is to improve their resident’s quality of life and happiness. At the same time, they maintain professional standards that are outstanding in the field of home health care.

Tags: Client First, First Call, Firsts Call, Quality Care
Posted in Featured Content | No Comments »

March 2011 Newsletter

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011


We Put the Client First	First Call Employee Wins Award	Holistic Services
When persons need home health care, quality of life is linked to meaningful relationships with the caregivers who assist them, according to several reports. People are social beings whose interaction with others gives them comfort, support and affection. These expressions of love and care are universal needs. The need for reassurance When clients have functional and cognitive impairments, their need for reassurance is multiplied. Care providers serve a crucial role in supporting and validating the worth in their clients… [Read More...]	Katrina Pruett Biller/Coder at First Call Wins Award for Her Miniature Meth House “The miniature meth house I built makes some people uncomfortable, because they are used to seeing fantasy dream homes,” says Katrina Pruett, second-place winner in the Creatin’ Contest, a national miniatures competition. Not your imaginary beach home The competition required that everyone start out with a basic structure, but the contestants could make modifications and build whatever kind of house they wanted. Katrina was intrigued by online photos of old rental houses that… [Read More...]	“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to” John Ed Pearce There is something about home that often makes it the best place for healing. At First Call our goal is to help you remain in your home for as long as possible while maintaining the highest quality of life. Studies show that there is a clear improvement in patient’s recovery following a problem when their social, emotional and spiritual needs are met. That’s why our no-cost holistic care program is an essential complement to our clinical services. In fact it’s at the very heart of what we do… [Read More...]
Mental Health Note	Fruit of Vine	Client Testimonials
First Call Home Health is affiliated with InFocus Counseling. This is a perfect connection to make sure all your mental health needs are met with the same professional service that you have come to appreciate from First Call. In our next newsletter you’ll start to see articles on mental health issues like depression, anxiety, addictions, eating disorders, marriage and family, etc., written by the professional counselors at InFocus Counseling. Click below to take a look at the InFocus Counseling website… www.infocuscounseling.com/	First Call Administrator Jacob Mullin Talks About Pruning in His Vineyard People are surprised that I prune about 90% of the wood from my grapevines every year. I do this in early spring, before it gets warm. Pruning There are two types of pruning. The kind I do depends on the variety of grape. Some will not bear if they are not pruned with the correct method. Spur pruning Cane pruning I use cane pruning with my Niagara variety to siphon on some of the vigor. This helps to balance the fruit and vegetative growth and produces higher quality grapes. I also do cane pruning for the… [Read More...]	Dear First Call, My husband and I are very pleased with Eric and his help with me during physical therapy. I am stronger now and walking again, two times daily to the dining room. I am able again to be socially active. I am very pleased with how Eric worked with me. – Gene February 22, 2011 Dear First Call, I’m very happy with the care given by First Call Home Health. We have a resident who just had a stroke and I requested that the PT-OT be from First Call. The doctor said, “Oh sure”, and I was thrilled. – Denise February 10, 2011 Dear First Call, I have nothing but high praise for those from First Call who are coming out to see me. They are great and I’m getting better! – David February, 2011 [Read More...]

CONNECT WITH US

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Tags: Client First, Client Testimonials, CONNECT, Dear First Call, First Call, Gene February, Holistic Services, Katrina Pruett, Mental Health Note, US
Posted in Newsletters | No Comments »

Fruit of the Vine – Pruning Produces Growth

Friday, March 18th, 2011

First Call Administrator Jacob Mullin Talks About Pruning in His Vineyard

People are surprised that I prune about 90% of the wood from my grapevines every year. I do this in early spring, before it gets warm.

Pruning
There are two types of pruning. The kind I do depends on the variety of grape. Some will not bear if they are not pruned with the correct method.

1) Spur pruning
2) Cane pruning

I use cane pruning with my Niagara variety to siphon on some of the vigor. This helps to balance the fruit and vegetative growth and produces higher quality grapes. I also do cane pruning for the Himrod variety due to variety characteristics. All the other varieties will produce fine when spur pruned. Cane pruning takes more thought and planning because you have to plan not only for the current year but make sure the buds are positioned to provide a good renewal cane for the next year. Spur pruning is less intensive and takes much less thought. I do, however, enjoy the strategic thinking that cane pruning provides.

Spur pruning
With spur pruning, I leave a permanent horizontal extension of the trunk in place year after year. Over several decades these horizontal trunks can grow to several inches or more in diameter. Spur locations are developed along the horizontal trunk. The first bearing year I leave 2 buds per spur at 12 spur locations, equaling 24 buds. I will add about 12 buds per year, up to about 40 to 50 buds. You want increase the buds as the vine matures and becomes more capable of bearing more fruit. Each spur usually produces about two grape clusters.

Cane pruning
In cane pruning I replace the horizontal arms/canes every year with at least two canes from last year’s growth. In this method the vertical trunk remains intact and the horizontal arms are replaced each year. These horizontal arms/canes are about 3 feet long and contain 6 to 10 buds. The buds from these canes produce fruitful shoots from which come the year’s crop. As the vine matures I will increase the number of canes retained to increase fruit production. In addition to choosing good canes for this years fruit production I have to make sure I leave enough options (buds pointing in right direction) that will grow well and be a replacement shoot for the next year.

Decisions, decisions
As I prune, I consider the number of fruit buds that I should leave on the vine. If a vine is 1 to 2 years old, I leave about 24 buds per vine. In the third year I add 12 more. From then on I observe the vine to see how many more buds I think I should add. Every year I increase the number of buds that I leave on the vine, up to about 55 buds maximum per vine.

Each bud produces about 2 clusters of grapes. Therefore, older vines produce a large number of grape clusters. However, there is an equilibrium point between best quality and quantity. I want high quality, but if I make a vine produce too much, the quality can go down.

Cuttings
For varieties I like (Jupiter, Swenson Red, Relience and Interlaken), I pot some of the cuttings and root them to become new plants. I can get over 100 cuttings from just one vine. I do not save all my cuttings. In fact, I probably will only pot about 100 cuttings total from all varieties this spring.

I like to give the cuttings away to people who appreciate that variety of grape. Eventually I may sell cuttings.

When I have cuttings that I want to save, I wrap them in damp newspaper and plastic, put them in a refrigerator and can save them for up to a year. I can either plant them this season or wait an entire year to plant them.

It’s really fun to prune and end up with a clean-looking vine. There is something about getting rid of all that junk. I relate it to going through my life and getting rid of the things that do not belong there.

Long-range planning
When pruning grapes, I ask myself how many buds I should leave, consider the direction the vine will grow and envision the future bountiful crop of grapes.

Regarding the renewal spur in cane pruning , I have to think down the road for next year. I have to leave a bud that will grow into a renewal cane. This makes me plan a year in advance. Doing so, I train the plant to produce well. It feels good to give direction to and plan for the future of the vines in my vineyard.

Tags: First Call, Swenson Red
Posted in Featured Content | No Comments »

January 2011 Newsletter

Saturday, January 15th, 2011


Locally Owned and Operated	A Holistic Philosophy	Meet Our Staff
A company you can trust! First Call Home Health is a locally owned and operated company with ownership that has spent 30 years working and serving in the Oregon health care industry. We are committed to providing the best care for our patients. Home Health Care provides you with a wide range of health services including nursing care, rehabilitative services, social work services and counseling services. We are proud to offer local services and support our local economy. Client Testimonials Quotes from patients “First Call Home Health has taken care of my parents at various times. They are very professional. It has always been a positive experience for my parents and myself” [Read More...]	There’s no place like home There is something about home that often makes it the best place for healing. You or a loved one may leave the hospital but still need skilled nursing or therapy services. We give you the support and assistance you need to remain in your home. Services, skills and caring Your needs might include physical or speech therapy, nutrition proficiency, nursing care, wound care, social work, or psychological counseling. First Call Home Health Care provides the services, skills and caring that makes staying in your home possible. Tailored services As a premier provider of home care services, we tailor healthcare to serve [Read More...]	Our people are our biggest asset Over the last 8 years First Call has worked hard to hire and retain the highest quality staff. It has been exciting to see our team come together. We have grown by leaps and bounds and continue to look for clinicians to fill the ever growing need in home health. Our people are our biggest asset and it’s important that they know they are appreciated. Recently we took our team out to the ropes course at the YWAM base. Then we took our team to a Volcanoes game to celebrate our best admit month this year. I think its important that we find reasons to celebrate and just have fun. [Read about our staff...]
Simple & Delicious Roasted Chicken	The Fruit of the Vine	What is Toxic Thinking?
One whole fryer 2 whole cloves fresh garlic 1 whole root fresh ginger 1 bunch fresh thyme salt and pepperRinse chicken and pat dry, place in roasting pan Peel and mince the garlic and ginger Finely chop the herbs [Read More ... ]	The Fruit of the Vine by Jacob Mullin When we bought a place in the country four years ago, I hadn’t planted much, not even a garden. Since we had over four acres, I thought it would be fun to plant some grapes. I believe the more you learn before you start, the more time and money you save, but I also believe it’s hard to learn things until you actually do them. For instance, studying a new situation [Read More...]	What is Toxic Thinking? The Mind-Body Connection Medical research has proven that our thought life can trigger thousands of chemical reactions in our bodies. Positive thoughts such as forgiveness, patience, and self-control help our bodies release chemicals that keep us in a peaceful and healthy state. Toxic thoughts such as un-forgiveness, anger and guilt increase the release of damaging chemicals, making us susceptible to sickness and disease. [Read More...]