Spring 2016 - Life Care Centers of America

Spring 2016, Vol. 13, No. 2
A publication of Life Care Centers of America
A Few Small Steps for Man…
One Giant Leap for Wellness
PAGE 4
A Little Training Goes a Long Way:
Life Care Facilities Help New CNAs Jumpstart Careers
PAGE 6
100 Years Young
Celebrating Life Care’s Oldest Residents
PAGE 8
Features
A Few Small Steps for Man...
4 One Giant Leap for Wellness
A message from the president
Mama’s Cooking – and Sacrifices
A school teacher asked a boy this
question:
“Suppose your mother baked a pie and
there were seven of you – your parents and
five children. What part of the pie would
you get?”
“A sixth,” replied the boy.
“I’m afraid you don’t know your
fractions,” said the teacher. “Remember,
there are seven of you.”
“Yes, Teacher,” said the boy, “but you
don’t know my mother. Mother would say
she didn’t want any pie.”
Most likely, you can relate to that story.
I certainly can. While we were all home,
my mother had to take care of cooking for
four males – my father and three of us
boys. She always prepared a pie or cake,
often more than one, for supper. And if
she ate any of those made-from-scratch
treats, it was always after we had all the
helpings we wanted.
Her Southern-fried chicken was
incomparable, and her pot roast – which
was a favorite at our table – was so tender
it fell apart at the touch of a fork. Yet, the
only meat she preferred was country ham.
Despite her food preferences, Mama
always saw to it that we had our favorite
dishes.
One of the most amazing characteristics
of a mother is her willingness to sacrifice
her own desires for her family.
The word sacrifice means forfeiture of
something highly valued for the sake of
one considered to have a greater value or
claim.
Whether it’s a piece of pie or valuable
time, all mothers give up what they want
for the benefit of their children.
But the giving of themselves is not done
in vain: there are great rewards. Having a
servant’s heart is a theme throughout the
Bible.
There is no greater reward than reaping
the benefits of sacrificing personal needs
for the needs of others. The associates of
Life Care and Century Park understand
– and practice – this principle. It plays out
in our centers every day.
Mother’s Day was Sunday, May 8.
Although my mother passed away in
1999, it is always a day in which I thank
God for the sacrifices of Rebecca Sullivan
Hunter for me and my brothers.
And you and I can demonstrate our
gratitude by honoring the mothers we
serve in our centers.
6
A Little Training Goes a Long Way:
8
100 Years Young
Life Care Facilities Help New CNAs Jumpstart Careers
Celebrating Life Care’s Oldest Residents
InEveryIssue
2 Life Care Connections
12 Whatever It Takes And Then Some Highlights
13 Resident Voices: What is the best piece of advice you've
“
InsideLifeCare
ever received?
OUR COVER MODEL:
Keyona Borth, CNA at Life
Care Center of Plymouth,
Massachusetts, with resident
Jean Bragg
”
10
Parkview Opens Its Doors to the Community
for Public Forum
11
Garden Plaza of Greenbriar Cove Residents
Use New Hobby for Great Cause
Wellness p. 4
Sincerely,
Beecher Hunter
is published quarterly by
Life Care Centers of America
P.O. Box 3480
Cleveland, Tennessee 37320
Forrest L. Preston
Founder and Chairman
Beecher Hunter
President
Rob Pauza
Director of Graphic Services
and Art Director
Leigh Atherton
Director of Public Relations
and Editor
Deanna Disbro
Public Relations Coordinator
and Associate Editor
Jonathan Golden
Graphic Designer
All correspondence should be
addressed to the Associate Editor.
CNA Training p.6
100 Years p. 8
Physicians Honored at AMDA’s 2016 Conference
Century Park Associates Names Dan Swiatkiewicz Director of Sales and Marketing
Life Care’s physicians were honored on March 17, 2016, for their dedication to excellence during the American Medical
Directors Association’s 2016 conference. A physician from each division was selected for the Physician of the Year Award,
in which they were honored for their service to Life Care’s residents in 2015.
Central Division
Dr. Evelyn Bose, medical director at Westside
Village Health Center in Indianapolis, Indiana
Eastern Division
Dr. Amanda Winters, on-site physician at
Life Care Center of Hixson, Tennessee
Gulf States Region
Dr. Theodore Trumble, medical director
at Garden Terrace Alzheimer's Center of
Excellence at Houston, Texas
Mountain States Division
Dr. Gregory Gahm, medical director at Life
Care Center of Littleton, Colorado
Century Park Associates recently
named Dan Swiatkiewicz as its national
director of sales and marketing.
Northeast Division
Dr. Ashraf Elkerm, on-site physician at Life
Care Center of Leominster, Massachusetts
Northwest Division
Dr. Bradley Drury, medical director at Life
Care Center of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Beecher Hunter, Life Care president (far left), and Dr. Kenneth Scott,
chief medical officer (far right), with the 2015 Physicians of the Year Award winners
Southeast Division
Dr. David Smith, on-site physician at
Life Care Center of Melbourne, Florida
The Highlands Named Life Care’s 2015 Top Team in Walk to End Alzheimer’s
2
The Highlands’ Alzheimer’s unit staff celebrate being named Life Care’s top fundraising team.
Originally from Enfield, Connecticut,
Swiatkiewicz earned his bachelor’s degree
in sociology from Grove City College in
Grove City, Pennsylvania.
Swiatkiewicz is currently working out
of Denver and travels to the company’s
communities across the country.
“Dan has that positive energy that
motivates others around him to do their
best,” said Jenny Graham, Century Park’s
director of operations. “He is skilled in
sales and marketing efforts and enjoys
sharing his passion with the community
sales teams. Dan was a strong asset to the
Mountain Region team, and we are lucky
to have him throughout all of Century
Park.”
Greg Yengo to Lead Century Park Associates’ Dining Services
Southwest Division
Dr. Suzanne Combs, on-site
physician at Mi Casa Nursing
Center in Mesa, Arizona
From dress-down days to basket raffles, The
Highlands in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, went all out in
its efforts to end Alzheimer’s. Coming in at $5,168.45,
this facility was named Life Care’s Top Team for the
2015 Walk to End Alzheimer’s fundraising efforts.
“Our families, residents and community benefit
directly from our support of the walk through the
services the association is then able to provide,” said
Michael Brothers, interim executive director of The
Highlands. “We all want a cure to Alzheimer’s disease,
and this is one way we can make a difference.”
The Highlands’ 2015 theme was “Purple for a
Cause.” They kicked off 2015 fundraising efforts with
a purple snack team registration event.
Swiatkiewicz most recently served
as director of sales and marketing for
Century Park’s Mountain Region. Prior
to that appointment, he was regional
director of sales and marketing for Life
Care Centers of America’s Pikes Peak
Region for five years. He is a licensed
nursing home administrator and served
as an interim executive director for
several buildings in the Pikes Peak
Region.
Starting his career in senior living as a
social worker in Castle Rock, Colorado,
Swiatkiewicz has more than 14 years of
experience in the industry.
“I have always enjoyed working with
people and have a passion for serving
others,” said Swiatkiewicz. “I love being
in the buildings around the residents and
associates, and I love training, supporting
and encouraging our sales associates and
building teams to be their best.”
Greg Yengo was recently named
national director of dining services for
Century Park Associates.
In this role, Yengo oversees dining
services for the company’s more than
40 senior living communities in 20
states.
“Meals are the most important
activity of the day for our residents,
and we want to give them the most
enjoyable experience, from the
ambiance to the food quality,” said
Jenny Graham, Century Park’s director
of operations. “Greg can certainly
help us do that. He is very hands-on
and has great restaurant and culinary
experience. He is a great mentor for
new and experienced dining services
directors.”
Most recently, Yengo served for five
years as regional director of dining
services for Spectrum Retirement
Communities in Denver, overseeing
dining in 30 senior living communities.
Prior to that appointment, he was
executive chef at Exempla Lutheran
Medical Center in Wheat Ridge. He
has also been the executive chef at
Rose Medical Center in Denver.
Yengo earned a degree in business
from Michigan State University with
an emphasis in hotel, restaurant and
institutional management and started
his culinary career in restaurants,
hotels and casinos. He also spent eight
years as a culinary arts instructor at the
Art Institute of Colorado.
“I’ve been in this business all my life,
since I was about 12 helping out in
my grandparents’ Italian restaurant in
New York,” said Yengo. “Once this gets
in your blood, it’s hard to get out.”
Yengo added that he has enjoyed
serving seniors over the last few years.
“I love hearing their stories and their
life experiences,” he said.
Yengo is currently based in the
Denver area and will travel to Century
Park’s communities to provide support
and training.
3
A Few Sm all Steps f or M an. . .
ONE GIANT LEAP
for Wellness
By Xavier Jasso, Life Care Public Relations
“Our associates are our No. 1 resource,”
explained Tanya Mazzolini, vice president
of accounting and member of the corporate
Wellness Committee. “A wellness program is
important because it allows us to encourage
our associates to be healthy.”
In an effort to focus on associates as Life
Care’s most valuable resource, a companywide wellness program named Fit for
Life was created in 2007. A group of 12
volunteers form the Wellness Committee,
focused on designing and implementing
wellness initiatives as well as supporting
facilities on the journey to begin a facilityspecific wellness program.
The goal of the Fit for Life program is to
encourage associates and their families to
adopt and practice healthier lifestyles to
improve their physical and mental wellbeing. The goal is achieved by making the
work environment a place where:
• Healthy behaviors are promoted,
encouraged and supported.
• Associates have easy access to programs
to help them make better lifestyle
choices.
• Associates have the opportunity to
practice healthy lifestyle behaviors.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY
“HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?”
It’s the day-to-day choices we each make
that can improve our health and wellbeing – like healthy eating, being physically
active, not smoking, managing stress,
wearing seatbelts – just to name a few.
The Wellness Committee strives to
equip associates with the tools they can use
on their journey to healthier living. Every
week, the committee provides a Tip of the
Week, a one-page article focused on a range
of different topics such as exercise, mental
health or healthy eating habits. In addition,
the committee also publishes “SpotlightOn-Health,” a monthly flier which focuses
on individual associates and their personal
journeys and successes to healthier lifestyles.
To further engage corporate associates,
the Wellness Committee also hosts a
number of events to encourage healthier
lifestyles, such as the Lunch & Learn, a short
wellness seminar offered every few months,
and the Wellness Fair, where many healthrelated vendors from the community present
their products or services at various booths.
4
The Wellness Fair also offers free health
risk assessments and flu shots to corporate
associates and spouses.
To engage the company as a whole,
the Wellness Committee also oversees
the Steps Program, available to Life Care
associates nationwide in which associates
can track their steps either through the use
of a pedometer or through an electronic
converting system located on Village Square.
The Steps Program is also used in the
Fit for Life Contest, a contest in which all
Life Care and Century Park corporate and
facility associates are eligible to participate.
Associates track their steps throughout
the year and can win awards monthly,
quarterly and annually. Monthly awards are
distributed to the top steppers, individuals
who accumulated the most steps during the
month. Quarterly awards are given to the
top stepper in each of the divisions of Life
Care, as well as a top stepper from Century
Park. The annual awards, however, are given
to winners of a random drawing of all those
who participated in the program during
the year. In 2015, two second runners-up
received $500 and one vacation day, the first
runner-up received $750 and two vacation
days, and the grand-prize winner received
$2,500 and three vacation days.
The Steps Program has seen great strides
(pun intended!) in participation: from
2014 to 2015 it saw an increase of 38
percent. With all the extra steppers, Life
Care associates in 2015 were able to log in
a whopping 325,010,106 steps, equivalent
to 162,505 miles. That’s enough steps to
circle the globe 6.5 times! But the Wellness
Committee hopes to get even more people
on board.
“This year we are planning to increase the
collaboration between the facilities’ wellness
committees and the corporate Wellness
Committee,” said Kathi Christensen,
executive secretary in the Human Resources
department and member of the corporate
Wellness Committee. “We want to find
out what is most effective in their buildings
so we can implement them here at the
corporate offices, as well as share what
resources we can to help them with their
own programs. We want to pull it all
together to create an even greater sense of
teamwork toward healthier living.”
“The Committee is continuously coming
up with unique ways to encourage wellness
in our associates’ lives,” said Ron England,
senior business analyst in IT and member of
the corporate Wellness Committee. “We’ve
seen that it works, and we will continue our
efforts!”
The true purpose of Fit for Life does not
lie in prizes, but the benefits of healthier
lifestyles. The Wellness department site hosts
resources and ideas to help start or enhance
the wellness in your own life! Check it out
by visiting Village Square and clicking the
Fit for Life logo!
CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE 2015 FIT FOR LIFE
CONTEST WINNERS:
FIRST PLACE
$2,500 + 3 vacation days
Leigh Atherton
Director of Public Relations
Corporate Office
SECOND PLACE
$750 + 2 vacation days
Gerald Williams
Maintenance Assistant
Life Care Center of Federal Way, WA
THIRD PLACE
$500 + 1 vacation day
Renee Davis
Data Interface Coordinator
Payroll Department/Corporate Office
THIRD PLACE
$500 + 1 vacation day
Allyson Andrews-Nelson
Staff Development Coordinator
Life Care Center of Hilo, HI
5
A Little Training Goes a
LONG WAY:
Life Care Facilities Help New CNAs Jumpstart Careers
By Heidi Tompkins, Life Care Public Relations
Keyona Borth was looking for
direction for her career.
She had friends and family members
working in health care, and she wanted
to try that path for herself. Becoming
a certified nursing assistant was the
natural place to start. Unfortunately,
the expense of the training stood in
her way.
That is, until Life Care Center of
Plymouth, Massachusetts, decided to
offer CNA classes for free in December
2015. Borth and several other aspiring
CNAs jumped at the opportunity.
“The program is being offered free of
charge as a commitment on our part to
make the program available to people
who have a genuine desire to work
with the elderly,” said John Bonfardeci,
executive director.
Jennifer Shakeri, a registered nurse
at the center, taught the pilot course,
which included a combination of
study/coursework and clinical time.
The CNA classes are a win-win-win.
Participants get to be mentored into
a career. The facility gets to train its
(hopefully) future associates in Life
Care policies and procedures, and on
its equipment, from the get-go. And
residents get some extra attention
6
while the students are training and
have a rapport already in place if the
graduates start work there.
The four pilot class students at Life
Care Center of Plymouth graduated on
Jan. 7, 2016, and went on to take their
certification exam. Shakeri went with
them to the site to encourage them
before they took the test.
“The students did a class evaluation,
and we got really good reviews,” said
Bonfardeci.
“My favorite part is getting to bond
with the residents,” Borth said. “The
things that they can’t do themselves
I can help them with, and that is
rewarding.”
Life Care Center of Plymouth is not
the only Life Care center offering such
training. Dozens of other buildings
around the country host CNA classes,
often for free or at a reduced cost,
while still others serve as sites for local
nursing students to do their clinicals.
Life Care Center of Seneca, Kansas,
is one of the latter types. Laura Noland,
director of nursing at Life Care
Center of Seneca, has been teaching
the clinicals on site since the ’90s, and
Ashley Harbolt, MDS coordinator,
assists her.
“I think they all feel like they’ve
gained a lot of knowledge,” Harbolt
said. “We’ve had several individuals
come through the clinicals and decide
they want to work here.”
The state of Kansas makes it even
easier for people to become CNAs –
when students pass their certification
exam, the state reimburses them for the
training.
Several centers in East Tennessee
were also feeling the need for a bigger
pool of nursing assistants and started
CNA classes on site within the last few
years.
“We were seeing a large number
of open positions,” said Jennifer
Solomon, vice president of Life Care’s
Appalachian Region. “It was clear that
CNAs from other organizations were
not trained specifically on giving care
to a primarily senior population. It
made sense that if we started our own
classes, we could train them correctly
from the start. Training students about
post-acute and long-term care has
been more successful in keeping those
students long term.”
“We have trained and educated
several highly qualified individuals who
have enhanced our already qualified
staff,” said Hope Broyles, director of
business development at Life Care
Center of Greeneville, Tennessee. “The
community has benefited by knowing
that quality individuals are available to
care for their loved ones.”
Yvonne Waddell, staff development
coordinator at the building, teaches
the classes and considers them one of
her favorite aspects of her job.
“The students are excited about the
class and enjoy learning,” Waddell
shared. “They work as a team and help
each other, and they want to work here
after graduation as they learn about
Life Care.”
Classes are almost always full, as they
are at the other Appalachian Region
buildings.
The same is true about CNA classes
on the West Coast.
In Washington, several facilities have
banded together to offer these classes.
Tina Barrett instructs CNA classes
serving two communities: Life Care
Center of South Hill/Life Care Center
of Puyallup, and the three centers
in Federal Way: Life Care Center of
Federal Way, Hallmark Manor and
Garden Terrace Healthcare Center of
Federal Way.
Every seven weeks, Barrett teaches
a class, alternating between the two
areas. Her 10-student class size is
usually packed, and it’s a good deal for
students with the instruction being
free. Students hired at a Life Care
center after graduating can even have
their certification exam fee reimbursed
over the first year of employment.
“It’s a wonderful chance to train the
students for the facilities,” said Barrett.
“There’s always a need for CNAs, and
the staff in the facilities have embraced
the students.”
Not far away, Life Care Center
of Coos Bay, Oregon, is helping
rebuild the CNA pool for its small
community.
“The community college stopped
doing classes, the high school stopped
doing classes, and we were left with
another local skilled nursing facility
running a class maybe two times a year
and only putting out enough CNAs to
marginally fill their own needs,” said
Jesse Winkler, executive director. “We
started a class because there was
a need.”
Four classes later, 33 new CNAs are
working in the community, many at
Life Care.
Life Care is putting a lot of
effort into training CNAs
around the country, and
it’s effort that pays off.
“CNAs spend more
time with our residents
and patients than any
other discipline in our
facilities,” said Solomon.
“Although it takes all
departments in our facilities to
make the ‘well-oiled machine’ run,
the CNAs are the heartbeat of
our facilities. Their kind faces and
caring hearts are often remembered
by our patients for years after they
return home.”
7
100Years Young
By Hannah Buckingham,
Life Care Public Relations
Celebrating Life Care’s
Oldest Residents
Every individual has a story to tell. For those who have lived to see more than 100 years of life, those stories are
especially abundant. I had the privilege of interviewing one centenarian resident from each of Life Care’s geographical
divisions to learn more about their amazing life journeys. I am honored to share in the heritage of some of our resident
centenarians, and catch a glimpse into their lives.
Winnifred “Peg” Stearns from Life Care Center of Wilbraham, Massachusetts • Age: 105
Born on Jan. 5, 1911, Winnifred “Peg”
Q: What should we know about you?
Stearns spent her early years in Osborne, A: I’m a character. I like to talk; I make friends easily, and I love to dress up for parties.
Nova Scotia. She moved to Springfield,
I’m not a TV watcher. I don’t have to be entertained all the time, and I love Maine.
Massachusetts, at age 12. Upon
graduating high school, Stearns spent
Q: What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the age of 25?
three years in the nursing program at
A: I should have changed my ways and saved a few more pennies.
Springfield Hospital and received her
registered nurse license in 1932. Stearns fell in love with her future husband,
Q: Who was your favorite U.S. President? Why?
Donald, while caring for him in the hospital, and they were married shortly after
A: Abraham Lincoln because he came from having nothing to being the leader of the
her graduation from nursing school. Donald spent the majority of his career as a
U.S. I need to study a little more about President Lincoln!
salesman for Country Club Soda Company. Stearns continued her work as a nurse, in
both private and public health care. The couple had two sons, Ronald and Frederic,
and both Stearns and her husband retired at the age of 62.
Susan Helen Sohler from Parkview Care Center in Evansville, Indiana • Age: 106
Susan Helen Sohler was born on Feb. 2,
1910, in Beldon Farm, Nebraska. After
earning her Bachelor of Science in 1931,
Sohler relocated to Seattle. Though she
intended to find a military job, Sohler
decided to apply for a job at the Seattle
branch of the U.S. Weather Bureau
instead. In 1942, Sohler became the first woman employed at that office. After
serving two years at the Weather Bureau, Sohler decided to join the United States
Navy WAVES, the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. As a result of
her service in the war, Sohler received her GI Bill from the government, allowing her
to pay for accounting courses in order to stay in the workforce after the war ended.
Q: Where are some of the interesting places you’ve traveled?
A: I’ve been to California, Washington, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska and Iowa. I took a
train across the northern U.S. that picked up only Navy WAVES. We left from Seattle
and traveled to New York – it took us a week to get there.
Q: What’s the secret to living to your age?
A: I live moderately.
Q: Any favorite memories of a holiday or historical event?
A: I’ve always loved Christmas because of the togetherness.
Margarita Castillo from Life Care Center of Paradise Valley, Arizona • Age: 105
Margarita Castillo was born on June 6,
Q: What is your definition of happiness?
1910, in Baugn, New Mexico. She grew
A: Being with family, eating good food and enjoying music.
up in Holbrook, Arizona, in a tight-knit
Catholic family. Castillo met her husband, Q: What’s the secret to living to your age?
Santiago, at church when she was 16 years A: Go to church, eat good Mexican food, never do drugs or drink alcohol, and dance!
old. Santiago asked Castillo’s parents for
permission to date her and after four years Q: What is the one thing/accomplishment in your life of which you are most
of courtship, they were married. Shortly after their wedding, the couple moved to
proud?
Phoenix, where Santiago worked as a dietary cook for Good Samaritan Hospital,
A: Being married for 55 years, until Santiago’s death. I’m proud of the life we had
and Castillo worked as a sales associate at Woolworths and New Bury Clothing
together and the love we shared. The secret to a happy marriage is to never go to bed
Store. The couple loved to go dancing and were particularly good at the Charleston. mad.
Though they never had any children of their own, Castillo and Santiago raised one
of their nephews and were very close with their other nephews and nieces.
8
Forrest Swofford from Life Care Center of Melbourne, Florida • Age: 104
Forrest Swofford was born on July
Q: Did you ever think you would live to be 100?
26, 1911, in Duquesne, Illinois. After
A: No. I thought if I made it to 60 I’d made the grade.
graduating high school, Swofford
attended Southern Illinois College and Q: What’s the greatest thing about being your age?
received a teaching degree. He met
A: Having all the experiences I did – being among others in the armed forces during
his wife, Dorothy, at a sorority college
World War II.
dance, and they were married shortly
after. The couple had one son, Tim. During his younger years, Swofford worked as a Q: Who was your favorite U.S. President? Why?
teacher and basketball coach, and he joined the U.S. Army Air Forces during World A: FDR – I voted four times for FDR. He seemed to do the things that I wanted a
War II. While serving in the military, Swofford traveled to Japan, Thailand, New
president to do.
Zealand, Australia and across much of Europe. After his service in the war, Swofford
was stationed at Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County, Florida.
Nellie Maude Johnson from The Heritage Center in Morristown, Tennessee • Age: 109
Nellie Maude Johnson was born in
Q: What were some of your hobbies when you were young?
Loudon, Tennessee, on Dec. 16, 1906.
A: Washing dishes, I guess.
When she was very young, Johnson
Q: What lessons did you try to teach your children?
and her family moved to Morristown,
where she would grow up and later raise A: I told them to play right, to be kind and to love one another.
a family of her own. Upon graduating
Q: What’s the secret to living to your age?
from Morristown High School, Johnson
attended Morristown College. Much of Johnson’s life was centered on her involvement A: Honest, hard work and my love for the Lord.
in Morristown’s Young’s Temple AME Zion Church. As a child, Johnson and her six
siblings would walk to and from the church every Sunday. Johnson served in the church
as a Sunday school teacher and treasurer for more than 40 years. Many adults within
the community attribute their strong Christian faith to Johnson’s influence in their lives.
Ruth Robohm from Hallmark Nursing Center in Denver, Colorado • Age: 102
Ruth Robohm was born on April 13,
Q: What should we know about you?
1914, in Nebraska, where she was raised A: I was burned badly in a bonfire as a child, and I also had polio. I had to wear a
along with her 10 siblings. After receiving brace on my leg for many years.
her high school diploma, Robohm began
Q: Any favorite memories of a holiday or historical event?
a courtship with her future spouse,
Leonard. The two grew up together and A: My 100th birthday, even though my husband had passed. I also remember very
scary times during the war. I would send rations of my own coffee to my mother and
attended the same school and church.
In 1933, the couple drove to Kansas to be married by their former pastor. Leonard was do without so that she could enjoy some coffee.
a farmer, but also owned his own appliance and electronics business. Robohm taught
herself the principles of accounting in order to help her husband successfully run their Q: What’s the greatest thing about being your age?
A: Reminiscing about everything over the years – so many stories to tell.
business. The couple had three children, Patricia Ann, Shirley and Roger.
Noma Wood from Life Care Center of Boise, Idaho • Age: 104
Noma Wood was born on Jan. 12, 1912, Q: What should we know about you?
in Mountain Grove, Missouri. Wood grew A: I’ve always wanted to help kids in need. I’ve always been worried about the little folk.
up with eight siblings and completed
the eighth grade. From the time she
Q: What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the age of 25?
was young, Wood enjoyed gardening,
A: That there’d be paved roads! I’ve seen a lot of changes in my lifetime.
planting flowers and spending time
outdoors. She and her husband, Elmer,
Q: What’s the greatest thing about being your age?
were farmers for many years and raised four boys, Floyd, Lloyd, Leonard and Roger.
A: Family is everything – I’ve loved being alive to see my great-great granddaughter.
Annie Hanks from Wooldridge Place Nursing Center in Corpus Christi, Texas • Age: 106
Annie Hanks was born on Sept. 22,
Q: Any favorite memories of a holiday or historical event?
1909, in Fredericksburg, Texas. Hanks
A: Holidays spent with my children.
grew up in a strong Catholic home with
her one sister, Ellie. In her late teens,
Q: What were some of your hobbies when you were young?
Hanks met her husband, Lee, and they A: Teaching crafts and making homemade biscuits.
were married during the summer of
Q: What is the one thing/accomplishment in your life of which you are most proud?
1923. The couple raised four children
together, and Hanks found her passion in being a mother and Sunday school teacher. A: Living out my faith and teaching my children the morals of living a good and healthy life.
9
Public Forum
Parkview Opens Its Doors to the Community for
By Benjamin Scott, Life Care Public Relations
Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation
Center in Paducah, Kentucky, recently
hosted an open forum in which
members of the community could ask
the facility’s on-site physician healthrelated questions.
“An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor
Away,” was the title of the forum that
gave locals the opportunity to listen to
and meet the facility’s on-site physician,
Dr. Patrick Finney. Parkview is the first
and only skilled nursing facility in the
area to have an on-site physician, and
they wanted to showcase this, along
with other positive features of their
facility, during the forum.
“We always want visitors to see our
friendly staff, happy residents and
how nice and clean our facility is,” said
Melanie Henson, the facility’s director
of marketing. “We really wanted to
showcase some of our unique selling
points.”
Guests began arriving 45 minutes
before the forum began. By the time the
questions started, more than 70 guests
10
were present, age 60 and up, all eager to
hear Finney.
“In a doctor’s visit, as a doctor, you
have very limited time to interact with
the patient, check the boxes and address
the problem,” said Finney. “This forum
allowed the people in the community
to get their questions answered that
they may have been afraid to ask their
doctor, or questions that the doctor
didn’t have time to answer.”
Parkview’s dietary manager, Jenny
Leslie, designed a complimentary
lunch for guests and personally served
the attendees. The lunch gave the
opportunity for those in attendance
to meet Finney and ask him any
remaining questions they had. The
associates at Parkview also planned
super bingo and multiple door
prizes. Each guest received a tote bag,
notebook, pen set, a Leader magazine
and facility brochures.
“It was really nice to be able to
have no pressure as far as explaining
something to them in a relatively simple
way and relay knowledge that they
would normally not get from their
doctor because he or she is in such a
hurry,” said Finney.
After the forum concluded, all guests
were asked to fill out a questionnaire
about the event. Of those who filled
out the survey, more than 30 percent
said they did not realize Parkview
was the only facility with an on-site
physician before this event. More than
95 percent said they enjoyed the forum.
More than 70 percent said it was
important to choose a facility with an
on-site physician.
“Our goal was to try to get as many
people as possible from the community
to gather inside our building.” said
Henson. “I was so pleased with
the results because we were able
to educate our exact target audience
on the importance of having an on-site
physician. We had so much fun that
day!”
Garden Plaza of Greenbriar Cove Residents Use
NEW HOBBY FOR GREAT CAUSE
By Heidi Tompkins, Life Care Public Relations
Baehm, “and there we gave children
The sounds of the scroll saw have
toys, clothing, etc., that we bought.
become a common occurrence at
Now we are making them with our
Garden Plaza of Greenbriar Cove in
own hands. Both of us were born with
Ooltewah, Tennessee.
dwarfism, so our hands are smaller
Residents have taken up the hobby
of wood crafting. Classes of six to eight than the average; however, that has
not stopped us from using them, and
participants meet each week in the
they are kept busy. It just brings us
scroll saw room, gathered around the
great joy when we can give to those less
table to work on their projects.
Recently, some of these creations had fortunate.”
The class began with just a few
a special purpose – gifts for children in
residents more than a year ago, but
need throughout the community.
word spread quickly.
On Dec. 10, 2015, residents
“It didn’t take very long at all, and
presented their handmade gifts to
the [list of participants] was long,” said
representatives from local charities.
Pam Lewis, instructor of the class and
These gifts included 51 Model A cars
and 30 Hot Wheels-style wooden cars, daughter of one of the residents.
Lewis now teaches two scroll saw
buses and planes, all created in the
classes a day for residents on Monday,
scroll saw class.
Tuesday and Wednesday. She also
“My husband, George, and I have
teaches a class for associates and
been on several mission trips to third
another for the community at large.
world countries,” said resident Tena
“They can just be in their own world,”
said Lewis. “They love to visit with each
other, and they have their own groups.
It’s actually more of a therapy.”
Lewis shared about several residents
with Parkinson’s and how she’s amazed
at how well they can cut their designs,
even with tremors.
Residents all tend to have their
favorite role in the process. Some like
the pattern laying the best, while others
prefer to cut the wood and others like
to sand or paint. That teamwork came
in handy with the toy car project –
residents could do what they’re best
at and work as a team to complete the
toys.
From sharing with the community,
building relationships among residents,
providing a therapy outlet and offering
a new hobby to Garden Plaza, the class
has been a success.
11
Whatever It Takes And Then Some
Highlights
Peggy Keller, occupational
therapist, Life Care Center of
Burlington, Kansas
Keller went out of her way to help
a short-term resident with her
dog, picking the dog up, taking it
to the vet, paying for its shots and
taking care of it while the resident
completed rehabilitation. She even
brought the dog in to the facility
to visit its owner once or twice a
week.
Jasmine Marion, activities
assistant, Life Care Center of
Columbia, South Carolina
Sanford was on her way out for the
evening when she noticed several
nurses working late to prepare for
several new admissions. Instead of
just going home, she brought them
dinner so they could focus on their
work without being hungry.
Angie Baldenegro, environmental
services, Desert Cove Nursing
Center in Chandler, Arizona
About once a month, Marion
cooks Sunday dinner and brings it
in to share with any resident who
wants to partake. “She loves to
cook,” said Tacora Myers, activity
director, “and they love to eat her
food.”
When a resident needed someone
to sit with her overnight, and no
CNAs were available, Baldenegro
volunteered even though she had
worked all day in housekeeping.
She also volunteers her own
time and materials to do cookie
decorating with residents.
Coral Wilson, certified nursing
assistant, Life Care Center of the
San Juan Islands in Friday Harbor,
Washington
Sarah Sowards, certified nursing
assistant, Evergreen Nursing Home
in Alamosa, Colorado
This past December, Wilson took
the time to create a handmade
Christmas stocking for every
resident. She also is known for her
towel animals, which she often
places on the residents’ beds for
their enjoyment.
12
Melissa Sanford, occupational
therapist, Wooldridge Place
Nursing Center in Corpus Christi,
Texas
When one of two brothers living
at the facility passed away, Sowards
sat and comforted the remaining
brother while he grieved. The next
day, she came in on her day off
to bring the resident a sympathy
card and a teddy bear. She also
volunteered to attend the funeral
with the resident and help comfort
him throughout the service and
family gathering.
Tamara Crooke, licensed practical
nurse, Life Care Center of Hilliard,
Florida
Crooke brought in a birthday cake
for a resident who had no family
to visit him on his special day.
She gathered the staff together to
celebrate the occasion and sing
“Happy Birthday.”
Jeffrey Slifka, dietary aide,
Rivergate Health Care Center in
Riverview, Michigan
Slifka hand wrote Christmas
cards and distributed them to any
resident who didn’t have a visitor
for the holidays and to all the
associates who were working. He
even included a candy cane with
each card.
Resident Voices
What is the best piece of
advice you've ever received?
Always be honest to everyone and
yourself.
Donald Kehn, The Vosswood Nursing
Center in Houston, Texas
Be satisfied with what you can afford.
Don’t try to live above your means.
Sarah Lewis, Life Care Center of
Collegedale, Tennessee
Keep your mouth shut.
Duncan Ross, Life Care Center of
Crossville, Tennessee
People must be forgiven, animals must
be gently loved and all of nature must be
humbly nurtured.
Ann Kiraly, Hammond-Whiting Care
Center in Whiting, Indiana
Practice the discipline of gratitude.
Deborah Newman, Garden Plaza at
Inverrary in Lauderhill, Florida
Don’t ever think you are old. You are as
old as you make yourself.
Lois Long, The Lane House in
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Be true to your raising.
Paula Gillespie, Life Care Center of
Sparta, Tennessee
When you work hard for something, you
get more satisfaction out of it when you
receive it.
Terry Cheek, Rimrock Villa
Convalescent Hospital in Barstow,
California
Look inside the person, not the
outward appearance. Do not judge
color, race or religion.
Samuel Rabinowitz, Life Care
Center of Altamonte Springs,
Florida
Don’t be stupid, son. Marry her!
Larry Golphanee, Life Care Center
of Port Townsend, Washington
When you make a mistake, admit it. Take
responsibility for it and apologize.
Lynda McCurry, Life Care Center of
Coos Bay, Oregon
Try to find the good in everyone.
Linda Hevener, Life Care Center of
New Market, Virginia
Think twice, and speak only once.
Leon Cookman, Life Care Center of
Hendersonville, North Carolina
Be sure to do the right thing.
Phyllis Mason, Life Care Center of
Leominster, Massachusetts
13
Congratulations
to Life Care’s Company-wide Physician of
the Year and Heritage Award winners.
Company-wide Physician of the Year
Heritage Award
Dr. Scott Burgstahler
Dr. William Sheldon
On-site physician at Life Care Center
of Sandpoint, Idaho
Medical director at Life Care Center
of Charleston, South Carolina
Presented during the American Medical Directors Association Annual Conference
in Orlando, Florida, on March 17, these awards acknowledge
physicians committed to excellence in patient care.