Friendly Faces, We Are Here For You!

The title of this article is true.  It represents the normal behavior of Homestead Village team members and the experience of most of our stakeholders. We indoctrinate our staff with this concept.  We preach smiling and friendliness and warmth.  It is viewed as a critical part of our service experience.  That feeling of caring and compassion starts with a friendly face and it ends with the knowledge and belief that we are here for you.

The title of this article is also the first line of the third stanza of Homestead Village's theme song. Written by our devoted staff members, it accurately reflects our values and culture.  The first stanza was written by several staff during a teamwork exercise and the remaining stanzas were written as part of a contest.  The third stanza sums up the Homestead Village customer service experience:

"Friendly faces we are here for you,

In small ways to make your day for you.

We're all part of one big family,

From day to day we're living happily."

The title of this article is also our "company mindset."  What, you might ask, is a company mindset?  Well, it is a leadership tool that defines the personality of an organization.  If you think about any company you patronize, they have a certain way of interacting that defines their personality.  A company mindset is a powerful message that helps every team member to understand their customer service goal.  By its very nature, it needs to be short (no more than seven words) and memorable.  Some famous organizations have clear company mindsets which are reflected in their customer service.  Examples include Disney and Apple.  This approach to customer service is also taking root in organizations with significant telephone interactions with customers.  Geico is an example of an organization that reflects its company mindset in every voice communication.  All great companies that provide great service do so because they understand how critical it is to have consistent, passionate, joyous interaction between team members and other stakeholders.

At Homestead Village, we are blessed to have a company mindset pulled directly from our theme song, written by our own staff members and that perfectly reflects our mission and vision.

Service Worthy of A Story: Two more stories from the Apostles Center!

One of the keys to creating a special culture of caring and serving is recognizing great teamwork.  This is becoming a regular occurrence at Homestead Village.  

Krista Haus, Rigor Lado, and Kristy Gonzalez

Recently a nurse leader in the Apostles Center sent an email praising the work of the Radcliffe House Team.  She stated, “A special thank you to Kristy Gonzolez, Krista Haus, and Rigor Lado for a team approach to staff challenges yesterday.”  She went on to share that after recognizing that they had just two caregivers instead of three for the day shift, the LPN, Rigor, and the two caregivers developed a plan for the day that was “pretty darn successful.” The Nurse Leader, Megan Wike also credited our medical records nurse, Michelle Fleetman, with great teamwork and lending an occasional hand; but these three ran the ship and made sure our residents’ needs were met. When they came across a challenge, whether it be that two residents needed help at the same time or that we had to figure out how everyone was going to get breaks, they quickly discussed and implemented a new plan. Megan summarized the success by stating that yesterday was a great example of how our team should function - talking and planning saves time in the long run. “It was a lesson for me to resist the temptation of hitting the ground running and thinking there is not time to talk it through-communication is the key that turns the lock!”

Sarah Deets

Just a day or two later, one of our supervisors in another department shared an email recognizing another Apostles Center nurse, Sara Deets, LPN, for assisting during the power outage caused by the violent thunderstorm early in September.  Dinner service was interrupted by the power outage. When this supervisor stopped in to check if dinner service had resumed, Sara heard the question and headed right in to the kitchen to help expedite the lost time without anyone asking her for assistance. "It is truly wonderful to have other departments help each other when these unfortunate things happen," stated the supervisor

"I’m sure there were many Homestead Hero’s during the power outage. It was wonderful to see the many staff that took the time to calm residents & still try to meet their needs. A big thanks to the employees behind the scenes to make Homestead work again as well!"  A big thank you as well to these four team members who exemplify our team philosophy.

Meaningful Stories: Service Worthy of a Story

 Service Worthy of a Story is a series of meaningful stories appearing on Homestead Village's Wellness Facebook page throughout 2017.  These stories highlight staff members who embody our vision which is to serve all who come into our community with genuine and remarkable kindness, respect and skill.  In just the past couple weeks, four more excellent example have been shared!

Jennifer Stout, Pam English and Joe Roeting

A team leader shared that, "When I was leaving the Bachman Center Friday evening I saw Jennifer Stout making a flower arrangement. I asked her what it was for and she told me it was to cheer up a resident who had to cancel her birthday party due to an unexpected trip to the hospital ." Jennifer is the manager of The Bachman Center and also supports both our development efforts and The Facilities Department.  She truly models our vision statement.

Lisa Andrews

 Another leader stated, "I just wanted to extend praise and a very sincere thank you to Lisa Andrews, a member of the housekeeping staff.  Our caregivers are constantly praising Lisa for her thoroughness in regards to her tasks, but even more impressive is the excellent customer service she displays toward residents and visitors daily, as well as kindness and friendliness to nursing staff. I could state at least 10 examples, but the one that left an impression on my mind today was seeing Lisa very kindly and gently holding an elderly visitor’s hand to assist her around a wet floor area that was just cleaned."  Homestead Village is blessed to have Lisa Andrews on our team!

A third leader shared the following experience, "Just wanted to take a moment to comment on the excellent care and work ethic I observed this week while working in Gelhard House. Jo Roeting is in constant motion, caring for the residents but never too busy to stop everything and calm an anxious resident. I observed her sitting with a resident who was tearful and Jo took time to support her. The caregivers in Gelhard House are the unsung heroes who day in and day out meet the needs of these dear residents. Jo is another example of the quality team members we are privileged to work along side.

Finally, we were made aware of the unique contributions of Pam English, one of Homestead Village's wonderful drivers.  When the request came out for donations of clothing protectors in the Apostles Center, Pam volunteered to make them at home.  When our laundry needed a volunteer to help mend sheets, Pam brought in her portable sewing machine and repaired fitted sheets during slow times in Transportation. Pam always assists residents in any way she can when she sees they have a need. She helps them find solutions to their dilemma. Here are a couple of her many acts of kindness.  Pam routinely picks up a loaf of bread for a Homestead resident from a bakery that the resident used to frequent because Pam knows the resident enjoys that bread so much.  She also routinely picks up fresh produce for another resident who can no longer go to her favorite produce stand.

Meaningful stories provide a great opportunity to highlight and honor our employees and share their great acts of service.  If you would like to read more, then "like" Homestead Village's Facebook wellness page.  Search Facebook for H.V.Wellness or copy this link:  www.facebook.com/H.V.Wellness

Service Worthy of A Story: Outstanding Evening Maintenance Team

One thing is for sure, when you need service at night, you can count on John Der and Dale Brian.

Dale Brian

Just recently a cottage resident shared that on the hottest day so far this year, their air conditioning stopped working - at 4 pm on a Friday night.  They were sure it was going to be a hot weekend; but they reported it to maintenance and Dale came right over.  According to the resident, Dale assessed the situation, went back to the maintenance shop and came back a short time later with an assortment of parts and tools.  In no time, their house was cool again.  The resident's final words on the matter:  "If I lived in my own home, it might be Monday or Tuesday before my Air Conditioning was working again - especially on the hottest day of the year. Thank goodness I live here at Homestead Village!"  Thank you Dale for your excellent work.

John Der

John Der makes things happen.  Residents and staff alike remark that John takes care of business.  No job is too tough or too unpleasant for John to handle.  He is a friendly, courteous team member.  John exemplifies our vision of "serving all who come into our community with genuine and remarkable kindness, respect and skill." No matter how challenging or difficult the task, John tackles it with vigor.  His love for our residents is evident in everything he does.

Thank you gentleman for your service, your smiles and your skill.  It really makes a difference and it is appreciated!

Service Worthy of A Story - Fulfilling the Promise

Recently I had the opportunity to share examples of our service deserving of a story with prospective residents of Homestead Village.  Afterward an individual approached me and stated that she could verify the stories were true because a friend of hers lives at The Mews and had a similar experience.

Jeff Woerner defines Service with a Smile!

The prospective resident related to me that her friend needed to be at an important meeting the morning of the Nor'easter in mid-March.  She told a passing maintenance person of her need, knowing that the normal pattern of snow removal is to start clearing driveways after all of the roads have been cleared, and any particular driveway could be at the beginning, the middle or the end of the snow removal process.  The maintenance staff person told her don't you worry, I will see to it that your driveway will be cleared in time  to get to your appointment.  Of course it was!

After a little checking, I became aware that this great example of service was Jeff Woerner in our mainteance department.  This is not a surprise as Jeff was awarded the Homestead MVP in Fall 2014 for similar acts of service and kindness.  Thank you Jeff for being a constant example of the Homestead Village vision and mission.

Service Worthy of A Story - Fulfilling High Flying Dreams!

The epic plane ride

Daniel McGinn loves his job at Homestead Village; he drives for our Home Care Agency.  Dan sees it as an opportunity to give back and bring joy to other people.  So it is not surprising that when Dan engaged in conversation with one of our residents and asked him if there is anything that he misses or would like to experience again, his question was not just posed to pass the time.  Dan wanted to make a difference.  He wanted to bless this individual with his greatest desire!  What was the response? Our elder stated that more than anything he missed flying.  Well that put Dan on a mission.  Less than two weeks later our resident was soaring over Lancaster County.

Dan McGinn

Dan and Co-Worker Kathy Noll (with the support of Homestead Village leadership) secretly arranged to make this dream come true!  “What if” became “Why Not!” and “Why Not” became “Let’s Go!”  Dan remembers.  

On Saturday, February 18^th, Dan picked our elder up for a morning drive. At 10:30 am, the pair arrived at Lancaster county airport to reveal the surprise.  Local Pilot John Brubaker welcomed them at the Aerotech hangar.    Homestead Village Social worker Lisa Zimmerman also attended, and enjoyed the plane ride as well.   What a tremendous

Dan McGinn and Pilot John Brubaker

story of blessing other people.  Asking the right question and then going a few extra steps provided a truly amazing opportunity for one of our elders.  Daniel McGinn exemplifies the mission and vision of Homestead Village.

Service Worthy of a Story - Triple J Success!

Recently our personal care home administrator, Tawana Winder Nock shared this story: 

"I have a story I wanted to share with our Homestead family.  One of our Supportive Services residents goes to the Plow & Pineapple every day for breakfast.  A couple of weeks ago she was unable to articulate what she wanted.  She could only describe it.  Our wonderful Dining Services team member, Janelle Rineer, figured out what our resident wanted by the resident’s description.  After consulting with Jimmy Martens, Dining Services Assistant Manager, Jimmy talked to our Supportive Services leadership about the fact that it is hard for some of our residents with cognitive decline to order their food because they can’t read anymore or understand what they are reading.  

JoAnn Gillis, Supportive Services Assessment Coordinator, suggested that Jimmy make a picture menu for residents with this need. Jimmy came up with the menu right away. This is a perfect example of team work between departments.  There was a problem and immediately our staff went to work to solve it!  Kuddos to JoAnn Gillis, Jimmy Martens and Janelle Rineer."

Note, this is the second in an ongoing series of meaningful stories, and we have already come up with a new name to describe them.  Meaningful Stories will now be known as Service Worthy of a Story.

Meaningful Stories - Denise Goss

Exceptional Team Member, Denise Goss 

A few weeks ago, I was stopped in the hallway by an apartment resident who wanted to tell me a story.  A couple days earlier she was ill and transported by ambulance to the emergency room.  She has no family in the area; so she knew she would be alone for however long her hospital stay lasted. About 10:30 PM that night, a nurse came into her ER Room and told her that she had a visitor.  Since she had no family, our resident did not know who could possibly be visiting that late at night, in the ER, in the city.  A few minutes later in walked Denise Goss, one of our many fine evening receptionists at Homestead Village.  Denise decided at 10 PM at the end of her shift that she needed to check on our resident and keep her company.  Our resident told Denise that she did not need to stay and that she should go home; but Denise gently made it clear that she planned to stay with her until she was discharged or admitted to the hospital.

That, my friends, is caring. That is the essence of a compassionate community. That is love.  We are privileged to work with Denise.

HVP Wellness Blog

Wellness.  Doesn't that sound really good?  Yet so often we make choices for no good reason to do the opposite of wellness.  The purpose of the HV Wellness Facebook page and this blog is to make wellness fun and desirable.  I hope you will make this page a regular part of your browsing habits.

So if you look back through the previous posts on this blog, they were focused on what was happening at Homestead Village.  About six months ago, my Homestead Blog moved to the Homestead Village website to generate more web traffic on our website.  This blog has been sitting mostly dormant since that time.  Now it will transform into a Wellness Blog for Homestead Village staff members and anyone else who wants to like our wellness page. Tune in every few days for new wellness ideas and tips.

This blog will also be the home of "Meaningful Stories."  "Meaningful Stories" is what we are calling exceptional team behavior.  In my opinion, Meaningful Stories are as much about emotional wellness as running a 5k is about physical wellness.

While you can find this blog here at Blogger.com, it will always be linked to the HV Wellness Facebook page.  All staff should join the HV Wellness page to stay abreast of wellness opportunities as well as other great staff happenings!

Living the Mission

Homestead's mission is simply, "Enhancing independence and dignity as together we create a compassionate community."  There are many ways the staff of Homestead Village can live the mission.  From out attitude to our willingly providing excellent service, Homestead Village staff bring the mission to life.

Not very many people like to get shots!  About five years ago, we took a closer look at our staff flu shot participation.  The Department of Health, the CDC and leading medical journals were emphasizing that the best way to keep influenza from spreading through retirement communities was to increase staff member participation.  Unfortunately only about 70% of Homestead Village staff were getting the flu shot even though it was a no charge benefit of working at Homestead Village.

Four years ago as flu season loomed, we took a new approach, pointing out that if employees truly believed our mission, then they would happily get the flu shot, because doing so might save a resident's life.  It took some coaching and encouraging; but 100% of Homestead Village's staff members were immunized.

The following year 100% of staff were immunized again.  Last year, it happened again.  With the arrival of flu season this year we can announce that for the fourth straight year 100% of Homestead Village's staff have once again received the flu shot.  Four straight years with 100% compliance. That is a record that very few companies can boast.  It is a record that directly relates to our staff members' commitment to our mission and to our residents.  It is a very tangible way for our staff to show they care.

The best way the Homestead Village family can honor the staff's commitment is for every resident and every visitor to Homestead Village to get the flu shot as soon as possible.  Flu is a very dangerous disease resulting in many deaths every year.  The best way to keep the flu out of Homestead Village is for every member of our community to get the flu shot.  The other key is not to visit if you are feeling under the weather.  Coughing, runny nose and fever could be signs of the flu.  Please do not enter our building if you have any of those symptoms.  A visit could have tragic consequences!

If you do not get the flu shot, we ask that you use the hand sanitizer at each entrance and wear a mask during your visit.  Thank you for helping to keep Homestead Village healthy and flu free this year!

Two years with our vision - how are we doing?

At Homestead Village, our creeds are not just words for brochures and picture frames. We take them at their word and focus our efforts on fulfilling them every day.  Approximately two years ago, the Homestead Village Board of Directors approved a new vision statement.

Our vision statement is really two separate statements.  The first sentence IS the vision, "To serve all who come into our community." How? With genuine and remarkable kindness, respect and skill.  So our goal is very clear.  To achieve it requires every employee to be engaged and focused every minute of every day.  We must improve our hiring, our training, our orientation, our leadership,  and our support of each employee if we hope to achieve such a high level of service.

The second sentence provides further clarification.  Our service should be individualized.  In other words, we should learn your preferences and deliver them.  Our service should be continually improving.  This includes new programs and services; but most importantly improving our personal service.  Our service is more than the things we do for one another here at Homestead Village.  In reality, the Homestead Village community can only be great if it is giving to others, It is better to give than to receive and a big part of our focus must be helping our friends and neighbors both here in Lancaster and around the world.   Our vision ends with a focus on wellness.  True service seeks the best for the person being served.  There is no better service than helping people to be as well as possible, including physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.  We achieve that with the programs and services we offer you on a daily basis.

It is our hope that you experience the promises of this vision statement each and every day.

Homestead Village Health Care - What You Need When You Need It

Whether it is called a Continuing Care Retirement Community or a Life Plan Community, one of the main reasons individuals choose communities like Homestead Village is the availability of health care when it is needed.  The vast majority of Homestead Village residents move to Homestead Village residential living neighborhoods - the
Apartments, Cottages, Villa Court Villas, The Mews or The Farmstead.  When more services are needed, Homestead Village is ready to assist.  Our best means of helping residents stay independent is our home care service, Homestead Village Home Care.  With it we can provide as little as one hour of service or as much as needed.

At some point in their stay most residents see the benefits of a move to our apartments as we can provide round the clock services through our personal care program in a setting that also offers easy access to all of our other services under one roof.  Life in the apartments is very convenient and truly enhances independence with the new European bathrooms and updated kitchens.
 
If memory support services are needed, they are available in both Gelhard House (personal care) and Young House (nursing care).  Gelhard House features 13 private rooms and Young House offers nine rooms and accommodations for fifteen residents.

If short-term rehabilitation is required before a return to home, it is available in Radcliffe House and Fickes House with our therapy partner, Genesis Rehabilitation.  Radcliffe House serves 21 residents in 7 private and 7 semi-private rooms.  Fickes House servers 22 residents. Historically, Medicare and Medicaid services can only be accessed in a nursing home such as the Apostles Center for Care.  Medicare is health care insurance that pays for skilled nursing or therapy services for a short time - usually about three or four weeks up to a maximum of 100 days.  Medicaid pays for services in a nursing home when a resident has exhausted their financial resources.  Medicaid does not pay enough to cover the cost of health services provided at Homestead Village and thus every resident on Medicaid is subsidized through our endowment and the fact that Homestead Village is a charitable, non-profit organization.

With our many health care services, Homestead Village can meet your need wherever you are while at the same time providing a high quality of life with enriching activities, caring neighbors and dedicated staff members creating a compassionate community.

Improvements and Changes Happening All Over Homestead Village

New Port Cochere, therapy addition and Young House

Homestead Village's fiscal year ends June 30th each year.  Every year we review what we accomplished in the past year and we lay a course for future achievements.  Some of the changes are very visible:

• The beautiful additions to the Apostles Center.
• The new outside courtyards and patios.
• The new homes at The Farmstead.
• New furniture at the main entrance.
• The renamed Bachman Center and the key areas inside: The Mumma Room and the Hungerford Room.
• The beautifully decorated Farmstead Clubhouse.

  

  The Farmstead Clubhouse

Some are less so:

• Our Marketing Department has moved to The Farmstead clubhouse.
• Our Human Resources Department moved to The Bachman Center.
• The President and Executive Assistant moved to the former Marketing Offices.
• Kate Wise, our wellness nurse, is now up front by the apartment mailboxes.

For 2016, we have many exciting projects planned, including:

• Renovations to the second floor and ground floor corridors and common areas of the apartment  building.
• The library and ground floor activity room will both be renovated and reconfigured.
• New Gazebo and outdoor areas in the cottage area and around the flag pole.
• The room next to the chapel will become the supportive services activities room.



Young House Entrance and Addition

• New safety and security initiatives will be implemented.

As always, we will strive to improve the quality of our services and fulfill our mission and vision.  As our vision states, Homestead Village's goal is to serve each individual with genuine and remarkable kindness, respect and skill.

Putting Leadership into Practice

The past few days have been a time of assessment and testing for our leaders at Homestead Village. The annual Global Leadership Summit was held August 11th and 12th.  Over 300,000 individuals attend around the world as the program is simulcast in hundreds of locations worldwide from its home in Chicago. Twenty three Homestead Village staff members had the opportunity to attend the GLS this year. Speakers included Alan Mulally, the leader credited with saving the Ford Motor Company; Melinda Gates, head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation;  Horst Schulze, one of the founders of the Ritz Carlton Hotels and many other successful leaders.  Homestead Village team members from nearly every department took part in the training.

Global Leadership Summit 2016 

Homestead Village had 23 attendees

Less than 24 hours later, that training was put to the test for many of the attendees of the summit. Saturday afternoon around 3 PM, a sprinkler head in the uppermost ceiling of Radcliffe House burst, sending thousands of gallons of water into the living room and down the South hallway, into the parlor, the entrance vestibule and even Fickes House’s living room.  All of the residents in South Hall had to be relocated - the situation was serious - as much as an inch of water siting on top of the carpets in some areas!  All water and much of the electric was shut off in the Apostles Center.  

By 3:20 pm, efforts were underway to get the disaster cleaned up and by shortly after dinner, all residents were back in their rooms.   Those four hours were filled with incredible teamwork 

and hard work.  The staff on duty first made sure all residents were safe and comfortable and then

Sprinkler head replacement
 deep in the ceiling

began to tackle the flood waters, creating dams with linens and moving furniture so that it was not ruined by the pouring water.  Our maintenance team shut off the water and electric and prepared to find the problem.  Staff from all over Homestead Village responded to the scene to pitch in and help.

The source of the problem

Soon, staff members contacted at home began arriving to begin the process of extracting the water and preparing the resident rooms for re-occupancy.  Some staff had just finished their shift and were heading home, when they heard about the emergency and returned to pitch in. The atmosphere was serious; but the attitudes of all were positive and even joyful as the ultimate goal was to fix the problem and get our residents back into their homes.  Mission accomplished!  The after effects of the flood will be evident for weeks as the process has turned to thoroughly drying out all the walls and carpets and determining which drywall needs to be replaced due to water saturation or damage.

Some of the residual damage that will need to be
repaired or replaced

Apostles Center for Care Additions on Schedule for June Opening

Any visit to Homestead Village these days reveals projects underway all around our campus.  One project that is nearing completion is the Apostles Center additions.  This project is actually many different projects including:

• Four Private Rooms in Radcliffe House
• Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and spa for the new, fifteen bed Young House
• An expanded therapy room
• a port cochere (car port) at the Plow and Pineapple entrance
• New roofs for the Apostles Center building and the Westvue Building
• An expansive, secure courtyard for Gelhard House with a gazebo
• A secure courtyard for Young House
• A covered porch and patio for Radcliffe House
• A new gazebo for the Apostles Center courtyard entrance
• A new stairwell for easier access to the fitness center, pool and accounting.

Each improvement adds to the enjoyment for the persons served in that area; but the total of all the changes will have a dramatic impact on the overall quality of life in our community.

The new Apostles Center will feature three smaller houses.  Fickes House features a home for 22 community members in 10 semi-private rooms and 2 private rooms.  Radcliffe House will offer 7 private rooms and 7 semi-private rooms - a total of 21 beds.  Young House will focus on memory support services and offer 3 private rooms and 6 private rooms.  The smaller houses will create a more homelike, less institutional lifestyle.  

The therapy space will be double the size and help us help our short term rehabilitation residents return to home more quickly.  It will also improve the access to therapy for residents seeking outpatient services.

One major change that has been pointed out is that a number of entrance doors that were regularly used are no longer available.  How will residents, family members, visitors and other stakeholders come and go?  The answer is actually quite simple and both access and security will be improved.  Radcliffe House and Fickes House will have two entrances.  The courtyard-like main entrance will feature a new Gazebo and expanded outdoor sitting options.  The alternative entrance will be at the Plow and Pineapple covered entrance.  This will be the preferred entrance for bus trips, ambulances and families dropping off or picking up residents.  The Plow and Pineapple entrance with its automatic doors and covered drop-off will become a favorite entrance.

Gelhard House and Young House will feature their own entrance court and parking area.  The Gelhard/Young House entrance court will also feature a new stairwell entrance to the ground floor and second floor of Westvue, allowing access to the fitness area, Novacare, accounting offices as well as the offices on the second floor.

Both inside and out, the new Apostles Center will better serve our community.

Parish Resource Center Renamed!

Three years ago, Homestead Village was blessed to be able to purchase the Parish Resource Center building from the organization which gave the building its name.  Due to the fact the Parish Resource Center organization continued to lease a portion of the building, that name and a shortened version, PRC, have been used interchangeably as a short-term name for this very important structure at the crossroads of our community.

With the relocation of the Parish Resource Center to another location, Homestead is ready to utilize the center to its fullest capacity.  With the opening of this exciting new chapter in the use of the building, we are excited to announce the new name as well.  Effectively immediately, the new name will be:

The Bachman Center

Named for Homestead Village and long-time Lancaster resident, Mary Ellen Bachman, in honor of her generous gift to the capital campaign back in 2007-08, The Bachman Center fulfills Homestead Village’s naming promise that was originally slated for the construction of a new auditorium.  While a new auditorium is still on the plans for future construction, the Parish Resource Center allows Homestead Village to honor Ms. Bachman with the naming of one of the most important buildings at Homestead Village.  Mary Ellen Bachman is a graduate of Penn and a retired Anesthetist at Lancaster General Hospital.

                      

Mary Ellen Bachman 

Chick Hungerford 

Nancy Hungerford

Harvey & Melinda Mumma

Likewise, two other Homestead Village families donated to the capital campaign for meeting rooms and their names will grace rooms in The Bachman Center.  The two rooms off of the main hall will be known as The Hungerford Room and The Mumma Room. Charles and Nancy Hungerford have been residing at Homestead Village for over ten years.  Both Charles and Nancy worked in education. Charles retired from the School District of Lancaster and Nancy from Millersville University.  Harvey and Melinda Mumma lived in Lancaster where Harvey owned a construction company.   It is exciting to honor the contributions of Homestead Village stakeholders in this fashion and know that their generosity will be remembered in a very public manner.

Homestead Village Values and Philosphy

"We" statements.  Homestead Village's Values and Philosophy of Care boldly assert eleven "We" statements. Each states what we believe.  The governing leadership expects every stakeholder of Homestead Village to uphold and follow these creeds.  It is not a choice - it is a necessity to fulfill Homestead Village's mission, vision and purpose.  In our modern society, it is frowned upon to demand that people do anything.  Instead we ask, encourage and appeal to people to behave and participate in a certain fashion.  The Homestead Village Values and Philosophy of care are not a choice.   As you read each statement, it is clear that a reasonable person would readily agree with each and every one.  So the real challenge is not in accepting these statements, it is living them:

• Every day, 
• Both the good days and bad, 
• With people who are pleasant, fun and exciting to be around and with those who require a little extra grace.  
• With residents and employee team members and other stakeholders.  
• When we are calm and when we stressed.

Our values and philosophy of care were not written for the good times. They were written to guide us through the challenges, the rough patches in our individual lives and in the collective lives of our community.  As we read each statement, we need to commit ourselves to fulfilling its expectations. When we do, our mission and vision will be fulfilled as well.

Our Values

We value every member of the Homestead Village community.

We practice and expect high ethical standards, applying the principles of trust, honesty, respect, integrity, and commitment.

We strive to provide exceptional service, holding each individual in utmost esteem.

We support an environment that improves quality of life, fulfills individual aspirations, values diversity, and holds our Mission paramount.

We seek to minister to each individual’s body, mind and spirit.

We acknowledge and respect one another’s spiritual beliefs while honoring our Christian heritage.

Our Philosophy of Care

We believe in the dignity, inherent worth and right to self-determination of each individual resident.

We strive to meet the health and wellness needs of residents at all levels along the continuum of care.

We provide an environment that enhances and encourages continued personal growth and life satisfaction.

We make decisions utilizing open and honest communication involving residents, their families, and members of the health team,

We exercise thoughtful stewardship of the resources of the resident, Homestead Village and the greater community.

Whether you are a resident, employee team member, board member, family member or other stakeholder,  these values guide us in our daily tasks and in our interactions with one another.

The Life Enrichment Team at Homestead Village Makes a World of Difference

When you think Life Enrichment at Homestead Village, the first names that comes to mind our Karen Longenecker and her assistant, Maureen Deibert.  Karen, with Maureen's assistance, creates the wonderful programs each month detailed in the Adventures in Life.  Karen has been our Life Enrichment Coordinator since 2006 and came to Homestead Village with 25 years of experience.  In fact she will celebrate her tenth anniversary in August of this year.  Maureen has assisted her for about five years. Karen has a degree in Psychology from Millersville University and is married to our chaplain, David Longenecker.  Karen's passion for life enrichment and her tremendous experience are on display every month as she helps to facilitate outstanding residential living life enrichment.


Numerous other Homestead Village staff contribute to quality life enrichment at Homestead Village.  They include Ben Hayes, Katie Whallon and Virginia Lewis.  Ben Hayes has helped coordinate the life enrichment in the Apostles Center since 2004.

Ben has attended both Alvernia and Imaculatta colleges working toward his Bachelors Degree.
He has participated in all of the major culture change activities in the Apostles Center and continues to actively develop and improve the life enrichment services, especially in Radcliffe House.

This past year, Katie Whallon and Ginny Lewis joined the Life Enrichment team as coordinators for our two memory support programs.  Both have jump started their respective programs.  Katie has revolutionized the programs in Fickes House with the assistance of House Coordinator, Rachelle Rineer.  Ginny has continued the excellent programming in Gelhard House with the help of the nurse leader, Beth Tefsay.

Katie Whallon graduated from Gordon College with a degree in Business and minors in recreation and leisure studies, and non-profit organization management and social entrepreneurship.  Ginny graduated from LaRoche College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Gerontology Minor.

This team of dedicated professionals is making a difference in our community and the lives of persons served at Homestead Village.

Homestead Village purchases The Farmstead

Shortly before Christmas, on Tuesday, December 22, 2015, Homestead Village Enhanced Senior Living, Lime Spring Partners and Marietta Associates met to finalize the agreements reached on October 8, 2015.  Homestead Village purchased the buildings and fifteen lots at The Farmstead which will become the fourth neighborhood of the Life Plan Community located along Marietta Avenue and celebrating its 30th anniversay in 2016.  "This event is the culmination of seven months of negotiations, planning and due diligence on the part of the organizations involved," according to Douglas Motter, President. "It is a great Christmas present for our community."

The Farmstead is part of the first phase of development along the recently completed Noll Drive between Route 741 and Running Pump Road.  Oak Tree Development Group owns the historic Lime Spring Farm and adjacent land and has approvals from East Hempfield Township to create a mixed use, village overlay on the property with a mix of residential retail and commercial.  The Farmstead is ideally located, surrounded by and in walking distance from the village of Rohrerstown, Stauffers of Kissel Hill's flagship store, the centuries old buildings of Lime Spring Farm and a future township park.  It is located just a few steps west of The Mews at Homestead Village, another of Homestead Village's successful neighborhoods.