Living in a Compassionate Community

Our mission states it.  We often talk about it.  Homestead Village is a compassionate community.  Residents serve the greater Lancaster community in so many different ways.

One of the best examples of that dedication is the service that Homestead Village residents give to Schreiber Pediatric.  Many Homestead residents volunteer at Schreiber on a regular basis.  Recently, our residents held their third Jewelry "shop" at Schreiber Pediatric, blessing dozens of children and giving them the opportunity to surprise their mothers with beautiful jewelry for Mothers' Day.  It is compassionate for residents of Homestead Village to want to bless the young children being helped by Schreiber; and to think of their mothers, too.

 It was also generous of them to contribute their own jewelry and/or to go out and purchase new jewelry for the shop.

That exemplifies the Homestead Village spirit of compassionate community. From volunteering all around Lancaster county to helping each other, Homestead residents understand the concept of "loving your neighbor."  They display it every day!

Homestead's Role in the Community

Homestead Village is a wonderful community of individuals 62 and older living vibrant and interesting lives, helping each other and helping the greater community.  Homestead Village is a large employer providing full time jobs for over 100 individuals and even more part-time jobs, providing a full range of benefits and creating a great place to work.  Homestead Village is a leading business in our community, paying taxes to the local school district and local municipalities.  Homestead Village is a member of local, state and national associations and a partner with many schools and other institutions to promote education and healthcare in the community.   Homestead Village is a charitable, non-profit, mission driven organization.  Even with all that we contribute, there is ongoing pressure on Homestead to do more, to contribute more and do it with flat or reduced revenue from Medicare and Medicaid.

Unlike most businesses, Homestead Village is a community of citizens as well as a revenue producing non-profit organization.  In reality, Homestead Village has a tremendous effect on the greater Lancaster community as most individual residents contribute and volunteer throughout Lancaster County and then come together as Homestead Village and impact the Lancaster community even more!

All non-profits try to capture and report their impact on the greater community in order to fulfill the charitable nature of the organization.  Homestead Village is no different.  We ask residents to document their volunteer hours while at Homestead Village and we ask residents to contribute to various community assistance projects that we pursue each year.  Another non-profit in our local community is our local fire department.   While they receive some assistance from the municipality, they are dependent on citizen support.  The fire department looks at Homestead Village as a large user of fire and emergency services and asks us to pledge large donations toward their services.  We believe we can have an even greater impact on the fire company if Homestead residents contribute individually to the Rohrerstown Fire Company.  You have numerous avenues to contribute.  If you receive a direct mail request you can respond directly.  Or you can send your contribution to the address below:

Rohrerstown Fire Company
500 Elizabeth Street
Lancaster, PA  17603

The third way to contribute is to drop off a check made out to Rohrerstown Fire Company at the Homestead Village Receptionist Desk.  We will deliver all checks received by the end of May, 2014.

Whatever method you choose, please let Mary Shaeffer know how much you contributed so that we can capture the total positive impact that Homestead Village has on the fire company and on our overall community.

Thank you for all that you do to make Lancaster a better place.

New Electronic Health Record Revolutionizes Care

How hard can it be to move from paper files to electronic health records?  The Homestead Village staff members who are responsible for implementing the new electronic health record are learning first hand!  Paper medical records include physician orders and notes, nursing and other clinical documentation, tests, care plans, medication and treatment records, and caregiver documentation.  For some residents, the paper medical record can grow to mutiple file cabinets!  Each doument has to be filed exertly by our Medical Records Staff so that it can be located when needed.  The biggest problem with paper medical records is that the documentation is hard to track, requiring many other logs and reports to track resident care.

So there is no question that electronic records that automatically alert when results are outside of expected parameters is a tremendous leap forward.  The challenge is that all of the current care plans, diagnosis, documentation, specific data tracking, medication and treatment plans need to be pre-loaded into our new electronic health record, PointClickCare, before it will work.  Our nurses in the Apostles Center, Gelhard House and Supportive Services have been diligently uploading the information for the past three months. We now expect to go live with PointClickcare March 24th.  On that date, everything will change!

Celebrating Leading the Way in Comfort and Care

The recognition wall greets visitors at the front doors of
Radcliffe and Fickes Houses.

In 2008, Homestead Village kicked off a truly ambitious goal to raise $3.25 million dollars to create state of the art households for nursing care and a memory support personal care house. That campaign wrapped up four years later, surpassing its goal.  During that time, an historic recession took place that nearly derailed the campaign.  It is a tribute to the generosity of the Homestead community that the Apostle Center for Care and Westvue were transformed into the wonderful places to live and work that they have become even while the campaign was conducted! Westvue was transformed into the remarkable Gelhard House, a tranquil, home for residents with memory support needs.

The six smaller panels recognize donors at various giving levels.

In February, 2014, during Valentine's Week, the tribute to that that remarkable campaign finally became a reality.  Gracing the entrance to Radcliffe and Fickes House, the beautiful, lit crystal panels honor the many members of the Homestead community that gave generously to allow the transformation to take place.  Serving as a reminder to the fact that a small group of people can make great things happen, the Leading the Way in Comfort and Care campaign recognition wall also serves as a conversation piece for staff and residents as they recognize and remember the many individuals whose names appear on the panels. Each crystal panel is beautifully lit with bright white LED lights, allowing the panels to be illuminated during the day and creating a beautifully glowing tribute at night.  What a remarkable and fitting Valentine's present, reminding all of us of the generous hearts of so many Homestead community members.

Dining Changes Enhance Homestead Village

Newly installed artwork and pendant lights accentuate the popular booths.

Enhanced senior living took a bold step forward with the reopening of the Homestead Dining Room on December 18, 2013.  After many years of casual dining, Homestead Village has created a dining experience that is the best of both worlds - both informal and causal as well as formal.  Each day begins with our outstanding breakfast offerings.  Seat yourself and our friendly servers take your order and bring you one of our many made to order breakfast offerings.

The new lunch time experience features a bright and pleasant food court with choices of chef-prepared made-to-order specials, made to order deli sandwiches, hot entrees and a fantastic salad bar.  Lunch at Homestead is casual; but the food selections are wonderful.  Of special note is the delicious and healthy salad bar.  Efforts have been made to focus on more fresh vegetables and fresh fruit as well as other healthy toppings.  The salad bar will continue to transform into the healthy option our residents, staff  and visitors want.  The chef's action station features a different entree every day.  You choose the ingredients and our staff prepare it before your eyes.

Between lunch and dinner, the dining room is transformed with table cloths and the addition of eight servers, smartly dressed and ready to provide you with a quality dining experience.  Our hostess will seat you and our servers are excited to make your evening meal special.  On Sundays, brunch is a special experience with all you can eat or a la carte choices.  The Sunday Brunch takes advantage of the expanded food court to offer wonderful brunch choices and more actions stations for waffles, omelettes and other specialties.

Some of Homestead's many friendly servers at your service!

Our goal with the new dining room service is to provide the highest quality dining experience for each of the desired dining options.  In addition to the expanded, spacious food court, the dining room has been redesigned to offer a more pleasant dining experience.  The addition of booths and brand new chairs, along with beautiful window treatments result in a beautiful room for dining.  In the near future, a canopy over the sun room will greatly improve the sun room dining experience as well.

Another wonderful benefit of the new dining services is the expanded space allows for improved accessibility for residents with mobility devices.  While motorized scooters must still be parked in the lobby, residents with walkers and wheelchairs have greatly improved accessibility.  Another accessibility improvement is the expanded wait staff, allowing for a greatly improved dining experience for all residents who benefit from assistance in the dining room.

Creating Home

Since 2006, Homestead Village has been working diligently to create the most homelike environments possible in our small houses for care:  Fickes House, Radcliffe House and Gelhard House.

Our culture change started with permanent assignments to make sure that caregivers developed a closer relationship with the elders for whom they care. That closer relationship helps caregivers to better know the wants and needs of their elders.  Our second major initiative focused on the best possible dining experience.  With food, the emphasis is on choice, made to order, natural ingredients, and service when our elders are ready to eat.  Our third initiative in the Apostle Center focused on creating environments that allows our elders to live in a more homelike environment.

  Changes include the addition of showers to every room, the creation of more private rooms and more privacy in semi-private rooms with a small dividing wall and flat screen TVs that face opposite directions to cut down on noise.

In Gelhard House, the improvements focused on creating more common space and adding additional resident rooms so that thirteen elders can be accommodated.  Perhaps Gelhard House's best improvement is is its wonderful life enrichment program.  What makes it special are the staff who focus on creating a loving and caring environment for each resident.

 Improving life enrichment is the number one goal in the immediate future for the Apostle Center for Care.  The Apostle Center's other major initiative is individually washing all personal laundry in the houses.  This improvement will begin in January, 2014.

The journey from very institutional to more homelike care is commonly labeled as a culture change or person centered care transformation.  Our culture change journey is now seven years old.  We have come a long way; but we are no where near finished!

A nursing home or memory support personal care home can never BE home.  Our goal is to make each house comfortable, caring and a pleasant place to live, and if possible, return home as soon as possible.

Communities for Older Adults: What does the future hold?

 What do older adults want?  Most express the desire to stay in their own home as long as possible.  We all dream of staying independent the rest of our life and not becoming a burden for our kids.  We see portrayals in the media and we may know of mature couples living rich and fulfilling lives, staying in their own home, traveling and enjoying their retirement years; but the reality for many older adults is not so ideal.  The family home eventually becomes a burden, and the reality of aging in America is poor health and chronic diseases often rob individuals of their independence - too soon.  Often children our required to get involved, assist with care and make decisions.  Too often mature adults encounters with loneliness, chronic illness, and depression make the retirement years less fulfilling.

What is the answer?  Make the necessary lifestyle changes and make a plan for the future!

Lifestyle Changes

Everyone should read the book, Younger Next Year, by Henry Lodge, MD and Chris Crowley.  The book vividly describes the path to obtaining the best possible, most independent future.  The answers are simple; but almost foreign to our modern, American culture.  They include improved nutrition, regular, seven day a week exercise and involvement in activities for which you have a passion.  All three required dedication and discipline to achieve.

Lifestyle changes leads to living longer and more fulfilling lives.  Little things could make a big difference.  A walk to the store and back is far better than driving the car and watching TV.  Passing on processed foods as well as large portions and desserts  make a huge difference in nutrition.  The earlier you being to make the changes, the longer and more independent life you are likely to lead.

Planning for the Future

Planning for the future obviously involves financial planning first and foremost; the aforementioned lifestyle changes are just as important.  The third big planning decision is where you plan to live during your mature years.  There really are six main choices:

1.      Stay in your own home

2.      Downsize to a senior friendly home in a traditional neighborhood.

3.      55+ Community

4.      Rental Retirement Community

5.      Continuing Care Retirement Community

6.      Move in with your kids.

Move in with your kids

Let's tackle this option first.  While added to the list sort of tongue-in-cheek, this option has a lot of merits and is the traditional solution; but not the first choice for many parents...or children.  If it is an option for you, then it is a great option to explore, especially if the adult children have nursing or care-giving experience and can assist with your needs when the time comes.

Stay in your own home

If you eat well, exercise and stay active mentally then living in your current home is an option…for awhile.  Are there stairs?  They will become a problem.  Are your bathrooms designed for aging need?  Where is the washer and dryer located?  When you can no longer drive, how will you shop?  Besides the TV, what will be your source of cultural and community activities.  For most older adults the family home becomes solitary confinement in later years.  Other issues to consider:  Home Care will be very expensive.  When you need a nursing home, where will you go?

Downsize to a senior friendly home in a traditional neighborhood.

If you improve your nutrition, exercise and stay active mentally then this option will work …for awhile longer... Assuming the design issues are addressed (single floor living, convenient laundry, and safe bathroom design), this is an improvement.  The same two issues will remain:

Home Care will be very expensive.  When you need a nursing home, where will you go?

55+ Community

The third option is a 55* community.  All the benefits of a well designed home in a community focused on seniors.  Theoretically, the senior focused community will provide you with more activities and community interaction; but in most cases, there are very few planned activities.

If the home designs are good, then this is a viable short-term option.  Yet, home care will be very expensive and when you need a nursing home, where will you go? 

Rental Retirement Community

This option has become popular recently; and looks very similar to a full service retirement community.  One would expect well designed apartments or cottages and a focus on providing for the needs and concerns of mature adults.  Most rental communities do not generate the revenue to provide the full range of services, or to provide them with the depth and quality that residents desire.  Often they do not offer the full range of health care from independent living to personal care to memory support care to nursing care and home care.  Thus, a rental community is a viable short-term option.  It features lower costs in the short run, and very little commitment.  The same concerns remain.  Home Care will be very expensive.  When you need a nursing home, where will you go?

Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)

This is truly the best option if you have the financial ability to afford a full service retirement community.  They offer all the benefits of a well designed home in a community focused on seniors.  With their charitable, non-profit, mission-focused care, commitment to charity, history of serving thousands of older adults, extensive life enrichment and activity programs, full service dining options and spiritual services, a CCRC truly meets all of the needs of today’s seniors.  This holistic, all-encompassing approach gives seniors their best opportunity to stay independent and enjoy their life with less worry and more enjoyment.  Most CCRCs offer Home Care

services to help you stay in your own home longer.  Most offer personal care services to care for your needs when they arise.  Most offer memory support services if you or loved on develop memory issues.  Most offer a quality, state of the art nursing home where you will be well served when the time comes.  A continuing care retirement community is your best choice!

Homestead Village is an accredited CCRC

We offer a wide range of independent living, from studio apartments to a three bedroom, three bath, two car garage villa and everything in between at a wide range of price points!

We offer personal care -  in our apartments – Aging in place.

We offer home care services which are available in cottages and villas.

We offer memory support care which is available in apartments, Gelhard House and our nursing care.  Gelhard House is a wonderful, secure memory support environment offering the best of care for residents with memory support needs.

We offer quality, person-centered nursing care that is available when you need it!

We offer a great dining program which many tasty options to help you eat nutritiously.

In effect we offer the ingredients to allow you to live the ideal life of good health, independence, dignity and fulfillment.