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.

Headline Reads "Elderly Scams Cost 12 TIMES More Than Previously Thought"

Earlier this year, staff writer Ann Brenoff, wrote the shocking headline above for The Huffington Post [2/5/2015].  Ann, who is in her fifties and "AARP-eligible," goes on to say that about four or five times a day, her home phone rings with people who say she has done business with them before (not true) or who say that she asked them to call (not true).  Increasingly, it is angry-voiced men claiming to be from the IRS or some fraud-investigation division of the government who say she owes them money (not true).  Ms. Brenoff surmises that the scammers play off one of older adults biggest concerns - a hazy memory!

The results of a recent study of financial abuse of older adults is pretty startling.  A U.S. True Link Financial study found that the overall cost of fraud is 12 times previous estimates - more than $36 billion. A Met Life study previously pegged the cost of scamming older adults at $2.9 billion. Many crimes are never reported.  The reason: "Admitting you got confused and gave some guy on the phone your credit card information is one step away from the "what should we do about mom?" conversation, according to Ms. Brenoff.

Here are some of the key points to keep in mind:

1. Sometimes the financial manipulation is perfectly legal including confusing language that commits the buyer to more than they wanted or hiding expensive shipping and handling fees . Often it is repeated phone solicitations from unscrupulous and never-heard-of charities. 
2. The True Link study revealed that financial exploitation is typically progressive, rather than an isolated incident. Once people fall prey to a scam, they are repeatedly targeted.
3. The National Center for Victims of Crime says that Americans age 65 and older are more likely to be targeted by fraudsters and more likely to lose money once targeted.
4. People 60 years and older were 26 percent of all fraud complaints tracked by the Federal Trade Commission in 2012 -- the most of any age group. 
5. One in every five Americans age 65 or older has been abused financially, according to a 2010 survey by the Investor Protection Trust, a financial-education organization. 

While many scams are perpetrated by strangers on the telephone or sitting at a computer anywhere in the world, financial misappropriation often happens in our own homes or at our front door.  Everyone needs to take steps to make themselves safe.  Here are some rules to adopt:

1. Never respond to a phone call.  Ask for the information in writing or just hang up.  Your bank or other financial institution as well as the IRS will always put their request in writing.  Even if the person says they are a neighbor or relative, do not believe them.  Scammers use surprise and urgency to their advantage.  Never give out any information over the phone or in response to an email (and don't click on the links!).
2. Only contribute to charities that you have researched and that you know for a fact are legitimate.
3. Talk over large requests for charity or demands for payment with your family, your financial consultant, your lawyer, your pastor or one of the leaders at Homestead Village.  It is better to get counsel that concurs than pay the money and then regret it later.

Homestead Village does everything it can to keep our community free of scams and fraudulent activity.  If we become aware of any behavior that puts our residents at risk, we take immediate action for the well being of all who call Homestead Village their home.