WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020 | SENIOR LIVING | PAGE 1
SENIOR LIVING Rehab at
Thorne Crest Now Offers...
Respite Care:
Thorne Crest
Short Term Stays Now Offered In Our Assisted Living
Senior Living Community
O
ne of the best ways you can care for your loved one is to take care of yourself. Whether you are planning a vacation, or need to meet the demands of an illness or recuperation, the Thorne Crest Respite Care Program can help.
Call Catherine Buboltz to schedule a tour and learn the benefits of Respite Care at Thorne Crest Senior Living Community 1201 Garfield Avenue • Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373-2311 • www.ThorneCrest.net
State-of-the-art equipment & programs exceeding patients’ rehab goals! Community amenities include Pool, Fitness Center, Bistro & more!
Thorne Crest Senior Living Commun ity
Thorne Crest is owned and operated by American Baptist Homes of the Midwest, a not-for-profit provider of senior health care since 1930.
1201 Garfield Avenue • Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373-2311 • www.ThorneCrest.net
Thorne Crest Senior Liv ing Communit y
Thorne Crest is owned and operated by American Baptist Homes of the Midwest, a not-for-profit provider of senior health care since 1930.
ENCOURAGING SMILES
St. John’s Lutheran Community Activities Director Emily Hardison curls the hair of Mary Evans. See more photos at albertleatribune.com. PROVIDED
St. John’s staff treat women residents to pampering for Mother’s Day By Sarah Stultz
sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com
Women residents at St. John’s Lutheran Community got an extra special treat for Mother’s Day earlier this month with the opportunity to get dolled up thanks to staff who volunteered their time for the effort. Emily Hardison, activities director for both the St. John’s site off of Minnesota Highway 13 and the site at Fountain Lake, said last year Amber Carberry, one of the activities coordinators at the organization’s Fountain lake site, had the idea to do Glamour Shots with the women residents. This year, because the residents haven’t had their hair cut or set in months because of COVID-19 limitations, and many family members haven’t been able to see their loved ones, they had the idea to do hair and makeup for the women. Then afterward, staff would take a picture of each woman and send it to family members. “That way the residents feel like they got dolled up a little bit,” Hardison said.
Hardison smiles with resident Betty Jones after Jones had her hair and makeup done the week of Mother’s Day. The effort took place over four days — two days at each site — and included staff volunteers because volunteers otherwise are not allowed into the site with current limitations. “They were all smiles,” Hardison said of the residents. Staff members wore personal protective equipment, including eye protection and face shields, and each of the curling irons had to be disinfected between use,
she said, among other measures. When completed, staff had each of the women look in the mirror. “You could tell that, whether or not they liked the reflection they saw, you could tell it made them feel good,” she said. “They would smile differently than normal for sure.” Hardison thanked the staff members who volunteered their time to make it happen.
St. John’s Lutheran Community Activities Coordinator Amber Carberry curls the hair of resident Gladys Vietor. “Not only did the residents have a good time doing it, but the staff who volunteered their time had a blast, too,” Hardison said. Copies of the photos are
Senior Spotlight: Margaret Murphy Age: 88
from adulthood: Working at the hospital and carrying for sick Native of: Freeborn County — children. Albert Lea What would you say is your Place of residency: Thorne greatest accomplishment: Living Crest Senior Living Community a healthy life and being of good health at my age. Family: two sons, three daughIs there a piece of advice you ters, nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren wish someone had given you or you would have listened to when Education: country school, high you were younger? Keep workschool, Naeve Hospital Nursing ing longer. School What is the greatest lesson life Former occupation: registered has taught you? Keep your friends nurse close and know you can change your life at any age. What is your favorite childhood What do you enjoy most about memory: Playing games with my brothers and sisters. where you are living now? Renewing old friendships and making What is your favorite memory new ones. Margaret Murphy
expected to be sent to family members soon, along with a small letter. Families that want to make additional copies of the photos will have the opportunity to do so.
PAGE 2 | SENIOR LIVING | WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020
COVID-19 preparations — life in a skilled nursing facility Skilled nursing facilities and assisted living organizations are home to one of the most vulnerable populations: seniors. Our facilities are also the most highly regulated and most scrutinized organizations, which has added an entirely new element of planning for this COVID-19 pandemic. In my professional career as a licensed nursing home administrator, this pandemic has proved to be the most challenging of my professional career. Somehow, it is also the most loving experience I have ever witnessed. As of today, I am grateful to not have any cases of COVID-19 at our Albert Lea Good Samaritan Society location. I know though that this could easily change in the blink of the eye. Regulations: This pandemic started with our teams updating pandemic plans, reviewing staffing contingency plans, strategizing our supply of personal protective equipment, implementing systems and processes for employee and resident face masking, implementing visitor restrictions, updating menu and dining protocols, revising our activity programming, updating resident transportation schedules, communicating action plans to employees and families, updating cleaning schedules, providing additional infection control education to employees and the list continues
with our families. They are the foundation to the village that is serving our seniors. It is with their support and encouragement that we have been successful. Emotional well-being: Guest Column This pandemic has not By Katie Davis only brought potential physical concerns to our to go on and on. The Min- seniors and employees, but also increased anxinesota Department of Health also started conety and fear. As I menducting infection control tioned before, the planspecial focus surveys. ning of this pandemic has The goal of these surveys been the hardest and most is to ensure organizations challenging thing I have are following adequate done in my career. There and appropriate infecwere many nights the first tion control protocols. As three weeks of this panof today, there have been demic where tears would fill my eyes as I laid in more than 300 guideline updates from the Centers bed at night. Tears for our for Medicare and Medicfamilies who couldn’t see aid. Essentially these are their loved ones. Tears 300 changes being imple- from simply being overmented for our organiza- whelmed. Tears from betions, and all those like ing overly tired. Tears Good Samaritan Society for our employees, who all across the country. are the frontline workThe village: This paners. Though as the weeks demic has truly shown progressed and our planthat it takes a village to ning strategies continued, care for our seniors. We these sad tears changed to have had many wonderful tears of joy. Joyful tears partners throughout our of being confident in our entire planning processCOVID- 19 preparations. Joyful tears for the amazes. They have supported our efforts and initiatives ing work of our frontline to keep our residents and staff. Joyful tears reading tenants safe, as well as emails from family memprovided partnership in bers thanking our emtraining exercises. The ployees. Joyful tears for Freeborn County Health- knowing that my facility is prepared. care Coalition has proLoving experience: vided great support to us in obtaining personal pro- It’s crazy to think that a pandemic can corretective equipment. Hospice agencies continue late to a rewarding and to provide support to our loving experience. The residents. The best partlove that our center has felt from families and nership our center has is
the community is incomprehensible. Ongoing supplies of cloth masks donated from various community members, thank you signs in our neighbor yards thanking our employees, food donated to our employees, pizza parties, monetary donations and our employee refrigerator being stocked with donated beverages for employees are just a few examples of the overwhelming support. We have received more than 450 emails for residents and employees. The list of acts of kindness continues to grow. We feel the love. We feel the support. The new temporary normal: Media outlets have often times portrayed nursing homes inaccurately during this pandemic timeframe. Our environment, like many other senior care organizations, continues to grow and thrive even in hard and unprecedented times. The beginning of each shift starts with employees getting their temperature taken, as well as completing a questionnaire to ensure they don’t have symptoms of COVID-19. All employees are wearing a surgical mask. You will find that our leadership team meetings have moved to a room where we can all sit six feet apart. For our nursing staff, they are busy throughout their shift doing additional assessments on our residents to evaluate for any
possible COVID-19 symptoms. Walking down our hallways, you will find maybe a game of hallway bingo occurring or crafts being done in individual resident rooms. You may also hear our chaplain in a resident room, singing and playing his guitar for a resident. You may also see family members enjoying a picnic outside a resident room while they converse with their loved one via the window. Throughout various shifts, you may see an emergency COVID-19 drill happening with employees as a way to prepare them to care for a COVID-19 patient. You will also see nurse educators educating employees on proper techniques of wearing personal protective equipment or providing basic infection control education. Every morning you will see our leadership team members doing extra cleaning of areas that are highly touched by employees: vending machine buttons, employee time-clock, employee keyboards, elevator buttons, etc. You will see our employees checking their cell phones throughout the day for COVID-19 reminders/ updates via text messages. When our employees have their breaks, you will see them staying distant in our employee lounge. During various times throughout the day, you may see a resident Face Timing on one of our many iPads
with their family members. Once a week, you may see a group of our employees in our chapel attending an employee blessing/chapel time with our chaplain. You will see leaders in our meeting rooms throughout the day attending conference calls learning about new COVID-19 regulations, rules and strategies. If you are a family member, your email inbox will be inundated with updates directly from me a few times per week. A mask may be covering our employees smiles, but you can see their smiles through their eyes. Lastly, you may see residents sitting in our courtyard watching our goats and chickens enjoy fresh grass and hay. This is our new temporary normal. We take one day at a time. Freeborn County has a large number of senior care organizations, and we are all in this together. Send a senior a card in the mail. Have your child color or paint a picture for a senior. Thank an employee who you know works in a long-term care facility. Keep our seniors and employees in your prayers. We would all love for you to be part of our village in caring for our Freeborn County seniors. Katie Davis is a licensed nursing home administrator of Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea.
Senior Spotlight: Ronald ‘Ron’ Felt Age: 87
Wilson and Co. for 48 1/2 men. I’m very proud of both years: 13 years in the plant, of them. Native of: born and raised 26 years as a supervisor and in Austin; moved to Albert nine years as a security Is there a piece of advice Lea in 1951 guard you wish someone had given you or you would have Place of residency: St. What is your favorite listened to when your were John’s Lutheran Commu- childhood memory? Family younger? I wish I had gotten nity, Fountain Lake campus gatherings at Christmas be- more education. cause of the family time and Family: wife (who passed all the presents. What is the greatest away Dec. 6, 2013); two lesson life has taught you? sons, Douglas Felt and Bob What is your favorite To try and be understanding Felt; four grandkids and memory from adulthood? and to be more patient. Dancing with my wife. I nine great-grandkids loved to do the waltz and What do you enjoy most about where you are living Education: graduated polka dances. from Austin High School now? I enjoy the people in 1951 What would you say is and staff as well as all the your greatest accomplish- activities. I especially like Former occupation: ment? Raising two good the cooks and the good food. Ronald Felt
Celebrating Mother’s Day
A Thorne Crest Senior Living Community resident celebrates Mother’s Day with family through the lobby window, using Eversound technology to carry on a conversation. PROVIDED
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Thorne Crest Senior Living Community staff members, the Rev. Todd Walsh, Marilyn Claassen and Leah Atz distribute flowers and treats to the mothers residing at Thorne Crest for Mother’s Day.
PAGE 3 | SENIOR LIVING | WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020
Donations made in honor of May Day
Glenville Women of Today gave a donation of masks, fun activity books and puzzles for residents of St. John’s Lutheran Community. Pictured is a member of the Glenville Women of Today with their May Day gift. PROVIDED Numerous masks and activities were donated.
Keeping busy with special projects while social distancing
Rose Anderson created this beautiful baby quilt for her new grandbaby.
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St. John’s Fountain Lake tenants are keeping busy during this time of social distancing. Everyone has their own special talent and unique way of keeping busy. Joy Behr has been busy creating a mixed media piece. PROVIDED
Honoring their superheroes
St. John’s Lutheran Community celebrated their heroes for a week, each day having a special superhero-themed surprise. Monday, they were shown appreciation by supercharging everyone with donuts and coffee. Pictured are St. John’s Lutheran Community staff members Kathy Woodside and MaChar Kingstom. PROVIDED
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PAGE 4 | SENIOR LIVING | WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020
Celebrating Mom’s birthday
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The family of a Thorne Crest resident stops by to help her celebrate her birthday with fun signs and birthday cake. PROVIDED
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Marilyn Claassen with Thorne Crest Senior Living Community and Barb Zeller with Hill’s Gardens load flowers and gardening supplies in the bus to deliver to residents to beautify their patios and decks. PROVIDED