Reflections - Fall 2021

MASONIC VILLAGE HOSPICE

FALL 2021

Providing Quality Care (p. 4) Your Gifts Are Supporting Families Through Grief

Home is where the heart is A fortuitous meeting at a bridal salon led Janell (Berté) Bertelman to Masonic Village Hospice.

Janell, owner of POSH Bridal in Lancaster, was working at her store one day when a mother/daughter team arrived for a wedding dress fitting.

Janell didn’t make it a practice to share her private life with anybody at work.

But she was feeling overwhelmed that day. Her mother, Ruth, a resident at Homestead Village Skilled Nursing Facility, was in declining health and Janell, an only child, knew she and her husband, Richard, couldn’t take care of her on their own.

“We had a three-story home and did not want mom to fall down the stairs,” she said. “We couldn’t bring her home with us until she was bedbound, and I felt safe enough that she wouldn’t try to get out of bed.”

The mother at the appointment, Allison Maloney, was a practicing nurse and Janell thought she might have some insight on how to best care for Ruth moving forward. Her daughter, Jasmine Rakszawski, worked for

Above: Ruth Bertelman.

Right: Ruth and Janell making gingerbread houses.

“As soon as she said she was linked to Masonic Village, she didn’t have to go any further,” Janell said. Janell’s family has deep roots in the Masonic organization. Her father was a 33rd degree Mason and member of Scottish Rite, Tall Cedars and the Shriners.

Ruth was in Order of the Eastern Star.

Janell was a Past Grandworthy Advisor for Pennsylvania Rainbow Girls.

Masonic Village Hospice and explained

“I had visited the Masonic Home (as

to Janell what her options were.

Masonic Village was then known) many times when I was in Rainbow,

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and I was very knowledgeable about the facility,” Janell said. “I knew it would be outstanding.”

Hospice took care of everything for Janell — setting up a bed and table for Ruth in her home and providing lots of support.

“Having John, our nurse, and his assistant, Samantha, was so amazing,” she said. “Samantha had a great attitude and always dealt with mom beautifully. John had the best bedside manner, and we adored him. Through the end, he was there practically every day and was so helpful and strong for our family. Without him, I wouldn’t have made it. He was really our foundation.”

Once COVID-19 hit, businesses shut down, which turned out to be a blessing for Janell. It allowed her to stay at home and spend 100 % of her time with her mother at the end of her life.

“There was not a lot of activity going on, and it made it easier for John and Samantha to come in and out of the house,” she said. “They were able to stand by our side through everything. It made it so much more meaningful for me and comfortable for my mother. She didn’t die alone or among strangers.”

Ruth died on her birthday, April 7, 2020, at 89 years old.

Ruth was originally from Mount Pleasant, PA. She met and married her husband, Henry, and they lived in the North

Janell and her parents at the PA Grand Assembly in 1976.

Huntingdon area. He passed away more than 30 years ago.

“I grew up in an ‘Ozzie and Harriet’ family,” Janell said. “My dad worked full time and brought the bread home. My mom took care of the house and the family. I had a wonderful childhood. My mom’s life revolved around my father and me.”

Ruth was a baker who enjoyed making cookies. She eventually became well-known for bringing homemade cookies with her when she traveled with Janell to bridal shows in New York City. She would serve the cookies to buyers and editors to rave reviews.

“The editors of Town & Country magazine, Martha Stewart, they all knew my mom,” Janell said. “Mom got invited to all of Martha’s parties. She was even invited on Martha’s television show, but she was too shy to do it. My mother was a humble lady. I know she was tickled though.”

Ruth always enjoyed music. When she was living in the western part of the state, she would attend the Pittsburgh Symphony regularly. She always loved going to NYC for Broadway shows, and she enjoyed opera. She also loved to garden, and Janell often took her to Longwood Gardens to explore. “That was her happy place,” she said.

Ruth and Henry traveled the U.S. together, but it took Janell and Richard to take her on international trips. Janell fondly

Ruth, Janell and Richard in Thailand in 2001. recalls a three-week trip she took with her mother and husband traveling around the world in December 2001. “We were greeted with open arms everywhere we went. We visited Greece, India, Thailand and Hong Kong. It was a great experience for the three of us and a wonderful memory.”

Meeting Jasmine in the bridal shop that day was a blessing, as Janell was again welcomed with open arms — this time by Hospice staff.

“Things happen for a reason,” Janell said. “Obviously it was meant to be, and I could not speak higher of the services that my mother and our family received.”

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Love at Second Sight “Hospice can always make a difference, no matter when it’s consulted, but the longer hospice has to help individuals, the more they can do.”

Providing Quality Care Dr. John Mast has served Masonic Village at Elizabethtown

He would like to see hospice reach even more

in various capacities for over 21 years. A geriatric specialist

people and provide quality end-of-life care for more

certified in geriatric and family medicine with Penn

individuals at an earlier stage. Some individuals don’t

Medicine Lancaster General Health, Dr. Mast was named

enter hospice until they are very close to death.

medical director in 2020. He recently transitioned to hospice medical director, which is where you can find him when he’s not doing long-term care and rehabilitation.

“Since I started at Masonic Village, the facility and staff have done a fabulous job of providing quality end-of-life care that for many years was a service given to eligible residents regardless of their personal financial circumstances,” he said. “Today, we are able to provide everything that is included in the Medicare Hospice Benefit and get reimbursed for the high-quality work that we’ve been doing.”

Dr. Mast appreciates that hospice allows patients to experience end-of-life wishes, whether it be an airplane flight or attending a Phillies game. “They are helping dreams come true,” he said.

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“Hospice can always make a difference, no matter when it’s consulted, but the longer hospice has to help individuals, the more they can do,” he said.

Dr. Mast returned to his hometown of Lancaster in 1999 to look for a job after completing his medical residency at East Tennessee State University. He attended medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine at Indianapolis. Before that, he was enrolled in the premed program at Goshen College in Indiana. While there, he worked as a nurses aide at a long term care facility in Goshen. He really enjoyed the experience.

“I did the weekend night, 12-hour shift for a few years,” he said. “It helped solidify my thoughts that I really wanted to practice medicine and be a doctor, because I enjoy taking care of people. I’m here to serve the patients. They are not

here to serve my requests and wishes. That’s how it works.”

Dr. Mast eventually joined the family medicine practice at Norlanco Medical Associates in Elizabethtown.

There, he learned they needed someone to see patients at Masonic Village. He jumped on the opportunity.

Today, he lives just 2.5 miles from campus, so he’s able to walk, jog or bike to work every day.

“I had no reservations,” he said about coming to Masonic Village. “With my experience in the nursing facility, I was happy to do it. When I arrived at Masonic Village (in 1999), I learned a lot as I was working. I really benefited from Dr. Kenneth Brubaker’s mentorship over the years.

I also learned a lot from the fabulous nurses I worked

and the rest of my time with hospice. It’s a nice balance.”

with over the years. Taking care of complex patients

Dr. Mast said he enjoys caring for what he

really takes a partnership with the whole team.”

calls the “unworried sick,” which is how he

Over the years, as the need increased, Dr. Mast began spending more and more time at Masonic Village. Five years ago, an opportunity arose to leave his outpatient practice and work full-time at Masonic Village. He happily accepted the role.

“I made the jump from outpatient medicine to personal

describes his patients at Masonic Village.

“Most adults worry about being sick, but they are actually quite healthy,” he said. Nursing facility patients typically have multiple critical, potentially life-threatening illnesses that are all interacting with each other, but often they are not worried and are happy to be as healthy as possible.

care, short-term nursing facility rehabilitation and long-term

“A lot of it is emotional and spiritual maturity. They have

nursing work, and now hospice,” he said. “I still work as part of

become self-actualized and had a chance to live their lives;

Lancaster General Health at Masonic Village. About three-

they are not fearful of death. They’ve finished their life work

quarters of my time is doing long-term care and rehabilitation,

and their life is at a point of reminiscence and reflection.”

Don’t Let Your 2021 IRA Benefit Expire on Dec. 31: Make a Difference for a Patient with a Qualified Charitable Distribution If you are 70½ or older and have a traditional IRA, a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) is usually the number one way to give to Masonic Village Hospice. You avoid tax on any amount given from your IRA to charity, which is like getting a free tax deduction. Yes, it’s more complicated than writing a check, but once you do, you will never look back. Please

contact the Masonic Charities Office of Mission Advancement and Development for a FREE QCD Kit and then talk to your advisor about dividing up your QCD among your favorite charities, including Masonic Village Hospice. Remember, if you don’t need your Required Minimum Distribution, then turning it into a QCD is an added benefit.

We can help you create a QCD to achieve your goals while supporting Hospice’s mission.

Please contact us at 1-800-599-6454 or visit MasonicCharitiesLegacy.org for more information. Everything we do for you comes with no cost or obligation.

MasonicCharitiesLegacy.org 5

Thank You to Our Donors Memorials

Betty Kuhn

Carl and Terry Dunbar

Nancy Myers Landis

Susan White

Gifts received May 1 - July 31

Mary T. LeBlanc

Ruth Carty

Robert J. “Bob” Long

Tim Conrad and Judy Waltman

MEMORIAL

DONOR

Kenneth and Shirley Hougentogler

Betty Amour

John Grezlak

Carole and Michelle Witmer

Nancy Biehl

W. Clark Biehl

Linda Loser

Carol Kishbaugh

Robert Blanset

Don and Shirley Miller

Rheems Elementary School

Thomas and Margaret Stapleton

Susan Brooks

Roy and Cindy Kidd

Annette Burgert

Worthington Chapter No. 287,

Laurie Shive, Grace Kautz, Lisa

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OES

Faculty and Staff

Heather Rhyder, Michelle Connor,

Lawrence, Patti Irvin, Ivy Davis

Edward H. “Soup” Campbell

Bill Campbell

and Karen Carlson

Greater Harrisburg Association

Robert and Susan Smith

of Realtors, Inc.

Albert L. “Buck” McNulty

Brian Eidemiller

Keith and Julie Martin

Rudy and Sandy Spoljaric

Ann McGraw

Wilford J. Miller

Kenneth and Evelyn Miller

John Moscony

Irene O’Hearn

Clinton Spiegel

Abel and Tiffany Silveira

Lloyd I. Putt

Doris Frehafer

William and Anne Turkowski

Donald D. Renicky

Florence Renicky

Gary Ulrich

Charles E. Rose

Donna Rose

Rosemarie Carthew

Gerald and Pat Kemmerer

David and May Schirm

David and Debra Schirm

Walter S. Conrad

Walter and Mary Conrad

George Schmidt

Marg Shelley

Robert Cooperman

Ira Cooperman

Suzanne M. “Sue” Shankroff

Ben Shankroff

Karen Dohner

Clair Dohner

Winona “Zodee” Shearer

Blaine Gorman

Christiana Fauser

Paul Fauser

Mary Shearer

Christine (Boyd) Fortier

Patricia McCabe

Melvin Guy “Pete” Snyder

Calvary Baptist Church of York

Jillian Stauffer

Bob and Terri Bentzel

Jean Gaspari

Marjorie Menear

Robert and Sara Best

Richard Gerz, Sr.

Kathryn Heiland

Elizabethtown Masonic Village

Jane and William Staman

Eleanor Gould

Marie Bowman

Dennis and Geraldine Emmert

James and Margaret Salvaggio

Marilyn Forney

Helen Gregg

Marcel and Donna Ferrere

Dominic Glorioso, Jr. and Barbara

Despina M. Grimes

Robert Grimes

John W. Harper, Jr.

John and Carol Bender

Mary Grogan

John and Tammy Harper

Helen Heidelbaugh

Donna O’Donnell

Bryan and Eileen Hill

Ethel V. Harris

Tim Harris

Thomas and Judith Host

Robert C. I. Jackson

Sue Ann Land

Elaine Kaylor

Shrine Club

Caton Glorioso

Melvin Guy “Pete” Snyder

Janie & Corky King and

Stephen Jacobs

Lawrence Edward “Ed” Sturm Jean Schoener

David and Karen Schultze Mike and Jenniver Shove, Pete,

Mildred Mealey

Glenn and Kathy Mellinger

Kit and Paul Maynor and

Betty and Tom Miller

Michelle, Jon, Maleaha and

Lauren New

Rowan Stratman

Ann Pavilack

Carl and Josie Smith

James and Nancy Reed

Jerry and Wendy Smith

Charles and Kathleen Roberts

Ronald and Cheryl Waack

Robert and Judy Scharf

Rev. Sudheer J. “Sud” Tiwari

Stefania Tiwari

Bill and Nancy Schreffler

Louise Tumolo

Norma and Ken Mayo

Twila Shreffler

Frederick W. Walter

Arthur Bernd

Bruce and Melanie Snyder

Ruth Erb

Robert and Barbara Strickler

Jim and Betty Gotta

Ronald Toole

Bryan and Eileen Hill

Doug and Darlene Weaver

Barry and Susi Julius

Larry and Carol Wolford

George Scott

Barbara Wood

Donald Whistler

Natalie Stief

Julie M. Houseal

Keith E. Wittig

John Rintz

Garry and Carol Kauffman

Robert and Tonalee Key

Tamra Kriebel

Dr. John C. Stoner, Jr.

Richard and Betty Johnson

Susan, Randy and Greg Tenor

Charles “Chuck” Storm

John Tumolo

Lawrence Edward “Ed” Sturm Nicole Addleman

Buzz and Kim Busey

Jim and Tricia Casill

Michael and Francine Donovan

Teresa Fenstermacher

Judith Heller

Brian and Traci Jones

Earl and Marian Kreider

Tom and Nancy Lawrence

Sherri Madnick

Joseph and Gaynell Markowski

Newcomers and Neighbors of

Honors

Gifts received May 1 - July 31

HONOR

DONOR

Kevin Jacoby

Diane Snyder

Brenda Kelchner

Diane Snyder

Timothy A. “Tim” Nickel

Sy and Deborah Beozzo

Diane Snyder

Debbie Novinger

Diane Snyder

Mary Oldham

Dale Oldham

Angela Ortiz

Craig Dayton

Amber Pawuk

Marjorie Menear

Lancaster, Inc.

Tom and Freeda Roberts

Norma Scalise 7

MASONIC VILLAGE HOSPICE 98 Masonic Drive, Suite 101 • Elizabethtown, PA 17022 717-361-8449 • MasonicVillageHospice.org

Who We Are Since 2009, Masonic Village’s trained, compassionate hospice staff have cared for thousands of patients and their families, focusing on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs of patients so they may complete their lives joyfully. Our hospice staff promote comfort and self-determination, enabling patients to participate in making decisions about their care.

Based in Elizabethtown, Masonic Village Hospice is pleased to offer services to patients in the comfort of their homes throughout Lancaster, Dauphin, Lebanon and Eastern York counties.

Open for Everyone.

Masonic Village Hospice does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, ancestry, national origin, familial status, age, sex, limited English proficiency (LEP) or any other protected status in admission, treatment or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment.

Masonic Village Hospice cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo.

Masonic Village Hospice iss willich, die Gsetze (federal civil rights) vun die Owwerichkeet zu folliche un duht alle Leit behandle in der seem Weg. Es macht nix aus, vun wellem Schtamm ebber beikummt, aus wellem Land die Voreldre kumme sinn, was fer en Elt ebber hot, eb ebber en Mann iss odder en Fraa, verkrippelt iss odder net.