Commitment
When you work in an assisted living and nursing facility, death can actually become a part of the fabric of a week or month. Some deaths, however, catch you off guard and can cause you to do quite a bit of reflection. The death of Leo Seymour in March was one of those that has caused me to do some reflection.
My first contact with the Seymour family was in April 2009, when three of their daughters came for a tour of Fulton Manor on behalf of Leo and his wife, Shirley. Their daughters were helping them make a much needed transition from the home they had lived in for many years to a place where Leo could get some help caring for Shirley who was clearly struggling with memory loss. This was not a new experience for me. I had been working in the Sales office at Fulton for a couple of years by then and frankly, their story was not all that unique. What I remember most about that meeting was the daughters’ unified commitment to help their parents find just the right place. About a month later, I met Leo and Shirley when they came for a tour of Fulton. Leo had experienced some health concerns, and was as I recall, fairly quiet. He was quite clear, however, that his goal was for he and Shirley to stay together.
Throughout the pre-admission process, Leo remained firm that he wanted to be with Shirley for as long as possible. The family had some concerns about this, as did the staff, but everyone was willing to give it a try. I remember cautioning Leo that there might come a time when we would recommend they live in separate units if Shirley needed more support from our memory care unit. Keeping the Seymours together on the second floor of Fulton Manor meant a big commitment by the staff but also a big commitment for Leo because Shirley’s needs were significant.
Leo and Shirley moved into the Fulton Manor in July of 2009 and their family did an excellent job of transforming two average sized rooms into a snug and efficient apartment. At first, the Seymours received different amounts of care with Leo being independent and Shirley getting assistance for her personal care, medications, and room care. I visited them a few times in those early days to see how things were going and to encourage Leo to think about leaving Shirley in the staff’s care so that he could get away a bit, but he always refused. They were fine, he would say, no need to worry. The staff also continually offered to watch over Shirley so he could get away but for the most part, Leo declined the offer.
I watched Leo over the two and a half years that he lived at Fulton Manor take care of his wife with the help of the staff. I was always struck by the fact that through his actions, he was teaching all of us about commitment. I wondered to myself if he had always been so attentive to his wife or if it was something he grew into over the years of their marriage and Shirley’s obvious need for him. I would see them in the hallway on their way to meals with Leo holding her hand and gently guiding her. It became for me a picture of fidelity. I thought often about the staff at Fulton Manor, many of them young people who did not grow up in homes where this type of commitment was lived. I felt that God was using Leo to teach them about something they may not have ever experienced before.
I also watched Leo and Shirley’s family and their commitment to their parents. They were frequent visitor to their apartment. Their love for their parents was quite evident. I witnessed several happy moments pass between them despite the loss they must all have felt watching their parents age and change.
In addition to Leo’s commitment to Shirley and the family’s commitment to their parents, I also watched the Fulton Manor staff’s commitment to all of them. Despite changes in both their health and functioning, and changes to Fulton Manor itself, Leo and Shirley were able to be together until Leo’s death. I know that this was only accomplished by the staff’s flexibility, problem solving and commitment to honor Leo’s wish. It takes dedication and love to help other people realize their dreams and the staff at Fulton continually demonstrates this.
Leo has gone on before Shirley and no one knows how long it will be before she joins him in heaven. As a Sales Staff member, when we meet with people who are contemplating a move, we encourage couples to develop a plan that supports the surviving spouse should one pass before the other. Leo did this for Shirley. By entering into Holland Home’s continuing care agreement when he was able to make that decision, Leo secured Shirley’s future. She is already in a place that can care for her needs and she is assured that care will be there for the rest of her life. An so, this story has one more layer of commitment, the Holland Home commitment to excellent care.
Leo’s family chose a wonderful photograph for his obituary, Leo as captain of his own ship. When I think of him, I am going to bring that image to mind. He was a nice, quiet, unassuming man who captained the good ship “Commitment” all the way until the end. I am happy that I got a chance to know Leo. I am thankful for what his living testimony has taught me and those around me.
Carrie Koster
May 15th, 2012 | Posted in General | Share this on Facebook or Twitter
Chris Nicely on Talk of the Town
Chris Nicely, vice president of marketing for Holland Home, was invited by the radio program Talk of the Town, a production of WOOD 1300 AM, to discuss Holland Home, our full spectrum of care, our Home Buy-Out program, and the living and care options we provide for seniors.
“You’ll see the word serving all over the place. We feel that we’re called to serve the elderly. We spend about $6 million a year providing benevolent care, but that goes back to our mission. That’s what we’re here for.”
You can listen to the broadcast here:
May 10th, 2012 | Posted in General | Share this on Facebook or Twitter
Fulton Manor celebrates its 100th birthday
The Fulton Manor of Holland Home opened in 1912. On Wednesday, April 25th, 2012, residents and staff at Fulton Manor celebrated its 100th anniversary, which included opening a time capsule that had been sealed behind the building’s cornerstone. WZZM covered the event and interviewed Holland Home CEO and president H. David Claus.
(Both HD and closed-captioned versions of this video are available at YouTube.)
For more coverage, see the full story and video by reporter Sarah Barwacz on WZZM13.com.
April 30th, 2012 | Posted in General | Share this on Facebook or Twitter
Pioneering real estate program helps seniors sell 75 homes during recession
Amidst the recession in the fall of 2008, Holland Home was one of the first retirement communities in the nation to create a guaranteed real estate program for senior citizens who wanted to move into one of its communities but were hampered by an unfavorable housing market. Earlier this month, Holland Home celebrated the 75th home sold through this initiative.
Christopher Nicely, vice president of marketing for Holland Home, co-created and manages the Home Buy-Out Program. Although Holland Home represents a mission-driven, non-profit business, it has excelled in the business of acquiring and selling houses in a recession – all with the purpose of serving seniors. “Seventy-seven percent of the time, we find a buyer for the homes in our program. This is the best case scenario for incoming residents, yielding the highest possible selling price for their previous homes. Holland Home has bought and sold the remaining twenty-three percent, but the associated costs have been sixteen percent lower than our pro forma predicted,” said Nicely.
The success of the program is a result of many things working in integrated fashion. The real estate housing market has shown improvement, especially at the local level. Last November, the Wall Street Journal reported a rise in home prices of 23.7% in the metro Grand Rapids market, the largest increase in any area of the country. Also, Holland Home has an exclusive relationship with Greenridge Realty, a leading independent residential real estate broker and one of the top 100 largest in the nation. Homes in the program have sold in locations throughout the United States; Nevada, Florida, Arizona, Kansas, Ohio and Illinois, just to name a few. During the real estate sales process, Nicely negotiates sternly, knowing the ultimate goals of serving residents and perpetuating the organization.
For senior citizens who qualify, the Home Buy-Out Program provides an aggressive six month approach that competitively prices homes, regularly monitors, and adjusts both pricing and strategy in a predetermined fashion. In the Home Buy-Out Program, if a property does not sell within six months, Holland Home will buy the property for 91% of its final appraised value.
Founded in 1892, Holland Home of Grand Rapids is Michigan’s largest nonprofit provider of senior services and was the first Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the state. Holland Home offers the full continuum of care and is the 39th largest, nonprofit CCRC in the nation. Under the Holland Home brand are three residential campuses: Breton Woods, Fulton and Raybrook. Community services include HomeCare of Holland Home, Faith Hospice in the community, Faith Hospice at Trillium Woods, Rehab Dimensions, and In-Home Helpers. Holland Home employs over 1,250 people and serves more than 3,300 daily. Holland Home’s mission is to serve with love and compassion, commit to excellence, and follow Christ’s teachings and examples in all that we do. For more information about Holland Home, please visit hollandhome.org.
Download a PDF copy of the press release.
April 17th, 2012 | Posted in General | Share this on Facebook or Twitter
Outside services help seniors maintain independence
The following article appeared in the Sunday Grand Rapids Health section on April 8.
According to a recent survey by the AARP, 95 percent of people aged 75 and older want to remain in their own homes as long as possible.
However, after age 65, a report by the American Society on Aging found that seniors had a more than 70 percent chance of needing help with the activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing and using the bathroom.
“Those facts have been the thrust behind our creating services that will help seniors remain independent for as long as possible,” said Carolyn Flietstra, vice president of home and community-based services at Holland Home.
“Within the last few years, we have inaugurated Helpers of Holland Home and Telehealth Monitoring, which is a service available to clients of HomeCare of Holland Home. Both of these programs have been designed to make it safer and easier for elderly adults to remain independent longer.”
About Telehealth Monitoring
“My husband always said, ‘It feels like I have my nurse right here in the room with me,’” said Edith Bauman, a resident of Holland Home’s Breton Woods campus.
Her late husband, Carlton, was one of the first users of Telehealth Monitoring. Telehealth gives literal meaning to the expression “phoning it in,” because that’s precisely what its users do each day.
The Telehealth monitor, approximately the size of a small book, hooks up to devices that measure blood pressure, heart rate, weight, pulse rate, oxygen levels and blood sugar levels. The data is transmitted over a phone line to a nurse manager at HomeCare of Holland Home, who monitors the numbers daily.
Edith said it took her husband about seven minutes each morning to perform the various tests and transmit the results. They both found the monitor easy to use; every morning, Carlton was greeted with a cheery “good morning” before the device would “talk” him through the process.
The monitoring system alerts the nurse to changes that could signal an impending health crisis or the need for a change in medication. After seeing the numbers, the nurse can relay any concerns to the client’s doctor.
Flietstra said the monitoring system has been shown to prevent crises and help keep clients out of the hospital.
“It also provides a source of comfort for our clients’ spouses and their adult children,” she said, “and that enables them to stay independent longer.”
Independent, with some help
Katie and Jack Van Eerden have been in independent living at Holland Home’s Breton Terrace since 2002. When Katie’s back problems started in 2009, they feared it would threaten their independence. That’s when they called Helpers of Holland Home, a program providing a wide array of services in the client’s home.
Katie and Jack were able to choose from a menu of services that includes assistance with showering, medication set-up, meal preparation, laundry and cleaning. They picked which services would help them maintain their independence
“We want to stay in our home as long as we can,” Katie said.
“Many seniors require some help in order to stay in their own home and maintain their independence,” said Flietstra. “This puts a huge burden on their adult children, who may be working and/or raising children of their own. Services like Helpers of Holland Home can provide that extra assistance that makes all the difference.”
Some of the many services provided by Helpers of Holland Home include personal care, licensed nursing, home chores and maintenance and care coordination.
“We can even provide ongoing assistance 24 hours per day, seven days per week, if necessary,” said Flietstra.
Flietstra said outside services are an increasing part of elder care.
“According to a survey by the AARP, almost half of all caregivers are using at least one outside service to supplement their caregiving,” she said. “It is possible for seniors to continue to live safely in their own home. There are many services out there that can provide assistance to complement or substitute for caregiving by a family member.”
Flietstra urges seniors and and their families to choose qualified outside service providers.
“The important thing,” Flietstra said, “is to be sure to contract with an agency you can trust. Helpers of Holland Home, for instance, is a member of the Michigan Home Health Association, which promotes high standards of patient care in the delivery of home health services.”
— Information provided by Holland Home
April 16th, 2012 | Posted in General | Share this on Facebook or Twitter
Helpers of Holland Home on eightWest
Carolyn Flietstra, vice president of home and community-based services, recently appeared on eightWest to discuss the options available through Helpers of Holland Home that make it possible for seniors to remain independent in their own homes.
Helpers of Holland Home can provide both skilled and unskilled services including home chores and maintenance, meal preparation, medication set-up, personal care and more. For more information visit our web site at http://helpersofhollandhome.org or call (616) 235-5113.
(Both HD and closed-captioned versions of this video are available at YouTube.)
April 3rd, 2012 | Posted in General, Helpers of Holland Home | Share this on Facebook or Twitter
Historian to Speak at Breton Ridge
You are invited to join us for a presentation by Thomas Logan, author of Almost Lost: Building and Preserving Heritage Hill, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Tours, refreshments and more information on Masterpiece Living will follow.
Thursday, April 12
2:00 p.m.
Breton Ridge
2772 Pfeiffer Woods Drive
Grand Rapids
Please RSVP to 616-643-2730 by April 10
March 29th, 2012 | Posted in General | Share this on Facebook or Twitter
Living better — and longer
The following article was submitted by Holland Home and appeared in the Grand Rapids Press Health Section on Sunday, March 10.
Bob Bode, a resident at Holland Home’s independent retirement living complex, Raybrook Estates, is living proof we don’t have to accept disability as an inevitable component of aging.
Bob walks the halls of Raybrook Estates six days a week — a trip just shy of a mile and which takes him 30 minutes.
He also exercises for 25 minutes, six days per week, on the NuStep — a recumbent cross trainer available in Raybrook’s William C. Buiten Wellness Centre.
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he participates in a half-hour senior exercise class on the campus, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he takes a balance and stability class.
Bode will turn 91 in March of this year.
Not about genes
In 1998, the MacArthur Foundation commissioned a study to determine just how and why we age. The study revealed that, contrary to popular belief, the biggest impact on how we age comes not from our genes and heredity but from our lifestyle. A full 70 percent of the aging process is determined by the choices we make.
It is possible to live long, without significant disability, if we maintain our physical and mental skills, reduce our risk for disease and stay productive and engaged with life.
Most age-related changes can be reversed or halted by positive changes in environment and diet, exercise, stress management, medication and other lifestyle choices.
In other words, “use it or lose it.”
After the study was released, the Mayo Clinic, University of Michigan and other experts on aging used the findings to create Masterpiece Living — a program that addresses the components of successful aging.
Holland Home has made Masterpiece Living available free to residents on their Breton Woods and Raybrook campuses.
“At Holland Home, we have a strong commitment to wellness for our residents. Masterpiece Living allows us to offer them a cutting-edge program that is guaranteed to help them live better, longer,” said David Claus, president and CEO of Holland Home. “Masterpiece Living is based on four core beliefs that include staying physically and mentally active; maintaining social engagement; adhering to the belief that age does not have to be limiting; and finding ways to make a difference to others and to the community.”
Exciting results
Masterpiece Living has been in place for three years on Holland Home’s Breton Woods campus.
“The results have been exciting,” said Amanda Baushke, director of Masterpiece Living. “We took measurements of our residents’ medical and lifestyle risk factors in 2009 and again in 2011. Our residents have seen a significant drop in both factors.”
Some of the results have been quite impressive. The percentage of residents with high triglycerides dropped from 15 percent of those studied in 2009 to less than 1 percent in 2011. Tobacco use declined from 8 percent in 2009 to barely 1 percent in 2011. The percentage of participants engaging in a regular exercise program went up 20 percent, while those practicing safety measures such as using sunscreen, wearing a seatbelt and installing fire and smoke alarms, increased by almost 20 percent as well.
Recovering from a fall
Two years ago, Bode had a bad fall that required physical therapy. Determined to regain his strength, Bode joined the Masterpiece Living program when it was introduced on the Raybrook Campus eight months ago. The program encourages walking, and Bode received a pedometer to track his steps. Since starting the program, he has increased his speed and, even though he uses a walker, he is “keeping up with the Joneses.”
On a recent trip to Colorado, Bode’s daughter gifted him with a half-hour ride in a Piper Cub. Not content to just sit back and enjoy the scenery, Bode took over the controls for almost half the flight. The instructor said not only was Bode the oldest student he’d ever had, Bode also outperformed all his younger students.
Bode plans to continue his fitness regimen as long as he can. His advice: “Make it part of your routine.”
“Everyone can benefit from applying the principles of Masterpiece Living,” Baushke said. “Regular exercise, both physical and mental, and staying involved with friends and the greater community all contribute to living better, longer. And most of important of all — don’t use age as an excuse to limit yourself.”
March 19th, 2012 | Posted in Breton, General, Raybrook | Share this on Facebook or Twitter
Have a new iPad? So do our residents.
Were you one of the lucky few who got a new iPad today? So were our residents at Raybrook!
Thanks to the work of one of our life enrichment staff members, Karla Zeilstra, residents in our skilled nursing care areas at Raybrook Manor will be able to use the new iPads to keep in touch with friends and family using FaceTime and Skype. We’ve even added a new Apple TV to let visually-challenged residents see the pictures on a 42-inch HDTV.
(And speaking of the new iPad: Our website is optimized for its beautiful Retina display!)
March 16th, 2012 | Posted in General | Share this on Facebook or Twitter
Safe driving as you age
Please join us for a presentation on defensive driving for older adults by Randy Rand, owner of the Jungle Survival Drivers Training School and veteran trainer and accident investigator for UPS.
Thursday, January 12 – 2:00 p.m.
Breton Ridge
2772 Pfeiffer Woods Drive
Grand Rapids
Please RSVP to 616-643-2730
December 13th, 2011 | Posted in General | Share this on Facebook or Twitter