VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3 • MAY/JUNE 2012

Residents relish their freedom at Sterling Place.Page 5

Chaplain cherishes heritage of faith.Page 3

He’s gentle, lovable, tall, dark and handsome. And every Thursday he visits the residents and staff at Patriot Ridge.

“He definitely brings a bit of excitement,” says Chris Shelley, activities director of the United Church Homes community in Fairborn, Ohio. “We really look forward to his visits.”

Dog Lifts SpiritsAt Patriot Ridge

CELEBRAT ING THE SP IRI T

What happens when people respond to a need? Lives are changed for the better.

That’s what occurred nearly a century ago with the advent of United Church Homes. At the time, Ohio seniors who couldn’t live on their own or with family members had few options. The homes that did exist tended to be empty in terms of any real spiritual, physical or intellectual growth.

A group of people responded to this void with passion. They asked themselves: What if we could create a place of inclusion and affirmation where growth is encour-aged every day? What if we believed that God is still speaking and cares about each person?

Our Heritage, Our Mission, Our Spirit

A Bimonthly Publication of United Church Homes

Continued on page 7

Continued on back page

A Word from the CEO

Patriot Ridge residents enjoy weekly therapeutic visits from Rocky the Labrador.

Communities celebrate the spirit of service.Page 4

U N I T E D C H U R C H H O M E S2

At least twice a month, a Honda Gold Wing motorcycle pulls up at Fairhaven, a United Church Homes community in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Louise Berry, 85, grabs her helmet and

jacket, and climbs on back.

“I like to go,” Berry says, “and I love being out on the motorcycle!”

Driven by her son-in-law, John Mathew, Berry enjoys long, rambling rides through the Ohio country-side. Sometimes they stop for lunch or an ice cream cone, but mostly they ride.

“They never come back with less than 100 miles on the bike,” says Berry’s daughter, Luana Mathew. “She and John just enjoy the scenery. But we always make sure we have her back in time for bingo!”

Berry has always been something of a go-getter. Growing up in her native Washington Court House, Ohio, she would often tag along with her two older brothers. She learned to do things most girls just didn’t do then, riding motorcycles and driving stock cars, the latter of which earned her a trophy and a photograph in the local paper when she was a teenager.

“And that’s where my stock car racing career ended,” she says, “because once my mother saw my picture in the paper and knew that I’d been racing cars, well, that put an end to that.”

Life’s a Great Ride for Louise BerrySince arriving at Fairhaven in 2008, Berry has kept

moving. Bingo. Shopping trips. Travel. If it’s offered, she does it. “I don’t like to be bored. I have to keep busy,” she says.

An avid seamstress, she also began offering altera-tion services from her apartment. “I just told everyone, if you have something you need fixing, I can do it!” she says with a laugh.

At first, it was just the occasional odd job – a hem for a resident, a seam for a nursing assistant. Before she knew it, word had gotten around. Now it’s not unusual to find several bags of clothing in her room. Some are from residents, some from their family members.

She also does alterations for the community, such as the curtains she repaired and the banner that hangs in the chapel.

“If they drop it off in the morning, if I’m not busy, I’ll try to get it done by the afternoon. I don’t like to keep people waiting too long,” she says. “I always do my best work, though, and take the time to do it right.”

“She’s an extraordinary person,” her daughter says. “If she had a motto I think it would be: ’You’re younger today than you will be tomorrow, so take advantage of it.’ She really does make the most of every opportunity.”

Fairhaven resident Louise Berry enjoys a ride with her son-in-law John Mathew.

C E L E B R A T I N G T H E S P I R I T M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 2 3

When Sandra Hutchinson was a young seminary student in Ohio in the early 1970s, she had a choice.

While her fiancé was studying to be a United Church of Christ pastor, she had assumed she would become a Meth-odist pastor.

“But I found the idea of calling — of being led into an area of service rather than being appointed — very appealing,” she says, “and so I decided to join the UCC.”

Rev. Hutchinson is now the staff chaplain at Chapel Hill Retirement Community, a United Church Homes campus in Canal Fulton, Ohio. Known as Pastor Sandy to staff, residents and their family members, Hutchinson be-lieves that the connection between United Church Homes and its United Church of Christ heritage is vital to the mission and vision of the organization.

“The extravagant welcome exemplified by the United Church of Christ plays out every day in countless ways large and small at United Church Homes,” she says. “It says that we’re open, that we don’t close doors to people based on who they are or where they are on life’s journey.”

That journey, she adds, is often fraught with tension. “Life changes can be difficult. People don’t always know where they are on this path with regards to what they believe and how they best want to express those beliefs. Sometimes

they simply want time to process – time to meditate on the path. As part of the United Church of Christ heritage, we wel-come that freedom to express and to grow.”

When Hutchinson was offered the opportunity to become Chapel Hill’s full-time chaplain in 2001, she didn’t need long to think about it. Having been a UCC minister in Ohio since 1975, she was intimately familiar with the mission and vision of both the UCC and United Church Homes. Her life’s work had kept her connected to United Church Homes time and time again.

“As a pastor, our congregation was always lifting up the ministry of United Church Homes. It was always part of our mission,” she says.

Today, United Church Homes is a member of the Coun-cil for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM) of the United Church of Christ — a community of leaders and organizations committed to advancing the healing and service ministry of Jesus Christ.

The United Church of Christ continues to support the work of United Church Homes through donations, volunteers and prayer support.

“Something as simple as having a full-time chaplain on staff is testament to the deep connection between United Church Homes and United Church of Christ, both of whom share a concern for the whole person,” Hutchinson says. “Here, as at UCC, it’s all about relationship-building, and that can’t be done part time.”

Chaplain Cherishes Heritage of Faith

The Rev. Sandra Hutchinson (left) and resident Dorothy Kiewit check out a new banner recently dedicated at Chapel Hill.

Hutchinson

U N I T E D C H U R C H H O M E S4

In 2008 the recession devastated the small city of Upper Sandusky in west-ern Ohio. Nearly 1,000 people lost their jobs when businesses in this rural com-munity closed their doors forever. Everyone was af-fected, directly or indirectly.

“Even if your family was lucky enough to survive the layoffs, your friends and neighbors were suffer-ing,” says Cathy Browne, marketing and admissions director for Fairhaven, a United Church Homes community. “As one of the longest-running businesses in the area, we asked our-selves what we could do to be part of the solution.”

Together, the staff and administration came up with a plan. They launched a free breakfast series at which residents of Fairhaven and the general community could hear positive talks from the mayor, the new high school football coach, the police chief, their state representa-tive and others.

Communities Reach Out in Service“Our hope was to keep us

together and bring a little bit of positive out of all of the negative,” Browne says. “It was a time of healing, em-powerment and fellowship.”

Social accountability is an integral part of the person-centered approach to care that has made United Church Homes a leader in senior living. Being a good neighbor allows the company to minister to both its residents and the sur-rounding communities.

BrookHaven Community near Dayton, Ohio, echoes this theme.

“BrookHaven Community is our home, and we are very proud to be a part of it,” says

Mike McKinniss, BrookHav-en’s executive director. “Without the support of its leaders and residents, we would not be here today, and we like to give back to the larger community whenever we can.

“I think this is what sets BrookHaven apart. We are

The Rev. Mary Curtis of Fairhaven volunteers as part of the United Church of Christ’s Mission: 1 fundraiser.

a family committed to bettering the lives of all whom we encounter.”

Like Fairhaven, BrookHav-en hosts multiple events throughout the year intended to enlighten, encourage and better the health of its residents and commu-nity members. BrookHaven donates the use of its confer-ence center to area groups such as Brookville’s Seniors on the Go, WeightWatchers and Al-Anon. The community also raises funds for groups such as the American Cancer Society and the Miami Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, having donated more than $75,000 for Alzheimer’s research since 2005.

Both communities also host health fairs and screen-

ings, as well as classes on managing diet, chronic illnesses and emotional stress, in addition to reach-ing out to the needy. Such initiatives often begin at a grassroots level.

“Our nurses started a food pantry,” Browne says. “It is stocked and distributed to charities or individuals of their choosing, and they take a real sense of ownership in helping others.”

This spirit of service is a central tenet of all United Church Homes communities. “Our mission statement is to provide a premier health experience for our residents and for our community,” McKinniss says. “As leaders in the Dayton area, we are at the forefront of service to both our residents and our city.”

“We are a family committed to bettering the lives of all whom we encounter.”

— Mike McKinniss, executive director, BrookHaven

C E L E B R A T I N G T H E S P I R I T M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 2 5

Sterling Place Apartments, a United Church Homes affordable housing community in Lakeland, Fla., provides its residents with a tree-filled setting in a warm climate. But its most appealing

asset may be the pleasure of independence.

The 79 senior residents live in their own apartments and can walk or take a bus to nearby stores and doctors. Some still drive. A few still work. Like most people later in life, they want to keep their autonomy as long as possible, which usually means as long as their health allows.

To extend that inde-pendence, United Church Homes has joined with Phoenix Home Care to provide an in-house well-ness center. There, residents get assistance and avoid the isolation that can be a down-side to living on one’s own.

A nurse visits weekly. In addition, a podiatrist, a dermatologist and a nurse practitioner visit monthly. Residents can have their blood pressure and diabetes monitored, and get assistance setting up doctors’ appointments or advice on insurance. There are weekly exercise classes and talks about health issues that encourage residents not only to take care of themselves but to meet and interact with their neighbors.

Gina Laine, manager of Sterling Place, says the program puts into action United Church Homes’ vision statement to “provide an environment of respect for our residents in which their lives are enriched, their inde-

Sterling Place Supports Residents’ Autonomy

pendence and decision-making are honored and their changing needs are met.”

“That is what our wellness center is all about,” Laine says. “It is truly what we are trying to do here.”

Lora Goins, the Phoenix Home Care registered nurse who serves Sterling Place, says the wellness program focuses on preventing injuries and other conditions that might cost residents the ability to live on their own.

“In theory, we are here to provide the necessary services of physicians, health education and home health in an effort to continue their independence,” Goins says. “These are services that will allow them to

age in place.”

Residents appreciate the help, whether it be a doctor’s visit, advice on health insur-ance or a game of bingo led by Goins after a session of chair exercises.

“I’m in the activities and everything, whatever I can do. I really enjoy it here,” says Ruby Filimonuk, 85, who retired to Florida from Ohio and moved into Ster-ling Place in 2011.

Ann Murday, 73, who came to Florida from Indi-

ana and moved into Sterling Place seven years ago, appreciates having regular access to doctors and a nurse without having to make an appointment and go out.

“I feel there is someone here if I have a problem,” she says. “It’s very convenient.”

Goins says she benefits, too. “I love what I do. I abso-lutely do. They’re an amazing group of people who have a wealth of information they can impart to you if you listen,” Goins says. “They are still kicking and they want to continue to kick … We are here to help them do just that!”

Resident Margaret Price, left, Sterling Place Manager Gina Laine and resident Ruby Filimonuk enjoy a moment at the piano.

U N I T E D C H U R C H H O M E S6

Fast Track Rehab Patient Finds Health and New Purpose

Melody, saw the X-ray, she said: “That looks like something an animal has gnawed on.”

After undergoing surgery in early March 2010, Clark was transported from the hospital in Columbus, Ohio, to Four Winds, where his daily routine included an hour of rehab in the morning and another in the afternoon.

“It wasn’t very long at all before I was more mobile,” says Clark.

Among those he met was Mae Brenner, a Four Winds resident. “Come to find out, she was a close friend of my mother-in-law. They’re from the same small town. So we shared some stories.”

Now, Clark says, he’s back “living a normal life.” But he’s not interested in living his old life. He left Fast Track Rehab not only with a new physical step but a new spiritual sense of purpose.

“I’ll help out wherever they want me to help out,” he says. “I’m just grateful to be able to do that.”

While recovering from hip-replacement surgery at Fast Track Rehab on the Four Winds community campus, John Clark had an epiphany.

“I looked around, and I saw people there who weren’t ever going home,” Clark says. “Some never had any family come visit them. All I had to say, as I made my rounds on my walker, was a kind word here and there, and before I knew it, they were telling me their stories.”

When Clark’s two-and-a-half weeks of rehab were over, he decided he didn’t want to lose touch with people he had met at the senior living community in Jackson, Ohio. Now he’s a volunteer, helping anywhere he’s needed. He recently helped residents fill out brack-ets for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

“But I really enjoy recreational activities with them,” he says. “I mean, you can see them just light up.”

The rehab experience helped Clark, 55, realize how blessed he is, with a successful law practice, loving family and nice house with a pool. “Prior to that, I was honestly more concerned with material things,” he says. “When I was in there, I began to realize there were more important things than how much money you’re bringing home or what kind of house you have.

“The most important things are your relationship with God, your health and your family. And those things were being neglected, frankly.”

Clark’s journey to Four Winds began on a golf course, where he thought his back was acting up. It turned out to be much more serious. He was suffering from avas-cular necrosis — the bone in his right hip was dying from poor blood circulation. When he and his wife,

Fast Track Rehab patient John Clark from Four Winds helps resi-dents fill out brackets for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

C E L E B R A T I N G T H E S P I R I T M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 2 7

He’s Rocky, a 120-pound black Labra-dor mix who has a way with people. He and owner Judy Baker started visiting the community about a year and a half ago. Rocky has become something of a celebrity there.

“They really love him,” says Baker, “and I think the feeling is mutual. I’ll say, ‘It’s time to go see your friends,’ and he jumps in the car. It’s a wonderful thing to see the connection between the residents and Rocky.”

Baker, a retired physi-cal therapist, often saw the benefits of pet thera-py in her work. Although Rocky is not officially a therapy dog, his visits are therapeutic nonetheless.

“I’ve seen non-verbal Alzheimer’s residents light up and start speak-ing when he comes around the corner,” she says. “There’s one gentleman who doesn’t communicate at all except for eye contact. He waits at the door on our visiting days, and as

soon as he sees Rocky, he takes his leash and takes him for a short walk.”

The health benefits of pet therapy are well-documented. Research points to lower blood pressure and cholesterol to decreased feelings of lone-liness and depression.

“Our short-term resi-dents may have a pet waiting for them at home, and Rocky gives them an incentive to get better and get back to them,” Shel-ley says. “Other residents interact with him even if they’re unwilling or unable to interact with members

of the staff. We see improvement immediately when Rocky shows up.”

Pet therapy suits the philosophy of care at United Church Homes. Treating the whole person through multiple avenues, including pet therapy, has helped establish United Church Homes as a leader in senior living. This philosophy has resulted in Patriot Ridge being

named one of Ohio’s top 25 senior living communities, based on results of resident surveys conducted by the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA).

“We care about our residents,” Shel-ley says. “Visits from Rocky let them know that they are loved and welcomed much more than words could ever say.”

Other United Church Homes

communities also use pet therapy, with animals such as cats or birds, but Rocky is among the most well-known. “I don’t know of any other commu-nity that has a dog like Rocky,” Shelley says. “Maybe someday we’ll get our own resident dog, but for now, I think Rocky is doing just fine.”

Dog Lifts Spirits at Patriot Ridge … continued from cover

Patriot Ridge resident Jeff Wilson gives Rocky a hug.

“We see improvement immediately when Rocky shows up.”

— Chris Shelley, activities director, Patriot Ridge

U N I T E D C H U R C H H O M E S8

170 E. Center Street / PO Box 1806 • Marion, Ohio 43301-1806 • 740-382-4885 / 800-837-2211

unitedchurchhomes.org • Fax: 740-382-4884 TTY: 800-750-0750

Our mission is to provide, primarily to older adults, housing, health care, and other services which are responsive to the needs of the whole person and based on Christian values.

NATIONAL AND STATE AFFILIATIONS:

American Health Care Association: ahca.org

Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM): chhsm.org

LeadingAge: leadingage.org

LeadingAge Ohio: leadingageohio.org

Midwest Affordable Housing Management Association (MAHMA): mahma.com

Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging: ohioaging.org

Ohio Healthcare Association: ohca.org

Southeastern Affordable Housing Management Association (SAHMA): sahma.org

A Word from the CEO ... continued from cover

Celebrating the Spirit at

unitedchurchhomes.org

The family of Matthew and Jane Smith donated 168 acres of land in 1916 to establish a church-sponsored home that would be a “Fair Haven” for all who lived there, and United Church Homes was born.

That’s where we came from.

Across nearly 100 years, our mission hasn’t changed. We believe in radical hospitality; we believe in the continuing testimony of God and God’s people; and we believe in pro-viding the means for people to encounter God’s spirit and be transformed.

That’s who we are.

Where are we going? Our values, rooted in our United Church of Christ heritage, are shaping our course in new and exciting ways.

Our communities have long been open to all. We have never turned away anyone on the basis of race, faith, gender or age. Though primarily for older adults, our campuses offer special programs that serve residents under age 65 who have chronic illnesses and developmental challenges. In May our board voted to add language to our admissions policies that specifically calls for targeted outreach to LGBT seniors, who are often subjected to discrimination in senior living communities.

And because we believe that God is still speaking, our commu-nities embrace education and technology as tools to aid us in our person-centered philosophy. Here, those who face disabling illnesses and the challenges of age will find new ways to commu-nicate, learn, and grow.

We encourage team members to take advantage of tuition reimbursement programs, and we offer mentoring programs that sharpen their skills. In doing so, we create learning communities for those who touch resi-dents’ lives on a daily basis.

At United Church Homes, we foster an environment of meaning and purpose for both residents and team members — celebrating the spirit of every individual.

Inclusiveness, integrity and respect: these values shaped our his-tory, and they guide our path ahead. From one home came a vibrant network of 67 communities serving more than 4,000 individuals. But we’re not done yet. The future holds much promise for all of us. Together, we’ll continue to celebrate the spirit of life in all its richness.

— The Rev. Kenneth V. Daniel