Category: Frontline Heroes

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is McKenzie County Healthcare Systems, Inc. for mobilizing their community to bring joy to seniors.

McKenzie County Healthcare Systems (MCHS) comprises a network of healthcare facilities in Watford City, North Dakota, and includes a wellness center, a hospital, rural health and specialty clinics, and two senior living communities. With COVID-19 on the rise, many families will unfortunately have to spend holidays apart. MCHS staff have recognized a greater need to foster connection between residents and their community and in recent weeks, put out a call to action to family members, donors, and local organizations to bring holiday cheer to seniors in their care. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, they worked swiftly to install Christmas trees, lights, and other decorations throughout their two communities — Good Shepherd Home and Horizon Assisted Living. Kristin Rhone, the activity director at Horizon Assisted Living, said staff wanted to let residents know the community is thinking of them even though in-person visits are limited. The end result of their effort is a winter wonderland for all to enjoy. MCHS also enlisted the help of children from Johnson Corners Christian Academy to sing Christmas carols for residents.

It is our honor to recognize McKenzie County Healthcare Systems for their empathetic and thoughtful support of seniors as social distancing measures continue this holiday season.

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Humanitri in St. Louis for helping children and people experiencing homelessness achieve their goal of self-sufficiency and stability.

Humanitri has helped more than 6,300 homeless individuals since its establishment in 2006 following the merger of three organizations with more than 130 years of collective history. The organization works with families to establish stability in a supportive community and build the necessary skills to change the trajectory of their lives. Humanitri offers transitional housing services for all people, including the “hidden homeless” — people who do not necessarily live on the streets but rather in domestic violence shelters, the homes of family and friends, or in their cars. As part of the process of helping clients realize self-sufficiency, the organization helps them learn how to manage their finances, their household, and stress once they are placed into a home, and even teaches them how to navigate the job application process.

Humanitri places a significant importance on serving children given the unfortunate reality that the average age of a homeless person in the United States is just nine years old; many of the organization’s clients are parents who are unable to find daycare for their children. The organization’s service to children continues to grow in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As many schools rely on virtual learning for safety reasons, Humanitri is moving forward on its Together Achieving Goals (TAG) children’s program. The program, which is eyeing an early 2021 launch, will enable the organization to equip families with what they need to be successful in these abnormal times.

Thank you to Humanitri for your compassion and dedication to helping people of all ages get the support they need to thrive.

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Homes Society in Muscatine, Iowa, for using their channels to clearly and consistently communicate health and safety measures to their wider community.

Located about 30 minutes outside of Davenport, Lutheran Homes Society is the only Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in the area that offers a full range of services and living options for seniors. When a staff member recently tested positive for COVID-19, the organization took swift action, immediately notifying families and caregivers and putting a halt to in-person visits until further notice. They also established a “family pledge” which relatives can sign to wear a mask in honor of their loved one. After signing, participants receive a window decal to display in view of other members of the Muscatine community that reads “I wear my mask for my loved one at Lutheran Living Senior Campus.” The team also enlisted residents’ help in putting together an awareness campaign for greater Muscatine County. Staff assembled a collection of photos in which residents and front-line workers hold signs asking, “Will you wear a mask for me?” and published it to their Facebook page as a video with a list of guidelines to help prevent the spread of infection.

Lutheran Homes Society has also helped seniors in their care combat isolation and cope with life in quarantine. In addition to coordinating video calls with residents’ family and friends, staff regularly deliver special treats – most recently nachos, vanilla cupcakes, and dark chocolate with almonds. They have even given residents temporary tattoos and organized a “Gone Hunting” day where they could use Nerf guns to fire at staff dressed in deer costumes. Finally, they sought residents’ input to create a “wish list” and made it available for members of the community to send gifts residents can open on Christmas day.

We commend Lutheran Homes Society for helping seniors feel more connected while spearheading broader health education efforts.

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Fellowship Square Foundation for its caring support of residents and proactive efforts to keep them safe from COVID-19.

Fellowship Square maintains four communities across Virginia and Maryland that offer programs and services for low-income older adults to maintain healthy, active lives. Many residents who live in the foundation’s communities hold jobs that offer little to no retirement benefits; some are refugees who have relocated from forced labor camps and many others would otherwise be homeless. What Fellowship Square offers are security, socialization, and the general well-being of its residents.

Fellowship Square’s Lake Anne Fellowship House in Reston, Virginia, has been extremely proactive in its efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. When one of the facility’s vendors was diagnosed with the virus in October, staff quickly identified who had come into contact with that vendor and immediately notified residents within the facility. Residents were asked not to leave their apartments and to avoid contact with other people. The action plan staff developed for such an occasion helps place the foundation one step ahead of the virus; taking precautionary steps like this and following CDC guidelines have limited coronavirus infections within all four Fellowship Square Foundation communities to less than half a dozen residents.

Fellowship Square marked its 60th anniversary this month with a virtual celebration that acknowledged its past while nodding to a bright future. Thank you to Fellowship Square Foundation for the compassion and dedication woven into your service to residents, and “cheers to 60 years!”

Fellowship Square from West Production Services, LLC on Vimeo.

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Lutheran Senior Services, Inc. (dba Concordia Life Plan Community) in Oklahoma City for encouraging residents to pursue their passions during the pandemic.

Concordia Life Plan Community offers a variety of senior living options on its 15-acre campus. The staff encourages an active lifestyle for all residents and recently has given extra support to seniors as they explore various creative outlets while social distancing.

90-year-old resident Beverly Langley has been using her time in quarantine to pursue watercolor painting and has produced more 80 pieces of art this year while sheltering in place. Leadership at Concordia have even provided Beverly with additional watercolors, paintbrushes, and canvas to support her work. Beverly says, “Concordia gave me what I needed to further pursue my interest in art.”

Joan Quatro, 85, has been using a loom-like machine called a “Knifty Knitter,” to knit hats. After teaching other residents how to use the device, she led a collaborative effort to donate the hats for use in care packages for soldiers and to local hospitals for newborn babies. She has also coordinated with nonprofit organizations such as HUGS and the American Heart Association.

Resident Verna Shones devoted herself to gardening and sewing during the pandemic. Her apartment is filled with beautiful houseplants and sewing projects and she says she hopes to share her talents with others when there is no longer a risk of spreading the virus.

Although this year’s events have caused many many seniors to not visit loved ones or participate in group activities like they used to, the residents and staff at Concordia Life Plan Community have inspired us with their emphasis on self-care through art and other hobbies.

By Haley Leis, Intern

Today’s Front Line Hero is Solheim Senior Community for their dedication to keeping their residents’ spirits up during this holiday season!

Solheim Senior Community is a senior living community serving Los Angeles, CA and the surrounding areas. Solheim offers all levels of care for older adults, residential living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing in order to provide long-term comfort and flexibility for their residents.

Due to the Covid pandemic, senior living communities have had to come up with innovative ways to keep their residents engaged. As the holiday season approaches us, Solheim has planned a number of festive events for their residents, such as decorating individual gingerbread houses. In response to the travel restrictions and safety concerns surrounding the pandemic, the Solheim activity staff have planned to give their residents “the gift of time with their loved ones” by adding more video call opportunities to residents over the holidays.

Thank you to Solheim for your dedication to providing your residents with the best holiday experience possible!

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Hero is Tillie Dybing of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Tillie is a resident of the senior living community Ecumen Detroit Lakes and has survived COVID-19 at the age of 107.

This is the second global pandemic Tillie has experienced in her lifetime. She was nearly five years old when the 1918 flu pandemic spread to her childhood home in North Dakota and vividly remembers playing by her parents’ bedside while they recovered from the illness. Tillie also survived a battle with uterine cancer at the age of 95 and has endured many other hardships throughout her life, including the loss of several siblings in their infancy, three major floods in Minot, North Dakota, and the loss of her beloved husband.

Thankfully, Tillie has fully recovered from the coronavirus and aside from feeling fatigued, she did not experience a fever or severe symptoms. Staff of Ecumen Detroit Lakes enthusiastically welcomed her back to her apartment after a few weeks in quarantine. “We continue to be so grateful to see that smile and hear her infectious laugh each day,” they posted on Facebook, adding, “She is such a blessing to our community!”

The Ecumen Detroit Lakes is one of 35 communities operated by Ecumen, a provider of compassionate care for seniors throughout the Midwest and Tennessee. Tillie is certainly a living example of resilience and we are thankful to Ecumen Detroit Lakes for celebrating her each day.

By Christopher Findlay, Senior Marketing Manager

Today’s Front Line Hero is Orchard Ridge Senior Living in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho!

For nearly a century, Orchard Ridge has provided comprehensive services for older adults in a Christian-based environment. The organization incorporates residents’ families in its care plans. Orchard Ridge views development and growth as a process that everyone—no matter their circumstances—are capable of achieving to ensure a more enriched life.

Orchard Ridge has made a concerted effort to keep its residents active and connected to loved ones during the pandemic. In the Assisted Living area, residents participate in physical activities such as group exercise, brain fitness, and cycling—all socially distanced, of course. The facility’s Memory Care area is also filled with games, music, crafts, and more exercise. On Sundays, Orchard Ridge connects residents to online church services with local churches, and even has an employee who is capable of offering communion through the Church to Catholic residents. While the mental and emotional weight of the pandemic cannot be completely lifted, Orchard Ridge is doing its best to keep residents connected with family through phone calls, video chats, window visits, and in-person visits with masks and plexiglass dividers included.

Thank you to Orchard Ridge for trying to bring some semblance of normality to the lives of your residents during these challenging times.

 By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach 

 Today’s Front Line Hero is Crest View Senior Communities for hosting a virtual gala to directly support seniors during the pandemic.

 Crest View offers housing and supportive care to seniors throughout Blaine and Columbia Heights, Minnesota, and each year holds an event to raise critical funding for programs.   Their gala is virtual this year, and while tickets are free of charge, Crest View will use donations and proceeds from the event to support residents during the pandemic.   Contributions will fund safe visits for residents and their families in addition to activities to combat isolation. President and CEO Shirley Barnes emphasized the event will also   help the greater community show seniors they are not alone.

 The COVID-19 pandemic has presented immense challenges for older adults in senior living, who have spent nearly a year in quarantine separated from family. We commend Crest View for their renewed commitment to enhancing the lives of seniors in 2021 and using their annual gala to drive direct support.

 For those interested in attending, the “It’s a New Year” gala will take place from 7-8pm Central Time this Wednesday, December 30. The program will feature a diverse lineup from the Continental Strings band. Please visit crestviewcares.org/gala to make your reservation.

By Emily Gross, Senior Manager of Program Development and Outreach

Today’s Front Line Heroes are the children of St. John’s Circle of Care for taking time to safely visit and connect with seniors during the pandemic.

 A Minnesota-based nonprofit, the St. John’s Circle of Care offers services on its Senior Living Campus that support all needs a person may have while aging, including home healthcare and skilled nursing. One unique quality of the organization is that it also provides children’s daycare and kindergarten readiness programs. As members of the GrandKids and V.I.K. Club, young kids routinely interact with Senior Living Campus residents through reading, singing, making crafts, and enjoying meals together. The goal of the program is to foster children’s intellectual, spiritual, and emotional growth while building companionship that bridges generations.

 This year, the pandemic has caused the kids at St. John’s Circle of Care to forgo traditional activities and come up with creative ways to safely connect with seniors. Earlier this month, they visited a resident’s window to celebrate her 101^st birthday. They have also had virtual visits with their older friends over video chat and have walked around the Senior Living Campus with signs that read “We Miss You.” For the holidays, children made Christmas cards and traced their hands to make ornaments for residents to hang on a “Thankful Tree.”

 Thank you to all the children in the GrandKids and V.I.K. Club for their compassion and commitment to seniors living at St. John’s Circle of Care!