Beatitudes Community

October Town Hall Recap

Rev. David W. Ragan, Senior VP of Services, called the meeting to order at 2:15PM welcoming residents and thanking Gregorys' Fresh Market for their service and generosity in providing bags of produce for many of the attendees. Three residents were at a Town Hall for the first time, and David encouraged residents to reach out to new neighbors and encourage them to attend these meetings and find out all that is happening on campus. David also noted that the Welcome Coffee for new residents is held at 2:00PM in the Life Center on the fourth Friday of every month, October 24th this month. All are invited to attend and meet the new residents and learn where they are from, what special interests they have, and what led them to our campus. A slide show of clever pumpkins and Halloween jokes reminded us that the holiday will soon be upon us.

Barbara Carpenter, Residents Council President, provided a report of the September Council Meeting. Director of Life Enrichment, Jon Schilling, promoted the upcoming Active Aging Week activities and also noted that Recreation and Transportation offices have been moved to the former Marketing offices in the Plaza South building. Joe Kane, Dining Services Director, spoke on the new Bistro menus and encouraged residents to communicate dining through the comment cards and kiosks. Bylaws and Elections Chairman, Herb Komnick, distributed final guidelines for the elections for Building Representatives and promoted attendance at an informational session for current Representatives. Dining Services Chair, Pat Dellasanti, shared many positive and a few negative comments that the committee received. All responses are taken seriously. She advised that the Halloween dinner and party will be on October 31st. Bette Henriques, Chair, urged residents to participate in the 50/50 raffles and to remember that personal contributions to the Fund are greatly appreciated by the . October 31st is the final day to contribute to the 2018 Fund. Environment Chairman, Gerald Roseberry, reported that refrigerator magnets reminding us to use water wisely have been distributed and the committee continues to work to provide a more sustainable future for the campus. Roger Benson, Facilities Committee Chair, cited the new flooring in the Central Park buildings and noted that remodels will be underway in the Life Center and Care Center public bathrooms. There is new signage for the exterior trash and recycling rooms in the Central Park buildings and the new sign for the entrance is up and looking good. Fire safety is a continuing discussion item. Committees giving reports in October include Communications, Community Relations, Health and Wellness, Life Enrichment, Spiritual Life and the Welcome Committee. Senior Area Representatives, Nils Larson of Plaza View, Kathleen Hall of Plaza South and Hollister Newlin of Central Park South each reported about the good things happening in their buildings. Resident, Norma Buckwald, spoke about “Stitches of Love”, a dedicated group of both campus and outside volunteers who made new clothing, etc., for over 4,000 underprivileged children this year. Mim Hoover, Lifelong Learner's Chairman thanked the council for their support of the HUB proposal and noted over 100 residents have already registered for fall classes. The next Residents Council Meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 10th at 2:00PM in the Life Center.

David Ragan called attention to the beautiful new Beatitudes Campus sign in front of the. A generous gift provided for this important addition to the Campus.

Success Matters Director, Jessica Meyer, introduced Courtney Ramos to residents. She is an occupational therapy student at A.T. Still University and will be interning with us for the next three months. Courtney said that she especially enjoys working with seniors and she is excited to be here on campus. Jessica also called attention to several Driver Safety Awareness events. First, Safety Checkups on Tuesday, October 16th or Thursday, October 18th from 1 to 2PM is offered in Agelink Great Hall. Occupation therapy students from NAU help with the workshop which helps to ensure that your driving skills are as good as you would like them to be. Also, Down the Road: Driving Decisions and Alternate Transportation Alternatives on Tuesday, October 23rd at 1PM in Agelink Great Hall. Also, the AARP Safer Driving Course is being offered on Thursday, November 8th from 9AM to 1:30PM in the Agelink Great Hall. The charge for this course is $15 if you are an AARP Member and $20 if you are not a member. Lunch is included. Finally, offered on Friday, November 16th is Carfit at Helen Drake Senior Center (27th Ave and Orangewood) from 9 to 11AM (drop in). At this event, you and your car are looked at to ensure that the mirrors are in the right position for you, the seat as well, etc. To register for the workshops in Agelink Great Hall and for additional details about any of these events, call Jessica Meyer at x16110.

Ruth Crowley, Chairman of the Health and Wellness Committee, discussed an upcoming workshop, “Listen to Your Heart: How to Make the Most of Your Blood Pressure Monitoring”. The workshop is Friday, October 12th at 2PM in Agelink Great Hall. Participants will have an opportunity to win a blood pressure gauge, learn about the latest blood pressure recommendations for older adults, and practice measuring your blood pressure for the most accurate results. There will be a presentation first and then small groups will practice. Jessica Meyer was able to obtain 3 blood pressure cuff monitors which will be used and then raffled off. Jessica is able to order these cuffs for residents at a good price.

Josephine Levy, Success Matters Resource Navigator, reminded residents that Medicare Open Enrollment is October 15th through December 7th. Ellen Dean, of Dean and Associates, will be on Campus to answer your Medicare questions on Mondays and Fridays, October 15th through November 30th. If you would like to meet with her to review your present plans and make sure they are the best ones for you, call (602) 266-9200 for an .

Beatitudes Director of Dining Services, Joe Kane, discussed the changes in the Bistro menu. Many items stay permanently on the menu and many more change weekly, such as the of chili, the panini sandwich, the specialty sandwich and quesadilla, and specialty entree selection. The new Creative Station will serve everything from subs to Asian bowls to pizza to wings and much more. The menu is printed in the Roadrunner weekly. Joe asked that residents keep communicating through the comment cards and the kiosks. Tell Dining Services what you want and they will put on the menu. Variety is the name of the game!! Town Hall attendees gave Joe a hand in appreciation for the new menus.

Life Enrichment Specialist, Monica De La Rosa, thanked residents for their spirited participation in Active Aging Week. A gift card and fish bowl was won by Earl Geller, a new resident. A thank you was extended to all of the many staff members who worked very hard to make the week a success. Monica announced a lunch outing on Friday, October 12, at 10:45AM to Joe's Diner and another outing on Tuesday, October 16th at 10:45AM to Zookz. There will be a trip to Harkins Theatres and lunch at CC's Pizza on Tuesday, October 23 at 10:00AM. Movies will be determined Thursday, October 18th and will be posted in the Recreation Room. For any of these trips, please call transportation at #12905 to reserve your seat on the bus. Check the Roadrunner for details about Veterans Week, Monday, November 5th through Sunday, November 11th.

Bill McGrue, Campus resident, informed attendees about the Singles group which is in the process of forming. The second round of the Let's Get Acquainted Program will be a “Singles Mingle” on Monday, October 22nd at 6PM in Elaine's Fine Dining. Refreshments will be provided and we hope to see you there. The concept is new, so you are invited to provide your feedback. Come have some fun at the first “Mingle”.

Mike Smallwood, Fitness Specialist, provided a Brainsavers Update. Class A on Tuesday and Friday at 11AM in the Recreation Room will be covering Leisure Activities and Socialization, Sleep Research, the History of Exercise, and Energy in Energy out. Class B which meets on Mondays and Wedsnesdays at 10AM in the Recreation Room will be covering Aquatic Fitness, Nutritional Supplements, and Connecting with the Past, Present and Future. Walk-ins are welcome. No signup or registration necessary. Beatitudes Campus has become a SilverSneakers location. “Fitness Foundations” and “Functional Fitness” classes will now be titled “Strength and Balance”, the SilverSneakers name for this type of exercise. In conjunction with SilverSneakers, we will now have an additional class “Walking Outdoors” which will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 to 8:15AM beginning in the Recreation Room. Beatitudes residents will be able to attend all fitness classes as normal regardless whether they decide to become a SilverSneakers member or not. SilverSneakers will pay Beatitudes Campus $2.50 each time a SilverSneakers member participates in our class. Why??? Research has proven that insurance companies save millions of dollars in health care costs if they were to pay for older adults to participate in Fitness classes. Sign up at SilverSneakers.com or call Mike at x18482 and he will help you sign up. David noted that membership in SilverSneakers allows residents access to any SilverSneakers location. There are over 14,000 such places. It costs nothing to join as Medicare pays the costs. Mike also told residents that Mary Colosimo will be instructing the Water Aerobics class on Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:30AM. The Tai Chi class with Carol Ann meets at 11AM on Tuesdays and 11:45am on Thursdays in Agelink Classroom #1. The B-Fit winner for October is Lidia Runge.

David Ragan advised that the Arizona Republic newspaper is now available for sale at the Plaza Bistro for $2. Five copies have been ordered on a trial basis. Residents can become informed about the upcoming Arizona ballot measures on the November 6th ballot from the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan group dedicated to voter education. The event will be held on October 16th at 10AM in the Life Center. Don't forget the Power of the Purse on November 4th from 2 – 5PM in the Plaza Bistro and on the Central Park Mall (CM). Resident tickets are $45. Please call Barbara Wood in the Foundation Office if you want to purchase a ticket (#16136). On Thursday, October 25th at 7PM in the Life Center, PFLAG and Beatitudes Campus invite you to a special screening of the movie, Real Boy. It is a documentary about a son's transition and a mother's transformation. David said that the video is a story of a genuine struggle, and is powerful and educational. Viewers will come away with a greater sensitivity to the subject. David also said that we have staff people on Campus who are exactly what this documentary is about.

Don't forget the Hootenanny every Wednesday at 5:45PM. Bring your friends and enjoy the free entertainment. will be on Wednesday, October 17th from 2 to 4PM in the Bistro. Get a free yogurt sundae and share your thoughts or just enjoy the sundae!

The next Town Hall will be November 7th at 2:00PM in the Life Center. Come and stay up-to-date on what is going on right here at Beatitudes Campus!

Author Info: Beatitudes Campus Verified Administrator
At the foundation of Beatitudes Campus is the vision of Church of the Beatitudes pastors and congregation members to create a better alternative for older adults than the nursing homes of the early 1960s. The type of community they imagined was the first of its kind in Arizona. Beatitudes Campus is proud to continue the legacy of our founders, by being a leader in the field of aging services for over 50 years.

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