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New Beginnings

Fri, February 4, 2022 Published by

We are now well into 2022 and settling into what we are certainly anticipating will be a better year than 2021! For many, the start of a new year is a time to look forward, consider the possibilities that lie ahead, and make a resolution about things you would like to change. Sometimes these New Year’s resolutions are small tweaks you’d like to make to improve some aspect of your life. Other times, they are monumental shifts that you want or need to implement. There are a few key areas that might be worth adding to your list.

Share your time, talents, and treasure

We all have unique ways we can contribute to the betterment of the world around us, and the new year is the perfect time to start. Plus, several studies have found both physical and mental health benefits for seniors who volunteer with causes they care about.

There are near-countless ways to give of yourself to worthy groups and many of them are available through CareCorps here on campus. As we begin to restart many of our community outreach programs, tutoring at our local elementary and high schools, animal shelters, food pantries, blood drives, and community centers — just to name a few — are always looking for committed volunteers.

Not sure where you’d like to offer your time, talents, and treasure? Didi Cruz, CareCorps Volunteer Coordinator (x18526) is a great resource start your search.

Try something new

Want to learn to play the guitar? Take dance lessons? Start watercolor painting? Go hang gliding? Learn Italian? This is your year to resolve to try something new! And many of those opportunities are available through our LifeLong Learning program.

Focus on wellness

No matter your age, this is a perennial favorite when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. But the truth is: it’s always a good time to refocus on healthier lifestyle choices.

Maybe you could stand to lose a few pounds, exercise more often, or eat more healthfully. Perhaps you’ve been putting off that trip to the doctor or a preventative healthcare screening. Or it could be that you need to work on lowering your stress level or confronting your anxiety. Whatever wellness area you’ve been neglecting, commit to making a healthy improvement in 2022. It could improve your quality of life or even lengthen your life!

When was the last time you reviewed your personal legal documents including your power of attorney/healthcare proxy, advance directives, and will? For some, it may have been decades since these important documents were created, and a lot may have changed in that time.

Advance directives, sometimes called a living will, are documents that can help guide healthcare decisions made by doctors and loved ones should you no longer be able to voice your wishes for yourself.

If you need to change or update anything on your advance directives, it is best to complete a whole new document and give an updated version to your healthcare providers, attorney-in-fact (from your power of attorney), and other loved ones.

A will allows you to pass along your assets (tangible or monetary) to specific people or organizations after your death. Depending on your particular situation, wills can be very simple or very complex, but regardless, it is wise to review your will periodically to ensure it still reflects your wishes. Always work with an attorney should changes need to be made to a will.

Speaking of monumental shifts, this will also be a year of significant change for me. After six of the best and most meaningful years of my life serving the senior living community at Beatitudes Campus, as well as much prayer and deliberation, I am honored to have accepted the CEO position of another organization. Although I will be physically leaving next month my regard and admiration for this tremendous campus of residents and staff will never leave me. I hold the time spent here and the mission, vision and values that I have been able to enjoy, help refine and live as very dear. I am so happy to see all the progress that has been made and look forward to the completion of the redevelopment program.

I thank the board of directors, Michelle Just, President & CEO and all my colleagues for the opportunity to work with them as well as my cherished teams in Marketing, Sales, Outreach and Assisted Living. And my sincere thanks for all the many kindnesses that you have extended to me and for the many lifelong friendships that I will always treasure!

Pilgrimage Socks

Sun, October 3, 2021 Published by

What do you think of when you read the word ‘pilgrimage’? Websters Dictionary offers us two definitions; ‘a pilgrimage being a journey undertaken by a person to a shrine or a sacred place’, and also and perhaps more interestingly, ‘the course of life on earth’. Whether we think of pilgrimage being to a particular place, or within the wider sense of life itself being a constant journey towards finding enlightenment and joy, it remains clear that by necessity pilgrimage (even a metaphorical one) includes change, and importantly, a change within the person undertaking the journey.

Some time ago, while listening to a Rabbi speak about Jewish values relating to aging, I heard this quote; “I have reached an age when, if someone tells me to wear socks, I don’t have to”. Perhaps some of you can connect with that sentiment, and if you can then you are among illustrious company because that quote comes from Albert Einstein. I’m not sure how often Einstein wore socks, but there is something wonderful and refreshing about anyone who in growing older has also grown bolder.

The pilgrimage of aging is a journey, a journey to allowing us to know ourselves and God in a new light, accompanied by the wisdom of our years. That journey might be difficult, but if we look around us there will be people to help us on our way. If we approach aging as a pilgrimage to greater understanding rather than just the nuisance of ‘getting old’, then we open our hearts to learning, self-appreciation and freedom- even the freedom of not wearing socks if you don’t want to. May we all know that on our pilgrimage of life we do not journey alone. We all as fellow pilgrims journey with God as our guide. Perhaps this is best put by Sidney Carter in his hymn One More Step Along The World I Go; “You are older than the world can be, you are younger than the life in me, ever old and ever new, keep me traveling along with you: And it’s from the old I travel to the new; keep me traveling along with you.” So let us journey on together.

The Songs We Are Called to Sing

Mon, May 13, 2019 Published by

Later this month, the parliament of Uganda is due to debate, and potentially pass, proposed laws designed to censor some of the country’s most prominent artists. The proposed regulations include vetting new songs, videos and film scripts prior to their release.  Musicians, producers, promoters, filmmakers and all other artists will also have to register with the government and obtain a license that can be revoked for a range of violations. Not surprisingly, the proposals have been condemned as an intrusion into artistic freedom, and interestingly, the proposed legislation has inadvertently sparked a global recognition of the actual influence of what they are seeking to restrict. It is nothing new for the arts to make those in positions of power and control feel uncomfortable, and yet the power of what is sung, and what we ourselves sing, is easily overlooked. It can give a voice to our deepest emotions – and it can help shape our whole approach to life. The Old Testament psalms reflect almost every human condition – anger, grief, despair, illness, desertion, betrayal, and often a deep desire to see justice done. But alongside the lament, we also find praise, thanksgiving and celebration. All life is seen in light of a God whose ways might be beyond our recognizing, but who is to be found even in the darkest of our days.

It was this ability to keep on singing about a liberating God which helped sustain many slave communities in this country during the evil of slavery. Their voices blended in harmony to reach out beyond the drudgery and the misery to a promised land ‘Way over Jordan’. The singing encouraged, motivated, and articulated an important truth which these people had grasped, and were eager to declare with robust passion. What song are we called to sing? Are we singing it, or have we been silenced into submission by those who would prefer not to hear? The Ugandan government might succeed for a while in controlling what’s to be sung. But the song of truth won’t be silenced forever. As Sam Cooke wrote; ‘There have been times that I thought I couldn’t last for long, but now I think I’m able to carry on. It’s been a long, a long time coming but I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will’. May we all find in God the words to our songs, and the strength to keep singing.

 

Home Grown

Sun, March 24, 2019 Published by

We have had some leadership changes within the last few month in the Health Care Center as well as our Assisted Living and we are happy that the changes are familiar faces since we promoted from within.

The first change to take place at the beginning of January is Teresa Borton, RN became the licensed Health Care Administrator of our Health Care Center. Teresa began an Administrator in Training (AIT) program in April of 2018, completed the 6-month program in September, and then passed her State and National exams in November and December. Teresa, prior to her AIT program was our Director of Nursing since April of 2015. Teresa had always expressed an interest in Administration and we are pleased we could assist her.

Prior to joining us at Beatitudes, Teresa was the Director of Nursing at Grandview Care Center. Teresa became an RN, mid-career after spending over 20 years in the dental field. She shared that growing up she always wanted to be a nurse and she made that dream come true. When Teresa is not at work, she is home enjoying time with her husband, Steve. Teresa also is the proud mom to Danielle and Josh and the beloved Grama to Hunter and Dean who she shared are the “lights of her life”! Teresa loves coming to work each day to have the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.

The second change in Health Care Center management is Suzanne McLaughlin taking over as the Director of Nursing. Most recently, Sue was the Director of RAI (Resident Assessment Instrument) which oversees the process for submitting resident assessments to Medicare for payment. This is a very detailed process and Sue even holds a certification to ensure the RAI’s were submitted accurately and timely. Medicare and the Office of the Inspector General have been auditing and tightening down on skilled nursing facilities for unnecessary overpayments from Medicare. Beatitudes has not been found to have any unnecessary overpayments. For a couple years prior to her transfer to the Director of RAI position, Sue was our Assistant Director of Nursing supporting Teresa as the Director of Nursing. Now these two are back together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. There is no relationship in skilled nursing as trusting and strong, or as necessary as the Director of Nursing and the Administrator. Sue and Teresa have worked together for years and balance each other well.

When Sue is not working, she, too, is spending time with her love, Steve. Sue also shares her love with her 4 children, 5 wonderful grandchildren, her crazy puppy, Louie, and her 2 furry felines, Stewart and Oliver. Sue will likely retire within the next couple of years to Minnesota as she has another important job awaiting her there as Gramms. Sue said the Beatitudes has been her favorite place of all to work because “of the kindness, caring, compassion and friendliness that embraces our campus.”

The third and final change for our Health Services management team is that of Zeus Del Rosario becoming the Director of Assisted Living and Memory Support. Zeus was hired as the Nurse Manager in September of 2018. We soon found out that Zeus’ compassion, leadership and relationship building was what we were missing in Assisted Living and Memory Support leadership. Zeus completed his Assisted Living Manager certification training and became licensed by the State of Arizona in February. Zeus has made great strides in his couple of months of day-to-day operations and residents and families have expressed how impressed they are with him and his leadership. Prior to coming to Beatitudes, Zeus worked as an LPN in skilled nursing and long-term care as well as his family has a group home in Gilbert, AZ.

Zeus grew up in a Filipino family-oriented culture which “respects and treasures our elders, which I believe is what influenced my drive to be in geriatric care.” When not at work, Zeus enjoys playing basketball, baseball, soccer, football and working out and he is a big comic book fan, especially Marvel comics.

In closing, I would like to share how proud of Teresa, Sue, and Zeus, I and the Administrative team are. These three have chosen stressful, highly regulated jobs and are on call almost 24/7 and they do it out of love, because they love our residents, our staff and our mission. I would also like to thank the staff, residents and families that support Teresa, Sue and Zeus as they work to fulfil our mission daily. Please know that they are there to assist you, answer questions and provide resources as needed. Please join me in congratulating Teresa, Sue and Zeus in their well-deserved and hard-earned promotions.

The Healing Power of Human Solidarity

Sun, March 24, 2019 Published by

Once again, the world has witnessed another atrocity born out of hatred. The faces of the fifty victims of that murderous shooting, of people gathered together in worship and prayer in Christchurch, New Zealand appear in our newspapers and on our screens, and once again the question is asked; `how did we get here?’ Free societies are an open marketplace of ideas and convictions, however the pluralism and freedoms which we hold dear is indeed fragile. As we have seen in the live-streaming of this latest tragedy, it has become much easier to dole out division and bigotry to an eager and growing audience. Social media sites like Facebook will again come under increased criticism for what they allow to be uploaded and shared, and rightly so. However, our response in the face of such horror needs to be an enduring one, born out of desire to invert the extremism of hate into the radicalism of love. As Professor Mona Siddiqui wrote last week, “Laws can curb the excesses of human behavior, but ultimately it’s our individual moral commitment to human fellowship and friendship which changes relationships and communities.” When we resolve to live out of love rather than submit to hatred, to live as peace-builders rather than turning away from others who are different from ourselves, then we can begin to have the difficult conversations about how we got here and how we can live into the model of humanity attributed to Saint Francis; ‘where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, joy’. To love requires much more of us than to hate, and yet, even in the shadow of these days following this massacre, we are witnessing the healing power of human solidarity. May this solidarity and opposition of hatred continue to grow, and may we all commit ourselves in our own way – by prayer, words and deeds – to its flourishing.

 

God is Still Speaking

Sun, January 20, 2019 Published by

During the past few weeks I have been reading various economic, political, environmental and sporting predictions for the coming year. Happily (and especially if you are a D-Backs fan), people are notoriously poor at predicting the future. Time has shown that we tend to construct predictions from our wishes or fears rather than actual data. Those who are paid to make such forecasts are often way off the mark, such as the banker who famously told Henry Ford that the horse was here to stay, or the British weatherman who famously on the eve of the country’s worst ever recorded storm, announced that “it might be a little windy tomorrow.”

There are dangers in putting too much store in what might happen, however prophecy and prediction are not the same thing. When the prophets – like Jeremiah and Isaiah – pointed to events in the future, they were not predictions of what would happen; but rather descriptions of what could happen if the people didn’t change their ways. Their focus was on making things right in the present, rather than being right about the future. They called out uncomfortable truths – sometimes at great personal risk – about the injustices of society, the people’s indifference to poverty, or the environment – urging people to change now in order to avoid future catastrophe. The Jeremiahs are perhaps long gone, but if we listen carefully we can hear the prophets of our day. They could be journalists, or musicians, or perhaps even children. There are no special qualifications required, and the message, doesn’t have to be conventionally religious. The inspiration of their message if it is for the good, can be seen ultimately to have its origin in the divine, but the action is earthly, urgent and rooted in the now. Some believe that part of the supernatural outworking of creation is that God has placed the future inside the present. Are we ready to discern and listen to those speaking the truth about what is necessary this year in order to win a hopeful future for ourselves and the generation to come? May it be, that our hearts and minds may be open to those voices, and to God speaking through them. *

New Medicare Cards

Sun, January 6, 2019 Published by

Medicare has recently changed their health insurance cards.  If you have traditional Medicare, you will notice that previously your Social Security number was used as your medical identification number as well as your Medicare Number.  As we know, over the past several years there has been nationwide concerns with identity theft and this is one way Medicare is addressing the concerns to minimize the risk of future identity theft.

Most of you should have already received your new Medicare card in the mail.  If you have not, please contact the Social Security Administration to ensure your address is correct.  You may contact them at ssa.gov/myaccount or by calling 800-772-1213.

It is important that when you receive your new card that you destroy your old card and replace with the new one which has a unique combination of letters and numbers and provide a copy to all of your health care providers. Please see the example below.

In addition to replacing your card, we are requesting all residents/responsible parties to provide accounting with a copy of your new card.  You may take it personally to their office in Agelink or it can be sent in with your monthly payment so that the new information can be updated in your Electronic Record here on campus.  Accounting’s office is open from 7:30AM to 4:30PM Monday through Friday.

Having the most up-to-date information will assist with transition so that if you are sent to the hospital we can provide them with the most current and up to date information.  Additionally, it allows a smooth billing of Medicare if you are admitted to the Health Care Center for a short stay or need to utilize Home Health or Outpatient Therapy services on campus.

Please be advised that only health care professionals should be requesting your Medicare card.  The Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) also wants beneficiaries to beware of anyone who contacts you about your replacement Medicare card, as scammers have already targeted recipients with new ploys. CMS officials say they will never ask a beneficiary for personal or private information or for any money as a condition of getting a new Medicare number and card.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at x16111. *

Looking Forward to 2019

Sun, December 30, 2018 Published by

Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were filled with love and joy. I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all of you for making Beatitudes Campus the wonderful, spirit-filled community it is. Your warmth and compassion for each other is inspiring. Your wisdom has taught me so much about living life to its fullest. You have blessed me with the lifelong gift of your friendship. Thank you!

Now that 2019 is upon us, many of us have resolved to change some of our “bad” habits and replace them with “good” habits. How did the tradition of New Year’s resolution even start? Some 4,000 years ago, the Babylonians rang in their new year by making promises to the gods in hopes they would earn good favor in the coming year. They often resolved to return borrowed items and get out of debt. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus. During the Middle Ages, knights would renew their vows to chivalry and uphold the values of knighthood by placing their hand on a live or roasted peacock.

Things have come a long way since then! Modern new year’s resolutions became “a thing” in the 19th century. The first recorded use of the phrase “new year resolution” appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1813.

The tradition of making resolutions at the beginning of the year certainly can put a lot of stress on us – especially if we don’t keep them. Every year, in some way or another, I resolve to be a better person, get healthier, work less, save the world, become smarter, be more philanthropic, become more spiritual, engage more in the world around me – whew – what a tall order! And what a lot of pressure! By the end of the year, I usually haven’t fulfilled all of my resolutions in the way I imagined I would in January. Sometimes life doesn’t quite go the way I planned it to go. But by bending with the winds of change, I adapt to changing circumstances. But even then, that sometimes means I don’t accomplish my New Year’s resolutions. What if I could just lighten up a bit and allow myself to live each moment of every day fully – rather than pressuring myself and forcing change and feeling bad when the change doesn’t happen?

So, this year, my “un-resolution” is to resolve to get out of my own way and trust that the better version of me will come through when it’s ready to do so. I am hoping that taking time off from forcing change through new year’s resolutions will open new doors of discovery for me. And I’m excited! 2019 is going to be the best year yet – a year of incredible growth and evolution!

May the new year add a new beauty and freshness in your hearts.*

Moving Offices

Sun, October 28, 2018 Published by

In a letter written in 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote that “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Franklin popularized that idiom, which has oft been used ever since, but recently I have been aware of another inescapable aspect of life – moving house. Some of us have moved internationally. Perhaps others have been deployed at a moments notice to a place hitherto unknown. Some will have lived in places for many years, others have moved around more frequently. Whatever our individual experiences, we all know something of the experience of packing up, sorting out, moving boxes filled with our treasures; and then doing it all again in reverse. In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes… and moving. All of the moves that I have made have been times of excitement amidst change, and that is certainly true of this latest one, which has been taking place this week.

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that there have been some changes in where you can now find the members of the Spiritual Life Department.

Chaplain Peggy has moved into her new office on the ground floor of Plaza View (Assisted Living), Chaplain Andrew will be moving from his current office (next to the Life Center) into Peggy’s old office (just East of the Boardrooms), and Kimberly (our Spiritual Life Department Administrative Assistant) will be moving into Andrew’s old office. Following the feedback which we have heard from residents, desiring a space for quiet contemplation and prayer, Kimberly’s office will become our new Meditation Space. Our telephone numbers and extensions will be remaining the same. We are all excited about these moves, and particularly about having a more permanent presence among our Assisted Living residents and staff.

We look forward to continuing to serve you in whatever ways we can from our new locations, as well as seeing familiar and new faces at our doors. Come and visit us!*