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Tag: Lifelong Learners

Dimensions of Wellness Fair

Fri, March 6, 2020 Published by

While the categories of wellness overlap and influence one another, some examples of physical wellness will include Mobile Valley Physicians, Oasis Outpatient Therapy, Dispatch Health, our own Fitness Director, Mike Smallwood, Zounds, Premier and Costco Hearing, mobile dentistry and more.

LifeLong Learners Update

Sun, January 6, 2019 Published by

You’ve been asking—when is the new catalog coming out? When do classes start? I hope we’re having a short story class again. What’s Tom Denny teaching this time? Your questions are answered. You have your catalog. The schedule is set, and so are the registration dates—Jan. 14th and 15th. If you have questions, join us today (Jan. 7th) at the back of the Plaza Bistro from 10:00AM to 2:00PM.

A quick look at the schedule shows old favorites such as Poetry, American Art, Arizona History (that’s the Tom Denny offering), Spanish, French, TED Talks, Movies, Word Playing and American Short Story.

To pique your interest, we’re offering these new courses:

Jewish Short Story taught by Rabbi Elana Kanter

Beginning Spanish (often-requested)

Court Compendium, an outgrowth of Our Courts

Death and Dying, discussions to be facilitated by Success Matters interns

Supreme Court Decisions by our resident judge, Bill Schafer

Storytelling—If you attended the Christmas service where Rev. Doug Bland told about nativity figures and children, you met our Storytelling teacher.

In addition, Dosia has organized a three-parter called The Wonder of Birds, and Bill Chase will energize the subject of Construction, by explaining what’s going on all around us. Last, our faithful computer ladies have come up with a new topic—The Useful Internet.

And in between old and new are an expanded Enneagram, an updated Presidential Fiscal Policy, Recorder for both new and continuing students, Income Tax, PowerPoint, Word, and the popular Saturday phone/tablet courses.

We hope you’ll find something intriguing among the offerings – no grades, no credits, no tests! See you in class.*

June Town Hall Recap

Thu, July 5, 2018 Published by

David Ragan, Sr. Vice-President of Resident Services, called the meeting to order at 2:15PM, welcoming the residents in attendance and congratulating two residents who were at Town Hall for the first time. David said that he had always had a fascination for Dick Van Dyke and he showed a video of Dick, at age 90, enjoying a dance routine. The active, spry Dick Van Dyke is an inspiration to us all.

Barbara Carpenter, Residents Council President, reported on the May Council Meeting. David Ragan urged residents to stay hydrated during the summer; asked that problems or issues in a building be reported to the building representatives; noted that 17 patio homes are under contract; and asked residents to be respectful of our staff people. Community Relations Chairman, Gene Lefebvre, reported that 5 students from Washington High School were awarded $500 scholarships thanks to the great support of residents. Marc Adelman, Chairman of the Communications Committee, said his committee continues to evaluate a better hearing system and will be discussing mailbox options for the independent living buildings. Health and Wellness Chairperson, Ruth Crowley, said that the second spring seminar was well attended and important issues were addressed. Life Enrichment Interim Chairperson, Sherwin Block, urged residents to check the Community Channel and the Roadrunner for the many activities coming up this month, and he outlined a plan for expanded transportation services for residents through the transportation subcommittee. Paul Kelley, Spiritual Life Chairman, presented heartfelt thanks from our resident theologians, Michael Down and Connie Barlow, for a wonderful month with us. Welcome Committee Chair, Char Telleen, explained how her volunteers make new residents welcome by partnering for lunch, tours and information, and she encouraged residents to attend the monthly Welcome Coffee. Senior Area Representatives, Lois Pfau of Plaza North, Robert Berry of Central Park West, and Martha Trout of Central Park North/Patio Homes, reported on their current building activities. Residents asked about logos for our buses which are coming, and were advised that the Life Center is available for walking from 6:00 to 8:00AM daily. Dogs on leashes are permitted. Please see Barbara Carpenter or any of the committee chairs for more information or join a committee and make a difference in the Beatitudes community. The next Residents Council Meeting will be on Wednesday, August 8th, at 2:00PM in the Life Center.

Rod Bailey, Sr. Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, said that as of today, 20 out of the 34 patio homes have been sold. He noted that the atmosphere of camaraderie here at Beatitudes Campus is important to prospective new residents and sets us apart from some of the other communities. Beatitudes Campus Resident Referral Program is back in business with the opportunity for residents and family members to earn $1,000 for a first referral, $1,250 for a second referral, and $1,500 for a third referral. Call marketing at x18467 about any prospective residents and be sure to fill out a referral form.

Josephine Levy, Resource Navigator for Success Matters, talked about the seminars being held every Tuesday through July 3rd, at 2:00PM in AGR. The seminars cover Policies and Resources, Levels of Care, and a Q and A panel of Assisted Living and Health Care team members to address questions that may not have been answered in previous sessions. Josephine advised that residents should not be concerned about the need for a new AZ Travel ID Card as these cards will not be required until October 1st of 2020, 28 months away. Residents and family members who would like to receive the Success Matters email Newsletter each month should call Josephine at x16117 or email her at [email protected].

Joe Kane, Dining Services Director, said that Executive Chef, Brian Rocco has left the campus and we welcome back as our new Executive Chef, Cosmin Barbu. Chef Barbu worked here for 15 years, left to become a Sous Chef and now returns as our Executive Chef. He will be introduced to residents at the August Town Hall meeting. Joe reported that more feedback is being received from the Kiosks. They are mostly self-explanatory, but instructions on their use are available on the in-house video. Residents were urged to type in comments on the feedback to help dining staff understand why a thumbs down was given. Kitchen tours are still being given every Saturday at 2:00PM through October. Sign up for a tour in the Bistro and have a good look behind the scenes.

David reported that after careful research of all the providers, DirecTV has been chosen, and the transition will be coming in August. Beatitudes Campus will provide DirecTV’s top tier service level, including all of the movie channels like HBO, STARZ, TMC, and SHOWTIME. We will provide for two hookups per apartment and the DirecTV boxes. This will all be included with your monthly service fee at no additional cost to you. DVR’s will also be available for those who want them for approximately $10 per month. It should result in a significant monthly savings if you are currently using more services from our current provider.

Speaking for the Life Enrichment Committee, Sherwin Block, said the Life Enrichment Committee meets for an hour each month to plan events. Let Didi or Monica know if you would be interested in working with this committee.

David reminded residents of the opportunities for service available through the Beatitudes CAREcorps. Volunteers can walk dogs, feed pets, change cat litter, hand out flyers, host events, help neighbors, etc. There are many opportunities for service that encourage inclusivity and inspire purposeful aging. Call Didi or Monica to join CAREcorp and start volunteering. David also reminded residents of the opportunity to be VIP Guides or to be a guided person. Volunteers can take residents to and from campus activities, giving their regular caretakers a needed break to run errands or just take a nap. To sign up, call Monica at x18526 or stop by the office to fill out a form.

Tena Alonzo, Director of Comfort Matters, introduced Evelyn Sowell, LeadingAge Arizona Volunteer of the Year. Evelyn has contributed more than 6,000 hours of service to the Comfort Matters Dementia Care Education program and has served as a mentor to the Comfort Matters team. Tena said that Evelyn has helped to create wonderful curriculum that is used across the nation and throughout the world. She has spent much of her career guiding teachers on the best ways to teach others. Evelyn told residents that the Comfort Matters staff was easy to work with and her advice for everyone is to find something to love and do it. David noted that the campus would not be where it is today without volunteers.

Bob Telleen, LifeLong Learning Committee member, said that there would be a LifeLong Learners Film Festival on August 23rd and 24th in the Life Center. Movies will show at 9:30AM and 1:00PM. Cost of the movies is free, but residents will soon be able to purchase buffet lunch tickets for each day if they wish to. More publicity will be coming soon.

Mike Smallwood, Fitness Specialist, reported that the LeadingAge Arizona Fitness Challenge for Seniors would be Wednesday, November 7th this year. Mike hopes to add the corn hole toss and darts to the list of challenges which include basketball bounce, competitive walking, obstacle course, and Wii bowling. More specific details will be available at future Town Hall meetings. The Tai Chi Class meets with Jack Mathews every Wednesday at 4:00PM in the Recreation Room. The Life Center is open from 6:00 to 8:00AM daily through October for morning walks. The B-Fit winner for June is Nils Larson. Residents were treated to an inspiring video of Ida Keeling, a 102-year-old runner who defies age to set world records. She is the 2018 Fitness Award recipient. Her advice is for everyone to be active and get up and do something!

Keep watching the Community Channel 1960. All the latest information is posted there, so be in-the-know!! Also, our free WiFi is now accessible by using the password—“bcsummer” and will change on the first day of each new season to the season itself—bcfall, bcwinter and bcspring.

David thanked Gregory’s Market for bringing nutritious produce for residents and staff to purchase. We are grateful to them for their service.

There will be no Town Hall in July. We will take a little breather and come back rejuvenated on August 1st.

Film Festival Fun!

Mon, August 21, 2017 Published by

Do we need diversion during the dog days of August? Do we want to see some of our favorite stars minus aliens, rock music, guns and mayhem?

If your answer is YES, come to a film festival this Thursday and Friday. The theme is “A Hollywood Tribute to Aging With Spirit.” LifeLong Learners committee members chose four movies and established a lunch plan too. Here’s how it will work.

The movies are free. On Thursday and on Friday, at the Life Center, there’s a movie at 9:30AM and a movie at 1:00PM. Each day, Dining Services will provide an optional buffet lunch so you won’t have to go out into the heat between movies. Purchase tickets for lunch at the Bistro with your B-card for $6.50 each. Movie trivia quizzes will decorate the tables. At the end of each movie, we’ll have a drawing for a $25 Harkins gift card. You won’t want to miss that! Check out the schedule here…

  • Thursday at 9:30AM: Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant)—A misguided New York matron sings at Carnegie Hall.
  • Thursday at 1:00PM: Driving Miss Daisy (Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman)—A Southern matron forms an unlikely friendship with her driver.
  • Friday at 9:30AM: Quartet (Maggie Smith + a host of British performers)—Retired British music performers are amusing but complex.
  • Friday at 1:00PM: Grumpy Old Men (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann Margret)—Two retirees bicker over ice fishing and an attractive new neighbor.

 

Our Thursday special guest is Arlyn Brewster, active in Valley music circles for many years and well-known for directing church music and taking groups on tour. She has conducted at Carnegie Hall and knows the New York setting of our first movie. She will introduce it, and afterwards wrap it up with a few comments.

On Friday, our own Jessica Meyer, Director of Success Matters, who knows a lot about the challenges and successes of aging, will follow up the movies so far with comments and feedback from you. Is Hollywood doing it right? Then—the final movie is just for fun!

This week’s guest writer is Carole Vendrick,
Beatitudes Campus Resident and LifeLong Learners Committee Member
Staff Liaison is Jon Schilling

Points of Pride

Mon, June 12, 2017 Published by

Empowered power.

Dosia Carlson & Mim Hoover

Some of the most powerful people I know are living right here at Beatitudes Campus.  I stand back in awe of how, when asked to take responsibility for some aspect of our community’s growth, a vision that once seemed grand soon pales in comparison to what the resident(s) actually create.  A few weeks back, at the Arizona LeadingAge Conference (an organization that unites non-profit communities like ours), there was a powerful exhibition of purpose, power and empowerment – and it was by our very own Beatitudes Center for Lifelong Learners.

Dosia Carlson and Mim Hoover, with the help of Nell Bennett, who was not able to be present, put together a presentation, aptly titled, Success Story.  It wowed the administrators from the other communities who sat in on their workshop.  In the workshop, the participants learned how, when residents in a community like ours, are given a task to create, that the sky becomes the only limit, far surpassing what any one staff person could ever create or do.  The resident-run, Lifelong Learners Team, have created, not only a success story of a program in terms of number of participants and diversity of class options, but have impacted the lives of almost all those who participate and  have been given a sense of purpose in creating excellence.

As I said at the beginning, we have not a resident on Campus who is not gifted with immense power and talent.  The true sign of a successful community is how capable is it in empowering its members to be free to use their gifts toward the betterment of the entire community.  The ultimate job of administration in a community like ours is to facilitate the freedom to excel, and clear the path for creativity and ingenuity for any resident ready to take our community even further toward our goal.

I can testify for our administration that few things are    more gratifying than seeing our residents work together with us to accomplish great  things, making our community innovative and on the cutting edge of our field.  More and more of you are taking leadership roles and bringing great transformation to us with visions and ideas that we as staff would never come up with.  To just name a few –  the Environment Committee, the Garden Club, the Recycling Program, our English Language Assistance program, the resident’s Life Enrichment Team who plan our outings and activities and that is just the beginning.

You are leaders and models for senior communities, and I thank you for being a point of pride (and also for letting us boast a bit to our competitors) when it comes to residents with power and purpose lived out.

Community Town Hall Recap – May 2017

Tue, May 16, 2017 Published by

Below is a summary of information and news discussed at the May Town Hall meeting.

Who’s Ready for May?

Mon, May 1, 2017 Published by

Do you have your tickets for the Cinco de Mayo theme dinner? If not, you’ll want to head to the Bistro to purchase your ticket and check out the menu right away.  Ticket purchase cut off will be Wednesday, May 3rd so hurry!

If you haven’t signed up for the Arizona Diamondbacks game against the White Sox, you will want to call and sign up now.  Cut off to sign up for this game is Monday, May 8th.  The game will take place on Wednesday, May 24th at Chase Field.  You will enjoy great seats, amazing food vendors and a great time with your fellow neighbors. To sign up, call x18473.

Ever wonder what it’s like to take a trip on the Light Rail?  If so, now is your chance to sign up. We will be heading to City Scape for lunch located in Downtown Phoenix.  You will have the chance to walk the area and explore before heading back to campus. Boarding passes are available at the Welcome Center for $2.  There will be a limit of 14 residents to come on this outing.

Lifelong Learners will be hosting their Open House on Monday, May 8th from 1-2PM in the Life Center and registration to follow on Monday, May 15th from 9AM-1PM in the Life Center.  Use this time to attend the Open House and learn about the upcoming classes that will be offered during the Summer Semester.  Instructors or a Lifelong Learners committee member will be available to answer any questions you may have regarding a specific class.  Again, the Open House is not where you will register. Registration will be the following Monday on the 15th. This is where you will want to bring your registration form and form off payment filled out and ready.  You’ll want to show up early to avoid missing the cut off for any classes you are interested in taking.

If you missed out on the monthly birthday party in April, you surely missed a good one!  Elvis was out to entertain and showed us a great time with his famous rhythm sticks.   If you haven’t noticed, our monthly birthday parties have moved into the Agelink Great Hall for more room.  Our next birthday party will be on Monday, May 22nd at 3PM with Bill Joswick.  If you have never seen Bill in action, you will want to make sure you attend.  Everyone is welcome to celebrate the birthday parties with us.  The more, the merrier they say!

Keep on the lookout for all the May events on and off campus.  Events can be found on the monthly synopsis sheets, in the Roadrunner or on the large May calendar.  We look forward to seeing you at the many upcoming events.

Meeting Your Needs, Whatever They May Be

Mon, February 6, 2017 Published by

As you know, living at Beatitudes Campus has many benefits. Did you know that one of the most important is that you have a full continuum of care services available to you should you ever need them? We would like you to be aware of what is available to you prior to you possibly needing the services.

Recently, while taking part in The Design Studio, I was asked if I could explain what is needed or how we determine what level of care or services someone needs. That was the perfect time for me to give a shameless plug for a presentation which will be given on Tuesday, February 14th. I shared that myself and the Directors of these areas on campus will discuss this information and much more and encouraged everyone to attend. I am sure there’s many of you with questions like—how many of you are wondering what services are provided on each floor of the Health Care Center? What is the difference between Independent Living and Assisted Living? What services are offered on campus that may help support you in staying in your apartment longer? Also, have you been curious as to what Medicare services are available on campus? How about the cost of services? You will find out these answers plus a whole lot more if you join us for this informative presentation in the Agelink Great Room on Tuesday, February 14th at 3PM.

During this 90 minute presentation—graciously sponsored by The Health and Wellness Committee and Lifelong Learners—you will hear from not only me, but also Teresa Borton,  Health Care Center Director of Nursing; Elizabeth Kerr, Administrator/Clinical Director of Beatitudes Home Health and Beatitudes at Home; and Ron Ingram, Director of Assisted Living and Early Memory Support.

Please don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn about what care services the campus offers in what is sure to be a fun and interactive way. Hope to see you on the 14th at 3PM.