Prior to the Town Hall Meeting, a Celebration of Life was held to honor the memory of Rev. Dr. Culver “Bill” H. Nelson, D.D., LHD, the beloved founder of Beatitudes Campus. Michelle Just, President and CEO, Dosia Carlson and Leroy Calbom spoke of the outstanding leadership, vision and community service that exemplified Dr. Nelson’s life. The Life Center was filled with grateful residents honoring Dr. Nelson with their presence.
David Ragan, Sr. VP of Resident Services, welcomed residents and especially some residents who were attending a Town Hall for the first time. He noted that years ago, when he attended national meetings, Beatitudes Campus was the standard in residential care and Dr. Nelson’s leadership was legendary.
Michelle Just was delighted with Mayor Kate Gallego’s Proclamation stating that May, 2019 is Older Americans Month. The Proclamation explained that President Kennedy recognized seniors 60 years and older in 1963. Beatitudes Campus began in 1965 and was one of the first Senior Independent Living and Health Care Residences in the nation. Beatitudes Campus has served 17,000 older adults since its beginning. The watchwords for Older Americans Month are connect, create and contribute.
During the April 10th meeting, six of the eleven standing committees and three of the six building Senior Representatives reported. Of significant interest: Community Relations reported that the Campus is providing volunteers to Maryland School and five scholarships to Washington High School students; Health and Wellness conducted a seminar “Money Matters” in March, will be doing a workshop in April entitled “Ready, Set and Go”, and have planned a five part program “Behind the Curtain” in July and August; preparations are being made for the Earth Day “Protect” march and program, April 26th.
David Ragan announced that the new battery operated leaf blowers have been ordered and will soon be seen around campus. The gas powered blowers will still be used around the edges of the campus, but responding to the wishes of residents, battery operated blowers will be used in the other areas of the campus and are a worthwhile investment.
David introduced Zack Coronado from the Mobile Valley Physicians group which will be offering an on-site clinic here on Campus, beginning July 1st. Zack explained that the group was established three years ago in the East Valley. Through strategic growth, they now have over 1000 patients and are happy to have the opportunity to show residents the quality of services they provide. For the next 60 days, we will see Zack and his associates around campus explaining the process for registering for the clinic and how it will work. The group has contracts with over 60 insurance companies and can OK your insurance when you provide them with your insurance card. Whether you currently have a physician you are happy with or not, it is advisable to sign up for the Mobile Valley Physicians clinic so that you can use it if you are ill and cannot get an immediate appointment with your own doctor. Mary Rihani, a family nurse practitioner who is board certified in Adult-Gerontology, will be the attending physician in the clinic here on Campus. If you wish, Mary will visit you in your apartment to provide medical services. The Clinic will be located in the Plaza South building where Dr. Mawyer practiced. New patient registration forms for Mobile Valley Physicians can be picked up at the Welcome Center desk.
Gabi Holberg, Assistant Director of I.L., introduced Louis Molina from Unique Lab Services who will be offering blood lab services here on campus. Louis said that his group has contracts with Labcorp and Sonora Quest and is able to take all insurances. The lab will be open from 8:30—9:30AM on Wednesday mornings in the Recreation Center. Bring your lab orders and insurance card to the Clinic. Louis is willing to go to a resident’s apartment after 9:30AM to collect blood if a resident does not want to have it collected in the Recreation Center. Call 480-765-2677 for an in-home visit or for more information. As David quipped—“if you want a nice guy to stick it to you, Louis is the guy.”
Jessica Myer, Director of Success Matters, noted that May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. A handout on tips and tricks for improving your communication with hearing loss is available from the Success Matters office. Jessica said that Mark Pelkey is starting a Hearing Loss and Resource Group. If you are interested in joining this group, contact Mark at x15586. Josephine Levy, Resource Navigator for Success Matters, talked about the Tip of the Month: Living Will vs. Last Will and Testament. She explained that a Living Will is a health care document outlining your wishes for end of life care. A Last Will and Testament is a document that specifies what you want done with your assets (property). Residents should work with an attorney on this document and Josephine can assist you in finding an attorney.
Director of Life Enrichment, Jon Schilling, announced that Adi Muñoz will be the new CAREcorps Volunteer Coordinator and will be transitioning from the Welcome Center to her new position. Didi Cruz, Life Enrichment Specialist, provided residents with a list of the upcoming off campus events. They include a morning outing at the Desert Botanical Garden on Tuesday, May 14th at 9:00AM for a free self-guided tour; tour of the Prisma Printing Company on Friday, May 17th at 9:30AM. Call x12905 to reserve your seat on the bus for these tours and for the lunch outings on Friday, May 24th to IronWorks Restaurant. Didi also announced that the Gaming Connection Debut will take place on Wednesday morning, May 22nd at 10:00AM in the Life Center. For those who play games, this is your opportunity to understand how you will be able to connect with other residents who are playing the games you like to play. Don’t miss out on this awesome new amenity.
Fitness Specialist, Mike Smallwood, discussed a Silver Sneakers article on Sadness vs. Depression. When you are sad, you can usually trace the cause to something going on in your life or maybe a negative memory from the past. With depression, the negative feeling sticks around for a while, most of the day, every day, for weeks at a time. Five ways to start feeling better include, get moving through exercise, meditating, spending time outside in nature, fostering close relationships with friends and family and making daily lists of what you are grateful for. If you experience negative feelings for more than two to four weeks, it is time to talk to your doctor. Mike noted that the “Strictly Strength” class is meeting in the Fitness Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00AM. Morning and Midday Motions with Mike take place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:30AM, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1PM in Plaza View on the 3rd floor. The Tai Chi Class with Carol-Ann is at 11:00AM on Tuesdays and 11:45AM on Thursdays in the Recreation Center. The Basketball Bounce Game meets every Monday from 1:30 to 2:30PM in Agelink 2. The lucky B-Fit winner for May is Farrell Kenimer.
David reminded residents that anyone utilizing Beatitudes Guest WiFi must use the new password which can be obtained from the Welcome Center. The new password is part of the WiFi hard-wired into resident apartments and does not require residents to make changes to their apartment WiFi. David also reminded residents that the Community Channel has been changed to 1-1. It is still the default when you turn on the TV. Residents may listen to upcoming events that are listed in the Roadrunner by dialing 19756 at any time.
Remember the Hootenanny occurs every Wednesday evening at 5:45PM in the Life Center. It’s free and a great place to bring your friends and enjoy the music. Also, Sundaes with Dave will be on May 15th from 2 to 4PM in the Plaza Bistro. Come enjoy a free yogurt Sundae and chat with David if you have thoughts to share. Again, many thanks to Gregory’s Fresh Market for their service to the Beatitudes and hundreds of people throughout the Valley. Best wishes for a happy and patriotic Memorial Day to all our residents.
The next Town Hall will be on June 5th at 2:00PM in the Life Center. Come and find out what is happening on our vibrant Campus!