Highlights - Fall 2003
NEWS ABOUT LUTHERAN HOMES OF MICHIGAN AND RELATED SERVICES
Articles in the above issue of Highlights (click on the article or scroll through to read all the articles):
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Living Without Power - Letter from Dave Gehm
HALLS OF MONROE FILLED WITH SONG
"Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so . . ."
This familiar song rang through the halls at the Lutheran Home - Monroe when more than 30 children and grandchildren of employees joined in song with residents and activity staff during Vacation Bible School in August.
Activity
Director Joanne Rinne, and a devoted staff provided the students
with Bible stories, puppets, crafts, experiments, music, songs,
physical activities and even special guests from the animal world.
Music and songs were taught by Mary Holtzen. Mrs. Mullin, and Kerry
and Katie Mullin provided interesting games, and activities.
The residents enjoyed puppets and Bible stories and singing with the children. Proud parents and grandparents were often seen peeking in the Activity Room to watch their children and grandchildren in the class.
The last day of the Vacation Bible School was very rewarding, with
one child saying, "thanks for telling us about Jesus." It
was a wonderful experience for the children, and several residents
said it brought back wonderful memories of teaching Sunday school.
LIVING WITHOUT POWER
Letter from David Gehm
As I write this column, the northeast quadrant of the United States is just recovering from the largest loss of electricity in history! In the heat of the summer, at the height of rush hour across many of our great cities, life came to a screeching halt. What had been taken for granted, namely power at our fingertips, was suddenly the focus of the nations' attention.
This one hit close to home, as both our Lutheran Homes' in Livonia and Monroe endured the blackout. No longer could meals be served easily and expeditiously - preparation, cooking, and cleanup became an adventure. Slowly, the buildings began to rise in temperature as the air conditioning no longer cooled the hot muggy August air. Staff fatigue grew; resident discomfort rose. Water could not be used; toilets could not be flushed. Every "normal" task undertaken in the course of caring for frail, chronically ill elderly became a monumental hurdle to overcome. All because we were living without power!
As initial hours lagged into days, it became evident that while we were indeed without electricity, we were never without Power. While the switches and circuits that effortlessly provided energy were no longer working, the Power was on. In fact, the longer we languished without earthly comforts provided by power, the more evident it became that the Power of God's love was on in full megawatts!
The heroic effort of staff in these circumstances cannot be explained in any other way. The efforts made, the personal sacrifices offered, the attitude of service become more obvious and stronger the longer the power was off. In short, the greater the need for power, the more plentiful the supply of God's Power as evidenced by His people at work.
The blackout wore on, with such widespread impact that staff could not get gas for their cars to get to work, so others with full tanks offered to taxi those without. Fans were procured and run on the emergency generator, in order to bring some comfort from the heat. Bottled water was found (no small task under the circumstances) by the caseload, ensuring residents would not dehydrate and staff could keep going. Dietary staff got creative with menus, since delivery of food was halted. Activity staff pitched in everywhere, all the while keeping the elderly happy and engaged. Nurse Aides and Nurses pulled double and sometimes triple duty as our commitment to quality is not conditioned on lights. Housekeepers lugged buckets of water from one end of the buildings to the other in order to "flush" toilets, avoiding the obvious unpleasant outcomes of inattention to this particular detail. Office staff and administrative personnel did whatever it took - serving meals, checking residents, handing out water. This was all done willingly, out of a sense of duty and service, without regard for personal comfort. The Power of God was ON!
Lessons learned? Our ministry of care is not about the facilities,
the lights or the conveniences of modern life; rather, this ministry
is all about God at work through His people. In our weakness (no
electricity), His Power is most evident (II Corinthians 12:9).
I am personally, profoundly grateful to the staff of our facilities who stepped up to the challenge, allowed God to work His power through them, and loved "the least of these" under very trying circumstances. Join me in taking a moment to thank God for these willing servants.
In His service,
David M. Gehm,
President & CEO
Lutheran Homes of Michigan
FIFTH ANNUAL GOLF OUTING A BIG HIT
More than 140 golfers gathered on Monday, July 21st for a day of golf, fun and fellowship.
Once again, friends of Lutheran Homes from around the state, joined together at Bay Pointe Golf Club in West Bloomfield to help celebrate the mission of Lutheran Homes and raise much needed funds for the LHM Endowment Fund.
Because of the many golfers, sponsors, and contributors, this year's outing was another true success!
Special thanks to the volunteer committee members who help to make this outing a success: Roger Swarthout, Mike Bird, Ron Bales, Randy Kurtz, Oakley Lutes, Gary Kamin and Mickey McCanham. These gentlemen work very hard to make sure everyone enjoys a great day on and off the course. If you would be interested in joining this group in organizing this event, please contact the corporate office at (989) 652-3470.
Another very special thank you to our many sponsors of this important event, including:
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Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C.
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Fusco, Shaffer & Pappas, Inc.
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NRP Holdings
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O'Brien Waterford Construction
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Robinson Companies, Inc.
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American Glass
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Pederson, Keenan, King, Wachsberg & Andrzejak
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Tony Golden - Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
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Schonsheck, Inc.
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Thrivent Financial - West Oakland County Chapter
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Bank One
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The Dailey Company
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Plante & Moran
These
organizations and individuals, in addition to the many hole and flag
sponsors, and all those who donated auction items or other financial
contributions, make our outing the success that it is!
On behalf of the hundreds that we serve everyday and the hundreds
more staff who carry out our mission - THANK YOU!
Horsing Around
In June, the nine-member management team at LHCA participated in a unique leadership learning experience called Equine Assisted Experiential Learning. This experience, provided by Kaleidoscope Learning Circle, brings people and horses together to improve self awareness.
This was a powerful experience for our team and has led to further individual and team growth for us.
Hospice Garage Sale
The LHCA garage sale, held during the summer at the St. Lorenz
Churchgrove, has become a much anticipated annual event for the
community. Volunteer coordinator Jane Olivier, BSW also coordinates
efforts with Thrivent Financial to secure matching funds. Money
raised is used to provide networking and educational opportunities
for volunteers during the Volunteer Symposium sponsored by Michigan
Hospice and Palliative Care Association.
Home Health Compare Rates
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently made
available to consumers a way to shop for a home care agency on-line.
The information available to the public represents quality measures
that indicate how well the home heath care agency provides care for
some of its patients. This information currently is only available
for agencies located in eight states, not including Michigan. If you
could review the data for the Lutheran HOME CARE Agency (LHCA), you
would see rates above average for eight of the 10 outcomes measured.
In the fall, the results of all 50 states will be available to the public.
AL KAUL ACCEPTS NEW POSITION
In recent years, growth has been found in new buildings and programs,
but also in growth at current campuses, including the number of staff
and the diversity of programs. To help ensure our ability to support
all of out ministry sites, the Board of Directors recently formed the
position of Vice President for Service Excellence. LHM's Human
Resource Director, Al Kaul was named to the position.
In this role, Al will work directly with Administrators and Directors in assuring quality and excellence, nurturing innovation within our programs and services, and supporting the work of staff at all levels. His strong background in human resources makes Al a natural choice for this position.
The next time you see Al, please congratulate him on this important strategic position for LHM. We pray God's blessings on Al's work, even as we continually pray God's blessings on the work of all the staff of Lutheran Homes of Michigan.
FROM LIVONIA: MEET RESIDENT GERALDINE SUKARUFOFF
Geraldine Sukarufoff grew up on a farm in Vassar, Michigan. She had eight brothers and sisters and is now the oldest one living.
Geraldine finished school in 1940 with a three-year training course to become an RN. She is a wonderful painter and has enjoyed that hobby since she began painting in night school at Royal Oak High. Although a recent stroke keeps Geraldine from painting and other hobbies, she still enjoys her creative pursuits. Geraldine has five children - four sons and one daughter, who visit often. Geraldine says she loves being at the Lutheran Home - Livonia because everyone is caring and understanding to the residents. Thank you, Geraldine, for blessing our lives.
FRANKENMUTH RESIDENTS
SCORE BIG WIN AT COUNTY FAIR!
A year of planning, preparation and creativity culminated in July when residents entered 52 projects in the 2003 Saginaw County Fair. Residents submitted entries in the categories of cooking, gardening, creative crafts, art and sewing. Residents received 51 ribbons for their entries - two of them the prestigious "Best of Show," indicating the best of their category in their age division.
During
their day to visit the fair, the residents had a delicious picnic
lunch and then another surprise - a chance to pet a live kangaroo.
The rest of the day was spent touring the midway, visiting the
livestock barns and viewing a great horse show.
The day ended with some very tired but happy residents and it was well worth the effort!
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