Highlights
NEWS ABOUT LUTHERAN HOMES OF MICHIGAN AND RELATED SERVICES
SPRING 2003
Articles in the above issue of Highlights (click on the article or scroll through to read all the articles):
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The Power of Presence - Letter from President & CEO, David Gehm
THE POWER OF PRESENCE
Relationships enrich and expand our lives in so many ways. As we interact with and begin to care about others, our lives take on new meaning. Sometimes our lives even take on a new direction as we grow in relationships and connect with new friends. When you stop and think about it, the only part of this earthly life that we'll take with us into eternity will be the relationships we formed by sharing the saving love of Jesus Christ!
Many folks miss the essence and power of this truth when it comes to relationships with the elderly, or chronically and terminally ill. Too often, we overlook the fact that every person - regardless of age or life stage - needs the nurturing love of meaningful relationships. We might say things like, "I would like to visit Grandma more often, but I don't know what to say to her anymore." or, "Dad doesn't need as many visitors now that he isn't able to do much anymore."
The problem with thoughts like these is that they fail to see the "power of presence" in a relationship. Although we may not carry on conversations with loved ones like we once did, that's not what is needed at this stage of life. The work of building the love and connectedness has long passed - now is the time to just "be there." Grandma may not be able to appreciate engaging conversation anymore, but she does recognize the loving touch of your hands on hers. Dad may not have significant news to report from his life, but he is encouraged by hearing about your news, since he can see the fruits of his life's labor invested in you.
Even though relationships change as time passes, they are always just as valuable. There comes a time when it's not about how it used to be, but rather how it now needs to be.
We may wish for old times and the way things used to be. But we must also remember that love is love; encouragement is encouragement; compassion is compassion. We share these qualities differently, but they are still just as important. In many ways, our relationships are more important than ever.
As we think about the ultimate relationship in life with Jesus Christ we are reminded that His healing love and forgiveness last not only a lifetime, but through eternity as well. As we read in Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." Our earthly relationships may change, but our relationship with Christ is constant.
Throughout our Lutheran Homes, the Home Care Agency and Hospice of Hope, there are many individuals who desire and need new and growing relationships. We would love to introduce you to a few of these special folks who desire something as simple as your presence in their lives. To learn more about how you can help, please call our ministry site nearest you or visit us online. We'll be happy to make the introduction.
David M. Gehm, President & CEO
Lutheran Homes of Michigan, Inc.
ANNUAL MEETING: MAY 3, 2003
Spring is around the corner - a time we Michiganders await anxiously! We are eager to get out in our yards and gardens - furiously getting ready for the glorious summer ahead. Opening the windows for the first time in months and breathing new life into the stale air of our heated homes. It really is a great time of year. A time for new beginnings! A time full of great expectations of what is to come.
It's also an appropriate time of year for the Lutheran Homes of Michigan Annual Meeting. This year's event will be a tremendous celebration as we enter our 110 th year of continuous, compassionate service to the elderly, the infirm and the terminally ill. On the evening of May 3, 2003, we will truly celebrate how God has blessed us by commemorating our past and by looking ahead to an exciting future.
If your congregation is a member of Lutheran Homes, please make sure your pastor has appointed a delegate to attend this great evening. Then, encourage your congregation's delegate to report back to your congregation about what he or she learned during the evening. If your congregation is not a member of Lutheran Homes (or you're not sure), please contact us to learn how your congregation can help support the ministry of Lutheran Homes of Michigan.
With the blessing and guidance of a loving God, the ministry of the Lutheran Homes has touched thousands of lives over the past 110 years. And we continue to look to the future with anticipation of all God will provide for His people through this ministry.
NEWS FROM LHCA
Meeting with Legislators
On March 12, 2003, a group from Lutheran Home Care Agency (LHCA)
traveled to Lansing to meet with state legislators and discuss
current issues in this area of care. The Michigan Association for
Home Care and Hospice provided direction for the group regarding key
topics for discussion and advocacy.
HIPAA Training Sessions Held
Throughout the month of March, several training sessions were held to
instruct staff and volunteers about the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Training sessions focused on the
policies and procedures for Privacy Notice and Security Rules.
Team Member of the Year Nominations Begin
Nomination forms are now being accepted for the Team Member of the
Year - giving employees the opportunity to nominate peers who have
gone above and beyond in the past year to exemplify our caring
spirit. Once all of the nominations are in, the top three nominees
will be put on a ballot for a final vote to determine the Team Member
of the Year. All three final nominees will receive a certificate of
recognition. The final award winner will also receive a framed
photograph of Jimmy Carter from the National Association of Home
Care. Jimmy Carter was selected as spokesperson this year for his
perseverance and triumph over adversity. An attached quote by former
President Carter reads, "It is a proven reality that every time
we thought we were making a sacrifice for others it has turned out to
be one of our greatest blessings."
Private Duty Expands Services
The Private Duty division of LHCA has expanded its services to meet
the needs of those who require extra care but don't meet the
qualifications for Medicare coverage. In addition to the traditional
Home Health Aide care that includes homemaking, personal care and
combination visits, we now also provide various nursing services:
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Medication set-ups and evaluation
- Venipuncture
- Dressing changes
- Injections
- Pre-op enemas
These expanded services will be managed by nurse case manager Ruth Cole RN, who has been with the agency for the past five years. Gloria Dennis will take on the role of private duty coordinator, and Cindy Lorenz will act as scheduler. Under their direction, and with the excellent care our Private Duty staff provides, we look forward to great things in this division of LHCA.
PLAN FOR LIFE'S END
It's time to talk about death instead of ignoring it, researchers say.
By Bryce Hoffman
The following article was reprinted with permission from The Saginaw News.
People in the Saginaw Valley want to die with family support and without pain, but many are reluctant to plan for the end of their lives, a study says. Saginaw Valley State University and the Hospice of Hope division of Lutheran Home Care in Frankenmuth conducted a survey this spring to measure attitudes about death and dying in mid-Michigan.
Researchers said they hope the results will encourage more public discussion about end-of-life issues. "One of the things we found is people tend not to talk about death and dying," said Karen Lang Krause, director of the SVSU Social Sciences Teaching and Research Center, which conducted the survey.
Researchers in March mailed more than 5,000 surveys to residents in Bay, Saginaw, Genesee and Tuscola counties. The results are based on 570 responses. Among the findings: 48 percent of respondents fear dying painfully and 83 percent said they want to die at home. More than half said they are not likely to pre-plan their own funeral or speak to loved ones about death, and 32 percent said they are unfamiliar with the support available through hospice care.
"We have a tremendous need to educate" about hospice care, said Lynn R. Zuellig, director of Hospice of Hope. "We know we have to tell the story." Medical advances in the last century extended the average life expectancy for Americans to 76.7 years in 1999 from 47.3 in 1900, statistics from the National Center for Health indicate.
Meanwhile, the predominant causes of death have changed to reflect more chronic and degenerative diseases associated with old age, Zuellig and Lang Krause said. The result is a culture that distances itself from death, they said. "Some fear the physical, some fear the emotional, some fear what may or may not be afterwards," Lang Krause said. "Death is very individual."
Almost all of the respondents, 96 percent, said they want honest answers from their physician. 93 percent said they want to know medicine is available to them, but a third said they are afraid their doctor will not believe or treat their pain. Hospice of Hope paid for the study with a $10,000 grant from the Church Extension Fund of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
The transition to death can include managing pain, settling financial affairs, healing broken relationships and making spiritual peace with the end of life, Zuellig said. Hospice care can guide families through that process, she said. "It really is absolutely not a morbid thing," she said. "It's life enriching."
A LETTER OF APPRECIATION
The following letter was written to the Lutheran Home - Monroe
by Beverly Bork, daughter of resident Rex Jones.
To Brenda Lawrence & the entire Staff of the Lutheran Home,
Words cannot express our gratitude to you, that our father, Rex Jones, was able to be a resident at the Lutheran Home. I will never forget the day I received the call that there was a room available. Wow, what a miracle! What an answer to prayer! I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and also asked the Lord to please allow him at least one more week to live in order to enjoy the Lutheran Home.
My father had been a resident of another local nursing home for almost three years. He had just had a tragic accident as his roommate had attacked him during the night. I received the call after midnight to meet him in the ER. He had been hit in the head and eye and it required stitches. My father became very withdrawn and depressed after that incident. I believe he had given up on life. He leaned over as he sat in his wheelchair with his head down.
Joann Rinne took his picture when he arrived to put on his door, along with his biography and his interests. Oh my, did we see a change in him almost overnight. He began sitting straight in his wheelchair, and taking part in the activities. He thought he was in Heaven! After a few weeks (yes, God gave him more than a week to live!), I took a new picture of him to replace the first one because he was a new man! You could see the difference as we compared the pictures.
I enjoyed visiting him and bringing my grandchildren. The staff was so friendly and interested in his family. The Home is so beautifully decorated. He would say it was like living in a beautiful hotel. We were able to have family gatherings in the Garden Room, which we did monthly. He loved showing his great-grandchildren the bird sanctuary. We would hardly ever find him in his room when we visited.
He wasn't a wealthy man, nor did he hold a high position in life. He was a humble man that bragged mostly about being a father of 6 children and grandfather of 15, his room was decorated with their pictures. He felt so honored and privileged to be living there. He never had complaints or negative things to say about his care.
Many of his last days were spent in the hospital, which he hated. He would beg his doctor to let him go back to the Lutheran Home. He would call out, Lutheran Home, Lutheran Home. He also loved Joann Rinne, and called out her name as well. So many of you were special to him! I would love to name you all, but afraid I would not know all of your names. I remember the day he came back to the home to be kept "comfortable" in his last days. Many of you came into his room to give hugs and kisses. He was so happy to be "home." The family appreciated the comfort cart provided by the Home filled with food and drinks, Christian music and literature. We felt the music added comfort to dad in his last 24 hours.
Thank you Lord for giving him 2 1/2 years at this wonderful Home!
Thank you staff for all the loving care you gave my father!
Beverly Bork
FRANKENMUTH RESIDENT ELSIE HART SHARES SPECIAL POEM
Elsie Hart recently celebrated her 102nd birthday at the Lutheran Home - Frankenmuth, where she has lived since 1997. Her fondest memories go back to the home that she and her husband named "Valleyview." The couple built the home in 1949 in Flushing, Michigan, with Elsie doing much of the work herself - from cutting stones for the fireplaces to completing the roof. After many wonderful years there together, Elsie's husband passed away and she realized that she would also need to leave Valleyview. In remembrance of their life and home, Elsie composed the following poem:
"Goodbye Valleyview"
I am going to miss you,
Where else can one find such a beautiful view?
In all four seasons, your beauty is rare,
And it's been my good fortune, this beauty to share.
In good times and bad, a haven you've been,
And you've softened the blows when sadness crept in.
The joys we've shared as we labored here,
And the friends we've made are all very dear.
My "memories" I can take with me, so this new life I start,
But much of me I'll leave behind, when the time comes to part.
When the outdoors calls, what will I do?
I can't come running back to you.
I've cared for you the best I could,
But parting time has come, as I knew it would.
I leave you in good hands I know,
For the time draws near that I must go.
Goodbye Valleyview.
LUTHERAN HOMES OF MICHIGAN ANNUAL FUND
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience." - Colossians 3:12
Caring is a Gift
Christ teaches that the responsibility of His followers is to care
for the less fortunate - much like the many seniors who seek the care
provided by Lutheran Homes of Michigan. Through the years, the number
of financially challenged seniors needing these services has
continued to grow, but state reimbursements, insurance payments and
other resources only provide about half of the necessary funding.
Because so many seniors are in desperate need of financial support to help pay for their health care expenses, the Lutheran Homes has developed its Annual Fund. The Lutheran Homes Annual Fund is a dedicated resource to provide health care to seniors who are not financially self-sufficient. The Fund also will enhance programs and services, and add much needed facilities. Contributors may designate their tax-deductible gift to a particular facility or specific programs, such as Hospice of Hope.
How the Annual Fund Fits With the Mission of Lutheran Homes
To provide quality care, programs, resources and facilities that
respond to the needs of seniors, Lutheran Homes must seek ways to
sustain its services to the aging community. Lutheran Homes is aware
of the growing population of seniors in need, and is committed to
expanding the funding sources to accommodate the demand.
How You Can Participate
A generous contribution to the Lutheran Homes Annual Fund is an ideal
way to answer the call of seniors in need and honor Christian
spiritual gifts of compassion, kindness and caring. To demonstrate
your support of Lutheran Homes and its mission, please consider a
donation to the Annual Fund. Your generous support will make a world
of difference to seniors in need of compassionate health care.
How We Help the Elderly
Lutheran Homes of Michigan offers a variety of senior health care
services including 24-hour skilled nursing and assisted-living
facilities in Monroe, Frankenmuth and Livonia. As part of the
Lutheran Homes organization, the Lutheran Home Care Agency and
Hospice of Hope respond to a full range of home care needs in
Saginaw, Bay, Tuscola, Genesee and Sanilac counties. "This
service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's
people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."
- 2 Corinthians 9:12
A Caring Gift
Contributing to the Lutheran Homes of Michigan Annual
Fund is a perfect way to express your caring and compassion for
seniors. Please consider a gift to ensure a continued quality of life
to Michigan seniors. May you and your family enjoy God's blessings.
For more information, please contact:
Lutheran Homes of Michigan
P. O. Box 329
Frankenmuth, MI 48734
(989) 652-3470
www.lhminc.org
REGISTER TODAY FOR THE ANNUAL GOLF OUTING
Green grass, warm weather, fresh air, fellowship and fun . . . these are key components of a great day of golf - and the Fifth Annual Lutheran Homes of Michigan Golf Outing is sure to deliver them all and much more!
Mark your calendar for Monday, July 21, 2003, and plan to join us for this event at Bay Pointe Golf Club in West Bloomfield, Michigan. If you haven't attended this event in the past, you won't want to pass up the chance to play this beautiful course or miss the excitement of a live auction featuring fantastic items.
On July 21, registration will begin at 8:30am with a Shotgun start at 10:00am. The outing fee of $150 per golfer includes:
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18 holes of golf with cart
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Continental breakfast
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Lunch
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Steak or whitefish dinner following golf
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Beverages throughout the day, on and off the course
For further information or to register your foursome, contact Lutheran Homes of Michigan at 989-652-3470 or visit our web site at www.lhminc.org. Get your registration in early to reserve your spot on the course!
There are several ways to support Lutheran Homes of Michigan through the Annual Golf Outing. In addition to sponsoring a foursome, there are several other sponsorship opportunities, lending your financial support to the event and the organization. Funds raised will be designated to the Lutheran Homes of Michigan Endowment Fund. Please contact us at 989-652-3470 for more information on how you can participate.
We look forward to seeing you Monday, July 21, 2003 at Bay Pointe Golf Club!