The e- Crane

A quarterly publication of South Cove Manor at Quincy Point  Spring 2019 Issue

About South Cove Manor at Quincy Point... We are a non-profit rehabilitation and care community with over three decades of experience providing leading edge care to older adults. From our original home in Boston, to our current state-of-the-art, multicultural community in Quincy, South Cove Manor has built a legacy of excellence rooted in honoring our elders and their traditions.  www.southcovemanor.org 288 Washington Street, Quincy MA 02169   617-423-0590

Annual Meeting "Forging Our Future" Celebrated 2018 Accomplishments

House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz Featured Speaker

South Cove Manor at Quincy Point's Annual Meeting & Dinner drew over 260 friends and colleagues to China Pearl Restaurant in Quincy on Tuesday, May 21st.  Aaron Michlewitz (left), State Representative, 3rd Suffolk District, and Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee was the featured guest speaker .

Board Chair Richard Lui (right, with Mayor Koch) opened the meeting stating, “Our meeting theme ‘ Forging Our Future’ speaks to both our focus and our accomplishments of the last year." Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, a champion of South Cove Manor, followed with welcoming remarks.

After the President's and Operations Reports by Bill Graves and Administrator Li Chen, State Representative Tackey Chan, 2nd Norfolk district (left), shared brief comments and introduced the keynote speaker, House Ways and Means Committee Chair, Aaron Michlewitz.

Chairman Michlewitz stressed his ongoing concern for the needs of vulnerable elders and pledged his continuing support for increased state funding for long term care. C.E.O. Bill Graves thanked Chairman Michlewitz and Representative Chan for their support of quality care for vulnerable older adults. After the meeting Graves remarked, "Chairman Michlewicz clearly understands the funding issues affecting our profession and how they impact the frail elders that we care for. With his leadership and support, I am confident that the Massachusetts Legislature will find a way to provide the much needed increase in funding for the care that we provide. "

(l-r) Mayor Thomas Koch, CEO Bill Graves, Board member Helen Chin Schlichte, House Ways & Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, State Representative Tackey Chan, & Chair Richard Lui.  More about "Forging Our Future" ... Annual Meeting Program 2018 Annual Report Visit our photo gallery          Photo credits: David Chin

Staff Awards In addition to remarks by Chairman Michlewitz, highlights of the meeting included the presentation of the Ting/Mugar Outstanding Leadership Awards and the Schlichte Learning Center/South Cove Manor Nursing Facilities Foundation Scholarship awards.

Ting/Mugar Outstanding Leadership Awards Six members of the food services team received Ting/Mugar awards, presented for demonstrated leadership that advances personalized care and inspires excellence and teamwork. Board treasurer Jason Qu presented the awards on behalf of the Ting/Mugar family. Pictured (l-r) Jason Qu, Jie Yun Wu, Bi Yu Liu, Yan Zhu Liu, Yu Xiu Chen, Yan Hua He, and Oi Lai Li, Li Chen and Bill Graves.

Scholarship Awards

The Schlichte Learning Center/South Cove Manor Facilities Foundation Scholarship Program presented scholarships to support employees’ professional growth and advanced training.  (l-r) Honorees Lang Rong Mei, Oi Lai Li, Yan Zhu Liu, Kevin Liaw, Shirley Van, Scholarship Committee presenters May Chin and Alice Rose. Quoc Thang, not pictured, was also recognized.

South Cove Manor Welcomes Heather O'Sullivan to the Board of Directors Heather O'Sullivan, a geriatric nurse practitioner with two decades of professional experience in post-acute care, was elected to a three year term on the Board of Directors. We are excited to have Heather join our esteemed Board. LEARN MORE

Transportation Opens Doors to a More Vibrant Life

We have hit the road in our new van - the inaugural trip was to China Pearl for lunch followed by a trip to Kam Man Market, and the most recent outing was to Nantasket Beach. It is exciting to have our own transportation available and we look forward to frequent outings in the nice weather. With the goal of enabling every medically stable resident to participate in outings that are meaningful to them, South Cove has 14 staff members certified to drive the wheelchair lift-equipped vehicle. Kam Ho (seated) was joined by her family on a May daytrip to Nantasket Beach.

A Conversation with Bill & Li

Making something special not quite so special Bill Graves and Li Chen brainstorm ways to integrate the van into daily life so community participation is an everyday occurrence rather than a special event.

How does ready access to transportation enhance Person-Directed Care? Bill: Relationships, choice, dignity, respect, self-determinism, and purposeful living - these are at the core of Person-Directed Care. By offering frequent opportunities for residents to participate in the community, to destinations of their choice, we are supporting their independence and quality of life. Li: When your medical needs necessitate residing in a skilled nursing center, something as simple as going to the store, choosing your favorite snack, and paying for it with money from your own pocket or purse is very empowering. We can make that happen for people on a regular basis now that we have our own transportation. How are residents selected to participate? Li:  Our recreation team works closely with residents and families to determine who would like to go out and what trips would be most meaningful, then confer with clinical managers about safety and personal care needs. A certified nursing assistant accompanies the group on every trip, and popular destinations include going out for lunch, shopping at Asian markets, visiting large department stores, and trips to local beaches and parks. Bill: Because many residents have limited mobility and complex medical needs, it is often not possible for them to go out with their families using personal transportation. With residents supported by our staff and our van with a certified driver, residents and families can meet at the destination, and enjoy a community adventure together. With funding for care so tight, how was South Cove able to obtain a van? Bill:  As a non-profit organization, we are able to accept donations from individuals and groups to help fulfill our mission. We received a generous gift from a long time friend of South Cove, and considered many options. Procuring a van to enable resident community participation with part of the contribution was consistent with the intent of the donor's gift while providing a special opportunity to enhance residents' daily lives. We are so fortunate to be able to make this available to the residents. Li: We have always planned outings for residents, but hiring wheelchair accessible transportation as well as providing the staff needed is very expensive, so we weren't able to schedule trips as often as the residents or staff would like.   Having our own transportation changes that - so many more residents can benefit. Where to next? Li: Anywhere residents want to go!

The Call to Care Grows Louder

Presenting testimony Addressing the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs at the State House on April 8th, South Cove Manor CEO Bill Graves (center) presented powerful testimony on the critical need to update funding for nursing facility care to stabilize the long term health care sector .  Bill was joined by Jeff Siegel of Geriatric Medical (l) and Sarah Wright of Social Work in Progress .

South Cove Manor at Quincy Point is part of the ongoing statewide advocacy effort "Answering the Call to Care" to built legislative support for increasing funding for quality long term care.

Learn More

Advocacy Day at the State House Administrator Li Chen and our Asian Health Initiative coordinator Terry Yin accompanied nearly 50 members to  State House Advocacy Day on May 21st. The group joined hundreds of other concerned seniors and care providers from across Massachusetts to call attention to a critical funding gap for long term care for the state's most vulnerable citizens.

South Cove Manor and South Cove Community Health Center Team Up

Quincy leaders spotlight need for services for Asian residents (l-r) South Cove Manor Chair Richard Lui, CEO Bill Graves, Mayor Koch, Board member and founder Helen Chin Schlichte, and South Cove Community Health Center executive director Eugene Welch. South Cove Manor (SCM) CEO Bill Graves and South Cove Community Health Center Executive Director Eugene Welch jointly hosted a conversation with Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch on services for Asian residents of Quincy at a luncheon meeting on April 26th at South Cove Manor at Quincy Point. Facilitated by Richard Lui, SCM Chair, the luncheon discussion centered on the development of the City of Quincy and serving the needs of Quincy’s diverse citizens. According to Bill Graves, “Mayor Koch was highly engaged in the discussion and candid about the future development of downtown, Wollaston, and other Quincy neighborhoods, including increasing affordable housing, and making capacity improvements on the red line.” Graves continued, “Mayor Koch expressed that all of these developments will lead to increased need for community services for all ethnicities, but for the growing Asian community in particular.”

Joining the conversation Volunteer and executive leaders of community agencies that serve Asian residents of Quincy attended the meeting, including representatives from: Asian American Service Association, Asian Community Development Corporation, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Mayor’s Asian American Advisory Committee,   Quincy Asian Resources, Inc., Rainbow Adult Day Care Center, South Cove Community Health Center, South Cove Manor at Quincy Point and South Shore Elder Services. 

Staff on the Move

HR Director Margie Ransom (center) stepped down from her senior management post at South Cove Manor in April to pursue an independent consulting practice. Margie led a facility-wide review of all of South Cove's human resource and employment policies and provided comprehensive management  education during her three years at South Cove, bringing our organization to the highest level of compliance and professional practice. We thank Margie for her leadership and wish her continued success in her next chapter. Daisy Tsang (right), a 22 year veteran of South Cove Manor, was promoted to Human Resource Manager from her previous role managing payroll and benefits. Daisy is now responsible for HR operations including benefits administration and onboarding new employees. Yenny Zhao (left) , nursing staffing coordinator, was promoted to Human Resource Specialist. Yenny will support daily HR operations while continuing to coordinate nursing staffing.  Congratulations to Daisy & Yenny on their well-deserved promotions!

Spring Snapshots

Fun & Teamwork Go Hand in Hand

Employee activities build comradery, deepen friendships

Yoga Yoga is the most popular new activity offered by the staff-run Employee Activity Committee. Daytime and late afternoon sessions give both day and evening staff the chance to participate during their off hours.

Thank you to our colleague Perri Mo of Good Shepherd Community Care for volunteering to lead the yoga classes.

Paint Night Staff explore their creative sides at Paint Night, having fun mixing colors while sipping on wine. Thank you Hamel-Lydon Chapel Community Development Program and Lola Tom for your program sponsorship.

An Evening Out Staff enjoyed a fun night out at Boston Bowl. Other recent programs included a cooking competition, Family Movie Night, and Everyday & Glamour Makeup Lessons. Thank you to our energetic and creative Employee Activity Committee!

We welcome your comments-please share your thoughts at eCrane@southcovemanor.org 288 Washington Street, Quincy, MA 02169 www.southcovemanor.org (617) 423-0590 info@southcovemanor.org

South Cove Manor at Quincy Point has a legacy of excellence, repeatedly achieving the highest quality ratings for the Commonwealth and nationally, and has been named as one of the country’s top nursing centers year after year by US News & World Report.

‌