A Message from our CEO,
Lisa Haglund
This month, I wanted to take a moment to speak to you about our response to the challenges facing our industry and our organization that we experience each day: staff retention and recruitment, employee burnout, regulatory mandates, facility maintenance, maintaining high levels of patient care, and so much more.
I know that the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for each and every one of you. We often discuss how Heritage can build a sustainable future and be here for the people who need us. Our response is that it is “Time to Invest.” By investing in what matters most, we can create our “Time to Thrive.”
“Time to Invest” means that we’re going to strongly advocate for what is right on behalf of our employees, residents, families, and the communities where we operate. “Time to Invest” isn’t always about spending money, although that is part of it. “Time to Invest” means we’re going to take multiple actions on multiple fronts to ensure that we are affecting the changes that are needed today and that will put Heritage on the path to a sustainable and successful tomorrow.
We’ll continue to make smart financial investments in 2022 through spending that will benefit those we both employ and serve, with new ventures in transportation and communication tools, just to name a couple.
More important now than ever, “Time to Invest” signifies the commitment we must all make to advocacy in the legislative arena. Together, we can seek policy and regulatory changes. We need to ask our elected representatives for our just share of funding. The senior care industry has been ignored in terms of funding for many years. Government funding is critical to help communities like ours continue to operate effectively, deliver high quality care, and ensure a strong future for everyone we serve. Too often, we face new government mandates with no matching reimbursements to cover these costs. We all want to do our best for our residents and follow government regulations, but we need a commitment from our elected officials to cover our costs for delivering high quality care. I don’t need to tell you that COVID-19 resulted in higher costs in many of the basics required to operate our communities. These financial burdens are difficult when government reimbursements for the important care we provide don’t keep pace. Creating the “Time to Thrive” is critical because it means so many important things for our residents, staff, and the communities we serve. You can visit our website at www.heritage1886.org/advocacy for more information on how you can get involved.
Please join me in making “Time to Invest” at Heritage.
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Administrator's Corner
Valerie Johnson
Administrator
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Back in February the National Guard joined our team! We are so excited and honored to have them working in our facility. They have been deployed to nursing homes all over the country and are currently in five nursing homes in our area. The crew we have are not medically trained so at this time they are allowed to help in any area except for any hands on care. They can help pass meal trays, pass water, transport residents to Activities or the Beauty Shop, audits, housekeeping, some maintenance work, etc.
They have jumped right in and have been very willing to help in any way they can. Their presence has been very well received by our staff and our residents. Our veteran residents are especially interested in talking with them. It has been great to see the conversations and connections that have been taking place. If you have been visiting I’m sure you have seen them. Please feel free to introduce yourself and start up a conversation. They are wearing their military fatigues so they are easy to find!
We currently have 12 National Guardsman as part of our team and I have requested medically trained guardsman. I am hoping to hear soon if this request will be granted. They have been helpful picking up some duties which in turn frees up some time for our direct care staff so they have more time with the residents, which is what we want. We are so very grateful that they are here to help us during this nationwide staffing crisis. It has been a great experience for all involved. These young men have voiced how much they are enjoying this assignment. Some of them were assisting with the riots in Washington D.C. last year, some worked in NYC at the beginning of COVID and had to moved deceased bodies from the refrigeration trucks. They have had some tough assignments which is making them appreciate their time in our facility so much more. They are far away from their homes
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Our National Guardsman had a special luncheon with our veteran residents, including Austin, where they shared a delicious meal as well as stories and memories. Thank you for your service! |
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At Heritage, we are honored to serve extraordinary individuals with amazing life stories to tell!
Meet Liz, seamstress extraordinaire from California who is now part of our community at Heritage Village - Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing by Heritage Ministries!
Liz graduated with dual degrees in Art History and Fashion Design at California State University, Los Angeles, designed costumes for MANY actors and bands including the Swedish rock band Europe, owned her own shops including "Stich in Time" in Lakewood, NY, and worked alongside SUNY JCC's Uncommoners theater production sewing costumes for various shows.
To learn more about Liz's story through #MyHeritage, click HERE!
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Chaplain's Corner
Larry Petry, Senior Chaplain
In the gospels, Jesus has a gracious way of preparing his followers for the difficult things they will encounter. He often drops hints, tells stories or shares an illustration. Jesus even does this in preparing them for the roller-coaster experience of his tragic death on the cross and his triumphant resurrection from the dead! Part of the Easter story is remembering how the followers of Jesus started to wrap their minds around all these things once they began to encounter the resurrected Jesus.
We find that in our time, we experience so many things that we are trying to wrap our minds around, also. Jesus’ gracious statement predicting his own death has many layers of insight. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds (John 12:24). While common, the illustration of a seed is really interesting- we take something small, we bury it away from sight, and in unseen ways and unseen fashion, it grows into MORE.
Perhaps we are growing in unseen ways. Perhaps the small seeds of faith, of hope, of trust or wisdom are being planted by God in the ordinary circumstances we encounter, and then, tucked away unseen, they grow. Amazingly, the gracious process of growth is happening unseen- even in our difficulties, our stresses and our stretching points.
Even in the frustrating circumstances of life, I invite you to consider, “What quality is God growing in me here? How can I help make it grow?” I’m convinced that in our unique period of history, God is producing something within us. Let’s not be discouraged. Let’s yield ourselves to this process and be willing to grow. Let’s take hope, knowing that our Savior works best as new life is tucked away, working powerfully behind the scenes to emerge at the right time and bear much fruit. May this be true in us as well.
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The Heritage Ministries public policy team advocates on behalf of our residents, their families, and our staff, to enact policies that will address the needs, quality care, and safety that ensures all our communities are beacons of Hope, Dignity, and Purposeful Living. Add your voice to ours! Learn more about how you can continue to advocate for Heritage and our residents by clicking HERE.
Please come alongside Heritage in urging state lawmakers to oppose increase to assisted care facilities (ACF) penalties and to support the passage of role of nurses in ACF legislation.
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Send a FREE Heritage eCard to brighten up your loved one’s day or encourage a staff member! We have a variety of cards to fit the occasion, with your own customized message inside! Click on the photo above to get started or visit www.heritage1886.org/ecards,and we’ll print and deliver your card for free!
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Heritage Ministries | www.heritage1886.org
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