Dauphin County Library System partners with Homeland Center

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Homeland Center residents will soon be able to access a host of audiobooks, large-print titles and other materials as part of a growing cooperative effort with the Dauphin County Library System.

The Ted Lick Room plaque

The Ted Lick Room, used by many residents at Homeland Center as the on-site library.

Rob Lesher, the executive director of the Dauphin County Library System recently visited Homeland’s Ted Lick Room library and said he was excited at the opportunity to offer access to even more materials.

“I was greatly impressed by Homeland’s library and the possibilities that exist for the Dauphin County Library System to work with your staff on a number of programs,’’ Lesher said.

“We will be working with you to find out what you would like in terms of books and programs,’’ he said. “Please do not hesitate to let someone know what you might think is a good activity which we could bring to you.’’

Additionally, the library system has an online app called “Libby,’’ that allows users to check out ebooks and eaudiobooks on their own electronic devices, such as computers and tablets, he said.

Dauphin County Library System partners with Homeland Center

Homeland residents and library volunteers, Vivian Black (l) and Marie Andrews (r).

Homeland renovated its library in 2014, thanks to a generous donation by former Board of Managers member Kelly Lick in memory of her husband, Ted Lick. The room, which also is used for gatherings, now features a new cooking area as well as large print books, a touch screen computer and other improvements.

Lesher said the county library system will build on Homeland’s current offerings and said residents also can visit the nearby Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library, which has a number of interesting programs.

“There are opportunities to create art. You could enjoy a music series this summer which will introduce you to new styles of music including flamenco guitar and bagpipes,’’ he said. “Check out the Library’s Compass, which has a full listing of programs for each season.’’

Lesher said the library system would be bringing many of its services to Homeland as well.

“We realize that many residents might not be able to visit a library,’’ he said. “In coming months, we hope that you will see more of us around Homeland,’’ Lesher said. “If ever you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at the library and I would be happy to talk to you about what we might be able to offer.’’

If you have suggestions about Dauphin County Library System programs and materials you would like to see offered at Homeland Center, please contact Gillian Sumpter, Director of Activities.

Harrisburg’s Kunkel family honored for their long-standing support of Homeland Center

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Plaque unveiling

Donald Schell, Vice Chair of Homeland Center’s Board of Trustees, left, helps Nancy W. Bergert, Chair of the Kunkel Foundation and John Stark, a past foundation chair, unveil the Kunkel Circle plaque in honor of John Crain Kunkel.

No sooner had Homeland Center opened its doors in Harrisburg to care for those left widowed and orphaned by the Civil War than Pennsylvania Congressman John Christian Kunkel, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, stepped forward to offer financial support.

Decades later his grandson, John Crain Kunkel, continued his family’s traditions of both serving as a Pennsylvania Congressman from 1961 to 1966 and, with his wife Katherine “Kitty’’ Kunkel, supporting Homeland.

On a recent sun-drenched spring day, the Homeland family officially thanked the Kunkel family for their continued support in a ceremony renaming the main entranceway at 1924 N. 6th Street the “Kunkel Circle’’ in memory of John Crain Kunkel.

A member of the Kunkel family has been an integral part of Homeland as far back as far back as 1867,’’ said Donald Schell, Vice Chair of Homeland Center’s Board of Trustees, during the ceremony attended by area leaders including state Sen. John DiSanto, Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries and Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

“Over the past 150 years, Homeland has grown and prospered because of the work and support of the Kunkel family and the Kunkel Foundation,’’ Schell said.

During his remarks, DiSanto thanked Homeland’s staff for the excellent care they provide – especially to two special residents, his mother and father.

“Homeland’s entire staff is doing a great job,’’ DiSanto said. “I stand ready to do whatever I can to assist Homeland as it moves into the next 150 years.’’

As a member of the Board of Managers, which works with the Trustees to advance Homeland’s mission of community care, Kitty Kunkel never stopped thinking about ways to make the long-term care facility more “home-like’’ for its residents. No detail escaped her, from redecorating the residents’ rooms and the common areas to changing the name from the original “Home for the Friendless’’ to “Homeland.’’

Kitty Kunkel also is credited for establishing in 1953 what is believed to be the first-ever beauty shop in a long-term care facility.

“She wanted Homeland to feel less like an institution and more like a real home,’’ said Nancy W. Bergert, Kitty Kunkel’s granddaughter and chair of the Kunkel Foundation. “When she and my grandfather would go away on their many trips, she would always come back with little gifts for every resident and she never forgot a resident’s birthday.’’

Plaque unveiling

Homeland Center recently renamed its Sixth Street entrance in honor of John Crain Kunkel in a ceremony attended by area officials and Kunkel family members. Far left: Homeland Center President & CEO Barry S. Ramper II, state Sen. John DiSanto, Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries and Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse. Foreground, from left: John Stark, a past Kunkel Foundation Chair, current foundation Chair Nancy W. Bergert and Donald Schell, Vice Chair of Homeland Center’s Board of Trustees.

In addition to Bergert, current-day members of the Kunkel family who continue to support Homeland include Carolyn Kunkel, a life member of the Board of Managers and Kitty Kunkel’s daughter-in-law, as well as John Stark, the grandson of John Crain Kunkel and past chair of the Kunkel Foundation.

Generous donations by the Kunkel family made possible Homeland Center’s 71-bed Skilled Care Nursing Pavilion as well as Homeland’s 150th Gala Anniversary Celebration last year, which was co-chaired by John Stark.

Stark recalled that John Crain Kunkel enjoyed having residents to his house on Wiconisco Street for lunch and said his grandfather would be proud of what Homeland is today.

Homeland is one of the few skilled nursing care facilities in the Central Pennsylvania region to earn the CMS Five-Star rating repeatedly. Homeland also is among only 15 percent of the more than 15,000 facilities nationwide to receive U.S News & World Report Best Nursing Homes 2017-18 – earning a perfect 5.0 rating two years in a row.

“I really believe what we are doing here today would please him,’’ Stark said. “I want to thank you on behalf of all the trustees of the John Crain Kunkel Foundation.’’

Pries and Papenfuse both highlighted the importance of the services Homeland Center provides.

“I want to thank Homeland for the incredible role it plays in our community,’’ Papenfuse said. “One hundred and fifty years is an extraordinary accomplishment. Homeland has seen the city through its own growth and development over all those years, and today our relationship is as strong as ever.’’

Homeland Center President & CEO Barry Ramper II said all that Homeland has been able to do for families throughout our region would not have been possible without the Kunkel family.

“We are pleased, proud and grateful that you have placed your trust in making Homeland the organization it is today,’’ Ramper said. “Without your support, we could not have achieved this success. Thank you very much.’’

Picnic rainout can’t dampen a good time for Homeland Center’s Ellenberger residents

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Ellenberger picnic

Residents, family and staff gather for the annual summertime picnic

A rainy day couldn’t spoil the fun of when Homeland Center kicked off the 2018 summer season with an annual tradition – the return of monthly all-American picnics for residents and families.

Since Ellenberger Unit memory care residents couldn’t go outside for the picnic, the picnic came inside. Seated at tables decorated in summery red, white, and blue, residents hosted family members over traditional picnic fare of hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad, pickled eggs, and watermelon.

While some ate in the Ellenberger dining room, other picnic-goers enjoyed their meals in the Dorothy S. Hollinger Conservatory, Homeland Center’s signature space filled with greenery and water features. Even on this wet afternoon, daylight breaking through the clouds streamed through the glass walls and ceiling.

Homeland Center also holds picnics for residents in its Personal Care and Skilled Care units.

Mary Ballos enjoyed the picnic with her mother but was sorry the event had to move from Homeland’s breezy Chet Henry Memorial Pavilion. Mary said that on many of her visits with her mother, they go outside to the beautiful garden beside the pavilion.

“It’s pretty back there,” said Mary, who came to the picnic with her husband. “We look at the flowers. The lily of the valley smell so good.”

At Homeland, she said her mother’s favorite activities center around music.

“When I come in during the music programs, she’s always clapping her hands and being happy,” Mary said.

Volunteer Martha Morgan appreciated the picnic’s social aspect.

“Residents get a chance to be with their families,” she said. As a volunteer for about a year, Martha said the residents “have me laughing.”

“Homeland is so personable,” she said. “It’s a place for residents to live. Their family might not live in the area, so I just go in and sit and talk. I enjoy that, doing their nails and chitchatting.”

Among the picnic guests was Barbara Collins, who served as Homeland’s director of nursing for 13 years, until she retired in 2001. She started her career in nursing, left to raise her children, and returned to long-term care.

Barbara Collins and Ethel Boyer

Barbara Collins (L) and her mother Ethel Boyer enjoy their visit and the picnic

“It was a lot of fun,’’ Barbara said of her experiences working with residents. “They always have wonderful stories to tell you.”

Homeland stands out for the quality and quantity of its staffing, Barbara said. Staffers approach their tasks calmly and professionally, and their longevity is evident when Barbara walks in the door because she hired some of them.

“Everybody is friendly, and they care about the residents, which is so important,” she said. “I know so many of them, and I feel comfortable with them. Some of the nurses treat my mother like she’s their grandmother.”

Barbara’s 98-year-old mother, Ethel Boyer, has been a Homeland resident since 2011, starting with six years in personal care. Since moving to Ellenberger, staff members from personal care often come to visit.

“She loves it,” Barbara said. “It’s one happy family.” Her mother enjoys all the activities available, including an appearance by Elvis Presley impersonator Brad Crum.

Even though the picnic moved inside, Barbara said they were having a good time.

“Oh, we love the picnics,” agreed another guest, Sharon Haederer, who was visiting her aunt, Lorraine Boyanowski.

The picnic was fun, Ethel agreed. The big, delicious meal would put her to sleep, she knew, but “I sleep good,” she said. “Thank the Lord for that.”

Coming from a family of 12 children, Ethel was a middle child who helped take care of her brothers and sisters. She attended a one-room schoolhouse in Stoverstown, Pennsylvania, a little York County town “down in the valley,” just like the old song says. Her brothers played guitars and violins, while all the siblings sang the hymns they knew from church.

“I enjoy myself anywhere,” she said. “I try to make the best out of every situation. That’s the only way to live.”

Resident Spotlight: Joanne Creason recalls a life of movie theaters, golf, and kids

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Joanne CreasonJoanne Creason remembers working her father’s neighborhood movie theaters in Harrisburg. She did everything but run the projector – booking movies, selling tickets, working the concessions counter and keeping a close eye on the children attending the Saturday matinees.

“They could misbehave a little until I caught them,” she said.

Joanne lives in a Homeland Center personal care suite featuring a photo display of her eight children. The Harrisburg native has lived at Homeland for more than 4 years.

Growing up, she attended Harrisburg Catholic High School – now Bishop McDevitt. She loved her math classes, “which was unusual for a girl,” and was valedictorian of her 1937 graduating class.

Joanne was an only child, although her parents raised a cousin, one and a half years older, who was like a sister to her. Her father, Walter Yost, starting his theater business by buying one building and then built two more – the Grand, the Pennway, and the Roxy.

“He loved the theaters, and the closeness with the people,” she said.

Joanne’s mother, Agnes Yost, made hats for a milliner in Harrisburg before she married and often put her sewing skills to use in the family’s theater’s repairing seats.

“She could sew beautifully,” Joanne said, recalling the feathered hats she favored. “She was quite a seamstress. She had wonderful taste.”

A sample of her mother’s meticulous work hangs on the wall in Joanne’s room. Eight framed photos of children – six boys and two girls – dangle on fabric bell pulls adorned with tassels. The eight are Joanne’s children – David, John, Richard, Bob, Mary Lynn, Elizabeth, Jim, and Bill.

Joanne met her husband, Lynn Creason, when he was in the Army and took a wrong bus. His destination was supposed to be Indiantown Gap, but he realized he was going the wrong route. An avid golfer, when the bus passed the Colonial Country Club outside Harrisburg, he decided to take a look. He was in uniform, and members invited him to play.

At the course, he met Joanne, 20 at the time and a golfing enthusiast as well. They started talking, and Joanne liked the paratrooper’s brashness.

“My mother said I fell in love with his jump boots,” Joanne said, smiling.

Following Lynn Creason’s Army service the family returned to Harrisburg, where Joanne and Lynn worked for her father’s theater business.

Joanne also pursued her love of golf and was recognized as “one of the state’s top feminine golfers,” according to news accounts over about 20 years on the competitive circuit. She led a 1954 regional tournament with help from “one brilliant shot,” wrote a sports reporter.

“Choosing a 3-iron, she rifled a tremendous 160-yard hit dead to the pin,” the news story noted. “The ball hit the green, bounced once and rolled directly into the cup for an eagle-2. No other contestant in the tourney could better par-4 for the same hole.”

In her suite is a laminated photo from the August 3, 1952, Harrisburg Patriot-News in a year Joanne didn’t win the Harrisburg District Women’s golf championship. In the photo, she’s holding 7-week-old Jim while four of her other five children wave to her. “That’s OK Ma,” the caption is headed. “You’re still our champ.”

Today, the children and Joanne’s grandchildren live in the area and elsewhere, gathering for family get-togethers when they can.

Joanne likes life at Homeland.

“I’m able to do what I want,” she said. “The staff are just like family. If you need something, they’ll jump up and help.”

Employee recognition event celebrates relationships at the heart of Homeland Center

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Employee recognition eventCarmella “BJ” Williams promised she wouldn’t cry, but her co-workers spotted signs of tears as she accepted recognition for her 25 years of service to Homeland Center.

“Congratulations to all my staff in dietary and for all the teamwork at Homeland,” said the assistant director of nutritional services. “We pull together for the residents.’’

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Safety first and always: Homeland Center unveils new $700,000 emergency generator

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We are charged up!A steady drizzle on the heels of severe thunderstorms earlier in the week was a fitting backdrop as Homeland Center unveiled its new $700,000 emergency generator that will enhance the safety its 145 residents on May 17, 2018.

“We realized we had to, in the best of interest of our residents, become self-sustaining to the greatest degree that we possibly could,’’ said Barry Ramper II, Homeland’s President and CEO during a recent ceremony at Homeland Center in the Chet Henry Pavilion.

“Families trust us to care for their loved ones,’’ Ramper said. “That responsibility guides everything we do.’’

The new 500 kW generator and associated electrical upgrades replace Homeland’s more than 20-year-old generators and is large enough to allow for future expansion of the long-term care facility at its original Fifth Street site in Harrisburg.

Ramper thanked Dauphin County and Harrisburg officials, as well as the Kline Foundation, Wells Foundation and individual donors for the support that made the project possible.

Founded in 1867 and celebrating its 150th anniversary, Homeland is one of the few skilled nursing care facilities in the Central Pennsylvania region to earn the CMS Five-Star rating repeatedly. Homeland also is among only 15 percent of the more than 15,000 facilities nationwide to receive U.S News & World Report Best Nursing Homes 2017-18 – earning a perfect 5.0 rating two years in a row.

Safety first and always“It was great to see that U.S. News and World Report recognized what we all know, that Homeland is a top-notch facility,’’ said Dauphin County Commissioners’ Chairman Jeff Haste, who declared May 17 “Homeland Center Day in Dauphin County.’’

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse praised Homeland Center not only for the care it provides to its residents but also for its commitment to the neighborhood.

“Homeland committed to staying here and developing here and growing here,’’ said Papenfuse, who supported Homeland’s county grant application.

“This is a wonderful facility, providing such essential and important services to our community,’’ he said. “You all have been the rock of this neighborhood. As we look to the future, we celebrate our long, historical relationship and say ‘thank you’ to Homeland.’’

Resident Phoebe Berner thanked all those whose contributions made the new generator possible, which she said is vital to those who call Homeland home.

“Nothing could be more important than an emergency generator. All we need to do is think of the elevators, three meals a day for 145 residents, heating, the laundry and bathing, not to mention lights, refrigerators and computers,’’ Berner said. “We are more secure and safe than ever, and we thank you very much for your great contribution.’’

In keeping with its goal to meet the region’s needs, Homeland also offers services to help seniors wherever they call home.

Homeland HomeCare assists seniors with daily tasks such as meal preparation and transportation, while Homeland HomeHealth provides doctor-ordered medical assistance, ranging from providing intravenous therapy and other medications to physical therapy. Additionally, Homeland Hospice serves 14 of the midstate’s counties providing compassionate care for patients and families to make the most of their time together.

The new generator is only one of the ways Homeland Center is safeguarding its residents.

Homeland’s planning includes coordination with the county Emergency Management Department, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and the federal Department of Homeland Security. Homeland also is a member of the South Central PA Healthcare Coalition Long Term Care Subcommittee.

The fact that many of Homeland’s 255 staff members live within 10 blocks of the facility is a tremendous asset. Employees can quickly respond to an emergency, even when not on duty. Homeland is prepared to accommodate the staff’s children at the facility to keep personnel on hand around the clock in major emergencies.

Donald Schell, Vice Chair of Homeland Center’s Board of Trustees, said the new generator was essential to meet the facility’s current and future needs. In addition to providing quality care for residents, Schell said Homeland provides needed employment opportunities in uptown Harrisburg and has been a critical part of the neighborhood’s resurgence.

“It’s been exciting to me to see the changes that have occurred in the healthcare industry and be part of Homeland’s success in adjusting and meeting the needs of the people in the community and of our residents,’’ Schell said. “I think Homeland is probably one of the best-kept secrets in Central Pennsylvania.’’