Resident Kitty Deaven: Loving life at Homeland

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Is Kitty Deaven enjoying her time at Homeland?

“Oh, yes,” she said. “Yes, yes, yes, yes.”

Kitty loves everything about Homeland, and so do her daughters.

“It’s given us peace of mind not to worry about her,” said her eldest daughter, Judy Deaven, of Susquehanna Township.

Kitty came to Homeland on Memorial Day weekend this year and has settled comfortably into her bright suite overlooking one of Homeland’s picturesque courtyards. The décor is straight from the home she lived in for 74 years, with family photos and ceramics on the built-in shelves, a painting of a country church on the wall, and cow figurines lining the windowsill.

The cows recall Kitty’s time growing up on a farm near the village of Linglestown, in Lower Paxton Township. She was one of six children raised by a loving aunt and uncle and attended a one-room schoolhouse through fifth grade.

At a soda fountain off the Linglestown square, Kitty met Harold Deaven. He helped run the family farm, and his hardworking mother sold homegrown vegetables and homemade cottage cheese in her own downtown Harrisburg produce stand.

Harold was also a music lover who taught himself to play the clarinet, saxophone, and piano. They would go to Hershey Park Ballroom on their dates to see big-name acts such as singer Vaughn Monroe.

“It was so full that you couldn’t dance,” Kitty recalls.

Harold served in the U.S. Army, driving a coal truck in Japan and sending love letters home to Kitty. The two married in 1950 and built a house in Lower Paxton, raising two daughters, Judy and Renee.

In addition to tending the family farm, which included cattle, chickens, and turkeys, Harold worked full-time at the Olmsted Air Force Base. Kitty was active in the PTA and served as a Brownie troop leader.

Harold died in 2014, and Kitty stayed in the home they built until this year. Homeland was always Kitty’s choice for a continuing care community because her beloved uncle had lived here in the 1980s.

Kitty never forgot the attentive care her uncle received, and her daughter, Renee Edgett, said Homeland was the family’s first choice.

“It was always Homeland,” Renee said. “I don’t think there’s been a day that she’s been here that she’s sorry. She doesn’t even ask us what’s going on at home. She likes it here.”

Homeland staff helped the family apply and sort through finances. During a tour, President and CEO Barry Ramper II walked up and introduced himself.

Kitty chose the personal care suite adjacent to where her uncle had lived. After moving in, Kitty learned that her neighbor on the other side was a classmate from that one-room schoolhouse.

At Homeland, Kitty doesn’t miss a beat. She loves the food and the people, stays busy taking craft classes, and attends music sessions played by visiting guitarists and a harpist. Kitty said that the Homeland salon styled her hair so perfectly that she didn’t need a perm.

Kitty has four grandchildren. After a visit, one granddaughter contacted her mom, Judy.

“Don’t worry about Grammy,” Judy texted her mother. “She’s really happy. She’s different than I’ve seen her in the last several years. None of us have to worry about her.”

Homeland Palliative Care Enhances Continuum of Support

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A hallmark of a successful organization is its ability to evolve to meet the needs of its community. For more than 156 years, Homeland Center has structured its programming to meet the needs of its patients and their families. In 2022, Homeland started offering palliative care, a new and valuable outreach service, to provide a greater continuum of care for its patients. The addition of palliative care services helps patients with a serious illness have a better quality of life.

Palliative care may be appropriate if a patient suffers from pain, stress or other symptoms due to a serious illness. These diseases may include cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), liver disease, kidney disease, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), dementia, stroke, HIV/Aids and other serious illnesses. Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on a specific diagnosis, and can be provided along with curative treatment.

The goal of palliative care is to reduce and eliminate symptoms such as pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath, constipation, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite.

“Offering palliative care services is another critical line of support we can offer patients,” says Dr. David Wenner, Assistant Medical Director for Homeland Hospice. “This form of care often helps patients avoid emergency room visits due to uncontrolled symptoms and other issues related to the disease.”

Similar to Homeland’s other at-home services, palliative care can be administered any place a patient calls home. The convenience and comfort of receiving care at home has driven the demand for the creation of a palliative care program.

“For patients who are homebound because of a serious illness, this service brings them comfort,” says Hadiza Fox, a registered nurse practitioner at Homeland. “We provide our patients the highest quality of care in their personal space.”

“Each patient is unique and requires a personalized approach to care,” Dora Butler, a registered nurse practitioner at Homeland, adds. “The Homeland team works together, along with a patient’s other health care providers, to ensure that care is consistent, compassionate and individualized.”

In their roles with Homeland, Hadiza and Dora help patients with palliative care support. They work with each patient to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the patient’s medical condition as well as the needs of the family. They then set goals for the type of care needed to ensure the best quality of life possible.

Hadiza shares an example of when she met with a patient who was homebound and in significant pain. She evaluated the patient’s immediate need for symptom management and contacted the primary physician, pharmacy and insurance company. In one visit, she helped solve the patient’s immediate needs and addressed the ancillary concerns.

“I like to think we are the glue that holds the pieces of care together,” Hadiza says. “It is a privilege to help people when they need it most.”

Palliative care is sometimes mistaken for hospice care; however, they are not the same. Hospice care is provided at the end of life. Palliative care may be provided at any time during a person’s illness and is often offered to patients at the same time they are receiving potentially life-prolonging or curative treatments. Palliative care does not prevent patients from receiving other healthcare services, treatments or procedures.

Palliative care also helps patients and families better understand an illness and assists with complex medical decision-making. Central to palliative care is that a patient’s care team fully understands the patient’s goals and values, so they can make the best care choices possible. Homeland’s Palliative Care team consists of board-certified nurse practitioners, a licensed social worker and a physician medical director.

For more information on Homeland’s Palliative Care program or to request a consultation, call (717) 857-7403.

Homeland Infection Preventionist/ADON Latashia Simmons: Keeping residents safe

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Even as her job gets busier and she takes on more responsibilities, Latashia Simmons makes sure to spend time with Homeland Center’s residents.

“When I’m going around and seeing who needs vaccinations, that’s one way I can socialize,” she said. “I talk with the residents about movies or what they’re watching on TV. We talk about pets. Kids. Just anything.”

Latashia is a 13-year member of the Homeland family, recently promoted to the critical infection preventionist position. It’s a role she holds even as she continues as an assistant director of nursing, filling in when other ADONs go on vacation or take leave.

The infection prevention post opened in January 2024. At first, Latashia hesitated to apply because it meant adding more responsibilities to a plate already loaded with being ADON, earning her bachelor’s degree, and being a mom and wife.

She took the opportunity because she is a super-learner, always striving to build knowledge and reach the next career step. Infection prevention is a critical skill she’ll need if she decides to become a director of nursing someday.

“It is very, very challenging,” she said. “If there are some things I don’t know, I look to other resources to guide me.”

Sometimes, she’ll find the answer from other infection preventionists. She also knows she can turn to Homeland Director of Nursing Jennifer Tate-DeFreitas or President/CEO Barry Ramper II for help.

Latashia’s title describes her duties. If there is an infection case of any kind in a unit, she helps lead efforts to contain it and keep Homeland residents safe. She oversees vaccinations of all sorts — COVID, flu, pneumonia. She communicates with physicians and family members to receive clearances and ensure that appropriate care is delivered to each resident.

“The new project I’m working on is getting out shingle vaccines,” she said.

She expects to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing from U.S. University in 2025. Clinicals are coming soon, and she’s hoping to earn those field credits at Homeland.

Getting a bachelor’s degree is important to her.

“It’s always good to be more educated,” Latashia said. “In school, I’m writing a lot of papers on evidence-based practices, which ties into my work because a lot of the work in infection is evidence-based.”

Bulletins and news from the CDC and its Health Alert Network simplify staying on top of infection trends. From there, she maintains a never-ending learning loop to keep Homeland staff updated about infection-prevention practices.

“I try to stay out on the floors so people can see me and follow what I’m doing,” she said. “I try to set an example.”

Outside of work, Latashia’s four kids keep her busy. She is excited about becoming a first-time grandmother when her eldest son becomes a dad this summer.

Her 18-year-old son is taking an educational trip to Italy next year, which inspired an idea. She reached out and asked if family members could go. The answer was yes, so Latashia, her husband, and their two youngest children, ages 12 and 14, are going to Italy.

“I had to jump on that opportunity because I never really take time off,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to that.”

Latashia’s husband also works in the maintenance department at Homeland.

“He works the night shift, coming in at 7,” she said. “I do a lot of double shifts, so when I’m here until 11, I see him for a couple of hours.”

As she continues in her new role, Latashia expects to keep learning. As always, there’s one thing she loves about Homeland most of all.

“What I love is the residents,” she said. “I love socializing with them. They’re my family away from home.”

John Scunziano, Assistant Director of Dietary Services

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John Scunziano spent the first two decades of his career cooking for celebrities and high-end restaurants. Now that he’s cooking in health care, he says the work feels more meaningful.

“You’re going to have these residents three times a day, every day, no matter what,” he said. “They’re your biggest critics. You take what they say seriously. You look out for them like you’re cooking for your parents or your grandparents.”

Since joining the Homeland dietary department in early 2024, Scunziano has brought his knowledge of fresh foods and natural flavors to the kitchen – and a willingness to learn from the wisdom of residents and staff.

Scunziano, who grew up in Long Island with five older sisters, said he often cooked with his mother and grandmother, making sauce, meatballs, and pasta from scratch. His mother taught him to make cheesecake – which he has since honed to resident-favorite variations, including caramel shortbread, Oreo fudge, and pumpkin spice.

What’s the secret to a good cheesecake?

“Patience,” he said. “You’ve got to let it cook. Stop touching it. Stop checking on it. Use good cream cheese. Honestly, Philadelphia is the best. Your food is only as good as the ingredients.”

After graduating from culinary school, the next 25 years took him to hotels and restaurants all over Long Island and the Hamptons.

Doing every job that kitchens demanded, he found that cooking “ends up being the easy part.”

“You meet so many different personalities and people along the way,” he said. “I like figuring out how people work and how to work with them rather than trying to force them into a different way of working. There’s something to learn from everyone.”

There were 120-hour workweeks along the way, but he promised himself that he would shift gears if he ever married. That happened in 2000 when he married one of his sister’s friends. When their now 5-year-old daughter was born, he and his wife decided to leave New York and follow her parents to Ephrata.

In central Pennsylvania, Scunziano switched to working dietary and catering in large retirement settings.

“Working in health care, you’re more of a necessity,” he said. “You’re appreciated more because you’re not cooking for people with extra money to go out. They count on you for their lives.”

Moving to the Harrisburg area, he said Homeland offered the position – and environment – he wanted.

“There are people who’ve worked here for 20 or 25 years, so they must be doing something right to keep people here that long,” he said.

During his first weeks at Homeland, he listened to the residents and dietary team. Now, based on his experience, he is gradually introducing new menu items and processes.

Fresh foods and natural flavors are coming into play, such as honey for sweetening instead of sugar. There are fresh crab cakes and braised meats. Scalloped potatoes are made from scratch. The annual summer picnic featured fresh sweet corn.

“When you’re surrounded by farmland, if you’re not using fresh vegetables, it’s kind of a slap in the face,” he said.

Resident requests guide menu decisions.

“At this point in their lives, food is very much a comfort,” Scunziano said, adding he appreciates feedback. “It’s more than sustenance. It’s a social activity. It’s something they can look forward to. They like to know somebody’s listening to them.”

Scunziano can always tell when residents enjoy the day’s menu selection because requests decline for a grilled cheese or hamburger from the backup menu. At Homeland, it’s about committing to quality food that supports quality of life.

“When the food’s good and they’re anticipating it, residents are more excited about coming in for their meals,” he said. “Everyone here genuinely cares about the residents and their health, happiness, and well-being.”

Called to Serve Others: Meet Volunteer Coordinator Tamara Jaroszewski

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As a young woman, Tamara Jaroszewski of Harrisburg experienced the profound impact of hospice services when her sister died of breast cancer at age 40. For Tamara, hospice work became a beacon of hope and inspiration. She felt called to help patients during their end-of-life journey. Her call was recently answered when she joined Homeland’s Hospice team as the volunteer coordinator. Homeland Hospice, a nonprofit hospice program, serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

“I proudly do this work in honor of my sister,” Tamara says. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Tamara joined Homeland after working as a volunteer coordinator for a large hospice organization that served a sizable region. Her work with Homeland gives Tamara the opportunity to build relationships with patients and their families and the dedicated cadre of hospice volunteers. Homeland’s life-changing work is made possible by volunteers who share their time and compassion with others. From working directly with patients to helping with administrative tasks, volunteers are the lifeblood of the organization.

“I am getting to know our volunteers personally,” Tamara adds. “I am overwhelmed by their kindness and dedication to our work.”

Many volunteers find personal satisfaction from the relationships formed through patient visits. Often, patients think of volunteers as an extension of their family. Tamara helps support these relationships and assists volunteers to ensure they feel supported in their roles. When a volunteer returned to her scheduled patient visits after a reprieve to grieve the death of her father, Tamara was by her side.

“I knew her first visit back could be difficult,” Tamara says. “We approached it as a team.”

While Tamara has been with Homeland for only a few months, she is impressed by the longevity of service and creativity volunteers bring to their work. Many individuals have dedicated years to the organization and continue to raise their hands to take on new and different projects to bring comfort to patients and their families.

Tamara is excited to see more people participate in My Life, My Legacy, which gives hospice patients an opportunity to tell their life story to a volunteer who records the responses and allows the family to add their thoughts and recollections, as well as photographs. The end result is a printed book for the patient to help him/her find peace, and pride in his/her life story. The book also helps families preserve memories after their loved one dies.

“The books are beautifully written,” Tamara adds. “Our volunteers put their heart and souls into these projects and it shows.”

As Tamara grows in her tenure with Homeland, she looks forward to shepherding new projects as they evolve to benefit patients. For her, each day is a new and wonderful opportunity to build on Homeland’s rich history of service.

“You know when you are in the right place,” Tamara says. “I feel I was destined to do this work.”

For more information on volunteer opportunities with Homeland Hospice, call Tamara at (717) 221-7890.

Artist Nicole Simmons: Evoking Joy Through Painting

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Nicole Simmons was hanging her artwork in Homeland’s sunny Florida Room Gallery when a resident came by.

“Ooh, look at the pretty pictures,” the resident said. “They are so beautiful.”

That was music to Simmons’ ear. As a self-taught artist who recently discovered her love for painting, she loves connecting with people who express their appreciation.

“I like hearing that people get something out of it,” she said.

Simmons is the artist for the summer 2024 edition of the Community Gallery Initiative. Through the initiative, the Art Association of Harrisburg matches local artists with exhibit spaces at area businesses and facilities, rotating the exhibits quarterly.

Initially, Simmons thought she’d try painting as a new hobby. Five years after graduating from Gettysburg College with a degree in political science and a minor in Spanish, she became curious about the “paint and sip” trend.

“As soon as my brush hit the canvas, I thought, ‘This is awesome.’”

Initially, Simmons expected to work in cartooning and animation, but experienced artists suggested that she get a grounding in portraits and painting techniques first.

“So, I kind of went on a tangent, and I’ve been on that tangent ever since,” she said.

Today, Simmons works as a fundraising researcher and strategist at Dickinson College. Art is her creative expression outlet. She paints in a studio in her recently refurbished basement, experimenting with media and techniques.

Texture and subtle collage are evident in the pieces brightening the Homeland hallway. Her mixed-media pieces might blend plaster, collage, and acrylics. One painting of birch trees was created with oil paint and cold wax. for a cake-frosting look that inspired its title, “Frosty Twilight.”

Simmons primarily learned to paint from YouTube videos, online classes, and through the Art Association of Harrisburg.

For her Homeland show, Simmons brought two collections featuring butterflies and birch trees. The butterfly collection emerged from her memories of catching butterflies as a child. As she painted, she recognized that butterflies also represented her transformation into an artist.

“I chose butterflies as a fun thing to do, but after a while, I realized that butterflies have a deeper meaning for me,” she said. “They change. They’re metamorphosis.”

Hikes with her husband through the wilds of Pennsylvania and Colorado inspired her birch tree paintings.

“I love the visual texture of birch trees,” she said. “It resonated with what I was trying to do.”

While this is Simmons’ first Community Gallery Initiative showing, the Art Association of Harrisburg has included her paintings in group exhibits. She also had a solo show at the Wheel of Light studio in Halifax. Simmons sells her work at www.nicolesimmonsart.com

“I prefer putting out things that inspire happiness and joy in people,” she said. “Naturally, there’s a place in art for the more pensive pieces, and I appreciate them, but my creative process is so joyful and brings me a lot of satisfaction that I want to pass it on.”

Showing at Homeland feels like the perfect fit.

“I love bringing my work to this space,” she said. “Residents might see them and remember their own experiences, when they took a hike or were catching butterflies.”

As to where her art goes next, Simmons is “kind of at a crossroads.” She’s thinking of returning to portraitures but still loves playing with texture, so she’s trying to figure out how all the pieces fit.

“Lately, I’ve been inspired by light and shadow and how to render warm and cool light,” she said. “Color temperature and color theory is what I’ll dive into next.”

Learning always drives the look and feel of her work.

“Art is constantly a learning experience, and I think that’s part of why I love art so much,” Simmons said. “There’s always something to learn. People say I should be a professional artist, but I love being a learner and student. It’s so freeing to experiment and try things. You’re not beholden to the same style.”