In the early 2000s, Nancy VanKirk’s mother and stepfather lived at Homeland Center. From the attentive care they received, VanKirk knew that Homeland would be her home when the time
Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one knows the journey through grief doesn’t have a timeline. Memories can flood our minds at inopportune moments at the grocery
Kristine (Kris) Crockett, RN, CHPN, Director of Homeland Hospice and Homeland Palliative Care, approaches life with an open mind, always looking for opportunities to serve others. For more than 25
When Homeland Employee Wellness Coordinator Roxane E. Hearn, PhD sees Homeland Center staff wearing scrubs that have grown baggy from weight loss, it warms her heart. “You see them moving faster,” she said. “They say they’re not as tired on
A love connection often begins at the most unexpected time. An ordinary day can be the start of an extraordinary relationship. Call it destiny or luck, 40 years ago on a cold and wintry day, Phil Talarico saw his now
After 65 years of marriage, Loretta Colestock lost her husband to Alzheimer’s in 2015. It was a challenging time. In the years after his death, she got tired of rambling around alone in the house, but she also wanted to
“Time to crown the king and queen!” Every prom needs a king and queen, and Carl Barna and Loretta Colestock entered like royalty – which they were! The first Homeland Masquerade Senior Prom was underway. Created by the Homeland Activities
The words were in her heart and head. They were formed over a 24-month journey of caring for her father before his death and grieving his loss after his passing. Pattie Craumer of Mechanicsburg gave her words life in a short story published in June in Chicken Soup for the
By Barbara Goll, Community Liaison Educator and Nutritionist Most polls consistently show that people fear losing their memory and mind more than anything else, even death. Our brains are the very essence of our very being. Today, 5.3 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and we are predicted to
Since 1867, Homeland Center has been committed to meeting the ever-changing needs of the community. In keeping with this tradition, Homeland HomeHealth and Homeland HomeCare were established five years ago to provide a continuum of services for patients and their families using a team-approach, which places patients at the center
Judy Hess has lovely memories of childhood in Hershey, named for the famous chocolate company where her father worked in the Hershey Foods power plant. She would see the renowned founder — Milton Hershey — driving around town. “Mr. Hershey believed that everything he did was for his workers,” she
As you or a loved one are nearing the end-of-life, physical symptom and pain relief is essential but it’s only a part of Homeland Hospice’s overall healthcare approach. Helping patients and their families manage the emotional and mental aspect of this poignant journey, through spiritual counseling, is part of Homeland’s
Homeland Center’s personalized Restorative Nursing Program assures that Skilled Care residents realize their full potential and enjoy the best possible quality of life. “We focus on their unique needs,” says Roseann Comarnitsky, director of the Homeland Restorative Nursing Program. “They are all individuals that we respect.” Comprehensive Restorative Nursing Programs
It has been said that life comes full circle. For Dann Caldwell, chaplain for Homeland Center and Homeland Hospice, the loop he began as an intern with Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area (CCU) has closed with his recent appointment to serve as president of the organization’s board of
Meet Carol and Clyde Cressler After 57 years of marriage, Carol and Clyde Cressler of Mechanicsburg know how to bring out the best in one another. They laugh at each other’s jokes, share similar passions and take on life’s challenges as a team. When Clyde was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
As a hospice medical assistant, Tommi Paynter saw the best in people. She recalls a family in the all-white town of Gloucester, New Jersey, where most residents “would not appreciate a Black person coming into their town.” “This woman and her family were so sweet,” she says. “Her daughter, she
Even at her busiest, Bethany Traxler intuitively knows when it’s time to slow down and give a Homeland resident a listening ear. “It’s natural to readjust yourself at that moment,” says the Homeland Center Assistant Director of Activities. “You can be so caught up in the hustle and bustle, but
