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.”
By Kristine Crockett, RN, CHPN, Director of Homeland Hospice and Homeland Palliative Care. Kristine has been providing compassionate end-of-life care as a hospice nurse for more than 25 years and
Art Wiand grew up in a family-oriented atmosphere, which is why he felt at home the first time he set foot in Homeland. “It’s one big happy family,” he said.
Stored neatly in boxes and ready for delivery, school supplies fill a corner of Tracey Jennings’ office. “Altogether, we have about 30 bookbags,” Jennings said. “We have a ton of spiral notebooks. Looseleaf paper, crayons, pencils, highlighters, pencil cases, folders,
The smell of warm chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven or lilacs blooming in mid-spring signifying summer is on its way. Scents can trigger a flood of memories from our past. Often the memories come back to us
When Tammy Wiser announced that she was leaving her previous employer to work at Homeland Center, her company’s HR director responded surprisingly. “I can’t even ask you to try to stay,” the HR director said. “Everyone who goes there never
Sipping a Coke float delivered by a kind Homeland Center aide, Betty Hungerford shared why life is better in a top-rated continuing care retirement community. “When you reach a certain age, you’re better off in a place like Homeland than
By Barbara Goll, Community Education Liaison and Nutritionist For most of us, Alzheimer’s disease is not a topic we like to think about or discuss. We fear the word and diagnosis when we hear it. This doesn’t have to be our perception of the illness. June is Alzheimer’s disease and
Challenging times can bring out the best or worst in people. Some individuals focus on problems and uncontrollable circumstances, while others find opportunities to share their compassion with others. Laurie Murry, volunteer coordinator for Homeland Hospice, works to find and spread light in the darkest of times. During COVID-19, her
“We’re going to the beach today,” Dr. Roxane Hearn told a group of Homeland Center residents. Sure enough, the residents went to the beach. Mentally, at least, they wiggled their toes in warm sand. More importantly, they created calm places for mental getaways and for replacing stressful thoughts with happy
It wasn’t always easy for Clyde Johnson, but after a lifetime of service to community, church, and country, he is happy to be at Homeland Center. “They treat me just like a king,” he says. “I can’t even describe it.” Clyde, the fourth of 11 children, grew up in Reedsville,
In the United States, nearly 68 million people have hypertension, which is commonly called high blood pressure. If not treated, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure and kidney disease. With one in three people impacted by this disease, understanding its causes and treatment is
We all need human connections, especially during the journey of grief. A smile or caring embrace from individuals in our support network can provide us courage to share our most intimate feelings of loss, and give us the strength to believe in a better tomorrow. The impact of social distancing
The last Monday in May is recognized as Memorial Day, a special time to remember soldiers lost in wars and conflicts. Small towns hold parades and families come together for picnics. As a country, the president or vice president lays a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of
At Homeland, even the heroes on the frontlines and in core services need inspiration to get through hectic days. Fortunately, they have heroes of their own to turn to, in the form of four chaplains and a wellness adviser. While Homeland Center’s stringent actions are protecting residents from COVID-19, leadership
Despite being raised in Brooklyn, one of Lee Spitalny’s fondest memories is riding horses when she was a girl. “There was a bridle path in one area,” Lee says. “My friend and I would take a bus dressed in our jodhpurs and boots, feeling very ‘la-di-da.’ We would ride around
Major Henry “Hank” Heim planned every detail of his funeral. Similar to the funeral of President John F. Kennedy, Hank wanted his final farewell to represent valor, honor and duty with representation from active service members. For Hank, his funeral would be a love-letter to the country he honored and
