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
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
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
Maggie Kirsch can’t name a single incident that exemplifies her beautiful experiences at Homeland. “All the little ones make up for one big one,” she said. “Everybody is so kind, considerate, and caring here that I can’t honestly say there’s
Shelly Lipscomb Echevarria has a gift for seeing the spectrum of colors in a blue sky. The skies in her paintings shimmer in blue, green, gold, red, and orange. “I like painting the skies,” she said as she hangs her
Carl Barna is looking over the Homeland vegetable garden when he spots a tomato, ripe and red. “Oh, my gosh,” he said. “Did you see that? Look at that. Holy cow.” Carl is a lifelong gardener who never ceases to
Titles of skill are not given. They are earned from hard work and perseverance. For Sharon Clark of Harrisburg, the title “Queen of the Camper” was bestowed upon her by her sister as Sharon found inner-strength during her yearlong journey
By Barbara Goll, Community Liaison Educator and Nutritionist Loneliness affects more than 42 million older Americans according to the American Psychological Association. While living alone does not inevitably lead to loneliness, it can be a contributing factor. Social contact typically decreases with age due to retirement, spouse and friends dying
By Lewis E. Silverman My father-in-law died three years ago in June. The final weeks leading up to his passing were particularly challenging in terms of providing for his needs. Thankfully, my wife and I were able to find and engage the services of an area hospice. I came away
Julia Marburger was always the woman whose home was open to everyone. “She raised five boys on her own, which is amazing,” says her daughter-in-law, Sharon Marburger. “Her home became the little hub of the neighborhood. Everybody was always at her house.” In a virtual sense, Julia is still welcoming
When the COVID-19 virus sidelined Lin Roussel’s work as a Homeland Hospice massage therapist, she became a temperature screener at Homeland Center, ensuring no incoming employees had a fever — a potential coronavirus symptom. “I always heard from people that they love Homeland,” she says. “Now that I’m at Homeland
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
