Tag Archive for: Employee Spotlight

In the height of the lunch rush, Registered Dietitian Meghan Sechler popped into the Homeland kitchen to ask the cook to make a special sandwich for a new resident.

“And she did it,” Sechler said. “She actually did it for me.”

Plus, she adds, “We have a really good kitchen here. We prepare a lot of food from scratch. I try to pass compliments on to the cooks whenever I can.”

Since joining the Homeland team in 2018, with one break for the birth of her daughter, Sechler has built a community of supportive colleagues who all pitch in for the well-being of the residents.

As a registered dietitian, Sechler is responsible for assessing and maintaining the dietary health of skilled care and Ellenberger memory care residents. Her first bachelor’s degree, from Penn State Harrisburg, was in marketing, but she didn’t have a passion for the work.

With her love for cooking and healthy food, she decided to switch careers after talking with a cousin who was a dietitian. Inspired to help others, she earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in nutrition from Penn State.

At Homeland, her work touches the lives of every resident in skilled care and Ellenberger memory care, and she’s happy to help any personal care resident with their questions or needs.

Her primary duty is conducting quarterly assessments, reviewing the full range of health and dietary factors needed to create a plan for nutritious and enjoyable eating. There are weight, medications, supplements, diagnoses, speech and occupational therapies, activity levels, wound care, and appetite to consider.

The result? Individualized nutrition plans that help residents maintain their weight, build muscle, eat well, and get helpful supplements.

“It’s like putting together pieces of a puzzle,” she said.

Sechler passed the rigorous exam needed to become a registered dietitian – anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, she notes – but not after knocking over a hand-sanitizer dispenser in her nervousness. Working early in her career in Homeland’s kitchen helped her answer many of the nutrition questions.

Working with the entire Homeland team, she plays a key role in maintaining the residents’ quality of life.

“It’s such a warm, welcoming environment,” she said. “My supervisor provides all the resources I need. I feel like I have the time I need to complete assessments correctly. I can go home and know that my job is complete for the day.”

On a fun note, Sechler is happy to tell family members that it’s okay to bring in their loved one’s favorite foods, within the boundaries of dietary plans. What do they bring?

“Cookies a lot,” she said. “Usually dessert-y and snack-y. I saw someone carrying a whole pizza to share with his dad and his dad’s roommate.”

The residents are a source of delight and “so fun to work with,” Sechler added. They teach her patience. She is awestruck by their stories of childhood, careers, and families.

“They show me what a lifetime can amount to,” she said. “They make me laugh all the time. You really build bonds with them. They almost become another set of grandparents. I love to see them interacting in the activities.”

Sechler grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Plymouth Meeting. Her parents were government aerospace contractors, so Take Your Child to Work Day was always an adventure, with visits from astronauts and the opportunity to see satellites being built.

Sechler and her husband, Wil, met at a friendsgiving gathering at Penn State Harrisburg. They married in September 2019, just before the pandemic, and eventually enjoyed a honeymoon in the Bahamas.

Their daughter Adeline, nicknamed Addy, is 20 months old. She was still a baby for her first Homeland trick-or-treat night, coming dressed as an avocado while her mom was a taco and her husband was a chef. Ironically, the daughter of a registered dietitian doesn’t like vegetables, but she eats fruit and is a fiend for seafood, especially shrimp.

From her office overlooking Homeland’s greenery-filled Kunkel Circle at the 6th Street entrance, Sechler noted the remarkable longevity of Homeland’s staff and the support they provide each other, from bringing in food to sharing Secret Santa gifts.

“So many people have been here for so long,” she said. “It’s very much like a family. A lot of workplaces will say that they’re family and good places to work, but you can tell that they don’t care. Here, here you feel cared about.”

Homeland Center (www.homelandcenter.org) offers levels of care including personal care, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Homeland also provides hospice, home care, home health and palliative care services to serve the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania. For more information or to arrange a tour, please call 717-221-7900.

Antonia Gomez chose a career as a Certified Nursing Assistant because she loves helping people.

“That’s my biggest thing,” she said. “Even outside of Homeland, I’m always helping friends, family, everybody.”

In her 14 years at Homeland Center, Gomez formed friendships with residents and colleagues and experienced the many ways a CNA can help residents live their best lives — and give family members confidence in the care their loved ones receive.

As a transportation CNA, Gomez plays a vital role in ensuring that residents can attend medical appointments, family gatherings, and their favorite restaurants – all the things that matter to the quality of life.

Gomez contacted four nursing facilities after passing her CNA exam, and Homeland was the first to respond.

“God knew what he was doing,” she said of the offer to work at Homeland. “It was a blessing.”

She started on the second floor in skilled care before being promoted to lead CNA. A couple of years later, Gomez began working as a restorative aide, helping residents maintain their mobility. Like her fellow Homeland colleagues, she found opportunities to grow and develop.

When she was offered the transportation CNA role in December, she learned to drive the Homeland van. Her work combines outside transport with her familiar CNA duties, such as helping residents use the bathroom or transferring out of a wheelchair while they’re in a doctor’s office.

Along with Transportation Coordinator Michael Quinones, Gomez ensures that residents participate in activities important to them, such as family birthday parties. When a resident was upset because a last-minute glitch prevented her son from taking his mom to a planned dinner, Gomez called on her Homeland colleagues for help finding alternative transportation.

“She was so happy,” she said. “She was so appreciative. That made her day.”

Even before taking on her new role, Gomez would help the Homeland Activities Department transport residents on fun excursions to restaurants and events. On one trip, she took a resident to Towson, MD.

“We went to the Cheesecake Factory,” she said. “We had such a ball. It was just me and her. She’d never been to a Cheesecake Factory, so we went together. We built a good relationship, and I’m really close to her family.”

When she’s not transporting residents, she will help CNAs with their floor work.

“Everybody at Homeland is family-oriented,” she said. “We all get along and joke around. Mike Quinones always gives me an encouraging word. He lets me know I’m doing a good job.”

Gomez has two children: a 12-year-old boy – “He kind of grew up at Homeland” – and a 17-year-old daughter who is considering a career in nursing.

When Gomez is not busy with kids and work, she enjoys day trips, even if it means driving a few hours for a meal or to shop along a seashore boardwalk.

She loves getting to know Homeland residents and asking about their stories. With one resident who never talks, she communicates with pictures and expressions.

“I recently went to go see him, and I gave him a hug, and he said ‘hi’ back,” she said. “That made me cry. I get chills just thinking about that.”

Building relationships helps make a difference for the residents. “You treat them like your family.”

Homeland Center (www.homelandcenter.org) offers levels of care including personal care, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Homeland also provides hospice, home care, home health and palliative care services to serve the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania. For more information or to arrange a tour, please call 717-221-7900.

Jarrett Hoy didn’t know what to expect from his internship with Homeland Center’s dietary department, but he knew immediately he was in for a pleasant experience. 

“When I got here, I didn’t know anybody, and people would say ‘good morning’ with a smile,” Hoy said. “I did not get the vibe of people just being here to do their job and go home. They genuinely care about everybody here.”  

Hoy is a student at Messiah University in his final year of a five-year combined bachelor’s/master’s degree program in nutrition and dietetics. His internship at Homeland Center introduced him to the intricacies of providing nutritious, tasty meals customized to each resident’s medical needs and preferences.  

A native of Halifax in northern Dauphin County, Hoy initially planned a career in physical therapy and worked in the field for several years after earning an associate’s degree from Central Penn College.  

Five weeks off work due to COVID gave him time to rethink physical therapy as his chosen profession, and he decided to make a change after hearing good things about Messiah’s nutrition program. While attending classes, he knew he was in the right field after working in a Wegman’s pharmacy and seeing staff dietitians help shoppers make healthy meals and stretch their dollars. 

Hoy’s master’s program requires internships in diverse settings, and Homeland introduced him to the critical contribution of nutrition to the lives and health of residents in a continuing care retirement community. The Homeland dietary team gave him access to the extensive daily preparation needed for every meal.  

He attended care plan meetings, seeing how staff coordinates care and keeps families informed about their loved ones. 

“It was interesting to see how many meal choices residents have,’’ Hoy said. “It shows how far Homeland goes to ensure people are comfortable.” 

His time working in physical therapy taught Hoy how to build rapport with patients, and at Homeland he refined those skills while interviewing residents about their treatment plans. He learned to go beyond standard checklist questions to find the “why,” such as whether a loss of appetite could indicate a medical condition. 

Hoy also witnessed the extensive checks and balances that ensure each resident receives the prescribed diet, appropriately prepared – and was surprised at the variety of meals available.  

He said that food choice and expert preparation are also crucial to help residents who aren’t eating enough. 

“How can we get this person to eat? How can we make it palatable to them?’’ he said. “Pureed diets are necessary to be safe in some cases. How can we make it taste better, or how can we provide a supplement? How can we make it safe and meet a resident’s preferences?”  

Interning at Homeland was a great experience, Hoy said. “If I ever had any questions, I could pretty much ask anybody.”  

Hoy expects to graduate in May 2025 and earn his registered dietitian credential. He said his time at Homeland instilled a greater appreciation for the diligence and collaboration needed to fuel a top-quality dietary department. 

“There are always people checking on the residents and asking if there’s anything they can do for them,’’ Hoy said. “It’s a really good environment for everyone.” 

Homeland Center offers levels of care including personal care, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Homeland also provides hospice, home care, home health and palliative care services to serve the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania. For more information or to arrange a tour, please call 717-221-7900.