In this issue:
Culinary Apprenticeship at Ohio Living
Mount Pleasant has the Recipe for Success
Enter the Next Phase of Memory Care Transformation Throughout the State pg. 6
Cut a Rug with the Summer Concert Series at Ohio Living Breckenridge Village pg. 8 And so much more!
Ohio Living Mount Pleasant and Sinclair Community College launched a culinary apprenticeship program in the fall of 2022 that combines on-the-job training and job-related instruction. Through the apprenticeship, students take courses at Sinclair Community College while gaining valuable “real world” culinary experience at Ohio Living Mount Pleasant. The program is part of more than a dozen approved by ApprenticeOhio that aims to bridge the gap between secondary education and the workforce.
“Strong partnerships allow Sinclair Community College to strengthen its efforts to provide the essential education and hands-on training
students need to succeed on the job,” said Chad Bridgman, Director – Sinclair Community College Office of Work-Based Learning. “Sinclair Community College is proud to partner with ApprenticeOhio and Ohio Living as we work together to build a skilled workforce.”
Since its launch, the culinary apprenticeship program has welcomed two apprentices, Blake Leonard of Middletown, Ohio, and Caleb Hollister of Trenton, Ohio. Barb Chappell, an Ohio Living Mount Pleasant resident and Ohio Living Foundation donor, generously donated scholarship support for both young men to participate. The scholarships cover tuition, books,
Pictured left to right: Caleb Hollister, Chad Bridgman, Stan Kappers
fees and paid work hours, and in return, the employee apprentices commit to working at Ohio Living for two years after graduation.
“It’s just the way I was brought up – if there is a need and you can help, you do it,” Chappell explained. “I have been here since 2008, and every year, I give a donation to support the great work of the Ohio Living Foundation. When I learned about the culinary apprenticeship program, I was excited to be part of it and help a young person with their career.”
Chappell continued, “I have to share a neat story too. In all the years I have been here, I have never
seen liver and onions on the menu, but growing up, I loved this dish. One night, I saw it being offered and ordered it for delivery. Wouldn’t you know, Caleb, who is one of the culinary apprentices, delivered it to my home! I was so tickled to meet him and introduce myself. He was so kind and shared what he was learning in school and how he’s putting it to use in the kitchen. It was really fulfilling for me to see how my gift was making a difference in his life.”
For more information about how you can support Ohio Living’s Workforce Investment Strategy, email us at giving@ohioliving.org.
It was really fulfilling for me to see how my gift was making a difference in his life.
-Barb Chappell
When Sinclair Community College and Ohio
Living announced this apprenticeship program last year, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I am looking forward to building my skills while doing something that I love. -Caleb Hollister
For several years, Ohio Living has received the coveted Great Place to Work™ distinction from Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture. While so much effort goes into creating and sustaining a thriving work environment, one of the differentiators Ohio Living executes especially well is holistic employee support. Ohio Living WestminsterThurber takes it one step further with its Employee Focus Fund, a fund that makes innovative employee support programs at Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber possible. The Employee Focus Fund supports staff training and development, employee recognition and incentive programs, and it provides meaningful financial support for critical items like transportation, housing and food stability.
“Caring for our teammates is a big deal for us,” explained Sydney McBride, executive director, Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber. “If we can help them, even with aspects of their social and personal lives outside of work, we can impact employee retention, which benefits our residents as well as our staff. A few years ago, one of our residents had the great idea to explore a public transportation bus pass program for our employees. We conducted a survey to better understand the need, and we learned that many of them utilized Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) buses to come to work. As a result, we partnered with the Ohio Living Foundation to create the COTA Bus Pass program.”
The COTA Bus Pass program rolled out in October 2021, and provides free monthly COTA bus passes to any Ohio Living WestminsterThurber employee in need. To date, more than 459 monthly bus passes have been distributed through the program to 68 Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber employees. Notably, the program has been supported entirely by
contributions from residents within the Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber community.
Feedback is regularly solicited through surveys and one-on-one conversations with program participants to ensure the program’s success. Since its launch, some employees have requested a pass each month, while others have participated on a temporary basis.
It is really fulfilling to know we’re able to provide relief for our employees by addressing the critical need of transportation through this program.
-Sydney McBride
“We opted to give our employees a 31-day, unlimited pass,” said McBride. “We know that they are using the unlimited bus pass not only to travel to and from work, but also to get groceries, complete errands and visit their families. It is really fulfilling to know we’re able to provide relief for our employees by addressing the critical need of transportation through this program.”
Ohio Living team member waits for a COTA bus
Terry McCabe, a team member from the Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber housekeeping team shared, “The bus pass is great, and I use it every day to get to work. I also use it for dentist appointments, and other errands, and it saves me money. I live by myself and would be so isolated if I didn’t have the bus pass to use to visit my sister and her family.”
By alleviating the barrier of transportation for some Ohio Living WestminsterThurber staff, the COTA Bus Pass program also serves as an employee retention tool. Research has shown that workplace incentives and appreciation programs not only increase job satisfaction, but also lead to higher employee retention rates. Ultimately, employee retention benefits residents, who receive higherquality, consistent care from experienced employees who enjoy coming to work every day.
To learn more about how you can contribute to similar employee engagement and care efforts through Ohio Living Foundation’s Workforce Investment initiative, email us at giving@ohioliving.org.
For the past five years, Irene Butler has called Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber home, where she’s known as a social butterfly, has served as president of the community’s Resident Association, and currently serves as chair of the Dining Committee. A desire to build comradery with others sparked her transition to independent living, following the passing of her husband, William. Decades prior, her mother also resided at the Columbus-based community. Irene has a nursing background and caring spirit, along with a passion for workforce development and employee support that stems from her own experience of career advancement, because of these types of programs. During her working days, a tuition reimbursement program offered by her company enabled her to become a registered nurse, which recharted her professional path.
“I am so grateful for the scholarship programs that allowed me to complete my nursing education in steps,” recounted Butler. “I started out at age 17, as a nurse’s aide. With the help of a mentor and some funding from my employer at the time, I became an LPN. From there, with a scholarship, I was able to obtain my associate degree. Finally, when I was 40, the hospital where I worked asked if I would precept nursing students, and in exchange, I could attend classes on the weekend and receive my bachelor’s in nursing (BSN). I am a proud graduate from Capital University!”
This meaningful personal experience inspired Irene to make a bequest commitment to support the Ohio Living WestminsterThurber Workforce Investment Fund, which is aimed at creating and sustaining a talented, innovative workforce through continuing education, scholarships, tuition assistance and certifications. Her generosity will no doubt have a ripple effect on an Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber team member’s life and professional path. “We have many wonderful employees in all fields here,” said Butler. “I welcome the opportunity to give them the same type of ‘hand up’ that I was given.”
In addition to her bequest commitment, Butler has also designated funds to leave for her family. Additionally, she makes regular annual gifts to support various needs in the community, like the Humane Society, and to enhance the lives of Ohio Living WestminsterThurber residents. For example, over the holidays, she made a gift so that assisted living residents could have a gift-wrapping station and financially contributed to the purchase of a waffle iron for independent living’s Sunday Brunch. An avid animal lover, she also gave a gift to cover the cost of food and veterinary care for the campus’s two pet cats, Sherlock and Watson.
For more information or questions about bequest commitments, please visit ohioliving.org/foundation or call 614.888.7800.
Ohio Living’s transformational, multi-year effort to enhance memory care throughout the organization continues. The first phase was the creation of Memory Care Centers of Excellence at eight of its life plan communities. Moving forward, the transformation involves implementation of The Hearthstone Institute’s “I’m Still Here” philosophy and approach, which focuses on creating meaningful engagement and hope through programs designed specifically for those living with dementia. At the culmination of the rollout, these state-of-the-art, evidence-based programs will be expanded for Ohio Living residents in all levels of living, from memory care to home health and hospice.
Donors have enabled the memory care program’s expansion, and to-date, six Ohio Living communities have completed Phase 1 of the initiative, including Ohio Living Breckenridge Village, Dorothy Love, Llanfair, Mount Pleasant, Swan Creek and Westminster-Thurber. Ohio Living Quaker Heights, which refreshed its memory care center in 2023 thanks to the generosity of many donors, is currently undergoing Phase 1 education and training. The newly renovated center offers a homelike environment with private bedrooms, shared living areas, dining room, activity/engagement areas, and access to a secure outdoor space to support person-centered care and relationships among residents, their families and caregivers.
Refreshed memory care area at Ohio Living Quaker Heights
Huntington Bank is partnering with Ohio Living to invest $100,000 in the senior living provider’s Workforce Investment Strategy. An array of employee-focused programs and resources are earmarked to be funded through the charitable gift, from solutions for caregiver and childcare assistance to transportation. The gift marks the first $100,000 corporate donation to the Ohio Living Foundation and aligns with Huntington Bank’s core giving areas of focus: community revitalization and stabilization, community services, affordable housing, economic and community development, and racial/social equity.
Dana Ullom-Vucelich, Chief Human Resources Officer, shared, “We have had strong success in building great culture at Ohio Living. We have received Great Place To Work™ national designation for six consistent years, and Fortune’s Top 25 Best Workplaces in Aging Services for five years. In addition to
Phase 2 of the memory care transformation, known as the Engaged Life initiative, is the next step, and Ohio Living Mount Pleasant is the first Ohio Living pilot community. The second phase aims to extend excellence in memory care to meet the needs of the changing, growing population in independent living and assisted living. Up to 35% of independent and assisted living residents have some level of dementia.
Through Phase 2, residents living with dementia and those interested in maintaining their brain health are involved in social clubs and learning opportunities through classes and committees. In doing so, the dementia continuum expands and extends aging-in-place best practices to assist with creating a dementia-friendly environment through education, understanding and shared experiences.
“We are blessed that Ohio Living Mount Pleasant was chosen as the pilot community for the second phase of the “I’m Still Here” memory care philosophy,” said Stan Kappers, executive director, Ohio Living Mount Pleasant. “As staff, we have seen and experienced the tangible impacts this memory care transformation has had on our residents’ lives, and we are excited to continue to expand the initiative throughout the community. We appreciate the caring and thoughtful donors that have supported the next step in this journey.”
Expected outcomes of Phase 2 include increased quality of life, self-confidence, and sense of purpose, along with decreased social isolation and depression. Phase 2’s six-month timeline includes industryleading education and training, and on-site visits with Hearthstone Institute advisors. Ohio Living Llanfair began the prework for Phase 2 in January 2024, and other Ohio Living communities will soon follow as financial support is secured. To support Ohio Living’s memory care transformation and focus on brain health, scan the QR code at the end of this story.
great culture, we wish to invest in our team members holistically to address the barriers and challenges they may face outside of work. When we are able to do that successfully, it is a win for our staff and their families, as well as our residents and patients who receive continuity of care and services.”
Our corporate partners play a vital role in optimizing aging and ensuring the highest quality health care and services are provided to Ohioans as they age. We work with companies to understand their goals, match philanthropic passions to our vital needs, and maximize overall partnership impact.
“Huntington Bank’s benevolence will afford us some initiatives we would otherwise not be able to do without their support and the commitment of other generous donors,” Ullom-Vucelich avowed.
For more information on how to become a corporate partner, contact John Olmstead, director of corporate giving, via phone at 614.888.7800, ext. 1148, or email jolmstead@ohioliving.org.
A social club at Ohio Living Mount Pleasant meets as part of Phase 2
“Growing up, I remember my parents always giving. Just giving, giving, giving,” says Ohio Living Foundation donor Mary Ann Heinrichs, as she recounts what a big role philanthropy has played throughout her life.
Mary Ann is a lifelong Northwest Ohio resident and Ohio Living Swan Creek has been her home for eight years. “Ohio Living Swan Creek is my family, too,” she shares. She feels strongly about making decisions on her donations with her three sons, who are continually and actively involved in her life. Their participation in supporting her extended family at Ohio Living Swan Creek is important. “This is our family too,” Mary Ann says, and “We don’t give for us to be recognized, it’s for the people here and in the community.”
Ohio Living Swan Creek hosts a wonderful Christmas concert each December with music performed by the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, which is made possible through an endowment gift from Mary Ann and her family.
A 21-piece orchestra arrives at the Reed Chapel on the Ohio Living Swan Creek campus with their conductor, who engages the audience members, making the event more than memorable. The event is open to all community members including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care. It was Mary Ann’s hope and desire that people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend a symphony concert, be able to experience the talented orchestra that performs! This is a time for residents to enjoy, a moment that enhances their lives. The evening is then capped off with a social gathering and refreshments for attendees.
Mary Ann understands the importance of having music as a part of people’s lives. This was reinforced when she witnessed a man who wouldn’t normally otherwise, smiling, and begin tapping his foot and moving his hands as if he were conducting; she knew this was making an impact. The beauty that the Mary Ann and Paul Heinrichs Family Performing Arts Endowment Fund gift brings to residents from all levels of care is wonderful, and we are grateful for the generosity of the Heinrichs family.
Mary Ann is always looking for ways to continue her support and impact, especially with our memory care residents and initiatives. She wants residents to feel engaged in these special moments and says she’ll continue to help transform lives through gifts when possible and a philanthropic heart. To learn how you can make an impact and difference together with us, just like Mary Ann, get in touch with the gift planner at your community today by emailing giving@ohioliving.org.
Back by popular demand, the Jim and Ceale Myers Summer Concert Series is returning for its third season this summer at Ohio Living Breckenridge Village. Featuring four or five outdoor concerts in the Grace Woods gazebo, the residentexclusive concert series is made possible because of the Jim and Ceale Myers Summer Concert Series Endowment.
Jim and Ceale Myers were beloved residents at Grace Woods, an independent living area of Ohio Living Breckenridge Village. Not only was the couple extremely active in campus activities, but they also maintained a host of strong friendships that enriched their lives. After they both passed, their son worked with the Ohio Living Foundation team to create a lasting gift in their memory.
“My parents loved their years living at Grace Woods and the many friends they had on campus,” explained their son Jamie Myers. “It’s an honor to keep their spirit alive through a permanent endowment gift to the Ohio Living Foundation. Residents will enjoy this summer concert series for many years to come.”
The Jim and Ceale Myers Summer Concert Series offers outdoor concerts in a variety of genres, including steel drums, jazz, Motown, rhythm and blues, and standards, like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. All offerings are free for independent living residents at Ohio Living Breckenridge Village. Some bring their own lawn chairs to the gazebo to enjoy the music up-close, and others opt to enjoy the live entertainment from their own porch or patio.
“Everyone looks forward to the concerts,” added Jean Lach, an independent living resident at Ohio Living Breckenridge Village. “They provide a wonderful opportunity for our community to gather and for friends to enjoy an evening of music in our ‘front yards.’
Where else can you listen to birds sing alongside a guitar or keyboard or trombone? It is a fun time for all who attend…pets included!”
“Residents are so grateful for the generosity of the Myers family and this incredible tribute,” said Eva Allen, director of gift planning at Ohio Living Breckenridge Village. “Legacy giving is a wonderful way for donors to extend their philanthropic impact beyond their lifetime.”
If leaving a legacy gift resonates with you and you would like to learn more, contact us at giving@ohioliving.org
Residents socializing during a summertime steel drum concert at Ohio Living Breckenridge Village
In fall 2023, the Ohio Living Foundation received a grant of $4,500 from the I’m Still Here Foundation to expand for dementia programs to memory care residents residing at Ohio Living Breckenridge Village and Ohio Living programming was previously rolled out as part of the industry-leading “I’m Still Here” approach to memory care Thurber and Ohio Living Swan Creek.
Therapeutic drum circles are group activities that revolve around a steady and prominent beat using rhythm instruments djembe (floor) drums, bongo drums, rhythm sticks, shaker eggs and tambourines. During sessions, small groups rhythmic body movement, drumming and auditory stimulation for up to minutes. Participants play rhythm instruments a trained leader who guides the group toward a therapeutic purpose. Residents’ families and caregivers are also “Rhythmic activities like therapeutic drum circles can create a unique communal experience for residents living with dementia, and we have observed positive results at Ohio Living communities that offer the program,” said Jean Morgan, corporate manager of memory care. “ Therapeutic Drum Circles allow participants to respond to one another with a feeling of confidence ‘in the moment’ and often, with joy, as they build relationships with one another. Additionally, for someone who may have lost executive abilities, therapeutic drumming allows them to take an object and make an emotional connection. It also provides meaningful sound when communication skills have declined.”
declined.
In related research studies, therapeutic drumming programs have proven to reduce the common symptoms of dementia, agitation, anxiety and apathy. Other beneficial outcomes that have been observed by increasing levels of engagement use of antipsychotic medicines and the number of resident falls. Engagement is a key piece of the treatment for dementia, engaged in an activity like the drumming circle, their sense of purpose and quality of life is increased.
“Our vision is to provide the best-in-class memory care and services to those residents living within Ohio Living’s to be the resource for people living with dementia in Ohio through Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice and other Morgan. “These grant funds will assist our continued efforts to expand engaging activities and enhance the lives memory challenges, as well as their caregivers.”
Ohio Living residents participate in a therapeutic drum session
expand therapeutic drumming Mount Pleasant. Similar care at Ohio Living Westminsterinstruments like hand drums, groups engage in a combination of instruments and follow along with also invited to participate.
dementia, such as aggression, engagement include a reduction in the dementia, and when a patient is
Living’s life plan communities and other outreach services,” stressed lives of individuals who have
Dedicated mother, health reform attorney and caretaker champion are a just a few of the many roles that Elizabeth “Emy” Trende embodies with excellence and grace. As a senior attorney at Squires Patton Boggs LLP in the firm’s global Health Care and Life Sciences group, Trende brings more than a decade of experience assisting healthcare clients of all sizes and types. Prior to this, she served as senior assistant vice president and senior associate general counsel at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, one of the largest academic medical centers in the country. She also leads The Mother Ship, Inc., a nonprofit that champions caretaker wellness for parents of children with special needs.
In August 2023, Trende joined the Ohio Living Foundation Board of Directors for a three-year term. Her deep experience as a trustee and founder of a non-profit and in the health care sector brings a new set of skills and focus to the organization.
“I have spent my career in health care innovation, and I cannot recall a time when I did not hear about Ohio Living’s forwardthinking approach to building and growing care,” shared Trende. “I have a personal passion for improving care practices and in tandem, best supporting those who extend it. There are a host of powerful intersections between Ohio Living’s mission and my interests.”
Trende continued, “I am the parent of a child with significant disabilities, and the non-profit I founded, The Mother Ship, Inc., focuses on supporting every sphere of life for caregivers of special needs children. Pair this with the growing national importance of supporting our country’s aging population and the indispensable contributions of caregivers in senior living settings; I am proud to help all the different sides work together as an Ohio Living Foundation board member.”
On the home front, Trende is happily married to Sean, and she has three children, Judson, Will and Mason. The family enjoys participating in Cub Scouts, playing rock music together, and traveling to quirky, off-the-beaten-path attractions.
“What I always tell people – work and volunteer activities, they are my respite,” elaborated Trende. “Respite to me means any activity that afterward, I feel energized and invigorated. Board service like the Ohio Living Foundation opportunity does this for me. It’s like exercise, and you get to access a well of meaning when you are willing to take part. In life, you will never have things evenly spread out and equal, but you can counterbalance areas where you feel exhausted with what brings you respite, to fill up and balance other challenges. The invitation to sit at the Ohio Living Foundation Board of Directors table is a gift, and I look forward to serving.”
Since its founding in 1986, the Ohio Living Foundation has benefited immensely from planned giving commitments ranging from charitable gift annuities, estate notes, trusts, refundable entrance fees and beyond. To-date, nearly 1,300 planned gifts from 720 donors have resulted in donations of more than $45,570,000 to support key initiatives and priorities across the organization.
Regardless of age or assets, estate planning is an important part of building a lasting legacy for you and your family. The Ohio Living Foundation is partnering with The Stetler Company, an expert in the planned giving space, to offer several useful and customizable estate planning resources via their website.
These resources cover a wide range of topics, including:
• Guidance for setting estate planning goals
• Breakdown of essential estate planning documents
• Tips on how to make a better will
• Information about bequest requests
• Details about trusts and their benefits
• A workbook to organize all aspects of your estate plan
To download these free Personal Estate Planning Kit resources, visit ohioliving.planningyourlegacy.org/wills-and-living-trusts.
Roberta Albert, Corporate Manager of Stewardship & Annual Giving
614.888.7800, ext. 1084 | ralbert@ohioliving.org
Eva Allen, Director of Gift Planning 440.497.5237 | eallen@ohioliving.org
Serving: Ohio Living Breckenridge Village and Lake Vista
Elizabeth Bonfield, Director of Gift Planning
614.629.5857 | ebonfield@ohioliving.org
Serving: Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber
Paula Brock, Director of Gift Planning
513.235.6974 | pbrock@ohioliving.org
Serving: Ohio Living Cape May, Llanfair and Mount Pleasant
Liz Conley, Corporate Executive of Gift Planning 614.888.7800 ext. 1122 | lconley@ohioliving.org
Serving: Ohio Living Quaker Heights, Rockynol and Sarah Moore
Nancy Hamilton, Director of Gift Planning 419.290.1715 | nehamilton@ohioliving.org
Serving: Ohio Living Dorothy Love and Swan Creek
John Olmstead, Corporate Manager of Corporate Giving 614.888.7800, ext. 1148 | jolmstead@ohioliving.org
