Families Friends
A Newsletter for St. John's Skilled Services August 2018
stjohnsliving.org
“Being here has gotten me to where I am now. It is nice to be somewhere where people care.” Go to stjohnsliving.org/story/catherinemerrimans-story/ to read the entire feature. Setbacks, failures, and tragedies are a part of life. For Catherine Merriman, it was an unending cycle of sickness and rehabilitation for nearly three years. In and out of the hospital, Catherine felt as though she was a revolving door, continuously going round and round with no sign of slowing down. It all started when Catherine was diagnosed with lymphedema. One day Catherine’s aide recommended she go to the hospital. Although she did not know it at the time, Catherine somehow had acquired chronic sepsis. She spent three weeks in the hospital before being discharged and transferred to a nearby skilled nursing facility. After one year of rehabbing, she was transferred to St. John’s. “I used to work here back in the ‘70s so I was familiar with St. John’s Home,” Catherine states. The roadblocks continued for Catherine and it started to become apparent that she may never return home. Catherine was diagnosed with pneumonia and would spend yet another long month regaining her strength at Rochester General Hospital. When she returned to St. John’s Home, she did not have any mobility. “I was weak. It took me a long time to gain my strength
back,” Catherine continued. “I was set up with PT (physical therapy) and OT (occupational therapy). OT worked with me to regain strength in my arms and PT helped with leg exercises.” Catherine has resided on the Tulip neighborhood since she arrived almost two years ago. Over the past year, Catherine has spent a great deal of time with her physical therapist Traci Morley. “The biggest reward working with Catherine is witnessing the power of perseverance,” Traci explains. “Working in long-term care, it is very rare that someone is able to transition back to living alone in the community after being in a nursing home for as long as Catherine has been.” With teary eyes and a crowd of people, Catherine exited the doors of St. John’s Home on July 12. “Being here has gotten me to where I am now. It is nice to be somewhere where people care; you can get help whenever you need it,” Catherine says. Though Catherine’s journey has been anything but easy, she is an inspiration to everyone battling injury, sickness, or setbacks.
Families Friends
Outings and Events Summer has been a busy time at St. John’s Home packed full of weekly concerts, local festivals, themed activities, and neighborhood picnics, among other activities.
Dear friends, family, residents, and staff, My name is Nate Sweeney and I recently joined the St. John’s team as vice president of skilled services. I look forward to overseeing St. John’s nursing home, our fantastic adult medical day program, and our lovely Green House Homes in Penfield. I am thrilled to have joined the St. John’s family after following the company for years from afar. St. John’s has a nationwide reputation for innovation, care, and excellence in our industry. So much so that I leapt at the opportunity to join this team and thus have relocated from Baltimore, Maryland this past spring. Moving to Rochester, I have come to realize how much pride people take in their homes, neighborhoods, and community; and with good reason! This is a great place to live. As a newcomer to the area and new employee, I have gained a renewed empathy for folks as they navigate health care systems, this very large building, and all of the changes that people face when they are in need of more support. That support, however, can take the form of welcoming, kindness, and care from those who are more situated. I have been lucky to receive such kindness and welcoming from staff, families, and the residents of St. John’s. I approached the Resident Council and asked the members about various activities that I could be invited to as a way to see and experience their daily lives. I asked them to think about the things that they are proud of and want to show off. While our industry still has much room for improvement, I believe that starting from our strengths and what is working well is the foundation to continue the never ending journey towards embracing life. I look forward to visiting even more of the small homes, and committing this organization towards creating meaningful experiences that deepen relationships and increase individual growth for elders and those closest to them. Nate Sweeney, Vice President of Skilled Services
Father’s Day Pig Roast
Mounted Patrol
Lilac Festival
Now We Drum! Subscribe to the St. John’s YouTube channel and view dozens of videos of the great people who live and work here.
With over 150 golfers, volunteers, and friends in attendance, St. John’s 29th Annual Golf Tournament raised nearly $100,000! A net profit of $80,000 will benefit residents in all of St. John’s communities throughout the coming year. A special thank you to the staff, leadership, and volunteers that helped make this a fun and memorable day. Congratulations to all of our raffle winners and to our tournament chair, Tom Gears, for a successful day.
After last year’s success, Game Show Week 2.0 returned to St. John’s Home. Hundreds of residents, staff members, and volunteers gathered for a week long event filled with game shows, prizes, and team camaraderie. In case you missed it, check out our blog with highlights from local and national media outlets: stjohnsliving.org/blog
First Annual Beach Day Is a Success! July 19 was certainly a day to remember. The courtyard at St. John’s Home was transformed into a tropical beach with real sand, pools of water, and activities for all to enjoy. From the shoreline to the tiki bar, residents, family members, and staff enjoyed an all day beach party complete with a steel drum band, great food, and lots of sunshine! We send our gratitude to all departments, especially our therapeutic recreation, maintenance, and dining services staff members. Thank you for all that you do for residents here at St. John’s Home.
! e t a D e h t e v a S
Thursday, August 30, 2018 Chicken BBQ Fundraiser St. John’s Home
Join our team on October 20 for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®, the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support, and research.
All proceeds will benefit our local Alzheimer’s Association Chapter. Stay tuned for details!
Go to http://bit.ly/2vmpq1t to join the St. John’s Memory Keepers team!
stjohnsliving.org
Resident Relationship Survey Coming 10/1 St. John’s is committed to improving residents’ and their families experience with our services and staff. To better understand what we are doing well and to identify opportunities for improvement, we are launching our annual Resident Relationship Survey on October 1. The survey will remain open throughout the month of October. We want to know residents’ thoughts and opinions and hope that each resident and their family will take the time to provide feedback. More information regarding this survey will be available in the upcoming months.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID
Rochester, NY Permit #87
150 Highland Avenue Rochester, NY 14620
Families Friends
Like us on Facebook
facebook.com/St.JohnsLiving
Also follow us on: Editor Keaghlan Morrissey kmorrissey@stjohnsliving.org
Vice President of Marketing Jennifer Lesinski jlesinski@stjohnsliving.org
Marketing Communications Manager Tom Harner tharner@stjohnsliving.org
President and CEO Charlie Runyon
Vice President of Skilled Services Nate Sweeney
Emergency Prepardness Notice In case of an emergency, family members and visitors should be mindful of the safety procedures. Staff has been trained to recognize and respond to the “announcements” or “codes” that are used over the public address system. In the area you are visiting, listen to the person in charge and follow their instructions. Please become familiar with the locations of fire pull stations, fire extinguishers, exits, and evacuation routes. In case of a fire, remove yourself from danger, activate the nearest pull station, close doors/ windows, and evacuate the area. If you are not in the fire area, you should stay in place until given further instructions. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Nelson Colon at 760-1206.