Meadows’ Director named Housing Professional of the Year by TAHSA

The Texas Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (TAHSA) has awarded Jil Utterback, Executive Director at The Meadows Retirement Community, with the Housing Professional of the Year award. Jil was chosen for this award for her exemplary leadership and team building skills and her active involvement and support of the residents. Her award will be presented during the TAHSA annual meeting in Houston during the week of May 16.

Jil has been at The Meadows for more than 20 years, working first as a marketing assistant, then the director of information services, the assistant administrator and as the executive director since 1998.

The residents and staff appreciate Jil because of all that she does for them. She visits residents in the hospital and takes a personal interest in the residents who do not have family or whose family members are not involved. She has spent many nights sleeping at The Meadows when bad weather was approaching fearing that she might be not be able to make it in in the event of a weather emergency.

Every fall, Jil invites all of the residents out to her ranch in Bandera for a big barbecue dinner, hay rides and music. She buys every single employee a Christmas gift and always gives the staff a Christmas party – all with her own money. Her door is always open to residents and employees no matter how busy she is. She is extremely patient and kind with everyone.

Jil has been instrumental in bringing many new and innovative programs to The Meadows. She started a caregiver support group for those who have spouses with dementia. Jil bought a Nintendo Wii for the residents when they first came out and began a Wii Sports tournament that is still going on twice a week. She is always looking for new and creative ways to get the residents involved with activities and trips.

Often times, Jil acts not only as the executive director, but as the activities director as well. Every year, she takes the residents down to the rodeo, to the Veteran’s Day Parade, setting up the chairs for the residents herself, and throws a big Halloween party, personally dressing up and providing a fun-themed activity to go along with the costumes.

Jil is committed to the residents and the staff 24/7. Sometimes she even goes to bed with her pager on! When she is away on vacation, she always checks in to see if there is anything she can do to help. At work, at home, out shopping or at the beach, Jil is always available to provide leadership and assistance to her community. She has high standards and a strong work ethic. She supports her staff and bases her decisions on “doing what is right” and never on any personal agenda.

Jil has been active in TAHSA for more than 20 years, as a member of the Marketing Committee, Host Committee and Housing Committee. She served as the secretary of the TAHSA Central Texas Chapter for two years. Jil has a bachelor’s degree from UTSA and is a 1999 graduate of the North San Antonio Leadership Lab. She is a licensed nursing home administrator (LNFA) and a credentialed retirement housing professional (RHP).

Congratulations Jil on this honor!

Morningside Recognizes Earth Day

Today, April 22, 2010, marks the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day and Morningside has adopted some “green” ways to help out the environment.  Today, Cartridge World of San Antonio presented Morningside with its second Environmental Leadership Award. Alvin Loewenberg, president and CEO of Morningside Ministries, accepted the award from Ray Edinger, owner of Cartridge World. This award is given annually to an organization in the community that, through Cartridge World, has made a positive impact on the environment through reducing, reusing and recycling ink and toner cartridges. Since Morningside began using remanufactured cartridges in 2007, we have recycled over 2,071 of them, keeping over 7,200 pounds of e-waste from our landfills and hundreds of pounds of greenhouse gases from being generated and sent into our atmosphere.  One toner cartridge can take up to 450 years to decompose in a landfill.  

Residents of The Meadows Retirement Community are doing their part as well by recycling paper and newspapers and making a concerted effort to reduce the amount of water used throughout the 148 residences. According to the San Antonio Water System web site, toilets account for 26 percent of the water used at home. If every resident at The Meadows flushed one time less each day, it would save the community 1,095 gallons of water per year, per resident. As it is, The “Green” Committee at The Meadows was able to get 35 residents to commit to saving 78 flushes per day. This will equal a water savings of 85,410 gallons of water per year.

Old incandescent light bulbs have been replaced with the new fluorescent bulbs in most apartments and many residents are getting new thermostats in their apartments that are larger and easier to read. The administration offices at Morningside Ministries are beginning to recycle white office paper, plastics, magazines, newspapers and cardboard boxes. We’re off to a good start in our conservation efforts and hope to expand them even more in the years to come!

What to look for in a retirement community

Where are you going to live when you retire? It’s an important question to consider now, but the answer can change over time. In your home? With family members? In a retirement community?

Many people plan eventually to live in some type of retirement community, and it’s helpful to consider the various options available, from special neighborhoods to high rises to communities that offer the full continuum of care.

Good planning also includes knowing what your limits are and what you can afford. What services will insurance pay for, and how much is covered? How much do you have saved? What are the out-of-pocket expenses?

It is important to find a retirement community that best suits your needs, and one important part of that decision is to visit, get a first-hand look and ask some questions.

Here are some questions to consider when visiting:

Does the community have a mission statement? If so, how does that statement fit into the community on a daily basis?

What kind of health care and personal care does it offer? Is it on- or off-site? What support services are available? Also, ask about the community’s medical emergency procedures policy.

Will the community allow you to stay a night or two? In order to determine if this is your new home, check out all the community has to offer during your stay. Do you like the living conditions and the surroundings? Visit with current residents and find out how they like it.

What activities are offered? Find out what group activities and cultural enrichment activities are available on a weekly and monthly basis. What volunteer opportunities are available in the area? Does the community provide a shuttle service? Does the community allow pets?

How healthy and appetizing is the community’s food quality? Visit the prospective community during lunch or dinner time and ask questions about dietary needs and food preparation.

Does the community offer a full continuum of care – from independent living to hospice? You may want to ask about the transition process to each stage should the need arise.

Mind Your Manners: Doing Business with Older Adults

Nearly one in every eight, or 12.6 percent, of the population is an older American. And, here in Texas, we have one of the fastest growing senior populations, with significant growth in San Antonio and the Hill Country. According to Senior Magazine online, seniors control 70 percent of the disposable income in the United States. That means one-third of the population controls two-thirds of the spending capital.

So, if you are a business owner, what is the best way to do business with an older adult? Well, the same way that you do business with anyone else. Courtesy and customer service is key. The business "best practices" are basically the same but there are some distinctive purchasing characteristics of seniors that may help you in your business. Seniors tend to be very brand loyal and rely on word-of-mouth recommendations to determine what services they will use or which items they purchase. Since many of today's seniors grew up during the Great Depression, these seniors need to see a good value for their money. And, maybe surprising to some, nearly half of all seniors use the Internet to do research before purchasing.

Face-to-face interaction is very important to seniors as is accessibility. Make sure your business is up-to-date with accessibility rules and regulations and make your business as easy to get in and out of as possible. Offer assistance if necessary. As any good business person, maintain honesty and fairness and if you know of or hear of any scams involving seniors, either local or from outside, be sure to alert local authorities to verify.

Renovations Underway at The Meadows

A new look is emerging at The Meadows Retirement Community and residents and staff are excited!  Originally built in 1984, The Meadows celebrated their 25th anniversary in late 2009. Only very small cosmetic changes have been made at The Meadows since it opened, so the building was ready for a major renovation.

Wood trim, warm golden wallpaper and paint, a new ceiling and new lighting have already been installed and are setting the stage for what is soon to come when the new art, carpet, flooring, draperies and furniture are added as the last finishing touches. 

The public bathrooms have been completed and look beautiful but they also still have some surprise finishing touches yet to be unveiled, as do the new display case and piano lounge. 

The main office has been completely reconstructed, with new windows in a design that creates an open, more inviting customer service area and includes all new granite counter tops, cabinets, ceiling, lighting and carpeting. 

The new marketing office is complete with a wall of beautiful custom cabinets and a built-in desk. New furniture and draperies will arrive at the end of the project and complete the beautiful new space. The new theatre/multi media room and the coffee café lounge area are undergoing major construction at this time.  

The 25-year-old plain, beige tile in the atrium will be replaced with lovely ceramic tile in tones of gold, rust and gray that will add a dramatic change in the final stages of the project. 

The construction crew has been most accommodating while working in resident spaces and residents have been so patient with the work in progress. The whole project is on target to be completed by the end of February. A renovation 

celebration is scheduled for April 9, 2010 when we will really kick up our heels and celebrate!

Ageless Love!

Last week, we had the honor of hosting a wedding of two residents at The Meadows Retirement Community. It doesn’t happen often but it is always an exceptionally happy and inspiring occasion. And the Hollar wedding was no exception . . .

Claire Dawson (84) and Homer Hollar (86) met less than a year ago at The Meadows’ Bridge Club. Homer began to walk Claire back to her apartment after the games and they began attending other activities together. He noticed her in the dining room ­ – how she would always help several other ladies who are in wheelchairs get seated and get their salads from the salad bar. He knew then that she was a terrific lady.

So, Homer began to seek advice on how to get better acquainted with Claire. He turned to an old classic movie, Sleepless in Seattle, to figure out how to get one-on-one time with Claire. In the movie, Tom Hanks invited a lady he was interested in back to his house to look at swatches. To his dismay, Homer didn’t have “swatches” but he now had a plan. He knew how to dance. And since Oktoberfest was coming up, and he intended to ask Claire to dance at Oktoberfest, he invited her over to his apartment for dance lessons. She agreed and after that first dance lesson in Homer’s apartment, they were officially a couple.

By December they knew they would be married. And on January 8, 2010 they made the official announcement and began planning their wedding – which was 3 weeks away! The couple decided to have both the ceremony and the reception at The Meadows because it is their home. They both love it there and have many friends there. So, staff at The Meadows kicked into high gear and began planning all the details of the ceremony and reception for them.

On January 29^th, the couple was married in front of a small group of family and close friends. Homer’s son flew in from Hungary and his daughter and son-in-law came from Honduras. Grandchildren from Michigan and Austin were also present to celebrate the happy occasion. The ceremony was officiated by Rev. Harris Shinn, a fellow resident at The Meadows. In a flowing periwinkle dress with a small bouquet of pink and white flowers, Claire walked down the aisle with her son-in-law and met her groom at the altar. With their children attending, the couple happily exchanged vows during the intimate ceremony.

After a few photos, the bride & groom joined wedding guests and fellow residents for a reception in the Atrium area at The Meadows. They enjoyed cake and toasted with champagne and then they kicked up their heels for some dancing.

As they celebrate their first Valentine’s Day together, the happy couple says it feels so nice to be married and to not feel lonely anymore. So congratulations to Homer & Claire and best wishes on many years of happiness!

Understanding Your Senior Living Options

The holiday season was a time for most of us to spend happy moments together with family and friends, whether staying close to home or traveling far away. It was also a time when many adult children were confronted with the challenges their elder parents or family members are now facing and the idea that they may not be able to live alone anymore or without some sort of assistance.

Now that the holidays are over and a new year is settling in, many are wondering what to do or where to go to get family members the help they need. Every January sees an increase in calls from concerned family members about their loved ones here at Morningside Ministries. Many of them are just looking for help and don’t know where to turn.

Continuing care retirement communities are a great solution for many of today’s seniors. In a continuing care setting, many living options are offered on one campus, including independent living apartments or cottages, assisted living, nursing care, rehabilitation and memory care services.

It is, however, important to understand the different options when it comes to senior living and to make an informed decision for you or your loved one.

Independent Living covers a range of housing styles, from active adult apartments to individual homes that are designed for those who are able to care for themselves. An independent living lifestyle offers services such as social activities, chef-prepared meals, fitness programs, transportation and housekeeping. Specific amenities vary from community to community, and may include a clubhouse, library, activity and craft rooms, chapel, fitness center, walking trails and swimming pool. Independent living does not offer health care services and is not state-licensed or regulated. Most communities offer apartments on a rental basis, but some communities offer apartments for purchase, like a condominium.

Assisted Living is a state-licensed program within a community setting that offers assistance with the activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing and medication management. Services provided in assisted living usually include meals, laundry, housekeeping, activities and outings. Assisted living is designed for people who can no longer live independently in a private residence but do not need the 24-hour medical care provided in a nursing home setting.

A nursing care center is licensed by the state and provides services and rehabilitation to people with illnesses, injuries, functional and physical disabilities or cognitive impairments who require around-the-clock care. In the United States, nursing homes are required to have a licensed nurse on duty 24-hours a day. Most nursing homes offer services and staff to care for a resident’s every need including nutrition, activities, pastoral care, care planning and medical needs. Nursing care can be paid for in a number of ways: private pay by the resident or family; long-term-care insurance; Medicare or Medicaid.

Memory Care can be provided in an assisted living or nursing care setting and assists individuals who are experiencing memory loss, a decline in ability to perform routine tasks, impaired judgment and disorientation. Staff is specially trained to meet the specific needs of those with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.