The Lutheran Home
at Concord Reserve
May 2013
Concord Communicator
Volume 3, Issue 3
Concord Communicator
A newsletter for
Employees of Concord Reserve
5-H Club
Winners 2 & 3
2116 Dover Center Road
Westlake, Ohio 44145-3194
Phone: 440-871-0090
www.concordreserve.org
Editor: Janice K. Snyder
Mission Outreach Liaison, Ext. 2154
Email: [email protected]
Inside This Issue
Our next two 5-H members were named by the
Strive for FIVE committee since the last Concord
Communicator was published. Tonya Vincent,
LPN was winner number two in February, and
STNA Sarah Moore became our third 5-H member
in March.
Celebrating LHCR Staff Employment Anniversaries
May 1 Year:
James Marshall
Daniel Mugongo
Maria Becker
Elena Alvarez
Jennifer Collins
Benita Hunter
Jalisa Stevens
Sharon Bartko
Latonia Harris
Patsy Kirkpatrick
2 Years:
Tammy Davis
Ruhanika Milindi
Jamica Clifford
Jessica Hines
Matt Walling
Eutopia Gill
Kristy Jones
Danielle Ward
Ronald Schaefer
3 Years:
Ethan Straub
Amy Velez
Michael
Wood
4 Years:
Tonya Vincent
Cassandra Sasack
6 Years:
Nicole Remesnik
Deborah Cody
9 Years:
Tina Lieb
Amy Lynch
11 Years:
Marilyn Cancel
14 Years:
Jacqueline Nettles
18 Years:
Deirdre Newman
20 Years:
Penny Mino
21 Years:
Colette Stanley
23 Years:
Anne Chapman
June
1 Year:
Jerry Cook
Alzada Robinson
2 Years:
Lynisa Tyler
Bernadette Diaz
Jeanne d'arc Uwera
Carly Falzon
Christine Jessel
Jennifer McGinnis
6 Years:
Kimberly Nogueras
Daniel Steinbrenner
Amy Wuitowicz
8 Years:
Kristy Saunders
9 Years:
Gayle Castro
10 Years:
Tracy Adams
23 Years: Tracy Klokey
33 Years:
Lorraine
Lash
Tonya Vincent, LPN
Tonya Vincent is an LPN who has been with LHCR
nearly four years & currently "floats" between
Augsburg and Orchard Court. Tonya was
nominated for “Healing” by LE Director Christine
Saner, who wrote: “Tonya takes time to engage
with our residents, assist her peers, and show
empathy & sincerity towards residents & family
members on a daily basis.”
Jacob Falinski
Axcel Hirwa
3 Years:
Brooke Luke
People in the “News”/ 2
Administrator Report
Mothers &
daughters are
closest
when daughters
become mothers.
A father is a guy
who has photos in
his wallet where his
money used to be.
—Authors unknown
Sarah was nominated for the 5-H Club by Lisa
Limpert, LPN for supporting "the H's" of Hospitality
and Happiness of the LHCR vision statement. Sarah
has been employed at LHCR for six years and
works on Pine Tree.
Both women enjoyed the new "Employee of the
Month" parking space—one of several perks
awaiting the 12-members of the 2013 5-H Club.
CEO’s Corner/
Staff Birthdays
3
Leading Age STARS:
Luminous Employees
at LHCR
4
Biblical Storytellers
Here May 9th
5
Going Gluten-free/
DON Report
6
Tragic News Blues/
Lemon-AID stands
7
Celebrating Staff
Anniversaries
8
Sarah Moore, STNA
5-H Club nomination forms for guests, family, and staff to recommend LHCR
employees are available around campus. The nomination must describe in detail
how the staff member's actions support the LHCR Vision. Be sure to look for our
new 5-H Club member photo display in the Main Street Lobby.
Are you on Facebook? So are we!
www.facebook.com/LutheranHomeAtConcordReserve
Smoking on our campus is
prohibited in accordance with
Chapter 3794 of the Ohio
Revised Code. This rule is
strictly enforced for the health
of our residents and
employees.
Page 2
Volume 3, Issue 3
People
VP of Human
Resources
Stephanie Balser
gave birth to
daughter Madison
on April 8. Baby
Balser weighed 8.5
lbs and measured 19.75 inches
long. She joins big sister Sophie,
aged 4 and daddy Jeff.
Congratulations to the family!
In related news, Rod Braye is overseeing HR while Stephanie is on
maternity leave.
Jodi Maderitz (MSW) is the new
Social Worker for Orchard Court.
She earned her undergraduate
degree at Ohio State in Human
Development & Family Science,
and earned her Masters at
Cleveland State (MSW). Jodi has
worked in long term care for over
7 years in other facilities. She was
married in 2009 and has two
daughters, Reese (2) and Tessa
(4 months). Jodi has a miniature
pinscher named Brittany.
Welcome, Jodi!
A Word from the Administrator
News Blues:
Dealing with an overdose of emotion
Welcome to Spring!
It is difficult to believe that we are almost at the half
year mark….where has 2013 gone?
Over the last 60 days, among many other events, we
have had great fun with the Chili Cook Off, said
goodbye to Randy Jewell, welcomed Brenda
Amburgey as ADON, and we kicked off Staff
Schedule Care.
(FOX - Cleveland)
Between the terror in Boston and the deadly explosion
in Texas, we're all worn out. As a country, it's
impossible to watch the news coverage without
internalizing all those emotions.
Janet Harst
We are winding up interviews for open positions for Resident Care
Coordinator in assisted living, assistant admissions coordinator and
marketing coordinator. We will let you know who has been selected for
those positions so that you can reach out and share a warm welcome to
our new comers. Additionally, since the first of the year, three 5-H Club
members have been selected and their photos are on display in the
lobby. Congratulations!
As all of you know, our Vision for the future of our organization is to
“realize optimal health, healing, hospitality, hope and happiness” for
those we serve and, to that end, we are in the early stages of discussion
regarding a staff Wellness Program. What does that mean for you?
Well, we want to take a holistic approach to a Wellness Program.
The focus will not only be on things like weight loss or smoking
cessation but will be broader in scope to possibly include wellness
screenings, check-ups by a nurse practitioner, workshops or maybe even
PTO sharing.
These are exciting times for the Lutheran Home at Concord Reserve with
lots of plans for the future, and we know how important it is to ensure
that you have the means to take good care of yourself so that you can
take good care of our residents.
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in
life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” —Booker T. Washington
The original goal for our recent LHCR Book Drive
benefiting Lorain County Health & Dentistry was to
collect 200 books—hoping for a total of 1300 books
gathered at 40 collection sites. Instead, LHCR collected
1030 books for ages 5+ and the Grand Total was 4,116
books!
Jodi Maderitz, Social Worker
Thanks to everyone who donated. Your generosity
gives low income young people & their families access
to the resources needed to succeed!
Project Coordinator Janice Snyder
Leadership Lorain County Best Class of 2013
Page 7
The images are unavoidable: 24-hour news
coverage of the Boston bombings and manhunt
on TV, and images on the Internet we can't even
show on TV. Some people can suffer emotionally
by seeing too much tragedy—like a bad news
“information overdose.”
"There is something called “secondary
traumatization,” where a person can be
traumatized, not first-hand to the event, but
secondary, to what they have witnessed. With
constantly watching news coverage, you can
definitely have a traumatic effect," says Robyn Hill,
a Beachwood, Ohio therapist who specializes in
traumatic experiences.
Hill said you don't have to experience something
first-hand to be traumatized, especially if a person
already suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder,
anxiety or depression. She suggests people get
their dose of news in the morning and in the
evening, and go about their day in-between.
"It is on all day long, so people can catch it
throughout the day, but to watch it hours on end,
that is definitely going to have an effect on a
person's emotions," Hill said. It's OK to stay
informed, but don't become obsessed.
Lemons to Aid: Children raising money
They're too young to comprehend what happened in
Boston and in West, Texas, but they're old enough to know
they can make a difference. Children across the country
are selling lemonade for the victims and their families.
It's part of a national nonprofit called "Lemons to Aid"
started by a Dallas mother three years ago.
Melissa Plaskoff's inspiration emerged during one of those
helpless times many of us feel when tragedy strikes. In
2010, following the earthquake disaster in Haiti, Melissa
found herself wanting to shelter her two young sons,
Hudson and Parker, from the images on TV. She tried to
keep a normal routine for the boys, but the devastating
pictures were unavoidable.
So when Hudson asked one afternoon if they could host a
lemonade stand to benefit the victims, a big smile of joy
crossed Melissa's face and "Lemons to Aid" was born. In
the last three years, their movement has grown and now
includes dozens of lemonade stands across the country.
Of course, the people in the Boston area will bear
the heaviest emotional burden. But Hill said if
people stay connected in the community, they
can bounce back. "Getting together and
processing, talking about what happened will
help you to feel not so alone in your
experiences," Hill said.
IT Specialist Matt Walling (right) and the LHCR Management
Team recently served dinner at the 51st Volunteer Banquet.
Also pictured is long-time LHCR Board member John Snyder.
Page 6
Concord Communicator
Only about 1% of the population actually has celiac
disease. These people need to avoid gluten
because the protein damages their intestines. For
the rest of us, going “gluten free” may not have
the health benefits we often assume come from
cutting out particular foods.
Why? Because whole grains, which contain gluten,
are a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals,
says Katherine Tallmadge, dietitian and author of
Diet Simple. Gluten-free products are often made
with refined grains, and are low in nutrients.
Studies show gluten-free diets can be deficient in
fiber, iron, folate, niacin, thiamine, calcium, vitamin
B12, phosphorus and zinc. Celiacdisease.about.com
gives a comprehensive list of ingredients that contain gluten. These are:











Wheat protein/hydrolyzed wheat protein
Wheat starch/hydrolyzed wheat starch
Wheat flour/bread flour/bleached flour
Bulgur (a form of wheat)
Malt (made from barley)
Couscous (made from wheat)
Farina (made from wheat)
Pasta (wheat—unless otherwise indicated)
Seitan (wheat gluten commonly used in vegetarian
meals)
Wheat or barley grass (will be cross contaminated)
Wheat germ oil/extract (will be cross contaminated)
If you must eliminate gluten, make sure to replace
it with a healthy, naturally gluten-free grain, such
as quinoa or buckwheat. In addition, after an
evaluation by your doctor, be certain to speak with
a health professional such as a Registered Dietician
who can work with you to ensure a well-balanced,
nutritious diet.
Page 3
Team members:
Should I Go Gluten Free?
Today we often hear of
celebrities or someone
we know that has
adopted a gluten free
diet. Why? Perhaps
they believe that going
gluten free is a healthy
alternative. For some, yes. But for many, this is
not a doctor supported or well thought out choice.
Volume 3, Issue 3
A Note from Director of Nursing
Nancy Hodges
__________________________
I would like to thank each and
every one for all your diligent
infection control practices
during the winter months. We
had to overcome many
seasonal outbreaks and the
success was due to all your hard
work and efforts.
We worked together as a true team to help break
the chain of infection. There was a lot of
education presented to help keep all informed of
the different illnesses that we faced with over the
last several months.
Springtime in Cleveland – And it is only April!
Enjoy the pretty weather and share your optimism with
each other and the residents we serve.
We are all fortunate to work on a campus, that regardless of season, our residents are safe and comfortable
surrounded by a loving staff.
Thank you For ALL you do!
Blessings, Charlie
Mission Outreach
Staff Birthdays—Wishing you a happy day!
May
Please continue to use the education shared and
the infection control practices as we move
forward into Spring.
—Nancy Hodges, DON
Congratulations to Our
“Strive for FIVE”
Card Recipients
These employees have gone
“above & beyond” their regular
duties to make LHCR a better place to live & work!
Liz Anderson
Brittany Bobkovich
Gayle Castro
Brenda Cook
Steve Cooper
Jessica Hines
Leslie Lilly
Bob Miller
Sarah Moore
Kim Nogueras
Sarah Phoenix
Renee Reyna
Shirley Ridenour
Aide Ruiz
Sue Rusnov
Juliette Saad
Bill Salvage
Cassie Sassack
Sue Skolyak
Tonya Vincent
Sharon Weese
Laurie Work
Thank You!
CEO’s
Corner
Samantha Gregory
Dawn Milam
Ann Hermann
Joseph Terry
Ray Leszkowicz
Bonnie Simonelli
Nancy Hodges
Megan Helderman
Colette Stanley
Daniel Steinbrenner
Erin McCormick
Stefanie Wells
Nan Noeum
Kwaku Aboagye
Anneka Crook
Nancy Dunfee
Anne Chapman
Angela Williams
Tiffany Lunn
Ramona Sookraj
Jinnie Taylor
Rachel Boom
Jamie Woods
June
Kristy Jones
Janet Harst
Mark Gould
Alzada Robinson
Christina Tucker
Rebecca Wright
Julia Baker
Danielle Ward
Patsy Kirkpatrick
Connie Todarello
Elna Bayless
Maricenia Baez
Sue Rusnov
Ken Storc
Amy Lynch
Daniel Mugongo
Amy Wuitowicz
Shawna Kilbane
Jerry Cook
Sue Cox
Vicki Rahrig
Cassandra Sasack
Jennifer Musick
2013 FOOD DRIVE
Stock the
Summer Pantry
Please help
Stock the Summer Pantry
at the Westlake Assistance
Program Food Cupboard.
During the summer months
the Food Cupboard is
depleted when low-income
students don’t have access to
their school’s meal program.
Specific items include:
*Canned Meats, especially
chicken & turkey *Canned
Pastas: Spaghetti O’s &
Ravioli *Boxed Cereals
*Peanut Butter & Jelly
*Canned Fruit *Juice Boxes
*Snack Items: granola bars,
breakfast bars
(*It is important to
check the expiration dates)
Drive begins Sun. April 28
& ends Wed. May 22
Place donations in the
Blue Bins
near time clocks & entrances
Questions?
Call Pr. Jim Kulma ext. 2145
Page 4
Concord Communicator
STARS: Luminous Employees at LHCR
The Leading Age of Ohio "Stars" employee recognition awards are given annually to
non-supervisory staff who exhibit an excellent work ethic, and a commitment to
serving our residents with a caring spirit, compassion, and dignity.
The following employees were nominated to receive recognition
for being "Stars" in our organization in 2012:
Nominees
Marilyn Cancel
Deborah Dorrington
Kim Jordan - Hughett
Dawn Lamvermeyer
Lisa Limpert
Amy Lynch
Candice Miele
Dawn Milam
Sarah Moore
Sharon Moyer
Dorothy Price
Vicki Rahrig
Renee Reyna
Aide Ruiz
Tacy Spicer - Absolute
Therapy
Laurie Work
Larry White
Misty Thomas
Amy Wuitowicz
2012 STARS Winners
Six of the nominees were chosen to attend the LeadingAge
Northeast Luncheon on Wednesday, May 8th at the Jennings
Center for Older Adults in Garfield Heights.
Pictured are: Amy Lynch, STNA - Pinetree Lane; Tacy Spicer,
PTA - Absolute Therapy; Candice Miele, Social Worker and
Marilyn Cancel, Housekeeping Coordinator. Not shown are:
Lisa Limpert, LPN and Vicki Rahrig, STNA - Sunshine Lane.
Congratulations!
LeadingAge is an association of six
thousand not for profit organizations
dedicated to expanding the world of
possibilities for aging. Together, we
advance policies, promote practices
and conduct research that supports,
enables and empowers people to live fully as they age.
Volume 3, Issue 3
Page 5
Biblical Storytellers to Tell
Resurrection Stories
The Northern Ohio Guild of the Network of Biblical Storytellers will
perform Stories of Jesus’ Resurrection in our Chapel on
Thursday, May 9 beginning at 1:30 p.m.
All are welcome to attend.
The performers will be: Bert Ambrose, Bob
Blum, Christa Blum, Heidi Denman,
Jim Kulma, Linda Miller, and Robin Schreiber.
The mission of the Network of Biblical
Storytelling is to encourage everyone to learn
and tell Biblical stories.
The Northern Ohio Guild of the
Network of Biblical Storytellers
is a local gathering to encourage the art of telling these sacred
stories by heart and use them in various aspects of ministry.
For more information contact Pastor Jim Kulma at 440-250-3872
or by email at [email protected]
MASSAGE THERAPY
is available on campus
EVERY Tuesday as a service to
our EMPLOYEES
To schedule your
appointment with
Cathy Lanese, LMT
call ext. 2191
RATES
15 MINUTES-$12
30 MINUTES-$28
45 MINUTES-$40
1 HOUR-$50
Notes
from
HR
Be sure to
say “hi” to
Rod Braye
who is
filling in for
Stephanie
Balser
while she
is on
maternity
leave.
Forms & Policies
For your convenience, staff forms
and policies are available on all
LHCR computers—either on the
“h” drive or on the computer
desktop. The Employee Handbook is also available for view. If
you have any questions or
concerns related to the forms or
policies do not hesitate to see your
Supervisor or ask HR.
Deb Solyan is our new
AFLAC agent. She will be on
Main Street the
2nd Wednesday of each
month from
11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Employees can enroll in
AFLAC's programs, ask
questions, and/or get
help with claims.
Contact:
[email protected]
cell - 216-406-1713
Fax: 216-901-5000