"A Fair to Remember" Remembered

    On April 15 the Kendal Institute presented “A Fair to Remember,” a program focused on giving Kendal residents some sense of the wide array of opportunities available to us to engage with the educational institutions serving our wider community. The fourth special event sponsored by the institute this year, the "Fair to Remember" was truly well-named.

    Display desks ringed the Amelia Room, and their colorful installations gave a festive appearance to the occasion. A student from Lakewood High School was at the keyboard. For over an hour curious residents bustled, shuffled, and ambled their way around the room, either with or against the traffic, visiting the displays that interested them. They talked with the invariably cheerful representatives who sat behind the desks and examined the brochures and hand-outs and sign-up lists that lay before them. When residents wanted to take a break, they moved toward the center of the room, where clusters of chairs invited resting, chatting, observing, and enjoying of snacks, including some wonderful ice cream bars that kept mysteriously appearing – thanks to Ye Olde Mill and the Velvet Ice Cream Company.

    The focus of the event was EDUCATION, but the planners had no intention of construing that word in any narrower sense. They saw the goal of the event to be to demonstrate how residents of Kendal could become both (and often simultaneously) senior learners and volunteers in the task of educating others.

    Institutions of formal education – the public schools, Denison University, and Central Ohio Technical College – were of course represented, offering information about both volunteering and learning opportunities. So too were the Lifelong Learning Institute and the Licking County Genealogical Society, organizations that aim at providing educational experiences to seniors. Also present were representatives of the libraries of our area, central players in the education of the citizenry of the wider community.

    Area museums had their desks. Some of these institutions were town-focused museums, repositories for the documents and artifacts that are the foundation for the work of students of local history. Others were topical in character, featuring the glass-making past of the area or the costumes and attire of earlier eras. All offered chances to learn and to volunteer.

    Finally, two major outdoor opportunities were represented: the glorious Dawes Arboretum, with one of the country’s finest public gardens; and the spectacular Newark Earthworks site, which (in conjunction with the Flint Ridge State Park site) is testimony to the impressive artistic, theological, commercial, and organizational vigor of the pre-Columbian Hopewell culture.

    Printed on the program for the event was a marvelous call to action – “Learn, Join, Volunteer, Sign Up.” There is already much evidence that many residents who visited “A Fair to Remember” accepted the invitation. We have grounds to hope therefore that the effects of the event will ripple through Kendal at Granville for years to come.

   

The Florence Wellness Center

The Kendal at Granville health philosophy states that ‘the Kendal approach helps residents stay well, remain independent,  and maintain the  highest possible level of  involvement in their care.”  In keeping with this philosophy a part of the continuum of health care here at Kendal at Granville is the Florence Wellness Center which provides outpatient services for residents.  The Florence Wellness Center is located in the Community Center.  It is open Monday through Friday.

Services in the Florence Wellness Center are provided by Central Ohio Geriatrics, a provider of Geriatric Medicine, Family Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine under the direction of John M. Weigand, M. D.  “Central Ohio Geriatrics (COG) provides dedicated, comprehensive, evidence-based care with a focus on achieving the highest level of independence possible and improving the quality of life for seniors.  Our continuum of services to seniors includes home care, assisted living, wellness programs, skilled rehabilitation, and long term care.  We specialize in medical direction and are committed to educating future physicians and geriatricians through medical education.” This quote from the COG website illustrates the synchronicity between the philosophies of COG andKAG  as to the care of seniors.

I personally, like many other residents here, have found it a distinct advantage to have the services of COG on our campus.  Not only is it convenient but more importantly it saved me the daunting task of finding a new primary physician when I moved here from Philadelphia.  What a relief it was to discover the Wellness Canter was staffed by a well qualified doctor who was accepting patients.

Our COG staff   includes a receptionist, two licensed practical nurses, a registered nurse, two nurse practitioners, and a psychologist all under the direction of Dr. J. Weigand.

Arrangements have been made with Licking Memorial Hospital to come here daily to draw blood for required blood work -  a big time saver

The local CVS makes deliveries here of medications which is another big time saver for residents – another big time saver.

Blood pressure checks are done routinely twice weekly.

At regular intervals a podiatrist comes in  to provide foot care for those who need it.

Flu shots are given annually.

From time to time Dr. J. Weigand gives presentations in the evening on health care topics concerning the health problems faced by seniors.

During my ten years’ residence here I have had occasion at one time or another to call upon the services of each staff member.  Individually and collectively they have been there for me.  They have given me wise counsel, beneficial referrals,helpful advice, careful instructions, sympathetic listening ears, and treatments as needed.

No matter how impatient or disgruntled I may have been they have treated me with respect, patience, and understanding.  As a retired nurse educator who taught geriatric nursing including the pros and cons of selecting facilities for the care of the aging, I came with high expectations and can honestly say that I have not been disappointed that I chose Kendal at Granville.  Kendal’s philosophy of health care springs from the written page into action daily thanks to our caring Wellness Center staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choruses Come to Kendal

Choral singing is one of the great joys of life. The sound of a choir is moving precisely because it can reflect the full range of human experience; and when the piece being performed is well-conceived, it achieves its effect by capturing the proper balance of the emotional freight of the lyrics: reverence perhaps, or joy, or excitement, or weariness, or love, or tenderness, or even rage. And that's speaking only from a listener's perspective. If you're lucky enough to be a member of such an ensemble, then you not only have the pleasure of sharing in creating the rich aural effects, but you know the joy of learning the music "from the inside" – of learning, that is, through your rehearsals, how the lines and sections and movements and harmonies fit together into an organic musical whole.

This week Kendal at Granville has been doubly blessed. On Sunday the Vintage Voices performed here. They are a Granville singing group that draws chiefly from seniors in the community, including of course some who are residents of Kendal. Their presentation was a musical narration of the Passion story, appropriate as Easter approaches. The pieces that comprised the tale were both familiar and unfamiliar, all lovely, and all demonstrating how the Vintage Voices continues to improve with each passing year. Happily, Kendal at Granville is a performance venue for this group two or three times annually.

Then on Tuesday evening the choir from St. Luke's Episcopal Church visited Kendal to perform Gabriel Fauré's Requiem. With its trimmed-down proportions, simplicity, and humanity, Fauré's Requiem is an ever-popular and stunningly beautiful work, and the audience of residents and guests received the presentation with even fuller applause than is customary for Kendal. As with the Vintage Voices, we were all pleased to see that there were some Kendal residents among the ranks of the choristers.

Each resident will doubtless have drawn his or her own lessons from the juxtaposition of the two singing ensembles. What sticks in my mind, beyond the sheer loveliness of the music, is the way in which the addition of the Amelia Gathering Room has opened Kendal to the talents of performance ensembles representing  a variety of art forms. As a consequence of the inclusion of this facility in our Phase II expansion, our community life is far richer today than it was just two years ago.

The Kendal Institute Engages with the Arts

Two weeks ago the Kendal Institute for Community Engagement sponsored two events that gave residents of Kendal at Granville opportunities to enjoy a taste of the artistic richness of Licking County. On Wednesday, March 11, the chamber strings of the Newark-Granville Symphony performed a concert for a delighted crowd in the Amelia Room. Comprised of boys and girls from the sixth through the tenth grades, the chamber strings demonstrated how the schools, with the support of the arts community, afford aspiring young musicians chances to perform in ensembles before live and enthusiastic audiences. In addition to playing four numbers composed for youth orchestras, they took the time to introduce themselves to the audience. When, at the end, the conductor asked if there were any questions, the residents had plenty! And all testified to the happiness, enthusiasm, and excitement that the sight and sound of the young musicians had generated. No one could doubt that the concert had been an event that successfully engaged Kendal residents with the community.

Two days late, on Friday, March 13, forty-five residents journeyed by bus and car to The Works, the spectacular museum  of art, crafts, and local history that is one of the crown jewels of the cultural life of Newark, Ohio. The Works offers many attractions, but the two that stood on the residents' agenda for the day were a visit to the exhibition about Licking County in World War I, and the glass-blowing studio. With artifacts and pictures, the former reminded viewers of the way life was abruptly altered for county residents when the United States went to war in April of 1917. Then, with demonstrations – and active participation by five bold residents – the Kendal gang received instruction in how to create glass works with a combination of heat, breath control, and a little luck.

Credit for organizing the activities of this week rests chiefly with Jane Heller, one of Kendal's splendid resident artists. The evidence so far is largely anecdotal, but it suggests that the Kendal Institute is having the effect it sought: widening resident awareness of, and readiness to participate in, the fostering of artistic activities in the county.

An Evening to Remember

On March fourth as  I arrived at our Amelia Gathering Room for the evening program  it was apparent that there was going to be a crowd as workers were scurrying about to bring in more chairs/

 

When I thought about the fact that our speaker, Leo, was a member of our own dining staff, I realized that both residents and staff members would want to hear his life story.   We knew that he came from Senegal in Africa to live in Chicago.  He came to us from Chicago where he had worked at the Admiral, a Kendal community located there.   He had came here from Chicago because of his plan to enter Ohio State University to study medicine. 

In the short time this young man has been here we have been impressed by his quiet, courteous demeanor as he fulfills his duties in our dining rooms. 

As his story unfolded we learned that he had three sisters – two older and one younger than him.   He described to us the extreme poverty in Senegal where food, clean water, and good sanitation measures are in short supply.  His family was so poor that when they took the bus he had to sit on his mother’s lap which embarrassed him as he grew older. Whenever he spoke of his mother it was with great respect.  As I listened to him speak about his Mama I developed the distinct impression that it was she who had been instrumental in shaping his attitudes and values. 

 

He enumerated for us the many struggles he encountered in order to get his education in Africa.  Throughout this part of his story there was no hint of complaint about the obstacles he had to overcome.  Instead he emphasized the importance of hard work, determination, and self confidence to achieving success.

His father had already emigrated to Chicago when he decided to come to the United States.  Upon arrival in this country he was able to speak three languages - French and the tribal language of each of his parents – but not English.    Unable to speak English and with little money his life during his early days in Chicago were not easy. With characteristic hard work, determination he went hungry at times and learned English largely by watching television and You Tubes on the internet.  When he spoke of these problems it was not as a complaint but just a vignette illustrating his early life in the United States. 

We learned that one of his passions is playing soccer.  When asked how old he was when he started to play soccer, his answer was, “When I started to walk.”  As the grandmother of two grandsons who have not only played soccer for years but became soccer referees  for recreational soccer while still in their teens I understood that and knew what it meant in terms of getting to practices and games. 

While in Chicago he made the decision to become a doctor.  His search for a medical school he believed would be best suited for him led him to Ohio State University where he anticipated receiving a scholarship which would pay for his education.  When the scholarship did not turn out as anticipated, he looked for other ways to pay for his education.  As many other young men in this country have done, he chose enlisting in the Army as the pathway for him.  Sadly for those of us here who have grown fond of Leo it means he will be leaving us shortly to begin his enlistment.

He talked to us briefly about a friend who is involved in developing awareness of   African music and showed a short video excerpt of his work.  

Throughout his presentation, Leo never complained about the hard tines in his life, but emphasized the need to accept hardships and continue onward with self confidence.

His humble attitude about his considerable accomplishments was impressive. 

 When he concluded his presentation, the applause was long and enthusiastic with the audience on their feet to show their respect for a young man who has come so far in his journey at the age of 25.

During the question and answer period when asked if he was a citizen, he told us that he had only been here four years and this fall when he will have been here five years he plans to become a citizen.  His response to a question about returning to Senegal, he replied to the effect that he believes in paying back and so would find a way to do that.

It was a moving experience to hear Leo tell his story.  I hope and pray he will do well as he journeys onward and hope that he will keep in touch with us so we can follow his story where ever he goes.

Truly the evening was one to remember - an event that illustrates why Kendal at Granville is a good place to work and to live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raffles, Refreshments, and Rallying

    On February 11 the Kendal Institute for Community Engagement held its second event of 2015, a rally for the distribution of information about social service opportunities in Licking County. It was attended by forty-six persons and regarded as a grand success. The speakers represented organizations that address in various ways the needs of many of the vulnerable residents of the county – the old and young, the hungry and homeless, the disabled and abused, the diseased in mind or body.

    This point about the range of problems addressed is perhaps best driven home by citing the agencies that were present: the Center for New Beginnings, the Center for Disability Services, the Food Pantry of Licking County, the Licking County Aging Program, the Licking County United Way, Mental Health of America of Licking County, the Salvation Army, and the YES Club Youth Organization. 

    While many residents were aware of the work of some of these groups, fewer had seen or thought about the spectrum of needs that confront the agencies whose task is to provide assistance – needs that almost crush the daily lives of many of our neighbors in the county.  As one representative said, our aim is to help those who are struggling, and our motto is “I see you; I’m here for you.” And more to the point, few residents had realized the range of volunteer opportunities that lay before anybody who was looking for a constructive way to engage in the social service work of the county community. “Volunteers,” we were reminded, “aren’t paid. Why? Because they’re priceless.”

    When the brief talks were over, residents were invited to visit the various stations that the agencies had set up around the Amelia Room. At these booths they could study posters about the work of the various agencies, pick up hand-outs about volunteer opportunities, and pose questions to the representatives. Meanwhile, refreshments were steadily available, and before the rally ended a raffle identified the winners of gifts from three sponsoring local businesses: Goumas Candy, New Day Spa, and Palumbo’s Italian Market.

    It is not hard to see why so many residents found the rally rewarding. It offered a rich combination of useful information, food, an opportunity for social engagement, and the fun of a raffle. Thanks go to the two super-organizers, Janie Drake and Susan Richardson, for all their work in staging this event.

    The next Kendal Institute occasion will focus on opportunities for engaging with artistic organizations in the county, and it will occur over several days in the second week of March, the 9th through the 13th. More news coming. Mark your calendars.
   

Thank Goodness for Housekeepers

In June 2015 we will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the opening of this community.  As we do so I like many others have been looking back at all that transpired during that ten year period.  In preparation for writing this blog I looked back to see what topics I have written about since I began blogging in September 2010.

My review indicated that generally my topics were related to events and facets of life here which have made me appreciate my life here at Kendal at Granville.  Very often I have written about one or another of our staff groups who do so much to make life better for all of us who live here.  Reflecting on the ones I chose to blog about I found that for some inexplicable reason I never mentioned one of my favorite staff departments, namely housekeeping. 

Our housekeepers are invaluable because they keep things clean and orderly in both our individual residences and our common areas.  I shudder to think about how those areas would appear without their daily attention to large and small details there.

Every other week they clean our residences.  For those assigned to go to the cottages and villas this means going outside in all seasons  and all kinds of weather, not a fun thing to do in the heat of a hot summer day, nor on a rainy day, or a snowy wintry day.  Of course   they have big carts to push around with their basic cleaning supplies!   

Housekeepers are required to do a lot of things most of us would just as soon not do such as clean toilets.  In addition to this drawback there is the fact that most housekeeping tasks tend to be tiresome because they have to be done over and over and over again.  Yet I don’t hear any of our housekeepers complaining about having to do all of the routine tasks that are a part of their daily life.

In spite of the many challenges of their jobsI have found them to be consistently courteous, considerate, and pleasant.  They go about their duties quietly and efficiently.

For the most part their labors go unsung and unheralded so for my part I hereby take my hat off to them and thank them from my heart for all they do to make me glad I  came to live at Kendal at Granville ten years ago.

Addendum:  After posting this blog a fellow resident who read it wrote me a note about it which included the comments which I would like to add to mine.  “My wife and I feel particularly warm about our housekeeping staff for they are some of the nicest people, we as residents, in a building that is filled with nice people.  I am glad you focused on them.”