SEM Haven - Monthly Update

Monthly Update, June 2007

HOUSEHOLD HAPPENINGS – Kugler Woods dining room and family room are undergoing final touches in our redecorating project. We are looking forward to being complete! Ripple Ridge residents and staff are working on a garden. We decided the plants we wanted then went on a bus trip to purchase them. We chose geraniums for the hanging baskets as these can tolerate the hot sun. This past month we went out to eat at O'Charley’s and had a good time picnicking in our courtyard during nursing home week. We are planning our second annual resident/staff/family picnic at Miami Meadows Park. Gatch Grove enjoyed a wonderful grill out with steaks and a potluck lunch. We are planning a fishing trip this month. Our residents are helping to care for our flower and vegetable garden.

MURAL – If you have been to SEM recently you have noticed the beautiful wall mural and front door to Ripple Ridge painted by artist Loretta Welch, who also works here as a nursing assistant. She designed the area to resemble the former estate of the Irwin family who built the stone mansion still located on the SEM property. Charitable donations to SEM Haven have made this project possible. Thank you!

CONSTRUCTION – Our front lobby renovation is complete. Soon we will be finished with our final renovation and will have no more detours! There is still some work to be completed in the front parking lot and assisted living entrance area. Again, I can’t thank you enough for your patience.

SHUMARD REHAB CENTER – Later this month we will be opening our new rehab center, rooms 301 to 311. It has been named in memory of benefactors and former residents, Allan and Margaret Shumard. Their relationship with SEM Haven started in 1990 when Margaret came to live here. Allan was a daily visitor and developed close friendships with residents and staff. This friendship continued after Margaret died in 1991 so when Allan was in need of rehabilitation and nursing care he wanted only SEM Haven. He was able to recover and went to live in our Assisted Living Center where he died at age 101 in 2006. He is well remembered to this day as the gentle man with a great sense of humor who was everyone’s friend and who had a fantastic love of life. The Shumard Rehab Center is a distinct area of the facility with a separate entrance and kitchen/dining room so our patients can recover together in a setting where everyone is dedicated to improving functional ability. The majority of the rooms are private with ample space for visits by friends and family. This results in a positive and encouraging environment for healing.

FRONTIER’S DAY PARADE – Once again SEM Haven resident’s, staff and volunteers participated in Milford’s annual parade. The theme this year was A New Frontier. Our residents, staff and volunteers joined in the fun and our wheelchairs and float were decorated to a spaceship theme. It’s always interesting to note how many of the onlookers know our residents and staff!

MENUS – Our Spring/Summer menus have been well received so far with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. We have incorporated many requests from our residents. Please continue to give us feedback as we try new recipes so we can make necessary changes. Our goal is to significantly improve resident/family satisfaction survey scores related to food and the dining experience.

FEATURED RESIDENT – This month Chaplain Bill writes about Peg Gormley. Peg was born and raised in Cincinnati. She was married at age 15 in 1938 to John Gormley. They have four children, sons Jan and Jack and daughters Jill and Joyce. They have nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. John worked in a bakery and then with the B&O Railroad as a switchman. Peg and John raised “Samoyed”, beautiful white sled dogs. John raced them in sled dog teams in the snow in Alaska! Peg showed them in dog “beauty shows”. Between the races and the beauty shows they have many trophies and ribbons. They still have “Holly” who is a frequent visitor. Please read Bill’s full account of Peg and her interesting life.

FEATURED STAFF MEMBERS – Tina Brothers, nurse aide on Milcroft Manor, was born & raised in Milford, Ohio. She has a sister Becky & brother Jeremy. She graduated from Milford H.S. in 1997 and from UC in 2006 with a Bachelors Degree in English. While in college Tina studied abroad in England, France, & Ireland. She enjoys spending time with her friends, listening to music, reading, & traveling. Tina admits, "I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up". Tina now lives in Clifton in the gaslight district. She began working at SEM Haven at age 16, & has continued for 11 1/2 years. Her future plans include a trip to Jamaica in December for a music festival. Latoya Price, nurse aide on Gatch Grove has been at SEM nine years. She has 4 sisters (Iva, Lynn, Ivette & Maya) and 2 brothers (Lonnie & Marvin). She graduated from Milford High in 1995. She has 3 children, Deontrinese, Bryan and Bryana. Latoya is a fantastic dancer and also likes drawing and painting.

STAFF NEWS – We are very proud of Rachel Wilson, Heather Kingsley, Tonya Roberts and Holly Murphy who recently graduated from high school. Congratulations to Chris Miner on the birth of his daughter Haleigh Anne on 5/1/07. She weighed 8 lb, 7 oz. Diane Slone has a new granddaughter, MacKenzie Kaylyn, born 5/23/07 and weighing 9 lb, 4 oz.

SAFETY – SEM Haven has been awarded a Certificate for Outstanding Safety Performance from the Bureau of Worker’s Compensation Division of Safety and Hygiene. Congratulations to the Safety Committee for all of their hard work and commitment to furthering SEM Haven’s knowledge about safety issues.

NURSING ASSISTANT MONTH – June has been designated as the month to recognize our nursing assistants. At SEM we have 55 Nursing Assistants whom we will honor with a special catered luncheon and a gift on June 19. I’m sure they would appreciate any kind words or notes from others who see what a wonderful service they provide to our residents.

SOCIAL EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS – June 6th - Broadway for fun; 7th - Corn Hole Tournament; 14th - James Hood Entertainment; 17th - Father's Day Open House 3:15. We have a new volunteer, Bonnie Pollard, who is a retired art teacher. She will be doing art classes each Thursday, rotating on the households. We should get some good creativity flowing.

Kugler Woods Assisted Living - June 4th & 19th - piano with Ruth Schaefer; 7th - Cornhole Tournament; 12th - 2:00pm Memorial for Ruth Reynolds; 14th - "Flag Day" with Patriotic music by Mark Rasmussen; 21st - Picnic; 21st - 2:00pm Memorial for Mary Eleanor Conklin; 28th - 2:00pm Memorial for Geneva Byers; Every Friday night at 6:30 - Friday Night Movie.

We would like to sincerely thank the students from Anderson and Mariemont High Schools who joined us for our Senior/Senior Prom. It was very well attended and there was plenty of dancing. Congratulations to our king, Willard Volkmar, and our queen, Kay Ferguson. Student king and queen were Kaela Racer and John Bessey.

Barb Wolf,
Administrator