News About Lutheran Homes of Michigan And Related Services

W I N T E R 2008

Highlights“Next year make Camp Hope longer”

was heard from the children who

attended the 4th annual Camp Hope.

“This was the best year ever” was

heard from the volunteers who attend

2007 Camp Hope. Each year Hospice

of Hope receives over 100 referrals for

children ages 6 through 17 to attend

Hospice of Hope’s annual grief camp.

Referrals are received from school

districts in Genesee, Saginaw, Tusc-

ola, Sanilac, Bay and Lapeer Counties.

From those 100 + referrals, 40 children

are accepted and selected to go to

camp.

Community relationships help make Camp Hope a success. Kaleidoscope Learning Circle, Birch Run, MI brings therapy horses to camp. These equine therapists teach the teens self esteem and team building skills. Three therapy dogs attend camp with their handler/owner volunteers. These dogs provide comfort to the children as they explore hurtful feelings. Two individual ladies

and the ladies at Speedy Sew of Saginaw, MI make the Blue Jean Bears the children receive at the end of camp. For the fourth year in a row, Journals Unlimited of Bay City, MI donated 20 of their “ME” journals for the teens at camp. Camp Lael, a Baptist camp in Lapeer, MI deducts 5 campers from the rental fee each year. Along with sewing, volunteers, and products, monetary donations come from a variety of community members and organizations. The Bavarian Inn Employees, The Optimist Club of Fran-

Camp HopeCamp Hope

(continued on page 10)

As Christ’s servants on earth, Lutheran Homes of

Michigan serves the elderly and their caregivers

with compassion, respect, spiritual support and an

unwavering focus on independence, personal dignity

and service excellence.

Christ-centered • Integrity • ExcellenceEmpowered • Committed to the Sanctity of Life

PAGE 3

Dear Friends of Lutheran Homes of Michigan: Mother

Theresa once said, “Think of how hard it

is to change yourself; then consider how

hard it is to change others.”

A true, and sobering thought to be sure! We could extend this thought one step further, noting the difficulty in changing an entire organization. And yet, despite the difficulty in managing change, Lutheran Homes of Michigan has committed itself to just that – transformative, meaningful, lasting change as we seek ways to serve elders and their caregivers in new and innovative ways.

Almost 115 years ago, committed Christians came together to fill a need – the care of aging widows and widowers whose needs outweighed their resources. A simple, but power-ful mission was born, and we are the current stewards of it. As I reflect on over a century of care, I can’t help but think about all the changes that time and necessity has brought to us. From medical advances (like penicillin) to lifespan lengthening and new social understanding, Lutheran Homes has stood the test of time by changing, innovating, and meeting needs. At its

David M. Gehm

core, our mission remains the same – we are Christ’s servants on earth, serv-ing the elderly and their caregivers with compassion, respect, spiritual support and an unwavering focus on indepen-dence, personal dignity, and service excellence.

In this issue of Highlights, you will learn about some of the transformational change efforts underway within our ministry. You will note new words in our vocabulary these days – words like academic research, Collage, and well-ness. You will note acronyms like CAST, IFAS, and MD2. But most importantly, you will experience the transformative power of change through the eyes of our elders, staff, and volunteers on whose behalf we have committed ourselves to creating a NEW future of aging services.

As you engage this new world of services and care through and with us, we invite your feedback, responses, and questions. Please contact us at highlights@LHMINC.org and we will be happy to get back with you to share more information or answer a question. There has never been a more exciting time to get involved in this ministry of care, and we welcome your interest.

The Board of Directors and staff of LHM have committed themselves, through careful planning and focused effort, to innovation and change in the 21st Century that will make a difference in how we age, how we care, and how caregivers give. Through it all, our focus remains on “being Christ’s servants on earth.” Some things never change!

President & CEOLutheran Homes of Michigan

PAGE 4

Lisa Bonney

It Takes Heart... As

Lutheran Homes of Michigan works to

care for God’s oldest children, the one

unifying quality in those who share in

our ministry are people with a big heart.

It’s what inspires, motivates, engages

and advances our ability to care for

those--whom most in our society would

like to forget.

Whether you have a caring heart, a brave heart, a dedicated heart or a faith-filled heart, you are instrumental in demonstrating God’s love to those served by LHM. It is because of you that we give thanks to God for…….

Your heart filled with compassion…You care enough to be interested in and financially supportive of our ministry; you respect the elders of our society who have worked hard, but now need our care; you show how sharing a little makes a big difference in the lives of others.

Your heart filled with courage…There are far too many individuals in our society that do everything they can to avoid the aging process and what it will mean for them as they grow older each day. It takes a brave heart to counter-act society’s stereotypes of aging; to take action so that our elders will not be forgotten; and to ensure financial support in the face of looming state budget cuts to the neediest of those we serve.

Your heart filled with perseverance…You make it possible for LHM to provide services that extend beyond the basic level of care. Your support allows us to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences for individuals regardless of their age; to step out boldly with transformational change that will improve care and qual-ity of life; to extend a spiritual counselor

to individuals and families during turbu-lent times; to redefine the care choices for seniors today and in the future.

Your heart filled with faith...Because you are Christ’s servants on earth you demonstrate His unfaltering love through your prayers and remembrance of our ministry. God’s love is made real to those we serve when we share how you’ve cared enough to be involved as a donor, a volunteer, or by choosing LHM for your own family’s care needs.

We thank God for people like you who have a heart for our ministry. The impact of a caring heart on a senior who feels abandoned or forgotten, or the family experiencing the loss of a parent, is never too small. Your care, compas-sion and financial support are vital to us as we persevere in creating a hopeful future for our elders -- soon to be the largest segment of the population.

Our work is to provide loving Christian care to meet the needs of seniors. Our services exist to help no matter what the need -- medical, physical, emotional, residential, or spiritual; Lutheran Homes of Michigan is committed to life long Christian care. Our work could not be accomplished without the support of people like you – people who have a heart for our ministry.

Thank you for having a heart -- that one unifying factor that inspires, moti-vates, engages and advances our ability

(continued on page 10)

PAGE 5

with us those areas where support and programs might be of benefit. It allows us ultimately, to work with the individual to create an aging experi-ence customized to who they are. Ulti-mately, it will be a tool by which further transformation occurs.

Which brings us back to our three professionals and their teacher. In this conversation, Reuben has shared a great deal about his health and living needs and issues, but now the conver-sation has turned to who he really is. You see, Reuben is a farmer; not WAS a farmer, he IS a farmer. Regardless of what he is dealing with in his life, he becomes animated during this part of the conversation as he shares who he is, at the core, and what it means to him. Unfortunately, it is a big part of Reuben that he counts as lost, despite the joy it obviously brings him as he remembers.

The talk turns to winter wheat, as he educates his students about the plant-ing nuances of this impor-tant fall task; in Reuben’s life, winter wheat marked a season of preparedness, of transition, and of planning. In fact, it is not unlike aging in that regard, so long as we approach it with that sensi-tivity and attitude.

The response of our three profes-sionals turned students is now what matters most; as providers of care they are trained to respond and meet this articulated need. But as students dedicated to empowering elders, that typical response will fall short. Rather than drive Reuben past farm fields in

Winter Wheat for Reuben The three

professionals turned students for the

day sat fully engaged as their “teacher”

opened up a part of his life, important

to him, but otherwise hidden from

them. As clinicians, they have been

trained to look for the “issues”, identify

the pathologies, and provide solutions.

But today was different, in remarkable

and insightful ways. These clinicians,

for this moment, were learning a new

way to care and serve – they were

listening rather than assessing, empa-

thizing rather than solving.

Over two years ago, LHM embarked on a journey to transform itself and truly create a new future of aging services for those we serve. Our Mission State-ment was re-energized, focused now on serving both the elderly and their caregivers. We began to challenge the status quo in everything we do, an uncomfortable yet empowering exer-cise. We began to align our resources with initiatives intended to advance these bold goals. Slowly, but surely, new insights were gained, deeper understandings reached, and action-able plans emerged.

Among those plans included finding a new way to learn about wants, needs, and desires from our elders that goes far beyond the obvious and traditional medical needs approach. Our quest led us to an exciting new approach called Collage, which simply stated is a process of opening up a conversa-tion with our elders about healthy aging – mind, body, and spirit. It represents a soft, gentle approach that allows the elder to explore his or her own issues in life, identifying for us and (continued on page 10)

Reuben Schemm planting his winter wheat.

PAGE 6

Dining TransformationWilbur came to live at the Lutheran

Home Frankenmuth nearly four years

ago. At the time, he was struggling

with many of the health issues a man

of 84 deals with; but mainly, it was

any number of care issues which had

advanced slowly over time until his

loving family could no longer provide

the safe, secure environment he

needed.

Now at age 87 he has his good days and his bad days. Always a hearty eater, caregivers and families had become concerned that not only was his

appetite waning, but he was begin-ning to show signs of weight loss, a troubling development in the elderly. In fact, Wilbur is representative of the vast majority of elders residing in nurs-ing care facilities – they are at risk for diminished appetites, leading to weight loss, leading to any number of compli-cations.

But this is where the staff’s commit-ment to transformative change writes a new ending to an old story. The Lutheran Home Frankenmuth staff has literally transformed the dining experi-ence to bring the sights, sounds, and delicious aromas of cooking out into the dining room – just like home. In addition, residents are given multiple options for each meal, allowing them the dignity of choice in their lives,

enhancing the dining experience and encouraging better nutrition. In fact, breakfast is now served between 6am and 9am, just like the Holiday Inn Express.

On the first day of this new way of serving, Wilbur was asked his prefer-ence for breakfast. For the first time in a long time, he had a menu of choices including scrambled eggs, hot or cold cereal, fried eggs, omelets, waffles, or pancakes…all cooked on the spot to order. Wilbur chose a fried egg that first day, and ate it up with fresh toast. For the first time in a long time, he ate without assistance, with only verbal encouragements along the way. In short, he was hungry, and motivated.

This scene plays out now in every dining room, at every meal for Wilbur and all his friends at the Lutheran Home Frankenmuth. In fact, 80% of residents who had been at risk for weight loss had returned to positive nutritional status within six weeks of the program’s inception.

Whether serving a long term resident or persons staying with us for just a few weeks of rehabilitative therapy, Lutheran Home Frankenmuth serves up meals to everyone’s liking. The visionary staff of the Home has trans-formed more than just the dining expe-rience; they have transformed lives as meal times have become meaningful, and delicious, again.

We thank God each and every day for employees who are willing to step out and try something new for the benefits of the elders they serve.

From left, LHM resident, Shirley Luzak along with LHM

staff members Kim Wilson and Judy Neal.

PAGE 7

Blessings abound at

Livonia! We are building again. This time

for only one resident — Ethel the bus!

About a year ago, one of our residents,

Ethel Standley, with the help of her

lifelong friend, Dorothy Scannell donated

the funds to buy an eight wheelchair,

22 passenger van. At that time, many

families and friends including Thrivent

Financial, and the Volunteer Corps of

Livonia Home, joined together to start

the “bus and garage fund”. These funds

are being used for a garage, annual

maintenance of the bus, and to create

a resource for residents to participate

in outings.

The Livonia Home Environmental Services department, under the direc-tion and leadership of Gary Kamin, provided construction of the build-ing, which was designed to architecturally follow the lines of the 108 bed facil-ity. The garage has room for not only the bus, but a spot for a truck or van and some storage.

We continue to look for donations to fund activities and outings for the residents. The oppor-tunities to travel will likely be more and more adventuresome as residents suggest where they want to go and what they want to experience.

Livonia BusGarage

A GIFT OF LOVE GROWS. What began with a gift of love by a resident and a donor to procure a bus for the Lutheran Home Livonia, has grown immensely. Thanks to a few special events and many gener-ous donors, a garage “home” for the new bus now sits on the property.

Thrivent Helps Develop New Leaders Cultivating new and emerging leaders is the

goal of a LHM Board of Directors initiative. It has gotten off to a

good start, thanks to the generous support of Thrivent’s Eastern

Great Lakes Region and Michigan Region agencies, as well as

the LHM Board of Directors. LHM is implementing an internal

Leadership Institiute that will provide education, training and

experience opportunities to staff who are invested in making

a difference in their personal, professional and organizational

advancement.

From left, Dave Gehm, Weldon Schwiebert and Carolyn Kimbrough (LHM Board members); top from left, Rev. Dr. Peter Larsen (LHM Board member), Lisa Bonney, and Charles Winterstein (LHM Board member).

PAGE 8

Pictured from left:Debra L. Moss, MD, MBA, President & CEO of MPRONancy Scott, LH Frankenmuth Resident Care DirectorLindee Blehm, LH Frankenmuth CNAJennifer Nesbitt, LH Frankenmuth NurseColleen Cieszkowski, RN, BS, MA, CPHQ, Senior VP of Quality & Review Operations, MPRO

Excellence Award Representatives

of Lutheran Home Frankenmuth

received the 2006 Michigan Award of

Excellence for

Improving Care

in the Nursing

Home Setting

from MPRO

(Michigan

Peer Review

Organization).

MPRO formally honors extraordinary nursing homes that are active in quality improvement for long-term care. Exceptional health care providers have the opportunity to be recognized with the Michigan Award of Excellence for Improving Care in the Nursing Home Setting.

Every Little Bit Helps Your mother has probably told you more than once that “every little bit helps”. Those words of wisdom are still true today when little things done consistently are able to make a significant impact. One such example of “every little bit” includes adding a small step to your on-line shopping which results in charitable support for LHM. When shopping on-line, go to LHM’s website, www.LHMINC.org, click on one of the two internet shopping services – GoodSearch or ALDE Shopping Mall – and designate Lutheran Homes of Michigan as your charity of choice. The retailer will then donate a percentage of your purchases to our ministry of caring for men and women as they journey through their elder years.

More donors

are choosing to make a charitable gift

in the form of stock, mutual funds or

other investments in lieu of cash due to

a strong stock market and

added tax savings for the

individual.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that more donors are thinking about this alternative giving method because it may be smarter for them when they

donate stocks or mutual funds that have risen sharply in value over the years. By donating these investments, the individual typically can deduct the fair market value of the gift and avoid having to pay the capital gains tax of

the increased value the shares. Please check with your tax advisor for details and consider LHM as you make your end-of-year charitable gifts.

Count your blessings and benefit from

giving

Think Stock Donation For Added Tax Saving

PAGE 9

Another National “First” for Lutheran Homes of Michigan! Two years ago,

Lutheran Homes of Michigan found

itself on the national stage as it was

the first provider of care and services

to seniors to take a group of frail World

War II veterans to see their Memorial

in Washington, D.C. Many still talk

about the “trip of a lifetime” known

as Operation Enduring Thanks. OET

caught the attention of local and national

media. However, the intent was to

serve and honor these great men and

women, and pay tribute to the “greatest

generation”. It turns out just doing

the right thing for the right reason was

newsworthy.

Now, Lutheran Homes finds itself pulling off another national “first” – this time as the first provider of senior services to commit to conducting academically based research using new technologies that empower elders to live indepen-dently longer, in whatever place they call home. Working with CAST, the Center for Aging Services Technologies, and IFAS, the Institute for the Future of Aging Services, LHM has stepped out as a leader once again – and once again, heads are turning.

Nearly 80% of seniors over age 80 require some assistance taking their medications, and nearly 60% of emer-gency room visits by seniors reveals some sort of medication mix up. These are real issues, real problems, for real people. So, Lutheran Homes of Michi-gan has set upon a course of study to

determine how best to help seniors utilize a new electronic medication dispenser known as the MD2.

Picture this scene: Grandma lives alone in her home, doing quite well except for numerous medications that help her manage multiple health issues. Medications are really impor-tant for her, and yet the complexity of the regimen and some short term memory issues are causing this to become a potential hazard.

Enter the MD2 – an elec-tronic medication dispens-ing system that provides computerized dispensing of the right medications at the right time. The machine is filled by a nurse, who programs the exact time of each dose. When the time arrives, the MD2 promptly flashes a light, and a voice gently reminds that it’s “time to take your medication”. The senior then pushes a button, and out pops the correct dose at the correct time.

But there’s more! Connected to a computer via phone lines, if a dose is missed, a call can be placed to a caregiver to alert them. If necessary, a family member or support staff can intervene to assure the medication regimen remains intact.

Too much technology for a senior, one might say. Precisely why Lutheran Homes has taken it upon itself to “test the limits” of the MD2 and the seniors who could most benefit from it. The study has been created to help us understand how best to utilize this important technology in empowering elders to manage their own medica-tions. Beginning this fall, MD2 testing began in nearly every Lutheran Homes of Michigan ministry site, including our nursing homes, in order to fully assess the potential.

Marlett Grueber and the new electronic medication dispensing system.

PAGE 10

kenmuth, the Geyer Family Trust, Vera Kern, Citizen’s Bank and The Johnny Burke Children’s Foundation are just a few that helped send children and teens to camp. Thanks to community involvement and an annual Camp Fun-raiser, children and teens attend camp free-of-charge.

At camp, children meet others who have experienced death and learn they are not alone in their grief. Activi-ties designed by bereavement staff help children and teens explore their feelings, share their memories, and learn that life goes on after the death of a loved one. Arts and crafts are used to help the children explore their emotions. A memory pillow, that has a photo of the one who died on it, are decorated by the campers as they discuss memories they had and won’t have again. Mosaics are completed using the words “MOVING FORWARD” and tile feet. As the campers complete their mosaic boxes they talk about the future and goals their loved one had for them. In the middle of the grief activi-ties, regular camp activities happen. Canoeing, kayaking, swimming and blobbing are the activities enjoyed by campers and volunteers.

If you would like more information on Camp Hope or would like to sponsor a child please call Jane Olivier at 989.652.4663.

(Camp Hope, cont, from page 1)

the fall on a “crop tour”, rather than arranging a visit from 4-H, this group is now charged with enabling Reuben to again be who he is – dirty fingernails and sore back – a farmer. The goal now, is that by next fall, Reuben will be back in business, albeit on a scaled down plot of land, but planting and harvesting none-the-less. We owe him nothing less than to aid his journey by helping him be who he really is.

The goal now is winter wheat for Reuben.

(Reuben, cont. from page 5)

to care for those whom most in our society would like to forget. Because of your generous support LHM is able to make a difference in the lives of frail seniors and sharing God’s love. Please let us know if we can provide you with any information on making a gift of property (real estate, stocks), life insurance, or bequest. Your prayers and gifts are truly appreciated -- thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Together In His Service,

(It Takes Heart, cont. from page 4)

Director of Development & Communications

The Khaki Group with Traci Webber and Stephanie of Kaleidoscope, Suzanne Heitzig of Hospice of Hope, Rebecca and Diane and Jennifer (U of M students) along with the boys of Camp Hope and their reliable “steeds;” Charlie and Diva.

Don’t Forget9th Annual

Hospice of Hope Dinner“Life Celebrations”To benefit Camp Hope

January 16, 2008Bavarian Inn Lodge

PAGE 11

Save The Date! 2008 Golf Outing - June 9, 2008

Church Extension FundBrian & Mona Kaser of East Lansing

E.A. Becker & AssociatesSpecialized Pharmacy

Michigan District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

A Christian Connection to All Generations...(800) 242-3944

It’s what we do.Through faith, we each have a part to play in God’s great plan of redemp-tion. The Fruits of our faith-actions are often unknown to us. However, in

the areas of ministering to our sister churches, birthing new congregations and building new schools and churches, we have a very clear picture of how

God uses each of us to grow His Kingdom.

Worthwhile & FunThe ninth annual LHM golf outing was an overwhelming success! 112 golfers and 56 sponsors made it possible for over $47,000 to be given to the care of needy seniors in our care. Lutheran Homes of Michigan would like to thank the following four lead sponsors of this year’s event:

Church Extension FundBrian & Mona Kaser of East Lansing

E.A. Becker & AssociatesSpecialized Pharmacy

“Our work could not be

accomplished without

the support of people like

you – people who have a

heart for our ministry”.

Save The Date! 2008 Golf Outing - June 9, 2008The Majectic at Lake Walden n Crouse Road, Hartland, MI

www.majesticgolf.com

Alpena Village109 N. Second Avenue, Suite 105

Aplena, MI 49707866.757.0011

Hampton MeadowsPine Road, Essexville

248.281.2026

Lexington Pointe at Longmeadow103 Lexington Pointe Drive

Niles, MI 49120269.615.0631

Gibraltar Manor14486 Middle Gibraltar Road

Gibraltar, MI 48173734.676.4818

Our Saviour’s Manor29495 Annapolis

Westland, MI 48186734.595.4663

Creekside Village1450 S. Monroe Street

Monroe, MI 48161734.241.3906

9710 Junction RoadP.O. Box 329Frankenmuth, MI 48734989.652.3470www.LHMINC.org

The Lutheran Home Monroe1236 S. Monroe Street

Monroe, MI 48161734.241.9533

The Lutheran Home Livonia28910 Plymouth Road

Livonia, MI 48150734.425.4814

The Lutheran Home Frankenmuth725 W. Genesee StreetFrankenmuth, MI 48734

989.652.9951

Lutheran Home Care Agency & Hospice of Hope

9710 Junction RoadFrankenmuth, MI 48734

989.652.4663

The ManorsMcBrite Manor • Meadow View

Shattuck Manor5935 Shattuck RoadSaginaw, MI 48603

989.792.7979