LifeA Publication of Frederick Living, a Continuing Care Retirement Community

Vol. 1 No. 1 2018

Frederick

Frederick Living: Then and Now

In 1896 Grover Cleveland was President andfamily was the primary social safety net forolder adults. Without a family caregiver, olderadults could end up in a county almshouse orpoor house.

Rev. N.B. Grubb (pictured at right) was aware of the lack of options for older adults. He wasespecially concerned about folks who spent their entirelives in ministry to God and to others, then had no place togo when they needed support in their retirement years. is is what led him to found the Mennonite Home for theAged, which has come to be known as Frederick Living.

Rev. Grubb was born and raised near Frederick, but hispastoral career took him into Philadelphia to start an“urban ministry” with First Mennonite Church there. Hewas an innovator in his time and although he was firmlyrooted in his Mennonite faith, he embraced practices ofother denominations, like “Sunday School” and youthgroups, which were new practices at that time.

When he learned that the original school building on thecurrent Frederick Living site was available, he rallied hisfriends, his church and others who shared his concern forolder adults, to secure $1,150 to purchase the building andgrounds. e Eastern District Conference of the MennoniteChurch General Conference provided oversight andresponsibility for the home. A board of directors wasformed and although this was established as a “MennoniteHome,” almost right from the beginning it reflected Rev.Grubb’s openness to others with shared Christian values.

Rev. Robert Gerhart (whom some of you have seen dressedin 19th century garb as our founder, N.B. Grubb) came herefrequently as a child. Before we had a full-time chaplain,

pastors and lay people from many MennoniteChurches came and conducted services, Biblestudies and led other activities. Bob fondlyremembers the opportunities he and other

teenagers had to become at ease with publicspeaking and to lead singing in front of an

appreciative audience of residents. Our residentstoday oen welcome young people onto campus

to share their time and talent. is intergenerationalinteraction is a win-win for everyone.

One of Frederick Living’s core values is respect. Bob sharedhow he remembered visiting Mary, a resident who was 99years old when he was a teenager. She gave him first-handexperience in respecting and honoring an elder and he feltthe respect returned.

Blake Pennington, is an employee who came to work atFrederick in 1966 from West Virginia as a 1-W conscien-tious objector. He worked in maintenance but also pitchedin to serve meals, wash dishes and even bathe and shavemale residents. He later supervised the laundry and stillcomes back to help out when needed. He remembersworking up on the roof of Oaktree court and then beingcalled to help with the butchering of multiple deer that the game commission dropped off as a meat donation! He remembers doing work out on the farm that was on theproperty. Frederick had cows and chickens and raised muchof its own food for many years. ere are no longer cows,but our dining service today sources some fresh foodslocally and the residents’ garden is popular. Our full service “Bistro” now offers a full selection of food choices.

Eastern District Conference Mennonite Churches as wellother church congregations played a very pivotal role insupporting Frederick throughout the years. ey organized

e Values and Caring Haven’t Changed

fundraisers, donated funds, sponsored “communitydays” and brought food at Harvest Home. We appreciatethe continued support of many different churches, both Mennonite and other denominations, as moreContinuing Care Retirement Communities have sprungup in the region. We’ve also been blessed with our morerecent sponsorship relationship with Mennonite HealthServices.

Bob Gerhart shared how the federal Hill-Burton Act,designed in 1946 to improve health care for Americans,caused much discussion among church leaders whosupported Frederick. Subsequent Medicare andMedicaid legislation as well as other local and staterequirements changed the landscape at Frederick. In theend it was decided it was beneficial to those served toaccept the funding and the regulation that came with it.Frederick maintained its core values as it rapidlychanged and grew to provide more expanded servicesfor residents.

ere have been many changes in American societysince 1896 and Frederick Living has changed and growntoo throughout the years. We have grown from a moreinformal, yet institutional model, to a “person centered,”community model with residents living in several levelsof care and residential living. e mission has beenupdated periodically over the years, but the values andcaring have never changed.

True to our Mennonite roots, we believe thatcommunity is more than having fun together—though itcertainly is that. Community also entails living withhigh regard for our neighbors, generosity toward thosein need, and a willingness to invest generously of ourgis, talents, and energies to build a community thatvalues each of us. We seek to live peacefully together,fostering a sense of inclusion and connection. n

1 Peter 3:8 urges us to, “Be sympathetic… compas-sionate and humble.”Compassion has long been acore value of the FrederickLiving ministry. Ourmission statement beginswith, “In the spirit ofChristian love…” a love that isgiven freely and generously. A philosophy of resident-directed,compassionate care is reflected in staff behaviors at the bedside, the dinner table and in the diversity of lifeenrichment programs. It’s evident when clinical qualityis delivered with warmth, when comforting hugs areoffered and in the great attention to detail even when noone is looking.

Intentional acts of heartfelt service abound within theCommunity, yet ultimately, the level of compassion hereis something that is felt from the recipient’s perspective.It’s the patient, resident, family member or employeeexperience expressed in words such as, “genuinelycaring” or “truly listening.” Compassion permeates ourcommunity through heartening stories and acts of careand service from residential living through personal careand nursing.

Debbie Interrante, our Cedarwood Administrator,recently shared, “A family member of one of ourresidents let me know how appreciative she is ofeveryone here and how thankful she is that her aunt ishere.” It’s echoed in my personal experience as well. A delighted family member recently expressed that,“e staff have made mom feel so welcome here...everyone has been so attentive.” And, as I wrote thisarticle, a resident stopped by to share how wonderfulresidents and staff have been during her time of loss.

e newly renamed Employee Compassion and ReliefFund promises to assist coworkers who are encounteringemergent financial needs. Contributions to the ResidentBenevolent Fund enable us to provide care for thosewho have exhausted their finances. And this compas-sionate community continues to support the broadercommunity through gis and volunteer service to thelocal Relay for Life, public school and other worthycauses. n

Compassion

From le, Blake Pennington;Frederick dining room, circa1950s and today; and formernurse and current residentMarlene Smith administers eyedrops to a resident in the late1960s.

By John Hendrickson, Chief Executive Officer

Two years ago, Oaktree Court residentBetty Talley introduced us to thedocumentary film, Alive Inside, (You canfind it on Netflix or watch a shorter pieceon You Tube, “Alive Inside Henry”) whichchronicles the journey of discovering aunique way to re-engage very impairedresidents of a nursing home in New York.

Betty’s husband lives in our memory careneighborhood, Aspen Village. She isalways on the lookout for interventionsthat may be helpful to memory-impairedindividuals and their families. In the film,you experience the transformation oftotally unengaged persons who becomemore animated listening to music from a happier time in their lives. e musicactivates a part of the brain that is lessaffected by dementia and listening to it has several benefits related to communication, mood and more. e transformation is not merely abouthearing music. It is also about the time invested by staff andvolunteers getting a sense of the person’s history in order tointroduce “personalized” music likely to meaningfully resonatewith that person.

Enjoying the music with a family member, volunteer or friendcan lead to sharing some personal stories great for the storyteller and a treasure for the listener. Staff and volunteers whoviewed the film immediately saw the potential for many inAspen Village and Cedarwood (nursing). A staff member led the way with three donated iPod shuffles. We became acertified Music and Memory Community, training all Aspenand Community Life staff, as well as many volunteers.Two years and many iPods later, board member Nate Yorgeyled the board of directors in an effort to raise funds for 50

more iPod shuffles so that more Cedarwoodand also Magnolia (Personal Care) residentscould benefit. All board members, severalformer board members and some of theboard members’ churches have also given.rough their efforts, a laptop is also beingpurchased to expand the number of volunteers who can create personalized playlists for residents through this program,which is transforming lives and improvingthe quality of life for so many residents withcognitive or physical challenges.

“Ursinus students Cody Yhap, a biology andmusic double major, and Asuka Watanabe, a sociology major, spent time listening tomusic with residents in Aspen Village andMagnolia. In addition to the immediatepleasure of enjoying music together with theresidents, they developed play lists of musicfavorites with the residents and loaded themusic onto iPods. Caregivers observe whenthe personalized music is on, it can provide

a mood li by injecting some happy memories into a dull oranxious time of day. Volunteer efforts like Asuka and Cody’sare an essential part of bringing the music to the residents.ose efforts, coupled with the fundraising efforts of our boardmembers (who also volunteer their time) have helped us togrow this meaningful and successful program. An additionalbenefit for Cody has been creating an interest in music therapyor brain research related to music as possible paths forgraduate school.”

If you would like to volunteer with the program, contact SusanReitsma, our community relations manager and volunteercoordinator. If you or your children have any spare iPodshuffles sitting in a drawer at home please consider donatingthem. We also gladly accept iTunes gi cards. n

Volunteers Making a DifferenceMusic & Memory Program

Above: Betty & Art Talley. Top le:Ursinus student Maddie Moses withMagnolia resident Esther Ochs; Topright: Cody and Asuka help AspenVillage resident James Carr selectmusic for his iPod.

By Amy Cummings-LeightDirector of Advancement, Frederick Living

If you are over 70½ years of age and have an IndividualRetirement Account (IRA), making a transfer of a gidirectly from your IRA to a charity is an excellent way tomake a gi and receive tax benefits in return. As you planyour required minimum distributions for this year, considerusing your IRA account to make the most of your charitablegiving through a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD).QCDs have existed for a few years but have become an evenbetter way to give to charities.

e new tax law has increased the standard deduction forindividuals to $12,000 and to $24,000 for couples. Manypeople will not be itemizing deductions and will be usingthe standard deductions. Whether you itemize or you usethe standard deduction on your taxes, when you give acharitable gi directly to the charity from your IRA, thiscounts toward your required minimum distribution (RMD)and is excluded from your gross income for federal taxes.

To Qualify:n You must be age 70½ or older at the time of the gi.

e Qualified Charitable Distribution must betransferred directly from your traditional IRA account by your IRA administrator directly to the charity.

n Gis must be outright. Distributions to donor-advisedfunds or life-income arrangements such as charitable giannuities do not qualify.

n Gis from 401k, 403b, SEP and other plans do notqualify. Ask your financial advisor if it would be right foryou to create a traditional IRA account so you can benefitfrom an IRA qualified charitable distribution.

Questions: n How much are you allowed to transfer to charity

from your IRA in a year? Up to $100,000 per year. e transfer(s) must be direct to the charity or charities.

n To what charities can I make gis? Tax exemptorganizations that are classified as 501(c)(3) charities, like Frederick Living. Most churches also are.

n Can I also take a charitable deduction for my QualifiedCharitable Distribution? No, this amount countstoward your RMD and is not taxed, so you can’t deduct itif you itemize.

n Will it reduce the amount my social security is taxed orwhat I pay in Medicare premiums? Because it reducesgross taxable income it may reduce the taxes you pay onsocial security and the Medicare premium you pay.Please consult your tax advisor as everyone’s situation isdifferent.

If you have questions about this article or would like to givea gi to Frederick Living’s Benevolent Care Fund this way,call Amy Cummings-Leight at 610-754-7878. n

IRA CharitableContributionsGiving Options to HelpYour Favorite Charities

“I give to support Frederick Living’s BenevolentCare Fund using a QCD from my IRA and I also support my church that way. It’s a greatway to support the charities I care about.”

– Jay Flint

Note: is information is not meant as tax or legal advice.Be sure to check with your financial advisor to determinewhether this giving approach is right for you.

Residents of Magnolia recently enjoyed a visit fromFrederick Church Nursery School children, who

visit monthly throughout the school year.

e Meadows is SOLD OUT!We are pleased to announce that our latest building project,e Meadows, is completely sold. e Meadows at FrederickLiving is an exciting and innovative design based on thearchitectural pocket neighborhood concept. It is a colorfulselection of 55 cottages clustered around a beautifullylandscaped common area. ese independent living homesfeature geo-thermal heating and cooling, and open floorplans ranging from 1200-1600 square feet. We currentlyhave 34 families living in their new homes. e remainingfamilies will be moving in over the next several months.

e Meadows is a vibrant community and is the perfectplace to live a happier lifestyle and make new friends. Eventhough we are sold out of the cottages, you are still welcometo visit us and learn how we can help you live well. We arealways taking applications for our waiting list. Call us todayfor a personal visit, 610-754-7878 ext. 1004.

Members of the Frederick LivingCommunity Help Local Food PantryFrederick Living residents, staff and volunteers collected427 lbs. of food this past fall and delivered it to the DailyBread Community Food Pantry in Collegeville. is foodpantry, which began at Jerusalem Lutheran Church inSchwenksville in 1997, served 20 families that year. e pantry told us that the food that was delivered fed 250 families or approximately 1,000 people! We appreciateeveryone who participated in this effort.

e pictureshows BillO’Donnell,retired Managerof FrederickLiving’s physicalplant, whovolunteers bothat the DailyBread pantry andhere at Frederick Living. He does several volunteer roleshere at Frederick including serving dinner and hosting a“men only” conversation group in Magnolia personal careare each month. (Don’t let on, but he also serves as theEaster Bunny at our annual Easter egg hunt for children andgrandchildren of staff and residents!) He also serves as thepresident of the Upper Frederick Fire Company.

News & Notes

Aspen Village residents enjoyed a snowman built in theAspen Courtyard during a recent snow storm.

17 Years in a Row For the 17th consecutive year, Frederick Living waspresented with a $10,000 check by Lori Hartzel, FrederickLiving’s Gi Shop Manager. Lori presented the check toBrian Fallon, Vice President of Finance. Each year themoney is donated to the Resident Benevolent Care Fund,which assists residents who, through no fault of their own,run out of the finances needed to pay for their care. is fund allows residents to remain part of the Frederickfamily. Proceeds from the sales at the Gi Shop make thepresentation of this check possible.

e Gi Shop is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. It is closed onSundays and most holidays. e Gi Shop, which is open tothe public carries many unique items like jewelry, purses,wallets, clothing, scarves, home decor including clocks,door mats, garden flags, flameless candles and more. Springhas already sprung in the Gi Shop! Going to a BabyShower, Bridal Shower, or Wedding? ere are many uniqueitems to choose from!

Frederick Living Awarded Paid Summer College InternshipWe are pleased to report that we arebeing awarded a paid college summerinternship for a college studentbetween their junior and senior yearby LeadingAge PA. LeadingAge PA is a trade association representingPennsylvania not-for-profit organiza-tions that provide housing, healthcareand community services primarily tothe older adults. e goal of theirprogram is to increase awareness amongst college studentsof the rewarding career opportunities found within the fieldof long-term care. We competed with communities fromacross the state and were one of four communities to beawarded this internship.

Our intern, Dominika Pannella from Schwenksville, will start in late May. She is a student at James MadisonUniversity in Virginia, where she is majoring in HealthAdministration and minoring in Business. Dominika will be working with Debbie Interrante, Nursing Home Administrator, on several projects aimed at improving someof our processes, including with our Quality AssurancePerformance Improvement Team. She will also be doing aresearch and planning project related to Frederick Living’srole in the broader community for Advancement andCommunity Relations.

2849 Big Road | Route 73PO Box 498Frederick PA 19435-0498

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If you wish to have your name removed from the mailing list for this publication, call Amy Cummings-Leight at 610-754-7878.

Frederick LIFE is a quarterly publication ofFrederick Mennonite Community DBAFrederick Living, 2849 Big Rd., PO Box 498,Frederick, PA 19435-0498. Frederick Living isa Pennsylvania non-profit organization. A copyof the official registration and financial infor-mation of Frederick Living may be obtainedfrom the PA Department of State by calling tollfree within Pennsylvania 1-800-732-0999.Registration does not imply endorsement.

On Our Cover: A montage of pictures from the past to the present. In the photo withMennonite Home for the Aged sign the people on the stairs are workers and residents. e man in the bottom right corner is Rev. John W. Schantz of Eden Mennonite Church,Schwenksville, and daughter, Lois.

www.frederickliving.org