Winter/Spring 2021 Homefront Together 2 HOME CARE, SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SENIORS 6 VACCINATIONS NATIONWIDE TO COMMUNITIES We Succeed 11 SPIRITUAL CARE FOR ALL SENIORS Homefront Contents 1 Letter from President & CEO Mark Ricketts FEATURE STORY 2 Home, Health & Heart 3 COPC SeniorSelect Brings Better Access and High-Quality Health Care to Central Ohio 4 Free Smartphones & Service Help Residents Stay Connected 5 New Affordable Housing Program Will Help Preserve Senior Housing in Ross County 6 Protecting Our Nation’s Most Vulnerable Populations 8 Residents and Staff Offer Thoughts About the Vaccine 10 Fundraising Team Pivots to Support Our Seniors During COVID-19 Pandemic 11 COVID and Spiritual Care 12 New Year, New Policy Priorities 13 National Church Residences to Renovate 661 Affordable Senior Apartments in Metro Atlanta PROTECTING OUR NATION’S 14 Development Update MOST VULNERABLE 16 Ahead of the Curve POPULATIONS 6 17 New and Retiring Board Members Our Mission Tell Your Story! Originating from a Christian commitment of service, Has National Church Residences had an impact on someone our mission is to provide high quality care, services and you know or the company you work for? We would like to residential communities for all seniors. know and share that story! Contact Todd Hutchins at 614-381-9853 or [email protected]. Our Vision NationalChurchResidences To advance better living for all seniors, enabling them @NatlChurchRes to remain home for life. This vision is supported by our core values of Mission, Compassion, Professionalism and national-church-residences Leadership. NatlChurchRes (Left to right) Inniswood Village in Westerville, Ohio: Director of Affordable Housing Closing, Carrie Dean; Clinical Aide at Stygler Commons, Lynn Frazier; President and CEO, Mark Ricketts; Service Coordinator at Stafford Village, Loreal Trammer; Maintenance Technician at Inniswood Village, Wil Villasante It’s Time to Roll Up Our Sleeves for Seniors For the past year, our seniors have sheltered in place to I’d like to thank our staff as well as our pharmaceutical reduce the spread of the virus, while the world awaited partners, CVS/Omni Care and Walgreens, for their effective treatment against this global pandemic. At the professionalism and collaborative efforts that allowed these moment, as we move into spring, we do so with a renewed clinics to run so smoothly. faith as vaccination rates have been soaring. With three approved vaccines and increased distribution plans, the It is exciting to see our seniors once again engaging in opportunity for a restored lifestyle for seniors — and all of social activities, enjoying time with their fellow residents us to varying degrees — is growing stronger by the day. and embracing a more active lifestyle, while continuing to follow our COVID-19 safety protocols and guidelines, such National Church Residences is grateful to be participating as social distancing and mask wearing. This would not have in a public/private partnership with the Centers for Disease been possible without the hands of many on the front lines Control and Prevention to vaccinate residents and staff of and behind the scenes. senior facilities. It's through this that we have been holding vaccine clinics in recent months for our senior residents Let your hopes, not your hurts, and staff members across the country. We are excited to say shape your future. that we’ve achieved impressive rates at a number of communities already, even reaching up to 97% vaccination — Robert H. Schuller rates at certain senior campuses. As we look forward to a very promising future, it’s As throughout the past year, our mission-minded team has important to pause and remember those we have lost. Our come together in new and different ways to make this early hearts go out to the families impacted by the COVID-19 success possible. It took hundreds of staff members virus. May this year be a time of healing for all. working together to ensure access to the COVID-19 vaccine for thousands of our seniors across the country. Our Our mission of advancing better living for all seniors, achievements were based on staff members’ abilities to: enabling them to remain home for life, depends on the continued participation of citizens getting vaccinated across • Quickly build awareness and understanding of the our nation. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to roll vaccine, dispelling myths and gaining confidence in the up your sleeve and get vaccinated for a healthier future. science behind the vaccine; Sincerely, • Connect with our residents to schedule appointments, complete necessary paperwork and ensure participation; and lastly, • Conduct the 3-clinic series across our locations in a Mark Ricketts, President & CEO seamless manner. National Church Residences WINTER/SPRING 2021 1 highly knowledgeable about Medicare benefits available regardless of income and assets, which can be of great value for those who wish to remain in their home for life. Home, Health Serving more than 800 clients in southern Ohio and over 1,300 clients in central Ohio during 2020, National Church Residences community nurses make a difference in the Heart lives of Ohio seniors. After trying to find a three-wheeled walker, Terry Mealey, a Community Nurses Help Seniors cIient from Pike County told community nurse Amy Ross about his lack of success. Ross quickly searched on her Remain Right Where They Want mobile phone, finding the item and a demonstration video. to Be — at Home for Life “This was something I couldn’t find anywhere — and in two & days, she brought me this walker and put it together. Amy “It’s our desire that once you’re part of the National Church went all out to do that for me,” said Mealey. Residences family, you are for life,” said Nickie Wallis, a member of the community nurse team in southern Ohio. The community nurse groups are part of National Church Along with a related central Ohio team, National Church Residences Senior Services division. Matt Kehlmeier, Residences community nurses are dedicated to coordinating assistant vice president and executive director of business home care, hospice and private duty nursing services and development, leads the nurses. connecting seniors to a network of support in the two regions. “Our vision as a team is that we guide and care for seniors “Our team tries to go above and beyond the standard,” with kindness and respect,” noted Kehlmeier. Wallis added. “We want to make sure that you have support through the community nurses who will follow up with “We really strive to change the paradigm within health care. and check on you — reminding you of services, visiting at Unfortunately, so many critical decisions that older adults the hospital, reaching out to family or physicians on your and their loved ones make are done in the midst of a crisis. behalf to make sure that you don’t have to go through your We try to empower older adults, so we have many advance health care journey alone.” care planning conversations. So that when that fork in the road comes, they and their loved ones have the information Though Ohio has many area agencies and not-for-profit to make the best possible decision — based upon their values groups that provide services, seniors and their caregivers and goals. And we do all this as a community service, at no often are not aware of their availability, eligibility or access cost to anyone for our time and expertise,” Kehlmeier added. paths. National Church Residences community nurses are subject matter experts about all things senior in their regions, Though National Church Residences community nurses are guiding older adults and their families to the right resources trained health care professionals with a clinical perspective, to fit their immediate and long-term needs. They also are they are sensitive to the social and emotional dimensions in the lives of the seniors that they serve. (Left to right): Community Nurse, Amity McNeal; Professional Relations Manager, Nickie Wallis; and Community Nurse, Amy Ross 2 NATIONALCHURCHRESIDENCES.ORG “For example, our hospice support includes a ‘memorable Through acts like these of kindness and respect — small moments’ program, where we create special experiences and large — National Church Residences community nurses that we can coordinate for our clients,” Wallis said. “We had make a difference in the lives of Ohio seniors every day. a patient who was a grandmother, the primary caregiver for her grandkids. She was concerned after she passed that nobody would be there to read a story to them. Our team For more information about National Church Residences community went to Build-a-Bear, recorded her voice and placed it in a nurses and their services, contact 844-377-9079. toy bear for her to give to them.” COPC SeniorSelect Brings Better Access and High-Quality Health Care to Central Ohio Superior, well-coordinated, comprehensive health care — that is the objective of the team behind Central Ohio Primary Care (COPC) SeniorSelect, a new center for Medicare-eligible seniors in the Northland corridor of Columbus, Ohio. The new health care center is the result of a collaboration between National Church Residences and Central Ohio Primary Care, a growing group of physician-owned practices committed to delivering the highest quality, preventative and chronic care available in Central Ohio. National Church Residences recognized that the Northland area has a high concentration of vulnerable seniors with chronic health conditions whose needs exceed the capacity of nearby medical facilities. These findings were reported in a 2014 study by the Kirwan Institute. This research study shows that the senior population in the Northland corridor will grow by 53% between 2015 and 2030. “Through our years of experience caring for seniors, we recognize that older adults need to receive health care education and wellness program offerings.