Author: Homewoods

This month I’m looking way ahead. In June we typically take stock of how well the year is going  and focus strategically on goals for the coming year. If I had a crystal ball, I would be tempted to use it. Instead, I’ve got industry trends, immediate needs, resident requests, and a certain, as the French say “Je ne sais quoi”, to guide me. It is the “je ne sais quoi”, which I think literally means “I don’t know what”, that makes the future interesting .

When I look ahead with these things in mind, here is what I see.  I am proud that we are able to take care of our community’s assets so well. As the building ages, the needs of the physical plant increase but taking care of them is never out of reach. Every day our building, with its new roof and paint and well-tended grounds, is a welcome sight as I walk down the hill from the upper parking lot. This year the courtyard will get its fresh coat of paint and we will be sufficiently weatherized for the foreseeable future.

This year the oldest baby boomers, those born in 1946, have begun to access retirement communities. Meanwhile, the youngest boomers have just turned 50. The number of people over the age of 65 will grow by 10,000 people per day for the next twenty years and will double by 2030. Housing, especially affordable housing, will be at a premium since one in four members of this cohort has no retirement savings. Meanwhile, the need for all services, including primary care, hospitalization, hospice, etc. is expected to rise steeply.

Senior housing providers have been anticipating the arrival of the baby boomers now for more than a decade. Nursing homes are moving toward patient-centered social environments with exercise rooms and therapy pools, fast Wi-Fi, more food options and attractive surroundings. The boomers are expected to continue to shake things up, just as they have done for the past almost sixty years. The times are still “a-changin’”.

As far as immediate needs and resident requests here at Homewoods go, we are always looking to stay apace with technology – for example, we are currently looking into an electronic payment system for our dining room. Currently we rely on the old-fashioned honor code.  Ah technology. You are both friend and foe. What will you demand of us and what can we expect from you next year not to mention in the next five or ten years?

As for the je ne sais quoi, I can actually make an educated guess. Homewoods has always possessed “that certain something” in the way that community members watch out for one another. Even as many things become new, and tastes and preferences change, kindness never goes out of style.

Of one thing I am certain, the unknown future at Homewoods will include life and “life more abundant” as we continue to live well here on the Willamette River. Peace be with you.

Laura

Laura Engle is the Executive Director at Homewoods on the Willamette

I have called this column “Looking Ahead with Laura” because I think it is important to have something to look forward to. It gives some idea of where we are going. At least for me, looking ahead, brings focus. Since this is the beginning of gardening season I’ll share an insight  that I read recently about landscapes. The person speaking was a landscape architect . She said architects of buildings have little to look forward to, once the building is built. That is because wear and tear set in immediately. Whereas when you create a garden you create something that is always becoming something new  because it is growing. That is how I feel about Homewoods, we are always becoming something new and continuing to grow.

Along those lines, I am delighted to share a new discovery with you. One of our Homewoods residents has offered to contribute to our newsletter under a pseudonym! Meanwhile Zee, our new life enrichment coordinator, has shown great ability with our publishing program. I am hopeful that we will soon have a newsletter again. To celebrate these new and hopeful things as well as the hopeful things that you are celebrating this spring, I thought I would include this little column from our mystery writer. She signs her name “Sundi”, her nickname since childhood.

By golly I made it! For about three years I’ve been envious of the folks that live at Homewoods. What a beautiful place to retire. No more yard work!

Lately I’ve noticed little signs and sayings that put a smile on my face, and some give me something to ponder. For example, above my brother’s work bench in his garage a sign says, “To err is human. To continue is stupid.” Here’s another good one: “Whatever scares you, do it. Now. Escaping your comfort zone can make you happier, smarter, more confident, more grateful, and more satisfied with life, while strengthening ties to the people you love.”

Lastly, always remember! If you don’t think you’re special, no one else will.

Sundi

I know you are a special bunch of people who live here at Homewoods, so according to Sundi’s wisdom, that means you must know it too! One thing is sure, everyone who lives here has mastered the ability to cultivate a great life in much the same way that a gardener cultivates a garden, and we are living well.

Laura

Laura Engle is the Executive Director of Homewoods on the Willamette.

Like many of you, whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not, I am looking ahead toward spring! This past week I have felt it, in the sunshine, on the warmer cloudy days, and in the evening light at 5 p.m. when most of the staff are heading home. We are also seeing it in the beginnings of buds, leaves, and flowers as we look out at the grounds around Homewoods.

I always feel a sense of urgency with spring, as though I had better hurry up and get ready for something. Maybe that feeling is what has inspired spring cleaning from ancient times until now. With new light and life already shining, it is as if we want to make way for more newness in our lives.

Here are some “new” things we are planning for you. On February 20^th, we will be hosting a Wellness Seminar with our friends from Willamette View. Some of you might remember Jay Ego, the Wellness Director from Willamette View, and the marvelous balance machine that he brought last year to let you test how well your balance is working for you. This year he will be talking about fitness in the later years for all activity levels. Jay is knowledgeable with many years of experience working with seniors. I also find him encouraging. He really makes me believe that it is possible to get in shape, though I sometimes feel time and gravity are working against me. I hope that you will come and hear what he has to say. This year at Homewoods we want to “beef up” our exercise program offerings and equipment. With Jay’s help we will be putting together a program for you that will allow you to track your progress and take maximum advantage of what we offer here.

For those of you who love the arts and would like to indulge in more creative expression, we will be offering watercolor classes this year. Through the help of Homewoods residents Millie Sandwick and Dee Frank, I have been able to make contact with Melissa Gannon, a Clackamas Community College instructor who comes highly recommended from several other retirement communities. This could be your year for discovering hidden talent and passion you did not know you had. Please watch also for Dee Frank’s presentation on Norman Rockwell to take place in our own lobby on February 3^rd. Many of us will remember with fondness the beloved covers of The Saturday Evening Post which Rockwell painted for more than forty years. Though quaint at first glance these pictures depict real life, as it was at that time, and, while drawing the viewer in offer important and challenging lessons about its meaning. Dee is a master watercolorist and longtime teacher. This is sure to be an interesting program that you won’t want to miss.

I can’t let my February letter close without recognizing the creative writing endeavors of Millie Sandwick, LaRhee Lewis, Lavern Sager, and Helen Reasoner who each submitted an entry for the Leading Age Creative Writing Contest. Each year leading age produces a book of writing including the winning entries. This year LaVern Sager and Helen Reasoner have had pieces selected for publication. We will all be attending a luncheon at Friendsview Retirement Center in Newberg on February 27^th in to hear excerpts and selected readings from this year’s contest entries. Please offer your congratulations to our Homewoods creative writers when you see them. As I have said before we are nurtured and live by the stories that we are courageous enough to share. If you have ever had an urge to put pen to paper you might consider joining our writers club which meets in the fourth floor activity room every Monday at 10 a.m.

Building strength and indulging in creative pastimes are some of the many ways that we at Homewoods continue to live well.  I hope that you get a chance to join the fun.

A new year tends to bring about reflection. The words Auld Lange Syne literally mean “old long since.” Another way of saying this is “time gone by.” It is a good time of year to sit by the fireplace, or with a cup of tea and a friend, and remember all that has happened. Tell it in the same old way, highlighting your favorite parts and then tell it to another friend in a new way, finding the surprises in your own life story just waiting for you.

It has been a great year. Early in the year we began working with an organization called Well Arts that helped a small group of residents turn their life stories into live theater. It was a profound experience for all of us and something I will never forget. I am still awe-struck by the courage of those who participated and the power of their stories. What I saw and learned is that no life is insignificant, our ups and downs, our confusion as well as our clarity, all of it is meaningful. When we are willing to share our story with others, everyone benefits. It turns out we are all more alike than we know.

In addition to storytelling, we celebrated in many other ways. We celebrated mothers with a mother’s day tea and dads with an ice cream social. We celebrated our WWII veterans at our annual Patriotic Picnic. We celebrated the harvest; we appreciated our residents during resident appreciation week, and in the month just past, we held as many special events as we had held all year in one month! I think all would agree, our holiday concert season here at Homewoods was over the top this year. I would like to especially acknowledge the choir from NW Christian high school who seem to bring the spirit of the season with them every year in their smiles and voices. I think we all feel encouraged about life and our world when those young people share their gifts with us.

Hats off to our hard working kitchen and maintenance teams, too, who make these events happen every day “as if by magic.” Yet we all know it isn’t magic at all that makes it happen but dedication, planning, and sweat. Homewoods residents showered the staff with love and gifts in December. Their generosity was humbling.

A highlight of this past year has been our karaoke regulars. Who knew that karaoke, of all things, would be one of our highlights? At first I was wary of this new activity. We’re doing what…where? But then I went and got to experience the fun first hand for myself. It turns out, we love to sing and laugh, and it’s good for us, too. Isn’t that what they say? Laughter is the best medicine.

A word that has stayed with me this year that has guided my thinking and planning is Shalom. Shalom, as you probably know, means peace. It isn’t peace as in “absence of fighting” but peace as in completeness, or wholeness. That is what we are entrusted with here, maintaining our sense of wholeness both as individuals and as a community.

As I go about my “business” here, I use our core values to measure what we are doing. Are we having fun recreating? Are we taking care of each other and greeting each other with kindness? Are we hospitable? Are we, “letting go and letting God”? These are good challenges for me and the staff to live up to and for all of us to keep in the forefront of our thoughts. For it is here today that memories and meaning are being made and here that life is lived completely. When we have a sense of wholeness or completeness, when each person feels welcomed and honored, then we can truly say we are living well. I am looking forward to many more special times in the year to come.