Guide to Downsizing
Living in a larger home may have been a dream come true at one point in your life, but it can become a monumental burden for aging adults. Downsizing provides a solution. However, moving into a smaller residence comes with its own set of worries, and paring down a lifetime's worth of belongings often appears overwhelming. ... Read More
So Close to the Goal
In addition to overseeing day-to-day fundraising, the Brethren Home Foundation engages periodically in capital campaigns designed to help with the funding of ambitious projects. Fifteen years ago or so, we saw such a campaign when Cross Keys Village envisioned the Harvey S. Kline Wellness Center as a key feature of the new Harmony Ridge West apartments. More recently, another campaign brought welcome financial support to the construction and the programming of our revolutionary Brookside memory care residence. ... Read More
Living With Hearing Loss
I come from a hearing-impaired line and I live with moderately severe hearing loss. My great-grandmother, born in 1870, didn’t hear anything past her mid-thirties and lived to be almost 100. Her son and granddaughter (my mother) reached a degree of deafness in their later years that precluded casual conversation. I had excellent hearing until my late 40s but it declined rapidly, and I was fitted with hearing aids at 56. Without those, I couldn’t do my work or enjoy much of a social life today. ... Read More
Advance Care Planning: Get it Done!
Some things should not be left unsaid. When it comes to decisions about end-of-life care, talking matters most. Without conversation beforehand, there can be added confusion, conflict, and guilt in a situation that’s already charged. Here are some suggestions to ensure that your wishes will be honored when most needed. ... Read More
Be Our Guests… Again
Servers in retirement villages’ dining venues aren’t usually “career” servers. Instead, they often are students who appreciate the flexible schedule, the wholesome kitchen atmosphere, the early closing time… and the abundant and loving attention they get from their dining customers. A part-time or seasonal serving job in a community can lead to great things as young people acquire poise and the art of superior customer service, while learning valuable life lessons from their elders. ... Read More
Vaccine for the Villagers!
Thanks to the collaboration between CKV and CVS Health, one of the two state-appointed pharmacy providers for long-term facilities, we were able to schedule mass vaccination for our villagers six weeks after our Health Care residents. As everyone knows by now, the paperwork preceding the shots is quite involved, and our Residential Living Administrator, George Turner, asked for “all hands on deck” to help villagers with the forms before the first poke in the first arm on Saturday, February 20. Team members from many departments responded and this paperwork took place in a celebratory atmosphere. For many, it was the first large gathering in many months, albeit held under the strictest safety precautions. “It was nice to be able to work side-by-side with everyone again—in person and not by Zoom—and know that we still have what it takes to pull off a large undertaking within the shortest timeframe,” said Turner. ... Read More
Just Around the Corner
For many of us who celebrate Resurrection Sunday this April 4, our collective feeling of rebirth will be stronger than on an ordinary Easter. The timing of the coronavirus pandemic has felt like a 13-month-long Lent season: we gave up a lot, for a long time, but we did not give up. In the Welcome Center at Cross Keys Village, where the Sales team works, we went through a challenging year to be sure, but in retrospect, we have much to be grateful for. ... Read More
Ministry on a Mission
Residents in Mission Point have long enjoyed worship services, bible study groups and face-to-face visits with our Pastoral Care chaplains. When the pandemic of 2020 began without warning, the devoted team needed to revise their approach. Quickly, they took advantage of modern technology and adopted a whole new way of staying connected. ... Read More
Vitality Capital Campaign Goes Public
Back in 2017 the CKV Executive Team polled villagers and asked them to list their wishes for enhanced programming in our Harmony Ridge building. The feedback was reviewed by Village Council representatives who weighed and prioritized villagers’ preferences. Naturally, renovating and adding common space to host the new programming would come with a cost… and it was decided early on that none of this cost would result in an increase to villagers’ monthly service fees. Instead, fundraising would be an essential part of the project. ... Read More
Volunteering in 2020, a Snapshot
Cross Keys Village has been a thriving organization, supported by hundreds of volunteers for many years. When coronavirus precautions were quickly put into effect this past winter, I had no idea how much was about to change in our department. For the first time, volunteers were not permitted to perform duties in Mission Point, Brookside, Harmony Café or Campus Inn. Services like the campus shuttle, or assisting with shopping trips were abruptly halted. I found myself working from home for two months, then moving into the Harmony Ridge building. In just a few weeks, momentous change affected our department’s function and structure. ... Read More