Kendal Reporter Published by the residents of Kendal at Longwood

Vol. XLIII, No. 5 May 2017

The

May 2017 1

Forty-five residents were signed in as President Ernie Kimmel convened the meeting.

Occupancy at both Kendal and Crosslands re-mains at the budgeted level of 88% . Chief Operat-ing Officer Meg Lemley also announced that a com-munity relations officer from the Kennett police de-partment will be dropping in once a month to be available in the coffee shop to speak with residents about fraud and other concerns, and to learn more about our campus.

CEO Phil DeBaun announced that the ad hoc auditorium committee will meet later this week to review cost estimates for options being considered to improve the auditorium. Community meetings will be scheduled to explain these options and to gather community input. Committees should plan a full year of programs as they would normally do, since there will be ample notice should a program need to be rescheduled because of the renovations.

There will also be a community meeting soon, to explain the upcoming visit by surveyors from CARF, the Commission on Accreditation of Reha-bilitation Facilities. Kendal has long been accredit-ed by CARF, and every five years we compile infor-mation in some detail to justify our re-accreditation. Residents are participating alongside staff in workgroups documenting how Kendal meets CARF standards. CARF surveyors will be on campus the second week in May.

Most of the rest of the meeting was spent dis-cussing the need to develop guide-lines for how we share our common space. Ernie Kimmel described the controversy that arose when the now-famous “Home for Gnomes” ap-peared on a stump near the Prome-nade. This was a resident-initiated

project, approved and assisted by grounds supervi-sor Mark Swick and created with help from the

wood shop. It was later learned that the stump had been part of a setting planned by horticulturist Casey Groff, which incorporated memorial trees into a na-ture garden. In addition to the trees, plantings were installed in hopes of attracting hummingbirds, along with benches facing the woods.

There were divergent views about both installa-tions, which resonated even after the whimsical Gnomes and their household goods were packed away for the winter. Ernie reviewed the past history of guidelines developed by staff and residents serv-ing on the Horticulture Committee, which had been modified several years ago to permit more flexibility than the traditional “3-foot garden” guidelines.

A subcommittee of the Horticulture Committee is now working on recommendations for the use of common spaces. Mark Swick reported that policies and procedures exist, to be followed when new trees and other plantings are installed. In the case of the “Gnome Home” they appear to have been breached, for which Mark apologized.

The history of memorial gardens at Kendal has evolved over time. A useful principle to consider when planting, in one’s own garden or in common spaces, would seem to be “consult the neighbors.”

KRA will sponsor small group discussions when the proposed guidelines for sharing our common spaces are ready for public comment.

Summarized by Susanna Davison, Secretary

KRA Board of Directors Meeting Summary: Auditorium,

CARF, and Gnomes

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Ingeborg Snipes Garden

May 2017 2

The Kendal Reporter

Published by and for the residents of Kendal at Longwood, P.O. Box 100,

Kennett Square PA 19348

Editor and layout: Terry Engeman

Reporters: Annie Hazard, Faith Wohl, Kay Rosier, Peggy Brick

Proofreaders: Peg Allen, Margie Griest, Eleanor Pearson

Distribution: Raoul Leuteritz, Peg Allen

The Reporter welcomes articles of general interest by any member of the community.

E-mail copy (300-word limit) to:

kendalreporter@gmail.com

or place in Box 49, marked “For the Reporter”

Material must include your name, and may be edited as necessary.

Deadline for June issue: May 23

In Memoriam

Moves within Kendal

New Residents

Music and Memories Want to spread some joy? It may take less than

two hours a month! We now have a Music and Memory program at

Kendal, using iPod “shuffles” that have a resident’s favorite music downloaded on them. (If you have an iPod shuffle that you do not use anymore, donating it to this program would be greatly appreciated.)

If you have CD’s of music—any type—you can donate those to enable us to enlarge the music library available for downloading.

You can also participate in providing pleasure and stimulation to Westmorland residents. Go to the

nursing supervisor on duty and ask if anyone would enjoy some music time. In a cabinet are the resident’s pre-programmed iPod, and ear-phones. Take the equipment into the resident’s room and help them set it

up to hear their favorite music. Persons who have dementia greatly enjoy this

stimulation, often remembering long-ago tunes and words. There are devices that enable you to listen to the music along with the resident, if that is desired.

Thirty minutes of your time once or twice a month can mean a great deal to a resident who is so-cially isolated. There will be a training sessions for volunteers at times posted on the bulletin board across from the cafe. This activity does not require technical sophistication or a long range commitment of time; it is an opportunity to share and bring mo-ments of happiness to fellow residents.

Marjorie Herbert

Lena Tzavaras 4-09

Julie Smedley 4-10

Steve Budischak 4-14

Charlotte Osgood 44 to 324

Elizabeth Stevens 428 to 414

Katharine Myers 334 to 402

Joan Forman Apt. 111

Eleanor “Lynn” Williams Apt. 57

Conrad Paulus Apt. 200

New Resident Art Work is Displayed

April has brought new art work in the main dining room and the hallway alcove.

Marjean Willett is featured in the dining room, with a collection of cheerful buildings, blue skies and realistic scenes portrayed impressionistically in pas-tels. She presented a digital photographic lecture ti-tled “Looking Back On 40 years of Painting” on April 18, illustrating her technique and inspirations.

The hallway alcove features works by Max Nimeck, with some lovely landscapes. Much snowy white is featured as he paints scenes including trees and plant life, waves and water. We hope to hear more about his technique at another time.

Annie Hazard

May 2017 3

Forum Addresses Auditorium Renovation, Insurance Alternatives

Phil DeBaun’s bi-monthly Forum covered many of the same topics as the earlier KRA board meeting reviewed on p. 1, with particular emphasis on the proposed renovation of the auditorium.

There are ongoing consultations with architects, and three possible scenarios are being developed.

A modest change would involve bumping out the present side wall as far as the extended roof line and removing the chair storage closets on the inner wall. This plan would not alter the seating very much.

A second plan would rotate the room sideways, which would increase the seating and not cost very much more.

The third plan was the most ambitious, calling for a two-story addition where the library is now, swap-ping spaces so that the library would be in the cur-rent auditorium area and there’d be additional space available on the lower level. The details of this plan are not clear at this point. It would be the most costly and create the most disruption.

Diagrams will be prepared and review meetings held for residents to consider and discuss.

Phil announced a special event to be held at Crosslands on May 20, the Senior Health Quest, which will feature health specialists and outdoor ac-tivities such as hiking and bird watching.

During the Q and A period a resident questioned why the garages are being upgraded, causing incon-venience and crowding in the parking lots, as space must be found for the cars that are temporarily evict-ed. Phil explained that this is a relatively low-cost improvement using pre-painted sheets of plywood to cover the bare studs on the inside wall. The project is presently on hiatus.

Returning to the auditorium issue, it was pointed out that the recently replaced chairs are very wide, thus reducing available seating. Phil stated that it is planned to return to regular size chairs as part of the overall renovation.

Someone requested that there be more advance notice for forums. A letter posted on a bulletin board does not reach many people and there was no notice on the website. Phil was unaware of this oversight.

A letter has been received by a number of resi-dents using a particular insurance company that it is discontinuing its service as of the end of September. The administration is researching various alterna-tives and will be advising those who are affected as to their options.

Terry Engeman

On April 7 the Kendal Photographers invited Da-vid Ward, a professor at Widener Uni-versity and a judge in professional photography shows, to comment on their submissions. The goal is a learn-ing experience, not a judgmental one. What makes an artistic photo? is the question that participants hoped to have answered. Ten photographers submitted six photos each, shown in random order: Cindy Arrouet, John Bennett, Tom

Brown, Frank Czeiner, Judy Czeiner, Charlie Ford, Ed Murphy, Judi Paxson, Dave Redmond and Bob Warner. It was random so that if time ran out, no one person’s work would be omitted. David Ward commented on proportions, textures, use of light and dark contrast, composition and sub-ject matter. A photo of two yellow/goldish leaves, their green stems on a simple blue background, was effective in its simplicity. Another of two windows on a white building, with a yellow vertical band and a royal blue horizontal band was effective although simple in composition. Another was a single bike leaning up against a brick wall. “An A-plus in all are-as!” said the judge. A colorful moth against a cloudy background was criticized for “facing the wrong way.”

“Make the bug behave better next time!” was his tongue in cheek advice.

Another comment made quite often was “Great image, wrong time of day.” A too-bright sun was usually the reason. Several black and white photos were praised for their composition, organization, texture and contrast. A single tree on a hillside with white clouds behind it, and four Asian girls brought his appreciative “nice, nice picture.” A house and a lighthouse ar-ranged very geometrically brought out the textures in all of them. The “WOW!” picture of them all was of fish swimming through hazy water with a clear and de-tailed tree branch framing them. The contrast of tex-tures was impressive indeed!

Annie Hazard

Photographers Get Some

Professional Pointers

May 2017 4

How A New Immigration Law May Affect Local Workers

Alisa Jones, CEO and executive director of La

Comunidad Hispana (LCH), a community health cen-ter in Kennett Square that addresses the needs of largely Spanish-speaking workers, spoke at Kendal on April 12 about the local impact of new Trump ad-ministration immigration policies.

While there have been only three documented detentions of Hispanics here since January 25 in which Mexican laborers were removed from work by ICE agents, Hispanic workers are in “panic mode.” Some have already left the area, but many who re-main are afraid to leave their homes, and children stay away from school because of psychogenic com-plaints like headache and stomach pains.

The LCH staff is helping people “identify their risk.” High-risk individuals are those with an active order for detention, are “Dream Youths,” have over-stayed a visa, need a green card renewed, or have a special need like a parent of an autistic child. These individuals are urged get their financial house in or-der so they can be ready to deal with such expenses as the $1,500 bond required to free them from jail, should they be detained. They should also seek legal help to set up arrangements for powers of attorney or guardianship for their children.

Low-risk individuals are encouraged to find their important documents verifying their status, and to know their rights: refusing to open their doors to ICE personnel and requiring them show subpoenas.

Postcards were made available for people to write their Congress representatives and urge them to vote against the spending bill which would fund Trump’s executive orders.

Louise Bennett

Getting to Know Kennett Township

Whitney Hoffman, one of three Kennett Town-

ship supervisors, addressed a large Monday Topics audi-ence to declare that the Bran-dywine Valley is “one of the best places to live in Penn-sylvania.” Photographs of herself on the job demonstrated her en-

thusiasm for her leadership role: in one, she’s view-ing her domain from the top of a fire truck ladder, while in another she’s in the township snow plow beside roadmaster Roger Lysle (brother of Kendal’s former CEO, Rich Lysle). In others, she’s hiking township trails, and celebrating the opening of a new business.

Residents were surprised when Hoffman noted that her annual salary as supervisor is only $2,500. The supervisors’ goal is to “Do all the good you can, for all the people you can.” They oversee the many components of local government, serving about 8,000 residents at a cost of $15.6 million.

Proud to be the first woman elected as a supervi-sor in 155 years, Hoffman is a treasury of local in-formation, such as that the township is responsible for 61 miles of roadway; that the 2.7 billion dollar mushroom industry’s workers begin work at 4 a.m. so delivery trucks can be ready to depart by noon; that Longwood Gardens brings two million people to the area annually; and that the current opioid epi-demic is a major headache for local police.

Residents were particularly interested in plans for the former Bayard Taylor Library, opened in 1961 and recently renamed the Kennett Library to better identify its location. Ground breaking for the new, much larger facility is scheduled for 2019. Tri-pling in size from 11,000 to 35,000 square feet, it will have three floors and include other government facilities and four classrooms, eliminating the need for classes to be scheduled in the high school and churches.

The excellent website, https://Kennett.pa.us. was updated in 2016 and provides a wealth of infor-mation including a history of the community, local maps, current events and minutes of the Supervisors’ meetings.

Residents who have the patience to read those complex minutes will begin to understand why it takes so long for Kendal to get the building permits we need!

Peggy Brick

After days of steady rain this mallard pair appeared on a resident’s squishy lawn to check out the grain spilled out of a bird feeder.

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May 2017 5

Driving Danger at Sunset A resident waited at the light to leave Kendal and turn onto Route 1. When the light turned green, and before he proceeded, he paused. That was very fortunate, because a car heading toward Kennett Square ran the red light and passed through

the intersection at high speed. The resident looked to his right after the offending driver and couldn’t see the car because the setting sun blinded him. Did the intense rays of the setting sun also block the driver’s sight of the red light? We’ll never know, but it is likely.

Safety Warning: For a few minutes every spring and fall, the sun sets over Kennett Square in a position such that blinding rays can make the traffic signals difficult if not impossible to see. So, drivers leaving Kendal around sunset should make sure southbound cars on Route 1 are fully stopped in both lanes before pro-ceeding on a green light. (When turning right on red, be aware that cars approaching from the left in the right hand lane are partially obscured until close to the intersection.) At sunset, assume drivers may not be able to see the red light.

Cal Calvache for the Safety Committee

Population and Environment Crisis

Years of research as professor of population and family health services at Johns Hopkins University led Stan Becker to warn a Monday Topics audience that the addition of one billion people to the earth every 12 years is unsustainable. There’s a crisis of drought and famine in high birth-rate nations in Afri-ca, while rising seas begin to threaten overpopulated Bangladesh. Dr. Becker warned that we may reach a tipping point, “Probably in the 2030’s,” as most Americans are uneducated about this looming crisis.

At a Way Forward Women’s Issues “4:30” with Dr. Becker before his lecture, residents identified their concerns and experiences: (slightly edited)

“Continued population growth seems to exacerbate all other environmental problems.”

“An abortion was essential at particular time in my life. I have no apologies!”

“I decided to teach children rather than have any of my own.”

“We adopted two children and have only two of our own.”

“Men seem to be more active on this pop-ulation-environment issue than women.” Becker countered that while vasectomies are extremely safe, effective and cheap, women are much more likely to be sterilized, a more costly and serious procedure.

“Most people aggressively promoting adoption are not adopting.” Discussions of such controversial issues would be

valuable before other Monday Topics presentations. Dr. Becker believes that, although fertility rates

are declining world-wide, population growth remains a danger in our environmentally-threatened world. Population will increase from 7.4 billion today to 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.9 billion by 2050. He advocates zero population growth, yet in most developed na-tions couples are encouraged to have more babies because low fertility rates, combined with low death rates, mean there are too few workers to support the increasing number of aging adults. (In Japan the me-dian age is 43.5; in Uganda it is 14.9!)

Becker emphasizes that the crisis will be exacer-bated by the recent presidential executive order reac-tivating the Mexico City Policy forbidding funding health organizations that provide any abortion ser-vices or information. This “ gag rule” was lifted dur-ing Obama years; NGOs received $575 million in family planning services in 2016. The new order de-nies $9.5 billion in global health assistance. Becker noted how little attention the media gives to this vital issue, and urged residents to become educated!

Peggy Brick

The Way We Were:

The Reporter, May 1979

Dancing Round the World

The recently-appointed Committee for Projects Undesignated—Evelyn and Francis Nicholson, co-chairmen—will offer a program called “Dancing Round the World.” Frederick and El-eanor Echelmeyer will demonstrate the ethnic dances of a variety of countries, including lands from which many Pennsylvania families came, and where the Echelmeyers have participated in

native dances. After the pro-gram the Echelmeyers will join light-footed Kendalites and in-vited couples from Crosslands in informal social dancing. Har-ry Fetters will provide waltzes and other melodies dear to us when we were very young.

May 2017 6

May’s Tree: Dogwood The Flowering Dogwood, Cornus florida, is one

of our most well-known and well-loved trees. It is a deciduous small understory tree of the eastern North American woodlands.

Worldwide there are many species, often distin-guished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. In the arboretum we have many white flower-ing dogwoods, and some with pink blossoms. On the north loop, No. 28 is the designated tree of the arboretum. The small yellow flowers are surrounded by four large, very showy petal-like bracts. The glossy red drupes (fruits) are enjoyed by many birds in the early fall, when the bright green leaves turn a reddish purple. Dogwoods are susceptible to fungal diseases, but efforts are underway to preserve these wonderful trees.

Close by is a fine Cornelian Cherry Dogwood, Cornus mas, No. 27. It is a native of southern Eu-rope and flowers very early, usually in early March. The common name refers to the cherry-like red fruits that resemble the semi-precious stone, cornelian, which ripen in late summer. The fruits, very high in vitamin C, have long been used both as food and medicine to fight colds and flus. Dogwood twigs were used by pioneers to brush their teeth.

At Kendal we also have many Cornus kousa, dogwoods native to Korea, Japan and eastern China. The Kousa dogwoods bloom about a month later than our native species. The fruits are red raspberry-like drupes 1 to 1 ½ inches across, borne on 1” to 1-½” stalks. They are becoming widely used in land-scaping and do not appear to be invasive. Kousa dogwoods are noted for their attractive exfoliating bark forming tan and brown patterns. Dogwood No. 54 is located on the South Loop.

The red (and yellow) twig dogwoods are attrac-tive smaller bushes for winter appeal. There is a fine grouping in the swale near Parking Lot 3.

Martin Wells and Judy Czeiner Kendal Arboretum Team

How Chester County Hospital

Became A Penn Medicine Partner On April 24 Dr. Richard Donze, Sr. VP for Medi-cal Affairs at Chester County Hospital, described how doctor-patient relationships have been affected by the partnership of Chester County Hospital and Penn Medicine. Since most of us here at Kendal use those facilities, this was of great interest. Before 1997, CCH was an independent hospital, as were most others in the area. By 1997, Penn Medi-cine had come in and several groups with it, such as radiologists and medical oncology, and a few others had affiliation agreements with Penn. More hospitals began to consolidate because of the economies of scale, a greater ability to ensure quality and efficien-cy of systems with larger hospitals. “Quality plus ef-ficiency = value!” Hospitals began to feel the financial pinch of be-ing small. It became “get big or get out.” When em-ployed by large private practices or regional consor-tia hospital/health systems, doctors avoided or elimi-nated the burdensome business aspects of a practice and could concentrate on taking care of patients. The doctors at CCH had relationships with Penn, Cleve-land Clinic, CHOP and Jefferson Hospital for treating certain conditions in their patients. But since the doc-tors were not part of a cooperative system, they did-n’t get paid quickly. CCH had to join in order to sur-vive, and did so on September 1, 2013, joining with Penn Medicine, a long term collaborative partner and a preferred partner of the medical staff. CCH is now moving forward with some long-desired renovations; the Lasko Tower will handle telemetry, orthopedics, and a new maternity ward, with 24 private rooms in each department. There are plans for new labs and new machines, and several new, larger operating rooms. A parking garage is al-ready complete. All doctors employed by Penn-CCH can share pa-tients’ records on an electronic database. A patient can now count on receiving the best treatment availa-ble as CCH meets its needs for access and growth.

Annie Hazard

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May 2017 7

“When to Move to

Cumberland”

This was the title of a recent pro-

gram brought to us by Sally Hillyer

and the medical services staff, Sarah Matas and Kath-

leen McAleer (represented by Vicki Center).

They explained that while no one is forced to

move to Cumberland, the change can be suggested

and reinforced as many times as it is felt to be need-

ed. It takes some residents a long time to recognize

that their state of health indicates that more supervi-

sion and assistance is desirable.

After the staff offered their information, Carole

Smith introduced three residents who would share

their moving experiences: Evelyne Reethof, and Don

and Lucille Koenig.

The Koenigs resisted moving, as they loved their

garden, the view from their cottage, and their neigh-

bors. In due course they were shown a connected

unit in lower Cumberland, which has a lounge area

and kitchen, and a beautiful garden outside the main

door. That sold them! In they moved. They are happy

with their new home, and still maintain contact with

their old neighbors.

Evelyne, on the other hand, chose to stay at Cum-

berland after she had a short stay in the medical cen-

ter while recovering after a fall. She went home

briefly to her cottage, and then asked to come back,

saying she missed the social interaction there. “I want

to live in Cumberland, now!”

There was discussion of various ups and downs of

the move: how they got rid of their extra furniture,

how to take their meals, etc.

What’s different in Cumberland than in a cottage?

Don responded, “Very little. We still have friends

from our old cottage area but now we have a helpful

staff that organizes our daily pills, and even makes

coffee in the morning.” His advice for people living

in independent care was, “Move up before you’re

told you should do it!”

Evelyne’s response to the question, What would

you do to change Cumberland? was, “Do not

change anything. It’s perfect!”

The staff hopes to have an information booklet

available in the future that answers many of our ques-

tions. Annie Hazard

It starts with a lump of clay, small as a baby’s fist or large as your head. Skillful hands throw it on a pot-ter’s wheel or mold it into a variety of shapes. Soon it becomes a fanciful statue of an animal, a household item like a cup or bowl, an abstract sculpture—or whatever the potter’s imagination asks of the mallea-ble clay. In a few days the piece is dry and ready to be fired in one of the studio's three kilns at 2000-plus degrees, until it becomes hard but fragile “bisque-ware.” Next, the potter applies liquid glaze in any of the dozen or so colors available. (The color of the “raw” glaze is different from how it will appear after firing, so some experience is helpful!) A second kiln firing fuses the colorful glaze to the piece. The finished piece is ready for personal use, to be given as a gift, offered for sale in the studio, or re-served for the popular annual holiday sale. All pro-ceeds are used to buy supplies and equipment, as the studio is self-supporting. Janet Spencer, fashioning what will become a pen-cil holder in the shape of a frog, says she enjoys the regular contact with other potters who gather on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and “inspire me to think of new ideas.” For retired English professor Walt Herbert, work-ing on the wheel provides a “chance to do something

completely new, making things out of clay in-stead of words.” He learns new techniques from experienced pot-ters like Max Nimeck, who says he likes the “tactile feel” of working with clay.

“Just creating things, experimenting with forms,” gives him pleasure. Plus, “You can’t worry while making pottery!” The studio is open to all. Those new to pottery-making should never work without supervision until they’re familiar with studio procedures and are knowledgeable about safety issues. NB: A 14-minute video by Norm Ganser docu-ments the studio, residents making pottery in Activity Central, and the holiday sale. On the Kendal website, go to “Committees,” then “Pottery/Ceramics,” and scroll to “Pursuing Your Interests.”

David Feldman

The Pottery Studio:

How It Works

May 2017 8

Coming Events

Ethics Committee and End Of Life Issues

Later this month the Ethics Committee of Ken-dal at Longwood will be sponsoring showings and discussion on “New Rules for End of Life Care” via a 35-minute DVD with a discussion to follow. In the film Barbara Karnes, a hospice nurse, dis-cusses the transitions of death, nutrition and pain management concerns. The sharing that follows will occur in small groups of 12 along with two Kendal staff to facilitate the discussion. The first group showing will be Wednesday, May 24, 3:30-4:45 p.m. in the conference room. The sec-ond showing will be on Wednesday, June 21, same time. If you are interested please sign up at the recep-tion desk: pre-registration is required. For questions, call Kathleen McAleer at 610-388-3044.

May 20, at Crosslands, 11 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

First Annual Senior Health Fest

Tai Chi and yoga demos, safe med drop, shredder truck, chair massages, ambulance view, health sta-tions (blood pressure, heart attack, balance, and more), guided walks, lectures by health professionals. Food! Music!

Book review

The Home That Was My

Country:

A Memoir of Syria

by Alia Malek

Alia Malek first sets the stage of the earlier cul-tures in Syria's area, such as the Ottoman Empire, then focuses on her family's history in the newly independent Syria in 1949. The family matriarch, Salma, and her home became the center of a large and widespread family, a source of both comfort and conflict among them.

The author, a journalist, is one of Salma's grand-daughters, American-born to Salma's daughter liv-ing in the U.S. Her book is a personal narrative of her family in Syria over a century.

Although she had become a lawyer and taught at the University in Beirut, Malek felt moved to return to Syria in 2011. She had never felt a real part of it and writes that, as an "optimist," she hoped she could contribute something to her country.

What she found was the increasing viciousness of the Assad rulers and an answering passivity on the part of many of its citizens. Her book is not only a memoir of a family but a view of the incredible mess that has been and still is the Middle East, a glimpse into a growing disaster in her beloved coun-try.

Kay Rosier

Here Comes CARF!

From May 10th to 12th Kendal will welcome a

CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilita-

tion Facilities) team of investigators from other

CCRCs who will evaluate how our community meets

hundreds of demanding standards regarding facilities,

staff and residents.

There are about 2,500 CCRCs in the United States;

Kendal is one of approximately 400 that are accredit-

ed by CARF, which is a tribute to the excellence of

this community.

At a recent educational gathering, Phil DeBaun

and lead staff members gave a comprehensive expla-

nation of the process, the criteria used and the ra-

tionale for becoming accredited by CARF. Certifica-

tion occurs every five years, and for many months

our staff has been preparing in order to assure our

compliance.

In addition to the core accreditation, five years ago

Kendal achieved certification in Person-Centered

Long Term Care. This year’s goal is to receive ap-

proval as a Dementia Care Specialty Program, which

focuses on the unique and changing needs of persons

with dementia, including independence and empha-

sizing a resident’s strengths rather than weaknesses.

The benefits of accreditation are many: develop-

ment of model practices, promotion of optimal out-

comes of services, establishment of peer benchmarks

for comparison, focus on continuous quality im-

provement and—very important to our future—to

send quality signals to consumers for marketing. Continued on next page, col. 2

May 2017 9

Over the past year and a half, we have pub-lished more than a dozen articles on the staff heroes who carry on their shoulders the job of making Kendal a great place to live. This is the latest in that series.

A well-known Kendal commentator suggested

we title this article “Between the Sheets.” But that would suggest a kind of content we couldn’t (and wouldn’t) deliver. Thus, “Meet the Sheets,” Jeff and Ben Sheets, a brotherly duo that has lent its tal-ents to our community for more than 20 years.

The older brother, Jeff, works in Maintenance and notes that although his nametag identifies him as “Carpenter,” he is really an all-around Mr. Fixit. Born and raised in Oxford, Penn-sylvania, he graduated from Oxford High School and started working at Kendal in June 1996 as a night watch-man. Two years later, he

made it to a daytime assignment in a role that still finds him all over the campus, helping to maintain our more than 40-year old residences.

Jeff said in an interview that it’s a job “that re-quires him to enjoy people,” because he finds that “some residents want someone to talk to” as well as install a new light bulb or fix a balky sink faucet. It also demands, he said, “That I care about what I do.” Anyone who has had him work in their cottage knows that is true!

Jeff’s a big guy, with a big smile above his white beard. He’s married to Tami and they have three daughters, three grandsons and a granddaugh-ter. While he’s proud of his younger generation and talked about their accomplishments with us, his real passion is for his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He and his wife ride it frequently on short trips. We teased him, asking whether he wore a red ban-danna around his head and he said seriously, “Yes, but I wear a safety helmet on top of that!

The other brother is Ben, who is the rehab aide in the physical therapy department. While he is an “Irish twin” to his older brother (so said Jeff), being only ten months apart in age, the two are very dif-ferent in appearance and demeanor.

Ben came to Kendal in 1996 after a long career

in the United States Navy, where he was an aviation electrician on an aircraft carrier.

At first he was on the Maintenance team, later moving to physical therapy, where his job “is to make

things run smoothly,” which requires everything from adjusting the brakes on a resident’s walker to setting up appointments for the staff therapists. The challenge is to achieve the desired smoothness when the resident popula-tion has grown and aged. “Business

has really picked up,” he observed. He still lives in Oxford with his wife, Joan, who

once worked in day care at Kendal. What Ben likes best about his job is interacting

with the residents, while paperwork, of which there is a considerable quantity, falls to the bottom of the list.

In his off-work time he sells Pampered Chef prod-ucts and does gardening, both at his own home and around Kendal. He also makes pumpkin rolls for sale. Clearly, he is a man of many talents.

Ben and Jeff have five older sisters, which may explain why they get along so well with the mostly female residents!

Faith Wohl

Jeff and Ben: Meet the Sheets

CARF Accreditation, cont’d from previous page

The audience was awed as we learned the com-

plex details of what is involved in meeting CARF

standards in each of the following areas: Leadership,

Governance and Strategic Planning; Obtaining Input

from Stakeholders; Financial Planning and Manage-

ment; Human Resources, Technology; Risk Manage-

ment, Health Safety; Rights of Persons Served, Ac-

cessibility; Performance Measurement/Improvement.

The CARF team will meet with selected residents

in focus groups and informally throughout the com-

munity. Anyone who missed the informative session

and wants to understand what’s happening can find a

copy of the “CARF Re-Accreditation” PowerPoint

from Donna Taylor, Chief Health Services Officer. Peggy Brick

May 2017 10

NON-FICTION

Al-Khatahtbeh, Amani. Muslim girl: a coming of age story. 297 AL Barnes, Gregory Allen. Philadelphia’s Arch St. Meeting House. Q 289.6 BA Bartleme, Tony. A surgeon in the village: an American doctor teaches brain surgery in Africa. 617.4 BA Bascomb, Neal. The winter fortress: the epic mission to sabotage Hitler’s atomic bomb. 940.54 BA Godfrey Smith, Peter. Other minds: The octopus, the sea and deep origins of consciousness. 612.8 GO Heilbrun, Carolyn G. Hamlet’s mother and other women. 820.9 HE Lewis, Michael. The undoing project: A friendship that changed our mind. 612.8 LE Loewer, H. Peter. The wild gardener: on flowers and foliage for the natural border. 635.9 LO Miller, Tom. China’s Asian dream. 337 MI Philpott, Don. St Lucia. 917.29 PH Preston, Douglas. Lost city of the monkey God. 972.85 PR Quindlen, Anna. Thinking out loud. 814.54 QU Rilke, Rainer Maria. Prayers of a young poet. 831 RI Rosier, Kay. Creations. 811 RO Lonely Planet. Santa Fe & Taos. 917.89 LO Taylor, Paul. The next America. 305.2 TA Vandome, Nick. iPad for seniors in easy steps. 004.1 VA Whipple, Chris. Gatekeepers: how the White House chiefs of staff define every presidency. 973.92 WH

BIOGRAPHY

Andersson, Per. Amazing story of the man who cycled from India to Europe for love. B KU Brookhiser, Richard. Founding father: rediscovering George Washington. B WA Cooper, Helene. Madame President: The Extraordinary Journey of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. B SI Didion, Joan. South and West. B DI Finkel, Michael. Stranger in the wood. B KN Fox, George. George Fox speaks for himself. Q B FO Menaker, Daniel. My mistake: a memoir. B ME Mills, Marja. The mockingbird next door: life with Harper Lee. B LE Slevin, Peter B. Michelle Obama: a life. B OB Zoglin, Richard. Hope: entertainer of the century. B HO

FICTION

Backman, Fredrik. Britt-Marie was here: a novel. Cornwell, Bernard. Death of kings: a novel. Dray, Stephanie. America’s first daughter: a novel. Grossman, David. A horse walks into a bar. Least Heat-moon, Wm. Celestial mechanics. McCrumb, Sharyn. Songcatcher. Schlink, Bernard. Woman on the stairs. Silko, Leslie. Ceremony. Sparks, Nicholas. The longest ride. Starnone, Domenico. Ties. Umanski, Ellen. The fortunate ones.

New Books at the Library

Continued on next page

May 2017 11

“I Fell Into My Bathtub”

A resident routinely arises in the middle of the night to answer nature’s call. To avoid awakening his wife by turning on the light, he travels in the dark. While moving though the dark bathroom this time, he lost his balance and fell backwards. He real-ized his instability could have led to a serious injury.

His solution: a nightlight plugged into the bath-room receptacle. The small bulb provides just enough light to maintain his orientation and balance on nightly trips. It does, however, block one of the two receptacles.

Seth Beaver thought this a worthwhile suggestion and has made a more modern LED energy-saving version available. This unit provides sufficient light to move around safely and then turn on the bathroom light if desired. It is incorporated into the receptacle, so both outlets are still available.

The disadvantage: these modern LED units are more expensive and must be installed by a KCC maintenance electrician. If you opt for the LED unit at about $50 each, just call Tracy and KCC mainte-nance will install one for you. Night lights that glow can be obtained for as little as $3.00 at Lowes, WalMart and other stores. Either way, if you get up in the middle of the night and don’t wish to turn on a light, install a nightlight to avoid falls.

Another story: A new resident fell after getting up from her chair and realized that one foot had fallen asleep. This changes the body’s grounding “frame of reference” and thus one’s balance. So, as part of our routine “inventory assessment” when changing posi-tion, feel for “sleepy feet” and wait for it, or

them, to awaken before stepping out. Cal Calvache

Way Forward Finds Its Way

One hundred and thirty concerned residents from Kendal, Crosslands, and Cartmel have joined the Way Forward initiative as they try to understand key issues in the world outside our happy community bubble. Six committees have been set up to research, share information, and act on Women’s Issues, Hu-man Rights (including immigration), Legislation, Health/Nutrition, Environment, and Redistricting.

Accomplishments so far:

• Frequent contacting of local, state, and national elected officials by phone, petitions, post cards, letters, emails, faxes and personal visits.

• Contacting organizations and individuals that are knowledgeable about their topics and arranging for speakers to educate us all about the issues.

• Attending the Kennett Square IndivisibleKSQ bi-weekly group meetings. This group’s current is-sues include gerrymandering and the local immi-grant population.

• Participating in vigils and marches whenever possible.

• Assisting two immigrant families (from Congo and Syria) who attend Birmingham Friends Meeting.

Way Forward is particularly interested in identify-ing areas where members can have their voices heard. They believe that our democracy is facing a crisis and that remaining silent is not an option, that citizens need to be actively involved. No matter for whom a person voted, they are wel-come to join and work on issues they care about. To get on the list, please put your name, cottage number and email on a note in open box #122.

Betsy Wenny

New books at the library, cont’d

LARGE TYPE Baldacci, David. Saving Faith. Todd, Charles. A cold treachery. Ware, Ruth. In a dark, dark wood. Winspear, Jacqueline. In this grave hour.

MYSTERY Dahl, Julia. Conviction. Dobyns, Stephen. Saratoga payback. Fesperman, Dan. Double game. Gundar-Goshen, Ayelet. Waking Lions. Heller, Peter. Celine. Leon, Donna. Earthly remains.

AUDIO BOOK Lee Shetterly, Margot. Hidden Figures: Black Women Mathematicians. DVDs About Elly Ashgar Farhadi, Director. A Bigger Splash Ralph Fiennes. The Deep End Tilda Swinton. Fences Denzel Washington. Head in the Clouds Charlize Theron. Impromptu Hugh Grant. Queen of Katwe David Oyelowo.

Steve Jobs Michael Fassbender.

May 2017 12

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

7:15 Monday Topics:

Shale Play

2 3

7:15 Film: “Hidden

Figures”

4

7:15 Kendal Photog-

raphers: Scavenger

Hunt

5 6

7 8

10:00 KRA board

meeting, audit-

Orium

9 10

7:15 Concert:

Classical Guitar

11

3:00 Quaker busi-

ness meeting, in

training room

12 13

14 15 16

Primary election day

17 18

10-11:30 in audito-

rium, “Moods among

Us,” dealing with

depression

7:15 Documentary

19 20

11-2, Senior Health

Fest at Crosslands

7:15 Saturday Night

Live

21 22

7:15 Monday Topic:

Reenactor portrays

Mother Jones

23 24

7:15 Concert: Scott

Brubaker

Horn and piano

25 26 27

28

7:00 Vespers

29

9:00 Listening Post

in conference room

30 31