On April 8, 2015, Dr. Joseph Torchia, Chief Medical Officer of Holy Spirit Health System addressed the membership of the Pennsylvania Alliance of Retire-ment Community Residents (PARCR) on the subject of “Hospitals and Medi-care”.

Dr. Torchia presented an extremely interesting and informative talk on the sub-ject and was interrupted numerous times with many questions. His talk covered such topics as Observation vs. Inpatient Stays, Hospital Acquired Conditions, Patient Satisfaction, Readmissions and Timely and Effective Care.

Torchia stated that the number of persons 65 years and older will triple by 2050 and the number of those 85 years and older will increase five-fold in that same time period. In addition to that fact, 60-65% of healthcare provision and spending comes from programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Veterans Health Administration. Obviously with this statistic, healthcare will become more and more controlled by Federal and State governments.

The decision to determine whether a patient should be admitted or be under observation “is a complex medical decision based on your doctor’s judgment and your need for medically necessary hospital care”. Torchia told the group that, “Hospitals provide observation care for patients who are not well enough to go home but not sick enough to be admitted”. He said that, “Medicare recommends that this decision be made within 24 to 48 hours”. Medicare provides guidelines for hospitals and doctors in order to facilitate making the decision. The major issue that arises from an observation stay is that “Without a 3-day inpatient hos-pital stay, the patient does not meet Medicare’s requirement for Medicare cover-age of a subsequent stay in a Skilled Nursing Facility”. “Patients in Observation Status must pay out-of-pocket for their nursing home care…”. The only way to know for sure whether you have been admitted as an inpatient or for observation is to ask. Hospitals are not required to tell you voluntarily.

Dr. Torchia went on to talk about How Patient Surveys impact Hospital Medi-care Rewards or Penalties. He also touched on the Affordable Care Act (Obama-care). He said that the intended goals of the A.C.A. are to Improve access, decrease cost, Improve quality and increase choices. He talked about efforts to decrease re-admission rates. Dr. Torchia stated that “Quality healthcare means doing the right thing at the right time in the right way for the right person and having the best results possible”.

He had many other areas to cover but due to the number of questions asked, there was not sufficient time to address them and he told the group that he would be happy to return at another time to present additional information on any related topics. The PARCR members in attendance made many very favorable comments about Dr. Torchia’s presentation and expressed great interest in the subjects discussed.

2 - iPad Classes a Hit with Bethany Village Residents

2 - The Village at Sprnkle Drive Expands to in-clude Assisted Living

3 - A Greenhouse for Garden Spot Village

3 Bretheran Village Receives Special Gift

4 - Luther Ridge staff Appreciation Day

4 - “Music at the Ridge”

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PARCR POSTPENNSYLVANIA ALLIANCE OF RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

RESIDENTS Volume 2, Issue 1 July 2015

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST UPCOMING

PARCR MEETINGS

July 8, 2015 – Landis Homes, Lititz, PA

“Future of CCRCs” by Angela Dohrman

October 14, 2015 – Messiah Village,

Mechanicsburg, PA “Future of Social Secu-rity and Medicare” by Desiree Hung, Esq

January 13, 2016 – Sprenkle Village, York, PA

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PARCR Members In-formed on Medicare Issues

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iPad Classes a hit with Bethany Village Residents

In January, Bethany Village began a successful partnership with Generation Connect, a company whose mission is to educate people living in retirement communities or are utilizing senior services to use the iPad in order to stay in touch with family, friends and their passions.

First, Generation Connect trained several Bethany Village associates and residents to serve as instructors, and in Feb-ruary and March 2014 starter workshops were held for interested residents. Working in groups of 5 to 10 members, individuals learned the essentials of using an iPad, with topics that included basic navigation and typing, email, taking and working with photos, viewing websites, and downloading apps. After attendees completed the starter classes, they graduated to classes on specific topics such as reading, photos and scheduling appointments.

One on one training with iPad

The Village at Sprenkle Drive is Adding Assisted Living and Memory Support Residence

Sprenkle Village of SpiriTrust Lutheran is currently in a $16 million construction effort moving from being a Re-tirement Village to a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). Construction is well underway on the 26 assisted living and 24 memory support units with an expected completion date of October 2015.

Designed using a “neighborhood” model to provide a more home-like environment, the new assisted living com-munity features private residences as well as shared community space. The 26 studio and one-bedroom apartments will include a living space, kitchenette, private bath and private bedroom. Outside each individual personal residence, there will be additional areas for socializing and gathering, including an activity space and dining area. In addition, a team of dedicated caregivers will lend support for activities of daily living.

The Oaks Memory Support Program will include 24 private rooms in two assisted living memory support house-holds, designed to help diminish anxiety and lessen confusion for individuals with early to mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Each household of 12 private rooms will be served by a team of dedicated caregivers and shared living space, protected courtyards, garden areas and a dining area.

The Glatfelter Administration and Recreation Center to which the new units are attached will have an expanded dining and coffee shop area and a new large community room added to the building.

With “use it or lose it” in mind, Bill Higgins, a retired professor and Bethany Village resident who serves as a trainer, holds weekly refresher courses in between topic sessions in order to review concepts and handle questions. Attendees receive a worksheet and practice their skills with each other. Going forward, as new technologies and apps emerge, Generation Connect team plans to create sessions to provide context and offer practical applications in order to continue to sup-port Bethany and its residents.

Residents have been delighted with the classes – many expressing amazement at the capabilities of the device. Generation Connect is one of the many continuous learning opportunities at Bethany Vil-lage.

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A Greenhouse for Garden Spot Village

HOW DO YOU SERVE FARM-TO TABLE FRESHNESS ALL YEAR ROUND?

If you’re Garden Spot Village, you take steps to make fresh, locally grown food available regardless of the season. A high-tech aeroponic greenhouse, planned to be constructed, will grow produce year-round, support sustainability, and poten-tially create jobs. “The idea originated after we heard so many comments about the tomatoes in the salad bar in the middle of winter,” says Steve Lindsey, chief executive officer at Garden Spot Village. “We have such wonderful produce from local farms that our kitchens use through the summer months. We thought that the idea of having freshly grown, hyper-local produce throughout the year would fit well with the culture and values of Garden Spot Village.

Producing food on campus eliminates the use of fossil fuels for production or transportation. Additionally, the produce can be grown without pesticides or preservatives. The greenhouse would use highly efficient aeroponic technol-ogy, which requires no soil. Instead, produce is grown on towers, through which water circulates. The towers turn in order to allow plants access to sunlight, water and nutrients. A carefully controlled environment will make it possible to grow fresh produce all year, regardless of weather conditions.

“Freshly harvested fruits and veggies bring intense flavors, crisp textures, and plentiful nutrients—qualities that decline in many types of produce after har-vest,” Lindsey says.

“It doesn’t get any more local than if we harvest in the morning and eat it at lunchtime,” says Weaver.

Many residents have expressed an interest in volunteering in the greenhouse, and the project could create jobs for the community as well.

“The greenhouse creates a win-win for the people of Garden Spot Village and for our local community,” says Lindsey. “We are able to get the benefits of great food throughout the year while providing employment to local people who are living with disabilities that make it difficult for them to find gainful employ-ment.”

Close up view of plant in plant holder

Bretheran Village Receives Special Gift

BV Resident Betsy Gardner uniquely supported Brethren Village by donating a special gift to improve campus life in memory of her husband, Dr. John Gardner. John’s own experience as a Resident at Brethren Village prompted Betsy to give a financial gift that allowed construction of a canopy at the entrance of The Courtyards health care center.

The canopy was officially dedicated on June 4, 2015 by John Snader, BV President & CEO. Betsy’s guests, along with BV Residents and Team Members, were present to commemorate the occasion. Betsy’s generous gift has not only enhanced life at Brethren Village, but also served to leave a legacy behind.

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PARCRBethany Village,

325 Bethany Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA

www.parcr.org

PARCR POST Edi-tor may be con-tacted via email:

rwbuehler@garden-spotvillage.net

PARCR website is www.parcr.org

Residents Show Appreciation for Staff at Luther RidgeOn June 10th the residents of SpiriTrust Lutheran, The Village at Luther Ridge in Chambersburg, PA held a Staff

Appreciation Luncheon to show their thankfulness and appreciation for the administration and staff at the retirement community. One resident said, “We have the best and we need to let them know how much we appreciate them and all they do”. The luncheon, door prizes and activities were all sponsored and generously and happily paid for by the residents. It was a wonderful time for everyone and the staff was very grateful for the recognition.

“Music at the Ridge” Begins Second Season

The Village at Luther Ridge kicked off the second season of “Music at the Ridge” on Friday evening, June 12th. The season consisted of four outdoor concerts by musical groups from various areas within the state of Pennsylvania. These events take place outdoors on the campus of Luther Ridge and are open to the community. The June 12th event featured a wonderful group, “Patsy Kline and Friends” presenting “A Tribute to the Legends”. The concert included country songs made popular by Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Connie Frances and others, as well as, popular songs from the 50’s and 60’s and a few gospel numbers.

There were approximately 150 people in attendance including Luther Ridge residents and people from the Cham-bersburg community at large. Future concerts this season are July 10th, “Take Two Variety Band” featuring music from the 50’s and 60’s and August 14th, “The Jacobs Brothers” singing Southern Gospel Music. It is expected that both of these groups will draw a large crowd from the community.