Pet Friendly Assisted Living: Where Pets are Family

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Liberty Lutheran

For animal lovers of all kinds, pets are family. When we welcome pets into our homes we invite the never-ending joy they bring along with them, as well as their unconditional love. The Hearth at Drexel’s pet friendly assisted living demonstrates an unquestionable happiness that these beloved animals bring to the community. And the impact they have on the people who call this wonderful place home is equally unmistakable.

A proud member of Liberty Lutheran’s family of services, located on the beautiful Main Line in suburban Philadelphia, The Hearth at Drexel has a well-earned reputation for quality, comfort, and security. “I truly love it here,” says resident Marilyn Steward, who lives in her cozy assisted living apartment with her much-loved cats, Goldie and Silvery.

Marilyn and her cat, Silvery

“The people who take care of me are absolutely wonderful, and the food- The food is delicious!” Marilyn exclaims with a smile on her face thinking about what’s on the menu for later.

Marilyn says she can’t speak highly enough about the care she receives at The Hearth, “I enjoy living here very much. I have my own apartment and of course, my kittens! It’s wonderful having them here,” she smiles as her cat, Goldie, jumps onto the sofa and sits beside her. Marilyn pets Goldie’s yellow fur and you can see the special connection they’ve formed while living at The Hearth.

The benefits of pet friendly assisted living for seniors

Assisted living at The Hearth distinctly sets itself apart from other senior living communities not just for their well-known elegance and luxury, but for another amenity that keeps animal-loving residents smiling every day. Pet friendly assisted living at The Hearth demonstrates a shared understanding throughout the community that pets are just as much family as people.

For seniors especially, pets have the exceptional ability to bring a sense of familiarity that carries the feeling of home with them wherever they may go, and this is certainly the case for resident, Elizabeth Clarke.

Pet friendly assisted living at The Hearth: Elizabeth Clarke and her cat, Chloe

Elizabeth Clarke and her cat, Chloe, at The Hearth

Elizabeth Clarke moved to The Hearth in 2016. Elizabeth has been a nun for many years, and prior to coming to The Hearth, Elizabeth’s community of sisters allowed her to return to her family home in Winchester, Massachusetts. There, she lived with her father, her mother, and her mother’s cat, Cocoa. Elizabeth greatly enjoyed helping her mother take care of Cocoa, and after her parents passed away, she gladly became Cocoa’s new owner. After selling her family home, Elizabeth and Cocoa moved to the town of Rockport, where she remembers the beautiful ocean breeze and large fishing port nearby. Cocoa the cat lived with Elizabeth in Rockport for a number of years before she sadly passed away.

“It was very difficult for me because Cocoa was originally my mother’s cat. Saying goodbye to her was like saying goodbye to a part of my mother as well.” Elizabeth says remembering the companionship Cocoa brought to both her and her mother.

It wasn’t long after Cocoa’s death that Elizabeth decided she’d like to have another cat. That’s when she went to a local no-kill shelter and met Chloe. A woman who worked there placed the sweet kitten in Elizabeth’s arms and she knew instantly that Chloe was the one she wanted to take home.

It took no time at all for Chloe and Elizabeth to form a very special bond. She loved taking care of Chloe, but as time passed and Elizabeth began to lose her vision, the realization hit that maybe Elizabeth needed someone who could take care of her. Although Chloe provided companionship as a pet it became increasingly difficult for Elizabeth to live alone in Rockport. She called her community of sisters and one of the nuns came to town to visit.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore,” Elizabeth told the nun explaining the challenges of living alone. Elizabeth, who was beginning to lose her vision, could no longer drive herself to the grocery store, and the last thing she wanted to do was potentially hurt someone by causing an accident.

“I think you should live at The Hearth,” the nun told Elizabeth.

“What is The Hearth?” Elizabeth asked.

The nun told Elizabeth that The Hearth was a beautiful assisted living community where she could have her own apartment with access to quality care. She went on to explain her reasoning.

“You can bring Chloe,” said the nun.

Elizabeth let out a deep sigh of relief as if an overwhelming weight lifted from her shoulders. She smiled at the nun with great satisfaction and agreed The Hearth would be her and Chloe’s new home.

“I don’t know what I would do if I had to give my beloved Chloe away,” says Elizabeth, “I knew it was likely that I might have to.” Elizabeth frowned at the thought. “When sister told me The Hearth welcomed pets and that Chloe could come with me, I was so happy.”

Chloe and Elizabeth moved to The Hearth together in September of 2016, and they’ve been thrilled to call it home ever since.

“Chloe loves it here,” Elizabeth says as she lovingly watches Chloe lay in a cardboard Jet.com box that Elizabeth saved just for her, knowing her cat would like it as a cozy place to lay. As much as Chloe loves the pet friendly assisted living at The Hearth, The Hearth loves her equally in return.

“She immediately became a hit here.” Elizabeth says referring to Chloe as her cat mews from inside her cozy cardboard retreat. Both staff and residents at The Hearth continuously ask Elizabeth how Chloe is doing, to which Elizabeth always happily responds, “She’s doing very well.”

Walk from Elizabeth and Chloe’s apartment on the East side of The Hearth to Marilyn Steward’s cozy abode on the West, where you’ll find, Goldie and Silvery, her beloved feline friends ready to greet friendly visitors.

“The name Silvery comes from the pretty strand of silver running through his black fur,” Marilyn says as she explains the history of her cat’s eclectic namesake. Marilyn got Goldie and Silvery from the SPSCA where she says they were playmates.

Marilyn’s cat, Silvery in her apartment at The Hearth

While currently sharing her pet friendly assisted living apartment with cats, Marilyn has been a lover of all kinds of animals her entire life. She remembers bringing home a wild duck once as a child, and she grew up with dogs and cats in her family home. “My sister moves in with her cat Stanley very soon!” she says with excitement as she mentions yet another resident and pet The Hearth is happy to welcome into the community.

Pet friendly assisted living brings joy to both residents and staff

It’s clear that pet friendly assisted living at The Hearth makes residents very happy, and the staff will be the first to note the lasting impact these animals have on their beloved owners. Community Life Coordinator at The Hearth, Sarah Hayes, discusses residents who live with pets, and how living with an animal gives them a sense of purpose.

“The people who live with pets here still feel like they have a duty and responsibility, which is rewarding for them. The daily tasks of feeding the pets, and taking care of them definitely keeps residents’ quality of life high,” Sarah nods her head thinking about the benefits these pets bring to the community and the residents who live here.

“The residents feel that they are needed. This pet needs their care and attention, and that makes them feel good. It’s just a nice way for them to feel important and also have a little companion there to cuddle and hug whenever they want.”

Although relatively new to The Hearth, Sarah has been working with the senior population for over six years, and has been involved in recreation since she was 16. “I’ve been here for a month or so and I never run out of good things to say about the people here and the community as a whole.” Talking more about the pet friendly amenities and activities at The Hearth, Sarah mentions their pet therapy specialist who visits the community twice every month.

“She brings guinea pigs of all different sizes and colors. There’s some with long hair, some with no hair at all. She even brings this adorable bunny who has the softest brown fur.” Sarah goes on to describe the benefits these pet therapy sessions provide for residents,

“Pet therapy really reduces their stress. You can see how happy it makes them when they sit with a little guinea pig in their lap.”

Sarah mentions another volunteer who brings her certified companion dog, Daisy. “Daisy is so cute. She goes around and visits residents in their apartments. I can see how comfortable and at home it makes the residents feel. It’s really nice.”

The benefits of pet friendly assisted living are wide spread for residents, staff, and the community. For residents who own a pet before moving in, it gives them great relief to know that their furry friend who’s more like family can stay with them. And for those who want to own a pet even after moving in, it’s equally as comforting. Pets bring residents in assisted living the comfort of companionship as well as familiarity and a feeling of fulfillment. Their unconditional love and connection fills the community with continuous hope and joy. If you’d like to learn more about pet friendly assisted living at The Hearth as well as other wonderful amenities offered at this community click here.

CUSP Workshop at WPSCC Teaches Members How Climate Change Affects our Health and Homes

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Liberty Lutheran

The impacts of climate change often fill people with fear. Aiming to teach communities how to prepare for climate change, rather than fear it, members from multiple organizations joined forces to lead a Climate and Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP) workshop at the West Philadelphia Senior Community Center (WPSCC). As members of the local West Philadelphia community gathered together for “The Weather Ready Homes: Climate Change, Energy, and Your Health” workshop, they learned not just what climate change is and how to prepare for it, but were encouraged to share their personal experiences about how climate change has affected their daily lives.

“Who in this room thinks they’ve felt the effects of climate change?” Ali Kenner, professor at Drexel University, asked the crowd as she introduced the topic of discussion.

The majority of the room raised their hands.

“And what have been some of those effects? How has it impacted you?” Ali asked.

“Hotter summers!” many exclaimed from the crowd.

“Floods!” others responded.

The reaction from the crowd was clear: the climate is certainly changing, and it’s not only affecting the weather, it’s affecting our health too. The effects of climate change are causing warmer, wetter weather throughout the Northeast, so much so that this region receives

71% more rain than the rest of the U.S. Additionally, this warmer, wetter weather can create changes in the air that affect health conditions like allergies, and asthma, and increase the chances for mold growth in homes.

Throughout the CUSP workshop three overarching topics were discussed: Energy efficiency and weatherization, mold in homes and schools, and emergency preparedness.

Within each part of the CUSP workshop active demonstrations were given that had members on their feet participating with enthusiasm. Among them an inflatable model house that demonstrated the importance of energy efficiency, as well as activities like “Is this mold, or no?” that tested the crowd’s recognition of mold in homes.

By the end of the workshop members of the community learned what climate change is, how it affects our health and our homes, and how to solve the problems that occur because of it. Participants created their personal emergency preparation plans complete with written phone numbers of people and businesses to call in case of a disaster, and ten lucky members even went home with an air purifying house plant.

Thanks to the dedication of multiple partnerships with eco and health-conscious organizations, as well as the event’s sponsor, The Franklin Institute, the CUSP workshop turned out to be a great success. With these types of programs, we empower local communities to stay healthy, live well, and create a better future for our planet.

Here is a summary of the partnering organizations who helped make this workshop possible as well as the workshop’s guiding mission.

The Weather-Ready Homes: Climate Change, Energy, and Your Health Workshop is part of an educational research project under the Climate and Urban Systems Partnership (CUSP) sponsored by Franklin Institute which is led by multiple partnerships including the Clean Air Council, Drexel University, Energy Coordinating Agency, Liberty Lutheran, the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium, and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As part of this program, workshop leaders strive to teach community members the relationship between their health and climate change, as well as effective solutions and available resources in their area. Because of partnerships like this with multiple organizations, we are able to facilitate successful programs that benefit the future of our local communities and empower their health and well-being.

If you’d like to learn about climate change, there will be another CUSP workshop on February 20th, from 4 pm to 6 pm at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Philadelphia! Please find the details below:

Wednesday, February 20th, 4 pm- 6 pm

St John’s Lutheran Church

3101 Tyson Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19149

Don’t Miss This Year’s Artman Golf Outing! 35 Years of Supporting Benevolent Care for Seniors

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Liberty Lutheran

Spring can’t come soon enough, especially for golfers! Join us on Monday, May 20^th for the 35^th Artman Golf Outing at the rolling green hills of Bluestone Country Club’s championship caliber golf course in Blue Bell, Pa. All proceeds will benefit the Artman Benevolent Care Fund.

Your support provides compassionate care, hope, and security to Artman senior residents who, through no fault of their own, have outlived their assets. Help bring brightness to the people of our community with this fun-filled event that includes lunch, a silent auction with incredible offerings plus cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, dinner, and of course an engaging game of golf on a fun, yet challenging course. Click here to register!

Looking Back: The History of the Artman Golf Outing

The Artman Golf Outing first began on May 14, 1985 at Old York Road Country Club. Hoping to spread word about the superior level of care provided for senior residents in the greater Ambler area, the Artman Public Relations Committee sought out solutions for a fun event that would benefit Artman’s benevolent cause to serving seniors.

Thomas H. Kadel, board member at Artman in the mid 1980’s and pastor at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, had discussions with members of his congregation to see how they could help. Putting their heads together, the congregation thought a golf outing would be the perfect way to raise awareness on the outstanding service Artman provides for their residents. Since it’s inauguration, the location of the Artman Golf Outing has changed, but it’s benevolent mission still remains.

This year the 35^th Artman Golf Outing will take place at beautiful Bluestone Country Club, and Chairman of the Golf Committee, Sally Beil, could not be more excited.

Since its inauguration, the Artman Golf Outing continues to raise support for the Artman Benevolent Care Fund, which has raised $384, 886.48 to ensure compassionate care for residents who have outlived their assets. Each year we are grateful for all of the supporters who attend the Artman Golf Outing and give security, hope, and comfort to seniors who need it.

What is benevolent care and why is it important?

For the past 34 years businesses, close friends, and casual acquaintances have come together to play golf and raise money for the Artman Benevolent Care Fund, but what is this fund and why is it so important?

The people of Artman have been good stewards of their resources and have carefully planned their retirements for later in life. However, as is sometimes the case despite the most detailed planning, situations occur that can and do derail retirement portfolios. Whether their long, healthy life has outlived their assets, or their savings have diminished from a volatile market, many older adults experience retirement portfolio losses that are ultimately out of their control.

While other retirement communities have benevolent care funds, Artman is one of the few non-profit retirement communities that promises an absolute benevolent care fund. This means that all aspects of residents’ living expenses are covered when there is no family support or other financial resources.

Want to give hope, security, and comfort to Artman senior residents who greatly appreciate your support?

Ways to give:

Volunteer
Register as a golfer
Join us for dinner
Be a sponsor
Place and ad in the program book
Provide an item for our silent auction
Join the Golf Committee

There are a variety of ways you can contribute to the benevolent cause of this event and help bring hope to the people of our community. Each year, we look for volunteers, as well as new golfers who may want to join us. The format for golf is a Scramble. During the event there will be lots of fun contests with special prizes. Among them, a putting contest for a prize of $10,000, as well as a hole in one contest to win a new car.

If you are not a golfer, you can join us for a delicious dinner at the Bluestone Country Club. You can also support the Artman Benevolent Care Fund by being a sponsor, placing an ad in the program book, providing an item for the silent auction, or joining our Golf Committee.

Here are previews of auction items which will be available for bidding at the Artman Golf Outing:

Dinner for six at the winner’s home donated by Sodexo, Quality of Life Services
Tickets to the Eagles, Phillies and Flyers
Tour for four individuals to the Karamoor Winery and two bottles of their fine wine

It’s not too late to join us for this special event!

To register today or learn more information about the 35^th Artman Golf Outing click here.

Or contact Liberty Lutheran’s Development Associate, Sandy Smith.

Phone: (267) 464-7728

Email: ssmith@libertylutheran.org

February is American Heart Month: How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Liberty Lutheran

February is here, and as stores stock their shelves with hearts full of chocolate, we’re celebrating hearts with a more health-related focus. In addition to Valentine’s Day, February marks American Heart Month, which gives Liberty Lutheran the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about our nation’s heart-health dilemma and to share what you can do to keep your heart healthy.

Heart disease, which causes an average of 610,000 deaths on an annual basis, is the leading cause of mortality in the United States.

While American Heart Month focuses on multiple aspects of heart health, including blood pressure, congenital heart defects and more, coronary heart disease (CHD) is what comes to mind for most individuals when they think of heart-related health issues.

As with all aspects of our health, the lifestyle choices we make have a significant correlation with the chances for being diagnosed with CHD. Top risk factors for developing heart disease are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Fortunately, there are a variety of things we can do to control these frustrating risk factors and benefit our heart health.

Here are some healthy habits that you can pursue to reduce your risk for CHD:

Manage stress: Stress, although a common occurrence for many of us, can be a large contributor to CHD risk factors. Finding healthy ways to cope with stress is crucial to your heart’s health. Healthy stress management can consist of practicing meditation, consulting a therapist, and regular exercise.
Exercise: According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, inactive people are nearly twice as likely to develop CHD as those who are active. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic exercise each week for the average adult. Make sure to move as much as possible throughout your day. The more activity you do the more benefits your heart receives.
Eat heart healthy foods: To adopt a heart-healthy diet consume mainly vegetables, fruits, fat-free or low-fat dairy foods, and lean meats. Avoid foods high in sodium as well as saturated and trans fats as these are known to raise blood pressure.
Maintain a healthy weight: Determine what weight is healthy for you based on your body mass index (BMI). Consult a doctor or healthcare professional for better understanding when adopting certain dietary changes.
Quit smoking: According to the American Heart Association smoking is the largest preventable cause of death in the United States and causes one of every fourth deaths from cardiovascular disease. Quitting smoking can decrease your risk for heart disease significantly, as well as many other potentially fatal health complications.

Liberty Lutheran Empowers Individuals to Keep Hearts Healthy

When we make healthy decisions we lead healthy lives. Liberty Lutheran takes pride in empowering individuals to make healthy choices and live well. Whether it is our staff or residents, we’re dedicated to providing resources for all members of our community to maintain their well-being for healthful living. Here’s how our Senior Wellness Services can help you:

The Becoming Center

Located at Artman, the Becoming Center offers personalized, comprehensive, preventive, and restorative holistic wellness for active adults seeking to improve their fitness and overall well-being. Not just for senior residents of the Artman community, the Becoming Center is open to individuals from the surrounding area who want to achieve their health and wellness goals.

With amenities like a fully equipped exercise room, a therapeutic heated pool, yoga room, as well as private treatment rooms for alternative therapies and massage, the Becoming Center certainly has the capacity to keep all heart’s healthy. Additionally, there’s on-site exercise physiologists, nutritionists and trainers for members interested in personalized programs.

Liberty Lifestyles

Liberty Lifestyles is a unique fitness program offered to all senior residents that provides customized plans to help them reach their ideal level of fitness. Valuing healthy hearts and lifestyles for residents at all of our senior communities, this program is designed by specially trained Liberty Lifestyles coordinators after thorough assessments of residents’ physical and cognitive abilities.

Liberty Lifestyles breaks the mold in senior fitness and gives residents the confidence they need to know they’re living a healthy and active life.

Employee Wellness Works Program

Our employee Wellness Works program not only gives staff the tools they need to live a healthy lifestyle, but additional incentives that motivate them to achieve it. With monetary bonuses and diverse opportunities like a 24/7 online health portal, monthly wellness challenges, healthy cooking demonstrations, stress reduction workshops, and on-site preventive health screenings, our program makes healthy living easy.

Since its start in 2006, Wellness Works has lowered blood pressure, cholesterol, and tobacco use among staff considerably, so much so that it continues to stay below the national average. Our dedication to being a dependable health advocate for employees is just one of many reasons why Liberty Lutheran was named Top Workplace in 2017.

Heart healthy habits are crucial to maintaining your health and overall well-being. Keep these tips in mind when considering how to make heart-healthy decisions, and learn more about how Liberty Lutheran can help you live healthfully and happily throughout your senior years by clicking here.

Are You Getting These Essential Nutrients that Help Older Adults Stay Healthy and Happy?

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Liberty Lutheran

Health and nutrition are important at every stage of life, but as we age our bodies change as well as our needed nutrients. Regardless of the changes our bodies experience, whether it’s a decrease in energy, or loss of hearing, a desire to live well remains the same through every phase of life, especially our later years. This is why understanding the proper nutrition for older adults is crucial to living happily and healthfully.

How Our Body Changes with Age and its Effect on Our Nutrition

While many of the changes our bodies experience with age are out of our control, they can often cause us to adopt poor nutritional habits, or vice versa. Here are the major changes that impact nutrition for older adults.

Changes to Our Senses

Loss of hearing, smell, and/or taste

For many older adults a loss of hearing, smell, or taste is common, which can ultimately affect the way we eat. For example, changes in taste can make it increasingly difficult to find food that tastes good, which potentially results in under eating. Perceptual changes, while not detrimental to our overall health, can be a common cause of inadequate nutrition for older adults.

Physiological Changes

Organ function

As we age, our organs age with us. The organs that most commonly experience a loss of function with age are our kidneys, heart, and lungs. This is due to the progressive alteration of cells and connective tissues that occur in later years of life.

Loss of energy

Research shows that energy expenditure, or the amount of energy someone needs to carry out a physical function, decreases with age. This means that as we age, the amount of energy we have to burn calories drops. In fact, studies show that the decline in energy expenditure is especially rapid after age 40 for men, and after age 50 for women.

Gastrointestinal Changes

Common gastrointestinal changes like constipation, gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining), and excessive gas can negatively affect eating habits and nutrition for older adults.

Recommended Foods and Nutrients for Older Adults

The way our bodies change with age clearly impacts our health and behavior. And when it comes to nutrition for older adults, it’s not always a matter of neglect but a simple unawareness of the nutrients we need to keep our bodies healthy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in their nutritional advisory program “Food Patterns,” recommends that adults over the age of 50 should be conscious of their caloric intake while eating the right amount of foods from five various food groups: whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean protein, and healthy oils.

How many calories should I eat?

Depending on your gender, age, and activity level your amount of daily recommended calories will vary. The following are general recommendations for Americans over the age of 60 based on activity level:

Inactive adults: 1,600 calories/day

Inactive adults are those who do not intentionally exercise.

Moderately active: 1,800 calories/day

Moderately active adults are those who participate in workouts or physical activity about once or twice a week. This could include two mile walks, or a session at the gym.

Active: 2,000 calories/day

Active adults are those who participate in physical activity at least three days each week.

Are you getting enough of these nutrients?

Older adults should aim to incorporate the following nutrients into their diets:

Calcium

Proper nutrition for older adults requires sufficient amounts of calcium, which helps maintain bone health. You can include calcium in your diet by eating fortified cereals, dark green and leafy vegetables, canned fish, as well as drinking milk and fortified plant beverages. Try to have three servings of calcium rich foods every day.

Vitamin B12

According to the National Library of Medicine 38% of older adults may exhibit mild vitamin B12 deficiency and depleted vitamin B12 stores. Low levels of vitamin B12 can cause anemia, neuropathy, and cognitive impairment. Fortunately, your doctor can determine your vitamin B12 levels with a simple blood test.

Fiber

For older adults experiencing constipation or other gastrointestinal issues, adding fiber to your diet can make a world of difference. Research from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also shows that fiber can reduce your risk for heart disease as well as type 2 diabetes.

Potassium

Older adults should aim to consume 4,700 mg of potassium every day. You can incorporate more potassium into your diet by eating bananas, oranges, prunes, spinach, broccoli, and other fruits and vegetables.

Nutrition should be a priority at every age, but as we get older, our nutritional needs change. Liberty Lutheran believes in empowering seniors to improve their health, decrease stress, and attain their ideal levels of activity. Our abundant senior wellness programs focus on fitness, nutrition, and well-being to enhance your health and vitality in new ways. For more information on how we can help you maintain your health and achieve your fitness goals take a look at Liberty Lutheran’s senior wellness services

Poltergeist Anyone?

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Liberty Lutheran

Do you feel like the end of the year is flying by? Welcome to Throwback Thursday, as we take you back a week to Halloween:

Enter into Artman’s Haunted House. Walk through the black tunnel, as hands reach out from the walls and try to grab you. You emerge into a living room that at first glance seems somewhat normal except for the creepy pictures on the walls. Wait, who’s that creepy dude watching TV? And is Poltergeist playing or is the TV haunted?

You hurry down what can only be described as spider alley, fighting the cobwebs and avoiding the giant spider lurking from the ceiling. You stumble upon bars (a prison?), and realize that Santa is being held captive. You hear a scream and turn toward the sound to see a head on a platter served with a side of Santa’s elves.

You run to the next room and there’s a party going on, a party of skeletons drinking who knows what. You think you see the exit, but it’s too foggy to know for sure. You’ll have to brave the graveyard and the ghouls to find out.

Ah, you’re outside and the horror is over. Or is it? The band members playing music are Zombies. The food being served is: Frankenstein’s brain filled with worms (well, maybe it’s chocolate mousse with gummy worms); one-eyed Rice Krispy treats; witch lady fingers; pumpkin patch cupcakes; and apple cider.

You’re laughing and enjoying the beautiful weather and comradery of friends. And you’re ready to go through it again, because you had a blast.

Thanks to all the residents, family members and staff who volunteered their time to make this year’s haunted house a smashing success.

- Residents who made the giant spider and other props as well as those who dressed up for the occasion (and the few who joined in as characters)
- Alex’s son Simeon who helped create the prison
- LaSalle High School students for creating the graveyard and exit
- Staff for the phenomenal job of pulling it altogether: JJ, Madeleine, the FISH committee and Community Life for your leadership; Dining for the fabulous food; music therapist interns for the great music; Meriluz and Sarah for the grand entrance; Mary Ann for donating a lot of the decorations; maintenance for set design, set up and breakdown; and of course our the many wonderful staff and participants who joined as actors to bring characters to life.

Plans are already underway for next year. Artman’s plan is to make the haunted house bigger and better, and to open it up to families in our surrounding community.