A people person: Homeland Director of Personal Care and Director of HomeCare embodies trust

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Director of Personal Care and Director of HomeCare Jennifer Murray smiling on a benchWhen Jennifer Murray gives tours to potential personal care residents and their families, she shares Homeland Center’s amazing 156-year history of devotion to the community.

“We’re not going anywhere,” she said. “A lot of times, people like our homey feel. It’s cozy and comfortable here. When I’m doing tours, everyone stops and says hello, and that makes visitors feel welcome. It’s all genuine. That’s how it is all the time around here.”

Jen’s role has expanded since she first joined Homeland in 2016. With a career in nursing – the only thing she ever wanted to do – and 11 years in administration, she stepped in as Director of Personal Care in 2017.

Now, she is in the dual role of Director of Personal Care and Director of HomeCare. Like the Homeland Center personal care staff, the CNAs of Homeland HomeCare help clients through their daily tasks, ensuring they take their medications, eat right, and get any help needed with bathing, dressing, or other needs.

Maintaining Homeland’s stellar reputation for quality across a new front isn’t hard because the foundation of quality “was already there,” Jen said.

“The staff we have in place are exceptional in HomeCare and Personal Care,” she said. “The HomeCare clients absolutely love their caregivers. They care. They get involved. They will let us know if something seems wrong. Their relationships with families are so good that the families will often call the caregiver to tell them that a loved one has been hospitalized before they call the HomeCare office. That’s the level of trust they have in the staff.”

Speaking of trust, Jen is the person you’ve seen in Homeland Center’s television commercials. She is proud to raise awareness of Homeland’s exceptional care, whether at Homeland Center or in clients’ homes.

Her dual role lets her give inquiring callers more options – perhaps letting them know about home care if a loved one isn’t ready for a facility or pointing out available personal care suites for someone who can no longer live at home.

Once in Homeland, residents flourish. Jen works closely with the maintenance department, housekeeping department, and the dietary staff to uphold living and dining standards. She also collaborates regularly with the activities department, cooking up a roster of fun that keeps residents engaged. For Assisted Living Week 2023, Homeland held a fashion show, and residents’ family members got in the spirit, wearing everything from a Rosie the Riveter costume to Hawaiian shirts and leis.

“I love that our families get so involved,” said Jen. “If we invite them to things, tons of family members show up. I’ve never worked anywhere else where families were so involved. Our staff love the residents so much that it’s not work to do special things for them.”

Outside of Homeland, Jen and her husband enjoy traveling to regional sights such as the Poconos, Niagara Falls, and the Finger Lakes. A Florida fishing trip her husband dreams of, postponed by COVID, is back on for next year.

Jen also loves to cook, and she carries on her childhood tradition of Sunday dinners with family, including her daughter and son, who recently returned home from military service.

With her love of decorating, she also brings seasonal cheer to her office in Homeland’s original 19th-century building. Fall décor includes pumpkin figurines and a plaque saying, “I love fall most of all.”

“Fall is my favorite season,” she said. “I like the cooler weather. I love everything pumpkin spice. I just love all of the smells and colors of fall.”

Jen can say, with complete honesty, that work is fun. She carries on the Homeland tradition of treating staff respectfully, recognizing that they have family and obligations outside of work. In turn, the staff focuses on the residents’ needs.

It all comes back to that word — trust.

“Our families trust that their loved ones are going to get the care they need,” she said.

“I’ve had people come up to me and just say, ‘Trust,’ because they hear me say it in the commercials. People see our name, and that’s what they will think of,” Jen said. “You want to have someplace where you can trust the staff and know your loved ones will be cared for. It’s part of Homeland’s legacy.”

A guiding light: Volunteer Susan Stillman’s tech expertise helps Homeland focus on care

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Volunteer Susan Stillman smiling under a treeVolunteers come in many forms, and Homeland loves them all. They bring a helping hand to activities. They lend a listening ear.

Then there are those like Susan Stillman, behind the scenes but playing a vital role in ensuring that Homeland runs smoothly, and staff do their best for the comfort and care of residents and patients.

Susan retired in 2021 from a career in business analysis, but soon began to use her skills for Homeland, working closely with the development and marketing staff to help transform the customer relationship management (CRM) experience. With sleeker, more efficient systems, staff gets more time to create innovative programs, develop resources, and communicate directly with partners, families, and donors.

“It’s all of the things I loved about my previous job that I’m getting to do again for Homeland,” Susan said.

Susan, a native of Arlington, VA, majored in anthropology and English literature. She said with a laugh that she “was able to parlay those into a career in business analysis.” It started early in her career when she worked at a library that needed to automate its card catalog.

“They didn’t have anybody with the computer skills to do it,” she said. “I said, ‘I don’t have them, either, but I’m willing to learn.’”

From there, she went into tech support, training, and business analysis. Susan explains that business analysts help organizations find and incorporate the software needed to solve problems. It’s a beginning-to-end process involving research, collaboration, testing, and training.

Susan was a business analyst for about 22 years with the American Cancer Society’s Pennsylvania division, based in Hershey. She had come to southcentral Pennsylvania to escape the over-congested Washington area. During the pandemic, her job was downsized.

“I realized I didn’t have to go back to work, so I didn’t,” she said.

Susan fills her time with volunteering that’s meaningful and substantial. With Loving Care Cat Rescue (LCCR), she adopted a pair of cats and began performing volunteer technical work. Today, she manages the adoption application process, serves on the board, and provides resources that cat foster care providers need to succeed.

“With everything, I get to do to help the fosters, assist with the adoption process, and get our kitties into good homes … it’s very rewarding,” Susan said.

Searching for an additional volunteer opportunity, Susan learned about the Homeland Hospice position on volunteermatch.org. She knew she didn’t have the “emotional fortitude” to work directly with patients, but she knew data entry was in her wheelhouse.

Soon, Homeland Hospice staff learned about her professional background, and they happily accepted her offer to help adopt the new CRM system. It was a challenge. They had to unify the separate systems used by Homeland Hospice and the development and marketing departments. With Susan’s help, they found a system that meets the needs of all three operations.

“Susan has been awesome in steering us in the right direction with which system to choose, and she continues to provide support and training as we learn to use this new platform,” said Homeland director of marketing Wendy Shumaker. “It has been a very big project, and we are immensely grateful for her involvement.”

Susan helped merge three databases, run data reports that reveal fresh insights into Homeland operations, and train staff in using the new system.

“I love being able to solve problems, make people’s lives easier, and give them the tools they need to be effective,” said Susan.

The Homeland team is a pleasure to work with, she adds. She credits Homeland Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Laurie Murry with keeping volunteers engaged and training them in “the knowledge they need to support the organization.”

“She stays in touch with everybody, so regardless of your role, you always feel connected,” Susan said.

Susan also enjoys cooking global cuisine and is a regular blood platelet donor. She lives in a circa-1935 home in Susquehanna Township, which her husband is “single-handedly rebuilding,” she said.

Even amid her volunteer duties, the avid reader dives into a murder mystery daily. Susan counts Louise Penny and Margaret Maron as her favorite authors.

“I spend about an hour or two a day reading, taking advantage of the fact that I am actually retired.”

Homeland Center offers levels of care including personal care, memory care, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation. The outreach services of Homeland at Home provide hospice, palliative care, home health, and home care to serve the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania. For more information or to arrange a tour, please call 717-221-7900.

Homeland Celebrates Achievements at Annual Meeting

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two presenters smiling at each other behind a podiumHomeland’s Board of Trustees in September held its annual meeting, during which the Board and Homeland staff celebrated several significant accomplishments and achievements that the organization experienced during the past 12 months.

“Overall, Homeland experienced both a very challenging and very successful year as we served in the best interest of our organization’s mission, heritage and, most importantly, our residents, patients and clients,” said Carlyn Chulick, the outgoing Chair of Homeland’s Board of Trustees.

Homeland Chaplain Rey Villareal in an opening meditation offered gratitude for “bringing together these caring, steadfast and gifted people for the purpose of serving at Homeland,” which enables the organization to carry forward its 156-year tradition of providing comfort, healing and care.

Among the achievements celebrated during Homeland’s annual meeting:

  • Skilled Nursing and Personal Care at Homeland Center, and Homeland HomeHealth and Homeland HomeCare, were all found to be “Deficiency Free” based on the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s annual licensure and certification inspection. This is the first time all four service lines earned a “Deficiency Free” result in the same inspection year.
  • Homeland Hospice was named a 2023 Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Award recipient by HEALTHCAREfirst, a national provider of services for hospice and home health agencies. The Hospice CAHPS Honors Award recognizes the highest performing agencies that continuously provide a positive patient experience and high-quality of care as measured by the patient and caregiver point of view.
  • In May, Homeland graduated its inaugural Certified Nursing Assistant program The training program, which was designed using Homeland’s core principles and values while meeting Pennsylvania Department of Education accreditation guidelines, develops current talent at Homeland as well as trains new employees interested in becoming CNAs. To date, 13 students have graduated from the program.
  • Also in May, Homeland Center held a special ceremony to commemorate the installation of the first set of Tribute Medallions on the fence at the Sixth Street Kunkel Circle Entrance. The medallions serve as a tribute to loved ones who received Homeland services, as well as recognize individuals who make a difference through their volunteerism and dedication to Homeland. (Medallions are available on an ongoing basis. For more information, visit Tribute Medallions or call Myra Badorf at Homeland Hospice at (717) 221-7890.)
  • Homeland participated for the first time in the Historic Harrisburg Association’s annual Garden Tour. Over 100 guests visited Homeland Center’s gardens, many of whom were introduced to Homeland for the first time. Building on this relationship with the Historic Harrisburg Association, Homeland is a participant in the association’s Candlelight Tour schedule for December 10, 2023. A tour area will be designated in Homeland’s Personal Care area for guests to experience first-hand the quality living experience at Homeland.
  • Homeland held its 9th Annual Homeland Hospice 5K and Memory Walk, which attracted over 300 walkers, runners, staff and volunteers – and event record – and raised over $50,000. The Homeland Hospice 5K and Memory Walk raises funds for benevolent services for hospice patients and their families. Homeland Hospice depends on the generosity of donors for its enhanced care for hospice patients such as massage therapy, music therapy, and extra in-home-relief hours for caregivers, as well as for residents at Homeland Center whose financial resources have been exhausted.

In addition to celebrating these accomplishments during the annual gathering, Homeland appointed H. Glenn “Bub” Manning and Christopher Baldrige to its Board of Trustees and Andrea Freeman to its Board of Managers. Congratulations and thank you, Bub and Chris!presenter smiling behind a podium at the board meeting

Those in attendance also expressed appreciation to Carlyn Chulick, who retired from the Board of Trustees at the conclusion of the annual meeting after 10 years of service. Carlyn will remain engaged with the Board as Immediate Past Chair.

Dr. Charles K. Fetterhoff, Jr. was appointed chair and Michael Thomas was appointed vice chair of the Board of Trustees for 2023-24.

Honoring Our Veterans

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It is Homeland’s privilege to say “thank you” to all of America’s veterans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We honor the sacrifices made, appreciate the protection of our rights and freedoms, and are grateful for the services and aid that is provided to those in need.

Events to celebrate and honor our Veterans are varied and individualized, both at Homeland at Home and Homeland Center. Some of these include:

A Veteran Appreciation Ceremony  held at Homeland Center Chapel Tuesday November 7th at 10:30 AM. This Ceremony included the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) from Harrisburg High School serving as Color Guard and Richard Burton, who served in the Army in Vietnam and is now with Vietnam Veterans of America, the Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Round Table, the Hershey Civil War Round Table.

A Missing Man Table, sometimes referred to as the “Fallen Comrade Table” is displayed in the Homeland Hospice office. This poignant table is meant to remind us of those fallen, missing or imprisoned US military soldiers. Each item on the table represents the emotions and feelings reserved for those who did not come home and symbolizes that they remain with us in spirit.

Planters and thank you cards will be delivered to veterans residing at Homeland Center and veterans receiving Homeland Hospice services. Volunteers will deliver the items on Friday, November 10th.

Wreaths Across America – Each year, Homeland Hospice coordinates a wreath-laying ceremony at Dauphin County Cemetery, also known as Potter’s Field to “Remember, Honor, and Teach” about the sacrifices made by our veterans. This year’s event will be held on Thursday, December 14th at 11:30 AM.

Holiday Stockings for Heroes – All were involved in helping Homeland stuff stockings for military heroes. In early fall, goodies and essential items were donated by staff and board members. Then, during the October Vet-to-Vet Café at Homeland Center, 12 residents (veterans or family members of veterans) filled 25 stockings! These festive stockings will be distributed to deployed military personnel throughout the globe, with the hope of bringing them a little holiday cheer. To learn more, visit soldiersangels.org/stockings.

For more information, please contact Laurie Murry, volunteer coordinator, at 717-221-7890 or lmurry@homelandhospice.org.

Homeland HomeHealth Named 2023 Home Health Care CAHPS Honors Recipient by HEALTHCAREfirst

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National honor distinguishes Homeland for quality care for patients and caregivers

home health honors 2023 logoHarrisburg, PA (Oct. 2023) – Homeland HomeHealth, a nonprofit program serving Central Pennsylvania that provides physician-ordered medical treatment in the comfort of a patient’s own home after illness or injury, has been named a 2023 Home Health Care CAHPS Honors Award recipient by HEALTHCAREfirst, a national provider of services for hospice and home health agencies.

The Home Health Care CAHPS Honors Award recognizes agencies that continuously provide a positive patient experience and high-quality of care as measured by the patient and caregiver point of view. The award acknowledges the highest performing agencies by analyzing their results of the Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey, a nationally recognized tool that home health agencies use to assess and improve patient care and patient and caregiver satisfaction.

Lora Bierce, RN, WCC, director of Homeland HomeHealth smiling in front of award plaques“Homeland HomeHealth recognizes that every patient’s needs are different, which is why we customize the care and treatment we provide to promote healing, independence and the best possible quality of life,” said Lora Bierce, RN, WCC, director of Homeland HomeHealth. “We’re proud to receive the CAHPS honor as a testament to the dedication of our entire team to provide an exceptional patient and caregiver experience.”

Ronda Howard, vice president of revenue cycle and CAHPS at HEALTHCAREfirst, said, “We began our award program more than ten years ago as a way to shine a positive light on those agencies that are truly leading the way in providing and demonstrating quality patient care. We are thrilled to congratulate top performers on their success and are so proud and honored that they have chosen to partner with us in helping drive success for their agency.”

Homeland HomeHealth provides physician-ordered medical treatment in the comfort of a patient’s own home after illness or injury. Home medical care is more convenient, and can be just as effective, as care received in a hospital or skilled nursing facility. The Homeland HomeHealth team includes nurses; physical, occupational and speech therapists; a nutritional counselor; social workers; and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).

Homeland HomeHealth is part of Homeland at Home, a community outreach program of Homeland Center, which provides a full continuum of home-based services to care for patients and to support families as their needs change. In addition to home health care, Homeland at Home services include Homeland Hospice (compassionate end-of-life care), Homeland HomeCare (in-home non-medical daily living assistance) and Homeland Palliative Care (comfort and relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness).

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