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Homeland Hospice is One of Life’s Miracles for Ginny Jones

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Ginny Jones holding a white dogGinny Jones has been guided by miracles throughout her life. During times of darkness, support has found her and helped her take the next step. For her part, Ginny’s faith in God and humanity ensures her heart is always open to the unexpected grace that blesses us when we need it most. When Ginny’s beloved husband, Art, was in his final days of life, Homeland Hospice was the miracle she needed. Homeland Hospice is a hospice program that serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

Art battled lung cancer for many years and often utilized Homeland’s HomeHealth services to recover at home. When pneumonia set in and a medical cure was no longer possible, his doctor recommended hospice services. For Art and Ginny, choosing Homeland was an easy decision.

“I didn’t know Homeland had a hospice program,” Ginny says. “We were impressed with the support from HomeHealth and immediately said yes to hospice.”

Ginny connected with the Homeland Hospice team on a Friday afternoon and within a few hours a white package was delivered with instructions to refrigerate immediately. A hospital bed arrived a few days later.

Less than 24 hours later, Ginny placed a dire call to Homeland. Art’s health had dramatically declined and he was growing more and more agitated. Her Homeland nurse instructed Ginny to look inside her refrigerator for medication which immediately brought Art comfort and Ginny peace. This solitary act of foresight was an answer to Ginny’s prayers and the start of Art’s peaceful end-of-life journey.

“The medicine is in your refrigerator,” Ginny says, “I will never forget these words. Homeland knew what I needed before I did.”

Over the next few weeks, the Homeland team surrounded Ginny and Art with support to ensure Art’s final days were as comfortable as possible. Art also had a special furry friend named Charlie, a Buchon Frise, who doubles as a therapy dog when visiting hospitals. Charlie sat on a love seat with his head between the bed rails to be as close to Art as possible.

“The morning Art died, Charlie left a dog toy on his bed,” Ginny says. “He knew it was time to say goodbye.”

Art died peacefully four days after his 85th birthday. He and Ginny were married for more than 51 years. In his final year of life, Art found his faith, which gave both of them peace.

During their decades together, Art and Ginny overcame obstacles which helped Ginny find her voice as an advocate for those in need and put her faith into action through ministry work. The couple had two daughters. Sarah was born with a mental health disorder which required her to be placed in a care facility when she was eight years old. Advocating for Sarah and children with similar challenges gave Ginny a voice she didn’t know she had. Ginny spent much of her career working to connect families with resources.

When Sarah entered her adult years and was able to live in her own apartment, she struggled to furnish her space with limited resources. Ginny was inspired and formed New Digs Ministry, Inc., in 2007 to provide gently used furniture and household goods to adults with mental health issues. New Digs has grown over the years to expand its scope of services to assist anyone in need of help when making a fresh start.

As Ginny, a self-described planner, looks toward her next phase in life, she plans to become a hospice volunteer. Charlie will be by her side to provide comfort in a way only a dog can. Ginny wants her peers to know about Homeland Hospice and shares information with her church congregation so others are prepared when facing an end-of-life journey.

“I have been blessed by Homeland,” Ginny says. “I want everyone to know this service is available.”

For more information about services for patients and families, call Homeland Hospice at (717) 221-7890.

Homeland Partner Securewire Technologies Serves as 2024 Trilogy of Trust Sponsor

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securewire technologies is a trilogy of trust sponsorAn anniversary is more than commemorating the passage of time. It is a celebration of the people and relationships that have made each year special. As Homeland Hospice celebrated its 15th anniversary with its “History, Heart & Honor… Hats off to the Homeland Hospice 15th” event on Saturday, November 23, we honored and thanked Securewire Technologies for serving as Homeland’s 2024 Trilogy of Trust sponsor.

As Homeland’s 2024 Trilogy of Trust sponsor, Securewire Technologies supported Homeland’s three signature events throughout the year. In addition to Homeland Hospice’s 15th anniversary event, Securewire Technologies also sponsored Homeland’s 1867 Society Appreciation Reception in May and the 2024 Homeland Hospice 5K in September.

These events would not have been possible without the generosity and support of Securewire Technologies. Not only do the events help connect the community to the meaningful work of Homeland, but they also raise much needed funds to support Homeland Center’s benevolent care program. Homeland provides approximately $4 million in benevolent care annually to ensure all residents, patients and clients receive high-quality, supportive care when they need it most.

Homeland’s relationship with Securewire Technologies started last fall when Kelly English, Homeland’s Director of Emergency Preparedness and Purchasing, connected with Bob Light, owner of Securewire Technologies. Securewire Technologies was selected to upgrade Homeland’s security systems. The partnership grew beyond a business transaction as both organizations found a shared mission in providing the best care possible for families in need.

“Giving back to others is a priority for Bob,” Kelly says. “Securewire has truly gone above and beyond to support Homeland.”

Bob was eager to say “yes” to the opportunity to support Homeland’s three signature events in 2024. As the Trilogy of Trust sponsor, Securewire Technologies donated $35,000 for Homeland’s events.

“In many ways, our organizations are kindred spirits,” Bob says. “We both care for families during difficult times.”

In addition to the meaningful donation of funds, Bob and several Securewire Technologies employees have attended Homeland events, including Homeland’s Annual 5K and Memory Walk. Both organizations treat customers like family and strive to provide outstanding, compassionate servic

Thanks to Bob and Securewire, Homeland’s event season has provided remarkable opportunities for families and the community to better understand the work of Homeland and the hospice philosophy.

“We are humbled and honored to be part of Homeland’s work,” Bob adds. “Helping one another is how we make our community a better place to live.”

For more information about Homeland’s events, visit www.homelandcenter.org and homelandathome.org.

Homeland’s Bereavement Team Offers Comprehensive and Compassionate Support

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Noelle Valentine, MSW, LSW

Noelle Valentine, MSW, LSW

Learning how to navigate the unchartered waters of grief after the death of a loved one requires a strong support system and the development of coping mechanisms to find hope for the future. Homeland Hospice provides a holistic approach to grief support using a team of compassionate counselors. Homeland Hospice is a nonprofit hospice program that serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

Homeland’s Noelle Valentine, MSW, LSW, Lead Bereavement Counselor, and Alexis Conkle, MSW, Bereavement Counselor, walk with families during their grief journey.

“Bereavement support is rewarding work,” Noelle says. “I’m humbled by the strength and compassion I learn from every family.”

While the steps of grief may form a pattern to healing, everyone’s process and timing is tied to their personal story. Through the shared understanding of loss, many people find comfort in Homeland’s bereavement support groups, which include a Men’s Breakfast and Ladies Lunch Series. The individual process of handling heartache can often best be addressed through individual counseling. The duality of support needed on a pathway through grief is why Homeland offers one-on-one consultations and support groups.

Alexis Conkle, MSW

Alexis Conkle, MSW

“I enjoy working directly with families and helping them through the challenges of grief,” Alexis says. “I admire the strong bonds the Homeland team forms with families, as it makes this work a calling and not a job.”

In addition, Homeland offers hands-on activities including making memory pillows from a loved one’s clothing and grief art classes to serve as an avenue for expression. These opportunities along with events like Homeland’s 5K and Memory Walk provide a sense of community and an opportunity to form friendships with others who understand the journey. It is common for strangers to become close friends as they work through their grief together.

“We understand healing takes time,” Noelle and Alexis remark. “We will walk with you through your bereavement journey.”

Homeland Hospice’s bereavement support program is available to the bereaved of Homeland’s patients as well as anyone in the community who is experiencing grief.

To learn more, please contact Noelle Valentine at Homeland Hospice at (717) 221-7890.

Homeland Hospice CNA Angie Bucci: Service from the Heart

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Homeland Hospice CNA Angie Bucci smiles in front of a treeAngie Bucci of Shippensburg has a heart for hospice work. She enjoys connecting with her patients and their families to provide the most compassionate care possible. For more than 12 years she has worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for Homeland Hospice, a nonprofit hospice program that serves communities throughout central Pennsylvania. For Angie, her career is not about a job to do. It is an opportunity to connect with others to profoundly change a person’s life through kindness and support.

Angie joined the Homeland team after working and caring for patients in the hospital setting. While she appreciated the training she received, the pace of hospital work did not provide time to connect with individual patients and meet their direct needs. She has found Homeland Hospice to be the perfect match to her skills and interests.

“I love the one-on-one time I have with patients,” Angie says. “I feel I can truly provide the help and friendship they need.”

Over the years, Angie has gotten to know many patients well and form lasting bonds with them and their families. In her role, she spends about an hour with each person during each visit, during which she has conversations and learns what is on their minds and in their hearts.

“This work is very rewarding,” Angie adds. “It feels good to help people.”

Homeland Hospice CNAs are an integral part of the care team and often get to spend the most time with patients. They provide personal care with tasks like bathing and grooming, remind patients about medications and assist with light housekeeping. All services are customized to meet the individualized needs of patients and their families.

The role of CNAs and the importance of increasing the number of people in the profession has skyrocketed as the Baby Boomer generation ages. To help meet this need, Homeland has developed an accredited CNA training program to develop current talent at Homeland as well as recruit and train new employees for all of Homeland’s work, which includes Homeland Center, Homeland HomeHealth, Homeland HomeCare and Homeland Palliative Care.

Angie recommends that anyone who has a passion for serving others consider this path as a potential career.

“It is all about heart,” Angie says. “I love what I do.”

For more information about Homeland’s CNA training course, call (717) 221-7797.

Aimee Schmoltze Called to Hospice Work After Seeing Its Impact Firsthand

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Aimee Schmoltze smiling next to a post on a porchWhen Aimee Schmoltze’s mother began receiving hospice care, she saw the impact of the program on their family. Over a 14-month period, Aimee, her mother and their family developed emotional bonds with the hospice staff who provided compassionate care during a very difficult time. This was a formative experience for Aimee. Amidst her grief, she felt called to the work of hospice. Today, Aimee is a registered nurse and case manager for Homeland Hospice, a nonprofit hospice program that serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania.

Aimee’s career began as a medical assistant. While she loved her job, she wanted to have a greater impact on the lives of her patients and decided to become a registered nurse. As a registered nurse and case manager for Homeland, she meets patients at the beginning of their journey with Homeland. She assesses their needs, orders any needed medical supplies and creates a care plan for aid.

This initial meeting is often very overwhelming for patients and their families as they come to terms with the severity of the patient’s medical condition. During this emotional time, Aimee is there to provide a calm, comforting presence.

“I assure patients they are not alone,” Aimee says. “We will be there every step of the way.”

Caring for the broad spectrum of needs patients face including their fears, concerns and worries is what Aimee loves most about her job. This was the life-changing work she saw when her mother was in her final months of life. Aimee understands the journey also includes families and the struggles they face during this time.

“I can see the relief on their faces when I relieve the pain their loved one is experiencing,” Aimee adds. “Open communications and education can wash away the worry caregivers experience.”

In her role, Aimee finds that many people don’t understand the breadth and scope of hospice services or the philosophy behind the hospice approach. Hospice care is available to a patient when a medical cure is no longer possible or a decision to stop aggressive treatment has been made. Homeland Hospice helps patients live as fully and comfortably as possible by providing symptom and pain relief; care services and therapies; spiritual support; and on-call support.

For Aimee, the dedicated time she spends with patients and the bonds she forms with them and their families fills her heart and soul with gratitude.

“I love this work,” Aimee says. “I am doing exactly what I was put on Earth to do.”

For more information, call Homeland Hospice at (717) 221-7890.

Homeland Hospice to Celebrate Its 15th Anniversary with “History, Heart & Honor” Event

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history heart and honor event logoAnniversaries remind us of meaningful moments in time that shaped our history and guided our future. Fifteen years ago, Homeland launched Homeland Hospice as an outreach program to provide compassionate care to patients on their end-of-life journey. The years have been filled with an overarching theme of love. Hundreds of patients, families, volunteers and staff have shared their hearts with us making Homeland Hospice more than an organization. We are a family.

Homeland Hospice will celebrate its 15th anniversary with “History, Heart & Honor… Hats off to the Homeland 15th,” a special celebration on Saturday, November 23, from 2-5 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Harrisburg.  The event will honor Homeland’s history, the history of the hospice movement, our hospice patients and staff – and particularly our beloved veterans who continue to inspire us with their dedication and sacrifice.

purple, yellow, and orange heart graphicsOn this special anniversary, we will “tip our hats to all veterans,” and celebrate their dedicated contributions to our community. To show our appreciation, Homeland is pleased to provide 300 complimentary tickets to veterans.

Planning for this event began more than a year ago with longtime volunteers, like Alicelyn Sleber, who are lending their creativity and love of Homeland to create an experience for all attendees. Alicelyn is the immediate past chair of Homeland Center’s Board of Managers.

“We are bringing the spirit of love, commitment and patriotism to the day,” Alicelyn says.  “This will be a celebration like no other.”

The event will include a pre-show reception where guests will have the opportunity to browse a “Stories of the Heart” gallery featuring heart canvases artistically crafted by Homeland’s grief families to express their love and remembrance and by sponsoring groups and individuals. The gallery will also feature stories of Veterans Homeland has been privileged to serve and stories of Homeland Hospice team members who share their passion for providing exceptional end-of-life care.

In true Homeland style, we will let our hearts sing and our spirits soar during special performances. Decorated Veteran-turned-country singer Keni Thomas will headline the celebration. Thomas will share life lessons from when he served as a U.S. Army Ranger in the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia, which was recounted in the book and film Black Hawk Down, and perform his own music featuring themes of patriotism and perseverance in the face of life’s challenges.Roy Justice, singing historian, on stage

“Keni’s music is heartfelt and patriotic,” Alicelyn adds. “I think we will all be inspired by his performance and message of perseverance.”

Keni will also host a book signing at the event, and copies of his book Get It On! What It Means to Lead the Way will be available for purchase.

Roy Justice, a singing historian, will open for Keni. Roy will perform a folk-style song about Homeland’s history written especially for this occasion. Roy’s interest in music and storytelling comes from his own historical ancestry. He is a distant cousin to the Civil War poet and musician Sydney Lanier.

The service and sacrifice of veterans is deeply rooted in Homeland’s history. Homeland was founded in 1867 as the “Home for the Friendless” to serve families impacted by the devastation of the Civil War. Today, Homeland Center is a personal care home, memory care home, skilled nursing facility and rehabilitation facility. Homeland also provides hospice, home care, home health and palliative care services to serve the diverse and changing needs of families throughout central Pennsylvania.

All are welcome to attend this family-friendly event. Patriot’s Pub & Grub will be on site offering a selection of snacks for guests to purchase and a cash bar. In honor of the event’s theme, guests are encouraged to wear their favorite hat and best denim. We hope you join us as we celebrate Homeland Hospice’s 15th anniversary and the remarkable service of our local veterans.

“It is an honor to be part Homeland’s work,” Alicelyn adds. “Our community is a better place because of Homeland Hospice.”

For tickets and information, visit the Homeland Events page.

‘In Sickness and In Health’: Local Couple Faces End-of-Life Journey with Courage

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“In sickness and in health” are five simple words couples pledge on their wedding day. These words become the most sacred of promises during challenging times.

Debra and Mike of Dauphin County have kept this vow for 57 years of marriage. During their decades together they have raised two children, hosted countless holiday meals and celebrated birthday parties in the home they have shared for 52 years. Their lives changed when the “in sickness” chapter began six years ago when Mike’s health began to deteriorate. But Debra is not alone in caring for Mike. She has the compassion and support of Homeland Hospice to help her keep her promise.

Mike has struggled with various health challenges since 2009 when he underwent heart bypass surgery. His health began to decline rapidly in 2017 when he was diagnosed with Venous Disease, which forms painful blisters and skin discoloration from his knees to his ankles. The severity of the disease makes him unable to walk without the assistance of a walker. Around this time, Mike was also diagnosed with dementia.

In November of 2022, the culmination of Mike’s illnesses led to a 10-day hospital stay. Debra and her children knew Mike could not come home and solely rely on the care of his family. Debra was aware of Homeland’s reputation for high-quality, compassionate care and explored their continuum of care services. She toured Homeland Center, a private, nonprofit retirement community in Harrisburg, as well as the organization’s outreach services.

“I wanted to know all the possible options of care for Mike’s changing health needs,” Debra says. “Homeland alleviated my concerns.”

Debra and her children decided home care would provide Mike the most comfort and peace. Debra’s son rearranged the living room for Mike’s return from his hospital stay.

“Mike’s bed faces the window so he can watch the deer outside,” Debra says. “I know this brings him joy.”

When Mike first returned home, he received palliative care services from Homeland to help manage his health issues. As his well-being continued to decline, Mike transitioned to Homeland Hospice care for his end-of-life journey.

Mike’s dementia and advanced health issues makes communication and movement very difficult. Dementia doesn’t just impact individuals with the disease. It places a significant emotional burden on caregivers, as they strive to adjust to the stages and nuances of the illness.

Through the services offered by Homeland Hospice, Mike receives routine visits from a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) to help with bathing and dressing as well as medication reminders and administration. Mike also has the support of a nurse and social worker to provide a complete team of support. Recently, Mike began receiving massages to relieve pain. This is part of the complementary therapies offered by Homeland Hospice.

“Everyone genuinely cares about us,” Debra says. “I no longer spend every minute of my day consumed by worry.”

In addition to medical care and support, Mike has received cards and notes of encouragement from volunteers around the country. The cards are delivered thanks to the generous efforts or Homeland volunteers and Volunteer Match, an online program to engage individuals with volunteer opportunities.

“Mike and I look forward to receiving cards,” Debra adds. “We are very grateful for this act of love and kindness.”

The support provided by Homeland Hospice brings Debra peace of mind and allows her and Mike to live each day as fully as possible.

“I appreciate every minute Mike and I have together,” Debra says. “It is in God’s hands now.”

For more information about Homeland Hospice, call (717) 221-7890.

A Social Workers Role at End-of-Life

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by Laurie Bassler, MSW, Homeland Hospice

I have an uncle who asked me “why anyone would want a social worker present when their loved one is dying?”

Typically, a social worker’s job is to assist with concrete needs, like helping to ensure a loved one is in a safe environment when they are living alone or if their caregiver can no longer support them at home.

Social workers also often help facilitate conversations with family members, especially when there is a disagreement about how to move forward with care.

Social workers assist with setting up private-duty caregivers. They help arrange service support waiver programs, which provide funding for services to help individuals who need care to live in their home. (The term “waiver” relates to the federal government “waiving” Medical Assistance/Medicaid rules for institutional care in order for states to use the same funds to provide services for people closer to home in their own communities.) They also help coordinate VA Aid and Attendance benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which includes free caregiving assistance in the home each month and financial assistance in addition to VA pension payments for qualified Veterans and survivors.

Additionally, social workers assist people with accessing Meals on Wheels, arranging powers of attorney, obtaining airfare reimbursement, or getting a grandson or granddaughter home from military service before a loved one passes. There are so many ways families can benefit from accepting a social worker as part of an end-of-life care team.

Homeland Hospice social workers even help families with financial concerns, such as eviction proceedings or making a referral to an elder care attorney if needed.

Some families simply appreciate having an impartial sounding board – someone who is not a member of the family to provide objective perspective. Families often need to share their story and their fears without judgment, and social workers are just the right people to share them with. Social workers provide a needed calming presence.

Social workers also help with actual care giving or managing challenging behaviors, and educate families on how best to understand that what they may be experiencing is normal.

Homeland Hospice social workers recognize the signs of end-of-life, which can be deeply emotional and difficult for families to observe. It is helpful for family members to have a social worker by their side who knows these signs and can explain them.

Social workers are a valuable part of an end-of-life care team and can provide support well beyond typical or concrete needs. They are a source of calm and peace during the dying process. With an understanding of the unique concerns and fears of families, they provide reassurance that helps them know that they will get through this – that they are giving their loved one a gift with their very presence.

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Laurie Bassler, MSW has been a social worker for 41 years, primarily in intensive care units, emergency rooms and in oncology care settings. Laurie joined the Homeland Hospice team in 2015 and says it was the best work-related decision she ever made.

“Miracle Lady” Rita Van Meter Shares Her Memories Through Homeland’s My Life, My Legacy Program

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Rita Van Meter of Lewistown was known as the “miracle lady”Rita and volunteer Kandy Melillo by staff at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital after she survived a medical episode in August of 2022. During her hospitalization, Rita suffered a heart attack and received last rites from her priest at Sacred Heart Church of Lewistown. She spent nine days in the hospital followed by one month in a nursing home. Rita turned to the services provided by Homeland Hospice, a nonprofit hospice program that serves communities throughout Central Pennsylvania, which enabled her to return home and live independently. Rita’s strength to overcome medical milestones is just one of the many chapters in the story of her life. She recently shared her life story through Homeland Hospice’s My Life, My Legacy program.

My Life, My Legacy was launched last year to help hospice patients preserve their memories and tell their life stories. Through the effort, a hospice volunteer meets personally with the patient and their family to ask a series of questions about the patient’s life. The volunteer records the responses and allows the family to add their thoughts and recollections as well as photographs. The result is a printed book for the patient to help find peace and pride in their life story. The book also helps families preserve memories after their loved one passes.

Rita worked with Kandy, a recent retiree and volunteer, over the course of several months to share her memories and work through the series of questions. The book was completed in February of 2022.

“I didn’t know what to think about the project at first,” Rita says. “After a while it was just like talking to a longtime friend.”

Rita, a mother of five children, is a vivacious, politically-active self-starter who deeply loves her family. For her, family extends to friends of her children, neighbors and anyone in need of a helping hand. Rita believes her call to help others stems from the social and political time she was born.

Rita was born in 1935 when the country was in the depths of the Great Depression. At the time, our country had an unemployment rate of 20%. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in August of 1935 which granted income for retirees and the unemployed. This Act was part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal to tackle the worst economic crisis ever experienced by our country. Rita was among the first wave of Americans to receive a social security card. With the card came a letter from President Roosevelt, which she still has today.

“I like to think this is why I am a Democrat,” Rita jokes. “Growing up in the Great Depression definitely influenced my passion for civic engagement.”

Throughout her work tenure, Rita served as a legislative assistant for Ruth Rudy, who represented Centre and Mifflin counties in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Rita loved the work because she knew the constituents and was able to help answer their questions and solve their problems.

Helping people in need of a friend is a common theme in Rita’s life. In 1989, Rita formed a nonprofit organization called Burd House, Inc., which provided a safe space for young men and women to receive help with their basic needs and education. Rita founded Burd House, which is in honor of her maiden name of Burd, by purchasing a former bakery and slowly transforming it with a kitchen, dining room, laundry service and recreational area. At any one time, up to 50 young adults could be found receiving tutoring, grabbing dinner and enjoying the company of friends at Burd House.

During its 20-plus years of operation, Rita impacted hundreds of lives through Burd House. Her small acts of kindness were miracles for many lost souls in need of a friend. Through the My Life, My Legacy program, Rita had an opportunity to relive countless happy memories of camping trips to Hidden Valley Camp Ground and special Christmas dinners with the men and women of Burd House.

Rita’s life story is special and unique, just like her. The beauty of My Life, My Legacy is that it is not a cookie-cutter approach to storytelling, rather it is a framework driven by the patient’s memories and experiences.

“Each story is distinctive based on the patient,” says Laurie Murry, Volunteer Coordinator for Homeland Hospice. “We focus on the topics that interest the patient.”

For Rita, her interests and passions are more than memories. Through her actions, Rita put in place tangible actions to change the lives of young men and women. These actions continue to ripple throughout the world today.

For more information about the My Life, My Legacy program, call Laurie Murry at (717) 221-7890.

Homeland resident Joyce Zandieh: Dedicated to justice and loving the Homeland life

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Joyce Zandieh is a new resident at Homeland, Joyce Zandiehbut since moving into her personal care suite, people can see a difference.

“My friends say they can feel a change in me since I came here,” she said. “I always had to figure out who would cut my grass. Will the kids do this forever? Yesterday was the first snow in my adult life when I didn’t have to worry about who was going to shovel the snow. It’s like freedom, finally.”

Joyce brings a lifetime of activism and advocacy to Homeland. As a career nurse, she always found a way to speak up for others and help them overcome barriers.

On the day Joyce was born in Harrisburg, her father was in England, preparing to cross the English Channel with General George S. Patton’s 3rd Armored Division in the wake of D-Day. She grew up in Lemoyne before the family moved to the Mechanicsburg area.

After graduating from Cumberland Valley High School, she joined friends attending nursing school at Polyclinic Hospital in Harrisburg. In her last year, she found she enjoyed working in psychiatric care and providing care during labor and delivery. When she graduated, Joyce won an award for outstanding ability in obstetrical nursing.

“The miracle of seeing somebody being born was amazing,” she said. “I just loved it.”

Graduation launched a 45-year career in nursing, including time in her beloved labor and delivery. When she worked at Holy Spirit Hospital, she and a nurse who shared her interest in obstetrics and psychiatry co-founded the Maternal Assistance Program for pregnant women battling drug addiction.

Through the program, case managers helped women and babies get to doctors’ appointments and find whatever help they needed.

Joyce, who has a son and daughter from her first marriage, was single for 14 years after her divorce until she met Mehrdad Zandieh in 1985. A member of the Bahá’í faith, he fled his native Iran during the Iranian Revolution to escape persecution.

Making his way to the U.S., he met Joyce, a fellow Bahá’í drawn to the faith by its themes of one God, religion, and mankind. They married in 1990 and enjoyed movies, picnics, Bahá’í activities, and holy days. (For a good primer on Bahá’í, Joyce recommends www.bahaifaith.org).

They also shared a love of Broadway shows, counting “Phantom of the Opera” and “Les Misérables” as their favorites. Joyce remembers her first Broadway experience when she was about 13. The family was driving home from a shore vacation when she and her sister urged their parents to follow signs to New York City.

“And they went!” Joyce marvels. They saw Ethel Merman in “Gypsy.” “She never used a microphone. That hooked me on Broadway shows.”

Joyce is a lifetime NAACP member who believes passionately in equality and fairness.

As a member and later chair of the Harrisburg Human Relations Commission, she and a Latino woman once separately answered the same rental ads, busting the landlords whose blatantly inequitable treatment of the two violated fair housing policies.

“I’ve always been an advocate for people,” Joyce said. “I never wanted anybody to be mistreated.”

Joyce’s ties to Homeland go back many years, knowing its sterling reputation from her mother’s time as a resident to the support from Homeland HomeHealth nurses after knee and hip replacements.

When Mehrdad, a cancer survivor, was diagnosed with a new tumor early in the COVID pandemic, Joyce cared for him at home. In his last few weeks, Homeland Hospice sent a nurse to help with the medical care and an aide to take care of Mehrdad’s personal needs.

“I felt relief because I could be the wife again,” she said.

Mehrdad died in May 2020. Joyce grieved deeply but continued living in her Harrisburg home, still doing favorite things like renting a limo to take her daughter and daughter-in-law to see Hugh Jackman in “The Music Man.”

However, looking back on the last year, Joyce realizes that she was building up towards the move to Homeland, having her house cleaned and giving family and friends her beautiful Persian rugs from Mehrdad’s native Iran.

An avid fan of Freddy Mercury and Elvis Presley, Joyce brought a Freddy Mercury doll crocheted by her daughter to her bright Homeland suite. As she settles in, Joyce looks forward to starting a new jigsaw puzzle featuring the album covers of Queen. She loves playing bingo and enjoys the musicians who entertain the residents.

“Sometimes, an older gentleman will get up and dance with some of the aides, and it’s so sweet,” she said. “I don’t have to cook. I don’t have to do housework. I don’t have to clean. I’m really happy to be here.”