You are currently browsing Melissa Sharp's articles.
Last week, I visited Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads with my colleagues Kirsten Jacobs and Wendy Green. Goodwin House is expanding their campus with a new contemporary high rise that will serve an additional 100+ residents beginning next year. While touring the community with David Bonck, senior marketing public relations associate, we met Dr. and Mrs. Campbell, who moved to Goodwin House eight months ago from Dallas to be near their family. With three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and one on the way, the Campbell’s house was filled with photographs, Texas treasures, and toys for their favorite tiny visitors. Dr. Campbell was the Medical Director at C.C .Young, an AAHSA member in Texas, for many years before retiring. C.C. Young had such a tough time letting him go that Mrs. Campbell actually moved to Virginia months before Dr. Campbell while he lived on C.C. Young’s campus. No doubt they were trying to convince him to stay!
The Campbells turned two apartments into one at Goodwin House. That means two bathrooms, a larger kitchen and a much coveted laundry room. Mrs. Campbell loves to do laundry and didn’t want to stop doing it when they moved here. She made it very clear though, that some things have changed. Dr. Campbell brings her breakfast in the morning now!
The Campbells were nervous about moving to a high-rise community, but say they love it. The first time their five year old great-granddaughter visited, she asked, “Grandma, how did you get your house in the sky?” Benefits of high-rise living means watching the 4th of July fireworks from their bedroom, so their three-year-old great-granddaughter could see them without being frightened. They have also enjoyed construction of the new independent living high rise, The Point, being built next to them. They joked that they will be bored when construction ends. When we asked how they like living at Goodwin House, Mrs. Campbell said that with such an incredible staff and wonderful new friends, they love it.
Later, we saw Dr. and Mrs. Campbell having lunch at the Bistro with friends. They made it clear we could come visit anytime and said to make sure we come back once construction is finished. It is nice to know their home is open to us…
Last week, I attended the North Carolina Association of Non-profit Homes for the Aging’s late summer conference in beautiful Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Focused on surviving a tough economy, the day-and-a-half long conference explored mergers, acquisitions and affiliations, developing home and community based services and improving operations to increase revenue and cut down on expenses.
It is so easy to focus on the negative when times are tough, but our North Carolina members were busy focusing on the opportunities. I witnessed one such opportunity first hand when I visited Wilmington, N.C., and the future site of a 100-resident nursing home Lutheran Services for the Aging (LSA) is developing.
LSA currently operates five nursing homes, two retirement communities and one adult day center in North Carolina. In Hickory, N.C., LSA collaborates in sponsoring Lutherhaus, a low-income senior housing project and has provided support to Adult Life Programs, an adult day program there.
Part of LSA’s mission is to serve North Carolina seniors through all aspects of the continuum, and their new nursing home in Wilmington will certainly expand this mission. Today, the site is trees, grass and dirt, but when you stand on it with LSA President Ted Goins, Trinity Oaks Retirement Community Executive Director Mike Walsh, and the administrator of this future community, John Frye, you see more than undeveloped acres. You see a beautiful community seniors in this county will finally be able to call home. LSA continues to give seniors in the state of North Carolina the opportunity to revive and thrive.
Melissa Knight with her TNAHSA 2009 Whatever It Takes Award
Last week, I attended the Tennessee Association’s annual conference focused on “Changing Lives.” The awards program is always one of my favorites, but I had no idea that Melissa Knight, patient care assistant at Springfield Heights, would bring all of the attendees to tears. Melissa is the epitome of servant-leadership, and is known at Springfield Heights as the “one everyone depends on.” In her two and a half years of service she has connected with all of the residents and thinks of each one as special. They in turn believe Springfield Heights could not exist without her. She truly deserves the Whatever it Takes award and here is why.
Melissa serves as a marketing ambassador, warmly welcoming visitors to her community. She shows them around and explains who the staff is and what they do. She explains just how person-centered care works and has a special way of making friends and family members feel relaxed. One family stated: “I’m moving my mother here because after visiting, I know Melissa will take care of Mom!”
Melissa also truly believes that her residents are her family. Last year, she was scheduled off on Thanksgiving. Instead of taking some well-deserved time for herself, she came to the community and picked up a wheelchair-bound resident who had not been out of the building in two years. The resident recalls that when she arrived in front of Melissa’s house, there awaited Melissa’s fiancé and son, ready to assist her into their home to celebrate a beautiful Thanksgiving.
As if this was not enough, this past year she and her fiancé celebrated their wedding at Springfield Heights, so all of the residents could be their guests for the special day. Melissa was escorted down the aisle by two residents. At the altar, they were met by a third resident, an ordained minister who at the age of 99, performed the marriage ceremony. The residents’ eyes were all full of tears watching her as if it were their own daughter getting married.
As befitting any award winner, Melissa expressed absolute shock when she came to the podium to accept her award. She made it clear that the residents of Springfield Heights are her family and she would do anything for them. How many Melissas in our field go their whole lives without receiving awards for all they do? Celebrate the Melissa in your community today!
