“She looks great for her age!” “He still drives?” “Wow, you’re sharp as a tack!” Sound familiar? All of us are aging, but sometimes the words we use to describe older adults create a dynamic of “us vs. them.” Or maybe you have heard the growing population of older adults described as “an epidemic” or […]
This semester a class of seniors from the University of Michigan’s School of Nursing had the opportunity to engage with a different kind of senior – the older adults living at United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC)’s Glazier Commons Assisted Living Center. Class instructor, Catie Doman, RN, BSN explains, “This hands-on course is part of a […]
Today, November 27 is #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. It’s celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, and this year the UMRC Foundation is focusing on Thome Rivertown […]
Serving others is a way of life for Julian Giardello, Independent Living Dining Room Supervisor at UMRC’s Chelsea Retirement Community (CRC). From 1991 to 1995, Julian served our country in the Marine Corps as an aircraft recovery specialist. This native of Martin’s Ferry, Ohio was stationed in Japan and Thailand, as well as in Hawaii […]
“I’m a country boy,” says Dale Burgess, 96, who resides at Glazier Commons, located at United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC)’s Chelsea campus. Dale grew up in The Great Depression near Shepherd, Michigan in Isabella County. His world view changed, though, with the onset of World War II. In 1942, at age 20, Dale joined the […]
Dick and Norma Sarns are a team in every aspect of their lives. Dick, a WWII Navy veteran and engineer, and Norma, a teacher, established not one but two health-related businesses, developing life-saving surgical instruments and the world-renowned Sarns heart-lung machine. Later, their attention turned to rehabilitation for patients following heart surgery. In 1993, the […]
For twenty years, Sarah Middlebrook has served older adults at United Methodist Retirement Communities (UMRC). She was first hired as a caregiver at Kresge Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center while the state-of-the-art Towsley Village Memory Care Center was being built. Once completed, Sarah began working at Towsley Village as a Resident Care Assistant (RCA). “I really […]
Not long ago, three Kresge Center Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) had very different jobs. David Smith provided in-home care. Hannah Dunsmore cared for pets. Maggie Stafford waited tables. Then they learned about UMRC’s CNA Career Pathway Program. For each of them, the program has been life-changing. “I had been looking for a different direction,” says […]
When Emily Weber of Ann Arbor was 6 or 7, she told her dad she wanted to work in a nursing home when she grew up. Today a Resident Care Assistant (RCA) at Towsley Village Memory Care Center, Emily is living out her calling to provide care and compassion for older adults. “Since I was […]
As the daughter of immigrants, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Janet Stover didn’t have her grandparents around when she was growing up. It’s why she loves working with older adults at UMRC’s Huron Valley PACE in Ypsilanti. “I love hearing their stories.” In her occupational therapy role at Huron Valley PACE, Janet helps participants live more […]
