Vet Com Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home

Augusta, Georgia

April 2018

2

We would like to welcome the following Residents and Staff to Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home:

Staff

Genie Barggs

Brenda Dent

Chanta Faison

John Huynh

Deborah Johnson

Cameshia Smith

Jacquelyn Taylor

Krystle Whitaker

Residents

Carl Bembry

Joesph Graves

Ronnie Harris

Louis Jeselnik

Howard Lindner

Arthur Watkins

George Wilder

Hughey Williamson

Birthstone is: Diamond Flower is: Sweet Pea Dates to Remember: April is National Occupational Therapy Month

April 1st: Easter

April 1st: April Fool’s Day

April 2nd-8th: Master ’s Tournament

April 7th: World Health Day

April 17th: Tax Day

April 22nd: Ear th Day

Welcome

3

A Heart Felt Thank You

Goes out to Patricia MacDonald and Crystal Crick who headed our American Heart Association fund raising campaign efforts for 2018. We also want to recognize the GAWarrior Team members who volunteered their time, effort and money to conduct one of the most successful campaigns we have ever had. The team members are Sharon Neeley, Lisa Hadden, Kayleigh Newby, Andre Robinson, Tamala Bray and Henry Williams. There were many more staff members and family members helping behind the scenes as well and a special thanks goes out to Jeannie Little, Norman Smoot, Mark Buckner, Chris Hobbs, and Laurie Cordaro who consistently volunteered and assisted in the fund raising efforts. It was really a total team effort, especially for those who got hit in the face with a pie or got taped to the wall! So, if you know of someone who volunteered, please offer a word of thanks to them. We are so very fortunate to have such a great team! Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home had a very strong showing in the American Heart Association Campaign at Augusta University raising over $7,000!! Donations were made by staff, residents, visitors and family members, and a heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to each and every one who made the campaign such a success. It was truly a team effort and lots of fun. And let’s not forget those who got up early Saturday morning and joined us for the AHA HeartWalk on March 10th. Thank you Walkers! Congratulations Georgia War on another successful campaign in an effort to reduce our nation’s number one killer – Heart Disease. Your contributions will go a long way in providing support to cardiovascular research right here at Augusta University. Carlton Deese Executive Director

4

American Heart Association

5

Valentine’s Day Party

Congratulations to our Valentine Winners this year! Our Resident King and Queen are Eddie Brown and Annie Blankenship with our Staff King and Queen being Tyler Gardner and Tanisha Moore both of whom work in Environmental Services. Thank you to American Legion Post 192 for providing the refreshments and thank you to everyone who voted and supported this event!

6

Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home among nation’s best again

Augusta home for war veterans has been ranked in the top 15 percent in America in customer experience for three out of four years. For the third time in four years, the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home has been ranked in the nation’s top 15 percent of senior health care providers, earning the 2018 Customer Experience Award™ from Pinnacle Quality Insight, a nationally recognized customer satisfaction firm. “It’s an honor for our staff to be recognized for the excellent patient care they provide to our veterans on a daily basis,” said Carlton Deese, executive director for Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home. “We believe the men and women who have served our country deserve the best services that we can provide them, and this award shows we are committed to their care.” Pinnacle conducts more than 150,000 surveys each year while working with more than 2,500 clients in 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico, to determine how their patients and families evaluate them. Customers gave Georgia War praise in several distinct categories, including cleanliness, nursing care, response to problems, and overall satisfaction. Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home places a significant emphasis on ensuring that the individual needs of every veteran patient are met. By partnering with Pinnacle to conduct monthly surveys and interviews with patients and families, the organization has been able to measure how effectively it carries out this mission. “We study this ongoing feedback to gain a better understanding of our patients’ needs and make adjustments or improvements as necessary,” Deese said. “We aim to provide more than just basic care for our nation’s veterans.” For nearly 50 years the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home has served the veteran community through its 192-bed skilled nursing home in Augusta. It is owned by the Georgia Department of Veterans Service and operated by AU Health in partnership with Augusta University. “Our team members at Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home are extremely compassionate and attentive in their care of our nation’s veterans, and I couldn’t be more proud of this recognition,” said Lee Ann Liska, CEO of AU Medical Center. We are pioneers in Patient- and Family-Centered Care, and the team at Georgia War exemplifies this by partnering with veterans and their families to help them feel more at home. The Blue Goose is truly a special place.” Pinnacle, a customer satisfaction firm with over 20 years of experience, offers satisfaction measurement via telephone survey to senior care and hospice providers, a feedback process based on the idea that health care should be evaluated individually — just like it is administered. Pinnacle advocates that this process is the easiest way for senior care and hospice providers to understand the voice of their customers. Denise Parrish

7

The following individuals/organizations made contributions to our Patient Benefit Fund:

American Legion Paulding County Post 111

Stuart Bloom

Dr. Luther and Joan Solverson

The following individuals/organizations contributed their time and/or services to GWVNH:

Donations and Contributions

American Legion Post 178 Lunch/Bingo

American Legion Post 192 Rootbeer Float Party/Easter Party

American Legion Post 205 Pizza Party

American Legion Department of Georgia Auxiliary Razors & Fruit

American Legion Department of Georgia Popcorn, Oil, and Bags

AmVets Bingo

Church of Christ Scripture Readings

DAV Chapter 10 Bingo

Faith Baptist Church Service

Faith Outreach Scripture Readings 3rd Floor

Faith Workers Gospel Music

Glory Road Singers Gospel Music

Jae Mar Pet Therapy Dog Visits

Jim & Delores Aguiar Worship Service

Lakemont Presbyterian Church John Tabb S.S. Class Ice Cream Party

Macky House Music Music

Mildred Jones, Warner Wish, Karen Aaronson, Dalen Corazon Friendly Visits/Bingo

New Life Ministries Movies

OVAP Ice Cream Party

Pete Hoffman, Bill Gustafson, & Ron Smith Bible Study

Pine Needle Garden Club Flower Arranging

Praise Usher Board Bingo

VFW Auxiliary Department of Georgia Birthday Party

William Kelly Bingo

8 Chaplain’s Corner

Renewal and Rebirth

Recently I met an amazing young man while making chaplain visits at the children’s hospital. The boy is about 10 years of age and has been a guest of the hospital on numerous occasions to have his many surgeries. The afternoon before his procedure, we met and talked. The boy was very big into his heroes. His list of heroes was lengthy and included military personnel and firefighters, as well as a variety of comic book/movie superheroes. (He comes from a family with a strong military service history.) When I told him that I worked with the veterans at Georgia War, he was fascinated. He wanted to hear stories of our residents and of their experiences. After discussing our favorite heroes, the boy said that he was scared and did not want to have another surgical procedure. He expressed his wish that he would have been born with a healthy body or perhaps even as someone else. When asked if this wish could be granted, how would he want to be reborn, he said, “I want to be a superhero!” We spent the remainder of the afternoon, discussing his superhero origin story, his superhero power, his superhero name, and even designed his super hero costume. The morning of his surgery, I visited the boy and his family. His anxiety and fears were gone. The imagining of rebirth and renewal of his new superhero identity was enough to give him the fortitude and strength to meet the procedure with confidence and assurance that it will all be okay. If you were able to be reborn or renewed, what would your life look like? As we are entering the Easter season, we have exactly this opportunity to be reborn and renewed. The very season of Spring is a time in which the world awakens and shakes off the dormancy of winter. The whole of God’s creation bursts forth in the anticipation of renewal and rebirth.

9

Chaplain's Corner in Memory of:

Alvin Dickerson

Vance Story

Doris Ward

“I'm Free"

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free. I'm following the path God laid for me. I took God's hand when I heard the call;

I turned my back and left it all. I could not stay another day

To laugh, to love, to work or play. Tasks left undone must stay that way, I found that place at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void, Then fill it with remembered joy.

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss. Ah, yes, these things, I too, will miss. Be not burdened with times of sorrow, I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow. My life's been full, I savored much,

Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch. Perhaps my time seemed all too brief; don't lengthen it now with undue grief. Lift up your heart and share with me,

God wanted me now, God set me free.”

-Harold S. Kushner

A memorial fund has been set up at the Health Center Credit Union for Jaz-Na Outlaw, a Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home employee, who recently passed away leaving behind 4

children. Please stop by any Health Center Credit Union or the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home Business Office to make a donation. Any questions, please contact the Business Office

at 706-721-2386.

10

Residents

These wonderful people are the residents and staff who will be celebrating birthdays in April!

Happy Birthday

Staff

Preston Shands 4/2

Willie Payne 4/3

Wilbur Beaman 4/4

Donald Beck 4/4

Dock Abraham 4/8

James Richardson 4/9

William Davis 4/12

Elliott Prather 4/18

Robert S. Brown 4/24

Fermon Poole 4/27

George Loflin 4/28

Ashby Johnson 4/29

Nathaniel Smith 4/30

Debra Fields 4/1

Ashley McCorkle 4/1

Dawn Winfield 4/7

Mark Buckner 4/10

Julia Eveker 4/10

Mike Garnett 4/10

Owen Hall 4/17

Tyler Gardner 4/18

Nancy Moon 4/19

Carlton Deese 4/23

Krystle Whitaker 4/5

11

Ap

ril 2

018

SU

N

MO

N

TU

ES

W

ED

T

HU

RS

F

RI

SA

T

1 F

amil

y V

isit

s 2 9:

30 2

/3/4

/5 F

ood

4 T

houg

ht

2:30

Bin

go

7:00

Glo

ry R

oad

Sin

gers

3 9:0

0 2/

4 B

ike

Clu

b 9

:00

3rd

Mus

ic/M

otio

n 9

:00

5th

Cof

fee

Clu

b 10

:00

Wor

ship

Ser

vice

4 8:3

0 5t

h B

arbe

r 9

:30

2/4

Exe

rcis

e 9

:30

3rd

Bik

e C

lub

10:0

0 B

ible

Stu

dy

7:0

0 B

ingo

/DA

V C

H. 1

0

5 9:30

2/3

/4/5

Mov

ies

2:30

OV

AP

/Ice

Cre

am P

arty

6 10:0

0 E

lect

ric

Tra

ins

7 F

amil

y V

isit

s 10

:00

Ele

ctri

c T

rain

s

8 F

amil

y V

isit

s

2:00

Fai

th B

apti

st/R

ehab

Gym

9 9:3

0 2/

3/4/

5 Fo

od 4

Tho

ught

10

:30

Pet

The

rapy

2

:30

Bin

go

10

9:00

2/4

Bik

e C

lub

9:00

3rd

Mus

ic/M

otio

n 9:

00 5

th C

offe

e C

lub

2:00

New

Lif

e M

inis

trie

s/

Mov

ie

11

8:3

0 4t

h B

arbe

r 9

:30

2nd

Exe

rcis

e 9

:30

3/5

Bik

e C

lub

10:0

0 B

ible

Stu

dy

12

9:30

2/3

/4/5

Mov

ies

13

10:0

0 4t

h P

ine

Nee

dle

Gar

den

C

lub

14

Fam

ily

Vis

its

15

Fam

ily

Vis

its

2:

30 M

acky

Hou

se M

usic

16

9:30

2/3

/4/5

Foo

d 4

Tho

ught

7:

00 W

illia

m K

elly

/Bin

go

17

9:0

0 2/

4 B

ike

Clu

b 9

:00

3rd

Mus

ic/M

otio

n 9

:00

5th

Cof

fee

Clu

b 10

:00

Wor

ship

Ser

vice

2

:30

Lak

emon

t Pre

sbyt

eria

n/

I

ce C

ream

Par

ty

18

8:3

0 3r

d B

arbe

r 9

:30

2/4

Exe

rcis

e 9

:30

5th

Bik

e C

lub

10:0

0 B

ible

Stu

dy

19

9:30

2/3

/4/5

Mov

ies

A

mer

ican

Leg

ion

Post

178

20

10:0

0 B

oard

Gam

es

3:0

0 F

aith

Wor

kers

Gos

pel

21

Fam

ily

Vis

its

11

:00

2nd

Fai

th O

utre

ach

22

Fam

ily

Vis

its

2:

00 F

aith

Bap

tist

/Reh

ab G

ym

23

9:3

0 2/

3/4/

5 Fo

od 4

Tho

ught

10

:30

Pet

The

rapy

2

:30

Bin

go

24

9:0

0 2/

4 B

ike

Clu

b 9

:00

3rd

Mus

ic/M

otio

n 9

:00

5th

Cof

fee

Clu

b 10

:00

Wor

ship

Ser

vice

2

:45

Am

eric

an L

egio

n Po

st

205

/Ban

ana

Spl

it P

arty

25

8:3

0 2n

d B

arbe

r 9

:30

3/5

Bik

e C

lub

9:3

0 4t

h E

xerc

ise

10:0

0 B

ible

Stu

dy

2:3

0 B

irth

day

Par

ty

26

9:30

2/3

/4/5

Mov

ies

2:30

Am

eric

an L

egio

n Po

st

192

/Piz

za P

arty

27

10:0

0 F

reed

om P

ark

Sch

ool

28

Fam

ily

Vis

its

2:

30 B

ingo

29

Fam

ily

Vis

its

30

9:30

2/3

/4/5

Foo

d 4

Tho

ught

2:

30 B

ingo

ON

E-T

O-O

NE

A

CT

IVIT

IES

OC

CU

R

TH

OU

GH

TO

UT

TH

E

MO

NH

T O

N E

AC

H

FL

OO

R

12