April 2011
MONTHLY UPDATE
EDEN ALTERNATIVE – One technique Eden homes use is a learning circle. The group or team who is working on an
issue or discussing a topic groups themselves into a circle in which everyone can see each other. The group leader
states the question and each person in the circle gets an opportunity to speak about it with no cross-talking. This way
everyone can hear what others are feeling and be comfortable speaking without fear of being interrupted. After everyone
has had an opportunity to talk, there is open discussion. It’s a good way to get to know each other and to make
household plans.
OHIO BUDGET (FOR FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING 7/1/2011) Governor John Kasich’s budget proposal has the potential
to devastate Ohio’s skilled nursing facility community. SEM Haven and other facilities would see a decrease in
reimbursement of 7%. Please consider writing your legislators in support of SEM Haven. You may want to mention the
following:
• Why you, your family member or friend needs a skilled nursing care facility, and why those services cannot be
provided at home. Be specific about the care needs and why 24/7 care, observation and intervention is required.
• What you most like about the care that is being provided, and how that might be put in jeopardy if such drastic
cuts to skilled nursing services were imposed.
• Highlight the relationships you have built with members of the facility staff who provide around the clock care to
you or your loved one.
• The website www.legislature.state.oh.us will lead you to your local legislators. Those representing Milford are:
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Tom Niehaus, Senator 14 District
Joseph Uecker, Representative 66 District
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Senate Building, Room 038, Ground Floor
77 South High Street, 11 Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
614-466-8082
614-466-9494
Fax 614-466-7662
Fax 614-644-9494
SD14@senate.state.oh.us
district66@ohr.state.oh.us
HOUSEHOLD HAPPENINGS:
McCormick Landing – We would like to welcome our newest residents Martha Donley and Betsy Lyons. During a
Learning Circle we found out that one of our residents misses going to pub’s so we decided to have lunch at By Golly’s
and had a great time. We had Arby’s brought in for our ‘almost out to lunch’. We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with green
punch, green cookies and their favorite bingo. We watched the Red’s Opening Day Parade during lunch and the game
afterwards. We have been making plans for planting our patio area.
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Ripple Ridge - Betty Konrad turned 102 on March 31 . Her family joined us for lunch, cake and ice cream. We enjoyed
lunch at Red Lobster and shopping at Walmart. We are looking forward to spring and warm weather so we can plant our
garden!
Milcroft Manor - We have planted seeds for our garden and already have seedlings. We decorated hats to wear when
sitting on our patio. There has been singing and fellowship, reading Guidepost magazine as a group and Band Practice.
We will introduce playing the "Wi" this month. We had lunch from Skyline in March and some of the ladies will be visiting
The Tea Room for lunch in April. Happy Hour will also be introduced this month.
Kugler Woods - March was a fun month. We have been watching the construction going on beneath us and out the back
window and are excited on the changes that will be coming upstairs, too. We went to Longhorn Steakhouse for lunch and
won first place in the “Cornhole Competition” with nursing.
Shumard Rehab Center – We are very excited that the Board of Directors approved changing the window in our dining
room to a door leading to a patio. We plan on doing a lot of grilling in our new space. Shumard is having a child’s Easter
basket raffle that is not child size. It is a BIGGIE sized basket that is loaded with goodies including a $25 gift card to Build
a Bear. We are also planning raffles for Mother’s day and Father’s Day. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5, available at the
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front desk. Residents and staff will enjoy lunch from Wendy’s on April 30 .
Gatch Grove - We would like to welcome our newest resident Ruth Keiber and wish a very special Happy 105 Birthday
to Mary Ruhstaller. Congratulations to newly engaged staff members Lindsey McDonald and Denise Apgar. We will
be making and selling Easter candy again this year, and are raffling an Easter centerpiece located in the main lobby. We
would like to remind families to send us their email addresses so that we can communicate special events and activities
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more readily to them. They can be e-mailed to tbentley@semhaven.org. April will be busy with lunch outings on the 11
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and the 18 to Cracker Barrel & Ruby Tuesday’s, a spring ride to see all of the flowers and trees in full bloom, grilling
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season starting, decorating Easter eggs, candy making and filling baskets, almost out to lunch on the 6 from Steak &
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Shake, and Happy Hour on the 26 .
EASTER EGG HUNT – Our annual Easter Egg hunt for children/grandchildren/friends of our residents and staff will be on
Saturday, April 16, 2:00-4:00 PM. There will be food, games, prizes and lots of fun! We even have pictures with the
Easter Bunny. Please mark your calendar. If you would like to donate candy or prizes please leave them at the reception
desk.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE – A lot will be happening this month! We are opening Hickory Cottage and 8 residents from
Kugler Woods will be moving there temporarily while their rooms are renovated. We also are starting renovation of all of
the nursing household kitchens. The Board of Directors gave the approval to move forward with this as there was a
substantial savings by doing the two renovation projects simultaneously. We will do our best to keep disruption of our
residents as minimal as possible.
ST. PATRICK’S DAY FUN - The Milford Fire Fighters and EMTs not only save lives and put out fires, they also help out at
SEM Haven. They help run the Senior Olympics, provide hands on training and respond to emergencies promptly and
professionally. They share smiles and genuine concern for the residents and staff. In order to show our appreciation,
resident Helen Ballinger and staff took pizza, drinks, and homemade desserts (including green chocolate fire hydrants
made by Gatch Grove) to the firehouse for St. Patrick’s Day. Helen had a great time being treated like a queen – they
gave her a tour of the whole firehouse!
PROM – We had a combination Senior-Senior Prom & St. Patty’s Day dance on March 17 with Mark Rasmussen
entertaining. McNicholas High School students came in prom attire for a formal dance that was very enjoyable. Prom
Kings & Queens are resident Ruth Colby with student Patrick Rehl and resident Mel Chifari with student Nikki Latrielle.
CHAPLAIN BILL’S RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT - This month I am presenting the Mecklenborgs, Larry who lives in Kugler
Woods and Mae Mar who lives in Milcroft Manor. Larry is known as the great SEM Haven Olympian. He was born and
raised in Cincinnati. His father was an engineer, although he had no college degree. He insisted that Larry, who followed
in his footsteps, get a college degree. Larry’s mother was a fine homemaker. He was an only child. Larry was going to
UC when he joined the Army Air Corps during WWII. The army trained this smart college boy in brand new radar. He did
so well that they made him an instructor and he never had to leave the United States.
In 1945, Larry married 20 year old “Mae Mar”, whose real name is Mary Marcella. Larry was still in the army and she
followed wherever he was stationed. They went to California and Florida. Mae Mar’s father was a stockbroker during the
1920’s. He lost everything in the “crash”. Her mother became the breadwinner, working as a seamstress in the
alterations department at Shillito’s until she retired. She had two brothers, Bill who gave her that nickname, and Edward,
Jr., known as “Bud”, who still lives near Durham, NC. Larry and Mae Mar have three children: Marilyn, an attorney whom
we can thank for this information; Lawrence Jr., who now travels all over working for Exxon Mobil; and Barbara Ritchie
who lives in Athens, OH. There are 7 grandchildren.
After the war, Larry used the GI Bill to finish his education, getting his BA Degree from UC. Mae Mar worked to help him
through. Their apartment at UC had a great view of the football stadium. They had parties and watched all the games.
After college, Larry worked as a metallurgic engineer for Eagle Pitcher, Precision Engineering. He was a member of the
American Welding Society serving as president for one year. He also partnered with a high school friend, Gus Schmidt, at
G.E. Schmidt and Co. It was a “two man show” with a secretary. Mae Mar was a great mom - her house was where all
the kids played. She encouraged creativity and was a Girl Scout leader. She made sure the kids went to college. The
family loved camping in tents and had a boat on the Ohio River. They enjoyed trips to Lake Cumberland. Daughter
Marilyn said she, “Not only loves her parents, she would want them as friends”.
Larry’s hobby was inventing. He built things and did problem solving to make things easier. Larry and Mae Mar loved to
travel - they went to Australia and New Zealand, South America (the rain forest) and Tahiti. They love square dancing
and the theater, especially student productions at UC, musicals and plays. A passage for the Mecklenborg’s would be
one about friends. Proverb’s 18:24 says “some friends bring ruin on us, but a true friend is more loyal than a brother”.
(NAB Catholic Edition). The Mecklenborg’s are those kinds of friends, and we love having them with us.
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FACILITY ACTIVITIES: April 7 - Garden Club will do spring planting for all interested households; 13 - Wayne
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Yeager’s Trio will perform; 20 - we will have an Easter Egg Display contest; 22 - Chaplain Bill will do our Good Friday
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Service; 24 - Chaplain Bill will give the Easter Sunday Service; 29 - Miami Valley Christian Academy will visit for Bingo
& a craft.
KUGLER WOODS: April 6 & 27, 10:30 am - Devotions and History with Chaplain Bill; 7, 8, 13 & 14 – Crafts; 15, 10:00am
to 4:00pm - Craft and Bake Sale; 19, 6:30 pm – Easter Party with Jim Hermann; 21, 11:30am – Lunch Outing (Old
Schoolhouse Restaurant). Please pick up an in-depth calendar in Kugler Woods family room.
VOLUNTEERS - April 17 to 23 is National Volunteer Week. Thursday, April 28 is our Volunteer Recognition Luncheon at
the RSVP Banquet Facility. In 2010 our volunteers logged 8,141hours of service to SEM Haven. These include
community volunteers, residents, children’s groups, ministers, board members and community service volunteers. Wow!
Barb Wolf, Administrator