By Theresa Holstein
As an MDS Coordinator at Parker at McCarrick, I schedule meetings with new residents to learn more about them. On February 8th, what I thought would be a typical Resident Interview turned out to be a huge surprise.
I knocked on the new resident's bedroom door and asked her if I could come in. When I introduced myself to her and sat down, I felt this immediate connection with her. I could not believe what a vibrant woman she was.
Maryann O'Leary talked a lot about her late husband and told me that he had been a teacher at Edison High School. I told her that I had graduated from J.P. Stevens High School back in 1983. She looked at me, smiled and said, “I was a teacher there for many years.”
I gazed into her eyes and then it clicked. “Oh my God, Mrs. O'Leary–you taught Home Economics,” I exclaimed!
She smiled and replied, “That’s right!"
I was so excited to let her know that she was my teacher. We hugged and kissed. I couldn’t believe that after 34 years, we were reunited.
Mrs. O'Leary was shocked to learn that I still have some of her recipes that we made in class. After work, I went home, pulled out those recipes, and baked some of Mrs. O'Leary’s Meringue Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe below).
The next morning, I visited Mrs. O'Leary, with her cookies and my high school yearbook in my hands. We sat together at the edge of her bed and reminisced as we looked through the yearbook together. She even signed it for me. This was a personal moment that I will never forget!
Mrs. O'Leary's Meringue Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 egg white
Pinch of salt
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 300 degrees. Separate egg carefully. In a small bowl, mix egg whites with salt at high speed until stiff, but not dry. Add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture should be very stiff and glossy). Stir in vanilla and fold in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden color and firm to the touch. Cool on rack. Store lightly covered in cool, dry place.
Yield: Approx. 12 cookies
Enjoy!
By Fern Marder
Around Presidents’ Day, Parker usually invites Robert Costello, Civil War reenactor and acclaimed impressionist of Abraham Lincoln, to many of our homes to entertain our residents and program participants about our 16th president. This year, we decided to hire Mr. Costello to entertain the people who attend senior centers in our surrounding communities.
On February 12th, President Lincoln’s actual birthday, Robert Costello was in full costume at the Piscataway Senior Center, celebrating Lincoln’s 209th birthday, “but I don’t feel a day over 150,” quipped Costello. “My goal is not to talk about the Civil War but to teach you about Lincoln the man.”
For the next hour, enthralled attendees learned about the President’s first love, Ann Rutledge, who died of brain fever at the age of 22, leaving Lincoln heartbroken and depressed. Costello discussed Lincoln’s various jobs: a boatman, a post master and store clerk, a surveyor, and militia soldier, none of which brought him any great success until he became a lawyer. “People said if you can’t do anything successfully, you may as well go into politics,” joked Costello. And, we learned more about the love Lincoln shared with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, who was his biggest critic and biggest supporter.
At the end of his talk, Robert Costello recited the Gettysburg Address and received a standing ovation from the enthusiastic crowd for a job well-done.
By Fern Marder
Parker President and CEO, Roberto Muñiz has been active in fundraising efforts for people, particularly elders, who have experienced the devastation of Hurricane Maria, which adversely impacted Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He recently returned from a visit to Puerto Rico with an delegation from LeadingAge, an organization of over 6,000 members and partners representing the not-for-profit field of aging services, including organizations like Parker. Roberto wrote a heartfelt blog post about his experiences in Puerto Rico that has opened up many eyes to the amount of work that still must be done to help elders living in senior communities and their dedicated staff members who are living in dire conditions.
Recently, Mr. Muñiz was invited to witness New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy sign Executive Order 10, which establishes the Commission on Puerto Rico Relief, an 18-member commission that will collaborate with state and federal agencies to expedite processes benefiting displaced Puerto Ricans in New Jersey, as well as examine ways the state can aid the island.
Governor Murphy stated his reason for signing Executive Order 10: “This joint commission will help the approximately 30,000 Puerto Ricans who have taken refuge in New Jersey by directing our state agencies to fast-track help for those who have been displaced. We also must find additional ways to help the island and return Puerto Ricans to normalcy. The federal response has been insufficient and we must step up as a state to help our brothers and sisters on the island.”
From the left – Leanne Fiet (Parker at Monroe Administrator), Maria Ryan (Human Resources Manager), Ebony Figueroa, Roberto Muñiz (President and CEO), and Curt Evans (Chief Operations Officer). Photo by Fern Marder.
By Ebony Figueroa
I first learned about the CNA school program before I went on maternity leave and knew right way that I wanted to do it. I was an LPN student before but was forced to stop taking classes due to financial difficulties; therefore, I was excited for the opportunity so that I could begin my studies again. As an added bonus, Parker was offering the CNA class at no charge for all ten students accepted into the program.
A few days after completing the internal transfer form, I was invited to an interview with Yolanda Golebowski, Director of Nursing, and Maria Ryan, HR Manager at Parker at Monroe, to discuss, at length, as to why I wanted to become a CNA and if I was sincere about continuing my education. Receiving my acceptance into the program left me feeling grateful and beyond excited about the future.
The first day of class was just like any other first day of class; everyone was nervous but our instructor, Mrs. Haas, made it a breeze to understand and learn. I am a hands-on learner, so being trained on the floor of the nursing home really helped me.
This CNA training course gave me insight into Parker. It was a pleasure to work side-by-side with seasoned CNAs and to see the care and dedication they have to the residents and each other. I especially enjoyed witnessing the inside jokes that CNAs and residents share together.
Besides training and reading, taking tests and quizzes, and remembering medical terminology, I also learned about the importance of being a CNA. CNAs are the first people most residents see each day. The first morning interaction is really what sets the tone for the rest of the day. To me, the most important aspect of being a CNA is to make each day enjoyable for our residents, and to provide the care and companionship to our residents that sets Parker above the rest.
Ed. Note: Ebony is currently Lead Housekeeper at Parker at Stonegate but will transition into her new CNA role soon.
By Roberto Muñiz, President & CEO of Parker
I was born in Puerto Rico, an island with a soul and spirit you carry with you throughout your life. I recently had the chance to go back for a visit, but as you can imagine, it was not quite the same. The devastation from Hurricane Maria in September was evident at every turn.
I was privileged to join a delegation of LeadingAge staff and members who travelled to the island to bring much-needed funds to six LeadingAge senior housing communities. Parker’s employees and residents raised over $14,000 which our organization matched, and the monies were contributed to the LeadingAge Disaster Relief Fund to help victims of the natural disasters in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. Money was needed for food, water, fuel, medicine and other necessities.
When we arrived, what I first noticed was the devastation, but when I looked a little closer, I saw a spirit of resilience and hope among the people we visited. We travelled to several subsidized senior housing communities and heard stories of staff leaving their own homes and families to provide support to residents who had no electricity, limited supplies and little to no communications.
The funds provided support to both the communities and their staff, one of whom wrote to say thank you for the monies which helped them repair a roof that was blown away by the hurricane and replace belongings damaged by the storm that flooded their home.
While staff endured loss of homes, cars, personal belongings and in the very worst case, of loved ones, their thoughts still turned to those who depend on them.
While we were able to provide monetary support, the staff provided something much more important – reassurance that someone was there for residents in the worst of times.
Puerto Rico is a soul and spirit I carry with me throughout my life. No hay nada como el hogar!
Click here to read more about my trip in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News