A Message from our CEO,
Lisa Haglund

Throughout Heritage, at all levels of care, I see residents living in community with one another, even in the midst of a global pandemic, as we strive to provide the exceptional care our greatest generation deserves. At the same time, I see the difficulties our residents, their families, and our staff have endured in living with the constant and often frustrating regulation changes which we have faced during COVID-19. I know it has been exhausting.

When we introduced The Heritage Experience to our teams this year, it was created on the principle of returning to our faith-based roots as an organization, so that God’s perfect plan for Heritage is fulfilled. In accepting the challenges we have been presented with (and there have been many!), embracing change, and rising above, we are indeed becoming a new Heritage. Those challenges have not been easy and have truly tested each and every one of us. We continue more and more each day to embrace those roots and to go back to our faith as we face the future together. 

Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three gather together in my name, there am I with them.”

One of my favorite parts to of The Heritage Experience is the Team Heritage Huddles that we now participate in every day. Although the topics may vary, we are always learning what our teammates are grateful for, what the daily updates are, and what the biggest challenges, both professionally and personally, are for each of us. Most importantly, we end each huddle in prayer. 

1 Peter 3:12 says, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer.” The Lord is ready and waiting for you to talk to Him.

In our huddles, our time together in prayer helps us focus as a team on what is truly important in our lives, brings us closer to God, renews our spirit, and lets us lay our cares for Heritage at His feet, together. We pray for Heritage and that our staff may have all they need to care for our residents. We pray for our leaders at all levels to have the knowledge and wisdom to make God choices. We pray for protection for our staff and residents. We pray for each life that Heritage touches. We pray for our present and our future. No matter what the day may present or how crazy things may become, for at least that brief time we can share in our faith together.

After one particularly memorable huddle, I found myself reflecting on a passage from a devotional that was shared with me from Newspring.cc/devotionals.

In Mark 11:24, Jesus says, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” When we’re scared, hurting, or restless, we can ask God for help. When friends or loved ones are struggling, we can talk to God on their behalf. Battle after battle in the Old Testament is won by prayer, not by swords. In Acts, prayer opens a jail cell to free Silas and Paul. Through prayer, Jesus and the disciples healed diseases and even brought people back from the dead. If prayer can do all that, just think about what the power of prayer could do.

Whether it is prayer in our huddles or in quiet moments with our co-workers, residents, or families, we are both fortunate and blessed that after more than 130 years, Heritage remains rooted as a strong, faith-based organization which continues to find a way to remain positive and centered in Christ, despite the challenges and struggles we have faced. 

As we face our struggles and obstacles each day, Heritage has one advantage over all others around us as, and that advantage truly is prayer. I have challenged each of our communities, nationwide, to step up and bring prayer back into our daily lives. I hope many of you will also join me in accepting this challenge, spending time in prayer for our Heritage family. If you are willing to commit to this for the next thirty days (and remember, every person can be a leader in this area), I encourage you to join and share your prayers, requests, and stories, with us at prayer@heritage1886.org!

Just imagine what the power of your prayer can do for Heritage. 

Blessings, 
Lisa

Administrator's Corner
Valerie Johnson
Administrator, The Village

“By all these lovely tokens, September days are here. With summers best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.” Helen Hunt Jackson

I can’t believe we are heading out of September! Summer always seems to fly by! I hope all of you were able to enjoy the warm days and time spent with family and friends. 

As we head into the fall, I am expecting that we will continue to see more and more guidance and regulations from the CDC and the Department of Health. We will continue to watch our positivity rate in Chautauqua County as this is a large part of what drives the changes in our facility. We will continue to do what needs to be done to keep our residents, staff, and family safe as we continue to learn about this contagious disease. I know that having a loved on in a communal living environment at this time can be very scary, but I want to assure you that we have strict guidelines in place to keep everyone as safe as possible. 

Although we are not back to a level of pre-COVID day to day events, we are still having a lot of fun with our residents! They have enjoyed activities like flower arranging, bingo, take-out Gerry Rodeo meals, water games, gardening, and pet visits! They also had a great time with the fair themed week!

This past year and a half has challenged us to be creative and to find new ways of doing things. I feel we have been successful with this and we couldn’t do it without the help and understanding of our residents and their families. Your support is greatly appreciated and I thank you. We are one big Heritage family. 
COVID-19 Update
Jeremy Rutter, Chief Clinical Officer

Did you know that vaccine mandates are nothing new? In 1850 the first vaccine mandate occurred in Massachusetts. It required anyone going to school to be vaccinated for smallpox. In the United States there is a long history of mandating vaccines to prevent and control epidemics. Today, most states require vaccines for school children including diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, varicella, and other diseases that we rarely hear of people getting. If you want to travel you would have to get vaccinated for yellow fever, typhoid fever, and meningitis. And of course, most recently, if you want to work in healthcare, you have to be vaccinated against COVID 19. 2/3rds of all Americans over the age of 18 are fully vaccinated, and a surprising 83% of adults over the age of 65 are vaccinated against COVID 19. It is not surprising to see those over 65 have a higher rate of vaccination, they are the generation who saw the Salk vaccine eradicate polio. I pray for the day that we can say we are the generation who conquered COVID- 19. 
Around The Village
Liz and Jean enjoyed sweet ice cream treats this month! Shelley Reed, Nurse Manager at the Village took time to bring her horse for residents and staff to enjoy, and our residents including Shirley, enjoyed making the best of late summer and early fall warm weather by making beautiful fresh flower arrangements!
Chaplain's Corner

Larry Petry, Senior Chaplain


Commitment

I’m the type of personality that is always soaking things in, thinking and reflecting on them. Sometimes I have “ah ha” moments at weird times. I recently had one while walking in the parking lot, getting in my car after a day at work.

Many of us think a lot about the residents we’re honored to serve. They have some incredible stories and legacies. This really struck home to me during our Veteran’s Day project last year, where we interviewed many of the men and women who had served our country in the armed forces. Many of them were considered a part of the “Greatest Generation,” those who were selflessly dedicated to a cause greater than themselves. If you’re heard any of these stories, it’s easy to come away humbled. What challenges do I face compared to a generation that survived a depression and went off to war? 

I’m not interested in comparing apples to oranges, yet here we are with our own challenges. We’re continuing to experience a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Some of us have served on units that were hit hard with COVID cases. Every single department in every community has dealt with staff shortages. We’ve had to learn to stretch, be creative, and to experience levels of weariness we haven’t dealt with before. I am truly humbled and honored at the commitment of every staff person who perseveres in serving others in the midst of these challenges. 

My car “ah ha” moment, as silly as it seems: What if THIS is our “greatest generation” moment? What if this is a defining time for you and me? As matter-of-fact as it may seem, maybe we’ll tell future generations about the crisis-upon-crisis moments where we simply stuck with it and showed up. Are we willing to demonstrate commitment, even when it hurts? Even when others aren’t? Even when it’s unpopular, or we’re not sure what the pay off will be? Is caring still a calling to us? 

Perhaps, in some strange way, this is our greatest generation moment. I know that personally, I don’t posses the inward tenacity to roll up my sleeves each and every day. But I am growing convinced that together, we can step up and lead by serving others.

What a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate commitment in these times.

May God find us worthy.

The Heritage Ministries public policy team advocates on behalf of our residents, their families, and our staff, to enact policies that will address the needs, quality care, and safety that ensures all our communities are beacons of Hope, Dignity, and Purposeful Living. Add your voice to ours! Learn more about how you can continue to advocate for Heritage and our residents by clicking HERE.
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