Page 4 Residents participate in Advocacy Day.

Continued on page 2

At Masquerade Ball, Residents Dance, Reminisce

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 8 • AUGUST 2014

Page 3 ABHOW honors board member Phyllis Stuewig.

Page 5 The National Charity League teams up with The Lodge.

ABHOW WordsSharing Our Stories

Judson Park resident Yolanda Ceballos dons a handmade mask at the community’s Masquerade Ball.

When the doors to Judson Park’s Mas-querade Ball opened on June 12, dozens of residents wearing everything from

bunny to Batman costumes swarmed the floor.Although many residents in attendance use wheelchairs, canes or walk-

ers, everyone was encouraged to dance at the ball, which was hosted by The Village, the community’s skilled nursing center.

“I felt like a teenager again,” said resident Margaret Sloan. “I didn’t leave until the last minute.”

While residents had a ball, they agreed that the large turnout and the memories the occasion brought back made the evening extra special.

ABHOW WordsSharing Our Stories AUGUST 2014 2

At Masquerade Ball, Residents Dance, Reminisce Continued from cover

A recent Medscape study found that invisible social barriers sometimes exist between levels of care in retirement communities. That’s why Natalie Wilcox McCann, director of resident services at the Des Moines, Wash., community, was excited to see so many people attend from across the community. “It was beautiful to see people attending no matter their ability or where they live on campus,” she says.

For Dick Falk and his wife, Shirle, the music and dancing triggered tears of gratitude. Dick lives in residential living; Shirle lives at The Grove, ABHOW’s memory support program.

After retirement, the couple took dance lessons for nearly 20 years. “One day my wife went down to a retirement center to volunteer. Soon she called me and said she was signing up for dance lessons,” Dick says. “I thought, ‘Who will she be dancing with?’ I knew I had to get down there.”

When his wife was diagnosed with mem-ory loss, Dick became her primary caregiver for four years until they moved to Judson Park. Dick says there aren’t a lot of oppor-tunities to dance today, so each moment is special.

“It’s a good day whenever we dance,” he says. “Whenever we’re on the dance floor she instructs me on how to give an underarm turn. All the memories come back when we’re out there.”

Al and Dorothy Carlson also danced the night away to popular 1940s and ’50s mu-sic. Throughout the evening, they reflected

on their 61-year marriage. After meeting on a blind date in 1947, they spent several decades square and round dancing. They were grateful to get out on the dance floor again, even though Al relies on a cane and Dorothy uses a wheelchair.

“There was a lot of wheelchair dancing,” Al says. “It was so nice to watch everyone have such a good time.”

Tessie Korakis, Village resident since 2012, greeted attendees as they arrived before joining other residents on the dance floor. Some people wore face masks; oth-ers painted sticks with feathers, jewels and stones. “I took lots of pictures,” she says. “Some masks had feath-ers, some were just really nice colors.”

Despite mobility challenges, she’s glad that so many people came out from across the campus.

“We all got together like one big family,” she says. “We had a ball!”

Dick and Shirle Falk take an opportunity to dance during the evening’s festivities.

ABHOW WordsSharing Our Stories AUGUST 2014 3

Those who knew Phyllis Stuewig admit it: She was opinionated — pushy even. But that tenacity was understandable. As ABHOW’s first corporate director of health services, she had a vision for senior health care and she refused to rest until an idea was implemented.

That determination was evident in Stuewig throughout her career. When she passed away on July 14 at the age of 77 after a brief illness, she left an indelible mark on ABHOW and the people she touched.

Stuewig began working at ABHOW in 1994, consulting nurses in each community and establishing policies across the or-ganization. As a corporate consul-tant, she didn’t have direct reports and instead needed to manage by influence, says Dave Ferguson, ABHOW president and CEO. “She had to have a patient, persistent personal-ity,” he adds.

She didn’t like the traditional view of senior care, Ferguson says. Instead, Stuewig promoted what be-came ABHOW’s standard: person-directed care, a philosophy that recognizes the resident as the expert of their life, respecting and preserving their indepen-dence and dignity.

Phyllis Stuewig: A Life of Vision and Gusto“Phyllis worked tirelessly to change society’s views

about aging as well as change attitudes and behaviors of caregivers,” says Tara McGuiness, ABHOW vice president and regional operations manager.

McGuinness says she once attended a meeting with Stuewig in which a nurse mentioned that incontinence was a function of age. Stuewig took issue with that, McGuinness recalls. People who are incontinent tend

to withdraw from relationships and activities, fearful that they may have an accident. No, incontinence was not age related, Stuewig in-sisted. It shouldn’t just be accepted: It should be treated to preserve the resident’s quality of life.

“She always had the good of the resident in every conversation,” says Kay Kallander, ABHOW senior vice president of strategic planning. Stuewig focused on wellness care to prevent illnesses and implemented strategies to help residents live as in-dependently as they could for as long

as possible. Her belief that older adults could and should enjoy robust, active lives was pioneering at the time.

“Phyllis had so many visions and could put them into action, yet she listened to you,” says Karen Jenney, an ABHOW board member and former nurse at The Terraces at Los Altos in Los Altos, Calif.

Even when Stuewig pushed colleagues beyond their comfort zone, she did it with a sense of humor and with a contagious laugh that drew people in, Jenney says.

Continued on page 7

Stuewig

ABHOW WordsSharing Our Stories AUGUST 2014 4

legislature approved $100 million in 2014-2015 fund-ing for affordable multi-family housing and allocated 20 percent of future cap-and-trade revenues to affordable housing and sustainable communities. As a result, funds will assist affordable housing providers with needed new communities, repairs and redevelopment.

There are more than one million seniors cur-rently within the guidelines for “worst-case housing needs” and increasingly more seniors are falling below the poverty level, according to research from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

And the experience wasn’t just a chance to support res-idents – but an opportunity for legislators to learn about the value of older adults in their communities as well.

“For the legislators, it’s an appeal for them to un-derstand that our seniors are a very great resource for our state,” says Ancel Romero, ABHOW’s senior vice president of affordable housing. “They’ve worked really hard all of their lives, and their need of this valuable assistance is merely one thing. To have seniors engaged

Residents Advocate for Affordable Housing FundsDoris Pitts consid-

ers her home, Allen Temple Arms, to be a miracle. And she wants others to experience that miracle, too.

“I don’t know what would have happened had they not allowed me to move here,” she says. “I didn’t have enough money to eat or pay rent.”

That’s why Pitts, together with more than 100 residents, rallied for the 4th Annual Affordable Housing Resident Advocacy Day in Sacramento, Calif.

The event, led by LeadingAge California, included ABHOW residents from San Leandro’s Broadmoor Plaza, Oakland’s Allen Temple Arms I and II and Livermore’s Vineyard Village who shared their emo-tional, real-life stories with state legislators. They were joined by residents from Christian Church Homes of Northern Calif., PEP Housing, Southern California Methodist Retirement Foundation and the Albert Einstein Residence Center.

“It’s so empowering for them and for their confi-dence,” says Donna Griggs-Murphy, Allen Temple Arms’ resident services coordinator. “They feel like they’re actually part of the process — they’re not just receiving help, they’re actually involved in saving, strengthening and making affordable housing even stronger.”

Participants’ efforts to garner legislative support for affordable housing funding proved successful. The state

More than 100 residents came together to support the 4th Annual Affordable Housing Resident Advocacy Day.

Continued on page 7

ABHOW WordsSharing Our Stories AUGUST 2014 5

Learning Through Intergenerational ExchangeEvery week, teams of mothers

and their teenage daughters volun-teer to help residents complete craft projects at The Lodge at The Terraces of Phoenix.

This intergenerational group has formed a special connection, and although the residents enjoy the assis-tance and companionship, both volunteers and seniors say they benefit from the exchange.

During each two-hour Saturday Spectacular, four mother-daughter teams from the National Charity League (NCL), a nonprofit volunteer orga-nization, set up crafts and help residents complete projects to beautify the community, explains the community’s activities co-ordinator, Mat Steinbauer.

The craft projects, which include paint-ing wooden stars for the Fourth of July or decorating knick-knack boxes to fill with candy, are useful and give residents a sense of pride when on display in the community, says Steinbauer. The group also donates some of the fin-ished crafts to other local senior communities and to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

“There’s such a bond that develops between the girls and the residents,” says Mary Heiland, philanthropy li-

aison for the local Moon Valley chapter of the NCL. “A lot of the girls don’t have grandparents in their lives.”

But the real magic of the day occurs during the free-flowing conversations between the residents and the teenagers, who are in seventh to twelfth grade. Topics range from life stories and current events, to what everyone had for lunch and, of course, girl talk.

“It’s a learning atmosphere for the girls, almost like a history lesson. Girls get a perspective on life,” Heiland says.

Bobbi Rapp, a resi-dent at The Lodge, enjoys sharing her experiences with the girls during the Saturday Spectacular, telling stories of when she was a young girl in New Jersey.

“I swam in the ocean, rollerskated down the boardwalk and played stick ball with my friends,” she says. Rapp tells the girls to be creative with what resources they have,

and not to depend on today’s technology. “I wanted them to know there were other things,” she says.

Intergenerational programs can significantly benefit not just residents, but also young volunteers. Studies from Generations United, an organization that pro-motes intergenerational relationships, show that when older and younger people interact regularly, older

Continued on page 7

Resident Connie Royston and National Charity League volunteer Dominique Krzykos present their craft project.

ABHOW WordsSharing Our Stories AUGUST 2014 6

Citizen Scientists Conduct Community ResearchWe think of scientists as special-

ists who wear white coats and study chemicals in laboratories, but any-one can conduct scientific research to improve their community and quality of life.

Just ask residents at Rotary Plaza in South San Francisco. Referred to as citizen scientists, these resident “researchers” used the Stanford Healthy Neighborhood Discovery Tool, a tablet-based mobile application, to record audio and photos as they traveled around their neighbor-hoods and shopped for grocer-ies. They explored the barri-ers that prevented them from accessing, choosing and buying healthy food through the Food Environment Assessment using the Stanford Tool (FEAST) Study.

Twenty-three people, in-cluding a handful of Rotary Plaza residents, participated in the study with the help of two post-doctoral researchers, Drs. Jylana Sheats and Sandra Winter. Sheats and Winter are researchers with the Healthy Aging Research and Technology Solutions (HARTS) laboratory, which is part of the Stanford Prevention Research Center at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Abby King, a faculty member at Stanford University, directed the research. The study was funded by the San Mateo County Health System’s Get Healthy San Mateo County initiative, which en-

courages physical activity and reduces obesity and other health risks.

“We developed the Stanford Healthy Neighborhood Discovery Tool as an innovative, yet simple, way for com-munity members to collect and share information about their neighborhood,” Sheats says. “The FEAST study fo-cused on identifying features of their neighborhood that make it easy or difficult for them to find healthy choices.”

Sheats and Winter taught the residents to photograph and describe the environments they traveled to get to their favorite food store or shopping center. The citi-

zen scientists also made audio recordings, using the Discovery Tool, about their decisions to purchase specific items. Cost and transportation were two commonly cited barriers to healthy living, the residents said.

It takes Rotary Plaza resident Rebecca Montenegro, 83, 20 min-utes to walk to her favorite store. There are closer shops, she says, but they are more expensive and don’t stock the variety of food she needs.

“I went to the store that has my ethnic food,” says Montenegro, who grew up in Venezuela. “I took lots of pic-tures with the tablet as I walked around and while I shopped.”

Broken sidewalks, poor lighting at night, and limited public transportation make the journey especially dif-ficult for Montenegro, who has arthritis. Other barriers that prevent older adults from making healthy decisions include widespread availability of unhealthy options,

Rotary Plaza resident Rebecca Montenegro shares her research findings from the Feast Study.

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ABHOW WordsSharing Our Stories AUGUST 2014 7

Phyllis Stuewig: A Life of Vision and Gusto Continued from page 3

Citizen Scientists Conduct Community Research Continued from page 6

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Although Stuewig retired in 1999 to care for her husband, Bob, also a former ABHOW executive, she returned to ABHOW as a board member in 2007 to continue her work until her death.

Throughout her career, Stuewig sought to bring out the best in those around her, Kallander says. “She was simply remarkable,” she adds.

A memorial service for Stuewig was held on July 17 in Bend, Ore.

Residents Advocate for Affordable Housing Funds Continued from page 4

Learning Through Intergenerational Exchange Continued from page 5

in vibrant communities in this stage of their lives, what they can give back to their communi-ties, the state and to the country is immeasurable given their various experiences and wisdom.”

For Pitts, the opportunity meant doing her part to help affordable housing residents – and to give thanks.

“The Oakland community is just so marvel-ous for me,” she says. “The people are just like family, and it’s just beautiful.”

adults experience decreased isolation, stimulated learning and increased emotional support. Youth vol-unteers in turn increase their social skills and sense of stability, and decrease negative behavior.

These benefits are evident at the Saturday Spectacular, where residents thrive from the interac-tion and leave a lasting impression on young lives.

poor customer service, and physical impair-ments, such as vision loss.

After gathering their data, the citizen scientists hosted a forum where they shared their findings with each other and community-based organiza-tions, such as food banks.

In addition to the research, Sheats and Winter were impressed that older adults were eager to use tablets and computers to share their stories.

“With training and encouragement, they can use technology and enjoy doing it,” Winter says. “They felt empowered during this study.”

Montenegro appreciates the opportunity to do research and learn more about her environment.

“We’re older, but it’s still important to maintain our health by eating better,” she says. “Living on a fixed income, you learn to stretch every dollar.”

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ABHOW WordsSharing Our Stories AUGUST 2014 8

ABHOW, National and State Websites: ABHOW: abhow.com LeadingAge: leadingage.org LeadingAge Arizona: agingservicesofaz.orgLeadingAge California: aging.orgLeadingAge Washington: agingwa.org

“American Baptist Homes of the West, as an expression of Christian mission, seeks to enhance the independence, well-being

and security of older people through the provision of housing, health care and supportive services.”

Published by the Strategic Planning and Communications Department, Kay Kallander, Senior Vice President, e-mail kkallander@abhow.com

6120 Stoneridge Mall Rd., 3rd Floor, Pleasanton, CA 94588 phone: 1-925-924-7150 toll-free: 1-800-222-2469 fax: 1-925-924-7232

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Golfing to Support a Great CauseMark your calendars for the 18th

Annual ABHOW Foundation Golf Classic at the Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, Calif., on Oct. 27!

Blackhawk, the area’s premier golf location, features two 18-hole, par-72 courses with a background of rolling hills and open space.

ABHOW team members, residents and board members are hard at work recruit-ing participants. More than 30 team members are expected to volunteer for the Annual Golf Classic, which serves as the Foundation’s main fundraiser for the Affordable Housing Assistance Grant Fund.

“We are continuously thankful for all the spon-sors, participants and ABHOW team members who make the Golf Classic a fantastic event,” says ABHOW Foundation President Joe Anderson. “The tournament helps ensure that residents enjoy life and not just a place to live.”

The event, which began in 1997, has netted more than $1 million to support ABHOW’s 33 affordable housing communities. Proceeds from the tournament help pay for amenities that improve the quality of life for residents.

The Foundation is offering sponsor-ship and donation opportunities to those who want to join in now. You can also get involved by bidding on fine wines, trips, au-tographed memorabilia, golf outings, hotel packages, attractions and more. Non-golfers are invited to enjoy the reception, auction and dinner. They can also take advantage

of an all-day spa package at the Claremont Resort & Spa in nearby Berkeley.

John Naber, a five-time Olympic swimming medal-ist, will return as guest speaker and emcee.

Register for the Golf Classic today at www.abhow.com/golf. To learn more about sponsorship opportuni-ties, contact organizer Helen Mendel at 510-506-1874 or by email at hmendel@aol.com.