Apr 09,2019 |
Carl De Vries first stained glass project was far from simple. It was a depiction of the northern lights, approximately 2’ by 4’, that featured multi-colored bands of lights cascading from the sky. He likes to ask, “Why start small?” Carl recalls, “I drew a pattern, cut it out, and traced it onto the…
Apr 04,2019 |
Meeting Bob and Dolly Jewell is like catching up with old friends; hugs are exchanged, and the conversation is lively. They banter and tell stories. Laughter is a guarantee. Bob and Dolly both grew up in challenging circumstances, and when asked what allowed them to rise above, Dolly refers to a piece of paper, held…
Apr 02,2019 |
In retrospect, the following things helped us through this journey: Having the legal documents completed while Rayanna was still herself. This included her Last Will and Testament, Durable Power of Attorney and Patient Advocate document. Getting another person as a signatory on her bank accounts was also very important as it allowed someone else to…
Mar 30,2019 |
Over the next year, we continued our regular discussions with staff at Waterford Place trying to determine if and when was the right time to make a move to assisted living. We had three concerns about Rayanna: that she was safe, comfortable, and happy. Safety was the primary concern. There had been phone calls during…
Mar 29,2019 |
Rayanna lived comfortably in the Independent Living wing for about seven years. We, as her closest family members, started to see indications of dementia beginning in early 2016. It started very subtly; not following the right directions on the car drive, misplacing common everyday items, mixing up dates and times of appointments. We started to…
Mar 28,2019 |
After Rayanna’s husband’s passing in 1998, she considered the options of moving near family members in Livonia, MI or Grand Rapids, MI. She had been married to her husband, Harry, for almost 49 years and had spent the last 22 years in Traverse City. Harry had been in the care of Hospice for over two…
Mar 21,2019 |
At Brookcrest, we genuinely love what we do. My coworkers and I really know what it means to do great work. We pride ourselves in the care we provide to our residents, and we want the very best for them. Here are a few reasons why I, and others who work at Brookcrest, love it…
Mar 19,2019 |
When a resident found out that Melissa Ohm, Vice President of Human Resources at Sunset Retirement Communities, loves to bake, she regularly stopped by to share recipes. “What I was amazed about is she wouldn’t hand me a piece of paper, she would just rattle them off,” said Melissa. “She could just tell me it…
Mar 14,2019 |
For one couple sitting in the audience of the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s production of “Mamma Mia!,” it was more than just a date night, it was a celebration of a love worth wishing for. Thanks to the support of the Sunset Legacy Foundation’s “Silver Bucket List,” Bernie Doublestein, a current patient at Emmanuel Hospice,…
Mar 11,2019 |
February is often known as a month of celebrations and holidays. Everything from Presidents’ birthdays, Valentine’s Day, and even National Chili Day! However, February is also an important month to celebrate a profession within the medical field. February is also National Recreation Therapy Month. You might wonder to yourself, “What exactly is Recreation Therapy?” Recreation…