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by Melanie Jongsma, Director of Communications
The day before his Honor Flight, Eugene "Bud" Lamy of Victorian Village poses with his photo album of experiences as a World War II mechanic.
Eugene “Bud” Lamy wasn’t expecting the phone call, but he was glad to receive it. Honor Flight Chicago had accepted his application — and he didn’t even know he had applied!
A 92-year-old resident of Victorian Village (the Providence Life Services community in Homer Glen, Illinois), Bud is a veteran of World War II — he served in the Air Force as a mechanic. It was his daughter-in-law Joan who submitted an Honor Flight application on his behalf. She had witnessed an Honor Flight homecoming at Midway Airport, and she was so moved by the experience, she stopped one of the group escorts to request information.
Honor Flight Chicago was founded to recognize Chicago-area veterans — especially WWII veterans — by arranging an escorted, one-day trip to Washington, D.C., where they tour the war memorials and monuments.
Bud was not drafted for WWII. He enlisted because, as he says, “It felt like the right thing to do.” His wife understood the calling he felt, and she supported him by staying home and caring for their six-month-old son.
A lifelong Chicagoan, Bud built and flew planes as a youngster, and he loved riding his bike from Chicago’s south side to Midway Airport to watch the crews work on the planes. “It was different back then,” he recalls. “Not all the security fences and other barriers. We could be right there. The crew members would have these big box lunches, and they would offer us something to eat, and we could talk with them about the planes.”
Those boyhood influences equipped Bud to serve as a mechanic on B29 bombers and B24s. He was stationed on Guam for approximately a year, where, in addition to his mechanic duties, he sometimes volunteered as a crew member on flights to Japan. He has clear memories of preparing large platforms of supplies, food, and water that were parachuted to the soldiers and civilians in Japan when the war ended.
So on Tuesday, August 24, Bud left Victorian Village at 4:00am for Midway Airport. Photos posted to Honor Flight Chicago’s Gallery show the group visiting the World War II Memorial, the Marine Corps Memorial (Iwo Jima), the Air and Space Museum, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. The group also received honors from the Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department, and they were welcomed and saluted by schoolchildren, family members, and active military personnel from several branches.
“It was one of the most exciting days of my life,” says Bud about his trip. “I had never felt like I was a hero; I was just doing my duty. But the welcome I got that day was even more than what we got when we returned home after the war. It was touching. I was glad I got to go.”
by Melanie Jongsma, Director of Communications
“Visionary.” “Cutting-edge.” “Technologically savvy.” These are not usually the first phrases used when someone is describing a senior living community. More often, the people we serve want to be assured of tradition, familiarity, and community.
But Providence Life Services believes that visionary technology and traditional community do not have to be an either/or choice. Instead, we are using technology to enhance community.
For example, all of our locations — retirement living, assisted living, and skilled nursing — have a Facebook page. Staff at each location post news and photos that give people a sense of what life is like at that community. Birthday parties, Wii tournaments, chapel services, visits from local legislators — all these and more are highlighted.
Families are loving it.
“Wow!! This site is great,” wrote one family member on the Royal Park Place Facebook page. “Now I can talk to my father-in-law about the pictures we have seen, since we live in Florida and have not been [to his retirement community] yet.”
A young family in San Antonio, Texas, has used the Village Woods Facebook page to keep in touch with their grandmother, Helen. Via Facebook they have shared photos of their involvement in a 5K race to raise money for the American Lung Association, announced the upcoming arrival of Helen’s 100th grandchild, and posted photos of their three dogs. Village Woods staff print the family’s photos and announcements and deliver them to Helen, who loves being connected across the country this way.
Families are also using Facebook to express appreciation for the Providence staff who faithfully care for the residents. During National Nurses Week, our pages were filled with comments like this one from a Holland Home family member:
“My mom lives on the second floor. Any time she has needed more care, the nurses at Holland Home have been so wonderful…!!!! Everyone there is so nice…and it is so comforting to know that my mom is in such a caring place. She just loves it there. And I want to say Thank You all for what you do. It is so important, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Providence is even beginning to attract the attention of other senior living experts who want to understand the thinking behind our use of Facebook and other social media. Debra Sheridan, President of IVY Marketing, a consulting firm that specializes in the senior living industry, posted this article about Providence several weeks ago. And our participation in a “Social Media Insights” panel gave us an opportunity to help other retirement communities who are unsure about how to use tools like Facebook, blogging, Twitter, and YouTube.
Want to find us on Facebook? The links to all of our communities are included below. We hope you’ll “like” our pages, and interact with the information and photos we post. After all, that kind of interaction is what real community is all about!
In fact, if you have a favorite Providence community, forward its Facebook link to all your friends, and see which community can attract the most “likes”!
Find us on Facebook:
Providence Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center
• of Downers Grove
• of Palos Heights
• of South Holland
• of Zeeland
Providence Life Services (corporate office)
by Melanie Jongsma, Director of Communications
This week, Illinois Senator Christine Radogno, the Senate Minority Leader, visited Victorian Village, our Retirement and Assisted Living community in Homer Glen, Illinois. She spent about 30 minutes addressing the residents and staff who had gathered in the Fireside Room. The 8-minute video below captures the highlights of her presentation, which followed this basic outline:
Three big issues for Illinois government this year:
1. Ethics reform
• Contract reform
• Transparency measures
• Campaign finance limits
2. Capital bill (money for capital improvements)
• Raising the tax on alcohol
• Raising driver’s license fees
• Taxing video gambling
3. Budget crisis
• Two proposed solutions: “We need more money, so raise taxes” or “We need to spend what we have more efficiently”
• Actual solution: a combination of the two
My impression was that Senator Radogno seems genuinely responsive to her constituents. She was well prepared for her presentation at Victorian Village, and very willing to spend as much time as necessary answering questions. She also complimented Providence on our political involvement — we work with AAHSA, LSN, and other agencies to make sure our government is aware of the needs of our senior population. It was nice to have this opportunity to see our government interacting with Providence people!
What about you? What senior issues do you think Senator Radogno should focus on in 2010?
by Melanie Jongsma, Director of Communications
“Your world stops,” says Rick Molenhouse. “You hear the word ‘leukemia,’ and all you know is, it’s bad.”
Rick (pictured here with his family, in a photo by Advocate) is the Community Manager at Victorian Village, the Providence retirement and assisted living community in Homer Glen, Illinois. He and his family have traveled a 10-year cancer journey that started when son Logan was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two. His experiences with the healthcare system, with life-and-death decisions, with kindnesses that go a long way to relieve fears — all this has made him a sensitive and sympathetic leader. “I never asked for this trial,” he says about Logan’s illness, “but I like to think I’m using it to become a better person. God can bring good things out of dark circumstances.”
Some of these “good things” recently took the family completely by surprise. Logan’s story was featured in the Fall 2009 issue of Powerful Medicine, Compassionate Care, the newsletter of Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital, where Logan receives treatments. “Since the article was published” says Rick, “we have had lots of people comment on this in a very positive way. People have been encouraged and inspired. It’s heartwarming.”
As it turns out, the Advocate article, which highlighted Logan’s interest in hockey and his love of the Chicago Blackhawks, made its way all the way to the front office of the Chicago Blackhawks. Rick explains:
“The National Hockey League has a ‘Hockey Fights Cancer Awareness Night’ going on at this Saturday’s home game. Well, when the Hawks read the article about Logan, they recognized he is a true fan! They invited Logan to the game as their honored guest. They also provided him with a suite and tickets for his family and friends. As awesome as that is, it’s still not the best part —they also asked him to do the ceremonial puck drop! Normally this is reserved for celebrities, former prominent Hawk players, VIPs, etc. Logan will get to walk out on the ice just before the game starts in front of probably around 21-22,000 fans and meet the captains of both teams, do a ceremonial puck drop with these two professional hockey players, and shake their hands!”
Yesterday the Blackhawks issued a news release about Logan’s involvement with Hockey Fights Cancer, and Rick shared the exciting news with Providence staff. It’s clear he’s proud of his son, and thrilled that the whole family will have an opportunity to celebrate their victory over cancer.
Want to catch the action? The game airs on Chicago’s WGN TV this Saturday, October 24, 2009, at 7:30pm. Whether you’re able to watch the game or not, feel free to email the Molenhouse family your best wishes at molenhouse@provlife.com!
Glimpses of Providence 