The Trilogy Difference

Never Too Late

Touring Lucas Oil Stadium

7/28/2009

Last summer when they were getting ready to open the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Virgil Charlton's daughter told one a staff members at Glen Oaks Health Campus that he would really like to see it. Virgil is a very quiet man, so for him to say anything about going anywhere was something big! The campus staff tried last summer to grant him the wish but were unable to reach officials at Lucas Oil Stadium. One day they asked one of his daughters if Virgil would still like to see the Stadium. He told her he would. So the campus contacted Bob Haverstick at Never Too Late. Bob contacted the Stadium, and a tour was arranged for Virgil’s 98th birthday on May 29th.

Virgil got to see Lucas Oil Stadium from top to bottom. He saw the press box, all the suites, the Colts locker room and training room. Virgil and his family got to sit in the Stadium seats and stand on the football field. Never Too Late also arranged for lunch for everyone. I could tell this was very special to Virgil. He smiled all day and the next day too! !


Taking a Spin in a “Ragtop”
Asked how she wanted to celebrate her 100th birthday, Catherine Waninger had two requests: she wanted a bowl of turtle soup and a spin in a convertible. The Oakwood Health Campus resident got both, enjoying turtle soup with family members and friends March 22. On March 24, her actual birthday, Catherine took a ride in Oakwood employee Jerry Dixon's 1963 Corvair, cruising Main Street, taking a look at the Ohio River and driving past Wal-Mart.

"I'm not sure who had more fun, her or us," said Oakwood staffer Jan Beard, who accompanied the two.

"I'll always remember this, but why go to so much fuss?" Catherine asked after returning from her spin to a waiting tiara with flashing lights, birthday cake and roses from Tell City Mayor Barbara Ewing. The birthday gal pointed out with a laugh that Dixon's convertible was red, recalling her father's words of caution many years ago that "good girls didn't ride in red cars."

A Christmas Wish
Alice Brown a healthcare resident at Oakwood Health Campus played piano for her church before she moved into our campus. During a staff member’s dining room duty one day, Alice said that wished she was able to play for her family, church, and friends again. Alice does play at the facility at times but she said that she had been asked many times to play a Christmas recital at her church and had always refused, leaving it for the younger members.

The campus staff set about making Alice’s wish come true. They invited her family, friends, and church members, as well as staff and peers to come to the campus on Christmas Eve to hear Alice play piano. Alice had 23 family members attend and fellow church members, friends and more - a total of approximately 75 were there to hear her Christmas recital. The campus served petit fours, cheese, mints, nuts, pretzels and more to accompany Alice’s music. Campus staff even bought Alice a beautiful new outfit and presented her with a corsage. The music was beautiful.


Camping Out
The Resident Programming Department of Forest Glen Health Campus recently accompanied eight residents on an overnight trip to Buck Creek State Park. The staff reserved two cabins by the lake side, one for women and one for the men. Several volunteers and a nurse went along, as well as our four Activities staff members, three of which are nursing assistants.

We arrived about 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12th and began to unpack. Our Dietary Department sent along all the food for the trip. Soon after arriving, we made a fire. Everyone was getting hungry so we started the preparations for supper. Our supper consisted of hot dogs roasted over the fire, hamburgers, baked beans, potato salad, watermelon, fresh homemade strawberry pie and rhubarb strawberry pie.

After a fine meal, we all enjoyed gathering around the campfire, the beautiful weather, and the view of the lake. Soon it was time for our snack and we brought out all the fixings for S'mores. So we began to roast marshmallows and assembled the S'mores for all to enjoy.

Many staff and family members visited throughout the night adding to the evening fun. Everyone was very happy to see Mike Lacey, our Executive Director, who stopped by. After enjoying a wonderful evening, it was time to call it a night. Everyone was tired from all the fun!

Morning arrived and we had enough wood left to build another fire. (what's a camping trip without a fire?) Our kitchen prepared s a delicious breakfast casserole . . . so all we had to do was stick it in the oven. We all enjoyed our breakfast around the fire with hot coffee, juice or milk. We enjoyed donuts and homemade strawberry pie.

Unfortunately our check-out time arrived and it was time to head back to Forest Glen. With our bus loaded up, we were soon on the road again. I guess our residents summed it up best when the question arose, "How soon can we come back"?