January 2011
Dear Family and Friends,
We begin the new year with great confidence and faith that God will continue to walk this journey of loving service with us. We experience God’s loving Presence in each of you who believe so generously in our mission. Each day we have proof of God’s goodness to us through you, His people.
The past six months have been busy ones integrating fifty-four new residents and their families into our residential services. I am amazed at how quickly most of our newcomers have adjusted to being away from their own homes. This is truly living witness to the excellent quality of our staff. They treat every resident and his or her family as unique individuals who are adjusting to a new beginning in their lives and must be listened to with compassion and openness. As a result of the staff’s loving and competent approach, the residents are happy, the families are grateful and comfortable, and Misericordia continues to be a “second home” for more than 600 residents.
Yes, we are big! And for some very vocal advocates this means we are unable to provide a normal and life-giving environment for our people. Anyone who visits us and meets our residents and staff would challenge this theory that “big is always bad.” What is one of the most successful businesses in our modern day society? Is it not services for seniors which provide three stages of living opportunities – independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing services? This gives seniors and their families a true sense of security and they are willing and ready to invest financially to obtain such services. And these facilities, too, are big! Why is this appropriate for seniors and not for persons with special needs?
Misericordia is one of the few agencies that do offer a full continuum of care from skilled nursing to seven homes in the neighborhoods. This has enabled us to maintain services for individuals who have lived in our isolated houses in the neighborhood but now require care in our skilled nursing home because their needs have changed radically. Presently, we have four individuals who fit into this category of changing needs. But what if we had forty persons in need?
We recognize that as our residents age they will require more care. We began as a children’s home and in 1983, we accepted our first young adults. They are now middle aged and some are aging faster than the so-called normal population. We never intend to become a strictly geriatric home because we have much to offer the younger population of persons with developmental disabilities. But we are asking if we can and should try to do more for our aging population.
As I’ve said many times, we are believers and we hold very strongly that God is the captain of our ship and continues to steer us on the right course. Would you not agree we received a message from the Lord through our good and generous friend, Marie Quinlan? Marie was a member of our Women’s Board and last year went home to God at the revered age of 99 years. She loved Misericordia and left in her will a very generous gift for providing services for our aging residents. Was this not a clear message from the Lord using Marie as His instrument?
Looking at the possibility of providing additional services for the aging will be one of our priorities for this year. When we must work within the government bureaucracy, nothing is simple. We can construct buildings but we must know whether operating funds from the government will be available. We also must face the reality that when we expand to reach out to more people in need, our own deficit (difference between what it costs us to operate and what the government pays) increases drastically. Getting the buildings licensed is another challenge.
I know the need is great for services for the aging. I do believe the government will be confronted with major problems when many of the people with disabilities now living in isolated houses can no longer be maintained there because of changing needs. You rarely hear any of the advocates who believe there is only one way to serve this population planning for this reality. Thus, this new year with its many demands will be a challenging one. Yet we approach these challenges with great confidence. We’re doing God’s work and you, His people, have shown us in so many generous and loving ways how much you believe in us. What more could we ask except for your prayers? Thank you and God’s blessings on you and yours.
Sincerely,
Sister Rosemary