Alpaca Visits Homewood
Homewood at Frederick
Molly Weber, Student Volunteer
An alpaca was brought by Lynn Cherish to Homewood recently. “Everlast”,
a six month old, chestnut-colored alpaca, roamed the outdoor patio area at the
Meadows, charming residents with his fuzzy fur and sweet
personality. Meanwhile, his keeper Lynn Cherish, who owns thirty-four
alpacas at her farm, gave various facts about alpacas:
 Alpacas are extremely smart and have an incredible memory
 They are “head shy” (meaning they prefer to be petted on their neck,
back, or tail)
 When their tail is up, it means they are submissive
 Alpacas are originally from the Andes
Mountains in South America
(Bolivia, Peru, and Chile)
 Years ago, only the elite wore alpaca fur
because of its extremely soft texture
 They live outdoors but dislike wind
 When an alpaca sits down, it is called “cushing”
 There are 22 natural color varieties in alpacas
Lynn Cherish also sheers the alpacas, sending the wool to the mill to be turned into
yarn. She sells this to pay for the alpacas’ care.
Gift Certificates for the Beauty Shop make wonderful Mother’s Day gifts!
7407 WILLOW ROAD
FREDERICK, MD 21702
Contact us at (301) 644-5600
www.Homewood.com
May 2015
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
A Newsletter For Our Residents and Their Families
MEET DR. ABBAS,
Homewood’s New Medical Director
Molly Weber, Student Volunteer
Recently, Homewood gained a new Medical Director in the
friendly face of Dr. Ghulam Abbas, M.D., who joined the
staff on March 2, 2015. “It’s been pleasant. The residents
are extremely nice,” he said, describing his new patients. He
also appreciates the avid readers of Homewood.
His job requires leadership and oversight of the other
medical staff.
“I’m responsible for everybody’s
welfare. The buck stops here,” he said. The specifics of the
job include reviewing charts, consulting with residents’
family members, and reducing the number of medications
patients are taking in order to eliminate unnecessary
drugging. He also works to focus on non- pharmaceutical intervention, such as exercise and
physical therapy. One of his goals is to keep a team attitude. According to the doctor, “I don’t go
alone. I take a team approach.”
Dr. Abbas comes from a background of higher education and 10 years of practice in the United
States since he emigrated from Pakistan in 1994, when he arrived at the JFK Airport in New York
City. “Even before coming here, I was a full-fledged practicing physician.” He explained that he
had to recertify once arriving in the U.S. He attended the University of Miami for one year and
then the University of Michigan for two years. Dr. Abbas did his postgraduate work (fellowship) at
Syracuse University and then returned to a fellowship in Infection Control at the University of
Miami. He has a special interest in geriatrics and has also worked with at least five different
nursing facilities before joining Homewood.
Dr. Abbas, who speaks four languages (English, Punjabi, Pakistani and Spanish), enjoys the rural
setting of his home in Carroll County, where he lives with his wife, two daughters and one son. He
is an avid student of history and is eager to discuss it with other history buffs around Homewood.
Nichols’ Notes
Eric T. Nichols,
Executive Director
As we turn the monthly pages to May, our campus to the west is taking shape with the Lodge
Apartments and Community Center rising up out of the field. This impressive looking building is
just about under roof. As I write this, the Community Center section of the building has shingles on
it; the south apartment wing (the wing parallel to Willow Road) is getting shingles placed on it; and
the north apartment wing has the roof trusses and rafters going onto the fourth floor. Inside the
building is a maze of wood studding waiting for the drywall to be placed onto it. The mechanical,
electrical and plumbing work has begun and needs to be completed before the drywall can be hung.
The swimming pool area is being dug out and work is beginning on the pool.
In the next few weeks the work will begin on the outside of the building with the various brick,
stone and vinyl finishes. There is still a lot of work to be done on this 270,000 square-foot building
but what we can see so far is looking very good. Work continues with the infrastructure on that
section of the Willow Ponds campus. Sewer and water lines are being placed in what will someday
be the Pearson Boulevard and Homewood Circle roads. A spokesperson for Wagman’s, the
contractor, says that there is typically a workforce of 250-plus working on the building and
infrastructure projects during the weekdays. Please be mindful that it is a work zone and do not
enter this area of our campus at any time. If persons stand at the intersection of Angell Avenue and
Pearson Boulevard, they can get a good imaginative view at what it will look like as one travels
Pearson Boulevard towards the Lodge when this roadway is completed late this year or early next.
The Friendship Circle
Cathy Stull, Volunteer Coordinator
A number of new volunteers have joined the Homewood Friendship Circle and are getting
acquainted with their new Healthcare Center friends and neighbors. Some in the group have
completed their new volunteer orientation in the Volunteer Office and have spent time with Activity
staff members, and meet and get to know the residents that they will visit each week.
The Friendship Circle at Homewood was formed about five years ago and consists of volunteers
who are willing to commit at least one friendly visit a week with a Healthcare Center
resident. These volunteers also remember their residents’ birthdays and other special days, and
often times can be seen taking walks or visiting in the Cafe with their residents. Happily, some
resident/volunteer teams have found that they were former neighbors in Independent Living, and
some have found that they have family and friends in common prior to moving to
Homewood. Some members of the Friendship Circle have tails that wag…pet visitors and their
human families.
The Friendship Circle always seeks additional volunteers (human and canine) to enhance the lives
of residents. Interested people and dogs are encouraged to contact the Homewood Volunteer office
for more information.
Homewood at Frederick’s annual golf tournament is next month on June 10 at the Glade Valley Golf
Club. As I write this column, we have raised over $25,000. Our top golf tournament was a few
years ago when we grossed over $42,000. Our goal is to top that number this year. There are tee
and golf cart sponsorships available. The money raised from this year’s tournament will be used to
assist the campus in purchasing a bus.
New Current Events Discussion Leader
Lunch & Learn:
Upcoming Topics Tentatively Scheduled for the second Monday of each month
May 11 - Pharmacy and Medications in the HCC
June 8 – How to Prevent Re-Hospitalization
Remember to sign up at the Reception Desk. Family members are welcome.
Cathy Stull
Otts Kassakaris extends a personal invitation to all Homewood residents to meet with him and the
Current Events Discussion Group on Wednesday mornings, beginning May 6, at 11:00 am in the
AL Garden View Room. A cup of coffee and an open-minded look at today’s and yesterday’s
news is a great way to meet the middle of the week.
Otts joined the Homewood volunteer team in 2009. During all of these years he has served as a
volunteer escort for a wide variety of activities, and has faithfully delivered the mail every Friday. Otts retired from Baltimore Gas and Electric Company after a career of over 40 years. He
and his wife Pat live in the Frederick community.
Volunteer Appreciaiton Lunchoen
Molly Weber, Student Volunteer
On April 15, Homewood hosted over 200 volunteers at the Annual Volunteer Luncheon. Guests
began lining up over two hours in advance in anticipation of the event. Representatives of all the
departments at Homewood attended, costumed in keeping with the “All That Jazz” theme.
including nursing, activities, housekeeping, maintenance, etc., the women in “flapper” style
shimmering dresses adorned with jewels and feather boas, and the men in “gangsta” style attire.
At 11:45, attendees were handed door prize tickets and escorted into the dining room which was
decorated with balloons, party favors and other jazz style decorations. They were then introduced
to the staff present and heard a brief message from Executive Director Eric Nichols.
 Last year, 378 volunteers worked as Sunshine Readers, choir members, escorts and many, many
other very important tasks!
 They worked a combined total of 51,984 hours—the highest number of volunteer hours ever for
Homewood! This calculates to an equivalent value of over three million dollars!
Quilts for Project Linus
Our current Homewood Art Gallery display tis on loan from Carol
Schuhardt, Cottage #32. Carol has been making quilts for the Linus
project for many years. The Linus project has been providing security
through blankets to seriously ill and traumatized children for over 20
years.
Charles Schultz approved use of his lovable Linus character from Peanuts as a logo for this
project.
Afterwards, while being treated to a delicious meal of shrimp, pasta and mousse, attendees enjoyed
jazz music by the Connie Guy Jazz Band. As the meal finished, 20 door prizes were called,
including gift certificates to Coldstone Creamery, Giant Food and others.
All guests
enthusiastically applauded the staff and the luncheon.
According to Robert Broadup, who regularly visits Meadows residents, volunteering at
Homewood is more than worth it; he especially enjoys hearing the stories and wealth of
information others have to share, and seeing their faces light up. Dottie Carmody, a long-time
volunteer, as well as Linda Broadrup, explained that their favorite volunteer activity was
participating in the Sunshine Readers at Brunswick Elementary School. Several volunteers
explained that one reason they loved to volunteer was that it helped them cultivate new friendships
across the campus; but all agreed that the motivations were endless, and that it is always worth it in
the end (with lots of fun
MARTHA THOMAS
Molly Weber, Student Volunteer
The quilt display in our Homewood Art Gallery sparked a memory for Assisted Living resident
Martha Thomas.
Twenty years ago, a friend of Martha Thomas suggested they make wall hangings for Homewood
(then located in Downtown Frederick). They made over 20 projects over a span of two years, and
Miss Thomas, became hooked on quilting. She went on to make blankets and wall hangings. As
an assisted living resident, Miss Thomas has only lived at Homewood for less than a year, but her
volunteer work dates back almost a quarter of a century. When Homewood was downtown, she
volunteered in the mending room for several summers, around her job as a second grade teacher in
Frederick County Public Schools.
A native of the County, she explains that she greatly enjoyed sewing—from quilts to clothes—(in
addition to working as an organist for many years) until her eyes gave out several years after
retiring. She is now considered legally blind but still keeps busy by working outside and
exercising. “I enjoy being here,” she says, “especially because there are many other teachers at
Homewood.”
JOTTINGS
“April, April, laugh thy girlish laughter,
then, the moment after,
Weep thy girlish tears.”
Those lines, written by the poet William Watson, more than a hundred years ago, popped into my
mind one very early morning in April when the month seemed to be laughing and weeping as she
played some April foolery tricks. Woodlands residents had trouble figuring out the weather that
morning because they couldn’t tell whether it was raining or snowing. (raindrops were the girlish
tears and snowflakes flitting around between those drops were the laughter.) There was an air of
mystery and gloom. It all changed for me when Nursing Assistant Stacey marched into my
apartment and demanded an arm and a leg. OMG - was she sent here by the IRS to collect some
overdue payment? It seemed as if a melodrama was about to unfold before our eyes. However, all
was cleared up quickly, and we found there was no drama. Stacey wanted access to my arm
simply to check my blood pressure, and the leg? Actually, she wanted to put compression
stockings on both legs - a job which she and other members of the Woodlands nursing staff do for
residents who need them, every morning. If you think that putting on those stockings is an easy
job, try it sometime. So there we were - starting another routine day with almost – but not quite a morning melodrama.
The stockings are prescribed for residents with certain health problems. And, speaking of health
problems, Avadna Coghill told me about a woman who said she had discovered the cause for all
of our aches and pains and losses (hair, teeth, vision, hearing, memory, taste, etc.) So, what is the
cause? It is, according to this woman, that we are all having too many birthdays! Can someone
figure out a cure?
It is not a good idea to keep important information written down on little pieces of paper. They
have a way of disappearing. Usually you run across them, sooner or later, when you no longer
need them. At this point in our conversation, Julie opened her purse to show me a stack of them
that had accumulated during a three day period.
If you notice our dog alert and if you do not wish to read about Charlotte Morgan’s
watchdog, skip this paragraph.
That dog was adorned with bunny ears on Easter; however, they did not have the soft
pink lining that one would expect. Instead, they were lined with bright and shiny green. Sitting
on the floor in front of him was a dish filled with Easter eggs. These were also green – probably
to match the ears.
M.K. Kidder
Chaplains’ Corner
Chaplain Suzanne Morris
Please note: The April 2015 “Chaplain’s Corner” was written by Chaplain Shelley Weakly but
her last name was misspelled. The CHATTER regrets the error.
May is the month when we celebrate Mother’s Day. Some churches continue the tradition of
hosting Mother-Daughter dinners and other special events. Others have decided to expand their
celebration to include all women.
Throughout history women have played nurturing roles of many kinds. Who have been the
important women in your life? Certainly our moms may top the list, but there are undoubtedly
other women who have guided and supported us on our life’s journey. Maybe it was a teacher
who believed in you when you doubted your abilities. Perhaps a scout leader, coach or choir
director encouraged you to dream large and pursue your goals. Friends, sisters, pastors and coworkers stood beside you in trying times and joy-filled ones as well.
The Bible tells the stories of many faithful women who continue to challenge and inspire us
today. They teach us to trust God and make ourselves available to be agents of God’s grace and
love.
On Mother’s Day or any day this month, why not take a moment to send a note to a special
woman in your life? Lift up a prayer of thanksgiving for all the gifts women bring to the world.
Keep the memory alive of a woman who has made a difference in your life by making a donation
to a charity of your choice. The Homewood Foundation is a great way to honor mothers,
grandmothers, daughters and others.
Reflecting on Genuflecting
MKKidder
It all started two or three months ago in the Woodlands dining room. Helen Piepoli and
Elizabeth Mark two comely women, have been stopping briefly at one of the tables they pass on
the way to their own places. One day, the resident sitting alone at that table explained to Helen
why she was putting her hand in sort of a salute on her forehead. “It’s because, she said, “you are
so tall, at least you look tall to me, and I am so short. So I had to look straight up to get a view of
your face.” She sympathized, though she did not revamp the ceiling light arrangement which was
causing the trouble She did the next best thing. She bent her knee to bring her face to a lower
level. She continued to do this every time she passed the table. Elizabeth had been following
Helen and said later that she assumed this was some sort of local custom, so she began doing the
same thing. So, now the Woodlands had two people bending a knee as they passed the table.
After that the word genuflecting was heard here and there in the dining room. Then came
questions. Who sits there? Who is she? Why are they genuflecting? Why indeed?!