Meet Pastor Hughes

Stan Hughes will be serving as our winter chaplain and attending to Lodge spiritual needs starting in January. Stan grew up in Ohio and has an extensive and diverse background. After serving 4 years in the U.S. Air Force, he earned a B.S. Degree in Finance from Ohio State University and has worked in banking and insurance.

Stan served as the elected Gallatin County Treasurer in Bozeman, Montana for 10 years before accepting a tax service company position in Phoenix in 1997. He was a featured speaker at many state and national conferences of county treasurers. While county treasurer, he earned a Master of Public Administration Degree from Montana State University. He also served as the president of a private golf club and earned a private pilot’s license.

Stan has served in a variety of church positions through the years, including being ordained as a pastor in a Baptist Church and as an elder in the Presbyterian Church. He completed over 2 years of seminary training at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Western Conservative Baptist Seminary and still plans to complete a Master of Divinity degree. He founded and ran a Bible Institute and helped found and served as president of a Christian school that currently has over 400 K-12 students. He was the Director of a Christian Ministry in the National Parks and a Park Ranger for 2 years in Glacier National Park, Montana. Most recently, he was the Pastor of Small Groups and Bookstore Manager for over two years at Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) in Peoria, AZ.

Stan and his wife Jan have been married for 41 years. They have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren with 2 more grandchildren on the way. In his spare time, Stan enjoys reading, working on the computer, playing golf and serving as an instructor with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Posse.

Girl Scouts Bring Holiday Cheer to Sun Valley Lodge

Girl Scout troop 1067 from Surprise visited the residents of Sun Valley Lodge this weekend and helped brighten the lives of many Health Care Center residents. The Scouts made tags for residents’ Christmas gifts, sang carols, and spent time visiting residents individually in their rooms.

Troop leader Stacy Valentine brought nine members of her 4th, 5th, and 6th grade group to spend time with the Lodge’s elderly residents. “This is fun for us,” Stacy said. “We think it is a blessing to be there for people who may not have many visitors this Christmas.”

Lodge residents agreed. Sun Valley Lodge Dining Manager Winifred Taylor helped oversee the event and reported that the residents were greatly touched by the visit. “I had one resident tell me she thought Christmas was finally here because the children came to visit and sing. I even saw residents smile that I have never seen smile before. This was a very warm and happy event.”

Renovation Update

We broke ground on Phase I of our campus renovation project last week. The project is expected to take five months and was started by removing some of the old, damaged trees in the front. This will open the way for new courtyards and patios.

Barbara Levy, our board president, describes our new look as “Tuscan-style.” Remodeling plans include new stucco, painting, patio treatments, renovated courtyards, and decorative fencing around the property.

Information regarding the project, including a fact sheet, is available at the front desk.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Michael Kloberdanz
Sun Valley Lodge
Phone (623) 933-0137
Fax (623) 933-5846
mike@sunvalleylodge.org
http://www.sunvalleylodge.org/


Sun Valley Lodge and Hospice of Arizona Co-Sponsor Holiday Program

Sun City, Arizona - November 19, 2007 – Sun Valley Lodge and Hospice of Arizona are co-hosting a Holiday Open House featuring guest speaker Dr. Sandra Howlett, Ed.D on Friday, November 30 at 9:30 AM at Sun Valley Lodge.

Dr. Howlett’s presentation is entitled “Making the Most of Your Holidays” and deals with emotional issues that affect families and especially the elderly during the holiday season.

Dr. Howlett specializes in bereavement education and support and is the principal of Howlett and Company Inc., a 17-year-old Phoenix-based management-development organization dedicated to improving personal and organizational performance and quality through communication, understanding and experiential education.

“This event is a service for our residents and for the community,” said Sun Valley Lodge marketing director Mike Kloberdanz. “We are very excited to work with our friends at Hospice of Arizona to provide such a high-quality speaker and program.”

The event is open to the public and refreshments will be served. For information contact the Sun Valley Lodge marketing department at (623) 933-0137.

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Board Changes at Sun Valley Lodge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Michael Kloberdanz
Sun Valley Lodge
Phone (623) 933-0137
Fax (623) 933-5846
mike@sunvalleylodge.org
http://www.sunvalleylodge.org/

Board Changes at Sun Valley Lodge

Sun City, Arizona - November 6, 2007 – Sun Valley Lodge announced that long time board member Colonel Dilmore has relinquished his seat on the Sun Valley Lodge board of directors after 11 years of service. Colonel has held officer positions for several of those eleven years. He has been the board president since October of 2005 and has also filled the roles of vice president and treasurer.

“Colonel has always been up to the challenge,” said Lodge executive director Michael Fahey. “He has been rock solid and always given the board his best. We are extremely grateful for his leadership and going to miss his guidance.”

Barbara Levy will take over as board president and John Lischer will fill the vice president seat that Barbara is vacating. Thala Taperman Rolnick will continue to serve as treasurer and Julia Ferguson will remain as Secretary.

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Sun Valley Lodge Names Director ofWellness Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Michael Kloberdanz
Sun Valley Lodge
Phone (623) 933-0137
Fax (623) 933-5846
mike@sunvalleylodge.org
www.sunvalleylodge.org

Sun Valley Lodge Names Director of Wellness Center

Sun City, Arizona - November 2, 2007– Sun Valley Lodge announced that Mary Tutunjian of Sun City will serve as the director of the Wellness Center in its assisted living department. This is a new position and was created to attend to the medical needs of the Lodge’s assisted living residents.

Mary is an LPN and brings 40 years of nursing experience to the Lodge. “I am extremely happy about rejoining the Lodge,” said Mary. “I really wanted to work here because it is such a happy place and the quality of care is so good.” Mary previously worked as a staff nurse in the Sun Valley Lodge Health Care Center.

Residential Services Director Marcia Gunnell said the addition of a full time LPN to the assisted living staff was a logical step in the Lodge’s efforts to provide the highest quality assisted living care.

“Mary offers us the medical expertise we need to continue to provide the most complete services for our residents. Adding a full time LPN to our assisted living department is a reflection of our growth and our dedication to service.”

Today approximately half of the Lodge’s residents are on an assisted living plan.

For additional information on Sun Valley Lodge’s assisted living services, contact Marcia Gunnell at 623-933-0137.

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Sun Valley Lodge Prepares Titanic Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Michael Kloberdanz
Sun Valley Lodge
Phone (623) 933-0137
Fax (623) 933-5846
mike@sunvalleylodge.org
http://www.sunvalleylodge.org/

Sun Valley Lodge Prepares Titanic Event

Sun City, Arizona - October 12, 2007– Sun Valley Lodge will be hosting a dinner event on Friday October 20th dedicated to the ill-fated first and final voyage of the RMS Titanic in 1912.

The event will include a screening of the 1953 film Titanic on the Lodge’s new projector, a meal that replicates some of the food served on the cruise ship, and a presentation by local historian Ron Ford.

This is the second time Sun Valley Lodge has collaborated on an event with Mr. Ford. The first event in August centered on a discussion of the Fred Harvey Company’s Harvey House restaurants and hotels along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The 1942 film The Harvey Girls was shown.

Sun Valley Lodge Activities Coordinator Bernadette Gromowski says these types of programs are tremendously popular with residents. “Everyone was so excited after the Harvey Girls that you would think I had put together the biggest party in Lodge history. The program is very interactive.”

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30 Reasons to Consider Independent Retirement Living

One of our new residents recently shared with me a letter she wrote to her children explaining her decision to move into one of our independent living Garden Apartments. Part of her letter included a list of things that helped her make her decision. She has given me permission to share her thoughts with others who may also be considering a retirement living facility …

REASONS TO MOVE TO SUN VALLEY LODGE, 1 September 2007
1. Three years ago before my hip surgeries, my doctor suggested it.
2. I will be cared for and content for the rest of my days.
3. I will have a lovely, bright Garden apartment w/ ground level patio
4. I will be served all of my meals beautifully and deliciously in the dining room.
5. I will have apartment cleaning and laundry services.
6. I will not have to worry about car insurance or maintenance.
7. I will be taken and escorted to all medical appointments and hospital.
8. I will no longer be alone for any future medical procedures.
9. I will have any rehab right in the Lodge or my private apartment.
10. I will have the use of all facilities at no charge.
11. I will still be able to work as a Volunteer whenever I wish.
12. I will have friends right there with no outside travel needed.
13. I will have the use of the private Chapel for prayers every day.
14. I will have friends there to visit with & bring in for lunch and dinner.
15. Any outside services will come to me – i.e. foot care, massage.
16. I will not have to worry about and pay for expensive home repairs.
17. No more new roofs or air conditioners or any appliances.
18. I will cut way back on services, magazine subscriptions, and worries about house.
19. I will enjoy Social Programs and lots of entertainment in the Lodge.
20. I will be taken out any place for shopping by our new A/C bus.
21. No more condo fees, argumentative meetings and concerns.
22. No more Recreation Annual Fees.
23. No more lugging heavy bags of refuse and papers out to trash can.
24. No more going out to fill gallon jugs of H2O & carrying into house.
25. No more driving myself to Church fior Mass & Holly Communion.
26. No extensive financial concerns to fret over; most eliminated by move.
27. Everything I need is on one floor in a most pleasant environment.
28. Peace and real quiet in my private apartment for prayer and rest.
29. Beautiful Rose Garden and Fountain, grounds and flowers to enjoy.
30. Bird feeder outside my window to enjoy. And lots & lots more!

Three Years of Assisted Living

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Michael Kloberdanz
Sun Valley Lodge
Phone (623) 933-0137
Fax (623) 933-5846
mike@sunvalleylodge.org
http://www.sunvalleylodge.org/


Sun Valley Lodge Celebrates Three Years of Assisted Living

Sun City, Arizona - September 14, 2007– Sun Valley Lodge celebrated its third anniversary of providing assisted living services this week. The event coincided with National Assisted Living Week.

Sun Valley Lodge was the first retirement community in Sun City and has provided independent retirement living and skilled nursing since 1965. On September 13, 2004 the Lodge began offering additional services to residents. The assisted living program includes such services as medication assistance, dining escorts, and personal care.

“We wanted our residents to be able to age in place,” explained Residents Services Director Marcia Gunnell. “We wanted to be able to add services as they were needed so residents did not have to move when they needed more care. We decided that we are better able to serve the community by offering a continuum of retirement care.”

Today approximately half of the Lodge’s residents are on an assisted living plan.

For additional information on Sun Valley Lodge’s assisted living services, contact Marcia Gunnell at 623-933-0137.

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Six Things to Look For When Choosing a Skilled Nursing Facility

1. Community Reputation … How long has the facility been in the community? What do people say about it?


2. Survey License … Examine the facility’s license and certification survey. Examine the facility’s record of deficiencies and discuss them with the management.


3. Talk to Staff … Are staff members friendly and willing to answer your questions? Do they know and interact with the residents?


4. Atmosphere … Does the facility appear to be clean and friendly?


5. Food … Examine the menus and visit during a mealtime. Does the food meet your requirements?


6. Talk to residents … Are current residents satisfied with the facility? What do they like and dislike?

Keeper of the Garden

Physical appearance is one of the first things prospective residents notice in a retirement community and Sun Valley Lodge is especially renowned for its colorful and peaceful rose garden. Keeping our garden beautiful all year long is no easy task and Sun Valley Lodge is extremely pleased to have David Young as our Lead Landscaper. David is originally from Mansfield, Ohio and came to Arizona in 1985. He and his wife Lynda are Sun City residents.

David has an extensive – and highly acclaimed – background in grounds keeping that includes work for Deer Valley High School and the Sun City Recreation Center. His athletic fields at DVHS ranked second only to Flagstaff as the top in Arizona and his Rec Center lawn bowling greens achieved a lofty second best in the world status, losing only to a facility in Australia.

He is now turning his attention to shoring up our lawns and taking care of the rose garden. He will also be helping manage our renovation project this fall. In order to keep residents up to date with grounds keeping activities, David will be writing a periodic column in the Chit Chat, our residents’ newsletter, commenting on his activities. He invites questions and comments from residents and is happy to show off his work to those in the community. Please feel free to call us at 623-933-5846 and schedule a visit.

9 Ways to Evaluate Atmosphere at an Assisted Living Residence

1. Do you like the location and outward appearance?
2. Is the décor attractive and homelike?
3. Did you receive a warm welcome from the staff when you toured?
4. Did the staff call the residents by name and interact with them as you toured?
5. Do residents socialize with one another and appear comfortable and happy?
6. Are you able to talk with residents about their feelings for the housing and staff?
7. Are the staff members outgoing and personable?
8. Do staff members treat each other in a professional manner?
9. Are visits welcome at any time?

Activities Bring Joy to Life

Once safety and basic comfort are established, retirement-living and assisted-living residents are usually most concerned with the kinds of activities available to them. Whether it involves music, a shopping trip, a game of cards, or just getting together to watch a ball game, access to a variety of activities is a key component in choosing a satisfying retirement community.

Residents at Sun Valley Lodge show a special affinity for activities involving food and music. They gather for parties, coffee socials, and to listen to the many musical acts who perform at the Lodge on a regular basis.

Prospective residents often want to know what goes into the planning of activities. Bernadette Gromowski, the Lodge’s Activities Coordinator, has over 20 years of activities planning experience. She says the key to good activities planning is properly assessing residents’ abilities and interests. “I take a good look at their physical capabilities and find out about their interests.”

A sense of community is a prime result of good activity planning. Marcia Gunnell, Sun Valley Lodge Resident Services Director, says, “Socialization is the most important function of activities. Often our residents have been living alone or at least been somewhat isolated. The variety of activity choices and new friends really revitalizes people.”

This makes the monthly activities board at the Lodge the place for residents to plan their weekly agendas. The board is located in a heavily traversed hallway and residents stop frequently at the board to discuss their activity options and make plans.

“Activities don’t just kill time,” explains Bernadette. “They bring it to life again. Activities bring joy and smiles to faces sometimes lost in the aging process. They help bring each day back to life.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Michael Kloberdanz
Sun Valley Lodge
Phone (623) 933-0137
Fax (623) 933-0137
mike@sunvalleylodge.org
http://www.sunvalleylodge.org/

Local Organizations Support Sun Valley Lodge

Sun City, Arizona - July 2, 2007 – Sun Valley Lodge has received donations from the Sun City-Youngtown Rotary Foundation and the Soroptimist International Valley of the Sun chapter.

The Rotary Foundation provided a $1,500 gift that allowed the Sun Valley Lodge to take advantage of a matching funds pledge from an anonymous donor. The funds will be used to purchase two new beds for the Sun Valley Lodge Health Care Center.

The Soroptimist organization donated $3,000 to the Sun Valley Lodge Residents’ Fund. The Residents’ Fund was established to help current residents with various needs and expenses.

Sun Valley Lodge marketing director Mike Kloberdanz said, “We are extremely grateful for the support we receive from local organizations. We consider this a testament to our years of quality service in the community.”

For additional information on these donations or donating to the Sun Valley Lodge, contact Mike Kloberdanz at 623-933-0137.

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Why Choose Independent Living?

Bill and Chris Finch have been independent living residents at Sun Valley Lodge (http://www.sunvalleylodge.org/) for about six months. Following World War II the Finches opened a bicycle, toy, and game store in Shelby, Illinois that they operated for 37 years. They retired to Arizona a few years ago for Bill's health and to be close to their daughter.

I recently had a chance to sit down with them and discuss their decision to seek a retirement community and some of the things they were looking for in a retirement community home. Among elements of particular importance to Chris and Bill were safety, transportation, and an overall friendly feeling from the staff and other residents.

“We visited lots of places,” said Chris, “but everyone is just so friendly here. You can't walk through the place without seeing a friendly face.”

Bill agreed adding, “The staff is so helpful and everyone goes out of their way to take care of us. We were looking for a comfortably sized place and so many of the facilities we visited felt like giant hotels.” Sun Valley Lodge is a one story facility with spacious dining rooms, a library, recreation rooms, and a beautiful rose garden."

Because of vision issues, neither Chris nor Bill drives anymore, so transportation was of some concern. Sun Valley Lodge provides transportation throughout the week in the form of a van and driver available to drive residents to their shopping and recreation destinations. “Carl (the SVL driver) takes us everywhere,” added Bill with a chuckle.

And, Sun Valley Lodge has a wide array of activities within the community. “I just found out we have exercise classes available six days a week,” said Bill. “We also love the chapel with its beautiful stained glass,” added Chris. “It is just so convenient.”

Marcia Gunnell, Resident Services Director at Sun Valley Lodge, sums up the key points in finding the right independent living retirement community: “Residents need to feel comfortable in their retirement community. They need to feel safe and yet have access to the larger community. And they need to feel like the residence is their home and not just a place they are staying for a short time.”

Sun Valley Lodge has proven to be the right decision for Bill and Chris.

7 Reasons to Consider Independent Retirement Living

1. Maintaining the house and yard are becoming increasingly difficult
2. A stronger sense of community is desired
3. Access to reliable transportation is a concern
4. Planned activities are highly desirable
5. Safety issues are a high priority
6. Cooking great meals is not as easy as it once was
7. Access to 24 hour emergency assistance of utmost concern