Life’s Road Bumps Shouldn’t Slow Down Your Future!
Although life has had some unexpected bumps in the road lately, you can still plan for your future. Perhaps, during this unusual time staying home, you’ve seen the advantages of moving to a Life Plan Community to support your desired retirement lifestyle.
In these uncertain times, residents here are happy, supported 24/7, and have peace-of-mind with on-campus take-out meals, grocery deliveries, wellness checks, virtual community life and access to health care. Every day we hear from residents, “I don’t know what would have done if this had happened before. I’m so glad I’m here.”
Residents here can’t wait to return to the vibrant community life on our campuses once this passes. Until you can visit our campus personally, connect with us virtually. Check out our website to preview the beautiful homes, amenities, and campus life from the comfort of your own home. Start planning now to pursue more from life here in Lititz.
Pursue More from Life Here: One Vibrant Community. Two Thriving Campuses.
Between our Founders Campus and Warwick Woodlands Campus, both mere steps from downtown Lititz, you can pursue a home that’s uniquely yours from the area’s widest array of homes. Apartments. Carriage Homes. Cottages. And Townhomes.
Check out our extended photo gallery of places to go, things to do, people to meet and miles to explore…as well as VIEW the galleries of all the residence styles on the Founders Campus and Warwick Woodlands campus.
We’re Prepared to Effectively Handle the Unexpected
For more than 40 years, residents have trusted our community to support extraordinary lifestyles and deliver outstanding care. By having protocols in place every day of the year, we are prepared to handle any emerging issue or health situations that arise, and stand ready to assist residents during any time of need. Our full array of Life Plan options also enables you to age in place with access to quality comprehensive services.
We also have implemented new“Services to Enhance Your Life” to provide added peace-of-mind and security, which include carry out and meal delivery, grocery shopping and delivery service, virtual community life, wellness checks, courtesy transportation, concierge services and more. Read more about these added services here.
What’s Your Best Option for Retirement Living?
Curious what life would have been like at a Life Plan Community during this unprecedented time of staying home? Discover the lifestyle residents at Moravian Manor Communities are enjoying!
Virtual “Pursue More” Event May 28, 2020, 10 a.m. Via ZOOM
What do you desire for your future? There are so many options for retirement living these days, knowing where to start can be overwhelming. Let us help you with the research process with this resource:
FREE printed or digital E-Book “Reinventing Your Lifestyle: A Formula for Success.”
To RSVP for the virtual event or request your free copy of Formula for Success, call us at 717-626-0214 or complete the contact form today.
Moravian Manor Communities celebrates National Skilled Nursing Care Week this week (May 10-16) and recognizes our team members and residents in our Health Center. Thanks to our dedicated employees, we’ve provided care for residents for more than 40 years…we honor and celebrate you!
Additionally, we honor our Circle of Friends, who support our benevolent fund…for without you, not all residents in assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing would be capable of affording their ongoing care.
Most importantly, we recognize and celebrate our residents, for their insights, purpose and wisdom, offering us a unique perspective based on their life experiences, reminding us to be present, celebrate the small moments, and value connections.
Together, our staff, residents and their family members make up our unique and amazing community. We are so grateful for each and every one of you! #NSNCW
Today is #MothersDay! This past Friday, team members at Moravian Manor Communities prepared 144 flower arrangements for all residents (not just moms) in our skilled, PC and AL neighborhoods in celebration of Mother’s Day. These bouquets were delivered over the weekend to brighten the spirits of residents who were unable to personally visit with family.
“It is humbling to watch our staff operate as they genuinely care about the emotional side of this time of social isolation, particularly for the residents in our care area,” remarked David Swartley, CEO & President.
We wish all mothers out there a very happy Mother’s Day…today we celebrate you!
“A Mother’s Love”
~ Helen Steiner Rice (1900 – 1981, American religious and inspirational poet)
A Mother’s love is something that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may,
For nothing can destroy it or take that love away,
It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking,
It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems,
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation,
A many splendored miracle man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence of God’s tender guiding hand.
TO: Residents and Staff FROM: David Swartley, President/CEO DATE: May 8, 2020 RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Update #12
In my update on Monday, May 4th, I shared the fact that our first employee tested positive for COVID-19. This employee is self-quarantined at home and feeling fine. Fortunately, at the time of this writing, there have been no additional employees and no residents who have tested positive.
This morning, I had the opportunity to have a ZOOM call with 14 other Life Plan Community leaders from Lancaster County. For all of us, these are challenging times. There was a spirit of fortitude, and “we will get through this together.” A lot of great ideas were shared during our discussion. Undeniably, the community does matter on many levels.
A significant part of the conversation was regarding the activities and concerns of our Residential Living residents. There is an increased restlessness among this group that leads to increased exposure opportunities. Some facilities have been able to shut down their entire campuses to visitors as they have restricted access to one way in and one way out. These communities are committed to this procedure ongoing through at least the end of May. As part of the broader Lititz community, we do not have that as an option. This means the hard work of compliance falls back to you. Please continue to comply with the Governor’s “Stay At Home Order.”
The other topics of conversation are about the shortages and expense of securing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This is a struggle for all facilities, including Moravian Manor Communities. It is hard to comprehend that given the high risk of COVID-19 spread in the skilled areas, this is not a top priority. Yesterday, Senator Martin gave an impassioned plea on this subject at a hearing held remotely in Harrisburg. Thus far, we have been able to protect our staff and residents with appropriate PPE, but not without a lot of work behind the scenes.
Mark Twain stated, “My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” Mother’s Day is on Sunday. It is a time that we revere the women who have raised us or have provided maternal nurturing for other folks in need. It is and should be a time to hold those dear to us in reverence and honor. I learned from my father very early in life one thing that would never ever be tolerated in our home…disrespect for mom, as this type of behavior would lead to a shortened lifespan. Rightly so. The challenge to you and your family members is to find creative ways to honor them without physical visitation!
In celebration of Mother’s Day, several staff members are preparing flower arrangements for all residents in our care areas. These will be delivered through the weekend (to all residents regardless of sex). It is humbling to watch our staff operate as they genuinely care about the emotional side of this time of social isolation, particularly for the residents in our care area.
Thank you for your generosity in supporting our staff with the May Day Fund. Through May 7, over 200 gifts have been received totaling over $28,000. Thank you! Thank you!
My most recent “read” is “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles. I was struck by the following sentence toward the beginning of the book. “With so little to do and all the time in the world to do it, the Count’s peace of mind continued to be threatened by a sense of ennui – that dreaded mire of the human emotions.” Ennui is defined as a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. You can see why this grabbed my attention.
Jennifer Shutt, along with some residents, formed a subcommittee to explore additional activities that could occur as we work through this lockdown. Having events to anticipate is vital for our mental health. This past week, I learned that my fifteen-year-old son’s youth group service project in Puerto Rico was canceled. I also learned that a family gathering in Colorado is most likely not going to happen. For a short time, I did find myself succumbing to ennui!!!
Please continue to find ways to stimulate your mind and your soul. This takes work and creativity but will be necessary until we are through the mire.
For those of you seeking additional information regarding COVID019, continuous updates are available at the following websites:
Pennsylvania Department of Health: www.health.pa.gov
Center for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov
Special thanks to each of you for your participation in the weekly ZOOM meetings, employee recognition activities, and of course, your economic support of our employees as well.
The decision to sell your home and move can be both exciting and overwhelming. You may have lived in your home for a long time, creating many memories as well as acquiring numerous possessions. Fortunately, you can take your memories with you. Moving also is a good opportunity to sort through your belongings, pass family heirlooms on to your loved ones, and get rid of things that you no longer need or want. Preparing your home to sell is a big job. Working with a professional stager can ease some of that stress and burden for you and your family.
Increasingly, more homes are being staged prior to putting the house on the market. In fact, buyers are beginning to expect it, regardless of the house price. Most people now do most of their initial house shopping on the internet. For that reason, realtors and their clients want the house to be photographed in the best possible way to encourage prospective buyers to physically visit the property and make an offer. Staging helps to provide those fantastic marketing photos!
It’s important to understand that there is a difference between interior design/decorating and home staging. When decorating your home, you want to infuse your personality into the place you live. You want it to reflect your life and that of your family. Staging is using furniture and decorative accessories to highlight the house itself in a way that will appeal to the widest number of prospective buyers. We want the focus to remain on the features of the house, such as a fireplace, windows, woodwork, room sizes, an upgraded kitchen or perhaps a beautiful view or some other unique element. The goal is to have buyers walk through the house thinking about them living there, and not thinking about it being your home.
Staging tips and trends
Curb appeal: Driving up to the house is a visitor’s first impression. Keep it positive by cleaning up the landscaping, power washing sidewalks, siding and porches. Add color with pots of flowers or bright cushions on porch furniture. Make the house inviting, but keep it simple!
De-personalize and de-clutter: Keep the focus on the house. People are distracted by family photos, knick-knacks, and collections. You don’t want to remove everything that’s decorative, just keep it simple. Pack up family photos, items that focus on you or your family, anything that is smaller than a softball and anything that is fragile or valuable.
Color: Add color to the house with art, area rugs, pillows, and other accessories. Keep flooring and walls a neutral color. Painting can be one of the most effective and economical way to quickly update and improve a home. Prospective buyers probably have spent time and money preparing their own house to sell. They want a house that is ready to move into.
Lighting: Let the sunshine in! A current decorating trend that is also great for staging is to minimize window treatments. Keep any drapes or blinds light weight, neutral, and simple. Remove valances and heavy drapes which can block light coming through the windows. Be sure there is good lighting in each room. Where possible, have a combination of overhead lights as well as lamps.
Less is more: The house needs to be inviting. You don’t want rooms to feel bare and boring, yet they shouldn’t be crowded with furniture and accessories. Be sure there are comfortable walking paths within and between rooms.
Add plants: Plants (real or silk) add great natural color and warmth to any house. It shouldn’t look like a jungle, but one or two plants in each room can make a big difference.
Clean sells: It is not possible to clean enough. In addition to the usual things you do, also pay attention to ceiling fans, vent covers, baseboards, and windows.
Decorating trends to avoid
There are some trends in decorating that can be great if you are staying in your home, but should be avoided if you are thinking about selling your house.
Mixing multiple metal colors for lights, door handles and hinges, cabinet knobs and handles, etc. in one room. It’s not necessary to have everything matching throughout the house, but too many different finishes can be overwhelming for some buyers.
Colorful accent walls: If an area of the house looks better with an accent wall, keep it in the same neutral color family as the rest of the room, but perhaps a shade darker. Adding a different color can be a good decorating decision, but not ideal for staging.
Wallpaper: Photos of rooms with wallpaper can stop potential buyers from coming to your house. We have all either had bad experiences ourselves or heard scary stories about how hard it is to strip wallpaper. Wallpaper is currently being used more in interior design, but is still something to avoid when selling your home.
At Lancaster Home Staging we have over a decade of experience helping people with all aspects of preparing their homes for sale, as well as arranging and decorating a client’s new home. In staging, there is a fine line between too much and too little in each room. The house needs to maintain warmth and remain inviting, without feeling cluttered and disorganized. It also needs to continue to be comfortable for you to live there while the house is on the market. We work with you to find a good balance and ease some of the stress of selling, downsizing and moving.
