Meet DeeDee Morgan, Actvities Director, and Lake Pointe Village resident, Flossie Borders.

Flossie and DeeDee are more like family members than friends. They’ve been important to each other for several years, and DeeDee has been a helpful guide to Flossie on her journey through senior healthcare.

They first met through Flossie’s son, who is also a resident at Lake Pointe Village. Flossie had been trying to set up a date to visit her son and DeeDee assisted in getting everything set up. Though their relationship first bloomed through casual conversation, it quickly developed into more as the two found they had many similarities.

They both love nature and enjoy discussing the butterflies that come to visit in the spring, they value their families above all else and both share religious beliefs. It wasn’t long before they set up a schedule to meet and have hot chocolate every morning. No matter how busy their lives get, they always make sure to set aside some time for one another.

Meet Alexus Corniuk, Cook, and Coventry Meadows resident, Peggy Jenkins.

Peggy Jenkins has always enjoyed keeping busy. Prior to moving to Coventry Meadows, she loved being a mother, she loved working at GTE as a secretary and she loved gardening in her spare time. In fact, it was her last love that helped her form a bond with Alexus Corniuk, a cook, just a short while later.

They first met after a meal Alexus had helped prepare, striking up small talk while Alexus was cleaning. The topic naturally drifted to gardening, which turned out to be a shared love between the two. It didn’t take long for them to start spending their time in the courtyard together, watering the garden and trimming the plants. One day Alexus had a big surprise for Peggy. She had decided the two of them could spend the afternoon eating a delicious meal at Conner’s Kitchen before taking a stroll through the beautiful Fort Wayne Botanical Gardens. Peggy immediately agreed to go on this wonderful adventure with Alexus, and they departed soon after.

They both had a delightful time, and Peggy is happy to tell anyone what a wonderful time she had. It remains one of their favorite shared moments.

Meet Lanny Ferguson, bus driver, and Rob Regula, Danville Regional Rehabilitation long term care resident. Their friendship brewed over a cup of coffee! One morning between appointments, Lanny invited Rob to have a cup of coffee with him and Rob accepted. Lanny says, “Rob was a hard shell to crack, but he has a great demeanor and we relate to each other very well.” Lanny often arrives to work a little early so he and Rob can enjoy their coffee connection. They like to talk about the Cubs, Notre Dame sports and the Indianapolis Colts. When Lanny sings and plays the guitar for the residents, Rob will often join in on occasion to sing along. They support each other in myriad ways, including spiritually; they consider their friendship to be a real blessing. Not a day goes by without making each other’s day a little better, praying together and trying new coffee flavors. Rob says, “Lanny is a real role model for me. Just like an older brother, he fills a gap in my life that has been vacant for a long time.” All it took was a simple cup of coffee for these two to form a forever friendship.

Meet Carrie Justus, Social Services Assistant, and Meadow Lakes resident, Bud Blaschke.

Bud is a longtime resident of Meadow Lakes, but Carrie and Bud first met when his son was admitted to Meadow Lakes in 2010. She was assigned as his son’s primary CNA. It wasn’t long before Carrie, Bud and Bud’s wife, Jo, started to develop a deep connection during Jo’s daily visits. When the time came for Bud to transition to Long-Term Care from the his Garden Home, Carrie became his primary CNA as well. As Carrie grew in her career and moved from one position to another, she has always made Bud and his needs her priority. By visiting him daily and checking in on him, their connection has just gotten stronger over time.

The two like to share stories of their families and even have the same hobbies, including their love of fishing and being outdoors. In fact, the two have grown so close that Bud’s great-grandson is now best friends with Carrie’s son!

This is a true definition of CARE Companions at work!

Suzie King, RN MDS Coordinator, and Bethany Village Resident Carolyn Harris have been friends since Suzie arrived at Bethany Village in 2016. Carolyn has been in various neighborhoods throughout the community and has always requested that Suzie be her CARE Companion.

Suzie visits Carolyn on a daily basis and if she’s not providing lunch for Carolyn, she’s filling her candy bowl or making trips to Dollar General to get Carolyn the items she’s requesting. These two Virgos bond over their natural caregiving abilities while being very independent and humble! These characteristics are certainly portrayed during their daily morning chats. Suzie is Carolyn’s “go to gal” for all things Bethany Village – supplies, medical advice, snacks – you name it.

These two add lots of flavor and spice to the Village and we enjoy hearing all about their daily connection!

Meet Kristy Denton, Executive Director, and Cypress Grove resident, Perry Shaver.

Kristy and Perry have a very special bond. Perry was the Resident Council President and often collaborated with Kristy to enhance the life of other residents at Cypress Grove while he held that role. Each day, they make sure to check in with one another and spend time together.

They are both each other’s biggest cheerleader. Recently, Kristy competed in the 24 hour National Championship Endurance Run in Cleveland, OH. Perry made sure to wish her good luck before her big event and was waiting at the door for her to congratulate her on being named the Female National Champion. Supporting each other does not stop at big events like the National Championship. Kristy is always waiting to cheer for Perry through his rehabilitation and they both help each other grow as individuals.

Benny Fray is the Maintenance Director at Columbia Healthcare Center and Colt Tennyson is one of our residents. These gentlemen had two things in common when they met: neither was enthused by the idea of a “CARE Companion” and both loved Harleys.

At a morning staff meeting, a fellow manager shared how Colt loved motorcycles but thought he would never get to see one again. That caught Benny’s attention. Benny visited Colt’s room with pictures of motorcycles Benny had on his phone. Their friendship took off! Benny continued to visit Colt. Each time, Colt recalled the pictures Benny shared.

Benny wanted to do something special for his new friend, so he brought his bike to Columbia after lunch one day. Benny, Colt, and other members of the community made their way outside where Benny’s Harley awaited. Colt beamed in awe of the shimmering machine he had not seen in so long. Benny could see Colt’s happiness. “You want to turn it on?” Benny asked. Colt turned the key and felt the roar of the engine. “Want me to rev it real good?” Benny asked him. Colt nodded and Benny revved the engine as loud as it could go! Colt’s eyes filled with tears, the bike sang, and Benny beamed knowing he had brought bikes back into Colt’s life.

Meet Micaela Kamps, Activities Director at Spring Mill Meadows, and resident Jerrel Dean “Jewel” Clark.

Micaela met Jewel six months ago when she began working at Spring Mill Meadows. Their relationship began by Micaela checking in with Jewel every day as her CARE Companion, but quickly flourished into much more.

They instantly bonded over their love of sweets and their silly sense of humor. They also love to sing and dance together at the musical events held at Spring Mill Meadows. They have shared many laughs, songs, and desserts together. The sweetest thing about their relationship is that Jewel walks Micaela to the front door every night to give her a hug & make sure that she “gets out on time.” No matter how busy each day gets, they always make time for each other!

Brenda McNulty grew up in the city, but her father instilled in her a great love of the outdoors. As a family, they frequently visited state parks. She spent a lot of time at her great uncle’s farm, where she learned all about trees, wildflowers and animals. They always took the back roads to enjoy the scenery and wildlife.

For Jeneda Butler, Albany, Kentucky was home. She spent a lot of time on the family farm and playing in the woods. Her family always had lots of dogs and cats.

Brenda and Jeneda are roommates at American Village. That is where they met Jan Luckett, Activity Director. Jan’s family instilled in her a love of the outdoors and a deep respect for all wildlife. Jan’s love of nature is obvious in the beautiful photographs she has taken on the campus. It is the shared love of nature and the outdoors that have bonded Brenda and Jeneda with their Care Companion, Jan. When weather permits, Brenda, Jeneda and Jan enjoy golf cart rides around the lake to enjoy the wildlife, such as a variety of birds, ducks and resident swans, George and Martha.

Meet Brandie Cox, RN/DNS at Cypress Grove, and resident Diana Fidler.

The two of them have a history that spans decades, and their relationship has come full circle. When Diana came to Cypress Grove in need of nursing and therapy services, she was understandably nervous. However, seeing Brandie Cox’s familiar face came as a huge relief! Diana had been Brandie’s daycare provider when she was a child, and Brandie’s mother was also a nurse, so Diana knew she was in good hands.

“Diana had a safe and fun house and was always finding ways to help us learn and grow,” Brandie said.

“Diana would care for me even if I was sick, and she was an amazing second mom when I needed her. I feel very honored and privileged to be able to pay her back for all the care she gave me. Diana has reminded me why I love doing what I do.”