October 15, 2019 —Once again, it’s time to celebrate!
July 17, 2015 marks Kendal at Lexington’s 15th anniversary of the first resident moving into Independent Living. Each time we celebrate, we remember with gratitude those who had the vision and did the hard work to make Kendal at Lexington a reality.
In 2010 it was said that the residents were busy, strong and adaptable; the staff was competent and caring; and the Board had ably provided leadership oversight and vision. This part of our story has continued year by year. Life at Kendal, however, is not static and this should be clear as you review with me some of the highlights of the past 5 years.
If you were to walk with me around the campus, you would probably say “Wow!” just as we said it in 2010. Now, looking closely, you would see that the trees and shrubs are taller and more plentiful, the gardens have more flowers (and some vegetables), and every day there seem to be more dog-walkers. Other changes you might see:
• A restored, not-so-secret Secret Garden behind Sunnyside with new handmade benches . . . a quiet spot for rest and relaxation.
• The porch and big glass windows of a new Borden Sunroom, built to add activity space and “let the sun shine in.”
• A new residence number 1036. In 2011 what we all know as Isabel’s Cottage was transformed into a charming residential cottage.
• A new bench and newly planted copper beech tree dedicated in 2012 in recognition of the service of Steve Jewell, the first Executive Director of Kendal. Steve guided us through our beginning days at Kendal and through what we now call Phase I and Phase II, the years we celebrated in 2010.
• The circle trail which crosses Sunnyside Run, goes up along the fence and over to the hill with the picnic table. It now has an added attraction – bluebirds and bluebird nesting boxes all along the fence – a resident project begun in the summer of 2014. The circle trail, a great place to walk, is reported to be a one-mile circle.
• A brand new Kendal bus, long wished for by the residents and much appreciated, and a new (used) tractor much appreciated by the maintenance staff.
• Some new rain barrels – with more to come. They are being placed in the yards of residents and in common areas of the campus. Another step toward sustainability, environmental stewardship, and financial responsibility.
And if you had walked across the campus on a particular day in 2012 or 2015, you would certainly remember:
• A derecho on June 29, 2012. (A new word for most of us.) At about 9:00 p.m., hurricane force winds from the west swept through our area, felling tree limbs, whole trees, and many power lines. With only partial power here at Kendal, we were challenged to get along until July 1 when full power was restored. This event, so devastating for our entire area, led Kendal and many other groups to reconsider their emergency response procedures.
• A lot of snow on February 21, 2015. According to the News Gazette, it was the largest snowfall to hit our area since 2009. We watched the staff attacking the snow; they were happy that they had been provided with snow blowers.
Let’s consider what keeps us all so busy and enriches our lives at Kendal. The first 10 years saw many beginnings: a new residents association, new committees and interest groups, new activities. Many of the things started then have continued, such as:
• the always-on-schedule, always-full-of-information Resident Newsletter
• the twice-a-year thank you parties for the staff
• the outstanding Kendal College programs (the most recent one, “Religion Clauses of the Constitution,” being our 69th)
Now, in reviewing the years since 2010, a few highlights of new programs and projects:
• The Art Gallery – located just south of the dining room. The grand opening was November 15, 2010. As each new exhibit opens, we find out more about the talents of our residents and staff – talents in weaving, painting, drawing, quilting, photography, woodworking, knitting, sculpting and jewelry making – Amazing!
• The KALEX – Vol. 1 No. 1 Fall 2011 – A new publication by and for the residents and staff, said to be a “randomly published and widely praised literacy magazine.”
• In 2011 the first dinner party for the 90 year-olds among us, now an annual event. Here at Kendal we see the Gay Nineties as a time to celebrate. One resident has said that “the people of Kendal are the youngest old folks I have ever encountered.”
• The Jeanne Kibbee Society – Membership has increased and members who have planned for future gifts to Kendal have been invited to an annual dinner in The Restaurant.
• Holiday traditions – tedious wired candles have been replaced by automatic window candles. Decorating a large tree in the middle of the library, with many, many unusual ornaments, has become a new tradition, and a holiday dinner, for Kendal “futures and prospects,” sponsored by the marketing department, has been added to the holiday schedule.
• The Restaurant has become a favorite and often frequented dining place. Each week residents await the announcement of the week’s specials. Adding to The Restaurant’s attractiveness, residents have arranged for local artists to display their original art work on a rotating basis. “A great addition to the ambiance,” say the residents.
• In the main dining room we welcome more variety in the menus and increased use of local foods. We look forward to the completion of the redo of the dining room chairs.
• An examination of the fitness and wellness calendar now published monthly helps to explain why more and more residents are heading to the Fitness Center. “Exercise is important” – words often repeated at Kendal.
• The Resident’s Handbook, formerly called the Blue Book and now called the Red Book, has been updated. Reading the Red Book is one of the best ways to keep up with changes and find answers to questions. Also, updated every time a new resident arrives is the book of pictures and bios – we count on those updates as we continue our tradition of getting to know each other.
• The Tutwiler Library – with new books contributed by residents arriving almost daily. So many readers among us! One feature of this library, important to all of us, is the memorial book program. Memorial books now located in a brand new bookcase have been placed in the library in memory of residents who are no longer with us. As the number grows, these books help us to remember the friends we treasured when they lived among us.
What about technology with its changes and challenges and our efforts to take advantage of new opportunities?
• There’s SARA, not a Kendal resident, but a lively presence among us (Situational Awareness and Response Assistant). In more and more ways we benefit from SARA. The door flippers formerly used to see if we were out of bed in the morning have been replaced by motion sensors. SARA monitors our PETS and its echo stream program can identify our location when we push the button. And thanks to SARA’s mass message capacity, important emergency messages can be sent out over the phone system to a specific group of individuals or, if necessary, to everyone.
• There’s record-keeping at the Borden Health Center. All staff have been trained to use the new electronic record system installed in 2011. This change is very evident as you walk down the hall, computers everywhere. All Borden staff know that record keeping is a critical component of care. Webster Center began to use the same system in 2013.
• There’s e-mail. Now with a large percentage of residents using e-mail, there is an endless flow of mail (some essential, some might be called light-hearted) among residents. The staff and board members have also taken advantage of this technology. Less paper supports Kendal’s current sustainability efforts. But the challenge remains, what about those residents, and there are quite a few, who prefer to live without computers?
• There’s the Music and Memory Program, begun in 2012 at Borden. Thanks to the technology of the iPod, residents have been enjoying a personalized music program – gospel, bluegrass, Broadway tunes, rock, or classics. This program brings special pleasure to those with memory problems.
• There’s staff training. Renovations related to Phase II made available a space now called the “Staff Development Room”. Here, many days of the week, staff can be found receiving training via webinars (video teleconferences), videos, or movies.
• There’s the Kendal website, a great marketing tool, regularly updated. With the release of 6 new “resident video testimonials” in 2015, it was evident to all that we have 6 Oscar-worthy stars living among us. Marketing also maintains a Facebook page showing the life we enjoy at Kendal.
• There’s resident safety. In 2014 doors were added at Webster along with an electronic system that will increase safety and security.
• There’s our 2014 partnership with RANA (Rockbridge Area Network Authority) and Rockbridge Global Village – which has brought higher quality fiber-optic internet to the campus. This currently benefits residents who use Rockbridge Global Village and it will position us for embarking on a 5-year strategic IT plan.
• There’s the 2014 upgrading of wireless internet services, adding Kendal Hall, the Library, and Sunnyside.
• There’s the improvement of audio-visual services in Borden and Webster. In 2015, 40” TVs were replaced by 70” high definition TVs.
Thinking of Kendal as part of the Lexington-Rockbridge community, there are many signs of increasing connections. Here are a few:
• A quick survey would show that an increasing number of residents and staff support local agencies, serving on boards, working as volunteers, and supporting programs and projects.
• More and more frequently, local groups are holding meetings and special events at Kendal, usually at Sunnyside or in Kendal Hall.
• Marketing has been a sponsor of special events planned by local agencies, often for the purpose of raising funds to support their programs. This sponsorship has been much appreciated.
• Frequently, Kendal lectures, often on health subjects, are advertised in the local press as “open to the public.” We welcome community participation.
• Program grants from Kendal Charitable Funds have supported Kendal’s efforts to reach out to the local community with innovative programs.
1. The Little Free Library program provided for building and placing small libraries at key spots in the community and for providing books. Have you noticed the children reading books from the Little Free Library at the Lime Kiln playground?
2. The Music and Memory program, so successful at Borden, has been expanded by providing iPods to other agencies which are providing memory services.
3. The rain barrel program, now picking up momentum, is being offered to agencies such as Boxerwood Gardens and local public schools.
• Dining Services, once or twice a week, is donating usable left-overs to Washington and Lee’s Campus Kitchen project.
• If we could see the underground pipes, we would not be surprised to learn that in October 2011, we made an easement agreement with the Maury Service Authority (MSA) to allow a water line and fire hydrants to be constructed and maintained on our campus. Our cooperation was a key component in MSA’s effort to improve water service for our local community.
• Perhaps the most significant ways we are connected to the community are through our staff and our Board of Directors.
1. Some of our staff have been with us for a long time, others have begun working here since 2010. Some live not far from Kendal, but some drive quite a few miles to get here. Kendal could not function without its able staff, and we know that we can depend on them – even when it snows and blows!
2. Throughout the planning days and straight through Kendal’s 15 years, local community leaders have devoted their time and talents to serving on the Kendal Board. Guided by them, Kendal has become a continuing Care Retirement Community that is now 15 years old and looking toward a great future.
Some key events and looking ahead . . .
• In 2014, five years after our first accreditation by CARF (the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities), we again achieved accreditation, an important designation. Again we celebrated.
• Through the past five years we have continued to be grateful for our affiliation with the Kendal System. At a time of leadership transition, we received outstanding support from Judy Braun which enabled us to go smoothly through an extended period of transition. Then in December 2012 we welcomed Mina Tepper as our new Executive Director. With a strong background of related experience, Mina came to us from Glendale, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. We are glad she is here!
• The years 2014 and 2015 have been critical years for all of us as Kendal has focused its attention on strategic planning and the development of an updated master plan. As we look ahead we are excited about the future, and we look forward to a HAPPY and WONDERFUL next 5 years.
Ruth Woodcock
Kendal Resident since August 2000