Blog

As part of our care for you, Columbia Cottage provides Resident Wellness Directors who are focused on ensuring you are getting the right care for your well-being. Our Resident Wellness Directors are chosen based on their skills in supervision, training, assessment and care management skills. Plus, they need to have all-around good people skills. This month, we’re highlighting Belinda Eyrich, your second shift Resident Wellness Director. Belinda has been working at Columbia Cottage since October – you’ve probably seen her around! Belinda has lived in Berks County her whole life. She graduated nursing school at 18 years old and started working at Community General Hospital. She then started working with seniors. Belinda has two boys and four cats. Her mission is to make a lot of people here at the Cottage smile.

Betty Driscoll might have born as “Freda” in 1930 in Bermuda, but friends and family know her better today as Betty. Betty had two sisters and one brother. While she was a typist out of high school, she was also considered a top swimmer for Bermuda between the ages 8 and 17. Her favorite stroke was the overhand. Every Friday and Saturday night, Betty and two of her best friends attended dances at the local military base. That is where Betty met her first Husband, a soldier in the American Air Force. She moved to PA with her husband and had six children: three boys and three girls. Once Betty earned her citizenship, she worked at a restaurant. Betty loves people and socializing with others. Some of her favorite hobbies include crosswords, swimming, golfing and dancing. But her favorite memories are of those weekend dances at the military base with her two best friends.

Columbia Cottage is happy to welcome our newest resident, Ruth Edes. Be sure to stop by her rooms and wish her a warm hello! You can also invite her to sit with you in the dining room, join you in a scheduled activity, or just have a friendly chat. You remember what it was like to be new! Be sure to make Ruth feel welcome as she learns her way around the building.

We want to thank everyone for the wonderful Christmas celebrations this year. On December 6 th and December 13 th we enjoyed seeing residents and families spending time together, enjoying a great meal, and having fun together. We are especially thankful for Eric Cawalla and Clifford from the Uptown Band for entertaining us at both Christmas Parties. Their music encouraged lots of dancing and singing. The spirit of Christmas is reflected throughout the Cottage. Congratulations to the first, second, and third place winners of the Door Decoration Contest! Thank you to our staff for decorating some doors, too. This holiday season was a success, and we are thankful to the full Cottage Family for being a part of it.

We are excited to announce the completion of construction in the Country Kitchen, the Coordinator’s Office, and the Beverage Station. If you have yet to see the updates, we invite you to come check them out. This month we will welcome the addition of a Med room in the common corridor. Additional updates will continue in 2018, including new flooring and paint in the Dining room. We will also update the paint, lighting, and the flooring throughout the building. Thank you for your patience during this period of remodeling.

We’ve had a great time celebrating the holidays here at Columbia Cottage. On 12/6/17 our staff celebrated the holidays by enjoying a lovely turkey dinner with all the trimmings. After dinner, they held a Chinese auction to win prizes made by or donated by some of our outside vendors. We are especially thankful to all who donated to our auction, including Healthcalls, Rehab 1, Caring Hospice and The Medicine Shoppe. We are also thankful to our residents who contributed to the employee fund. Our staff appreciate your generosity and your kind heart in giving. We are also had a wonderful time celebrating with all of our residents and some of their family members at our Annual Christmas Party on November 30. We enjoyed sharing a meal of savory meats, delicious sides, and of course, a wide assortment of desserts. We will continue to enjoy holiday-themed activities with you throughout December, including caroling, playing holiday trivia, and watching Christmas movies. Check out the activity calendar for all of the details.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! To celebrate, we will be hosting our Annual Holiday Part on Thursday, December 7 th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dinner will begin at 5 p.m. Get ready to enjoy a delicious dinner of prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, and green bean almandine. And what would Christmas be without cookies? In addition to a variety of freshly baked cookies we will serve cheesecake, chocolate cake with peppermint mousse, gingerbread pound cake, and chocolate raspberry mousse cups. We have invited Santa and his top elf to join us that evening. So, be ready to have your photo taken with these merry characters in case they accept the invitation. As always, your family is invited to join us for this celebration. There is a limit of 4 guests per resident. Please RSVP with no later than December 4 th.

Well, here we are again! The Holidays are fast approaching, and the weather is crisp and well on its way to freezing. Can it possibly be time to celebrate Christmas again? YES! We will be hosting our Annual Christmas Party on November 30, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Dinner will begin at 5 p.m. We’re planning on a delicious spread of meats, sides, and plenty of delectable desserts. As always, your family is welcome to attend this event, but seating (and parking) is limited. We ask that you limit your guests to 4, maximum. Parking will fill up fast, but guests can park in the back of the Giant parking lot. The Cottage van will shuttle visitors from the Giant lot between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. Please RSVP by November 17 with your plans for attendance.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! We will be hosting our annual Thanksgiving Dinner at the Cottage on November 23 rd at 12 noon. Just like in previous years, Thanksgiving Dinner will be a delicious feast including turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, all the fixin’s, and of course, a vast array of desserts. As always, your family is invited to join our feast on November 23 rd. However, due to space limitations, we ask that you limit your guests to four people. Please let management know your plans for you or your loved ones’ attendance at this event. Please RSVP by Monday, November 20 th.

We are pleased to announce the promotion of Christine Horn to Vice President, Operations at Horst SeniorCare. (Horst SeniorCare provides the facility and operations management for Columbia Cottage.) Christine “Chris” Horn has worked with Columbia Cottage for eleven years as this Cottage’s Managing Director. Chris has over 25 years of experience in Helathcare and Senior Care services. She is actively involved in the Lebanon County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, as well as advocating for seniors in various capacities. Chris received the 2016 ATHENA award from the Lebanon Valley Chamber in recognition of her professional excellence, community service, and leadership. Chris has lived in Palmyra for over 30 years with her husband John. They have two adult children: Emily, who currently works in healthcare while applying to nursing school, and Jack, a senior at Kutztown University. Chris earned her Bachelor of Arts from Shippensburg University, and her Master of Social Work from Temple University. Chris is looking forward to the continued promotion of the “Cottage Way” with her colleagues, and advocating for seniors in her new capacity. She is focused on optimal health and welfare of the Columbia Cottage residents and ensuring the Cottages are a great place to live and work.