News and Events

December 2020 Newsletter

Newsletter
  St Luke’s Home Newsletter December 2020 Holiday Greetings from the CEO Happy Holidays, friends. I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and enjoyed your Thanksgiving. For me, this time is for reflection and gratitude towards others. This year is no different; however, it puts things into a different perspective. As CEO, my foremost role has been to keep the Elders safe from COVID-19. With this decision has come many difficult choices. Love ones not being able to touch one another. Not being able to enjoy the familiar scent of one another or hear a clear voice without the static of technology. Sure we held a wonderful parade in May, the Hug Tunnel in August, and many telephone, video, and window visits. I truly understand it’s not the…
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November 2020 Newsletter

Newsletter
  St Luke’s Home Newsletter November 2020   Halloween was a Spook-tacular Day! Elders and staff bonded over gobbling goodies, crooning tunes, and dizzy dancing at our Halloween Party this year, with Kidd Squidd as DJ and Selina the Head Chef as Captain COVID-Killer! It was a fiesta full of giggling ghouls, sweets, and superheroes, complete with lightsaber duels, Dracula vs Jason, and a poor piñata that did not survive the day.     University of Arizona Students Continue Supporting our Elders -- Zoom style! Over the years, the University of Arizona has remained one of St Luke’s Home’s most vital partners by enriching the physical and emotional health of our community. Typically, hundreds of faculty and students become part of our daily flow. It is a sight to behold when…
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Silver Chef Culinary Competition 2020 – Video

News
Thank you for your patience during our technical difficulties on our LIVE October 3, 2020, Silver Chef Culinary Competition Event. We worked very hard to recover the event and piece it together for you all to enjoy. Please note, there are some voiceovers in the content, but it definitely absorbs the essence of that wonderful day. Thank you to our Sponsors and everyone who participated – the chefs, the judges, and St Luke’s Home staff. We appreciate everyone who voted, bought raffle tickets, and donated to this great cause. At this time, the voting and raffle has been concluded. Thank you from all of us at St Luke’s Home. https://youtu.be/B9JTN62DHNQ
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October 2020 Newsletter

Newsletter
  St Luke’s Home Newsletter October 2020   First Annual Silver Chef Culinary Competition Winner!  St Luke’s Home is proud to announce the WINNER of the first annual Silver Chef Culinary Competition, our own Selina Miramontes! It was a very hot afternoon as executive chefs added the final touches to their delicious hors d’oeuvres. The star-studded panel of judges tasted each offering, scored each dish independently, and commented favorably about the offerings. Viewers of this fine event were able to vote for the People’s Choice in Best Presentation, choosing Erich Border from the Hacienda at the Canyon as the winner. This year’s competing chefs were exceptionally talented and a number of them had over 20 years of experience. Thank you for your patience with the technical difficulties during the event.…
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September 2020 Newsletter

Newsletter
  St Luke’s Home Newsletter September 2020 CEO Report I hope everyone is staying healthy. Once again, I am pleased to announce that NO Elder at St Luke’s Home has tested positive for COVID-19. Our early restriction policies and stringent cleaning practices have kept everyone healthy. On August 28, 2020, the Arizona Department of Health Services released COVID-19 Guidance for Visitation at Congregate Settings for Vulnerable Adults and Children. Although I am grateful for Governor Ducey’s Long Term Care (LTC) Task Force recommendations on reopening LTC communities and introducing face-to-face visits with loved ones, there continue to be questions about the recommendations. St Luke’s Home will continue to research guidelines and maintain all current practices while re-evaluating the recommendations weekly. At this time, due to the Pima County loosening restrictions,…
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Home is Where the Hugs Are!

News
Click here to see KOLD 13 News Clip of the Hug Tunnel Hug Tunnel By Marilyn Gustin, President Elder Council Advisory Board Among the many gifts that Elders at St Luke’s Home receive, the latest is the Hug Tunnel. What a treat for Elders who haven’t seen, much less hugged, loved ones for six months! I was honored to have the opportunity to talk with the many Elders who received a heartfelt hug from loved ones. I am glad to share some of the stories I heard. “Feeling my grandson’s strong arms around me was completely wonderful—tears flowed. And you know I don’t cry.” A couple of hours after her tunnel visit with her daughter, one Elder was still tearing up. “It brought so much joy! I hadn’t realized how much…
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August 2020 Newsletter

Newsletter
  St Luke’s Home Newsletter August 2020 Congresswoman Kirkpatrick Recognizes St Luke’s Home CEO We all felt a surge of pride when our CEO, Linda Hollis, received the following letter which said, in part: “Congresswoman Kirkpatrick would like to recognize you as one of her heroes this week for all of the work you do as the CEO of St. Luke’s Home. We appreciate all of the hard work you have put into assisting low-income Elders with their living situations. We also acknowledge the amount of effort you have put into ensuring the safety and well-being of the Elders and the staff, despite the extra expense and financial stress it has put on the organization. We want to thank you for your diligence in studying the effects of the pandemic…
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Congresswoman Kirkpatrick Recognizes St Luke’s Home CEO

Congresswoman Kirkpatrick Recognizes St Luke’s Home CEO

News
Congresswoman Kirkpatrick Recognizes St Luke’s Home CEO “Congresswoman Kirkpatrick would like to recognize you as one of her heroes this week for all of the work you do as the CEO of St. Luke’s Home. We appreciate all of the hard work you have put into assisting low-income Elders with their living situations. We also acknowledge the amount of effort you have put into ensuring the safety and well-being of the Elders and the staff, despite the extra expense and financial stress it has put on the organization. “We want to thank you for your diligence in studying the effects of the pandemic and noting how profoundly it could wipe out assisted living communities. The research you conducted that prompted you to review CDC recommendations, as well as your swift…
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The University of Arizona Wraps Up Summer Program

The University of Arizona Wraps Up Summer Program

News
A collaboration with the U of A College of Nursing created opportunities for Elders to Buddy Up with students. The Arizona Nursing Inclusive Excellence (ANIE) Program provided iPads for Zoom chats with our Elders during June and July. This was the first Zoom experience for all of the Elders. Student surveys gave the program high praise. “It allowed me to think about answers to ask and gain a lot more experience in a patent care setting." “It was truly amazing!”  “I did not understand how rich older people's lives were. It made me interested to talk with my grandparents about their history.” For the Elders, they report it was comforting to have an outside friend now. They were proud to have contributed to the education of the students. Students created…
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July 2020 Newsletter

Newsletter
  St Luke’s Home Newsletter July 2020 CEO Update A few months ago I began updating friends and families about our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I took much pride in sharing our early restrictions, compassionate interventions, stringent cleaning processes, and being free of the virus. From those early moments, I have taken great satisfaction in our transparency. This will continue. Despite our best efforts, I am humbled to share that we encountered the Home’s first exposure of COVID-19. Immediately after receiving the news of the exposure, we took prompt measures and tested all the Elders and re-tested all staff. From that exercise, all results came back negative. I am proud of our team and our current practices that indicate the exposure did not spread. Today, everyone is healthy. Moving…
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