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…

  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.…

  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,…

  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…

  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…

  St Luke’s Home Newsletter June 2020 CEO Update Today represents day 92 of St Luke’s Home restriction from the greater Tucson Community. Every day our essential workers come to work and care for the Elders and the Home. As I began my CEO update, I realized what I wanted to say about these essential workers is best captured by two of our Elders: “Thank you for your service” We say this to the men and women that defend our country. Now we say this to you for defending our lives. You might not be dodging bullets, but you are beyond a doubt putting your lives in danger to keep our home as safe as you possibly can. Since we moved into this place you have shown us your concern…