Fellowship of Brethren Homes holds annual forum.

The annual Forum of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes met April 7-8 at Lebanon Valley Brethren Home in Palmyra, Pa. The fellowship includes 22 retirement communities related to the Church of the Brethren. Member communities are committed to providing high quality, loving care for older adults and work together on common challenges such as longterm care needs, uncompensated care, and nurturing relationships with congregations and districts.

The annual forum provides an opportunity for leaders of the church-related retirement communities to network, share best practices, receive training relevant to longterm care, and tour the host facility.

This year’s forum featured sessions on corporate compliance by Karla Dreisbach of Friends Services for the Aging; and on current issues and future trends led by David Slack of the Aging Research Institute and Malcom Nimick of Ascension Capital Enterprises.

A tour of Lebanon Valley Brethren Home included the community’s innovative Green House® homes, developed by Dr. William Thomas of the Eden Alternative. The homes are small intentional communities where elders live in habilitative, social settings. During a break, some members of the forum group joined residents playing their favorite past time, "pickle ball," a sport that combines aspects of tennis, badminton, and Ping Pong.

Representatives from 10 communities attended the forum: John Warner of the Brethren Retirement Community in Greenville, Ohio; Gary Clouser of Brethren Village in Lancaster, Pa.; Vernon King of Cross Keys Village-the Brethren Home Community in New Oxford, Pa.; Michael Leiter of Fahrney-Keedy Home and Village in Boonsboro, Md.; Chris Widman of the Good Shepherd Home in Fostoria, Ohio; Jeff Shireman of Lebanon Valley Brethren Home in Palmyra, Pa.; Wayne Eberly of the Palms Estates in Lorida, Fla.; Carol Davis of the Pinecrest Community in Mount Morris, Ill.; Maureen Cahill of Spurgeon Manor in Dallas Center, Iowa; and David Lawrenz of Timbercrest Senior Living Community in North Manchester, Ind.

Others in attendance included Shari McCabe, executive director of the Fellowship of Brethren Homes; Jane Mack, executive director of Friends Services for the Aging; Keith Stuckey, vice president of Mennonite Health Services Alliance; Phil Leaman, CEO of Resource Partners: Risk Management Solutions; Steve Mason, director of the Brethren Foundation for Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT); Diana Seymour, manager of sales for health and welfare benefits for BBT; and Kim Ebersole, director of Family Life and Older Adult Ministries for the Church of the Brethren.

The 2011 forum will be held on April 5-7 at the Good Shepherd Home in Fostoria, Ohio.

-- Kim Ebersole serves as director of Family Life and Older Adult Ministries.

Source: 4/22/2010 Newsline