The nominees this year were:

Don & Elsie Eckler- For their vision of community, for enabling others, for their work at the Treasure House, Potlucks and Art program. They spread laughter and cheer wherever they go!

Merle Gilb- For his many years of service to the Rose Villa Archives, Resident Council and repair of countless Library books. Merle is always willing to help where he can!

Florence Wagner- For her reformation of the Sewers and Crafters group, including reorganizing and relocating their meeting space. For providing handcrafted goods for sale with proceeds going to the Rose Villa Foundation. Her cheer and enthusiasm are contagious!

WELL DONE and THANK YOU to all of the 2012 Volunter of the Year Award Nominees!

A special CONGRATULATIONS goes to Florence Wagner, winner of the 2012 Rose Villa Volunteer of the Year Award, THANK YOU!

A special thanks to our wonderful sponsors! Merril Lynch, The Krum Christian Group, Barran Liebman Attorneys, Myhre Group Architects, R & H Construction and Grapheon Design. Your support is felt by many.

The combined efforts of our sponsors, donors and bidders helped to raise close to $24,000 to benefit the Rose Villa Foundation. We couldn’t have done it without you- THANK YOU!

I don’t know about you, but I love incongruities. For me, the best movies are the ones where you are sure you know what is going to happen next … only to have something completely different happen. So it’s no surprise that the best takeaway for me from Switch is the advice to look for what’s going right when you are trying to fix something wrong.

Simple, yes? Common, no.

This book is chock-full of practical observations: How do you identify a problem, figure out where it’s coming from, and fix it? Where does emotion—or lack of it—interfere with the best-laid plans? You probably have read about the ego and the id, but you may not realize how very relevant they are in your day-to-day business.

The brothers Heath paint a simple environment. In their world, our strong and lumbering Elephant—the emotional engine—provides the force to get things done, even if it does have a hard time thinking ahead to the long-term implications of its actions. The smart and manipulative Rider (our mental and intellectual persona, surfing on top of the big E below), can sometimes direct the Elephant, but sure has a hard time making decisions. The final element is the Path, the environment itself. If you pay attention to the situational forces shaping people’s behavior, you may find all you have to do is change their environment, rather than their personality.

To illustrate the kingdom, the authors have assembled a wonderfully broad cross-section of facts, research and anecdote to show how change can occur by tinkering with one of the three elements. The dilettante in me loved the information the examples provided: quirky experiments about popcorn eating, self-control as an exhaustible resource, nutrition in babies in Vietnam, and more.

But back to that first incongruity. The next time you are deep into a problem, try this: When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first small sign you’d see that would make you think, “Well, something must have happened—the problem is gone!”? It can be hard to identify what is going right—try and remember the last time you saw a glimpse of it. When you do—and there is always something—you confirm that you are able to solve your problem, at least some of the time, no matter how briefly, so you can go there again. An ultimate message of hope and personal mastery.

Although they don’t use senior living as an example, I don’t know of a field in which more is changing more quickly than ours. The insights and lessons here are directly applicable to our shifting business, especially to avoid communication and motivation misfires. None of us can afford to stumble as we adapt our businesses to survive and grow. This book breaks the system down into individual steps, gives you lots of practical suggestions, and builds the confidence that you really can succeed and that “failure” in the middle of transformation is simply you learning something new.

 Visit LeadingAge Magazine for this and other reviews, news and features in the March/April 2012 publication

Byrd has been the CEO of Rose Villa Senior Living Community since July 2006. Coming from a career in Economics, Byrd found herself interested in senior services as a result of volunteer work that led her to become a certified Ombudsman for the State of Oregon.  She has a Master’s in Gerontology from Naropa University in Boulder, CO (as well as a Master’s in Economics from the London School of Economics).

Rose Villa Senior Living CEO, Vassar Byrd

She says, “With the focus and priorities of state and federal governments currently in flux, there is no better time to step up to the policy table.  To identify and facilitate progressive, cost effective, person-centered opportunities that our association can pursue is a fantastic way to contribute to the field of aging services.  I can’t wait to get started!”

About LeadingAge: To expand the world of possibilities for aging, LeadingAge members and affiliates touch the lives of millions of individuals, families, employees and volunteers every day. The LeadingAge community includes 5,400 not-for-profit organizations in the United States, 38 state partners, hundreds of businesses, research partners, consumer organizations, foundations and a broad global network of aging services organizations that reach over 30 countries. The work of LeadingAge is focused on advocacy, leadership development, and applied research and promotion of effective services, home health, hospice, community services, senior housing, assisted living residences, continuing care communities, nursing homes, as well as technology solutions, to seniors, children, and others with special needs. Their promise: Inspire. Serve. Advocate.

Please join us for the Foundation’s 3rd Annual Benefit Auction, “Springtime in Italy“. This year we are excited to offer a new feature — a live auction! You’ll be able to bid on a range of wonderful items donated by supporters to benefit the Rose Villa Foundation, all while enjoying fabulous refreshments from a menu crafted by our own Chef Aaron Guerra. For all the details and to purchase your tickets, please visit our Auction 2012 page.

Saturday, April 14, 2012 5-7PM

Menu

Prosciutto Palmiers

Parmesan and Basil Ciabatta Bites

Poached Salmon with Boursin Rosettes and Capers

Roasted Red Sweet Pepper & Rosemary Hummus

Balsamic Grilled Vegetable Platter

3 Olive Tapenade Crostini

Seafood Cakes with Remoulade

Marinara Meatballs

Polenta Squares

Mozzarella  Bites

Deep-Fried Ravioli Bites with Pesto

Dessert

Cappuccino

Mini tartlets filled with chocolate hazelnut mousse

Amaretti cookies

Biscotti dipped in chocolate

Wine

Sokol Blossor Evolution Red & White

Generously sponsored by R & H Construction in partnership with Sokol Blossor

Buy your tickets online today! 

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor: Merrill Lynch Wealth Management; The Krum Christian Group

And to our Valued Sponsors: Barron Liebman Attorneys; Myhre Group Architects and Grapheon Design

]]> http://www.rosevilla.org/2012/04/chef-aaron-guerra-has-a-wonderful-array-of-italian-delights-in-store-for-the-foundation-auction/feed 0 http://www.rosevilla.org/2012/02/leading-age-sponsors-creative-writing-program http://www.rosevilla.org/2012/02/leading-age-sponsors-creative-writing-program#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:52:51 +0000 t1nA http://www.rosevilla.org/?p=1119 On Tuesday, February 21, 2012, a group of Rose Villa poetry lovers hopped into the Rose Villa van and trekked down to Friendsview Retirement Community in Newberg for the LeadingAge Oregon Creative Writing Contest & Luncheon. This annual Creative Writing contest took shape in 1993. Member residents submit short stories and poems that are read and scored by judges who are published writers and poets themselves. From the entries, the top 40-50 are chosen and published annually in the Leading Age publication “Reflections: A Collection of Writing and Poetry by Oregon’s Elders”. Two of the travelers from Rose Villa, Don Eckler and Jean Lusk,

Don Eckler and Jean Lusk receive accolades at the 2012 LeadingAge Oregon Creative Writing and Poetry contest

were honored at the luncheon for their prize-winning entries in the poetry division.  They were joined in the ‘winners circle’ by fellow creatives from many surrounding communities. After a delightful meal, attendees of the event were given the pleasure of hearing a professional reading of each of the winning entries.  The theme of this year’s contest was “Reflections”, and the contestants certainly took the theme to heart!  Some pieces were comical, some heart-wrenching, all equally thought-provoking.  We are proud to have represented Rose Villa at an event that celebrates the stimulation of minds and communities through writing!

Established in 1979, LeadingAge Oregon (formerly the Oregon Alliance of Senior & Health Services (OASHS)) is the state association of not-for-profit, mission-directed organizations dedicated to providing quality housing, health, community and related services to the elderly and disabled. LeadingAge Oregon members set the standards for the field through service excellence and mission-driven objectives. LeadingAge Oregon member organizations embrace values that emphasize individual dignity, self-respect, personal independence and a supportive environment for the elders they serve.

Each week, students from Oak Grove Elementary school visit Rose Villa as a part of a fun and educational after school program. Every session is filled with students and seniors coming together to work on projects that really speak to the greater good. In January, we embarked on a journey into the wide world of ancestry by researching our family trees and examining pieces of our family histories. Residents and students found common ground and celebrated differences.  In February, this group continues to explore social studies by celebrating Black History Month. Introducing students to first hand encounters experienced by Rose Villa residents of the Civil Rights Movement is extremely powerful education. Students hear firsthand what it was like to live in a time that was filled with challenges and uncertainty while at the same time experiencing true understanding and compassion.

Rose Villa residents Pat Matthews and Carol Bosworth relax in our lobby

“[Another community we visited] didn’t say we couldn’t come,” Matthews says. “But they said that we would best off there if we were sisters…

…When the pair told their story to Rose Villa CEO Vassar Byrd, she said “I couldn’t believe that in this day and age that that would happen. I was absolutely shocked beyond belief.” Byrd not only welcomed the couple but she set about making sure Rose Villa was as hospitable as possible to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT seniors…

…Pat Matthews says she considers herself fortunate to have ended up at Rosa Villa.

To listen to the on-air report, click here.

To read the OPB News article on which it was based, click here.

Thanks, OPB News!