Diane, Jackie, Judy, and Mary

Here’s the story of four lovely ladies who share life together at our Black Oaks home in Plymouth. They have lived together for decades. Diana, Mary, Jackie, and Judy have experienced many of life’s ups and downs, challenges and successes, together. Let’s meet them:

Mary is the social butterfly. She came to Hammer Residences 47 years ago! Mary is very outgoing, talkative, and has lots of long-standing relationships with others at Hammer & NER. She loves getting out and connecting with people.

Judy is known as Mary’s “polar opposite.” They’ve been roommates in the past. Judy prefers to keep to herself. One of her favorite past times is coloring. She also loves her work program.

Staff will tell you Diana is a bit of a mischief maker. She has a great sense of humor and enjoys laughing and joking with staff. When she was a teenager and living at Hammer, she actually stole a car! She didn’t go very far, and no harm was done (although staff nearly had heart attacks!).

Then there’s Jackie, the gal with a wicked sense of humor. When she gets that familiar twinkle in her eye, you know she’s planning something. However, as her dementia progresses, she just appreciates things being predictable.

As you might imagine, as they have aged, the ladies’ lives have changed in significant ways: They’re slowing down and need more assistance with the activities of daily living and moving around their home. Everything takes a little longer. As their lives and needs change, so too must their staff. Ongoing advanced training is needed to help staff care for the more complex needs of Mary, Judy, Diana, and Jackie. The responsibility is a serious one.

“Thirty years ago, we used to think of our staff more like camp counselors, planning fun events, and now they’re more like CNAs,” says John Estrem, Hammer & NER’s CEO. “This house is a great example of that. The work that we do is about people supporting people.”

Brad with Jackie

Brad Fenske is one of the home’s staff and began working at Hammer Residences 40 years ago. “I’ve known some of the people we support since they were teenagers!” he says. They used to be independent. “Jackie loved to go to Branson, and now she just can’t do it. We’re looking at the end-of-life stage for her, and how do we make her comfortable in what may be her last year or two.”

Today we have a training department that is very intentional about providing staff with the training they need. When caring for those with dementia, ostomy bags, diabetes, and other conditions, it’s not intuitive. Staff need to know how to care for them and how to make their lives better. Hammer & NER provides access to online, in-person, and hands-on training.

“You’re working with them as a caretaker of their well-being, but you’re also experiencing one another’s lives,” says Brad. “We’re not their family, but in many ways, we take the place of their family when they aren’t able to be with them.”

That’s what Caring for the Heart is all about.

We are saddened to share that Jackie passed away the evening of Monday, August 12.