Episódios

  • E184: Helping Friends with Dementia

    E184: Helping Friends with Dementia
    Oct 9 2025
    Host: Don Helin Guest: Mary Schreiber This Podcast is the first in a three part series of podcasts addressing the issue of Dementia with Willow Valley Staff Person Mary Schreiber. This first podcast addresses how to respond to a friend who receives the diagnosis of dementia. The second podcast will be emphasizing Staying Connected. The third podcast will discuss the importance of caregivers. We all must realize there is more to a person than dementia and it’s possible to have a good quality of life with dementia. Mary recommends we all should attend her one hour class offered here at Willow Valley
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    18 minutos
  • E183: Living with Low Vision at Willow Valley

    E183: Living with Low Vision at Willow Valley
    Oct 2 2025
    Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: John Murphy Description: John Murphy has been legally blind for the last 40 years, and yet it has not stopped him from pursuing his lifelong M.O. of adventure. He and his wife Diane moved to Willow Valley three + years ago and have been taking advantage of all the lectures, concerts, social and intellectual gatherings, and, of course, dining that Willow Valley has to offer. Always exploring new technologies for the blind, John serves as the Computer Clubs consultant for residents with low vision and works in the lab weekly, helping to prepare wiring that will be recycled for others. Both he and Diane love traveling and take wide-ranging trips every year. Listen to his words of wisdom for all of us.
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    17 minutos
  • E182: Boatbuilding with Disadvantaged Kids

    E182: Boatbuilding with Disadvantaged Kids
    Sep 25 2025
    Host: Candee O'Donnell Guests: Jayne Bourke, Dick Steeg Description: Jayne Bourke and Dick Steeg, a married couple, spent their lives in and around boats. They have a passion for building boats. In this podcast, they describe how they developed a program in which they help disadvantaged youth ages 14 to 18, by showing them how to build small boats. This program was developed for Manos House, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program for young men.
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    23 minutos
  • E181: Global Volunteerism: Changing Lives, Including Our Own

    E181: Global Volunteerism: Changing Lives, Including Our Own
    Sep 18 2025
    Host: Elaine Kurceba Guests: Phil Winand and Dale Johnson Description: This episode features Willow Valley residents Elaine Kurceba, Dale Johnson, and Phil Winand discussing the concept and practice of global volunteerism. Global volunteerism involves individuals dedicating their time and skills to aid communities worldwide, addressing issues like health, education, and community development. Johnson and Winand share their experiences on medical mission trips to Honduras, detailing how medical clinics are established in local schools, the types of care provided to thousands of patients, and the collaborative effort required from both international volunteers and local residents. They emphasize that while accommodations are basic and the work is demanding, the gratitude of the recipients and the unique opportunity to experience a different culture make the endeavor deeply rewarding. The discussion also touches upon various non-profit and governmental organizations that facilitate such opportunities and the personal motivations for participating in these impactful service travels. Contact information: Dale Johnson (dale.johnson99@gmail.com)
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    22 minutos
  • E180: SUICIDE: Breaking the Silence Replay from Aug 2024

    E180: SUICIDE: Breaking the Silence Replay from Aug 2024
    Sep 11 2025
    Guests: Cori Steiner, WV Director of Resident Services Alice Pero, WV resident and retired nurse Description: * September is Suicide Prevention Month. Today, we are talking about suicide with two courageous people whose lives were deeply affected by the suicide of a family member or attempts at suicide by a family member. We discussed what helped them cope in the immediate aftermath, including what was helpful from others and what wasn’t. We also explored the available support here at Willow Valley and the resources available in communities nationwide. Suicide is a hard topic to talk about, and yet talking about it is precisely what helps. The WV Social Workers are putting on a month-long series of programs about suicide, why it is okay to talk about it, and why it is so important to bring it out of the shadows. Notices about their programming will be placed in your mailboxes. Attend the annual WV Health Expo and find the tables with more information. *This is a reprodcast of a podcast done initially in August of 2024. Dates mentioned are not exact to the programming offered in Sept. 2025.
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    19 minutos
  • E179: Where Cultures Bloom at Willow Valley

    E179: Where Cultures Bloom at Willow Valley
    Sep 4 2025
    Host: Dale Johnson and Candace O’Donnell Guest: Jay Shah & Tein-Min Tan (TM) Description: This podcast episode, "Life Under the Willow Tree," focuses on the vibrant multicultural environment at Willow Valley Communities. Hosts Dale Johnson and Candice O'Donnell interview residents Jay Shah and TM Tan, who share their personal journeys to the United States and experiences at Willow Valley. The discussion highlights the community's growing diverse population—drawing residents from 42 states and many foreign countries—and its commitment to cultural enrichment through various festivals, educational programs, and a multicultural market. Jay and TM also recount their motivations for moving to Willow Valley, emphasizing the desire for independent living and the community's welcoming atmosphere, which has led them to encourage others to join them. Note: Willow Valley was voted the #2 Continuing Care Community in the United States by Newsweek. However, as stated in the podcast, Willow Valley is the #1 Full Type A Continuing Care Community (True Lifecare). https://rankings.newsweek.com/americas-best-continuing-care-retirement-communities-2025
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    38 minutos
  • E178: Willow Valley's Admissions Review Counselor: Cheryl McClune

    E178: Willow Valley's Admissions Review Counselor: Cheryl McClune
    Aug 28 2025
    Host: Carol MacAllister Guest: Cheryl McClune, WV Admissions Review Counselor Description: Hidden away in her Welcome Center office is Cheryl McClune, who, it turns out, is the pivotal person in determining if an applicant is admitted to Willow Valley. Because WV is offering a Life Care Contract, the applicant (s) must be a good fit, not only financially, but also physically and mentally. Most are, but some are not, and it is up to Cheryl, with the support of the Sales, Nursing, and Admissions Review Committees, to make that final determination. This comprehensive evaluation of the whole person is done immediately following the financial acceptance, so no one gets heavily involved in the touring/sales process and then is told, Sorry, this is not the place for you. Here, we learn just how much Cheryl does for new residents, including providing community resources for everything, especially new medical care and emotional support, as the transition begins to our last home. Turns out, Cheryl is much more than “that woman who gives us our cognitive test!”
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    20 minutos
  • E177: A Chat with Lisa Hawthorne, CEO

    E177: A Chat with Lisa Hawthorne, CEO
    Aug 21 2025
    Host: Ray Loewe, Guest: Lisa Hawthorne, Description: What is the real Lisa Hawthorne all about? In this podcast, we get a close-up view of the person who will lead Willow Valley Communities through its next phase of development.
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    17 minutos