Page 7 - Reedley Exponent 10-4-18 E-edition

By Caitlin Gipson
Marketing, Sierra View Homes Retirement Community
A lot changes in 44 years, but some things never change. No one can attest to this bet- ter than Nancy Petinak. e 79-year-old Reedley resi- dent recently retired from her role as Activities Director at Sierra View Homes Retire- ment Community, a career which spanned an impres- sive 44 years. Nancy played a pivotal role in the growth of Sierra View Homes from a small skilled nursing facility to a full-service continuing care retirement community. Nancy’s career is a source of great pride for Sierra View, as she exempli es the unusual longevity of the organiza- tion’s sta , and more impor- tantly, the service-oriented heart found beating beneath the everyday workings of the community.
When Nancy rst began at Sierra View in 1975, she little expected that it would be the rst and only employer of her career. “I was just hired be- cause I could play the piano!” Nancy laughed. e director at the time, Art Bergthold Sr., wanted someone who could incorporate music into activities for the residents, and Nancy set out to do just that. She added music into workout classes, sing-alongs, performances, and weekly church services.
Before long, she had dis- covered that this was more
than a job, it was a life’s work. “I realized it was a mission, and that God had placed me here for a reason, to help peo- ple and make their lives bet- ter each day,” she explained.
Over time, the methods she used to ful ll that mission evolved. “For many years, I focused on bringing events to Sierra View’s residents, like a Country Fair fundraiser that drew thousands of people from the neighborhoods in Reedley.” she explained. “I told our residents, if we can’t bring you to events, we’ll bring the events to you!”
is philosophy, and her activity programs in general, were groundbreaking by ne- cessity. “ e year I started, activity programs had just begun to be required by the state, and innovations like as- sisted living and memory care for dementia patients didn’t exist yet,” she said. “Skilled nursing served a very wide variety of ability levels, from people who just needed a bit of assistance to Alzheimer’s residents who entered with extreme cognitive challenges.”
us, almost by accident, Nancy became a pioneer of dementia care. She estab- lished
Sierra View’s Special Needs program, which laid the groundwork for Sierra View’s current Memory Care, transforming a dining room into a “neighborhood” with centers focused around everyday activities like cook- ing, laundry, sewing, and a
home o ce. “We saw an immediate di erence in our resident behavior,” she explained.
She recalls one par- ticular resident, a former newspaper editor, who came into Sierra View an- gry and lashing out at the sta . However, at Nancy’s suggestion they added a typewriter and desk to the o ce area for him, and his behavior changed overnight. “He was suddenly very in- dustrious, and typed all day long - it was like he was back to work,” Nancy said. “When we read what he was typ- ing, it wasn’t always relevant, but it was clear that he was typing his feelings out. His family noticed an immedi- ate improvement. ey were so grateful that he was nally
content and at peace.” Her program was so successful, in fact, that she visited other communities and spoke at conferences to teach about best practices in dementia care.
When Sierra View Homes’ dedicated Memory Care wing was built, Nancy’s role pivoted once again, begin- ning to focus even more on
the social needs of residents and their families. “I spent a lot of time mentoring fami- lies, dealing with individual concerns, walking residents and their families through power of attorney issues and disputes - basically helping families to understand what was happening to their loved ones,” she said. “But one of my favorite things was to sit with people and sing with them.”
In fact, over 44 years, Nan- cy has found that music is one of the constants. She helped bring the iPod Music program to Sierra View’s residents, where residents are provided with an iPod tailored to their individual favorite music. is has had special success in Sierra View’s Memory Care, where residents show marked improvement in hap- piness while singing along to their favorite tunes. “Mu- sic and scripture and prayer are the things that are never damaged by Alzheimer’s or dementia,” Nancy explained. “I’ve always told families that, and they seem to nd com- fort in it. Music, God’s Word, and prayer all speak straight to our heart, and that never changes.”
Another thing that doesn’t change is the heart in Sierra View’s sta . “I’ve been blessed to work with a group of peo- ple who share my mission,” said Nancy. “Sierra View seems to draw people who want to make residents’ lives better every day, and I’ve been honored to work with many people who have really made a di erence.”
Likewise, she has met in- credible people in Sierra View’s residents. “One of our residents invented the little clip on pens so that you can hook it to your paper. An- other invented a revolution- ary design for airplane wings. We’ve had doctors, lawyers, missionaries, and Olympic medalists,” she said. “Sierra View is full of a wealth of stories and wisdom and his- tory, just there for the asking.” So her advice to the younger generations after her? “Ask.”
Some things change - buildings rise up and orga- nizations grow, and founda- tional sta like Nancy move on to new adventures. But the music, the heart of Si- erra View Homes, and Nancy Petinak’s legacy, will always remain.
The Reedley Exponent A7 Thursday, October 4, 2018
H
H
ealth &Fitne ealth &Fitne
ss
ss
Lessons from Half a Century at Sierra View Homes
Locally Owned & Operated
015783
02218
216747
02497