Bickford of Grand Island

It is with excitement that I get to say that our Bickford of Grand Island officially has a new kitchen! The remodeling started on Monday and we were back in the kitchen by Friday like they promised! Our residents enjoyed food from local community restaurants, as well as grilled food our kitchen manager made for them right here at Bickford. It has been such a blessing for our residents to have the new kitchen, and also a new coffee bar. With improvements like this, we are able to take even better care of our residents, which is the most important job we have here at Bickford. I am honored to be a part of such a wonderful team! Please come by Bickford and see our new and improved kitchen soon! We sure are proud of it! Kelsey Schutt, Executive Assistant

Data from the 2011 End of Life Survey Report conducted by the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association indicates that although it is important to many survey participants that they play an active role in making end-of-life decisions and plans, less than half have actually taken the step to engage in the planning and decision making process. * 95% think completing a will is important 44% have done so * 74% believe in pre-planning their funeral 13% have done so * 90% have heard of a health care power of attorney 32% have completed the document * 96% have heard of a living will 33% have completed one These are just a handful of topics that can be discussed when making end-of-life plans. Many people have difficulty defining what they want at the "end of life," an alternitive way to view this conversation is to talk about goals of care. Since we know that personal goals change over time based upon many factors, this conversation will need to happen more than once. Bickford offers many professionals who can assist you and your family with your conversations about goals of care. Visit with our RNC, Director, Community Relations Director or MarketPlace Ministry Chaplains. We can also refer you to other community resources who may be able to support you during your ongoing conversations. While it can be difficult to have conversations about your loved one's goals of care and end-of-life decisions, having these conversations will allow you to make decisions in the future with confidence that you are honoring your loved one's wishes.

Off to the Races...... On Friday, April 5, Crystal, our Life Enrichment Coordinator, took several of our residents to Fonner Park to watch some live horse racing here in Grand Island. They had such a wonderful time! They each enjoyed some soda and popcorn and cheered on their favorite horses! We are so blessed to have Crystal as a Bickford Family Member!