Mendota Lutheran Home

Meet a few of our amazing residents, who have spent or are still spending their days here at Mendota Lutheran Home...

Martha Schlund has been a resident of the Mendota Lutheran Home when she and her husband came to live with us.  Her husband has since passed away, but Martha’s history with the Home is a long one.

Emanuel Schlund, Martha’s husband, was instrumental in forming the Mendota Lutheran Home.  “When the area churches first thought about forming a nursing home, Monnie, as we called him, was on the committee who set out to study the feasibility of forming a nursing home in the area” states Martha.  “As they began to form the Home and start construction, he was on that committee as well.  From there, he served on the very first board of directors of the Home.  He was even here during the groundbreaking ceremony in 1993 for the West Wing addition.” 

Martha’s daughter, Mary Lundquist is an employee of the Home, serving currently as the Rehab Nurse.  We asked Mary what brought her to work at the Mendota Lutheran Home back in 1995 – “My heritage brought me here as well as the reputation of the Home.  I felt like this is where I belonged.  When I was a child, I would ride with my parents to Muscatine, Iowa to go to meetings about the founding of the Home.  I remember seeing the blueprints on the kitchen table and the many fundraisers we were a part of to raise money to build the facility.”

Today, Martha resides in the Home her husband was influential in building. Martha states, “I feel safe and secure here.  I have everything I need. The workers are a major part of this facility.  I have never asked for anything I did not get right away.  I can honestly say I have never had a major complaint in 3 1/2 years.”

Mary adds: “It’s a blessing and comfort to us to know that she is content.  She does what she wants to do and is fortunate to be able to reside in a Sheltered Care suite where she is able to have her sewing machine and stay busy doing the things she loves.  The security and contentment are worth everything to us.”

______________________________________________________________

Benton Brown was in the parking lot of the grocery store, loading groceries into his car when he suddenly felt funny and his arm went numb.  He said a Hail Mary and drove directly to his docor's office.  Benny was admitted immediately to the hospital and then flown to Rockford by helicopter.  "The doctor told me he had good news for me.  He knew what was wrong with me.  I had a brain aneurism.  That did not sound like good news to me, but the doctor told me he could save me.  After many hours of brain surgery, he did.  I was one of the very few lucky ones."  After recovering from surgery,  Benny was able to come back to Mendota.  "I got lucky again.  I chose The Mendota Lutheran Home.  They took wonderful care of me and got me back on my feet again.  They got me stronger and my balance is better.  I was able to go home and care for my wife."

A year later, Benny fell at home.  He chose to come back to The Mendota Lutheran Home to rehab again.  After a three-week stay, he was able to return home to his wife, Marion.  Benny has therapy in the new Outpatient Therapy three times a week now.  "The therapy was so great last time, I wanted to come back here.  I am getting stronger now and feeling great.  My wife has been here for therapy, too.  We are always treated so well.  The staff is top notch.  Everyone here is family to us.  It is a great place."

Marion moved to the Mendota Lutheran Home recently.  Benny visited her faithly every day.  He decided it was too much to keep their home going alone and along with his family, made the decision to make the Mendota Lutheran Home their home together.  He has moved into a Assisted Living apartment in the Sheltered Care.  "It was another great decision," states Benny.   " I am with Marion every day and we attend activities, Catholic Services and Communion, exercise, watch movies together and enjoy spending time in the courtyard outside together.  I don't have to worry about the yard, laundry or the house, and the meals here are better than I ever cooked.  We are happy and we are together.  What more could anyone want?"

______________________________________________________________

For 27-1/2 years, Ethylmae Birkey was a RN on the 3:00-11:00pm shift.  Every night when her shift ended, her beloved husband Bob Birkey would pick her up from work and drive her home.  Nurse Birkey retired from the MLH at the age of 82.  When Bob's health declined, he moved into the Mendota Lutheran Home where he lived until his death in 2008.  An illness put Ethylmae in Edwards Hospital in Naperville Illinois, and from there she moved to a nearby Naperville nursing home.  "It was a beautiful, new facility and a short drive from my daughter Jill's home, but I wasn't happy there," stated Mrs. Birkey,  "It seemed impersonal and didn't feel like home to me.  It wasn't the Mendota Lutheran Home.  I knew firsthand the quality and loving care the MLH provides from the years I worked there and from when Bob was a resident.  So, I came home; home to the Mendota Lutheran Home.  I cannot tell you how good it feels to be here.  I was so surprised how many of the wonderful nurses, CNA's, and other staff members that I worked with through the years were still here.  It is so nice to be with them again.  I respected their nursing skills and care when I worked here, and I respect it even more today."   Welcome home Mrs. Birkey.  It is good to have you back where you belong!

Joan Ward started as a CNA at the Mendota Lutheran Home under Nurse Birkey 23 years ago.  "Everything I am today I owe to Mrs. Birkey.  She was an excellent nurse and taught us all so much.  She took me under her wing and is the reason why I am still at the MLH today.  Her values and work ethic are instilled in us all.  It is an honor today to have the opportunity to care for my mentor.  I feel as though I am paying her back for all she did for me.  Life has come full circle for us."

______________________________________________________________

Yetta Lorenzana offers, "What I am impressed with the most is the staff.  They are what make me feel comfortable here – it’s like having an extended family.”

“I love going to therapy.  The atmosphere is what makes it special – they are there to help you physically but they are all kind, caring and loving.  They help me mentally as well.  Molly, the rehab director is great – she is just great.  She is there to see that you are the best you can be and she expects her staff to do the same.  Their expertise is excellent, but that is not the only reason I recover – it’s the care.  They are nice people, and patients are always the top priority.  I always tell people, if you can’t be at your home, be at the Mendota Lutheran Home.”

Yetta’s daughter Sandra adds,“The staff cares for the whole patient.  I know many people who have friends and relatives here who have been with you for a very long time.  I have never heard anything bad about your facility.  This doesn’t seem like a nursing home to me”

______________________________________________________________

Ann Kmieciak fractured her hip and needed rehabilitation services so she could return home.  She entered a different long term care facility and was very unhappy there.  She then transfered to our facility.  Her daughter Francie Skoflanc describes the experience, “I knew mom wasn’t getting the care she deserved.  She was getting depressed and not progressing physically.  I was constantly worried mom was going to fall and never felt comfortable leaving her there.  I was desperate to get her placed elsewhere, and decided to try your facility.”

“The first thing I noticed when I pulled up to the building was the sign that read Love is Ageless.  It was a welcome sight after a long day of desperation, but I was still apprehensive.  When we entered the building, we were greeted by Julie Wicks (Social Service and Admissions Director), who came up and hugged me and told me everything was going to be OK.  For 2-1/2 hours, staff came into the room, introduced themselves and reassured us that she was going to be fine.”

“Every day that I come here she looks better, possibly even better than before her accident.  All of the staff at your facility is so professional.  They all smile; everybody speaks and calls mom by name.  Since day one, the professionalism, caring and compassion have never stopped. The doctors are the ones who fix the broken bones, but the nurses, therapists and other staff are the real healers.  The love and tender care is what causes the healing to take place.” 

Ann sums it up by adding, “They are all angels here, all of them.”

______________________________________________________________

Joe Hawbaker of Mendota decided to spend time at the Mendota Lutheran Home to receive strengthening.  Joe resided in one of our 43 beds in our expanded Medicare unit.  He received therapy services while with us and had this to share about his stay:

“I feel I have gotten stronger since I have been here.  The therapy equipment has helped quite a bit.  The therapists, Molly, Emily, Katy and Jeanna are great.  The atmosphere in the therapy room is good and the therapists are able to motivate patients to do more than they would do otherwise.  If I had to name what causes me to return to this facility, I would say the food, the therapy, the people – it’s the whole show.”

______________________________________________________________

Harlan Anderson was asked what he felt were the best things about this facility, he stated, “The care you get is the best part.  The staff is all really friendly and good natured.  They don’t cut you off or cut you short.  The care is good all the time.  The food is really good too!”

Harlan using the NuStep Machine in Therapy

______________________________________________________________

Evelyn Neely came to the Mendota Lutheran Home to receive therapy services and strengthening.  She was discharged from our facility following the rehabilitation program and moved into an assisted living apartment. 

When asked to describe our facility, Evelyn and her son Don Neely were very much to the point, stating:

“Good Food”

“Good Care”

“Good People”

“Clean Facility”

Don also stated that he had visited other facilities.  “The Mendota Lutheran Home was the nicest one of all – very clean!”