Clearview Home Clearfield

05/17/2018

If there is one thing (well two things) I am good at it's badgering and bossing. So what do I do even to the boss lady when she keeps telling me no? I badger and I shame! Yep that's right. Our plan was this year to plant the new area. The new bird bath is in honor of Evelyn Morey Stevenson and the bench is from Betty Weller's family. It is such a nice place under the tree and we were all excited to see it in flowers. I love flowers and flower gardens and so does Patty. She has an amazing green thumb. But she kept telling me no. "We just don't need to do it this year." "There's no one to see it but us. What's the point." Well that was not the answer I wanted, so badger, and badger and add a little shame. Guess what? Not only did the new area get it's new plants and starts but the red geraniums got planted again too. Which was also not in her plan. ( More badgering and shame.) It has been really hard on everyone this year to not be at home and the rules, regulations and questions not being answered were weighing heavily on the Routh and Parrish families. I was determined that we shall try and be as normal as possible. Just because there isn't anyone here to enjoy it we need to show everyone that we are still here. As I was helping with this new garden I was thinking, "Here we have roots." A lot of generations have passed through the doors of Clearview. Residents, staff and even Matt is now a new generation of management. Staff and residents may be scattered throughout Southwest Iowa but OUR roots are here. This is our home. We are going to plant our feet where our roots are and like these new plants we are going to, with a little love and TLC, grow, blossom and bloom! Yesterday was a breath of fresh air for everyone. The right people came and gave all of us a little bit of hope! The plan was always for us to re-open but the struggle and information was getting overwhelming and weighing heavily on the Administration. But with the right "gardener" Clearview will be blooming this summer and we will all get to watch it grow! By next year at this time this garden and Clearview will have a new look and as the years pass the roots will grow deeper.

03/23/2018

Tonight I stayed a little later than the rest, working on yet another report. I have worked at Clearview a very long time, not as long as some, but longer than most and nurses know the “q” word is not to be said out loud at anytime during a shift or to anyone in the building, and definitely not when giving report to the next nurse, we have learned this the hard way! But as I sat there in my make shift office I thought to myself, “It is way too quiet.” I didn’t have the nerve to say it out loud and I even scolded myself for thinking it. But it was way too quiet. Everyone had went their separate ways, the cleaning crew had left, and it was quiet. No call lights buzzing, no sounds from the kitchen, no laundry in the laundry room, no birds in the aviary, and none of the girls buzzing by. It was quiet. I sat there with my lap top and just thought about all the staff, residents, friends, and families that have come and gone in the rooms and hallways of this home in 57 years. And then I realized it was Thursday.
It has been two weeks since we divided up our residents, families and staff. Most everyone, residents and staff, are settling in to their new niche. Most everyone, residents and staff, are making new friends. There are still hugs given when we see familiar faces and still some tears shed now and again. But there is progress being made and clean up is about complete for now. The next step in this process will begin next week hopefully and it will be quite awhile before once again these halls and rooms are filled with activity from our residents. In the meantime we continue to learn, grow, and be content in knowing that we are all safe, blessed, and that these halls won’t always remain this quiet.

03/12/2018

On behalf of the Routh, Parrish, and Clearview staff we want to say thank you to all of the fire fighters, EMS, Southwest Iowa Trolley and their drivers, Brenda Willis, community members, (Cody, Shain and Jari Jo) just to name a few, the Clearview in Mt Ayr staff, Lenox Care facility staff, and The Bedford Care Facility, and anyone that came to our rescue last Thursday morning.
A special thanks to the Clearfield fire fighters/Beggs Construction crew Cliff, Chris and Jack, as they put in a very long day on Thursday with the rest of us!
We also thank everyone for All of the kind words, thoughts, and prayers. They are all heart felt, appreciated, and needed. I know we have all thanked you personally, but a simple thank you doesn’t seem like enough. There were so many lives that were depending not only on our staff but you as well that day and as we begin a new week, it is comforting to know that all of our residents are safe and that our staff is able to continue to care and check on our residents. We wanted to make sure that you know how much you are all appreciated by everyone as you were our heroes that day and we will always be grateful.

03/11/2018

Yesterday was another overwhelming day. It started out by seeing the amount of care Southwest Iowa communities and families have for those that are going through a crisis. Angie Blazek and her family brought an enormous room full of clothes and hygiene products and soft blankets and even some teddy bears to be distributed to our residents. I wish I could thank everyone personally but know that we are ever grateful for you thinking of them! I know Trisha Mains family brought some things that were very dear to their hearts and Nikki Seberger and Angie did a lil shopping! Thank you all so much! I then went and checked on all but a couple of our residents and in my place for the others Kerri and Gina checked on them. Everyone is finding a new normal and let me tell you about tough and resilient... our residents are handling this crisis far better than we are! I was never so glad to be able to hug and see everyone and to remember how blessed I am to be able to do that. Thank you to all the families, I know there is a ton of new paperwork needing your time and attention, and Susie, Whitney, Patty and I will try and answer any of the questions you may have. Our business office came out unscathed and we have the phone lines up and we are available to help you if we can. Susie and Patty were there yesterday. Whitney will be in the Clearfield office today, we want to make sure that everyone is available to answer any questions or come and retrieve belongings.
The Lenox facility had all their staff on deck as well and continue to get their new normal. I hope we helped with giving them some tips and maybe some tricks to help give our residents some familiarity of home. Thanks Jari Jo, Julie, Melissa and Cody for letting us invade your home as well.
Patty had breakfast with our residents in Mt Ayr yesterday and then got to work. Julie was working on her new normal of adding our staff to their schedule and cracking jokes about how Robyn loves to cut and paste. Matt, Joe and I were in and out of both places. I can’t imagine the burden this family has to bare as they try to make everyone’s transitions a little easier not only for our residents and their families but our staff as well but also grieve over the foundation that their father, mother, and grandparents left for them. I am amazed at what a good leader Matt has become over the years and is trying to ease the burden for his dad and Aunt by stepping up and trying to make sense of things with their help. They are a force of their own because they know how much Clearview means not only to them but to our staff and our community. For the first time in 57 years all the lights were out and the doors locked from the outside on Clearview Home. Thank you for all the support that you have shown to them, our residents, families and our staff. We all are truly humbled and blessed.

03/09/2018

Tonight as I sit here at the front door of Clearview Home I am thanking God for the amazing staff, residents, families, community, and other DON’s that I know would not want to be in the place I am now. All of our residents and staff are safe and warm. I cannot tell you how tough this day has been for everyone, yet all of us have worked together for our loved ones. Even though I know each and every DON that is now in charge of our family members, it’s a heavy burden for all of my staff and myself to have on our hearts. Rest assured the building is still standing, clean up is already under way, and plans are in the works to get us all back home. In the mean time I am thanking God for all that He protected and did for us today.

03/07/2018

Whitney and Deb started the first full week of March much like the weather... like a lion! It’s so fun watching these two get to know each other and work together to get our residents smiling and active. Whitney came across this idea and together they are helping our residents help those that are close to our hearts... the troops across the seas! This project is called Troopons! Many of our residents, young and old, will be at the tables doing what we like to do best... sipping coffee, snacking, reminiscing and laughing as they cut and sort coupons to send to the troops! So if you have cut your coupons out from the fliers and if you haven’t cut them all out, even if they have expired, bring them up to us! Drop them off to Whitney, Deb or Kim and help us help our Troops!

03/06/2018

03/06/2018

02/17/2018

You may find the other information easier to read at clevelandclinic.org/healthhub