December 8, 2021
Dear Friends,
As many of you know, we have been quietly celebrating our 100th year here at Misericordia, and we still plan to celebrate this centennial accordingly when it is safe and prudent to do so as it deserves a grand celebration. I have always said that I am in awe of our residents, in awe of our families, in awe of our staff, and I am in awe of the countless volunteers and benefactors who have walked this journey with the Sisters of Mercy since Misericordia opened in 1921. Together we have made a difference, and Misericordia looks forward to the next 100 years of making a difference for our deserving population whom we are privileged to serve.
MFA members,
When you, your family or friends donate to Misericordia it is important to enter your Misericordia Family Association number (MFA#) correctly. The correct format is 4 numbers and a letter, such as: 1111A. It is important that you only enter 5 characters. Please DO NOT add any extra characters (such as # or -).
All MFA #'s started with an A after the 4 digits; but, for some families/individuals there may be a B or C after the 4 digits. This denotes spouses living separately, siblings as guardians etc. Proper entry of your MFA# allows for donation data to be easily imported into Raiser's Edge by Misericordia and credited to your family. If you don't know the letter attached to your MFA# please enter the letter A after the four digits.
Pam & Jim Capraro
MFA Chairs
We wanted to inform you of changes made to the structure of Misericordia’s Day Services, known through the years as “DT”, and the last few years as “CDS”. Day services guidance comes from the Department of Human Services (DHS). Under new guidance, DHS has designated two forms of day services, based on the source of funding for each resident’s services, which have different service requirements from one another and require more independence. Those residents who receive home and community based funding, which are CILAs and home-based individuals, will receive services through Community Day Services (CDS). Residents that live in an ICF will receive services through Developmental Training (DT). The Shannon Apartments have a third funding source outside of this new guidance, but will receive Community Day Services.
by Linda Buchalo
Misericordia is a beautiful campus with many wonderful amenities, but those with a family member at Misericordia know that the quality of staff is what sets it apart from similar organizations. While staff at every level are compassionate and creative, personal direct care staff are a truly amazing group who bring warmth, understanding, and empathy to the residents. They work round-the-clock to ensure that our family members are well cared for.
Both Direct Service Professionals (DSPs) and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) provide personal care depending on the residence and level of need. Their jobs often take on multiple roles: mentors, motivators, educators, tour guides, chaperones, friends, and more. Their work includes helping with grooming, mealtime, therapy plans, program plans, and recreation, all while helping residents to learn, communicate, and become more independent.
On the evening of November 9th, people from all over logged on to watch the 24th annual Artist in All event. Things looked different again this year and we had to hold the event virtually, but one constant remains—the quality and artistic talent of our residents.
This event was sponsored by our very own Siblings group and they did all they could to help support this fundraiser. Even though we could not celebrate this event in person, anyone who tuned in really felt the energy and excitement. The wonderful artwork designed by our amazing residents was created under the guidance of our talented instructors from the ART department, McAuley School, McAuley CDS program, McAuley Recreation Therapy, Personal Effectiveness Program and Recreation and Leisure program. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event successful!
Sincere gratitude to all of our families who supported this wonderful event. We wish you could have seen the smiles and pride on our resident artists' faces during the watch parties the night of Artist in All. This program truly empowers our residents. #MisericordiaStrong
by Ernie Stark, in conjunction with Jenna Colangelo, MS, OTR/L, Beth Muckler, PT, DPT, Jill Sparacio, OTR/L, ATP/SMS, ABDA and Sam Sexton, Therapy Manger and McAuley QIDP
An educative experience for a visitor to Misericordia, be they parent/sibling or friend, would be to be present on campus during the "morning rush hour." The person would see the hustle and bustle of the residents as they make their way to their various destinations. Some are on their way to community day services; others are reporting to their various campus work opportunities; some are on their way to therapy…
In witnessing the parade of residents the observer might notice the variety of the their mode of travel: some may appear to be progressing independently; others are walking in a group accompanied by a staff member; others are ambulating with the assistance of a device such as a walker; others are in wheelchairs being pushed by a fellow resident or staff member; others may be zipping along in their power wheelchairs.
They are all on the go as they have things to do!
Dear Families,
I realize it has been quite some time since we shared any updates on the Dental Clinic. We opened again for appointments in September 2020, post the Covid closure. We have been and we continue to follow Covid procedures and seeing residents in cohorts. We are generally doing one area at a time and working our way across campus. We realize this will take some time. We started with Shannon and we then moved to Marian Center. We have seen some Village residents. They will then see CILA, McAuley, Mercy Glen, and Quinlan before we start the next round.
We currently have a dentist two days a week and currently Dr. Ashley is on maternity leave (congrats, it's a boy, Joey!). Dr. Jennifer is picking up her day for now. We do hope we can get back to a dentist three days a week. They are still taking emergency dental issues if it can wait until the dentists are here. They are working hard to get all residents at least one cleaning this year. We would love to do two cleanings a year but we are not there at this point. Several families are using outside dentists at this point.
We will continue to provide updates, especially if we are able to expand services. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me.
Mary Pat O'Brien
Assistant Executive Director
October 29, 2021
Dear Misericordia Volunteer:
Over 18 months ago, Misericordia’s Volunteer Office suspended its programs to fully turn our attention to keeping our residents and staff safe against the COVID-19 virus. Our Administration, Directors and staff quickly adapted and changed with the residents as a constant flow of new information shaped the world we are living in today. While we are not back to pre-COVID “normal,” we are beginning to see a glimpse of that life here at Misericordia.
Dear Families,
First, I would like to thank you for really stepping up to show your appreciation for our staff. They are enjoying the notes, gift cards and other items that you have sent. They are working tirelessly with our residents so every boost of appreciation goes a long way. In this month of Thanksgiving, we will be dedicating November to show our staff how grateful we all are for their on-going commitment to our residents. We are working on ways that we can show are staff how grateful we are for all of their hard work. We have a lot of ideas and we are starting to put some plans in place. One of our plans involve you, our families! At the beginning of the pandemic, we had "Gratitude Thursdays" and one family would write a note of gratitude each month for all our staff which was then emailed to them. The staff loved it especially if it was one of "their" resident's family members.
by Martha Floberg
Year after year, a dedicated team of charity runners supports Misericordia in ways that few others could imagine doing – running 26.2 miles through the streets and neighborhoods of Chicago to raise much-needed funds that benefit our children and adult residents.
From first-time marathoners to seasoned runners, each Misericordia Heartracer team member commits to raising between $1,250 and $1,750, depending on the date they register for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The Chicago Marathon is a proud city tradition and international running event. Each year 10,000 charity runners representing more than 150 local, national and global charities raise millions of dollars. There was no marathon last year, due to the pandemic, but runners converged on the streets of Chicago for this year’s race.
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