LIFE Armstrong Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

by Jonathan Weaver

A local alternative to keep individuals in their home instead of assisted living facilities celebrated its first year of service Friday.

LIFE Armstrong (an acronym for Living Independence for the Elderly) has been open near the Emergency Department at ACMH Hospital in East Franklin Township (West Hills) since April 1, 2015.

LIFE Executive Director Toni Hively said senior citizens at Lutheran SeniorLife’s four centers and across the state tend to want to stay in their homes –either due to their individual independence or financial circumstances.

“The LIFE program gives many seniors in Pennsylvania and across the United States the opportunity to live at home, even though they might have limited resources,” Hively said. “It’s a combination of nursing, physicians and home care, but also socialization – interacting with others, getting a good meal are really a big part of what we do as well.

“We really treat the total picture.”

Enrollment and Marketing Manager Julie Pella said LIFE Armstrong not only helps senior citizens 55 years and older find activities for at the center, but also friends for in the community.

“Our ultimate goal is to help keep people in their homes,” Pella said. “We do have care we can provide in the evenings, on the weekends with Certified Nurses Aides and the nurse and doctor are on-call 24 hours a day. We provide all the medical care that people need and the socialization – which is what we primarily do here at the center.

“We are not a nursing home, but we are considered a nursing home level of care with all the services we can provide.”

Center Director Karen Paul recalled her first experiences in the location.

“When we came in, the keys were handed to us and we basically had to build from the ground up – there was still plaster dust and boxes everywhere. We got it all together and here we are today,” Paul said. “It is a beautiful building and the people that come every day really do enjoy it because it is a very nice, welcoming warm environment. We’ve had many comments about it.”

Clinical and Homecare Services Director Kate Hooks – a nurse for 30 years – said LIFE Armstrong encourages residents to have input in their medical and living decisions without overstepping.

“You have to look at the individual as a whole with their family, what their preferences are (and) not what our preferences are,” Hooks said. “We encourage people to participate in their decisions. I think the hardest thing is to not influence what they want to do. There’s a lot of cultural diversity in Armstrong County.”

Recreational Manager Robin Bowser makes a personalized calendar of events for all residents that walk into the center among a wide variety of interests.

“We’re very individualized here – we can adapt to our needs or interests,” Bowser said. “We try and stay as active as we can. We also do a lot more cognitive things – games, competitions (or) trivia.”

One of those frequent visitors - Ken Lingenfelter - likes bowling and bingo, and looks forward to planting outside later this Spring.

“Ever since I’ve come here, my life has changed,” Lingenfelter said. “I lived out in the country – way out – and I spent most of my time alone, but I got in touch with LIFE here.

I walk in here every day and there (are) smiling faces. These people are down to earth – everyone in the crew here is there for you.”

To celebrate the anniversary, officials held a public open house and a Senior Fair with 16 vendors, such as the Visiting Nurses Association, ArmsCare and the Area Agency on Aging, and blood pressure screenings from full-time Lenape Tech Practical Nursing students.