Have you ever wondered what's going on in the kitchen where you are served your food from? Many of our residents have asked about our kitchen operation which supplies the food for our 12 dining rooms throughout campus. Recently, Dietary Director Jim Beck and his staff arranged some "behind the scenes" tours for our residents. Over 75 residents took advantage of the opportunity to see where the food comes from, how it is prepared, transported, and served to our people. They even got a visit to the storeroom, freezers, and employee dining room. The results-they can now see an even bigger picture and better appreciate their meal, knowing how much it takes to get it from the delivery truck to their table.

Last week, our Franklin Indiana location received a major winter ice storm. More than two inches of ice built up on roads, sidewalks, driveways, and power lines. Fortunately, our campus did not lose power and our dedicated employees made their way to work allowing us to continue our care and service to over 600 residents.

A family called and asked about their mother and father who live in one of our 196 independent homes on the 120-acre campus. What if they lost power? What if they run out of food? When you are stuck in your home and can't leave because of county storm emergencies, these are great questions. So, here's the response we gave and are reprinting it for all our families and residents to know what to do. Hopefully, they'll never find themselves in this situation, but if they do, we want to know about it.

Attention: Cottage Residents: Following the winter ice storm, it is important to remember that as independent residents in our Community, you are free to come and go as you wish and responsible for your own care. You should also be aware that we do our best to be available, should an emergency come that affects you. For instance, if our cottages would have lost power, we had a plan in place to get you inside our main building and keep you warm. The same is true in tornadoes. Likewise, if you are “stuck” in your cottage due to the elements and have a medical emergency, we will likely involve 911 and will attempt to assist you as you await their arrival. In the likely situation where you ran out of medicine, food, water, or heat, these would all be appropriate reasons to notify our switchboard to see how we can assist you. We remind you that our recommendation is to use your garages for access in and out of your cottage during these ice and snow days, and stay inside when conditions are threatening.