Fairhaven Blog

Martha Meyer, Life Enrichment Director at Del Obispo Terrace Senior Living is our April recipient of Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award.

Martha Meyer’s path to working with seniors was an unexpected one. The San Clemente resident spent 23 years as a restaurant executive before owning a successful women’s fashion boutique in Laguna Beach. In 2000, she and her husband moved to a community with a large elderly population. “I always loved helping the people in the neighborhood,” she recalls. “I would help them with their gardening, pick up their groceries, take them to lunch and organize little get-togethers.”

When Meyer sold the boutique and was considering her next move, a friend told her about a job opening at Del Obispo Terrace Senior Living. “I never really considered it as a career but realized it would give me an opportunity to do something truly meaningful,” she says. This leap of faith proved to be the best move yet, both for her and the 70-plus residents at Del Obispo Terrace.

“Martha’s success as a manager, entrepreneur and community leader helped her to create a one-of-a-kind experience for Del Obispo Terrace’s residents,” said Marla Noel, president of Fairhaven. “Her ability to infuse fun, education and community service into their daily lives is reflective of her unbridled enthusiasm and caring spirit.”

Since taking over as Del Obispo Terrace’s Life Enrichment Director, Meyer has built one of the region’s most unique and extensive social programs, centered on what she calls the “Three E’s:” Engage, Enrich, Empower. She oversees a staggering 190 activities each month, including a Sunshine Club, poetry club, beach exercise program, technology education classes, drama program and even a monthly comedy club, where residents try their hand at stand-up comedy. “You’ll laugh until you cry,” she says.

One of Meyer’s most notable contributions has been the establishment of an extensive community outreach program, where residents have participated in service projects with the Dana Point/San Clemente Animal Shelter, Toys for Tots, The San Diego Zoo’s Adopt a Panda Bear program and The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. “Our residents are always looking for an opportunity to give back,” said Meyer. “This program enables them to be part of something special and affirms their important role in the community.”

With so many responsibilities, Meyer draws her seemingly limitless energy and enthusiasm from what she calls her “adopted family,” the residents of Del Obispo Terrace. “They’ve given me so much more than I have given them,” said Meyer. “The many life lessons they have taught me and their generosity inspires me to reach new heights every day. They are the ones who should win an award.”

Grace Henson, director of nursing at Irvine’s Regents Point/Windcrest senior living community, is our March recipient of Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award.

The Mission Viejo resident has a unique way of describing what it means to care. She believes it can’t be described. “It comes from the heart,” she says. It is this heart for caring that helped her touch the lives of those she cares for and manages at Regents Point/Windcrest.

“During her more than 30 years as a nurse, Grace has provided exceptional care for her patients and inspired countless others to follow her example,” said Marla Noel, president of Fairhaven. “She epitomizes what it means to be both an outstanding caregiver and manager.”

As director of nursing, Henson is responsible for the medical care of Regents Point/Windcrest’s skilled nursing facility. This includes managing a staff of 22 licensed nurses and 30 CNA’s. In this position, Henson has dedicated herself to ensuring the patient remains at the center of all decision making. With her leadership, Regents Point/Windcrest has been listed in the top 10 percent of nursing facilities in the State of California by Consumer Reports’ Nursing Home Quality Monitor. Regents Point/Windcrest also offers independent living, assisted living, memory care and home care.

“When I accepted this position, I made a commitment to ensure that my staff is dedicated to doing four things: use their critical thinking, be professional, be compassionate and be ethical at all times,” says Henson. “We must never forget that the patient is the only reason we’re here.”

Henson’s successes as director of nursing are the culmination of a journey spanning more than three decades and dating back to her arrival in the United States from her native Philippines in 1979. During her first 15 years as a nurse, she worked full time in hospitals, while picking up extra shifts in her spare time at a nursing home. It was here where she realized her true calling: Serving Orange County’s aging population.

She joined Regents Point/Windcrest in 1995, as nursing director and has picked up several honors along the way, including an Award for Nursing Excellence by the U.S. ElderCare, Inc. as well as being named one of the Top 10 Outstanding Women in the Nation for her work with the Filipino community.

In addition to her passion for nursing, the recently empty-nested wife and mother of three enjoys ballroom dancing and caring for her three Pomeranians, facing every new day with boundless joy and energy.

“Every day is a new life, a new experience and another challenge.” she says. “I won’t let anyone steal my joy!”

Gloria Zambrano, resident services director for Fountain Senior Assisted Living is our February recipient of Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Award.

For the Orange resident, caring for seniors is a proud family tradition. The daughter of a senior care nurse, Gloria accompanied her mother to work as a young girl where she would participate in activities with residents and do whatever she could to bring joy to their day. As she grew, so did her passion for service, leading her to an 18-year career in senior care.

“Gloria is a shining example of how the gift of caring can be passed down from generation to generation,” said Marla Noel, president of Fairhaven. “She strives daily to make a positive impact on residents and their families with a listening ear, a smile and a word of encouragement.”

As resident services director, Zambrano has a broad array of roles and responsibilities, beginning with outreach to the community. She regularly interfaces with social workers and visits with potential residents and their families. “There is always a need for senior care in the community and my goal is to offer a comfortable place where they can receive the level of care they need during this stage of their life.”

When she’s not out in the community, Zambrano’s time is spent caring for Fountain Senior Assisted Living’s 82 residents, participating in activities, sharing conversations and attending to their various needs throughout the day. Her pride and joy is Fountain Senior Assisted Living’s Memory Care program, which provides special care and supervision for residents with Alzheimer’s disease. “Our residents are extraordinary people who have lived extraordinary lives,” said Zambrano. “Helping them tap into these memories is both illuminating and inspirational.”

At the end of the day, her biggest responsibility is also the most simple; bringing joy to someone’s day. For as long as she can remember, Gloria Zambrano has seen the profound effects of this joy and this is what drives her to embrace her role as a caregiver with energy, passion and a smile.

She will be honored at Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Care Awards banquet in the fall at Fairhaven’s Mission Viejo location. For more information on the Care Awards program and to nominate someone you feel is deserving, click here.

Fairhaven's Annual Holiday Dinner was held on December 15 at the Orange County Mining Company. Members of Fairhaven's board and management joined the staff for an evening of good food, dancing, and awards put on by the company Christmas committee headed by Vice President Omar Gallarzo who also served as MC for the evening. Fairhaven management took this opportunity to recognize outstanding staff members. Vice President Leo O'Connor led the awards portion of the evening by announcing the ten 2012 Customer Service Pin winners, many of whom earned a pin in previous years: Cynthia Adair (1st pin), Tammy Arevalos (1st pin), Edel Cabrera (4th pin), Staci Collier (2nd pin), Charity Gallardo (4th pin), Jose Hernandez (5th pin), Vanessa Mendez (4th pin), Jay Rodriguez (1st pin), Bea Valdez (7th pin) and Ruth Velez who has won a pin in every year since the company began the Customer Service Initiative (9 pins.) One of the winners, Tammy Arevalos, was awarded the Customer Service Award for 2012.

Next, Vice President Tiffany Gallarzo and Family Service Manager Michael Casey awarded Susan Farrar the Counselor of the Year Award. This award is based on service to families and community involvement. Then, Park Grounds Manager Jay Rodriguez handed out an Oliver statue to Grounds Crew Employee of the Year David Mejia whose brother Luis won last year. And finally, President Marla Noel recognized Decedent Affairs Coordinator Robert Nethington as Fairhaven's Employee of the Year with an Oliver statue. 

Fairhaven truly appreciates every employee and their contribution to the company's success. At the annual holiday luncheon in Waverley Gallery, staff participated in a gift exchange and ate traditional holiday fare. This event is also organized by Fairhaven staff. This year's luncheon committee was headed up by Mortuary Manager Charlie Thorson (in the reindeer horns) and Prep Department Lead Embalmer Staci Collier (behind Charlie in the photo.)

Fairhaven wishes everyone a very happy holiday and a prosperous and healthy new year.

Fourteen years ago, Fairhaven started Hope for the Holidays, an annual remembrance program to honor the families we serve and to recognize that the holidays are an especially difficult time after the loss of a loved one. Fairhaven’s two locations, Santa Ana and Mission Viejo, will be hosting Hope for the Holidays Remembrance Programs in December. Families are encouraged to submit photos of their loved ones for Fairhaven’s Memory Tree (either by mail or in-person), and each family will receive a beautiful keepsake ornament during the ceremony.

Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana is hosting remembrance services on December 12 and December 13 at 7pm in Waverley Chapel. The theme is “Always in our Hearts” and the evenings will include Pastor Randy Hill from Hope for Healing Hearts Ministries, music by harpist Toni Destro and a video montage. For more information about the Santa Ana services, please visit our Community Events Calendar.

Fairhaven Memorial Services in Mission Viejo is hosting its remembrance service on December 11 at 7pm in the Chapel. The theme is “Cherished Memories” and the evening will include Pastor Mike Foell from Mission Hills Community Church, music by Ernesto Ale and a video montage. For more information about the Santa Ana services, please visit our Community Events Calendar. 

The celebration known as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, dates back hundreds of years. It is believed that November 2 is one of the few days a year when loved ones who have passed on are allowed to return and visit. Traditionally, loved ones create altars that include food, flowers, photos and articles that belonged to or had special meaning for the deceased.

This year more than 300 attendees filled North Gardens to participate in Fairhaven Memorial Park’s Día de los Muertos celebration and remembrance ceremony. In addition to the colorful altars on which families placed photos and mementos of their loved ones, the one-hour celebration included a brief history of the tradition and prayers by Deacon Luis Gallardo, with readings by Jorge Lopez, an Aztec offertory, mariachi music by Estrellas de Santa Ana and refreshments, which consisted of the traditional sweet bread, pan de muerto, and hot chocolate.

Those who attended were thankful for this addition to Fairhaven’s events and grateful for the opportunity to observe cultural traditions, honor loved ones and come together to celebrate as a community.

Fairhaven’s Family Service Counselors, Alicia Garcia and Jorge Lopez organized the event, from making the elaborate papier mâchè skulls to visiting community churches and businesses to promote the event, working hard to create a memorable service for our Fairhaven families in attendance. When asked how they felt the event went, both Alicia and Jorge said they were already planning how to improve next year’s event, which gives everyone something to look forward to next November 2!

On Thursday, October 25, as the sun begins to set, Orange County residents will gather at Fairhaven Memorial Park to participate in the 10th Annual “Flashlight Tour.”

The evening begins inside Fairhaven’s Waverley Chapel where guests are welcomed to the park. After a brief greeting, the participants separate into groups and are led off into the darkness by their tour guides for the evening. The tour lasts approximately one hour and includes areas of the park where participants learn about the different types of burial options, the history of the park, Waverley Chapel, and noteworthy families interred at Fairhaven. In addition, they will experience the diverse trees that make Fairhaven a registered arboretum as well as a peaceful and beautiful final resting place for Orange County families.

After the tour is finished and the flashlights turned off, guests will enjoy cookies and be able to spend time with Fairhaven’s expert tour guides, asking questions and finding out more information. Although there are rarely any ghostly specters or bumps in the dark, past participants always agree that it is a fun and informative night in the cemetery.

Every year the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society puts on a historical cemetery tour that takes place at Fairhaven Memorial Park and Santa Ana Cemetery. The tour highlights some of the history of the area by visiting the final resting places of local historic figures. At each site costumed actors play out scenes from interesting moments in Orange County’s past.

This year is the 15^th year the society has put on this fun event! Some of the vignettes highlighting this year’s tour include:

-       The story of a grasshopper plague in the early 1870s (really!) and the indiscretions of the Anaheim newsman who reported about it.

-       A look at Prohibition in the 1920s by witnessing the stories of some of the accused as they stood before Judge Cox and tried to make the case for their innocence.

-       The commitment of the Orange County Register's editor (J. Frank Burke) to getting out the news of the 1933 Long Beach earthquake in spite of experiencing all the aftershocks in the process.

-       Register editor R. C. Hoiles defense of Japanese Americans during the internment of World War II.

-       How Leisure World came into existence (Ross Cortese)

The finale in the Mausoleum will be a review of radio stations, songs, and advertisements from the 1920s to the 1940s.

For more in depth information on the tour, a discount ticket flyer, videos of past tours, and pricing, please visit: http://www.santaanahistory.com/CemeteryTour.html or download the brochure HERE.

This year’s tour takes place on Saturday, October 20 from 10 am to 3 pm at Fairhaven Memorial Park, the event co-host. For more information visit the website link above or call 714-547-9645 (leave a message). You can also email tour@sahps.org.

JUNE AND JULY RECIPIENTS OF THE OLIVER HALSELL CAREGIVER AWARD

Critical Care Nurse Barry Barnhill and Social Services Director Ruth Dooley recognized for contributions to patients, families, caregiver community

Barry Barnhill R.N., critical care nurse at Mission Hospital, and Ruth Dooley, director of social services at Hospice Care of California, are the June and July recipients of Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Caregiver Award. Fairhaven announced the recognition program in early 2012 to pay tribute to local people who have had an indelible impact on both their community and the individuals they serve.

“Barry and Ruth’s longstanding commitment to care has had a profound impact on a wide variety of individuals,” said Marla Noel, President of Fairhaven. “For combined 33 years, they have touched the lives of patients, families and fellow caregivers and have been pillars of strength for those in need.”<

June recipient Barry Barnhill recognized the important bond formed between nurse and patient 17 years ago and has been working to meet the needs of patients and their families ever since. The Mission Viejo resident is also a clinical educator and guest lecturer, teaching critical care skills to trauma, surgical and ICU nurses through Goldenwest College.

Through the years, Barnhill recognized that his most important role in helping patients and families was simply to listen. “A great deal of being with suffering people is shutting up and listening,” Barnhill said. “I am an honored part of their lives, and I just try to provide a safe and comforting environment for them.

July recipient Ruth Dooley’s journey to Placentia-based Hospice Care of California came following the personal experience of having a family member in hospice care. After seeing the comfort a hospice nurse provided to her and her family, she felt a calling to dedicate herself to hospice care. The credentialed social worker made a career change into the hospice sector 16 years ago with Hospice Care of California as the Director of Social Services and now also serves as the COO.

“As someone who was personally affected by the services of a hospice worker, I highly value the caregivers I work with and I do everything I can to ensure they have what they need to help the patients and families they serve,” said Dooley of her work. “The loss these caregivers endure is very profound, so we have made it a priority to provide a community within the agency to care for and support them.”

Barnhill and Dooley will be honored at Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Caregiver Awards banquet on November 1 at Fairhaven’s Mission Viejo location. The banquet will coincide with National Hospice and Palliative Care Month and will honor a year’s worth of achievements among the local caregiver community. Additionally, Fairhaven will make donations on behalf of Barnhill and Dooley to nonprofits of their choice.

About the Oliver Halsell Caregiver Award

Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Caregiver Award pays tribute to Orange County caregivers whose kindness and dedication to serving others is inspirational. These courageous individuals go above and beyond their job description to serve with the utmost care and compassion. Fairhaven’s Oliver Halsell Caregiver Award winners come from many fields including private care, hospice, social work, counseling, assisted living, nursing, therapy and volunteer work.

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to take this time to remind everyone that the freedoms we have in this country weren't free. They were paid for with the lives of service men and women. We have had services and/or have graves here at Fairhaven for those who died in wars going all the way back to the Civil War. It's quite a legacy for the community and the company.

Each year the staff at Fairhaven puts on a huge Memorial Day event and, like Easter, you'll find the staff out on the grounds doing things they don't normally do in the course of their work. You'll find Jon Searfoss, the Accounting Manager, handing out water and hot dogs along with the rest of the Accounts Receivable staff. Jon's father was a veteran of the Korean War. You'll find Vice President Leo O'Connor making sure that his parking staff directs cars correctly through the park and that everyone finds somewhere to put their car.

Out by the flower shop, the florist, Edel Cabrera, and what seems like a cast of thousands spend hours cooking hot dogs for the event and putting on an "after the event" luncheon as a thank you to the staff for their hard work. One of those hot dog cooks is A.V. Donovan, our Records Clerk, who is the widow of a Vietnam vet and whose son has served numerous tours in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia. A.V. comes from a family with numerous war veterans. Liz Welch, the Human Resources Manager, will be dressed in red, white and blue, manning a golf cart, ferrying handicapped individuals, elderly persons and dignitaries. Liz's father was a veteran of WWII stationed in the Pacific theater.

Everyone on staff at Fairhaven does something on Memorial Day, from the grounds crew under the direction of Jay Rodriguez, who arrive not long after the sun rises to make sure the park is beautiful with no flower out of place, to our receptionists Yolanda Medina and Carol Sexton, who field call after call for locations of loved ones, to our hardworking Master of Ceremonies, Lou Carlson, who has to speak to the crowd of thousands in front of the historic mausoleum. It's an event we all take pride in regardless of what our job might be that day. And it is an honor for us to help people find the graves of their loved ones especially if they served our country.

Like Veteran's Day, Memorial Day reminds me of my father who so proudly served as a scout in the CIC (Counter Intelligence Corps) in New Guinea in WWII. He believed in honoring those who fought for our country while they are alive as well as in death and he was a member of the American Legion for many years. What we do here would have reminded him of the sacrifices of the men and women of the armed forces of this country and their families. As it reminds us all.

National WWI Monument

 National WWII Monument

National Korean War Monument

National Vietnam War Monument

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery, Virginia

The Tom Wall USMC Columbarium, North Gardens, Fairhaven Memorial Park

Many thanks to the men and women of today's armed forces, their families and all those who served before them. Their sacrifice is not forgotten nor unappreciated.

Please do join us on Monday, May 28 at 10:30 am for Fairhaven Memorial Park's 20th Annual Memorial Day Service. We have  Military Guest Speakers, the Blue Eagles Honor Guard, an Aerial Fly Over, the Orange County Concert Band, the National Anthem Performed by our “Star-Spangled Singer” contest winner Jennifer Malman, the “Sound of Liberty” by Catherine Johnston, Tim Ringgold and The Traditions Singers and “America’s Wars” Life Sized Photo Essays, Antique Cars Display and more…Don't forget to  enjoy a complimentary hot dog and refreshments during the program!

Happy Memorial Day from all of us at the Fairhaven Family Group - Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary in Santa Ana, Fairhaven Memorial Services in Mission Viejo, Family Mortuary in Santa Ana and Infinity Cremation Society in Tustin.

Charity Gallardo, Blog Coordinator – Charity has been the Network Administrator for the Fairhaven Family Group for 13 years. When she’s not assisting staff with their computer issues, she is a published author of romance novels, an award winning cover artist and a blogger.