As president, I have the privilege and responsibility to point Baptist Homes & Healthcare Ministries to where we are going. This is the visionary aspect of leadership I love – and fear – because it means going into the unknown. Baptist Homes founder, Dr. Milford Riggs took a step into the unknown when he rented a home and received the Home’s first residents in 1913. Seven years later, Riggs led the ministry to build the massive structure that is now the Riggs-Scott building of the … [Read more...]
Make your decision before it makes you
It has been said the best time to plant a tree was a generation ago. The second-best time is now. Nobody really likes to think about getting old. However, putting off the conversation is simply delaying a talk that needs to take place. The frustrations and fears associated with aging are not easy to discuss. A study reported by Home Instead Senior Care Network identified the top 10 aging concerns of those 55 and older. Those respondents shared the following anxieties: • Aging Fear #1: … [Read more...]
Gospel informed memory care
As one ages, the inability to recall information is both common and somewhat disconcerting. “Where did the television remote go?” might simply be a frustration. However, it can also be a symptom of something more serious, especially when mom calls you at work claiming, “The plumber stole my remote.” Nagging questions such as “Did dad take his meds?” and “Did mom remember to turn off the stove?” are health and safety issues that cause family and friends to wonder when, and where, should we … [Read more...]
Alphabet soup: Deciphering the senior care options
The plethora of acronyms used by senior care providers can be intimidating at best and perilous at worst. Helping seniors, families and churches navigate the various levels of senior care is one of the services provided by the Baptist Homes. The principal levels of residential care are identified by the abbreviations IL, ALF, ICF and SNF. Independent Living (IL) communities are often designated as residential homes or neighborhoods. IL is the perfect option for the person or couple who … [Read more...]
Being Distinctively Christian
As a benevolent healthcare ministry of the Missouri Baptist Convention, the Baptist Homes campuses in Arcadia Valley, Ashland, Chillicothe and Ozark adhere to seven core values that distinguish these continuum of care senior communities from other healthcare providers in the industry. Common to each core value is our commitment to be a distinctively Christian ministry. What does this mean for the residents, staff and churches we serve? First, it means that our leadership are born-again … [Read more...]
Value of immunizations, healthcare careers
When Milford and Mary Riggs opened the doors of The Baptist Home in 1913, those early residents were referred to as “inmates.” Fortunately, the term did not stick! However, coronavirus restrictions in place since March have obligated residents of care facilities to live a near prison-like existence. Envision for a moment what it would be like to be physically estranged from family, friends and church for Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, July 4th, Birthdays, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and … [Read more...]
Impacting lives: A Christmastime update from The Baptist Home
Christmas at The Baptist Home is a special time for residents and caregivers alike. Festive decorations enlighten each hall and resident room, while nativity scenes serve as a reminder of the true reason for the season. In years past, church members would fill their cars and trucks with food and supplies and bring them to The Home each Christmas. Appreciative staff and residents accepted those gifts as from the Lord, as they often sustained the ministry in those early days. Although state … [Read more...]
God’s goodness amid an outbreak
In this column two months ago I wrote about The COVID Crisis Miracle. At that time the nation was six months into the pandemic and not a single case of the coronavirus had visited the residents or caregivers of The Baptist Home network of campuses. Then, on Oct. 1, the pandemic came to our northwest campus. The number of positive cases jumped from one to forty in a period of twelve days. That begs the question, “How does a believer reconcile months of prayer for protection from the virus … [Read more...]
The love of missionary Lottie Moon
As the days grow shorter, the grandchildren’s Christmas lists on Amazon are getting longer. This is also the time of year when many churches begin preparing for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Lottie’s love for the people of China is akin to our love for the aging at The Baptist Home. On October 3, 1887, Lottie Moon penned these words from a hut in PingtuThe, China: “The needs of these people press upon my soul, and I cannot be silent.” Just as these … [Read more...]
The COVID crisis miracle
The coronavirus has touched us all. Some consequences have been mere inconveniences, such as not being able to enjoy breakfast at one’s favorite restaurant or suffering with foggy glasses with every donning of the mask. Such minor ramifications have affected us all. For millions, the impact of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the official name given to this virus – has been life changing. Of the 6,000,000 cases in the United States as of August 27, 2020, … [Read more...]
‘Suspension of rights a growing concern’
JEFFERSON CITY – In 1987, Congress passed the Nursing Home Reform Act. Until that time, senior care was largely an unregulated industry. Although some providers, such as The Baptist Home, enjoyed solid reputations for quality care, the very name of the act implied reform was necessary across the industry. The Act established the following rights for nursing home residents: 1. The right to freedom from abuse, mistreatment, and neglect; 2. The right to freedom from physical restraints; 3. … [Read more...]
Advocates for the aging
The Baptist Home has been a sanctity of life ministry since 1913. Although many focus on abortion as the principal sanctity of life concern, Baptists affirm “the sanctity of life from conception to natural death,” (BFM2000, Article XV). Consequently, advocating for the aging, serving in a Christlike manner, and providing biblically informed resources for the family and the church relating to aging is our purpose. To do less, would be to fall short of the mandate to honor the aged … [Read more...]