Thanks to the kindness of donor support, a memorial patio now welcomes visitors at the entrance to Bethany Village. Built in honor of employees who passed away while still part of our work family, the patio offers a lasting tribute to lives of service. This memorial patio would not be possible without the generosity of donors who believe in celebrating the dedicated employees who have shaped the Bethany Village community.
This space is more than bricks and stone; it is a place for comfort, reflection, and gratitude. In the center, an American flag flies with dignity. Nearby, two benches invite coworkers, residents, friends, and families to pause—whether in quiet appreciation or reminiscing of those who gave so much of themselves to the mission of Graceworks. Each name remembered here tells a story of devotion and sincere service. Their legacy lives on in the lives they touched and the community they helped build.
During the holiday season, the flagpole will be transformed into a tree of lights (like the iconic Carillon Park tree). Created as a place where love, remembrance, and gratitude live on—the Memorial Patio ensures that the lives we honor continue to inspire all who visit.
On April 20, 2024, a group of 13 esteemed veterans from our Bethany Village community embarked on an unforgettable journey as part of Honor Flight Dayton. This mission, dedicated to taking veterans who served from WWII through the Vietnam Era to visit their memorials, offered a poignant and heartfelt experience for those who served our country with valor.
The trip, originally planned for last September, presented a profound opportunity for these veterans to connect with their past and reflect on their service. Visiting the memorials dedicated to their sacrifices made for many memorable moments…take a look below.
Upon their return, Bethany Village Independent Living Life Enrichment staff hosted a Welcome Home reception to celebrate the incredible journey they took alongside the group of veterans:
Tom Angotti
Teb Baines
Gary Baker
Dennis Barber
Fred Berta
Tom Broadwell
Lew Hann
John Linville
JD Livesay
Jerry Swain
Donald Weckstein
Jack Wilson
Fred Witwer
“We are immensely proud of our veterans and their service to our country,” said Leigh O’Brien, Life Enrichment Coordinator. “Seeing them have this opportunity to visit the memorials and be celebrated for their sacrifices is truly heartwarming.”
We are honored to have such remarkable people living in community at Bethany Village. Their courage, strength, and dedication continue to inspire us all.
Interacting in new ways with individuals who have dementia can be rewarding yet challenging. Finding compelling activities takes creativity as families seek ways to connect with their loved ones. Bethany Village Memory Support staff work tirelessly to find new and clever ways to bring remarkable experiences to residents with dementia.
Options for resident engagement now include games from a specialized console called the Tovertafel. This device, known by staff as the “Tover,” is a special projector mounted to the ceiling that sends interactive light projections onto a table. Its interactive games are proven to support cognitive, physical, sensory and social function in persons with dementia.
The Tover has had an instant social impact, creating an inclusive environment for residents with varying cognitive abilities. Brande’ Watras, Nurse Manager at Bethany Village, described a group sitting around the table, playing a game of soccer with their hands. “We found that some of the residents were encouraging their peers to play. It was incredible to witness the sense of accomplishment and purpose residents felt by helping their peers participate.”
These games, and the involvement of the staff, have brought residents together in remarkable ways as they can play one-on-one or in groups, with caregivers, or with family members.
“For grandchildren, it feels like a video game. They can pick it up quickly and engage with their family members through the Tover. It’s helping to facilitate connections that otherwise might not happen.”
The Tover has also been a springboard for activities to reach residents on a deeper level. One popular game has residents “rake” leaves on the projector table. Staff brought fallen leaves from outside to have residents see, touch and smell as they played the game, and asked questions inviting residents to share their memories and autumn experiences.
“We can ask questions along with each game and talk about their memories,” said Brande’. Their faces light up with recognition and the confidence of the players grows as they play the games and share memories.
“Part of the challenge of dementia is that residents are overwhelmed and may struggle making choices. The Tover gives more opportunities to exercise cognition and keep skills longer. Now, we have more options that give them the power of choice. There’s a sense of fulfillment for residents in being able to decide how they’re going to spend their days.”
On April 20, 2024, a group of 13 esteemed veterans from our Bethany Village community embarked on an unforgettable journey as part of Honor Flight Dayton. This mission, dedicated to taking veterans who served from WWII through the Vietnam Era to visit their memorials, offered a poignant and heartfelt experience for those who served our country with valor.
The trip, originally planned for last September, presented a profound opportunity for these veterans to connect with their past and reflect on their service. Visiting the memorials dedicated to their sacrifices made for many memorable moments…take a look below.
Upon their return, Bethany Village Independent Living Life Enrichment staff hosted a Welcome Home reception to celebrate the incredible journey they took alongside the group of veterans:
Tom Angotti
Teb Baines
Gary Baker
Dennis Barber
Fred Berta
Tom Broadwell
Lew Hann
John Linville
JD Livesay
Jerry Swain
Donald Weckstein
Jack Wilson
Fred Witwer
“We are immensely proud of our veterans and their service to our country,” said Leigh O’Brien, Life Enrichment Coordinator. “Seeing them have this opportunity to visit the memorials and be celebrated for their sacrifices is truly heartwarming.”
We are honored to have such remarkable people living in community at Bethany Village. Their courage, strength, and dedication continue to inspire us all.
Graceworks is proud to congratulate Holly Artkamp, Chief Nursing Officer at Bethany Village, on being honored with the Dayton Business Journal Forty Under 40 Award!
This list recognizes the region’s brightest young business leaders who have demonstrated success in their field before age 40. More than 150 professionals from around the Miami Valley were nominated for their career drive and achievement in their career pursuit.
Holly is no exception. She has spent the entirety of her 16-year nursing career in aging services, where her compassion and collaborative talents were quickly recognized. In her first role as a nurse aide at Bethany Village, Holly became passionate about serving older adults. She went on to become an LPN, then RN, and had the opportunity to experience hospital healthcare. From there, she returned to Bethany Village and continued her career from nurse, nursing supervisor, rehab unit and long-term care manager, to her appointment as Chief Nursing Officer in 2019 upon earning her BSN.
In 2020, her leadership role demanded more of her clinical knowledge as she took on navigating the logistical difficulties of resident care during the pandemic—researching ever-changing government safety regulations and ultimately seeing lower resident and staff Covid cases than many providers experienced—all while carrying a child. She now capably handles her responsibilities as CNO, wife and mother of two with ease.
Today, Holly empowers her teams to provide care for complex needs with confidence. Her commitment to mentoring individuals in the field recently led her to launch an onsite nurse aide training program to help introduce others to healthcare careers in the long-term care setting.
“She is not content performing at status quo.” Lauren Coyle, Class of 2023 honoree and Administrator of Bethany Village, adds, “Holly’s constantly looking for ways to make life better for her teams, from providing encouragement and support to creating a sense of camaraderie across multiple departments.”
Her consideration for the daily interactions and experiences of families, residents, and staff is an example of how authenticity and genuine passion for our work helps shape not just our culture throughout Graceworks, but the stories and heart of the region.
“Holly has continuously demonstrated how showing up with thoughtful intention can have a profound and lasting impact on the people and communities we serve.”
— Judy Budi, President & CEO of Graceworks Lutheran Services
Photography Project Helped Bethany Village SeniorWith Memory Loss Connect With Family During Visits
A collaborative art series featuring the talents of long-time Bethany Village resident Wally Willaman and his son-in-law Bill Franz, an amateur photographer, will be exhibited at the Dayton Metro Library second-floor gallery through Nov. 5, 2023*. The exhibit, titled Jobs from A to Z, features 26 original works of art that were created using digital photography collage. Each piece features a photograph that corresponds to a letter of the alphabet and is signed by both artists.
[*UPDATE 11/4: The series is no longer on exhibit in Dayton. It is slated to go on display in Ann Arbor, MI as part of Michigan Medicine’s Gift of Art exhibition program from March 11 to May 31, 2024. Centerville’s Woodbourne Library will display the collection in June.]
Franz was inspired to work with his father-in-law on the project after their visits became difficult because of Willaman’s age-related memory loss. After hearing a story on the radio about a woman who used a project to connect with an aging family member, Franz decided to give the idea a try. The duo worked together on the A to Z series for six months and saved their work in a three-ring binder. Although reluctant to participate at first, 101-year-old Willaman grew to enjoy the project and was eager to work together during Franz’ visits.
“Through this experience, our time together transitioned from difficult to fun. Without a doubt we were brought closer by this project,” says Franz. “Our collaboration has also helped me to create better art, and I value my father-in-law’s unique perspective and artistic process.”
Bill says, “Wally loves the first piece in the series, A is for Accordionist, largely because he loves Charlie Campbell’s smile in that photo.”
When Charlie heard he had a fan at Bethany Village, he stopped by to meet Wally and to play his accordion for some of the residents!
Z is for Zookeeper | Jobs from A to Z series
“Wally and I hope people have as much fun viewing this art as we did making it,” says Franz.
At times, the A to Z series involved other Bethany Village residents. When Willaman and Franz had a difficult time deciding how to proceed with an element in the series, Franz would bring in a box of donuts and set up a voting station to gauge which direction for the project was more popular.
Franz is continuing his efforts to engage with his father-in-law and other residents through art. He recently purchased a box of 100-year-old photographs at a garage sale and brings a few on each of his visits to Bethany Village. He sits with a group in the common area and together they concoct background stories for the people featured in the pictures.
“I hope that what Wally and I have created together inspires anyone struggling to connect with a loved one, no matter their age.”
Nine Bethany Village residents have been selected for an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. Honor Flight Dayton‘s mission is to take veterans who served from WWII through the end of the Vietnam Era to see their memorials.
PICTURED: Veterans Teb Baines, Dennis Barber, Fred Witwer, John Linville, Gary Baker with brother Leonard Baker (not a Bethany resident) and JD Livesay, with Centerville City Council Member Belinda Kenley and Montgomery County Treasurer John McManus
Although their original departure was set for September 23, tropical storm threats have postponed the Honor Flight to April 20, 2024. “Our veterans want to have a day they will never forget,” said Diana Deen Pry on behalf of the Honor Flight Dayton Board. “We take the safety of our veterans very seriously and do not want to compromise the well-being of any of the veterans on the trip.”
UPDATE: Five additional residents are planning to depart on the April 20th Honor Flight! A welcome home reception & happy hour is scheduled for residents on April 26th from 3-4pm.
Tom Angotti
Fred Berta
Lew Hann
Jerry Swain
Donald Weckstein
Thanks to Life Enrichment staff Cathy Howard and Leigh O’Brien for organizing all the fun!
Thanks to Life Enrichment staff Cathy Howard and Leigh O’Brien for organizing all the fun!
Entertainment by guitarist Tony Peters
Entertainment by guitarist Tony Peters
Veteran Ron ‘Socks’ Bowersock, 2015 Honor Flight passenger
Veteran Ron ‘Socks’ Bowersock, 2015 Honor Flight passenger
Army Veteran Tom Adinaro chats with Cathy, Leigh, and Jackie
Army Veteran Tom Adinaro chats with Cathy, Leigh, and Jackie
Belinda Kenley, Centerville City Council; John McManus, Montgomery County Treasurer; Jackie D’Aurora, Graceworks Vice President-Marketing & Advancement; Abby Eshbaugh, Graceworks Communications & PR Manager; and Air Force Veteran JD Livesay
Belinda Kenley, Centerville City Council; John McManus, Montgomery County Treasurer; Jackie D’Aurora, Graceworks Vice President-Marketing & Advancement; Abby Eshbaugh, Graceworks Communications & PR Manager; and Air Force Veteran JD Livesay
Counting on staff, family and community votes once again this year has paid off, as Bethany Village has swept ALL THREE categories in the 2023 Best of Dayton reader’s choice contest:
Companies must first be nominated and rank among the top six finalists in their category. Once top nominees are selected, Dayton.com and the Dayton Daily News determine the winners in each category from votes cast online throughout the Miami Valley.
We especially appreciate the efforts of our employees who take pride in faithfully caring for and providing residents such an enjoyable, high quality of life. We’re excited to be the #1 choice in the Dayton region!
Heather Carruth, a nurse assessment coordinator at Bethany Village, has been named the winner of LeadingAge Ohio’s 2023 Excellence in Caring Award. This award is presented to a single “outstanding direct or indirect care professional or volunteer within a LeadingAge Ohio member organization who enriches the lives of those they serve and exemplifies quality of care in the field of aging services,” according to LeadingAge. The 2023 Award Winners were announced in Columbus at the LeadingAge Ohio Annual Conference & Trade Show.
Heather began her career at Bethany Village 34 years ago in dietary services, becoming a nurse in 1998. Heather’s love for bedside nursing led to continual learning, training and supervising newly hired nursing staff at the Bethany Rehabilitation Center, and most recently, accepting a leadership role as Restorative MDS Nurse on the Memory Support unit.
Now with an office of her own, staff and residents “may find her small dog, Izzy, sitting in a decked out stroller complete with coordinated outfit, ready to stroll about on Heather’s rounds, bringing a smile to anyone on the unit,” notes Facility MDS Coordinator Jenita Sullenger, who nominated Heather and accepted the award Tuesday on her behalf. “Heather has an uncanny ability to mitigate distressing moods or behaviors that residents [with dementia] can sometimes display. She is the ultimate role model for those around her in these interactions, often using her calm, joyful and sensitive approach.”
Heather’s dedication and enthusiasm for excellence in resident care is evident as she contributes to the growth of the nursing leadership team.
Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Heather!
We counted on staff, family and community votes to help us achieve the title of “Best in Dayton”— and are excited to announce that those efforts paid off! Bethany Village placed in the top spot for both “Best Nursing & Rehabilitation Center” AND “Best Assisted Living” facility in Dayton.com’s contest.
As part of the voting process, companies must first be nominated and rank among the top finalists in their category. Once top nominees are finalized, community voting helps Dayton.com and the Dayton Daily News select the winners in each category.
To be ranked #1 among the top 6 nominees from across the region in two categories is an outstanding recognition of our staff’s commitment to providing such high quality care and quality of life for residents. Being recognized by the community, supports all that we do every day as an organization.
