Caring For Our Community Since 1976.
TRU PACE is grateful to Community Food Share for donating food for us to make care packages to deliver to some of our most vulnerable participants. And we’re thankful for our partners at Via for helping us to deliver! We love our participants, staff, and community partners!
Over the past couple of weeks, TRU has been diligently monitoring CDC guidelines to ensure we are doing all that we can to support the health and safety of our customers, staff, volunteers, and local community. To stay true to that, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the Thrift Shop to walk-in customers starting today, March 19th. This closure includes discontinuing donations until we are on the other side of this pandemic (hopefully sooner than later).
The good news is that online shopping via Amazon, eBay, and Etsy stores continues! Please look for great bargains and One of a Find items on these pages. We will be cataloging items daily and posting new sales that can be sent directly to your home. If you aren’t already, please follow TRU Thrift Shop on Facebook and Instagram, where we’ll be posting regular updates and those tremendous online sales and items mentioned.
As always, your patronage greatly benefits TRU’s mission and ability to provide critical services – hospice, palliative care, and grief support to our community.
We look forward to resuming operations when it is safe to do so. Until then, thank you again for your patronage and stay safe.
Arthur Secunda (born November 12, 1927 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American painter, sculptor and printmaker who’s career has spanned six decades. He first studied at the Detroit Institute of Arts as a teenager and continued his studies at the Art Students League of New York and at New York University. After spending time in the United States Air Force as an artist, Secunda used his GI bill to study in Mexico, Paris and Italy with many great artists and teachers. As a result, Secunda developed a lifelong propensity for travel– living and working in other countries. For decades, he maintained studios in Paris and LA.
Secunda considers himself a landscape artist, and has developed his own iconography in representing nature, the land and its forms, as well as corresponding inner landscapes. He is known for a specific kind of color gradation and blending of forms in many media. He is also known for his brilliant collages and graphics. His work tends to oscillate between the serene —striated colors in landscapes — to the expressive, as in many of his oil paintings.
Secunda has held over 140 solo exhibitions around the world, including in the United States, Israel, France, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, Spain, and Japan. His artwork is part of private collections around the world and over 100 museums worldwide have acquired Secunda’s artwork. He is represented in most major museums, including the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Norton Simon Museum—Pasadena, CA, the National Gallery of Australia; Bibliotheque Nationale—Paris, France; and the National Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.
After years in Paris, Secunda maintained a studio in Scottsdale, Arizona for ten years, and currently maintains one in Boulder, Colorado, doing what he has done in all of the other places he has lived and worked in the last 65 years — creating imagery.
Secunda has worked as a jazz musician–in Paris in the early days to support himself, and as a milkman; as an art critic, lecturer, curator, writer and publisher. Periodically, he consults at NASA where he is an image visualizer, helping translate scientific data into visual images. Highly respected as a teacher, he has spent time in Lacoste, France teaching a master class in collage and the creation of handmade artists books.
The Arthur Secunda Museum at Cleary University in Michigan pays tribute to the life and artwork of Secunda, who began his career as an artist in Michigan. Secunda currently enjoys participating in the Purple Art program at PACE and has been the Artist of the Month, where his art has been displayed throughout the facility.
Palliative care and hospice provider will enhance real-time data capture, education and communication with patients and families through telehealth and remote patient monitoring
TRU Community Care (TRU), a non-profit healthcare organization providing a continuum of care for individuals living with advanced illness and loss, announces partnership with Vivify Health, the developer of the nation’s leading connected care platform for holistic patient care and engagement, to implement Vivify’s remote patient monitoring (RPM) and telehealth solutions as the foundational technology of its new TRU Tele-Care program.
The goal of TRU Tele-Care is to enable more real-time data exchange between TRU Community Care and the patients and families it serves. The program will enhance TRU’s ability to proactively manage a patient’s disease progression over time. It will also make it easier for patients and families living with complex and chronic illness to communicate with the organization and take advantage of its clinical expertise and educational materials. This virtual care approach is in keeping with TRU’s philosophy of enabling patients to remain comfortably in their homes while receiving the care they require.
“Our mission is to affirm life at every step of patients’ and their families’ journey through illness and loss,” said Michael McHale, president and CEO of TRU Community Care. “That mission can be difficult to accomplish when care is provided in the home setting and we want to be available in real-time 24/7. We wanted to create an ability to monitor vital data about our patients on a daily basis, visualize their disease progression without having to dispatch personnel to their homes each time, and communicate visually as well as verbally on-demand. The Vivify Pathways platform was the only solution we saw that gave us the comprehensive, two-way capabilities we required in a single package. We believe it will help us advance our mission exponentially.”
TRU Community Care entered the test phase for the solution in December 2019 using tablets supplied by Vivify Health. The tablets are used for visual and verbal communication and to provide education to patients and families.
“We see remote patient monitoring (RPM) and telehealth not as a replacement for our in-home visits but as an extension of our services,” McHale said. “It allows us to be there when the patient needs us most. Getting ahead of health events through data monitoring and virtual visits gives us the ability to provide better care which we believe will improve the patient experience.”
“TRU Community Care is bringing real comfort and dignity to patients and families who are facing advanced illnesses,” said Eric Rock, founder and CEO of Vivify Health. “They understand that care is more than data on a chart, although that is an important element. It’s also about being there for the patients and families on a human level. We are proud that the Vivify Pathways platform is giving them the means to humanize the patient experience and help these families through some of the most difficult times they will face.”
TRU Community Care’s hospice program has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Home Care Certification by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards. The Gold Seal is a symbol of quality that reflects a health care organization’s commitment to providing safe and quality patient care.
The certification recognizes TRU Community Care’s efforts to provide patient and family-centered care and to optimize the quality of life for patients with serious illnesses. Hospice care addresses a patient’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs, and facilitates patient autonomy, access to information, and choice.
“The Home Care Certification recognizes health care organizations’ commitment to fostering continuous quality improvement in patient safety and quality of care,” says Mark Pelletier, RN, MS, chief operating officer, Accreditation and Certification Operations, and chief nursing executive, The Joint Commission. “We commend TRU for using certification to reduce variation in its clinical processes and to strengthen its program structure and management framework for hospice care patients.”
In preparation for accreditation, TRU Community Care performed an in-depth analysis of crucial clinical delivery systems. Opportunities for improvement were identified and “best practices” were updated and implemented. As a result, TRU is able to improve care delivery and outcomes for patients and their families and comply with the highest national standards for safety and quality care.
“Achieving Joint Commission accreditation demonstrates that TRU meets the highest standards for the safe delivery of hospice care. We are proud of this accomplishment and look forward to better serving our community in the years to come,” said Jim Woodard, Chief Operations Officer for TRU Community Care.
For more information, please visit The Joint Commission website.
In 1998, Janet Severi Bristow and Victoria Galo, two graduates of the 1997 Women’s Leadership Institute at The Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, created Prayer Shawl Ministry. Compassion and the love of knitting/crocheting have been combined into a prayerful ministry and spiritual practice which reaches out to those in need of comfort and solace, as well as in celebration and joy.
Many blessings are prayed into every stitch. Whether they are called Prayer Shawls, Comfort Shawls, or Care Shawls, the shawl maker begins with prayers and blessings for the recipient. The intentions are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. Upon completion, a final blessing is offered before the shawl is sent on its way. Some recipients have continued the kindness by making a shawl and passing it onto someone else in need. As a result, the blessing ripples from person-to-person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the compassion and care put into each shawl.
The shawls can be crocheted, quilted, woven or machine knitted as well. Shawls are given to TRU Patients either at home or in the care center to provide comfort. “Shawls … made for centuries universal and embracing, symbolic of an inclusive, unconditionally loving, God. They wrap, enfold, comfort, cover, give solace, mother, hug, shelter and beautify. Those who have received these shawls have been uplifted and affirmed, as if given wings to fly above their troubles…” Written in 1998 by: Janet Severi Bristow
A group of TRU Volunteers began making Care Shawls in 2007 for TRU patients, and there have been over 25 volunteers who have contributed to the program since then. A current volunteer, Sue Samuels, has been making Care Shawls for 9 years. Her husband, Mike, has a knitting machine and has been making them for about a year. One sweet story Sue remembers, “We had a young mother of four at the Care Center. She was given 5 shawls, she wore one and gave one to each of her children.”
Sue also talked about a patient who has begun crocheting lap blankets as a result of their conversations. Sue was able to give a Care Shawl to another patient who snuggles up under it every night.
For more information on the original Prayer Shawl Program please visit shawlministry.com
The Care Shawl Project allows us to create a shawl with beautiful blessings and intentions for our patients and families.
Join us to learn more on Friday, February 28th from 1pm-3pm.
WHERE: Sue Samuels Residence
2165 Pinon Circle, Erie 80516
RSVP to Sue at 302-545-3315
On December 3rd, TRU Community Care staff and volunteers gathered at the home of Mardi and Jane Byers for an intimate concert performed by Mardi Byers, Hopi Moore-Sargent, and Larissa Gensolin. Mardi and her mother are very grateful for the services they have received from TRU.
Mardi is from Boulder and went to AZ State before traveling to Europe to begin her 22 year singing career. She currently resides in Zurich, Switzerland but has returned home to Boulder to take care of her mother, Jane. Mardi’s father was longtime music professor Charles A. “Chuck” Byers. Chuck spent several decades teaching vocal music at the University of Colorado at Boulder, leaving a legacy of a madrigal singing group now in its 44th year. According to her bio, Mardi Byers is one of the most exciting and talented artists to have emerged in recent years. Hailed by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as “world class,’ she is making her mark on international opera and concert stages including the Hamburg State Opera, Bregenz Festival, Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater, New York City Opera, and Finnish National Opera.
Her triumphant opera debut as Tosca at Theater Lübeck in 2003 earned her both critical and public acclaim, prompting invitations from leading opera houses to sing the major roles of her repertoire including Amelia in Simon Boccanegra at the Hamburg State Opera, Marie in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s celebrated production of Wozzeck with the Bolshoi Theater conducted by Teodor Currentzis, Aida at the Bregenz Festival in a Graham Vick production, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at New York City Opera, Il tabarro and Suor Angelica for New Orleans Opera, Elisabetta in Don Carlo for Theater Basel directed by Calixto Beito, Marietta in Die Tote Stadt, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, and Prima Donna /Ariadne in a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos at the Nürnberg State Theater, and Aida for her debut with Finnish National Opera. Mardi Byers’ further European credits include Aida under the baton of Daniele Gatti, Elisabetta in Don Carlos in both the French and Italian versions, Amelia in I Masnadieri, Marguerite in Faust, the title role in Adriana Lecouvreur, the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, and Margarete in Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher. Equally at home on the concert stage Mardi Byers has performed Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder in Hamburg, Verdi’s Requiem, and most recently sang the Beethoven Ninth Symphony for the Stuttgart Symphony’s New Year’s Concert. Recitals have taken her to San Francisco, Zurich, Munich and Salzburg, and in November 2010 she sang the Verdi Requiem in Finland’s esteemed Turku Concert Hall.
During a home visit, Mardi, an internationally known opera singer, learned that TRU staff members Hopi and Larissa are also accomplished musicians. She had the idea to put together a performance for the staff and volunteers as a way to give back and thank them for the care they have provided. TRU team members were treated to several duets with Mardi and Hopi, as well as solos performed by each artist. They performed several opera pieces as well as classical and contemporary songs. At one point, Larissa played an entire song by memory! The afternoon ended with a beautiful and touching solo by Jane Byers. It was an honor to share the talents of these beautiful ladies.
Hopi Moore-Sargent is a new nurse at TRU Community Care. She comes from a musical family and has spent many years singing and entertaining. She currently sings in a Baroque Folke Group and is also a member of the Country Swing Band, Misty Way Ramblers. The Misty Way Ramblers are made up primarily of Geology students from CU. They perform at local Barn Parties and Farm-to-Table events. Music has always been an important part of Hopi’s life, and she enjoys sharing her talent and passion with others. You can see more about her band on their Facebook Page.
Larissa Gensolin is an RN at TRU Community Care. Originally from California, Larissa has lived in Ohio, Washington and Nebraska before settling in Colorado about a year ago. In addition to caring for patients as an RN, Larissa is an accomplished pianist. She started playing at the age of two, and began formal lessons at five. Larissa minored in music in college and has performed in many concerts and competitions. Larissa is a gifted pianist and accompanied Mardi and Hopi during their performance, playing at times by memory with the need for sheet music.
Volunteer, Sue Samuels, has been volunteering with TRU Community Care for around ten years. She has volunteered with various programs such as Comfort Touch, 11th-hour, and Pet Therapy visits, which support individuals in their final moments struggling with illness.
Sue’s golden doodle, Ginger, visits the Care Center every Monday. Ginger is a specially trained therapy dog and one of many that visit the Care Center in rotation. A TRU Care Center nurse had asked Sue and Ginger to visit a patient who was showing signs of actively passing and had been unconscious for a few days. Sadly, the woman’s sister had arrived after the patient was no longer conscious, but was present for Ginger’s arrival and pet therapy visit.
Ginger was brought around the patient’s bed and near her side by Sue. She placed the patient’s hand on Ginger’s head for comfort and then heard an audible gasp by the patient. The patient’s eyes opened and she asked for water and a cup of coffee! From this point, the patient asked to go to the bathroom and was assisted to walk. She was conscious for two more days while she and her sister visited until her last breath.
One of Sue’s favorite parts of volunteering with TRU Community Care is being able to support individuals in their final hours. The additional support to the patients and their families is what sets TRU Community Care apart from other hospice care centers. This is one of those stories that we strive for and hope for, to bring people together in life’s most vulnerable moments, and we are thankful for all of our volunteers who support this vision.
To learn more about our programs and volunteering, please visit trucare.org/volunteer for more information.
TRU PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) coordinates and provides care for older individuals so they can continue living safely in their community and receive care directly in their home through our PACE Home Care program. Many of these individuals receive their care at the TRU PACE Day Center, which includes social space and programming, as well as a medical clinic and a rehab gym. At least 60% of PACE participants also get a CNA and home visit.
TRU PACE provides initial assessments for all participants in order to determine which services are needed and where they will best be served. An individualized plan of care is developed, and participants who will be better served at home will receive care where they live, within their community. Home care can include light housekeeping, grocery shopping, meal preparation and delivery, personal care, and medication reminders. It can also include physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical care, and more! The PACE patient community is very diverse, made of individuals from different backgrounds and with a variety of health issues.
Recently, a team from PACE Home Care visited a gentleman to assess his needs and health status. The man clearly takes pride in his appearance with freshly ironed clothing and his home immaculate and clean, but unfortunately had very poor living conditions. Doing the best with what the man had, he still could not afford the copays required from his benefits. When asked why he was continuing on this way the man replied, “because there is no one to help”.
Enter PACE. From the moment that PACE Home Care visited, the man has been a part of the PACE program. Their home visit assessed the man’s living situation and was able to determine the best support for his future health and overall quality of life. Everyone who comes into the program gets assistance, regardless of their ability to pay.
The overall goal of PACE Home Care is to keep individuals safe at home for as long as possible. PACE Home Care works to ensure that each person gets the right care at the right time. Things we often take for granted, such as the ability to bathe, grocery shop, and go out in public, are returned to PACE Home Care participants through simple actions of support such as installed shower chairs, meals on wheels, medication reminders, and dental care.
Kyle Engstrom, the Home Care Coordinator for PACE, shared this story saying,
“Our home care nurses get to see participants in their homes, in their own environments where they spend their lives outside of the Pace Day Center. Our nurses make sure they’re getting the assistance they need to be at home safely. The home care aides are very much the unsung heroes. They see our home care participants weekly, sometimes daily, and help prevent accidents in the home and improve the participants’ overall health and outlook on life. I think it’s cool. These are things we take for granted and are the fundamentals of health.”
TRU PACE serves seniors from all walks of life. Our program can enroll individuals who meet the following eligibility requirements:
Learn more about the PACE program by visiting the National PACE Organization.
TRU PACE participants must receive all needed healthcare, including primary care and specialty physician services (other than emergency services) from TRU PACE contracted providers. TRU PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for costs of any unauthorized out-of-network services. TRU PACE participants may disenroll at the end of any month.
TRU Community Care is a Colorado-licensed, Medicare and Medicaid-certified, nonprofit health care organization serving the greater Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Jefferson, and Weld Counties. We rely on the support of our donors, sponsors, and community to provide the services necessary. To learn more about how you can support TRU Community Care, please visit www.trucare.org/donate
TRU Community Care’s PACE program is devoted to providing medical, communal, and preventative support to PACE participants, enabling them to live as independently as possible. PACE’s day program is filled with daily meals, activities, and laughter, building a community for an often overlooked demographic in the greater Boulder community. We are proud to provide the services to fill the needs of individuals 55 and older and their families. Our staff and participants often form friendships that are mutually beneficial.
Nataly is a Day Center CNA at TRU PACE. She, along with all of the staff, is very warm, kind, and caring with the PACE Participants. She loves working for TRU PACE, saying, “it is like a family” and “the best job I have ever had”. Nataly also enjoys creating bonds with the participants. The feeling of family is tangible in the PACE Day Center. Nataly states, “TRU cares about you, how you’re feeling, and what you’re doing” in life and professionally. Staff and PACE Participants are often learning and growing from each other. Nataly, pictured with PACE Participant, Bobbie, is honored to serve TRU PACE with her expertise and generous heart of service. Her relationship with Bobbie has grown over time and often feels like family.
Bobbie, like many participants, attends TRU’s “wrap-around services” with weekly events and check-ups, and enjoys the companionship that TRU Community Care provides for all PACE Participants. When asked how she feels about the staff of TRU PACE, Bobbie replied, “They are so loving and kind. There is always room for a joke.” Bobbie is a big hit in the Day Center and enjoys the welcoming feeling every day she arrives as she does a classic “Miss America” wave. Bobbie said she “feels comfortable here, like home”. That is the TRU goal and mission of the PACE program.
TRU PACE allows the participants to live independently within the community so they are not isolated in their homes. If interested in learning more about TRU Community Care and the TRU PACE program, please visit https://www.trucare.org/our-services/tru-pace/ .
