Meet Leesa Wittenstorm, Colerain's cheerful receptionist. She's the first person you see as you walk through our front door and always is ready with a friendly greeting and warm smile. You'll experience her sunny disposition whether you're visiting in person or calling on the phone. But Leesa is much more than a greeter for Liberty. She keeps us in order by also jugging

Each year, the Progressive Seniors Club hosts the Lucille Chenault Senior Ball. Cincinnati's version of the event was held at the Duke Energy Center. Lucille launched the first ball back in 1974 after an illness confined her to a nursing home and she personally experienced the challenges many seniors face. Her dream was to create an event where one day out of the year seniors could look forward to getting dressed up, socializing and interacting with each other. Our

Our facility eagerly participated in the local version of Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly's annual Senior Prom. They are a national network of non-profit organizations that are committed to relieving loneliness and isolation among the elderly. This year's prom was in May at the Cincinnati Sports Club. Days before the event our community was in a flurry, buzzing with excitement as everyone prepared. Family members brought in formal wear and staff enjoyed helping residents get spruced up for the big evening. It was a wonderful night with a rock and roll theme, photo booth, door prices and great food. Many residents commented that they didn't want to leave, so next year's prom is being enthusiastically anticipated by all!

No 4th of July celebration would be complete without a proper cookout. So Liberty's dietician managed the grill cooking fabulous, mouth-watering hamburgers for staff, residents and our guests. Baked beans and coleslaw along with red, white and blue popsicles were some of the party favorites. It was a wonderful community event featuring fun games and great picnic food.

The entertaining stories of the life of the Ingalls family homesteading in the Midwest between 1870-1894 have captured the hearts and imaginations of children and adults worldwide for years. The collection of Little House on the Prairie books were even adapted to a popular television series in the late 70's and a beautiful culture has developed around them. So it's no surprise that Liberty residents were charmed recently by the visit of Jane Lazaritti who is an avid collector of Little House on the Prairie dolls. Residents and guests snacked on watermelon and refreshments as Jane's collection came to life as she related memorable passages from the classics. It was an enjoyable trip down memory lane.

On June 29, Queen City Hospice assisted us in recognizing our veterans. It was an emotional program for families and staff as we honored our veterans and wives of deceased service men. This year we paid tribute to around 25 residents and hope to make this an annual ceremony. Much appreciation goes out to Queen City Hospice in supporting and assisting us in this endeavor.

We strive to offer a wide variety of stimulating and fun scheduled activities for our residents. From card games and musical entertainment to out door days when the weather permits, residents have plenty of opportunities for exercise and socialization. Everyone has their personal favorites of course, but for Bobbi, a long-standing Liberty resident, arts and crafts always trump. She loves opportunities to let her creative side show and this artful collage with her favorite color was no exception.

Our wonderful therapy team works one-on-one to develop individualized treatment plans for each patient using our fully equipped therapy room or residents' rooms.Whether patients are recuperating from an illness or an injury, it's a team approach to assist them in restoring skill and function. Abbey and Jared, our licensed physical therapists, are committed to helping patients return to the most active and independent lifestyle as possible while maintaining a healthy and safe environment.

Everyone looks forward to our Friday Happy Hours where we enjoy refreshments and lively activities. Our most recent Happy Hour was no exception. Stacy Todd from the Van-Dells keeps 50s and 60s rock and roll alive at Colerain when he visits. From Doo-Wop favorites to Mowtown classics and everything in between, he always keeps his audience smiling, toe-tapping and clapping. On this visit he even gave out several copies of his new CD "The Highway". We can't wait for him to return!

Here at Colerain, our delicious food is considered its own activity. That's why we warmly welcome Sandy, our new Dietary Manager. With quite a bit of experience in the long-term care industry, she is getting plenty of smiles and compliments on her recipes. She's not only introducing new foods, but works closely each week with resident council to take special requests. We've been enjoying pepper steak, salmon croquettes, homemade potato soup and everyone's favorite... italian subs! We're so happy to have her as part of our team.