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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2021)
8 MARCH 15, 2021 Smoke Signals Lodges can provide services for up to 10 residents LODGE continued from front page he says. “I couldn’t see the neigh- bors where I used to live and I liked it that way.” Kathy says having her father live so close provides much more opportunity to visit with family, and comfort in knowing he is safe. “I like that he is close by now and not four hours away in a rural area without cell service,” Kathy says. “I can come by and visit every day now.” She also reads to the residents on a weekly basis. Since the pandemic hit last year, these sessions have taken place outdoors on the covered porch area. “It gets a little cold sometimes, but it’s still nice,” Larry says. Amy Godown is the Adult Foster Care and Community Health man- ager. Once an Elder moves in, all of their meals, utilities, medication management and doctor’s appoint- ments are taken care of by staff as needed. “COVID has really changed some of what we can do, but we are able to have outdoor visitation, which is very important for the residents and their families,” she says. “We used to do a lot of outings: Going out to lunch or to the mall, or an event. Now, the residents play a lot of board games. We try to keep them engaged and active. Our goal is to provide culturally respectful and holistic care to the greatest levels we can.” The Tribe’s two Adult Foster Care lodges can provide services for up to 10 residents and are Level II state-licensed facilities. Kathy has high praise for the care her father has received. “They are wonderful with the residents and so flexible about ev- erything,” she says. “This is a very good fit for him.” When Larry inquired about the possibility of carving in his room during the colder months, Godown didn’t hesitate to give the green light. “He is great about cleaning every- Photos by Timothy J. Gonzalez Elder Larry Cole poses with a walking stick he carved at the Cougar Lodge on Tuesday, March 2. Living in the lodge has inspired Cole to restart his carving efforts. vironment, Larry was allowed to bring several cultural items to his new digs. Maintenance staff helped to safely hang everything. “Larry and Kathy have really brought a breath of fresh air to this facility,” Godown says. Submitted photo Elder Larry Cole shows the progress of the raven rattle started just two days earlier on Thursday, March 4. thing up, too,” she says. “He is such a sweetheart and very independent. The staff has also been really en- couraging him to continue carving and supporting him with whatever he needs. It’s very important for El- ders to keep their hobbies because it keeps their brains firing, and alleviates depression. It also helps with motor skills and creativity.” To create a more home-like en- Carving is a longtime hobby Larry began carving 25 years ago after one of his daughters bought him a book on the subject. “I thought, ‘Hey, I could do that,’ and so I did,” he says. “I’ve carved up to 21-foot totem poles, innumer- able bowls, and ceremonial pipes and just about anything else I decide to make. Over the years, my kids kept buying me books on carving.” His favorite materials to work with are red cedar and yew. One totem pole took 360 hours to com- plete and is located at his former residence in Glide. “It is mounted on a cement plat- form so it will probably never de- cay,” Larry says. Larry has three daughters and two sons, and eight grandchildren. He spent his working years at Champions Plywood in Roseburg. He is grateful to be a Tribal mem- ber and proud of his heritage. “I might still have to be working if it wasn’t for the Tribe,” he says. When an Elder becomes eligi- ble for foster care, the cost is de- termined by 75 percent of their non-Tribal income, such as Social Security or a pension. Any benefits they receive as a Tribal member are not included in determining how much is paid for care, which leaves them with financial breathing room. Kathy says it has been “a bless- ing” to have her father on the same campus where she works. “Before he lived at Cougar Lodge, he lived by himself. … Within one or two weeks after moving in, he was carving again. He hadn’t carved for a year. With the weather being so cold he couldn’t always go outside, but they allowed him to carve in his room. He has worked on his carv- ing every day and has really been enjoying it again. He plays games with the other residents which is something he has never done in his life. He tells me how wonderful everyone is to him and he is just so much happier. They let him bring his deer head mount, his coyote and they also mounted antlers on his wall. When they finished putting everything up, he commented on how now he feels at home. “I’ve just seen a real change in him. He is enjoying life again and that is such a relief for me. I was constantly worrying about him. Now I know that he has people looking out for him who really care about him. Everyone is so nice and kind. It’s a blessing that he lives there.” Larry says he has “no gripes.” “I’d like to be living on the river now,” he says with a smile. “But overall, my life is good and I enjoy every minute of every day.” Elder Larry Cole chats at the Cougar Lodge on Tuesday, March 2. Living in the lodge has inspired Cole to restart his carving efforts.