Home Care In Charlestown, MD

On his first day at the MGH Charlestown HealthCare Center, in 1968, Dr. Roger Sweet got a phone call.

“Where are you?” the voice on the other end demanded.

“Who is this?”

“I’m the nurse at the high school. You’re supposed to be doing physicals.”

Sweet headed to the high school, where he found 40 kids waiting. He had an hour, the nurse told him.

“I was trained to do one physical in an hour,” said Sweet, a founding physician at the center, former assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and head of MGH Health Care Centers until his retirement in 1993.

The story provides a picture of the unmet needs in the neighborhood when MGH Charlestown opened, part of the first wave of community health centers that spread across the nation in the late 1960s.

“The community health center movement was not just about health, it was about poverty,” said Jean Bernhardt, the center’s current administrative director. “I think health centers have done a great job. They brought health care to a vulnerable community that didn’t have it. … We’ve been part of that.”

The movement got its local start in Dorchester in 1965, when what is now the Geiger-Gibson Community Health Center opened its doors. Today there are 1,400 community health organizations nationwide, serving more than 28 million patients at 11,000 sites. Thirteen million of those patients are poor.

The movement came as President Lyndon Johnson waged his War on Poverty, which included support for the poor and elderly through passage of Medicaid and Medicare in 1965.

Today there are 1,400 community health organizations nationwide, serving more than 28 million patients at 11,000 sites. Thirteen million of those patients are poor.

MGH’s first community health center initially focused on youth and school health, but soon opened its doors to all of Charlestown, according to James Morrill, the center’s medical director. Neighborhood partners, including the nonprofits ABCD and the John F. Kennedy Family Service Center, have been key allies along the way, Bernhardt said.

As Charlestown HealthCare marked its 50th anniversary with an open house this fall, officials noted the decades-long persistence of problems such as hunger and homelessness. But back in 1968, just a third of local children received basic immunizations, compared with near-universal coverage today. Another, less-welcome shift has been in the rise of chronic lifestyle-related illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure, reflecting nationwide patterns. And while substance-use disorder isn’t new, the dimensions of today’s opioid crisis dwarf those of the past, Bernhardt and Morrill said.

The community has changed as well, said Morrill, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Gentrification has attracted wealthier residents, widening income inequality and altering the makeup of the center’s 10,000 patients.

“It makes it complex, but the mission remains,” Morrill said. “The poverty is still there.”

Listening comes first

Joan Quinlan, MGH’s vice president for community health, said that neighborhood centers have always provided important lessons on care. One example: If you want to know a community’s health priorities, ask the community.

Speaking at the open house, Quinlan recalled a community meeting at Charlestown HealthCare more than two decades ago, not long after she started at MGH. The session kicked off with a data-driven presentation explaining that heart disease was the community’s most pressing health challenge.

“The community listened politely, the doctor sat down, and then they went on to discuss how drugs and alcohol were tearing at the fabric of life in the community,” said Quinlan. “You’ve taught us that delivering high-quality clinical care is critical, but that we have to listen to the community and address the community’s concerns about all the things that affect health.”

“We have to listen to the community and address the community’s concerns about all the things that affect health.”

Joan Quinlan, MGH’s vice president for community health, pictured below

Similarly, Quinlan said, a model of substance-abuse treatment developed at Charlestown HealthCare by Mark Eisenberg, an assistant professor of medicine, has been scaled up and adopted by MGH.

The opioid crisis remains the top challenge facing Charlestown today, according to Morrill and Bernhardt. In addition to the medication-assisted treatment initiative Eisenberg developed, the center has established a program in which an addiction nurse helps determine when patients are ready to begin treatment and develops harm-reduction strategies in case of relapse. Complementing the efforts of the nurse and physician is a recovery coach who provides the patient with peer support.

“This is an epidemic that is devastating generations in this community,” Bernhardt said.

The center has also reached out to local public schools to provide on-site mental health services, providing a clear example of how to lower barriers to important care, Quinlan said.

Moving forward, Bernhardt expects to see more emphasis on wellness and prevention, whether for substance-use disorders or other chronic illnesses. The center is focused on targeting early signs of addiction. It also hopes to prevent lifestyle-related conditions via programming addressing the importance of a healthy diet, she said.

More like this

One thing that seems certain is that physicians and nurses will greet today’s patients tomorrow, along with their children and maybe even their grandchildren. Ivan Lopez, a patient at the center since childhood, brought his boys, 3-year-old Ezra and 1-year-old Ismael, to the 50th anniversary open house. Friendly, conscientious physicians and good care have kept him coming back, Lopez said.

“I think that’s been one of the parts I’ve found most rewarding — multigenerational care,” Morrill said.

Mary Delaney, a nurse manager at the center for more than 20 years, said that staff camaraderie helps make every day fulfilling.

“It’s a family environment and we really care about each other and we really support each other,” she said.

It’s unique for a retirement community to have its own in-house television station. It’s even more unique that the community’s residents make up the on-air and technical crews. But Charlestown, a continuing care retirement community managed by Erickson Living, isn’t your typical retirement community; and Channel 972 isn’t your typical TV station.

For almost four decades, Channel 972 has served as an outlet to inform and entertain residents of the scenic 110-acre campus. And most recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the station has played a vital role in the community’s response plan, serving as a primary communication tool to keep residents and staff fully informed on COVID-19 preparedness measures, and providing engagement opportunities for residents to stay connected to community life.

“Even in difficult circumstances, we recognize that maintaining the trust of those who live and work at Charlestown is paramount,” said Charlestown Executive Director Clara Parker. “By leveraging the full scope of our television production capabilities, as well as with other valued methods of communications, we achieved this goal by sharing information that residents and staff desired and have expectations of receiving.”

Timely, accurate and engaging

Charlestown has continued to prioritize timely and accurate information sharing, especially when it comes to details about the community’s preparedness and response to coronavirus.

“Normally, community leadership addressed the residents via TV about once a week,” said Station Manager Tom Moore. “Once COVID-19 happened, it shifted. Leadership appeared on television daily to provide live community updates which were also recorded for later viewing. We also ran public service announcements on topics like how to properly wear a mask.”

Must-see TV

Dawn and John Strumsky are loyal Channel 972 viewers who began volunteering at the station in 2011, shortly after moving to Charlestown from Millersville, Md. The Strumskys are among more than 50 volunteers who work with three full-time staff members, including Moore, who help residents create original programming.

“Some people, first thing in the morning, wake up and turn on the local news. I used to be one of those people, but now I turn on Channel 972 for the community news,” says Dawn. “It's actually become a habit for me to check for important updates. We always recorded the daily news and shows presented on 972 and then looked at them at our leisure, but during the pandemic, I needed to know what was happening before I started my day.”

Getting creative

In addition to keeping residents informed with the latest updates, Moore and his team have continued to engage and entertain with unique, creative programming. From fitness classes presented by Charlestown’s own professional trainers to help residents maintain their physical health to daily devotionals that provide spiritual connection, the schedule is filled with content to help support residents’ overall health and well-being.

For fun ways to stay sharp, there’s Johnny’s Jukebox, a daily name-that-tune game show, and “Friends of the Archives” trivia.

To stay socially connected, each Friday at 5:30 p.m., Resident Life Director Sherry Parrish hosts a Virtual Happy Hour, inviting residents to grab a drink and tune in while she sits down (at a safe social distance) with a different special guest.

Jeff Watson, Erickson Living’s Director of Operations, commends the broadcast professionals and resident volunteers at Charlestown for the ‘creative and high-quality programming’ established throughout the pandemic.

“Their innovative and hard work has resulted in a heightened level of communications that has kept those on campus connected, engaged, and healthy,” says Watson.

The proof may be in the pudding. Parker says feedback from Charlestown residents throughout the pandemic has been extremely positive.

“It has been amazing and impressive to see everyone come together as one community working towards one goal: keeping our community safe,” said Parker. “So many residents have told me they have felt safe, secure, and are appreciative of what the staff has done to keep them fully informed and engaged during a unique time. We are all learning to live together in different ways and the great thing is that we are learning more about each other every day.”

Photo Caption: Charlestown employees record an update for residents in the community’s busy television studio, which produces innovative and informative programming to air on Channel 972. The closed-circuit station was a critical communication tool for Charlestown during its response to coronavirus, and helped to keep residents engaged and connected to community life throughout the pandemic.

Story written by Danielle Rexrode

Philly loves its spaghetti and crab gravy, not to mention crab cakes. But steamed whole crabs? I’ve got some go-to spots like Port Richmond’s venerable Bonk’s Bar. But when I really want to savor an afternoon of shell cracking, beer drinking and licking Old Bay spice from my fingertips, there’s no better place than a paper-covered table in Maryland, where the summer ritual of steamed blue crabs are a way of life. The beauty of it is that some of the best destinations are really not that far from Philly for an easy day trip. One of my longtime favorites, River Shack at the Wellwood in Charlestown, is just an hour-and-15-minute drive from Center City.

The Shack is the more casual, seasonal annex to the Metz family’s clubby Wellwood, perched beside a marina that caters to the Chesapeake boat crowd just south of North East, Md. Its sandy picnic table patio has a laid-back, beachy vibe, but it’s the all-you-can-eat crabs and fried chicken special that draws devoted crowds from May through the end of September. They’ve done a solid job with social distancing this year, but this little restaurant and bar, with 25 picnic tables, still sells nearly 4,500 crabs over the course of a weekend. I enjoy River Shack’s proprietary spice blend, which is similar to classic Old Bay, but uses a coarser salt that makes the spice paste cling easily to the sweet, white plumes of plucked meat.

The fried chicken, in fact, was introduced many years ago as a strategic “filler to slow eaters down,” says third-generation operator Larry Metz Jr. But the chicken is so good, with a thin but well-spiced crust over juicy flesh, that it’s become nearly as big a draw as the crabs. Add in a steady flow of sweet hush puppies with honey butter, boiled corn, a refreshingly tart can of Sea Quench from Dogfish Head in nearby Delaware, and I got myself into quite the crab-picking groove. Granted, I displayed nowhere near the epic appetite of a regular known to staff only as the “no seasoning guy,” who can polish off three dozen in a sitting. But I ate my share for $48.99.

Plus, I wanted to save room for a platter of the cheesy oysters Rockefeller broiled with the restaurant’s own oysters, the Wellwood Gems farmed by the Hooper’s Island Oyster Co. in Cambridge. They’re cheesier and with less spinach than the New Orleans classic, but bacony, creamy, and good.

Steamed crab purists may note that the all-you-can-eat crustaceans are not especially huge, typically 5-6 inches across. River Shack, though, offers larger, heavier crabs à la carte, from “mediums” (up to 6.5 inches, $80 a dozen) to “larges" (7 inches, $110 a dozen), and “extra-larges” (over 7 inches) when available.

— Craig LaBan

All you can eat steamed crabs and fried chicken, $48.99, River Shack at the Wellwood, 121 Frederick St., Charlestown, Md., 410-287-6666; wellwoodcrabs.com

Catonsville, Md. – February 13, 2020 – Charlestown, a senior living community managed by Erickson Living, today joined in the national celebration of Giving Hearts Day. Recognized on the second Thursday of February each year, the celebration offers one of the best opportunities to donate to your favorite charity. Giving Hearts Day is the longest-running giving day in the United States.

At Charlestown, residents, staff and friends of the community celebrated this special day by supporting the Benevolent Care Fund, which provides confidential financial assistance that allows all residents to remain in their home for life.

Generous contributions on Giving Hearts Day and other fundraising events throughout the year help Charlestown to keep its “Home for Life”commitment, providing necessary support to residents who may experience an unforeseen change in their financial circumstances. In the community’s 36-year history, no resident has ever been asked to leave Charlestown due to genuine inability to pay, thanks to the Benevolent Care Fund.

Now, contributing to the Benevolent Care Fund is easier than ever, with online giving available on the web, via Charlestown’s My Erickson app, or by scanning a QR code. All contributions to the Fund are tax-deductible.

In addition to one-time contributions on Giving Hearts Day, there are many ways to support the Benevolent Care Fund, including shopping via AmazonSmile. When you shop, just select Charlestown Community, Inc. as your Smile charity and Amazon will make a donation to the Benevolent Care Fund.

Proceeds from the Charlestown Treasure Sale, happening this weekend, February 13-15, 2020, also go towards the Benevolent Care Fund, as does money raised at the upcoming “Winter Putterland”, an indoor mini-golf event happening at Charlestown February 26-28, 2020.

In addition, the Benevolent Care Fund benefits when you donate your unwanted vehicle through Charlestown’s “Cars for Care” program. For more information on this program or to find out how you can contribute, please contact the Philanthropy department at Charlestown by calling 410-737-8892. About Charlestown: Charlestown, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities managed by Erickson Living®, is situated on a scenic 110-acre campus in Catonsville, Maryland. The community is located in Baltimore County and is home to more than 2,000 residents who are supported by a team of more than 1,200 employees. Additional information about Charlestown can be found at CharlestownCommunity.com.Photo Caption: Nathan Blumberg, Associate Executive Director, dresses as the King of Hearts in celebration of Giving Hearts Day with Patti Santoni, Director of Philanthropy at Charlestown.Photo Credit: Courtesy Patti Santoni

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Home & Garden

Everything from Fruits to Vegetables Grow on Campus.

Community Contributor

|Updated Mon, May 2, 2016 at 12:04 pm ET

CATONSVILLE, MD (May 2, 2016) -- -- Before Rose Wolford ever moved her first piece of furniture into her new apartment home at Charlestown retirement community she was getting her hands dirty in her new garden.

“I actually obtained my garden before I moved in,” says Rose. “I brought over a few plants from my house, including some annuals and two low-growing woody plants.”

Raised in Pennsylvania, Rose discovered she had a green thumb when she was just four years old. She later built a career as a landscape designer.

“We grew our own food, more out of necessity than pleasure,” says Rose. “My mother would always let me have a row in the garden where I could plant flowers, and I really loved it.”

This spring, as soon as the threat of frost subsided, Rose was eager to get her garden going.

Find out what's happening in Catonsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Once it’s fit to be outside, I’m out there,” says Rose. “I have always loved growing flowers, so I planted an ornamental flower garden. I chose colors that would complement my apartment so that I can cut bouquets and bring them inside.”

In a nearby garden, Charlestown resident Patricia (Pat) Kasuda grows tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, and zucchini.

“I enjoy being outdoors,” says Pat. “I go to my garden daily and either weed, pick, or groom my plants. Gardening is great exercise, and I like meeting fellow gardeners, listening to their experiences, and learning new ways to do things in the garden and in the way of preparation such as canning and freezing.”

A graduate of the Master Gardener program through the University of Maryland Extension, Pat, along with fellow gardener David Pollitt, oversees the community gardens located in the green area outside the Charlestown Square Clubhouse. The square spaces are available to Charlestown residents on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We remind gardeners of the guidelines regarding weeding, use of chemicals, allowing plants to overgrow plot areas, etc.” says Pat. “We also coordinate volunteers to keep the common areas clean and the grass mowed.

A nearby community tool shed houses rakes, shovels, hoes, wheelbarrows, hoses, as well as two tillers. The Charlestown Grounds Department provides complimentary mulch and compost.

A retired Presbyterian minister, David moved to Charlestown from a small farmhouse in Harford County where he grew his own fruits and vegetables.

“We had about 9,000 square feet of gardens,” says David. “I grew everything you can think of, from asparagus, green beans, and lettuce to strawberries, peaches, and apples. We ate our share and distributed the rest to friends and family. We also made strawberry preserves and applesauce.”

In spring 2012, just a few months after moving to Charlestown, David planted his first crop of strawberries, lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, and a variety of other vegetables. Since then, he has acquired two additional gardens.

“One is completely dedicated to just strawberries,” says David. “The other two have all the vegetables. Last year,, we froze some of our green beans and peppers and enjoyed cooking with them throughout the fall and winter.”

This year, he will grow more of the same and with the exception of his tomatoes, he already has many of his plants in the ground.

“I usually wait until mid-May to put my tomatoes in the ground,” says David. “Last year, I started some of them from seed in containers, but the stems were weak and flimsy. So this year, I’m going with plants instead.”

Many gardeners at Charlestown grow more than what they can eat and are happy to share their bounty. Extra fruits and vegetables are left for the taking on a table located near the gardens, but they don’t last long.

In late summer, the gardeners hold a picnic prepared with the fruits of their labor.

“It’s an opportunity to get together and grill hot dogs and have a fun-filled afternoon sharing the goods and the not so goods of the growing season,” says Pat.

As for Rose, fresh flowers aren’t the only thing she’s growing. Working in her garden has also allowed her to cultivate new friendships.

“I’ve met quite a few fellow gardeners,” says Rose. “It’s been a great way to get to know people, especially since I’m relatively new.”

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Caption photo: Bert and Linda Clegern tend to their garden at Charlestown retirement community (photo by Mel Tansill). This article was written by Danielle Rexrode.