Holmes County Home mourns 4 residents

The Holmes County Home staff and residents continue to recover from losses that have come in recent days in several forms.

In meeting with the Holmes County Commissioners Thursday, May 21, Deb Miller, Holmes County Home executive director, said the recent passing of four beloved residents and the retirement of longtime Activities Director Pam Deal has left the community at the home working through difficult times.

“It’s been a rough month,” Miller said. “We had two very unexpected passings and one long-term who had been here since 1999. Those losses hit very hard.”

William Lockard had been part of the Holmes County Home family since 1999. Lockard was a United States Army veteran who was awarded the National Service Medal.

“He was very much a big part of the county home and what we do,” Miller said of the Holmesville native. “We were privileged to have him as part of our family for all of those years.”

Miller said Jeff Craig and Leon Smith both passed away unexpectedly in May while Patricia Armstrong passed away in April.

“These types of unexpected things happen at county homes, and it’s never easy to lose someone you care for and love,” Miller said, noting each was like losing a family member. “Everyone out there is part of our big family. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of life in a county home.”

As for the retirement of Deal, Miller said filling the shoes of someone who was so devoted to serving the county home for over three decades is never easy, but with Deal serving in such a vital capacity, they want to make certain they fill that role with the right person.

“We’re temporarily all kind of pitching in,” Miller said. “It’s going to take some shuffling around and doing some new hiring.”

She said she has had some people internally who have expressed an interest in taking the role as activities director, but for now she can’t fill the position until she has people to fill some other critical roles.

She said Deal’s departure left big shoes to fill.

“We’re all kind of working together to do things,” Miller said. “We’re still playing bingo, still going shopping and doing other activities. We’re still going to do the parades, and (the residents) are out there working in the gardens. We have some residents who are getting vegetables planted.”

As for the financials, Miller said the Holmes County Home’s expenses are at about 35% compared to 32% at this time last year. She said they are up about $60,000, with half of that coming from a new boiler system being installed and a large percentage coming from additional salary expenses.

Revenue is at 49% of estimated revenue, with the home seeing an increase with real estate tax income. She said they also have seen a $13,000 increase in board and care.

She also said they have added three residents after facing the loss of the four residents who passed away.