Winter Growth - The Story Behind the Name

In 1978, Marge Burba, Winter Growth’s founder, was studying for a Masters in Gerontology. As a part of her course work, she did a lot of interviewing in large nursing homes. In one such interview of several residents, the assigned question was “How do you know if another resident dies here?” They thought for awhile and finally one responded, “Well, they put the name up on the bulletin board…but nobody ever really looks at it.” Another said, “Well, you don’t see them in the dining room,” and another added, “Oh, yes. If they had a private room, someone who had a double room gets their room.” Marge asked if there was ever a service to remember them. Their answer was no.

She was struck by the image of these women, certainly in their final years, living in an environment where their passing would be recognized by their name on a bulletin board that no one will look at or perhaps by their absence in the dining room. How could there be any sense of self-worth when their passing would have no apparent impact on the community around them?

Similar interviews in large institutions with residents and staff left her discouraged about the degree she was pursuing. She realized that it wasn’t advanced age and disability that was so sad, but the loneliness and lack of meaning in their lives. Interviews of homebound older adults were not much better. She even went to one of the early adult day care centers and found an activity group working on gluing macaroni to a tin can, a popular activity of her kindergarten class. She asked one man, “Tell me about your project.” He replied, “I don’t know, she just told me to stick noodles on here.” She walked away thinking, he has so little time left, it is such a shame for him to spend even an hour doing something that has no meaning for him.

Winter Growth was ‘born’ after a trip to a Marriottsville retreat center where she sought to process how she could make a difference in the lives of health impaired older adults similar to those she had talked with and observed. She felt it was most important to have a community in which the people could be participatory and not just passive. A place where strengths are encouraged and accommodations are made for limitations. Time should be spent engaged in activities that have meaning to them. A place that helps change disengagement from life to engagement in daily life designed around individual interests and abilities. Giving people a chance to help others as well as to be helped. She envisioned the person with dementia who is able to push the wheel chair of another who knows the way to their destination that the former cannot remember. A community caring for and about each other with staff who possess the depth of character and knowledge needed to facilitate such a day time community.

In Marriottsville, on her silent retreat, she was thinking of the seasons of life and the importance of growth in each of those seasons. No matter the age, disability, and even with dementia, there remains the ability to grow in one’s ability to give and receive love, to give and receive encouragement. Hence Winter Growth.

Winter Growth offers community-based Assisted Living, Adult Medical Day Care, and Respite Care in Columbia and Olney. To learn more, visit www.wintergrowthinc.org or contact Claire at (410) 964-9616 (Columbia) or Deborah at (301) 774-7501 (Olney).