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Manteno Veteran's Home

Manteno Veteran's Home

Proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me?.Lee Greenwood, Country Music Singer

So we don't forget; we celebrate. We celebrate Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, and if the experience is a personal one, the day that they gave their life for our country. But what about those who served and dedicated their lives to "the land of the free and the home of the brave" and survived to return to their loved ones? They, too, have made the ultimate sacrifice. So do we say "thank you" and forget? Search the word "veterans" on the internet and what is returned is a list of the many services offered our military personnel after their tour of duty ends. The staff of the Chief Engineer headed out to Manteno Veteran's Home in Manteno, Illinois, one of the many places taking care of our veterans. We talked to the engineering staff there; and left that day with a feeling of pride in our hearts for the incredible job being done.

We met Rory Serafini, Chief Engineer, and his assistant Larry Horrell. It was immediately made clear how proud these two were, not only of their facility but the men who worked to maintain it. But more importantly, they held the patrons in particularly high esteem. "They're all good guys out here," Rory told us. "The most satisfying part of this job is our interaction with the members. They are so appreciative of all that we do for them."

Working in conjunction with The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, each resident center is dedicated to caring for its members and ensuring that they live life to the fullest of their ability. Strict criteria must be met for admittance to a Veteran facility. According to admittance procedures, the potential member must be an Illinois veteran, either entering the service while living in Illinois or have been a resident of Illinois for one year preceding their application, and have served at least one day or more during WWI, WWII, the Korean, Vietnam or Persian Gulf War, or during any period of time now, or in the future, recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Other qualifications include but are not limited to the ability of the facility to provide adequate and appropriate care for the veteran's medical needs and if there is an available bed in the category required by the vet. If immediate entry is not possible, then the veteran is placed on a waiting list on a "first come-first served" basis. Members assist for their care monetarily by paying a monthly maintenance fee. The fee is determined by the veteran's income and ability to pay. It covers room, food, medication, medical care, recreation and activities and therapy or treatment required by the attending physician. At Manteno Veteran's Home in particular, this process is overseen by Adjutant Barry Baron. Himself a veteran of Viet Nam, Barry is in charge of the admission process and maintaining the waiting list, if there should be one.

The Department of Veteran Affairs was established in 1989 and is responsible for overseeing the provision of benefits to veterans and their dependents. Approximately 70 million people in the nation are currently eligible for benefits. As a point of interest, this responsibility can last a very long time. According to the Department's statistics, the last dependent of a Revolutionary War veteran died in 1911; The War of 1812's last dependent died in 1946; the Mexican War's in 1962.

As we approached the Manteno site, we marveled at the neatly kept lawn and the driveway lined with flags. A very large gun greets each visitor as they enter the parking area, reminding them of what these men and women were trained for. One member passed us on our way in and expressed to us his concern for all the military personnel over in Iraq. It was then that Rory told us this particular gentleman had "adopted" Rory's son who was in the Marine Corp and currently in Iraq. It was evident that although the war was over for them, they were still an integral part of the bigger family.

After checking in and meeting with Rory and Larry, we continued across the property to the dining area. Known as Walker's Dining Room, we questioned who, if anyone, it was named for. "Most members at this facility are in wheelchairs," Rory explained. "So this room got its name from the simple fact that it is situated for those members who can walk in versus using a wheelchair." Made perfect sense to us. One central dietary area is used to prepare the meals for all six dining areas. Food preparation is contracted out by Arena Food Services and the equipment used is maintained by the engineering staff.

We continued out into the hallways and noticed that each one carried its own unique name, Freedom Way, or Liberty Lane, and that each hallway was lined with beautiful, wood-framed photos of service men and women. We were told that each member who came to the center had their service photo submitted. From there it was framed with a hand-made oak frame, carefully constructed by Pat Crawford, part of the engineering staff, and then hung in what is known as the "hall of fame". Currently there are about 300 photos displayed, each labeled with name, year and branch of service. We were astounded with some of the pictures dating back to 1918. While our conversation always referred to the "guys", I wondered if there were any female members here. Rory told us that currently there were 12 women on the premises, so the term the "guys" included the women as well.

With a square footage estimated at 300,000 sq. ft., and 302 beds available for occupancy, what kind of staff and equipment was needed to operate a facility of this size, we asked. Surprisingly enough, magic is accomplished with a light staff and lots of equipment. Currently there are five engineers on staff ? Rory Serrafini, Larry Bauer, Larry Horrell, Pat Crawford and Rick Collins. Rick claims top honors as the long-term employee with 24 years at the helm. They do not work around the clock. Most work is done between the hours of 6 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.

Hot and chilled water is delivered to the twelve buildings via an underground network. A chiller plant with two York chillers weighing in at 150 tons each serves the majority of the areas. In addition, there are some individual package units that also need attending to. Currently an Andover Energy Management System is in place, monitoring all heating and cooling functions. While the majority of the facility is handled by the Andover, the goal of the engineering department is to get the entire facility monitored this way.

Two Lochinvar boiler expansion units provide the heating and hot water. At 990,000 BTU and 200 HP, these fire tube boilers are run on natural gas. They are considered to be low-pressure units at 14 psi. Hot water is pressurized and set to circulating pumps throughout the facility where it is then pumped through the building. Because this is a facility in which electricity is critical, four backup Caterpillar generators are located here in the event of a power outage.

Water treatment for the facility is overseen by Engineer Rick Collins. A lab located on the premises allows Rick to do his own water testing. He also handles the 1,000 gallon liquid oxygen tank. With the medical conditions of some of the members calling for daily oxygen, Rick fills approximately 150 small tanks for individual use on a regular basis. He told us that in numbers, "that's about 33 liters per minute for the sick vets." He also handles all the locks and keys in the facility, maintaining the highest level of security possible for an operation such as this. Rick also told us about the pumping station located on the property. Run with two pumps and a backup generator, 500-600 gallons a day are pumped to the Manteno sewage plant. Since this particular operation is housed near the edge of the property a telemetry system was installed to notify the city of Manteno in the event the pumps fail. They in turn, notify the engineering department at the facility that there is a potential problem.

A work area for the engineers provides them all the tools necessary to complete their jobs at the highest performance level.

We inquired about the housekeeping staff. Currently they run two shifts and employ approximately 32 cleaning people. These people, Rory told us, they are just as dedicated to their work as we are. And that was evident as we proceeded through the facility. The floors sparkled, the sun shone brilliantly through the windows, and everyone we encountered had a kind word readily available.

In addition to the obvious therapeutic benefit, a woodworking ship used by members allow them to raise funds by selling their work to the public twice per year.

We were taken aback at the lengths that the employees of this facility go to ensure that the members have the best of everything. Part of that comes from the dedicated volunteer roster. Most of these volunteers have or have had a member here. Many of them stay on to volunteer long after the family member has passed away. "That just shows the amount of dedication these people have to the veterans," Rory told us. "Dedication is a key word here. It is the best word to describe them all." Rory showed us a TV satellite system used to provide TV access to all the rooms. A total of 340 TVs are currently hooked up to receivers. They provide 44 different channels including dedicated channels to the chapel and Veteran's Hall. A favorite of many of the members is old movies which are shown when the chapel channel is not in use. An internet system provided by the library allows the members internet and email access to keep in touch with family and friends.

Cable equipment used to provide cable TV service to each of the 340 TV's currently hooked up to receivers. 44 different channels are provided as well as a dedicated channel which broadcasts services from the chapel and events from the Veteran's Hall.

Capitalizing on the many therapeutic qualities of working with your hands, a large wood working shop is available to all that want to use it. Each year projects completed by the members are put on display and offered for purchase to the public. This is held usually around Easter and Christmas. In addition, a comfortably decorated activity room offers a pool table, big screen TV, aviary, piano, fish tank, and much more for the enjoyment of the members. Here they can gather and socialize in much the same comfort as their own home.

Many of the daily activities we take for granted are provided for the members so they do not have to leave the premises. Here a full-scale barber shop is provided to the members for personal grooming. The staff barber poses in front of the barber chair.

Further into our tour we arrived at the chapel. Elegantly decorated with stained glass windows depicting eagles of freedom and flags hanging throughout, Rory explained that this part of the facility was not used for any purpose other than prayer and reflection. It is considered to be a source of comfort for members and next of kin. We were lucky enough to meet Deacon Joe Cotugno who happened to be on duty that day. Although a Catholic deacon, Joe explained that services for all denominations were held here. During the main holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, non-denominational services are held. "This is a vital place for everybody," Joe told us. "We broadcast to all the rooms on a single channel dedicated to the chapel. We also offer counseling services for the staff and members and their families." Deacon Cotugno was a hospital chaplain for many years before coming to Manteno. He has been instrumental in the decorating of the chapel.

With Alzheimers disease becoming more common in our aging population, Manteno Veterans Home has dedicated a sector specifically for the care of these patients. A fence around the courtyard is provided to ensure their safety.

Although the Manteno facility offers everything imaginable for its members, occasional outside trips are taken. An annual golf outing organized completely by an employee activity committee is looked forward to every year. The event has been such a success that donations from past outings have been used to purchase a projection TV and the following year a surround sound system for the TV was bought. It is events such as this that make Manteno a huge success.

The Chapel at the facility demonstrates the care and beauty provided in the most vital of places on the premises. Although staffed by a Catholic Deacon, the chapel provides non-denominational services for all members. Each service is broadcast via TV to the member's rooms for those who cannot physically attend services.

We asked Rory about any special training his staff might have had. He replied that all their training was hands-on experience. They have attended security seminars, locksmith classes, Lochinvar boiler training series and recently they have taken the Generator Operators Certification class offered by The Chief Engineers Association of Chicagoland. In addition, Larry Bauer and Rory are licensed by the City of Chicago.

The outside grounds are as spectacular as the inside. Every effort is made to provide members with first-class conforts. A sign above the pavillion area lists the companies and organizations who contributed and continue to contribute to the facility and the members within.

At the end of the day a comment made by Rory really hit down home. He said that in his opinion it was a good thing that they take dilapidated old facilities such as this was and turn them into something good, something useful. And we wondered, why couldn't more of that be accomplished in a land as great as this; a land of the free and home of the brave?

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