From left to right, St. Mary’s County Deputy State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling, First Lady Yumi Hogan, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs George Owings, former delegate John Wood and Veterans Home Director Sharon Mattia.
Charlotte Hall, MD — A day after Gov. Larry Hogan announced he was cancer free,. his wife. First Lady Yumi Hogan visited Charlotte Hal Veterans Home Nov. 17 with a message of hope and appreciation. After a tour of the home, Mrs. Hogan thanked everyone for their prayers not only for her husband but all those being treated for cancer. Her message – “Be strong.”
The first lady was accompanied on her tour by her daughter St. Mary’s County Deputy State’s Attorney Jaymi Sterling, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs George Owings, Veterans Home Director Sharon Mattia and members of the Maryland Veterans Home Commission, including former delegate John Wood.
Sterling thanked everyone on behalf of her family. She told The BayNet during the tour, “We are so happy everything worked out.”
Mrs. Hogan told those assembled in the multi-purpose room after the tour, “This place is beautiful. I am so surprised.” She thanked the residents for their service to their country.
The first lady noted that the veteran’s home was a place that transcended political discourse. “We are all in this together,” she said.
Mrs. Hogan is an accomplished artist and an adjunct professor at Maryland Institute College of Art. According to her website, “Her artwork, created on traditional Hanji paper with Sumi ink and mixed media, has been featured in art shows and museums around Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Seoul, Korea. In 2010, she won the Caruso Award at the International Juried Exhibition Circle Gallery in Annapolis.
The occasion was a perfect opportunity for the Veterans Home to unveil a new program in cooperation with the community. The Charles County Arts Alliance has teamed up with the home to supply 30 pieces of artwork for the enjoyment of the residents. So, after the presentation Mrs. Hogan took time to take a look at and admire the artwork
During the presentation Mattia gave a history of the home, which is 30 years old this year and sits on the site of the former Charlotte Hall Military Academy, which occupied it for more than 200 years before being purchased by the state.
According to Mattia, the home includes 285 skilled nursing beds and 168 assisted living beds. The population is 89 percent male with military training. Residents earned a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit, 17 Bronze Starts and 17 Purple Hearts. One was a prisoner of war.
As a benefit of residing in a certified State Veterans Home, veterans who need nursing home or assisted living care are entitled to receive a daily per diem grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs towards their cost of care. This benefit is used to lower the veteran’s out of pocket expenses. Residents at the home save $103.61 per day for nursing home care, which is a savings of $3,108.30 per month over regular nursing homes. Daily savings for assisted living care is $44.72 per day, a $1,341.60 monthly savings.
After the briefing and tour, lunch was provided to the invited guests.
Please enjoy the Photo Gallery of the visit by First lady Yumi Hogan by The BayNet Photojournalist Ron Bailey.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com
