Commun ty Matters Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor
February 2017
Choosing sides Recently, I have been thinking about Abraham Lincoln and the dark days of the civil war. During this time, someone Wayne Rector expressed to him that “the Lord would be on our side,” and he replied, “I am not concerned about that, for I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right, but it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and the nation should be on the Lord’s side.” It is easy to slip into the habit of going ahead on our own in life, hoping that the Lord will be on our side. Following God’s will is not always easy, but if we remember that He is our guide and that He wants only what is best for us, then we will be able to accept and live in His will. SIDES, continued on page 4
Why the arts are key to dementia care This form of communication can engage intuition and imagination By Anne Basting for Next Avenue
When you receive a serious medical diagnosis, it can feel as though that diagnosis replaces your identity. I am no longer myself — instead, now I am cancer, or a heart attack or dementia. But even when we carry a diagnosis, we also continue to live our lives. We are more than our diseases and care plans. People can live as long as 20 years with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Family and professional caregivers, as well as community members, need tools to ensure that people with Alzheimer’s can be more than their disease. But how? Conversation can be challenging, in person and by phone. How can we stay connected and foster what has come to be called the “personhood” of someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s? The answer is: the arts. A symbolic and emotional communication system, the arts don’t rely on linear memory and rational language. Rather, the arts engage our intuition and imagination. Their building blocks for expression are movement, gesture, words, patterns, sounds, ARTS, continued on page 3
Senior artists invited to enter Art is Ageless® exhibit Since the beginning of time, creative expression has brought joy to both its creators and those who experience their art. The Art is Ageless program offers senior artists the opportunity to share and display their artwork and reaffirms the agelessness of human creativity. Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor is accepting entries for the 2017 Art is Ageless competition and exhibit now through March 9. Artwork will be on display March 13-16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Clubroom. There will be a reception with the artists at 2 p.m. March 17 in the
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org. Sarah Griggs, executive director Tara Clawson, marketing director Lori Peters, activities director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact tclawson@pmma.org. Telephone: 620-442-8700 Fax: 620-442-8224 Address: 1711 N. Fourth, Arkansas City, KS 67005-1607
dining room. The Art is Ageless program has been encouraging creativity in seniors for more than 35 years, and is sponsored by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America. It is open exclusively to artists who are 65 and older. Artists may enter as amateurs or professionals in many categories. For more information, contact Tara Clawson at 620-442-8700, ext. 1814, or tclawson@pmma.org.
Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor’s Post-Acute To Home (PATH®) program isn’t just about getting you home—it’s about getting you back to your life. Call 620-442-8700 today to schedule your personal appointment and tour. ArkansasCityPresbyterianManor.org
Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
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Community Matters February 2017
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ARTS, continued from page 1
color, rhythm, texture and smell — to name just a few. As access to rational language falters, a person’s imagination can soar. Memory vs. imagination You don’t need to be an artist to use the arts for expression. These tools are available to everyone. Over the last 20 years, I have worked to encourage care partners to communicate with people who have dementia through creativity. The shift from expecting and correcting memory to opening and connecting through imagination can be profound, especially for family members. After years of distance, the arts can help families rekindle an emotional connection. I remember in one workshop for caregivers, I was demonstrating how they could use open-ended questions to free up the imagination
of people with dementia. I suggested the caregivers ask things like: “What would you like to name the person in this picture?” (versus, “What’s his name?”). Or, “When would you like this story to take place?” (versus, “What year is it?”). I noticed that one gentleman in the workshop got a worried look on his face, and I asked him if he was OK. “Yes, I’m just realizing that I’ve been driving my wife crazy for the last two years — insisting that she remember things,” he said. That was Charlie Farrell. He has since gone on to create the Carolyn Farrell Foundation to help family caregivers use the arts to communicate with loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Techniques to help us be more than a diagnosis How can you learn these techniques? There are a variety of resources.
My own work with improvisation and creative storytelling has free online storytelling tools at timeslips. org. The National Center for Creative Aging is at work on a series of video modules that share poetry, music, movement and visual art techniques. They will be available soon. Some long-term care communities (though not enough of them) have arts and/or music therapists or partner with local arts organizations to provide programming. But the arts are more than a program to be added to an otherwise hectic day in the life of long-term care staff or family caregivers. They are a communication system that opens our emotions and invites us to share who we are with each other. The arts are a way of being in relationship that can ensure that we are more than our diagnoses.
Caregiver support Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor now offers a support group for people taking care of loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. This month, the meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Feb. 21 in our Clubroom. Meetings take place the third Tuesday of every month, always at 6 p.m. The group is offered in cooperation with the Alzheimer’s Association. Stress is high among caregivers, and support groups provide a source of relief, information and camaraderie. Those who attend have the opportunity to build relationships with others who are in similar situations, which can help them in their day-to-day challenges. For more information, contact Tara Clawson at 620-442-8700 or tclawson@pmma.org.
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Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor 1711 N. Fourth Arkansas City, KS 67005-1607 Return Service Requested
SIDES, continued from page 1
Happy Birthday! Sylvia Hess
Iris Magnus
Carrie Elbrader
Larry Pike
Bob Hale
Mildred Speer
Ardith Harris
Lottie Williams
Lucy Koch
Zora Weir
An old hymn asks the question, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King? Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring? Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe? Who is on the Lord’s side? How for Him will go? By the call of mercy, by Thy grace divine, we are on the Lord’s side, Savior we are Thine.” I hope you have found the joys of “being on the Lord’s side.”
Volunteerism and you
We will focus on volunteerism in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. Where have you volunteered your time? Why do you volunteer? What are the benefits for you? If you’ve got a story to share, contact Marketing Director Tara Clawson, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.
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Community Matters February 2017
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