Aberdeen Village Community Matters – May 2023

Rey at her piano

To say that Rey (Valencia) Schuman has the heart of a missionary would be an understatement. She met her late husband at a church and the pair devoted much of their lives to serving God by serving others. It’s a passion that rubbed off on their daughter, Beckie Kim, who now lives with her mother at Aberdeen Village.

“We were living in New Mexico,” Beckie explained. “I moved there from Hawaii after I lost my husband so I could take care of my parents. When Dad passed away, we moved back to the Kansas City area, which is home.” Rey’s husband (and Beckie’s father) was Dr. Norvin Schuman. Rey, who was

Borneo continued on page 2

Mothers Day

In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked our residents to reminisce about motherhood and their best and worst days as a mom or being with their mother.

ANONYMOUS

Best Days – Being able to hold a newborn baby and having thirteen great grandbabies to hold and cuddle, I was able to babysit most of them.

Worst Days – Some of the worst days were when they were sick and there seemed to be nothing I could do to help them feel better.

RUTH HILL

Best Days – When our Mom (& Dad) would take us to “the Dunes” at Sawyer on Lake Michigan to swim in the “big” lake and climb the huge sand dunes above the beach.

Worst Days – The day I needed to get our son’s attention for his behavior and told him to “get me the yardstick.” He brought it to me broken in half (which he had done). So, instead I put him in the corner of the couch without a book. Jeff still tells that story.

ANONYMOUS

Best Days – There are so many days to reflect back on as a Mom that it’s hard to choose just one. Certainly, the day I first became a Mom was an answer to my prayers. I always wanted to be a Mom and although I didn’t know all

Mother continued on page 3

Sunday, May 14

To Borneo and back again – mother and daughter are “back home” and loving life at Aberdeen Village

Borneo continued from page 1

born in the Philippines, met Norvin while he was premed at Baker University. She attended Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas, and was at Baker with a church group.

“He was working as a custodian at the church, and I needed to find a phone,” Rey recalled. “He said, ‘follow me’ and I followed him all the way to the altar.”

That’s where the missionary work comes in. The pair, inspired by faith in God and Norvin’s admiration of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, spent 6 years as missionaries on the island of Borneo.

“When people expressed concerns about the dangers we held firm to our faith,” said Rey. “God was already in Borneo and He would take care of us.”

Eventually, the pair settled in Kansas City when they returned home. They planned to go back, but a civil war on the island altered those plans. Dr. Schuman instead worked at KU Medical Center and Research Medical Center during his time in the area. Upon retirement, the couple moved to New Mexico,

where they lived for 34 years.

Beckie, who has a great admiration for both of her parents, also got their servant’s heart.

“I was a CNA in Hawaii and volunteered in long-term care communities,” she said. “Now I’m volunteering here even as a resident.”

She also continues to enjoy another

of her mother’s talents – the piano.

“Mom’s piano is now in the dining room here at the Village,” she said.

“I still play sometimes,” said Rey. “I’ve always enjoyed music.”

The notes she and Beckie have hit over the course of their lives have brought joys and challenges. They feel fortunate to still be dancing to the music of life together. u

Beckie (left) with her mother Rey are both residents at Aberdeen Village

Mother continued from page 1 of the highs and lows and best days of my life I would have by being a Mom, I consider this the greatest gift I have ever been given, so the day I became a Mom is the absolute best day.

Worst Days – While we tell this story in my family and there is some humor in it, at the time I did not find it humorous at all. Ironically, it was on Mother’s Day. My children were upstairs taking a nap (or so I thought). They had somehow opened a window that had never been open and was thought to be nailed shut. They crawled out onto the roof to play! It wasn’t until I went to check on them that I found the room empty and the window

slightly open. I thought they had been kidnapped! When I saw them out on the roof I was terrified they would fall. We managed to get them back inside without any harm coming to either of them. I didn’t know whether to hug them or punish them. But, that lives on as one of my worst days as a Mom for fear of what could have happened.

PAT MARTIN

Best Days – One of my favorite days, my family and I were tent camping in Canada. Mom, brother Mike & I picked wild blueberries at the campground. Mom cooked blueberry pancakes on the propane camp stove at the end of the picnic table. Boy those were yummy!

Community of Friends

Friends make the best neighbors

Life is always better when you’re surrounded by friends. We want you to enjoy the best life possible, so if you have any friends who may be interested in the same worry-free lifestyle you are enjoying at Aberdeen Village, referring them could benefit you both!

One step, and it’s easy

If you have friends who may be interested in a move to Aberdeen Village, simply fill out the attached referral card and submit it to the marketing office OR visit with a member of our marketing team, Stephanie Oehlert or David Meyer, to schedule a time to come in for a tour. If you submit a referral card, we will send your friends information about Aberdeen Village and then contact them by phone.

How the reward works

If the referred individual or couple chooses an independent living or assisted living residence at Aberdeen Village as their new home, you will receive a $2,000 credit on your monthly service fee. Don’t feel guilty, the individual or couple you refer will receive a $2,000 credit on their first monthly service fee, too – providing you both some extra cash to celebrate your new life as neighbors! It gets better – this is an unlimited offer, so the more referrals you provide, the greater the rewards.

Another favorite: My mom and I would go to League of Women Voters board meetings together. Whenever I’d write anything important (like a news article) Mom would edit it, help me reword things more clearly, help me be less wordy, Q& A to help my thinking. Then sometimes I’d sit on the floor with my back against the sofa and lean on her leg as she was sitting on the sofa. We played the game, Boggle and watched TV together. Quiet lifeaffirming time.

Worst Days – My most challenging day involved Mom not going back on ventilator after 8 ½ months in the hospital. u

Resident Referral Rewards Program

Senior living, human resources a perfect fit for Lia Mason

Lia Mason started with Aberdeen Village in human resources on Halloween 2022. Yet, her first few months have been anything but scary.

“I was looking for a place that I could call home and really be an agent of change,” she said. “I was looking for a place to put roots down and attack the issues everyone has been facing.” One of those issues involved the ratio of contract workers versus full and part-time employees. The pandemic led to an uptick in contract workers across the industry, mostly by necessity.

“We’ve made huge leaps in hiring people who want to make this their home,” Mason was proud to report.

“The number of hires in the past several months has been really good.”

While contract employees certainly have a role to play in any industry, Mason said it’s important for senior living residents to be surrounded by people who are going to be around for more than just a short time. “There have been major challenges over the past two years, and it’s been the norm for agency workers to play a big role. We wanted to get back to having full-time people care for our elders.”

A graduate of Creighton University, Mason spent some time in sales and worked as a CNA before finding her calling in human resources.

“I hadn’t found my calling prior to moving into HR,” she said. “Now I’m confident I’ve found my home.” If you haven’t yet, please welcome Lia Mason to the Aberdeen Village team! u

Lia Mason

PHILANTHROPY UPDATE

PMMA Department of Giving

Donor Spotlight - Dan Harris, Board of Trustees

Dan Harris’ connection with PMMA goes back many years. Having dedicated more than 30 years of service to Manor of the Plains (Dodge City, KS) in various roles, he currently serves on the PMMA Board of Trustees.

Dan’s parents, Phil and Opal Harris, were both residents. “I really appreciate the outstanding care they received. [There is] no better place in this community. I look forward to continuing to serve on the Board in a spirit that keeps residents as our primary focus," said Dan.

A Legacy of Education

Charles and Susan Koehn

At PMMA, we value our employees and we know you do too. Many years ago, in an effort to celebrate and retain the best talent in our communities, the late Charles and Susan Koehn

established an endowment to assist employees seeking to gain certification, licensure or a degree from an accredited educational program. Today, 17 years later, more than 700 PMMA employees have received scholarships to help them achieve their education goals and dreams.

You too can show your appreciation and support to staff with a gift to the Employee Scholarship Program. To learn more, and make a gift, visit the front desk today.

2022 by the #s:

Total Raised: $27,118

Total Donors: 130

Total Volunteers: 40

Total Raised in All PMMA Communities: $274,872

346 lives changed

Esther Njuguna, center, a 2022 scholarship recipient with Aberdeen Village leadership

Dan Harris

PMMA at a Glance

Aberdeen Ridge - Colorado Springs, CO

We’re excited to bring a new retirement community choice to Colorado Springs. With construction scheduled to be completed in 2023, Aberdeen Ridge offers amenity-rich independent living and assisted living, and a warm and comfortable neighborhood supported by memory care.

KDOT Grant Update

Eligible PMMA communities participate in the Section 5310 Specialized Transportation program through KDOT.

Grants are awarded annually for transit vehicles and equipment such as wheelchair lifts, ramps, operating expenses, and maintenance. In 2022, nine communities received grants totaling $53,000. These communities were Arkansas City, Topeka, Emporia, Clay Center, Newton, Salina, Parsons, Lawrence, and Manor of the Plains.

Board of Trustees Spotlight - Mrs. Pat Cook

"I'm new to the board this year. I am a registered nurse, now retired, but I spent a number of years working in the field of gerontology. Working in this field can be a very rewarding experience. Thank you for all you do for the residents. I wish you well, and I look forward to meeting you." ~ Pat

Cook

PMMA Board of Trustees

Robert S. Bonney, Kansas City, MO

Gary D. Brennecke, Parsons, KS

Pat Cook, Wildwood, MO

"Changing Dementia Care, One Mind At A Time."

As dementia and Alzheimer's continues to impact more senior baby boomers, PMMA is pleased to announce that we will be implementing the Positive Approach to Care (PAC) method to assist our residents with dementia. The PAC program focuses on building awareness, knowledge and skill with our staff and resident family members on how to communicate with residents with dementia.

The PAC program also referred to as the Teepa Snow method is a common sense approach in care for residents with dementia. For more information, visit their website at www.teepasnow.com.

PMMA will be providing staff training at all of our communities over the next few months. In addition, PMMA will also be providing classes on the PAC program for interested family members. Watch for available dates and times in your community.

Nancy Duling, Wichita, KS

Dan Harris, Dodge City, KS

Aaron Morrison, Salina, KS