Families reflect on the past year
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village
APRIL 2021
PMMA Founder’s Day honors its heroes and 72 years of heritage Employees of Fort Scott Presbyterian Village will observe the founding of PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America) this month as the company salutes its heroes and heritage. PMMA’s roots go back to 1947. Alice Kalb, a widow from central Kansas, appealed to a Presbyterian Church organization to establish a home for seniors. Her vision laid the foundation for the first Presbyterian Manor community in Newton, Kan., and inspired others to do even more. Through the many decades, PMMA remained true to the spirit of Alice’s vision, providing quality senior services guided by Christian values. Each Founder’s Day, staff members recommit to live our mission by signing the “WE PROMISE” board that lists the pillars to the mission: respecting that seniors retain their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; assisting residents with specific needs; providing compassionate service; serve as a trusted resource; and advocating for seniors. “Our nearly 2,000 employees view what they do as a calling,” said Bruce Shogren, president and CEO. “Our dedicated employees make it possible for us to sustain PMMA’s mission, as well as its heritage. I believe Alice would be very proud.”
Without a doubt, the senior community has been highly affected by COVID-19 over this past year. Many safety precautions were put in place to reduce the spread of COVID and keep seniors safe. This had an emotional effect on not only those seniors, but their families. Life changed instantly, and nobody could predict what would come of it. Rod Farmer, the son of resident Gene Farmer, and Marilyn Bailey, the daughter of resident Nolene Whiteside, were kind enough to share their experiences since the country went into a state of emergency. Rod Farmer: We first learned of the pandemic while we were vacationing out of the country during the first week of March. We did not understand the seriousness of this virus, but after a few weeks we felt a strong urge to be home and safe with our immediate family. Initially, it didn’t occur to me that we would not be able to visit my father, Gene, in his apartment at Presbyterian Village or my stepmother, Ruth, in a skilled nursing facility. Before the pandemic was announced, I had been making weekly visits from Olathe to go visit both. CDC guidelines were put in place, and we were unable to have lunches together, go on long country drives, check out the farms or revisit our special quail hunting locations.
FAMILY– continued on page 2
Alice Kalb’s dream has turned into a network of 15 senior living communities and two hospices across Kansas and Missouri. A new senior living community is under development in Colorado Springs, Colo. PMMA remains true to its core and mission: to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. For more information about Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, contact Megan Brillhart, marketing director, at 620-223-5550 or mbrillhart@pmma.org. u
From left to right, Gene Farmer, his grandson Tyler, brother Don, and son Rod often visited their favorite quail hunting spots. They’re looking forward to return trips in the fall.
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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Fort Scott Presbyterian Village receives 2021 Customer Experience Award from Pinnacle Quality Insight Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, a PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America) community, is proud to announce that they are the recipient of Pinnacle Quality Insight’s 2021 Customer Experience Award.TM In qualifying for the award in 11 categories for assisted living, Fort Scott Presbyterian Village displays a continued dedication to providing Best in Class senior healthcare services. “Our mission to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values informs everything we do at Fort Scott Presbyterian Village,” said Ginger Nance, executive director. “The Customer Experience Award demonstrates that our residents and their families see the difference living our mission every day makes in the care we provide.” Throughout its 27-year history of serving the community, Presbyterian Village has placed a strong emphasis on ensuring that the individual needs of every resident are met. By qualifying for the Pinnacle Customer Experience Award,™ Fort Scott Presbyterian Village has satisfied the rigorous demand of scoring in the top 15 percent of the nation across a 12-month average. Residents and their families rated the community in the top 15 percent in personal care, quality of food, dining service, cleanliness, response to problems, communication, demonstrating dignity and respect, activities, meeting transportation needs, willingness to
recommend to others, and overall customer experience. A customer satisfaction measurement firm with 25 years of experience in postacute health care, Pinnacle conducts over 150,000 phone surveys each year and
FAMILY– continued from page 1 My father would go visit his wife, Ruth, every afternoon, but these visits had to cease for safety reasons. Ruth became very ill and passed away in December. My Dad was only able to visit her a couple of times before her passing. Ruth’s funeral was a very small private family service at her gravesite. The pandemic has imposed many hardships on our family and my father’s health. We’ve had to cancel traditional family gatherings and more. We miss those face-to-face interactions and much-needed hugs and kisses. We look forward to when this pandemic has run its course. The good news is that we will appreciate our health and face-to face meetings with family and friends more than ever! I would like the thank the entire staff at the Presbyterian Village for their efforts in taking care of my father during these very difficult times.
2021
works with more than 2,500 care providers in all 50 U.S. states, Canada and Puerto Rico. u
when or if COVID would hit our loved ones — especially our mom, Nolene Whiteside. However, with the ongoing and tremendous support and love of Presbyterian Village staff, we found ourselves seeing the glass fill up. The most significant boost in spirit and change for our mom and for us was when we welcomed the Alexa Echo Show into our family! The addition of this technology could not have happened without Presbyterian Village’s assistance and, we are forever grateful and thankful for the Village helping get that set up. Now we all can see, talk and laugh with our mom! By far, the biggest joy now is watching our mom’s face light up as she tells of her wild and noisy Alexa visits with her greatgrandchildren. u
Marilyn Bailey: This past year our family has felt like we were on a roller coaster. Many times, it was easier to see the glass as half empty. Travel and family times cancelled, no hugs, no visits and constant worry about
Nolene Whiteside and her daughters before the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Community Matters 620-223-5550 u Fax: 620-223-7800 2401 S. Horton Fort Scott, KS 66701 FortScottPresbyterianVillage.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | April 2021
is published monthly for residents and friends of Fort Scott Presbyterian Village by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: mbrillhart@pmma.org Ginger Nance, executive director Megan Brillhart, marketing coordinator
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village earns zerodeficiency rating for community licensing Fort Scott Presbyterian Village earned a zero-deficiency survey from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) following its annual licensing inspection February 10, 2021. This survey continues a history of exemplary surveys for the community. Since 2003, the community has received 14 deficiency-free licensing surveys. “Not only is it rare for a community to receive so many zero-deficiency surveys, it is especially noteworthy to receive while fighting a pandemic,” said Ginger Nance, executive director. “These survey results demonstrate how seriously each of our employees takes our mission to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values to heart. We know that their dedication to our mission and to our residents created a deficiency-free community. Every employee impacts the outcome of the survey since regulations affect every job position at Presbyterian Village.” Senior living communities are surveyed by their licensing agency for compliance of regulations established by KDADS. These regulations are designed to ensure a standard of care is met. By meeting this standard, senior living communities are able to renew their licenses and continue to provide care. Surveys are conducted on average every 18 months. “Every day I see our employees go above and beyond in the care they provide,” Nance said. “We truly see our mission to be creating a home for the seniors in our care. ‘The way you want to live’ is more than a tagline for Fort Scott Presbyterian Village; it is a culture built on the understanding of compassionate service to seniors — a foundation of trust for families and their loved ones.”
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village is an assisted living community, which means it is licensed by KDADS. Residents have their own private apartments — one or two bedrooms complete with all appliances — and may receive some assistance with activities of daily living. The apartment setting is perfect for a single person or for couples to remain together and age in place with compassionate help always available if
and when they need it. The setting is not only suitable for those who need physical assistance, but designed for independent seniors, as well. Some apartments have a comfortable patio, and a parking garage is available for those who are active drivers. The main concept is that people can come and go as they please from their home, but help is always available. For more information about Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, contact Megan Brillhart, sales and marketing counselor, at 620-223-5550 or mbrillhart@pmma.org. u
Spring into action! Spring is on its way, and now is the time to get out and get moving! This past year, the pandemic and winter weather have kept us indoors more than we would like. Presbyterian Village residents have been fully vaccinated, which will lift some of the quarantine restrictions with coming and going. As the temperature warms up and more people get vaccinated, we will start seeing more people out and about with life slowly returning to normal. However, we still need to practice safety protocols to keep down the spread. Being vaccinated doesn’t prevent you from spreading COVID-19; it reduces the chances of getting it. Those who are fully vaccinated should still take certain precautions such as wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding large groups, and utilizing hand sanitizer. As more people get vaccinated, it should be safer to venture out to take a trip to the store, attend a church service or outdoor family gathering, or even clean out that closet and have a yard sale. u
COVID-19 updates continue Get the latest updates on visitation status, ongoing safety measures and PMMA’s response to COVID-19 on your community website at FortScottPresbyterianVillage.org/covid-19. Visitation status is updated weekly on Mondays and as needed as our COVID status changes. You can also send a message to any resident with the Art is Ageless® e-greeting cards. Find a link on the COVID19 update page. With vaccine distribution, internal restrictions are starting to loosen, allowing health care and assisted living residents to forgo quarantine if they leave the campus for physician appointments and other activities as long as they are not gone longer than 7 midnights. If an absence is longer than 7 days, the resident is required to quarantine and undergo COVID-19 testing. There will be no quarantine requirement for independent living residents who leave the community for an outing. u Fort Scott Presbyterian Village | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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2401 S. Horton Fort Scott, KS 66701 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Looking back at the past year of COVID We’ve made it through an entire year since the pandemic first hit. On March 25, 2020, President Trump declared a state of emergency, which brought about several changes. Without a doubt, senior living was affected. New safety regulations were put in place to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19. The onceopen doors of senior living communities had to close to visitors and local volunteers, a new normal ensued. April is volunteer appreciation month, and this past year has been tough for both residents and local volunteers. Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp … the list of new ways to bring people together goes on. We have been very
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fortunate to have these means of communication, but also thankful to have volunteers who continue to reach out to our residents. Laura Gulley led a paint class by Zoom. Jeff Fischer led a Zoom gathering with residents as they made valentines.
Jeff Fischer led a Zoom gathering with residents during which they made Valentines.
Though they couldn’t come into the building, that didn’t stop people from wanting to volunteer and/or donate. So many have reached out and donated craft supplies, books, DVDs, masks, and much more. Presbyterian Village would like to thank everyone who has contributed their time and donations while getting through this past year. We’d also like to thank all of residents who stepped up and helped out this past year, from
Laura Gulley led a paint class for residents using the Zoom app.
distributing mail, decorating, leading and organizing activities, and so much more! u