Fort Scott Presbyterian Village
SEPTEMBER 2022
Editor’s Note: In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we regularly feature a column from a PMMA® chaplain in our newsletter. This month’s column comes from Dinah Dutta, chaplain at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor®.
Knitted together By Chaplain Dinah Dutta
Faith plays a vital role for new resident For Joanna Woody, faith has always been a central part of her life.
The churches I serve as a pastor Dinah Dutta make quilts that we send to Lutheran World Federation. They are distributed all over the world.
While living with her family over in Schwartz, Missouri, for more than 50 years Joanna built a life that focused on God and her church. “My husband wasn’t a Christian when we got married,” she said. “I prayed for him for several years, and he got saved. One day one of the neighbors came and asked if we’d start the little country church up again. We thought about it, and prayed about it, and we decided we’d help.” This photo was from one of Joanna's Joanna played the piano, having taken lessons when she was younger. Jim led the singing.
I have several friends who like to knit. They create beautiful things through knitting.
favorite dates with Jim, before they were married. A photo booth was on a sidewalk in Nevada and they had fun getting this photo taken.
“It was one of the best experiences we ever had,” she said. Throughout the years, her children learned how to play various instruments, and they, too, helped with the church music program. Even years later, after the children had moved mainly to other areas, they’d often return to share their talents and faith. “We had a lot of children in the area, lots of kids got saved and the church grew,” Joanna said. “We had a lot of evangelists come through, too. It used to be a pretty lively town at one time. We used to play movies out in the Faith – continued on page 2
Quilting requires choosing a fabric, cutting, piecing it together, and finally stitching and tying the quilt. I always wanted to learn to quilt. I could not find the time to meet groups when they met. Finally, I asked my church members who quilt, if they could give me a quilt to take home so that I can tie it. The quilting group from my church let me do that. I have to make marks on the fabric to tie the knots, slowly, carefully, I tie each knot. I learned patience and perseverance are very important to tying the knots. Well, where am I going with this? As I continue to struggle to understand the situation we are facing in the country, we call America the Beautiful, the image of a quilt or a knitted, crocheted product comes to
Knitted together continued on page 4
Get the latest on visitation and COVID-19 at our campus at FortScottPresbyterianVillage.org/covid-19.
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Fort Scott Presbyterian Village shares customer service survey responses Fort Scott Presbyterian Village continues to seek customer feedback through monthly telephone surveys. Each month, residents and their representatives are randomly selected to participate in telephone satisfaction surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight. The graphic highlights some of the survey results. All scores are given on a 5-point scale, with 5 being the highest score and 1 the lowest score. Between July 2021 and June 2022, Fort Scott Presbyterian Village residents and their families gave the community high scores for demonstrating dignity and respect, providing safety and security, and addressing individual needs. They
also said they would recommend the community to others. “I appreciate that it is good care, and I appreciate the food,” said one resident. “They have Christian surroundings. All of the employees are wonderful.”
We greatly value the opinions of our residents and their representatives about the care and services we provide, and we encourage them to participate honestly when contacted by Pinnacle Quality Insight. All state and federal confidentiality laws are met in Pinnacle’s service.
We Score! Source: Pinnacle Quality Insight (12 month ave. July 2021 - June 2022)
5 4
4.89
4.90
5.00
4.90
Safety & Security
Recommend to Others
Individual Needs
Dignity & Respect
ASSISTED LIVING
ASSISTED LIVING
ASSISTED LIVING
ASSISTED LIVING
3 2 1 0
Faith – continued from page 1 street. Over time, the kids graduated and left, and people started moving out or passing away. There weren’t many people left there. We were about the last ones.”
“It’ll probably get bigger,” she said. Jim passed away in 2008, and Joanna stayed in her home for another 14 years before making the move to Fort Scott Presbyterian Village.
Making the change has been Joanna raised eight children in that difficult, Joanna said, after spending little country church. Now her so much of her life in one familiar family has grown to include 20 place. grandchildren and nearly 30 greatgrandchildren.
“I lived 50 years where I was at,” she said. “Changes are hard. But they’re treating me fine here. Everyone is very good about saying hi to me and it’s getting better. But I do miss my home in the country very much.” Take time to give a warm welcome to Joanna and thank her for joining our PMMA community. u
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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 | September 2022
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: gnance@pmma.org Ginger Nance, executive director Taylor Bailey, director of marketing and human resources
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Assisted Living Week – September 11-17 Assisted Living Week was started in 1995 as a way to recognize the role assisted living plays when it comes to caring for seniors in the United States. This year, the week’s theme is “Joyful Moments.” The goal is to honor the residents, family members,
staff, and volunteers who come together to create fun and joyful activities that leave everyone with beautiful memories. This year’s theme is especially meaningful after dealing with COVID-19 restrictions for the last two years. The hope is that every-
one will find “happiness, joy, and fulfillment in both the big and small moments of life.” Assisted Living Week was established by the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). Source: National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), American Health Care Association u
Life is messy and joyful With Joyful Moments serving as the theme for Assisted Living week in September, we were reminded of a recent joyful, albeit, messy moment.
it’s a good reminder that even though life, and painting, can be messy, it still holds great promise for beauty. u
In late July, several residents participated in a pour painting event. This method allows the artist to pour and swirl art around a canvas to create unique pieces of art. Everyone enjoyed participating in this unique way to paint.
Angela Carpenter (Life Enrichment Director) giving instructions on how to do the pouring.
Aside from the beautiful creations,
Vickie Hall (resident) with her finished pour painting.
Bernita Hill (resident) with her finished Ruth Bahr (resident) with her finished pour painting. pour painting.
Georgie Simonsen (resident) with her finished pour painting.
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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2401 S. Horton Fort Scott, KS 66701 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Knitted together – continued from page 1 my mind and reminds me that we are created by God beautifully and wonderfully, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well (Psalm 139:14). As I write this note we have a difficult issue in front of us to process. Many young adults ask me to explain what is right, and what is wrong. I tell them I do not know what is right or wrong. I ask God to help me understand. Most importantly, as a Christian believer and an ordained pastor my understanding of Christianity and the faith I accepted through the baptism of water and the Holy Spirit is not about right
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | September 2022
or wrong. It is about following Jesus’ words, love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12: 31), do unto others what you want them to do (Matthew 7:12). Therefore, knitted together in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), wrapped by His unconditional love, and forgiveness, we continue to knit together, make a new quilt, cutting, shaping, and tying ourselves and our communities in spite of all the confusion and chaos around us. Dear ones, “Have no fear for what tomorrow may bring. The same loving God Who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. God will either shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.” -Francis de Sales. May the peace of the Lord be with you! u