Fort Scott Presbyterian Village
MAY 2021
Joy proudly holds up the certificate of completion for the COVID-19 Safety for Certified Nursing Assistants virtual training.
Training keeps eyes on safety
As part of Fort Scott Presbyterian Village’s ongoing customer service initiative, residents and their representatives are randomly selected to participate in telephone satisfaction surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight. The graphic above 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 February 2020 and January 2021, Fort Scott Presbyterian Village residents and their families gave the community high scores in cleanliness, dining services, and demonstrating dignity and respect. In addition, residents and families also reported a high willingness to recommend the community to others. “I would tell them it’s a good place to live after you retire. I recommend it highly,” one respondent said. 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.u
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village Dietary Director Joyce Ngatia, known to most as Joy, completed a 5week virtual training, COVID-19 Safety for Certified Nursing Assistants. The training series is designed specifically for teams of CNAs. In the course, Joy gained the knowledge and skills necessary to protect herself and others from the dangers presented by COVID-19 by learning to identify, prevent, reduce and eliminate potential hazards. It also provided her with the confidence to advocate for safety. Joy’s instructor Stephanie Gfeller, director of special projects at LeadingAge Kansas, told Joy, “You should be commended for making the commitment to this training series. It isn’t easy to take time for training like this, but you did it!” Joy has been the director of dining services and a CNA at Fort Scott Presbyterian Village for 10 years. Let us all congratulate Joy on the completion of this big accomplishment. u
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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Fresh beginnings spring anew at Presbyterian Village Consider starting your adventure with us at Presbyterian Village! Here your home maintenance is less and enjoying your time is more! We offer spacious one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging from 567 square feet to 999 square feet in our independent and assisted living areas. These apartments are complemented by granite countertops, a refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and microwave in the kitchen. Our apartments also include your own washer and dryer. Presbyterian Village is a wonderful option for those who need a little help and want to be part of a community. Let us cater to your lifestyle while you enjoy coffee on the patio watching a spectacular Kansas sunrise over our beautiful pond. Call 620-223-5550 or email Megan Brillhart at mbrillhart@pmma.org for a visit today! u
Our beautiful apartments are the perfect place to begin your next chapter!
Enjoy the sunshine and the view of our fishing pond from the spacious outdoor patio.
All our apartments have a kitchen with full-size appliances.
COVID-19 updates continue Get the latest updates on visitation, ongoing safety measures and PMMA’s response to COVID-19 on your community website at FortScottPresbyterian Village.org/covid-19. Visitation status is updated weekly on Mondays and as needed as our COVID status changes. Send an Art is Ageless® e-card for Mother’s Day using the link on the COVID-19 Updates page. May is also National Nurses’ Week, May 6 through 12. Send a note of appreciation to a special nurse using a Thank You e-card or one of the blank Art is Ageless e-cards. u Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.
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 | May 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.
Honoring our Veterans: Stan Grubin It’s always a good time to thank our veterans. But with May holding the Memorial Day holiday, it’s a perfect time to reflect and honor those who have served our country. Resident Stan Grubin served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1950-1952. “I was 24-25 when I was in Korea,” Stan said. “I’m 91 now, by the way. It does seem like a lifetime away. I don’t know how I made it this far.” When he first arrived in Korea, he learned that the unit’s captain had been captured. Stan served with the 24th Infantry Division, and his job was to work with the prisoners of war who had been captured during the conflict. One of the things that most struck Stan about Korea was the widespread, severe poverty. “I was impressed and hurt by the quality of life people had,” Stan said. “On the island, you’d find babies at night who had their ears bitten by rats. They’d have to hang the baby up in a basket so the rats couldn’t get them. That was commonly employed. It was part of being in a poor country.” The contrast between living conditions in Korea and the United States came into full view during an emergency leave visit back to the U.S. when Stan’s father passed away. “That was quite a dramatic change,” he said. “Here I am in Korea where
there’s no organized living as we know it here. I got to America, and I was amazed at how different it was. The contrast became very stark — especially when I was whipped out of the country and taken home.” He also remembered that they had to protect the base garbage trucks with machine guns, because local residents would try to jump onboard and grab the trash. “Our garbage was fairly rich, you could say.” After his service in Korea, Stan’s work as a business manager with AT&T took him and his family around the country, including New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona, and Chicago. “That was the nature of my career,” Stan said. “They were developing me. They’d asked me to manage different situations in different parts of the country. If you did fine, you’d move up. I had a good career. I owned about 12 homes in my career. My children enjoyed it. Or I hope they did.” Stan and his wife had five children, and his daughter Lucy lives in Fort Scott. After his wife passed away, Stan found himself living alone — though among friends — in the Gulf Coast region. When his doctor discovered a lung tumor, Stan asked
Stan Grubin
if he should be closer to family, and his doctor said, “Absolutely, you should.” Here at Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, Stan has found a place that feels like home, where everyone is friendly and goes out of their way to make life comfortable — all near his daughter’s home. “I try to exercise every day,” Stan said. “After this surgery they did on me, I got overboard a little bit on exercise, and there was a sore spot on my back. I couldn’t lean down to tie my shoes. Here I am all dressed, but my shoes aren’t tied. So I asked one of the ladies if she’d help me. She dropped everything and tied my shoes for me. Where can you get your shoes tied by a pretty, sweet person?” To find out more about life at Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, contact Megan Brillhart, marketing director, at 620-223-5550 or mbrillhart@pmma.org. u
Fort Scott Presbyterian Village | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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2401 S. Horton Fort Scott, KS 66701 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Changes are coming Starting in July 2021, the Community Matters newsletter will transition to a fully electronic newsletter. To receive the newsletter by email, visit FortScottPresbyterianVillage.org and use the sign-up
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | May 2021
form on the lower portion of the homepage to sign up for regular monthly deliver of the newsletter in your inbox. Residents may still receive a hard copy upon request through the Administrative office. u
PEOPLE GIVING TO PEOPLE
An update on how gifts are changing lives in PMMA communities
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE A donor's story
We often hear from donors, "I wish I could do more to support the PMMA mission." Many are surprised to discover that through estate planning, they can have a tremendous philanthropic impact on PMMA’s future, while still caring for their own financial needs along the way.
Karen Smith (right), an independent living resident at The Westerly on PMMA’s Wichita campus, plans to give back to the place that has meant so much to her during retirement. Karen made provisions in her will to benefit Wichita Presbyterian Manor.
“When I came here in 2015, they promised I would be cared for, for the rest of my life, even if I ran out of money,” Karen said. “I have saved all my life, but I am not a millionaire, and that security has been a comfort. I decided that leaving my estate to Wichita Presbyterian Manor was a good option. I want to leave anything I have left to someone else who came here with the promise of being cared for, for the rest of their life.”
Karen’s estate planning still leaves her plenty of options while she is living.
“There is not a restriction as to how I spend,” she said. “I started traveling, took a break during the pandemic, and plan to start up again when it is safe. This is a good time in my life.”
Karen, a retired nurse practitioner, began envisioning what she wanted life to be like in retirement while she was still in the throes of her career. After discovering Wichita Presbyterian Manor, she knew it would be the right place to live out the rest of her life.
While many of Karen’s activities were put on hold during the pandemic, she also knew that living at PMMA meant there was help if she needed it. She would be safe and cared for, no matter what.
“I don’t have any children and I have too many nieces and nephews to count,” Karen said. “I didn’t want anyone to have to take care of Aunt Karen. At PMMA, I have independence. Everyone I need is here, everything I need is here.”
Spring 2021
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WHY IS HE SMILING?
He just gave a tax free gift to PMMA.
He is over 70 1/2 and eligible to give a tax free gift from his IRA to support his favorite non-profit, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America (PMMA)!
A gift from your IRA is tax free if... You are over 70 1/2 You need to meet your required minimum distribution for 2021 You make a charitable gift directly from your IRA to PMMA
You can make a gift of up to $100,000 of your required minimum distribution to PMMA without having to pay income tax on the withdrawal, all the while helping seniors in need.
We encourage you to speak to your financial advisor to determine if this is a good opportunity for you. To learn more, contact us by email at development@pmma.org or call 316-652-6222.
EMBRACE THE LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER Donate your extra vehicle to PMMA Rather than stress about a car you no longer need, embrace the lazy days of summer by donating it to PMMA. Vehicle donations make giving easy. Plus, we handle everything from the free pick-up and sale to sending the necessary donation tax receipts for your generous donation.
PMMA accepts many kinds of vehicles as a form of support, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and even RVs. Donate your vehicle now, so you can relax, enjoy summer, and sleep well knowing your vehicle helped PMMA.
To learn more or to get started on your vehicle donation today, call 844-490-4483 or visit giving.presbyterianmanors.org/vehicle-donations/. Our Vehicle Donation Support team is here for you seven days a week. All drivers have been requested to practice safe and secure interactions with donors, including minimizing contact.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 316-685-1100
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DEVELOPMENT@PMMA.ORG