Commun ty Matters March 2016
Fulton Presbyterian Manor
COMING UP IN COMMUNITY MATTERS:
Everyone has a story to tell
“She turned to the sunlight And shook her yellow head, And whispered to her neighbor: "Winter is dead.”
Everyone knows fitness is important. How have you taken steps to be fit? What’s your regular fitness routine? If you’ve started a fitness routine late in life, what advice would you have for others? How do you think you benefit from regular exercise?
If you’ve got a story to share about getting or staying fit, contact Keri Edwards, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.
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– A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young
Spring brings fresh memories While winter may not yet be quite behind us, chirping birds and brave, early budding plants tell us that spring is nearly upon us. Several residents share what spring means to them:
Mrs. Reed: “In the spring I always liked to get outside and clean up: the raking of leaves, washing the front of the house, the porch and patio. My neighbor had a mulberry tree and the birds enjoyed it, but I didn’t. The birds Evelyn Reed remembers the mulberry always left me a mess to clean up. tree in the neighbors’ yard! When I washed laundry and hung it out, somedays I would have to rewash the laundry (thanks to the birds). I eventually quit hanging my laundry out
Spring memories continued on page 2
St. Patrick memories still green for resident
Clovers and leprechauns are what come to mind for many around St. Patrick’s Day, but one resident shares what comes to mind for her during this lucky time of year. Helen Epple said, “On St. Patrick’s Day, I would make mashed potatoes and sprinkle them with green, and bake cookies and cakes for the children. We’d also drink beer (not green, though) and it was also a day to plant potatoes.’
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Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Fulton Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.
Dawn Smith, executive director Keri Edwards, marketing director
Spring memories continued from page 1
to dry. Also in the spring, I had a large pan that I would plant zinnias in and then I could enjoy them in the summer. Also we can’t forget that we would have three tomato plants to keep us in tomatoes.”
To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact kedwards 2@pmma.org. Telephone: 573-642-6646 Fax: 573-642-2202 Address: 811 Center St., Fulton, MO 65251-1922
Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. FultonPresbyterianManor.org
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Colleen Brown enjoyed grandson’s sports and the family garden in the spring.
Mrs. Brown: “In the spring, my favorite thing was the track meets. My grandson was able to go to state several times, and I lived close enough that I could watch him. I never got to see any hand-offs in the relay because I was too busy taking pictures.
Also in the spring, my mother put out a big garden, and I helped. It would start out with radishes and lettuce, then next would be peas and beets, and later the tomatoes and corn. We had a potato patch but it was not with the garden. It was separate and very large we had a cellar to keep the potatoes in and some that were left over we cut the eyes and used them to plant the new crop. I think we usually planted on St. Patrick’s Day.”
Why keeping a good relationship with your doctor is key By Sarah C. Bauer, M.D.
“It’s all about relationships.”
That’s what a mentor told me during my medical training. Every day, as a pediatrician, I realize how true this is.
With the recent emergence and increasing popularity of virtual doctor visits due to convenience and lower costs, it is necessary to examine the nature of the interaction between doctor and patient.
As patients, we go to our doctors in our most vulnerable states. We want them to tell us what we want to hear — that nothing is wrong and our deepest fears are unsubstantiated. Sometimes that happens, and unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t. A guiding principle is to “first, do no harm.” Even when you disagree with a patient over his practices, behaviors and beliefs, you still must do your best to build these relationships.
Areas of disagreement may include refusal of blood transfusions and withdrawing life support. It is important to consider whether it would be best for a patient to find another doctor.
The doctor-patient relationship, 2015 version
Over time, I have started to think of the doctor-patient relationship as one that also involves extended family members that can, cause dysfunction. Partnering with these sometimes-dysfunctional aunts, uncles, and in-laws are the Internet, media, insurance companies and the lack of time. As a child, I watched the relationship between my grandfather and his doctor, who treated him for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This experience
was at the core of my own calling into medicine. I wonder what his journey would have looked like today.
My grandfather did not want to be kept alive by extraordinary measures, and this was discussed with his longtime doctor and our family. His wishes were honored, and his doctor was at the center of the experience for everyone. At the core of my grandfather’s relationship with his doctor was trust. Trust develops over time, listening and shared experiences. It is fundamental to every relationship, including the ones between doctors, patients, and families.
Dr. Google
The Internet is another extended family member acting as an acknowledged or unacknowledged guest. I go online to diagnose for myself, and I went to medical school. If I have a symptom, I look it up online and have an idea of a plan before I go to my own doctor. Sometimes my doctor will agree, and sometimes not. I trust her judgment, and this trust has been built with time. She is also open to discussion.
Reputable medical sites such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health are fine sources of information when we have a question, but they offer just that: information. Sites do not have the ability to discern, observe and assimilate all of the facts — especially individual considerations for the patient. Sites cannot develop and sustain relationships no matter how often we visit them. As so many are discovering with the ongoing discussions about the
Thinkstock photo
Affordable Care Act, insurance companies have also become critical to doctor-patient relationships.
Negotiating with the insurance company is another full-time job for many families.
Time is another party to the doctorpatient relationship. In the United States, insurers will not pay for a visit if it is less than 15 minutes. Doctors want to spend time with their patients and families, but they also have to make a living.
Medicine is all about relationships, regardless of the age of the patient, parent or caregiver. These are relationships we choose and the relatives whose behavior we cannot choose or control. Doctor-patient relationships are becoming more complicated, and we need to consider and advocate for how we protect them.
We need more time with our patients and families, and we also need improved reimbursement from insurance programs so we can spend time with them. Equally important, improved reimbursements also allow us to develop programs to support patients and families in the journeys they did not choose.
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Dinner and silent auction benefit seniors Fulton Presbyterian Manor’s Good Samaritan Program
& SILENT AUCTION a benefit Fulton Presbyterian Manor’s Good Samaritan Program
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4-7 P.M.
A barbecue dinner and silent auction April 16 will benefit Fulton Presbyterian Manor’s Good Samaritan Program. Banastre Tarleton will perform. The Good Samaritan BBQ Dinner and Silent Auction will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church fellowship hall, 718 Court St. Tickets are $20 per person for a pulled pork and brisket dinner. Children 10 and younger eat free. To go boxes also will be available. All proceeds go to Presbyterian Manor’s Good Samaritan Program, which benefits residents who have outlived their financial resources through no fault of their own. For more information, contact Marketing Director Keri Edwards at 573-642-6646 or kedwards2@pmma.org.