Commun ty Matters Manor of the Plains
November 2014
Lifestyle changes key to Alzheimer’s prevention We now have a prescription that researchers think can delay or prevent the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s not a pill, it’s a list of lifestyle choices. Results from a landmark study announced this summer show that having a healthy lifestyle may be the key. “It’s the first time we have been able to give people a kind of recipe for what is useful,” said Maria Carrillo, vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association. More than 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s, and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. Millions more will likely develop dementia as the baby boomers age. In the study, researchers looked at 1,260 people in Finland from 60 to 77 years old, who were at risk for Alzheimer’s. One group went on a lifestyle improvement program and the other group received general health advice. The results were dramatic. The lifestyle program included: Eat well: Start by adding fruits and vegetables to your regular diet. Ease out fats and fried foods, and always choose whole grains rather than highly refined bakery products. BRAIN, continued on page 3
Resident Norma Lee Konecny enjoys a Mystery Trip to the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center.
Spontaneous fun Mystery Trip wins Program of the Year The questions start before they even get on the bus: “Where are we going?” But Jacque Soltero never tells. What’s the fun of a Mystery Trip if you give it away? Jacque, activities director for health care residents at Manor of the Plains, had been looking for ways to inject a little spontaneity into her programming. Bus trips are always popular, she thought, so why not add a layer of suspense? “The number-one thing they like to do is get on the bus and go,” Jacque said. “I thought, if they don’t know where they’re going, it could be more MYSTERY, continued on page 4
Outpouring for Walk to End Alzheimer’s This year’s Dodge City Walk to End Alzheimer’s raised $12,663.51. Manor of the Plains was a sponsor of the walk, the fifth year it has been held in our area. Marketing Director Kurt Lampe was on the steering committee.
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Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Manor of the Plains by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.
Jerry Korbe, executive director Kurt Lampe, marketing director Lisa Montoya, activities director Jacque Soltero, health care activities director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Kurt at klampe@pmma.org. Telephone: 620-225-1928 Fax: 620-225-3982 Address: 200 Campus Dr., Dodge City, KS 67801-2760
Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. ManorofthePlains.org
Left: Former PATH (Post-Acute To Home) patient, Tanna Collins, and Executive Director Jerry Korbe take part in the walk.
Clockwise from above: Marion Schinstock, Norma Lee Konecny and Bernice Lutz.
Three residents earn medals in Senior Olympics Three Manor of the Plains residents earned medals in the Southwest Kansas Senior Olympics, held Sept. 5 at the Gray County recreation center in Cimarron. Norma Lee Konecny won the gold medal for the popcorn ball toss, and in target tennis, Verniece Lutz took the silver medal and Ina Echinauer received the bronze. Nearly 200 residents, employees and volunteers from 23 senior living communities attended the 10th annual games. Events include basketball, bowling, hula hoop football, javelin, pie building, popcorn ball toss, target tennis and towel-folding. Each community holds its own spelling bee, sending the winners to the finals at the Olympics. State Sen. Garrett Love again served as master of ceremonies. The winners of each event receive a gold, silver or bronze medal, and all athletes take home a participation medal. Gold medal winners also received a stuffed kingpin prize. The athletes are very competitive, and they enjoy getting to meet people from other communities. Our thanks to the students of the Cimarron High School National Honor Society for coordinating events and to PEO members for serving lunch.
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New decade, new locations, new services This month, we continue to look back at our history as Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America celebrates 65 years of the art of life.
The 1980s brought growth in independent living options on many Presbyterian Manor campuses. New duplexes and apartments were constructed in Parsons, Lawrence, Wichita and Salina. It also brought construction of two new campuses and health care additions at the Wichita and Rolla campuses.
The first scholarships were given in 1981. Those funds served as seed for today’s Employee Education Assistance Grants.
Consideration of additional campuses continued through the 1980s as well. Efforts to raise funds for a Presbyterian Manor at Hays were not successful, and By early 1980, the United after thorough study, the board Presbyterian Foundation of Kansas’ authorized sale of the property in joint project with the Manhattan June 1980. The next year, a group Retirement Foundation was open. of citizens in Emporia petitioned PMMA continued to provide for construction of a campus in that management services for the new community, and a period of study Meadowlark Hills until July 1, 1981. and fundraising began. Additional campuses in Missouri also were Salina Presbyterian Manor opened considered in Jefferson City and its doors in February 1980, Springfield. and work started on additional apartments almost immediately. The PMMA board voted to sell In addition to the expansion of Mid-Continent Presbyterian the physical plant, two important Manor, a campus formerly operated programs of PMMA began in 1980. by the Board of Pensions of the Residents, staff and advisory board Presbyterian Church of the United members were invited to submit art States. Residents of the campus, and poetry for potential inclusion in located in Kansas City, Mo., were the inaugural Art is Ageless calendar. given the option of moving to the Kansas City, Kan., campus. The sale A donor’s $10,000 gift established was completed in 1983. the Education Fund for PMMA employees, residents and trustees. New services and new needs also
From left, Salina Mayor Karen Graves, Milton Morrison and Harry Steele.
The newly constructed six-story independent living apartment building at Salina Presbyterian Manor.
were explored. With the support of the Synod of Mid-America, PMMA worked to establish a campus for severely physically handicapped adults in Hutchinson. Home health care for residents living independently on PMMA campuses was started in 1984. Piloted in Salina, the service was expanded to other campuses before the end of the year.
reading, pursuing a hobby, playing a musical instrument Move more: “We shouldn’t just be encouraging people or singing. Having a purpose involves brain flexing, as well. For this, you can set goals and follow through or to exercise, we should discourage them from being solve a problem, for example. sedentary,” one researcher said. Researchers found that moderate activity such as chores and walking – not just Social interaction: Social relationships foster high-intensity exercise such as jogging, swimming or support, and this connectedness, as we grow older, biking – can protect the thinking process. Taking a walk is critical to our wellness. When we converse, our after dinner is an excellent habit. Always consult your brains are busy dealing with the activities of listening, physician before beginning an exercise program. observing, understanding and conversing.You can Brain games: Two excellent ways to train your brain is combine some of these activities for added impact, such to flex it and have a purpose. Things you can do on your as playing cards, joining an exercise class, participating own include working a crossword puzzle or jumble, in a book club and attending a lecture. BRAIN, continued from page 1
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Manor of the Plains 200 Campus Dr. Dodge City, KS 67801-2760 Return Service Requested
MYSTERY, continued from page 1
fun. We tried it, and it worked.” Along with other employees, residents and family members, Jacque nominated the Mystery Trip for the Outstanding Activity Program of the Year award from the Kansas Activity Directors Association. In September, she learned they had won, and Jacque accepted the award at the association’s conference in Wichita. “Afterward, people came up and commented that they’d never thought of doing it before,” Jacque said. “I’m sure it gave some people new ideas.” October’s pumpkin patch visit was the sixth in the series. Mystery Trippers have also wound up at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kingman Lake, Monument Rocks, the Pioneer-Krier Museum of local history in Ashland, and the art museum in Liberal. The trips are limited to about 10 residents to accommodate at least three employees on the bus. Traveling helps some residents be more engaged and open, Jacque said, more so than during routine activities on campus. Sometimes, she said, they’ll reach a destination and discover that someone in the group has never been there but always wanted to visit. “At the lake, we went on a pontoon boat, and we had a lady in her 90s who had never been on a boat in her life. She had the biggest smile on her face,” Jacque said. “I love seeing them smile or hearing them tell their families what they did.” 4
Tomato harvest Kenneth Burrell shows off tomatoes from our raised garden beds. The garden is up off the ground, making it easier for everyone to access the gardening beds. Easy access to the beds encourages residents, especially those with limited mobility, to go outside and get involved in the productive activity of growing healthy vegetables to share with their neighbors.