Commun ty Matters Parsons Presbyterian Manor
COMING UP IN COMMUNITY MATTERS:
Everyone has a story to tell
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 Sharla Hopper, marketing director, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.
ENTRY DEADLINE: MARCH 16, 2016
March 2016
Parsons Presbyterian Manor’s Art is Ageless® exhibit and reception features senior artists
Since the beginning of time, creative expression has brought joy to both its creators and those who experience their art. The Art is Ageless® program offers senior artists the opportunity to share and display their artwork and reaffirms the agelessness of human creativity.
Some have resumed art after putting it aside for a career, others have been creating beautiful pieces throughout their lives, and others never picked up a brush until after they retired, but all are now expressing themselves through art. This month, their works are on display at Parsons Presbyterian Manor.
“It’s inspiring to see the beautiful pieces these seniors have created,” said Sharla Hopper, marketing director. “The joy it brings to them and others is wonderful, and that’s something we want to celebrate and share with the entire Parsons community.”
The Art is Ageless exhibit will feature works from local artists who are 65 and older, including a few Presbyterian Manor residents. The public is welcome to visit the community to view the exhibit of acrylics, oils, photography and various other mediums, ranging from amateur to professional levels. The exhibit is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 22 through 25. In addition to the exhibit, Presbyterian Manor will honor local senior artists during a reception at the community at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22.
The Art is Ageless program has been encouraging creativity in seniors for more than 35 years, and is sponsored by Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica (PMMA), which is a nonprofit organization that owns and operates 18 senior living communities in Missouri and Kansas. Each year the organization publishes an Art is Ageless calendar, featuring works by amateur senior artists. Proceeds from the sale of calendars are reinvested into new art programs and opportunities for PMMA residents.
Elmer Stillwell find meaning through service
Elmer’s last name may be Stillwell, but he doesn’t sit still well. He’s had a long history of working hard and helping others, beginning with his service to his country during WWII.
“Pearl Harbor happened in December 1941, and I signed up right after the first of the year. I served in the communications division of the Army, and served all over Europe in Patton’s Third Army,” said Elmer.
Elmer Stillwell enjoyed his years in the military and the police force.
Elmer has two sons, James and Edwin, and his service gene must
®
®
Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Parsons Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of
501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org. Maegen Pegues, executive director Sharla Hopper, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact shopper@pmma.org. Telephone: 620-421-1450 Fax: 620-421-1897 Address: 3501 Dirr Ave., Parsons, KS 67357-2220 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. ParsonsPresbyterianManor.org
2 COMMUNITY MATTERS MARCH 2016
have passed on as both James’ and son also served in the military. After leaving the military, James served others as a pipefitter for many years until retirement. But Elmer’s service didn’t end there. “I got tired of sitting around. My friend Junior talked me into being a patrolman. So in my fifties, I went to police academy in Wichita,” said Elmer. “It was really interesting work. Eventually, I moved up to Chief of Police in Chetopa. I enjoyed helping others, especially the youth. Some of them had a hard time staying out of trouble, but I tried to help them out. It was never boring, that’s for sure.”
For those interested in giving back to their community through police service, Elmer has some words of advice.
“It’s a good job. It’s meaningful.You can be rest assured kids need help. It’s really an opportunity help others. Sure, you may get aggravated with them (kids) sometimes, but you also get attached to them.You just feel sorry for them and want to help them. They come from bad situations sometimes. I just tried to make life a little better for them hopefully,” said Elmer.
Here at Presbyterian Manor, Elmer isn’t interested in keeping law and order, he’s just enjoying his time, and we appreciate his service to his community and country.
“They’ve got nice people working here at the Manor, trying to make days easy on you. I’m not the rule keeper anymore, but I do enjoy getting to interact with lots of different personalities,” said Elmer.
Why keeping a good relationship with your doctor is key By Sarah C. Bauer, M.D.
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, and often do, 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. This was in the 1980s, and perhaps I was young and naïve. However, it did not seem as complicated as what happens in medicine today.
Dr. Google
The Internet is another extended family member in the doctor-patient relationship, acting as an acknowledged or unacknowledged guest. In my clinics, many families come to visits after researching symptoms of autism, as well as treatments. They also have an idea of what autism is, purely based on characters they have seen in movies such as Rain Man or on television,
Thinkstock photo
“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. In medicine, a guiding principle is to “first, do no harm.” Even when you disagree with a patient over his or her practices, behaviors and beliefs, you still must do your best to build these relationships and “first do no harm.” Areas of disagreement may include refusal of blood transfusions due to religious reasons and withdrawing life support. It is important to consider whether it would be best for a patient to find another doctor. This issue is an area that requires further study.
Medicine is all about relationships.
including Max on NBC’s nowdiscontinued show, Parenthood. 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 Affordable Care Act, insurance companies have also become critical to doctor-patient relationships. Each day I see children and their families and recommend treatment. We then talk about
YOUR DOCTOR
continued on page 4
PARSONS PRESBYTERIAN MANOR 3
YOUR DOCTOR continued from page 3
checking with their insurance company to see if the recommended treatment is covered. This is a particular challenge for families with children who have developmental disorders such as autism. Negotiating with the insurance company is another full-time job for many families, in addition to caring for their children and supporting their families. Time is another party to the doctorpatient relationship. Recently in the
United Kingdom, family doctors demanded doubling of their patient visit times — to 15 minutes. 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. And 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. © Twin Cities Public Television - 2016. All rights reserved.
®
®
Presbyterian Manor 3501 Dirr Ave. Parsons, KS 67357-2220
LEA LEAVE AVE US A C T. COMPLIMENT. OMPLIMENT GO ONLINE AND SHARE YOUR GREA AT A T EXPERIENCE WITH US. Go to
rreputation.g5search.com/parsons-presbyterian-manor eputation.g5search.com/parsons-presbyterian-manor -manor
and choose one of our preferrre ed onl online review site tess to to sh hare your story y..
4 COMMUNITY MATTERS MARCH 2016
SIGN UP to receive our newsletter by email. Visit
ParsonsPresbyterianManor.org and enter your email address in the subscription box. It’s that easy.