Commun ty Matters Salina Presbyterian Manor
March 2016
Kelly Wellbrock, human resource director, created this item from cast-off jewelry.
Art Discovery Do you have jewelry you no longer wear? Want to get rid of? Think again. Art Discovery for March will involve creating a necklace with pins, broaches, earrings, bracelet charms and other jewelry items you don’t currently use. The necklaces are created on fabric. If you don’t want to remake your jewelry into a new piece, consider donating your unwanted jewelry for the class. This will also be a good item for the Soup Supper craft sale next fall. Contact Mary Bridges if interested.
Mary’s Musings I was fortunate to grow up in Russell, because that gave me a front row seat to our election process. Bob Dole graduated from RHS with my oldest brother and lived three houses from our house when I was growing up. Russell was a Republican town, and Bob Dole was the hometown hero. Bob Dole and Arlen Specter were both Russell High School graduates. Russell was the only town that had two Senators serving at the same time. They were both members of a winning RHS debate squad. My husband worked for the telephone company, and when the politicians came to town you could be sure the media frenzy was not far behind them. Since this was way before cell phones, they would bring in trailers with multiple phone booths, and if someone wanted to make a little cash, you could rent out your spare bedroom to media crews. In 1976, when Gerald Ford was running for president he asked Bob to be his vice president. Bob said yes, “if you’ll come to Russell.” They appeared on the lawn of the courthouse, and it was wall to wall people and excitement. As they were leaving my husband reached out to shake Ford’s hand. He accidentally touched his wristwatch and got his hand slapped by MUSINGS, continued on page 2
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a Secret Service agent.
In 1988, Bob came back to Russell to announce he was running for president. That year Specter also had Lawrence Presbyterian Manor Lawrence Presbyterian Manor Salina Presbyterian Lawrence PresbyterianManor Manor his hat in the presidential ring. On a cold, rainy day there was a large ON ON flag-waving crowd supporting him. ON
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In 1996, Bob was his party’s candidate for president. He again shared the spotlight with Russell. The Republican convention was in San Diego, and he flew a number of Russellites to the convention, including my sister-in-law, who also graduated with him. To second his nomination he asked the president of the RHS senior class, whose family was a very strong Democratic family, to do so on the lawn of the courthouse. It was by far the biggest political event we had ever experienced. There were stands selling hot dogs and souvenirs
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Salina Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org. Bradley Radatz, executive director Kim Fair, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Kim Fair, kfair@pmma.org. Telephone: 785-825-1366 Fax: 785-825-6554 Address: 2601 E. Crawford, Salina, KS 67401-3898 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. SalinaPresbyterianManor.org
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Community Matters March 2016
everywhere in addition to the largest television screen ever seen in Russell! Our granddaughters, Kira and Kaci, were 8 and 12, and we made a point to have them come to the rally. At that point in my life my political views had changed, and I had become an independent voter. I had already decided that I wasn’t going to vote for Bob and had shared that fact with my family. As we were navigating the crowd, Kira said, “Grandma, I have a question. If you aren’t going to vote for Bob Dole, why are we here?” My reply was, “This is a unique experience for us in small-town America. We get to be a small part of the election process, which is something not everyone gets to do.” I am thankful that through these experiences I was able to gain a greater appreciation of the election process.
Health care happenings • More chocolate recipes will be tested for the new Health Care Cookbook. The theme for the month will be weather. • We are anticipating a visit from a special guest to talk about weather.
• A St. Patrick’s Day celebration is planned for March 17. • Art activities will focus on decorating Easter eggs, including different types of eggs, traditions and techniques.
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When should you ‘talk’ differently to someone with dementia? inappropriate—is very important If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form at this stage,” says Wallace. “It doesn’t of dementia, you will notice that just improve as the condition worsens, so does communication. your loved one’s ability to initiate Since it may or participate in conversations; understand and process information; be the only and communicate wishes, wants and ‘communication’ they understand, needs. it reassures a loved Behavior changes, such as one, affirms who forgetfulness and confusion, mood they are and makes swings, frustration or anger are them feel loved.” red flags that they have reached the Listening to music or participating “moderate” stage of dementia. in activities (drawing, knitting, They are also red flags telling paging through a photo album) you that you need to change the are also powerful communication way you’re communicating and resources. “These kinds of activities,” interacting with your loved one. says Wallace, “can help calm and reassure them because they are “The old ways aren’t going to work attached to memories of good anymore,” explains licensed social worker Crystal Wallace, the assistant times.” By Eileen Beal for Next Avenue
director of the Adult Day Program at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, “so it’s up to the caregiver to change the way they communicate—their behavior, their attitude, their approaches—to accommodate a loved one’s changed communication needs. “Don’t think of this as manipulating them,” she adds. “Think of it as providing a positive and supportive environment where they are comfortable and can and will have good experiences.” Talking without words Probably the most important change caregivers need to make is in their body language. “Non-verbal communication—an open, accepting smile, a gentle, reassuring touch, not grimacing when they say something
Enable positive experiences Non-verbal communication works in almost any setting, says Wallace, but it works best when you are both in a quieter, less-stimulating environment. “Closing a door, moving chairs to a quieter corner of a room, or turning off the TV will make it easier for both of you to ‘be present’ and for communication and experiences to be positive,” she adds. To help create those positive experiences, Wallace shares the following tips: • Always approach from the front, and where possible, make sure to make eye contact. • Enter your loved one’s world because they don’t have the ability to come into yours.
Courtesy of ThinkStock
• Be aware of their non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, body language, anxiety levels. • Don’t rush things. Slow your speech, give lots of time for responses, use gestures and be patient. • Limit options to encourage decision-making. For example: “Do you want to go out to eat tonight at Restaurant A or Restaurant B?” rather than “Where do you want to eat tonight?” • If decisions need to be made, phrase questions to elicit simple “yes” or “no” responses. • When you are chatting, stick to topics from the past, such as family, pets, travel or a former job. And finally, keep in mind that when a loved one has dementia, “there’s a whole host of medical conditions that contribute to communication problems,” says Wallace, “but the three worst are hearing and vision loss and arthritis.” Make a point of learning how your loved one’s specific medical conditions may impact their ability to communicate. Salina Presbyterian Manor
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February Who’s Who event welcomes new residents The February monthly Who’s Who reception to welcome new residents and acknowledge birthdays and anniversaries was a wine and cheese reception prior to the evening meal. Residents enjoyed the occasion and had wonderful comments about the cheese.
Right: Chaplain Mary Bridges and resident Julie Ottley serve Cheryl Sweley at the Who’s Who reception. Below: Residents enjoy time spent getting to know one another.
Valentine banquet
The annual Valentine Banquet was held Feb. 15 in the Ivory Keys Café. The dinner was excellent, featuring tossed salad, chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes, green beans and cheesecake. Special entertainment was provided by Michael Pagan, a music professor at Ottawa University. He is a pianist, performer and recording artist. Michael is the son-in-law of resident Perry Hunsley.
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Community Matters March 2016
Touchtown/Salina Activities and Movie Network (SAMN) We continue to move toward the goal of relying on SAMN for information, especially regarding recurring activities and events as well as opportunities to travel, learn and socialize. The advantage of using SAMN is that it is ongoing, current and can be changed within minutes if needed. The newsletter is printed only once a month, and things can change after that. Please stay tuned to SAMN on channel 1960 for current information about scheduled activities, special trips, birthdays, anniversaries and other opportunities.
Literary Ladies Our ladies book club, Literary Ladies, meets in the chapel at 3 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday monthly. One book a month is featured. The next four months’ books are: “The Chaperone” by Laura Moriarty (who is also a professor at the University of Kansas) “The Art of Mending” by Elizabeth Berg “The Persian Pickle Club” by Sandra Dallas “The Invention of Wings” by Sue Monk Kidd If you are an avid reader and like to discuss the books you read, join the club! Books are provided by the Salina Public Library through their interlibrary loans program. And don’t forget our monthly Library Lobby Stop at 10 a.m. the first Wednesday of each month.
Civic duty By Kim Fair, marketing director
Civic involvement is important to the health of a community, a state or a nation, whether the involvement is through a neighborhood, organization, club, church or the political system. Civic responsibility is something we all should take seriously and participate in. When most of us think about civic responsibility, we often think of government and voting. But there are also many volunteer opportunities, such as Democratic or Republican precinct committee
members, working polls, serving on election campaign committees, or on committees for local, state or national governmental bodies. Salina Presbyterian Manor serves as the polling place for our precinct during elections, which is the form of civic responsibility we’re most familiar with. We also have a civic responsibility to others and to our community. We can serve that responsibility by volunteering for organizations
to collect food for the food bank; visiting those who cannot get out and participate in outside activities; teaching Sunday school; assisting in school classrooms; mentoring a young person through a church, YMCA, 4-H, Big Brothers Big Sisters; or joining a fraternal organization. In the end, civic responsibility is taking care of self, others and community, whether personal and close to home, or on a national level through action. Salina Presbyterian Manor
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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 Marketing Director Kim Fair, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters. 6
Community Matters March 2016
Employee of the Month Congratulations to Rachel Hurst, our Employee of the Month for February. Rachel and her husband, Zane, are expecting their first child in July. They are very excited! Rachel has worked at Presbyterian Manor as a dining services assistant for six months. One thing people may not know about Rachel is that she finished a four-year degree in missionary studies at a small Bible college in Pennsylvania. Rachel and Zane enjoy working with children and teens in classes at their church. They love to see new kids join in the classes.
Art is Ageless® is here! Art is Ageless is here! Last year’s event was large, with 95 artworks submitted and the lower level full of beautiful and creative works. March 1 is the deadline for entry forms. Artwork may be delivered March 3 or 4. This year’s exhibit will be 1 to 4 p.m. on March 8 and 9. The final exhibit and artist reception, which also includes announcements of awards, will be 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10. Refreshments will be served. We encourage all to see the exhibit as many times as possible during the three days. It is difficult to see and remember all the lovely works of art in one trip!