Commun ty Matters Salina Presbyterian Manor
May 2015
Older Americans Month 2015: ‘Get into the Act’ Older adults are a vital part of our society. Since 1963, communities across the country have shown their gratitude by celebrating Older Americans Month each May. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Get into the Act,” to focus on how older adults are taking charge of their health, getting engaged in their communities, and making a positive impact in the lives of others. By promoting and engaging in activity, wellness, and inclusivity, more Americans than ever before can “Get into the Act.” While Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica campuses provides quality senior services guided by Christian values to older adults year-round, Older Americans Month offers an opportunity to emphasize how older adults can access the home- and community-based services they need to live independently in their communities. It is also an occasion to highlight how older adults are engaging with and making a difference in those communities. Throughout the month, Salina Presbyterian Manor will be conducting activities designed to highlight the contributions of seniors to the greater community.
Don Smischny made these suncatchers and other stained glass items. Although these lamps are a work of art, they also are fully functional.
Featured Artist
Don Smischny’s preferred canvas isn’t canvas — it’s glass
Don Smischny was celebrated as the Featured Artist at this year’s Art is Ageless exhibit. Visitors were treated to a gallery of Smischny’s stainedglass work in the form of lampshades, suncatchers and even a bird feeder. It’s a craft he developed only since retiring as an elementary school principal in Ellsworth. But Smischny said art has been a lifelong pastime. He also has crafted ornaments for the family Christmas tree, using glass balls injected with paint. He’s done rope coil weaving for a number of years. And he’s a fan of Chinese dragon boats – these colorful, traditional ornaments are made of crochet thread or yarn woven into six-pointed, three-dimensional shapes with a tassle at the bottom. SMISCHNY continued on page 2
Campus website gets a facelift We are proud to announce the release of our newly redesigned website at SalinaPresbyterianManor.org. It has been crafted to reflect the wants and needs of our site visitors. You will immediately notice the streamlined menus, simple navigation and access to the information you need, 24 hours a day. Three things you’ll love about our new website now: • Homepage - at a glance, you’ll find contact information and direct access to information about our care
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 65401-2595 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. SalinaPresbyterianManor.org
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Community Matters May 2015
levels and living options. • Floor plans - you can now view floor plans for independent and assisted living residences online. • Resources - you’ll find a variety of resources to assist you with researching and deciding on a senior living community.You’ll even discover your next steps to becoming a Salina Presbyterian Manor resident!
Start exploring: • Learn about upcoming events and activities on campus. • Discover tools to help you evaluate senior living communities.
We will be continually expanding our online content to bring you updated and relevant information, so we encourage you to bookmark it and check back often.
• Read about our residents.
SMISCHNY continued from page 1
built a stained-glass bird feeder for his own patio. He doesn’t sell any of his pieces, but many of them have found homes with family members. “I have four children, and they all have requests,” he said.
When Smischny moved to Salina 15 years ago, he discovered a stained glass shop downtown. “They had some classes and I got hooked,” he said. Creating stained glass is difficult and delicate work. After he decides on a concept, Smischny designs the pattern, gets the glass he needs, and cuts and grinds it. He also must create and solder the lead frames that hold the glass panes. The last step is applying the patina.
Thank you for your continued interest in and support of Salina Presbyterian Manor.
For his daughter in Salina, he fashioned a lamp with a 1950s-style pattern, which included difficult shape work, including a circle that had a high risk for breakage.
Smischny said he was honored to be named this year’s Featured Artist. “There are so many talented people Birds are one of his favorite subjects, here” he said. “It’s nice to honor in addition to lamps and panels. He them all.”
Founders Day
The annual Founders Day was celebrated on Monday, April 20, with a birthday party theme. PMMA celebrated 66 years, while Salina Presbyterian Manor marked its 35th anniversary. Residents and employees enjoyed a barbecue with hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, potato chips, and activities including pin the tail on the donkey. Rather than having a very large cake, we provided a cupcake bar so everyone could top his or her own cake as they wished.
Art is Ageless juried exhibit results The exhibit set a record for submissions with a total of 95 this year. Creativity abounded! The featured artist this year was Don Smischny, who displayed many of the stained glass pieces he has created in past years. He was available exhibit hours to discuss his art with viewers. Photography: Amateur
1st, Gerald Karnes for “Painted Lady”
Needlework:
1st, Kathleen Leckband for “Away We Go!”
Employee of the Month
2nd, Place, Jean Hamilton for “Winter Place Setting” Painting:
Amateur
1st, Julia Stanley for “Morning Flight”
2nd, Betty Worrell for “Shambled Seashore”
3rd, Dixie Haddock for “Pretty Poppies”
Quilting, hand Amateur
1st, Ruby McBee for “French braid pillow shams”
Quilting, mach. Amateur
1st, Nelda Emig for “Heirloom Stitches”
2nd, Nadine Griffin for “Vegetable Garden”
Professional 1st, Mary Ann Tanking for “Green Tea Jelly Roll Surprise With Leftovers” Sculpture/3D Amateur
2nd, Pamela Barker for “Giant Redwood”
Mixed Media/Crafts
1st, Don Smischny for “Shades of Blue”
2nd, Don Smischny for “Chickadees”
Amateur
3rd, Dora Ross for “Sunset Over Reservation”
Professional 1st, Kristy Yenkey for “My Mandela (with Haiku poem)” 2nd, Kristy Yenkey for “Barcelona” Fiber Arts
Amateur
1st, Muriel Otis for “Tied Yarn Chain Scarf ”
2nd, Dorothy Favors for “Tied Yarn Chain Scarf ” Drawing
Amateur
1st, Marie Robinson for “Study of a Pear”
2nd, Marie Robinson for “Slave Girl”
3rd, Donna Phillips for “Sunflower”
Christmas Amateur 1st, Dixie Haddock for “Santa is Watching You” ART, continued on page 4
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Community Matters May 2015
Congratulations to Kelly Wellbrock, employee of the month for March. Kelly has been the Human Resource Director for a year. She and her husband Brett have two children: Carson, 8, and Julia, 5. Kelly enjoys running, crafts, artwork, chasing children, picking up toys, garage sales and keeping the kids busy. One thing we didn’t know about Kelly is that she worked as a dietary aide in a nursing home during high school, and she loved the job. Her favorite job was washing dishes. It was a challenge to get it done each time in record time. Kelly is proud to be the mom of two amazing kids who light up her world every day. She said she also feels blessed to be part of the Presbyterian Manor team and looks forward to many years here.
ART, continued from page 3
Christmas Amateur (cont.) 2nd, Kathleen Leckband for “Wayfaring Santa” Christmas
3rd, Pamela Barker for “O Christmas Tree”
Professional Kristy Yenkey for “Spode Christmas Tree”
Kristy Yenkey for “Christmas Plum Pudding”
People’s Choice
Dixie Haddock for “Pretty Poppies”
Best Of Show
Nelda Emig for “Heirloom Stitches” Don Smischny’s stained glass works of art.
The Art is Ageless exhibit filled the walk-out lower level.
John Miller discussing the creation of his crane and scissor lift.
A conversation with KSU students A selection of our residents had an opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with Kansas State University students taking a gerontology class. Instructor Stephanie Gfeller introduced the groups to each other and provided activities to get the conversation started. The group discussed slang terms from the ‘30s forward, from “skivvies” to “girl Friday” to “get jiggy.” They tackled issues such as, “If you had an opportunity to be tested for Alzheimer’s disease would you do it? Why or why not?”
Students interact with a resident.
Residents also got to rate some gerontechnology products, which partner gerontology with technical advances, according to whether they would buy them. One example is a toilet that measures the sugar content of first morning urine. All items presented are currently available. In the penny game, both residents and the visiting students drew pennies from a cup and told of something significant in their lives during the year the penny was made. Residents participating were John and Jan Miller, Fred and Peg Schroth, Carolyn Eland, Joy Mansfield, Peg Britton and Dale Anderson.
Stephanie Gfeller, instructor, provides guidance to participants. Salina Presbyterian Manor
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Salina Presbyterian Manor celebrates 35 years of service The 1990s saw a lot of growth in the independent living area and in beautification of the grounds. Two major building projects were completed and a park was created. Five Vista Court duplexes with 10 townhomes were completed in 1989. All had the same floor plan, but Vista townhomes varied from 1,147 to 1,415 square feet. All have brick exteriors. Seven of the units had attached double garages and three had single garages. What we learned is that many people wanted larger homes and most wanted double garages. Windsong Court was completed in 1995 and Nova Court in 1999. All 24 of the townhomes have 1,543 square feet with attached double garages and are built with the same original floor plan. All of the townhomes were quickly occupied, and the ones at the back of Windsong Court have a wonderful country view of fields and trees. Another large project during the latter 1990s was the Ralph E. Reitz Memorial Park, dedicated on May 15, 1999. The park includes a
limestone and cedar pavilion with ceiling fans, electricity and water hookups; stamped and colored concrete walking paths; a stocked pond and handicapaccessible dock. The large 44-acre campus provides for future expansion.
Tulips help grow Good Samaritan Program Colorful paper tulips – each representing a gift to the Good Samaritan Program for Benevolent Care – are adding to the spring decorations at PMMA’s senior living communities. Prior donors received a mailing in April, inviting a gift in honor or tribute to a special woman in their lives. A paper tulip was included. The tulip may be returned with the gift to the PMMA campus of the donor’s choice. Tulips will be displayed through May. The Good Samaritan Program assists PMMA residents who have run out of funds through no fault of their own. To make a gift and hang a tulip, contact your local PMMA campus. Salina Presbyterian Manor
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Special outings planned this month We’ll take a trip Saturday, May 2, to the Ellsworth Correctional Facility to attend their Spiritual Life Center’s annual dinner theater. This year’s production is “Regrets Only,” a play about two cantankerous grannies who crash the wedding reception of an unsuspecting bride and groom so they can eat free food and steal rolls of toilet paper. Cost is $25 per person. The bus will leave for Ellsworth at 4:15 p.m. Those who have attended previously say it’s a very special event. Travel and Taste in May will take us to Abilene to Ike’s Place. We will leave campus earlier than usual, so we can visit the Russell Stover plant and see how they make some of their delicious chocolates. Check SAMN for the departure time. Tuesday, May 12, will be the opening of this year’s sculpture tour in downtown Salina featuring 20 artists from 15 states and one foreign country. Following the tour we will vote for our favorites. Each year the City of Salina purchases the “People’s Choice” award-winning artwork and adds it to the city’s permanent collection.
Wii Bowling online competition
Be sure to congratulate our bowlers as they represent us in the National Senior Wii league playoffs. The group has had a lot of fun during this round. In the future, our league will challenge residents at other senior living providers in Salina.
Former Miss Kansas to perform Emily Strom, former Miss Kansas, will entertain us on May 15 at 3:30 p.m. in the Ivory Keys Café. Emily was raised in a musical family, learning to sing and play piano from a young age. Classically trained as a child, Emily switched to jazz when she entered college. From jazz bands to a folk rock duet to the all-encompassing cover band Annie Up, Emily has explored many different genres of music.
Health care happenings • Trying new recipes is a favorite, so resident Muriel Otis will share some from an old-time cookbook this month. We will try buttered parsnips, mashed rutabaga, uggabugga, pigs in a puddle, and corn pone pie. • We will celebrate the birthdays of Patches, our lovable feline companion, and Jeannine Eckley, activity assistant. • Kentucky Derby-style hats will be a feature at our “Run for the Roses” afternoon tea. • One of the art projects will be a mini-pie necklace. • A Ton of Gold will involve calculating how many Hershey Kisses it would take to equal a ton of gold, if three Hershey Kisses equal one ounce of gold. That sounds challenging!
Coming Up in Community Matters In a future issue of Community Matters, we will be focusing on summer travel. Were you a summer traveler? Do you have a great vacation story or travel story to tell? Contact Marketing Director Kim Fair with your story, you may be selected to share in an upcoming Community Matters.
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Community Matters May 2015
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