Commun ty Matters Wichita Presbyterian Manor
July 2015
New giving option now available Your old vehicle could help “drive” the Good Samaritan Program at a Presbyterian Manor senior living community of your choice. You can donate your car, truck, boat or other unneeded vehicle through PMMA’s new vehicle donation program. When you call the toll-free number, we’ll arrange to pick up the vehicle, even if it’s not running.You will need to provide your vehicle’s title with the vehicle. Its sale price is then tax deductible.You can consult IRS Publication 526 to help you figure its current value. To make your vehicle donation or for more information, call toll free, seven days a week, at 844-490-GIVE (4483), or go to WichitaPresbManorCarDonations.org and choose “Donate Now” to access the online form. Vehicles need to be intact and in towable condition. Exceptions to the program are vehicles whose value would not offset the cost of towing. The PMMA Good Samaritan Program provides financial assistance to residents at any of the 18 communities, who exhaust their CARS, continued on page 2
Meet Shonna Llamas Shonna is our new transportation and central supply coordinator. Shonna has worked or Wichita Presbyterian Manor for almost a year. She began working in health care as a Certified Nursing Assistant and a Certified Medication Aide (CMA) before recently taking the position as transportation and central supply coordinator. Shonna heard about Wichita Presbyterian Manor from a friend who worked here and loved it! She enjoys interaction with residents and their family members. Shonna’s hometown is Marion, Kansas, and she has lived in Newton for 14 years. Shonn’s hobbies include gardening, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Shonna has been married for 10 years and has five dogs and one brother. Her husband’s family lives in Newton, and they own a small Mexican restaurant. Shonna’s parents live in Herington, Kansas, and are both retired.
~ It’s a FiestA! ~
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financial resources through no fault of their own. Thank you for considering a gift to help our residents who have a financial need.
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Wichita Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org. Dawn Veh, executive director Amy Watson, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Mary Angela Page, activities director, mpage@pmma.org. Telephone: 316-942-7456 Fax: 316-941-3806 Address: 4700 W. 13th St., Wichita, KS 67212-5575 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. WichitaPresbyterianManor.org
During the week of May 11 – 15, residents from all areas of living enjoyed festivities from Fiesta Week in celebration of National Nursing Home Week. Each day had a different theme with activities at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily. Beginning with North American Day, residents enjoyed wagon rides around the community campus, homemade ice cream, root beer and popcorn. Residents took photos with a “Most Wanted” or “Jail” prop. Next was European Day, where residents received a passport and traveled to various European sites, such as Italy, Germany, and France.They enjoyed tasty drinks and treats from each area. A photo prop of Mona Lisa was a highlight. Wednesday was Hispanic Day complete with sombreros, piñata, homemade tamales, chips and salsa. Thursday was Asian Day, where the décor set the scene of Chinatown and residents enjoyed crab Rangoon, Asian cookies and tea, photo shoot with Asian umbrella prop, and fan decorating, and a fortune cookie game. Friday was Australian Day where residents enjoyed shrimp off the “Barbie” for lunch and visits from a traveling zoo, with live critters to touch, feel and see.
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Community Matters July 2015
Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America
Resident Survey Across all levels of living, residents report positive relationships with staff and would recommend Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America (PMMA) to a friend. The PMMA resident survey is a proud 11-year tradition that shows our commitment to resident input from PMMA communities in Kansas and Missouri. As we examine the survey results, it is important to thank YOU — our residents — for giving your opinions. Because of you, our mission is an important part of every day.
Quality of life: challenge accepted Assisted living resident responses about lifestyle and care:
4.15 4.37 4.38 4.34
staff provides opportunities to try new activities staff communicates with me about my care staff respects my privacy staff understands me
out of 5
Quality care: mission possible Health care resident responses about nursing staff:
4.32 4.23 4.21 4.15
staff is caring and courteous to me staff is responsive to health concerns staff caring for me is competent staff follows my personalized care plan
out of 5
Wichita Presbyterian Manor
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New resident surveys campus + apartment Independent living residents across the board report the overall appearance of their home and campus is pleasing.
say hospitality is important. The new residents participating gave PMMA a 4.49 out of 5 on “I felt welcomed upon entrance to the community.”
I am able to maintain the lifestyle of my choice. » 4.34 out of 5
I am satisfied with the variety of activities available. » 4.25 out of 5
I have a sense of belonging in my community. » 4.29 out of 5
I know environmental services meets my needs. » 4.37 out of 5
I feel safe and secure. » 4.59 out of 5 4
Community Matters July 2015
Safety Matters Throughout all communities,
PMMA residents feel safe and secure. It was one of the highest rated questions.
The unexpected benefits of volunteering in nature By Akiko Busch
There’s something innately restorative to the human spirit about watching the flow of water in a stream, and this is especially true in spring. The frozen landscapes and frigid temperatures of the winter months can cast a stillness across one’s interior terrain as well, so to watch the current of a river in May is surely to come alive again. That sense of renewal is even greater, though, when it extends from one’s own spirit to the larger environment. Which is just what happens when I go to watch for the herring in the annual spring monitoring program. Herring spend most of their life at sea, returning to the freshwater rivers and streams they were born in once a year to spawn. In recent times, however, their numbers have declined dramatically, possibly because of overfishing, diminished water quality and/or habitat loss. Or maybe something else entirely. Fishermen, researchers and environmentalists would all like to understand what’s causing this. To this end, volunteers help scientists monitor the herring’s arrival into the tributaries of the Hudson River and collect baseline data about these changing migration patterns. And while we citizen scientists know we’re helping out, what we get in return is worth far more than the time we give.
down what is seen — whether herring are there or not. This is about absence or presence. And if those minutes spent watching the drift and surge of a stream are a regenerative way of witnessing spring, the experience grows in meaning when what you find contributes to some broader knowledge base about the stream and the species that live in it. The herring project is only one of many hundreds of such endeavors nationwide, on land and in water, that are part of the emerging practice of citizen science.
Typically defined as projects in which ordinary people — kids, college students, retirees and anyone with an interest in observing The Call of the Wild natural phenomena — partner This is not difficult work. It requires with scientists to answer real-world only that one stand at a bridge or the questions, such efforts can involve edge of a waterway for 15 minutes reporting dates on ice melt in early twice a week in April and May, look spring, identifying the habitats of amphibians in vernal pools or for signs of the herring, then write
tracking the migration of monarch butterflies. Some participants get involved simply as an excuse to get outdoors. Others may be motivated by an interest in conservation. Or they could be driven by a greater sense of urgency. A sense of impending crisis in the natural world — whether habitat loss, a warming climate or a burgeoning human population of 7 billion plus — is what prompts many of us to sign up for citizen research projects. For their part, scientists have recognized the value of volunteer labor at a time when their own financial resources are stretched more than ever. And new technologies, like GPS, interactive websites, digital photography and mobile phone apps, have made the collection of data even by amateurs reliable and efficient. VOLUNTEER, continued on page 6 Wichita Presbyterian Manor
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VOLUNTEER, continued from page 5
This kind of participatory research is flourishing. And at a time when our sense of place is often frayed, documenting the arrival of spring birds, gathering information about fireflies on a July night or simply measuring rainfall are all good ways in which to collect important data about the natural world and to gain a deep connection to our habitats. It occurs to me that such projects can have particular meaning for midlife volunteers. It is common knowledge that a desire to volunteer is part of the American character today and that a good portion of this nascent labor force are people over 62. Statistics tell us that 7 in 10 people over 62 freely donate their time, and many say this work is among the most sustaining endeavors of their adult life. We are, I like to think, at a stage in life when we know how to pay attention. And attending closely to the world outside of ourselves is what is demanded here. Like data sheets for other such research efforts, those for the herring projects require precise details. They ask that I break down the components of the day, and when I do, I find that there is a meditative quality in recording the temperature
of the air and of the water, the quality of cloud cover, precipitation, tide and water clarity.
otherwise miss and demands a focus that came to me less easily when I was in my 20s and 30s.
Having to document such details is a step toward becoming a better observer. The task requires a scrutiny of small increments I might
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Coming Up in Community Matters In an upcoming Community Matters, we’ll be focusing on senior safety, fall prevention and Grandparents’ Day. How do you keep your balance? What have you found to be most helpful in aging strong and avoiding injuries as you age? What’s your favorite thing about being a grandparent or great-grandparent? What wisdom do you want to pass along to the next generation? If you’d like to share your thoughts or memories, contact Marketing Director Amy Watson and your story may be selected for inclusion in an upcoming Community Matters newsletter.
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Community Matters July 2015
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