Commun ty Matters Wichita Presbyterian Manor
July 2017
Celia Saiz, center, along with Teresa Scoles, health services director at Wichita Presbyterian Manor and Bruce Shogren, CEO and president of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America.
Education Assistance Program changes lives When Celia Saiz decided to advance her nursing degree to a registered nurse (RN), she knew she wouldn’t be able to rely on the same resources that got her through school in the past. “I had been a ‘forever’ student. I already had a degree, and you can’t do student loans after you have so many credits,” Celia said. “I just prayed that the Lord would provide the means.” CELIA, continued on page 2
Residents Ray and Helen Keller during a stop at Coronado Heights.
Day tripping Outing filled with memories—new and old The Life Enrichment team works hard to plan activities that focus on engaging the residents and that create new memories that residents can share with others. Whether it’s a celebration on campus, a simple joyride down memory lane or a day trip out of town, the Life Enrichment team aims to truly enrich the lives of residents. Recently, a day trip was taken with stops in Canton and Lindsborg. The morning started with a beautiful 65-mile drive out of town, down country roads and highways, passing through a few small towns (the kind that disappear if you blink while driving past) before turning off to visit the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge just outside of the tiny town of Canton. TRIP, continued on page 3
CELIA, continued from page 1
Celia began working at Wichita Presbyterian Manor in 2013 as an LPN. From the start, she planned to be an RN and get her bachelor of science in nursing, or BSN. But her oldest daughter was also about to start college, and Celia wondered how she was going to afford school for them both. A co-worker happened to mention the Education Assistance program, which provides scholarships to employees of Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica for accredited educational programs leading to a certification, license or degree. With one year of employment under her belt, Celia qualified. She was thrilled to be receive an award of $1,500. “That helped immensely,” she said. Every spring, employees have the opportunity to apply for these awards. Sarah Oenning, PMMA’s senior vice president for development, said that’s because a group of private donors had the vision nearly 40 years ago to set up endowments at some PMMA communities for employee education. For the last five years, an average of 31 scholarships have been awarded each year, totaling an annual average of $34,365.
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 Melody Dodge, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Amy Watson, life enrichment director, awatson@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
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Community Matters July 2017
In the fall, PMMA reaches out with a fundraising appeal that brings in about $40,000 a year. The campaign highlights how employees like Celia have benefited from the program. She began her RN program at Butler Community College in the fall of 2014 and graduated last December. This fall she will start on her BSN. Celia works part time in Wichita’s PATH rehab now, and she is a medical-surgical nurse at Via Christi. Celia has been interested in caring for older adults since she lived with her grandparents in high school. Her grandfather had dementia, and a home health nurse helped care for him. “I started interacting with her, and it kind of lit a fire in me,” she said. “I wanted to learn more.” She worked for several years in sales, but when the recession hit, Celia decided to return to her interest in nursing. All through her career at Wichita Presbyterian Manor, she received support and encouragement from her supervisor, Teresa Scoles; Executive Director Dawn Veh; and her coworkers. “I love the management there. Even the coworkers all root for each other to keep going and not give up,” she said. Teresa even gave her a bracelet after she received her RN, engraved with the words, “She believed she could, and she did.” Celia hopes to grow into a management role in senior care, based on the example of those who have guided her. “I want to be that kind of support person for someone else who wants to grow themselves in their education and career.” Like us on Facebook
ABOVE: A tram tour at Maxwell Wildlife Refuge. LEFT: Residents had an amazing view of buffalo roaming the plains.
TRIP, continued from page 1
The bus made its way down a long, bumpy dirt road, affectionately referred to by residents as a “washboard road.” The group arrived in time to grab their tickets and board the open-air tram. Once everyone was snuggly seated, the driver began to venture down a long dirt path, pulling the tram along slowly. Residents were treated to a guided tour by a retired school teacher who had been volunteering out at the refuge for several years. She pointed out a variety of native plants, grasses and flowers along the prairie. She also explained the symbiotic relationship that the bison and the prairie had together, as if they were just perfectly made for one another. The refuge stretches for more than 2,000 acres and is home to bison, elk, more than 170 species of birds, and many other animals. The herd of Like us on Facebook
bison has grown from less than 50 to over 200 over the years. While on the route, the residents enjoyed an up close view of the bison herd (no binoculars needed), ranging from males to females and babies as young as three months old. They were all a bit scruffy looking as they were working on shedding their winter coats. The tram continued around the dirt path and eventually made its way back to the beginning. After a short stretch break, the residents boarded the bus and were off again to the quaint Swedish town of Lindsborg, just a quick twenty minutes away. Upon their arrival, they headed to the popular Swedish Crown Restaurant, where a plated authentic Swedish meal was hot and ready for the group. After stuffing their bellies with a delicious assortment, the residents had some free time to explore the Main Street at their leisure. With a happy group all back on the
bus (and because the weather was cooperating so nicely) a last minute stop was decided among the Life Enrichment Staff. They ventured a few miles outside of town to visit Coronado Heights, a popular destination perched high upon the hill for many years. This special “historical marker” was said to have been the last place the Spanish explorer, Coronado, gazed out at as he had finally given up his search for the legendary City of Gold. Two residents were especially happy to be able to stop. Unbeknownst to the rest of the bus, residents Ray and Helen Keller had fond memories of Coronado Heights. It happened to be the same place he proposed to her more than 63 years ago. They said a lot has changed since the last time they visited, with the site being updated for both safety and TRIP, continued on page 4 Wichita Presbyterian Manor
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TRIP, continued from page 3
ease of access. They happily agreed to get a quick photo snapped to add to their collection. With that, the bus was off again and on the road towards the manor. The residents were overjoyed with the trip. Everyone was so pleased with the
lineup of events and the smooth flow throughout the day. Resident Gloria Bonwell was happy to share that she had always wanted to visit the refuge and could now cross that adventure off her bucket list. Even for days afterward, the residents were still talking about how wonderful the trip had been and appreciated every minute of it.
National Ice Cream Day is July 17
Wichita Presbyterian Manor 4700 West 13th Street North Wichita, KS 67212 Return Service Requested
Post Acute to Home® profiles We will be featuring people who have received therapy through our Post Acute to Home (PATH) program in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. If you have a story to tell about your experience in our PATH program or know someone who does, or if you just want to tell the world what you love about living in your senior living community, we want to share the story. If you’ve got a story to share, contact Life Enrichment Director Amy Watson and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.
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Community Matters July 2017
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