Commun ty Matters Wichita Presbyterian Manor
March 2016
Art is Ageless® call for entries is underway Wichita Presbyterian Manor’s Art is Ageless® juried art exhibit will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 7 through 25. Entries of artistic works will be accepted from any area artist who is 65 years of age or older to exhibit and/or compete for an opportunity to be featured in the 2017 Art is Ageless calendar. An Art is Ageless reception will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. March 25 in the commons area, with the winners announced at 3 p.m. The Art is Ageless® Program encourages Wichita Presbyterian Manor residents and other area seniors to express their creativity through its annual competition, as well as art classes, musical and dramatic events, educational opportunities and current events discussions throughout the year. Having a creative outlet benefits the mind, body and spirit. “The exhibit and competition always draw a wide array of impressive artwork from ART, continued on page 6
Speaker shares insights into Alzheimer’s Susan Scanland, a physician’s assistant for more than 30 years who has specialized in the care of people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, shared her expertise with nearly 75 people at the Doubletree by Hilton at Eisenhower Airport in Wichita on Jan. 20. “It takes on average, two and a half years to get a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s,” Scanland said. “And if the person or the family are in denial, it can take up to six year to get a diagnosis.” Waiting can mean that drugs that can help preserve memory function are less effective than they would have been earlier in the disease cycle, robbing the person and their family of months and years of valuable time. Scanland says the three FDA approved medications for early stage Alzheimer’s disease are designed to preserve the body’s store of acetylcholine, the body’s memory chemical. “Drugs like Aricept, Exelon and Razadyne do not add more acetylcholine into the body, but they do slow the decline,” Scanland said. “When should you start taking these medications? As soon as you get a diagnosis.” Scanland does caution that these medications will not bring your loved one a miraculous recovery, but the medications should not be stopped. “Too often, families are hoping for that miraculous recovery and when it doesn’t happen, they decide to stop the medications,” Scanland said. SPEAKER, continued on page 2
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In that instance, what often happens is the loved one begins to act out more, shows increased cognitive impairment and is less able to conduct the activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing and self-care that we take for granted. Only then does the family see how well the medication was actually holding their loved one in place and slowing their decline. “Keeping on these early Alzheimer’s medications from the early stage into the middle stage of dementia at low levels prevents those behaviors from happening,” she said. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, activities of daily living are minimally affected, but those cognitive
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 Jill Coleman, 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
processes involved in problem solving, financial calculations, the decision-making needed for driving and language and word formation are affected.You may see depression and apathy as well in their behavior or mood, Scanland said. In the middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease, she said you will see more decline in the ability to perform activities of daily living, they may forget routine things, such as planning meals or managing their finances. They may forget to pay bills or pay the wrong amount.This is where denial and irritability begin to be a factor in behavior as they become more frustrated. As the disease progresses, another medication may be added to the regime, Namenda. Namenda works on glutamate, which controls the firing of nerves, Scanland said. For people who live with Alzheimer’s disease, their glutamate is causing their nerves to over-fire. Namenda works to control and reduce the nerve firings, like a bouncer in a bar, letting in the good and keeping out the bad nerve stimulation. “Studies show that people on the medications the longest did the best,” Scanland said. “These studies are showing that even in the late stages of the disease, these medications are working.” Caregivers: care for self Scanland encouraged caregivers to take care of themselves and not to wait for a crisis in their loved one’s health, or their own, to consider placing their loved one in a specialized memory care campus. “This is a 24-hour job,” she said. “I can’t tell you how important this is. It is impossible to think you have to do everything. People try to be heroes, and it’s not worth it. Sometimes it’s the best
thing for the both of you because you can go back to being the spouse or the child and get your relationship back.” She said it’s best to have those conversations during the earlier stages of the disease because the longer you wait, the more difficult the transition will be on your loved one.When a person is living with Alzheimer’s disease, their short-term memories are the first to go. Multiple moves can really negatively affect an Alzheimer’s patient and lead to more behavioral issues. When the crisis hits, emotions and stress are high and it can be divisive in a family. “When we promise our spouse or family member that we will take care of them, no matter what, we really have no idea what the situation will be,” Scanland said. Letting go of guilt She offered 10 reasons caregivers should release themselves of the guilt of placing their loved one in care. First, decline in judgment.This happens in the earliest stages.The decreased math ability can lead to problems paying bills and managing money. Second, pedestrian and driving safety. Studies have shown that those with mild dementia are more likely to make decisions when crossing the street that could end up causing them to be hit by a car. Driving studies show that even the ability to navigate and understand road signs begins to decline in those early stages, making operating a car dangerous. Third, adverse drug events. As cognition declines, the possibility of an adverse drug event rises. As seniors age, their bodies react differently to medications, and adding in problems SPEAKER, continued on page 4
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Community Matters March 2016
When should you ‘talk’ differently to someone with dementia? “Closing a door, moving chairs to a If you are caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another form quieter corner of a room, or turning of dementia, you will notice that off the TV will as the condition worsens, so does make it easier for your loved one’s ability to initiate both of you to ‘be or participate in conversations; understand and process information; present’ and for and communicate wishes, wants and communication and experiences to be needs. positive,” she adds. Behavior changes, such as To help create those forgetfulness and confusion, mood positive experiences, swings, frustration or anger are Wallace shares the red flags that they have reached the following tips: “moderate” stage of dementia. • Always approach from the front, They are also red flags telling and where possible, make sure to you that you need to change the make eye contact. way you’re communicating and interacting with your loved one. • Enter your loved one’s world because they don’t have the ability “The old ways aren’t going to work to come into yours. anymore,” explains licensed social worker Crystal Wallace, the assistant • Be aware of their non-verbal cues, director of the Adult Day Program such as facial expressions, body at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. language, anxiety levels. Talking without words • Don’t rush things. Slow your Probably the most important change speech, give lots of time for responses, use gestures and be caregivers need to make is in their patient. body language. • Limit options to encourage Listening to music or participating decision-making, especially when in activities (drawing, knitting, paging through a photo album) are also powerful communication resources. By Eileen Beal for Next Avenue
Courtesy of ThinkStock
asking questions. 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?” or “What do you want to wear today?” • If decisions need to be made, phrase questions to elicit simple “yes” or “no” responses. • When you are just chatting, stick to topics from the past, such as family, pets, travel or a former job. Make a point of learning how your loved one’s specific medical conditions may impact their ability to communicate.
“These kinds of activities,” says Wallace, “can help calm and reassure them because they are attached to memories of good times.” 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. Wichita Presbyterian Manor
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their home to the store or a loved remembering when or how much of a one’s home and end up in a dangerous medication to take can increase that risk situation. significantly. Seventh, money mishaps.When a SPEAKER, continued from page 2
loved one is confused, they can make poor decisions about money.There are many scams that prey on seniors with memory and cognition issues. It is estimated that four of five cases of this type of elder abuse go unreported to authorities.The most common Fifth, the risk of falls is greater for scams include debt relief, advance fee those suffering from dementia as they fraud, fictitious relative in distress, struggle more with the activities of daily Visa and debit card fraud, ID theft, the living. Something as simple as putting sweetheart scam, and home caregivers. on pants, getting out of bed or climbing Eighth, nutrition and hydration. stairs can lead to a fall. Whether it’s a lack of appetite due to Sixth, elopement is a risk at home. medications or losing the ability to plan Those living with Alzheimer’s disease and make a meal, seniors often suffer can get lost on a routine path from from malnutrition.They also often do Fourth, immobility and functional decline. At home, you move less and your muscles and joints stiffen. If your loved one is in a senior living community, there are many opportunities for them to stay active.
not drink enough fluids to keep from becoming dehydrated.When a senior lives in a senior living community, they receive monitoring that can prevent these conditions. Ninth, isolation and loneliness.The risk of Alzheimer’s disease more than doubles in lonely people, and social isolation increases depression in seniors. Tenth, your first choice for placement may not be available when you experience a crisis. Planning ahead will help ensure your loved one can be placed in the senior living community of your choice. Early diagnosis, developing a support network for yourself and having tough conversations are part of the art of managing Alzheimer’s and dementia, Scanland said.
Residents recently visited Ponca City, Oklahoma Residents recently visited Ponca City, Okla., where they visited the Marland Mansion. This mansion was the dream of E.W. Marland, who wanted to live in a palace. It reflects the elegance of the affluent days of the oilman, who lived lavishly and entertained with the same flair.The mansion was built in the 1920s and opened June 2, 1928. It is 78 feet wide and 184 feet long, with approximately 43,561 square feet distributed over four levels.There are 55 rooms (including 10 bedrooms), 7 fireplaces, 13 baths, and 3 kitchens. Residents also visited the Standing Bear Native American Park and Museum in January while in Ponca City, Okla.
habeas corpus.
His wife Susette Primeau also was a signatory on the 1879 writ that initiated the famous court case.The 63-acre Standing Bear Park in Ponca City was Standing Bear was a Ponca Native American chief who successfully argued named in his honor. In addition to an annual pow-wow, it is the site of the in U.S. District Court in 1879 in Standing Bear Museum and Education Omaha, Neb., that Native Americans are “persons within the meaning of the Center, and a 22-foot-high bronze law” and therefore also have the right of statue of the chief.
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Community Matters March 2016
Residents help make health education cards By Sharon Chester, Westerly resident
There are places in the world where poverty, parasites and hunger are a way of life, and people are fortunate to see a doctor or dentist once a year. One of these places is the high desert of the Dominican Republic. A medical mission team makes a twoweek trip to these villages every March to do surgeries, see patients, prescribe and fill prescriptions, give medical education and share the Good News of Christianity.
valuable service leaving on March 5. The sponsoring organization is Medical Ministries International which provides medical trips all over the world. One of the important parts of this trip is to give health education to the patients such as good hygiene, boiling their water, proper nutrition and prevention of many other health issues. To facilitate these health improvements, every patient receives a greeting card with an appropriate health message in Spanish pasted on the back.
Enrichment Assistant Helen Martinez in the preparation of these cards. Their participation in this project was their way of “being a missionary.� They will be supporting the team in spirit. Their work, interest and payers are gratefully appreciated by all of the team members.
A team of 60 medical specialists and general helpers from the United States and Canada is organized and led by Dr. Suleman and Grace Sadiq. Several of the residents of They have been leading these teams The Cottonwoods at Wichita for 25 years and will continue this Presbyterian Manor joined Life
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Volunteer fair On Jan.14, Life Enrichment Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator Angela Page set up a booth to represent Wichita Presbyterian Manor at the Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School Service Opportunity Fair. The fair provides students an opportunity to meet representatives from organizations and learn about services and volunteer opportunities. Angela enjoyed connecting with students and educating them about service opportunities at Presbyterian Manor. Wichita Presbyterian Manor
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Westwinds renovations Recent renovations have transformed the Westwinds Dining Room at Wichita Presbyterian Manor, shown here set up for lunch. The activity and sitting area outside the dining room also got a new coat of paint and furniture.
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talented seniors,” said Amy Watson, life enrichment director. “We’re expecting this to be another great year for creativity and variety of works on exhibit.”
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Local competition winners will join winners 17 other Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America communities to be judged at the systemwide level.
Wichita Presbyterian Manor
Entry forms and information can be picked up at Wichita Presbyterian Manor, 4700 W. 13th Street, Wichita, or by contacting Watson at 316-942-7456 or awatson@pmma.org. Or go online to ArtIsAgeless.org to view rules, download an entry form or enter online. Artists may choose to enter the exhibit only. For the competition, works are to have been completed in the past five years (since January 2011). There are nine categories, as well as designations of amateur or professional. Works to be entered for judging need to be at Presbyterian Manor by March 4, 2016.
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 Life Enrichment Director Amy Watson, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.
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Community Matters March 2016
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