Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor employees celebrate their fifth straight deficiency-free survey.

Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor earned its fifth consecutive zero-deficiency survey from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which was announced April 2, 2013.

“We congratulate every employee at Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor for the outstanding achievement of being deficiency-free for five consecutive years,” said Executive Director Sarah Griggs,. “We are truly grateful for their dedication to our mission. In addition, we are truly blessed to have faithful volunteers who help to demonstrate the support of the broader community.”

Senior living communities are surveyed annually to ensure compliance to regulations established by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. By meeting those standards, senior living communities are able to renew their licenses in order to continue to provide care.

Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor has set its standards to exceed the minimum level of compliance.

“This higher standard has resulted in deficiency-free surveys for five consecutive years. We seek and not only provide great care, but we strive every day to fulfill our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values,” Griggs said. “We provide more than just a retirement community that is beautiful, clean and a pleasant place to live and work; it is a way of life. At Presbyterian Manor, seniors can continue to live the way they want to live by making new friends, remaining active and doing things they enjoy, despite any physical limitations they may be experiencing.”

According to KDADS Secretary Shawn Sullivan, in 2012, only 5.5 percent of surveys were deficiency-free. The achievement by Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor places the retirement community in the top tier of survey performances in Kansas.

“We are thankful for every resident who lives at Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor. They help us understand what matters most, and provide the inspiration that fuels our excellence every day,” Griggs said.

Lawrence Presbyterian Manor residents make exercise fun by walking together.

The health benefits of regular physical activity are far-reaching: reduced risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other chronic diseases; lower health care costs and improved quality of life for people of all ages are just some of the benefits, according to WalkingInfo.org.

Regular exercise provides the opportunity for health benefits for older adults such as a stronger heart, a more positive mental outlook and an increased chance of remaining indefinitely independent – a benefit that will become increasingly important as our population ages in the coming years.

Physical activity need not be very strenuous for an individual to reap significant health benefits. Even small increases in light to moderate activity, equivalent to walking for about 30 minutes a day, will produce measurable benefits among those who are least active.

There are many opportunities to be active in Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America communities. At Wichita Presbyterian Manor, for example, residents are invited to participate in a Walk-n-Roll program. This twice-a-week exercise and sightseeing event pairs employees with residents. As employees and residents stroll through the manor’s landscaped campus, they chat and listen to rock music from the 1950s and 1960s. It’s a great way to pass the time while exercising.

“Walking is a tremendously good activity for senior citizens. It’s cheap, it’s simple, almost anybody can do it and it has a multitude of health benefits for everyone. It helps seniors has very real benefits for maintain mobility and independence,” said Michael Pratt, M.D. of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Other health benefits from walking include:

• reduced risk of dying prematurely
• decreased risk of dying from heart disease
• decreased risk of developing colon cancer
• reduced risk of developing high blood pressure
• help in reducing blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure
• decreased risk of developing diabetes
• lower risk of developing hypertension
• increased muscle strength, flexibility and sense of balance, all of which reduce the risk of falls
• help controlling weight

Before starting an exercise program, consult your physician.

Lucille Weiss creates art year-round and is an avid Art is Ageless participant.

Every year since 1963, May has been the month to appreciate and celebrate the vitality and aspirations of older adults, as well as their contributions and achievements. It is a proud tradition that shows our nation’s commitment to honor the value that elders continue to contribute to our communities.

Our older adults are active community members involved in volunteering, mentorship, arts and culture, and civic engagement. Some of the older Americans living at Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America locations routinely unleash the power of their creativity by participating in Art is Ageless activities.

Others, such as Wayne Rector at Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor, continue to write devotions that are shared with family and friends.

Several residents unleash the power of community service, such as Wilbur Tappemeyer, who was recognized by the Rolla, Missouri, Rotary Club as a Paul Harris Fellow for his service as song leader from 1972 to 2011, and as editor and publisher of the Rollarian Club Newsletter from 1985 to 2005. And Gene Snyder, who was honored by the Arkansas City (Kansas) Board of Education through the naming of the local school district’s offices as the Gene Snyder Administrative Offices for USD 470.

Many older Americans also continue to give, even after retirement. Last year, for example, resident Lowell Smith donated a Wurlitzer organ to Arkansas City Presbyterian Manor. Since then, residents, including those in the health care area, have been able to unleash their own creative power of age by playing the instrument.

The Administration on Aging states that we can provide opportunities to allow older citizens to continue to flourish by:

• Emphasizing the importance of elders and their leadership by publicly recognizing their continued achievements
• Presenting opportunities for older Americans to share their wisdom, experience, and skills
• Recognizing older adults as a valuable asset in strengthening American communities

 The preferred candidate will have experience in operating senior housing, a valid Kansas administrator’s license, and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in upper level management.  Candidates must possess progressive, dynamic leadership skills and have a strong passion for serving older adults.   

Interested candidates should contact:Ethel Smith, Sr. Vice President of Human Resources, esmith@pmma.org, FAX 316-652-6206, Voice 316-685-1100

Many of our residents have followed the three R’s since the ’40s, when it was patriotic to cut back so more materials would be available for the war effort. PMMA is proud to continue the tradition of stewardship. Here are some of the actions we’re taking:

Reduce

In most cases, reducing energy reduces costs as well, so everyone wins. A systemwide waste management audit a few years ago helped PMMA communities become more efficient. We recently participated in a Wichita State University study about energy consumption in health care settings, which will eventually benefit the entire field.

PMMA “invests” in smart, energy-saving items such as compact light bulbs, insulation and weatherstripping for its communities. Making the maximum use of natural light is always a consideration in building designs, said Chief Operating Officer Doug Yoder. “Our chief concern is livability for residents, and using natural light is perfect for that. We’re especially interested in increasing natural light in hallways and common spaces.” Conversely, artificial hallway lighting is lowered during the nighttime hours, saving even more.

Holding meetings via teleconference reduces the need for employees to travel, Yoder said. “Not only do our administrators and team leaders get to spend more time in their communities because they’re not driving to a meeting, we are actually building a stronger team because we talk more often than we did in the past.”

“Recently, we have looked into many ways to conserve energy,” said Clay Center Presbyterian Manor Environmental Services Director Richard Berndt. “Just adjusting our thermostats and putting them on set programs have increased comfort and reduced costs.”

Keeping up with local and national developments helps reduction efforts, too. New Centers for Disease Control recommendations about washing with bleach will save money in some communities. In Clay Center, they will soon discontinue using additional water softening after the city opened a new water plant that vastly improved their water quality.

Some PMMA communities switched from Styrofoam cups and plates to paper for use during special events such as picnics.

Reuse

Emporia Presbyterian Manor holds a “Don’t Want Sale” with donations of garage sale items from residents, employees and friends. Some no-longer needed furnishings are offered in a silent auction with the proceeds going to improvements in resident areas and the Good Samaritan Fund. And a large part of the fundraising aspect of Fort Scott Presbyterian Village’s annual auction is the money raised from donated used items.

The reuse aspect of environmental stewardship touches on the imaginative, as Activities Departments often re-purpose unwanted items for craft projects. Here are some examples of their creativity:

An employee at Fort Scott Presbyterian Village uses pop tops to make belts and a wide variety of earrings and other jewelry. At age 70, she entered it in the village’s Art is Ageless contest.

“At Kansas City we have reused donated material to cover our bulletin boards, as tablecloths and in craft projects,” said Activities DirectorTina Ashford. “Donated knick knacks, hats and purses are given out in our friendship shop; craft items for crafts; VHS movies that nobody uses anymore for movie night; and donated radios and DVD players for residents rooms and lounge areas.” The staff puts together a TV/DVD/VHS cart from donated electronics to move to resident rooms. Finally, books and puzzles go to the library cart for distribution to residents.

Rolla and Wichita are just two communities that frame puzzles completed by residents for game prizes, welcome gifts or just as decorations. Several communities use old jewelry to create wall art.

“We have used pizza boxes for collages,” said Salina Activities Director Pam Meehan. “We recycle old greetings cards into gift cards for our Country Store, cut them up for art work and have used paper from gift cards for an Iris fold project in our monthly Art Partner sessions.

Recycle

Recycling is popular among residents at most of our communities. Aberdeen Heights in Kirkwood, Mo., offers single-stream containers for common items, and they also take batteries and plastic bags.

Emporia and Fort Scott go for the paper products such as cardboard, newspapers and magazines. Clay Center’s Dining Services department collects plastic and aluminum cans and cardboard which is picked uptwice a week by their local recycle center.

Farmington Presbyterian Manor recently started a battery recycling/waste disposal program where used batteries are taken to Interstate Battery for free disposal.

Re-think?

We can go beyond the three R’s and add “re-think” as a fourth R in our conservation efforts. Buy items with less packaging, for example.

“As director of environmental services, it is my job to find ways to keep my community beautiful and to find alternate programs to save money,” Berndt from Clay Center said. “Our ongoing carpet, floor and space care plans are just a few of the efforts we do that increase performance and cut labor costs, without the loss of quality.”

For all of your conservation efforts, we join Mother Nature in saying, “Thank you!”

Sixty-four years ago, the first PMMA location began to take shape in Newton, Kansas. Today, PMMA includes 18 communities in Kansas and Missouri that continue to uphold the pillars of PMMA’s mission:

• Foremost, we respect and understand that seniors, as citizens and individuals, retain their rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;
• We understand and promote our role in assisting residents with specific needs and desires;
• We deliver compassionate services and attention – at all senior living levels;
• We are a knowledgeable and trusted resource in matters related to seniors, their lifestyles, health and wellness options;
• We serve as active advocates for all matters relating to seniors, their lifestyles and wellness options.

Forbes magazine wrote in March 2013 that the nation’s housing inventory is at a 13-year low. Existing home sales in January 2013 were 9.1 percent higher than a year ago.

The low number of existing homes for sale is leading to higher prices in some parts of the country, the National Association of Realtors reports. Home prices have been rising for 11 consective months nationwide.

Going along with these aspects of the housing market recovery is a corresponding reduction in the length of time it takes to sell a house. Nationwide, it went from 99 days in January 2012 to 71 days this past January, Forbes says.

An economist quoted by Forbes said as house prices continue to increase, more people will have the confidence to make major life changes and put their house on the market.

Other reasons the housing market is turning around include:

• Mortgage rates continue to be at historical lows
• Foreclosures are at a five-year  low
• Home prices are expected to rise by about 4 percent this year

By Bruce Shogren, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America president and CEO

Our company’s roots go back to 1947 when Alice Kalb, a widow from central Kansas, approached the Presbyterian Church with a request for homes for aging seniors. Today, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America helps 2,500 seniors receive caring service every day.

This dedication and commitment stems from our employees’ love for their extended family members – you, our residents. For so many, what they do is not a job, it is a calling. This is evident in the number of years our employees have remained with PMMA, including those who have served a “professional lifetime” within this organization.

Fourteen PMMA employees have celebrated more than 30 years with PMMA, and many others have served a decade or more.

It is an honor to remind residents and their families how important you are to all of us, and to thank you for allowing us to serve you.

As I reflect on our history, I think of our residents.

Founder’s Day provides an opportunity for each employee to recommit to the PMMA mission, “to provide quality senior services provided by Christian values.”

On behalf of PMMA employees throughout the system, we applaud our residents and thank our colleagues for their long-time service to the mission of Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America.

Read more about this event in the Fort Scott Tribune.

For many, losing the sense of taste and smell may result in diminished appetite, leading to unwanted weight loss. The change in sense of smell can prevent people from identifying spoiled foods. And because, for most of us, eating is a time to come together with family and friends, and is a very social time, so seniors living alone often eat less.

Fort Scott Presbyterian Village helps tenants combat some of the negative effects of age-related sensory changes. While all apartments come with appliances, we can do all the cooking if a senior prefers. In addition, we offer many social events that bring seniors with like interests together and include well-balanced meals.

Chili cook-off also a senior taste test

Residents Mary Lou Hardy, left, and Esther Masters help judge the Chili Cook-off. Photo courtesy of Laurie Sisk at the Fort Scott Tribune.

Residents Mary Lou Hardy, left, and Esther Masters help judge the Chili Cook-off. Photo courtesy of Laurie Sisk at the Fort Scott Tribune.

In January, the Village hosted a chili cook-off for residents and the community. The event addressed the changes in taste and smell that often accompany aging, and included an opportunity to taste a variety of chili ranging from mild to spicy.

The competition was fierce, and Marilyn Adcock, daughter of resident R.B. Shoemaker, won the challenge. Try her recipe!

Marilyn’s Crock Pot Chili

3 pounds ground beef

2 T. onion flakes

2 cans red beans

1 can kidney beans

2 6-ounce cans tomato paste

2 T. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

¾ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. garlic salt

½ tsp. pepper

3 T. vinegar

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 cups water

Brown ground beef and drain fat. Put browned meat into pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Enjoy!