Clay Center Community Matters October 2017

Commun ty Matters Clay Center Presbyterian Manor

COMING UP IN COMMUNITY MATTERS

October 2017

Get to know: Russ Geyer Meet our physical therapist

Physical therapist Russ Geyer, with AEGIS Therapies®, has worked in wide variety of environments, but longterm care is his favorite.

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“I’ve been a physical therapist for 23 years, and have worked in home health, outpatient, schools and hospitals. But working with elders is my favorite, because we have a lot to give back to them for everything they’ve given us,” said Russ.

Another thing Russ loves about his job is seeing a patient regain some function that they’ve lost.

Russ Geyer has joined the team at Clay Center Presbyterian Manor. He provides physical therapy to patients in the PATH® program and to residents who need assistance.

“If there’s something they can restore with therapy, and we can help them adapt or return to prior level of function, that’s great. They’re so happy to get up on their feet and go.”

Russ works with patients in Clay Center Presbyterian Manor’s PostAcute to Home program (PATH® ) and also any other resident who needs assistance.

“We recently got a patient back to his home. It is absolutely so cool to see them go home after an illness or injury.”

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3 aging decisions to make before someone does for you Even if we need to give things up, we can still decide when and how

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By Debbie Reslock

Sometimes, growing older feels like one loss after another. No longer being able to drive or stay in our own home is difficult to accept. If we feel we are forced into those decisions, it can be harder still.

Yet when we put off making the decisions ourselves, others are pressed to step in. On the other hand, when we understand what we’re afraid of, we’re able to discover options that can alleviate the fear and take responsibility for the decisions that are truly ours to make.

When do you decide to turn in your keys?

Here are three aging decisions to make before someone makes them for you: 1. Stop driving

Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Clay Center Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.

Christian Gilbert, executive director Heather Germann, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Heather Germann, hgermann@pmma.org.

Telephone: 785-632-5646 Fax: 785-632-5874 Address: 924 Eighth St., Clay Center, KS 67432-2620

Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

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2 COMMUNITY MATTERS OCTOBER 2017

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers in their 50s and 60s have one of the lowest crash rates of any age. This starts to rise after the late 60s and early 70s and increases more rapidly after 75.

What we fear most is the loss of independence. Having a car means freedom. Asking for rides feels like we’re a burden. It affects our health as well.

“You can age at home, but if you can’t drive or have access to transportation services, it can be very isolating,” says Natalie Galucia, executive director of the St. Louis-based Village to Village Network.

To make the driving decision yourself, first complete a short self-assessment for an honest look at your driving skills.

Then, make adjustments to your driving if needed. There’s a wide range of choices before hanging up the keys, including taking a refresher driving

course or avoiding high-speed highways.

Finally, determine how you’ll decide if it is time to stop driving. Plan for that day and what possibilities will help you keep your freedom.

You should also consider alternatives to driving. These include: the local bus or rail system, transportation offered through senior centers, churches or other organizations; programs providing transportation and ride services including Uber, Lyft or taxis.

Depending on your area, accessible vehicles are often available.

2. Stay in your home

The first choice here may be deciding be where your home will be. Cost, the presence of adult children in multiple states or recreational preferences all weigh on the decision.

We can struggle with the choices, but we’re trying to hang on to our selfsufficiency. And we often ignore reality when we say we want to age in homes that can’t support that. “What worked

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Watercolor wins award

Arlene Habluetzel’s work featured on Art is Ageless® greeting cards She’s long had an interest in art, but Clay Center Presbyterian Manor resident Arlene Habluetzel’s own adventure as an artist didn’t begin until fairly recently.

“I always loved art, and I loved to go to art galleries and museums. Sometimes, I would look at a painting and think ‘I could do that.’ But I’d never had any formal training. So when a friend of mine who was an artist started teaching classes, I took them,” said Arlene.

That friend of Arlene’s was Audrey Fitzmeyer, whose memorial gift to Clay Center Presbyterian Manor has funded the art classes which continue today, led by Sally Heilman.

“Audrey was a big influence on my life,” said Arlene. “And she continues to be, as I’m still enjoying classes thanks to her.”

Arlene’s most recent art accomplishment was being named as one of the artists whose work will appear on the Art is Ageless® notecards. Art is Ageless works by local winners are automatically entered into a

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for you in your 30s, 40s and 50s may not work the same when you’re in your 60s, 70s and 80s,” says Galucia.

Review the checklist from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) for what makes an age-friendly home.

Then, talk to a remodeler about which modifications your house might need.

(The NAHB has a list of Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists.)

masterpiece level competition with winning art from 16 other PMMA communities. The winners are featured in the Art is Ageless calendar and notecards.

“I was so surprised when my watercolor, ‘Helen’s Iris,’ was named a winning piece at the corporate level,” said Arlene. “Although I should have known. My son said it was a winner when he saw it.”

Interestingly, the “Helen” the painting was named for is now a fellow resident at Clay Center Presbyterian Manor.

at Clay Center Presbyterian Manor for four years now, and couldn’t be happier. They have four children and many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

“Our painting instructor took pictures of a flower garden here in Clay Center: a great big bed of iris. She told us to choose a photo, and paint it. That’s how that painting came about. And when it was time to name it, it was simple. That was Helen’s Iris, it came from her garden, so that’s what I called it,” Arlene said. “Helen Thurlough is her name, and she’s a resident here at the Manor now.

She knows about the award for the painting, and of course I’d like to get her some copies of the notecard.”

“We really enjoy living here. They do everything they can to make life enjoyable for us. There’s nothing hurried about it, you can do things at your leisure, and the art classes are wonderful. Our instructor introduces us to all kinds of techniques. And they provide all the materials and paints, so you don’t have to worry about not having the space in your apartment,” said Arlene. “When you’re painting you just lose track of time. It’s very gratifying.”

Think, too, about what situations might make you uncomfortable living alone and actions you can take to avoid them.

lifestyle, built-in activities and opportunities to make friends.

Arlene and her husband Arlan have lived

Co-housing provides common spaces and resources, but has private living units. So you can have privacy, but still look out for each other.

Moving to a home in an active adult community offers a maintenance-free

3. Take care of yourself

Struggling with daily life not only presents challenges as we age but can contribute to depression and isolation.

No longer being self-reliant is hard to accept, but it can be the reality. If

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help is needed, some people find professional assistance more comfortable than care from a family member. But cost is often a factor.

To make this decision, research inhome and home-health care services and their costs, familiarize yourself with your local Area Agency on Aging’s services and review your finances.

Consider alternative options such as: • Adult day centers that offer meals, transportation or activities

• Home health care services provided by licensed professionals, including physical or occupational therapists and nurses • Home care agencies that help with the activities of daily living

Be proactive

We’re not the first generation to navigate aging, and some aspects never change.

We didn’t make it this far without knowing that life can go its own way,

regardless of our plans. But if we want to make our own decisions about how we live, we need to be proactive.

Ask yourself what your life will look like 20, 30 or 40 years down the road, what might need to change, and then start making some of those changes now. Because if you wait till later, it can be a crisis or need an emergency-type fix,” she says.

And that’s a sure way the decisions can be taken out of our hands. © Twin Cities Public Television - 2017. All rights reserved.

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THERAPIST continued from page 1

Russ’ passion for helping others means he’s always wanting to learn more. He’s working on getting dementia certified, which means he’ll be better able to help those who might need a different approach. He’s also getting further education on pain management.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that we’ll make people hurt. That we’re just going to work you like a dog. We don’t want people to hurt.”

When Russ isn’t at Clay Center Presbyterian Manor, you’ll probably find him watching his boys, ages 14 and 16, playing sports, or fishing, hunting, or doing yard work.

“I love the community at Clay Center. They have a really close group, the caregivers have a lot of empathy. They’re a good group. They're pretty special.”

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Chapel

OCT. 3: Pastor Schoneweis OCT. 10: Pastor Coleman OCT. 17: Pastor Lingle OCT. 24: Father Weber OCT. 31: Pastor Stewart

Vespers

Sundays at 4 p.m. in the Health Care Dining Activities Room

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