Rolla Presbyterian Manor
DECEMBER 2020
Rolla Presbyterian Manor loves to celebrate the Christmas season. The community is decorated like usual, but the festivities look quite different.
Nurse Spotlight: Jackie Keeney She joined the health care staff in September, but Jackie Keeney already knows Rolla Presbyterian Manor like the back of her hand. The licensed practical nurse worked here before, from about 1995 – 2000.
The leadership team sees holidays as an opportunity to show appreciation to both staff members and residents. That’s never more the case than during Christmas, the season of giving.
In the interim, she worked at a couple of different senior living communities. “It’s not that I was totally unhappy, but I know they have excellent management here,” Jackie said. “They care about the employees, and the residents are well cared for and treated with the utmost respect. I was just craving that homelike environment.”
Jackie Keeney
A few things have changed since the turn of the century. For example, the nursing staff no longer uses a paper charting system, so Jackie had to learn the computerized records program. But many of her colleague’s faces are familiar from her first stint at Presbyterian Manor. And the high standard of care is the same as she remembered. Though she was hired to work the evening shift, Jackie sometimes fills in on nights, which she doesn’t mind. In her free time, Jackie enjoys reading, shopping and hiking the trails around the Rolla area. She is also a gardener who favors flowers because she “likes to have a pretty yard.” Jackie studied nursing at Rolla Technical Institute, and earned her licensure 28 years ago. She has spent her whole career working with older people, both in senior living communities and in transitional care and rehab at Phelps Health, where she worked for 16 years. “They’re my favorite group of people,” she said. “I get more back from them than I give.”u
Presbyterian Manor celebrates Christmas differently this year
Carmen Payne, dining services director, coordinates many of these efforts. This year, she has come up with creative solutions to celebrate despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. “This year is kind of scary,” Carmen said. “We don’t really know exactly what’s going to happen or how it’s going to come off.” Nevertheless, she has managed to brainstorm safe ways to mark the season. Instead of “Santa” giving out gifts to employees’ children in the traditional way, Carmen is planning a “drive-by Santa.” “I think that will be kind of unique and interesting for the kids,” Carmen said. “They’ll still get something from Santa, but CHRISTMAS – continued on page 3
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