Emporia Community Matters October 2018

Commun ty Matters Emporia Presbyterian Manor

October 2018

Freerksens find freedom and familiarity at community Alzheimer’s Association education program Behavior is a powerful form of communication and a primary way for people with dementia to communicate their needs and feelings. However, some behaviors can present some real challenges for caregivers to manage. Join us to learn to identify common behavior triggers and strategies to intervene with some of the most common behavioral challenges of Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia disease. Cindy Miller with the Alzheimer’s Association will give an educational program, “Dementia-Related Behavior Strategies” on October 4 from 11 a.m. to noon. Lunch will be provided afterwards.

The presentation is part of Presbyterian Manor’s Just Ask lifelong learning program, which features speakers and topics of interest to seniors and their adult children.

Before moving to Emporia Presbyterian Manor about six months ago, Barbara Freerksen’s concerns were growing as her husband, Fred, was experiencing more advanced dementia. Their children were worried, too. How much longer could they stay at home? It was becoming too much for Barbara to handle.

After consulting with family, trying a senior living community closer to home and enlisting home health for routine checks, Barbara visited Emporia Presbyterian Manor to see if it might be a better solution for their needs. She and her children explored many different places in many different counties.

Barbara Freerksen enjoys a recent visit to the Prouse family farm.

According to CNA Tammy Wyatt, there are a number of factors families look for in a memory care community: home-like environment, caring staff, consistent and patient staff, a quiet and safe environment, activities specific to individual needs and for their loved ones to be able to maintain their schedule.

Ultimately, Barbara and her children decided to come here because Fred’s aunt had been here, and Barbara had been here to visit her. There was some familiarity. Emporia Presbyterian Manor could also meet the couple’s needs.

Barbara is an independent living resident and Fred is a memory care resident. Barbara says her children tell her all the time how much better she looks since making the move to Emporia Presbyterian Manor. She feels better every day, too. She described life at Presbyterian Manor like being FREERKENS, continued on page 3

Lace up your walking shoes Visit us at the for the Alzheimer’s Walk Senior Fair The annual Alzheimer’s Walk will take place October 7 at the Lyon County Fairgrounds in Emporia. Registration is at 1:30 p.m., the Inspirational Promise Garden Flower Ceremony begins at 2 p.m., and the walk begins at 2:15 p.m. To pre-register for this event, go online at alzwalkemporia. org or stop

by Emporia Presbyterian Manor and pick up a registration form.

Registration will be open on the day of

the walk as well. All walkers raising $100 or more qualify for a t-shirt. To learn more or ask questions, contact Cindy Miller with the Alzheimer’s Association at cmiller1@alz.org.

It’s never too early to explore your options and have a plan in place for your senior living needs.

To learn more about retirement planning, visit our booth at the Senior Fair at the Anderson Building on October 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

You can also find us at the Health Fest at the Flint Hills Mall on October 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We will have an interactive display, plenty of giveaways and educational materials to help answer your questions.

2 reasons to plan for your funeral now Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Emporia Presbyterian Manor

by Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.

Susan Siepelmeier, executive director Crystal Stock, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Crystal Stock, marketing director, cstock@pmma.org.

Telephone: 620-343-2613 Fax: 620-343-9195 Address: 2300 Industrial Rd., Emporia, KS 66801-6636 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

EmporiaPresbyterianManor.org

By Candy Arrington, Next Avenue

Although I didn’t know it at the time, a week after my father received a terminal cancer diagnosis, he asked my cousin to take him to a local mortuary where he made decisions about his burial and paid for his funeral. Following his death five months later, as a grieving only child, I was thankful my father had the foresight to plan ahead, as he had always done for other life events.

His choice to preplan was a gift that prevented me from making emotional and costly decisions based in grief.

Here are two reasons to overcome hesitancy and consider planning your funeral now: 1. Rising costs Each year, funeral costs continue to rise. Planning and paying for

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Community Matters October 2018

your funeral now is a way to avoid those increasing costs. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the median cost for an adult funeral with viewing and burial, including vault, was $8,755 in 2017. For a funeral with viewing and cremation, the median cost was $6,260. These amounts do not include cemetery costs, monument or marker, pall flowers, obituary or other related expenses, which could raise the cost to between $10,000 and $12,000.

However, consumers have options.

“Charges at all mortuaries are based on operating costs and overhead and are higher in larger metropolitan areas,” said Glenn Miller, manager at J.F. Floyd Mortuary in Spartanburg, S.C. “With a full-service mortuary, there are many options. All of our services are itemized, and families can FUNERAL, continued on page 4 Like us on Facebook

FREERKSENS, continued from page 1

on a vacation. Barbara is pleased with the care and help Fred is getting and that she also was able to move here to be closer to him.

While some days with Fred are better than others, Barbara is very thankful that on the rough days, she has the support from our staff and community to take care of him. She went from having full responsibility for Fred to now being able to walk away when she needs to and allow our staff to assist. She says she feels our staff are wonderful to him and to her.

Fred participates in many different activities and goes on designated trips around Emporia with our activity staff. Recently, Barbara and Fred

went on a trip to the Prouse family farm, where they enjoyed being able to be outdoors and play with many different types of animals.

Presbyterian Manor of Emporia provides dementia care that addresses the unique needs of those living with memory impairments in a dedicated long-term care neighborhood. If you have loved ones living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia who need secure, dedicated care, please reach out to Crystal Stock at 620-343-2613 for more information about how we can help you and your loved one both ensure you are maintaining an adequate Fred Freerksen enjoys a recent visit to the quality of life.

Prouse family farm.

Trick or Treat tradition date set The sweetest event of the year is coming to Emporia Presbyterian Manor at 4 p.m. October 31. For more than a decade, we’ve hosted trick or treating as a way to continue the annual tradition of going door to door.

“Just as they likely did for decades before moving to Presbyterian Manor, the residents enjoy being able to, from their home, give out treats to children. They enjoy being able to continue that tradition, and to share that with the community,” said Jen Moran, life enrichment director at Emporia Presbyterian Manor.

Planned by various departments around the community, trick or treating at Emporia Presbyterian Manor is designed so that everyone gets to participate.

“We plan for residents to line up in Like us on Facebook

three parts of the building – in the main dining room, the Healthcare dining room and the Memory Care dining room. Each resident is given a bucket of candy – which Life Enrichment collects from families and staff – to ensure that all residents are able to participate. As the trickor-treaters (staff’s family members) walk through the lines, residents pass out the candy and have a chance to interact with the children,” said Jen. It’s an event that brings everyone together and continues to make memories.

“I see it as a mutually beneficial intergenerational event. The kids have a safe and fun place to trick-or treat, the staff has the chance to show off their kids and grandkids to the residents, and the residents get to interact with the children. It ends up

being a great way to bring together our home families and our work families in a fun and light-hearted way,” said Jen. If you have any candy you would like to donate for this event, please bring it to the community’s main office at 2300 Industrial Road during regular business hours.

Happy Halloween!

Emporia Presbyterian Manor

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Emporia Presbyterian Manor 2300 Industrial Rd. Emporia, KS 66801-6636 Return Service Requested

FUNERAL, continued from page 2

choose what to include. Our fees are the same for a funeral at a church or at our chapel as long as it involves our standard five staff members.”

2. The ability to make your own decisions Most people like to feel in control over decisions that affect their lives, and often that extends to end-of-life decisions. While no one can predict the time and circumstances of death, many take comfort in knowing they’ve selected the type of burial, location and funeral they want. While many plan to make these decisions eventually, most never actually follow through.

If you approach funeral planning as you would a financial or business decision, you may be able to get beyond those difficult emotions.

Many mortuary websites provide

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Community Matters October 2018

preplanning information. Other websites, such as Funeralwise, help calculate costs. Move beyond any superstitious notions that funeral planning hastens death, and take time to investigate.

Be aware that preplanning does not require prepayment. The NFDA provides a Bill of Rights for Funeral Preplanning. Knowing your rights helps you plan wisely and avoid being overcharged.

Veteran’s Day breakfast Join us for a Veteran’s Day celebration breakfast to honor and remember Veterans, spouses and families. Starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday, November 10, we’ll serve biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage and bacon along with coffee, juice and water. The Sunshine Singers will provide the musical entertainment set to a patriotic theme. RSVP to Crystal Stock at cstock@pmma.org or call 620-343-2613.

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