Aberdeen Heights
AUGUST 2021
Emotional health critical to overall well-being For Social Services Director Kristine Pancer, emotional health has always been an important topic. But in the face of a global pandemic that so greatly affected residents’ lives, the issue has never been more critical.
Residents take a tour of Napa Valley Our assisted living residents enjoyed an imaginary trip to the Napa Valley during a blind wine tasting on June 8.
“I think not only for seniors, but the entire world has opened their eyes to the effect and importance of mental health awareness,” Kristine said. “So many were shut off from the outside world. A lot of folks who lost someone Kristine Pancer couldn’t have closure or even a funeral. They were not able to see family and hug or touch or have intimacy with other people. I think that really affected a lot of folks’ quality of life. Some people were just stuck and couldn’t go anywhere in the community.”
Five wines from the Napa region delighted residents’ taste buds: sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, rosé, pinot noir and merlot. After each sample, residents had the opportunity to comment on the appearance, aroma, taste and aftertaste. They scored each wine and had fun guessing which varietal they had just sampled. It was a fun event, and the residents enjoyed the chance to take a refreshing “trip” to California. u
In her role at Aberdeen Heights, Kristine worked alongside other staff members to increase one-on-one visits with residents and intentionally share additional information about how to monitor and respond to emotional distress. “We just said, ‘Let’s make sure we get in and meet the emotional needs of the residents and their families,’ Kristine said. “If a son or daughter
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Residents sample a selection of different California wines. more wine tasting photos – page 2
Get the latest on visitation and COVID-19 at our campus at AberdeenSeniorLiving.com/covid-19.
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Wine tasting – continued from page 1
Assisted living residents Joann Clay, Loy Corder and Barbara Hollenbeck
Assisted living resident Ardeen Tucker
Emotional health – continued from page 1 noticed that mom sounded different on the phone, we wanted to make sure they knew they could reach out to us.” Additionally, Kristine regularly educates residents and staff about emotional wellness. “Every month at resident council meetings, I try to provide some type of education. It could be on any topic — just a little article or something to take with them,” she said. “Earlier this year, one of the things I provided was about simple relaxation ideas to help seniors de-stress.”
Breathing meditations, calming music, crossword puzzles, and visualization techniques — such as imagining a sandy beach or a peaceful garden — all serve to calm the mind and distract from overwhelming concerns. Now that summer is here, Kristine’s message is about caring for oneself during the hottest months of the year. In the past several months, as the world has begun to return to normal, it’s been exhilarating to see residents and families reunite, Kristine said.
“People are absolutely doing better. You can almost see the weight being lifted off of people,” Kristine said. “They’re not constantly worrying, and the vaccines bring some sense of peace and confidence. The day we opened to visitors was very, very emotional. I was tearful seeing the smiles on their faces and in their eyes. Seeing them sitting at a table together, or at activities. Seeing that sense of normalcy. I know it was a sense of happiness that all the residents expressed. It was awesome for me and the staff to see that joy.”u
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Community Matters 314-909-6010 ◆ Fax: 913-599-3810 505 Couch Ave. Kirkwood, MO 63122-5536 AberdeenSeniorLiving.com
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | August 2021
is published monthly for residents and friends of Aberdeen Heights by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: lliefer@pmma.org Christie Wolff, executive director Lily Landy, health care administrator
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Aberdeen Heights shares customer service survey responses are wonderful. The residents are wonderful. The staff is terrific. They offer everything I would want at this stage of my life – outside activities, inside activities, wonderful food.
Aberdeen Heights continues to seek customer feedback through monthly telephone surveys. Each month, residents and their representatives are randomly selected to participate in telephone satisfaction surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight.
score. Between June 2020 and May 2021, Aberdeen Heights residents and their families gave the community high scores in demonstrating dignity and respect and safety and security and meeting transportation needs. Residents and families also reported a high willingness to recommend the community to others.
The graphic above highlights some of the survey results. All scores are given on a 5-point scale, with 5 being “It has a very warm atmosphere,” the highest score and 1 the lowest one respondent said. “The people
We’ll miss you, Beverly! We want to wish former Dining Services Supervisor Beverly Teklinski all the best on her retirement! Beverly began her work with Aberdeen Heights in 2013. Throughout her time here, she has helped ensure that residents had delicious meals and treats. “You name it, we did it,” Beverly said. “At that time, we had five dining rooms in The Glen part. We made sure everything ran along, and if they needed something, I’d run to the kitchen and get it. If we were shorthanded, I’d do whatever needed to be
done — wait on tables, wash dishes or help clean up.” Beverly said her favorite part of the job was always the residents. “You couldn’t help but get close to them,” Beverly said. “I used to tell the new people coming in that we need to get the residents whatever we can to pamper them. As residents moved from assisted living to skilled care, I’d check in on them, and then we’d pamper them as they moved through the system. If there was a special snack they liked, we’d make sure we had whatever they needed.”
“We all know each other’s names, we are friends,” they said. “I think of it as going back to a college dorm. I feel very safe and secure. I love the friendly atmosphere. I would [tell others] it’s a great place. The apartments are wonderful. There’s a variety of sizes.” We greatly value the opinions of our residents and their representatives about the care and services we provide, and we encourage them to participate honestly when contacted by Pinnacle Quality Insight. All state and federal confidentiality laws are met in Pinnacle’s service. u
The residents made a big impact on Beverly throughout her years of service. “I really enjoyed taking care of everyone,” she said. “During COVID, someone had stopped and asked to hold my hand. We just stood there in the hallway and held hands for a while. Something simple like that. We all need to take a little time to be nice to other people. Taking time to talk to them, it’s interesting to find out some of them had wonderful jobs — that they did something remarkable.
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Aberdeen Heights | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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505 Couch Ave. Kirkwood, MO 63122 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Retirement – continued from page 3
Some were teachers, and some were inventors. That’s just wonderful.” Now, after years of taking care of others, she feels like it’s time to pamper herself a little during retirement. “I don’t have any big plans,” she said. “It would be nice to travel. I have a few medical things I need to check on, and my daughter’s looking forward to having grandma around to pick up some babysitting. I have a little dog that would see me leave the house every day, and now I’m here, so she’s a little confused.” u
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Beverly Teklinski begins the next chapter of her life.