Clay Center Community Matters August 2021

Clay Center Presbyterian Manor

Celebrating our senior citizens AUGUST 2021

Aug. 21 is National Senior Citizens Day. While we love our seniors every day, it’s a good day to remember how much we appreciate and value them.

National Senior Citizens Day began in 1988 when President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation marking Aug. 21 as a day to honor our country’s seniors.

“Throughout our history, older people have achieved much for our families, our communities, and our country,” the proclamation states. “That remains true today and gives us ample reason this year to reserve a special day in honor of the senior citizens who mean so much to our land.”

Here are some ways to recognize our seniors on this special day: Donate to a retirement community: Call your nearest community and ask how you can help. Sometimes even small gifts, such as chocolates or treats, can make a difference.

Help us welcome resident Mary Mayer to Clay Center Presbyterian Manor Mary Mayer was having some issues with her legs going numb and had suffered several falls. These events prompted her to write a letter to the head of PMMA to inquire about a new place to live.

“I am Presbyterian, and I decided I needed to get somewhere if I needed help I could have it,” Mary said. “I wrote to the head of the PMMA association, and said I wanted a garage and a washer and dryer.”

By August of last year, she had moved into a nice cottage home in Clay Center.

Reach out to a senior family member: Call or visit a parent, grandparent, or an aunt or uncle.

They’ll enjoy spending time with you, and you can let them know how much you appreciate them.

Take time for fun: Go shopping, visit a museum, spend time outdoors. Whatever a special senior in your life enjoys, carve out some time for fun. u

Resident spotlight – continued on page 4 Get the latest on visitation and COVID-19 at our campus at ClayCenterPresbyterianManor.org/covid-19.

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Clay Center campus shares customer service survey responses

Clay Center Presbyterian Manor 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.

The graphic above highlights some of the survey results. All scores are given on a 5-point scale, with 5 being the highest score and 1 the lowest score. Between June 2020 and May 2021, Clay Center Presbyterian Manor residents and their families gave the community high scores in demonstrating dignity and respect, ease of the admission process and communication. In addition, residents and families also reported a high

willingness to recommend the community to others.

“I would tell [others] that they are caring people, they worry about people, they take care of you like nobody’s business,” one respondent said. “I’d have to give them a 5.

I appreciate the particular care they took of me when I got there. If I had a problem, they were taking care of it.

That was from management on down. They took care of me.”

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 Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.

Community Matters 785-632-5646 u Fax: 785-632-5874 924 Eighth St. Clay Center, KS 67432-2620 ClayCenterPresbyterianManor.org

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COMMUNITY MATTERS | August 2021

is published monthly for residents and friends of Clay Center Presbyterian Manor

by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

To submit or suggest articles: dpounds@PMMA.org Morgan Burton, executive director Dani Kuhlman, marketing director

OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

There’s more to wellness than meets the eye When it comes to overall health, Social Services Designee Taylor Stull Burgardt uses the seven spokes of the wellness wheel as a guide.

“The wellness wheel is a model that includes seven dimensions: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, financial, environmental, social and physical wellness,” Taylor said.

“These dimensions are interconnected and important to a well-rounded and balanced wellbeing. Knowing the basics of this wheel helps us continuously readdress the needs of an individual so we can continue providing assistance to meet those needs.”

Awareness of those dimensions was particularly important in the past year or so, as residents and staff worked to remain healthy during a global health crisis.

“Staff has worked continuously to be a support system for each of our residents. To maintain their emotional health, staff has assisted residents in staying connected with loved ones and their friends,” Taylor said. Staff assisted in making phone calls, connecting virtually and assisting with window visits.

Encouragement from staff helped residents remain hopeful that we would overcome the pandemic.

Staff also encourages residents to act on activities that previously brought them joy and kept them active.”

While staff worked to care for residents, it was also important that they cared for their own well-being.

“Through the pandemic, it was very challenging for staff to hold a positive outlook themselves as fatigue and burnout became apparent.” Taylor said. “Staff was also separated from their families and unable to act upon things that bring them joy, so it was necessary for us to find support and positivity among our residents and staff.”

Part of caring for residents’ wellbeing relies on strong relationships, active listening, keen observations, and the sharing of thoughts and emotions without judgement.

“When residents feel more confident in vocalizing their feelings, we are able to identify any unmet needs and brainstorm how we can meet those needs and put that plan into action,” Taylor said.

“Residents with higher levels of care may not be able to adequately vocalize their emotions verbally, requiring a more observational approach. Activities and interventions to enhance emotional health may also look different as capabilities change amongst residents.”

In her role as social services designee, Taylor also serves as a liaison for residents, working constantly to assess needs and manage resources to best meet them. She works with residents, families and the community to advocate for the needs of residents.

“I work with staff to provide insight on how we manage a behavior to

Taylor Stull

better assist in the daily functioning of residents,” Taylor said. “I also advocate for the resident in our own community to have their preferences and needs met.”

Emotional health isn’t always easy to manage, Taylor said. But it’s important for people to be aware of their needs and reach out for help.

Taylor — whose maiden name is Stull — was married earlier this year. She lives in Junction City with her husband and their two dogs. In her spare time, she volunteers with groups such as Habitat for Humanity, CASA, and the K-State social work advisory committee.

“To help regulate my emotional health, I like to go on walks with my dogs, stay connected to friends and family, and actively work on reframing my mindset to be positive,” Taylor said. u

Clay Center Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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924 Eighth St. Clay Center, KS 67432-2620 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Resident spotlight – continued from page 1

“I have a garage, a bedroom, bathroom, utility and dining room.

It’s a nice big apartment,” she said.

In addition to the ample living quarters, Mary said she enjoys being in Clay Center — and so near the downtown area, which allows her to get just about anything she needs.

“It’s a nice town. Everything is close.

The church is only three blocks away,” she said. “Downtown is about four blocks away, and it’s easy to navigate.”

Before moving to Clay Center, Mary lived in Independence, where she moved after retiring in 1993 as a special education teacher in Hutchinson.

Now that she’s settled into her new home, Mary has been able to get to

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know the staff. She has also been able to return some of her thoughts to her hobbies, including needlework, reading and scrapbooking.

pretty fast. I could go around Kansas pretty fast.”

“One thing I did, I’ve gone to all the state capitols,” said Mary, who is now 80 years old. “I have a scrapbook of all the capitols. Then I thought I’d do all the county courthouses in Kansas — all 105. I started the state capitols when I was 8 and finished in 2017. So that took a while, didn’t it?

The courthouses, I guess I started around 2012 and finished them

Mary said she’s really appreciated meeting new people at Presbyterian Manor, including staff members who go out of their way to help her.

She said she was amazed at the elaborate beauty of many of the buildings.

“The staff is very nice,” she said.

“They are very helpful when you need it. If a lightbulb burns out, they’re Johnny on the spot to help you. They are all really nice.” u

Say ‘happy birthday’ to these special residents Take a few moments to help us celebrate these residents’ August birthdays. We hope you each have a very special day!

Constance Swenson: Aug. 13 Doris Callaway: Aug. 14 Betty Jones: Aug. 17

COMMUNITY MATTERS | August 2021

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