Parsons Community Matters September 2021

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Parsons Presbyterian Manor

SEPTEMBER 2021

Parsons Presbyterian Manor emphasizes intellectual health in ‘everything we do’ Society tells two stories about how aging affects the brain. We praise the wisdom of older adults accrued through decades of life experience. At the same time, we accept that cognitive decline is inevitable in our older years.

Four local artists among Art is Ageless® masterpiece level winners

Increasingly, scientific research supports the first story and casts doubt on the latter.

Four winning artists in "Fun in Snow," a Christmas entry by JoeAnn Burris Parsons Presbyterian Manor’s annual Art is Ageless® juried competition were winners in the masterpiece level competition sponsored by PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America®). "Fun in Snow," a Christmas entry by JoeAnn Burris, "House of Dreams," a mixed media/crafts entry by Lyn Kirk, and "Sir Loin," a painting by Jane Parish will appear in the 2022 Art is Ageless calendar when it is released this fall.

“While it’s tempting to focus on the flaws in older brains, that inducement overlooks how capable they’ve become,” writes Barbara Strauch for the New York Times. “Over the past several years, scientists have looked deeper into how brains age and confirmed that they continue to develop through and beyond middle age.”

Works by local winners are automatically entered into a masterpiece level competition with winning art from 14 other PMMA® communities. More than 160 entries were received for this year’s masterpiece competition. The winners are featured in the Art is Ageless calendar with pull-out postcards and greeting cards.

That consistent development leads to the kind of insight younger people lack. Staff at Parsons Presbyterian Manor know this very well. Over and over, staff members talk about how blessed they feel to benefit from residents’ wisdom.

Art is Ageless – continued on page 2

Health – continued on page 4

“House of Dreams,” a mixed media/crafts entry by Lyn Kirk

“The brain is plastic and continues to change, not in getting bigger but allowing for greater complexity and deeper understanding,” says Kathleen Taylor, a professor at St. Mary’s College of California, who has studied ways to teach adults effectively.

Get the latest on visitation and COVID-19 at our campus at ParsonsPresbyterianManor.org/covid-19.

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