Topeka Presbyterian Manor
Mary’s Musings By Mary Bridges, chaplain JANUARY 2022
At 89, local stained–glass artist is still creating full time More than four years ago, Dorothy Jeffries moved from Oswego, Kan., to Topeka. But she left a stained-glass legacy behind. For 30 years, Dorothy worked as a stained-glass artist and teacher there. Her late husband, Jack, was her partner in both life and art. Together, the couple created all the windows for two churches and the library in Oswego. They did smaller projects for several other churches in the area. Dorothy first entered the Art Is Ageless® competition at Parsons Presbyterian Manor because one of her students was the former marketing director. She has been sharing her work with PMMA® communities ever since. “I’m still surprised by the greatness of some of the older artists,” she said. After her husband’s death and some health issues, Dorothy moved to live with her daughter Glenda Bundy. Fortunately, she can still participate in the Art Is Ageless program through Topeka Presbyterian Manor.
Stained-glass – continued on page 2
Editor’s Note: In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we are featuring a column from a PMMA® chaplain regularly in our newsletter. This month’s featured column comes from Mary Bridges, chaplain at Salina Presbyterian Manor.
There is nothing permanent except change. — Heraclitus When I ponder the meaning of life, I always conclude that life is another word for change. As my mother grew older, we often debated about change. She would tell me it was hard. I would respond with my belief that when we initiate a change it is much easier to accept than when we have to change due to circumstances beyond our control. What’s real is that change is constant. With every ending, there is a beginning. God is with us not only in our beginnings and in our endings but in every moment in-between. The church recognizes this by calling God and Jesus the Alpha and the Omega. If we were to draw a straight line with the Alpha at one end and the Omega at the other, we could use it to represent the events of our
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Stained-glass – continued from page 1 “She has a studio downstairs that she calls her she shed,” Glenda said. She estimates Dorothy, who recently turned 89, spends 50 hours a week working on stained glass projects. These days, her work is smaller in scale, like “You Light Up My Life,” the blue-ribbon-winning lamp she entered in the 2021 Art is Ageless competition at Topeka
Presbyterian Manor. It was selected to appear in the 2022 Art Is Ageless® calendar. The lamp features an intricate floral pattern on four sides and is topped with greenery and stained-glass butterflies. After she completed that one, she made lamps for two of her daughters, and now she’s working on a third. Each has
a different design. “I just get an idea and go from there,” Dorothy said. “Sometimes I make a mess and have to go back and redo it.” Glenda said her mother set a great example for her children. “She’s very inspiring — she’s always doing something,” she said. “I’m very proud of her.” u
Change – continued from page 1 lives. If we take this timeline and form it into a circle, rather than being at opposite ends, the Alpha and Omega are side by side. The end is now the beginning, and the beginning is now the end. It becomes the circle of life. In a circle, there is no beginning or ending. These overlapping symbols of the Alpha and the Omega can be seen as a sign of God’s presence among us. Beginnings and endings are always happening. As one
moment ends and another begins, we can know that God is there. God is at both in the beginning and the ending of our personal “circles of life,” and that is what really matters. Each new year is like starting a new chapter in our lives. My prayer for each of us is simple: “May the words of Advent follow us into 2022, as we live as a people who are guided by hope, peace, joy and love in this year and forever more.” AMEN. u
God is at both in the beginning and the ending of our personal “circles of life,” the Alpha and the Omega.
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Community Matters 785-272-6510 ◆ Fax: 785-272-0496 4712 S.W. Sixth Ave. Topeka, KS 66606-2284 TopekaPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | January 2022
is published monthly for residents and friends of Topeka Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: dloftin@pmma.org Christie Patrick, executive director Danica Loftin, marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
US News names Topeka Presbyterian Manor high performing in nursing, short-term rehabilitation Topeka Presbyterian Manor is on the U.S. News and World Report Best Nursing Homes 2020 list, earning recognition as a High Performing skilled nursing community for those in long-term care and in short-term rehabilitation. The list was published November 9, 2021, at www.usnews.com/best-nursinghomes/search. U.S. News and World Report annually analyzes data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and other sources to determine which short-term rehabilitation centers and skilled nursing communities perform at the highest level and designates them as Best Nursing Homes in their publication. CMS, the government agency that sets and enforces standards for nursing homes, assigns one to five stars to each community for how well it performs in health inspections, nurse staffing and level of quality care. U.S. News has changed its focus from the star ratings to specific quality measures included in the CMS data to determine which skilled nursing centers meet the High Performing standard. The 10 quality measures focus on staffing, outcomes, resident complaints and processes of care. Some of the measures used by U.S. News are not included in the CMS approach to determining 5-star ratings.
These ratings include some new requirements for a community to earn a High-Performing rating – most notably that CMS data published by October 14 must list the location as having a COVID-19 staff vaccination rate of at least 75 percent. As a result, only 13 percent of skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation centers earned even a single Best Nursing Homes badge. Topeka Presbyterian Manor can serve up to 68 residents in the health center, where they offer both longterm care and short-term rehabilitation. The campus offers independent living and assisted living in addition to health care services. U.S. News added the Short-Term Rehabilitation rating in 2018 evaluating the care delivered to patients after a hospitalization for surgery, heart attack, stroke, injury or similar condition. In 2019, U.S. News added a Long-Term Care rating evaluating the care delivered to residents who are no longer able to live independently and need help with daily activities such as eating, getting in or out of bed or a wheelchair, using stairs, or getting dressed, as well as administering needed medical care. In order to be included on the U.S. News and World Report Best Nursing Homes list, a skilled nursing center had to receive the High Performing designation in
either the short-term rehabilitation or long-term care categories. In addition to Topeka Presbyterian Manor, three other PMMA (Presbyterian Manor of MidAmerica®) communities were recognized for long-term care: Aberdeen Village (Olathe), Lawrence, and Manor of the Plains (Dodge City). Manor of the Plains also was recognized for short-term rehabilitation. “PMMA® employees continue to focus their efforts on delivering quality care every day,” said PMMA President and CEO Bruce Shogren. “Never have those efforts been put to the test more than during the past 18 months as they have worked tirelessly to protect resident health and safety in the face of the COVID19 pandemic. The High Performing designation is a tremendous accomplishment and recognition of their good work.” All Medicare- and Medicaidcertified health care centers were evaluated by U.S. News. To be eligible for an overall rating, a center must have received reimbursement from CMS in July 2021 and had sufficient data to evaluate quality in that rating. To learn more about the U.S. News and World Report rating system, visit their FAQ page: https://health.usnews.com/healthnews/best-nursing-homes/articles/f aq-how-we-rate-nursing-homes. u
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