Fulton Community Matters September 2015

Commun ty Matters Fulton Presbyterian Manor

September 2015

Activity Department changes

Beth Boyd may be a familiar face around Fulton Presbyterian Manor, but her title is brand new.

Coming up in Community Matters:

We will be thinking about Thanksgiving in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. Does your family have a special recipe that is made each Thanksgiving dinner, one that it’s not Thanksgiving unless it’s on the table? What about a special Thanksgiving tradition?

Share your Thanksgiving memories by contacting Keri Edwards, and your memories, traditions or recipe may be selected for an upcoming issue of Community Matters.

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“I was the activity assistant for six years, and now I’m the activity director,” said Beth. “There’s a lot more to it than most people realize.

Sure, we have lots of fun, but it’s a lot of work behind the scenes. But that’s okay because I love this job. I love making the residents smile.”

Beth isn’t the only one with a new title in the activity department. Robin Leonard, who was formerly in the dining services department, is now the new activity assistant. She’s looking forward to spending more time with the residents.

While many of the day-to-day activities like group exercise, spiritual programs, and coffee group will remain the same, Beth and Robin are looking forward to evaluating current program offerings to make sure they’re best meeting resident needs. They would love to hear from you with any suggestions at 573-642-6646.

Robin Leonard and Beth Boyd are part of the changes in the activity department.

Music and Memory project coming to Presbyterian Manor

Few things are more personal than our musical tastes. Favorite songs trigger rich memories and influence our moods. That’s why social worker Dan Cohen launched an effort in 2008 to bring individualized music to residents in long-term care.

Cohen founded the nonprofit Music & Memory, which provides residents in long-term care with iPod personal music players that are loaded with each recipient’s favorite songs.

Kim Fanning, senior vice president education and training for Presbyterian Manors, said all of the PMMA communities are taking advantage of the opportunity. Training sessions for employees took place in July and the

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Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Fulton Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.

Dawn Smith, executive director Keri Edwards, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact kedwards 2@pmma.org.

Telephone: 573-642-6646 Fax: 573-642-2202 Address: 811 Center St., Fulton, MO 65251-1922

Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

FultonPresbyterianManor.org

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COMMUNITY MATTERS SEPTEMBER 2015

program will begin this fall.

“I have music I prefer, and so does everyone,” Fanning said. “It has the benefit of reducing aggressive behavior, improving mood and increasing socialization.”

Fulton Presbyterian Manor will build up their collections with fundraisers and donation drives, Fanning said.

Then they will rely on volunteers to load each person’s chosen songs onto their music players.

“I see this as intergenerational opportunity and a good volunteer piece, because we have to sustain this program and customize playlists,” Fanning said. She said some Manor communities already are reaching out to residents in independent living to help other residents set up their players. And she thinks it would be a good opportunity for teens to earn community service credit for school.

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In spite of its name, Fanning said the Music & Memory program isn’t limited to residents in memory care.

Once enough players are available, any resident will be welcome to plug in and play the music they love best—whether that’s Beethoven, Count Basie or the Beatles.

To assist Fulton Presbyterian Manor with building up its supply of iPods, headphones and iTunes cards, contact Beth Boyd at 573-642-6646.

Just Ask about veteran benefits

Long-term care can be expensive, so it’s important to know what benefits are available to you. Veterans and their surviving spouses can learn about benefits available to them at a free session Sept. 16 at Fulton Presbyterian Manor.

Eugene O’Loughlin, Veterans Services Officer with the Missouri Veterans Commission, will share the long-term care benefits available to veterans and their surviving spouses.

“Veterans KnowYour Benefits” starts at 6 p.m. Sept. 16 in the assisted living dining room at Fulton Presbyterian Manor, 811 Center St. The talk is part of Fulton Presbyterian Manor’s Just Ask series, a free, ongoing lifelong learning program featuring information from local, regional and national experts on topics of interest to older adults and their families. There is an RSVP, but we are confirming date.

For more information, contact Marketing Director Keri Edwards at 573-6426646 or kedwards2@pmma.org.

Fulton Presbyterian Manor hosts free session

How to help Mom and Dad move to a new home For most people, moving from one home to another is exhausting. Even when we get help with packing and transporting our possessions, moving means changing countless aspects of our everyday lives — from making a new place for the silverware to potentially finding new friends. And it can mean saying goodbye to memories we've made over the course of years.

Older adults often have a much harder time with the transition. For your parents, moving can go from merely taxing to highly traumatic.

That's when it becomes transfer trauma, also known more broadly as relocation stress syndrome.

Symptoms of Transfer Trauma Moving can result in a host of physical and psychological changes, including loss of sleep, agitation, depression, withdrawal, short-term memory loss, irritable bowel syndrome, loss of appetite and nausea.

Tracy Greene Mintz, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Redondo Beach, Calif., who has worked and lectured extensively in the area of relocation stress syndrome, says loss of control is at the core of transfer trauma.

“This week you’re going to be at home living independently; next week you’re going to be in assisted living.

The abruptness with which we move older people … is very damaging

psychosocially and emotionally because it strips the older adult of control,” she says. “Adults want to be in charge of their own lives.”

Greene Mintz says the syndrome often manifests itself as pain or fatigue, vague symptoms that can be hard to diagnose; the older adult may say she is too tired to come to the dining hall for meals or in too much pain to take a shower.

“To fix the problem, you need to do everything in your power to restore a sense of control to the older person,” she says.

5 Tips for Adult Children 1. Prepare for the move. Offer choices.You might have a parent who is used to looking out at a garden all day, but they get a view of a fountain instead. Rather than saying, “Well, you got a fountain window — isn’t the fountain beautiful?,” ask questions ahead of time about the older person’s preferences, Greene Mintz says.

2. Don’t assume your parent can’t participate. “Even a person with dementia can tell you what their favorite sweater is, or what sheets they want to bring,” Greene Mintz says.

“The details are where you have the possibility of control.”

3. Check in. “I always tell people to ask, on the first day, ‘Is it what you were expecting?’ If it isn’t what they thought, then we have early intervention opportunities,” Greene

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Mintz says. Instead of finding out what their parents' impressions are, however, too many adult children are busy saying (convincingly, they hope), “Isn’t it great!? ”You are not the marketing department, Greene Mintz says.

4.Validate their feelings. Ask how your parent is feeling about the moving process and don’t try to talk your mom or dad out of any negative feelings. You won’t help by putting a happy face on something they consider sad. Greene Mintz says: “Let them be sad. It’s OK. Just say, I know that this is hard.”

5. Keep the doctor informed. If your parent is showing signs of not adjusting well to the move, report those symptoms — but give the medical provider some context.

Explain that the move was recent and may have something to do with the symptoms or behavior, Greene Mintz says. The doctor may still prescribe medications for depression or anxiety but may also recommend yoga or other exercise, for instance.

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Fulton team joins Walk to End Alzheimer’sŽ Mention the word Alzheimer’s in nearly any situation, and you’re bound to hear stories from people who’ve lost loved ones from this disease. After all, it’s the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death. For Marketing Director Keri Edwards, this devastating diagnosis hits close to home.

“My grandfather passed away from it.

Many of our residents here at

[Presbyterian] Manor have it. The cause is near and dear to us,� said Keri.

Keri, serving as team captain, along with Jessie Anderson, Donna Hunter and Dawn Smith will all be doing their part to find a cure by participating in the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’sŽ on Sept. 20 in Jefferson City. Funds gathered by teams advance research to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s, and provide programs and support to improve the

lives of millions of affected Americans.

Their team goal is $1,000, and any donation amount would be appreciated. Please contact Keri at 573-642-6646, extension 2317, if you’d like to donate or participate.

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Fulton Presbyterian Manor 811 Center St. Fulton, MO 65251-1922

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4 COMMUNITY MATTERSSEPTEMBER 2015

Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America is going social PMMA is now on Facebook. Click the Facebook icon on our website, www.PresbyterianManors.org, or search for us on Facebook to view our latest social media posts about all our PMMA campuses. “Like� us to stay in touch.

We’re excited to share what’s happening on our campuses!