Lawrence Community Matters October 2017

Commun ty Matters Lawrence Presbyterian Manor

October 2017

New bus delivered Lawrence’s new bus was delivered Sept. 7. Presbyterian Manor was able to purchase the bus through a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Stuart, left, rests at the end of a work day with his team buddy Brent from Alberta, Canada. Brent wears a Habitat shirt with the slogan “A World Where Everyone Has a Decent Place to Live.”

Lawrence Habitat for Humanity

Building a future for themselves and others Stuart Beals has helped build more than a dozen houses on two continents, and he doesn’t live in any of them.

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For more than five years, Stuart has volunteered with Lawrence Habitat for Humanity. He finished his 16th build this summer. Most of his projects have benefited families in the Lawrence area, but this summer he traveled to southern Malawi in Africa to build houses there.

Stuart started volunteering with Habitat about a year after he retired from Johnson County Community College. He started the school’s photography program in the 1970s, then transitioned to digital imaging and interactive media as technology advanced. In retirement, he was HABITAT, continued on page 3

Two aging decisions to make before someone does for you Sometimes, growing older feels like one loss after another. No longer being able to drive or stay in our own home is difficult to accept. If we feel we are forced into those decisions, it can be harder still.

Yet when we put off making the decisions ourselves, others are pressed to step in. On the other hand, when we understand what we’re afraid of, we’re able to discover options that can alleviate the fear and take responsibility for the decisions that are truly ours to

Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Lawrence Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org.

Christie Patrick, executive director Angela Fonseca, marketing director To submit or suggest articles, contact afonseca@pmma.org.

Telephone: 785-841-4262 Fax: 785-841-0923 Address: 1429 Kasold Dr., Lawrence, KS 66049-3425 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

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make. Here are two aging decisions to make before someone makes them for you: 1. The decision to stop driving According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, drivers in their 50s and 60s have one of the lowest crash rates of any age. This starts to rise after the late 60s and early 70s and increases more rapidly after 75.

But there’s not a universal age when driving is no longer safe.

What we fear most is the loss of independence. Having a car means freedom. Asking for rides feels like we’re a burden. It affects our health as well.

“You can age at home, but if you can’t drive or have access to transportation services, it can be very isolating,” says Natalie Galucia, executive director of the St. Louis-based Village to Village Network. The network collaborates to support the Village Movement, a membership organization that provides key services for aging-inplace.

To make the driving decision yourself, first complete a short self-assessment for an honest look at your driving skills. Then, make adjustments to your driving if needed. There’s a wide range of choices before hanging up the keys, including taking a refresher driving course or avoiding high-speed highways. Finally, determine how you’ll decide if it is time to stop driving. Plan for that day and what

possibilities will help you keep your freedom.

You should also consider alternatives to driving. These include: the local bus or rail system, which often provides discount fares for those 65+; transportation offered through senior centers, churches or other organizations; membership to The Villages or similar programs providing transportation and ride services including Uber, Lyft or taxis. Depending on your area, accessible vehicles are often available.

2. The decision to stay in your home The first choice here may be deciding be where your home will be. Cost, the presence of adult children in multiple states or recreational preferences all weigh on the decision. Many things can play a role in whether to stay put, according to Lyndall Hare, a Charlotte, N.C., gerontologist.

And it’s not just the dwelling we may need to worry about. “If you’re living in areas of the country that AGING continued on page 4 Like us on Facebook

radically different. Instead of building three-bedroom homes with looking for a way to contribute his time and skills to others. Stuart had drywall and siding, Stuart’s Habitat crew was making bricks out of the some construction experience, so Habitat seemed like a natural choice. surrounding soil and well water from a bore hole.

“I just like the fact that it’s so “They were tiny houses by our tangible,” Stuart said. “Maybe I’m kind of a knuckle-dragger, but I like standards. It was a different experience.” The homes were built the sheer physicality of building a for families who have taken in house. I like working outdoors; I orphans. always have.”

HABITAT, continued from page 1

Stuart quickly learned how to do a lot of new things on the job site, from following the surveyors’ pins to laying the foundation to building stairs to installing trim. (Volunteers can’t do any jobs that the law requires be done by a contractor: electrical, plumbing, HVAC and the like.) There is a full-time licensed construction supervisor on every build. On designated “build days,” groups of volunteers are assigned to a specific task. Usually these are groups of co-workers or members of an organization who sign up for a one-day project. Long-term volunteers like Stuart help teach and lead the day workers, and they come out to work on days when the groups aren’t there.

In Malawi, however, the job was

This wasn’t Stuart’s first trip to Africa – soon after he retired, he and his wife, Nancy, spent two months there. “Africa cast a spell on me,” he said. And Nancy loves to travel in Europe. But the freedom to travel was overshadowed by the burden of making sure their home was maintained and safe while they were gone. That’s one reason Nancy and Stuart began looking for a senior living community.

They had many friends their own age whose parents were still living in their homes but struggling to do so without help. Nancy and Stuart didn’t want their own children to worry about them. Nancy was a nurse, so she also applied her knowledge to their research for a place to live. They found Lawrence

Presbyterian Manor had an “unblemished record” in quality of nursing care.

“That was super important. We really did our homework, and Presbyterian Manor stood out in the quality of care. The fact that it’s a nonprofit is reflected in the values they bring to their care,” Stuart said.

Now, when they want to jet off to another country or continent – or just to see their sons in Washington state – they’re secure in knowing their home is in good hands.

For more information about volunteering with Lawrence Habitat for Humanity, visit their website at www.lawrencehabitat.org.

Stuart’s fellow Habitat For Humanity International team members build brick walls for houses for families who raise orphans in a small village near the border with Mozambique.

Tell your holiday stories We will feature Christmas in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. If you have a story about Christmas, whether a favorite tradition or a memorable holiday celebration, or if you just want to tell the world what you love about living in your senior living community, we want to share the story.

If you’ve got a story to share, contact Marketing Director Angela Fonseca, and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.

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A Malawian family moves into one of the houses Stuart and his team built.

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are booming, you may be getting pushed out,” Hare says. “As gentrification sets in, property taxes increase and some might find they can no longer afford their neighborhood.”

We can struggle with the choices, but we’re trying to hang on to our self-sufficiency. And we often ignore reality when we say we want to age in homes that can’t support that.

“What worked for you in your 30s, 40s and 50s may not

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work the same when you’re in your 60s, 70s and 80s,” says Galucia.

Review the checklist from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) for what makes an agefriendly home. Then, talk to a remodeler about which modifications your house might need. (The NAHB has a list of Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists.)

Think, too, about what situations might make you uncomfortable living alone and actions you can take to avoid them.

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