Topeka Community Matters April 2021

Topeka Presbyterian Manor

APRIL 2021

2021

Topeka Presbyterian Manor receives 2021 Customer Experience Award from Pinnacle Quality Insight

Presbyterian Manor presented Judy with a plaque when she announced her retirement earlier this year. She has worked in the Presbyterian Manor beauty shop since 1985.

Beauty shop owner retires after more than 50 years behind the chair Until her retirement this spring, Judy Moss was a fixture at Topeka Presbyterian Manor for 36 years.

Judy served our residents by administering shampoos and sets, perms, haircuts, and the occasional color service behind her chair in the beauty shop. She wouldn’t say she’s quite ready to put away her styling scissors, but at 76, Judy decided it was time to retire.

She had been working as a hair stylist at Wild Willie’s on South Topeka Boulevard when the previous owner of the Presbyterian Manor beauty RETIRES - continued on page 2

Topeka Presbyterian Manor is proud to announce that they are the recipient of Pinnacle Quality Insight’s 2021 Customer Experience Award.TM In qualifying for the award in both health care and assisted living, Topeka Presbyterian Manor demonstrates a continued dedication to providing best-inclass senior health care services.

“These awards really come from our residents and their families,” said Heather Pilkinton, executive director. “It means so much to continue to have their faith and trust in our ability to carry out our mission to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.”

Throughout its 58-year history of AWARD- continued on page 3

Topeka Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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RETIRES - continued from page 1

shop recruited her. When the owner retired in the early 1990s, Judy took over the shop, which one of her employees once nicknamed “Judy’s Beauties.”

She credits the fact that she has been able to work for herself for her longevity in the profession, which she entered in 1964 when she graduated from beauty school.

She has loved working with — and talking to — Presbyterian Manor residents. Not only has she learned a lot, but Judy said older clients are more appreciative than younger ones.

“I never expected to do hair in a community like this,” Judy said. “I

was there way longer than any of the other shops where I worked, and I believe I enjoyed it more.

I’ve been thoroughly happy at Presbyterian Manor.”

Although she was only trained to do women’s hair, Judy eventually added men’s haircuts to her repertoire.

“They used to have a barber come in once a month, and the guys would line up to get their hair cut,” Judy said. “After a while, he quit coming because I was doing all the men’s haircuts, so I guess I must have done them okay.”

The pandemic prevented Judy from seeing her regular clients for much of the past year. “It’s been difficult for them, and difficult for me,” she

said. But she has managed to stay in touch nonetheless.

“One of the ladies whose hair I did will call me every so often to see how I am and let me know what’s going on at the Manor,” Judy said.

“After you do someone’s hair for a while, you get to be friends.”

Judy and her husband first met in the fifth grade, and they have been married for 56 years. They have two children and four grandchildren, whom Judy looks forward to spending more time with in retirement.

“The youngest is seven, and she seems to think she needs to be at grandma’s house a lot of the time,” she said. ◆

COVID-19 updates continue

Get the latest updates on visitation status, ongoing safety measures and PMMA’s response to COVID-19 on your community website at communitywebsite.org/covid-19. Visitation status is updated weekly on Mondays and as needed as our COVID status changes. You can also send a message to any resident with the Art is Ageless® e-greeting cards. Find a link on the COVID-19 update page.

With vaccine distribution, internal restrictions are starting to loosen, allowing health care and assisted living residents to forgo quarantine if they leave the campus for physician appointments and other activities as long as they are not gone longer than 7 midnights. If an absence is longer than 7 days, the resident is required to quarantine and undergo COVID-19 testing. There will be no quarantine requirement for independent living residents who leave the community for an outing. ◆ Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.

Community Matters 785-272-6510 ◆ Fax: 785-272-0496 4712 S.W. Sixth Ave. Topeka, KS 66606-2284 TopekaPresbyterianManor.org

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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: rdahlgren@pmma.org Heather Pilkinton, executive director Rose Dahlgren, marketing director

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

AWARD- continued from page 1

serving the community, Topeka Presbyterian Manor has placed a strong emphasis on ensuring that the individual needs of every resident are met. Over the course of 2020, a sampling of Topeka Presbyterian Manor’s residents and their families have participated in monthly telephone interviews that include open-ended questions, as well as the opportunity to rate Topeka Presbyterian Manor in specific categories.

Every month, Topeka Presbyterian Manor has reviewed its real-time survey results to gain a better

understanding of residents’ needs and make improvements when necessary.

By qualifying for the Pinnacle Customer Experience Award,™ Topeka Presbyterian Manor has satisfied the rigorous demand of scoring in the top 15 percent of the nation across a 12-month average.

Health care residents and their families rated Topeka Presbyterian Manor in the top 15 percent in overall satisfaction, dining services, quality of food, meeting individual needs, laundry service, communication, activities, admission process, willingness to

recommend to others, and overall customer experience.

In addition, assisted living residents and their families rated the community highly in overall satisfaction, personal care, response to problems, demonstrating dignity and respect, communication, move-in process, safety and security, willingness to recommend to others, and overall customer experience.

For more information about health care and assisted living, contact Danica Loftin, sales and marketing director, at 785-272-6510 or dloftin@pmma.org.◆

Presbyterian Manor Art is Ageless® exhibit and reception features senior artists Local senior artists will be celebrated April 19 through 23 at Topeka Presbyterian Manor, 4712 SW Sixth, as the community hosts its annual Art is Ageless® exhibit and continues to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Art is Ageless® program.

“It’s inspiring to see the beautiful pieces these seniors have created,” said Danica Loftin, marketing director. “The joy it brings to them and others is wonderful, and that’s something we want to celebrate and share with the entire Topeka community.”

Works will be on exhibit at the community for residents only.

The Art is Ageless exhibit will be held virtually on the community’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/ TopekaPresbyterianManor.

The first Art is Ageless calendar was published in 1981, featuring art from Presbyterian Manor community residents. Since then, the program has expanded to include a juried art competition open to all seniors age 65 and older.

Art is Ageless is a trademarked program of PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America). The program offers senior artists the opportunity to share and display their artwork and reaffirms the agelessness of human creativity.

Winning pieces at the community level move on to a masterpiece level judging to determine which pieces are featured in the annual calendar and note cards.

In addition to the residents-only exhibit, Topeka Presbyterian Manor also will hold a reception to announce the winners for their residents at 2 p.m. April 23 and will announce local winners on Facebook.

For more information about Art is Ageless, visit ArtIsAgeless. org. For more about Topeka Presbyterian Manor, visit TopekaPresbyterianManor.org or contact Danica Loftin at 785-2726510 or dloftin@pmma.org.

Topeka Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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4712 S.W. Sixth Ave. Topeka, KS 66606-2284 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

PMMA Founder’s Day honors its heroes and 72 years of heritage Employees of Topeka Presbyterian Manor will observe the founding of PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America) this month as the company salutes its heroes and heritage.

PMMA’s roots go back to 1947.

Alice Kalb, a widow from central Kansas, appealed to a Presbyterian Church organization to establish a home for seniors. Her vision laid the foundation for the first Presbyterian Manor community in Newton, Kan., and inspired others to do even more. Through the many decades, PMMA remained true to the spirit of Alice’s vision, providing

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quality senior services guided by Christian values.

Each Founder’s Day, staff members recommit to live our mission by signing the “WE PROMISE” board, which lists the pillars of the mission: respecting that seniors retain their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; assisting residents with specific needs; providing compassionate service; serving as a trusted resource; and advocating for seniors.

“Our nearly 2,000 employees view what they do as a calling,” said Bruce Shogren, president and CEO. “Our dedicated employees make it

possible for us to sustain PMMA’s mission, as well as its heritage. I believe Alice would be very proud.”

Alice Kalb’s dream has turned into a network of 15 senior living communities and two hospices across Kansas and Missouri. A new senior living community is under development in Colorado Springs.

PMMA remains true to its core and mission: to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

For more information about Topeka Presbyterian Manor, contact Danica Loftin, marketing director, at 785-272-6510 or dloftin@pmma.org. ◆