Topeka Community Matters January 2020

Topeka Presbyterian Manor

JANUARY 2020

Bruce Shogren, PMMA president and CEO, left, and Bill Taylor, PMMA COO, right, present Heather Pilkinton, executive director, with an Emerald Award certificate at a banquet November 13.

Topeka Presbyterian Manor honored for achievements Topeka Presbyterian Manor received a certificate of recognition from PMMA (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America) for reaching goals in fiscal year 2019, covering the months of July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, at a banquet November 13 in Wichita, Kan. The recognition came through PMMA’s Emerald Awards Program, designed to encourage its 16 locations and 2 hospices to achieve high levels of resident and employee satisfaction, meet financial goals, build philanthropic support for the organization’s mission and meet marketing goals. There are 11 areas measured for the Emerald Awards.

To receive an emerald, a community has to meet its goals in all 11 areas.

Certificates of recognition were given out to communities that reached their goals in one or more category.

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‘New Year, New You’ nutrition spotlight with Tara Schooler, R.D.

“It’s important to have a good relationship with food—to eat healthfully, but also to enjoy the food you love,” said Tara Schooler, the registered dietitian for Topeka Presbyterian Manor.

“People can have a lot of guilt around food, which can make them feel bad when they shouldn’t feel bad.”

A graduate of Kansas State University, Tara worked as a food service director for Silver Lake Public Schools before joining Topeka Presbyterian Manor two years ago. She chose her field because she wanted to work with nutrition and food while also interacting with people.

For those looking to improve their SCHOOLER - continued on page 2

Topeka Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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SCHOOLER - continued from page 1

nutrition in the new year, Tara advises baby steps.

Are you considering making a nutrition-related new year’s resolution?

Here are a few of Tara’s suggestions:

“I would recommend making small changes a little bit at a time, and build on changes as you go,” Tara said. “Don’t try to change your lifestyle in one day, because that’s setting yourself up for failure.”

• Increase the amount of water you drink.

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“This recognition is a visible sign of Topeka Presbyterian Manor’s commitment to the mission of PMMA of providing quality senior services guided by Christian values,” said Bruce Shogren, chief executive

Topeka Presbyterian Manor was recognized with an Emerald Award for reaching skilled nursing resident satisfaction goals.

• Eat fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors.

• Choose a variety of foods to eat.

• Concentrate on enjoying your food.

“Obviously, nutrition is important,” Tara said. “It affects both your body and your mind.”

If you want to be healthier in the new year, consider adopting one of Tara’s suggestions. Start small, and slowly build new nutritious habits. ◆

officer for PMMA. PMMA has been providing quality senior services guided by Christian values in Kansas and Missouri for more than 70 years. ◆

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TOPEKA Presbyterian Manor

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 2020

Community Matters

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.

Pass along traditions with a family cookbook

By Brette Sember for Next Avenue

Nearly everyone can share a favorite food memory; whether it’s all of the components of the family’s traditional Thanksgiving meal or Grandma’s molasses cookie recipe or Dad’s famous waffles.

Gathering these beloved memories together can be a true labor of love.

A family cookbook preserves special family recipes, passing them down to future generations. Family cookbooks are popular for family reunions, weddings, and holidays.

Virginie Martocq, owner of HeritageCookbook.com, says they are also common “when someone in the family has passed, as a way to remember all the times that were shared at that person’s table.” Cookbooks are also made as graduation presents or for children setting out on their own; “it feels like bringing home with them,” Martocq says.

Interested in creating your own family cookbook? Here are some suggestions: Getting started Creating a family cookbook is a real project and for success, treat it seriously. Chip Lowell co-owns The Family Cookbook Project and says the first step is choosing a “go-getter” as the editor who will get the project going, ask for submissions, choose recipes and get the book published.

Next, determine the number of recipes you’re aiming for. Lowell says 100 to 150 is a good number.

Set a deadline for submissions.

Invite family to participate and send deadline reminders.

Michelle Clark, 59, of Wellfleet, Mass., created a family cookbook as a wedding gift for her brother and sister-inlaw and invited the wedding guests to contribute recipes. She set a deadline, but had to extend it by a month for procrastinators.

Choosing the recipes Deciding which recipes to include can be challenging. Lowell says, “Family favorites that folks always ask about are typically the first choice.”

Food historian Sarah Wassberg Johnson suggests prioritizing recipes from deceased or older family members. “There’s nothing sadder than a ‘famous’ family recipe that dies when the person who made it does,” she says.

She also recommends including recipes family members make frequently, as well as those that are featured at special meals like holidays.

“Cookie or other dessert recipes are especially good, because people are more likely to follow an exact recipe when it comes to the science of baked goods,” Wassberg Johnson says. “The ones to avoid are the super-fancy or trendy recipes that you only made once or twice or are very complicated.”

Martocq notes that most family cookbooks are heavy on baked goods, but says that’s not a bad thing. “A family cookbook should really be a reflection of the foods you love best, so it’s not important

for it to be well-rounded,” she says.

Duplicate recipes can pose a challenge. Clark had several people send in duplicates and she had to decide which person to credit. “I usually gave credit to whoever had fewer recipes,” she says. Another option is to list everyone who submitted the recipe.

Sharing stories of the recipes A simple way to organize your book is by food type, but don’t be afraid to get creative.

Ellen Hester, 73, of Monroe, Ga., began her family cookbook when her daughter requested recipes from her childhood. Hester gathered recipes and started to write the stories that went with them. “The stories began flowing, and I recognized a pattern,” she says.

Hester told the stories in chronological order, which coincided with the places they lived. She named each story after where they lived at the time: “Table in Cairo,” “Table in Albany,” “Table in Monroe.” She placed the recipes in a separate section (sorted by type) and cross-referenced their pages whenever she mentioned a recipe in a story. ◆

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TOPEKA Presbyterian Manor

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

Our Mission: to provide quality senior services guided

by Christian values Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.

We welcome your feedback!

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As part of Topeka Presbyterian Manor’s ongoing customer service initiative, residents and their representatives are randomly selected to participate in telephone satisfaction surveys conducted by Pinnacle Quality Insight.

This company will conduct an interview regarding your impression of our service. We use this feedback as a tool to continually improve our quality of care and enhance our relationships.

When you are contacted to participate in the survey, they will always identify themselves

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We Score!

Source: Pinnacle Quality Insight (12 month ave. Aug. 2018 – Sept. 2019)

4.84

4.72

4.77

5.00

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Dignity & Respect HEALTH CARE

Personalized Transportation Recommend to Others Care Needs ASSISTED LIVING

specifically as being with Pinnacle Quality Insight.

All state and federal confidentiality laws are met in Pinnacle’s service.

The graphic above features some of our best scores for health care,

COMMUNITY MATTERS | January 2020

INDEPENDENT LIVING

PATH

assisted living, independent living and PATH® (Post-Acute to Home) short-term rehabilitation. We greatly value your opinions and encourage you to be frank and honest when contacted. Thank you in advance for your participation. ◆