Topeka Community Matters January 2019

Commun ty Matters Topeka Presbyterian Manor

January 2019

For Randy Lemmons, work is a mission more than a position Topeka Presbyterian Manor on U.S. News and World Report Best ShortStay Rehab list Topeka Presbyterian Manor is on the new U.S. News and World Report Best Short-Stay Rehabs 2018-19 list. The senior living community received the highest score of High Performing to make the list, available at www.usnews.com/ best-nursing-homes/search.

New this year is a Short-Stay Rehabilitation rating evaluating the care delivered to patients after a hospitalization for surgery, heart attack, stroke or similar condition.

To be eligible for a short-stay rating, a center’s performance on at least one outcome measure and data on either physical therapy time or RN and total nurse staffing must have been available from CMS. Outcome measures included the LIST, continued on page 4

From retail to a publications company, Randy Lemmons has worked a wide variety of positions. But as Topeka Presbyterian Manor’s new activities assistant, he can say this is a mission.

“This truly gives me an opportunity for ministry. My favorite part of the job is interacting with residents individually.

They took me in quickly and gave me such a warm welcome.”

Randy’s own mother will soon be looking for a senior living community, and he hopes she finds a new home here.

Randy Lemmons

“You can’t work somewhere like here if you don’t like people. Everyone that works here loves interacting with the residents, and that makes it a great place to live.”

In addition to just simply enjoying conversing with residents, Randy knows how truly important it is.

“It’s an opportunity to be an outside contact. Several residents ask me daily, ‘What’s the weather doing?’ They just want to talk with someone who’s been outside, someone willing to talk to them and listen to them. It helps them still feel valuable, valid.”

When Randy isn’t making friends at Topeka Presbyterian Manor, he enjoys singing karaoke and playing pool, in addition to making and playing Native American flutes.

“I have a Native American heritage, and I enjoy sharing the music with others. I’ve also enjoyed singing with the residents. It blesses me to be able to serve the residents here. It’s truly a calling.”

Bruce Shogren, president and CEO of PMMA, left, and Bill Taylor, chief operating officer for PMMA, right, present Heather Pilkinton, executive director, with a certificate for reaching assisted living and skilled nursing resident satisfaction goals in FY2018.

Community Matters

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

Heather Pilkinton, executive director Chelsea Watgen, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Chelsea Watgen, marketing director, cwatgen@pmma.org.

Telephone: 785-272-6510 Fax: 785-272-0496 Address: 4712 S.W. Sixth Ave., Topeka, KS 66606-2284 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.

TopekaPresbyterianManor.org

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Community Matters January 2019

Topeka Presbyterian Manor honored for achievements Topeka Presbyterian Manor received a certificate of recognition from Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica for reaching goals in fiscal year 2018, covering the months of July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018.

The recognition came through PMMA’s Emerald Awards Program, designed to encourage its 17 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.

Topeka was recognized for reaching assisted living and skilled nursing resident satisfaction goals.

“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 officer for PMMA. Like us on Facebook

The gift of making a video biography

By Debbie Musser, Next Avenue

Seymour and Angel Newman light up as they talk about their daughters, Shoshana and Raphaela.

“The best thing that ever happened to my life was those two girls,” Seymour said. Angel added, “They both have such good hearts. They’re such good children.”

This snippet is one of many touching moments in a 90-minute video biography, a visually captivating film featuring highlights from an interview with the couple, edited and woven together with family photos, memorabilia and music.

Knowing that her father was ill (he was battling cancer), the couple’s daughter, Raphaela Stern of Skokie, Ill., hired Susan Saunders, owner of Family Line Video in Chicago, to capture her parents’ story.

“My father was at a great point physically, so I wanted to capture whatever we could,” said Stern.

Seymour passed away about two months after the interview, and the film was completed this past spring.

Bringing history to life Saunders began planning for her video biography business back in 2006, inspired by a graduate school experience interviewing older adults.

“I just fell in love with it, listening to their stories coming out,” said Saunders. “They clearly enjoyed being asked those questions and the families loved getting the audio transcripts. But I wanted them Like us on Facebook

to have a visual experience too, and wanted it to be personal by including family photos that tell the stories to bring some of this history to life.”

about parents/grandparents/greatgrandparents.

“A lot of clients say, ‘You won’t get anything out of him’ but that’s not the case; a flood of memories After two years of learning how just comes out,” she said. “I enjoy to film and edit, Saunders hung watching people come into the her shingle out in 2008, when the room a little nervous and watching market crashed. them leave tripping down memory lane. And I love the creative aspect “It was a little slow start, but back — the editing and incorporating then it was hard to find someone historical photos and items like birth who did something similar,” she said. and marriage certificates.”

“My goal is for the family to feel like this person is talking directly For Stern, her parents’ video is a to them, with their expressions and true gift. “It’s hard to put into words personalities. I describe it as a family because it captures a lifetime,” she documentary video.” Saunders said. “Susan interviewed my father offers four packages, ranging from and my mother separately and one $950 to $3,800. other time together. It’s so nice to have; watching it is very comforting Tripping down memory lane to me. And after my mother — who was adamant about not wanting to Saunders’ interviews are typically three hours, starting with questions do it — saw it, she was so happy we about childhood memories and did it.”

Topeka Presbyterian Manor

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Topeka Presbyterian Manor 4712 S.W. Sixth Ave. Topeka, KS 66606-2284 Return Service Requested

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percentages of short-stay patients who were rehospitalized within 30 days, had an emergency room visit within 30 days and were successfully discharged to their home or community.

Topeka and Wichita in Kansas and Farmington in Missouri were named Sign up to receive our High Performing in the new Shortnewsletter by email. Visit Stay category. The three were among TopekaPresbyterianManor.org 736 communities that received the and enter your email High Performing designation in both address in the subscription categories.

box. It’s that easy!

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Community Matters January 2019

All Medicare- and Medicaid-

certified health care centers were evaluated by U.S. News. To be eligible for an overall rating, a center must have received an overall star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in July 2018 and a staffing star rating in either April or July 2018.

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/faq-how-we-ratenursing-homes.

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