Topeka Community Matters March 2015

Commun ty Matters Topeka Presbyterian Manor

March 2015

Giving is a hallmark of PMMA’s history Generous donations and local relationships are the hallmarks of Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica. We often recall the story of Alice Kalb, who at 90 traveled to a 1947 Presbyterian Synod of Kansas meeting to ask for a retirement community in Kansas.

According to Edwin Shafer, senior vice president of development, what Mrs. Kalb basically told the Synod was: “If I give you all the money I have, will you build a home for the aging?”

Her heart-felt offer symbolized the plight of a growing number of seniors in need of the church’s help.

Kalb’s initiative led a farmer from Wakarusa, Kan., to bequeath his farm to the new project. The sale of that land upon his death provided the funds for the first building of Newton Presbyterian Manor.

Today, philanthropy at PMMA is evidenced through community partnerships, capital campaigns, Good Samaritan Program giving, special projects campaigns, and planned giving through wills, trusts and charitable gift annuities.

Many of PMMA’s 18 communities were opened with the help of local fundraising campaigns.

GIVING, continued on page 5

Spring brings fond memories John and Betty Goodin recall greenhouse business and more Located on the 2400 block of south Kansas Avenue, Wilson’s Greenhouse and Flower Shop was a Topeka staple for 30 years. Topeka Presbyterian Manor residents John and Betty Goodin fondly recall the many years they spent working hard to bring beautiful flowers, robust fruit and vegetable plants, and other natural delights to the community.

“I was born and raised on a farm, so I knew how to grow things,” said John. “We had a good business.”

Initially, the greenhouse temperatures were regulated using coal-powered heaters, but after the first year’s shipment of three railroad cars (with 30 tons of coal each), they decided gas heat was the better alternative. It was a bit dicey at first in the late 1940s when the gas lines weren’t as reliable as they should have been.

“One winter, the gas lines had to be shut off. It was too cold. That was hard,” John said.

SPRING continued on page 2

SPRING continued from page 1

John and Betty forged ahead, though, and even instilled a love of the floral arts in their daughter Charlotte, who went on to open Char’s Flower Shop in the Holiday Square Shopping Center, which was open for 30 years.

Their other daughter, Sue, went to Emporia State, where she pursued her degree in teaching. Spring was always a busy time for the family, and everyone got involved.

March 8, 2015

to grocery stores and the like. We just couldn’t compete, so we decided to get out of the business,” said John.

John and Betty stayed just as busy once they got out of the greenhouse business though. John held a position working as a repairman for the board of education, skills he’d learned beginning on the farm, to his time running the greenhouse, and even his time having served during WWII in the Air Force. “I was in the 497th in Saipan. They decided that if I could work on tractors and cars, I could work on planes,” said John.

“We’d have everything, really.

Petunias, tomatoes, lillies for Easter, roses, and we’d even have poinsettias Even after John retired from his for the Christmas holiday,” John position with the school board, he said. still didn’t slow down. He formed Asset Builders, a home repair and Eventually, rising gas prices remodeling company and didn’t created a financial hardship for the officially retire for another 17 years. greenhouse, which relied on yearround temperature control.

John and Betty will celebrate 77 years of marriage in May, and we’re “A company came in that was based honored that they call Presbyterian in the Southwest, where they didn’t Manor home. have to worry as much about heat.

They’d ship in their flowers directly “We’re taken good care of here,” John said.

Entry deadline: March 13

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Community Matters March 2015

7 easy ways to build strong bones, inside and out

By Linda Melone

Bone building reaches a peak during adolescence but then slows after age 25. In addition to this natural bone loss, we’re less likely to perform high-impact, bone-stimulating exercises (such as jumping) after age 50. This adds up to an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone breaks and fractures.

Fortunately, you can build stronger bones at any age.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion shows that people who jumped 10 times twice daily increased bone density by .5 percent compared with those who didn’t and lost about 1.3 percent. (Note: the study did not include women with osteoporosis; jumping is not recommended in cases of weak bones.)

Experts offer these seven easy tips for men and women to keep bones strong throughout their lives: 1. Snack on yogurt and other calcium-rich foods. Including yogurt, cottage cheese and other low-fat dairy foods adds bonestrengthening calcium to your diet.

“In addition to dairy products,

choose fish with bones such as salmon, sardines or whitebait,” says registered dietitian Laura Jeffers.

For additional benefits, serve these foods with a side of dark leafy green vegetables or broccoli, which also contain calcium. Other bonebuilding snacks include almonds, dried figs, calcium-fortified tofu and, if you prefer non-dairy, soy milk.

2. Take a hike. Try to engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, by jogging, brisk walking or aerobics — at whatever level of ability, says Susan Randall, of the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). “As you build stamina, increase the duration and intensity of your exercise,” she says.

BONES, continued on page 4

Glen Campbell documentary showing Topeka Presbyterian Manor was one of three not-for-profit retirement communities sponsoring a showing of “I’ll Be Me,” a documentary about Glen Campbell’s journey through Alzheimer’s disease. Forty residents, family members and employees attended the Jan. 20 showing.

LeadingAge Kansas facilitated the event. It is the state association for nonprofit retirement communities, and Presbyterian Manor is a member. Campbell’s last song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” was written and performed by him for his last music video, and is nominated for an Oscar.

Event Calendar March 17: St. Patrick’s Day Party

March 25: “Passion Play” at Fairlawn Nazarene Church TBD: Prairie Band Casino Topeka Presbyterian Manor

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BONES, continued from page 3

To see real improvements in bone density, you need to push your intensity, says Cleveland Clinic physical therapist Maribeth Gibbon.

“Increasing your pace for short intervals or going up and down hills will place appropriate forces on your bones.”

Alternate higher-intensity exercises two to three days a week with lower-intensity activities four to five days a week for best results.

3. Lift weights. “All women begin to lose bone mass after menopause,” says Randall, “so the stronger the muscle and the stronger the bone mass before menopause, the better.”

Men should lift weights, too.

Resistance exercise requires muscular strength, which improves muscle mass and strengthens and supports bone. Examples of resistance training tools include free weights, wrist weights, weighted vests, exercise bands and resistance machines found at gyms and health clubs. Strive for two to three resistance training workouts a week.

4. Consider a supplement.Your calcium needs increase with age, making it a challenge to take in enough calcium through food alone.

The U.S. recommended daily allowance for calcium is 1,000 mg a day during your 20s, 30s and 40s.

After menopause, most women need 1,000 to 1,500 mg a day unless they take hormone therapy, says Jeffers.

Men between 50 and 70 years old need 1,000 mg a day; men over 70 need 1,200 mg.

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Community Matters March 2015

“And since your body absorbs only 500 mg of calcium at a time, divide your dosages out over the course of the day,” Jeffers says. Check with your doctor before starting supplements to find out what amount is right for you.

5. Take a daily “D.” To help absorb calcium, most adults need 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily, says Dr. Andrea Sikon of Cleveland Clinic. “Combined calcium-vitamin D pills usually do not meet this requirement. And most of us who live north of Atlanta do not get enough vitamin D the oldfashioned way — from the sun.

Taking a vitamin D supplement ensures you meet your daily needs.”

Even if you take medications such as bisphosphonates (e.g. Fosamax), you still need vitamin D and calcium as building blocks, says Sikon.

6. Stomp your feet. Similar to the noted benefits of jumping for bone density, simply stomping your feet can also help increase bone density in your hips, says Gibbon.

“Do four stomps on each foot twice a day with enough pressure to crush a can,” she says.

Make it a habit to stomp on cans before you toss them into the recycle bin.

Gibbon recommends performing exercise that is site-specific, meaning it must target the areas most prone to fracture: spine, hips and wrists. Push-ups and

planks work the wrists and the NOF recommends these exercises to target the spine.

7. Stretch it out. Round out your workouts with stretching to help avoid a hunched-over posture down the road. “Posture, balance, flexibility, and spine strengthening exercises can help you with better alignment of your body now and in the future,” says Randall.

Lengthening tight muscles reduces back pain and promotes good spinal mechanics and posture, says Gibbon.

Muscles that are commonly tight include those you use to arch your back (spinal extensors); raise and rotate your shoulders (shoulder elevators and external rotators); lift your knees (hip flexors) and pull your feet toward your body (ankle dorsiflexor).

Perform stretches slowly and smoothly, “to a point of stretch, not pain,” Gibbon advises. For maximum benefit, do stretches once or twice a day, holding each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.

Copyright© 2014 Next Avenue, a division of Twin Cities Public Television, Inc.

GIVING, from page 1

There were donations of land for the Clay Center, Fort Scott, Olathe and Topeka locations. In addition, coalitions of citizens, churches and business leaders raised money for buildings in the Dodge City, Emporia, Parsons and Rolla.

Through the years, capital campaigns have enabled PMMA communities to continue expanding services and remodeling campuses.

Over the past eight years, Shafer said, there have been four capital campaigns. Ark City added a memory care assisted living neighborhood, and Clay Center added health care rooms and space for dining and activities. Newton

created several neighborhoods at the health care level, and Rolla added assisted living rooms and a community meeting room.

Good Samaritan Program PMMA’s Good Samaritan Benevolent Care Program provides close to $4 million a year to touch the lives of nearly 400 residents, Shafer said. Mailings are sent throughout the year to enlist support from friends.

The Good Samaritan Program allows residents to remain in their apartments even after they have exhausted their financial resources.

A similar mail solicitation is conducted in late summer/early fall

to benefit the Employee Scholarship Fund, which reimburses employees for tuition for approved classes.

Some campuses have special event fundraising programs.

For example, a couple of months ago, Lawrence’s soft-serve ice cream machine, donated to the Manor 15 years ago, could no longer be repaired. To meet this need, residents kicked off a campaign to raise the money for a replacement.

In a matter of two weeks, they reached the $15,000 goal.

For more information about planned giving, contact Ed Shafer at eshafer@pmma.org or 800-336-8511.

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Coming Up in Community Matters Community Matters will focus on Older American’s Month in an upcoming issue. The 2015 theme is “Getting into the Act.” How were you involved in your community?

Did you serve in public office or otherwise participate in civic government?

What was your experience like?

If you have a story to tell, contact Activities Director Jeanne Bird to share your idea.Your story may be selected for the next issue of your community newsletter.

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Community Matters March 2015

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