Topeka Community Matters May 2019

Topeka Presbyterian Manor

MAY 2019

PMMA unveils new logo, brand identity As an organization evolves and grows, so should brand awareness. In the past year, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America has embarked on a journey to create a brand image that could represent all its communities and provide greater brand awareness for the entire PMMA system.

The new mark had to reflect PMMA’s core values, mission and beliefs. It needed to be simple, but sophisticated enough to convey the high quality of care and service found in PMMA communities. It also needed to be practical, and demonstrate reliability and integrity. At its board meeting March 5, the PMMA Board of Trustees approved a new logo set for the PMMA system.

The new logo captures the spirit of our heritage and commitment to the future. The simplicity of the mark pays tribute to the original request from Alice Kalb to the Presbyterian Church. The upward “V” elements serve to remind us that our core purpose is to provide compassionate and caring services to better the lives of seniors.

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ABERDEEN VILLAGE A PMMA COMMUNITY

Logo examples

National Skilled Nursing Care Week We celebrate the many wonderful benefits of skilled nursing communities and their residents and staff members all year long, but especially during National Skilled Nursing Care Week May 12-18. This year’s national theme is “Live Soulfully,” which we capture through activities that will make you smile, laugh and enjoy those around you—all good for the soul!

Please join us for these activities: Monday – Mismatch day. Wear your most mismatched clothes.

Also, ice cream floats will be delivered by the Executive Director from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday – Dining services will pass out cookies for all shifts.

Wednesday – Tailgate party for all staff from 10:30 a.m. to around 2 p.m. Gifts and fun games for all who attend.

Thursday – Pie in the department manager’s face! Open to all staff and residents. From 2-3 p.m. on the deck outside the assisted living/ independent living dining room.

Come watch the leadership of Topeka Presbyterian Manor get pied!

Friday – Ice cream truck – HCC 1:30, assisted living/independent living, 2:15 p.m. open to all staff and residents. ◆

Topeka Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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The elements of the logo represent the three levels of living (independent, assisted and healthcare) or outstretched arms that protect and serve our residents. These elements are blue to suggest energy and action because it empowers residents to remain healthy, active and engaged.

It also underscores respect and understanding that seniors, as citizens and individuals, retain their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Military Appreciation Month We should honor, thank and remember our military men and women every day for the sacrifices they’ve made for our safety and freedoms. The month of May is set aside as Military Appreciation Month, and we recognize several observances including Memorial

Day, Armed Forces Day, and Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Thank you to all in our community who have served and those who have loved and supported someone who served. We remember with gratitude those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. ◆

The logo has three different diamond colors, utilizing colors from the previous PMMA logos.

The diamond elements sit atop the “V” elements to signify the core purpose of our organization. The PMMA gold diamond relates to the Presbyterian Manor gold standard for providing quality senior services; the purple diamond refers to the faith-based mission that is fulfilled daily by the staff members at each PMMA community; the Aberdeen green diamond refers to the commitment to healthy living through the intentional balance of physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual components of wellness.

Over the next several months, you will begin to see the new logos in our communications, advertising, and signage. We look forward to continuing to provide you with the quality senior services guided

by Christian values that you have come to expect. ◆

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 | May 2019

Honor the people who make our community great.

Make a gift to the Employee Scholarship Program today.

Stop by the front desk today for more information.

PMMA

Presbyterian Manors Of Mid-America

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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) organizaton.

To submit or suggest articles: cwatgen@PMMA.org Heather Pilkinton, executive director Chelsea Watgen, marketing director

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

16-Year-Old Author Writes Story of Love and Dementia

by Julie Pfitzinger for Next Avenue The subtitle for “Grandpa and Lucy,” a book by 16-year-old author Edie Weinstein, says it all: A Story About Love and Dementia. In this charming picture book, the main character, a young girl named Lucy, employs simple and loving gestures to strengthen the bond she has with her grandfather as signs of his Alzheimer’s disease begin to affect their close relationship.

Weinstein, who lives in St. Paul, Minn. and is a sophomore at Visitation High School, wrote the book for a Girl Scout Silver Award project during the summer after her eighth-grade year, following her participation in a Dementia Friends USA training session.

Dementia Friends The Dementia Friends USA program was originally launched by the Alzheimer’s Society of the United Kingdom, and is part of a global initiative to raise awareness about dementia and to empower those who participate in the training (either in person, as Weinstein did, or online) to take action in the community in large or small ways.

Dementia Friends Minnesota, an ACT on Alzheimer’s Initiative, has trained more than 15,000 Dementia Friends — which is about half the total number of Dementia Friends (30,381) nationwide. There is a training program for young people, ages 14-17, as well as a program for adults.

According to Meredith Hanley, director for Community Capacity Building with the National Association of Area Agencies

on Aging, and manager of the Dementia Friends USA program, teens become Dementia Friends for many reasons.

“Certainly some have a personal experience; others are connected with the programs as the result of an event at their school,” said Hanley.

The Dementia Friends program highlights five key messages, all of which Weinstein includes in her book: dementia is not a normal part of aging; dementia is caused by diseases of the brain; dementia is not just about having memory problems; it is possible to have a good quality of life with dementia and there’s more to a person than the dementia.

Telling the Story Although Weinstein has not experienced dementia in her own family, she said a close relationship with her late grandfather is what led her to base the story on the love between a granddaughter and grandfather.

“When I started to write the book, I spent time thinking about what a day would look like for someone who has dementia,” said Weinstein, who wrote the book at her kitchen table. “I came up with the idea about the situation (a wrong time for a movie, unexpected anger from Grandpa toward Lucy and Grandpa calling Lucy by her mother’s name) and wanted to show how a young person could work their way through it.”

An example that Lucy’s mother uses in the story to illustrate the thought

process of the girl’s grandfather is based on a lesson about a bookshelf that Weinstein learned in Dementia Friends training.

Weinstein writes: “Think of it this way. Grandpa’s brain is like a bookshelf. All the old memories, like his army memories and his childhood memories, are at the bottom, and the new ones, like what time the movie is or what he had for breakfast today, are at the top.”

From there, the story shifts to another visit where Lucy brings an old photo album to show her grandfather, leading him to share fond recollections about his childhood, and a Frank Sinatra CD, which results in an impromptu dance session. Both of these offer simple ways for the pair to connect and enjoy their time together.

Drawing Grandpa and Lucy When it came to illustrating her story, Weinstein took a unique approach. Saying, “I’ve always been a writer, but I’m not much of an artist,” she gathered six of her talented grade-school friends, young women and men, and asked them to help her create the pictures.

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Topeka Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY

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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.

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as they came up with the final illustrations. The collaborative task, led by Weinstein, was an additional component needed for the Girl Scout award. All of the young artists are listed on the book cover as contributors.

A Caring Heart Meghan Constantini, coordinator for the St. Paul Neighborhoods ACT on Alzheimer’s organization, says that Weinstein’s book is making an impact.

Artist Pauline Knittle won Best in Show for her entry, “Fuchsia Spring,” at this year’s Art is Ageless® competition.

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COMMUNITY MATTERS | May 2019

“Edie took what she learned after becoming a Dementia Friend and translated it into a beautiful story,” said Constantini, adding the book has been shared by Weinstein in groups of people with dementia whose faces “light up” when they hear Grandpa and Lucy. ◆