Topeka Presbyterian Manor
NOVEMBER 2019
For Kelvin Cameron, work is like coming home For environmental services and maintenance employee Kelvin Cameron his work at Topeka Presbyterian Manor is less like a job and more like helping out his family.
By Ellen Ryan for Next Avenue
Jane and John Doe knew they would trade in their four-bedroom family house someday for a smaller, more manageable home. But the couple put off downsizing until after retirement … then after their youngest’s wedding … then after a big vacation … then ….
“My objective is to give residents what they need and want,” Cameron said. “I try to take care of their problems—whether that’s patching holes, fixing lights or working on small plumbing issues. The residents are just like family. I have a lot of residents that really move me.” In addition to solving problems for residents, Cameron also fills in from time to time as a driver, helping residents get to appointments and events around town.
Don’t need to downsize yet? Great. Start now.
Kelvin Cameron
Along with the chance to help people, Cameron said he also appreciates the opportunity to learn new skills in his work. It’s rare, he said, that he doesn’t learn something at least every week— and given the chance, he’ll follow a plumber or electrician to the job site, hoping to pick up another skill. Cameron has been with the Presbyterian Manor for five years this month. He said it’s work that he’s grateful to have been given the chance to do. “I love my job,” Cameron said. “I mean I really love my job. The residents are awesome. I’m happy for the opportunity to learn. And the reward for me is the residents. If they’re happy, I’m happy.” ◆
Then John had a stroke. Suddenly Jane faced not just the immediate health crisis, but having to move their entire decades-old household into a one-level apartment within three weeks. Why no names on this story? Because it’s so common. “This happens all the time,” says Aida Middel, co-founder of Maryland’s Potomac Concierge, a company which handles downsizing, moving and organizing. DOWNSIZE - continued on page 2
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.
DOWNSIZE - continued from page 1
“All the time,” echoes Mike Gallagher of Smooth Transitions Denver, a downsizing and relocation firm. “The number one trick to downsizing is starting before you think you need to.” He and others mean months or years in advance, not weeks. This is a task that takes longer than you expect at every turn, but offers benefits to those who persist. “Don’t wait for a death, divorce or debt to occur,” advises Kim Lawrence, CEO of Seasoned Life Transitions, which handles
downsizing, appraisals and related work in Dallas and its northern suburbs. “Taking action now means more space, more freedom and more money.”
They don’t see what’s hidden, such as under-the-bed boxes, underthe-eaves storage, out-of-season clothing and everything stashed in the attic or cellar.
2 reasons to pre-downsize
2. You can avoid working under extreme deadline pressure. My own bugaboo is paper. I’ve got shelves and drawers and boxes of notes, copies, contracts, photos and media. And while entire files can often go into recycling, in other cases every single sheet is a separate decision. (“Some people have to touch each piece of paper because they’re afraid they’ll miss something,” says Middel.)◆
Pre-downsizing pays off for a wide range of reasons: strategic, physical, emotional and financial. Here are two of them: 1. Starting early shows you how much you own and hints at how much is ahead. “People forget what’s in their homes,” says Melanie Gibbons, co-owner of Cull & Tend, a Washington, D.C., home and move management service.
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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 | November 2019
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.