Wichita Presbyterian Manor
MAY 2021
Just before the “anniversary” of the pandemic, Westerly resident Margo Imes posted a poem outside her apartment that reflected her feelings about the whole business. It was the third poem Margo has shared with her neighbors over the past few months. Marlene and Dean Stine live in the assisted living neighborhood at Wichita Presbyterian Manor. They have been members of our community since January 2016.
Korean War veteran spent his service aboard destroyers
After enlisting in the Navy, Dean Stine spent 24 weeks learning how to run sonar, a technique that uses soundwaves to detect objects underwater. Not long after, Dean was aboard the USS Shields, a Fletcher-class destroyer. The ship was about 375 feet long and some 275 personnel were aboard during the war. They slept in compact aluminum bunks that were stacked three high. Dean had enlisted with three of his classmates from Edna (Kan.) High School. Two of them were also stationed on the destroyer, which spent time near the 39th Parallel, which divided North and South Korea. “We would run sonar in order to spot mines in the harbor,” Dean said. “If you hit a mine, it would blow the front of your ship off.” VETERAN – continued on page 5
Westerly resident shares ‘pandemic poetry’ with her neighbors When a pandemic hit, Margo Imes opened her notebook, just as she had many times before when she had a story to tell. As usual, her thoughts took the form of poetry. The Westerly resident has shared three “pandemic poems” with her neighbors by posting them outside the apartment where she lives with her husband, Vern. A poem Margo shared earlier this year addresses the significance POETRY - continued on page 2
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POETRY - continued from page 1
of a whole year with COVID-19, and Margo’s utter lack of interest in celebrating such an occasion. This sentiment is reflected in the title, “There Won’t Be Cake.” It ends with the lines, “You know I’m really waiting/To give lockdown the boot!” A humorous approach is emblematic of cowboy poetry, a genre Margo explored at great length for two decades. But when the Imeses moved to town in 2008, Margo retired as a cowboy poet. She continued to write other kinds of poetry, a form she appreciates for the way it distills complicated ideas
into their simplest form.
There won’t be cake
“I take all of my thoughts and feelings and put them into the fewest number of words,” she said.
There’s an anniversary coming,
Margo’s subject matter has always reflected her environment. “I write about all kinds of subjects, and of course with our COVID lockdown on everybody’s minds, that’s what I’ve written about over the past several months,” Margo said. The poems have drawn a great deal of comments and a few requests for copies. Margo said her neighbors told her she expressed exactly how they felt. For example:
But I won’t celebrate An entire year of lockdown Since the Manor shut the gate. We’ve missed our family happenings, Birthdays have come and gone; We couldn’t share the joys of birth, Nor mingle tears with those who mourn. So for this date that’s looming I just can’t care a hoot— You know I’m really waiting
To give lockdown the boot! ◆
COVID-19 updates continue
Get the latest updates on visitation, ongoing safety measures and PMMA’s response to COVID-19 on your community website at WichitaPresbyterianManor.org/ covid-19. Visitation status is updated weekly on Mondays and as needed as our COVID status changes. Send an Art is Ageless® e-card for Mother’s Day using the link on the COVID-19 Updates page. May is also National Nurses’ Week, May 6 through 12. Send a note of appreciation to a special nurse using a Thank You e-card or one of the blank Art is Ageless e-cards. ◆
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Community Matters 316-942-7456 ◆ Fax: 316-941-3806 4700 W. 13th St. Wichita, KS 67212-5575 WichitaPresbyterianManor.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | May 2021
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.
To submit or suggest articles: awatson@PMMA.org Amy Watson, life enrichment dir. Courtney Wolfe, executive director Stephanie Bergmann, marketing dir. Cherree Hudspeth, health care sales and marketing
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Celebrating Kansas by Car: Ellinwood By Stephanie Bergmann, independent living marketing and sales director
Just like in the days of Prohibition, the best kept secrets (and the most fun) are often found underground! That’s certainly true in the town of Ellinwood — home to the ultimate man cave. In the 1870s, German settlers dug tunnels that housed all of the men’s businesses, or at least those deemed “not fit for a lady.” Saloons, brothels, a barbershop, and a blacksmith all operated under the main streets of Ellinwood. Local historians have recreated a few of the businesses and offer a fascinating walking tour. My family enjoyed learning about
the barber, who doubled as a dentist and surgeon, performing tonsillectomies and using leeches to treat certain ailments. The bathhouse also made us laugh, with several metal tubs lined up and a sign advertising a discount on “used water!” The harness shop displays many of the tools from that era, like a beaded shawl for horses that would swing as they walked to shoo away flies. The tunnels also run under the Historic Wolf Hotel, which has been lovingly restored by owner Chris McCord. Visitors can stay overnight in one of five rooms decorated with vintage furniture. They can enjoy a period-style lunch on Sundays or sample a
Prohibition-era cocktail in the speakeasy, aptly named The Underground. Customers use code words like “juice” to order beer, “lemonade” for wine, and “coffee” for whiskey. McCord has also preserved three other historic buildings in Ellinwood, including the Rice County jail. While the upstairs still has the original cell blocks, he converted the ground floor into a hotel property called The Slammer! Even kids will find all this history fun! Ellinwood is just over 100 miles from Wichita, less than two hours by car, and tours run $6–$12 per person. Call 620-617-6915 for reservations. ◆
Take a jaunt to Ellinwood and tour its underground tunnels, which once held bustling businesses thought better kept underground. Modern visitors can take a history tour or order a drink in the speakeasy under the historic Wolf Hotel. Wichita Presbyterian Manor | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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How naps can keep you happy and healthy By Barbra Williams Cosentino for Next Avenue
I love napping. I’ve been known to fall asleep on a jerking, lurching New York City subway train. I once slept through the clanging bells of a college fire drill. My greatest pleasure is swinging in a hammock, gently lulled into oblivion until I’m asleep like a very contented baby. Bestselling author Sarah Ban Breathnach wrote, “We sleep to recharge our bodies. We nap to care for our souls.” And the best news is that not only do naps feel good, but they are (mostly) good for you. The National Sleep Foundation Sleep Health Index 2014 reported that 53 percent of adults nap regularly, defined as napping at least once every week. Men tend to nap more often than women. Older people and retired individuals are also more frequent nappers. There are several types of naps: • Recovery naps, sometimes called replacement naps, make up for lost sleep. • Planned prophylactic naps, taken when you anticipate losing sleep, prepare you for a late night out. • Appetitive naps (my favorite) are taken just for the sheer joy of it! Why nap? Naps increase energy, improve reaction time and reduce daytime sleepiness. They lower stress and help to regulate mood, reducing anxiety and depression and inducing relaxation. They enhance creativity, increase productivity, boost problem-solving abilities and improve many cognitive abilities.
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | May 2021
“Naps are beneficial for memory because the brain is ‘offline,’ not taking in any new information, yet is actively consolidating memories,” says Marissa Bowman, a doctoral student in the ClinicalHealth Psychology program at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on sleep disturbances. The science of sleep There are four stages of sleep. Stage one, the transition between wakefulness and sleep, is only five to 10 minutes, during which time eye movements and heart rate begin to slow.
ln stage two, which lasts for 15 to 25 minutes, brain waves and heart rate decrease further, and body temperature begins to drop. But it is still a light sleep from which you can easily be awakened. During stage three, 45 to 90 minutes after falling asleep, blood pressure drops and the brain begins to produce slower brain waves known as delta waves. If someone (or an alarm clock) wakes you during this stage, you’re probably going to be groggy, disoriented and cranky, a state called “sleep inertia.” Stage four, also known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, is reached about 75 to 90 minutes after sleep begins. In REM sleep, heart rate and blood pressure rise, eyeball movement increases and dreaming occurs. According to the National Institutes of Health, individuals over about age 60 show reduced amounts of slow-wave (deep) sleep and a
shortened time spent in REM sleep, a critical stage when the brain replenishes itself and processes and stores information. As we get older, there are more episodes of nighttime waking and earlier morning awakening. Can you compensate for this with a daytime nap? A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that, depending on its length and timing, a nap can help to increase total sleep time without affecting nighttime sleep quality or duration, and provides measurable cognitive benefits. Wondering how long a snooze to take? “Power naps,” 20 to 30 minutes long, allow you to wake up refreshed and rejuvenated, giving you added pep on a day when you’re dragging. “The duration and timing of what is sometimes called a ‘strategic nap’ is important,” says Bowman. “We want to minimize the effect the nap will have on circadian rhythms and your ability to sleep at night. The best time is usually early afternoon, when bodies are programmed to need sleep and you might naturally feel a dip in your alertness.” ◆
VETERAN – continued from page 1
Dean and his shipmates managed to keep the USS Shields out of harm’s way, both from submerged mines as well as the return fire they were under. It was these “close calls” Dean remembers most. More than 30,000 American service members died in the conflict. They included Wayne Hittle, Dean’s brother-in-law and high school classmate.
Another of the USS Shields’ tasks was to rescue pilots who had to bail out into the ocean when their aircraft were too damaged to land on a carrier. Dean took comfort in knowing he had helped save the lives of other pilots. When the war ended in 1953, Dean remained stationed on the USS Shields, which participated in antisubmarine warfare exercises off the coasts of Japan and Okinawa, then conducted training with the Chinese naval forces. Dean and
his fellow sailors visited Hong Kong three times when it was still a British colony. He concluded his service on the USS Henderson, another destroyer. Dean and Marlene Stine were high school sweethearts who married while Dean was on leave. When the USS Henderson docked in the San Diego pier, Marlene was waiting to go to the hospital. The Stines’ first child was born a few hours later. ◆
Pinnacle Quality Insight survey results
As part of Wichita 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. The graphic highlights some of the survey results. All scores are given on a 5-point scale, with 5 being the highest score and 1 the lowest score. Between February 2020 and
January 2021, Wichita Presbyterian Manor residents and their families gave the community high scores in offering safety and security, demonstrating dignity and respect, and cleanliness. In addition, residents and families also reported a high willingness to recommend the community to others. “I love the quietness that we have here. They are great to us,” one respondent said. “I have never met
one person here that I did not like.” We greatly value the opinions of our residents and their representatives about the care and services we provide, and we encourage them to participate honestly when contacted by Pinnacle Quality Insight. All state and federal confidentiality laws are met in Pinnacle’s service. ◆
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4700 W. 13th St. Wichita, KS 67212-5575 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Changes are coming
Starting in July 2021, the Community Matters newsletter will transition to a fully electronic newsletter. To receive the newsletter by email, visit WichitaPresbyterianManor.org and use the sign-up form on the lower portion of the homepage to sign up for regular monthly delivery of the newsletter in your inbox. Residents may still receive a hard copy upon request through the Administrative office. ◆
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | May 2021
PEOPLE GIVING TO PEOPLE
An update on how gifts are changing lives in PMMA communities
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE A donor's story
We often hear from donors, "I wish I could do more to support the PMMA mission." Many are surprised to discover that through estate planning, they can have a tremendous philanthropic impact on PMMA’s future, while still caring for their own financial needs along the way.
Karen Smith (right), an independent living resident at The Westerly on PMMA’s Wichita campus, plans to give back to the place that has meant so much to her during retirement. Karen made provisions in her will to benefit Wichita Presbyterian Manor.
“When I came here in 2015, they promised I would be cared for, for the rest of my life, even if I ran out of money,” Karen said. “I have saved all my life, but I am not a millionaire, and that security has been a comfort. I decided that leaving my estate to Wichita Presbyterian Manor was a good option. I want to leave anything I have left to someone else who came here with the promise of being cared for, for the rest of their life.”
Karen’s estate planning still leaves her plenty of options while she is living.
“There is not a restriction as to how I spend,” she said. “I started traveling, took a break during the pandemic, and plan to start up again when it is safe. This is a good time in my life.”
Karen, a retired nurse practitioner, began envisioning what she wanted life to be like in retirement while she was still in the throes of her career. After discovering Wichita Presbyterian Manor, she knew it would be the right place to live out the rest of her life.
While many of Karen’s activities were put on hold during the pandemic, she also knew that living at PMMA meant there was help if she needed it. She would be safe and cared for, no matter what.
“I don’t have any children and I have too many nieces and nephews to count,” Karen said. “I didn’t want anyone to have to take care of Aunt Karen. At PMMA, I have independence. Everyone I need is here, everything I need is here.”
Spring 2021
(continued)
WHY IS HE SMILING?
He just gave a tax free gift to PMMA.
He is over 70 1/2 and eligible to give a tax free gift from his IRA to support his favorite non-profit, Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America (PMMA)!
A gift from your IRA is tax free if... You are over 70 1/2 You need to meet your required minimum distribution for 2021 You make a charitable gift directly from your IRA to PMMA
You can make a gift of up to $100,000 of your required minimum distribution to PMMA without having to pay income tax on the withdrawal, all the while helping seniors in need.
We encourage you to speak to your financial advisor to determine if this is a good opportunity for you. To learn more, contact us by email at development@pmma.org or call 316-652-6222.
EMBRACE THE LAZY DAYS OF SUMMER Donate your extra vehicle to PMMA Rather than stress about a car you no longer need, embrace the lazy days of summer by donating it to PMMA. Vehicle donations make giving easy. Plus, we handle everything from the free pick-up and sale to sending the necessary donation tax receipts for your generous donation.
PMMA accepts many kinds of vehicles as a form of support, including cars, trucks, motorcycles, and even RVs. Donate your vehicle now, so you can relax, enjoy summer, and sleep well knowing your vehicle helped PMMA.
To learn more or to get started on your vehicle donation today, call 844-490-4483 or visit giving.presbyterianmanors.org/vehicle-donations/. Our Vehicle Donation Support team is here for you seven days a week. All drivers have been requested to practice safe and secure interactions with donors, including minimizing contact.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: 316-685-1100
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DEVELOPMENT@PMMA.ORG