The Pinecone Archives - Page 37 of 50 - Kirby Pines LifeCare Community

Posted on Posted on April 8, 2020

This pandemic has only strengthened the Good Samaritan philosophy at Kirby Pines.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. – Luke 10:25 27

Thanks to increasing health precautions such as washing hands frequently, practicing social distances, limiting visitors, and cooperation from residents, families and employees, Kirby Pines does not have any suspected nor confirmed cases of the coronavirus, known as COVID-19 to date.

Our practice of asking a series of questions and taking the temperature of all who ask to gain entrance onto our lush 60-acre campus is working. We all have to continue to cooperate with these measures and others, to stay healthy and make it to the other side of this crisis.

We continue to keep our most vulnerable residents safe, and thus no visitors are allowed at this time in any of our healthcare areas. The use of FaceTime has increased greatly. This method of communication for friend and family interaction and engagement is becoming the new norm for those we serve and care for.

For those in independent apartments or garden homes, very limited visitors are allowed after passing our screening process at the guardhouses. Our in-house television station has enhanced communication regarding spiritual programs, cultural events and overall engagement. This week we added a live morning prayer for our employees, led by house Chaplain, Don Johnson, as well as a live television service for our residents.

Cooperation among residents to practice social distancing has allowed us to gather in groups, although smaller than previously held, and do such things as honor our veterans on the National Vietnam Recognition Day; attend a special four-course meal for two; and even sing along with a resident playing the piano. Our healthcare areas are also assisting residents with cards and photos to be sent to families keeping communication open while staying safe.

Recently we have updated resident profile sheets to ensure we have the contacts each resident wants reached to celebrate a birthday or provide a simple update on how they’re doing.

You too may want to take time to create such a list for your family and friends and even neighbors, should you be asked to help them during this difficult time.

We remain grateful for your prayers, suggestions, and support. We wish you and your family peace and safety during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, our President and our nation.

As things change throughout this trying time, rest assured we will continue to update and inform our residents and employees of any new procedures or developments. For the most up-to-date information, please visit kirbypines.com.

Posted on Posted on April 7, 2020

Enjoy Spring & Stay Safe

Happy Easter! Peter Cottontail is certainly busy around Kirby Pines this year. From hiding eggs, to bringing smiles to us all as we confront the Covid-19 virus, Peter is doing his very best to bring Spring to us all.

Spring is the perfect time to start thinking about exercise and outdoor activities, and living at Kirby Pines provides you with many opportunities to enjoy both. If walking outdoors is a favorite past time of ours, you’ll enjoy a comfortable stroll around our very own nature preserve. In fact, at this time of the year, while walking along the path you will see daffodils, redbud and dogwood tress blooming. Kirby’s sixty acres make for a very scenic walk that other retirement communities just don’t have.

If you prefer walking indoors, you can do so in place on one of the treadmills in the Oasis or in the shallow end of the indoor pool. When using any equipment in the Oasis, be sure to let staff know so that we can quickly wipe it clean after each use. After all, we all need to participate in keeping the Covid-19 virus out of our campus.

Not to be outdone by Peter Cottontail, our culinary team is planning a wonderful Easter Brunch. One filled with traditional glazed ham and yummy deviled eggs. And won’t it be fun to see a few specially decorated Easter Bonnets during the brunch as well!

Your safety and that of our employees and guests remains our highest priority this Easter season. We take pride in delivering all that we can during this difficult time in the United States and in fact the world. We believe it is challenging times like these, that the power of a united team of residents and employees is needed most of all.

Happy Easter everyone!

Michael Escamilla,
Executive Director,
Kirby Pines

Posted on Posted on March 30, 2020

If Not You, Who?

This unique “Parable” applies to more than the situations mentioned. It is all too descriptive of a much larger portion of our life today. Too often we are like the characters in the parable. Our priorities are messed up and we live with feelings we’ve set to an ultra-sensitive level. All too easily we ignore responsibility, shun accountability and rely on others to do the job.

It’s been said there are two kinds of people in the world today: (1) those who are willing to work, and (2) those who are willing to let them. It’s reflected in the 20-80 rule. 20% of the people do all of the work and make 80% of all the sales. Which group will master us?

Can we continue leaving the job to “Nobody.” Dare we any longer stay idle in facing the almost insurmountable obstacles at every level of our culture? Can we continue to leave the future in the hands of leaderless government? Can we allow the rich heritage and foundation of our great country to continue to crumble? Can we remain silent while corruption and crime steal precious values from us? Can we continue to live without vision, still unaware we are rushing toward another Noahic Flood? Can we carelessly close our eyes to the needs of so many around us, especially in their personal relation to God, or lack of it?

Today would be a great time to break the cycle.
Let’s stop being “Somebody, Everybody and Anybody.”
Let’s step up to today’s responsibility.
Let’s strongly embrace this moment’s opportunity.

I Corinthians 15:58 gives us great insight: “Therefore…be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Remember, “if not you, who? If not this, what? If not now, when?” If not here, where?

Till next time, Don Johnson, Kirby Pines Chaplain

Posted on Posted on March 25, 2020

Curiosity Series: Growing – One Snack At A Time.

Monogram Foods

About Monogram Foods

Founded in 2004 with the purchase of King Cotton and Circle B brand meats from Sara Lee Corporation, Monogram Foods manufactures and markets top-quality food products. Among these are a full range of meat snacks, corn dogs, pre-cooked bacon, smoked sausage, baked goods, appetizers, and other value-added meats. Monogram Foods’ brands include King Cotton, Circle B, Wild Bill’s, O’Brien’s, Trail’s Best, Hannah’s, Bull’s, Snapps and licensed brands, Johnsonville, Butterball and Team Realtree. Monogram Foods is a major co-packer and private label provider for strategic partners throughout the nation. Monogram Foods is headquartered in Memphis, TN and operates facilities in Virginia, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and Massachusetts.

Monogram now has over 3,000 associates nationwide. Next year they project to go over 1 BILLION in sales. Wes Jackson and Karl Schledwitz started in Memphis with eight associates and are still headquartered here now with over 125 local employees, including the sons of residents, Pat Cavender and Margaret Bivens, featured on ours covers. They are privately owned with over 130 shareholders most of whom are from Memphis. They locally own and sell “King Cotton“ meats, a full line of hot dogs, sausages, bacon and luncheon meats and “Circle B“ smoked sausages.

Kirby Pines residents visit Monogram Foods as part of our new Curiosity Series — Kirby Pines residents visit Monogram Foods
as part of our new Curiosity Series

Monogram’s Mission Statement

We are a GROWTH COMPANY that REALLY CARES about our TEAM MEMBERS and CUSTOMERS so we can PROFITABLY grow together.

Monogram’s Valued Behaviors

Gratefully provide best service to our customers
If we say it, we do it
Keep quality and safety at the forefront
Embrace the entrepreneurial spirit
Value candor “done right”
Celebrate our successes
Give back to the communities in which we do business
Promote Positive Energy
Embrace Diversity

Monogram Foods Local Office is at:
530 Oak Court Drive, Suite 400 • Memphis, TN 38117

Posted on Posted on March 20, 2020

Resident Spotlight: Patrick William Kelly

AN IRISH KID FROM SOUTH CHICAGO

Each year on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day is recognized as a day to remember those Americans who are of Irish descent. Irish ancestry has proven to be one of the strongest, most determined and resilient known. Because of these characteristics, Ireland survived the Great Potato Famine which lasted from 1845-1849. This famine, known as the greatest to ever occur in Europe, resulted in the death of 1/8th of the population of Ireland. Another 2-3 million immigrated to the United States where life was almost equally as difficult. Despite many odds, the Irish people survived many hardships both in Ireland and America.

Kirby Pines resident, Patrick (Pat) William Kelly could not be more representative of an Irish heritage. He not only has the name and looks of his ancestry but his life story would indicate he has those characteristics mentioned above. Surprisingly, however, Pat is also one-half German. Nevertheless, he has a good Irish story. His maternal grandparents immigrated from Germany due to the political climate; his paternal grandparents immigrated as a result of the potato famine. Both families settled in South Chicago where Pat’s parents met. Pat was born in the Chicago-Lying-In Hospital in January of 1943.

Pat’s father was a traveling steel salesman which resulted in frequent family moves. Pat believes that the experience of living in so many different cities and towns resulted in a very interesting childhood. He particularly remembers living in a small town with a population of only 300 people where “everyone knew everyone’s business”. Finally, the family moved to Memphis in 1956.

While attending Christian Brothers High School, Pat worked part-time at Goldsmiths Department Store. Following graduation, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Anchorage, Alaska for 5 years and served as a Crypto Maintenance mechanic. He loved living in Alaska, but because of expensive living conditions, made the decision to move back to Memphis following discharge. He became employed by the Federal Electric Corp. and was sent to Vietnam as a civilian. After the war ended, Pat returned to Goldsmiths and became the Workroom Manager for draperies and upholstery. “Yes, I can operate a sewing machine and ‘spit tacks’ ”, states Pat. He parted ways with Goldsmiths when they wanted to transfer him to Atlanta. Instead, Pat became the owner of a fabric business, Fabric Junction (now Johnson’s Fabrics) in Bartlett. As the sole proprietor, the work was too difficult, so, he closed the shop and “moved to wood”. He managed the Cabinet and Counter Top Shop for Interstate Plywood for 17 years. Pat says, “I love being creative and have always enjoyed working with my hands”.

One of the most important aspects of Pat’s life revolves around the Boy Scouts of America. Soon after going to Alaska with the Air Force, he became acquainted with the Scoutmaster of the Air Force based Boy Scout Troop who invited him to go camping. Little did Pat realize it would involve “fifteen screaming kids”. Nevertheless, he was hooked. Pat has been actively registered with the BSA for 54 YEARS! During that time, he was Scoutmaster of Troop #341 sponsored by St. Louis Church for 16 years. He continues to be active as the Troop Committee Chairperson, a position he has held for the past 30 years. Pat really enjoys camping and goes at every opportunity, except when it is “too cold”.

In 2009, Pat’s mother, Myrtle, began having serious health problems. Pat, an only child, was his mother’s caregiver. Learning of Kirby Pines Lifecare Plan, Pat and his mother moved to Kirby Pines in 2013. Myrtle passed away in 2016. Pat was able to care for her and she remained in their apartment until the end. “Nevertheless, I was very pleased with the medical care here at Kirby and the feeling of safety”, says Pat.

Pat Kelly - Air Force — Pat Kelly – Air Force

Since Pat “quit work”, he has been very involved in volunteer work at Kirby. He served as Wing Leader for two years and is currently serving as a member of the very active Resident’s Food Committee. The Food Committee is comprised of residents as well as Administrative and Dietary Heads. One resident serves as Chairman and represents the Food Committee on the Advisory Committee. Their role is to exchange information provided by residents concerning the food service at Kirby Pines. Meetings are held once a month. Pat says, “There is no shortage of comments. While we do get some negative feedback, the majority of comments are positive”.

Pat has endeared himself to those who get to know him. His smiling face makes him very approachable. His sense of humor and ready wit are his hallmarks.

Pat believes he will leave a good legacy through his work and volunteer activities. To quote him: “Looking back it has been a great life for an Irish kid born in South Chicago”. He wishes an Irish Blessing and a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of you!

Written by Joan Dodson, Resident, Kirby Pines

Posted on Posted on March 17, 2020

How Are You Sleeping?

Retired woman waking up and yawning

An average of 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep each night is considered healthy for most adults. Seniors are often unable to sleep this much due to a variety of sleep-related problems. During sleep awareness month, learn what can be done to help seniors establish healthy sleep patterns.

How Aging Affects Sleep

Unfortunately, changes in sleep patterns are a normal part of aging. Many seniors have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. In some cases, the challenge is due to a sleeping disorder or the side effect of a medication. However, sleep disturbance in the aging is often just the result of reduced REM sleep. In other words, seniors tend to be lighter sleepers. They wake up more often due to noise, aches, movement, the need to use the bathroom, etc.

Common Sleep Illnesses Seniors Face

For those seniors whose difficulties with sleep result from medical conditions, it is important to receive medical treatment. Encourage sleep-deprived seniors to see the doctor if they experience:

Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome
Sleep Apnea
Restless Leg Syndrome
Insomnia
Sleep-related side effects of medication
Sleep-related side effects of underlying diseases

Issues like these are often addressed through lifestyle changes or medications. Seniors can consult with their doctor to learn about the best treatment options for their particular problem.

Sleep Awareness Tips for the Aging

These simple tips will help you or the Senior you love make the most out of their sleep routine.

Be Mindful
Stress, worry, and negative thought patterns can disrupt sleep— even if seniors try to “think positively” right before bed. Since sleep deprivation affects mental health and vice versa, it is important to encourage seniors to develop a healthy response to stress at all hours.
Exercise Regularly
Physical activity can help the body sleep. Regular exercise also offers health benefits that positively impact sleep, like lower blood pressure, stress relief, and improved breathing.
Form a Bedtime Routine
Many habits can influence sleep for better or for worse. Lying in bed during the day can disrupt sleep patterns. Watching television or screen time on the phone at night can also delay sleep. Encourage seniors to establish a bedtime routine that includes doing something quiet and relaxing for an hour.
Eat and Drink for Better Sleep
Sometimes seniors drink alcohol before bed because it makes them sleepy. However, alcohol tends to wake people up in the middle of the night and reduce REM sleep cycles. Food does the same. Seniors should avoid eating food or drinking alcohol for 2-3 hours before bedtime.

Retired man waking up and stretching

Posted on Posted on March 10, 2020

Walking is easy to do and offers many benefits:

Seniors on a nature hike

What’s not to like about walking? It’s free. It’s easy to do, and it’s easy on the joints. And there’s no question that walking is good for you. Walking is an aerobic exercise; a University of Tennessee study found that women who walked had less body fat than those who didn’t walk. It also lowers the risk of blood clots, since the calf acts as a venous pump, reducing the load on the heart. Walking is good for you in other ways as well.

Walking improves circulation. It also wards off heart disease, brings up the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart. Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Tennessee found that post-menopausal women who walked just one to two miles a day lowered blood pressure by nearly 11 points in 24 weeks. Women who walked 30 minutes a day reduced their risk of stroke by 20 percent.
Walking shores up your bones. It can stop the loss of bone mass for those with osteoporosis, according to Michael A. Schwartz, MD, of Plancher Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in New York. In fact, a study of postmenopausal women found that 30 minutes of walking each day reduced their risk of hip fractures by 40 percent.
Walking lightens mood. A California State University study showed that the more steps people took during the day, the better their moods were. Why? Walking releases natural painkilling endorphins to the body – one of the emotional benefits of exercise.
Walking can lead to weight loss. A brisk 30-minute walk burns 200 calories. Over time, calories burned can lead to pounds dropped.
Walking strengthens muscles. It tones your leg and abdominal muscles – and even arm muscles if you pump them as you walk. This increases your range of motion, shifting the pressure and weight from your joints and muscles – which are meant to handle weight – helping to lessen arthritis pain.
Walking improves sleep. A study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that women, ages 50 to 75, who took one-hour morning walks, were more likely to relieve insomnia than women who didn’t walk.
Walking supports your joints. The majority of joint cartilage has no direct blood supply. It gets its nutrition from synovial or joint fluid that circulates as we move. Impact that comes from movement or compression, such as walking, “squishes” the cartilage, bringing oxygen and nutrients into the area. If you don’t walk, joints are deprived of life-giving fluid, which can speed deterioration.
Walking improves your breath. When walking, your breathing rate increases, causing oxygen to travel faster through bloodstream, helping to eliminate waste products and improve your energy level and the ability to heal.
Walking slows mental decline. A study of 6,000 women, ages 65 and older, performed by researchers at the University of California, found that age-related memory decline was lower in those who walked more. The women walking 2.5 miles per day had a 17-percent decline in memory, as opposed to a 25-percent decline in women who walked less than a half-mile per week.
Walking helps you do more, longer. Aerobic walking and resistance exercise programs may reduce the incidence of disability in the activities of daily living of people who are older than 65 and have symptomatic OA, shows a study published in the Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management.

Posted on Posted on March 1, 2020

It is Spring Time at Kirby Pines

March – in January it seemed so far away, but in February it appeared to be so very near and now here it is. A month filled with the excitement of spring and all the wonders of nature that spring brings. A walk around our manicured campus reveals signs of spring in every courtyard and along the nature trail encircling the lake.

Thursday, March 19, 2020, is the first official day of spring. What a great way to move into the month following the “wearing of the green” on St Patrick Day. Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow last month, so we can be assured that warm weather will be here in March. That is of course if you believe that a groundhog can predict the weather.

Beginning in March some of you may be rethinking your New Year resolutions – however, with warmer weather, there is no reason not to stay true to more exercising by walking outdoors, or joining the garden growers or going with other residents on-site visits for the new Curiosity Series.

Spring is definitely here. So get ready for a joyful month of springtime festivities at Kirby Pines

Michael Escamilla,
Executive Director,
Kirby Pines

Posted on Posted on February 27, 2020

Sacrificial Love

Photo of A Tale of Two Cities book

Charles Dickens, in his remarkable story, A Tale of Two Cities,
wrote:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,
we had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
we were all going direct to Heaven,
we were all going directly the other way—
in short, the period was so far like the present period,
that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received,
for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

This great novel unfolds the loving sacrifice one man-made for another. Sidney Carton, bearing a remarkable likeness to the imprisoned Charles Darnay facing imminent death, made a prison swap and substituted himself for Darnay, stepping to the French Revolution guillotine. Carton’s love was not so directly at Darnay as it was to his beautiful wife who chose Darnay in marriage, not Carton. What must Carton have been thinking as his time of death arrived? Here is what is recorded:

I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy, in that England which I shall see no more. I see her with a child upon her bosom, who bears my name. I see her father, aged and bent, but otherwise restored, and faithful to all men in his healing office, and at peace.

I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. I see her, an old woman, weeping for me on the anniversary of this day. I see her and her husband, their course done, lying side by side in their last earthly bed, and I know that each was not more honored and held sacred in the other’s soul, than I was in the souls of both.

I see that child who lay upon her bosom and who bore my name, a man winning his way up in that path of life which once was mine. I see him winning it so well, that my name is made illustrious there by the light of his. I see the blots I threw upon it, faded away. I see him, fore-most of just judges and honored men, bringing a boy of my name, with a forehead that I know and golden hair, to this place—then fair to look upon, with not a trace of this day’s disfigurement—and I hear him tell the child my story, with a tender and a faltering voice.

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.

Carton tearfully hears the execution of the seamstress who had traveled with him to the place of death and who recognized he was not really the Darnay condemned to death. He is then pushed towards the slot where the blade would fall.

How you draw good out of evil. Think not only of the past and the dangerous now but of the joyful future to come. Too often the world threatens to crush us. Our problems seem much greater than any solution.

Dickens is so right. Today is like the day he wrote about. Is our life making any difference? Are we making any sacrifice, whether great or small? It may not be as monumental as Carton’s but it can make a change now and in the future.

Our Lord has set the pattern. Simply read Isaiah 53:4-12, Ephesians 5:2,I John 2:2 and many more scripture texts that declare the density and vastness of the Lord’s loving sacrifice.

Ask Him for strength to follow His example. You may be writing a new novel!

Till next time, Don Johnson, Kirby Pines Chaplain

Posted on Posted on February 24, 2020

Curiosity Series: Be Human. Be Humane.

Thousands of animals are neglected or abused in Memphis and Shelby County each year. Hungry, scared and injured, these animals face a bleak future. That’s where we come in. Since 1933, the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County (HSMSC) has been providing shelter, food and medical care for thousands of injured, neglected and abused animals.

HSMSC is a limited-intake facility that never euthanizes an animal for time or space reasons. We accomplish this by managing our intake, utilizing many wonderful fosters, and having a network of volunteers who work tirelessly to help us with training and promoting our adoptable animals.

Heart paw shape With support from animal lovers, we are able to help prevent animal abuse as well as help injured animals in Memphis and Shelby County. We are able to provide animals with refuge to recover, nutritious food and outstanding veterinary care. On average, we provide sanctuary to over 100 animals at our facility at any given time, with dozens more placed with foster families until they are ready to be adopted. And we are dedicated to giving these animals a brighter future and improving human lives through animal companionship.

An important part of our work is giving theses animals the emotional support, training and socialization that will allow them to be adopted into new and loving homes and long-lasting relationships. Did you know that all seniors (65+) received a special 50% discount off of our adoption fees? That is just one way we try to make adoption a reality for anyone that can provide a loving home for one of our residents.

From our founding until today, our funding comes exclusively from private donations from animal lovers. The cost of operating the HSMSC for one day is $4,500! The expenses of a full-service animal rescue operation are considerable, particularly the veterinary care that allows us to focus on animals that have been injured, abused, and neglected.

To see the pets available for adoption, check out volunteer opportunities or learn more about the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County, visit their website at www.memphishumane.org.