Possibly. Exercise has many known benefits for both physical and mental health, including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, strengthening the bones and muscles, and reducing stress.
It also appears that regular physical activity benefits the brain. Studies show that people who are physically active are less likely to experience a decline in their mental function and have a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Physical activity is one of the known modifiable risk factors for dementia. Plus, regular exercise helps combat other Alzheimer’s disease risk factors, such as depression and obesity.
Exercising several times a week for 30 to 60 minutes may:
Keep thinking, reasoning and learning skills sharp for healthy individuals
Improve memory, reasoning, judgment and thinking skills (cognitive function) for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment
Delay the start of Alzheimer’s for people at risk of developing the disease or slow the progress of the disease
Increase the size of the part of the brain that’s associated with memory formation (hippocampus)
Physical activity seems to help your brain not only by keeping the blood flowing but also by increasing chemicals that protect the brain. Physical activity also tends to counter some of the natural reduction in brain connections that occurs with aging.
More research is needed to know how — and how much — adding physical activity may improve memory or slow the progression of cognitive decline. Nonetheless, regular exercise is important to stay physically and mentally fit. And for older adults, even leisurely physical activity offers health benefits.
After celebrating our anniversary in grand style last month, we are anxiously awaiting to hear if we were selected for our 15th consecutive year as the winner of the Memphis Most Award for the Best Retirement Community by readers of the Commercial Appeal. Until then, let’s get ready for the annual Fall Festival Hot Air Balloon rides here on our beautiful manicured sixty acres. This spectacular event is just one reason why Kirby Pines has been selected as the best retirement community year after year.
We will start the month off with several photo shoots to capture each resident for an updated pictorial directory. Make your appointments early for your October 4th, 5th or 6th portrait sitting. Another fun event scheduled for October is the return of the Resident Rummage Sale. Tables are available for this fun event in the PAC by notifying Allison or Liz in the Life Enhancement office.
Then shortly after the middle of the month, an announcement and tour of the newly renovated Laurel Lane building will be held. I think you will all be pleased with the new colors, finishes and appliances selected for this latest renovated edition to our campus.
If great food is more to your liking, be certain to sign up early for this month’s Night of Exquisite Cuisine. Always a popular feast, residents and guests fill the Iris and Tradition dining rooms to full capacity as they enjoy a spectacular meal prepared by Mark Simpson and his team of chefs.
October 28th is National Make a Difference Day, and we all have the ability to do something small that makes a difference in someone else’s life. You can volunteer here at Kirby Pines to assist someone in one of the four healthcare areas; or in the Blossom Shop; Library; by assisting the Marketing Team welcoming new residents; or simply by thanking the staff who help make Kirby Pines the Best Retirement Community in our tristate area!
Michael Escamilla, Executive Director, Kirby Pines
October 10, 1924, the World Series of Baseball featured the Washington Senators against the New York Giants. Each team had won three games. It was the bottom of the ninth inning in the seventh and final game of the series.
The first two batters for New York struck out. Tied at three runs each the third batter swung hard at a fast curve ball and missed. The second pitch was also missed. Deadly silence filled the ball park. All seemed lost! The series would go into extra innings. The third pitch came to the plate and was hit hard and long. The crowd was on its feet. It seemed like a homerun but the ball hit a light pole and bounced back into fair play.
The batter would probably only have a triple but the third base coach signaled him to try for home. The outfielder picked up the ball and threw it to the short stop who then turned and quickly threw it to the catcher. The runner pushed with all his strength to make home plate before the catcher caught the ball. In the cloud of dust at home plate it looked like the runner touched home plate just a second before the ball was in the catcher’s mitt. The umpire rushed to confer with the other judges and then gave a signal that the runner was “out.” Mayhem erupted.
Cries of “Kill The Umpire” filled the park. It seemed there might be a riot.
Then the umpire spoke into the park microphone and said, “The runner is out because he didn’t touch first base!” In his haste the runner failed to step on first base.
Three more innings were played and in the twelfth, Washington scored and won the series, becoming the 1924 World Champions.
Evangelist Angel Martinez often told this story as an illustration of true Christianity. He likened “First Base” to “Salvation.” That’s where we have to start. Knowing God personally is the beginning of an eternal relationship. “Second Base” was “Church Membership.” Affiliating with other Christians in a growing context of learning and fellowship is essential. Angel said “Third Base” was “Service.” Not only what we get, but what we give is vastly important. In our service to God, there is “so much to do, so few to do it, and so little time to make it happen.” And lastly, “Home Plate” is a focus on “Heaven.” The future is bright. The provisions are great. The time ahead is enormous.
As in the 1924 World Series story if we miss touching First Base we’re out! Nothing else will matter. John Henry Newman said, “Fear not that your life shall come to an end, but rather that it shall never have a beginning.” So true! For all of us our life will have an end, whether sooner or later. But for some of us we never begin life. We never touch “First Base.” In haste we think we can make it without “Salvation.” This was the purpose of Christ’s Coming 2,000 years ago. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:17) “…the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37)
To think we can make Home Plate and Heaven while skipping First Base is insane. Just as there are rules in sports there are also rules in life. It’s not just our breaking the rules, the rules will break us.
“First Base” can be touched today. Our relationship with God can start now! It’s not what we might do for God, no matter how long or hard we try. It’s receiving what He has done for us through Christ’s Death and Resurrection.
Remember the words of Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him…” God is knocking and calling. Open up today.
Till next time, -Don Johnson, Kirby Pines Chaplain
Describe yourself in five words: Always trying to be fair.
What is something you are proud of: Instilling the value of hard work.
Do you have a pet: A cat, Pantaliamon (Pan).
Do you have any hobbies or interests: Landscaping.
What is your favorite thing about your job: Satisfying one of the residents.
What do you like to do for fun: Fishing and landscaping.
What is your favorite food: Pinto beans.
What is your favorite song: Ben by Michael Jackson.
Describe your family: One daughter, three sons, seven grandchildren and we are all nuts about each other.
What would you like people to know about you: I am very approachable, humble, respectful and down to earth.
After 13 years of employment, Barry Rossell’s response to tasks asked of him is, “We just got to get it done”. Mr. Rossell is flexible, dependable and a team player. He performs his tasks with a positive attitude. He is willing to help out in any area on Kirby’s campus. Family members and residents request him frequently and comment on how kind he is. We are proud that he is part of the Kirby team.
Thirty-eight years ago, the doors of Kirby Pines were opened to its first residents. Since then, thousands have made their home here. Four residents have agreed to share their experiences of living at Kirby Pines:
BETTY PHILLIPS – Betty is the youngest of the group at age eighty-seven. Yet, she has lived here the longest – twenty-five years! Betty says that an offer for a free lunch resulted in her move to Kirby Pines on March 21, 1997, along with her husband John.
After moving to Kirby Pines, Betty was a Wing Leader for five years. She soon became known for her baked “goodies”, especially peanut brittle. Caring for her husband John became a full time job until he passed away in 2016. She continues to frequently serve as a representative at the “Lighting of the Lake” ceremony.
According to Betty, Kirby Pines was quite different when she and John moved in. Structurally, she remembers when the second floor of the main building was completed. She was the first person to descend the beautiful winding staircase that adorns the lobby. A picture of the event remains on the “King and Queen’s” table. According to Betty, “everything has continued to grow and improve to make this a better and more beautiful place to live”. Today, Betty is thankful for her daughter, Sandy, and the employees of Caring In Place and Environmental Services for helping her remain in her apartment. “Kirby Pines is my home” states Betty, “and the people here are like my family”.
KEN LEWIS – According to Ken, “In 2007, as I was leaving my house, I noticed the grass had gotten tall, the weeds were having a holiday, and, the leaves had made my gutters their permanent home”. Ken realized he needed to get away from all these responsibilities. After researching a place to live, he decided that Kirby Pines was THE MOST. He moved in March 2008.
Since moving to Kirby Pines, Ken has been “a cog in the wheel that keeps everything turning”. Perhaps, he is best known for the many times he has been “married” since moving to Kirby Pines. Being active in our Ham’ateur Club, Ken has been the groom in three mock weddings. When asked if he would like to marry again, his answer was “I don’t think so. They can’t find a woman who wants to marry a 99 year-old man!”
Seriously, Ken has served us well in his thirteen years at Kirby Pines. He has been a member of the Advisory Committee, President of the Resident’s Association, and, was elected as King for one year. Line dancing, golfing and many activities are no longer possible. He currently attends the Men’s Christian Fellowship and keeps us all smiling with his wonderful sense of humor.
LENORA VINER SMITH – Twenty-two years ago, at age seventy-two, Lenora made the decision to move to Kirby Pines to relieve her family of decisions later on. Always one who loved working in the soil, and moving from a home that had won many “Yard of the Month” awards, Lenora brought her gardening talents to help the beautiful sixty acres at Kirby Pines. On good weather days, one can find Lenora on her knees “playing” in her yard. “This is my therapy”, says Lenora. “I smile”, she recalls, “remembering the many times I have been on the ground pulling weeds and people driving by have rushed to help me, thinking I had fallen”. Recently, she was in the yard when the sprinklers came on. “They completely drenched me before I could get in the house. I now know the sprinkler schedule”!
With only a small piece of land to care for, Lenora volunteered many hours and participated in many activities such as Line Dancing, Marketing events, the Blossom Shop and as a greeter for entertainment venues in the PAC. She was Queen for one year. She utilizes the Oasis and walks daily.
Lenora’s proudest moments are when her great-grandsons and great-granddaughter come to Kirby Pines to perform on piano, cello and violin. The great-grandson has been performing here on piano since he was FOUR years old! He is now winning all kinds of awards.
Lenora believes that living in a congregate environment leads to a more productive and longer life. “We are stimulated, supported, entertained and well-fed!”
JIM STAFFORD – In his early life, Jim made four goals: go to college; own a business; have a family of his own, and, one day retire to a community with a larger family. Having accomplished all of these, Jim smiles and says, “Look where I am now!”
Jim’s business, Memphis Wire and Iron Works, kept him working until a year ago. At age 93, Jim decided to finally retire. Work did not prevent Jim from participating in many activities for the twenty-two years he has lived at Kirby Pines. Line Dancing and ballroom dancing were his favorite things to do but he also volunteered for many activities. He has been a Wing Leader, President of the Resident’s Association and is currently serving as Chairman of the Advisory Committee, an assignment he has had for the past eight years. “I have really enjoyed everything I’ve done”.
Jim and his wife, Arweda “Weda” moved to Kirby Pines in 1999. Sadly, “Weda” passed away in 2008. Two years later, Jim married Irma, a widow he had known for some time. Irma passed away in 2013. He says he is frequently asked why he doesn’t get married again. “I tell them no”, says Jim, “I don’t want to give up one of my closets!” I have many good friends here at Kirby and I hope the good Lord lets me stay around a little longer. It’s a great place to live.”
A growing body of research shows massage therapy can be an effective part of pain relief and management. This research data, and the experience of physicians, massage therapists, and patients should encourage pain specialists to consider incorporating massage therapy into their pain management programs. Some base findings about the value of massage therapy for pain relief have included the following:
According to Cherkin, Eisenberg, et. al. in the April 2001 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, massage is effective for providing long-lasting relief for patients suffering from chronic low back pain.
Data collected nearly 10 years ago indicates that therapeutic massage promotes relaxation and alleviates the perception of pain and anxiety in hospitalized cancer patients. Recent studies have confirmed the findings and others indicate positive effects for massage in decreasing pain intensity among cancer patients.
In 1990, Jensen et al. published data indicating that massage was better than cold pack treatment of post-traumatic headaches. The October 2002 issue of the American Journal of Public Health reports that new research by Quinn, Chandler and Moraska showed muscle-specific massage therapy is effective for reducing the incidence of chronic tension headaches.
A pilot study in 2000, conducted by Gregory P. Fontana, MD at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, found that massage reduces pain and muscle spasms in patients who have multiple incisions. When surveyed, 95 percent of patients felt that massage therapy was a crucial part of their hospital experience, while need for medications dropped on the days, they received a massage.
The effectiveness of massage lies in a simple and direct strategy: working from the external, outer mechanisms of pain to the primary, root cause. Massage therapists utilize a holistic approach, focusing on the entire body system and its relationship to soft tissue — their care is not focused pain site specific.
Another benefit of massage therapy — from a patient perspective — is that it helps patients become more aware of their bodies and better familiarize them with the pain they experience. The massage therapist not only helps relieve muscle and other soft tissue pain, but also has an impact on the patient by virtue of human touch. This is especially pronounced for women facing mastectomies and dealing with the outcomes of that surgery. While women directly benefit from various forms of massage that focus on lymph drainage and muscle pain, massage also helps them feel comfortable once again with their bodies, improves their confidence and allows them to better deal with pain.
Although more research is needed to confirm the optimal uses of massage, the potential for a positive impact on patients with acute or chronic pain is clear. As it stands, enough research exists to encourage pain management specialists and massage therapists to forge professional relationships. These pain management relationships should exist in the hospital, in clinics, in private practice offices and in-home care.
Are you ready to start walking for fitness? Follow these fitness tips to help you be successful. Walking is good medicine for any age, especially folks with arthritis. Walking has been proven to help with weight loss, stress control, increasing strength, and balance, as well as reducing pain. To improve your chances of success, try these five walking strategies.
1. Find a walking buddy.
To maintain your program find someone to walk with. A walking buddy adds accountability and safety.
Make a walking date with your spouse. It could even be your four-legged best friend.
Join a walking group. (Walk with Ease program starts here at Kirby Pines in September).
Schedule your walks like you would a doctor’s appointment on your busy calendar.
2. Add variety to your walk.
Don’t let it become routine. Take a different route at a different time of day. Pay attention to the wildlife and flowers. Walk with music to keep in step.
3. Get good shoes.
The only equipment you really need for walking is the right pair of shoes. Look for deep and wide shoe forms made of cloth or smooth leather that are not so tight as to not rub your skin. A good quality running shoe is best. (You can walk in running shoes, but you can’t run in walking shoes). Select shoes without thick treads to prevent catching the bottom of your foot. Make sure shoes are proper width and roomy. Wear high-top athletic shoes for weak ankles. Flexible shoes help reduce stress on the knee while walking.
4. Keep a record.
Record your accomplishments in a journal or calendar. Keeping track of how far, long, when and where you walk can be a real motivator. Begin with an attainable goal like 10 minutes for 3 days each week, then add 5 minutes to each walk the next week, and change your goals as you meet them. A pedometer or walking app on your phone or ”fit bit” can be a real motivator. Post your accomplishments where you can see them and remember to reward yourself when you meet your goals with a purchase or event. (Avoid using food as a reward) .
5. Throw out the excuses.
The first excuse for not exercising is lack of time. If walking is made a priority, people can find the time. Other barriers like bad weather can be solved by walking the halls of Kirby or using the treadmill in the Oasis. If tiredness or achy joints are the problem, be determined to walk; just walk a shorter easier route. Even a 5 minute walk is better than no walk and may even give you energy to go longer. Have a backup plan, if you can’t walk on your usual schedule, make a plan B and reschedule. The more you walk, the more energy and strength you have and feel like walking.
This September, Kirby Pines Estates celebrates its thirty-eighth anniversary. And as with any anniversary, a lot of planning will go into making this anniversary one that will be enjoyable and memorable. Each year, a theme and color is selected and this year the color is Crimson and the theme is Courage.
Crimson has long been associated with courage, divinity, power, strength and importance. In Elizabethan era England, crimson clothing signified an individual’s status and was only allowed to be worn by royalty, noble persons and members of the Council. The Biblical meaning of crimson is strongly associated with humility and atonement. Kirby Pines certainly is respected in its market place as a strong leader in senior living, and is recognized for the importance it places in providing a great place to live and a great place to work.
Strong, vivid and powerful are words used to describe crimson which is one reason the color is associated with courage. This past year all of us have had to be courageous. As residents you had difficult decisions to make and as employees we have faced all that the year has put before us. The strength that Kirby brings with its thirty-eight years of tradition, has given all of us the courage to do what is necessary each and every day.
This year is turning out to be one of our country’s most difficult years, and yet it has been with courage that the country has moved forward with a commitment for change, in resolution to find new ways to do the daily tasks necessary to survive and come out stronger once this pandemic is tamed.
Thus, our thirty-eighth anniversary will celebrate the hard work that has brought Kirby Pines to where we are today, and where we will together, move forward to in the years ahead.
Michael Escamilla, Executive Director, Kirby Pines
Describe Your Family: I am a mother of four, grandmother of 10 and great-grandmother of five.
Describe yourself in five words: Friendly, helpful, funny, compassionate, spiritual.
What is something you are proud of: To have worked at Kirby Pines for 14 years.
Do you have a pet: A cat, Pantaliamon (Pan).
Do you have any hobbies or interests: Reading, listening to gospel music, gardening, and collecting angels.
What is your favorite thing about your job: The gratitude of our residents, telling me they love me and bringing smiles to their faces.
What is your favorite food: Catfish.
What is your favorite song: Broken But I’m Healed by Byron Cage.
What would you like people to know about you: That I pray for us all each and every day and I try to help anyone I can.
Crystal Shoemaker always goes above and beyond to make sure things flow smoothly on the unit. She is a team player and is very observant of the residents and immediately notifies the charge nurse if any change is noticed. She is flexible and willing to go to any area she is needed. Crystal is happy to take on a special project to enhance the quality of care she gives her residents. We are so glad to have her as part of our team.
Andy Saunders has given much of his life to the local theater community and people are taking notice.
The performer, designer, director, and teacher has been part of the scene since coming to the then-Memphis State University as a graduate student in the 1960s. That half-century-plus of devotion will be recognized at the upcoming Memphis Ostrander Awards when he will be given the 2021 Eugart Yerian Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The Ostranders primarily recognize a year’s worth of excellence in local theater productions and this year’s winners will be announced on Sunday, August 29th, at the Halloran Centre. The exception to next month’s big reveal is the lifetime achievement honor named for the director of the Memphis Little Theatre (now Theatre Memphis) from 1929 to 1961.
The announcement from the Ostranders organization said Saunders has been “an indispensable presence in the Memphis theater community. … Onstage, Saunders is celebrated not only for his nuanced and charismatic acting style but also for his beautiful, operatic singing voice.”
Saunders has directed shows around town and was at Memphis University School where he taught science, speech, religion, astronomy, photography, mechanical writing, and theater production. He also produced more than 135 shows at the school during his 38-year career before retiring in 2010.
Since his retirement, he’s designed and built dozens of shows at Germantown Community Theatre. GCT executive director Brian Everson says Saunders is the “ultimate volunteer, professional, artist, and friend. GCT, in so many ways, would not be possible without Andy.”
Andy and his wife, Jean, moved to Kirby Pines in March of 2019.
Kirby Pines, a sister community of The Farms at Bailey Station, is part of the family of LifeCare Communities of Retirement Companies of America. For more information, visit retirementcompanies.com
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