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Continuing care testimonials from Wichita Presbyterian Manor

When Shirley and Bob needed to look for a new place to settle down in 2015, it was important to them that their new home could provide them with everything they’d need in the coming years.

“They were Charter members, so they were one of the first to move in,” said Shirley’s daughter Denise Faught. “They started out in Independent Living. Originally, they were going to live on the second floor, but they ended up having a dog and were able to get a first-floor apartment.”

Bob and Shirley knew they’d require increased levels of care over the years. The comprehensive continuum of care at Wichita Presbyterian Manor helped make those transitions more manageable.

“Bob had dementia, and it got worse and worse,” Denise said. “Bob moved to memory care, and that was difficult during Covid. She couldn’t see him in person, but they would Zoom every week. The staff kept her advised about what was going on with Bob, how he was doing, and what sort of activities he did.”

In the fall of 2021, Shirley was hospitalized with pneumonia, and Bob had to go to an off-site behavior facility. But he came back to the Healthcare unit. In January of 2022, Shirley was diagnosed with cancer, and moved for a time into the Healthcare unit as well.

“When she moved to healthcare, Mom and Bob were in two different hallways,” Denise said. “But Mom would visit him frequently and was able to eat with him.”

Denise and Shirley made the difficult decision to put Bob on Hospice care in November of 2021, and he passed away in July 2022. A few months later, in December 2022, Shirley likewise passed away.

“Both Mom and Bob received excellent care,” Denise said. “The staff was very kind and caring. They looked after them. They kept Mom informed of everything going on with Bob. And after Bob died, I got to be part of the care plan. They called me if anything happened. She had her mind about her, and made her own decisions, but her health was deteriorating.”

Denise said the family felt fortunate to live in a place like Presbyterian Manor, with high standards of care that reached across the changes in their lives.

“It was really neat,” Denise said. “Since she lived in Independent Living and was still mobile, she was able to see her friends and do activities. She was able to go when the gals had coffee on Tuesdays. On Saturday she loved to play Canasta. She loved to do that. She’d go to the chapel, and she had the opportunity to stay in touch with people, and they could come to visit her.”

Choosing Presbyterian Manor also created many opportunities to share time with family.

“I visited Mom and Bob every weekend since I was in college,” Denise said. “That continued at Presbyterian Manor. And on the holidays, we could take them or they drove to our house, or we’d go out to eat. It was absolutely helpful in the process. The staff did an excellent job of providing care and keeping me posted.”

Denise said her mom lived an active and full life - including travels all over the United States, Europe, and the Panama Canal.

“Mom was a school teacher, and primarily taught second grade,” Denise said. “She was inducted into the Teachers Hall of Fame. She was a very social person. She loved entertaining and being around people - and loved to play bridge. She loved to spend time with family, and she read a lot. She was always attentive to us kids, always at the first day of school and at our activities. She was a very giving person. Very active in her church and in the United Methodist Women’s group. She made sure we had home cooked meals and loved to try new recipes. She used to make no-bake cookies and my brother and I would practically eat all those in one sitting. For the grandchildren, she made a fruit pizza and we all loved that too. She was very determined and had a zest for life. Her relationship with the Lord was very important to her.”

Despite the challenges with their health over the years, Denise said her Mom was grateful to have chosen a home that could provide all the care she and Bob required, in a loving environment.

“They had an excellent experience and enjoyed living there,” Denice said. “She liked the atmosphere and the staff. A lot of the staff would tell me how much they just loved my mom. When they were taking care of Bob, they enjoyed him as well. And it was great being able to move to other parts of Presbyterian Manor, based on the care they needed. I will tell you my mom, for years, told me she wanted to move to a place where ‘I don’t have to leave to get higher care.’ That was a big part in their decision for moving there.”

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