Presbyterian Villagers celebrate National Assisted Living Week

Presbyterian Village celebrated National Assisted Living Week Sept. 10-14 with various activities.

The week of Sept 9-15, 2007 was declared to be National Assisted Living Week by the U.S. Senate, a Web site that can be found at http://www.ncal.org/news/releases/nr070907.cfm said. Presbyterian Village Activity Coordinator Jamie Stucky organized a week full of events centered around different legacies, she said.

The Legacy of Food led tenants to the Kress Tea Room Monday afternoon for coffee, tea and pie. Any resident of the Village who wanted to attend this gathering was able to relax among fellow tenants and enjoy the delicacies of food, Stucky said.

On Tuesday, at the event called the Legacy of Knowledge, tenants of the Village mastered the skill of obtaining knowledge by participating in a scavenger hunt. Though Emma Jean McIntyre was the winner of the scavenger hunt, many residents took part and enjoyed the event, Stucky said.

Local resident and piano teacher Carolyn Tucker entertained the tenants with several pieces on the piano. In addition, she used her musical talent to not only perform for her audience, but also encouraged audience participation on some of the songs. Tucker's performance made a Legacy of Culture a success on Wednesday, Stucky said.

Thursday's Legacy of Love and Appreciation found the residence as well as local volunteers at the Village enjoying a barbecue that was put on to show volunteers well-deserved appreciation. Rosemary Carruthers was chosen as the community volunteer of the year. According to Stucky, Carruthers spends many hours volunteering every week. The tenant volunteer of the year is Betty O'Dell. Stucky said O'Dell does a good job of assisting her with the library section at the village.

"We haven't lost a book since she started helping with that job," Stucky said.

Stucky said that all volunteers are important to the village. Even if a person only has an hour to volunteer, it is still very vital and helpful, she said.

Presbyterian Village staff and residents wrapped the week up with an appreciation luncheon for the staff, Stucky said.

According to written information provided by Presbyterian Village on its Web site at http://presbyterianmanors.org/fort_scott_pm.php, assisted living helps take older citizens' focus off of everyday tasks and allows them to think about activities that they enjoy.

The Village offers individual help for residents according to each resident's individual needs. The goal is to allow residents to experience the joy in life and not have to concentrate too much on the day to day activities, the statement said.