The "Manhattan Optimist Club Bulletin" Vol. 2025 #37 7-9-25

VOLUME 2025     JULY 9     NUMBER 37

President Greg McCune welcomed the membership and guests. Craig Cox presented the following reflection and the flag salute followed.

“I enjoy quotes because you can ponder their ideas all day. Today, I have two Quotes,” said Craig.

“The spirit of man is more important than mere physical strength, and the spiritual fiber of a nation than its wealth.” Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th U.S. President.

“With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on God's work must truly be our own.” John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. President.

Heather Peterson introduced Nick French, Assistant Director, Accord Hospice, who shared information on an overview of Accord Hospice Services and community support events. He thanked the Optimist for everything they do in the community. He noted they had just finished Camp Soar at A&H Farms. Camp Soar is a FREE day camp with a care-free, fun, supportive environment where kids (ages 5-16) can set aside the challenges of coping with loss and grief. Camp SOAR offers volunteer Social Workers and Counselors, with our primary goal to provide children the chance to feel like a normal kid and have fun! They also do caregiver retreats at St. Thomas Moore Church. He then gave a hospice 101 to inform the Optimist how hospice works and what hospice does.

Hospice care focuses on treating a person's symptoms to increase quality of life when the disease no longer responds to curative treatment. It neither hastens or slows the dying process, but rather offers relief from pain and other symptoms they are experiencing.

When a patient reaches the point in his or her illness where cure is no longer the focus of care, but rather quality of life. Hospice provides support, not just to the patient, but also the family before, during, and after their loved one passes. They provide outcomes of physical comfort, emotional well-being, and spiritual peace.

Hospice is available to anyone who is diagnosed with a terminal illness and who is determined by a physician to have a life expectancy of six months or less. The patient often lives beyond the six months and continues hospice services. Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurances cover the costs of hospice through the “Hospice Benefit.”

The Hospice Benefit covers all care provided by the hospice team, including visits by the nurse, certified nursing assistant, social worker, Chaplin, bereavement, and volunteers (if requested). Durable medical equipment, such as a hospital bed, oxygen equipment, commode, etc. and incontinent supplies are provided. Medications that assist with pain and symptom management of your life-limiting illness are also covered.

Medical Director: Certifies the patient is appropriate for hospice care and works with the nurse to assure pain and symptom management.

Nurse: Works with the patient and family to create a plan of care and oversee the care plan, assess the patient's health, address any concerns, and monitors medications.

Social Worker: Assists with education, resource navigation, and psychosocial issues.

Bereavement: Supports the patient and the family with their grief. Bereavement team will provide grief support for their loss for 13months following the death of their loved one.

Chaplin: Meets the patient and family where there are in their spiritual needs.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): Assists the patient with personal care such as bathing, hair washing, nails, and other needs as requested.

Volunteers: By request, will support by giving the family time to run errands, sit with the patient, read, play games, etc.

Anyone can refer someone to hospice. A physician, nurse, family member, friend, neighbor, or even the patient themselves can call hospice. The hospice team will then do an assessment of the patient's health and decide if they are appropriate for hospice care.

The right time to call hospice when you see signs of health decline, such as frequent trips to the emergency room, weight loss, disinterest in eating; call hospice when you have concerns, not just when you are in crisis.

It is important to understand that if at anytime a patient decides they are feeling healthier and stronger and would like to try being treated for their illness again, it is their right to sign-off on hospice care. And, if in the future, they would like to come back on service and meet the criteria, they can be readmitted.

Hospice patients are routinely reassessed to make sure they continue to be appropriate for hospice care. If the physician determines they are not, they are discharged from hospice. We call this “graduating from hospice.” This is a celebration for the patient, their family, and the hospice family. This can happen when patients receive hospice care and more reliably receive medications and treatments.

“You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.” Dame Cicely Saunders, nurse, physician and writer, and founder of the hospice movement (1918-2005).

Accord Hospice & Palliative Care 

First Vice President Kelly Karl attended the Optimist International Convention in St. Louis, Missouri and said it was a great convention. He mentioned a session on insurance and liability that he thought the Manhattan Optimist Board would be interested in learning more about those issues. He did find it interesting that we are one of the larger clubs in the nation.

Two thank you cards were circulated for The Fridge for contributing ice and to Pepsi for contributing water and soda for the Optimist's to distribute free for the Juneteenth event.

Lisa Brummett announced an opportunity to run the Riley County Fair's food stand at Pottorf Hall. The Fair Board pays organizations $1,000 per day to work in the fair booth. All three days for this year have been spoken for, so she is proposing doing all three days next year. The shifts are four hours long. All planning, acquisition of food, and pricing is the responsibility of the Fair. Workers would prepare the food, take orders, and serve them. Shifts require three to five people, depending on the volume of sales.

President Greg McCune reminded everyone of the social on July 22. We will tour the volleyball facility at KSU at 3:30 for 60-90 minutes, followed by a happy hour at the Rockin K's.

He noted the Optimist were voted the best civic organization by Flint Hills Finest for the second year in a row.

Also, the Fall social will be September 21st at Optimist Park.

GUESTS: Our speaker, Nick French, Assistant Director, Accord Hospice,, and Shawn Allman who runs Polish, a cleaning service, and is interested in joining Optimist.

Meeting adjourned with the Optimist Creed.

SAVE THE DATE: Tour of KSU Volleyball and Olympic Facilities July 22nd

JULY 16 – MORNING MEETING: Program: Judge John McNish, Magistrate Judge, 21st Judicial District: Topic: “21st Judicial District Legal Activities”

JULY 23 – NOON MEETING: Program: Megan Lewis, Director, Riley County Community Corrections: Topic: “Riley County Community Corrections”

JULY 30 – MORNING MEETING: Program: Jacob Galyon, Will Habiger, Sherie Taylor, Riley Co. Geographic System: Topic: “What’s Happening with the GIS”