Magnolia Manor Blog

Magnolia Manor is a senior living organization that has a foundation and commitment to our faith tradition. We fulfill that commitment through servant leadership. “As servant leaders we want our main focus to be on the well-being of our senior living community from our residents to our employees,” explains Ty Kinslow, Senior VP for Communications. “Our main goal is to serve and care about our residents through love and support for a lifetime.”

So, What Is Servant Leadership?

Even though it seems as if life completely shut down for nearly all of 2020 because of the pandemic, the truth is that life goes on, no matter what. Sometimes that includes moving from one home to another. So, with all the restrictions surrounding COVID-19, what was it like to move to a senior living community during this time?

Surely, you’re not one of those people who thinks senior living communities have lousy food! If so, you haven’t had a meal at Magnolia Manor! Long gone are the days when bland was the order of the day.

This is the South, and we’re all about Southern cuisine. That’s what our residents want, and our mission is to serve our seniors in every way – body and soul.

So fire up your taste buds, and let’s see what’s cooking. Derinda Harris, Dietary Manager at Magnolia Manor in Macon, is our guide.

Almost every adult looks forward to retirement with great anticipation. Finally, a chance to spend your days as you want. But where will that be? You could stay where you are. However, for many empty-nesters with distant children and grandkids, this is your chance to move closer. Or maybe you simply want a change of scenery, or pace.

Here at Magnolia Manor, we know a few things about retirement, and we’re well-rooted in the state of Georgia, too. So when we say this is a great place to retire, you can believe us. The benefits of retiring in Georgia are many, whether you will be new to the state or you already live here.

Ah, spring. The season of renewal. It’s uplifting to see the world around us come alive again – this year, especially, as it also heralds our gradual emergence from the pandemic. But it’s hard to feel blessed by spring’s beauty when you’re busy sneezing, coughing, and wiping your watery eyes thanks to seasonal allergies. Spring allergies can also give you a stuffy or runny nose, make your eyes itch, and impair your sense of smell or taste.

When you hear that Magnolia Manor is a faith-based organization, you might assume that we cater only to a certain group of people. Nothing could be further from the truth! Our family of residents is diverse in many ways, and that’s just the way we like it. We happily welcome seniors of all faiths and from all walks of life.

We all know there is no shortage of apps to communicate with others and play games. Where would we have been these past many months during the pandemic without these essential digital tools? But apps can help seniors in so many other ways.

As we age, most of us worry about losing our memory or cognitive abilities. In addition, Senior Living notes that:

• Many seniors have vision issues, and a third of those over 65 especially have trouble reading small print
• About half of prescriptions are not taken as directed
• Some seniors don’t fill prescriptions in the first place due to high cost

Sound familiar? No worries. There are apps that can help solve all these problems and more. Apps can help seniors monitor and maintain good health, simplify daily life, and learn new things. And a lot of them are easy to use and even free. Here is a smattering of apps you might consider for yourself or for an older friend or loved one.

Manor Living magazine. Informative? Yes. Interesting? Oh, yeah! In fact, you might say it’s a real page-turner. That’s because Magnolia Manor is all about living life, in the best, most carefree way you can. Even if you live or work at one of our Magnolia Manor campuses, it’s hard to keep up with all the action because our communities are such busy places.

With nine campuses throughout Georgia, there is nine times the action. So we publish Manor Living magazine quarterly to help our residents, staff, families, and friends stay tuned to what’s new. Reading the magazine is also a great way for potential new residents to get a feel for our way of life.

Let’s turn a few pages in the latest issue to get a glimpse of what’s happening around Magnolia Manor.

Every new year brings changes, and seniors are always especially interested (or concerned) to learn what will happen with Social Security. We talked in an earlier blog about 2021 cost of living increases (COLA) for those already receiving Social Security retirement benefits, but COLA increases are not the only changes.

One of the many benefits of senior living at Magnolia Manor’s Americus campus is our Wellness Center. Opened in 2000, this gathering place for the exercise-minded has been a very popular and busy place. Until COVID-19 came around, that is. It’s not that we’re no longer interested in staying fit, it’s that keeping the gym, pools, and class spaces open just isn’t possible now.

Rats.

We have every intention of re-opening the Wellness Center as soon as we can, so let’s see what everyone has to look forward to. We talked to Jeni Hixon, our Wellness Center Director, to get the inside scoop.