On Friday, October 3, Congress approved and the President signed The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424) legislation that includes the immediate and retroactive extension of the popular Pension Protection Act of 2006 provision which allows taxpayers over 70½ to instruct their IRA (Individual Retirement Account) administrator to make a tax-free distribution up to $100,000 from their IRA directly to a public charity in each of the years 2008 and 2009.  Gifts made to charitable trusts, donor advised funds or supporting organizations are not eligible.

Your spouse also can also give $100,000 if he or she is 70 ½ or older and has an IRA.  The benefits are that you do not have to report any amount distributed directly to a public charity from your IRA as taxable income, allowing you to give before the end of the year on a tax-favored basis, and that distribution will count toward the IRA owner’s mandatory withdrawal amount.  Plus, you can make the gift while you are living and able to witness the benefits of your generosity.

Your tax advisor can provide you with more detailed information regarding state and local income tax law specific to your state of residence.  To make a gift benefiting your Presbyterian Homes community, call 651-631-6132 or visit our website at www.preshomes.org/foundation.

You’re invited to attend a special educational event to hear how advances in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease are making a difference in people’s lives. Expert neurologists and neurosurgeons will present medical and surgical breakthroughs and options that can minimize the difficult symptoms. Patients will share how their lives have been enhanced by these treatments. This compelling presentation is intended to enlighten and encourage all who are touched by Parkinson’s disease.

Attend one of the following locations:

October 27 4:30 - 7 pm

McKenna Crossing, 13810 Shepherd’s Path, Prior Lake

Complimentary light supper

October 28 3 - 5:30 pm

 Waverly Gardens, 5919 Centerville Rd., North Oaks

Complimentary snacks & beverages

October 29 2 - 4:30 pm

Presbyterian Homes of Bloomington, 9889 Penn Ave. S

Complimentary snacks & beverages

There is no charge but seats are limited. 

Click Here to Register

Americans live in a nation and culture founded on principles of freedom and respect. So it’s understandable why older adults may feel anxious that the care they might need as they age could come at the cost of these important values. True to the Presbyterian Homes & Services purpose, “to give personalized attention to the well-being of each resident, while enhancing their independence and dignity,” we are pleased to introduce Liberty: Personally Designed Living™.

Liberty™. is a resident-centered model of care that recognizes and values independent choice, and creates opportunities for each person to determine how they wish to live within the community setting. Personally designed living is holistic in nature and seeks the highest physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual well being for all. Everything from sleep choices, meal choices, and care routines are structured by what the resident prefers.  The care staff then sets its priorities and work routines to support these preferences.

 Among other elements, residents will be encouraged to design “My Best Day”, the way they want to live it, giving information and preferences to the staff about when they wish to sleep and rise, what they would like to eat and other things that make them smile. 

Household “Chat Circles” are being organized to provide a forum for mutual decisions among residents, family and staff that create the community they envision. This approach means a transformation of our communities from an institutionalized focus to an individualized orientation.

Adapted for PHS by Dan Strittmater, strategic initiatives project manager, and coordinated by Sharon Klefsaas, executive director of service strategy, our Care Centers officially started implementing Liberty™. in May 2008 and expect to be fully transformed by October 2009.  Beginning this fall, our Assisted Living communities will begin assessing the features of Liberty™. already in place and applying new features over the next 12 -18 months.  In partnership with Minneapolis Community and Technical College, several of our staff will receive training over the next three years to better provide care in this new model.

We will be sharing more details about Liberty™. as it unfolds and becomes a way of life in our communities, offering care with choices to live your best day, every day!