Prairie Sunset Home

An Open Letter to Residents, Families, and Friends of Prairie Sunset Home

Current as of: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
During the past month we have made a concerted effort to recruit folks who have already been, or are interested in becoming, “adult volunteers” on a more routine basis. While we have a couple of dozen folks who lead small group discussions, assist with parties/activities, and support spiritual needs of residents living here, there is still significant unmet need. Deb Cable has been meeting with local churches and helping us develop a “Volunteer Handbook” to provide baseline education as required by regulation as well as a tool to better equip volunteers to understand how to effectively interact with frail elders. Becoming a volunteer can be personally rewarding as therapeutic relationships begin to grow. It is often said that “the volunteer benefits more than the resident!” Those interpersonal relationships cannot be purchased at any price.
We will be offering Volunteer Training events starting on Monday, March 23rd at 1000 hrs in the ALF activity room. A second training event will be held next Thursday, March 26th at 1400 hrs. Each training session should last no more than two (2) hours. A third training session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 21st at 1000 hrs. The month of April is recognized as National Volunteer Appreciation Month. We hope our extra effort to recruit and train volunteers will culminate with our annual Volunteer Reception to be held on Friday, April 24th at 1400 hrs. If you have not yet filled out our Volunteer Application, please stop in and pick one up or call (620-459-6822) to reserve seat at one of our volunteer training sessions. There is no cost for this training. Even if you are a regular volunteer or have routinely volunteered in the past, we hope/encourage you to participate in this training to become a “regular” volunteer once again.
As we continue our efforts to keep residents and staff members safe from exposure to COVID, flu or other respiratory illness, please be sure to self-screen at our Kiosk when you enter to visit. Type in your name/phone number; who you are here to see; line your face up on the screen as your temperature is automatically taken—you are IN.
March is “Careers in Aging Month.” This is the third week we have Spotlighted team members. By shining the Spotlight on team members, we hope to help create awareness that beginning or continuing a career in aging can be a valuable and personally rewarding job. This week we turn the Spotlight on Lucy Goeges, CNA, and Lane Boen, Cook. Each will be featured on our FACEBOOK this week as well. Spotlight #:
1) Lucy Gorges, CNA. Lucy is a senior at Cheney High School and has worked at PSH for almost two (2) years. She is currently taking Medication Aide training and will be our newest CMA within a few weeks. Lucy will attend Ft. Hays State in the fall and major in nursing.
2) Lane Boen, Cook. Lane began a “Career in Aging” as a “Grill Cook” almost three (3) years ago while he was still a senior at Kingman High School. Upon graduation, he attended Pratt Community College for a year before transferring to Kansas State University. He plans to become a Registered Dietitian.
Our continued success requires continual professional development, recruiting, training and retaining of the team. The best bet is to “grow our own!” We have many high-quality, experienced, direct care and support staff as well as high school and college students who provide compassionate, competent and superior service to the residents entrusted to us. Hopefully our readers, families and friends will begin to understand the importance and value that can be realized when one pursues a “Career in Aging.”
We continue to get calls and inquiries about moving into the adult care home. If you know someone who is facing this decision, contact us now! Without a consistent revenue stream, it becomes more difficult to provide the superior service or medical care you expect.
Today we have several rooms available for occupancy in skilled nursing and assisted living. We have one cottage available for immediate occupancy as well. If you are aware of someone who is dissatisfied and fed-up with the quality of medical care, service, food, or policies at their current nursing home or are considering moving into an adult care home very soon, either assisted living or skilled nursing, please encourage them to call (620-459-6822) or visit us. Thank you again for your referrals and continued support. For more information about PSH happenings, go to our FACEBOOK page. Working together, we make Prairie Sunset Home a great place to live and work!
Aaron D. Kelley Jr.
Administrator

An Open Letter to Residents, Families, and Friends of Prairie Sunset Home

Current as of: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
As we continue our efforts to keep residents and staff members safe, please be sure to self-screen procedures at our Kiosk when you enter to visit. Type in your name/phone number; who you are here to see; line your face up on the screen as your temperature is automatically taken—you are IN.
March is “Careers in Aging Month” and is being celebrated by LeadingAge Kansas. Last year, we participated in the initiative to Spotlight one team member each day in the month of March. The feedback we received was almost 100% positive, so we are following up that success by Spotlighting select team members again this year. By shining the Spotlight on team members, we hope to help create interest across Kansas that beginning or continuing a career in aging can be a valuable and personally rewarding job. We intend to Spotlight two (2) team members each week during the month of March.
This week we turn the Spotlight on BobbiJo Ceniceros, LPN, and Justyce Henning, CMA. Each will be featured on our FACEBOOK throughout the month of March. “Careers in Aging Month” Spotlight #:
1) BobbiJo Ceniceros, LPN. 32 Years of service in aging! Bobbi Jo came to work at PSH in 2011, however early in the COVID-19 pandemic she left PSH to become a traveling nurse. Bobbi Jo returned to PSH eighteen (18) months ago because we were willing to accommodate her efforts to get a BSN nursing degree as a Hesston College full-time student. She expects to graduate in May with her degree from Hesston and pass the KS licensing exam to become an RN. When asked about her career in aging, Bobbi Jo said, “Long term care is all I have known. I started with I was 16 years old. It feels like home.” BobbJo’s father lives here now because she believes in PSH. She has 4 children, a husband of almost 32 years, and 6 grandkids.
2) Justyce Henning, CMA. Justyce has been a CNA/CMA here at PSH for almost 6 years. Justyce is currently working on a nursing degree from Galen College. She chose a career in aging because she loves building relationships with all the residents. Justyce says, “it is a privilege to be able to support and advocate for them in such important seasons of their lives. Working at PSH has helped me grow both personally and professionally. It has strengthened my passion for nursing and has confirmed that I am exactly where I need to be. I am grateful to be part of a team that prioritizes compassionate and patient-centered care.”
We have many high-quality direct care veterans as well as high school and college students who provide compassionate, competent and superior service to the elders entrusted to us. Hopefully our readers, families and friends will begin to understand the importance and value that can be realized when one considers a “Career in Aging.” Nicky Goering, director of nursing, and I both serve as volunteers on the Pretty Prairie High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Health Science Pathway Advisory Committee. Our continued success requires continual professional development, recruiting, training and retaining of the team. The best bet is to “grow our own!”
We continue to get a few calls and inquiries about moving into the adult care home. If you know someone who is facing this decision, contact us now! Without a consistent revenue stream, it becomes more difficult to provide the superior service or medical care you expect.
Today we have several rooms available for occupancy in skilled nursing and assisted living. We have one cottage available for immediate occupancy as well. If you are aware of someone who is dissatisfied and fed-up with the quality of medical care, service, food, or policies at their current nursing home or are considering moving into an adult care home very soon, either assisted living or skilled nursing, please encourage them to call (620-459-6822) or visit us. Thank you again for your referrals and continued support. For more information about PSH happenings, go to our FACEBOOK page. Working together, we make Prairie Sunset Home a great place to live and work!
Aaron D. Kelley Jr.
Administrator