Senior Living

Imagine living in Cleveland when the first Model T rolled off the assembly line. Hazel Hollenbach, who turned 102 years old on April 3, was born in 1908, the year the Model T was introduced. An elegant, charming woman whose eyes sparkle when she is engaged in conversation, Hazel embraces a positive attitude toward life.

With her stylish short haircut and soft pastel blouse, I found it difficult to believe Hazel was anywhere near 102 years old.  A passionate spirit and zest for life radiate from her tiny frame. Hazel is truly a remarkable woman.

Widowed for the first time in 1929, Hazel was left to raise her two young children alone. During World War II she worked the night shift at a Cleveland bomber plant. She also worked for Jubilee Catering, the Oak Ridge Senior Center and Gerber's Nursery school.

Every two years, the Ohio Department on Aging hires an independent firm to evaluate Family Satisfaction in all of the nursing homes in the state. This survey examines every aspect of care including staffing levels, attentiveness of staff, accommodations, activities, dining and delivery of care.

The 2012 results were just released and we are proud to announce that out of nearly 1,000 homes in the survey, Bradley Bay is ranked No. 1 in the state for family satisfaction.

Volunteers from the Bay Village Senior Center Woodshop have spent the last two weeks helping inner-city students build sailboats. They volunteer for the WHISTLE program which stands for Whiskey Island to Lake Erie. This six-year-old program was developed by Dan Moore and other sailors at Wendy Park (part of Whiskey Island). The goal is to get inner-city students involved in sailing in boats that they build. The program is directed by Mirek Posedel, who contacted the woodshop volunteers asking for their help last year.

This year’s Seniors’ Seasonal Delights program, a joint effort of the Westlake City School District and the Westlake Department of Senior and Community Services, will be held Thursday, Dec. 13, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Westlake High School.

The schedule of events is as follows:

• 5:30 p.m. – Dinner at Westlake High School Cafeteria
• 5:45-6:15 p.m. – Dinner Entertainment: Choirs from the WHS Vocal Music Program
• 6:15-6:40 p.m. – BINGO
• 7:00 p.m. – WHS Instrumental Winter Music Concert at the WHS Performing Arts Center

Cost per person is $10. Invitations and tickets will be available beginning Nov. 1 at the Westlake Department of Senior and Community Services, 29694 Center Ridge Rd., or send a request by mail to: Ruth Weible, Westlake City School District, Seniors’ Seasonal Delights, 27200 Hilliard Blvd., Westlake, OH 44145.

Burgers, brats, steaks on the grill – is there any better way to celebrate the Fourth of July? Well, yes and no. You could make ham sandwiches and potato salad or head out for some fun fair food at Bay Days. In addition to food, you'll find games of chance, fantastic rides, live music and, of course, a spectacular fireworks display which begins at 9:45 p.m.. Really, it's the best show in town.

A little bird told me some young-at-heart seniors would be scooting up to the Gazebo at 11:30 a.m. on July 4 to show off their decorated vehicles. Will these seniors really rally to make the trip to the park to join in the mini-parade which will take place there? I certainly hope they make it. To find out if they did, why not drop around to cheer on the participants. I'm told there may be lots of little ones on bikes to root for, too. Sounds like fun.

Financial abuse is a diverse genre of mistreatment that encompasses the embezzlement, theft or misappropriation of funds or possessions, oftentimes targeted at our most precious loved ones...our senior citizens.

Who could be financially abusing you or you loved ones? They could be anyone, from close family members to scammers a half a world away. I would like to share my experience with readers in the hopes that they can become their own advocates.

An elderly acquaintance of mine recently wanted to check her credit report. This person is very savvy in regards to her finances and investments and wouldn't typically need my assistance. However, I did recommend a reputable company for her to obtain her credit report. Yes, even some of these "free credit report" companies might also be scammers!

At 16, Elsie Albrightson would sneak out of her Staten Island, New York, home and sing in New York City clubs. Eighty years later, Elsie can still bring down the house! 

“An Afternoon with Elsie” was part of a HCR ManorCare Heart’s Desire program that Arden Courts Memory Care Community in Westlake sponsors on a couple of times a year for their residents. The program is designed to enrich the lives of residents, encourage them to take advantage of all that life has to offer and continue their active participation in the community.

By day, Dad was the sales manager of a local company which manufactured wire screen. Each morning he left the house in his starched white shirt and patterned tie. At night all he wanted was peace and quiet. Weekends, however, were another story.

Every Friday and Saturday night throughout my childhood and adolescense he played the saxophone in a three-piece band. Dad was an entertainer. He loved performing. He sang, cracked jokes and put his heart and soul into the music he played. As I look through the pictures of Dad's band, I can almost hear the songs which were such a huge part of my younger years. Dad played the sax well into his eighties, filling in for local bands any chance he got.

On Sunday, July 24, a Bath Township man diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease wandered away from his home and was declared missing. For two days police and concerned citizens searched the area with no success. On Tuesday the man was found, disoriented but unharmed. This story had a happy ending. Tragically, many wanderers never return home.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 5.4 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer's disease during 2011. Many of these people will wander at least once during the course of the disease. Searching for missing persons costs many millions of dollars annually. Often these people are never found.

The city of Rocky River has access to a new technology which locates wanderers in minutes rather than hours or days of searching. Undertaking a search and rescue effort is costly and time consuming. There is a better way.

The Bay Village High School Key Club will be on hand to help the members of the West Shore Senior Center with a spaghetti dinner fundraiser at the Knickerbocker Apartments on Wednesday, November 11th. Tickets are $5 each for a dinner that includes spaghetti, meatballs, salad, garlic bread, dessert and coffee. Pop is available for 50 cents. The event is scheduled from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Summer's heat has struck this area with a vengeance. Senior citizens are especially vulnerable to high temperatures and high humidity. Health care professionals recommend seniors stay indoors when the temperature hits the high 70s or above. Some seniors might not tolerate summer temperatures even lower than that.

If you must go out into the heat, the safest times are early morning or late evening. It's certainly not fun to stay home when the sun is shining. Perhaps you can hitch a ride with Bay Senior Transportation to visit the Dwyer Center. The building is air-conditioned, plus there are many activities available. You can play Scrabble, work on puzzles, play cards, take in a movie on Tuesday afternoons, read a book or just relax. Grab a few friends and enjoy the coolness of the Dwyer Center.

Over 100 guests spent an afternoon enjoying a look back at the history of women in America as told through fashion when they attended a luncheon hosted by the West Shore Senior Center, located in the Knickerbocker Apartments in Bay Village. The special afternoon was part of a fundraising event designated to help generate revenue to continue to provide services for area seniors.

Thanks to the generosity of West Bay Care & Rehabilitation Center, the program was a great success. The West Shore Senior Center relies solely on donations for its daily operations and was very grateful to West Bay who offered to provide the entertainment for this important program.

I had a chance to visit three local senior centers during the past month. On January 28, I attended the Dwyer Center in Bay Village for its second annual soup cook-off. A large crowd was on hand to taste and compare ten samples of wonderfully hot soup. The aroma drifting from each serving station filled the room with the scent of old-fashioned home cooking. Chefs represented various area senior living residences. From Lobster Bisque to Loaded Baked Potato soup (the winner) and eight delicious flavors in between, it was a food-lovers' dream. Salads, soups, rolls, beverages and dessert were also provided. At $5.00 a person, the soup cook-off was a real bargain. I definitely plan to return next year.

As we get older, at some point we may worry about our memory. Have you ever walked into a room and forgot why you went in there? It happens to most of us and is usually not a reason to worry, especially if you can quickly retrace your steps and remember why you went into the room in the first place. The following tips, however, may help you decide if you need further evaluation to rule out dementia or something else that may be causing problems.

Scenario: My father has been showing signs of dementia, but he refuses to be evaluated and denies there is a problem. He gets mad at me for bringing it up and we end up arguing over it. How can I get him to agree to go to the doctor before things get worse?

In my experience in long-term care, I often run into these situations with families. One of the biggest fears that aging adults have is their fear of “getting dementia.” Because of this fear, people tend to be defensive and deny there is a problem. There is no cookie-cutter answer or solution to this, but the following tips may help:

Sunday afternoon usually means football, chips and salsa. But this Sunday afternoon is different.

In a welcoming room tucked away in a shady street in Bay Village, a woman with soft white hair hasn’t spoken for days.  But this Sunday, she quietly sings the words to “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” a familiar hymn she learned as a girl.

“It's amazing how a person who I have seen every other week for a year can't remember me, but lights up at the familiar lyrics of hymns they sang as a young person,” says Erin Hubbard, a member of the Bradley Bay ministry team of Providence Church.

Every other Sunday afternoon, the ministry team drives to Bay Village after attending services at Providence Church in Avon. The team spends the afternoon giving the gift of worship, Scripture, and smiles to the residents at Bradley Bay Health Center. Many of the residents sing along with the time-tested melodies that they learned long ago. Some even remember the familiar passages of Scripture that are read.

The first meeting for 2010 of the Bay Village Senior Citizen Advisory Board is scheduled for Friday, January 15th, 9 a.m. at the Bay Lodge, 492 Bradley Road. The meeting is open to the public. You need not be a senior citizen to attend.

Bay Village senior citizens needing transportation can contact Mary Beth Rowland at 440-899-3410.

On October 29, 2008, I was diagnosed with cancer. That same month the Gathering Place West opened its doors to cancer patients and their families. This was a life-changing experience for me.

I'd like to tell you a little about the Gathering Place West. Located at 800 Sharon Drive in Westlake, it is especially convenient to the Westshore community.

The Gathering Place offers a variety of activities such as art classes, yoga, lectures, and support groups for persons with cancer and their families. One-on-one services include short term counseling, life planning, and medical billing consultations. Telephone support is also available. All services are free

This week I was able to get to the lake, something I haven't been able to do for quite some time. We found a bench and watched the show. Several people on jet skis were making waves, a sailboat coasted leisurely toward the east and the weather was perfect. I feel so fortunate to live so near the lake.

Somehow, I also feel a hint of sadness on this day, A few leaves were falling from the surrounding trees, reminding me that winter is around the corner. I really do not like winter. I dread the ice, cold, snow and the cloudy grey skies which contribute to SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, a fancy term for the winter blues.

My family came to this country from Europe and settled in Cleveland in the latter part of the 19th century. Being an inquisitive child I encouraged my parents and grandparents to tell me stories about their lives.

Both grandfathers were storytellers and didn't need much encouragement to talk about themselves and their lives. These stories have stayed with me throughout the years. I wish I had written them down as they were told to me. Memory has a way of erasing some things as we get older.

It is not unusual to deny depression when someone asks or even when you question yourself about feelings of depression. The concept of depression and the negative connotations that come along with it historically have made it “taboo.” The good news is that in today’s world it is becoming more acceptable to talk about, accept and pursue treatment.

But how do you know the difference between clinical depression and a case of the blues? When considering this question you must look to both the severity and duration of symptoms. Are the symptoms so hard to deal with that they are causing problems in everyday life (severity)? Are the symptoms present daily and are they lasting for more than two weeks (duration)?

On a beautiful, February afternoon, residents from the Gardens at Westlake gathered at Birds of a Feather craft shop in Westlake to provide their time for the worthy cause of making lap blankets for those with dementia.

The project was developed by Michele Gillum, volunteer coordinator for Hospice of the Western Reserve. It was brought to Michele’s attention that often dementia residents like to hold something that provides some form of tactile stimulation for them and surprisingly the lap blankets, which have been titled “tactile lies,” provide that. The different textured fabrics offer the pleasurable stimuli they enjoy. Also strips are sewn together with three different rows of ribbons which are then sewn into the seams that add a soft, fluffy backing.

Ruth Kostur, an 81-years-young resident at the Gardens at Westlake, is known around the building for her handmade quilts and stitched items. A part-time hobby that she took up after retiring from Women’s Federal Bank at age 63, Ruth’s passion has grown into a daily routine.

Looking for a hobby to occupy her time, Ruth turned to her sister – an expert knitter – who got her interested in working with a “knitting machine.” The machine used a computer to program different items such as socks, robes and even booties – what normally took her two evenings to do could now be completed in one.

Self-defense is not just for the young or perfectly fit anymore. Most street predators will take the path of least resistance and target someone who appears to be vulnerable.

So where does that leave granny, granddad or the person who has some type of permanent or partial disability? That’s right!  They are the most likely to be victimized, because they are least likely to be able to defend themselves.

In this day and age, no community, not even Westlake or Bay Village is immune from this kind of crime. However, with the latest craze in martial arts training, sometimes referred to as “Cane–Fu”, Combat Cane Fighting or Cane Self-Defense, senior citizens and those who find a need to use a cane now have a option.

The residents of the Knickerbocker Apartments in Bay Village were treated to a special valentine, sent to them courtesy of Bob Howell of the Bay Barber Shop. The singing group, "Four Flats, No Spare," delighted the crowd with many old favorites and plenty of new jokes. Residents and their families remarked that their Valentine could not have been more fun! A special thank you to Bay Barber Shop for the Barbershop Quartet! We love you, too!

Love it or hate it but either way we can’t live without it. This may be a typical relationship you have with technology. For certain demographics, personal computers are a poster-child for the idiom “everything but the kitchen sink” where the plethora of functions offered becomes a barrier to adopting technology.

Lately, though, I see hope. Although partly due to socioeconomic factors there’s another reason why the technology adoption barrier is slowly crumbling. I coin the term "Power of One" to explain this.

The Gardens at Westlake continues to make the community service event they took on three years ago bigger and better each year. They donate canned goods or other non-perishable food items to a “Basket of Blessings.”

A large box was decorated and placed in the front lobby at the Gardens and the employees and residents filled the box numerous times with a wide variety of needed items.

It was an extraordinary trip down memory lane for me. James Seman's slide presentation and talk at the Bay Village Library on January 14 brought back so many pleasant summertime memories. Who could forget Laughing Sal, the Tilt-a-Whirl, and the Thriller?

Going to Euclid Beach with family and friends was a big event. Filled with anticipation, we would pile into dad's car and head for the park. Many fun activities awaited us. I remember scrambling for a car on the Dodgems and the triumph of coming in seconds ahead of my friends on the winning racer coaster. Rocking the car when it stopped at the top of the giant Ferris wheel was cool. And yes, Ferris wheels did look gigantic to me. Walking to the end of the pier, dodging fishing lines and hooks, to the take in the sunset over Lake Erie is my favorite memory.

Donald Stone, an 84-years-young resident at the Gardens at Westlake has no gardening skills nor ever had any interest in planting things until recently.

On a whim this past spring, he went to a nursery and bought seeds for tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes and sunflowers. He planted all of his seeds on a 95-degree June day and much to his surprise, “everything” grew. He had an abundance of tomatoes, five watermelons, three cantaloupes and 10 sunflowers.

The West Shore Senior Center is a non-profit organization serving low-income seniors living in the Knickerbocker Apartments in Bay Village. The senior center provides an in-house food service program as well as activities designed to enrich the lives of those living in the building and the surrounding community.

To that end, a fundraising event has been scheduled to raise much needed monies for the daily operations and food service program.

A Vintage Fashion Show and Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, April 13, at 12:00 p.m. at the West Shore Senior Center, 27100 Knickerbocker Rd. in Bay.

Devon Oaks Assisted Living Community, located in Westlake, hosted lunch and Bingo at the Westlake Center (formerly Westlake Senior Center) on Jan. 27. Devon Oaks provided lunch and a variety of Bingo prizes. Molly Zangerle, a Devon Oaks resident, called the Bingo numbers. Devon Oaks Program Director Carol Sechkar and staff member Joyce Atkins were on hand to help serve the meal and distribute prizes.

Devon Oaks residents enjoy the close proximity of the center and take advantage of wellness opportunities offered there. The assisted living community, located across from Crocker Park, has sponsored other recreational programs, including cornhole, at the Center in the past.

Belvedere of Westlake owner Cindy Griffiths Novak, administrator Katy Swigett and three residents attended a recent Lake Erie Crushers game to cheer on their "housemate," pitcher Travis Risser. Risser lives at the Belvedere as part of their player host family program. Unfortunately, he was on the disabled list and didn't play in the game, but the group enjoyed their evening at the ballpark.

On Friday, Sept. 23, Ohio senior citizens will observe the annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day. With winter just around the corner, now is the time to start thinking about how to prevent falls. According to the Ohio Department of Aging: "Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalization and death among Ohioans age 65 and older."

In order to prevent falls, certain steps can be taken to keep seniors safe and upright. Most of these precautions take just a measure of common sense and a little rearranging.

The Better Business Bureau has reported the following scams preying on trusting Americans:

Free Target Gift Card: Cell phone users across the country are reporting they have been receiving text messages that appear to be from Target telling them they have won a drawing for a $1,000 gift card. They are then told in order to claim the gift card they should enter “917” at www.target.com.tgrz.biz which is not a website affiliated whatsoever with Target, even though it appears legitimate. It is a way to collect personal info such as your address and phone number.

Medicare's annual open enrollment period is Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. Here are some facts for those considering or already enrolled in Medicare:

Who should be concerned with open enrollment? 

Once per year, everyone who is eligible and wants to enroll or already is enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan and/or a Medicare Advantage Plan/Medicare Part C can either enroll without penalty during this time or review their current plan to see if it is still the most advantageous based on their current situation.

What is Medicare Part D?

All people with Medicare are eligible to enroll in a Medicare drug plan without penalty during open enrollment. These plans are offered by insurance companies and other private companies approved by Medicare. These plans can either add coverage to traditional Medicare or will be included in some Medicare Advantage Plans.

Many people find themselves in the position of being house-rich and cash-poor, and unfortunately many seniors are forced to sell the homes they have worked for all their lives just to make ends meet. 

You have seen actors and others on national TV commercials telling about reverse mortgages and the tremendous benefits they provide to homeowners 62 years of age and over. They truly are an amazing financial tool which has been the solution for many seniors in resolving the financial concerns and quality-of-life issues they face each day such as paying for medications, groceries and/or healthcare. In many cases it has been their only means of survival in the extremely difficult economic times in which we live.

When I was a teenager I looked forward to our yearly excursion to the Festival of St. Rocco Church during Labor Day weekend. The highlight of the day was the greased pole climb.

I believe optimism is like the greased pole, hard to hold on to. Every day brings new challenges – some good, some not so much. Combine the daily challenges with my ability to attract pessimistic people into my life and I sometimes find optimism slipping away like a fragile butterfly. I might grab for its colorful wings but even if I catch it for a second, it flits out of my grasp.

Living far away from aging parents can be very difficult for families. You may feel overwhelmed and wonder what you can do to help from a long distance standpoint. The following are some tips that may help to decrease your worries and help you feel more prepared. 

Consider having a family meeting via conference call or the web. Talk about the concerns each sibling is having with your parents' health, living environment and/or safety. Decide who can do what to help, establish a schedule and set goals. Consider asking your parents' friends or neighbors if they would be willing to help in small ways such as checking in periodically.

A new scam is sweeping the nation, claiming that President Obama will pay your utility bills through a new federal program. FirstEnergy Corp. customers in several states have reported the scam, and several other energy companies issued warnings to their customers about it.

How the scam works:

Consumers have been contacted in person and through fliers, social media and text messages with claims that President Obama is providing credits or applying payments to utility bills.

Would you love to step back in time and remember when things seemed so simple? Residents of the Knickerbocker Apartments invite anyone interested in joining them on a bus trip to the Henry Ford Museum, Michigan, to visit one of the premier historical centers in America.

See the actual chair Lincoln sat in when assassinated, Civil War artifacts on loan from the National Archives, presidential limos, and rooms filled with items sure to bring back memories!