Senior Living

It is impossible to completely prevent a fall. But if you follow these tips, the chances can be reduced. Prevention takes a little planning and possibly some acceptance that the risk is higher for seniors in winter.

1. The correct footwear is very important! Make sure your loved one is not wearing worn-out shoes or boots. Ensure the size is correct, not too big or too small. Ensure that the footwear has adequate traction on the soles. Consider adding anti-skid materials to the bottom. 
2. Ensure the steps going up to the house are strong and in good repair. Weak or wobbly steps can cause your loved one to become off balance and increases the risk of a fall. Ensure that snow, ice and water buildup are properly maintained at all times.

Knickerbocker resident Elizabeth Zachar has been very busy the past few weeks. She has spent what seems like every waking moment knitting beautiful ruffle scarves to sell as a fundraiser for the Knickerbocker Senior Center. Her work is seen in local office buildings, around town, and on many of the guests that visit the senior center regularly.

The Knickerbocker Senior Center, located at the Knickerbocker Apartments in Bay Village, provides housing for local seniors. A few weeks back a group of residents decided they would like to take a bus trip. After some research they found the cost to be prohibitive for many of those living at the apartments. So, in an effort to raise money to offset the trip, Mrs. Zachar started making and selling scarves. She sells them for $10 each.

Many of us know someone or are experiencing in our own families the care of older relatives many of whom are experiencing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. Please join the Westshore Lions Club at our next meeting on Monday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road, to learn about SAIDO, a non-pharmaceutical intervention that is proven to improve and even reverse memory loss among older adults. Our guest speaker will be Carrie Zdilla from Eliza Jennings/Devon Oaks Assisted Living.

This time of the year brings back many thoughts and good memories. My granddaughter just got engaged to a very nice guy. She will be married in July.

She was a good baby and slept a lot. Her grandmother and I made daily trips to Columbus at that time. We took Amanda with us. She slept until we stopped for breakfast. She would have her bottle at the restaurant. She would sleep most of the time during our return trip home.

Tuesday is always a very nice day at the Knickerbocker Senior Center. Children from Normandy Elementary School trudge through snow, rain, hail and sometimes sunshine several blocks to the senior center. The seniors and the children get along well as they work on crafts and play games such as bingo, cards and putting puzzles together. The teacher who escorts them and supplies the crafts and games is the very energetic and thoughtful Mrs. Nicole Barrick.

Mrs. Barrick has a background in music. She enjoys working with elementary school students. She is always making sure the elders and youngsters are on the same page and having lots of fun. The seniors seem to have a nice, calming effect on the kids. Of course, the long cold walk helps to reduce some of their natural energy.

Every Thanksgiving since I was a child I have revisited my roots through the Pilgrim, John Howland. John and his brothers George, Arthur and Henry were born near Newport, County Essex, England. John came to this country on the Mayflower. His brothers came later.

I am a direct descendant of Henry. My grandmother on my mother's side was a Howland from that line. I always wonder how the Pilgrims of yore would view today's Thanksgiving.

What is 26.21875 miles and has 15 participants? Before anyone thinks this is a trick question on a math test or a knock-knock joke, know that it is just one of the many fun activities in the community services dept.'s "Fifty Plus" programs at Westlake Center.

Known as a Golden Marathon, 15 participants over the age of 50 participated. This is the seventh marathon in as many years through the Center with walkers committed to trails and parkways twice a month for six to seven months in order to complete the 26-mile, 385-yard walk.

Evelyn Ballantine celebrated her 100th birthday one day early, on Oct. 24, at Bradley Bay Assisted Living, where she is a resident.  Evelyn is a native Clevelander, and she and her late husband moved to Bay Village in 1950. 

She and Thomas were married for 63 years, during which, in addition to being a homemaker, she worked at the Cleveland Club and Union Commerce Bank.  She has one son, Tom, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Lots of great inter-generational events celebrated Halloween at Bradley Bay with our community neighbors. Bay Village's Normandy School Brownie Troop #70769, led by troop leader Julia Frindt, stopped in for a visit. These energetic and creatively dressed Brownies helped serve during our pumpkin pie social and played charades with our residents. 

A few days later, the parent group of Bay Presbyterian preschool, Mothers of Pre-Schoolers, brought 20 of their children in to make both the residents and staff smile. Dressed in the cutest costumes ever, the children had a great time as they trick-or-treated through the halls of our Assisted Living, and then went into the dining room to party with the Nursing residents.

Westlake Center for Community Services is a destination for anyone age 50-plus interested in social, educational and recreational activities. No longer called Westlake Senior Center, "Fifty Plus" programs seems to more correctly identify the population the department serves. In fact, a 2012 Nielsen report found that by 2017, 50 percent of the US population will be over age 50.

The Westlake community services department staff, volunteers and advisory board find creative ways in which new information and new skills are offered as well as the tried and true traditional programs. Older adult participants credit the Center with benefiting their physical and mental health and improving their ability to find out about and connect to support services. A better quality of life ensues and successful aging is the result.

I retired this past May at the age of 58 after forty years of secretarial and legal assistant work. I made the big decision that I would rather be a "poor happy person"  than continue working full time until the official retirement age of 65. I am enjoying the free things in life and living the most frugal existence possible.  

I've been thinking about tricycles (or trikes, as the hip people say) ever since spotting a number of people pedaling around on them in the Bay Village area, where I reside, and surrounding communities. It looked like it could be fun to do an all-day outing on a trike – pack lunch, stop at a park on the lake, library, then shopping and errands in the center of town. It made me think that perhaps if I owned one, maybe I could survive without a car? The basket is large enough for at least a weeks' worth for groceries for myself.

A shy, senior dog, spotted in the Bradley Woods area and appearing to be in need, was recently reported to the Westlake Police Department and finally caught by the dog warden after several weeks. Upon his capture, they found that he was extremely underweight, with a severe skin infection and open wounds, causing speculation that he may have been bitten by a coyote or another dog.

Since he was so withdrawn that he would not interact with people, the police department contacted Connie Field from the Love-A-Stray rescue group for help. Love-a-Stray took him in, gave him a new name, “Cuddy”, and volunteer Mary Bertin worked with him to slowly earn his trust.

Remember the Terri Schiavo case? It lasted from 1990 to 2005 involving a battle between Terri’s husband and her parents on whether or not to remove her from life support. It was a very controversial case that brought about a lot of thought and discussion on the topic of Advanced Directives. Terri did not have a living will; if she did, it would have prevented this 15-year legal struggle. 

The chartered bus arrived promptly at eight in the morning. The weather was perfect, sunny and dry. The beep-beep of the bus backing up sent the waiting passengers scurrying to get on board. The scene reminded me of charging the school bus to get the best seat when I was a kid. Only I'm not a kid. This trip was planned for senior citizens.

Each person was given a large shopping bag with their name on it. A good idea as everyone planned to buy souvenirs. These bags were to be stored under the coach to keep the overhead rack free. YEAH, SURE. The plan failed. Everyone put their stuff on the overhead rack. Heaven help us if the bus had to make a sudden stop.

Once per year, every one 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. For more information about the health and drug plans and Medigap policies described below, visit www.medicare.gov and click “Sign Up/Change Plans” then “Find health and drug plans” or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

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.

It might have rained all morning at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, but that didn’t stop Team Arden Courts Westlake from having fun at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Sept. 21. “We had a lot to celebrate,” said Lisa Anthony, the marketing director at Arden Courts. “Our team received the award for the Top Fundraising Team in the Healthcare/Senior Living Division and we are very proud.”

Fall is the time for many landscaping chores, such as raking, pruning and planting. Just because a person has dementia, doesn’t mean they have to stop activities they enjoy and that make them feel productive. Here are some ideas to involve those with dementia in these types of activities:

Early Stage Dementia

• Provide a bag and rake for raking leaves. Re-direct, as needed, to keep the person on task.
• Prune overgrown bushes by bringing the person to the bush and instructing what to do. Supervise the person for safety and to prevent over-pruning.
• Help the person plant spring-blooming bulbs by giving step-by-step directions and providing the needed tools.

The residents of the Knickerbocker Apartments in Bay Village were thrilled last week when a team of energetic volunteers from Bay View Cares showed up with shovels in hand to plant a vegetable garden for all to enjoy. Bay View Cares, a missional community formed from members of Bay Presbyterian Church, organized and funded this event from design to harvest – and the residents are thrilled!

The amazing wood structure, including the front gate, was designed by Greg Ernst. John Meaux, Paul Lang, Eric Peterson and Paul Sutherland implemented his plan by building this uniquely shaped garden. Allen Borowski, his wife Jen, and their two children, Noah and Rebecca, worked to fill the beds with soil and Sweet Peet.

The scent of lavender, a comfortable recliner, soft music and the gentle touch of a hand massage from a caring person add up to an improved quality of life for individuals in the latter stages of dementia.

This soothing atmosphere, along with meaningful activities, is all part of the groundbreaking Namaste Care Program now being provided to residents at all of the Arden Courts Memory Care Communities in the Cleveland area, including the Westlake location.    

Residents with advanced dementia who have become less verbal and less able to benefit from traditional activities in which they did well in earlier stages become calm and relaxed when brought into the Namaste Room with its slower pace and spa-like tranquility.

A relatively new profession and one that is on the rise, a geriatric care manager may be a term that comes up in family discussions about aging parents and loved ones. So what is a geriatric care manager, anyway?

They are human service professionals and they act as advocates and coaches for their clients and their families and help to navigate them through the difficult journey of aging. The geriatric care manager assists clients to maintain their independence, safety in their living environment and maximum functional abilities, both physically and cognitively. They are knowledgeable on resources for the elderly and will know the costs and quality of such resources which can reduce a lot of stress on clients and families who would otherwise be doing the research on their own.

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.

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.

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.

I've worked in nursing homes for many years, so I know that chronic hospitalizations are a reality for those who live in a nursing home as well as for those living in their own home. This is a very big topic in legislation and focus for improvement.

It is obviously costing Medicare a lot of extra dollars as well as causing stress to those who are being hospitalized and their families. One recent study found that 20 percent of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries are re-admitted within 30 days, with costs accounting for one-sixth of the total Medicare budget.

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.

State Representative Nan Baker visited Bradley Bay Health Center on Oct. 12 and presented to residents, families and community members an overview of what is going on at the state level in the Ohio House of Representatives. Nan discussed the now-balanced budget and the creation of jobs for Ohioans. Nan was very enthused about the future of Ohio.

The South Shore Four Barbershop Quartet surprised Westlake Village resident Richard Mills recently with a private performance. Mills, a talented singer himself, even had an opportunity to join in and sing the lead on a few songs. Mills once sang with a jazz band, and has wonderful memories of frequent visits to New Orleans to perform with local groups there. Hospice of the Western Reserve arranged the surprise visit as part of its life enrichment program, which works on granting the wishes of patients. The program is part of the non-profit agency’s philosophy of helping individuals celebrate life to the fullest through meaningful and memorable experiences.

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.

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.

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.

A subtle change in the air, slight color changes on leaves, could it be the arrival of autumn? Cooler nights, sunny days...perfect. If you listen closely you might hear the sounds of high school marching bands, either practicing or performing at a game.

High school football games are the greatest. Good-natured rivalry, family friends, classmates in the stands and cheerleaders getting the crowd off their feet bring communities together. Homecoming weekends mean homecoming dances and the crowning of kings and queens. I don't believe anyone forgets fall school activities.

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)?

Devon Oaks in Westlake recently honored resident and beloved Cleveland celebrity Rocco Scotti. After a video highlighting his 20-year singing career, Scotti spoke about his life and sang for his audience. Scotti said that in the beginning, while on his way to sing the national anthem, a little voice told him to sing loud and strong. “That night, everyone went crazy in the stadium,” said Scotti. “That was the night it all started.”

Scotti and his wife, June, traveled all over the country singing the anthem at events. Sometimes he sang the anthem as many as seven times a day at different locations. He also recorded two albums. Scotti met many famous people including Tom Hanks, who called him one day and asked Scotti to sing in his upcoming movie. 

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.

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:

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.

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.

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.

This special pension allows for veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular assistance of another person with eating, bathing, dressing or incontinence care to receive money to help cover such expenses.

This benefit is overlooked by many families with veterans or surviving spouses who need additional money to help care for ailing parents or loved ones. This is a "pension benefit" and is not dependent upon service-related injuries for compensation. Most veterans who are in need of assistance qualify for this pension.

The Belvedere of Westlake Assisted Living Facility this year has welcomed pitcher Travis Risser from the Lake Erie Crushers to be part of their family for the upcoming Frontier League season.

When two-year resident catcher Joel Collins retired, he contacted his friend Travis and informed him that his place at the Belvedere was available; Travis jumped at the opportunity to be part of the family.

On May 15, Travis along with fellow teammates Kellen Kulbacji, Kyle Weldon and team mascot Stomper appeared at a meet and greet reception at the Belvedere. The players signed autographs and entertained residents, family and friends.  The evening ended with the players putting their signatures on the Belvedere’s custom PT Cruiser that is a tribute to the Lake Erie Crushers.