“It’s just a wonderful place to be,” said Pat Dahl.
“It’s a community,” said Kathy Verage.
Both Dahl and Verage are among the several residents who have lived at All Saints Senior Apartments in Madison since it opened in August of 2004.
Tag: senior
Seniors: Share life experiences with young
My fondest memories of summer are the times spent with my favorite aunt at her cottage nestled in the Adirondack Mountains.
As a middle school teacher, she had a gift for relating to kids in a way very different from parents, like a wise friend or a trusted confidante.
Alleviating concerns of adult children
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I know most of the time children are writing in to you to ask questions about their aging parent. Well, this is the opposite.
I am a 79-year-old mother who is being “smothered” by my children. All of a sudden they think I can’t do anything on my own. They think I should stop driving and that I should sell my house; the list goes on and on.
My husband passed away several years ago and I have been just fine on my own. I feel I am in good health and really just want them to stop worrying about me. Do you have any suggestions? (From a mother in Portage)
You are obviously a very good parent and are so blessed to have such caring, concerned children. I know several others who would love to have this kind of attention from their children.
Having an ‘adult’ conversation with a parent
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I suddenly feel as though I cannot communicate with my father.
Our conversations have become more like a parent-child check-in rather than a pleasant visit. What I mean by that is I feel as though I am taking on a more parental role in our relationship.
My dad lives alone and has some chronic health conditions but nothing too serious. Lately my visits have become focused on whether or not he took his medications, or if he has eaten, or when he last did.
I want dad to be safe and happy but I don’t want to be the person drawing attention to all of the things he is not doing to care for himself.
Is this typical of aging parents? I have no siblings and most of my other relatives live far away.
(From a daughter in Baraboo.)
Senior bullying and taking action to prevent it
Q After much debate and even some coercing, my mother who is in her late 70s moved to a senior apartment complex.
We were all so relieved. We thought that she would be happy, make new friends, have more opportunities for social connections, and in general be able to relax and enjoy things without the stress of home ownership and all of the upkeep.
I think we may have made a huge mistake.
Rock County Senior Fair to be held Oct. 24
JANESVILLE — The Rock County Senior Fair will be held Friday, Oct. 24, at Holiday Inn Express, 3100 Wellington Pl., Janesville, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Admission and parking is free for the event that is hosted by the Rock County Community Partnerships for Older Adults Committee.
The theme of this year’s event is “Health and Wellness Under the Big Top.” Baby boomers, seniors, and their families are invited to attend and learn about what products and services are available in the area for an enjoyable, healthy lifestyle.
Program for caregivers offered
BELOIT — Rock County Council on Aging will be offering “Powerful Tools for Caregivers®,” a nationally recognized education program to help family and friends caring for older adults and anyone who cares for someone with a chronic health concerns.
“Taking Care of You — Powerful Tools for Caregiving” is designed to help family caregivers take care of themselves.
This class teaches the caregiver necessary emotional tools to reduce guilt, anger, and depression; how to deal with difficult feelings; taking care of yourself; help you relax; set goals; solve problems; and effective communication with family members and health service providers.
Visiting agency services
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Q I am the only family member involved in my mother’s care.
She lives in an apartment and has a service agency visiting daily to help her get up, prepare meals, and to be there for companionship.
Since my mother is not receiving much of a monthly income, I pay for this service. I have repeatedly asked this agency to keep me informed of their activities. It seems all they are interested in is sending me the monthly bill.
I hear about things second hand or well after the event has occurred. I am talking about missed visits as well as observations the staff has about my mother and her overall health and well being. Since I pay for her care, shouldn’t I be able to get all the details? (A concerned son in Columbus).
Learning to cook with ‘appeal’
My late husband taught me two important lessons about cooking.
When I confessed to him a few weeks before our wedding that I knew nothing about cooking (zilch!), he advised me in his typical philosophical manner, “There are two ways to look upon the challenge of cooking: one as an art, which requires creative talent, and the other as a science, which requires a cookbook. Get a cookbook.”
Catholic education provided for generations
“Don’t you want to be a teacher?” asked my friend Joan just weeks before we were to graduate from Madonna High School in Aurora, Ill.
This was the all-girls’ class of 1945, where we were taught by Franciscans Sisters. We had both been accepted by St. Ben’s in Minnesota, where we would be taught by Benedictines.
I was confused. “What do you mean, a teacher? I don’t want to be a nun, you know.”