The Wiggins Place Blog

Monday, January 9, 2012

New Years at Wiggins Place

Getting ready for the big night! Happy New Year!!

New Years is always a fun and special time at Wiggins Place. The Dining Room staff always out do themselves and this year was no exception. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was warm and inviting.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Help is a Phone Call Away

At Menorah Park, we understand how stressful it can be when a loved one becomes ill, develops chronic conditions, must undergo surgery or encounters other challenges that are frequently associated with aging.

These are often referred to as crisis situations where we find ourselves trying to figure out what’s next without much planning time.

We wrestle with answers to the questions –

· How do we help them get better?

· How do we help them adjust to life changes?

· How do we help ensure their safety and well-being for the long-term?

· If they’ve made the decision to enter a senior community, what kind of help is available in the interim if they are placed on a waiting list?

· If we live in another city and sense that something might be wrong even though they say all is well, how do we make sure they are o.k.?

As a spouse or an adult child there is typically no escaping the emotions that we experience in these moments of crisis. This is someone we love and we desperately want to make everything o.k. We need someone who objectively and logically can help us figure it all out.

Menorah Park’s Community Liaison Kathy Parrino is a licensed social worker knowledgeable in the needs of older adults and in the support services that are available in the community. She can help reduce challenges that they may be experiencing by evaluating their strengths and limitations and confidentially discuss options with them and us that would best fit their individual situations. She can then help to coordinate the needed services.

Fortunately, Menorah Park helps to simplify management of services, because the Campus provides so many here.

· If they’ve been in the hospital

o Menorah Park Marcus Post-Hospital Rehabilitation is a good first step toward returning home.

· Once home

o Menorah Park Home Health Services in Beachwood along with offices in Akron, Canton, and Streetsboro has aides who help with personal care and homemaker services, skilled nurses, and physical occupational and speech therapists.

· Ongoing support

o Often Home Health Services can be put in place to address many needs at home.

o The Peter B. Lewis Aquatic & Therapy Center can help speed up the recovery process after surgery by providing physical therapy before the scheduled date and encourages strong recovery from injury, surgery or illness through individualized, one-to-one aquatic and land-based physical therapy, and occupational and speech therapies.

o Menorah Park Adult Day Care provides daily enrichment and social opportunities while supporting personal care needs. The family caregiver can gain respite, or work while knowing their loved one is safe and having an enjoyable day.

o Menorah Park’s Adaptive Living Shoppe – M Pal can provide the tools that support fall prevention and safety, medication management, low vision, hearing loss, self-care, dressing, dining, and health maintenance.

o Housekeeping Plus provides light and heavy cleaning services, will rearrange items in cabinets for safety, and many other household chores including packing in preparation for a move. Just ask – staff members are very accommodating.

· While waiting to move to a senior community that might include R.H. Myers Apartments,
Wiggins Place
, Stone Gardens or Menorah Park

o Menorah Park Campus staff at each location can help suggest options that may help in the interim and can also rely on Kathy for additional consultation, which is especially helpful for out-of-town family.

Kathy Parrino may be reached at 216-402-0895. Remember to call her or tell someone you know to give her a call if ever in need of social work help to determine and coordinate the right services.

Also, remember a full range of helpful information can be found at www.menorahpark.org/ARC. There is even a search capability so you don’t have to hunt through all of the pages to find what you need.

Thomas W. Adler is guest speaker at Wiggins Place

Thomas W. Adler, a prominent Cleveland business man and highly regarded member of our Jewish Community member, will be at Wiggins Place on January 9th at 7:40pm to discuss his experiences and extensive contributions to Playhouse Square and the Downtown Cleveland area. The Wiggins Place tenants are looking forward to listening to Mr. Adler and Wiggins Place is very honored to host this special evening.

We hope you will join us for this special event.

Tom Adler Bio

Tom started his business career in 1962 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin. He became a Partner at Cragin, Lang, Free & Smythe in 1968 and was Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Executive Committee there when he left in 1979 to be a co-founder of Adler Galvin Rogers, Inc. In 1986 AGR sold to a national real estate company, Grubb & Ellis. Tom served as President of the company’s Investment Services Group and in 1991, tired of extensive business travel, left and co-founded Cleveland Real Estate Partners. Tom was Of-Counsel at the time Deloitte & Touche acquired CREP at the end of 1998. He currently serves in a pro-bono senior advisory position at PlayhouseSquare Real Estate Services, which he helped form to manage the real estate assets of Playhouse Square Foundation as well as those of other clients.

During his real estate career, he was very active in leadership roles nationally, serving on the Boards of the National Association of Realtors, American Society of Real Estate Counselors, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, and in 1990 as National President of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. He also served in leadership positions with the Urban Land Institute.

During the mid–1990’s, Tom began to transition more and more of his time into the community and today, other than some real estate investments and a board position with Highwoods Properties, Inc., a large NYSE R.E.I.T., he devotes 100% of his time and energy to community service.

In the general community, his primary focus is in the economic development of Greater Cleveland. He is immediate Past Chairman of Playhouse Square Foundation (the largest performing arts center outside of NYC) and previously co-chaired the $27 million capital campaign for Idea Center, a partnership between Playhouse Square Foundation and Ideastream. Currently he is serving on the Steering Committee of the Power Of Three Campaign,a partnership between Playhouse Square, The Cleveland Playhouse and Cleveland State University to redo the Allen Theater. He served as Chairman of the Downtown Cleveland Partnership (2003-2005) and currently is a member of the Downtown Alliance Board and Executive Committee and chairs its Advocacy Committee. Tom is a past trustee of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association and co-chaired their Regional Physical Development Committee. He was very involved with the Euclid Corridor Improvement Project and co-chaired the Stakeholders Committee. He has served on the Visiting Committee of the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University and currently is a Trustee and member of the Executive Committee at CSU and is Trustee Chair of Development.

His interest in community development is also focused in Shaker Heights, where he has lived most of his life. He has been Finance Chair for three school levies and one tax levy campaign and was co-founding Trustee of Friends of Shaker Square. He has served as a real estate advisor, helping the City to implement their strategic redevelopment plan, is a past Trustee of the Shaker Heights Fund for the Future, serves on the Shaker Schools Foundation Advisory Committee and is a Director of Shaker’s Community Development Corporation.

Other community activities include having participated in the first Leadership Cleveland Class (1977-78) and he is past Chair of Alumni. He is an officer, trustee and member of the Executive Committee of United Way Services where he serves as Co – Chair of the Philanthropist Society (formerly ten Plus) Campaign and he received their 2010 Volunteer of The Year Award. He is also a Trustee of University Hospital (Chairs the Orthopedic Department Development Council), the Diversity Center of N.E.Ohio (Vice Chair of the Board) and Global Cleveland.

Tom’s involvement within the Jewish Community is extensive. At the Jewish Community Federation, he is currently serving as a Trustee, member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Development Committee. He is past Chair of the Endowment Fund Committee, Human Resource Development and Planned Giving Committees. In 2004 he received the Gries Award given for outstanding service to both the Jewish & General Community and in 1979 he received the Kane Award for outstanding young leader. He is also a Life Trustee of the Cleveland Chapter American Jewish Committee (AJC), a Trustee of The Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation where he co-chairs the Grants Committee. He serves as Chairman of the Adler Family Foundation and is a past member of the Visiting Committee of the College of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin.

He is a member of The Union Club, 50 Club, Bluecoats, Mayfield Sand Ridge Club (Oakwood Club Pres. 1996-98) and The Pepper Pike Club.

Tom and his wife, Joanie, have been married for 49 years and have 3 wonderful and successful children. The oldest, Peggy, received her MFA degree from the University of Michigan and is now teaching writing and writing a novel in Israel. Sally received her graduate degree from the Art Institute in Chicago and is an Art Therapist. Bill, the youngest, is President and CEO of True Fit Corp.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Just Wake Up and Dream!!

Menorah Park is an organization that help adults live life to their fullest during their golden years. This year give a gift that will keep on giving. Join the Wake Up and Dream Challenge! The Wake Up and Dream Challenge is a revolutionary self help book by Dr. Barbara Lavi. It is not your ordinary self help book. Not only will it transform the lives of every reader, but it will also change the world by giving to multiple nonprofit organizations. Half of the profits from every book sold via Menorah Park's link on the book's website will be donated to their outstanding programs. Go to: www.wake-up-and-dream.com to learn more about the book and help yourself and the residents of this caring senior living community reach their dreams.

Thank you and Happy Holidays!

T-Shirt Decorating

Florrie Weiss shows her creative side with her fabulously decorated t-shirt

Lois Katz (r) and her daughter, Jody, work together to create something special

Pat Howard shows off her Sponge painted t-shirt

Friday, December 9, 2011

Ted Hirshman turns 100

When one thinks about all of the special and major events of the 20th century many interesting, profound, breathtaking, mind boggling, important and even silly images come to mind.

Ted Hirshman, a Wiggins Place tenant, has seen just about all of them. Ted turned 100 years old on December 2nd. The wisdom, life lessons and experience that can be gleaned from even one of his stories is awe inspiring.

There are so many amazing events that took place during the 20th century from the sinking of the RMS Titanic, inventions and discoveries so instrumental in our lives today such as the television and Penicillin. However, on this day, December 2nd, these were some of the most interesting and fascinating:

1915

Albert Einstein published the general theory of relativity.

1942

The first controlled nuclear chain reaction was demonstrated at the University of Chicago.

1954

The Senate voted to condemn Republican senator Joseph R. McCarthy of Wisconsin for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."

1970

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established.

1982

Barney B. Clark became the first person to receive an artificial heart in a transplant operation.

2001

Enron Corp., under CEO Kenneth Lay, filed for bankruptcy.

Happy Birthday, Ted!

Jenna Haffey, Wiggins Place Community Concierge, congratulates Ted Hirshman on his special day

The staff came together at lunch and sang Happy Birthday to Ted on his 100th Birthday!

Ted Hirshman (r) and his wife Lillian (l) celebrate with staff

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Honoring Our Vets

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!" -Maya Angelou

We are so fortunate to have so many veterans living at Wiggins Place. Each of these men and women who served our country deserve our deepest gratitude and on Friday, November 11th Wiggins Place honored our brave men and women for their part in preserving our freedom.

First Tracy Derschau, Director of Life Enrichment, hosted a special luncheon for the Wiggins Place Veterans and then brought in a house favorite, By Request, to play for everyone.