Posts Tagged ‘free’

A health professional will present a talk titled “Diabetes” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the Terrace Room at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is welcome to attend this free event.

Diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) disease in which there are high levels of sugar in the blood. Two common types of diabetes are: Type 1–an auto-immune disease where the body destroys insulin and Type 2—a disease characterized by insulin resistance.

According to a new study from researchers at the University of Chicago, if the current trend continues, the number of diabetes cases will nearly double in the next 25 years, rising from the current 23.7 million to 44.1 million in 2034.

The cost of treating this many people will triple, rising from $113 billion to $336 billion, and Medicare spending on diabetes will skyrocket from $45 billion to $171 billion. It’s the domino effect.

Over 20 million Americans are affected with diabetes, with over half of those cases occurring in people 55 or older. As people get older, their risk for type 2 diabetes increases. In fact, one in four people over the age of 60 have diabetes.

How does diabetes develop?

Food is broken down in the body to be used as energy. When food is digested a sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas meant to regulate blood sugar. Because glucose is a source of fuel for the body, it is the role of insulin to move glucose from the bloodstream into fat, liver and muscle cells to be stored for energy.

Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin, or both. People with diabetes have high blood sugar because their bodies cannot move the sugar from the bloodstream through the body properly.

High blood sugar levels can cause several symptoms, including:

•    Blurry vision
•    Excess thirst
•    Fatigue
•    Frequent Urination
•    Hunger
•    Weight Loss

Older patients may have several co-existing conditions that can mask the symptoms of diabetes, making a diagnosis difficult. This can also affect the management of diabetes as people age. Treatment involving a combination of medicine, diet and exercise helps control blood sugar and prevents symptoms and problems.

If left untreated, complications may include:

•    Trouble seeing, light sensitivity or blindness
•    Sores and infections on skin and feet that could result in amputation
•    Nerve damage in the body
•    Kidney disease
•    Higher blood pressure and cholesterol
•    Heart disease and stroke

Luckily, there are a few things that can prevent such appalling numbers. A recent 10-year trial called the Diabetes Prevention Program showed that overweight people with elevated blood sugar levels who lost a modest amount of weight lowered their risk of developing diabetes by at least a third. People age 60 and over saw even more dramatic results, cutting their risk of diabetes during the study period by about half.

If everyone would take three easy steps, the surge in diabetes might be better controlled:

•    Lose weight.
•    Eat right (low fat, lower calories) most of the time.
•    Take a walk (or exercise) 30 minutes five days of the week.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Visitors are welcome at the next meeting of the Mills Investment Club at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. New members are always welcome to join or visit.

For more than 30 years the investment club has come together to learn how to follow economic trends and use that information to expand its portfolio. With guidance from Pat Koko, president, club members jointly purchase stocks and make decisions as a group on a month-to-month basis.

The club provides a fun, easy, way to learn about investing by combining camaraderie, education and buying power, and confidence.

“Our year-to-date is 9.7% right now, which puts us ahead of the Dow,” said Koko. “We’ve got a variety of stocks, and we’re doing really well.”

To make the best financial choices, a special presentation is given by a different group member each month. Topics are presenter’s choice and always range. Each member is also in charge of following one stock throughout the month and presenting the group with a report of the stock’s activity.

There are currently over 15 members. To formally join, attendance to at least 3 meetings is required and the final decision is voted on by the group, but anyone can come as often as they like without becoming a member.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Oak Park Arms presents its popular series “You Be the Critic” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The 1997 film “Amistad” will be viewed and reviewed with radio announcer Dan Kane.

The critically acclaimed movie depicts the rebellion of African captives on the slave ship, La Amistad, in 1839. After freeing themselves from their shackles, the slaves kill the majority of the crew, save for the two owners of the ship who the Africans hope will sail them home to West Africa. The owners instead sail the ship to the coast of the United States where the slaves are imprisoned and put on trial.

The captives don’t speak a word of English and it seems they are doomed to be killed until an abolitionist lawyer decides to take their case.

The case eventually reaches the Supreme Court, where John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) makes an impassioned and eloquent speech for their release.

Based on a true story, this film was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Djimon Hounsou, Anthony Hopkins and Matthew McConaughey.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040

Taught by Roberta Kulik, the Oak Park Arms’ monthly tap dance workshop takes place at noon, Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

The first 15 minutes features basic tap moves that can be done either sitting or standing. Kulik continues the class with 45 minutes of basic tap steps and routines. Tap shoes are welcome, though not required.

This type of dance is a left-brain/right-brain workout great for coordination, balance and memory.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The workshop is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040

Michael Pritchard said, “You don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.” To that end, David Kelm of Forest Park will lead “Laughter Yoga” at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

It has been determined that just 10 minutes of laughter is similar to a 30-minute workout. In this 45-60 minute class, participants will experience self-triggered laughter through a blend of playful, empowering and otherwise “tension-releasing” laughter and breathing exercises.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring the mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. You need not be happy, have a sense of humor or have any initial reason to laugh to take part in this class. Kelm will shed light on some of the whys and wherefores of intentional laughter.

Humor lightens burdens, inspires hopes, connects one to others, and keeps a senior grounded, focused and alert. With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for seniors to deal with their problems, enhance their relationships, and support both physical and emotional health.

Kelm has been a certified Laughter Yoga Leader through the American School of Laughter Yoga in Oceanside, CA. since 2006. He also studied under Dr. Kataria, the founder of the Laughter Yoga movement. Kelm has held monthly Laughter Yoga sessions in Oak Park for half a decade and has facilitated sessions for a variety of clubs and organizations. He is also a member of the local group of Laughter Yoga Leaders, the Chicago Coalition of Chuckles.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040

The public is invited to Brain Gym® with Aimee Edwards at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Brain Gym movements, exercises, or activities refer to the original 26 Brain Gym movements, sometimes abbreviated as “The 26.” These activities recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when one is learning to coordinate the eyes, ears, hands, and whole body.

The 26, along with a program for “learning through movement,” were developed by educator and reading specialist Paul E. Dennison and his wife and colleague, Gail E. Dennison.

For more than two decades, clients, teachers, and students have reported the effectiveness of these simple activities. Although it’s not yet clear why these movements work so well, they often bring about dramatic improvements in areas such as:

•    concentration and focus
•    memory
•    academics: reading, writing, math, test taking
•    physical coordination
•    relationships
•    self-responsibility
•    organization skills
•    attitude

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The Oak Park Farmer’s Market band will play in the lounge at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is warmly welcomed and light refreshments will be served.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The program is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Oak Park Arms presents its popular series “You Be the Critic” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The 1970 film “Waterloo” will be shown and reviewed with radio announcer Dan Kane.
“Waterloo” stars Rod Steiger as Napolean Bonaparte, alongside Christopher Plummer and Orson Welles. This Soviet-Italian film depicts the Battle of Waterloo and is famous for its lavish battle scenes.

Months before the cameras started filming, 16,000 Soviet Army soldiers began training to learn 1815 drill and battle formations, as well as the use of sabers, bayonets and handling cannons. A selected 2,000 additional men were also taught to load and fire muskets.
Directed by Sergey Bondarchuk and written by Hal Craig, “Waterloo” was one of the most expensive motion pictures ever made with an estimated 100 million dollar price tag.
The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Taught by Roberta Kulik, the Oak Park Arms’ monthly dance workshop takes place at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Kulik will be teaching traditional ballet barre exercises and senior-friendly routines. Basic moves on the barre include plies, eleves, battement tendus and rond de jombes.

Plies stretch the leg muscles by bending at the knees either partially or completely. An eleve is performed by rising to the balls of the feet. In a tendu the working leg opens and closes, stretching along the floor and ending in a point. A rond de jombe requires the working foot to make a semi-circular motion either while in the air or on the floor.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The workshop is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The Oak Park River Forest Garden Club of America presents “Garden Therapy,” at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Club members will guide and assist participants in making beautiful floral arrangements with seasonal flowers and greens. These arrangements can be kept and taken home.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The workshop is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Call to reserve your spot. For more information, or to reserve a spot, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.