Posts Tagged ‘free’

Members of the Oak Park River Forest (OPRF) Alumni Chorus will perform a concert titled “Sounds of Spring” at 7 p.m. Monday, April 22, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Michael Colin Reed will conduct the OPRF Alumni Chorus in a special spring concert for residents and the public at the Arms.

The OPRF Alumni Association was founded in 2002. Through newsletters, reunion support and special events, OPRF alumni strive to maintain and enhance connections with their classmates and the Oak Park River Forest High School (OPRFHS) community.

In addition, the group offers Summer Enrichment Grants to provide financial support for current OPRFHS students to participate in academic-related summer programs.

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.

A Repair Café will take place at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 21, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. Members of the community are invited to bring any broken items they wish to have fixed to the Lifelong Learning Center at the Oak Park Arms.

Co-founders Mac Robinet and Nancy Bauer began the Repair Café at the Oak Park Arms in January, 2013.

The Repair Café is a monthly event where local residents – fix-it types like Robinet – volunteer their time and expertise and bring in their own tools. Although there are no guarantees that an item can be fixed, volunteer experts include electricians, seamstresses and general handy people. This free service is offered as an alternative to hiring professionals.

The founders believe the café taps into important facets within the community including environmental, social and educational platforms. Repairing broken items reduces waste and saves money. In addition, through the concept of repair cafes, the community comes together, and individuals are provided with the opportunity to learn from one another while enjoying each other’s company.

“Repairs can save money and resources and help minimize CO2 emissions,” said Bauer. “But above all, the Repair Café is the place where participants see how much fun it is to repair things.”

Anyone is welcome to walk in with a broken item and attempt to restore it with help and guidance from the experts. Even those with no items in need of repair are welcome to stop by, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and help with others’ repair projects.

Clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, toys, bicycles can be repaired. The list is endless, and the learning process is ongoing.

A concept originally born in the Netherlands, repair cafes have begun to sprout all over the world. However, there are currently only two cafes in the United States, and the Repair Café housed in the Lifelong Learning Center at the Oak Park Arms is one of them.

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.

Nurse Pat from Interim HealthCare will present a talk titled “Smiles for Seniors” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 9, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. This seminar is part of the ongoing “Here’s To Your Health” monthly series.

With proper dental care, a person’s teeth can last a lifetime. Brushing twice a day and flossing daily, along with regular dental check-ups, will keep teeth and gums healthy.

Although gum disease is not a normal part of aging, seniors may be at a higher risk for developing it because of certain medications, wearing dentures or general health conditions. Other changes as people age, such as receding gums, can also contribute to a faster build up of plaque.

The most common contributors to gum disease include:
•    bad diet
•    poor oral hygiene
•    diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease
•    environmental factors (i.e. stress and smoking)
•    certain medications that affect gum condition

Because gums naturally recede over time, decay on root surfaces and an increase in sensitivity and cavities become more common in older adults.

Seniors may especially have a difficult time properly cleaning teeth because of conditions such as arthritis. When this is the case, increasing the size and length of the toothbrush often helps.

The size and length of a toothbrush can be increased by:
•    wrapping the handle with tape to make it bigger
•    inserting the handle into a rubber ball or bicycle grip handle
•    taping tongue depressors, popsicles or rules to the handle
•    attaching a wide elastic band to the toothbrush and sliding it under the hand

A battery or electric-powered toothbrush is also a great solution for many people. For easier flossing, a number of aids can be purchased at the local drugstore.

Even people who do not have any teeth should visit the dentist at least once a year for a comprehensive oral exam which screens for signs of oral cancer and other oral health or medical problems in the mouth, head and neck areas.

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.

The Oak Park Arms will be hosting its annual Senior Olympics on Saturday, April 6, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

To kick off the event, David Williams, an Oak Park resident and fitness instructor at Oliver Wendell Holmes School, will give the health address during the reception.

Senior Olympics events include:

•    12:30 p.m. – A community “Walk & Roll” (roll because of walkers and wheelchairs)
•    12:45 p.m. – Keynote address by host David Williams
•    1:15 p.m. – Let the games begin!

Games include ring toss, bean bag toss, horseshoes, egg walk, parachute throw and creative relay races.

“Last year, the Walk & Roll was a wonderful sight,” said Jill Wagner, director of marketing at the Oak Park Arms, “because all generations were represented.”

Participants of any age are warmly welcome to take part in the Senior Olympics. Oak Park Arms volunteers will be present and participating. In addition, enthusiastic crowds are needed to cheer on the senior athletes.

“We need people to cheer for the participants,” Wagner said. “If you can whistle, holler or clap, please come.”

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.

Blanca Baldoceda, M.D., MPH, will lead a discussion on vitamins and myths of taking vitamin supplements at “Breakfast with the Docs” at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 16, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

As people age, their body’s ability to absorb vitamins and nutrients from food becomes less efficient. Aging can also affect appetite, and a lack of access to healthy meals may prevent maintaining a varied diet or can force a person to skip meals altogether. In addition, certain medications or restrictive health issues may impact the body’s natural processes or limit vitamin absorption.

Symptoms of mild vitamin deficiencies in seniors include anemia, cognitive impairment, an increased tendency for developing infections and poor wound healing. Severe vitamin deficiencies can even lead to irreversible organ damage.

Seniors in particular should be aware of certain vitamins because of their benefits and because of their common deficiencies. Understanding vitamins and their contributions to a healthy wellbeing will contribute to overall health and wellness.

The most common vitamin deficiencies in seniors are:
•    Vitamin A – necessary for healthy immune system and helps fights cancer
•    Vitamin B12 – low levels can lead to reversible dementia
•    Vitamin C – necessary for antioxidants important for wound healing
•    Vitamin D – low levels cause lower bone density and bone pain

It is important to eat nutrient-dense, healthy meals. These foods include:
•    fruits and vegetables
•    whole grains
•    low-fat or fat-free dairy products
•    seafood, lean poultry and meats, beans, eggs, unsalted nuts
•    limit consumption of solid fats, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars

Dr. Baldoceda is the medical director of PCC South Family Health Center in Berwyn. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine in 2001. She is board certified in Family Medicine and has over 12 years of medical experience.

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. And it’s not called “Breakfast with the Docs” for nothing: participants who attend will also be served a healthy breakfast.

For more information, or to reserve a seat, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, an all volunteer radio reenactment group, will present “When Celebrities Collide” at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Many popular personalities from film and radio will be portrayed on the stage at the Arms. The star-studded cast will include the greats such as Betty Hutton and Danny Kaye, host of “The Danny Kaye Show.” Groucho Marx, Tallulah Bankhead, Baby Snooks and Daddy, Ezio Pinza, Jan Powell and Hanley Stafford will also be portrayed with a parody of “You Bet Your Life” on “The Big Show.”

The American variety show, hosted by Danny Kaye, aired from 1963 to 1967 with an emphasis on comedy. Kaye sang and danced his way through skits and monologues often assisted by semi-regular guests, singers, dancers and an orchestra.

“You Bet Your Life” is an American quiz show that aired in 1947 on both radio and T.V. Groucho Marx was the host of the original (and best-known) version of the show, which was renamed “The Groucho Show” in 1960 and aired that way for another year. In fact, the play of the game became secondary to the exchanges between Groucho and his contestants.

“The Big Show,” an American comedy-variety-musical T.V. series, was produced and broadcast in 1980. It strived to revitalize what was becoming a dwindling T.V. genre of variety shows, including the recently cancelled “Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show.” Using a huge stage set complete with a live audience, ice rink and swimming pool, the 90-minute time slots were filled to capacity. Although the show started out with high ratings, poor reviews resulted in its cancellation just months later.

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear will combine the best of the best into one unforgettable show – live – at the Arms.

The performers

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear is composed of Chicagoland actors who share a common interest – to perform old time radio programs for the community. Each actor and technician donates talent and time for free.

Group founders, Ben Dooley and Pam Turlow, husband and wife, established a connection with The Oak Park Arms in September of 2002, when Turlow’s father became a resident. They’ve been volunteering/performing at The Arms ever since.

Dooley and Turlow’s group performs only once every two months due to the considerable challenges involved in creating a show. They browse through thousands of old time radio episodes, select a favorite, listen and type out the script. Many shows are not available in print and have to be painstakingly transcribed. Then they gather sound effect, rehearse and mount the show.

Sound effects were an important part of live radio shows, and the group performs them live. They have a real door for slamming, buzzers, a sound board and shoes for footsteps, and doorbells.

The shows are very popular with residents and people from the community. Some even bring their children and grandchildren to show them what entertainment was like before television.

“Since the entire cast donates its time and energy, we can only do shows six times a year,” Dooley said, “but we strive to make sure that it’s well worth the wait.”

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

The public is invited to an afternoon of movement-based learning with Brain Gym® with Aimee Edwards at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, 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. There are four categories: midline, energy, deepening attitudes and lengthening.

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.

Oak Park Arms presents its popular series “You Be the Critic” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The 1980 film “Ordinary People” will be viewed and reviewed with radio announcer Dan Kane.

Robert Redford’s directorial debut stars Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton. Moore, Sutherland and Hutton depict an upper-middle class family in Lake Forest, IL. Hirsch plays a therapist.

When the older son of this affluent family dies, relationships between the bitter mother, Beth (Moore), good-natured father, Calvin (Sutherland) and guilt-ridden remaining son Conrad (Hutton) are strained. So much so, that Conrad attempts suicide shortly after his brother’s passing. Upon his return from a temporary stay in a psychiatric ward, the family tries to pick up the pieces and restore a sense of normalcy in their home.

Beth seems to have always preferred her dead son over Conrad, and Conrad’s suicide only drives her further away. This leaves Calvin stuck in the middle trying to reconnect with his son while holding everything else together.

Tensions continue to rise until a final outburst in which Calvin questions Beth’s ability to truly love anyone causes her to abandon her family. Calvin and Conrad are left in the wreckage to deal with what has become their new family situation.

A critical and commercial success, Ordinary People won four Oscars including an Academy Award for Best Picture. Roger Ebert gave it four stars, and it grossed $54 million at theaters and $23 million in rentals. In addition, many of the cast members received awards and recognition for their respective roles in the film.

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, April 11, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Kulik will teach 15 minutes of basic tap moves that can be done either sitting or standing. Tap shoes are welcome but 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.

Visitors are welcome at the next meeting of the Mills Investment Club at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 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 club President Pat Koko, club members jointly purchase stocks and make decisions as a group.

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

“Our year-to-date is 9.7 percent right now which puts us ahead of the Dow,” Koko said. “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. In addition, each member is in charge of following one stock throughout the month and presenting a report of the stock’s activity.

There are currently 15 members. To formally join, attendance to at least three meetings is required, and the final decision is voted on by the group. However, anyone can attend 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.