Posts Tagged ‘Oak Park Arms’

“Breakfast with the Docs” focuses on arthritis and features rheumatologist Max Harris, M.D. and orthopedic surgeon Sarkis Bedikian, D.O. It takes place at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Roughly one in five adults is diagnosed with arthritis, and over 50% of those ages 65 or older suffer from some type of arthritis.

Arthritis–the inflammation of one or more joints which results in pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited movement–develops as a result of the breakdown of cartilage. Cartilage lines a joint, cushioning it and allowing for smooth movement. Cartilage also absorbs shock when pressure is placed on the joint, like when a person walks. Without the usual amount of cartilage, the bones rub together, causing the pain, swelling (inflammation), and stiffness.

Dr. Bedikian specializes in adult hip and knee reconstruction. He is on staff at West Suburban Medical Center in River Forest and has also published numerous orthopedic papers. Dr. Bedikian holds a degree in osteopathic medicine from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University in Downers Grove. There he completed an Orthopaedic Surgery residency, after which he went to the University of Chicago for an Adult Reconstruction fellowship.

A graduate of the Rush Medical College of Rush University in Chicago, Dr. Harris has over 30 years of experience with rheumatoid arthritis. He currently practices in Oak Park and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology, as well as the Arthritis Foundation and the Chicago Rheumatism Society.

Both Dr. Harris and Dr. Bedikian are board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians. They will be discussing the latest treatment options for managing arthritis.

While there are over 100 different types of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common forms. Osteoarthritis typically develops because of normal wear and tear, while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder.

Symptoms of arthritis include:
•    Persistent joint pain
•    Pain or tenderness (in a joint which is aggravated by movement)
•    Joint deformity
•    Loss of range of motion or flexibility
•    Inflammation (joint swelling, stiffness, redness, and/or warmth)

Symptoms of this disease typically worsen with age. Treatment options vary depending on the type of arthritis, however proper diet (including enough protein) and exercise can help alleviate discomfort.

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. Reservations are recommended. For more information, or to reserve a spot, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

The Monday Night Concert Series continues with “American Masters” performed by pianist Bobby Schiff at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Bobby Schiff is back at the Arms with his “American Masters” lineup.

As a composer, arranger, conductor, pianist and producer, Schiff has been in the music scene in Chicago and Los Angeles for over 45 years.

Throughout the years he has worked with premiere entertainers and musicians, including Mel Torme, Peggy Lee, Johnny Hartman, Frank D’Rone, Ella Fitzgerald and Bobby Rydell, both in the states and internationally.

He has led orchestras and bands, performed on piano and keyboards, directed, composed and arranged for and with the best. In the 70s he worked for Sesame Street, McDonald’s, John Deere, Sears, Kraft and Hallmark.

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 wine and cheese reception will take place for the opening of a new art installation at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, in the Narrow Gallery, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Local artist Bobbie Raymond returns to the Oak Park Arms with a new collection.

A long-time member of the Oak Park Art League, Raymond is presently at three galleries in Door County, Wisconsin: The Paint Box Gallery, Gallery Five, and Door County Art League Gallery. She currently facilitates the Figure Drawing Sundays. This year she has taught for Elder hostel and Festival of Nature.

The gallery can be viewed daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 18th.

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 reception is free and open to the public. The works will be on display until Sunday, Nov. 18th. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

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

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 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.

A health professional will present a talk titled “Pneumonia and Flu” at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, 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.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by infection. Bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites can cause pneumonia. Pneumonia is a particular concern if you’re older than 65 or have a chronic illness or impaired immune system. It can also occur in young, healthy people.

Pneumonia can range in seriousness from mild to life-threatening. Pneumonia often is a complication of another condition, such as the flu. Antibiotics can treat most common forms of bacterial pneumonias, but antibiotic-resistant strains are a growing problem. The best approach is to try to prevent infection.

Pneumonia symptoms can vary greatly, depending on any underlying conditions you may have and the type of organism causing the infection. Pneumonia often mimics the flu, beginning with a cough and a fever, so you may not realize you have a more serious condition.

Common signs and symptoms of pneumonia may include:

•    Fever
•    Cough
•    Shortness of breath
•    Sweating
•    Shaking chills
•    Chest pain that fluctuates with breathing (pleurisy)
•    Headache
•    Muscle pain
•    Fatigue

Ironically, people in high-risk groups such as older adults and people with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems may have fewer or milder symptoms than less vulnerable people do. And instead of having the high fever that often characterizes pneumonia, older adults may even have a lower than normal temperature.

Because pneumonia can be life-threatening, someone with symptoms should see the doctor as soon as possible, especially if there is a persistent cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, and unexplained fever — especially a lasting fever of 102 F (38.9 C) or higher with chills and sweating.

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

A workshop called “Word Play” will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is invited to this fun and stimulating session.

Presented by Lisa Markwart of the Light Verse Foundation, the workshop concerns the etymology (origin) of words, palindromes and rebuses. Word games, brain teasers and puzzles will delight participants.

Where do words come from? How and when were they invented? Questions like these will be answered. Palindromes are words or phrases that read the same in both directions such as “eye” or “racecar.” A rebus is a representation of a word or phrase by pictures or symbols that suggest that word or phrase or its syllables. An example is: a picture of two gates and a head is a rebus for Gateshead.

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.

Word Play is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.