Senior Living July 2014

Monday, July 14, 2014 | AlbertLeaTribune.com | Section B

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Senior Living

Thorne Crest- Breaking New Ground In 2014!

Artist’s Rendering– New Wellness Center Pool

• Independent Living– Call Karen to get on our Waiting List!

• Assisted Living • Rehabilitation • Health Care

Coming In 2014!

★ New Wellness Center and Pool ★ New Assisted Living ★ New Memory Care ★ Redesigned Health Center & TCU ★ New Attached Heated Parking Garage (507) 373-2311 • www.ThorneCrest.net 1201 Garfield Ave. Albert Lea, MN, 56007

New Independent Living Apartment Home

RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

Thorne Crest is owned and operated by American Baptist Homes of the Midwest, a not-for-profit provider of senior health care since 1930.

keeping active

with woodworking Dale Redman, right, watches Ken Adams work with a screwdriver while woodworking Thursday at St. John’s Lutheran Community. Jacob Tellers/Albert Lea Tribune

Seniors do woodworking and more to stay active

By Jacob Tellers

jacob.tellers@albertleatribune.com

W

oodworking is one of the many activities St. John’s Lutheran Community offers its residents to help them maintain an active lifestyle.

Residents work from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. every other Thursday on projects including birdhouses, squirrel feeders, crates, tables, magazine racks and garden trellises, according to St. John’s Activity Director Shirley Leeman.

The finished projects are either used around the facility or put for

sale along with other crafts made by residents. All of the materials are donated from local businesses and the money raised from the sales goes toward supporting St. John’s activities program.

Volunteer Frank Pfeffer helps run the woodworking program.

He cuts the wood using pre-made patterns and then puts the pieces together so all that is left for the residents to do is to drill or turn in the screws.

Some of the residents will be submitting woodworking projects to the Freeborn County Fair at the Volunteer Frank Pfeffer, right, holds down a birdhouse as Joe Probst prepares to drill in a screw Thursday end of July. at St. John’s Lutheran Community.

Fishing and fun with Thorne Crest residents

Thorne Crest Retirement Community residents went fishing at the Edgewater Park fishing pier and even caught some fish. Provided

A day of fishing was fun in the sun for Thorne Crest Retirement Community residents, who went fishing at the Edgewater Park fishing pier.

Page b2 | Senior Living | Monday, July 14, 2014

Seniors experience health and fitness in new ways

Residents of St. John’s Lutheran Community had the opportunity to visit a health and fitness fair on site in May. One of the free services offered at the fair was hand massages. Provided

Minnesoyta Nice, a soap and candle company from Glenville, was selling its wares at the health and fitness fair at St. John’s Lutheran Community in May.

One of the residents at St. John’s Lutheran Community works with the Omnicycle, which is a type of cycle rehabilitation equipment, at the health and fitness fair.

Assisted Living...

with helping hands built-in

There were plenty of vendors and demonstrations for St. John’s Lutheran Community residents to see at the health and fitness fair in May.

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Monday, July 14, 2014 | Senior Living | Page b3

thorne crest begins redevelopment

By Jacob Tellers

jacob.tellers@albertleatribune.com

Thorne Crest Retirement Community is getting a facelift this summer with an $11 million renovation and expansion.

The ground breaking ceremony for the redevelopment was at 2 p.m.

Friday.

The redevelopment project includes a complete renovation of Thorne Crest’s facilities, as well as the construction of a few additional buildings.

“We’re tearing down the old garages, but adding a covered parking structure that is attached,” Thorne Crest Administrator Shanna Eckberg said.

Since the new parking garage will be attached to the rest of Thorne Crest’s campus, residents will be able to get out to their cars without having to step outside in the cold or worry about icy pavement.

The parking garage, which will have both heating and air conditioning, is

one part of the renovation that residents are looking forward to the most.

“It’s a big improvement,” Dale Rippey, a five-year Thorne Crest resident and former administrator, said.

“We no longer will have to walk across an ice or snow covered parking lot.”

In addition to the parking garage, a new wellness center is being built that will have a Jacuzzi, a lap pool and a therapy pool, as well as locker rooms.

There will also be cardio and multipurpose rooms to be used for a variety of classes.

Other renovations include a theater, a larger chapel and an updated dining room.

“It will be exciting to have the new chapel,” resident Darlyne Rippey said.

The decision to begin the construction was made last spring, and the work started in June.

“Everything that we’re doing to the campus is something that seniors are looking for in a retirement

community and things that we weren’t able to offer before,” said Karen Anderson, sales and marketing manager.

Staff at Thorne Crest have done their best to make sure residents are prepared for the construction.

“We anticipate that there will be inconveniences so we’ve been preparing for this for about a year,” Anderson said. “We have been meeting with (the residents) on a regular basis and we have two communication stations that we set up, just to be able to communicate with residents about what is going on that particular day.”

While there have been some inconveniences already with the construction, Anderson said the residents have been abuzz with the development.

“They have been so excited to see everything happen because they’ve been hearing about it for so long,” Anderson said. “So now they are just having a great time watching it.”

Baseball bats and barbecues

Construction is underway at Thorne Crest as they are beginning a complete renovation of their facilities. Jacob Tellers/Albert Lea Tribune.

According to Anderson, Thorne Crest has carefully monitored the times construction takes place to ensure that it doesn’t

interfere with the residents’ sleep in the early morning or evening hours.

As Thorne Crest, which is part of American Baptist

Homes of the Midwest, is a non-profit organization, the funding for the $11 million project has come through bonding, Eckberg said.

House sales and assisted living activities like bathing Health Advocates, a or eating to remain in a Medicare advocacy orgaresidential setting rather nization. It appears that Question: I’m a Realtor who’s listing a client’s than a nursing home. The this facility may be one home. She is on Social Se- average monthly cost for of them, she said.

If that’s the case, it is curity and is moving into a private one-bedroom apartment was just over possible, according to assisted-living housing. $3,000 in 2009, according Burns, that this homeWill the proceeds from owner would be ineligito ALFA. the sale of her home afble for housing if the proHowever, some assistfect her eligibility for ed-living facilities acceeds from the sale push housing, which is based cept a certain number of her beyond the income on her income? low-income people who or asset limits set by the meet income and/or asset facility.

Answer: This is an unstandards and could not “It depends on how the usual question because afford the regular fees, assisted living facility assisted-living facilities typically do not have spe- said Bonnie Burns, a con- evaluates her income and assets,” she said. cial eligibility criteria for sultant for California low-income residents, experts say.

In general, assisted living is privately funded, paid for by people with their Social Security benefits and other income, supplemented when necessary by oth• Maintenance free living • Guest Suite er resources.

“It’s common to sell • Car wash • Exercise room your home to finance • Appliances • Tax Benefits your care,” said Ma• Workshop • Snow Removal ribeth Bersani, senior Monthly fee includes everything but, vice president of public telephone and low gas/electric bill policy at the Assisted Living Federation of America, a trade group.

Assisted-living facilities enable people who need help with daily

By Kaiser Health News

Hey!

Community of Friends & Neighbors

We want your marriage, engagement and birth announcements.

Stop by the Tribune, 808 West Front St.

2201 Stevens Street • Albert Lea, MN 507-373-3039

Jenette Lenort of Walters won a baseball bat signed by Kent Hrbek at St. John’s Lutheran Community’s Father’s Day barbecue. The bat was donated by Jim & Dude’s of Albert Lea. With Lenort is Mike Wangsness of Jim & Dude’s. Provided

St. John’s Rehabilitation Program

• Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapy available Seven Days a Week • 170 bed facility • Secure Memory Care Unit • Private Rooms • Accepting Medicare & Insurances • Sunday Morning Worship Service

You’ll find a home in our community

St. John’s Lutheran Community residents and families had a good time at the Father’s Day barbecue.

901 Luther Place Albert Lea, MN 507-373-8226

www.stjohnsofalbertlea.org

Page b4 | Senior Living | Monday, July 14, 2014

Good Samaritan Society residents have a “Night under the Stars”

Residents of Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea experienced senior prom, “A Night Good Samaritan Society of Albert Lea’s residents danced the night away during a prom, Under the Stars,” during National Nursing Home Week in May. Provided “A Night Under the Stars,” in May for National Nursing Home Week. Provided

Gardening blossoms at Good Samaritan Society in Albert Lea

By Erin Murtaugh

erin.murtaugh@albertleatribune.com

Each Monday throughout the summer, Good Samaritan Society residents who share a common love for gardening meet for garden club meetings. The club is open to anyone who is interested in gardening, but it mainly consists of 10 ladies who are considered the main gardeners, said Kate Richards, community recreation director at Good Samaritan.

The first meeting of each

season, members decide what they would like to grow in the garden each year. After that, meetings consist of talking about the garden, weeding and watering.

“Each meeting is the opportunity to do something that is second nature to them: developing a beautiful and healthy garden,” Richards said.

A garden club has been present at Good Samaritan for many years. In the last three years, it has become the responsibility of their

Therapeutic Recreation intern, allowing them to learn to lead programs on campus and create relationships with the residents.

Right now, all of the club’s work stays on

campus at Good Samaritan. The garden is home to not only flowers, but also tomato and onion plants, which are maintained completely by the residents.

Residents can often be

found weeding or checking on the plants outside of meeting times, too.

There are also a few strawberry plants, which were planted during the Kid’s Korner group. The

gardeners of Good Samaritan then have the chance to teach younger generations the importance of growing their own food, just like they grew up knowing.

SHoFF CHIroPrACTIC Promoting Health & Wellness Since 1950 For APPoINTMENT CALL 373-7054 Dr. Christopher Shoff

Located in Historic Downtown Albert Lea

Staff and residents of Good Samaritan Society stand with their garden they meet to work on every Monday. Provided

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Prancing to polka tunes

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An Oak Park Place resident enjoys kicking her heels up to the music of the Alley Katz Polka Band. Aaron Winter/Provided