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HOME HEALTH CARE
BY JUDITH A. RUCKI
Time was when a relative fell ill or needed help with daily living, family was nearby. It was not unusual for several generations to live under one roof and help care for each other. But times have changed and, with the sixty-five-plus population projected to grow from 2020’s fifty-six million to seventy-three million in 2030, the need for home health care will grow as well.
Studies show that seniors who age in place tend to live longer than those who move to nursing homes, and that home health care can result in physically and mentally healthier recipients. There are several options for keeping loved ones at home. Information can be overwhelming, but the more you have, the more informed your choices will be.
In many cases, spouses or family members can minister to loved ones’ needs. This arrangement can save money, but costs and benefits must be weighed as the stress of caregiving can adversely affect family dynamics, create scheduling struggles, and require home safety modifications.
Someone in need of assistance may choose to compensate a family member for home care services. There are numerous pros and cons for this type of arrangement and consulting an elder care lawyer to sift through them is advised. He or she can help with drawing up a personal care agreement that will serve as a contract between the care recipient and the caregiver. Money paid to the caregiver is taxable income; the IRS considers it a wage, not a gift. FreedomCare, a Medicaid-funded program, can help those looking to hire family as caregivers. According to its website, FreedomCare is “the leading provider of Consumer Directed Personal Assistant Program (CDPAP) [which] allows New Yorkers to hire their own caregivers.” New York residents with Medicaid seeking help with daily activities are likely eligible; verify online or call 877-7815842. The National Institute on Aging urges planning ahead. Think about the kind of help you, or a loved one, may need in the future. The Institute notes that, “You can get almost any type of help you want in your home— for a cost.” Get information about services from the local Area Agency on Aging, local and state offices on aging and social services, or nearby senior centers. Consider the level of assistance or care required. Does the person in question need task-specific help or full-time care? If someone is struggling with driving or manual labor, explore services for grocery delivery, laundry, housecleaning, yard work, etc. A friend or relative may be able to help with smaller things like showering or dressing. Meals are sometimes served at senior centers or houses of worship, and some meal delivery programs are free or lowcost. Trusted relatives, volunteers, financial counselors, or geriatric care
consultants can help manage money.
Get creative. What purchases might alleviate concerns? For example, daily pill organizers help reduce confusion for those taking multiple medications. Friends and family can drop off prepared meals to freeze or refrigerate until used.
Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a small but growing Medicare and Medicaid initiative with an aim to keep seniors out of nursing homes. Eligible parties must be fifty-five or older, eligible for nursing home care, able to live safely in the community, and live in the service area of a PACE organization. One such PACE program in Erie County is Catholic Health’s Living Independently for Elders (LIFE). This adult-care program is for participants who live at home but require more supervised care. LIFE offers recreational activities, daily activity support, and medical care. Visit chsbuffalo.org or call 716-819-5433 to learn more.
For daily assistance, trained aides provide intermittent or continuous inhome services. These services can be contracted through a traditional home care agency, community or social service agencies, or for-profit providers. Home care, hospice, and maternal/child health services are available from traditional homevisiting programs. Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo (HPCB) provides care for those suffering from serious illness, as well as their families and caregivers. Learn more at hospicebuffalo.org. Recommendations from trusted sources are good places to start, and caring.com and carepathways.com provide comprehensive lists of home health agencies serving Erie County.
According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), long-term care insurance may include home-care benefits coverage. Financial planners and lawyers who specialize in estate planning and elder care can advise on the feasibility of purchasing such policies. However, as AARP points out, “those without long-term care insurance often start out relying on an unpaid family caregiver, but eventually many need to turn to paid help. And that can be expensive, too: according to insurance company Genworth’s 2020 survey on the cost of long-term care, the national average bill for a home health aide is $4,576 a month.”
If you don’t have long-term care insurance and can’t afford to pay out of pocket, the federal government’s Eldercare Locator (eldercare.acl. gov or 800-677-1116) can connect you to community services for older adults and families and provide resources on both home health care and Medicaid. Check the National Council on Aging’s Benefits Checkup (benefitscheckup.org) for program qualifications. Medicaid is a possible route (go to www3.erie.gov for more information) and veterans’ programs are available for eligible former service members (visit nrd.gov to learn more).
Medicare may also be able to assist. According to AARP, “Original Medicare can cover the full cost of medically necessary home health care on a limited basis for beneficiaries who are unable to leave home without assistance.” If someone recently discharged from the hospital needs nursing care at home for a short time, a hospital discharge planner can help with arrangements.
Additionally, many Medicare Advantage (MA) plans—private insurance policies containing both original Medicare and additional benefits—offer “broader and longer-term coverage for home health services.” For example, if the recipient doesn’t need therapy or skilled nursing, an MA plan might cover a personal care aide.
AARP (aarp.org) offers a wealth of information on a wide range of subjects, including a dedicated caregiving line for people taking care of loved ones. You don’t have to be an AARP member to call the support line or join the online communities. Agents are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST at 877333-5885. The support line is also available in Spanish: 888-971-2013.
When arranging for you or a loved one to age in place, options and resources can assist you with planning to continue living your best life. FY
Judith A. Rucki is a public relations consultant and freelance writer.
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DECLUTTER TO DOWNSIZE
Organizational tips to save stress
BY TARA ERWIN
Downsizing later in life confers many benefits—reduced home costs, less upkeep, an opportunity to declutter—but preparing for it can be overwhelming. The longer we’ve been in a home, the more it accumulates a lifetime of memories in attics, basements, spare rooms, and on shelves; they’re not all going to fit in a smaller space—nor do we need them to.
But where to begin paring down? Jamie Shaner, owner of Home Solutions of WNY, Inc., offers tips:
Having a place for everything, enough (but not too much) household goods, and a system to classify incoming items are key. Shaner recommends starting with what she calls “forgotten spaces. It’s never too early to start dealing with those areas,” Shaner says. “ Basements, attics and garages [create] the ‘postponed decisions’ that overwhelm people the most.”
Rather than Marie Kondo’s “Does it spark joy?” mantra when it comes to figuring out what to keep, Shaner prefers clients ask themselves: • Do I have the room to appropriately store it?
“No” to any of these means the item shouldn’t make the final cut, but Shaner has useful advice for what to do with unwanted or unneeded items. For example, when it comes to grown children’s childhood keepsakes such as school papers and trophies, tough love might be in order. “Give them a deadline to review their belongings to either take or give permission to disburse,” she says. “After the deadline passes, it’s fair game for disposing of it in whatever way is appropriate.”
Collections or beloved keepsakes can also take up a lot of space (and be a pain to clean), so pare down to a few favorites. Offering them to family members can be a thoughtful gesture, but bear in mind they may not hold these items in as high regard. In that case, selling or donating items of value can be gratifying. Shaner further suggests putting pictures in a special box or photo album to keep them easily accessible and away from dust.
With age come lifestyle changes, which means items that don’t make sense to have any longer. Keep only what you use. Dining rooms, kitchens and linen closets are prime examples of spaces that can be streamlined. If the days of large dinner parties are over, perhaps keep just four or six place settings for china and crystal. Tastes and cooking habits change too, so look at boxed and canned goods, spices, and oils, and toss anything expired. The same goes for linens;
two or three sets of sheets per bed is plenty, and why save those guest towels for special occasions? Use and enjoy them now!
Figuring out what to do with useful but unwanted items can be a headscratcher. Yard sales require a lot of leg work. Consignment store owners are often particular about what they’ll take due to limited floor space, Shaner warns. “Inviting family members [to take things] is a wonderful option because it allows seniors to see their loved ones enjoying things they no longer need, use, or love,” Shaner suggests. However, as with collectibles and knick-knacks, one person’s treasure may be another person’s trash, so don’t take it personally if items are left behind. Listing things for free on a local Buy Nothing group or even just putting them out at the curb with a “free” sign are also options.
Paperwork can easily get out of control as well, so Shaner suggests tackling it from two different angles: daily incoming and preexisting piles.
For daily mail, recycle junk mail straight from the mailbox. “If it’s not set down, it won’t accumulate,” Shaner explains. Next, file things that need to be kept, but don’t require further action. Lastly, put items that need attention soon, like bills, in a designated bin or basket. After that system’s in place, it’s time to take care of the paper piles using the same steps outlined above. Keep a shredder or recycling box available so discards can immediately be addressed.
If the above suggestions are overwhelming, Shaner advises setting a timer for thirty minutes a day and chipping away a little at a time. Tackle small projects first to get momentum going. For crowded spaces like closets, start by sorting everything into like categories— shoes in one pile, ties in another, etc.—then further organize them into keep, distribute, donate, toss, and sell piles.
Professional organizers are trained, objective party who oversee the process. They can manage as little or as much as needed and, what’s more, “what overwhelms our clients actually energizes us!” says Shaner. “We create a long-term plan that works for our clients based on their goals and needs.”
Saying goodbye to extra or no longer needed items in our homes can be bittersweet, but the advantages are immediate: finding what we need without digging through clutter, easier cleaning, and not buying doubles of things we already own but have forgotten about. And once it’s all organized in a new, smaller home, having less to maintain means more time doing things we enjoy with the people we love, which is perhaps the greatest benefit of all. FY
Tara Erwin lives and writes in Western New York.
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WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR GARDEN TO BE?
It’s time to rethink everything and get creative!
BY SALLY CUNNINGHAM
If ever people needed gardens for relaxation, beauty, and joy, it’s now. Your garden should be a haven, not a job. Your yard should look like a home, not a realtor’s postcard. You should tend it for your pleasure and enjoyment by loved ones, not to impress other people.
Assignment: Use the winter months to reflect on your gardening and yard work, year after year. If it doesn’t feel like happiness, then reimagine the possibilities.
A talent for creativity
After viewing gardens in the Buffalo region, many people comment, “I just don’t have that kind of creativity; I’m more conventional.” Conventional means many things to many people but in this discussion, it means gardens and landscapes that mirror the style of the neighborhood, town, or city. Homeowners or landscapers often use similar plants as neighbors, laid out in similar designs, resulting in conformity and perhaps comfort. If you do this, your house and yard fit right in—and that may be enough for you.
However, the gardening movement in the Buffalo-Niagara region— exemplified by Garden Walk Buffalo, other regional tours, and open gardens—has turned the conformity standard on its head. The norm in our region’s tour gardens is the absence of normal. The standard is: Don’t be standard! Let your garden show who you are—one of a kind!
“Quirky” became our word. When Jim Charlier and I were photographing and writing the book Buffalo-Style Gardens (2019), our editors at St. Lynn’s Press chose “quirky,” along with “eye-catching designs,” to describe the originality of our area gardens. Unlike the expensive, professionally designed, groomed, Better-Homes-and-Gardens-style gardens on other city tours, our region’s gardens are wide-ranging in layout, art, plant combinations, collections, furnishings, and personal expression. Your garden can also be just as personal, to the extent you wish it to be.
Bigger, smaller, or different
In suggesting you rethink your gardening ways, I am not proposing that everyone find inner quirkiness and become a Cottage District or Lancaster Avenue garden. The most photographed gardens, small or large, are labors of love requiring months of dedication.
Start with the question: “What do I want?” The answer could be more garden, less garden, more impact with less work—or a whole different feeling when you look at, or sit in, the space. Here are some possibilities:
I want less work and worry.
Simplify! This can mean tending fewer garden beds. Or just growing tomatoes and beans, but not every other herb and vegetable. Or using fewer perennials, no hanging baskets, and more shrubs that mostly take care of themselves.
When you make these decisions, don’t fool yourself with typical misconceptions. Perennials (usually) return every season, but that doesn’t mean they are less work than sinking a few pots of annuals in the soil every year. Cutting out flower beds and expanding the lawn is no guarantee of less work; lawn care takes time and effort. In fact, the reverse is often true: giving up some lawn and adding well-planned flower/shrub beds often means less work. The key is the term “well-planned.” Choose plants that suit the site, with room to expand or grow to mature size; that’s the ticket to easier yard and garden care.
It is generally true that using swaths or large patches of the same plant allows for simpler maintenance. A big patch of Sedums next to a large clump of daisies in front of a row of native hollies will take less work than tending an English cottagestyle garden of mixed annuals and perennials. It is also generally true that maturing gardeners—who can’t bend, crawl, and weed so quickly— often find satisfaction in growing more shrubs and fewer perennials. The shrub garden can be a wondrous thing, as exciting and dynamic as any flower garden out there.
Tip: know when to hire a professional to help with these changes.
I want more, more, lots more!
“More color, more pollinator plants, more herbs and veggies mixed in— and art, and a gazebo!” In this case, go for it. Never mind what Uncle Bud, the garden club, or your neighbors think of the plan. Look at books and your pictures of “Buffalo-style” gardens and make wish lists. Then do homework about best choices. Prepare raised or garden beds early, mix in compost or soil, learn about what plants work best in sites like yours, sign up for classes. Don’t let anybody spoil your fun. Learning to garden is a lifelong process and maybe the least risky and costly activity you can take up. You’re allowed to play.
I want something different!
What were you wearing in 1975, 1990, or 2010? That should tell you that tastes change. The landscape you bought into, or the garden that you or your predecessor designed years ago may be nothing like what you would choose today. Let it go; start fresh. It’s okay to move, compost, and replace plants. Don’t take a grand old tree down frivolously—do talk with an arborist first about its value and best maintenance—but otherwise, it’s your garden now! Some different things to try… • Replace tired yews or clipped boxwoods in a three-foot foundation bed, with flowers that make bees and butterflies happy.
Make the bed five feet wide and plant an eye-catching edge of red flowers, gray foliage, or yellow grasses. • If you’ve had your vegetable bed and perennial border hidden in the backyard, give some pleasure to neighbors by growing a colorful mixed food-and-flower garden out front. You’ll meet people that way. • Change the décor. Leave the old fountain, statue, bench, or birdbath in the garage and choose something adorable, dramatic, or unusual to make a new statement.
Buffalo gardeners don’t hold back, so copy them: paint some quaint furniture, repurpose a picture frame or ladder, add painted totems or your glass bowl collection, mount your garden hats on the wall— whatever. Try it. • If nobody is walking in the back because of rough or soddy ground, radical hardscape improvement could provide the comfort, satisfaction, and fun you’ve been missing. A new wall—painted a new color, or made of stacked stone, or designed in wood by a talented landscaper—can make a dull garden exciting. A gazebo or water garden can give the yard a focal point or destination. Maybe you need an expansive new patio for outdoor living and entertaining. Hardscape changes have huge impact.
You don’t have to be quirky
More than twenty-seven years ago, Buffalo in Bloom and the first Garden Walk Buffalo sent me out to look at private gardens, and I’ve since seen thousands. Like you, I tend to remember the one with the blue playhouse in a tree, the one with red climbing roses on the giant white gazebo, the one with the set of ladders topped with birdhouses, the one with the handmade mandalas on the fence. Sometimes it’s simply the vast hosta or daylily or lily or hydrangea display that sticks in the memory.
But you don’t have to be one of those “wow” gardeners. In fact, I have observed some new gardeners clutter up their simple yards with too many artifacts, mixed garden décor, signs, and cute stuff—all in an effort to create an original look. The most successful gardeners seem to be those who don’t force it but find their creativity organically. What you love, what you make, what you grow best, what you collect—these become your original style.
Just find it: the kind of garden you want. And don’t be constrained. Make yours smaller, larger, more colorful, simpler, wilder, more artsy, or just different. Let’s have 2022 gardens be the most joyful and the most individually satisfying gardens ever. FY
Sally Cunningham is a garden writer, lecturer, and consultant. Her books include Great Garden Companions and Buffalo-Style Gardens.
WHY HEARTBURN MEDICATIONS MAY NOT BE IN YOUR BEST INTEREST
BY CATHERINE STACK
It’s estimated that over seventy percent of people taking a proton pump inhibitor like Nexium, Prilosec, or Prevacid probably shouldn’t be. Many drugs commonly prescribed to treat heartburn, acid reflux, or GERD aren’t meant to be taken long-term—and it says so right on the insert—because they can have potentially serious consequences. These medications treat the symptoms, not the cause. If the cause persists, it’s time to talk to your doctor as well as look toward more natural remedies.
People who may benefit from temporary use of proton pump inhibitors are those suffering from bleeding ulcers, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (a rare condition that causes the stomach to produce excess acid), severe inflammation of the esophagus, or infection from Helicobacter pylori (this is controversial). Sufferers of digestive woes such as heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion should reconsider prolonged use of these medications.
Many who suffer heartburn produce too little stomach acid, which causes delayed gastric emptying. Food that sits too long without proper digestion sparks reflux and general discomfort and, while medications numb the pain, they do little to support digestion and nutrient absorption. It’s a slow road to malnutrition, osteoporosis, and possible B-12 deficiency, which can cause fatigue, brain fog, and memory issues. Furthermore, lowering the amount of stomach acid makes the body more susceptible to foodborne infections like food poisoning, as well as nasty side effects like pneumonia, bone loss, hip fractures, and Clostridium difficile (a harmful intestinal bacteria). When these medications are stopped, severe rebound is common; symptoms often return worse than before. Do not stop cold turkey; instead, wean slowly with your doctor’s help. Once the dosage is as low as possible, it may be beneficial to switch to less offending, over-thecounter H2 blockers such as Tagamet, or even Tums or Rolaids for the last few weeks. This is a slow process, but worthwhile for long-term health. Restoration of gastric balance and gut function will help address the underlying problem. Here are suggestions that may help sufferers of mild to moderate heartburn:
Take high quality probiotics
These can help balance intestinal flora while digestive enzymes help digest food properly. For those without gallbladders, a digestive enzyme with Betaine HCL would be beneficial. Incorporating foods such as natto (fermented soybeans), fermented vegetables, kefir, raw milk, or a high-quality yogurt are great natural sources of probiotics.
Modify your diet
Avoiding sugar, processed items, and possibly wheat will increase natural acid production. Incorporating high-quality, unprocessed sea salt will also aid natural acid production and provide the body with eighty trace minerals.
Optimize vitamin D3 levels
Four to six thousand international units (iu) are recommended to achieve protective levels of sixtyfive to 100 nanograms per milliliter.
Reduce stress
Try meditation, therapy, yoga, books on tape, or anything that may calm you or help balance your perspective on life. Books on tape are a great place to start. Stress greatly impacts physical health; reduce your stress and you may be surprised how much your gut will quiet down.
Try supplements
Supplements such as liquid aloe, DGL licorice, fresh lemon water (half of a lemon in eight to ten ounces of room temperature water), Braggs Raw Organic Cider Vinegar, and herbal teas with licorice and peppermint help support a healthy or healing digestive system.
Taking a proactive approach to naturally eliminating heartburn is a worthwhile investment in your overall well-being. That’s a longterm habit I can get behind. FY
Catherine Stack is owner, facilitator, and Doctor of Naturopathy at Journey II Health. She specializes in colon health and bio-identical hormone replacement and is a practicing staff midwife at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. Her books, Free Yourself from a CONSTIPATED Life and PUSH, Labor & Delivery from the Inside Out are available on amazon.com. Visit cathistack.com for more info.
VACATION PLANNING
The joy of anticipation
BY JENNIFER MERRICK
Lake Heron, in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, is one of the filming locations from The Lord of the Rings films.
Photo courtesy of Ashburton-District-Tourism
“Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them,” opines a romantic red-headed orphan in the classic children’s story, Anne of Green Gables.
Researchers have proven her right, concluding that planning a trip can often bring us more joy than the holiday itself. A Dutch study showed a significant increase in happiness levels among those who had vacation plans. Interestingly enough, it also found that people who’d returned from a trip were not any happier than those who had stayed home.
So how can we make the most of this anticipatory joy? We can start by spending more time and finding more creative ways of preparing for our travels. Here are our suggestions:
Watch where you’re going.
Television and movies have always inspired our vacation choices. I was so seduced by the sultry palm trees and ocean beaches of the Florida Keys while watching the Netflix series, Bloodline, that I drove 24 hours to see them for myself. When Lord of the Rings audiences realized that the snow-capped mountains and lush green valleys of the fictional Middle-earth were in the very real New Zealand, many fans hopped on planes to see these landscapes for themselves, resulting in a 40% increase in the country’s visitation. Croatia saw a 120% tourist interest increase when Game of Thrones began filming in the Baltic nation.
Almost every popular destination is the setting of a movie or TV series, so once you’ve decided on your next destination, grab some popcorn, watch, and dream while you wait.
Research a recipe.
Taste a new destination by trying out a dish or recipe. Food and culture are intertwined, so discovering a locale’s flavors can provide glimpses of its culture and traditions.
Thinking about travelling to Quebec? Why not try your hand at a tourtière (a traditional meat pie that has century-old roots in the province)? Is a trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast on your bucket list? Buy an illustrated cookbook that spotlights the region’s rich classic recipes and fresh produce. Watch YouTube videos or even take a cooking class, and you’ll be salivating to go to your destination of choice as you savor each morsel of “research.”
Learn the lingo.
Taking the time to learn a few words of a country’s language goes a long way to ingratiating yourself with locals and enriching your experience. Even if you’re headed to to an English-speaking destination, it’s fun to discover the region’s verbal idiosyncrasies.
In Scotland, for instance, you’ll be able to “keep the heid” (stay calm) if you understand that “ah dinnae ken” means “I don’t know” and “dinnae fash yersel” means “don’t worry.” In Canada, ask for a “double, double” (two creams, two sugars) at the ubiquitous Tim Horton’s coffee shops, and pay for it with a “toonie” (a two-dollar coin) or two loonies (onedollar coins). Even in North America, we all have our own lingo: if you’re going to Alabama, learn when to use “Roll tide,” a phrase that unites all Crimson Tide fans.
Listen to the rhythm.
Music is a window into a culture’s heart and soul. Curate a playlist with songs from a location’s iconic singers or tune in to a local radio station. On one impressive website (www. driveandlisten.herokuapp.com), you can take a virtual drive through some of the world’s greatest cites, including Paris, Rome, Dublin, San Francisco, Tokyo, and St. Petersburg while listening to a local radio station.
Whether it’s enjoying the island calypso music of Trinidad and Tobago, New Orleans’ jazz, or Ireland’s folk music, researching a destination’s music scene will have your toe-tapping feet itching to go.
Read all about it.
Guidebooks and Internet research are serviceable choices when it comes to planning an itinerary, but there’s nothing like a well-written fiction book to capture a palpable sense of place. Planning a trip to Savannah, Georgia? Reading Midnight of the Garden of Good and Evil will have you ready to meander cobble-stoned squares shaded by atmospheric Spanish moss of the city’s magnificent oaks. If you’re considering a trip to Alaska, the James A. Michener saga by the same name recounts its geological features and historical events in more detail than most guides.
And of course, if you’re going to the beautiful province of Prince Edward Island, be sure to read about its red sand beaches, sparkling waters, and blooming archways in Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I’m certain you’ll agree with the heroine (and researchers) about how much pleasure can come from anticipation. FY
Prince Edward Island Beach
Photo courtesy of Prince Edward Island Tourism
Jennifer Merrick is an awardwinning freelance writer, photographer, and avid traveler based in Toronto.
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“MAKE IT A WONDERFUL DAY” AT MAR-BON SOCIAL CLUB
STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE A. SMYCZYNSKI
Sisters Victoria Pope and Laurie Pope-Greco own and operate Mar-Bon Social Club.
Afew years ago, sisters Victoria Pope and Laurie Pope-Greco sought a small day program to provide activities and socialization for their elderly mother. When they couldn’t find a program that fit her needs, they started one themselves.
Mar-Bon Social Club, named after the sisters’ mother, Mary, and late father Boniface is Western New York’s first and only social club exclusively for seniors. Originally set to open in April 2020, until…well, you know, the club finally opened on a limited basis in October 2020 with a maximum of about fifteen to twenty attendees daily. Its motto? “Make it a wonderful day.”
Mar-Bon is geared toward seniors who don’t get out much but want to stay active and socialize. “There are some members who were initially hesitant to come,” Pope-Greco shares. “However, once they got here, they really enjoyed it.” While all Mar-Bon’s current members are women, men are encouraged to join. The only membership stipulations are independent medication administration and restroom use, and daily attendance costs less than in-home companion care. The club is clean and comfortable; surfaces and floors are cleaned and vacuumed daily, and hand sanitizer is available in abundance. The club follows all state health and safety protocols. A typical day begins coffee and snacks in the sitting area, where members can chat by the fireplace until lunchtime. “It’s a very homelike environment,” says Pope. PopeGreco adds, “Most of them are in their eighties and early nineties; they get comfortable quickly and make friendships.” The sisters add that people tend to forget about the older generation so, at Mar-Bon,
they strive to provide a place where they are not forgotten, a place to be rather than at home alone.
Lunch is generally one of the day’s high points. Since many elderly people tend to not eat enough, the sisters prepare balanced, nutritious meals in their commercial kitchen and serve them on real plates and utensils—no paper or plastic; what members don’t finish can be boxed to take home.
When a member first joins the club, Mar-Bon puts together a profile of their likes and dislikes, hobbies, favorite games, etc. to help personalize their activities. Members can book appointments at the on-site beauty salon to have their hair done before or after lunch. The club has a music room with CDs and vinyl records from different eras, a TV room, and a well-stocked library. Seasonal crafts and activities are offered throughout the year, such as gingerbread house making at Christmastime, egg coloring at Easter, and birthday celebrations.
Mar-Bon also sponsors monthly bus trips to Batavia Downs. You needn’t be a Mar-Bon member to participate; anyone fifty years of age with proof of COVID-19 vaccination is welcome. The trips, which depart from Mar-Bon’s parking lot, are daytime excursions between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
In addition to hosting the social club during the day, Pope and PopeGreco rent the facility on evenings and weekends to members and non-members alike for showers, birthday parties, funeral breakfasts, and other functions. People like having events here because, unlike at a restaurant or banquet facility, it’s the only event taking place, so privacy is guaranteed.
The Mar-Bon facility can accommodate up to fifty people for sit-down meals and ninetysix for a cocktail party (it will soon have its liquor license). The sisters can recommend several nearby caterers, or renters can use their own favorite, but no food from home is permitted. The sisters decorate, set up the buffet, serve beverages, and clean up.
For more information or to schedule a private tour contact:
Mar-Bon Social Club
6477 Transit Road, East Amherst 716-406-4577 marbonsocialclub.com info@marbonsocialclub.com FY
Balanced, nutritious lunches are served in the club's spacious dining room.
Christine A. Smyczynski is a freelance writer and blogger and author of Western New York Explorer’s Guide.
