Your Active Aging Guide
From retirement planning to staying healthy to finding the right place to live, consider this your handbook to living well in your golden years.
Retirement Living
Looking to downsize? Find a retirement community? Or maybe just get some help at home? Check out these local options to find the right one for you.
ANITA’S GARDENS
Milwaukeean Anita Benavides was a caregiver for many years. After she passed, her daughter Bridgette and Bridgette’s friend Kathy wanted to bring her spirit to the community. They founded Anita’s Gardens assisted living community in 2007 in Port Washington. In the years since, they’ve expanded, opening locations in Grafton and Brookfield. A new location in Saukville is on track to open in 2025 and is taking reservations now. The family-owned community continues to provide exceptional amenities and services for its residents. anitasgardens.com
CEDAR COMMUNITY
With over 500 acres in the Kettle Moraine across multiple campuses, Cedar Community offers residents dozens of trails to hike, beautiful views and plenty of natural beauty to explore. Founded more than 70 years ago, the not-for-profit community has a long history of caring for seniors in the Milwaukee region. cedarcommunity.org
EASTCASTLE PLACE
For 140 years, this beautiful, historic East Side building has served as a home for seniors in Milwaukee. The convenient location near Lake Michigan and the shops and restaurants of Downer Avenue makes enjoying the vibrancy of the city easy for residents. Eastcastle offers a full continuum of care to adjust to each individual’s needs. A robust calendar of events and activities throughout the year keeps residents busy. eastcastleplace.com
GOLDEN PATH
Golden Path Home Care helps older adults stay in their homes while still receiving the help they need. Members receive care from a trained Golden Path employee, who can assist them with bathing, dressing, meal preparation and more. Golden Path also has an assisted living facility, which provides 24-hour assistance, as well as transportation to appointments, medication management, community activities and other care services. goldenpathhomecare.com
HARWOOD PLACE
Near the charming and bustling Wauwatosa Village, Harwood Place offers residents easy access to shops, restaurants, festivals and more. The community has assisted living and independent living options, along with abundant amenities on its 15-acre campus, including two restaurants, a chapel, a business center, game room, fitness center, library and much more. thelutheranhome.org
SAINT JOHN’S ON THE LAKE
The LifeStreams program at Saint John’s ensures that residents have wide-ranging and holistic opportunities for entertainment, enrichment and more. The East Side retirement community offers clubs, committees, lecture series, games, concerts, cooking demonstrations, pickleball and much more – all chosen and designed with resident feedback at the forefront. saintjohnsmilw.org
ST. CAMILLUS
The Revitalize Wellness Center at St. Camillus focuses on six dimensions of wellness for its residents: physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social and community. It offers a state-of-the-art fitness center with strength and endurance equipment, a pool and hot tub, fitness classes, one-on-one coaching, yoga and more. A campus wellness nurse helps residents with health education and nutrition, and monthly presenters lead discussions about wellness topics such as sleep health. stcam.com
Plan Your Space
Moving into a new home? You’ll want furniture that fits the space and matches your style. Family-owned and -operated BILTRITE Furniture – Leather –Mattresses (5430 W. Layton Ave., Greenfield) keeps many smaller-scale furniture options in stock, ideal for downsizing. BILTRITE offers beds, chairs, flippable mattresses, drop-leaf tables and chairs that fold to save space, and much more. Be sure to check out the comfortable power-lift recliners that raise and lower from the ground automatically with the push of a button, making it easier to sit and stand. Stop by for a design consultation – you can speak with an associate to help find pieces to fit your new home. biltritefurniture.com
Brett Rhode, MD Michael Raciti, MD David Scheidt, OD Daniel Ferguson, MD Daniel Paskowitz, MD, PhD
Finance
When it is time to retire, the financial decisions might seem endless. Here are some local institutions that can help make it a bit easier.
ASSOCIATED BANK
Once your paycheck ends, you’ll need a strategy for your retirement finances. That means a comprehensive idea of your different income streams, like Social Security, your pension, an IRA plan, etc. Associated Bank’s team of wealth planners and investment managers can help you understand what your financial future looks like, how to withdraw from your accounts efficiently and more. associatedbank.com
IAG WEALTH PARTNERS
Inflation can have a serious effect on retirement planning. Your income for the first years of retirement may be perfectly adequate, but if inflation worsens, it might become unsustainable. Working with a financial planner can help you plan for that ahead of time. IAG Wealth Planners offers a team of experienced professionals who can draft financial plans that help prepare and strategize for the decades ahead. iagwealthpartners.com
JOHNSON FINANCIAL GROUP
A financial plan with Johnson Financial Group begins with a discussion, determining your goals and hopes and examining the strengths and potential weaknesses of your financial situation. The team of advisors creates a personalized plan to meet your retirement goals and help keep you financially healthy after your retirement. johnsonfinancialgroup.com
Health and Wellness
These nearby hospitals and rehabilitation facilities can help you live your best life.
CITY OF HOPE
Chicago’s City of Hope is one of the country’s top leaders in researching and treating cancer. City of Hope’s sole focus is cancer, and its doctors are at the top of the field. With a staff of expert physicians and researchers across multiple focuses, it provides patients with innovative treatment options and , if needed, sophisticated surgical care. The patient experience comes first at City of Hope, and you can often make an appointment in as little as 24 hours, with same-day diagnostics and rapid testing results. cityofhope.org
ORTHOPAEDIC ASSOCIATES OF WISCONSIN
Founded over 50 years ago, Orthopaedic Associates of Wisconsin has a history of excellent care. Its physicians’ specialties include hand and upper extremity, spine, arthroplasty, joint reconstruction, foot and ankle surgeries and more, with locations in Mukwonago, Brookfield and Pewaukee. The Pewaukee and Brookfield locations also have Ortho-ASAP clinics, which do walk-in appointments with specialists in sprains, dislocations, fractures and other orthopaedic injuries. orthowisconsin.com
ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL OF WISCONSIN
OHOW specializes in helping people live an active lifestyle. That means specialists working on hand, wrist and elbow injuries; joint replacement; sports medicine; and more. Whether you are looking for help recovering from golfer’s elbow, relief from arthritis, treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, or another ache and pain, the expert staff can help. ohow.com
Eye Risk
OLDER ADULTS ARE at greater risk for developing eye diseases like cataracts (cloudy vision), glaucoma (loss of side vision), diabetic retinopathy (loss of crisp vision) and macular degeneration or AMD (loss of central vision). Why? According to Brett Rhode, MD, of Eye Care Specialists ophthalmology practice, “The simple fact of living longer is a major factor. For example, the clouding of the lens inside the eye known as a ‘cataract’ is just another age-related change occurring in the body, like wrinkles.” With time, people also often develop health concerns that can lead to eye issues. Rhode explains, “Certain medications (NSAIDs, Plaquenil, steroids, antidepressants, anti-coagulants, etc.) can have vision-related side effects that may go so far as to cause cataracts, glaucoma and retinal damage. And, for diabetics, each year of having abnormal blood sugar levels increases the chance of developing diabetic retinopathy, cataracts and glaucoma.” More trips around and under the sun has other consequences. The more UV light exposure you have, the greater your risk not only for wrinkles and skin cancer, but for developing cataracts and AMD. What’s the best way to protect your vision? “Have comprehensive exams every one to two years to uncover any concerns and assess whether treatment is needed,” says Rhode.
Network Health
Picking the right health plan after retirement can feel like navigating a particularly frustrating maze. Every year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services try to make it a little clearer by rating plans based on Medicare patients’ experiences with them. In 2024, Wisconsin’s own Network Health earned a 5 out of 5 rating for its Medicare Advantage PPO plans. And 93% of its members stayed with the plan since last year. The local company covers enrollees anywhere in Wisconsin or out of state with Network’s travel benefits. Besides its coverage, Network Health’s Medicare Advantage plan also offers benefits like zero-dollar primary care doctor appointments and monthly money-back perks. networkhealth.com
‘Wheel Hike Together’
For the third year, Marinette County is hosting “Wheel Hike Together,” Sept. 24-29. The event allows people with temporary or permanent physical limitations to hike using free tracked wheelchairs. Attendees on the motorized devices explore 3 miles of trails and scenic overlooks along Thunder Mountain. exploremarinettecounty.com ◆
