55 Plus of Rochester, #35: September – October 2015 by 55 Plus: For Active Adults in Rochester

Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies: You‘ve Got to Meet Them!

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Savvy Senior: How to Choose the Best Place to Retire

PLUS Issue 35 September / October 2015

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

Good Food

Talented executive chefs, some trained internationally, are cooking at local independent living facilities

JENNIFER LEONARD

In her element as leader of Rochester Area Community Foundation, her goal is to make the region a better place

Elections  Meet all three candidates who want to succeed Maggie Brooks

45 and counting... Number of kids for whom Judy and Wayne Holly have provided foster care

John Addyman: ‘My Grandchildren Are Ruining My Sex Life’

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September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

CONTENTS 55 PLUS

Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies: You‘ve Got to Meet Them! Savvy Senior: How to Choose the Best Place to Retire

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55 PLUS

September / October 2015

PLUS Issue 35 September / October 2015

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

Good Food Talented executive chefs, some trained internationally, are cooking at local independent living facilities

JENNIFER LEONARD

In her element as leader of Rochester Area Community Foundation, her goal is to make the region a better place

The Art of Love Two women discover themselves, their passions

45 and counting... Number of kids for whom Judy and Wayne Holly have provided foster care

roc55.com

John Addyman: ‘My Grandchildren Are Ruining My Sex Life’

14 22 Savvy Senior 6 Financial Health 8 Estate Planning 10 My Turn 18 Addyman’s Corner 30 Long-term Care 46 Visits 48

12 NURTURING • Pittsford couple has fostered 45... so far

14 GOOD FUN

• Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies can make parades a memorable event

20 HOW TO

• Host a successful sale in the fall

22 DINING Last Page Q&A Geriatrician William Hall urges medical professionals to focus on aging well, not on senior frailties 4

55 PLUS - September / October 2015

• Executive chefs add a great deal to local independent living facilities

26 COVER

• Jennifer Leonard is in her element as leader of Rochester Area Community Foundation

34 32 COMEDY

• Left for Dead keeps improv alive

34 PHOTOGRAPHY

• Image City: shining through the years

38 ELECTIONS

• Three vying for Monroe County executive position

42 CRAFTSMAN

• Woodworking wizard: Jim Byron, of Henrietta

44 READING

• Great fall project: start a book club

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savvy senior By Jim Miller

How to Choose the Best Place to Retire

f you’re interested in relocating when you retire, like millions of other baby boomers, there are a wide variety of free Web-based resources that can help you find and research a new location that meet your wants, needs and budget. Here are several to help you get started. Where to Retire: If you aren’t sure where you want to retire, a good place to begin is by taking a retirement test at sites like Sperling’s Best Places (bestplaces.net/fybp) or Find Your Spot (findyourspot.com). These are free quizzes that ask dozens of questions such as climate, recreation, community size and more, and suggest possible destinations that best match your answers. There are also various media sources and websites, like U.S. News and World Report, Kiplinger’s, Forbes, Money magazine, Reuters, Bankrate.com, TopRetirements.com, the Milken Institute and AARP that publish top retirement location lists you may find helpful too. To find them, go to any search engine and type “best places to retire” along with the name of the media source. You should also consider getting a subscription to “Where to Retire” magazine (wheretoretire.com, 713974-6903), which is designed to help you find ideal retirement settings. A yearly subscription runs $18 for six issues. Once you find a few areas that interest you, your next step is research them. Here are some important areas you need to investigate. Cost of living: Can you afford to live comfortably in the location you want to retire to? BestPlaces.net and Numbeo.com offer tools to compare the cost of living from your current location to where you would like to move. They compare housing costs, food, utilities, transportation and more. Taxes: Some states are more tax friendly to retirees than others. If 6

55 PLUS - September / October 2015

you’re planning to move to another state, Kiplinger’s has a tax guide for retirees at Kiplinger.com/links/ retireetaxmap that lets you find and compare taxes state-by-state. It covers income taxes, sales tax, taxes on retirement income, Social Security benefits taxes, property taxes, and inheritance and estate taxes. Crime rate: To evaluate how safe a community or area is, NeighborhoodScout.com is a top tool that provides property and violent crime rates, and crimes per square mile. Healthcare: Does the area you want to relocate to have easy access to good healthcare? To locate and research hospitals in a new area, use HospitalCompare.hhs.gov and QualityCheck.org. To search for new doctors that accept your insurance, contact your plan, or, if you’re 65 or older use Medicare.gov/physiciancompare. It’s also important to know that healthcare costs can vary by region, so you should contact your insurer to check out possible cost variables. Transportation: If you plan to travel much, or expect frequent visits from your kids or grandkids, convenient access to an airport or train station is a nice advantage. You should also investigate alternative transportation options, since most retirees give up driving in their 80s. To do this contact Rides in Sight (ridesinsight. org, 855-607-4337), a free transportation referral service, and the Area Aging Agency — call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 to get the local number. Other Resources: To learn more about specific communities across the U.S., AARP’s new livability index (livabilityindex.aarp.org) along with Epodunk.com and GangsAway.com are three excellent resources, as well as the city’s chamber of commerce office. To locate it, go to any search engine and type in the name of the city and state followed by “chamber of commerce.”

55PLUS roc55.com

Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Lou Sorendo

Contributing Writers

Deborah J. Sergeant, Ernst Lamothe Jr., John Addyman Lynette M. Loomis Mike Costanza, Jessica Gaspar

Columnists

Jim Terwilliger, Susan Suben Jim Miller, Bruce Frassinelli Michael Robinson

Advertising

Donna Kimbrell, Marsha Preston H. Mat Adams

Office Manager Alice Davis

Layout and Design Chris Crocker

Cover Photo

Chuck Wainwright 55 PLUS –A Magazine for Active Adults in the Rochester Area is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., which also publishes In Good Health–Rochester–Genesee Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper.

Health in good

Rochester–Genesee Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

Mailing Address PO Box 525 Victor, NY 14564 Subscription: $15 a year © 2015 by 55 PLUS – A Magazine for Active Adults in the Rochester Area. No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. Third class postage paid at Syracuse, NY. Permit Number: 3071

How to Reach Us P.O. Box 525 Victor, NY 14564 Voice: 585-421-8109 Fax: 585-421-8129 Editor@roc55.com

Social Security

Q&A

Q: What is Supplemental Security Income (SSI)? A: SSI is a needs-based program that pays cash assistance to people with limited income and resources who are age 65 or older, blind or disabled. Children with disabilities can get SSI, too. SSI is funded by general tax revenues — not Social Security taxes. To find out if you can get SSI, and how to apply, visit to www.socialsecurity. gov/disabilityssi/ssi.html.

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Q: If I get married, will it affect my Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment? A: If you marry, your spouse’s income and resources may change your SSI payment. If you and your spouse both get SSI, your payment amount will change from an individual rate to a couple’s rate. For more information, see the publication “What You Need To Know When You Get Supplemental Security Income (SSI)” at www. socialsecurity.gov/pubs. If you receive SSI payments, it’s very important to immediately notify SSA about any changes in your income or resources to avoid a potential overpayment or additional penalty.

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financial health By Jim Terwilliger

Working Past Age 70

The financial benefits from working longer are many

ge 65 tended to be the standard retirement age back a generation or more ago. That was when working for a single company for 40-plus years and receiving a guaranteed lifetime pension during retirement were the norm. My, how things have changed. For a while, early retirement was the rage. Today, we are seeing an evolving reversal. More and more folks, for a variety of reasons, may still retire early but then continue to work part-time or pursue a second career — and sometimes a third career. The emotional and health benefits from doing so are well-documented. The financial benefits from working longer are many. For example, by working longer, you can: • Add additional earned income to your household cash flow, a portion of which can be saved through employer retirement plans or outside IRAs, Roth IRAs, and/or investment accounts, resulting in additional wealth accumulation. • Reduce the number of years that your savings/investments will need to last to see you through retirement. • Increase your Social Security wage base that — for many people working full time — will enhance monthly Social Security retirement benefits, even if you are currently receiving retirement benefits. • Make it easier to delay the start of Social Security retirement benefits, with each year of delay increasing these benefits by 8 percent. • Maintain coverage under an employer’s health insurance plan, particularly beneficial cost-wise if you are pre-Medicare age (65). • Maintain your current standard of living and potentially enhance that standard of living when you ultimately retire.

55 PLUS - September / October 2015

Once you reach the age 70 threshold, all the benefits above continue (with one exception) and some additional financial benefits to working longer begin to appear. The one exception is Social Security retirement benefits. The advantage of delaying the start of these benefits no longer continues beyond age 70. However, for folks receiving Social Security, even beyond 70, additional years of earned income can increase benefits beyond the annual COLA adjustment if the additional years replace earlier lower-earning years in the retirement benefit formula. Perhaps the most significant additional financial benefit to working past age 70 has to do with required minimum distributions (RMDs) from pre-tax retirement accounts. This is important to those who do not need some or all of these distributions to maintain a positive household cash flow. Let’s look at two categories of such pre-tax accounts: Employer Retirement Plans – 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457 Plans. If you are age 70½ or older and still working, you may be able to delay taking RMDs from the company plan. This is commonly known as the still-working exception. You can also continue to make contributions to the plan. For this exception to apply you must: be considered employed throughout the entire year, own no more than 5 percent of the company, and participate in a plan that allows one to delay RMDs. Not all allow this option. Your first RMD will be due for the year you ultimately retire or otherwise leave employment. You have the option to delay taking that first RMD

up to April 1 of the following year. If you do, you’ll have to take two RMDs during that following year — one by April 1 and one by Dec. 31. Then in subsequent years, you will get into the standard one RMD per year cycle. While you generally can leave your money in the plan after leaving employment, most folks choose to perform a direct rollover to a traditional IRA where you have a greater range of investment choices and distribution options. Individual Retirement Plans — Traditional, SIMPLE, and SEP IRAs. If you are age 70½ or older and still working, you cannot delay taking RMDs from these plans. You must start. In addition, you no longer can make Traditional IRA contributions, but you can continue to contribute to your SIMPLE and SEP IRAs as long as you are receiving earned income. A very attractive option to reduce or eliminate having to take RMDs from your Traditional and SEP IRAs is to roll some or all over to your employer retirement plan if you are still working. To make this work, your plan must allow this, which isn’t always the case. Also, if you’ve already reached the year in which you turn age 70½ or later, you must first take any IRA RMD before rolling the balance over to the plan. Be sure to work with a trusted financial planner when considering how to leverage all the financial benefits available to you by continuing to work, particularly beyond age 70. James Terwilliger, CFP, is senior vice president, financial planning manager at Wealth Strategies Group, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. He can be reached at 585-419-0670 ext. 50630 or by email at jterwilliger@cnbank.com.

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ou don’t have to be a millionaire to benefit from an estate plan. Reasons to create an estate plan are as unique as the individuals who create them. If you own a home, have minor children and/or grandchildren, grown children in their own marriages, have been divorced, own a business or expect to receive an inheritance of your own, you need to take action now. Procrastination is one of the biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to estate planning, and we see all too often the unnecessary expense and heartache that families experience because their deceased love one planned on doing their planning “tomorrow.” As Pablo Picasso said, “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” Here are some of the common reasons you need to have a proper estate plan in place: 1 - Designate who will manage your affairs if you become disabled and when you pass away. If you fail to do so, the court will decide for you. You never know who the court will appoint. Keep control of your own destiny! 2 - Plan for Medicaid and its impact on your estate if you must go into a nursing home. Nursing homes today can cost as much as $144,000 per year or more, and a long-term stay can easily impoverish all but the wealthiest families. With proper planning, however, you can shelter assets and keep your family’s wealth intact. Because there is a 50-50 chance that the average adult will spend at least one year in a long-term care facility, it becomes painfully clear this type of planning is extremely important 3 - Avoid probate, during your lifetime and when you pass away. Do you want the court controlling you or your assets? Probate proceedings are public and often expensive, cumbersome and time-consuming. Leave

your money to your heirs quickly, privately and efficiently by establishing a proper estate plan. 4 - Protect children from a prior marriage if you pass away first. Second marriage planning can be complex and tricky. Expert legal guidance is needed to ensure your assets are preserved and your children of your first marriage will receive the proper share of their inheritance. 5 - Protect assets inherited by your heirs from lawsuits, divorces and other claims. Make sure your assets are inherited by your loved ones, not the people you don’t want to receive them, such as their ex-spouses, in-laws, creditors or the IRS. 6 - Impose discipline upon children and/or grandchildren who may not be capable or experienced in managing money. Make sure your children and/or grandchildren spend their inheritance wisely. Protect their inheritance against inexperience and mismanagement by including specific conditions and rewards in your estate plan. 7 - Provide for special needs children and grandchildren. The loss of governmental benefits can wipe out a beneficiary’s inheritance. Special considerations and planning is needed to avoid the loss of governmental benefits. In the next issue, we will explore some of the other common reasons you need to take action on your estate planning.

For over 29 years, The Law Office of Michael Robinson, P.C. has helped thousands of families in the region protect their legacies. The firm is recognized nationally and locally as an expert resource for estate planning and elder law. Visit mrobinsonlaw.com or send an email to info@mrobinsonlaw. com. Phone: 585-374-5210

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nurturing

Pittsford Couple Has Cared For 45 Foster Kids... So Far Mom cited a ‘one of a kind,’ ‘a rare find’ By Lynette M. Loomis

udy and Wayne Holly have opened their hearts and home to 45 foster children since 1999. Their journey with these children enriches and challenges them as they provide a safe, structured and secure haven for infants and children whose parents cannot care for them. “I was trained as a nurse so I think wanting to help or care for people is in my nature. Clearly I love being a mom,” says Judy. “I started the process of becoming a foster parent because after having four biological sons and adopting our daughter, I still longed for more children. Wayne was not interested in adopting [at that time] so foster parenting seemed to be a good solution.” The entire Holly family would say that adapting to the personalities of so many children has taught them a great deal about themselves — from what touches their hearts to what behaviors “push their buttons.” Many of the foster children arrive as babies and toddlers so the Hollys have strollers, cribs and a wide range of toys for kids up to age 12. Some of the children may stay only a few days whereas one little girl remained with them for two years. “Although you know their stay is temporary until their own family situation is stabilized, you do become attached to the kids. You grieve when they leave but then I get excited when the next baby comes,” says Judy. “Some of the biological parents 12

55 PLUS - September / October 2015

Judy and Wayne Holly of Pittsofrd have provided foster care for 45 children over the past 15 years, integrating these children into their family life. “We have stayed in touch with some of the biological and adoptive parents and the kids. Our interest in and love for these children does not end when they leave our door,” says Judy, who is holding a baby placed under the couple’s care.

are struggling with addiction or health issues. They may not have had much support while they were growing up. I think the fact that Wayne and I are older foster parents makes it easier for us to guide the biological parents from what to wear to court to how to juggle work and parenting. If we have a child in temporary placement, we work with the adoptive parents during the transition.” Daughter Jessica Holly says that having foster siblings was a very positive experience. “Having foster children in our home has shaped who I am as a person. I have a deeper appreciation for everything in my life including the love, support, and opportunities I have. I am grateful for and enjoyed having this experience throughout my life.” There are roughly 1,100 Monroe County children in foster care who need help during transition periods within their families. Even a short stay with a family such the Hollys can help a child navigate this transitional period. Amy Taber, a caseworker with Monroe County Child Protective Services, speaks of the care the Hollys’ foster children receive. “Judy Holly is one of a kind. She’s a rare find. She and Wayne have provided foster care for many, many children including a few children on my caseload. Every time I work with her, I am always confident that the children will receive the best care.” Judy explains their family philosophy: “When kids come to our home, we make them a part of the family from day one and all activities from chores to fun. Certainly raising four boys and a girl reinforced the need for boundaries and structure. For some little ones, knowing there will be three meals a day helps them feel safe. For other children, reassuring them that whatever happened in their own home was not their fault is critical to their sense of self-esteem. We do what we can to increase the children’s sense of security; their journey is often lonely and difficult.” Helen Hulburt, Judy’s mom, comes from a family of nine children. “I think there is a legacy of loving

“Clearly I love being a mom. I started the process of becoming a foster parent because after having four biological sons and adopting our daughter, I still longed for more children.” Judy Holly

children in our family. Judy’s dad was a school counselor and would say ‘I wish I could bring this little boy/girl home.’ One of my sons runs a day care center; my other daughter has adopted a child. Judy and Wayne and their entire family have given so much love to their foster children. Everyone always pitched in. All the kids fed babies, changed diapers, played games and shared their toys. The Holly children, most of whom are adults now, know a great deal about caring and sharing. It is such an education for any family to share love with a foster child. One Thanksgiving a baby with a full body cast was placed with Judy and Wayne. The gentle outpouring of love from the other kids was touching beyond words.” Wayne Holly, president and chairman of Sage Rutty, a financial business based in Rochester, works long hours and is the first to say that his wife is the main caregiver for the foster babies. “She is great with the newborns. I seem to be more at my best when the babies are a few months old and we can interact. These children have enriched our lives in so many ways. We are always surprised when our friends question how we can do this ‘at our age.’ I don’t think caring for and loving children has an age limit. Ask any grandparent.” Judy says, “I think being a foster mom is like a calling for me. I feel like I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. For Wayne and me, it’s about loving these children and giving them the best chance we can for a brighter future.”

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Meet The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies Mostly alumni from Kendall High School, members of the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies are treated like celebrities in every parade they participate By John Addyman

“

Time to oil the joints,” said the posting, “fluff the boa, and put on the disco. Practices have begun…” Kim Corcoran, the leader of the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies, had issued the call— it was time for the pink-festooned, sort-of-high-stepping, boa-twirling, precision-marching and merriment-generating flock to get it together. From then on [the posting was published in March], the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies have met three times a week — often on a little-used road near the school district’s bus garage — to practice their routines. They march in tight cadence like

55 PLUS - September / October 2015

the former high school band members many of them are. They dance and high-step, swing and sashay like the 55-plus goddesses they have become. They twirl, snap, wheel, spin, sit upon and present their lawn chairs in a choreography of the mirthfully inane no right-thinking person could have considered. And it’s so much fun to watch. “We founded the Ladies in April of 2012,” said Corcoran, who had Wendy Rath as her co-organizer. “There is a similar group, the Adirondack Lawn Chair Ladies, who march in the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, once a year. It’s a bigger group, al-

most 50-strong.” There are 18 Kendall ladies and they’re much busier, doing eight or nine parades a summer. “We’re a bunch of mostly alumni from Kendall High School near Brockport in the 1960s and 1970s,” Corcoran said. “We march in local parades, and dance with our lawn chairs and boas. Whatever prize money we get goes to needy groups. Why parades? “Parades today are really boring,” she said. “There are no marching bands anymore. We thought, ‘Let’s beef those parades up! Let’s have some excitement!” Corcoran had returned to Kend-

all after living in New York City for years. “I wanted to reconnect with the people I knew here,” she said. “Wendy sent me a video of the Adirondack ladies performing. She said, ‘Wouldn’t this be fun?’ “I said, ‘This is embarrassing as hell. Why would we want to do it?’” The more Corcoran and Rath thought about it, the more hilarious and outrageous they thought it would be, the more they liked the idea. “And we got 16 other women who said, ‘We’ll do it, too,’” Corcoran said. After a lot of practice and a lot of learning what it was like to march, dance, twirl a lawn chair and remain radiant and charming at a certain age, the Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies made their debut at the Kendall Firemen’s Parade in 2012 — and were a hit. “It was really fun,” Corcoran said. “The audience loved us.” The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies, following their careers for many years (see box) have reconnected with one another. “We do socialize,” Corcoran said. “We have our post-parade parties and our chats before and after rehearsals, which are very physical — and we don’t sweat, but we do glow.

Havin’ fun in the Sun at a mid-summer Saturday morning practice are Lawn Chair Ladies. Shown, from left, Kathy Kemp, Joy Cliff, Mary Mann and Donna Cole-Lenz. “Our routines are choreographed, and when you get a little older, remembering dance moves and cadences in the middle of a parade — there’s a whole different mentality when you get to a certain age. Our youngest member is 55 and the oldest is 68. She

used to babysit me back in the day.” The ladies dress for the events in can’t-miss outfits: pink and black blouses, pink boas around their necks, sunglasses and lots of jewelry. “Otherwise, you’re the Boy Scouts,” Corcoran said.

There are 18 Kendall Ladies and they’re busy each summer doing eight or nine parades. “We’re a bunch of mostly alumni from Kendall High School in Orleans County in the 1960s and 1970s,” says Kim Corcoran, co-leader of the group. “We march in local parades, and dance with our lawn chairs and boas. Whatever prize money we get goes to needy groups. September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

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The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies go through a choreographed marching routine using — what else — their lawn chairs. The group has been a parade favorite since its inception in 2012. From left are Donna Cole-Lenz, Mary Mann, Lisa Rowley, Joy Cliff, Martha Jane Hart and Kathy Kemp. You probably won’t see the ladies in a big parade because, frankly, they like a more leisurely pace: they want to be able to stop along the route and do their routines. A token male (Maryellen Giese’s husband, Robert) drives the sound truck in front of the ladies. “The big parades want us to keep moving, they want us to get going, to move. We don’t perform the way they want us to.” Once they started taking parade dates, their fame grew, thanks in part to YouTube. “America’s Got Talent reached out to us,” said Corcoran. “But we can’t go to New York. Some of the ladies are still working, but we did send them a video. The timing was just really, really wrong for us. To go to far-reaching places, that’s really hard for us. We are all so busy, so scheduled. We have grandchildren, we’re going to Florida and North Carolina through the year — these women are active in every sense of the word.” Giese, after practice on a bright Saturday morning, said she had become a Lawn Chair Lady “because it’s fun and it’s a little something extra I can do for my community.” Yes, she was in the high school marching band, and still sings in a community choir. “This is more relaxed and fun,” she said. “When we do something wrong, it’s even funnier. The places we go, we’re sort of like celebrities.” “Makes you feel like a rock star,”

agreed Jane Hart. “Parade judges don’t know what to do with us yet.” “We might be dancers, we might be marchers…we’re unique,” Giese said. “I like doing this because I like interacting with all these people — they’re great gals.” “Just look at those hot women,” Giese said, gesturing to the others who were just winding up the rehearsals. They weren’t hot…they were glowing.

A flirty wave from the Lawn Chair Ladies in the middle of their marching routine.

The Kendall Lawn Chair Ladies are… Joy Cliff, 58, Kendall, is the head teacher for the toddler area in a Brockport daycare. Donna Cole-Lenz, 61, Spencerport, is a registered nurse. Kim Corcoran, 59, Kendall, is a private math tutor and director of the Lawn Chair Ladies. Carol D’Agostino, 55, Kendall, is the principal at Kendall Junior/Senior High School. Donna Dangler, 59, Kendall, is a claims processor. Valerie Gaesser, 55, Kendall, is a teacher at Kendall Elementary School. Mary Ellen Giese, 65, Morton, is a retired Brockport vocal music teacher who, in retirement, directs the Hochstein Youth Singers, the Sweden Senior Singers, and still sings herself with the Rochester Oratorio Society. Debbie Hansen, 58, Brockport, is the administrative assistant to the nuclear training director at GINNA Nuclear Power Plant. Martha Jane Hart, 65, Kendall, is a retired reading teacher. Diane Hennekey, 59, Adams Basin, is a financial adviser at Edward Jones. Kathy Kemp, 60, Hamlin, is the Town of Clarkson deputy town clerk. Marilynn Kundrata, 58, Hamlin, is the secretary in Hilton High School Guidance Office. Candi Mael, 67, Kendall, is a retired RN who marches with the LCL with two new hips. Mary Mann, 65, Kendall, is a homemaker, mom, grandmom. Marcy Miceli, 66, Brockport, is in human resources at the University of Rochester. Kelly Noon, 68, Hamlin, a former third-grade teacher in Kendall, but retired from the Hilton school district. Lisa Rowley, 61, Morton, is a phlebotomist. Robin Webster Schepler, 59, Hilton, was a clerk at SUNY Brockport for 35 years before she retired; she has since partially un-retired to take a job with the educational administration department at SUNY MetroCenter. All but five of the ladies were born, grew up in Kendall or live there now.

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September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

my turn

By Bruce Frassinelli Email: bruce@cny55.com

From Party-Line Phones to a Smartphone World Technology is coming at us fast and furiously. It can be daunting. We can either embrace it or get left in the dust

The phone when I was growing up. No way to dial.

he year is 1945: At age 6, I quietly picked up our home phone and listened to the party-line conversation between my teen-age neighbor and her boyfriend. When she made some gooey and sappy comment to him, I couldn’t help myself and stifled a laugh. “Bruce, get off the phone!!!” she ordered. I did. Obviously, this was not the first time I had listened in. An hour later, I picked up the phone again. The lovebirds were still at it. I explained to my neighbor that my mother, who was at work in my parents’ grocery store several blocks away, told me to check in with her at this time. “Will you please get off the phone?” I pleaded; “otherwise, my mom will be really mad.” The neighbor and her honey agreed to continue the conversation later. After they hung up, a female voice came on the line. “Number, please?” she said in that soothing, but businesslike, tone that the Bell operators were noted for. “42-R,” I replied. That’s right, no dial, no buttons

55 PLUS - September / October 2015

and no seven-digit phone number. A few seconds later, I was speaking with my mother, assuring her that I was OK at home. We shared a party line with three other households, so when I would pick up the phone, I had to make sure one of the other three was not using the line. If one of them was, I would generally hang up, but if it sounded like a juicy conversation was in progress, I would lift the disconnect button ever so slowly so no one knew I had returned to the line. If I was discovered, there would often be screaming and, sometimes, intemperate language, demanding that I get off the line. On a couple of occasions, they even had the nerve to call my mother to rat on me, resulting in some physical consequences for my backside. As I look back on it, this curiosity may have played a role in my choosing to become a journalist, but that’s another story. Now, fast forward 70 years. I pick up my smartphone, touch the Google app and say, “O.K., Google.” The

phone makes a blipping sound after which I say, “How far is the earth from the moon?” A female voice answers immediately, “The moon is 238,900 miles from Earth.” A short time later, a friend and I, both fans of the TV show Columbo, were discussing star Peter Falk. We knew he had died a few years ago, but not precisely when. “OK, Google,” I spoke into my smartphone. “When did Peter Falk die?” The voice returned, saying, “Peter Falk died on June 23, 2011.” At the same time, a photo of Falk was displayed on the screen. Well, I don’t know about you, but I find this technology fascinating beyond words. Don’t get me wrong; I am not a technical whiz. Far from it. In fact, if I need to solve anything ex-

My current phone.

cept basic computer questions, I have to turn to the expert — my youngest son. For a curious mind such as mine, I find it so convenient to be able to look up anything and everything on my smartphone. In the past, I would have to go physically to a library to research a topic or subject, unless I were lucky enough to have a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica at home, which I wasn’t. There is no question that as we age, we become more comfortable in our routine. Technology is coming at us fast and furiously. It can be daunting. We can either embrace it or get left in the dust. Being on a two-year phone plan, I had just gotten comfortable with my old phone and its functionalities when my son insisted that it was “old” technology. “No,” I objected. “The old party line of my youth — that was old technology. That’s when he rolled his eyes. He, of course, prevailed, and I now have the sleek HTC phone, which required a new learning curve. It’s amazing. I can say, “Call Mike” (one of my other sons), and in seconds, the phone is ringing his cell. There are still times I need help. No problem. I merely tap my Google app and say “HTC phone,” and the female voice immediately says, “HTC Corp. customer service number is 866-449-8358.” If I want to send a message to someone, I have the option to type it out in a conventional manner, or speak the message, and the phone converts my spoken words to written words. Amazing, no? My phone also takes photos, not only of others, but I can take a “selfie” — a photo of myself. Yes, there is a setting on the phone which points the camera at me, rather than at a subject. This phone does a lot more, but you get the idea. Of course, my grandchildren would say, “Yeah? So what’s the big deal.” If only I could transport them back to the days of the party lines and operators who asked, “Number please?” Then I can announce with authority: “THAT’S the big deal.”

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how to...

Host a Successful

Yard Sale By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

f you would like to clear out unused items and pocket extra cash, why not host a yard sale? Fall is not a bad season for that and planning ahead can make your sale more successful and less stressful. Time it right. Some communities lift their yard sale permit fee during a certain time periods. If you join a community-wide yard sale event, more people will likely stop to browse your items, and more browsers means more buyers. Dale Truesdale, owner of Charlotte Flea Market, advises yard sale

55 PLUS - September / October 2015

hosts to use sensible signage. “If it’s not on a main street, don’t just put the street name on the sign,” he said. “Only the local people will know where the street is. Put arrows on it.” Take the signs down when you’re done. Advertise your sale on community bulletin boards and with a free ad on sites such as www.craigslist.com, one of Truesdale’s favorites. Dedicated yard sale shoppers may also check area newspapers for ads, but remember that any paid advertisements you

buy bite into your profits. A more store-like appearance can only help your sale. Neatness counts. “Clean your things,” Truesdale said. “That’s always a good thing. Price things. If there’s no sticker with a price, most people will walk on and not ask.” It’s OK to categorically price, such as all books are $1; however, display a sign that clearly states it. Use store-bought price stickers, not tape, which often damages items. Don’t expect to receive more than 50 percent of the retail price for any item, unless it’s very rare. If you have some less-than-perfect items, place them in a “free” bin where you can keep an eye on it. An unscrupulous shopper may try to add items to the bin to pick out later. “Be within reason on your prices,” Truesdale said. He advises looking on e-Bay to get an idea of how much used items command. But keep in mind that bidders from larger cities may offer up to three times what Rochester-area shoppers will pay. “If you don’t have reasonable prices, you’ll still have a lot of stuff by the end of the sale,” Truesdale said. Use lots of tables for small items. Tossing small items onto tarps on the lawn looks messy and unappealing. Categorize items as if you were setting up a store, such as all the kitchen items in one area, and children’s clothing in another. “Be neat,” said Enrica Fleming, board member of the Maplewood Neighborhood Association, which hosts the Maplewood Sellabration

community-wide yard sale annually. “Clothing is hard to arrange.” For clothing, use hangers and portable clothing racks or any horizontal rod so items are easy to see and stay tidy all day. Shoppers love bargains, so plan on how much you will haggle. “Price it right,” Fleming said. “Be willing to bargain. People come to a sale to get a deal. If they offer a lower price, take it.” You should not let people walk away with items for too little; however, coming down in price or throwing in an extra item enhances the experience for everyone. The shopper gets a deal; you get rid of more stuff. Prepare to unload your items. Truesdale said that anyone can obtain used plastic shopping bags from stores such as Walmart to use at a yard sale. Keep in your pocket small bills for making change; don’t leave a cash box lying around. “Absolutely have someone run the sale with you unless you have just one table,” Truesdale said. “You have to have more than one pair of eyes.” Selling with a friend also enables you to take a break to use the restroom and get lunch as well. Decide your answer to the inevitable question from a shopper, “May I use your bathroom?” It’s safer to give directions to the nearest public restroom or, as Truesdale suggested, host the sale in a community space where a public restroom is available. “Otherwise, don’t let people use your bathroom while you’re trying to run a sale outside,” he said. Check the weather forecast, but a pop-up sunshade is good for sun or rain. Or make use of your garage or barn, roping off the areas where you don’t want shoppers to wander. If you want to sell food or drinks, it must be sealed (such as bottled drinks, not homemade lemonade) or else you will need a health department permit. Provide a power strip so shoppers can test any electrical items you’re selling. But shoppers must realize items are “as is” and without guarantee. Some shoppers may want you to hold an item; however, doing so risks that the shopper may never return.

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55+

dining

Outstanding Food

Talented executive chefs add a great deal to the lives of those who live or visit local independent living facilities By John Addyman

n one sense, you could think about it like going on a long cruise without the necessity of climbing aboard a boat. We get to a magic age and look around the house. The kids are gone; well, some are gone, some have come back and gone again. The sidewalk and driveway need shoveling in the winter. That grass won’t stop growing in the summer. Things to clean and fix and pack and unpack as the seasons go by. What for? Independent-living communities beckon: no snow shoveling; no grass mowing; maid service; an easy-tomanage townhouse or apartment; somebody to cook meals when we 22

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don’t want to — within walking distance; a place to meet and make friends; as many activities as you want close by or a car ride away. What’s not to like? Not much, but the food that’s offered is a critical part of the experience. Nobody wants to eat something that’s been “institutionalized.” When you and a significant other decide on an independent-living community, you’ll do some cooking yourselves, for sure. But a lot of nights, it would be nice to eat somewhere within walking distance, with really good meals, well prepared, in restaurant-style variety at a fair price, and served with a little

Various independent living facilities in the Rochester area feature executive chefs — some with international experience and background in pastries and breads — who cook some of the best dishes in town on a daily basis. personality. Lucky for you, the Rochester area is the right place, with gifted people here to make your meals memorable. Joe Brophy, 57, moved his Joey B’s restaurant from Fairport to the Brickstone at St. John’s independent-living community in Rochester. He was invited — no, encouraged — to relocate. “It’s a perfect demographic,” he said. “You have a 55-plus crowd, with above-average incomes, all within walking distance.” Half his business comes from Brickstone, where his restaurant is part of the building, and the other half comes from outside. Debbie Maruke, 57, is the executive chef at Quail Summit in Canandaigua. She bakes and cooks every

day and has 40 to 50 independent-living diners visiting her every night. On Family Night, she serves 120. With a baking and pastry chef background, her breads, pies and cakes were a hit right out of the gate when she arrived four years ago. Joan Bardossi, 55, is the culinary director for the nine Legacy Rochester properties in Monroe County, with nine executive chefs reporting to her. “Deciding on independent living is a step forward, I think,” she said. “You have things done for you, and you have more time to do the things you really care about.” Like eating a nice meal, graciously served. Tony Zaccaglino, 27, is the dining service manager for Briarwood at St. John’s Meadows in Rochester. “I cook, but I’m not a chef,” he says. What he does do is plan menus, events, catering, and special activities. He holds a monthly food forum as most others do. He does cooking demos for residents with the chef and approaches the job with good humor; keeping diners happy isn’t always easy. “If we try something new, and we have 100 people in the dining room, 50 people might say it’s the best thing they ever had; 50 might say it was the worst meal ever,” Zaccaglino said. More often than not, the resounding majority likes what he puts on the menu because residents have asked for it.

One more thing about these five chefs and dining service executives: They love their jobs. Don Riley, vice president for marketing and development at Legacy Rochester, knows why. “For many chefs, this is the best job they have ever had,” he said. “First, they have somewhat regular hours instead of working 14 hours every day, and they have nice big kitchens with state-of-the-art equipment. In many cases, chefs really thrive. Most of our chefs have been with us for a number of years. They are in the dining rooms getting to know our residents, and our residents are not the least bit bashful about telling them what they like and don’t like. “Our chefs realize seniors have been preparing meals for the families their whole lives. We take recommen-

dations and suggestions from moms and dads. And really, food is a very important ingredient in the whole senior independent living environment. Meals are social occasions and can be the height of someone’s day. At dinner, 5 p.m., this is where they gather to tell what their day was like and catch up. There’s a real dynamic and buzz to the dining area, like a resort hotel.” Local independent-living chefs all have backgrounds that make you stop and say, “Wow!” Hajdu is Dutch, an award winner who got his start at the NATO AFCENT Officers Club in The Netherlands. He has cooked in some of the major hotels in Europe. Schooled at the Strathallan Hotel under chef Greg Vroman, Brophy took what he learned there to Cha-

All about preferences Brookdale Senior Living, headquartered in Tennessee, has independent-living facilities at the Gables in Brighton, part of the corporation’s 1,150 senior living communities in 47 states, serving 111,000 residents. Chef Joska Hajdu is the vice president of dining services who oversees food operations for all those sites. Like so many of his local colleagues, Hajdu is all about choice. “The more choice our residents have, the more satisfied they are at mealtime,” he said. “Older adults eat more when they have a choice among foods they enjoy. Some older adults are at risk for unintentional weight loss and nutritional problems if they do not eat well. So, by offering a wide variety of foods, we are not only making our residents happy, we are contributing to keeping them healthy and independent.”

Chef Joe Brophy, 57, with classic training in cuisine that would be found in a French country inn, has moved his restaurant, Joey B’s, and its family operation into St. John’s Brickstone independent-living community on Elmwood Avenue in Rochester. September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

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dining

pelle’s in downtown Rochester, then to Hillsdale in the Berkshires where he learned French country cooking from Jean Morel, a certified international master chef who preached fitness in the body equals fitness in the kitchen and on the table. He and Brophy started each day with a 25-mile bike ride. “I lost 30 pounds working there,” Brophy said. He still looks fit. Before Quail Summit, Maruke started with Star Markets, where she trained bakers. She ran a bakery in Buffalo, was the “cold side” chef at the Woodcliff Hotel, and the pastry chef at Richardson’s Canal House and Warfield’s in Clifton Springs. Temperature, she has found, makes a difference in keeping independent-living residents happy.

“Food can’t get hot enough when you get older,” she said. Food comes out of her kitchen quickly. Bardossi also came up through hotels. Working with chef Gerard O’Sullivan at the London Olympics was a turning point. She also worked the China Olympics. “We aggressively tackled foods people said couldn’t be done. That taught me a lot about how to deal with people,” she said. Service with a smile Another Woodcliff veteran, Zaccaglino managed the Shooters Sports Bar & Grill in Fairport. His reign at St. John’s is marked by service. He does a great deal of catering for residents including events such as cocktail parties and special occasions. When he floated some special holiday offerings at Thanksgiving

Chef Debbie Maruke runs the kitchen and dining rooms at Quail Summit in Canandaigua. Here she gives directions to Scott Maynard in her kitchen. Because of her background as a baker and pastry chef, her desserts (and an outstanding macaroni and cheese comfort dish) are among her trademarks. 24

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and Christmas — hot and cold prepared food items residents could pick up and take to their family gatherings — he was astounded at how many people took advantage of that. He also explained that a minority of his independent-living residents is on the “bundled” plan, which includes all meals. Most are “unbundled,” meaning they pick and choose where they want to eat — in their apartments, condos or an outside restaurant — or in Zaccaglino’s dining room or café. What he cooks has to be something people like to eat. Flavor, of course, is a key. In his restaurant, Brophy brings an Americanized classical French attitude to his preparations. “We use the finest ingredients available. I’m big on keeping hot food hot and cold food cold. We don’t deep-fry anything except the fish fries on Friday night. Everything is made to order. We don’t have anything fancy or ground breaking, just food done properly. My cooks know how to chop properly and mince properly. We use good-quality butter and good-quality kosher salt. The simplest things taste the best. Our sauces are strong and flavorful.” “We like to have our food reflect the desires of our residents,” Bardossi said. “Most of what we make is from scratch. We have seasonal changes in our menus, and our clientele changes as the baby boomers move on. The food we serve is the same as you’d get in a good restaurant, if not better.” Salt is a big issue for independent-living residents, whose ages range from their 60s into their 100s. “We try to keep on the low end of the spectrum on salt and spicy,” Bardossi said. “We want to make sure we’re well-seasoned and well-flavored. We don’t cater to dietary needs, necessarily, but we do offer options and choices.” “Our residents follow food trends and they want to see such items incorporated into the menus,” said Hajdu. “However, we do take into consideration the depletion of taste buds in older adults and the effects of aging do impact the dining experience for our residents. The key is keeping balance between the comfort foods our

residents are familiar with and the higher-end trendy menu choices on the market today.” More of Maruke’s residents eat all their meals in her dining room. Many who require gluten-free diets or are lactose-intolerant are in the front row of the cooking classes she loves to teach. “We always have options for them on the menu,” she said. Residents have say New items are added with residents’ input. A national coffee brand engineered a taste-test at Quail Summit to try to get its product into the kitchen. “The residents gave it a resounding, ‘No,’” said Maruke, smiling. “I have one resident with 26 food allergies,” said Zaccaglino. “We had no problem accommodating that.” Providing meals for vocal and choosy residents who may be around, literally, for decades can bring its own challenges. But the reaction from the chefs might not be what you’d expect. “I could not be happier here,” said Zaccaglino. “It’s like having 400 grandparents. I’ve heard people say, ‘I don’t want to work in an old folks’ home.’ I tell them, ‘You don’t understand until you get here and you see what they have to offer.’” “Realistically, we’re cooking in someone’s home and we have to reflect that,” said Bardossi. “It’s a change of lifestyle for both chefs and residents. But honestly, I feel like I won the lottery with this job. I love it.” “I’ve got quite a few fans here,” said Maruke. “It’s also good to work at a place where even the help likes what you’re cooking, too.” Brophy has more seats in his new restaurant, a sit-down bar, and people who can enjoy one of his meals yearround — all improvements. His rack of lamb and filet mignon are staunch favorites, and when he’s ready to make his legendary filet stroganoff, he has a phone list of customers who ask to be alerted. He has 65 seats in Joey B’s and five days before his official grand opening, he had 50 reservations two hours before the dining room was ready to open. As Zaccaglino and Bardossi say, being a chef in an independent-living community might just be the best job they’ve ever had.

Joan Bardossi, 55, is the culinary director for the nine Legacy Rochester properties in Monroe County, with nine executive chefs reporting to her. Working with chef Gerard O’Sullivan at the London Olympics was a turning point, she says. She also worked the China Olympics. “We aggressively tackled foods people said couldn’t be done. That taught me a lot about how to deal with people,” she said.

Tony Zaccaglino, 27, is the dining service manager for Briarwood at St. John’s Meadows in Rochester. “I cook, but I’m not a chef,” he says. What he does do is plan menus, events, catering, and special activities. September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

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Making Rochester Region a Better Place Jennifer Leonard is in her element as leader of Rochester Area Community Foundation By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

very society is greater when everyone gets to participate and feels invested. It’s a philosophy Jennifer Leonard understood early in life and continued to value through school and during her early career choices. With her education revolving around psychology, urban studies, public affairs and art history, Leonard has crafted a career deeply rooted in enhancing the greater society. Leonard is president and CEO of Rochester Area Community Foundation, a $330 million community endowment focused on the eight-county region surrounding Monroe County. The foundation not only serves a far-reaching population; it has a far-reaching mission. “It’s bad for any community to have people feel like they are weighted down and that it’s a struggle just 26

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to get by each day,” said Leonard, 63, of Brighton. “There are so many important issues in this world that are holding us back needlessly. I have always thought if there is a way for me to make a significant difference of any kind, then I am going to go out and try.” The Community Foundation has grown 10-fold since she assumed her position in 1993. Last year, the organization distributed $22.5 million in grants and scholarships, made possible by 1,100 charitable funds set up under the foundation’s umbrella. “We help individual families and organizations to give back as the needs change in the community from today and into the future,” said Leonard. “We strive to create an equitable community that is committed to addressing important issues like poverty, the academic achievement gap,

and racial and ethnic disparities.” With an organization that has many moving parts, including thousands of donors, Leonard, her staff and board of directors shepherd one of the most powerful community initiatives in the greater Rochester area. “I received a degree in psychology and I had an inner mission to do something publicly beneficial,” said Leonard. “I knew in life that I had a passion for helping to create enduring change. When I look back at everything I have done, I realize that is how I selected every job I had. If I could see that I could make a difference, then that was the job I wanted.” Building a foundation When you have a father who worked in the Justice Department, a mother who worked for the Red Cross, a diplomat sister and a brother

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who served in the Vietnam War, perhaps the love of public service resides in your bloodline. But what path would Leonard take after growing up in Alexandria, Va.? At first, in the 1970s healthcare became the driving force in her life. She worked with volunteers from low- income communities planning heart-healthy strategies for the greater Los Angeles chapter of the American Heart Association. “When it comes to the heart, it is life and death and we wanted to find ways to spread area paramedic services so we could quickly help people who had heart attacks,” said Leonard. She eventually moved up in the organization, lobbying nationwide from the American Heart Association National Center in Dallas for hearthealthy policies. The next decade she returned to California and expanded her desire for community health by addressing immigration, free and community clinics, child abuse and children’s advocacy issues as a program officer and later grants vice president for California Community Foundation. “I had discovered community foundations early on, but at the time I was more interested in traveling,” said Leonard. “I traveled often for the American Heart Association and then worked for The Grantsmanship Center, teaching people from Maine to Hawaii how to apply for grants successfully. But there was something about a community foundation and its purpose of enduring change. That was something that interested me. It was also an added bonus living in Los Angeles, which I loved.” After moving to the East Coast with her husband David Cay Johnston, an investigative reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize while at The New York Times, she freelanced as a marketing consultant for community foundations and other grant makers, as well as national nonprofit organizations. By that time, Leonard was ready to travel less and settle down. However, she also needed to find an organization that shared her drive and passion for lifting up society as a whole through substantive and lay28

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Lifelines: Place of birth: Bronxville. Favorite restaurants: Genesee Valley Club, Park Avenue Pub, Lento, Edible’s, Pomodoro. Ideal weekend: Gardening, bicycling or tennis, a Geva play or Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concert, plenty of time to read and relax with family. Two things that few people know about you: “When I was little, my mother handmade all my clothes, including a sharp cowgirl outfit that earned me my very first TV guest spot, introducing a local TV show when I was 5. Also, I have probably seen every ‘Star Trek’ episode ever made.”

ered programs. “After being a national consultant, I decided I didn’t want to be a consultant for the rest of my life,” said Leonard. “I really wanted to work with a team of people to make a difference. I wanted to find a place that would feel like home, and I did.” In 1993, she came to Rochester and has since overseen the Rochester Area Community Foundation. “We are fortunate to have Jennifer as our CEO and leader,” said José J. Coronas, general partner, Trillium Group LLC and board chairman of Rochester Area Community Foundation. “She understands the role our foundation can play in making the Rochester area a better place to live for everyone.” Building a foundation in Rochester Under Leonard, Rochester Area Community Foundation continued its work in early childhood development and expanded to after-school programs, which ultimately led to a partnership with the Rochester City School District and the Ford Foundation to enrich and lengthen the school day. Today, Leonard is chairwoman of ROC the Future, Rochester’s cra-

dle-to-career education initiative. The 2010 Athena Award recipient, Leonard was the 2004-2006 chairwoman of the Community Foundation’s leadership team at the Council on Foundations along with helping to develop the first national standards for community foundations. As one of the 29 nonprofit leaders named to the New York State Attorney General’s Leadership Committee on Nonprofit Revitalization, Leonard worked to modernize the state’s nonprofit law. ACT Rochester, an initiative of the Community Foundation, tracks trends in the community and provides detailed reports on education reform, family income and building awareness around social and economic issues. Through initiatives like ROC the Future and Facing Race, Embracing Equity, the Community Foundation has tackled equity issues in criminal justice, employment and education — three phases in society that can lead to a successful or downtrodden path. “It is time for us to acknowledge greater Rochester’s poverty so that we can begin to address and reverse its insidious effects on our education, economy and future as a region,” said Leonard. The foundation also focuses on its Alzheimer’s program that has seen significant gains under the leadership of the Lifespan partnership. In addition, several programs exist to engage older adults. “We are charged with strengthening regional vitality and creating a more equitable community,” said Leonard. “We are proud that there are programs that help people from the very early years of their lives to the very senior years of their lives. When a community is strong and vital together, great things can happen.” Building a coalition The city’s poverty rate is rising and is now more than 32 percent, according to a report by the Rochester Area Community Foundation and ACT Rochester. It ranked as the fifth poorest city in the country among the top-75 largest metropolitan areas. In

ent?’ exhibition in 2013, the expectation was that we would make a difference beyond the hosting of an exhibition. The power of the poverty report brought greater focus to this complex issue and deeply disturbing reality. She uses the power and the resources of the Community Foundation to make a positive difference in people’s lives across the region.” Building a social life

With a grant from Rochester Area Community Foundation, the YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County announced the launch of Person2Person program that pairs people of different backgrounds. addition, a review of the greater Rochester nine-county area didn’t fare better. The majority of the region’s poor people — 59 percent — live outside the city. “There has been a significant investment in early childhood development, summer learning programs and expanding the school day to further boost up education, and we have seen a difference,” she said. “We work with the mayor’s office, top government officials, United Way, the library system and the business sector to find the right solutions.” Her philosophy in Rochester has always been that fixing poverty problems and elevating the city’s environment for children should be the key building blocks. There are many reasons, including humane and moral aspects, why she believes in this philosophy. “Our job is to make the world a better place every day,” said Leonard. “My motivation is doing exactly the work I am doing in Rochester. And as I said, it starts with the children because when their future chance of success erodes, it robs us all of their potential.” She continues to work with many

arms of the community in her effort for meaningful change. “We must make sure we are moving our community forward and the best way is to work with many different individuals in various capacities who care about the outcome of our city,” said Leonard. Her colleagues appreciate the consistent hard work she puts in every day at the foundation. “Jennifer Leonard is a champion for the Rochester region. Her leadership is innovative and remarkable,” said Kate Bennett, Rochester Museum and Science center president. “She has grown the foundation’s assets and tackled increasingly difficult issues.” But more than just increasing the foundation’s reach, it is the latter issue Bennett talked about where a difference is truly being made. Colleagues and friends talk about how Leonard remains unafraid and unwavering in bringing tough subjects to light. She believes having an uncomfortable conversation is far better than being silent in the face of real challenges. “She is making lasting change in Rochester,” added Bennett. “For example, when the foundation agreed to fund the ‘Race: Are We So Differ-

While Leonard admits the work is rewarding, she understands that work-life balance remains a necessity. She enjoys spending time with her husband and leisurely playing tennis with her friends, a sport she has been playing since the sixth grade. “I love competition with myself to play better. And I don’t mind competing with others to see where I stack up,” said Leonard. “I took a break in tennis for 20 years when I was a young adult because I felt I was being a little too competitive and wasn’t having enough fun. You have to have fun in life and you can’t be serious all the time.” Then there are occasional movies, trips to the Geva Theatre Center to enjoy world-class productions and biking as a way to stay in shape. She also enjoys any time she spends with her daughters. “In life, you need a balance. My family has been that balance and they have always kept me honest,” said Leonard. “They have always encouraged me on the work that I do because I do care deeply about the local community.” Knowing she could move anywhere in the United States with her family, she and her husband chose to stay in Rochester for many reasons. “Rochester offers us so much. There is culture, there is tradition and there is a real sense of community,” added Leonard. “We look forward to the next chapter in Rochester where there can be an even brighter future.” Others believe Leonard has already made Rochester better. “She has the passion, work ethic, wisdom and communication skills needed to deliver outstanding results consistently,” added Coronas. “Her reputation and credibility, locally and nationally, are major assets to our foundation.” September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

addyman’s corner By John Addyman

My Grandchildren Are Ruining My Sex Life

nfortunately, it’s true. My grandchildren are ruining my sex life. First, let me express my delight that at my age I still have a sex life. There may be a bit more sludge in my engine than there was 30 years ago, but let me assure you, my motor is still running. My dear wife of 45-PLUS years has been a Weight Watchers advocate and gym rat for more than a year, and she is looking mah-velous. She takes a book from the library straight to the treadmill and smokes the machine for a good hour several times a week. I’m with her more often than not, but she’s lost more weight than I have. So the problem is not loss of interest or an inability to light the afterburners, and the love of my life is still very much, the love of my life. The problem is opportunity. At our age, things don’t happen quite so quickly or with the level of fervor they did years ago. We don’t have any instant take-offs anymore… we need a little bit longer runway to get things off the ground.

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But that’s one of the pleasures of aging. Taking your time means more attention to detail. And a successful outcome after all this preparation and slow, careful acceleration can be exceedingly soul-warming if not downright, well, explosive. I think some of you know exactly what I mean. My wife can still blow my doors off. But opportunity is the problem. You’d think that because I’m just a freelance writer and my wife is fully and completely retired, we’d have all the time in the world to concentrate on making whoopee. Doesn’t work out that way. For one thing, our schedules are asynchronous, and intersecting with one another in a given day can be difficult. Because of the stories I write, I am often up very late at night after attending a meeting or interview — hours after she’s gone to bed — and she gets up at the crack of dawn to welcome one of our grandsons, who is at our door at 6:30 a.m. when his mom drops him off on her way to work. So, spending time together in the evening is very difficult. My wife and I have little meetings several times a day to find out what each other is doing for the rest of the day, and tomorrow, and the day after that. We’re busy, and our kids and grandkids keep us busier. It’s a fact of life for many people like us that we’ve taken on child-rearing and child-caring duties for our grandchildren that we never expected. When we were first married, I wasn’t sure I wanted to have children because I didn’t want to share my young wife

“At our age, things don’t happen quite so quickly or with the level of fervor they did years ago. We don’t have any instant take-offs anymore…we need a little bit longer runway to get things off the ground.” with them. After the first kid arrived, all that changed. Once our children began having children, we had new responsibilities and, frankly, we wouldn’t have it any other way. Grandkids bring such joy to our lives…even if they interfere with my wife and my getting our yayas on. What has transpired over the last 10 years, after our first granddaughter arrived, is that my wife and my “special time together” ended up being very early in the morning. We were both relaxed and warm, we kind of eased into a friendly, pleasant intimacy borne of years of familiarity, and there were mornings when we found a new way to greet the day with a, well…bang. It was nice. But then we had grandson company at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays, and our mornings were no longer the same. Then the sleepovers happened. Our grandchildren started spending weekend nights with us. What’s really funny about the notion of these sleepovers is that they often occur so our kids can go on romantic dates with their significant others, unencumbered by their children, who are in fact standing at the side of Gammy and Granddad’s bed at 6:30 a.m., wondering when one of us will rise and make pancakes. So let’s take stock here: we can’t

get it on late at night because the wife is already sawing logs when I finish writing; we can’t think about doing the wild thing in the morning because we’ve got a grandson arriving with the birds every weekday; and our special time on weekends now has company… We were undaunted. Where there’s a will — and we still have lots of will left — there’s a way. The Starland Vocal Band, in their 1976 hit, provided the inspiration:

1000 smiles per gallon!

585-421-0480 www.countryrode.com

“Gonna find my baby, gonna hold her tight. Gonna grab some afternoon delight. My motto’s always been, when it’s right, it’s right… Thinkin’ of you’s working up my appetite Lookin’ forward to a little afternoon delight…” We adjusted. Turns out there were issues with that. First, that’s my wife’s taking-ashower-after-going-to-the-gym time, and second, that’s when Granddad takes a nap because he knows he’s going to be up very late and when he’s covering a meeting that night, he wants to be able to stay awake all the way through it — a real challenge on some evenings. Second, we started getting calls to take grandkids to karate in the afternoon. And soccer practice. And dance lessons. And lacrosse practice. And meeting the school bus. And going to the library. And haircuts. The afternoon opportunity evaporated. But it was all good. The time with grandkids is so special. What is it about being a grandparent that you can see clearly your grandchildren growing when their parents don’t seem to pick up on things? I guess it’s one of those forest and trees things — our kids see the trees, we see the forest. The result is when my wife and I have those scheduling meetings during the day, we’re not only checking on what we’re doing, but on who’s coming and going, and who needs to be where to watch which grandkids. And at the end of the day, I’m laying in bed, listening to my wife sleep, looking at the ceiling and thinking to myself, “My grandkids are ruining my sex life.” What will our great-grandchildren do to us?

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comedy

Left for Dead Keeps Improv Alive Hilarious improvisational comedy group leaves Rochester-area audiences in stitches By John Addyman

ut eight people on stage, give them an idea and a few seconds to think, and watch something funny unfold. That’s the premise for Left For Dead, a singular improvisational comedy group comprised of Rochester-area 55-plus smartasses. “We keep each other entertained,” said Jeri Dube, shrugging her shoulders. Apparently others dig the act, too. “We play to a totally broad audience,” Jeri’s husband, Roger, added. 32

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“We played in Pittsburgh last year. The audience was very young, college kids at Pitt, and they were politely skeptical about whether we were going to be any good. We got rave reviews. People were still talking to us at a restaurant afterward.” “They were so tentative when we first came out,” Jeri said. “What did they think we were going to do? We killed it. You don’t stop being funny when you hit 60. “We reset expectations. People have expectations about how people act at a certain age. By being playful and yet serious about the art form, we

Left For Dead, an improv comedy group whose first criterion is, “You have to be over 50.” Or as member Tim Shea put it, “You have to creak.” From left are: Jeri Dube, Roger Dube, Patty Farneth, Tim Shea, Dan Mulcahy, Carol Shea and Roger Sutphen. They’ll be at the Rochester Fringe Festival for performances on Sep. 20 and 23.

change those expectations. They had fun. We made them have fun.” Roger said the group uses an element of surprise in its performances that attracts college kids. Watching improvised comedy unfold is like seeing a huge school of fish under the sea while the predators close in. The shape shifts and the colors change but everything stays in motion and together. Left For Dead was formed five years ago, born of an idea from John Forrest Thompson, a renowned improviser and local coach. “He pestered us into doing it,” said Carol Shea, 68, a grandmother

and retired dental assistant who repeatedly hits nerves in the group’s presentations. “He planted a seed.” “I think it was a raspberry,” suggested Dan Mulcahy, 66, a creative writer who works in advertising at Bush Communications. Tall with a booming voice, when Dan does something on stage, it’s big. Carol said the only requirement for group members joining is they had to be 50. “You had to creak,” added Tim Shea, 64, her husband. Thompson did his pestering because he felt a group of older performers would bring a certain quality to improv. He also couldn’t think of another group similarly aged. They could form and develop situations and characterizations from life experience, where audience members had only read about the subjects. The humor Left For Dead offers is definitely adult. One practice skit exercised recently in a Rochester Institute of Technology classroom covered a husband (Roger Dube) expiring while his wife (Jeri) did her best to accelerate the process. “I have a decorator coming,” she tells him. Tim Shea put a new twist on Michaelangelo’s painting of creation in the Sistine Chapel by sticking out his tongue as a receptacle for the finger that was wiggling his way, offered by Patty Farneth, 58. And that was just the start. Farneth is a mom and former member of another comedy group, The Village Idiots. Tim Shea does video production for Strong Memorial Hospital. Roger Dube, 66, is an astrophysicist and RIT professor. It was a surprise that younger audiences had such a positive reaction. “An audience needs to be able to follow what we’re doing,” he said. ‘Really have to engage’ “It’s hard,” said Jeri, 56, who works in communications for Oracle. “It’s challenging. It’s not a passive kind of watch; you really have to engage.” The troupe has done some gigs at senior citizen locations, and things did not go well. “I don’t think they get it,” Roger Dube said. “Younger people understand improv. When

they understand it, they give us energy and we feed off that energy. It makes the show for us. When Jeri’s parents came to our performances, it was hard for them to follow.” Roger Sutphen, 69, took Thompson’s original idea and organized it to form Left For Dead. A retired mortgage banker who is now a pharmacy technician at Health Direct, he explains that improv means the group has a basis or format that floats through the presentation. “We reach back to what we start with and end up with that as well,” he said. “We’re looking for a strong line people will remember,” Roger Dube said. In its performance, the Roger Dube and Patty Farneth go through a group knows what it will scene, expanding their characters visually. start with, but where it goes Members of the over-55 Left For Dead from there, that’s the chal- improvisational comedy group practicing in a lenge for the night. There classroom at RIT. are some plans, some rocks across the creek, but sooner or later, someone gets wet. “We’ve made good friendships, “There is a structure we need to lifelong friendships,” Sutphen said. follow,” Jeri said. “We’ve been together for five years “We totally trust each other,” now. We know each other. We love Roger Dube said. “We take care of each other. We share bad things. We each other in a scene. If someone is share birthdays.” lost or confused, you make light of “There‘s a sense of appreciation the fact that the actor is in trouble. We you get from an audience, when evalso have a group mind. Very quickly, eryone’s crowding around to shake everyone is pretty much thinking in your hand. You don’t feel over 55,” one direction. That takes time and a said Roger Dube. lot of practice.” Jeri said when the group started, In the RIT classroom, practice “We weren’t very good.” was what was happening, with a That’s changed. coach who ran the group through “Now festivals are inviting us,” some drills and games and exercises. said Sutphen. “One of the key things we learn “Taking the journey of improving in training for improv is that you real- together has been wonderful,” Jeri ly have to listen to and confirm your said. “It’s been fun.” partner’s ideas,” Sutphen said. “Your partner may take it in a whole new diFuture Shows rection and you have to take that in to make it blossom.” Left For Dead was at the Roger Dube said improv is somePittsburgh Comedy Festival on thing “you can never perfect, you can Aug. 28 and will be in at the Disnever achieve the peak. Even the best trict Comedy Festival in Washimprovisers will have bad shows. But ington, D.C. Sept. 11-13, and improvisation has the aspect of imback home at Writers and Books, proving yourself: it’s liberating, re740 University Ave., during the freshing, rejuvenating. It really breaks Rochester Fringe Festival at 1 down all the barriers and constraints p.m., Sep. 20, and at 7 p.m., Sep. you might have in your life.” 23. His wife put it more simply. “You get to play,” she said. September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

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photography

Image City Photography Gallery on University Avenue opened 10 years ago and has featured the works of more than 600 photographers. In addition to photo exhibits, the gallery’s partners periodically teach courses in the finer points of photography, including the use of high-tech tools to improve images

Shining Through the Years More than 45 photographers will exhibit their work at 10th anniversary of Image City Photography Gallery on University Avenue By Mike Costanza

Rochester gallery run by a group of local residents has come to be a special place for those who enjoy taking and viewing good pictures. “We’ve evolved into a center for photography and photographers,” says Gary Thompson, one of the founding partners of the Image City Photography Gallery. Image City plans to celebrate its evolution this October with a gala 10th anniversary show. The 11 partners who run the gallery are all over 55. The idea of creating a new photography gallery developed back in 2005, when a group of local photographers began casting about for an

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acceptable place in which to display their work. Rochester had not been kind to such businesses in the past. “There were several photography galleries that got started,” says Image City partner and co-founder Dan Neuberger. “Some of them were very good, but they never lasted more than a year.” Neuberger, photographer Betsy Phillips and Ed Vesneske, a local supporter of the photographic arts, began meeting with local photographers to discuss ways to deal with the problem. Vesneske pushed for the creation of a venue that would be dedicated to the art. “He felt that we really should have a photography gallery here,”

Neuberger explains. Eventually, Neuberger, Phillips and four other photographers joined with Vesneske to start the business. “Rochester’s the photo capital of the world, and that’s how we came to the name “Image City,” Phillips says. Image City held its grand opening on Sept. 9, 2005. Vesneske was the gallery’s executive director at that time, and only paid employee. The University Avenue gallery has shown the works of more than 600 photographers since then, some of whom came from as far away as Israel. In addition to creating their own works, Image City’s partners periodically teach courses in the finer points of photography, including the use of

high-tech tools to improve images. Gallery president Steve Levinson has taught the use of Adobe Lightroom 5, a digital photo editing and management program. “That’s been a lot of fun, because it really lets me work with people, and help them improve,” the 67-yearold says. “I love teaching.” Though Image City is for profit, its partners volunteer their time to help keep the place going. “Everybody rolls up their sleeves and cooperates,” Levinson says. “The group is all photographers, and they really care about the gallery.” Image City earns its money from renting space to photographers for use in displaying their works, and taking a commission on photo sales. The gallery’s monthly shows pull in an average of $2,100 in sales commissions, according to Thompson. The upcoming anniversary show will feature the works of close to 45 photographers, including those of current and past Image City partners, artists-in-residence and some of its supporters. Thompson and his wife, Phyllis — who is also a gallery partner — are coordinating the monthlong show. If the works of Image City’s current partners are any indication, the gallery’s anniversary celebration could offer a feast for the eye. Phillips was about 10 years old and living in Florida with her family when she first picked up a camera — a Brownie Starflash. “I was taking pictures of Seminole Indians fighting alligators,” the 66-year-old says. Nowadays, Phillips particularly enjoys focusing her camera on architectural subjects — buildings, houses and other structures. Reflections from shiny surfaces — such as those from the surface of a highly polished car — also catch her eye. “Whether its reflections in buildings or puddles or cars, it’s generally taking a different look at the world,” says the retired Monroe County Department of Human Services caseworker. Phillips, who has traveled overseas with her camera, has shown her works all over the Rochester region, and as far away as Buffalo. Passion for Photography Photography seems to run in

10th Anniversary Exhibition Image City’s anniversary show will run from Oct. 6 – Nov. 1 at its headquarters, 722 University Ave. in Rochester. A reception will be held Oct. 9. Both are free and open to the public. For more information, go to www.imagecityphotographygallery.com. Levinson’s blood as well. “My grandfather was a professional photographer, and his father was a professional photographer,” he says. Camera in hand, Levinson heads out without preconceived notions of what he will shoot, or how. “You walk by a tree and you say, ‘My, look at how the sun glistens off the bark and the leaves and the shape of the roots,” he says. “It’s almost like an act of meditation.” The gift of a camera drew Neuberger into photography about 70 years ago. “My brother had an old Rolleiflex,” the 86-year-old says. “He wasn’t using it, so he gave it to me.”

One of Neuberger’s first photos was of the view from his family’s New York City apartment, which was 17th-floor floor. “Right outside my window was a fire escape,” he says. “I took a picture of the fire escape, shooting up with the clouds. I called it, ‘Stairway to the Skies.’” Bold, striking shapes characterize Neuberger’s images, sometimes in bright colors. Through his lens, a coil of rope on a dock, line of traffic cones marching across an asphalt parking lot and a black cat on a blue and white staircase have all taken on special qualities. “Many years ago, a gallery director asked me to describe my work in

Dan Neuberger, Image City partner and co-founder. “There were several photography galleries that got started. Some of them were very good, but they never lasted more than a year,” he says. September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

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photography

one adjective,” says Neuberger, who retired from Kodak as photographic research chemist. “I said, ‘uncluttered.’” Neuberger has traveled to Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France and other countries with his camera, and come to be recognized for his work. One of his images beat more than 900 other entries to win best-of-show in the Chautauqua National Exhibition of American Art in 2000. Image City showcased Neuberger’s work in a one-man show last May, and his photos appear in private, corporate, hospital, museum and university collections. Thompson has enjoyed tripping a shutter since 1977. “It’s an emotional release to be

out creating images,” the 76-year-old says. “You have to really concentrate upon things, and see what you don’t normally see.” Thompson and his wife periodically travel the US to take pictures in the outdoors—the retired teachers recently returned from a photo shoot in Maine. “We follow the light,” Thompson says. Unlike most of Image City’s other partners, the Thompsons do not snap digital photos, but work with film. Their images of landscapes, seascapes, country lanes and the like sometimes have an almost a mystical quality that draws you into the frame. The couple’s works have appeared in shows from coast to coast.

Photographer Betsy Phillips, co-founder and partner. “Rochester’s the photo capital of the world, and that’s how we came to the name ‘Image City,’” Phillips says. 36

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Antiquarian Book Fair Expects to Draw Hundreds

o you love paper books? Though e-books may be convenient, many prefer the tangible qualities offered by paper books: the appearance, feel and smell of books makes the entire reading experience different and more special. Book lovers looking for collectible, rare, scholarly and antique books should not miss the 43rd Annual Antiquarian Book Fair. Co-sponsored by RIT Press and Rochester Area Booksellers Association, the sale features about 50 antiquarian book dealers, both local and from numerous states and Canada. The event is from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Main Street Armory at 900 E. Main St., Rochester Sept. 12. Admission to the Book Fair is $5, and free to all students who present a current student ID. Coupons offering a $2 discount on admission are available at area libraries, bookshops and cafes. Free parking. The event includes books, maps, advertisements, ephemera and more. It will also feature hourly poetry readings by local published poets, live music, and book signings. “It’s an opportunity for us at RIT Press as a publisher to get in touch with the public,” said Bruce A. Austin, Ph.D., and director of RIT Press in Rochester. “We’ve got an interest in those who attend the book fair because they share interest in our publishing enterprise.” Franlee Frank, the event’s organizer and owner of Greenwood Books, a bookshop in Rochester, is excited about presenting the region’s oldest antiquarian book fair. “It’s a great event for the 55plus generation, which is a generation that still likes books, buys books, and believes in the physical book,” she said. For more information, visit www.rochesterbooksellers.com or call Franlee Frank of Greenwood Books at 585-325-2050. By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

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elections

The Next Monroe County Executive Three candidates are vying for the position now occupied by Maggie Brooks, who is not running because of term limits. Learn about their plans to make the region a better place for baby boomers. Interviews by Ernst Lamothe Jr. Rajesh Barnabas Green Party

food. One drug, for example, might shoot up from $30 co-pay to $400 when a senior starts on Medicare.

Q: What do you think is the most pressing issue for seniors in Monroe County and what is your plan to address that issue? A: Health care. Prescription drug co-pays shoot up once you go on Medicare at age 65. Sick seniors cannot stay on drugs. They still have to pay the rent and buy

Q: What do you believe are some of the things Monroe County is doing right when it comes to senior programs and organizations? A: Recreation centers are one of the best aspects citizens of Monroe County enjoy. They can meet friends and participate in activities on the very hot days and on extremely cold

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days. Also, recycling has become less complicated. The county changed from sorting at home to single collection making it easier for people to recycle. Also, we have a robust and well-connected county library system which means lifelong learning access. Q: Health care and healthy aging is a nationwide concern. What are some of your initiatives for attacking the issue in Monroe County, especially for the elder community.

Rajesh Barnabas

Cheryl Dinoflo

A: I would push for a single-payer health care system. This is still a possibility in the U.S., but may happen sooner in New York state, where advocates are mobilizing strongly. Single-payer systems work in Europe, Canada and many Asian countries, all of whom happen to have higher life expectancy rates than the US. Canada ranks 13th compared to the US rank of 53rd. The Affordable Care Act is not the same as a single-payer system. There are some things in society that should not be guided by profit motives and those are health care, prisons, education and elderly care. That is my short list. Secondly, preventive health has to be emphasized. One of my proposals is to convert the defunct Irondequoit Mall into a gigantic botanical garden. This would be a place for seniors to exercise and enjoy nature year round, especially for those who can’t afford to escape to Florida. On this same topic, mass transit has to be improved. In big cities like New York, the elderly are able to stay more active because they can get to places without driving.

County area, which are Rochester Regional and UR Medicine? A: The hospitals have become too big and operate under different procedures. Many seniors over 55 are accustomed to having their primary care doctor visit them in the hospital and be a part of the team that oversees their medical plan. Now the primary care doctor does not have access to the big hospitals or the doctors must pay fees to treat patients in the hospitals. Because of this, a hospitalized patient must become acquainted with an in house physician for diagnosis and care. Some seniors might not be as comfortable with an unknown doctor when they are suffering from an acute illness requiring hospitalization.

Q: Many hospitals in Monroe County have merged over the last few years. What are your feelings about this trend where now you have two large hospital systems dominating the Monroe

Q: Give your pitch for why you think you would be the best choice for county executive. A: One of my favorite Frank Sinatra songs is “Young At Heart.” I am hoping to create a community in Rochester where people stay young at heart. We will do that by caring about each other like family instead of profiting off one another’s weaknesses. With preventative care initiatives like the botanical garden, an expanded transportation infrastructure, and impressive recreation outlets, citizens of Rochester will stay active and engaged with one another.

Sandy Frankel

Cheryl Dinoflo Republican Party Q: What do you think is the most pressing issue for seniors in Monroe County and what are your plans to address that issue? A: Helping older residents stay in their homes as they age is a top priority of mine. The key to making this happen is stable property taxes. Our seniors on a fixed income can’t afford to see their quality of life and their investment in their home eroded by higher taxes. That’s why as county executive I will be committed to keeping the county property tax rate flat and ensure that services for seniors remain in place and enhance their well-being. Q: What do you believe are some of the things Monroe County is doing right when it comes to seniors programs and organizations? A: Monroe County is committed and dedicated to assisting local seniors. The combination of Monroe County, Office for the Aging, and nonprofit agencies ensure that we address the full spectrum of issues facing seniors from health care and transportation to public safety and economic security. These partnerships are fundamental to meeting the needs of our growing senior September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

population. I am committed to preserving and strengthening these partnerships as county executive. Q: Health care and healthy aging is a nationwide concern. What are some of your initiatives for attacking the issue in Monroe County, especially for the elder community? A: As a member of the Monroe County Council for Elders and as a former member of the advisory committee for the New York State Office for the Aging, I understand the importance of healthy aging to our seniors. As a community, it is important that Monroe County has a spectrum of programs for seniors that recognize the wide variety of capabilities and needs that change as we age. We need strong senior centers and senior meal programs that provide camaraderie and community. Having a wide variety of residential options from independent living at home to assisted living to memory care ensures that all seniors have access to quality housing, allowing them to live productively and with dignity. Also, easy access to information about assistance available to seniors is key. That is why supporting Lifespan’s Eldersource program is so important. Lastly, we need strong elder-abuse prevention programs to stop those who would prey on our seniors. I am proud to support the efforts of our District Attorney Sandra Doorley who has a specialized unit in her office to address elder abuse. Q: Many hospitals in Monroe County have merged over the last few years. What are your feelings about this trend where now you have two large hospital systems dominating the Monroe County area, which are Rochester Regional and UR Medicine? A: Monroe County is fortunate to have world-class health care institutions across the community, including UR Medicine and the Rochester Regional Health System. Our healthcare system and providers are dedicated to ensuring quality care for residents of all ages, including our seniors. As county executive, my goal will be to work with the leaders of all health care providers to ensure that our community provides the necessary services and specialists 40

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to preserve the health and well-being of our residents as we grow and age. Q: Give your pitch for why you think you would be the best choice for county executive. A: I’m running for county executive to keep taxes flat, create and protect jobs and insist that our county government is the most ethical and transparent in the nation. Why? I want to ensure that every child, every family and every business in our community has the opportunity to build a stronger future, together, right here in Monroe County. I would be honored to have the support of the voters of Monroe County on Nov. 3.

Sandy Frankel Democratic Party Q: What do you think is the most pressing issue for seniors in Monroe County and what is your plan to address that issue? A: As a senior living in Monroe County, I am in a unique position to understand and relate to the issues that face the 55-plus population. I believe that one of the most pressing issues facing all seniors is financial security and stability in retirement. In 20 years, nearly 20 percent of Monroe County’s residents will be at or over retirement age. Yet seniors are not confident that their retirement savings and social security will be enough for them to live on during retirement. Seniors who do need or want to continue working past retirement age are at risk of facing workplace age discrimination. I will not tolerate such practices at any county-run facility or at companies the county does business with. As Brighton town supervisor, I increased affordable housing options for the approximately 25 percent of Brighton residents who are 55 years and older. As county executive, I will continue to expand affordable housing opportunities for seniors, by working with existing and new developments to offer affordable and accessible senior housing. I will work with the bus company, Medical Motors, local recreation departments, and other organizations to address transportation needs. To keep seniors’ expenses down, I will

not raise the property tax rate. Q: What do you believe are some of the things Monroe County is doing right when it comes to senior programs and organizations? A: Every year, Monroe County spends nearly $200 million of allocated state Medicaid funding to help keep nursing homes running. These funds help all residents who need nursing care receive this important service. Information about nursing homes and many other services throughout our community for seniors can be found on the Monroe County Office for Aging website. The programs listed on the website help seniors find supportive communities, healthy food, and remain independent. Q: Health care and healthy aging is a nationwide concern. What are some of your initiatives for attacking the issue in Monroe County, especially for the elder community? A: Seniors are increasingly called on to be caregivers for ailing spouses, relatives and friends who cannot or will not leave their homes for assisted living or nursing facilities. These caregivers allow loved ones to age in place and save New York state billions of dollars by doing so. By ensuring that these caregivers have our support — through hospital-based caregiver training initiatives and job security assurances for caregivers who need the same flexibility that a young parent with a sick child might require — the county continues to benefit from real savings and saves resources for those who need them. I will support programs to retrofit seniors’ homes to make them safer. The simple installation of a handrail or even a carpet pad can help prevent accidents, saving pain, suffering, and money. Q: Many hospitals in Monroe County have merged over the last few years. What are your feelings about this trend where now you have two large hospital systems dominating the Monroe County area, which are Rochester Regional and UR Medicine? A: US News’ current hospital rankings place UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital fourth and Rochester Regional’s Rochester General

12th in the state. Both are considered high performing in geriatric medicine. With these mergers, Strong and Rochester General are now better able to collaborate and share resources with other hospitals and centers in their networks, helping to streamline and improve care across the county. I support having two strong hospital systems that provide quality care, complement each other’s areas of expertise, cooperate, and continue to provide competition. While Monroe County residents have excellent health care options, these mergers have raised questions about whether medical care is becoming too big for personalized care and whether individuals will slip through the cracks of massive systems. To avoid this, the system must ensure that medical professionals have the time needed to attend to each patient as a whole person, not just a symptom. Q: Give your pitch for why you think you would be the best choice for county executive. A: This campaign is about integrity, experience, and a vision for the future. It’s about building a strong economy and creating good jobs, strengthening educational outcomes for our children and grandchildren, and ensuring adequate childcare so that kids thrive and parents can keep their jobs. It’s about controlling property taxes so that people can afford to stay in their homes. It’s about promoting access to affordable health care, a clean environment, and safe neighborhoods. It’s about honesty and respect for all of the people we serve. I have done this as the CEO of a large town in our county and as a former school board leader, and I am best prepared to do this for county government. As Brighton town supervisor, I made Brighton fiscally stable and earned a high level Moody’s credit rating upgraded to Aa2, all while improving neglected public works projects, improving access for people with mobility and other challenges, building a new library, overseeing development of new senior residences, instituting Community Policing, creating a townwide park system for active and passive recreation, and cutting taxes.

It’s time for a new direction!

As Brighton Town Supervisor, Sandy Frankel restored Brighton’s fiscal integrity. She reduced property taxes five times. She improved infrastructure and public safety services, increased economic development and revitalized commercial corridors.

She will do the same for all of Monroe County! “We can improve services and opportunities without raising the tax rate by making sure we watch every dollar and have the right priorities.”

Hear what people have to say: James V. Bertolone, President,The Rochester & Vicinity Central Labor Council, AFL-ClO: “We are proud to stand with you as you stand with us.” County Legislator Josh Bauroth: “Sandy Frankel, with her record of transparency and open governance, brings the executive experience Monroe County needs to move towards a better future for all.” Democratic Minority Leader Carrie Andrews: “Sandy Frankel will bring experience and needed change to Monroe County government.”

VOTE FOR SANDY ON NOVEMBER 3! www.sandyfrankel2015.com September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

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craftsman

Woodworking Wizard Jim Byron, of Henrietta, took up the hobby of woodworking in 2008 and turned it into a passion. He now has two lathes and an expansive setup in his basement as an outlet for his woodworking skills. By Jessica Gaspar

im Byron could be called a lot of things: a man, a husband, a homeowner and a retiree. Some call Jim Byron a bowl maker. And, yes he does make bowls, but his creations have such range that the better term would probably just be woodworker. The interesting bit about Byron, who is 56, is this skill of his is a fairly recent undertaking. Byron, of Henrietta, worked for Borders Books & Music for more than 30 years, but he didn’t craft his first pen until 2008. That was when he took a one-day 42

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woodturning class in Buffalo to learn the basics. “I just heard about the class and thought it’d be interesting to do,” he said. The class focused on spindle turning, or creating circular objects out of long pieces of wood. The end result was a pen. He then bought his first lathe, which is a tool which rotates on its axis to cut, sand, drill, or turn wood, metal, and other objects into the desired end result. Lathes are mostly used in woodturning or metalworking, but can shape glass or pot-

tery as well. “When I started doing it, I was working. This was relaxation, something other than work,” Byron said. He eventually created enough wood pens so that he could sell them through the Borders stores where he was district manager. At the time, he oversaw most Borders stores in Upstate New York and in some parts of New England. “I used to sell a lot of pens,” he recalled. Byron wanted to learn how to make more than just pens, so he

signed up for an adult continuing education class through the Rush-Henrietta Central School District. It was an eight-week bowl-turning class. “Then I bought a bigger lathe and started making bowls,” he said. His hobby took off especially after his retirement from Borders. His original smaller lathe is kept in his garage, but he has an elaborate setup in his basement complete with an entire air filtration system to ventilate out any dust or particles the wood may leave behind. Large blankets are used to cordon off the woodturning room. In a separate nearby room, he has a desk that he uses to apply different oils, finishes, or varnishes to his completed projects. Whole host of creations Byron’s creations now span in variety from intricate bowls to candle holders, coasters, vases, wine bottle stoppers, a peppermill and more. “There’s pretty much no limit as to what you can turn,” Byron said, adding some of the stuff he sells, but other things he will give away to friends and family. Most of the wood he uses for his

creations comes from scrap wood or things found in the average yard: firewood, tree branches, tree stumps. He’s even used scrap wood from an old waterbed. “Most of the wood I use for bowls, I don’t buy,” he said, adding there is a store on Jefferson Road in Henrietta called Wood Craft where he does purchase some wood. Some types of wood are easier to work with than others. Mahogany is a good starter wood as it turns easily, according to Byron. His most intricate project took about five hours to complete: a mahogany bowl that is set in an attached suspended holder that raises the bowl off the tabletop or counter. “There are days I can pretty much spend the whole day (turning wood),” he said. In his spare time, Byron also plays basketball games at the Rush-Henrietta Senior High School on Fridays and Sundays, almost always against younger players. That’s where Byron first got to know his neighbor and friend, Steve Synesael, more than 10 years ago. The two started playing basketball to

keep in shape. “Through our conversations, he told me that his hobby was bowl-making and woodworking,” Synesael said. “He asked me to come and try it out, and I took him up on it.” Synesael and his 11-year-old son have both made a few bowls under Byron’s guidance. Byron also helped Synesael make a chicken coop for the chickens he keeps. “Now, that was a project,” Synesael recalled. “If it wasn’t for his woodworking knowledge, I would still be building it.” For someone interested in learning more about woodturning, Byron suggests he or she take a local woodturning class through Finger Lakes Woodturners. And, no experience is necessary. “I had never done any woodworking before,” he said. If the class sparks an interest, the club also offers memberships and other programs. More information is available online at www.fingerlakeswoodturners.com. “Someone that wants to start out, it’s the best $20 ever spent,” he said. “It’s a wealth of information.”

Some items Jim Byron has made include peppermills, candleholders, vases, bowls, pens and more. September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

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reading

Like to Read? Start a Book Club By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

f you love a good book — and talking about it with others — consider starting up a book club. “It is a great venture for adults who find themselves with empty nests and retirement and have more time for themselves,” said Diane Premo, a 55-year-old librarian

who heads book clubs at the Winton Road Branch of the Monroe County Library System. In the 11 years since she took over the clubs, she has developed a close group of regulars. “But it’s also a friendly and welcoming place for newcomers,” she added. “Many

friendships have formed.” She advises people to start with a library-based reading group, since much of the footwork is already done. Most Monroe County libraries offer reading group kits that include a tote holding copies of the book and laminated list of questions for the club

Abby DeVuyst, Seymour adult librarian, is seated, looking over the book selections list, with (from left) Dorothy Porreca, Monica Anderson, Dryad Wilson and Mary Edwards looking on.

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Carol Moldt, librarian in the literature division of Central Library. “We’re all friends and it tends to be very, very social which is fun,” she says, referring to her book club. that may be checked out like any other library materials. If you want to begin a group outside a library, Greg Benoit, library director at Gates Public Library, advises to “identify an existing social network like people from work, church or neighborhood. They have better discussions, cohesiveness and they tend to last longer.” Keep the number below 15 because too many members can make it tough to discuss the titles. Decide the genre, such as biographies, or alternate types. Make sure it’s the same edition so you’re all on the same page when you meet to discuss. Deb Amesbury runs the book club at Legacy at Parklands in Chili for the Chili Public Library, where she works as a librarian. “Go online and see what books have reading group guides,” she said. “Many have questions available online.” Reading guides help facilitate group discussions at meetings. She also looks for titles that have online interviews with authors, which can help foster group discussions. Dryad Wilson started a book club at Brockport-Seymour Library in 2002. Anywhere from three to 13 at-

tend the monthly meetings. Her group selects from many types of books. “It’s a chance to read outside of the usual genre,” she said of her group, which chooses books in a year in advance. “Talking about it with other people sheds new light on the book.” Agree on how often you’ll meet, when and where. Monthly will probably work right for most groups. Wilson likes holding meetings in the library or in a public place because the hosts don’t have to worry about providing refreshments. Though any age is wel- The Gates Public Library is one of several come at Wilson’s clubs’ meet- libraries that offer reading group kits that ings, they are scheduled for the include a tote holding copies of the book morning, when retirees are usu- and laminated list of questions for the club ally available. that may be checked out like any other “Conversation isn’t hard library materials. to come by,” she said, “because people attending want to be there to and discuss the book afterward. Especially as you become closer to memtalk about books.” Usually, the opposite is the prob- bers, you’ll need the time to chat. Most clubs meeting at homes lem. Carol Moldt, librarian in the liter- offer food. Readers who also love ature division of Central Library, said cooking may want to whip up a meal that with her book club “we’re all for the group that relates to the title friends and it tends to be very, very recently read. Others who hate tying on the apron would rather serve just social which is fun.” The facilitator can help guide the drinks and snacks or a store-bought group back to discussing the book. dessert with tea and coffee. There’s no Plan to socialize for the first half hour, “right” answer, as long as everyone’s prepared. Alternate meeting among group members’ homes if you don’t choose to meet at neutral locations such as a coffee shop or park to relieve the pressure of hosting. Stay in touch via group email or group texts. Ideally, before your first meeting, choose how you will run your meetings. As its founder, will you lead each meeting? Or will a different member lead? Perhaps each meeting’s leader could direct the discussion on the title you have just read. Or he or she could email questions to the group in advance, but avoid plot spoilers. Yes/no type of questions result in dead-end conversation. Replace, “Did you like it?” with “How did you feel after reading the book?” Ask specific questions, too, such Diane Premo, 55, is a librarian who as, “Why did the main character heads book clubs at the Winton Road alienate himself from his son even though the boy longed for his father’s Branch of the Monroe County Library love and attention?” System. September / October 2015 - 55 PLUS

long-term care By Susan Suben

An Overlooked LTC Service

or two years, I took care of my father in my home. Due to his extensive and debilitating medical conditions, he needed the care of a home health aide on a daily basis to help him with his activities of daily living. After the aide helped him bathe, dress and eat, they rarely had anything productive to do except watch television. Once I came home and found them sleeping on the couch, separately, of course! In hindsight, I think how much better it would have been for my father’s quality of life if he had access to adult day care services. Adult day care is one of the most underutilized services in the LTC continuum and it is more affordable than alternative care options. In New York, the median daily cost of adult day care is $85 vs. an average $23 an hour for an aide. Assisted living averages $136 per day and nursing home care $361 per day. According to Carol Marak, a writer specializing in senior issues, “adult day care allows seniors to enjoy safe and productive days in a caring environment while returning to the comfort and familiarity of home at night. The primary purpose of a day care program promotes well-being through social and health-related services.” It is equally beneficial for caregivers. It provides respite from the demanding responsibilities of caregiving, allows caregivers to remain at their jobs and affords them — the caregivers — time to be with spouses or children all while their loved one is in a protective, engaging environment. There are two types of adult day care centers: the medical model and social model. Either one can be a sup-

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plement to home care and decrease the isolation and loneliness experienced by individuals with a longterm care illness. The medical model can serve adults who are returning home from a hospital stay or short/long-term rehabilitation in a nursing home or individuals who have a progressive or chronic illness, such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. This type of center can increase a person’s ability to safely stay in their home by providing additional medical and restorative services, such as occupational and physical therapies. Medical support is provided by skilled nurses who develop a plan of care, manage daily personal needs medications and health assessments, monitor blood pressure and sugar levels, and give insulin treatment and wound care, if needed. Additional services can include arranging transportation to the center and doctor appointments, assisting with insurance claims, and coordinating community resources when the person is at home. The social model combines social, intellectual, cultural, educational and physical activities that may include exercise, memory games, music, art, entertainment and field trips. This type of day care center is especially beneficial for those suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. It makes each day purposeful and has been proven to slow down the progression of memory loss. Both models generally operate Monday through Friday during regular business hours and offer nutritious breakfast and lunch. There are several pay sources to select from: private pay, LTC insurance, Medicaid, Medicaid/Medicare

(if the center is dual licensed), and the VA. More information about payment sources can be found at your local agency on aging. When selecting a day care center, Marak, the writer who specializes in senior issues, suggests asking some of the following questions. Is the environment secure? What social activities are offered? Is assistance provided for activities of daily living, such as toileting and transferring? What is a typical menu? What training has the staff been given? This is especially important to know if the center accepts participants with dementia. What is the staff/participant ratio? Is the center licensed or certified? Also note the cleanliness of the place and if people appear to be happy and friendly Caregiving is difficult. In looking back at my father’s needs and my needs as a caregiver, adult day care would have benefited both of us. It would have alleviated some of my physical and emotional stress, decreased my impatience and increased my tolerance toward my father, given me respite, allowed me to take less time off from work, and given me the ability to enjoy my father more. My dad would probably have remained more alert and independent, and less depressed and angry. He would have had something to look forward to every day along with the security of coming home to his family every night. Susan Suben, MS, CSA, is president of Long Term Care Associates, Inc. and Elder Care Planning, and a consultant for Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. She can be reached at 800-422-2655 or by email at susansuben@31greenbush.com.

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Genesee Country Village & Museum Offers Fun, History By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ooking for a day trip that makes history come alive for your grandchildren? Or are you a history buff? Check out Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford, near Rochester. For an all-day pass for ($3 seniors, $18 adults, $10 children), you may access the organization’s 700-acre facility, which includes 68 replica and restored 1800s-era buildings manned by scores of costumed re-enactors. While you may enjoy seeing your great-grandparents’ furnishings, tools and general way of life, interactive learning will draw kids to the many hands-on attractions built right into the village. Stop by the tinsmith shop, where for $3, they can craft a punched tin ornament, for example. Visitors can also observe how people in the 1800s baked bread, spun fibers, wove cloth, threw pottery, pounded out horseshoes and scads of other activities of daily life that are so different from today. The re-enactors eagerly explain what they’re doing and helping children (and grown-ups) better understand life in the 1800s. The John L. Wehle Gallery features wildlife, outdoorsman and Western art. The museum includes the Susan Greene historic clothing exhibit, which displays 3,000 pe-

55 PLUS - September / October 2015

Printing was more labor-intensive in days gone by. riod garments. The museum presents some of the clothing in dioramic style to show how their wearers would use them. Most of the clothing reflects everyday items, so the children can see what kids their age would wear for school, play, and church. Make reading come alive as you peruse the Fashion in Fiction exhibit, which pairs clothing with fictional characters. The heirloom gardens and farms pay tribute to our agricultural heritage with vegetables, herbs, flowers and a few farm animals, including chickens, sheep, horses and cows. Anyone with a sweet tooth should visit D.B. Munger & Co., a hybrid of display and gift shop. Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the shop includes authentic or historically influenced candies and baked treats such as tarts and pies. Sports fans should catch an afternoon “base ball” game weekends through September at Silver Base Ball Park. Played according to the period’s rules, the games include wooden scoreboards, replica uniforms, top hat-wearing umpires, and no gloves or other protective gear. Don’t miss the mansion and the nearby octagon

Old Stone Fort Museum

Young “pupils” learn from the schoolmarm in the oneroom schoolhouse. house. Their stunning architecture and period furnishings reflect the well-to-do household in the 1800s, including the hoop-skirted dress of the lady of the house. The one-room schoolhouse really grabs kids’ attention as its “teacher” both explains how schooling worked in days of yore and also teaches the children a typical lesson—just for fun. The schoolhouse even offers slates for the class’ faux scholars use. As you walk through the displays, try to relate what you observe to how it’s done today. Engage your grandchildren with conversation about the exhibits. “Can you imagine your dad cutting the lawn with a scythe instead of the push mower? Which one is easier? Which would you prefer?” Or, “If you had to weave all the cloth for your clothing, do you think you would have more or less clothing in your closet?” Genesee Country Nature Center includes more than five miles of trails among 175 acres of varying wildlife habitat. Educational signs along the way enrich the hiking adventure. If you can’t get enough history, schedule a weekend stay during Pioneer House Experience 2015. Live in an 1809 cabin, help out with chores, cook over an open hearth and gain hands-on history with your family, all while wearing period clothing and interacting with visitors to the village. • Check www.gcv.org to plan what day you would like to visit, as the facility’s exhibits and demonstrations change. Don’t use the directions automatically generated by your GPS because its directions to “Genesee Country Village & Museum, Mumford, NY” will not take you to the correct location. Instead, use “LeRoy, NY 14482” for the address.

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Rochester’s Healthcare Newspaper in good Health news you can use, interviews with local providers, columns on nutrition, profiles of local doctors and other providers and much more. Subscribe today to received the monthly paper at your home or office.

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Gerald Gacioch , RGH chief cardiology: Don’t hesitate of 911 if you’re having chest to call or shortne pain ss of explain. Many breath you can’t if more peoplelives could be saved did that. •

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Physician Tim Malia (left) help poor kids in Bolivia and his founda Arco Iris in tion continu La Paz, during. He poses with two doctor e their mission to a January s from 2014 visit to Bolivia the Hospital .

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By Mike Costanza

William Hall, 76

Geriatrician: Focus on healthy aging

ighland Hospital geriatricians William Hall, Susan Friedman and Krupa Shah, recently published a study in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society — titled “Failing to focus on healthy aging: A frailty of our discipline?” — where they state that a majority of studies about seniors focus on frailty yet only a small percentage of older adults are actualy frail. We spoke with William Hall about the the group’s findings. Q. What did you discover? A. A large majority of studies on seniors were aimed at senior citizen frailty, but not enough focus was put on how to age well. We wanted to target successful aging. That could mean a person having no diseases or no physical limitations, having solid cognitive function and being able to live an independent life without many barriers. If we are worried about Medicare going broke, then we need a new approach and we are hoping the information we researched for this article goes a long way in educating the medical profession and seniors about what needs to be done. Q. Why do you think the medical profession is focused more on frailty than health aging? A. It comes back to the specialty of geriatrics. It is a pretty new specialty in medicine and there are not enough of us. Because of that, there has not been the necessary focus nationwide on how we can work smarter and engage physicians and hospital systems on the topic of aging. In our area of Monroe County, we especially have to think about our seniors because we have an older population than most areas. In 2010, one in seven people in Monroe County was over the age of 65, and in 2035 it is projected to be one in five. Q. Why is talking about aging well such an important topic now?

55 PLUS - September / October 2015

A. There is a statistic from the US Census Bureau that says 10,000 Americans are turning 65 years old every day. This is an incredible demographic change. Many of them will still be living 20 years from now. That means that we have to focus on preventive health instead of just focusing on how to help seniors when they are already sick. We want people to maintain a high quality of life well into their senior years. The idea is not original when it comes to preventive health. Q. So what should be the main goal now? A. The key is focusing on preserving muscular function and cognitive ability. While I don’t believe the cure to Alzheimer’s disease is right around the corner, we have to think about how we progress when it comes to aging. We have to think of proper strategies that can be used to create a healthier, older population. We have to attack the situation before people get into their 60s. We have to understand that while our bodies might not be able to do everything they did when we were in our 20s, as a whole, the medical profession can do a better job at creating more programs for older people to stay active. This is especially important in the Rochester area where the sun doesn’t shine for months and we have brutal enough winters that people may hibernate instead of being active. Plus for five to sometimes six months out of the year, snow is covering the sidewalks which makes it difficult to even walk around for seniors. The good thing about our community is that we do have some programs and organizations such OASIS in Rochester that provides classes on a wide range of topics to anyone over the age of 50. Q. What are some quick tests that you can do to judge someone’s mobility?

A. Asking someone to get out of a chair and start walking 20 feet can tell a lot. You can see if they favor one side, if it is an exhausting exercise for them and you can even observe balance as they get out of the chair. Also asking them how they feel walking up and down the stairs can be a determining factor of their overall health and the health of their joints. Q. How did you get interested in geriatrics? A. I started out as an intensive care physician and I did that for 15 years. Then the whole phenomenon of aging happened in the medical profession and I got interested in it. I was in the right place to do it here because our demographics in Monroe County mirror retirement places like Clearwater, Fla., more than New York City. I got excited about this career change and seeing what we could do to further health. Q. What are some misconceptions about aging? A. People too often say they are too old and they can’t do anything. That is not true. Then seniors too often get told that their bodies are falling apart and they might harm themselves if they try to push themselves a little. That can cause people to have the mentality of inherent fear in becoming active so they don’t do as much. Then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and their limbs atrophy from not doing enough movement. When older adults start to get into these fitness programs, they feel better about themselves, they are more likely to be active and volunteer and their health dramatically improves.

. ee n k y m d e t a t i l i b a h They re . y t i n a m u h n i h t i a f y And m Your choice for transitional care can make a huge difference in your return to health. That’s why it’s critical for you to choose one of the very best: St. Ann’s Community.

St. Ann’s provides complete rehabilitation services for people recovering from heart surgery, stroke, joint replacement surgery and other hospitalizations. Over 98% of our patients say they would choose St. Ann’s again. And here’s the best news of all: you can plan ahead for your rehab. Just call St. Ann’s at 585.697.6311 for your free Transitional Care Planning Kit. Where you go for your rehabilitation is completely up to you. So why let someone else make that decision for you? Because a great transitional care facility does more than make you feel healthy. It makes you feel incredibly hopeful, too.

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