Community Matters Aberdeen Heights
June 2015 August 2014
When should you step in to help your parents? By Eileen Beal, courtesy of the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging
A parent may ask for the occasional favor, but most won’t ask for help around the house or with their daily activities, even when they need it, says Alberta Chokshi, a social worker and director of quality improvement for Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Chokshi, who has been working with families for 40 years, says that instead of seeking help, it’s typical for elderly parents to adapt and adjust their activities and routines. They do household chores more slowly (or not at all). They may use adaptive devices, such as a cane or a reacher or a magnifying glass. Perhaps they’ve lined up someone to pick them up for errands and appointments. And — often just to please their children — they will wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace. What our parents don’t admit But they usually aren’t admitting — especially to their adult children — that they tend to drop heavy pots, trip on the basement steps, are confused about when to take their PARENTS, continued on page 4 BRAIN, continued on page 4
‘Table talk’ with Rosalie Eickhoff Ever wondered who was responsible for the centerpieces in the dining room? “I started this and I don’t know how it happened,” said Rosalie Eickhoff, Aberdeen Heights resident. “I raise a lot of flowers out in the garden and at my son’s house. We pick those and there’s about 10 people off and on – we change the centerpieces out twice a week.” Twice a week, the gardening group changes out the water and flowers for the arrangements in the dining room. If there are five people helping, they can do all 42 tables in 40 minutes. But before that can happen, Rosalie spends a couple of hours picking the flowers, clipping off branches and greenery to accompany the flowers and tending to weeds. “I do mostly dahlias and zinnias, but others have allowed me to pick flowers from their gardens, so I get daisies and a few other things,” said Rosalie. “We decorate with fresh flowers until October, then we switch to whatever holiday we have.” Rosalie has been a resident of Aberdeen Heights for three years. In addition to helping with the centerpieces, she also belongs to a garden club that makes fresh arrangements for tables at Manor Grove and The Glen once a year in March. TABLE TALK, continued on page 2
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