Kubiszak and staff serve as ‘God’s eyes and ears’

an opportunity to socialize,”

Barb Kubiszak, director of St. Agnes Adult Day Service Center, tells the story of a woman who, while dropping off her husband, had prepared a list of things to do in her free time. When she returned and Kubiszak asked how much she’d accomplished, the woman said she went home and just slept. “‘It was the best sleep she’d had in a long time,’ she said,” Kubiszak noted.

This is what St. Agnes does, said Kubiszak, who has been with the facility since it opened 25 years ago.

“It gives the participants

Kubiszak said. “They belong to a group. It gives them a program. Plus, it’s respite for caregivers, just for the day.”

The facility is open four weekdays, closed Thursdays, and, at the end of the day, participants go home.

Located on the campus of St. Paul Catholic Parish in Valparaiso, St. Agnes Adult Day Service Center was founded in 1997. St. Agnes provides a place where trained staff provide meaningful activities, safety, healthcare and personal care for adults who cannot stay home by themselves. Program and services include health monitoring, medications, monthly beauty

Senior Life says goodbye to longtime freelance writer

Gregg K. Lawson, a longtime freelance writer for Senior Life, passed away Sunday, April 2, 2023, in Mishawaka after an illness.

He was born Oct. 27, 1947, in Elkhart, the son of Herbert Jr. “Bernie” and Irmalee “Susie” (Bowers) Lawson. Formerly of EdwardsburgAdamsville, Mich., he graduated from Edwardsburg High School. He had been a police officer with the Ontwa TownshipEdwardsburg Police and, at one time, had been a park ranger for Oxbow Park.

He was a freelance writer for Senior Life, starting with the Elko edition in the late 1980s. He wrote many articles about area history and human interest stories. In May of 1994, he graduated from Bethel Uni- versity with a masters degree of ministries. parlor, creative arts, monthly support group, nutritional and dietary counseling and an outdoor serenity garden.

Surviving Gregg are his children, Christopher Lawson and twins, Tracy Lawson and Terese Lawson; granddaughters, Gracie and Julie Lawson-White; and a son-in-law, Robert “Bobby” White. He also has two sisters, Debra LawsonFischer and Gloria LawsonBradfield.

Family and friends gathered for a memorial service Monday, April 17, at the Paul E. Mayhew Funeral Home, 26863 W. Main St., Edwardsburg, Mich. The service was conducted by Pastor Douglas Cripe of First Christian Church, Mishawaka.

Cremation has taken place and inurnment will be in Adamsville Cemetery on the Lawson family lot.

St. Agnes also enables adult caregivers to work, run errands or just take a break. The facility, named for a first-century martyr who is the patron of girls and betrothed couples, was also the patron saint of a parish woman who donated to the center.

A registered nurse, Kubiszak learned about the facility proposed by her former pastor, the late Monsignor John Charlebois, and she thought the place would need a nurse.

“We’re God’s hands, His ears and eyes to help the people,” Kubiszak said. “It’s just the idea of helping other people and making them feel fulfilled.”

Kubiszak, who prefers people just call her Barb, chooses Matthew 14:22-33 as a favorite passage from scripture. After addressing the crowd, Jesus walks on water and invites Peter to join him. Peter initially walks on water, then doubts and starts to sink. “Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of [Peter], saying to him, ‘O, you of little faith. Why did you doubt?’”

As Kubiszak explained, “It’s very human to be afraid and not have faith from time to time, but Jesus is always there, there with his hand out to calm us.”

A graduate of the Wheeling (West Virginia) Hospital School of Nursing, Kubiszak came to northwest Indiana in 1990, becoming a parishioner at St. Paul.

At St. Agnes, Kubiszak said, “We strive to have each participant function at their highest potential for as long as possible. We do this through therapeutic activities that offer mental and physical stimuli.”

Activities change every 30 minutes.

The facility is non-denomi- national. As Kubiszak noted, “I love being able to help people with Alzheimer’s, who have anxiety, fears. And I love helping caregivers have some time for themselves.”

For more information on St. Agnes Adult Day Service Center, call (219) 462-9553 or visit stagnesvalpo.org.

Home is where the hazard is

but what about a fire that starts in the kitchen or living room? Is there a fire extinguisher handy?

As more and more multi-unit senior living facilities are being built, more and more seniors are moving into these apartment buildings.

They no longer have to worry about cleaning furnaces and flues, keeping sidewalks and driveways clear and clearing pathways of children’s toys.

But there still are plenty of chores to be done to make sure they’re prepared for an emergency.

To start with, they need a list of emergency numbers — 911, doctor, family members — right by their phone.

And a flashlight. Better still, they should have night lights plugged all through the residence so they don’t have to fumble and stumble — and fall — in the dark.

They’ve probably been instructed to stay in their apartment if the alarm goes off because the apartment is fireproof,

They should get rid of those scatter rugs that can trip them up and see to it the floor is not slippery. There should be a handrail to hold themselves up when they step out of the bathtub or shower onto a tiled bathroom floor. Do the bathtub and shower have non-skid surfaces?

They should move their toaster away from the coffee maker and keep all appliances away from each other to avoid disastrous sparks and spills. Unplug them when they’re not in use.

They might get some handy electrical outlet covers to shield those outlets when they aren’t being used.

They should always be looking around for possible hazards. Perils are always lurking.

When they light candles for a quiet anniversary dinner, for example, they should make sure there are no curtains nearby to catch fire.

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