Learning throughout life means living with gusto Renaissance

Staying healthy during the holidays
Most people enjoy celebrating the
holidays with friends and loved
ones. While our spirits may soar
during these happy times, our
health can take a beating.
We may push aside healthy diets
in favor of rich and tempting treats.
We may skip regular exercise
routines in order to wrap presents
or write holiday greetings.
Smith Village dietitian
Christina O’Neil We also may throw caution to
the wind by consuming alcohol,
which can cause serious problems if we’re taking certain
medications.
Here are some ways to sustain yourself:
1.Stick with your regular routine as much as possible. If
you overindulge, return right away to your healthy diet.
2.Regard holiday treats as treats only. Savor the taste of the
holidays but avoid taking the entire feast home.
3.If you feel pressured to consume alcohol because
everyone around you is enjoying a festive drink, opt for
a nonalcoholic cocktail with mineral water or some other
non-alcoholic beverage with a lemon wedge or fancy
garnish.
4.If you’re making traditional holiday recipes, consider
reducing fat, sugar and salt.
5.If you skipped an exercise session, make sure you honor
your next time in the gym.
Hola!
Hello!
Switching between your native and
a second language may actually
strengthen cognitive functions and
executive abilities which decline
with age, according to several
studies. Higher level cognitive
functions include our ability to
multitask and concentrate intensely.
Bilingual speakers enjoy an average
of three additional years of mental
clarity, according to a study
conducted by York University in
Toronto, Canada. Monolinguals
in the study experienced signs
of dementia at age 75.4 years,
bilingual speakers, at 78.6 years.
So, consider taking Spanish classes
offered here at Smith Village.
Check your calendar for
details. Adios!
Our fitness coordinator and dietitian will work with you to
maintain your health during the holidays.
Fall
2015
Quarterly publication exclusively for residents
Learning throughout life means living with gusto
Learning for a lifetime promises many benefits—
satisfying your natural sense of curiosity, enriching
your understanding of how the world works,
providing a sense of accomplishment, fostering
connections with people who share common
interests.
For all these reasons, Smith Village provides
opportunities for you to learn through enrichment
classes, language classes, outings to cultural
attractions, book clubs, and lectures and entertaining
performances on campus.
Learning is a good prescriptive for keeping minds
sharp, but it’s not only about maintaining mental
clarity. It is about living life to the fullest.
Savvy people, like you and other residents have
chosen the Smith Village lifestyle abundant with
opportunities for personal growth. Help us maintain
that special approach to living life with gusto.
Activity Calendars Move to Digital Displays
2320 West 113th Place
Chicago, Illinois 60643
smithvillage.org
773-474-7300
Be sure to share your ideas for new learning
opportunities with fellow-residents and life
enrichment staff.
What new learning experiences do you want?
.
Renaissance Academy fosters comradery
To find out more, contact our registered dietitian
Christina O’Neil at ext. 7331 or fitness coordinator Debra
Doorn at ext. 7420.
Your activity calendars, daily bulletins and menus are now available
to you on our in-house TV channels. Independent living residents can
tune to Channel 3. And assisted living residents, to Channel 4.
Check flat-screen monitors in common areas throughout the
community for notices, activities and menus. You’ll continue to
receive printed monthly calendars in your mailboxes.
Sandy Morrison continues to learn about aesthetics and
gracious living at Smith Village
Patricia Deiters’ favorite
course was Broadway
musicals which makes an
encore performance this
season
For the second year,
Renaissance Academy of
Chicago NFP offers classes
at Smith Village for residents
and its members. The $50 fee
covers costs for producing
the classes and includes a
lovely Christmas luncheon
for all Renaissance Academy
members on Tuesday,
December 8, 2015.
“I think these classes are
exactly what’s needed to keep
the mind active and to help all of us age more
gracefully,” says Mary Lou Lovell, president
of the Renaissance Academy at Chicago NFP
located at St. Xavier University. “There’s also the
comradery. Sometimes in these classes people see
friends they haven’t seen in years, and they make
new friends.”
Bill Porcelli, an accomplished violinist, once
facilitated a class session on composers. Like
Pat Deiters, he says he enjoyed the Broadway
musicals course.
What subjects hold your interest?
Women’s Book Club supplies fount
of wisdom
Embracing holiday traditions old and new
Like family recipes, holiday traditions
provide a sense of connection. They help us
understand our heritage and bring us closer to
family and friends. Newer rituals such as the
holiday happenings unique to Smith Village,
also can add to your enjoyment of the season.
Consider the children who visit for the thrill
of showing off their Halloween costumes. Or
how about our Thanksgiving feast?
Many residents make ornaments for our
special trees. And where else can you hear
carols sung with such wonderful spirit by so
many groups? Many of us place
holiday lights in our windows
and decorate our doors with
colorful artwork and wreaths.
For five years, the Smith Village Women’s
Book Club has met on the last Thursday of
each month in the community’s board room.
We also pile into a bus for an
evening tour of our neighbors’
holiday light displays, and we welcome family
and friends to sit by the fireplace near our
lobby.
How do you celebrate and share in the wonder
of life?
Residents start Smith Village tradition
Sue Delves and her
husband Gene were
among the first
residents to move
into Smith Village
after it was rebuilt on
the site of the former
Washington and Jane
Smith Home.
Sue Delves
As the holidays approached in 2008, Gene, now
deceased, wanted a way for the community to
exhibit holiday cheer for traffic passing by on
Western Avenue.
The Delves invested in snowflake light
decorations and shared them with residents to
place in apartment windows facing Western
Avenue. “We eventually bought better
decorations,” says Sue. Residents still hang the
lights at holiday time.
Gathered around the large square table that
almost fills the room, they’ve pondered pivotal
moments in history and contemplated the
character of Abraham Lincoln and Madeleine
Albright. They’ve also gained new perspectives
while discussing fictional classics including
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fennimore
Cooper and more recent literature, The House
on Mango Street by Chicago author Sandra
Cisneros.
“Every once in a while we’ll enjoy a light
read, but this group seems to want heavier
subjects, more non-fiction—history, classics,
autobiography,” says Karen Jellema, who
facilitates the book discussions and serves as
Human Resources director for Smith Senior
Living.
To encourage discussion about fictional
characters and historic figures, Karen often
asks how members might have handled similar
hypothetical situations.
Grace Larsen and Dorothy Murphy, members of the Smith
Village Women’s Book Club
Comments vary widely, but most impressive
is how respectful club members are when it
comes to listening to each other, Karen says.
Membership numbers fluctuate between
15 and 20, but one thing remains constant.
“These women are looking not only to expand
their knowledge, but also to enhance their
wisdom,” Karen says. “They’re looking for
deeper meaning in their lives. Here, they feel
comfortable opening up and sharing about
themselves.”
For more information about the book club,
contact Karen Jellema at ext. 7355
What new traditions have you started?
Assisted Living director advocates learning
and sharing
“I consistently rely on the adage: ‘You’re
never too old to learn,’ says Sarah Jewett,
director of resident services for assisted living.
“Within the definition of positive aging is the
necessity for each individual to find meaning
in his or her daily life. Learning is absolutely
essential to achieve this.”
Sarah, who joined Smith Village in 2003, now
works with her team to make sure residents
receive the support they need to achieve a
positive sense of well-being.
Sarah graduated from Valparaiso University
and earned her master’s degree from the Adler
Spread cheer, show your community spirit
School of Professional
Psychology. She’s known
for promoting creativity
through writing, art and
language classes, and for
encouraging residents to
share their interests and
talents with others.
“I believe that every
new day brings the
opportunity for each
of us to share and gain
knowledge,” says Sarah.
This holiday season, show your community
spirit and help others by sending Smith’s
custom-designed holiday cards.
Sarah Jewett
For the first time, Smith Senior Living will
offer holiday greeting cards in
three festive designs. Please
encourage family and friends
to send them too. All proceeds
from cards benefit Emilie’s Fund for Smith
residents who have outlived their means.
“We were inspired to try something new
when a resident’s daughter said she likes our
other greeting cards so much, she hoped we
might consider creating holiday cards,” says
Coleen Barkmeier, executive
administrative assistant for
Smith Senior Living.
Please look for a flyer for placing orders during
the month of October for delivery in November
before Thanksgiving.
This year why not benefit others while
spreading holiday cheer?