One of the door prizes won at out Senior Health Fair. 48 Vendors participated in the event!

Sending Off Summer

As all good things must, summer came to an end this week, with the celebration of Labor Day. Here at Greenview Place, we sent summer off with a “flurry” of fun as we had a snow cone bar! These delicious and refreshing treats were a fantastic way to say farewell to the warm weather, and relive all our great summer memories.

While reminiscing, Bob O. commented that he “felt like he was on a tropical island vacation” as he sipped his lime snow cone. Others commented that it had been a very long time since they had a snow cone, and one resident, Roy H., said that when he was little they were called “snowballs.” One lady even mentioned that she remembered having something like a snow cone at the state fair when she was a child.

The afternoon was all smiles and laughs as we remembered the past, and enjoyed the present. It was a great way to finish off the summer, and get ready for the fall.

She Takes the Cake

We have many very special residents at Greenview Place, and it has been my pleasure to get to know each of them. One such person is Susan. Susan is a very active member of the Greenview Place community. In addition to her contributions to the weekly sing-a-long and daily attendance of the exercise group, she also is a driving force behind the craft room, and leads the bi-monthly Resident Craft Corner.

Last week, I was treated to the smell of fresh baked goods as Susan prepared an angel food cake in the Pursuit of Happiness kitchen. It turns out that she was baking for her monthly book club. Each month, the Westinghouse High School Book Club meets at a different member’s house to talk shop, discuss the selection, and figure out what to read for the coming month. Susan got involved after teaching there for 25 years. This month, the group met on the Greenview terrace, and Susan reports that, “It was lovely; a lovely day.”

T'ai Chi For Me

Looking for a way to take some of the stress out of your day-to-day life? Well, at Greenview Place, look no further than our special senior T’ai Chi Ch’aun class. Greenview was pleased to welcome David Eckert, T’ai Chi instructor, to work with us this past Wednesday.

In case you are not familiar, this practice originated in China as a martial art, and is a mind-body practice sometimes referred to as "motion meditation". Those who are practitioners use special movements of the body; going slowly, gently, and with awareness, while breathing deeply. Often people find that focusing the mind solely on the movements of the form helps to bring about a state of mental calm and clarity. Many of the residents really enjoyed the class, and some even mentioned that they were going to try and incorporate some of the moved into their daily stretching routine. “I definitely will be trying this tomorrow morning!” he said.

Many practice T’ai Chi for the relaxation, health and mediation benefits-others simply enjoy it as a wonderful form of exercise. Whatever the reason, Tai Chi can be a great compliment to your regular exercise routine, and we were so happy to try it out, here at Greenview Place.

Want a chance to help the local community and yourself as well?

Mark your calendars today. You are invited to join us for our second annual free Senior Health Fair. The fair features tons of helpful health information as well as the health services available in your area.

Save space September 21st, from 10am-2pm! We will be raffling off fantastic prizes every half hour. We also have an opportunity to help out those in need. Receive a free raffle ticket when you bring in a non-perishable food item for the Lakeview Food Pantry. You may also purchase raffle tickets 5 for $1.00.

This afternoon is sure to be fun and full of lots of great information, so don't miss your opportunity to visit us and have a great time!

Aloha!

Friday, Greenview Place held its much anticipated Hawaiian Luau! The weather was perfect & guests and residents alike had an amazing afternoon.

In addition to a spread that included fresh fruit kabobs and rumaki, residents sipped on mock- tails like pina coladas, strawberry daiquiris, and mojitos.

As the party continued, a performance by Hawaiian dancers got the crowd moving. Residents and staff took turns doing the hula, spinning poi balls, and playing dance games. Two of our residents, who are from Hawaii said “It bought me right back to the island. I had a great time,” One resident raved, “I have never had a mojito before, and I loved it!” In the end, it was an amazing day, and we were all lucky to be a part of it.

The greatest wealth is health ~Virgil

Residents got the chance to change their fitness routine this week, as Greenview Place was happy to host Mallory Scholze PT, DPT, a physical therapist from LifeStyle Physical Therapy & Balance Center. Our guest reminded the class that, “It’s never too late to start exercising.” After a warm up and some stretching, the class practiced strength and balance moves to help tone muscles and improve gait.

Staying physically active is an important of daily life. Several studies suggest that exercise is a fantastic way to help keep bones, joints, balance, flexibility, endurance, mood and cognition healthy.

At Greenview Place we offer workouts six days a week. On the week days we hold a group class that is focused on bodyweight resistance moves, calisthenics, stretching, and resistance band work. Then, on Saturdays, the group does a special Tai Chi routine. Stay tuned as we welcome senior Tai Chi professional Mr. Eckart, to Greenview Place for a special session on August 24th.

Written in the Stars

Magic struck last night as Greenview Place enjoyed an evening of music, fun, and dancing under the stars. Residents, friends, family and staff alike had a wonderful time and took advantage of the gorgeous evening by heading up to our beautifully decorated terrace.

The evening featured a concert by The After Dark Trio. Residents were able to show off their moves as they danced in style under a canopy of silver stars. Ruth, our dining director, provided the food and drinks necessary for a real party atmosphere. Although the dance really heated up, residents were able to stay cool all night. One resident said he had such a good time that he “can’t wait for the luau later this month!”

It was a great event, and a great example of what summer in the city can mean.

Popcorn Puppy

This is Samson, the House Dog of Greenview Place. I am a black Labrador, and have lived here at Greenview for the past year and a half.

I was so lucky to find a place here. I had been given to a shelter after a family could no longer take care of me, and once I arrived at Greenview Place, I knew I was home.

Some of my favorite things are walks, ear rubs, treats, and the residents I share my home with. For those of you do don't know, we make fresh popcorn everyday here and one of my favorite times of the day is when Carla, our Operations Assistant, plays “Pup-corn” fetch with me. You may not realize this, but dogs like me love popcorn. I will even jump up and grab it in mid-air when she tosses it my way!

Most of all, I love my home here at Greenview Place. I feel so happy to live with so many people who all love and pay attention to me. It feels so good when residents stop by to say hi, give me a treat, or pet me. So, come by and visit me sometime, I will repay your effort with lots of tail-wagging and kisses. Sometimes I am at the reception desk, otherwise I will likely be found in the front office. Come and find me, I love company!

Feeling hot, hot, hot!

In Chicago, like much of the country, we have been feeling the effects of a very intense heat wave. As many of you know, when extreme heat strikes, it is vital to stay hydrated and find safe cooling places. At Greenview, we are lucky to have a wonderful air conditioning system, maintained by a top-notch staff. However, keeping hydrated is still of high importance. In addition to drinking, did you know that eating high-water content food can help you in your quest for hydration? The CDC tells us that fruits can contain 85%-90% water! In honor of staying cool, this week we made a delicious tropical fruit salad.
Residents took part, each chopping, peeling and mixing their way to the perfect summer dish. In addition to the perennial favorites of apple and orange, our salad also had an island vibe as we included tangy pineapple, tart kiwi, creamy banana and juicy mango!
After they finished assembling the treat, it was time to enjoy. There was even enough to share with other residents and friends.

Sweeter Than Sugar

Another summer week here at Greenview Place; to celebrate the season, we held an ice cream social. Ruth & I enjoyed serving sundaes to our guests.

There was a delicious assortment of ice creams with something for everyone- classic vanilla, for those who like to concentrate on the toppings. Chocolate ice cream was popular for those craving a delicious cool coco treat. Succulent strawberry satisfied those who craved a summer seasonal flavor. Finally, we rounded things out with a fun sorbet swirl fruit thrill. The traditional topping chocolate syrup was the most popular, but other residents enjoyed their choice caramel, banana, cookies and sprinkles.

Enjoying a refreshing snack is always fun in the summer, but seeing the smiles of the residents as they enjoyed their frozen goodies was even better. Look at the sweet smile on our resident face as she enjoys a dish of ice cream, and shares her joy with us.

Happy Independence Day

How was everyone’s 4th of July? Good, I hope. Here at Greenview Place we spent the day indulging in the great American tradition of hot dogs! Many of you have probably heard about Famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island. This year’s winner, Joey Chestnut, ate 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Well, we held our own frankfurter event, celebrating all the regional dogs America has to offer.

Our menu for the afternoon featured four red-hots, each representing the specialty dogs of the nation. From New York we offered a sauerkraut, onion and brown mustard topped frank. Atlanta represented with a chili & coleslaw dog, Cincinnati brought its best chili ‘n cheese version, and of course, Chicago had its own grandstander with relish, mustard, onion, tomato, sport peppers, pickles and celery salt!

After lunch, diners were offered the chance to vote on their favorite dog. No surprise here, the home town classic Chicago dog won hands down. The win will push the Chicago dog onto Greenview’s summer menu. The residents have spoken!

Welcome to the new Greenview Place Blog

My name is Libby, and I am the Life Enrichment Director at Greenview Place. We are starting a new and exciting format for our Greenview Blog. Starting now, we will be posting weekly updates to let you all know what is happening here at Greenview Place.
For those of you new to the site, here are some of the basics about Greenview Place. We are a vibrant and active supportive living community made up of about 100 residents and situated in Chicago’s beautiful Lakeview neighborhood. We offer accommodations to those 65 and over including three meals a day, activities, help with housekeeping, and medical support.
Each week, we will spotlight a feature produced by myself, or Ruth, the Dining Manager. From time to time, we will also be hosting special guest bloggers. These might include employees from other departments, residents or friends of the community.
We look forward to keeping you in the know about the major happenings here. You can expect posts highlighting employee achievements, event announcements and recaps with photos, as well as entries about special meals. We also welcome readers to leave comments and share this site with friends and family.
Again, welcome to the Greenview Place Blog.