St. Ann Center seeks entertainers for summer concert series.
Know an entertainer in need of a stage? The Indaba Band Shell at 2450 W. North Ave. is looking for performers and groups for its summer concert series, Indaba Nights.
The band shell, opened in 2019, is located on the grounds of St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care-Bucyrus Campus. This year marks the beginning of Indaba Nights, the band shell’s public summer entertainment series. Performances are now being scheduled for the 13-week series, set for Wednesdays, 6:30-8 p.m., from June 2 through Aug. 25.
“St. Ann is very excited to be offering quality entertainment at a time when people are so hungry for it,” said Gloria Miller, St. Ann Center’s Special Events Director. “We know there’s a wealth of talent in our neighborhood and throughout Greater Milwaukee, and we’re happy to be able to showcase it at this great community venue.”
Acts must be family-friendly and appropriate for all ages, including musicians, singers, dancers, poets, comedians, magicians and more. Performers are invited to submit a video of their talent (three to five minutes long).
Email a link to the video. Write “Indaba Nights” and the performer’s name in the subject line and include a link to the video in the body of the email. Send to St. Ann Center’s Special Events Director Gloria Miller at gmiller@stanncenter.org.
Contact Gloria with additional questions at 414-210-2428.
https://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/62393231_2342327356024561_4817381532765257728_o.jpg15362048Sharon Selzhttps://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/st-ann-center-for-intergenertional-care-milwaukee.pngSharon Selz2021-02-17 11:02:302021-02-23 12:01:52Performers Wanted for Band Shell Season
Hearts were racing around the Stein Campus—literally—during an all-campus Valentine’s Day celebration on Feb. 12th.
Clients fell in love with the idea of some friendly competition in the atrium. Donning sandwich board hearts, runners, walkers and some using wheelchairs sped around a short course as fellow clients cheered them on. The winners were treated to a free visit to the St. Ann Center café.
Rounding out the morning activities was a program featuring romantic ballads sung by the staff, a few jokes (How did the phone propose to his girlfriend? He gave her a ring!) and a tribute to artist Esther Howland, who was the first entrepreneur to publish and sell valentine cards in the United States.
Happily, love was in the cards for all ages on this special day. Hundreds of valentines, carefully handcrafted by the childcare kids and adult clients, were exchanged. As a special surprise, students from neighboring Fernwood Montessori School made valentines for St. Ann Center’s adults as a special intergenerational class project.
And while temperatures were frigid outside, there was nothing but warm feelings inside as clients finished up the laughter-filled celebration with an impromptu dance party.
https://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Vday2022-7-scaled.jpg15392048Sharon Selzhttps://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/st-ann-center-for-intergenertional-care-milwaukee.pngSharon Selz2021-02-12 16:42:322021-02-12 16:42:32Love Is in the Air at St. Ann Center
Spending time inside St. Ann Center will truly be a breath of fresh air, thanks to some modern technology that mimics Mother Nature.
A system known as Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization (NPBI) is being installed at both the Stein and Bucyrus Campuses. “This is another step we’re taking to keep our clients, children and staff healthy during this time of flu and COVID-19,” said Chief Development Officer Chris Jackson.
Outside, nature uses ions (atoms or molecules with an electrical charge) that are created by lightning, waterfalls and ocean waves to break apart unnatural toxins. Inside, the NPBI technology creates ions that are dispersed through a building’s ventilation system. The ions latch onto particles of dust, dander, pollen, etc. and make them come together into large clusters that are easy to trap in an air filtration system.
In the case of viruses, bacteria and mold, the ions bond with these pathogens and disrupt their surface proteins, rendering them harmless.
The NPBI system is being installed by Johnson Controls. Next Door Milwaukee funded this installation for all its Head Start sites, including the Bucyrus Campus childcare wing. Other grants, including one from the Bradley Foundation, covered the cost of the technology throughout the rest of the buildings.
https://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/st-ann-center-for-intergenertional-care-milwaukee.png00Sharon Selzhttps://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/st-ann-center-for-intergenertional-care-milwaukee.pngSharon Selz2020-11-18 12:44:492020-11-18 12:44:49Clearing the Air at St. Ann Center
The Great Pumpkin arrived at the Stein Campus a week early and brought several of his friends with him. Clients from all of the adult units carved out time this month to decorate Styrofoam pumpkins. The result was an amazing just-for-fun contest with 55 entries!
Selecting the pick of the patch was difficult, but five were singled out for being especially gourd-geous:
Funniest Pumpkin: Robert J. (Robert is known for wearing cool sunglasses, and decided to create a self-portrait pumpkin, complete with green shades.)
Most Colorful Pumpkin: Karen Baranowski (Karen loves making jewelry, and so it’s no wonder she bedecked her multicolored creation with beads.)
Scariest Pumpkin: Roger Mai (Roger’s creepy masterpiece features a spooky spider weaving a wonderfully intricate web.)
Most Creative Pumpkin: Mary Collins (Mary added a touch of nature to her pretty pumpkin, perching a butterfly on its head.)
Best in Show Pumpkin: Tracy Smith (Tracy, who can only use one of her hands, used pipe cleaners to add perky personality to her jolly jack-o’-lantern.)
All the pumpkin artists were awarded with ice cream to celebrate their amazing work.
https://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/MicrosoftTeams-image-1-scaled.jpg20481536Sharon Selzhttps://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/st-ann-center-for-intergenertional-care-milwaukee.pngSharon Selz2020-10-21 14:29:172020-11-13 13:44:19Pumpkin Contest Brings Clients Out of Their Shells
You’ve probably heard about the health benefits owning a pet can provide, especially for seniors. From decreased stress to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, to improved socialization and more opportunities for exercise and socializing – the list is so impressive that it’s even been noted by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you’re a pet owner, you’re already aware of the love and companionship a pet can provide. It may seem like a pet is a purr-fect solution for an older relative who’s been feeling lonely.
But before you suggest it, think honestly, not just about their willingness and ability to care for an animal, but also their own self-care capabilities. People over 65, and those with weakened immune systems, are more likely to get diseases spread between animals and people, so it’s imperative that they’ll remember to wash their hands after touching, feeding or cleaning up after the pets, and before eating or drinking.
How are their mobility and stability? Can they bend down to feed or clean up after a pet? Pets can increase risk of falling, especially of concern in Wisconsin, where even young and healthy people can be felled by icy sidewalks. A 2018 CDC report named our state as having the nation’s highest rate of deadly falls among the elderly. Some 1,365 residents 65 or older died from falls in 2016, for a rate more than twice as high the national average. That’s more than deaths from breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
Nationally, a Journal of the American Medical Association study reported that bone fractures among seniors over 65 walking their dogs totaled 4,396 in 2017, more than double those reported in 2004. Inside, too, pets can get underfoot and cause falls.
There can be other hurdles as well. Money Under 30 places the cost of care for a healthy, medium-sized dog or cat is $500/year, not counting the costs in acquiring it. That can be tough on a fixed income – and some seniors will go hungry to make sure their pet eats. And sometimes a lease prohibits pets, or a family member’s allergies rule out keeping a pet.
There are ways, though, to get that love into their life, and it’s worth the extra effort! Perhaps you could suggest:
Cat cafes. You can make a reservation at Sip and Purr, a new cat café and lounge, to cuddle adoptable cats in their Cat Lounge ($5/hour). Or just watch them –no charge — through the glass as you snack in the adjoining café.
Regular visits withand/or pet-sitting for a well-trained animal that belongs to friend or relative.
If finances are the issue, caring for dogs or cats awaiting permanent adoption can be a good fit — many shelters pay for the pet’s vet care and food. Placements generally last a week to three months, and can be tailored to the carer’s needs – for instance, older and more sedate animals as opposed to an energetic puppy.
Pet therapy house calls. Groups like the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and Therapy Dogs International bring trained service dogs to nursing homes, hospitals and hospices; some also offer home visits to bring comfort and healing.
Another Paws-ability
If you’re considering adult day care for your relative, you can look for one that incorporates pets.
Several comfort doggos spend time with clients at our Stein Campus (and two budgies chirp cheerfully in the atrium for an appreciative audience). Melody, a sociable golden retriever, is a regular in the dementia care unit, soothing anxious clients and cheering others; Sofie, a bearded collie owned by a client’s sister, visits the Northwest Unit weekly to interact. Comical little Spike pops in periodically to charm adult units and childcare classrooms with his Shih Tzu antics. And there’s Gracie, the English golden retriever who makes herself at home daily in the Senior Wellness Unit.
“Just seeing the clients’ face light up when Gracie walks in and greets them is wonderful,” says Debbie Pavlik, lead staffer in Senior Wellness. Even people who aren’t verbal brighten as Gracie nuzzles up and they reach to pet her. Some clients reminisce about dogs they’ve owned over the years, or bring in photos to share.
“Pets understand humans better than humans do,” Indian author Ruchi Prabhu once wrote. It’s worth digging a bit to help someone experience that understanding and unconditional love.
For more information about adult care services at the Stein Campus, 2801 E. Morgan Ave., contact Shannon Schave at (414) 977-5027; to learn more about the Bucyrus Campus, 2450 W. North Ave., contact Tiffany Payne at (414) 210-2460.
https://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ac_asha.png350847Tyler Copeshttps://stanncenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/st-ann-center-for-intergenertional-care-milwaukee.pngTyler Copes2020-03-02 08:30:292020-04-20 09:45:57Seniors & Pets: A Love Story for the Ages-Is getting a pet right for your older family member?
