Horse Races at St. Ann Center

Check out the excitement at St. Ann Center as we host our very own Kentucky Derby! Laughter filled the atrium as staff members raced around on their broom horses.

Blessed by their daily presence...

St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care is one of eleven Corporate Ministries sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi (OSF). OSF corporate ministries currently serve the underserved in communities in four states, providing critical services to those living with special needs, especially those who are young, frail, or challenged with disabilities.

To learn more about OSF's Corporate Ministries, go to http://www.lakeosfs.org/.

Even though each ministry is separately incorporated, all eleven corporate ministries sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi are united by the Franciscan values: Creating a caring community, Sharing compassion for others, Reverence for creation, and Peacemaking.

We will share more about these values in future blogs, but suffice it to say here that these values reflect our commitment to live and create community together through being with those in need.

So we here, at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, are not only employees and volunteers of St. Ann Center – we are also responsible for continuing the ministry originally founded by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi and carrying out their mission and values. 

As an OSF corporate ministry, St. Ann Center is very blessed by the daily presence of many Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi who work and volunteer daily at the center. Our upcoming Fall Seasons of Life newsletter features profiles on the many Sisters that give their time and positivity to promote peace, justice, and the fulfillment of the mission and purpose of St. Ann Center.

Together, all of us at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care are responsible for creating a caring community that bridges the age gap and provides innovative programs to those in need and who might otherwise not receive our love and care.

Discovering the Hidden Jewels of St. Ann Center

   We are so thankful for the many volunteers that we have here at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care. Without their hard work and dedication, we would not be able to reach those in need of our love and care. Many of our volunteers travel out into the community to raise awareness and spread the reach of our programs and services. Others, like Sister Jeanne d'Arc Omilan, come into the Center to help with the myriad of activities and programs that we offer in-house.

   Sister Jeanne d’Arc has been volunteering for St. Ann for ­­­­14 years, and at 97 years of age, that is no small feat.  After retiring in 1991, she began her second career as a volunteer. She has been putting her time and effort towards helping organizations in the Milwaukee community extend the outreach of their missions and services.  Our center is one of the many recipients blessed by her touch. In addition to helping out with the Jewelry department here at St. Ann Center, she also volunteers with several other Sisters in a local jail outreach.

   In the Jewelry Department here at St. Ann Center, it is the careful eye and the keen attention to detail that she provides as donation intake specialist that allows valuable pieces of jewelry to not go unnoticed. And 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these donations go towards providing the much needed services to our clients who otherwise would not be able to afford them.  This includes baths, therapy, rehabilitation, and integrative counseling services.

   Without Sister Jeanne d’Arc’s faith and commitment to the mission of St. Ann Center, some of these hidden gems would go unnoticed. As she kindly says about St. Ann’s founder and President Sister Edna Lonergan, “She has the vision and we do the work.”

It's the Little Things

Sometimes it's just the little things that matter most.
Sometimes it's just a "God bless you," when someone sneezes.
Sometimes it's an "excuse me," when trying to move out of the way of a wheelchair.

Sometimes it's as simple as an act or gesture of caring; bending down to pick up something someone has dropped, holding a door for someone who struggles, moving things out of the way for a wheelchair to get through, a high five, a hand shake, a pat on the back.

Yolanda, the art and crafts teacher at St. Ann Center, understands this well.  She teaches arts and crafts, helps with computer time, feeds clients at lunch time, and occasionally, when she has time, she also paints the clients nails.  It's a small act really.  It doesn't take much time.  But it really means a lot to the clients.  It helps to make them feel cared for and loved.

"Look at my nails!" said one client as I was walking through the atrium.  Yolanda had just painted her nails and she was feeling very pretty!  It made me smile all day!

Summer Camp Learns about the Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Our summer program kids had so much fun learning about the life cycle of the caterpillar to butterfly. With the help of several St. Ann Center staff the kids gathered some caterpillars and a lot of leaves and branches put them in a large plastic container with holes punched in the top…and then they waited.

Each day they checked the container and watched as the caterpillars ate the leaves and pooped…and boy did they poop. They learned to clean out the container and make sure the caterpillars had plenty to eat and someplace strong to attach themselves to so they could make their cocoons.

The caterpillars attached themselves to the top of the container and began to spin their cocoons. The children got to see the whole process. Once the cocoon was formed they waited. It turned out they waited about 12 days; that was the average wait.

Right before their eyes a magnificent monarch butterfly emerged ever so slowly from its chrysalis (also called a pupa.) The kids also learned some new words! When the butterfly’s wings were dry they took the butterfly out of the jar and took turns letting it land on their hands, or shirts and noses! When it was time, they released the beautiful butterfly outside so it could start the life cycle all over again!

It certainly didn’t take long and they were lucky enough to experience the full life cycle of the butterfly. The summer program learned many new things this summer. Our next summer program article will be about Mad Science!

 

Jewelry making is art, therapy and a whole lot of fun!

Susan G. and her jewelry creations!

Suzanne Leberman is St. Ann Center’s jewelry teacher and works one-on-one with many clients creating beautiful wearable art. St. Ann Center offers jewelry classes for a small cost to any client interested in learning to make their own jewelry.

A new client named Susan G. started attending St. Ann Center in November. She was recovering from a brain aneurysm and part of her therapy at her rehab facility was stringing beads so naturally when she heard about the Suzanne’s jewelry classes she was intrigued and signed up right away.

When Susan began the jewelry making classes her jewelry was beautiful but very simplistic and followed an easy pattern of 3’s. As Susan progressed her jewelry has increased in beauty as well as design complexity. She has steadily moved beyond set patterns and advanced to creating lovely necklackes, bracelets and matching earrings. Suzanne says that she has really witnessed a change and definite progress in Susan’s abilities since she started. It’s exciting to witness such change and improvement in the health of our clients.


This is one of the first jewelry pieces that Susan created.



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 This is one of the later pieces that Susan created



 Susan (St. Ann Center Client) and Suzanne L.(jewelry teacher) 

Mary, Mary...Oh How Your Garden Grows

Mary is a massage therapist and "gardener extraordinaire" at St. Ann Center. Although Mary is an amazing massage therapist she also works as the landscape gardener. Each spring, summer and fall the grounds at St. Ann Center are full of beautiful blooms thanks to Mary and her many client helpers!

There are different types of flowers and colorful explosions sprouting up all around the center. Mary is very happy to let us know that the majority of plants and flowers were shared from other’s gardens. Most of the plants are perennials and they spread each year. Mary spends time digging and transplanting and weeding each day. She’s always happy to share a helpful gardening tip.

Mary has a great ability to bring the outside in. Throughout the year Mary cuts blooms and brings them into the Center to add a special caring touch and sometimes lovely flower aroma to the clients. Many clients also help Mary do different gardening activities. Pam (pictured at right) is a client at St. Ann Center who helps Mary cut blooms and makes them into lovely flower arrangements.

Mary was also most recently named winner of the St. Ann Center Employee “Maggie Cary – Recognize a Winner Award!” Here are some of the wonderful things Mary’s co-workers said about her:

• “She is filled with warmth and love.”

• “She keeps St. Ann Center a beautiful place in various ways. Not only does she tend to the atrium, garden, and grounds, her decorations during the holidays are lovely too.”

• “She is always ready to listen to concerns you may have and has an attitude to help out whoever needs it!”

• “The beauty that is gifted to us truly creates a peace filled environment.”

St. Ann Center is very blessed to have Mary McCanna care for it’s grounds as well as its clients, staff and visitors!

U.S. Senator Herb Kohl Visits St. Ann Center and Addresses the Future of SeniorCare

Senator Herb Kohl visited and toured St. Ann Center, hosted by Center president, Sr. Edna Lonergan and Board Chair Jim Lenahan. They also were accompanied by Stephanie Sue Stein, executive director of Milwaukee Department of Aging, president and executive director of CWAG-Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups. Senator Kohl spoke to a crowd of older adults who had gathered in the Center’s atrium to hear him speak and take the opportunity to ask him questions.

He told the crowd that on March 17 he had urged Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to deny any request to change Wisconsin’s popular prescription drug program, SeniorCare. In 2007 and 2009, Kohl fought to extend the SeniorCare program, which was established by Gov. Tommy Thompson in 2002.

Kohl asked the Secretary to preserve the current federal SeniorCare waiver that he had negotiated. Any change to the program must be approved by the Health and Human Services Secretary. Under the terms of the 1115 Medicaid waiver that authorizes the program, changes to SeniorCare are prohibited without federal approval.

“SeniorCare has proven to be an efficient, cost-effective choice for Wisconsin seniors. It would be a mistake to dismantle this program, which provides exceptional coverage while saving consumers, taxpayers and the state money. I’m confident that the Administration recognizes the value of SeniorCare,” Kohl said.

According to the Department of Health in Wisconsin, in 2009, the average annual federal cost per enrollee for SeniorCare was $588, less than half the $1,690 federal government spent to subsidize a Part D participant. SeniorCare negotiates lower drug prices and saved $50 million in 2009 alone. SeniorCare currently has a $20 million surplus that the State of Wisconsin wants to use to plug the budget deficit.

Because Medicare Part D does not negotiate drug prices, most, if not all, Wisconsin seniors enrolled in SeniorCare would see the cost of their medicines rise. Wisconsin would no longer receive drug rebates through negotiation, further padding drug company profits.

As Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging Senator Kohl joins with Ranking Member Bob Corker in leading the committee to explore and investigate issues that concern all elderly Americans.

You can find more information on Senator Herb Kohl at http://kohl.senate.gov/

There is Strength in Words!

Recently I re-posted via St. Ann Center’s facebook, a link in support of a program that is supported by Best Buddies called “Spread the Word to End the Word.” This program is striving to support the elimination of the derogatory use of the word ‘retard(ed)’ from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.

Someone commented on our facebook page essentially saying that “we have the problem with the use of the r-word, that people with disabilities don’t care about the use of that word.” As the administrator of the page I removed that comment from our page because I felt it was inappropriate.

I would like to respond to that posting because I feel it is necessary to explain why the posting was removed. The person who made that comment was somewhat correct. It is the people who love and care for those with special needs that care about the use of the r-word. It is true that some people with disabilities do not understand that they are being referred to using the “r-word,” but there are some who do understand.

I have a child with Down syndrome and he is, in fact, mentally retarded – though that clinical connotation is no longer used. Clinically he is referred to as cognitively delayed, not mentally retarded. The denotation of the word ‘retard’ is ‘slow.’ When people in casual speech, use the r-word it is usually used as a derogatory expression meaning “stupid” or “dumb” not “slow.” It hurts me, yes me personally, when I hear people ignorantly use the r-word in casual conversation. My son does not care about the use of the r-word, but his brothers, his sister, his grandparents and his parents do!

Below is an excerpt taken from the website r-word.org:

“The R-word hurts because it is exclusive. It’s offensive. It’s derogatory. The R-word is hate speech.

How "retardation" went from a clinical description to a word of derision

When they were originally introduced, the terms “mental retardation” or “mentally retarded” were medical terms with a specifically clinical connotation; however, the pejorative forms, “retard” and “retarded” have been used widely in today’s society to degrade and insult people with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, when “retard” and “retarded” are used as synonyms for “dumb” or “stupid” by people without disabilities, it only reinforces painful stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities being less valued members of humanity. “

I would like to hear what you think. Please feel free to comment below.

A heart warming site on a cold winter day!

Mornings can be crazy in the lobby at St. Ann Center – people coming and going, staff coming in for the day, clients arriving on buses, caregivers dropping off their loved ones, parents dropping off their sometimes crying children, housekeeping trying to keep the floors clean and dry in these wet winter months.

As I watched the clients arrive I was humbled as I usually am by the amount of care and concern the staff shows to each and every person that arrives through the front door. One arrival in particular caught my attention - Marta a woman in her 20’s. She was seated in her wheelchair bundled from head to toe with hat and scarf, large winter coat and blanket on her legs. Marta can’t speak but she has the most infectious smile. Today, as she’s greeted with a friendly “good morning” her nose is running from the cold. The caregiver who greeted Marta sees her and says “Oh honey, let’s wipe your nose, that must be uncomfortable,” and she gently wipes Marta’s nose. Marta returned the favor with one of her beautiful smiles.

Marta is unable to wipe her own nose, she’s unable to dress herself, she’s unable to feed herself, and she’s unable to go to the bathroom by herself. These are all the things that the staff at St. Ann Center provides for her along with loving companionship. It really was a very heart warming sight to see!

A Sign of Peace or a Wink of Peace?

Extending PEACE happens at St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care in a special way at Mass.  Traditionally a sign of peace is a hand shake or a hug.  At St. Ann Center it is the famous "wink of peace".  Participants are quite happy to extend this happy sign to one another.

The famous "wink of peace" was introduced by Fr. Byron Haaland, a Sacred Heart priest, during the flu season to avoid spreading germs. The desire was present to acknowledge and extend peace to the each other gathered at Mass, but he wanted to avoid the traditional hand shake.

The "wink" is an affectionate, caring gesture that warms the room and makes everyone feel special as they extend peace to one another.  Mass is held twice weekly at St. Ann Center.

"What's the matter? Isn't your hearing aid working?"

I recently attended a networking fair where I met someone from the Center for Communication, Hearing and Deafness.  I asked some generic questions about the center and their services and then we ended up talking about the older clients at St. Ann Center, many who are hearing impaired.  Some people believe that if you just talk louder someone with a hearing loss will hear.  Or, if they wear hearing aids they will be able to hear but there is more to it than needing hearing aids.

In an article I recieved from the center titled, The hearing aid myth, it stated, "many people believe that hearing aids function like eyeglasses.  Most eyeglass wearers achieve 20-20 vision or something close to it with corrected lenses and have their day-to-day visual problems largely eliminated.  Hearing aids, while very helpful for most people who are hard of hearing, do not eliminate hearing problems.  Unlike glasses, the benefits of hearing aids are situation-specific, that is, they are very helpful in some situations, but not in others, such as, in noisy environments."

I also have a son who is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids so I understood this jist of this article but, it made me realize that many people who work with individuals who are hearing impaired don't.  Just because a person is wearing a hearing aid it doesn't mean that they can hear everything.  My son has permanent loss as do most people who wear hearing aids.  This permanent loss affects certain levels of sound and no hearing aid is going to make him hear that sound.

It is very important to remeber that when working or living with someone who is hearing impaired, there are  many different communication tools and strategies to aid and foster understanding and clarity.  The Center for Communication, Hearing and Deafness can help.

What is the Buddy Program?

The Buddy Program is a community service of St. Ann Center that reaches out to central city youth between the ages of 12 and 16, aiming to teach them valuable life lessons.

“Youth gain job training, budget training, and have an opportunity to work on social skills,” Tony Phillips, Buddy Program Coordinator, said.

Youth qualify for the program based on their attendance at the Academy of Learning and Leadership, Central City Cyber School, and Fernwood Montessori. Even though the program collaborates with these schools, the program is open to youth throughout Milwaukee. Transportation is a challenge in getting the youth to and from St. Ann’s. “Currently, we only have one 7 passenger van,” Phillips said. The gift will help support transportation.

Through the program, youth spend time at St. Ann Center, learning while interacting with St. Ann clients. “Youths spend two hours a week with St. Ann Center clients, sharing life experiences, playing various games, and helping transport clients to their vans at the end of the day.”

The program is effective in teaching the young people to show respect to all, no matter their age or what kind of challenges they’re facing. Buddy Program participant Cassidie said, “I have learned not to judge someone because of how they look or talk.”
The program is mutually beneficial to the young people and St. Ann’s clients, who benefit from having the youth around because of the assistance and company they provide. “Clients get an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others despite their own challenges.” Phillips said.

Written By: Brandon Lemke and Bianca Constanzo

A Visit to the Respite Center

There are so many different units and services here at St. Ann Center that if you were walking in for the first time, you probably wouldn’t know where to begin. One of the, the respite center, is a place where people can bring their loved ones, usually frail from age or challenged with a disability, when they need someone to care for them for a while. Stays are no longer than 20 days. The respite area has 9 rooms, each with distinctive décor and cultural theme. Guests may stay in the Irish room or the Polish room, for example. Guests are invited to "feel at home" during their stay, and are treated like family. A departing guest recently remarked, "I loved my stay and can't wait to return!"

Marian, one of the respite staff, said “St Ann's is a wonderful place to work. This job is a blessing to have, for more reasons than one. I was able to bring my daughter to work when she could not be in childcare. When my car was snowed in and they were able to come get me. The spirit is wonderful here.”

Now, if you can name a place where not only the service is excellent, but the people providing that service genuinely enjoy being there, then I'll be happy to say that I was wrong when I thought “there's no community in the world like St. Ann Center!”

Written by St. Ann Center staff

International Day of Peace – Peace Walk

On a beautiful, sunny autumn day, about 50 members of the community gathered outside St. Francis Convent on Milwaukee’s south side to celebrate the 28th Annual International Day of Peace.

The United Nations established the day of peace in 1981 which is observed every year on September 21. More than 175 nations celebrate Peace Day. (Wect.com, 2010)

In the opening prayer we were reminded that we are all part of one global human family living together in a world that remains broken and divided. Everyone joined in prayer in hopes that the universal desire for peace may be realized. The participants gathered, walked and prayed for peace.

Everyone gathered around the “peace pole” located on the grounds of the St. Francis convent. The pole is inscribed with the words “May peace prevail on earth” written in serveral different languages.

The event ended with a prayer recited by one of St. Ann Center’s clients. As a Franciscan community we are reminded of the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace!”

A plastic bottle, newspaper and masking tape!

“A plastic bottle, newspaper and masking tape!” said Derek, a summer program participant. “Looks like an airplane to me” said another little boy. “All it needs is some paint” said another. The children in the St. Ann Center summer program are having a fun time being creative and they are also learning a special lesson about recycling.

Stacy Vittal, Adaptive Arts Director & Art Therapist at St. Ann Center had the enterprising idea of creating an art project that would teach the children the power of recycling as well as environmental sustainability. She hoped they would learn how easy and accessible it is to recycle.

When asked about the benefits of the project Stacy said, “The children are learning how to make independent decisions, improve their social skills, build self-esteem and improve interpersonal skills. The also have a chance to improve fine motor skills through art. The benefits are endless.”

I Scream! You Scream! We All Scream for Ice Cream!

On Monday, August 16 the St. Ann Center Smoothie Bar Crew (pictured left) decided to have a “Ice Cream Party” offering amazing ice cream cones for the low price of only $1.00.

Maggie Cary dedicated volunteer at St. Ann Center runs the smoothie bar with the help of a few of the clients. Maggie said, “It really helps to make the clients feel usual and give them a sense of accomplishment! It is so fun to see how excited they get to serve others!”

Being able to offer the ice cream cones for only $1.00 makes it easy for the clients to buy a cone and enjoy the snack. It’s a perfect summer day treat. Many of the clients, children and staff enjoyed the large ice cream cones. Thanks Maggie and crew!

The St. Ann Center Smoothie Bar is open daily. Everyone can enjoy ice cream cones and delicious smoothies as well as coffee, cappuccino and lattes.

The Joy of Generations

Every now and then, day care encounters an individual who is anxious and upset that they are being left behind by their loved one for the day. A child will cry out and ask for their mother. A man will ask over and over again where his wife is and when he can go home. From childhood to adulthood, St. Ann's staff has found this to be a consistency throughout life's stages. Here at St. Ann's, the many generations find solace in each other.

A young girl repeatedly asking for her mother and crying during an intergenerational activity at St. Ann's Shepherd House, was placed on the lap of a client, suffering from dementia, who often grows upset by the absence of his wife. The two were instantly calmed. Together, they participated in activities with the other children and adults, without tears or nervous questioning.

A remarkable sight to see, but ever so common within the walls of St. Ann's, proving once again how the importance of intergenerational care is apparent as a successful therapy for a variety of generations.

Submitted by Stacy Ory

St. Ann Center Charity Cash Raffle Winner

Mr. John Costa of New Berlin is the big winner of the St. Ann Center 2010 Charity Cash Raffle! Congratulations John! Pictured at left is John and Delma V. St. Ann Center's raffle coordinator. John came to visit St. Ann Center and pick up his winning check.

The public raffle drawing was held on Saturday, April 24 at 2:00 p.m. at St. Ann Center. There was a crowd of about 100 people on hand to learn of the new winner!

St. Ann Center holds two yearly raffles, one in April and one in October. The proceeds from these cash raffles directly supports the young, elderly and disabled clients that come to St. Ann Center for services. With the support of the raffle, St. Ann Center is able to provide care for those most in need in our community. Thank you to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket.

Jewelry Sales at St. Ann Center

St. Ann Center has become quite well known for its gently used and vintage jewelry sales. How did this happen? In the very beginning when Sr. Edna Lonergan, founder and president of St. Ann Center, conceived of the idea of adult day care the looming question arose, “How are you going to afford to do this?” Sr. Edna decided she would raise the money, even if it was by nickels and dimes. And so, it began with some donated rummage items and weekend rummage sales.

Soon she started asking the community to donate new or gently used and vintage jewelry for resale. And oh boy did the community respond. Each week the sisters would get donations of jewelry. They would sort the jewelry and number it and attach it to special jewelry cards. Before they knew it, they had thousands of donated jewelry items. The sales began to grow and St. Ann Center began outside jewelry sales, taking their goods to off-site venues. It has become very successful.

St. Ann Center holds two yearly on-site jewelry sales, its next used and vintage jewelry sale will be on Saturday, March 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This will be a very special “Soup’er BLOWOUT Jewelry Sale.” There will be literally thousands of items from rings to watches, from earrings to necklaces. There will also be home made soup for eat in or carry out. This is the sale you don’t want to miss.