Newsletter September/October 2019
Note from the Board
Dear Skyliners,

At the end of September, the national Village to Village Network will hold its annual conference in Chicago. Board members will represent Skyline Village throughout the conference. Look  h ere  for a schedule of events. If you have questions or concerns you’d like us to address with the Village Network, please email us at info@skylinevillagechicago.org .

This edition of SVC’s newsletter presents a new look and direction. You’ll see more space for members’ contributions. We want to publish your stories, essays, poems, drawings and photos! Email your masterpieces to  editor@skylinevillagechicago.org . Also, we are introducing an Advocacy column to update you on Skyline’s involvement with the community. 

SVC President, Phyllis Mitzen, is in temporary quarters at Alden Estates in Evanston. She’s slowly recovering from a van crashing into her on Michigan Avenue at the end of June. She’s not yet ambulatory, but we look forward to seeing Phyllis shuffling through the autumn leaves. Phyllis is posting her progress on  CaringBridge.com . Sign in, read her blog and leave her a message. She’d love to hear from you.

We look forward to knowing if this new format suits you.

Cheers,

SVC Board Members

SVC Events

 SVC's Friday Forum
Last Friday of the month
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Mity Nice Grill
835 N. Michigan Avenue
Dutch Treat Lunch
$5 room fee payable at event.
September 27
Whatever Happened to House Calls?
Ask Dwayne Dobschuetz, APRN, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner 
Older adults in the emergency room use more resources and are admitted to the hospital more frequently than other age groups. If they are admitted, more than 30 percent go home with a minor or major health problem they picked up at the hospital. Even so, ER doctors frequently admit older adults unnecessarily because they are afraid to send them home alone.

Dwayne Dobschuetz, a nurse practitioner makes house calls for Geriatric Emergency Department Innovations (GEDI) program at Northwestern Hospital to help older adults at home after they’ve been to the ER.

GEDI in the news: 

SVC's Memoir Writing Class - Fall Session
Thursdays, October 3 - through November 7 10:00am-11:30am
Wintrust Community Room
100 W. North Avenue

We're proud to announce an upcoming Memoir Writing class fall session, free of charge to Skyline members. The class, led by Sharon Kramer, a Beth Finke Master Teacher ™, will be held from 10:00am - 11:30am :Thursdays for six weeks October 10- November 7.
For a $75 per year Skyline membership, you can finally start to write those stories down. Spaces are limited so sign up soon!

If you are already a member, click on the link below.

If you are not yet a member of Skyline Village Chicago, go to the home page at  www.skylinevillagechicago.org  and click Join to sign up. Then you can register for the workshop.

 SVC's Friday Forum
Last Friday of the month
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Mity Nice Grill
835 N. Michigan Avenue
Dutch Treat Lunch
$5 room fee payable at event.
October 25
Is Chicago Reformed Yet?
David Greising
President & CEO, Better Government Assoc.

Progressive J.B. Pritzker, elected Governor in November 2018 and reformer Lori Lightfoot, elected mayor in May 2019 both promised to clean up Illinois and Chicago government. What’s changed? Is our government more transparent? More ethical?

For the past 35 years, David Greising has been a high-profile journalist locally and nationally. He served more than a decade as the Chicago Tribune’s business columnist and chief business correspondent.  


 SVC's Friday Forum
Last Friday of the month
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Mity Nice Grill
835 N. Michigan Avenue
Dutch Treat Lunch
$5 room fee payable at event.

November 22: What's The Illinois Legislature Up To?
Find out from two Skyline-land legislators, Representatives Kam Buckner and Lamont Robinson. We'll hear about the Chicago Casino, Implementation of Recreational Cannabis, Street Crime, Pension Reform and the Fair Tax.

Kambium Buckner (Democrat) Illinois House of Representatives, District 26. He was appointed to the position in 2019 to replace Christian Mitchell.
Lamont Robinson Jr. (Democrat) Illinois House of Representatives, District 5. Robinson was elected to the office on November 6, 2018 replacing Julianna Stratton, the Lieutenant Governor.
SVC Partner Events
CLL and SVC
Wednesday, October 2
Schaalman Senior Voices at CLL: Film and Open Mic
1:30pm – 2:30pm
126 E. Chestnut
Free and open to all; no RSVP necessary

Three Center for Life and Learning members are featured in a special film that explores their perspectives on aging and living. After this Schaalman Senior Voices screening there will be a lively and interactive open mic session, providing those in attendance the opportunity to express what matters the most to them as they age.

This event is presented in collaboration with the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging.
State of the State for Older Adults 
Monday, October 7 
11:30am–12:30pm
$5 for CLL members / $10 for guests

In March of 2019 Governor J.B. Pritzker appointed Paula Basta to be the Director of the Illinois Department of Aging. She will join us to discuss the “state of the state” and what older adults in Illinois need to know regarding state legislation and programming affecting them.

Medicare Part D 
Tuesday, November 5
2:30pm - 3:30pm

Esther Craven, resource coordinator at CJE SeniorLife, and Kate Paz, director of programs at Without Walls at Mather Lifeways, will give a timely presentation on what’s new and your options during Medicare Part D Open Enrollment. 

Following the talk registrants will have the opportunity to sign up for a free one-on-one consultation with Esther or Kate, who are SHIP trained volunteers and can assist you in selecting the prescription plan that best meets your needs.

Good Times with Skyline Village Chicago
July Friday Forum
Dr. Sarah Dennis and Frankie Pedersen of the American Indian Center and John Dall, leader of the Chicago area Ho-Chunk delegation, described the effort to change the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.
August Friday Forum

Gavin Van Horn, Author of Way of Coyote Talked about the proliferation and resilience of coyotes, herons and peregrine falcons in Chicago and the joy and magic of city nature.
SVC's First Memoir Writing Class
By Judy Karlov
The first memoir writing class for Skyline Village members was in July-August 2019, and I was lucky enough to be one of the eight students. The excellent teacher was Sharon Kramer, a Master Instructor who teaches by the Beth Finke method. The location was the community room of the beautiful, mid-century modern Wintrust Bank at Clark St. and North Ave.
We wrote in class much of the first session and for a few minutes in subsequent sessions to get us started. We read our finished 600-word memoirs in the next class. It was good luck for all of us that each of us was better at this than we expected to be, so listening to fellow students was very pleasant and hearing their positive responses to my work was very encouraging.

The assigned topics were inspiring, but we were also encouraged to think of our own topic. The one that gave me the most pleasure to write was “My Gramma’s Kitchen.” The one that got the best response was “Taking a Risk.” Having always been a business writer, I didn’t know that I could also write decent personal stories, and it was fun to learn that.

Skyline Village will be having another memoir writing class before long and I strongly encourage you to sign up before it fills up without you. 
Sounds Good! and Good
Memories Choirs
August 10 Combined Concert

SVC was well represented among the choir members who sang such iconic songs as Mack the Knife, Love Me Tender, and Dock of the Bay at the August 10 concert at 4th Presbyterian Church
Skyliner Expeditions
We would love to hear about your recent travels. Late summer trip you didn’t get the chance to send for this issue? Visit to a grandchild for a football game? Fall colors trip you took in time for the November-December issue? Please send an article along with a few pictures. When you attach the pictures to an email, and your computer asks for small/medium/large, choose large. Send your articles and pictures by the week of October 21 st to j udy.karlov@gmail.com .
Brigantine Island
By Giulia Guidotti
It was Mother’s Day 1985. Language instructors and students of the Italian Department of the Foreign Service Institute were invited to a weekend at one student’s summer home in Brigantine, New Jersey. I fell in love with the island. My husband and I went for a couple of years after that; then in 1987 we bought a cottage. Since then we have enjoyed this paradise on the east coast.

Brigantine Beach is a beautiful barrier island, with seven miles of pristine beach. There is a long, perfectly kept sea wall and a walk on the beach with many benches and handicapped access to the ocean where it is our tradition to take a sunset walk. 

Each morning we take a beach wheelchair for an easy way to the ocean. These chairs are available to anybody who asks for them, free of charge. This is such a relaxing and happy place, clean and safe. And the community hosts many activities, including classes for seniors and a beautiful 18-hole golf course. “Brigantine...an island you’ll love for life.”
Brigantine Beach
Our Cottage
Wheelchair access to beach
Even beautiful in the rain
Food in Southern France
By Lenore Holt-Darcy

Besides seeing great places, one of the reasons that people like to travel is to experience new cultures. While history, religion and art play a role in experiencing a different culture, food represents a huge cultural experience as well. We all have to eat!

This summer I went to southern France. My purpose was to photograph the lavender fields, but I decided to travel additionally to several places I had not been previously. Lyons was on my list. It is a charming city, with the Saone and Rhone rivers each running through it. It is the gastronomical center of France, and we all know that the French think very highly of their cuisine.

Part of what makes the cuisine special is the freshness of the ingredients. Any cook will tell you that fresh ingredients make the difference. So, each Saturday morning along the river bank, there is a market. Not just fresh produce, but also breads, meats, cheeses, and fish. Local farmers set up really early in the morning and are gone by midday. Voila! just like that.

All the locals come with their baskets, carts and carryalls to buy for Sunday dinner and the week. This goes on weekly, so they have their favorite booth, greeting the booth owner with warm welcomes. The old man pictured was selling cookies. The food is displayed artfully in tempting arrays. Some booth owners allow you to touch the produce; others not so much. The food is seasonal. One week it is asparagus; then in a few it might be apricots. You know what is in season because all the restaurants’ daily specials feature the seasonal food.

So on the Saturday morning I was in Lyons, in the 100-degree heat, I walked up and down, down and up, looking at the beauty of food and wishing I could cook in some air-conditioned kitchen!
Join Skyline Village Chicago
New Members
Judi and Barry Chapnick
Nancy Donatelli
Francine Friedman
Dorothy Nelson
Elizabeth Woodward
Renewing Members
Barbara Dillard
Colby Krouse
Anne Rossiter
Jim Ross
Annual Dues: $75 Individual, $100 Couple
Send a check to: Skyline Village Chicago, P.O. Box 81334, Chicago, IL 60681 
From Our Members
Important Insights into Caregiving and Cognitive Decline 
By Anna M. Rappaport, FSA, MAAA
The need for help with caregiving and cognitive decline later in life is a huge issue for many older Americans. Multiple studies from the Society of Actuaries report that while many people are aware of the risk, few do advance planning for managing it. Rather, they choose to deal with risks related to long-term care when they happen. For example, patients and care givers delay dealing with cognitive decline due to denial. A Society of Actuaries’ online c onversation provides important and interesting insights into personal experiences with cognitive decline.

The Society of Actuaries’ report: Caregiving for Older Individuals: Perspectives of the Caregiver and
the Care Recipient offers perspectives of individuals over age 65, and their adult children, and retirees
of all ages. 

Key findings are: 
  • Caregiving is a part of retirement for many Americans, and it can have a significant impact on them. Survey respondents say the impact is often greater emotionally than financially. 
  • Several studies show that Americans underestimate the amount of long-term care they may need, and they are overly optimistic about having resources to pay for it. They overestimate the costs that Medicare and supplemental insurance will pay. They underestimate the amount of help they may need and the potential burden this may create for those who will help them. 
  • Cognitive decline is a major reason that people need help.
  • Overall, people 85 and older need much more help than younger cohorts and most people need more help as they age. By age 85, most women are living alone and are more likely to need help than couples.
  • People age 85 and older more often rely on informal support, often provided by family, rather than formal support from institutions and organizations. Individuals without a support system have a gap to fill in their planning, and they probably will need to save more for paid caregiving. Further research is needed to understand and develop alternatives for people without family or friends to help them. 
  • Family is often willing to step up to help when care is needed. However, families frequently do not plan for this in advance, and few families have advance discussions about expected help needed and long-term care options. 
  • While parents express concern about not burdening their children, the children often provide help when needed. Family support provides an important cushion for many older people. Family help often includes driving, household tasks, daily money management, taking people to doctor appointments, etc.
  • Children are generally more involved in helping with tasks than in providing financial support to parents, although many children do provide some financial support. Parents are more likely to provide financial support to adult children than vice versa. 
  • Experiences with parents influence some people in their own retirement planning and expectations. 
There are several reports and resources from the Society of Actuaries that may be of interest:

 Anna M. Rappaport is an actuary, futurist and author. She is a phased retiree and advocate for improving the retirement system. She is a past President of the Society of Actuaries and Chairperson of its Committee on Post-Retirement Needs and Risks.

Crossing Michigan Avenue from Ghiardelli to the Wrigley Building by Anna Rappaport

Do you have something you'd like to share with your Skyline Village friends in the next newsletter? A news story, a poem, blog, piece of art, photo, a Favorite Thing, a quote? We'd love to include you in upcoming newsletter and the website. 
Skyliner Social Groups
Skyline Women's Salon
S eptember Salon

September 10
3:30pm - 5:00pm

Address: 200 E Delaware
Host: Valerie Yaffe

October Salon

October 8
3:30pm - 5:00pm
Address TBD

Host: TBD

Our Community Partners
The Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy  Website
Beth Finke MasterTeachers™:  Website
Center for Life and Learning 4th Presbyterian Church September-December 2019:   Brochure  
Driehaus Museum Website
Fall Prevention Fair: Northwestern Medicine 251 E. Huron September 26, 2019 10:00am-2:00pm
Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease:  Northwestern University
MOSTRA Brazilian Film Series, November 1-16  Brochure
Rush Generations Center for Excellence in Aging:    Website
Sounds Good/Good Memories Choirs:  Website
Streeterville Organization for Active Residents:    SOAR  
SVC's Friday Forum
Follow-ups
  • Gavin Van Horn, Director of Cultures of Conservation at the Center for Nature and Humans spoke to SVC in August on his new book, The Way of Coyote. The CHN website has information on expanding our natural and civic imagination in our current climate crisis. Here is their latest issue of Minding Nature.

  • The American Indian Center sent representatives to speak to SVC in July about replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Here is an update of their ordinance recently introduced in Chicago’s City Council. 

  • Governor Pritzker included $300,000 for the National Public Housing Museum in the state’s capital budget. Lisa Lee, Executive Director of the Museum spoke to SVC May. Story here.
SVC Advocacy
Findings from studies conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conclude that elderly adults are more likely to be involved in pedestrian accidents than young children. Further, people age 65 and older are involved in 19 percent of all deadly pedestrian accidents, and 11 percent of injured pedestrians are age 65 or older.

According to a research transportation study conducted in Chicago, older and slower pedestrians have a high likelihood of being injured on Michigan Avenue, from Chicago Avenue to Oak Street. "Vision Zero Chicago" is a 2018 city traffic plan with a guiding principle to put pedestrians first. SVC (Skyline Village Chicago) is planning a Community Forum for early 2020 to find out what plan Vision Zero Chicago has for North Michigan Avenue and to offer community input.

Michigan Avenue is a  state  road governed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). While we wait and hope to see improvements on North Michigan Avenue, we ask that IDOT increases pedestrian crossing time.

Join this effort now by emailing your IL State Representative and State Senator. Request that they take action to have IDOT increase the pedestrian crossing time and “countdown timers” in the high pedestrian area of Michigan Avenue between Oak Street and Chicago Avenue.   Find your state legislators here .

The Skyline Village Chicago community of older adults engages
in cultural, educational and social programs. We are active, informed
and connected advocates within our unique, vibrant high-rise neighborhoods.