38 Friday, March 31, 1918
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Residents' Needs Discussed at Federation Apartments
Children's concerns for
the welfare of their aging
parents was the main item
of business discussed at
Jewish Federation Apart-
ments on March 19, at the
first formal meeting bet-
1 MAN
ORCHESTRA
Freddy Sheyer
398-2462
ween the apartments
executive director and
board of directors and the
sponsors of the facility's re-
sidents.
The apartments, a
member agency of the
Jewish Welfare Federation,
which planned the original
building, houses 200 senior
citizens with limited in-
comes. - Sponsors, in most
cases residents' children,
are the individuals who as-
sume "primary responsibil-
ity" for the residents' well-
being, said executive direc-
tor Helen Naimark.
Mark E. Schlussel,
apartments president, ad-
dressed the problem of in-
sufficient senior citizens'
housing with the an-
nouncement that construc-
tion will begin in June for a
new building, adjacent to
the present one, which will
provide space for an addi-
tional 130 residents.
"With a total of 330 per-
sons here, we're going to
have to develop a more
PASSOVER 6 78
CATERING AND CARRY-OUT
By The
BLOOMS
Formerly Located At 12 Mile & Evergreen,
Coolidge & 9 Mile and Bnai David Synagogue
NOW TAKING ORDERS
FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
Complete Dinners & Ala Carte
Specializing In Elegant Catering In Your Home,
Clubhouse or Our Beautiful "Fontainbloom Room"
YOU ARE SURE OF ELEGANT PRESENTATION WITH THE
PERSONAL TOUCH WHEN YOUR SIMCHA IS PLANNED AND
PERSONALLY SUPERVISED BY
structured program, and
we're going to need your
help," he told more than
200 persons who filled the
apartments dining room.
Main speakers at the
meeting were Margaret
Weiner, casework and
group treatment supervisor
at Jewish Family Service,
and Dr. Hyman Mellen,
consultant at Sinai Hospital
and chairman of the Medi-
cal Coordinating Commit-
tee serving the local agen-
cies of the Jewish Welfare
Federation.
Lack of suitable work is a
major problem for the el-
derly, Mrs. Weiner said.
"People have a tendency to
expect older people to sit
back and be passive. Well,
when your parent, who
would otherwise be a 'nood-
nik', suddenly becomes very
quiet, you'd better start
worrying. The meaner they
are and the more they comp-
lain, the better."
Another major problem
for older persons is their re-
duced mobility in today's
geographically spread-out
community. Public trans-
portation, if it exists at all,
is inconvenient, and the
aged can't usually afford
taxis. By ignoring the prob-
lem, she said, we help the
aged to become more and
more isolated. "The world
starts to shrink as people
age."
Mrs. Weiner suggested
the aged could be useful
in teaching Yiddish and
personally-experienced
Jewish history to chil-
dren. "This remarkable
generation of people who
immigrated from Europe
Residents of Jewish Federation Apartments enjoy
dinner in the building's dining room. Five kosher
meals are served each week to the building's 200 resi-
dents.
will soon disappear, and
they have so much to of-
fer," she said. "We are
wasting an enormous
human resource by not
using the aged."
Dr. Mellen, a board
member of Jewish Federa-
tion Apartments from its
beginning in 1969 until his
retirement last year, dis-
cussed what he admitted
was a painful topic: the
problem of persons who
grow too old to stay on at the
apartments.
"We should only continue
to house individuals here
who retain the capacity to
function independently,
who can take care of their
own housekeeping, per-
sonal cleanliness, cooking,
laundry and medication,
and who are able to recog-
nize the need to call for
help," he said. -
"A temporary loss of in-
dependence because of
acute illness can be hand-
led. But if an illness be-
comes long-term, the resi-
dent must be located
elsewhere," he said.
for a move at the first sign of
incapacity, the transfer will
be much easier because it
won't have to be made on an
emergency basis."
Mental or emotional in-
capacity is more difficult for
relatives to face than physi-
cal disability, he said.
"Some senility in the aged
is normal, especially mem-
ory loss," he said. "But a
rapidly increasing tendency
to forget, plus lack of in-
terest, clarity and com-
prehension, moodiness,
paranoia, a slowing of gait,
difficulty with speech, a de-
sire to be left alone -- these
are not normal and indicate
brain atrophy.
"An individual so in-
volved cannot be ex-
pected to reside inde-
pendently; he becomes a
hazard to himself and to
others," Dr. Mellen said.
He urged sponsors not to
make their own diagnoses,
however. "These symptoms
may mean a medical or
DAILY CARRY-OUT: • COMPLETE DINNERS • PARTY TRAYS
• • • • • • • • • • •
mental condition which can
• HORS D'OEUVRES • CONDOLENCE DINNERS
be treated. If you notice
Dr. Mellen said resi-
OUR FOOD IS ALSO AVAILABLE AT ALL SHOPPING CENTER MARKETS
these symptoms in your pa-
dents' personal physi-
rents, let a professional
cians are asked to render make the decision about
prognoses of their medi-
whether treatment is possi-
cal conditon at periodic ble," he said.
intervals.
AT 12 1/2 MILE — IN THE FARRELL PLAZA
Bess Krolik, Jewish Fed-
•
12711 W. 1 MILf RD.
•
eration Apartments vice
"If there is evidence that a
president who chaired the
chronic inability is develop-
meeting, noted that "social,
ing, plans should be in-
FREE ESTIMATES
•
• itiated for change," he said.
intellectual and physical
•
AT YOUR Mit
• "These decisions are never activity can slow down the
Not Affiliated With Any Other Business
onset
of senility."
easy,
but
if
the
children
or
•
FOR ALL PARTIES
•
• • • • • • • • • • • • other relatives begin to plan
She called for volunteers
to help with the building's
library, with discussion
groups, Sabbath services,
parties, clerical duties and
other activities. "The resi-
dents can run most of these
programs themselves," she
said. "They just need a little
help from you."
Mrs. Naimark noted
that residents of the
apartments have been
actively working on pro-
jects to benefit the Allied
And Enjoy Your Jewelry For All The Reasons You Originally Purchased Them
Jewish Campaign-Israel
Emergency Fund.
"Proceeds from games
nights go to the Campaign,
and we were just given a
check for $250 from a group
that runs a 'coffee klatch' on
Sunday mornings, selling
coffee and bagels," she said.
"We recently discovered a
lot of things in our storage
rooms that are no longer
Free Gift Wrapping No Due Bills, Cash refunds
being claimed by our ten-
In Racquetime Mall N.E. Corner 12 Mile & Northwestern
VISA'
ants. We want to sell these
goods at a big bazaar and
M., Th., Fri., di 9, Tues., Wed., Sat. til 6
357 - 5578
Betty Bloom
STRICTLY LOCATED
29267 SOUTHFIELD RD.
559-6776
•
• GRAEME •
: FLOWERS
BILL CAPLAN
• •
341-3366
• •
WHEN YOU SELL YOUR JEWELRY
YOU CAN WATCH YOUR INVESTMENT GROW, In The Hands of Someone Else.
OR
WHY NOT REDESIGN AND RE-MOUNT YOUR JEWELRY
Watch Your Investment Grown On Your Own Hands
SEE WHY EVERYONE'S TALKING
TAPPER'S JEWELRY
donate the money to the
Campaign."
-•-• • • •-•