LONNY GOLDSMITH Staff Writer
KRISTA HUSA Photographer
Minnie Silver examines one of her paintings.
Minnie Silver stands in front of her latest masterpiece.
Tired from all the attention,
April takes a nap.
scheduled, including movies, trips to
Kensington Metropark and picnics,
but Bayer says the yearly trip the
Fisher Theater is the most fun.
The group went to see The King
and I and twice went for The Fiddler
on the Roof "They've love the musi-
cals," Bayer noted.
On July 15, eight of the 20 resi-
dents came to community room for
the bi-monthly "Pet-a-Pet Day." A
representative from Leader Dogs for
the Blind brought Maxie and April to
meet the residents.
"I like this very much," said 91-
year-old Helen Pearlman as the dogs
curled up at her feet.
Sherill Platt from Leader Dogs for the Blind holds
April as Ida Trust-man and Jan Bayer pet her.
The program is currently three-
people under capacity because people
have moved on to nursing homes or
died.
We don't have a waiting-list
because people generally call on us
when they have a crisis," Bayer said
The Coville Apartments don't have
24-hour care for the residents, but rely
on one-to-one care from geriatric
workers in each apartment. They gen-
erally spend six-plus hours per day,
cleaning, cooking and doing the laun-
dry of the residents they care for.
The base cost for the residents is -
$1,600 per month, but can be as much
as $2,200 with personal care service
that would work with the residents
when the geriatric workers aren't there.
The apartment can be subsidized, but
not for less than $700 per month.
According to Bayer, the average
stay in the apartment is four years ; 10-
year-residents Ida Erdstein and Hanna
Wheeler are the exception. Of the 20
residents, who average 85 years old,
only three of them are men.
Ben Zelickman is one of them. He
wasn't at the pet-a-pet day because he
was too busy being popular at the
Jewish Community Center in Oak
Park. "They all know me," he said
proudly. "When I walk in everyone
says `Hi Ben.' I'm very popular."
.
The 87-year-old who was born in
Montreal keeps active by going to
see other residents he knows. Even
though his birthday is in March, he
turned up this week at a party for
July birthday celebrants because
"everyone insists that I be there. I
can only go see my girlfriend for a
couple of hours because I have to be
there."
Zelickrnan also prides himself on
his ability to remember "everything."
"I don't bother to write anything
down," he said. "I've got a memory
like a computer." .
•
7/24
1998
Detroit Jewish News
25