It s like one big family at Evergreen Woods Health Center in North Branford

Any place is only as good as the people who work there, and the people who work there reflect on both the expertise and the personal philosophy of the management.


A majority of the staff at the Evergreen Woods Health Center in North Branford, where I am recuperating after emergency hip surgery, have worked here for a long time, and there is a definite feeling of being part of a team. It creates an atmosphere that makes patients feel well cared for and thus promotes healing.

I especially like that everyone wears a clearly visible name tag, and although it would be a difficult practice to adopt for outside, everyday life, it is certainly a convenience. Seeing someone’s name every day helps to put name and face together much more readily, and should a sudden “blank out” occur as you go to introduce someone, the handy name tag serves as a reminder.

Errol Lewis, whose Jamaican accent and flashing smile brighten the health-care dining room, watches over our small group, hovering over those who need extra help, suggesting tempting items for flagging appetites and in general, anticipating the needs of this more frail and dependent group. Errol recently introduced me to a 103-year-old resident whose eyes and hearing have dimmed a bit with age, but whose mind is razor sharp.

She went to college at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and I told her that my uncle attended the forestry school there, and we agreed that it is a lovely place. She became a schoolteacher and preferred the early grades, before children turned into “problem teenagers.”

Wearing a lovely aqua-colored twin sweater set trimmed with aqua sequins, she was delighted when I complimented her. “I have some that are even nicer,” she confided, “but they have gotten too big.”

Judy Harrison and Peaches Lewis are sisters who became nurses’ aides after their beloved mother was admitted to a nursing home when they were both quite young. The uncaring, poor treatment their mother received during that time determined their career choice and their mission to help others. Judy gave me my first shower here ... quite an experience.

Undressed and seated in a plastic wheelchair which features a bottom-less seat, Judy pushed me into a large shower room where she proceeded to scrub and spray me from top to bottom. And I do mean bottom! The open chair seat allows for a wonderful and thorough spraying from underneath; sort of as though you were sitting in a bidet equipped with a Jacuzzi. Delightful!

Among the night nurses, two that have become special to me are “Grandma” Fowler and Mary Serpis.

Grandma is brisk and efficient with a keen sense of humor, evident even at three in the morning. Mary, whose soft Irish accent is matched by her equally soft hands, steals in so quietly and works with such skill and gentleness I am hardly awakened at all. Her hands instinctively reach out to help, anticipating my needs before I realize them myself.

Mornings, the therapy team of Nancy Goldstein, Laurie Higginson and other equally talented therapists push, cajole and encourage me to work on an increasingly difficult routine of exercises designed to improve balance, strengthen leg and arm muscles and increase my endurance. Sometimes it aches a little the next day, but I am doing more and walking farther all the time.

By the time I leave for home, I should be roller skating back.

Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at 101 Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

I'm reading: It s like one big family at Evergreen Woods Health Center in North Branford

A quick note to all of you who wondered where I ve been

Hello from the Branford Health Care Center of Evergreen Woods, where I landed on June 3 after a most-unexpected hospitalization. Seems that I had developed an infection in my right hip where I had had hip replacement five years ago.

At first, I just took Advil and thought the pain would subside. But, when I finally got to see the orthopedist, he plunked me immediately in the hospital, cleaned out the hip site, and now I am in rehab for therapy and a six-week regimen of antibiotics.

When you are living alone and are suddenly hospitalized, it feels as though the world has come to a screeching halt. How can I cancel all my business appointments while in pain and the cellphone is not working from the hospital? Who will feed the cats and pick up the mail?

Who can pick up my car from the hospital and my wallet from their safe?

How do I get some clothes, cosmetics and daily necessities?

Thank goodness for good friends, neighbors, co-workers and my daughter, who flew in from San Francisco for a few days, helped to arrange everything, including moving my computer from the house to the room here at Evergreen Woods. While I am thankful that this didn’t occur while I was caring for my ill husband, I am now aware, for the first time, of the full impact of becoming a widow.

My daughter and I have talked about developing a better “emergency system” for the future and when we get it together, I will share it with you because I think there must be others like me who are not prepared for the unexpected.

It is truly a revelation to realize how many things we depend upon in our daily lives. I am constantly adding to my list of things I would like friends to bring me from home. My New York Times is now arriving every morning along with all the bills (somehow they manage to locate your whereabouts before anyone else) and two friends dashed into Kohl’s and arrived with easy-to-slip-on housecoats and culottes in several sizes and colors for me to choose from.

I am now settling into a routine: out of bed, quick wash up and into the recliner for breakfast at 8, quick glance at the paper, medications, blood pressure, temperature, bandage check, and then I walk (with the walker) down to the spacious therapy room, where a terrific staff has me re-learning climbing stairs, getting out of a bed, throwing a ball for balance and generally prodding, pushing and encouraging me to get stronger every day.

Back to the room, make my menu selections for the next few meals, finish the paper, and then it is time to get connected to the IV for about 2 hours, during which I try to make phone calls, read and try not to think about all the things I should be accomplishing if I were at work. Continued...

Afternoon, I can now go on the computer, perhaps more therapy and an early dinner in the pleasant health-care dining room where I have met several interesting residents who like myself are here on a temporary basis.

After dinner, more “practice walking,” some television and then another 2 hours on the IV, which dispenses the antibiotics, and into bed about 11:30.

Both the food and the nursing staff have been top-notch, and everyone has been cheerful and helpful in trying to make this a pleasant experience. Meanwhile, I am working hard to get better, making some notes on improvements needed in the design of bed pans and hospital nightwear as well as suggestions for 3 a.m. television programming.

Until next time, stay well, be good to your friends and neighbors ... we all need one another in this world ... end of first report from your under-the-bed-covers columnist.

Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at 101 Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

I'm reading: A quick note to all of you who wondered where I ve been

Honey, I managed perfectly fine all those years while you were at the office

An oft-quoted saying about retirees is, “I married you for better or for worse ... but not for lunch.”


Many couples feel that when a husband retires, the best is yet to come, and for some seniors it can be a fulfilling lifestyle. For many others, however, particularly those couples who have not had several honest discussions about their objectives beforehand, it can be a time of surprise and disappointment.

Particularly if there is a substantial age difference, the man may be at a place in life where he is ready to settle down, putter about the house and enjoy a leisurely pace; while his partner, now freed of child-rearing responsibilities, may see this as a time to have new adventures, to travel and to be constantly on the go.

Ideally, conversations about retirement lifestyle would have taken place before the gold watch and good-bye company dinner. Sometimes wives are completely surprised by a husband who formerly directed an entire department now transferring that scrutiny to all her activities.
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Remarks like, “You paid how much for that flank steak today?” or “Do you know how many calls you made to your sister last month?” are the start of arguments and hurt feelings.

Other husbands now seem to want to follow their wives everywhere but the bathroom, as well as take over all the household decisions; while some wives, whose husbands are at loose ends without a work routine, feel that his retirement should not become their new, full-time job.
One woman confided to me that she got a small dog (small dog, small bladder) so her husband would have to leave the house frequently to walk the dog, and she could have some momentary peace and quiet. Val and I had some major adjustments to make when he first retired.
I had just been offered a new, interesting job here in Connecticut, and while we had agreed it would make sense to sell the house on Long Island and move here, when the time came, Val was not able to follow through.

He felt lost without his work, and didn’t want to compound that by moving to a new area, so I commuted every weekend from Connecticut to Long Island until, after two years and some counseling, Val was finally able to move. He immediately found work as a consultant at an engineering firm and delighted in our lifestyle here.
Couples need to learn that they are not connected at the hip, and with hard work and negotiation, both lifestyles can be accommodated. Chores can be shared: Husbands can learn to do some cooking, and wives can learn to do simple household repairs and handle financial matters. Continued...

It might even pay to get some outside help if it prevents you from being a grouch. It also is very important to compliment each other on the work that each of you do. This can also be a time to find new interests that you both enjoy. It should be a time of taking a risk and trying new things together. Adult education classes and lectures at our senior centers or libraries can be a good place to start.

The first years of marriage can be a dress rehearsal for the retirement years and a third act worthy of a standing ovation.

Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at 101 Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

I'm reading: Honey, I managed perfectly fine all those years while you were at the office

The incredible shrinking swimsuit and other seasonal tales

With the weather finally warming up, maybe I can safely put away the remainder of my sweaters, flannel slacks and fuzzy acrylic jackets and break out the cottons and floral prints. There’s always that distressing moment, however, when you discover that the clothes you carefully put away at the end of last summer have magically lost an entire size.


You also will come across several T-shirts that, when held to the light, reveal strawberry yogurt stains, and the unbecoming pedal pushers that should have been tossed.

By far the worst ritual leading to summer, however, is trying on last year’s bathing suit.

There you stand, all lumpy, shivering, un-tanned flesh, wondering if you dare be seen on a public beach. Despite the fact that new bathing suits are advertised with glamorous names such as “the Regatta” and “the Goddess,” I refuse to go through the embarrassment of trying on bathing suits in the overhead glare of 100-watt spotlights, the skin’s every dimple reflected in a four-way mirror. It is the ultimate humiliation.
Instead, I play it safe by sending for the same basic swimmer’s tank. It comes to my door, discreetly boxed, from Land’s End. The only daring, new innovation I might risk would be a different color, perhaps “purple passion” or “green with envy,” although surely anyone who has seen me in a swimsuit is definitely not.
While my basic pear shape is not going to change, warmer weather does make it easier to eat healthy. The American Medical Association reports that the “Mediterranean diet” is not only a figure slimmer, but is also linked to less late-in-life cognitive impairment. Basically, that means we should be eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals and fish and less meat and dairy products.
Staying hydrated as the weather turns warmer is important, too, but we should stay away from many of the canned sodas. A surprising report from a study done by Britain’s Food Standard Agency indicates there is no evidence that organically produced foods are nutritionally superior. Many nutritionists feel otherwise, and the research did not address questions of pesticides or other residues. So, if using all-organic food blows your budget, you might try a thorough washing of regular fruits and veggies, knowing that you are still receiving all your necessary vitamins.

The following are plentiful now, and especially good for you:
Apples: Good source of fiber and only 80 calories.
Apricots: Rich source of vitamin A. Continued...
Asparagus: Only 25 calories a serving, rich in vitamins A, C and folic acid.
Bananas: Good source of magnesium and potassium.
Blueberries: Antioxidant benefits (brain boosters).
Cantaloupe: Great source of beta-carotene and vitamin C.

If you like to garden but don’t have space, there is an interesting group that supports community gardening, the Connecticut Community Gardening Association. Gardens are in New Haven, Branford, Groton, Middletown, Westport and Enfield.

The one in Branford is an all-volunteer group that promotes local, organic produce, which is donated to families in need.

In New Haven, several city lots were made beautiful and productive. Call 203-770-0146 or go to ctcommunitygardening.org.

Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds at 101 Hotchkiss Grove, Branford 06405.

I'm reading: The incredible shrinking swimsuit and other seasonal tales