Health & Wellness
These local retirement communities, retailers and health organizations are helping seniors live their best lives.
Find Your Place
Retirement communities across metro Milwaukee offer engaging wellness activities, luxurious amenities and more. Check out a few here.
1. Cedar Community
With multiple campuses in Washington County, Cedar Community has over 500 acres of pristine prairies, waterways and forests in the Kettle Moraine. That means dozens of trails to hike and natural beauty to explore. The serene community also offers neighborhood-style living, with plenty of amenities.
2. Clement Manor
Your options for enjoyment are plentiful at Clement Manor. Partake in delicious meals at the Rainbow Room Cafe, prepared by award-winning chefs; relax in the warm-water therapy pool; take year-round lifelong learning classes at the Center for Enrichment; and explore the spacious scenic campus.
3. Harwood Place
Just a short walk from the village of Wauwatosa, Harwood Place residents have easy access to fine dining, festivals, boutique shopping and more. The 15-acre campus has an on-site wellness clinic with a Froedtert doctor and dozens of social clubs. The community offers a robust calendar of activities including theater outings, lectures, happy hours and exercise classes to help you stay fit.
4. Saint John’s On The Lake
This East Side community has an unbeatable location only a few blocks from Lake Michigan. Besides offering spacious apartments with amazing views, the community also puts on art exhibits, concerts, cooking demonstrations, lectures and much more as part of its LifeStreams wellness program.
5. Forest Ridge
The new Epoch II wing at this Hales Corner senior living community adds an outdoor event space, courtyard commons area and more lounges. Plus, the new residences have Kohler fixtures, walk-in closets and many other amenities.
Plan Your Space
If you’re downsizing or moving into a retirement community, you’ll want to make your new space your own. BILTRITE Furniture-Leather-Mattresses (5430 W. Layton Ave., Greenfield) keeps a wide stock of smaller-scale furniture perfect for downsizing, including desks, bookcases, chairs, beds, flip-able mattresses, drop-leaf tables, and chairs that fold to save space. BILTRITE also specializes in comfortable power-lift recliners, which are raised and lowered off the ground automatically with the push of a button, making it easier to sit and stand. If you’re in the market for furniture, you can stop by the showroom for an in-store design consultation. You can bring photos of your space, and an associate will help you pick out pieces to fit your home and your taste.
Protect Your Health
Once you retire, finding the right health plan is crucial. Network Health offers a local option with exceptional quality – and there are numbers to back that up. Every year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services use a five-star rating system to measure Medicare patients’ experiences with health plans. For 2024, Network Health earned a five out of five rating for its Medicare Advantage PPO plans. Ninety three percent of Network Health members stayed with the plan since last year, too. It covers enrollees anywhere in Wisconsin or out of state, with Network’s travel benefits. Beyond the coverage, the Medicare Advantage plan has options offering benefits like zero-dollar primary care doctor visits and monthly money-back perks. You can enroll at networkhealth.com.
Caring for Your Eyesight
Age-related macular degeneration [AMD] is the leading cause of central vision loss after age 50. “With AMD, the specialized macula part of the retina needed for sharp, straight-ahead vision becomes damaged,” says Daniel Paskowitz, MD, PhD, partner at Eye Care Specialists’ ophthalmology practice.
“AMD usually develops gradually, and good vision in one eye can mask problems in the other. As it progresses, however, signs may become obvious, including faces, clocks and words being blurry; straight lines appearing wavy; and noticing dark or blind spots,” says Paskowitz. AMD affects nearly one-third of adults older than 75. Besides age, risk factors include heredity, being white, being female, sun exposure, smoking, light eye color, circulatory problems, obesity, inactivity and poor diet.
“Upon diagnosis of the ‘dry’ form of AMD, we usually recommend vitamin supplements, sun protection and not smoking to slow progression. But if we identify the rarer but more severe ‘wet’ AMD, we review candidacy for medication injections,” says Paskowitz, who performs AMD and diabetes injection treatments on a daily basis. “Without treatment, most wet AMD patients become legally blind. With injections, however, about 90% can halt their disease progression, and nearly 30% improve their vision.
“Don’t delay or deny the need for regular eye exams. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of AMD and other conditions are key to maintaining quality of life and independence,” says Paskowitz.
Things to Do
Take in some culture, volunteer your time for others, hang out with friends and more at these upcoming events around town.
Give Back
Looking for a way to make a difference with your time and effort? Consider volunteering. Milwaukee has plenty of worthy organizations looking for help. Catholic Charities provides dozens of services across the state and needs volunteers for many of its programs. You can spend time at its Adult Day Center, working with people with developmental disabilities and others who need care. Catholic Charities’ In-Home Support Services are also looking for volunteers to help provide light housekeeping, laundry assistance, meal preparation, grocery shopping, transportation to doctor appointments and companionship for older adults and those with disabilities living independently. Plus, its refugee and immigrant services wing is always looking for help tutoring refugee children and helping prepare immigrants and refugees for citizenship. Those are just some of the ways you can spend your time helping others with Catholic Charities. Learn more at ccmke.org.
Spotlight: Stretch Zone
Proper stretching slows down the aging process, while reducing pain and stiffness so you feel younger; this improves posture, circulation and increases range of motion. Utilizing patented and proprietary equipment, Stretch Zone practitioners follow specific protocols to properly position, stabilize and manipulate muscles using powerful principles of neuromuscular behavior.
Five locations in metro Milwaukee and one in Madison. Go to strechzone.com for more information.
Masterful Music
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is a local gem, bringing world-class musicianship to the beautiful Bradley Symphony Center. Plus, it’s affordable. Subscribers get 20% off the regular ticket price for additional concerts – and anyone 65 and over can get half-price tickets on the day of concerts, when tickets are available. Here are just a few of the upcoming performances.
1. Beethoven x Coldplay
JAN. 20
Contemporary composer Steve Hackman pairs two artists from 200 years apart in this genre-mashing spectacle.
2. Labadie Conducts Mozart
JAN. 26-27
Guest conductor Bernard Labadie will be leading this performance of Mozart’s seminal Symphony No. 40.
3. Fever: A Peggy Lee Celebration
FEB. 16-18
Tony Award nominee Ann Hampton Callaway leads this night of song in celebration of Peggy Lee, the “Queen of American pop music.”
4. Tchaikovsky 6 & Brahms Songs
MARCH 1-2
Hear Tchaikovsky’s immensely popular Pathétique Symphony, along with a contemporary composition by Dobrinka Tabakova and Brahms’ Serious Songs.
5. Bernstein & Gershwin
MARCH 8-10
Two titans of American music meet at this concert, where the MSO will perform Gershwin’s An American in Paris and selections from Bernstein’s On the Town.
A Night With Barry Manilow
Daybreak – The Music & Passion of Barry Manilow
FEB. 2 | THE RIVERSIDE THEATER
Joe Hite leads this spot-on recreation of pop star Barry Manilow’s electric performances. The former Milwaukeean and his eight-piece band will be playing Manilow’s many hits, such as “Mandy,” “Can’t Smile Without You,” “Copacabana” and many more.
Finance
When you’re eyeing retirement, there are a lot of factors to consider. We spoke to local professionals to get their best tips on retirement planning.
Michelle Long, a senior wealth planner at Associated Bank, has three main tips for seniors. First: “Review your investment asset allocation to ensure it still makes sense since you may soon be taking regular withdrawals,” she says. That 401k, Roth IRA, or whatever you might have been contributing to for years might soon become a serious source of income for you, so you’ll want to ensure that it’s growing at the rate you need.
Next, “be proactive with your financial plan and develop a strategy to determine how you will be funding your spending needs once your paychecks end,” Long says. You’ll want to have a comprehensive idea of your different sources of income (i.e. Social Security, your pension, etc.), along with your investments. Working with a professional can help clarify that potentially complex situation.
Lastly, Long points out that you’ll want to be prepared for what you want to leave behind. “Make sure your estate plan is current and that your wills, trusts and beneficiary designations are all in order so that your estate is distributed to your heirs in the manner that you wish,” she says. A lot of trouble can come when someone doesn’t have a will, or hasn’t made clear what their wishes are after they’re gone – getting ahead not only ensures that your wishes are met, but also saves family and friends a lot of difficulty.
Scott Heins, the Chief Investment officer with IAG Wealth Management, advises seniors to “beware inflation. Your cash flow in retirement may work initially, but is it sustainable for the next 30 years?” he says. “Know the answer before you retire.” A smart financial plan will account for inflation.
Heins also advises creating “new life structures that reflect your new purpose. As much as you look forward to retiring, the tremendous change it brings to your – and your spouse’s – life can be disorienting and even troubling.” Creating new routines, plans and structures can help mitigate the disorientation.
“Your physical and mental health play the largest role in your retirement happiness,” Heins says. “Get physically active, seek out mental challenges, and purposefully strengthen your relationships with other people.”
Real Estate
One of the biggest life-changing decisions that seniors face is moving from one’s longtime home to a senior community, apartment or condominium. The word that describes this for most is overwhelming. When it comes to that complicated decision, Bruce Nemovitz, his wife Jeanne, and Erica Petri of Bruce’s Team realty are experts. They have been working in the senior real estate business for over 35 years. Bruce Nemovitz has authored two books, Moving in the Right Direction: The Senior’s Guide to Moving and Downsizing and Guiding Our Parents in the Right Direction. One of the biggest challenges for many seniors, Nemovitz says, is downsizing a lifetime of treasures, as well as deciding on where to move. Bruce’s Team provides full-service buying and selling for seniors and their families. They will walk you through every step of the process, including connecting you with a downsizing company, trusted contractors, movers, estate sale companies and other partners necessary to facilitate a successful move. With the team’s guidance, the complicated process is made much easier. Their tag line is “Taking you from overwhelmed … to I can do this!” brucesteam.com; 262-242-6177
Spotlight: Clement Manor
3939 S. 92ND ST., GREENFIELD | 414-546-7000
Clement Manor is a faith-based senior living community, offering wellness services to meet all your needs in mind, body and spirit. Its mission is to promote healthy aging of individuals on its campus and in the community, through the values of respect, collaboration and quality service. Learn more at clementmanor.com.
RESIDENT PROFILE
St. Camillus Life Plan Community
Charley and Jennifer Anderson
Charley Anderson swears he left an empty chair next to him on purpose. He was waiting for a Book Club meeting at St. Camillus to start, when Jennifer Long rushed in, almost late, and took the seat.
“Charley still says he orchestrated the whole thing,” Jennifer says.
“I did,” Charley says. “I saw her running down the hall.”
Orchestrated or not, the meeting was undeniably fateful. The two, who’d both moved into St. Camillus’ Independent Living community only a few months before, struck up a conversation. The next week, they met for lunch at the senior community’s Pub.
“She wanted to split the bill,” says Charley, 86. “I said, ‘I’ll get this one, and if you enjoyed it, then you can invite me for another lunch. If I enjoyed it, I will accept and you can pay.’”
Soon Jennifer, 71, received a text from Charley: “I enjoyed it, so if you invite me, be prepared to pay.”
Things moved fast from there, and 18 months later, they married in St. Camillus’ chapel.
Now they live in a beautiful apartment together, pictured here, in St. Camillus’ East Residence, which opened in March of 2022.Their balcony offers a wide view of the zoo, Downtown Milwaukee, and the community’s putting green, pickleball court and other outdoor recreation areas below.
Charley still spends time at his business, a steel fabricating company in Waukesha. He has enjoyed the St. Camillus swimming pool, pool table and sheepshead club. Together, the couple frequent St. Camillus’ four dining options, movie theater and recently, Trivia Night. Jennifer is involved in many St. Camillus clubs and activities, and enjoys volunteering and serving as an Ambassador for potential residents. But what she enjoys most is line dancing.
“There’s so much to do here,” Jennifer says. “But what really makes St. Camillus different are the people and the peace of mind being here brings. They have a continuum of care – assisted living, memory care, whatever you might need. They are not driven by a profit line – it’s a mission to care for people.”
“I love it here – there’s such a sense of community.”
– Jennifer Anderson
St. Camillus Life Plan Community
10100 W. BLUEMOUND RD., WAUWATOSA | 414-259-6310
