Seniors Get Yale Education

For those that read this blog, you probably already know that The Lodge at Cold Spring keeps its residents entertained. It may be an Elvis impersonator, a fire performer, or a cooking demo followed by an extravagant meal, but we do our best to keep our residents entertained and enjoying their retirement. Another important aspect of what we do is providing safety and security to our residents as they get older. One thing that is often overlooked is the educational seminars we host every month to keep our resident informed about how to be safe and healthy as they age. One person we are proud to have walk through our doors on a monthly basis is Donna Fedus, Yale University Gerontologist.

Donna is the Coordinator of Elder Programs for Yale University’s School of Medicine. Over the past few months, Donna has held some excellent discussions about topics which affect many senior citizens. One of the first seminars she held at The Lodge was how aging can affect family dynamics, and how to deal with those changes. In recent months, some popular topics were communication strategies for those with Alzheimer’s, and key driving choices as you age. She always does a nice PowerPoint presentation, and explains the content of it in ways that seniors can easily understand. She loves interacting with them, and will help talk them through their own personal scenarios, even if it doesn’t pertain to the topic at hand.

This month’s topic, which took place on Monday, was about “Final Life Wishes.” Although it can be a difficult topic for some, it was all about how to prepare oneself for the very final stages of life. Living wills, power of attorney, and medical care options were the focus of it. All of those issues may be tough to deal with, but Donna presented it in a friendly and caring manner, unlike that of a lawyer or anyone else. Donna’s seminars have definitely helped Lodge residents with issues that they have experienced as they’ve aged, and she’s done it all with a smile.