Recipe Highlight: Genevieve Nornberg

You've probably heard the old adage "the kitchen is the heart of the home" so it should come as no surprise why our communal areas are open concept. There is something to be said for gathering together near 'the heart' of the home, where meals and  memories are made.

Our residents agree that CWSL has some of the area's finest cooks preparing their meals and they should know! Over the course of their lifetime, they prepared countless meals for their family and friends. As you might expect, when they get together and begin sharing their holiday traditions and every day meal favorites, before you know it recipes are exchanged. And what better venue for sharing those recipes than our CWSL blog!

We're excited to bring our first Recipe Highlight post, featuring our recipe queen, Genevieve Nornberg. With so many recipes to choose from it was quite the dilemma to choose just one but we finally settled on Genevieve's Cherry Wink cookies.

These wonderful little cookies were first featured on the back of Kellogg's Corn Flakes. According to an article published in the Bangor Daily News, the cookies have a Wisconsin connection as they were the invention of Junior First Prize Winner Ruth Derousseau of Rice Lake, Wisconsin. There were many variations of this wonderful little cookie but here at Central Wisconsin Senior Living - we think Genevieve's version is the best!

Cherry Winks

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-1/4 cup flour, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup dates, chopped

1/3 cup Maraschino cherries, chopped

2-1/2 cup crushed cornflakes

20 Maraschino cherries, halved

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.

2. Cream shortening with sugar. Blend in the eggs, milk & vanilla.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture & mix well. Stir in the walnuts, dates, and 1/3 cup chopped cherries.

4. Shape teaspoonful sized chunks of dough into balls. Roll in the crushed cornflakes. Place balls on cookie sheet and top with 1/2 Maraschino cherry.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Alzheimer's Awareness

Many people’s lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s disease and most of us don’t know much about the disease or the impact it will have on our lives. It isn’t always easy to find the answers about Alzheimer’s disease, and at times you will feel frustrated and confused. Families and loved ones can come together and focus on what they did have instead of what they don’t have. ‘Celebrate’ today and its memories, and make each day the best, with no regrets.

Having a family member with Alzheimer’s disease is not a cause for shame or a reason to hide away. We still don’t know why someone gets Alzheimer’s disease or how to cure it. We do know that Alzheimer’s disease causes brain damage. Alzheimer’s changes how people think, talk and act and changes their inability to perform daily living skills, and their short and long term memory. People in middle and late stages of Alzheimer’s need full-time care.

Many times family and friends don’t notice the changes at first. We tend to make excuses for the small changes. Memory loss is not “just a part of getting old.” The first signs you may notice: misplaced items, starting something and forgetting to finish it, hard time keeping up with tasks typically done every day of adult life. Another clue may be if your loved one stops doing things they have always enjoyed because they may be worried that their friends will see they are not their normal self. This is a good time to see a doctor and find out what is going on. It takes a doctor with special training to find the cause of memory loss.

Let your loved one talk as much as possible try not to give answers during the talk with the doctor. The doctor may ask questions about:

• When the changes first started
• What changes you and your loved one have seen
• How both of you are coping with these changes

You will want to ask a lot of questions:

• What are some reasons for the changes noticed
• What medicine helps with memory loss
• Is there help to pay for the medicine
• Is it possible to still live at home
• Is driving still safe
• What services does the community have to help with care

Ask the doctor to talk plainly to you and write down notes to remember the information.

Alzheimer’s disease is a frightening diagnosis to face, and yet, many find relief in knowing exactly what they are dealing with.

Your local Alzheimer’s Association Chapter can help you through their 24-hour helpline:  call 800-272-3900, web site: www.alz.org.   

Lori Schuler is activity and marketing director for North Haven Homes

Pioneer Place Meeting Seniors' Needs

A recent article on the needs of seniors' housing needs caught our attention. Published in the Fresno Bee, the concerns of California’s aging population are just as relevant in north central Wisconsin. Craig Smith, director of development for AMCAL Multi-Housing Inc., a Los Angeles-based non-profit that’s building is quoted in the Fresno article, “Affordable housing is probably one of the biggest things ... the need, whether it’s affordable or not, for senior housing is going to increase.” 

The senior population is expected to grow nationwide, fueled by the oncoming generation of baby boomers - those born between 1946 and 1964. The oldest of the baby boomers will celebrate their 65th birthday this year.

According to Clear Senior Living, Wisconsin has a higher than national average of residents who are over the age of 65. At the time of the web posting, 13% of Wisconsin residents are seniors, the national average is 12.4%. The current number of 722,000 seniors in the dairy state will most certainly rise in the coming years, increasing the need for independent and assisted living and long term care in our state.

The need for apartments in areas near grocery stories, social activities is growing; local housing agencies and senior organizations across the county receive phone calls daily from seniors looking for affordable places to live.

The establishment of Pioneer Place fills this need offering the most affordable and quality alternative for senior living in central Wisconsin.

Independent Living communities are often times referred to as "55 retirement communities" due to the fact that often, the residents must be at least 55-years of age, with exceptions being made for younger spouses. Independent living offers a carefree lifestyle and social connection for active adults and should not be confused with nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Those options are for residents who require medical and/or physical care. Independent living is the choice for seniors whose lives are no longer focused on career and raising families.

When considering an Independent Living community, consider the location. Ask yourself: Do I like the location and its appearance? Is the building in a safe neighborhood and convenient to areas that are important to me (libraries, shopping, parks, doctors?) 

Pioneer Place is housed in the former Lullabye Furniture Building located along the Wisconsin River. We’re proud of our renovation efforts creating individual one and two bedroom living units while maintaining the buildings' distinct historic 1931 charm, earning it a place on the National Register of Historic Buildings. Situated within walking distance of downtown Stevens Point, Pioneer Place’s access to the Green Circle, Stevens Point’s famous Square, shops, Charles M. White Public Library and a wide variety of cafe’s and restaurants makes it ideal for the independent senior.

In future posts, we’ll detail more of the amenities that place Pioneer Park ahead of the competition. We are always available to assist you with any questions you may have choosing your new home.

Accepting The Inevitable

Residents and their families at any of the Central Wisconsin Senior Living properties may not know the names of every staff member but without a doubt, they all know Lori Schuler. 

Masquerading as the Marketing & Activities Director who, in the blink of an eye (or is that a twitch of her nose?) morphs into one of several persona's. Most recently, Lori was no where to be found after she met Lady Luck at the airport fresh from a trans-Atlantic flight from Ireland, making sure Lady Luck arrived just in time for the St. Patrick's Day party at North Haven Assisted Living Home.

It would stand to reason that as deep as Lori's feelings are for the senior residents she has come to know and love, the sorrow and sadness she feels, facing the death of those she cares for, has affected her on a very personal level. Lori recently shared her thoughts in an essay she wrote and published in the Stevens Point Journal, appearing in the March 12, 2011, edition.

We are pleased to share Lori's story with our friends and family and hope you find comfort in her words.

Is there a particular story, favorite quote or thought that has helped you get through a time of grief that you would like to share?

After working with seniors at assisted living homes for the last nine years one thing that I have had to understand is that death is a natural part of the cycle of life and one day we must all come to terms with it. 

When I dealt with my first loss of a resident I was not sure if I could handle the pain I felt in my heart and continue to work in this field caring so deeply for the loved one that family and friends entrust in our hands.  I remember Barbara, a very intelligent woman; at 80 plus years she knew more about technology than I did.  With her heart condition, she understood that the quality of her life would not be the way she would want to live.  Barbara decided to have surgery understanding she had a 50% chance to survive this surgery.  Barbara did not survive. 

I turned to my good friend Jane to help comfort me with my loss.  She told me this story - There was a little boy that wanted a horse and couldn’t afford to spend much.  He purchased a horse that he loved, rode, groomed, fed and he spent a lot of time with the horse.  Three months later the horse passed away and the little boy was very sad.  His veterinarian spoke these words to the boy. “You loved and rode the horse, groomed it, fed, and spent a lot of time with the horse.  That horse may have died in a pasture all alone.”

This story stays near and dear to my heart and reminds me of the importance of why I work in this field.  Assisted Living allows seniors to live with dignity, pride and respect in a home like setting. 

I spoke with a few of the residents that live here about death and their responses were very similar.  The fear of death is not there, they have seen and done so much in life.  They felt life has been good to them and are thankful to have a roof over their head, a bed to sleep in, food, and good cares.  Although they don’t like to think about it is important that they come to terms with their own death.  It will help to ease their own fears and enable them to offer peace and comfort to those struggling with their death.  Maybe it’s a cliche that when faced with death, life seems to be all the more precious.  

Death is something we all must face.  It happens to all living things; from living plants, animals, to people.  As hard and unfair as it may seem, everything that is alive now will pass someday.  

‘I shall die of having lived.’

Congratulations Judy Stashek TV Giveaway Winner

The Central Wisconsin Senior Living booth at the Portage County Business Council's 2011 Expo was a very popular place. The fact we were sharing homemade cookies (thanks to our very own chef!) might have had something to do with it. Or it could have been Marketing & Activities Director Lori Schuler engaging everyone with her aerobics prowess or grabbing the microphone to showcase her singing ability. A combination of cookies, talent, as well as enthusiasm to showcase Central Wisconsin's premier senior and assisted living facilities all helped contribute to a successful Business Expo for Central Wisconsin Senior Living.


The Business Expo was the perfect venue to roll out our new booth and promotional literature and to introduce Pioneer Place.


We were kept busy answering your questions about our properties, passing out cookies all the while watching the 'fish bowl' fill up with the names of people hoping to win the 19" LCD TV!




Accompanied by a drum roll, the winning name was drawn ... Congratulations to Judy Stashek, Westland Insurance! At the After Hours Event, Judy's name was called again as being a winner of one of the Portage County Business Council's giveaway. Apparently it was her lucky day.


After the banners and other material was packed up and we looked back on a very busy day, we realized that the success came from the start of our building relationships, along with the deeply-felt belief that those relationships are the most important part of business. We all look forward to getting to know you better.


If you're in the neighborhood, stop by for a cookie.

Get Up and Get Moving!

Joining in the fun with the Point Sports Medicine Ministry Health Care at the 2011 Portage County Business Council Expo.

Do I Smell Cookies?

Yes .... that would be from booth #209 at the 2011 Portage County Business Council Expo, at the Holiday Inn & Convention Center, Stevens Point, WI.


The Business Expo is the unveiling of the Central Wisconsin Senior Living booth and judging by the number of people who have stopped to visit, we think the booth is a hit. 


The Microsoft tags are generating a lot of buzz. The tags have been added to all of our promotional literature, making it a snap for anyone with a smartphone and reader app to access information on all of our properties: North Haven, Whitetail Run and Pioneer Place.