Community Benefit Stories
Seniors Keep Learning through Healthy Living Workshops
It was just another day at Wesley Scott Senior Living Community in Milwaukee until Patti Cobb, chief clinical dietitian at Froedtert Hospital, announced a cooking demonstration would begin in five minutes. Cobb enticed residents to participate with the guarantee, “Who wants to learn how to cook stew on a budget and taste free samples?”
One by one, residents headed toward the community kitchen. The menu: black bean soup and taco chili. Cobb described the differences in cost between name brand and generic while fellow dietitian Caitlin Rondello taught residents how to properly read nutrition labels. Each person eagerly followed along in their recipe packet as they learned to prepare healthy meals for about $1 per serving. During the workshop, one resident lamented about the difficulties of cooking for one and its associated high cost. Cobb reminded residents they could package meal-sized portions and freeze them for a quick, nutritious meal later.
The bi-monthly cooking and nutrition sessions are a collaborative effort by Froedtert Hospital, Wesley Scott Senior Living Community, Westside Healthcare, and the Campus Kitchen at Marquette University. The sessions, which focus on healthy living, offer residents a way to socialize and participate in a group learning activity.
Residents enjoy the programs and obviously look forward to future sessions. “This partnership is helping to provide services to an otherwise underserved community,” stated Maxine May, program coordinator at Wesley Scott Senior Living Community. “It is offering seniors access to information that will improve their quality of life, while causing them to rethink their assumptions about health, nutrition and wellness.”
Last Review Date: Oct. 23, 2009 Online Editor(s): Richard Petre |