Prime Times

Senior Expo
July 22
A Resource Guide for Older Adults see page 2-PT

Seniors & Their Special Canines

Area seniors and their
lovable dogs bring cheer
to patients at SSM St. Clare
Hospital through Touch
by Marty Harris
Some area retirees and their four-legged compan-
ions are bringing smiles to the faces of patients at
SSM St. Clare Hospital in Fenton through The
Support Dogs Touch (Therapy of Unique Canine
Helpers) Program.
Touch got off the ground at St. Clare shortly after
the hospital opened in March 2009 in large part due
to the efforts of Wes Neu of Glendale, according to
Diane McKillip, public relations manager at St.
Clare.
“He was passionate about bringing the Touch pro-
gram here and we were happy to make this happen,”
McKillip said regarding the 82-year-old Neu.
Neu and Sophie, his 9-1/2-year-old standard
poodle, have been visiting nursing homes and hospi-
tals since April 2005 through Touch.
The duo seem to enjoy their hospital visits as
much as the patients do.
From left, Dee Dickinson with Clark; Linda Boyer with Molly; Ron Drainer, supervisor of Therapy Services at
On a recent Thursday afternoon, Neu – who says
SSM St. Clare; Wes Neu with Sophie; Kay Schmidt with Lily; and Laura Engelage with Louie.
he’s been in sales all his life – easily chats with
photos by Colin Dabbs
patients including Don Kreutzer of Owensville.
Kreutzer pets Sophie on the head and under her
neck as she stands happily beside his bed, while he
and Neu discuss a myriad of topics from hunting to
dogs.
Of course, talk also turns to Sophie: “I think
you’re a pretty good dog,” Kreutzer said. “Thank you
for stopping by.”
Between patient visits, Sophie also attracted the
attention of staff members who took a moment from
their duties to pet her. Charge Nurse Linda Stemmler
kneeled down to Sophie’s level as she doted on the
dog. Stemmler is a proponent of the program.
“People become alert,” Stemmler said when a Molly at times provides a special
Touch dog visits. “Those depressed become alert and experience for patients that only a
reach to touch the dog.” small dog can.
To patient Linda Dickey of Arnold, Neu said
Sophie was “magic.” Dogs Make The Rounds
“You touch her and you get well quicker,” Neu Seven dogs and their owners,
said. including Neu, make their rounds on
Ron Drainer, supervisor of Therapy Services at Tuesday and/or Thursday afternoons
St. Clare, would likely agree. on every floor of the hospital except
“It’s not just the patients who benefit from Touch, the Family Birthplace. Before the
but the family members as well. It’s a nice break for Touch visits, patients are contacted Hospital visitor Terry Chapman and his daughters Madilyn, left,
them. They are under a lot of stress,” Drainer said. to see if they want to see the dogs. and Mikali, stop to pet Sophie, as her owner Wes Neu watches.
He said the staff, too, loves having a little break. For medical reasons, some patients
cont. p. 4-PT
are not allowed dog visits.

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2-PT Webster-Kirkwood Times &the
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Travel GemsTimes
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free blood pressure And glAucomA July
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Older adults won’t want to miss
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Where: Affton White-Rodgers Community Center WAT
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4-PT Webster-Kirkwood Times & South County Times July 16 - 22, 2010

Touch Volunteers & Their Lovable Dogs from page 1-PT

Most of the volunteers are retired,
or close to it, according to Kay Schmidt.
She visits the hospital twice a week
with her four-year-old golden retriever
Lily. Schmidt retired as a teacher with
Special School District six years ago
and has been a Touch volunteer for
two years.
“After I retired I wanted a dog so I
got Lily,” said Schmidt of Wildwood.
“She was very energetic so I took her
to obedience classes and she did really
well.”
The instructor told Schmidt that
Lily was a great candidate for Touch.
“It gave her (Lily) a job. She’s goal
oriented. She wants to please and is
very people oriented, so I went in that
(Touch) direction,” Schmidt said.
Lily has a special intuition when it
comes to patients.
“She has a sense of what she needs
to do when she gets there – sometimes
she’s quieter, sometimes more ram-
bunctious,” Schmidt said.
After visiting 40 to 50 patients two
hours a day, Lily comes home exhaust-
ed.
Schmidt said she also enjoys the
patient contact.
“The feedback from the patients is
outstanding,” Schmidt said. “They
thank us.”
Linda Boyer, also a retired Special
School District teacher, got involved
with Touch about a year-and-a-half
ago at the urging of her dog’s trainer.
Her dog, Molly, a small mixed
breed, wearing a pearl necklace, isn’t
intimidated by the larger dogs which
tower over her. She holds her head
high as she struts down the hospital
corridor. She has her own special
touch.
According to McKillip, it’s helpful
During their
to have dogs of varying sizes. She said rounds, Wes
family members of a bedridden patient Neu and his
with multiple sclerosis invited Molly dog Sophie,
into the patient’s room and up onto a 9-1/2-year-
her bed. The patient’s face lit up with old standard
a great, big smile. poodle, stop
That’s one thing Boyer likes about by to visit
being a Touch volunteer. SSM St. Clare
“I get the joy of sharing my little patient Don
Molly with people and bringing a Kreutzer.
smile and often laughter to people who
are obviously hurting and worried, photo by
said Boyer, who lives in South Colin Dabbs
County.
Neu is slowly retiring from the
Touch program “cause I’m 82.” He is
now visiting only once a week and is
turning over his coordinator duties to
Boyer and Schmidt. Neu will likely
play more golf – he now plays twice a
week with seven buddies – and may
take up painting after a four-month
break.
More Volunteers
The Touch program began in 1989
with eight volunteers at one facility,
according to Bill Dahlkamp, executive
director of Support Dogs Inc. Today, it
has over 300 volunteers with about
two-thirds of them over the age of 50,
Touch volunteers visit about 75 facili-
ties in the metro area.
“We’ve certified over 1,000 teams
and we’re still growing,” Dahlkamp
said. He said Touch is always looking a hospital or nursing home where has grown so much indicates that
for more volunteers. Touch has an agreement. people enjoy the companionship of the
To become a Touch team, dogs have Touch dogs can be any breed. dogs,” Boyer said. “A lot of people are
to go through a temperament evalua- Dahlkamp encouraged anyone who excited that the dogs are coming and
tion to be sure they are suitable. Then is looking for something fun to do to they don’t want to check out (of the
the dog and handler must complete a contact Support Dogs at 997-2325 or hospital) until they’ve seen the dogs.”
12-week certification course. After visit www.supportdogs.org.
completion, they are certified to go to “I think the fact that the program

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6-PT Webster-Kirkwood Times & South County Times July 16 - 22, 2010

Octogenarian Excels In Competitive Tennis League

Pat Fechter of Shrewsbury competes regularly with Kirkwood Women’s Tennis Association
by Fran Mannino
Pat Fechter has been active all her
life. At the age of 85, she is the most
senior member of the Kirkwood
Women’s Tennis Association (KWTA).
Fechter can still give the younger
members of the group a run for their
money on the court, joining them for
three sets of competitive tennis a
week, May through September, in
Kirkwood Park.
“Honestly, she is one of the most
delightful persons I have ever met,”
said fellow KWTA player Laura Kern.
“It’s a competitive league so there are
three A levels, three B levels and
three C levels. We’re in the second
level together.”
Fechter, a mother of 12, grand-
mother of 30 and great-grandmother
of 13 (with another on the way), has
been playing tennis all her life, and
has been with KWTA for over 20
years.
“They’re having babies, and I’m
having great-grandbabies,” Fechter
said, noting the age difference between
herself and her KWTA teammates.
“I’ve got to keep up with those kids.
They come in younger and younger all
the time. All the gals are wonderful to
put up with me.”
Kern said aside from not being able
to run as fast as she used to, Fechter
is terrific on the court.
“She’s such a solid player, confident
and enjoyable, we could all stand to
learn a lot from her,” she said. “She’s
a person you’re just delighted to see
every week. We joke in our league
that we all want to be her when we
grow up.”
Tennis Anyone?
Activity of some sort has always
been a part of Fechter’s life, whether
it be out of necessity or just plain fun.
A native of St. Louis, Fechter remem-
bers walking to the Fox Theatre and
riding her bike to Forest Park.
“We walked everywhere, and as we
walked we sang,” she said. “If we
wanted to get there in a hurry, we had
to sing a peppy song.
“We had the best of times,” she
said. “We didn’t have much, but we
didn’t know we didn’t have much and
we were happy.”
Fechter and her husband John, 87,
grew up together in St. Teresa parish.
It was there that they discovered a
shared love of tennis.
“Two new priests at St. Teresa’s
put a tennis court in the schoolyard,”
said John Fechter. “That was our first
time playing tennis.”
The couple became engaged in
1941, just before John Fechter began
active duty with the Merchant Marines
during World War II. They were mar-
ried in 1944.
After attending business school,
Pat Fechter took an office job at what
is now Moog Inc. She then worked as
a typist for the government during the
war, staying busy while her fiance
was away.
“We had a group of gals we grew up
with,” she said. “All the guys were
gone. We went to the gym, we wrote
letters to them, and we danced and
danced and danced. It was nice that
they all came home.” Pat Fechter plays Tuesday, July 13, in Kirkwood Park. Fechter will celebrate her
86th birthday on Sept. 13.
cont. p. 8-PT photo by Diana Linsley

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July 16 - 22, 2010 Webster-Kirkwood Times & South County Times 7-PT

Learn what a pharmacy was meant to be!

Tom & Lynn
Schmittgens, R.Ph.
7922 Mackenzie
Affton, MO 63123

If you think...
M-F: 9:30 - 6, Sat: 9 - 1
“We are experienced
We provide personalized service that you
don’t get at the larger pharmacies plus:
health professionals
who really care, and retirement is boring
we look forward Think again! There is never a dull moment at Tesson Heights, and with
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Family owned convenient services, our residents have the freedom to be on-the-go.
Free next day delivery to schedule
& operated Did we mention affordable? The all-inclusive rates (with activities,
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since 1977! meals, transportation, 24-hour staffing and more) are often less than costs
Flu and shingles vaccinations associated with living in your own home.
Come see
what
Home health aids and medical equipment retirement
We accept Medicaid, Medicare Part D, should be.
MO RX and most insurance plans. A Capital Senior Living Community
12335 W. Bend Dr. • 1-270 Tesson Ferry Rd. • St. Louis, MO 63128
(314) 638-3535 www.medicineshoppe.com/0128 www.tessonheights.com • 314-849-1366

Administrative Offices On the Cardinal Carberry Campus

7601 Watson Road • St. Louis, MO 63119 • 314-961-8000 • fax 314-961-1934

Every Senior Service…

• Mary Queen & Mother Skilled Nursing Care: 314-961-8000 x 277
• Mother of Perpetual Help, Assisted Living: 314-918-2260
• Our Lady of Life Senior Apartments: 314-968-9447
• Adult Day Program, St. Louis: 314-962-7501
• Adult Day Program, St. Charles: 636-916-3709
• Homemaker Program: 314-961-8000 x 303
• Affordable Housing Options: 314-968-9447 x 282
• Assisted Living Options: 314-961-8000 x 483
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13300 Lakefront Dr. • Earth City, MO 63045
8-PT Webster-Kirkwood Times & South County Times July 16 - 22, 2010
Pat Fechter from page 6-PT
Pat Fechter had to forego tennis
while raising her young family. She
resumed playing in the 1970s at
Westborough Country Club. She
remains active in the Kirkwood
Women’s Tennis Association, and reg-
ularly competes with athletes nearly
half her age.
Fechter and her husband spend
every winter at the Deep Canyon
Tennis Club in Palm Desert, Calif.,
although after recent knee replace-
ment surgery, John Fechter said he
doesn’t play as much as he’d like.
Fechter’s license plate attests to
her passion for the sport. The person-
alized plate reads “XISNE1.” With the
‘X’ standing for the Roman numeral
‘10,’ the plate asks, “Tennis anyone?”
Keeping Up With The Fechters
The Fechters lived in Glendale for
40 years before moving to Shrewsbury
in the early 1990s. All of their children
attended Mary Queen of Peace Parish
in Webster Groves.
John Fechter had a long career as a
CPA, first with Price Waterhouse and
then with Pott Industries. While her
husband was traveling with his job, it
was up to Fechter to entertain and
care for the kids.
“I did a lot with the children,” she
said. “We had a lovely yard, and I kept
them in the yard with me. All of the
other kids in the neighborhood would
come over here. We played baseball,
shot baskets, we even froze the yard
one year and played hockey – which
just about ruined the yard!”
Fechter’s daughter, Anne
Goodwillie, now lives in the Glendale
home in which she and her siblings
were raised. She said in addition to
being active, her mother is a very
spiritual person who attends 8 a.m.
Mass every morning.
“That, I think, gets her through
every crisis and all the trials and
tribulations of having 11 children,”
said Goodwillie. “She was very busy
with the 11 of us, as you can imagine.
We went to Westborough, so we were
all in tennis together and swimming.
At Mary Queen of Peace, there was
softball, soccer – it was continually
going, going, going.”
By all accounts the Fechters are a
close-knit family, visiting frequently
and gathering as a whole every
Christmas Eve to celebrate the holi-
day.
“They all bring cookies,” said
Fechter. “They clean up and they dec-
orate for me and put the tree up and
take it down. They’re wonderful.”
The Fechters held a family reunion
in 2001 in Gulf Shores, Ala. In 2003,
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
they decided to do whatever they could
to help other families.
“They were asking for people to
sponsor a family,” said John Fechter.
“Somebody donated a home, and our
whole family pitched in and furnished
this place for them.”
The few memories that manage to
dim Fechter’s smile are those of losing
her oldest child, Patricia, to cancer
just eight years ago; and the loss of
her second-born, son John Jr., years Eighty-five-year-old Pat Fechter of Shrewsbury has these words of advice: “It
ago at the age of 11 weeks. should be fun, otherwise you shouldn’t do it.”
photo by Diana Linsley
Last year, Fechter’s fellow players
honored her at their end-of-season said. “It was a nice surprise.” is simple: get involved, practice and
luncheon for her 24 years with Fechter will celebrate her 86th enjoy it.
KWTA. birthday on Sept. 13. Her advice to “It should be fun, otherwise you
“I had assumed we were just cele- those who want to maintain a healthy, shouldn’t do it,” she said.
brating our last day of the season,” she active lifestyle with a sport like tennis
You are invited to attend an
Open House July 25, 2010 • 12 – 4 p.m.
Join us for an
Ice Cream Social
to celebrate National Ice Cream Month
636-321-0100
Offering the finest Assisted Living
313 Augustine Rd., Eureka, MO
Tours and Refreshments
will be provided.
July 16 - 22, 2010 Webster-Kirkwood Times & South County Times 9-PT

Wednesday, July 28 • 11 a.m.

Complimentary lunch includes
BBQ, potato salad, cole slaw and dessert.

Celebrate summer with us

with an afternoon of lunch,
games and prizes.
But don’t delay, space is limited.
Reserve your seat today by calling 314-270-7111

Fountain View Assisted Living • Friendship Village Sunset Hills

12777 Pointe Drive • St. Louis, MO 63127
10-PT Webster-Kirkwood Times & South County Times July 16 - 22, 2010

St. Anthony’s Offers Services/

Health Screenings For Seniors
Free Hearing Screenings
St. Anthony’s Medical Center will
offer free hearing screenings on the
third Wednesday of the month. The
next screening will be July 21. The
simple screening tests, to determine
if a person has a hearing loss, are
available without a doctor’s orders.
“As a community hospital, St.
Anthony’s mission and core values
reflect a strong desire to focus on
the health and well-being of our pa-
tients,” said Deni Levick, director of
Therapy Services at St. Anthony’s.
“Offering these free hearing screen-
ings is one more way for us to pro-
vide a needed service to members of
our community.”
An audiologist will perform the
five-minute screening, and then an-
swer any questions the patient may
have. In addition to the free screen-
ings, participants can have their
hearing aids checked and will receive
a variety of information about hear-
ing aids if they are interested. Indi-
viduals who undergo the free hear-
ing screenings also will receive a
$100 discount coupon good for three
months toward the purchase of hear-
ing aids.
Screenings will take place in St.
Anthony’s Medical Center’s Audiol-
ogy and Hearing Center, located in
suite 255 of St. Anthony’s Medical
Plaza, 12700 Southfork Road.
While the screenings are offered
free as a service to the community,
appointments are required. To make
an appointment, call 525-HEAR
(4327) and press option #2 to speak
with the receptionist.
Home Transport Program
St. Anthony’s Medical Center’s
Senior Services Department’s “Home
Transport” program provides round-
trip transportation for adults age 60
and older and people with disabilities
from their homes to St. Anthony’s-
sponsored services.
“We have provided transportation
to St. Anthony’s for seniors living in
nursing homes and rehabilitation
centers for several years, but now
we also offer this service to private
individuals living in their homes,”
said Ellie Sicola, R.N., director of Jeff Goldone, administrator of dining, in the kitchen at The Crossings. The new
St. Anthony’s Senior Services. “St. memory care household at Laclede Groves is unique to the St. Louis area.
Anthony’s is committed to improv-
ing access to medical services for the
residents of this community.”
Memory Care Household At Laclede Groves
Laclede Groves in Webster Groves Adjacent to the kitchen is a family-
Trained drivers, wearing uni- held an open house last week to show style dining room, a living room and
forms and displaying ID badges, use off The Crossings, a new memory care an enclosed sun porch.
wheelchair-accessible vans to pick assisted living facility that is the first “Less than one percent of our senior
up patients in Zip codes surrounding of its kind in the St. Louis area. care industry has embraced this mod-
the medical center, within St. Louis The Crossings is a self-contained el. Lutheran Senior Services is taking
City and County and Jefferson Coun- “household,” bearing no resemblance off with it,” said Jane Wilke, adminis-
ty. Patients are asked to call with to an institution. Food is prepared in trator for communications at LSS.
their appointment times 48 hours in a modern, senior-safe household kitch- The small, self-contained household
advance, if possible. Drivers pick up en, with residents taking part in the serves 19-23 residents.
residents at their doors (must be at preparation of each meal.
ground level or handicapped acces-
sible, no stairs) and transport them
directly to their scheduled appoint-
Self-Help Book Helps Plan For Retirement
ments, returning them home after- Investment Advisor Arthur S. of some of the more common mistakes
wards. Montgomery, a resident of Des Peres, that retirees make, and then shows
St. Anthony’s Home Transport has published a book titled, “So You how to avoid making them.
service is available from 7:30 a.m. Want To Retire.” The author interviewed hundreds
to 4 p.m. weekdays to area residents “I have been working with clients of retirees to discover their experi-
who are 60 or older or disabled. Cost and their financial needs since 1990, ences and advice. The book is $24.50,
for a round trip is $15. and throughout my career one of the and can be ordered through the pub-
For more information or to sched- most asked questions is, ‘How do I lisher’s website: www.eloquentbooks.
ule transportation, call 525-1889. prepare for retirement.’” com/SoYouWantToRetire.html
The self-help guide gives examples

You are invited to attend an

Open
House
July 25, 2010 • 12 – 3 p.m.

Ride on Over . . . Join us for an

Check out Lutheran Senior Services! Ice Cream Social
Visit us during the Prime Times Senior Expo! to celebrate National
It’s an easy way to learn more about the wide variety of options
available with Lutheran Senior Services. Ice Cream Month
Bring your questions about community living and in-home services.
Our team will have the answers.
636-321-0100
Prime Times Expo
July 22 < 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Affton White-Rodgers Community Center Offering the finest in independent
For more information, call 314.446.2519 Senior Living cottages

Senior Living Communities < In-Home Services

Affordable Housing < Pastoral Care 100 Woodland Ct., Arnold, MO
Tours and Refreshments will be provided.
 Office: (314) 909-4051
king experience.
July 16 - 22, 2010
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Specialist
Webster-Kirkwood Times & South County Times 11-PT
e Mortgage financing.
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oelbaum, brown
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849-1331
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12032 Tesson Ferry

St. Louis, MO 63128
Located in St. Louis Sports
Chiropractic Center

Alternative
Hospice
“Teaching the Art of
Living and Dying Well”

• fo r th e v isua lly impa ired •

We provide holistic
The home
end-of-life healthcare, wiTh a
by integrating hearT...
complementary care
...in The
with conventional hearT of
medicine, offer support KirKwood
and guidance to the
grieving, and empower T he Mary Culver Home for the Visually Impaired is a not-for-profit home for
older women whose eye problems keep them from living independently. We’re
a 27-room residence in the heart of Kirkwood offering nursing care 24/7 for those
patients, families and who need it. Respite care is also available.
our community with Friendly, competent caregivers; specialized activities; private rooms; and a simple
floor plan create a secure home for women coping with vision loss.
information and education.
Find out if the Mary Culver Home is right for you.
Call us at 314.966.6034 or visit www.maryculverhome.com.
Call Alternative Hospice
at (636) 343-3839
or 1-866-391-8548
www.alternativehospice.com 221 West Washington avenue • Kirkwood, missouri 63122-3916
The Mary Culver Home is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1866 as the Blind Girls’ Home.
12-PT Webster-Kirkwood Times & South County Times July 16 - 22, 2010

What Retirement Reality is made of…

Cape Albeon Retirement Community
Stop Looking, Start Living Today, with No Delays!
We are ready for you to move in and start carefree living!
We will make it easy for you:

Worried about large entry fees?

No problem. We have no entry fees on our
spacious apartments!

Worried about packing?

No problem. We’ll do it for you!

Worried about unpacking and decorating?

No problem. We’ll do it for you!

Worried about the moving bill?

No problem. We’ll pay it for you!

Celebrating
10 years of
Senior Living!

3380 Lake Bend Drive

St. Louis, MO 63088
636-861-3200
www.capealbeon.com

Visit us soon and experience the Cape Albeon lifestyle.

Located near the intersection of Big Bend
and Dougherty Ferry Roads.