The 8th annual health and financial expo for seniors will take place from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday, May 29, in the ballroom at the Timbers of Shorewood retirement community, 1100 N. River Road. This is a free event and the public is welcome to browse and take advantage of the free screenings.

Health screenings include hearing, vision, blood pressure and glucose. There will also be information tables about hospice and in-home care, reverse mortgages, estate planning and more.

“We look forward to welcoming the public to this dynamic expo,” said Shelly Goggins, director of activities at the Timbers. “The event is a good chance to check up on your health and to learn lots of vital information that pertains to older adults.”

Vendors present at the expo will be: Presence Life Connections, Willow Home Care, Willow Home Health, Alden of Shorewood, Daley Ambulance, Assisted Transition, Rep. Tom Cross’ Office, Home Helpers, Eterna Med Spa, Dove Chocolates, Shorewood Police Department, Angel’s Grace Hospice, Firestone, Townplace Suites & Hampton Inn, T.R.I.A.D., AARP Driver Safety program, Absolute Medical Care, Troy Fire Department, Illinois Retina Association, Catholic Charities, Representative Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, Troy-Shorewood Public Library, Walgreens, Seniors Moving & Storage, Home Instead, Elemental Yarns, Jiwan Financial Group, Legalshield, Basinger’s Pharmancy, Newsome Physical Therapy/Home Health, Finley Occupational Health, Leeza’s Care Connections, Apex Hospice, Joliet Hospice, Nicor Gas

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Residents, whose needs may change, are able to stay in the same place and receive appropriate care.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.

Robert Hart of the American Association for Wartime Veterans (AAWV) will present a free informational seminar titled, “Aid and Attendance,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at The Timbers of Shorewood, 1100 N. River Rd.

Hart will explain the benefits which are available to qualifying veterans, widowed spouses or disabled adult children.

Once awarded Aid and Attendance or Housebound status, veterans may obtain as much as $1,732 a month, surviving spouses $1,113 a month, and existing couples $2,054 a month. In addition to income, they may qualify for free medications, medical equipment, incontinence supplies, glasses and hearing aids.

Hart will explain eligibility and how to initiate a claim. For example, the claimant’s physician must declare the veteran as housebound and in need of assistance from another individual which may include services offered by assisted living. Also the veteran must have served at least 90 days active duty with one day of the 90 during a war period.

Founded in 2002, AAWV is a privately held community outreach service formed to provide information about the improved pension program to wartime veterans and surviving spouses. To date, approximately $2.6 million a month is being paid in benefits as a result of AAWV’s efforts. There is no charge for AAWV’s services.

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Residents, whose needs may change, are able to stay in the same place and receive appropriate care.

This seminar is free and open to the public. For more information, call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.

What is Aid and Attendance? A veteran who is determined by VA to be in need of the regular aid and assistance of another person, or a veteran who is permanently housebound, may be entitled to additional compensation or pension payments. A veteran evaluated at 30 % or more disabled is entitled to receive an additional payment for a spouse who is in need of the aid and attendance of another person.

Basic Qualifications:

•    Discharged from service under other than dishonorable conditions
•    Served 90 days or more of active duty with at least 1 day during a period of war
•    Monthly income is less than the Aid and Attendance benefit
•    Less than $80,000 in countable assets (doesn’t include home, life insurance or prepaid funeral plans)
•    Have a diagnosis that requires supportive care
•    65 years of age or older
•    Surviving spouse (if married at the time of death)

Periods of Service:

•    WWI – 04/16/17 to 11/11/18
•    WWII – 12/07/41 to 12/31/46
•    Korea – 06/27/50 to 01/31/55
•    Vietnam (inside) – 02/28/61 to 05/07/75
•    Vietnam (outside) – 05/07/57 to 08/05/64

Vocalist and pianist Larry Levin will perform for residents and the public in the piano lounge at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 30, at The Timbers of Shorewood, 1100 N. River Rd., Shorewood.

Also known as the “One Man Band,” Levin uses a keyboard to play favorites from the golden years of American popular music. He delivers the sounds of a six-piece orchestra, and his repertoire includes ballads, ballroom, swing and popular rock.

“I have a deep respect for the timeless traditions of the great old songs,” Levin said.

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is open to the public and admission is free. For more information, call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.

Dublin born recording artist Kathleen Gilhooly will perform Irish songs at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 17, at The Timbers of Shorewood, 1100 N. River Rd., Shorewood. Drummer and comedian Pat Gilhooly will perform with her. The public is invited to “Swing into Spring” with the married Irish duo at this free event.

Kathleen immigrated to the United States with her family in 1959, when she began following in family tradition pursuing a career in singing, music and Irish dancing. She now has three albums to her credit, and she performs all over the United States, England and Ireland.

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required. For more information or to register, call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.

The Del Bergeson Orchestra will provide music for “The Merry Month of May” Ballroom Dance at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16, in the ballroom at the Timbers of Shorewood retirement community, 1100 N. River Road.

The Del Bergeson Orchestra is one of Chicagoland’s newest Big Band entertainers. Formerly known as the Jay Mau Orchestra, this 13-piece ensemble plays for weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, parties and a host of other festivals.

Six veteran musicians from the Mau orchestra have joined with seven new musicians and vocalist Sandi Haynes to make up this new exciting musical team. A fourth saxophone and guitarist have been added to provide a bigger sound. Continuing Mau’s legacy, the orchestra continues to play everything from the traditional Big Band melodies to today’s contemporary pop and dance hits.

Members of the Del Bergeson Orchestra are 25+ year music professionals with a deep passion for music and entertaining. Several members are music instructors teaching at the university level.

The Timbers’ ballroom dances are filled with quality music and contagious energy.

“Music is the soundtrack of our lives,” Bergeson said.

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Residents, whose needs may change, are able to stay in the same place and receive appropriate care.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.

Vocalist Robbie Malkowski and jazz pianist Dave Turner will perform at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 9, in the ballroom at the Timbers of Shorewood retirement community, 1100 N. River Road.

Malkowski and Turner’s repertoire includes Broadway tunes, movie theme songs, and many favorites of stage and screen. Their music is from the 1930s through the 1960s, the decades when so many unforgettable songs were written.

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Residents, whose needs may change, are able to stay in the same place and receive appropriate care.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.

Paul A. Sauer, M.D., will present a program titled “Latest Advances in Hip & Knee Replacement” at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at The Timbers of Shorewood retirement community, 1100 N. River Rd., Shorewood. Attendees will learn the available options for the treatment of joint pain before replacements should be considered and what a total joint replacement involves.

More than 32 million people suffer from arthritis making it the main reason for joint replacement. Pain and a decreased quality of life because of osteoarthritis in the knees and hips have resulted in these being the two most common joints replaced in seniors.

In fact, seniors with osteoarthritis who undergo total joint replacement are twice as likely as those who do not, to show improvements in physical functioning and an increased ability to care for themselves, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.

Currently, about 3 million joint replacements are performed annually, but by the year 2030, that number is expected to increase three-fold. New developments and advanced technologies are helping doctors achieve greater success with less pain and a shortened recovery time.

Since the first total joint replacement in 1960, advances have been significant and continue to develop. The two newest techniques are “partial replacement” and minimally invasive surgery (MIS).

A conventional hip replacement requires a side or back incision. The newest approach now forms a smaller incision on the front of the hip, which avoids cutting into major muscles. This results in a faster recovery time and greater mobility.

A knee replacement involves the removal of the diseased or injured knee joint and the implantation of three components. The femur bone is replaced with a metal shell, the end of the lower tibia is removed and replaced with a plastic piece with a metal stem, and a plastic “button” is added to the underside of the kneecap, if necessary, so it rides smoothly on the other implant components.

Even with advances in hip and knee replacements, both are still considered major surgeries that take a toll on the body, the patient and the family. Recovery time takes months, and physical therapy is always necessary.

Dr. Sauer has been practicing at the Rezin Orthopedics and Sports Medicine center in Bolingbrook since 2008, where he is currently the vice president. He graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago in 1989 and completed an orthopedic residency program at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. He went on to complete a Joint Replacement Fellowship at Rush Medical Center in Chicago in 1995.

Dr. Sauer is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and is fellowship-trained in joint replacement, arthroplasty and revisions. His general orthopedics practice includes fracture care, joint replacements, sports medicine and hand surgery. He sub-specializes in the research and treatment of hip and knee replacements using the latest minimally invasive procedures.

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information or to reserve a seat, call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.

Randy Walker, a guitarist and vocalist, will perform at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2, in the ballroom at the Timbers of Shorewood retirement community, 1100 N. River Road. This is a free event and is open to the public.

Walker specializes in entertainment for seniors, providing music from the ‘30s through the ‘60s such as “Five Foot Two,” “Ain’t She Sweet,” “Up a Lazy River,” “Dream a Little Dream,” “God Bless America” and “This Land is Your Land.”

“Having a relative with dementia, I understand the value of music therapy,” Walker said. “I want senior audiences to identify with the songs which can take them back to a younger time in their lives.”

Walker started playing the guitar after hearing the Beatles for the first time when he was 11 years old. He was no stranger to music before that, however, as both his parents sang in barbershop-related choruses and quartets.

By high school he was one of the top players in upstate New York playing in bands like Ripple and the popular trio Shenandoah. He went to Kent State University where he often performed as a solo act in local coffee houses and with the popular Cleveland ‘50s band, The Fabulous Blue Moons.

Most recently he was leader of the band One2Many and lead guitarist and vocalist with The Incognitos. He is well-schooled in both electric and acoustic guitar and is particularly adept at electric slide guitar.

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Residents, whose needs may change, are able to stay in the same place and receive appropriate care.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.

Frank Rossi, accordionist and vocalist, will entertain residents and the public at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at The Timbers of Shorewood, 1100 N. River Rd., Shorewood.

Rossi plays a Roland RD 300 SX digital piano and both an Italo American and an Imperial accordion. He plays many solo jobs and also has his own jazz standard duo. His favorite accordion players are Manny Quartucci and Mike Alongi.

Rossi’s music career all started when he was seven, because his Godparents dropped his name in a glass jar at the Symphony School of Music in Chicago Heights. His name was drawn, which awarded him six free accordion lessons.

He began his studies on the accordion under the late Al Rush. Then he won a first place trophy at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, and he’s been hooked on the accordion ever since.

After graduating with a double major of finance and management from Eastern Illinois University, he decided to continue his passion – music studies. Rossi began private lessons from the late accordion and piano great Ed Baldacci from whom he learned harmony training as well as advanced technical studies.

Named the 2010 recipient of the Order Sons of Italy Leonardo da Vinci Award of Excellence in Performing Arts, Rossi can be found performing in fine dining establishments around the Chicagoland area.

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments as well as a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The public is invited, and admission is free. For more information call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.

Beyond Glee, an adult performing chorus, will perform “An American Music Experience” for residents and the public at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, in the Grand Ballroom at The Timbers of Shorewood retirement community, 1100 N. River Rd.

A wide breadth of musical genres that span hundreds of years of America’s rich musical heritage will be explored through the work of American composers such as Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and William Dawson. From spirituals to Broadway, Beyond Glee will take the audience through “An American Music Experience” as diverse as America herself.

The performance-based chorus, Beyond Glee, was launched in 2012 by the Wheaton Park District, providing members the opportunity to expand vocal abilities. The talented group is known for singing a variety of joyful music, including popular, ballads, show tunes and the classics.

Beyond Glee performances are typically held at the Wheaton Park District Leisure Center and are open to the community.

The Timbers of Shorewood is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Shelly Goggins at 815-609-0669.