Everything Elderly is on Saturday mornings at 8:30, on 1290 am WLBY, sponsored by Senior Helpers. This past weekend, we hosted guests from Lurie Terrace and the Chelsea Community Hospital.

We enjoyed a great conversation with Sue Buday and Connie Zatsick from Lurie Terrace. Sue is the executive director, and Connie is the resident relations/leasing specialist. Lurie Terrace is a nonprofit senior housing community built in 1964, located downtown at 600 W. Huron St. It’s an eight story high-rise with a penthouse dining room. We all agreed, it’s one of Ann Arbor’s “best kept secrets."

Sue joined Lurie Terrace earlier this year and has really fallen in love with the place. The diversity of the residents is wonderful. There are writers, photographers, and artists of all sorts. The residents really respect each other and look after one another.

Connie works hard to keep the facility full. The residents are wonderful ambassadors for the property, and are most welcoming to newcomers. They allow pets and have a great meal program that includes 15 dinners each month. The dining room has an awesome view of Ann Arbor, “especially at night.” The rental rates start at a very reasonable $512 per month, including the meal plan.

There is always something going on at Lurie Terrace. There is a busy writing group, an art program, a book club and, of course, bingo. Many of the residents also work at the facility. They cover the weekends and nights, watching over the property, helping with minor maintenance problems, delivering meals and walking the building. They have a real sense of pride in their work, after all, they live there!

To contact Sue or Connie, or Lurie Terrace, call 734- 665-0695. You can e-mail Sue at director@lurieterrace.org, and Connie at connie@lurieterrace.org. The community's website is lurieterrace.org. To listen to the full 12-minute conversation, click on the audio link below:

We were pleased to have Lissa Perrin as our next guest. Lissa is a licensed social worker at Chelsea Community Hospital. She works in the Outpatient Behavioral Health Services Clinic. The clinic helps children through adults, and offers outpatient (talking) therapy, medication evaluation and management, as well as more intensive programs.

Lissa considers it a privilege to listen to her patients talk about their lives and their struggles, and to help them deal with their problems and issues. Lissa spoke of the myths of depression in older adults, particularly that depression is a normal part of aging. This is just not accurate. It is true that as we age we encounter challenges that put us at greater risk of depression. The elderly are more likely to deal with loss — including loss of loved ones, loss of physical health, and loss of meaning and purpose. But this doesn’t mean depression is normal or should be expected.

Family members should be observant about the behavior of their loved ones. Ask questions and listen: How are they really doing? Losing weight and sleeping problems may be symptoms of depression. It is also very important for families to understand that suicide is a significant concern. Those 65 and older are at the highest risk of suicide.

Treatment options for depression include support groups and therapy. Adopting a healthy life style is very beneficial, including eating well, exercising, and staying active.

To contact Lissa Perrin or the outpatient clinic, please call 734-475-4029. You may also access the Chelsea Community Hospital website cch.org. To listen to the full 12-minute discussion, click on the audio link below:

Alan Caldwell is the owner of Senior Helpers, providing in-home care services, primarily to the elderly. He can be contacted at acaldwell@seniorhelpers.com, or at 734-927-3111.