Blog Posts

We've all seen the email pleas from total strangers, asking for just a little financial help while they regain their kingdom in Africa.  Such emails are, of course, written by con artists and are not to be trusted, but not long ago, even a Pennsylvania politician fell prey to just such a plea from a "Nigerian prince." 

Elderlaw attorney Dana Breslin, a frequent speaker at Plush Mills, will be here on Thursday, February 25 at 6:30 to address a very important topic:  The Five Biggest Scams Seniors Need to Know About.

Dana will discuss Living Trusts, Annuities, Insurance Scams, E-Mail Chain Letters, and Get Rich Schemes.

There will be a Q&A session following the free presentation. 

The public is invited - tell your friends!

At the end of a bitterly cold January, we decided to throw a Cruise Ship theme party in our lobby.

The food was tropicallly fabulous.

A Joyful Noise provided fantastic entertainment.

And with party attire ranging from turquoise to navy, we indeed succeeded in chasing the blues away.

On Tuesday, February 9 from 1 - 7 PM, there will be a blood drive at Plush Mills.

Call our concierge for an appointment:  610 690 1630.

Warming us up to Valentine’s Day, Wallingford historian Angela Hewett will bring glimpses from the romantic life of a prominent local family to Plush Mills on Monday, February 8 at 3 PM.

Ms. Hewett’s presentation shares "Leiper Love Letters Over the Years", but she says the topic ranges to other romantic artifacts from five generations of the Leiper family, who were early settlers of our area. Among the correspondence Ms. Hewett will read and discuss are passionate love letters, descriptions of an 1846 Niagara Falls honeymoon, a "Dear John" letter and its surprising aftermath, and a visit to an 1841 wedding in a house near U. of Penn.'s campus, attended by 150 guests in the winter.

Ms. Hewett is the curator of the Thomas Leiper House on Avondale Road in Wallingford, and a board member of the Nether Providence Historical Society. The Leiper House is open on weekends from April through December and provides a deeper look into the Leipers and the lives they lived in Nether Providence over many generations.

Caption: At Wallingford’s historic Leiper House, Angela Hewett shows the 1890 wedding dress of Virginia Leiper Black. Her presentation “Leiper Love Letters Over the Years” will be hosted on Monday, February 8, 2010 at 3:00 pm at Plush Mills Senior Living, 501 Plush Mill Road, Wallingford, PA.

Dr. Barry Jacobs led a discussion recently at Helen Kate Furness Free Library for adult children of aging parents.  The subject was "How to have the difficult talk with your aging parents."  The first thing Dr. Jacobs said was "You will not have just one talk on tricky topics with your aging parent.  You will have a series of discussions with your parents over a period of time before you arrive at any decisions or clarity on a wide range of challenging issues."

Participants had concerns ranging from the safety of parents living alone, to an elderly mother who should no longer be driving but hates the thought of giving up the keys, to how to get an evaluation of a father's mental state.

Dr. Jacobs provided useful tips and community resources.  He even provided the actual words adult children might use when bringing up a sensitive issue.  It is important to immediately point out, he said, that you are not trying to take control or take over a parent's life.  Rather, out of love and concern, you are trying to help them assess their current situation, and plan for the future.

For instance, let's assume a parent says "I am never leaving this house."  A good response to that is, "OK, I understand that you love this house and you want to always stay here, but let's be flexible about this.  Under what circumstances would you consider moving?"  The parent then comes up with a list of conditions under which moving would be acceptable - i.e. "If I break a hip and can't handle stairs anymore" or "If I can't drive anymore and I'm unable to get out to stores and to visit friends."  In this scenario, the child is not dictating - the parent is foreseeing situations which would cause him or her to say "OK, it is no longer desirable to keep living in this big old house alone."   The parent has called the shots.

Dr. Jacobs pointed out that Pennsylvania is the second-most "elderly' state in the nation, and Delaware County is the second-most elderly county in the state. 

If you would like to hear Dr. Jacobs speak in the future, you're invited to attend his free every-other-month sessions at Plush Mills, on the first Wednesday of the month.  The next will be held March 3 at 7 PM.

 Plush Mills got an early start on the New Year as the band "Cheers" played from 12:30 - 3:30 PM on December 31.      

 Merry-makers enjoyed festive hats, tiaras, and noise makers.        Founder Kelly Andress and Director Megan Longley were all smiles.  Dinner was served in the Sage Dining Room, followed by a New Year's Eve movie in the theater. We were happy to ring in 2010 with residents, their friends and families ~ 

On the first night of the New Year, Plush Mills joined in the traditional community-wide luminaria display benefitting the ABC House in Swarthmore.  Spearheaded by resident Flo Lewis, formerly of Swarthmore, Plush Mills residents raised $760 for ABC this year, a major increase over last year's contributions of $250.  We had almost 100% participation from our residents.

The ABC program provides an education at Strath Haven High School to highly motivated teenagers from disadvantaged situations in distant towns and cities.  With one house for boys and another for girls, both located in Swarthmore, the ABC program has been a great success for years.

The warm glow of our luminaria display lasted for hours, and was a brilliant way to start off 2010.

Wishing ABC students, Plush Mills residents, and everyone else a perfect ten of a year ~

The historic Hedgerow Theatre, located in an old grist mill in Rose Valley, PA, provides the perfect place to see A Christmas Carol, its perennially popular December show.  It was also the perfect place for a Victorian tea party at intermission, which was provided during a recent matinee by Plush Mills.

Tea sandwiches, tea cakes, scones, bonbons, and a selection of fancy teas provided the perfect break for the theatre goers.

Plush Mills Founder Kelly Andress, at right, and Director Megan Longley had a chance to meet one of the cast members, Luke Momjian, when he dashed through the room between scenes.  We look forward to more collaborations with the charming Hedgerow Theatre.

The menorah is in a position of honor in our lobby, and we will have a special Hanukkah service at 7 PM on Thursday, December 17.  Please join us!

The lobby was recently decked out in holiday finery as Plush Mills residents and family members gathered to celebrate the season.

Accompanied by a harp, a singer serenaded the crowd with Christmas carols and Hanukkah songs.

The food and drink were amazing, the attire was festive, and good cheer was everywhere.