The Senior Scene

Five senior living communities in Tacoma are once again joining to help seniors find the best community for their wants, needs, desires, location and budget.
On Feb. 17, Franke Tobey Jones, Narrows Glen, Merrill Gardens, Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community and Weatherly Inn will host group tours to give potential future residents a snapshot of as many of the communities as they desire.
“Together, we want to make sure you are well-informed about the options in the Tacoma area,” said Christine Hall, Franke Tobey Jones’ senior director of marketing and one of the event’s organizers. “You can be assured in choosing one of these communities that you will be well cared for.”
The event has been held the past two years, “and last year we ran out of seats on all our vans,” Hall said. “If you’d like to join the tour in February, please make sure to call and make a reservation so we can reserve a seat for you.”
It’s “perfectly fine” for people to drive their own car and follow one of the community vans, but they should still RSVP so enough food and brochures can be prepared, Hall added.
Reservations and RSVPs can be made at 253-756-7562 by Feb. 12 in order to have a place on a tour van and schedule which communities to visit
The schedule calls for, at 10 a.m.:
• Start at one of the five communities.
• Hear a short presentation about the communities and the day’s activities, and then tour that community.
And from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
• Get aboard the community van or drive in your own car and go to the next community.
• Each will have a representative from that community to answer questions, and each van will stop at all five locations, then take participants back to where they started.
Kristine Grant, Community Relations Director for Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Community and also a Tour event organizer.
“We are really looking forward to being able to provide a wide array of information and answer questions for seniors who are thinking about moving into a retirement community,” said Kristine Grant, community relations director for Tacoma Lutheran Retirement and also a tour organizer.

Pete Norman and Robert Sitarzewski want seniors to be as comfortable with technology as they are.
The duo are teaching a series of classes called “Computer Skills for Grandparents,” which they describe as a practical hands-on series designed to help older folks master smart phones and computers so they can communicate with their grandkids, among others.
The classes, which started in November, are offered through Roberts Computer Services in Tacoma. The cost is $35. Registration and information is available at 253-777-0016 and robertscomputerservices.com.
Have you ever wondered, Norman asks, how your grandchildren know all that stuff about technology? It’s because “they all have a device of some kind in their hand,” he said. “Since they were little kids, and I’m talking probably the last 15 years, they have grown up with technology. They just assume that because you’re older, you must know what they’re talking about, while the truth of the matter is most of us may need to develop skills so that we can communicate using the latest technology.”
The classes, which will vary in time from an hour to two hours, will cover topics such as managing documents and pictures on a computer, sending pictures from your phone or computer, how to use Skype (for video phone calls) and Facebook, and computer operating system upgrades.
The classes will led by Sitarzewski, who worked for the City of Bellevue as a computer instructor and supervisor of the IT help desk.
Sitarzewski and Norman, who are grandparents, said many of their friends are challenged by the technology that’s a comparative snap for younger people, and they know the importance of staying in touch with relatives and friends.
“Many people now use Facebook instead of direct e-mail to reach others,” Sitarzewski said. “Using these programs on the Internet can be challenging. You can develop the skills to use them with confidence and be able to enjoy the time you spend on your computer.”

Two trade shows  one catering to RVers and one to homebodies  w

The 33rd annual Tacoma RV Show – billed by organizers as a showcase for the latest and most fuel-efficient motor homes, fifth-wheels, toy haulers and travel trailers – will occupy the Tacoma Dome Jan. 21-24. And the 33rd annual Tacoma Home and Garden Show Jan. 28-31 at the Tacoma Dome will feature more than 500 exhibitors and around-the-clock “how-to” seminars.
Participating dealers in the RV event include Airstream Adventures, Covington; Apache Camping Center, Tacoma; Baydo’s RV Center, Fife; Clear Creek RV Center, Silverdale; Paul Evert’s RV Country, Fife; Poulsbo RV, Fife; South Hill RV Sales, Puyallup; Tacoma RV Center, Fife; Valley RV Supercenter, Kent; Puyallup RV, Puyallup; Sumner RV Center, Sumner; Open Road RV, Monroe; and Sunset RV in Fife.
Show hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (Jan. 21-23) and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $12 for general admission, $6 for military personnel with ID, and free for children 16 and under. Parking is free in Tacoma Dome parking lots.

The Home and Garden Show will offer a wide range of products and services for the home and garden. New attractions this year will include a wine-tasting section and a beer garden.
Also on tap is a vintage market showcasing repurposed and vintage-chic items.
Admission to the show is $12 for everyone 17 and older. Weekday discount coupons are available at www.otshows.com/ths/.
Show hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 28-30 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 31.

America’s Largest Antique and Collectible Show, as titled by its organizers, will be held at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup Jan. 23-24.
The show, featuring 400 booths, will be staged in the ShowPlex from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the first day and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the second day. Admission will cost $6 for adults and children 13 and older. Kids 12 and under will be admitted free.
Vintage items will include clothing, estate jewelry, furniture, decorative items, pottery, costume jewelry, clocks, watches, kitchenware, art deco, dolls, toys from the 1880s to 1970s, vintage tribal art, Parrish & Fox prints, and rare books.