Peace Village believes that residents should nurture their minds, bodies and souls on their own terms. At Peace Village, this freedom is a core value. An independent and assisted living community located in beautiful Palos Park, Peace Village strives to be an educational and spiritual resource for seniors on their grounds and in the surrounding communities.

Peace Village hosts a “Speaker Series” to educate not only their residents, but also the seniors and families who live locally. Part of Peace Village’s “PeaceFULL Life” philosophy is to make residents feel empowered. With a focus on mind, body, and soul, Peace Village is making unique strides to nurture their residents. The speaker series ranges from general information on aging and senior living to mini-retreats for residents to reflect on their personal life experiences.

Lora Contorno, Resident Support Facilitator at Peace Village, is dedicated to bringing speakers, educational workshops and spiritual comfort to the community’s residents. Her mission involves the multiple aspects of Social Services from family welfare to spiritual guidance.  Having finished the prescribed course for Lay Ministry and working in many different facets of the field, Contorno is now in her fourth year as the Resident Support Facilitator.

Contorno coordinates speakers that can teach residents, as well as their families and local seniors otherwise unaffiliated with Peace Village about multiple elements of senior life. In the beginning, the program was small and primarily based on education. Understanding the signs and symptoms of senior disorders, such as dementia, low vision, and fall prevention are all part of Peace Village’s speaker series.

“We had speakers teach about heart failure and diabetes. Those were simple,” Contorno said, noting that sometimes speakers and topics fall right into her lap. Often times, a resident’s child who is an expert in the field will offer a session on a popular issue. “Residents will often request specific topics,” Contorno asserted. “The objective is to educate seniors. But offering topics that teach the family members who are caring for them is equally, if not more, important.”

One of Contorno’s primary goals as the Resident Support Facilitator is to encourage spiritual peace for each resident. Meditation is by far one of Peace Village’s most popular sessions, drawing up to 50 residents. Contorno insures that all sessions are Ecumenical and open to all Christian sects. These sessions are usually based on life’s important questions and quiet contemplation, incorporating breathing exercises to offer residents inner calm and personal clarity.

In fact, spiritual programs are in such demand that, come January, Contorno will be increasing the opportunities for personal reflection. This will allow her to expand upon two important themes: a personal series and an educational series for residents, their families and visitors who want to be more informed about senior care. Marsha Hasse, who has been the Resident Advocate at Peace Village since March of 2010, will focus on bringing in speakers who can further educate the Peace Village residents, families and community in addition to the overarching objective to enhance residents’ physical and mental well-being. A licensed social worker with a Masters of Social Work from Loyola University and over 12 years of experience in a hospital setting, Marsha will undoubtedly bring valuable and relevant information to the Speaker Series program.

Peace Village is elevating the series to new levels with speakers from various home health groups, psychology practices and other experts in the geriatric field. The Peace Village Speaker Series is not just for Peace Village residents. We welcome anyone from the community to attend and learn from these wonderful and informative programs.

To keep informed of Peace Village events, visit the website at PeaceVillage.org, where you can sign up to receive email notifications, monthly activity postcards, and view events calendars. For information on or questions about the “Mind, Body, Soul Speaker Series”, feel free to contact Lora Contorno via email at lcontorno@peacevillage.org or by phone at 708-361-3683.