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Home Care In Millvale, PA

Home Care Millvale, PA

They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.

However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Rivers of Steel Carrie Blast Furnaces National Historic Landmark gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Millvale, PA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.

 In-Home Care Millvale, PA

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The Always Best Care Difference

Since 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.

Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.

The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.

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“I love working for these guys. Pretty flexible and my bosses are understanding that life happens. They go out of their way to help their caregivers and their elderly clients. Best company to work for! Love you guys.”

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TESTIMONIALS

“I work for always best care of Fox Chapel I meet the greatest people. I have the best boss and I absolutely would refer anybody who has a Caring Heart to be an employee of this company. I also refer anyone who needs someone of the Caring Heart in their life to help them with their daily living needs. Always best care is there for you I'm happy to be working for this company.”

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What is Non-Medical Senior Care in Millvale, PA?

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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.

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When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

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The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

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At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

 Senior Care Millvale, PA

Types of Elderly Care in Millvale, PA

To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:

Personal Care

Personal Care Services

If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.

Common personal care services include assistance with:

  • Eating
  • Mobility Issues
  • Incontinence
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Grooming

Respite Care Millvale, PA
Home Helper

Home Helper Services

Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.

Common home helper care services include assistance with:

  • Medication Reminders
  • Meal Preparation
  • Pet Care
  • Prescription Refills
  • Morning Wake-Up
  • Walking
  • Reading
 Caregivers Millvale, PA
Companionship Services

Companionship Services

Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Millvale Riverfront Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.

Common companionship services include:

  • Grocery Shopping
  • Transportation to Appointments
  • Nutritional Assistance
  • Conversation
  • Planning Outings
  • Completing Errands
  • Transportation to Community
  • Events and Social Outings
Home Care Millvale, PA
Respite Care

Respite Care Services

According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Sprezzatura or visit Schenley Farms Historic District, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.

At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.

If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.

 In-Home Care Millvale, PA

Benefits of Home Care in Millvale, PA

Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:

Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

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Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?

A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.

With the help of elderly care in Millvale, PA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.

Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.

In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

 Elderly Care Millvale, PA

Affordable Care

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

If your loved one qualifies, Medicaid may help reduce in-home care costs. Review your PA's Medicaid program laws and benefits, and make sure your senior's financial and medical needs meet Medicaid eligibility requirements.
Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.
Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.
Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.
Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.
 Senior Care Millvale, PA

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers.

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Millvale, PA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

Assisted Living Referral Services

While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.

Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.


Respite Care Millvale, PA

At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.

Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:

  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Recreational Activities
  • Social Outings
  • Emergency Medical Response
  • Medication Monitoring
  • Family Visitation
  • Personal Care
 Caregivers Millvale, PA

At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.

Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.

Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:

  • Evergreen Assisted Living Inc
  • Vincentian Schenley Gardens
  • UPMC Senior Communities
  • The Haven at North Hills Senior Residence
  • The Community at Holy Family Manor
  • Assisted Living Locators Greater Pittsburgh Area
Home Care Millvale, PA

For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.

 In-Home Care Millvale, PA

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way

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A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive

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Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Millvale, PA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

 Elderly Care Millvale, PA

Latest News in Millvale, PA

How Antifascists in Pennsylvania Mobilized Their Community Against an Active Neo-Nazi

In early September, around 50 people in Millvale, PA organized a march on the home of Brandon Cahall, a local landlord and active neo-Nazi. Cahall had recently been exposed for his involvement in white supremacist groups such as Patriot Front, the Goyim Defense League, and ...

In early September, around 50 people in Millvale, PA organized a march on the home of Brandon Cahall, a local landlord and active neo-Nazi. Cahall had recently been exposed for his involvement in white supremacist groups such as Patriot Front, the Goyim Defense League, and White Lives Matter, groups which have long and violent history of attacks across the US.

Following the march, antifascists began a broad campaign of outreach and education within the community, distributing flyers, stickers, and information on Brandon and the threat that neo-Nazi groups pose to our communities. White supremacist groups also responded, putting up banners where were then quickly taken down.

Wanting to know more about this campaign, we sat down with PGH Fash Watch about mobilizing in their area.

IGD: Tell us about who Brandon Cahall is and why people decided to form a campaign outing him to the wide community?

As it relates to his neo-Nazi activism, Brandon is a key player in the PA chapter of White Lives Matter (WLM) and the regional WLM movement. He’s been printing / shipping thousands of pieces of propaganda to other racists around the country. On a personal level, he’s a single, sad, childless 50 something year old white man who lives with his elderly mother. He supports himself by renting out inherited properties that he seems to have trouble keeping up to code.

He is networked with and seemingly played a role in vetting the Michigan WLM chapter. There’s seemingly a close relationship or dual-membership between PA WLM members and the local Patriot Front network, Network 16.

He’s a fucking loser who hid in his house while 40-50 queers, Jews, antifascists, and neighbors chanted his name and plastered his face / link to his doxx all over his neighborhood and nearby business district.

IGD: Tell us about some of the actions which have happened so far. There was a march by antifascists to the home of Brandon and also a flyer campaign.

Research and information gathering aside, the first IRL action against Brandon Cahall was the march through his neighborhood, which you can read more about here. Shoutout to the people who contributed to getting that info out.

The following weekend, there was a pretty robust effort to spread the doxx as far and wide as possible. Pgh Fash Watch issued the “Fuck Brando Challenge,” which was essentially a call to action to paper the region with Brandon’s face and doxx.

Autonomous crews worked to print stickers, make flyers, and make some digital tools pointing people to Brandon’s doxx. At least 2,000 physical pieces went up or were distributed around the Pittsburgh area within a 3-4 day stretch. That’s what we know about. There were people printing and making their own shit, taking it upon themselves to hand out flyers at events, shows, festivals, you name it. People submitted their flyers, stickers, and tags that were posted on social media, or they posted on their own.

After consistent flyering and stickering, there was an uptick in Patriot Front (PF) and WLM activity, as well as some other white supremacist groups. PF began by dropping a banner in downtown Pittsburgh, which was removed by antifascist activists within 30-40 minutes and burned shortly after. They were busy that week and the following. To their credit, they put up a fair amount of tags and stickers, and sometimes their stuff stays up for longer than it should. There’s been at least three fascist banner drops since our march through Brandon’s neighborhood, which is more than normal.

But it has only caused more and more people to take notice and take autonomous action. Every time PF and WLM drop a banner or place a sticker, someone gets more interested in anti-fascist activism.

A good bit of the actions taken since the march revolve around word of mouth education and building out some tools and practices that will make it easier for people to take action on their own.

IGD: What has been the response from the wider community? How have people reacted to Brandon being outed?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Even people who don’t live in Millvale were eager to learn more and post up fliers and stickers. There is a real appetite here for making Nazis known. People were talking about it at bars and coffee shops. People outside the typical “activist” scene were sharing and discussing Brandon Cahall’s dossier. That’s a win.

IGD: What lessons have antifascists learned from this campaign?

Next time, we’ll be better prepared to distribute information to people without reliable internet connections or data access, probably via fully printed out pamphlets.

We also became seriously aware of the need to pace ourselves and to find ways to support each other mentally and emotionally through long-running efforts like this.

Another lesson we learned is that we need to get tools and info out to people in a way that doesn’t rely as much on already being connected to some kind of organizing network. We need to make tools available so that people feel empowered to take action on their own, like hosting printable materials for downloading, digital info-images that can be shared, etc.

IGD:In a recent essay, Power Punch, the author laments how antifascists often doxx nazis and there is no follow up. This seems like one template to build a public, interactive campaign against active neo-Nazis in our community.

We’ve gone a bit beyond just dropping a doxx. There are plans to continue following up, pivoting towards a positive program about antifascism, and broadening the scope beyond just this one fucko.

An important aspect of the march and subsequent flyering actions was raising consciousness of white supremacist activities in the area among locals, which we hope will encourage more folks to engage in anti-fascism autonomously, especially after seeing a demonstration of everyday anti-fascist solidarity in their town.

Making sure that the dox was being spread *offline* and out in the real world is what made this effort successful, in our opinion. Taking up physical space and putting up physical pictures of Brandon shows people that anti-fascists are among them, and they can do it too.

IGD: What advice would you give others in other places who are looking to launch a similar campaign?

More people are on your side than you think. It doesn’t mean you have to trust everyone with all the information you have, but people are legit willing to listen if you do your due diligence and come up with a solid doxx package. Be prepared to answer questions about the provenance of your info and to balance those answers with necessary security practices.

Aside from that, people should know that this is doable. Some of us have some skills and experience, but most of what we’ve done doesn’t require much know-how. Everyone can take action and everyone should.

IGD: How can people follow this campaign?

Stay tuned at pghfashwatch.noblogs.org or over on our Twitter @pghfashwatch. For more info and materials, go here.

Game show studio brings new experience to Millvale

Fans of game shows such as “Family Feud” and “The Price is Right” will get their chance at the buzzer with a new entertainment venue opening in Millvale.Corey Deasy, the mastermind who brought ax throwing and escape rooms to the Pittsburgh region, said the new game show studio is a part of Playground Dropout, a facility that also offers ax-throwing lanes and bar-style ice curling. Deasy has collaborated with partners Matt Peyton and Jack Welsh to make the venue possible.“I’ve been in experien...

Fans of game shows such as “Family Feud” and “The Price is Right” will get their chance at the buzzer with a new entertainment venue opening in Millvale.

Corey Deasy, the mastermind who brought ax throwing and escape rooms to the Pittsburgh region, said the new game show studio is a part of Playground Dropout, a facility that also offers ax-throwing lanes and bar-style ice curling. Deasy has collaborated with partners Matt Peyton and Jack Welsh to make the venue possible.

“I’ve been in experiential entertainment for the last 10 years,” Deasy said. “I have ax-throwing locations in Arizona, in the Phoenix area, and I was out there visiting six months ago or so. And there was a game show company out there.

“Our team went to take part in it and we had an absolute blast, and I thought, wow, this is kind of what we’re looking for to add to an all-in-one entertainment facility in Pittsburgh.”

The team did some research and found that game show studios are a growing trend across the country. They hope to attract groups for corporate events, birthday parties and other outings.

“We thought that we would potentially be the first group in Pittsburgh to open one of these. We’re really excited to offer this to the city,” Deasy said.

The concept may sound a little strange at first.

“When I tell my friends that we are opening a game show studio, they’re like, ‘what does that mean?’” Deasy reported.

The studio space has professional lighting and sound, and each booked experience will have a dedicated host for the duration. Local comedian Joe Welsh is currently filling that role.

“It has a large projector screen where questions are displayed. We have a large ‘Drop Zone,’ which is our version of ‘Plinko’ and we have a large spinning wheel,” Deasy said.

The space has a capacity of 20 to 24 people.

Each booked experience takes between an hour and an hour and 15 minutes, depending on the size of the group, according to Deasy.

“Our goal is to make sure that if it’s a larger group, everybody gets to participate and really enjoy the experience, so we’ll make sure that there’s extra time allotted for those events,” he said. “The game show host will facilitate the whole event, starting with ‘Survey Shout Out’ — it’s our version of ‘Family Feud’ — followed by ‘Wheel of Winners,’ our version of ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ and then ‘Price It,’ which is similar to ‘The Price is Right.’”

They also offer “Trivia Rush” and “Celebrity Face Mash.”

Their enjoyable experience in Arizona influenced the game, but Deasy said that they wanted the Playground Dropout studio to be even better.

“We’ve made some interesting adjustments with custom software that will power our experience,” he said. ”There are different parts of the game where the team gets to submit answers or votes on their phones and … majority rules, basically. Whatever the answer is that the majority of the team chose becomes the team’s answer.”

Groups can schedule their experiences ahead of time, but Deasy said that there could be situations where smaller groups could book day-of and be added to an existing group’s show.

It’s also a blast for all ages.

“We’re in the middle of testing right now to see how the event works with different groups of kids, so can we facilitate an event for a group of just kids or is it an area where a parent has to be there with kids of a certain age,” Deasy said.

Playground Dropout is more than just game show fun. It builds on Deasy’s popular local ax-throwing experience, Lumberjaxes, and four bar-style ice curling lanes, which will likely open for the season the day before Thanksgiving, unless weather permits them to open earlier.

For more information, visit playgrounddropout.com.

Alexis Papalia is a TribLive staff writer. She can be reached at [email protected].

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The haunted legend behind a Millvale church's famous murals

MILLVALE, Pa. (KDKA) — St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale is famous for not only being the first purposefully built Croatian Catholic church in the country, but it is also renowned for being the home to 25 nationally recognized murals, all painted in the 1930s and 40s by one famous artist, Maxo Vanka.While the murals are famous and each tell a story, it is the story of what allegedly happened to Maxo Vanka and his friend Father Albert Zagar while he was painting these murals that has gained some ghostly notoriety....

MILLVALE, Pa. (KDKA) — St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church in Millvale is famous for not only being the first purposefully built Croatian Catholic church in the country, but it is also renowned for being the home to 25 nationally recognized murals, all painted in the 1930s and 40s by one famous artist, Maxo Vanka.

While the murals are famous and each tell a story, it is the story of what allegedly happened to Maxo Vanka and his friend Father Albert Zagar while he was painting these murals that has gained some ghostly notoriety.

"He painted at night, so he wouldn't be disturbed," said ghost historian Thomas White. "He liked to paint way up on the scaffolding. And one night he hears kind of a mumbling, he looks down and he sees this figure in the church, and he figures maybe Father Zagar came into pray or whatever. So he kind of ignores it but he keeps hearing it and he begins to feel uneasy."

Of course, there was no one else in the church, and that uneasy feeling would continue for Maxo Vanka while he worked and even Father Zagar, who started to keep the artist company while he painted, began having odd experiences, like the night the church's eternal flame was extinguished.

"The ghostly figure walks up to the eternal flame and blows it out. ... Now Father Zagar can't see the ghost, according to the story, but he sees the flame go out," White said.

Maxo Vanka actually took to stuffing his ears and wearing blinders while he worked because he didn't want to deal with the spirit. And while these strange occurrences kept happening, eventually he did finish the murals.

"Father Zagar and Maxo Vanka didn't plan on telling anyone about this," White said. "It was an experience they both had, but their friend Louis Adamic wanted to know how it was going. And he's a writer, so they tell him the story."

"Louis Adamic thought, 'That's a pretty interesting story. I am trying to get my friend the artist popularized in America,' so he writes a story for Harper's Magazine, telling the ghost story and highlighting the murals at the same time. Because the ghost story then attracts more attention to the murals and it kind of launches Maxo Vanka's career in America."

The Mural Preservation Society is hosting a free open house on Tuesday, Oct. 29 to celebrate their recent conservation work. And while this is not a ghost tour, who knows, maybe just being in this space will allow the spirit to be moved.

Christopher DeRose

Chris DeRose is a reporter for KDKA-TV. He has been a reporter, producer, host and actor for over 15 years, starting his professional career in Chicago back in 2007.

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