Mature Arkansas by Arkansas Times

Mature Arkansas novEMBER 17, 2011

PRESERVING HISTORY Sam Taggart, M.D., is also an author and athlete. Read about his life on page 6

ALSO in this issue

The Lure of the Groove Page 17

How to avoid nutrition problems Page 18

Giving Back: Volunteering Page 20

MATURE ARKANSAS

novemBER 17, 2011

B y Herb Sanderson

Mature Arkansas Steps Up

ongratulations on your good taste. You are reading Mature Arkansas-- a new magazine for and about Arkansans over age 50. With the demise of the monthly, non-profit, senior newspaper Aging Arkansas, the 24-year voice of Arkansas seniors was stilled. Arkansas seniors responded with an overwhelming groan of disappointment. We think YOU deserve a strong advocacy voice and Mature Arkansas was born. You may be thinking: Who thought it was a good idea to start a new publication in the worst economy since the Great Depression? The Arkansas Times publishing house knows it’s a good idea. Arkansas Times Publisher Alan Leveritt has made a strong commitment to seniors RES E IST RV and those who care for them. ING agg OR art Y Leveritt says his new weekly will n a , M.D uth or ., te. “celebrate the second half of life ut h is l ife with good times, lots of opportunities to get more out of life and live the kind of retirement you want.” Mature Arkansas will also give you accurate and timely health and consumer information to eo help you live independently and stay healthy. f e Ho w nut to a Mature Arkansas wants to be YOUR voice PA rition void gE 18 proble ms Giv i but we need your help. Have an issue or gripe Vol ng B PA untee ack: gE r 20 ing or suggestion about living in Arkansas? Send an email to annewasson@arktimes.com or call 375-2985, ext. 368; or write Mature Arkansas, PO Box 34010, Little Rock, AR 72203-4010. Know an exceptional senior or an interesting character— send me their name and we may feature them in a profile. Every senior life is an interesting story and we plan to bring you some of the best. Stay tuned...

arMat no vE

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Mature Arkansas Publisher Jim Gray Editor Anne Wasson Art Director Mike Spain Assistant to the Editor Paige Parham Account Executive Erin Holland Production Manager Weldon Wilson Production Assistant Tracy Whitaker ad Coordinators Roland Gladden, Kelly Schlachter

Graphic Artists Bryan Moats, Katie Cook Photographer Brian Chilson Controller Weldon Wilson Office Manager Angie Fambrough IT Director Robert Curfman Billing and Collections Linda Phillips Circulation Director Anitra Hickman

Mature Arkansas is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203, phone (501) 375-2985. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to Mature Arkansas will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to Mature Arkansas’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.

2 novemBER 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS

Vital Support for Arkansas’ Seniors S

eniors count on Medicare and Social Security benefits to provide them with a retirement foundation of income and healthcare, having contributed to these programs during their working years. In today’s difficult economy—with widespread loss of retirement savings and home equity, coupled with rising healthcare costs—Social Security and Medicare are more vital than ever. However, right now a Congressional “supercommittee” is considering cutting your Medicare and Social Security benefits. Older Americans recognize the urgent need to address the nation’s fiscal deficit and acknowledge the daunting task to help put our nation’s finances on a more secure path. However, older Americans, across party and regional lines, strongly oppose fast-track cuts to the healthcare and retirement benefits they have paid into and depend upon. Social Security has not contributed to the deficit and Social Security benefits should not be reduced for the purpose of reducing the deficit. Medicare is the bedrock of health security. As legislation is developed to address our nation’s deficit, AARP strongly urges Congress to make responsible decisions to reduce our nation’s deficit, like cutting waste and tax loopholes, not the benefits seniors have worked for and count on.

Retirement income Here’s how much Arkansas seniors count on the Social Security benefits they’ve earned through a lifetime of work: • 92.9% of Arkansas seniors, or 391,700, received Social Security

C A L E N D AR PICKS “Interwoven,” by Dolores Justus, left “Disjointed,” by Robyn Horn, below

Living!

it’s time tO start

in 2010. The average annual benefit was only $12,900. • Social Security accounted for 65.4% of the typical older Arkansans’ income. • Low and middle-income seniors in Arkansas are even more reliant on Social Security’s earned benefit, typically receiving 79.1% of their individual income from Social Security.

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Fights poverty Social Security keeps middle-income older Arkansans from falling into poverty: • About 11.8%, or 44,148, older Arkansans live in poverty. • Without Social Security income, an additional 44.1% of older Arkansans, or 165,381 people, would fall into poverty.

Medicare only pays part Medicare provides guaranteed health coverage, but out-of-pocket costs are high: • On average, Arkansas Medicare beneficiaries spent $5,500 on out-ofpocket healthcare costs not covered by Medicare. • For the typical Arkansas senior on Medicare, out-of-pocket spending for healthcare consumes 24.7% of their income. Medicare provides peace of mind for Arkansas seniors: • Nearly 99.5% of Arkansas seniors, or 409,987, were enrolled in Medicare in 2009. • In contrast, nearly 12% of the 60–64 year olds have no health insurance.

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Boosts our economy Social Security plays an important role in Arkansas’ economy: • Social Security provided $7.5 billion in benefits to Arkansans in 2009. • The Medicare program spent $3.99 billion on healthcare services for Arkansans in 2010. Mr. Sanderson is associate state director for advocacy with AARP Arkansas

more P I CK S on pa ge 6

Thompson Reception to Feature Artists

Art lovers: Don’t miss the opening reception for two women, one amazing show, on Friday, November 18, from 5:00-8:00 PM, at Greg Thompson Fine Art, 429 Main Street in North Little Rock. The show will feature both sculptures and works on paper by Robyn Horn and works on canvas by Dolores Justus. The show will run through January 14, 2012. “I am thrilled to be able to showcase two important women artists from Arkansas in our holiday show,”says Greg Thompson.“This show will provide a range of works in all price ranges to delight every collector.” Greg Thompson Fine Art is a private art consulting and art dealership. To learn more about their art and what inspires them, Horn and Justus will present an Artist’s Lecture on Saturday, November 19, at 1:00 PM. The lecture series is $10 and reservations are required by calling 664-2787.

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Choose What’s Right for You Premium, drug and deductible costs change annually. Comparison is free and there is no pressure to do anything. Arkansas Insurance Department Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIIP) does not sell insurance. SHIIP is a program of the Arkansas Insurance Department funded by the federal agency Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. MATURE ARKANSAS

novemBER 17, 2011

ed itor i al

Banish Ageism in Healthcare By Anne Howard Wasson

merican healthcare is deeply flawed by ageism. Ageist healthcare delivery is costly, un-American and just plain wrong. Ageism—discrimination against older people based on their age—is racism’s final frontier. Even among educated and usually sensitive people; even among healthcare providers, ageism is tragically and ironically still acceptable—even “cute.” America worships youth and this idolatry makes it easy for ageism to creep easily into conversations, to be acceptable in jokes and to slither onto the examining table. Far too often older people accept this shuffling without complaint: To the rear of the healthcare bus, please. We accept it in our families and within the market place. We rarely object, accepting second-class status as our fate. We accept it at our own peril. Ageism starts at the beginning of healthcare delivery. There’s a dearth of geriatricians to treat seniors’ special and often complex healthcare needs. Only about 10% of US medical schools even require courses in geriatrics, even though more than half of their time will be spent with older patients. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is a notable exception. Every UAMS doctor-in-training must have a rotation in geriatrics. UAMS has set a high standard for national leadership in care of seniors with its comprehensive system, providing a team of healthcare professionals for each patient. St Vincent’s addition of a Longevity Center echoes the welcome emphasis on dignified and holistic care. This emphasis is vitally important because many doctors avoid treating older patients. It takes longer for an office visit with an older person and Medicare reimbursement rates are notoriously low. Most of

seniors’ health complaints are due to chronic conditions such as arthritis or diabetes. Chronic conditions—unlike an acute episode such as a broken leg-- cannot be cured but must be treated and endured. Typical seniors’ healthcare includes both inappropriately invasive procedures such as multiple heart surgeries while other seniors are denied life-saving procedures because of the mistaken or ageist belief that their age excludes them from certain treatments. Clinical trials—the final safety testing before a drug goes to market—routinely exclude older test subjects. Seniors consume the majority of all prescriptions. Fighting ageism calls for a two-front attack involving providers and patients. Our healthcare system will be forced to change its attitude to survive in the reformed environment of the Affordable Care Act. But are older patients themselves maintaining the best attitude? In many cases no; seniors may be their own worst enemy. Attitude is vitally important. Psychologists say we “train” people how to treat us. Are we willing to accept diminished care or do we deserve the benefits of Medicare—an entitlement we’ve earned and have paid for? The Alliance for Aging Research says older patients are much less likely to bring up health problems during a doctor’s visit. Seniors delay seeing a doctor from four months to over a year for a subsequently diagnosed health problem. Too many seniors dismiss everything from pain to mobility problems to incontinence is “just old age.” This stoic resignation to poor health is both dangerous and costly. Every health problem is easier to cure and cheaper to treat if caught early. Senior patients must learn about their conditions and treatments and demand attention when there’s a change in their health status. We deserve first-class treatment. But we must pay this back with first class treatment of ourselves. That means taking responsibility for our health

Senior patients must learn about their conditions and treatments and demand attention when there’s a change in their health status. We deserve first-class treatment...

CALENDAR P I CK S

Get Nutcracker Reservations Now

Make a date with your grandchildren to attend Ballet Arkansas’ The Nutcracker. The beloved Christmas story will delight children of any age on Saturday, December 10 at 7:00 PM and December 11 at 3:00 PM, at Robinson Center Music Hall. The Arkansas Symphony will perform Tchaikovsky’s magical score--some of the holiday’s most memorable music. Ticket prices range from $20 - $45; discounts available for groups of 10 or more by calling 666-1761, extension 100 or at ArkansasSymphony.org To get into the Nutcracker mood, attend The Nutcracker Tea on Sunday, December 4 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM at Trapnall Hall in Little Rock. Children will love meeting their favorite Nutcracker characters while they enjoy refreshments and crafts. Tea tickets are $20 adults; $15 children; $5 more at the door. Reservations can be made at BalletArkansas.org or by calling 223-5150. 4 novemBER 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS

Seniors Open Festival of Trees

Make plans today to bring your friends to CARTI’S Festival of Trees Senior Day on December 1, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, at Statehouse Convention Center Ballroom FREE to seniors, Dr. David Lipschitz, of St. Vincents Longevity Center, will speak at 10:30-11:15 AM. All seniors 55+ are invited to enjoy coffee and cookies and, of course, stroll through the forest of beautifully decorated trees. You are welcome to photograph the trees, browse auction items and visit the gift shop.

by taking care of our bodies. No one else can or will do this for us. It’s our responsibility to take a realistic look at the health choices we make every day. Are you getting some exercise or opting for another hour of TV? What are you eating and drinking? We can all improve those choices. Do you connect with others daily and look for ways to give back? Being involved and spending time helping others actually improves health and longevity. We can also be responsible by being a health advocate for others. Maybe you are assertive enough to demand the same medical treatment as your younger family members. But perhaps a friend is avoiding the doctor for something you know is causing her problems. Offer to go with her to the doctor and make sure she fully explains the problem and gets first-class treatment. If the healthcare provider shrugs off the problem as “old age” ask questions and demand non-ageist care. Medicare now offers free health screenings (prostate tests to mammograms; colonoscopies to diabetes screening); annual wellness visits, annual flu shots and other vaccinations. Medicare does this at no cost because it knows, if seniors take advantage of these preventive measures, everybody saves money. American healthcare is poised for a fundamental revamping and expansion over the next three years. Now is the time to begin— and demand—healthcare equality for all Americans.

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Holidays at the Old State House

A holiday Open House will be held at the Old State House Museum, 300 W. Markham, on December 4, from 1:00 – 4:30 PM, in Little Rock. Admission is free. Carols, cookies and family fun will be set among the holiday decorations of Arkansas’original capital, now a museum. For more information call 324-9685.

Jacksonville 1500 Graham Rd. Jacksonville, AR 72076 501-982-5545 Lonoke 1497 Lincoln Street Lonoke, AR 72086 501-676-6200

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catlett-care.com MATURE ARKANSAS

novemBER 17, 2011

A Doctor Who Takes His Own Advice n By Anne Howard Wasson

am Taggart is a family practice physician who takes his own wellness advice: Exercise, eat

well, stay connected with family and community and

a thinly veiled name for Augusta and everybody in Augusta knows it. But Gum enjoy what you do. He’s 64 and practices part-time, at Ridge was the real name of the farm where I grew up,” the Family Practice Clinic on Military Road in Benton. he explains. Around Benton, Dr. Taggart quickly became We All Hear Voices tells the story of Jack, known as “the doctor who’s a fitness nut.” a cook who “tastes shapes and hears colors.” That was just fine with Taggart, an early wellTaggart says this is a real condition called ness devotee. He began teaching fitness classes synesthesia and most people with it consider because there weren’t any it a gift. Synesthesia enables gyms. After three years, he Jack to create extraordinary started adding partners and dishes that make Moon’s Bar now shares the practice and Grill the hottest restauwith seven other physicians. rant in the Mississippi Delta. During his days in the office, Taggart infuses optimism he sees 25 to 30 patients a into everyone around him, day. from his direct eye contact He’s also known as the and ready smile to his enthudoctor who writes novels. siasm about the task before A series of short stories him. He quoted his father as featuring southern charachaving told him years ago: “I ters developed into Taggart’s would much rather live to 98 first novel, We All Hear as an optimist and find out at Voices, published in 2007. the end I was wrong, than to The setting is a small delta live to 98 as a pessimist and town of Gum Ridge. “It’s find out I was right.” 6 novemBER 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS

Taggart started his own family practice during his senior year of medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock. He was able to complete two years of his residency requirement before the Army sent him to South Korea in 1974-1976 as the physician for an isolated outpost near the border with North Korea. Long-time friend and international co-traveler Darla Huie, owner of Dizzy’s Gypsy Bistro, says his 40-year medical practice and the health awareness he has created is saving lives in Saline County. “One of his most positive impacts was creating a wellness awareness regimen while attempting to dissuade rednecks, menopausal women and teenagers from popping pills. He quickly developed a reputation for being unwilling to be manipulated by pharmaceutical sirens. I’ve always respected him for quietly refusing to fall into the destructive norm of over-prescription,” Huie says. “I doubt Sam is aware of how many people he’s forced to stop and assess the root cause of their stressors or health issues,” she adds. Taggart’s mantra is take responsibility for your health. He points to positive changes many people have made in nutrition. “In the

brian chilson

The Perpetual Optimism of Sam Taggart

Margaret Bourke-White

Taggart’s office walls feature many enlarged photos from international photographer Margaret Bourke-White’s 1934 photos of the Bauxite Mine and Benton. His patients are helping identify the people in the photos.

stream fishing and long-distance running and biking. They recently returned from a bicycle tour of the Croatian Coast where they rode 30-70 miles a day with a group of other cyclists. Enderlin is the gardener at their home on Lake Hamilton, a mile from the acclaimed Garvin Woodland Gardens. Taggart’s has two grown sons--Will, 35, a teacher in Atlanta; and Adam, 33, who heads the pulmonary research lab at UAMS. Taggart is also grandfather to Adam and his wife Keri’s two daughters. Taggart has run 111 marathons, beginning in the late 1980s, and says he tries to run about five marathons a year. Constantly in training for his next competition, Taggart admits he prefers training over competition. He’s recently added triathlons where athletes compete on one day

in three events, swimming, running (usually a marathon) and bicycling. Taggart writes on Mondays and a couple of afternoons a week. Writing since he was 17, he always focuses on Arkansas, specifically the Mississippi River delta culture. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to write about.” Active in community theater, Taggart’s friends urged him to make the novel into a play. There have been seven productions of “We All Hear Voices” across the state. The play— co-directed by Taggart--debuted at the Ken Theatre for the Performing Arts in McCrory. The early 1900s dilapidated theatre has been remodeled into a state-of-the-art theatre seating 250. The Community Theater of Little Rock will be doing another production in spring, 2012. His second novel, With a Heavy Heart, is a

“If you don’t eat well, no

vitamin is going to replace what you’re missing. Anything you eat is going to be a better source of nutrients than any supplement.”

brian chilson

1970s, it cost you three times as much to buy a loaf of whole wheat bread and it was usually stale because no one bought it. Grocery stores have expanded their fresh produce and the fresh meat counter has shrunk.” Taggart says vitamin and mineral supplements are not needed if you eat well. “And if you don’t eat well, no vitamin is going to replace what you’re missing.” He says the exception to this is critically ill people or post-surgery patients who need to boost their nutrition. Another exception is Vitamin D and calcium for post-menopausal women. “But anything you eat is going to be a better source of nutrients than any supplement.” Taggart only practices part time now because, just on the cusp of his 65th birthday, he has other passions to pursue. A writer with two published novels, he’s also a playwright, photographer and part-time theatre director. He stays fit by competing in marathons and triathlons. Thin and athletic, Taggart says he can eat “anything I want” because of a training schedule that would be the envy of a college athlete. Up at 5:00 AM, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he’s at the Hot Springs YMCA by 5:15 for a mile+ swim. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, there’s a six to eight-mile run. Weekends include a 15-mile run and a 50+ mile bicycle ride on Sundays. Taggart is married to Dr. Annette Enderlin, an ophthalmologist who also practices in Benton. Their athleticism lets them pursue exotic travel that can include camping, canoeing, small

MATURE ARKANSAS

novemBER 17, 2011

spy story set in Benton and Bauxite. Taggart is currently working on a third novel and a play. The play, “Nobody’s Business,” will premiere at the Royal Theater in Benton in summer 2012. Taggart says creativity gives him joy. He maintains contact with about 1,800 of his creative friends—mostly artists and writers-via Facebook. One of Taggart’s latest projects unites his love of history and photography. When the Bauxite Community Center recently cleaned out storage boxes, they discovered a trove of over 200 photographic negatives of the old Bauxite Mine and Saline County. Taggart says famed photographer Margaret Bourke-White came to Bauxite in 1934 for a series she was doing on miners. Some of the Bauxite miners were included in a display of her work at the World’s Fair. Several of the negatives, stored away for over 75 years, were White’s work; others were unidentified but Taggart says they have White’s iconic style and believes them to be hers. Taggart has reproduced many of the negatives of Benton, Bauxite and Saline County and has them displayed on the walls of his medical practice. He says older patients have helped him identify some of the people in the photographs. Taggart says his father had a great influence on him, recalling advice his father had given to him at age 13. “I was playing in

Niloak Pottery, known as art pottery, was produced by the Eagle Pottery Co. in Benton from 1909-1946. “Niloak” is the word kaolin spelled backward. Kaolin is a fine-grade clay, found near Benton, that was used in the production. Niloak pottery uses different-colored clays in a swirled pattern.

the school band and was a real sissy. I was crying and remember telling my dad how worried I was about who I was, what I would become, and what I would do with my life. I told him I was going to quit the band and go out for football. That was the most manly thing I could think of. My dad said, ‘Sam, your deepest secret--the thing you think you cannot tell anyone--is the one thing you share in common with other people.’ I still think of

“We’ve let the symbols of wealth and the consumption of things be confused with reality.”

8 novemBER 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS

that advice every day.” Realizing his parents could not support him on his father’s sharecropping, he left home at 18 to attend Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. He put himself through college by working as a “gopher” for several local businesses. Taggart credits his mother’s influence as pointing him toward medical school. “As the youngest of eight children, it was her role to

take care of the older members of the family.” He says she was an avid reader. “We’d go to the WPA (Works Progress Administration) Library in Augusta and check out a stack of books.” He says the proudest moment of his youth was getting his own library card. “Each generation defines the American Dream for the next generation. My father’s generation defined it for us as ‘opportunity.’ How have we defined the America Dream for our children?” he asks. Taggart believes it is “change;” yet he is saddened by the fear that unbridled consumption will be part of our legacy. “We’ve let the symbols of wealth and the consumption of things be confused with reality.” Taggart says he values honesty. “Everything in life is predicated on honesty. If you can’t trust people it makes life totally unpredictable.” Taggart says dishonesty makes him mad. “That’s about the only reason I will ‘fire’ a patient—if he’s not truthful with me.” Of all his values, Taggart says he hopes his children and grandchildren will value honesty above all. Taggart says medicine forced him to become tolerant. “A family practice tends to do that to you. It’s hard to help someone through a problem if you’re constantly judging them,” he explains. Adding that a wise professor in medical school told him, as a physician, he was not his brother’s keeper, but his brother’s brother. brian chilson

Amateur photographer Charles Dove took this aerial shot of early Benton. Dove was an employee of Niloak Pottery and also a “stringer” for the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock. Taggart calls Dove’s large collection of area photographs a “treasure for the community.”

IQ TesT y ur flu iq

True False

A special supplement from: MATURE ARKANSAS

novemBER 17, 2011

Test your flu iq

Dear Arkansans, It’s flu season again, and every year we see some of the same “old wives’ tales” coming back around: the flu shot gave me the flu; the flu is not very serious; flu vaccines are dangerous; and there’s no real reason for me to worry about the flu, just to name a few. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) wants to help set the record straight on these and some other myths about the flu. We want to help provide you with all the resources you need to protect yourself and your family from the number eight cause James Phillips, MD of death in the country every year, the seasonal flu. With that in mind, we have prepared this guide to better health during this year’s flu season. Seasonal influenza is a very serious illness, and an average of 23,600 people die every year of complications from the flu. No matter how healthy you are, you can catch the flu, because it is a very contagious respiratory virus. But some people face a much greater risk of the complications that lead to hospitalization and death. That’s why it is so important for everyone to get a flu shot this year and every year. If we can reduce the total number of cases of the flu in the community, we can protect those who are at great risk: the elderly, children under five (especially those under two), pregnant women, those with chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, lung disorders and certain other groups.

...an average of 23,600 people die every year of complications from the flu.

Contents 3 Is the Flu Vaccine Safe? 4 Who is At Risk for the Flu? 6 How Do I Treat My Family if Someone Gets the Flu? 6 Warning Signs 7 The Flu & Pregnancy 7 The Flu & Smoking 8 How Do I Protect Myself From Getting the Flu? 8 The Three C’s

There is almost no medical reason not to get a flu shot— the benefits far outweigh any risks that are possible, and the vaccine is widely available. Your local ADH county health unit will have a supply for you and your family, and there are many other places that can also provide flu vaccine—big retailers, pharmacies and even grocery stores are now offering flu vaccine. I hope that you will spend some time improving your Flu IQ, and helping us Fight the Flu this year in Arkansas! James Phillips, MD Branch Chief, Infectious Disease Arkansas Department of Health

healthy.arkansas.gov

Test your flu iq

IS The FLU VaccINe SaFe?

Over the years, hundreds of millions of people in the U.S. have safely received seasonal flu vaccines.

Over the last 50 years, flu vaccines have been shown to be safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hold vaccines to the highest safety standards.

There are two types of flu vaccine: the flu shot and the nasal spray vaccine. Until recently, the vaccine was only available in a shot. The nasal spray was approved for seasonal influenza viruses in 2003, and tens of millions of doses of the nasal spray have been given in the United States. Nasal spray is recommended for use in healthy people 2 years through 49 years of age who are not pregnant. There are very few medical reasons to not get the flu vaccine. They include life threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis to a previous dose of flu vaccine, serious allergy to eggs, or Guillain-Barré syndrome. People with a non-life threatening egg allergy may be vaccinated but need to see a doctor specializing in allergies.

TRUE

FALSE

You cannot get the flu from the flu shot.

Who Should NOT Receive the Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine?

True:

The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu. This is an “old wives’ tale” that needs to be put to rest.

Certain people should not get the nasal spray flu vaccine. This includes: •

people younger than 2 years of age;

•

pregnant women;

•

people 50 years of age and older;

•

children or adolescents receiving aspirin therapy;

•

people with a medical condition that places them at higher risk

•

people who have had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare

for complications from influenza, including those with chronic

disorder of the nervous system, within 6 weeks of getting a flu

heart or lung disease, such as asthma or reactive airways disease;

vaccine,

people with medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney

•

people who have a severe allergy to hens’ eggs. Persons with a

failure; or people with illnesses that weaken the immune system,

non-life threatening egg allergy may be vaccinated but need to

or who take medications that can weaken the immune system;

see a doctor specializing in allergies.

children younger than 5 years old with a history of recurrent wheezing; A special supplement from the 3 Arkansas department of novemBER health MATURE ARKANSAS 17, 2011 11

Test your flu iq

Who Is AT RIsk foR The flu? Those most at risk for complications from the seasonal flu are:

•

Immunosuppression, including that caused by medications or by HIV;

•

People younger than 19 years of age who get long-term aspirin therapy,

children aged 6 months through 4 years, however, the risk for severe

diabetes mellitus);

complications from seasonal influenza is highest among children younger

because of an increased risk for Reye’s Syndrome.

than 2 years old;

asthma) or heart disease

In addition, those that live with or care for individuals that are at high risk for flu-related complications should also be vaccinated and include:

adults and children 2 years and older with chronic metabolic diseases

•

people 50 years or older;

•

pregnant women;

•

adults and children aged 2 years and older with chronic lung (including

•

(including diabetes), kidney diseases, blood disorders (such as sickle cell anemia), or weakened immune systems, including persons with HIV/AIDS; •

people in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities;

•

people with chronic pulmonary (including asthma, even if mild),

health care workers involved in hands-on care to patients and household members and caregivers of infants under the age of 6 months;

•

household contacts (including children), caregivers of children up to age 4 and adults aged 50 or older; and,

•

household contacts (including children) and caregivers of persons with

cardiovascular (except hypertension), kidney, liver, blood (including sickle

medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications

cell disease), neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders (including

from flu.

TRUE

FALSE

Only older people need a flu shot. False:

A special supplement from the 4 Arkansas department of health 12 novemBER 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS

Everyone over 6 months of age needs vaccine.

Test your flu iq

TRUE

What is the seasonal flu?

FALSE

You can have the flu and not have any symptoms. TRUE:

Those infected with the flu virus are contagious to others even before they develop symptoms of flu. Up to 25 percent of those infected with flu may not have any symptoms at all.

Seasonal flu is a disease that causes mild to severe illness. Each year in the United States, there are 25-50 million infections, over 200,000 hospitalizations and roughly 23,600 deaths due to flu. Over 90 percent of deaths and about 60 percent of hospitalizations occur in people older than 65.

What are the symptoms of flu? Fever greater than 100 degrees, coughing, sore throat, chills, headache and body aches, fatigue, respiratory congestion, and in some cases, diarrhea and vomiting. People experiencing these symptoms should contact their physician.

What is the best way to not get the flu? The best way to stop the spread of flu is to get the flu vaccine each year. The vaccine takes one to two weeks to start working and is the best protection in preventing the flu. The flu vaccine will not give you the flu! It helps protect you against the flu virus.

Who should get flu vaccine? The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months old and older should get the flu vaccine each year.

A special supplement from the Arkansas department of health

MATURE ARKANSAS

5 13

novemBER 17, 2011

Test your flu iq

hoW do i treat My faMily if soMeone gets the flU? • People with respiratory illness should stay home from work or school to avoid spreading infections, including flu, to others in the

TRUE

community. • People experiencing cough, fever and fatigue, possibly along with

be prescribed that can reduce the severity of illness if taken within 48 hours after symptoms begin.

false:

• Children 18 years of age or younger who are ill with flu should not take aspirin, but can take ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Follow your

FALSE

I can give aspirin to my teenager if he has the flu.

diarrhea and vomiting, should contact their physician. Drugs may

doctor’s advice.

Kids 18 years of age or younger who have the flu SHOULD NOT take aspirin but can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

flU & PregnanCy

Warning signs seek Urgent Medical attention for Children when a Child has these symptoms:

seek Urgent Medical attention for adults when an adUlt has these symptoms:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

• Bluish skin color

• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen

• Not drinking enough fluids

• Sudden dizziness

• Signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, absence of

• Confusion

urination, or in infants, a lack of tears when they cry • Not waking up or not interacting • Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held

• Severe or persistent vomiting • Signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing and absence of urination

• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

• Purple or blue discoloration of the lips

• A fever with a rash

• Seizures (for example, uncontrolled

• Vomiting and unable to keep liquids down A special supplement from the 6 Arkansas department 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS of health 14 novemBER

convulsions)

Test your flu iq

TRUE

FALSE

The flu vaccine cannot cause autism. True:

The vaccine is safe and none of the flu vaccine at the Health Department contains mercury.

TRUE

FALSE

A flu shot will decrease the chances of both a pregnant woman and her baby of dying from the flu by over 50% (and it almost always keeps mom and baby from catching the flu). True:

Flu & pregnancy • Flu vaccine is a safe way to protect you and your unborn

recommended for pregnant

baby from serious illness and

women for many years.

complications of flu. • When pregnant women get flu shots, both mothers and their babies get the flu less often.

The vaccine will prevent a pregnant woman from getting the flu and will give the unborn child some protection.

• The flu shot can be given at any time while you are pregnant. • The flu shot is safe for women who plan to breastfeed

• Flu vaccination may even help

and the vaccine can be

protect your baby from the flu

given to mothers who are

after your baby is born.

breastfeeding.

• Flu shots are safe for pregnant women and their unborn

Flu & Smoking

babies. The shot has been

• If you smoke, the risk of getting the flu increases.

• Talk to your doctor about flu vaccination during pregnancy.

• If you get vaccinated, you are as protected against flu as

• If you smoke and get flu,

someone that doesn’t smoke.

you are more likely to have complications. A special supplement from the 7 Arkansas department of novemBER health MATURE ARKANSAS 17, 2011

Test your flu iq

How Do I Protect Myself froM GettInG tHe flu? The main way that flu viruses are thought to spread is from person to person when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Flu viruses may also be spread when a person touches the droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else’s mouth or nose) before washing their hands.

take Actions to stay Healthy •

Get the seasonal flu vaccine each year!

•

Stay home if you are sick. You should stay home until you are feeling better and after fever is gone for 24 hours without

TRUE

taking fever reducers. While you are sick, limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. •

Avoid close contact with people who are coughing or otherwise appear ill.

•

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

•

Wash hands frequently with warm, soapy water to lessen the spread of illness.

•

When hand washing is not possible, use an alcohol-based

FALSE

You should cover a cough with your hand to protect others. false:

You should cover your cough with a tissue or sneeze into your elbow.

hand sanitizer.

RemembeR the

thRee C’s

Clean - Wash your hands often Cover - cover your cough and sneeze Contain - stay home if you are sick

Go to www.healthy.arkansas.gov for more information and call your local health unit for days and hours of operations. the flu vaccine will cost $20 or your insurance may be billed. A special supplement from the 8 Arkansas department 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS of health 16 novemBER

celebrate

The Lure of the Groove By Cal Wasson

here’s an odd sound on Bathhouse Row on warm Wednesday evenings. The regular Harley rumbles and soft stroller’s chatter on Central Avenue have a musical pad: Drums. Following the sounds pulsating off the old stone edifices and the valley will land you at Adair Park, a lot size jewel with two brick sides, one stone cliff, a spring and potent acoustics. The beat is too steady, too studied to be just kids. You expect something counter-culture but what you see is disorienting: Intense, well attired, happy older women jamming with black, tan and punk teens, families that all join in, and kids who are mesmerized about playing real music with grownups. You’ve come upon the Hot Springs Drum Circle and woman who have found the drum. A drummer will smile and invite you to pick up one of the dozen extra drums and make music. Do it. You’ll find yourself tapping softly and unobtrusively for a bit. Then, most of the time, you catch the groove and you’ll know the magic. Some nights, guitars, accordions, singers and fiddles join. Musicians playing at a nearby club may sit in for a while. You see good things here. The communal groove seems to harmonize races, classes and images. Cool hip hoppers are playing and laughing with white-haired grandmothers. Normally somber business folk cut loose in full sobriety. Kids gravitate to the sound, often pulling reluctant parents. As the weather cools or rains fall, the Circle moves to the venerable Poet’s Loft, a block to the south. The poets often sit in, some asking for a rhythm pad for their readings. Angry, fiery-eyed young poets are reading to the calm grandmothers’ beat with little sense of irony. A drum circle at the original Woodstock hooked retired Ole Miss and Iowa State geography professor Denice Marion of Hot Springs. With family and career finished, she got serious and started the Hot Springs Circle about five years ago. She says the first few sessions were horrid. Then, like the legacy of women drummers before her, she got it. “After the third meeting we caught a groove and that groove caught me.” Being the meticulous sort, Marion bought books, studied, learned complex African and Arabic rhythms and, as is her nature, taught.

This summer she took an advanced two-week course in Hawaii, on how to better lead a drum circle. Next summer she’ll be in India studying the groove. She’s the facilitator, or leader, but a most subtle one. She never singles out an off-beat or too-loud drummer. “They’re not doing anything wrong,” she says adding, “It’s a matter of changing their

school administrator is either on the board or a key volunteer. It was an older woman in Istanbul, Turkey, that got her into dance and later drumming. “She was 50-ish and fully covered, dancing in a tiny outdoor cafe. I was not quite 30 and enthralled. She was woman incarnate, with the drum leading her, then she leading the drum,” Cameron recalls. “ Wo m e n ’s d r u m c i rc l e s are different,” says facilitator Cameron. “Men tend to be competitive and women collaborative and you can hear the difference.” And you can. The male regulars at the circle, including two quite skilled and experienced drummers, are often taking the solos while the women build a complex wall of rhythm. The women say this leads to a sense of community. Cameron sees it broadly. “The Circle seems a micro-community of like-minded Saturday morning at Hot Springs’ Farmers’ Market draws people. Many involved in druma multi-generational crowd to the drum circle. ming are the same people who are concerned with the earth, its direction.” She does this by adding new sounds waters, its air and what we eat.” and counter rhythms. The offending drummer Bill Medford’s solos and hooks are the big usually doesn’t know they’ve been corrected. ones. They should be. The 64-year-old Hot The circle has unintentionally grown Springs artisan and teacher is a former profesthrough well-educated women of a certain sional drummer who started drumming in sixth age. In the U.S., where the term “drum circle” grade. was invented, drum circles have been almost The Drum Circle’s big lure is the groove. exclusively male until recently. The pattern of Describing the groove is tough but the baby women dancing and men drumming stretches boomer-age women seem to know what it from the sands of Sudan to Nordic fjords. The means. “I can’t drum without finding peace,” said 59-year-old office manager and circle regular Phyllis Kincannon. “Blending into the sound circle the shell fades and I can find the person I really am.” And, on a more mundane level, “It’s safe, comfortable and cheap,” Kincannon says. You can watch Lynda Miller, a 65-yearold R.N. physical therapist, leave this level of reality when she drums. “I love it. It’s just such a primal thing,” she says. Asked about increasing number of women drummers largely her transformation while drumming she says, parallels the rise in feminism. While women “I go into the rhythm and that takes me deep drummers can be traced back to 5600 B.C.E., inside myself. And there I always find peace.” Christianity largely put an end to the drum as Cameron finds something similar. a religious instrument, as well as women musi“Drumming is cleansing. One can become lost cians. in the rhythms, as in meditation, restorative and Nan Cameron is the town’s musical mensch. cleansing.” From the classical Music Festival to the uber-hip Valley of the Vapors shows, the retired Austin Mr. Wasson is a retired, mostly, journalist. Cal Wasson

Drumming is cleansing. One can become lost in the rhythms, as in meditation, restorative and cleansing.

MATURE ARKANSAS

novemBER 17, 2011

h ealt h n reynolds i nst i tute on a gi n g

Seniors’ Nutrition Is Unique

By Jeanne Y. Wei, MD, PhD

he popular media is filled with articles about inadequate nutrition due to anorexia and bulimia in teenagers. However, mature adults are much more likely to suffer from inadequate nutrition. Seniors are also at a much higher risk of developing the numerous health problems related to an inadequate diet. Insufficient nutrition in older people can cause fatigue and increase the risk of digestive, musculoskeletal, lung and heart or vascular problems. Malnourished seniors are at an increased risk of death. A poor or inadequate diet also weakens the immune system, increasing the risk of pneumonia and other serious infections which can worsen existing health conditions and cause mental confusion. Over time, it can lead to a low red-blood cell count (anemia) and muscle weakness, resulting in falls and fractures. Poor nutrition can cause blood clots, bed sores, depression, swallowing difficulties and exacerbate other problems that are associated with advanced age.

to insufficient nutrition for older adults. Some of these include: • Chronic illness or long-term conditions may make it difficult for older adults to shop, prepare the food or feed themselves. Illness both suppresses the appetite and increases the body’s need for nutrients. Dementia, stroke or any illness that affects mental functioning can have a profound influence on appetite and the ability to prepare meals. • Trouble chewing or swallowing can result from dental problems, gum disease, cavities and poorly fitting dentures. A dry mouth is

tion in the hands and feet, an unsteady gait, muscle weakness, low blood count, slurred speech and psychosis. These symptoms are similar to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Cancer of the GI tract, inflammatory bowel disease and even diarrhea can also interfere with nutrient absorption. • Medications commonly prescribed for older adults may alter the taste of food, cause nausea and vomiting or interfere with absorption. Antidepressants, high blood pressure and osteoporosis medications and even some overthe-counter medications can cause problems with eating or digesting food. • Diminished taste and smell often occurs later in life, sometimes reducing much of a food’s flavor. Some medications cause sensory loss (especially those that deplete zinc). • Frailty caused by a major loss of muscle and fat can cause loss of appetite due to changes in body chemistry. Frailty doesn’t always indicate a bad diet— overweight seniors can also be malnourished.

Complex causes The causes of insufficient nutriSocial and psychological tion seem simple: Too little food; causes a diet lacking essential nutrients • Limited income, coupled or poor absorption; progressive with expensive medications, eating or digestive difficulties causes some seniors to go hungry. related to getting older. However, • Depression affects as many the actual causes of insufficient Plan healthy snacks like this 1/4 cup of dry roasted peanuts or as six million Americans over age nutrition are much more complex. half an apple or banana. 65. Even healthy older adults • Alcoholism affects both men and women living alone often don’t cook for themselves. a side effect of many drugs. Diseases such as and is a leading contributor to insufficient They may grab a handful of popcorn or a cup Parkinson’s or stroke affect the nervous system nutrition. Alcohol decreases appetite, destroys of tea to satisfy their hunger. After a while, a and can interfere with swallowing. When nutrivital nutrients and frequently takes the place nutrient-poor diet accelerates the gradual loss tious foods are eaten, seniors may have trouble of nutritious food. of muscle mass and strength that can come digesting them. • Reduced social contact contributes greatly with adult aging. Shopping and preparing food • Hospitalization or nursing home stays to insufficient nutrition. can become progressively more difficult. This often result in loss of appetite, weakness, • Restricted diets are more common among causes seniors to opt for easy-to-prepare but weight loss and prolonged debilitation. seniors than any other group, making it difficult nutritionally insufficient fare, such as toast or • Trouble absorbing nutrients can be the to eat nutritionally. snack food. Eventually, this cumulative lack of result of physical changes that occur with aging. good nourishment can lead to increased weakProduction of certain digestive enzymes and Symptoms often hidden ness, dependency and illness, and also trigger acids is diminished and interferes with protein The signs of insufficient nutrition in older depression--itself a major appetite suppressant. breakdown and with the absorption of vitamin adults are often hidden, especially in people B-12, folate and possibly calcium and iron. Caused by illness who don’t seem to be at risk. It is important to Lack of B-12 can have a devastating effect on A multitude of difficulties can also contribute help uncover these potential problems before the nervous system, leading to reduced sensa18 novemBER 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS

Small Changes Can Help

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Make meals a social event. Encourage regular exercise because it stimulates appetite, fights depression and strengthens bones and muscles. they become more serious: • Ask an older loved one about eating habits. But don’t rely on self-reports alone. Observe normal meals at home, not just in restaurants on special occasions. If they’re in a hospital or nursing home, visit during mealtimes; discuss weight loss with the dietitian. If the older person lives alone, know who’s buying the food and what they’re buying. • Look for physical problems such as poor wound healing, easy bruising and dental difficulties. Keep track of weight but remember that not all seniors with nutrition problems are thin. Overweight seniors can be malnourished. • Know what drugs they take and how these medications affect appetite, digestion or prevent nutrient absorption. • Ask an older loved one’s doctor to check certain blood tests, including protein levels that indicate nutritional status (serum albumin, prealbumin or retinol binding protein levels) and other factors that can affect taste (sodium, zinc and magnesium levels). These tests can often help identify chronic malnutrition. Dr. Wei is executive director, Reynolds Institute on Aging and professor and chairman of Reynolds Department of Geriatrics, UAMS. Reynolds ad.Mature Ark.indd 5

MATURE ARKANSAS

novemBER 17, 2011 19 11/8/11 4:03 PM

advocacy

Giving Back “I

get so much more out of volunteering than I give,” is something I’ve heard from every volunteer I’ve ever talked to. To give of one’s self has numerous

health and psychological benefits for the individual. American society and culture would be poorer without the valuable work of volunteers. From the struggling caregiver who refuses to put her husband in a nursing home, to the debutantes who raise money to eradicate disease and suffering, to the retiree who rocks babies in the premie nursery—Arkansas can’t do without you. n To honor and facilitate volunteering, MATURE ARKANSAS will feature each week, a different category of volunteer opportunities available locally. We encourage you to join in the fun and volunteer. n This week we feature volunteer spots at local hospitals. In future issues we will feature schools, charities, housing and others. n If you need volunteers, please let us help you find them: contact me by email annewasson@arktimes or by mail: Mature Arkansas, 201 E. Markham Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201

Volunteer Opportunities St. Vincent Health Systems 2 St. Vincent Circle, Little Rock, phone 552-3551 and St. Vincent Medical Center – North, 2215 Wildwood Ave., North Little Rock, 552-7121 • Gift Shop and Thrift Shop includes retail sales work • Waiting room help answer phones and assist patients’ family • Patient escorts help patients find appointment locations • Guest relations includes visiting patients to see if they need anything to make their hospital stay easier • Visiting Nurses Association need support staff to do clerical work to help nurses get ready to make home visits

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute 4301 W. Markham St. Little Rock, AR, phone 686-6000. To volunteer, contact Halley Beard at 501-686-8286 or HGBeard@uams.edu • Patient ambassadors are volunteers who greet patients and visitors in the lobby on the first floor of the Cancer Institute and escort them to their clinics. • Most Vital Pal (MVP) volunteers are paired 20 novemBER 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS

with a new patient on his or her first day and stay with them as they go to appointments, helping ensure the patient has the attention needed. • Patient support advocates must enjoy meeting patients and helping with everything from helping find the perfect wig or hat, working a jigsaw puzzle with caregivers or helping find local information and resources. • Gift Shop volunteers help with all aspects of customer service, including helping patients and caregivers enjoy some retail therapy.

Spotlight on Volunteering By Erin Gray

f you like to cuddle newborn babies, the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at UAMS has a spot for you. This summer, UAMS’NICU and Volunteer Services Department implemented a new volunteer TLC Team that lets volunteers cuddle and rock newborn infants. The program is the brainchild of Mary Francis Dooley, an RN working in the NICU. Dooley believes volunteers can make a real impact on the lives of these tiny patients. “Cuddling, rocking, singing and touching can really help the development of these babies, and many of them don’t get enough human contact because their parents live several hours away,” Dooley says. “UAMS serves as the high-risk delivery center for the entire state and some babies stay for several months.” “Having volunteers who can come in and give the babies a little extra care makes it easier for everyone,” she says.“Studies have shown that babies who receive this type of interaction rest better, have a more stable respiratory status and heart rate, and better overall development. This often means they can go home to their families sooner.” The program requires three hours of training and a commitment of six hours a month to ensure continuity of care.

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) 4301 W. Markham, Little Rock. To become a UAMS Volunteer, contact Jennifer Huie at 501-686-5657 or jlhuie@uams.edu or go to www.uamshealth.com/volunteer • Family Resource Center volunteers offer patients and their family information about the hospital and its services, as well as assist with services provided by the Family Resource Center such as making copies or sending a fax.

• NICU TLC Team is a special group of volunteers who provide a loving touch to our littlest patients by rocking them, reading to them, etc. • Greeter volunteers are stationed at busy crosssections throughout the hospital. They offer a friendly welcome and information. • Senior Net volunteers provide computer training, sharpen computer skills, and teach seniors over 50 how to use the Internet and World Wide Web. • Helping Hand volunteers provide comfort and support to families while in the surgery and intensive care unit waiting areas as well as serve as a liaison for patient care staff.

Medicare

If you have Alzheimer’s

Man

Medicare Man Answers Your Questions Q. I am happy with my Medicare plan. Do I have to do anything during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period? A. The Medicare Open Enrollment Period is earlier this year, running through December 7, allowing you time to join, switch or drop Medicare Advantage (Part C) or drug plans (Part D). Changes are effective January 1, 2012. Insurance companies can change the deductible, copayments and premiums every year and sometimes a cheaper plan is available. However, if you’re happy with your plan and do nothing, then it will continue in 2012. There are more than 50 drug and Medicare Advantage plans available in Arkansas. Free and unbiased comparison help is available from the Arkansas Insurance Department (AID). Trained counselors can compare available plans but they do not sell insurance. For more information call SHIIP toll free 800-224-6330. Q. Can I switch my Medicare supplement policy (Medigap) during Medicare Open Enrollment? A. Medicare beneficiaries can apply for a Medigap policy at any time. There is no specific annual period for Medigap enrollment. Medigap policies are sold by private insurance companies which require medical underwriting and may deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions (there are limited exceptions). The Arkansas Insurance Department (AID) Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) produces a publication called “Bridging the Gaps” which lists all the companies approved to sell Medigap policies in Arkansas and their rates. To download a copy of this comparison guide visit the website www. insurance.arkansas.gov and click the link to SHIIP or email Medicare Man. Submit questions to Medicare Man via email insurance.shiip@ arkansas.gov

MEDIC ARE MAT T ER S

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You may be able to participate in the BAPI study if you: • Are 50-88 years old • Have a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s Disease A medical team, including a physician, will monitor participants throughout the study. Ask your doctor if BAPI Study is right for you.

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New 2012 Cadillac SRX

Part B Premium Increase Less Than Expected By Sally Johnson

here’s good news for most Medicare beneficiaries with Part B coverage: The Obama Administration recently announced that 2012 premiums will be lower than earlier projections. Most beneficiaries paid $96.40 per month in 2011 for Medicare Part B. Part B covers doctor’s visits and outpatient services. The premium will increase by only $3.50 per month in 2012, to $99.90 – an increase that is about $7 smaller than expected. The Part B deductible will actually go down by $22, to $140. Even better news is that Social Security recipients will get a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) next year, the first in three years. That increase will more than pay for the small increase in the Medicare Part B premium. Donald Berwick of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said one reason for the smaller premium increase is that, thanks in part to the healthcare reform law’s emphasis on preventive services like check-ups and screenings, the amount of healthcare services used by Medicare beneficiaries is historically low. For more information, visit www.medicare.gov.

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MATURE ARKANSAS

novemBER 17, 2011

Th e Ag e of T echnology n B y K ell y F erguson

Change Is Good K

eeping up with technology is part of that Wave, a research and consulting firm focusing “change” thing we all love so much. But on aging, was quoted by New York Times change is necessary for all of us, no matter your blogger Sam Grobart in March. “What’s develage or stage of life. There’s just no denying it if oping is a digital divide. New technologies are you want to stay in the proverbial loop. largely oriented to people under the age of 50,” Your children and grandchildren Facebook Dychtwald said. “If you’re older than that, you (yes, that is a verb) everything, from photos have to muster the courage to ask your family to feelings. Some of them Skype (also a verb) how things work.” phone conversations from other countries on What if you could benefit from knowing a laptop computer. Many of your friends and how to use certain technologies, from cell neighbors text message, and maybe you even phones to video games, free tools online and shop online from time to time. other technological products designed to help The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 500 Seventh Avenue, New York, N.Y.entertainment? 10018 Across the generations, everyone is asking, you or for your For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 “How do I keep up?” Each week, this column will sort out what For Release Thursday, November 17, 2011 Ken Dychtwald, chief executive of Age is available to you, what is important to know

Edited by Will Shortz Across 1 Darted 6 Grasp 12 Natl. economic stat 15 Full tilt 16 Proceeding without thinking 17 Place for clover 18 Film about how to win a MacArthur Fellowship? 21 Aoki of the P.G.A. 22 One of the 30 Dow Jones industrials 23 Ancient Anatolian land 24 Like some drugs, briefly 25 Film about a biblical serpent? 29 Winging it? 32 Conspicuously consume 33 Barq’s rival

34 Trouble makers 36 Soup vegetable 38 Film about Ali/Foreman’s Rumble in the Jungle? 43 Slave 44 Goes off script 47 Word in the names of four state capitals 51 Viking king, 9951000 54 Skin: Suffix 55 Film in which Moe, Shemp and Curly show their flexibility? 58 Lobster trap 59 Title town in a 1945 Pulitzer winner 60 “The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!” subj. 61 Mid sixth-century year

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE M O S H I N G

A P P A R E L

M A L W A R E

I P C R E S S

C O R O L L A

E L A T I O N

A L I T A B D E M C U Z E A C K H O T E S D P

S T A R R

T O G A E

A R U B A

B R A A T G I C K A S I N P L A N A T A C H E C E L D A K X A S M I L E S O O N E R B U S T A A S T I D E R N

A L L O W S

F L A R E U P

T A R T A R E

S H Y S T E R

K E A T G L E A L M A M O V E D I R E V

S E P T E T S

62 Film about earworms? 67 Official lang. of Ghana and Grenada 68 Judicial decision 69 Jaipur royal 70 Madrid royal 71 Vows 72 Mushroom maker, briefly Down 1 Spot that’s never seen 2 Figure in a Leonardo mural 3 Passage of grave importance? 4 Sound effect 5 Heavy-metal singer Snider 6 400 list-maker 7 ___ magnetism 8 Graffiti signature 9 “Say what?” 10 First N.L.’er to hit 500 home runs 11 Unifying theme 12 Good witch 13 Didn’t approve 14 Heathens 19 One that might catch a double dribble? 20 Did some garden work 26 Toni Morrison novel 27 Not kosher 28 “Anna Bolena” or “Anna Nicole” 30 Rock’s ___ Fighters 31 Flanged fastener 35 Waited in line, say

22 novemBER 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS

32 35

36 39

43 47 55

44 51

53 57

Puzzle by John Farmer

37 Jason of the N.B.A. 39 Art collector’s collection 40 Undesirable roll 41 Progressive Field team, on scoreboards 42 Stew container? 45 Appropriate title for this puzzle? 46 Imitation fabric

47 Second drink at a bar 48 Element in disinfectants 49 Like some country music 50 Jerry who cofounded Yahoo! 52 Become an increasing source of irritation

about certain technologies, what works well and what doesn’t, and most importantly, how to utilize these things. A big first step is introduction and education of the basics and I will do much of that for you here or point you in the right direction. It is important to know what computers, cell phones and other devices fit your needs better than others. Money is a huge factor when venturing into the world of technology, and knowing your needs from your wants is half the battle. In future columns, I will create some checklists of questions to ask when considering future purchases. You might even be surprised about how little you can spend to get what you want. I will explain how technology can keep you active, keep you in No. 1013 touch with family and friends, keep you productive and keep you enter11 12 13 14 tained. 17 If gardening with iTunes or 20 instantly sharing your prize-winning 23 gourd photos with a cousin in Wyoming, sounds at least interesting to you, this column will aim 33 you in the right direction. 37 We’ll also look at how technolo41 42 gies keep you informed. Did you 45 46 know you can watch many local 54 government meetings online and participate in discussions? 58 Doctors’ offices now utilize 61 patient portals that encourage you 66 to refill prescriptions, ask ques69 tions and gather information on the 72 healthcare industry online as well. In the coming weeks, “The Age of Technology” will begin to help 53 " you decipher the best qualities 56 Sports no-nos, informally of change in a technology-driven 57 Quit running world. Look next week’s tech61 “Darn it!” nology gift-buying guide for your 63 Like ___ grandkids. 64 It’s very cool Have a technology question? 65 Heat org.? 66 One piece of a Email Kelly at kellyferguson@ two-piece arktimes.com

For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554. Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. AT&T users: Text NYTX to 386 to download puzzles, or visit nytimes.com/mobilexword for more information. Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 2,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay. Crosswords for young solvers: nytimes.com/learning/xwords.

Ms. Ferguson is Social and Digital Media Director for Arkansas Times & Affiliates, and her 64-year-old mother has more Facebook friends than she does.

Restaurant g u ide

River Marketing? Try Lunch at Boscos W

ith an entrance hanging high over Little Rock’s River Market brick sidewalks, Boscos Restaurant and Brewing Co. is up a gentle ramp, just east of the Farmer’s Market pavilion (500 President Clinton Ave.; phone 907-1881) Enjoy a relaxing meal and perhaps one of the state’s better hand-crafted beers—$3 a mug on Mondays and Saturdays. Seating options include inside at comfortable booths or chairs; at the bar; or outside on the deck overlooking the Arkansas River, River Front Park and the Amphitheatre. If you’re there around sunset, be sure to sit on the deck facing west for a fabulous sunset over the river. Interior seating features the River Market’s ubiquitous brick-lined walls. Lots of natural light make menus easy to read. Unobtrusive background music and well-spaced tables permit easy conversation. Open from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM; Sunday brunch starts at 10:30 AM-3:00 PM (open until 10 PM). Brunch features a jazz duo and the eggs benedict are superior.

Boscos menu is varied and includes appetizers, sandwiches and full meals. Most popular are their brick-oven gourmet pizzas, cedarplank-cooked salmon and thick pork chops. Prices are average to a little high but the food is of high quality, fresh and prepared on-site. Portions are large enough to split with a friend or take half home. That will leave room for one of their home-made desserts. Prices range from $15 for the planked salmon dinner to $9 or $10 for a large sandwich, on specialty breads with choice of a generous side of fruit,

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fries or sweet potato fries. The lunch express daily special is $7. Eight hand-crafted beers are available and always-on-tap are their award-winning Flaming Stone, Downtown Brown and Isle of Skye Scottish Ale. Brewed for the Arkansas Travelers—Hook Slide Ale is also available at nearby Dickey-Stephens Park. Specials include half off selected wines on Wednesdays and the Happy Hour, from 3:30 to 6:30 PM. Access to Boscos is easy: Ramped entrance, doors are easy to open, deck is on same level as restaurant and restrooms are easily accessible and clean. The only downside to Boscos is the parking in the River Market. Try the city lot between the Farmer’s Market and the river. If you have the grandkids with you, take them to the Museum of Discovery, just east of Boscos. With a proof of admission, kids eat free at Boscos with the purchase of one adult entrée. —AWH

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MATURE ARKANSAS

novemBER 17, 2011

24 novemBER 17, 2011 MATURE ARKANSAS