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Parrot heads know how to party PAGE 22
SEPTEMBER 2020 • Vol. 5 No. 9 | AtlantaSeniorLIFE.com
SCHOOL’S IN FOR SENIORS AS LOCAL CLASSROOMS GO VIRTUAL
LIFESTYLE
making a difference
How will seniors’ lives change after COVID-19? PAGE 8
Sam Massell considers his legacy PAGE 12
Contents SEPTEMBER 2020 COVER STORY
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Seniors who want to take enrichment classes this fall can choose from lots of options – online.
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Where to find courses for seniors locally
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LIFESTYLE Experts predict COVID-19 could bring permanent changes to the way we live.
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE Former Atlanta Mayor and Buckhead Coalition president Sam Massell considers his legacy.
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DINING OUT Restauranteurs navigate a shifting sea of ideas on how to do business during a pandemic.
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HEALTH Misuse of over-thecounter pain medications can lead to serious medical troubles.
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PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE Columnist Steve Rose argues we need thicker skins.
19 20 22
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PERSONAL FINANCE How would a husband’s Social Security payments alter benefits paid to his widow? TRAVEL Road Scholar offers an “armchair tour” of American architectural history. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Singer Jimmy Buffett’s fans call themselves Parrot Heads and enjoy a good party.
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14 Atlanta Senior Life focuses on the interests, accomplishments and lifestyles of the active senior population in metro Atlanta. It aims to inspire readers to embrace a more rewarding life by informing them of opportunities to expand their horizons, express their talents and engage in their community.
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COVER STORY By Donna Williams Lewis For five years, Brandt Ross has packed up his guitar and PowerPoint presentations and traveled across Atlanta and beyond to inform and entertain rooms full of seniors. The retired CEO presents popular programs related to his passions — history, baseball, and the hazards of aging in place — at senior centers, senior residences and at continuing education programs for seniors. The global coronavirus pandemic didn’t stop him. He recently wrapped up a slate of summer programs and will teach for four different senior
SCHOOL’S IN FOR SENIORS AS LOCAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS GO ONLINE
programs this fall. Every class he teaches now is done online,
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SEPTEMBER 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
using meeting apps such as Zoom. “The online world has become an important component of senior life and we just have to get more people into it,” Ross said. “I talk in my senior transition program about socialization and keeping people connected. I think this … connection that we create for seniors who are isolated is so important.” Senior education programs, such as Emory University’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) program, are rapidly adjusting to that new normal. “We lost a lot of students in the beginning (of the pandemic). We dropped down to about 100 students from 1,000,” said Jeffery Alejandro, OLLI program manager. “We had a lot fewer
Hatcher Hurd
courses because instructors were reluctant to teach online. But now they’ve been missing teaching and students have been missing taking courses and the socialization.” Alejandro anticipates offering 15 to 20 online courses this fall, with topics ranging from art and music to the history of Broadway to world travel. OLLI is also working to maintain a sense of community for students through special
interest groups and virtual gatherings. “We’re doing watch parties where everybody watches performances together or takes a virtual tour of a museum together,” Alejandro said. Virtual programming has become a permanent part of OLLI’s new normal. “When we go back to safe spaces, we will still livestream classes from the classrooms because of health concerns and accessibility issues,” he said. “So, there’ll be people in the classroom and people online taking the class together.” Bill Berger, president of Perimeter Adult Learning & Services (PALS), looks forward to returning to in-person classes someday, but he’s also seen the benefit of online classes, which
continue at PALS this fall. “One of our participants is in
courses is that they, among other things, engage the brain and
dialysis and he’s able to log onto
bring people together, “even if
the class, sign in while he’s on
only on a computer screen in this
dialysis, and be involved in the
time of social isolation.”
class,” Berger said. Now that classes are online,
“Knowing about early presidents, you know, is that
PALS and OLLI are recruiting
going to help you get along
volunteer instructors from
in life? Maybe not, but it’s
across the country. Berger found
something that’s fascinating to
one of the instructors for PALS’
a lot of people to hear facts that
upcoming Election 2020 course
they never knew about, and even
after reading about the Virginia
if they never use it in the future,
resident in a Washington Post
it’s still learning,” Berger said.
article on reapportionment. PALS’ fall lineup of four
Facing page: Hatcher Hurd teaches a class on the life of Winston Churchill for Seniors Enriched Living.
avoiding scams and frauds is absolutely essential, especially
of lectures on early presidents,
for seniors, to know about,” he
an in-depth exploration of
said. “And, of course, we have
Antarctica, a course on avoiding
what many call the election of a
frauds and scams and the
lifetime coming up in no time at
program addressing Election
all.”
Berger said the value of these
Above left, researcher and ethnographer Althea Sumpter teaches a “Difficult Conversations” class online. Sumpter appears in the top center square in the screen image. Above right, her online OLLI students consider a point for discussion.
“Other information like
Zoom classes features a series
2020 themes.
Top: Emory University medical students host an on-line Game Night for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, also known as OLLI.
The fall session of Buckheadcontinued on page 6
Did you know? In Georgia, seniors ages 62+ can attend the state’s public colleges and universities tuitionfree. Check college admission web pages for information on their tuition waiver procedures.
SEPTEMBER 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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continued from page 5 based Lifespan Academy will be totally virtual. “Our thinking during this difficult time is “Stay Safe - Stay Engaged,” said Peggy Palmiter, Lifespan’s executive director. “We help older adults get online and learn how to use Zoom, and we offer technology classes … on a variety of topics.” Lifespan’s fall course outline features classes on the U.S. Constitution, mindfulness and visioning, “Healthy Eating Ideas
Brandt Ross teaches a virtual class on John Wesley Powell, a 19th century explorer and scientist, as part of his “Game Changers” series.
from other Countries,” and a series about “the challenges of aging in these unprecedented times.” Also on the roster are
Lifespan, recently completed a
Charlie Goodnight, a cattle
Reeves, a man who was born into
a town hall session on current
couple of new programs to add to
rancher commonly referred
slavery, became the first black
events and live instruction in Tai
his lengthy repertoire.
to as the “father of the Texas
deputy U.S. marshal, and was
panhandle.”
credited with arresting more
Chi and line dancing. Ross, a frequent instructor for
Get schooled! Here’s a roundup of some popular education programs for seniors offered by metro area nonprofit organizations. Some of these programs offer scholarships or grants or state that they will turn no one away for inability to pay. Public libraries and senior centers are also good sources of classes and activities. Check their websites for virtual programs.
Enrichment of Life Movement (ELM)
The fall session of Mariettabased ELM was cancelled due to the pandemic. Founded in 1984, ELM provides educational programs, social interaction and volunteer opportunities for residents of the Cobb County area, ages 50+. The nondenominational organization
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“Perhaps the Greatest Cowboy,” is his course about
normally offers a full day of more than 60 classes for eightweek sessions in the fall, winter and spring at First United Methodist Church of Marietta. Info: elmcobb.org.
Lifespan Academy
Created in 1981 by a collaboration of churches, Buckhead-based Lifespan Academy is an education and enrichment program of the Lifespan Resources organization. Lifespan will offer virtual classes for its fall session, which begins the week of Sept. 7. A single eight-week class is $50. The full schedule of classes costs from $59 to $84. Info: lifespanatlanta.org or 404273-7307.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Emory University
Four-week online classes begin monthly, except in December, and cost about $50. An optional one-year membership is $50 and provides benefits such as discounts on OLLI classes,
SEPTEMBER 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
The other is about Bass
access to OLLI book clubs and other special interest groups, and discounts at some local restaurants. Info: ece.emory. edu/olli or 404-727-5489. Other OLLI programs can be found at Kennesaw State University, cpe.kennesaw.edu/ olli and at The University of Georgia, olli.uga.edu.
Perimeter Adults Learning & Services (PALS)
Founded in 1991, Dunwoodybased PALS is an all-volunteer organization led by seniors for adults ages 50+. The fall session of life enrichment learning runs from Sept. 14 to Nov. 11 with four Zoom online classes offered on Mondays and Wednesdays. The $55 fee covers all of the classes. Info: www.palsonline.info.
Seniors Enriched Living (SEL)
This all-volunteer, interfaith organization based at Roswell United Methodist Church is
than 3,000 felons.
in its 30th year of offering classes for seniors. The fall term begins Sept. 28 and runs for eight weeks. Registered members can take five online classes a week for a registration fee of $55. Open to anyone age 50+. Registration is $55. Info: selroswellga.org.
Senior University of Greater Atlanta (SUGA)
Tucker-based SUGA will do a virtual fall session beginning Sept. 22. Seven classes will be offered Tuesdays through Fridays, and members can take one or all classes, which run from six to eight weeks. SUGA began in 1979 on the Emory University campus, and later moved to Mercer University and then to leased space at Rehoboth Baptist Church. The normal annual registration fee has been $195 per person, which covers the entire year of classes. For information on current charges, send an email to sugaatlanta@ gmail.com. Info: su-ga.org. — Donna Williams Lewis
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Ross is diving into Zoom
Virtual programs do have
technology, adding intermission periods to his programs, and
their challenges, though, he said. “One of the tough things is I’m
She’s also taught “Navigating the Gullah Geechee Coast,” a
teaching for OLLI is working
knowledge of the area’s culture.
out well for her, “along with the
singing songs and playing guitar.
sent to him by his audiences. He’s
The sound is really, for the most
also getting a kick out of creating
part, not good, and I need all the
that is very prescient for the
artificial backgrounds.
help I can get,” he said, laughing.
time, ‘Difficult Conversations,’”
Researcher and ethnographer
Dr. Sumpter said online
course based on her first-hand
enjoying answering questions
“For example, I’m doing a
common future.
“This year I created a course
she said.
ability to remain in contact with those in the class through email.” “Zoom allows me to share my PowerPoint materials along
program Wednesday on the
Dr. Althea Sumpter began
The course focuses on the
with online links to additional
Grand Canyon for Lifespan, and
teaching at OLLI in 2018,
development of the U.S. from a
materials,” she said. “I also like
I’ve got great pictures of the
starting with “Documenting
cultural and ethnic perspective
that a support person is always
Grand Canyon, so it’s like I’m
Your Cultural History,” a course
with a goal of inspiring people
available if something goes
sitting on the rim of the canyon,”
on how to create family stories
from diverse backgrounds
awry.”
Ross said.
through PowerPoint and video.
to become allies in forging a
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By Mark Woolsey
technology, ways services are delivered to them, and how will Every week -- sometimes they fit into the overall mosaics each new day -- brings a of their communities. new wrinkle in the ongoing They predict seniors will be coronavirus crisis. While the able to access more services daily scramble shows no signs from their homes and that of abating, some people already both government agencies and are taking a longer view of how private businesses will alter we will live with the disease in how they deliver them. They’ll the future. be more tech-savvy and more Professional futurists, inclined to get involved multigovernment planners and generationally on ways senior service to help the community. specialists are And that another prime thinking about what factor-where they’ll life may look like for hang their hats-will seniors, who have look significantly proved to be more different. Leigh Cook susceptible to the Not everyone’s disease, once effective on board with the idea of a treatments and/or a vaccine are dramatically altered landscape, developed for COVID-19. though. The consensus: connectivity, “One of the first things engagement and inclusiveness out of my mom’s mouth was, will all be crucial. And that ‘Once they have a vaccine, it because of the pandemic, big will go back to normal.’ I don’t changes are coming in where necessarily agree with that,” and how older adults live, ways said Leigh Cook, associated vice in which they engage with president of strategy at
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North Highland, a transformation and consulting firm in Atlanta. Cook compares 2020 and the pandemic with 2001 and 9-11, the terrorist attacks that produced permanent changes in security, accessibility and other areas. “I think there will be a spectrum of how people will react, regardless of generation. And even with my parents, their personalities are very different. I think the big issue will be connectivity.” Trendwatchers think it’s likely that more families will take their elderly members into their homes, in a return to the multi-generational approach that faded as the U.S. population became more mobile. Others think that seniors might gravitate more toward cohousing or shared living arrangements outside of nursing homes and assisted living centers, some of which have become hotbeds of Covid-19. And for families and seniors still opting for institutional care? “People might well be more demanding in terms of longterm care options than before,” said Kerstin Gerst Emerson, clinical associate professor in the Institute of Gerontology at UGA. “How do you watch for infections?” and “how do you handle a lockdown situation?” could be among the standard questions that mature adults and their families will ask in the future, she predicted. And forecasters say that increased care and concern could lead into more rigorous government standards for assisted living, memory care and nursing homes.
Kerstin Gerst Emerson She added that “I think we’ll be more demanding not only on how to protect older adults [from disease outbreaks] but how to make sure that seniors can communicate within those settings.” That’s where online
communication tools like Zoom and Skype come in. Some people predict that when coronavirus restrictions finally are gone, families will rush to visit their older relatives in person in previously lockeddown institutions. But that once continued on page 10
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the excitement settles down, anything from tele-health visits to real-time interactive exercise classes could become the norm for many people. State health officials are addressing that projected need by promulgating programs to put tablets and other devices in the hands of older adults, even as they worry about seniors who may have traditionally used on-line services at library and senior centers and might be disenfranchised going forward. It goes back to back to the traditional balancing act: on one hand, said the AARP, polls show 90 percent of seniors want to stay in their homes as long as possible. Conversely, that creates a danger of isolation, a situation with “consequences as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” said Becky Kurtz, managing director of aging and independence services at the Atlanta Regional Commission. She and others say today’s health concerns will dictate changes in how seniors connect to have various needs met, from doctor’s office visits to housekeeping to purely social gatherings. Kurtz thinks one possibility already being discussed in Congress will be investing more Medicaid money in at-home services, as opposed to the traditional emphasis
We are definitely seeing people reluctantly go into nursing homes. Family members can be paid by Medicaid to provide that care, lessening older persons’ newfound reluctance to have health care aides inside their home due to the pandemic. BECKY KURTZ
Atlanta Regional Commission on institutional care. She said whether the service is provided by a family member or a worker, many more people would get care at home if Congress provides more money for home and community-based care. “If you’re in a nursing home [now] and you are eligible, you automatically get Medicaid
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to pay for your care, but not if you’re at home,” Kurtz said. “We are definitely seeing people reluctantly go into nursing homes. Family members can be paid by Medicaid to provide that care, lessening older persons’ new-found reluctance to have health care aides inside their home due to the pandemic. “ So-called assistive technology also will help seniors become more independent within their homes, said forecasters. One example: a more nimble bath chair that would eliminate the need for an aide to help with bathing chores. Another concept that may snowball is the “senior center without walls” said Renae
Brown, the chief dietician at the Division of Aging Services at the Georgia Department of Human Services. She said among approaches being utilized are handing seniors restaurant meal vouchers and shying away from traditional congregate meals. At the same time, the agency is putting more programs online. “People who have an impairment or who just had trouble coming in are now discovering State officials said another concept poised to take off is to allow more consumer-directed services rather than onesize-fits-all service mandates coming from government officials. “They’d be given a budget
and could contract for services
more community-focused and
within the framework of
join with younger people, such
what’s allowable,” said Karen Nelson of the state’s Aging and Disability Resource Connection. For example, seniors could
as millennials, to work for the betterment of their home turf. Jean Accius, AARP’s vice
arrange for home care outside
president of global thought
of traditional service hours and
leadership, predicts seniors
parameters. Changes in services to
increasingly may volunteer
seniors are spilling over to
in places such as local schools
private businesses as well.
while younger folks undertake
“We worked with a large entertainment company,” said Cook, “helping them figure out connectivity. …they started out with a focus on designing
programs to teach seniors about handling the latest technology. “What we’ve learned over
specific products, but it evolved
the years is that older adults
into a focus of more inclusivity
are a major contributor to
being built into the company culture.” Still other crystal-ball gazers think older adults will become
our society,” Accius said. “What we’re seeing now is the generations coming together.”
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Former Atlanta mayor helped Buckhead stay ‘a destination of choice’ Sam Massell is a prime example of the term “pillar of the community.” The Atlanta native’s early real estate career drew him into a life of civic involvement: Atlanta City Council member, Atlanta mayor from 1970 to 74 and later, founding president of the high-profile Buckhead Coalition civic and business group, a position from which he just retired after 32 years. Now in his early 90s, Massell says he has every intention of staying active and adds that hard work has been a hallmark of his life. He spoke to Atlanta Senior Life contributor Mark Woolsey recently by phone.
Q. What prompted your retirement from the coalition? A. I saw other people had retired 40 years before and thought maybe that’s what I was supposed to do. Actually, no one thing prompted it, other than I have a new wife I just married two or three years ago and wanted to spend more time with her. I didn’t have any one item that triggered it. In fact it wasn’t a week after I announced it that I had seller’s remorse.
Q. What do you consider major accomplishments in connection with the Buckhead Coalition? A. It was an ongoing effort to nurture the quality of life of the people who visited, worked or played in Buckhead and that population kept increasing and, as it kept increasing, we branded it as a destination of choice. One item I am particularly proud of is that we were the first entity in the U.S. that placed external defibrillators where people were, not just in ambulances….we put them in hotels, shopping centers, office buildings and churches in the Buckhead area. [Another was] promoting and persuading City Council members to support the extension of Ga. 400 from I-285 through Buckhead to I-85, which connected us to the rest of the world…it just opened up commerce and industry for Buckhead very dramatically.
Q. How do you feel Buckhead has developed as an entity? A. I feel it has developed well. We were welcoming and encouraging people to come there and make it their home as well as their business location...We don’t feel that it’s been overbuilt.
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Q. How do you feel the city of Atlanta is being led? A. It’s different from the way we led it. I think my legacy, I guess, is being the one who was in charge when the city went through a peaceful transition from an all-white power structure to a predominantly black city government. Other cities went through that same change in different ways and to different degrees many of them had unrest and those are problems we avoided.
Q. Is the city moving in a good direction? A. I think the city is in as healthy a shape as you can be considering the health issues we’re facing now. I don’t see that getting resolved for another year at least. I am quarantined because of my age. Mayor Bottoms appointed me to a committee on that issue (COVID-19). She and her staff came up with a good formula [for dealing with the pandemic], which is very detailed -- Phases One, Two and Three. And now we’re back in Phase One again. I think she is right that government should respect home rule and be happy that cities take on the responsibility and make decisions.
Sam Massell is embraced by his wife Sandy Gordy shortly after announcing his retirement as president of the Buckhead Coalition at its annual meeting on Jan. 29.
Q. What do you think of the Black Lives Matter movement? A. I think it’s going to be a major organization nationally. There are several other groups that have tried to get started, but they [BLM] seem to have the best leadership, so they don’t have people who are purposely looking for trouble and are looking for progress instead. The solution is to go from confrontation to the conference table.
Q. What do you think the next chapter of your life holds for you? A. I am waiting for the first opportunity to come my way. I did register as a write-in candidate for the unexpired 2020 term of Rep. John Lewis. In the meantime, I’m thoroughly enjoying the quarantine time with my (new) wife Sandra, as well as keeping abreast of all the business and political news. Plus, there’s the daily happy hour at about 5 p.m.
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SEPTEMBER 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
Ray Schoenbaum gets his temperature checked at his Ray’s on the River restaurant in Sandy Springs.
By John Ruch Like most restaurants, Ray’s on the River, a fine-dining bastion in Sandy Springs for over 35 years, has been sharply focused on all the safety rules and guidelines it must follow to operate in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. When Ray’s learned on June 3 that an employee tested positive for asymptomatic COVID-19, the restaurant began a required deep-cleaning -- but also did something big it didn’t have to do. It went on Facebook and told the world about the COVID case. “I think the public is entitled to know what goes on and be [made] aware of it,” said Ray Schoenbaum, the restaurant’s founder and operator of two other Ray’s locations. “We owe it to them as a service organization to do what’s right. And, you know, it’s something we all should do and be honest about it, and tell them that we’re doing everything we can to make sure that it doesn’t pass on.” Customers who assume that restaurants and other businesses must notify them about positive COVID cases are in for a surprise. The pandemic precautions Georgia restaurants operate under are largely unenforceable guidelines that it appears inspectors are not proactively double-checking, and which do not include public notice of cases. For restaurant owners, that means navigating an ever-shifting sea of suggestions and rules for avoiding a devastating outbreak. Beyond the basics of cleaning and distancing, the biggest practical rule is adapting quickly to maintain customer trust and confidence. “I’ve been practicing law now for 39 years and this has been the most unique set of circumstances I’ve worked at because the law is unclear” and new ones are still in the works, said Rick Warren, a labor and employment attorney at the Atlanta office of FordHarrison who specializes in the restaurant industry. Rules like social distancing are easy enough to figure out, Warren and some restaurant owners say. But applying bigger issues, like legal liability for COVID infections, to a particular business can be a complex puzzle. And the answer can lie somewhere between what businesses can do and what they might want to do for better customer and employee relations. Warren said that, under a new state shield law that was to take
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effect by Aug. 7, it is highly unlikely that a customer could prove and win a liability case for a COVID-19 infection against a business that is making good-faith efforts to follow safety rules. But, Warren said, businesses still need to consider whether they want to cover their bets by posting a sign warning customers that they enter at their own risk. “I’m not sure the posting in itself gives you any more protection than the law does without posting the notice,” said Warren. “I think you’re going to see businesses putting the signs up because… it will dissuade the public from filing frivolous claims.” But at McKendrick’s Steak House in Dunwoody, another finedining mainstay, such signs have already come and gone. “We did that initially,” said Carol Conway, the restaurant’s general manager. “We’ve taken those signs down. We feel that’s intrusive.” Instead, she said, the restaurant focused on following federal and state public health guidelines so that there is no pandemic problem to worry about. Signs she is interested in posting are those issued by the state’s “Georgia Safety Promise” campaign, where businesses can publicize themselves as following basic COVID-fighting rules. The most complex decision of all comes when a COVID diagnosis rears its ugly head. Warren said there’s a clear trend in the questions he is hearing from his clients: “Someone has come in and they have tested positive. What do we need to do? What is the extent of what we need to do? How long do we have to do it?”
Shifting rules
Georgia restaurants currently operate under non-mandatory guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration. They also have been following an executive order from Gov. Brian Kemp that cover topics such as cleanliness, social distancing and employee screening. For customers who wonder whether a restaurant or other business is really following all the procedures, however, there is little to go on
besides word of mouth and experience. Warren said he has not heard of any proactive inspections of restaurants for pandemic-precaution compliance and expects that they would be driven by customer complaints if they happen. Schoenbaum said he hasn’t seen inspectors, either, and has noticed some breaches when he has dined at other spots. “I think the government people are all busy trying to figure out stuff that they haven’t figured out yet. They don’t want to start arguments with the restaurants,” said Schoenbaum. “I’ve been to several restaurants that are definitely not in [compliance with] code.” Violating the governor’s order is officially a criminal misdemeanor, Warren noted, and he said businesses have plenty of motivation to stick to the rules because of the economic devastation a shutdown could bring. But the flip side of no government inspections is little government help in interpreting those rules. Warren said dealing with COVID-positive employees depends on the type of business and the situation. There is no mandate to notify anyone about such cases, he said, although CDC guidelines recommended informing coworkers who may have been exposed. Then there are wrinkles, like legal prohibitions against disclosing medical information, and, in Georgia, the possibility that a public health official can need notificaion for contact-tracing or other purposes. “There is substantial flexibility in what employers choose to do in terms of notifying the workforce and notifying the public of a positive test result,” said Warren. He added that, while businesses have no obligation to tell non-exposed employees about a COVID-positive coworker, some might do so for a “philosophical, moral, employeerelations reason.” A similar reasoning is followed by the restaurants that choose to inform the public. “Keeping a secret’s just going to get you in trouble, because somebody’s going to report,” said Schoenbaum. “Somebody in the kitchen’s going to say something to somebody. It can get back to you.”
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SEPTEMBER 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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HEALTH
Misuse of over-the-counter painkillers can lead to ulcers Some call them “n-saids.” increasing age, NSAIDs may Others clearly state one letter contribute to further damage at a time: N-S-A-I-D, then add an and deterioration,” Fixelle said. “s” sound at the end. Because NSAIDs are sold But all seem to agree that the over the counter, buyers may nickname’s easier than using wrongly think they are safer the full name – “non-steroidal than comparable prescription anti-inflammatory drugs” – drugs, he said. “However, if when talking about an individual our use of common, uses NSAIDs over-the-counter regularly or takes pain medications higher- thansuch as aspirin, recommended ibuprofen, doses of the naproxen and over-the-counter others. medicine, What’s this selfimportant (actually, medication often critical) to results in the understand is that administration of Judith L. Kanne, NSAIDs, whatever more medication RN, BSN, BA you call them, than the typically can be (and are) prescribed dose, is a registered nurse and dangerous if taken freelance writer who lives which may be over long periods of in Atlanta. adjusted by time. the prescribing “Probably the physician when most significant risk factor factoring in risk factors and for NSAID-induced injury in age of the patient,” he said. older adults relates to the fact that older adults are more Seniors likely to be taking multiple most at risk medications,” said Dr. Alan According to Fixelle with Gastro Consultants Physician’s Weekly, of Atlanta in Sandy Springs. older (over 65-) The problem of multiple and elderly (over meds is called “polypharmacy,” 75- and 80-) yearhe said. For example, he said, old patients are the combination of NSAIDs and “most at risk” for antidepressants may increase bleeding and other the risk of bleeding around the potential ulcer brain. problems related Combining prescription to NSAIDs. “Elderly NSAIDs and OTC NSAIDs people and those may not only increase the with pre-existing risk of adverse events due heart conditions to NSAIDs, he said, but may are more likely affect the drug levels of other to suffer heart medications by interfering with damage or strokes the metabolism of prescription from NSAIDs,” medications. states the article. “If you have decreased The kidney function, which Gastroenterology gradually progresses with
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SEPTEMBER 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
Journal warns is a spiral-shaped that “NSAIDs may bacterium attributed occasionally cause as the cause for small intestinal greater than 90% of perforation, ulcers duodenal ulcers and and strictures up to 80% of gastric requiring surgery.” ulcers, according This type of damage to the Centers for can be hard to repair Disease Control and surgically and can Prevention (CDC). Alan Fixelle involve long recovery Globally, 4.4 billion periods. individuals are estimated to be About 4 million Americans H. pylori-infected. have peptic ulcer disease, Before 1982, when this according to the American bacterium was discovered, Gastroenterological spicy food, acid, stress, and Association. Is it too many lifestyle were considered the medications, or possibly a lack major causes of ulcers. The of information about the meds, majority of patients were given which may successfully treat a long-term medications without headache or a sore muscle in a a chance for permanent cure. 50-year-old, but may not be the These acid suppressing drug of choice for those of us medications relieved ulcerwho are over 65? related symptoms, healed In addition to NSAIDs, inflammation and even healed there are other causes or ulcers, but they did not treat contributing factors for peptic the infection. This resulted ulcers, including an infection in recurrence of the ulcer(s). in the stomach lining. Today, there are numerous For example, H. pylori (a combination regimens, specific bacteria) is problematic consisting of both antibiotics for many people worldwide. and acid suppression, available Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) to eradicate the H. pylori
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infection, which has changed many millions of lives for the better. Other contributing factors for peptic (or stomach and/or duodenal ulcers) include smoking; drinking alcohol; being in poor health and other overuse of a multitude of medications.
RATES FOR RELAXING IN THE SUN
Prevention
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a couple of things you can do to help prevent peptic ulcers include opting for the lowest effective dose of an NSAID, taking the medication with meals, quitting smoking (if you smoke) and drinking alcohol in moderation, if at all. Lastly, speak with your physician about possible alternatives to NSAIDs, such as acetaminophen. The Mayo Clinic includes “stress control” on their list of items to help people from worsening the signs and symptoms of a peptic ulcer. “Some stress is unavoidable,” says the Mayo Clinic’s website, but learning to cope with stress via exercise, spending time with friends or even journal writing may make for helpful lifestyle changes. Fixelle said that when you use NSAIDs, it is important to make sure there are no interactions with other drugs you may be taking. Check with your doctor or pharmacist to be safe. “Do not take more than the recommended dose of your medications, either prescription or OTC medications,” Fixelle said. “You need to be cautious regarding the use of NSAIDs, limit the duration of use due to risks, especially the increased risks of GI [gastro-intestinal] bleeding, further impairing kidney function and heart failure,” he said. “Just because NSAIDs are ‘over-the-counter’ does not mean that these drugs are inherently safe.” Simply stated: “be careful.”
Be Aware
Be Prepared
Be Safe
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SEPTEMBER 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
17
PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE
Live like a turtle and keep your shell thick Hundreds of years from now, community in Alpharetta a when historians talk about qualified advocate for changing us, they’ll refer to us as the the name of the Washington, soft-skin era, the time when D.C., football team, which now is we reverted to non-verbal and named “The Washington Football non-threatening hand signals to Team?” avoid any potential offending of See? It has already started. someone, according They’re afraid to name to someone else, not the team for fear of the actual person offending someone. who should be How much time did offended. Karen spend in the Who are these Native American advocates for those community or did she who are may be or have an epiphany, a may not be offended? sudden revelation that Should we all seek came upon her during such advocates? her wine-and-book If we don’t need club meeting? STAY SAFE one, then why are Why does a turtle Steve Rose is a retired they so readily have a thick shell? Sandy Springs Police available and why Because in days of Captain, veteran Fulton County police officer and are they from places old, even before disco, freelance writer. He is the when they didn’t so far from the supposed conditions author the book “Why have a solid shell Do My Mystic Journeys of the group they Always Lead to the Waffle surrounding them, are speaking for? Is they were eaten. The House?” and the column “View from a Cop.” Karen from a gated shell evolved from the experience of knowing what the heck happens without one. Okay, maybe not the best example. But point made. Where are we going with all this? Quite simply, we need to be offended occasionally to keep our thick skin thick. Otherwise, years from now, we’ll be a nation of harmless twits, dancing
around in our comfortable non-threatening metrosexual attire to pan flute music. In the meantime, the terrorists, or worse, zombies, will simply walk right in. Put two cops in a room and a war story will evolve. Such was the case recently with a group of people, some I knew, some I didn’t, at a lunch. One of the other guys was a police officer and soon we began to swap a couple of stories. Mine was about a couple who for many years engaged in alcohol-fueled fighting each and every weekend, taking it to new levels each week. One story had to do with her trying to set him on fire one late Friday night. In the middle of the story, one of the other attendees, probably named Karen, said: “I’m offended. You’re telling a story of domestic violence like it was nothing.” “Yes, a story. Not advocating it, just telling the story based on experience, something that happened to extreme, but it happened.” “Still, you shouldn’t tell it.” “So, erase it?” “Yes, if I were an officer, I would never tell any story of violence.” “Well then, I speak for many when I say that I’m thankful.” “Thankful for what?”
“That you are not an officer.” “I’m offended by that.” “Of course, you are.” It is impossible to wipe the slate clean, to pretend something did not happen, but we cannot erase the past. If we could, disco would have never happened. We can be productive and observant and respectful of others without this saturation of political correctness shoved down our throats. Let’s take it a bit at a time, but humans are made to be tough. Like an engine that needs to be run occasionally, we need to have something thrown at us once in a while to see if it still bounces off. We need thick skin. We need to be respectful of others, but let’s balance it out with the fact that we are human and, as such, flawed and prone to an occasional stupid comment. There is no need to go all “Karen” and embellish each stupid mistake into a national tragedy. Why don’t we combine our flying the flag of correctness for others with a goal of getting our own houses in order first. Start from inside and work out. Once we realize there was plenty of work to be done in our own lives, we can then move on to finding a productive, nonintrusive, non-threatening, gluten-free name for the Washington Football Team.
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PERSONAL FINANCE
What will be my wife’s survivor benefit from Social Security? Dear Rusty:
claims her survivor benefit (she could I am a 68-year-old claim as early as age retired male and had 60) the benefit will be planned on waiting actuarially reduced until age 70 to begin according to the collecting Social number of months Security benefits. prior to her full My wife is currently retirement age that 53 years old. When I she claims it. die, would my wife’s The amount spousal benefit at her of reduction for full retirement age be Russell Gloor claiming her survivor equal to what I would is a certified Social Sebenefit before her be receiving at age 70, curity advisor with the Association of Mature full retirement age or be reduced? is 0.396% for each American Citizens Also, if I were to die full month earlier, before 70 and before which is 4.75% per collecting Social year earlier than her Security, what would be my FRA, to a maximum of 28.5%. wife’s survivor benefit at her And for clarity, your wife isn’t full retirement age? required to take the survivor benefit immediately upon your death; she can wait until the benefit reaches 100% at her full retirement age, if desired and if financially feasible. Your wife’s survivor benefit If your wife also is eligible as your widow will depend for a Social Security benefit on upon two things – the amount her own work record and you you were receiving (or were die before she reaches her full eligible to receive) at your retirement age, she will have death, and the age at which she the choice to take either her claims her survivor benefit as own Social Security benefit or your widow. her survivor benefit from you. If you were receiving an If her survivor benefit will be increased benefit because you her highest possible benefit, waited until age 70, your wife’s she would have the option to benefit - if she has reached take her own retirement benefit her full retirement age - will from her own work record first be 100% of the amount you and delay taking the larger were receiving at your death. survivor benefit until it reaches If she hasn’t yet reached her maximum at her full retirement full retirement age when she age.
Older Husband
Dear Older Husband:
Or, if her own benefit at age 70 would be more than her survivor benefit from you, she could take the smaller survivor benefit first and delay taking her own Social Securty benefit until it reaches maximum at age 70 and switch to her own benefit at that time. The goal is for her to get the highest possible benefit for the rest of her life. Finally, if you were to die before you started collecting your increased Social Security benefit at age 70, your wife would still have the same
options, but her survivor benefit amount would be based upon the amount you were eligible to receive at your death, even though you were not yet collecting. In other words, all those delayed retirement credits you are now earning (and will continue to earn until you are 70) will not be lost – the benefit you have earned up to the point you die will be what your wife’s survivor benefit is based upon.
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This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (amacfoundation.org/programs/social-securityadvisory) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org. The 2 million member Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] [https://www. amac.us] is a senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today.
SEPTEMBER 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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TRAVEL
Take an armchair tour of American history through architecture By Peter Spiers You’re probably staying close to home these days. Your travel plans may be on hold, but you can continue to learn about distant places (and avoid going stir crazy!) through Road Scholar’s “Armchair Explorer” series. In this article, the Armchair Explorer looks at nine buildings that tell American history. The stay-at-home architectural tour starts in the Southwest and proceeds roughly counterclockwise around the country, and roughly in chronological order, ending in Los Angeles.
■ Whitney Plantation in Louisiana, once a sugarcane plantation, is now a museum dedicated to educating visitors about slavery in the Southern United States. At right: the main house; blacksmith shop where slaves worked. ■ America’s Founding Fathers were a bundle of contradictions, and none more so than Thomas Jefferson, Enlightenment man and slave holder. One of his great achievements was designing and building Monticello, his home in the Virginia Piedmont near Charlottesville, and a gem of Neoclassical architecture.
■ Our first stop is Mesa Verde in the southwest corner of Colorado. This national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site has been inhabited by humans for nearly 10,000 years, and nearly a thousand years ago Ancestral Puebloans began constructing the magnificent cliff dwelling that today draws half a million visitors a year.
■ After the United States became an independent nation it began to stretch westward, and in the 1820s the Greek Revival movement in architecture was an expression of the nation’s rising self-confidence. One of the greatest examples is the Second Bank of the United States in Philadelphia.
■ The next stop is in New Mexico and celebrates Spain’s influence on the New World. The San Francisco de Asís Mission Church in Rancho de Taos—built in the late 1700s and early 1800s and, later, a favorite subject of painter Georgia O’Keeffe—is considered one of the finest examples of Spanish mission architecture. The exterior of the Mission Church is adobe and must be re-plastered every year, an event one volunteer describes as “God’s way of bringing his people together on an annual basis to work on the structure.”
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Road Scholar calls itself the nation’s largest educational travel organization for adults–a true university of the world. The not-forprofit educational organization offers 5,500 extraordinary learning adventures in 150 countries and 50 states. Road Scholar educational adventures are created by Elderhostel, the not-for-profit world leader in educational travel for adults since 1975. Learn more at RoadScholar. org.
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■ After the Civil War, steel technology, the invention of the elevator, and the shift in work from farms and factories to offices gave “rise” to a new kind of building, the skyscraper. The Flatiron Building in New York City is an early example, and certainly one of the most beautiful tall buildings ever constructed.
■ Have you ever heard of “Nebraska marble”? While New Yorkers were growing accustomed to taking the subway to work, other Americans were forging new lives on the Great Plains in sod houses.
■ The flat expanse of the Great Plains was a source of inspiration to Frank Lloyd Wright, perhaps the greatest American architect. Wright’s Wisconsin estate—Taliesin North—is an outstanding example of Prairie School design.
■ The final stop on our architectural journey around the United States is the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, a masterpiece designed by the celebrated contemporary architect Frank Gehry. About the Author Peter Spiers is the senior vice president of strategic outreach at Road Scholar. He is the author of “Master Class: Living Longer, Strong, and Happier,” recently selected by The Washington Post as one of the best books to read at every age, 1 to 100 (Peter’s book was selected for age 70). Spiers holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a master of science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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21
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Atlanta’s Parrot Heads know a good party By Tiffany Griffith They’re the Jimmy Buffett fans called Parrot Heads. They’ve fans of chilled cocktails and Hawaiian shirts. You find them by the ocean and in landlocked states, getting lost in Buffett’s music. You find them in Canada, France, Australia, Mexico, and Belize. Just about anywhere. Including, of course, metro Atlanta. “I have friends who traveled to Ireland and London to see Buffett,” Leslie Maske said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the first time you’ve met other Parrot Heads, you all become friends.” The main desire of this multicultural and multigenerational fan base is escapism. And at a time when many people are stressed and uncertain, there couldn’t be a better time to find your piece of paradise. “After ‘Margaritaville’ exploded, everyone liked that idea of escapism,” said Maske, who lives in Decatur. “Going to a tropical isle, having a margarita, having your toes in the sand, not worrying about anything.” She added that surgeons routinely listen to the septuagenarian Buffett’s brand of soft rock to relax themselves during stressful operations. Buffett’s music has also provided calm for Eliza Peake of Dahlonega during an especially worrisome time in 2020. “My family came in contact with someone who was COVID positive,” she said. “I had Radio Margaritaville on the whole time. It helped me forget while we waited for our test results.” Fortunately, everyone in her family is okay. So, what does it take to join this colorful cocktailed club? Does it require indulging in a margarita from your Official Jimmy Buffett blender? Does it require wasting away on a Margaritaville Booze Cruise or at
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his branded restaurants, resorts, and retirement communities? “You just have to know more than ‘Margaritaville,’ ‘Fins,’ and ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise,” Maske said with a chuckle. “If you enjoy Buffett’s music, if you enjoy the lifestyle, then you can be a Parrot Head.” Maske has true fan credentials. She met the musician twice and traveled from Atlanta to Orlando, where she was featured in his 1994 music video for “Fruitcakes.” Her devotion to Buffett goes beyond being hypnotized by the songs. Since 1990, she’s been a member of the Atlanta Parrot Head Club. Founded as a joke on April Fool’s Day 1989, the local club holds the distinction of being the original Buffett fan club. She also calls her fellow Parrot Heads a second family. “I’m still friends with all of those people I met back in 1990,” Maske said. “We’ve watched people get married, and have kids, and have grandkids. We all stay in contact, even if we move. We love each other very much.” Peake found her love for Buffett through her “party girl” aunt. Her best memories involve poolside barbeques and dancing to the singer’s tropical tunes. It was difficult for Peake to enjoy the laid-back music after her aunt’s death five years ago, but the good memories came back when she introduced her teenaged daughter to the At top, Decatur Parrot Head Leaslie Maske shows souvenirs she’s collected as a fan of singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett Above, Buffett’s fans love the laid-back life at the beach. At left, Buffett performs one of his trademark tunes. Facing page: Buffett’s song lyrics inspired the lifestyle reflected in the Margaritaville resort at Lake Lanier.
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Parrot Head lifestyle. “It was the best experience,” she said about taking the teen to a Buffett concert. “My daughter was also close to my aunt. We had a really good time and it meant a lot to share the experience.” Parrot Heads love the music, love each other, and they love their communities. Clubs around the world are dedicated to philanthropic work, which is also important to Buffett. Fans are the most passionate about fighting Alzheimer’s Disease following the diagnosis and death of Buffett’s father. The musician
also contributes in cities where he plays, including a donation to Atlanta’s efforts against Spina bifida. And, sometimes, Parrot Head fundraisers can be hilarious. “We played an underwater Monopoly game for charity!” said Maske. The pandemic has downsized the Atlanta Club’s gatherings to Zoom Meeting Happy Hours, but the group remains committed to cleaning the Chattahoochee River and a 2021 Parrot Head Cruise to fight breast cancer. So, when will anxious Parrot
Heads see their savior again? Buffett tells Rolling Stone, “I’m waiting for that day…whenever it is, and wherever it is, it’s gonna be a hell of a show.” In the meantime, Parrot Heads are enjoying Buffett’s latest album, Life on the Flip Side. In her closing argument for becoming a Parrot Head, Peake said, “We all have lives we’re trying to live and children we’re trying to raise and making it through without depression or anxiety or whatever we’re dealing with,” she said. “But when you listen to Buffett, it makes you remember fun.”
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Embracing and Empowering Life Experience Atlanta’s new, unrivaled senior living solution. Nestled in Buckhead’s prestigious Peachtree Hills neighborhood, the Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place is uniquely designed and dedicated to providing exceptional, individualized care —tailored to your life. Our meaningful care approach delivers personalized solutions by compassionate staff to residents and their families.
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SEPTEMBER 2020 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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