Dec FPA

FREE | Published monthly

December 2018 | Vol. 44 | No. 12 | 24 pp.

fiftyplus advocate

Legendary Boston radio deejay

Cha-Chi Loprete features

interviews, music and history

from the

‘FAB FOUR’ INES AN D O/ALL PHOT

Breakfast with the

page 10 PHOTO/LEO GOZBEKIAN Inset photo left: Cha-Chi Loprete and Ringo Starr backstage at Worcester’s DCU Center in 2016 Inset photo right: Cha-Chi Loprete and Sir Paul McCartney backstage at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens, N.Y., where McCartney performed a private show for students in 2013

A caring community for elders INDEPENDENT LIVING • REST HOME • RESPITE CARE A Legacy of Providing Exceptional Care for SeniorsTracey Since 1874 A Legacy of Providing Exceptional Senior Care Since 1874 • For information contact King at (508)868-0967 • www.goddardhomestead.org For More Information Contact Tracey King at 508-868-0967 www.goddardhomestead.org

2•

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

Avoid holiday scams this season with the AARP Fraud Watch Network

By Mike Festa, State Director AARP Massachusetts

D

GET THE FAMILY CAREGIVING SUPPORT YOU NEED, WHEN YOU NEED IT Your caregiving journey can be challenging in all kinds of ways.

You never know where it might lead you next.

At AARP Family Caregiving, we're here to help you get answers, connect with other family caregivers and find resources online and close to home. So you can take care of what matters most To learn more, visit aarp.org/caregiving.

/AARPMA  @AARPMA



id you know that someone’s identity gets stolen every two seconds? The AARP Fraud Watch Network provides you with tips and resources to help you spot and avoid identity theft and fraud so you can proMike Festa tect yourself and your family. Our watchdog alerts will keep you up to date on con artists’ latest tricks. It’s free of charge for everyone: AARP members, non-members, and people of all ages.

Here are several things to think about as we approach the holiday season. The best defense against fraud is an educated consumer, so please watch out for these scams: Scam artists set up fake websites offering anything you could want to buy as gifts around the holidays, at prices that are too-good-to-be-true.

And guess what? They are!

You’ll never receive the gift you thought you bought, and the scammers could turn around and use your credit card information for their own purchases.

Stick to well-known shopping sites, and always type in the web address, rather than clicking from a link to the retailer.

Protect your holiday packages from theft. Some 23 million recipients per year report packages stolen from their doorsteps. To reduce the risk, arrange for a delivery that requires a signature upon receipt. Other options: send gifts to the recipient’s workplace or have them delivered to a pickup location operated by the carrier.

Are you buying gift cards this holiday season? Consid-

er this. Thieves hit store gift card racks, secretly write down or scan the numbers off the cards, then check online or call the toll-free number to see if someone has bought the cards and activated them. As soon as a card is active, the scammers drain the funds. By the time your gift recipient tries to use the card, the money is long gone. To prevent con artists from ripping you off when buying a gift card, get the card from the retailer’s website or from the store issuing it.

Leave the debit card at home as you head out for last-minute holiday shopping.

Consumer protection experts recommend using credit cards to protect against fraud and theft. With credit cards, you are liable for only up to $50 of fraudulent use, and most credit card companies will waive this fee. In the case of a lost or stolen debit card, financial losses to the consumer can be much more significant. Call your bank for details.

With the time for year-end tax write-offs approaching, the season of giving is ripe with bogus charities — especially for hot-button causes claiming to benefit police and firefighters, military veterans, sick or needy children, or victims of natural disasters. Ignore all email solicitations unless you previously donated to the particular cause. Unless you dialed the call, don’t provide a credit card number over the phone.

And before donating, verify an organization’s legitimacy at Charity Navigator or Give.org.

Report scams to local law enforcement. Contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network at 877-908-3360 or online at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork for more information on fraud prevention.

Mike Festa is the state director for AARP Massachusetts. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

•3

Light up the holidays!

Region – As we adjust to the dark days of late autumn/early winter, a display of holiday lights can help brighten our spirits.

Here are a few worth checking out.

465 Huntington Ave., Boston.

PHOTOS/SUBMITTED

Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights at the Museum of Fine Arts The event to be held on Wednesday, Dec. 5, from 4:3010 p.m. will feature “lively musical performances, engaging tours, art making and family-friendly activities.”

Guests are invited to discover the MFA’s collection of Judaica and view a one-

Above: The iconic Ducklings get into the holiday spirit.

Left: The Boston Christmas Tree

of-a-kind menorah created by local artists Silvina Mizrahi and Sean Clarke, then enjoy a community candle-lighting. Free admission begins at 4 pm; all events are free. The MFA is located at

The Boston Christmas Tree In 1917, the devastating Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) Explosion, a man-made explosion caused by two cargo ships colliding, destroyed much of that city, killed 2,000 people, and injured 9,000. Boston was one of the first cities to send first aid.

As a way of thanks, the province sent a beautiful Christmas tree to Boston in 1941 and then starting in 1971, a new one each year. The tree is lit on the Boston Common throughout December. (And even the iconic Boston Public Garden ducklings get into the festive spirit!)

31 Nights of Lights- From December 1 through New Year’s Eve on December 31, the Prudential Tower, 800 Boylston St., Boston, displays Lights page 6

PHOTO/COURTESY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

Walk-In Urgent Care

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston will once again celebrate “Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights”

BROOKHAVEN ASSISTED CARE 50 years experience providing 24 hour care.

Medical coordination and support services for:

- Dementia - Parkinson’s Elderly folks with medical needs who can no longer live alone Available in-house: Physician’s services - Pharmacy services - Podiatry services - VNA Nursing services - Hospice - GeriatricPsych services - Physical Therapy - X-ray - Lab - EKG

19 West Main Street, West Brookfield Nancy Besardi 508-612-7525 • brookhavenassistedcare.com

Always - TLC with compassion and quality care.

Our medical team is here to help adults and children of all ages with a wide range of non-emergency medical issues.

Open 7 Days a week

9:00am – 8:00pm Check wait times online!

www.readymed.org

ReadyMED accepts most health insurance plans, cash, personal checks and major credit cards.

Four convenient locations: Auburn 460 Southbridge Street (Route 12) Hudson 234 Washington Street (Route 85) Milford 340 East Main Street (Route 16) Worcester 366 Shrewsbury Street

4•

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

A Salem witch trial mystery remains: Who was the hangman?

By Jane Keller Gordon Assistant Editor

M

PHOTO/SUBMITTED

arilynne Roach might know more about the Salem witch trials than anyone else. After 27 years of meticulous research, writing and rewriting, her first book on the subject, “The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege” was published in 2002. A children’s book, a guide, and in 2014, “Six Women of Salem: The Untold Story of the Accused and Their Accusers in the Salem Witch Trials,” followed.

Roach, who has lived in Watertown her whole life, has had a longtime interest in the Salem witch trials. But reading a guidebook by Salem’s Bicentennial Committee really sparked her interest, and motived her to take a train to that city — she doesn’t drive.

“It was a perfect day in

decided to write a manuscript on the trials based on available public sources.

I sent it around, and it was rejected,” said Roach.

Then she discovered the Massachusetts Archives in Dorchester, which she called “a treasure trove.”

For years, Roach studied what seemed to her like miles of microfilm, and took detailed notes. She also viewed and analyzed original manuscripts at the Essex Institute in Salem, which is now the Peabody Essex Museum.

Roach set the scene for the time of the trials.

“When the French and Indian War was raging and England’s control over the Massachusetts legal system waxed and waned, from Maine to New York, a sense

Marilynne Roach

spring, and the Federal district was gorgeous… I did find that some presentations contradicted what I had read, and I thought that there might be a book in this,” she said.

Roach had already written and illustrated several children’s book. She is a 1968 graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art, and has mostly worked as a freelance illustrator and writer.

“Early on in my research, I

of panic had set in. The settlers around Salem believed that almost 200 of their neighbors were witches, using their specters or evil spirits to harm others.”

According to Roach, from late 1691 to 1693, 164 people suspected of being witches were involved in the court system, 52 went to trial, and 30 were found guilty. Nineteen of the 30 people were hanged in front of big crowds in Salem.

Describing the accusations, Roach said, “At the time, someone might see a cartload of wood fall apart or feel an invisible presence. The accusers — the bewitched or afflicted — accused others, the supposed witches of evil acts… Some of those who were accused were older women with no families, but others were men and women who had families.”

“There is no connection between Salem’s supposed witches Roach page 7

Affordable Living at its Best Income Guidelines: $36,200 single / $41,400 couple

Now accepting Applications for 62 years of age and older and those that are under 62 years of age and are permanently disabled.

• Heat and hot water included • Qualified Applicants pay 30% of adjusted income • 24 hour emergency maintenance

Comfortable floor plan

• Non-Smoking Community • Monthly activities include: exercise classes, birthday parties, book mobile, blood pressure screens and podiatry

Sherwood Village Apartments

• Manicured walking paths with garden plots

143~145 Mill Street, Natick, MA 01760

Call at 508-651-1811 for details

• Ideally located in Natick residential bus route • Pets okay under 20 lbs.

Relax in Park-like setting

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

december Inside this issue

Index of Services

Six-time cancer survivor rides the Pan Mass Challenge 20 times…and counting

page

Adult Day Care

Hospice & Palliative Care

Adult Day Club at Dodge Park...12

Hope Health Hospice ...............6

Assisted Living-Rest Homes

Hospitals

Brookhaven Assisted Care .....3 Oasis at Dodge Park .............14 Tatnuck Park at Worcester .......17 Goddard Homestead ................1

6

Attorneys, Elder Law Durbin & Veglia, Attorneys ......17

Financial Services

Filling plates and hearts: Women volunteer at ministry in Baja

Avidia Bank ............................13 Tailwind Wealth Management ..........................15

Fitness YMCA of Central MA ..............11

Funeral Homes Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home..22

page

12

Departments Housing Options ...........20 Travel ...........................22

fiftyplus

Publisher: David Bagdon Managing Editor: Bonnie Adams ext. 14 Creative Director: Tina Berthiaume

Serving the fifty-plus community since 1975 www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

General Senior Services AARP of MA .............................2

Hearing Services Audiology Affiliates...................9

Caregiving Tips ...............18 Money Matters ..............19

advocate

•5

Home Care Services Care Solutions...........................7

Advertising Sales: Sales Coordinator : Barbara Clifford: 774-243-6881

Athol Hospital .........................24

Housing Options Bigelow Village ......................17 Colony Retirement Homes .....23 Green Hill Towers ...................10 Illyrian Gardens ......................15 Sherwood Village, Natick.............4 Sitkowski Apartments..............8

Medical Research Studies Harvard University ..................18

Mortgage Financing Helping Hands ......................16

Rehabilitation St. Mary Healthcare ................8 HealthSouth Rehabilitation ....21

Veterans Services VA Boston .............................13

Walk-In Medical Centers ReadyMed................................3

Diane Sabatini: ext. 12 Cindy Merchant: ext. 15 Mary Ellen Cyganiewicz: ext. 17

Fifty Plus Advocate is published monthly, 12 times annually by Bagdon Advertising, 32 South Street, Westborough, MA 01581.

Fifty Plus Advocate accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or materials and does not return them to sender. Retractions for any inaccuracies will be printed when necessary.

Unsolicited letters to the editor become the property of this newspaper and can be reprinted in part or in whole unless otherwise stated. Fifty Plus Advocate columnists writing under a byline are expressing their personal opinions and not necessarily those of the newspaper.

Contact us: 508.366.5500 • 32 South St., Westborough, MA 01581

6•

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

Six-time cancer survivor rides the Pan Mass Challenge 20 times…and counting

By Jane Keller Gordon Assistant Editor

PHOTOS/JANE KELLER GORDON

Hudson - Howie Davidson’s numbers are great. He has survived six bouts of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma; biked the PanMass Challenge (PMC) 20 times, raising close to $150,000 for cancer research; and at 58, rides about 5,000 miles a year.

Growing up in Brookline and then West Yarmouth, Davidson never imagined that he’d ride cross-country on a bike, or that he would develop cancer.

His first bike was a bright orange Raleigh 10-speed chopper with a high sissy bar in the back. When it was stolen, his parents bought him a Gitane, a light Italian racing bike.

“They got me that bike because it could be carried up three flights to our apartment. They didn’t know that it would be the start of a biking career for me,” he said.

thought I’d grow into it. I never did. It was really big!” he said.

The years that followed brought Davidson two sons, a career as a software engineer for several companies, and more involvement in biking.

When he was 33, he started mountain biking, and then road riding.

Three years later, in 1997, he rode his first century (100 miles) with the Nashoba Valley Pedalers (NVP), a riding group that he found on the web.

“They organize recreational rides of anywhere from 15 to 100 miles,” he said.

That same year, Davidson was diagnosed with cancer.

“It was in one gland and I had low dose chemo. It didn’t bother me too much,” he said.

Davidson rode his first PMC in 1998, within a year of his diagnosis.

Over the next few years, Davidson experienced four more bouts of localized lymphoma.

“I was treated with radiation, which didn’t bother me much either,” he said.

Howie Davidson

Davidson bought another bike when he was studying computer science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

“It was too big for me, but I

When you’re looking for the best hospice care Look to Hope.

Hope Hospice has provided care and support for those facing serious illness for over 35 years. Our dedication, respect and compassion help provide the best quality of life possible. That’s why so many families look to Hope for hospice care.

To learn more, call 508.957.0200 or visit HopeHospiceMA.org.

Part of the HopeHealth family of services Hope Hospice | Hope Care For Kids Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services | Hope Academy

Fifteen years ago, just after a century ride with NVP, Davidson battled another type of more aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. That time, he underwent major chemotherapy and full open field radiation.

That summer he rode the PMC again. And, then again, and again.

In 2007, he rode cross country in 52 days with America by Bike.

Four years ago, Davidson joined Team Lick Cancer, a PMC team.

“I train with them, and we get together every so often. It’s been really rewarding,” he said.

Davidson’s commitment to raising funds for cancer research was elevated when his second wife Lynne, a nurse practitioner, died from stomach cancer in 2013.

He has also raised $15,000 for diabetes, which he believes he developed as a result of cancer treatments, although he said that he was prone to it.

For the past five years, Davidson has participated in the New England Classic Tour de Cure, riding 550 miles over seven days through Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Looking back over his 20 Pan Mass page 7

Light up the holidays!

Lights Continued from page 3

lights of a different color each night to bring awareness to nonprofit organizations. For a complete list visit http://www. prudentialcenter.com/entertain_ events_premier.html?id=289.

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine The Shrine located at 100 Summer St., Holliston, has a Christmas light display from Saturday, Dec. 1 – 27, 5-9 p.m. The gift shop will be open during those times as well. Hot chocolate

and coffee will be available in the hall; Mission Ministry exhibits will be displayed. A concert will be held Sunday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m.

The National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette Over 300,000 lights are spread over 10 acres at this beloved shrine. The International Creche Museum features hundreds of creches from around the world. Illuminations are held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily between November 24 and January 1. The shrine is located at 947 Park St., Attleboro.

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

•7

Six-time cancer survivor rides the Pan Mass Challenge 20 times…and counting get too high,” he added. “It’s an adrenaline rush for me, and the scenery is amazing.”

It’s not surprising that most days, Davidson wears a PMC logo shirt or hat.

To contribute to Davidson’s fundraising efforts, visit: Pan-Mass Challenge: https://egifts.pmc.org/HD0013 Tour de Cure: http://main. diabetes.org/goto/hdavidson

Pan Mass Continued from page 6

years of PMC rides, Davidson said, with a smile on his face, “I’ve ridden the PMC in downpours and incredible heat, with pneumonia, and with cancer.

Somehow the timing of my treatments worked out so that I could always ride.”

“I usually ride 150-200 miles a week, until the snow banks A bicycle sculpture at Howie Davidson’s house

A Salem witch trial mystery remains: Who was the hangman?

Roach Continued from page 4

and modern day Witches and Wiccans,” she added. “None of them considered themselves to be witches.”

Roach noted that in 1697, as an apology for the trials, there was a fast for a period of time among the general public in Massachusetts.

“People then saw the panic as the devil’s delusion. In 1711, after several petitions, the guilty verdicts of 22 of those who had been condemned were reversed, but not all the condemned names were in the petitions. In 1712, reparations were made to those who suffered as a result of the trials,” she said.

“In 2001, Governor Jane Swift passed an act to restore the remaining names. Unfortunate-

PROVIDING QUALITY CARE IN YOUR HOME Proud to be your locally owned and privately held home health care provider in Westboro since 1997

ly, it was done on Halloween,” Roach noted.

The Salem Witch Trials remain a strange and sad footnote in American history. Roach’s research continues. She is now writing a book on six men from the witch trials.

Much to her dismay, there is one piece of information that she has not been able to uncover: Who was the hangman?

“He must have been paid before the hanging. I can’t find a bill.

But I do know that he smoked.

When Samuel Wardwell was hanged in 1692, he choked on the hangman’s smoke when trying to say his last words. I wish I could find the hangman’s name,” she said.

For more on Roach and her work, visit marilynnekroach. com.

10%

Off!!!

Ask about our

“Home But Not Alone” Program

Specialty Services Include: • Home Health Aides, Homemakers, Companions • 2 to 24 Hour Care • Live-In Care • Individualized Wellness Plan • Dementia Care • 24 Hour On-call • In-Home, On-site, On-going Supervisions • Licensed, Insured and Bonded

Stay home with quality care customized to meet your needs.

Please call our Care Coordinator at

508-366-5689 to learn more.

www.care-solutions.net • email: info@care-solutions.net

Are you looking for Housing? Let us help!

fiftyplus

First Time Clients Mention This Ad & Receive 10% Off Your First Invoice!

NAME ADDRESS CITY

Please contact me regarding the housing opportunities I’ve checked off below.

ZIP CODE

SEND THIS COMPLETED FORM TO:

PHONE *(

)

EMAIL

ATTN: FREE FIFTY PLUS HOUSING INFORMATION 32 SOUTH STREET, WESTBOROUGH, MA 01581

STATE

*Your phone number is required to process your request. It will be used only in regard to the properties that you have marked.

SUBSIDIZED APARTMENTS

SUBSIDIZED APARTMENTS Con't

REST HOMES

 Green Hill Towers - Worcester

 Sitkowski School Apartments - Webster

 Goddard Homestead - Worcester

 Colony Retirement - Worcester

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

 Dodge Park Oasis - Worcester  Goddard Homestead - Worcester  Tatnuck Park - Worcester

 Sherwood Village - Natick

 Bigelow Village - Rutland

8•

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

‘You can get anything you want, at Alice’s restaurant’ Guthrie Center continues to support community

By Jane Keller Gordon Assistant Editor

Left: The Guthrie Center

Great Barrington- For those who came of age in the 1960s, Arlo Guthrie’s long, lyrical song, “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” is iconic. Written by Guthrie in 1965, when he was 18, it describes events that took place during a Thanksgiving he spent with his former high school teachers, Alice May Brock and her husband Ray Brock, at their home, an old deconsecrated church in Great Barrington.

The song tells the story of Guthrie’s arrest for dumping Alice and Ray’s mound of trash, his encounter with a blind judge, and his subsequent rejection from the New York City draft board during the Vietnam War due to his “criminal record.” The word “massacree,” in the song’s title, means an event that is so

Below: George Laye

PHOTOS/JANE KELLER GORDON

Right: The performance space inside the Guthrie Center

Heat & Hot Water Included in the Rent Hardwood Floors Ceiling Fans Laundry Room on Each Floor Lounge Areas Smoke Free Community Sitkowski School Apartments is a 66 unit, 55+ affordable rental community that offers a safe convenient location in the historic Sitkowski School in the commercial center of Webster. The new Webster Senior Center is located in the former gymnasium which will provide an active, vibrant place for seniors to enjoy.

To request an application please call 508.943.3406 TDD 800.439.2370 Must Meet Income Requirements Rents Starting at $650 • Section 8 Accepted

Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Speech Therapy

Health Care Center

Hospice Care Holistic Approach to Resident Care

A non-profit Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Facility specializing in long term care and short term rehab with private rooms.

Our Special Care unit offers a safe, secure environment and activities tailored to the need of those with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

For more information or to schedule a tour: EdieNelson@stmaryhc.com, y Director of Marketingg and Admissions St. Mary Health Care Center | 39 Queen Street, Worcester, MA 01610 508-753-4791 | www.stmaryhc.com

bizarre it is unbelievable. It truly was; but grew into Guthrie’s plea to others to resist the draft.

In 1991, the old church became The Guthrie Center, home to the Guthrie Foundation. This past Thanksgiving, like every year since its founding, the center welcomed about 150 people for a free holiday meal. Many radio stations still play the song on Thanksgiving.

George Laye, a long-time friend of Guthrie’s, has been the artistic director and general manager of the center for the past 15 years.

“We welcome people in need and people new to town. We never turn anyone away. It’s just

lovely, like any other Thanksgiving dinner, but we don’t get into politics with our relatives,” he said.

Much of what takes place at the Guthrie Foundation honors Arlo’s philosophy, and that of his parents, Marjorie MaziaGuthrie and Woody Guthrie, the iconic American folksinger- songwriter. Woody Guthrie passed away in 1967 of Huntington’s disease.

The Guthrie Center’s mission, “Take Care. Give Care.” is reflected in the many interfaith services and spiritual events held at the center, Laye said.

The church’s former sanctuGuthrie page 9

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

‘You can get anything you want, at Alice’s restaurant’ Guthrie Continued from page 8

PHOTO/SUBMITTED

ary is now split into an entry way, with the kitchen on the left, and offices on the right. In the back is the performance space, which holds 100 people. The bones of the church are still there, as is a recently refurbished stainedglass window. Concert posters cover the walls, memorabilia fills the space, and now original oil paintings of a Guthrie clan from Scotland hang in the performance hall.

Every Thursday night, except for Thanksgiving, the center holds a “hootenanny,” which is an open mic. On the weekends, Laye schedules well known and up-and-coming acts.

“I’m always looking for new talent, especially young talent.

I called it my Youth Spotlight Program. A while ago a group called Harpeth Rising came to me. I heard them, and thought, ‘Gee-whiz, they are wonderful.’

the Troubadour series. Tickets range in price from $15 to $75, with the lower cost for members. Food is served.

“Our veggie chili and cornbread is amazing,” Laye said.

In addition to music, the Guthrie Foundation holds a free lunch every Wednesday, during which The cover for Arlo Guthrie’s album, “Alice’s free legal aid is Restaurant” also given. The food is donated by several businesses in the area.

Now they sell out every year,” Laye also described a tutorsaid Laye. ing service that the center operMany “Toms” have played ates, matching volunteers with at the Guthrie: Paxton, Chapin, children and adults. In the sumand Rush. Laye is working on mer, there are free yoga classes. the schedule for next year for

Every spring, the Guthrie holds a “garbage walk” to raise funds for Huntington’s disease.

“There’s no set date. It’s a couple of weeks before Memorial Day. We gather a fleet of VW Microbuses, like the one Arlo used to transport the trash, and shuttle people to the police station in Stockbridge, and stop at Alice’s former restaurant there. Last year we raised about $15,000 and it all went to research,” said Laye.

Laye is now collecting musical instruments so he can lend them to those in need.

“If there’s young musician starting out, I will give them a guitar or some other instrument,” he noted.

Thanks to all the good work at the center, Laye said, “I sleep well at night.”

To learn more and support the center, visit www.guthriecenter. org. It is located at 2 Van Deusenville in Great Barrington, Mass.

Caring for hearing needs

BETTER HEARING

Getting treated for hearing loss can be a life-changing experience. If you want to spread the joy of hearing to others, we’ve got several ideas to help you help others during this season of giving.

SHARING YOUR STORY

Research indicates hearing aid wearers on average waited over a decade after a hearing loss diagnosis before getting that hearing technology. That’s a lot of time to miss important moments in life.

Consider sharing your hearing story with neighborhood groups or gatherings, community meetings, and other audiences eager to learn. Moving even one person to hearing help is time well spent.

BE THE COMPANION

It helps to have a familiar voice at hearing care appointments to provide

since 1986

Paying it Forward

additional perspective and be a test voice REMEMBER SELF-CARE for comparison of technologies. Be that In the bustle of the season, you might person. forget to keep your own hearing health at its best. But as friends and family LEND YOUR SKILLS Whether streaming from media devices, gather near and far, it’s a perfect reason using hearing loops, interfacing with to get your hearing – and your hearing technology, or featuring different sound technology – checked. settings, today’s hearing aids bring their Take care of yourself – for them and A-game. Knowing how to work them is for you. key. Share your knowledge.

Has it been a while since your last hearing DONATE YOUR HEARING AID evaluation? Do you have a loved one Used hearing aids could help others. experiencing listening difficulties? Please An estimated 466 million children call our caring team today. We’re here and adults globally have hearing loss to help! and have benefitted from donated hearing Lynda M. Martin, M.S., F-AAA technology.

If you have an old set of hearing aids, or Mary Ellen Curran Rancourt, AuD, are thinking of upgrading your current CCC-A, ones. please let us know. We can connect Heidi LeFrancois, M.S., F-AAA, you with charitable organizations. and Nicole Ferro, AuD, CCC-A

•9

www.AudiologyAffiliates.org Experienced Audiologists and staff.

Caring for hearing needs for 32 years.

Offering diagnostic audiological testing and hearing devices.

WORCESTER 490 Shrewsbury Street (508)-755-1391 | FRAMINGHAM 600 Worcester Road, LL1 (508) 872-6679 MARLBOROUGH 159 Union St (508) 481-0610

10 •

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

Join Cha-Chi Loprete for ‘Breakfast with The Beatles’

By Ed Karvoski Jr. Culture Editor

PHOTO/SUBMITTED

Cambridge/Middleboro – Determination to become a radio deejay for Cha-Chi Loprete began soon after watching The Beatles’ first live American television appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” at age 7 in 1964 at his family’s Cambridge home. He realized that the job could give him an opportunity to interact with The Beatles and their inner circle.

“The Beatles exposed us to a whole new sound and generation of music,” he declared. “That was a turning point for me.”

Having worked since the 1980s as a deejay and other positions in the Boston-based radio industry, Loprete has interviewed George Harrison, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Additionally, he has interviewed a number of The Beatles’ colleagues and relatives.

Loprete invites listeners to

(l to r) Sir Paul McCartney, WBCN Production Director Tom Sandman and Cha-Chi Loprete during an interview in New York City in 1984.

his “Breakfast with The Beatles” (“BWTB”) on Saturdays from 6 to 8 a.m. on WUMB 91.9 FM and online at wumb.org. (Check website for additional Massachusetts dial numbers.) A first step toward syndication, “BWTB” airs in Maine and New Hampshire on Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon

on Seacoast Oldies 92.1 and 97.1 FM and at seacoastoldies.com.

While a high school student working as a page at Cambridge Public Library, Loprete read books that explained how to become a radio deejay. In 1971, he first heard the now-defunct station WBCN FM and particularly

Newly Remodeled Apartments with a contemporary flair

appreciated its deejay Charles Laquidara. After graduating from Rindge Technical School in 1975, Loprete got hired at Polaroid in Norwood.

“Working at Polaroid, I was fidgety,” he recalled. “I needed to do something more than be a chemical technician.”

He expressed his passion for WBCN in a letter mailed to Laquidara, whose assistant called Loprete with an offer to volunteer at the station. For a year, Loprete worked days at Polaroid and volunteered nights at WBCN. “Then on Nov. 22, 1982, WBCN hired me as assistant promotions director,” Loprete said.

“It was the greatest day of my life.

I was a radio employee.”

A few years later he accepted an offer to host WBCN’s “Get Back to The Beatles.” After WBCN’s parent company acquired WZLX, he began hosting “BWTB” on WZLX in Cha-Chi page 11

• Contemporary styled 1 & 2 bedroom apartments • New kitchens with built-in microwaves and granite-like countertops • Small pets welcome • Heat and Hot water included • Bus route / ample parking • Beautiful landscaped grounds with gazebo

Within the building amenities include: • • • • • •

A Theater-like media center Handicap-accessible lounges on every floor Library equipped with two computers and free internet access Physical fitness center Game room with billiard table Community room with bingo board and large screen TV

Green Hill Towers

27 Mount Vernon Street, Worcester, MA • Office Open Daily 8:00am - 4:30pm To receive an application please call 508-755-6062 TDD# 508-755-0228 Now accepting applications for 62 years of age and older and those who are under 62 years of age and are permanently disabled.

Applicants must meet HUD annual low income guidelines. Preference is given to individuals 62 and older.

Managed by Financed by MHFA

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

• 11

Join Cha-Chi Loprete for ‘Breakfast with The Beatles’

PHOTOS/SUBMITTED

Above: Cha-Chi Loprete and his wife, Stephanie Loprete at the Hanover Theater in Worcester with Tony Bennett Below and top right: Cha-Chi Loprete and Tony Bennett

Cha-Chi Continued from page 10

2005. His program’s long run on WZLX ended in November 2017 when CBS Radio and Entercom merged. In addition to hosting shows, Loprete had worked as marketing and promotions director for WBCN, WZLX and 98.5 The Sports Hub. “BWTB” began airing on WUMB in February 2018.

“WUMB told me that it’s my show, do whatever I want and have fun,” he said. “I love that about WUMB – a great rock-‘n’roll music attitude.”

“BWTB” features the fab four’s music, history and interviews. Loprete’s first chance to interview a Beatle was in New York City when McCartney released the film “Give My Regards to

Broad Street” in 1984.

“That was my first of about a half dozen meetups with Paul,” Loprete noted. “He’s the most easygoing guy. Each time I’ve interviewed Paul has been memorable and a privilege that I’ll never take for granted or ever forget.”

Loprete also relishes social meetings with McCartney.

Some of those get-togethers were as a guest of their mutual friend, Tony Bennett.

“I was the first deejay to play Tony Bennett on a rock station,” Loprete said. “Tony heard about it and we’re still friends to this day.

He has given me the opportunity to meet Paul a couple of times.”

A particularly memorable occasion was attending the United States premiere of McCartney’s “Liverpool Oratorio” at NYC’s Carnegie Hall in 1991. Afterward, Loprete and Bennett joined McCartney along with a number of celebrities for dinner at the home of entertainment attorney Lee Eastman, Linda McCartney’s late brother.

“It was something most people would never see,” Loprete said. “Paul being just a regular guy hanging out with his friends.”

Loprete has also interviewed Starr several times. They’ve estab-

lished a unique bond.

“Ringo finds my name to be very funny,” he shared with a laugh. “I have recordings of him making fun of my name, saying, ‘Hey, Cha-Chi, you have a weirder name than I do!’”

A phone interview with Harrison at his home in Hawaii was done after the release of his first Traveling Wilburys album. Afterward, Loprete sent him several Beatles albums, which were mailed back by Harrison with

his autograph on each.

“To be a Beatle and do that for someone is amazing,” he said of Harrison’s gesture.

Now living in Middleboro, Loprete recently founded his own company, Next Beat Media Corporation, and is in the process of further syndicating “BWTB.” “It all comes back to that night in 1964,” he said. “The Beatles’ music carries on from generation to generation. It speaks to everybody no matter what part of life you’re in – it’s universal. I built a career out of something I really love and feel blessed that it’s still continuing.”

Follow “Breakfast with the Beatles” at facebook.com/BreakfastWithTheBeatlesChaChi.

12 •

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

Filling plates and hearts Women volunteer at ministry in Baja

By Kate Tobiasson Contributing Writer

Shrewsbury/Westborough There is a saying on one of the walls of the ministry that reads, “You will never be the same.”

For local residents Anita Polich of Westborough and Mary Ann Judson of Shrewsbury, this sentence says it all.

For one week last August, the two women journeyed with three friends to Foundation for His Ministry in the Baja Peninsula to volunteer and support the organization. A mission in Mexico, Foundation for His Ministry has an orphanage, soup kitchen, fire department, car repair shop, and a drug addiction center. It provides many services to support the impoverished citizens in the area. During their visit, Polich and Judson both served to help people in the various facets of the ministry.

“As volunteers, we helped to build, sand, and stain a portico at the orphanage. I helped finish a table and do laundry. Anita babysat and helped children in the daycare,” Mary Ann explained.

“We also cracked nuts; they are working on developing a macadamia nut farm so that they can develop a revenue for the orphanage, so we worked to help crack nuts for this part of the organization. We worked with the min-

(l to r) Anita Polich, Sue Novia, Jake Colbert, Marilyn Hickey and Mary Ann Judson

istry in so many different ways.”

Judson has been donating to Foundation for His Ministry for over 20 years; she began by sponsoring a child at the orphanage.

Thirteen years ago, she flew down to visit the ministry and has returned each year, bringing more resources, donations and volunteers. As she spoke about

the ministry, her passion and commitment to the cause became evident.

Eager to describe the depth of the ministry’s reach, Judson noted that, “They care for from 70 to 90 children at a time and provide services for people with special needs in the town and visit people who otherwise

ADULT DAY CLUB

Care for your parent or spouse while you’re at work or just when you need a break.

• Engage the mind, strengthen the body • Hot meals and snacks and brighten the spirit • Extended hours and weekends to fit caregivers schedules • Transportation available • Available 7am - 7pm, seven days • Regularly scheduled entertainment, a week - you choose the hours special events and outings

Schedule a Tour & See Why We’re

#1 On Caring.com in MA

5 YEARS IN A ROW

––– The Most Affordable Program in Central MA ––– 101 Randolph Road, Worcester, MA • DodgePark.com • 508-853-8180

would be left alone in the area with no care despite the fact that they have no arms or legs… It is really a labor of love.”

“This was my second trip,” Polich said. “I was so touched when I heard about the efforts that Mary Ann was doing to help impoverished people.”

“One of the mornings I volunteered at the community preschool. The ministries go out and pick up the kids and bring them to the school; kids who would otherwise be alone all day,” she continued. “I was sitting at snack time between two little kids who were about 3 years old; they were very poor and what they had for snack was very meager. They saw that I didn’t have a snack in front of me. They insisted that I must share their snack…It struck me that generosity is so important.

Those who have the least give the most. Those children have such generous spirits. I was teary-eyed.”

While their donations, hard work and buoyant spirits were appreciated, both Judson and Polich explained at length the way that this work filled their own hearts.

“Working with the ministries has given me such a tremendous sense of gratitude. We do this work, and it makes me feel privileged that I’m able to Volunteers page 13

Locals volunteer at ministry in Baja

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

• 13

Left: Serving breakfast to impoverished families in the surrounding community.

Volunteers Continued from page 12

go and help,” said Polich. “It has inspired me to give more to local communities.”

“It is so deep… these feelings,” Judson agreed. “It is hard to verbalize how this community has changed me. Having built so many beautiful relationships over the past 13 years, every time I return to the orphanage, it feels like I am coming home to family. It has broadened me to be exposed to a different culture. Helping others is a priority in my life and like Anita, it fills me with gratitude; I’m grateful to be able to help this, and also for what I have.”’

The pair will be returning in August 2019 and welcomed anyone interested in helping to join them.

To learn more or make a donation, visit FFHM.org or contact Mary Ann Judson at majinmass123@gmail.com.

Above: Mary Ann Judson with her sponsor child, Rene, 6.

Left: Anita Polich volunteering with 2 and 3 year olds in community daycare at the property of the orphanage.

Honoring Our Heroes Veterans receive affordable health care at their local VA

20

Did you know VA has 20 clinics and hospitals in Massachusetts?

At these convenient locations VA offers the most comprehensive health care options that a Veteran could ask for.

$0

Did you know VA has no fees, premiums, or deductibles?

Enroll today and take advantage of the benefits you earned such as prescription benefits, hearing aids, glasses, and much more.

1-844-VA-CARES (822-2737) www.newengland.va.gov/50plus

adventurous energetic

positive 800-508-2265

14 •

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

Aging creatively

with music on the South Shore

By Ed Karvoski Jr. Culture Editor

South Shore – South Shore Conservatory (SSC) states on its website: “Aging creatively through the arts allows us to enjoy and embrace the process.

SSC’s adult learning initiative offers a full range of arts experiences – concerts, group classes, private lessons and performance opportunities – designed to challenge adult minds, stimulate creativity and build vibrant social connections.”

SSC is a nonprofit organization with campuses in Duxbury, Hanover and Hingham. Among its offerings is Golden Voices for adults at least age 55 with varying singing skills. Some students

PHOTO/SUBMITTED

Golden Voices

have musical experience while others are venturing into a new achievement on their bucket list. The class is led by Emily Browder Melville, SSC’s voice department chair.

“Singing and other arts allow for playfulness that we need no matter what age,” she said. “Various responsibilities take over as we age. We can easily relegate creative things we used to do to

something for which we don’t have time. With Golden Voices, we tap into these youthful qualities in ourselves.”

Golden Voices students learn Music page 15

Your Loved Ones Deserve the Best Worcester’s Premier Senior Residential Care Facility

The Oasis at Dodge Park is more affordable than you think and provides a higher level of care than traditional assisted living.

• Safe, secure, state-of-the-art facility • Personalized wellness plans with medication management • 24 hour RN & Medical Director • Scratch-made meals • Assistance with dressing, bathing & grooming

(508) 853-8180 • OasisAtDodgePark.com

• Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care • Beauty salon, spa, library • Residency rates never go up • Fully licensed by the State of Massachusetts • Private rooms available • Daily activities programs

Schedule a no-obligation tour and receive our FREE book

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

• 15

Aging creatively with music on the South Shore Music Continued from page 14

I N V E S T M E N T

PHOTOS/SUBMITTED

a repertoire of songs in three-part harmony including a cappella, jazz swing, gospel and Broadway show tunes. It’s a small ensemble typically consisting of seven to nine singers.

“It’s rewarding when the music becomes bigger than the sum of its parts, when we feel really comfortable with a song and get to be joyous,” Browder Melville noted. “They all love that feeling of connection with other people through harmonizing the music.

We’ve been together about seven years, and the majority of them have been with us since the beginning. There are real friendships and a strong social factor.”

Each semester of Golden Voices concludes with a performance at a local nursing home.

Browder Melville believes these performances are both entertaining and beneficial for the residents.

“It’s particularly poignant for residents with memory impairment,” she relayed. “You see them come into the present moment. Their memory is stimulated when they hear songs that they know. They’re apt to sing along and get a lot of joy out of it. Singing is fun and feels good.

The more you sing, the better you feel.”

Another SSC class helps singers who want to focus on a solo repertoire. The class called American Songbook is taught by Dianne Legro.

“The American Songbook is a lasting collection of songs,

mainly by men and women who wrote for Broadway and Hollywood from the 1920’s to the 1960’s – some earlier songs qualify,” she explained. “Songwriters like Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, and others crafted pieces that stand the test of time. They knew traditional song forms and used careful lyric writing.”

Students are encouraged to choose timeless songs that they’d like to perform. Legro teaches them how to incorporate backstory to uniquely interpret songs for a compelling performance.

“They enjoy coming into class with a song that was difficult for them to sing, and then after two or three classes they’re breezing through it,” she said.

“It’s a revelation to them that this is possible. When they trust me enough to explore something and it works, it’s a benefit to us both. I’m as happy and moved as

C H E C K - U P

Experience: 30-year industry veteran, Chartered Financial Analyst, independent registered investment advisor Clarity: Simplifying and removing the jargon, tailoring the portfolio to your needs Personalized: Face-to-face meetings, regular one-on-one phone updates If we can’t reduce your fees, and show you a clearer investment approach, we won’t accept the account.

Above: Dianne Legro Left: Emily Browder Melville

they are.”

The most valuable lesson that Legro hopes her students learn is that it’s never too late to study and perform music.

“You can sing and share what you know with the world from your depth of experience,” she said. “Sometimes we’re so rich

internally that even if it’s not vocally perfect, it’s a moving artistic gift when you tell your story to an audience.”

For more information about these and other offerings at South Shore Conservatory, visit sscmusic.org and facebook.com/ SSConservatory.

“Country Living in the City” - Subsidized Housing for 62 or older and disabled - 1 bedroom and efficiency - Rent is 30% of adjusted income - All utilities included -

On site laundry - On site staff - Gardening area - Off street parking Pets accepted (with restrictions) - On-site resident service coordinator Douglas Beck, CFA

Tailwind Wealth Management, LLC 4 Brewer Way, Hingham, MA 617-505-1099 | www.tailwind-wealth.com

Tailwind Wealth Management LLC is a registered investment advisor

545 Salisbury Street, Worcester - 508-753-7217 Professionally managed by Barkan Management Company, Inc. TTY: Relay 711

16 •

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

Be the first to know­: online COLA notices

A 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization

A Reverse Mortgage is not for everyone.

But everyone should know the facts about a Reverse Mortgage and how it works.

Helping Hands Community Partners, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) with a mission of educating senior homeowners about housing options. We can explain and, when appropriate, arrange reverse mortgages.

Call or email to receive a FREE copy of the National Council on Aging’s 36-page “Use Your Home to Stay at Home,” consumer booklet.

ge m o r tg a everse r d l e ia v ic o T h e o ff r b o o k le ta p p r e t c o n s u m . D e p a r tm e n .S U e th by s in g of Hou n a b r &U pment lo e v e D

Call to get your FREE copy of “Use Your Home to Stay at Home” (781) 724-6221 Or email to: av@hhcp.org

Massachusetts Mortgage Broker License MB1553939 NMLS #1553939 We arrange but do not make loans.

www.helpinghandscommunitypartners.org 40 Accord Park Drive – Suite 203 – Norwell, MA 02061

By Kristen Alberino Social Security Public Affairs Specialist, Boston

W

e are constantly expanding our online services to give you freedom and control when doing business with us. Our new online cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) notices are another example of our commitment in this area. Soon, you’ll be the first to know your new benefit amount!

Later this year, we will post the Social Security COLA notices online for retirement, survivors, and disability beneficiaries with a my Social Security account. The COLA announcement usually occurs in October, but final benefit amounts won’t be calculated and available until December, when we send COLA notices that contain the benefit amount for the next calendar year.

These COLA notices will now be available to view and save via the Message Center inside my Social Security. The Message Center is a secure, convenient portal where you can receive sensitive communications we don’t send through email or text.

This year, you will still receive your COLA notice by mail.

In the future, you will be able

to choose whether you receive your notice online instead of on paper.

Online notices will not be available to representative payees, individuals with foreign mailing addresses, or those who pay higher Medicare premiums due to their income. We plan to expand the availability of COLA notices to additional online customers in the future.

Remember, our services are always free of charge. No government agency or reputable company will solicit your personal information by email or request advanced fees for services in the form of wire transfers or gift cards. Avoid falling victim to fraudulent internet “phishing” schemes by not revealing personal information, selecting malicious links, or opening malicious attachments.

You can learn more about the ways we protect your investment, personal information, and my Social Security account at https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/security.html.

Be the first to know. Sign up for or log in to your personal my Social Security account today at https://www.ssa.gov/ myaccount and choose email or text under “Message Center Preferences” to receive your COLA notice online!

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

Social Security warns of caller-ID ‘spoofing’ scheme Region - The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is warning citizens about an ongoing caller-ID “spoofing” scheme misusing the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) national customer service phone number. SSA has received numerous reports of questionable phone calls displaying SSA’s 1-800 number on a caller-ID screen.

The reports indicate the calls display 1-800-772-1213, SSA’s national customer service number, as the incoming number on caller ID. People who have accepted the calls said the caller identifies as an SSA employee. In some cases, the caller states that SSA does not have all of the person’s personal information, such as their Social Security number (SSN), on file. Other callers claim SSA needs additional information so the agency can increase the person’s benefit payment, or that SSA will terminate the person’s benefits if they do not confirm their information.

SSA employees do contact citizens by phone for customer-service purposes, and in some situations, an SSA employee may request the citizen confirm personal information over the phone. However, SSA employees will never threaten you for information or promise a Social Security benefit or approval or increase in exchange for information.”

For more information call 1-800-269-0271 or online at https://oig. ssa.gov/report.

Report confirms – there are benefits to having seniors in the workplace Region - The oldest segments of the population are also the fastest growing segments of the American labor force, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS reports that younger members of the workforce have a stable, lower level of participation but the numbers of older workers – those 65 to 75 and older – are expected to increase steadily through 2024.

“It’s a good thing,” said Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC], in a press release.

“The reason: an older workforce is a more engaged workforce. People are not only living longer these days, they’re living healthier, more active lives. That, combined with the greater freedom at home that comes with reduced family obligations, makes older employees more focused on the satisfaction of a job well done.”

Working seniors have a positive effect on the economy, ac-

cording to the AMAC. They have more disposable income and, as a result, have created a growth market for private sector companies catering to their needs.

Weber acknowledges that workplaces have become more dependent on new and developing technologies than ever before. And some employers might think that seniors who remain on the job as they grow older might not be able to adapt. But, he adds, the old saw that suggests you can’t teach an old dog new tricks misses the mark, noting that the former chairman of General Electric, Jack Welch, proved it.

In 1999, Welch created what he called a reverse mentoring program at GE that paired “employees in their 20s and 30s who were knowledgeable about the Internet and interested in new technology with executives—including Welch, himself—who were novices in that realm.”

• 17

Discover Our Caring Tradition Offering: • Live Now, Live Well™ assisted living

• Live Now, Live Engaged™ memory care

• Award-winning Dining Stop by or call 508-755-7277 to tour

A

s s i s t e d

Li

v i n g

•

Me

M o ry

508-886-6565

Call Bonnie Besse for more information

CA

r e

State-of-the-art

affordable retirement village in the center of Rutland.

Maple Avenue “Lighting the way…to a new beginning” This a land lease community so all of your money goes directly into your home, not the land.

Custom Homes

Create and design your own home, each home is Energy Star built especially for you.

Estate Planning Elder Law Long Term Care Planning Masshealth Applications Corporate & Business Planning ❖ Real Estate ❖ Powers of Attorney ❖ Guardian/Conservator Issues

Financing is available

$130,000 to $200,000

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

Josephine L. Veglia, Esq.

Member: National Academy Elder Law Attorneys

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

275 R Main Street | Oxford, MA 01540 | 508-987-3981 | Fax 508-987-1317 www.durbinandveglia.com

18 •

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

caregiving tips

Keeping our parents a little longer at home Providing a safe environment

By Micha Shalev MHA CDP CDCM

I

t is a given that most elderly people want to stay in their home and not in a long term care facility. We as the family/ caregivers need to assess the risks and the wishes of our parents.

It is our responsibility to ensure their safety while they stay at home.

Caregiving Tips

Physical safety • Bathrooms - Check the house for fall risks, stairs, and grab bars in the shower/tub. It is very important to secure the bathrooms since most falls happen after the shower. Secure the toilet with grab bars and elevate the toilet seat. Replace all throw rugs in the bathroom and kitchen with new rugs and nonskid mats in the shower/tub.

• Kitchen - If our parents suffer from any memory impairment, we need to secure the kitchen. Remove the aluminum

We as the family/caregivers need to assess the risks and the wishes of our parents. It is our responsibility to ensure their safety while they stay at home. foil from the kitchen; they will warm their meal in the microwave with the aluminum foil on, which will cause a fire. Secure all sharp objects. Having a stove timer is great, and if possible, remove oven knobs.

• Medical alarm system and communication - There are a lot of systems where the elderly can call for help for any reason.

Buy a phone with large digits, that is simple to use, and write the most important telephone numbers next to it on a board, as paper notes have a tendency to disappear. An amplified speaker phone will improve a phone conversation.

• Improve lighting, including night lights with motion detectors.

• Check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms on a regular basis.

• Check all electrical cords which can be a tripping hazard.

SENIORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF AGING AND COGNITION Are you healthy, mentally active, over the age of 65?

The Aging and Cognition Lab is looking for subjects The experiment explores effects of aging on cognition.

Noninvasive and no medication involved.

• 2 hour time commitment • Provides $15/hour Call (617) 495-3856 Department of Psychology HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Care Network • It is essential that you form a group of people that will visit and monitor your parent. It can include family members, friends and neighbors. You need to monitor your parent’s physical condition, food intake, liquid intake and medical appointments. Keep a scale in their home, as a lot of information can be learned from their weight changes. When you call them, listen to the tone, words and content. Elderly people who suffer from memory impairment will repeat themselves (even if it sounds correct and in place). Look for the small changes, not just the big ones.

Medication • You need to set up a simple way to remind your parents to take their medication (the right medication and on time) and verify they do take their medications (don’t hesitate to count the pills). Weekly/daily pill boxes are available at any drugstore or department store. Always keep an updated list of their medication on you. Check their house and remove any old, expired medication. You may be surprised to learn you can find 10 year old

medication in their cabinets if you don’t monitor their meds.

Mail • Filter their mail and remove all credit card applications and donation requests. Elderly people are very vulnerable and there are a lot of people who will take advantage of them.

Insurance • It is very important that you consult with your insurance agent regarding how best to protect your parent at home.

Housekeepers/caregivers should be insured and bonded; if the caregiver is driving your parents in their car make sure that the caregiver is put on their car insurance and you have a copy of their driving record.

Stimulation • While they are home, try to get them engaged in some outings and activities, such as day cares or senior centers etc.

While they are still in their home, take the time and prepare yourself for the next big bridge they will have to cross: moving from their home to a more secure environment (such as a rest home or nursing home). Look at what is available in your community.

Visit these facilities and ask a lot of questions. Participate in support groups, as you can learn a lot from other people experiences. Be prepared, so that you may make the best choice for your loved one when the time comes.

Micha Shalev MHA CDP CDCM CADDCT is the co-owner of The Oasis at Dodge Park, Dodge Park Residential Care and The Adult Day Club at Dodge Park located at 101 and 102 Randolph Road in Worcester. He has a master’s degree in health care management and is a graduate of the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners program, as well as a well-known speaker covering Alzheimer’s and dementia training topics. He can be reached at 508-853-8180 or by e-mail at m.shalev@dodgepark.com. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

money matters

• 19

Reverse mortgages: Frozen in place

By Alain Valles, CRMP, CSA, MS, MBA Nonprofit Charitable Managing Director

A

s Managing Director of the self-funded nonprofit charitable mortgage company, Helping Hands CommunityPartners, our mission is to educate people about the pros & cons of reverse mortgages and, when appropriate, we may arrange one.

Joe McParland, one of our most experienced licensed senior

Reverse Mortgage

revere mortgage specialists, has witnessed a recurring challenge for older homeowners – becoming frozen in place. Deciding to remain in one’s home or move is both a significant financial and emotional decision. Fortunately, Joe has helped hundreds of people to overcome the decision by indecision syndrome.

Seven steps to avoid being frozen in place 1. Acknowledge current housing situation This is a combination of your financial situation (both current and future projections) and your emotional desires. Conflict occurs when the two are not in alignment. For example, the desire to remain financially independent in one’s home but not having enough cash flow to do so

creates stress.

2. Real conversation on future housing goals Have you weighed the pros & cons of aging in place or moving? And if you were to move, where? Downsize? Rent? Move in with family? Another challenge is when a couple’s housing goals are not the same.

3. Gathering all the information to make an informative decision The key to making any decision is to have the facts. If a reverse mortgage is a potential option, then reading about the program and talking with a trusted advisor is a good start.

We’re happy to be that source.

4. Adult conversation with family & closest advisors There are several topics that many families find uncomfortable to discuss. Examples include finances, health challenges,

and wills. Homeownership and housing needs also can be difficult to discuss with adult children or even a spouse. We often help facilitate this type of discussion.

5. Prioritizing your options We all desire to make the perfect decision but that can lead to not being able to make any decision, paralysis by analysis.

Once we have analyzed our goals and resources then we must prioritize the available options to determine what the optimal choice is.

6. Make a decision Once you’ve set your goals, gathered the facts, and prioritized your options, you should be comfortable to make a decision.

If not, then you should repeat all the above steps, keep asking questions, and talk with more trusted people.

SUPER CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Reverse mortgage page 20

“ODD MUSICAL COUPLE” (answers on page 20)

20 •

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

In Loco Parentis

By Marianne Delorey, Ph.D.

I

’ve been working in elder care for 30 plus years. I write every month about how to prepare for the inevitable. I knew this day would come, and still, I was grossly unprepared.

My mother had a major stroke and I needed to step in.

I am fortunate. I have two brothers who were able to fly home quickly and be with us at the hospital.

I also have a loving partner who met me there and stayed with me until I sent him home. I also have close friends and other family members who were ready to drop everything and do whatever needed to be done (seriously, anything! I even had one friend go pick up the cremains of our pet rabbit). I have to say, giving orders made me feel more in control of the situation; God love my friends and family for putting up with me.

I am also fortunate because

Housing Options

my mother had done her diligence. She had signed a health care proxy, will, and power of attorney. She had even purchased long term care insurance! I had copies of the most important docs already handy.

I had also done some thinking ahead. I had just started going to the doctor with her and asking for copies of her diagnoses and med list. I stored this info plus her health care proxy in the cloud where I could access it from my cell phone. And access it I did! About 5 people needed copies of both when we were at the hospital.

But that is where preparation stopped and reality hit. My mom’s medical crisis is over. But I learned a few things from this experience that are worth passing on. Here is what I will now advise anyone who is aging or with an aging parent: Put together a list of bank accounts and investments. Put at least one family member on as many accounts as you can. Doing so means that should your family need your money to pay your bills, they do not have to go to court first.

Write down the names, phone numbers and account

Reverse mortgages: Frozen in place Reverse mortgage Continued from page 19

7. Implement a plan As your local nonprofit, we strive to educate people about homeownership options. If your decision is to pursue a reverse mortgage, we would enjoy the opportunity to explain in detail the benefits and costs of obtaining a reverse mortgage.

Take action today Please give me a call or

email with your questions and to receive your free copy of “Use Your Home to Stay at Home and “25 Ways to Use a Reverse Mortgage.” We are available to explain Reverse Mortgage details by phone or happy to visit with you at your home. At no time will you ever feel any pressure to move forward. For us, it’s all about helping people achieve their homeownership goals and living a good life.

Alain Valles is Managing Director of Helping Hands Community Partners, Inc. and was the first designated Certified Reverse Mortgage Professional in New England.

He obtained a Master of Science from the M.I.T. Center for Real Estate, an MBA from the Wharton School, and graduated summa cum laude from UMass Amherst. Alain can be reached directly at 781-724-6221 or by email at av@hhcp.org. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www.fiftyplusadvocate.com.

numbers of all the regular bills you pay (the oil company, the person who cuts the grass, credit cards, etc.) Make notes about what is paid online (automatic withdrawals like Medicare insurance or through a bill paying system) and what is still done on paper. If still done on paper, show someone how you file your old bills.

Show someone your calendar, where you keep important documents including your checkbook and the password list (yeah, I know we are not supposed to write them down, but we all do).

Keep a yearly list of items that need to be done for the house so someone can step right in (when does the oil company service the furnace, when do you change smoke detector batteries, are you having someone come out to fix the roof, etc.) so that plans can be cancelled in your absence or followed up on as appropriate.

Walk someone through your monthly paper processing (paying bills, filing). A while back, my mom and I had both sat through a presentation about the 43 folders filing system, which she adopted. As a result, I understood how her system was organized.

If I did not, I would not have been able to step in and do simple things like cancel the power washing of the house or send the birthday cards she had already set aside for the next month.

Having my mom go through such an ordeal was so hard. Because she was so organized, I could spend more precious time at her bedside and less trying to keep up with bills and chores around the house. I’m grateful to have had that extra time with my mom and truly hope families will take these extra steps because it is inevitable we will need someone to pick up where we leave off Marianne Delorey, Ph.D. is the executive director of Colony Retirement Homes.

She can be reached at 508-755-0444 or mdelorey@colonyretirement.com and www.colonyretirementhomes. com. Archives of articles from previous issues can be read at www. fiftyplusadvocate.com.

McGourty earns Certified Family Business designation We s t b o r ough - John J. McGourty Jr., a financial planner with Commonwealth Financial Group, John J. in Boston, McGourty Jr. a general agency of Massachusetts Mutual Life Company (MassMutual), has earned the Certified Family Business Specialist (CFBS) designation. The CFBS designation is solely for MassMutual financial professionals who have completed a rigorous educational program at the American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn.

The CFBS designation places McGourty in a select class of financial professionals tailored to the needs of family-owned and closely-held businesses such as: • Financial issues regarding succession, retirement and estate planning • Tax and financial considerations in transitioning a business • Benefit plans to help attract and retain qualified talent in closelyhelp businesses In addition to the CFBS designation, McGourty also holds LUTCF and CLTC designations.

He holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the College of the Holy Cross.

For more information call 508-963-2226 or email jmcgourty@financialguide.com.

Answers to Super Crossword (puzzle on page 19)

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

A humble manger. Ours.

our crèche. If the substitute wise man doesn’t quite belong, kitty appears to be from an alternate universe. She’s pure white ceramic with black eyes, and she is 100 percent non-Biblical. But she’s just the right size to be friends with those people in our crèche.

Over the years, I’ve seen many beautiful crèches, and, these days, large inflatable nativity scenes for outdoor display.

(I can’t quite come to terms with the concept of a balloon Baby Jesus.)

I’ve considered buying some lovely nativity set, much classier and more tasteful than my own. But each time, I realize that, if I displayed a sophisticated, artistic crèche, I would want to display our homey old one, too. It belongs here, as no other ever will.

By Janice Lindsay

T

his is the kind of crèche you buy for the first Christmas of your married life, when you don’t have much money but can’t imagine Christmas without a nativity scene.

It includes one mother, one father, one baby, one angel, three wise men, one cow, one donkey, and two lambs. No camels, no shepherds, no heavenly host.

This is the kind of crèche you could buy for $3 at a discount store fifty years ago; $3 wasn’t much even then.

The tallest figures measure less than four inches high. All are made of thick cardboard covered with a paint-like surface in various shades of beige, with touches of pale pink for human lips, animal nostrils, and a blush on Mary’s cheeks. The people’s faces are sweetly, quietly bland.

The back wall of their rough wooden stable holds a pastedon gold paper star and a hole for a naked night-light bulb; an unattached electrical cord for the bulb is included. Stable walls are sticks.

This is the kind of crèche that, when you buy it, you say, “I’ll buy a nicer one when we can afford it. Carved wood. Or ceramic. Elegant. Classy. Artistic.”

But this is the kind of crèche you can’t bear to part with, no matter how many new ones you could afford. Because this humble crèche – our crèche – holds precious memories.

That out-of-place wise man, for example. When our son was 18 months old, he perfected a snatch-and-throw technique.

His hand was quicker than my eye. He’d grab something and toss it, all in one motion. In that way, one of our wise men bit the dust – or, rather, shattered into

• 21

Inklings

This humble crèche – our crèche – holds precious memories.

dust, which is how I know about the figures’ insides. The replacement wise man doesn’t quite fit.

He’s too tall, he’s the only figure on a pedestal, and he’s too colorful, with blue swaths on his cape.

Then there’s the angel, Gloria. I know her name because she carries a banner that says, “Gloria.” Through a hole in her back, she hangs from a nail protruding from the front peak of the roof. She does her solitary best to represent a heavenly host. She hovers, gracefully, keeping watch. When I needed to name a character in my children’s novel – an opinionated aunt who seems to boss her niece even from the gave – I called her Aunt Gloria, for the angel who sees all.

Then there’s the kitten.

A cat is not standard issue for nativities. But years ago, my mother wrote a poem about a cat in the manger. Surely a cat was present on that holy night.

Cats seek warm cozy spots, especially where they find friendly people. I added a tiny kitten to

Contact jlindsay@tidewater.net

At HealthSouth,

REHABILITATION IS ALL WE DO. When you choose HealthSouth Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital for your recovery after an illness, injury or surgery, you’re choosing a higher level of care. That’s because rehabilitation is all we do, supported with the latest technologies, certified rehabilitation specialists and comprehensive programs to help patients reach maximum independence.

Our patients receive one-on-one personalized care for a variety of conditions, including: • Amputee • Brain injury • Hip fracture • Multiple sclerosis • Parkinson’s disease • Spinal cord injury • Stroke

Call for more information, and get the higher level of care you need.

The Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care Certification in Stroke Rehabilitation and Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation

A Higher Level of Care®

250 Pond Street Braintree, MA 02184 781 348-2138 • Fax 781 356-2748 healthsouthbraintree.com

©2018:Encompass Health Corporation:452383

22 •

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

travel and entertainment

Exploring the world in Queens

By Victor Block Travel Writer

N

ot hungry enough for a sit-down breakfast, I munched on Tibetan dumplings purchased from a snack truck decorated with a sign that touted “Himalayan Fresh Food.” Lunch was a hurried affair at a five-table eatery where the menu special is yak meat washed down by salty yak milk tea.

For dinner, I chose a small restaurant which gives new meaning to the word “eclectic.” The Ecuadorean-born chef transforms basic South American fare with hints of Spanish, Chinese and other cuisines from around the world.

This once-in-a-lifetime din-

Preserving Memories

with Dignity

Cremation and affordable funeral options

When it comes to your final arrangements...

Shouldn’t you make the decisions? The arrangements you make will reflect your exact wishes and desires.

Arrangements can be made in the comfort of your own home.

The Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home provides affordable cremation and traditional funeral services. We are the largest cremation provider in Worcester County.

Shaw-Majercik Funeral Home ESTABLISHED 1910

Complete

1475

$

Direct Cremation

RichaRd d. MajeRcik Director

Over 100 Years of Continuous Service Serving All Faiths

PHOTO/SUBMITTED

A bustling street in Queens

48 School Street, Webster, MA 01570 508-943-6278 • www.shaw-majercik.com

1(800)279-7429

Veteran Owned & Operated

ing experience took place in New York City’s borough of Queens which Lonely Planet guidebooks recently touted as the “Number one U.S. travel destination.”

It praised the often-overlooked borough for its “global food culture,” exciting museum and art scene, and seaside attractions.

For many visitors, the greatest appeal is that Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the United States. More than half of its residents were born outside the U.S., immigrated from over 120 counties and speak some 135 languages.

A good introduction to this cultural conglomeration comes during walks through its neighborhoods, which are adjacent in geography yet worlds apart in ambiance and atmosphere.

A section of Jackson Heights would be at home in Central and South America. The feeling and food are very different in Flushing, the site of a Chinese community larger than Manhattan’s Chinatown. Astoria provides an introduction to Greek culture, with magnificent Greek Orthodox churches and tavernas that serve up tra-

ditional meze appetizers.

Astoria also is dotted by mini-neighborhoods occupied by immigrants from India, Korea, Romania and other far-flung countries. Given the name it’s no surprise that the Jamaica area has strong roots in the Caribbean. Then there are sections known as Little Egypt, Little India, Little Guyana, Little Colombia and Little Manila.

Along with its melting pot appeal, Queens boasts a variety of things to see and do. For example, fans of baseball and tennis have a rare opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at landmarks of those games. Tours of the New York Mets’ stadium include the dugout, playing field and Mets Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, provides an even more interactive experience. In addition to tours of its facilities, people may reserve time to play on the 12 indoor and 23 outdoor courts.

After several spirited games of tennis, what could be more Travel page 23

www.fiftyplusadvocate.com + December 2018 + fiftyplus advocate

Exploring the world in Queens

• 23

Travel Continued from page 22

ic serv

Above: Rockaway Beach Left: Queens Museum panorama

900,000 tiny structures built in intricate detail to exact scale. In this mini-metropolis, the Statue of Liberty is less than two inches high while the Empire State Building is a towering 15 inches.

If you’re still not convinced that Queens warrants a visit, or at least a day trip from Manhattan, add in a bustling Resorts World Casino, a pre-Revolutionary house and working farm,

one of the major bird-watching sanctuaries in the Northeast and a 24-square-block arts district.

For more information about all that Queens has to offer visitors, log onto itsinqueens.com.

Subsidized senior housing with a meal program option that makes us different!

Colony Retirement Home III is congregate housing for seniors. Enjoy nutritious “Home Cooked Meals,” served in our attractive dining room with your neighbors and friends.

At Colony we let you choose!

of

of

e!

inviting than a dip in the Atlantic Ocean? One of Queens’ biggest surprises is that several miles of inviting beaches line its border.

Rockaway Beach has a sevenmile boardwalk that includes eateries, entertainment venues and more. Jacob Riis Beach offers shorter stretches of landscaped walkways.

Those who prefer indoor pursuits have a welcome choice of more than 30 museums. The Queens Museum is the logical place to begin. The building was erected to house the New York City Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair, and its permanent collection includes memorabilia from both that and the 1964 exposition.

The most dramatic exhibit is the Panorama of New York City, a 9,335-square-foot model which encompasses some

se rvice!

Colony Retirement Homes I are garden style studio apartments, located in a country-like setting. A short walk takes you to shopping centers, banks, restaurants and the bus line. A little bit of the country adjacent to the city.

All apartments at Colony Retirement Homes receive rental assistance through the HUD section 8 program.

Rent is 30% of your adjusted monthly income. Rent includes all utilities except phone and cable TV. Colony Re tiRe m e nt Hom e s iii : Congregate Housing 101 Chadwick Street, Worcester (508) 755-0444

Call Monday thru Friday, 9am to 5 pm for more information.

Colony RetiRement Homes

Worcester, MA

Not For Profit Corporation

Colony Re tiRe m e nt Hom e s inC. i 485 Grove Street, Worcester (508) 852-5285

www.colonyretirementhomes.com

24 •

fiftyplus advocate + December 2018 + www.fiftyplusadvocate.com

Breathe easy again Pulmonary services at Athol Hospital bring patients with lung conditions back to enjoying life When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters. If you or someone you love has a respiratory condition or illness, you know how frightening it is when you can’t get breathe.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Athol Hospital is a one-stop option, right in your back yard. One of the most comprehensive skilled programs in Central and Western Massachusetts, Athol Hospital’s program is led by a team of qualified respiratory therapists, on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the program is staffed by Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certified registered nurses and is overseen by pulmonary physicians. We employ a multi-disciplinary approach that includes physical and occupational therapies, nutrition counseling, social services and nurse case management.

MAKING CHANGES THAT WORK A treatment plan helps you reach your goals to live a better quality of life. The changes you make with the help of the pulmonary rehab team bring you to those goals. Do you want to: • Breathe better • Dance or exercise • Have energy to enjoy your children and grandchildren • Rely less on others • Do everyday activities like climbing stairs with less shortness of breath • Return to hobbies and activities • Travel • Make fewer visits to the hospital or emergency room

Our care team’s number one goal is to improve condition self-management and help patients enjoy an active and independent lifestyle.

For more information visit www.atholhospital.org or call (978) 249-1244

HWD085_SkilledNurseAd_50plusAdv.indd 1

10/15/18 11:49 AM