My Communicator | Fall 2020 by SourcePoint

Vol. 28, No. 4 | Fall 2020

Responsibly Restarting Fitness Classes PAGE 16

CAREGIVING

Prepare to Care A Planning Guide for Families Saving for college. Paying a mortgage. Investing in a retirement account. Most Americans understand why it’s important to plan for the future. But when it comes to caring for an aging loved one, most families don’t have a plan until there is a problem. Lack of planning doesn’t mean there is a lack of commitment. On the contrary, often families avoid discussions about the future simply because they don’t want to think about changes in the lives of the people they love the most. Like writing a will or buying a life insurance policy, contemplating the “what if’s,” especially a serious illness or a loss of independence, can be downright depressing. So why not just throw this article on the “to do”pile for another day? See PREPARE on page 8.

POLITICS

How Mail-in Voting Works Mail-in or absentee voting has in the past only accounted for a small percentage of all votes cast nationwide. But as a global pandemic stops normal life for most Americans, an unprecedented number of states are encouraging voting by mail, including Ohio and Kentucky. See VOTING on page 12.

Find us at MySourcePoint.org and follow us on

FALL CONTENT 01 Prepare to Care Caregiving

SourcePoint Headquarters 800 Cheshire Road, Delaware South Office 1070 Polaris Parkway, #200, Columbus 740-363-6677 | MySourcePoint.org EIN 31-1354284

01 How Mail-in Voting Works

Politics

04 Chronic Disease in Uncertain Times

Health & Wellness

05 Chronic Illness & Mental Health

Health & Wellness

07 Flu Vaccine More Important than Ever

Health & Wellness

11 Logic Riddles | Sudoku

Fun & Games

14 The Wrights Get it Right Volunteering

16 From the Source

A Special Report on the COVID-19 Pandemic

18 A COVID-19 Decision Aid Coronavirus

20 Emergency Preparedness Safety

SourcePoint is the primary resource and starting point for professional expertise, services, and programs for Delaware County adults who want to thrive after 55. SourcePoint is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Services and programs are supported in part by the local senior services levy, corporate and private donations, sponsorships, grants, the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, and United Way of Delaware County. 2020 Board of Directors President: Frank Pinciotti, Lewis Center Vice President: Richard Roell, ChFC, FFSI, RIA, MBA, Galena Secretary: Gretchen Roberts, MSN, NEA-BC, Powell Treasurer: Karen Crosman, Powell Becky Cornett, PhD, Delaware Carlos Crawford, MS, JD, Delaware Anne Farley, LSW, MS, Powell Jack Fette, Lewis Center Alice Frazier, MD, Delaware Wren Kruse, JD, New Albany Roger Lossing, CPA, JD, CFP, Lewis Center James Mendenhall, Powell Trudy Poole, Lewis Center Carolyn Slone, Delaware Jane Taylor, Dublin Roger Van Sickle, Delaware Dennis Wall, Delaware

22 PTSD in Military Veterans

The board typically meets the last Wednesday of each month at noon. Members of the public who wish to attend may call the executive director at 740-363-6677.

26 What to Expect in a Post-Vaccine World

My Communicator is published quarterly and is made possible through advertisers, donors, and volunteers.

28 How Does Your Garden Grow? The Importance of Social Connection

Nearly 50,000 copies of each edition are printed and distributed throughout Delaware County. My Communicator is available at SourcePoint and more than 60 locations, such as libraries, senior living communities, health care facilities, and nonprofit organizations. To find a nearby pick-up site, contact SourcePoint at 740-363-6677. Read My Communicator online at MySourcePoint.org/publications.

Mental Health

Coronavirus

Arts

30 Are Air Fryers Healthier than Oil Frying?

Nutrition

31 Low-Carb Salmon Cakes Air-Fried Chicken Wings Recipes

To advertise or submit content for consideration, contact Alison Yeager, director of communications and development, at alison@MySourcePoint.org. The appearance of advertising does not represent an endorsement by SourcePoint. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising.

Fall 2020

Introducing Medicare Toolkits Just in time for open enrollment, SourcePoint is proud to present two FREE educational toolkits designed to provide unbiased insurance education and empower you to make sound decisions about Medicare.

When to Enroll in Medicare Decision Tree | September 2020

UNDE R 65 AND DISAB

START HERE: Are you... LED

TURN ING 65

Are you on Medic are? YES

Will you continue

How to Save Mon ey on Medicare Have Part A, need Part B due to spouse retiremen t, job or insurance loss?

YES

Have you been on SSA disability for 24+ months?

YES

Enroll in Part B at SSA.gov or over the phone●

Will you maintain employer coverage?

You will automatically be enrolled in Parts A & B

working?

YES

Educational Toolkit

Enroll in Parts A & B at SSA.gov or over the phone

No need to enroll as long as your or your spouse’s coverage is active

Not eligible

September 2020

65+ Are you still workin

YES

How many employees does your employer have?

<20

Enroll in Parts A & B at SSA.gov or over the phone

>20

Enroll in Parts A & B at SSA.gov or over the phone

We hope you find

Lost job/asked to retire early/ losing coverage or spouse coverage?

YES

helpful, and if you

Terminate Medicare

coverage

Are you enrolled in Medicare?

YES

Part A Part B

No need to enroll as long as your plan is considered group health coverage, confirm with HR

this decision tree

Previously retired and on Medicare, but going back to work?

Enroll in Part B at SSA.gov or over the phone

No change needed

● = CMS-L564 Request For Employment Info ◊ = CMS-1763 Request

For Termination See next page for important rules to remember.

have any additiona l questions, your SourcePo Visit us online at MySour int insurance

cePoint.org/insurance

Free download at

or call 740-363-6677.

specialists are always

here to help!

MySourcePoint.org/insurance

Caring for Your Loved One—and Yourself

Free Online Video Conference Tuesdays, Oct. 13‒Nov. 17 6‒7:30 p.m. Register at MySourcePoint.org/caregiver or call 740-363-6677 by Oct. 12. To participate, either the caregiver or the care recipient must reside in Delaware County.

Oct. 26-30, 2020 Series of Free Online Events

For more details, go to

MySourcePoint.org/health MySourcePoint.org

Fall 2020

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Chronic Disease in Uncertain Times Coping with emergencies is challenging in the best of situations. During the coronavirus pandemic, many of us are just trying to get by each day. For people with chronic—or long-term—health conditions like diabetes or kidney disease, the challenges can be even greater. But with planning, you can prepare what you’ll need to make things more manageable. “Thankfully, people with chronic medical conditions have tools to help maintain their health, even during difficult times,” says Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers, director of NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Managing these conditions well can help lower your risk for complications and other diseases. Keeping on top of health problems can take extra effort during uncertain times. First, be sure to follow the CDC’s latest public health guidance at cdc.gov. That awareness is especially important in a pandemic. As we’ve seen with COVID-19, information about new diseases can quickly change. Rodgers also says it’s important to keep in touch with your health care providers. They can help you to adapt and maintain your normal disease management plans. Be sure to eat well and safely participate in physical activity as much as possible during these difficult times. That can help you prevent or delay health problems.

Some people with chronic conditions need to follow a special nutrition plan. For example, people with diabetes should follow a healthy eating plan prescribed for blood sugar control. Talk with your health care provider about your physical activity and eating routines. Eating healthy and staying active can also help lower stress. Coping with uncertainty is stressful for anyone. People with health conditions may feel more stress when their normal routine and health care are disrupted. There are many ways to lower stress and relax. Ideas include deep breathing, taking a walk, meditating, listening to music, or doing a hobby. Getting enough sleep—7 to 8 hours each night—can have tremendous health benefits, including helping to reduce stress and control weight. Your health care provider can help you find ways to lower your stress and screen for anxiety and depression. Depression is common among people with a chronic illness. And it can get in the way of managing the condition. [See "Chronic Illness & Mental Health on page 5.] “Ask for help if you feel down or need help managing stress,” Rodgers says. “It’s always important to learn ways to lower stress and improve health.” Continued on next page.

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Fall 2020 Preparing for the unexpected will help you manage a chronic health condition during a crisis. Consider packing a specialized “go-kit” for emergencies. See the Wise Choices box below for what to include. Maintaining your health doesn’t erase the risk for getting other diseases. But each healthy day is a day closer to better treatments for diseases. NIH is making a coordinated effort to help advance research on preventing, diagnosing, and treating COVID-19. Contact your health care provider with any questions or concerns about how to prepare for natural disasters and emergencies. [See "Emergency Preparedness" on page 20.] Source: NIH News in Health. To read more articles like this, go to newsinhealth.nih.gov.

WISE CHOICES

Preparing For Disasters With a Chronic Disease Create a “go-kit” for emergencies: • At least one week’s worth of medical supplies and equipment. • Contact information for health care providers and emergency contacts. • A medication list with doses and dosing schedules. • A list of your allergies. • Information about any medical devices you use. • At least a three-day supply of any foods needed to manage your condition.

Chronic Illness & Mental Health Depression is a real illness. Treatment can help you live to the fullest extent possible, even when you have another illness. It is common to feel sad or discouraged after a heart attack, a cancer diagnosis, or if you are trying to manage a chronic condition like pain. You may be facing new limits on what you can do and feel anxious about treatment outcomes and the future. It may be hard to adapt to a new reality and cope with the changes and ongoing treatment that come with the diagnosis. Your favorite activities like hiking or gardening may be harder to do. Temporary feelings of sadness are expected, but if these and other symptoms last longer than a couple of weeks, you may have depression. Depression affects your ability to carry on with daily life and to enjoy work, leisure, friends, and family. The health effects of depression go beyond mood—depression is a serious medical illness with many symptoms, including physical ones. Some symptoms of depression are: • Feeling sad, irritable, or anxious. • Feeling empty, hopeless, guilty, or worthless. • Loss of pleasure in usually-enjoyed hobbies or activities, including sex. • Fatigue and decreased energy, feeling listless. • Trouble concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions. • Not being able to sleep, or sleeping too much. Waking too early.

• Copies of your insurance card and photo ID.

• Eating too much or not wanting to eat at all, possibly with unplanned weight gain or loss.

• Copies of recent lab work you might need.

• Thoughts of death, suicide, or suicide attempts. • Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment.

People with other chronic medical conditions have a higher risk of depression. The same factors that increase risk of depression in otherwise healthy people also raise the risk in people with other medical illnesses. These risk factors include a personal or family history of depression or loss of family members to suicide. See MENTAL HEALTH on page 6.

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Fall 2020

Mental Health From page 5

However, there are some risk factors directly related to having another illness. For example, conditions like Parkinson’s disease and stroke cause changes in the brain. In some cases, these changes may have a direct role in depression. Illness-related anxiety and stress can also trigger symptoms of depression. Depression is common among people who have chronic illnesses, such as: • • • • • • • • • • •

Cancer. Coronary heart disease. Diabetes. Epilepsy. Multiple sclerosis. Stroke. Alzheimer’s disease. HIV/AIDS. Parkinson’s disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatoid arthritis.

Sometimes, symptoms of depression may follow a recent medical diagnosis but lift as you adjust or as the other condition is treated. In other cases, certain medications used to treat the illness may trigger depression. Depression may persist, even as physical health improves. Research suggests that people who have depression and another medical illness tend to have more severe symptoms of both illnesses. They may have more difficulty adapting to their co-occurring illness and more medical costs than those who do not also have depression. It is not yet clear whether treatment of depression when another illness is present can improve physical health. However, it is still important to seek treatment. It can make a difference in day-to-day life if you are coping with a chronic or long-term illness.

People with depression are at higher risk for other medical conditions. It may have come as no surprise that people with a medical illness or condition are more likely to suffer from depression. The reverse is also true: the risk of developing some physical illnesses is higher in people with depression.

People with depression have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease, for example. Research also suggests that people with depression are at higher risk for osteoporosis relative to others. The reasons are not yet clear. One factor with some of these illnesses is that many people with depression may have less access to good medical care. They may have a harder time caring for their health, for example, seeking care, taking prescribed medication, eating well, and exercising. Ongoing research is also exploring whether physiological changes seen in depression may play a role in increasing the risk of physical illness. In people with depression, scientists have found changes in the way several different systems in the body function, all of which can have an impact on physical health: • Signs of increased inflammation. • Changes in the control of heart rate and blood circulation. • Abnormalities in stress hormones. • Metabolic changes typical of those seen in people at risk for diabetes.

Depression is treatable even when other illness is present. Do not dismiss depression as a normal part of having a chronic illness. Effective treatment for depression is available and can help even if you have another medical illness or condition. If you or a loved one think you have depression, it is important to tell your health care provider and explore treatment options. You should also inform the health care provider about all treatments or medications you are already receiving, including treatment for depression, such as prescribed medications and dietary supplements. Sharing information can help avoid problems with multiple medications interfering with each other. It also helps the provider stay informed about your overall health and treatment issues. Source: The National Institute of Mental Health Information Resource Center.

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Fall 2020

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Flu Vaccine More Important than Ever Getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever to protect yourself, your family, and your community from flu. A flu vaccine this season can also help reduce the burden on our health care systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and save medical resources for care of COVID-19 patients.

we learn more about the number of people who are infected who have mild illnesses. Will a flu vaccine protect me against COVID-19? Getting a flu vaccine will not protect against COVID-19, however flu vaccination has many other benefits. Flu vaccines have been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death. Getting a flu vaccine this fall will be more important than ever, not only to reduce your risk from flu but also to help conserve potentially scarce health care resources.

part of protecting your health and your family’s health this season. To protect your health when getting a flu vaccine, follow CDC’s recommendations for running essential errands and doctor visits. Continue to take everyday preventive actions. If I am at high risk for serious illness from COVID-19 or flu, where is the safest place for me to get a flu vaccine? You can safely get a flu vaccine at multiple locations including your doctor’s office, health departments, and pharmacies. Ask if they are following CDC’s vaccination pandemic guidance. Any vaccination location following CDC’s guidance should be a safe place for you to get a flu vaccine.

What is the difference between Influenza and COVID-19? Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a new coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, and flu is caused by infection with If COVID-19 is spreading in my influenza viruses. Because some of community, should I still go out to get the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 a flu vaccine? are similar, it may be hard to tell the Yes. Getting a flu vaccine is an essential You can use VaccineFinder.org to find difference between them where flu vaccines are based on symptoms alone, available near you. When Dave Lewis, Corrective Exercise Specialist/Brain Health Trainer and testing may be needed going to get a flu vaccine, Call: 740-971-1966 to help confirm a diagnosis. be sure to practice everyday Flu and COVID-19 share preventive actions. many characteristics, but there are key differences Vaccination of people at high between the two. risk for flu complications is especially important to While more is learned every decrease their risk of severe day, there is still a lot that is flu illness. Many people unknown about COVID-19 at higher risk from flu also and the virus that causes it. seem to be at higher risk from COVID-19. If you are Is COVID-19 more dangerous than flu? at high risk, it is especially • In-Person Studio important for you to get a flu Flu and COVID-19 can both vaccine this year. result in serious illness, even • 1-on-1 Virtual resulting in hospitalization • In-Home Training Source: Centers for or death. While there is Last year, my neurologist diagnosed me as having Mild Cognitive Disease Control and Impairment (MCI) due to memory loss. I also had repercussions from spine still much to learn about Prevention, National Center surgery, slumped posture, and muscular weakness. After working with Dave COVID-19, at this time, it for only a year, my annual tests showed no additional imental impairment and for Immunization and does seem as if COVID-19 is my strength, posture, and balance signifantly improved. ~ Lew Fikes, age 76 Respiratory Diseases. more deadly than seasonal influenza; however, it is too early to draw any Dave & Lindsay Lewis, Certified Personal Trainers FIT FAM PERSONAL TRAINING, LLC conclusions from the current Dave@FitFamPT.com • www.FitFamPT.com • facebook.com/FitFamPT data. This may change as

Cognitive Training

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Prepare From page 1

Because failing to plan for future responsibilities can make a bad situation worse. And the loved ones you tried to protect by tiptoeing around “uncomfortable” issues will be the ones who end up suffering the most. While you might not be thinking about it now, putting together a caregiving plan with your loved ones and other family members helps eliminate problems at home and work. In addition to minimizing the last minute scrambling and family tensions that commonly arise when a once-independent loved one needs more consistent care, a caregiving plan can also help reduce a family’s financial strain.

Fall 2020 parent, other relative, or close friend or neighbor. Each of the following five steps includes information on how to get started, questions to ask, and the basic resources needed. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t answer every question or fill in every blank. And remember, you don’t have to do it all at once. The important thing is to start— and continue—the conversation in a way that works for you and your family STEP 1: Prepare to Talk Let’s face it. No adult child wants to talk about the “what if’s” with their fiercely independent parents. And no parent wants to admit to themselves or their children that they might need help someday. So before you figure out who will care for your loved one, it’s important to ask yourself some questions:

The truth is that family caregiving responsibilities take a toll on family finances. A study by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, for example, found that caregiver respondents reported an average loss of $566,443 in wage wealth— all because of the unanticipated consequences of their caregiving responsibilities.

• Who is the best person to start the conversation with your loved one(s)?

It’s not just the caregivers who are affected. Without a caregiving plan, those family members most affected by the crisis—the care recipients themselves—end up with the least say in their wishes and priorities for the future. It’s hard to imagine not having control over your own future, but too often that is what happens when families don’t ask the important questions ahead of time.

• What is the most difficult thing for you about having this conversation with a person you care about?

Think a caregiving crisis won’t happen to your family? Today, 30 million households are providing care for an adult over the age of 50—and that number is expected to double over the next 25 years. For many Americans, life at 40, 50, or even 60 years old will include care for an aging parent or relative. As the nation grows older, the need for caregiving will be as common as the need for child care. If you have not yet begun to discuss a caregiving plan with your loved ones and other members of your family, it is never too late. It doesn’t matter who starts the conversation. What really matters is that every family has the opportunity to talk about and create a caregiving plan for their aging loved ones based on the needs and wishes of those who will be receiving the care. 5 STEPS TO A CAREGIVING PLAN FOR YOUR FAMILY This guide is designed to help you and other family members discuss and create a caregiving plan for yourself or an aging

• What are your biggest concerns and priorities as you help put together a caregiving plan for someone else? • What is the best thing you think might happen as a result of this conversation?

• What are you afraid might happen as a result of this conversation? • How do you think your loved one and other family members might react to the conversation? • How does your family usually respond when uncomfortable subjects are discussed? • How can you explain to your loved one and other family members why it is important to have this conversation? • In addition to emotional support, how much financial support are you willing or able to provide if your loved one needs it? STEP 2: Form Your Team You can’t create an effective family caregiving plan without the input and support of your loved ones and your other family members—everyone should have a say in the process. Chances are you already have an idea of who needs to be in on the conversation, but it helps to list everyone who should and would want to be a part of the team. That includes “difficult” or argumentative family members. It might be easier to leave them out of the initial discussion, but it won’t help later when it’s time to put the plan into action. Continued on next page.

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Fall 2020

Before you sit down to talk about the next steps, you need to assemble your “team”—those family members (and perhaps some close friends) who want or need to play a role in the caregiving plan. The most important—and unfortunately often the most overlooked—participant in the conversation is the person who may be on the receiving end of the care. Barring mental or physical incapacity or other extraordinary circumstances, the person receiving the care should play the most significant role in the discussion.

The care recipient’s wishes and priorities are the cornerstone of every family caregiving plan. To move the planning process forward, it will also help to have one person who is designated as the family team leader. You don’t have to vote on who the leader should be nor does the family team leader get to dictate the outcome of the conversation. It is important, however, to have a point person to keep the process going and make sure that people agree to and understand the final results. STEP 3: Assess Needs Assessing the Needs of Your Loved Ones The person you are caring for or will be caring for in the future should be involved and agree to every step of the planning process. Once

you have your team in place, the next important step is to assess the needs of your loved one. Sometimes this is difficult to do ahead of time, but figuring out what your loved one’s priorities are, where they want to live, and the nature of the care involved will help you determine what kind of information you need the most and which resources will be most helpful. Finding the Right Information Before you can come up with a family caregiving plan that works for everyone, you will need to assess your loved ones’ needs and gather two types of information. First, it’s important to get a handle on where to find your loved ones’ personal information—from important documents, such as wills and insurance policies, to which files the electric bills are in. Second, it’s helpful to find out more about the many national and local resources that are available to support caregivers—especially information about public benefit programs that might provide just the extra boost families may need. See CARE on page 10.

Download the full "Prepare to Care" kit from the resources listed at MySourcePoint.org/caregiver. It includes checklists designed to help your family caregiving team put together needed resources.

KEEPING YOU HEALTHY THROUGH COVID-19! At Sexton Dental your health and safety is our #1 priority! We have Surgically Clean Air purifiers in every treatment room. These units are used in hospitals and rapidly recycle the air throughout our office to help keep us all safer by removing 99% of particles. We also use a hands-free suction that reduces up to 98% of bio-aerosols created during your cleaning. Your oral health affects your overall wellbeing. Delaying dental care could worsen medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, endocarditis and cardiovascular disease. Please contact our office to schedule your visit. MySourcePoint.org

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Fall 2020 impacted by caregiving responsibilities.

Care

From page 9 STEP 4: Make a Plan Once you have put together your team, assessed your family’s needs, and gathered all the information you need to make solid, informed decisions, it’s time to sit down with all the important players and put your plan together. Keep in mind that you can never plan for every detail or eventuality, but if you have the basics covered, you will have an important foundation to build on later. There are a million different ways to have a planning conference with your loved one and family. You can host a family meeting, hold a family conference call (especially if your family members are spread out across the country), or have a series of email conversations, especially to keep everyone informed as things change. For the initial planning, however, a face-to-face conversation is always the best idea. Whatever you do, make sure that everyone knows about the discussion ahead of time so that there are no surprises or hurt feelings. The family team leader can get the conversation started, but no one person should dictate or limit what is talked about. As we have made clear throughout this article, the person who will be receiving the care will have the ultimate control over the conversation and the plan for the future. After coming up with a plan, the group may consider designating one family member to write up a brief summary of what was decided. Because people sometimes remember conversations differently, this is an important tool to make sure that everyone agrees on and has a record of what was discussed and who is responsible for what. Most important, a written summary of the plan helps to ensure that all the wishes and needs of the potential care recipient have been considered and included.

No matter how you decide to have the conversation, the group should designate a point person who will be responsible for each area. Others within the group can then be assigned to help with specific tasks within each area. This keeps one family member from handling too many tasks. (For example, one sibling ends up taking on most of the responsibilities because she lives the closest. Again, the family members who will receive the care should play the most significant role in talking about and assigning roles and tasks. Even if one child is an accountant, an older parent may feel more comfortable having another child look after their financial affairs. Often, loved ones already have strong and well-founded opinions about who they might want to do which task. STEP 5: Take Action One of the hardest tasks in the world is putting together a plan you hope you and your loved one will never have to use. For ourselves and our loved ones, all we really want is happiness, good health, and loving family and friends. When the unexpected happens, however, it helps to have the tools in place to deal with life’s complications, especially when they are designed to help you care for someone close to you. The strength and success of a caregiving plan is only tested when the plan is actually put into action. While this seems obvious, the best-laid plans are sometimes hard to implement or are forgotten altogether. When a crisis happens, it is difficult to remember a specific blueprint for action. And it’s always possible that circumstances and relationships may have changed by the time a family is ready to use the plan. That’s why it is important for the team to reevaluate and perhaps expand the plan from time to time.

Does Your Older Loved One Have a LifeCard?

The plan itself doesn’t have to be fancy, formal, or long. Think of it as a document that outlines the general “rules” rather than a blueprint that lays out every possible detail. While there is more than one way to make sure that you cover all the topics that are important to your family, you might choose to organize the discussion around the major areas of life that might be

Medical emergencies can happen anytime. When they do, there is confusion, panic, and urgency. Paramedics arrive on the scene with no information about the person in need. Seconds count—they can make the difference between life and death. Does the patient have prior medical conditions? Allergies? What medications are they taking? Who do they want us to call? SourcePoint's LifeCard puts these answers at their fingertips. It allows first responders to immediately begin the best possible treatment, notify loved ones, and pass this vital data on to awaiting physicians at the emergency room. Download a card at MySourcePoint.org/care and clip it to your fridge today!

Most important, family members should always remember that no matter how organized and committed you are, the plan will have to change as you go along. That’s OK. It’s having the conversation in the first place—and understanding the needs, wishes, and dreams behind it—that will help ensure a meaningful and caring future for you and those you love. Source: The AARP Foundation.

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Fall 2020

FUN & GAMES

Logic Riddles Solve these logic riddles to stimulate your brain. They require logical thinking and may involve math.

Sudoku EASY

1. What goes up but never comes down? 2. A man who was outside in the rain without an umbrella or hat didn’t get a single hair on his head wet. Why? 3. You see a boat filled with people, yet there isn’t a single person on board. How is that possible? 4. What has hands, but can’t clap? 5. What has four wheels and flies? 6. I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I? 7. Mary has four daughters, and each of her daughters has a brother. How many children does Mary have? 8. If there are three apples and you take away two, how many apples do you have? 9. What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?

HARD

10. You see me once in June, twice in November, and not at all in May. What am I? 11. What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it? 12. What can fill a room but takes up no space? 13. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they? 14. People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I? 15. If five cats can catch five mice in five minutes, how long will it take one cat to catch one mouse? 16. The day before two days after the day before tomorrow is Saturday. What day is it today? See Logic Riddles Answers on page 21.

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See Sudoku Solutions on page 21.

Voting From page 1

This has brought with it a number of concerns about election security and widespread voter fraud from a number of politicians. Mail-in votes are just as safe and secure as voting at your local polling place on Election Day, says Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio's chief elections officer and Republican. "The President raises concerns that may be valid in other states, but not in Ohio," LaRose says. "The President is responsible for all 50 states and I'm just responsible for Ohio and the 8 million registered voters here need to know that vote by mail is secure, easy to use, and your vote will be counted." In reality, there is little evidence of widespread mail voter fraud anywhere in the U.S. Hamilton County's Board of Election director recently explained how mail-in voting really works, step-by-step, and all the security measures that ensure your ballot is counted correctly. Requesting a Ballot It starts with registration, which you can complete right now online at VoteDelawareCountyOhio.gov. (Hurry! The deadline is Oct. 5 for the Nov. 3 election.) Then you can request an absentee ballot by filling out a form from the same website. LaRose, too, recently mailed absentee voter applications to all of Ohio's nearly 8 million voters around Labor Day. When your application is

Manos, Martin & Pergram Co., LPA received, all the identifying na

information on the application—like your name,

Fall 2020 date of birth, signature, Ohio driver's license number or Social Security number— are electronically and manually crossreferenced with information from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and from your original voter registration form. This ensures that the person applying for a ballot is really who they claim to be. Then, a bipartisan team from the Board of Elections creates a ballot packet, which includes a voter's personalized ballot from their district held inside an identification envelope, which contains another form with identifying information. That envelope is inside a second return envelope alongside instructions to ensure the ballot is filled out correctly. After a voter receives their ballot and fills it out, they seal their ballot inside the identification envelope,

and seal the identification envelope inside the return envelope. This creates two layers of protection for the ballot from anyone trying to get in and tamper with it. Ballots can be either mailed to the voter's county Board of Elections using the U.S. Postal Service or dropped off by hand at the Board of Elections office. There is a drop box for absentee ballots outside the Delaware County board offices on U.S. Highway 23 just north of downtown Delaware. Voters mailing their ballots must have them postmarked one day before the election—in this case, Nov. 2 for the general election. Voters can also drop off ballots at the Board of Elections in person before the polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. The Verification Process Once a ballot reaches the Board of Elections—whether it be on Election Day, days later, or weeks before—every ballot goes through the same verification process. Just like with the mail-in application, information on the identification envelopes is verified by a bipartisan team electronically and manually. Still sealed, the ballots are stored in a room with two locks so that one Republican and one Democratic Board of Elections employee are needed to access the room. Mail-in ballots are then removed from their envelopes and inspected to ensure they don’t have coffee stains or tears, which... Continued on next page.

MySourcePoint.org

Fall 2020 ...would make them unable to be read by machines. (Damaged ballots are still counted, just by hand instead.) After being flattened to remove creases, ballots are fed through a machine that captures the voting record but does not create a count of how many votes a candidate has received. That ensures employees of the Board of Elections don't have any information about the results of an election—they find out the results at the same time the public does. On Election Day Once Election Day arrives, the data from the vote capturing machines is manually moved to a tabulation machine that generates the election results. That data is then moved by hand again to a computer that sends it to the Ohio Secretary of State's office and the public. No machines in the vote count process are connected to the internet, and the manual moving of data is what causes the hours delay between polls closing and unofficial results being released later that night. This counting process continues for another week as ballots continue to arrive in the mail, and an official count is released seven days after Election Day. Additional Measures From voter registration to mail-in application to a final count, there are layers upon layers of security protection to ensure that mail-in voting is just as safe as voting in person. There are even additional layers of security at the state level. LaRose identified key safeguards that his office maintains to ensure complete election security. The Secretary of State's office constantly adds and removes people from Ohio's voter rolls, using data from the national moving database, the Bureau of Motor vehicles, and death records. This ensures that only currently eligible voters can get ballots. Additionally, ballot harvesting is prohibited in Ohio. This is when

MySourcePoint.org

13 IMPORTANT VOTING DEADLINES Oct. 5—Deadline for voter registration for the Nov. 3, 2020 general election. (30 days before general election.) Oct. 31—Applications for absentee ballots to be mailed for the Nov. 3, 2020 general election must be received by boards of elections by noon. (3 days before general election.) Nov. 3—General Election Day. Polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13—Absentee ballots returned by U.S. Mail must be postmarked no later than Nov. 2 and received by boards of elections by this date to be counted. (10 days after general election.) political operatives would collect ballots from both parties and throw out ballots they didn't want to be counted. "That's what happened in North Carolina," LaRose says. "A Republican operative was convicted of election fraud for that very thing, throwing out Democratic ballots. In Ohio we don't permit that." Only the voter or their immediate family can submit ballots in Ohio. When an Anomaly Occurs After all this however, there still are some anomalies every election. This is usually voters who vote by mail and submit provisional ballots in-person. Every case is investigated individually. It usually results in a voter who mailed in their ballot near the deadline and then also voted in person to ensure that their vote counted; or an individual who forgot they mailed in a ballot already. In all of these cases, only one ballot is counted and no charges are filed. Despite being secure and still easy to vote by mail, the process isn't perfect. Due to delays by the Postal Service in Butler County in the 2020 Ohio Primary, some valid votes weren't counted. Diane Noonan is the director of the Butler County Board of Elections. "We called USPS on the last day and they said they gave us all the ballots,

but Tuesday morning they showed up with 317 ballots," Noonan said. "It was the post office's fault for not sending us the ballots by the time they had to be here—May 8, according to state legislation. We tried to go to the Secretary of State to try and still use those ballots but we were not permitted." "It's just sad, there's nothing that we could do," Noonan said. To avoid a similar fate for your ballot, Noonan recommends submitting your ballot in the mail at least one week before Election Day, or by dropping off your ballot by hand at your county's Board of Elections office. Eligible Ohio voters can request mailin ballots right now until Oct. 31 at your local Board of Elections office. You can register to vote, check your voter registration status, change your voting address, or register to work as a poll worker on Election Day at VoteDelawareCountyOhio.gov. Source: Cincinnati Public Radio.

Fall 2020

VOLUNTEERING

The Wrights Get it Right As the governor laid out quarantine plans for Ohio, SourcePoint’s older volunteers faced a tough choice. Given that the average age of a Meals on Wheels volunteer is 65, hesitation to continue public service was understandable. Despite the known risks the coronavirus presents to seniors, choosing to stop delivering meals during a time of heightened need was a painful decision for dedicated volunteers. Many senior volunteers who opted to step aside during the pandemic cited the same factor: “My kids were worried about me volunteering during quarantine.” John Wright and his wife, Janet, have been active volunteers in SourcePoint’s Meals on Wheels program for 17 years. In addition to delivering meals twice a week, John also volunteered in SourcePoint’s kitchen two days each week packing food into meal trays. A retired firefighter, carpenter, and all-around handyman, 88-year-old John does not find sitting still to his liking. In early 2020, John and Janet gave up their home on one acre and moved to a senior apartment complex. They looked forward to a new social life, one that included euchre nights, sharing puzzles in the community room, and exercising in the on-site gym. Within weeks of their move, those opportunities fizzled. John found himself without a yard to tend or a workshop to putter in, and no avenue to meet his new neighbors. SourcePoint’s Cafe 55, where the couple regularly lunched with friends, shut down per state orders. The only bright spot for John was the Meals on Wheels program, which remained open and in desperate need of volunteers. John figured he would continue his four-day-aweek schedule of public service—until three of the Wrights’ four children voiced their concerns and pleaded with John to pause his volunteer service during the pandemic. Of all the losses caused by the quarantine, the inability to continue serving John's meal clients was the worst. Seventeen years is a long time delivering meals and the seniors on John’s route are people he counts as friends. He worried for them during the pandemic and was devastated at his inability to continue his twice-weekly visits. After John

suffered a fall, the Wright kids suggested that their dad never drive a meal route again, even post-pandemic. John and Janet’s daughter, Jane Wright, hated seeing her father’s grief over losing his long-held meal route. Jane contacted SourcePoint, offering to take over her dad’s Thursday route, and stepped right into his place. Despite adding volunteering to an already full schedule, Jane delighted in her secret mission. A former bus driver, Jane works as a full-time caregiver from 2 p.m. to 9 a.m. At the end of her Thursday morning shift, she drives to SourcePoint to pick up the meals that she delivers around Powell. How does she like delivering meals? “It’s good,” Jane said. “But I’d rather be doing it with my dad.” When the statewide quarantine ended, Jane surprised her father with the gift of having covered his route in his absence. Even better, going forward she would be his delivery partner; Jane would do the driving and John would do the delivering. When John realized he would be seeing the meal clients he had served for 17 years, he broke down and cried. “I’ve missed everyone,” he said. What does he think about his daughter’s gracious act? John wiped tears from his eyes and hugged his daughter. “Only Jane would think to do such a thing.” An outpouring of community support has kept Meals on Wheels afloat in the face of an unprecedented, albeit temporary, loss of volunteers. Working adults, like Jane, who stepped in to fill meal routes doubled their contribution. They kept the mission of senior food security alive while supporting older volunteers who faced multiple lifestyle losses during the pandemic. Besides the tremendous contributions retirees provide to their communities, public service is part of a meaningful retirement for seniors who know that by enriching the lives of others, they enrich their own. For more information on volunteering with SourcePoint, contact Jill Smith, volunteer recruiter, at 740-203-2368 or jill.smith@MySourcePoint.org.

MySourcePoint.org

Fall 2020

Make anImpact!

A Celebration of Local Seniors In September, SourcePoint hosted a weeklong celebration of local seniors, caregivers, volunteers, and more. Follow us on Facebook and MySourcePoint.org/celebrate to see what makes our community the best place to thrive after 55 and to learn how you can make a difference.

THANK YOU TO OUR GOLD SPONSORS

It 's not too late to give!

Donations have a direct impact on our work in Delaware County. As the older population continues to grow, we rely on donations to help fill the gaps and support more seniors. Join us to celebrate the older loved ones in your life—and to support all the older adults in our community.

“I would recommend Willow Brook Christian Village over any other place for rehabilitation therapy. The nursing staff and physical therapists are exceptional, and the food is delicious.” - Dr. Bob Caulkins Dr. Bob Caulkins had a challenging year. He broke his leg, then had knee replacement surgery. Each time, Dr. Bob went to Willow Brook Christian Village for rehabilitation therapy. The retired family doctor practiced for 58 years in Delaware and could pick anywhere for his therapy. He chose Willow Brook.

Call Nicole Ketron at 740-369-0048 to learn more. MySourcePoint.org

We invite you to contact us about our rehabilitation services, including: • Physical Therapy • Speech Therapy • Occupational Therapy

Not-for-profit • willow-brook.org

Fall 2020

FROM THE SOURCE A special report on the COVID-19 pandemic and community resources for older adults.

Responsibly Restarting Fitness Programs As you may know, Gov. DeWine set a date of Sept. 21 to allow senior centers to reopen with reduced capacity and a requirement to meet all guidelines set by the Ohio Dept. of Health (ODH). While we await clarification on certain components of the order, SourcePoint is pleased to announce that we are proceeding to the next step of our phased plan: Beginning Monday, Sept. 21, SourcePoint’s fitness center will open and small-group fitness classes will restart, with limited availability and class sizes. SourcePoint has been diligent in preparing a safe environment for our members and staff, working in consultation with the Delaware General Health District (DGHD) and following recommendations from the Ohio Association of Senior Centers and Responsible RestartOhio protocols. In particular, the restart of select fitness programs at SourcePoint follows gym and fitness venue protocols set by the ODH. Our health and safety protocols can be found at MySourcePoint.org/restart. Please read this information carefully, as it is critically important to the health and safety of our community. Key items to know before a visit include: • SourcePoint is open only to those who register for a program or schedule an appointment in advance. • A face mask must be worn at all times in the building, except when in position and exercising. • Members must enter through the main entrance only. • Upon entering, you must satisfactorily answer screening questions and check your temperature. (If there is a line, please maintain at least 6 feet of distance both inside and outside and proceed to the next available X.) • Maintain at least 6 feet between you and others as much as possible, and respect all signage regarding distancing.

• Cafe 55 remains closed and coffee, drinking fountains, water bottle fillers, and vending machines are unavailable. Please bring your own water, if needed. Prior to any visit, we ask our members to self-assess for COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or diarrhea. If you have had symptoms within the last 72 hours, have had contact with an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, or have recently traveled to a state with high positivity rates, please stay home. In addition, we strongly encourage those with underlying health conditions to stay home as much as possible per CDC recommendations. According to the CDC, 8 out of 10 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the U.S. have been among adults aged 65 years and older. Our staff members are taking precautions, including selfassessments prior to coming to work; wearing masks and utilizing other personal protective equipment; maintaining social distancing; and frequently cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces and common areas, including restrooms and rooms between programs. It is important for us all to recognize that the precautions put in place cannot guarantee COVID-19 or other illnesses will not occur at SourcePoint in the days ahead. No organization can make that guarantee. While we will follow CDC, ODH, and DGHD guidelines, you need to make the best decision for you and your family as to your participation at SourcePoint. [See "A COVID-19 Decision Aid" on page 18.] Successful demonstration of our ability to comply with health and safety protocols will allow additional programs to resume at SourcePoint. We will monitor our restart, as well as updated guidance from local and state health departments, and continue to responsibly restart programs as it is safe to do so. You can find the most up-to-date information at MySourcePoint.org/restart.

• Expect limited program availability and class sizes.

Find the latest SourcePoint updates at MySourcePoint.org/restart. Questions? Call us at 740-363-6677, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MySourcePoint.org

Fall 2020

October Fitness Programs at SourcePoint Pending the success of the September program pilot (see page 16), in-person fitness classes will continue in October. Programs will be scheduled on a monthly basis in the immediate future and are subject to change at any time. Registration is required at MySourcePoint.org/EC or with customer service. Fitness program details, as well as online programs, can be found on the same page. Our health and safety protocols are published and regularly updated at MySourcePoint.org/restart. We request that all members read this information thoroughly before registering.

FITNESS CENTER PACKAGE

Register for up to two 1-hour periods per week. Fee: $12 for a series. No fee for Renew Active/SilverSneakers/Silver&Fit.

LAND EXERCISE PACKAGE

Register for up to two classes per week. BOOT CAMP Mon or Wed, 10‒10:45 a.m. Fee: $12 for a series. BRAINS AND BALANCE: BEGINNER Mon, noon‒12:45 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. BRAINS AND BALANCE: INTERMEDIATE Wed, noon‒12:45 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. CARDIO WORKOUT Mon, Wed, or Fri, 9‒9:45 a.m. Fee: $12 for a series. CIRCUIT WORKOUT Tue or Thu, 9‒9:45 a.m. Fee: $12 for a series.

MySourcePoint.org

GOLDEN MARATHON OUTDOOR HIKING Mon, 9:30–11 a.m. INDOOR CYCLING AND WEIGHTS: 20/20 MASHUP Tue or Thu, 9:30–10:15 a.m. Fee: $12 for a series.

YOGA: HATHA Tue or Thu, 11‒noon. Wed, 3‒4 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. YOGA: VINYASA FLOW Tue or Thu, 3–4 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series.

PACE Tue or Thu, noon‒1 p.m. Fri, 10–11 a.m.

YOGA: YIN Mon, 3‒4 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series.

SILVERSNEAKERS CARDIO Tue or Thu, 4‒4:45 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. No fee for Renew Active/SilverSneakers/Silver&Fit.

ZUMBA® BOOMER Fri, 11‒11:45 a.m. Fee: $12 for a series.

POOL WALKING PACKAGE SILVERSNEAKERS CIRCUIT Mon or Wed, 4‒4:45 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. No fee for Renew Active/SilverSneakers/Silver&Fit. SILVERSNEAKERS CLASSIC Mon, Wed, or Fri, 1‒1:45 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. No fee for Renew Active/SilverSneakers/Silver&Fit. SILVER SNEAKERS ENERCHI Tue or Thu, 1‒2 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. No fee for Renew Active/SilverSneakers/Silver&Fit. SILVERSNEAKERS STABILITY Fri, noon–12:45 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. No fee for Renew Active/SilverSneakers/Silver&Fit. WOMEN AND WEIGHTS Tue or Thu, 10:30–11:15 a.m. Fee: $12 for a series. YOGA: CHAIR Mon and Wed, 11‒11:45 a.m. Fee: $12 for a series.

Register for up to two 45-minute periods per week. Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, or Fri, 11:45 a.m. Tue or Thu, 3:15 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. No fee for Renew Active/SilverSneakers/Silver&Fit.

WATER EXERCISE PACKAGE

Register for up to two classes per week. AQUATICS 1/SILVER SNEAKERS SPLASH 1 Mon, Wed, or Fri, 1:30‒2:15 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. No fee for Renew Active/SilverSneakers/Silver&Fit. AQUATICS 2/SILVER SNEAKERS SPLASH 2 Mon, Wed, or Fri, 3:15‒4 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series. No fee for Renew Active/SilverSneakers/Silver&Fit. AQUATICS 3 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, or Fri, 8:15‒9 a.m. Fee: $12 for a series. AQUATICS 4 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, or Fri, 10‒10:45 a.m. Tue or Thu, 1:30‒2:15 p.m. Fee: $12 for a series.

Fall 2020

CORONAVIRUS

A COVID-19 Decision Aid Cities are imposing a variety of rules or guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19, such as promoting physical distancing and using face masks. These rules and guidelines will continue to change over time. For example, rules may change in response to increased numbers of people with COVID-19, new findings from research studies, or poor control of a COVID-19 outbreak in a specific area. As a result of these ongoing changes, it is reasonable to feel confused or uncertain when choosing whether to visit your friends and family members in person or when to participate in activities in public places. This decision aid will guide you through a series of questions that are based on your interests and your level of risk. Working step-by-step through this decision aid may help you clarify the reasons for doing or not doing an activity where other people are present. Before you begin, it is important to realize that being around any people who are not consistently using a face mask and maintaining physical distancing makes your risk higher for getting infected or infecting other people with the virus that causes COVID-19. This includes household members, visitors, or workers invited into your home who are not taking precautions when they are outside your home. The amount of extra risk will vary depending on the activity, how bad the COVID-19 outbreak is in your area, and how well people in your area are using health precautions such as wearing masks and physical distancing.

Before you make a choice about whether or not to participate in the activity you are considering, please take a moment to think carefully about what is important to you. Take a few minutes to think about how important each of the listed options are to you, and rate them on a scale of 1 (does not matter) to 10 (matters a lot).  What matters to me in making this decision Reducing my risk of becoming ill with COVID-19: 1

Not making other people ill with COVID-19: 1

Taking part in activities that give my life meaning: 1

Spending time with people who are important to me: 1

3 Identify extra risk and risk-reducing strategies The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization report that older adults and people of all ages who have underlying medical conditions are at higher risk for having serious COVID-19 symptoms. Check all medical conditions that apply to you:

1 Identify your decision  What activity are you are thinking about doing? Write the name of the activity in this space:__________________ _________________________________________________  How often will you have a chance to do this activity in the future?  Never; this may be the only time  Sometimes

2 Identify what is important to you

 Rarely  Often

 Asthma

 High blood pressure

 Bone marrow or organ transplant

 Immunocompromised state

 Cerebrovascular disease

 Lung fibrosis

 Chronic kidney disease

 Obesity

 COPD/lung disease

 Pregnancy

 Cystic fibrosis

 Sickle cell disease

 Dementia

 Smoking

 Diabetes

 Thalassemia

 Liver disease

 Heart condition Continued on next page.

MySourcePoint.org

Fall 2020

 Going somewhere? How will you get there?

4 What else might influence your decision?

Low risk  I will walk or bike.

 Who else might be involved in making this decision with you?

 I will use my own car or truck.

Who else is involved with this decision?_________________

Moderate risk

Is this person pressuring you?  No  Yes

 I will get a ride from someone I know but does not live with me in my home.  I will use a taxi service or a ride-sharing option (e.g., Uber). High risk  I will use public transportation (e.g., bus, subway, train, airplane).  Identify the factors that increase your risk of getting COVID-19 if you decide to do the activity. Circle Yes or No for each of these items: 1. I am 65 years of age or older. No Yes 2. It is likely that a large number of people (e.g. more than 10) will be in the area. No Yes 3. I will be indoors all or part of the time. No Yes 4. People are not likely to wear masks or shields. No Yes 5. People are not likely to stay at least 6 feet apart. No Yes 6. It may be difficult to wash or sanitize my hands. No Yes 7. The area may not be cleaned or sanitized. No Yes 8. I have a medical condition that puts me in a high-risk group. No Yes

What action does this person want (e.g. stay at home, go out)?__________________________________________ How can this person support you in making this decision? _________________________________________________ Repeat this question for each individual involved.  How would you like to make this decision?  Make this decision on my own  Have someone else decide for me  Share making this decision with someone else  Make the decision after hearing what others think  For the activity you are considering, do you feel as though you know enough about the extra COVID-19 risk for taking part in the activity?  No  Yes  Do you feel as though you have enough support and information to make a decision?  No  Yes

5 What are the next steps?

9. I will need to travel in a vehicle that is not my own (e.g., a friend’s car, bus, airplane). No Yes

 I am ready to make my decision.

10. People will be singing, shouting, or yelling (e.g. sporting events, religious service). No Yes

 I need to learn more about my options.

 I need to discuss my options with____________________  Other (please specify)_____________________________

11. People will be exercising. No Yes 12. People will be eating or sharing food or drinks. No Yes 13. It is unknown if visitors or workers (e.g. service workers, health aids, etc.) I want to invite into my home have been wearing face masks and physically distancing. No Yes 14. The area where I will be going has a high number of reported COVID-19 cases. No Yes How many “Yes” responses did you circle? Your risk increases with each “Yes” response.

This decision aid is not intended to replace the advice of your health care provider. It was designed to provide information to assist people in their decision-making process. While The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) has used the current general knowledge in the field at the date of publication and has suggested where to get more information, GSA is not liable or responsible for any injury, illness, or damages arising from use of this decision aid. It is up to each person to make your own decisions about risks to your personal health and safety at this difficult time, and specific, personalized advice may be obtained from your health care provider. Source: The Gerontological Society of America.

MySourcePoint.org

Fall 2020

SAFETY

Emergency Preparedness Natural disasters, such as tornadoes or blizzards, may force you to evacuate your home or shelter in place at short notice. It is important to know what to do in case of an emergency well before disaster strikes. If you are an older adult living in the community, you may face some challenges during an emergency. For example, you may have mobility problems, or chronic health conditions, or you may not have any family or friends nearby to support you. Support services that are usually available, such as help from caregivers or in-home health care and meal delivery services, may be unavailable for a period of time. In addition, older adults may experience challenges that come with age, such as hearing or vision problems or cognitive impairment, which may make it difficult to access, understand, and respond to emergency instructions. You or the person you care for can be prepared for emergency situations by creating a plan, reviewing or practicing it regularly, and keeping an emergency supply kit.

Gather food, water, and medical supplies to last at least 72 hours.

CREATE A PLAN The first step in preparing for an emergency is creating a plan. Work with your friends, family, and neighbors to develop a plan that will fit your needs. • Choose a contact person who will check on you during a disaster, and decide how you will communicate with each other. (For instance, by telephone or knocking on doors.) Consider speaking with your neighbors about developing a check-in system together. • Create a list of contact information for family members and friends. Leave a copy by your phone(s) and include one in your emergency supply kit. • Plan how you will leave and where you will go during an evacuation. If you are living in a retirement or assisted living community, learn what procedures are in place in case of emergencies. Keep a copy of exit routes and meeting places in an easy-to-reach place. • Create a care plan and keep a copy in your emergency supply kit. (Both cdc.gov and redcross.org have templates you can use.)

Prepare a 7- to 10-day supply of prescription medications.

• If you have medical, transportation, or other access needs during an emergency, consider signing up for SMART911, Code Red, or your local county registry, depending upon which service your area uses to help first responders identify people who may need assistance right away. CREATE AN EMERGENCY SUPPLY KIT After an emergency, you may not have access to clean water or electricity. Make sure you are prepared with your own supply of food, water, and other items to last for at least 72 hours. • Visit Ready.gov for a list of basic items to gather for your disaster supply kit. • Medical-related items: • A 3-day supply of medicine, at a minimum. (A 7- to 10-day supply is recommended for those with chronic conditions.) If medications need to be kept cold, have a cooler and ice packs available. • ID band, including full name, contact number for family member/caregiver, and allergies. Continued on next page.

Collect and protect important documents and medical records. MySourcePoint.org

Fall 2020

Delaware County Alert System • Hearing aids and extra batteries. • Glasses and/or contacts and contact solution. • Medical supplies like syringes or extra batteries. • Information about medical devices, such as wheelchairs, walkers, and oxygen including model numbers and vender. • Document—Keep physical copies in a waterproof bag and take photos of each document for backup: • Your care plan. • Contact information for family members, doctors, pharmacies, and/or caregivers. • List of all medications, including the exact name of the medicine and the dosage, and contact information for pharmacy and doctor who prescribed medicine. • List of allergies to food or medicines. • Copies of medical insurance cards. • Copies of a photo ID. • Durable power of attorney and/ or medical power of attorney documents, as appropriate. Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health.

The DELCO ALERT system, now available for sign-up on the county’s website, will send text and email alerts for severe weather events, and will send telephone, text, and email alerts for emergency events like boil alerts and “shelter-in-place” warnings. These warnings also will automatically appear on Twitter and Facebook feeds for the Delaware County 9-1-1 Center and the Delaware County Emergency Management Agency. To register, users should go to co.delaware.oh.us and click on "Sign Up for Delco Alerts" from the quick links at the bottom of the page. Users also can go directly to delcoema.org. When registering, users can opt to receive text and/or email alerts for warnings of high wind, flash floods, blizzards, freezing rain, winter storms, severe thunderstorm warnings and watches, and tornado watches. By registering, any user will automatically receive tornado warnings.

Logic Riddles Answers 1. Your age. 2. He was bald. 3. All the people on the boat are married. 4. A clock. 5. A garbage truck. 6. Seven. 7. Five—each daughter has the same brother. 8. You have two apples. 9. Short. 10. The letter “e.” 11. Silence. 12. Light. 13. Footsteps. 14. Money. 15. Five minutes. Using the information we know, it would take one cat 25 minutes to catch all five mice (5×5=25). Then working backward and dividing 25 by five, we get five minutes for one cat to catch each mouse. 16. Friday. The “day before tomorrow” is today; “the day before two days after” is really one day after. So if “one day after today is Saturday,” then it must be Friday. Sudoku Solutions EASY

MySourcePoint.org

HARD

Fall 2020

MENTAL HEALTH

PTSD in Military Veterans For all too many, returning from military service means coping with symptoms of PTSD. But you’re not alone and there are many things you can do to start feeling better. Understanding PTSD in Veterans Are you having a hard time readjusting to life out of the military? Or do you constantly feel on edge, emotionally numb and disconnected, or close to panicking or exploding? For all too many veterans, these are common experiences— lingering symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It’s hard living with untreated PTSD and, with long VA wait times, it’s easy to get discouraged. But you can feel better, and you can start today, even while you’re waiting for professional treatment. What causes PTSD? PTSD, sometimes known as shell shock or combat stress, occurs after you experience severe trauma or a lifethreatening event. It’s normal for your mind and body to be in shock after such an event, but this normal response becomes PTSD when your nervous system gets “stuck.” Your nervous system has two automatic or reflexive ways of responding to stressful events: Mobilization, or fight-or-flight, occurs when you need to defend yourself or survive the danger of a combat situation. Your heart pounds faster, your blood pressure rises, and your muscles tighten, increasing your strength and reaction speed.

Once the danger has passed, your nervous system calms your body, lowering your heart rate and blood pressure, and winding back down to its normal balance. Immobilization occurs when you’ve experienced too much stress in a situation and even though the danger has passed, you find yourself “stuck.” Your nervous system is unable to return to its normal state of balance and you’re unable to move on from the event. This is PTSD. Recovering from PTSD involves transitioning out of the mental and emotional war zone you’re still living in and helping your nervous system become “unstuck.” Symptoms of PTSD in Veterans While you can develop symptoms of PTSD in the hours or days following a traumatic event, sometimes symptoms don’t surface for months or even years after you return from deployment. While PTSD develops differently in each veteran, there are four symptom clusters: Recurrent, intrusive reminders of the traumatic event, including distressing thoughts, nightmares, and flashbacks where you feel like the event is happening again. You may experience extreme emotional and physical reactions... Continued on next page.

MySourcePoint.org

Fall 2020 ...to reminders of the trauma, such as panic attacks, uncontrollable shaking, and heart palpitations. Extreme avoidance of things that remind you of the traumatic event, including people, places, thoughts, or situations you associate with the bad memories. This includes withdrawing from friends and family and losing interest in everyday activities. Negative changes in your thoughts and mood, such as exaggerated negative beliefs about yourself or the world and persistent feelings of fear, guilt, or shame. You may notice a diminished ability to experience positive emotions.

23 Sensory input. Just as loud noises, certain smells, or the feel of sand in your clothes can instantly transport you back to the combat zone, so too can sensory input quickly calm you. Everyone responds a little differently, so experiment to find what works best for you. Think back to your time on deployment: what brought you comfort at the end of the day? Perhaps it was looking at photos of your family? Or listening to a favorite song? Or maybe petting an animal quickly makes you feel calm?

Reconnect emotionally. By reconnecting to uncomfortable emotions without becoming overwhelmed, you can make a huge difference in your ability to manage stress, balance Being on guard all the time, your moods, and take back jumpy, and emotionally SUICIDE PREVENTION IN THOSE WITH PTSD control of your life. reactive, as indicated by It’s common for veterans with PTSD to experience irritability, anger, reckless Step 3: Connect with Others suicidal thoughts. Feeling suicidal is not a character behavior, difficulty sleeping, Connecting with others defect, and it doesn’t mean that you are crazy, weak, trouble concentrating, and face to face doesn’t have to or flawed. If you are thinking about taking your own hypervigilance. include a lot of talking. For life, seek help immediately. Talk to someone you trust any veteran with PTSD, it’s PTSD in Veterans Recovery or call HelpLine at 800-684-2324 or 740-369-3316. important to find someone Step 1: Get Moving who will listen without Getting regular exercise has judging when you want to always been key for veterans talk, or just hang out with you when you don’t. That person with PTSD. As well as helping to burn off adrenaline, exercise may be your significant other, a family member, one of your can release endorphins and improve your mood. And by buddies from the service, or a civilian friend. Or try: really focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise, you can even help your nervous system become “unstuck” Volunteering your time or reaching out to someone in need. and move out of the immobilization stress response. This is a great way to both connect to others and reclaim your sense of power. Exercise that is rhythmic and engages both your arms and legs—such as running, swimming, basketball, or even Joining a PTSD support group. Connecting with other dancing—works well if, instead of continuing to focus on your veterans facing similar problems can help you feel less thoughts as you move, you focus on how your body feels. isolated and provide useful tips on how to cope with symptoms and work towards recovery. Try to notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling You may feel like the civilians in your life can’t understand of the wind on your skin. Many veterans with PTSD find that you since they haven’t been in the service or seen what you sports like rock climbing, boxing, weight training, and martial have. But people don’t have to have gone through the exact arts make it easier to focus on your body movements—after same experiences to relate to painful emotions and be able all, if you don’t, you could injure yourself. Whatever exercise to offer support. What matters is that the person you’re you choose, try to work out for 30 minutes or more each turning to cares about you, is a good listener, and a comfort. day—or if it’s easier, three 10-minute spurts of exercise are just as beneficial. You don’t have to talk about your combat experiences. If you’re not ready to open up about the details of what Step 2: Self-regulate Your Nervous System happened, that’s perfectly OK. You can talk about how you PTSD can leave you feeling vulnerable and helpless. But feel without going into a blow-by-blow account of events. you have more control over your nervous system than you realize. When you feel agitated, anxious, or out of control, Tell the other person what you need or how they can these tips can help you calm yourself. help. That could be just sitting with you, listening, or doing something practical. Comfort comes from someone else Mindful breathing. To calm yourself in any situation, simply understanding your emotional experience. take 60 breaths, focusing your attention on each ‘out’ breath. See PTSD on page 24.

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PTSD

From page 23 Step 4: Take Care of Your Body The symptoms of PTSD in veterans, such as insomnia, anger, concentration problems, and jumpiness, can be hard on your body and eventually take a toll on your overall health. That’s why it’s so important to take care of yourself. You may be drawn to activities and behaviors that pump up adrenaline, whether it’s caffeine, drugs, violent video games, driving recklessly, or daredevil sports. After being in a combat zone, that’s what feels normal. But if you recognize these urges for what they are, you can make better choices that will calm and protect your body—and your mind. Take time to relax. Relaxation techniques, such as massage, meditation, or yoga, can reduce stress, ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression, help you sleep better, and increase feelings of peace and well-being. Find safe ways to blow off steam. Pound on a punching bag, pummel a pillow, go for a hard run, sing along to loud music, or find a secluded place to scream at the top of your lungs. Support your body with a healthy diet. Omega-3s play a vital role in emotional health so incorporate foods like fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts into your diet. Limit processed and fried food, sugars, and refined carbs, which can exacerbate mood swings and energy fluctuations. Get plenty of sleep. Sleep deprivation exacerbates anger, irritability, and moodiness. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night. Develop a relaxing bedtime ritual (listen to calming music, take a hot shower, or read something light and entertaining), turn off screens at least one hour before bed, and make your bedroom as dark and quiet as possible. Avoid alcohol and drugs, including nicotine. It can be tempting to turn to drugs and alcohol to numb painful memories and get to sleep. But substance abuse can make the symptoms of PTSD worse. The same applies to cigarettes. Step 5: Deal with Flashbacks, Nightmares, Intrusive Thoughts For veterans with PTSD, flashbacks usually involve visual and auditory memories of combat. It feels as if it’s happening all over again so it’s vital to reassure yourself that the experience is not occurring in the present. Trauma specialists call this “dual awareness.”

Fall 2020 Dual awareness is the recognition that there is a difference between your “experiencing self” and your “observing self.” On the one hand, there is your internal emotional reality: you feel as if the trauma is currently happening. On the other hand, you can look to your external environment and recognize that you’re safe. You’re aware that despite what you’re experiencing, the trauma happened in the past. It is not happening now. State to yourself out loud or in your head the reality that while you feel as if the trauma is currently happening, you can look around and recognize that you’re safe. Use a simple script when you awaken from a nightmare or start to experience a flashback: “I feel [panicked, overwhelmed, etc.] because I’m remembering [traumatic event], but as I look around I can see that the event isn’t happening right now and I’m not in danger.” Describe what you see when you look around—name the place where you are, the current date, and three things you see when you look around. Try tapping your arms to bring you back to the present. Step 6: Work through Survivor’s Guilt Feelings of guilt are very common among veterans with PTSD. You may have seen people injured or killed, often your friends and comrades. In the heat of the moment, you don’t have time to fully process these events as they happen. But later—often when you’ve returned home—these experiences come back to haunt you. You may ask yourself questions like: • Why didn’t I get hurt? • Why did I survive when others didn’t? • Could I have done something differently to save them? You may end up blaming yourself for what happened and believing that your actions (or inability to act) led to someone else’s death. You may feel like others deserved to live more than you—that you’re the one who should have died. This is survivor’s guilt. Healing doesn’t mean that you’ll forget what happened or those who died. And it doesn’t mean you’ll have no regrets. What it does mean is that you’ll view your role more realistically. • Is the amount of responsibility you’re assuming reasonable? Continued on next page.

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Fall 2020

• Could you really have prevented or stopped what happened? • Are you judging your decisions based on information about the event, or your emotions? • Did you do your best at the time, under challenging circumstances? • Do you truly believe that if you had died, someone else would have survived? Honestly assessing your responsibility and role can free you to move on and grieve your losses. Even if you continue to feel some guilt, instead of punishing yourself, you can redirect your energy into honoring those you lost and finding ways to keep their memory alive. For example, you could volunteer for a cause that’s connected in some way to one of the friends you lost. The goal is to put your guilt to positive use and thus transform a tragedy, even in a small way, into something worthwhile. Step 7: Seek Treatment Professional treatment for PTSD can help you confront what happened to you and learn to accept it as a part of your past. When working with an experienced therapist or doctor, treatment may involve cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or counseling; medication, such as antidepressants; and/or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This incorporates elements of CBT with eye movements or other rhythmic, left-right stimulation, such as hand taps or sounds. These can help your nervous system become “unstuck” and move on from the traumatic event.

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Helping a Vet with PTSD When a loved one returns from service with PTSD, it can take a toll on your relationship. Don’t take the symptoms of PTSD personally. If your loved one seems distant, irritable, angry, or closed off, remember that this may not have anything to do with you or your relationship. Don’t pressure your loved one into talking. Many veterans with PTSD find it difficult to talk about their experiences. Never try to force your loved one to open up but let them know that you’re there if they want to talk. It’s your understanding that provides comfort, not anything you say. Be patient. Offer support but don’t try to direct your loved one. Try to anticipate and prepare for PTSD triggers, such as certain sounds, sights, or smells. If you are aware of what causes an upsetting reaction, you’ll be in a better position to help your loved one calm down.

Quality Care at Your Fingertips Whether you’re recovering from illness, injury or surgery, the Rehabilitation Center at Ohio Living Sarah Moore provides the perfect setting from a convenient location in downtown Delaware, Ohio. Private and semi-private rooms offer personal space for recovery, and our experienced therapy team provides one-on-one care to help you establish and meet your goals. You can feel confident knowing that you’ll receive the highest quality care and services in a beautiful environment, with the goal of helping you get home as quickly as possible.

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Take care of yourself. Letting your loved one’s PTSD dominate your life while ignoring your own needs is a surefire recipe for burnout. Make time for yourself and learn to manage stress— you’ll be better able to help your loved one. Source: HelpGuide, a nonprofit mental health and wellness website.

Fall 2020

CORONAVIRUS

What to Expect in a Post-Vaccine World Imagine this scenario, perhaps a year or two in the future: An effective COVID-19 vaccine is routinely available and the world is moving forward. Life, however, will likely never be the same—particularly for people over 60. That is the conclusion of geriatric medical doctors, aging experts, futurists, and industry specialists. Experts say that in the aftermath of the pandemic, everything will change, from the way older folks receive health care to how they travel and shop. Also overturned: their work life and relationships with one another. “In the past few months, the entire world has had a neardeath experience,” said Ken Dychtwald, CEO of Age Wave, a think tank on aging around the world. “We’ve been forced to stop and think: I could die or someone I love could die. When those events happen, people think about what matters and what they will do differently.” Older adults are uniquely vulnerable because their immune systems tend to deteriorate with age, making it so much harder for them to battle not just COVID-19 but all infectious diseases. They are also more likely to suffer other health conditions, like heart and respiratory diseases, that make it tougher to fight or recover from illness. So it’s no surprise that even in the future, when a COVID-19 vaccine is widely available— and widely used—most • FREE VIDEO EAR SCAN Checks for wax build-up seniors will be taking • FREE HEARING TEST additional precautions. Recommended annually “Before COVID-19, baby boomers felt reassured that with all the benefits of modern medicine, they could live for years and years,” said Dr. Mehrdad Ayati, who teaches geriatric medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and advises the U.S. Senate Special

Committee on Aging. “What we never calculated was that a pandemic could totally change the dialogue.” It has. Here’s a preview of post-vaccine life for older Americans: MEDICAL CARE Time to learn telemed. Only 62% of people over 75 use the internet—and fewer than 28% are comfortable with social media, according to data from the Pew Research Center. “That’s lethal in the modern age of health care,” Dychtwald said, so there will be a drumbeat to make them fluent users of online health care. 1 in 3 visits will be telemed. Dr. Ronan Factora, a geriatrician at Cleveland Clinic, said he saw no patients age 60 and up via telemedicine before the pandemic. He predicted that by the time a COVID-19 vaccine is available, at least a third of those visits will be virtual. “It will become a significant part of my practice,” he said. Older patients likely will see their doctors more often than once a year for a checkup and benefit from improved overall health care, he said.

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Many doctors instead of just one. More regular remote care will be bolstered by a team of doctors, said Greg Poland, professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic. The team model “allows me to see more patients more efficiently,” he said. “If everyone has to come to the office and wait for the nurse to bring them in from the waiting room, well, that’s an inherent drag on my productivity.” Drugstores will do more vaccinations. To avoid the germs in doctors’ offices, older patients will prefer to go to drugstores for regular vaccinations, such as flu shots, Factora said. Continued on next page.

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Fall 2020 Your plumbing will be your doctor. In the not-too-distant future—perhaps just a few years from now—older Americans will have special devices at home to regularly analyze urine and fecal samples, Dychtwald said, letting them avoid the doctor’s office. TRAVEL Punch up the Google maps. Many trips of 800 miles or less will likely become road trips instead of flights, said Ed Perkins, a syndicated travel columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Perkins, who is 90, said that’s certainly what he plans to do—even after there’s a vaccine. Regional and local travel will replace foreign travel. Dychtwald, who is 70, said he will be much less inclined to travel abroad. For example, he said, onetime plans with his wife to visit India are now unlikely, even if a good vaccine is available, because they want to avoid large concentrations of people. That said, each year only 25% of people 65 and up travel outside the U.S. annually, vs. 45% of the general population, according to a survey by Visa. The most popular trip for seniors: visiting grandchildren. Demand for business class will grow. When older travelers who are financially able choose to fly, they will more frequently book roomy business-class seats because they won’t want to sit too close to other passengers, Factora said. Buying three seats for two. Older couples who fly together— and have the money—will pay for all three seats so no one is between them, Perkins said. Hotels will market medical care. Medical capability will be built into more travel options, Dychtwald said. For example, some hotels will advertise a doctor on-site—or one close by. “The era is over of being removed from health care and feeling comfortable,” he said. Disinfecting will be a sales pitch. Expect a rich combination of health and safety “theater”—particularly on cruises that host many older travelers, Perkins said: “Employees will be wandering around with disinfecting fogs and wiping everything 10 times.” Cruises will require proof of vaccination. Passengers—as well as cruise employees—will likely have to prove they’ve been vaccinated before traveling, Factora said. EATING/SHOPPING Local eateries will gain trust. Neighborhood and smallmarket restaurants will draw loyal customers—mainly because they know and trust the owners, said Christopher Muller, a hospitality professor at Boston University.

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27 Safety will be a bragging point. To appeal to older diners in particular, restaurants will prominently display safetyinspection signage and visibly signal their cleanliness standards, Muller said. They will even hire employees exclusively to wipe down tables, chairs, and all high-touch points—and these employees will be easy to identify and very visible. HOME LIFE The homecoming. Because of so many COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, more seniors will leave assisted living facilities and nursing homes to move in with their families, Factora said. “Families will generally move closer together,” he said. The fortress. Home delivery of almost everything will become the norm for older Americans, and in-person shopping will become much less common, Factora said. Older workers will stay home. The 60-and-up workforce increasingly will be reluctant to work anywhere but from home and will be very slow to re-embrace grocery shopping. “Instacart delivery will become the new normal for them,” Dychtwald said. GATHERINGS Forced social distancing. Whenever or wherever large families gather, people exhibiting COVID-like symptoms may not be welcomed under any circumstances, Ayati said. Older folks will disengage, at a cost. Depression will skyrocket among older people who isolate from family gettogethers and large gatherings, Ayati said. “As the older population pulls back from engaging in society, this is a very bad thing.” Public restrooms will be revamped. For germ avoidance, they’ll increasingly get no-touch toilets, urinals, sinks, and entrances/exits. “One of the most disastrous places you can go into is a public restroom,” Poland said. “That’s about the riskiest place.” Source: Bruce Horovitz at Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a nonprofit news service covering health issues.

Fall 2020

ARTS

How Does Your Garden Grow? “To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” -Alfred Austin One of the participants of the "How Does Your Garden Grow" group at SourcePoint, facilitated by member Josie Lake, has been working on her garden during the pandemic. She finds a sense of calm and joy from her garden. “I do this because I love it.” Upon reflection, she sees the garden as a microcosm of life. The garden has a beginning, middle, and end. Everything has a cycle. She plants flowers for the soul. Of course, there is always something that needs to be done—watering, weeding, planning. She goes to bed thinking about what she will do the next day in her garden and of how she will accomplish it. She enjoys the nature of her garden, not only the lovely growing things, but also the visits from birds, butterflies, and squirrels. She has added about 125 bags of stone to her garden this season. She also added a statue that reminds her of herself enjoying the serenity of her space. Many of the growing things remind her of memories from her past, such as the pine tree that one of her children brought home from second grade in a cup that now is as tall as the house. When her son visits, he checks on the tree’s progress. “The yard makes memories” of her and her family’s personal journey. Working steadily, she has accomplished much. It has been a wonderful escape for her during the pandemic and has given her much peace, joy, and satisfaction. Another blessing of the garden is sharing. She loves to give away plants or seeds to perpetuate what she has begun. You, too, can have a lovely garden, one step at a time. She recommends joining the "How Does your Garden Grow" group or another garden group to get ideas, tips, and learn to nurture your soul. Joan Pearse is the arts and education manager at SourcePoint and can be contacted at 740-203-2410 or joan@MySourcePoint.org.

Connections Writers have a unique connection to each other, which is on full display each month in SourcePoint's creative writing class. We doubt our talents and stumble trying to find the perfect phrase or bon mot. We seek inspiration when Muse has left us staring at a blank page with an equally blank mind. We are never sure we are talented enough to occupy a seat in the classroom. As a group, we appreciate the sharing of ideas, the giving of criticism in a kindly manner, and the experiencing of emotions that each writer contributes with his offerings. We give praise and encouragement. We need each other. The pandemic has turned my writing world upside-down. My sense of abandonment could easily heighten my feelings of isolation and loneliness were it not for instructor Joan Pearse’s efforts to keep us together with her weekly writing prompts, inspirational quotes, and kind words. Anyone willing to share their writings sends them to Joan, who in turn shares them via email to the entire group. I appreciate the group’s effort to stay connected. Instead of listening to each writer’s work, we are able to read and reread the submissions, which has added depth to the experience. It is easy to reach out to each other for comments, suggestions, and praise. The creative writing group is a family. We look out for one another. We cheer for every success and console for every rejection. We share deep feelings, dark secrets, and lifenumbing insecurities in the name of a good story or personal essay. We know what is true and what is fabricated. We know our secrets are safe with the members of the group. My life is enriched by my social connection to my creative writing tribe. Donna Bingham is a member at SourcePoint.

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Fall 2020

How Do I Love My Writing Class?

Coming Home

Let me count the ways.

I recently discovered a new home.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a time of socialization To help us pass our days.

It is a home for which my spirit has been longing. Here I find kindred spirits who bid me welcome. Here, I immediately experience a sense of belonging and acceptance.

Encouraged to write from what we know And also things we see

Within this home there lives a special family. Each member of the family shares their thoughts with the others. Some of them are deep thinkers, some are spiritual, and some are humorous. Some share very complicated thoughts, which leave me pondering many questions. Some share simple experiences and simple truths, which speak to my soul. Some make me laugh aloud, while others leave me with tears gathering on the brink of flowing. These people make jokes, tease one another, and never, ever take themselves too seriously.

Putting thoughts on paper We then become free Of things that give us sorrow We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t carry into tomorrow. And sharing joys, a pleasure Our writing class... a treasure. Kaarisa Carlsen is a member at SourcePoint.

Becoming a part of this family is a blessing, for which I will remain forever grateful. I have come home and my spirit dances with joy. Judy Titus is a member at SourcePoint.

Writing Connection We are living through a tough time. The social isolation, the boring sameness of the days, and the endless stream of dire news has fostered frustration, fear, and depression in many people. I am no exception. An important part of my life has been the connection to my fellow writers. Being able to read their work and sharing mine has fulfilled a critical need for me. I read their words on a computer now, but still hear their voices. Of course, it's not as satisfying as being together in person, but it's the next best thing during this difficult time. I am grateful to the instructor and SourcePoint for keeping the creative writing group connected. Judy Titus is a member at SourcePoint.

Window to the World I'm so thankful that a window to the world and the sharing with others through a virtual creative writing group has remained in my life during these stressful and isolating times we are living. Not only does our delightful leader continue to encourage and surprise us with new "thinking" challenges, but the simple beauty and grateful satisfaction of reading others' thoughtful writings has been an unexpected privilege. I look forward to receiving the group email, and something to look forward to is a VERY BIG thing indeed! Meg Williams is a member at SourcePoint.

Caring for a loved one takes time, effort, and hard work. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE. SourcePoint connects Delaware County caregivers to free resources and support, including workshops and monthly groups.

Learn more at MySourcePoint.org/caregiver MySourcePoint.org

Fall 2020

NUTRITION

Are Air Fryers Healthier than Oil Frying? We all know that it can be a challenge to balance healthy food choices with a desire to eat what tastes good. When it comes down to it, most of us have the occasional (or frequent) hankering for some mouthwatering fried food. However, while delicious, fried foods—when consumed too often—are responsible for contributing to a number of different health issues, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, and cancer. As our society is becoming more and more health conscious and health focused, air fryers are rapidly growing in popularity—and why not? A healthy alternative to making your favorite traditionally fried foods? It seems like a win-win! So are air fryers really a better choice for your diet and overall health? We talked with OhioHealth dietitian, Michelle Mills, RDN, LD, to find out. The Benefits to Cooking with Air Fryers Air fryers allow you to create that trademark crispy texture of fried food without all the excess calories. “Air fryers simplify the cooking process and you don’t have to add a lot of fat from oil to get a crispy texture,” said Mills. “It’s a healthier alternative to traditional frying.” “There are less calories from added fat,” said Mills. One of the biggest benefits of using an air fryer over the traditional method of frying food, is that air fryers use considerably less oil— essentially eliminating a huge percentage of the fat content and calories from your food. Additionally, air fryers reduce instances of acrylamide formation, a toxic substance that is created in some foods when cooked at very high temperatures. This process

can happen with traditional deep frying, and acrylamide has been linked to causing certain types of cancer including pancreatic, breast, ovarian, and kidney cancer.

Quicker, Easier, and Cleaner! Air frying your food is usually a much quicker process with a lot less mess. As far as convenience goes, air fryers are a great option. You may even want to consider using an air fryer as a way to reheat your fried leftovers from the night before. This will ensure that your food stays crispy instead of the alternative—soggy reheated microwave fries. “You can cook a lot more than sweet potato fries,” said Mills. “Air fryers are a time saver as they can cook meats within 30 to 45 minutes and roasted vegetables in about 15 to 20 minutes.” Other Factors to Consider Air frying your food is not a fix-all. While air fryers are a better option than traditional deep frying methods, that doesn’t mean it should always be used in place of other healthier ways of preparing your food like roasting, steaming, and grilling. Continue to eat a balanced diet. It is important to maintain a balanced diet and consume fried (even air fried) food sparingly. You should be sure to always incorporate healthy options like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet. So, what’s the bottom line? Fried food is still fried food, so remember to consume it in moderation. However, air fryers make a great alternative to eating traditionally fried foods when you’re craving a crispy treat! Source: OhioHealth

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Fall 2020 RECIPES

Low-Carb Salmon Cakes Prep time: 35 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves: 4 These low-carb paleo salmon cakes are made in the air fryer so they're juicy and crispy without all the oil. A healthy, gluten-, grain-, dairy-, sugar-free meal! INGREDIENTS 1 lb Fresh Atlantic Salmon side (half a side) 1/4 cup avocado, mashed 1/4 cup cilantro, diced, plus additional for garnish 1 1/2 tsp yellow curry powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 cup plus 4 tsp tapioca starch, divided (40g) 2 organic cage-free brown eggs 1/2 cup organic coconut flakes (30g) Organic coconut oil, melted (for brushing) For the greens: 2 tsp organic coconut oil, melted 6 cups arugula and spinach mix, tightly packed Pinch of sea salt DIRECTIONS 1. Remove the skin from the salmon, dice the flesh, and add it into a large bowl. 2. Add in the avocado, cilantro, curry powder, sea salt, and stir until well mixed. Then, stir in 4 tsp of the tapioca starch until well incorporated. 3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the salmon into eight 1/4 cup-sized patties, just over 1/2 inch thick, and place them onto the pan. Freeze for 20 minutes so they are easier to work with. 4. While the patties freeze, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, rubbing the basket with coconut oil. Additionally, whisk the eggs and place them into a shallow plate. Place the remaining 1/4 cup of tapioca starch and the coconut flakes in separate shallow plates, as well. 5. Once the patties have chilled, dip one into the tapioca starch, making sure it's fully covered. Then, dip it into the egg, covering it entirely, and gently brushing off any excess. Finally, press just the top and sides of the cake into the coconut flakes and place it, coconut flake-side up, into the air fryer. Repeat with all cakes. 6. Gently brush the tops with a little bit of melted coconut oil (optional, but recommended) and cook until the outside is golden brown and crispy, and the inside is juicy and tender, about 15 minutes. Note: the patties will stick to the air fryer basket a little, so use a sharp-edged spatula to remove them. 7. When the cakes have about 5 minutes left to cook, heat the

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31 coconut oil up in a large pan on medium heat. Add in the arugula and spinach mix and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring constantly, until the greens just begin to wilt, only 30 seconds to 1 minute. 8. Divide the greens between 4 plates, followed by the salmon cakes. Garnish with extra cilantro and devour! NUTRITIONAL DATA: Per serving: 519 calories, 29 grams fat, 10 grams saturated fat, 109 mg cholesterol, 981 mg sodium, 26 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams dietary fiber, 41 grams protein

Air-Fried Chicken Wings Prep time: 10 minutes (does not include time marinating) Cook time: 15 minutes Serves: 4 A delicious dish for game day or a guys night! INGREDIENTS 1 lb wingettes (thawed and patted dry) 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 medium lemon (juice only) 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 2 tsp parsley flakes 1/2 tsp onion powder Oil or cooking spray (optional) DIRECTIONS 1. Thaw and pat dry all the raw wingettes. 2. In a large bowl, drizzle olive oil over wingettes and squeeze lemon juice over the chicken. 3. Add seasonings. 4. Massage into chicken, being sure all sides are coated. Marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge. 5. Place wings into the air fryer and spray with cooking spray for a crispier skin. 6. Set temperature to 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip wings and raise temperature up to 380 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Once chicken is just about cooked, raise temperature to 400 degrees for an additional 5 minutes. 7. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and a side of veggies. NUTRITIONAL DATA: Per serving: 296 calories, 22 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 87 mg cholesterol, 572 mg sodium, 2 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 22 grams protein

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 In-Home Care Services  Community Programs  Family Caregiver Support Donations to SourcePoint support vital aging services and help us serve more seniors—now and in the future. With a gift, you support the older adults in your home, your neighborhood, and your community. Learn more at MySourcePoint.org/give or call 740-363-6677.

My Communicator | Fall 2020

Articles inside

Low-Carb Salmon Cakes Air-Fried Chicken Wings

Emergency Preparedness

Flu Vaccine More Important than Ever

PTSD in Military Veterans

Are Air Fryers Healthier than Oil Frying?

What to Expect in a Post-Vaccine World

The Wrights Get it Right

A COVID-19 Decision Aid