50 JJanuary 2011 2 01 | The magazine for active, mature lifestyles
plus!
ORAL STORYTELLING PRESERVES HISTORY
4
CREATE A PERSONAL PENSION PLAN
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Recording our stories to create and preserve family identity and history.
Tips and options to plan for your financial future.
FEATURE STORY:
BUILDING FUTURES
Wakefield the Face of Local Habitat for Humanity Chapter
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Table of Contents . January 2011
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Make A Note to Yourself to be Grateful Each Day
3
Oral Storytelling Preserves History
4
Create a Personal Pension Plan
5
Exercise, Drink Tea to Prevent Dementia
6
Things To Do
7
Savvy Senior
11
On the Cover: BUILDING FUTURES
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Jean Wakefield, executive director of Manitowoc County Habitat for Humanity, poses inside the living room, with the kitchen in the background, of the latest home the chapter built, at 2401 S. 21st St., Manitowoc, for the Vue Xiong family. Sue Pischke/50 Plus
Staff
Pat Pankratz, 50 Plus! Editor 920-686-2138 ppankratz@htrnews.com James Maurer, Advertising Manager 920-684-4433 jmaurer2@manitowoc.gannett.com. 50 Plus! is published monthly by the Herald Times Reporter. It also is distributed to select businesses in Manitowoc County.
ADRC Focus on Transportation Needs Judy Rank | For 50 plus! As 2010 draws to an end, there is no better time than now to reflect on the many blessings bestowed upon us during this year. While there are some who may have fallen upon difficult times this year, Manitowoc County is abundant with resources and generous people willing to help those less fortunate. As 2011 approaches, take the opportunity to look at ways of helping yourself and others who may need your support.
Staff from the ADRC are trained to counsel with people about options that they can afford with their own resources, as well as options that are available for individuals who have spent through their resources. Individuals must be both functionally eligible and financially eligible The Aging and Disability Resource before they can access either of these programs. Center (ADRC) is very grateful for the many individuals who have chosen The managed care organization is operated by to share their time and expertise with Lakeland Care District. This program provides a the agency to help fulfill its mission of case manager that helps to coordinate services. providing information and resources to The Include, Respect, Self-Direct (IRIS) the elderly and disabled that allow them program provides an independent consultant to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the who can assist an individual in setting up his/ community. This past year the ADRC, her own care program. Services are available for with the help of nearly 20 very caring individuals who are developmentally disabled, and committed volunteers, was able to physically disabled, and/or elderly. establish transportation opportunities for our rural elderly population. With the delivery of two minivans from the Department of Transportation, the villages of Kellnersville, St. Nazianz, Valders, Reedsville and Mishicot have a designated day during the week in which individuals who are elderly and disabled, and who lack transportation opportunities, may utilize the van service into the city of Manitowoc for just $3 one way. This program will expand to other communities during 2011. More information about the program is available by contacting Linda Grider, mobility manager for the county, by calling the ADRC at (920) 683-4180.
Prevention is Key Prevention is a key component of the ADRC’s mission. Its goal is to assist people in staying healthy and out of expensive health care institutions. In 2010 emphasis was placed on expanding Stepping On, a seven-week program that teaches skills that can increase balance and prevent falls. The ADRC is hoping to work with Kewaunee County in 2011 in promoting its Living Well program. This six-week program helps participants who have a chronic condition to understand their capabilities and limits so that they are able to better care for themselves. Volunteers are being sought to be co-facilitators to help expand this program. Training will take place in the next few months. Please call the ADRC for more information or to volunteer. All of the staff of the ADRC wish everyone a Happy New Year. Judy Rank is executive director of the Manitowoc County Aging and Disability Resource Center.
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The ADRC will be working with the Department of Transportation in conducting a survey to identify future transportation needs that will be required as baby boomers begin to enter retirement age. Surveys are available by contacting the ADRC. It may become available on the county’s website in the future. Please watch for news releases that will provide more information about the survey.
Meaningful • Appropr iate • Affordable Sensitive to your choice in celebrating a life.
The census data that has been collected in 2010 will be helpful in identifying the number of households in the county that do not have an automobile, as well as the number of individuals over the age of 18 who cannot drive. This information will be combined with the survey results to establish future transportation needs.
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Family Care The ADRC is entering its 10th month of assisting people in acquiring long term-care support through Family Care. Long term care services that were provided through a Community Options
2 . January Janu Ja 2011 . 50 plus!
Program offered by the county’s Human Services Department has been successfully transferred to either a managed care organization or through a self directed program called IRIS. The ADRC serves as the single entry point for long-term care services.
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Make A Note to Yourself to be Grateful Each Day Virtually no one writes thank-you notes anymore. That includes me. I have no excuse, other than laziness and horrible handwriting. I even have a box of crisp, cream-colored Crane cards — my name engraved on top — just perfect for dashing off a note. The box is full. Instead, I’ll pick up the phone or send a quick e-mail to say thank you. Give me some credit here. I think that’s better than doing nothing, don’t you? Most people these days do just that. Nothing. Take them to a nice dinner? Nothing.
around the wrong crowd. I do have some friends who actually still write thank-you notes. I can count them on one hand. There must be a special place in the afterlife for them. I would also bet once they got there, they’d send a thank-you note to whoever it was who gave them the upgrade. On lovely stationery, too. Written in fountain pen. These days, I’d take any sign of gratitude, any signal. I’d settle for smoke. Heck, I’d settle for Elvis. “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Buy them a birthday present? Nothing.
For decades now writers to newspaper advice columnists have complained about this.
Send some money? Nothing. Maybe I’m hanging
How do we know if they got the wedding
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How do we know if the grandkids got their birthday cards with the money in it? Again, nothing. Not even a phone call. And now, with Christmas come and gone, the same questions will be asked. Did they get the present? Did they like it? John Kralik has gone a bit the other way. I’m still trying to figure out if he’s a nutcase or not. He spent a year writing one thank-you note a day. Yes, 365 of them. That’s the name of his new book, 365 Thank Yous: The Year a Simple Act of Daily Gratitude Changed My Life (Hyperion, $22.99), out Dec. 28. Kralik’s life was falling apart so he decided — he heard a voice! — to learn to be grateful for what he had by writing a thank-you note every day — to a relative, a colleague, the barista at Starbucks. Worked for him. When I got hit by a car earlier this year, I was humbled by the outpouring of support. Cards. Letters. Food. Flowers. I’m ashamed to say I did not write one thankyou note. But I thanked everyone in one way or another, mostly in person, which I think is even better than a note. I did not respond to the driver who hit me, though. Some things are better left unsaid.
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Oral Storytelling Preserves History
These are our own personal stories, the stories of our lives, of our parents’ lives and our grandparents’ lives. Oral history is one of the hot topics right now and, considering the digital nature of our society, may be one of our most important legacies. Perhaps you are familiar with National Public Radio’s StoryCorp, an oral history program whose “mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives.” This national program has collected 30,000 stories since its founding in 2003 and, while it is an important endeavor, we assume that it is national and has little to do with us. Why are our own histories meaningful to our families? Our stories create a patchwork history of personal and family identity that gives our children, grandchildren and future generations a glimpse into their history; our stories give a strong sense of identity. When you consider that you may remember your own grandparents and can tell their stories, that history could reach back 100 years or more. What a rich legacy. This type of history is not the stuff history books are made of, it is the stuff that real life is made of. Perhaps you grew up during The Great Depression, fought in World War II or the Korean Conflict, and, if you are a baby boomer, were involved in the Women’s Movement, the Hippie movement, or the Vietnam War. If you farmed, worked in a factory, were a professional, what was that like? This is living history, what history books do not cover, the real story in history, the fabric of everyday people living everyday lives. Constructing a family history includes our immigrant stories, our struggles for education — or coping with the lack of it — the struggle for equality, or keeping our families together in tough times. Often we assume our families know our stories, but they don’t and if we do not tell them, the story is lost. That was something discovered by student interviewers at UW-Milwaukee’s Hmong Diaspora Studies Program. Children who heard their grandparents’ stories of the Hmong emigration to the United States commented, “You never told me,” to which their elders responded, “You never asked.” This is an opportunity to open lines of communication between generations. In 2008, Laurel Grove Assisted Living Center in Manitowoc began a project with the writing students in Professor Laura Apfelbeck’s writing
class at UW-Manitowoc. The students were instructed to list the historic times in the past 75 years they would be interested in, and the list was matched with the experiences of the Laurel Grove residents who participated. What the two groups created, and continue to create, is a lasting gift to the community. Many students, when first given the assignment, felt this was the worst task they would have in the semester. When finished, they found that they had learned much from the people they interviewed about history, about tough times, about wedding traditions and families, and about aging. At Wisconsin Oral History Day held at UWMilwaukee in March 2010, Professor Apfelbeck noted that “the best stories are not the ones we hear in the living room, they’re the stories we hear in the kitchen, the real stories.”
invisible to the viewer; their role is to keep the interview on track, to evoke responses and to move the interview back to something that appears to have been important and needs filling out. Use open-ended questions that evoke a response, questions such as “how did rural electrification change your life?” or “What was it like for a kid from rural Wisconsin to land in Italy during the war?”
As time goes on, commented Turnbull, the work becomes very precious. Essentially, to launch your project you need two things: a list of questions and electronic equipment. It needn’t be elaborate and could be as simple as a tape or kind of audio player. Perhaps the most efficient method is using a small digital camera with a small tabletop tri-pod to fix the camera in place at the correct height to record and tape the interview.
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This is the easiest to use and is very accessible for transcription and copying. Digital movie cameras, from which you can download videos to your computer, can cost as little as $100 and small tripods are under $20. Prepare a list of questions before the interview. StoryCorp’s web site (www.storycorps.org) contains a good set of basic questions. Some you may want to skip and some will give you ideas of where you can take an interview on a more personal or more important note. For example, if you or your interviewee had been on a submarine or worked at the Manitowoc Shipyards during WWII, that could evoke a set of specific questions. A quiet place, such as the living room or the kitchen table, are perfect settings. When you begin your interview, identify the interviewer, the interviewee, the date and the location including the state to frame the interview’s place in history. Ask the foundation questions first, where the person was born, their position in the family, the number of siblings, and background information on their family. It is important that the interviewer be almost WI-5001237510
4 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
Once recorded, these family records can be burned to DVDs from your computer and make special family gifts. The stories of where we come from are important, sharing our stories is sharing our history.
Home to
Getting started may be daunting but, with a little thought and organization, it is not complicated. Peggy Turnbull, librarian at UW-Manitowoc, commented at Oral History Day that what is important is getting started. Over-planning can weigh a project down and slow the start. With the Laurel Grove/UW-Manitowoc project, students and faculty created an organic program that evolved, with hurdles being addressed as they occurred. The point is to begin collecting stories because living history is tenuous.
Susan Frost is president of Frost Marketing Communications, Inc., a marketing, advertising, and public relations firm. She is an associate lecturer in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
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Storytelling has traditionally been a delightful way to engage children. Most of us remember curling up on the lap of a parent or older relative to hear their stories. But there are more stories, grown-up stories that are equally, and perhaps even more important.
For much of the recent past, individuals entering retirement could look to a number of potential sources for the steady income needed to maintain a decent standard of living. They include: ■ Defined Benefit (DB) employer pensions: In these plans the employer promises to pay a specified monthly amount for the life of the retiree and/or spouse. Very few nongovernmental employers offer these plans any more.
Social Security: Designed to replace only a part of an individual’s working income. Social Security provides a known benefit for the life of a retiree and his or her spouse. ■
■ Defined Contribution (DC) plans: Such as 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plans, which allow for contributions from the employee (and in some cases from the employer as well) to a retirement account. The funds in the account, whatever they amount to at retirement, are used to provide retirement income. ■ Individual retirement plans: Such as Traditional
IRAs or Roth IRAs. These are “individual” versions of employer sponsored DC plans. The funds in the IRA at retirement, whatever the amount, are also used to provide retirement income.
The Changing Face of Retirement The saying that “life is what happens when you’re making other plans” is particularly true when it comes to retirement income planning for several key reasons: ■ Fewer employer pensions: Over the past several
We make
Steve Ford is a State Farm agent in Manitowoc. He can be contacted at (920) 682-2997; or e-mail steve@stevefordagency.com.
decades, many employers have changed from defined benefit to defined contribution plans. This eliminates the employer’s future liability. From 1985 to 2000, for example, the rate of participation in defined benefit plans by full-time employees of medium and large private firms dropped from 80 percent to 36 percent. Social Security: Social Security is a “pay-asyou-go” system, with current workers supporting those already receiving benefits. As the baby boom generation begins to retire, the number of individuals remaining in the workforce to support them grows smaller. Although politically unpleasant, fiscal reality may force higher payroll taxes, reductions in benefits, or both.
■
■ We’re living longer: A child born in 1900 had an average life expectancy of 47.3 years. For a child born in 2007, however, average life expectancy had increased to 77.9 years.
markets could lead to outliving your assets.
One Possible Answer Life insurance is designed to help solve the problems created when someone dies prematurely. An annuity, on the other hand, is designed to protect against the possibility of living too long. An “immediate” annuity is a contract between an individual and a life insurance company. In exchange for a single, lump-sum premium, the insurance company agrees to begin paying a regular income to you for a period of years or for life.
With the stable, lifetime income stream from employer pensions and Social Security playing an ever-shrinking role, retirement income planning demands that each individual accept a higher degree of personal responsibility for both accumulating and managing the assets needed to pay for retirement. And managing these assets has to be done in a world where fluctuating interest rates and sometimes volatile financial markets are a fact of life.
Payout period selected — A shorter payout period usually results in a larger payment.
Extended life spans mean that money has to last longer, although exactly how long is unknown. Rampant inflation, a bad investment, major health problems, or an extended period of “down”
Immediate fixed annuities provide the security of a guaranteed income. Even if returns on other investments slump — either because of falling interest rates, a weak economy, or a shaky stock
Medicare Supplements
The payment amount depends on a number of factors: Premium paid — The larger the payment, the larger the income stream. ■
Age — Older individuals typically receive larger payments.
■
■
Immediate annuities appeal to people who receive a lump sum of money from a retirement plan, stock options, or inheritance, and who want to make sure that the money generates income for the rest of their lives. Immediate annuities may also be a smart solution for those who feel uncomfortable about managing investments on their own. Annuities are not insured by the FDIC or any government agency. Since an annuity may be payable for decades into the future, dealing with a financially solid insurer is essential. Credit rating companies such as A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, or Moody’s can provide an objective measure of a firm’s financial stability.
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Exercise, Drink Tea to Prevent Dementia Improved living and diet habits — including lots of physical activity, regular tea-drinking and sufficient vitamin D levels — could reduce the risk of brain decline, according to three studies presented recently. “These are encouraging,” says William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. “These types of studies make people think, ‘Well gosh, maybe I can do something about this disease.’ ” The studies were presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Honolulu. One of the studies is from the Framingham, Mass., cardiovascular risk study, in which researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, among others, tracked more than 1,200 elderly people over 20 years, 242 of whom developed dementia. The researchers found that participants who had moderate to heavy levels of physical activity had about a 40 percent lower risk of developing any type of dementia. Those who reported the least amount of activity were 45 percent more likely to develop dementia compared with those who logged higher levels of activity. In a second study, including data on more than 4,800 men and women ages 65 and older, participants were followed for up to 14 years. Tea
drinkers had less mental decline than non-tea drinkers. Those who drank tea one to four times a week had average annual rates of decline 37 percent lower than people who didn’t drink tea. Coffee didn’t show any influence except at the highest levels of consumption, researchers say. Author Lenore Arab of UCLA says, “Interestingly, the observed associations are unlikely to be related to caffeine, which is present in coffee at levels two to three times higher than in tea.” In a third study, British researchers looked at vitamin D’s effect on brain health. They examined data from 3,325 U.S. adults ages 65 and older from the NHANES III study. Vitamin D levels were measured by blood test, and cognitive tests were administered. Odds of cognitive impairment were about 42 percent higher in those deficient in vitamin D, and 394 percent higher in people severely deficient. “Vitamin D is neuro-protective in a number of ways, including the protection of the brain’s blood supply and the clearance of toxins,” says author David Llewellyn of the University of Exeter Peninsula Medical School. “More and more studies are suggesting that lifestyle changes may be able to silence the expression of risk genes, a phenomenon called epigenetics,” says Duke University’s Murali Doraiswamy, an expert on aging. He says learning how to tap into that is going to be a high priority.
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50 THINGS TO DO plus!
Rummage-A-Rama Jan. 8 at the Manitowoc County Expo.
Perfect for selling or buying items like crafts, antiques, collectibles and Amish bakery. Concessions are available, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fee charged.
Adult Education Series: The Wonder of It All Snow Shoe Hike Jan. 12 at Woodland Dunes, rural Two Rivers.
Enjoy an easy hike along a conifer trail to explore the landscape and learn winter survival strategies. Noon. Free. (920) 793-4007
SweetWater Sea Concerts/Red Star Express | Jan. 15 at 620 Park St.
One block east of the Rahr-West Art Museum. Solid harmonies and splendid instrumentals from a gifted core of players. 7 p.m.
Pine Needle Basket Weaving Class Jan. 16, Woodland Dunes.
Bring a small scissors, a thimble, and reading glasses, and join Linda Conroy to learn this traditional art form. Noon to 4:30 p.m. (920) 793-4007
“Deer Camp: The Musical” Jan. 29, 7:30 p.m. Capitol Civic Centre
UW-Manitowoc Lakeshore Big Band “The Biggest of the Big Bands: The Best of Broadway” Jan. 22, Capitol Civic Centre.
50 Plus file photo
Selections include A Broadway Journey: 25 Years of Golden Musical Classics, Cole Porter on Broadway, Brass on Broadway, and Phantom of the Opera, 7:30 p.m. (920) 683-4733
“Deer Camp: The Musical” Jan. 29, Capitol Civic Centre,
Four buddies from Elmwood take a hunting trip and the only ones that are safe in the woods are the deer! Hilarious songs. 7:30 p.m. (920) 683-2184
Candlelight Ski & Hike Jan. 29, Point Beach State Forest.
Ski and hike on wooded, candlelit trails. Warm up in the lodge in front of a blazing fire while listening to live music and enjoying food and refreshments. 5 p.m. (920) 793-3860
Michael Arendt will lead the UW-Manitowoc Lakeshore Big Band in a tribute to the hits of Broadway on Jan. 22, at the Capitol Civic Centre. 50 Plus file photo
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BUILDING FUTURES
Wakefield the Face of Local Habitat for Humanity Chapter Bill Leist, right, a Manitowoc County Habitat for Humanity volunteer, works with soon-tobe-homeowner Vue Xiong to frame a window of the newest Habitat home, located at 2401 S. 21st St., Manitowoc. In the background painting is volunteer Pete Wagner from Kiel. Debra Horn | 50 Plus!
By Debra Horn 50 plus! Correspondent Jean Wakefield has been the executive director of Manitowoc County’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity since March of 2001. Even after 10 years, her passion for the organization has not waned. In fact, she said it has grown even stronger over the years. She has hopes and dreams for the organization that she hopes to make a reality. Before Wakefield and her husband moved to
8 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
Manitowoc, she was executive director of the Prairie Arts Council in Indiana, a nonprofit arts council. When Habitat for Humanity was searching for an executive director, it was hoping to find someone with nonprofit experience and found what they were looking for in Wakefield. She is the local chapter’s only employee. She wears many hats and is the “face” of the organization. She works in the office, writes grants, goes to various meetings, does the bookkeeping and
works with homeowners.
Many Volunteers
“It’s a lot,” she said. “It’s a full-time job, plus.”
There is also a volunteer committee that helps recruit groups to come to build sites to help construct Habitat homes. This has included Roncalli High School students, the Lincoln High School Building and Trades Class, church groups, Girl Scout troops, and Washington Junior High School students. They have also worked with the Restitution Program, the RSVP program and Job Service.
Wakefield, 59, is also a member of the Family Selection Committee, which includes four other people, including two members of the board of directors. They go through the applications that are submitted and choose the families to be future homeowners. They usually receive between 10 and 30 applications annually.
“We have a core volunteer group that comes out every time we work,” Wakefield said. “We work three days a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We average about 12 to 15 volunteers per day.
per week to Habitat, with 30 of those hours on site. He has been site supervisor for the past five years because, “It’s just something that needs to be done. We can help a lot of families.”
“We’ve got people that are really passionate about Habitat, so they’re out there every time there’s a work day, which is great, fantastic.”
Wakefield at one time was the temporary site supervisor.
For instance, Lee Fischer, 70, has been helping out the past five years. He has no prior construction experience but has learned on the job. Paul Schmid worked for a contractor for about five years after retirement and decided to put his experience to work for Humanity the past few years because, he said, “people need help.” Ron Ratajczak, also retired, has been helping out for a few years also. “Life has been good to me so I can return some things,” he said. Bill Leist, 61, is retired and is putting his time and construction experience to good use for the local Habitat for Humanity. “I’ve got the time,” he said. “I’ve got the talent. It’s a worthwhile cause and needs to be done.” He plans to continue to help for many years. Pete Wagner from Kiel is a newcomer, having started last summer. “I wanted to do something for the community. I’ve been wanting to help out Habitat for some time, so I talked to Jean. She said, ‘Come on over,’ and they put me to work.” There is also a site supervisor, Al Raedel, who is a general contractor. He contributes 40 hours
Anyone Can Do It “What’s nice about this job is since I’ve been here, I have learned how to do building,” she said. “I can read blueprints now, all these different things that I couldn’t do before, I can do. So when people call and say, ‘Hey, I’d really like to come out but I’ve never built anything,’ we tell them come on out because there is going to be someone there who is going to be able to help you and instruct you.”
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She added, “If you can pick up a hammer, you can build.” Habitat for Humanity is a Christianbased organization that believes strongly in the “theology of the hammer.”
We offer the warm, comfortable feeling of home without the added worries.
“In other words, it doesn’t make any difference how wealthy you are, how poor you are, what your job is, whether you have a job or not, what church you go to or don’t go to. People are getting together for a common cause, trying to help someone less fortunate become a homeowner,” Wakefield said. “This is a good way for people to learn about construction, about house building, but they also work side-by-side with the families. You learn about different people’s struggles.” It takes three months to build a Habitat home. During that time, the family is required to put in continued on page 10
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She added that many of the volunteers are retirees.
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Call for more information and to plan for a tour.
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continued from page 9 350 hours of “sweat equity.” Wakefield has found out, however, that the families end up putting in much more than the required hours. “They get their 350 hours of sweat equity in and it’s like, ‘I can’t stop now. This is my house,’” she laughed.
Time To Celebrate After the house is completed and passes a city inspection, a certificate of occupancy is awarded and a day is set aside for an open house dedication. “It’s a day where people can come in and take a look at the house to see what we have built,” Wakefield said.
The family is there that day, their friends, volunteers and board members. “It’s just a way to say this is an important step in your life and we’re here to celebrate with you,” she said.
outlying communities in order to serve people in need in places like Valders, Mishicot, Francis Creek or Whitelaw, for example. “I would like to see the affiliate get to the point where it’s building four, five, six homes a year. Right now, it’s doing two homes a year,” Wakefield said.
“When you have an open house dedication and everything is done and the family is standing there and their house is being blessed and they’re given the keys to their home, it’s like, yeah, we did good,” said Jean.
That way, even more families would be helped by the local organization.
Thirty-five families have been housed in Manitowoc and Two Rivers since the local Habitat for Humanity organization began. The first house was dedicated in November 1989 in Two Rivers.
“People come to Habitat for many, many reasons,” Wakefield said. “My job is to make sure that they’re happy enough after visiting once that they’d like to come back again and help. And I think most are. They get a bug.”
One of Wakefield’s dreams for the local organization is to see it branch out to some of the
CROSSWORD THEME: MUSIC MAKERS ACROSS
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ANSWER:
10 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
PUZZLE SOLUTION
1. Make fit for something else 6. Chitchat 9. m in F = ma 13. Robin Hood’s companion Tuck, e.g. 14. 2nd largest bird 15. *Yo-Yo’s instrument 16. The A in AV 17. Sea in Spain 18. Kitchen tear-jerker 19. *”Dueling ______” 21. What lawyers often do 23. Pine juice 24. It’s been called “a good walk spoiled” 25. Piping material 28. Wine country 30. Card carrier 35. Birdbrain 37. Type of poker 39. _____ 66 40. ____-de-camp 41. Chased up a tree 43. Chills and fever 44. Frown with anger or disapproval 46. *Type of vest used by marching band drummer 47. Skidded 48. Non-physical aspect of a sport 50. St. ____, patron saint of Norway 52. Female suffix 53. *Black Eyed ____ 55. Roman three 57. *Popular instrument of modern heros 60. Heavy windbreaker 63. Explorer who served Kublai Khan 64. Take more than one’s share 66. *Singer-songwriter Kravitz 68. Famous fabulist 69. “You ___ what you eat” 70. *Not mainstream 71. Architectural drawing 72. Recently deceased Kennedy 73. Bird homes
DOWN
1. School for cadets 2. Beat thoroughly 3. *Verdi’s famous opus 4. No gains without these 5. USC player 6. Diamonds and rubies, e.g. 7. American Medical Association 8. Donkey in Mexico 9. Carte du jour 10. Alight, past tense 11. ____ gin fiz 12. Daughter’s brother 15. Valuables storage? 20. Abstractionism using optical illusion 22. Freddy’s scary street 24. Shade providers 25. Colorless watery fluid of blood 26. *Human instrument 27. DNA strand of bases 29. Actor’s role 31. Extinct flightless birds of New Zealand 32. *”Reveille” instrument 33. Ladies’ pocketbooks 34. *Woodwind mouthpieces 36. Salamander 38. Ardor 42. Sink hole 45. As opposed to desktop 49. Unit of length of yarn 51. *Stradivari’s instrument 54. Buddhist in state of nirvana 56. *”What A Feeling” singer Cara 57. Celt 58. Sky bear 59. Desktop picture 60. Matured, as in wine or cheese 61. No ifs or buts either 62. Make with needles 63. Traveler’s helper 65. Metal-bearing rock 67. “Oui” in English
9'# 5 .'% . 9 , Jim Miller
Medicare’s preventive services getting better
Dear Searching: It’s true! Starting Jan. 1, as part of the new health care reform law, everyone with Original Medicare will have access to many important preventive health services, and most of them they won’t cost you a cent. Here’s what you should know.
No Cost-Sharing Over the years, Medicare has covered a number of preventive health screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies with varying levels of cost-sharing (that includes deductibles, coinsurance or copayments). Cost-sharing for preventive services typically means that you, the beneficiary, pay 20 percent of the cost of the service (Medicare picks up the other 80 percent), after you’ve met your $155 Part B deductible. But starting Jan. 1, 2011, Medicare beneficiaries will no longer have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for most preventive services, including annual wellness visits, which are being added to the program to help keep you healthy. Here’s a breakdown of the different preventive services that Medicare will soon be offering that will be completely free.
Wellness Visits In addition to the one-time Welcome to Medicare physical (which new beneficiaries can get but only within their first year of enrollment in Part B), free annual wellness visits with your physician will now be available. These visits will give your doctor the opportunity to develop and maintain an ongoing personalized prevention plan for improving your health. Each exam will include body and blood pressure measurements, a review your medical history including any medications you’re taking and care you may be receiving from other health care providers, an assessment of your cognitive condition, and establish an appropriate screening schedule for the next five to 10 years.
Health Screenings In addition to the wellness visits, here’s a list of the free health screenings and vaccinations Medicare will be offering its beneficiaries in 2011, along with the eligibility requirements you’ll need to meet to get them. ■Breast cancer: Yearly mammograms will be offered to women age 40 and older with
11 . January 2011 . 50 plus!
Medicare. â– Colorectal cancer: This includes the flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy for all beneficiaries age 50 or older.
Cervical cancer: Pap smear and pelvic exams are available every two years, or once a year for those at high risk. â–
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Cardiovascular: Free blood test to check cholesterol, lipid and triglyceride levels are offered every five years to all Medicare recipients.
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â– Diabetes: Twice a year screening for those at risk.
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Medical nutrition therapy: Available to help people manage diabetes or kidney disease.
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Prostate cancer: A digital rectal exam and PSA blood test is available to all male beneficiaries age 50 and older every year. You pay nothing for the PSA test, but you’ll have to pay 20 percent for the doctor’s visit. â–
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Bone mass measurements: This osteoporosis test is available every two years to those at risk, or more often if medically necessary.
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â– Abdominal aortic aneurysm: To check for bulging blood vessels, this test is available to men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked.
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HIV: Available to those who are at increased risk or who ask for the test. â–
Vaccinations: An annual flu shot, a vaccination against pneumococcal pneumonia and the hepatitis B vaccine are all free to all beneficiaries. â–
For more details on Medicare’s preventive services and their eligibility requirements, see your “Medicare & You 2011� booklet that you received in the mail in October. Or you can read it online at medicare.gov. If you have Medicare Advantage — these are private Medicare plans sold by insurance companies that are typically available through HMOs and PPOs — you need to know that the health care reform law did not require these plans to provide free preventive services. However, most Advantage plans already offer Medicare-covered preventive services without cost-sharing. You’ll need to check your plan to find out your specific coverage. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www. savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior� books.
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Medicare Advantage
Dear Savvy Senior: I’ve heard that Medicare will soon be offering seniors free health screenings. What can you tell me about this? ~Searching Senior
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When I was a kid, the first snow was the promise of excitement – snowmen, sledding, and snow days off of school! This year, the first snow brought angst with its icy roads and sidewalks. Then I moved to Laurel Grove. Now, I’m a kid again and enjoy the season and all its beauty without all of its problems.
Find out why people...
Think of Us First for the joys of home without the work From two bedroom apartments to single bedrooms with private bathrooms, Laurel Grove offers a variety of assisted living options to meet your needs. Enjoy the gardens, optional activities and care-free living. Starting at just $1,175 a month including meals!
for comfort of skilled care Designed for living with beautifully decorated and lovely gardens, Shady Lane offers skilled nursing care for short or long-term care, therapy services, social services and hospice care all at an affordable price. Medicare and Medicaid Certified.
for planning to get better . . . Recovering after an illness, joint replacement or surgery is a team effort. In fact, it could be called "Team You"! We offer physical, occupational and speech therapy, respiratory services, wound care, pain management and neurological, orthopedic and cardiac rehabilitation. Best of all, it's affordably priced. Medicare and Medicaid Certified and some private insurances. In-patient or Out-patient Services.
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Manitowoc’s only not-for-profit citizen directed care facility. 1235 South 24th Street • Manitowoc, WI • www.shadylaneinc.com • 920-682-8254