SENIOR LIVING July 2015
Keeping seniors active
Fair Park Senior Center celebrates 40 years — Page 2
A special publication of
CROSSVILLE CHRONICLE
2 Crossville Chronicle • Senior Living July 2015
Photos submitted
Fair Park Senior Center, 1433 Livingston Rd., Crossville, has been serving seniors in the community for 40 years. Pictured is today’s staff with Jim Purcell, center, chairman of the board. Standing to his right, is executive director Peggy Houston, who will soon retire after 42 years of serving the aging population.
Fair Park celebrates 40 years of service Since the first senior center opened more than half a century ago, senior centers have become vital participants in the national aging network. Numbering some 16,000, they are located in nearly every county in the United States and typically serve as highly visible, welcoming community focal points to the home- and community-based system of services for the older adults and their families. Fair Park Senior Center has been a positive force for the senior population in Cumberland County for more than 40 years. In the beginning the senior citizens center was a great social outing, but today the center recognizes that older adults who participate in its programs can learn to manage and delay the onset of chronic diseases and improve their lives physi-
Houston to retire as executive director
cally, socially, spiritually, emotionally and mentally, as well as their economic well-being. The center strives to acknowledge and promote the ambitions, capabilities and creative assets of each of its participants. Seniors know that the center is a focal point which connects them to vital community services. The center’s programs help older adults enhance their dignity, support their independence and encourage their involvement not only with the center but the community.
The History of Fair Park
ter’s first home was in the old educational building, where the Military Memorial Museum is now located. At the time, Houston was a wife to Bobby and a young mom of three who was active in her church and had spent several years as the Welcome Wagon Hostess. In 1971 Houston was asked by Cumberland County Judge Lon Tabor to head a pilot project for the seniors in the area called “Calls to the Homebound Project.” With only a bare See service page 3
ON THE COVER: Seniors take part in a tai chi class Fair Park Senior Cen- at Fair Park Senior Center.
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Senior Living July 2015 • Crossville Chronicle
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SERVICE
• Continued from 2 desk and a phone, Houston was able to make the program a success. The program later moved to Goodwin Court in what is now called the Don Alexander Gateway Education Center. The Crossville Housing Authority provided two rooms and a small kitchen, where Houston worked with elderly through her directorship at the information and referral center and started the first meals on wheels program. In 1973, it became the Multi-Purpose Senior Citizens Center, one of the first chartered senior centers in the state of Tennessee under the Older Americans Act in contracting with the National Council on Aging. Houston would see the senior program relocated two more times. First, it moved to a old fire station on Sparta Hwy., which is currently occupied by Shepherd’s Little Flock Day Care. After the fire hall had been abandoned due to fire, the city of Crossville donated the structure to be used by the senior center, which was growing. Local students renovated the structure, raising the floor up and lowering the ceiling. Later, through grants and fundraisers, additions were made twice, adding two rooms to the facility. As the senior population continued to increase, so did the need for more room. The Multi-Purpose Senior Citizens Center was in despair need of a larger facility to accommodate more activities and services. With no more room to expand, the city decided to sell the building and use the money to towards a new facility. Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill and the city of Crossville applied and received two parks and recreation grants. Prisoners from Bledsoe County
In 1999 a joint resolution by the Tennessee General Assembly was signed into action, honoring Peggy Houston’s service to Tennessee’s elder population. Pictured are Congressman Lincoln Davis, Representative Charles Curtiss, Senator Charlotte Burks, Governor Don Sundquist, Houston and Representative Raymond Walker. and local vocational students were used to construct the new building on Livingston Rd. In a joint effort, using city and county government agencies, the Tennessee Valley Authority and many local businesses, which donated supplies and furnishings, along with the unfailing fund-raising efforts of the seniors — all coordinated by Houston — a new 7,000-square foot building opened in June 1999. Named Fair Park Senior Center, it currently serves the needs of 6,000 enrolled seniors. Today’s Baby Boomers are active seniors. Fair Park is not just for socializing. Each week at the center, they enjoy a variety of health, educational and recreational activities that interest everyone, all while making new friends. Also great opportunities are available for those who would like to share their talents and skills by volunteering. The senior center has had a wide variety of educational activities over the many years. Some of the current programs include cards, bridge, bingo, Hand and Foot, Mah Jong, table tennis and billiards. For the more active boomers, there are Silver Sneaker exercis-
es, ballroom dancing, line dancing, hula dancing, tai chi, and a great self-defense class. Enjoy the arts with Art in Motion workshops, guitar lessons and play along in the guitar forum. Get help with today’s technical world, like computers, iPads and smartphones. Try brushing up on Spanish. The local sheriff and police
departments work with the senior center in providing Senior Academies throughout the year where seniors have classes with hands-on activities covering crime scene investigations, K-9 Seniors enjoy playing bingo at Fair Park. units, 911 communications and a real exciting ride- teur ham radio, storytell- Sound dances and one-day ing, tractors and for Viet- van trips. Fair Park also along program. The senior center also nam veterans. Then there gives seniors the opportuniplays host for clubs on ama- are entertainment, parties, See service page 4 special speakers, Big Band
4 Crossville Chronicle • Senior Living July 2015
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• Continued from 3 ty to volunteer and has more than 100 men and women who graciously give of their time and talents to educate and assist in a variety of ways, which is a vital component in the success of the senior center — just like executive director Peggy Houston.
“Peggy does everything possible to obtain more and better services for the elderly,” Cumberland County Judge Lon Tabor, pictured at left with Houston, once said. Today, Fair Park Senior Center, above, caters to thousands of seniors. For more information about its services or to make a monetary donation, visit www.fairparkseniorcenter. org or call 484-7416.
Peggy Houston’s service and accomplishments
Fair Park Senior Center’s executive director, Peggy Houston, is a woman of drive, vision and integrity. She has demonstrated her resourcefulness, perseverance and dedication with numerous outstanding accomplishments — too many to mention here — during her 40-plus career years at a center in a county that hosts Tennessee’s largest 65-plus senior population. They include providing services to the seniors of Cumberland County with extensive training on aging related issues and furthering a cause in which she passionately believes — older adults. Houston, who will soon retire from her position at Fair Park, began her work for seniors in the 1970s, when services to the county’s seniors were nil. Using a telephone and personal concern for the plight of the elders, she began creating a network, connecting seniors with programs that would enrich their lives, thanks to her ability to “pull things together.” The implementation of the Older Americans Act enabled Houston to begin initiating programs to fill needs not covered by existing services. They have expanded in scope from simple information and referral to now include legal advocacy, nutrition, health, transportation, fitness, financial
counseling, adult day care, homemaker aid, education, recreation and many more programs. Many of the services and activities Houston envisioned required stepping forward and taking risks. For example, she initiated the first county-wide senior van program, senior meals program and Senior Day at the Fair. In addition, she pioneered adult day care in Cumberland County. All of these ideas were successful and have been duplicated in other counties. Since the Fair Park Senior Center is a non-profit 501(c) (3), there has always been a large need for major fundraising efforts to support new senior programs. Houston originated the annual Pioneer Day on the Mountain Heritage Festival to help out. The festival is celebrating 32 years and is the area’s longest running festival. Over the years, other fundraisers have been held, including golf tournaments, wild game suppers, outhouse races, chili cook-offs, bluegrass and gospel festivals, wacky fashion shows, dances, Chinese auctions, yard sales, Crossville’s Got Talent and The Gong Shows to name a few. A lot of folks do not know that over the years Houston has given herself not only to the senior center, but as an advocate for seniors else-
where by working hard on all levels to enhance, develop and strengthen the provision that is needed for today’s ever changing world for all seniors. Her passion has always been services for the aging, not only in Cumberland County, but also the state of Tennessee and the nation. Starting in 1981 she was appointed to the National White House Conference on Aging by Gov. Lamar Alexander and, in following years, by Gov. Ned Ray McWharter, Gov. Don Sundquist, Congressman Lincoln Davis and President Bill Clinton. In 2005, Houston coordinated a mini White House Conference on Aging in conjunction with the Tennessee State Directors Association and Fourth District U.S. Congressman Lincoln Davis. It was titled “Tennessee Senior Centers Prepare for Aging Baby Boomers.” Also, in that same year, U.S. Senator Bill Frist hosted a “Listening Session” at Fair Park. This event, sanctioned by the White House Conference on Aging, provided an opportunity for seniors in the community to connect with a representative of the government to voice their concerns. She has been appointed a National Institute for Senior Centers (NISC) delegate. There is only one honored
delegate from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia elected to serve in this capacity. The delegate council provides guidance in promoting the dignity, well-being and contributions of older people. Enhancing the field of aging through leadership, service, education and advocacy are the core values of NOA/ NISC. Houston has been instrumental in educating the Tennessee legislature about the importance of including senior centers in future proposed legislation. Through her efforts legislators now understand that seniors have a voice through their NISC delegate as before they did not. By working with cutting-edge strategies, business planning, essential programs, budgets, technical, fundraising efforts and more, they are making senior centers better-rounded for the many issues concerning today’s older population and what they need from their senior center. On the National Council on Aging (NCOA), Houston has worked to help people ages 60-plus meet the challenges of aging. She has partnered with nonprofit organizations, government officials and businesses to provide innovative community programs and services to support the needs of the senior population by
improving the lives health and economic security of 10 million older adults, especially those who are struggling. She has served as president for the Tennessee Federation on Aging as well as the Tennessee Association of Senior Center Directors. Since 1998 Houston has served as coordinator for the 14-county Upper Cumberland Senior Olympics, which gives older Americans age 50-plus the opportunity to interact with their peers by competing in a variety of sporting events while promoting staying healthy and independent. Senior issues are not the only ones dear to her heart. She shares her inspiration and leadership with other organizations as well. She
has also served on the Cumberland County Playhouse board, the Cumberland County Historical Society, Volunteers Inc., Rural Legal Services for the Upper Cumberlands and Ms. Senior Tennessee Pageant board of directors. Many more services groups have benefited from her tenure on their boards, too. Houston has also received many honors form Tennessee governors, the Tennessee General Assembly, the Tennessee Commission on Aging, the Upper Cumberland Development District, the Area on Aging and Disabilities, the Upper Cumberland Human Resources Agency, the Retired Senior Volunteers Program of the See SERVICE page 6
Senior Living July 2015 • Crossville Chronicle
Happy how-tos from 100-year-olds, 10-year-olds (BPT) — Spinning and yoga classes are no longer reserved for only the young and restless. Take a closer look around, and you might just find that it’s greatgrandparents who are outpedaling you on the stationary bikes. In fact, according to UnitedHealthcare’s 100@100 survey, nearly a quarter of 100-year-olds (24 percent) report doing cardiovascular exercise indoors at least once a week; almost
one-third (29 percent) meditate or do other stress-relieving activities; and even more say they exercise to strengthen their muscles (34 percent). Every year, UnitedHealthcare polls 100 centenarians for their insights and perspectives on reaching the century milestone. To mark the survey’s 10th anniversary in 2015, UnitedHealthcare also polled 100 10-year-olds to compare
responses among the generations. Findings from the survey suggest 100-year-olds are staying active, feeling positive, and embracing the present. And the kids? Though they may be small, their thoughts are anything but. Here are some key takeaways. 1. Embrace your smile lines. Mind and body are linked, according to 1 in
4 centenarians surveyed who say the key to staying healthy is having a positive attitude. This aligns with last year’s 100@100 survey, in which two-thirds of centenarians said attitude is as important as physical health in terms of living 100 years or more. When it comes to positivity, the 100-year-olds have an edge on the kids. More than half (61 percent) say they feel very positive, while
only 44 percent of 10-yearolds say the same. On the bright side, centenarians say it gets easier to maintain a positive attitude with age, so 10-year-olds have the next 90 years to catch up. Both groups say family and friends are key to maintaining a positive attitude. 2. Nurture family relationships. Despite many years together, centenarians feel anything but “stuck” with
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their families. In fact, they actively stay in touch, with 83 percent saying they speak with extended family members at least weekly. Nearly 9 in 10 centenarians (89 percent) say visiting with family and friends makes them happy, and two-thirds of 10-year-olds agree. What’s more, almost half (45 percent) of 100-yearolds and 40 percent of See HAPPY page 10
6 Crossville Chronicle • Senior Living July 2015
Traverse the world afar By Rebekah K. Bohannon Beeler Chronicle correspondent
J.R.R. Tolkien said, “Not all who wander are lost.” The world is full of people, sights, sounds and tastes; a playground for the imagination. There is only so much you can get from a page or a screen, and then comes traveling. There are many important things to consider before you travel. Preparedness and planning are always good ideas. The planning itself is one of the few things a traveler has control over. But there should also be a Plan B and a Plan C since the plans themselves may not actually occur. Medical and dietary restrictions are very important things to consider while planning. It is
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• Continued from 4 United States. County judges, executives and mayors have presented her with awards for her dedication and service. In 1999 a joint resolution by the Tennessee General Assembly honoring Houston’s service to Tennessee’s elder population was presented by Congressman Davis, Sen. Charlotte Burks and Representatives Raymond Walker and Charles Curtiss. It was signed into action by Gov. Don Sundquist. Houston was recognized in the September/October 2008 “Celebrations” magazine celebrating women in leadership in the Upper Cumberlands. She has also been recognized by numerous clubs and organizations for her many hours of community
always suitable for a certain amount of compatibility between travel companions so that you complement each other with your strengths and weaknesses. Be advised and aware of social, political and economic situations occurring in the destination area. And, when all the planning fails, maintain a good sense of humor. And, upon your return, what you will have become is a storyteller.
Wild, Wild West
Garland and Bobbi Dalton have visited nearly every state in the U.S., but especially love going out West. They’ve traveled extensively throughout the West, visited the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Redwood Forest, Walnut Canyon and a host of other service. For example, she was honored as the 1996 Woman of the Year by the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Cumberland County. In 2002 she was Cumberland County’s National Women’s History Month Honoree, and was surprised with “Peggy Houston Day” by the seniors along with officials to show their appreciation. Charles Curtis, former state representative, stated, “Peggy Houston has been dean among the senior center directors in the Upper Cumberland area. She has not only had a positive impact in the senior citizens of Cumberland County, but in all the surrounding counties. Through her leadership and innovations, other directors have looked to her leadership and have been able to do a better job. Peggy Houston is an inspiration to all who have had
American favorites. Bobbi has a jar of red sand sitting on her windowsill from the red rock of Sedona, beautiful horse hair pottery from Monument Valley and Moab, UT, and even more memories of the scenic vistas of the frontier. In their most recent trip out West in 2011, they traversed through Utah, Arizona, Texas and even swooped down into Mexico for a bit. They visited the Canyonlands National Park, saw the Adobe villages and the Colorado River, Canyon De Chelly and the Sliding House Ruins, Arches National Park and Zion National Park. Bobbi didn’t have a camera at the time but she bought post cards of everywhere they went, and the other couple accompanying them also took pictures. the privilege of her influence and tireless efforts.” “Peggy is the epitome of aging advocacy,” said
They basked in appreciation for the years of erosion that created the amazing rock formations of Monument Valley, imagined the story behind the Anasazi hieroglyphics, walked across natural bridges and explored the geography and culture of the Navajo people. “[Camping in the Canyonlands] we put the tents up about three times and all of a sudden there would come a terrible gust of wind,” said Garland to which Bobbi chimed in, “and they’d fall down. My
all these [Anasazi] ancient writings on the walls. It is a real neat place to go.” “This is something that will just blow your mind, I think, the most beautiful place I’ve ever been and that’s the Grand Canyon,” said Bobbi. Garland noted, “It’s just hard to believe there’s that much erosion that made that out there.” There are some places tourists are not allowed to go where the Navajo people still have ceremonies in hogans, huts made of mud. “Garland and I always
Arizona near Lake Powell run by the Indians and they bus you back there. It was a cave and you go in and there’s light that shines from above through the cracks in the rock. A little girl found it when she was tending her goats. It is every color you can think of, it just looks like a rainbow.” Garland interjected, “You can pick up sand and throw it up and it looks like glitter.” Bobbi continued, “Yes, it is just breathtakingly beautiful. The minerals make Photo submitted
Glenn and Sheila Strunk enjoy the leisure of riding in the mekuro while their guide pushes them along the water in Botswana. air mattress started out with air in it, but when I woke up I was on the ground,” she laughed. “We’ve seen
drive slowly so if you see something you can look at it,” Bobbi said. “There was one place we went in
the colors, and the way the sun comes through, it’s unreal.” See WORLD page 10
Nancy Peace, director of the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disabilities. “She has taken every opportunity
and made the best of it. Her dedication to the welfare of older adults is a commitment demonstrated in the
time and energy expanded. Her endeavors have resulted in successful programs too numerous to mention.”
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• Continued from 6 The Daltons simply adored El Paso, for all the reason as Bobbi states it, “We loved it. It’s so western.” They visited the mountains where it snowed in August, old forts guarding the only water source for miles and miles and walked stagecoach trails where tragedy struck and the old building that was an old coach house. “It makes you realize that there really was an Old West,” said Bobbi. “There are still places out there where the Navajo choose to live the old ways. Like those women in their huts, sitting on the floor weaving rugs. We bought a rug from her. And they still have their ceremonies.” The Daltons bought maps that depicted all the different Native American Indian tribes across the U.S., and Bobbi was especially surprised by the amount of different tribes all over the states. “Another thing is they killed each other and fought each other,” said Garland, who eluded to one of his favorite westerns, “Lonesome Dove,” when he jested, “and Gus and Captain Call killed the rest.” “There’s a lot of country out there,” Garland added. Bobbi championed the food: “I tell you, what’s good out there is the food. The Southwestern food, it’s so good. It’s got a kick to it.” There was a sign the Daltons saw that read “Everything out here stings, bites or sticks.” Bobbi found it more than true, with every kind of vegetation imaginable bearing some sort of thorn or sticker. Their little dog, Chico, also went along for the trip and he came to bed a couple of times with thorns in his paws and fire ants.
They were traveling from the Alamo and found the movie set from “Lonesome Dove,” depicting San Antonio when Po Campo became Gus and Call’s cook. They got to go through the set and met a man dressed like a cowboy tending his gift shop who encouraged them to find his wife and ask about her horse. It was a story they’ll never forget. “They were really friendly and we got to talking to
and take it out to the desert and hide it and he’d find it. He was in the movies; she had pictures of him. He had a blazed face and white spots; he was a beautiful animal. “There was a little boy, about seven years old, who’d been lost for three days out there,” she added. “They came to her and asked her, because they knew this horse was popular for doing this, if she would care to see if the Rebekah K. Bohannon Beeler/Chronicle
The spoils of traveling for Garland and Bobbi Dalton are the beautiful reminders of the trip, including these beautiful horsehair pottery pieces, above, and this intricate and incredible piece of sand art, left. her,” said Bobbi. “She was wearing all the turquoise and silver and a long skirt. She was really pretty. She started telling me about her horse. There was this horse at the feed block they were going to put down because it was crazy. Nobody could do anything with it. They were having a sale; they were going to run him through or put him down.” Bobbi continued, “She said it was a beautiful horse and she loved horses. So, she went there to see that horse and she said they had this big chain around his neck weighed down with a big iron to keep him from going crazy. She bought him and took him home. She said, for months, she’d sit in the corral in a chair and let him run around and go crazy. One day, when she sat there, he didn’t do anything. Eventually, she started feeding him out of her hand. She tamed this horse. He was really intelligent and she would play hide-and-seek with him. She’d let him smell things
horse could find that kid. They gave her some of the
boy’s clothes and shoes and let the horse smell them. She got on his back, and he started going. She said they went through and came out on a big rock plateau and he didn’t know what to do. She got the little boy’s shirt out again and let him smell it and took him back off the rock and he started in a different direction. They came up on these old adobes that were falling down and that horse found the little boy that had been missing for three days in one of the adobes.” When discussing their favorite place they have visited out West, Garland decidedly said, “Monument Valley is my favorite.” Garland loves John Wayne and in Professor Valley in Moab, UT, were the setting of all his western movies. They have a museum there all about the western movies that were See world page 11
HAPPY
• Continued from 5 10-year-olds say they’d prefer to spend time with a family member above anyone else in the world. And when it comes to childhood role models, both groups cite family above teachers, celebrities or others, with mom being the most popular choice. 3. Remember, age is just a number.
While both groups say it’s good to be young, many centenarians embrace their age. Perhaps that’s because, on average, the 100-year-olds report feeling more than two decades younger than they are, and 60 percent say they do not feel old. Given the choice between being their current age or 10-years-old, more than half of centenarians (58 percent) say they would rather be 100.
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Senior Living July 2015 • Crossville Chronicle
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• Continued from 10 filmed there. Bobbi said, “My favorite place? I loved all of them. I loved Monument Valley, too. But, my favorite place Garland and I have ever gone is Yellowstone National Park. We have seen a lot of interesting things and met a lot of interesting people.”
Taking a Walk on the Wild Side
Sheila and Glenn Strunk have always had a sense of wanderlust; seeing places they’ve never seen, meeting people they never knew, and desiring adventures they’d never had. Sheila Strunk, being from England, seemed to have always worn her traveling shoes, often visiting her birthplace and family throughout the years. But when she and Glenn went
on a church trip to Israel and Egypt in 1979, the first trip they had taken together where neither had been, it seemed to stir an innate craving for more of the world in both of them. Sheila Strunk, a retired respiratory therapist, worked with Robin Ewing in Milwaukee, WI. They became great friends because their differences made them so compatible. Strunk had mentioned to Ewing that she was planning a trip home to England and was thinking about maybe popping up to Scotland while she was overseas visiting family. It just so happened that Ewing expressed that she would love to see England and Scotland sometime, and Strunk asked the golden question, “Why don’t you just come with us?” And so was born the traveling trio of Sheila, Glenn and Robin who have
gone together on many worldwide quests. Robin accompanied the Strunks to England, Scotland, South Africa and Botswana, New Zealand, Italy and Vieques. Ewing proved to be a most excellent travel companion. She and Sheila do not share the same strengths and, therefore, accommodate each other’s personalities well. They all have their own roles. Sheila is the planner and navigator, Robin is the shopper, and Glenn never minded carrying the bags or driving when traveling, especially with two wonderfully good-humored ladies with a wild hair for adventure. “I dry the clothes,” Robin laughed as she and Sheila reminisced at the table during Robin’s recent visit. Sheila laughed and agreed with her as both See WORLD page 12
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Rebekah K. Bohannon Beeler/Chronicle
The traveling trio, Robin Ewing and Sheila and Glenn Strunk, plot their next trek during Ewing’s recent visit.
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• Continued from 11 of them were reminded of some story behind Robin’s clothes drying title. Robin held her arms extended out, acted like she was holding wash in either hand and said, “In Africa, I’m hanging my arms out the windows in the car going down the road like this.” Sheila interjected, “Well, when you’re on the move, what are you supposed to do?” Laughing even harder, Robin said, “They asked me what am I doing and I said, ‘We are never going to see these people again.’” “Traveling makes you see from a different angle,” said Sheila. “You go out there, see things and talk to people. It doesn’t matter where you go. You’re going to learn something.” The trio went to South Africa in 1998, four years after the Apartheid ended, and though it had settled quite a bit, social tensions still existed. Being aware of the social, economic and governmental issues, they were better able to take extra precautions and safety measures, like never stopping for folks deliberately walking on the road to intercept tourists, while traveling through Johannesburg through to Botswana. Equipped with an address, phone number for the B&B and Plans A, B and C, the trio were due at their next stop to stay at a B&B and were lost. “You can plan all you want, but it doesn’t always happen,” said Sheila. The original plan was to meet the owner of the B&B at the library, but it was late on a Saturday and the library was closed when they got there. Plan B was to call and get directions but proved futile after they stopped at a grocery store surrounded with barbed wire to get a phone card.
Photo submitted
Bobbi Dalton, above, stands amidst the beautiful Canyonlands of Utah during a trip out West. At that time, phones were unreliable at best and the call wouldn’t go through. So, Plan C was to stop someone and ask for directions, which also didn’t work very well. Sheila attempted to talk to the lady in the shop but she backed away and the shopkeeper asked what she wanted. She explained they were lost, showing him the address, and he told them to follow him. The shopkeeper got in his car, and Sheila told Glenn to follow him. They followed him for a while and he pulled over which made them wary. “I told Glenn to pull over behind him,” said Sheila. “At that point, I don’t know what’s going on because another car pulled in behind us. We are aware of things and they can go south in a hurry.” She got out and asked the shopkeeper where the B&B was and he said to keep following the road. They continued on and didn’t know what else to do but turn back. They found a little gas station where no one spoke English and he signed out how many lights before turning a certain direction. “We ended up at a little, funny store. I went in again with this address and asked the little girls in the
funny store and they just giggled. It was right across the street,” Sheila laughed. “So, we bought milk and cookies because we didn’t think we would get dinner. [At the B&B] they took us for a walk, gave us walking sticks and we walked all over the plantation; sugar and trees. Then she asked
us if we wanted to have dinner with them; they’d have to charge us extra for dinner. And we said yeah. We didn’t want milk and cookies for dinner.” The B&B was kind of a carriage house type place that had been repurposed into a B&B. Sheila looked at Robin and asked, “How big were those spiders? About the size of a teacup or a saucer? They were huge!” And it came to pass that the friends found compatibility with travel companions was nowhere near celebrated enough. Sheila is terrified of spiders, while Ewing is a noted spider slayer and dealt with the huge spiders in the B&B with her walking stick. On the other hand, Ewing is terrified of snakes, so Sheila became the snake chaser as they found out on a trail to see some cave paintings. Robin was leading the trio up the trail and said,
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“We were walking and there were all of these little salamanders and all of a sudden I see a snake across the path. By the time the word ‘snake’ came out of my mouth,” and Sheila interjected, “she was way back on the trail!” Sheila smacked the snake off the path with a stick, and all was well again with the world, although the cave they were going to see was closed. The trio
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could appreciate the irony of facing down fears to find the objective was closed to visitors. “It’s funny,” said Robin, laughing. “You have to maintain a sense of humor,” said Sheila. They returned with a park ranger the next day who took them to a different cave to view those cave See WORLD page 14
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The workout that works for seniors of all ages
(BPT) — Think you're too old and frail to work out? Think again! The health benefits of daily exercise are widely known, but seniors facing health and mobility issues may feel working out is beyond their abilities. Sixty-three percent of people 60 and older don't engage in daily exercise, according to the National Council on Aging's The United States of Aging Survey. But resistance training can help seniors who fear falling or damaging aging muscles and bones while exercising. For seniors with health issues that might make strenuous exercise difficult, resistance training can be an accessible, healthful option that provides both physical and mental benefits, a new study indicates. "Resistance training also called strength training - is an especially safe, valuable mode of exercise for seniors," says Dr. Kevin O'Neil, chief medical officer for Brookdale senior living. "As you age, you lose muscle mass, bone density, strength, balance, coordination and flexibility - all of which can result in higher risk of falls and increased difficulty in performing daily tasks. Resistance training allows seniors to exercise in their own home. They can use items found in their house and they can even exercise while sitting down." As the name implies, resistance training relies on the use of resistance to build muscle strength. Slow, measured movements are easier and more stable for seniors to perform than the strenuous activity of many types of aerobic exercise. "Smooth, controlled movement gives seniors the benefits of the specific exercise
with less risk of injuries or falls," says Nicholas Swanner, a licensed physical therapist, geriatric clinical specialist and healthcare services manager for Brookdale's healthcare services division. Before starting any kind of exercise program, seniors should talk to their doctors. Once they have the goahead to begin resistance training, many forms can be beneficial to seniors, Swanner says. "Resistance training can include using resistance bands, lifting weights or objects around your home, or using exercise equipment. Some of the exercises included in aquatics, Pilates, tai chi and yoga are types of resistance training, and those activities have the added bonus of social interaction when done in groups," he says. "Seniors can benefit from any type of resistance training as long as it's done safely and is part of a regular routine. Pushing up and down from a chair, opening and closing a door, lifting a can of soup or a 1-pound weight are all types of resistance exercises that seniors can easily do in their own homes." Swanner recommends that seniors start slow with lower-resistance exercises and listen to their bodies. "As you age, your body changes and this will impact how and what types of exercises you will be able to do safely. There are many ways to modify exercises, routines and individual styles of training to fit a senior's specific needs." Resistance training offers many benefits for seniors, including improved strength, balance, coordination and posture, better bone density, plus lower risks of heart dis-
ease, arthritis, osteoporosis and other chronic illnesses, as well as improved cognitive function and mood. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association also found that resistance training can positively affect cognitive abilities of seniors with dementia and Alzheimer's. Engaging in exercise for 150 minutes a week can allow seniors to maximize the health benefits. Seniors can exercise in one 30-minute session three or four days a week if they're able, or if that intensity is too strenuous, they can break their workouts into 10-minute intervals throughout the week and still reap the benefits. "We always tell our seniors, 'start low and go slow' when they're beginning an exercise program," O'Neil says. "Just 10 minutes a day provides health benefits and can feel much more achievable for seniors. Exercise duration can then be increased as endurance improves." Resistance exercises should be done two to three days per week for each muscle group with a day of rest in between. This does not mean that other types of exercise, such as aerobic or flexibility exercises, should not be done on rest days. People who exercise daily might do resistance exercises for the upper body on one day and for the lower body on the next day. "Even if a senior has mobility or health issues that hinder aerobic exercise, he or she can still do resistance training," Swanner says. "Talk to your physician and physical therapist to design a program that's right for you."
Senior Living July 2015 • Crossville Chronicle
13
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14 Crossville Chronicle • Senior Living July 2015
WORLD
• Continued from 12 paintings. There, they met an interesting gentleman from Germany who was an art teacher and came to South Africa specifically to see the cave paintings. He had all this information and gave a tutorial of the paintings and was able to decipher the story of a hunt depicted on the walls. “After he pointed it out, I was like now I see it. It was like someone read you a book for the first time and one you didn’t know how to read,” said Sheila. “We just lucked out. If we’d gotten to the cave paintings we had gone to see [the day before], then we wouldn’t have seen these cave paintings.” That is how things don’t work out and work out when you travel. Some things come full circle in spite of all the planning if you are able to be flexible and go with the flow. “The three of us are very
compatible when we travel together,” said Sheila. “I think that’s very important for us.” “I think it’s important for everyone,” Robin agreed, “Everybody interacts with their strengths and weaknesses.” “And we’re all prepared to give some,” Sheila added. Robin scopes out the shopping from local artisans, and the trio all go home with nice things that Sheila and Glenn may have otherwise overlooked. They went to Hluhluwe and Umfolozi Parks enjoying the scenery, the wildlife and the monkeys that tried to steal their clothes. They also went to Shakaland to see a Zulu village. The Drakensberg Mountains. “We did tons of walking,” said Sheila. “It’s a good thing I like to walk.” Robin and Sheila agreed that the food was fabulous in South Africa. Kudu and nyala steaks come highly
recommended. “We didn’t have a bad meal, not in South Africa,” said Sheila. They headed to Botswana for a real, primitive African bush tour. For five days, they roughed it out in the open with their guides, pushing along the water in a tree trunk canoe called a mekuro, camped through a dust storm with oppressive heat in the triple digits and threatening wildlife all around and inevitable adventures and experiences that ensued. “It was a learning experience,” said Sheila. “I didn’t have a lot of ideas about what to expect. But, that’s why you go, to find out what’s there. Would I do it again? Yeah.” Sheila’s first rule for international travel is that you can’t go to bed until 8 p.m. your time on the first night. She said that is the biggest rule to becoming acclimated to their time and has proven well throughout her internation-
al travels. She insists on traveling on the cheap, and said, “It may not be the most comfortable, but if you do that you can afford to go more places.” After the trip down memory lane, the trio was talking about their next trek, toying with the ideas of Iceland or Spain, where they have never been. Sheila and Glenn are also planning a trip to Maine because Sheila is craving a fresh caught lobster and they are also talking about going out West again. “The nice thing about retirement is that you don’t have to come back,” Sheila noted when discussing how traveling was harder when their daughter was young and she was still working. “We may not physically be able to do as well as we might have when we were Photo submitted younger, but there are a lot of advantages to traveling Robin Ewing, right, the Strunks’ friend and travel companion, washes with her dish of water on their rugged in retirement.” Life is indeed a jour- camping experience at Oddballs Camp in Botswana. ney, and the world is your oyster.
Simple tips to designing safe living spaces (BPT) — The saying goes, “With age comes wisdom,” but oftentimes, it also comes with a new set of physical challenges, such as limited mobility and difficulties with hearing and seeing. That’s why when designing living spaces for seniors, whether in an assisted living community or in your life-long home, safety and comfort take a front seat. Certain furniture or design elements in your home that made sense before may no longer be practical. Fortunately, experts share there are many options available to address common aging factors, including increased risk of falling or declining vision. It starts by getting a little creative and designing a living environment that promotes continued independence, with form and function Here are five tips to designing safe living spaces: 1. Think lightweight and sturdy: Furniture should be light enough to easily be moved, but also needs to be
heavy enough that it won’t slip out from under someone when they’re sitting down or standing up. Having arms on chairs, for example, assists with balance. 2. Take into account shapes: Having round furniture keeps the layout open and protects your loved one from bumping into sharp corners. Switch out round knobs for pulls and levers, which can greatly help those experiencing arthritis. 3. Hide your cords: Taping down or tucking away cords eliminates the potential for tripping. The easiest way to do this is to place cords behind and under furniture or along the edges of a room. Visit your local office supply store, which likely offers cable management products. 4. Avoid scattered rugs: Although decorative, area rugs can be a tripping hazard and increase the risk of falls for seniors. Be sure when they are used you purchase rugs that are non-slip and a contrast color to the
floor below so they are easier to detect by aging eyes. 5. Leverage lighting options: Using lighting at the right levels for a task can make all the difference. Motionsensor lights - especially between the bedroom and bathroom - make for easier navigation. Not only is this helping to create a safe environment, you’re also being energy conscious! Ensure task areas are well lit to reduce strain on the eyes, and incorporate natural light as much as possible. Finally, a safely decorated home doesn’t have to sacrifice style or personal touches. Consider recreating the look of a previous home with fewer pieces, or add a common color scheme in a room to add flow and make the space feel larger. Incorporate accessories that are functional, such as colorful trays or boxes, to conveniently store your favorite items. Top off the room with photos to evoke special memories.
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Senior Living July 2015 • Crossville Chronicle
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Aging in place looks better than ever (BPT) — Gray hair, wrinkles and frailty are no longer inevitable aspects of growing older; medical science and a better understanding of health, nutrition and exercise mean more people are living healthy, active and more youthful lives. Likewise, aging in place no longer means sacrificing style for safety. It's now possible to preserve your home's beautiful decor while updating it to better accommodate your needs during your golden years. "As the baby boomers age, manufacturers are paying more attention to creating products that work for all ages," says Jean-Jacques L'Henaff, vice president of design for American Standard. "Consumers are both more discerning about design and style, and in need of products that are easier to use and more accessible. The focus has shifted to designing products that fit everyone's needs elegantly and discreetly, without compromising style." The emergence of universal design is most evident in the bathroom. If you'll be upgrading your bathroom any time soon, with the goal of staying in your home independently for years to come, keep in mind these important features: • Lighting — Bathroom lighting is multi-functional and multi-layered, serving family members of all ages and mobility levels. When creating a bathroom lighting plan to facilitate aging in place, it's important to find the perfect balance between safety and aesthetics. The American Optometric Association says older eyes need lighting that is uniform from one room to another, glare-free, and at a brighter level. Bathroom lighting should include a
The American Standard Invisia collection of bathroom accessories are hidden in plain sight‚ providing grab bars incorporated into a toilet paper holder and towel rack. combination of overhead and task fixtures, such as dual row lights on either side of mirrors. Night lighting is essential and should be low level so your eyes need less time to adjust. Dimmer switches and illumination controls at the entrance to the room can help users achieve the light levels they need. It's possible to find a wide variety of bathroom light fixtures that are beautifully designed while fulfilling these requirements. • Accessories — Grab bars are an essential element of bathroom safety for anyone with mobility and balance issues. Commonly, grab bars appear in the areas of a bathroom where fall risks are greatest, including in showers and tubs, and near toilets. However, traditional grab bars can look institutional and clash with a bathroom's overall design. Instead of settling for a look that doesn't flatter your decor, versatile alternatives allow homeowners to opt for safety accessories that incorporate beauty as well as function. The American Standard Invisia Collection of bath and shower grab bar accessories are disguised
as decorative flourishes on existing bathroom accessories such as the toilet paper holder, towel rack or wallmounted soap dish. A sleek, polished metal ring encircles and accents a tub or shower faucet handle while also functioning as a sturdy grab bar. Two models of shower bench seats - corner and fold-down - provide a secure perch with sophisticated styling. All the Invisia products provide needed support in a style that is tasteful, modern and enhancing to your bathroom setting. For more hints to allow for gracefully aging in place, download the Howto-Buy Guide for Universal Design in Bathrooms. • Fixtures — From higher toilets that make rising easier and higher sinks that require less bending, to low step-over shower surrounds and walk-in bathtubs, a wide range of bathroom fixtures facilitate safety and ease of use in the bathroom. More manufacturers are also paying attention to the aesthetic aspects of these very practical products, creating looks that mesh well with a range of interior design themes,
from classic to transitional to modern. As you're selecting bathroom fixtures, look for product attributes that improve accessibility, like
wider shower door openings, taller heights and lever controls that are easier to manipulate. • Flooring — Bathrooms are hotspots for fall risks, especially among older people with mobility or vision challenges. As you're renovating your bathroom, eliminate high-gloss, slippery flooring like ceramic tile, which can become even slicker when wet. Instead, look for low-glare, slipresistant materials in matte hues that will be easier on the feet and eyes, such as rubber or textured vinyl. "The idea of aging in place is more realistic than ever before," L'Henaff says. "Now, it's also possible to do it gracefully, with plenty of decorator-friendly bathroom options that are as secure and practical as they
are attractive."
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16 Crossville Chronicle • Senior Living July 2015