Golden Years July 2022
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2—Lewistown, PA
The Sentinel
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF YOUR LOVED ONE? Mifflin-Juniata Area Agency on Aging offers a program to HELP SUPPORT THE CAREGIVER! You may qualify for the following reimbursements under our NEW eligibility guidelines:
• • • • •
Cost of aide services Caregiving supplies Home modifications Walkers and lift chairs And more!
Funding is also available to any grandparent, age 55 and older, who is raising a grandchild under the age of 18. Assistance for grandparents includes compensation for basic needs like school supplies, clothing, and more! We are also providing all income-eligible seniors with a monthly food box. For questions or to make a referral for any of our programs, please visit our office or call 717-242-0315.
The Family Caregiver Support Program is here to help support the care provided by family members, not replace it. The Area Agency on Aging is an Affiliate of Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services 717-242-0315 ● 249 W. 3rd Street, Lewistown ● mymjrsc.com ● Follow us on Facebook!
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Lewistown, PA—3
The Sentinel
GOLDEN YEARS
CARS drivers get you there and back By GREG WILLIAMS
Sentinel correspondent
news@lewistownsentinel.com
LEWISTOWN — Lester Gentzel and Nelson Wilson certainly don’t wear capes or cowls. They aren’t even crimefighters. But to many residents around Mifflin and Juniata counties, Gentzel and Wilson are a dynamic duo, like Batman and Robin. Combined, the two Lewistown men have been employed for two decades as drivers for Call-A-Ride Service (CARS), a shared ride transportation service available to residents in the two-county region. “The people that we
pick up and take to their appointments, they grow on you,” says the 68-yearold Wilson, who drove trucks for Feeser’s Food Distributors for more than 30 years prior to being hired by CARS. “They become like a big family. We like helping the community too, making sure people get to where they need to go.” Wilson left Feeser’s in 2008 when the company moved its operations out of Lewistown. Facing a commute from Mifflin County to Harrisburg, where Feeser’s is based, Wilson decided to look for a job driving that was closer to home. He applied to CARS after seeing a help wanted ad. CARS was a viable op-
tion for Wilson. At Feeser’s, he worked as a driver and in the warehouse. “Being inside the factory, that’s not for me,” Wilson says. “I like to be out and about and moving around, smelling the fresh air.” He was determined to find a different job rather than commuting to Harrisburg. “I wasn’t about to drive back and forth,” Wilson recalls. “I saw the ad and went to the (office to apply) and I’ve been here ever since.” This year marks Wilson’s 11th year with CARS. “We’re pretty busy all the time,” he says. “We See CARS / Page 4
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4—Lewistown, PA
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
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GOLDEN YEARS
CARS
CALL-A-RIDE SERVICE
Continued from Page 3
take people down to McClure, up to Huntingdon and over to Mifflintown. Some days you drive more, some days you drive less.” With CARS, shared ride means that you might have to leave home a little earlier than you would if you were traveling privately, and you might have to wait a little longer for your return trip home so that other trips can be coordinated with yours for other individuals. Door-to-door service is available providing you have a free, clear and safe path from the door of your home to the door of the bus, and that your lane or driveway is safe for a CARs bus and for transporting clients. “This job makes you realize that life can change in a matter of minutes for anyone,” says Gentzel, also age 68, who has been employed as a CARS driver for nearly nine years. “Our drivers are nice, conscious people. You have to be because you are dealing with people with physical issues. They do what they can to help. “We’re there help you into the van, assist you with a few items,” he adds. “It’s hard for a lot of them to use a walker or a wheelchair with bags and stuff. We assist them in whatever way we can.” Cindy Sunderland, director of transportation at CARS, says there were 845 clients served with at least one trip in 2021. Gentzel served in the Navy for 2 ½ years then worked for 32 years at the New Holland plant in Belleville as a spray painter. Now, he works four or five days a week driving for CARS. “I just wanted to do
CARS is an option if you have somewhere you need to go, but don’t have a way to get there.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE? CARS offers rides to residents in Mifflin and Juniata counties. As a shared ride service, they have a variety of different vehicles on hand to accommodate your specific needs.
HOW DO I GET A RIDE? Using CARS is easy. Transportation is available Monday through Saturday. You simply call either (717) 242-2277 or (800) 348-2277 and make a request by noon the day prior to your trip. Calling to schedule a ride on Saturday or Monday? The deadline is noon Friday since CARS office is closed on weekends. CARS will coordinate other people’s trips with yours, pick you up at your home, take you where you need to go and bring you back afterwards.
HOW DO I REGISTER? You must be registered with CARS. Registration forms are available at their office, located at 249 W. Third St., Lewistown. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Forms also are available online at mymjrsc.com/call-a-ride or you can call and have a form mailed to you. something part-time and make a little extra money,” Gentzel says. “I’m a people person, so I really like my job.” Gentzel and Wilson drive an average of 175 to 200 miles daily. “Some runs are further than others,” Gentzel
says. “This (service) is definitely something that is needed. I’m so thankful they provide this service. A lot of these people have no family to take them to get groceries, take them to the beauty shop. “I’ve even taken a few folks to work.”
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$109
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$179
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$699
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$479
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Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Lewistown, PA—5
The Sentinel
GOLDEN YEARS
Pain management treatment gave her new life By GREG WILLIAMS
Sentinel correspondent
news@lewistownsentinel.com LEWISTOWN — At age 75, Naomi Johnson might be in her golden years, but she wants to party like it’s 1999. It’s been a struggle as the Lewistown native has been battling radiating nerve pain caused by a degenerated disc for years. “I didn’t want to give up and not do anything,” Johnson says of her struggle. “I want to do the same things in my 70s and 80s as I did in my 40s and 50s. “I like to travel. I enjoy walking and being active and doing things with my grandchildren and children,” she adds. “I was at a point where my life was at a standstill. I had to stay at home. I didn’t see my life in a rocking chair with a book or watching TV.” Johnson took an opioid pain reliever, but it only helped so much, she says. “I was getting up every night crying, walking the floor in pain,” she says. Simple tasks like sleeping, walking and even taking trips with her family were impossible, due to the excruciating pain. Concerned about the
long-term use of the opioid, her doctor took her off the drug and referred her to Geisinger’s Medication Therapy Disease Management program. Clinical pharmacist Eva Gerhart worked closely with Johnson to manage her pain using Gabapentin, a non-narcotic nerve pain medication. Adjusting the dosages to effectively control Johnson’s pain took time, but it was worth it. “We finally got the perfect regimen for her after one year,” Gerhart says. “She was a fantastic patient. She accepted the education, and we worked together to reach the goal.” Despite her years of chronic pain, Johnson volunteers by delivering meals for the Lewistown Senior Center. And now that she is pain-free, driving about 70 miles twice a week, getting in and out of the car and climbing stairs are no longer challenging for her. “The people I bring meals to have become my family,” Johnson says. “But back when I was in pain, I couldn’t stoop to put food in the bags or get in and out of the car easily.” Drives to Atkinson Mills, Ferguson Valley and
Mattawana or McVeytown seemed like endless journeys because of the pain. “I couldn’t sit for long periods of time,” she explains. Now, all that’s behind her. Johnson says she’s so thankful for Geisinger’s Gerhart. “Eva is such a sweet person,” she says. “Anytime I called, she was there to answer my questions and help me through the pain crisis.” Johnson is pain-free and back doing the things she envisioned herself doing as an active senior. “Even though you get older, my philosophy is don’t give up,” she says. “Even though you are in your golden years, don’t Naomi Johnson went from dealing with pain to forgetting it. give up. Keep going — you don’t want to end your life.” Johnson is grateful. “Geisinger gave me back my life–gave me back my happiness,” Johnson says. “If it weren’t for them, I’d probably be sitting home and not doing anything. At my age, I’d be in a wheelchair.” Naomi and her late husband, Marvin, were married 52 years and had two children, Chad and Charlotte, and six grandchildren ranging in age from 10 to 23 years.
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6—Lewistown, PA
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
The Sentinel
GOLDEN YEARS
Prepare for mental health cost Agency offers assistance SmartAsset As you get older, healthcare becomes increasingly important - between preventative care and trips to the doctor to fix the aches and pains that come with age, having a good health insurance plan is key to both personal health and financial health. While the focus is often on physical health and the care that accompanies it, it’s important that older Americans also not forget to take care of their mental health - but too often, costs get in the way, especially for those on Medicare. A study from The Commonwealth Fund found that seniors in the U.S. were more likely than those in 10 other countries to skip treatment for mental health issues because of costs. If you want help planning for a retirement where you’ll have the ability to get all the care you need, consider working with a financial advisor. Medicare Definition Medicare is one of the cornerstones of the American social safety net, touching more people than perhaps any program other than Social Security. It’s a health insurance program for those who’ve reached 65 years of age, and it covers most medical procedures and visits needed by older Americans. There are multiple tiers of coverage within Medicare. Medicare Part A covers inpatient procedures, nursing care, home health services and hospice care. Part B covers preventative care, medical devices and some outpatient prescription drugs. These two services are often collectively known as “Original Medicare.” Medicare Part C is a lessused part of the program which allows people to get
private insurance through Medicare. Finally, Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs. Senior Mental Health in the U.S. The Commonwealth Fund’s study found that 21% of surveyed American seniors were diagnosed with a mental health condition. That’s the highest of the eleven peer nations included in this study. Furthermore, 32% of Hispanic seniors were diagnosed, compared with 21% of white seniors and just 12% of Black seniors. Keep in mind this doesn’t mean that mental health issues run any higher in any particular demographic, just that the diagnosis rate is higher. The study also found that 18% of surveyed American seniors felt emotional distress in the the past year, third overall in the study. Hispanic Americans outpaced all other nations, though, at 31%. Mental Health Finances for U.S. Seniors While American seniors are the most likely in this study to need mental health services, they are also the ones most likely to report trouble obtaining it. Around 26% of
surveyed American seniors reported costs as an issue in getting mental health treatment, by far the highest in the study. By way of comparison, only 6% of Germans and Swedes reported such issues. Additionally, 27% of American seniors with a mental health need reported financial hardship, again leading the study. Only 4% of seniors with mental health needs in the U.K. or the Netherlands reported financial hardship. The Bottom Line Mental health is important for everyone, including older people. American seniors are among the most likely in a recent study to report they needed mental health care, but are also the most likely to run into financial problems getting the care they need. A financial advisor can help you plan for all potential needs in retirement. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you.
with rent rebate program LEWISTOWN — Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corp.-The Care Network offers assistance filing property tax rent rebate forms. The Pennsylvania Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is for older adults and residents with disabilities. The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians who are 65 and older, widows and widowers who are 50 and older, and people with disabilities who are 18 and older. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue recently announced the deadline to submit appli-
cations has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31. The Pennsylvania Treasury Department has already started processing rebate payments. Call to schedule an appointment at (717) 2420315. There are also rebate booklets available at the office: 249 W. Third Street in Lewistown. “The Property Tax/ Rent Rebate Program may be more important this year than ever before,” Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity said. “Far too many Pennsylvanians are struggling to make ends meet, especially in the current economic cli-
mate with inflation rates higher than they’ve been in 40 years. Extending the deadline will give more people time to apply and receive their rebates.” Payments will be processed as applications are approved by the Department of Revenue. The maximum standard rebate is $650. Some homeowners may qualify for supplemental rebates. The program benefits about 400,000 Pennsylvanians each year with approximately $250 million in rebate payments. The program has dispersed more than $7.3 billion since it started in 1971.
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Lewistown, PA—7
8—Lewistown, PA
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
The Sentinel
GOLDEN YEARS
South Carolina woman rides off to retirement FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) — Helping people realize their dream of home ownership has been Missy Stephens’ mission for 27 years. Stephens recently retired from her job at Finance of America Mortgage — The Pee Dee Mortgage Group on West Evans Street to join her husband traveling the countryside on the seat of a motorcycle. “Every once in a while, someone extraordinary
comes into your life who makes a difference and leaves a lasting impression on everyone around them, someone who would give you the shirt off their back, the change in their pocket, and the most … warm and caring smile,” said Greg O’Connor, Finance of America Mortgage branch manager. “Missy Stephens is one of those special people, and after 27 years dedicated to making the lives
of those around her better and serving the Florence community, she will retire … to travel and spend more quality time with Marty, her husband, their children, and many other family and friends.” O’Connor said Stephens has helped families in probably every subdivision in this town acquire their homes. “People come to us to finance their homes,” Ste-
phens said. “All we do is mortgages.” “Over the course of her career, with kindness and compassion, Missy has guided thousands of people in realizing their dream of homeownership,” O’Connor said. Stephens said it is rewarding to help people realize their dream of homeownership, but it is especially rewarding to help first-time homeowners. “Watching the first-time buyer when they get the key to their first home is an amazing feeling,” Stephens said. “For the past four years, I have had the good fortune and been blessed to have her work at my local branch of Finance of America Mortgage,”
O’Connor said. “To say she is a dedicated and loyal employee and friend is an understatement. She is that and so much more. I am honored to have had the privilege of working with Missy these past four years and incredibly fortunate to have her as a dear friend.” Stephens said she will miss all the people she works with and her customers but she is looking forward to retirement. “My husband and I have only been married a year,” she said. “He retired and wants to travel.” She said many of the people she helps come back to refinance or to purchase another home. “A lot become friends, like family,” she said. Stephens said she will
miss interacting with all the people she comes in contact with but especially her work family. “I see these people every day and text them at night,” she said. “We text each other photos of our cats on the weekends.” “This is not a 9 to 5 job,” O’Connor said. “We work a tremendous amount of hours, trying to get people closer to home ownership.” “It can be a very stressful job,” Stephens said. “She is our office mom,” said Cara Watson, a co-worker. “When I started she taught me things and watched out for me.” All of Stephens’ co-workers said they will miss her. “I will miss her positivity,” said Megan Hite. “And See Ride / Page 9
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Missy and Marty Stephens enjoy riding motorcycles. After spending 27 years in the mortgage business helping people acquire home ownership, Missy Stephens recently retired from Finance of America Mortgage in Florence, S.C.
Hearing Impaired TTY 800-855-2880 Espanol 800-855-2884 Equal Housing Opportunity
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Lewistown, PA—9
The Sentinel
GOLDEN YEARS
Treating vision as you age By DANE DICKERSON Wealth of Geeks
Your late 30s to early 40s are likely to be a busy and demanding time. With work responsibilities and raising children, life is stressful enough. This is probably the last time in your life to deal with an optic condition, but unfortunately, it’s the age when most people start to experience declining vision. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) suggests everyone see an ophthalmologist for a baseline eye disease screening at age 40, even if there are no apparent problems with their vision. Eye degeneration begins gradually in childhood, but many eye diseases take time to develop into noticeable symptoms. An eye screening will give your doctor a baseline of your overall eye health, making it easier to spot the changes in the coming years. Eye degeneration is a natural process that accelerates the older we get. Even if you’ve lived your early life with perfect vision, it’s almost inevitable you will need some type of corrective lenses to help with up-close visual tasks such as reading and surfing the web. Annual eye exams are highly recommended in the years after 40, as it’s not uncommon for middle-aged people to constantly need to change their prescription to maintain comfortable and effective vision. Aside from run-of-themill vision decline, there are a few eye diseases you may want to look out for. However, even if you are genetically predisposed to have one or more of these conditions, they may not affect you until you approach middle age. In this article, we’ll cover the signs and symptoms of each one, as well as what you can do about them.
CATARACTS Our eyes function using a natural lens to focus light interpreted by our optic nerves. Like a camera lens, our lens must be clear to function at its best. AAO defines a cataract as “when your eye’s natural lens becomes cloudy.” This is caused by the breakdown of the proteins your lens is comprised of. Cataracts can be genetic or caused by excessive sun exposure, medical problems such as diabetes, smoking, or certain corticosteroids. Vision with a cataract is like looking through a foggy window. Images will look hazy, and colors may be dulled. You may also become hypersensitive to light, have trouble seeing at night, and have blurry or double vision.
TREATMENT Cataracts can be diagnosed by your ophthalmologist via a retinal exam, slit lamp exam, or a reaction and visual acuity test. With annual eye exams, cataracts are treatable. It is advisable to quit smoking after a cataract diagnosis, protect eyes from sun ex-
posure, use brighter lights for reading, and always use corrective lenses. Cataract surgery is an option for those unable to manage daily life with their symptoms. During surgery, your eye surgeon will remove your natural cloudy eye lens and replace it with an artificial lens called an intraocular lens. Discussing the risks with your surgeon before the procedure is important.
GLAUCOMA Glaucoma is damage to your eye’s optic nerve, the bundle of nerves that relays visual information to your brain, due to fluid buildup in the eye. Human eyes constantly produce aqueous humor, a transparent liquid that keeps the eye round and healthy, which is also drained continuously to keep intraocular pressure at a stable level. When fluid cannot drain effectively through the eye’s drainage angle, pressure builds within the eyes, which presses upon and damages the optic nerve. Causes and types of glaucoma vary, but some See Vision / Page 11
May our loved ones rest in peace and rise in glory. All are welcome The price for a niche and urn is $1000. For information about St. Mark’s Columbarium contact the church office at 717-248-8327 or by email to rector@stmark-lewistown.org
THE
Episcopal CHURCH
21 South Main Street, Lewistown, PA
Ride
Continued from Page 8
her compassion, drive and work ethic. She has worked with some people for years to help them achieve home ownership.” Stephens said not everyone is able to finance a home on first try. Hite said she is the “mom of the office.” “She cares about people and wants the best for you,” Hite said. “I miss her walking in and asking ‘did you feed the children’ (referring to the fish in the tank by the front door),” Watson said. “She takes care of everyone. She encourages us.” O’Connor said he will miss her customers’ praise. “She has the patience of a saint,” he said. “She
turns no one away.” O’Connor said he will miss the qualities she brings to the industry, her dedication to helping others, not only with home ownership but other things as well. He said she gives others inspiration. Tim Shorter said, “Missy is very helpful.” He said she worked with his dad, too. “She is always so thoughtful,” Shorter said. “I’ll miss everything about her,” said co-worker Ray Taylor. “Missy is special. She is one of the kindest people that I’ve ever met. The first day I came in the building she made me feel welcome. She is a special lady.” O’Connor said he wants the community to join him as he wishes Missy and her family the best this world has to offer and in
thanking her for the years of heartfelt service she has given to our community. Stephens said her first job was in the snack bar at Ocean Lakes Camp Ground. She went to college at James Madison University in Virginia and studied hotel, restaurant and hospitality management with a minor in nutrition. Stephens started her career in the mortgage industry at First Union Bank in Charlotte and Myrtle Beach. She then went on to Wachovia Bank in Florence. She said once you get in it, if you like it, you’ll stay. “Most people just fall into a career in this field,” she said. Stephens said she is looking forward to spending more time with family, her husband, children and mother.
10—Lewistown, PA
The Sentinel
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
GOLDEN YEARS
70-up ‘grandfluencers’ debunking aging myths NEW YORK (AP) ‚Äî Joan MacDonald’s health was in shambles at age 71. She was overweight and on numerous medications with high cholesterol, rising blood pressure and kidney trouble. Her daughter, a fitness coach, warned that she’d wind up an invalid if she didn’t turn things around. She did, hitting the gym for the first time and learning to balance her diet with the help of a brand new tool, an iPhone. Now 75, MacDonald is a hype beast for health with a bodybuilder’s physique and 1.4 million loyal followers on Instagram. She’s among a growing number of “grandfluencers,” folks 70 and up who have amassed substantial followings on social media with the help of decades-younger fans. “It’s so rare to find someone her age being able to do all these things,” said one of her admirers, 18-year-old Marianne Zapata of Larchmont, New York. “It’s just such a positive thing to even think about.” Both aspirational and inspirational, older influencers are turning their digital platforms into gold. MacDonald has paid partnerships with the sportswear and supplement brand Women’s Best, and the stress-busting device Sensate. And she just launched her own health and fitness app not so many years after learning how to use digital technology herself. On TikTok, four friends who go by @oldgays ‚Äî the youngest is 65 ‚Äî have 2.2 million followers, including Rihanna. They have an endorsement deal with Grindr as they delight fans with their clueless answers to pop culture questions. Others focus on beauty
and style, setting up Amazon closets with their go-to looks and putting on makeup tutorials live. Lagetta Wayne, at 78, has teens asking her to be their grandmother as she tends to her vegetables and cooks them up in Suisun City, California, as @msgrandmasgarden on TikTok. Wayne, with 130,500 followers amassed since joining in June 2020, owes her social media success to a teenage granddaughter. Her very first video, a garden tour, clocked 37,600 likes. “One day my garden was very pretty and I got all excited about that and I asked her if she would take some pictures of me,” Wayne recalled. “She said she was going to put me on TikTok and I said, well, what is TikTok? I had never heard of it.” Most people ages 50 and up use technology to stay AP photo connected to friends and family, according to a 2019 Friends, from left, Jessay Martin, 68, Robert Reeves, 78, Michael Peterson, 65, and William Lyons, 77, are among survey by AARP. But less a growing number of seniors making names for themselves on social media. than half use social media See Influence / Page 11
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GOLDEN YEARS
Influence Continued from Page 10
daily for that purpose, relying on Facebook above other platforms. Just 37% of those 70 and older used social media daily in 2019, the research showed. Since coronavirus struck, older creators have expanded their horizons beyond mainstay Facebook and gotten more voracious, often driven by the growing number of feeds by people their own age, said Alison Bryant, senior vice president for AARP. In the California desert town of Cathedral City, Jessay Martin is the second youngest of the Old Gays at 68. “I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life relaxing pretty much, and I do, but this is picking up more for us. I had a very structured week where Monday I worked the food bank at the senior center, Tuesday and Friday I did yoga for an hour and a half, Wednesday I was on the front desk at the senior center. I was just sort of floating by, not being social, not putting myself out there in the gay community. And boy, has the Old Gays changed that,” Martin said. Like MacDonald, they do a lot of myth busting about what’s possible in life’s sixth, seventh and eighth decades. “They’re showing that anybody can do these things, that you don’t have to be afraid of aging. The 20 and 30 somethings don’t often think about that,” Bryant said. “The authenticity that we’re seeing in some of these older influencers is really refreshing. That’s part of the complexity of their narratives. They’re bringing other parts of their lives to it. They’re grandparents and great-grandparents and spouses. They’re more comfortable in their own skins.”
Sandra Sallin, a blogger and artist, has slowly built her following to 25,300 on Instagram. Her reach recently extended to the British Olympic gold-medal diver Tom Daley, who raved about her mother’s cheesecake recipe after his coach spotted it online and made it for her athletes and staff. Sallin, a lover of lipstick who focuses on cooking and beauty, also shares photos from her past and other adventures, like her turn last year in a vintage Spitfire high above the Cliffs of Dover. “I wanted to expand my world. I felt that I was older, that my world was shrinking. People were moving, people were ill,” Sallin said. “So I started my blog because I wanted to reach out. After that, I heard about this thing called Instagram. It was really hard learning it. I really stumbled my way in. I’m shocked because most people who follow me are 30 and 40 years younger. But there are people who are older, who have kind of given up and say, ‘You know, I’m going to start wearing lipstick.’” Toby Bloomberg, 69, in Atlanta is a Sallin supporter. She discovered Sallin after Sallin competed on the shortlived Food Network show “Clash of the Grandmas.”
“She talks a lot about aging. That’s quite an unusual phenomenon on social media, which is obviously dominated by people far younger than we are,” Bloomberg said. MacDonald said she was surprised at the beginning that people actually cared what she had to say. “Why would people want to follow an old broad,” she giggled from her home in Ontario, Canada. “My daughter, Michelle, cleared that up. She said it’s what you’re representing, that people can do what they think they’ve not been able to do or were told that they couldn’t do.” Grace Maier, 32, is home full time with her two kids, ages 6 months and 2. She follows Barbara Costello, a 72-year-old Connecticut grandmother who uses the handle @brunchwithbabs. “She does these posts, ‘Did your mom ever tell you?’ and I followed her immediately on Instagram,” Maier said. “Her content brings me joy! She’s got all of these life hacks and tips that remind me of things my grandma shared with me before she passed. She also doesn’t take herself too seriously and just seems like the kind of person who would welcome you into her home.” Jeffrey Davis, Esquire
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Vision
Continued from Page 9
people are genetically predisposed to be sensitive to a normal intraocular pressure level.
TREATMENT
MACULAR DEGENERATION Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common ailment and the leading cause of vision decline in people over 50. It is the degeneration of vision in the central field of view while peripheral vision may still be working correctly. AMD is a gradual degradation of the macula, the retina portion responsible for interpreting light in your central vision. You may experience blurriness, dark spots, and distorted vision with macular degeneration. There are two types of AMD, wet and dry AMD, but both are difficult to spot until one experiences blurry vision.
There are several types of glaucoma, varying in their severity of symptoms. Glaucoma can be exceedingly difficult to spot until the damage is already done, so it is vital to see your eye doctor regularly after 40 to spot even the smallest of indications. Glaucoma is most typically treated with medicated eyedrops designed to reduce intraocular eye pressure. However, laser TREATMENT eye surgery and operating As always, it is imperroom surgery are also effecative to schedule annual tive long-term solutions.
eye doctor visits because AMD, like all eye diseases, is highly elusive until it is too late. AMD can be diagnosed through an Amsler grid test, optical coherence tomography (OCT), or fluorescein angiography administered by an eye doctor. General healthy living can help you avoid AMD. Obesity, diets high in fat, smoking, high blood pressure, heart disease, and genetic predisposition all put you at a greater risk for developing AMD. Supplements such as Vitamin C, E, lutein, zeaxanthin, zinc, and copper have been found to slow and reduce AMD progression. On a case-by-case basis, AMD can be improved with laser surgery or Anti-VEGF drugs. Consulting a vision rehabilitation specialist can help you work around AMD.
12—Lewistown, PA
The Sentinel
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
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