LEWISTOWN – LIFE
Geisinger has been a life saver for Richard Rowe, who feels like he has all the help he needs to remain independent.
The 67-year-old Lewistown man, who is also a veteran, has used Geisinger’s LIFE – which stands for Living Independence for the Elderly – program as a means of support so he can continue to live as independently as possible in the community.
“It’s a really nice operation,” Rowe said. “Everybody’s so friendly. They help you out when they can.”
LIFE Geisinger offers all-inclusive care for the elderly that assists with medical support and care for those who are age 55 and older, who are medically and financially eligible for the program. LIFE provides support to those living independently and helps participant’s caregivers who might need additional support.
Some of the services offered are occupational and physical therapy, transportation to appointments and socialization at the day center.
For Rowe, they also assist him with self-care tasks, like helping him bathe.
“Things I couldn’t do myself,” Rowe said. “They serve ones that can’t get there, and they come here and check on people.”
“I just enjoy being in the atmosphere of all the other people,” he added. “You get to know people, and it has been nice to have it for stuff when I need help.”
Without LIFE, he doubts he would be able to manage his medical care including transportation to appoint-
Richard Rowe, of Lewistown, is a member of LIFE
ments, medical oversight at the center and medications being delivered to his home.
An additional perk to the program is the recreational therapy area where he can attend activities, listen to music and enjoy lunch on a weekly basis at the Lewistown LIFE Center.
Rowe looked into the program after hearing others talking about its benefits.
“I used to be in Geisinger Gold, but I switched to LIFE Geisinger,” he explained.
“It’s a nice little environment to help elderly people.
For more information or to schedule a tour, call (800) 395-8759.
I feel like I have another family, it’s great.” LIFE Geisinger is located on the second floor of the Primary Health Building, located at 106 Derry Heights Blvd., Lewistown.
Available to those 62 years of age or older, handicap/ disabled, regardless of age who meet Federal Program Requirements. One bedroom apartments. Rent based on 30% of the adjusted gross annual income. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Availabletothose62yearsofageorolder, handicap/disabled,regardlessofagewhomeet FederalProgramRequirements.Onebedroom apartments.Rentbasedon30%oftheadjusted grossannualincome.Thisinstitutionisanequal opportunityproviderandemployer. Calltodayorvisitusonthewebat:www.liveinpa.com.
MIFFLINTOWN – If you are a senior looking for available services in the Juniata Valley, or if you want information to help a senior, the Senior Expo at the Four Seasons Senior Center might have those answers.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, the Senior Expo will offer a variety of vendors and health screenings including physical therapy, senior housing, fitness and recreation and more at the Four Seasons Senior Center, located at 47 CJEMS Lane, Mifflintown.
“In the past, this event was on a Saturday,” said Beth Harlan, senior community services supervisor for the Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corp. – The Care Network.
“This year, the committee decided to have it through the work week and thus far we are experiencing a much better turnout,” she added “This is a great opportunity for the community to come out and gather valuable resources/information that is important to their health and well-being.”
There will also be a basket raffle and food trucks, including Sinister Donuts and Callie’s Kitchen.
All residents in Mifflin and Juniata counties are urged to attend.
Proceeds benefit the Four Seasons Senior Center, whose programming is coordinated in affiliation with the Mifflin-Juniata Area Agency on Aging and the MJRSC – The Care Network.
“The Senior Expo also benefits the Four Seasons Senior Center, by bringing in new members that may
Patti Finkle (left) and Deb Spickler at a previous Senior Expo.vices Corp. – The Care Network
not have known about the center,” Harlan explained.
“The members at the Four Seasons Senior Center put a lot of time and effort into making the Expo a success each year. Many of the members go out into the community with flyers and letters asking businesses to attend. They feel it is a great event for our local community.”
For more information, call (717) 242-0315 or visit www.mymjrsc.com.
(Family Features) Retirement may mean you have unlimited time to enjoy each day, but it doesn’t mean you have a budget to match.
You probably already know staying active is essential for aging with grace, so instead of letting limited funds keep you at home, explore some ways you can enjoy your leisure time without breaking the bank.
Many fitness centers offer special rates and programs for older adults. Hitting the track or joining a group fitness class are easy ways to socialize while getting some exercise. The discounted membership is also an investment since staying fit is important for physical and mental health.
You can still enjoy dining out occasionally, especially if you take advantage of lower-cost meals designed with older adults in mind. Many specials are for meals earlier in the day, which is consistent with a growing trend toward earlier dining. According to Yelp, the number of people eating from 4-6 p.m. has grown 9% (up to 26% from 17% in 2019). Eating earlier promotes better digestion, and earlier meals are often lighter portions for smaller appetites. For example, Cracker Barrel’s Early Dinner Deals feature smaller portions served from 4-6 p.m. on weekdays. Menu items include a variety of homestyle favorites like chicken n’ dumplins, meatloaf, catfish and more.
Your local library is filled with hours of free entertainment, but it’s not just the kind you’ll find from getting a library card. You can un-
doubtedly find a book that covers any genre or interest you can name, but most local libraries also offer programming tailored to special interests and the sessions are typically offered for free or at a low cost. It’s an easy, affordable way to pick up a new skill, meet a favorite author, learn about a topic that intrigues you and more. Other resources to explore include your library’s DVD collection and internet access if you don’t have a computer at home.
Tending a garden may seem like a seasonal activity, but you can make it a yearround hobby. Researching and planning is a good way to carry your gardening enthusiasm into the cooler months and you can start seedlings indoors to extend your growing season. While you’re digging into this lowcost pastime, remember the results of your efforts, such as fresh fruits and veggies, can help cut your grocery costs, too.
Saving money at the grocery store is just one way you can make DIY projects work for you. There are dozens of other examples of ways you can put your skills and interests to use by passing time doing something you enjoy while benefiting your bank account. If you like to tinker with cars, figure out what repairs you can handle yourself and avoid hefty service fees. Crafting and sewing might mean you have ready-made gifts for special occasions and a way to repair or repurpose damaged clothing instead of discarding it.
You may be surprised by
how many places offer discounts for older adults that they don’t readily advertise. In some cases, you’ll find the information on their website or signage, but other times, you may find it easier to just ask. When you’re booking an appointment or checking
out, inquire about discounts for older adults, including any restrictions, age requirements, the amount of the discount and other pertinent details. Sometimes the discounts are offered on certain days or for specific services, or they may require you to
join a loyalty club to access the discounts. When dining out, many restaurants offer a variety of loyalty perks. Rewards members at Cracker Barrel can earn points, or “Pegs,” on qualifying restaurant and retail purchases. Members can also
take advantage of bonus birthday, anniversary and surprise rewards throughout the year.
To find a location near you, visit crackerbarrel.com/ locations.
Col. Farrell Patrick taught computer science at West Point during the 1970s and then at two private universities through the 1990s, so he isn’t surprised by the progress technology has made over the decades.
But when the 91-year-old got his first virtual reality experience recently, he was stunned. Sitting in a conference room at John Knox Village, a suburban Fort Lauderdale, Florida, retirement community, Patrick sat up straight as his eyes and ears experienced what it would be like to be in a Navy fighter jet flying off the Florida coast.
“Oh my God, that’s beau-
tiful,” he blurted before the VR program brought the jet in for a landing on an aircraft carrier.
John Knox Village was one of 17 senior communities around the country that participated in a recently published Stanford University study that found that large majorities of 245 participants between 65 and 103 years old enjoyed virtual reality, improving both their emotions and their interactions with staff.
The study is part of a larger effort to adapt VR so it can be beneficial to seniors’ health and emotional well-being and help lessen the impact dementia has on some of them.
During the testing, seniors picked from seven-minute virtual experiences such as parachuting, riding in a tank, watching stage performanc-
es, playing with puppies and kittens or visiting places like Paris or Egypt. The participants wore headsets that gave them 360-degree views and sounds, making it seem like they had been all but dropped into the actual experience.
“It brought back memories of my travels and ... brought back memories of my experience growing up on a farm,” said Terry Colli, a former public relations director at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., of his 2022 experience. Colli, 76, liked swiveling in a chair to get a panoramic view. “That was kind of amazing.”
Anne Selby, a 79-yearold retired counselor and artist, found VR “stimulated virtually every area of my brain, all of the senses.”
“I particularly enjoyed
the ones dealing with pets because I have a cat and I’ve had pets most of my life,” she said.
Stanford’s peer-reviewed study, working with the company Mynd Immersive, found that almost 80% of seniors reported having a more positive attitude after their VR session and almost 60% said they felt less isolated socially. The enjoyment lessened somewhat for older respondents whose sight and hearing had deteriorated. Those who found VR less enjoyable were also more likely to dislike technology in general.
In addition, almost 75% of caregivers said residents’ moods improved after using VR. More than 80% of residents and almost 95% caregivers said talking about their VR experience en-
hanced their relationships with each other.
“For the majority of our respondents, it was their first time using virtual reality. They enjoyed it. They were likely to recommend it to others, and they looked forward to doing it again,” said Ryan Moore, a Stanford doctoral candidate who helped lead the research.
“We are proving VR to be a tool that really does help with the well-being of our elders,” said Chris Brickler, Mynd’s CEO and co-founder. The Texas-based company is one of a handful that specializes in virtual reality for seniors. “It is far different than a two-dimensional television or an iPad.”
Separate from the study, John Knox Village uses virtual reality in its unit that houses seniors who have
Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. It helps spur memories that lead to conversations with caregivers.
“It is like they come back to life when they tell their story.” said Hana Salem, the facility’s meaningful life coordinator. She said that with others who don’t talk much perk up when given a VR experience putting them in nature.
“They’ll start laughing and saying, ‘Ooh, I’m going to catch the butterflies,’ “ Salem said. Catching butterflies is also part of a game Mynd developed that helps seniors enhance their mobility and flexibility as they stand and reach for objects.
“It’s more fun for these seniors to come in and catch butterflies and work on
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shoulder rehab than it is to go pick up a weight,” Brickler said.
Brickler said his company’s systems will soon attach to Google Earth, so seniors can virtually visit neighborhoods where they lived, schools they attended and places they have visited, sparking further conversations with caregivers.
Such virtual visits “can bring back a tremendous amount of joy, a tremendous amount of memories. And when the therapist or the other caregiver can work with that older adult and talk through things we see, we definitely see that it provides an uplift,” Brickler said.
The company has worked on the biggest complaints
seniors in the study had about VR — the headsets were too heavy, the heat they generated made their foreheads sweat and sometimes the experience created nausea, he said. The new headsets weigh about six ounces (189 grams) instead of a pound (454 grams), they have a built-in fan for cooling, and the videos aren’t as jumpy.
The findings that seniors in their 80s and 90s enjoy VR less than those in their 70s might lead to changes for them such as requiring less neck rotation to see all of the scenery and making the visuals bigger, Moore said.
On a recent afternoon at John Knox, a handful of seniors who live independently took turns again using virtual reality. Pete Audet
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Hall, vice president of sales at Mynd
as
ing a virtual reality headset at John Knox Village, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Pompano Beach, Fla.
Village was one of 17 senior communities around the country that participated in a recently published Stanford University study that found that large majorities of 245 participants between 65- and 103-years-old enjoyed virtual
Continued from Page 10
experienced what it would be like to fly in a wingsuit, soaring over show-capped mountains before landing in a field
“Oooh, running stop!” exclaimed Audet, a 76-yearold retired information technology worker. He thinks other seniors “will really enjoy it. But they just need to learn how to use it.”
His wife, Karen, “played” with puppies and was so entranced by her virtual walk around Paris that she didn’t hear questions being asked of her.
“I was there. But I was here!” said Karen Audet, an 82-year-old retired elementary school teacher.
Farrell, the retired Army
computer expert, said he hopes to live to 100 because he believes the next five years will see momentous change in VR. Still a technology enthusiast, he believes the cost of systems will drop dramatically and become part of everyday living, even for seniors.
“It is not going to be as elementary as it is now. It is going to be very realistic and very responsive,” he said.
“It will probably be connected to your brain.”
(Family Features) As the second leading cause of death worldwide, according to World Health Organization, stroke will affect 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 globally. A condition where the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, a stroke results in oxygen starvation, brain damage and loss of function.
stroke, how to reduce risk factors and where to go for timely treatment. Consider this information from the experts at Cerenovus, who are committed to changing the trajectory of stroke and offering a broad portfolio of devices used in the endovascular treatment of stroke, to learn more.
able to recover. The longer a stroke goes untreated, the greater the chances are of experiencing long-term disability, brain damage or death.
If you suspect yourself or a loved one is experiencing
While strokes can be devastating and deadly, up to 90% are preventable, according to the World Stroke Organization, and many risk factors can be controlled before they cause a stroke. By managing conditions like
by stroke risk factors and have poorer experiences when it comes to timeliness and access to stroke care, referral patterns, treatment utilization and outcomes, according to research published in the “Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases. In fact, the risk of having a first stroke is nearly twice as high for Black people, according to the CDC, and members of the Black community have the highest rate of death due to stroke. Additionally, according to
the American Stroke Association, non-white stroke patients are less likely to arrive by EMS and experience longer emergency department waiting times compared to white patients.
These facilities offer a full spectrum of neuroendovascular care, which can help patients taken directly there survive without long-term disabilities.
There are two main types of strokes: ischemic, which occur when a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a clot, and hemorrhagic, which are less common but can be more serious, occur when a weakened blood vessel ruptures and begins leaking blood. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 87% of strokes are ischemic.
Because a stroke can cause lasting disability and pain for those impacted and their loved ones, it’s important to learn how to identify the signs and symptoms of
a stroke, acting F.A.S.T. is critical in getting timely treatment necessary to survive. If you recognize the signs and symptoms of a stroke - face weakness, arm weakness and speech slurring - it’s time to call for help. Reducing the amount of time between the onset of stroke and treatment can make a difference in how well the brain, arms, legs, speech and thinking are
high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and atrial fibrillation (AFib); ceasing smoking; eating a healthy diet; getting regular exercise; and taking prescribed medications, you can decrease your risk.
Address Health Inequities
Communities of color are disproportionately affected
For every minute a stroke occurs, 1.9 million brain cells are lost, and the longer a stroke goes untreated, the greater the chances are of experiencing long-term disability and brain damage. That’s why it’s critical to seek immediate treatment at the nearest comprehensive (or Level 1) stroke center.
Seeking immediate treatment for stroke means you have more treatment options available, such as being eligible to receive tissue plasminogen activator or mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for ischemic stroke.
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MT, a minimally invasive blood clot retrieval procedure, helps improve the chances you’ll survive an ischemic stroke and make a full recovery. Treatment options for hemorrhagic stroke include surgery to remove, repair or clip a ruptured aneurysm.
If you or a loved one experience signs of stroke, seek immediate emergency medical services. To learn more about stroke risks and treatment options, visit jnjmedtech.com.
• INDEPENDENT LIVING designed for persons aged
• LOCATION conveniently located just off Rte. 22
• PET FRIENDLY small house pets are welcome (policies enforced)
• PEACEFUL quiet country setting with social activities, weekly grocery shopping trips, monthly “FUN” trips and more.
(Family Features) The bonds found in friendships and other relationships are an important factor in health and wellness - even science says so.
According to the American Psychological Association, forming and maintaining social connections at any age is one of the most reliable predictors of a healthy, happy and long life. Studies show having strong and supportive friendships can fend off depression and anxiety, lower blood pressure and heart rates in stressful situations and change the way people perceive daunting tasks.
However, statistics show approximately half of U.S. adults lack companionship and feel socially disconnected, according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. In fact, 12% don’t have anyone they consider a close friend, per the Survey Center on American Life. This “epidemic of loneliness,” as coined by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, can take a severe toll on mental and physical health.
As people age, the risks of isolation increase. With America’s older population growing rapidly - the 65 and older population reached more than 55 million in 2020 - discussing how older adults can combat loneliness is relevant to public health and individual well-being. Consider volunteering, which is one of the best and most rewarding ways to combat loneliness.
People often volunteer to find a sense of purpose, learn new skills, improve their communities or establish new routines after retiring or becoming empty nesters. For many, making friends through volunteer work is a welcome bonus. The act of volunteering provides proven benefits for older adults. Forming connections can make all the difference in a person’s volunteer experience and sense of well-being. People who meet through volunteer work inherently share a common interest and something to bond over. These friendships can carry over outside of volunteer work and lead to bonding over other hobbies and
Connection-Focused Volunteer Opportunities
In addition to making friends with fellow volunteers, many older adults also form relationships with the people they’re serving, especially if those recipients are their peers.
For example, AmeriCorps Seniors is the national service and volunteerism program in the federal agency of AmeriCorps that connects adults aged 55 and up to local service opportunities that match their interests. Its
Senior Companion Program pairs volunteers with other older adults or those with disabilities who need companionship or assistance. Volunteers may help with tasks such as paying bills, See Combat / Page 15
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shopping or getting companions to appointments. In some cases, volunteers may also provide support and respite for family members caring for loved ones with chronic illnesses.
“We often think of volunteering as ‘giving back,’ but we’ve seen firsthand that it often becomes so much more than that,” said Atalaya Sergi, director of AmeriCorps Seniors. “By spending a few hours each week with another older adult in need of support, our volunteers are not only giving back to others, but they’re adding meaning to their own lives and establishing new connections. They’re helping to fight the loneliness epidemic one vis-
it at a time.”
Growing older can come with challenges, but some of those can be minimized with a positive mindset and commitment to remaining connected and engaged - whether with friends, relatives or fellow community members.
Fostering relationships is a key ingredient to a healthier and more fulfilling life.
For more information and to find volunteer opportunities near you, visit AmeriCorps.gov/YourMoment.
• Outpatient therapy
