50plus LIFE Cumberland County September 2019 by On-Line Publishers, Inc.

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Complimentary | Cumberland County Edition | September 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ Vol. 20 No. 9

American Legion Rider Has Drive to Serve page 4

Senior Games Good for Body and Spirit page 12

STEPS FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION page 14

Savvy Senior

Jim Miller

How to Help an Aging Loved One with a Hoarding Problem

Dear Savvy Senior, My 70-year-old mother has become somewhat of a hoarder. Since my father died a few years ago, her house is so disorganized and messy with stuff that it’s becoming a hazard. What should I do to help her? – Troubled Son Dear Troubled, Clutter addiction is a problem that affects up to 5% of Americans, many of whom are seniors. The problems can range anywhere from moderate messiness to hoarding so severe it may be related to a mental health disorder like obsessive-compulsive disorder. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips and resources that can help your mom. Why People Hoard The reasons most people hoard is because they have an extreme sentimental attachment to their possessions, or they believe they might need their items at a later date. Hoarding can also be a sign

that an older person is depressed or showing early symptoms of dementia. Common problems for seniors who live in excessive clutter are tripping, falling, and breaking a bone; overlooking bills and missing medications that are hidden in the clutter; and suffering from the environmental effects of mold, mildew, and dust, and even living among insects and rodents.

What to Do To get a handle on your mom’s problem, the Institute for Challenging Disorganization offers a free “Clutter Hoarding Scale” that you can download off their website (www. challengingdisorganization.org). They can also be reached at (800) 674-7818. If you find that your mom has a moderate cluttering problem, there are a number of things you can do to help. Start by having a talk with her, respectfully expressing your concern for her health and safety, and offering your assistance to help her declutter. If she takes you up on it, most professional organizers recommend decluttering in small steps. Take one room at a time or even a portion of a room at a time. This will help prevent your mom from getting overwhelmed. Before you start, designate three piles or boxes for your mom’s stuff: one pile is for items she wants to keep and put away, another is the donate pile, and the last is the throwaway pile.

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You and your mom will need to determine which pile her things belong in as you work. If your mom struggles with sentimental items that she doesn’t use, like her husband’s old tools or her mother’s china, for example, suggest she keep only one item for memory’s sake and donate the rest to family members who will use them. You will also need to help her set up a system for organizing the kept items and new possessions. Find Help If you need some help with the decluttering and organizing, consider hiring a professional organizer who can come to your mom’s home to help you prioritize, organize, and remove the clutter.

The nonprofit group National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals has a directory on their website (www.napo.net) to help you locate a professional in your area. Their phone number is (856) 380-6828. If your mom has a bigger, more serious hoarding problem — if her daily functioning is impaired or if she is having financial difficulties, health problems, or other issues because of her hoarding — you’ll need to seek professional help. Antidepressants and/or talk therapy can help address control issues, anxiety, depression, and other feelings that may underline hoarding tendencies and make it easier for her to confront her disorder.

To learn more and find professional help, contact the International OCD Foundation at (617) 973-5801; they provide a hoarding center on their website (www.hoarding.iocdf.org) that offers information, resources, treatments, self-help groups, and more. Also see Hoarding Cleanup (www. hoardingcleanup.com, (800) 462-7337), a site that has a national database of qualified resources, including cleaning companies and therapists that can help. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away. adult day care Life Time Adult Day Care 3 Crossgate Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 975-9762 Emergency Numbers American Red Cross (717) 845-2751 Central Pennsylvania Poison Center (800) 521-6110 Cumberland County Assistance (800) 269-0173 Energy Assistance Cumberland County Board of Assistance (800) 269-0173 Eye care services Kilmore Eye Associates 890 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 697-1414 financial services Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (302) 573-4027 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383 Arthritis Foundation (717) 763-0900 CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 PACE (800) 225-7223 Social Security Administration (Medicare) (800) 302-1274 www.50plusLifePA.com

Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania (717) 238-2531 Healthcare Information Pa. HealthCare Cost Containment Council (717) 232-6787 Hearing Services Duncan Nulph Hearing Associates 5020 Ritter Road, Suite 10G Mechanicsburg (717) 766-1500 Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Home care Services Homeland at Home Serving all of Cumberland County (717) 221-7892 Hospice Services Homeland at Home Serving all of Cumberland County (717) 221-7890 Housing Assistance Cumberland County Housing Authority 114 N. Hanover St., Carlisle (717) 249-1315 Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937 Salvation Army (717) 249-1411 Insurance Apprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067 Capital Blue (888) 989-9015 (TTY: 711) Medicare (800) 633-4227

Nursing/Rehab Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7900

Disease and Health Risk (888) 232-3228

Nutrition Meals on Wheels Carlisle (717) 245-0707 Mechanicsburg (717) 697-5011 Newville (717) 776-5251 Shippensburg (717) 532-4904 West Shore (717) 737-3942

Drug Information (800) 729-6686

Domestic Violence (800) 799-7233

Flu or Influenza (888) 232-3228 Health and Human Services Discrimination (800) 368-1019 Internal Revenue Service (800) 829-1040 Liberty Program (866) 542-3788

Orthopedics OSS Health 856 Century Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 747-8315 Personal Care Homes Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7900 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

National Council on Aging (800) 424-9046 Passport Information (877) 487-2778 (V); (888) 874-7793 (TTY) Social Security Fraud (800) 269-0217 Social Security Office (800) 772-1213 Veterans Services American Legion (717) 730-9100

Services Cumberland County Aging & Community Services (717) 240-6110

Governor’s Veterans Outreach (717) 234-1681

Toll-Free Numbers Bureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555 Cancer Information Service (800) 422-6237

Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833

Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771 Veterans Affairs (717) 240-6178 or (717) 697-0371 Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

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September 2019

Cover Story

American Legion Rider Has Drive to Serve

Corporate Office

3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240 Cumberland County/Dauphin County: 717.770.0140 Berks County/Lancaster County/ Lebanon County/York County: 717.285.1350 Email address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL

Vice President and Managing Editor Christianne Rupp Editor, 50plus Publications Megan Joyce

ART DEPARTMENT Project Coordinator Renee McWilliams Production Artist Lauren Phillips

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Senior Marketing Consultants Joshua Binkley Jennifer Schmalhofer Angie Willis Events Manager Kimberly Shaffer

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Elizabeth Duvall

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50plus LIFE is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community. On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.

September 2019

50plus LIFE ›

By John Crawford

Since the Legion is a veterans service group, they also participate in many motorcycle events and charity rides like the one along Route 24. The hum and roar of motorcycles sounded That ride benefited MilitaryShare, a veterans throughout town as riders gathered recently at the program of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank; American Legion Post 455. The Higher Standard Project, a recovery home for Under a blue sky with high, patchy clouds that veterans undergoing treatment for substance abuse made the rain date moot, the 64 riders left the or trauma; and Legion parking Mission 22, lot and headed which employs north on Route treatment 24. programs, The riders memorials, quickly arrived and national at the end of awareness to the small town combat veteran and reached suicide. their real “It is a destination: Above and at right: O’Farrell big problem, the open roads worked with an artist to design especially for of central the graphics and gold leaf on veterans coming his 9/11 memorial motorcycle. Pennsylvania. On the dash are the names back from the From there, of all 343 New York City Fire Middle East,” the group, Department firefighters who O’Farrell said. organized perished that day, two of The ride through the whom were O’Farrell’s cousins. rose over Legion Post, $2,500 for the rode the organizations. rolling roads of The Legion southern and Riders also eastern York honor fallen County for the veterans with next two hours. procession rides As they and flag lines traveled, they on the service stretched the member’s line of vehicles return, and have far enough Above: ALR Riders pause at the done so since that, combined gravesite of fallen World War I the Legion’s with the curved Cpl. Alvin T. Rehmeyer after placing American flags on veterans’ inception in roads of the graves for Memorial Day. 1919. Among the county, rarely most recent was were the front th honoring the 100 anniversary of the return of local riders visible to those in the rear. World War I Cpl. Alvin T. Rehmeyer. Bobby O’Farrell is one of the leaders of this “When someone in the military dies, we come unlikely group of riders: American Legion Riders and do a flag line. (Rehmeyer) passed away a Post 455. day after his 23rd birthday. He was a corporal in “We are a military service organization,” he said. Montfaucon, France. He was buried in a makeshift “In fact, I am the post commander … You have to grave, and a year later, they brought him back … in belong to the Legion, in the capacity of the Sons of 1919,” O’Farrell said. the American Legion or the Ladies Auxiliary. What “That was the first thing that the American this will get you is a membership in the American Legion did was honor him (on his return). We did it Legion Riders.” (again) 100 years later.” The lure of the ride is not the sole reason for the While a strong focus for the Legion Riders is group’s gatherings. Their rides offer comradeship and helping veterans, other local charities benefit from aim to raise money for many area charities. www.50plusLifePA.com

the riders’ activities. Marine Terminal in New Jersey. In May, ALR Post 455 participated with “I did not want to go back to the New the Eastern Harley-Davidson Association York/New Jersey area,” O’Farrell said. “I in the MDA Ride for Life, held at Seven wanted to slow life down a little bit, so I Springs Mountain Resort in Somerset actually moved from the interior of Alaska County. The fundraiser generated more than to the town of Woodbine, Pennsylvania … $1.7 million for the Muscular Dystrophy in 1984.” Association. “Slow down” may be a relative term, as Like many Legion Riders, service and O’Farrell eventually became part of the riding come naturally for O’Farrell. A U.S. Federal Fire Service at Aberdeen Proving Army veteran, he has been riding since he Ground and advanced to become a chief joined the Legion and purchased his first officer. motorcycle while in Panama. He is a certified fire protection “I joined in 1977, Post No. 1, Balboa specialist, nationally certified fire and Canal Zone in Panama. It is also where I arson investigator, and has been an adjunct married my soulmate, Nora, 43 years ago. instructor for the University of Maryland, When I was in Panama, I bought my first Maryland Fire Rescue Institute, for Bobby and Nora O’Farrell on a trip to Harley-Davidson at the Post Exchange. It 28 years. He holds almost every fireSkyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. was shipped down there from someplace protection certification available for the called York, Pennsylvania.” fire service. Originally from New York City, years would pass before O’Farrell and his Even in retirement, O’Farrell remains active with the American Legion Post family would settle in central Pennsylvania, but the motorcycle rides for charity 455, organizing the charity rides and other events. began early during his career. “I’ve always been a service-oriented person. Even now being retired, I am “(My) first real charity ride was back in the ’80s,” recalled O’Farrell. going to a lot of organizations, and for whatever reason, I’m coming to the top While riding with the Legion and/or Nora has been the usual scenario, of them. a solo trip in 1982 from his Army days stands out as his most memorable. “I like to help people; I like to help veterans. America is No. 1 thanks to our Following a transfer, he rode from New England to Alaska. veterans,” O’Farrell said. “There are a lot of veterans who are still in need. I am “While I was at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, I had PCS (permanent very lucky. I did very well in life. Not everybody has, and I know that.” change of station) orders to Fort Greely, Alaska. I rode my motorcycle from On Front Cover: Fort Devens to Fort Greely. It actually took three and a half weeks because I Post Commander Bobby O’Farrell on his Harley-Davidson 9/11 memorial stopped at places with people that I knew. motorcycle in front of American Legion Riders Post 455. “The scenery was beautiful,” O’Farrell said. “I left in the May-June timeframe, and they had 3 inches of snow in the highlands of Montana. That was the same year they evacuated all the state and federal parks. They had a big blizzard going on. I went up on a motorcycle in the middle of that. When I got up to Alaska, it was about 90 degrees.” Around that time, the O’Farrell family expanded from two boys and cat, adding his daughter Jennifer Bridget, born during their three years in Alaska. With a growing family, they felt the need to stabilize their home front for the children, and O’Farrell began searching for a non-military job. Throughout his military career, he had worked as military police with a secondary career in firefighting. He had connections in Maryland that Online & In Print. eventually brought his family to central Pennsylvania as a trainer in onlinepub.com firefighting. “I had a very close friend who was a chief officer in Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, and he said, ‘Come on down.’ At the time, there was no availability there, so the first place I actually received a position was Bayonne

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September 2019

Financial Focus

Steven Brettler

Achieving Financial Well-Being after the Loss of a Spouse

Losing a spouse is a traumatic event. It drains your emotions and makes it hard to focus on simple daily tasks, let alone financial matters. Unfortunately, financial obligations don’t stop for grief; there are bills to be paid and decisions to be made. Taking an active role in understanding the key financial issues you could face before they happen can help you implement a plan that will bring more confidence and clarity to your life.

Consider committing to a oneyear “decision-free zone” where you avoid making any major, irrevocable decisions that involve large investments, gifts to family members or charities, and your home. Instead, focus on paying the bills and running your household as you usually do. If you receive a large sum of money from an insurance policy, deposit it in the bank. This will give you the time you need to adjust to your new life and make more objective financial decisions.

Your Journey to Financial Well-Being The loss of a spouse can be financially derailing. This is especially true if the family’s financial obligations are managed by just one partner. Suddenly, you could be met with an unfamiliar set of worries: Do I have enough income to maintain my lifestyle? Will I be able to stay in my house or will I need to sell it? What do I do about my spouse’s retirement account? Can I collect on my spouse’s Social Security benefits? These questions can be overwhelming and confusing. Rather than tackling them all at once, these important steps can help you begin your journey to financial well-being: Before: Gather information about all your financial documents. Talk to your spouse about where the passwords and account numbers are; whom to contact at various banks; and where the will and other important documents are kept. These may include bank and brokerage statements, retirement statements, credit card statements, loan information, property titles, business agreements, tax returns, and life insurance policies. After: Prioritize your financial obligations. If you have any joint accounts, begin retitling them, but consider keeping a joint checking account open for at least one year in the event you receive checks made payable to your spouse. As bills come in, pay the most important obligations first. These typically include mortgage and car payments, taxes, utilities, and insurance premiums. If you’re not sure how much cash you have available, consider making minimum payments on credit cards until you have a budget in place. Honor a “Decision-Free Zone” While some financial decisions require immediate attention, others can wait.

September 2019

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Create a Plan and Stick to It Determine your spending needs by tracking your household income and expenses for a few months. This will help you understand how much you will need to achieve your definition of financial security. In the event of losing a spouse, regaining your financial balance isn’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone. It may be a good idea to surround yourself with a support team you can trust. An experienced team of advisers, including an accountant, estate attorney, and financial advisers, can help you make informed decisions and provide critical support when you need it most. Steven Brettler is a financial adviser and branch manager with Morgan Stanley in Greenville, Del. He may be reached at (302) 573-4027 or advisor.morganstanley. com/steven.brettler. Footnotes 1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, July 2018. 2 John Hancock Insurance Long-Term Care Calculator. Based on five years of private room nursing home care during the years 2048 to 2052, and assuming a hypothetical 4.1% annual inflation rate. 3 Society of Actuaries (www.soa.org) Simple Life Expectancy Calculator (2017). Averages takes into account age and sex, using the 2012 Individual Annuitant Mortality table, with 1% mortality improvement. 4 EBRI Notes, Employee Benefit Research Institute, January 2017. Disclosures Article by Morgan Stanley and provided courtesy of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor. Steven Brettler is a Financial Advisor in Greenville, DE at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). He can be reached by email at steven.brettler@ms.com or by telephone at 302-573-4027. His website is https://advisor. morganstanley.com/steven.brettler This article has been prepared for informational purposes only. The information and data in the article has been obtained from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley makes no representations or guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the information or data from sources outside of Morgan Stanley. It does not provide individually tailored investment advice and has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. The strategies and/or investments discussed in this article may not be suitable for all investors. Morgan Stanley recommends that investors independently evaluate particular investments and strategies, and encourages investors to seek the advice of a Financial Advisor. The appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor’s individual circumstances and objectives. Insurance products are offered in conjunction with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC’s licensed insurance agency affiliates. Steven Brettler may only transact business, follow-up with individualized responses, or render personalized investment advice for compensation, in states where he is registered or excluded or exempted from registration, https://advisor.morganstanley.com/steven.brettler © 2018 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC 2283635 10/2018

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Foil Falls Before They Take You Down By Eric Edelman

the mind, helping reduce falls resulting from sudden movements that lead to significant blood pressure drop, particularly in those who There’s truth in numbers, and the sad truth is take medication that can cause blood pressure that nearly 3 million older adults in this country variations. go to the emergency room each year for fallTai chi practitioners are mindful of the related injuries — this according to the Centers importance of transferring weight with each step; for Disease Control. this assists mobility, coordination, and balance Among seniors, falls have the dubious and places emphasis on upright and supple distinction of being the No. 1 cause of fractures, posture to further strengthen muscles. hospital admissions for trauma, and loss of That said, tai chi — which can best be independence. described as a moving form of meditation — is As we age, we may develop more risk factors extremely low impact, placing minimal stress on that can lead to a fall. During the normal aging joints and muscles. process, individuals have decreased muscle Fall Prevention Awareness Week Regular vision examinations, good lighting, strength and a slowing of reflexes and balance and fall-proofing measures throughout the home reactions, and they can develop fear of falling. Sept. 23–29 are certainly part of the fall-prevention mix. Balance and gait are also affected by Remove unnecessary obstacles, such as throw rugs and electrical and phone neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease or stroke, in addition to cords, from walkways; repair loose floorboards or carpeting; store clothing and complications related to visual disturbances, diabetes, and unstable blood food items within easy reach; use nonslip mats in tub/shower; place nightlights pressure. in bedrooms and bathrooms; and immediately clean spilled liquids/food. And with aging, we also tend to take more prescription medications; in Don’t be a statistic — by practicing basic balance, resistance training, fact, the National Institutes of Health indicates that those taking four or more stretching programs, or tai chi in concert with taking simple fall-prevention prescriptions have an increased risk of falling. measures throughout the home, you have a much better chance of not According to the CDC, 1 in 5 falls causes a serious injury, such as a broken becoming one of this year’s 3 million to visit the ER for a fall-related injury. bone or head trauma. The severity of such an injury can be compounded if the injured takes certain medications, such as blood thinners. Eric Edelman, PT, is the owner of Peak Physical Therapy & Sports Performance with So, how can we mitigate the fear and the actual act of falling? Balance and locations in Scituate, Norwell, Quincy, and Hanover, Mass. gait training can be beneficial and accomplished by performing exercises on level or uneven surfaces. A basic balance exercise can be done by positioning the body to the side of a chair, placing one hand on the chair for support, and standing with feet shoulder width apart. Weight is then shifted to the left foot while the right foot is slowly lifted; the position should be held for 30 seconds to maintain balance. 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The process is then repeated with the left side, and, as it becomes easier, the Spooky Nook Sports exercise can be done without the additional support of the chair. 2913 Spooky Nook Road Movement can also be added to the raised foot, such as writing your name Manheim LANCASTER COUNTY or a portion of the alphabet with the toe of the right foot while balancing on the left. Balance discs, foam pads and rollers, balance boards, and stability balls are tools that can add variety and challenge to balance-training programs. 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Improvement in balance can also be realized with resistance training and York Expo Center stretching programs. While these and other “traditional” physical therapy Memorial Hall East exercises can help improve balance and prevent falls, there exists meaningful 334 Carlisle Ave., York YORK COUNTY evidence that the discipline of tai chi may reduce the risk of falling in older adults. In brief, the ancient Chinese practice of tai chi is a soft martial art whose name translates approximately as “supreme, ultimate harmony.” 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. With the ultimate purpose to enhance life and balance, tai chi is based on the Carlisle Expo Center principles of yin and yang, with yin representing the parasympathetic nervous 100 K Street system (rest and digest) and yang the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). Carlisle CUMBERLAND COUNTY Tai chi involves soft, slow movements in opposite directions (yin and yang) to increase strength and improve flexibility and concentration. It can also restore Exhibitors • Health Screenings • Seminars • Demonstrations • Entertainment • Door Prizes self-confidence in those who have fallen in the past and fear a repeat performance. Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available To achieve balance, tai chi employs principles of upright posture, coordinated breathing, weight shifting, and slow, fluid movements. The slow, smooth, and continuous movements of tai chi help strengthen internal muscles that support (717) 285-1350 and strengthen the spine. (717) 770-0140 (610) 675-6240 In addition to its physical benefits, this form of gentle resistance can calm 20th Annual

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September 2019

Walk to End Alzheimer’s Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of death for individuals age 65 and older. This devastating and debilitating disease is the ultimate thief — of memories, independence, control, time, and, ultimately, life. And the disease is often dealt with in silence. Those facing the disease feel a stigma surrounding their diagnosis and often don’t seek the support they need. At the Alzheimer’s Association, we hear from individuals daily that they “feel alone.” Family and friends stop visiting because of “abnormal” behavior — a symptom of the disease — and caregivers become more and more isolated. We want patients and their families to know that there is hope, and there is help, through the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Pennsylvania.

September 28, 2019 Overlook Park, Lancaster

Registration at 9 a.m. • Walk at 10:30 a.m.

October 5, 2019

City Island, Harrisburg Registration at 10 a.m. • Walk at 11:30 a.m.

October 26, 2019 John C. Rudy Park, York

Registration at 8:30 a.m. • Walk at 10:30 a.m.

Easy online registration at http://www.alz.org/walk • Volunteer opportunities available. • Teams and individuals welcome. Chapter Presenting Sponsors

Registration brochures, team packets, and sponsorship packets available. For more information, please contact: Harrisburg/York Walks Katherine Ensell, Walk Manager (717) 651-5020; klensell@alz.org

Lancaster Walk Fran Gibbons, Walk Director (717) 568-2595; fgibbons@alz.org

Alzheimer’s Association 2595 Interstate Drive, Suite 100 • Harrisburg, PA 17110

September 2019

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There are more than 5 million Americans currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia and more than 15 million caregivers. In Pennsylvania alone, there are more than 400,000 individuals diagnosed. We are here to provide education and support to the millions who face dementia every day, while advancing critical research toward methods of treatment and prevention, ultimately to end Alzheimer’s disease. We have offices locally and support groups throughout the region for those facing this disease to meet with others in similar situations. We also host the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This is the association’s largest annual awareness and fundraising event, which occurs during the fall. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is a day of hope, an opportunity — a day we all come together to see that we’re not alone in our fight. Some walk to honor and remember those they have lost. Some walk to share stories of living with Alzheimer’s or related dementias. Some walk so that future generations won’t have to face the debilitating and devastating effects of the disease. Some walk because they want to help make a difference and bring this disease to the forefront. The money raised allows our chapter to contribute to research to find a cure. These funds also help support programs and services that advance accurate and timely diagnosis of people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. In addition, money raised ensures significant increases to affordable, highquality care and support for people with the disease and their caretakers. Help us break the silence and start the conversation. Join us, along with thousands of others in your community, at the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Register today at www.alz.org/walk or call our Helpline, available 24 hours, seven days a week, at (800) 272-3900. Local walks include: Saturday, Sept. 28 Overlook Park, Lancaster Registration at 9 a.m. Walk at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 City Island, Harrisburg Registration at 10 a.m. Walk at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26 John Rudy Park, York Registration at 8:30 a.m. Walk at 10:30 a.m.

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The Bookworm Sez

The Pioneers Terri Schlichenmeyer

Your vacation destination is somewhere youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been before. You want to be surprised and delighted, to see things, experience activities, and try foods that are all new to you. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thinking of a good pampering, perhaps, with spas and shopping. Or maybe, as in The Pioneers by David McCullough, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be roughing it, sans campers, roads, medicine, RVs, or decent boots. The Rev. Manasseh Cutler saw an opportunity. As a former army chaplain, he knew that the British had ceded land to the U.S. after the Revolutionary War The Pioneers By David McCullough and that it was available, though the territory was untamed and, aside from c. 2019, Simon & Schuster, 332 pages a few forts, unsettled by white folks. And so, following a meeting with likeminded, land-seeking New Englanders â&#x20AC;&#x201D; many of them war veterans â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Cutler saddled his horse and headed to New York to convince members of the U.S. Congress to pass an ordinance making settlement and statehood easier for newly populated territories. Technically speaking, the government didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even own the land yet â&#x20AC;&#x201D; local Indians did â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but that mattered little to Gen. Rufus Putnam. Putnam had been at the meeting and, unafraid of hardship, was eager to get to this wild land. On Dec. 31, 1787, he departed for Ohio, leading a group of New Englanders with eyes on new farms and new beginnings. Putnam, says McCullough, likely knew the kind of â&#x20AC;&#x153;difficulties and dangerâ&#x20AC;? his party faced on the trip, which took more than three months to complete. They were told that the Indians in the area were â&#x20AC;&#x153;friends and brothers,â&#x20AC;? but â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rufus Putnam thought it best to wait and see.â&#x20AC;? His caution was warranted, as it turned out. Over time, the Delaware, Wyandot, Shawnee, and Miami tribes were not happy having white settlers in the area, and they showed it with deadly attacks, stolen scalps, and by wantonly slaughtering local wildlife on which the settlers depended for sustenance. At the end of 1790, Putnam wrote to President Washington that he feared â&#x20AC;&#x153;the worst.â&#x20AC;? On Jan. 2, 1791, â&#x20AC;&#x153;calamityâ&#x20AC;? happened â&#x20AC;Ś These stories â&#x20AC;&#x201D; heart-pounding and soul-freezing as they are â&#x20AC;&#x201D; arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the whole of what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll read inside The Pioneers. Inside, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find so much more. Readers who think â&#x20AC;&#x153;middle Americaâ&#x20AC;? when they think of settlers are in for a treat in this book. Author David McCullough not only takes the story back further, but he goes deeper through mini-biographies on various historical figures and by detailing the everyday lives of average settlers, both men and women. While this is perhaps familiar information, it adds a definite relevance. Another of the more interesting things about this book is that you may, at times, forget that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a historical account! McCullough tells this story with a novelistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flair inserted into facts, which makes the excitement keener, the www.50plusLifePA.com

atmosphere richer, and the personalities of its people rounder. Fans of McCulloughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, therefore, will thoroughly enjoy this latest dip into a corner of history, but novel lovers may want to take a stab at it, too. The Pioneers is well done and absorbing, but it also makes Ohio, circa 1790, a great destination.

Photo credit: William B. McCullough

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old, and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 14,000 books.

Pioneers author Vibra Health Plan Seminar Dates and Locations:

Sept. 27 th 10 a.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Giant Food Stores, 3301 Trindle Rd., Camp Hill, PA Oct. 16 th 10 a.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Radisson Hotel, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill, PA Oct. 23rd 10 a.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Giant Food Stores, 3301 Trindle Rd., Camp Hill, PA Oct. 17 th 10 a.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Giant Food Stores, 2300 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg, PA Oct. 24th 10 a.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Hershey Country Club, 1000 E. Derry Rd., Hershey, PA Oct. 26 th 10 a.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Giant Food Stores, 2300 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg, PA Oct. 29 th 10 a.m. â&#x20AC;˘ Swatara Township, 599 Eisenhower Blvd., Harrisburg, PA

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Vibra Health Plan is a PPO Plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Vibra Health Plan depends on contract renewal. You must continue to pay your Part B premiums. This information is not a complete Â?Â&#x17D;Â&#x153;Â&#x152;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2019;Â&#x2122;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2014;ČąÂ&#x2DC;Â?ČąÂ&#x2039;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2014;Â&#x17D;Ä&#x2122;Â?Â&#x153;ÇŻČą Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x160;Â&#x152;Â?ČąÂ?Â&#x2018;Â&#x17D;ČąÂ&#x2122;Â&#x2022;Â&#x160;Â&#x2014;ČąÂ?Â&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;ČąÂ&#x2013;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;Â&#x17D;ČąÂ&#x2019;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;Â&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2014;ÇŻČą Â&#x2019;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2019;Â?Â&#x160;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2014;Â&#x153;Ç°ČąÂ&#x152;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2122;Â&#x160;Â˘Â&#x2013;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2014;Â?Â&#x153;Ç°ČąÂ&#x160;Â&#x2014;Â?ČąÂ&#x203A;Â&#x17D;Â&#x153;Â?Â&#x203A;Â&#x2019;Â&#x152;Â?Â&#x2019;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2014;Â&#x153;ČąÂ&#x2013;Â&#x160;Â˘ČąÂ&#x160;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2122;Â&#x2022;Â˘ÇŻČą Â&#x17D;Â&#x2014;Â&#x17D;Ä&#x2122;Â?Â&#x153;Ç°Čą premiums, and/or co-payments may change on January 1 of each year. The provider or pharmacy network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary. A licensed, authorized representative will be present with information and applications. H9408_MK18_50plusAd

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50plus LIFE â&#x20AC;ş

September 2019

Traveltizers

By Andrea Gross

Sept. 12, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Lebanon Expo Center 80 Rocherty Road Lebanon

Nov. 7, 2019

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Farm and Home Center 1383 Arcadia Road Lancaster

This event is FREE to attend. Veterans (of all ages), the military community, and their families are invited to join us!

The Expo brings federal, state, and local agencies together with area businesses to provide information and resources to veterans and their families. The Job Fair brings veterans and spouses who need jobs together with employers who can benefit from this rich source of talent to aid their organizations.

At the Expo

Veterans Benefits & Services Medical/Nonmedical Resources Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs Education/Training Services

At the Job Fair

Employers Job Counseling Workshops Employment Seminars Resume Writing Assistance Hosted by:

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available

www.veteransexpo.com

Brought to you by:

September 2019

(717) 285-1350 www.olpevents.com

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Hello and Bonjour in New Brunswick

Two rows of young men are standing before me, poised at crisp attention and perspiring heavily. The perspiration is understandable because despite the 90-degree heat, the men are formally outfitted in white helmets and heavy red coats with high black collars. About 100 people are staring at us. I’ve been selected The Changing of the Guards is a ceremonial from among the throwback to the 1800s when British Loyalists onlookers to “inspect the ruled Fredericton. guards,” a ceremonial throwback to the 1800s when the British were settling North America. At that time, Fredericton, now the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick (www. tourismnewbrunswick. ca), was a refuge for U.S. Loyalists who remained true to the crown while many of their brethren championed an independent United Kings Landing was constructed using old States. buildings that belonged to original settlers. The head cadet and I walk down the aisles, checking the troops. surrounding counties have more Their boots — polished. Their pants craftspeople per capita than any other — pressed. Their jackets — neatly place in Canada. belted. During the summer, free concerts “Satisfactory,” I say. are performed on the old military He nods and leads his men through parade ground, and people can enjoy a high-stepping series of formations. 50 miles of well-maintained walking Then they strut off the green to the trails that follow the banks of the St. delight of the many tourists. John River. Fredericton is awash with free and But for us the biggest attraction is low-cost tourist-pleasing activities. In Kings Landing, a recreated Loyalist addition to the changing of the guards, village. There are no power lines and the Historic Garrison District is filled no motor vehicles. Instead we find with museums and old government wagons with wooden wheels, women buildings and surrounded by trendy with hooped skirts, and men with hoes restaurants and craft shops. and fiddles. In fact, Fredericton and the two As we wander through the 70www.50plusLifePA.com

plus buildings that once belonged to settlers from the surrounding area, we speak with articulate and knowledgeable costumed interpreters: a woman who is quilting, a lad who is tending his horse, a man who is working at the sawmill. They tell us stories about the former owners of the various homes Village Historique Acadien shows how the Acadians and workplaces. lived from the mid-1700s through the mid-1900s. Two hundred miles to the north, life was very different. The French were also lured by the agriculturally rich area, and by the mid-1600s they had established communities in the region they called Acadia. In 1755, after years of increasingly hostile skirmishes between the two European powers, the British ordered the Acadians to pledge allegiance to the crown. The Acadians refused, and the British ordered In the Acadian parts of the province, the French them deported. word arrêt precedes the English word stop. Thousands lost their lives as they were herded onto small boats and forced out to sea. Others fled to the American colonies or other parts of Canada, hiding until it was safe to return to the rural areas of New Brunswick. There they eked out a living in British-controlled territory. Today New Brunswick is the only Canadian province that is officially bilingual. People who live in the central and western parts of the province trace their heritage to England, while those in the north and east are fiercely French in their customs and language. As we proceed up the coast toward the Village Historique Acadien, which is the French counterpart to Kings Landing, the Acadian flag seems to be everywhere. It’s painted on the fronts of buildings, flies on poles in the yards of private homes, and hangs from ropes strung in front of gas stations. By the time we reach Caraquet, even the stop signs have changed to reflect the predominant population. Whereas in Fredericton the English word stop is above the French arrêt, in this part of New Brunswick, the arrêt precedes the stop. To visit the Village Historique Acadien is to time travel through Acadian life from after the Deportation (Le Grand Dérangement) in the mid-1700s up to the mid-1900s. As we did in Kings Landing, we make our way through the village — stopping at homes, sipping beer at the tavern, watching fish processing at the hatchery — while interpreters help us understand daily life in French Canada. It’s easy to see that life in Acadia was difficult. “Acadians started the day with the sun and ended with the sun,” says one woman, as she adjusts her apron and adds some vegetables to the stew that’s cooking over the fire. “They had to work hard, but c’est la vie.” www.50plusLifePA.com

As is true on most of our trips, the more we learn, the more we want to know. But now we have to say farewell to New Brunswick — in two languages, of course. Au revoir and goodbye. Photos ©Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross (andreagross. com). www.traveltizers.com Spinning is one of the crafts depicted at Village Historique Acadien.

October 5, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Lebanon Expo Center 80 Rocherty Road Lebanon

omen’s Expo Lancaster County

October 12, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

omen’s Expo Cumberland County

Spooky Nook Sports

2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim y Holida g in Shopp

November 9, 2019

& Health ty Beau

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Carlisle Expo Center

Fun!

100 K Street Carlisle

Please, join us! 717.285.1350 community outreach sponsor

Homeland at Home

Health & Wellness sponsor

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health

supporting sponsors

Agora Cyber Charter School associate sponsor lunch bag sponsorS seminar sponsor Ricker Sweigart & Associates Visiting Angels Wegmans May-Grant Obstetrics & Gynecology BeBalanced UPMC Pinnacle

media sponsors

FREE advance guest registration online! ($5 at the door) Talk to us about sponsor and exhibitor opportunities.

aGreatWayToSpendMyDay.com 50plus LIFE ›

September 2019

Senior Games Good for Body and Spirit By Megan Joyce Anyone who spent any time in central Pennsylvania in mid-July of this year knows it was not a time to be outside. For several days in a row, temperatures rose within spitting distance of 100 degrees, and the entire region was under an extreme heat advisory until the furnace-like air finally dissipated. Luckily, organizers for the Cumberland County Senior Games, held July 18 in Mechanicsburg, had planned for the possibility that summer might act like summer. “The only outdoor events we had were first thing in the morning,” Heather DeWire, clerical assistant with Cumberland County Aging & Community Services, said. “We had pop tents down at the track for shade. We also had a large cooler of cold water down there. The heat was a concern, but we had two ambulances on standby, and everyone did wonderful!” “The games went very well again this year,” Deb Micklo, administrative supervisor with CCACS, said. “We moved all of the events to the high school this year to eliminate the time the competitors spent on the shuttle bus going between the high school, senior center, and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Park.” Sponsored by Cumberland County Aging & Community Services, the Borough of Mechanicsburg, Messiah Lifeways, and Mechanicsburg Area Parks & Recreation, the Senior Games were a one-day celebration of sport, recreation, friendly competition, and fellowship. “One of the best things about Senior Games is the collaboration between so many different entities,” Micklo said. “It takes our agency, Mechanicsburg Area School District, Mechanicsburg Parks and Recreation, Messiah Lifeways, and West Shore EMS to pull it off. “Another community member that helps is Classic Drycleaners, whose donation of bottled water is very important.” Cumberland County residents or county senior center members over age 50 are invited to compete in the Senior Games, which comprise more than a dozen athletic events. “The most popular event this year was cornhole, with shuffleboard coming in a close second,” DeWire said. Other changes for 2019 included splitting the 100- and 400-meter events into walking and running versions for each. Organizers introduced a 25meter breast stroke to the swimming lineup as well. “We also added a water aerobics demonstration with several people joining in and also using the pool for a leisurely swim,” Micklo said. Attendance has continued to creep up each of the event’s last four years, for a total of 75 in 2019. Participants ranged in age from 51–94 — the games included two 94-year-old athletes, in fact. “I love getting to see a lot of attendees from the previous years and getting to know the newbies!” DeWire said. “It’s important for the community to see that just because you’re an older adult, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a competitive spirit and want to participate in events that are physically challenging,” Micklo added. Generations intermingle at the Senior Games and, according to Micklo, the elders certainly hold their own. Micklo recalled a 400-meter runner in his 70s who arrived late to the event. He was still permitted to perform his run but was told he would need to run by himself, which disappointed him. A nearby senior center director — a 30-year-old half-marathon runner —

September 2019

50plus LIFE ›

overheard and offered to run with him. “I remember thinking, ‘That is very nice of you to offer to run alongside him,’” Micklo said. “The end result: The older adult smoked the 30-year-old and beat her by 50 yards! It was a wonderful start to a wonderful day.” Senior Games organizers value the feedback, both positive and negative, that players offer and use the comments to consider what to keep and what to potentially change for next year’s Senior Games. Much of the feedback they receive isn’t verbal, however, but simply observed. “You look around and see people catching up with friends from other years, laughing, joking … and just smiling,” DeWire said. “Does your heart good.” www.50plusLifePA.com

Cumberland County

Calendar of Events

Support Groups Free and open to the public

Senior Center Activities

Alzheimer’s Association The Bridges at Bent Creek 2100 Bent Creek Blvd. Mechanicsburg (717) 795-1100

Group The Live Well Center 3 Alexandria Court, Carlisle (717) 877-7561 sirbrady12@gmail.com

Sept. 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Caregivers Support Group Cumberland County Aging & Community Services 1100 Claremont Road, Carlisle (717) 240-6110

Sept. 11, 1:30 p.m. Parkinson’s Support Group Bethany Village West Springfield Room 325 Asbury Drive, Mechanicsburg (717) 877-0624

Sept. 5, 5:30-7 p.m. Better Breathers Chronic Lung Disease Support Group Ortenzio Heart Clinic at Geisinger Holy Spirit 503 N. 21st St., Camp Hill (717) 763-2775

Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m. Amputee Support Team Meeting HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 834-5705 www.astamputees.com

Sept. 5, 5:30-7 p.m. Smoking Cessation Support Group Ortenzio Heart Clinic at Geisinger Holy Spirit 503 N. 21st St., Camp Hill (717) 763-2775

Sept. 17, 1 p.m. Caregiver Support Group Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren 501 Gale St., Mechanicsburg (717) 766-8880

Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous Aldersgate United Methodist Church 1480 Jerusalem Road, Mechanicsburg (781) 932-6300

Sept. 5, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Too Sweet: Diabetes Support Group Chapel Hill United Church of Christ 701 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill (717) 557-9041

Sept. 17, 6:30 p.m. Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregivers Support Group Cumberland Crossings 1 Longsdorf Way, Carlisle (717) 243-0113

Sept. 3, 6-7 p.m. Alzheimer’s Support Group Senior Helpers 3806 Market St., Suite 3, Camp Hill (717) 920-0707

Sept. 9, 1:30-3 p.m. Caregivers Support Group St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church 310 Hertzler Road Upper Allen Township (717) 766-8806

Sept. 18, 2-3 p.m. Life Enrichment Group for Blind or Low-Vision Adults Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania Penn Apartments 1 West St., Carlisle (717) 238-2531

Sundays, 7:15 p.m. Outreach Al-Anon Family Group Meeting Chapel Hill United Church of Christ 701 Poplar Church Road, Camp Hill (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at https://pa-al-anon.org Mondays, 7 p.m. Hope on Simpson Al-Anon Family Group Meeting First United Methodist Church 135 W. Simpson St., Mechanicsburg (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at https://pa-al-anon.org Tuesdays, noon Anchor Al-Anon Family Group Meeting The Harbor 55 W. King St., Shippensburg (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at https://pa-al-anon.org

Sept. 3, 6 p.m. CanSurmount Cancer Support Group Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Mechanicsburg 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 691-6786 Sept. 4, 1:30 p.m. The Bridges Support Group for the

Sept. 9, 6-7 p.m. A Touch of Sugar: Diabetes Support Group Wegmans, 6416 Carlisle Pike Mechanicsburg (717) 763-2466 https://events.geisinger.org Sept. 10, 6:30-8 p.m. Carlisle Area Men’s Cancer Support

Sept. 24, 6 p.m. Multiple Sclerosis Support Group Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Mechanicsburg 175 Lancaster Blvd., Mechanicsburg (717) 486-3596 apcoulson@comcast.net

www.50plusLifePA.com

Carlisle Senior Action Center – (717) 249-5007 20 E. Pomfret St., Carlisle Mary Schaner Senior Citizens Center (717) 732-3915 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola Mechanicsburg Place – (717) 697-5947 97 W. Portland St., Mechanicsburg West Shore Senior Citizens Center (717) 774-0409 122 Geary St., New Cumberland Submit senior center events to mjoyce@onlinepub.com.

Library Programs Amelia Givin Library, 114 N. Baltimore Ave., Mt. Holly Springs, (717) 486-3688 Bosler Memorial Library, 158 W. High St., Carlisle, (717) 243-4642 Sept. 6, 7 p.m. – Music @ Bosler Sept. 11, 1-2 p.m. – Wicked Wednesday Book Discussion Group Sept. 27, 1-2 p.m. – Just Mysteries! Book Club Cleve J. Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, (717) 761-3900 Sept. 12, 7 p.m. – Fake News, Fighting Words, and “Fire”: How Free is Free Speech? Sept. 13, 4-7:30 p.m. – Blood Drive with Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank Sept. 19-22 – Friends of Fredricksen Book and Media Sale East Pennsboro Branch Library, 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola, (717) 732-4274

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library, 16 N. Walnut St., Mechanicsburg, (717) 766-0171

Free and open to the public

Sept. 11, 11:30 a.m. NARFE West Shore Chapter 1465 VFW Post 7530 4545 Westport Drive Mechanicsburg (717) 774-4031 www.narfe1465.org Visitors welcome; meeting is free but fee for food.

Branch Creek Place – (717) 300-3563 115 N. Fayette St., Shippensburg

John Graham Public Library, 9 Parsonage St., Newville, (717) 776-5900

Community Programs

Mondays and Wednesdays, noon SilverSneakers Exercise Class Susquehanna View Apartments Community Room 208 Senate Ave., Camp Hill (717) 439-4070 jesseswoyer.com@gmail.com

Big Spring Senior Center – (717) 776-4478 91 Doubling Gap Road, Suite 1, Newville Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 a.m . – Walk with Ease Walking Program Sept. 4, 9:30 a.m. – MindMatters: Gardening and Planting Sept. 11, 9:30 a.m. – Living Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Last Wills and Testaments

If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.

New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland, (717) 774-7820 Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m. – Crafting for Adults: Make a Pumpkin Out of a Paperback Book Sept. 22, 3 p.m. – Pete Seeger 100th Birthday Cultural Event Sept. 25, 6-9 p.m. – PennWriters Writing Group Shippensburg Public Library, 73 W. King St., Shippensburg, (717) 532-4508

50plus LIFE ›

September 2019

Recognizing the Warning Signs for Suicide Can Help Prevent It By Barry Sparks

• Do not leave the person alone. If possible, ask for help from friends or other family members.

Many people would say Randy Saunders never had a chance. • A sk the person to give you any weapons he He was born in a poverty-stricken area of or she might have. Take away sharp objects Trenton, New Jersey. He describes his parents and or anything else the person could use to hurt relatives as “alcoholics and criminals.” His father themselves. spent time in and out of prison while his mother hung out in bars. • Try to keep the person as calm as possible. Saunders, his three brothers, and a sister had to fend for themselves. • Call 911 or take the person to an emergency “I had to steal food from the grocery store so department. we could eat,” he says. “To complicate matters, my siblings and I were verbally, sexually, and Saunders was diagnosed with a mental physically abused.” illness after his third suicide attempt. He In his early teens, Saunders’ mother moved stopped drinking, started to see a psychiatrist, to Hamburg, Pennsylvania, with her boyfriend, and got involved with the American leaving him and his brother with relatives in Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Trenton. They ended up taking to the streets, Things were going along well until he got drinking and taking drugs. into trouble with the law in 2013. At age 16, Saunders quit school to join the “My life changed on Dec. 12, 2013,” he military to escape his environment. Shortly September is Suicide Prevention says. “That’s when I graduated from the afterward, he got married and was assigned Awareness Month Dauphin County Veterans’ Treatment Court, overseas. At age 19, he was admitted to a naval and I started to take responsibility for my hospital for alcohol detoxification. actions.” When he was discharged in 1974, he discovered The Veterans’ Treatment Court is a his wife had been unfaithful to him. His first specialized criminal court for veterans with suicide attempt followed. substance dependency and/or mental illness who have been charged with “I felt betrayed,” he says. “My life was crap. It was filled with too much criminal offenses. The court substitutes a treatment program for traditional alcohol and drugs.” According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide most court processing. After graduating from veterans’ treatment court, Saunders became a peer often occurs when stressors and health issues converge to create an experience support specialist, helping other veterans. As an AFSP board member, he of hopelessness and despair. participates in a number of community activities and educational events. Depression is the most common condition associated with suicide, and it’s “Advocating for suicide prevention and increasing awareness of mental illness often undiagnosed or untreated. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, and are two things that help keep me alive,” he says. substance problems, especially when unaddressed, increase the risk for suicide. One of the lessons Saunders has learned over the years is that it’s important In 2017, more than 47,000 Americans died by suicide. White males to ask for help, whether you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or struggling accounted for nearly 70% of the suicide deaths. with a mental illness. For years, Saunders led what he termed an “OK” life. But he never As a kid, he says he was afraid to ask for help. When he was in the military, conquered his battle with alcoholism. he didn’t want anyone to think he had a problem. He invested in a number of real estate properties, but because of his “A lot of people won’t ask for help,” he says. “That’s why we need to look drinking, he says he ignored the properties and had to file for bankruptcy in for signs. Suicide is preventable. If someone had asked me as a kid how I was 2002. His second suicide attempt followed. feeling, I might have talked about my problems. But, I didn’t have anyone who In 2009, he attempted suicide again. cared. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the best way to prevent suicide is to “Asking for help is hard, but it’s important,” he continues. “You have to be know the risk factors, be alert to the signs of depression and other mental willing to accept you have a problem, and you can’t fix it.” disorders, recognize the warning signs for suicide, and intervene before the It’s been a long, rocky road for Saunders, but he’s optimistic about the person can complete the process of self-destruction. future. If someone you know is exhibiting warning signs for suicide, don’t be afraid “I’m on a new journey — one of hope and happiness — and I have a strong to ask if he or she is depressed or thinking about suicide. desire to stay alive,” he says. In some cases, the person just needs to know that someone cares. If asked, For more information, visit the AFSP at https://afsp.org or call (888) 333they may talk about their feelings. Encouraging them to seek professional help AFSP. is important. If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) If someone you know is talking about committing suicide, take the 273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. following steps:

September 2019

50plus LIFE ›

www.50plusLifePA.com

Fifties Flashback

Tom & Randi LaNasa “MEMORY MUSIC”

Hoop-De-Do! Randal C. Hill

During the 1950s, Richard P. Knerr and Arthur K. “Spud” Melin manufactured slingshots, boomerangs, and paddleballs in their Wham-O toy factory in the Los Angeles suburb of San Gabriel. The partners had recently struck gold with the plastic Pluto Platter disc, later known as the Frisbee. Like anyone in the toy business, though, they were constantly on the lookout for the Next Big Thing. At a 1957 New York toy fair, the two were discussing boomerangs with a visitor from Australia, when he happened to mention that, for exercise in his native land, gym-class students often spun bamboo hoops around their waists by twirling their hips. Hmm. Could there be a market here for such an item? Knerr and Melin built a few hoops from scrap wood and then tested them with local kids to see if interest existed for such a novelty. “We took it out into the neighborhood, the best testing ground there is for toys,” Knerr explained to writer Paul Sann. “The kids just wouldn’t put the hoop down!” Once on the market early in 1958, Wham-O’s Hula Hoop (so named because users’ hip movements resembled the Hawaiian hula dance) became a sales sensation. For a while, the demand was so great that producing 20,000 hoops a day still meant that Wham-O was running behind in orders. Costing about 50 cents each to produce ($3.50 today), the brightly colored, lightweight polyethylene hoops rolled off toy shelves to the tune of $1.98 each ($14.50 today). Even some adults became Hula Hoopers, including Hollywood celebrities Jane Russell, Debbie Reynolds, and Red Skelton. A reported 100 million hoops were sold. At the fad’s peak, 40 or so competitors with such names as Spina-Hoop, Hoop Zing, and Hooper Dooper were muscling in for some of www.50plusLifePA.com

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Now booking our Christmas, variety, and specialty shows for 2019.

the sales action. Records were occasionally set when it came to Hula Hoop endurance. For example, a 10-year-old Boston boy named Bobby Travers managed 18,200 turns within a four-hour period, doing so while operating under the hindrance of having a broken arm at the time. Unfortunately, some grown-ups saw the plastic circle as a royal pain. One New Jersey school board banned Hula Hoops from the playground after kids returned to class after recess “too wound up.” Hooping became an overnight British craze, but the British Medical Journal soon reported an increase in neck, back, and upper abdominal pains with prolonged use. Russians scoffed at the toy as a mindless craze and declared it further proof of “the emptiness of American culture.” Like most instantly popular fads, Hoopmania exploded onto the scene overnight and died off just as quickly. In November 1958, the Wall Street Journal proclaimed, “Hoops Have Had It.” Ten years later, though, in a reaction to growing nostalgia for the “carefree” days of the 1950s, Wham-O reformulated their nearly forgotten toy with noisy ball bearings that rolled around inside the hoop as it twirled. Alas, the “Shoop Shoop Hula Hoop” faded fast and proved the Wall Street Journal to be right after all.

We have many variety shows featuring the music from the 1930s to the 60s. Songs by legendary artists like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Kay Starr, Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, and the Mills Brothers. Specialty shows include …

Songs from the WWII Years • The Post WWII Years: 1945 – 1955 AMERICA: From Sea to Shining Sea Salute to the Rat Pack (or if you prefer, just Sinatra) Elvis & Patsy • Classic Country Please contact Memory Music to book your next event!

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E-mail: memrymusic@aol.com

Although Randal C. Hill’s heart lives in the past, the rest of him resides in Bandon, Ore. He can be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

50plus LIFE ›

September 2019

Remember What Labor Day is All About As you fire up your grill one last time for the summer, remember that Labor Day is about more than barbecuing. This yearly celebration of the American worker is a tribute to labor’s contribution to the economic and social well-being of the United States. Labor Day originated in an age of 12-hour workdays, seven-day-a-week schedules, child labor, and terrible working conditions. Its origins aren’t clear. Some say that Labor Day originated in 1882 with Peter J. McGuire, a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor. Others claim that a machinist named Matthew Maguire

proposed the celebration while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. However, there’s little dispute that the first Labor Day parade was held on Sept. 5, 1882, when 10,000 workers in New York City marched from City Hall to Union Square. The Central Labor Union selected the first Monday of September as its annual holiday in 1884. The first state to recognize Labor Day officially was Oregon, in 1887. By 1894, 23 more states had followed suit, and in that same year Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September a legal holiday throughout the country.

New Law Will Help People Stay on Track with Medications Recognizing the challenges some patients face in staying on track with their medications, the Pennsylvania General Assembly has adopted a new state law to make it a little easier. Act 46 of 2019 will allow consumers to synchronize the refilling of their prescriptions, meaning they can pick up all of their medications on one day rather than having to make multiple trips to the pharmacy. This will be especially helpful for senior citizens, busy families, and others who have limited transportation options. In addition to patient convenience, this legislation seeks to reduce poor healthcare outcomes that result from decreased

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September 2019

50plus LIFE ›

medication adherence. For this reason, Medicaid Part D already allows for medication synchronization. A study by Harvard Medical School found that when medications were not synchronized, patients had adherence rates that were 8.4% lower than patients for which medications were synchronized. To facilitate medication synchronization, the law will enable consumers to synchronize their prescription refills and bar insurance companies from denying coverage for a partial fill of a script. The legislation will also ensure the pharmacy receives a full dispensing fee from the transaction; a pharmacy’s overhead cost of dispensing a partial script is the same as dispensing the full quantity. Thirty-five other states have enacted or introduced similar legislation; the law takes effect in Pennsylvania next summer.

Hotline to Assist Grandparents Raising Grandchildren A new hotline to help connect thousands of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren to the resources and programs available to them is now live. KinConnector can be reached by calling 1-866-KIN-2111, or (866) 546-2111. The KinConnector helpline is staffed by social service professionals prepared to help families understand and access local, state, and federal resources. A website of resources will also be available in the near future. The KinConnector hotline was established through Act 89 of 2018 to address the growing number of grandparents who have become primary caregivers to their

grandchildren in the commonwealth. It is a situation that has skyrocketed in recent years as a result of the state’s opioid epidemic. An estimated 82,000 grandparents are the sole caregivers for nearly 89,000 grandchildren in Pennsylvania. www.50plusLifePA.com

Dear Pharmacist

Suzy Cohen

Hormone Strategies for Fatigue and Postmenopause

Many times, when a woman time, so you can test it and be sure that is fatigued and experiencing adjustments to the levels of hormones postmenopausal symptoms, practitioners can be made before you buy a 90-day are quick to recommend hormone supply. replacement therapy, referred to as HRT. Oftentimes, the bioidentical This can mitigate the symptoms of hormones used in the cream include menopause and particularly serves as some or all of the following: DHEA, a quick first-line defense against hot testosterone, estriol, estrone, estradiol, flashes, usually the most troubling of all and progesterone. Estriol is hardly ever menopausal symptoms. mentioned, but it’s a fun fact that the HRT seeks to bring your estrogen placenta produces this estrogen in large (and sometimes progesterone) levels back amounts during pregnancy. up to a higher level, which is what you Find a physician in your city had when you were more youthful. that specializes in reading labs and Estrogen is typically provided as prescribing hormones, rather than just a prescription called “estradiol.” You asking your general practitioner for a can receive prescription hormones one-size-fits-all pill. via pills, patches, pellets, and creams. September is Menopause This information is not intended to Estradiol is one of the three sisters of diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For estrogen; remember, estrogen refers to Awareness Month more information about the author, visit a combination of estradiol, estriol, and suzycohen.com. estrone. Unfortunately, many physicians prescribe the one “sister” by herself, meaning they just give you estradiol and not the other two estrogens. They also do not always give you progesterone with the estrogen medication. ON AVERAGE, AARP MEMBERS ENJOY This is a mistake, in my opinion. The estrogen prescribed all by itself is * termed “unopposed estrogen.” Despite progesterone’s far-reaching impacts on health, many doctors still wrongly assume its only job is to protect the uterus, and they don’t usually prescribe it with estrogen. ON AUTO INSURANCE But there are receptors everywhere in your body for progesterone, so you when they switch from companies like need it whether or not you still have a uterus. GEICO, State Farm and Allstate Taking estrogen and/or progesterone doesn’t always help because you might Call The Hartford also be deficient in pregnenolone or DHEA, two hormones that are higher up Your savings could be even more! 1-855-888-5720 on the chain. Certain HRT medications come with an increased risk of breast and The AARP® Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford.1 uterine cancer as well as the small, but potential, risk of heart attack, deep vein Saving is easy! With this policy, experienced Q 24/7 claims service thrombosis, and stroke. drivers who switch save an average of $357* Q Lifetime renewability† in the first year alone — and they get all the HRT medicines are potent drug muggers and are capable of suppressing benefits and privileges you’d expect with Q Lock in your rate for a full 12 months the AARP Auto Insurance Program from nearly every mineral in the body, as well as your B vitamins. Q New car replacement§§ The Hartford. Your own savings could actually be greater. Take synthetic HRT long enough and you’ll have even worse fatigue, The only national auto insurance of customers recommend depression, hypothyroidism, confusion, memory lapses, anxiety, insomnia, and program endorsed by AARP. The Hartford** weight gain. Call The Hartford now to request a FREE money-saving quote. You can choose bioidentical hormone therapy if traditional HRT doesn’t improve your postmenopausal symptoms. No coupon necessary. Doing so provides your body with estrogen and progesterone in forms that Not an AARP member? If you’re 50 or over, request a FREE quote and more information today! are biologically identical to what was naturally produced in your youth. That FREE calculator when you request your free quote!*** means you experience more of the benefits and fewer side effects. These therapies are usually created in compounding pharmacies as topical creams, and the dose is customized for you. The dose is determined by the amount that you make, as well as your response. It’s a trial-and-error thing, so when you start with bioidentical hormones, you should ask the pharmacy if you can purchase just a week or two at a

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* Savings amounts are averages based on information from The Hartford’s AARP Auto Insurance Program customers who became new auto insurance policyholders between 1/1/17 and 12/31/17 and provided data regarding their savings and prior carrier. Your savings may vary. ** Based on customer experience reviews shared online at www.thehartford.com/aarp as of November 2018. *** The gift offer is good for first time responders who provide a valid email address. Responders will be sent an email to confirm the gift. All responders in IA, IL, MA and RI who do not provide an email address are still eligible to receive the gift The gift offer is not available in GA, ND, NM or PA, but residents may still request a quote. The gift is available only as a limited time offer. Please allow 4-7 weeks for delivery. † If you are age 50 or older, once you’re insured through this Program for ait least 60 days, you cannot be refused renewal as long as applicable premiums are paid when due. Also, you and other customary drivers of your vehicles must retain valid licenses, remain physically and mentally capable of operating an automobile, have no convictions for driving while intoxicated and must not have obtained your policy through material misrepresentation. Benefit currently not available in HI, MI, NH, NC and TX. §§ Limitations apply. AARP and its affliates are not insurers. Paid endorsement. The Hartford pays royalty fees to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. AARP membership is required for Program eligibility in most states. The AARP Automobile Insurance Program from The Hartford is underwritten by Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affliates, One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155. It is underwritten in CA by Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company; in WA, by Hartford Casualty Insurance Company; in MN, by Sentinel Insurance Company; and in MA, MI and PA, by Trumbull Insurance Company. Specific features, credits, and discounts may vary and may not be available in all states in accordance with state filings and applicable law. Applicants are individually underwritten and some may not qualify. The program is currently unavailable in Canada and U.S. Territories or possessions. 1 In Texas, the Auto Program is underwritten by Southern County Mutual Insurance Company, through Hartford Fire General Agency. Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affiliates are not financially responsible for insurance products underwritten and issued by Southern County Mutual Insurance Company. 006131

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50plus LIFE ›

September 2019

Tinseltown Talks

Newhart Turns 90 Nick Thomas

Known for his gentle satire, basset-hound eyes, and witty routines, former Chicago accountant-turned-comedian Bob Newhart turns 90 this month (Sept. 5). This year is also the 60th anniversary of Newhart’s show business career — he signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1959. Newhart said he suspected that he lacked the temperament to remain in the accounting profession back in the mid-1950s when his attitude toward taxation arithmetic could be summed up in three words: “That’s close enough!” So he and a friend began writing humorous routines based on telephone conversations; they sold the routines to radio stations. “I eventually dropped the partner but kept the telephone in the act,” he said. Those one-sided phone conversations have remained throughout his radio, recording, television, and stand-up career. They are as much his trademark as the straight-faced delivery and slightly forced stammer. Why keep the stammer all through his career? “I got my home in Beverly Hills because of that stammer, so I’m not about to drop it now!” he explained. Newhart stormed onto the comedy scene in the 1960s when The ButtonDown Mind of Bob Newhart became the first comedy record to win a Grammy for Album of the Year, with its now-classic routines such as “Abe Lincoln vs. Madison Avenue.” He wrote the routine in Chicago when Bill Daily (1927-2018) asked the unknown local comedian to come up with a piece about press agents.

FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE AT THE EXPO! Kmart will be providing flu shots on a first-come, first-served basis at the 50plus EXPO. Flu shots are no-cost for most people with Medicare Part B and most insurance plans. Please bring your insurance card. For all others, the vaccine will be offered at an EXPO special price of $17.99 for trivalent (regular) flu vaccine, $29.99 for the quadrivalent vaccine, and $53.99 for high-dose 65+.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Oct. 16, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Carlisle Expo Center 100 K Street, Carlisle

September 2019

50plus LIFE ›

Remembered for his sidekick role in the ’60s sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, Daily went on to co-star with Newhart and actress Suzanne Pleshette a decade later for five seasons of The Bob Newhart Show, making famous his trademark greeting, “Hi Bob!” Comedian Elayne Boosler first met Newhart after a Photo courtesy bobnewhartofficial.com show in Las Vegas in the late CBS publicity still of ’90s. At a time when in-yourThe Bob Newhart Show cast. face, crude comedy is now everywhere, it’s tempting to suggest Newhart’s gentler style of humor is obsolete. But Boosler doesn’t think so. “That would be like saying Mozart is outdated,” she said. “Classics survive. When something has a solid foundation and is so unique and perfect, I don’t think it can ever be outdated. And when you’re the best at something, it just doesn’t go out of style.” Bob Newhart makes no apologies for his clean humor, although he said he can Photo courtesy bobnewhartofficial.com still appreciate more bawdy CBS publicity still of the cast of Newhart. comedians such as the late Richard Pryor. “I even know most of the words he used!” he said. “It’s just my choice to work the way I do.” The list of professional comedians who count themselves as Newhart fans is a long one and includes Carol Burnett, Don Rickles (1926-2017), and Dom DeLuise (1933-2009). Don Rickles was a longtime friend, and Newhart delighted in recounting his first encounter with Rickles in the late 1960s in Las Vegas. The two comedians and their wives met in a cafeteria, and Rickles, the perfect gentleman, invited Bob and wife Ginnie to his show. “Don steps out on stage and the first thing out of his mouth is, ‘The stammering idiot from Chicago is in the audience today, along with his hooker wife from New Jersey,’” Newhart told me. But the two families became fast friends and would eventually travel the world together on vacations. “People would ask me how I could go on vacation with Rickles,” Newhart said. “Well, it’s like elevator music in the background: You just don’t hear it. But we always had fun together — everyone should have a friend like that.” Dom DeLuise worked with Newhart in 1964 on the long-forgotten CBS variety show, The Entertainers. DeLuise was one of the millions of viewers who www.50plusLifePA.com

watched the final 1990 episode of Newhart, Bob’s second TV series, set in a Vermont inn. “Bob woke up from a dream on the set of the original Bob Newhart Show with his wife Suzanne Pleshette in bed next to him,” recalled DeLuise. “The entire second series had been a dream! That was just brilliant.” “The whole idea for the ending was Ginnie’s,” noted Newhart, who passed it on to the writers to create the show’s finale. The episode remains a moment cherished in television history — the type of comic twist that the buttondown mind of Bob Newhart has always relished. When trying to sum up the comedy genius of Newhart, the words of the late comedian Ed Wynn come to mind: “A comic says funny things; a comedian says things funny.” Clearly, Bob Newhart is a master of both. Happy birthday, Bob! Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala., and has written features, columns, and interviews for over 750 magazines and newspapers.

Photo courtesy bobnewhartofficial.com

Bob Newhart.

Join Us For This FREE Event! 20th Annual

CUMBERLAND COUNTY Bob Newhart’s breakout album, from the author’s collection.

KEIy eLAM O R E ssociates Medical • Diagnostic testing • Disease evaluation • Routine eye care • Emergency care and treatment

Oct. 16, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Carlisle Expo Center 100 K Street, Carlisle

Exhibitors • Seminars Free Health Screenings Demonstrations • Door Prizes

FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE!