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Complimentary | Dauphin County Edition

October 2018 • Vol. 20 No. 10

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A Fighting Chance page 4

special focus: veterans’ create a great expo & job fair funeral day highlights page 8

page 14

Savvy Senior

New Shingles Vaccine Provides Better Protection

Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior, A good friend of mine got a bad case of shingles last year and has been urging me to get vaccinated. Should I? – Suspicious Susan Dear Susan, Yes! If you’re 50 or older, there’s a new shingles vaccine on the market that’s far superior to the older vaccine, so now is a great time to get inoculated. Here’s what you should know.

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a burning, blistering, often excruciating skin rash that affects around 1 million Americans each year.

The same virus that causes chickenpox causes shingles. The chickenpox virus that most people get as kids never leaves the body. It hides in the nerve cells near the spinal cord and, for some people, emerges later in the form of shingles.

In the U.S., almost 1 in 3 people will develop shingles during their lifetime.

While anyone who’s had chickenpox can get shingles, it most commonly

occurs in people over age 50, along with people who have weakened immune systems. But you can’t catch shingles from someone else.

Early signs of the disease include pain, itching, or tingling before a blistering rash appears several days later.

The rash, which can last up to four weeks, typically occurs on one side of the body, often as a band of blisters that extends from the middle of your back around to the breastbone. It can also appear above an eye or on the side of the face or neck.

In addition to the rash, about 20-25 percent of those who get shingles go on to develop severe nerve pain (postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN) that can last for months or even years. And in rare cases, shingles can also cause strokes, encephalitis, spinal cord damage, and vision loss. please see VACCINE page 6

The December issue of 50plus LIFE will include a special focus —

Orthopedics & Pain

For Love of Family We believe the care people receive makes a difference in their lives. It is our privilege to care for you and your loved ones.

Whether you provide relief through standard care, complementary and alternative medicine, therapies, fitness options, or specialty products ...

50plus LIFE is the perfect venue to reach an ideal demographic who can benefit from your information.

Closing date for advertorial: Oct. 26, 2018 Closing date for ad copy: Nov. 2, 2018

Let our readers know what their options are and to whom they can turn when they hurt.

A CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

1901 N 5th St., Harrisburg

717-221-7900

HomelandCenter.org

2300 Vartan Way, Harrisburg

717-221-7890

HomelandatHome.org

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Please contact your sales representative at 717.285.1350 or info@onlinepub.com today to reserve your space!

Online & In Print. onlinepub.com www.50plusLifePA.com

Medicare Open Enrollment Clinics Available Apprise counselors will be available at these events to provide assistance with Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plan comparisons and enrollments.

Please bring the following information: • Your Medicare card • Other health insurance cards (PACE, ACCESS, veterans, supplemental insurance, etc.)

• A complete list of medications you are taking, including dosage amounts and frequency Please contact Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging at (717) 7806130 to register for the location you are interested in attending.

Oct. 15 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

East Shore Area Library, Lower Level 4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg Oct. 19 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Millersburg Senior Center 109 Edward Drive, Millersburg Oct. 24 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Mohler Senior Center 25 Hope Drive, Hershey Oct. 25 Noon – 3 p.m.

Rutherford House Senior Center 3300 Parkview Lane, Harrisburg Oct. 31 9 a.m. – 2 p.m Northern Dauphin Human Services 295 State Road, Elizabethville

Nov. 1 (private) 8 a.m. – 3 p.m REACCH Clinic 2501 N. Third St., Harrisburg Nov. 7 (private) 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Case Management Unit 1100 S. Cameron St., Harrisburg Nov. 8 9 a.m. – 2 p.m Mohler Senior Center 25 Hope Drive, Hershey Nov. 14 9 a.m. – 2 p.m Millersburg Senior Center 109 Edward Drive, Millersburg Nov. 15 9 a.m. – 2 p.m

Rutherford House Senior Center 3300 Parkview Lane, Harrisburg Nov. 19 9 a.m. – 2 p.m Northern Dauphin Human Services 295 State Road, Elizabethville Nov. 20 9 a.m. – 2 p.m Rattling Creek Apartments 15 S. Second St., Lykens Nov. 29 Noon – 3 p.m.

Mohler Senior Center 25 Hope Drive, Hershey Dec. 3 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Rutherford House Senior Center 3300 Parkview Lane, Harrisburg

At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away.

Emergency Central Pennsylvania Poison Center (800) 521-6110 Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging (717) 780-6130 Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving Dauphin County (800) 720-8221 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383 Arthritis Foundation Central Pennsylvania Chapter (717) 763-0900 CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 The National Kidney Foundation (717) 757-0604 (800) 697-7007 PACE (800) 225-7223 www.50plusLifePA.com

Social Security Information (800) 772-1213

Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937

Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania (717) 238-2531

Insurance Apprise Insurance Counseling (800) 783-7067

Healthcare Information Pennsylvania Healthcare Cost Containment Council (717) 232-6787 Hearing Services Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Hospice Services Homeland Hospice 2300 Vartan Way, Suite 115, Harrisburg (717) 221-7890

The Salvation Army Edgemont Temple Corps (717) 238-8678 Toll-Free Numbers American Lung Association (800) LUNG-USA

Capital Blue (888) 989-9015 (TTY: 711)

Bureau of Consumer Protection (800) 441-2555

Medicare (800) 633-4227

Meals on Wheels (800) 621-6325

Nursing/Rehab Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902

National Council on Aging (800) 424-9046

Personal Care Homes Homeland Center 1901 N. Fifth St., Harrisburg (717) 221-7902

Housing/Apartments B’Nai B’rith Apartments 130 S. Third St., Harrisburg (717) 232-7516

Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

Housing Assistance Dauphin County Housing Authority (717) 939-9301

Services Dauphin County Area Agency on Aging (717) 780-6130

Social Security Office (800) 772-1213 Veterans Affairs (717) 626-1171 or (800) 827-1000 Transportation CAT Share-A-Ride (717) 232-6100 Veterans Services Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

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Cover Story

A Fighting Chance 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 E-mail 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

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Account Executives Janette McLaurin Angie Willis Account Representatives Joseph Herr Jennifer Schmalhofer Events Manager Kimberly Shaffer Marketing Coordinator Kelsey Fishburn

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Elizabeth Duvall

Awards

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.

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By Melinda M. Williams/ The Williams Group When someone you love is struck with a neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, life can undoubtedly become a trial for both the caregiver and the patient. Because of the slow but steady progression of these diseases, maintaining morale can also be a challenge.

But recently, some new advances with exercise have proven helpful to Parkinson’s patients. Rock Steady Boxing is a new concept in the ongoing fight against a Goliath.

Susan “Sue” Ludwig was born to help people. As a fitness coordinator and personal trainer, she knew she could make a difference in people’s lives through exercise.

Her belief was confirmed when she saw a news outlet run a story on Rock Steady Boxing.

“I was working with people with Parkinson’s, and Rock Steady Boxing was all over the news as a great therapy for people with Parkinson’s disease. I wanted to give my fighters the most cutting-edge and effective tools available, so getting certified in Rock Steady Boxing was a nobrainer,” said Ludwig.

A central Pennsylvania native, Ludwig is now head coach/owner/founder of NeuroSci Fit and two Rock Steady Boxing locations in Lancaster County. RSB is in the process of adding two more locations, in Hershey and in the Reading area.

The Mayo Clinic explains Parkinson’s disease as a nervous system disorder that worsens over time. The initial symptoms, such as tremors, are barely noticeable at the disease’s onset.

Although there is no cure, medications do prove helpful, with surgery being an occasional option to regulate regions of the brain.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Rock Steady Boxing “gives people with Parkinson’s disease hope by improving their quality of life through a non-contact, boxing-based fitness curriculum,” according to RSB’s website.

The program’s mission “is to empower people with Parkinson’s disease to fight back.”

Rock Steady Boxing is member of the Parkinson’s Circle of Care Alliance, which is “a nonprofit created to help provide resources — such as educational materials, lists of neurologists and movement-disorder specialists in our area, information about local support groups, etc. — to people living in central Pennsylvania who have Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers,” Ludwig said.

It is through a series of exercises that RSB succeeds, Ludwig explained.

“Parkinson’s is a progressive disease that requires constant maintenance through medication and exercise, and just like any exercise program, you need to keep doing it to reap the benefits,” she said.

Each RSB class generally starts with a light cardio warm-up and stretching, Ludwig said, followed by a circuit of exercises that includes some combination of Parkinson’sspecific strength training, range-of-motion work, core www.50plusLifePA.com

strengthening, and boxing, as well as exercises to strengthen cognition and agility.

“Each exercise we do is designed to make improvements in areas that we know can become impaired by Parkinson’s,” Ludwig said.

Clients receive an initial evaluation to determine at which level of the program he or she can begin.

“In Parkinson’s, the part of the brain that is mostly affected is called the substantia nigra,” Ludwig explained. “It is responsible for smooth, coordinated movement. Having Parkinson’s disease is like having bad or broken-down connections or neural pathways in the brain.

“Neuroplasticity is why [RSB] works. When we get our heart rate up to around 80-85 percent of max, our brains become able to repair and to create new neural pathways more quickly,” Ludwig continued.

“Boxing, along with other therapies we provide, is a really fun way to improve balance, coordination, speed of movement, and flexibility, as well as nonmotor symptoms.”

Ludwig smiled with pride as she related the story of Bill, one of the program’s many success stories.

“He was not able to walk to his mailbox because he was so fatigued and weak; his wife even retired so she could take care of him. After just a few months in class, he was able to go on vacation to the Cayman Islands and even walked 5 miles a day on the beach!”

To Ludwig, unlocking the mystery of this debilitative neurological disease was a personal challenge.

“My grandmother had Parkinson’s; she was diagnosed in her 40s. She was told to go home and rest, not exert herself, and that exercise would make it worse. Although that was the belief at the time, it was the worst possible advice,” Ludwig said.

“Then, about 10 years after she passed away, I had a client who had Parkinson’s. His physical therapist encouraged me to get certified in the Parkinson Wellness Recovery [exercise] program. I fell in love with the program because it was so effective and quickly knew this was my purpose in life!”

The March 2012 newsletter from Harvard Medical School (Harvard Health Publishing) addressed exercise as it relates to Parkinson’s.

The newsletter described several studies that followed tens of thousands of Parkinson’s sufferers. Results showed a reduction in the risk of developing

How the Greats Got Their Starts Great writers have to start somewhere. Some of the most creative poets and novelists toiled in distinctly non-creative jobs before hitting it big.

Here are a few of them: Langston Hughes. The famous poet worked as a busboy in Washington, D.C.’s Wardman Park hotel. When another poet, Vachel Lindsay, took a seat at a table, the young Hughes offered her some of his poems, and Lindsay was struck by his skill, leading to his eventual success.

Kurt Vonnegut. The author of Slaughterhouse-5 and other novels owned and managed a Saab dealership www.50plusLifePA.com

before a stint in the U.S. Army during World War II. J.D. Salinger. The reclusive writer, best known for his novel The Catcher in the Rye, once served as entertainment director aboard a Swedish luxury cruise ship, the H.M.S. Kungsholm.

Mary Higgins Clark. The awardwinning mystery writer held a wide variety of jobs before turning to fulltime writing at 47 — secretary, business machines manager, catalog copywriter, model, and flight attendant for Pan American Airlines.

www.rocksteadyboxing.org.

Parkinson’s if exercise is performed decades before the disease’s onset, such as in one’s 30s and 40s.

The studies also noted that the results could show a possible “reverse causation”: Exercise may not prevent Parkinson’s, but very early, presymptomatic forms of the disease may make people less willing to exercise.

Ludwig tries to keep her classes at a manageable level for each student, with each Rock Steady class running 90 minutes.

“We offer classes five days a week and encourage our members to participate in as many classes as possible,” she said.

Seniors make up the majority of Ludwig’s client base, with most being over age 65. The focus on Parkinson’s patients currently accounts for about 90 percent of her business.

“I’m beginning to feel a need to branch out into Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis as well,” she said.

For more information on Rock Steady Boxing, contact Sue Ludwig at (717) 271-3067 or check out

A 20-year veteran of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Melinda Williams is the managing partner of The Williams Group, a public relations and photography firm in Sadsburyville, Pa. Along with her photojournalist husband, Robert O. Williams, she wrote the book Wildwood’s Neon Nights & Motel Memories. www.thewilliamsgroup. info, melinda@thewilliamsgroup.info On the cover: Rock Steady Boxing participant Gerry Walters boxes with owner Sue Ludwig.

Tom & Randi LaNasa “MEMORY MUSIC”

Attention: RETIREMENT HOMES, CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS. Looking for entertainment?

We are currently booking our 2018 Christmas Show for holiday parties.

We are also booking our variety and specialty shows for 2019.

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 • Christmas Please contact Memory Music to book your next event!

Phone: (717) 846-6126

E-mail: memrymusic@aol.com

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Social Security News

Medicare, Explained

By John Johnston

Social Security and Medicare have a few things in common. Both programs help safeguard millions of Americans as well as improve the quality of life for our family and friends.

Although both programs are household names, many people may not be familiar with the details of Medicare.

Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. The program helps with the cost of healthcare, but it doesn’t cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care.

You have choices for how you get Medicare coverage. If you choose to have original Medicare coverage, you can buy a Medicare supplement policy (called Medigap) from a private insurance company to cover some of the costs that Medicare does not.

Medicare has four parts:

drug coverage (Medicare Part D) and other extra benefits and services.

Medicare Part D (Medicare prescription drug coverage) helps cover the cost of prescription drugs.

Some people with limited resources and income may also be able to get Extra Help with the costs — monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments — related to a Medicare prescription drug plan.

The Extra Help is estimated to be worth about $4,900 per year. You must meet the resources and income requirement.

Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2018

Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility (following a hospital stay). Part A also pays for some home healthcare and hospice care.

Medicare Part B (medical insurance) helps pay for services from doctors and other healthcare providers, outpatient care, home healthcare, durable medical equipment, and some preventive services.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) includes all benefits and services covered under Part A and Part B. Some plans include Medicare prescription

Medicare’s different parts are further explained in our publication at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/ EN-05-10043.pdf.

If you can’t afford to pay your Medicare premiums and other medical costs, you may be able to get help from your state. States offer programs for people eligible for or entitled to Medicare who

have low income.

Some programs may pay for Medicare premiums, and some pay Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. To qualify, you must have Medicare Part A and have limited income and resources.

You can learn more about Medicare, including how to apply for Medicare and get a replacement Medicare card, at www.socialsecurity.gov/benefits/ medicare.

John Johnston is a Social Security public affairs specialist.

VACCINE from page 2 New Shingles Vaccine Late last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine for shingles called Shingrix (see www.shingrix.com), which provides much better protection than the older vaccine, Zostavax.

Manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, Shingrix is 97 percent effective in preventing shingles in people 50-69 years old and 91 percent effective in those 70 and older.

By comparison, Zostavax is 70 percent effective in your 50s; 64 percent effective in your 60s; 41 percent effective in your 70s; and 18 percent effective in your 80s.

Shingrix is also better than Zostavax in preventing nerve pain that continues after a shingles rash has cleared — about 90 percent effective versus 65 percent effective.

Because of this enhanced protection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone age 50 and older receive the Shingrix vaccine, which is given in two doses, two to six months apart.

Even if you’ve already had shingles, you still need these vaccinations because reoccurring cases are possible. The CDC also recommends that anyone

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previously vaccinated with Zostavax be revaccinated with Shingrix.

You should also know that Shingrix can cause some adverse side effects for some people, including muscle pain, fatigue, headache, fever, and upset stomach.

Shingrix — which costs around $280 for both doses — is (or will soon be) covered by private insurance, including Medicare Part D prescription drug plans, but be aware that the shingles vaccines are not always well covered.

So before getting vaccinated, call your plan to find out if Shingrix is covered, and if so, which pharmacies and doctors in your area you should use to ensure the best coverage.

Or, if you don’t have health insurance or you’re experiencing medical or financial hardship, you might qualify for GlaxoSmithKline’s Patient Assistance Program, which provides free vaccinations to those who are eligible. For details, go to www.gskforyou.com.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Dauphin County

Calendar of Events

Support Groups Free and open to the public Wednesdays, 6 p.m.

Swatara Serenity Al-Anon Family Group Meeting Unitarian Church of Harrisburg 1280 Clover Lane, Harrisburg (717) 448-7881 Other meeting times/locations at www.pa-al-anon.org Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.

Adult Children of Alcoholics Support Group St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 2200 Londonderry Road, Harrisburg (717) 526-9252 ymt57@comcast.net Oct. 3 and 17, 7-8:30 p.m.

ANAD Eating Disorders Support Group PinnacleHealth Polyclinic Landis Building, Sixth Floor Classroom 1 2501 N. Third St., Harrisburg (717) 712-9535 Oct. 4, 7-8 p.m.

Fibromyalgia Support Group LeVan Chiropractic 1000 Briarsdale Road, Suite C Harrisburg (717) 558-3500

Oct. 9, 6-7 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group Greenfield Senior Living at Graysonview 150 Kempton Ave., Harrisburg (717) 561-8010 Oct. 10, 6-7 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Support Group Brookdale Harrisburg 3560 N. Progress Ave., Harrisburg (717) 671-4700 Oct. 15, 6:30 p.m.

Support Group for Families of Those with Memory-Related Illnesses Frey Village 1020 N. Union St., Middletown (717) 930-1218 Oct. 17, 2-4 p.m.

Parkinson’s Support Group The Residence of the Jewish Home – Second Floor Library 4004 Linglestown Road Harrisburg (717) 697-2513 Oct. 18, 6 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Support Group

Senior Center Activities Country Meadows of Hershey Second Floor Training Room 451 Sand Hill Road, Hershey (717) 533-6996 astoner@countrymeadows.com Oct. 18, 6-8 p.m.

Harrisburg Area Parkinson’s Disease Caregiver Support Group Giant Food Stores – Second Floor 2300 Linglestown Road Harrisburg (717) 580-7772 Oct. 27, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Grief Workshop: Surviving the Holidays Derry Presbyterian Church 248 E. Derry Road, Hershey (717) 533-9667 www.derrypres.org Oct. 31, 7-8 p.m.

Connections Support Group: Families of Memory Impaired Ecumenical Retirement Community Building 3, Second Floor 3525 Canby St., Harrisburg (717) 561-2590

Community Programs

Free and open to the public

Oct. 3, 7 p.m.

World Culture Club of Central Pennsylvania Meeting Penn State Hershey Medical Center Fifth Floor, Lecture Room B 500 University Drive, Hershey www.worldcultureclubpa.org Oct. 4, 7 p.m.

Central Pennsylvania World War II Roundtable Meeting Grace United Methodist Church 433 E. Main St., Hummelstown (717) 503-2862 charlie.centralpaww2rt@gmail.com www.centralpaww2roundtable.org Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m.

Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Roundtable Meeting Vietnam Veterans of America, Michael Novosel MOH Chapter 8000 Derry St., Harrisburg (717) 545-2336 centralpavietnamrt@verizon.net www.centralpavietnamroundtable.org Oct. 13, 10 a.m.

Korean War Veterans, Defenders,

www.50plusLifePA.com

and Wives Meeting Vietnam Veterans Building 8000 Derry St., Harrisburg (717) 566-0735 vulmos1@verizon.net Oct. 15, 8:30 a.m. – noon Free Blood Pressure Checks Colonial Park Mall Food Court 4600 Jonestown Road, Harrisburg (717) 972-4289 https://events.geisinger.org Oct. 16, 10 a.m.

Comparative Religion: Jesus, Mohammed, and Krishna Derry Seniors Derry Presbyterian Church 248 E. Derry Road, Hershey

(717) 533-9667 www.derrypres.org Oct. 24, 7 p.m.

Piecemakers Quilt Guild of Middletown St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Spring and Union streets Middletown (717) 915-5555 gsk1308@gmail.com Oct. 30, 6 p.m.

Susquehanna Rovers Volksmarch Walking Club Bass Pro Shop – Hunt Room Harrisburg Mall 3501 Paxton St., Harrisburg (717) 805-9540

PARKS & RECREATION Oct. 3, 7:30-9:30 a.m. – Bird Walk: Fall Migration, Wildwood Park Oct. 17, 9-11:30 a.m. – Detwiler Park Hike, Detwiler Park Oct. 28, noon–4 p.m. – Howl-oween: Pets at Fort Hunter, Fort Hunter Mansion and Park

Friendship Senior Center – (717) 657-1547 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8-9 a.m . – Light Aerobics Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. – Mah Jong Mohler Senior Center – (717) 533-2002 www.hersheyseniorcenter.com Oct. 2, 4:30-7:30 p.m. – Spaghetti Dinner Rutherford House – (717) 564-5682 www.rutherfordcenter.org Mondays, 10 a.m. – Line Dancing Mondays and Fridays, 11 a.m. – Chair Yoga Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. – Art Class Submit senior center events to mjoyce@onlinepub.com.

Library Programs East Shore Area Library, 4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg, (717) 652-9380 Oct. 7, 1-2 p.m. – The Sciencey Culture of Paranormal Researchers Oct. 31, 1-2:30 p.m. – Device Club Elizabethville Area Library, 80 N. Market St., Elizabethville, (717) 362-9825 Oct. 12, 6-7 p.m. – Escape the Library Oct. 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m. – Getting Started with eBay Kline Library, 530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg, (717) 2343934 Oct. 9, 1-2 p.m.; Oct. 18, 6-7 p.m. – Estate Planning to Final Arrangements Oct. 24, 6-8 p.m. – Knit 1, Crochet Too! Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library, 2410 N. Third St., Harrisburg, (717) 232-7286 Oct. 15, 6-7 p.m. – Cookbook Book Club: Celebrity Cookbooks Oct. 24, 6-8 p.m. – Horror Film with MOM McCormick Riverfront Library, 101 Walnut St., Harrisburg, (717) 234-4976 Wednesdays in October, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. – Midday Getaway Oct. 19, 6-7 p.m. – Escape the Library Middletown Public Library, 20 N. Catherine St., Middletown, (717) 944-6412 Oct. 6, 1-4 p.m. – Local Author Event at St. Peter’s Church Oct. 15, 6-7 p.m. – Mystery Book Club Northern Dauphin Library, 683 Main St., Lykens, (717) 453-9315 Oct. 13, 1-2 p.m. – The Sciencey Culture of Paranormal Researchers Oct. 25, 3-7 p.m. – Blood Drive William H. & Marion C. Alexander Family Library, 200 W. Second St., Hummelstown, (717) 566-0949 Oct. 10, 6-8 p.m. – Second Wednesday Cinema Oct. 15, 6-7 p.m. – Basic Car Maintenance

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Create a Great Funeral Day

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How to Prepare for Life’s Inevitabilities conversations that can be cherished for years to come.

FAMIC’s checklist can be a resource for things to consider when preplanning a funeral and to help facilitate conversations with loved ones. It offers questions such as:

One inevitable life milestone that requires organization, consideration, and planning but often gets overlooked is the end of life, both for one’s self and loved ones.

It is important to have conversations with loved ones, sooner rather than later, to learn about family history, reaffirm how much they mean to you, and gain an understanding of how family members want to be memorialized.

To help families have important conversations about the things that matter and how a person’s life story can be meaningfully remembered and honored, the Funeral and Memorial Information Council created the “Have the Talk of a Lifetime” initiative, which offers families the resources to facilitate these

• W here would you like your service to be held?

• Will there be a ceremony? If so, religious or non-religious?

• How would you like to be remembered?

• Do you have a specific charity you would like to honor?

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By answering these questions and more, families can create a log of loved Photo courtesy of Getty Images ones’ preferences for how they want to be memorialized.

Completing the checklist can take place anytime, not just when a family member is nearing the end of life. Answering these questions can also prompt larger conversations about defining experiences and relationships in a loved one’s life.

Take notes and record your responses as you go through the checklist. Save the checklist in a safe place for when it is needed and to share with future generations.

To take your conversations one step further, meet with a local, trusted funeral professional and share those thoughts and ideas with someone who can help you put a plan in place that eases the burden on your loved ones.

Regardless of when it becomes necessary to refer to the preferences and memories recorded in the checklist, you can be grateful you took the time to have meaningful conversations with those most important to you.

For more information and to download the checklist, visit talkofalifetime. org.

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www.facebook.com/50plusLIFEPA “Like” us on Facebook to receive a free 6-month subscription!

Plus, you’ll receive event updates, story links, and more! www.50plusLifePA.com

Create a Great Funeral Day

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October 30th is

Such is Life

After I Kick the Bucket Saralee Perel

Last week my friend, Marilee, and I met for lunch for the purpose of me giving her a list of things to do when I’m dead.

She ordered a salad and I ordered a turkey wrap.

I said, “Would you say my eulogy?”

“Let me hear it first.”

I read, “Saralee was the first old Jewish woman to take a spacewalk from the International Space Station, where she established the first orbiting satellite Kosher deli.”

Marilee was wide-eyed.

“Saralee won her 10th Pulitzer Prize for her bestselling book, I Found My Cell Phone in My Casket. In later life, she was honored at the Kennedy Center, where she received the Lifetime Achievement Award for The Greatest Humanitarian in the Entire Universe — and Elsewhere.”

Marilee sat back, shook her head, and said, “I refuse to say any of that.”

“Well, would you put my obituary in the paper?”

“I’ll need to hear that first too.”

“Saralee’s funeral will be at the bus station tomorrow at noon. No early birds, please! It will be catered by Burger King. BYOB.” I told Marilee, “Make sure nobody gets any crumbs on my outfit. I want to be buried in my clown suit. It’s the red one hanging in my closet. Definitely not the black one or the yellow one or the green one. Oh, can you post the obit on Twitter?”

She said, “No.” I went on: “Saralee’s rented 14-karat-gold casket will be surrounded by a one-day-only yard sale with all of her stuff. Everything must go! Items include: vintage, original, black-and-white photos of Saralee at summer camp when she was elected Miss Wohelo for winning their famous beauty and talent contest.

“There will also be leftover pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream in a freezer. And so much more! All sales are final, since there’s nowhere to return anything anyway.” www.50plusLifePA.com

I finished my turkey wrap, and then continued, “Proceeds will go to the Red Cross, which was founded by Saralee and Clara Barton, who was so overwhelmed with charitable odds and ends that she asked Saralee to do the field work of helping millions of people.”

Marilee agreed to helping with the pets and other sane things on my list, but she thought my eulogy and obit were warped.

We walked arm and arm to our cars. Overwhelmed with loving gratitude, I took her in my arms, hugged her to me tightly, and whispered in her ear, “If you want to cremate me, I could live with that. Just make sure I’m dead first.”

Award-winning nationally syndicated columnist Saralee Perel can be reached at sperel@saraleeperel.com or via her website: www.SaraleePerel.com.

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Senators Co-Sponsor Bill to Lift Social Security Restrictions on Widows, Widowers In late September, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment (SWIFT) Act (S. 3457).

To help Americans achieve financial security in retirement, the SWIFT Act would fix outdated and arbitrary restrictions that prevent many Social Security recipients, particularly women, from maximizing their benefits.

The bill would also enhance outreach and education about when and how to claim Social Security.

“Due to outdated laws, those who rely on Social Security the most are having their income cut by unfair rules,” Casey said. “These arbitrary restrictions disproportionately affect women.”

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The SWIFT Act would: • A llow widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses with disabilities to receive 100 percent of the survivor benefit they are entitled to regardless of their age • Give widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses the ability to increase the value of their survivor benefits beyond current arbitrary caps • Enable widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses caring for children to receive child-in-care benefits until their children are age 18 or 19 if still in school • Require the federal government to proactively provide information to widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses about benefits they are eligible for, claiming options, and important deadlines

The Social Security Administration estimates that the SWIFT Act would not accelerate the depletion year of the Social Security trust funds.

Poverty rates for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses, the majority of whom are women, are higher than poverty rates for other Social Security recipients. Those living with a disability or caring for children are even more likely to live in poverty.

Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Patty Murray (D-WA) are co-sponsors of the bill.

The bill is also endorsed by more than a dozen organizations, including the Alliance for Retired Americans, Social Security Works, Strengthen Social Security Coalition, and the Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement. www.50plusLifePA.com

Día de los Muertos Not a ‘Spanish Halloween’ The Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is often mistaken for a Spanish version of Halloween. It is actually a way for families to honor loved ones who are no longer living.

Scholars believe the tradition is rooted in ancient Aztec culture. Thousands of years before Columbus ever set foot in the New World, Aztec people honored the lives of their deceased ancestors in celebrations that spanned what is now the month of August.

Indigenous populations throughout central and southern Mexico maintained these practices for centuries.

With the arrival of Spanish settlers in Mexico in the 16th century and the influence of Christianity that followed, the practice transformed into a threeday celebration paralleling the Allhallowtide of All Saint’s Eve, All Saint’s Day,

Different Cultures Celebrate Columbus Day Columbus Day became a federal heritage. The Italian population of holiday in the United States in 1934, New York organized a celebration but Christopher Columbus’s landing of the discovery of America on in the Americas was Oct. 12, 1866, and in celebrated across the 1869, Italians in San country long before Francisco held their that. own celebration.

In 1792, the Society The first official of St. Tammany Columbus Day holiday in New York City was proclaimed by commemorated the Colorado Gov. Jesse th 300 anniversary of F. McDonald in 1905.

President Franklin Columbus’s voyage, Roosevelt designated and in 1892, President Oct. 12 a national Benjamin Harrison holiday in 1934. called upon Americans th Other countries to recognize the 400 Columbus Day: recognize Columbus anniversary.

Monday, Oct. 8 Day as well. In Teachers, Costa Rica, it’s known as Dia de politicians, and others used las Culturas (Day of the Cultures); Columbus Day to urge patriotism, Uruguay calls it Dia de las Americas loyalty, and social progress.

(Day of the Americas); in the Italian-Americans began Bahamas, it’s Discovery Day; and supporting Columbus Day th in Spain it’s celebrated as Dia de la celebrations in the 19 century Hispanidad and Fiesta Nacional. as an expression of pride in their

and All Soul’s Day, taking place Oct. 31–Nov. 2.

In the 21st century, the observance of Día de los Muertos begins at midnight on Oct. 31, when it is believed that the souls of the dead are allowed to return to be with their loved ones.

Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) or Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) falls on Nov. 1, when the souls of deceased children and infants are believed to return.

Día de los Muertos follows on Nov. 2, when the spirits of the ancestors are honored.

During this time, families will create altars in their homes or at the cemetery, where they tidy and decorate the graves of their loved ones.

Ofrendas (offerings) of food, sweets, toys, trinkets, marigolds, and beverages are left on these altars. Family and friends share stories of their loved ones, sing songs, offer prayers, and feast as a tribute to the departed.

To dance, especially at the gravesite, is a way to awaken the spirits and invite them to join the family once more. The parades and large festive gatherings in cemeteries are just another way to show respect and celebrate the lives of those who have passed on.

Día de los Muertos is observed throughout Mexico, most of North and South America, and around the world.

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Traveltizers

Savannah: Stately Old and Proudly New

By Andrea Gross

Historic buildings are a given in Savannah. After all, it’s the oldest city in Georgia. It was the Colonial capital when the area was ruled by Britain, and it was the first capital when the colony became a state.

Therefore, when we visit Savannah, we fully expect to see a lot of stately, shuttered homes. We are not disappointed.

But we’re also interested in learning what the city is like today, 285 years after its founding. It doesn’t take us long to realize that throughout the famed historic district, this town of 150,000 people is filled with classy galleries, good music, and eclectic restaurants.

Culinary Identity In order to bridge the centuries, we begin by looking at the city’s cuisine.

Aspiring as well as established artists participate in Savannah’s frequent art fairs.

In Savannah, as in most places, favored foods reflect the traditions of the people who settled the area, but unlike parts of the United States that were primarily colonized by people from one area (think New England, which was mostly established by

City Market is home to many of Savannah’s top galleries.

Europeans), Savannah’s early residents came from many parts of the world.

The first group of Colonists arrived from England in the early 1700s. They brought indentured servants from Ireland and Scotland as well as slaves from the Caribbean and West Africa.

Native Americans introduced the European setters to corn, and other Northeasterners decided that rather than eating their tomatoes green, they’d bring them south so they could ripen during the longer growing season.

But the Southerners didn’t care about letting the tomatoes ripen in the field; they preferred to fry them and eat them green. Thus, a Northern problem became a Southern staple.

During the next several days my husband and I munch our way though Savannah’s past. We feast on shrimp, grits, and fried green tomatoes; snack on British pies; and drink Scottish ale.

And, for good measure, we have a pork-belly slider on a glazed doughnut with onion-bacon jam because the chef tells us that pork, especially

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October 2018

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bacon, is used extensively in the South.

It seems that pigs, which often ran wild in northern climes, came south on their own to find warm weather and watery environs. Unfortunately for the porkers, Southerners turned them into barbeque and bacon.

We decide that Savannah’s culinary, and therefore cultural, identity can best be summed up in two words: “Savannah Fusion.”

work by equally well-known artists, including abstract expressionist Jasper Johns, pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, and portrait photographer Richard Avedon.

Musical Rhythms Even on a regular night, Savannah is alive with bars and night clubs, helped no doubt by the city’s opencontainer laws. But during the 29-yearold Savannah Music Festival, which is Georgia’s largest musical arts event, Art Smart music is everywhere.

Endeavors The 17-day Meanwhile, we extravaganza visit galleries, lots celebrates a of galleries. multitude of Some belong cultures, represents to people who a variety of musical have made styles, and features Savannah their performances by home for years; established artists as others showcase well as by talented Galleries and shops along River the work of folks beginners.

Street feature goods from many who came to the We don’t have countries. city to attend the time to attend Savannah School a well-reviewed of Art and Design presentation by a (SCAD), one of the chamber orchestra, top design schools but that evening we in the Southeast. go to a bluegrass Many of these concert, and the people fell in love following day we with the city’s catch a show by mix of Southern two wonderful charm and creative guitarists. opportunity and Then, alas, we Visitors who want a glimpse of stayed on posthave to go home.

Savannah’s past can visit the Owengraduation, thus Thomas House and Slave Quarters. But first, we stop bringing new at Leopold’s, energy to a city that Savannah’s was in danger of becoming stodgy. legendary ice cream shop. My husband We walk to City Market, where opts for Tutti Frutti (rum ice cream warehouses that once were filled with with fruit and nuts) because it’s been a fish and produce have been repurposed bestseller since the store opened nearly into studios and galleries. a century ago.

We see brightly colored canvases that I, on the other hand, chose the portray the Gullah people, who live Savannah Socialite (a blend of vanilla in the nearby coastal areas; paintings and chocolate ice cream laden with that celebrate the artist’s Caribbean Georgia pecans, swirled with bourbon, homeland; baskets crafted by a woman and infused with caramel). The ice whose work has been displayed at the cream server tells me that “it’s like Smithsonian … The list goes on. today’s Savannah — rich, boozy, nutty, Savannah also has two top-tier and the life of the party.” museums dedicated to contemporary How perfect is that? art. The SCAD Museum features For more on Georgia, go to www. works by international stars such as traveltizers.com and see the Featured Salvador Dali, Robert Mapplethorpe, Special titled “Georgia’s Civil Rights Trail.” and Andy Warhol, as well as one of the United States’ most significant Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise collections of African-American art. noted; story by Andrea Gross (www.

The Jepson Museum showcases andreagross.com).

www.50plusLifePA.com

opportunities Make a Volunteer for Seniors 55+ throughout Difference Dauphin County, with non-profits, agencies Volunteer schools, and community Today service organizations.

Contact for further information:

Rick Sayles

717.541.9521 CrossGen@rsvpCapReg.org

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October 6, 2018

omen’s Expo Lancaster County

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

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Expo & Job Fair Resources Bridge Military and Civilian Life

By Megan Joyce “I’ve been looking for a long time.”

Air Force veteran Sambo Wong had recently relocated to Mechanicsburg from New York City to be closer to family. Wong attended the event hoping to find a job to support his family, which includes three children under 6.

“I’ve been applying on the web and on base, and it seems like it’s harder to get an interview on base than in the private sector,” Wong said.

Wong had his eye on a position that would use his technical skills as well as his hands, “like assembly jobs, because I was injured in the military, and it’s been a long battle from there,” he said.

Wong’s story was likely a familiar one among the hundreds of transitioning military personnel and veterans who attended the recent Capital Area’s Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg.

The day was a two-for-one event presented by OLP Events; admission was free to the public.

The Veterans’ Expo connected active and retired military members with the benefits and resources available to them through local businesses and organizations.

Outside the event, the U.S. Pennsylvania Department of Military & Veterans Affairs stationed its Veterans Outreach Van, a mobile resource offering veterans and their families information on benefits.

Jo Garvin and Laurie Williamson, from the Quilts of Valor Foundation, presented Quilts of Valor to two local veterans: James Allen Ferguson and Frances John Rowe.

The quilt is a lifetime award bestowed upon deserving veterans and active service members for their service to the nation.

“We are honored to speak to you

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and humbled to stand before you who have served our country and performed your duties,” Garvin said.

A Michigan native who now lives in Hershey, Ferguson served 14 months in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, from 1970-71. Ferguson, a retired CPA, is active in the Hershey chapter of Disabled American Veterans and in Chapter 542 of Vietnam Veterans of America.

Originally from Hawley, Pennsylvania, Francis John Rowe served in the Army from 1958-78.

From 1968-70, he served as adviser to the South Vietnam army’s 21st Division of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam Team 51.

For his service, Rowe received a Bronze Star, 2nd Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Commendation Medal; Air Medal; National Defense Service Medal; and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Retired IT specialist and Army veteran Ron Nocket, of Hershey, was not at the event seeking employment or benefits. He simply came to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow vets and those interested in their welfare.

“It’s nice to see so many employers out here,” Nocket said. “It’s been very enriching.

Everybody’s very friendly.”

In 2016, Pennsylvania ranked the eighth highest state in number of veterans, at 345,906, according to a December 2017 report from the Center for Workforce Information & Analysis.

At 4.9 percent, Pennsylvania ranked 34th lowest in its unemployment rate for veterans.

During the Job Fair, company representatives were able to discuss job openings with transitioning military and veterans. Positions included roles in sales, labor, management, tech, medical services, transportation, clerical, manufacturing, engineering, construction, retail, financial services, and other fields.

Also at the Job Fair, a Resource

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Capital Area veterans seeking civilian work had face-to-face access to nearly 50 employers at the recent Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair in Camp Hill.

From left, Quilts of Valor representative Jo Garvin drapes a quilt over the shoulders of Frances John Rowe, Vietnam veteran, while quilter Laurie Williamson and quilt recipient James Allen Ferguson look on.

Center provided helpful information for translating careers to civilian opportunities.

Justin Leader, vice president of business development with Benefit Design Specialists, offered veterans the opportunity to hone their interpersonal and presentation skills during mock interviews.

“Veterans are always a good [hiring] option,” Berlin Smith, human resources manager for Harristown and Harrisburg Property Services, said.

“Our security department is run by veterans, so they like to hire them, and they always seem to be good employees.”

The Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair will return to Lancaster County Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster.

For more information, call (717) 285-1350 or visit www.veteransexpo. com.

Hosted by:

Sponsored by:

Disabled American Veterans

Pennsylvania State Headquarters VFW Vibra Health Plan

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Top ‘Second Act’ Jobs that Interest Older Workers As more baby boomers approach retirement, growing numbers are passing it up in favor of “second act” jobs: work during their retirementage years, whether full or part time.

As this avalanche of Americans approaches retirement age, “second act” jobseekers will also reshape the labor market.

Nearly 1 in 4 Americans over the age of 65 without a disability is participating in the labor force, a rate that has been rising steadily for the past decade, although it has been relatively flat since 2015.

New Indeed research pinpoints the top “second act” jobs clicked on disproportionately by Americans nearing retirement — those 62 years or older, the earliest age to qualify for Social Security.

These jobs include a number of construction and transportation positions, as well as assorted superintendent roles and a few less common jobs, such as pastor and boat captain.

The top “second act” job is piping designer. This occupation often uses computer-aided design (CAD) to assist oil and gas companies. Similar job titles, such as senior lead designer and electrical designer, are in the top 20.

Other common “second act” jobs are construction positions, such as construction superintendent and senior construction superintendent, and transportation jobs, including courier driver, shuttle driver, and parts driver. Some variation of the “superintendent” role was found six times in the top 20 second-act jobs.

However, this focus on overall clicks misses a crucial distinction older jobseekers make: full time versus part time.

The part-time jobs that older Americans click on disproportionately include a number of driving roles, such as parts driver, shuttle driver, professional driver, van driver, and similar positions. Older workers flock to driving jobs for good reasons: It’s easily part time, not physically demanding, and, other than driving know-how itself, has few skill requirements.

The list also has several part-time medical positions — telemedicine physician being No. 1. In addition, medical director, physician, and dentist are in the top 20. Perhaps many medical professionals nearing retirement want to continue working, but only part time.

A multitude of factors is driving baby boomers toward longer careers, notably rising life expectancy and the need for greater retirement savings, especially in the wake of the Great Recession. As these boomers work later into life, they search for jobs compatible with their skills and lifestyle.

Reprinted with permission from SeniorLiving.org.

These Foods Keep Your Brain Healthy Some foods help keep your heart in shape. Others help your bones. What keeps your brain and memory healthy?

The CNN website offers this list of what to eat to maintain a healthy brain as you grow older: Berries. Studies suggest that eating at least a half cup of blueberries, or 1 cup of strawberries, on a weekly basis may help stave off cognitive decline.

Berries have anthocyanidins, whose antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects may keep the brain in shape.

Green, leafy vegetables. One study of almost 1,000 adults found that www.50plusLifePA.com

a daily serving of spinach, kale, collard greens, or arugula appeared to maintain cognitive health to the extent that participants were considered to be 11 years younger than people who rarely or never consume such veggies.

Eggs. Eggs contain choline, which is an important brain nutrient. In a study of 1,400 people, participants with high intakes of choline scored better on visual and verbal memory tests than those who ate fewer foods with choline.

In addition, people with a high intake of choline over the long term seem to have better MRI brain scans, suggesting that choline may protect people against dementia.

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Home Care Services & Hospice Providers Listings with a screened background have additional information about their services in a display advertisement in this edition.

All Hands Home Care

Landis at Home

(717) 737-7905 www.allhandshomecare.com

Year Est.: 2014 Counties Served: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, York RNs: No LPNs: No CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

(717) 509-5800 www.landisathome.org Other Certifications and Services: We provide trained caregivers for in-home care for personal, respite, hospice, 24-hour, live-in, and companionship-care services to seniors and individuals of all ages in the Central Pennsylvania region.

Our company is fully insured and bonded. Call now for a free in-home consultation!

Comfort Keepers

(717) 299-4007 www.lancaster-402.comfortkeepers.com Year Est.: 2001 Counties Served: Lancaster RNs: No LPNs: No CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

Other Certifications and Services: We provide compassionate, in-home care that helps seniors live safe, happy, and independent lives in the comfort of their own homes. Companion care, light housekeeping, personal care, in-home safety solutions, incidental transportation, dementia/Alzheimer’s care, ongoing staff training. Member: Home Care Association of America

Homeland at Home

Homeland HomeCare: (717) 221-7892 Year Est.: 2016 Homeland HomeHealth: (717) 412-0166 Year Est.: 2017 Counties Served: Adams, Cumberland*, Dauphin*, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon*, Northumberland, Perry*, Schuylkill, Snyder, York* *Homeland HomeHealth currently serves five of 13 counties.

RNs: Yes LPNs: Yes CNAs/Home Aides: Yes Direct Care Workers: Yes PT/OT/Speech Therapists: Yes Social Workers: Yes Spiritual Counselors: Yes

Other Certifications and Services: A licensed home-care agency, offering a variety of services to persons in their homes within 15 miles of the Landis Homes campus. Services, provided by carefully screened and qualified caregivers with oversight from RNs, may be used for a short visit or up to 24 hours a day. Call for a free, in-home consultation. A home-care service of Landis Communities.

MediQuest Staffing & Homecare (717) 560-5160 www.mediqueststaffing.net Year Est.: 2002 Counties Served: Lancaster RNs: Yes LPNs: Yes CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

Other Certifications and Services: Our experienced caregivers will provide the level of care for your specific needs, including memory care, transportation to and from appointments, outpatient procedures, personal care, respite, and more. Services are provided wherever you reside. All caregivers are comprehensively screened, bonded, and insured. Call for a free RN assessment. Member: Pennsylvania Homecare Association.

PennCares Support Services

www.homelandathome.org Homeland Hospice: (717) 221-7890 Year Est.: 2008

Year Est.: 2007 Counties Served: Lancaster RNs: Yes LPNs: Yes CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

(717) 632-5552 www.penncares.org Other Certifications and Services: Homeland at Home is a community outreach of Homeland Center, a non-profit CCRC that has served our region with excellent and benevolent care since 1867.

Our expert team is dedicated to providing a continuum of At Home services—from non-medical personal assistance to skilled nursing and compassionate hospice and palliative care. We are privileged to care for you and your loved ones … any place you call “home.”

We offer community and staff educational programs, including a “My Reflections” end-of-life planning workshop, as well as 15 unique bereavement support groups.

Year Est.: 1968 Counties Served: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Lancaster, York RNs: No LPNs: No CNAs: No Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

Other Certifications and Services: Private pay and waiver-based participants.

If you would like to be featured on this important page, please contact your account representative or call (717) 770-0140.

Complementary Therapies: Yes Medicare Certified: Yes

This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

Home Care Services & Hospice Providers Listings with a screened background have additional information about their services in a display advertisement in this edition.

Pleasant View Care at Home

Visiting Angels

Year Est.: 2007 Counties Served: Lancaster, Lebanon RNs: Yes LPNs: Yes CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

Year Est.: 2001 Counties Served: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York RNs: No LPNs: No CNAs: Yes Home Aides: Yes Medicare Certified?: No

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Dear Pharmacist

How Watercress Slows Down Cancer Growth Suzy Cohen

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so hours. Their blood evaluations found rather significant today I’d like to share with you some little-known levels of a plant compound called phenylethyl facts about one vegetable and its impact on breast isothiocyanate, or PEITC for short. This PEITC health. starves the cancer cells.

It’s watercress, and even though most doctors will PEITC inhibits a protein called HIF (hypoxia argue that the more chemotherapeutic drugs (antiinducible factor), which is responsible for signaling cancer drugs), the better, I still feel strongly that we normal tissue around the tumor to send oxygen and can make dietary changes that improve outcomes, nutrients to the tumor cells. HIF is not playing nice; whether or not you take chemo. it’s making your own cells boost cancer growth.

They may pooh-pooh this thinking, but I still feel Am I saying watercress cures cancer? Of course not, that eating specific foods can have a positive impact. but eating certain foods like watercress can’t hurt you.

Research is clear and shows that a great deal of It can only help you, and more than anything, it puts people give up on chemotherapy and fail to adhere you in a proactive position, which is empowering. to conventional medical treatments. Many stop Let’s face it, hearing the word “cancer” is heartaltogether, or they begin to integrate various holistic stopping. Having something you can do that is so October is Breast Cancer remedies and dietary changes — which makes me simple is crucial. think of watercress.

The researchers in the study actually validated the Awareness Month Watercress belongs to the cruciferous vegetables, effects of the watercress compound PEITC — they same as broccoli and cauliflower, but it’s not as popular weren’t guessing. They physically measured blood levels as those. of that HIF in their bloodstream and saw it declining progressively after eating Still, I want to give it some love and attention because it has some powerful watercress. That is just so amazing! tumor-fighting compounds in it. Plus, we already know from empirical evidence Another study back in 2004 evaluated how PEITC impacts the speed that 30-40 percent of all cancers somehow benefit or respond from proper at which cancer cells grow (proliferation) and the formation of tumors nutrition. (tumorigenesis). The scientists were able to confirm that watercress inhibits Researchers have investigated how watercress can be beneficial in breast cancer cell growth and not just that it makes cancer cells commit suicide, a cancer and other cancers. In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, process called apoptosis. a group of breast cancer survivors went through a phase of fasting, before It means the party’s over for the cancer cells. consuming a bowlful of watercress about the size of a cereal bowl (approximately This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more 80 grams of watercress). information about the author, visit SuzyCohen.com They took some blood samples from the women at intervals over the next 24 www.50plusLifePA.com

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Soldier Stories

Adventures of a Tunnel Rat Robert Naeye

Imagine crawling into a dark, narrow underground tunnel, not knowing if there are enemy soldiers waiting to slit your throat or shoot you without even a moment’s notice.

This was the everyday experience of Douglas Graybill Jr., an American “tunnel rat” in the Vietnam War. Graybill grew up in West Lawn, Pennsylvania, and quit school in 10th grade. After being rejected by the U.S. Army at age 16, he met a Marine recruiter, who told him, “Let’s go.”

His father signed the official paperwork on Graybill’s 17th birthday, and then he was sent to Parris Island in South Carolina for training.

“It was nothing like what the recruiter told me,” Graybill recalls.

Graybill was trained in demolition, landmines, and booby traps. He

Doug and Elizabeth Graybill’s Veterans Making a Difference group meets at the Paul R. Gordon Veteran Social Center in Reading.

learned to carry satchel charges, mortars, and various forms of ammunition. Training was like brainwashing; they were told to kill or be killed.

Graybill was then sent to Vietnam

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in 1970, two months before his 18th birthday.

“My job was to crawl through tunnels and then blow them up,” says Graybill. “I wasn’t afraid to go into the tunnel. That was my job; somebody had to do it. That’s what I was trained for.”

From years of fighting the French and Americans, the Vietnamese became experts at digging tunnels.

Many North Vietnamese soldiers literally lived and fought underground.

Some tunnels were small and simple, meaning Graybill would have to crawl through them on his hands and knees. But others were large and complex, with supply depots, surgical rooms, headquarters rooms, and sleeping quarters.

Graybill entered these tunnels alone and would often use candles to find his way around in the darkness, never spending more than 20 minutes in any tunnel. Graybill admits that once he was in a tunnel, he was gripped with fear, especially when he heard Vietnamese talking.

“I was scared all the time — I mean all the time,” he recalls.

But Graybill had one major advantage: The Vietnamese usually did not know he was there. He became an expert at hiding in the dark. Sometimes enemy soldiers would crawl so close that he could literally smell their breath.

“I was shaking so bad I could feel my heart beating, but they still didn’t hear me.”

He shot several enemy soldiers with his 45-calibre pistol. To this day, he regrets killing two elderly Vietnamese women in a cooking area.

“It was an accident. I could have killed my own guys if they had been there,” he says. “I’d rather come home in handcuffs than in a coffin.”

And humans weren’t the only enemy. Graybill had to contend with booby traps and false walls. And the tunnels were rife with snakes, spiders, and biting centipedes.

Graybill used 20 pounds of C-4 plastic explosives to blow up tunnels, usually after bringing out supplies.

But he generally used more explosives than he needed. He once dragged a maggot-infested dead Vietnamese soldier out of a tunnel so he could get some R&R. Graybill says that exiting a tunnel was just as scary as entering one, since he didn’t know where he’d be coming out.

“I was worried about being shot by my own men,” he says.

Vietnam was a war without frontlines. The military brass emphasized body counts, not the taking and holding of territory.

Marines were told that their enemies were subhuman.

“You weren’t killing a person; you were killing a gook,” says Graybill.

“That made it a lot easier. That was our job.”

Vietnam left deep emotional scars that have never fully healed. After experiencing 16 months of violence, Graybill struggled to readjust to civilian life.

“I was in trouble all the time. I hated God, I hated everyone, I hated myself,” he says.

His troubles included arrests for assault and battery, flunking out of Ohio State University, finding and losing job after job, periods of homelessness, and two divorces. He www.50plusLifePA.com

would even doing simple beg policemen tasks, such to shoot him. as eating in “For almost restaurants.

10 years I Graybill is couldn’t even still haunted walk on a by his inner sidewalk. demons, but There was he has found always a his calling by sniper aiming helping fellow at me when I veterans in need.

From left, Rich Burton, president of the was walking Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Roundtable, He has opened down a street a privately and Doug Graybill, who spoke at the organization’s recent meeting. in daylight,” funded center he says. in Reading that He would keep pistols in his provides food, shelter, and clothing for bedroom and five locks on his bedroom veterans with and without homes. door.

“It’s a place where veterans can “Then I realized it was all in my come and socialize,” he explains. head,” he says.

“Their financial status doesn’t matter: Graybill eventually reenlisted in the Loneliness is loneliness.”

Marines. He was stationed in Beirut, To learn more about Graybill’s Lebanon, three times and participated veteran social center, visit the Veterans in the 1983 invasion of Grenada. He Making a Difference Facebook page or later served in both the Army and go to www2.readingeagle.com/article.

Marine reserves, but continually got aspx?id=328668. into trouble.

In 2006 he married an Army veteran Robert Naeye is a freelance journalist named Elizabeth, whom he credits with living in Derry Township. He is the former editor-in-chief of Sky & Telescope saving his life. She encouraged him to magazine. start attending veterans’ meetings and

Stories of ordinary men and women called to perform extraordinary military service.

From 1999–2016, writer and World War II veteran Col. Robert D. Wilcox preserved the firsthand wartime experiences of more than 200 veterans through Salute to a Veteran, his monthly column featured in 50plus LIFE. Now, for the first time, 50 of those stories— selected by Wilcox himself—are available to own in this soft-cover book.

Simply complete and mail this form with your payment to the address below to order Salute to Our Veterans.

On-Line Publishers • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Name_ _______________________________________________________ Address_ ______________________________________________________ City_______________________________ State_ ____ Zip_ ______________ Phone_ _____________________ Email______________________________ Number of copies_ ______ (Please include $20.80 for each copy) Credit card #______________________________________ Exp. date________ Signature of cardholder_________________________________CVV #________

Or send a check made payable to On-Line Publishers, Inc. You can also order online at www.50plusLIFEpa.com!

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Please, join us!

This combined event is FREE for veterans of all ages, active military, and their families.

Nov. 1, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

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October 2018

19

It Was 50 Years Ago Today

‘People Got to Be Free’ Randal Hill

The Young Rascals signed with Atlantic Records. The band’s debut 45, the oddly titled “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore,” came and went quickly, but their ••• When the Rascals’ “People Got to Be Free” held down second effort of “Good Lovin’” (a hard-driving cover of the top Billboard spot for five weeks in the fall of 1968, it a minor hit nearly a year earlier by L.A. soul folks the gained fame as a tribute to both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Olympics) reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart, as did “Groovin’” a year later. and Bobby Kennedy.

After the release of “It’s Wonderful” at the end of 1967, King had been murdered that April, and the future the quartet became simply the Rascals. classic was recorded afterward but before Kennedy’s Group members Felix Cavaliere (vocals, keyboards) and assassination that June.

“People Got to Be Free” wasn’t released until after Eddie Brigati (vocals, bass) co-wrote most of the songs and switched off lead vocals on the band’s 13 Top 40 RFK’s death, but the timing of the song — with the twin winners. “People Got to Be Free” became the band’s third tragedies still fresh in the public’s mind — allowed the chart-topping 45, and their biggest hit ever, on its way to rousing anthem to become a widely embraced plea for “People Got to Be Free” becoming an iconic civil rights tune. humanitarianism.

The Rascals The original genesis of “People Got to Be Free,” however, Cavaliere once said of the aggressive, horn-punctuated October 1968 was something entirely unrelated. entreaty for altruism, “That [song] was a conscious effort to get a point across that was burning inside of me. I ••• collaborated with Eddie on that, but on that one the majority of the lyric is Formed in 1965 as a white rock quartet in Garfield, New Jersey, the Young mine.”

Rascals began as a “blue-eyed” soul outfit. Dressed like a group of English schoolboys to appropriate the then-trendy “British Invasion” look, they spent Cavaliere fittingly ends the song by half-singing, half-proclaiming that “The train of freedom is about to arrive any minute now,” and that “It’s been long, weekends playing at Garfield’s Choo Choo Club. long overdue.”

Before “People Got to Be Free” was issued, Atlantic balked at the idea of “I was amazed! the Rascals releasing such an overtly political work. The musicians persevered, Sounds I hadn’t though, and in the end they enjoyed a hit that sold more than 4 million copies. heard in years The Rascals then adopted two policies unique in the world of rock music: came back to me!”

They refused to tour on segregated bills, and they insisted that at least one of — Don W., Sherman, TX their supporting acts be black. $ An odd situation had inspired “People Got to Be Free” a while earlier.

For Less Than The song was conceived — but not developed at the time — after an ugly How can a hearing aid that costs less than $200 encounter when the Rascals’ tour bus broke down in Fort Pierce, Florida, and be every bit as good as one that sells for $2,250 or more? rowdy locals hassled the musicians over their long hair!

The answer: Although tremendous strides have been made in All the world over, so easy to see People everywhere just want to be free

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Randal C. Hill is a rock ’n’ roll historian who lives at the Oregon coast. He may be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

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October 2018

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Puzzle Page

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 22 SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

At the Bookstore

Across 1. Title-holder 6. Percolate 10. Highway hauler 14. Eagle’s home 15. High point 16. Aid in crime 17. Billiards shot 18. Hoodlum 19. Sharpen 20. Distress letters 21. Mishmash 23. They can be magic 24. Kind of admiral 25. Billow

27. Casual attire 29. Court figures 34. Temperate 35. Shoestring 36. “... ___ he drove out of sight” 37. Capt.’s guess 38. Delighted 41. Panel truck 42. A Bobbsey twin 43. Pull down 44. Faction 45. Bier gardener?

49. Rub the wrong way

50. Stocking stuffers 51. St. Louis team 53. TV offering 56. As a result 57. Young newt 60. Kind of car 61. One of the Muppets 63. Pancho, for one 65. Lion’s pride 66. Low dam 67. Sink 68. Places 69. Diner sign 70. Foil relatives

Down 1. Street fleet 2. Achilles, e.g.

3. War god 4. Soccer star Hamm 5. Black tea 6. Type of play 7. Audio effect 8. Easily tamed bird 9. Dowel 10. 1943 Bogart film 11. Black, to poets 12. Repair 13. Residents (suffix) 22. Terhune novel, ___: A Dog

23. Walked into the water 24. Wine choice 25. Neptune’s realm 26. Story starter 27. Colossus 28. Spiral-horned antelope 30. Meat cut 31. At no time 32. Field’s partner 33. Dispatched 34. Waiter’s offering 38. Big name in Argentina 39. After curfew 40. Historic times 44. Close relative, briefly

46. Short compositions 47. Miscues 48. Maid’s cloth 52. Date place 53. Haunch 54. Isaac’s eldest 55. It’s overhead 56. Spew out 57. Dresden’s river 58. Skedaddle 59. Tiny bits 61. Female sheep 62. Grazing ground 64. Rascal

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The Beauty in Nature

Chestnut Oaks and Black Birches Clyde McMillan-Gamber

Photo by John Phelan

Black birch

twigs and dead leaves high in the twigs of forest trees, including chestnut oaks on rugged ridges. Those squirrel homes block wind and rain and hide the furry occupants from hawks and owls.

Black birches are known for the pleasant, wintergreen smell and taste of their twigs when crushed or chewed.

Their simple, finely toothed leaves are about 3 inches long and turn yellow during October. Their bark is dark, shiny, and relatively thin and has that wintergreen fragrance.

Male catkins on black birches, and other birches, droop decoratively from the ends of twigs and sway in breezes in early spring. Those catkins dispense pollen on the wind to female flowers along the twigs. Female blossoms develop upright cones that

house the maturing seeds.

When the tiny seeds are ready, the cones disintegrate, releasing those winged seeds into the wind to be scattered about.

Several kinds of woodland critters feed on parts of black birches. Mice and small, seed-eating birds ingest many winged seeds. White-tailed deer and cottontail rabbits consume the young, tender bark of twigs and trunks. And ruffed grouse eat the buds of birch twigs.

Chestnut oaks and black birches are striking trees that feed a variety of wildlife. And they have intrigues that we enjoy, including colored leaves and the smell and taste of wintergreen twigs.

Puzzles shown on page 21

Puzzle Solutions

Chestnut oak and black birch trees together dominate dry, rocky slopes and ridge tops in southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as from southern Maine and Ontario to Ohio and Delaware, and along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and Alabama.

These two species help hold down the soil against erosion and provide food and shelter for a variety of woodland wildlife. And each kind has beauties and intrigues unique to itself.

Chestnut oaks have dark, vertical ridges of rough bark divided by deep furrows. Most oaks of this type have two to four main trunks that fork close to the ground. Their broad, simple leaves are about Photo by Jakec 7 inches long, each one with Chestnuk oak rounded “teeth” on its edges.

Chestnut oaks’ pretty, oblong acorns are an inch long and chestnut-brown. And their leaves turn red, yellow, and/or brown in October.

The acorns of chestnut oaks, and other kinds of oaks, feed a host of woodland creatures, including rodents such as deer mice; gray, red, and flying squirrels; and eastern chipmunks. Squirrels and chipmunks are well known for stashing nuts in tree cavities or burying them in the ground, where some forgotten ones sprout into seedlings.

White-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and ruffed grouse feed heavily on acorns in autumn in preparation of the coming lean times in winter. Black bears gorge on acorns to put on enough fat to see them through their secluded winter’s rest.

Some individuals of the three local squirrel species build nests of broken

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Fire Prevention and Preparedness You’re not just a business.

Essential for Older Adults You’re not just an

organization.

By Kraig Herman

Every year, most fire deaths occur in the home. As of September, Pennsylvania has experienced 104 civilian fire deaths in residential homes in 2018. Of these deaths, 55 have been older adults.

Today’s home fires burn faster than ever. Decades ago, homeowners had five to seven minutes to escape a house fire, but now that time is down to one to two minutes.

Please review the below points to prepare yourself in the event of a fire.

Home Fire-Escape Planning Home fire-escape planning and drills are an essential part of fire safety.

A home fire-escape plan needs to be developed and practiced before a fire strikes.

A home-escape plan should include the following: • Two exits from every room in the home, usually a door and a window • Properly installed and working smoke alarms • A meeting place outside, in front of the home, where everyone will meet after they exit • A call to 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from a cellphone or a neighbor’s phone Smoke Alarms Smoke alarms detect and alert people to a fire in the early stages.

Smoke alarms can mean the difference between life and death; working smoke alarms cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire.

Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement.

Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button. Make sure everyone in the home understands the sound of the smoke alarm and knows how to respond.

Cooking Cooking is the leading cause of www.50plusLifePA.com

You’re a resource.

home fires and home-fire injuries. The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food.

If you are simmering, baking, or roasting food, check it regularly and stay in the home. Keep anything that can catch fire away from your stovetop.

Heating Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires during the winter months. Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating-equipment fires.

All heaters need space. Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from heating equipment. Have a 3-foot (1-meter) “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

Purchase and use only portable space heaters listed by a qualified testing laboratory.

Have a qualified professional install heating equipment, and maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional.

Kraig Herman is the public education specialist with the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner.

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