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Complimentary | Lebanon County Edition
October 2018 • Vol. 13 No. 10
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ndM ayToSpe aGreatW
A Fighting Chance page 4
new shingles vaccine provides better protection page 2
special focus: create a great funeral day page 14
Savvy Senior
Jim Miller
New Shingles Vaccine Provides Better Protection
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. New Shingles Vaccine Late last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine
Pet of the Month
Reagan
For Love of Family Devotion. Compassion. Dignity. When your loved one needs help, join hands with Homeland at Home. We are privileged to be part of your caregiving team.
Hospice 717-221-7890 | HomeHealth 717-412-0166 | HomeCare 717-221-7892 HomelandatHome.org | Hospice volunteers are always welcome.
Community Outreach of Homeland Center 2
October 2018
50plus LIFE p
Reagan is a beautiful, friendly, 8-year-old female feline who loves head rubs and to lie next to you and purr. This lovely lady is what you might call a professional cat-napper. Reagan recently had a visit to the veterinarian, where she was diagnosed with arthritis in her spine and hips. Reagan does not need any special medication, just the opportunity to get a bit of exercise and movement and hopefully lose a little weight. Reagan is not fond of high-energy felines, so she would thrive best as the only cat in the house or maybe residing with an older, slower friend like herself. If you are interested in Reagan, contact the Humane Society of Lebanon County at 150 N. Ramona Road, Myerstown. Call (717) 628-1369 or visit www. lebanonhumane.org for more information.
| Harrisburg, PA www.50plusLifePA.com
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 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.
At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away. Emergency Numbers Poison Control Center (800) 222-1222 Food Resources Food Stamps (800) 692-7462
CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400
Medicaid (800) 692-7462
Kidney Foundation (717) 652-8123
Medicare (800) 382-1274
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (717) 652-6520
PennDOT (800) 932-4600
Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com Senior Centers Annville Senior Community Center (717) 867-1796
Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging Meals on Wheels (717) 273-9262
Lupus Foundation (888) 215-8787 Hearing Services Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Home Care Services Homeland at Home Serving all of Lebanon County (717) 221-7892 Hospice Services Homeland at Home Serving all of Lebanon County (717) 221-7890 Hospitals Medical Society of Lebanon County (717) 270-7500
Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers (800) 472-8477
Maple Street Senior Community Center (717) 273-1048
Recycling (800) 346-4242
Myerstown Senior Community Center (717) 866-6786
Social Security Information (800) 772-1213
Northern Lebanon County Senior Community Center (717) 865-0944
Lebanon County Christian Ministries (717) 272-4400 Salvation Army (717) 273-2655 Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving Lebanon County (800) 720-8221 Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020 American Cancer Society (717) 231-4582 American Diabetes Association (717) 657-4310 American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association (717) 207-4265 American Lung Association (717) 541-5864
WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital 252 S. Fourth St., Lebanon (717) 270-7500 Hotlines Energy Assistance (800) 692-7462
Arthritis Foundation (717) 274-0754
Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Hotline (800) 541-2050
Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (717) 787-7500
IRS Income Tax Assistance (800) 829-1040
United Way of Lebanon County 2-1-1 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (800) 827-1000 Housing Assistance Housing Assistance & Resources Program (HARP) (717) 273-9328 Lebanon County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities (717) 274-1401 Lebanon HOPES (717) 274-7528, ext. 3201 Insurance Medicare Hotline (800) 638-6833 Legal Services Pennsylvania Bar Association (717) 238-6715 Office of Aging Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging (717) 273-9262
Palmyra Senior Community Center (717) 838-8237 Senior Center of Lebanon Valley (717) 274-3451 Vein treatment Vein Center of Lancaster Locations in Lancaster and Lebanon (717) 394-5401 Veterans Services Governor’s Veterans Outreach (717) 234-1681 Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771 Volunteer opportunitIes Compeer of Lebanon County 4 S. Fourth St., Lebanon (717) 272-8317 RSVP of the Capital Region (717) 454-8647
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
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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.
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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 non-motor 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 Unsightly her 40s. She was told to go home varicose and rest, not exert herself, and veins and that exercise would make it worse. spider veins? Although that was the belief at the time, it was the worst possible A simple office procedure advice,” Ludwig said. will improve the health of “Then, about 10 years after she your legs. passed away, I had a client who had Covered by Parkinson’s. His physical therapist insurances, encouraged me to get certified in including Medicare the Parkinson Wellness Recovery [exercise] program. I fell in love with the program because it was so effective and quickly knew this was Held Monthly—Call to Register! my purpose in life!” Lebanon – Saturday, Oct. 6 at 8:30 a.m. The March 2012 newsletter from Lancaster – Saturday, Oct. 20 at 8:30 a.m. Harvard Medical School (Harvard Health Publishing) addressed exercise as it relates to Parkinson’s. of Lancaster The newsletter described several Lancaster’s Most Trusted & studies that followed tens of Experienced Vein Center thousands of Parkinson’s sufferers. 90 Good Dr., Suite 301, Lancaster Results showed a reduction in 918 Russel Dr., Lebanon the risk of developing Parkinson’s 717-394-5401 if exercise is performed decades www.veincenteroflancaster.com
Healthy Legs, Healthy You
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 www.rocksteadyboxing.org. 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.
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“American Bandstand: Still Hoppin’ after 60 Years” by Eddie Collins
“Get ‘Caught’ by Bluebirds” by Megan Joyce
“Mastering the Arts — Martial Arts, That Is” by Megan Joyce
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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) 285-1350.
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
(717) 664-6646 www.pleasantviewrc.org/care-at-home Other Certifications and Services: Caring and professional staff provide supportive services to help maintain independence within the comfortable setting of home. Personal services, companion care, dementia care services, and transitional care offered — call for a free consultation.
(800) 365-4189 www.visitingangels.com Other Certifications and Services: Visiting Angels provides seniors and adults with the needed assistance to continue living at home. Flexible hours up to 24 hours per day. Companionship, personal hygiene, meal prep, and more. Our caregivers are thoroughly screened, bonded, and insured. Call today for a complimentary and informational meeting.
This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.
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
Graybill used 20 pounds of C-4 Imagine crawling into a dark, plastic explosives to blow up tunnels, narrow underground tunnel, not usually after bringing out supplies. But knowing if there are enemy soldiers he generally used more explosives than waiting to slit your throat or shoot he needed. He once dragged a maggotyou without even a moment’s notice. infested dead Vietnamese soldier out of This was the everyday experience of a tunnel so he could get some R&R. Douglas Graybill Jr., an American Graybill says that exiting a tunnel “tunnel rat” in the Vietnam War. was just as scary as entering one, since Graybill grew up in West Lawn, th he didn’t know where he’d be coming Pennsylvania, and quit school in 10 out. grade. After being rejected by the “I was worried about being shot by U.S. Army at age 16, he met a Marine my own men,” he says. recruiter, who told him, “Let’s go.” Doug and Elizabeth Graybill’s Veterans Making a Difference group meets Vietnam was a war without His father signed the official th at the Paul R. Gordon Veteran Social Center in Reading. frontlines. The military brass paperwork on Graybill’s 17 birthday, emphasized body counts, not the taking and then he was sent to Parris Island and holding of territory. Marines were in South Carolina for training. told that their enemies were subhuman. “It was nothing like what the recruiter told me,” “You weren’t killing a person; you were killing a Graybill recalls. gook,” says Graybill. “That made it a lot easier. That Graybill was trained in demolition, landmines, was our job.” and booby traps. He learned to carry satchel charges, Vietnam left deep emotional scars that have mortars, and various forms of ammunition. Training never fully healed. After experiencing 16 months of was like brainwashing; they were told to kill or be violence, Graybill struggled to readjust to civilian life. killed. “I was in trouble all the time. I hated God, I hated Graybill was then sent to Vietnam in 1970, two everyone, I hated myself,” he says. months before his 18th birthday. His troubles included arrests for assault and battery, “My job was to crawl through tunnels and then flunking out of Ohio State University, finding and blow them up,” says Graybill. “I wasn’t afraid to go From left, Rich Burton, president of the losing job after job, periods of homelessness, and two into the tunnel. That was my job; somebody had to do Central Pennsylvania Vietnam Roundtable, divorces. He would even beg policemen to shoot him. it. That’s what I was trained for.” and Doug Graybill, who spoke at the “For almost 10 years I couldn’t even walk on a From years of fighting the French and Americans, organization’s recent meeting. sidewalk. There was always a sniper aiming at me the Vietnamese became experts at digging tunnels. when I was walking down a street in daylight,” he says. Many North Vietnamese soldiers literally lived and fought underground. He would keep pistols in his bedroom and five locks on his bedroom door. Some tunnels were small and simple, meaning Graybill would have to crawl “Then I realized it was all in my head,” he says. through them on his hands and knees. But others were large and complex, with Graybill eventually reenlisted in the Marines. He was stationed in Beirut, supply depots, surgical rooms, headquarters rooms, and sleeping quarters. Lebanon, three times and participated in the 1983 invasion of Grenada. He later Graybill entered these tunnels alone and would often use candles to find served in both the Army and Marine reserves, but continually got into trouble. his way around in the darkness, never spending more than 20 minutes in any In 2006 he married an Army veteran named Elizabeth, whom he credits with tunnel. Graybill admits that once he was in a tunnel, he was gripped with fear, saving his life. She encouraged him to start attending veterans’ meetings and especially when he heard Vietnamese talking. doing simple tasks, such as eating in restaurants. “I was scared all the time — I mean all the time,” he recalls. Graybill is still haunted by his inner demons, but he has found his calling But Graybill had one major advantage: The Vietnamese usually did not know by helping fellow veterans in need. He has opened a privately funded center in he was there. He became an expert at hiding in the dark. Sometimes enemy Reading that provides food, shelter, and clothing for veterans with and without 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 homes. “It’s a place where veterans can come and socialize,” he explains. “Their me.” financial status doesn’t matter: Loneliness is loneliness.” He shot several enemy soldiers with his 45-calibre pistol. To this day, he To learn more about Graybill’s veteran social center, visit the Veterans 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,” Making a Difference Facebook page or go to www2.readingeagle.com/article. aspx?id=328668. 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 Robert Naeye is a freelance journalist living in Derry Township. He is the former traps and false walls. And the tunnels were rife with snakes, spiders, and biting editor-in-chief of Sky & Telescope magazine. centipedes.
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Social Security News
Medicare, Explained By John Johnston
Social Security and Medicare prescription drug coverage (Medicare have a few things in common. Both Part D) and other extra benefits and programs help safeguard millions services. of Americans as well as improve the quality of life for our family and Medicare Part D (Medicare friends. prescription drug coverage) helps cover Although both programs are the cost of prescription drugs. household names, many people may Some people with limited resources not be familiar and income may with the details also be able to of Medicare. get Extra Help Medicare is with the costs our country’s — monthly health insurance premiums, program for annual people age 65 deductibles, or older. The and prescription program helps co-payments with the cost of — related to healthcare, but it a Medicare doesn’t cover all prescription drug medical expenses Medicare Annual Open Enrollment plan. or the cost of The Extra Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, 2018 most long-term Help is estimated care. to be worth You have choices for how you get about $4,900 per year. You must meet Medicare coverage. If you choose the resources and income requirement. to have original Medicare coverage, you can buy a Medicare supplement Medicare’s different parts are policy (called Medigap) from a private further explained in our publication at insurance company to cover some of www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/EN-05the costs that Medicare does not. 10043.pdf. Medicare has four parts: If you can’t afford to pay your Medicare premiums and other Medicare Part A (hospital medical costs, you may be able to insurance) helps pay for inpatient care get help from your state. States offer in a hospital or skilled nursing facility programs for people eligible for or (following a hospital stay). Part A also entitled to Medicare who have low pays for some home healthcare and income. hospice care. Some programs may pay for Medicare premiums, and some pay Medicare Part B (medical Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. insurance) helps pay for services To qualify, you must have Medicare from doctors and other healthcare Part A and have limited income and providers, outpatient care, home resources. healthcare, durable medical You can learn more about equipment, and some preventive Medicare, including how to apply services. for Medicare and get a replacement Medicare card, at www.socialsecurity. Medicare Part C (Medicare gov/benefits/medicare. Advantage) includes all benefits and John Johnston is a Social Security public services covered under Part A and affairs specialist. Part B. Some plans include Medicare www.50plusLifePA.com
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.
Farm and Home Center 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster
NEW LOCATION!
At the Expo
Veterans Benefits Community Services Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs Education/Training Services
At the Job Fair
Employers Job Counseling Workshops/Seminars Resume Writing Assistance Principal Sponsor:
LIFE
Sponsored by: Blue Ridge Communications • Fulton Financial Corporation Disabled American Veterans • LCTV • Paul Smith’s College Pennsylvania State Headquarters VFW WFYL • WHTM ABC27
Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available
www.veteransexpo.com (717) 285-1350 www.olpevents.com
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October 2018
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Fire Prevention and Preparedness Essential for Older Adults 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
that can catch fire away from your stovetop.
• 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 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
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.
The December issue of 50plus LIFE will include a special focus —
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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. Please contact your sales representative at 717.285.1350 or info@onlinepub.com today to reserve your space! Visit Us Online! www.wlbrradio.com | www.wqicradio.com (717) 272-7651 | 440 Rebecca St. | Lebanon, Pa 17046
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Online & In Print. onlinepub.com 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 three-day celebration paralleling the Allhallowtide of All Saint’s Eve, All Saint’s Day, 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
Make a Difference Volunteer Today
Volunteer opportunities for Seniors 55+ throughout Lebanon County, with non-profits, schools, agencies and community service organizations. Contact for further information:
Margie Groy
717.454.8647 LancLeb@rsvpCapReg.org
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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.
E
October 6, 2018
omen’s Expo Lancaster County
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Lebanon Expo Center 80 Rocherty Road Lebanon
Look for
WE C.A.R.E.S Meet local nonprofits
the
October 13, 2018 Puppy Hugging!
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November 10, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Carlisle Expo Center
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Spooky Nook Sports
2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim
Holiday Shopping Health & Beauty
Fun!
100 K Street Carlisle
Please, join us! 717.285.1350 COMMUNITY OUTREACH SPONSOR
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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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October 2018
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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 the Rascals releasing such an overtly political work. The musicians persevered, though, and in the end they enjoyed a hit that sold more than 4 million copies. The Rascals then adopted two policies unique in the world of rock music: They refused to tour on segregated bills, and they insisted that at least one of their supporting acts be black. An odd situation had inspired “People Got to Be Free” a while earlier. The song was conceived — but not developed at the time — after an ugly encounter when the Rascals’ tour bus broke down in Fort Pierce, Florida, and rowdy locals hassled the musicians over their long hair! 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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Simply mail this form and $15 for an annual subscription to: 50plus LIFE • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Call (717) 285-8131, or subscribe online at www.50plusLIFEPA.com! Name_ ________________________________________________________ Address_ _______________________________________________________ City_______________________________ State_ ____ Zip_ _______________ Please specify edition: oChester oCumberland oDauphin oLancaster oLebanon oYork
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Lebanon County
Calendar of Events
Community Programs/Support Groups Free and open to the public
Senior Center Activities
Oct. 24, 6-7 p.m. Alzheimer’s and Dementia Family Support Group Linden Village 100 Tuck Court, Lebanon (717) 274-7400
Annville Senior Activity Center (717) 867-1796 200 S. White Oak St., Annville Oct. 8, 9-11 a.m. – Autumn Brunch Oct. 16, 9 a.m. – Paint a Halloween Pumpkin Oct. 23, 11 a.m. – A Conversation with County Sheriff Bruce Klingler
If you have an event you would like to include, please email information to mjoyce@onlinepub.com for consideration.
Library Programs Annville Free Library, 216 E. Main St., Annville, (717) 867-1802 Oct. 2, 6:30 p.m. – Adult Coloring Club Lebanon Community Library, 125 N. Seventh St., (717) 273-7624 Oct. 6, 10 a.m. – Buying and Selling in Facebook Marketplace Oct. 20, 10 a.m. – Spotted Lanternfly: Stopping the Invasion Oct. 23, 6 p.m. – Upcycling: Tips and Tricks Matthews Public Library, 102 W. Main St., Fredericksburg, (717) 865-5523 Oct. 18 and 25, 6 p.m. – Windows 10, Parts I and II Myerstown Community Library, 199 N. College St., Myerstown, (717) 866-2800 Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, 6 p.m. – Facebook for Seniors, Parts I and II Palmyra Public Library, 325 S. Railroad St., (717) 838-1347 Oct. 11, 1 p.m. – Facebook for Seniors, Part II Oct. 16, 3-7 p.m. – Tech Help Oct. 22, 6 p.m. – Home School and Cyber School: What Should I Know? Part I Richland Community Library, 111 E. Main St., Richland, (717) 866-4939 Oct. 6, 10 a.m. – Spotted Lanternfly: Stopping the Invasion Oct. 13, 10 a.m. – Homesteading, Part II
parks and recreation All events held at the Park at Governor Dick unless noted. Oct. 7, 1-4 p.m. – Music on the Porch Oct. 7, 2 p.m. – Walk in Penn’s Woods
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 www.50plusLifePA.com
and managed a Saab dealership 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 award-winning 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.
Maple Street Senior Community Center (717) 273-1048 710 Maple St., Lebanon Oct. 12, noon – Pickleball and Pizza Oct. 19, 11 a.m. – Fall Festival and Chili Cookoff Oct. 26, noon – Pickleball and Pizza Myerstown Senior Community Center (717) 866-6786 Myerstown Baptist Church, 59 Ramona Road Myerstown Oct. 2, 8 a.m. – Golden Sneakers Walking Group Oct. 10, 7:45 a.m. – Breakfast Club at The Willow Tree Oct. 23, 11 a.m. – Consumer Education: What Doctors Wish Patients Knew Northern Lebanon Senior Community Center (717) 865-0944 335 N. Lancaster St., Jonestown www.jonestownpa.org/senior.html Oct. 2, 11:30 a.m. – Fall Fest at Heisey’s Diner Oct. 10, 11:30 a.m. – Lunch Bunch at Jersey Joe’s Oct. 23, 10 a.m. – Healthy You: Meditation Palmyra Senior Community Center (717) 838-8237 101 S. Railroad St., Palmyra Oct. 2, 11:30 a.m. – Fall Fest at Heisey’s Diner Oct. 3, 10:30 a.m. – Investment Fraud Presentation and Bingo Oct. 24, 10 :30 a.m. – Legal Presentation: Settling a Person’s Estate After They Have Died Privately Owned Centers Senior Center of Lebanon Valley, Inc. (717) 274-3451 710 Maple St., Lebanon Washington Arms – (717) 274-1401 303 Chestnut St., Lebanon Submit senior center events to mjoyce@onlinepub. com. 50plus LIFE p
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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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Create a Great Funeral Day
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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.
The ultimate resource for boomer and senior living and care options
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To be included in the 2019 edition of 50plus LIVING, call your representative or (717) 285-1350 or email info@onlinepub.com 50plus LIFE p
October 2018
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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
Puzzle Page
CROSSWORD
Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 18 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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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.
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Reprinted with permission from SeniorLiving.org.
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Oct. 6, 2018
Volunteer Spotlight Clerical Volunteer Helps in New Ways up the lunch and then meeting all The RSVP Lebanon County the RSVP staff members. Volunteer of the Month is Donna Crouse grew up in a tiny town in Crouse. She has performed clerical the northwest corner volunteer work at the of Berks County with RSVP office since her 11 siblings. For the spring 2017. past 30 years, she and In addition to data her husband, Jay, have entry, Crouse makes lived in the countryside contact with possible south of Lebanon. volunteers through They have two phone calls and email daughters, two sonsand assists in getting in-law, and three them placed with local grandchildren. Crouse’s organizations. Donna Crouse She also has helped favorite hobbies are flower gardening at local community and reading, mostly nonfiction events to promote the work of the books. She loves to do all kinds of RSVP organization and its value craft projects with her youngest to the community and to help to recruit new 55+ volunteers. Crouse granddaughter, Megan. RSVP recruits and places senior feels RSVP is a good place to use volunteers throughout Lebanon her talents. On a couple of occasions, Crouse County. For further information, was able to assist with the staging of contact Margie Groy, Lebanon RSVP’s monthly staff meetings. This development coordinator at (717) was a different type of volunteerism 454-8647 or lancleb@rsvpcapreg. for her, and she enjoyed helping set org.
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