Lebanon County 50plus LIFE November 2019

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Complimentary | Lebanon County Edition

November 2019 • Vol. 14 No. 11

Services Address Wandering in Those with Memory Impairment page 4

Unexpected Rewards of Becoming a Caregiver page 6

The Benefit Many Veterans Are Missing Out On page 15

Becoming Chronologically Gifted: An Alternative Approach to Aging

By Dr. Erica Miller Ask a handful of people to describe what comes to mind when they hear the word “old.”

Undoubtedly, some responses associate “old” with negative connotations, like “obsolete” or “weak,” or phrases like “past her prime” and the always-popular “over the hill.”

Such expressions indicate how readily some cultures relegate the latter years of life to a period of steady decline — not only in terms of physiological health, but also in social prominence, personal originality, and cultural relevance.

On the other hand, there are other words — considerably more positive ones — that people use to describe “old.” How about “wise” and “mature,” for instance? What about “seasoned” and “experienced”?

In some societies, elders are revered for their accumulation of knowledge and their life experiences.

As Dr. Andrew Weil says, “Growing old should increase, not decrease, the value of human life. Just as with bourbon, it has the potential to smooth out roughness, add agreeable qualities, and improve character.”

Chronologically Gifted Almost everyone wants to live a long time, but no one wants to actually be old.

The chronologically gifted, on the other hand, are those who recognize it’s possible to age with a healthy mixture of acceptance and enthusiasm.

They regard their age as a gift, the seal of a lifelong journey for which they are profoundly grateful — a journey that began at birth and will continue through a personal legacy that immortalizes them in the memories of others.

In the face of their own mortality, they are determined to live with significance in the here and now. Even as they seize control over their attitude about aging, they surrender the illusion of control over the reality of aging.

Somewhere in the mix, they lose their concern over whether they live to see five more years, 10 more years, or 30. Yet as a group, they still tend to live longer and better lives than those who constantly preoccupy themselves with thoughts of getting older.

It all begins with attitude.

While there’s no “magical” way to halt or reverse the aging process, there are ways to embrace it.

Start by admitting that you’re getting older. Stop fighting it. Own it. Love it.

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Food, Bounce Houses, Crafts, Face Painting, Balloon-Making, Raffles and much more!

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Helping Hands Through Difficult Times www.heartandhomeproperties.com www.50plusLifePA.com

Adopt a positive attitude. The world is going to move forward with or without you.

Where some people get hung up is with the misconception that as they age, they have to fit in with the younger generation. This simply isn’t true.

A more helpful attitude is, “I may not be young anymore, but I’m still capable of growing, and I will continue my process of evolving until the end of my life.”

Each time an individual acquires a piece of knowledge or improves upon a skill that helps them deepen their relationships, appreciate their past and current experiences, and leave a more robust legacy, that’s a change that matters.

Disrupt Aging It’s time to break the mold and disrupt the aging process. To do so, spend time in front of the mirror.

Fall in love with yourself all over again, but not in a narcissistic way. Join the ranks of the chronologically gifted who have a healthy sense of self-love — one that makes them feel confident in their own skin — wrinkles and all.

Adopt a new perspective. Consider the mantra: “I’m not just getting older; I’m getting wiser.”

Let the features that reveal age be the ones that are reminiscent of the wisdom

and maturity collected throughout a lifetime. Admire, appreciate, and like the person looking back at you in the mirror because that’s the person who still has a lot to offer the world.

Remember, everyone gets older, so aging is not an option. But how people age is a choice. People have far more power over how they age than society conditions them to believe.

Anyone can become chronologically gifted. Simply decide you don’t just want to live longer, you want to live better — beginning right here, right now.

Take comfort in knowing that everything you do from this point on takes you one step closer to living the kind of mindful, joyful, seize-the-day life you were designed to enjoy.

Let that belief become a springboard for deeper engagement with the life inside of you — the timeless part of you that is desperate to express itself, despite the best efforts of an age-fearing culture to suppress it.

Dr. Erica Miller holds her Ph.D. in clinical psychology and has written extensively on topics of positive psychology, longevity, overcoming challenges, and living life to its fullest. Her most recent book, Chronologically Gifted: Aging with Gusto, made her an international bestselling author. For more information, please visit www.drericamiller. com.

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 Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging Meals on Wheels (717) 273-9262 Lebanon County Christian Ministries (717) 272-4400 Salvation Army (717) 273-2655 financial services Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (302) 573-4027 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 Arthritis Foundation (717) 274-0754 Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (717) 787-7500 CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 www.50plusLifePA.com

Kidney Foundation (717) 652-8123

IRS Income Tax Assistance (800) 829-1040

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (717) 652-6520

Medicaid (800) 692-7462

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 Home Improvement West Shore Home 5024 Simpson Ferry Road, Mechanicsburg (717) 937-1148 Hospice Services Homeland at Home Serving all of Lebanon County (717) 221-7890 Hospitals Medical Society of Lebanon County (717) 270-7500

Medicare (800) 382-1274

WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital 252 S. Fourth St., Lebanon (717) 270-7500 Hotlines Energy Assistance (800) 692-7462 Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Hotline (800) 541-2050

Office of Aging Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging (717) 273-9262 Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com real estate Heart & Home Properties (717) 276-9951 Senior Centers Annville Senior Community Center (717) 867-1796

PennDOT (800) 932-4600 Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers (800) 472-8477 Recycling (800) 346-4242

Maple Street Senior Community Center (717) 273-1048

Social Security Information (800) 772-1213

Myerstown Senior Community Center (717) 866-6786

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

Northern Lebanon County Senior Community Center (717) 865-0944 Palmyra Senior Community Center (717) 838-8237 Senior Center of Lebanon Valley (717) 274-3451 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 RSVP of the Capital Region (717) 454-8647 Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

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Cover Story Corporate Office

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

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL

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

ART DEPARTMENT Project Coordinator Renee McWilliams Production Artists Connie Molitor Lauren Phillips

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

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

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Elizabeth Duvall

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50plus LIFE is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community.

On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature.

Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.

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Services Address Wandering in Those with Memory Impairment

By Megan Joyce For caregivers of people with memory issues, keeping their loved one in a safe space — whether it’s their home or a care facility — is vital to the person’s well-being. But the reality is that 6 in 10 people with dementia will wander away from that safe space at least once.

Someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may wander as a result of agitation, confusion, anxiety, overstimulation, or the belief that they are searching for something. They may become disoriented and attempt to relive the past or revive past habits, such as going to work or returning to a familiar neighborhood.

While wandering, the person might not recall their name or address, making it difficult for those who encounter the person to assess their needs and return them to safety.

Clay Jacobs, vice president of programs and services for the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter, said anyone who has memory problems and is able to walk is at risk for wandering, even in the early stages of dementia. There are certain behaviors, however, that are red flags indicating wandering is more likely to occur.

“It’s important to plan ahead for this type of situation,” Jacobs said. “Be on the lookout for the following warning signs: [your loved one] returns from a regular walk or drive later than usual; tries to fulfill former obligations, such as going to work; has difficulty locating familiar places like the bathroom, bedroom, or dining room; or appears lost in a new or changed environment.”

There are some steps caregivers can take to reduce the likelihood of wandering, such as creating a daily routine for their loved one, which reduces his or her anxiety. Identify the times of day when agitation is highest — these are the times when wandering is likelier to occur — and plan activities and exercise for those times.

“It’s also important to understand how the stress experienced by families and caregivers when a person with dementia wanders and becomes lost is significant,” Jacobs added. “Have a plan in place beforehand so you know what to do in case of emergency.”

Statistics show that 94 percent of people who wander are found within just 1.5 miles of their home, so Jacobs recommends caregivers ask neighbors to call if they ever see the person with memory issues alone; keep a recent, close-up photo and updated medical information handy to give to police; provide the person with ID jewelry; and keep

a list of places where the person may wander (former homes or jobs, restaurants, places of worship).

Another interesting note to make is whether the person with dementia is right- or left-handed, as wandering tends to follow the direction of the dominant hand.

Once it is determined that a loved one is missing, caregivers should call 911 and file a “missing report” for a person with dementia, a “vulnerable adult.”

Police will then begin to search for the individual.

In addition, Jacobs encourages caregivers to enroll their loved one in MedicAlert® + Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return®, a 24-hour, nationwide emergency-response service for individuals with Alzheimer’s or related dementia who wander or have a medical emergency.

When a caregiver calls the emergencyresponse line to report a missing person, a community network will be activated, including local Alzheimer’s Association chapters and law enforcement agencies, Jacobs said. Critical medical information will also be provided to emergency responders if needed.

A person enrolled in the program will be wearing MedicAlert® + SafeReturn® ID jewelry, so that whoever locates the individual can call the tollfree number listed on the jewelry. MedicAlert® + SafeReturn® then notifies the listed contacts to make sure they are returned home.

ComfortZone, another program available through the Alzheimer’s Association, allows caregivers to monitor the person with dementia from a secured website and receive alerts when the person leaves a preset safety zone. “[ComfortZone] provides peace of mind and allows independence for the person living with Alzheimer’s,” Jacobs said.

The service includes enrollment in MedicAlert® + SafeReturn® as well as 24/7 access to a monitoring center.

“Both services can be in place concurrently but have different aims,” Jacobs said. “ComfortZone is meant for daily use … It can be changed depending on the progression of the disease and can range from a device placed in a vehicle to something directly on the person.”

Another safety option for caregivers is Project Lifesaver®, a rapid-response public safety program protecting individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other cognitive challenges. The 501(c)3 program was founded in Virginia in 1999 and is marking its 20th anniversary this year.

Project Lifesaver® participants wear a personalized wristband (a transmitter) on their wrist or ankle, www.50plusLifePA.com

which emits a tracking signal on an individually assigned FM radio frequency, explained Gail Monteleone of the Pilot Club of Lancaster, a community-service club that worked in conjunction with local police departments to bring Project Lifesaver® to the county.

When a caregiver calls 911 to report that someone enrolled in Project Lifesaver® has wandered, a search team uses a handheld mobile receiver to locate the tracking signal of the individual.

According to its website, Project Lifesaver® has more than 1,200 participating agencies throughout 47 states in the U.S. and in Canada and Australia.

Project Lifesaver programs are also available through various police and sheriff’s departments, senior living communities, and throughout southeastern Pennsylvania (see sidebar for details).

Monteleone said that, on average, the individual who wandered is usually found within 30 minutes of notifying law enforcement.

“Parents and caregivers of the enrollees feel a sense of relief knowing that this safety net is ‘around’ their family member,” she said.

Services such as these have been created with a primary goal of returning people with memory issues who have wandered to their safe spaces and to their caregivers.

But also essential in their design is peace of mind for those caregivers,

who should not blame themselves if their loved one wanders and can instead count on the support of these programs to help bring the person home.

“Wandering can happen, even if you are the most diligent of caregivers,” Jacobs said.

For more information, contact the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter at www.alz. org/pa or (800) 2723900. Contact Project Lifesaver at www. projectlifesaver.org or (877) 580-LIFE.

Project Lifesaver information for Berks, Chester, Cumberland, and Lebanon counties: • Berks County Sheriff’s Department: (610) 478-6240, ext. 3214 • Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office: (717) 240-6390 • East Pikeland Township Police Department: (610) 935-0606 • Elmcroft Senior Living (Lebanon): (717) 228-0909

Research Uncovers 5 New Risk Genes for Alzheimer’s Earlier this year, analysis of genetic In addition to confirming the data from more than 94,000 individuals known association of 20 genes with revealed five new risk genes for risk of Alzheimer’s and identifying five Alzheimer’s disease and confirmed 20 additional Alzheimer’s-associated genes, known others. these genes were analyzed to see what An international team of researchers cellular pathways might be implicated in also reports for the first time that the disease process. mutations in genes specific to tau, The pathway analysis implicated a hallmark protein of Alzheimer’s the immune system, lipid metabolism, disease, may play an earlier role in the and amyloid precursor protein (APP) development of the disease than originally metabolism. Mutations in the APP gene thought. have been shown to be directly related to These new findings support developing early-onset Alzheimer’s. evidence that groups of genes associated The present study, done in late-onset with specific biological processes, such Alzheimer’s subjects, suggests that as cell trafficking, lipid transport, variants affecting APP and amyloid beta inflammation, and the immune response, protein processing are associated with are “genetic hubs” that are an important both early-onset autosomal dominant part of the disease process.

Alzheimer’s and with late-onset The study was funded in part by the Alzheimer’s.

National Institute on Aging and other In addition, for the first time, the study components of the National Institutes of implicated a genetic link to tau-binding November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month Health. proteins.

“This continuing collaborative Taken together, data suggest that research into the genetic underpinnings therapies developed by studying subjects of Alzheimer’s is allowing us to dig deeper into the complexities of this with early-onset disease could also be applied to the late-onset form of devastating disease,” said Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director of the NIA. Alzheimer’s.

“The size of this study provides additional clarity on the genes to prioritize Once the functions of the five genes newly associated with Alzheimer’s are as we continue to better understand and target ways to treat and prevent understood and examined in conjunction with the functions of the 20 known Alzheimer’s.” genes, researchers will be in a better position to identify where the genetic hubs The researchers, members of the International Genomic Alzheimer’s Project, of Alzheimer’s are clustering. analyzed both rare and common gene variants in 94,437 individuals with lateArmed with these findings, researchers can look more deeply into these onset Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia in older adults. genetic hubs to reveal disease mechanisms and potential drug targets.

Understanding genetic variants is helping researchers define the molecular Source: NIH/National Institute on Aging mechanisms that influence disease onset and progression. www.50plusLifePA.com

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5 Unexpected Rewards of Becoming a Caregiver

By George Shannon It’s true, the life of a caregiver can be demanding, difficult, and daunting. I spent seven years of my life in that role, keeping an eye on my wife’s every move.

Just about every night, Carol and I awoke from our slumber at least five times to make trips to the bathroom. We spent endless nights in hospitals and long days in doctor’s offices.

If given the chance to do it all over again, I would. Those years of being a caregiver constitute the best seven of my life. I learned a ton about myself and my family, became a more fulfilled man, and had the incredible chance to fall in love with my wife all over again.

While I could easily list 20 wonderful things about serving in a caregiving role, here are five very important and unexpected rewards:

minute I saw this, we were on the way to our local breakfast joint. Carol’s smile would make my day.

2. Precious Moments Similarly, you get to be a part of some very special moments. Before my wife’s strokes, we’d spend some time together but did our own thing most of the time. After Carol got sick, I spent 90% of my time with her, and I got to be a part of so many meaningful moments.

Her father had come to live with us for a few years during her illness. He was around 90 at the time. Every night the Pittsburgh Pirates played on TV, they stood, held hands, and sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” — every time.

You could just feel the love and joy between them. I’ll never forget those moments.

3. Discovering Humility This might be the most hidden of rewards. Before November is National my wife became ill, I was a decent man and generally Family Caregivers Month thoughtful of others, but my world had veered toward self-centeredness. I was set in my ways and had been accustomed to the order 1. A Better Relationship When I started being a caregiver, time slowed down. Because the role can be in my world.

At first, out of necessity, I began taking care of her needs. Soon thereafter, I so demanding, you must focus on the person.

In the process, you learn what makes them tick — maybe things you hadn’t started feeling good when I did things to help her. Then something tremendous occurred: I began to derive sustained joy when making her life better. noticed before. Putting these nuggets of wisdom to use can make that person By the time she passed away, I’d committed my life to completely serving so happy, which, in turn, makes you feel good. her and felt total fulfillment. Why? I had become entirely selfless. There may For Carol, it was pancakes. When she needed a boost, a single pancake not be a better feeling in the world. could do the trick. Every once in a while, she’d be down in the dumps. The

About Our Company For more than 20 years, On-Line Publishers, Inc. has celebrated serving the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community of central Pennsylvania. Our corporate office is located outside Columbia, Pa.

Publications

50plus LIFE is a monthly newsprint magazine touching on issues and events relevant to the 50+ community.

The Resource Directory for the Caregiver, Aging, and Disabled is published annually in distinct county editions with information from local businesses and organizations that meet the needs of these groups.

50plus Living, an annual publication, is a guide to residences and healthcare options for mature adults in the Susquehanna and Delaware valleys.

BusinessWoman is a monthly magazine with a focus on business.

It features profiles of local executive women who are an inspiration to other professionals. Lifestyle and wellness articles are also included to round out the publication and address the many facets of a woman’s life.

All publications are available in print and digital formats.

Events

OLP Events, our events division, produces six 50plus EXPOs annually in Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster (two), and York counties.

Entrance to the event, health screenings, and seminars held throughout the day are free to visitors.

The Women’s Expo is a oneday event featuring exhibitors and interactive fun that encompass many aspects of a woman’s life. In 2020, Women’s Expos will be held in Hershey in the spring and in Lebanon, Lancaster, and Carlisle in the fall.

OLP Events presents the Veterans’ Expo & Job Fair, a free, two-part event that takes place in York and Wyomissing in the spring, in the Capital Area in late summer, and in Lebanon and Lancaster in the fall.

The Veterans’ Expo connects active and retired military members and their families with benefits, resources, and employers.

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

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4. A Deeper Relationship As I gave myself over to her, my wife started to really feel the love. And in turn, she began to outwardly show her love and appreciation.

A day wouldn’t go by that she didn’t tell me that “You’re too good to me,” or “Thanks for all that you do for me.” I never sought these assurances, but when she’d offer them, it would light up my day. It was then I realized that we were falling in love all over again.

It was during this rekindled time that we showed our truest selves. From her, I got to see a hidden sense of humor and sharp tongue that often had me bellylaughing. For her, my wife saw a much more tender side and the softer edges of my soul.

5. A Stronger Family Only one of my siblings and one of our three sons lived locally when my wife got sick. At first, I felt sort of alone in dealing with her health crisis, but that didn’t last very long.

The one son who lived the closest moved in for a year. My other two kids came in regularly and showered their mother with love. My siblings came in all the time and called when they couldn’t.

I’ve lived my life abiding by the philosophy that what happens to you isn’t as important as how you responded to it. My entire family responded with love, concern, help, and support. Each time, their acts and deeds made Carol and I feel wonderful. I took great pride in seeing my family come together.

Don’t get me wrong; it wasn’t always easy. Yet, at the end of each day of caregiving, I always received a small gift: a sense of fulfillment. And now, when I look back at those seven years, I am reminded that my life had purpose, which is the greatest reward of them all.

George Shannon is the co-author of The Best Seven Years of My Life: The Story of an Unlikely Caregiver, written with his son, Chad Patrick Shannon. George’s experience as caregiver for his wife transformed his approach to accepting himself as he is, the circumstances as they are, and those around him as they are. www.bestsevenyears.com

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ADA-Approved Foods for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention The typical American diet Herbs and spices. These leaves a lot to be desired. It’s flavor boosters provide the heavy on calories, saturated fats, same types of disease-fighting added sugars, fatty meats, baked phytonutrients that are in fruits goods, and highly processed and vegetables. Cinnamon in grains. particular has been studied for This type of diet is linked its potential effects on blood to Type 2 diabetes and a host glucose levels. Add some fresh of other health problems. In or dried seasonings to oatmeal, America, 84 million adults cottage cheese, yogurt, and even currently have prediabetes, the coffee. leading risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.

Vinegar. Research suggests With frightening statistics that vinegar consumed with like this, registered dietitian and a high-carbohydrate meal nutritionist Jill Weisenberger improves both blood glucose says everyone should examine and insulin levels. Sprinkle their diet and consider adopting some on your salad, roasted some healthier eating habits to vegetables, and other foods. help prevent Type 2 diabetes November is Diabetes Awareness Month and improve their overall Berries. A Finnish study health. found that middle-aged and “There are many ways to build a wholesome and disease-fighting diet,” says older men who consumed the most berries had a whopping 35% lower risk of Weisenberger. developing Type 2 diabetes. Choose strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and Here are the foods you should include in your diabetes-prevention dietary others. pattern.

Fruits. Many people fear fruit because most of the carbohydrate in fruit Legumes and pulses (beans, peas, lentils). Diets rich in legumes have is sugar. While carbohydrate raises blood glucose levels more than other beneficial effects on both short- and long-term fasting blood glucose levels. nutrients, it is not true that fruit raises blood glucose more than other carbNot only are they full of plant protein, but they also contain potassium, containing foods. magnesium, B vitamins, and dietary fiber, including a special type called “Fruits, along with other plant foods, contain so many disease-fighting, “resistant starch.” insulin-sensitizing compounds that it’s a bad idea to forgo them,” Weisenberger Resistant starches resist digestion in the small intestine. Instead, they travel said. to the colon, feeding beneficial gut bacteria that then produce short-chain fatty acids.

Coffee and tea. Several studies link drinking coffee (decaffeinated or These acids seem to protect the colon cells, make the gut environment more regular) to less risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. suitable for the friendly bacteria and less suitable for their harmful cousins, and “Keep your coffee low-calorie and healthful by drinking it plain or with a even improve the way our bodies respond to insulin. splash of milk,” Weisenberger said. “A heavy hand with syrups, sugars, and Some common options to enjoy are soybeans, black beans, chickpeas, kidney cream will turn your coffee into quite a nutritional goof.” beans, lentils, split peas, and pinto beans.

Likewise, analysis suggest that the more tea an individual drinks, the greater the benefit, with as little as one cup per day dropping the risk of developing the Nuts. Some studies show that when people with Type 2 diabetes consume disease by 3 percent. nuts, their blood glucose levels improve. Many studies show that eating nuts also helps prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Unsaturated fats. Switching to more healthful monounsaturated and Nuts — such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and peanuts — provide polyunsaturated fats appears to boost insulin sensitivity. A Mediterranean-style unsaturated fats, vegetable protein, fiber, folate, magnesium, and a host of other diet is typically rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and low in saturated fats. vitamins and minerals. Nuts are calorie dense, however, so keep portion sizes in A few sources of unsaturated fats include olive, canola, and peanut oils; tree mind. nuts; peanuts; nut butters; avocados; and olives.

Yogurt. One large population study found that an increase of one serving of yogurt per day was associated with an 18% lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. It’s unclear how yogurt could influence health this way, but it may be related to its probiotics or unique nutritional profile.

Weisenberger suggests using a list of foods that are associated with less risk of diabetes to create your weekly grocery list. It’s OK to gradually start introducing some of these foods into your diet. A complete diet overhaul rarely lasts, but one with gradual changes is more likely to stick.

Whole grains. Healthful patterns that include whole grains appear to be associated with less Type 2 diabetes. Examples of whole grains include whole wheat, wheat berries, farro, whole rye, whole-grain corn and barley, oats, oatmeal, rolled oats, wild and brown rice, popcorn, and quinoa.

Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, partnered with the American Diabetes Association to write Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses. An internationally recognized nutrition and diabetes expert and certified health and wellness coach, she is the author of four books. www.jillweisenberger.com or www.diabetes.org

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Nursing & Rehabilitation Centers The listings with a shaded background have additional information about their center in a display advertisement in this edition.

Bethany Village – The Oaks

325 Wesley Drive • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 (717) 766-0279 • www.bethanyvillage.org Number of Beds: 69 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: CARF; Eagle, LeadingAge PA Comments: Maplewood Assisted Living also available.

Conestoga View

900 East King Street • Lancaster, PA 17602 (717) 299-7850 • www.conestogaviewnursing.com Number of Beds: 436 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Respiratory, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes

24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes

Homestead Village

1800 Village Circle • Lancaster, PA 17603 (717) 397-4831 • www.homesteadvillage.org Number of Beds: 60 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Short-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: No 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes

Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: CARF-CCAC accredited, five-star rating. Small-care households make our community very attractive.

Convenient location and quality care.

Claremont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 1000 Claremont Road • Carlisle, PA 17013 (717) 243-2031 • www.claremontnursing.com Number of Beds: 282 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Private Rooms Available: No Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: Featuring Transitions at Claremont, a dedicated, 39-bed, shortterm rehab unit. Claremont provides quality skilled nursing and secured dementia care.

Homeland Center

1901 North Fifth Street • Harrisburg, PA 17102-1598 (717) 221-7902 • www.homelandcenter.org Number of Beds: 95 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Short-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: AAHSA, LeadingAge PA (PANPHA), NHPCO, PHN, HPNA Comments: A beautiful, full-service continuing care retirement community with a history of more than 150 years of exemplary care.

Mennonite Home Communities

1520 Harrisburg Pike • Lancaster, PA 17601 (717) 393-1301 • www.mennonitehome.org Number of Beds: 188 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes Scheduled Entertainment: Yes

Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: Yes Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Accreditations/Affiliations: Equal Housing, LeadingAge PA Comments: Person-centered care with reputation for compassion and excellence. Established in 1903. Respite care available w/minimum stay.

Pleasant View Communities

544 North Pennryn Road • Manheim, PA 17545 (717) 665-2445 • www.pleasantviewcommunities.org Number of Beds: 133 Rehabilitation Unit: Yes Alzheimer’s Unit: Yes Skilled Licensed Nursing: Yes Therapy: Speech, Occupational, Physical Long-Term Care: Yes Short-Term Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes 24-Hour Medical Care: Yes Recreational Activities: Yes

Scheduled Entertainment: Yes Private Rooms Available: Yes Semi-Private Rooms Available: No Pet Visitation Allowed: Yes Beauty/Barber Shop: Yes Medicare: Yes Medicaid: Yes Comments: Delivering compassionate care that encompasses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs since 1955.

If you would like to be featured on this important page, please contact your marketing consultant or call (717) 285-1350.

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

The Bookworm Sez

Elvis in Vegas Terri Schlichenmeyer

Cherry, cherry, cherry.

That’s what you want to see as you reach for the lever and take another spin. Or is it a little ball in a slot you’d like better, or the right number from a deck of cards?

When you’re in Vegas, baby, anything can happen — even, as in the new book Elvis in Vegas by Richard Zoglin, breathing life into what seemed nearly dead.

His first time in Las Vegas was not his idea. And it wasn’t a good idea, either.

It was the spring of 1956, and Elvis Presley’s star was rising. Teenage girls screamed for him onstage, and he’d already been a “regional phenomenon” when he recorded his first mainstream single, “Heartbreak Elvis in Vegas by Richard Zoglin c. 2019, Simon & Schuster Hotel.”

297 pages That record was at the top of the charts when his manager, “Colonel Tom” Parker, booked Presley at the New Frontier hotel, but there was one problem: Vegas show-goers in 1956 were more middle-of-the-road and middle-aged. To them, rock ’n’ roll was just a fad.

That was Presley’s first show on a Las Vegas stage, and it would be his last for more than 13 years.

In the meantime, the city grew up and out.

During the 1950s, says Zoglin, every major (and many minor) stars from Hollywood, Broadway, and the sporting world performed in Las Vegas, onstage or in lounges, or they came just to hang out.

Singers honed their crafts and made their marks, actors offered unremarkable stage shows that were nevertheless sold out, and “Rat Pack” practically became a household term, while rock ’n’ roll bands came but didn’t stick around.

The city’s population swelled to 59,000 citizens by 1960 and some 20,000 tourists visited each day, while Elvis Presley made movies that, at the end, were box-office busts.

He’d always loved Las Vegas for its glamour and fun. He’d been there many times, had even gotten married there, and it was the perfect place for him to perform, which was something he loved best.

He signed a contract, put together a band, chose two backup groups, and practiced. And on July 31, 1969, he stepped on stage …

Elvis fans unite! Read this book but be sure to share. Elvis in Vegas has something for almost everyone inside.

Author Richard Zoglin does, indeed, write about Presley in his early career, but he does it with a difference: While there’s a strong but thin thread that ties the first pages to the last half of this book, the middle half offers a lively, nostalgic, cowtown-rags to high-roller-riches tale of not just a city, but of entertainment itself.

The ascent and descent of many careers are wrapped up in Las Vegas www.50plusLifePA.com

history, and Zoglin tells the stories with an insider’s feel and a sense that what happened 50 or 60 years ago is still great gossip.

Fans will hunka-hunka burnin’-love this book, while readers who are too young to recall Presley’s comeback but old enough to appreciate Sin City will enjoy it, too. Elvis in Vegas is a great read. You can bet on that.

Photo credit: Howard Schatz

Elvis in Vegas author Richard Zoglin.

Vibra Health Plan Seminar Dates and Locations:

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer.

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

Nov. 8 th 10 a.m.

PA CareerLink, 243 Schneider Drive, Lebanon, PA Nov. 22 th 10 a.m.

PA CareerLink, 243 Schneider Drive, Lebanon, PA

Vibra Health Plan offers Medicare Advantage plans starting at $0*and include a Member Advocate.

A Member Advocate offers you: • Assistance with care navigation and resource referral • Personalized attention to get you to the right services at the right time • Information to make healthcare decisions that are right for you and your family • 7-day-a-week support Call now to reserve a seat at a seminar, or to learn more about how Vibra Health Plan is in your corner. 1-844-660-2961 (TTY 711) Vibra Health Plan is a PPO Plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Vibra Health Plan depends on contract renewal. *Not available on all plans.

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November 2019

9

The Reel Deal

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Randal Hill

Let’s get a couple of things straight here. The Thanksgiving-released A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is not your standard (and often incorrect) celebrity biopic.

Also, Fred Rogers — channeled to perfection by Tom Hanks — becomes almost secondary when placed in juxtaposition to Lloyd Vogel, a cynical, emotionally scarred investigative journalist for Esquire magazine.

In the story, Vogel, whose character is loosely based on real-life Esquire writer Tom Junod, is assigned to do a puff piece on Mr. Rogers for a forthcoming issue on heroes.

“That hokey kid-show guy?” Vogel asks incredulously after being handed the job.

Vogel (Matthew Rhys) is a misanthropic, neurotic, and badly damaged adult who rails against his estranged, family-deserting father (Chris Cooper). Then there’s the issue of Vogel’s fears about the raising of his infant son.

Rogers can see that Vogel is broken and badly in need of repair.

“Sometimes we have to ask for help,” proclaims Rogers, “and that’s OK.” In time, through patience and caring and persistent positivity, he manages to pierce Vogel’s armor of darkness to allow healing sunshine to first trickle, then flood, in.

Support the Troops This Holiday Season!

Our troops deserve our help and to know they aren’t forgotten!

Thousands of essential items have been received for veterans, but monetary donations to defray shipping costs are desperately needed.

Sending 10,000 stockings to troops all over the world.

Registered 501c-3

Please send your monetary donation by Nov. 30 The cost for one box is $27-$77, depending on the destination.

Donations can be made online at www.KeystoneMilitaryFamilies.org or mail checks to:

Keystone Military Families 331 Main Street, Shoemakersville, PA 19555

For more information, visit KeystoneMilitaryFamilies.org, call (610) 698-2122, or email keystonemilitary@yahoo.com.

10

November 2019

Randal C. Hill enjoys getting sneak peeks of forthcoming movies from his home on the Oregon coast. He can be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

Help Ship Christmas Stockings to Soldiers

Keystone Military Families, a PA-based nonprofit, encourages you to brighten the holidays for our troops overseas by sponsoring a care package!

We need your help to make this happen!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood shows why Rogers had such a positive effect on millions of children who watched his show for 33 years. The man really was all about love. Love your children. Love your friends. Love your neighbors. Love yourself.

Variety says, “Fred Rogers may have come off, on TV, like a walking piece of kitsch, but the real truth is that this ordained Presbyterian minister was the world’s squarest Middle America flower child.”

Director’s chores went to Marielle Heller, who recently guided The Diary of a Teenage Girl and Can You Ever Forgive Me? to success.

Here she has lit the soundstage set to deliberately make us feel that we are actually watching the modestly budgeted Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood show, complete with a jumble of painted pasteboards and low-end dolls and puppets, in the flat light of PBS’ WQED studios in late1990s Pittsburgh.

The potentially cliched cynic-does-a-180 arc is avoided here, thanks to a pitch-perfect script by Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue, both Peabody Award-winning writers and producers who based their tale on Junod’s 1998 Esquire magazine cover story.

The writers even give us brief glimpses into some of Rogers’ imperfections, including an admission of his own family’s struggles and estrangements and him slamming a bit too hard on the low-end keys of a piano.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood opens Nov. 22. Be forewarned: You’ll need lots of tissues for this one.

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Keystone Military Families, which ships 8,000–10,000 holiday stockings to American servicemen and women stationed around the world each year, is seeking monetary donations to help defray its sizable shipping costs.

Holiday care packages assembled

by KMF volunteers go to all branches of the military and to locations in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Korea, ships at sea, and any other troops who request support from home.

The stockings are filled with donations of food, hygienic supplies, and other requested items, as well as holiday decorations and cards.

Monetary donations are needed to help ship the care packages; funds for shipping are always the organization’s biggest need as postage costs increase annually.

To donate or for more information, visit http://keystonemilitaryfamilies.com or call Keystone Military Families at (610) 698-2122. www.50plusLifePA.com

Dear Pharmacist

9 Fantastic Reasons to Eat Pumpkin Seeds Suzy Cohen

Pumpkins can be white, yellow, or green. They’re not all orange!

Did you know Antarctica is the only country that can’t grow a pumpkin?

One average-sized pumpkin can impart about a cup of seeds, about 500 seeds. I like to roast mine and sprinkle them with a little dried lime powder and sea salt. These are also excellent when roasted with olive oil and garlic/onion powder.

These seeds are not only delicious, but also nutrient dense.

Here are nine health benefits from eating pumpkin seeds.

Immunity and prostate health. Zinc will help with both immunity and prostate health. An ounce of pumpkin seeds contains enough zinc to help you with immune function, prostate health, and even testosterone production.

Sleep. A handful of pumpkin seeds at dinnertime might improve your ability to relax and sleep. The reason is the seeds’ magnesium, which helps create more serotonin, which quickly breaks down to melatonin, a sleep hormone.

Diabetes. Thanks to their high fiber content, pumpkin seeds help regulate blood sugar and improve satiety.

One study showed that animals who received a combination of ground flax and pumpkin-seed powder exhibited better lab values and fewer problems as they pertain to diabetes.

Thanks to their alpha-linolenic acid content, the seeds can help with heart attack risk. Other foods with ALA content include flaxseed, walnuts, chia, and hemp.

Blood pressure. Magnesium is absolutely essential for healthy blood pressure and cardiac rhythm (as is potassium). Pumpkin seeds are particularly high in magnesium.

Bladder infections. Pumpkin seeds contain zinc and other compounds that support bladder and kidney health.

There isn’t enough data to say whether it helps UTIs, but I would guess that it probably helps reduce incidence.

Libido. Pumpkin seeds contain leucine and also minerals that help you make testosterone. This is great because it improves energy, endurance, libido, and strength. Testosterone is needed for both men and women’s health.

Bone health. Zinc, magnesium, and selenium deficiencies are harmful to bones. Without these minerals, your risk for osteoporosis goes up. Eating pumpkin seeds can help you if you have osteoporosis.

please see SEEDS page 18

Give someone you love the gift that entertains, informs, and inspires, month after month!

Or renew an existing subscription!

Get a 12-month subscription to 50plus LIFE for just $10.

Mail form to: 50plus LIFE, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Please start a gift subscription for: Beginning (month) _ ___________________________ Name_ _____________________________________ Street_ _____________________________________ Apt._ ______________________________________ City/State_ __________________________________ Zip_ _______________________________________ Sign card from: Your name___________________________________ Street_ _____________________________________ Apt._ ______________________________________ City/State_ __________________________________ Zip_ _______________________________________ Your phone number____________________________ Paper (or papers/$10 per edition): Expires 12/31/19 qChester qCumberland qDauphin qLancaster qLebanon qYork

www.50plusLifePA.com

25 th

Your Choice. Our Privilege.

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.

717-857-7400 | HomelandatHome.org Hospice volunteers are always welcome.

Community Outreach of Homeland Center 50plus LIFE p

Homeland Hospice A Toast to the 10th … An Encore for More!

Save the date! Nov. 10

| Harrisburg, PA November 2019

11

Seven years without a cold?

More and more people are saying they just don’t get colds anymore.

They are using a new device made of pure copper, which scientists say NLOOV FROG DQG Ă€X YLUXVHV Doug Cornell invented the device in 2012. “I haven’t had a single cold Research: Copper stops colds if used early. since then,â€? he says.

PRQWKV Âł6L[WHHQ Ă€LJKWV DQG QRW D People were skeptical but EPA VQLྡH ´ VKH H[FODLPHG Businesswoman Rosaleen says and university studies demonstrate repeatedly that viruses and bacteria when people are sick around her she die almost instantly when touched by uses CopperZap morning and night. “It saved me last holidays,â€? she said. copper.

That’s why ancient Greeks and “The kids had colds going round and Egyptians used copper to purify wa- round, but not me.�

Some users say it also helps with ter and heal wounds. They didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, but sinuses. Attorney Donna Blight had a 2-day sinus headache. When her now we do.

Scientists say the high conduc- CopperZap arrived, she tried it. “I tance of copper disrupts the electri- am shocked!� she said. “My head cal balance in a microbe cell and de- cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.� stroys the cell in seconds.

Some users say copper stops So some hospitals tried copper touch surfaces like faucets and door- QLJKWWLPH VWXŕľśQHVV LI XVHG MXVW EHknobs. This cut the spread of MRSA fore bed. One man said, “Best sleep and other illnesses by over half, and I’ve had in years.â€? &RSSHU FDQ DOVR VWRS Ă€X LI XVHG saved lives.

Colds start after cold viruses get early and for several days. Lab techin your nose, so the vast body of re- QLFLDQV SODFHG PLOOLRQ OLYH ÀX search gave Cornell an idea. When viruses on a CopperZap. No viruses he next felt a cold about to start, he were found alive soon after.

'U %LOO .HHYLO OHG RQH RI WKH fashioned a smooth copper probe and rubbed it gently in his nose for 60 WHDPV FRQÂżUPLQJ WKH GLVFRYHU\ +H placed millions of disease germs on seconds. “It worked!â€? he exclaimed. “The copper. “They started to die literally cold never got going.â€? It worked as soon as they touched the surface,â€? he said. again every time.

People have used it on cold sores He asked relatives and friends to try it. They said it worked for them, and say it can completely prevent too, so he patented CopperZap™ and outbreaks. You can also rub it gently on wounds, cuts, or lesions to combat put it on the market.

Now tens of thousands of people infections.

7KH KDQGOH LV FXUYHG DQG ÂżQHO\ have tried it. Nearly 100% of feedback said the copper stops colds if textured to improve contact. It kills XVHG ZLWKLQ KRXUV DIWHU WKH ÂżUVW JHUPV SLFNHG XS RQ ÂżQJHUV DQG KDQGV sign. Even up to 2 days, if they still to protect you and your family.

Copper even kills deadly germs get the cold it is milder than usual that have become resistant to antibiand they feel better.

Users wrote things like, “It otics.

The EPA says copper still works stopped my cold right away,� and “Is even when tarnished. It kills hunit supposed to work that fast?�

Pat McAllister, age 70, received GUHGV RI GLŕľľHUHQW GLVHDVH JHUPV VR one for Christmas and called it “one it can prevent serious or even fatal of the best presents ever. This little illness.

CopperZap is made in America of jewel really works.� Now thousands of users have simply stopped getting pure copper. It has a 90-day full money back guarantee. It is $69.95. colds. *HW R྾ HDFK &RSSHU=DS ZLWK People often use CopperZap preYHQWLYHO\ )UHTXHQW ÀLHU .DUHQ *DX- code PAFP5.

Go to www.CopperZap.com or ci used to get colds after crowded ÀLJKWV 7KRXJK VNHSWLFDO VKH WULHG LW call toll-free 1-888-411-6114.

Buy once, use forever. several times a day on travel days for (paid advertisement)

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November 2019

50plus LIFE p

Honoring the Achievements of Women in the Military

Photo credit: Courtesy of Donna Parry

Veterans Day is Monday, Nov. 11 The words “veteran,� “hero,� and “patriot� usually evoke images of men.

Many people are not aware that some 3 million women are currently serving or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, beginning with the American Revolution. Their stories are largely unknown. “Women have served alongside men to gain and preserve liberty,

from the American Revolution to today’s Global War on Terror,� says retired Army Maj. Gen. Dee Ann McWilliams, president of the Women in Service for America Memorial Foundation.

The foundation aims to bridge the gap in the public’s understanding of women’s military service and encourages everyone to help in the following ways:

Make the Holidays Special for Deployed Troops Central Pennsylvania Supports the Troops continues a tradition of sending Christmas Stockings to active area men and women serving our country in countries around the world.

A “touch of home� means more than we can express in words.

Please consider a donation to help us cover mailing costs or donate “goodies� for the stockings.

Call founder Wanda Bechtold for more information, 717-813-7065, or Like us on Facebook.

Central Pennsylvania Supports the Troops www.50plusLifePA.com

Learn Their History Learn about trailblazing military women. Here are five you should know about: • I n 1782, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man to become the first woman known to enlist as a soldier in the Continental Army. The only woman to earn a full military pension for service during the American Revolution, she served as an infantryman and was wounded in action.

•M innie Spotted-Wolf enlisted in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in 1943, making her the first known Native American woman to do so. Skilled at breaking horses, she described Marine boot camp as “hard but not too hard.”

•C apt. Sunita Williams, an astronaut who served 322 days as commander of the International Space Station, at one point held the record for the most cumulative hours of spacewalking.

During her early Navy career, she flew helicopters in Operation Desert Shield.

•O vercoming childhood adversity, in 2010 Lt. La’Shanda Holmes became the first African-American female helicopter pilot in the history of the Coast Guard. She played a vital role in the Global War on Terror.

•D uring her three deployments to Afghanistan, Air Force Senior Airman Vanessa Velez drove a loaded

Humvee into enemy territory on more than 120 missions.

Pay a Visit Located at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery, the Women in Military Service for America Memorial (Women’s Memorial) is the only memorial dedicated to honoring the 3 million women who have served or are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Preserving the details of their achievements, from clerk typist to fighter pilot, the memorial aims to integrate military women into the public’s image of courage.

Share Your Story Military women, past and present, can register their service with the Women’s Memorial and become part of the world’s largest register of U.S. servicewomen and women veterans, which now totals nearly 267,000 members.

To register and learn more, visit www.womensmemorial.org/registernow.

At a time when the Department of Veterans’ Affairs reports that women veterans are the fastest-growing veteran population, recognizing the collective service of women is more important than ever.

“No matter what you did during your service, it’s an important part of history,” says Gen. McWilliams.

“Without your story, our history will never be complete.”

StatePoint

Pet of the Month

Suzie

Introducing a beautiful, friendly feline named Suzie!

This gal is a seasoned 7-year-old brown tabby surrendered to our shelter due to the health of her previous owner.

Sweet, loving Suzie arrived at our shelter in early February and so deserves her second chance at “furrever” love. Would you “purrhaps” consider adding Suzie to your feline-loving family?

For adoption process details, please visit www. lebanonhumane.org, call (717) 628-1369, or stop in the Humane Society of Lebanon County, 150 N. Ramona Road, Myerstown. www.50plusLifePA.com

Nov. 7, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Farm and Home Center

1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster

This event is FREE to attend.

Veterans (of all ages) and the military community and their families are invited to join us!

The Expo brings federal, state, and local agencies together with area businesses to provide information and resources to veterans and their families.

The Job Fair brings veterans and spouses who need jobs together with employers who can benefit from this rich source of talent to aid their organizations.

At the Expo

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

At the Job Fair

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

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available

www.veteransexpo.com (717) 285-1350 www.olpevents.com

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November 2019

13

Fifties Flashback

King Leer Randal C. Hill

To get started, he borrowed $8,000 (about $60,000 in “Blessed is the rebel. Without him, there would be no today’s money), including $1,000 from his mother. Hefner progress.” – Hugh Hefner also paid $500 for an unpublished 1949 nude calendar photo He has been variously described as vulgar, adolescent, and of Marilyn Monroe (for which she had earned $50). exploitative. But, like him or not, Hugh Marston Hefner He assembled the first Playboy on his kitchen table. The and his Playboy magazine were responsible for many a debut issue — featuring a clothed Monroe on the cover (and tectonic social shift in 1950s America. unclothed inside) — hit newsstands in December 1953 with He was born in 1926, the older of two sons of straighta run of 53,000 copies. laced Methodists. As a boy, Hefner wrote horror stories and Unsure there would ever be a second edition, Hefner had drew cartoons but applied little of his 152 IQ to academic purposely left off a publication date on the cover. All copies pursuits.

— offered at 50 cents each — sold out quickly, though, and He graduated from Chicago’s Steinmetz High School in Playboy became a winner. By 1957, Hefner was raking in $4 1944. After spending two years in the U.S. Army, Hefner million annually. earned a psychology degree at the University of Illinois, Playboy became the guidebook for the unattached young where he created a campus humor magazine called Shaft. male urbane sophisticate. The magazine featured literate Chaste until age 22, he married high school classmate articles, in-depth interviews with people of importance, and Millie Williams and began what he later labeled “a The front cover of the first issue a centerfold of a busty, unclothed young woman. deadening slog into 1950s adulthood.” of Playboy, featuring Marilyn Hefner took unabashed delight in viewing his periodical He went to work for a pair of magazines, Esquire and Monroe, December 1953. as an emblem of the rapidly growing sexual revolution and Children’s Activities. In the meantime, he was busy planning an escape from longstanding American puritanism and social his own magazine, a man’s “lifestyle” periodical to be called Stag Party. intolerance.

However, a Stag publication already existed, so after considering Top Hat, Along the way, the now-divorced Hefner built a global empire that came to Gentleman, and Bachelor, Hefner switched the name to Playboy. be worth $200 million.

Hefner never lost interest in beautiful young women. In 1989, he surrendered his bachelorhood once more and married Kimberley Conrad, the n ine ublishers nc 1989 Playmate of the Year who was 38 years his junior. The couple divorced in 2010.

On New Year’s Eve of 2012, Hefner, age 86, married again, this time to 26year-old beauty Crystal Harris.

Always obsessed with celebrity-hood, Hefner paid $75,000 for a mausoleum 2019 drawer adjacent to Marilyn Monroe’s in Los Angeles’s Westwood Memorial Park. In 2009, he told the Los Angeles Times, “Spending eternity next to Marilyn is an opportunity too sweet to pass up.”

Winners The drawer was put to its intended use after Hefner drew his final breath on Sept. 27, 2017. He was 91 years old.

O -L

P

,I .

has earned 3 Mature Media Awards!

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

Bronze Award

Bronze Award

Merit Award

“A Path Well Carved”

by Jason J. Tabor

“Doing the Heart’s Work”

by Megan Joyce

Caregiver Solutions 2018

Thank you for supporting our award-winning publications! www.50plusLIFEPA.com 14

November 2019

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www.50plusLifePA.com

Aid & Attendance Veterans’ Benefit Savvy Senior

Jim Miller

The Long-Term Care Benefit Many Veterans Are Missing Out On

Dear Savvy Senior, I have heard that the VA has a benefit that can help veterans and spouses with long-term care costs.

We recently had to move my 86-year-old father — who served in the Army nearly 60 years ago — into an assisted living facility, and my mom isn’t far behind. Can the VA help?

– Seeking Aid Dear Seeking, The Veterans Administration does indeed have a little-known, underutilized benefit that can help wartime veterans and their surviving spouses pay for a variety of long-term care costs.

This benefit, called “Aid and Attendance,” is a special pension that’s paid in addition to a basic pension. It pays a maximum of $2,230 a month to married veterans; $1,881 a month to single veterans; or $1,209 a month to a surviving spouse.

The money is tax free and can be used to pay for in-home care, assisted living, and nursing home care.

Today, only around 230,000 veterans and survivors receive Aid and Attendance, but millions more are eligible and either don’t know about it or don’t think they can qualify for it.

Eligibility Requirements To qualify, your dad must have served at least 90 days of active military service with at least one day of service during a period of war, and he must not have been discharged dishonorably.

Single surviving spouses of wartime vets are eligible if their marriage ended due to death.

In addition, your dad will also have to meet certain thresholds for medical and financial need to be eligible.

To qualify medically, he must be either disabled or over the age of 65 and need help with basic everyday living tasks, such as eating, dressing, bathing, or going to the bathroom. Being blind or in a nursing home or assisted living facility due to mental disability also qualifies him.

Single surviving spouses have no age restrictions, but they must require help with basic everyday living tasks to be eligible.

To qualify financially, your parents must have limited assets, under $127,061, excluding their home, vehicle, and personal belongings.

And their annual income (minus medical and long-term care expenses) cannot exceed the Maximum Allowable Pension Rate (MAPR), which, in www.50plusLifePA.com

2019, is $26,766 for a veteran and their spouse, $22,577 for a single veteran, and $14,509 for a surviving spouse.

To calculate your parents’ income qualifications, add up their income over the past year (including Social Security, pensions, interest income from investments, annuities, etc.), minus any out-of-pocket medical expenses, prescription drugs, insurance premiums, and long-term care costs over that same period of time.

If the final tally is under the MAPR, and your dad meets the other requirements, he should be eligible for aid.

How to Apply To learn more, or to apply for Aid and Attendance, contact your regional VA benefit office (see www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/offices. asp or call (800) 827-1000), where you can apply in person. In eastern Pennsylvania, that is the Philadelphia Regional Office at (800) 827-1000.

You can also apply by writing the Pension Management Center at: Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Intake Center Attention: Philadelphia Pension Center P.O. Box 5206 Janesville, WI 53547-5206 You’ll need to include evidence, like VA Form 21-2680 (www.va.gov/ vaforms), which your dad’s doctor can fill out and shows his need for Aid and Attendance.

If you need some help, you can appoint a veteran service officer, a VAaccredited attorney, or a claims agent to represent your dad. See www.ebenefits. va.gov/ebenefits/vso-search to locate someone.

If your dad is eligible, it will take between six and 12 months for his application to be processed, so be patient.

You should also know that if your dad’s Aid and Attendance application is approved, the VA will send a lump-sum retroactive payment covering the time from the day you filed the application until the day it was approved. Then your dad receives monthly payments going forward.

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.

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November 2019

15

Calendar of Events

Lebanon County

Community Programs/Support Groups Free and open to the public

Senior Center Activities

Nov. 16, 2 p.m.

Harrisburg Harp Orchestra Ensemble Londonderry Village 1200 Grubb Road, Palmyra (717) 272-6262

Nov. 27, 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 Nov. 7, 10 a.m. – Tai Chi Nov. 14, 11 a.m. – Line Dancing for Seniors Nov. 18, 12:30 p.m. – Pinochle Club

Myerstown Community Library, 199 N. College St., Myerstown, (717) 866-2800 Nov. 7, 1 p.m. – Be a Power User: Pennsylvania Power Library System

Maple Street Senior Community Center (717) 273-1048 710 Maple St., Lebanon Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:15-4:1 5 p.m. – Pickleball Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p .m. – Well-Dressed Soup and Salad Bar Nov. 20, 1 p.m. – Missing Apron Thanksgiving Lunch at Sophie Light’s Victorian Farmhouse

Library Programs Annville Free Library, 216 E. Main St., Annville, (717) 867-1802 Nov. 5, 6:30 p.m. – Adult Coloring Club Lebanon Community Library, 125 N. Seventh St., Lebanon, (717) 273-7624 Mondays in November, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Tech Help Nov. 6, 6:30 p.m. – Apple iPads for Seniors, Part Two Matthews Public Library, 102 W. Main St., Fredericksburg, (717) 865-5523

Palmyra Public Library, 50 Landings Drive, Suite B, Annville, (717) 838-1347 Nov. 5 and 12, 1:30 p.m. – Android Phones for Seniors, Parts One and Two Richland Community Library, 111 E. Main St., Richland, (717) 866-4939 Nov. 6 and 13, 1:30 p.m. – Windows 10, Parts One and Two

parks and recreation All events held at Park at Governor Dick unless otherwise noted.

Nov. 16, 1 p.m. – Seeds on Weeds Walk Nov. 17, 1:30 p.m. – National Take a Hike Day Nov. 24, 1:30 p.m. – Golden Eagle Hikers: Final Hike of 2019

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Can Help COPD Patients Breathe Better If you’ve been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you know that it can affect many different areas of your life.

While there is no cure for COPD, you may not know that early and consistent management of the disease can greatly improve outcomes and overall quality of life.

One disease-management option is pulmonary rehabilitation, which has the potential to offer life-improving benefits to patients at all stages of the lung disease, according to the experts at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

A team of healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, exercise specialists, physical therapists, dietitians, and psychologists, will work together to create a customized plan for your individual needs.

The majority of patients who participate in pulmonary rehabilitation report positive outcomes, including reduced COPD symptoms, increased physical activity, and an improved quality of life.

To learn more about the disease, visit COPD. nhlbi.nih.gov.

StatePoint

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Myerstown Senior Community Center (717) 866-6786 Myerstown Baptist Church, 59 Ramona Road Myerstown No v. 5, 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. – Bus Trip: Hunterdon Hills Playhouse for Holiday Musical Nov. 12, noon – Th anksgiving Banquet at Mount Aetna Banquet Hall Nov. 19, 11:15 a.m. – Nutrition Education by Linda Steir Northern Lebanon Senior Community Center (717) 865-0944 335 N. Lancaster St., Jonestown Nov. 4, 11:30 a.m. – Covered Dish Social Nov. 20, 1 p.m. – Lunch at Northern Lebanon High School Nov. 22, 10:30 a .m. – Bake Something! Bring Supplies for Your Favorite Recipe Palmyra Senior Community Center (717) 838-8237 101 S. Railroad St., Palmyra Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m. – Birthday Social: Family Feud Nov. 20, 10:30 a.m. – Beatlemania Trivia Nov. 27, 10:30 a.m. – Thanksgiving Day Celebration 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.

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Puzzle Page

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 18 SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

Fruit Salad

Across 1. Hat-tipper’s word 5. Wrangle 9. Certain exams 14. Eastern pooh-bah 15. Ionian gulf 16. Soft palate 17. Stead 18. Any day now 19. Gemstone 20. South American plains 22. Playing marble 24. Expanded 25. Calms 27. One, in Portuguese Down 1. Shopping centers 2. Nimble 3. In the lead 4. Hawaiian spewer 5. Disrespects 6. Maven 7. Elementary particle 8. Punjabi princess 9. Egg cells 10. West Indies music 11. Winglike 12. Mandolin kin 13. Old World duck 21. Mayberry man

29. Shopper’s aid 30. Pronounced 34. Cultural values 37. Talks wildly 39. Will Smith title role 40. Cassowary’s cousin 41. Home with a view 42. Soybean paste 43. E.U. member 44. Masterful 45. More sound 46. Perpetrator 48. Porcelain piece 50. Just manage, with “out”

51. Puget Sound city 55. Bridge option 58. Raises 61. Court proceedings 62. Behind 64. Pequod skipper 66. Turkish river 67. Indian side dish 68. Singer Falana 69. Seward Peninsula city 70. Impressive display 71. Skyrocket 72. Ollie’s partner

23. Montana city 26. Perry Mason name 28. High points (abbr.)

30. Makes one 31. Picnic hamperer 32. “What ___ can I say?”

33. New Look designer 34. Director Rohmer 35. By way of, briefly 36. Command to a dog 38. Dadaism founder 41. “Farewell, mon ami” 42. Neighbors, maybe?

44. Deluge refuge

45. Lightly burn 47. Bygone money in Spain 49. Home entertainment center 52. Gypsy’s deck 53. Peruvian beast 54. City north of Cologne 55. Legal prefix 56. A long way off 57. Employ a swizzle stick 59. Intimates 60. Cat remover?

63. Bit of hope 65. Tenn. neighbor

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Older But Not Wiser

Grandpa the Ninja Warrior Sy Rosen

OK, you’re the grandparent. You fill your grandkids with love and joy and, when their parents aren’t looking, hundreds of chocolate chip cookies.

However, as a grandparent you have certain limits and boundaries (I guess).

Sienna is 2 years old and is extremely smart. She can put together a 24-piece puzzle by herself, which is amazing. I actually don’t know what is amazing at that age, and “by herself” means that I am kind of helping, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Anyway, my daughter and son-in-law are working, so to help out I sometimes pick up Sienna from her preschool. I noticed that Sienna (did I mention she could put together a 48-piece puzzle?) was often playing by herself.

I talked to her teacher about this, and she said, “Let her go at her own pace, Graaandpa.”

It was the way she said “Graaandpa” that really bothered me. Although the teacher was smiling, her patronizing tone said, “You’re not the parent, and I’m the teacher, and I know what I’m doing, so stay out of this, you interfering old doddering fool.”

OK, I may have been reading too much into the word “Graaandpa,” but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I then did what any mature grandpa would do — I tattletaled on the teacher to my daughter Ann. Unfortunately, Ann told me that the teacher knew what she was doing, and I should stay out of it.

I then did what any sane grandparent would do. I went on the internet. I found a few articles that said when kids are 2 years old, they often engage in parallel play. This is where they sit near each other but they play by themselves.

Playing by themselves is normal.

All right, but there are a couple of things to be taken into consideration.

First of all, Sienna is very advanced (she can do a 96-piece puzzle). And second, although Sienna was sitting near the other kids, I didn’t think she was quite close enough.

And so I did what any non-interfering, boundary-observing grandparent would do — when nobody was looking, I picked Sienna up and put her 6 inches away from the other kids. OK, 3 inches.

I did this several times. I was like a ninja warrior using the stealth method of disguise to hide my movements. OK, my disguise was sometimes wearing a cap, but it worked and I wasn’t noticed.

I did this for about a week, and then my son-in-law’s work schedule changed and he picked up Sienna from preschool.

About a month later I started picking up Sienna again, and I quickly noticed that all the kids, including Sienna, were happily playing right next to each other (parallel play).

The teacher then came up to me and, with her crocodile smile (I may be overreacting), said, “See, Graaandpa, everything turned out OK because we let Sienna go at her own pace.”

I’m not sure who did the right thing — maybe it’s Sienna’s teacher and her “don’t interfere” policy, or maybe it was me and my stealth moves. And since I’m not sure, I’m going to have to say that I was right.

Oh, and did I mention that Sienna can put together a 400-piece puzzle?

Sy Rosen has written for many TV shows, including The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, M.A.S.H., Maude, The Jeffersons, Rhoda, Frasier, Northern Exposure, and The Wonder Years. He now spends much of his time telling jokes to his grandkids and trying to convince his wife that he’s funny.

SEEDS from page 11 Vision. Pumpkin seeds are very high in carotenoids and zinc, which protect your vision.

Skin health. Pumpkin seeds contain squalene, which protects your skin from UV light damage and other forms of potentially dangerous radiation.

This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more information about the author, visit suzycohen.com.

Puzzles shown on page 17

Puzzle Solutions

Like any food, there is the risk for allergy. If you’re sensitive to pumpkin seeds, you might experience stomach pain after eating them, swelling or itching

of the throat, or skin rashes, hives, or eczema-like irritations.

You can buy pumpkin seeds at any health-food store or supermarket. Storebought pumpkin seeds can be stored in a container for about three or four months. Pumpkin-seed oil is great for salads and soups and is usually sold online or at health-food stores.

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Social Security News

By John Johnston

Social Security Announces 1.6% Benefit Increase for 2020

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for nearly 69 million Americans will increase 1.6% in 2020, the Social Security Administration announced recently.

The 1.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 63 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2020. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on Dec. 31, 2019. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits.)

The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $137,700 from $132,900.

Social Security and SSI beneficiaries are normally notified by mail in early

December about their new benefit amount.

Most people who receive Social Security payments will be able to view their COLA notice online through their my Social Security account. People may create or access their my Social Security account online at www. socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

Information about Medicare changes for 2020, when announced, will be available at www.medicare.gov. For Social Security beneficiaries receiving Medicare, Social Security will not be able to compute their new benefit amount until after the Medicare premium amounts for 2020 are announced.

Final 2020 benefit amounts will be communicated to beneficiaries in December through the mailed COLA notice and my Social Security’s Message Center.

The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. To read more, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.

John Johnston is a Social Security public affairs specialist.

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