Chester County 50plus LIFE – December 2021

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Complimentary | Chester County Edition

December 2021

more to learn 9 1 e g a Go to p

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From Holland to Hoboken, the Stars are the Same page 4

Combatting Fraud and Romance Scams page 8

Special section: orthopedics & pain page 10

6 Homeownership Tips for Snowbirds

By Andrea Collins Not to be confused with an actual bird, a snowbird is a person who moves to a warmer location during the winter to avoid the cold.

Traditionally, most snowbirds have been retirees; however, younger demographics who have the ability to work remotely have also started to claim the snowbird title.

Snowbirding is about having more freedom over your lifestyle, but it also comes with extra responsibility, usually in the form of a second home, RV, or vacation rental to maintain. That’s why it’s crucial to be prepared.

1. Inspect your insurance. To be a snowbird, you have to think ahead when it comes to your insurance, specifically your homeowner’s insurance.

When insuring your primary residence, second home, or any rental properties, it’s important to be honest about which properties you use for which purposes — and what the safety and insurance concerns are for each one.

Speaking with a trusted insurance professional can help you get the proper coverage for your homes and belongings, no matter where you spend the winter.

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3. Stick to a snowbird budget. Just as with a regular household budget, the key to creating a snowbird budget is to be realistic. The best budget should give you enough freedom to enjoy your winter retreat without blowing your savings.

To determine your ideal budget, work backward. Start by imagining your dream environment; then research costs in the area. Think: average rentals, activity costs, transportation, groceries, and dining out.

Don’t forget to factor in your primary-residence costs as well. Even though you’re technically away from home, you’ll still have to pay your housing costs, as well as utilities, insurance, and upkeep.

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2. Downsize your stuff. Before you take flight for the season, downsize as much as possible. Consider where you’re going, what your day-to-day lifestyle will be, and what you’re leaving behind, and then what went right — or wrong — during your past snowbird seasons.

If, for example, you overpacked last winter, you may want to make a list this season. Or if you’re renting your primary residence while you’re gone, you might want to put some of your personal items in storage.

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December 2021

50plus LIFE

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Pro tip: Don’t forget travel costs. Whether it’s wear and tear on your vehicle, fuel costs, or plane tickets, travel expenses can eat into your snowbird budget.

4. Plan for proper home maintenance. As a snowbird, you have to be proactive about keeping your various residences in good condition.

If you have a residence in a warm-weather area, you may need to consider landscaping upkeep, pool maintenance, pest control, and mold checks. For cold-weather properties, you have to safeguard your home against harsh weather and freezing temperatures.

Before you leave for the winter — and during your stay — make sure you stay up to date with your home-maintenance checklists.

5. Invest in smart-home devices. Smart-home devices are a simple way to protect and preserve your home, not to mention give you peace of mind.

These devices use the latest technology to provide you with security, comfort, and convenience — whether you’re at home or away.

You may want to consider installing leak detectors, smart lighting, programmable thermostats, or a fully monitored home security system. With your smartphone as a control center, you’ll be able to remotely monitor the safety and security of your home(s) at all times.

6. Get packed. Once you’ve chosen the perfect location for your snowbird season, nailed down a budget, and prepared your home, it’s time to get packed. Here’s a quick checklist to get you started: • Important documents – Gather your ID, insurance policies, contracts, any pertinent medical information, and contacts for utility companies at both your primary and snowbird residences.

• Warm layers – Include light jackets, scarves, sweaters, and a raincoat just in case. As for shoes, don’t rely solely on sandals. Comfortable walking shoes, hiking boots, and a few dress shoes are sure to come in handy.

• Medications and a first aid kit – Along with a first aid kit, pack any medications in a safe and convenient location. It’s also a good idea to let your doctor know you’ll be out of town and ask how you can refill any necessary prescriptions.

• Tech devices – When bringing items like a laptop, tablet, or smartphones, make sure you pack the accompanying chargers, adapters, and batteries.

Why Newspapers?

84%

of Baby Boomers have taken action as a result of seeing an ad in a print newspaper in the past 30 days.2

Pro tip: Consider what other household necessities you might need to bring to your destination. If you’re traveling to a second home, you probably already have a basic idea of what you need to bring.

However, if you’re vacationing somewhere new, it’s smart to ask the right questions ahead of time. For example, will you need towels and linens? What sizes are the beds? What can you buy easily once you arrive? You want to be as prepared as possible without overpacking.

Snowbird in Style Whether you’re choosing the snowbirding lifestyle for health reasons, adventure, or wanderlust, it’s critical to think proactively about the home you’re traveling to and the one you’re leaving behind.

Andrea Collins is a home insight expert at Hippo Insurance (hippo.com), an InsurTech company that’s reimagining home insurance through the lens of homeowners — building policies with more comprehensive coverage for today’s consumers at up to 20% less than competitors.

Because in print or online, newspapers are

the most trusted source of news and information among all age groups.1

To advertise your products and services, call 717-285-1350 or email info@onlinepub.com Sources: 1Coda Ventures; 2NAA

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50plus LIFE

December 2021

3

Cover Story

From Holland to Hoboken, the Stars are the Same

By Gabriele Amersbach

Corporate Office

P.O. Box 8049, Lancaster, PA 17604 Phone (717) 285-1350 (610) 675-6240 Fax (717) 285-1360 Email address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

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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.

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December 2021

50plus LIFE

Meevers-Scholte, explaining his stomach was distended from starvation.

He tells a chilling tale of chopping down a pine Louis Meevers-Scholte was born in a windmill tree to cook and eat the bark. As he dragged the tree in a small Dutch village in 1934. Eventually both home, someone grabbed it.

Meevers-Scholte and the Meevers-Scholte, age 9, told windmill would end up in him, “I’ll chop off your hand America, bearing scars of a war if you don’t let go.” The hand that defined his childhood. came home with the tree.

Yet, relying on his faith and “I had nightmares for years wits, Meevers-Scholte not only about that day,” he says. survived but thrived in dark Despite these deprivations, times that would crush many. the family survived until the His life is a living embodiment last day of the war in 1945. of his personal philosophy: Enemy soldiers rounded up “Life is what you make it — it’s his father, who was Jewish, your choice how you live it.” and 13 other men. They were In 1940, when Meeversmassacred, while their families Scholte was 5, Nazi Germany were forced to watch. took over the country, a Meevers-Scholte was also dark period of violence and injured.

As he drew what he repression, especially against thought would be his last the Jewish population. breath, “Jesus came into Only 38,000 of the my soul,” he explains. “I 140,000 Jews in the know I’m never alone.”

Netherlands survived He had found a lifelong violence and deportation spiritual belief that has to death camps. sustained him through Meevers-Scholte’s many hardships. family was not spared.

After the massacre, Soldiers shot into his Meevers-Scholte knew home (one can find he had to leave in order six bullet holes in the to survive. At age 10, he windmill, which now rests stole away, skating down in Holland, Michigan, a the long canal out of gift from Queen Beatrix Louis Meevers-Scholte, here and on the cover, his village, with only a of Holland in 1955). in a few of his self-made Santa Claus ensembles, During the five-year each representing a different country of origin. flashlight and a bottle of occupation, MeeversThe pergola and all its seasonal decorations are water.

Eventually he reached Scholte and a gang also his own construction and design.

Belgium, just one of of other boys joined several countries in war-torn Europe he would the underground resistance. He tells of hiding pass through on his way to America, his final underneath a train loaded with families heading for destination. the death camps. When the train started, the boys Meevers-Scholte found ways to survive, from climbed up the cars to the section where the engine working on farms to selling abandoned newspapers was coupled to the rest of the train. he found in train stations. In France, he briefly slept Meevers-Scholte describes their heart-stopping in the Eiffel Tower. The swaying of the tower made maneuver: “We stabbed the guard and uncoupled him seasick, so he moved on to an elevator in the the engine from the cars. The people in the cars Arc de Triomphe. were then able to run away. A lot of people’s lives “I liked that better,” says Meevers-Scholte. “It was were saved.” warm.”

The group of boys also found creative ways to Eventually he reached Spain. There, Meeverssteal food to deliver to starving Dutch families — Scholte begged for food at restaurants or hung out and to Jewish families in hiding, including Anne near the bullfight rings. After the bull was killed, Frank in Amsterdam. poor people were able to divide up the meat.

“We were all hungry, every one of us,” says www.50plusLifePA.com

“I ate too much steak at that time and now avoid it,” he says with a smile.

While he was busy with family and work, Meevers-Scholte never stopped learning. He exemplifies his own motto, “The longer you live, the more you learn.” Along the way he learned Hello, Hoboken to carve wood and sold his toys and furniture at After three years of wandering through the Green Dragon Farmers Market in Ephrata, postwar Europe, Meevers-Scholte arrived in Pennsylvania, until age 84.

Portugal, where he stowed away on a ship He also entertained shoppers by playing Louis Meevers-Scholte he thought was U.S. bound. Armed with music on a keyboard he had taught himself will be performing as Kris Kringle a flashlight and pocket knife so he could to play. Over the years, Meevers-Scholte at Root’s Country Market and cut himself free, Meevers-Scholte hid in a became accomplished enough to produce Auction in Manheim, Pa., starting canvas laundry cart.

18 CDs of his own classical music.

Nov. 30 and throughout December.

Unfortunately, the ship stopped in “All my feelings go into my music, both During the morning, he performs England, where Meevers-Scholte stayed the happiness and sadness,” he explains. in the market; in the afternoon, he six months until he could stow away again. He survived by sitting next to the performs in the market restaurant. On Call Me ‘Santa’ same woman every day for the eight-day Meevers-Scholte also added making Dec. 7, Meevers-Scholte will trip. Meevers-Scholte admits he was lucky. clothes to his portfolio of skills. His perform as Kris Kringle in “The crew thought I was with her, and favorites are three different Santa suits that Colonial Williamsburg, Va. I ate with the other guests. She never told he wears to play piano every December at anyone, or I would have been caught.”

Root’s Market in Manheim, Pennsylvania, When the ship docked in Hoboken, New ready to sooth the soul of anyone who listens.

Jersey, Meevers-Scholte decided to hitch to the He also volunteers with hospice groups and is Bronx. There he found a friend, a homeless man currently learning the viola. named Andrew Jackson.

At 86, he has learned that to make room for joy and “A Black man taught me to speak English and to read with new beginnings requires “letting things go and forgiving. I’m the help of Donald Duck and Archie comics. He didn’t see color, just not bitter about anything. Bitterness will destroy your life.” a young boy who needed help,” says Meevers-Scholte.

Meevers-Scholte is sustained by his faith and a group of close friends who During the next three years, Meevers-Scholte and Jackson worked together, meet weekly at Chick-fil-A. At night, he falls asleep looking at a blue ceiling first selling newspapers, then selling umbrellas and roasted chestnuts in front full of stars as he listens to an antique music box that lulls him to sleep. of Macy’s and Gimbels.

Meevers-Scholte wants to be ready for what the new day brings.

Since Meevers-Scholte didn’t have a bank account, he buried his money “I have a lot more to do.” in coffee cans in the Bronx Zoo or kept it in a money belt. By age 16, he had made enough money for his first apartment until he left to join the service.

“I continued to send Andrew money for the apartment and took care of him until he died when he was almost 90. I didn’t want him to live on the street,” says Meevers-Scholte, explaining race and age were never issues.

“I just saw a man, and I loved him. He took care of me, I took care of him.

That’s the most important thing.”

A Citizen in 48 Hours At age 16, Meevers-Scholte lied about his age and forged his mother’s signature to join the National Guard.

One of his duties was to cook for the officers. Meevers-Scholte decided his meals needed a boost and used his own money to buy extras that substantially improved the flavor of his cooking.

His extra efforts paid off. When Meevers-Scholte was 17, his colonel found out he wasn’t a citizen. Since he liked Meevers-Scholte, he was able to procure citizenship papers for him within 48 hours.

Meevers-Scholte reenlisted for nine years. During this time, he married his first wife and had five children. By age 24, he was able to bring his mother, his sister, and her family to the United States to live with him and his family in a large house with a separate apartment.

A few years later, Meevers-Scholte wanted his own used-furniture business.

He filled an empty storefront within a few weeks by reviewing obituaries and offering to clean out the apartments.

“I’d auction off three items and send the family the money. The rest of the stuff was free!” he explains.

By the time Meevers-Scholte left the Bronx to seek a quieter life with fewer big-city problems, he had three stores and a bakery. In 1998, he sold everything and moved his family to Strasburg, Pennsylvania, his home ever since.

A few years later, Meevers-Scholte and his first wife divorced. He eventually married a second time and had five more children. www.50plusLifePA.com

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December 2021

5

Grief Relief

Grieving and Celebrating in December Victor M. Parachin

As the month of December approached, Kenneth, who was recently widowed after a three-decade marriage, confided in a friend: “I feel like I could use a pause button so that I could put a hold on my grief from Dec. 1 through Jan. 1. Or, I wish I could use that pause button on my life for that month so I could just skip over those days and avoid having to deal with all the festivities around me.”

His feeling is a common one for those who are grieving the death of a loved one.

While most other people are celebrating and socializing, grievers struggle with feelings of sadness and loneliness.

Yet, it is possible to celebrate and grieve in December. Here are some guidelines.

Be flexible. The first December after a loved one has died is not the time to be rigid about the celebration. Give yourself permission to be flexible and compromising.

Some people prefer to maintain exactly the same holiday traditions. This prevents the feeling of yet another change in lifestyle. Others, however, feel the need to change it up.

One woman, whose husband died in September, recalls: “I needed to do things differently. The very idea of the traditional family Christmas meal in my home felt awkward, as there would be an empty chair.”

She expressed her feelings to her family, and they supported her in opting to have the family holiday meal at a restaurant.

Know when to say “no.” More than any other time of the year, December is the month filled with social opportunities to celebrate with family, friends, and work colleagues.

Dr. Tali Berliner, a psychologist, says it is both important and appropriate for grievers to set boundaries for holiday events.

“You can participate and not participate in whatever feels right for you.

While there may be pressure to attend a holiday party, family gathering, holiday

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December 2021

Practice self-care. That’s the advice of social worker Sophia Franklin, who says: “One of the most important things you can give yourself as a gift is self-care.

“Especially if you suffer from holiday blues, or even with clinically diagnosed depression, be sure to include time in your schedule to check in with yourself and how you’re feeling. Get outdoors, try to exercise, get some pampering with a massage, or even just take a long bath and indulge in aromatherapy.

“Self-care decreases your chance of feeling blue during the holiday season, and it increases your ability to thrive well beyond the holidays.”

Honor and include the deceased. Even though December is a busy, active month, you will still be aware of the “empty chair.”

Rather than dismissing those feelings and acting as if everything were the same, think of ways to honor and include the deceased person.

Others have done this by lighting a candle of remembrance; sitting quietly for one minute in reflection and prayer; placing a special holiday ornament on the tree; bringing out a photo album and having the family share thoughts about times together with the deceased; playing his or her favorite holiday music; preparing a favorite recipe of the deceased; or visiting the grave.

These kinds of actions will help the family feel connected to one another as well as to the one who is absent.

Perform kind acts for others. Although you’re in the pain of grief, remind yourself you still have something good and positive to offer others. Performing acts of kindness will lift and alter your own spirit.

Consider this insight from psychotherapist Miriam Greenspan, author of Healing through the Dark Emotions: The Wisdom of Grief, Fear and Despair: “Action can be strong medicine in times of trouble. If you are afraid, help someone who lives in fear. For example, volunteer at a battered women’s shelter.

If you’re sad and lonely, work for the homeless. If you’re struggling with despair, volunteer at a hospice.

“Get your hands dirty with the emotion that scares you. This is one of the best ways to find hope in despair, to find connection in a shared grief, and to discover the joy of working to create a less broken world.”

Finally, do your best to remain hopeful and positive. “Hope is being able to see there is light despite all the darkness,” says Rev. Desmond Tutu.

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show — remember to check in with your wants and needs to identify your readiness.

“It may be helpful to commit to something that sounds fun while reminding yourself that you don’t have to stay the entire time. It is also OK to opt out of certain things altogether. Finding a balance between engaging and not pushing yourself is important.”

50plus LIFE

Victor M. Parachin, M.Div., is a grief counselor, bereavement educator, and author of several books, including Healing Grief.

www.50plusLifePA.com

CROSSWORD

Puzzle Page

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 18.

SUDOKU

Across WORD SEARCH

Let’s Go Skiing

1. Scarf material 5. Overdue 9. Glimpse 13. Boredom 14. Macaws 15. Blue shade 16. Island in the road 18. Swallow quickly 19. Tender 20. Tipster 21. Smacks 22. Summer (Fr.) 23. Terrarium plant 24. Big game

25. Even, in verse 26. “Shucks!”

28. Young newt 31. Ohio, for one 34. Sicilian erupter 35. Niagara River source 36. Protect those within 39. Curved shape 40. Keats, for one 41. West Pointer 42. Kitten’s cry 43. Brass component 44. Club ___ (resort) 45. Mystery writer Ambler

47. Kimono sashes 49. Stew morsel 52. Dixie drink 54. Very, in Versailles 55. Jack-in-the-pulpit 56. Cutlass maker 57. In the way place 59. Old dagger 60. Dance bit 61. Torcher’s misdeed 62. R ichard Rodgers collaborator 63. Rocky peaks 64. Male turkeys

Down 1. Schnoz 2. Harden 3. Crescent 4. Youngster 5. Work 6. Make a left or right and you’re there 7. Tense 8. Time zone 9. Raptor 10. Land measure (Brit.)

11. Orange feature 12. Barks 13. Gaelic

17. Egyptian solar deity 21. Japanese coin 23. Touch 24. Doodle 25. Engrave 27. Dill seed 29. Penalty 30. Exam 31. Con game 32. Radial, e.g.

33. Machinist’s tool 34. Collar type 35. Cry of surprise 37. Colossal

38. Deck members 43. Energy 44. Soybean paste 46. Change, as a clock 48. Makes like a horn 49. Geometrical solid 50. Continental money 51. End of grace 52. One of the Brolins 53. Arm bone 54. Former Yugoslav leader 55. ’60s hairdo 57. WWII craft (abbr.)

58. Blubber

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50plus LIFE

December 2021

7

On Life and Love after 50

Tom Blake

2 Websites that Combat Fraud and Romance Scams

Do you know that a “friend request” you receive on Facebook or an offer for a free COVID-19 test on Instagram might be from romance scammers trying to steal your money?

Are you aware that a phone call from a number you don’t recognize might be from a con artist claiming to work for the IRS who declares that, if you don’t pay delinquent back taxes that very day, you will be jailed?

These con artists are experts at defrauding people.

Romance scammers slowly gain the trust of vulnerable, lonely people, often seniors or widows, and sooner or later start asking for money. Millions of dollars have been stolen from unsuspecting seniors.

The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging is so concerned about seniors being scammed that it publishes an annual free interactive Fraud Book that anyone, especially seniors, can view online.

The book can be viewed by searching online for “Senate Interactive Fraud Report,” and it is free to download. Do not download other fraud books that cost money that might appear on the search page.

In a 2020 Senate Fraud Book that I downloaded, the “Dear Friends” letter got my attention with these words: “In 2020, the FTC estimated that Americans ages 60 and older lost at least $602 million to fraud, scams, and financial-exploitation schemes.”

The Fraud Book supplies tips from the FBI, FTC, and FCC on how to spot romance scammers, information from the FBI describing common techniques used by romance scammers, and details about COVID-19-related romance scams.

The book also includes a toll-free fraud hotline to report scams: (855) 3039470.

Another valuable tool for older adults for reading about romance and other scams is provided by the AARP Fraud Resource Center, which lists information on 76 different types of scams and fraud, plus other valuable information. It can be accessed online at aarp.org/money/scams-fraud.

After studying the Senate Fraud Report and the AARP Scams & Fraud

Need more fun in your life?

Look for

pages, I compiled a list of 11 tips for seniors to avoid fraud and romance scams: 1. Read and study the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging’s Fraud Report and the AARP Scams & Fraud pages.

2. If a person on a dating site says they are working overseas, it’s a red flag. Stop communications with them.

3. Trust your instincts. If someone sounds too good to be true, that person is likely a scammer.

4. If a person says that meeting you was fate and they are falling in love quickly, it’s a lie. You cannot fall in love with someone you’ve never met in person.

5. Do not send pictures of yourself or provide personal information to someone you’ve never met.

Don’t give them your home address.

6. Don’t be fooled by simple trinket-type gifts. The scammer gets them for free from their scamming company.

7. If a person says they want to visit you, and then cancels, it’s a hoax.

8. Don’t let anyone talk you out of sharing information with your trusted friends.

9. Never send money to anyone you don’t know personally, and don’t help a friend send money.

10. Do not answer your phone if you don’t recognize the number calling you.

11. Discuss your doubts or suspicious activity with friends, or contact someone like me for an opinion. Or call the fraud hotline number listed in the Senate Fraud Report, (855) 303-9470.

Let’s put an end to romance scams. Beware of those social media “friend requests” and other warning signals.

Here are the two most important links I have provided to readers in 26 years of writing newspaper columns:

Available in print and online for anywhere, anytime reading!

AARP Fraud Watch Network: aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/about-fraudwatch-network U.S. Senate’s Fraud Report: aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Fraud% 20Book%202021.pdf

www.50plusLIFEPA.com 8

December 2021

50plus LIFE

For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to findingloveafter50.com.

www.50plusLifePA.com

The Beauty in Nature

Winter Colors Clyde McMillan-Gamber

Winter seems drab to many people in Red juniper trees grow in abandoned southeastern Pennsylvania. Gray skies fields and along roadsides. They have and deciduous trees, brown fields, and what appear to be many pretty, lightcold, ice, and snow dampen human blue berries nestled among their greenspirits. But bright colors in nature needled boughs. Those decorative beautify winter landscapes and lift “berries” are tiny blue cones, each people’s emotions. coated with wax that makes them look Female American holly trees and paler. winterberry shrubs, both wild and Field mice and attractive berry-eating planted on lawns, have strikingly red birds, including American robins and berries that are decorative and a joy to cedar waxwings, feed on those small see through winter. cones. The birds digest the cones’ pulp The scarlet berries of American but pass the seeds in their droppings hollies are particularly attractive nestled across the countryside, thus spreading among the deep-green foliage of those red junipers.

Holly bush. trees on lawns and in certain local Two-foot-tall clumps of broom woods. And the many breathtaking red grass are pretty associates of red berries of winterberries stand out vividly junipers. Broom grass is beige-orange among their gray twigs, on lawns, and and particularly attractive in the lowin some wooded bottomlands. slanting sunlight of winter.

Red twigs of red-osier dogwood Dead leaves clinging to twigs on shrubs are lovely standouts among American beech and pin oak trees beige and brown wetland vegetation in winter add beauty to bottomland surrounding local ponds and marshes. woods and lawns they were planted on.

Their clumps of slender, bright-red Beech leaves are curled and pale-beige, stems remind me of vertical red strokes while those of pin oaks are gingerin an oil painting. brown.

Winter rye in fields, in grass, and on Beautiful cones hang on planted, lawns and white radishes in gardens are needle-limbed pine, hemlock, fir, and hardy vegetation. They all hold down spruce trees through winter. Pretty little the soil and enrich it. Green shoots of birds, including chickadees and finches, rye are eaten by wintering and stately eat winged seeds from the open scales American robin.

Canada geese, snow geese, and tundra of those cones. swans, like sheep grazing grass.

Snow, sunlight, and blue skies And white radishes, with delightfully lush leaves in gardens, send thick accentuate the lovely colors of plants and animals, helping make winter more roots into the soil. When radishes die in winter, leaves decay and fertilize soil tolerable, even more enjoyable. Winter is not as drab as it first appears. Go and their tubers rot, creating holes in soil that conduct rain into the ground. outside to see for yourself.

Nature’s Wonders

by Clyde

A nature blog

by Clyde McMillan-Gamber, retired Lancaster County Parks naturalist and longtime 50plus LIFE columnist

Each story is like a walk with your own naturalist.

NaturesWondersByClyde.BlogSpot.com

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50plus LIFE

December 2021

9

Orthopedics & Pain Is Your Pain Acute or Chronic? Knowing the Difference Will Help Healing

By David Wilkening Pain comes in all shapes and sizes. No one wants to suffer it. But if you had a choice of what’s the best kind to get, you’d choose “A” for acute. That sounds bad. But it’s better than “C” for “chronic.”

So why is that, and what’s the difference, anyway? And why should you care?

The simple reason is the bottom line: Knowing your kind of pain will help you get the best treatment.

Pain is the most common complaint encountered by healthcare practitioners. Some surveys found up to 80% of physician visits were attributed to pain. It’s generally the No. 1 reason Americans access the healthcare system.

Acute Pain Obviously, no one wants to suffer pain. But it definitely should get your attention: Something is wrong.

At its simplest, acute pain happens quickly and goes away when the cause is no longer there. Say you touch a hot plate on the stove while preparing a meal.

You burn yourself. You immediately pull your hand away.

That’s good. Why? Because it tells you that you have an injury.

Acute pain is the most common type of pain, associated with most general injuries or illnesses. This type of pain is most often linked to some type of trauma to the affected area, whether that is a car accident or a simple muscle strain.

Typical causes of acute pain can include surgery, dental work, broken bones, burns, and childbirth. Common acute orthopedic conditions can include fractures, dislocations, hernias, sprains, and muscle strains.

Chronic Pain With acute pain, the pain goes away when there is no longer an underlying cause for it. There was some discomfort, but soon your life goes on.

Not so with chronic pain. This lingers for anywhere from three to six months or longer, although the definition and timeline of chronic pain are not precisely established. It remains an unwelcome stranger —

You know a good story when you hear it.

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Ideal story candidates are willing to talk about themselves and to be photographed.

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Orthopedics & Pain even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed or disappeared.

Chronic pain, furthermore, does not have to be constant or consistent. In some cases, it can come and go.

Typical causes of chronic pain include anything from headaches to cancer.

Chronic orthopedic issues facing older patients include arthritis, osteoporosis, bursitis, lower back pain, joint pain, nerve damage, and past injuries.

Chronic pain also tends to create related issues, such as tense muscles, limited ability to move around, a lack of energy, and changes in appetite. Other demons, such as depression, anxiety, anger, and fears, are also associated with chronic pain.

Chronic pain is more trying than the more common acute version. It can have a tremendous impact on people of all ages, interfering with your sleep patterns, creating all types of emotional distress, and affecting your everyday activities.

Treatments Both acute and chronic pain are enormous problems in the United States, costing 650 million lost workdays and $65 billion a year, according to some estimates.

When it comes to ordinary acute pain, most sufferers are handled by primarycare physicians. That’s because minor acute pain can be treated easily through

over-the-counter medicines, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen; by physical therapy; or even with exercise or alternative treatments.

Chronic pain, however, often requires stronger medicines and more intensive therapies, which might include acupuncture, biofeedback, relaxation training (meditation and deep breathing), and even hypnosis.

Some treatment plans include physical therapy, focusing on muscle use.

Occupational therapy may be prescribed to focus on specific tasks, such as walking up and down stairs and getting in and out of a vehicle with less pain.

Massage therapy can also help for some types of pain relief.

Even more tools for helping chronic pain sufferers are being developed by the National Health Institute.

If you or your doctor decides your pain is not acute but chronic, know there are treatment options for relief. These often include pain relievers and other medications, but you might feel better knowing there are a variety of other methods available.

David Wilkening spent most of his working life on newspapers. He sometimes calls himself a former “newspaperman,” which in today’s world is an outdated designation.

President Kennedy, Chronic Pain, and Me

By James E. Patterson In the 1990s, I had a serious spinal injury while serving in the U.S. Foreign Service. While recovering from neurosurgery for my injuries, a colleague suggested I read how President John F. Kennedy managed his chronic back pain.

According to the back-pain website SpineUniverse, Kennedy “underwent multiple spine surgeries, relied on daily use of a back brace (and sometimes crutches), and tried various alternative treatments.”

Coincidentally, Kennedy and I had similar spinal injuries. In 1995, I had discectomy at L5-S1. Prior to surgery, I had intractable back and leg pain. The same was true for Kennedy, who underwent an L4-L5 laminotomy and L5-S1 discectomy in 1944.

Historians tell us that Kennedy found little relief from his surgery. I had relief for a period of years and continued to work.

In 2006, I was working in San Francisco when my spine demons returned.

I was prescribed opioids. The physician wrongly said opioids were “nonaddictive” and prescribed me tall bottles of 90 opioid tablets! Today, it is unlawful in some states to prescribe that amount.

Opioids caused more health problems for me. They aggravated my preexisting ophthalmological and neurological conditions. My vision was seriously impaired for months. Fortunately, in 2015 I found the right medical professionals to diagnosis the problem and end the opioid “therapy.”

My difficult struggle through highly addictive opioid “therapy” frightens me still. There is life after opioids!

For anyone challenged by chronic pain, please be aware that physicians are prone to write prescriptions for pharmaceuticals. Drug manufacturers send salespeople to physicians’ offices. Ergo, physicians prescribe drugs to their patients.

Patients must ask for pain-management alternatives to drugs. Alternatives www.50plusLifePA.com

include chiropractic therapy, physical therapy, aquatic therapy, acupuncture, neuromuscular therapy, home exercise, yoga, tai chi, appropriate medical supplies and equipment, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with a psychologist trained in chronic pain management.

Psychologists are great resources as they are not M.D.s.; they cannot prescribe drugs for chronic pain.

Most psychologists prefer physical medicine rather than traditional drug “therapy.” Not everyone goes to a psychologist for depression.

Based on my experience as a working professional managing chronic pain, each day involves physical medicine, including exercise. My pain-management regime includes acupuncture and neuromuscular, aquatic, physical, and massage therapies.

Maintaining control over chronic pain requires discipline, resourcefulness, and persistence, among other personal traits. Chronic-pain psychologists can help develop these traits.

Psychologists can also help manage problems associated with chronic pain, including anxiety and depression, and can help with recovery from opioid addiction.

While in the U.S. Senate, Kennedy began using a therapeutic rocking chair, which he found relieved tension in his lower back as it kept his muscles contracting and relaxing. Kennedy became a believer in the Kennedy Rocker, and in 1960, he took his rocker to the White House.

While at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C., President Kennedy treated his chronic pain with a regime of physical medicine, including swimming, weightlifting, and massage therapy, among others.

If you or a loved one is managing chronic pain, consider how President John F. Kennedy managed his pain. It can be done successfully and effectively with physical medicine.

James E. Patterson is a Washington, D.C.-based writer and speaker.

50plus LIFE

December 2021

11

Orthopedics & Pain Savvy Senior

Jim Miller

Acupuncture: Does It Work and Is It Covered

by Medicare?

Dear Savvy Senior, Is acupuncture a viable treatment for pain and is it covered by Medicare? Since the pandemic hit, I have a lot of lower back and neck pain and am wondering if it’s worth trying. What can you tell me?

– Looking for Solutions Dear Looking, Many studies over the years — funded by the National Institutes of Health — have found acupuncture to be very effective in easing pain and can help with a variety of other ailments too. Here’s what you should know.

Acupuncture Treatment First used in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupuncture has become increasingly popular in the United States over the past decade.

While acupuncture isn’t a cure-all treatment, it is a safe, drug-free option for relieving many different types of pain, including low back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis, migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, postoperative pain, tennis elbow, carpel tunnel syndrome, dental pain, and more.

Studies have also shown that it can be helpful in treating asthma, depression, digestive disorders, menopause symptoms like hot flashes, and nausea caused by chemotherapy or anesthesia.

Exactly how or why acupuncture works isn’t fully understood, but it’s based on the traditional Eastern theory that vital energy flows through pathways in the body, and when any of these pathways get blocked, pain and illness result.

Acupuncture unblocks the pathways to restore health.

However, today most Western practitioners believe that acupuncture works because it stimulates the nerves, causing the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkiller hormones. It’s also shown to increase blood circulation, decrease inflammation, and stimulate the immune system.

What to Expect During acupuncture, practitioners stimulate specific points on the body by

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inserting thin needles through the skin. The needles are solid, sterile, and disposable (used only once), and as thin as a cat’s whisker.

The number of needles used for each treatment can vary anywhere from a few up to a dozen or more. And where the needles are actually stuck depends on the condition being treated, but they are typically inserted about one-quarter to 1 inch deep and are left in place for about 20 minutes.

After placement, the needles are sometimes twirled, manipulated, or stimulated with electricity or heat.

You may feel a brief, sharp sensation when the needle is inserted, but generally it’s not painful. Once the needle is in place, however, you may feel a tingling sensation, numbness, mild pressure, or warmth.

How many treatments you’ll need will depend on the severity of your condition — 12 treatments done weekly or biweekly is very common.

It’s also important to know that acupuncture can be used in conjunction with other conventional medical treatments or by itself.

Cost and Coverage The cost per treatment typically runs anywhere from $40 to $150, depending on where you are in the country and what style of treatment you are receiving.

Today, an increasing number of private insurance plans, including some Medicare Advantage plans and policies provided by employers, offer some type of acupuncture coverage.

You’ll also be happy to know that last January (2020), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that original Medicare will now cover up to 12 acupuncture sessions in 90 days for patients with chronic lower back pain. Eight additional sessions can be added if patients show improvement.

But in order to receive Medicare coverage, you must use a licensed acupuncturist who is supervised by a medical doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner trained in acupuncture, who will need to process the acupuncture claim. Currently, licensed acupuncturists can’t directly bill Medicare.

To find an acupuncturist in your area, ask your doctor for a referral, or you can do a search online.

Two good resources are the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (nccaom.org) and the American Academy of Medical Acupuncturists (medicalacupuncture.org), which offers a directory of MDs and DOs who are certified to practice acupuncture.

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

www.50plusLifePA.com

Legal Ease

Lots of Reasons to Rethink This Plan Jonathan J. David

Dear Jonathan: I am a widower and have five adult children. Rather than engage in any formal and costly estate planning, I plan to keep it simple by adding my daughter’s name to the title of my assets.

My assets include my home and bank and investment accounts. I also have two life insurance policies and an IRA, and I plan to name her as the beneficiary of those investments.

This way, after I die, all of my assets will end up in my daughter’s name without having to go through probate, and then she can divide everything with her brothers and sisters.

She is willing to do that, and I trust her completely. What do you think?

Jonathan says: I know that adding your daughter to the title (and naming her as the beneficiary) of your assets seems like an easy solution and is tempting, but it is not a good plan to pursue for a variety of reasons.

Those reasons include: 1. Upon your death, your daughter would now be the legal owner of those assets and would not be legally required to share any of those assets with her siblings.

2. When you add your daughter to the title of your home and bank and investment accounts, you are in effect gifting her a 50% interest in those assets. Under current law, an individual can make gifts of up to $15,000 per person per year gift-tax free; any amount in excess of $15,000 is deemed to be a taxable gift, which will require the filing of a gift tax return with the IRS. 3. When your daughter divides the assets with her siblings, she will in effect be making a gift to each of them, and any gift in excess of $15,000 will be taxable and require the filing of a gift tax return with the IRS.

column, my next column will be devoted solely to this topic.

Instead of adding your daughter to the title of your home and your bank and investment accounts, and naming her as the beneficiary of your life insurance policies and IRA, the better plan is for you to: • Set up a trust and retitle your home and your bank and investment accounts in the name of your trust.

• Name your trust as the beneficiary of your life insurance policies.

•N ame your children as the beneficiaries of your IRA. Taking these steps will not only protect you, but will also serve to protect your daughter and your other children.

I recommend that you meet with an estate planning attorney, who can review all of this with you in more detail, as well as explain how engaging in estate planning, including the preparation of a trust, would be beneficial to you, your daughter, and your other children. Good luck.

Jonathan J. David is a shareholder in the law firm of Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C., 1700 E. Beltline N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49525.

The road of life contains more than a few curves …

4. If your daughter is married and goes through a divorce after she has been added to the title of your assets but before she divides them with her siblings, those assets could end up getting caught up in the divorce proceedings.

… and confident decisions are informed decisions.

5. Your daughter’s ownership interest in your assets prior to her dividing them with her siblings could be made subject to a bankruptcy filing involving her or to the claims of any of her creditors.

Throughout the year, 50plus LIFE includes Special Services pages dedicated to connecting you with these resources in our area:

6. Since your daughter would now be the legal owner of your bank and investment accounts, any interest generated by those investments before she divides them with her siblings will be taxable solely to her.

7. If your daughter passes away prior to dividing the assets with her siblings, those assets will pass through her estate, and your other children will end up getting nothing unless your daughter has named them as beneficiaries in her estate plan.

Naming your daughter as a co-owner of your home is problematic for many reasons. Since this requires a lengthier response than I have room for in this www.50plusLifePA.com

• CCRCs/Life Plan Communities • In-home Healthcare • Hospice Providers • Nursing/Rehab Communities • Assisted Living/Personal Care Communities • Elder Law and Estate Planning Attorneys Please access this free and valuable information any time at

50pluslifepa.com/special-services

50plus LIFE

December 2021

13

The History of Ordinary Things

The Americanization of Santa Claus Doris Montag

Centuries ago, European Christmas customs centered on St. Nicholas, a charitable Turkish Catholic bishop born in the fourth century.

St. Nicholas was associated with gift giving to children, which occurred on Dec. 6, St. Nicholas Day. In America, circa the 1800s, the Puritans and other Calvinists had eliminated Christmas as a holy season under the premise that a Christmas observance was From 1881-1886, political cartoonist Thomas Nast inconsistent with gospel drew a series of annual Santa Claus images for Harper’s Weekly, a newspaper. These drawings worship. Presbyterians, portrayed an overweight Santa with flowing beard, Baptists, Quakers, and fur garments, black boots, and a clay pipe. (The other Protestants regarded pipe disappeared in images after 1960.)

Dec. 25 as a day without

Illustration to verse three of the children’s poem “Old Santeclaus with Much Delight,” 1821.

religious significance; in fact, it was a day for normal business.

The holiday season, coming after harvest, was a time when workers and servants took the upper hand, demanding gifts for their labors. The season was characterized by raucous, drunken mobs roaming the streets, damaging property, and threatening and frightening the upper classes.

During this period, a new understanding of family life and the place of children was emerging. Childhood began to be seen as a time in which greater protection, sheltering, training, and education were needed. In this light, the holiday season began to be tamed,

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turning toward home, family, and neighbors. flying reindeer with their catchy names: “Now, Dasher! Now, St. Nicholas, typically dressed in a bishop’s robe, took on Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! new attributes in America. In 1821 an anonymous poem and On, Donner and Blitzen!” illustrations in the book The Children’s Friend proved pivotal As a historical note, the growth of Sunday schools by midin shifting the story and imagery away from saintly Bishop century had exposed hundreds of thousands of children to Nicholas.

Christianity. To improve Sunday school attendance around In the poem, Sante Claus was portrayed in a didactic mode, the holidays, churches enticed children with a Christmas tree, rewarding good behavior and punishing bad. Sante Claus Santa Claus, and gifts. aided parents by serving in judgment of whether children By the 1850s, churches in America had reintroduced were naughty or nice.

Christmas observances.

Notably, the book had Sante Claus arrive on Christmas “The Night Before Christmas” was first illustrated in 1848.

Eve, rather than Dec. 6. This Sante Claus came from the The poem of just 28 rhyming couplets (56 lines) provides only North in a sleigh with a single flying reindeer. a general description of Santa Claus, which has allowed many, The image of St. Nicholas was recast in 1823 in a poem, many illustrators to interpret how Santa Claus looks.

“A Visit from St. Nicholas,” now better known as “The Night Most people have different interpretations of Santa Claus’s Haddon Sundblom, an Before Christmas.” Its author remained unknown until 1837, appearance, based on the edition of the book they grew illustrator for the Coca-Cola when it appeared in The New York Book of Poetry credited to up with. In more recent versions, the pipe and smoke have Company, cast the familiar wealthy biblical scholar Clement Clarke Moore. disappeared in the drawings, and often Santa Claus has lost Santa Claus of our generation.

It is reported that he wrote the poem in 1821 in the weight! sleigh on his way to buy the Christmas turkey and that the Haddon Sundblom, an illustrator for the Coca-Cola description of Santa Claus resembled the Dutch handyman who drove his Company, cast the familiar Santa Claus of our generation with his wholesome sleigh that night: “a broad face and a little round belly.” and realistic image. It debuted in 1931, and Sundblom painted a new image Moore read the poem to his wife and six children but considered the poem each year until 1964. too frivolous to publish. A friend submitted it anonymously to The Sentinel, a Originally written as “happy Christmas to all,” the replacement with Troy, New York, newspaper, in 1823. “merry Christmas” was introduced in 1832.

As noted, St. Nicholas had been portrayed as a rather stern bishop who In an ode to tradition, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.” visited children to dispense both gifts and discipline. “The Night Before Doris Montag is a homespun historian and an exhibit curator who researches and Christmas” transformed St. Nicholas into a jolly, plumb, rosy-cheeked displays historical collections of ordinary things, such as can openers, crochet, toy character who brought gifts to children. sewing machines, hand corn planters, powder compacts, egg cartons, and more.

The poem had enormous influence on the Americanization of the image Contact or follow her on Facebook, HistoryofOrdinaryThings. of St. Nicholas in a red suit and black boots. It also introduced his team of

It Didn’t Start with the Oreo Who doesn’t like a cookie every now and then? Cookies have a long history, but the first ones didn’t taste much like the treats we enjoy today.

According to some sources, the first cookies were made in Rome around the third century B.C. They were thin, hard, bland wafers that were twice baked, and the Romans ate them by dipping them Photo credit: S. Mitchell.

An example of a cookie-like pastry, in wine. common in England and abroad since Modern cookies may have the middle ages, which tends to have a originated in Persia during the relatively simple recipe of nuts, flour, seventh century, when sugar eggs, and sugar, with vanilla, anise, or became more common in that caraway seed used for flavoring. region.

They became popular across Europe in the 14th century, enjoyed by royalty and peasants alike. One reason for their appeal was that they traveled well in tins and boxes, making them a reliable source of food on trips.

The word “cookie” comes from the Dutch “koekje,” for “little cake.”

Cookies arrived in America in the 17th century in the form of macaroons, gingerbread cookies, and the “jumble,” a hard cookie that combined nuts, sweeteners, and water.

The cookies we’re most familiar with, made by creaming butter and sugar, became common in the 18th century. www.50plusLifePA.com

Happy Holidays We at On-Line Publishers, Inc. are grateful to our dedicated staff, loyal readers, and supportive advertisers who have all enabled us to continue our mission to serve the mind, heart, and spirit of the 50+ community in 2021.

We wish to thank each of you for helping to make 50plus LIFE a fun, interesting, and unique source of information and entertainment for our readers in central Pennsylvania.

At this special time of giving thanks and reminiscing, the staff of On-Line Publishers wishes you, our friends, warmest holiday wishes.

50plus LIFE

December 2021

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Assisted Living Residences/ Personal Care Homes This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

Bethany Village — MapleWood

Cross Keys Village The Brethren Home Community

325 Wesley Drive • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-766-0279 • www.BethanyVillage.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 100 Assisted Living Residence: Yes Personal Care Home: No Private: 100 Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes

Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: One-bedroom suites; secured memory support neighborhood; skilled nursing – The Oaks.

2990 Carlisle Pike • New Oxford, PA 17350 717-624-5436 • www.crosskeysvillage.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 123 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

Homeland Center

Homewood at Plum Creek

1901 North Fifth Street • Harrisburg, PA 17102 717-221-7727 • www.homelandcenter.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 56 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Providing exemplary care in a beautiful environment for more than 150 years. Our continuum of care includes therapy services, skilled rehab, 24-hour medical staffing, plus Hospice, HomeHealth, and HomeCare outreach programs. All-private rooms include a full bath and kitchenette.

425 Westminster Avenue • Hanover, PA 17331 717-637-4166 • www.homewoodplumcreek.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 92 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

The Campus of the Jewish Home of Greater Harrisburg

Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No

Landis Homes

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 97 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes

300 West Lemon Street • Lititz, PA 17543 717-626-0214 • moravianmanorcommunities.org info@moravianmanor.org

1520 Harrisburg Pike • Lancaster, PA 17601 717-393-1301 • www.mennonitehome.org

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December 2021

On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: Supportive, encouraging environment. Various room types and suites available. Secure memory care offered.

50plus LIFE

Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Attached to wellness center and pool without going outside.

Moravian Manor Communities

Mennonite Home Communities

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 125 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: Yes Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: Excellent care in a lovely environment.

Call to schedule a visit.

1001 East Oregon Road • Lititz, PA 17543 717-569-3271 • www.LandisHomes.org

4000 Linglestown Road • Harrisburg, PA 17112 717-657-0700 • www.jewishhomeharrisburg.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 60 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: Yes Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes

On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: No Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: A regional leader in all aspects of memory care and a program designed for optimal engagement and socialization.

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 55 Assisted Living Residence: Yes Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-Private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes* Comments: To schedule a personal appointment, please call Susan Brennan at 717-625-6126. *Pets are permitted on a case-by-case basis.

www.50plusLifePA.com

Assisted Living Residences/ Personal Care Homes This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

Pleasant View Communities

Tel Hai RETIREMENT COMMUNITY

544 North Penryn Road • Manheim, PA 17545 717-664-6237 • www.pleasantviewcommunities.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 96 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: Yes* Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

1200 Tel Hai Circle • Honey Brook, PA 19344 610-273-9333 • www.telhai.org

On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No Comments: *Three-year private pay spending. Maintain independence in an enriching and supportive environment.

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 100 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Providing daily assistance paired with clinical support for seniors to remain independent, safe, and secure.

vibralife senior living

707 Shepherdstown Road • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-591-2100 • www.vibralife.net amilburn@vibralifemc.com Total AL and/or PC Beds: 46 Assisted Living Residence: No Personal Care Home: Yes Private: Yes Semi-Private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Fitness Center: Yes

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

Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: No Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No

Social Security Announces 5.9% Benefit Increase Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 5.9% in 2022, the Social Security Administration announced recently.

The 5.9% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 64 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2022. Increased payments to approximately 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on Dec. 30, 2021.

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 $147,000 from $142,800.

Social Security and SSI beneficiaries are normally notified by mail starting 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 personal My Social Security account. People may create or access their My Social Security account online at socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount.

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

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December 2021

17

It Was 50 Years Ago Today

‘Brand New Key’ Randal Hill

Puzzles shown on page 7.

Puzzle Solutions

At a London party in 1760, a Belgian For a while, Melanie, who had skyrocketed violinist made a surprise entrance on a new to fame a year earlier with her rousing invention called “roller skates” as he played his Woodstock anthem “Lay Down (Candles in music. In doing so, he smashed into a mirror the Rain),” railed against the idea of “Brand worth a thousand dollars and damaged it New Key” becoming Neighborhood’s debut beyond repair. disc, fearful that if it hit big, she would no Over the years, roller skates evolved into longer be taken seriously as a folk artist. (“I metal contraptions that included a simple tool was sure I was doomed to be cute for the rest — a key — to fasten them to a skater’s shoes. of my life.”)

In her chart-topping novelty song “Brand Numerous listeners often snapped to New Key,” Melanie (born Melanie Anne attention when they first heard the lyrics of Safka in 1947) tells of an enamored girl who “Brand New Key.” As a holdover from the skates to a boy’s house. ’60s, the drug scene remained prevalent into He never seems to be home, though, and the next decade. This led some people to when the lad’s mother opens the door and think that Melanie’s tune was really about explains that her son is inside but isn’t alone, acquiring a “key” (a kilogram, or 2.2 pounds) the young lady understands why the guy has of marijuana. been avoiding her: He is seeing another girl he Others dismissed her work as thinly veiled likes better. eroticism. Freudian symbols aside, Melanie Publicity photo of singer, songwriter, and musician There’s a little-known back story to maintains that exploiting matters of the flesh Melanie Safka.

Melanie’s million-seller. In a search for were never her intention. enlightenment, she once went on a 27-day “People read things into it,” she grumbled “Brand New Key” distilled-water fast. A vegetarian, she broke later.

“They made up incredible stories as to

By Melanie her fast by munching on carrots but became what the lyrics said and what the song meant.

December 1971 overwhelmed by the seductive smells from a In some places, it was even banned on the nearby McDonald’s, where she succumbed to radio.” a burger, fries, and soda meal. ...

She claimed that the alluring aroma somehow conjured childhood memories of riding a bicycle and roller-skating and rationalized her visit to the fast-food Well, I got a brand new pair of roller skates chain by assuming that some kind of “spirit voice” was guiding her.

You got a brand new key At home, Melanie dashed off “Brand New Key” in 15 minutes, giving the I think that we should get together melody a bouncy, ’30s-style lilt. She never considered the ditty as a potential And try them out to see single release, planning to use it only during concerts to drop in as a surprise Randal C. Hill is a rock ’n’ roll historian who lives at the Oregon coast. He may be between her serious works about the trials of mankind.

But her record-producer husband, Peter Schekeryk, who had just started the reached at wryterhill@msn.com. couple’s own label — Neighborhood Records — sensed a hit 45 here.

18

December 2021

50plus LIFE

www.50plusLifePA.com

Pet of the Month

Duke

Thank You, Columnists!

50plus LIFE continues to bring important information as well as entertaining articles to the 50+ community.

We at On-Line Publishers would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the editorial contributors of 50plus LIFE.

Tom Blake (On Life and Love after 50) Victor Block (Willing to Wander) Suzy Cohen (Dear Pharmacist) Jonathen J. David (Legal Ease) Bob DeLaurentis (Bob’s Tech Talk) Randal C. Hill (Sixties Flashback It Was 50 Years Ago Today The Reel Deal) John Johnston (Social Security News) Bill Levine (Booming Voice) Clyde McMillan-Gamber (The Beauty in Nature)

Jim Miller (The Savvy Senior) Doris Montag (The History of Ordinary Things) Melinda Myers (Melinda’s Garden) Robert Naeye (Soldier Stories) Victor Parachin (Grief Relief) Saralee Perel (Such is Life) Terri Schlichenmeyer (The Bookworm Sez) Nick Thomas (Tinseltown Talks) Dr. Lori Verderame (Art and Antiques) Arthur Vidro (The Cautious Consumer Guy)

This month’s pet is Duke, a large 4-year-old mixed-breed boy with two differently colored eyes and one wonderful personality.

Duke is hearing impaired and can only hear sounds at a high-pitch frequency.

But this doesn’t stop him from enjoying his life in any way or means. Being hearing impaired makes Duke just an extra-special boy who deserves to be part of an extra-special family. He loves his people and loves them even more if they shower him with all the pets.

Duke would like to meet any other pups in the home at the shelter before committing to forever.

For more information, contact Brandywine Valley SPCA, 1212 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester, at (484) 302-0865 or bvspca.org.

It is through the varied interests and considerable talents of our contributors and freelance writers that such a range of informative and entertaining content is available to read each month. The pages of 50plus LIFE are enriched by your contributions.

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