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Got Diabetes? Get off the Couch and Work Your Core 4. Contract your abdominal muscles more deeply in toward your spine while counting to two. Return to the starting position from step three for another count of two.
By Sheri R. Colberg, Ph.D., FACSM
If you suffer from diabetes, you already know that staying fit greatly benefits your health. Yet, many of the complications caused by diabetes can make it difficult to get the exercise you need; in fact, they can make a normal exercise routine difficult or even dangerous. These complications don’t have to prevent you from doing safe and healthy exercise. You can still get a beneficial workout — minus the risks — by exercising your core. Here are six of the 10 core exercises I recommend for people with diabetes from my new book with the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes & Keeping Fit for Dummies.
Work up to doing 100 repetitions per workout session.
November is National Diabetes Month
Abdominal Squeezes 1. Put one of your hands against your upper stomach and the other facing the other direction below your belly button. 2. Inhale to expand your stomach. 3. Exhale and try to pull your abdominal muscles halfway toward your spine. This is your starting position. Vibra Health Plan Seminar Dates and Locations:
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’‹›Šȹ ŽŠ•Â?‘ȹ Â•ÂŠÂ—ČąÂ˜Ä›ÂŽÂ›ÂœČą ÂŽÂ?Â’ÂŒÂŠÂ›ÂŽČą Â?Â&#x;Š—Â?ŠÂ?ÂŽČąÂ™Â•ÂŠÂ—Âœ ÂœÂ?Š›Â?’—Â?ȹŠÂ?ȹǞŖ*Š—Â?ČąÂ’Â—ÂŒÂ•ÂžÂ?ŽȹŠȹ Ž–‹Ž›ȹ Â?Â&#x;˜ŒŠÂ?ÂŽÇŻČą Čą Ž–‹Ž›ȹ Â?Â&#x;˜ŒŠÂ?ÂŽČąÂ˜Ä›ÂŽÂ›ÂœČąÂ˘Â˜ÂžÇą • Assistance with care navigation and resource referral • ÂŽÂ›ÂœÂ˜Â—ÂŠÂ•Â’ÂŁÂŽÂ?ȹŠĴŽ—Â?Â’Â˜Â—ČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂŽÂŠÂŒÂ‘ČąÂ–ÂŽÂ–Â‹ÂŽÂ›ČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ?ÂŽÂ?ČąÂ?‘Ž–ȹÂ?Â˜Čą the right services at the right time • Information to make healthcare decisions that are right for you and your family • 7 days a week support ÂŠÂ•Â•ČąÂ—Â˜Â ČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ›ÂŽÂœÂŽÂ›Â&#x;ÂŽČąÂŠČąÂœÂŽÂŠÂ?ȹŠÂ?ČąÂŠČąÂœÂŽÂ–Â’Â—ÂŠÂ›Ç°ČąÂ˜Â›ČąÂ?Â˜ČąÂ•ÂŽÂŠÂ›Â—ČąÂ–Â˜Â›ÂŽČąÂŠÂ‹Â˜ÂžÂ?ȹ ‘¢ȹ Vibra Health Plan is a Medicare Advantage plan that’s all about you! Ĺ—ČŹĹžĹšĹšČŹĹœĹœĹ–ČŹĹ˜Ĺ&#x;ĹœĹ—ČąÇť ČąĹ?ŗŗǟȹŞȹŠǯ–ǯȚȎȚŞȹ™ǯ–ǯǰȹĹ?ČąÂ?ÂŠÂ˘ÂœČąÂŠČąÂ ÂŽÂŽÂ”
Vibra Health Plan is a PPO Plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Vibra Health Plan depends on contract renewal. You must continue to pay your Part B premiums. This information is not a complete Â?ŽœŒ›’™Â?Â’Â˜Â—ČąÂ˜Â?ȹ‹Ž—ŽęÂ?ÂœÇŻČą ˜—Â?ŠŒÂ?ČąÂ?‘Žȹ™•Š—ȹÂ?Â˜Â›ČąÂ–Â˜Â›ÂŽČąÂ’Â—Â?˜›–ŠÂ?Â’Â˜Â—ÇŻČą ’–’Â?ŠÂ?Â’Â˜Â—ÂœÇ°ČąÂŒÂ˜Â™ÂŠÂ˘Â–ÂŽÂ—Â?ÂœÇ°ČąÂŠÂ—Â?ČąÂ›ÂŽÂœÂ?›’ŒÂ?Â’Â˜Â—ÂœČąÂ–ÂŠÂ˘ČąÂŠÂ™Â™Â•Â˘ÇŻČą Ž—ŽęÂ?ÂœÇ°Čą premiums, and/or co-payments may change on January 1 of each year. The provider or pharmacy network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary. A licensed, authorized representative will be present with information and applications. H9408_MK18_50plusAd Accepted
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Plank or Modified Plank 1. Start on the floor on your stomach and bend your elbows 90 degrees, resting your weight on your forearms. 2. Place your elbows directly beneath your shoulders and form a straight line from your head to your feet. 3. Hold this position as long as you can. Repeat this exercise as many times as possible during each workout.
Side Planks 1. Start out on the floor on your side with your feet together and one forearm directly below your shoulder. 2. Contract your core muscles and raise your hips until your body is in a straight line from head to feet. 3. Hold this position without letting your hips drop for as long as you can. 4. Repeat steps one through three on the other side. Switch back and forth between sides as many times as you can. Bridging Remember to breathe throughout this exercise. 1. Keeping your shoulders on the floor, slowly raise your buttocks from the floor with your stomach tight and your lower back straight. 2. Gently lower your back to the ground. 3. Repeat steps one and two. Pelvic Tilt 1. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. 2. Place your hands either by your sides or supporting your head. 3. Tighten your bottom, forcing your lower back flat against the floor, and then relax. 4. Repeat steps two and three as many times as you can. Superhero Pose 1. L ie on your stomach with your arms straight out in front of your head on the floor. 2. R est your chin on the floor between your arms. 3. Keeping your arms and legs straight, simultaneously lift your feet and your hands as high off the floor as you can. Aim for at least 3 inches. 4. Hold that position (sort of a superhero flying position) for 10 seconds if possible, and then relax your arms and legs back onto the floor. Whether you’re still active or sedentary, working your core is a safe and smart way to improve your balance, keep you as fit as possible, and elevate your overall quality of life. Sheri R. Colberg, Ph.D., FACSM, is the author of Diabetes & Keeping Fit For DummiesŽ and 11 other books, 25 book chapters, and more than 300 articles. Professor emerita of exercise science from Old Dominion University, she was honored with the 2016 American Diabetes Association Outstanding Educator in Diabetes Award. www.shericolberg.com, www.diabetesmotion.com
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Fresh Fare
Fall for a Flavorful Cheese Board Some of the most beloved flavors are inspired during the fall, and there are few better ways to enjoy the season’s best than with a group of friends and family. Get ready to wow guests with seasonal treats that invite everyone to indulge in fall flavors. Even adults can enjoy getting hands-on with their food when it comes to stacking up mouth-watering ingredients, and a fall party is a great opportunity to explore new ways to appreciate the flavor of savory pumpkin. This recipe combines rich, creamy cheese with prosciutto and pumpkin for a medley of flavors and textures your guests will have a hard time believing are gluten-free. Non-GMO Crunchmaster Pumpkin Harvest Crackers combine real pumpkin and autumn spices with whole grains and flax seeds. Serve these little delights on a cheese board and let guests mix and
on platter before serving, and place vinegar nearby. Apple Pepita Stackers • 4 ounces apple butter • 1 bag Crunchmaster Pumpkin Harvest Crackers • 3 ounces toasted pepitas match the flavors as they wish. Then expand your offering with a dairyfree, vegan alternative and introduce another fall favorite like apple butter. Explore more tips and recipes to help celebrate fall at www. crunchmaster.com. Pumpkin Prosciutto Stackers • 2 ounces prosciutto • 1 ounce aged balsamic vinegar (syrupy consistency) • 4 ounces gorgonzola
• 12 slivers fresh sage
• 4 ounces aged parmesan, shaved • 1 bag Crunchmaster Pumpkin Harvest Crackers Cut prosciutto into cracker-size pieces, about 1.5 inches in diameter. Pour vinegar into small carafe or dish with serving spoon. Layer gorgonzola, one to two pieces prosciutto, and one to two pieces shaved parmesan on one cracker. Drizzle lightly with vinegar. Plate remaining prosciutto, gorgonzola, parmesan, and crackers
Spread apple butter over one cracker and sprinkle with pinch of pepitas. Top with sage sliver. For serving, scoop apple butter into small crock or serving vessel. Place pepitas and sage in serving dishes. Place assembled stacker on platter with crackers. Add serving dishes, if space allows, or position around platter. Family Features
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November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
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Cover Story
Earlier Conversations about Alzheimer’s Warning Signs Needed November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, and the Alzheimer’s Association, together with advocates in the early stages of the disease, are encouraging families to talk about memory and cognition concerns sooner. These advocates know firsthand that an early diagnosis offers many benefits, including access to more effective medical and lifestyle interventions and the ability to take an active role in planning with family members for the future. “Denial and rationalization are common responses to the early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s — it was a part of my experience,” said Darrell Foss, a member of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Early-Stage Advisory Group, which is composed of people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. “Too often, people experiencing symptoms, or family members seeing them, wait to speak up, even when they know something is wrong. It can be scary, but that is why I’m sharing my personal experience — to illustrate why talking about Alzheimer’s concerns early is so important,” Foss said. “Unfortunately, people often avoid conversations due to denial, fear, anxiety, lack of awareness, and difficulty having hard conversations about health issues, particularly with Alzheimer’s or other dementias due to stigma and perceptions associated with the disease,” said Ruth Drew, director of Family and Information Services for the Alzheimer’s Association. New findings from an Alzheimer’s Association survey found a majority of Americans would be concerned about offending a family member (76 percent), or ruining their relationship (69 percent), if they were to approach that person about observed signs of Alzheimer’s.
More alarming, 38 percent said they would wait until a family member’s Alzheimer’s symptoms worsened before approaching them with concerns. Additionally, nearly 1 in 3 Americans (29 percent) would not say anything to a family member despite their concerns. To help families overcome common communication obstacles, the Alzheimer’s Association is offering Six Tips for Approaching Alzheimer’s, a list of best practices for talking about the disease with someone who may be experiencing symptoms. These include: • Have the conversation as early as possible • Think about who’s best suited to have the conversation • Practice conversation starters • Offer support and companionship • A nticipate gaps in self-awareness • Recognize the conversation may not go as planned “We know that initiating conversations can be difficult; these tips are aimed at making a discussion about Alzheimer’s less daunting and more productive,” said Drew. “We also know from talking to families that, while individuals may wish they didn’t have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, they never regret being able to prepare for the future, play an active role in their own financial and care planning, and make their wishes known to their family members.” The Value of Early Diagnosis There are many medical, financial, emotional, and social benefits to receiving an early Alzheimer’s www.50plusLifePA.com
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month diagnosis — both for those living with the disease and their families. These include: • Accurate diagnosis – Can help determine if someone’s cognitive changes are truly due to Alzheimer’s or some other, perhaps even treatable, condition • Medical benefits – Allows individuals to explore medications for memory loss, sleep changes, and behavior changes resulting from the disease, as well as to adopt lifestyle changes that may help preserve their existing cognitive function for as long as possible, such as controlling one’s blood pressure, smoking cessation, and exercise • Participation in clinical trials – Enables individuals to enroll in clinical trials that advance research and may provide medical benefits • Planning for the future – Allows individuals more time to plan for the future while they are cognitively able to make legal, financial, and end-of-life decisions •E motional and social benefits – Provides individuals with the best opportunity to spend time doing meaningful activities and interacting with the most important people in their lives; it can also open doors to many educational and support programs Mary Tarbell, 66, an Alzheimer’s Association early-stage adviser who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, said getting her diagnosis has helped refocus her priorities. “Learning I had Alzheimer’s was painful,” said Tarbell. “But getting an early
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diagnosis has given me the chance to make informed decisions about the future with my family. My husband and I are using this time to plan some vacations and do the things we want to do while we still can.” Living with Alzheimer’s In addition to encouraging families to talk about Alzheimer’s openly and to seek diagnosis earlier, Alzheimer’s Association early-stage advisers are sharing their stories about life after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, including steps individuals can take to move forward and live their best lives. “Many see Alzheimer’s disease as the end of life and, while there is currently no cure, living with the disease is a complex experience that often runs the course of many years,” said Pam Montana, an early-stage adviser who was diagnosed in 2016 at age 61. “It is so important for me to encourage others with a diagnosis to stay active and engaged as long as possible. I encourage people to seek out life-affirming moments. For example, I’m an advocate for the cause … and that leads to an enormous sense of accomplishment, even with this extremely difficult diagnosis.” The Alzheimer’s Association helps families and friends navigate challenges and considerations at each stage of the disease, through face-to-face conversations with experts in local communities, a free 24/7 helpline at (800) 272-3900, and comprehensive support and resources on www.alz.org. Source: Alzheimer’s Association
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“American Bandstand: Still Hoppin’ after 60 Years” by Eddie Collins
“Get ‘Caught’ by Bluebirds” by Megan Joyce
“Mastering the Arts — Martial Arts, That Is” by Megan Joyce
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Tom & Randi LaNasa “MEMORY MUSIC”
Attention: RETIREMENT HOMES, CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS. Looking for entertainment?
We are currently booking our 2018 Christmas Show for holiday parties. We are also booking our variety and specialty shows for 2019. We have many variety shows featuring the music from the 1930s to the 60s. Songs by legendary artists like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Kay Starr, Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, and the Mills Brothers. Specialty shows include …
Songs from the WWII Years • The Post WWII Years: 1945 – 1955 AMERICA: From Sea to Shining Sea Salute to the Rat Pack (or if you prefer, just Sinatra) Elvis & Patsy • Classic Country • Christmas Please contact Memory Music to book your next event!
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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 12/31/18 qChester qCumberland qDauphin qLancaster qLebanon qYork
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November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
Music Activates Regions of the Brain Spared by Alzheimer’s Disease Ever get chills listening to a particularly moving piece of music? You can thank the salience network of the brain for that emotional jolt. Surprisingly, this region also remains an island of remembrance that is spared from the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at the University of Utah Health (healthcare. utah.edu) are looking to this region of the brain to develop music-based treatments to help alleviate anxiety in patients with dementia. “People with dementia are confronted by a world that is unfamiliar to them, which causes disorientation and anxiety,” said Jeff Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in Radiology at U of U Health and contributing author on the study. “We believe music will tap into the salience network of the brain that is still relatively functioning.” Previous work demonstrated the effect of a personalized music program on mood for dementia patients. This study set out to examine a mechanism that activates the attentional network in the salience region of the brain. The results offer a new way to approach anxiety, depression, and agitation in patients with dementia. Activation of neighboring
regions of the brain may also offer opportunities to delay the continued decline caused by the disease. For three weeks, the researchers helped participants select meaningful songs and trained the patient and caregiver on how to use a portable media player loaded with the selfselected collection of music. “When you put headphones on dementia patients and play familiar music, they come alive,” said Jace King, a graduate student in the Brain Network Lab and first author on the paper. “Music is like an anchor, grounding the patient back in reality.” Using a functional MRI, the researchers scanned the patients to image the regions of the brain that lit up when they listened to 20-second clips of music versus silence. The researchers played eight clips of music from the patient’s music collection, eight clips of the same music played in reverse, and eight blocks of silence. The researchers compared the images from each scan and found that music activates the brain, causing whole regions to communicate. By listening to the personal soundtrack, the visual network, the salience network, the executive network, and the cerebellar and corticocerebellar network pairs all www.50plusLifePA.com
November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month showed significantly higher functional connectivity. “This is objective evidence from brain imaging that shows personally meaningful music is an alternative route for communicating with patients who have Alzheimer’s disease,” said Norman Foster, M.D., director of the Center for Alzheimer’s Care at U of U Health and senior author on the paper. “Language and visual memory pathways are damaged early as the disease progresses, but personalized music programs can activate the brain, especially for patients who are losing contact with their environment.” However, these results are by no means conclusive. The researchers note the small sample size (17 participants) for this study.
In addition, the study only included a single imaging session for each patient. It is remains unclear whether the effects identified in this study persist beyond a brief period of stimulation or whether other areas of memory or mood are enhanced by changes in neural activation and connectivity for the long term. “In our society, the diagnoses of dementia are snowballing and are taxing resources to the max,” Anderson said. “No one says playing music will be a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but it might make the symptoms more manageable, decrease the cost of care, and improve a patient’s quality of life.”
Landmark Alzheimer’s Study Urgently Seeks Volunteers Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death overall in the United States and affects more than 5 million Americans. According to experts, this number could triple to nearly 16 million people by 2050. A scientific study focused on early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, and tracking it over time, seeks healthy volunteers without memory problems, as well as people who have mild memory problems and those who have been diagnosed with mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative — or ADNI — is funded by the National Institutes of Health and is one of the largest and longest-running Alzheimer’s disease trials in history. Now in the third phase of trials, researchers are studying how quickly things like reasoning and the ability to perform certain functions change in the aging brain. “We need to know how Alzheimer’s disease progresses in order to discover new treatments that could significantly improve the way we treat it in the future,” Michael Weiner, M.D., principal investigator of the study, said. The study uses state-of-the-art imaging to monitor brain levels of two proteins called tau and amyloid, both of which are significant indicators of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers track cognitive function through computer tests at home and in a doctor’s office, which includes measuring changes in one’s ability to handle www.50plusLifePA.com
money, a common warning sign of the disease. “One of the biggest challenges researchers face is finding people to volunteer to take part in studies,” Weiner said. “We can beat Alzheimer’s, but we can’t do it without volunteers.” The ADNI study needs 800 people ages 55-90 to enroll in sites across the United States and in Canada. No medication is involved. Potential study volunteers can learn more by visiting www.adni3.org or by calling (888) 2-ADNI-95 (888) 223-6495).
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November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month Spotting 10 Early Alzheimer’s Symptoms The Alzheimer’s Association provides the following list of 10 early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease. If you or a loved one is experiencing any of these signs, schedule an appointment with your doctor.
4. Confusion with Time or Place. People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.
1. Memory Loss that Disrupts Daily Life. One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s disease, especially in the early stage, is forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events, asking for the same information over and over, and increasingly needing to rely on aids (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.
5. Trouble Understanding Visual Images and Spatial Relationships. For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance, and determining color or contrast, which may cause problems with driving. 6. New Problems with Words in Speaking or Writing. People with Alzheimer’s disease may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue, or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word, or call things by the wrong name.
2. Challenges in Planning or Solving Problems. Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before. 3. Difficulty Completing Familiar Tasks at Home, at Work, or at Leisure. People with Alzheimer’s disease often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes they may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work, or remembering the rules of a favorite game.
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7. Misplacing Items and Losing the Ability to Retrace Steps. A person with Alzheimer’s may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time. 8. Decreased or Poor Judgment. People with Alzheimer’s may experience changes in judgment or decision making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean. 9. Withdrawal from Work or Social Activities. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects, or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced. 10. Changes in Mood and Personality. The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer’s can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends, or in places where they are out of their comfort zone. Source: Alzheimer’s Association
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Fifties Flashback
You’re Traveling through Another Dimension … Randal C. Hill
In 1964, weary of railing against censorship and other ongoing battles, creator Rod Serling chose not to oppose the third cancellation of his series The Twilight Zone. Running for five seasons, the show had garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards, but the ratings were never more than middling, and the program had twice been axed and then revived. Serling was born into a Jewish family on Christmas Day 1924 and grew up in Binghamton, New York. In high school he earned a place on the debate team, wrote for and edited the school newspaper (establishing himself as a social activist), and spoke at his graduation. Army enlistment followed in 1943. In the military, Serling was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, although his combat experiences left him with flashbacks and nightmares for the rest of his life. “I was bitter about everything,” he once admitted. “I think I turned to writing to get it off my chest.” At Antioch College in Ohio, he became involved in the school’s radio station, where he wrote, directed, and acted in several radio programs on campus. But Serling could see that such stories were on the decline and being replaced by television dramas. After earning a B.A. in literature at Antioch, he began writing for
WKRC-TV in twist or a macabre ending. In October 1959 Cincinnati. Serling always wanted to use the groundbreaking Serling soon The Twilight Zone as a vehicle for anthology series became a freelance important social commentaries. premiered on CBSwriter and began TV. Each half-hour In reality, though, he still had to churning out scripts frequently fight for creative control, episode included for major network TV as his scripts incorporated his views studies in fantasy, anthology shows. In on current events and social concerns, science fiction, 1955 Kraft Television such as war, racism, mass hysteria, suspense, and horror. Theater broadcast The dramas dealt politics, and gender issues. his play Patterns. And even though his messages with paranormal, Critics hailed it as futuristic, or otherwise were cleverly veiled within the fantasy “a creative triumph,” unusual or disturbing and science fiction parameters of the and Serling found show’s programs, they still managed events, with the himself inundated to make some viewers squirm. characters involved with requests for more As uncomfortable truths often will. having crossed over Publicity photo portrait of original stories. into the surreal Rod Serling for the premiere “Twilight Zone.” The Although Randal C. Hill’s heart lives Requiem for a of the television program Heavyweight for always-gripping stories in the past, the rest of him resides in The Twilight Zone. Bandon, Ore. He can be reached at Playhouse 90 added usually featured a wryterhill@msn.com. to his growing and moral and either a highly regarded oeuvre. Encouraged by his success, he moved to California advertisement and became a full-time writer for television in 1957. In the early years, TV sponsors and networks often became editors and censors; Serling was repeatedly forced to make changes whenever If you want a funeral with an expensive casket power people felt his content was too and embalming, go to a funeral home! controversial. If you are interested in affordable cremation services, Many of his references to social we are the name to remember! issues were watered down or eliminated altogether, and he became No Embalming No Caskets frustrated by seeing his scripts shorn of meaningful elements. Eventually Serling decided to create his own show — The Twilight Zone.
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November 2018
9
The Bookworm Sez
Talking about Death Won’t Kill You Terri Schlichenmeyer
home, but we spend very little time learning to Your mother can speak on just about any die — and that’s unfortunate. subject. Family issues, money, old music, new Dying, she believes, is actually an important part of living, which is why you should have That technology, cooking, fashion … she’ll teach you Conversation. all day. Ask her about one certain topic, though, “Dying matters,” Kortes-Miller says, and until and her lips are sealed tight. But with Talking About Death Won’t Kill You by a few decades ago, that was a given; people were much more comfortable with death and the Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller, you can school Mom on a thing or two. things attached to it. Death was a social event, as it is today, but it seems now as though we’re afraid One year prior to her second go-around for a to have a discussion about it, lest we invite it. Ph.D. program, Kathy Kortes-Miller received a The important thing is, everybody dies diagnosis of cancer, which altered her life and her sometime, so we may as well get comfortable with career path. Naturally, she was fearful. She said aloud that. Photo credit: Jessica L. Wyatt photography When having That Conversation, gently tease that she didn’t want to die, and her statement Talking About Death Won’t Kill You was brushed aside. Nobody would even discuss out whatever fears remain, and face them by By Kathy Kortes-Miller becoming “death literate.” death, she says, and though she obviously lived, c. 2018, ECW Press Talk about “advance care planning” and the she wishes today that someone had taken time to 209 pages legacy you want. talk to her about her fears and the outcome she Know that family relations are complicated and might’ve had. “Death education,” as she calls it, should never be ignored. We spend years that a proxy may absolutely be necessary. Write down everything you want healthcare providers to know. getting an academic education, we spend months researching a car or a new Don’t be afraid to involve children, and don’t use euphemisms. About Our Company And finally, new technology gives a twist to something as old as life itself. Know how to use it right. For more than 20 years, On-Line Publishers, Inc. has celebrated serving the You don’t have to be elderly to get a lot out of Talking About Death Won’t mind, heart, and spirit of the 50plus community of Central Pennsylvania. Our corporate office is located outside Columbia, Pa. Kill You. You don’t even have to be dying to read this book. Even if you’re hale and in the bloom of life, Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller has Publications Events plenty to teach you, including questions you can ask to dig deep into your own 50plus LIFE is a monthly newsprint OLP Events, our events division, feelings on end-of-life matters, and a matter-of-fact passage on what happens magazine touching on issues and produces six 50plus EXPOs annually when we pass. events relevant to the 50+ community. in Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, But this book isn’t only for consumers: physicians and healthcare workers are The Resource Directory for the Lancaster (two), and York counties. given attention here, too, because Kortes-Miller indicates a not-always-fulfilled Entrance to the event, health Caregiver, Aging, and Disabled is need for That Conversation in hospitals and hospice situations. screenings, and seminars held published annually in distinct county There are chapters here for parents and for caregivers, for adult children, for throughout the day are free to visitors. editions with information from local CEOs, and for work buddies. On the latter, Kortes-Miller helps employers to The women’s expo is a onebusinesses and organizations that meet day event featuring exhibitors and the needs of these groups. create a better, more compassionate workplace. 50plus Living, an annual publication, interactive fun that encompass This book probably isn’t anybody’s idea of a beach read, so grab it and grab is a guide to residences and healthcare many aspects of a woman’s life. In opportunities for That Conversation. Talking About Death Won’t Kill You and, 2019, women’s expos will be held options for mature adults in the of course, neither will reading about it. in Hershey in early spring and in Susquehanna and Delaware valleys. Lebanon, Lancaster, and Carlisle in the BusinessWoman is a monthly The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years fall. magazine with a focus on business. old, and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin OLP Events presents the Veterans’ It features profiles of local executive with two dogs and 14,000 books. women who are an inspiration to other Expo & Job Fair, a free, two-part professionals. Lifestyle and wellness event that takes place in York and articles are also included to round out in Wyomissing in the spring, in the the publication and address the many Capital Area in late summer, and in facets of a woman’s life. Lancaster in the fall. The Veterans’ Did you know? All publications are available in print Expo connects active and retired and digital formats. military members and their families with benefits, resources, and employers. is available online for For more information, call (717) 285-1350 or anytime/anywhere reading! www.50plusLIFEPA.com visit www.onlinepub.com.
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November 2018
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www.50plusLifePA.com
Harrisburg Hosts Inaugural Statewide LGBTQ Aging Summit Day one of the summit also featured a The Wolf administration, in partnership community panel discussion with LGBTQ with LGBTQ aging advocates and stakeholders, hosted Pennsylvania’s inaugural older adults, moderated by Carol Harris of Dering Consulting Group, which allowed LGBTQ Aging Summit Oct. 9-10 at the panelists to share their lived experiences the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel, and highlight the various difficulties many Harrisburg. experience as older LGBTQ individuals. Secretary of Aging Teresa Osborne kicked off the summit and introduced day one’s Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine opened day two and introduced the keynote keynote speaker, the Hon. Kathy Greenlee, speaker, Michael Adams, CEO of SAGE, vice president of aging and health policy, who spoke to the audience regarding LGBTQ Center for Practical Bioethics, and former A provider panel discusses best practices for serving assistant secretary of aging, U.S. Department LGBTQ older adults and the importance of being culturally cultural competency and inclusion. competent within provider networks during the After Adams’ remarks, the summit hosted a of Human Health & Services. LGBTQ Aging Summit in Harrisburg. provider panel comprising Dr. Imani Woody, Greenlee traveled from Kansas to attend the inaugural summit and shared experiences founding director and CEO, Mary’s House for Older Adults; Rabbi Erica Steelman, director of LGBT+ initiatives and and obstacles regarding her sexuality from high school to present day; staff chaplain, Abramson Center for Jewish Life; Doreen Hespell, director, presented on the urgency for provider networks to be LGBTQ-friendly; and Montgomery County Area Agency on Aging; Linda Marucci, social worker, discussed the barriers that many LGBTQ elders face. Southwest Senior Center; and Arthur Breese, director of diversity and “With over 300 participants from across the state convening in Harrisburg for the sole purpose of connecting communities and inspiring change, we inclusion, Geisinger. The panel discussed best practices for serving LGBTQ older adults and the are confident that our efforts to better serve, support, enable, and empower LGBTQ seniors will continue to move forward due the foundation that was importance of being culturally competent within provider networks. laid,” Osborne said. please see SUMMIT page 15
At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away. Animal Hospitals Community Animal Hospital Donald A. Sloat, D.V.M. 400 S. Pine St., York (717) 845-5669
Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020
Automobile Sales/Service Gordon’s Body Shop, Inc. 10 Mill St., Stewartstown (717) 993-2263
American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383
Coins & Currency Steinmetz Coins & Currency 2861 E. Prospect Road, York (717) 757-6980 Energy Assistance Low-Income Energy Assistance (717) 787-8750 Entertainment Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre 510 Centerville Road, Lancaster (717) 898-1900 Funeral & Cremation Services Cremation Society of Pennsylvania Serving York County (800) 720-8221 www.50plusLifePA.com
Alzheimer’s Information Clearinghouse (800) 367-5115
CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 or (717) 757-0604 Social Security Information (800) 772-1213 Healthcare Information Pennsylvania HealthCare Cost Containment (717) 232-6787 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 York County (717) 221-7892
Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services Hanover: (717) 630-0067 Lancaster: (717) 393-3450 York: (717) 751-2488
Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com
Hospice Services Homeland at Home Serving all of York County (717) 221-7890
real estate Berkshire Hathaway Paula Musselman (717) 793-9678 (Office) (717) 309-6921 (Cell)
Housing Assistance Housing Authority of York (717) 845-2601
Services York County Area Agency on Aging (717) 771-9610
Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937
Veterans Services Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771
Insurance Medicare (800) 633-4227
Volunteer opportunities RSVP of the Capital Region (443) 619-3842
Vibra Health Plan (844) 660-2961 (TTY: 711) Insurance – Long-Term Care Apprise Insurance Counseling (717) 771-9610 or (800) 632-9073
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Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.
November 2018
11
Melinda’s Garden
Melinda Myers
Please, join us! This combined event is FREE for veterans of all ages, active military, and their families.
Nov. 1, 2018 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Farm and Home Center 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster
NEW LOCATION!
At the Expo
Veterans Benefits Community Services Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs Education/Training Services
At the Job Fair
Employers Job Counseling Workshops/Seminars Resume Writing Assistance Principal Sponsor:
LIFE
Sponsored by: Blue Ridge Communications • Fulton Financial Corporation Disabled American Veterans • LCTV • Paul Smith’s College Pennsylvania State Headquarters VFW WFYL • WHTM ABC27
Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available
www.veteransexpo.com (717) 285-1350 www.olpevents.com
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November 2018
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Brought to you by:
Holiday Gifts that Keep on Giving
Make giftorchids and are giving easy quite striking with unique with maroongreen gifts striped green that provide petals. The weeks and, narrow, in some chartreuse, cases, months lily-like and years blossoms of of beauty. Evergreen Plus, gifting eventually easy-care turn apple blooming green, making plants is an it stand out experiential among the red Photo credit Gardener’s Supply Company gift that’s amaryllises Grand Amaryllis Trio GrandDiva ideal for and poinsettias everyone, of the season. especially that person on your list who Dress up your amaryllis gift has everything. by planting the bulb in a pretty Gardeners as well as practical container, setting it on stones in a family members and friends will enjoy glass hurricane, or combining it with the dual purpose the Christmas rose spring-flowering bulbs, such as tulips, (Hellebore) provides. This widespread grape hyacinths, and crocuses. European holiday plant is gaining Provide some aromatherapy, flavor, popularity in holiday celebrations here and beauty with fragrant flowers and in the U.S. herbs. Lily-of-the-valley may be a Recipients will enjoy up to two bully in the garden, but it’s a fragrant months of blossoms indoors when beauty sure to brighten a winter day grown in a cool, bright location. Once when planted in a container and the danger of frost has passed, it can enjoyed indoors. be moved outdoors into a full or The calming fragrance of Spanish partially shaded spot in the garden for lavender can be enjoyed fresh or the years of added beauty. stems and flowers snipped, dried, and Even non-gardeners will be added to bouquets and sachets. fascinated by the amaryllis as its Rosemary’s flavor makes it a perfect beauty erupts from the bulb. Everyone gift for the foodies on your list. And will eagerly watch for the bulb to everyone, including non-cooks, will sprout, for flower stems to quickly enjoy its fragrance. Grow it indoors in grow, and for it to eventually produce a cool location with morning sun or several large, trumpet-shaped blooms. under artificial lights. Make it easy and fun for all with Make this the year you give the a waxed amaryllis bulb. Dipped perfect gift: one that’s unique and in colorful wax, these freestanding is sure to provide instant smiles and bulbs need no soil or water. Just set weeks or months of fragrance and the waxed bulb in a space where beauty. they can be enjoyed, and watch the magic happen as the amaryllis breaks Melinda Myers is the author of more through the wax coating and grows than 20 gardening books and host of The Great Courses’ How to Grow into a colorful specimen. Impress avid gardeners with unique Anything DVD series. Her website, www. melindamyers.com, offers gardening tips varieties, such as Papillio Butterfly and videos. amaryllis. The flowers resemble www.50plusLifePA.com
We had a patient whose hip pain was keeping her from doing what she loved to do. She came to see our orthopedic team in York at WellSpan Surgery & Rehabilitation Hospital.
As an advanced Total Joint Program, we use techniques proven to deliver better results. Plus care coordinators manage everything, including follow-ups with primary care physicians. Four weeks after our patient’s hip replacement, she went out dancing with her husband. Providing exceptional care close to home. That’s the WellSpan Way. And, I believe, the way it should be.
Judith Kopinski, MD Total Joint Specialist WellSpan Surgery & Rehabilitation Hospital
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November 2018
13
Aid & Attendance Veterans’ Benefit Savvy Senior
Financial Aid for Family Caregivers Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior, Do you know of any resources that help family caregivers monetarily? I have to miss a lot of work to take care of my elderly mother and it’s financially stressing me. – Stretched Thin Dear Stretched, Caring for an elder parent can be challenging in many ways, but it can be especially difficult financially if you have to miss work or quit your job to provide care. Fortunately, there are a number of government programs, tax breaks, and other tips that may be able to help you monetarily while you care for your mother. Here are some options to explore. State assistance: Most states have programs that help low-income seniors pay for in-home care services, including paying family members for care.
Veterans and Surviving Spouses:
We Can Help You Learn How the Aid & Attendance Benefit Can Help Pay For Your Care!
Call for more information and to schedule your tour! Autumn House West 717.845.7214 914 W. Market St. York, PA 17401
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November 2018
Autumn House East 717.755.5911 2618 E. Market St. York, PA 17402
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These programs — which go by various names, such as “cash and counseling” or “consumer-directed”— vary greatly depending on where you live and, in some states, on whether your mom is on Medicaid. To find out what’s available in your state, contact your local Medicaid office. Veterans benefits: Veterans who need assistance with daily living activities can enroll in the VeteranDirected Care program. This program, available through VA Medical Centers in 40 states, as well as in Washington, D.C., and November is National Puerto Rico, provides as much as Family Caregivers Month $2,000 a month, which can be used to pay family members for home care. Visit the “Home and Community-Based Services” section at www.va.gov/ geriatrics for information. Also available to wartime veterans and their surviving spouses is a benefit called Aid and Attendance, which helps pay for in-home care as well as assisted living and nursing home care. This benefit can also be used to pay family caregivers. Changes to income and asset limits — including a new 36-month lookback period on asset transfers — went into effect Oct. 18. To learn more about eligibility requirements, go to www.vets.gov/pension. Tax breaks: If you pay at least half of your mom’s yearly expenses, and her gross income is below $4,050 (in 2017) not counting her Social Security or disability, you can claim her as a dependent on your taxes and get a $500 tax credit. For more information, go to the Interactive Tax Assistant page on the IRS’s website (www.irs.gov/help/ita) and click on “Whom May I Claim as a Dependent?” If you can’t claim her as a dependent, you may still be able to get a tax break if you’re paying more than half her living expenses including medical and longterm care costs, and they exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. You can include your own medical expenses in calculating the total. See IRS publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses (www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502. pdf) for details. Long-term care insurance: If your mother has long-term care insurance, check whether it covers in-home care. Some policies permit family members to be paid, although they may exclude people who live in the same household. www.50plusLifePA.com
Aid & Attendance Veterans’ Benefit Paid caregiver leave and financial support: A small but growing number of companies offer paid caregiving leave as a way to recruit and retain their workforce. Check with your employer to see what, if any, benefits are available to you. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Caregiver Support Program aims to reduce stress on primary, informal, unpaid caregivers through a variety of potential benefits, such as financial assistance for services, supplies, and assistive devices. To find out if you qualify, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s website (www.aging.pa.gov) or call your county’s Area Agency on Aging. Family funds: If your mother has some savings or other assets, discuss the possibility of her paying you for the care you provide.
If she agrees, consult with an elder law attorney about drafting a shortwritten contract that details the terms of the work and payment arrangements, so everyone involved knows what to expect. You should also check BenefitsCheckUp (www.benefitscheckup.org), a free, confidential web tool that can help you search for financial assistance programs that your mom or you may be eligible for. 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.
Can I Get Aid and Attendance or Housebound Benefits? If you need help with your daily activities, or you’re housebound, you may qualify for Aid and Attendance or Housebound allowances in addition to your pension benefits. Veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for Aid and Attendance if you get a VA pension and you meet at least one of the requirements listed below. • You need another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding, and dressing • You have to stay in bed — or spend a large portion of the day in bed — because of illness • You are a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability • Your eyesight is limited (even with glasses or contact lenses, you have only 5/200 or less in both eyes or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less) You may qualify for Housebound benefits if you get a VA pension and you spend most of your time in your home because of a permanent disability (a disability that doesn’t go away). Note: You can’t get Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound benefits at the same time.
To apply for these benefits, veterans and surviving spouses need an application (downloadable at www.vets.gov/ pension/aid-attendance-housebound) as well as the following information: •E vidence, like a doctor’s report, that shows you need Aid and Attendance or Housebound care, or VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance), which your doctor can fill out •D etails about what you normally do during the day and how you get places •D etails that help show what kind of illness, injury, or mental or physical disability affects your ability to perform activities, like bathing, on your own In Pennsylvania, the application and relevant information can be mailed to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, Attention: Philadelphia Pension Center, P.O. Box 5206, Janesville, WI 535475206. Or, you may apply in person by bringing your information to a regional benefit office near you. Source: www.vets.gov
SUMMIT from page 11 At the conclusion of the provider panel, the summit organized a regional planning session with a focus on tangible community action for the varying regions of summit attendees, specifically regarding how Pennsylvania can build better connections between the older LGBTQ community and providers. After lunch, which featured speaker Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey, national LGBT liaison for AARP, the regional planning groups reported their recommendations and findings from the earlier planning session. The summit concluded with a state panel, featuring Osborne, Levine, and Todd Snovel, executive director, Pennsylvania’s Commission on LGBTQ Affairs. www.50plusLifePA.com
Panelists shared insight on the Wolf administration’s efforts to improve LGBTQ inclusiveness, provided feedback on the suggestions from the regional planning session, and took questions from attendees. “The inaugural statewide LGBTQ Aging Summit allowed us the opportunity to continue to provide resources and answer questions for the older LGBTQ population,” Levine said. “This first summit is essential to providing information to people in these communities and allowing them to share their stories. We are committed to ensuring that the health community understands and provides for the health needs of this population.” 50plus LIFE t
November 2018
15
ns
Memorial Ceremony Honors Sacrifice of Local WWI Soldier
Sh op pi ng
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Nov. 10, 2018 • 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
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For Love of Family Devotion. Compassion. Dignity. When your loved one needs help, join hands with Homeland at Home. We are privileged to be part of your caregiving team.
In honor of Cpl. Alvin T. Rehmeyer, members of the American Legion Riders Stewart Post No. 455 recently held a memorial flag line ceremony at St. John Lutheran Church’s cemetery in York to mark the 100th anniversary of the Red Lion native’s death in World War I. Myrna Hyson-Ross, Rehmeyer’s niece, and other family members represented Rehmeyer at the service, led by American Legion Post No. 455 commander Bobby O’Farrell. Photo credit: Cheryl Steeg O’Farrell read a tribute to Myrna Hyson-Ross, left, accepts the flag flown at the U.S. Capitol, a Rehmeyer that was entered into World War I Victory Medal, and a the congressional record by U.S. York County proclamation, all honoring House Rep. Scott Perry. her uncle, Cpl. Alvin T. Rehmeyer, In 1919, the Stewart from Curtis Steeg, right, chaplain of American Legion hosted American Legion Riders Post No. 455. Rehmeyer’s funeral at the St. John cemetery. The entire town was closed for the funeral and burial. York County Commissioner Chris Reilly presented Hyson-Ross with a U.S. flag that flew in honor of Rehmeyer over the Capitol in Washington, D.C., at Perry’s request; a proclamation honoring Rehmeyer from the York County commissioners; and a World War I Victory Medal. O’Farrell also presented numbered 100th anniversary American Legion commander commemorative coins to several family members. Reilly spoke of Rehmeyer’s commitment and courage, detailing his journey from Red Lion to Camp Meade (Fort Meade, Maryland), to his service in France. On Sept. 26, 1918, Rehmeyer was declared missing in action following an attack during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. His fate was unknown until March 20, 1919, when his gravesite was located near the town of Montfaucon, France. Rehmeyer is one of the 1,151 soldiers of the 79th Division who gave their lives in defense of the United States and her allies during World War I.
Medicare Confusion Ends Today! MediPlanConnect offers one-on-one advising at no cost to you. Call 717-980-3201 to discover the best Medicare plan to fit your lifestyle.
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November 2018
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The Beauty in Nature
Courtship Timing
JOIN U S T H I S H O L I DAY S E AS O N !
Clyde McMillan-Gamber
Every November, over the years, I mother deer have plenty of food to have enjoyed the courting of whiteproduce ample milk for their single or tailed deer and great horned owls twin fawns. among the woods, fields, and thickets And, being born late in May of southeastern Pennsylvania. ensures warmth and the whole Being adaptable, the beautiful, summer and autumn to grow strong graceful deer and and fat to be able the handsome, to cope with the stately owls coming winter. are abundant Deer born any in this area, other time might allowing us many not have as good a opportunities to chance at survival experience them to maturity. through the year, Pairs of local especially during horned owls court November. by hooting to each At that time, other at dusk and White-tailed deer deer are less dawn in November cautious and, into December. therefore, more In January, each obvious. The pair of owls usurps owls frequently a stick cradle hoot “hoo, hoo, made by hawks, hoo — hoooooo, herons, or crows hoooooo,” which high in a tall tree gives away their in a woodland or presence. older suburb. Each The rutting female owl lays one season of whiteto three eggs in tails in this area her nursery late in starts around the January. Great horned owl middle of October The owlets hatch and continues into toward the end of early December, with a peak of rutting February and are brooded and fed by in November. During that time, adult both parents. The young leave their bucks use their bony antlers to push nursery toward late April and are on against the antlers of other bucks to their own by May’s end. At that time, determine who is stronger. juvenile rodents and rabbits abound, Fortunately, those dramatic providing ample food for young owls contests among bucks usually don’t inexperienced at hunting. cause serious injury and are seldom The courtship timing of whitefatal. The mightiest bucks in those tailed deer and great horned owls battles earn the right to mate with the is correct. Young of both species majority of does in their home areas, are born and develop when food helping ensure strong, healthy fawns and warmth are most abundant, next year. giving each species a good chance of White-tails’ mating around surviving. November determines that the Other kinds of wildlife have resulting fawns are born about seven correct mating times as well, such months later, toward the end of May. as American robins hatching young At that time, there is plenty of lush, when earthworms are most available green vegetation that ensures that to feed to their offspring. www.50plusLifePA.com
NOV 15 DEC 30, 2018 A season favorite! Even for a grumpy old miser like Ebenezer Scrooge, it’s never too late to change. But when he’s visited by three ghosts - Past, Present, and Future - he discovers his selfish ways and greets Christmas morning with a new found happiness.
RING IN THE NEW YEAR AT DUTCH APPLE!
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Join us for the matinee with our classic buffet or our evening celebration featuring appetizers, an upscale buffet and a party until midnight!
DECEMBER 31, 2018 The Return truly captures the energy, harmony and chemistry of the Fab Four! This exciting performance will sweep you back to 1964 and get you dancing and singing along!
GIVE A GIFT THAT WILL AWAYS RECEIVE A STANDING OVATION!
Dutch Apple Gift Certificates are available in ANY dollar amount!
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Call 717-898-1900 or order online at DutchApple.com
November 2018
17
Calendar of Events
York County
Community Programs/Support Groups Free and open to the public Nov. 2, 10:30 a.m. Partners in Thyme Herb Club of Southern York County Glenview Alliance Church 10037 Susquehanna Trail, Glen Rock (717) 428-2210 Nov. 5, 9:30 a.m. Green Thumb Garden Club Meeting Emmanuel Lutheran Church 2650 Freysville Road, Red Lion (717) 235-2823 Nov. 6, 7 p.m. Surviving Spouse Socials of York County Faith United Church of Christ
509 Pacific Ave., York (717) 266-2784
Crispus Attucks Active Living Center (717) 848-3610, www.crispusattucks.org
Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Low Vision Expo Heritage Hills Golf Resort 2700 Mt. Rose Ave., York (717) 848-1690, ext. 105
Delta Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 456-5753
Nov. 20, 7-8 p.m. Alzheimer’s Support Group Providence Place 3377 Fox Run Road, Dover (717) 767-4500
Parks and Recreation Nov. 10, 7-9 p.m. – Public Star Watch, John Rudy Park Observatory Nov. 11, 1:30-3 p.m. – Native American Stories, Nixon Park Nov. 24, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. – Birds of Prey Day, Nixon Park
Library Programs Arthur Hufnagel Public Library of Glen Rock, 32 Main St., Glen Rock, (717) 235-1127 Nov. 7, 3:30- 5 p.m. – Tech Guru Collinsville Community Library, 2632 Delta Road, Brogue, (717) 927-9014 Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. – Purls of Brogue Nov. 14, 10:30-11:30 a.m. – C.U.B.S. (Connecting U Before School) (Family) Dillsburg Area Public Library, 17 S. Baltimore St., Dillsburg, (717) 432-5613 Nov. 8, 12:30-2:15 p.m. – Tech Guru Dover Area Community Library, 3700-3 Davidsburg Road, Dover, (717) 292-6814 Nov. 11 to Dec. 12 – Letters from Santa (Family) Glatfelter Memorial Library, 101 Glenview Road, Spring Grove, (717) 225-3220 Tuesdays, 9-10 a.m. – Beginner Bridge Lessons Nov. 12, 5-7 p.m. – Book and a Movie Club Nov. 22, 1:30-3 p.m. – Tech Guru Guthrie Memorial Library, 2 Library Place, Hanover, (717) 632-5183 Nov. 6, 6:30-8 p.m. – Mystery Book Club Nov. 13, 1:30-2:30 p.m. – Adult Coloring Nov. 27, 6:30-8 p.m. – Trading Titles Kaltreider-Benfer Library, 147 S. Charles St., Red Lion, (717) 244-2032 Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. – Knit Wits Nov. 6, 5-7 p.m. – Greeting Card Class Nov. 22, 6:30-7:30 p.m. – Green Thumb Garden Club Lecture Kreutz Creek Valley Library Center, 66 Walnut
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Senior Center Activities
Dillsburg Senior Activity Center – (717) 432-2216 Wednesdays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Diabetes Prevention Program/Group Eastern Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 252-1641 Golden Connections Community Center (717) 244-7229, www.gcccenter.com Weekdays, 9 a.m. – Games Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – Pinochle Fridays, 9:15 a.m. – Computers 101 Golden Visions Senior Community Center (717) 633-5072, www.goldenvisionspa.com Heritage Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 292-7471 www.heritagesrcenter.org
Springs Road, Hellam, (717) 252-4080 Nov. 15, 3-4:45 p.m. – Tech Guru Nov. 19, 10:30-11:30 a.m. – Avoiding Scams and ID Theft Nov. 20, 6-7 p.m. – Public Narcan 101 Training
Northeastern Senior Community Center (717) 266-1400, www.mtwolf.org/SeniorCenter
Martin Library, 159 E. Market St., York, (717) 8465300 Nov. 17, 9-11 a.m. – Craigslist 101
September House – (717) 848-4417
Mason-Dixon Public Library, 250 Bailey Drive, Stewartstown, (717) 993-2404 Nov. 5, 6-8 p.m. – R hythm and Rhyme Poetry Workshop (Family) Nov. 10, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Chess Day (Family) Paul Smith Library of Southern York County, 80 Constitution Ave., Shrewsbury, (717) 235-4313 Nov. 12, 5:30-6:30 p.m. – Local Author Series: GM Goodwin Nov. 15, 10-11:45 a.m. – Tech Guru Nov. 19, 6-8 p.m. – Wool Gathering by the Fire Red Land Community Library, 48 Robin Hood Drive, Etters, (717) 938-5599 Nov. 8, 3-3:45 p.m. – Tech Guru Nov. 15, 11 a.m. to noon – Lunch and Learn Nov. 18, 1:30-2 p.m. – Adult Yoga Salem Square Library, 596 W. Princess St., York, (717) 650-2262 Nov. 3, 10 a.m. to noon – Computers at Work Village Library, 35-C N. Main St., Jacobus, (717) 428-1034 Thursdays, 5-8 p.m. – Village Knitters Nov. 15, 7:30-8:30 p.m. – Rowdy Readers
Red Land Senior Center – (717) 938-4649 www.redlandseniorcenter.org
South Central Senior Community Center (717) 235-6060 http://southcentralyorkcountysrctr.webs.com Tuesdays, 9:15 a.m. – Tai Chi Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. – Watercolor Art Class Nov. 28 – Pennsylvania Craft Show Stewartstown Senior Center – (717) 993-3488 www.stewsenior.org Susquehanna Senior Center – (717) 244-0340 www.susquehannaseniorcenter.org Mondays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Chorus Practice Tuesdays, 6-10 p.m. – Bluegrass/Country Music Jam Session White Rose Senior Center – (717) 843-9704 www.whiteroseseniorcenter.org Windy Hill On the Campus – (717) 225-0733 www.windyhillonthecampus.org Nov. 20, 12:30 p.m. – Monthly Book Club Yorktown Senior Center – (717) 854-0693 www.yorktownseniorcenter.org Submit senior center events to mjoyce@onlinepub.com.
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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
Homeland Center
1901 North Fifth Street • Harrisburg, PA 17102-1598 (717) 221-7902 • www.homelandcenter.org Number of Beds: 95 Rehabilitation Unit: No 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.
Claremont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 1000 Claremont Road • Carlisle, PA 17013 (717) 243-2031 • www.ccpa.net/cnrc 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.
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.
Transitions Healthcare – Gettysburg
595 Biglerville Road • Gettysburg, PA 17325 (717) 334-6249 • www.transitionshealthcarellc.com Number of Beds: 135 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 Accreditations/Affiliations: PHCA, PACA Comments: Fully staffed Transitions Healthcare employees in skilled nursing and sub-acute rehab. Tours are encouraged!
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.
Bill Would Train Retailers, Financial Institutions to Spot Fraudulent Transactions Recently, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, introduced the Senior Scams Prevention Act (S. 3522). “Far too many older Americans have been targeted by scam artists. These criminals threaten legal action against seniors or loved ones if ‘payment’ is not made immediately through a wire transfer or gift card,” said Casey. “The Senior Scams Prevention Act would help stop a payment before it is ever made so that seniors don’t lose one more penny to a fraud or scam.” The bipartisan Senior Scams Prevention Act would create a federal advisory council to develop educational materials for retailers, financial institutions, and wire
transfer companies to use to train employees on how to spot a scam. Often times, unbeknownst to employees of retail stores, fraudsters ask senior victims to send “payment” or “gifts” through gift cards, which are purchased at various retail locations. Scammers may also request money to be sent to them via wire transfer or require the victim to pay by credit card or through other means. This legislation is endorsed by Consumers Union, Best Buy, Consumer Federation of America, Green Dot Corp., MoneyGram, National Consumers League, National Retail Federation, Retail Industry Leaders Association, Target, Walmart, and Western Union. If you or a loved one receives a suspicious call, hang up the phone immediately and contact the Aging Committee’s toll-free Fraud Hotline at (855) 303-9470.
Volunteers Needed for Opportunity Center, Library RSVP – York County is seeking volunteers 55 and over for two opportunities. The York Housing Opportunity Center at LHOP would like help answering the phone, greeting visitors, preparing materials for homeownership classes, typing memos for director as needed, data entry, etc. Four to six volunteers are needed per day for two to three days per week. Arthur Hufnagel Public Library of Glen Rock is also seeking volunteers. Duties include, but are not limited to: • Participating as a member of a team to perform basic administrative functions, shelving, and general library maintenance
• Preparing promotional activities and outreach services to facilitate community involvement in, and with, the library services • Assisting the team with stock maintenance, including assessing items for damage and some repair of these items • Any duties requested by the library director or library assistance Volunteer benefits include: transportation reimbursement, free supplemental liability insurance, recognition and appreciation events, assistance with clearances, and volunteer of the month recognition in York County 50plus LIFE. For further information, contact Scott Hunsinger at (717) 893-8474 or email yorkrsvp@rsvpcapreg.org
Reduce Your Utility Bills during the Holidays Holiday time usually means higher utility bills for most households, especially if you are preparing large meals. But you can help reduce those extra costs with the following practices:
Keep the oven closed. When you open your oven door, a significant amount of heat can escape, and your oven temperature can drop by 25 degrees. Use the oven light to peek inside instead.
Don’t preheat your oven. Roasting a turkey or ham is a long, slow process, so preheating is usually unnecessary.
Bake more than one item at a time. Just make sure you leave enough room around each dish for air to circulate in your oven. If you use glass or ceramic pans in your oven instead of metal ones, you can reduce your baking temperature by 25 degrees. Match the pan to the burner on electric stoves. If you use a 6-inch pan on an 8-inch burner, you can waste up to 40 percent of the energy used. Keep your refrigerator closed. Your refrigerator can account for up to 15 percent of your home’s total energy use. Keep the door closed as much as possible. It is more efficient to keep the door open a little longer and retrieve several items at once than it is to open the door several times for shorter periods. Use your dishwasher efficiently. When you use your dishwasher, run it only when you have a full load, and use cold water to rinse the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.
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Social Security News
2.8 Percent COLA Increase Announced for 2019
By John Johnston
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 67 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2019, the Social Security Administration announced recently. The 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 62 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2019. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on Dec. 31, 2018. 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 $132,900
mail in early December about their new benefit amount. This year, for the first time, most people who receive Social Security
This year, for the first time, most people who receive Social Security payments will be able to view their COLA notice online through their My Social Security account.
from $128,400. Social Security and SSI beneficiaries are normally notified by
50plus LIFE just earned 2 Media Awards! 1st Place Profile “Doing the Heart’s Work’” by Megan Joyce
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Annual Resource Guide or Directory
payments will be able to view their COLA notice online through their My Social Security account, which
ADVANCED HEARING AID TECHNOLOGY
can be created and accessed at www. socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. Information about Medicare changes for 2019, 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 2019 are announced. Final 2019 benefit amounts will be communicated to beneficiaries in December through the mailed COLA notice and My Social Security’s Message Center. To read more, visit www. socialsecurity.gov/cola. John Johnston is a Social Security public affairs specialist.
“I was amazed! Sounds I hadn’t heard in years came back to me!” — Don W., Sherman, TX
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Can a Hearing Aid Delay or Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia? A study by the National Institute on Aging suggests older individuals with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop Alzheimer’s and dementia over time than those who retain their hearing. They suggest that an intervention — such as a hearing aid — could delay or prevent this by improving hearing!
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Puzzle Page
CROSSWORD
Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 24 SUDOKU
WORD SEARCH
Colors
Across 1. French cleric 5. Inquire 8. Bathroom item 13. Cellphone items 14. Remote button 15. Red fluorescent dye 16. Actor Stoltz 17. Pressing need? 18. Wept 19. Tibetan monk 20. Shopping place 21. Horse color 22. Plain writing 24. Gymnast’s goal
25. Some movie roles 28. Bullfighter 32. Family card game 33. Venomous Aussie snake 36. Opportune 37. Bungle 39. Tank 40. Sour sort 41. Brainstorm 42. Morning starter 44. African antelope 45. After root and wine 47. Movie preview
49. Mormons, initially 50. Western resort lake 52. Expressed 54. Busy place 55. Country bumpkin 59. Yule melody 60. Panache 61. Persia, today 62. Wide open 63. Large butte 64. Exchange premium 65. Court wear 66. LAX setting 67. Permits
Down 1. Biblical shepherd 2. Vamp Theda 3. Fedora feature 4. Slip away 5. Mystiques 6. Squirrel away 7. County in SE England 8. Password, usually 9. Heart attack 10. Atlas section 11. Property claim 12. Dissolve 14. Silver wattle 23. Zuckerman Unbound novelist
24. Crayola color 25. Brick-shaped 26. Battery terminal 27. Traveler’s stop 28. Chess ending 29. Fender mishaps 30. Offer one’s 2 cents 31. Happen again 34. Currier’s partner 35. Norm 38. Muse of poetry 40. Disney goldfish 42. Accounting entries (abbr.) 43. Goddess of wisdom
46. Confuses 48. Forward pass 50. Scrabble pieces 51. “Cease!” to a salt 52. Palm starch 53. Oman man 54. Cord fiber 56. Exhort 57. Can of worms? 58. Hazzard County lawman 59. Beetle, e.g.
Your ad could be here on this popular page! Please call (717) 285-1350 for more information.
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Such is Life
Reminders, Notes, and Calendars Saralee Perel
I have an attitude when I’m told that nothing can be done. It just makes me all the more determined to find answers. What else was I going to do? Give up? Why would I? We went to three more neurologists until we finally found one who actually asked to hear from me. He said, “How can I know what’s going on when the patient can’t remember?” He specializes in Bob’s diagnosis. Along with cognitive memory impairment, he has primary progressive aphasia, which essentially involves word loss. The doctor recommended medication that has helped tremendously. He was the one who referred us to Lee. Yet, this doctor’s greatest gift to us? Hope. You know how you often can’t remember what you did last week? Or even just yesterday? There’s a cure for that. With Lee’s advice, Bob keeps a calendar in which, daily, he writes down what he’s done. He reviews it again and again. There aren’t many people I know who can remember things they did last month. But my sweet husband can. Bob used to avoid socializing for fear that he’d lose common words. When inevitably that would happen, he’d so sadly and desperately look to me for help. He felt humiliation and shame and embarrassment. Now, he still looks to me for help, but you know what? He could not care less. We’ve learned that if anyone thinks less of him for not knowing a word, then they’re probably not tolerant of others as well and certainly not the kind of person we’d want as a valuable, trusted friend. We’ve learned that acceptance doesn’t mean hopelessness. We’ve learned that inevitable doesn’t have a definite date. Inevitable doesn’t mean giving up. You know what it means? It means it’s fight-back time! Bob never did come up with the word “camel” that day. But that doesn’t matter. As long as he can say, “I love you,” then he’s remembered everything that’s important. Award-winning columnist Saralee Perel can be reached at sperel@saraleeperel.com or via her website: www.SaraleePerel.com.
Puzzles shown on page 23
Puzzle Solutions
“What’s the word for the thing we use every day that has a monitor and a keyboard?” I asked my husband, Bob. That question was not a test. It was part of a wordfinding teaching program that Lee, Bob’s speech therapist, has taught us to practice. “A computer,” Bob said. Elated that he got it right, we gave each other a high five. “Want to keep going?” I asked. My husband is so very brave. “Sure,” he said. It stuns me that we’re at this stage. “OK,” I said, showing him a picture of a camel. “What is this called?” He thought for a moment. His shoulders drooped when he said, “I don’t know.” Lee taught us about clues. She said, “The words are still there. It’s like a well, and the word is at the bottom. You just need a line to pull it up.” So I said to Bob, “It starts with a C.” I waited until he asked me for another clue. “It lives in the desert.” Still nothing registered. Ten years ago Bob began having memory problems, the most obvious of which was word-finding. Our first neurologist was a smug know-it-all. Bob passed the neuropsych paper and pencil testing just fine. As I began to speak of the varied problems I’ve noticed at home, the doctor wouldn’t hear a word of it. And so, nothing was done. The second neurologist sped through the appointment. He also wouldn’t/ couldn’t allow any time for me to speak. He ordered an MRI. The results were seemingly normal, though we were told differently, eventually, by a doctor who had the time to examine the films more closely. And so, nothing was done. One day it made me cry (silently) when I heard Bob on the phone, stuck on a word I could tell would be “blizzard.” I quickly wrote it on paper, and then rushed the note to him. There just had to be a better way than this. In the middle of the night, a vicious beast I call “the future” hovers directly over me.
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Dear Pharmacist
Suzy Cohen
You Will Never Look at Pumpkin Pie the Same
The other day I was eating a banana and decided to dip it in some fresh pumpkin butter that I had bought. At no other time of year would this “pumpkin” thought-seed ever float through my head. With the holiday season upon us, and pumpkin pie everywhere, allow me to share what I know about these medicinal and delicious spices. You’ll never look at pumpkin pie the same way again after reading this. Here’s how they heal you: Cinnamon Cinnamon is thought to aid in regulating blood sugar in people with hyperglycemia, prediabetes, and diabetes. It works by blocking digestive enzymes, such as alpha-glucosidase, sucrose, and pancreatic amylase, which blunt the amount of sugar released into your bloodstream. Cinnamon also contains MHCP (methylhydroxychalcone polymer), which acts similar to your own insulin by shuttling sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells. Clove We call it “clove” because none of us want to call it by its botanical name: syzygium aromaticum! If you love chai tea or masala chai, you obviously like the taste of clove because it is an integral part of chai recipes. If you have dental pain, you can put a drop of clove essential oil in water and have sips. You can also put the oil onto a cotton swab and dab your achy tooth. Aside from toothaches and gum problems, clove can help with many respiratory diseases, candida infections, headaches, and throat infections. Some men report that it improves their libido, which makes sense because clove is known to enhance testosterone, at least in animal studies. Nutmeg Feeling blue around the holidays? Nutmeg is your antidepressant spice and can be sprinkled on coffee, hot chocolate, pumpkin pie, and sweet potato dishes. Nutmeg extract was given to mice for three days, and it reduced signs of depression. The researchers concluded it was so profound, it was virtually comparable to shots of antidepressant Steinmetz is Buying & Selling All Gold & Silver — Call for Quotes! drugs, namely imipramine (Tofranil) and • U.S. COLLECTIONS fluoxetine (Prozac). • 1/2 Cents through U.S. Gold Another interesting, little-known fact • All Silver Dollars • Jewelry • All U.S. Coins and Currency is that nutmeg can help mice with lung • Foreign Coins and Currency inflammation and asthma symptoms due WE WILL TRAVEL to its high content of another compound FREE LS ISA Michael Steinmetz A R P P A called macelignan. michael@steinmetzcoins.com You know how you have been trained YORK 2861 E. Prospect Rd. to breathe in relaxing aromas of lavender (Rts. 24 & 124) in order to sleep at night? Well, inhaling 757-6980 or 866-967-2646 nutmeg scent is actually better! www.steinmetzcoins.com www.50plusLifePA.com
According to a study in The International Journal of Molecular Science, “Nutmeg oil afforded a greater inhibitory effect than did lavender oil.” The reason it works is because nutmeg is a CNS (central nervous system) tonic that contains a potent anxiolytic called 4-terpineol. It increases activity of GABA in your body and dampens down glutamate. I need to caution those of you in the benzo community who are still struggling to recover. If you are in PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome), then avoid nutmeg until your receptors up-regulate and heal. They will do that if you hold on, and please hold on! The topic of benzos and PAWS is covered in some of my other articles at my website. This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more information about the author, visit SuzyCohen.com
Stories of ordinary men and women called to perform extraordinary military service. From 1999–2016, writer and World War II veteran Col. Robert D. Wilcox preserved the firsthand wartime experiences of more than 200 veterans through Salute to a Veteran, his monthly column featured in 50plus LIFE. Now, for the first time, 50 of those stories— selected by Wilcox himself—are available to own in this soft-cover book.
Simply complete and mail this form with your payment to the address below to order Salute to Our Veterans. On-Line Publishers • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Name_ _______________________________________________________ Address_ ______________________________________________________ City_______________________________ State_ ____ Zip_ ______________ Phone_ _____________________ Email______________________________ Number of copies_ ______ (Please include $20.80 for each copy) Credit card #______________________________________ Exp. date________ Signature of cardholder_________________________________CVV #________
Or send a check made payable to On-Line Publishers, Inc. You can also order online at www.50plusLIFEpa.com! 50plus LIFE t
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York Baby Boomers, Seniors Find Community Connections at 50plus EXPO By Megan Joyce “This is the most fantastic event in the whole world.” 50plus EXPO attendee Mary Elizabeth Smith cut right to the chase. The recipient of a new hip more than a decade ago, Smith knows the surgery affected her balance. She had undergone seated-to-standing balance testing at the recent York County 50plus EXPO, held at the York Expo Center. Conducted by a healthcare professional, the test gave her a needed reminder, the active York resident said. “She said the main thing is to be aware that you must slow down [when moving around],” Smith said. “Tell your mind to get in touch with your body. Your mind maybe 12, 15 — 30 at the most — but your body is a 65year-old with a hip replacement and an imbalance.” A free, one-day event that provided information and resources for the area’s 50+ community, the 50plus EXPO was presented by OLP Events, the events division of Central Pennsylvania-based On-Line Publishers, Inc. More than 90 exhibitors displayed products and services for travel, housing, medical services, nutrition, home improvements, finances, and healthcare. Robin Recchione, marketing representative with supporting sponsor Gateway Health, said the company tries to participate in the 50plus EXPO annually, “especially this time of year with the [Medicare] Open Enrollment season,” Recchione said. “This is the time really for [seniors] to start their shopping, because come October, they’re going to get inundated with mail … this is a way for them to get a jumpstart on it.” The Health & Wellness Area, sponsored by WellSpan Health, included ongoing, free screenings for cardiac risk, posture, blood pressure, joint pain, skin cancer, and others, as well as free seminars on stroke recognition and treatment and surgical options for hip and knee arthritis. Visitors also had the option of attending additional free seminars that covered estate planning and minimally invasive bunion surgery, and Kmart provided flu shots. Falls Free York, an area dedicated to fall prevention, returned to the York County 50plus EXPO. Organized by the York County Area Agency on Aging and local businesses and organizations, Falls Free York encouraged visitors to assess their own risk of falling and learn about falling hazards in the home. An attendee from Shiloh picked up information on assistive devices for his wife, who is recovering from knee surgery and will soon graduate from a walker to a cane. “She’s doing therapy, and it’s coming along pretty good,” he said. “But I wanted to get something to try to get her more steady when she’s on the cane … it’s more risky than the walker.” Area staff offered gait/balance screenings, cane and walker checks, medication reviews, examples of assistive devices, and more. The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Outreach Specialist, Jerry Mitchell, started off the morning’s stage presentations with a discussion on scams that target seniors, including false charities that prey upon the public’s sympathies after natural disasters. “When it comes to charities there are some things you want to know,” Mitchell said. “If you want to give to a charity, please remember to check with the Pennsylvania Department of State to see if that charity is valid. If they are not registered [with the Department of State] … that’s a major red flag.” Actors from Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre performed songs from their current production, Sister Act, including “Haven’t Got a Prayer,” “I Could Be
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That Guy,” and “Fabulous, Baby!” Julie Charnosky and Kate Numer, nutritionists from UPMC Pinnacle, demonstrated easy recipes using vegetables, beans, and other plant foods, which have numerous health benefits. Their onstage recipes included an allvegetable soup with lentils and a seasonally appropriate pumpkin chia seed pudding. Next, Toyia Plater, Medicare broker manager with Capital BlueCross, simplified for the audience the often confusing world of Medicare. Plater offered guidance on selecting the best plan and preparing from the upcoming Open Enrollment Period, which starts Oct. 15. Tom LaNasa, of Memory Music, wrapped up the day’s stage presentations with his musical salute to the Rat Pack. Classic songs such as “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” “Let’s Get Away from It All,” and “The Candyman” brought back the days of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis Jr. OLP Events’ 50plus EXPOs will return in spring 2019. For more information, call (717) 285-1350 or visit www.50plusexpopa.com. Principal Sponsor:
YORK COUNTY Health & Wellness Sponsor:
Visitor Bag Sponsor: OSS Health
Community Outreach Sponsor:
Automotive Sponsor: Enterprise Car Sales
Seminar Sponsors: Bellomo & Associates Capital BlueCross
Supporting Sponsors: ClearCaptions • Gateway Health • MediPlanConnect Misericordia Nursing & Rehabilitation Care • UPMC Pinnacle Media Sponsors:
www.50plusLifePA.com
Volunteer Spotlight Area Agency on Aging Honors Medicare, Financial Volunteers said. “There is a world of satisfaction that Herbert Bierly, Frank Gallagher, and comes from solving someone’s problems Mindy Jo Hamme are York County Area Agency on Aging’s volunteers or helping them complete their Medicare process.” of the month, for their service and Hamme, of Spring Garden Township, dedication to the agency and York volunteers as a financial counselor. She County’s older adults. feels that it is important to be involved in Bierly, of Dover Township, volunteers as an APPRISE counselor. He has her community, and by volunteering, she is making a direct impact on the lives of been self-employed most of his life and others. decided he wanted to stay busy and help “To me, volunteering is like letting other people during retirement. Frank Gallagher Mindy Jo Hamme Herbert Bierly a car in when a lane is closed; if each “Medicare is as complicated as our person let in just one car, there wouldn’t tax system,” Bierly said. “I like to steer be a pile-up. If each person volunteered a people through it. Organizations like YCAAA are always in need of volunteers, who provide a valuable free little bit, then the need would not be so great,” Hamme said. service to the public. So find your niche and help.” Gallagher, of Springettsbury Township, also volunteers as an APPRISE counselor. He believes that his career in the commercial casualty insurance Do you know a 50+ volunteer who gives selflessly to others? Tell us what makes him or her so special and we will consider them for 50plus LIFE’s Volunteer Spotlight! industry gives him an understanding of how insurance is supposed to work. Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos are encouraged. Email preferred “I felt I could help others navigate the Medicare process, knowing how to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or mail nominations to 50plus LIFE, Volunteer Spotlight, confusing it was for me. The whole process can be daunting,” Gallagher 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512.
No Pie at Original Thanksgiving
The first Thanksgiving didn’t feature pies or cakes, because the Plymouth pilgrims had no ovens and a limited supply of sugar. But it may have included cranberries, which Native Americans used in a variety of foods (including pemmican, made from berries, dried venison, and melted fat) as well as for medicinal purposes. So what was the “original” Thanksgiving really like? In November 1621, William Bradford, the governor of the plantation, www.50plusLifePA.com
organized a feast for colonists and their neighbors, the Wampanoag tribe, to celebrate a successful harvest. The harvest had thrived thanks in part to Squanto, a native of the Patuxet tribe who had learned English as a slave before returning to his native land. Squanto taught the pilgrims how to grow corn, catch eels and fish, and avoid poisonous plants in the surrounding forest, as well as helping them to forge a relationship with the Wampanoag and its chief, Massasoit.
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