OutreachNC Magazine November 2016

COMPLIMENTARY

NOVEMBER 2016 | VOL. 7, ISSUE 11

Retirement: The Next Slice of Life Serving the Sandhills & Southern Piedmont

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 1

| OUTREACHNC.COM

race to recovery

:

joint replacement program

capeable

of getting you back in the game

Whether your passion is golf, tennis or even taking walks with your spouse, when the pain of arthritis makes you consider hip or knee replacement surgery, there’s really only one choice.

Only one joint replacement program in the Sandhills has been awarded two Gold Seals of ApprovalTM from The Joint Commission, the nation’s premier accreditation agency.

And Cape Fear Valley is designated a Blue Distinction CenterSM for Hip and Knee surgery by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Just two of the many reasons we’re CAPEable of keeping you in the game.

For a referral to an orthopedic surgeon who is part of Cape Fear Valley’s award-winning Race to Recovery joint replacement program, please call Carelink at (910) 615-link (5465) or toll free at 1-888-728-well.

2

Cape Fear Valley has earned OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016 The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval TM

www.capefearvalley.com

Moving Made EASY...

LOCAL MOVES | OUTBOUND & INBOUND INTERSTATE MOVES | INTRASTATE MOVES

What we do • Provide Climate-Controlled Storage • Packing & Unpacking • Transport Furniture to Out-of-Town Family Members • Deliver & Pick Up Packing Materials • Move & Store Furniture During Home Renovations • Move Furniture Within Your Home • Provide a Dedicated Move Coordinator

Because it’s that important...

• Family Owned & Operated For More Than 25 Years • Employees are Background Checked & Drug Tested • Licensed & Insured

Sandhills Moving & Storage Co.

Call for your free quote today!

800-528-3422 | SandhillsMoving.com | 910-692-8685 NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 3

features NOVEMBER 2016

26

Choosing a New Road

by Jennifer Webster

30

The Land of Unstructured Time

by Nan Leaptrott

36

Celebrating the Volunteer Spirit

by Michelle Goetzl

40

Better With Age Series: Walthour-Moss Foundation

by Jonathan Scott

44

Beyond Your Nest Egg: A Retirement Primer

by Rachel Stewart

48

Carolina Conversations with N.C. Symphony’s Maestro William Henry Curry

by Jonathan Scott

53

Honoring James Rogers McConnell: An American & French Hero

by David Hibbard

56

Lifestyle Living

by Carrie Frye 4

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Retiring Boomer Style Issue

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 5

departments November 2016

“November comes And November goes, With the last red berries And the first white snows.

62

The fires burn And the kettles sing, And earth sinks to rest Until next spring.”

63 advice & health

—Clyde Watson

life

66

10

Ask the Expert

by Amy Natt

14

Belle Weather

by Celia Rivenbark

64

Resource Marketplace Find the resources you need.

12

Hearing Health

by Kate Tuomala

22

Going Gluten-Free?

by Laura Buxenbaum

66

Generations

by Carrie Frye

16

Nutrition

by Michelle Cole

28

Cooking Simple

by Rhett Morris

18

Caregiving

by Mike Collins

60

20

Brain Health

by Karen D. Sullivan

Grey Matter Games Sudoku, Word Search & Crossword Puzzles

24

6

Open Enrollment 2016 Medicare Part D

by Jonathan Scott

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

62

The Reader’s Nook

by Michelle Goetzl

63

Over My Shoulder

by Ann Robson

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY

BY DIANA MATTHEWS

Quality health care Ranked a 4-Star Hospital by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Only NC Hospital recognized in the Top 49 Safest Hospitals In The Nation by Becker’s Health Care Review

Wrap up the perfect holiday gift that lasts all year!

12 issues of

only $26.99 Subscribe today!

OutreachNC.com info@outreachnc.com

910-692-9609 or mail a check to: P.O. Box 2478 Southern Pines, NC 28388

What's Online?

OutreachNC.com

articles

advice previous issues recipes

magazine extras

Ranked as a top performer by the Joint Commission, Scotland Health Care System continues to expand and enhance medical care for the many communities it serves.

This includes our affiliations with Carolinas HealthCare System of Charlotte, Duke Health, FirstHealth of the Carolinas and Pinehurst Surgical. These partnerships allow us to offer our patients a wide range of resources never before accessible in our region. These include: Scotland Physicians Network offers an efficient and unified approach to excellent patient care. These Network professionals are medical providers you know and trust; physicians and advanced clinical practitioners who have chosen to join themselves to a larger group of medical providers and to Scotland Health System.

• Five primary care centers with experienced health care professionals in Laurinburg, Maxton, Pembroke and Wagram (NC), and Bennettsville (SC).

• Two long-established Ob/Gyn practices which provide a wide scope of obstetrical and gynecological care from long-established health professionals. All surgeries are performed at Scotland Memorial Hospital.

– Women’s Health Center of the Carolinas in Laurinburg was founded in 1993.

– Marlboro Ob/Gyn in Bennettsville was founded in 1985.

• Two general surgery practices, which provide a wide scope of surgeries, including laparoscopic procedures and GI disease diagnosis/treatment. All surgeries are performed at Scotland Memorial Hospital.

– Scotland Surgical & GI in Laurinburg was founded in 1990 and now has three experienced general surgeons.

– Marlboro Surgical Associates in Bennettsville was founded in 2009 and has one experienced general surgeon.

A full range of top ranked surgical services supported by an excellent surgical team, including orthopedics, ophthalmology, Ob/Gyn, general surgery, ENT, podiatry, urology, and vascular surgery

A urology practice conveniently located in Laurinburg with experienced, board certified urologists also affiliated with Pinehurst Surgical.

Scotland Cancer Treatment Center – Our affiliation with Duke Health means that our patients have access to both medical oncology and radiation oncology, as well as important clinical trials and the latest research, all in the same facility. Our medical and radiation oncologists are all Duke affiliated providers, offering convenient, high quality care close to home.

Cardiovascular Services – our partnership with FirstHealth of the Carolinas allows us to offer cardiac catheterizations right here at Scotland Memorial Hospital Outpatient Endoscopy Center – A lower cost alternative for colonoscopies An Emergency Center with short wait times and the option to “hold your place in line” for non-life-threatening emergencies by scheduling online Urgent Care Facility located on the hospital campus offering convenient hours seven days a week A full range of diagnostic imaging services Supported by Charlotte Radiology, one of the nation’s largest radiology practices A full range of diagnostic laboratory services A Wound Healing Center staffed with a unique team of specialists dedicated to healing chronic wounds A four-bed Sleep Center to provide outpatient diagnostic sleep testing

Visit us at scotlandhealth.org for information about all the services provided by Scotland Health Care System – your partner for quality health care.

(910) 291-7000 • 500 Lauchwood Drive • Laurinburg, NC| OutreachNC.com 28352 NOVEMBER 2016 7

from the editor

N

ovember’s colors make for a brilliant Carolina landscape that never ceases to amaze me. Its beauty always makes me want to hold on and take it all in before the leaves fade and fall away, giving way to the next season.

This month, we celebrate Retiring Boomer Style: the trends, a retirement primer to protect your nest egg, choosing a community and weighing the options of aging in place, moving, downsizing and staying active in this “land of unstructured time.”

With the holidays fast approaching, we share some delicious recipes: Southern pecan pie, Italian sesame seed cookies, crustless Swiss chard tomato quiche and creamy avocado hummus. Co-editor Jeeves was happy to weigh in on this month’s Generations question since it is food-related. There are some helpful and healthy holiday-eating tips, too.

We sit down for Carolina Conversations with the North Carolina Symphony’s recently retired Maestro William Henry Curry to see how he plans on conducting his second 50.

And as November marks the time for counting our blessings, it is with much gratitude that we dedicate this issue to our Literary Circle columnist Cos Barnes.

We lost a friend with her passing last month. Cos, at 84, lived every day, always offering a helping hand, a kind word and a sweet smile. A voracious reader, poet, writer, woman of faith and friend to all who knew her, Cos left her mark and left her community a better place. She will be missed. Cos never missed a deadline or an issue in the magazine’s tenure. She was always a champion of our publication. For that, I could never adequately thank her, but I am forever grateful for knowing her. Godspeed, Cos. Thank you so much for turning these pages with us again this month. Jeeves is anxiously awaiting his next can of turkey and vegetables, his favorite flavor yearround. Until next month...

—Carrie Frye

8

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Editor in Chief Carrie Frye | carrief@OutreachNC.com Contributing Graphic Designers Nikki Lienhard, Jonathan Scott Contributing Proofreaders Michelle Goetzl, Jennifer Kirby, Kate Pomplun, Jennifer Webster Contributing Photographers Katherine Clark, Diana Matthews Contributing Writers Lauran Buxenbaum, Michelle Cole, Mike Collins, Michelle Goetzl, David Hibbard, Nan Leaptrott, Rhett Morris, Celia Rivenbark, Ann Robson, Jonathan Scott, Rachel Stewart, Karen D. Sullivan, Kate Tuomala, Jennifer Webster

Y Publisher Amy Natt | amyn@AgingOutreachServices.com Marketing & Public Relations Director Susan McKenzie | susanm@AgingOutreachServices.com Advertising Sales Executive Ashley Haddock | ashleyh@OutreachNC.com 910-690-9102 Advertising Sales Executive Butch Peiker | butchp@OutreachNC.com 904-477-8440 OutreachNC PO Box 2478 | 676 NW Broad Street Southern Pines, NC 28388 910-692-9609 Office | 910-695-0766 Fax info@OutreachNC.com

www.OutreachNC.com

OutreachNC is a publication of The entire contents of OutreachNC are copyrighted by Aging Outreach Services. Reproduction or use without permission of editorial, photographic or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. OutreachNC is published monthly on the first of each month.

The SouThern PineS BuSineSS ASSociATion & The Town of SouThern PineS inviTe you To

viSiT DownTown

n Pines Souther for The hoLiDAyS Tree Lighting

Saturday, December 3, 4:30pm

Be

Donnell G. (Buck) Adams, Jr. • Hurley E. Thompson, Jr. Clark H. Campbell • Michael G. Gorenflo

Real Estate Closings • Estates Business Law • Traffic Tickets Carthage

208 Monroe St. • 910-947-5141

Seven Lakes

105 Seven Lakes Ct. • 910-673-1325

Pinehurst

100 Market Square • 910-295-1700

ow of T

n

ed Vot

st P

Gu ests

Southern Pines Train Station

lac

e to

Bring Out

Parade of Trees December 3- December 31 Downtown Broad Street

Christmas Parade December 3, 11:00am Downtown Southern Pines

Downtown Open House Sunday, December 4, 12:00 - 4:00pm Downtown Retailers

First Eve

December 31, 6:00 - 8:00pm Downtown Broad Street

The mission of the Southern Pines Business Association is to encourage and enhance thecommercial well-being of Southern Pines and improve the quality of its common life.

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 9

advice

Our Aging Life Care ProfessionalsTM will answer any aging questions you may have.

Email us your questions! info@OutreachNC.com

ASK THE EXPERT

Emergency Transportation and Medicare Coverage

by Amy Natt, MS, CMC, CSA My wife lives in a care facility and was taken by ambulance to the local hospital. I was told that Medicare may not cover the cost. Can you please explain how this works?

Ambulance service is typically an expense covered, or partially covered, by health insurance when the ambulance is deemed medically necessary. There are several rules surrounding Medicare reimbursement for ambulance use, so this is a great opportunity to highlight some of those. If you are not yet Medicare eligible, call your health insurance provider to find out exactly what your plan covers. If you are Medicare eligible, make sure your supplemental policy has coverage for the 20 percent co-pay you may be billed.

According to www.MedicareInteractive.org, Medicare will cover emergency and nonemergency ambulance services, if: • It is medically necessary, meaning that an ambulance is the only safe way to transport you, and the reason for your trip is to receive a service or to return from a service that you need and Medicare will cover; • You are transported to and from certain locations; and • The supplier meets Medicare ambulance requirements.

An emergency is when your health is in serious danger and every second counts to prevent your health from getting worse.

If the trip is scheduled as a way to transport you from one location to another when your health is not in immediate danger, it is not considered an emergency. In a non-emergency situation, Medicare coverage of ambulance services is very limited.

Medicare.gov offers additional information that may help you understand some of the specifics.

10

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

How Often Is It Covered?

Medicare Part B covers ambulance services to or from a hospital, critical access hospital or skilled nursing facility. Medicare covers and helps pay for ambulance services only when other transportation could endanger your health, like if you have a health condition that requires this type of transportation.

Medicare only covers ambulance services to the nearest appropriate medical facility that’s able to provide the care you need. If you choose to be transported to a facility farther away, Medicare’s payment will be based on the charge to the closest appropriate facility. If no local facilities are available, Medicare will pay for transportation to the nearest facility outside your local area.

Emergency Ambulance Transportation You may receive emergency ambulance transportation during a medical emergency in which your health is in serious danger, and you can’t be safely transported by other means.

These are some examples of when Medicare might cover emergency ambulance transportation: • You’re in shock, unconscious or bleeding heavily.

• You need skilled medical treatment during transportation.

Non-emergency Ambulance Transportation You may be able to obtain non-emergency ambulance transportation, if such transportation is needed to diagnose your health condition and the use of any other transportation method could endanger your health.

“ ” To be prepared is half the victory.

HOLIDAYS with the

—Miguel de Cervantes

In some cases, Medicare may cover limited, medically necessary, non-emergency ambulance transportation, if you have a written order from your doctor stating that ambulance transportation is necessary due to your medical condition. Even though a situation isn’t an emergency, ambulance transportation may be medically necessary to transport you to a hospital or other health facility.

When you receive ambulance services in a non-emergency situation, and the ambulance company believes that Medicare may not pay for your particular ambulance service, it must give you an “Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage.”

If you receive scheduled, non-emergency ambulance transportation for three or more round trips in a 10-day period or at least once a week for three weeks or more from an ambulance company based in North Carolina and other specific states, you may now be affected by a Medicare demonstration program.

Under this demonstration, your ambulance company may send a request for prior authorization to Medicare before your fourth round trip in a 30-day period, so you and the company will know earlier in the process if Medicare is likely to cover your services.

For more information on your specific situation, call 1-800-MEDICARE. Readers may send questions to Natt, an Aging Life Care ProfessionalTM, certified senior advisor and CEO of Aging Outreach Services. She can be reached at amyn@agingoutreachservices.com .

Holiday Pops FRI, NOV 25, 7:30PM | RALEIGH SAT, NOV 26, 3PM | RALEIGH WED, DEC 7, 8PM | FAYET TEVILLE WED, DEC 21, 8PM | SOUTHERN PINES

Bring the family as we celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with this sparkling holiday spectacular!

A Candlelight Christmas FRI, DEC 23, 7PM | RALEIGH Raleigh Children’s Christmas Chorus

New Year’s Eve in Vienna

Join the Symphony for an evening of classical music written in sacred celebration.

SAT, DEC 31, 8PM | RALEIGH North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra

Catch the rhythm of the New Year, with the sweep of the Viennese waltz and the swing of the Big Band.

ncsymphony.org

919.733.2750 | 877.627.6724 NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 11

health

H E A R I N G H E A LT H

Hearing Loss Affects All Aspects of Life

by Kate Tuomala, MA, CCC-A, F-AAA

H

earing loss occurs gradually in most individuals, and few realize the damage it can inflict on overall quality of life.

Research over the past 15 years has only begun to emphasize the importance of seeking treatment when hearing loss becomes a factor in daily life. However, only one in five people actually takes advantage of all that hearing aids can offer after learning they aren’t hearing their best. The other four in five Americans who don’t use hearing aids sometimes delay treatment for so long that communication—even in the most optimal situations— becomes problematic.

Some effects of hearing loss on quality of life are more obvious than others. When hearing loss occurs, understanding conversation becomes more difficult.

Individuals must spend more time focusing on what a person is saying, must watch the speaker’s face to concentrate on lip-reading the words they can’t always hear, and usually must sit closer to the speaker in order to pick up part of the conversation. Communicating with friends and loved ones can become an exhausting exercise and can be very frustrating.

In a survey by the National Council on Aging, results from 4,000 adults with hearing loss and their significant others showed significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety and other psychosocial disorders. The data showed that hearing aid use positively affects quality of life for both the hearing aid wearer and his or her significant other. These findings were consistent with another large, randomized study in which participants fitted for hearing aids who experienced depression and decreased social interaction saw their conditions improve.

12

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Unfortunately, hearing loss is often ignored during diagnosis and treatment of cognitive memory disorders, particularly with older adults. Understanding this link, and the wealth of research linking hearing loss with other disorders, can help with more appropriate diagnoses and better outcomes from treatment in the future.

Many with hearing loss also list their overall wellness as unsatisfactory, including: • People with hearing loss are less satisfied with “life as a whole” than those without hearing loss.

• Fewer working-age individuals (18 to 64 years old) with hearing loss are employed than those without hearing loss.

• Loss of independence is another significant reason for dissatisfaction with some aspect of life.

• Depression symptoms in individuals 70 or older are more prevalent.

• Among the population with hearing loss, only 39 percent consider themselves to be in excellent or very good physical health, while 68 percent of well-hearing individuals say the same.

• Poor health appears to be a larger factor in the decision to retire among those with hearing loss than those without.

Tuomala, M.A., CCC-A, F-AAA, audiologist and owner of Audiology of the Sandhills, can be reached at 910-672-6094 or by visiting www.sandhillshearing.com .

The right dentist can make all the difference.

Apply now for the 2017 Youth Tour to D.C. Each year, Central Electric sponsors two rising high school juniors or seniors on the trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C. in connection with the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

While in D.C., they’ll join

1,500 other students from across the country to meet members of Congress and learn more about American history and the electric cooperative business model.

The 2017 Youth Tour trip will be June 10-16. The application period for next year’s trip has begun and will run through Jan. 13.

Visit www.CEMCPower.com to download the application or to find out more information on this incredible opportunity.

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 13

life

B E L L E W E AT H E R

Moms on Planes with Toddlers Should Relax; Dads Do

by Celia Rivenbark

W

hen I realized there was a toddler sitting behind me on a recent flight, I began to wonder what might be in my “adult goodie bag” that parents have taken to handing out in advance to apologize for any screaming, seat-kicking, etc. that might break out during air travel.

These bags usually have a sweet little note of apology, ostensibly written by the infant (“It’s my first flight!”) a couple of miniature candy bars, foam ear plugs and maybe some jellybeans.

What am I? 5?

How about a couple of mini bottles, some high-end noise-canceling headphones or maybe a fleece blankie from The Company Store? I’ll exchange contact information and you can have it monogrammed later. I’d really like that.

Jellybeans? Have you seen my dental work? I don’t flippin’ think so.

There has been a lot written lately about this trend of the beleaguered, Pinterest-crazed moms doling out bribery, er, goodie bags to seatmates. Notice I didn’t say dads. I have yet to hear of a dad doing anything so inherently goofy. It’s not that they’re inconsiderate. It’s just that there’s no way they are going to spend valuable free time that could be used to craft the perfect fantasy football team assembling goodie bags for total strangers. The male response to such a notion would be: “Who cares? It’s not like we’re ever going to see these people again.”

Exactly.

Ladies, please. Let’s stop this nonsense of making more work for ourselves. And while it all seems

14

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

very, we-are-the-worldish on the surface, it’s honestly more of a random act of passive aggression if you’re being honest. As you smilingly toss a Ziploc goodie bag to your fellow passengers, you are saying, without words: “Look. I gave you the M&Ms, so now you have to pretend you like me and my kid or you’re kind of a jerk.”

And nobody wants that label, especially in close quarters. So you are forced to act like all you’ve ever wanted in your whole life was a bag of candy from the Dollar Tree and a travel pack of tissues. You HAVE to accept the goodie bag even if you think it’s a contract that you really don’t want to sign.

But, more to the point, why apologize for your kid?

Toddlers, especially, don’t need an agent to explain that they’re going to be difficult on a flight. Everybody expects that. It’s life. Deal with it. Move on.

On that flight with the toddler behind me, the mom spent the entire two hours duck-walking her baby up and down the aisle. She never sat down once. (“See how hard I work to keep him quiet? Please love us!”)

Ugh. Stop caring so much what 119 strangers think about you. You can’t duck-walk your kid across the stage at his high school graduation. Or, to put it another way, put your own oxygen mask on first, then assist your child.

Rivenbark is the author of seven humor collections. Visit her website at www.celiarivenbark.com . ©2016 Celia Rivenbark.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

It’s Our FALL DINING

SALE Up to

20% OFF

ALL DINING GROUPS!

Dining Tables & Chairs Hutches & Servers Buffets & Cupboards Pantries & Corner Cabinets

Unfinished Furniture Outlet 1602 Hawkins Ave. | Sanford, NC Mon.-Fri.: 10am - 5pm • Sat.:10am-4pm

919.775.2944

SanfordUnfinishedFurniture.com

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 15

health

NUTRITION

Diabetes-Friendly Tips for Holiday Eating

by Michelle Cole, RD, LDN, CDE

T

he holidays are a time to enjoy friends, family and food. And although it seems inevitable, you can enjoy all three without high blood sugar and weight gain.

On average, Americans gain approximately two to three pounds in the holiday season. Since weight gain usually ties in closely with elevated blood glucose levels, physicians and diabetes educators caution their patients to avoid weight gain, especially during the holidays. While this weight gain isn’t dramatic, research shows we don’t lose it, and it tends to add up over the years. However, those pounds can be avoided through mindful eating in moderation and a few simple tips and tricks.

In preparation for a big holiday party or feast, do not skip meals throughout the day, as this may result in overeating. One way to consume fewer calories throughout the day is to eat breakfast. Include lots of fiber in your diet by eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Most adults need on average 25-35 grams of fiber daily. High-fiber foods are filling and will satisfy hunger, but are lower in calories. Be sure to also drink plenty of water throughout the day.

If you have diabetes, you can always talk to a registered dietitian about which foods to include in your meal plan. Some foods raise blood sugar more than others, and no two meal plans are the same (much like no two people’s blood glucose levels are the same). An example of a food that would raise blood glucose levels is a potato in comparison to steamed broccoli, a food that would likely not raise blood glucose levels. Perhaps including more steamed broccoli than potatoes on your plate at mealtime would be a good plan for better glucose control.

Holiday meals tend to be large, buffet-style and include second and third helpings. Eating large portions of foods that are perceived as healthy is a common mistake. It’s important to include nutrient-rich foods in your diet, but also remember that these foods have calories as well and should be eaten in moderation. Having a very small portion of many foods is a good strategy, rather than large portions of every food. You may also be able to have a small piece of dessert as well.

A very useful strategy to prevent overeating is using a smaller plate, which allows you to put less food on your plate and encourages proper portion sizes.

Michelle Cole is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with the FirstHealth Diabetes and Nutrition Education Center. FirstHealth’s Diabetes and Nutrition Education Center offers services in Moore, Montgomery, Hoke and Richmond counties. To schedule an appointment or to learn more about our services, call 800-364-0499.

16

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Also, start by filling your plate with vegetables and salad before going to the entrees and desserts. Eating a salad before your meal can help you eat fewer calories overall. Eat slowly and savor every bite, and before you go back for seconds wait 10 minutes to see if you really are still hungry.

A good rule of thumb is to use the “plate method� for meal planning. Make half your plate non-starchy vegetables (such as salads, broccoli and greens), a quarter of your plate grains (such as whole-grain rice, beans and quinoa), and a quarter of your plate lean meat. Serve with water or unsweet tea, a side of fruit, and a milk or yogurt.

Be sure to test your blood sugar before and two hours after the meal.

The American Diabetes Association recommends a blood glucose level of less than 180 two hours after the start of a meal.

Talk to your doctor if your blood sugar is higher than 180 regularly after meals and discuss ways to better control your glucose levels.

Finally, after dinner, get some physical activity.

This is a great time to go for a walk and catch up with family members.

Sitting down after a meal is not a good idea, as this can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. Be as active as possible and drink plenty of calorie-free liquids.

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 17

advice

CAREGIVING CAN MAKE LIFE CRAZY!

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

by Mike Collins “Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel, Like I’ve been tied to the whippin’ post.

Tied to the whippin’ post, tied to the whippin’ post.

Good Lord, I feel like I’m dyin’” —Whipping Post (1969), The Allman Brothers Band

T

here are 78 million baby boomers in America, and 40 million are already over 65. Even though many boomers are working longer than they expected, a significant number are already retired or can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What do you think your boomer retirement will be like? The upside is that we are healthier and will live longer than previous generations. The downside is that many of us have not done a good job of planning for the financial side of retirement.

Maybe you expect to have more time to travel, play with those new grandchildren, play more golf or attend more entertainment events. You know you might have to take a part-time job or start a little side business to supplement your income, because you haven’t saved as much as you probably should or could have, but whatever that side hustle is, it’ll be something fun, something you’ve always wanted to do.

You also know you’ll have to be more frugal, maybe downsize your living arrangements and dine out a little

18

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

less frequently. The budget will be a little tight, but you can make it work.

Then, Dad passes away and you worry about Mom living alone. Or, Mom starts repeating herself, forgets to take her medications and cannot remember where she parked the car at the mall. Maybe your spouse has a medical episode that looks like it will be short-term, but turns into something more serious than expected.

Remember that light at the end of the tunnel? For some boomers, that isn’t the light of the retirement promised land, it’s the headlight on a train coming at them ... caregiving.

Caregiving CAN be a wonderfully uplifting and even healing experience, but, not all the time and not for everyone. For many caregivers, the verse above, from The Allman Brothers Band’s song, “Whipping Post,” may be a perfect characterization of the caregiving experience and their lives.

Here are 10 ways caregiving can turn your boomer retirement into something different than you hoped:

1

FAMILY CARE: Increasingly, the trend in caregiving is to understand that more likely than not, you and your family will do most of the caregiving. Today, only 6 percent of older family members are cared for in a facility setting.

2

CAREGIVING AND CASH: Family caregivers save the nation over $500 billion every year. However, the experience is not free to the caregiver. According to a report at caring.com, 18 percent of caregivers of family members with Alzheimer’s or some other type of dementia “are likely to spend $20,000 or more per year on caregiving expenses.” Forty-two percent of caregivers report spending $5,000 or more per year on caregiving expenses.

3

CAREGIVING IMPACTS WORK: Mom can’t be left alone, and the cost of hiring sitters is prohibitive, so you and other family members cut back on work hours to care for her. Or, you quit work. That means less overall income and fewer contributions to retirement funds.

4

WHEN TO HELP: Dad thinks he’s fine even though he leaves the stove on, forgets he has a lit cigarette on the table and wears his shirts inside out. “I’m right as rain!

My driving is fine,” Dad says.

5

FAMILY CLASHES: If you think arguing with that loved one about the Carolina/Duke rivalry is contentious, wait until you start talking about who stays with Mom over the weekend, who pays for a caregiver, or what kind of care she really needs.

6

OVERWHELMING TASKS: Wandering, incontinence, violent outbursts and negative reactions to medicines are all potential caregiving experiences you may have to face.

your heart tells you those people are in there somewhere, your experiences tell you they are burdens.

8

SPIRITUAL IMPACT: A stressful caregiving experience can be a wonderful opportunity for your spirituality to uplift and support you. Or, it can be the supreme test of calling your faith into question.

9

LONE-SOLDIER SYNDROME: “Asking for help is a sign of weakness, you can do this! None of the other family members can do as good a job of taking care of Dad!” Caregivers are not unlike firefighters, police officers or soldiers. They spend most of their time facing and dealing with one crisis after another.

10

CAREGIVER BURNOUT: Depression is so common among caregivers that there should be T-shirts saying, “Caregiving = Depression.” Sleep deprivation, overwhelming challenges, not eating right or taking your own medications, isolation, financial burdens and conflicts with family, friends or healthcare professionals all have emotional and physical consequences.

Caregivers may not face all 10 of these issues, but the two best actions you can take to minimize or alleviate the possibility of the experiences are the same actions you used when thinking about retirement: anticipation and planning. If you spend a little time applying the question “What if?” to the 10 issues and developing a plan to deal with each situation, it’s more likely you’ll be hearing The Allman Brothers Band singing, “Blue Sky,” “You’re my blue sky, you’re my sunny day,” rather than “Whipping Post.”

7

CHANGES IN PERCEPTION: The parent who was always a rock, the spouse who was a true partner, the grandparent who always had a smile and a slice of cake for you, those folks may be gone, forever. Now, even though

Collins is the producer of the video, “Care for the Caregiver,” winner of a National Caregiver Friendly Award from Today’s Caregiver Magazine. For ways to deal with the craziness of caregiving, visit www.crazycaregiver.com .

Pinelawn

Plan For Your Legacy

* Advance planning options for traditional casket burial and cremated remains in the gardens * Above ground casket burial and cremation niches in four mausoleums * Customized bronze memorials for all burial sites

©2016 Mike Collins.

Memorial Park

Proud to support our veterans

W. Morganton Rd. • Southern Pines

910.692.6801

Family owned & operated since 1984 NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 19

health 5

THE

B R A I N H E A LT H

Most Common Questions About Dementia

by Karen D. Sullivan, Ph.D, ABPP

What’s the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?

Dementia is a general term for a group of symptoms that cause mental decline. By definition, symptoms of dementia always include changes in three areas: cognitive (short-term memory loss, trouble with word-finding, disorganization), behavior (decreased interest in previously enjoyed activities or irritability) and everyday functioning (forgetting to take medications or manage a checkbook).

Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells that reduces or stops communication between other brain cells. More than 50 different diseases cause the damage to brain cells that lead to dementia, with the most common being Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy Body dementia and vascular dementia, which is caused by strokes or a series of mini-strokes. So, you can have dementia and not have Alzheimer’s disease but, you cannot have Alzheimer’s disease and not have dementia.

Is dementia a normal part of aging?

No. While advancing age is the highest risk factor for developing dementia, it is not a normal part of aging.

Scientists began to realize that dementia is not an expected part of aging (previously called “Old Timers”) and is caused by different brain diseases. Normal age-related memory loss is relatively mild and most often results in trouble remembering names rapidly and multitasking as effectively as you once did. Plenty of older adults live well into their 90s with no memory symptoms.

How does dementia get diagnosed?

Neuropsychologists can accurately diagnose dementia symptoms in about 90 percent of people. We use three main tools to make a diagnosis: a detailed review of medical history; interview with the person and loved ones; and paper and pencil cognitive testing.

20

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Cognitive testing is comprehensive, usually taking about two to three hours. Quick screening tests are simply not sensitive enough and often lead to false results. With hundreds of different causes of dementia, an accurate diagnosis is essential, because it tells us what treatments will best help the person. If you know someone who appears to be losing mental abilities to a degree that interferes with daily activities, talking with the person’s primary care physician is a great start.

Is there a cure for dementia?

Treatment for dementia depends on its cause. There are some dementias that can be reversed, like those caused by a vitamin or hormone deficiency. In the case of most progressive dementias, such as Alzheimer’s disease, there is no cure, but there are medications that slow the symptoms at both early and moderate stages. These medications work best the earlier someone starts to take them, so having someone evaluated promptly by a qualified professional is critical to get the best short- and long-term outcome. In addition to medications, neuropsychologists offer many other types of recommendations to improve brain health, independence and quality of life to people with dementia and their caregivers.

How can I help someone with dementia?

Staying in touch with friends who may have dementia can be the most powerful thing you do, as they can become socially isolated, which surely makes the experience of having dementia worse.

Dr. Sullivan, a clinical neuropsychologist at Pinehurst Neuropsychology, can be reached at 910-420-8041 or by visiting www.pinehurstneuropsychology.com .

a

tC

an

He

Wh

lp?

Thank You!

for making AOS & Friends Care Mums for Memory a great success!

o W E Do T

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your charitable donation supports AOS & Friends Care programs and services for older adults, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Direct Care Grants | Personalized Music Program Support Groups | Community Education For more information on AOS & Friends Care programs and services, contact:

info@aosfcare.org | 910.585.6757 | www.AOSFCare.org NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 21

?

Going Gluten-Free

by Laura Buxenbaum, MPH, RD, LDN Recipes courtesy of www.southeastdairy.org

Creamy Avocado Hummus INGREDIENTS: 1 large avocado, peeled and pitted 1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 1/3 cup cilantro leaves 1/4 cup lime juice 1 large jalapeño, seeded, deveined, chopped 1/2 teaspoon sea salt DIRECTIONS Combine all ingredients in a food processor.

Blend until smooth (yields: 2 1/2 cups).

22

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

A

long with the time change and Thanksgiving, November marks Gluten-Free Diet Awareness Month. According to a recent Gallup Poll, one in five Americans include gluten-free food in their diet. Other consumer research shows that a gluten-free eating plan appeals to 30 percent of adults, making gluten-free one of the most popular diet trends in the U.S. Before you jump on this “breadless” band wagon, this diet fad, while medically necessary for some, is not for everyone. Here are some basics to help you decide whether this eating pattern is right for you and your health.

Crustless Swiss Chard INGREDIENTS Tomato Quiche 6 large eggs 1 1/2 cups lactose-free milk 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cups torn Swiss chard leaves 4 scallions, finely chopped 2 cups sliced plum tomatoes 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375° and grease two ( 8-inch) pie pans.

In a mixing bowl, mix eggs, milk, paprika and salt with a whisk until well-combined. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add Swiss chard. Cover and cook 2 or 3 minutes, until just beginning to wilt. Divide scallions, Swiss chard, tomatoes and cheese evenly between pie pans. Pour egg mixture over vegetables, dividing it evenly between pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned and eggs are set. Let stand at least 10 minutes before slicing into wedges.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a naturally occurring protein found in wheat, rye, barley and combinations of these grains. It helps food maintain shape, acting as a glue to hold food together. Foods that contain gluten include pasta, breads, baked goods, croutons and cereals. Gluten may show up as an ingredient in unexpected foods such soy sauce, salad dressings and canned soups.

Who needs a gluten-free diet?

A gluten-free diet is necessary for those who have celiac disease, an inherited auto-immune disease that causes people not to be able to digest gluten. For those with celiac, gluten spurs the immune system to attack the lining of the small intestines, causing nutrients not to be absorbed and leading to symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating and fatigue.

Some individuals not diagnosed with celiac disease may experience gluten sensitivity when consuming foods with gluten. People with gluten sensitivity do not test positive for celiac disease based on blood testing, nor do they have the same type of intestinal damage found in individuals with celiac disease. While many Americans believe they are gluten sensitive, research shows that this condition only affects 6 percent of the population.

Are there downsides to a gluten-free diet?

A diet that passes up the roll basket can be lifesaving for those with celiac and life-changing for those with gluten intolerance, but for the average consumer, eating a gluten-free diet isn’t necessarily healthier, nor can it lead to weight loss. Gluten-free products can be higher in calories, carbohydrates, fat and sugar, so be sure to read the nutritional labels.

Furthermore, while gluten itself doesn’t offer many nutritional benefits, the whole grains that contain gluten do. These nutrients include: fiber, which helps us feel full faster and longer, aids in digestion and can help control blood sugar and cholesterol levels; iron, which can help prevent fatigue and strengthen the immune system; and B vitamins such as folate that help maintain healthy skin, hair and muscles, form red blood cells, and promote healthy immune and nervous system function.

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that half of our daily grains are whole grains as they may help reduce the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Staying healthy on a gluten-free diet

Whether you follow a gluten free-diet for medical or personal reasons, it is important to focus on eating a variety of whole foods and moderating the pre-packaged gluten-free options. Follow the 2015 Dietary Guidelines and fill your plate with naturally gluten-free, nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins that include fish and chicken, low-fat and fat-free dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt, and grains that don’t contain gluten, like brown rice or quinoa. Keep in mind that for most Americans, consuming a healthy diet—that includes all food groups in appropriate portions—is the best way to maintain a healthy weight and reduce our risk for chronic diseases.

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 23

Open Enrollment 2016

Now Is The Time To Check Your Medicare Part D

by Jonathan Scott

F

or kids, fall means going back to school. For sports enthusiasts, it means football. For homeowners, it means raking leaves. For folks who receive Medicare, fall means the Open Enrollment Period (OEP).

Open Enrollment Period is known simply as OEP to the counselors who help Medicare recipients try to save money on their Part D prescription drug insurance. It’s a once-a-year opportunity to change policies and runs from Oct.15-Dec. 7.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t enjoy thinking about insurance, especially for prescription drugs. The truth is, as those who counsel during OEP know very well, those who are willing to invest a small amount of time reviewing their Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance can often save money. Sometimes, a lot of money. For certain people who take very expensive medicines, those savings can run even into the tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Currently in North Carolina, there are 20 different Medicare Part D drug policies available. Locating all these companies to determine how their insurance compares based on the medicines you take and where you want to shop for them is an overwhelming task to undertake, even with the possibility of saving money in the long run.

Fortunately, free help is available from counselors across North Carolina in the form of the N.C. Seniors Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP). SHIIP counselors provide no-cost help in evaluating your current coverage and comparing your options. They have at their disposal an easy-to-use online tool provided by Medicare.

The Medicare Plan Finder works like this: A counselor can enter your list of prescriptions, including dosages and frequency, along with your choice of pharmacies. There’s even an option if you order your medicines by mail order.

The Plan Finder then returns a list of policies ranked in order of least expensive to most expensive. Then, armed with specific information on the cost of the insurance and an estimated total of what your medicines will cost for the

24

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

year, you can make an informed choice. If you like, the SHIIP counselor can sign you up right there and then. You can rest assured that SHIIP counselors aren’t in the business of selling and their only interest is what’s best for you.

When you make an appointment with a SHIIP counselor, be sure to bring your Medicare card and a complete list of the medicines you’re currently taking, including dosages and frequency. Sometimes your pharmacy will print out a list for you. Or you can simply bring your current medicines in with you.

You can use the Medicare Plan Finder tool yourself by going to medicare.gov and clicking on the green button that says “Find health and drug plans.” You’ll be instructed to enter your Medicare number with some other basic information. Then you simply enter the medicines you take and your choice of pharmacy. Important note: When the Plan Finder returns a list of available policies, don’t choose based only on the cost of the monthly premiums.

The Plan Finder also calculates the total estimated annual cost of your premium plus the cost of your medicines.

Occasionally you can save more in the long run with a policy that has a slightly higher premium.

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you don’t need to worry about reviewing your prescription drug insurance because it’s most likely included in your health plan. Remember, though, that you have the option of changing your Advantage Plan during OEP. Check with a SHIIP counselor to see what plans are available in your county.

Have more questions?

Call SHIIP at 855-408-1212 or visit www.ncdoi.com/shiip

Sing the Season!

Moore County Choral Society HOLIDAY CONCERT with Moore Brass - Anne Dorsey, Conductor December 11, 2016, at 7:00 p.m.

Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College Adults $15 - Students $8 Tickets available at The Country Bookshop, The Campbell House, Kirk Tours of Pinehurst, Sandhills Winery in Seven Lakes, or at the door.

For more information, call 910-281-2029, or visit us at: moorecountychoralsociety.org

November 16 - 20 The Carolina Hotel - Pinehurst, NC

Experience active senior living & an independent lifestyle with the city at your fingertips!

The Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel is downtown Raleigh’s oldest surviving hotel building; constructed between 1923-1924.

Today, theRALEIGH’S Sir Walter SIR WALTER Virginia Dare Ballroom

Apartments are professionally managed and available for individuals ages 62 and older. We offer 140 apartments in the heart of downtown Raleigh for those individuals interested in living independently.

The

Historic S i r Wa lt e r a pa r t m e n t S A Little Slice of History in a Modern World 400 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC 27601

919-832-1300 | SirWalterapts.com NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 25

Choosing a New Road...

by Jennifer Webster

In 1916, American poet Robert Frost wrote wistfully of “The Road Not Taken.”

A hundred years later, people live long enough to return to the fork in the road and explore the untrodden way.

I

f you’re lucky enough to live through the demands of raising children and working every day, your “second 50” may well be a time for second chances. Was there a path in your life you didn’t explore, but now want to return to?

As they retire, baby boomers are treading new and often unique roads. These seven trends show the current boomer life choices on retirement:

Moving

Merrill Lynch reports 4.2 million retirees moved in 2015. Rather than seeking vacation spots, these boomers frequently cross the country to be near their kids and grandkids.

Building Big Nests

Some retirees do downsize; however, about half of those who move purchase even larger homes designed to entertain (or house) several generations at once.

26

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Gaining and Guarding Against Girth

Boomers smoke less than their Greatest Generation predecessors, but they weigh more. Result? They prioritize weight loss—even more than saving money—as a pre-retirement goal, according to Financial Advisor.

Volunteering

Today’s retireees are turning their impulse toward service into strenuous pursuits. Many traveled to Louisiana to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, AARP reports.

Sharing

Boomers are embracing social media, especially long-form endeavors, such as blogs. Topics range from shepherding parents through endof-life to travel logs and recipe collections. Other blogs take the shape of daily journals, often illustrated with photographs, tracing ordinary thoughts and events.

Working

In 2014, 18 percent of people age 65 and older were employed. By 2014, that number is expected to grow to more than 21 percent. And a tenth of those older than 75 are likely to be working then, up from 8 percent now.

Praying … and Questioning

More than 78 percent of U.S. seniors describe themselves as Christian (along with 2 percent Jewish, 1 percent Buddhist and less than 1 percent each Hindu and Muslim). However, boomers tend to approach religion through spirituality rather than institutional affiliation. While only a third attend church regularly, 61 percent pray daily and 45 percent meditate weekly, according to Pew Research Center. Many regularly experience profound awe at the wonders of the universe. More feel that truth is situational, rather than universal, and as a whole they prefer common sense to scripture as an aid to decision-making.

Forge Your Own Path

More important than what the trends say, what do you want to do with your second 50? Depending on your life choices and chances, you may be free of some outside sources of pressure: childrearing, making plans together with a spouse or following the dictates of a work schedule. Or maybe you need to rebalance your priorities; for instance, a divorce may give you extra time to spend excelling in your profession. Retirement, on the other hand, may leave room for a month-long solitary hike along the Appalachian Trail, or a summer retreat devoted to cultivating a deeper relationship with your spouse. Take a look back at that “road less traveled.” Perhaps you’re committed to the road you’re on … but then again, maybe you could begin to explore a new, untrodden path.

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 27

COOKING SIMPLE

Ingredients

Southern Pecan Pie

by Rhett Morris | Photography by Diana Matthews

¾ stick unsalted butter 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar ¾ cup light corn syrup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon grated orange zest ¼ teaspoon salt

3 large eggs 2 cups pecan halves (½ pound) 1 pie shell

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F with a baking sheet on middle rack. Let pie shell come to room temperature. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, orange zest and salt. Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in corn syrup mixture. Place pecans in pie shell and pour the corn syrup mixture evenly over them. Bake on hot baking sheet until filling is set, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely. Slice and serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

28

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Morris, owner of Rhett’s Restaurant, Personal Chef & Catering, is an awardwinning chef. He can be reached at 910-695-3663 or rhett@rhettsrpcc.com .

FREE Hearing Consultations

AUDIOLOGY of the Sandhills 1902-K N. Sandhills Blvd., Hwy. 1 Aberdeen, NC 28315 SandhillsHearing.com For Award-winning Service, call 910.692.6422

Belinda Bryant | Vallie Goins Kate Tuomala | Ruth Jones

• 140 support groups across the state

The Voice of Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias in North Carolina 1-800-228-8738 www.alznc.org Raleigh 1305 Navaho Drive, Suite 101 27609 Greenville 2245 Stantonburg Road, Suite C, 27834 Wilmington 219 Racine Drive, Suite B, 27403

• 250 educational sessions for 12,000 people in 2014-2015 • 3 dedicated offices in North Carolina • Over 85+ years of combined staff experience • 35 years of supporting families in North Carolina • All 100 North Carolina counties served

Mom Needs Trusted Home Care. And You Need Us. She took care of you and now it’s your turn, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day, but still, you want to give your mom your loving best. Talk to us. For over 60 years we’ve built a foundation of trust, confidence, and loving support for moms just like yours.

Call us. We’re here when you need us. Always.

910.246.1011 Nurse aides, companions & registered nursing services A Trinity Senior Living Community continuing the legacy of the Sisters of Providence Moore • Hoke • Cumberland Robeson • Harnett • Lee Counties sjp.org

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 29

The Land of Unstructured Time Are You Ready to Retire, Downsize, Move?

by Nan Leaptrott | Photography by Diana Matthews

E

ighteen-month-old Emmett watched without moving as the yellow butterfly encircled his head. He stood mesmerized by this tiny, fragile creature. His grandmother standing a few feet away knew it was a sign she and her husband had made the right choice.

Choices are not easy when making a decision about retiring, downsizing or moving away from what has been your everyday normal.

The decision certainly wasn’t easy for Sandy and Jerry Mashburn. They have lived in Southern Pines 40 years and in the same house for 30. They have connections, they are involved in their church, and they were engaged in their professions for many years.

The Mashburns are loved and accepted, so why would they want to uproot their life and move from the small-town atmosphere they knew so well to chaotic, highly congested Atlanta, Georgia? In one simple word: Emmett.

Sandy wants theirs to be an up-close family. She wants to have family dinners, and she wants to be there when her grandson Emmett leaves for his first day of school. She wants to see him play ball, or sing like his mother or play the trumpet like his dad.

Sandy and Jerry knew this instinct to be near family was the right one the day they stood in the yard of a house they thought of buying, a house where a supple stream could be heard lazing down the back of the wooded lot and a little yellow butterfly flew gently around a very still Emmett. It was a simple sign, a right sign for a new beginning.

People often make decisions about retiring, downsizing, or moving closer to family. Age isn’t a huge factor. The ages range from the nonagenarians to baby boomers. In 2011, the eldest members of the baby boom generation turned 65 years of age. Research informs us that every day for the next 14 years, 10,000 baby boomers will reach the age of 65, which means baby boomers will represent 26 percent of the total U.S. population.

30

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

However, if you know baby boomers, don’t tell them they are old. The average baby boomer believes old age begins at 72. Thanks to modern medicine and an emphasis on health initiatives for exercise and better eating habits, most baby boomers are feeling younger than their age implies, and most feel it’s not time to retire. More importantly, they don’t feel retirement is a consolation prize for showing up on your 65th birthday.

“Retirement needs to be more than just filling up dead time,” Jim Mashburn says. “I need to feel like I am essential to something or someone.”

Two deeply rooted New Yorkers, George and Camille Nagel, got tired of the bitter cold, huge traffic volume and noise and decided to move south. They both loved golf and were in need of sunshine and a slower paced lifestyle. Pinehurst offered them the best option for a move.

Along with playing golf, the Nagels looked for other ways to fill their days. They became active in their church and community, serving on various boards.

George, with the urging of a friend, picked up a paint brush and the two started painting houses.

That’s quite a switch from the high-powered managerial position he held for many years. Painting was a natural for George, and soon, he and his partner were in demand to paint houses from the eaves to the last row of siding.

A former banker, Camille’s deep New York brogue hasn’t changed as she acclimated from New York to Pinehurst; however, in her heart she’s becoming a true Southerner. Camille became captivated by tea parties, so her love for teapots was a natural. On weekends, she goes to estate sales to add to her collection. There are round, square and seasonal ones filling her shelves. Still she looks everywhere for a teapot no one wants anymore.

CONTINUED PAGE 32

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 31

Recipe from the kitchen of Camille Nagel

Italian Sesame Seed Cookies 1 cup of sesame seeds or more ¼ cup milk (more if needed) ¾ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 teaspoons baking powder 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup Crisco 2 eggs pinch of salt Beat vanilla extract into eggs. Cream sugar and Crisco together; add eggs and dry ingredients. Mix well. Work dough on floured board. Pick small amount of dough and roll in hands and shape like an oval cookie. Make a few at a time. Roll each cookie in milk and then in sesame seeds.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

George still plays golf but recently put away his paintbrush. Camille doesn’t play golf anymore, but nothing delights her more than having a friend stop by to have a cup of tea with her.

It’s not just tea when someone visits. Camille arranges an array of finger sandwiches, blueberry scones and other delicious delights on her dining room table dressed with a linen tablecloth. In and among the delicious treats are several teapots filled with exotic tea. One relaxing sip, and the world stops spinning and for a few moments, all is well.

A golf club and teapots may not seem to go together, but for Camille and George it is a perfect blend, a perfect transformation for two New Yorkers to embrace Pinehurst’s Southern style.

Unlike the Nagels, Sims and Lee Prescott have decided to postpone their retirement.

Lee would like to keep the couple’s fivebedroom home in Virgina Beach, Virginia, so their growing family can come home for extended visits and be able to spread out.

Stay in Southern Pines ◆ Close to Downtown Shops, Dining & Golf ◆ Sleeps 4 Comfortably ◆ Pets Welcome with Deposit

Book Today!

32

info@aosvc.com | 910.692.0683 | AOSVC.com

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Sims, however, thought this was not their only option, so they began to look at other alternatives. They looked at a cottage house with the thought of buying another small house in the North Carolina mountains.

Yet, when they considered the health care they receive and other perks they have where they are now, the Prescotts decided to work a few more years before retiring, so Lee gets to keep her big house for now.

Considering the choices available, at age 53, Jeff Leaptrott decided to retire as a firefighter and battalion chief in Troutman, utilizing North Carolina’s retirement system, which is based on 30 years of service.

“After looking at different scenarios, I’ve decided retiring is a good option,” Jeff says. “I am still healthy and in good physical shape. I can draw my pension, and I’ve started a new job that provides healthcare coverage. I also have a part-time lawn care business.

My intentions are to work until I reach Social Security eligibility.”

His wife, Karol, retired this year as a second-grade teacher with 31 years of service. Her retirement provides health care, and after six months, she has the option to serve as a substitute teacher if she chooses. For the Leaptrotts, the retirement decision was easy, and the couple continues working at their own pace.

Pinehurst was the place Jen and David Fayed chose for retirement, although it was a winding path that led them to the Sandhills.

CONTINUED PAGE 34

Facing the end of life is never easy. At FirstHealth Hospice, we make life last the whole time, providing comforting care with dignity and respect for both the patient and the family. Our professionally trained staff and volunteers provide emotional and spiritual support to enhance the quality of life for those in our community with a life-limiting illness.

For information on how we can care for you or a loved one, please call (910) 715-6000, toll-free (866) 861-7485 or visit www.firsthealth.org/hospice.

Making life last the whole time 423-131-15

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 33

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

The couple met 46 years ago in a college class, Social Forms of Dancing, at Hendrix College, a small United Methodist College in Arkansas. David was a junior and Jen a sophomore. They dated that year. Unfortunately Uncle Sam called David into the Army and Vietnam. They parted ways and did not see each other for nearly 30 years.

Jen and David reconnected, married and have lived in three states and five different homes. They chose Pinehurst for different reasons.

David loves to golf and to him Pinehurst is the “mecca” of golf. Jen wanted a friendly neighborhood and with the urging of mutual friends, they found what each was looking for in retirement.

Gardening was already a passion for Jen. She grew up in a small community in south Arkansas, where the whole town was her family.

Twelve families volunteered yearly to provide church flowers for the Sundays in their month. As an only child, Jen’s responsibility was to plant and grow flowers for her family’s church month. That’s when Jen’s gardening passion began, it continued throughout her life.

A friend once told Jen that hundreds of people will pass by your house, but few will enter it. Your landscape and home’s exterior will form their impression of you. David and Jen do most of their gardening. With that in mind, the couple knows they were fortunate to buy a home that was a former residence of two master gardeners, who established a magnificent backy ard with dogwoods, camellias, rhododendrons and sasanquas. Jen now spends her time working with perennials, creating blooms all year.

Jen is in her element surrounded by flowers, and David is in his while venturing around a golf course. To them, there’s nothing better than retirement.

The land of unstructured time is a longing for many, and there are decisions to make. Will our choice offer hurdles or opportunities?

Will we have to make sacrifices? Are our finances secure for now and for possible emergencies in the future? Are we willing to give both spouses their own personal space? The options are many, but where better to use your talents and explore other interests?

WE COVER MOORE COUNTY LIKE

AUTUMN LEAVES. 34

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

www.AberdeenTimes.com YOUR PLACE FOR BREAKING NEWS

Take the Worry Out of Caregiving Call us today to learn more...

We understand the value of having caregivers you can count on while you’re away.

We refer private-duty caregivers who have:

• Multiple state criminal background checks • Multiple professional reference checks • A 5-year employment history check • Credential verification • A personal interview

The ONLY Accredited Caregiver Registry in North Carolina Call us today!

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 35

910.692.0683 | AgingOutreachServices.com

Celebrating the Volunteer Spirit

A

by Michelle Goetzl | Photography by Diana Matthews

s Thanksgiving rolls around, many of us truly begin to get into the Christmas spirit. One regional tradition is to attend the annual Sandhills Children’s Center Festival of Trees.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the festival raises funds and awareness for special needs children while spreading the joy of the season.

Sandhills Children’s Center is a private, nonprofit organization that offers an inclusive developmental day program for children with and without special needs, ages birth through 5. The center provides educational, therapeutic and nutritional services as well as family support that benefits local children with disabilities. Opening its doors in 1970 as a program specifically designed for children with special needs, the center moved to a more inclusive peer-to-peer program for children of all backgrounds and abilities in the 1980s and has continued in that mission through today, instilling compassion at an early age.

“By not isolating children with special needs, the center becomes more realistic for everyone involved when they get out of school,” explains Teresa Cooper, director of events and community relations. “The children who are typically developing that go through the program learn to not look at those in a wheelchair or walker as being any different than themselves.”

The center, too, believes that no child should be —denied services due to their family’s economic status—which is a fine balancing act as approximately three quarters of the children enrolled for developmental disability services are families at poverty-level.

“Fundraising like the Festival of Trees is one of the ways that the center meets these budgetary goals,” says Robin Duff, community relations representative.

Although the center hosts an array of fundraisers, the Festival of Trees is by far their largest event.

In 1996, the Festival of Trees was brought to life by community members who wanted to raise funds for the center in order to bring therapeutic services to children in need.

36

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

to

“That first year, the trees were huge,” says Jeannie Eastman, a long-time volunteer and past board member who has been a part of the festival since its inception. “We had two long rows of them and an opening gala that raised $50,000, and everyone was thrilled.”

Since then, the festival has grown by leaps and bounds and this year will have a photo booth and gift shop on its Candy Cane Lane.

“That first year, there were 32 trees, and last year more than 200 trees,” recalls Cooper.

The festival has evolved from those early trees to tabletop trees, wreaths, garlands, and tree skirts as well as hosting the popular festival marketplace that takes place the day after the festival closes. Every penny raised goes to directly support the center and its efforts for children with special needs.

“Festival of Trees is a perfect way to combine the festive holiday spirit with the fate of the children’s center,” Eastman says. “The outpouring of love and donations shows the true generosity of those in our area. This festival is hope and joy all wrapped up in one.”

Keeping to the center’s mission and supporting these children with special needs is always at the forefront.

Each year, six children from the center are chosen as honorary children. The festival provides the tree, the center provides the money for gifts in a theme, and one of the teachers decorates the tree. At the festival’s end, those children get to keep all of the items that were a part of the tree. Their individual stories are included in the event program and the stories of the children are relayed to all attendees. Putting a face, name and story to a child with special needs makes the mission behind the festival that much more visible.

Christina Powers, DDS, a pediatric dentist in Pinehurst and long-time supporter of the center and festival, knows the good works of the nonprofit firsthand. She saw great strides in not only many of her pediatric patients but also with her nephew, who is autistic and attended preschool there.

CONTINUED PAGE 38

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 37

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

When her son was diagnosed with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes significant speech delays, seizures and Autism Spectrum Disorder, she chose the center for his care.

“For four years, I was confident that Hudson was at the best place possible to meet his needs and be his advocate,” Powers says. “I will always support the center for all they do for children and for how much they have done for my family.”

That community support also comes in the form of volunteer power for both the center’s day-to-day programs at its Southern Pines and Rockingham campuses as well as its fundraising events like the Festival of Trees. Volunteers do everything from decorating trees for auction to welcoming visitors.

Nancy Oakley’s love for the Christmas season has had her lending a helping hand to the effort for 19 years.

“I started volunteering, because it sounded fun,” Oakley says, grinning. “At my age, I only do things that are fun, and I encourage others to get involved and 38

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

decorate trees, because you never know who it touches.

Being a part of the festival is like a week of pure joy.”

There are volunteers, too, who lend their talents to the center at both campuses doing everything from rocking babies to reading or playing with the kids to office work, maintenance, answering phones or stuffing envelopes.

Brenda Denisar and Phil Keel, both of Pinehurst, were just two of the center’s volunteers on-site on a weekday morning assisting teachers and engaging with the kids during playtime.

More affectionately known to the children at the center as “Mr. Phil,” Keel was in high demand on the playground for pushing the swings, steering tricycles and playing in the sandbox.

“They seem to really enjoy when I come into the class,” Keel says. “I usually work with the 3- and 4-year-olds, and it’s a joy to watch them grow up.

I especially like working with the kids with special needs, because helping out benefits the class as a whole, so I always recommend volunteering. The kids give back so much to me.”

Festival of Trees, held Nov. 16-20 at the Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst, welcomes any donation for admission.

For more information on the festival or volunteering, call 910-692-3323 or 910-997-7160, or visit sandhillschildrenscenter.org.

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 39

BETTER WITH AGE SERIES

by Jonathan Scott Photography by Diana Matthews

Walthour-Moss Foundation

W

illiam Ozelle “Pappy” Moss and Virginia Walthour “Ginnie” Moss arrived in Southern Pines in 1928. They ran a livery stable that was located at the corner of Broad Street and Connecticut Avenue.

In 1942 they took over the Moore County Hounds, a local fox hunt started by James and Jackson Boyd in 1914.

CONTINUED PAGE 43

40

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 41

42

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

By the early 1970s, Pappy and Ginnie decided to do whatever they could to preserve the picturesque land the local equestrian community loved, establishing a charitable trust named the WalthourMoss Foundation. In 1978, after Pappy’s death, his estate donated 1,739 acres to become the first land permanently preserved by the foundation.

Over the years, up to her death in 2006, Ginnie donated nearly 900 more acres— land that might have fallen to commercial development. With the generosity of other members of the community, who donated both land and the resources to purchase more, The Walthour-Moss Foundation land now is proud to contain 4,167 acres.

The land is open for various uses but, according to Director Landon Russell, it is the only nature preserve dedicated to equestrian usages and enjoyed by riders from across the region like Sarah McMerty, left, and Joanie Bowden. Access to the acreage is located off U.S. 1 North and May Street in Southern Pines.

With an increasing amount of development in the area, the foundation’s protection of natural areas has become more valuable through the years.

Walthour-Moss Foundation land is also home to many endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers, who live in cavities they make in longleaf pines.

The foundation includes pines that still show marks made from harvesting turpentine during the late 19th century.

The turpentine industry was so widespread it gave North Carolina its nickname as the “Tar Heel State.”

For more information on the Walthour-Moss Foundation, call 910-695-7811 or visit www.walthour-moss.org .

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 43

R

etirement is just around the corner—but are you as ready as you think you are to ride off into the glowing sunset? Preparing for the next stage of your life is made up of many components. While many of these are financial in nature, they could also affect your emotional well-being down the road. Build your sense of security now so your golden years are filled with happiness instead of worry.

Ditching Debt Prior to Retiring Debt can happen to anyone, young or old. But as you near retirement, find ways to reduce your debt as much as possible to keep you from tapping into the funds you’ve worked so hard to save throughout the years.

Ways to reduce debt include: • Paying off debt more aggressively, such as making higher car payments • Refinancing your mortgage to get a lower interest rate • Paying off current credit cards, finding a new card with lower interest rate, or using them only for emergencies • Making extra payments when possible, averaging at least one extra payment every 12 months • Paying for everything in cash instead of using debit or credit, so you stick to a strict budget If you follow these steps and are still feeling underwater, talking to a financial planner could help you figure out what your next steps are—which may include delaying retirement a bit longer.

Beyond Your Nest Egg:

A Retirement Primer

by Rachel Stewart

44

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Diversify Your Savings Some people have pensions. Others have 401(k)s. Some might also have certificates of deposit (CD) or an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). No matter what mix of savings you currently have, now is the time to decide how you can tweak things so the money lasts longer. This may mean putting more away in your emergency fund, opening a money market or considering the stock market, mutual funds or annuities.

Write down what your retirement goals are, then meet with a financial planner at your bank or credit union to decide your next steps. A financial planner can also act as a guide as you age and the restrictions on your savings change.

For example, at age 50, you can increase your IRA and 401(k) contributions. If you have a pension, you’ll be able to tap into that resource when you turn 60. Having a financial coach in your corner can keep you on track of where you can improve before you put up that “Gone Fishing” sign for good.

Also, now is a great time to max out that emergency fund you should have with six to 12 months of living expenses. If you have extra money coming in, sock it away in your fund first—or have an automatic withdrawal from your checking to your savings on a monthly basis so you don’t even miss the money.

CONTINUED PAGE 46 NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 45

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45

Considering a Second Career?

Many people continue to work after they retire.

Some may do it as a way to simply stay busy, others may use the funds to pay off outstanding debts or augment their Social Security payments.

Some second career options seniors may consider include: • Nonprofit work. Giving back is important to many people and working for a nonprofit for a set consulting fee or low wage allows you to feel good about your community and put a little extra change in that emergency fund.

• Tutoring or substitute teaching. Many teachers or professors may prefer to keep their feet wet—and get flexible income as an after-school tutor or substitute teacher. If you’re tech savvy, there are even virtual tutoring services opportunities.

• Consulting or freelancing. If you worked for a corporation or firm, you most likely have valuable skills other companies are willing to pay for.

• Pet or home sitter. People’s schedules are more flexible near retirement age, which you can use to your advantage, especially if your friend doesn’t want to board Fido or leave their property unattended.

• Earning part-time income. Consider services like Airbnb or Uber. Love being out on the road? Have an extra room or motherin-law apartment in a great location? Companies like Airbnb and Uber let you earn money on your schedule by renting your home or acting as a taxi driver for tourists or locals who might need a ride.

• Selling real estate. Whether you’re flipping a house or renting a home, this gives you some additional income—and will be sure to keep you on your toes.

46

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Looking at the Estate of Things No one wants to think about the end of their lives, but what happens to your legacy when you are gone lies in your hands right now. Having a simple will or a more complex estate plan ensures your final wishes are fulfilled and that your loved ones don’t have to deal with extra red tape, legal fees or emotional stress of closing out your affairs.

At a minimum, a will should cover what sort of funeral you’d like and how you’d like to divide up your estate, including any property, land or belongings. Some people are very detailed; others might prefer to leave a portion of their earnings to charity. What you want matters—and so does getting it in writing. Also, conveying your wishes to your loved ones is important and can be a scary and emotional thing to do; however, it is well worth your time and effort.

Looking for the perfect gift?

A gift certificate to Carolina Eye’s Center for Aesthetics or LASIK Surgery is a unique, one-of-a-kind gift that can be personalized to give your loved ones the medical, laser or surgical treatments needed to help achieve the appearance they desire.

Open Arms

Retirement Center “Making a Difference in the Lives of Others”

Offering: Botox & Dermal Fillers Chemical Peels ● Facials Eyelid & Brow Lifts Laser Skin Resurfacing & Tightening

Assisted Living | Memory Care Music & Memory Certified

Let us help you in making a decision about the care you are seeking.

612 Health Drive | Raeford | 910-875-3949

(910) 295-1501 ● (800) 733-9355

Call us for your Business, Holiday & Special Event Catering Restaurant, Personal Chef & Catering Lunch: Mon-Sat

11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Dinner: Wed-Thurs 5-9:30 p.m.

Fri-Sat 5-10 p.m.

Call us today for a free quote...

Book Your Holiday Party

Today!

910.695.3663

All menus can be customized with fresh, local, seasonal ingredients.

On- and off-site catering available.

• • • • • • • • •

Appetizers House Made Breads Soups Salads Boxed Lunches Lunch Trays Entrees Side Dishes Desserts

132 West Pennsylvania Ave

Belvedere Plaza | Southern Pines

RhettsRPCC.com NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 47

48

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Carolina Conversations with

NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY’S

Maestro William Henry Curry

by Jonathan Scott | Photography by Diana Matthews

L

ast summer, Maestro William Henry Curry retired from an extraordinary 20-year tenure as artistic director of the North Carolina Symphony. He will be remembered for his remarkable ability to communicate with audiences of all ages, having led more educational concerts than any conductor in the symphony’s history. We caught up with Maestro Curry at William Peace University, where he teaches music appreciation. It only takes a minute listening to him talk with his students to see how much he defies the stereotype of the lofty, reserved and unapproachable symphony conductor.

ONC: Maestro, I understand that you began composing and conducting at the age of 14. What sort of upbringing led you to be so accomplished so young?

WHC: I came from an all-black, lower middle-class community. I was born

in 1954, the year of Brown vs. Board of Education. I think every black mother then was thinking that maybe her children would be able to go further than she did. So my mother was quite determined that her boys were going to excel. It was my mother who introduced me to classical music and jazz.

I became interested in music when I was about 5 or 6. Whenever I went to my parents’ friends houses, there would be pianos. I begged my parents for one, and it must have broken their hearts, because we simply didn’t have money for a piano or even lessons. We didn’t even have a phonograph, only a small radio.

When I was in the sixth grade, finally, someone in my all-black grade school said, “These kids are underserved. We got to get some music in here.”

So a gentleman named Eugene Reichenfeld came to school with musical instruments and the zeal of Johnny Appleseed. He was my musical savior. He became, after my mother, the second most important person in my life.

He was a conductor. That’s how lucky I was. One day, when I was about 14, he said, “Bill, I think you would make a good conductor.” I was astonished because I hadn’t told anyone, not even my parents, that was what I wanted to do. He said, “I’m going to have you conduct my orchestra next Thursday.” I told him that was great, only I didn’t know how to conduct.

CONTINUED PAGE 50

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 49

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49

He said, “Conductors are born and not made.” It took me 30 years to understand how true that is. You can be a musical genius and not be able to conduct with any ability and panache. It’s a complete mystery.

When I went home and told my dad, he said, “Boy, you can’t conduct.” But he told me the way his grandfather taught him how to swim was to throw him in the YMCA pool. So that’s what happened to me. I conducted for about an hour. I must have been terrible, but at the end of the rehearsal you couldn’t get the smile off my face.

What was that first piece was you conducted?

Reichenfeld was very brilliant. You don’t hand a young conductor a piece to do. You let him choose. In order to get over his selfconsciousness, he has to love the music. That’s the essence of conducting. So he asked me, “What would you like to conduct?”

Well, one evening when I was 14, playing viola in a youth symphony, I had an “out-of-body” experience while playing Wagner’s “Overture to Die Meistersingers.” So he let me conduct that piece. Afterwards he said, “Great, and in the spring, we’ll have you conduct a concert.” Now, it seems like he must have been a madman to have a 14-year-old kid conduct an adult orchestra in front of a paying audience. But he knew what he was doing.

At 21, you were appointed assistant conductor of the Richmond Chamber Orchestra. How did you attain such a prestigious position at that age?

50

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

When I was 19, while I was attending the Oberlin Conservatory, I went backstage to meet one of the great conductors of the world, Lorin Maazel. I don’t remember what I said, but I must have impressed him, because the next day he found my conducting teacher’s phone number and said, “What about this kid, Bill Curry?” My instructor must have said some kind things since Maazel told him he’d like me to audition for assistant conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra.

It was the most rigorous interview I ever had. I had to play the piano. I had to play my own instrument.

I had to show them an original composition. He would open up a score, one of a hundred, and say “What piece is this?” He played a 10-note dissonant chord and said, “I’m going to change one note and play it again.

Sing the note that’s different.”

I didn’t do so well at that. Thank God I didn’t get that job because in a professional orchestra, they’re good at killing a conductor when he’s not ready. They can be very cruel. They say, “Don’t put a guinea pig in front of me as a leader.”

You have to learn somewhere, but you shouldn’t be leading the Cleveland Orchestra at 19.

But anyway he let me conduct the orchestra the next day, and the brother of the executive director of the Richmond Symphony happened to be in the audience. When they had an opening there for an assistant conductor, he passed my name along to his sister. I was in my senior year at Oberlin when they invited me to come for an interview.

The rest of the story is kind of interesting, kind of funny, and also kind of sad.

They gave me the job. When I got to Virginia, they said, “Oh, by the way, we’re not giving you the title of assistant conductor. Your predecessor was also from Oberlin, and he didn’t work out so well.” It wasn’t until the year after I left that I learned the real story.

It was 1975, Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the old Confederacy, and when the board of directors found they had hired a black conductor, they said, “No way.”

So I decided to stay and make the best of it. Well, God helps fools for music. At the end of the year, we were performing Beethoven’s Ninth.

I was sitting in the orchestra in dress rehearsal and noticed that the conductor didn’t look so healthy. I thought, “If he’s indisposed, who’s going to conduct the concert? Could they possibly ask me? Well, they won’t ask me because I’m not really here with a title.”

The conductor got sick with kidney stones. So who was going to conduct Beethoven’s Ninth, the most difficult symphony ever written, that very night?

They weren’t going to let me conduct. They called Antal Doráti, the conductor of the National Symphony in Washington, DC. They woke him up at 3 a.m., saying, “Maestro, we’re in trouble. We’re performing Beethoven’s Ninth tonight without a conductor. Please help us out.”

He said, “Do you have an assistant conductor?”

And they said, “Well, sort of.” And he said, “Then let him conduct.” And he hung up on them.

They had no choice but to let the me do it. I remember being backstage before the performance and one of the percussionists said, “I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes for anything in the world.”

How’s that for a confidence boost? So I conducted, and the reviews were like my mother wrote them from heaven.

What brought you to the N.C. Symphony?

Later in my career, I won the Stokowski Award, had a Carnegie Hall debut and was nominated for a Grammy for my first recording. I conducted the New Orleans Symphony, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony and guest conducted around the world.

When the job opened up here in North Carolina, I had been already guest conducting the orchestra. It was one of those love at first sight things that happens sometimes in real life and happens rarely in the orchestra world.

It was like a 20year honeymoon.

Blissful.

What are your plans now that you’ve retired?

When I knew I was going to retire, I wanted to stay busy. I still guest conduct and am the musical director of the Durham Symphony. I’m starting an adult music education program as an adjunct professor at Duke in the spring. But I still wanted to do something different in music. That’s something that Aaron Copeland told me. “Make sure you keep adding on musical disciplines.” I’ve taught all my life in a sense—men and women whom I’ve mentored.

CONTINUED PAGE 52

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 51

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49

I’m well known for speaking to the audience, but I’d never done it formally in front of a classroom. So I thought I’d try teaching. When Peace University heard about this, they asked me to teach music appreciation.

I know you’re also well known for being able to connect with young people. What role do you think classical music has for kids these days?

We’ve known for a quarter of a century now that the budgets have been cut out of the schools for music. It’s considered an expendable luxury. But there are still kids who are interested in playing a musical instrument. The kids in the upper middle class can still play their violins, but what about the Bill Currys of the world? What happens to them?

That’s why I’m proud to be part of Kids Notes, which is a group in Durham, based on a program that came from Venezuela. It helps to get the underserved kids instruments. You have to prove that the parents have less than a certain income, but they’ll give kids free instruments and lessons. It’s a very intense program.

It’s very serious. The parents have to be part of it. But it’s thriving. They now have 100 kids in Durham. These kids are mainly minority kids, and you have to wonder where does the desire to play violin come from in these 7-year-old Latino or black kids when it’s not on TV? It’s nowhere. It’s not on the radio. It doesn’t come from their parents. It doesn’t come from their peers. It’s almost innate. Almost like destiny.

52

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

You don’t fit the stereotype of the aloof, arrogant orchestra conductor. Why is that?

When I was in Pittsburgh, the musical director was William Steinberg, and he allowed me to attend his rehearsals. He was one of those lofty, unapproachable European maestros. But on the last day I went up to him and said, “Maestro Steinberg, I wondered if you had a few minutes to talk to me about that Beethoven symphony.” He said, “I let you attend my rehearsals and that’s enough.” And he walked away.

I was crushed. He taught me what not to do. So that was a blessing. Because I would never do that to anyone.

So if you ask me what I’m most proud of, it’s that these young people know intuitively that I’m approachable.

And they do come up to me, and they know I’m a good listener, and that I’m not judgmental and somehow they sense that. If I’m proud of anything, it’s that.

What music do you listen to for enjoyment?

Wagner, of course. He’s my favorite composer. And Louis Armstrong. I’m now reading the biography “Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life” by Lawrence Bergreen.

Armstrong grew up in the red light district of New Orleans. What kept this kid, who stole food from garbage cans, whose mother was a prostitute, from becoming a criminal? It was because he loved that trumpet. He was disciplined, and he loved music. It just took him away.

He became the No. 1 music genius this country has produced. He was the most influential since he created jazz. He became a musical ambassador around the world.

I’m interested in people who came from nothing.

Honoring

JAMES ROGERS MCCONNELL An American & French Hero

by David Hibbard | Photography courtesy of Roland Gilliam

W

hat does service to your country—and perhaps another—look like?

Almost 100 years ago, Carthage resident and pilot James Rogers McConnell gave his life in an extraordinary act of military service, one that forever secured his place as a hero to the people of France and contributed to the ultimate success of that nation, the United States and their allies in World War I. And a present-day Carthage resident, Roland Gilliam, and two others crossed the Atlantic earlier this year to commemorate the centennial of the flying squadron, the “Escadrille Lafayette” that McConnell and other Americans so valiantly served.

“It’s really remarkable what he and his fellow pilots did,” Gilliam says.

CONTINUED PAGE 54 NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 53

“” McConnell was among the first fighter pilots in the world.

—Roland Gilliam

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54

Finding a Way to Serve McConnell, whose mother was French, attended the University of Virginia and had earned a law degree by the time World War I broke out in 1914.

McConnell, then 27, was like many young men of his day who felt a deep sense of obligation to their country. Many came from privileged backgrounds, but nonetheless were eager to join the war effort, even though the United States had yet to officially engage. In January 1915, McConnell sailed across the ocean to join the American Ambulance Corps in France.

He eventually withdrew from the ambulance corps, hoping to make an even greater impact by training to become a fighter pilot. Remember that this was a time when the term “fighter pilot” was new to the lexicon, the Wright brothers having made their historic first flight at Kitty Hawk a little more than 10 years earlier.

“You might say that McConnell was among the first fighter pilots in the world,” Gilliam says.

54

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

By 1916, the Lafayette Escadrille was formed, with McConnell being the fourth of seven original founders and one of the 38 original pilots flying under the French flag to join the war against the German forces. The squadron would see its first major action in May of that year at the Battle of Verdun.

McConnell would become the last American flying under French colors to die in action before the United States officially joined the war. On March 19, 1917—five days after his 30th birthday and less than three weeks before Congress declared war against Germany—McConnell was shot down and killed by two enemy planes while he was pursuing a German plane.

Gilliam said German forces already occupied the town where he was brought down beside a road.

“The Germans stole all the clothes from his body, except his underwear, and they also destroyed the town and killed all the livestock,” Gilliam explains.

French citizens buried McConnell near the spot where he died, Gilliam said, and his body remained there until 1928, when it was moved at the request of his family to a large memorial built to honor the Lafayette Escadrille.

Remembering the Sacrifice of Heroes The French people never forgot the service and sacrifice of McConnell and the other Americans in defense of their country during World War I. On April 20, 2016, France commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Lafayette Escadrille’s founding with a ceremony at the Monument in Marnes.

Gilliam, along with Pinehurst residents Jim Wiltjer and Felice Schillaci, all licensed pilots, attended the ceremony that day in the presence of many important French and American military and civilian authorities.

Flyovers by U.S. F-22 Raptors, French Mirage jets and a U.S. B-52 were part of the scene.

“We are here today to remind us that a hundred years ago, France and the United States of America stood up against the enemies of the free world,” said Jean-Marc Todeschini, secretary of state to the French minister of defense. “These pilots chose to defend a country they were not born (in), but they shared democratic values. We commemorate their valor in this symbolic place.”

The intrepid trio from Moore County drove over 1,700 miles and visited at least 10 historic sites in France on their 10-day sojourn.

Where We Go From Here

For more information on the James Rogers McConnell Air Museum in Carthage, visit www.carthageairmuseum.org .

Gilliam has worked to ensure McConnell’s legacy is remembered here at home. A licensed pilot for 58 years, who spent most of his career as the owner or superintendent of several construction companies, Gilliam, who hails from Virginia Beach, Virginia, always wanted to build an airstrip.

He found a parcel of land just outside of Carthage, moved there, and Gilliam-McConnell Airfield was dedicated in October 1996. This airfield serves many visiting pilots with aircraft maintenance. It is also the headquarters of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Chapter 1220.

Additionally, the airfield serves the taste buds of many local and visiting folks who arrive by both planes and cars for a meal at the Pik-n-Pig restaurant.

Next to the restaurant, there is a monument to McConnell, sent

by France in 1917, and a replica of a WWII aircraft, honoring Hoyle Upchurch from High Falls. Available land close to the landing strip was purchased by the James Rogers McConnell Air Museum, which is set to open March 19, 2017, the 100th anniversary of McConnell’s death.

Last year, the city of Carthage remembered McConnell with a large mural. Gilliam is investigating forming a Sister City arrangement with the small French town of Flavy le Martel, where pilot McConnell died and where the three American visitors were treated to a heartfelt ceremony and banquet. This union will foster cultural exchanges and tourism with the two small villages. Considering the rich history, all the pending activities and the fact that the center of county government is in Carthage, we may soon be able to call Carthage the biggest small town in North Carolina.

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 55

I

n 1998, Jackie Dwelle and her husband were in search of a home and community to meet both of their needs. She had accepted a position at St. Andrews University’s equestrian program in Laurinburg, and her husband, 19 years her senior, was looking for something better suited for retirement.

The Deercroft Community and Golf Club in Wagram met the couple’s combined goals, offering golf, a multitude of amenities, affordable homeowners association fees and a convenient location that is easily accessible from U.S. 15-501, making it a compromise between Southern Pines and Laurinburg.

“As a golfer, my husband was thrilled to be living on a golf course instead of a horse farm, which is what we moved from,” Dwelle says. “The golf course was the initial draw, but the pool and lake are wonderful amenities for swimming, community gatherings, kayaking and walking.”

Dwelle’s husband passed away two years ago, so she appreciates the true sense of community she found and has in Deercroft.

“There is a lot of support here,” she says. “People are always helping people. It’s just that Southern hospitality. Neighbors are out walking together, and I participate in yoga classes twice a week at the clubhouse. The homeowners association is quite active with a social committee planning potluck dinners, pool parties, holiday events and golfing groups for players of all skill levels.”

Although Dwelle doesn’t play golf herself, she’s out walking Abby, her yellow German shepherd mix, every morning all the way around the lake as she contemplates her own retirement planning.

“I look at it as my third 25,” she says, smiling. “I met my husband at 25, was married for 19 years, and now …

I do enjoy teaching and the opportunity to give back.”

For now, Dwelle is content continuing her work at St. Andrews coaching the dressage team and coming home to Deercroft.

“It’s a friendly community that respects individual privacy, while at the same time providing opportunities for community involvement, and the amenities for those interested in an outdoor lifestyle are plentiful.”

56

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Lifestyle Living

by Carrie Frye Photography by Diana Matthews

Whether to stay in your existing home or move is often the No. 1 question to deal with when it comes to planning for your second 50. The possibilities are nearly endless depending on your interests, wants, needs and goals, or in the event of an unanticipated health crisis. Options range from choosing a home in a neighborhood subdivision like Dwelle did at Deercroft to the other end of the care spectrum as needs change.

Aging In Place Eighty-seven percent of those age 65 and older will choose to stay in their own home, or age in place, according to a 2014 AARP study. Approximately 70 percent of those age 50-64 have the same intentions.

Having a plan to age in place is an ounce of prevention for when or if a crisis may arise. Factors to consider are: safety, support systems, affordability and personal preferences.

“Each living situation is different,” explains Kate Pomplun, an Aging Life Care Professional™ with Aging Care Solutions in Southern Pines. “It’s important to examine accessibility in the home—the physical entrance, the width of hallways, if a person has to step over a large bathtub in order to enter the shower, or if every bedroom is only accessible by stairs. A well person may not need to think about these things in their home, but if he or she wants to age in place, the possibility of future modifications is something to keep in mind.”

Independent Living There are a number of housing options if you want to downsize or have less maintenance. These can be 55-plus neighborhoods with active community groups, such as a Del Webb community, with planned neighborhoods, cottage-sized homes and a common clubhouse that may offer everything from a fitness center, restaurants, shopping, chapel and activities that are surrounded by lush landscapes. While independent living may be a perfect option depending on your stage of life by providing amenities, activities, meal plans, no maintenance, and safety and security features, the one thing missing is any aspect of health care.

CONTINUED PAGE 58

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 57

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 57

“When a resident’s healthcare needs change, depending on the community’s requirements, he or she will need to hire additional supportive services to be present in the home, or moving to a different living situation may be required,” Pomplun explains. “Home care services, too, are paid for out of pocket, or may be reimbursable with a longterm care policy depending upon the policy benefits.”

Assisted Living When your loved one is having trouble coping with the activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing or eating, the next level in the continuum of care is assisted living.

“Residents do everything they want to do, and they do it on their own to the best of their abilities,” explains Nydia Brooks, executive director at Fox Hollow Senior Living in Pinehurst. “In assisted living, individuals can still have visitors, they can still go shopping, go to church and continue their normal daily routine.”

When families reach a point to consider assisted living, there are concerns being raised about their loved one’s wellbeing. Brooks suggests the following questions as a guide of when it might be time to consider assisted living: • Does my loved one need help with meal preparation?

• Does my loved one need help with bathing and dressing?

• Is my loved one becoming more forgetful?

• Does my loved one need assistance with medications?

• Is my loved wandering away from home?

• Does my loved one need socialization with others?

Like home care in an independent living setting, Medicare and private insurance do not cover the costs of assisted living. Long-term care insurance may provide for some reimbursement.

It’s finally Fall!

“If I could encourage families to do one thing, it would be to tour early on, when you are not in a critical situation,” says Ashley Takacs, community relations director at Elmcroft of Southern Pines.. “Choose two or three communities to visit, as this gives you ample options and is not overwhelming when it comes down to making a choice.”

Placing a loved one is a life-changing decision for families.

“At the end of the day, the family has to feel comfortable with the decision that they make,” Brooks says. “We are here to assist with caring for their loved ones, so they can enjoy spending quality family time with them.”

Memory Care Memory care communities provide specialized facilities and dementia-trained staff to serve the needs of their residents. Individuals must have a primary diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

“In cases when a person has a diagnosis of dementia, the element of confusion creates even more things to consider, such as the risk of him or her wandering, the need to lock up items such as firearms, cleaning supplies and other household things that could pose a danger,” Pomplun explains.

Seniors with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive impairments require constant care and vigilance with an emphasis on safety and engagement, Brooks advises.

“The staffing ratio in a memory care community should be higher than in assisted living due to the needs of the residents,” she says. “Residents in a memory care setting will need additional hands-on assistance and cueing.”

Skilled Nursing Care Skilled nursing care facilities provide both long- and short-term rehabilitation services and care for those with more serious health concerns. Nursing staff is available around the clock, and therapy services are available on-site.

Howell Drug

Serving Raeford & Hoke County

SINCE 1947

Time to Give Baker a Call!

Baker Lawn Care

910.875.2385 or 910.308.4412 COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL • LANDSCAPING • LOT BLOWING

58

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Your Prescription for Savings!

910-875-3365

311 Teal Drive

RAEFORD

Order Refills Online!

HowellDrug.com

Continuing Care Retirement Communities Some may choose the option that provides the complete continuum of care in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), meaning all levels of care are available on one centralized campus.

“If a spouse goes into skilled care, the other spouse is able to walk to their apartment and continue to have a meaningful lifestyle journey,” says Norm Clingerman, director sales at Scotia Village, a CCRC in Laurinburg.

Five things that Clingerman advises looking for in a CCRC are faith-based communities, nonprofits, five-star nursing credentials, CARF accreditation and whether residents are allowed to be on financial boards.

In addition to all levels of care, there are more dining options, such as casual, evening and bar service.

Apartments offer high-end finishes and the ability to customize flooring, cabinetry and colors. Enhanced activity and educational programs are often more readily available.

“CCRCs give residents the comfort, peace of mind to the family and assurance that everything they will need for the rest of their life will be provided at the community,” Clingerman says. “CCRCs also give financial security for residents and their families by agreeing to provide future long-term care on-site, if needed.”

With the added amenities and health care, CCRCs do come at a higher cost.

“This option often has higher upfront or buy-in fees, but comes with assurance that space in each care level is available when it is needed,” Pomplun says. “Unless a person has a specific long-term care insurance policy, the fees are paid out of pocket. However, some CCRCs choose to be certified to provide Medicare services so some skilled nursing care in those instances may be covered.”

Do Your Homework Take a tour, have a meal, and ask questions, so you can make informed decisions no matter what type of housing option you may be considering.

“Visit at least three communities,” Clingerman adds.

“Each will have a different feel and culture.”

“When considering what type of community, if any, is best for you, do some research and fact gathering early,” Pomplun adds in agreement. “Meet with a trained professional to discuss your wishes as well as what might fit with your financial resources.”

PROTECT YOUR WEALTH HEALTH SOLUTIONS

Ken Parson

a a a a

From The Risk Of Long Term Care Expenses

Guaranteed Tax-Free Benefit Whether You Need Long Term Care Or Not Easy Planning With Fixed Premiums Plus Return Of Premium Options Save Money With No Waiting Period For Benefits To Start Being Paid Grow Your Wealth By Leveraging Long Term Care Dollars

www.TriangleHealthSolutions.net

| Call Ken Today at 919.667.6896 NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 59

GREY MATTER See Grey Matter Puzzle Answers on Page 62

Active Aloud Brain Career Clues Coals

Doctors Enter Erase Exotic Expects Extra

Faced Fluff Front Gates Glues Injures

Keeps Kittens Knelt Lawns Lever Loser

24. Try, as a case 25. _____ ID 28. Marine crustacean 32. “Mi chiamano Mimi,” e.g.

33. Breed 34. Gladly 35. Jiffs 36. Whacks 37. Data 38. Jersey, e.g.

39. Affectedly creative 40. Campus military org.

41. Satisfies 43. Catch, as in a net 45. Attired 46. “Guilty,” e.g.

47. Kind of wit 50. The “C” in U.P.C. 51. 20-20, e.g.

54. “Pumping ___” 55. Type of way to prepare oats 58. ___ mortals 59. Carries 60. Abstruse 61. Convened 62. Makeup, e.g.

63. Elizabeth ___, English suffragist

DOWN

ACROSS

1. Bent 5. Certain surgeon’s “patient” 9. Marienbad, for one

60

19. Clod chopper 12. Clearasil target 20. Black cat, maybe 13. Angry, with “up” 21. Avenue 15. Blue hue 16. Little sister, for example 23. Some Olympians, nowadays 18. “Cogito ___ sum”

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

1. Shellacking 2. An aviation organization 3. A chip, maybe 4. Undertake, with “out” 5. Aftershock

Maple Marched Model Names Occur Oddly Onion Overwhelming Person Piece Radius Reasonably Scent Shiny Silky Slope Solar Spectators Stalk Steep Stirs Stout Tennis Tidal Topics Visual Wanted Yards

6. Marriage and others 7. Brio 8. Moray, e.g.

9. Arid 10. Beep 11. Bunches 14. Abandons 15. Firm or solid earth (2 wds) 17. Elders’ teachings 22. “The Joy Luck Club” author 23. Synthetic material for wax modeling 24. A shrew 25. Port holders 26. “Gladiator” setting 27. Allowed 28. Fires 29. Birchbark 30. Holds up 31. Methuselah’s father 33. Bit 36. Inflammation of a mucous membrane 42. A pint, maybe 43. Firstborn 44. Call for 46. Surveys 47. Brinks 48. Length x width, for a rectangle 49. After-dinner drink 50. Hint 51. Old Chinese money 52. Any thing 53. Catch a glimpse of 56. ___ grass 57. “___ to Billie Joe”

Our Aging Life Care Professionals™ have the expertise you need to age with success Legal Family Housing Financial Advocacy Local Resources Crisis Intervention Care Coordination

The Experts in Aging Well

Call us today. We can help!

NOVEMBER 2016 | OutreachNC.com 910.692.0683 | AgingOutreachServices.com

61

life

THE READER’S NOOK

‘The Japanese Lover’ Book Review by Michelle Goetzl

I

sabel Allende is well-known for her sweeping historical novels that cover a family and their trials and tribulations. In her most recent work, “The Japanese Lover,” Allende focuses on the lives of Alma Belasco and Irina Bazili. Spanning from 1939 to modern day, “The Japanese Lover” not only touches on love, loss and family, but gives us brief glimpses of American history as well.

Alma is an octogenarian living at Lark House, an eccentric nursing home in San Francisco, and Irina is a care worker there who becomes Alma’s personal aide and assistant. The two women are separated by many years, but both share common parallels. Alma escaped Nazi Germany and Irina left post-Communist Romania, but more than that, both have life-shaping secrets that they’ve kept incredibly close to their chests.

In 1939, as Poland is falling under the shadow of the Nazi regime, young Alma Belasco is shipped off to live in San Francisco with her uncle’s family. There, she meets Ichimei Fukuda, the son of the family’s Japanese gardener.

The two become fast friends and share a special bond but are pulled apart when the Fukuda family, like thousands of others, are forced to live in an internment camp after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Their love withstands the test of time in secret.

While we read of Alma’s life, we also learn the story of Irina. She, too, has a troubled past that gets explained

GREY MATTER ANSWERS

CROSSWORD

62

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

about halfway through the book. More importantly, Irina becomes friendly with Alma’s grandson, Seth, who is trying to capture the story of his grandmother’s life while she is still lucid enough to share her memories. The two become intrigued by mysterious gifts and letters that have been sent to Alma and discover the extraordinary tale of Alma and Ichimei’s love.

A grand story that travels back and forth between different time periods, generations and continents, “The Japanese Lover” is a novel that explores identity, abandonment, redemption, and the impact of fate on our lives. Allende challenges her readers to consider how those around us impact our lives and our views on who we are.

At its core, the novel remains a story of love and loss, a theme that will easily connect with many of us.

WORD SEARCH

Goetzl writes an online blog—“Books My Kids Read.” She loves books and sharing that love of reading with children. She can be reached at booksmykidsread@gmail.com .

SUDOKU

life

OVER MY SHOULDER

The Best Is Yet To Be

W

by Ann Robson

e don’t often hear the words “baby boomer” and “retirement” in the same sentence. But we’ll be hearing them combined more and more as the last few years, the early boomers have reached retirement age.

Baby boomers are entering quite a new stage of life. They are now part of the retired demographic. They may still be the dynamic group they once were—the people who took on the world and dealt with anything that came their way. Retirement was a long way off and they didn’t give it much thought. Then, suddenly reality set in. If they thought about retirement, it was usually some wonderful new life, in an area with a perfect climate, and there were all the amenities of life— good shopping, wonderfully safe neighborhoods and perhaps sites for operas, concerts and theater.

The choices are endless—smaller, modern homes or perhaps a boat in which to live and tour the world, or a recreational vehicle that would serve as a home on wheels and endless travel would be possible.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? At some point, reality has to settle in. Real money is necessary for all lifestyles, from simple to extravagant. A lot of retirees will tell you that their biggest worry is whether they will outlive their funds. As we are living longer, we have more bills to pay.

Medical costs seem to be increasing at an alarming rate.

Low interest rates mean your nest egg is not growing as fast as you might need.

So what are boomers to do? Some are choosing to work past retirement age and delay taking Social

Security for a few years. Yet, debt is growing. A recent study found that only 25 percent of retirees are debt-free.

Misconceptions about Social Security providing a living income coupled with the fact that fewer and fewer companies are paying any sort of pension often come as a shock to newly retired people.

Planning ahead is still the best answer for a long, comfortable retirement. For many, such planning happens too late or not at all. There are many financial planners out there who may be able to help. Like any other major financial decision, do some research about planners. A friend who has already retired and is enjoying life is your best source of information. While starting early to plan for retirement is best, it’s never too late to get some help.

Retirement can be the best stage of your life. You are your own boss, and if you choose to play golf on a Tuesday, you don’t need permission from anyone, except perhaps your spouse. If you have a lifelong dream of becoming a painter, a writer, a wood carver, a quilt maker, you now have time to pursue many things.

One of the most rewarding retiree activities is volunteering. We each have something to give to others.

It is rewarding to see a smile on someone’s face, because you helped them. So often, retirees feel they are no longer needed. Volunteering will change your mind.

If you’re one of the thousands getting ready for retirement, you still have lots of life ahead. Enjoy it!

You’ll eventually ask yourself, “How did I have time to work?”

Robson is the author of “Over My Shoulder: Tales of Life and Death and Everything In Between.” She can be reached at overmyshoulder@charter.net .

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 63

RESOURCE MARKETPLACE

ASSISTED LIVING

DID YOU KNOW? November is National Family Caregivers Month, and these tips can help you take better care of yourself and your loved one.

Nydia Brooks Executive Director

Assisted Living & Memory Care 190 Fox Hollow Road Pinehurst, NC 28374 | 910.695.0011 mnbrooks@5ssl.com

www.FoxHollowSeniorLiving.com

• Seek support from other caregivers or find a local support group.

• Take care of your own health to keep your own strength up.

• Accept help and suggest specific things people can do to help you.

• Take respite breaks often.

• Watch out for signs of depression, and get help when you need it.

• Organize medical information, so it’s up to date and easy to find.

• Make sure legal documents are in order.

Source: caregiveraction.org

ASSISTED LIVING

ASSISTED LIVING

CANCER CARE

2 WAKE COUNTY LOCATIONS

Open Arms

Residential Assisted Living & Alzheimer’s Care

Retirement Center

Assisted Living | Memory Care Music & Memory Certified 612 Health Drive | Raeford 910-875-3949

1810 N. New Hope Road Raleigh, NC 27604 | 919.250.0255 901 Spring Arbor Court Apex, NC 27502 | 919.303.9990

www.SpringArborLiving.com

Rehabilitation Services 500 Lauchwood Drive Laurinburg, NC | 910.291.7800

www.ScotlandHealth.org DENTAL CARE

CARE MANAGEMENT

The Experts in Aging Well Ready to plan for your second 50?

The right dentist can make all the difference.

Serving South Central NC

Let our resources & experience help you maintain your independence.

We can help!

Visit us online

Our Aging Life CareTM Professionals provide a client-centered approach to guide families to decisions that ensure quality of care and optimal life.

ELDER LAW Michael G. Gorenflo Susan M. Lynch W. Austin Morris

The STAR Program® Rehabilitation Services for Cancer Patients Gary Hatchell, PT

AOSNC.com FINANCIAL

305 Page Road | Pinehurst, NC

910.295.1010

www.WellenerDental.com

HOME CARE AGENCY

75 Branches Serving You Across North Carolina Estate Planning & Administration Michael G. Gorenflo Attorney at Law 910-673-1325 mike@sandhillslawgroup.com

BUSINESS | PERSONAL | HOME WEALTH | INSURANCE

LOCALFIRSTBANK.COM Member FDIC |

64

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Equal Housing Lender

Moore • Hoke • Cumberland Robeson • Harnett • Lee Counties

910.246.1011

Nurse aides, companions & registered nursing services sjp.org

HOSPICE

HOME CARE SERVICES

HOSPITALS

senior health services A Network of Private-Duty Caregivers Serving South Central NC SOUTHERN PINES: 910.692.0683 CARY: 919.535.8713 info@AOSNC.com

AgingOutreachServices.com

HOSPITALS

Serving Scotland, Richmond, Robeson & Hoke counties in NC; Marlboro, Dillon & Chesterfield counties in SC

910.276.7176 | 877.276.7176 www.ScotlandHospice.org ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS

a full range of primary care for men and women ages 60 and older. Our physicians have special training in treating seniors and employ the most current information, treatments, medications and practices for disease prevention and diagnosis.

(910) 615-1630 HVAC

Experience FirstHealth Quality Contact us today!

910.692.9609 info@OutreachNC.com

www.firsthealth.org

PERSONAL CHEF | CATERING

NONPROFIT SERVICES

Your Full-Service Residential Heating and Air Conditioning Specialists Serving the Sandhills since 1953

910.778.5534

www.OneHourAirCarolinas.com

RELOCATION SERVICES

Let Rhett’s do the cooking for you! a

lp?

He

Wh

A nonprofit dedicated to tC o an W E Do T serving Direct Care Needs and supporting Programs and Events to benefit those affected by dementia in Moore County.

Takeout Prepared Meals | Personal Chef Dinners

For more information, contact: 910.585.6757 | info@aosfcare.org

REGISTRY OF CAREGIVERS

FRESH. LOCAL. SOUTHERN GOURMET.

SUPPORT GROUPS STATEWIDE

For Menu Options Call Today!

910.695.3663

132 W Pennsylvania Ave

Discover How Caregivers and Care Seekers Find Their Best Match at CaregiverNC.com

SOUTHERN PINES RhettsRPCC.com

Supporting NC families for three decades Find a support group alznc.org | 800.228.8738 NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 65

Generations

by Carrie Frye

OutreachNC asked adults and children our November question. Share your answer on our Facebook page.

What’s your favorite thing to eat for Thanksgiving, and who makes it best?

My homemade pumpkin pie.

—Homer, 67

Stuffing for the turkey that I make. —Patricia, 65 Turkey, and I make it best.

—Katherine, 71

Creamed onions that Grandma made. —Mary, 58 Pumpkin pie, and my mom makes it best! —Gillian, 63 Stuffing and gravy that I make every year. —Leslie, 70 Chicken and dumplings.

—Davis, 78

Dressing. My mamaw made it best! —Lynne, 84

—Brooke, 9

Turkey and potatoes and gravy.

Grandma makes it it so good that I just want to eat it all.

—Jacob, 9

Pumpkin muffins, and what makes them best is the chocolate chips. —Gunnar, 10 Rolls with ham smashed in the middle. —Henry, 10 Pumpkin pie, and my mom makes it best, because I don’t fancy the pumpkin pie Nana makes. —Morgan, 9 My mom makes the best ham, and a lot of it, so I have to eat it for lunch the next day. —David, 10

—Elizabeth, 59

Stuffing and chicken, yes, chicken.

My dad makes the best chicken.

The stuffing on the other hand can be bought from the store or homemade, doesn’t matter to me.

I love it. —Avery, 11

Pumpkin pie, and I make it the best. I use maple syrup instead of sugar. My secret ingredient is malted milk powder. —David, 63

Brussels sprouts with bacon. My mom puts brown sugar in them.

I’m the only person who likes Brussels sprouts! —Hannah, 11

Ham and sweet potatoes that my mom made. —Edna, 87 Cornbread dressing, and I make it best. (no bragging intended).

66

Turkey at the Pinehurst Resort.

OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016

Mashed potatoes that my grandpa makes. They warm my insides. —Brayden, 11 Squash casserole, and Nana makes it best. —Maggie, 11 Mom’s key lime pie. —Alexis, 11 Cranberry sauce. I gobble it down, and I love it even more because my grandma makes it.

—John, 11

Dirt cake. It’s not actually dirt.

It’s Oreos broken into little pieces and sprinkled on top. —Reese, 11 Beef Wellington, since my family doesn’t eat turkey. —Olivia, 11 Turkey covered in mashed potatoes with cranberry drizzled over it. It’s so delicious with the sweetness of the cranberry and juicy meat. —Audrey, 11 Roasted potatoes with a hint of garlic. My mom makes the best!

—Rachel, 11

Turkey dripping with gravy by whoever opens that delicious can! —OutreachNC Co-editor

Jeeves, 3

(formerly the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers)

Call on the Experts in Aging Well… …when looking for excellence in comprehensive services for aging or disabled adults and their families

ALCA

CRISIS INTERVENTION

HEALTH & DISABILITY TY

FINANCIAL

LEGAL

EXPERTISE HOU HOUSING

ADVOCACY CY

LOCAL RESOURCES

FAMILY

Aging Life Care™, also known as geriatric care management, is a holistic, clientcentered approach to caring for older adults or others facing ongoing health challenges. Working with families, the expertise of Aging Life Care Professionals™ provides the answers at a time of uncertainty. Their guidance leads families to the actions and decisions that ensure quality care and an optimal life for those they love, thus reducing worry, stress and time off of work for family caregivers.

Visit

for qualified, experienced professionals at aginglifecare.org

The Aging Life Care Professional is educated and experienced in any of several fields related to Aging Life Care / care management, including, but not limited to nursing, gerontology, social work, or psychology, with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care.

NOVEMBER 2016 |

OutreachNC.com 67

ONLY

ONE CARD EARNS YOU

$25

EARN A FREE $25 GIFT CARD IN 3 EASY STEPS Step 1 Apply for and then activate your new First Bank Platinum Rewards MasterCard®.

Step 2 Register your card at www.localfirstbank.com/rewards and make a qualifying purchase within 30 days of approved application.

Step 3 Receive 3,000 Reward points and redeem your points on our rewards site for your $25 gift card, or save your points to spend them on other merchandise like iPads® or airline tickets.

BONUS OFFER ENDS NOVEMBER 30TH. APPLY IN YOUR LOCAL BRANCH TODAY. To learn more, visit

LOCALFIRSTBANK.COM

68©2016 OutreachNC.com | NOVEMBER 2016 MasterCard. MasterCard, Debit MasterCard and the MasterCard brand marks are trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated. To receive First Bank Rewards bonus points equal in value of a $25 gift card, application must be received prior to November 30, 2016, and card owners must open and activate a First Bank Platinum Rewards MasterCard, make a qualifying purchase, and register their card at the First Bank Rewards website within 30 days of the approved application. Bonus Rewards Points awarded through this promotion will be credited to your account within 10 business days of your first purchase and card registration. Offer expires November 30, 2016. Member FDIC.