August 2021
ROBIN FISH/ENTERPRISE
A YEAR OF LIVING
Betsy Meyer, left, is the dementia friendly Park Rapids coordinator; Connie Carmichael is the executive director of Living at Home of the Park Rapids Area.
dementia friendly Project is already having an impact
By Robin Fish rfish@parkrapidsenterprise.com On June 30, the Dementia-Friendly Park Rapids action team closed out a one-year, $50,000 grant to promote memory loss awareness. Connie Carmichael, executive director of Living at Home of the Park Rapids Area (LAH), and Betsy Meyer, part-time coordinator of the dementia-friendly community program, recently reviewed the progress they made and the next steps in view. “The thing is, you don’t just become dementia friendly and then you’re done,” said Carmichael. “It’s an ongoing thing; it’s a forever thing, until they find a cure and there’s no dementia. We’re always striving to be dementia friendly.”
She called it a process of educating people about what resources are available in the community and where to call for help. “It’s a journey,” said Carmichael. “For some people, it’s a year or two. For some people it’s a 10- or 15-year journey. And those needs change along their path.” They’ve applied for funding for another year, she said, but it’s a competitive grant and awards may not be announced for weeks. “Betsy’s position was originally funded through that first grant,” she said. But despite uncertainty about whether they will be funded, Carmichael hinted that Dementia-Friendly Park Rapids has become one of LAH’s core services and she feels it needs to be an ongoing commitment. “Because it’s the only home for a dementia-friendly community, as far as who’s going to make sure that it’s gonna happen,” she said.
DEMENTIA FRIENDLY: Page 3
Inside this issue... 2 Tomato Frenzy 4 Social Security perk for older parents 4 Helping those who are grieving 5 Peach Pasta Salad 6 Beware of declining money management skills 8 Dementia-friendly ‘Yesteryear Kits’ available
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TOMATO
F RE NZ Y How to keep tomato plants healthy and happy America’s gardeners love tomatoes. The homegrown tomato consistently tops the vegetable popularity chart, as gardeners strive to keep plants healthy and the fruits blemish-free. My wife, Mary, and I are no exception to the tomato growing frenzy. Each year we plant about 30 tomato plants, eating what we can and canning what we can’t, although last year’s canning lid shortage made freezing a preferred option. The following are gardening tips for keeping tomato plants healthy, happy and productive: ► Hopefully, we all remembered to plant our tomatoes deeply, because they produce roots along the buried stem, building a larger root system capable of increased tomato production. If we didn’t, hilling soil up around the plant’s base helps compensate and makes plants less susceptible to wind whipping. ► Know which type of tomato plant you’re growing, because care can differ. Determinate varieties are more bushlike, producing fruit without extensive vines. Indeterminate varieties continue growing vines throughout the season. If you’re unsure, but know the name of your tomato cultivar, the type is usually indicated on the tag or easily researched online. ► Determinate tomato types can be grown without cages or staking, although they can be used if desired. Indeterminate varieties sprawl outward if not supported, so caging or staking is recommended. ► Tomato cages or stakes are best installed while plants are young, so developing growth can grow
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Tomatoes remain America’s most popular homegrown garden vegetable.
Growing Together BY DON KINZLER Gardening Columnist between cage slats, or be tied to stakes as the plants get bigger. Staking and caging help prevent foliage diseases by keeping plants off the ground, allowing increased air circulation. ► Fertilize tomato plants as they grow to maintain vigorous vines and provide nutrition for developing fruit. Water-soluble types like Miracle-Gro can be applied every two weeks, using either the all-purpose formulation or the type developed especially for tomatoes. Another option is granular well-balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 applied to the soil around plants, following label directions. Do not use high-nitrogen lawn-type fertilizers, which cause excessive leafy growth at the expense of fruit production. ► Removing any tomato leaves that touch the soil can help prevent soil-borne disease organisms from accessing plants, reducing the likelihood of foliage blights. ► Pruning indeterminate tomato varieties can increase fruit quality and production while limiting
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the sprawl. Pruning involves removing side shoots, called suckers, that form in the axils where leaves meet stems. To begin pruning, locate the lowest flower cluster on the plant and the sturdy sucker immediately below it. Allow that sucker to remain, which will grow into a second vine partnered with the original. Remove all suckers above and below that point, so the plant will have only two main vines. Remove additional suckers as they form during the summer.
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A Social Security perk for older parents The Savvy Senior BY JIM MILLER Columnist
D
ear Savvy Senior, I’ve been told that my two children, ages 14 and 16, may be eligible for Social Security when I file for my retirement benefits. Is this true? What can you tell me? ~ Viagra Daddy Dear Viagra Daddy, It’s true. If you’re age 62 or older and are still raising young children, there’s a Social Security benefit strategy that can put some extra money in your family coffers. Here’s how it works. When you file for Social Security retirement benefits, your minor children can get money on your work record equaling half of what you would receive at full retirement age, now gradually rising from 66 to 67. Even if you were to take a smaller benefit by claiming earlier, your kids will still get half of your full retirement age amount. To qualify, your daughter – whether she’s biological, adopted or a stepdaughter – must be unmarried and under age 18. Kids that are over 18 but still in high school, can collect too until they graduate or turn 19, whichever comes first. (Other rules apply to kids that are disabled.) But that’s not all. Because one of your children is only 14, your wife (if you’re married) can collect Social Security benefits on your work record, too, and it doesn’t matter if she’s just 40 years old. The minimum age requirements to collect retirement benefits (62) or survivor benefits (60) does not apply when it comes to collecting benefits as the caregiver of a young child. The spouse’s benefit, which is also worth up to half of your benefit, will stop when your daughter turns 16.
But note that there are limits to the amount of money that can be paid to a family. The Social Security “family maximum payment” is determined by a complex formula and can range from 150 to 180 percent of your full retirement benefit amount. If the total exceeds that, each person’s benefit, except yours, is cut proportionately until it equals the maximum. Here’s an example of how that’s figured. Let’s say, for example, that your full retirement age benefit is $2,400 per month. That would make your family maximum benefit (according to the Social Security formula at SSA.gov/oact/cola/familymax. html) roughly $4,200 per month. Subtract your $2,400 benefit from the $4,200 family maximum benefit, which leaves $1,800. That’s the monthly amount that can be split between your two children – $900 each. If your wife wants in on it, too, the individual checks are smaller, at $600 a piece, but the family amount is the same. You should also know that minor children can collect up to half of a disabled parent’s Social Security
disability benefit. And if the parent dies, they will get a survivor’s benefit, which is up to 75 percent of the deceased parent’s basic Social Security benefit. To learn more, see the SSA publication (No. 05-10085) “Benefits for Children” at SSA.gov/pubs/ EN-05-10085.pdf.
One caveat Social Security benefits for your kids may not be available before full retirement age if you are still working. In 2021, you will lose $1 in benefits for every $2 earned over $18,960, except in the year you reach full retirement age. In that case, the earnings limit is $50,520, with $1 in benefits withheld for every $3 earned over the limit. If you lose your benefits, your dependents also lose theirs. You can recoup those payments later, but your kids can’t. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070 or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
How to help those who are grieving
H
olidays can be difficult for many reasons. Family stress, financial struggles, and for some, the loss of a loved one bring on loneliness and memories of what used to be. There once was a lady whose spouse died right before the holidays. She told her family she couldn’t handle celebrating any of the holidays and was going to go on a three-month vacation. While she was gone, she was so surprised and thankful at how well she was doing. Not much crying or even thinking of her spouse. When she returned home and walked in the door, she found herself right back to the day her spouse had died. She had to start at day one to
passed. Some have a special place where they have a picture and a lit candle. Others leave an empty chair at the table or take time during the holiday to share memories. It is important to keep eration. Or, if you don’t their loved one’s memofeel ready to do that, ry alive and to encourage then ask for help. Make family to do the same. Now, not all families time to rest and reflect on how you are doing have happy memories and feeling. The more of the person who has a person “stuffs” their passed, which can lead feelings the easier it is to to a much more stressful grieving time. In a slip into depression. Some people like to use case like this, for some symbols and/or remind- families, they have each ers of the one who has person write a letter to
The Family Circle BY LAUREL HED Columnist begin her grief work. This is a difficult time for everybody, so be kind to yourself. It takes time to adjust to your new normal. Some ways that may be helpful is to change things up. If you always hosted the holidays, it may be time to pass the baton to the next gen-
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the one who has passed away. They say what has caused them sadness and/or anger. After everyone has written their letter they are collected and burned. This helps to represent “letting go” of any hurts, anger, sadness and helps them move past and start the grieving process. The main message is to remember to be
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patient and gentle with yourself. You are a special, unique person who needs to go through this journey called grief and you must do what works best for you. The holidays/celebrations will go on with or without your usual way of doing things and that is ok. Laurel Hed is a licensed social worker and geriatric care manager for Thomason Swanson and Zahn Law Firm.
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August 2021
This Peach Pasta Salad is summer personified Summer Peach Pasta Salad showcases the best of what is currently fresh in one stunning big-batch salad. Peaches, tomatoes and sweet corn are the seasonal hits in this brightly flavored, refreshing summer salad, and they come together to create an incredible sweet and salty taste experience. July is the start of our summer produce season, and a time when we are able to add more variety to our menus with ease, inspired simply by the fresh foods we see at our local markets. It is a marvelous time to be a foodie. Beautiful, fresh peaches are now available, and for this recipe you should look for fruit that is ripe and slightly firm so that the peaches can hold up well in the salad. I use fresh sweet corn cut straight from the cob for this recipe, but you could also use canned or
Home with the Lost Italian BY SARAH & TONY NASELLO
Columnist
frozen corn, and you can leave the kernels raw or grill them for a pop of smoky flavor. I use fusilli pasta for this salad, which are corkscrew shaped noodles that help catch all the good flavor of the salad, and you can find it at Hornbacher’s locally, under the Rao’s brand. If you cannot find fusilli, look for a noodle that has some nooks and crannies, like bowtie or rotini. This summer salad recipe also features baby arugula, for a touch of peppery freshness, and if you do not care for that flavor profile, fresh spinach leaves would also work great. Radicchio is also included, a
SARAH NASELLO / THE FORUM
Fresh peaches and ripe cherry tomatoes are in season and abundantly available at local markets and grocery stores.
wonderful bitter green with a deep purple leaf that brings a bitter crunch and color to the dish. A sprinkling of creamy, salty feta cheese is added to balance the bitter spice of the veggies, and a Zesty Lemon Vinaigrette rounds out the flavors and brings them all together. The vinaigrette is one of my go-to dressings and is a simple blend of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon zest and seasoning. It goes with nearly any salad, and I recommend doubling the recipe and keeping some on hand to use in other salads. This pasta salad can be made up to four days in advance of serving, and the vinaigrette will last even longer. It can be served chilled or warm, as you desire, and is perfect with fish, pork and chicken dishes or as a vegetarian option. This big-batch salad recipe yields about eight to 10 servings and is the perfect side dish for summer picnics and barbecues. You can add ingredients to enhance the dish, like thinly sliced Italian salami, almonds or pine nuts or grilled chicken.
SARAH NASELLO / THE FORUM
This big-batch salad features sweet corn, radicchio, arugula, crumbled feta cheese, red onion, fresh peaches and fusilli pasta. This Peach Pasta Salad Zesty Lemon Vinaiis summer personified grette: – beautifully colored, 1/3 cup extra virgin freshly flavored and full olive oil of the tastes of the sea1-1/2 Tbsp. red wine son. Enjoy! vinegar Zest of 1 lemon (or 1 heaping tablespoon) Summer Peach 1/4 tsp. crushed red Pasta Salad pepper flakes Salad: 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1 pound fusilli, bowtie 1/4 tsp. freshly ground or rotini pasta 2 Tbsp. extra virgin black pepper Cook the pasta accordolive oil, divided 2 large ripe peaches, ing to the directions on the package, until al sliced 1 pint cherry tomatoes, dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. halved In a small bowl, add the 1 cup sweet corn, fresh, canned or frozen olive oil and vinegar and whisk together until fully (thawed) 1/2 medium red onion, combined. Add the lemon zest, crushed red pepper, thinly sliced salt and pepper and whisk 5 cups baby arugula 1 cup radicchio, cut vigorously until cominto slices about ¼-inch bined. Taste and adjust wide (like shredded cab- seasonings as desired; set aside. (Dressing may be bage) 4 oz. feta cheese, made up to one week in advance.) crumbled
In the bowl with the pasta, add the peach slices, tomatoes, corn, red onion, arugula and radicchio and toss to combine. Sprinkle the crumbled feta over the top of the salad, then add the dressing. Toss until evenly distributed. Serves eight to 10. To store: This salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. “Home with the Lost Italian” is a weekly column written by Sarah Nasello featuring recipes by her husband, Tony Nasello. The couple owned Sarello’s in Moorhead and lives in Fargo with their son, Giovanni. Readers can reach them at sarahnasello@gmail.com. • FULL SERVICE CONSTRUCTION • CONCRETE/MASONRY
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Beware of declining money management skills Dear Readers: Whether regarding scams, elder abuse or dementia, older adults’ money management has been a hot media topic lately. Since I hear from readers about this as well, I thought it may be helpful to provide some resources for adult children to consider. While many people well into their 80s and beyond are capable of handling their own money, most make plans for a time when that could change. Financial management skills are likely to decline, though with significant variances between people. These factors alone don’t signal dementia since this is a part of normal aging. Extreme money management problems, however, may signify something more serious. If you have trouble initiating these conversations, you might find it helpful to read my column published May 1 (“Some older parents are reluctant to share financial info with their children”). Next, consider how well your parents have managed money in the past. Some could barely keep track of their checking accounts no matter their age. Others were whizzes. Most will fall in the middle. Understanding their financial management history can help you plan for when you might be needed as a backup manager. Someone who was never good with money may need help even if their only decline is a small loss of capabilities due to normal aging. Conversely, if your parent or parents were excellent money managers, they may be all right for a time. However, if they are suddenly falling off a cliff in that area, not only do they need help with finances, but you probably should encourage them to get a medical checkup as well. It’s important to understand that with some people, changes in money management may be one of the earliest warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. This could happen at a relatively young age with early-onset Alzheimer’s, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and other types. In “5 Things to Know about Aging & Financial
D LI
Minding Our Elders BY CAROL BRADLEY BURSACK Columnist Decline,” geriatrician Leslie Kernisan tells people to watch for these clues in family members or themselves: ► Taking longer to complete everyday financial tasks. ► Reduced attention to details in financial documents. ► Decline in everyday math skills. ► Decreased understanding of financial concepts. ► Difficulty identifying risks in a financial opportunity. If you like her article, there’s more about her in another column that I wrote when Dr. Kernisan’s book, “When Your Aging Parent Needs Help: A Geriatrician’s Step-by-Step Guide to Memory Loss, Resistance, Safety Worries, & More,” was
first released on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. In my opinion, this book is an essential tool for new caregivers, but seasoned caregivers may also want to take a look. A chapter on financial challenges is included. (I moderate a support group for Dr. Kernisan.) Two additional resources you may want to consider: ► As Cognition Slips, Financial Skills Are Often the First to Go from the New York Times (https://www. nytimes.com/2015/04/25/your-money/as-cognitivity-slips-financial-skills-are-often-the-firstto-go.html). ► Age and financial decision making on PubMed (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC4662381/) Even if you aren’t worried about your parents’ money management, you may want to tuck away these resources — just in case. Carol Bradley Bursack is a veteran caregiver and an established columnist. She is also a blogger, and the author of “Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories.” Bradley Bursack hosts a website supporting caregivers and elders at www.mindingourelders.com. She can be reached through the contact form on her website.
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August 2021 DEMENTIA FRIENDLY From Page 3
Instead, she said, it’s about “sitting across the table from somebody and just having this conversation, and giving them some really good information.” Meyer said these champion facilitation sessions will be offered mostly in person, in response to a strong preference in the community for in-person events as opposed to virtual.
Caregiving support Jill Grimes has been spearheading LAH’s caregiving support program during the past year. “Jill has done a tremendous job of building up that program,” said Meyer. “She has such a strong rapport with the caregivers and clients, and we continue to get calls for services.” “I think we’ve taken on three new caregivers, maybe even four, this week alone,” Carmichael said. “I just pulled a report last week for a 12-month snapshot, and we worked with 89 caregivers.” Carmichael said Grimes worked with people everywhere along the continuum from urgently reaching out for help, because of major changes or a rapid decline in their loved ones’ condition, to occasional checkups to see where people were at. “With Dementia Friendly Park Rapids … people are hearing it more, and I think this helped a lot,” said Carmichael. “Jill keeps taking and taking and taking new clients and new caregivers.” She said they don’t think they will reach a point where they have to put a cap on the program, because then, “What do we do? Because there’s no other program in the area like ours.” Carmichael noted that at least one caregiver hooked up with support services after attending one of the memory plays. “If we spent $50,000 last year on raising awareness and education, and helped one person on their journey, we were successful,” she said. “And we’ve helped many, many, many, many people.”
Resource guide, etc. During the past year, LAH created a brochure showcasing the resources available locally, statewide and nationally for people experiencing memory loss and their loved ones. A Spanish version is also available. “It’s fabulous,” said Meyer. “Everything that you might imagine in resources is there, and of course it will be fluid. … It will be constantly updated and placed on the website for upload.” Dementia-Friendly Park Rapids’s website at DFC.parkrapidslivingathome.org was designed with an eye for user-friendliness by Sharon Barnett. “Anything that we are working on is going to be on the website,” said Meyer – “events, news, updates.” They also created resource packs – small plastic bags stuffed with a variety of pamphlets, including LAH’s “Services for Seniors” and “Family Caregiver Support Program” and the Alzheimer’s Association’s “Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters,” “Basics of Alzheimer’s Disease: What it is and what you can do,” and brochures on safety, communication, and responding to unpredictable behavior. Besides a copy of the resource guide and some swag to make the bag fun, each resource pack also comes with a File of Life – a magnetic envelope you can stick to your refrigerator, stuffed with a document that emergency responders can easily find. Filled in with your personal information, emergency contacts, medicines, medical conditions and insurance information, it could help paramedics make appropriate decisions in case they find you unable to communicate or recall the information. Carmichael said a paramedic recently told her they “absolutely” look for similar envelopes, whether stuck to the fridge, on a table or in a nearby drawer, containing do-not-resuscitate orders or advance care directives. She said there is discussion in the elder care community about developing something like a sticker that could be added to a File of Life,
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informing emergency responders that if a caregiver goes down, their loved one has memory loss and should not be left home alone. Meyer said there is also ongoing discussion about best practices when a caregiver is unable to ask for the person with dementia to ride in the ambulance with them. In addition to all these resources, Dementia-Friendly Park Rapids recently sent a newsletter to 12,429 local residents. As a result, Carmichael said, “We’ve gotten calls from caregivers, brand new caregivers that we’ve signed on now.”
back with lots of ideas, including the “yesteryear kits” that Nicklaus introduced at the library. ► Bring Dr. Beth Nolan back for additional seminars. ► Provide further training and education in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, ACT on Alzheimer’s and Dementia Friends USA. ► Develop a memory care cafe, where caregivers and people with memory loss can come together for social activities. ► Bring youth into the conversation about memory loss. “It affects them as well,” said Meyer, noting that dementia may affect their parents or grandparents. “We want to Future give them information.” developments ► Help the CommitAs the project continues, Carmichael tee for Honoring Choices and Meyer said they promote a new addenlook forward to Alive & dum to advance care Kickin, a touring senior directives that specifirock group from the cally applies to a demenTwin Cities, perform- tia diagnosis. ing at Calvary Lutheran Church at 3 p.m. Sunday, Phenomenal impact Aug. 29. Meyer’s work with the They also hope to: dementia friendly proj► Bring Alive & Kickin ect led to a job offer from staff and singers back, the Remember Projif funding permits, to ect. That work, in turn, work with activities staff led her to a conversaat local facilities on new tion with a staffer at ways to engage with another aging program aging adults. “We know in Minnesota, who told that music memories her Park Rapids’ Living are retained in the brain at Home program is the even after other parts talk of the state because shrink and go away,” of the phenomenal work Meyer said. they’re doing. ► Implement the Remember Project’s Arts STRESS RELIEVING WINDOW CLEANING and Aging model. Meyer Your to-do list ally. and Mary Nicklaus, who We love clean windows too! Our schedule is filling up fast. works at the Park Rapids Call for a free estimate today! library, attended a course 218-966-3380 on the model and came CleanWindowsMN.com
“It’s an indication that this is what we’re meant to be doing,” she said. “This has been thrilling. My antennas are up. I’m ready to keep diving in, deeper and deeper. We have work to do, and it doesn’t stop, and it’s not going to.” Carmichael recalled having a long phone conversation recently with a caregiver who was “just about at the end of their rope but had no idea what we could do for them. … I can’t even find the right words for it, the feeling that you get when somebody calls you and says, ‘Oh my gosh, I had no idea you were there.’” She said she spent most of an hour just listening to them talk about
the toll caregiving was taking, and she anticipates spending a more time talking with them in upcoming months as they move forward on their journey. Carmichael said she considers it worthwhile “if we do nothing else but keep putting information out there, that there are resources out there, that there is help out there. It’s one of the most important things that we’re doing right now, helping seniors and helping caregivers.” For more information about Dementia-Friendly Park Rapids, call LAHPRA at 218-732-3137, email DFC@parkrapidslivingathome.org, or visit DFC.parkrapidslivingathome.org.
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Dementia-friendly ‘Yesteryear Kits’ available The Park Rapids Area Library is offering Yesteryear Kits, designed to aid people experiencing memory loss and their caregivers. According to a library press release, each theme-based kit contains items for the caregiver and loved ones to use together as well as resources specially selected for the caregiver. Items are selected to spark memories, start conversations and lead to positive engagement for people experiencing Alzheimer’s disease and
dementia. Photos, music, games and memorabilia can trigger memories and create a bridge to help caregivers and loved ones connect, the release says. Research shows that talking about their lives can help people affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia reduce stress and improve quality of life. To start, the kits’ themes will include school days of yesteryear, movie stars of yesteryear, farm life, fun and games. Coming soon
are kits on flowers and gardening and the Bible and gospel music. A member of the ACTION Park Rapids “dementia friendly community” action team, the library hopes to support the area’s aging community by making the kits available for checkout. Funding for the project is made possible by the Park Rapids Friends of the Library. For more information, contact Mary Niklaus SUBMITTED PHOTO at 218-732-4966 or "School days" and "fun and games" are two of the themes of yesteryear kits parkrapids@krls.org. available for checkout at the Park Rapids Area Library.
TOMATOES From Page 2
► Mulching around tomato plants controls weeds and conserves moisture. Apply 2 to 3 inches of straw, shredded bark, compost or dried grass clippings that haven’t been treated with lawn herbicides. Clippings from lawns that have been weed-sprayed can cause permanent damage to tomato plants. ► Avoid overhead sprinkling of tomato plants, because it can worsen foliage diseases by splashing fungi and bacteria from soil onto plants and from leaf to leaf. Water only the soil or use soaker hoses. ► Prevent leaf diseases by keeping water off foliage, staking plants and mulching soil. During periods of high humidity, vegetable disease preventative fungicides containing chlorothalonil can be applied before symptoms occur, or at the very earliest signs following label directions. ► Blossom end rot is a very common tomato disorder causing the bottom of the fruit to become sunken, brownblack and leathery. It’s caused by the plant’s inability to access available soil calcium because of fluctuating soil moisture, roots damaged by hoeing too close or soil that’s too wet or too dry.
MICHAEL VOSBURG / FORUM PHOTO EDITOR
Mulching around tomato plants conserves soil moisture and can prevent disease and fruit disorders. It’s worse on the first fruits of the season, and plants frequently work themselves out of the situation. To reduce the disorder, apply mulch to keep soil moisture uniform and reduce the need for close cultivation. Research on calcium sprays is inconclusive. Epsom salts are sometimes touted as a cure, but the product is definitely not recommended by university research, as it can cause magnesium imbalance. Don Kinzler, a lifelong gardener, is the horticulturist with North Dakota State University Extension for Cass County. Readers can reach him at donald.kinzler@ndsu.edu.
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