Atlanta Senior Life - February 2020

Spring 2020 Gardening Lecture Series

The North Fulton Master Gardeners, in partnership with the UGA Cooperative Extension in Fulton County, is conducting a series of nine free classes for North Fulton residents. Each class emphasizes practical activities at the time of year that’s best suited for it.

Maintaining and Pruning Shrubs and Roses covers the when, where and how to prune with a hands-on demonstration. Feb. 17 in Sandy Springs, Feb. 18 in Roswell and Feb. 19 in Alpharetta.

Lawn Care for Spring and Summer gives you the info you need at the ideal time to treat your turf—before weeds germinate. Feb. 24 in Sandy Springs, Feb. 25 in Roswell and Feb. 26 in Alpharetta.

Growing Fruit in Georgia features a talk by Melissa Mattee, Fulton County Agriculture and Resource Agent for the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. She’ll cover the selection, planting, pruning, disease and harvesting of fruit trees, brambles and more. After the lecture, participants are invited to join her and Master Gardeners in the adjoining Bulloch Orchard for a hands-on demonstration. Feb. 29, 10-11:30 a.m. at Bulloch Hall’s Osage Room, 180 Bulloch Avenue in Roswell. The other classes in the series are:

■ Good Soil and Composting (March 9-11)

■ Hydrangeas—How to Plant, Grow and Prune (March 16-18)

■ The Basics of Vegetable Gardening (March 23-25)

■ The Fragrant Garden (March 30-April 1)

■ Container Gardening for Gardens, Patios, and Apartment Decks (April 6 & 7)

■ Establishing and Growing Perennials (April 20-22)

Where and when

Classes are offered weekdays, 7-8:30 p.m. at several locations:

■ Lost Corner Preserve, 7300 Brandon Mill Road in Sandy Springs

■ Bill Johnson Community Activity Building, Roswell Area Park, 10495 Woodstock Road in Roswell

■ Alpharetta Public Works Department, 1790 Hembree Road in Alpharetta

■ Alpharetta City Hall, 2 Park Plaza in Alpharetta

Registration and additional info

Sandy Springs: friendsoflostcorner.org/master-gardener-classes

Roswell: roswellgov.com/register, Activity 52020; more info at 770-817-6670 or cfuller@roswellgov.com.

Alpharetta: eventbrite. com/o/the-alpharettanatural-resourcescomission-11520264281 or contact Terry Porter at 678-297-6213 or tporter@ alpharetta.ga.us for details.

Be sure to save the date for the 2020 Garden Faire

Saturday, April 25 9 a.m.-4 p.m. , at Bulloch Hall 180 Bulloch Avenue in Roswell

The free event includes garden vendors and art, crafts, food and children’s activities.

Bulloch Hall

Volunteers Lend a Hand to Arts and Culture Around Atlanta

By Joe Earle

When he was a teenager, Paul Cushing discovered orchids. He remembers walking through a garden store at Perimeter Mall, spotting his first orchid and being entranced. “From that,” he said recently, “a passion grew.”

He said he really doesn’t know why. “Orchids are just exciting to me,” he said. “They’re fascinating plants.”

Because of his interest in orchids, his dad took him to the city’s botanical garden, where the teen started volunteering to work on Saturdays. Through the years, he has continued to do volunteer work for the Atlanta Botanical Garden and his ties to the garden have grown. The 58-year-old Decatur lawyer has been the garden’s legal counsel and now holds a seat on its board of trustees.

In 2017, Cushing stopped working at the large Atlanta law

firm where he was employed for 29 years, he said, and now he’s found more time to spend with his favorite flowers. He volunteers two mornings a week to help tend the orchids at the Botanical Garden’s complex in Midtown.

“It’s a way to contribute to the garden,” Cushing said, “and it gets me out of the house and lets me work with the flowers I care about.”

He’s joined hundreds, perhaps thousands, of metro Atlanta volunteers who spend time each week helping local cultural institutions. They water flowers, stuff envelopes, field phone calls, guide school groups through exhibits, give history lessons, raise money and do all sorts of other things that local museums, gardens and performing groups need done.

“They are incredibly important,” said Jayme HoganYarbro, manager of volunteer and intern services at the Atlanta

History Center.

And a lot of them are seniors. Atlanta Symphony Association president Joan Abernathy said her 200-member organization includes some active members who are their 80s and 90s. “We have women in their 80s, mid80s, going gangbusters,” she said. “We’ve got one man in his mid90s.”

Hogan-Yarbro estimated that more than half of the history center’s 320 volunteers are 60 or older. Many, she said, are retired teachers who like the educational aspects of their volunteer work.

The hours these volunteers put in are important to the institutions they serve precisely because they’re volunteered: they don’t cost any cash. “We save them thousands of dollars every year when we do things that [otherwise] would have to have staff,” Abernathy said.

The history center’s volunteers collectively contribute an average

of 584 hours of work a month, Hogan-Yarbro said. Since 2012, she said, volunteers have provided about 60,680 hours of work. Volunteers have contributed more than $700,000 in labor to the center, she said, or about the cost of 18 paid staff members.

Members of the 70-year-old symphony association, called the ASA, support the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in a variety of ways, including by serving as ushers during concerts for busloads of schoolchildren from around the metro area. ASA members also provide brunch for the musicians during the breaks between those educational concerts.

The organization sponsors social events, too. In fact, Abernathy said she first got interested in the ASO after a friend invited her to a chamber concert sponsored by the ASA. “It actually drew us into the ASO,” the 73-year-old Canton resident said.

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Excitement over the ASO’s music also drew Nancy Poes to the orchestra. “I love the music,” she said. “It’s my greatest joy.” The 68-year-old Cobb County painter volunteers as an usher for ASO concerts and contributes artwork the symphony sells in its gift shop.

She’s been working as a volunteer usher for years, she said, and she now helps patrons find their seats at 25 to 30 shows a year. She always signs up for the same post: “the second door left on the orchestra level.” Her seat in the alcove, she said, offers especially good views of the violas and pianists.

“I get there early because I want that spot,” she said. She’s gotten to know some of the season-ticket holders who return to that section so the concerts can become social events. “I live such a solitary life because I’m a painter,” she said, “[but at concerts] I get to see all my friends.”

Still, it’s the music that keeps her coming back. “The music is so beautiful,” she said. “Music is opposition to painting, which is

what I do. It is fleeting. You have to be there in the moment.”

Mary Beth Abbott is interested in moments that passed long ago. Long, long ago. The 66-year-old Decatur woman volunteers as a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, located at Emory University. A transplant from Chicago who worked in the medical products business, Abbott first learned about the Carlos museum when she was reading up to prepare for a trip to Egypt, she said. “It’s a bit of a hidden gem,” she said.

As a docent, she leads groups of museumgoers, many of them schoolchildren, through the displays of Egyptian mummies and other antiquities and through special museum exhibits. She encourages them to talk about what they see and to think about the people who used the things on display. “We’re encouraged to make it a dialogue,” she said. “You’re looking at objects from people’s lives.”

She’s constantly learning new

Continued on page 6

Opposite page: left to right,volunteer Mary Abbott views a mummy at the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Edwina Sellan enjoys talking with Alliance Theatre patrons when she volunteers as an usher there. Atlanta Symphony Orchestra volunteer usher Nancy Poes with composer Brian Raphael Nabors.

Above, Artworks by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra volunteer usher Nancy Poes.

(Photo Credits: SPECIAL)

Continued

Above, Booth Museum volunteer Gloria Tyburczy, left, is taught calf roping by Jim Dunham, as fellow volunteer Gavin Gaffney watches in background.

things as a docent, she said, and that’s an important part of what appeals to her about it. “Half of our time is spent learning about the exhibits and special exhibits. It’s a constant learning. It’s wonderful,” she said.

“This is what the second phase of my life should be about,” she said.

Gloria Tyburcvy is also interested in the past, although the events and people she deals with are a bit more recent than the ones in the Carlos’ displays. The 74-year-old retired Cartersville healthcare worker regularly volunteers as a docent at the Booth Museum.

The museum claims to have the country’s the largest permanent exhibition space for the art of the U.S. West, and the Booth’s emphasis on the West appealed to Tyburcvy. “I love old westerns,” she said. “I was a Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy kid when I was

growing up.”

As a docent, Tyburcvy leads tours of the museum’s collection. She talks to schoolchildren about western history and culture ranging from the Louisiana Purchase to the many ways to use a buffalo, she said. On special occasions, such as the museum’s annual cowboy festival, she can become part of the exhibit herself by dressing up as “One-Eyed” Charley Parkhurst, a celebrated 19th century stagecoach driver and rancher who, at death, was discovered to be a woman after a long life lived in the guise of man.

Tyburcvy said she has logged more than 240 hours of volunteer work at the Booth. “It’s just been super learning about something I didn’t know,” she said. “It’s a process of learning. You learn something new every day.”

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Below, Paul Cushing makes sure that the plants at Atlanta Botanical Garden stay well-watered. (Photo credit: Phil Mosier)

I am a people person,” she said, “and I want to talk to them. My mother used to tell me, ‘You’re not afraid of anybody, are you?’ I said, ‘Nope.’ I just enjoy meeting people. If you’re sitting with me, you’re going to have to talk in self-

defense, because I’m going to talk to you.”

Others say they, too, see their volunteer work as the chance to interact with new people. Edwina Sellan, a volunteer usher with the Alliance Theatre in Midtown is

quick to say she’s at every opening night of every play for the patrons, not the plays.

“I’m in it for actually greeting the patrons,” the 69-year-old Brookhaven resident said. “I have my spiel that I’m going to say, and it’s fun. When they walk in and you make a smile and compliment their hats and shoes, they go, ‘Oh.’ … “I’m a people person. I like just

being there in the front line, I’m the first person they see. [When I greet them,] it just puts a smile on their faces. I like it.”

She calls volunteer work “part of my mechanism for my Fountain of Youth.” It’s not stressful, she said, and she gets a lift from her chats with members of the Alliance audience.

“It keeps me young,” she said.

If you’re interested in volunteering to work at any of these local organizations, you can contact them and learn more about their volunteer programs.

Alliance Theatre: alliancetheatre.org/content/ushers, 404-733-4650

Atlanta Botanical Garden: atlantabg.org/volunteer, 404-876-5859

Atlanta History Center: atlantahistorycenter.com/support#get-involved, 404-814-4000

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: atlantasymphony.org/Giving/Volunteer.aspx, 404-733-4900

The Booth Museum: boothmuseum.org/volunteer, 770-387-1300

Michael C. Carlos Museum: carlos.emory.edu/docent-guild, 404-727-4282

Volunteer Gloria Tyburczy dresses as celebrated 19th century stagecoach driver Charley Parkhurst for special events at the Booth Museum.

Local Aqua Zumba Instructor Helps Older Adults Stay Strong

By Carol Niemi

Do you ever wonder why some people seem naturally impervious to aging?

To find out, I recently spent time with Marlene Colon, a seemingly ageless local fitness instructor. If you’ve taken an aerobics or dance-based fitness class at any of the top fitness clubs in Dunwoody or Sandy Springs during the past 30 years, you’ve probably encountered her.

Certified in Zumba and LaBlast, both dance-based high-impact forms of exercise, Colon was trained by “Dancing with the Stars” fan favorite and fitness expert Louis van Amstel. She also studied adaptive physical education at Georgia State University and has worked as a choreographer and performer in local dance productions.

For years, Colon seemed to be everywhere, teaching classes and

leading demonstrations at local festivals with students of all ages, including one who at age 104 took her chair-based fitness class at an assisted living facility.

But years of jumping up and down can take their toll. In 2002, Colon had surgery to replace both hips. She could have legitimately quit the fitness gig right then.

But instead she took to the water and got certified in Aqua Zumba.

“If I didn’t do water, I wouldn’t be walking,” she said. “I won’t say I have no pain, but I keep moving. They call me the Energizer Bunny.”

The next year, her leg muscles had become so strong she was able to cancel planned knee replacement surgery.

Now she teaches at a variety of health clubs in the area, including the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, the Concourse Athletic Club and a host of other smaller clubs.

Still, as a lifelong swimmer and gym rat who regularly works out with weights, I doubted Aqua Zumba could be much of a workout. So, Colon invited me to take her class at the MJCCA to prove me wrong.

Her class of 19 ranged in age from 60-ish to 93. Her deaf student was absent that day, but her student with dementia was there. Her energy and high-powered music quickly got everyone moving

PHOTOS BY CAROL NIEMI

Marlene Colon, seen in the second row, second from the left, leads an Aqua Fusion class with drumsticks.

Marlene Colon.

according to the best of their ability. You can’t imagine how many ways you can use water resistance to work your muscles.

Because she adds special touches to the Aqua Zumba routine, she calls her class Aqua Fusion. In one of her modifications, which she calls Aqua Beat, students use drumsticks to beat on and through the water to hyper tunes such as Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”

“The men love it,” she said.

She discovered the drumsticks at one of the many fitness conferences she attends and wanted to incorporate them into her class immediately. But fearing the price of $50 a pair would be cost prohibitive for retirees who take the class for free through Silver Sneakers, she decided to make them herself.

“I wasn’t going home without stopping at Home Depot to find something I could make drumsticks out of,” she said. “I had a vision, but didn’t know till I went to the store what was available.”

In the plumbing department, she bought 20-foot lengths of white plumber’s pipe, 160 plastic caps in packages of two, and tubes of glue. She had the store cut the pipe into 14-inch pieces. The next day, she and her young granddaughter sat in her yard and glued the caps on the sticks to make 80 watertight drumsticks for her students. Her goal is always to make her classes so much fun her students will keep coming back, something she learned early in her fitness career when she trained with the charismatic 1970s fitness guru Richard Simmons.

Based on what her students told me that day, she has succeeded.

“I’m 77, but feel like I’m 37,” said Galima, from Russia, who recovered from a pinched nerve

in weeks thanks to Colon’s class. “It was 100% a miracle.”

“I’ve taken water Zumba for 30 years. She’s the best teacher I’ve ever had,” said Louise.

“Before this class, I walked with a cane,” said Jayshree. “Now I can sometimes walk without it.”

Like some of the other students, Jayshree can’t swim.

By email, student Susan, who has been “profoundly deaf” since birth, told me she has no problem not hearing the music because she follows the movements, which Colon enthusiastically makes very obvious.

“She’s very warm and friendly and wants us to follow through,” said Susan. “I love that about her.”

“People live to take her class,” said student Sarah.

As for me, the gym rat, my muscles were sore the next day.

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PERSONAL SAFETY

Resolutions and Taxes

February is a month where a couple of things come into play.

First of all, gym commercials. The resolution by now is a month old and already you’re behind. Aren’t we all?

Of course. I should have lost 20 pounds by now—pass the grits please. Like I was saying…

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Are you living your best life?

Steve Rose is a retired Sandy Springs Police Captain, veteran Fulton County police officer and freelance writer. He is the author the book “Why Do My Mystic Journeys Always Lead to the Waffle House?” and the column “View from a Cop.”

For only 10 bucks a month, you can have a wonderful gym membership, complete with all the fancy equipment that you’ll never use and beautiful people showing off all that plastic surgery.

Why pay 500 bucks a year to walk on the treadmill? We have roads, paths and other venues where you can happily frolic at your own pace. Walk two miles a day, don’t eat like a pig and you’ll drop weight.

Do you need some dude who is already in shape screaming at you on video when he can’t even see you? When it gets cold, too cold to walk or even frolic, many communities have community centers that offer a small track or gym equipment for a fraction of the cost.

Do you still have a mall nearby? If so, park and walk the mall— without buying. Lastly, don’t put a short timeline on yourself. Months, not weeks. Slow and sure.

Okay, here’s your resolution: don’t put too much stock in resolutions. Why put that January 1 pressure on yourself when, after all, you can start your do-over anytime during the year?

Like most men my age, I could lose a few pounds, and for those of you still wearing size 32 pants, know that I speak for many when I say we hate you.

Let the goals be realistic, with effective motivational values.

Mine? My uniform isn’t kind after a five-pound gain. Carrying 20 pounds of gun-belt stuff and a vest is best managed by good cardio and lean foods.

Don’t fret, make Saturday night your night and eat one meal of whatever you want. (I said one meal!) Sunday, you’re back on the wagon.

The second thing: tax ads. Yep, the annual dangling of the carrot of an almost-promise that you’ll receive the most money—all the money the IRS cannot figure out how to take from you. Those ads want you focused on what you’ll do with all that money in your refund check. It’s going to be so great.

Wait, what if you owe? Having sailed that sinking ship, I can tell you it’s depressing—mostly because you’re going to wait until the last minute to file. That’s why we have Happy Hour! Remember, light beer!

And what goes hand-in-hand with tax time? You guessed it. Tax fraudsters. The call from the IRS collection guy who will see to it you are imprisoned for years—unless you make the convenient drive to the local store and purchase a few prepaid debit cards. Simply read those numbers to the nice IRS man who will thank you and move on to the next sucker.

How many times do we need to go over this?

Okay, once more: Remember—IRS will not send the police to your home to arrest you for money owed. The IRS loves interest and penalties. They’ll thank you for being late because they’ll set you up on payments! Interest and penalties are a handful to swallow but no one is going to jail!

The IRS will not call you

on the phone to threaten you. They will send a form letter to inform you that they know that you owe. That’s their motto:

“We Know You Owe!” If you have no other resources to pay all of what you owe, contact the IRS by going online or calling, and set up payments. Don’t respond to unsolicited e-mails from the IRS—or anyone else for that matter—having to do with wanting YOUR MONEY!

Phishing e-mails will increase over the spring and well into the summer. DELETE. If you are confused about your options, or new to the tax system, contact a tax consultant, someone who does this for a living. He or she will give you good advice. Remember, use common sense. And, while you’re at it, hit that salad bar. Good luck!

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The Key to Elder Abuse Prevention Is Education

At Atlanta Senior Life, we believe elder abuse protection is a serious problem in Georgia and all across the nation. This is the first part of a two-part series created to help elders, seniors and family members recognize and stop abuse before it begins.

What reportedly happened to Frances Perkins, a Marietta woman in her 90s, was shameful. According to a 2017 story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), she had been well-off, but ended up living in squalor. The article says dead rats were in her home, she suffered from dementia and she was stripped of her finances by people who said they were helping her.

Perkins had been moved from her Marietta home to a rehabilitation facility in Gainesville, Ga., away from where she could stay in touch with friends and family. While she was there, acquaintances who had manipulated her into surrendering power of attorney to them slowly took her assets. According to court documents, her caretakers “netted over $3 million in the guise of fees, rent payments, commissions, legal fees and other charges” over a fouryear period.

How can this happen?

“They don’t use guns any longer,” said Law Enforcement Coordinator Joe Gavalis, North Georgia Elder Abuse Task Force. “They take advantage of anyone they can. Some victims are frail, isolated and lonely, while others may be retired and eager to have someone to talk to.”

Today, scammers are looking for non-cash transactions, like electronic transfers and debit cards. “There’s a jury duty scam, the well-known ‘grandparent scam,’ romance, tech support and even IRS scams,” Gavalis said.

After a long federal law-enforcement career, Gavalis is educating Georgians about elder abuse. It’s a commitment with few benefits, unless helping even one family is worth his volunteering. He thinks it is.

One of many problems he sees is that email seems to give older (and lonely) people courage to “talk” to predators they don’t know—and even more courage (as in the Perkins case) when they meet a scammer through family members.

“Education is key to helping people,” said Gavalis. He stressed, “educate, educate, educate,” as an ongoing way to keep Georgians in the know. He has given presentations to over 3,000 seniors and more than 600 law enforcement and regulatory officials via the Elder Abuse Task Force’s nonprofit organization.

In addition, Georgians are becoming aware of multiple elder abuse stories stemming from the AJC’s 2019 investigation, “Unprotected.” Their extensive reporting shows statewide abuse and neglect from the very people who should be their personal safeguards.

Judith L. Kanne, RN, BSN, BA is a registered nurse and freelance writer who lives in Atlanta.

Hiding In Plain Sight: Elder Protection Forum

What do elder abuse and neglect mean—legally?

The exploitation of at-risk adults occurs when someone intentionally causes harm or puts someone at risk for harm. Neglect occurs when someone intentionally or unknowingly withholds basic necessities or critical types of care.

Elder abuse can take many forms, such as physical, emotional, sexual or financial abuse. Neglect, too, can hasten death or cause serious health problems, perhaps from family members or caregivers. And there’s self-neglect, which isn’t a criminal offense, but frequently requires professional intervention.

One criminal problem seen with older adults in Georgia is “trafficking,” says Georgia’s Attorney General Chris Carr’s office.

Elderly trafficking doesn’t always make the headlines (when compared to sex trafficking or runaway teens)—and yet it’s an unforgivable situation no matter who’s involved.

“When elderly or disabled adults are moved from place to place in an effort to gain access to their financial assets or benefits, that constitutes “benefits trafficking,” said Heather Strickland, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Georgia Bureau

Continued on page 14

You

Left to right: Will Johnson, State Resource Prosecutor: Adult Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation and Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia; Jeanne Canavan, Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney, DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, Elder Exploitation Unit; Pat King, Manager, Forensic Special Initiatives Unit, Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services; Becky Kurtz, Director, Atlanta Area Agency on Aging and ARC’s Aging and Independence Services Group

(Photo courtesy of TGA Communications, LLC)

of Investigation (GBI).

She explained that it’s similar to trafficking for any other purpose. Moving people from one home to another, while depositing their pensions or Social Security checks in the trafficker’s account, is an immediate red flag.

It’s also illegal. Fortunately, things are changing, Strickland said. Georgia’s recent authorization of “At-Risk Adult Work Groups” has helped. She was referring to relatively new legislation allowing Georgia judicial circuits the ability to establish “multidisciplinary (multi-agency) teams.”

Strickland said it’s “a cohesive way for law enforcement to help with elder abuse schemes.” Team members come from a variety of protective and enforcement agencies, such as Georgia’s Adult Protective Services (APS); Health Care Facility Regulations and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

The team can discuss openly, within their working group, the cases

of mutual concern, Strickland said. According to the GBI, the teams can develop supportive relationships and train their members to combat crimes against one of Georgia’s most defenseless populations.

In other words, Strickland said, “During the meetings they can discuss the details of the case to determine if it’s a criminal case or an adult protective issue—or both. But these situations are often more complicated than you would think.”

The genetic testing scam

A relatively new scam, designed to obtain a person’s Medicare information, is a “free” genetic testing offer. If you learn about a “no cost” genetic test (usually on the phone, internet or door-to-door) and the seller claims all costs will be covered by Medicare benefits—watch out!

“If you get a genetic testing kit in the mail, you can refuse the delivery or return it to sender—unless [you know] your own physician ordered the tests,” Strickland said. Medicare beneficiaries, who might agree to what sounds like a real genetic testing program—and provide or verify their personal Medicare information—may be fooled into believing it’s a gift.

Perpetrators are trying to obtain personal Medicare information. When the claim is denied by Medicare, the beneficiary (you) will be responsible for the entire cost of the test, according to the US Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services (DPH).

Remember, scammers are detail oriented and technically savvy. Because victims may receive a cheek swab, an in-person screening test or even a sample testing kit in the mail, the entire process may look legitimate. It’s not!

The numbers speak

The latest financial abuse numbers reflect a jump from the previous year, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which fielded 39,426 complaints about impostors claiming to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Losses of over $11 million followed, according to AARP’s recent article on soaring senior scams.

“Typically, fraud reports don’t capture the depth of a problem,” says the AARP.

Separate from the SSA statistics, the FTC heard another 138,548 complaints through the first nine months of 2019, for an average of 507 a day, totaling $28.76 million from January through September.

important numbers

■ To report suspected scams, call 404-463-3333, or visit empowerline.org for upcoming public forums in 2020.

■ If you’re concerned or uncertain of any type of elder abuse regarding people in private residences, contact Georgia’s Adult Protective Services at 866-552-4464 (866-55AGING).

■ For illegal or unethical long-term care questions, call 800-878-6442. If you’re unsure who to call, check with your local law enforcement agency.

■ If you’re approached by someone offering Medicare services for “free,” contact 800-633-4227 or 800-MEDICARE.

Gundula Vogel from Pixabay

The Georgia Department of Community Health said one in 10 adults age 60 or older experienced abuse, neglect and/or exploitation in 2018.

Becky Kurtz, managing director of aging and independence services for the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), said about 12,000 varied abuse cases were reported last year in Georgia, including those with substantial financial costs.

In December 2019, Kurtz and her colleagues discussed what happens when an abuser takes control of a victim’s finances at a forum titled “Elder Abuse: Hiding in Plain Sight,” in Tucker, Ga. The program covered increasing abuse, neglect and exploitation rates in Georgia, and was held by empowerline, a group formerly known as AgeWise Connection, that helps the public learn about abuse prevention.

“Financial exploitation affects everyone—across all socio-economic groups, cultures and races,” Kurtz said, noting that abusers aren’t always who you might expect them to be. “And so many cases go unreported.”

One way to fight back, Kurtz said, is to stay engaged in our communities. “Someone who is active and involved is simply at lower risk for abuse.”

This article was written with the support of a journalism fellowship from The Gerontological Society of America, Journalists Network on Generations and the Silver Century Foundation.

These Are a Few of Our Favorite Sites

The number of websites and applications that can make your life better is overwhelming, so we’ve decided to share some of our favorites, along with the reasons we like them.

Our list is the very tippy-top of the iceberg. We hope you’ll like many of them, but more importantly, we hope they’ll spur you to investigate others to enrich your lives. They’re all free, but some may have charges for extra capacity, extra capabilities or the elimination of advertising.

Gene Rubel the Digital Device Doctor, cures digital anxiety for seniors and home/home-office users. A graduate of Harvard Business School, “Doctor Gene” spent more than 30 years in international business. He can be reached at generubel@gmail.com.

TechBoomers techboomers.com

This is one amazing website with something for everyone, and it’ll tie together many of the sites or apps mentioned in this article. It’s a free educational website that teaches older adults and inexperienced internet users basic computer skills and links you to

websites that can help improve your quality of life. TechBoomers provides three main services:

1. Introducing you to trusted new websites and internetbased applications through an easy-to-navigate directory and targeted emails based on your interests.

2. Providing free video and article tutorials in the easiest and most efficient ways to use the websites.

3. Keeping your informed of important news and

information about your favorite products through on-site alerts and periodic email newsletters.

In addition to its own videos, which are available through YouTube, TechBoomers has links to many, many thirdparty applications that enable you to take online courses for enrichment, or even certifications and degrees. Our best advice is to go to their website and start exploring.

Lumosity lumosity.com

This is, by far, one of our favorites for seniors – and it’s great for people of all ages. The site is from Lumos Labs, which believes in helping people keep their brains challenged. Their online tools allow you to train core cognitive abilities, and their programs come from a collaboration with more than 100 leading researchers, clinicians and teachers from institutions around the world.

I spend a few minutes every day doing my “mental gymnastics” and feel a lot better after completing them. Many health experts believe that keeping your mind active is one way to ward off some forms of dementia.

Google Keep google.com/keep

This digital assistant syncs info across your phone, tablet and computer so that your important stuff is always with you. I find it especially helpful for people who gather a lot of information on their computer or tablet—where screens or keyboards are bigger—and then need to take it someplace on their

phone.

Some uses that come quickly to mind are shopping lists, a checklist of things to get from multiple places or an itinerary if you’re going someplace. Not only can you keep it for yourself, you can share it with anyone who also has the app. And, if you make a change on one device, it’s recorded on all of them.

Words With Friends zynga.com/ games/words-with-friends-2

You can play this Scrabble-like game online through a mobile app on your phone or tablet or on your computer. You can find several versions in Apple’s App Store or Google

Play: Words With Friends

Classic, Words With Friends

2, even Words Without Friends if you want to play alone. Other games are also available. They not only provide mental stimulation, they also provide social interaction.

WhatsApp whatsapp.com

This communication app helps you stay in touch wherever you are, either by an internet or cellular connection. Tied to your mobile phone number, WhatsApp provides voice conversations or text messaging. It’s great for people who are traveling or who have family and friends scattered around the world because you have instant conversations and video calls with the cost-efficiency of the internet.

If you’re traveling abroad, it seems like a lot of tour companies use WhatsApp to stay in touch with their clients who bring cellphones but don’t get SIM cards for local phone service. You just need a wi-fi connection. WhatsApp is part of Facebook and works across all platforms, even though it’s mostly used on mobile phones.

Facebook and Instagram

facebook.com, instagram.com

Think of them as communications cousins—and

briefly put aside what you know or hear about all the politics, ads and other junk associated with Facebook. For us, they are simply two of the best ways to stay connected with other people. Facebook allows you to form groups, and they both function as bulletin boards for people with shared interests. Facebook is better for longer messages and sharing multiple images, and you’ll likely use it more from a computer than you would with Instagram.

Users of Instagram tend to post a single image with a caption each time they share something, but the app now has the ability to

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Please visit atlantaseniorlife.com and click on the online version of this article for active links to all the websites listed here.

create collages. You can learn how to do it at TechBoomers. One problem with the popularity of Facebook and

Instagram is that they tend to attract hackers who try to use lists of friends get other people’s personal information for phishing expeditions and scams. You can guard against this by being prudent— and mentally agile, thanks to Luminosity.

Good Facebook security steps include having a strong password that you change often and questioning “Friend” requests from current Facebook friends. We also advise that you never use your Facebook password to login for other applications, especially financial apps such as PayPal. Facebook and

Instagram work across all platforms.

News Aggregators

News aggregators provide summaries of top news stories, but they vary.

Google News (news. google.com) works on algorithms to determine the most “newsworthy” articles, and you can tailor your view to reflect breaking news from anywhere—national news, local news or even specific topics such as sports or business. It has links to the publishers of all news items.

iPhone and iPad users automatically get Apple News, which is similar to Google News, and Apple News also offers a premium (you pay for it) service giving you access to publications and websites worldwide, including those

from other countries.

Techlicious (techlicious.com) is a great source for tech stuff, such as apps, hardware and technology trends. It’s one of our favorite websites for learning about new gadgets and applications.

YouTube is a great place for all sorts of information, especially how-to videos and entertainment. The best way to use it is to enter a topic in a Google search or any other search engine. The most popular sites and videos show up, and most are YouTube. For example, you can view Babe Ruth’s last homerun on a YouTube video. (He hit it as a Brave—a Boston Brave.)

Most people use YouTube videos for how-to information about nearly anything you want to know. Just remember that anyone can make a YouTube video on how to do anything, so

be aware that you’ll need to sort out the info and decide who or what you want to believe. Almost all of its content is free, but there are ads. You can avoid them with a paid premium subscription.

iCloud and Google Photos

These photo-storage apps are from the two major providers of mobile phone and device operating systems. The best parts about them is that they immediately store and backup photos and videos taken with your mobile phone or

device. They also enable you to share your photos online, independently of email, texting or apps such as Facebook and Instagram.

Google Photos and iCloud are both available in Google Play (Android) or Apple’s App Store (iOS), depending on your phone’s or device’s operating system. Both have been developed to work on all platforms and device operating systems, and both allow you to buy more storage space “on the fly” if you need it.

One key benefit to Google Photos is that you can delete

photos and videos from your device but keep them on the Google Photo cloud. With Apple’s iCloud, deleting photos from any device also deletes them from the cloud.

Amazon Music

This app lets you access or download music just about anywhere you can listen to it, including your Echo smart speaker (Alexa), phone or tablet, computer and even your car—if your car has an audio system that ties to the internet.

Those of you with Echo

speakers may note that when you ask Alexa to play a genre of music, the first choice is generally from Amazon Music. The music comes in an ad-free service with a limited selection (though it’s probably more than enough for general, casual listening) or in a premium service that eliminates the ads and expands your choices. This listing just scratches the surface. An online search on any subject can lead to you to hundreds upon hundreds of websites and apps and turn you into a cyberspace explorer at any level of knowledge and use.

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lunch & personal tour.

The Older Set

Television has started making me feel old. I’m not old. Let me get that out of the way at the start.

I admit that I am getting older. Maybe. I don’t really feel any older than I did a decade or a generation ago, but the gray hair in my beard and the birthdate on my lying driver’s license could lead one to think otherwise. Let’s just say I now qualify for Medicare and Social Security and leave it at that. That’s not old.

It used to be old, but it’s not anymore.

When I was younger, way back in the bright early days of the Baby Boom, television made me feel young. The shows were full of bright young or at least young-ish people having fun: Mary Tyler Moore brightening her newsroom, the Smothers Brothers telling jokes and hosting The Who, Alan Alda suffering through the Korean War.

these days

Joe Earle is editor-at-large and has lived in metro Atlanta for more than 30 years. He can be reached at joeearle@ reporternewspapers.net

Even the ads seem older. They’re full of silver-haired people pushing drugs to combat diseases I’ve never heard of and hope I never get. The toothpaste they sell doesn’t fight cavities, it fights gum disease.

I think of it as the geriatrification of TV. That’s different from gentrification. When neighborhoods gentrify, they tend to get younger and wealthier . When TV geriatrifies, it tends to get older and wealthier. Call it the Downton Abbey Principle.

One TV show that makes me feel old is the Grammys.

In my younger days, I thought the Grammys were a joke. Nobody good every won. The awards went to old people I didn’t care about. Frank Sinatra seemed to win everything. The Rolling Stones got ignored. The Grammys were for old folks. (Things change, of course. Nowadays, I like Sinatra and the Rolling Stones have collected Grammys, including the kind given to performers just because they’re old.

Even the ads were full of young people. And they sold the kinds of things young people wanted: flashy clothes, flashy soft drinks, toothpaste for flashy smiles.

Now I regularly watch the news, sports, a smattering of sitcoms and some British imports. The actors are old and act older, even the ones I used to watch when they were young. Judd Hirsch is old and irascible on one show. Elliott Gould is old and clueless in another. They seem so, well, old.

Watching the Grammy show on TV, I felt like I somehow had missed at least one entire generation of music. The performers all were youngsters I’d barely heard of. Grammies now honor people with names such as Cardi B or Bad Bunny. I have children older than Cardi B.

I know TV isn’t all for old people. I know that somewhere out there in the higher cable numbers there’s a Disney Channel pitched to kids and a bunch of hip shows that draw in millennials, but now I find I’ve ended up on the scary streets of the television version of Old Town.

It’s starting to get old.

JOHNSON FOR PROBATE COURT JUDGE

EDUCATION/ MEMBERSHIPS/ PROFESSIONAL AWARDS/ APPOINTMENTS

Clark Atlanta University, Bachelor of Arts, 1995

South Texas College of Law,1998

Distinguished Leader Award, Fulton County

Daily Report

Chief Assistant District Attorney

Fulton County District Attorney’s Office

Community Prosecutor of the Year, Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, 2016

Community Service Award, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District, 2017

Chief Deputy Solicitor, Fulton County Solicitor General’s Office (2017-Current)

State Bar of Georgia Judicial Nominating Committee, (2018-2020)

Member, Georgia Bar Association

Member, Atlanta Bar Association, Probate Section

Executive Board, Georgia Association

Women Lawyers Foundation (2019-2020)

Executive Board, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (2012-2017)

Regional Director, National Black Prosecutors Association (2015-2019)

Executive Committee, Gate City Bar Community Law Clinic (2012-2019)

“The Probate Court of Fulton County is a true ‘family court.’ From marriage licenses to guardianships for loved ones with mental health needs, Probate Court can help families grow and prosper. For 20 years, I have represented victims of crime, achieved justice for families after devastating crime events and protected public safety as a Community Prosecutor.

When my dear mother passed, I was left to handle her business affairs through grief and bureaucracy. When loss and challenges arise, families need an effective, competent and compassionate court to guide them through difficult times. As a proven leader, I have the experience, knowledge and vision to take Probate Court into the future, increase efficiency and make probate services more accessible and convenient.

In 2020, I ask for the privilege of your vote to serve as your next Probate Court Judge in Fulton County because family, either by blood or choice, means everything.

WWW.ELECTKENYAJOHNSON.COM

KENYA

Kenya Johnson Judicial Candidate Fulton County Probate Court

Kenya Johnson

pet picks

Hemingway

Hemingway is a striking 1.5-year-old Border Collie mix with a one-of-a-kind personality. He was transferred to the Atlanta Humane Society from an overcrowded local shelter where he’d become very sick. After weeks of care, he finally recovered, and his adorable personality started to blossom.

His fur is as soft as a rabbit’s, and his whole body wiggles when he gets excited. While not much is known about his history before arriving at AHS, Hemingway aces the “sit” and “lay down” commands, so he may have lived in a home before.

He appears to be almost completely housebroken and has excellent leash manners. Hemingway loves treats but always takes them gently, and he has gotten along well with other dogs he has met during his time at AHS. If you have a dog in your home, it’s best to plan a meet and greet to ensure that everyone gets along.

Hemingway is neutered, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations and ready to meet you at the Atlanta Humane Society’s Howell Mill location, 981 Howell Mill Road NW in Atlanta. For more information about Hemingway, email adoptions@atlantahumane.org or visit atlantahumane.org/dogs.

Sparkle

Meet Sparkle! This 1.5-year-old black and white beauty is happily living in a loving Atlanta Humane Society foster home, but she’s hoping to have her very own family soon.

She gets along great with other cats and would probably enjoy having another feline companion in her future home, but she doesn’t have any experience living with dogs. If you have a canine in your home, an Atlanta Humane Society Adoption Counselor can counsel you on introducing Sparkle slowly so everyone has the best chance of living harmoniously.

Sparkle is a bit shy at first, but once she gets to know you, she’ll follow you around, and she always enjoys playing with her feather toy. She is spayed, microchipped, up to date on vaccinations and ready for adoption. To set up a meet and greet with Sparkle, email the AHS Foster Manager at kteasley@atlantahumane.org or learn more at atlantahumane.org/cats.

►Out & about The Arts

Atlanta Jewish Film FestivaL

Feb. 10-27. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival celebrates 20 years of storytelling in 2020. Movie lovers enjoy offers a broad selection

of genres and themes over this multi-week event. This year’s films include: “The Glass Room,” “#Anne Frank. Parallel Stories,” “The Humorist” and “Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance.” Festival venues include Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Regal Perimeter Pointe, City Springs and Woodruff Arts Center. Visit AJFF.org for tickets, expanded information about the films and details.

The Women of Roswell: A Staged Reading

Saturday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m. Based on actual events, Robin Seidman Pullen’s play examines the story of millworkers in 1864 Roswell who were tried for treason for making Confederate soldier uniforms. This intimate staged reading will be followed by a talk with the playwright and moderated by Roswell Historical Society. Free, but a ticket is required. Space is limited. Second floor gallery of the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, 950 Forrest Street, Roswell 30022. For info and tickets, visit RoswellCAC.com.

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►Out & about

Continued

from page

Catapault ▲

Sunday, Feb. 16, 3 p.m. Seen as a finalist on “America’s Got Talent,” Catapault features dancers who work behind a screen to create shadow silhouettes of shapes from the world around us. Watch their bodies transform into a mountain, an elephant, a dragon, even a helicopter! Packed with hundreds of shape transformations, the show is full of humor, emotion and engaging stories. Brenau University’s Pearce Auditorium, 331 Spring Street, Gainesville 30501. More info and tickets at TheArtsCouncil.net.

Middletown ►

Runs Feb. 18-23. From the producers of “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Menopause the Musical” comes “Middletown,” a story of love and friendship 33 years in the making. Join Peg and Tom, Dotty and Don for the highs, lows and everything in between. The show features Didi Conn, Dandy Duncan, Donny Most and Adrian Zmed. Tickets start at $39. Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre, 117 North Park Square, Marietta 30060. Call the box office at 770-293-0080 or visit earlsmithstrand.org for tickets and additional info.

Meet Author Peter Lee ►

Sunday, Feb. 23, 3 p.m. Lee’s book, “Spectacular Bid: The Last Superhorse of the Twentieth Century,” chronicles the career of the horse who was sold as a yearling for $37,000 to a family, trained by a rookie trainer and ridden by a teen who, two years earlier, had never ridden a horse. Autographed books for sale. Gwinnett County Public

Library Suwanee Branch, 361 Main Street, Suwanee 30024. Go to gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154 for details.

Learn Something

Native Plants

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m. Join UGA Extension Gwinnett Agricultural Agent Timothy Daly to learn about the many plants that are native to our area and how to grow them for your home’s landscape. Presented by the Gwinnett County Public Library in partnership with UGA Gwinnett Extension. Gwinnett County Public Library Snellville Branch, 2740 Lenora Church Road, Snellville 30078. Registration required at gwinnettpl.org/calendar. For more information, visit gwinnettpl.org or call 770-978-5154.

Watershed Walk & Talk

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Everyone age 10 and up is invited to meet up for a free walk to learn about the ways that preserving area forests and trees will benefit the health of the local watershed. This walk and talk series discusses the features of the Marsh CreekChattahoochee River Watershed and how water quality programs can engage citizens in improving the health of the Chattahoochee River. During the last 30 minutes of the program, there’ll be a tree planting in celebration of Georgia Arbor Day. Seedlings will be provided for each household to take home. The topics of each program will differ and will involve walking the trails of the preserve as well as entering the creek at times. Lost Corner Preserve’s outdoor pavilion, 7300 Brandon Mill Road, Sandy Springs 30328. While walk-ins are welcome, please register at registration.sandyspringsga.gov. For more info, call 770-790-5600.

Erica Glasener: Hydrangeas for Every Garden

Monday, Feb. 24, 7-9 p.m. The Atlanta History Center, in partnership with the American Hydrangea Society, presents Erica Glasener, well known for hosting “A Gardener’s Diary” on HGTV. In recent years she has worked at Historic Oakland Cemetery, ParkPride and as the Senior Producer for “Growing A Greener World.” Currently, she works at the Piedmont Park Conservancy as the Community Involvement and Events Manager. This is a free event; reservations are recommended. Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta 30305. Go to atlantahistorycenter.com to find out more.

An Evening with Adrian Miller ►

members. Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta 30305. Get details and tickets at atlantahistorycenter.com.

Health

Virtual Dementia Tour

Thursday, Feb. 20, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Experience what dementia is like by walking in the shoes of someone who is living with dementia. This life-changing simulation teaches how to provide better care by better understanding their world. Peachtree Christian Health, Life Enrichment Center, 3430 Duluth Park Lane, Duluth 30096. Sign-up by sending an email to events@gwinnettpl.org.

Community

Jewish Black History at the MJCCA

The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) invites the community to two fascinating speakers in celebration of Black History Month.

▼Growing Up Black and Jewish

Monday, Feb. 10, 10-11 a.m. Speaker Dr. John Eaves’ grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica with big dreams, but life was not easy for a Jewish black man. He faced racism, religious discrimination, and financial trouble, but despite these obstacles he raised a large family, instilling the values of hard work, faith and serving the community.

▲A Select History of Black and Jewish Relations in Savannah, Ga.

Thursday, Feb. 27, 12-1 p.m. Speaker Dr. Jeffrey Jenkins was taught to read at 4 years old by his Jewish neighbors, the Rubins, in Savannah, Ga. They were the first Jewish family he knew, and they became his great friends and influenced his life significantly. He believes Jewish people set an example for the world, valuing a good education, love and family as most important. Both programs are free and open to the community. For more information, visit atlantajcc.org/blackhistory or call 678-812-4070.