55 Plus of Rochester, #11: September – October 2011 by 55 Plus: For Active Adults in Rochester

Grandma’s Pastime: Running in Marathons ✓ Jim Terwilliger: Understanding How Medicare Works

55 PLUS

Issue 11 September / October 2011

For Active Adults in the Rochester Area

Social Security Will it be there when we need it?

Meet Two Golf-aholics For local golfers, there are not enough hours in the day to play

A Life Devoted to

SENIOR CARE

Ted Curtis

Passion for Rochester and its Waterways

St. Ann’s Community CEO Betty Mullin-DiProsa September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

HEALTH: URMC Sponsors Day-long Event to Focus on Men

55 PLUS - September / October 2011

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September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

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September / October 2011

8 HealthWatch 6 Financial Health 11 Long-Term Care 33 Golden Years 36 Last Page 42

14 8 GOLFING

• Meet two golf-aholics

12 BENEFITS

• Social Security: Can we still count on it?

14 FITNESS

• Grandma’s pastime: Running in marathons

18-20 LIFESTYLE

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• JCC and the YMCA want to teach more adults how to swim • Local experts say yoga can slow aging process

23 PROFILE

• Ted Curtis: Passion for Rochester and its waterways

CONTENTS

SUBSCRIBE roc55.com Find Us Online at

29 COVER STORY

• Betty Mullins-DiProsa, CEO of St. Ann’s Community, talks about her life, career and caring of seniors

24 HEALTH

• Men’s health will be the focus of URMC event in September

38 LIVING

• Home for Life Renovations keeps disabled, elderly at home

40 ADVICE

• Local experts launch book to help end-of-life process September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

HEALTH WATCH Aging: What to Expect as We Get Older By Mayo Clinic staff

onder what’s considered a normal part of the aging process? Here’s what to expect as you get older — and what to do about it. Do you expect to ﬁnd a few more wrinkles and gray hairs each time you look in the mirror? These are just some of the changes you’re likely to notice as you get older. You’re not necessarily at the mercy of Mother Nature, however. Here’s a list of common aging-related changes — and what you can do to promote good health at any age.

heart to work even harder to pump blood through them. This can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension) and other cardiovascular problems. What you can do about it — To promote heart health, include physical activity in your daily routine. Try walking, swimming or other physical activities. Eat a healthy diet, including plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit. Your risk of heart disease will begin to fall almost immediately.

Your cardiovascular system

Your bones, joints and muscles

What’s happening — Over time, your heart muscle becomes less efﬁcient — working harder to pump the same amount of blood through your body. In addition, your blood vessels lose some of their elasticity and hardened fatty deposits may form on the inner walls of your arteries (atherosclerosis). These changes make your arteries stiffer, causing your

What’s happening — With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density — which weakens them and makes them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength and ﬂexibility, and you may become less coordinated or have trouble balancing. What you can do about it — Include plenty of calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Build bone density with weight-bearing activities, such as walking. Consider strength training at least twice a week, too. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Building muscle also protects your joints from injury and helps you maintain ﬂexibility and balance.

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Your digestive system What’s happening — Constipation is more common in older adults. Many factors can contribute to constipation, including a low-ﬁber diet, not drinking enough ﬂuids and lack of exercise. Various medications, including diuretics and iron supplements, may contribute to constipation. Certain medical conditions, including diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome, may increase the risk of constipation as well. What you can do about it — To prevent constipation, drink water and other fluids and eat a healthy diet — including plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Include physical activity in your daily routine. Don’t ignore the urge to have a bowel movement. If you’re taking medications that may contribute to constipation, ask your doctor about alternatives.

Your bladder and urinary tract What’s happening — Loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence) is common with aging. Health problems such as obesity, frequent constipation and chronic cough may contribute to incontinence — as can menopause, for women, and an enlarged prostate, for men. What you can do about it — Urinate more often. If you’re overweight, lose excess pounds. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit. Pelvic muscle exercises (Kegel exercises) might help, too. Simply tighten your pelvic muscles as if you’re stopping your stream of urine. Aim for at least three sets of 10

repetitions a day. If these suggestions don’t help, ask your doctor about other treatment options.

Your skin

What’s happening — Memory tends to becomes less efﬁcient with age, as the number of cells (neurons) in the brain decreases. It may take longer to learn new things or remember familiar words or names. What you can do about it — To keep your memory sharp, include physical activity in your daily routine and eat a healthy diet. It’s also helpful to stay mentally and socially active. If you’re concerned about memory loss, consult your doctor.

What’s happening — With age, your skin thins and becomes less elastic and more fragile. You may notice that you bruise more easily. Decreased production of natural oils may make your skin drier and more wrinkled. Age spots can occur, and small growths called skin tags are more common. What you can do about it — Bathe in warm — not hot — water, and use mild soap and moisturizer. When you’re outdoors, use sunscreen and wear protective clothing. If you smoke, ask your doctor to help you quit. Smoking contributes to skin damage, such as wrinkling.

Your eyes and ears

Your weight

What’s happening — With age, the eyes are less able to produce tears, the retinas thin, and the lenses gradually become less clear. Focusing on objects that are close up may become more difficult. You may become more sensitive to glare and have trouble adapting to different levels of light. Your hearing may dim somewhat as well. You may have difﬁculty hearing high frequencies or following a conversation in a crowded room. What you can do about it — Schedule regular vision and hearing exams — then follow your doctor’s advice about glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids and other corrective devices. To prevent further damage, wear sunglasses when you’re outdoors and use earplugs when you’re around loud machinery or other loud noises.

What’s happening — Maintaining a healthy weight — or losing weight if you’re overweight — is more difﬁcult as you get older. Muscle mass tends to decrease with age, which leads to an increase in fat. Since fat tissue burns fewer calories than does muscle, you may need to reduce the number of calories in your diet or increase your physical activity simply to maintain your current weight. What you can do about it — To prevent unwanted weight gain, include physical activity in your daily routine and eat a healthy diet. Also keep an eye on portion sizes. You might not need to eat as much as you used to.

Your memory

Your teeth What’s happening — Your mouth may begin to feel drier and your gums may pull back (recede) from your teeth. With less saliva to wash away bacteria, your teeth and gums become slightly more vulnerable to decay and infection. Your teeth also may darken slightly and become more brittle and easier to break. What you can do about it — Brush your teeth twice a day and clean between your teeth — using regular dental ﬂoss or an interdental cleaner — once a day. Visit your dentist or dental hygienist for regular dental checkups.

Your sexuality What’s happening — With age, sexual needs, patterns and performance may change. Illness or medication may affect your ability to enjoy sex. For women, vaginal dryness can make sex uncomfortable. For men, impotence may become a concern. It may take longer to get an erection, and erections may not be as ﬁrm as they used to be. What you can do about it — Share your needs and concerns with your partner. You might experiment with different positions or sexual activities. Be open with your doctor, too. He or she may offer speciﬁc treatment suggestions — such as estrogen cream for vaginal dryness or oral medication for erectile dysfunction.

55PLUS Editor and Publisher Wagner Dotto

Associate Editor Lou Sorendo

Contributing Writers

Mike Costanza, Deborah Jeanne Sergeant, Beth Emley, Ken Little, Renee Rischenole, Jason Schultz, Debbie Waltzer

Columnists

Jim Terwilliger, Susan Suben Bruce Frassinelli Harold Miller

Advertising

Marsha K. Preston, Marlene Raite Beth Clark

Ofﬁce Manager

Laura J. Beckwith

Layout and Design Chris Crocker

Cover Photo

Chuck Wainwright

55 PLUS –A Magazine for Active Adults in the Rochester Area is published six times a year by Local News, Inc., which also publishes In Good Health–Rochester–Genesee Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper.

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Mailing Address PO Box 525 Victor, NY 14564 Subscription: $15 a year © 2011 by 55 PLUS – A Magazine for Active Adults in the Rochester Area. No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. Third class postage paid at Syracuse, NY. Permit Number: 3071

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golfing

Can’t Get Enough? For these golf-aholics, it’s always time to hit the greens By Jason Schultz

eloved and played by millions the world over, golf is a game that welcomes players of all backgrounds, personalities and abilities. The following pair of senior golfers shows that whatever your age and however you play the game, there is room for all on the course.

Bill Ribble, 66 ■ More rounds at Penfield Country Club in 2010 than any other member Self-proclaimed golf-aholic Bill Ribble of Penfield can be found almost every day at Penfield Country Club, where he has been a member for 15 years. A Marine and Vietnam War combat veteran, Ribble is fit and trim in a goatee and glasses, looking at least a decade younger than his 66 years. Besides playing golf compulsively (289 rounds last year at the club, the most of any member), Ribble stays in shape by swimming five days a week, practicing yoga and Pilates three times a week and strength training as well. “If I’m not sick, and there’s no lightning, I’ll play,” he said. “I’ve played in snow, sleet, heat and rain; I have no problem with the elements.” Ribble, who does not smoke or 8

55 PLUS - September / October 2011

drink, said he turned to a variety of healthy habits following his military service to help calm his mind and deal with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. “I ran marathons for 47 years, and studied martial arts for 45 years,” said the fifth-degree black belt in karate. Ribble said that by immersing himself in these activities, he was able to cope with the symptoms of PTSD, which include ﬂashbacks and other memories of his time in combat. “Even to this day, if I’m out on the course and I hear the sound of a Chinook [military transport helicopter], I can tell how far away it is, and it brings me back there… because that was what was used to pick us up.” Although PTSD can be an issue some wish not to talk about, Ribble has reached a point where he can speak about this issue, which sadly affects many fellow veterans, young and old. “It took me years to open up about it…but it should never be something people should be ashamed of,” he said. Knee troubles eventually caused him to give up marathon running to focus on the game of golf. “I started taking the game of golf seriously about eight years ago,” said the six-handicapper.

A typical day sees Ribble begin with a morning dip at the club’s pool, followed by over an hour on the putting greens and driving range to warm up. After that, Ribble usually plays 27 holes three times a week and 36 holes once weekly. He can often be found on the course with wife Ronnie, no slouch herself as an eight handicap, as the couple works to improve their game together. Ronnie said their love for each other is surpassed only by their love of the links. “If it wasn’t for him, I think I’d be even worse,” Ronnie laughed as the two prepared to hit their first tee shots of the afternoon. Ribble said the key is found in improving his short game and putting, while letting the driving sort itself out. “I just use the driving range to warm up,” Ribble said. “You might only hit your driver six or seven times a round, but you putt every hole, so mastering the short game is key to taking strokes off your score.” His ceaseless practice and preparation has certainly paid off. Although not the oldest golfer to record a hole-in-one (that honor belongs to an Elsie McLean, who at 102 years young aced the 100-yard fourth hole at Bidwell Park Golf Course in Chico, California in 2007), Ribble has recorded a notable eight aces in his years of playing, earning him the nickname of “Mr. Hole-InOne” around the clubhouse. Ribble, who has shot par at the Penfield course, says this year’s goal is to break par, and eventually shoot his age on the course, a notable feat for any golfer. According to Golf Digest, the youngest golfer to shoot his age was Bob Hamilton, who fired a 59 in 1975 to set the amateur record, while the oldest was 103-year-old Arthur Thompson of Victoria, British Columbia in 1972. “I play often with golfers in their 70s and 80s who are able to shoot their age and still play well in their golden years,” Ribble said. “I hope

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golfing

Bill Ribble warms up on the practice green and hits off the ﬁrst tee on a recent Friday afternoon beneath storm clouds at Penﬁeld Country Club. “I’ve played in snow, sleet, heat and rain; I have no problem with the elements,” he said.

with practice and good health to join them at that age.” Ribble credits his success to the staff at Penﬁeld Country Club, most notably assistant club pro, Dick Lucas, whom Ribble said eschews teaching perfect mechanics and instead works with each golfer ’s swing to find improvements. “I don’t have the prettiest swing; sometimes it looks like I’m break dancing out on the course,” Ribble joked. “But working with [Lucas], he’s taught me to perfect the swing I have, instead of trying to teach me the perfect swing.” Ribble said the greatest challenge and satisfaction comes from the mental aspect of the sport. “Once you start playing well, it’s not a frustrating game,” he concluded. “It becomes effortless, and you don’t even think when you’re playing. That’s what all the practice and planning before is about; do all the thinking in practice, so that when

you play, it’s all instinct…that’s what brings me out here every day.”

Bill Thaney, 86 ■ Longest standing member at Oak Hill Country Club Bill Thaney, 86, is not only a member at Oak Hill Country Club, but the longest standing member at the club, having joined in 1946. Thaney said he’s played golf since he could walk, and took to the sport naturally, playing on his high school team at Aquinas, as well as at Holy Cross University and during his time at the Naval Academy. A club champion, Thaney triumphed in the 1954 match play tournament to claim the honor that year, and holds a best round of 68 on both of the club’s challenging courses. Thaney served as president at the club from 1988-1990, and was bestowed with the greatest honor

Oak Hill can give one of its members: having a tree dedicated in his name on the Hill of Fame. The hill, located on the right side of the fairway of the East course’s famous 594-yard par ﬁve 13th hole, features trees dedicated to people who are part of the club’s history. Here a pin oak proudly displays Thaney’s name as past club president. His legacy lives on today. While conducting a tour of the club’s two courses on a beautiful July afternoon, Thaney was a minor celebrity. Known by all, he in turn seemingly knew the name and history of every member and employee he passed, always ready with a kind word or warm gesture. Throughout his 65 years as a member, Thaney has seen some of the titans of the game stride across the course sitting practically in the backyard of his Pittsford home, located next to the club. From Sam Snead, Walter Hagen and Ben Hogan putting the club on the map in the 1940s, to September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

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University of Rochester researchers are investigating whether playing video games can help sharpen memory and attention in adults age 60 and older. They’re also studying whether these games can affect certain blood proteins related to immune system health. Participation involves playing video games in your home (we provide the equipment and teach you to use it) and study assessment visits at the U of R.

55 PLUS - September / October 2011

modern giants of the game such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, Oak Hill has been at the center of much golf history, having hosted six major championships over the years, Golfer Bill Thaney i n c l u d i n g t h e during the 1995 1995 Ryder Cup. As MC of that Ryder Cup at event’s closing Oak Hill Country c e r e m o n i e s , Club. He joined Thaney said he the club in 1946 w o u l d n e v e r and is now its forget that longest standing experience. member. “ W e ’ v e had many big tournaments at Oak Hill, and many great players compete here, but the Ryder Cup was in my mind the most rewarding event we’ve ever had,” Thaney recalled. “It was a once-in-alifetime experience…getting to meet Dick Enberg and his crew, and seeing the importance the players put on the match, there was a palpable sense during the tournament that this was something different which will never be replicated.” Although his own play has been slowed by arthritis in recent years, Thaney said he ﬁnds time a few times every month to play nine holes and knock the ball round with friends, and visits the club almost every day. “I’m not able to hit it as far as I used to, but I try to compensate by having a better touch,” Thaney said of his current approach to the game. “These days I don’t keep score; I just like enjoying the company of friends, and being on one of the most beautiful courses in the country; just the drive in is worth it.” Though not as frequent a player as Ribble, Thaney still shares the inherent love and respect for the game, and would be at home in any foursome on any course. “You play as long as you can, and do as well as you can, but this game has a way of humbling even the best player…which is why no matter the score, when I’m out on the course, spending time with friends, I feel grateful and blessed to have this opportunity,” he concluded.

financial health By Jim Terwilliger

Understanding Medicare

edicare these days seems like a moving target. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 made a number of sweeping changes in the way Medicare is delivered and funded. These changes are due to unfold over the next several years. Rather than speculate about what further changes Congress might make, it is worth taking a moment to understand how Medicare works today. Benefits are organized into four parts: Part A covers a portion of the costs of a hospital or skilled nursing facility stay, home health care, hospice care and inpatient medications. Workers pay for Part A during their working years through payroll deductions. There is no additional premium if sufficient Medicare taxes are paid during this time. Part B covers a portion of the costs for physicians (inpatient and outpatient) and a variety of outpatient services and medications. You pay for Part B monthly once benefits begin. The premium schedule includes five payment tiers and was organized into an income-based system a few years ago. Part C is an optional way to receive Medicare benefits through a private insurance company, which receives reimbursement from Medicare. Known as a Medicare Advantage plan, coverage includes Parts A and B and often a Part D prescription drug plan. Part C provides basic Medicare coverage plus additional benefits to fill in gaps not covered by Medicare. Insurance companies charge a monthly premium for Part C and require that you be enrolled in Parts A and B and separately pay for Part B in order to receive coverage. Part D covers a portion of

‘Given that Medicare premiums are now tied to income and adjusted annually, some income planning may be helpful.’ prescription drug costs. Coverage is provided by private insurance companies and is paid through an additional monthly premium (unless covered under Part C above). The federal government, starting in 2011, also now charges a modest monthly premium for high-income individuals. Folks who are not covered by a Part C Medicare Advantage plan are well-advised to enroll in a Medicare Supplement (or Medigap) policy from a private insurer in order to ﬁll in the cost and service “gaps” not covered by basic Medicare. G e n e r a l l y, y o u q u a l i f y f o r Medicare at age 65 or older if you are a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident and you or your spouse worked long to be eligible for Social Security or railroad retirement beneﬁts. A few exceptions apply. If you do not qualify on your own or spouse’s work record, you generally can still be covered under Medicare starting at age 65 if you pay Part A premiums in addition to Parts B and D premiums. It is critical that you sign up for Medicare at the right time to avoid penalties being added permanently to your premiums. If you are retired, you should apply during the Initial Enrollment Period — the month you turn age 65 and the three-month periods before and after. This will require an active step on your part unless you are already receiving Social Security benefits, in which case you are automatically enrolled and will receive your

Medicare card in the mail. You can delay applying for Medicare without penalty if you have group health insurance through your or your spouse’s employer. Once your group coverage ends, you can avoid a late penalty by applying during the Special Enrollment Period — a period of eight months from the date your group coverage ends. If you miss your Part B enrollment deadline, your only choice is to sign up during the General Enrollment Period — Jan. 1 to March 31 each year with coverage beginning July 1. For late Part D enrollment, you can apply only in the Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 Part D Open Enrollment Period with coverage beginning Jan. 1. In both cases, late enrollment results in a permanent dollar penalty added to your premiums. Given that Medicare premiums are now tied to income and adjusted annually, some income planning may be helpful. If you have control over income timing (capital gains, for example), try to manage income so that higher premiums are more focused, not spread over several years. Also, if you are over 70-1/2 and wish to make a sizeable charitable contribution, consider using the direct IRA-to-charity transfer route in order reduce the impact of, say, a required minimum distribution on your 2011 income. The summary presented here merely scratches the Medicare planning surface. To develop a more comprehensive understanding/ strategy, consult directly with your trusted ﬁnancial planner. James Terwilliger, CFP®, is vice president, Financial Planning, Wealth Strategies Group, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. He can be reached at 585-419-0670 ext. 50630 or by email at jterwilliger@cnbank.com. September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

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benefits

Social Security. Can We Still Count On It? By Ken Little

he outlook is not promising for the Social Security and Medicare programs as they currently exist. To ensure a comfortable future without depending on either federal entitlement program, financial advisers say couples and individuals need to start planning as early as possible. The government issued a report in May that said the troubled economy of recent years has shortened the life of the funds that support Social Security and Medicare. Trustees of the two programs moved the target date for the Medicare hospital trust fund to be exhausted from 2029 to 2024. A bad economy means fewer workers paying Medicare premiums into the fund, along with continued increases in health care costs, the report said. The report said the Social Security trust fund was projected to be exhausted in 2036, compared to a 2010 projection of 2037. “The financial conditions of the Social Security and Medicare programs remain challenging. Projected long-term program costs for both Medicare and Social Security are not sustainable under currently scheduled financing, and will require legislative modifications if disruptive consequences for beneficiaries and taxpayers are to be avoided,” trustees of both funds said in a message summarizing the 2011 annual report. Trustees recommend addressing the financial challenges to the program now, rather than later, enabling “more options and more time to phase in changes so that those affected have 12

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adequate time to prepare.” Investors should take likely changes in Social Security and Medicare into consideration, said Fred W. Beltz, a chartered life underwriter and financial consultant with Beltz Ianni & Associates, in Rochester. Beltz has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. His practice focuses on retirement plans, employee benefits and the insurance needs of closely held businesses and professional firms. “I think older Americans will be all right. My expectations are that all of these programs will continue in some shape or form,” Beltz said. “Social Security and Medicare aren’t going away. They clearly are going to be modified over time.”

The criteria for receiving the benefits needs to be re-examined, Beltz said. “Does someone w i t h a s i x - f i g u re income need Social Security?” he said. Congress “is very, very hesitant to even talk about changes in Social Security,” Beltz said. “I think you will [eventually] see some sort of means test as to who will receive beneﬁts. “It’s called Social Security for a reason,” Beltz said. “It’s a societal investment program. It was intended to create a safety net for our s o c i e t y. I t was never meant to be lived on.” O n e option to conserve

program funds is gradually pushing the age back, he said. “I have complete expectations that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will continue in some form and I think those in the lower end of the economic spectrum will benefit from Social Security and those other programs,” Beltz said. Concern about their future is another valid reason people should think about saving now, Beltz said. “Any financial planner is going to recommend people should start saving as much as they can, as early as they can,” Beltz said. “I don’t think people should count on the government.” Individuals and families should refine expectations to fit economic realities. “We only have so much money,” he said. “Slowly but surely, people are getting the message.” About 10,000 members of the baby boom generation, born between 1946 and 1964, are turning retirement age every day, and will continue to do so through 2030. But Beltz does not think Social Security and other entitlement programs will collapse in their lifetimes. “Baby boomers, not so much,” he said. “Future generations are going to have to pay for it and I don’t think they’re going to like it.” Several studies recommend that those aged 65 or older should have at least $300,000 set aside just for medical expenses. That estimate is in 2011 dollars. For those who can afford them, Beltz said health savings accounts are a “tremendous vehicle” for those eligible to participate. “There are not a lot of (savings plans) in our tax system that are tax deductable going in and tax deductable going out,” he said. About 55 million retirees, the disabled, and children who have lost parents currently receive Social Security benefits. More than 46 million Americans are covered by Medicare. “I don’t think it’s going away, but I fully expect to see cutbacks at the rich end of the financial spectrum,” Beltz said. “I think they are part of our social fabric but the pie is only so big and people will tolerate only so much in taxes.”

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fitness

Connie Hibbard from Hilton, at the Charlotte pier overlooking Lake Ontario in Rochester, holds the ﬁrst place medal she won at the June National Senior Games in Houston, Texas.

Grandma’s Pastime: Running in Marathons Connie Hibbard, a Hilton resident, keeps on running. Her last feat: winning at the June National Senior Games in Houston, Texas By Beth Emley

aking it easy may be the norm for many people who have reached retirement age but not for Connie Hibbard. The 67-year-old mother of two and grandmother of seven is more active than ever these days. An accomplished runner, she has competed in 83 races in the past nine years. In all, she’s won ﬁrst place 75 14

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times and come in second place eight times. Race distances have varied from a one-mile event to a halfmarathon (13.1 miles.) Hibbard’s races have included numerous Rochester-area events and eight trips to the state senior games in Cortland where she qualiﬁed and competed in the National Senior Games (held every other year) four

times. Her latest achievement was winning ﬁrst place in the 1500-meter (nearly a mile) run at the June National Senior Games in Houston, Texas. Hibbard is also an accomplished tennis player, having won the state senior singles title for eight years. Hibbard said she began running in 2002 when her church held a 5K

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race — and she hasn’t stopped years.” since. Beyond the health At the time, she said, her benefits, however, Hibbard husband, Jeff, was away on a said running has ignited a fishing trip and she decided competitive spirit she never she wanted to try running her knew she had. first race. Though her kids and “I like to win,” she said. husband were always involved “If I wasn’t in (or preparing in sports, she was more the for) a race, I wouldn’t do it type to “sit on benches and at all.” watch them.” While she does some The first race was a advance training for the races success. she enters and tries to eat “I did quite well without right, Hibbard admitted she any training and from that isn’t one to follow a strict diet point on, I decided I kind of or running regimen although liked it,” she said. she wouldn’t recommend that With encouragement from Runner Connie Hibbard stands next to the time clock to others. her husband and son, who “I eat sweets like you in the arena where the June National Senior Games are both physical education wouldn’t believe,” she said teachers, Hibbard said she were held in Houston, Texas. She completed her with a laugh. Though it’s 1,500-meter run in 6:39.45, earning first place in her began entering more races. recommended that runners She has run and won division. stay hydrated, Hibbard in her division (ages 65-69), said she’s never been one to at many Rochester-area running five years ago. A skin condition that consume a lot of water before, during competitions, which led to her being didn’t clear up prompted her to seek or after a race. named Rochester Runner of the Year medical attention. Hibbard said she also doesn’t run The lupus has affected her vision several times. every day. Hibbard described this year ’s to the point where she may eventually She usually hits the pavement two National Senior Games as a nice way lose her sight, she said, and some to three times a week and tries to stay people marvel at how she’s been to meet runners from all over the active at other times by visiting the Y, country and said it was exciting to able to continue running. In the past, where she recently joined, and doing Hibbard said she’s been more inclined win the gold medal. yard work. “My grandkids are all excited” to run longer races but in the future, When it comes to her success, she may stick to shorter races. about her receiving a medal, Hibbard Hibbard may just be lucky to have Many times, Hibbard said, “I added. natural athletic ability. The national event — which don’t register for a race until the “My husband and son think I’m includes competitions over an entire morning of it.” Lupus also makes a natural,” she said. “I never thought it more difficult for her to tolerate week — was a good way to bond with extreme cold or hot temperatures and like I ran enough. I just run enough other runners, she said. to do well.” “People will often say, ‘I’ll see you she has found she has to be careful Hibbard said running isn’t her in two years’ and we’ve exchanged about how much and when she trains first priority in life although she’s for upcoming races. phone numbers and addresses” to Regardless of the limitations her grateful for support from her family. keep in touch, Hibbard said. Her husband takes her to all the While she plans to keep on lupus has posed, Hibbard said her races, prepares breakfast for her on entering more races, Hibbard said doctor thinks running has helped. “He said if I wasn’t doing it, I the day of the event, and cheers for health issues, including lupus (an her. He’s also displayed her various autoimmune disorder in which the would probably be in bed,” she said. trophies and medals at home. body’s immune system mistakenly “I do think it does help with my flareHibbard has come a long way attacks healthy tissue) and another ups.” from that first 5K nine years ago. Besides helping her cope with autoimmune disorder, have been a She said she never dreamed she’d challenge. However, she didn’t dwell lupus, Hibbard said running has be competing in races when she first on that subject much during a recent improved her overall health and it just started at age 58 and said others her makes her feel better. interview. “I just think getting out in nature age ought to feel there are no limits Hibbard said her doctor thinks either. she may have had lupus in her system and running — you can’t imagine “It’s never too late to start,” she since she was in her 20s, but she was how much better your body feels,” said. never officially diagnosed until about she said. “I did nothing for years and September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

Social Security

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University Urology

Q: I worked for the last 10 years and I now have my 40 credits. Does this mean that I get the maximum Social Security retirement benefit? A: The 40 credits are the minimum number you need to qualify for retirement benefits. However, we do not base the amount of the benefit on those credits; it’s based on your earnings over a lifetime of work. For details on how your benefit is figured go to www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement/howfigured.htm

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Q: What’s the best way to apply for extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs? A: The fastest and most convenient way to apply for extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs is online at www.socialsecurity. gov/prescriptionhelp. Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and resources may qualify for extra help, which pays part of the monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments under the Medicare prescription drug program. The extra help is estimated to be worth an average of $4,000 per year.

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Starr Greenwood, aquatics director at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester.

Swimming Anyone?

37 percent of American adults do not know how to swim. JCC and YMCA are two organizations that want to change that. They offer programs that help people feel comfortable in the water By Debbie Waltzer

t is important to know how to swim—and it’s never too late to learn. That is the message conveyed by local aquatic experts, underscoring data on the prevalence of non-swimmers in the adult population. Fully 37 percent of American adults do not know how to swim, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2007, said the nation’s clearinghouse for health information, there were 3,443 “fatal unintentional drownings” in the U.S., nearly 80 percent of whom were adults. Moreover, the vast majority of these victims died because 18

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they did not know how to swim—a fact that Rochester-area swimming experts Starr Greenwood and Terri Beneway would like to change. “It is never too late to learn to swim,” says Greenwood, aquatics director at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester, and a 15year veteran of that organization. “But you have to work at it and practice.” M u l t i p l e re a s o n s e x i s t f o r explaining why some adults never learned to swim, Greenwood notes. Some developed a phobia around water during childhood, after a parent threw them into a pool, hoping they would instinctively swim—a practice

that Greenwood deplores. With other clients, cultural factors enter into the picture. She describes a male client of Indian descent—the only male offspring in his family—whose parents were terriﬁed of losing him, and never allowed him near water. S t i l l o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s a re comfortable playing in shallow pool or lake water, but mental anguish prevents them from learning skills to venture into deeper water. Moreover, some older clients seek swim lessons because their children have installed pools in their backyards, and these individuals truly wish to be able to swim with their

55+ grandchildren—and provide safety skills if the little ones are struggling in the water. Through small-group instructional support and one-on-one sessions, Greenwood and other aquatic staff members at the JCC have successfully helped clients get past their fears and become deep-water swimmers. With the Indian gentleman, Greenwood provided twice weekly swim sessions for two years. Eventually, the client was able to master his fears and become an accomplished swimmer. Greenwood’s approach is to first help the individual learn to do a back float. Then, her instruction includes learning to tread water, so that the client learns they can be upright in water without touching the bottom of the pool. Finally, she encourages students to learn to do a doggy paddle that does not require rhythmic breathing or rotation. “It’s all about learning to relax,” says Greenwood, noting that private swim lessons at the JCC cost $20 per half-hour for members, and $30 per half-hour for non-members. “Our goal is to help the client get past the mental state of fear of deep water. It is not a quick fix, and it’s not a skill that can be mastered in only one or two lessons. But it can be accomplished.” Terri Beneway, aquatic director at the Southeast Branch of the YMCA of Greater Rochester, agrees with Greenwood’s assessment. She frequently receives phone calls with the message: “I bet I’m the only adult calling you who has never learned to swim.” Not true, responds Beneway, a SUNY Geneseo graduate who grew up with a pool in her backyard and has been teaching swimming for nine years and was promoted to fulltime aquatic director at the YMCA in 2008. Clients approach the YMCA pool with a variety of skills. Some are comfortable standing in the pool’s shallow end, while others are not able to let go of the pool wall while standing in the shallow end. Beneway and her staff are trained to help all clients, regardless of their

comfort level and prior experience. Recently, she coached an 82-yearold man who wanted desperately to be able to comfortably accompany his grandchildren in their backyard pool. The children simply could not understand why Grandpa wouldn’t go in the water with them. With Beneway’s help, he eventually developed sufficient swimming skills, and mastered his fears. Adult clients who want to learn to swim are usually put into a small group of no more than four others, plus an instructor. Beneway’s approach? “First, we have to gain their trust,” she says. As a trained swim instructor and lifeguard, she asks clients to put on a floatation device, and the group— holding each other’s hands—ease into the deep end, with plenty of rescue equipment nearby. “It can take quite a while for an individual to feel comfortable enough to remove their floatation device, and that’s perfectly fine,” Beneway says. “We don’t push adults as fast as we do with children. It’s all based on the individual’s feelings of selfconfidence. When they are ready to remove their floatation device, they will tell us.” With weekly sessions, most adults learn to swim within six months, she notes. Fees at the YMCA are $58 for an 8-week class for members, or $104 for non-members. Adult learners typically register for three, 8-week blocks. “We have some very dedicated swim teachers here who specialize in helping adults overcome their fears

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and master basic swimming skills,” Beneway notes. “Learning to swim is a great life experience. Moreover, it’s like learning to ride a bicycle. Once you learn to swim, you will never forget how.” For more information, call Starr Greenwood at the JCC, 461-2000, x267, or Terri Beneway at the YMCA Southeast Branch, 385-4665.

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Experts: Yoga Can Slow Aging Process By Renee Rischenole

t’s no secret that exercise and diet are essential to our health, but finding the right program to fit individual needs can be a daunting task, especially for those with health issues. Yoga practice is suitable for all ages of any gender, has many health benefits and is known for slowing down the aging process. You may have come across images with a person twisted like a pretzel and thought to yourself that there are no way you can get into those positions. While that may be true for a lot of people, finding the right yoga program and teacher is essential to what suits the needs of the individual. “It’s like finding a doctor,” said Rick Lynch, owner and registered teacher at Finger Lakes Yoga Center in Canandaigua. “You have to look for a program that’s right for your needs.” Lynch focuses in Iyengar Yoga and has been practicing yoga for more than 30 years after a motorcycle accident that hurt his back. He has trained and still continues to train with Francois Raoult, the renowned director of Open Sky Yoga Center in Rochester, and other senior teachers around the world. For individuals who have health issues, live with chronic pain, or who haven’t exercised in many years, it would be a wise decision not to jump into a program just because it’s offered at your local gym. “Ask to talk to the teacher,” said Lynch, “ask them what their background is, if they specialize with students over 55, or train with people who have health issues.” Licensing is not a requirement to teach or instruct a yoga class. This

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is considerably more of a reason to shop around for the right teacher and program based on the individual needs. According to the Yoga Alliance, an online community for registered yoga teachers, some reasons to try yoga are for stress relief, pain relief, better breathing, improved flexibility, increased strength from head to toe, muscular tension relief, weight management, improved circulation, cardiovascular conditioning, presence, including improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory, as well as inner peace. There are many traditions and styles of yoga. Some common styles include gentle yoga, yoga flows, power yoga, fitness yoga, specialty yoga, spiritually oriented yoga, and therapeutic yoga. D o u g l a s M a c I n t y re teaches in Rochester and is the originator of Internal Yoga. He began practice in 1972 and initiated this style in 1989. After trying yoga for the first

time he felt increased ﬂexibility and endurance. “Anybody can do yoga if they understand it,” MacIntyre said.

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Louise Radak, 79: “Yoga is not a competitive kind of exercise, it’s a spiritual and personal awakening,” She is pictured in Croatia during a trip in November 2010. He, like Lynch, feels it necessary to check the teachers out carefully and be certain they are skilled and that the classes are age-friendly. The Yoga Alliance website (www.yogaalliance. org) has valuable information about finding the right program and selecting a teacher. Yoga is an ancient practice that helps create a sense of union in body, mind, and spirit. It brings balance. MacIntyre’s Internal Yoga classes focus on ﬂexibility, relaxation, and balance. “Balance is important for aging,” said MacIntyre, “yoga helps maintain balance to help people live longer.” For age 65 and older the No. 1 cause of death from injury in any gender is complications resulting from a fall. While falls are on the list for aging, there are numerous common diseases and disorders that affect older adults, according to the AGS Foundation for Health and Aging.

Genetic and environmental factors control how we age. Each individual is made up in a unique way, has their own genetics as well as what environments to which they’ve been exposed. However, it’s never too late to make a healthy lifestyle change, which is essential to healthy aging and longevity. This is one more reason to consider yoga practice, experts say. Many students who have practiced yoga have reported better sleep, more energy, felt more relaxed, better tuned in to how they feel and are more aware of their body. “The first benefit of yoga is slowing down,” said MacIntyre, “it’s you and your mind.” In the preface of B.K.S. Iyengar’s book, “Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness,” Iyengar wrote, “by persistent and sustained practice, anyone and everyone can make the yoga journey and reach the goal of illumination and freedom.” Iyengar assures readers that

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those who practice can meet the challenges. He wrote, “I was heavily disadvantaged in many ways and emerged from darkness to light, mortal sickness to health, from crude ignorance to immersion in the ocean of knowledge by one means alone. What held good for me will hold good for you too.” Many people have the mentality that any new pain, or loss of hearing, or a new health diagnosis is result of getting old. Aging is no more than a state of mind, experts say. Louise Radak, 79 of Canandaigua has been practicing yoga for 10 years and said that it has changed her quality of life. “I had a friend who suggested I try yoga,” said Radak, “I admired her for being spiritual but I was hesitant.” Radak practices mostly with Lynch at Finger Lakes Yoga Center in Canandaigua and goes to class about twice a week. She says it stimulates her mind and body. “Yoga is not a competitive kind of exercise, it’s a spiritual and personal awakening,” Radak said. Radak combines her yoga with levels one and also joins class in level two. “Both are satisfying,” said Radak, “you participate in something with 20 others but it’s like you’re the only person in the room.” Lynch teaches different level classes at his Canandaigua studio as well as a few classes at Francois Raoult’s Open Sky Yoga Center located in Rochester. “Take it slow,” said Lynch, “begin with 20 minutes opposed to 90 and commit to twice a week.” Whether you’re active and in your 60s or succumbed to chronic pain, there is a yoga program for everyone. Aging is more in your mind. “If you’re going to sit in a chair and accept being old, then you’re going to get old,” Radak said. For more information about yoga or to ﬁnd a teacher and program in your area that is right for you visit the Yoga Alliance at www.yogaalliance. org. September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

ROCHESTER Healthcare Proﬁles

The Beneﬁts of Massage Therapy Are you stressed? The American Academy of Family Physicians reports 43 percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects related to stress. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine reports that massage is used to reduce stress, increase relaxation, address anxiety and depression, relieve pain, rehabilitate sports injuries and aid general wellness. For people diagnosed with cancer, massage can be especially effective. A study sponsored by the Institute of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (2008) revealed that a therapeutic massage can immediately reduce pain and improve the mood of people diagnosed with advanced forms of cancer. Jean Van Etten is a licensed massage therapist who has worked at Pluta Cancer Center since 2003. Van Etten developed the oncology massage program at Pluta, where patients receive massages at no charge in a spa-like room on site as well as in the Center’s chemotherapy suite. “At Pluta Cancer Center, patients who receive massage therapy become our biggest advocates of the service because of how much better they feel afterwards,” Van Etten said. “Pluta has been a pioneer in the Greater Rochester region, offering massage and other complementary services because of our belief in the value these

…a therapeutic massage can immediately

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modalities have in enhancing a patient’s ability to get through treatment and recovery.” Massage therapists trained to work with cancer patients learn to customize the massage in light of the patient’s disease status and treatment side effects. For instance, the pressure used is typically light to moderate with the aim of supporting the body and enhancing relaxation. Other modiﬁcations to traditional Swedish massage may include avoiding radiation treatment sites and medical devices, providing slower massages for a shorter duration, and special techniques for people who have had lymph nodes removed.

In addition to massage therapy, Pluta Cancer Center also offers patients other complementary services without fee, including support groups, yoga, tai chi, nutrition counseling and healthy living cooking classes.

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55 PLUS - September / October 2011 16271_Adv_725x10_F.indd 1

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profile

Ted Curtis

Passion for Rochester and its Waterways

By Mike Costanza

wenty years ago, Edward “Ted” Curtis looked out at Rochester’s waterways and realized that few saw them for the jewels they were. “We had these extraordinary water resources…but nobody was paying attention to them,” the 81year-old says. Curtis founded the Corn Hill Waterfront & Navigation Foundation to remedy that situation. The nonprofit, which goes by the name of “Corn Hill Navigation,” set out to teach the public about the waterways that serve the Rochester area and the pleasures they can provide. Each year from May through October, the foundation’s two boats travel the Erie Canal and Genesee River as ﬂoating classrooms, complete with teachers and curricula. Students can cruise the waterways, perform ﬁeld studies, learn of the waterways’ effects on the

history and culture of the Rochester area, and engage in other educational activities. “You don’t really appreciate the river until you’re actually out on it,” says Curtis, who was also the ﬁrst chairman of the Corn Hill Navigation. Adults can also participate in instructional activities aboard the boats, which also host family reunions, business dinners, and other events. Corn Hill Navigation generates revenue from donations, subscriptions, ticket sales, and other revenue sources, says Vicky Schmitt, president of the nonproﬁt. Its 2011 budget is about $400,000. Founding Corn Hill Navigation is just one of the many elements of a long and colorful life. Born in Rochester, Curtis went on to attend Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., as an Air Force ROTC student. The

Korean War was in full swing when he graduated in 1951, but Curtis was unable to pass the physical for active military service. Seeking another way to serve his country, he joined the CIA and spent the next four years in Washington. Curtis spent much of that time as a desk ofﬁcer at the agency’s French and Spanish desks. “It involved working with either the French or the Spanish counter-intelligence agencies,” Curtis says. “Counter-espionage was my specialty.” Returning to Rochester, Curtis joined the Eastman Kodak Company. He held various positions with the firm, eventually working his way up to director of federal government affairs. “I was in charge of, mostly, federal relations at that point, but got involved in local [governmental relations] as well,” he says. September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

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55+ Curtis’s relations with Rochester’s government grew very close toward the end of his time with Kodak, when he became city manager. Here’s how it came about. Under Kodak policy, executives could donate their time to local governments and outside organizations with company approval. In 1969, local Republicans won a majority of seats on the City Council—a rarity in Rochester, where the majority of voters are Democrats. “They [Republicans] were all startled at this,” says Curtis, who was active in Republican political circles at the time. Back then, Rochester had what was called a “mayor-council” form of government, and a city manager— appointed by the City Council—ran the city’s day-to-day operations. After the election, the council asked Curtis to serve as interim city manager while a search for a permanent manager proceeded. He accepted, and spent the next four months working for a Republican administration that had only a razor-thin 5-4 majority on the council. “That was a wild and wooly time,” Curtis says. The job kept him at City Hall for many long hours. “He’d come roaring in and eat his dinner and roar out again,” says Claire, Curtis’s wife of 59 years. Even after hours, he was on call to City Hall—particularly when it snowed. “Every time they sent out the snowplows, they’d have to call and tell him,” she says. That winter it snowed a total of 172 inches, Curtis says. Leaving Kodak in 1971, Curtis went on to become vice president of public affairs for the Rochester Institute of Technology. He then ran for a seat on the Monroe County Legislature in the 21st district on a platform of government consolidation. “I lost it by 632 votes out of 7,000 cast,” he says. Curtis then ran his own company, Genesee Public Affairs, Inc, for about 10 years, he says. He eventually came to head the Greater Rochester Visitors

Claire Curtis, Ted’s wife of 59 years. Association, from which he retired in about 1984. As busy as those days might seem, Curtis found the time to give his skills and energy to local nonprofits and governmental groups. In 1975, he headed the Monroe County Legislature Commission on the Future of Our Waterways. “One of the things we decided was we were not taking advantage of anything like what we ought to for the river, the canal, and the lake,” he says. Corn Hill Navigation was founded in 1991 to do just that. Curtis says the nonprofit’s first major task was to find a boat that fit its mission. “I looked all over the East trying to find a boat I could charter or buy,” he says. “Nobody had anything.” Finally, he commissioned the Mid-Lakes Navigation Co. Ltd. of Skaneateles to build a 54-foot-long, $135,000 replica of the type of packet boat that was once common on the Erie Canal and the Genesee. Curtis and other supporters of Corn Hill Navigation solicited donations to pay for the boat. “I went out and passed the hat,” he says. Claire christened the craft the “Sam Patch” with the swing of a champaign bottle on July 1, 1991. The craft is named after a daredevil who

profile

gained fame from jumping into rivers from great heights. From the beginning, the Sam Patch took on the role of a floating classroom. “Ted took students from the Rochester City School District out free of charge,” Schmitt says. “We take the entire fourth grade.” Corn Hill Navigation worked with the district’s curriculum specialists to develop a multi-disciplinary program of study of the Erie Canal and the Genesee River, Schmitt says. The students’ time on the boat makes the program come alive in ways a regular classroom can’t share—as Curtis learned about 10 years ago. He was walking through the now-defunct Midtown Plaza when a teenager approached him. “[He] asks, ‘Mister, are those herons still up on the river?’” Curtis says. Though the teenager hadn’t been aboard the Sam Patch in many years, he still remembered the large, beautiful birds he’d seen as a fourth grader. In 2005, Corn Hill Navigation bought another boat, this one a vintage craft christened the Mary Jemison. By the end of this season, Schmitt, the nonprofit’s president, estimates that the two will have carried as many as 250,000 visitors down local waterways. Nowadays, Curtis holds the title of “Honorary Commodore” of Corn Hill Navigation. Though the father and grandfather is no longer as active in the nonprofit as he once was, he has left his mark on it. “We’re very pleased that he’s been able to accomplish so much of what he has set out to accomplish, and we’re pleased that we’ve been able to help him along the way” says James Durfee, who serves on the executive committee of the nonprofit’s board of directors. Corn Hill Navigation celebrated its 20th anniversary with gala festivities in July. As part of that celebration, Monroe County and the City of Rochester dedicated the intersection of the Genesee River and the Erie Canal as “Curtis Point.” September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

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Betty Mullin-DiProsa photographed at St. Ann’s Community’s main lounge on Portland Avenue, Rochester.

55 PLUS - September / October 2011

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Decades of Service to Older Adults St Ann’s Community CEO talks about her life, career and caring for thousands of seniors each year By Mike Costanza

lizabeth Mullin-DiProsa, CEO and president of St. Ann’s Community, says she has enjoyed caring for older adults throughout much of her working life. “They’ve had rich, full lives,” she says. That interest has taken MullinDiProsa, who prefers to be called “Betty,” to the top of one of the Rochester region’s premiere geriatric care organizations. About 2,800 seniors each year turn to St Ann’s Community for outpatient, skilled nursing, hospice care, rehabilitation services and other types of care. St. Ann’s also provides independent retirement housing, assisted living, and other residential services, as well. The system employs about 1,000 workers on its two campuses, and has an annual operating budget of about $70 million, Mullin-DiProsa says. Mullin-DiProsa, a registered nurse, was born in Jacksonville, Fla., but moved around a great deal as a child. “My father was an enlisted man in the Navy,” the 65-year-old says. “I went to eight different elementary schools.” Though being the daughter of an enlisted man took MullinDiProsa to exotic locales—Panama and Japan among them—it also left her unable to have much contact with her older relatives. For much

of that time, her family consisted of “my mother, father and brother,” she says. Mullin-DiProsa gained more contact with older adults after her father retired from the Navy and settled the family in Santa Clara, Calif. There, the Roman Catholic teenager began working in the rectory of her church. “There were a lot of older people there, and they would come to see the priest, or they would help out there,” Mullin-DiProsa says. “There’s a couple of ladies there that I really befriended.” Upon graduating from high school, Mullin-DiProsa headed off to college and nursing school at Seattle University, a Jesuit institution in Seattle, Washington. Her previous experiences with older adults had drawn her to the idea of working with them as a nurse. The attraction grew stronger when she worked with children as a nursing student on a pediatric ward. “I was never their mother, so no matter what I did, they cried,” she says, grinning. “So, I went to people who would talk to me.” Graduating from nursing school in 1968, Mullin-DiProsa worked in Seattle for a time as a registered nurse. She then moved ﬁrst to Indianapolis with her husband, an ofﬁcer in the US Army, and then to Germany. They returned to Seattle two years later, where Mullin-

DiProsa worked in geriatric care. At that time, the care of older adults had a different focus than it does now. “Nursing homes used to be called ‘custodial care facilities,’” she says. “They weren’t highly desirable places to live out your days.” That changed over the next 30 years or so. Geriatric care came to focus more and more upon providing the kind of medical and rehabilitative care and other forms of assistance that older adults need to live independently for as long as possible. “No one wants to go to a nursing home—they want to go home, whatever home is,” she says. Mullin-DiProsa held increasingly responsible positions in geriatric care before becoming executive director of community health and long term care for the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound. The nationallyknown nonproﬁt HMO has its own physicians, staff, hospitals, nursing home and other facilities. “I was in charge of the nursing home, the home health agency, the hospice agency and the physicians’ geriatric practice,” she says. While Mullin-DiProsa calls Group Health of Puget Sound “a wonderful organization,” and speaks proudly of her work there, she adds that the nonproﬁt did not focus on geriatric care in the ways September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

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St. Ann’s Community campus on Portland Avenue (top photo) and an artist’s rendering of the future campus. The nonproﬁt is building a transitional care center with 72 beds and a palliative care center with 10 beds. When it’s completed in March 2012, it plans to demolish the tower, which sits prominently on its campus (top photo on the right). St. Ann’s is also building a long term care center with 60 beds and a transitional care center with 12 beds on its Webster campus. About 2,800 seniors each year turn to St Ann’s Community for outpatient, skilled nursing, hospice care, rehabilitation services and other types of care. 30

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she desired. “Like many complex health systems…the primary focus was on hospitals and it was on doctors,” she says. “I was always fighting for more resources.” That contrasted with the approach to geriatric care that she saw in St. Ann’s Community when recruiters approached her to offer the top slot in the system “I was taken by the fact that this was a large system, almost an enclosed health system, but it was a health system for older people,” she says. In this new system, she wouldn’t have to fight for resources. “All we do is take care of older people—it’s our mission, it’s our values, it’s our reason for being,” she says. Mullin-DiProsa took office in 1997, bringing her own ideas about geriatric care to an institution that had cared for others since 1873. “At times, people thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, there’s this wild woman from the west, and her ideas are not going to work here,” she says. Those ideas helped take senior care in new directions at St. Ann’s Community. “I think one of Betty’s many strengths is her vision of where we need to go in leading the organization,” says Patrick Burke, vice chairman of the board of St. Ann’s Community. Under Mullin-DiProsa’s leadership, St. Ann’s Community developed more transitional care programs. Such rehabilitation programs help older adults who are recovering from surgery, injuries or acute illnesses move more quickly from the hospital to their homes or other residences. Over time, those programs bore fruit. “Nearly 80 percent of our transitional care patients return to the community, as compared to a statewide average of approximately 49 percent,” she says. Moreover, those returning to the community are more able to remain there.

55+ “Our clinical outcomes consistently exceed regional and national norms, because we put such an emphasis on the skilled nursing and rehab therapies to get that level of optimal independence,” she Mullin-DiProsa says. As a result, more and more patients have come to St. Ann’s for rehabilitative care. Since she came on board, the average number of rehabilitation patients whom it serves has grown from two to 60 a day, she says. St. Ann’s Community under Mullin-DiProsa’s leadership has also added other, non-medical programs that are intended to help older adults avoid illnesses and other medical conditions. “There are two things that are going to keep you well and healthy—that’s socialization and physical activity,” she says. St. Ann’s Community provides many programs intended to help older adults interact and stay physically fit, Mullin-DiProsa says. These range from adult day programs for those who live at home to the extensive recreational programs available for those living in its retirement communities in Webster and at its main campus in Irondequoit. “They go on fishing trips; they have bocce courses,” she says. “If they want to go out and watch the demonstration cooking class or the flower arrangement class, they can do that.” St. Ann’s Community has taken other direction under MullinDiProsa, as well. In 2007, the system opened the Palliative Center for Caring in an existing building on its Irondequoit campus. The five-bed hospice gives older adults who have terminal illnesses or conditions the chance to spend their last days in dignity and comfort. VNS Hospice, an arm of the nonprofit Visiting Nurse Service, provides the nurses and other staff who treat the center’s patients under a partnership arrangement with St. Ann’s.

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Mullin-DiProsa on the construction site at St. Ann’s main campus where a 72-bed transitional care unit and a 10bed hospice unit that will replace an exisiting building. September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

Five things you didn’t know about Betty Mullin-DiProsa

“I read books online.” She’s now reading “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” by Stieg Larsen, and plans to work her way through the Swedish author’s entire series. See No. 2.

2 3

“I’m half Swedish and half Irish.”

“I’m really thrilled that I have a number of heirlooms from my grandmother.” Those include a large 1938 crystal radio that her mother bought when she took her ﬁrst job, and a treadle sewing machine.

4 5

“I love dogs. Dogs a re j u s t t re m e n d o u s companions.”

“This May, I took my two daughters to Ireland for a birthday gift for myself. I connected with two Irish cousins and had a fantastic time.”

“We developed a unique, partnered approach that takes advantage of two respected community organizations, reduces the cost of health care, and efﬁciently used existing facilities rather than build a new one,” says Vicky Hines, president and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester & Monroe County, Inc. Mullins-DiProsa was a driving force behind the creation of the Palliative Care Center, Hines says. “She is a strong, committed and experienced leader who has the uncanny ability to cut to what matters in any decision or discussion,” Hines says. St. Ann’s is expanding in other ways as well. Construction is well underway at its Irondequoit campus on a 72-bed transitional care unit and a 10-bed hospice unit that will replace the existing Palliative Center for Caring, but retain its name. It is also in the process of adding a new facility to its Cherry Ridge campus in Webster that will house 60 longterm care and 12 transitional care beds.

Mullin-DiProsa says both projects, which come at a total price tag of $72 million, should be ﬁnished and opened by March of next year. As important as such accomplishments may be, St. Ann’s faces many of the same challenges as other local health care providers. Cuts to Medicaid funding, for example, could strongly affect its bottom line. “That is 80–85 percent of our revenue,” Mullin-DiProsa says. Mullin-DiProsa has traveled to Albany, participated in online callins, and taken other steps to help apprise federal and state legislators of the need to fund the care of older adults. “We have to educate the people who do the regulations,” she says. In her off time—what there is of it—Mullin-DiProsa enjoys traveling and gardening. The married mother, stepmother, and grandmother also keeps in touch with her mother via email—the 91-year-old lives at a retirement community in Tacoma, Washington.

St. Ann’s at a Glance St. Ann’s Community was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1873 as a ministry of service. It gradually grew to provide a complete continuum of care, offering everything from independent senior living to 24hour skilled nursing. St. Ann’s Community is now one of Rochester’s largest private employers, with more than 1000 employees. St. Ann’s Community is comprised of the following components divided in two campuses: • St. Ann’s Home is a 388-bed skilled nursing facility providing

24-hour on-site care. It’s located at 1500 Portland Ave. • The Heritage is an independent living with 24-Hour on-site care andrespite care available 24 hours a day. It’s located at 1450 Portland Ave., next to St. Ann’s Home • Chapel Oaks is a rental retirement community for people who want to enjoy an active lifestyle with complete independence. It’s located at 1550 Portland Ave. • Cherry Ridge is a retirement community located on 41 wooded acres in Webster, offering independent apartments or cottage homes along with on-site assisted living and memory care. It’s located at 900 Cherry Ridge Blvd.

Visit Us Online @ Roc55.com 32

55 PLUS - September / October 2011

long-term care By Susan Suben

This is Dedicated to Caregivers…

am an only child. For the past five years I have been taking care of my father and mother — one close by, the other longdistance. Dad suffers from multiple debilitating ailments, including Parkinson’s. He lived in my house for two years until he fell and was sent to the hospital and then to the rehab unit of the local nursing home. When he was ready to be discharged, I made the decision to place him in an adult home. He has been there for two years. Even though he is no longer home with me, I am still his primary caregiver. I take him to doctor appointments and shopping, visit several times during the week, and deal with his emotional and physical frustrations of not being able to care for himself anymore. This often causes a lot of tension between us. My mom also suffers from many medical conditions that are slowing her down physically and mentally. Her days are filled with pain and discomfort, but she tries her best to laugh and be kind to others. I try to visit her once a month in New York City. She has been in and out of the hospital, having fallen several times, and was recently discharged from a nursing home for rehab. I feel so sorry for her and frustrated that I can’t do more to help her. Caregiving is difficult. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. A caregiver is pulled in many different directions while trying to sustain his or her own life, that life consisting of work, family and friends. Resentment, guilt, anger, frustration and sadness are some of the emotions that ripple through us. In the extreme, we might even wish that the person we are caring for

If you are a caregiver, know that deep within the heart of the person you are caring for is a lot of love. would just not be there anymore. No one really ever anticipates being in this type of situation, but at some point we might all experience it and, as we age, our children can experience it as well. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving, there are nearly 10 million adult children over the age of 50 caring for their aging parents. They are all struggling with the same emotional, financial, social and physical issues. In a recent study titled “Caregiving Costs to Working Caregivers: Double Jeopardy for Baby Boomers Caring for Their Parents” conducted by MetLife’s Mature Market Institute, the key findings include: • The percentage of adult children providing personal care and/or financial assistance to a parent has more than tripled over the past 15 years. • The total estimated aggregate lost wages, pension and Social Security benefits of these caregivers of parents is nearly $3 trillion. • The cost impact or caregiving on the individual female caregiver in terms of lost wages, pension and Social Security benefits equals $324,044. • The total impact of lost wages, pension and Social Security for the male caregiver equals $283,716.

Not only is the financial security of this generation in jeopardy, the ability to leave an inheritance for children or grandchildren might also be diminished. That’s why it’s important to plan. The America Association for Long-Term Care Insurance in its new brochure “The Most Asked Questions About Long-Term Care Planning” states: “Perhaps the greatest benefit of long-term care insurance is that it can allow loved ones to care ABOUT you…instead of having to care FOR you”. My parents waited too long to plan for long-term care and they became uninsurable. I will care for them the best that I can. The trick, I have found, is to take a deep breath and keep moving forward. I break down my responsibilities into manageable tasks, and take some down time to rejuvenate and bring my patience level back up. It’s easy to want to give up but I know my parents are relying upon me. If you are a caregiver, know that deep within the heart of the person you are caring for is a lot of love. They are very thankful to you for helping them maintain their dignity and the hope they need to be able get through another day. When their flame has long gone out, you will be thankful for the strength you showed in caring for them, and you will miss who they were and what they meant to you in your life before and during their illness. Susan Suben, MS, CSA, is president of Long Term Care Associates, Inc. and a consultant for Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Company. She can be reached at 800-422-2655 or by email at susansuben@31greenbush.com. September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

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health

Men’s Health Focus of URMC Event About 500 men expected to attend event that will focus on health issues, including cataracts, aging, diet and weight problems By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

n general, men tend to pay less attention to preventive health than women. According to the Centers for Disease Control, among those aged 65 and older, women visit the doctor nearly 100 percent more often for non-illness related reasons than men, despite the fact that scheduled screenings and routine doctor visits can help keep people healthier as they age. To help men become more aware of their health needs, the University of Rochester Medical Center has planned an event that addresses men’s health at all ages. Organizers expect 500 men to attend the event. Special guest Matt Long will be the keynote speaker. One of the local presenters, Roger Oskvig, practices internal medicine and geriatrics at URMC. He will speak on “Men’s Health Through the

The eighth annual Men’s Health Day for men aged 45 and older, is slated for Friday, Sept. 23, at the Hyatt Regency Rochester Hotel, 125 E. Main St., Rochester. Registration will begin Aug. 29. Tickets for the event are $15 and include free parking at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, breakfast, lunch, giveaways and prizes. Visit www.menshealth.urmc.edu or call (585) 275-2838 for more information. 34

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Decades.” He agrees that men’s health is usually off the radar. “If you look at the general physical examination, the standard for women is an exam every three years and pelvic and pap annually,” he said, “For the asymptomatic individual man, it’s one physical between 18 and 55.” Oskvig referenced an interview of actor Tim Allen by Barbara Walters in which the comedian said women’s lives were so much easier. Walters countered that it sounded like Allen wanted to be reincarnated as a woman. He quipped, “Men are lower maintenance.” Unfortunately, many men take that idea to an extreme when it comes to their health. Instead of living by “if it ain’t broken, don’t ﬁx it,” they should adapt Benjamin Franklin’s adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Oskvig plans to divide his presentation into segments addressing the needs of different ages. “The most neglected men’s health issues are healthful diet, adequate exercise, and monitoring weight,” Oskvig said. “One of the things that we under teach in medicine and in school and through parenthood is to select healthful foods for a lifetime. There’s ample data from childhood through 100 in the role of exercise in general health.” For children through age 10, doctors oversee vaccination and monitor growth. “We want them on the same

Key note speaker at the URMC event will be Matt Long, book author. height and weight curve throughout their life,” Oskvig said. “We don’t want the weight to start growing more than the height.” From age 11 through the teen years, the focus becomes weight and management, emotional maturation and transition into adulthood, along with a few immunizations and boosters. Once young adulthood begins, doctors keep a watch on cholesterol, signs of diabetes and blood pressure. “As you age, more things happen,” Oskvig said. In older adulthood, prostate exams become part of a healthconscious man’s preventive health

55+ routine. Beginning in the 70s, vision and hearing exams are likely needed, too. The hour-long session will include a question-and-answer time. The event will include health screenings, giveaways, breakfast, lunch and breakout sessions focusing on the topics of male symptoms of aging, vascular health, cataract surgery, and sleep disorders. Keynote speaker Matt Long provides an example of how important baseline health and fitness are to recovery from trauma and surgery. In 2005, Long was bicycling to work when a 20-ton bus crushed him and impaled him on the handlebar. Long had been a New York City fire fighter, competitive cyclist and triathlon enthusiast. Suffering multiple broken bones and crushed organs, doctors gave Long a 1 percent chance of living. Not only did he survive, but 40 surgeries and three years later, Long was able to complete the Ironman triathlon in Lake Placid. In 2010, Men’s Health named him one of the “Top 10 Men of the Year” and Men’s Fitness included him as one of the “Top 25 Fittest Men in the World.” He chronicled his journey in his book “The Long Run.” Oskvig attributes his amazing recovery to his fitness level prior to the accident. “There’s lots of data about the condition of an individual before any trauma or surgery and the rate and level of recovery,” Oskvig said. Of course, that doesn’t mean baby boomers have to run triathlons or septuagenarians should become bodybuilders; however, when an illness or injury comes, those who are fit do better. “Individuals who have severe injury who know how to do yoga do better than individuals who don’t,” Oskvig said. “Individuals who do yoga need less pain reliever and heal faster. Physical and emotional health are both really important components in how an individual will respond to a severe illness or injury. “At every age, from newborn through octogenarian, better physical

health

Improving Men’s Health

ant to improve your health? Here are some tips from Roger Oskvig, who practices internal medicine and geriatrics at URMC: • Take 10,000 steps daily “any pace, any place it’s healthy.” • Or, perform 2.5 hours of committed exercise per week. “Get the heart rate up to 60 percent of maximum capacity. • Eat more n a t u r a l l y. “ T h e less processed, the more healthful it is. Understand the food you eat.” Oskvig • Eat enough nutritious foods. “If you eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, there’s no unhealthy food that can overwhelm that.” • Know the right portion size. “Seven almonds is a serving. Five walnut halves is a serving. The general guideline is what you can hold in a cupped, single hand is a serving for

most foods. For watermelon, it’s two, but in general, it’s one. A serving of steak is a deck of cards, not the giant steaks we generally think of. The current sliders are very appropriate size for a hamburger or cheeseburger. It controls the amount of garnishes you can put on it. If you have a serving or two of vegetables and a slider you have a meal.” • Eat in proportion to the intensity of your exercise. “If you want a huge meal, exercise like the men in the Tour de France. Those individuals eat more than 10,000 calories at a meal but they’re also active.” • Stay in touch with your doctor. “Have an ongoing relationship with a health care provider with whom they can discuss their health care concerns to remain as healthy as they can be. What is a healthful diet for me and a healthful exercise program for me? How do I engage in it?” • Get a workout buddy who challenges you. “If I want a man to get ﬁtter, I pair him with another guy. They’ll compete.”

Breakout session speakers • “Screenings by Decade” – Roger Oskvig, URMC geriatrician and medical advisor to the longrunning PBS health series, “Second Opinion,“will discuss appropriate screenings for different ages. • “Understanding Aging” — Robert Mayer, URMC professor of urology, will talk about symptoms of aging unique to men and how to treat them. • “Maintaining Vascular Health” — Michael Singh, associate professor of Vascular Surgery, director of the University Vein Care Center and director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory, will cover topics of stroke prevention and circulatory problems,

like abdominal aortic aneurysm and peripheral artery disease. • “See the Facts — the Beneﬁts of Cataract Surgery” by Scott MacRae, professor of opthalmology, is director of the Refractive Surgery Center at The Flaum Eye Institute. MacRae is one of the pioneers of Lasik eye surgery and one of a handful of physicians ushering in a new era of vision correction with a technique known as customized ablation. • “Why America Can’t Sleep — The Impact of Insomnia,” — Jonathan Marcus, assistant professor of Neurology, Strong Sleep Disorders Center, will review the impact, causes, and treatment of insomnia. September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

golden years By Harold Miller E-mail: HMillerMOD@aol.com.

Buffalo’s Initial Honor Flight: June 5, 2010 Honor Flights: A Fitting Tribute to WW II Veterans “We can’t all be heroes. Some of us have to stand on the curb and clap as they go by.” — Will Rogers

isa Wylie, administrative associate at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo—a former Auburnian and family friend—has helped me and many others to become cancer survivors. During a recent visit with Wylie, she unveiled one of her pet projects: www.honorflightbuffalo.org. She also shared the poignant story that drove her and Sister Jo-Anne to become co-founders of this wonderful organization. Staff Sergeant Robert P. Wylie, U.S. Army Air Corps, World War II veteran, was a charter member for the building of the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. Unfortunately, he died before ever having the privilege of seeing the fruits of his dedicated labor. Consequently, his daughters cofounded Honor Flights in his memory and in order to insure that other veterans of this deadliest military conflict in U.S. history would not be denied the chance. The average age of our WW II veterans is 84 and almost 1,000 of them are now dying each day. Skyrocketing health-care costs have drained the savings of most and robbed them of the opportunity to see the magniﬁcent war memorial, for which they have waited over 60 years. Honor Flights is a volunteer organization entirely funded by donations and its mission is to fly WW II veterans to Washington at no 36

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charge, while tending to their needs and insuring that this grand trip will be the most memorable of their lifetime. The preparation, execution, and logistics of these trips are daunting. They start with the meeting and greeting of the participants two to three weeks before the actual affair. The veterans are given instructions and uniforms—T-shirts and hats—as well as a run-down on what will happen during the jam-packed events of the day. Mandated guardians must be trained in the care of their charges— they will be responsible for any medications or other special needs. Normally, at least two thirds will require wheelchairs on both ends of the trip, as well as special buses to transport them on a tour they will never forget.

Memorable moments Wylie gave me a run-down on their most recent trip this past May: The group consisted of 27 veterans and their guardians who were ﬂown by commercial jet from Buffalo Airport to Baltimore-Washington Airport

where they were greeted by military personnel from all branches of the service, and on this occasion, a flotilla of water cannons. After boarding special buses, the group is shown a documentary about the building of the World War II Memorial. Upon arrival, they were greeted by Senator Robert Dole and many other military personnel. Back on the bus, the entire entourage was served box lunches as they took a whirlwind tour of the capital. During the afternoon session, they visited the Air Force Memorial, Navy Memorial, Korea Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and finally the Lincoln Memorial. Completion of the tour included the ceremony of the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery. Their day in Washington ended with dinner at The Old Country Buffet. The cuisine matches the taste of this group, who spent the early part of their lives eating from canteens on the battlefield in order to save America’s freedom. The most heartfelt and emotional

part of their journey into the past lies ahead as their charter flight returned them to Buffalo Airport, where they received a hero’s welcome. More than 150 family and friends greeted them with cheers and tears. Actually, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place. The establishment of Honor Flight “hubs” is growing rapidly with over 80 added nationwide within the past few years. I spoke with Woody Mench, one of the founding directors of www. honorflightrochester.org. He told me that the Rochester hub has flown over 750 veterans to Washington since they organized the venture in May of 2008. Fortunately they have the support of local television stations and raised $77,000 with a telethon last March.

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What the future holds I asked Mench about future plans after the WW II veterans have played out. He advised that they are already planning to extend these remarkable honor flights to include veterans from the Korean, Vietnam, and Iraq conflicts. Recently, Syracuse has launched www.honorflightsyracuse.org and is trying to set up funding. The Syracuse hub needs donations now to launch its first Honor Flight. Earl Morse, a physician’s assistant, retired from the Air Force in 1998 and began working for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Springfield, Ohio. When the World War II Memorial was completed in 2004, he discussed visiting the memorial with many of his WW II veteran patients. Many said they would like to do so, but most agreed that it was not financially feasible. That inspired Morse’s idea about a network of volunteers to assist these veterans. The first Honor Flight took 12 veterans from Springfield to Washington in May of 2005, and the Honor Flight Network began. However, time is running out for this great endeavor. The youngest WW II veterans are now 84, many years beyond their life expectancy. I’m sure that most people reading this know of at least one WW II veteran who would qualify, and be honored to make this journey. We do. Why not call up the appropriate website and learn more about how you can help make it happen?

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55+

living

Home for Life Home for Life Renovations keeps disabled, elderly at home By Jason Schultz

here comes a point in every person’s life when the uncomfortable but inevitable question arises, “How long can I remain in my own home?” Home for Life Renovations, LLC was formed with the idea of providing the answer that gives homeowners and their families as much time as possible to enjoy their home and community, and provide an alternative to nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. It is a subsidiary of CP Rochester, a nonprofit that has helped individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities in the community for over 65 years. Home for Life Renovations aims to serve clients

in need of adaptive and assistive improvements to their home, whether they are a senior citizen, medically frail or living with a disability. Dennis Draper, chief operations ofﬁcer for the new venture, brings to the table decades of contracting and architectural design experience. He spent 14 years running his own contracting company, and nine as an architectural designer. He said CP Rochester has provided home renovations for the past decade through grant-funded ventures, and decided to branch out into a commercial enterprise to expand the reach of the organization’s resources.

Dennis Draper of Home for Life Renovations, LLC posing in front of the model apartment the organization has on a site across the street from the company’s ofﬁces off West Henrietta Road. It features several items that help aging people stay functional in their home. 38

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Draper said a free home consultation is the ﬁrst step for those wishing to address both current accessibility and safety concerns, and planning for the future as physical needs change.

Individualized attention “I get to listen to people firsthand and talk to them about their specific usability and accessibility needs,” Draper said in regards to the initial meeting. Following a preliminary design sketch, Home for Life Renovation turns to its unique team of clinicians. That includes specialists trained in physical and occupational therapy, aging-in-place experts, and designers and contractors to ensure the renovations meet the individual needs of each client. “I’m here to provide the basic grasp of our client’s needs, but I trust the clinicians to provide ﬁrsthand experience and guide all the work that goes into each home renovation,” Draper said. Home for Life Renovation taps into the experience of CP Rochester’s efforts to provide physical and occupational therapy and advocate work for those with disabilities. Home for Life Renovations is able to provide a cost-effective alternative to living in a retirement home or assisted-living community, though only if it fits into the client’s best interests. “We would never recommend that someone stay in their home, if it’s not going to meet their needs,” Draper said. “We want to be advocates to get people the help they need, and make the connections with the right people and organizations to meet

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those needs, which CP Rochester is uniquely suited to do.” Part of the team at CP Rochester is volunteer services and development manager Tina Bennett, who shares Draper’s vision for expanding the capabilities of those with physical disabilities.

‘Do with’ approach “CP Rochester has always existed to support the people that we serve to achieve their own goals,” Bennett said. “Our team of professionals work hard to ‘do with’ the folks that come to us for support—steering away from the ‘do for’ concept that has always existed in our culture when working with people with special needs.” Bennett pointed out that despite the name, CP Rochester’s service has grown beyond those with cerebral palsy, or development disabilities as a whole. “People from all walks of life with similar needs have seen the support that we have offered people with cerebral palsy,” Bennett said. “We are getting approached by people with rehabilitative needs who need similar support, people who are aging, who have had strokes or traumatic brain injury. Home for Life ﬁts right into that growth area.”

Dennis Draper of Home for Life Renovations, LLC points to a kitchen feature, a sink that has an incline, which allows people with difﬁculty of lifting items to slide them into the sink, instead of dropping them in. Home for Life Renovations uses what Draper calls a “barrierfree construction strategy,” which simply put involves removing any unnecessary obstacles to the access or use of the normal functions of a person’s home. Draper said the changing needs of homeowners throughout the course of life are being addressed more from an architectural design standpoint during initial construction using this philosophy.

Accessibility solutions

The oversized remote allows those with dexterity issues to press buttons with their knuckles or side of the hand.

Though many people tend to think only of stair lifts or shower grab-bars when it comes to assistive improvements for those with physical disabilities, there are many more unseen ways to improve accessibility and use of the home. Simple changes in design philosophy—such as porches and patios built ﬂush to the rest of the home, instead of recessed one step, or wider doors inside the home to accommodate wheelchairs—are just a few of the many unobtrusive design components that can improve usability and extend a client’s stay in their home by years. “It’s common sense to look years down the road and anticipate future accessibility needs, instead of viewing a home from a fixed perspective of physical abilities,”

Draper explained. The full range of renovation options available to homeowners is on display at the company’s demo apartment located near the CP Rochester campus off South Winton Road. Before even walking in the door, design touches such as a gradual ramp ease access while providing minimal aesthetic intrusion. Inside, Draper pointed out numerous features, including as an overhead track and harness system that allows those with mobility issues to move from their beds to the surrounding room and into the bathroom. Other improvements included a kitchen with a pull-out drawer for holding bowls and other improvements, such as a motorized wall which moves the entire kitchen area up or down to accommodate those with different accessibility needs. “I get ideas for how I would want my own house to be set up from this house and on projects I’ve worked on,” said Draper, who is 50 years old. “It’s never too early to start thinking about the changes you will face as you age, even though it’s natural to avoid those uncomfortable conversations about very personal matters.” September / October 2011 - 55 PLUS

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Helping the Survivors Local authors launch ‘Generation Preservation,’ a book that will help those left behind By Jason Schultz

hen your day comes, what is the story told to those you leave behind? A new book, “Generation Preservation: My Story in Trusted Hands,” asks readers to consider and answer this difﬁcult question. Local senior experts and coauthors Glen Cone and Jeanette Cooper said the goal behind writing this book was to create an easy-tounderstand document that serves as a bridge between the often-confusing terminology of a will and other legal documents, and the vague and incomplete verbal information and wishes of the deceased. “ G e n e r a t i o n P re s e r v a t i o n ” is a non-binding document that conveniently combines the wishes and messages of its writer with information on that person’s family and medical history, retirement and other benefits, financial accounts, personal affects, burial arrangements and other invaluable information to form a personal narrative to leave behind for family and loved ones. The creation of the book stems from the pair’s two converging career backgrounds. Cone’s day job is as an 40

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Holding a copy of their “Generation Preservation” book, launched recently, are authors Glen Cone, a ﬁnancial planner who co-hosts the “Money Doctor’s Show” on WHAM 1180, and Jeanette Cooper, marketing manager at Maplewood Estates retirement community in Fairport.

independent financial adviser for the Commonwealth Financial Group in Webster, where he works with clients on a full range of financial decisions. He is also co-host of the “Money Doctor’s Show” on WHAM 1180. “I see myself as someone who helps people with money and, simply put, I work to ensure people’s finances are positioned so as not to be used inefficiently,” Cone said of his background in designing this book. “I’ve seen so many people argue and worry over money when a family member dies, that I thought having an roadmap for when the inevitable happens would save many dollars and hours.”

Unraveling the puzzle Cone said having just a little information goes a long way toward unraveling the loose ends left when a loved one dies. One example he shared was that of an ex-Kodak worker who received a life insurance policy as part of his employee beneﬁts. This policy was unknown to his son, who would have never learned about it until it was discovered by Cone. “It came as a surprise to the man’s son, when he was presented with a $22,000 check, tax-free, from a policy he didn’t even know existed,” he said. Cooper ’s impetus for writing this book stems from her work in the senior living industry. During her 12 years at the Maplewood Estates retirement community in Fairport, Cooper has held a number of job titles, from the accounting and executive departments to now working as the company’s marketing manager. “An unfortunate part of working with seniors day to day is that inevitably they pass away,” Cooper said. “Over the years, I’ve seen the struggles families experience when seniors go, and so many times those who survived the deceased were left not knowing what to do or where to turn. I’ve seen an awful lot of people go through an awful lot of grief, and wanted to do something to lessen that burden.” To help people in times of that grief, the pair combined their talents last year in creating this book, which they describe as a “personal road map for your life.”

“We all know someone who has lost or we ourselves have experienced the loss of a loved one,” Cone said. “When a person completes this book, it’s not for them; it’s for people they love and care about.” Cone explained this book is not just for the deceased to leave behind, as the onset of dementia and other neurological disorders can also rob families of vital personal history.

Confronting the inevitable “It’s never too early to start preparing for the end of life,” he said. “Death is never an easy topic to talk about, much less write about, but it’s a small investment in time and money that will be appreciated by those who carry on after you. Our motto for this book is ‘somebody is going to deal with your death.’ If there is a way to make that process easier for your loved ones, wouldn’t you want to do it?” T h e t w o s a i d t h ro u g h t h e presentation of prototypes of this book to many audiences, including churches, assisted-living facilities and senior centers, they were able to boil down the information from a number of different sources into one comprehensive template that will have a truly universal application to every family. Said Cooper, “This is something that should be in every household,” adding that plans call for “Generation Preservation” books to be printed in Spanish and other languages as demand dictates. Cone said printing of the ﬁrst run of “Generation Preservation” was recently completed, and the book will soon be available in local bookstores and eventually online. The two said plans are also in the works on a second volume, which would serve as a template for the story of groups and organizations, from volunteer ﬁre departments to high school classes and beyond. For more information about “Generation Preservation,” or to schedule a speaking presentation, visit the pair ’s website at www. GenerationPreservation.net. Cone may be contacted by calling 585-727-7806 or by email at gcone@ae.cadaretgrant.com. Cooper can be reached at 585-203-7982 or jacooper@rochester.rr.com.

ALLOWAY MANOR A Community for Seniors 62 years or better A 24-unit affordable housing development for seniors located in the historic Town of Farmington near Routes 96 and 32. Rents are determined based on household income. Residents pay 30% of income for rent. Income Limits Apply Give us a call or stop by today!

(585) 924-2560 Tdd-1-800-545-1833 Ofﬁce Hours: Mon-Fri 9AM to 5PM 1190 Clyde Drive, Farmington, NY 14425

AFFORDABLE LIVING!

Spacious one bedroom apartments starting at just $381 includes utilities and basic cable for ages 62+ & persons with physical disabilities. NEW KITCHENS COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES CRAFT CLASSES • BINGO BUS LINE Supervised by NYS Div. of Housing & Community Renewal. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

100 Dunn Tower Drive • Rochester, NY 14606 585-429-5520 • www.dunntower.com

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By Lou Sorendo

Zeke Duda, 59

Excellus leader announces retirement

he Penfield resident and senior executive vice president and chief financial officer for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, recently announced his retirement at the end of 2011 after 39 years with the company. Q. Thirty-nine years is a long time to be with one company. What do you believe were the keys to your longevity with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield? A. The keys to my longevity have been loving my job and the people with whom I work; surrounding myself with people who are smarter than I am; maintaining perspective about and understanding our role in the community; and contributing to The Lifetime Healthcare Companies’ [Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s parent company] long-term track record of innovation and success. Q. What do you regard as some of your foremost accomplishments as senior executive vice president and CFO for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield? What type of legacy will you leave when you retire? A. I’m most proud of overseeing and executing the merger of the Rochester, Syracuse and UticaWatertown BlueCross BlueShield plans into Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, and the subsequent merger with Univera Healthcare. This gave us the scale to consolidate and upgrade major computer systems, reduce administrative expenses and avoid being acquired or taken over by another entity. As a result, we have a strong, local health plan that understands and provides what our communities, customers and providers need and want. 42

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Q. What will you miss the most about your job with Excellus? A. Without question, I’ll miss the people the most. I have met some of the smartest and most interesting people in this job and have made many long-term friendships. Q. What do you regard as some of the more gratifying aspects of your job? A. It is knowing that at the end of each day, we have helped thousands of people navigate the health care system and, in most cases, provided them with access to quality care that they would have been unable to afford without our insurance. We really are about helping people and improving outcomes. Q. What are some of the more significant challenges that insurance providers such as Excellus face today? A. The first is convincing the public that we are not the bad guy. Premiums are increasing because it’s costing more to provide more health care for our members, not because of our profits, which have been and remain below 2 percent. I know this is a losing battle. The second is being able to continue to support Medicare and Medicaid programs as the government expands benefits while reducing reimbursement. We also continue to be challenged to develop programs that improve health outcomes while reducing cost. We’re all interested in making health insurance more affordable. Q. Why the decision to retire? What are your plans for retirement?

What is your ideal retirement scenario? A. Why not? I love my job, but 39 years is a long time. It’s also good to get someone in now to prepare for health care reform. And, frankly, I’m seeing more and more of my friends, who are younger and healthier than I am, contract debilitating illnesses. I plan on doing a lot of traveling and relaxing. I think I can adapt to that. Q. Will you accelerate your level of volunteerism in the community? Do you have any goals set in that regard? A. I’ll remain active with my current boards: the Al Sigl Center Foundation, the Strong National Museum of Play and Nazareth College. My wife and I are planning on staying in Rochester, so I have a strong interest in making it a successful, desirable community to live in.

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55 PLUS - September / October 2011