SEPTEMBER 2013
TM
SINCE 1980 — VolUME 33 • NUMBER 9
Florida Senior Athletes Showcase Skills at 2013 National Senior Games By Nick Gandy, Dir. of Comm., FL Sports Foundation
STRESSING
OVER A STRESS TEST
PAGe 5
Secrets of Successful Aging With ten thousand boomers turning 65 every day, and one in 26 predicted to live to age 100, we are challenged by the opportunity to create a good, fulfilling lifestyle for ourselves in these later years. Fortunately, we have role models in active centenarians, who have lived to 100 and beyond, to show us what is possible, and more - what is doable! To hear someone at age 100 say she is enjoying every day of her life, such as Elsa Hoffmann, is encouraging: “My golden years are like sparkling diamonds.” Don Lyon, 101, says, “The last twenty years with my second wife, have been the happiest of my life.” Jack Borden, a lawyer still working at 100, says “I love what I do. If I had to come to work in a wheelchair, I’d do that too.” What do these enthusiastic centenarians have to share - what “secrets” do they know from having lived through their 70s, 80s, and 90s and now successfully into their 100s? A new life is just beginning when we hit our seventies, centenarians counsel, and it may take a new vision. This new vision begins with breaking the stereotypes of later years as a time of disinterest in life. “Not so!” says Dr. Herbert Bauer, who is still lecturing at 100 as an emeritus professor. “Society tells us that when you reach 65 everything stops: you must retire, no sex, no fun, no adventure -- that’s all wrong! I went back to Europe last year for the first time since I fled the Nazis in 1939. It was an interesting trip. You can do whatever you want, if you keep your health.” The ability to create a new vision is also predicated on the universal theme sounded by successful agers: optimism and a positive attitude are the keys to a happy and engaged lifestyle in later years. Like Dr. Bauer, active centenarians do not listen to naysayers or give credence to negative stereotypes. They say they do not feel their chronological age, and on average feel 20 years younger. “I don’t think old and I don’t feel old,” says Astrid Thoenig, 103. “The trick is to not act your age,” advises Marvin Kneudson, 101. Armed with a positive attitude and a youthful demeanor and mindset, many centenarians continue to engage in activities associated with one’s earlier years. Like Jack Borden, a number continue to work because they enjoy it. Irving Kahn, 107, works everyday as chairman of a money management firm in New York City, which he founded in the 1930s. “On weekends I read reports See AGING, Page 23
By Lynn Peters Adler, J.D.
THE HEALING POWER OF HUMOR
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IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO
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Over the course of 13 days of competition at the 2013 National Senior Games in Cleveland, Ohio, more than 500 Florida senior athletes, age 50 and over, showed off their skills to the rest of the country. Florida athletes combined to win a total of 215 individual medals and eight team medals. Over 12,000 senior athletes competed in the 19 sports of the Games. Tampa Bay area athletes made a strong contribution to the total contingent of 568 venturing north, July 20-Aug. 1. They won medals on the basketball courts, softball fields, in bowling alleys and swimming pools just to name a few. The Clearwater Aces 3-on-3 Basketball team turned in their fourth consecutive National Senior Games See SENIOR GAMES, Page 18
Senior Voice America…in print, on the web and on the air with Health, Wealth & Wisdom. Tune in to AM 1470 WMGG Monday thru Friday, from 4 to 6 p.m. as Publisher Evan Gold brings you the information to live an active mature lifestyle. Visit our new website, Tampa Bay’s leading news source for seniors, www.seniorvoiceamerica.com.
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Senior Voice America
SEPTEMBER 2013
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
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Health Roundup
Five Ways Baby Boomers Can Stay Active While it’s difficult to encapsulate the moods of tens of millions of people born between 1946 and 1964, one thing has often been said about boomers -they share a determination to stay forever young. Next to improving diet and shunning tobacco, nothing a person does increases life expectancy more than exercising, according to the National Institute on Aging. As such, many boomers are busy with their quest for immortality on the bike paths and exercise mats of America. While exercise is great for body and mind, it doesn’t come without risk. And an injury can derail a routine quickly. Here are five ways boomers can ensure they’re staying safe and having fun with exercise. •
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workout program accordingly. Try something new: New activi- ties can keep you motivated and help you avoid over-working par- ticular joints and muscles. Con- sider something totally different, such as pickleball, a fast-paced court sport combining elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. Take control: Whether garde- ning, golfing or dancing, it’s inevitable that physical activity will create occasional muscle pain, stiffness, swelling and bruising. Pain can be immobili- zing and depressing, so mana- ging it is important.
“Avoid medications that mask pain coming from strained or damaged tisKnow your limitations: Don’t in- sues,” says Jyl Steinback, author of “Sucrease the intensity of physical perfoods: Cook Your Way to Health,” activity too quickly, especially if and executive director of ShapeUpUS. you have existing cardiovascular, org. “Instead, consider a homeopathic joint or muscle problems that medicine, such as Arnicare Gel, that works naturally with the body to help it could be aggravated as a result. heal and won’t interfere with other Work with a licensed trainer at medications you’re taking. I bring it first, who can assess your strength, flexibility, balance and with me whenever I exercise.” endurance, and create a custom Unscented and non-greasy, the gel
is quickly absorbed by the skin. More information about natural muscle pain treatment can be found at www. Arnicare.com. • Spice rack resources: Turmeric, ginger and cayenne pepper all have anti-inflammatory proper- ties, as well as many other health benefits. Stick to your good-for- you, energy-boosting diet by giving your bland foods a low- calorie kick with spices, roots and herbs. • Boost your metabolism: As we age, our metabolism slows down. Avoid compounding this with stress or fatty, heavy meals. To maintain a healthy weight and avoid insulin spikes or hypogly- cemia, try eating small, balanced meals six times a day, rather than three big ones. Eating at the same time each day in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere speeds up digestion and makes energy more readily available. • Recharge at night: You’ll need your shut eye with your new active lifestyle. Luckily, exercise can contribute to longer, deeper sleep, helping to replenish and
rebuild every cell in the body. This goes beyond beauty sleep. Great sleep can aid longevity. Don’t let potential aches and pains stop you from exercising regularly. The sooner you start moving, the better you’ll look and feel. With a few tricks, you can exercise more safely and painfree.
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Senior Voice America
SEPTEMBER 2013
FROM THE EDITOR TM TM
Senior Voice America, Inc. P.O. BOX 340925 Tampa, FL 33694-0925 Phone (813) 444-1011 • Fax (813) 422-7966 www.seniorvoiceamerica.com Staff Publisher: Evan Gold evan@seniorvoiceamerica.com Associate Publisher: Timm Harmon timm@seniorvoiceamerica.com Managing Editor/Broadcast Producer: Deb Goldman deb@seniorvoiceamerica.com Editor: Julie Heidelberg julie@seniorvoiceamerica.com Creative Director: Lourdes M. Sáenz lourdes@seniorvoiceamerica.com ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES • (813) 444-1011 Timm Harmon timm@seniorvoiceamerica.com Join our sales team. For information about opportunities throughout Florida and North America, email timm@seniorvoiceamerica.com.
Contributors Jean Mlincek • Abne M. Eisenberg Ruth Fanovich • Eleanor Weaver Nick Thomas • Jon Lynn Ro Martinez • Donal B. Ardell Would you like to write for Senior Voice America? Please email editor@seniorvoiceamerica.com
Senior Voice is a Proud Member of Better Living for Seniors The Guardian Association of Pinellas County The Florida Assisted Living Association Senior Voice America is published monthly and is distributed free of charge, courtesy of its advertisers. Distribution area includes Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Sarasota and Manatee counties. Articles and advertising contained in this issue do not necessarily reflect the opinion or endorsement of the publisher, who does not verify advertiser claims and reserves the right to refuse or discontinue any advertising.
Tune in to 1470am WMGG. Monday – Friday From 4-6pm
This month’s cover story, “Secrets of Successful Aging,” is very inspirational. Theoretically, I’d love to live past 100 – and live like these “active centenarians” described in Adler’s article. But realistically, I’m terrified of living that long! What if I am sick with heart disease like my grandfather and my father? I guess I won’t last until 100 if that’s the case. But what if I’m generally healthy, then lose my memory and motor skills, like my grandmother with Alzheimer’s? She’s in her 90s. She could live to be 100 and not even know it. What if my husband dies first, and I’m left alone? Where will my children be? Will I have enough money to take care of myself? Like I said … this is terrifying. It’s hard to look ahead that far – even if you’re in your 80s – but there are things we can do to improve our odds for a pleasant life with things like personal health and financial planning. Recently, I’ve been taking a few steps in the right direct, and it’s not really that hard if you just break it down into small things. For example, I rebooted my exercise routine after a scattered schedule all summer long. In the first week, I officially made an effort to move my body in a meaningful manner four times. This week, I’ve already logged one day. Feeling good about that. Next, we took one small step in getting our finances in better shape by rearranging some things to help with taxes, both now and in the future. We also “forced our hand” in a savings scenario – and that still leaves us with enough to continue with our modest kitchen remodel plans. Feeling good about that too. Finally, I scheduled an eye appointment, as well as a physical. I wear glasses, but I’m finding more and more that I must take them off to read tiny things – and lately, I cannot read the tiny stuff with or without the glasses. Not feeling good about that, but I’m sure there’s a solution. As for the physical, aside from a bum knee, I feel fine, but I guess that’s the right time to go benchmark everything as “normal.” Hopefully, that will go very well. Will these things help me live longer, or live a better life later? Well, all I can say for sure is that my scale stays the same and I know, without question, that I will enjoy the facelift in the kitchen for years to come. I guess my point is simple. No matter how old you are, it’s probably time to start acting on some of the advice people give you through publications like ours and other avenues as well. We cannot control death, or our children, or the financial market -- so we can only deal with what we can control now in hopes that, someday, we’ll look back and appreciate the decisions we’ve made today and every day that carries us forward to the next.
Julie Heidelberg
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
Health Roundup
Stressing Over a Stress Test By Jean Mlincek I gulped as the cardiologist gave me the news. I was overwhelmed -- no, terrified -- by his words. I knew I should have done a bucket list, made out a Last Will and Testament, bought a dog long before this. And used my Arby’s coupons! “We need to schedule you for the procedure within the week,” he said, then handed me a brochure. I felt confused. Dizzy. Nauseated. Constipated. It happens every time I read about medical procedures or drugs, especially their side effects. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to take medication that might cause my eyeballs to hemorrhage, my kidneys to fail, my poop to go liquid, my left toe to turn black, or my pee to burn like Tabasco sauce. And I don’t like any procedures that have “on rare occasions” risks, such as internal bleeding, stroke, or an untimely visit from the Grim Reaper. Just sayin’. The cardiologist wanted me to schedule a pharmacologic stress test -- a stress test in which a drug would be injected into me while I was lying down to dilate my coronary arteries and allow increased blood flow to the heart. The procedure “fakes” the heart into thinking you are on a treadmill getting the ‘ole heart rate going -- but you are not. To me, this was a frightening thought. I mean, if I’m on a treadmill and feel the old ticker lunging out of my chest and my lungs imploding, I can stop and fall to the floor. You can’t dismount when you are already lying down. The pharmacologic stress test was being scheduled because I had just prematurely quit the standard treadmill test ordered by my primary care physician who was concerned about my shortness of breath complaint. But, gosh, I hadn’t gone flat line. A little encouragement from the sidelines and my first wind probably would have kicked in and kept me going beyond the minute and a half I had already endured. I mean, huffing and puffing should not label me as physically unfit, should it? The appointment scheduler sensed my hesitation. I was so apprehensive about signing up for this test that the lump in my throat looked like a full-blown goiter. “Don’t worry, honey,” she smiled, “we’ve done hundreds of these without incident.” Yeah, I thought to myself, but what if I turn out to be the ONE exception? Plus it was hard to believe that this
woman was able to look me in the eye and tout the hospital’s success rate with this procedure while I was reading the following warning right in her presence: . . . can cause serious or FATAL (my emphasis) cardiac arrest, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attack (didn’t they say that already?), or serious allergic reactions. Trained staff should be available while you are receiving [this test]. While you are RECEIVING the test? How about while you are READING the brochure? Wah! I want my mommy! I reluctantly scheduled the test, and then swung by Arby’s. I mean, if there was even a remote chance I was soon to meet my Maker (given the info I had just read), I wanted to use at least one coupon before it -- or I -- expired. When I got home, I called my family to see if any of them were familiar with this test. Turns out one of my brothers, as well as a couple of friends, had survived this lying-down-fakeyour-heart-out scan. Still, I cancelled it. I also called my primary care doctor and explained why I had aborted the scan. I promised her that I would go back to a gym and master the “dreadmill” -- or at least stay on it for more than two minutes. Afterall, even the cardiologist had suggested my short time on the treadmill “might” have been simply because I was out of shape. She agreed and said we could talk about other options at my next appointment. The next morning I signed up at a nearby gym and hopped on the treadmill -- with no worry about my mortality, or whether or not I would ever taste another Arby’s. Life is good. Jean Mlincek is a freelance writer living in St. Petersburg, Fla.
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Senior Voice America
SEPTEMBER 2013
READER PARTICIPATION
Ray& Harriet By Eleanor M. Weaver I would like to tell you about someone I am extremely proud of—my husband, Ray Weaver. Several years ago, Ray decided to start writing a novel. With legal pad in hand, he wrote Chapter I at the top of the page, and page one at the bottom. Two hours later, I checked to see how he was doing and found that he had nothing written. So off to the library he went to look for books on writing. Then he joined a local writers group. Today, he writes his articles in long hand on legal pads. At first, I typed them for him on a word processor. Later, we graduated to the computer and have even conquered pasting articles into email and sending them over the computer. After a year, Ray had his first article published in the Safety Harbor Breeze newspaper. It was called “A Grandfather’s Dream.” Then, the juices were really flowing and with the encouragement of the members of his writing group, he started to write a novel titled, “Tightrope to Justice.” He would read a few pages from it to the writing group for critique and suggestions. In the next few years, several of his stories were published by newspapers and magazines. His novel continued to develop. In June, 2005, his writing came to an abrupt halt. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and had to undergo radical surgery. Needless to say, this time was very scary for both of us. We continued to go to daily mass and work as Suncoast Hospice volunteers, where we visit residents in nursing homes two or three times a week. After a few months, we received news that Ray was cancer free. He returned to his writing with renewed vigor, finished his novel and had it published in May, 2010. His second novel, “Miami Justice,” was released in 2011; his third novel, “European Justice,” was released in
2012 and his fourth novel in the series, “Justice 4 Willis,” was just released. All of the books are available on Amazon, Nook and Kindle. His story, “The Past Sixty Years,” was published in “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More” in March, 2009. His two stories, “The Cell Phone” and “A Star is Born,” were published in “Chicken Soup for the Soul-Inspirations for the Young at Heart” in October, 2011. And finally, his fourth story, “It’s a Poem,” was published in “Chicken Soup for the Soul, Inspiration for Writers” that was released “Ray, you seem to be ray and eleanor weaver in May, 2013. (I have enhaving a difficult time closed a copy of this story. finishing your novel,” obIt is a true story of an inciserved my wife. “You haven’t written a dent that occurred as he volunteered for word in a week.” the Suncoast Hospice.) “I can’t seem to find the proper endNow-a-days, Ray speaks before many groups about his writing and is always ing. I want my readers to enjoy the fiwilling to answer any questions or to nal chapter.” Later, as I stared at my computer, give help to anyone interested in writthe phone rang. “I’ll get it,” Ellie said. ing. Consequently, if any of your readers She hung up and said, “It’s hospice. have questions about writing, self-pubWe’ve got a new patient to see.” lishing or marketing their work, he is I turned off the computer. “Let’s go available to offer his assistance. then.” So, you can see, that Ray’s journey “What about your writing?” has taken some time—but he never wa“I’ll work on it later.” vered in the path of adversity. I am so Upon arriving at Bay Nursing proud of this husband of mine. On June Home, we asked for Harriet Gardner’s 13, 2013, we celebrated our 54th wedroom number. “I’ll go and see Harriet ding anniversary. Ray demonstrates that if you just while you call on our other three resikeep forging ahead, you can reach your dents,” I told my wife. I entered Harriet’s room and found goals and that, as our Hospice plate on a tiny, white-haired woman in her late our car reads, “Every day is a Gift.” eighties, sitting in a wheelchair and staring out the window. Her bent arvvvvvv thritic hands were folded in her lap. “Good morning, Harriet. I’m Ray It’s a Poem from Suncoast Hospice. They asked Alas for those that never sing, my wife and me to start visiting you if But die with all their music in them. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes that’s okay.”
Quietly, she said, “Yes.” I spent the next fifteen minutes talking about the weather. “It’s nice outside. Would you like me to take you outside to the patio?” “Not really.” At this point, I realized it would take more than one visit to break the ice with this lady. “I’ll say goodbye then. The next time I come, I’ll bring my wife to meet you.” Upon our second and third visits, Harriet did not warm up much, neither to my wife nor me. The next time, I took in a stack of magazines for her to read. She looked briefly through them. “Hard for me to turn the pages with my crippled fingers.” “I noticed that you seem to have a problem with your fingers so I brought you a rubber ball to exercise them.” Cringing, she forced herself to squeeze it. “That hurts a bit, but maybe it will help me to hold a fork better.” Then, out of the blue, she looked at me and asked, “What do you do to keep busy all day?” “I write in my spare time. Right Continues on next page
SEPTEMBER 2013 now, I’m trying to finish my first novel. I’ve been having writer’s block for the past couple of weeks. Just can’t seem to find the right ending for it.” She looked sadly down at her bent fingers. “I used to have beautiful penmanship when I was younger. Also, I used to write poetry.” “Do you have any of it handy that I could read?” “No. After my husband died, I moved in with my sister. We had a fire in her house, and all my writings were lost.” With that, I excused myself and went to the office to get a pen and a pad of paper. I headed back to Harriet’s room. “Look what I have for you.” I handed her the two items. “Maybe you can try writing me a poem. I’ll be back in a few days.” She picked up the pen in her gnarled fingers and gripped it between her fingers and thumb. “I’ll try. And you finish your story.” ‘It’s a deal,” I said as I left. All the way home, my mind was racing as I thought of the great effort that Harriet had to put forth just to hold the pen in her hand. If she could write, then so could I. All of a sudden, the ending to my novel became clear to me. It was three in the morning when my wife came into the study and found me still writing. “Don’t you think it’s time you came to bed, dear?” I threw down my pen. “Finished. Please read the last chapter of my book.” She sat down and read it. Smiling, she said, “Someone gave you inspiration.” The next day, I headed to the nursing home, anxious to share my great success with Harriet. The door to Harriet’s room was closed. As I started to knock, the Director of Nursing came out of the room. “If you’re here to see
Senior Voice America Harriet, you’re too late. She passed away early this morning.” I stood there, stunned. “You’re Mr. Weaver, aren’t you? I saw an envelope on her nightstand addressed to you. You’re welcome to go inside and say goodbye to Harriet before the funeral home comes for her.” Harriet was lying peacefully in her bed, her hands folded over her chest. Her face was relaxed, almost with a smile, and she appeared to be at peace. I sat down and said a brief prayer for her. Before I left, I opened the envelope she had left for me. Inside was a sheet of paper covered with child-like writing. Apparently, it had taken Harriet a lot of time and effort to write her poem. It was about the end of life and how she was bravely awaiting it. The poem, “What Is God’s Plan for Me?” moved me to tears, and I knew I would cherish it forever. Two weeks later, my editor and publisher read my novel. “I just love it,” she said, “especially the ending.” She designed a beautiful cover, and it was soon in print. A couple of months later, one of my friends, Wayne, who was also a writer, approached me with a flyer in his hand. “The local library where I teach seminars is having a poetry contest. Maybe you would like to enter it or know someone who would.” When I told my wife about the contest, she suggested, “Why don’t you submit Harriet’s poem?” Two months later, I had a book signing at the local library. As I entered the building, the director approached me. “Ray, I just talked to Wayne, and he said you submitted a poem to our recent poetry contest for a friend of yours -- Harriet Gardner.” “That’s right.” “Well, I must contact her. She won third place in the contest, and I want-
ed to present her with a ribbon and a plaque.” “Harriet passed away after she wrote it, but I would be glad to accept them on her behalf and take them to the nursing home where she resided. They can hang them there in her honor.” After I gave a reading from my novel in front of the crowd in the library annex, I conducted a question-and-answer period.
Page 7 One woman stood up. “Where did you get the inspiration for the beautiful ending of your novel?” I held up Harriet’s ribbon and plaque. “It came from a dear friend, someone who will inspire me to write until my dying day.” ~Raymond P. Weaver
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Senior Voice America
self help
New Technology Helps Boomers and Seniors Have Fun and Stay in Touch Whether you’re a technophobe who is reluctant to make new purchases, or you warmly embrace every trend, you may be excited to hear about userfriendly innovations, such as touch screen computers, that can make life easier and more fun.
Show and tell Miss your grandkids? New desktop computers, laptops and two-in-one detachable PCs like the HP SlateBook x2 make it possible to communicate faceto-face without the need for travel. Use a Skype account and a built-in webcam to video chat with loved ones and friends. Set up afternoon appointments with your grandkids where they can share the big news of the school day with you in real time or read them a bedtime story from hundreds of miles away.
Dig up the past Get the family together to take a quick trip back through time and explore your family heritage. Discover the root of your surname and explore your history. You’ll spark great conversation and maybe even a few funny stories from the past. Online software can help you create a family tree.
Be artistic Need a stress-relieving activity? Why not take up painting? But rather than get your hands dirty, try a free application, such as Windows 8 FreshPaint, which offers a realistic alternative to oil painting, without the mess. And
SEPTEMBER 2013
you don’t have to shell out for painting supplies.
Be a chef You may already have a collection of favorite tried and true recipes. But it’s never too late to enlarge your collection. If you have an Internet connection, use it to find new recipes and save them on your computer, which is an easy way to organize and store them. You can even print out a grocery list to save you time while planning.
Take it easy For those with arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome, or those who just like things to be plain and simple, a touchscreen desktop PC can provide much needed relief. You can browse the web, play games, and keep in touch without the need for a keyboard and mouse.
Play a game From Scrabble to poker, you can play any of your favorite games even when you’re home alone. Either compete against the computer or play with far-away friends. You may not jump on board every consumer technology trend, so if you’re going to be selective, look for those technologies that can enrich your life. More information can be found at www. HP.com.
CANCER ANSWERS MOFFITT.org |
www.facebook.com/MoffittCancerCenter |
twitter.com/MoffittNews |
youtube.com/user/MoffittNews
Ovarian Cancer: Do You Have A Genetic Risk? Actress Angelina Jolie made headlines this year with news that because she carried the BRCA1 mutation – a genetic trait that raised her risk for developing both ovarian and breast cancer – she decided to undergo a preventive double mastectomy. And news reports indicate she may be planning a future surgery to remove her ovaries. Jolie’s decision sparked debate and surprised some who thought it radical. Yet her courage in sharing this information publicly provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the role family history may play in breast and ovarian cancers. Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer in the U.S. and the primary cause of gynecological cancer death. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that 22,240 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year; 14,030 women will die from it. Ovarian cancer is difficult to recognize early as the symptoms – bloating, abdominal discomfort, back pain and a change in bowel and urinary habits – are common to so many conditions. Unlike pap smears, which screen for cervical cancer, there isn’t a good screening test for ovarian cancer, says Jennifer Brzosowicz, a certified genetic counselor at Moffitt Cancer Center.
Family History As A Risk Factor Reproductive, demographic, and lifestyle factors can affect which women develop ovarian cancer, but as the NCI points out, the single greatest risk factor is a family history of the disease. Women with a first-degree relative, such as a mother, daughter, or sister who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, are at an increased risk for the cancer themselves. The risk jumps higher in women who have one first-degree relative and one second-degree relative, for example, a grandmother or aunt, with ovarian cancer. It increases further for women who have two or more first-degree relatives with ovarian cancer. At the same time, it’s important to understand that not all ovarian cancer is related to hereditary risk. In fact, only five-to-ten percent of all cases are related to an inherited genetic trait, says the NCI. It’s also true that just having a family history or learning that you carry a BRCA mutation does not mean that you will develop cancer, says Brzosowicz.
The Role Of Genetic Testing BRCA genes help repair DNA and
prevent uncontrolled cell growth. But mutations interfere with normal function and can increase the risk of developing ovarian and breast cancers at a young age. The lifetime risk for ovarian cancer among all women is 1.4 percent, but for women who have BRCA mutations, that risk jumps to 15-to-44 percent. Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are associated with high risk for breast and ovarian cancers, and BRCA2 also is associated with an increased risk for certain other cancers. Genetic testing can identify these mutations and help women evaluate their risk for these cancers, says Brzosowicz. Who should be tested? That is a highly individual decision, she says, but based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, prime candidates for genetic counseling are women with ovarian cancer, as well as those with a family history of the disease.
What To Expect From Genetic Testing The first step is to meet with a genetic counselor to discuss personal and family history, the likelihood of an inherited mutation, the number of family members diagnosed with cancer, and whether testing is appropriate, says Brzosowicz. If testing is the right decision, DNA from a blood sample will be examined for possible abnormalities to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, as well as other genes that could be associated with hereditary ovarian cancer risk. What if mutations are identified? “Treatment decisions can be complex and must be made between the patient and physician,” says Brzosowicz. “What is right for one person may not be right for another.” A range of options are available, including surveillance or screening to find cancer early, preventive chemotherapy combined with regularly scheduled screenings, and elective surgery to remove both the fallopian tubes and ovaries. For more information about BRCA mutations and genetic counseling for ovarian cancer, call 1-888-MOFFITT.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
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travel
Staycation By Ro Martinez When Juan Ponce de Leon set out to find treasure in Florida, he succeeded. Our mild climate and miles of beaches make Florida a popular destination for people from all over the world. You can still find treasure today in your own backyard. Florida has fresh and saltwater for boating, snorkeling, fishing and scuba diving. State parks have trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding surrounded by nature. Florida has attractions like forts rich in naval history, shops, museums, zoos, art and theme parks. Consider some of the benefits of staying close to home for your vacation — your staycation. • Lower travel costs and no luggage restrictions. • Shorter travel times. • Easier to include your pets in your travels. When leaving your pet behind is not an option, find a pet-friendly resort like Island Paradise Cottages & Apartments of Madeira Beach. Bill and June Mohns created accommodations of understated elegance with touches of home that are inviting and comfortable. “We wanted to create an environment where guests feel like friends coming for a visit. We offer friendly warm touches like wine, welcoming gifts, and bottled water for returning customers and doggy bags for pet owners. The eight units may be booked for a minimum of three nights or extended stays. Lots of Floridians are taking their vacations near home,” shared owner June Mohns. “One guest we have, who lives about ten miles from here, said to me, ‘The beach is so relaxed and easy paced ... and we don’t have to spend a lot getting there. We can bring Fido to your quiet resort … we simply cannot find more personalized attention -or better beaches anywhere!’” Whether I am driving one hour or several hours, I know I will be at my destination quickly and without the added expense of airfare or the discomfort of cramped airline seating. For me, it makes perfect sense. You can book last minute trips without the need of a passport.
Photos by: Angela Mann Photography 727-518-4977. www.modelingatanyagebook.net Hair and makeup by: Monique McLaughlin 813-765-1354. www.makeupandhairbymonique.com Shot on location at: Island Paradise Cottages 727-395-9751. www.islandparadise.com
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Senior Voice America
SEPTEMBER 2013
Health Roundup
The Healing Power of Humor By Professor Abné M. Eisenberg According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter’s health benefits are no joke. Laughter relieves stress, soothes muscle tension, and eliminates pain. Fifteen minutes of laughter a day enables the immune system to successfully alleviate all forms of human illness. A seven-year research study that tracked 54,000 Norwegians found cancer patients with a sense of humor were 70 per-
cent more likely to survive. St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston, Texas, created a “living room” for their cancer patients. In it, patients could watch and listen to their favorite comedians and music. A laughter leader, certified by an organization called the World Laughter Tour, gave a quick review of the health benefits of laughter. In his book, titled Anatomy of an Illness, Norman Cousins describes how he dealt with a life threatening form of
arthritis (Marie-Strumpell’s disease.) He developed a recovery program that employed humor as its primary healing agent. He discovered that ten minutes a day of genuine belly laughter watching a Marx brother’s movie had an anesthetic effect that would give him at least two hours of pain-free sleep. When the pain-killing effect wore off, he would switch the movie back on. In 1998, the film industry put out a movie titled “Patch Adams,” starring Robin Williams. In it, Williams didn’t look, act, or talk like a doctor people had ever seen. Doing anything to make his patients laugh, his antics illustrated the healing power of humor. An ancient proverb reads, “Laughter is to the soul what soap is to the body.” Soap cleans the body, laughter cleans the soul.” For years, humor has played only a marginal role in healthcare. Today, physicians have taken a serious interest in the healing properties of humor and how it can be incorporate into their practice. Because each country has a slightly different conception of what makes something funny, large companies who marketed their product overseas suffered a severe drop in sales because they were insensitive to these cultural differences. Here are some classic examples of these cross-cultural faux pas.
When Kentucky Fried Chicken entered the Chinese market, they discovered that their slogan “finger lickin’ good” came out as “eat your fingers off.” In Italy, a campaign for “Schweppes Tonic Water” translated the name into the much less thirst quenching “Schweppes Toilet Water.” General Motors’ sales of the Chevy
Nova
in
South
America
dropped significantly when they discovered that the word Nova, in Spanish, means, “No go.”
Ford
didn’t do any better when they introduced the “Pinto.” The word pinto is Brazilian slang meaning “tiny male genitals.”
Clearly, there is global agree-
ment among healthcare providers that humor, regardless of cross-cultural differences, has an incredible ability to heal and does not require a prescription.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
Page 11
Health Roundup
Ringing Ears Could be Sign of Serious Hearing Problem In a world full of noise -- everything from city traffic and lawnmowers to hairdryers and earbuds on personal music devices -- hearing problems are a growing issue. Chief among these problems is tinnitus, a medical condition affecting 50 million Americans. Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing sound when no external sound is present, and is most commonly caused by exposure to loud noises. Typically, those suffering describe it as “ringing ears,” though others describe it as hissing, buzzing, whistling or chirping. For some, it’s a minor annoyance. For others, it can be debilitating, causing hearing loss, sleep disruption, changes in cognitive ability, anxiety and depression. With this in mind, Starkey Hearing Technologies is helping educate people about tinnitus and related hearing issues. If you’re concerned you may have tinnitus, consult a hearing professional to discuss treatment options. To learn more, visit www.TinnitusHearing.com. These days, the good news is that new treatment options, such as innovative sound therapy solutions, can offer relief to soothe those ringing ears.
NATURAL REMEDIES TO IMPROVE TINNITUS SYMPTOMS • • • •
Take odor free garlic capsules or cook it in your food. Garlic helps to both reduce inflammation and increase circulation. Increase your intake of raw fruits, especially pineapple, green vegetables, and cooked legumes. These foods are rich in vitamins, amino acids and phytogenic compounds that help reduce inflammation such as in the ear. Try to work kelp and sea vegetables (such as ecklonia cava) edible seaweed, whole leaf and stem into your diet. These foods are rich in vitamins, polyphenols and zinc. Drink fenugreek seed tea and take a supplement of Ginkgo Biloba. Avoid salt, caffeine, smoking, alcohol and aspirin, derived from salicylic acid, as it is known to cause ringing in the ears in some people.
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Senior Voice America
SEPTEMBER 2013
around the home
Make a Perfect Evening at Home
When the weekend arrives, going out to a local establishment to meet up with your friends to relax and enjoy your time off is a time-honored tradition. But going out involves a lot of planning and coordination — not to mention the money you’ll inevitably drop on food, bar tabs and transportation. The good news is with the right modifications to your home, you can make a night in seem just like a night on the town. Turning a room or part of your home into a bar or recreational area can make your abode a destination in itself, as you’ll have the comforts of the pub within the privacy of home. When trying to make your home an entertaining destination, focus on the things that you and your friends enjoy about your favorite hangouts. Here are a few improvements to consider as you construct your space:
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• Start with the bar. Your bar will provide both a place to distribute food and drinks to your guests, as well as a central place to gather for conversation. Depen- ding on your taste, you could go with a classic horizontal bar, or an L-shaped bar that promotes more face time and conversation. Make a wish list: Is it to be a wet bar plumbed for a sink and do you have ample power to supply the fridge, blender, stereo and other electronic equipment? Don’t forget the ergonomic layout — is the barware within easy reach and the fridge easily accessible? • Build to accommodate accesso- ries. It goes without saying that a refrigerator is a must, but areas with limited space might not accommodate a full-size refrige- rator. Compact under-counter models are perfect in this situation. Typically 24 inches wide and counter-high, these are available in a variety of styles, including wine fridges, beverage centers or kegerators. • Distinguish with bar decor. One of the more subtle ways to make
your home bar feel more like the real thing is paying special attention to lighting and decor. Adding light fixtures above the bar will draw visitors in. Incor- porating a mirror into the back bar will evoke the classic pub look, but the real reason you see mirrors behind bars is because they make the area feel larger than it actually is — a plus when you’re working with limited space. Use vintage beer signs or sports memorabilia to inject your own personality into your enter- taining area. • Entertainment. If you have the space, installing a pool table, dart board or other favorite bar games can greatly add to the fun. If you install a TV, consider adding it in a place where it can be seen from almost anywhere in the room, yet doesn’t dominate the space or get in the way of conversation and interaction. If you’re pressed for space, place card games and board games nearby, as they can make for great ice-breakers. • Set a vibe. The music selection is a key ingredient to the atmos- phere in any bar, so you’ll want to give some thought to the sound system you use. One option is to connect your system to your patio, so you can play tunes inside and out. Otherwise, nothing exudes a warm and inviting sound than a vintage turntable. If you and your friends are audiophiles, a record player is all you need for a night of conver- sation and audio delight. Constructing a bar might require a little investment up front, but you’ll quickly began to recoup your expenses as you spend more time at home instead of going out. And when you build your own space, you can combine all the elements of your favorite watering holes. By adding your own personality to your space, you can build something that’s sure to become your friends’ new favorite destination.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
The One Thing Guaranteed in Life... One Day It Will End We are all faced with the inevitable, yet so many of us refuse to deal with it … Death. Of course we all know it will happen, we just don’t think it will be today. But if it did, are you prepared? Have you attended to the details in advance, or will it be left for your grieving family? Many of us have been through an unexpected death. We’ve seen our friends struggle with the decisions that need to be made quickly, when emotionally they may not be prepared to make those decisions. Most of us don’t like the idea of planning a funeral. Burial or cremation? Should it be in Florida or back up north by the family? What about burial at sea? Do I want a traditional burial or to be entombed in a mausoleum? What type of casket or urn? Is the family going to use the funeral home limos or drive themselves? And how about the headstone? “These are all questions that will have to be dealt with,” says Keenan Knopke, President and CEO of Curlew Hills Memory Gardens Funeral Home. “We frequently see families overcome with grief try and make decisions about the unexpected death,” Knopke said, “but by spending time pre-planning, families can eliminate all or a significant part of the difficult decisions following the death of a family member.” “We strongly recommend that every family make their arrangements, and tell their spouse and/or children what they have done,” Knopke added. “Next, they should start paying for it now, thus eliminating the future concerns for the survivors regarding who will pay and how.” Every family is different. We’ve been to funerals where each of the children get up and speak of the memories of their loved one. And at some funerals, the family was so broken up they couldn’t even think of speaking. As well, think of the different personalities in each family. For example, you may have one child that feels the sky is the limit for Mom’s casket and another that spoke with you and knew you said you didn’t want money wasted on a “fancy box.” Placing your loved ones in a position to disagree at such a difficult time is unfair to them, and ultimately your final wish may or may not be carried out. However, even though you make all the plans in advance, you don’t necessarily have to pay for it all when you make the plans. For more information, the National Association of Funeral Directors has a great website that offers consumer tips on prepaying for a funeral. You can find this information and much more on their website at www.nfda.org. According to Knopke, Curlew Hills Memorial Gardens
Funeral Home will actually assist you in arranging for the payment aspects. “Not only have we helped families make pre-arrangements – we also offer no-interest payment plans for up to 60 months, he explained. He also pointed out that funeral directors understand that many people don’t want their families to have to deal with the financial aspects when they pass. Cremation is the answer for many people, sometimes based on cost. “We sometimes have families that don’t have the money for a full burial,” Knopke said. Some families choose to have a traditional viewing and church service and then conclude with cremation services. The family may save on many of the costs related to burial, but it still leaves the survivors having to decide what to do with the cremated body of their loved one. “We recommend pre-selection of a permanent place for the cremated body,” said Knopke. This can be in a cemetery section just for cremation, or some other location that is selected by the family. All funeral homes sell or rent cremation caskets and can arrange for all the services you desire. So, while it may be a subject we don’t really want to face, there are professional, compassionate funeral directors who can help. Although we couldn’t control how we came into this world, we can control how we go out. By tending to the details in advance, we can insure it is our wishes that are carried out when the time comes. And, equally important, we can make a very difficult time for our loved ones worry-free and reduce the chance for unnecessary stress or fighting. Plus, just like in the great Frank Sinatra song, you’ll go on to the great beyond knowing, you did it ... your way!
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SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Happenings Largo Central Park September 7 and 8 Ride the miniature trains of Largo Central Railroad on the first full weekend of every month in Largo Central Park. For a schedule of dates as well as pictures from this event, please go to the Special Events Train Weekend page at LargoEvents.com. 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Free, donations accepted. Largo Central Park is located at 101 Central Park Dr., Largo, Florida. For information (727) 587-6740 ext. 5014. Bay Area Singles and Couples Dance Progressive Insurance Tampa Boat Show
Tampa Convention Center September 6-8 Enjoy 3 days of boating fun and once-a-year deals! Tampa’s biggest boat sale returns with more boats—including big boats and sailboats, more brands and more of what you go to a boat show for! There’s no better place to shop, compare and save! Meet Johnathan Hillstrand. The Tampa Bay Convention Center is located at 333 South Franklin Street, Tampa, Florida. Explore and buy tickets http://www.tampaboatshow.com. The Eight O’Clock Theatre Presents South Pacific
Largo Cultural Center September 6-8, 12-15, 19-22 Set on a tropical island during World War II, South Pacific tells the romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war. The score’s songs include such classics as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” “Bali Ha’i,” “This Nearly Was Mine and A Wonderful Guy.” The original Broadway production won ten Tony Awards and the 2008 Broadway revival won seven Tonys including Best Musical Revival. Tickets $25.50 advance, $23 group, $12.50 student. The Largo Cultural Center is located at 105 Central Park Dr., Largo, Florida. For more information and to purchase tickets visit LargoArts.com or call the Box Office at (727)587-6793. Servapalooza
Sun and Fun - Lakeland September 7 Servapalooza is an interactive volunteer festival, where businesses, non-profit, faith-based and government organizations throughout Polk County will showcase their community outreach projects and participants learn about local volunteer opportunities. The event is sponsored by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners’ volunteer center, Volunteer Polk. Participating organizations share a commitment to making Polk a great place to live, work and play! The event is part of a “National Day of Service & Remembrance” campaign. General admission and exhibits: free. Attendees may help construct wall frames for homes; pack food packs for homeless children, make memory books for hospice families, assemble gift bags for seniors, fill Christmas stockings, paint a mural promoting Polk tourism, make cards for Polk military; and much more. Literacy activity for children with FREE books (while supplies last). Donations will be collected. Opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Meet sports celebrities promoting community involvement! Individuals and corporate teams of volunteers interested in participating should contact Volunteer Polk at 863-534-5580, volunter1@polk-county.net.
Largo Community Center September 8, 15, 22 and 29
Healthy Aging Month - Mind Fitness
Memorial Hospital Auditorium
Since 1997, the Bay Area Singles Dance has been the September 20 best place for area singles and friends to meet. Every SunCome celebrate and learn with this lecture by Peter Ariday approximately 150 singles of all ages join us. We offer zu, MA.Ed. 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. an extensive music library to fit every taste. Couples welThe Memorial Hospital Auditorium is located at 2109 come. Dress to impress! 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. $8. Swann Ave., Tampa, Florida. Please RSVP at (813) 342The Largo Community Center is located at 400 Alt 1313 for lunch and learning! Keene Rd., Largo, Florida. For more information (727)5183131. Air Potato Picking Contest LEARN TO DANCE ON 2 — NEW YORK STYLE
Tampa Elk Lodge 708 September 10 (repeats every Tuesday) No more excuses to be holding a wall or sitting out on a dance! Do you feel embarrassed when people ask you to dance and you don’t know how? Then this is a great opportunity to learn salsa on 2...this class is for people with little or no dance experience. We teach with great patience and we try to make sure you understand what you are doing. We want YOU to be the best dancer you can be and bring out that potential...You will gain confidence. Each class covers basic steps/shines and then you learn a turn pattern, which you will practice with other people, lots of friendly people and its alot of fun. 6:30 p.m. The Elk Lodge 708 is located at 3616 Gandy Blvd., Tampa, Florida 33611. Passionate about health and wellness!
Mimi’s Cafe September 10 (repeats every Tuesday) Attend a FREE event in Tampa. Learn how you can “Transform your life in 30 Days.” Take the challenge and start rebuilding your life and become a solution for others. In the process SET YOURSELF FACIALLY FREE!! Be empowered, focused. On fire! Enter the ZONE to deliver results ... take charge and become UNSTOPPABLE. The opportunity is here. Are you interested? Register for free at http://30daytransformation.eventbrite. Mimi’s Cafe is located at 11702 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, Florida 33618. For more information (207) 4681286. Caregiver Support Group
Harmony Home Health September 10 (repeats every Tuesday) Caring for aging parents and loved ones with special needs can be stressful, overwhelming, and often leads to isolation. But the reality is, you are not alone. Resources, information, and other caregiver support is available right within our community. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to attend a free workshop or support group near you. Harmony Home Health is located at 13787 Belcher Road S., Suite 220, Largo, Florida 33771. SEMINARS & COUNSELING
Seminole Library September 18 Train Weekend
15? 2. Are you up to speed on Medicare? 3. Do you need answers or assistance in figuring it out? Presented by a specially trained SHINE volunteer from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Pasco Pinellas Area Agency on Aging, Inc. Medicare 101—Overview of Medicare Parts A, B, D, and Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C). Free. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The Seminole-SPC Library is located at 200 113th St., Seminole, FL. To set up an appointment, call the Seminole Library, (727)394-6909, or contact the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas at 800-963-5337 or (727)217-8111.
1. Did you know Annual Open Enrollment begins Oct.
George C. McGough Nature Park September 21 Help us protect our Largo nature parks from invasive/ exotic plants that choke out our native vegetation. We will be holding a contest aimed at removing invasive Air Potato vines from McGough Nature Park. Prizes will be available for winners in various categories, including most potatoes, largest potato and ugliest potato. Water and gloves will be provided but please remember to wear closed-toed shoes. 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. The George C. McGough Nature Park is located at 11901 146th N St., Largo, Florida. For more information (727) 518-3047. Run, Walk, or Cycle to Support Brain Tumor Research
Coachman Park September 21 6th Annual “Moving Towards a Cure” event. Get ready to run, walk or bike for a great cause! On-site registration opens at 6:00 a.m. 10K/5K Run/Walk starts at 7:30 a.m. 100K/50K/25K Cycling events begin at 7:15 a.m. 1-mile Survivor Walk begins at 10:00 a.m. Breakfast & lunch provided. Families welcome, activities for the kids! Payment required - Register now online! Early registration saves you money on entry fees! Funds raised to support Brain Tumor Research and benefit All Children’s Hospital. Sign up and organize your team. Coachman Park is located at 101 Drew St., Clearwater, Florida 33755. For more information http://clearwater. milesforhope.org. Pioneer Open House
Pinellas Pioneer Settlement September 21 The Pinellas Pioneer Settlement is a non-profit, volunteer organization whose mission is to authentically recreate the life styles of Pinellas County pioneers through the relocation or recreation of period buildings and education about the skills, crafts, and social customs of early settlers. Located adjacent to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, the Settlement is a living history museum experience where visitors can observe and take part in the skills, crafts and social customs of late 19th century life in west central Florida. On this 21 of September, take a step back in time for a day of old fashioned fun! See a working blacksmith shop, take a hay ride, or sample what’s cooking in the summer kitchen. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Admission Free. Donations accepted. The Pinellas Pioneer Settlement is located at 3130 31st Street South, St. Petersburg, Florida. For more information
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
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Senior Happenings (727) 893-7326.
Bay Area Beatdown 2 Night Hike
George C. McGough Nature Park September 21 Interpretative nature hike through McGough’s habitats. 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. The George C. McGough Nature Park is located at 11901 146th N St., Largo, Florida. For more information (727)5183047 or visit LargoNature.com. Dr. Gold’s Health Workshop: A Fun & Easy Approach to Wellness
One Tampa City Center September 22 One out of every three patients says they are too busy, stressed or overworked to get healthy. Sound Familiar? Learn a fun, simple and effective approach to living well. Increase your energy, feel fabulous, and control your weight naturally! 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets $49.00. The One Tampa City Center is located at 201 N Franklin St., Tampa, Florida 33602. For more information (813)223-5008. An Evening with Colin Hay
Largo Cultural Center September 24 Best known as the lead singer for the platinum selling Australian band Men At Work and his 11 solo albums, Colin Hay is happy to announce his 2013 Finding My Dance World Tour coming to the Largo Cultural Center. Hear some of Colin’s greatest hits including: Who Can it be Now?, Down Under, Overkill and many more. The Largo performance is one of only three Florida dates scheduled for 2013. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $34.50, $39.50, $44.50 add $5. The Largo Cultural Center is located at 105 3rd St. SE, Largo, FL 33771. For more information (727) 587-6751. Have your “Eye on Memorial”
Memorial Hospital Auditorium September 24 Come participate in this Eye Disease Panel Discussion with Dr. Hammer, a Board Certified Ophthalmologist and a partner of Retina Associates of Florida. He has been on staff at Memorial Hospital of Tampa since 1986 and specialist in the Vitreous and Macula of the eye. Also participating are Dr. Kwitko, Board Certified Ophthalmologist with specialty in Eyelid Cancers, Thyroid Eye Disease and Cosmetic Eyelid Surgeries and Dr. Perez, Board Certified Ophthalmologist with Preceptorship in Oculafacial Aesthetics. Dr. Perez is the official Ophthalmologist for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has been on staff at Memorial Hospital of Tampa since 2002. 12:00 p.m. to1:00 p.m. The Memorial Hospital Auditorium is located at 2109 Swann Ave., Tampa, Florida. Please RSVP at (813) 3421313 for lunch and discussion.
Florida State Fairgrounds October 5 and 6 Welcome to the Second Annual Bay Area Beatdown. Last year it was a blast, this year we promise to be bigger and better. Proving to be one of the biggest CrossFit competitions this part of the country; the Bay Area Beatdown will be a two-day competition at the Florida State Fairgrounds in the Charlie Lykes Arena. Athlete registration begins at 7:00 a.m. Demonstration of workout #1 begins at 8:30 a.m. Workout #1 begins at 9:00 a.m. Hundreds of athletes will be competing in 4 different divisions - Scaled, Advanced, Teams (two females and two males), and Masters (ages 40+). This event will consist of multiple workouts that will test the athletes’ overall strength, power, speed, endurance, balance, and coordination. Athletes must have a basic understanding of CrossFit, gymnastics, and Olympic lifting. In true CrossFit style, we will not be releasing the workouts prior to the event date. However, we will provide weight standards, and movement standards prior to the event. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 athletes in each division. We welcome every CrossFit athlete, bodybuilder, tri-athlete, and fitness enthusiast in the area to register for this event, so that you can compare your overall fitness ability against other local athletes. Bring your family and friends to support your effort and enjoy the festivities. The Bay Area Beatdown is sure to be a huge event! Come see who in the Bay Area is the fittest! Vendors will be on site to offer food, drinks, clothing and more. An area will also be available for athletes to set up canopies/tents. The Florida State Fairgounds is located at Orient Road, Tampa, Florida 33610. Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Curtis Hixon Park October 5 Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, this inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to reclaim the future for millions. 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Curtis Hixon Park is located at 600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa, Florida 33602. For more information http://act.alz.org/tampa. Grillin’ and Chillin’ at Lake Alfred
Lake Alfred October 5 BBQ competition with entertainment, crafts and plenty of great food! Free admission and free parking to this annual BBQ competition with cash prizes and trophies. Also enjoy local crafts and vendors, kids activities and live entertainment to include: “Once Upon a Time” The 17th Annual Fundraiser Ball Joey Foley and the Midnight Clogging The Largo Cultural Center Express, Cross Trax, Jeff “Bull” Ferguson, September 28 and Acoustic Dos. Enjoy the day at beautiThe Suncoast Performing Arts Foundation will present ful Lions Park on the shores of Lake Alfred. an evening of fabulous food, entertainment, silent auctions 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and dancing to benefit the Largo Cultural Center. SPAF is Passionate about meeting the need for arts education in our community and proceeds from this event go directly to that mission. Tickets can be purchased at the Cultural Center box office. 6:00 p.m. Tickets $125 per person/$1,250 for table sponsor (includes logo and recognition). The Largo Cultural Center is located at 105 Central Park Dr., Largo, Florida. For more information and to purchase tickets visit LargoArts.com or call the Box Office at (727)587-6793.
For more information, or to enter a BBQ Team, become a judge, sponsor or volunteer the public can contact Lake Alfred Parks and Recreation Office at 863-291-5272. Central Florida NatureFest
Circle B Bar Reserve October 3 - 6 Welcome Wildlife Enthusiasts! FUN is in Our Nature… so if you love the great outdoors, you’ll REALLY LOVE Central Florida Na-
tureFest. This event offers something for everyone, and the unlimited beauty of nature is yours to discover. Participate in activities including birding, hiking, kayaking, butterfly and wildflower viewing, nature photography and air boat tours. This nature weekend is packed with excursions led by area wildlife experts who have years of knowledge and passion about their fields of expertise. You’ll have exclusive access to some of Central Florida’s premier nature parks and reserves. The Polk Nature Discovery Center, at the 1,200 acre Circle B Bar Reserve, serves as the base for many activities during Central Florida NatureFest 2013. Excursions are planned at locations all across Polk County, including the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, The Avon Park Air Force Range and Disney Wilderness Preserve, to name just a few. NatureFest’s registration fee of $20.00 is required to participate in the event, and an additional fee required for each excursion. Your $20.00 registration fee includes a NatureFest event t-shirt, water bottle and drawstring bag. Space on excursions is limited to ensure a quality experience for all participants, so sign up early! The Circle B Bar Reserve is located at 4399 Winter Lake Road, Lakeland, FL 33803. For more information (863) 668-4673 or www. polknature.com.
Email Your Senior Happenings to: Happenings@Seniorvoiceamerica.com
The Deadline for the
October Issue is September 15th
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Senior Voice America
SEPTEMBER 2013
legal planning
PROACTIVE END OF LIFE PLANNING, Part 1 By Jon Lynn For the last 30 years, I have been urging people to be proactive in their retirement, not just planning to do something in the future, but taking action now. Without taking action, 95 percent of U.S. workers cannot retire. The same is true of end of life planning! My wife and I are dealing with the mental and physical decline of her 85-year-old mother. She has been on a downward spiral over the past two years due to an inoperable tumor in the sinus cavity behind her right eye that is putting pressure on her optic nerve and her brain. First, her vision decreased to technical blindness, now her cognitive ability and her physical strength has begun to spiral downward over the past two months as the tumor grows. It’s not only difficult for her, but also for us, especially her daughter, and we are trying to provide appropriate caregiving as things progress. The stress and frustration grows daily. With the inability to fix the situation, we knew we needed more help than we could provide, and rather than plan to do something, we began taking action. With the help of one of my twin daughters, who works for the Brookdale communities nationwide, we contacted hospice and home healthcare companies, an elder life attorney and her physicians: primary care as well as her specialists. With her physicians, we insisted that they keep one another in the loop and coordinate her status and treatment as well as prescribed medications. We found this to be essential to her well being and ours. As my mother-in-law’s mental and physical health began to decline, we contacted Innovative Senior Care through Brookdale. They provided home visits with a nurse, a physical therapist and an occupational therapist several days per week. The nurse evaluated her vital signs to keep track of her physical well being. The physical therapist helped her
with exercises that she could do standing, sitting, or even lying in bed. The occupational therapist helped her conduct the activities needed on a daily basis. They all explained that she needed to actually do what she could rather than have us do everything for her. For us to do things that she could do for herself would promote atrophy and limit her ability. For us, that was a difficult concept to comply with as we watched her struggle and wanted to help eliminate those difficulties that she experienced. Hospice has been an invaluable help, both during hospital stays and in helping us prepare to return her to our home. They met with my wife and I, evaluated the needs of my mother-inlaw and coordinated necessary assistance. Through Hospice we received a hospital bed, which they set up in our house, and help with ADL’s (activities of daily living), as well as other advice for her care at home. Hospice even helped with her discharge from the hospital to ensure that we were well-prepared to care for her upon her return to our home. Sadly, too many wait until death is impending before contacting Hospice for assistance. Innovative Senior Care, a private pay company, now helps with the everyday activities of daily living that my wife and I cannot do alone. With poor motor skills, my mother-in-law needs help with such basic skills as sitting up in bed, eating, going to the toilet, transferring and bathing. Her poor cognition prevents her from effectively communicating and even recognizing or remembering people or previous activities. The help provided by the caregiver staff is time-flexible; we use them several hours daily during the week and they are available on weekends or evenings as needed. Although we thought we could do this by ourselves, it rapidly became clear to us that we could not. Accepting this fact is also a most difficult admission since she is family and a loved one. But, as hard as it is to admit, we
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have to take care of ourselves if we wish to continue to support her successfully. Women are traditionally viewed as caregivers and men are prone to fix things that are broken. The realization that my wife and I can’t “do it all” and that I can’t “fix it” continues to increase the stress and frustration we both experience. However, it does strengthen our relationship to know that we are going through these trying times together and we proactively support each other throughout with love and understanding. Meeting with the elder life attorney was also quite beneficial. She helped with the understanding of the legal requirements we need to address in advance, prior to death. Medicaid requirements, such as the 5- year look back period, is important when transferring assets to family members. The need to proactively plan and prepay funeral expenses so that the deceased and family’s wishes are understood and carried out is integral. Having a “do not resuscitate order,” DNRO, is something that must be proactively considered by both the person and the family to ensure their wishes are carried out as well. The attorney explained that a will only comes into play at death, but that a trust can provide resources if one is incapacitated until they
recover, or function as a will does to pass on the estate at death. Since my father-in-law was a WWII veteran, his wife is entitled to additional support through the Veterans Administration. An organization, “Patriot Angels,” is assisting us with understanding and applying for the available assistance to help pay for home healthcare supervision. With the help that these agencies provide, we are taking the action necessary to provide the most help for my mother-in-law. As difficult as it is watching a family loved one enter the final stage of life, I know that proactively taking the actions necessary while you are fully functioning and able to make your own decisions about your end of life wishes is truly a gift of love and compassion to your family. If we do not take action when we can, it falls on the surviving family members to make those most important decisions in an emotionally stressful and difficult time. For the ones you love, take action now! You will know that part of your legacy to them will be that they do not have to endure what my wife and I are currently experiencing. Your family will love you and thank you for your loving thoughts and action on their behalf.
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SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
Let’s Talk By Nurse Ruth, RN, LHRM Choice. The dictionary’s version consists of the mental process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one of them. As a consumer of healthcare, you are entitled to have options from which to choose. Let’s begin with health insurance options. There is Medicare with or without supplements, HMOs and PPOs. Depending upon which insurance you choose, there may be limitations on options for health care delivery, BUT there are options.
SO ASK YOURSELF... Are you making your own choices when it comes to health care decisions? Well, I will tell you that you do have choices. You should be given options when you are choosing a healthcare provider, a hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility or home health care, whether it be a Medicare or private sector agency.
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You Have a Choice
By now you’re probably thinking, what prompted me, the nurse, to bring up this subject again? I DID write about this concern some time ago and discussed the exact problem that I’m hearing about again. I believe it is a subject worth revisiting.
THE REASON IS: Recently, I had two prospective clients in the same week from the same facility call me because they needed some help. They were told, or it was implied, that they had to use the facility’s company for home health care. They were concerned and stressed about offending the staff because they wanted to use a company not affiliated with the facility. Wrong or right? What do you think? What would you do? Hopefully, you would ask for some options and make your own decisions. Health care decisions should be patient focused, not business-related. You, as the consumer, the patient, have the right to be given options from which to make a
choice of your own free will. If you have an opinion, concern, or comment on this topic, Let’s talk!
Provided by Ruth Fanovich, RN, LHRM, Owner, Care Placement Home Health Agency, Inc. and RMF Care Management, Inc. www.CarePlacementHH.com.
Health, Wealth & Wisdom Now Transmitting From Our Very Own Senior Voice America Studios and expanded to two hours on weekdays! Looking for medical or financial information? Relevant news for seniors or mature adults? Or just a healthy perspective on life & intelligent discussion?
Tune in as Evan and Deb bring the experts that will enhance your everyday life and bring a smile to your face.
Monday - Friday from 4-6 pm on 1470am WMGG radio We want to hear your Voice…Call-ins welcome!
follow us on Facebook and Twitter www.seniorvoiceamerica.com Deb and Evan
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Senior Voice America
Rudy Vazmina, from Sarasota, won four medals, including two gold, in swimming events.
From SENIOR GAMES, Page 1 medal-winning
performance
with
a
bronze medal in the 65-69 age group. The Aces won silver medals in 2011 and 2009 and a bronze in 2007. Members of the
Aces include Mike Campbell, of Tampa, Harry Carothers, of Pinellas Park, Jim McNulty, of Longboat Key and Jim Rhead, of Mesa, Arizona. The Aces team breezed through pool play in Cleveland winning its first three
games by an average of 37 points. After a loss to the Milwaukee Shooters in the AAA bracket, which included the highest ranked teams of the 26 teams in the 6569 age group, the Aces won two games in the losers bracket for a rematch against the Shooters. The rematch was much closer than their earlier loss, according to Carothers. “We were down by only one point with a minute left, but missed a shot that would have given us the lead and they hit some free throws,” he said. What makes the Aces’ national bronze-medal winning accomplishment so impressive is they rarely get a chance to practice together until they meet at the competition site. “We’re all very familiar with each other’s style of play,” said Carothers. “Each game we get better and better.” Christine Srock, of Pinellas Park, won medals in all three bowling events, picking up a gold in women’s doubles, a silver in mixed doubles and bronze women’s singles. Srock bowled in three different age groups ranging from 50-54 to 60-64. The doubles competitions determined the age group based on the age of the youngest partner. “I averaged very well for the week,” said Srock. “It was five days of bowling, three days of qualifying and two days of finals. I bowled 24 games in five days but that’s ok.” To earn her doubles medals, Srock had to find partners from out of state since her partners from the State Games qualifying event last December chose not to travel to Cleveland. She enlisted the help of a bowling league friend from her past, Fran Sansone, from when Srock was stationed in Virginia Beach, Virginia while in the Navy. Fran was in the same situation as Christine with her qualifying partner choosing not to travel. “I hadn’t seen her in years and haven’t bowled with her in 30 years,” Srock said. “We had great fun.” Srock and Sansone combined for a score of 1074 for the gold medal finishing more than 100 pins ahead of the silver medalists in the 55-59 age group. Rudy Vazmina, a swimmer from
SEPTEMBER 2013 Sarasota and native of Ohio, who won four medals (two gold, silver and bronze) in a homecoming to compete with and against some former Master’s Swimming teammates. The former All-American at Ashland College won gold medals in the 50 Butterfly and 200 IM, silver in the 100IM and bronze in the 50 Breaststroke. In three of Vazmina’s four races, his finishes were decided by less than one second. To win the 50 Butterfly, he touched the wall with a time of 27.97 while the second place finisher touched at 28.03. Only in the 200 IM did Vazmina cruise to his gold medal with a four-second lead over the silver medalist. “The level of competitiveness which we swam was great,” said Vazmina. “In each of the races, the fellows I swam with were very gracious, win or lose, and were good sports. That’s very characteristic of these types of meets.” At the 2012 Florida International Senior Games & State Championships, Vazmina won five gold medals and a silver while setting 60-64 age group records in the 50 and 100 Butterfly. The Freedom Spirit 70+ Women’s Softball team, made up of a majority of players from the Tampa Bay area, won their fifth consecutive National Senior Games medal going back to 2005. The Freedom Spirit ladies had to play their way out of the loser’s bracket and forced a winner-take-all game against an undefeated Golden Gals team from The Villages. Playing in their third game of the day, after a come-from-behind win, the Freedom Spirit team “just ran out of gas,” according to longtime player, Ethel Lehmann, of Largo. Freedom Spirit won a gold medal in 2005 and 2009, silver in 2007 and bronze in 2011. The 2013 Florida International Senior Games and State Championships will be held December 7-15 in Lee County. The fall schedule of local qualifying events include eight opportunities for Florida senior athletes to qualify for the 2013 Games. Visit www.flasports.com for more information about the Florida Senior Games program.
Christine Srock (right) with her doubles partner Fran Sansone (left). Srock, from Pinellas Park, won medals in three different bowling events.
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
self help
IMPROVE
It’s Never Too Late to of life, and will do his utmost to see to it that every child has an The other day, an elderly lady (elderly is any- opportunity to learn the demon one older than me - I’m 75) approached me strated facts of science, the true at the produce section of my local St. Peters- history of the world, the great burg Publix and said she had read my 1977 principles of right and wrong Rodale book, High Level Wellness: An Al- applicable to human conduct. ternative to Doctors, Drugs and Disease, • He will develop his mind to and wondered what I might be doing nowa- appreciate the beautiful, the days “to excite people about wellness?” highest art, so that stones, called I replied that this is a good question for facts, may be changed into statues. everyone to ponder, not just those who work • He will believe only in the reli- in the advice-giving trades. Most realize gion of this world. He will have that it’s not a good idea to offer wellness ad- nothing to do with the miracu- vice if you’re not putting some effort into lous and supernatural. He will living well yourself. find that there is no room in the Then I quickly added that one thing I’m universe for these things. He doing is continuing to work on my own well- will know that happiness is the ness, which takes a bit more energy at age only good, and that everything 75 than it did a while back, say, when I was that tends to the happiness of 37.5. But, the energy expended seems worth sentient beings is good, and that it, as I’m too old to escape unscathed the to do the things -- and no other high cost of backsliding at this stage of life. — that add to the happiness of Another thing I’m doing is exploring man is to practice the highest new territory for wellness. It’s one thing to possible religion. improve one’s appearance, one’s fitness lev- • He will expect everyone to be his el, one’s diet or even one’s sense of humor. or her own priest and will view But, what about improving oneself? Why the brain as the real cathedral. not go all the way - ask that one all-encom- • He will not be shaped, guided or passing query? bowed by numbers or force, antiquity or custom. He will Improved Humans decide for himself. What views, perspectives, values and or • He will not endeavor by prayers passions would an improved man embrace and supplication, by fastings and genuflections, to change the or favor? Here are a few possi- mind of the ‘Infinite’ or alter the bilities, based upon course of nature, neither will he qualities described by employ others to do those things Robert Green Ingersoll in his place. in a speech entitled, Im- • He will know that honest labor is the highest form of prayer. He proved Man in 1890. How closely do these will spend no time in ringing ideas reflect your own bells or swinging sensors, or in thinking? To what extent chanting the litanies of barba- do you align with such rism, but he will appreciate all that is artistic — that is beautiful standards? — that tends to refine and enno- • The improved man or woman ble the human race. will favor universal liberty. He • He will not live in fear or in awe or she will be opposed not just to of man or ghosts—or of death. kings and nobles but all privi- He will enjoy the sunshine while leged classes. He will give others bearing the darkest of days. the rights he claims for himself • He will be satisfied that the su- — a rule as practical as it is golden. pernatural does not exist -- that • He will be brave. He will neither behind every fact, every thought bow nor cringe, nor accept bowing and cringing from others. He will be and dream is an efficient cause. He will regard those who violate neither master nor slave, neither the laws of nature and states as prince nor peasant. • He will oppose all caste, no victims of conditions, of circum- stances, and he will do what matter whether its foundation be he can for the well-being of his wealth, title or power. fellow men. • He will favor universal educa- • He will not devote his life to the tion so that all might gain useful accumulation of wealth and it knowledge and develop their minds along natural paths will give him no pleasure to excite the envy of his neighbors. leading to human happiness. • He will find his greatest joy in • He will not waste his time in as the happiness of others and ... certaining the foolish theories of his greatest reward in being extinct peoples, or in studying loved by those whose lives he the dead languages for the sake has enriched. of understanding the theologies • He will be independent and can of ignorance and fear, but he will did. He will embrace reason and turn his attention to the affairs
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By Donald B. Ardell, Ph.D.
science and use his sense and senses. He will keep an open mind and be a student, learner and listener. In the world of his brain there will be continuous summer, perpetual seed- time and harvest. Facts will be the foundation of his faith. In one hand he will carry the torch of truth, and with the other raise the fallen.
Further Thoughts I favor all the ideas Ingersoll expressed in 1890 about improved man. However, I realize not everyone would have shared Ingersoll’s view of improved man in 1890, any more than everyone would today. Just the same, would not a speech like
this invite a good discussion of ways to make improvements in ourselves and mankind? I believe Ingersoll’s speech would inspire many to think creatively about personal integrity, ethics, morality and commitments. Surely exposure to ideas as expressed by Ingersoll would foster a creative dialogue about secular common values and human decencies. In summary, I think ideas about improved man and woman would make a great discussion topic next time that lady finds me at the produce counter at Publix. Don’t you agree? Donald B. Ardell, Ph.D. www.seekwellness.com/wellness. (727) 471-8091 or (727) 488-4647. Email: awr.REALwellness@gmail.com
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Senior Voice America
SEPTEMBER 2013
Entertainment Diana Ross
Rick Springfield
Mahaffey Theater September 10
Ruth Eckerd Hall September 13
Diana Ross, called the “Most Successful Female Vocalist of All Time,” will be on stage at The Mahaffey Theater for one night only. This consummate performer is one of the most iconic female singers and one of the most prominent women in popular music history and pop culture of the late 20th century. Diana Ross’ famed and remarkable career has spanned four decades and won her many major awards, accolades and music history milestones. International achievements were recognized by the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, which celebrated her career of excellence in music, film, television and theater as well as her humanitarian work and contributions to American culture. Ms. Ross has been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Songwriters Hall of Fame and awarded: the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hero Award; NAACP Entertainer Award, Billboard’s Female Entertainer of the Century Award; the Soul Train Legend Award and International Lifetime Achievement at the World Music Awards. 7:30 p.m. Tickets $69.50 $129.50.
For all of his accomplishments as an actor, best-selling author and documentary subject, Rick Springfield has always insisted his first love is music, a passion he’s harbored since first picking up the guitar at the age of 12 in his native Australia. With 25 million albums sold, 17 top-40 hits, including Don’t Talk to Strangers, An Affair of the Heart, I’ve Done Everything for You, Love Somebody and Human Touch, as well as a 1981 GRAMMY® for Best Male Rock Vocal win for his #1 hit single Jessie’s Girl behind him, Springfield has more to say with his latest release Songs For The End of the World. Collaborating on the songs with his bass player Matt Bissonette, Springfield sets his sights on the possibilities of escaping the current, apocalyptic world situation in our closest relationships, employing the kind of self-effacement and ability to poke fun at himself as he demonstrated when putting his dog Lethal Ron on the cover of Working Class Dog or spoofing his image by playing a sleazy, drug-and-sexcrazed version of himself on Showtime’s dark comedy Californication. 8:00 p.m. Tickets $35 - $150 ($125 – VIP Seating includes pre-show dining at Ruth Eckerd Hall and valet parking. $150 – VIP Seating includes Meet and Greet with Rick Springfield) Enjoy a sumptuous dinner prior to the performance for only $20 per person (includes tax). Doors open two hours prior to the performance. Due to limited seating, we suggest advance purchase.
Engelbert Humperdinck
Mahaffey Theater September 11 Engelbert Humperdinck, known for his recordings of the most romantic ballads to the platinum-selling theme song, “Lesbian Seagull” for the Beavis and Butthead movie, will be in concert in St. Petersburg. This concert is presented by The Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts. Humperdinck, born Arnold George Dorsey, was known on stage as “Gerry Dorsey” and took the name, Engelbert Humperdinck, a 19th century German composer of operas, on the suggestion of his manager in the mid-1960s. It was Humperdinck, not Elvis, that made famous the sideburns and flamboyant leather jumpsuits. It was his voice, which became a legend in the international music industry for the last 40 years, that sold more than 150 million records for songs including “Release Me,” “We Made It Happen,” “Sweetheart,” “A Man Without Love” and “After the Lovin.” He is recording a new CD with Grammy-winning producer Martin Terefe (Train, Jason Mraz, James Morrison, Beverly Knight) with “a lot of fantastic, young, hip and surprising collaborations.” 7:00 p.m. Tickets $39 - $69.
Pet Shop Boys
Mahaffey Theater September 13 The most successful duo in UK music history, according to The Guinness Book of Records, will make The Mahaffey Theater their second United States tour stop. The tour comes on the heels of their highly anticipated 12th studio album, Electric, scheduled for a mid-July release. The electronic dance music duo consisting of Neil Tennant on vocals, keyboards and guitar and Chris Lowe on keyboards have sold more than 50 million records worldwide. The three-time Brit Award winners and six-time Grammy® nominees have achieved 42 Top 30 singles and 22 Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart including four number ones: “West End Girls,” “It’s a Sin,” “Always on My Mind” and “Heart.” Pet Shop Boys received an award for Outstanding Contribution to Music at the 2009 BRIT Awards.
“Electric is very much set on the dance floor,” said Neil Tennant. “Our latest album often evolves as a response to our previous album and, whereas Elysium had a reflective mood, Electric is pretty banging!” 8:00 p.m.Tickets $29.50 - $99.50. Loretta Lynn
Mahaffey Theater September 14 Country music legend Loretta Lynn brings her voice and a woman’s point of view during this one-night show. Millions who have read her 1976 biography or saw the 1980 film treatment of Coal Miner’s Daughter know that Ms. Lynn grew up in poverty in Kentucky, married Oliver “Doolittle” Lynn at the age of 13, and had four children by the age of 18. She began singing around the house while doing chores, was given a guitar by “Doo” and learned how to play it and wrote her own songs. Her first song, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl,” became a hit in 1960 and a year later, she was singing regularly on the Grand Ole Opry. Ms. Lynn signed on with Decca Records and her debut, 1962’s “Success,” became the first of her 51 Top 10 hits and led to an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry cast later that year. Over her 53-year career, Ms. Lynn has amassed various Female Vocalist of the Year trophies, BMI songwriting honors, Gold record plaques and multiple Grammy® awards. She became the first woman in history, in 1972, to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year trophy, was inducted to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983, inducted into the national Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York in 2008 and presented a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. Ms. Loretta Lynn, who says she’s not a star, nor a legend, is “just a woman.” Just a woman who has been singing her heart out for 53 years to her millions of fans. 8 p.m. Tickets $29.50 - $59.50. F.I.R.Expo/Repticon
The Lakeland Center September 14 and 15 The Florida International Reptile Expo presented by Repticon is a reptile event featuring vendors offering reptile pets, supplies, feeders, cages, and merchandise. Participate in free raffles held for enthusiasts and live animal seminars for the whole family. This is a hot show that includes venomous reptiles. Located at Exhibit Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets adults - $10, children (5-12) $5, 4 & under – free.
Depeche Mode
Midflorida Credit Union September 14 Depeche Mode announced the North American dates for their 2013 Delta Machine tour on Monday, and the band’s trek includes a stop in Tampa. “I’m really looking forward to getting out there and performing,” Dave Gahan said on Depeche Mode’s official website. “There are so many die hard Depeche Mode fans who have been with us every step of this journey that I can’t wait to see. I also hope that we gain some new fans with the release of Delta Machine, and I look forward to exposing them to a great Depeche Mode live performance.” 7:30 p.m. Tickets $39 - $212. Steely Dan
Ruth Eckerd Hall September 14 Legendary jazz-rock icons Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have announced that Steely Dan will hit the road again in 2013, taking their Mood Swings: 8 Miles To Pancake Day Tour to more than four dozen stops throughout North America. Concert goers can expect an evening of the same high level of musical excellence that garnered raves from fans and critics alike. Onstage, Donald and Walter will be joined by those same eight brilliant supporting musicians, now appearing as The Bipolar Allstars (featuring Keith Carlock on drums, Freddie Washington on bass, Jim Beard on keyboards, and Jon Herington on guitar), along with The Borderline Brats — three sublime, soulful songbirds. Together, they will treat audiences to selections from The Dan’s extraordinary four-decade catalog, rich with infectious tunes, bodacious harmonies, irresistible grooves, and sleek, subversive lyrics, punctuated by blazing solo work and rich ensembles. As always with the adventurous Fagen and Becker, a few surprises may be in store as well. 8:00 p.m. Please call the ticket office to check on current availability – (727) 791-7400. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner prior to the performance for only $20 per person (includes tax). Doors open two hours prior to the performance. Due to limited seating, we suggest advance purchase. Classic Albums Live - Zepp II
Ruth Eckerd Hall September 19 Led Zeppelin’s widely acclaimed and influential 1969 album Led Zeppelin II will be recreated at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater when the premier performing arts group Classic Albums Live takes the stage. An all-hits set will
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
Page 21
Entertainment also be performed. Since its release in 1969, Led Zeppelin II (Whole Lotta Love, The Lemon Song, Thank You, Heartbreaker, Ramble On, Moby Dick) has sold more than 12 million copies. Musicians and music critics have regularly cited in the polls that is one of the greatest and most influential rock albums of all time, Classic Albums Live takes the greatest albums and re-creates them live, on stage; note for note, cut for cut. Founded in 2003 by musician and producer Craig Martin, Classic Albums Live has become the ultimate destination for music lovers wanting to hear note-perfect recitals of the greatest albums performed live. Forgoing the gimmickry of costumes and impersonations, Classic Albums Live concentrates solely on the music, using what Martin refers to as “the world’s best musicians.” Classic Albums Live has defined itself as a mainstay in performing arts centers across North America, presenting more than 100 shows each year. 8:00 p.m. Please call the ticket office to check on current availability – (727) 791-7400. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner prior to the performance for only $20 per person (includes tax). Doors open two hours prior to the performance. Due to limited seating, we suggest advance purchase. Miranda Lambert
Midflorida Credit Union September 20 Miranda will be performing at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre w/ special guests Dierks Bentley, Randy Rogers Band and The Cadillac Three. This concert is part of the Country Megaticket that is on sale now. Known for their distinctive styles of music, Miranda and Dierks announce their 2013 Locked & Reloaded Tour. Miranda and Dierks bring to the stage scores of # 1 singles, chart topping albums and trophies from The Grammy’s, CMA’s ACM’s and CMT’s. “Making music for our fans is the best job in the world,” says Miranda. “It’s especially great being able to take to that music on the road with someone I respect as an artist and human being. This will be a tour of ‘epic badassery,’” she laughed. Dierks Bentley added, “Some of my favorite times on tour over the years were with Miranda and her crew. We have a lot in common musically and our fans do too. It’s going to be a killer year.” 7:00 p.m. Tickets $40 - $500. Blues Traveler
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino September 26 Formed in New Jersey by singer and harmonica player John Popper in 1988, blues-rock quartet Blues Trav-
eler has sold more than 13 million albums and played more than 6,000 live shows, according to a news release from the Hard Rock. In 1994 they scored their biggest hit to date with the album “Four,” which went platinum and spawned the smash-hit single “Run-Around.” In 2012, the band released “25,” a two-disc set featuring greatest hits and unreleased demos to celebrate the group’s 25th anniversary. It was followed by 2012’s “Suzie Cracks the Whip,” the group’s 11th studio album. Tickets for the general admission show are $35. Buy tickets inside the casino, or by calling (800) 745-3000. Artie Lange
Mahaffey Theater September 28 A funny man often compared to his idol, the late John Belushi, Artie Lange is a comedian, actor, writer, producer, entrepreneur and radio personality who finds humor observing life and telling stories. An alum of The Howard Stern Show, Lange currently hosts The Artie Lange Show - locally broadcast on WHPT-FM, 102.5 the Bone - an offshoot of The Nick and Artie Show that he launched with comedian Nick DiPaolo in 2011. Artie Lange gained a reputation as a class clown in school and performed his first stand-up routine when 19. He got his start in the comedy clubs of New York City where he helped create Live on Tape, the popular sketch comedy group, and wrote and performed with troupes such as Midnight Madness and The Improvables. His breakout work with Live on Tape landed him his debut television role as one of the original series regulars on Fox’s Mad TV. Film credits include: Dirty Work, The Bachelor, Lost and Found, Mystery Men and The Fourth Floor. Artie’s memoir, Too Fat to Fish, is a New York Times best seller. 8:00 p.m. Tickets $32.50 - $65. Free Time Jazz Quartet
Bok Tower Gardens September 28 This concert is part of the Summer Concert Series. Free Time Jazz Quartet has been performing in central Florida for 19 years. Free Time has performed at several jazz festivals including the “Child of The Sun” jazz festival and the “Ybor City Jazz Festival.” Past performances include the “Spring Obsession” garden show in Lakeland and “The Lake Wales Art Show” as well as the “Lake Wales Mardi Gras.” The 12th Annual Summer Music Series takes place inside the Bok Tower Gardens Visitor Center. A prepaid dinner will be served at the Blue Palmetto
Café at 5:45 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Concert only: $20 / concert & dinner: $40. Rodney Carrington
The Lakeland Center October 4 A multitalented comedian, actor, and writer, RODNEY CARRINGTON has recorded eight major comedy albums selling over 3 million copies. His top selling album Morning Wood has been certified gold and his Greatest Hits has been honored with a Platinum certification. Rodney starred in his own TV sitcom Rodney, which ran for two seasons on ABC. He also co-wrote and co-starred with Toby Keith in the feature film Beer for My Horses. In 2011, Rodney hosted both the American Country Awards and the American Country New Year’s Eve Live show on Fox television. According to Pollstar magazine, Rodney has been one of the top ten highest grossing touring comedians for the last ten years. He regularly performs to sold out crowds across the US and Canada. 8:00 p.m. Tickets $42.50 - $52.50.
VENUE ADDRESSES AND CONTACT INFORMATION The American Stage Theater — 163 3rd Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Telephone: (727) 823-7529. www.americanstage.org The Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center — 709 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236. Telephone: 1(866) 508-0611. The Historic Capitol Theatre 405 Cleveland Street Clearwater, FL 33755 Telephone: (727) 791-7400. www.rutheckerdhall.com The Lakeland Center — 701 W. Lime St. Lakeland, FL 33815. Telephone: (863) 834-8100 www.thelakelandcenter.com The Mahaffey Theater — 400 1st. St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Telephone: (727) 892-5798. www.themahaffey.com Ruth Eckerd Hall — 1111 McMullen Booth Rd. Clearwater, FL 33759. Telephone: (727) 791-7400. www.rutheckerdhall.com The Players Theatre 838 North Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34236 Telephone: (941) 365-2494 www.theplayers.org The Straz Center — 1010 North Macinnes Place, Tampa, FL 33602. Telephone: (813) 229-7827. www.strazcenter.org The Tampa Bay Times Forum — 401 Channelside Dr. Tampa, FL 33602. Telephone: (813) 301-6500. www.tampabaytimesforum.com The Tarpon Springs Performing Art Center — 324 Pine Street Tarpon Springs, FL. 34688 Telephone: (727) 942-5605. www.tarponarts.org Van Wezel Hall — 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. FL 34236. Telephone: (941) 955-7676. www.vanwezel.org
When It Comes to Entertaining Get out from behind your mask and list your Event for Freeright here on the SVA ENTERTAINMENT PAGES!
Email your event information no later than the 15th of the month for the following month listings to: entertainment@seniorvoiceamerica.com
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Senior Voice America
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior to Senior Woman Seeking Man S W F NS ND looking for M NS 58-65, likes to walk, flea markets, dining, relaxing at home. Only sincere reply, I’m 55+, 5’3”, 125 lbs., LTR. Feel free to leave a message. Pasco County (813) 788-1342. S B Lady NS ND Christian, honest, caring, affectionate, like fishing, flea markets. I am 71 yrs. old, looks younger. Seeks male 60-72. St. Pete (727) 400-1053.
Meet that Someone Special with a FREE listing in Senior to Senior
Petite J WD from NY ISO my hero for LTR NS ND, 5’5”-5’8”. H WD 71-76, dinner, movies, the arts, travel, etc. & all the goodies. PO Box 4513, Seminole 33775.
S W M 5’9” 175 lbs. ISO M young at heart, open minded for friendship or relationship. St. Pete Area (727) 798-2438.
D W F ISO D or WD W M, 50-60s, must have great SOH, be sincere & financially secure. I am very attractive, petite & vivacious. Clearwater (727) 474-5040.
M W ISO M/F for fun & excitement. Game for anything and everything, 25-60 very active, passionate, must live neat and clean. St. Pete (727) 278-2937. pass by. Tampa (813) 442-4066. S W M 62 outgoing, loveable, fun to be with, seeks S W F 60-65, NS SD for LTR. Winter Haven (863) 206-8592.
S W F NS SD 65 YY ISO honest, fun loving M companion. Age open. Likes nature, walks, music, dancing, cooking, exercise. Serious only please. Zephyrhills (813) 779-5871.
Altruistic D W M looking for you, 65+, Latina/W/F. Height/Weight proportion. Be a “Femme Fatale” and “Mysterious”. Intimately affectionate. Passionately romantic. Alluring eyes a big plus. Celebrate aloha with me. Holiday (727) 992-2342.-
man Seeking WOMan
I am a W WD ISO a woman. Any age, any ethnicity, NS, not fat, must live close to Zephyrhills. Zephyrhills (727) 219-9067.
S M W NS ND 5’51/2 Brown Eyes, seeks companion for travel, dance, walks, dinners, cruises, quiet times and just having fun together. Hillsborough County. E-mail: lousar2003@ yahoo.com. S W M LTR retired marine corp., looking for slender looking lady, walks on beach, bicycle riding. 50-60. Treasure Island (727) 827-2059. If you’re looking for money honey, look away. Just down to earth, hardworking honest man. Might be able to take you to burger king for a fantastic meal. Clearwater (727) 559-1367. S W M ISO LTR S D with slim women. I am 63. Live on Treasure Island. Lonely, must be intimate. Treasure Island (727) 827-2059.
C: Christian ISO: In Search Of LTR: Long Term Relationship NS: Non-Smoker ND: Non-Drinker SD: Social Drinker SOH: Sense of Humor
I am 75 yrs. old, looking for a man, high 60-80s. I am WD. I love flea markets and no scammers please. Pasadena (727) 575-7709.
Attractive Latin Lady 65 young, ISO for stable retired gentleman, NS ND, who likes to go places together, someone who I can call my teddy bear. Largo (727) 678-6740.
S W F D 72 young petite redhead, likes walks, beaches, loves to travel. Pasco County (727) 372-8915.
M: Male F: Female S: Single D: Divorced WD: Widowed W: White B: Black H: Hispanic J: Jewish
Tampa. Sun City Center. (813) 938-3556.
S D W F petite 60s ISO honest M 56-62 with a SOH, fun, outgoing gentleman for LTR. Ruskin (813) 506-2369
S W F 70’s ISO an outdoor’s type S W M, 70-80s for LTR. Must enjoy kayaking, hiking, cycling, camping, yard sales, cards. Largo (727) 244-3565.
Senior to Senior Abbreviations
S W M 66 handsome virile, active, energetic seeks S W F, younger tall, slim, sultry, feminine, smokes, likes a few beers, and dancing romantically with me. Clearwater (727) 331-0700. I am Latin man, want to meet an honest lady to go to movies, flea markets and beach. Call 7-10 PM. Clearwater (727) 400-2336. W D M 53 yrs. young, blonde, blue eyes, 160 lbs. Looking for loving and intimate relationship, love the outside, motorcycles, beaches. Largo (941) 769-2498.
WD F NS SOH 78 ISO platonic friends who enjoy movies, books, libraries, writing, art, theatre, pets, politics, and helping others. My favorite restaurant is in Zephyrhills. Tampa (813) 932-6902. Seeking happy friend, M/F, am petite W F WD ND NS, enjoys culture, museums, theatre, festivals, art, more to ooh & ahh with, SOH a must. Dunedin (727) 204-7330. S W M NS SD 194 lbs., 5’9” ISO slender W F for friendship & more. Lakeland Area. Auburndale (863) 2073792. WANT TO TAKE CRUISE. ISO African American, Brown, white, male to share my cabin w/porthole on Dec. 9th for 5 night Caribbean cruise. $275 including port & tax. St. Pete (727) 322-3536.
Senior to Senior™ Mail to: Senior Voice America
P.O. BOX 340925, Tampa, FL 33694-0925 Email: sr2sr@seniorvoiceamerica.com Fax: (813) 422-7966
S W M NS 52 yrs. old, down to earth, fun loving ISO a woman for a LTR. New Port Richey (201) 294-7579.
S W M active, tall, secure with SOH. ISO slender lady for dining, walks, travel, cuddle, etc. Please write with picture to: W. Truer, 2821 Wood Pointe Dr., Holiday, FL 34691.
66 yrs. old, Mexican man, brown eyes, salt & pepper hair, 6’, 200 lbs. Accepting ladies any age, any nationality. Plant City (813) 520-1702.
Having hard time like me, M 75 seeks F live in partner share bills, make a better life. (813) 938-7354.
ISO a LTR. I am a S W C NS ND SOH. New Port Richey (727) 674-8908.
D W M senior handsome NS SD ISO F 60-75 for LTR who loves life and needs TLC. Need not be so attractive but honest. Likes to dance, walk and good times, not let life
S W M 70’s attractive, healthy, likes and plays music, dancing, travel. I’m 147 lbs., affectionate, seeks petite romantic F with similar interests. Sarasota/Bradenton Area. Bradenton (941) 758-2565.
friend Seeking friend S W M ISO M/F LTR 3560, likes many, dislikes few. Looking for friendship/relationship. Open-minded, will try anything & everything new. Very passionate. St. Pete (727) 278-2937. M 87 good health, first vacation is a cruise out of Tampa. Own my home at Sun City Center south of
EMAIL: sr2sr@seniorvoiceamerica.com
SEPTEMBER 2013
Senior Voice America
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From AGING Page 1.
Lynn Peters Adler, J.D., is co-author of the new book “Celebrate 100: Centenarian Secrets to Success in Business and Life” (John Wiley & Sons, July 1, 2013; co-author Steve Franklin, Ph.D.). The book is based on interviews and surveys with over 500 centenarians nationwide, including those above. She is the founder and director of the National Centenarian Awareness Project, which has been honoring centenarians since 1989. Celebratory certificates for those 100 and beyond are available on request at the NCAP website: www.adlercentenarians.org.
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CLASSIFIED order form Place your classified ad in the Senior Voice America today. Clean out your garage, sell that car, advertise your services. Ads are priced from $25 for up to 20 words, plus a phone number. Additional words are $5. To place your ad, call (813) 444-1011, or complete the form below and mail with a check payable to Senior Voice America, P.O. Box 340925, Tampa, FL 33694-0925. You can also email your ad to sharon@seniorvoiceamerica.com Deadline: 20th of the month for the next monthly issue. NAME _________________________________________________ ADDRESS _______________________________________________ CITY ______________________________ STATE ____ ZIP __________ PHONE __________________________________________________ EMAIL___________________________________________________
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so that I can find appropriate investment vehicles for our clients,” he said. Rosie Ross, 102, a jazz musician, has played his trumpet at a regular Friday night gig in a supper club for the past twenty years. “As long as people want to hear ‘You Made Me Love You’ and Clyde McCoy’s ‘Sugar Blues,’ I’ll live to play it for them.” Others have found fulfillment in volunteering in their communities and organizations of interest. Joe Stonis began a program to beautify his new retirement location when he moved to Florida at age 65 by planting trees in what was a barren area. At 100, he is the oldest recipient of the National Arbor Day Foundation award. Most, of course, find fulfillment in spending time with family. However, making new friends as one ages is a vital component to a good life. “Make new friends, reach out to people,” Kit Abrahamson, 102, advises. “Our later years are no time to be a loner. It’s not age that separates people as much as interests and activities.” Kit took up line dancing at age 80, and performs with a local group of seniors decades younger. “My best friend is in her early eighties. She’s tall, I’m short -- and we’re 20 years apart in age -- but we enjoy many of the same activities, and we laugh a lot.” Centenarians who embrace technology and are learning to use computers and smartphones are finding new opportunities to stay in touch with their children and children’s children, and to make new friends. Trudy Fletcher at 100 says she uses e-mail all the time. “As a life-long artist, I think of myself as a right-brain person,” she says. “But I knew I had to learn to use a computer and e-mail in order to stay current. I enjoy reading things I find on Internet and use e-mail all the time. I even give interviews by email.” Cliff Kayhart, 101, bought an iPad last year. A retired technology engineer who worked in the early days of radio, he says “I’m really enjoying it, and whatever comes next, I’m going to have one of those, too.” Like many of his peers, Cliff still lives in his own home. About thirty-five percent of those 100 and over live independently, either in their own homes or apartments in retirement centers. Cliff enjoys mowing his lawn using a push mower. “It’s good exercise.” Garnet Beckman, 102, began hiking the Grand Canyon at age 75. “You’ve got to stay active, you’ve got to exercise,” she believes. “I made 22 trips in twenty years, and I continue to walk a mile around my neighborhood every morning.” Louise Caulder, 100, repeats the familiar phrase “Use it or lose it,” referring to both physical and mental exercise. “I don’t leave my bedroom in the morning until I’ve done 30 minutes of stretches. Then I walk a mile or two every afternoon or go to the gym to ride the exercise bike if the weather is bad. Three times a week I play bridge and I still enjoy playing a few holes of golf with my grandson.” It’s a great distinction to live to celebrate 100 years and more. We are fortunate to have active centenarians to inspire us on our own pathway through our later years, and perhaps even to 100.
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Senior Voice America
SEPTEMBER 2013