Thursday, October 18, 2018
SENIOR
Living Times
A Special Section of THE
Senior Lifestyles
2 Thursday, October 18, 2018
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Don’t Let The Flu Get You Down. Now’s The Time To...
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Making a comeback from pulmonary disease
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Morris senior finds success, relief in rehab program
No Appointment Necessary
Contributed
Patricia Enerson, of Morris, has improved her breathing through participation in Morris Hospital’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation program.
Contributed by Morris Hospital Unless she’s out of town with her family, Patricia Enerson, of Morris, doesn’t miss a day of her exercise program at the Diagnostic and Rehabilitative Center at Morris Hospital. She enjoys the workouts, and even more, appreciates the benefits. When she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) five years ago, Enerson thought she might be facing a future of inactivity, until her physician directed her to Morris Hospital’s pulmonary
rehabilitation. She began the program last February. “I feel 100 percent better since I’ve been here,” she said. “I go every time. I don’t miss it. I can walk farther, and I can keep up with everybody. I have a little granddaughter who’s 3, and one who’s 5, and I can keep up with them. I would not have been able to do that without pulmonary rehab.” Enerson says several things had contributed to her lung problems. She was a longtime smoker, for one, and credits Dr. Dana Howd, an internist on the Morris Hospital medical staff, for helping her kick that habit. She also said breathing paper dust for 30 years while working at a carton factory likely also contributed to her COPD. As her condition progressed, Enerson went from being able to walk for hours along the river
and Illinois & Michigan Canal towpath to having trouble making it from her car to her house. Even tying her shoes caused her to lose her breath. “I just couldn’t breathe,” she said. “My lungs wouldn’t give me the air that I needed.” It was frustrating and scary, until she found Morris Hospital’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation. The program involves physical reconditioning using such equipment as the treadmill, walking track, recumbent stepper and elliptical, arm ergometer, stationary bike, weights and bands and balance exercises designed to improve endurance and muscle strength. Pulmonary Rehabilitation also incorporates education, breathing strategies and techniques to help patients better carry out their daily lives. “It’s about building your lungs
up,” she said. After completing the 12-week Phase II pulmonary rehab program, Enerson opted to continue with Phase III, an ongoing maintenance program designed to keep her lungs functioning well. Her breathing improved so much that over the summer, she was able to attend her granddaughter’s wedding in the Dominican Republic and take a vacation to Florida with her son and his family. She’s planning a trip out east to see the Chicago Bears play this season. “I would never have made it without this program,” she said. “This is the place to go. I don’t know what it is about the program, but it works. If you put yourself into it, it works.” For more information, call Morris Hospital’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation department at 815-705-7837.
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Thursday, October 18, 2018 3
Streator’s Heritage Health Social Security, Medicare scam calls heating up offers VA-contracted What to expect facility close to home Eligible veterans can receive nursing home care at a Veterans Administration (VA) medical center, but did you know they also can get care at a private nursing home at the VA’s expense? For Streator-area veterans, Heritage Health: Therapy & Senior Care, 1525 E. Main St., is a VA-contracted home and is a local resource for costly, long-term nursing home care. It’s called the community nursing home care program. This program is a benefit to veterans upon a thorough assessment by the VA to ensure alternative resources are exhausted first, such as home health or outpatient care, before a contract nursing home is accessed. Each VA medical center maintains a list of approved available local nursing homes with which they conduct contracts. The purpose of VA contracting with community nursing homes is to meet the needs of veterans requiring long-term care in their own community, while remaining close to their families. VA nursing home care is for veterans who are unable to care for themselves at home but do not require hospital care. In addition to long-term care coverage, veterans may also be able to access shortterm care, respite or hospice care at Heritage Health
through the VA. Veterans with a combined service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or more have priority and may be eligible for 100 percent cost coverage in the home. This means the veteran must be registered and on file with the VA beforehand by undergoing the VA physical assessment process as well as providing and completing the necessary documents required. Heritage Health has designated contacts at the VA who inform them of a veteran’s service connection percentage prior to admission. Illinois has its own state veterans homes to provide care to veterans, spouses and surviving spouses. Some have lengthy waitlists. Heritage Health can help reduce the wait and often keep one close to home. Heritage Health: Therapy & Senior Care in Streator hosts La Salle County VAC Superintendent Steve Kreitzer on its campus the first Thursday of each month from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at Evergreen Senior Living for consultation about VA benefits. No appointments are necessary. If you or a loved one needs care in any capacity, call 815-672-4516 or stop by for more info and get a tour. You can also visit HeritageOfCare. com/Streator.
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VA contracting with community nursing homes meets the needs of veterans who require long-term care while staying close to family.
Hang up and keep hanging up. Or better yet, just don’t answer. Scammers are hitting mobile phones and landlines with all sorts of wacky pitches — including false claims about what you need to do to get a new Medicare card. “The best thing you can do is not answer calls you are not familiar with,” said Mark Fetterhoff, a senior program specialist with the AARP Foundation as part of a recent robocall town hall promoted by AARP and the Federal Communications Commission. Even if it looks like a local call, it’s probably not. Many times, scammers are engaging in “neighbor spoofing” to make the number look like it’s local. Fraudsters can spoof phone numbers easily and change that spoofed number regularly. You’re more likely to answer it, if it’s a new number, experts said. The robocalls, though, aren’t likely to stop. So it’s essential to keep up-to-date on the latest scams, be a little skeptical and ask yourself a few questions, like: Do I really need to pay for the new Medicare card? Short answer: Absolutely not. Michigan consumers are expected to begin receiving the new Medicare cards — no charge — sometime this fall, according to Amy Hennessy, a technical director at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Other states that are set to begin receiving the new cards in the future include: Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The roll-out of new Medicare cards began in April and has been completed in several states. New cards will be sent to all 58 million current Medicare beneficiaries by April 2019. The new Medicare cards
Susan Tompor won’t contain your Social Security number and may provide more safeguards against fraud. Scammers, of course, are hoping to catch seniors off guard. So consumers are being warned about odd calls and phony demands. Medicare is even running TV commercials to warn about potential fraud and highlight its website, medicare.gov/fraud.
A key point to understand: Your new card will automatically come to you. Medicare notes that consumers don’t need to do anything as long as their address is up to date. If you need to update your address, visit your mySocial Security account. See ssa.gov/ myaccount. Never agree to pay for your new Medicare card; it’s free. You don’t need to pay up to $50 to get a new “temporary card,” either. Don’t share any information if someone threatens to cancel your health benefits. Hang up and call 800-633-4227 to talk with Medicare. It’s also possible to visit the Senior Medicare Patrol at smpresource.org.
See SCAMS, page 8
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Seniors need not give up their drivers’ licenses at the first signs of aging. But adjusting certain behaviors and exercising extra caution can help these men and women stay safe behind the wheel.
How seniors can safely stay behind the wheel Metro Creative Services A greater sense of independence is often cited as the reason so many young people anxiously await the day they earn their drivers’ licenses. But the connection between driving and independence is not lost on seniors, either. Aging can take its toll on drivers, prompting such drivers’ families to feel as if their loved ones’ ability to safely operate motor vehicles has been compromised. However, many seniors can still safely operate motor vehicles, and those who do can take steps to ensure they’re as safe as possible behind the wheel. u Avoid driving on days when aches and pains are strong. Aches and pains are common side effects of aging, and seniors know that some days are better than others. Seniors’ ability to control their vehicles may be compromised on days when stiffness, aches or pains seem particularly strong, so it’s best to avoid driving during these times. Fatigue may set in on days when aches and pains require extra effort to perform relatively simple tasks, and drivers of all ages should avoid driving while tired. u Don’t skip medical checkups. Few seniors may look forward to their medical checkups, but visits to the doctor can reveal
issues that can help seniors be safer on the road. Schedule routine vision exams so eyeglass prescriptions are always up-todate. In addition, seniors should discuss hearing screenings with their physicians so they can ensure they can always hear sirens and other motorists while on the road. Great strides have been made in regard to helping people with fading hearing hear better, and seniors would be wise to take advantage of such advancements, which include hearing aids that can be connected to smartphones. u Familiarize yourself with medication side effects. Whether they do so temporarily or permanently, many seniors take medications, and every medication comes with side effects. When filling a new prescription, carefully read the dosage and description label to ensure that it’s safe to drive while taking the medicine. Make note of how you feel when taking a new prescription, avoiding driving if the medication makes you feel fatigued or drowsy or affects your motor functions. If the side effects of a new prescription are making it difficult to safely operate a vehicle, discuss potential alternatives with your physician.
See DRIVING, page 8
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Senior Lifestyles
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Thursday, October 18, 2018 5
Without safety net of kids or spouse, ‘elder orphans’ need fearless fallback plan JUDITH GRAHAM Kaiser Health News (TNS) It was a memorable place to have an “aha” moment about aging. Peter Sperry had taken his 82-year-old father, who’d had a stroke and used a wheelchair, to Disney World. Just after they’d made their way through the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, nature called. Sperry took his father to the bathroom where, with difficulty, he changed the older man’s diaper. “It came to me then: There isn’t going to be anyone to do this for me when I’m his age, and I needed to plan ahead,” said Sperry, now 61, recalling the experience several years ago. Sperry never married, has no children and lives alone. Like other “elder orphans” (older people without a spouse or children on whom they can depend) and “solo agers” (older adults without children, living alone), he’s expecting to move through later life without the safety net of a spouse, a son or a daughter who will step up to provide practical, physical and emotional support over time. About 22 percent of older adults in the U.S. fall into this category or are at risk of doing so in the future, according to a 2016 study. “This is an often overlooked, poorly understood group that needs more attention from the medical community,” said Dr. Maria Carney, the study’s lead author and chief of the division of geriatrics and palliative medicine at Northwell Health in New York. It’s also an especially vulnerable group, according to a recently released survey of 500 people who belong to the Elder Orphan Facebook Group, with 8,500 members. Notably, 70 percent of survey respondents said they hadn’t identified a caregiver
who would help if they became ill or disabled, while 35 percent said they didn’t have “friends or family to help them cope with life’s challenges.” “What strikes me is how many of these elder orphans are woefully unprepared for aging,” said Carney, who reviewed the survey at my request. Financial insecurity and health concerns are common among the survey respondents: a non-random sample consisting mostly of women in their 60s and 70s, most of them divorced or widowed and college-educated. One-quarter of the group said they feared losing their housing; 23 percent reported not having enough money to meet basic needs at least once over the past year; 31 percent said they weren’t secure about their financial future. In the survey, 40 percent of people admitted to depression; 37 percent, to anxiety. More than half (52 percent) confessed to being lonely. Carol Marak, 67, who runs the Facebook group, understands members’ insecurities better than ever since suffering an accident several weeks ago. She cut her finger badly on a meat grinder while making chicken salad for dinner guests. Divorced and childless, Marak lives alone in an apartment tower in Dallas. She walked down the hall and asked neighbors — a married couple — to take her to the emergency room. “I freaked out — and this wasn’t even that big of a deal,” Marak said. “Imagine people like me who break a hip and have a long period of disability and recovery,” she said. “What are they supposed to do?” Sperry has thought a lot about who could be his caregiver down that road in a circumstance like that. No one fits the bill.
“It’s not like I don’t have family or friends: It’s just that the people who you can count on have to be specific types of family and friends,” he said. “Your sister or brother, they may be willing to help but not able to if they’re old themselves. Your nieces and nephews, they may be able, but they probably are not going to be willing.” The solution Sperry thinks might work: moving to a continuing care retirement community with different levels of care when he begins to become less independent. That’s an expensive proposition — entry fees range from about $100,000 to $400,000 and monthly fees from about $2,000 to $4,000. Sperry, a longtime government employee, can afford it, but many people aging alone can’t. Sperry also has a shortterm plan: He wants to retire next year and relocate from Woodbridge, Va., to Greenville, S.C. — a popular retirement haven — in a home with design features to help him age in place. Those plans could be upended, however, if his widowed mother in Pennsylvania requires extra care. In the meantime, Sperry is resolved to be pragmatic. “Do I look at my situation and say ‘Gee, there’s not going to be anyone there for me’ and start feeling sorry for myself? Or do I say ‘Gee, I’d better figure out how I’m going to take care of myself?’ I’m not going with pity — I don’t think that would be very pleasant,” he said. Planning for challenges that can arise with advancing age is essential for people who go it alone, advised Sara Zeff Geber, a retirement coach and author of “Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers: A Retirement and Aging Roadmap for Single and Childless Adults.” A good
way to start is to think about things that adult children do for older parents and consider how you’re going to do all of that yourself or with outside assistance, she said. In her book, Geber lists the responsibilities that adult children frequently take on: They serve as caregivers, help older parents figure out where to live, provide emotional and practical support, assist with financial issues such as managing money, and agree to serve as health care or legal decision-makers when a parent becomes incapacitated. Also, older parents often rely on adult children for regular social contact and a sense of connectedness. In New York, Wendl Kornfeld, 69, began running year-long workshops for small groups of solo agers four years ago. Though married, she and her 80-year-old husband consider themselves future solo agers living together. “We figured out a long time ago one of us was going to survive the other,” she said. At those gatherings, Kornfeld asked people to jettison denial about aging and imagine the absolute worst things that might happen to them,
physically and socially. Then, people talked about how they might prepare for those eventualities. “The whole purpose of these get-togethers was to be fearless, face issues head-on and not keep our heads in the sand,” Kornfeld said. “Then, we can plan for what might happen, stop worrying and start enjoying the best years of our lives.” Kornfeld took her program to New York City’s Temple Emanu-El three years ago and is working with several synagogues and churches interested in launching similar initiatives. Meanwhile, elder orphans have begun meeting in-person in other cities, including Chicago; Dallas; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; and Seattle, after getting to know each other virtually on the Elder Orphan Facebook Group. Kornfeld applauds that development. “So many solo agers identify as being introverted or shy or impatient with other people. They have a million reasons why they don’t go out,” she said. “I tell people, this may be hard for you, but you’ve got to leave the house because that’s where the world is.”
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At 100, Joliet woman is enjoying life
Doris Alderson takes care of herself and extends care to others DENISE M. BARAN–UNLAND Shaw Media Doris Alderson, of Joliet, volunteers twice a week at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and recently came back from a trip to the Danube River. Alderson also had 100 people at her 100th birthday party earlier this month. She has no plans of slowing down, and why should she? She lives alone, still drives (Alderson renews her license every year) and she isn’t battling any major health issues. “A few dents,” Alderson said. “But everyone has those. ... I take life as it comes.” Does she also still cook for herself? Alderson laughed. “You mean, can I put water in the microwave to make coffee?” she said. Alderson has no reason to cook. For instance, one friend has Alderson over for dinner every Monday night. “That was my Christmas present,” Alderson said. But that friend isn’t the only one who prepares meals for Alderson. “I have such good neighbors, they’re always making something,” Alderson said. “They’re always saying, ‘We’ve got this, Doris, would you like to have this?’ ” Alderson feels her family, friends and even God are looking out for her. “Life is worth living,” Alderson said. “I tell you, it’s wonderful.” But those “dents” certainly don’t keep Alderson from her frequent bridge games, pricing items in the Encore Shop (Silver Cross Hospital’s resale shop) or transporting (i.e. pushing wheelchairs) for same-day surgical patients to their rooms or out to their cars. Alderson works same-day surgery on Mondays and the Encore Shop on Fridays, she said.
“I love it,” Alderson said. “I absolutely love it. I meet so many nice people. It’s just great.” Raised in Chicago, Alderson said she often dressed as a hobo for Halloween and took the street car alone to dance at the former Trianon Ballroom in Chicago. “My mother always said, ‘Go alone. You’ll have more fun,’ ”Alderson said. “ ‘If you take your girl friends, then you have to do this, or go to the bathroom with them or go home at a certain time. Go alone and then you don’t have to worry about anybody except yourself.’ ” She and her mother had their own special signal. When Alderson got off the street car at night when coming home, she would make a “tweeting” noise. The sound would carry to her home two blocks away, where her mother was waiting and listening for the “tweet,” Alderson said. And then Alderson’s mother would tweet back to Alderson to let her know she heard, Alderson said. Alderson met her husband, Henry, at the Trianon Ballroom. They were both 17 and they “just clicked,” she said. “He was a good dancer,” Alderson said. “When he was in high school, he took dancing lessons, and he was very good. I was not a good dancer, but I could dance. I learned from him.” Henry worked for a public service company out of Maywood, Alderson said. The job caused them to move a few times in their early years of marriage, with “an attic flat” in Rockdale being one of them. “It didn’t have air conditioning and it was hot sometimes,” Alderson said.
See ALDERSON, page 8
Shaw Media | Denise M. Baran-Unland
Doris Alderson, of Joliet, likes to travel. She’s been to Canada, Germany and camped all over the United States when her husband was alive.
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Feel like the last friend standing? Here’s how to cultivate new buds as you age BRUCE HOROVITZ Kaiser Health News (TNS) Donn Trenner, 91, estimates that two-thirds of his friends are dead. “That’s a hard one for me,” he said. “I’ve lost a lot of people.” As baby boomers age, more and more folks will reach their 80s, 90s — and beyond. They will not only lose friends but face the daunting task of making new friends at an advanced age. Friendship in old age plays a critical role in health and well-being, according to recent findings from the Stanford Center on Longevity’s Sightlines Project. Socially isolated individuals face health risks comparable to those of smokers, and their mortality risk is twice
that of obese individuals, the study notes. Baby boomers are more disengaged with their neighbors and even their loved ones than any other generation, said Dr. Laura Carstensen, who is director of the Stanford Center on Longevity and herself a boomer, in her 60s. “If we’re disengaged, it’s going to be harder to make new friends,” she said. Trenner knows how that feels. In 2017, right before New Year’s, he tried to reach his longtime friend Rose Marie, former actress and co-star on the 1960s sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” Trenner traveled with Rose Marie as a pianist and arranger doing shows at senior centers along the Florida coast more than four decades ago. “When we were performing, you could hear all the hearing aids screaming in the audience,” he joked. The news that she’d died shook him to the core.
Although she was a friend who, he said, cannot be replaced, neither her passing nor the deaths of dozens of his other friends and associates will stop Trenner from making new friends. That’s one reason he still plays, on Monday nights, with the Hartford Jazz Orchestra at the Arch Street Tavern in Hartford, Conn. For the past 19 years, he’s been the orchestra’s pianist and musical conductor. Often, at least one or two members of the 17-piece orchestra can’t make it to the gig but must arrange for someone to stand in for them. As a result, Trenner said, he not only has regular contact with longtime friends but keeps meeting and making friends with new musicians — most of whom are under 50. Twice divorced, he also remains good friends with both of his former wives. And not too long ago, Trenner flew
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Taking classes or playing games at a local senior community center can help older adults connect to new friends in their golden years. to San Diego to visit his best friend, also a musician, who was celebrating his 90th birthday. They’ve known each other since they met at age 18 in the United States Army Air Corps. They still speak almost daily. “Friendship is not be taken for granted,” said Trenner. “You have to invest in friendship.”
Even in your 90s, the notion of being a sole survivor can seem surprising. Perhaps that’s why 91-year-old Lucille Simmons, of Lakeland, Fla., halts, midsentence, as she traces the multiple losses of friends and family members.
See FRIENDS, page 10
Senior Lifestyles
8 Thursday, October 18, 2018
Scams From page 3 Don’t disclose any Social Security numbers to someone who calls as part of some way to get a new Medicare card. Medicare isn’t going to ask you for personal information to get your new Medicare card. Don’t give your bank account information to someone who is offering to deposit a rebate or a bonus into your bank account because you got a new Medicare card. This too is a scam. Do I somehow need to “reactivate” my Social Security number? Short answer: Again, no. Seniors reportedly are being inundated with phone calls from scammers who claim to be from the government and claim that somehow, someway the senior’s Social Security number has been suspended. The scammer might say the Social Security number had “some connection to fraud or other criminal activity,” according to a warning from the Federal Trade Commission. “They say to call a number to clear it up — where they’ll ask you for personal information,” according to the FTC. Do not give them your bank account number. Don’t give them your Social Security number, either. “The caller pretends to be protecting you from a scam while he’s trying to lure you into one,” the FTC said. In some cases, experts say robocalls might warn you that you must contact the provided phone number about illegal activity involving your Social Security Number. If you don’t do it, the automated call insists that your assets will be frozen until the alleged issue is resolved. Not true. Seriously, is Medicare really going to send me $200 just for being a good citizen? We all know the answer is a big no. But some of us like to hope. Consumers report receiving calls from people who claim to be from Medicare and sound extremely friendly. The person then says Medicare will give them $200 for being a good citizen. The trick here: All the senior has to do is give the caller their bank account information. One consumer on an AARP-FCC town hall claimed that she did give out that bank information to get the extra cash. But then, the scammer claimed that she clicked the wrong num-
ber and sent the senior $8,000 by accident. Would the consumer be so kind as to go out and buy gift cards — or give over her ATM number now — so that the extra money can be returned? Fortunately, the consumer who gave away the bank account information didn’t hand over any gift cards or ATM information. Even so, she still had to work with her bank later because she fell for the first step in the scam. If you’ve already given out bank account information, head to the bank immediately to try to fix the problem as soon as possible so scammers don’t gain access to your money. Is the IRS calling victims of Hurricane Florence — or another natural disaster — to help them get a tax refund? Again, no. Scammers rip their stories right out of the headlines. So Hurricane Florence is a natural. The Internal Revenue Service said con artists even claim to be working for the IRS or on behalf of the IRS to help victims file casualty loss claims and get tax refunds. The IRS also is reminding consumers that scammers might impersonate charities or use bogus websites with similar names to legitimate charities to trick people into sending money or providing credit card or bank account information. Don’t give out Social Security numbers or credit card and bank account numbers and passwords to anyone who calls out of the blue soliciting a contribution. Remember, storms bring out the scammers. Following hurricanes, fraudsters have used caller ID spoofing and robocall technology to target residents of areas hit by the storms with scam calls about flood insurance, according to a Federal Communications Commission warning. Who should I call if I’m worried about a scam? Consumers can contact the AARP Fraud Watch Network at 877-908-3360 to talk with a volunteer who is trained in fraud counseling. Or see updates on fraud alerts at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork. To file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about scams or unwanted telemarketing, go to ftccomplaintassistant.gov. To file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission about unwanted calls, go to fcc.gov. Click on “For Consumers.” SUSAN TOMPOR is the personal finance columnist for the Detroit Free Press.
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Alderson From page 6
FUN FACTS FROM DORIS ADVICE FOR HEALTHY LIVING: “Eat good food. And have a Manhattan once in a while.” FAVORITE SOCIAL ACTIVITY: “I like to play bridge. I play a lot of bridge, at my house or somebody else’s house. I play about four times a month. And I play tripoli the first Tuesday of the month.” FAVORITE COLOR: “Well, I’m a fall person, so fall colors.” FAVORITE FOOD: “Anything and everything. I love to eat.” FAVORITE HOBBIES: “I like to read and work easy crossword puzzles.” INSPIRATION: “I do what God wants me to do.” PET PEEVE: “When people don’t pick up their garbage.”
Henry often worked nights and he didn’t want Alderson to work at all. So one day, Alderson announced, “I’m going home to Mama.” And she took the bus from downtown Joliet to Chicago and stayed at her childhood home for a few days. “He did not come after me,” Alderson said. “His job came first. And that was the way it was.” The family also lived for two years at an apartment above the former Milt Moss Cloverleaf store in Plainfield, she said. The family moved again when Henry was transferred to Forest Park and then to Waukegan, eventually coming to Joliet. Alderson said she started volunteering at Silver Cross in 1961. She’s a Cubs fan and loves to travel. She has two children, Daryl Alderson, of Arizona, who founded the Joliet chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties in 1972, and Susan Fleming, of New Mexico. With a laugh, Alderson recalled what happened when she recently renewed her driver’s license.
“The gal looked at me and she looked at my papers and then she said, ‘You’re what?’ ” Alderson said. “Then she turned to the gal in the next booth and said, ‘Do you know she’s 100?’ “They were going to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me, but I said, ‘Please don’t.’ ”
Driving From page 4 u Avoid driving in certain conditions. Driving in inclement weather, during rush hour and at night makes many drivers uncomfortable, regardless of their age.
But such conditions can be especially dangerous for aging drivers whose vision and reaction times might be fading. Seniors who avoid driving in harsh conditions and heavy traffic may be more comfortable behind the wheel, thereby reducing their risk of accident or injury.
State of Illinois senior driver services The Illinois Secretary of State office offers two programs for seniors to assist them in continued independence and mobility behind the wheel. RULES OF THE ROAD REVIEW COURSE The Rules of the Road Review Course is designed to give drivers — especially senior citizens and persons with disabilities — the knowledge and confidence needed to renew or obtain a driver’s license. The review course combines an explanation of the driving exam with a practice written exam. Upcoming review courses in the area include: u 9:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 29, at Mendota Area Senior Services, 1901 Tom Merwin Drive, Mendota. For more information, call Rayanne Sester at 815-539-9673. u 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at Peru Public Library, 1409 11th St., Peru. For more information, call Colleen Martin at 815-223-0229. u 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at Morris Senior
Center, 913 Pine St., Morris. For more information, call Shirley Kiss at 815-942-2012. Preregistration is required for all classes. SUPER SENIORS Super Seniors is a voluntary program for driver’s license renewal that includes Rules of the Road classroom instruction and a vision-screening exam. The Rules of the Road Review Course also includes a review of safe driving techniques and Illinois driving laws. A Secretary of State Mobile Driver Services Unit will be available for participants to renew their driver’s licenses. An identification card can be obtained for $20; however, if you are age 65 and older you may obtain a free, non-expiring state of Illinois photo ID card. Drivers age 75 and older are required to take a driving test to renew their driver’s licenses; therefore they must visit a Driver Services Facility.
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Types and causes of adult hearing loss Metro Creative Services Hearing loss is common and can impact people’s lives in profound ways. Although there are some treatments that can improve one’s ability to hear and communicate, many people are interested in learning about the ways they may be able to prevent hearing loss in the first place. Medical experts from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association advise that hearing loss can be caused by different factors. Learning about these causes can help individuals make smart decisions at a young age to prevent future hearing loss when possible. In certain circumstances, hearing loss may be unavoidable. In such instances, audiologists, or doctors specializing in hearing, can help.
Conductive hearing loss Conductive hearing loss refers to problems with the ear canal, ear drum or middle ear and its bones, states the Hearing Loss Association of America. Some of the causes of conductive hearing loss include: u Otitis media is an infection of the middle ear in which
fluid accumulation can interfere with the movement of the eardrum and ossicles. u Impacted earwax also can cause hearing problems. u Fluid in the middle ear may obstruct hearing. u Otosclerosis, which is a middle ear disease, can make it difficult for the tiny bones in the middle ear to move. Surgery can correct the problem. u Malformation of the outer ear, ear canal or middle ear structure can impact hearing as well.
Sensorineural hearing loss Sensorineural hearing loss, or SNHL, occurs due to problems of the inner ear. It is often referred to as nerve-related hearing loss. u Aging is a common cause of hearing loss that may not be reversible. Age-related hearing loss is called presbycusis and is marked by muffled or unclear speech. Treatment with assistive hearing devices can help improve hearing. u Trauma to the ear or head may impact hearing. Wearing protective gear during sports or other activities can protect against neurological damage that may cause hearing loss.
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By learning about what impacts hearing loss, people can make changes to prevent damage.
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Friends From page 7 She has not only lost her two closest friends, but a granddaughter, a daughter and her husband of 68 years. Although her husband came from a large family of 13 children, his siblings have mostly all vanished. “There’s only one living sibling — and I’m having dinner with him tonight,” said Simmons. Five years ago, Simmons left her native Hamilton, Ohio, to move in with her son and his wife, in a gated, 55-and-older community midway between Tampa and Orlando. She had to learn how to make friends all over again. Raised as an only child, she said, she was up to the task. Simmons takes classes and plays games at her community. She also putters around her community on a golf cart (which she won in a raffle) inviting folks to ride along with her. For his part, Trenner doesn’t need a golf cart. His personal formula for making friends is music, laughter and staying active. He makes friends whether he’s performing or attending music events or teaching. Simmons has her own formula. It’s a roughly 50-50 split of spending quality time with relatives (whom she regards as friends) and non-family friends. The odds are with her. This, after all, is a woman who spent 30 years as the official registrar of vital statistics for Hamilton. In that job, she was responsible for recording every birth — and every death — in the city. Experts say they’re both doing the right thing by not only remaining open to new friendships but constantly creating new ways to seek them out — even at
an advanced age. Genuine friendships at any age typically require repeated contact, said Dr. Andrea Bonior, author of “The Friendship Fix: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Losing and Keeping Up with Your Friends.” She advises older folks to join group exercise classes or knitting or book clubs. She also suggests that seniors get involved in “altruistic behavior” like volunteering in a soup kitchen or an animal shelter or tutoring English as a second language. “Friendships don’t happen in a vacuum,” she said. “You don’t meet someone at Starbucks and suddenly become best friends.” Perhaps few understand the need for friendship in older years better than Carstensen, who, besides directing the Stanford Center on Longevity, is author of “A Long Bright Future: Happiness, Health and Financial Security in an Age of Increased Longevity.” Carstensen said that going back to school can be one of the most successful ways for an older person to make a new friend. Bonior recommends that seniors embrace social media. These social media connections can help older people strike up new friendships with nieces, nephews and even grandchildren, said Alan Wolfelt, an author, educator and founder of the Center for Loss and Life Transition. “It’s important to create support systems that don’t isolate you with your own generation.” Many older folks count their children as their best friends — and Carstensen said this can be a big positive on several levels. “I don’t think it matters who your friends are,” she said. “It’s the quality of the relationship that matters most.”
Hearing loss From page 9 u Damage to the inner ear can result from prolonged exposure to loud noises, states the Mayo Clinic. These noises cause wear and tear on the hairs or nerve cells in the cochlea that send sound signals to the brain. When these hairs or nerve cells are damaged or missing, electrical signals aren’t transmitted as efficiently, and hearing loss occurs. Using hearing protection and turning down the volume can help. u Ménière’s disease is an inner ear problem of unknown origins. It usually starts in people between the ages of 30 and 50. Dizziness and ringing of the ear are common, and hearing loss comes and goes. Some loss can become permanent. u Viruses and diseases as well as family history also may play a role in SNHL. In some instances, hearing loss may be the result of a combination of factors. Anyone finding their hearing has become less acute should visit with an audiologist. One resource to visit is asha.org/profind. The doctor can then prescribe a treatment plan to help improve hearing.
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AARP launches app to empower senior voters This month, AARP is launching “Raise Your Voice,” the nation’s first comprehensive advocacy and voting app for smart speakers. The voice-enabled experience is designed to help all Americans age 50-plus to use their smart speakers to engage on a range of advocacy issues — including Social Security, Medicare, prescription drugs, Medicaid and caregiving — as well as in nonpartisan voter education and support, according to an AARP news release. The app works on Amazon Alexa and Google Home. “This groundbreaking skill empowers voters at a time when people are looking for trustworthy, accessible sources of information,” said John Hishta, AARP senior vice president of campaigns. “AARP is setting a new standard for effective, technology-enabled advocacy nationally and in voters’ home states. Making your
voice heard is now as easy as turning to your smart speaker.” There are more than 54 million smart speakers in the Unites States. Further, with a 48 percent annual growth rate, it is expected that by the end of 2018 more than 90 million Americans will use a smart speaker at least once a month. Americans 50 and over account for about a quarter of owners, according to Edison Research and NPR. To invoke the app, users should say their smart speaker’s wake command, followed by “Open Raise Your Voice.” Beginning Thursday, Oct. 18, the user can direct “Raise Your Voice” to look up polling information and send it directly to the user’s cellphone. Similarly, the user can command the app to provide information on five AARP issue areas and receive detailed information via text. The development team is currently building a
contact-your-representative feature and additional issue areas. “Traditional voter education is laudable and important work, but it’s a leap forward to develop technology that better supports voters as they seek out the location of their polling place, information on key issues, and the ability to contact their elected officials,” said Sami Hassanyeh, AARP senior vice president of digital strategy and membership. “We pushed the boundaries of current technologies because we believe in the value of civic engagement and want to use the latest technology in service of it. A year ago we began offering a voice-enabled news briefing, so it was only natural to move from providing information to a deeper level of engagement.” A demonstration of the app is available at aarp.org/ raiseyourvoice.
Breaking down Medicare to understand it NICOLE TIGGEMANN Tribune News Service Social Security and Medicare have a few things in common. Both programs help safeguard millions of Americans as well as improve the quality of life for our family and friends. Although both programs are household names, many people may not be familiar with the details of Medicare. Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. The program helps with the cost of health care, but it doesn’t cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. You have choices for how you get Medicare coverage. If you choose to have original Medicare coverage, you can buy a Medicare supplement policy (called Medigap) from a private insurance company to cover some of the costs that Medicare does not. Medicare has four parts:
u Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility (following a hospital stay). Part A also pays for some home health care and hospice care. u Medicare Part B (medical insurance) helps pay for services from doctors and other health care providers, outpatient care, home health care, durable medical equipment, and some preventive services. u Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) includes all benefits and services covered under Part A and Part B. Some plans include Medicare prescription drug coverage (Medicare Part D) and other extra benefits and services. u Medicare Part D (Medicare prescription drug coverage) helps cover the cost of prescription drugs. Some people with limited resources and income may also be able to get Extra Help with the costs — monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and pre-
scription co-payments — related to a Medicare prescription drug plan. The Extra Help is estimated to be worth about $4,900 per year. You must meet the resources and income requirement. Medicare’s different parts are further explained in a publication at socialsecurity. gov/pubs/EN-05-10043.pdf. If you can’t afford to pay your Medicare premiums and other medical costs, you may be able to get help from your state. States offer programs for people eligible for or entitled to Medicare who have low income. Some programs may pay for Medicare premiums and some pay Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. To qualify, you must have Medicare Part A and have limited income and resources. You can learn more about Medicare, including how to apply for Medicare and get a replacement Medicare card, at socialsecurity.gov/benefits/ medicare.
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Mental well-being related to better brain health in older adults A positive sense of mental well-being is related to better brain health among older adults, according to a new report issued last week by the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH). Research shows our sense of mental well-being tends to increase after middle age, and there are steps we can take to help improve it regardless of age. Mental well-being is defined as a person’s experience of feeling good, functioning well and coping adequately with life’s challenges. Functioning well means being able to think and reason sufficiently to conduct daily activities, but also the ability to function socially with others and to cope with life’s challenges. “Many things can affect our sense of mental well-being, like our genetics, personality, life experiences, environmental factors and our personal relationships,” said Sarah Lenz Lock, AARP senior vice president for policy and GCBH executive director, in a news release. “But mental well-being is something that we can improve and maintain as we age by living a healthy lifestyle, learning how to manage stress and anxiety, and engaging in things that give us a sense of purpose.”
Consensus Statement Based on the available evidence, the GCBH says: u Greater mental well-being is associated with reduced risk of dementia. u Multiple medications taken together can negatively affect mental well-being and cognitive health. u It is possible to improve your sense of mental well-being, regardless of age or physical condition. u Relating well to others and having good emotional control are key to mental well-being. The GCBH experts recommend a variety of activities that can help people preserve a positive sense of mental well-being.
A few of these activities include: strengthening relationships with family and friends, getting regular exercise, finding ways to relieve mental and physical stress, regularly reviewing your medications and their interactions that may be clouding your thinking and feelings, and getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.
Useful Tips Here are a few specific tips the GCBH offers that people can do to help improve and maintain their sense of mental well-being: u Find things that make you laugh, such as humorous movies, books, or online videos. Laughter relieves stress, reduces tension and anxiety,
and even lessens pain. u Take deliberate breaks from social media, by avoiding smartphones during meals, for instance. u Establish meaningful connections with people in your community, such as your neighbors. u Become a regular volunteer. Volunteering helps provide a sense of purpose in life, which may ward off anxiety, depression, loneliness, and social isolation. “The GCBH provides you strategies to relax and optimize your mental well-being,” Lock said. “Learning how to cope well with life’s challenges can help optimize your brain health and help you stay sharp as you age.”
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SilverSneakers Fitness at the Streator Y Begins October 22nd Mondays at 9 am - SilverSneakers Classic. Designed to increase muscle strength, range of movement and improve activities for daily living. A chair is used for seated exercises and standing support and class can be modified depending on fitness level. Tues/Thurs at 7:45 am - SilverSneakers SPLASH. A fun, shallow-water exercise class that uses a signature splash-board to increase movement and intensity options. Splash is suitable for all skill levels and is safe for non-swimmers. The pool provides many benefits when used for aerobic exercise and resistance training. Wednesdays at 9 am - SilverSneakers Circuit. This workout offers standing, low-impact choreography alternated with standing upper-body strength work with hand-held weights, elastic tubing with handles and a SilverSneakers ball. A chair is available for support. This class is suitable for nearly every fitness level and can be adapted depending on the skill of individual participant. Fridays at 9 am - SilverSneakers Stability. This is the newest class designed to help you become stronger and improve balance. The moments taught in class focus on specific exercises to improve strength and power around the ankle, knee and hip joints, while improving your reaction time. This class is designed for fall prevention and is suitable for nearly every fitness level. It can be adapted depending on the skill of individual participants. A chair may be used for balance and support.
Streator YMCA, 710 Oakley Avenue, Streator IL • 815-672-2148 • www.streatorymca.org