Montana55 Fall 2015 by Missoulian

fall 2015

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Fall 2015

table of contents 6

active in winter

26 take a stand against falls

flu season

30 keeping balance

pneumonia vaccine

32 venerable grizzly

intentional meals

36 beyond a fishing story

social security at 80

40 benefits of older employees 42 autumn reads

fall 2015

On the cover flu seas on

get vac cinated

Peg and Dave Lake of Missoula find their alma mater loyalties split when it comes time for the Cat-Griz football rivalry. Dave earned his master’s degree in biology at UM, while Peg studied at MSU. Dave says the rivalry is all in good fun, while Peg added that “I’m originally from Butte. I can take it.”

hous dividee d bud lilly

ﬁsherma n extraor dinaire

old grizz

oldest sur viving UM

gridder

Cover photo by Tyler Wilson, Montana 55

montana55.com

the magazine for montanans in their prime

publisher mark heintzelman editor sherry devlin sales coordinator jacque walawander sales assistant holly kuehlwein

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Montana 55 is a special publication of Lee Enterprises and the Missoulian. Copyright 2015. For advertising information contact Jacque Walawander 406-523-5271, 800-366-7193, ext. 271, or email jacque.walawander@lee.net www.montana55.com

Fall 2015

active in winter PETER FRIESEN Montana 55

Staying active during winter is hard in Montana. There doesn’t seem to be much to do in the cold, snowy weather that envelopes the state for half the year – unless you ski or snowboard. Older Montanans especially may feel this pinch. As the weather gets chillier, soreness and dreariness can set in, making it seem difficult to get out and do anything. The most important thing is to plan ahead, said Lynn Paul, a professor and food and nutrition specialist at Montana State University. “The best thing to have is a specific plan of what you’re going to do when the bad weather comes,” Paul said. This plan for staying active can look different

montana55.com

The best thing to have is a specific plan of what you’re going to do when the bad weather comes. – Lynn Paul, MSU professor

for everyone, but Paul gave three physical fitness recommendations that are a great starting point for all. The first recommendation is to do some sort of aerobic activity. Anything that can get the heart rate up a little bit counts, from walking around the gym in the morning, to riding a stationary bike every day. The second recommendation is to use strength training exercises to keep muscle strength up. “As women age, their strength reduces quite a bit, but it doesn’t have to,” Paul said. Keeping strength up can be as simple as playing with grandkids or doing chores around the house. Or it can include taking a class, such as MSU Extension’s Strong Women class, which works with older women and men on strength conditioning.

The final recommendation is simple: Avoid inactivity. Paul said people who sit are much more likely to encounter health problems compared with people who have a small amount of exercise in their life. Paul herself uses a desk that allows her to stand or sit on the job, which is a great option for those still working or who use a desk at home often.

These recommendations can be the first step to leading a more active lifestyle during the winter in Montana, though carrying them out can be a challenge. The key part of the process is to make exercise a

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routine, Paul said, something like drinking coffee in the morning or brushing teeth. It’s an activity that happens every day. Starting slow is important, Paul said. Don’t start with the hardest or most rigorous routine right away, start with something easy and fun. “What we try to do is to get physical activity that you can work into your daily lifestyle,” Paul said. If the exercise is too hard, it maybe works for a week or two before it’s given up because it’s not fun or doable, Paul said. An easy exercise can become a habit much more quickly, like brushing teeth, that isn’t dreaded, but is just another activity. And the exercise can increase over time. 8

montana55.com Scheduled fitness classes at a local senior center or recreation center is the most effective way to make exercising a routine, Paul said. MSU Extension trains teachers to lead classes in their 50-plus offices around Montana, which offer many different programs for families, kids and seniors alike.

Odessa Eddie, exercise director for the

Bozeman Senior Center, said the most rewarding part of exercise class is seeing participants grow in strength and happiness. Eighteen participants in her strength training class were tested before the class and then again after six weeks. All of them had increased bone density. “We have people who come in with walkers and canes and they don’t use them after six weeks,” Eddie said. “It’s very exciting to see that happen.” Eddie’s “poster woman” is named Pearl, whose doctor recommended she start exercising. She came into the senior center with a walker and after six weeks or so she started using a cane. A few weeks later, she could walk without the cane and started

volunteering in her spare time. Participating in a scheduled class can help in all aspects of life, Paul said, encouraging members to suggest classes or activities to their teachers. “It provides being able to socialize, get out of the house and a social support … and that is huge,” Paul said. “All of these groups are like a little family,” Eddie said of her classes. MSU Extension isn’t the only choice for exercise classes in the community, though they train many teachers who spread out around the state. Most senior centers offer exercise classes, as well the YMCA or local gyms. If classes aren’t the right way to go, there are other options. Any place that allows for walking, like a mall or school gym, are great places to go out alone or with a friend, significant other or child and get some exercise. Paul suggested finding a “buddy” who is also exercising regularly. Pairing up allows for encouragement and friendly competition, which can increase the sense of fun and routine. “It’s enough of a challenge to help with the health,” Paul said, “but they also want to come back.”

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flu season

PETER FRIESEN Montana 55

The influenza season can be a dangerous time for everyone, but especially for young children and seniors. Both age groups have weaker immune systems that have a harder time fighting off disease and infection, though both age groups also have many options for staying healthy through the winter.

time to get vaccinated

A flu vaccine is recommended every year for everyone, especially those at either end of the age spectrum. It is the first and most useful step to preventing sickness, according to Susan Reeser, nurse consultant for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services’ immunization program. Reeser said seniors’ immune systems don’t build antibodies as well, giving them a higher chance of getting sick. “The best preventative is to get your flu vaccine annually,” Reeser said. “Anybody 65 years or older, their immune system isn’t as robust as when they were younger, especially if they have underlying health conditions.”

montana55.com The best time to get vaccinated is October, Reeser said. It gives the body enough time to build up antibodies and isn’t too early, risking antibodies fading later in the season. So what can older Montanans do to supplement the flu vaccine and keep from getting sick when winter rolls around? Tamalee St. James, community and family health services director for Riverstone Health in Billings, said the standard precautions are vital. • Wash your hands often. •C over your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze. • Stay home if you’re sick. • Make sure others around you are vaccinated.

The first three go a long way to preventing the spread of disease. But St. James said that seniors especially should take notice of the fourth recommendation. Family members who visit, take care of or spend time with their loved ones are at risk of spreading the flu if they haven’t been vaccinated. Make sure that kids, grandkids, in-home caretakers and anyone else who is frequently around seniors is vaccinated. Hand sanitizer can be a good tool, St. James said, though it doesn’t replace hand washing. If used as a supplement to other good fluprevention habits, sanitizer can be helpful, though she recommended using a high-alcohol-content product that kills germs more effectively.

variety of vaccines available The U.S. Centers for Disease Control host a massive website devoted to telling a person anything they want to know about the flu season. With a few helpful tips about this year’s vaccines, you can do your best to prevent getting sick. The flu season generally lasts from October to May, with peaks falling from December to February. Because the peak changes from year to year, the CDC recommends getting vaccinated early, by the end of October. Older immune systems may not create antibodies as long and their antibody levels may drop more quickly than younger immune systems, but getting a shot in October should protect seniors through the entire season. This year, a few different vaccines are available. Trivalent and quadrivalent carry either three or four strains of the flu, respectively. The field is moving toward using quadrivalent vaccines, said Susan Reeser, nurse consultant for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services’ immunization program, and many clinics should carry them. The vaccines are developed by

medical scientists who track every season’s flu strains around the globe and create a shot with strains of the most common two “A” viruses and one or two “B” viruses. The letters are used to denote the time the strains appear. “A” viruses generally appear earlier in the season, while “B” viruses pop up later. There is a high-dose version of the flu shot available for people ages 65 and up, but it isn’t available everywhere. Tamalee St. James, the community and family health services director for Riverstone Health in Billings, said the high-dose vaccine isn’t covered by Medicare and costs much more than the regular vaccine. It’s only been out for a couple of years and has been tested and approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for those over 65 only, Reeser said. “It does really work well for seniors,” she said. “It has four times as many antigens.”

– Peter Friesen

Fall 2015

Flu shots take about two weeks to fully build immunity in

a person’s system, St. James said, adding that the live virus vaccine is a myth. It isn’t possible to get sick from a flu shot. The flu vaccine is the only yearly vaccine recommended for seniors, but there are a few one-time shots that are suggested. After turning 50, a tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine and the “shingles shot” are recommended. After turning 65, the Prevenar and pneumonia shots are recommended. An optional vaccine that St. James highly recommends for seniors who enjoy traveling or eating out is the Hepatitis A shot. “If someone who has Hepatitis A prepares food, you can get the virus,” St. James said.

Two shots are administered, an initial shot followed a few months later by a booster shot. The vaccine isn’t covered by Medicare and can be quite expensive, St. James said. Reeser said the Hepatitis A vaccine is now being recommended for young children as well, and also recommended the shot for travelers.

If seniors do get the flu,

it’s important to get antivirals from a doctor soon after symptoms appear, especially for those 65 and older, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control’s website. “Prompt treatment can mean the difference between having a milder illness versus very serious illness that could result in a hospital stay,”” the website said. Antivirals work best within

48 hours of getting sick, though they’re beneficial at any point in the illness. Three antivirals are recommended by the CDC this season: Oseltamivir, Zanamivir and Peramivir. The most important tool to dealing with all of this, Reeser said, is for seniors to talk with their doctor. Every piece of advice or CDC recommendation can vary from person to person depending on, especially in older age groups, just about anything. Underlying health conditions can affect different vaccines or medications and are an important part of talking with a doctor. Reeser said flu season is a time to be aware of additional health concerns, as the flu combined with other conditions can be even more damaging. “You just won’t have the energy to fight the disease,” she said.

montana55.com

Fall 2015

pneumonia vaccine

montana55.com

SARA HEINEMAN for Montana 55

Did you know there are two different pneumonia vaccines? Are you confused about which one you should get? Well, here’s the scoop on the alphabet soup of acronyms. First, you need a little background on pneumonia. There are 90 different strains of Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria that can cause severe pneumonia. The most common type of disease is lung infection, but pneumonia bacteria can also cause ear and sinus infections. Less commonly, some strains cause invasive diseases such as infections in the blood (bactermia) or in the covering of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). These conditions are

very serious, especially for older adults. Pneumonia impacts our health care system heavily. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 400,000 hospitalizations per year related to lung infections from pneumonia. Of these cases, 5 to 7 percent die. Older adults have a higher death rate. The CDC estimates 12,000 cases of blood infections each year. About 20 percent of these cases result in death. For older adults with blood infections, that number is 60 percent. Meningitis caused by pneumonia occurs 3,000 to 6,000 times per year, with eight percent fatality in children and 22 percent in adults. Most survivors have neurological problems. In addition, many strains of pneumonia show increasing resistance to the antibiotics used to treat them. This makes treatment more difficult. The facts make a clear case for why older adults need a pneumonia vaccine. Now how do you decide which pneumonia vaccine to get?

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Fall 2015

Pneumonia impacts our health care system heavily. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 400,000 hospitalizations per year related to lung infections from pneumonia.

We know the first pneumonia vaccine as the “classic pneumonia shot.” Researchers began working on it in the early 1900s, but it was first used in the late 1970s. Over time, pharmaceutical companies improved the vaccine. Today, we call this vaccine Pneumovax 23, or PPSV23. The “23” means that it protects against 23 strains of pneumonia. We know the second pneumonia vaccine as Prevnar13, or PCV13. The “13” means that it protects against 13 strains of pneumonia. Researchers first developed this vaccine for use in children. It works in a different way than the classic pneumonia shot. It protects against fewer strains of pneumonia, but it creates a stronger immune response. This vaccine also helps get rid of the pneumonia bacteria in the nasal passages, which helps stop it from spreading to others. Both vaccines cover the most common strains of pneumonia. They differ a little in how effective they are against invasive disease. PPSV23 (the “classic pneumonia shot”) is considered to be 60 percent to 70 percent effective in preventing invasive disease for all age groups. The PCV13 vaccine is considered 75 percent effective against invasive disease in adults 65 and older, and more than 90 percent effective in preventing invasive disease in children. PCV13 is also about 45 percent effective in preventing most pneumonia lung infections in adults 65 years and older. So what are the recommendations for who should get each vaccine? Adults 65 and older routinely get the PPSV23 vaccine. Health care professionals also recommend this vaccine for people 2 and older with certain medical conditions. These medical conditions include weakened immune systems, cochlear implants, asthma, chronic heart or lung disease, or diabetes. People who smoke cigarettes should also get PPSV23. Certain Native American 16

populations, including Alaska Native, Navajo and Apache, have a higher risk of pneumonia, so health care professionals also recommend PPSV23 for these populations. Health care providers give PCV13 as part of routine childhood immunizations. The CDC recently added it as a recommendation for adults 65 years and older. Certain age groups with specific medical conditions should also get this vaccine. The medical conditions include anatomic asplenia (including sickle-cell disease) conditions that weaken the immune system, cochlear implants or cerebrospinal fluid leak. The guidelines for PPSV23 and PCV13 overlap, depending on age group and medical conditions. (You should be aware that only a few of the medical conditions are listed above.) The recommendation for adults 65 years and older is to receive both types of vaccine. You can get help from several resources. The CDC offers a survey at www2a.cdc.gov/nip/ adultimmsched to help you determine which vaccines might be right for you. Your health care provider can help you sort out the best vaccine for you. And the expert nurses on staff at the Outpatient Immunization Clinic at the Missoula City-County Health Department can assess your medical history and help you determine what pneumonia vaccine is right for you and if you need any booster doses. Call us call at 258-4292, or come to our walk-in immunization clinic. We are located at 301 W. Alder St., open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Sara Heineman is the Missoula City-County Health Department Outpatient Clinic nursing supervisor and can be reached at 258-4987 or sheineman@ co.missoula.mt.us.

montana55.com

Fall 2015

intentional meals

NATALIE ZIMMER and REBECCA MORLEY for Montana 55

It takes time and effort to plan, grocery shop and execute a healthy meal. Add a career, driving kids to and from activities, caring for loved ones and the many other responsibilities of day to day life for baby boomers, and the idea of cooking meals seems exhausting. Wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it just be easier to swing by a fast food joint on the way home?

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Eating food has become such a perfunctory act for many of us these days. It is time to bring intention back into our eating patterns. Many people these days eat on the go, in the car, or just snack and skip meals altogether. Consequently, the majority of meals are eaten alone, which is associated with increased consumption of fast food, over-eating, and often loneliness. The current food system of processed, ready-to-eat, convenient food is conducive to these eating patterns. Is it coincidence that the values of efficiency, convenience and speed of the food system directly align with the values we hold around food and eating? The industrial shift in our food system has stripped the values out of America’s food culture. The ubiquitous presence of processed foods has taken away the need to cook and with it, the intention around mealtimes. Eating food has become such a perfunctory act for many of us these days. It is time

to bring intention back into our eating patterns.

Eat throughout the day

One way to bring intention to mealtimes is to not only focus on what you eat, but on when you eat. A good guideline to follow is to eat three portion controlled meals a day, plus a couple of healthy snacks. Eating one large meal a day and/or skipping meals decreases the efficiency of your metabolism and leaves you feeling lethargic. When you wait until you feel like you are starving, your resistance to junk food may fly out the window and you may give into the temptation of whatever is quick, filling and easy. It can also throw off your body’s satiation mechanism and cause you to overeat.

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Eating regularly stabilizes blood sugar levels, which helps maintain energy throughout the day. Regular meal consumption increases your basil metabolic rate, which is the amount of calories you burn while at rest, and decreases your appetite.

Plan ahead

Planning ahead is key. When you wait until you are over-hungry to decide what to eat, you usually choose less healthy options or tend to eat too much. Planning ahead will make you more aware of what you are eating as well as help you develop a regular eating pattern. Not only will planning meals in advance benefit you, but your family as well. Many boomers have teens still at home or are overseeing the care of loved ones. Eating a well-planned, balanced mix of foods every day has health benefits that help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, bone loss, some kinds of cancer, and anemia. And if you already have one or more of these chronic diseases, eating well may help you better manage them. Planning and providing consistent healthy meals for the entire household will assist in better health outcomes for all.

Spice up those cooking skills

For those of you with teens or college students still living at home, mealtimes are a good place to experiment cooking together. Due to the fast food environment today, many young adults do not know how to cook. Yet, studies show that people who prepare their own meals have a better quality diet and a lower consumption of fast food that can be high in fat and sodium. Thus, when it comes time for your teen to move out on their own, you can rest assured they will have the cooking skills needed to support a healthful diet. If you have grandchildren, consider planning â&#x20AC;&#x153;datesâ&#x20AC;? to cook together. The kitchen is an excellent bonding environment and it is never too early to be part of the meal preparation process.

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Fall 2015

Social interaction

Eating meals with family or friends has been proven to benefit both physical and mental health. Research has proven the existence of evidence based positive outcomes associated with family meals in children and adolescents, which include lower drug use, better academic performance and less depressive symptoms. Although these studies have focused on adolescent

behavior, the positive effects of social interaction apply to all people, regardless of age. The company, consistency, and support system surrounding family meals are key contributors to better outcomes, all three of which are easily achievable for boomers and families. If you live alone, start a dinner group with people you know at work or set aside a night each week designated to eating with a friend. Eating with people

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montana55.com provides a sense of comfort, and allows time to share and support each other through life.

Body weight management

The act of eating with people not only benefits your psychological health but your physical health as well. One study showed that taking small bites, pausing between bites, and putting down the utensil between bites resulted in less food consumed. Eating slower allows the body to send satiety signals before too much food is consumed. Taking small bites and pausing between bites comes naturally when engaged in conversation. Therefore, eating with people may result in less calories consumed and better weight management.

Beware of falling into a habit of meaningless and mundane meals. Eating should be enjoyable! It can be a problem if we let our busy lifestyles dictate our relationship with food. Irregular eating patterns are not optimal for our health. To eat intentionally means to be more aware of all things associated with food and eating. So eat healthy, eat often (in moderation of course!), plan meals, cook meals, and eat with others. Intentional mealtimes will offer increased pleasure and better health for everyone. Natalie Zimmer was a summer intern performing a rotation at the Missoula City-County Health Department, and is currently completing her education requirements at the University of Washington toward a degree in public health, with additional plans to become a registered dietitian. Rebecca Morley provides nutrition services through the Eat Smart Program at the Missoula City-County Health Department and can be reached at 258-3827 or at rmorley@co.missoulian.mt.us.

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social security at 80

United States Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

MICKIE DOUGLAS for Montana 55

Social Security has provided critical financial help to people of all ages for the last 80 years, and despite our age, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re far from retiring! As the Social Security program celebrates its historic birthday this August, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reflecting on our diverse history, our current strengths, and ways we can continue to improve our services to you.

montana55.com On August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. In doing so, he promised the law would protect “the average citizen and his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.” Today, we continue to provide financial security for our country’s most vulnerable citizens. In fact, Social Security provides world-class service to millions of people every day — online, on the phone, and in our network of field offices across the country. As we celebrate 80 years, we’re proud to present our “Celebrating the Past and Building the Future” anniversary website. There, you can read 80 interesting facts about an agency that touches everyone’s life at some point or another. For example, did you know the original name of the Social Security Act was the Economic Security Act? The anniversary website also includes a timeline of our history. It begins with the signing of the Act in 1935 and ends with this year’s announcement of Vision 2025, our bold vision that will guide the agency as we work to meet the future customer service needs of the public. A memorable spot on the timeline is November 2, 2000, the date when we started taking retirement claims online. Since our agency’s beginning, we’ve relied on our passionate and hard-working employees to face challenges and provide exceptional service. Throughout the 80 days leading up to our anniversary, we’ve been posting employee testimonials that answer the question, “Why do you serve?” We also invited you to share your story with us. You can tell us how Social Security has made a difference in your life and/or the lives of your family and friends. We would love to hear from you, the people we serve every day. When the Social Security program started 80 years ago, our goal was to provide an economic lifeline for people in need. Today, Social Security continues to protect millions of people. Join us in commemorating this significant milestone. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/80thanniversary.

Social Security also recently launched

its new blog, Social Security Matters. This is our new location for engaging with you by answering questions and concerns in a more sharable and interactive way. This is where you’ll see the latest Social Security news, like added features to my Social Security, helpful tips about retirement and other benefits, and much more. Think of the blog as a dashboard for the latest news and updates that affect retirement, survivors

When the Social Security program started 80 years ago, our goal was to provide an economic lifeline for people in need. Today, Social Security continues to protect millions of people. and disability benefits, veterans, the chronically ill, and anyone entitled to our broad range of services. We already communicate with you using Facebook and Twitter. This new blog is a meaningful enhancement to our social media outreach. Social Security Matters is easy-to-navigate and userfriendly — tags categorize the topics you care about into organized sections. This way you will always find the answers you are looking for. Social Security Matters allows us to speak to a broad audience in articles that explain how our programs and services affect you. And the blog lets you provide meaningful feedback that can help us serve the public more effectively. The blog will also be a platform for interviews with experts and a way to spotlight the important work we do. You know how much we matter to our beneficiaries. We’d like you to share that news. Social Security Matters lets you share our posts on social media with a click of a button. Additionally, you can subscribe to our blog and get Social Security news as it happens. Simply select the blue button titled “Get blog updates.” You matter to us, and with Social Security Matters, we think of you with every new post. Our comment section allows you to voice your thoughts and ask questions of us to address. The conversation is growing every day. No matter what, we want to know that we are doing our absolute best to serve you, and a big part of that is listening to what you have to say. Come see what matters to you at blog. socialsecurity.gov.

Mickie Douglas is a public affairs specialist for the regional Social Security Administration office in Salt Lake City. That region includes Montana. Fall 2015

take a stand

to prevent falls

TERRY EGAN for Montana 55

This fall, Montanans need to “take a stand to prevent falls.” It’s a good time to evaluate fall prevention measures you can take in your home and your community.

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Falls are not an inevitable result of aging, but are one of the main reasons older adults lose their independence. Fall prevention can be achieved with practical lifestyle adjustments, environmental assessments that include modifications for safety, and participation in evidence-based fall-prevention programs. Falls are the leading cause of injuries in older Americans, with one-third of Americans age 65 and older falling each year. Injuries from falls can be minor, severe or fatal. Suffering a fall can severely limit mobility and decrease overall quality of life. Falls are also expensive; in 2013, for example, the cost of fall injuries was $34 billion. Luckily, there are many good ideas to help reduce falls in older adults. • Make sure the home or living environment is safe and supportive. • Have eyes and ears checked annually. • Have medications reviewed periodically. • Participate in a physical activity that includes balance, strength training and flexibility. • Consider getting a fall risk assessment or attend a fall-prevention program. Each of the activities above helps address key problem areas that can contribute to falls.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control

provides a checklist to help families guard against falls. The checklist asks about hazards found in each room of your home. For each hazard, the checklist tells you how to fix the problem.

FLOORS: Look at the floor in each room. When you walk through a room, do you have to walk around furniture? Ask someone to move the furniture so your path is clear.

Do you have throw rugs on the floor? Remove the rugs or use double-sided tape or a non-slip backing so the rugs won’t slip. Are there papers, books, towels, shoes, magazines, boxes, blankets or other objects on the floor? Pick up things that are on the floor. Always keep objects off the floor. Do you have to walk over or around wires or cords (like lamp, telephone, or extension cords)? Coil or tape cords and wires next to the wall so you can’t trip over them. If needed, have an electrician put in another outlet.

STAIRS AND STEPS: Look at the stairs you use both inside and outside your home. Are there papers, shoes, books or other objects on the stairs? Pick up things on the stairs. Always keep objects off stairs. Are some steps broken or uneven? Fix loose or uneven steps. Are you missing a light over the stairway? Have an electrician put in an overhead light at the top and bottom of the stairs. Do you have only one light switch for your stairs (only at the top or at the bottom of the stairs)? Have an electrician put in a light switch at the top and bottom of the stairs. You can get light switches that glow. Has the stairway light bulb burned out? Have a friend or family member change the light bulb. Is the carpet on the steps loose or torn? Make sure the carpet is firmly attached to every step, or remove the carpet and attach non-slip rubber treads to the stairs. Are the handrails loose or broken? Is there a handrail on only one side of the stairs? Fix loose handrails or put in new ones. Make sure handrails are on both sides of the stairs and are as long as the stairs.

Falls are also expensive; in 2013, for example, the cost of fall injuries was $34 billion. Fall 2015

KITCHEN: Look at your kitchen and eating area. Are the things you use often on high shelves? Move items in your cabinets. Keep things you use often on the lower shelves (about waist level). Is your step stool unsteady? If you must use a step stool, get one with a bar to hold on to. Never use a chair as a step stool. BATHROOMS: Look at all your bathrooms.

Is the tub or shower floor slippery? Put a non-slip rubber mat or self-stick strips on the floor of the tub or shower. Do you need some support when you get in and out of the tub or up from the toilet? Have a carpenter put grab bars inside the tub and next to the toilet.

BEDROOMS: Look at all your bedrooms. Is the light near the bed hard to reach? Place a lamp close to the bed where it’s easy to reach. Is the path from your bed to the bathroom dark? Put in a night-light so you can see where you’re walking. Some night-lights go on by themselves after dark.

And there are several evidence-based fallprevention programs available in communities that address these issues and provide physical activity to reduce falls. They are often sponsored by health care facilities, senior centers, health clubs and other organizations. The National Council on Aging leads a Falls Free Initiative to address the growing public health issue of falls, fall-related injuries and deaths. The initiative includes a coalition of organizations working to make a difference in fall prevention. Coalition members are educating older adults, caregivers and health care professionals about how they can reduce the risk of falling. They support fallprevention programs and advocate for funding more programs. The Montana Falls Free coalition is putting together a number of activities across the state to bring awareness and action on this issue. Several communities are hosting “Take a Stand to Prevent Falls” events that include fall risk assessments,

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home risk surveys, health screenings and physical activity focused on balance, strength and flexibility. Check with your health care provider or senior center to learn more. Although the risk of a falling increases with age, falls are actually not a normal part of the aging process. Be proactive with your own health and the health of those you love through awareness, addressing potential hazards and taking advantage of

fall-prevention activities. Terry Egan is the associate director of the Montana Geriatric Education Center at the University of Montana. MTGEC is an interdisciplinary center that provides geriatric education and training for Montana health professionals, higher education faculty and health profession students, so they might better meet the health needs of the older residents of the state.

Fall 2015

keeping balance

BRACE HAYDEN Alpine Physical Therapy

Each year, Americans aged 65 and older have a 1 in 3 chance of falling.

In fact, every 13 seconds, an older adult is treated in their local emergency room for a fall. And every 20 minutes, an older adult dies of complications from a fall. The likelihood of vertigo and dizziness in people over age 60 is as high as 30 percent. Symptoms of dizziness in older adults is a strong predictor of falls.

montana55.com Considering the ever-increasing number of aging adults, falls are a rapidly expanding public health concern. These statistics aim to raise awareness of a widespread challenge, prevent future falls and motivate people to reduce their relative risk factors. Falls can happen for a number of reasons, including poor balance, reduced leg strength, medication issues, difficulties with vision, and dizziness due to vestibular dysfunction. Our balance mechanism comes from a combination of input to the brain from three systems: information from our vision, information from proprioceptors (positional receptors in our feet and legs) and information from our vestibular system. The vestibular system is a small organ in the inner ear that can cause big difficulties when it is not working properly. This neurological relay station gives the brain feedback on how the head is moving in relation to one’s surroundings. Thus, when the vestibular system is experiencing problems, dizziness is a frequent symptom, and one’s ability to balance is challenged. A symptom of vertigo, or the odd sensation of spinning when you are still, is a common complaint when the vestibular system is malfunctioning. Eighty percent of adults over age 65 will experience dizziness or light-headedness of some kind, with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) being the most prevalent vestibular disorder, comprising approximately 50 percent of cases. Assessing and treating these problems by a vestibular rehabilitation specialist often reduces the balance and dizziness issue, thereby reducing falls and the complications associated with this health hazard. Physical therapists are often at the forefront of improving lives by assessing and treating difficulties with movement. Testing for movement dysfunction will often include assessment of leg strength, the ability to walk, and how well one can balance. An accurate diagnosis often requires more specialized tests to determine which system or systems are causing the problems, increasing the importance of seeking providers specializing in vestibular rehabilitation. If you or a loved one is experiencing difficulties with balance or dizziness, it is important to get this addressed by a licensed medical provider. Falls are a very preventable catastrophe. Talk to your health care provider or physical therapist if you have concerns about your balance, ability to move well, or risk for falls.

Brace Hayden, DPT, OCS, SCSC is a physical therapist who specializes in vestibular and orthopedic rehabilitation at Alpine Physical Therapy in Missoula.

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venerable grizzly

AJ MAZZOLINI Montana 55

Her stepfather has always had a mind that holds on to details, MaryAnne Dowdall explains, especially when it comes to football.

“If you want to know somebody who coached a high school team somewhere in 1950-something, he could tell you who it was and where they ended up,” she says. So the way Ben Tyvand rattles off the

Tom Bauer, Montana 55

Montana Grizzlies schedule from 1941 is no surprise to her. Still, at better than 94 1/2 years of age, it’s a neat party trick. “We played UCLA a real decent game, 14-7,” he says in a soft, sometimes wheezy voice. “Then we played Washington, 21-0, and Idaho. We won that 16-0.” He stops, his pale blue eyes losing their focus across the living room of his south Missoula home. Tyvand’s fidgeting hands, frail and crisscrossed with blue veins, explore the edge of a maroon-andsilver blanket that matches his loosefitting Griz polo shirt. He counts in his head, mouthing the numbers in silence. “Let me think for a second,” he

montana55.com continues. “We had a nine-game schedule and we won six and lost three. Yes, we lost to UCLA in the Coliseum.” Few could navigate the 1941 Montana football season in such detail more than 70 years removed from the last game – even fewer played in it. Just one to be exact and that’s Tyvand, the only surviving member of that year’s team who is believed to be the oldest surviving former Griz football player. “As far as I know,” he says.

Longevity runs in the Tyvand family, at least it did for this generation. Ben’s two brothers each reached the high 80s, Ray hitting 88 before passing in 2011 and Henry surviving to see 93 in 2013. Turning 94 this past January was a point of pride for Ben. He and Henry were always rather competitive. Tyvand graduated from Butte High in 1939 a star athlete, playing in three straight state football championships – winning two – and adding track and field titles three years as well. But graduation snuck up on the Butte boy.

“I didn’t have any sort of scholarship, nobody recruited me,” he recalled. “Life goes on and I didn’t know what the hell I was gonna do.” After a brief stop in the Silver Star mine near town and then at the Butte Business College – a training school for office workers and an old uptown Butte staple for almost a century – Tyvand and a high school buddy headed for Missoula in hopes of playing basketball for the college. It was Montana State University back then and Tyvand found his way to football practice in the fall of 1940. He played basketball and also ran track, but the thing he’d be known for – what earned him a spot on the wall of Missoula Club tavern, a Griz haven – was football. Freshmen weren’t allowed to play on the varsity team back then, but Tyvand made a name for himself as a walk-on wing back with the freshmen squad. Head coach Doug Fessenden even offered him a partial scholarship for the next year. That turned into a starting spot by the beginning of the ‘41 season – a campaign that featured the last Grizzly victory over North Dakota State before this fall – though the first of many college injuries almost derailed the good news. Tyvand and teammate Paul Kampfe collided while

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flying through the backfield in one of the fall’s final practices on a double reverse “I tore my eye quite a bit, had to put some stitches in,” Tyvand said. “But Doug came down and said, ‘We got to get you ready for BYU and guess what? You’re starting.’ ”

The Grizzlies whipped Brigham Young

20-7 that day in Provo, Utah, earning themselves a spot on the cover of the next morning’s Daily Missoulian, sharing A1 with the latest news from Europe as the Allies battled the Nazis. The back rushed for his first career touchdown in the first half. An interception set up the Griz with a short field before “an offside penalty on the Cougars aided in the trip and Ben Tyvand raced nine yards

around (the) right end for the score,” the Daily Missoulian reported. Tyvand loves telling that story, though he’s just as boastful of the bad luck that came in the second half. He wears the scars of his playing days like medals of honor: A handful of black eyes, a torn up knee, a dislocated shoulder. Of course, he has actual medals, too, from his service days during World War II. The latter injury came against BYU as he returned the kickoff after halftime. Tyvand tried to hurdle a pile of players clogging the middle of the field. “I wanted to jump over them so I jumped, but somebody caught my toe,” he said. “And down I went on my shoulder. They didn’t do much for separated shoulders in those days.” The BYU win is perhaps Tyvand’s fondest memory of his time in maroon and silver. That or the

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Tyvand played basketball and also ran track, but the thing he’d be known for – what earned him a spot on the wall of Missoula Club tavern, a Griz haven – was football.

Grizzlies’ trip to Hawaii six years later, but he’ll get to that. Tyvand took a break from school and athletics following his shoulder injury and was drafted in 1942, serving in the 361st regiment of the 91st infantry division. Tyvand fought his way across Italy, including the Battle of Monte Cassino that led to the capture of Rome for the Allies. “I can’t say I enjoyed it, but it was nice to be in Italy,” Tyvand said simply.

The Grizzlies did not field a football team in 1943 or 1944 during the war, but Tyvand returned to the university in 1946, again with the intention of playing basketball. “But I couldn’t do as well because I was older,” said Tyvand, 25 at the time. “And it seemed like everybody in the whole state of Montana was trying out for basketball.” He didn’t play much in ‘46 because of a hurt back, but was selected a team captain in 1947. The Griz traveled by air twice that season, the first times in program history. The team rode in U.S. Forest Service smokejumper planes for a game in Arizona before crossing the ocean to play Hawaii. Tyvand played both sides of the ball against Hawaii, the Rainbows as they were referred to then. He scored a touchdown and recovered two fumbles, “one of which set up the Grizzlies’ first touchdown. The other halted a Hawaiian drive in the closing minutes of the game,” the Daily Missoulian recounted. Or in Tyvand’s words: “I saved the day by taking the ball from their big end when they were marching down.” The Grizzlies won 14-12 on the island, then beat a Hawaii All-Star team five days later on Christmas Day to finish the year 7-4.

Tyvand bounced around after graduating from Montana in 1948, but the Grizzlies never left his heart. After stops in Dillon, Anaconda, Victor and Wallace, Idaho (there’s a scholarship named in his honor there) as a high school teacher, counselor and coach, Tyvand retired to Missoula in the late ‘70s to drive school buses. And, of course, to follow the Griz. “For years, he used to go over and watch them practice,” said Dowdall, his stepdaughter. “Every day when Joe Glenn was there.” In the ‘80s, Tyvand helped raise money for Montana’s football palace, Washington-Grizzly Stadium (in his day the team played in on-campus Dornblaser Field, located where the parking garage is today). He had season tickets long before that. Tyvand and his second wife Mary, married 39 years, also took in countless Griz and Lady Griz basketball games over the decades. To him, the Griz were second only to his family, though the ordering sometimes fluctuated, joked Dowdall. Her stepfather was a frequent sight at his grandchildren’s youth sporting events, though not a constant one. “If it didn’t interfere with the Grizzlies that is,” Dowdall said with a chuckle. “If the Grizzlies were playing, then they won out.” His health failing – he had heart surgery to replace an aortic valve in 2011 – Tyvand is no longer a staple at live games. He still has the season tickets, but hasn’t used them himself in two years. His last outing came in 2013 when he flipped the pregame coin at midfield during a matchup against Weber State. Dowdall was there to push his wheelchair. But when the Grizzlies beat North Dakota State in this fall’s season-opener, their first win over the Bison since Tyvand was in pads, he was watching. And cheering. Decked out in his maroon T-shirt and blanket. Fall 2015

beyond a fishing story

David McCumber, Montana 55

DAVID McCUMBER Montana 55

THREE FORKS - If there’s one thing just about everybody in Montana who cares about trout fishing has agreed on for the past six or seven decades, it’s that Bud Lilly is a really nice guy.

Well, yes, most of the time. But it must be told: Bud Lilly has a sadistic streak. I am driving down a back road near the confluence of the Gallatin, Jefferson and

Madison rivers on a beautiful sunny July morning, and Bud is riding shotgun. Bud, who turned 90 on August 13, has macular degeneration, and his vision is no longer perfect, though I suspect it’s a lot better than he lets on. Anyway, as a consequence, he’s wearing wraparound shades under his flatbrimmed Stetson, giving him sort of a sinister, Harry Dean Stanton look. Perfect for what transpires next. Abruptly he says, “You have your fly-fishing outfit with you?” “Yes.” “Then turn here,” he says. “Park right there at the end of the bridge.” We get out of the truck and walk onto the bridge.

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“Any rising?” he demands. He knows darned well what I’m looking at. The water of the lower Gallatin is low and clear. From the bridge downstream for 20 yards, fish are rising all over the river like popcorn on a hot skillet. “Put on a dry with a nymph dropper,” Bud says. “Just some sort of little bead-head.” I soon realize to my horror that I’m missing two fly boxes out of my vest, and the smallest bead-head nymphs I’ve got are #14s. “Too big,” he grunts. “Try anyway.” Bud stays on the bridge, watching, and I head down to do battle. I tie on the smallest caddis fly I have and from the hook drop the aforementioned bead-head hare’s ear on about a foot of tippet. I flip the dry-dropper rig out into the middle of a fullon boil of feeding trout and whitefish. Nothing. I slug it through there maybe a dozen times, trying different lanes, dead-drifting then stripping it back. I’m certainly not putting the fish down – they are still chowing everywhere I look. “Try stripping it right away instead of letting it drift,” Bud says. So I try that for the next 10 casts. Nothing. I switch to a prince nymph. Still too big. Nothing. I look up on the bridge and I see Bud’s shoulders shaking suspiciously. “Something funny?” I inquire. He shakes his head, unconvincingly, and then says, in the driest possible tone, “You get tired of playing with those, go over on the other bank. They’re podded up over there too.” After another 15 fruitless minutes, I trudge to the other bank and wet-wade out to a gravel bar so I can place my horribly hatch-mismatched flies right into the action. By this time I’ve tried several dries by themselves – every small mayfly I’ve got, blue-wing olive, attractors, even out of desperation a hopper or two. I’ve also tried a wide variety of nymphs. Of course, there are no midges in my fly boxes, and the midge hatch off the concrete bridge is so thick they’re breaking EPA clean air standards. The fish are jumping over my dry fly. They’re coming up under my tippet to take the midges off the surface. I’m amazed I haven’t foul-hooked one by now. Big, slurping, aggressive fish. “One other thing you might try,” Bud calls from above. “What’s that?” I ask between gritted teeth. The shoulders shake again. “Go somewhere else.” This was followed by what can only be described as a guffaw.

As I put my rod in the truck and squelch wetly into the driver’s seat, Bud says, “You know what fly you needed down there? What they call a number nothing.” This is followed by another evil laugh.

The good Bud Lilly is back. “See how steep the

banks are?” he points. “People try to haul their boats out here all the time. It’s dangerous.” So Bud has organized some friends and volunteers to do something about it. “Head down toward Logan,” he said. In about a mile, I turn toward the river again, and the windshield fills with 1,300 feet of pristine river frontage. On the near bank, lush native grasses are golden in the sun. On the far side, bluffs and a craggy ridge line rise quickly. “We took all kinds of junk out of here, tons of it, to the landfill,” he said. “This is the way it’s supposed to look.” I walk down to the river at the spot where Bud is creating the new fishing access. A dozen feet upstream is every angler’s dream riffle. Tiny black caddis are hatching in clouds, and the fish are feasting. “We need more access, not less,” Bud Lilly says, warming to a favorite subject. “We have more and more fishing pressure on Montana streams, and a lot of rich people are coming in and buying up river frontage and trying to keep people out. “Where boats can go in, there are too many of them,” he said. “That’s why we need more points of access.” Surprisingly, despite the growing numbers of anglers, Lilly says he believes the fishing is better now in the state than it was 20 years ago. If that’s true, Bud Lilly should get a lot of the credit. Fifty years ago, he was the West’s foremost catchand-release pioneer. “I started out a fish catcher and a fish keeper,” he says. “But a lot of the time, we didn’t even know it, but we were catching hatchery fish. They put them in there, and we took them out.” He realized that the wild trout were what made Montana streams special, and that the put-and-take cycle of hatchery fish had to end. “After I opened my fly shop in West Yellowstone, I had some customers from the East who talked to me about catch-and-release. They were already trying it there. “It made sense to me,” Lilly said. With his leadership, the idea caught on and spread throughout the West. Fly fishing became about conservation, not killing; hatchery fish were removed; and wild trout populations made a huge comeback in Montana streams. Fall 2015

David McCumber, Montana 55

Lilly’s forebears emigrated to Montana after the Civil War, and a great-uncle was killed with Custer at the Little Bighorn in 1876. Which was less than 50 years before Bud was born – August 13, 1925, on the family’s kitchen table in Manhattan, Montana. His father was a barber, and little Bud got used to listening in on all the customers’ stories from the back room – which may explain his penchant for storytelling. His father was also a baseball fanatic and an ardent fly fisherman, and Bud took after him on both counts. He played American Legion and then town-team baseball, and very soon found himself in a brush with fame. He played in an exhibition game against a Negro League traveling team that included the renowned Satchel Paige. Lilly, a light-hitting, slick-fielding 15-year-old second baseman, managed to time a big roundhouse curve from Paige and scratch out a groundball hit. “I thought I was doing so well, I’d try to steal second base,” he said. “They were waiting for that,” and he was 38

out by plenty. He was pursued by the Cincinnati Reds, but World War II intervened, and he became an officer in the Navy. “When I got back,” he said, “I no longer had interest in playing baseball.”

Bud went to school at the Montana School of Mines in Butte, excelling in math and science, and he taught those subjects in Roundup, Deer Lodge and Bozeman before getting a chance to buy a fishing shop in West Yellowstone. He scraped $4,500 together and Montana fishing was forever changed. He got to know hundreds of fishermen and trained scores of guides – including children Mike, Greg and Annette. He became legend, for his kindness as well as his gruff humor. And the barber’s son collected fishing stories. He tells one about a skinflint customer looking for a bargain. He watched the man go in and out of a couple of other

montana55.com shops in West Yellowstone before coming into his. “I’m looking for a reel,” the customer announced. “I have some I can show you,” Lilly responded. “But I’m looking for a $5 reel,” the customer said firmly. “Well, I’ve got some,” Lilly replied. “You do?” said the surprised customer. “Yup, but I get $15 for them,” Lilly told him.

Over the years, Bud Lilly has become one of the leading voices for conservation, taking the trout’s side in every possible way. He has been a frequent visitor to Helena, testifying and lobbying for conservation initiatives, and against measures he felt would endanger trout. His tireless efforts have won him the admiration of just about everyone in the sport. Now, he’s working on educating anglers about catch and release. Even when releasing is done correctly, studies show the fish mortality rate is around 20 percent. He’s trying hard to spread the word to make sure anglers minimize handling of trout, and always wet their hands before touching fish. He advocates releasing fish without touching them at all when possible. He’s also responsible for assembling the Bud Lilly

Trout and Salmonid Initiative, a 10,000-volume collection of books, manuscripts and personal papers at Montana State University. Of all his pro bono efforts for fish, the collection is perhaps the most rewarding, Lilly says, because “I have seen that we can build something that will have a lasting impact.”

It’s easy to get the sense that behind those dark glasses, Bud is silently replaying the stories he likes best from a lifetime of Montana fishing. It doesn’t take much encouragement to get him to tell the stories out loud. Ask him about his favorite fish and he’ll probably tell you about one he didn’t catch himself. He was with his father. Often, after the barber shop closed at six in the evening, they would hit the water together. One night, when Bud was 9 or 10, they went to Baker Creek, a tributary of the Gallatin. As the dusk deepened, his father caught a fish, and before long it was evident that it wasn’t just any fish. “Go to the car and get my flashlight,” his dad told him. “Let’s see just what we’ve got here.” What they had, by flashlight, was a nine-pound brown trout, and in the telling of it, Bud Lilly’s face lights up just like it must have that evening, eighty years ago.

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benefits of older employees

DILLON KATO Montana 55

A new study by the AARP spells out the benefits of businesses hiring older employees for job openings, including higher work ethic and lower turnover. The report follows statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics which found that Montana has the highest percentages of workers aged 55 and older in the nation at almost 28 percent. The same data showed more than 41 percent of all Montanans ages 55 and above are working. The state also ranked first for

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It’s important for us to have folks who provide diverse experience and life skills. – Katie Deuel, Home resource, executive director

the percentage of 65-and-older Montanans in the workforce, at 8.6 percent. The AARP study predicted that by 2022, around 35 percent of the labor force in the U.S. will be older than 50, as compared to 25 percent in 2002 and 33 percent in 2012. According to AARP’s study, hiring workers aged 50 and older does not lead to significant increases in employment costs. Changes in benefit programs have led to a more even distribution of the costs of employees, and the study concluded that hiring older workers may end up increasing labor costs by only one to two percent. It also found that workers aged 50 and above have a 29 percent chance of unexpected turnover, as opposed to 49 percent for lower-aged employees. Steve Reiter, senior operations specialist with AARP Montana, said one of the factors for Montana’s high senior employment that many people leave Montana after finishing school to take better-paying jobs out of state, and only return to Montana later in life. “I mean, that’s me. I left the state in my early 30s, and now I’m in my upper 50s and I’m back,” he said. Before moving to Montana, Reiter worked with AARP in Washington state, where he ran one division of the Senior Community Service Employment Program. The federal employment training program places people 55 and older into part-time assignments at nonprofits and public agencies. The work is paid through funding from the Older Americans Act, with the goal that the experience will help people returning to the workforce develop skills and training through the job placements. “The agencies receive much-needed help at no cost. It’s a supplement to their labor force,” Reiter said. “They also receive very dedicated and loyal part-time participants.” Reiter said the biggest employment challenge for seniors is landing a job to begin with. “The competition that goes into it is tough, from the interview and applications process to developing a network of people to help them,” Reiter said.

In Montana, the Senior Community Service Employment Program is managed by

an organization called Experience Works, with offices and position placements across the state. One of the Missoula agencies that takes part in the program is Home ReSource. Executive Director Katie Deuel said the relationship has been beneficial both for her organization and the people that have come in to work with them. “It’s important for us to have folks who provide diverse experience and life skills,” she said. Beyond retail experience and green-building skills, Deuel said the most important benefit to the senior employees is what she termed “soft skills” such as having a set work schedule and responsibilities, and working as part of a team day to day. “We’ve had a number of folks that went on and found other jobs. One of them is the voice on the radio for one of our radio ads,” Deuel said. Her own employees at Home ReSource also see a benefit. Not only is work being accomplished that would not have been done without the seniors from the program, but Deuel said they also share some of their own perspectives to the generally younger workforce. “They come in a way that is so much richer because they have been around in the world,” she said. Debbie Lester, chief financial officer at Missoula Aging Services, said the proportion of older working Montanans mirrors the trend of the state’s population demographics. “In 2025, Montana will be fifth in the nation in percentage of people 60 and older,” she said. She said that is due, in part, to seniors who are working later into their lives because people are living longer, and because some of them had their retirement portfolios get hit hard by the recession. “With our low-wage jobs, seniors do have to work longer,” Lester said. “They maybe have never been able to save for retirement that would be adequate.” Fall 2015

autumn reads

BARBARA THEROUX for Montana 55

There is an abundance of things to celebrate this time of year – wonderful fall colors, variety of community festivals, so many new books.

Those of you who love Ira Glass on NPR will want to check out this book about radio storytellers:

“Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio” by Jessica Abel

With the help of This American Life’s Ira Glass, Jessica Abel, a cartoonist and devoted fan of narrative radio, goes behind the scenes at five of the most popular storytelling shows on the radio to look at the ways that they construct a narrative – and we get some great insider details. Within these pages, we listen to Jad Abumrad of RadioLab talk about chasing moments of awe with scientists, we hear Robert Smith of Planet Money talk about his slightly goofy strategy for making interviewees feel comfortable, and we see how mad – really mad – Ira Glass of TAL becomes when he receives edits from his colleagues. Out on the Wire is informative, funny, and engaging, and it demonstrates that in the midst of all the other media that consumes us, radio is still very much alive.

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New books by two favorite authors:

“Crossing the Plains with Bruno” by Annick Smith

In “Crossing the Plains with Bruno,” Annick Smith weaves together a memoir of travel and relationship, western history and family history, human love and animal love centering around a two week road trip across the Great Plains she and her 95-pound chocolate lab, Bruno, took in the summer of 2003. It is a chain of linked meditations, often triggered by place, about how the past impinges on the present and how the present can exist seemingly sans past. Traveling from her rural homestead in Montana to pick up her nearly 100-yearold mother from her senior residence on Chicago’s North Side and bring her to the family’s beach house on a dune overlooking Lake Michigan, Smith often gets lost in memory and rambling contemplation. Bruno’s constant companionship and ever present needs force her to return to the actual, reminding her that she, too, is an animal whose existence depends on being alert to the scents, sights, hungers, and emotions of the moment.

“Swallowed by the Great Land And other dispatches from Alaska’s Frontier” by Seth Kantner

Seth Kantner’s novel, “Ordinary Wolves,” told the story of a white boy growing up with homesteading parents in Arctic Alaska and trying to reconcile his largely subsistence and Native-style upbringing with the expectations and realities tied to his race. “Swallowed by the Great Land” features slice-of-life essays that further reveal the duality in the author’s own life today, and also in the village and community that he inhabits a mosaic of all life on the tundra. Unique characters, village life, wilderness and the larger landscape, a warming Arctic, and hunting and other aspects of subsistence living are all explored in varied yet intimate stories.

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Now in paperback and worth discussing:

“The Ploughmen: A Novel” by Kim Zupan

Two men — a killer awaiting trial, and a troubled young deputy — sit across from each other in the dark, talking through the bars of a county jail cell. John Gload, at the age of seventy-seven, faces the prospect of longterm incarceration and Valentine Millimaki, low man in the Copper County sheriff’s department, who draws the overnight shift after Gload’s arrest. With a disintegrating marriage further collapsing under the strain of his night duty, Millimaki finds himself seeking counsel from a man he’s sworn to keep behind bars, a man whose troubled past shares something essential with his own.

Good escape into the Scandinavian mystery world:

“The Hanging Girl: A Department Q Novel” by Jussi Adler-Olsen

In the middle of his usual hard-won morning nap in the basement of police headquarters, Carl Mørck, head of Department Q, receives a call from a colleague working on the Danish island of Bornholm. Carl is dismissive when he realizes that a new case is being foisted on him, but a few hours later, he receives some shocking news that leaves his headstrong assistant Rose more furious than usual. Carl has no choice but to lead Department Q into the tragic cold case of a vivacious seventeen-year-old girl who vanished from school, only to be found dead hanging high up in a tree. The investigation will take them from the remote island of Bornholm to a strange sun worshipping cult, where Carl, Assad, Rose, and newcomer Gordon attempt to stop a string of new murders and a skilled manipulator who refuses to let anything — or anyone — get in the way.

We’re Heading Toward Flu Season Flu season runs from October-May with high activity December-February. It’s best to get a flu shot as soon as they’re offered, though getting one at any time is a wise decision. Practice good social hygiene. Cough or sneeze into your sleeve and don’t touch your eyes or mouth without first washing your hands. And if you have flu symptoms, be sure to see a medical provider. We’re here to not only help you if you get sick, but to guide you from going down that road altogether.

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Two books for the hunters and gatherers:

“The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game” by Steven Rinella, with photographs by John Hafner

“The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game, Volume 1: Big Game” breaks down exactly how to hunt big game with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, photographs, and illustrations. Organized according to animal, this manual guides readers through each step of the hunt—from the prep work, to the best hunting techniques and equipment, to detailed information about each animal, to what to do once you’ve captured your prey, to how to cook it.

“The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine: How I Spent a Year in the American Wild to Re-create a Feast from the Classic Recipes of French Master Chef Auguste Escoffier” by Steven Rinella

After stumbling upon August Escoffier’s 1903 culinary milestones “Le Guide Culinaire,” outdoorsman, avid hunter and nature writer Steven Rinella embarks on an unusual quest to procure all necessary ingredients for a forty-five-course meal, born entirely of Escoffier’s esoteric wild game recipes. For one year, Rinella traverses the country assembling his feast — fishing for stingrays in Florida, flying cross-country to Michigan to obtain a fifteen-pound snapping turtle, and hunting mountain goats in Alaska. “The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine” is a delicious, absorbing account of one man’s relationship with his family, friends, food, and, of course, the natural world.

We are leaders by example. We are good steWards of the environment and a role model both at Work and in the greater community.

Our staff at Westpark Village is involved in over 120 different service organizations and Billings community volunteer activities

The purpose in life is to live a life of purpose.

Robert Bryne

Call for a tour today.

2351 Solomon Ave. Billings, MT 59102 406-652-4886 www.westparksenior.com www.GenerationsHealthNetwork.com Fall 2015

For the young at heart:

“The Secret Mission of William Tuck” by Eric Pierpoint

Eric Pierpont visited several schools in the Missoula area when his book, “The Last Ride of Caleb O’Toole” was first released. The story of Caleb and his brother and sister as they travel from Kansas to the Montana Territory had great adventure but also good historic information. Since then Missoula teachers have been ready for his second book on the American Revolution, “The Secret Mission of William Tuck.” After seeing his brother murdered by the British, William leaves home to join the Patriot effort. Then, in the midst of a conflict, a dying soldier with an intricate watch and a secret message for a Patriot named James Armistead offers him a chance to avenge his brother’s untimely death. As William begins his new mission he meets Rebecca, a girl who will do anything to get back at the men who kidnapped her father — even pose as a boy. Together they embark on a cross-colony journey through a secret network of Patriot spies that leads them on a quest to find General Washington himself.

“The Day the Crayons Came Home” by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Poor Duncan! His crayons sure are a colorful bunch of characters! In “The Day the Crayons Quit,” they threatened to walk off the job. Now a whole new group of crayons have sent postcards asking to be rescued. From Maroon Crayon, who was lost beneath the sofa cushions and then broken in two after Dad sat on him; to poor Turquoise, who is stuck to one of Duncan’s stinky socks after they both ended up in the dryer together; to Pea Green, who knows darn well that no kid likes peas and who ran away, each and every crayon has a woeful tale to tell and a plea to be brought home to the crayon box. And wait until you see what happened to Yellow Crayon and Orange Crayon who were always arguing what was the real color of the sun! Enjoy the change of seasons and keep your life interesting with good books to read and share.

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Fall 2015

Each day to the fullest.

The secret to happiness as we age is to stay as mentally, physically and socially engaged as possible. To feel a sense of purpose. And to be surrounded by those who truly care. Helping residents live each day to the fullest is our mission at Highgate. We offer a host of activities, nutritious and delicious meals, and full care for all in a lovely, homelike setting. If you or your loved one needs either a little or a lot of extra help with daily living, call today and schedule a tour of our Assisted Living or Memory Care community. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see why a move to Highgate is one of the best moves you can make. Highgate at Great Falls 3000 11th Avenue South Call: 406-454-0991 Highgate at Bozeman 2219 West Oak Street Call: 406-587-5100

Highgate at Billings 3980 Parkhill Drive Call: 406-651-4833

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