MT 55 Spring 2020

Spring 2020

Quarterly Guide for Seasoned Montanans

A good deal on a new best friend

Retire early or late? Savings hints

Day hikes mt55mag.com

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the magazine for montanans in their prime

publisher jim strauss

editors keila szpaller

jessica abell

Montana 55 is a special publication of Lee Enterprises and the Missoulian.

Copyright 2020.

For advertising information contact Rob Peterson 406-523-5200, or email Robert.Peterson@missoulian.com www.mt55mag.com

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inside

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Spring 2020

6

new friend

16

early out or stay late?

10

planning for retirement

18

prescription fog

12

alternative approach

20

stay healthy

15

easy day hikes

21

ok boomer

Spring 2020

Humane Society waives fees

tips for saving enough

guide to essential oils

ďŹ ve Montana adventures

two dierent approaches

medicine interactions

regular exercise key

inter-generational frictions

IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER

70½

OR OLDER

DIRECT UP TO

$100,000

YOUR SAVINGS, YOUR LEGACY. Avoid taxes on transfers of up to $100,000 from your IRA to support United Way.

Satisfy some or all of your required minimum distribution for the year.

Reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions.

Make a gift that is not subject to the deduction limits on charitable gifts.

Use your rollover to make payments on an existing pledge to us.

You have saved and saved, now use your savings to create your legacy.

If you are 70½ or older, you can use your individual retirement account (IRA) to support your neighbors in need.

Making an IRA charitable rollover gift to United Way will lower the income and taxes from your IRA required minimum distributions. Want to learn how you can create your legacy by making an IRA charitable rollover gift this year? Please contact your financial advisor or United Way of Missoula County.

missoulaunitedway.org 412 West Alder | 406.549.6104

United Way of Missoula County mt55mag.com

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Your New Best Friend

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Spring 2020

Keila Szpaller Montana 55 When Mike Skow hops in his fullsize pickup truck to head out on his recycling route, Maddie, 10, rides shotgun.

“She is mellow. She minds really well. And she’s even learned not to eat the cat food,” said Skow just a couple of weeks after adopting the happy dog.

Skow, of Clinton, has had dogs all his life, and several months ago, his pooch Hyde died. (His son, who lives on Skow’s property, still has Hyde’s brother, Jekyll.) Skow had heard about the Humane Society of Western Montana’s “Seniors for Seniors” program, and he decided he’d give it a try. Seniors for Seniors waives the adoption fee for people 65 and older who adopt pets 7 years or older.

“This is the first time I’ve gone to a pound to get a dog. All my other ones were gifts from friends or I hear about a dog (that needs a home),” Skow said.

So he went to the shelter to inquire.

He was open to a big dog or a little one, long hair or short, tail or no tail. Really, he had just one requirement.

“The only thing that kind of mattered is I would have preferred a female because the other two dogs my son has are boys, and I didn’t want any hassles,” Skow said. “Maddie has turned out to be a good choice.”

She has soft, golden fur, a tail that wags easily, and a belly often turned up for scratches. She’s “a mutt like me,” Skow said, and, as Maddie rolled on his lap, a “connoisseur of comfort.”

The Humane Society’s Seniors for Seniors program has been around a long time, and the premise is simple, said Marta Pierpoint, executive director of the nonprofit. The primary objective of the shelter is to send animals home because home, of course, is preferable to a temporary residence.

“So many seniors are so very available to their pets. So we want to make it easy on them to adopt,” Pierpoint said.

“Also, there are health benefits to seniors to having pets, so it’s a win win.”

Photo by Tom Bauer/ MT 55

Adopt for free? Seniors get deals at the Humane Society For example, scientific study shows even just petting an animal lowers a person’s blood pressure, Pierpoint said.

“That’s a pretty well-established benefit.” But she said other health perks science is coming to document is that having a pet can reduce anxiety and even help regulate blood sugar, and she talks about those benefits with community members who may not be pet owners.

“Why should I care for programs you have for people and animals?’”

Pierpoint said of a question that sometimes arises. “The answer is, ‘It leads to a healthier community overall.”

Sometimes, she said older seniors worry about whether the Humane Society would take their animal back if they pass away, and Pierpoint said that’s always the case. Sometimes, people even leave a note on their refrigerator for the shelter.

“We would of course take an animal back, and of course we would take care of it,” she said.

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Photo by Ben Allan Smith/ MT 55

Spring 2020

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At the shelter, she said cats are popular for seniors.

“If someone comes in and they have mobility issues, the cat is a great option.” Some seniors end up taking home a pet that has a medical condition that mirrors their own, such as poor eyesight.

Big Tom, a large feline gentleman at the Humane Society, had a painful eye condition, and the 10-yearold needed surgery in both eyes. Now, the gray shorthaired cat has just one eye, and he’s not in pain anymore and is a much happier cat thanks to the shelter’s veterinarian, Pierpoint said. She can see him making a good pet, possibly to someone who also has trouble seeing.

“We also have lots of seniors come in for dogs as well, and the program works for both,” she said.

Older cats and dogs both offer advantages over younger pets, too. For example, an older cat probably already knows how to use a litter box, and older dogs often already know how to walk on leashes and respond to some commands.

The “California littles” are popular, the small dogs flown to Montana in warmer months by Dog is my Copilot from full shelters in the Golden State. But larger dogs that are older and need more love and companionship than hard-core exercise do well

Mike Skow with Maddie, 10.

with some seniors too.

Sammie, for instance, is 7 years old, and she’s a big dog, but more of a sweet “couch potato.” At the Humane Society, dogs have “office hours,” times when they hang out with shelter staff in their offices instead of in the kennel, and Sammie appeared to be an expert at hanging out.

“She’s not the kind of dog that’s going to need a whole lot of hard, strong exercise,” Pierpoint said. “ ... She just needs a home. Of course, most dogs are that way.”

By many measures, Maddie has shown herself to be a well-mannered family member, minus those couple nibbles from the cat’s bowl in the beginning. Skow believes her previous owners had to move and couldn’t take her with them because she came with all her records since she was a puppy.

“She was taught so well that she doesn’t get on the furniture,” Skow said. In fact, he doesn’t mind having a dog sit next to him on the couch, but he has to coax her up.

“She hasn’t got up there by herself. She’s a marvel.”

She hasn’t run out of the yard either, like some people who have stayed at his residence with their dogs. She also appears to be a pacifist, which works out well on the property.

“She hasn’t killed a

chicken or a duck. All the other dogs have at least killed one chicken,” Skow said.

Skow started dumpster diving years ago, and now, he drives his truck around town to places such as Secret Seconds that will save items with recyclable material for him. He’ll take them home, remove the copper and brass parts, and sell them, although he said President Donald Trump’s trade war with China hasn’t helped his bottom line.

Certainly, his route has been improved since Maddie came along, and she rides with him to pick up the goods. She’s new to the circuit, so she hasn’t met all the

people along the way who are sure to become her fast friends and fans, but she’ll start getting to know them on the two- or three-hour route soon enough.

Skow appreciates his senior pet, the affordable price (free for people 65 and up), and the friendly staff and pets at the Humane Society. When he visited, three senior dogs were available, and Skow ventures a guess that he’d have taken a liking to every single one. “(Maddie) was the first one I looked at. If I’d have seen all three, I’d have probably took all three,” he said.” MT55

Would You Give Your Keys to a Stranger?

To a scammer, your Medicare card is the key to stealing your benefits.

Here’s how you can protect against health care fraud: • Don't give your Medicare number to strangers • Check medical bills and statements • Report errors and suspicious charges To report fraud or ask for more prevention tips, contact MT SMP at 1-800-551-3191 PROTECT

Medical Numbers

PREVENT

Scams & Errors

REPORT

Your Concerns

This project was supported in part by grant numbers 90MP0163 and 90MP0015 from the U.S. Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their finds and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration on Aging policy.

mt55mag.com

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Planning for retirement

KEILA SZPALLER Montana 55 Here’s one planning tip for your financial portfolio: Check your family health history.

That bit of advice comes from Bob Seidenschwarz, a financial adviser with SG Long Financial.

“What is your current state of health?

What is your family’s health history? Is there longevity in your family of origin ?” Seidenschwarz said. “This becomes an important consideration.”

Current events can also create stresses as people plan for their futures. How do they consider the effects of the coronavirus, for instance, or global warming? If you own stocks such as Amazon, Google or Starbucks, which has operations in China, how do you assess the effects of the coronavirus on the markets?

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Seidenschwarz, in the business some 30 years and based in Missoula, said people have access to a lot of educational materials, but sometimes, it helps to sit down with an expert.

“I think having a conversation with a professional is helpful to put things in its proper perspective,” Seidenschwarz said.

Remember, he said, there are and will be events that can be unsettling, but over the long term, wealth is still being created.

Earlier this year, Seidenschwarz answered some questions from the Missoulian about planning for retirement. Here’s a Q&A adapted from that interview.

Q. If you’re coming up on 55 and looking at another decade or so of work, how you should be looking at your financial portfolio?

A. Now, you are given an end game to what then becomes that magical word,

retirement. So that’s where we have to start thinking about, what actually does retirement look like and mean to you?

It’s a question I pose to people so they can start having that conversation with their spouses, significant others or themselves. And we attach a lot of nice sounding terminology to retirement. These are your golden years, your freedom to do what you wish, to travel. While that’s appealing, what we tend to forget is that our characteristics and habits are pretty well-established by the time we are 55 years old. In terms of what that looks like, I would do a check of, ‘Who am I? What is my personality? What do I enjoy doing?’ And measure that against the resources you’re going to have available 10 years hence.

Q. What are the top mistakes to avoid at this time?

A. There’s several of them. I don’t think people think about one of the most important issues, which is longevity. It’s not so much a mistake as it is forgetting the reality that we are living much longer. The average life expectancy in the U.S. in 2019 was 76.3 years. For a female it is 81 years and a male is 78.9 years. This means the resources that we have — or don’t have — are going to have to last a lot longer than what historically humankind mortality tables have been.

What I’ve learned in all these decades is until you arrive at that point, a lot of folks think, ‘It’s never going to be me.’’

It’s always someone else. Look around at the examples. At 55, we still have a lot of our parents that are still living.

One of the most important conversations we can have, which doesn’t often happen, is to talk to those aging parents and ask them what they, if given the chance to do it again, would have done differently? One of the things I’ve observed is having mentors in your life that you can actually use as real live breathing examples of what you’re going to be facing, and then ask those questions, such as, ‘How prepared am I?’ It’s a sobering reality, but the majority of people have not started saving early enough to have the magic of compounding working for them. Later in life the desire to save may be there, but the resources may not be available to do so. It’s important to evaluate annually now what your retirement income needs are, so adjustments can be made to your contributions to meet those goals.

Q. If you think you might be behind in your 401(k), how do you get on track?

A. Think of the ways that you may create wealth for yourself. You may inherit assets if you’re lucky. You can start a business. We know that there is a lot of risk to starting your own business, and the rate of failure is rather high. One of your options through your 401(k) is

Bob Seidenschwarz, a financial adviser with SG Long Financial, said longevity is an important issue to consider when planning for retirement.

to invest in stocks, bonds, commodities and real estate, in investments that we are familiar with called mutual funds.

This will help you create wealth to be used in your retirement years. The challenge is, if you are behind, what is needed to catch up? Some difficult decisions will have to be made. If you have discretionary income to allow you to increase your contributions, then by all means do so. If you are like most Americans, that may not be an option, and you will have to make some decisions about prioritizing what you can live without in order to secure a comfortable future. I call it wants and needs.

I want it, but do I really need it?

Q. Do you need a financial adviser to get on track?

A. You can take the time to learn about this on your own. There is no end to the information out there in terms of what you can access on the internet, books that are available, you can go to Barnes & Noble and there’s a whole section on finance. But here’s the reality.

How many people have the time and the interest and the discipline to do that?

So that’s why the Vanguards, Charles Schwab, or people in my position exist.

We’ve been educated and trained in this profession. We are the biggest most vibrant economy in the world — not to say that China isn’t nipping at our heels.

But we are maybe the least educated people about how this economic system as a society works, and how it creates wealth and opportunity for you to participate in it.

Q. How do you avoid shysters?

A. You can actually call the state of Montana to see if a person has had any types of legal issues relating to the industry. If a complaint is made, that has to be filed with the regulatory entities, whether it’s the state of Montana or FINRA. These are our governing entities that provide protection for the consumer against people in our industry that may not be acting on behalf of the best interest of the client. You can also interview advisers, gauge their credibility and review their certifications to see if they’ve had any compliance issues.”

MT55

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Getting to the essence

12 Spring 2020

Essential oils can be beneficial, but they should be used with caution TREVA LIND The Spokesman-Review Essential oils show up seemingly everywhere. They’re in lotions, hair care products, aromatherapy, cleaning supplies and more. As gifts, they might arrive in little jars with a diffuser device. Essential oils are steam distilled or cold-pressed extracts of almost any part of a plant such as seeds, flowers, fruit, leaves, stems and roots — so they retain natural smells and flavors. Think lavender or jasmine.

Depending on which oil, the products are touted as helping with sleep, alertness, relaxation and other benefits, but are they always safe? While they’re benign

for many users if properly used, some people report allergic reactions or breathing problems — potentially an asthma concern.

“There is no evidence that essential oils can help asthma,” said Melanie Carver with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. “In fact, breathing in the particles released by the oils may actually trigger airway inflammation and asthma symptoms.”

“It is best to talk with your health care provider before trying anything new.”

Consumers also should be mindful that bottled essential oils are highly potent and “50 to 100 times” more concentrated

than the oils in the plant itself, a Dec. 10 Washington Post article cited.

Research offers promising results, along with mixed evidence of health benefits for essential oils, said the article, which included comments from Harpreet Gujral, director of integrative medicine at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. “The research is quite promising,” Gujral said. She also cited continuing clinical studies striving to measure the degree to which oils can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and nausea, as well as how they affect mood. “The results are mixed, but the research is there,” she said. “We just need more.”

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About 10 of 100 most common essential oils have been researched “in great depth” in recent decades, the article cited, with evidence such as “the cooling sensation of peppermint oil, the bacteria-killing power of tea tree oil or the calming effect of lavender,” but the results aren’t guaranteed for everyone.

As products distilled from plants, essential oils — like vitamins — aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Sandy Falkner and Peggy Ward of Spokane, Washington, tell people that if you’re new to essential oils, it’s best to start with a small amount applied cautiously. The sisters use essential oils and sell them as distributors for Young Living Essential Oils.

“We always say start low and go slow, meaning you want to start by applying a small amount to the bottom of feet to see if you’ll have a reaction,” Ward said.

“Every human body is different.”

If using an essential oil in a diffuser, Ward also suggests that people try a shorter period of time at first to test for any reactions. Ward said she has allergies, including to citrus, along with an almond sensitivity.

“I haven’t found any challenges with using any of the essential oils, although I have a ton of allergies. I can’t eat citrus, but I can consume and use citrus oils without an effect.

“The reason for that is with steam distillation or cold-press distillation that is done in the citrus oil, it removes the protein that most people would have an allergic reaction to.”

She said another consideration is the quality and purity of oils used. Research a company to make sure there aren’t additives.

“If you’re using a lowergrade oil, perfume oil or a floral water, you’re not going to get the effects,” Ward said. “And there’s a good chance they’re going to

14 Spring 2020

contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers or chemical extenders.”

Pure coconut, grapeseed or virgin olive oil can be used to dilute an essential oil for topical use, she said. These carrier oils have larger molecules than essential oils, Ward added, so a mixture will penetrate skin at a slower rate.

Ward added that peppermint oil is an example of an essential oil that should be used cautiously and diluted with a carrier oil. Young Living says on its website that

As products distilled from plants, essential oils — like vitamins — aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. peppermint’s cooling sensation can be too intense. Also, children and the elderly often have more sensitive skin, Ward said.

Falkner said customers largely report benefits from use of essential oils such as for facials and skin care. She turned to essential oils in a search of a chemical-free lifestyle. Most essential oils are distilled, but consumers should check on labels and research companies to make certain that solvents or chemicals weren’t used in the oil extraction process, Falkner said.

“Learn the company, learn how the oil is distilled, learn how it’s extracted,” Falkner said. “There are many ways you can do it, but the ways that are steam and

cold-pressed keep out the chemicals and all the other stuff that can cause breathing problems.”

Dr. Phil Werschler of Spokane Dermatology Clinic agrees that people are using essential oils more often in a number of ways. “They are typically used by rubbing or massaging on the body or during bathing,” Werschler said.

“They can be inhaled, used in vaporizers, diffusers, steamers.”

In an email, he also listed a caution that because essential oils are naturally occurring substances, they are not regulated. “Because of this lack of regulation, virtually any product can claim they contain essential oils even if the ingredients are synthetic, present in only trace amounts or inactive.

“Frequently, the intended use of these oils is to treat the skin and have an olfactory effect. Users need to be aware that some may develop skin irritation, rashes or nasal congestion, coughing, sneezing and even worsening of an airway disease such as asthma.”

As another caution, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences says its studies have shown that lavender and tea tree oil may act as endocrine disrupting chemicals. These are natural or manmade compounds that mimic or oppose the actions of hormones produced in the human body.

Also, the agency warns that clinical research found a possible link between the topical use of essential oils and the onset of male gynecomastia, or the development of breast tissue, in prepubescent boys.

NIEHS researchers created different dilutions of pure essential oils and eight selected chemical components and tested their activity. They found as the dilution increased, the endocrine disrupting chemical activity of the oils and chemicals decreased, the agency’s website says. MT55

Easy Montana day hike adventures Rachel Crisp Philips Montana 55

JEWEL BASIN HIKING AREA

When it comes to exploring Montana’s great outdoors, the Big Sky has no limits to accessible adventures for folks of all backgrounds and skill levels. From novice to expert, flabby to fit, young to old, Montana’s wide expanse of public lands and beautiful vistas offer numerous opportunities for all-ages recreation across the state.

While there’s no need to allow age to impede upon enjoyment, consider consulting with a primary care physician before heading out in order to evaluate the risk of accidents. Keep in mind that though some trails may not be very long in mileage, they may gain elevation rapidly which can exacerbate health issues such as asthma, cardiac issues, or orthopedic function.

Whether hiking solo, sauntering along with friends, or with toddling grandchildren in tow, these trails are just a few of Montana’s many great options for easy excursions.

There are several options for trails in this hiking-only area that spans 15,000 acres of the Swan Mountains. One of the shorter hikes is only about a mile long with minimal elevation gain, and boasts views that look down to the Flathead Valley. Similar to many of these easier trails, most of the elevation gain happens during the drive up to the trailhead, providing great views from any angle along the way.

15 miles northeast of Bigfork:

ROSS CREEK CEDARS SCENIC AREA South of Troy:

Thick canopies of western red cedar trees tower above the trails in this protected, 100-acre rainforest area located in northwest Montana. Most of these ancient giants are over 500 years old and offer a rare glimpse into the primeval paradise that once dominated the region. An accessible nature trail loops from the parking lot through part of the grove, packing a whole lot of flora and fauna into less than a mile.

For a longer, but still family-friendly venture, the nearby Ross Creek Trail 142 is a suitable day hike.

HYALITE LAKE

20 miles south of Bozeman: This handicap-accessible trail is an easy way to scope some unique scenery as it parallels Hyalite Creek, passing alongside an array of waterfalls as it heads upstream. The first waterfall, simply named Grotto, is only 1.5 miles round-trip from the trailhead. For more adventurous hikers, the course continues for 5.5 miles to a peak with astounding views of the surrounding Paradise and Gallatin valleys. Other nearby options for a jaunt are just down the road. Follow the signs to either Palisade Falls for a short stroll or back to Hyalite Reservoir for a refreshing soak or to relax while fishing.

Lost Creek Falls. The stunning sight that awaits features water that falls 50 spectacular feet upon the bedrock below.

In its entirety, Lost Creek State Park boasts 502-acres of forests, meadows and cliffs with camping available for longerterm guests. Many types of wildlife call this place home year-round, including bighorn sheep, mountain goats, golden eagles and other large birds of prey.

SOUTH FORK SUN RIVER 30 miles west of Augusta:

LOST CREEK STATE PARK 11 miles northwest of Anaconda:

From the main parking area, it’s only a half-mile stroll along a short, paved trail to get a good view that overlooks

Although this trail serves as a popular entry point for skilled hikers heading out to the Scapegoat and Bob Marshall Wilderness areas, it can also be a short saunter with gorgeous vistas. This super scenic path follows the river downstream for prime picnicking by the riverside, or for a longer excursion to the landmark Chinese Wall. Superclear water, even when deep, is only one of the many stand-out aspects of this river. MT55

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Photo by Tom Bauer/ MT 55

Brad Curtiss retired at age 55 in 2005, after working for Blackfoot Telephone for 30 years.

Retirement: Early out

GWEN FLORIO Montana 55 Who: Brad Curtiss Occupation: worked for Blackfoot Telephone Retired: 2005, at age 55 Retired when he did because … of the “Rule of 85” – my time served was 30 years and my age was 55. … That was full retirement.

What he’s done since: I went to

16 Spring 2020

work as a volunteer at (Providence) St. Pat’s hospital. I’m down at the Broadway desk, and I tell people that I finally get to tell people where to go.

Best thing about retirement: I go out with friends and stuff, just kind of relax. (Friends have a cabin in the Swan Valley/Condon area) and we go up to the cabin for a weekend or something. … The cabin’s a real nice (place) to sit and rest your weary bones.

Worst thing: I don’t think I could

say anything bad about being retired — except for that I don’t do enough exercise. You gotta stay somewhat healthy in order to enjoy retirement.

Advice: Just have in their mind what really they want to do. And enjoy it. My dad got a little license plate for his rig, and it says “No phone, no boss, no this, no that – RETIRED.” MT55

Photo by Kurt Wilson/ MT 55

Barbara Theroux, founder and former owner of Fact & Fiction bookstore, on her last day at work before her retirement in 2017. She says the best thing about her life since is being able to say yes to all of the things she enjoys.

Retirement: One who waited GWEN FLORIO Montana 55 Who: Barbara Theroux Occupation: Bookseller, Fact and Fiction Retired: June 2017, just shy of age 70 Retired when she did because …

I chose June so I would be free to do some travel. I had it plotted out so I could get paid through the end of the year and then my Social Security would kick in.

What she’s done since: I’ve gotten involved in my community. I’ve

stayed involved with the Montana Book Festival, and as president of Friends of the Missoula Public Library. I’m very active in the exciting building project.

I’ve had some wonderful opportunity to travel, both exotic trips as well as traveling within the United States, even within the state of Montana, reconnecting with old friends or being able to be on hand for family occasions.

Best thing about retirement: Being free to say ‘yes.’ Yes to a trip, yes to going to a movie, yes because you can go.

You can be spontaneous.

Worst thing: (The loss of) some of that daily contact with people. … As a

former retailer, you were in it. You were in it. There was a constant group of people who came in, some you knew or who became good friends. I … still see them, but in a different context.

Advice: If you’re thinking that now is the time, make sure your finances are in order, that you have enough to live on, perhaps have something tucked away. I had a travel fund tucked away.

Do it before you regret your job. Do it before your body doesn’t allow you to do things. Do it while you’re healthy in mind and spirit and body. You need to enjoy it.” MT55

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Medication fog can mimic or worsen dementia in the elderly MARILYNN MARCHIONE AP Chief Medical Writer Claire Dinneen’s daughters thought that worsening dementia was causing her growing confusion, but her doctor suspected something else.

Dr. Pei Chen asked them to round up medicines in the 89-year-old woman’s home and they returned with a huge haul.

There were 28 drugs ordered by various doctors for various ailments, plus over-the-counter medicines. Chen spent a year sorting out which ones were truly needed and trimmed a dozen.

To her daughters’ surprise, Dinneen got better, able to remember more things and to offer advice on what to wear and how to raise their kids. Her symptoms were from “medication fog,” not her dementia getting worse, Chen told one daughter.

“I was just stunned,” Debbie Dinneen said. “No one had taken a look at the big picture” to see if medicines might be addling her mom, who lives near Berkeley, California.

“Unfortunately, it’s not unusual,” said Chen, a geriatrician at the University of California, San Francisco.

About 91% of people over 65 take at least one prescription medicine and 41% use five or more – what doctors call polypharmacy.

The risk of side effects or interactions rises with the number of pills, and one doctor

18 Spring 2020

often is unaware of what others have already prescribed for the same patient. Dinneen, for example, had two prescriptions for the same drug at different doses from different pharmacies.

“It’s very easy to miss medication side effects because they masquerade as all these other symptoms,” said Dr. Michael Steinman, another UCSF geriatrician.

He recently helped update an American Geriatrics Society list of potentially inappropriate medicines for older adults that can mimic dementia or make symptoms worse.

“Potentially” is the key word – the drugs on the list don’t always pose a problem, and no one should stop using any medicine without first checking with a doctor because that could do serious harm, Steinman stressed.

But some medicines don’t have a strong reason to be used and their risks may outweigh their benefits for older people, he and other doctors say. They often “de-prescribe” medicines that may no longer be needed or that once may have been OK but now may be causing problems.

The list includes certain types of muscle relaxants, antihistamines, allergy medi-

cines, stomach acid remedies, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medicines, pain relievers, sleep aids and other common treatments.

Many of these drugs have anticholinergic effects – that is, they reduce or interfere with a chemical messenger that’s key to healthy nerve function. That can cause drowsiness, confu-

show up with longer use. Patients may not make the connection between a drug they’ve used for many months and new symptoms. Age itself can be a culprit and make a longused drug suddenly intolerable.

“The drug hasn’t changed, the person has,” said Dr. Greg Jicha, a dementia specialist at the University of Kentucky.

sion, blurred vision, dizziness and other symptoms that impair thinking skills.

These drugs might be fine for a younger person, but “once someone is having even the tiniest difficulty with thinking and memory, then the effects of these drugs are just huge,” said Dr. Andrew Budson of Boston University’s Alzheimer’s disease center.

Sometimes side effects appear right away but in other cases they only develop or

Family members will say, “well, she was on that for 20 years,” but her brain, kidney, liver were younger too. She’s no longer going to be able to metabolize that drug like she used to, he said.

Jicha recalled a case last year when he was asked to give a second opinion on a woman recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He reviewed her medicines and “six jumped right out – these are not good medications for someone over

65” let alone at the higher doses she was receiving, he said. Four turned out to be for problems she no longer had, and he was able to switch some others to safer alternatives.

The woman’s score on a 38-point test of thinking skills rose from 18 before the medication changes to 33 after them, putting her at the low end of the normal range.

Now she can drive, which was “an absolute no-no six months earlier,” Jicha said. “She clearly no longer meets criteria for dementia.”

One of his colleagues, Dr. Daniela Moga, heads a study to see whether optimizing medicines can delay the start of dementia symptoms. At the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Los Angeles in July, she described the federally funded research, which involves people who are 65 or older and taking at least one medicine on the geriatrics society list.

All have normal thinking skills although some showed signs on brain scans of possible dementia developing.

Participants are given a sort of cognitive stress test – they take exams for thinking skills while wearing a patch that oozes scopolamine, a motion sickness

drug that has anticholinergic effects, and then four weeks later without the patch. If they do worse while on the patch, it means certain medicines might be harmful for them, Moga explained.

“We want to see if we can identify a specific group that might benefit most” by carefully managing medication use and possibly delay the start of dementia symptoms, she said.

To help avoid medication problems, doctors give these tips: • Make sure you know all the medications someone is taking, including prescription, over-the-counter and vitamins or dietary supplements. Don’t assume that some are safe just because they don’t require a prescription.

• Keep a running list with the date each medicine is started and stopped and note any symptoms.

• Review the total medication list with a doctor, a geriatrics specialist or a pharmacist.

• If you suspect a problem, bring it up with your doctor.

The American Geriatric Society’s Health in Aging Foundation has these tools and tips for finding alternatives to any medicines causing trouble. MT55

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Stay healthy

with regular exercise

Green Shoot Media We all know the benefi ts of a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise can help boost your energy, protect your heart and reduce your risk of illness. But how much is enough to really reap the benefits of a consistent workout routine?

According to the medical experts at FamilyDoctor. org, it is recommended that seniors age 65 and older get at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate aerobic exercise every week, such as brisk walking. Or you should get one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, which includes jogging.

Creating and following an exercise routine doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. It starts with a desire to be healthier and the willpower to see it through.

Read on for a few tips and exercise examples that can help you get off the couch and get into shape.

Physical health benefits

One of the biggest health benefits to a regular workout regimen is maintaining a healthy weight.

As we age, our metabolism naturally slows. This makes weight management a challenge. Exercise is a

20 Spring 2020

great way to increase your metabolism while burning muscle mass. This helps you burn more calories and lose weight.

Regular workouts can also enhance your mobility and flexibility. You may notice changes in your posture and overall energy level after you begin working out regularly.

These benefits can improve your daily living and give you the physical boost you’ve been looking for.

Be sure to always check with your physician before entering into a workout plan,

as they may have specific recommendations or restrictions custom to you.

Best exercises for seniors

Here are some of the best exercises for seniors: • Walking: Walking is a perfect way to start exercising because it requires no special equipment and is relatively easy to start. Find different places you like to walk so you can avoid falling into a monotonous rut.

• Fitness classes: Check in with your local gym to see what kinds of exercise programs are available specifi

cally for seniors. Pickleball and cycling are great activities to keep things fresh at the gym.

• Water sports: Working out in water reduces stress and strain on the body’s joints. It’s also a relaxing activity that can be done alone or in groups.

• Yoga: If you’re looking for better flexibility, strength and balance, yoga may be for you. Check with your local yoga instructors to see if senior classes are available. MT55

'OK, boomer' not an insult, it's a badge of honor Mary McNamara Los Angeles Times (TNS) You OK, boomer?

After all those anti-establishment placards and slogans, the years of controlling the vernacular and riding herd on the culture, it’s tough to be reduced to a catchphrase. Sent your way, you might add, by people “discovering” corduroy hip huggers and bong collections.

I mean, you made youth culture a thing, your thing, and now look what’s happened.

You, mercifully, did not die before you got old, which means you got old. And despite your insistence that 70 is the new 30, 30 is not the new 10 and 20-year-olds still exist.

Which means that, on top of all the knee problems and hip problems and weed getting legalized with no one thanking you for it even though you basically invented weed, you have to deal with a bunch of whippersnappers throwing “OK, boomer” shade on sweatshirts and TikTok. Not that you’re 100% sure what TikTok is and why can’t everyone just stay on Twitter and Facebook? You at least understand Twitter and Facebook. That’s probably where you read about the conservative radio host saying “boomer” was the age equivalent of the “nword” (which, well, words fail me) and that’s where you went to express your own outrage over getting dissed by a bunch

of kids who never had to walk nine miles through snow just to protest the Vietnam War. In fact, you probably had no idea the phrase “OK, boomer” was being slung around in memes and gifs on various platforms that are not Twitter

TikTok generation tick.”

I am not sure there is such a thing as a “TikTok generation,” though it definitely sounds like the most fun generation ever.

And it’s certainly a better name than, say, “extreme weather caused by global warming”

and Facebook until the New York Times wrote about it.

And frankly, being unaware of the happenings among young people until the New York Times writes about it is possibly The Most Boomer Thing Ever. Even for those who work at the Times — a few days later Maureen Dowd wrote about getting “OK boomered” by “the 27-year-old in my office” to whom she has turned to for help in deciphering “what makes the

generation.

But I am not convinced there is any generation, in the shared experience/personality sense; the baby boom was named, as you will note, for its size. The collective narrative of protest and upheaval followed by rank consumerism and self-satisfaction that the term has come to denote is most certainly not shared by every person born within those years.

Technically, I am a boomer,

born at the tail end of the 1946-1964 definition, but I do not identify as one (such a Gen Z term, right?). I got shoulder pads and yuppies rather than love beads and hippies. Air Supply instead of Jefferson Airplane, “St. Elmo’s Fire” rather than “Easy Rider.”

Indeed, the most enduring legacy of the boomers, also known for a while as the me generation, may be the notion of generational identification.

Hilariously, the generation that preceded, and indeed produced, the boom is known as the silent generation.

“Gen X” is the moniker that stuck to the generation following the boom, and what on earth does that mean? Nothing except not a boomer.

Which is pretty much the whole point of “OK, boomer”: That all this generational identification is, at best, nonsense and, at worst, an attempt by certain members of the baby boom generation to continue to define everyone else in relationship to themselves. Or how they define themselves — when a child I know dressed as a hippie for Halloween, a man at one house she visited remarked, “Oh, you’re dressed as a future Republican.”

So, obviously, feelings still run high.

Still, it must be hard when, having belonged to a group that was identified as revolutionary, influential and cool, you are dismissed by folks you consid-

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er, as a group, lazy, ill-informed and self-entitled. In other words, the same way adults in the 1950s saw members of the baby boom.

The anger you once righteously aimed at “the system” is now often being directed at you. Despite all your sit-in/ antiwar/antiapartheid/feminist/ Greenpeace credentials.

These are, after all, the folks who dare to push back against Martin Scorsese for saying wiseguy movies are more emotionally challenging than superhero movies. People who don’t understand the horror of hearing the Rolling Stones in a car commercial. Who know Bob Dylan not as the gravellyvoiced revolutionary but as the guy who won a Nobel Prize, and how much more establishment can you get?

In other words, young people. Boomers have hogged the spotlight and taken heat for years, been blamed and lauded for just about everything. Woodstock changed the nation; the me generation broke America. But “OK, boomer” isn’t about history or culture; it’s just the latest iteration of “OK, grandpa.”

Which stings, of course it does, but guess what? This is exactly how it’s supposed to work. Social progression is fueled in large part by generational tension.

We all love to say we want to make the world better for future generations, the implication being that whoever is saying this has the correct vision and the ability to make it happen. But when those future generations have a different idea, or demand deeper revisions — gun control, say, or a serious commitment to

slow climate change, a rethinking of the way groups of people are described or the structure of the traditional workplace — well, that’s taking things a bit too far.

Who do these kids think they are anyway? Fully enfranchised citizens with rights? Who are they to suggest that the generation that gave us increased sexual freedom, advanced civil rights and invented tie-dye might have a thing or two to learn? These are the kids who got trophies just for showing up. Right?

So come on, boomers, stop being snowflakes. You are OK, you’re just getting old.

Yes, we’re all a long way from the Haight and most of us never got there in the first place.

But Jane Fonda was arrested for protesting and anyway, “OK, boomer” is not an insult, it’s a badge of honor. The fight continues.

Go ahead and argue that social media and the digital economy have as many dangers as benefits. Texting your emotions and taking naked selfies can get folks into trouble.

But just remember that “free love” and “turn on, tune in and drop out” did too.

Seventy isn’t the new 30, but it is a very new kind of 70, which is why the young folk even bother talking about you.

So take the win.

And know that the moment boomers understand how to use TikTok, TikTok is done. MT55

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