Today's Transitions - Fall 2015

FALL 2015

Your total source for later living

300s +for

Option Living Well

COPING WITH

Fa l l

in Love

+

Brain Boosters Med Tracking Solutions Hassle-Free Doctor Visits

GRIEF

Wear This Now

p.88

CONTENTS: FALL 2015

18 26

40

18 Directories

49 How to Use

46

4

51 52 58 62 70 80 82 87

Facilities Aging-in-Place Facilities Alzheimer’s Care Facilities Assisted Living Facilities Home Health Nursing/Rehab Facilities Personal Care Facilities Retirement Communities Helpful Resources

18

By Tiffany White

Directories

49 Adult Day Care

UPGRADE YOUR BRAIN

6 8 12

WHAT I KNOW NOW

By Melissa Donald & Anita Oldham

22

BOOK CLUB

By Torie Temple

24

WISE & WELL

IT’S HECK GETTING OLD

26

TECH TALK

By Lucy M. Pritchett

FINDING LOVE AGAIN

By Yelena Sapin

14 16

CAREGIVER CIRCLE

28

By Torie Temple

10 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR PLASTIC SURGEON

By Mary Ellen Bianco

For advertising information, call 502.327.8855 or email advertising@todayspublications.com.

2 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

WHAT’S IN OUR CART?

34

COPING WITH GRIEF

40

UPDATES AND HAPPENINGS

By Mark Kaelin

By Megan M. Seckman

THE UPSIDE OF DOWNSIZING SOCIAL TIES

By Carrie Vittitoe

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MEDICARE & MEDICAID

By Carrie Vittitoe

By Gioia Patton & Anna Patterson

By Patti Hartog

By Connie Meyer

30

36

46

GROWING OLDER WITH OUR PARENTS

By Ruth W. Crocker

50

CARE PACKAGE FOR THE CAREGIVER

86

IT’S YOUR CHOICE

88

WHAT TO WEAR

By Bob Mueller

By Alissa Hicks & Tiffany White

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

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From the Editor Volume 12 / Number 3 PUBLISHER

Cathy S. Zion cathy@todayspublications.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Anita Oldham anita@todayspublications.com EDITOR

Tiffany White tiffany@todayspublications.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Lucy M. Pritchett

Upgrade your

Brain I

find myself standing in a room feeling baffled and frustrated. I cannot remember why I came into this room. The brain can be tricky. And forgetting things can be slightly amusing or almost scary. I know I’m not the only one who deals with these temporary — or sometimes permanent — memory lapses, but it can be weird when you feel like your mental acuity is a little shaky.

My solution for improving my brain has been to incorporate some type of exercise into my weekly routine when possible. I’ve also been using a cognitive therapy book called Keep Your Brain Stronger For Longer, which includes a variety of brain exercises that focus on enhancing mental clarity and memory. The book is fun, challenging, and a good way to spend time on self-improvement.

Need more ideas for getting your mind right? Our High Tech Health article (p.26) highlights some useful apps you can use for putting your memory back on the right track. Or check out our It’s Heck Getting Old feature for some tips on other easy ways of improving your memory and dealing with cognitive issues (p.12). Try it and leave forgetfulness in the past.

—

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4 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Susan Allen susan@todayspublications.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Kaitlyn English kaitlyn@todayspublications.com Teri Hickerson teri@todayspublications.com Suzy Hillebrand suzy@todayspublications.com Joyce Inman joyce@todayspublications.com MEDIA ASSOCIATE

Alissa Hicks alissa@todayspublications.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER

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Kathy Bolger kathyb@todayspublications.com ASSISTANT EDITOR/DESIGNER

Jessica Alyea jessica@todayspublications.com PHOTOGRAPHY

Melissa Donald melissa@todayspublications.com OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Jillian LeMaster officeadmin@todayspublications.com CIRCULATION MANAGER

W. Earl Zion COVER ART

Silvia Cabib TODAY’S TRANSITIONS is published by: Zion Publications LLC

9750 Ormsby Station Road, Suite 307 Louisville, KY 40223 (502) 327-8855 Fax (502) 327-8861 TodaysTransitionsNow.com The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publisher. The staff has made good-faith efforts to provide comprehensive and accurate listings in all directories. Information included in the directories is based strictly on that supplied by each entity.

Zion Publications does not endorse or guarantee any advertiser’s product or service.

Copyright 2013 by Zion Publications LLC with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited without permission from Zion Publications LLC.

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

5

WHAT I KNOW NOW

Bruce Simpson

This graceful man from Glasgow, Scotland, retired last year after having served for more than a decade as the artistic director of the Louisville Ballet. After 50 years in dance, Bruce Simpson, 66, now enjoys having the time to think and reflect.

BY LUCY M. PRITCHETT / PHOTO MELISSA DONALD

What ballets are dear to your heart?

La Fille mal gardée, which I have performed many times and was the piece that inspired me to become a ballet dancer at 15.

Also, Swan Lake and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I couldn’t wait to get on stage to dance them.

What drives you now?

The universe is new every day. Life is exciting.

How do you handle critics?

I do prefer any criticism to have some thought behind it. I take it that the person is trying to be helpful and is seeing things from their point of view. If the criticism is valid, then I would apply it.

What books have influenced you?

I am a passionate reader and want to be educated by what I read. I have about 80 running feet of books at home. I have collected books since I was 17. Two autobiographies, one by Russian composer Shostakovich and one by Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, impressed me with their stories of how they survived their times to perform.

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How does a man know when to walk away?

I loved my job as artistic director, but I had to ask myself if I had the correct amount of energy for the next 10 years to work with the new dancers joining the company.

What did you learn from your mother?

Be true to yourself. That takes courage and a lot of work.

What did you learn from hanging out with other dancers?

A ballet company is a community. We want to be individuals and develop our skills and personalities without prejudice, and yet we want to be part of the group.

We are trained and mentored to be an individual but at the same time part of the community. Artists by nature have a generosity of spirit.

What is a skill every man should have?

Developing curiosity. It is one of the greatest assets you can have. It is critical to moving forward.

How did you choose dancers for the company?

We had 200 dancers audition every year. I employed the ones that had something mysterious

Bruce Simpson appreciates the simplicity of his life.

about them. If I found them intriguing, then I thought the audience would find them intriguing as well.

miner, and when he would take us on walks, he had a story to tell us about everything we saw.

What music should every man listen to?

What are you most proud of?

Anything by Beethoven. He was a great humanist. And folk music from a country that isn’t his own.

That despite a challenging childhood — in a material sense — I managed to have such a rewarding and varied life.

What were you looking forward to in retirement?

What is your philosophy of life?

Brain space. Time to think.

Time to just be. Fiddling around the house. Not having too tight a schedule or structure. Time to ponder, reflect, try new things.

What can a man learn in the kitchen?

Patience, creativity, and self-reliance. Cooking can be like meditation. I am good at fixing messy food — soups and stews. Once I find a dish I like, I enjoy fixing it often. One of my favorites is a 200-year-old recipe for Scottish steak pie that uses French herbs and seasonings.

What did you learn from your dad?

To dream. He was a coal

The only thing you can control is your attitude.

When I wake up, I look forward to the day. In my 20s, everything seemed so difficult when actually it was me that was difficult.

You have a weakness for...

Cadbury’s chocolate and Scottish marmalade.

What does the average person not understand about the ballet?

It is the great peacemaker.

There are no words, which means the story can be understood by anyone anywhere in the world.

It is a shared experience but at the same time very private.

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

7

eo

al

Fin AT d

g a A i n e v o e Golden Years L g th n i g n n i t i f Da

BY TORIE TEMPLE

T

he thought of dating might make you think of sitting across from a stranger trying to make small talk while worrying if there’s a chunk of appetizer in your teeth. But people of all ages continue to take the plunge in hopes of finding someone to share life with.

“We are made to be together as human beings,” says 72-year-old Louisville author Sharon Marx, who wrote Looking for Love Through Thicker Lenses: A Guide to Dating Later in Life. “No one should have to be alone.

Grab love whenever you have the opportunity.”

Imagination and anxiety can generate a plethora of excuses for not grabbing those opportunities, but age shouldn’t be one of them.

BE BOLD Humans have a hard time breaking out of a routine.

Not everyone inherited the “politician” gene — shaking hands, kissing babies, campaigning for your cause. Many might rather hide under a cozy blanket routine and avoid the social awkwardness. But stepping out of your comfort zone and putting yourself out into the world could be the one step that helps you find someone special.

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PAGE 10 >>

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

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Date Ideas

Try these local places to wine, dine, or just unwind.

ROMANTIC Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium at UofL Catch a show featuring the mysteries of the universe in the theater that features a 360-degree projected view of the night sky.

CONTACT: Louisville. edu/planetarium/ or 502.852.6664 Belle of Louisville Take a dinner cruise and watch moonbeams bounce off the water as you float down the Ohio River. CONTACT: belleoflouisville.org or 502.574.2992 RELAXING Big Four Bridge Visit the bridge at twilight for a two-mile roundtrip walk lit by changing LED lights. CONTACT: Louisvillewaterfront.com Jefferson Memorial Forest Take a picnic and absorb the sounds of nature under the large trees of the forest. Explore the woods as you and your date walk the trails.

CONTACT: louisville.gov/ government/jeffersonmemorial-forest or 502.368.5404 CREATIVE Cooking at the Cottage Sign up for Date Night cooking classes offered throughout each month. Learn to make a delectable meal for two.

CONTACT:

cookingatthecottage.com or 502.893.6700 Williams-Sonoma Located in the Mall St. Matthews, WilliamsSonoma offers cooking classes including a free technique class and a cookbook club. CONTACT: williams-sonoma.com or 502.896.5740

<< PAGE 8

“What happens to a lot of seniors is that they deflate and stop looking ahead,” Sharon says.

“They lose their forward vision and can feel more comfortable in a hibernating state.” For example, Sharon says she’s noticed a difference in how Louisville seniors act compared to seniors in Florida, where she lived for two years. “In Florida, seniors were up and about more,” she says. “Of course, weather helped with that, but they put themselves out there.”

At 77, Donna Stone knows what it is like to step out of her comfort zone in the name of love.

After a divorce put her back on the dating scene, Donna did something outside her personality that warmed another's heart. “I had tried dating sites, but I was like ‘what am I doing?’ Some of these people were in Texas, and I wasn’t going to move any place, so dating sites weren’t for me,” she says.

Donna eventually reconnected with Leonard Goddy, a man she knew from a long time ago whose wife had passed away. “After some time, I brought him some soup, and from that point on, we have been together,” she says. “I don’t think I would have been that forward in my younger days, but if I hadn’t brought him the soup, he may not have started calling.”

After two and a half years, Donna and Leonard’s favorite date is to stay home and cook for each other.

Having quiet dinners at home allows them leisure time without a lot of people around, and because food is part of a social urge that’s meant to be shared, something homemade can warm the soul.

What’s Donna’s advice for others her age back on the dating scene? “Don’t think of your age,” she says. “It doesn’t hurt to be a little forward.

You have nothing to lose. It’s fun that we can have a new beginning in our life.”

BE YOURSELF Knowing who you are is an important ingredient in dating with confidence and can be the key to knowing where to start. Nancy Ragland, 62, has made dating fit her lifestyle.

“It’s not as easy as it was when we were younger,” Nancy says. “You may have some baggage, you are set in your ways, and you’re not free to jump up and relocate.

“It is important to have something in common with someone. I horseback ride and camp — it’s my recreational outlet. Someone I’m interested in dating has to like horseback riding and camping.”

Nancy joins a group of friends as they trailer horses to campgrounds in Kentucky. Once there, she enjoys the outdoors, trail riding, and mingling with others who share her love for horses.

Finding an activity that you enjoy and can share with others may be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce yourself to...well, yourself. Nancy

10 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

Donna and Leonard look forward to their quiet dinners at home. PHOTO PATTI HARTOG

found this reintroduction to be vital. “Make sure you know who you are outside of the relationship you had been in," she says. “If you have been in a relationship a long time and are no longer that person’s wife or husband, then you need to find out who you are and always be true to yourself.”

Joining groups, clubs, or organizations is an effective way of meeting people who share your hobbies. The Senior Center on Watterson Trail in Jeffersontown offers several activities to encourage mingling, such as line dancing, needle craft, holiday parties, and day and extended trips. For a schedule of activities, visit jeffersontownky.gov or call 502.267.9112.

Dating doesn’t have to be socially awkward. Put aside the worries of something in your teeth or if you’re talking too much because it’s when your guard is down that you will find companionship in the least expected places. Sharon recalls the story of her mother meeting someone in her 90s. “My mother had a dramatic stroke at 90 years old,” she says. “She had to go into a nursing home because she was so helpless, but in the nursing home she re-met a man she had fallen for in high school who never paid attention to her in high school. They started a relationship that lasted two years. He sat by her bed holding her hand as she fell asleep. They kissed good night at the door of her room. They talked on the loveseat in the hallway and asked me to take them to get ice cream. It was a magnificent, romantic relationship in a nursing home.”

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

11

! d l O g n i t t e G It’s Heck

BY YELENA SAPIN

es don’t work the way they Solutions for when our bodi

PROBLEM:

Dry Skin

C

ooler weather means turning on the heat, cozying up to a crackling fire, and lingering under the spray of a hot shower. It also means the start of dry skin season. Lower outdoor humidity and drier indoor air are major contributors to the problem. And while those hot showers certainly feel good, they strip your skin of natural protective oils. Left untreated, dry skin can crack and bleed, creating an entry for bacteria that can lead to infection, says Nina Scott, RN, BSN, president and owner of DS Research.

PROBLEM:

Forgetfulness

W

e all have those “senior moments” when we forget what we wanted to say or why we walked into a room. We may have trouble recalling a conversation, a name, the plot of a movie we watched, or whether we took our medicine. Some memory lapses and a general decline in sharpness can be a normal part of aging, but it can also signal that something more serious is going on mentally or physically. “A red flag is if you’re seeing your daily functioning negatively impacted or disrupted by forgetfulness or confusion,” says psychologist and neuropsychologist Dr. Jacquelyn Graven.

12 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

SOLUTION:

used to

SOLUTION:

Hydrate and Moisturize

Be Gentle and Cover Up

Drink lots of water during the day to hydrate from the inside, Scott urges, and use a humidifier to combat the drying effects of heated indoor air. Apply a good lotion or cream daily — especially right out of the shower when skin is still damp — to lock in that precious moisture. Plain Vaseline is an inexpensive option that is safe even for most people with allergies, Scott says. It works especially well when rubbed onto hands and feet at bedtime.

Make sure your soaps and cleansers are gentle to your skin. Some products break down your skin’s natural oils and can be harsh and irritating. Many people are also sensitive to fragrances and certain ingredients, Scott points out. You should also cover up your skin when going outside in cold, windy conditions to protect it from chapping.

“We recommend cotton clothing as the layer touching your skin because other fabrics can be itchy and irritating,” Scott says.

SOLUTION:

SOLUTION:

Keep your brain active and engaged. Mentally demanding activities such as reading, doing crossword puzzles, or learning new skills all stimulate your brain. You can also do ‘neurobics,’ says Graven, which are exercises that change up your regular patterns to challenge your brain. For example, try brushing your teeth with your left hand if you normally brush with your right. And don’t underestimate the importance of a healthy diet and physical exercise in maintaining brain function.

Set up a regular schedule and daily routine to keep track of what you need to do, Graven says. If you’re having trouble, enlist family and outside support or consult a professional to help build the structure you need. Use technology such as electronic or online reminders, scheduling programs, and pillboxes with timers and alarms to help manage your medicines. And consider getting a neuropsychological evaluation, Graven says, not only to rule out an underlying problem, but also to establish a baseline to monitor your memory function over time.

Train Your Brain

Get Help

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

13

Caregiver

CIRCLE

BY TORIE TEMPL

E

The biggest challenge a caregiver can face is balancing what is best for the person being cared for and what is best for the caregiver, says Becky Beanblossom, president of Home Instead Senior Care. Her advice for this challenge? “Sometimes as a caregiver we have to realize that these two things might be at odds,” she says. “We must sometimes make very difficult choices. I think it is important to get input and feedback from someone you trust and who is close enough to understand and objective enough to offer helpful insight. I find, before making a tough decision, time in prayer is helpful in gaining insight and defining priorities.”

Stress-Free Day RULE #1

al’s Realize that an individu day m abilities can vary fro to day.

RULE #2

Develop realistic expectations and goals for elf. your loved one and yours er/director of Source: Kayla Cook, own lized Home ona Pers ce llen Exce ing Car Care Services

14 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

Get More Out of Mealtimes The elderly will eat and drink more if small amounts of food and fluids are offered frequently during waking hours. A large drink or plate full of food can appear overwhelming.

Source: Kayla Cook, owner/director of Caring Excellence Personalized Home Care Services

Confidence in Caregiving How do you stay confident as a caregiver?

“Educating myself on the condition of my loved one helped,” says Janice BaldonGutter, online instructor and facilitator for adult higher education at Kaplan University and author of Caregiving: A Daughter’s Story: Life After Loss - Surviving Caregiving. “I didn’t always accept the initial advice of the physician, but I educated myself on alternative treatments or needs. I learned to participate in the decisions for my loved ones.”

Simplifying the Complicated

Sheila Carter, founder and president of Heartsong Memory Care, gives her solution to a caregiving quandary: “With two people in our family recently needing home care, we decided to consolidate and have both under the same roof with four family members collaborating and rotating care while using the same home health agency for both parties.”

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

15

10 Questions to Ask Your

Plastic Surgeon

BY MARY ELLEN BIANCO

Dr. Martin Fox of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Specialists has the answers.

1. What are the most common types of plastic surgery?

Facelifts, neck tightening, eyelid, and rhinoplasty (surgery on the nose) are the most common. Patients don’t realize that neck tightening is part of the facelift procedure, so we spend time educating them on that. We see about 70 percent women and 30 percent men. The older male patients usually have facelifts, and younger men have liposuction.

2. How long do surgeries normally take?

Safety is the priority. A safe upper limit for surgeries is six to eight hours.

Makeover shows are not real life. I’ll do two procedures at a time, such as a facelift and tummy tuck or a facelift and breast augmentation.

3. How much can a person expect to spend on certain procedures?

The fees vary from practice to practice.

The price also depends on what a patient wants to pay. Some of our patients do a lot of research, and they have a specific budget. Others aren’t concerned with the cost. There is an additional expense for the operating room and anesthesia.

4. How do you treat a patient with skin cancer?

Usually, patients with skin cancer require surgery and reconstruction. It’s more expedient to see a plastic surgeon to manage care.

5. Should a patient try fillers or Botox before considering cosmetic surgery?

These procedures don’t achieve the same outcome as surgery. Fillers can be used 16 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

to temporarily increase volume in the cheeks. The results can last up to two years. A more permanent way to achieve this is with a fat transfer procedure.

Brow lifts can be simulated with Botox so a patient can see what it will look like.

They can then permanently achieve the same thing with surgery.

6. What options does a woman have for reconstruction after a mastectomy?

There is a deficiency of skin after a mastectomy. The reconstruction process can begin immediately with a plastic surgeon.

There is a huge psychological benefit for a woman to wake up from a mastectomy with her breasts reconstructed. The choice for reconstruction depends on medical indications. The most frequent procedure is the use of a tissue expander, which is an implant that is gradually enlarged weekly in the office. Eventually, it’s replaced with a permanent implant. An abdominal fat transfer procedure is done less often, and the patient must be healthy and a non-smoker.

7. Does board certification matter when choosing a doctor?

Patients should be absolutely certain that their doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, which is accredited by the American Board of Medical Specialties. All board certifications are not equal. Some certificates can legally be given without specific training. As a screening device, you should ask your doctor in which hospitals he or she has privileges to do surgery. Ask them where you would go if you had complications.

If they’re not a real board-certified plastic surgeon, they will not have hospital

privileges. Some doctors may not be discussing this with their patients.

8. What about a doctor’s experience?

Experience matters too. I have been in practice for more than 30 years. I’ve done procedures over and over again.

9. Is it better to have a procedure done in an office surgical facility or in a hospital?

This is a very important question to ask your doctor. The number one issue is safety. Plastic surgery is not an emergency — it’s an elective procedure.

I don’t think an office is the safest place.

Very minor things are taken care of in our office on very healthy patients. I do everything else in an outpatient center or in the hospital. If there is an unusual problem, we’re able to handle it.

10. What are the risks and complications associated with surgery? How are complications handled?

These are real surgeries that can have real complications. Although it doesn’t commonly occur, some may require hospitalization. There can be an infection, which would be promptly treated.

Excessive bleeding or bruising can happen with any surgery. Steps can be taken to prevent it. We provide a four-to-fivepage informed consent form for patients, which we review fully before they sign it. Patients should ask questions such as how long recovery will take and how much downtime is required; when work or driving a car can be resumed; and how soon will they look good. This can help prepare them for a successful outcome.

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

17

What’s In Our Cart?

BY MELISSA DONALD & ANITA OLDHAM / PHOTOS MELISSA DONALD

We are taking you into Lucky’s Market, a small grocery store chain that is making its way from the West through the Midwest. Lucky’s loves to buy local and prides itself on providing a variety of organic and house-made products and fresh, prepared foods. You might want to include them in your cart during a trip to Lucky’s!

3

1

WHERE WE SHOPPED:

Lucky’s Market 200 N Hurstbourne Pkwy, Louisville TOTAL COST: $33.34

6 8 9 7

5

2 4 1

10

2

3

4

5

6

RASPBERRY CREAM TEA CAKE

SPINACH SAUSAGE LASAGNA

GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD

YOGURT PRETZELS

VEGGIE CHIPS

Located on a table with breakfast items in front of the bakery

Located in the deli

$5.99

Located in the scratch foods section next to the deli

Located in the bulk section next to the candy

Located in the second row of the bulk section

CARROT/ORANGE JUICE 16 OZ

7

8

9

10

CHICKEN SPINACH ALFREDO PIZZA BY THE SLICE

RASPBERRY/LIME INFUSED WATER

STUFFED CLAMS

ARANCINI ROUNDS WITH ASPARAGUS

$3.99

$4.99

$2/SLICE

Located in the deli

$1.99

Located in the Squeeze of the Day section

$3.99/LB

$6.99

Located in the low freezer in front of the meat and seafood section

$9.99/LB

$3.99

Located in the Squeeze of the Day section

$5.99/LB

Located in the deli section Find out what you can make with these items on p. 20.

18 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

PAGE 20 >>

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<< PAGE 18

Five Fast Meals and Snacks Visit Lucky’s deli and bakery for a variety of housemade meals and snack items. We fell in love with all

three of the items in the top right photo. An interesting snack best served either at room temperature or slightly heated are the Arancini Rounds with asparagus. These are packed with rice, asparagus, cheese, red pepper, and various savory spices. For a quick bite, the pizza by the slice is hot and ready to eat. Whole pizzas can be ordered and are $2 off every Friday evening from 5-9pm. A personal favorite item in the deli is the spinach/sausage lasagna. It is delicious, filling, and full of flavor.

Matlaw’s Stuffed Clams (lower right) make an easy

small meal, hearty snack, or impressive appetizer.

Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and cook them the next day. Follow the easy instructions on the back of the package for either oven or grill options. These require little preparation and easy cleanup!

Buying in bulk not only saves money but also gives the buyer the option of quantity. Try the yogurt-

covered pretzels (cinnamon and blueberry yogurt shown above). Several varieties such as plain yogurt, Greek yogurt, raspberry yogurt, and chocolate covered pretzels are all available in the same bulk foods section of the store. We also crunched into a variety of lightly salted root vegetables and beans available in the veggie chip bulk bin.

Let’s eat cake for breakfast! The house-made raspberry

cream tea cake can serve as a light breakfast, dessert, or afternoon snack with tea. It’s moist, buttery, and slightly sweet. This cake reminds me of my grandmother’s pound cake. Either way you serve this, it is decadent!

Thirsty for something that is not full of sugar or preservatives? The Squeeze of the Day has an

assortment of fresh squeezed and house-made drinks.

20 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

This one was delicious: The chicken, fresh spinach, and Alfredo pizza is made with an in-house Alfredo sauce.

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

21

BOOK CLUB: THE EPICURIOUS READERS

Catching Up Here’s what other area clubs are reading next:

From the book:

“‘You can feel it: it’s like the hum of electric lights, the change in atmosphere as the train pulls up to the red signal. I’m not the only one who looks now. I don’t suppose I ever was. I suppose that everyone does it – looks out at the houses they pass – only we all see them differently.”

THE EPICURIOUS READERS WHEN: 2nd Wed. of each month WHERE: Location varies CONTACT: Michelle Maxim,

Michelle_Maxim@hotmail.com

BROWN BAG AND A BOOK The Dog Stars

by Peter Heller Contact: Reneta Sancken, rsancken@nafclibrary.org

Have you read this?

STORY & PHOTOS BY PATTI HARTOG

The Epicurious Readers book club meets the second Wednesday of every month at various restaurants around Louisville that “mostly” match whatever book they are reading. As a group of excited foodies and culturists varying in age from mid-40s to mid-80s with many different life experiences and perspectives (there are two motherdaughter combos and one husband and wife pair in the group), discussion is always lively and fun. Book club leader Michelle Maxim shared some thoughts with us on the group’s latest novel, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

What did you learn from the book?

I’m not sure “learn” is the right word for what I got from The Girl on the Train, but it definitely reiterated for me that appearances are deceiving, don’t doubt your abilities, and don’t let someone else make you feel less than you can be — stand up for yourself.

How did it change your thinking?

I don’t know that it changed my thinking in any particular way, but I very much enjoyed trying to determine which characters could be trusted, if any of them. I found myself identifying more than once with all three 22 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

THE BOOK GROUP Go Set a Watchman

by Harper Lee Contact: Kathy Reed, kathy@reed.win.net

female characters, while at the same time feeling great frustration with them.

What did the book bring to mind?

I thought the three unreliable narrators in The Girl on the Train were fleshed out very well. The writing style was compelling, and the twist ending was lovely. I think it deserves its time on the bestseller list, and it’s one I’m recommending to friends.

Some members of our book club had a hard time with the changing narrators and fluctuating timeline, but for me, that added to the overall effect of disorientation and the feeling of paths, or trains, colliding.

THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB Founding Mothers

by Cokie Roberts Contact: Pamela Greenwell, greenwell@derbycitylaw.com

Fall 2015 | todaystransitionsnow.com

23

Wise&Well

Tidbits, news, and tips to help you live your healthiest years yet

BY MARK KAELIN

Helping hands needed!

Louisville Metro Government’s Senior Nutrition Program serves almost 400 homebound seniors by delivering hot, nutritious lunches five days a week. Help keep the meals rolling by volunteering as a delivery driver. “Volunteers usually only work one day a week for one to two hours,” says volunteer coordinator Trina Mitchell. If you’re interested in lending a hand, contact Trina at 502.574.6420.

Fall colors up close Show Me That

Smile!

“With appropriate care, your teeth should last a lifetime,” says Dr. John J. Sauk of University of Louisville’s School of Dentistry.

Tooth decay and gum disease are conditions we normally associate with inadequate dental care, but Sauk says oral conditions also affect your general health. Heart disease, respiratory infections, and even dementia are related to poor dental hygiene in older adults. UofL has a number of programs designed to help everyone get the oral care they need. To find out more, contact the dental clinic at 502.852.5096.

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Round up the grandkids and take a look at fall colors from new heights while you navigate Jefferson Memorial Forest’s Go Ape Treetop Adventures, an active tour featuring zip lines, tarzan swings, and obstacles. If keeping your feet firmly on the ground is more your speed, try Bernheim Forest’s

75 Seventy-five percent of adults with hepatitis C are baby boomers, according to the CDC. But there’s good news: “Hepatitis C is now curable,” says Barbara Cave, nurse practitioner at Jewish Hospital’s Trager Transplant Center and Hepatitis C Clinic.

Learn more about testing or treatment options for hepatitis C by contacting the clinic at 502.587.4994.

Colorfest on October 18-19. Here you can experience fall’s beauty while working your way through a hay maze or relaxing on a hayride through the forest. For more information on these and other outdoor activities, contact Jefferson Memorial Forest at 502.368.5404 or Bernheim Forest at 502.955.8512.

Help for Heart Disease The Dr. Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease is an advanced form of cardiac rehab that can reverse coronary artery blockages, according to Dr. Deborah Ballard of KentuckyOne Health, which is now offering this program. Participants in the nine-week Ornish Reversal program learn about nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, and the value of social connections in treating heart disease. Contact: 502.210.4520.

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TECH TALK: APPS FOR AGING

High-Tech Health Three apps that will change the way you manage your health care

BY MEGAN M. SECKMAN

W

ant to know where the cheapest gas is in town?

There’s an app for that. Forgot where you parked your car in that massive parking lot?

They’ve got an app for that too. These days there are apps that claim to make just about any difficult situation more manageable — even when it comes to health care.

Patty Dissell, executive director of Senior Care Experts, a nonprofit dedicated to helping seniors remain independent, sees the endless possibilities of health care apps. In fact, she is in the beginning stages of a creating a program that partners tech geniuses (local high school students) with seniors to teach them how to navigate apps that can potentially send medication reminders,

keep the aging brain sharp, manage blood pressure and vitals, and find transportation and reminders for medical appointments. Although she does not recommend one app over another, Patty does see that among her volunteer senior staff, those who use the apps now are more inclined to experiment with various apps in the future. So, being tech-savvy on your smartphone is key to finding the apps that work for you.

With help from Nicole Candler, VP of communications at Masonic Homes of Louisville, we compiled a list of apps used by current residents and staff to help you begin managing your health care and aging process through your phone.

To keep a sharp mind:

To manage medications:

To streamline doctor’s visits:

Words With Friends

Pill Monitor

Description: Enter in your medications and dosage instructions, and this app sends out reminders when it is time to take your meds. Pill taken/ skipped logs are sent by email to chosen recipients each day for easy communication.

Cost: free on iTunes Recommended by: Masonic Homes resident

Health

Description: A Scrabbletype game that allows you to play with your friends via your smartphone, offering an intellectual challenge and social connectivity in one.

Cost: free on iTunes, also compatible with Android users Recommended by: Glenda Biermann, creative service manager at Masonic Homes Feeling adventurous? Also try: • Luminosity (iPhone, free) Developed by neuroscientists to enhance memory and attention.

• Clevermind (iPad, free) Created for dementia patients to enhance memory and cognitive function with quizzes, games, and big buttons for easy use.

Feeling adventurous? Also try: • Pillboxie ($.99 for iPhone/ iPad) Similar to Pill Monitor with a drug cabinet layout instead of a daily list.

• Eye Reader ($1.99 iTunes) Hold phone over difficult-toread prescriptions and other tiny type, and this app will magnify and illuminate the text for stressed eyes.

Feeling adventurous? Also try: • Uber (free app, ride prices vary) Use Health to answer the doctor’s questions, but use Uber to get there. This transportation service provides cashless, private rides to any local destination.

Upload your credit card information and choose your destination and type of car needed, and the app will show you the time of arrival and driver.

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Description: Use this app as an interactive medical alert bracelet that lists allergies, medications, emergency contacts, and organ donor status. Also tracks daily activity, heart rate, and weight.

Cost: free and built into all iOS8 Apple devices Recommended by: Adrian Judy, VP of IT department at Masonic Homes

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Connie’s World Connie Meyer writes regularly for Today’s Transitions.

You can reach Connie at ConnieL605@aol.com.

M

y husband and I turn 65 this year. We are officially old. Our mail is all about Social Security sign-ups and Medicare. My husband is not quite ready to retire, but he is contemplating cutting back on his workload. For a workaholic, this is the first step in admitting his addiction.

I returned to full-time teaching a few years ago, and I am not quite ready to say goodbye to kindergarten. Now that I’m starting to live my second childhood, at least I’m in the right place.

With all the changes coming our way, the biggest one is the decision to downsize.

We only use a couple of rooms in our four-bedroom house, and we are tired of worrying about yard work that we now hire out to keep things looking presentable. We

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are contemplating where to go next in lieu of the nursing home. The only thing we know for sure is we want a one-floor house.

I keep wondering what we were thinking when we bought our home at the age of 40. Obviously we thought we would never get old or have a problem with stairs. The image of my husband laboring to climb the stairs as he looks forward to much-needed knee surgery impels me to tackle the mass of clutter waiting in our basement. Now that I have made up my mind, I feel an urgency to clean out. I realize I have lived too long on the edge of becoming an episode from Hoarders.

It was bad enough when we moved here in 1990, and I saved boxes of “treasures” that have remained unopened for 25 years. It went from bad to worse after my parents died in ’96 and ’97. Exhausted

from years of caregiving and overwhelmed with grief, we simply moved most of their stuff to our basement.

In 2002, my in-laws cleaned out and moved to a condo. Dad had a hard time letting go, too. Because I could relate, I told him he could move anything he wanted to keep to our basement. He died the next year, and his stuff remains. Dad also moved the things my brother-in-law had kept in their basement to mine.

Before downsizing, I have to step up and start pitching out. I have given fair warning to our two adult sons that the time is now or never. Goodwill is right down the street, and I’m visiting almost daily. I’m trying to make sure our garbage cans are filled each week.

The boxes look lonely, like tombstones marking time. For me, time is running out. So far I have managed to pitch all old mementos from high school, college, and early vacations. The only things I saved were our high school and college diplomas. Since my husband and I went to high school together, I realized I was throwing out lots of things in duplicate.

So far the only hard part has been throwing out all of the homemade cards from our sons that I have saved since they were in kindergarten. They display more astonishment than sentimentality when I relay my difficulty in pitching out their tiny handprints and colorful handmade cards.

“Wouldn’t YOU want to keep them?” I suggest, trying not to reveal the catch in my throat. When my oldest son rolls his eyes and answers with an “Are you kidding me, Mom?” I know the verdict is in. I mentally prepare for the execution of memories. Our sons are more concerned that I might throw out old toys/memorabilia that might be of value. Of course, when I tell them they are welcome to collect anything they want and take it with them, they quickly decline.

In the meantime, I struggle onward trying not to look too deeply into the trash that could be treasure to someone else. I simply have to let go in order to move into the next phase of our lives. I am determined to start anew unencumbered by the old. For us, downsizing will be a step up.

ILLUSTRATION JESSICA ALYEA

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SOCIAL

TIES What you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know about the benefits of living in a retirement community

BY CARRIE VITTITOE ILLUSTRATION SILVIA CABIB PAGE 32 >>

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M

any people want to age in place and don’t relish the idea of moving to a retirement community or assisted living facility. They feel comfortable in their homes and neighborhoods where everything and everyone is familiar.

But, eventually, time changes our surroundings. We retire from our jobs and no longer have the daily social interaction of colleagues. Friends and neighbors die.

New neighbors move in who may not have the same interests and lifestyles. Physical conditions may limit our ability to drive and participate in hobbies that keep us social.

For some people, even though they remain in their homes and neighborhoods, things don’t feel familiar and comforting anymore.

Loneliness and isolation may set in.

Research suggests that better and stronger social ties can have a positive impact on our overall wellness. “Socializing with others can positively affect mental capacity and emotional health, and that translates into physical health,” says Cliff Whalin, the director of marketing for Wesley Manor Retirement Community.

Being with others is as important to our aging selves as it was when we were younger.

“People want to feel that they have a place in society, that they are not a burden to others, and that they have something to contribute,” says David Casey, M.D., a geriatric psychiatrist and professor at the University of Louisville’s School of Medicine. The same basic needs exist in all of us regardless of age.

Most retirement facilities offer residents a wide range of social activities whether they reside in assisted-living apartments or independent-living patio homes. At Wesley Manor’s Assisted Living Center, activities have included bingo, card games, virtual bowling, jewelry-making, and cookouts. There are often musicians who come to provide live entertainment. Residents participate in outings around town to restaurants, museums, and other entertainment venues such as the Louisville Mega Cavern.

Whalin says some Wesley Manor activities, such as a flower arranging class, have been campus-wide to include residents of Wesley Manor’s patio homes and memory care wing. In addition to fostering interaction and camaraderie among all residents, making the floral arrangements 32 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

was a service-oriented activity because the flowers were given to others. But social activities don’t always come in the form of large group recreations. Whalin says Annis Combs and Maxine Schneider, residents at Wesley Manor, go to the library within the facility every day after lunch, where one reads to the other, who has vision problems. He calls them the “Unofficial Wesley Manor Book Club.”

Human companionship becomes therapeutic in older people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Whalin has seen isolated patients with declining cognitive function move up in their mental capacity after moving from their homes into the memory care facility at Wesley Manor.

One of the potential downsides of remaining alone in one’s home is the lack of touch. Casey says many of his patients haven’t touched someone in many years

One of the most important parts of Joseph’s life in his new home was being able to have his pet cat stay with him. We often think of companionship as between people, but a person’s relationship with a pet can provide considerable comfort. “It really meant a lot to my husband to have his constant companion with him,” McGuire says.

The freedom to make one’s own choices within an assisted living or retirement community is a huge consideration.

Some worry they will be forced to engage in social activities. “There is a balance between privacy and being with others, and residents deserve to have their autonomy respected,” Casey says. He adds that because people have different temperaments, educational backgrounds, and interests within an assisted living/ retirement community, social activities that one resident finds interesting might

Maxine Schneider (r) reads to her friend Annis Combs at the Wesley Manor library. They have read more than 100 books together. PHOTO PATTI HARTOG

“Being with others is as important to our aging selves as it was when we were younger.” beyond a handshake. If a spouse has passed away and family doesn’t live close by or visit often, people lose out on the physical aspects of being with others. That lack of tactile stimulation can have a negative impact.

Sandra McGuire is a Fellow at the Association for Gerontology and Higher Education who has spent 30 years studying positive aging. Her husband, Joseph, who passed away in 2012, was a resident of an assisted living facility due to Alzheimer’s disease, so her insights are both professional and personal.

be trivial to another resident. Even though doctors and staff believe in encouraging interaction among residents, a facility is a resident’s home. Within their homes, people want to be able to make their own choices without coercion or guilt.

Making the decision to move into an assisted living or retirement community is never an easy one, but knowing the right questions to ask about how a facility balances activities with others and independence is empowering and will help individuals and families find the best possible fit.

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5 THINGS TO KNOW About Medicare & Medicaid Insights & tips to help you navigate your benefits

1 Watch Your Spending There is a lot of talk about “spending down” for Medicaid. The timing of the spend-down is important, especially for a married couple. Generally, where one spouse is in the nursing home and the other is not, major expenditures should not be made until the first visit to the Medicaid office to obtain a resource assessment. Otherwise, the spouse who is at home may spend some of the assets she would be entitled to keep.

2

Social Security Alert Many people receive their Medicare card three months before their 65th birthday. This happens because they are already receiving Social Security benefits. If a person is not receiving SS benefits, they need to contact Social Security. The full retirement age for Social Security has been increasing from 65 to 67, but Medicare benefits still begin at 65.

— three —

Protection from Hepatitis Medicare Part B (medical insurance) covers hepatitis B shots, which usually are given as a series of three shots over a six-month period. You need all three shots for complete protection.

4

Medicare provides preventative services such as mammograms, diabetes screenings, and colorectal cancer screenings. If you’ve had Part B for longer than 12 months, you can get an annual wellness visit to help you develop a personalized plan for staying healthy.

5. Keeping It Simple

A new law is eliminating confusion about whether Medicare patients have been admitted to the hospital or are under observational care. The NOTICE Act (Notice of Observation Treatment and Implication for Care Eligibility), is a law that requires hospitals to provide patients with a written notification 24 hours after receiving observation care. The notification informs them that they haven’t been admitted to the hospital, the reasons why, and potential financial liability.

Information compiled by Kelly Gannott, attorney with Kentucky Elderlaw, Tihisha Rawlins, associate state director, Grassroots Initiative, AARP Kentucky, and Medicare.gov 34 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

You’re Covered

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Dealing with

GRIEF

BY CARRIE VITTITOE

M

ost people, if asked how to prepare for a loved one’s death, might answer with a simple, “You can’t.”

Even if you rationally know it is coming, if you’ve watched someone’s body or mind decline over months or years, you cannot fully prepare emotionally for that moment when you realize your loved one is gone forever.

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S Stephanie Weinstein of Jeffersontown lost her companion of six years, Mike Johnson, on April 3. In the fall of 2014, Mike was diagnosed with incurable small-cell lung cancer and given a survival timeline of six months to three years.

“I latched onto that three-year mark,” Stephanie says. As Mike grew more frail, she knew he was dying but never thought it would be so soon. “I was so determined to get as much time as possible,” she says.

Mike’s cancer metastasized to his liver and then throughout his bones, and during his many doctor visits, chemotherapy, and trips to the emergency room, Stephanie was his primary caretaker. It was emotionally devastating for both of them. “Mike’s quality of life wasn’t good,” Stephanie says. “He was sick or weak from chemo.”

Still, she tried to remain positive.

After Mike and his physicians agreed that the cancer was no longer responding to chemo, he entered hospice care. When Stephanie left the hospital on a Thursday evening, she knew it would be the last time she saw Mike alive. Yet when Mike’s son called early Friday morning to say his father had died, Stephanie says she answered the phone saying, “I’m not ready.”

Amy Sloboda, manager of Hosparus Grief Counseling Center, encourages people whose loved ones are terminally ill to do what they can to have as few regrets as possible, to say their “thank yous” and “I’m sorry fors.” She suggests people with a terminal illness and their loved ones look into the Conversation Project (theconversationproject.org), which helps people begin talking about end-of-life needs and wishes. For both the patient and his or her loved ones, it is important to take control of the things they can 38 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

control, which are typically the practical issues related to death and dying.

Stephanie and Mike took such steps to prepare for his death. “Mike rewrote his will and talked to me and his kids about what he wanted us to have,” she says.

“He told us what he wanted his funeral and burial to be like. He had his bills up to date.” He also named Stephanie and his son as powers-of-attorney.

Financial adviser Henry Hensley, owner of Henry Hensley & Associates Inc. and a registered principal with Raymond James Associates, offers a few simple, useful tips for preparing for the death of a loved one. He urges his clients to review bank and investment account titles and, where appropriate and legal, to choose the option of joint tenancy with right of survivorship. He also suggests clients review beneficiaries on insurance policies and retirement accounts to ensure an expeditious transfer of wealth.

“We regularly transfer accounts to beneficiaries within 10 days of receipt of a death certificate,” he says. Hensley has seen terminally ill spouses who have been in charge of a couple’s finances coach the surviving spouse in how to manage the money. “It is a very caring, responsible and loving act,” he says.

Andrea Vetter, a Louisville attorney, says there are three essential documents people need to prepare if they have been diagnosed with a terminal illness: a durable power of attorney, a health care directive, and a will that names an executor. “The biggest mistake people make is not having a plan in place,” she says.

Lisa Smith, whose mother, MaryAnn Tremain, was diagnosed at age 45 with Parkinson’s disease and died in 2010 at the age of 69, says, “Having a living will and health care power of attorney done in advance, as well as some funeral planning, helps reduce the number of decisions you have to make in those last few weeks. Honestly, that’s a real gift.

You can spend more time focusing on your family member.”

Although the process of grieving often begins long before an actual death,

Sloboda says, “Everyone’s grief is so unique that it is hard to say how you’re going to respond.” Most people think of grief as happening in stages, but Sloboda says the stage concept is a misnomer.

“Grief spirals back and forth. People feel numb, forgetful, and disorganized. They are missing the person and the roles they filled for each other,” she explains.

Grieving is a physiological experience, although most people think of it as a strictly emotional process. The death of a loved one puts a tremendous stress on the body, causing a variety of fight-orflight responses. “Grief is your body’s way of protecting you,” Sloboda says.

Crying actually flushes toxins out of the body, and fatigue forces a person to take a break and pull back from activities.

In the weeks since Mike’s death, Stephanie has cried a few times, but she says what she feels is a deep and profound sense of loss and emptiness.

“Sometimes I wonder if there is not something wrong with me,” she says.

The emotional and practical implications of losing a loved one will often coincide, which is one reason Vetter suggests people begin probate proceedings as soon as they feel able

“Grief is your body’s way of protecting you.” following their loved one’s death. The probate process, or the official proving of a will, lasts a minimum of six months.

Going through a loved one’s possessions and paperwork during probate will bring to mind memories that affect the emotional grieving experience.

“I discourage survivors from making major decisions for at least a year after the death of a loved one,” Hensley says.

“Take time. Don’t rush beyond the ‘have-tos.’” He says clients often make different decisions after they have had ample time to grieve.

According to Sloboda, six months is a turning point for most people, although she says, “Grief lasts a lifetime to some degree, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t coping well.”

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Updates & Happenings | news you can use + events not to miss |

BY ANNA PATTERSON & GIOIA PATTON

Learn at the Library The New Albany Public Library in Southern Indiana is hosting a variety of classes and activities this fall that cater to older adults.

For those wishing to become tech-savvy, the library is offering classes for computer basics and Microsoft Office programs, as well as a Facebook 101 class for those wishing to dive into the world of social media. The library also hosts other events such as Thursday Morning Movies, Deal Me In (a card game tutorial), Tai Chi, and a mysteries book group.

Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None > Derby Dinner Playhouse

One featured dish in the Port of Call program is an authentic German potato salad made with bacon grease dressing. PHOTO MELISSA DONALD

A Taste of Travel Over the next three months, the residents at Elmcroft of Mt. Washington will be taking a virtual tour through Napa Valley, Germany, and Chicago as part of the Port of Call program. The residents will take walking, driving, and flying video tours through the destinations and experience a variety of cultural cuisines. This unique event will expose residents to different educational and cultural experiences – all within the comfort of the Elmcroft community.

Find the recipe for the potato salad pictured above at TodaysTransitionsNow.com.

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And Then There Were None was the first hit play by the queen of murder fiction, Agatha Christie. The play’s excitement begins early as 10 guilty strangers are trapped in a strange country manor on an island off the coast of Devon. Accusations of murder and cyanide-laced cocktails add to the suspenseful moments as one by one, they start to die and are each accused of murder.

The Derby Dinner cast of And Then There Were None includes beloved longtime performers Jon Huffman, David Myers, Bill Hanna, J.R. Stuart, Janet Essenpreis, Brian Bowman, Tina Jo Wallace, Cary Wiger, and Rita Thomas.

This production is directed by Derby Dinner producer Bekki Jo Schneider.

WHEN: various performances, Sept. 29-Nov. 8 WHERE: Derby Dinner Playhouse, Clarksville TICKETS: $33-$46 CONTACT: 812.288.8281 or derbydinner.com

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Telemedicine Comes to Kentucky

PHOTO COURTESY GIOVANNA GODBY

Baptist Health Louisville and Baptist Health La Grange now offer monitoring for congestive heart failure patients via telemedicine.

Telemedicine links patients to nurse coaches through a cellphone or landline in an effort to keep patients healthy and at home – and out of the hospital. Monitoring is performed with in-home equipment through which readings are taken daily. If any readings show cause for concern, a home health nurse is alerted and the patient will be contacted. Baptist Health also has this service at its hospitals in Paducah, Madisonville, Lexington, and Richmond.

Telehealth service does require a doctor’s order and eligibility for home care.

The Two Musketeers > Bunbury Theatre

Bunbury Theatre Company presents the regional premiere of Jon Jory’s The Two Musketeers. What happens when budget cuts cause a small theatre company to eliminate one of the Musketeers in Alexander Dumas’ classic? The cast of six actors with limited resources sally forth into a hilarious retelling of the swashbuckling tale. The talented Jon Jory, a member of the American Theatre Hall Read more about Jon Jory at of Fame, led TodaysTransitions Actors Theatre Now.com. of Louisville to become one of the top theaters in the country and founded the annual Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville in 1976.

Two Musketeers will be directed by Juergen K. Tossmann, Bunbury Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director. Tossmann was an apprentice at Actors Theatre of Louisville in 1977 and names Jory as one of his mentors.

WHEN: various performances Oct. 9-25 WHERE: Henry Clay Building, corner of Third St.

& Chestnut TICKETS: General admission - $22, seniors (over 62) - $19, students (under 25 with ID) - $10, students (over 25) - $17, children - $10. Group rates available for box-office orders.

CONTACT: 502.585.5306 or bunburytheatre@gmail.com 42 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

Jean Bennett Compton and her daughter Giovanna Godby worked together to publish What Shall I Be?.

A Perfect Alliance

J

BY MARY ELLEN BIANCO

ean Bennett Compton, age 85, says her grandson Max was the inspiration for the early-reader book What Shall I Be?. “When he was little and stayed with us, he’d get up every morning and say, ‘What am I going to be today?’” Jean says. She recalls fondly how Max stayed in character all day. “He had a long phase as a fireman, and he even wore boots as part of his uniform,” she says.

Jean teamed up with her daughter, Giovanna Godby, who published the book through her company, Caledonia Press, LLC. The pair worked on the book for

a year, including a word list and flashcards for young readers. “I’m so proud of Mom’s book that I can hardly stand it,” Giovanna says.

Jean retired from Jefferson County Schools after a 33-year career teaching first and third grades. Her first job at age 17 was in a one-room schoolhouse in Adair County. A graduate of Western Kentucky University, she helped hundreds of children learn how to read. “You are so gratified and so excited when a child remembers a word from yesterday,” she says.

Jean plans to write another earlyreader book, again featuring Max, who is now age 24.

A New Therapy Center in J-town On June 2, the Good Samaritan Society in Jeffersontown opened the doors to the new Post-Acute Rehabilitation Center. This facility offers therapeutic services for patients transitioning from hospital care to independent community living. The center features programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language pathology, and other specialty programs.

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Oliver!

A Standout Star

Adapted from the classic Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, this musical tells the story of an orphan boy who escapes from a workhouse and falls in with a rag-tag band of boys who teach him how to survive on the Victorian London streets. Dickens’ larger-than-life characters sing and dance their way into your heart with iconic songs including Food, Glorious Food; Who Will Buy; As Long As He Needs Me; and Consider Yourself. Originally opened in London in 1960, Oliver! was nominated for 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

This July, Floyd Memorial Hospital Home Healthcare received a 4.5-star rating from Home Health Compare, a resource that measures the quality of care in Medicarecertified home health agencies throughout the nation. Out of 9,000 home health care agencies, Floyd was among the mere 8.3 percent to be awarded a 4.5 rating. The rating is determined by the quality of patient care, which includes timely initiation of care, education on medications, and improvements in bed transferring, bathing, and more.

“I love the show for its richness in characterizations and plot,” says CenterStage artistic director John Leffert. “You add an incredible, lush score and you have a piece of musical theater that is not to be matched.”

Floyd Memorial’s Home Healthcare serves patients across six Southern Indiana counties seven days a week.

> CenterStage

Visitors to the show are invited to bring nonperishable food items to donate to local food pantries as part of the Food, Glorious Food drive held

by Jewish Community Center, CenterStage, and Yum! Brands Foundation.

WHEN: various performances, Oct. 22-Nov. 8 WHERE: CenterStage, Jewish Community Center, 3600 Dutchmans Lane TICKETS: $20 in advance, $22 at the door CONTACT: 502.238.2709 or CenterStageJCC.org

Take a Trip!

T

his fall, explore the beautiful scenery, good food, and entertainment found in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana.

Here are five reasons that will make it worth your time: 1. It is home to the Horseshoe Riverdome, one of Shreveport-Bossier’s hottest live music venues. Legendary performers such as Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, The Beach Boys, and Diana Ross have recently brought their world tours to the Horseshoe Riverdome.

2. You can take a relaxing trip down the Red River aboard the Spirit of the Red River Cruise.

3. The Red River National Wildlife Refuge in Bossier City features a 6.5-mile network of hiking trails and a lake for fishing.

4. You can attend the Krewe of Centaur (pictured above) and Krewe of Gemini — two of the city’s largest Mardi Gras parades.

5. The Wall Street Journal listed Bossier City’s Silver Star Smokehouse among the best barbecue restaurants in the United States.

— Chris Jay, public relations manager of Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau

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Menopause the Musical > Kentucky Center

With a cast of breast cancer survivors and loved ones of survivors, Menopause The Musical: The Survivor Tour and Susan G. Komen partner to prove that laughter is the best medicine and to offer inspiration, sisterhood, and hope for this 2015 U.S. tour, benefiting Susan G. Komen.

“Menopause The Musical has lifted the spirits of more than 11 million people worldwide, and we are thrilled to be part of this extraordinary mission with GFour and a cast that represents the more than 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.,” says Komen President and CEO Judy Salerno, M.S. The musical is set in a department store where four women at a lingerie sale have nothing in common but a black lace bra and memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, not enough sex, too much sex, and more! Singing along to classic tunes from the ‘60s, 70s and ‘80s, the cast forms a sisterhood with the entire audience.

WHEN: November 7 @ 2pm and 8pm and

November 8 @ 2pm and 5pm WHERE: Bomhard Theater at Kentucky Center TICKETS: $29-$59. Discounts available for groups

of 10 or more by calling 502.562.0152.

CONTACT: kentuckycenter.org or 1.800.775.7777

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Growing Older With Our Parents Practical tips for the sandwich generation

BY RUTH W. CROCKER / ILLUSTRATION JESSICA ALYEA

P

eople today between the ages of 50 and 70 are often referred to as the “sandwich” generation because of their dual roles as helpers to their own children and grandchildren as well as caregivers for their parents who are living longer into old age. Baby boomers have become, by necessity, important health care decision makers, and sometimes an added responsibility might arrive in the blink of an eye.

For example, Marilyn knew that something had changed dramatically with her mother when she arrived one morning to find her sitting on the floor in the kitchen. Until that moment, her mom had 46 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

seemed increasingly frail, but still independent. At age 86, she still ironed her pillowcases and prepared meals for herself in the house she had lived in for 40 years. But that morning, things seemed different and scary for both of them.

“What happened?” asked Marilyn as she tried to check her mother’s arms and legs for broken bones.

“I don’t know,” her mother answered. “Do you know where we are?” She gazed up at Marilyn with a faraway look.

A trip to the emergency room and lab tests revealed nothing unusual, but Marilyn realized that her mother’s ability to live on her own had changed.

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A sudden event like this and the experiences that follow may mark the tricky passage in which a parent will need a different setting — one that is safer and more appropriate for diminishing cognitive and physical status. Marilyn is now abruptly in charge and may not have a game plan.

Here are some clues and pointers that have helped others to find their way in this difficult territory: Start with a complete medical evaluation, including both medical and cognitive status. Local visiting nurse associations can often refer you to a qualified gerontologist. The goal of such an evaluation is to assess present needs and abilities regarding safety and selfcare, as well as potential future needs.

Determine the signs that rule out living alone. There are options available for assistance if your loved one can stay in his or her own home, such as home health aides or people who can provide homemaking services. The key is whether or not your parent can be left alone for any part of the day or night. If they are weak or experiencing vertigo, it may not be safe for them to try to reach the bathroom by themselves.

Assess your other responsibilities and time demands carefully. Don’t convince yourself you can “go it alone” and care for your parent along with meeting other demands such as work or childcare. You will have plenty to do with the overall surveillance of care even if it is provided in the home by helpers.

Consider the next level of care that might be soon approaching, especially if your parent has the financial resources. Independent living (a townhouse or apartment in a complex with other residents over age 55) requires the ability to do all activities of daily living without assistance: washing, dressing, getting to the dining room for meals, taking medication.

Residents usually have facilities for preparing some or all of their meals.

The main benefits of independent living complexes are planned social activities and transportation for shopping and/or church. They may also be connected to an assisted living facility and a dementia unit, allowing the resident to remain 48 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

under the same “roof ” (as long as they are able to continue to pay privately) until the end of life.

Anticipate both increased care needs and decreased financial resources. Is it possible that your loved one might outlive her savings and need long-term care? Skilled nursing homes are covered by private funds, Medicare, and/or Medicaid. Medicare is limited to 60 days of care after an approved hospital stay of at least “three midnights,” as long as the resident continues to make progress and improve. Medicaid (welfare/ public assistance) coverage begins when residents have depleted their own personal funds and after they have been approved by application to the state in which they reside. There is no difference in the care received after the transition from private to public funds in a skilled nursing facility. The nursing staff does not know which patients are paying privately and which are on state assistance. The most common misconception about nursing home expenses is that the children of the resident must continue to pay privately after their parent runs out of money.

This is never the case (although the state will examine financial records carefully, looking at all transfers of funds in the most recent five years). Skilled nursing facilities are the best option if dementia is worsening and assistance is needed with eating, drinking, using the bathroom, bathing, and walking.

Investigate all possibilities. Speak to friends and coworkers about their experience. Choose the best option with your loved one (if they are able to participate in the choice).

Start with the “sniff test” if you are visiting potential health care facilities.

Yes, smell counts. What is your reaction to the odor of the place? If you have any

questions about the source of the smell, go somewhere else. Ask questions about security, including the number of staff available at all times of day and access from and to the outside. Skilled nursing facilities are the only places that are required by law to have a certain ratio of staff to residents. Private facilities that do not participate in state or federal funding have no set requirement for staffing.

Observe the other residents and how they are dressed. Will your parent feel at home with these people? If the facility is an assisted living complex, find out how much care and supervision is provided in the basic monthly fee and if additional care needs are provided at an extra cost. Some places charge extra for administering medication and helping a resident to the bathroom. Skilled nursing homes provide all services within the daily charge and are subject to state and federal regulations. You can look up the status and evaluation of any licensed facility on medicare.gov.

Understanding the specific needs of your loved one in the present and anticipating changes in the future will help you make informed, compassionate choices with and for them. You’ll be able to breathe easier and feel less “sandwiched-in.”

Ruth W. Crocker, Ph.D., is an author, writing consultant, and expert on recovery from trauma and personal tragedy. Her book, Those Who Remain: Remembrance and Reunion After War, describes her experience following her husband’s death in Vietnam and how she found resources for healing. An excerpt had been nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2014. She is Writer-In-Residence at Riverlight Wellness Center in Stonington, CT, where she teaches the art of writing memoir and personal stories. She is available for workshops, readings, and public speaking. Contact her at ruthwcrocker.com.

The Directories Are Online!

Click on this page to access directory listings.

DIRECTORIES Adult Day Care Aging-in-Place Communities Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Care Assisted Living Home Health Nursing/Rehab Personal Care Retirement Communities

Larger color Enhanced listings are paid for by the facility.

Those interested in Enhanced listings can call (502) 327-8855.

Some facilities/services are not listed because information was not provided at printing time. If you feel your facility or service should be listed in the next directory, email directories@todaystransitions.com, or call (502) 327-8855.

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Click on the Directory names below to access the online directory listings.

Adult Day Care Directory

PHOTO MELISSA DONALD

Day program for adults who need to be monitored for safety reasons and/or need nursing care, treatments, incontinence care, and other health services. There are medical Adult Day Care facilities which must be licensed. Adult Day Care facilities that are social cannot provide nursing care. Some offer pickup and delivery services within a radius.

Caregive r winner T O D AY ’ S T R A N S I T I O N S

Meet our “Care Package for the Caregiver” contest winner!

Carl Hilton is our caregiver winner. His prize includes tickets to a Derby Dinner Playhouse performance, a $25 gift card from A Taste of Kentucky, and four hours of sitter service from Home Instead Senior Care.

Why He Won: Caregiving can be a stressful responsibility, but Carl has handled it gracefully since becoming his wife’s primary caregiver. “I thank God for his gift of Carl in my life,” says Alice Hilton who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma two years ago. Each week for three months after the diagnosis, he would take Alice to her dialysis and chemotherapy appointments. He prepares her meals, shops for groceries, and continues taking her to her doctor appointments twice a week. Although Alice’s illness has been a barrier, Carl hasn’t let it interfere with her quality of life.

This year, the couple spent time in Orlando, Florida. He also takes her to church and bible study.

Carl Hilton

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Complete the nomination form on page 56 or go to TodaysTransitionsNow.com.

Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Aging-in-Place Communities Directory An Aging-in-Place community offers several levels of care on one campus. A resident could move into a retirement facility or assisted living facility, then utilize higher levels of nursing care when needed through personal care or nursing/rehab care. A residentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room might change, but not his or her address.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Care Directory Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s care is provided at different levels, from assisted living to the skilled care of nursing/rehab. Some facilities accept Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s patients into their general care, and others have separate units designed to meet the specific needs of patients with this disease.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Care Directory Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s care is provided at different levels, from assisted living to the skilled care of nursing/rehab. Some facilities accept Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s patients into their general care, and others have separate units designed to meet the specific needs of patients with this disease.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Alzheimer’s Care Directory Alzheimer’s care is provided at different levels, from assisted living to the skilled care of nursing/rehab. Some facilities accept Alzheimer’s patients into their general care, and others have separate units designed to meet the specific needs of patients with this disease.

Nominate a Caregiver Deadline: October 12, 2015

“

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the things which you think you cannot do.”

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— E L E A N O R R O O S E V E LT

”

Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Assisted Living Directory Assisted living offers minimal assistance in care, such as providing meals, helping with baths, and offering reminders to take medications. While some residents drive, scheduled transportation may be provided. Daily activities are organized, and there is around-the-clock supervision. No health care is provided, and these facilities are not licensed, but certification is required.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Assisted Living Directory Assisted living offers minimal assistance in care, such as providing meals, helping with baths, and offering reminders to take medications. While some residents drive, scheduled transportation may be provided. Daily activities are organized, and there is around-the-clock supervision. No health care is provided, and these facilities are not licensed, but certification is required.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Home Health Directory Home Health Care refers to care provided in a person’s home. Medical Home Health Care is a licensed level of care that provides nursing care and personal care. (These agencies also provide non-medical care.) Non-medical Home Health Care agencies in Kentucky must be certified. Agencies in Indiana must be licensed. They can assist with the self-administration of medications or treatments, provide limited personal care, serve as companions who prepare light meals and tidy homes, and may offer transportation or errand services.

A Sea of Creativity Patients and their families are learning strategies for overcoming the barriers of Parkinson’s Disease.

Vicky Spencer-Rouse is giving people with Parkinson’s Disease and their families a constructive outlet for coping.

Rouse, is organizing her first annual Parkinson’s Creativity Cruise in honor of her mother Judy Spencer who had Parkinson’s for 30 years. Rouse’s mother helped start the Parkinson’s Support Group of Kentuckiana and wrote a book of poems about her experiences, titled Telling My Face to Smile. The fundraising event allows Rouse to continue her mother’s efforts in providing helpful resources to families and Parkinson’s patients.

The four-day cruise, scheduled for March 3-7, will sail out of Tampa, 62 todaystransitionsnow.com | Fall 2015

Florida, stopping in Cozumel, Mexico, and Key West, Florida.

Highlights of the cruise will include a class on making jewelry taught by Katherine Autin, who is a Parkinson’s support advocate and jewelry designer.

“Parkinson’s occupational therapists recommend stringing beads as a great way to work on your dexterity issues when you have Judy Spencer Parkinson’s Disease, and it is loads of fun,” says Rouse. Autin’s husband John David, who also has Parkinson’s, will lead the second class, which

will focus on how he used poetry to get him through his struggles. Autin will be reading poems from his book Birds Only Sing to Those Who Listen.

Contact vicky@vacationbyv.com for pricing and details.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Home Health Directory Home Health Care refers to care provided in a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home. Medical Home Health Care is a licensed level of care that provides nursing care and personal care. (These agencies also provide non-medical care.) Non-medical Home Health Care agencies in Kentucky must be certified. Agencies in Indiana must be licensed. They can assist with the self-administration of medications or treatments, provide limited personal care, serve as companions who prepare light meals and tidy homes, and may offer transportation or errand services.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Home Health Directory Home Health Care refers to care provided in a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home. Medical Home Health Care is a licensed level of care that provides nursing care and personal care. (These agencies also provide non-medical care.) Non-medical Home Health Care agencies in Kentucky must be certified. Agencies in Indiana must be licensed. They can assist with the self-administration of medications or treatments, provide limited personal care, serve as companions who prepare light meals and tidy homes, and may offer transportation or errand services.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Home Health Directory Home Health Care refers to care provided in a person’s home. Medical Home Health Care is a licensed level of care that provides nursing care and personal care. (These agencies also provide non-medical care.) Non-medical Home Health Care agencies in Kentucky must be certified. Agencies in Indiana must be licensed. They can assist with the self-administration of medications or treatments, provide limited personal care, serve as companions who prepare light meals and tidy homes, and may offer transportation or errand services.

Become a Caregiver Circle Panelist Are you a veteran caregiver or health care expert who has some useful tips worth sharing with new caregivers? If so, join our Caregiver Circle panel. The time commitment is minimal — all we ask is for you to complete a short questionnaire quarterly. Your responses will be published in the upcoming issue of Today’s Transitions.

If you would like to participate, send an email to Tiffany@todayspublications.com. Also, don’t forget to nominate someone for our Care Package for the Caregiver award. Nominate them online at TodaysTransitionsNow.com or turn to page 56 to complete the form.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Nursing/Rehab Directory Nursing homes are facilities that provide beds for around-the-clock intermediate, skilled, and/or rehabilitative care.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Nursing/Rehab Directory Nursing homes are facilities that provide beds for around-the-clock intermediate, skilled, and/or rehabilitative care.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Nursing/Rehab Directory Nursing homes are facilities that provide beds for around-the-clock intermediate, skilled, and/or rehabilitative care.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Nursing/Rehab Directory Nursing homes are facilities that provide beds for around-the-clock intermediate, skilled, and/or rehabilitative care.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Nursing/Rehab Directory Nursing homes are facilities that provide beds for around-the-clock intermediate, skilled, and/or rehabilitative care.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Personal Care Directory Personal Care offers residents minimal assistance for bathing, grooming, toileting, and dressing. The resident must be able to move around (even if in a wheelchair or scooter). Some health care is provided and medications are given. These facilities are licensed.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Personal Care Directory Personal Care offers residents minimal assistance for bathing, grooming, toileting, and dressing. The resident must be able to move around (even if in a wheelchair or scooter). Some health care is provided and medications are given. These facilities are licensed.

Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Retirement Communities Directory Retirement communities are for those who are totally independent. Special services are provided, such as meals in a central dining area. Most people drive, but some transportation is usually offered. These communities offer no health care services and are not required to be licensed or certified.

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Click on the Directory name below to access the online directory listings.

Retirement Communities Directory Retirement communities are for those who are totally independent. Special services are provided, such as meals in a central dining area. Most people drive, but some transportation is usually offered. These communities offer no health care services and are not required to be licensed or certified.

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It’s Your Choice

Based on what life has taught me, these are what I consider to be our most important choices:

• We’re free to choose our character — the type of persons we become.

BY BOB MUELLER

I attended St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, a Sulpician seminary, and was required to make philosophy my college major. The Sulpicians, a scholarly order of Catholic priests who taught in seminaries, were very big on philosophy.

They told us that before we went out into the world, they wanted to teach us to think.

And they meant it.

We were challenged daily to think about God, life, the world and our place in it. We were required to write papers about the meaning of life and the reason for our existence.

We also debated about right and wrong and about good and evil. It was heavy stuff but it was great training. We learned to better understand life, to accept it as it is, and to deal with it more effectively.

And we did, in fact, learn how to think.

One day in class, we were debating the existence of God. It had gone on for quite some time, when one of my classmates challenged the professor with a question I’d heard many times. She asked, “If God is so good and so powerful, how come he allows all this suffering? Why didn’t he just make us so we can be healthy and happy all the time?” The teacher seemed to have been waiting for that one, and I’ve always

• We’re free to choose our values and beliefs.

remembered his answer.

“If God had created us that way, he said, “We’d be nothing more than puppets.

He’d be pulling the strings, and we’d have absolutely no power of our own. It’s true: we wouldn’t have to experience pain and hardship. But without them, we’d also never find a meaning or a purpose for ourselves. We’d be nothing more than mindless, programmed robots. God did a lot better than that. He created us instead with a free will. He gave us life, and then he gave us the freedom to decide for ourselves what we’ll do with it. He gave us the power to choose our own way.”

The freedom to decide, the power to choose — what a great lesson in life that was!

Yet, how unfortunate it is that so many people never recognize this great freedom or exercise this great power. I’ve been guilty of it a few times myself, despite that valuable lesson in college. Sadly, we don’t always apply what we’ve been taught.

The starting point for a better life is discovering that

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we have choices. Sadly, many people never do. They live in a country that offers more freedom of choice than any in the world, yet they live like prisoners, trapped by circumstances. I’m always amazed at some of the excuses people come up with for not taking advantage of life’s opportunities to make new choices: not enough money, no time, wrong conditions, poor luck, lousy weather, too tired, bad mood, and the list keeps on.

But the truth is that they just don’t see their choices.

It’s like being locked up somewhere and having a key in your pocket that’ll set you free, but never using it simply because you don’t know it’s there. You have more choices than you’ve ever dreamed possible. The key is knowing that they’re there — every day of your life. We live by choice, not by chance. It isn’t what happens that’s most important. It’s how we deal with what happens. It’s what we choose to think and what we choose to do that is most important.

• We’re free to choose how we treat others.

• We’re free to choose how to handle problems and misfortunes.

• We’re free to choose how much we’ll learn.

• We‘re free to choose what we’ll accomplish in life.

• We’re free to choose our attitude.

The most important thing to understand about all of this is that at any given moment, we’re making choices. Equally important is the need to understand that we’re the results of our choices. Human beings weren’t designed to live by chance. We were designed to live by choice.

Bob Mueller is vice president of development at Hosparus.

Visit his website at bobmueller.org.

– THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT –

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9300 Beulah Church Rd. 40291 502.762.9612 • adcdir@fchum.org fchum.org

HELPFUL RESOURCES ADVERTISING

Today’s Transitions Reach more than 75,000 caregivers and seniors with your business message. The resource is in a colorful, easy-to-read format, providing readers with helpful information about your products or services. Each Directory Listing includes: • Approximately 650 characters – including punctuation and spaces.

• Contact information.

• Production services.

• Change Listing for each issue.

• Deadline for Winter issue: Nov. 12, 2015

Call or email us for additional information at 502.327.8855 or advertising@todayspublications.com

LAW

Timmel Law LLC – KY & IN lic.

ELDER PLANNING WORKSHOPS & CONSULTATIONS NO CHARGE MEDICAID & VA BENEFIT Helping individuals and their families including those with elder or special needs issues identify, evaluate and plan for long term care, estate and life care options.

Call or email to join us for a workshop where you can learn about Estate Planning and protecting your loved ones’ assets.

Timmel Law, LLC 812.590.2771 aa@timmellaw.com timmellaw.com

FREE HOUSING ADVOCATE

Senior Home Transitions After hospitalization and/or rehab, what’s next for your loved one? Having personally gone through the process of placing a loved one after rehab, I know how confusing the options can be.

Particularly if you only have a short time to find that new home! I have personally visited each community and will help you find the perfect new home based on your financial situation and personal needs. I can also help connect you with resources to help financially.

All at NO COST to you!

Patti Naiser SeniorHomeTransitions.com 502.396.9228 INSURANCE

Robin Brown, 21 years with State Farm,

says she likes to help people plan a good life:“We help people protect the things they can least afford to lose: their home, their car, their income when they’re sick or hurt, and their earning capability. The unexpected happens often in life. I want my clients to be prepared for it. We’re also here to help clients assemble and preserve wealth in the most tax efficient ways possible. We educate clients to help them take care of the people who are special to them and to plan for retirement.” Let Robin help you plan for your dreams and manage risk to protect what is yours now and in the future.

Robin Brown, CLU, ChFC, CASL Agent State Farm 4209 Shelbyville Rd, Louisville, KY 40207 502.897.6476 • robinbrowninsurance.com

TRANSPORTATION

Able Care, Inc., since 2001 Providing non-emergency, ambulatory and wheelchair accessible transportation.

Our service is available for: • Physician appointments, medical procedures, therapy, dialysis, radiation, and chemotherapy • Social functions and daily errands • Evenings and weekends with advance notice Caregivers or family members are welcome to ride at no additional charge. Pre-paid voucher packages are available. Payment is requested at the time of service. BBB Accredited Business.

Louisville, Kentucky 40269-0381 502.267.1911 • ablecareinc.com

Helpful Resources Directory

ADULT DAY CARE

What to Wear

BY TIFFANY WHITE & ALISSA HICKS / PHOTO MELISSA DONALD

Outdoor Fun Here’s a great fall look that’s versatile enough for Beth Mattingly to wear when spending time with her grandson Parker at the zoo or any other outdoor event.

Stylist Alissa Hicks chose an outfit for Beth that could be worn on breezy or warmer days. Layering the sweater and scarf is a nice finishing touch for this outfit.

Beth is wearing: sweater, $115; scarf $98; pants $94; shoes $95. All items from Dillard’s, 5000 Shelbyville Rd., 502.883.4400.

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