Westchester Senior Voice - Winter 2022 Edition

You might be wondering, “How will I move all my things? What does the process look like?” Your move from your home can be more manageable than you might think—with the right resources. We can help you make sense of it all with clear timelines, outlines of each step, and exclusive Compass programs and tools.

EVERY DAY, WE’RE DELIVERING CARE THAT’S ANYTHING BUT “EVERYDAY”

Whether it’s the day advanced technology helps pinpoint a diagnosis or renowned doctors perform life-saving surgery, no day is an exception to being exceptional at White Plains Hospital. This is why we’re among the best hospitals anywhere, that just so happens to be here.

See how we’re exceptional at wphospital.org/everyday

TOURO’S COMPLEX CARE CLINIC provides the most technologically advanced implants and restorations using pain-free, high-precision digital dentistry, for a perfect smile in weeks, not years. And, the cost is about 30% less than elsewhere due to our affiliation with TCDM. Call Touro’s Complex Care Clinic today at (914) 594-5927 or visit www.dental.touro.edu.

Meadowview Assisted Living

Makes Life Easier and More Rewarding

Meadowview’s priorities have never been more certain. We focus on quality care and service as well as resident protection measures, including testing, screening and the highest level of infection control standards as directed by our registered nurse and medical staff.

We are currently offering virtual tours and Zoom meetings with key staff as a way to explore Meadowview. We have revised move-in protocols including a 14-day initiation period.

You’ll enjoy:

• Your new home located on a beautiful 34-acre campus with a full continuum of care

• Recent $1 million renovation

• Three meals a day

• 24/7 concierge and on site nursing with physicians on call

• Housekeeping and laundry services

• Creative Aging, Music Therapy and Advance Life Planning programs

• Special Memory Care Neighborhood for those with special needs

• And much more!

Ask about our Friend/Family Referral Promotion and our Short Stay Program.

Please call (914) 513-5178 to speak to our experienced move-in coordinator or visit wartburg.org

Your partner in health and wellness

For more information, please call (914) 366-3937 or email vitality@northwell.edu. To see all of our upcoming free events, please visit the events page on the Phelps website at: phelps.northwell.edu/events

Vitality at Phelps Hospital offers a variety of free programs and services to help you stay active and engaged as you age. We provide educational healthrelated classes, events, support programs, and expert care to enhance your well-being. We invite you to enjoy our activities and social gatherings to keep you connected to your health and wellness, while having fun with your peers.

PUBLISHER

Susan E. Ross publisher@westchesterseniorvoice.com 914.380.2990

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lauren C. Enea, ESQ.

Kim Kovach

Jim Miller Donna Moriarty Brian Nicholas, MD Colin Sandler

With Special Thanks to All of Our Recipe Contributors

COVER

Grilled Chicken Pesto from The Greens

CIRCULATION

Rare Sales, Inc. / Bob Engelman 914.661.3605

To our readers: We are able to publish and distribute this magazine through the support of our advertisers. Please let them know you reached out to them because of Westchester Senior Voice.

The Publisher is not responsible for errors in advertising or claims made by adver tisers. We do not knowingly accept any advertising that violates any law. Opin ions, articles and advertising appearing in this magazine should not be construed as endorsement by the Publisher of any product, service, or person.

VOLUME 7.5 WINTER 2022-2023

Copyright © Voice Media LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Westchester Senior Voice Print ISSN 2469-5203

Online ISSN 2469-5211

Publishing Quarterly plus an Annual Guide and the Booming BETTER Expo

WESTCHESTER

The height of senior living.

A beautiful gift for you and your family.

Our residents say moving to Meadow Ridge is the greatest gift they have ever given their children. They are experiencing the height of retirement living and making enduring friendships in an enriching community. Their families have received peace of mind knowing if or when their loved one needs more support, care will be provided right here on campus at a predictable cost.

Visit our beautiful community, where you will engage with residents, learn more about the security of Lifecare and receive a warm thermos of our residents’ favorite soup to take home.

To schedule a private tour, call 203-587-8437 or visit MeadowRidge.com

Independent Living Assisted Living Memory Care Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation

Look for our delicious Butternut Squash Soup recipe in this edition of Westchester Senior Voice.

from the publisher

Ellen Josephs added even more time to her busy volunteering schedule with the SPCA in Briarcliff Manor when they took in 40 Beagle rescues that had been removed from a mass medical breeding facility in Virginia.

Eva Fischer delights in the college stu dents she converses with through Con versation Partners. Having lived in Italy for 30 years and fluent in four languages, she devotes time each week to bringing ESL students to their full idiomatic English language potential.

Loretta Poole brings a big personality and even bigger warmth to her role as a Docent at the Hudson River Museum—intro ducing children of color to the eye-opening world of fine art.

And Karen Baker extolls a huge sense of pride in her work help ing Latino scholars find a place at the college of their choosing.

I am personally so proud to have these Westchester residents and devoted volunteers working behind the scenes and pow ering the engines of so many non-profits here in our beloved county. It’s time to celebrate these volunteer heroes—read more about them on pages 24-27.

As winter fast approaches and the boredom of the same old, same old kicks in, Westchester Senior Voice is here to the res cue with new recipes to warm those winter days. Magazine friends and partners have shared some of their own favorites: from chicken barley stew and sweet potato chili to grilled chick en pesto (see cover photo), butternut squash soup and more. Find the QR codes for several of the recipes in our table of con tents (on page 6 of this issue) and share with family and friends.

Hurricane Ida in 2021 reminded us how devastating Mother Nature can be. This surprise storm caused significant structural damage to homes, made travel unsafe and left thousands without power for many consecutive days.

For seniors, these conditions are serious threats to health and safety. In total darkness, the risk of falling is great. Absence of heat at this time of year can bring on illness fast. Insufficient water supplies can result in dehydration. Compromised travel can delay support or rescue.

Colder temperatures and uncertain weather conditions are just around the corner. That’s why we urge you to plan NOW for a living environment best suited to keep your senior loved one safe—such as The Kensington.

While Hurricane Ida and other storms, such as the blizzard of January 2022, raged outdoors, life here proceeded like any other day. We never lost power, but if we had, we have multiple generators in place to keep us going. We remained fully staffed. Medication was administered on schedule. Meals were warm and regular.

The Kensington is a residence built with the everyday living needs of seniors in mind. It is also a community prepared for the surprises Mother Nature might have in store. Call or visit sooner than later. Meet with our resourceful team to help plan ahead for your loved one’s wellness and safety.

To Store or Not to Store

There are plenty of good reasons to use a storage unit. You may be downsizing; moving, buying or selling your home; or requiring seasonal storage. Perhaps you are a collector and need a place for your collectibles, or you’re renovating your home.

Good reasons aside, Paula Meighan, co-founder (with Carol Lightbody) of Changing Places, a company managing moves for older adults in West chester and Fairfield counties, says, “We consider storage units to be a necessary evil in some cases, and we try to avoid them as much as possible.”

She refers to storage units as a “sort of purgatory,” places where items go when decisions can’t be made. In the long run, you can easily spend more for the unit than the items are worth.

Ahoy, Matey!

Skeptics may have predicted that after the pandemic-related on-ship quarantining and accompanying bad press, the cruise industry would never return to its former heyday. Well, they’ve been proven wrong— in a big way.

If you are going to use a storage unit, here are some tips from Meighan: Be sure to label all your items and place them within reach and identifiable. (Pictured here is an all-too familiar ex ample of how not to pack one of these units.) Return to the unit regularly to reassess what you’ve stored and identify items to remove, donate and drop off at your local thrift shop.

Consider storage as a shortterm solution and work to pare down your items with the goal of eliminating the unit altogether.

Burke Rehabilitation Is Ready to Catch You

Burke Rehabilitation Hospi tal in White Plains has an nounced a partnership with CatchU™ to study the lat est technological advances to predict and prevent falls. CatchU is the result of more than 15 years of multisen sory research.

Its creator, Jeannette R. Mahoney, Ph.D., Associate Director of the Division of Cognitive and Motor Aging and Associate Professor of the Saul R. Korey Depart ment of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medi cine, designed the CatchU app to quantitatively assess fall risk in people 65 and older, while also providing physicians with targeted counseling and personal ized therapy considerations for their patients.

“Identifying fall risks early can help older adults maintain their independence,” said Dr. Mahoney. “The CatchU app provides quan

titative markers that are sig nificantly linked to fall-risk in aging. The test can safely be taken while a patient is seat ed, and the patient’s fall risk is electronically transmitted to the patient’s health care provider, along with person alized recommendations.”

During the next two years, baby boomers and seniors from Burke’s network of out patient therapy clinics, their Adult Fitness Center, and outpatient medical special ist practice will have the op portunity to participate in a study to help identify their predisposition to falls. Those who enroll in the study will use the CatchU app to take a 10-minute multisensory assessment that analyzes reaction time to visual and tactile prompts. The results will be sent electronically to the research study investi gators. Physicians of participants will receive CatchU results, along with counsel ing recommendations.

any, children on board. These baby boom ers are also more able to vacation for ex tended periods of time and typically don’t need to work around school vacations.

Travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth reports a 41% in crease in the number of travelers taking cruises compared to 2019. And 87% of those travelers are insuring a recently booked cruise (as compared to one that’s been rescheduled).

In fact, North American passengers make up the vast majority of cruisers and lead

the world in cruise revenue, with the busi est port in the world being Miami—host to about 22 cruise lines.

According to the website Cruise Mummy, the average age of a cruise passenger is 47 years old. However, that rises to age 62 for world cruises, where there are few, if

Here is more interesting data from Cruise Mummy: the biggest threat to a cruise ship is fire so they have specially-trained firefighting teams on board, in addition to plenty of smoke detectors and fire ex tinguishers; the risk of violent crime on a cruise ship is 95% lower than on land; most cruise ships have jails, hospitals and even morgues on board; many have Alco holics Anonymous meetings on board as well; and, if you’re looking to tie the knot, you should know that not all cruise ship weddings are legally recognized.

So are you ready to hit the high seas?

Holiday Shopping at GCT

The Grand Central Holiday Fair has returned to the beaux-arts Vanderbilt Hall, and will run through December 24 (except for Thanksgiving day).

A truly curated shopping experience, the fair showcases 36 artisan vendors offering one-of-a-kind products across a variety of categories.

This year’s fair will feature unique local artisans and small businesses with a fo cus on quality craftsmanship and prod ucts made in New York and the United States. Vendors will sell a diverse mix of giftable items, including men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, original artwork, jewelry, holiday keep sakes and distinctive home décor, selfcare products, and endless varieties of handcrafted goods.

Dickens' Christmas Carol

From December 9 through 23, Lyndhurst Man sion in Tarrytown will host Mr. Dickens Tells a Christmas Carol. This one-hour play recreates the famous performance tour by Charles Dick ens in 1867 with his classic tale, bringing the travails of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim alive. Taken from the original script, ac tor Michael Muldoon plays Charles Dickens and tells the well-loved tale, in the parlor of the beau tifully decorated Lyndhurst Mansion, of meeting the different spirits and characters.

Visit lyndhurst.org for more information and to view other events.

NYBG Train Show

The Holiday Train Show at the New York Bo tanical Garden returns from November 19, 2022 through January 16, 2023. Watch model trains zip through an enchanting display of more than 190 replicas of New York landmarks, each recreated from natural materials such as birch bark, lotus pods, and cinnamon sticks.

Plus, take in NYC’s largest outdoor holiday color and light experience at NYBG Glow, returning for its third year with even more illuminated displays.

Explore all the NYBG programs at nybg.org

Being Alive

Acclaimed actor/singer/storyteller Mandy Patinkin will be appearing at the Tarrytown Music Hall on February 11, 2023 in, per haps, his most electrifying role. This pas sionate and powerful evening of song, Be ing Alive, is a collection of many of Mandy’s favorite Broadway and classic American tunes. From Irving Berlin and Cole Porter to Stephen Sondheim and Harry Chapin, Mandy will take you on a dazzling and un forgettable musical journey.

Tickets and info at tarrytownmusichall.org

At the Emelin

Set to light up the stage at the Emelin Theatre on December 30, Dar Williams has often been compared with Joni Mitch ell, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris and Su zanne Vega, Dar rose out of the vibrant mid-90s Boston music scene and was inspired by the eclectic influences of altrockers, Berklee jazz musicians, slam po ets, and other folk artists.

She is is acclaimed for her intimate, in trospective songs, lyrical wit and wisdom, and incredible three-octave vocal range.

For tickets and more info, go to emelin.org

What's That Ringing in Your Ears?

BY DR. BRIAN NICHOLAS

Tinnitus, the condition commonly known as “ringing in the ears,” is something that can affect us as we age, especially if we are expe riencing hearing loss or have suf fered an ear injury. Other causes of tinnitus can include repeated exposure to loud noises; an ear infection; head or neck injuries; and even such medications as an tidepressants.

But let’s focus on age. The cochlea—the part of the inner ear responsible for hearing— contains over 15,000 inner and outer hair cells. These cells can die as we age, and are not replaced, leading to hearing loss. That, in turn, can lead to tinnitus.

While many people with tinnitus describe it as sounding like a “ringing” in the ears, the condition can produce a number of other “phantom” sounds: buzzing, roar ing, “crickets” or clicking, or even hiss ing. These sounds can be constant or present as a regular pulsing, or occur sporadically. It can gradually increase or simply begin without notice.

The reason for these sounds, which usually occur at the higher frequencies we hear, is that the brain is working in an organic way to “replace” the sounds it is no longer receiving.

Common conditions that can lead to tinni tus include a buildup of impacted earwax in the ear canal and a middle ear infection to abnormal bone growth in the middle ear, or can be the result of more serious conditions like whiplash, severe anemia, hypertension and hypothyroidism.

Among the negative effects of tinnitus,

beyond the ringing itself, is sleeplessness. Many tinnitus sufferers are more or less unaware of having the condi tion during the day, when other auditory stimuli are present. But at night, when those stimuli are significantly reduced, the sound can remind you of its presence with a vengeance.

Not getting enough sleep can of course be detrimental to your health, resulting in anxiety, depression, and irritability— and can lead to a chronic condition that may reduce immunity and even cause heart failure. For those reasons, add ing a source of ambient sound while you sleep can help mask/overcome the ef fects of tinnitus. A white noise machine, soft music playing on the radio, even wearing headphones while sleeping can be useful ways of distracting the brain at nighttime. Keep in mind: you don’t want them to play too loudly, lest your sleep be disturbed.

Worth noting is that, as tinnitus is of ten associated with age-related hearing loss, a hearing aid can help reduce the

effects of the condition. Not only do such devices am plify “regular” sounds for the user to hear better, they also increase ambient sounds— often to the point where the tinnitus is drowned out.

We also employ tinnitus and hearing-specific question naires to help evaluate the ef fects of the condition on each patient. When it comes to tin nitus, our greatest challenge as caregivers is that we can not hear what the patient is hearing, making the patient’s perception entirely subjective.

There can also be a thera py-based approach to tinnitus. One of the pitfalls of having the condition is the temptation to give it undue focus, which accomplishes little other than making it loom larger in your life than it has to. Retraining therapy can demonstrate how to shift your focus away from the condi tion, by not trying to count how often or quantify how severe each occurrence is. Ultimately, such therapy can help the pa tient reduce—and ultimately eliminate— the masking tools. I’ve had patients who, when asked the status of their tinnitus, have had to stop to actually focus on it.

That, ultimately, is the goal. Tinnitus can be very disabling, but in most cases it needn’t be. Explore these options and others with an otolaryngologist or audi ologist to see what might work for you.

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Dr. Brian Nicholas is the Direc tor of Hearing and Balance at White Plains Hospital, with of fices in White Plains, Cornwall and Harrison. To make an ap pointment, call 914-849-3755.

Your Daily Cup

BY KIM KOVACH

Did you start your day with a warm cup of... something? While coffee and tea are the most popular early day beverages, hot water with lemon and hot chocolate are also morning favorites.

According to the National Coffee As sociation, upwards of 64% of Ameri cans drink coffee on a regular basis, and about 79% of coffee drinkers brew their own at home. With a flick of a switch, you can become a barista at your kitchen counter by grinding your own coffee beans or popping a singleserve pod into your brewing apparatus.

A BIT OF HISTORY

The legend starts with an Ethiopian goat herder who noticed his goats were energized after eating the berries of a certain tree. This discovery came to the attention of a local monastery where the berries were turned into a beverage to keep the monks alert during evening prayers. Coffee plants found their way to the Arabian Peninsula in the 15th century and to Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey in the 16th century. Coffeehous es became popular centers for conver sation and current events.

By the 17th century, travelers were bringing coffee to England, Austria, France, Germany and Holland. Cof feehouses sprang up in towns and cit ies across Europe. The Dutch planted coffee seedlings in Indonesia and the French planted them in Martinique. By the 1700s, coffee was also being grown and produced in South and Cen tral America.

And in the U.S., pioneers brought cof fee with them as they moved West in the 1800s.

cup of Joe. Mud, Java and Jitter Juice were popular terms used for this ubiq uitous brew enjoyed by bus drivers and movie stars alike. The first Chock Full O’ Nuts location began as a nut stand in Times Square in 1922. Family friendly Dunkin’ Donuts was founded in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts. Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee house chain, opened its first store in 1971 at Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

P ERSONAL PREFERENCES

Sitting at the breakfast table eating crumb cakes and drinking coffee, I re alized I have been drinking out of my favorite coffee mug since 1979! I pur chased this stoneware mug as a newly wed living in New York City. The design features whimsical elephants standing in a field of pumpkins. I have lots of cof fee mugs in my kitchen cabinets, but this is the mug I reach for every morning.

Bronxville resident Carmella Cam marota brews a pot of dark roast cof fee each morning. Carmella says she drinks a large cup of black coffee in one of two favorite ceramic mugs with nice big handles. “I like the mug my daughter brought me from England,” says Carmella. “It’s white with a blue rim and an English garden design.”

John Zline of Pound Ridge is very specific about how he prepares his special cup of Java every morning. He grinds his own beans and brews one cup in the coffee maker. He prefers to drink out of a large travel mug be cause “the coffee stays hotter longer.” John’s morning coffee routine is com plete only after adding cocoa powder, cinnamon, half and half, and a squirt of whipped cream! n n n

Online Hearing Tests

BY JIM MILLER

There are a growing number of very good online and app-based hearing tests avail able that will let you check your hearing on your own.

These tests are a quick and convenient option for the millions of Americans who have mild to moderate hearing loss but often ignore it—or don’t want to go through the hassle or expense of visiting an audiologist for a hearing exam.

WHO SHOULD TEST?

Hearing loss typically develops gradually over many years of wear and tear, which is the reason many people don’t realize they actually have a hearing problem.

It makes sense to test your hearing if: you have difficulty hearing or under standing what people say, especially in noisier environments or over the phone, or you need a higher volume of music or TV than other people.

SELF-HEARING TESTS

Online and app-based hearing tests can serve as a great screening tool. They are not meant to be a diagnosis, but, rather, to give you an idea of how severe your hear ing loss is and what can be done about it.

For most do-it-yourself hearing tests, you’ll be advised to wear ear headphones or earbuds and sit in a quiet place.

You also need to know there are two differ ent types of tests available. One is known as pure-tone testing: when tones are played in decreasing volumes to determine your specific level of hearing loss. The oth er type, speech-in-noise or digits-in-noise (DIN), will ask you to identify words, num bers, or phrases amid background noise.

A CUP OF JOE

Coffee shops and roadside diners sprang up across the U.S., offering customers a hot meal and a steaming

Kim Kovach teaches fiction writing and personal story writ ing classes via Zoom. Www. kimkovachwrites.com

W HICH TEST TO USE

Two of my favorite app-based hear ing tests, to be used on smartphones or

tablets, are hearWHO—created by the World Health Organization—and the Mimi Hearing Test. Both apps are free to use and available through the App Store and Google Play.

HearWHO allows you to check your hear ing status and monitor it over time, using a DIN test, whereas Mimi uses pure-tone and masked threshold tests to give you a detailed picture of your hearing abilities.

There is also a wide variety of online hearing tests you can take on a comput er. Some top online tests—all offered by hearing aid manufacturers—for speechin-noise or DIN tests, can be accessed at ReSound (resound.com/en-us/onlinehearing-test) and Miracle Ear (miracleear.com/online-hearing-test).

And some good online hearing tests for pure-tone testing are available by Signia (signia.net/en/service/hearingtest); Ergo (eargo.com/hearing-health/ hearing-check); and MD Hearing Aid (mdhearingaid.com/hearing-test).

All of these hearing tests are completely free to use and take less than five minutes to complete.

WHAT TO DO WITH RESULTS

If the tests indicate you have hearing loss, it’s best to think of that as a starting point. Take the results to your doctor or an audiologist for further evaluation.

Many insurance providers and Medicare Advantage plans cover routine hearing exams; original Medicare does not.

If your hearing loss is mild to moderate, you may want to look in to the new overthe-counter (OTC) hearing aids, now available online and at retailers like Best Buy, Walgreens and CVS.

OTC hearing aids don’t require a prescrip tion or medical examination for purchase and they’re much more affordable than the hearing aids you would traditionally have bought through an audiologist or a licensed hearing instrument specialist.

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Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

What's Best for Me:

Revocable or Irrevocable Trust?

BY LAUREN C. ENEA, ESQ

Trusts are excellent vehicles for probate avoidance, management of assets, ease of disposition of funds to one’s beneficiaries upon death, asset protection planning and es tate tax planning. That being said, it is often difficult to know what type of trust one needs! Here, we discuss the basic differences be tween Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts.

With a Revocable Living Trust (RLT), the Trust Creator(s) (also known as a “Grantor(s)”) creates a trust for their benefit where they can also be the sole trustee. During the cre ator’s lifetime, he/she has full control over the real property, bank accounts, investments and any other assets that have been titled in the name of the RLT, along with the power to amend, modify and/or revoke the RLT.

The most significant advantage of an RLT is that it avoids the need for probate with respect to the assets titled to the RLT upon the creator’s death. Probate is the process of admitting one’s Last Will and Testament in the Surrogate’s Court in the county where the decedent resided, for it to be deemed legally valid after one’s passing in order to allow the executor access to assets titled to the decedent’s name alone and to allow the executor to pay bills and distribute the funds to the beneficiaries named in the Will. The probate process can take about nine months to over a year to complete. There are also filing fees to be paid to the court, legal fees to attorneys and the estate is

then a matter of public record.

A RLT and the diligent transfer of one’s as sets (non-IRA/non-retirement) to said trust, can accomplish everything a Last Will and Testament can, while avoiding the expens es, difficulties and delays associated with probate. IRAs, 401Ks, annuities and life insurance should all have named benefi ciaries and alternate beneficiaries so as to avoid probate. Additionally, any estate tax planning that can be done in one’s Last Will and Testament can be done in a RLT.

In comparison, Irrevocable Trusts are can not be amended and/or revoked. There are a number of types of Irrevocable Trusts, but most commonly they are used as a plan ning tool to transfer assets for the benefit of another without making an outright gift to that individual, or for purposes of Medicaid Planning and/or Estate Tax Planning. An Ir revocable Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT) allows an individual to protect one’s life (non-retirement) savings and home from the cost of long-term care, while granting the trust creator the right to continue to re side in their home and still benefit from the income generated by the assets transferred to the Irrevocable Trust. The trust creator cannot be the trustee of the trust. Typically, one’s children and/or loved ones are named as trustees. The transfer of assets to a MAPT creates a five-year penalty period for Nursing Home Medicaid and, as of the

time of this writing, would create a two-anda-half year penalty period for Home Care Medicaid for applications filed after March 31, 2024. After the penalty period runs, the funds held by the trust are protected and no longer countable assets for Medicaid eligi bility purposes and Medicaid can no longer have a claim or lien on said assets.

Additionally, an Irrevocable Trust can be used to transfer assets for the benefit of a loved one, friend, child and/or grandchild so that the assets are not controlled by the trust’s beneficiary, but can be used by the trustee of the trust for the beneficiary’s health, edu cation, maintenance and support. This is an excellent tool often used to lower one’s tax able estate and provide for the education and future needs of a grandchild and/or child.

As you can see, there are a number of ex cellent reasons to consider a Revocable and/or Irrevocable Trust! n n n

Lauren C. Enea, Esq., a Senior Associate at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP, concentrates her practice on Wills, Trusts and Estates, Medicaid Planning, Special Needs Planning and Probate/Estate Administration. She believes it is never too early or too late to start plan ning for your future and enjoys working with individuals to ensure their plan best suits their needs. Ms. Enea received a B.S. in Business Management from Quin nipiac University graduating Magna Cum Laude and a J.D. from the Pace University School of Law graduating Summa Cum Laude. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Florida. She can be contacted at 914948-1500 or www.esslawfirm.com

Meet Our 2022 Volunteer Heroes

BY DONNA MORIARTY

A former school librarian who coaches Latino youth with college applica tions; a retired teacher who converses with non-native English speakers to practice their English language skills; a docent who infuses visitors with the enthusiasm she felt as a museum-goer in her childhood; and an animal lover who helps shelter dogs become more “adoptable.”

Volunteering takes many forms, each reflecting the individual’s passions and abilities. In the stories that follow, four volunteers describe the joys and rewards of devoting themselves to a cause that answers a deep need. Each has found purpose and satisfaction in work that can nour ish the spirit, challenge the intellect, and warm the heart knowing that someone’s life is better because of what they do.

When ELLEN JOSEPH talks about her volunteer work, she uses words like resiliency, isolation, loneliness, and shyness. She is not talking about her colleagues or peers. She is talking about dogs.

Joseph volunteers at SPCA Westchester, the Briarcliff Manor animal rescue center. There’s no getting around the harsh re ality of an animal shelter; the animals have been surrendered, abandoned, or rescued from abusive situations. SPCA is one of a small number of “no-kill” shelters, taking in all but the most hopeless cases, regardless of how long it takes to place them in a permanent home.

Ellen Joseph, with a Beagle rescue dog, at the SPCA Westchester in Briarcliff Manor

Joseph and other volunteers work to ensure the emotional well-being of their charges through a variety of programs aimed at helping the dogs become more adoptable: well acclimated to their sur roundings, less reactive to other dogs, and more comfortable with strangers. “We want them to learn appropriate be haviors so they can find a permanent home,” she says.

This goes beyond simple leash training or keeping paws off the visitors. The SPCA encourages volunteers to engage the animals in activities that dispel boredom and stimulate healthy behavior. Typically, younger, smaller dogs are easier to place than larger, older ones. In other shelters, such dogs might be put down, but SPCA houses some animals for years. “Some of these dogs display such resiliency, work ing so hard to succeed and waiting a long time for their person to come along,” says Joseph. “I love hearing when one of them gets to go home.”

The SPCA grounds include play yards, kid die pools, and outdoor runs for stimulation and exercise. In addition to daily walks and playtime, the shelter offers enrichment pro grams that, in Joseph’s words, “relieve the stress of living in a fairly stressful environ ment.” A resource room, staged like a living room, helps dogs adjust to indoor settings. Volunteers may organize “pack walks” to neighboring parklands or lead their charg es through agility training or “nose work,” finding hidden treats by scent.

A hallmark of the shelter is a series of pro grams that invite the public to interact with the animals for mutual enrichment. Read ing to Dogs, Journaling with Cats, and music sessions, when (human) students practice their scales to a canine audience, help foster the mutual exchange of affec tion and attention. Sometimes, these inter actions lead to adoptions, but Joseph sees them as a way to instill empathy toward animals: something that people may lack.

“I love being with dogs. I feel a special connection with many of them,” says Jo seph. She admits that not every dog or human can overcome their circumstances to make that connection. “That’s why the work I do at SPCA is so rewarding. All the volunteers work hard to make every day a better day for these wonderful animals.”

When KAREN BAKER retired from her job as a middle school librarian in Chappaqua, she missed having contact with young people during an important part of their lives. So when considering volunteer op portunities, she chose to work with LUCA (Latino U College Access), a White Plains nonprofit that sup ports low-income, first-gen eration Latino youth in gain ing acceptance to college.

LUCA volunteers perform a range of services. Some guide students through their applications, while others help them apply for finan cial aid or assist in landing internships. Baker imme diately recognized it was a good fit for her. “I’m an edu cator. I’m very organized. I have strong research skills and I’m comfortable with technology. You need all of that to help someone with the college application pro cess,” she says.

As a LUCA College Coach, Baker is matched each year, in June, with collegebound Latino students—rising seniors who hope to gain admission to a suitable school by the following spring. She meets with each student weekly, these days on Zoom, charting their progress in completing innu merable tasks, from researching schools to writing their personal statements. Baker’s job involves directing these young scholars toward appropriate resources, answering questions, and—most of all—encouraging them through what can be a confusing and overwhelming process.

For Baker, 71, her biggest challenge is being “a white, middle-class woman who never faced the kind of struggles these students have to face,” she says. She is thankful for LUCA’s help in becoming more aware of, and sensitive to, different cultural perspectives. Her own viewpoint began to widen with her very first coach ing student.

As an undocumented immigrant, the young woman was ineligible for federal aid. But she persevered through numerous disap pointments and was eventually accepted to a private college on a four-year schol arship. “She sent me a video that showed her opening her decision email,” Baker said. “I was thrilled for her. I felt so lucky to have been part of her journey.”

Baker thoroughly enjoys the hours she devotes each week to her students, as well as the staff and leadership she en counters at LUCA. “It’s such a wonderful organization, extremely well organized, with great resources,” she says, adding that many of the staff and volunteers are themselves the first in their families to at tend college. “I’m humbled by these very determined students and their families. They are so motivated and have so much to offer. Without the support of an organi zation like LUCA, they might not have this opportunity. I’m thankful to play a small part in their success.”

Latino U College Access Coach Karen Baker

When LORETTA POOLE was a school girl living in Queens, she and her brother frequently rode the bus into Manhattan to visit the Hayden Planetarium. “We would spend a few hours at the museum, go somewhere for lunch, and then catch the bus back to Queens—all on our own. We were nine and eleven. I wish it could be that way for kids today,” she says.

Poole volunteers as a docent at the Hudson River Museum (HRM) in Yon kers. “I was interested in working with chil dren,” she says. “And as a black person, I want to represent for children of color.” She was drawn to HRM’s rich offerings: a planetarium, a historic home, and a host of programs in art and science.

Poole finished a career in instructional systems technology in 2014. A friend encouraged her to apply to HRM’s do cent program—a lengthy application and training process that can take six to eight months or longer. “You can’t just walk in

and do it,” says Poole. Poole and other do cents lead tours through the museum’s rotating permanent collections and a shift ing array of special exhibitions for individ uals, school groups, clubs and adult edu cation providers. Her job is to provide a stimulating experience that incorporates art, history and science— while emphasizing en joyment and learning.

“People who typically come in for a docent tour already know a lot about the topic,” she says. “If they ask a question I can’t an swer, I can ask about it on Monday and get back to them with an answer.” She is refer ring to HRM’s training sessions, held on Mon days when the mu seum is closed to visi tors. Poole enjoys the constant learning she can access through lectures, conversations with guest artists, behind-the-scenes tours with curators and museum educators, and organized visits to other museums and historic sites in the area.

One of Poole’s favorite activities is lead ing school children on “The Naturalist’s Journey,” a multi-media experience that draws connections between the envi ronment of the Hudson River Valley, art, and the museum’s many exhibits. During these activities, Poole encourages the children to sketch or record their obser vations in a journal. “We talk about what the river does, what was in the water then and now, and what we can do to make it better. For 45 minutes, they be come naturalists. Sometimes I get a little misty when I’m leading because I’m so moved by the wonder in their faces.”

Poole regrets that more children don’t have access to the kind of cultural experi ences she and her brother once enjoyed.

“The neighborhood is full of kids who could ben efit” from HRM scholar ships, but “We just don’t have enough. I wish more people knew about the museum and sup ported it.”

When it comes to volun teering, EVA FISCHER is no slouch. Her volun teer work spans years, during which she has worked at a community hospital, a local library, and with organizations that distribute donated medical supplies and bags of food to people in need. But her prima ry activity these days is helping English lan guage learners navigate the quirks and idioms of their new language.

Fischer, 83, works with Conversation Partners, a program at Westchester Community College that pairs native English-speaking volunteers with stu dents enrolled in the ESL program. Ac cording to the college’s website, more than 5,000 WCC students are non-native English speakers. Although most have acquired enough fluency to function in class, many opt for sessions with a con versation partner to practice their Eng lish-speaking skills in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.

Fischer, a retired teacher who speaks four languages, calls it “a wonderful op portunity that goes both ways. The stu dent gets to practice their vocabulary and learn new idioms, while I get to learn more about another country’s culture. And make a new friend in the process.”

(cont'd next page)

Donna Moriarty writes about education, wellness, and personal development. Her work has appeared in national mag azines, newspapers, and blogs. She is currently at work on a memoir. She and her husband live in Ossining, where their dachshund terrorizes the neighborhood dogs.

Loretta Poole, Volunteer Docent at the Hudson River Museum

She describes a typi cal first meeting with her conversation part ner as a “getting-toknow-you” conversa tion. They’ll meet for an hour a week in the campus cafeteria or an empty classroom. “I’ll ask them ques tions about their fam ily, their job, what they are studying and what brought them to Amer ica. The conversation usually flows from there,” she says.

Her partners may need help with pro nunciation or idiomatic expressions like “talk to the hand” or “I’m a people person.” But most seem to enjoy the low-pressure, or ganic atmosphere— far less stressful than

being called on in class. As they loosen up, they become more fluent, and some times the conversation turns personal.

Fischer once had a partner who began their session by saying she’d been ac costed by a man at work. At first horrified, Fischer soon realized the young woman was excited about having resolved the problem by standing up for herself. “In some ways we are a sounding board for them. Hearing someone reveal an inti mate aspect of their life sparks empathy for that person,” she says.

Fischer takes great satisfaction know ing she is helping her conversation partner become more fluent and confi dent in their new language, which often translates to a better job. “I’m struck by how much these international students have sacrificed to make a better life for themselves,” she says. It humbles her to think her small contribution can make their way a little easier. “There’s such a great need for this kind of as sistance, and I’m happy to give of my time,” she says. n n n

Do You Know...

How Long $1 Million Will Last?

This past October, Jordan Rosenfeld, writing for the website GoBankingRates.com, provided a detailed accounting of how long $1 million in savings would last in retirement in each of the 50 states. He based his analysis on the annual costs of groceries, housing, utilities, transportation and healthcare.

According to his findings, the $1 million would last for just un der 11 years in Hawaii, about 14 years in New York, 15 years in California, and 16 years in Massachusetts.

If you live in New Jersey, you can expect this sized nest egg to get you through 19 years of retirement. You’d need to move to the Heartland if your aim is to get more years out of those savings. In Kansas and in Oklahoma, the million will carry you for close to 25 years. But the most cost-efficient state in the U.S. to protect those savings for as long as possible is… drum roll… Mississippi, coming in at just over 25 years.

Of course, much of this is dependent on your particular life style. Still, the take-away: don’t be in a rush to retire!

Eva Fischer, on the WCC Campus in Valhalla

Comfort Food Recipes

Warm up your winter with these comfort food recipes. Whether it's tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons (let's hear the "oohs" and "aahs"), chicken barley stew, or vegan sweet potato chili, we're confident you will find at least one new recipe here to amp up your cooking repertoire.

Signature Butternut Squash Soup

From Chef John Dykeman at Meadow Ridge in Redding, Connecticut MeadowRidge.com; 203-544-7777

We love sharing this resident favorite with visitors who tour our community in the cooler months.

Everyone goes home with a thermos full of this savory soup.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

From Chef Richard Venezio at The Chelsea at Greenburgh

On Dobbs Ferry Road in Greenburgh ChelseaSeniorLiving.com; 914-275-0010

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tspn olive oil

- 24 oz. Italian sausage

- 1 1/2 cups white onion, diced

- 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

- 3 tspn garlic, minced

- 1 1/2 tspn Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS

- 8 cups chicken broth

- 18 oz. fresh diced tomatoes

- 3 15-oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed

- 4 1/2 cups baby spinach

- 3 Tbsp chopped parsley - salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage to the pan; cook for 5 minutes and use a spoon to break up the sausage into smaller pieces. Add the onion, celery and carrots to the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until just softened. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes, chicken broth and white beans. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the spinach and cook for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Chicken Barley Stew

From Richard Lipari

Culinary Institute of America-Trained and Executive Chef at The Osborn in Rye

TheOsborn.org; 914-925-8000

INGREDIENTS

- 3 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced

- 5 cloves garlic, sliced

- 1 small onion, large dice

- 1 cup barley

- 4 cups chicken stock

- 1 small pepper –any color, large dice

- 1/2 zucchini, large dice

DIRECTIONS

- 1/2 yellow squash, large dice

- 2-3 large carrots, big slices

- 1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes

- 1 14-oz. can small white beans

- 1 12-oz. bag spinach

- 1 tspn thyme

- 1/4 tspn black pepper

- 2 Tbsp oregano

Optional: 1/2 tspn salt, 1/4 tspn black pepper, 1 tspn chili flakes

In a stock pot, bring chicken stock to a boil and place carrots and barley; simmer until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. In a skillet, sauté chicken thighs, garlic, onion, zucchini, yellow squash, sweet pepper, just until aromas are pronounced, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, oregano, salt, pepper, chili flakes and thyme, and simmer until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. When barley is cooked but firm, place spinach on top of stew. Cook covered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes Mix well and serve with crusty bread and a green salad. Serves 4. (For a vegetarian option, replace chicken with mushrooms and replace chicken stock with vegetable stock or water.)

Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

From Giulia Capicotto, Social Worker, DOROT Westchester

Located on Westchester Avenue in White Plains; Dorotusa.org; 914-485-8356

INGREDIENTS

FOR SOUP ONLY:

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- 3 carrots, diced

- 1 onion, diced

- 3 stalks celery, diced

- 2 cloves garlic, diced

- 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

DIRECTIONS

DIRECTIONS

- 2 Tbsp tomato paste

- 4 cups chicken broth

- 1/4 cup red wine

- 1 tspn dried oregano

- 1 tspn dried basil

- 1/2 cup butter

- 1/2 cup flour

- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

- 1/2 cup half and half (or whole milk)

- salt and pepper

- 1/4 cup fresh basil

Heat oil in a soup pot. Once hot, add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, wine, oregano and basil. Bring to a light boil and cook a few minutes 'til veggies are tender. Ladle soup into blender (or use immersion blender) and puree until it reaches your desired texture. Add it back to the pot. In a separate pot make a roux by melting butter on medium low heat then adding the flour and whisking until the roux is golden brown. Add a ladle of soup to the roux and mix to form a thick paste. Add a few more ladles of soup and stir until it is smooth. Add the roux to the soup pot and stir. Add Parmesan cheese, half and half, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Cook a few minutes until it is warmed through. Prepare a grilled cheese sandwich as you like it, then cut it into cubes. Ladle soup into a bowl and top with the croutons and more fresh basil if desired.

Heat oil in a soup pot. Once hot, add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, wine, oregano, and dried basil. Bring to a light boil and cook a few minutes 'til veggies are tender. Ladle soup into blender (or use immersion blender) and puree until it reaches your desired texture. Add it back to the pot. In a separate pot make a roux by melting butter on medium low heat then adding the flour and whisking until the roux is golden brown. Add a ladle of soup to the roux and mix to form a thick paste. Add a few more ladles of soup and stir until it is smooth. Add the roux to the soup pot and stir. Add Parmesan cheese, half and half, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Cook a few minutes until it is warmed through. For the grilled cheese, spread butter on two slices of bread. Add to a hot pan butter side down and top both slices with cheese, then cover. Once cheese begins to melt, flip one slice of bread onto the other to form a sandwich. Cook until crispy, flip and do the same on the other side. Cut the grilled cheese into cubes and put them on a lined baking sheet. Place under the broiler on low for 2 minutes to crisp t Ladle soup into a bowl and top with croutons and more fresh basil if desired.

Heat oil in a soup pot. Once hot, add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, wine, oregano, and dried basil. Bring to a light boil and cook a few minutes 'til veggies are tender. Ladle soup into blender (or use immersion blender) and puree until it reaches your desired texture. Add it back to the pot. In a separate pot make a roux by melting butter on medium low heat then adding the flour and whisking until the roux is golden brown. Add a ladle of soup to the roux and mix to form a thick paste. Add a few more ladles of soup and stir until it is smooth. Add the roux to the soup pot and stir. Add Parmesan cheese, half and half, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Cook a few minutes until it is warmed through. For the grilled cheese, spread butter on two slices of bread. Add to a hot pan butter side down and top both slices with cheese, then cover. Once cheese begins to melt, flip one slice of bread onto the other to form a sandwich. Cook until crispy, flip and do the same on the other side. Cut the grilled cheese into cubes and put them on a lined baking sheet. Place under the broiler on low for 2 minutes to crisp t Ladle soup into a bowl and top with croutons and more fresh basil if desired.

Sweet Potato Chili

From Kelly Walker, Executive Sous Chef Phelps Hospital/ Northwell Health in Sleepy Hollow Phelps.Northwell.edu; 914-366-1150

INGREDIENTS

- 2 Tbsp olive oil

- 1 medium red onion, diced

- 2 green bell peppers, diced - 1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, cubed

- 6 garlic cloves, minced

- 2 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

- 3 15-oz cans black or pinto beans

- 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)

- 2 cups vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS

- 4 Tbsp chili powder

- 1 tspn ground cumin

- 1/2 tspn cayenne pepper

- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder

- 1 tspn kosher salt

- 1/2 tspn black pepper

- 1/4 cup masa harina

- Garnishes: hot sauce, sour cream (or vegan or cashew sour cream), sliced scallions, shredded cheese

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot (at least 5 quarts), heat the olive oil. Sauté onion, peppers and sweet potatoes on medium-high heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Then turn down the heat to medium low. Add the garlic, tomatoes and their liquid, beans, corn, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, cocoa, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix, cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After the 25 minutes, mix the masa harina with 1/2 cup water and stir it together in a small bowl. Add the mixture to the chili to thicken it. Cook 10 minutes more. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve and garnish with hot sauce, sour cream, green onions. (Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen for up to three months.)

Cavatelli with Broccoli Rabe

From Rose Cappa-Rotunno, Vice-President of Institutional Advancement at Wartburg in Mount Vernon; Wartburg.org; 914-513-5178

INGREDIENTS

- 4 Tbsp olive oil

- 1 clove garlic, sliced - 1 lb. broccoli rabe or par-boiled broccoli - 1 lb. cavatelli pasta

- salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, over medium high heat, heat the oil. Brown the garlic slightly. Add the broccoli rabe and lower the heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover the pan and steam the vegetables and oil for about five minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, cook the cavatelli according to package directions. Drain.

Mix the vegetables into the the cavatelli and serve. Serves 4.

Grilled Chicken Pesto

From Chef Luis Arista at The Greens at Greenwich in Greenwich TheGreensAtGreenwich.com; 203-531-5500

INGREDIENTS

- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

- 30-40 fresh basil leaves

- salt and black pepper powder to taste - lemon juice for drizzling - olive oil

DIRECTIONS

- 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper - 1 large zucchini - 1/2 cup fresh cream - 3 to 4 garlic cloves - 3 Tbsp Pine nuts - 4 to 5 black peppercorns - 1/4 cup ground Parmesan

Slit chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper powder, drizzle on lemon juice. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.

To make pesto, grind basil leaves and garlic. Add pine nuts, 2 Tbsp olive oil, peppercorns. Transfer to a bowl, add Parmesan cheese and salt, Mix well. Spread pesto (reserving some) over marinated chicken and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut bell peppers and zucchini into wide strips. Heat 6 Tbsp olive oil in grill pan, add the peppers and zucchini, cook until wrinkled. Remove and set aside. Place marinated chicken in the same pan and cook through until grill marks appear on each side.

I cannot tell you how many times in my life I have eaten this dish. An everyday weekday meal and also for occasions. Consider adding chopped sausage or even chicken to the oil to brown... adding another dimension to this winning recipe.

- Rose Cappa-Rotunno

To make pesto sauce, heat cream in a small non-stick pan, add some reserved pesto and mix. Add salt and pepper powder and mix well. Drizzle pesto sauce on a serving plate, place grilled chicken over it and

veggies alongside. Garnish with reserved pesto and serve immediately.

Supercharged Roasted Winter Vegetables

From Sharp Again Naturally SharpAgain.org; 914-281-1404

INGREDIENTS

- 5 cups winter vegetables such as carrots, beets, acorn and butternut squash, kabocha, celery root, parsnips, rutabaga, brussels sprouts, cut into diagonals or bitesize pieces

- 2 Tbsp olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1/2 Tbsp thyme, cumin or sage

- whole garlic cloves, quartered onions, or sliced ginger root (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a large roasting pan with parchment paper. Place all ingredients into the pan and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, coating the pieces thoroughly. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables have softened but still have some bite, turning a few times during cooking. Add thyme, cumin or sage toward the end of cooking. Serves 4.

Note: If desired, you can roast chicken thighs in the pan with the vegetables. Toss bone-in skin-on organic chicken thighs in a bag with olive oil, salt, and pepper and lay on top of the veggies to cook.

Roasted root and winter vegetables are not only comfort foods during the cold months, they are nutritional powerhouses for mind and body! Roasting with an assortment of fresh or dried herbs brings out their rich flavor and beneficial vitamins.

Black Bean Hummus

From Chef Norm Fintz at The Kensington White Plains TheKensingtonWhitePlains.com 914-390-0800

INGREDIENTS

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 8 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

- 8 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- 2 Tbsp lemon juice

- 2 Tbsp tahini

- 1/2 tspn ground cumin

- 1/2 tspn sea salt

- 1/4 tspn cayenne pepper

- 1/4 tspn paprika

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the paprika.

Puree the mixture until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl. When the mixture is smooth and free of lumps, place in a serving bowl. Garnish with paprika. Serve with pita chips or veggies.

Nature’s Virus Killer

Copper can stop a virus before it starts

Scientists have discovered a natural way to kill germs fast.

Now thousands of people are using it against viruses and bacteria that cause illness.

Colds and many other illnesses start when viruses get in your nose and multiply. If you don’t stop them early, they spread and cause misery.

Hundreds of studies confirm copper kills viruses and bacteria almost instantly just by touch.

That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyptians used copper to purify water and heal wounds. They didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, but now we do.

“The antimicrobial activity of copper is well established.” National Institutes of Health. Scientists say copper’s high conductance disrupts the electrical balance in a microbe cell and destroys it in seconds.

gave inventor Doug Cornell an idea. He made a smooth copper probe with a tip to fit in the bottom of the nostril, where viruses collect.

When he felt a tickle in his nose like a cold about to start, he rubbed the copper gently in his nose for 60 seconds.

“It worked!” he exclaimed. “The cold never happened. I used to get 2-3 bad colds every year. Now I use my device whenever I feel a sign I am about to get sick.”

He hasn’t had a cold in 10 years.

Customers report using copper against:

Colds Flu

Virus variants

Sinus trouble

Cold sores

Canker sores in the mouth

Strep Throat Night stuffiness Morning congestion MRSA

Skin infections

Infection in cuts, wounds

Thrush Warts Styes

Ringworm

Other microbial threats

The EPA recommended hospitals use copper for touch surfaces like faucets and doorknobs. This cut the spread of MRSA and other illnesses by over half, and saved lives.

The strong scientific evidence

After his first success with it, he asked relatives and friends to try it. They all said it worked, so he patented CopperZap® and put it on the market.

Soon hundreds of people had tried it. 99% said copper worked if they used it right away at the first sign of bad germs, like a tickle in the nose or a scratchy throat.

As thousands more tried it, some found other things they could use it against.

The handle is curved and textured to increase contact. Copper can kill germs picked up on fingers and hands after you touch things other people have touched.

Scientists placed millions of viruses on copper. “They started to

die literally as soon as they touched it,” said Dr. Bill Keevil.

Tarnish does not reduce how well copper works, EPA tests showed.

Users say:

“It works! I love it!”

“I can’t believe how good my nose feels.”

“Is it supposed to work that fast?”

“One of the best presents ever.”

“Sixteen airline flights, not a sniffle!”

“Cold sores gone!”

“It saved me last holidays. The kids all got sick, but not me.”

“I am shocked! My sinus cleared, no more headache, no more congestion.”

“Best sleep I’ve had in years!”

Made in America, pure copper. 90-day full money back guarantee. Price $79.95. Get $10 off each CopperZap with code WCSV3.

See www.CopperZap.com or call toll-free 1-888-411-6114.

Buy once, use forever.

Statements are not intended as product health claims and have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not claimed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

New research: Copper kills viruses in seconds.

Be Prepared To Cover Long-Term Care

BY CO LIN SAND LER

In 2021, my mother suddenly went from fully functioning to needing total care due to a stroke. Despite my professional years in this landscape, I found myself less than optimally prepared.

Here are my take-aways from the experience:

1) HAVE A POWER OF ATTORNEY (POA) which is approved by all the financial institutions prior to the person losing capacity. Prepared by a skilled elder law attorney, I was able to use the POA at our local bank but the financial institution holding her IRA refused to accept any POA other than their own (form). As my mother could no longer sign, I now have no ac cess to this account. So, make sure your financial institutions will accept your POA! If you don’t have one and/or cannot access needed assets, you may be forced to apply for a guardianship. This is expensive and time consuming—and there is no guaran tee a family member will be appointed to make critical decisions.

2) MEDICARE DOES NOT COVER EVERYTHING! A traditional supplement plan often covers co-pays, deductibles and, most importantly, the Medicare rehab copay. This starts on day 21 in a rehab center and the cost in 2023 will be $200 a day. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan (MAP), you are likely to have co-pays, deductibles, and limited coverage of co-pays in rehab. Luckily, I knew I could change my mother from a MAP to traditional Medicare outside of the open enrollment period because she was in a rehab center. I moved her over to

original Medicare and a supplement plan–within eight days of her MAP deciding she was not improving and would be completely cutting her coverage. Thankfully, the new in surance started on day seven and she was able to remain in the facility for the full 100 days, during which time she improved sig nificantly, and at no cost to us!

3) DOES YOUR LOVED ONE HAVE LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE?

If they do, understand the benefits. What is the daily rate cap (which can be different for home care, assisted living or a nursing home)? What is the lifetime cap? How long is the elimination period? The answers can impact the decisions you make. Unfortu nately, most people do not have long-term care insurance so the only options are pri vate pay or Medicaid. Medicare does not pay for long term care. It would be ideal to get educated about Medicaid prior to needing long term care but most people are reactive—not proactive. So, the next best thing is to meet with an expert early on in that reactive stage to try and reduce

the out-of-pocket costs. My mom has great long-term care insurance but not enough to cover her needs. So we are using the insurance to help cover an enhanced assisted living and then using Med icaid to cover the extra care she still requires.

4) UNDERSTAND MED

ICAID FOR HOME CARE. Nursing home care is straight forward. Once approved, Medicaid pays for all your care. Home care is very dif ferent. You have to go through two NY State independent as sessments and then pick a Managed LongTerm Care (MLTC) Plan. Very often people do not get approved for the hours they need and do not know how to go through the process of fighting for more coverage. An alternate long-term home care program, the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion program (NHTD), is better geared towards people with dementia and supervisionbased needs. Due to planning and despite having some assets and a good income, I was able to get my mother qualified for Medicaid and into a home care program via Medicaid that meets her needs.

My best advice: Sort through all these is sues sooner rather than later!

n n n

Colin Sandler, LCSW, CCM, is the owner of Medicaid Solutions and has been providing advice on aging to seniors and their families for over 20 years. Call 914-924-2566 or email Colin@ Medicaidsolutions.com; 2127 Crompond Rd, Cor tlandt Manor, NY.

Westchester's Bee-Line Bus System

and pay your fare with exact change.

2.Add money to your Reduced Fare MetroCard and use it as a debit card.

3.

Please have your Reduced Fare MetroCard out and ready before you board the bus.

USIN G CO IN S TO PAY YOU R FAR E:

Dollar bills and pennies cannot be used in the fare box. If using coins, please have exact change ready when boarding the bus, as bus drivers are unable to make change.

F RE E T RANSFE RS:

Your bus fare includes one free transfer to other Bee-Line buses and to MTA subways and local buses in the Bronx. If paying with coins, ask the driver for your transfer

around Westchester, and is a fully accessible bus service with senior reduced fares and free transfers?

If you said the Westchester Bee-Line System, you’re correct! With over 3,300 bus stops and close to 60 routes, the Bee-Line bus Yet, many older adults are not familiar with how to ride the Bee-Line and overlook the So, here are some helpful facts you should know about the Bee-Line System:

FUL LY A CC E SSIBL E SE RVICE: Why take a bigger step than you need to?

sible bus service, making it easier for you to board and exit the bus. Every Bee-Line bus can “kneel,” which means that the entrance can be lowered to shorten the distance you have to step to board the bus. Each bus is also equipped with a happy to kneel the bus for you and make

it much easier to step on board. If you cannot use stairs, the Bee-Line bus driver on board. You must ask the driver to use wheelchair or in a scooter, the driver will needs. For your safety, always remember to hold the handrails.

PAYIN G YOU R FAR E:

If you are at least 65 years old, you pay a reduced fare of $1.35 per ride. For easier travel, apply for a Reduced Fare MetroCard that is personalized with your name and photograph. To apply for a Reduced Fare MetroCard visit the MetroCard van when it's in Westchester, the third week of every

date of birth. Call the Westchester SMART commute program at 914-995-4444 for and the MetroCard van schedule.

USIN G YOUR RE DUCE D FAR E METR OC AR D:

There are three ways you can use your Reduced Fare MetroCard:

1.Show it to your bus driver as your ID

only be used for bus to bus transfers. If you are using a MetroCard, your transfer will register electronically when you dip your card into the fare box.

GETT IN G IN FORMATION:

For individuals who enjoy using a computer, you can visit the Bee-Line online at www.westchestergov.com/beelinebus to accesses bus schedules, maps and general

If a phone call is more your style, a dedicall away, at 914-813-7777, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. An automated phone system is also available 24 hours per day.