Yorkton This Week | www.YorktonThisWeek.com | Wednesday, June 27, 2018
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SENIORS Our Monthly Feature
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Vern and Donna Brown value volunteering By Devin Wilger Staff Writer Vern and Donna Brown have been retired since 1998, but they’re still active in the community. The Browns live on a farm just outside of Yorkton. Their volunteer work began with their kids, Donna explained, picking up things where their kids were interested. As their kids grew up, the Browns began volunteering in things that they found personally important. Donna primarily works within the Westview United Church now, though she was also active on the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce, including being the president of the chamber in 1990. Vern also works with the church, but volunteers with the Yorkton Lions as well as the Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society. Their farmland is rented out to the Yorkton Terriers to farm for a fundraiser. “It’s pretty easy for them to deal with,” Donna said. Living on a farm in their retirement, the Browns have plenty to do, with a big yard to take care of and a large garden to grow. “I can mow grass here
half the week,” Vern joked. While she’s 79, Donna said that she thinks of her grandmother, who she asked if she felt she was 90, and her grandmother replied that she didn’t. She feels she understands her grandmother now. “I do not feel as old as I am and I really don’t worry about my age. That’s not too important. It’s just doing what we can do to help. I don’t like sitting in a lawn chair in the sun so I have to find things to do!” Donna explained that she volunteers in the community because she can, and that she knows that there is a need there. “If we can help somebody and make their life a little bit better, that’s a good thing. There are lots of people who need help, in whatever way you can possibly do it, with money or with work or however you can do it.” Vern agrees that it’s something they can do, so they should. He said it’s something they both learned from their parents, the value of contributing to the community around you. “Volunteering doesn’t cost you a lot, but it doesn’t pay very well. But the satisfaction’s good.”
It’s also a good way to become part of the community. Donna noted that many of their friends through the years are people they met through volunteer work. “If we chose to stay at home, we would become pretty dried up pretty soon, not making contacts with anyone.” Their son, Ward, continues to work in the family business, now known as Brown’s Leisure World. Their daughter also teaches in the high school, while their third child lives in Saskatoon. Having two kids stay close to home is a testament to the quality of the city, Donna said. “That says quite a bit about Yorkton, that some of the kids do stick around. It’s not known as a place where there are a lot of young people, it’s mostly older people, but I think it testifies to the type of community it is. It’s a good community to raise children in, certainly.” Donna also believes that it’s up to people to get out and be active in the city in order to make it a better place to live, whether they are seniors or they are young. “Some people think there’s not enough to do, but I think that’s up to the individual.”
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An area for outdoor entertainment, built by Vern Brown out of recycled buildings and concrete, complete with collapsible benches on one of the posts. The Browns spend much of their time outdoors in the summer.
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Wednesday, June 27, 2018 | www.YorktonThisWeek.com | Yorkton This Week
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JUNE 2018
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Volunteering as an older adult: How to find the right fit for your new lifestyle Many parents feel involving their children in volunteering at an early age can have a profound, long-lasting impact on their kids. But youngsters are not the only ones who can reap great rewards from volunteering, as studies show that men and women at, beyond or approaching retirement age also benefit greatly from volunteer work. Research found that more than 20 million older adults contributed in excess of three billion hours of community service time each year from 2011 to 2013. The reasons why older adults volunteer are varied, but a 2014 survey found that 97 percent of its volunteers indicated that their volunteer work with the organization gave them a
sense of purpose. Older adults who want to volunteer but have little or no history with volunteering might not know where to begin with regard to finding the right opportunity. The right fit can make all the difference for volunteers and the people they help, and the following tips might help older adults as they look for an opportunity that best utilizes their skills and experience. • Know your schedule. Older adults who are still working but want to volunteer may have a firm grasp on their schedules, but even retirees should not overestimate how much time they have to volunteer. Before you begin to look for an opportunity, write down your commitments and daily schedule, using this
list to determine how much free time you have to volunteer. Some opportunities require greater time commitments than others, so make sure you know just how much time you can devote to an opportunity before signing up. • Give due consideration to your experience. Older adults who have retired or are on the cusp
of retirement have a lifetime of experience they can use to help others. Imparting wisdom learned in your professional life can provide a sense of purpose and even make you feel as though you are still actively involved in the industry where you built your professional reputation. But life experience can also prove invaluable in vol-
unteering opportunities. Mentoring programs give volunteers the chance to help young people, and such opportunities can involve more than just offering professional advice. • Don’t downplay the significance of certain opportunities. Volunteering opportunities come in many variations, and each is significant in its own right. Coaching a grandchild’s soccer team can have as significant an impact on the people you help as other volunteering opportunities. Volunteers offer their time because they have a passion to help others, and that help can be given in a myriad of ways. • Leave time for the rest of your life. Volunteering is a selfless act, and vol-
unteers are the backbone of many successful charitable organizations. But older men and women should leave time for the rest of their lives as well. Retirement should be fulfilling but also include time for recreation, so don’t downplay how important hobbies are to you in an attempt to find more time to volunteer. No retiree wants to grow resentful of his or her volunteer work because it leaves little time for other pursuits, so do your best to balance your charitable endeavors with the other things in life that matter to you. Finding the right volunteer opportunity can make all the difference for older men and women who want to give back to their communities.
Helping seniors take flight (NC) — As seniors prepare to take to the skies, some may have questions about how best to get through security screening. Fortunately, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority has some tips to help us all breeze through. Those with mobility issues have a number of options to make things a little easier. To start, when passengers arrive at security they can check if there’s a Family/ Special Needs line available. This line features screening equipment that can accommodate larger items like mobility aids and officers who can offer additional assistance to passengers needing more time or help with their belongings. For passengers who are unable to traverse the walk-through metal detector unassisted, CATSA offers a courtesy
non-metallic cane for this purpose. They also have the option of bypassing the walk-through and being screened with a hand-held detector, or undergoing a full-body scan or physical search. For those bringing
medications to the checkpoint, it is important to note that while most liquids, aerosols and gels in carry-on baggage must be in containers of 100 millilitres or less, this rule doesn’t apply to prescription and over-
the-counter medicines. To assist screening officers, leave these items in the original manufacturer’s packaging or with pharmaceutical labels intact so they can be easily identified. Day-by-day pill separators are also
permitted. Finally, remember that while passengers are limited to two carry-on bags, medical supplies,
equipment and mobility aids don’t count toward that limit. Find more air-travel tips at www.catsa.gc.ca.
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just for SENIORS - IN PRINT AND ONLINE MONTHLY We want your feedback. Do you have a story idea or know a senior who should be highlighted? Contact us by phone 306-782-2465 or email sales@yorktonthisweek.com
OUR NEXT FEATURE - WEDNESDAY, JULY 25
Yorkton This Week | www.YorktonThisWeek.com | Wednesday, June 27, 2018
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Sleep loss can affect Looking back... memory in seniors 487197_R0011580898_YTW_B_J2_V1
Poor sleep can leave people feeling groggy, disoriented, depressed, and not up for facing the day. And now there’s new evidence that insomnia can contribute to memory loss and forgetfulness among the elderly. A study — the first of its kind — unveiled a new link between lack of sleep and memory loss. Researchers found that during sleep important brain waves are produced that play key roles in storing memories. These waves transfer the memories from the hippocampus to the prefrontal cortex, a portion of the brain where long-term information is stored. Sleep loss can cause the memories to remain in the hippocampus and not reach the long-term storage area, found researchers. This can contribute to forgetfulness and difficulty remembering simple details, such as names. Seniors are frequently plagued with deteriorated sleeping patterns that lead to shallow sleep and more awakenings. This can contribute to the prevention of memories
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The 1950s was an exciting time to live. Crime was low, children could freely play outside, Elvis was rocking and rolling and kids were going “steady.” Here are just a few facts about the golden age of the 1950s. •Gas cost only 20 cents gallon. •The color television
23 June 2018
set was introduced. •Smokey the Bear becomes a household name. •Disneyland opens up in California in 1955. •Otis Elevator installs the first self-service elevator in Dallas. •Silly Putty was introduced to the world. •In 1950, “Peanuts”
and the Charlie Brown character is born. •Dr. Jonas Salk develops a vaccine for polio in 1955. •The first modern credit card was introduced. •The 1950s were credited with doing the first organ transplant.
Thursday, July 6, 1950
being saved by the brain each evening. This is not the first time sleep and brain health have been measured. A 2008 study discovered that people with sleep apnea showed tissue loss in brain regions that help store memories. Imaging and behavioral studies show the role sleep plays in learning and memory and that lack of sleep can impair a person’s ability to focus and learn efficiently. Combine this with the necessity of sleep to make those brain wave connections for memories to be stored, and the importance of deep sleep is apparent. Another study linked poor sleep with early onset of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s dis-
ease. Although poor sleep does not cause Alzheimer’s, it may increase brain amyloid proteins believed to be intrinsic to the disease. When slow-wave deep sleep is disrupted, levels of amyloid can grow and clog the brain. This is corroborated by data published in the journal Neurology. Getting deep sleep is important for reducing these proteins. The quality of deep sleep among older adults is often 75 percent lower than it is in younger people. Doctors can be cognizant of how sleep impacts memory and the onset of dementias and discuss insomnia treatment options with their patients.
Adopting a dog or cat Companion animals bring great joy to their owners. The unconditional love cats and dogs provide appeals to people of all ages. While many people associate pets with kids who can’t wait to welcome the first cat or dog into their homes, pets can benefit aging men and women as well. It’s not uncommon for seniors to feel lonely or depressed when they retire, their children move away or they lose a spouse or close friend or friends. Studies show pets help seniors overcome loneliness and depression by providing affection, company and entertainment. Pets also provide much-needed mental stimulation, and many pet owners find their pets help them become more physically active as well. Seniors who adopt pets may also feel a sense of purpose when helping animals who may not
have anywhere to live. This is particularly true of older companion animals, which many young families are understandably hesitant to adopt. Mature pets might be an ideal fit for seniors. When seniors are looking to adopt a pet, there are various reasons why older pets or particular animals might be the perfect fit for them. • Adult pets may already be house trained, saving seniors the trouble and effort of training them. • Seniors may find cats fit their lifestyles more than dogs, as cats are less active and do not need to be walked or played with as much as dogs. Cats also are small and easily maneuverable, meaning even seniors who have arthritis or other physical limitations can easily care for cats. Many cats are also content to spend long periods of time sleeping
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on their owners’ laps. • Small dogs that can be active within the house might be a good idea as well, especially for seniors with mobility issues. They’re also easily transported to and from vet appointments. It’s important that seniors carefully weigh the benefits of adopting a pet against any limitations they may have. Having a backup plan for care is advantageous as well. Seniors should not adopt a pet if they anticipate frequent travel or medical care that requires they be away from home for long periods of time.
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