Senior Choices 4-14-16 by VILLAGER MEDIA GROUP

SeniorChoices A comprehensive guide to products and services for active & vibrant senior adults

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Renaissance couple Ludlow redefines Massacre aging

survivor hits 102

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Highline Place for memory care page

Active seniors: New ways of growing old page

A supplement to The Villager Newspaper April 14, 2016

If you needed long term care, how would you pay and where would you stay? SeniorChoices

PAGE 16 | THE VILLAGER • April 14, 2016

Let me help you personalize a plan to take care of the overwhelming emotional, Sundance LTC offers planning long-term physical, and financial consequencesfor of longthe term care as you age. Sundance LTC, owned by Matt Chalek, is a Greenwood Village based agency that focuses exclusively on long term care planning and insurance. In the Senior Choices section of The Villager, you often see articles and ads for home care and assisted living facilities. Perhaps you are looking at these options for yourself or a family member. Sundance LTC will help you create a plan, funded by insurance, to help you manage the costs and process of obtaining long term care. Long term care is the help, or custodial care, that you or a family member may need when

you are unable to perform some activities of daily living as a result of accidents, illness, advanced aging, strokes, or other chronic conditions, including hospice care, and cognitive impairment (Alzheimer’s, dementia). Usually, these are issues that are not medically related, or at least not receiving medical treatment. These would be paid by Medicare if you are over 65 or by your health or insurance if you are not. Activities of daily living include dressing, eating, bathing, incontinence, getting out bed, or using the toilet by oneself.

The emotional and physi-

term care upsets your original fi-

yourself is huge. There are many established cases where a family caregiver gets sick. There could be a financial strain to pay for care, especially when you have to withdraw money from a retirement account and pay taxes prematurely. Or perhaps, you have retirement funds allocated for charities, family members, or educational expenses. Long

With long term care insurance, you could get a value of over one hundred times the premium costs to help you manage care. The emotional costs are high too. Perhaps a spouse is unable to provide care – would you want your adult child to give up a career or personal responsibilities to take care of you? Sundance LTC will help you

cal burden of providingmatt@sundanceltc.com the care nancial plan and income stream. Matt Chalek, CLTC • 720-339-5962 • www.sundanceltc.com

Charges to reverse-mortgage program widely accepted by financial consultants The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) changes to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage effective April 27, 2015 will improve security for reverse mortgage borrowers. The requirement of a Financial Assessment to ensure borrowers have the capacity and willingness to meet their financial obligations along with the terms of the reverse mortgage; and the requirement of a LESA (Life Expectancy Set Aside) at closing for the payment of property taxes and insurance based on the results of the Financial Assessment.

“Our goal here is to make certain our reverse mortgage is a financially sustainable option for seniors that will allow them to age in place in their own homes” said Federal Housing Commissioner Carol Gallante. The changes will improve the future performance of the reverse mortgage, more accurately the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage and help preserve a program that allows our baby boomers to remain productive, vital members of their communities. Most importantly, these changes mean age 62+ borrowers who choose a HECM will be set up for financial

success. The new and improved product is being embraced by financial consultants and trusted advisors throughout the country including Wade Pfau, a professor of Retirement Income, siting “strategic use of a reverse mortgage can improve retirement outcomes”. A key theme is that there is great value for clients to open a reverse mortgage line of credit at the earliest possible age, it is a safe retirement tool that can help ensure future cash flow with tax free dollars. The reverse mortgage has become a viable retirement tool for borrowers that have anywhere from a

If you needed long term care, how would you pay and where would you stay? Let me help you personalize a plan to take care of the overwhelming emotional, physical, and financial consequences of long term care as you age.

Matt Chalek, CLTC • 720-339-5962 matt@sundanceltc.com • www.sundanceltc.com

Cecilia Delgado minimally to the most well funded portfolio. The new reverse mortgage (HECM) can be used in numer-

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ous ways to ensure a comfortable retirement: • Deferring Social Security to maximize future benefits. • Help to sustain an active lifestyle. • Protect portfolio during poor performance (bear markets) • Fund long term care The best news is that borrowers still have no requirement to make monthly payments, can receive monthly payments for life, a lump sum, or a line of credit insured to grow as long as you live in the home. Cecilia Delgado is president of Discover Lending, Inc. and is a nationally recognized reverse mortgage professional. She has been featured on ESPN radio, KPraise radio, National Mortgage News, and MBA magazine. For a no pressure consultation call (303)400-1492.

The painful truth No one has to tell you that Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating way to spend the rest of your life; the Alzheimer’s Association says

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select the right policy from many providers, personalizing it to your needs. Options will include tailoring monthly benefits, term length, inflation adjustments, shared benefits with a spouse or partner, length of time to pay premiums, as well as death benefits. You will be able to use the benefits to cover the excessive costs of home care, day care, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. Learn more about long term care planning and insurance by visiting sundanceltc. com or calling Matt Chalek at 720-339-5962.

that the prognosis for family and friends can be almost as distressing and demoralizing, according the Association of Mature American Citizens. Here are a few random facts from the Alzheimer’s Association that show just how bad things have gotten for patients and their loved ones. Some five million Americans were diagnosed with the disease and more than 15 million volunteer caregivers provided more than 18 billion hours of their own time last year to care for loved ones. Caring for a relative or friend with the disease can set you back upwards of $5,000 a year. The annual price tag for the nation is currently estimated at $236 billion. Meanwhile, the disease is spreading at a rapid rate. New cases of Alzheimer’s are diagnosed at a rate of one every 66 seconds and by 2050 the pace will skyrocket a new diagnosis every 33 seconds. The disease is already killing people faster than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. But perhaps the most chilling news of all is that “Alzheimer’s is the only disease among the top 10 causes of death in America that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed,” reports the Alzheimer’s Association.

SeniorChoices

April 14, 2016 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 17

Renaissance couple redefines aging Meet them in their distinctive, contemporary home and you wonder how such vitality can coexist with such tranquility. Fred and Alice Abrams, 25-year residents of Cherry Hills Village and both in their 80s, continue to define aging on their own terms. They bring a sense of Zen, impeccable good taste and boundless good humor to living, which enriches all those with whom they come in contact, including this writer. Our conversation began with the geese nesting along the creek just north of their home. “I believe they mate for life,” Fred said. “They take turns feeding and guarding the nest. It’s interesting to watch.” The couple turned thoughtful over the subject of aging. “Aging well is to what degree you are curious about the world around you,” Alice said. “If you participate, you are not old. What Fred does in mentoring [medical students] is very important. My jewelry design work continues to engage me.” That the Abramses are accomplished is an understatement. Fred’s decades-long career as an OB/GYN physician saw him founding the first center for ethical issues in a community hospital. Ultimately becoming chair of the Ethics Committee of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, he helped to write the organization’s ethics guidelines, as well as a book about medical ethics, Doctors on the Edge, which is practically required reading for medical students. His work in Colorado, now known as the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, has seen both of the Abramses honored. Alice, who got her masters from Pratt Institute of Design in the 1950s, focused early on contemporary design. Her early work was selected by no less that Vogue as the best of contemporary design and she became an internationally soughtafter jewelry designer and artist. She designed jewelry for Emmy-winning

Fred and Alice Abrams show us that age is an attitude, not a chronological number. Polly Bergen’s jewelry collection and is a founding board member of the Alliance for Contemporary Art in Denver. The couple has discovered that the combination of ethics and art knows no age parameters. “Our friends are often the age of our three sons, who are in their 50s and early 60s,” said 88-year-old Fred. “Age doesn’t have much to do with your chronological age. It’s your attitude.” “As we’ve gotten older, I guess we haven’t realized that we have gotten older,” Alice said. “It’s a surprise.” The couple, both children of Russian immigrants, have been together for 69 years, meeting when Alice was 16 and Fred 19. They often finish each others sentences. “We met when I went to be a camp counselor at his father’s small summer camp in New York,” Alice said. “We were sweaty, leading camp activities,” Fred said. “In a camp setting, you get close quickly because there isn’t all the dressed-up stuff. We weren’t all fancy. We were taking care of kids.” “I was a student at the New York High School of Music and Art. It was 1949,” Alice said. “Without knowing it, I was at the first racially integrated school in America. We both decided to go to Cornell University, he in premed, me in art. Our interests were different, but we had a subset of things in common.”

“I was in pre-med, but I took comparative religion and sculpture course,” Fred said. “I was in architecture, but took science classes,” Alice said. “We both got all A’s in each other’s fields,” they said together. They eloped while in college. “We were idiots, you know,” Fred said. “We had no future. We met before we had our professions.” “We just decided that it was the best thing to be together, so we figured it out as we went along,” Alice said. “We had an interest in each other’s worlds.” After college, Fred decided that his father had paid for enough school, so he joined the Army and did his medical intern and residence years in California, before settling in Colorado. It was the arrival of an art catalog that inspired a deep dive by both onto the national art scene. “Fred had been making these sculpted bronze and silver mascots for my art shows,” Alice said. “One morning when a catalog arrived with small sculptures that weren’t as good as Fred’s, he just got up, went to the phone and called Cartier. I was astounded to hear him introduced as a sculptor and ask for an appointment in New York City. He got it, hung up and left for his practice. I thought, ‘Well if he can do it, so can I.’ So I called Van Cleef & Arpels and got an appointment too.” Fred came away with a contract from Cartier to create his thoughtful and whimsically humorous sculptures. They started a company, The Collectors Menagerie, to produce his exquisitely detailed pieces, each one rooted in mythology and history. Alice went on to meet with New York accessories designers, and during those few days was selected as one of that year’s VogueCondeNast contemporary designers. They needed a dozen pieces for the feature. She had been designing only custom jewelry and had no precious stones to put into her designs. “I suddenly needed diamonds. I said to Fred, ‘Should we invest in diamonds?’” “I said, ‘I can’t think of anything better to invest in than you,’” her

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husband responded. They procured some big diamonds. The feature ran and soon they needed a resource to produce Alice’s jewelry. Through a coincidental meeting with the wife of the president of May Company while in New York, Alice was able to arrange for jewelry production. During her frequent trips to the city, “I was holding down the fort at home, feeding the children mostly KFC,” Fred said. “It all worked out.” Naturally, their home contains studios for both of them, each with an uncanny and nearly seamless blend of the indoors and outdoors. The effect is serene, but beneath the surface, the couple’s nearly insatiable energy bubbles. “We take all the free classes we can, especially at the University of Denver,” Alice said. “People might not know these university courses are free for seniors. I’m a member of the International Women’s Forum. We attend concerts and opera and book readings, DU Art Openings, classes at the Academy of Life-long Learning ... everything to keep our minds open.” “Most of the things we do

don’t cost a lot of money,” Fred said. “Denver Art Museum is very important to us, where we are active in Friends of Contemporary Art.” Fred recently spent weeks organizing his files, decades of his work on medical ethics, which have just been placed in the permanent collection at the Western History Museum. He continues to mentor medical students on ethics, and both of them are involved in inspiring elementary school students in STEM studies. In the end, it is ethics, art and exploration that appear to inspire these two octogenarians-goingon-18, whose life work has inspired scholarships. “Doctors need a worldview of things, a sense of the human touch,” said Fred, who reads and judges the essays of medical students at the Center for Bioethics and Humanities. “They need to be fully human and know that not all of life is science.” “Art is inseparable from life,” said Alice, whose involvement with the Revere School of Art in San Francisco has inspired the Alice Abrams Design Scholarship. “In fact, art is life.”

SeniorChoices

PAGE 18 | THE VILLAGER • April 14, 2016

Survivor of Ludlow Massacre is 102 ‘What’s the big deal’ she asks

Ermenia “Marie” Padilla entered into this world on Jan. 13, 1914. She was born into a Spanish family of five other children in the coalmining camp of Ludlow, just 18 miles northwest of Trinidad. Her father Elfego was a coalminer, along with her older brother Joe. Her mom Clorinda cared for the family. Coalminers in southern Colorado had been on strike for 15 months against John D. Rockefeller, Jr.’s Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, and two other mine owners. The crews were striking for safer and better working conditions. On April 20, fearful of what might be on the horizon, many of the women and children were evacuated by train to Trinidad. One the most horrific events in

Marie Daley celebrates her recent 102nd birthday with family, fellow residents and staff at the Masonic Eastern Star retirement center. Colorado history was about to unravel. When the Colorado National Guard and camp guards descended upon the Ludlow encampment, 26 people were killed in a bloody skirmish.

Marie Daley is presented a special cake for her 102nd birthday as she is surrounded by friends and her children Bill Daley and Pepper Ray on the right.

Photos by Tom Barry

Two women and 11 children who were reportedly asphyxiated and burned to death under a single tent. Padilla is one of the last known remaining survivors of a tragedy that captured the headlines and hearts of citizens throughout the country, leading in part to Congress enacting child labor laws and an eight-hour work week in 1915. The Padillas eventually moved to Trinidad. Al was born into the family that next year. “After the Ludlow Massacre, the family kind of split up,” said Bill Daley, Padilla’s eldest son. “There’s rumors from various parts of the family about what just happened. Suffice it to say my grandfather left the family. My grandmother was left with five children. The oldest one was probably in his teens.” After three years of trying to make ends meet, Padilla’s mother made the tough decision to place her three girls in a Catholic orphanage in Pueblo. As a teen, Padilla and her sisters moved to the Queen of Heaven Catholic Or-

Remains after the Ludlow massacre that killed some two dozen people, including miners’ wives and children. phanage in structing northwest the counDenver. try’s bus The older system. son, Joe, “Being would fend a woman in for himself Saudi Araas Padilla’s bia at that mother time was raised Al, not easy,” now 100 A special vanilla and chocolate icePepper said. years old. cream cake celebrating Marie Daley’s “When Dad Details of was invited 102nd birthday. the others to dinner are uncertain. with the sheiks, Mom insisted that she “In a Spanish tradition, other chil- went along, where they dined on camdren were sent to live with other Span- el meat. She soaked up all the traveling ish families,” Daley said. and loved it. My brother and I thought “We would just go up and take she would have culture shock.” provisions to the shepherds,” chimed Today, Padilla is an effervescent in Padilla, about her years living with woman who mingles among the resithe Ortiz family in the San Luis Valley before returning to the orphanage. dents at Eastern Star Masonic Retire“I was a sickly little girl when I was ment Campus in southeast Denver. Although she lives somewhat indeyoung. I had TB.” After Padilla graduated from pendently in an apartment home, she high school at the orphanage, she suffers from dementia. “Everyone turns 102. What’s the did housework for a doctor’s family, big deal,” she said. working hard to earn her keep. Padilla was joined for her birthWhile living at the Young Womday celebration by her children. Later en’s Christian Association home in downtown Denver, Padilla was intro- that afternoon, her brother Al came to duced to Al Daley, who would become reminisce. They had been reunited in the director of maintenance for the their 20s. To this day, Padilla continues to Denver Tramway Company, which dress up every day and socialize with evolved into RTD. After Daley’s retirement, he be- friends she has made in the senior came a transportation consultant and community. Sometimes, if you are fortunate traveled the world with his wife. The couple lived in Saudi Arabia for two enough, she will sing an old childhood years while Daley consulted on con- song for you.

SeniorChoices

April 14, 2016 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 19

Healthy Snacks for older adults

Making wise decisions about what you eat as you get older is important. Research shows that it’s not too late for smart food choices and other good health habits, like being physically active, to help reduce your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. The goal is to make healthy lifestyle choices so you can stay active in the coming years. As you grow older, if you continue eating the same types and amounts of food but do not become more active, you will probably gain weight. That’s because your metabolism slows with age. Your body uses less energy, and that means it needs less food to make the energy it needs. Healthy meal choices are just as important as exercise. But, what about between meals? Sometimes you just need a bite of something to keep you going. Snacks are okay, as long as they’re smart food choices. A Few Ideas for Healthy Snacks • If you have a refrigerator, keep vegetables in the

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Is it time for assisted living?

Many families are dealing with this question. They are noticing that mom or dad or both are not maintaining their home like they used to and are letting more things slide as they struggle to keep up. It can be a tricky situation because many seniors are very resistant to accepting more care in the home or moving to an assisted living community. Retirement communities, like the Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Campus, are designed to help seniors with their activities of daily living so the resident can enjoy the day without worry. Staff provides dignified care making the resident feel comfortable with the activities of daily living that they used to be able to do themselves. This includes dressing, bathing, toileting, providing meals and managing medications to name a few. Although the resident is receiving services, they still feel like they are independent. The biggest fear of seniors is losing their independence. If you or someone you know is needing more help, but not on board with receiving assistance or moving to an assisted living community, a good starting point is to suggest a visit to their doctor to review how safe the senior is without assistance. Hearing advice from a doctor can be very powerful. Another strategy is to visit a nearby retirement community. Before you do this, however, it is a good idea to do your homework first and check out the community yourself to make sure it will meet the needs of your loved one. A good strategy is to bring your loved one for a fun activity and then have lunch at the community. This is a non-threatening way to introduce the idea of a different lifestyle with the side benefit of getting care for the activities that they are no longer able to do. Most seniors want to stay in their home, but when it becomes difficult or impossible to live safely, the senior may not have a choice. This is why it is so important to include them in the research and touring of communities. Convincing your loved one to move to assisted living can be a challenge, but with the right approach you can accomplish the task making both parties happy. For more information on the Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Campus in southeast Denver, please call Diane or Debra at 303 731-5918.

fridge such as thinly sliced carrots, sliced green or red bell peppers, edamame, cucumbers, summer squash, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, or other veggies that you enjoy. You may also want to keep a container of hummus or low-fat dressing for dipping. Keep fruit available. Favorite choices are bananas, apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, melon slices, and others. If you are diabetic, check with your physician to learn the fruits you can eat. Try apple slices with a bit of your favorite cheese. Enjoy some fresh strawberries dipped in a fat-free whipped cream. Go nuts. Almonds are one of the best nuts to eat and a healthy snack. But eat only a handful as they add a lot of calories and should be consumed in moderation. Walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and cashews are also good. Keep healthy grain-based snacks available. Some

choices include pretzels, whole grain low-fat crackers, granola bars, vegetable chips, or baked tortilla or potato chips. Read the label to be aware of fat calories and sodium content. • Try a container of low-fat or fat-free yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese (with or without added fruit), • Keep a protein shake on hand when you desire a higher protein snack. • Consider soup as a snack – it also helps keep you hydrated. • Enjoy a snack of dark chocolate occasionally. Again, moderation is the key. Before making changes to your diet, make a list of the types of snacks you would like to keep on hand and review with your doctor. For example, sometimes certain medicines and specific fruits don’t mix. For more information about senior nutrition and other aspects of senior living, contact Tracey Power at The Inn at Greenwood Village at (303) 416-2800 or visit us at www.mbksenior living.com.

New imaging center opening at Sky Ridge Invision Sally Jobe announced the opening of its newest imaging center, conveniently located at Sky Ridge Medical Center, 10107 RidgeGate Parkway, Evergreen Building Suite 110, Lone Tree. Invision Sally Jobe at Sky Ridge, an outpatient facility expected to open on April 18, will offer high-quality, affordable and convenient medical imaging services for area physicians and their patients. Services will include screening and diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasound, DXA bone density testing and genetic counseling. Invision Sally Jobe’s newest imaging center opens in partnership with Sky Ridge Medical Center, making high-quality women’s imaging more accessible and convenient to those living and working in South Metro Denver. Invision Sally Jobe is accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR). “We are excited to have the Invision Sally Jobe Breast Center open in the Evergreen building on our campus, providing our patients with access to high-quality breast care…close to home,” says Susan Hicks, CEO of Sky Ridge Medical Center. “RIA and Invision Sally Jobe have been wonderful partners with us and this addition complements our vision to provide accessible, comprehensive care for women throughout their lifetime. We are honored that this move will enable us to provide an even greater depth of care for our comprehensive breast program as well.”

“Every patient who visits Invision Sally Jobe at Sky Ridge will receive comprehensive, personalized care,” says Dr. Michael Lin, breast radiologist at Invision Sally Jobe and medical director of the new location. “As the first breast center in Colorado to offer 3D mammography, we’re thrilled to be making this innovative screening technique more accessible by offering it at a fourth Denver Metro location. Our newest center will also offer breast ultrasound and osteoporosis testing. Additionally, our on-site genetic counseling program will help patients develop a breast cancer screening plan that best meets their needs based on their personal level of risk. We are proud and honored to be partnering with Sky Ridge to offer leading-edge breast care in a state-of-the-art facility.” Invision Sally Jobe radiologists are members of Radiology Imaging Associates (RIA), the region’s largest group of subspecialty, fellowship-trained radiologists. This subspecialty expertise enables RIA and Invision Sally Jobe to identify problems, or confirm their absence, with the highest degree of accuracy and efficiency. Because RIA radiologists interpret exams for hospitals and outpatient imaging centers, they can quickly access patient medical records. This continuity of care is of utmost importance in providing high-quality results as quickly as possible to physicians and their patients.

SeniorChoices

PAGE 20 | THE VILLAGER • April 14, 2016

Social Security Matters BY AMAC’S CERTIFIED SOCIAL SECURITY ADVISOR C.J. MILES ASSOCIATION OF MATURE AMERICAN CITIZENS QUESTION: I’ll be 65 in a few months and I want my Medicare to start. However, I’m currently working part-time and living off of savings and I would like to delay filing for Social Security benefits. Do I have to file for Social Security just to get my Medicare to kick in? ANSWER: You do NOT have to start your Social Security benefits in order to start Medicare. In fact, it is important that you start Medicare at the age of 65 regardless of what you are doing with your Social Security so as to avoid late enrollment penalties (unless you have other coverage). You will have a 7-month initial enrollment period that begins 3 months before your birthday. In other words, if your 65th birthday is on May 10, 2015, your initial enrollment period will be between

February 1, 2015 and August 31, 2015. However, the longer you wait after May 1st, the later your actual benefits will start, which could cause a late enrollment penalty and/or a gap in coverage. So even though Medicare gives you 7 months to enroll, you really should enroll during the first 3 months (from February 1st through April 30th). Just in case you change your mind about Social Security benefits: If you are getting Social Security benefits before your 65th birthday, you will be automatically enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B. In this case, Medicare will send you your insurance card before your birthday. As long as these are the benefits you want, you do not have to do anything.

Just remember that your Part B premium will be deducted from your Social Security payment unless you specifically request another method of payment. QUESTION: I’m signed up for Medicare for 2015 for the first time and I was told I’ll be paying a premium of $104.90 per month. I’m really confused. I knew I had to pay for prescription drug coverage, but I have to pay a premium for doctor visits? Why was I paying Medicare taxes all those years? ANSWER: Unfortunately, the 2015 premium is $104.90 even after paying taxes. It can be frustrating, so here is how your taxes have been broken down. First of all, FICA tax as we call it, which is named for the “Federal Insur-

ance Contributions Act,” is 7.65% and is paid for by both you and your employer (or twice as much is paid by someone who is selfemployed). Most of this (6.2%) is for Social Security and the rest (1.45%) is to pay Medicare. So with this in mind, only 38% of Medicare costs are financed by payroll taxes. Monthly premiums pay for 13% and general revenues pay for 40%. The remaining amount is paid for through additional taxes and premiums from higher-income beneficiaries, interest, and other miscellaneous revenues. Medicare Part A is the only aspect of Medicare that is financed (in part) by payroll taxes. As you probably figured out when you applied, Part A is free (because of your payroll taxes), but it only covers major medical (which is why it is called “hospital insurance”). The government uses the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund to pay for Part A coverage. This is why you have to pay for

Memory Care: When is it time?

YOU HAVE A CHOICE

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Learn more about our higher level of care by calling HealthSouth Littleton at 303 334-1111.

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any additional coverage, such as Part B. This is also why Part B and drug coverage are voluntary. You may also want to know that the Part B premium is determined every year so that it covers 25% of Part B costs. The premiums are deposited into the Supplemental Medical Insurance (SMI) Trust Fund and the remaining costs (75%) are paid for by general revenues. So even though it seems like your Medicare taxes did not pay for anything, they do cover your hospital insurance (Part A). Most of what you paid in FICA taxes is actually for your Social Security. To ask a question about Social Security contact AMAC’s C.J. Miles at cmiles@amac.us. The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only. Every individual’s situation is unique and you should make your benefit choices according to your personal needs. Furthermore, AMAC and its affiliates do not provide legal or accounting services. Please contact a licensed professional for such advice.

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Perhaps you made a promise to your mom or dad or other loved one to take care of them forever. Perhaps that promise included keeping him or her at home. After all, these are promises so many of us make to those we love. But for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, there may come a time when the best place to love and care for them properly is no longer in the home. When is that time? It is typically when one reaches mid-stage Alzheimer’s or dementia; a period during which you may notice the following: Isolation (lack of motivation) Depression (loss of social activity/interaction) Forgetfulness (such as leaving a stove burner on) Increased agitation, anger and aggression Seeing a loved one experience any of these is daunting. But, like so many, you may forge on, often against the advice of others. After all, you promised to care for them forever. However, caring for a severely memory-impaired individual, even with help, is mentally and physically exhausting. And, other things can happen — a fall with head injuries, or another life threatening event — which can derail your efforts altogether, forcing you to make a decision; one that you may not be prepared to make. At Highline Place we are ready to provide you with information and resources so that, when the time does come, you can make your decision with confidence. Highline Place is an Anthem Memory Care Community, which means we are person-centered, dedicating ourselves every day to providing the highest quality care, comfort and support to our residents. Our pledge is to protect, engage and love people living with memory loss. And that goes for you as well. After all, you made a promise to take care of your loved one. When it’s time, we’re here to help you keep it. Highline Place is located in Littleton and we welcome you to attend our monthly dementia support groups and educational events. For more information, please contact Jodi Cornman at 303- 974-7891.

SeniorChoices

April 14, 2016 • THE VILLAGER | PAGE 21

Aging just ain’t what it used to be Ambling through Englewood’s Active Senior Expo As a large and rebellious generation, the baby boomers never conformed much—and they were unlikely to retire the way their parents did either. Even so, the first generation to refuse to grow old may wind up spending more time in retirement than they did in the workforce. The reality of boomers sharing their early post-work years with their also-retired parents is building new opportunities for creative aging—and many of the long-held retirement lifestyle models are growing older than the retired population itself. That new world of getting old was as clear as the lines on your face at last week’s Active Aging Expo at Englewood’s Malley Senior Center as community resources, nonprofit organizations and commercial enterprises convened for seniors, young and old. In the face of increased life expectancy, our first stop was at the table for Indigo, the kind of company that could not have existed 50 years ago, and not because of technology. “We have added 30 more years to our lifespan in the last 100 years, and now that we retire we find ourselves in a situation where there’s no charted course,” said Eva Vyas, co-founder of a firm named for what she says is the light spectrum with the greatest energy. “When you’re in high school or going to college and raising a family, there are all kinds of known pathways you can take and support systems. But when you retire, those go away.” Until now, anyway.

Grandma has no excuse now. She can call you every day on her talking telephone with a large display. A Zumba class cut loose at the Malley Senior Center in Englewood. Vyas says Indigo has stepped in to fill that void for recent retirees who leave the office for the last time and wind up asking themselves that fateful question, “Now what?” “We’re all about trying to help people know what their priorities are and what really means something to them, so they can find activities and spend time doing things they like,” the businesswoman said. A sort of matchmaking service for retirees and their next chapter, Indigo takes the time to help clients find their bliss and then curates monthly activities until something gels. When something does not, the firm zeroes in further until the retiree finds his match. “Most of the senior services that are out there are focused on satisfying a crisis,” Vyas said. “We sort of think it should be more about fun and exploration.” Crises still happen though. Walk a few tables over and Arapahoe County is there with a litany of taxpayer-supported services that precious few taxpayers have any idea about.

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“One of the greatest challenges is getting people to know about these programs,” said Linda Haley, the county’s manager of senior resources. “Nobody really wants to know this information because you might catch old age if you pay too much attention to it. People don’t want to think about it until there’s a crisis, and then it’s too late to make good plans.” Hidden behind that cloak of esoteric social services are a range of county programs that can make life easier for seniors—from free housekeeping and transportation to such means-based services as free home weatherization and helpful programs designed to keep seniors in their own homes as long as possible. When independence is no longer practical, companies like Senior Care Authority are there to help match clients with the right assisted living and memory care. “They would call me and I would do a complete assessment,” said Kelly O’Connor, a psychologist and certified senior advisor who runs the local franchise serving Arapahoe and Douglas counties. “I look at the legal, financial, what the diagnoses are, what the care needs are and make a recommendation. I pick

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the best three options and we go out and visit them together. I help with all the negotiation and paperwork, which is extensive.” O’Connor makes her profit largely on commissions. Although the awkwardly named Funeral Consumer Society of Colorado sounds like it would address the next—and final—move for an elderly client, the nonprofit organization actually handles a wide range of end-of-life issues, the kind that should be addressed long before the actual end of one’s life. For a modest membership fee, seniors—or anyone with the foresight to undergo estate planning, living wills and more—can receive a wealth of information and advice in the form of regular lectures, a comprehensive handbook and newsletters. And yes, funerals and cremation are both part of the discussion. “People don’t know you can bury someone in your backyard if you want too,” offered the organization’s treasurer Jim Taylor. “You can put someone in your car and drive around the state if you want to—I don’t know why you’d want to.” Groups like the Colorado Geron-

tological Society are also available to help with the range of issues that rear their head with older age. The organization raises grant money to help with health screenings geared to seniors, provides guidance through the complex worlds of Medicare and Medicaid, and publishes a comprehensive senior-resources directory. A service one might find in that book is the nonprofit Audio Information Network, which essentially reads the newspaper to the visually impaired, stroke victims, Parkinson’s patients and others who have difficulty reading the printed word. A full slate of scheduled readings—including The Villager—are available on free receivers using donated bandwidth from Rocky Mountain PBS. Program schedules are available in both large print and Braille. More than 100 Colorado newspapers are also on demand by phone, with the ability to skip through to whatever section interests the “reader.” “They might want to listen to just the grocery ads,” said Kim Wardlow, marketing manager for the Audio Information Network. Retirement is clearly not what it used to be—and as attitudes about aging change as fast as the technology that assists it, next year’s Active Aging Expo should be even more vigorous.

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PAGE 22 | THE VILLAGER • April 14, 2016

Why some people live to 110

‘Supercentenarians’ appear to have builtin protection against disease, study finds

BY ROBERT PREIDT, HEALTHDAY NEWS People who live 110 years or longer have as many diseaseassociated genes as those in the general population, but they may also be blessed with protective genes that help them live so long, researchers report. The team of U.S. scientists noted that supercentenarians, as they are called, are extremely rare, with only one per 5 million people in developed nations. There is growing evidence that genetics play a major role in living to such an old age. In what they describe as a first-of-a-kind study, the researchers analyzed the whole genome sequences of a man and a woman who lived past the age of 114 and found that they had as many disease-associated genes as other people. For example, the man had 37 genetic mutations associated with increased risk for colon cancer. “In fact, he had presented with an obstructing colon cancer earlier in his life that had not metastasized and was cured with surgery. He was in phenomenal cognitive and physical shape near the time of his death,” study senior author Dr. Thomas Perls, director of the New England Centenarian Study, said in a Boston University Medical Center news release. The woman had numerous genetic variations associated with age-related disease, such as heart disease, cancer and Al-

6 signs it’s time to stop driving

zheimer’s disease. She did develop congestive heart failure and mild cognitive impairment, but these conditions didn’t become evident until she was more than 108 years old. “The presence of these disease-associated variants is consistent with our and other researchers’ findings that centenarians carry as many diseaseassociated genes as the general population,” Perls said. “The difference may be that the centenarians likely have longevity-

associated variants that cancel out the disease genes. That effect may extend to the point that the diseases don’t occur — or, if they do, are much less pathogenic or markedly delayed towards the end of life, in these individuals who are practically living to the limit of the human lifespan.” The study was published recdently in the journal Frontiers in Genetics, and researchers will be able to access the information at the U.S. National Institutes of Health data repository.

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COURTESY EVERYDAYHEALTH.COM Getting older doesn’t automatically mean that you shouldn’t be behind the wheel; however, regularly monitoring your driving abilities is an important part of maintaining senior health because there comes a point for nearly everyone when reflexes slow and vision deteriorates, making driving no longer safe for you and others on the road. This is especially true for people who have age-related health conditions, such as dementia. Today, one in six American drivers is 65 and older, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. It’s estimated that the age group will grow to more than 40 million drivers by 2020. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that fatal crashes per mile traveled increase at about age 70 and peak at age 85 and older. Assessing Your Driving Ability Many seniors resist giving up their cars, says Gary J. Kennedy, MD, a geriatric psychiatrist, professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and director of the division of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. In fact, even when loved ones voice concerns about their abilities behind the wheel, seniors often don’t want to give up the independence that a car symbolizes. A 2012 survey by AAA reported that almost 90 percent of senior drivers polled said losing their license would be problematic for their lives. Some of the health conditions that may threaten a person’s ability to sit behind the wheel include: • Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease • Problems with hearing or vision • Stroke • Parkinson’s disease • Arthritis • Diabetes Any conditions that require medications that could impair driving ability, such as anti-anxiety drugs, narcotics, and sleeping pills. But making a decision about driving isn’t so much disease-specific as it is about driving performance, Dr. Kennedy says. When Parkinson’s or arthritis causes stiffness that’s so severe it impairs reaction time, that’s a sign you should stop driving. Another red flag is whether you’ve reached age 85. Around that time, even healthy people will experience slowed reaction time and trouble with visual acuity, Kennedy says. Hearing may also be an issue for some at that age. For Kennedy, the deciding factor is whether you are allowed to drive with children in the car. If the answer is no, it’s time to give up driving. Before that point, one or more of the following driving restrictions may be an alternative to completely giving up driving: Avoid driving at night and in bad weather Drive only in familiar places

Drive only within a certain radius of home Stay off of expressways Limit distractions while driving by turning off the radio and other noises, avoiding conversations with people in the car, and not texting or using a cell phone. Occupational therapists can help you drive more safely, as well. You can find one through the American Occupational Therapy Association. Stop Signs for Older Drivers There are some other clear indicators that it’s no longer safe to drive, Kennedy says. They include: Stopping at green lights or when there is no stop sign Getting confused by traffic signals Running stop signs or red lights Having accidents or side-swiping other cars when parking Getting lost and calling a family member for directions Hearing from friends and acquaintances who are concerned about a senior’s driving When you do have concerns about your own or a loved one’s driving, one option is to request a driving evaluation, which can be performed at a rehabilitation center, driving school, or state licensing agency. There are also physical therapy centers that can run tests to measure a person’s reaction time and vision, along with testing the ability to safely drive through an obstacle course, Kennedy says. Adjusting to Life Without Driving When older adults are adamant about not giving up their licenses, sometimes family members have to take action themselves by disabling the car or taking it away, Kennedy says. When driving is no longer possible, you can reduce your need for transportation by taking advantage of delivery services for groceries, meals, and medications and even try at-home service providers, such as a hairdresser. You can also explore other options for transportation, including: Family and friends. Ask loved ones about setting aside time to drive you to the places you need to go. Eldercare providers. Look into senior health or eldercare services that provide transportation. Mass transit. If your city offers it, reacquaint yourself with the public bus or train system, which may be a fast and inexpensive form of transportation. Paratransit. Many communities offer paratransit, in which a driver will pick you up at home and take you where you need to go. Making the transition from being an independent driver to being a passenger can be difficult. However, creating a network of alternative transportation arrangements to get you where you need to be can go a long way toward helping you adjust. Marie Suszynski contributed to this report.