55+ Life Summer Issue

MAKING AND BREAKING HABITS • TRENDS IN AGING • VOLUNTEERING ON VACATION

SUMMER 2022

|

55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

Road Trips with

Rover

TOP TRIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH YOUR DOG

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THE MAINE CONNECTION HOT SPOTS TO VISIT IN SOUTHERN MAINE

DRINK UP CRAFT COCKTAILS YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME

11 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY WHETHER YOU’RE ON A FIXED INCOME OR NOT

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CONTENTS

Photo: iStockphoto.com/damedeeso. Cover photo: iStockphoto.com/kosziv.

 T aking a pet with you on vacation can be rewarding and memorable—if you’re prepared.

Learn more in our cover story on page 36.

features 17 WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

The experts weigh in on aging trends and the economy

33 DOING GOOD ON THE GO

Voluntourism is one way to get away and make a difference

36 ROAD TRIPS WITH ROVER

How to safely and enjoyably travel with your dog

61 HABITS: MAKING THEM, BREAKING THEM

Rid yourself forever of a behavior that’s getting in your way

8

55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

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25

42

lifestyle

56 FOR THE BIRDS!

Curious about bird-watching? These experts can help you take flight.

23 WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT AGING? A look at the upside of getting older

48 HAVEN’T GOT TIME FOR THE PAIN

33

travel

42 THE MAINE ATTRACTION

Where to go for the perfect southern Maine summer vacation

retirement

69 WHERE THERE’S A WILL,

THERE’S A WAY Why updating a will should be on everyone’s periodic to-do list as they age

What you need to know about rheumatoid arthritis

health & wellness 46 LAP IT UP

Swimming is the right exercise for just about every body

53 TALKING ABOUT TEETH

Why dental care is even more important as we age

food & drink

66 11 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY…

…Whether you’re on a fixed income or not

72 CELEBRATING LIFE’S SECOND CURVE How to rethink and navigate life as you age

columns 14

EDITOR’S NOTE

25 BOTTOMS UP

51

BE YOUR BEST Benita Zahn’s take on the importance of “moving” into aging

30 PERFECT PAIRING

74 THE VINE

Local hot spots share recipes for craft cocktails to make at home Tacos take center stage

10

55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

A handmade family treasure, waiting to be touched again

Photos: Orchard Beach pier, Ryan Zipp/courtesy Maine Office of Tourism; Botanical Romance cocktail, Shawn LaChapelle/courtesy Hamlet and Ghost; volunteers with nesting sea turtle, Jannie Koning/courtesy Ocean Spirits Inc.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Cora Pippi Lola

Mabel

Matilda & Leon

M

Fur Babies

Alison Michael photo by Saratoga Potrait Studio/Becky Miller.

y love for animals is deep. I grew up with them and got a dog as an adult, as soon as I knew I was responsible enough to take care of one. Fast forward to today. We have our second English labrador retriever, Lola, and, thanks to my husband and son, our rescue cat named Cato. While I never considered myself a “cat person,” I can emphatically say that changed when he came into our lives. He has me wrapped around his little paws. He’s a character and I love him as much as Lola.

Bringing Cato on vacation isn’t an option, but Lola is another story. She loves a good car ride and is always up for an adventure. The look of anticipation on her face and curiosity abounds. That

14

55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

Echo

said, bringing her on vacation with us is something that takes much thought and consideration. A few years ago, we took her on our weeklong beach vacation in Delaware and, while it was wonderful to have her with us creating memories, it was definitely another layer of responsibility. Bringing her is not something we consider for all our trips, but on that drivable beach vacation she had a blast and we loved having her along for the ride.

If you’re thinking about bringing your “Rover” vacationing with you, be sure to check out one of our cover features to learn how to safely and enjoyably travel with your dog.

Here’s to a great summer from all of us at 55+ Life—including our pets!

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LIFESTYLE

What Does

the future Hold?

The experts weigh in on aging trends and the economy

BY TRACI NEAL

Photo: iStockphoto.com/allanswart.

P

icture this. It’s 2032 and you’re 10 years older—and wiser—maybe with a few more dings and scrapes, and hopefully a lot more gifts and blessings. Congratulations! You’ve made it another 10 years.

But what do the 2030s look like?

In the next decade or so—as the last of the baby boom generation reaches age 65—the older population is expected to double in size and, for the first time in U.S. history, outnumber every other generation, including children, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. One in every five U.S. residents will be retirement age; in New York state, one in four will be 60 or older.

“By 2034, there will be 77 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.5 million under the age of 18,” said Jonathan Vespa, a demographer with the U.S. Census Bureau, in a 2018 news release.

“The growth in the older population is fundamentally a success story from a public health perspective—new advances in medicine and living standards have led to longer life expectancies,” says Mark Mather, associate vice president for U.S. programs at the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau,

a Washington, D.C., think tank, and principal author of the 2016 report, “Aging in the United States.”

In addition to the graying of boomers—those of us born between 1946 and 1964—researchers say a drop in fertility rates and a consistent increase in life expectancy are colliding to create an unprecedented worldwide demographic shift.

“Ultimately this is a good thing,” says Mauro F. Guillén, author of the book, 2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything. “We’re going to have a lot of political power in the sense that we’re the largest age group. I think also with the new technology and all the changes we’re seeing, we’re going to have a much better quality of life.”

What qualifies as “old” is no longer the same as 30 years ago, says Guillén. “It’s important that we not think about this group as we did our grandparents. We’re going to live longer and be in better shape. We now have therapies that will prolong our lives and technologies that will make our lives better.”

But, warns Guillén, a former professor of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and now dean of the business school at England’s University of Cambridge, CONTINUES ON 18  SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

17

“

I think if we live longer and stay fit longer, we’re going to have to work longer.”

—Mauro Guillén, author and sociologist

“

The good news is you can live longer. The bad news is you can live longer.”

—Carmen L. Morano, professor and aging expert

CONTINUED FROM 17

we must start preparing in earnest now for the graying of America that’s to come.

“Are we doing enough? Probably not,” says Guillén in a phone call from Madrid. “The things having to do with budgets and taxes, Social Security and Medicare, politicians don’t want to deal with it right now because it’s toxic. I don’t think there’s enough clarity or enough reliable information being fed to people on how important it is to address these issues now rather than waiting.”

Still, living longer is overall good news, says Carmen L. Morano, a professor at the University at Albany’s School of Social Welfare and an expert on aging, adding, “The bad news is you can live longer.”

The shift is nothing new—boomers rattled the country’s school systems when they entered elementary school in the 1950s, and their numbers wildly affected unemployment rates and job prospects when they joined the workforce in the 1960s and ’70s.

“We’ve known for a while that the aging of our population is going to have a massive impact,” says David Sandman, president and CEO of the New York Health Foundation, a nonprofit grant-making agency focusing on the health of the state. “What we’ll see is a double whammy. As the population is aging and will require more health care, the supply of health care workers is shrinking as they themselves are retiring or leaving the field.”

Here are three major themes of change affecting the graying population in the 2030s and beyond: WORK & RETIREMENT

“

We’ve known for a while

that the aging of our population is going to have a massive impact.”

—David Sandman, president and CEO, New York Health Foundation

Companies will be faced with a major shift in workforce demographics in the coming decades, according to a U.S. Senate study, “America’s Aging Workforce: Opportunities and Challenges,” published in 2017.

While the number of workers under age 35 remained almost unchanged between 1996 and 2016, the number of working people aged 55 and above grew by 124 percent, the report says.

That gap will continue to widen, and employers will need to adapt to train, hire, retain and support qualified older workers while addressing the concerns of an older workforce—age discrimination, inadequate training opportunities, working while managing health conditions and disabilities, balancing caregiving responsibilities and preparing financially for retirement.

“I think there’s inevitable change coming as companies recognize that this cohort can still bring a lot to the table,” says Morano, who is 72 and says he has no plans to retire.

“I also think we’ll be working longer, producing more and contributing more. Some because we have to, and others because we have talent.”

Fewer of us will go from full-time employment to full-time CONTINUES ON 21 

18

55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

Photos: Guillén, courtesy University of Cambridge; Morano, courtesy University at Albany, State University of New York; Sandman, courtesy New York Health Foundation.

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LIFESTYLE

WHAT DO THE 2030s LOOK LIKE? THE AGING POPULATION

THE GROWING CARE GAP Caregiving will be strained by rising demand and shrinking families. According to AARP, there were 7.1 potential family caregivers for every person 80+ in 2010. By 2030, that number may shrink to just 4.1 potential family caregivers for every person 80+

One in every four N.Y. state residents will be 60 or older

2010

2030

The World Economic Forum surveyed 800 tech executives and experts for its “Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact” report, asking which of the following technology tipping points the expected to see by 2025. Their answers are shown as percentages.

10% of people wearing clothes connected to the internet

91.2%

The first robotic pharmacist in the U.S.

86.5%

The first 3D-printed car in production

84.1%

5% of consumer products printed in 3D

81.1%

90% of the population with regular access to the internet

78.8%

Driverless cars equaling 10% of all cars on U.S. roads

78.2%

The first transplant of a 3D-printed liver

76.4%

Over 50% of internet traffic to homes for appliances and devices

69.9%

The first city with more than 50,000 people and no traffic lights The first AI machine on a corporate board of directors

63.7% 45.2%

NEW YORK TO DEVELOP ‘MASTER PLAN FOR AGING’ In her January 2022 State of the State address, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed to join other states like California, Massachusetts, Texas and Colorado in developing a “Master Plan for Aging.”

The plan marks a historic effort to develop a comprehensive roadmap for systemwide change led by aging and disability providers, policymakers, advocates and experts, according to the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York.

New York became the first AARP Age-Friendly State in 2017 and the first Age-Friendly Public Health System by the Trust for America’s Health in 2021. Clearly, it’s doing something right.

However, Hochul says, “Even more action is needed for New York to maintain its place as a national model for aging care.”

Hochul’s plans include promoting aging in place—including housing communities for seniors, improving nursing home care and strengthening the long term care ombudsman program.

20

55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

Photos: Hochul, CC BY-SA 4.0/via Wikimedia Commons; people icons, iStockphoto.com/Fourleaflover.

One in every five U.S. residents will be retirement age

In the next decade or so, the older population is expected to double in size and, for the first time in U.S. history, outnumber every other generation, including children, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

CONTINUED FROM 18

retirement, the Senate report predicts, and more will put off retirement entirely in favor of a career change or part-time work.

“The gig economy we’re seeing now will have a positive effect for people over age 65 who still want to work,” says Guillén. “I think if we live longer and stay fit longer, we’re going to have to work longer because we may not have enough savings.”

Morano adds that with fewer people in the workforce, spending will decrease and manufacturing and delivery of goods will respond accordingly. “The reality is as we move through the system, the demand for whatever’s being produced and delivered is going to subsequently decline,” he says. “If fewer people are in the workforce, there are also fewer out there buying things. So we’ll see this spiraling effect on the economy.”

That financial impact will continue until we begin to draw our money out of retirement accounts, he says.

HEALTH CARE & CAREGIVING

Most of us will need at least some type of support as we age.

As the COVID pandemic has shown, many state systems are unprepared for a surge in patients.

The impact is already being felt in New York and nationwide in the workforce shortages of geriatricians, health care and nursing home workers and geriatric social workers, says Morano. “Most of the data I’ve looked at talks about the severe shortages in these fields because demand is up and continuing to grow,” Morano adds. “This is exacerbated by the fact that the mean age of those serving in the field are approaching that retirement age themselves.”

The aging of the baby boom generation could fuel a 75 percent increase in the number of Americans ages 65 and older requiring nursing home care, to about 2.3 million in 2030 from 1.3 million in 2010, the Population Reference Bureau projected in its report, “Aging in the United States.” The surge will tax Social Security and Medicare, the PRB cautions.

“We’re already behind the eight ball,” says Sandman. “We were facing workforce challenges even prior to COVID but those have been accelerated. We were looking at shortages of geriatricians, shortages of nursing home staff, shortages of nurses in general, and it’s become even more of an uphill battle because of COVID.” Sandman says it’s time to “reinvent a model for the homecare workforce,” and tackle the issues that plague the industry, including poor hourly wages, unpredictable amounts of work and not enough support and training. In New York, he says, efforts are underway to adapt and modernize the health care system and its approach to older adults.

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TECHNOLOGY

The World Economic Forum surveyed 800 tech executives and experts from the IT and communications sector for its “Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact” report. Its

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CONTINUES ON 22  SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

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CONTINUED FROM 21

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findings were futuristic, to say the least.

In the 2030s, some of us will be wearing technology-connected clothing, have tech-corrected vision, and use 4D projections instead of flat-screen televisions, computers and cellphones. Our driverless cars will “move with mathematical precision” without traffic jams or stop lights. “Accident rates are near zero,” the WEF experts predict.

“We’re going to have an older population who are a lot more digitally savvy than previous older generations,” says Sandman, of New York Health Foundation. Already we’re seeing a greater use of telehealth options and digital monitoring devices, which a decade ago were in their infancy, he says.

Human organs may be 3D printed, the WEF report said, and more than three-quarters of the tech experts polled said we’ll see the first 3D printed liver transplant in the 2030s.

“As our world changes, scientists believe that humans’ brains will continue to get bigger, our lifespans will increase, and our cultures will continue to evolve and merge as we adapt to new environments,” the WEF writes. “Today, you can have 20/10 vision with LASIK. Tomorrow, you may add infrared zoom lenses to your vision making 20/1 vision possible (hawks are estimated to have 20/5 or 20/4 vision).” n

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In early May, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul cut the ribbon on Skyview Park Apartments, a new senior housing complex at the former Irondequoit Mall in Monroe County for residents 55 and older, with some apartments set aside for seniors in need of services.

It’s part of the governor’s $25 billion five-year housing plan that will increase housing supply by creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across the state, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, notably seniors.

“The entire Skyview project underscores the potential that exists with underutilized commercial properties and how they can be repurposed to benefit residents and businesses in our communities,” Hochul says.

Throughout the country, there’s been an evolution over the last few decades from “warehoused” nursing home care to assisted living and senior communities, says Carmen L. Morano, a professor at University at Albany’s School of Social Welfare and an aging expert.

However, he cautions, that “with variety, there’s also limited accessibility,” with the “haves” being financially able to take full advantage of the amenities and services offered, and the “have-nots” living alone on a fixed income or being cared for by the growing number of unpaid family members.

“We need to do something to bring the availability of these options to everyone and not just the top 5 percent of our society,” Morano says.

ESSAY

What’s Great About

Aging?

Janet Reynolds Consulting Editor, 55+ Life

A look at the upside of getting older

BY JANET REYNOLDS

Janet Reynolds photo by Face Forward Headshots.

L

et’s just get the body thing out of the way. Yes, exercise and healthy eating habits can help make your aging body last longer and stay in better working condition. But the reality is that at some point our bodies start to break down as we get older.

My point is that this inevitable part of aging is NOT what’s great about getting older. You can come up with all the mental games and positive affirmations you want about this change, but it won’t prevent the reality of cataracts, arthritis and more. At some point, bodies stop working.

Which brings me to the first great part about aging: acceptance.

Acceptance is not the same as giving in or giving up. Rather, it’s recognizing that some things can’t be changed, no matter how hard you try or want them to, and then—here’s the best part—realizing that this is perfectly fine. You can keep wishing you could run as fast and as far as you did in your 30s or whine about the fact that you can’t eat exactly as you did then without consequence. Or you can realize that maybe the best thing to do is accept it—whatever the “it” is—and work with it or around it. Apparently I am not going to win a Pulitzer. That does not mean I still can’t do meaningful journalistic work, nor does it mean that my career to date has been less-than.

Acceptance comes, at least in part, with clarity, another great plus in aging. True, we may not remember why we went into the kitchen or the name of that book we read last month, but that does not mean we don’t see the bigger picture more clearly. After this many trips around the sun, “We’ve done stuff and we know things,” to paraphrase Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones. And one of the things we older folks increasingly know is what matters and what doesn’t.

Enter the next great part of aging: saying no. Getting clarity around what matters makes it easier to just say no to the stuff we don’t want to do. Who—literally—has the time? Some days I feel as if I have an internal clarity switch because my understanding of what I no longer want to do is so immediate and clear. Do I want to serve on any more nonprofit boards?

Nope. Do I want to maintain the massive gardens in my yard entirely on my own? Not a chance.

And here’s the best part. I just say no. In my earlier days, I would have hemmed and hawed potentially for days over a decision, weighing all the factors and possible emotional implications for the people I know and love who might disagree or not be happy with my pronouncement. Now, I take a cue from Nancy Reagan—words I never thought I’d type—and “Just say no.” Nor do I worry about coming up with an elaborate explanation. Sometimes my response to the question of why I’m saying no is “Because I don’t want to.” Channeling my inner toddler like this is possibly my favorite part of aging.

A physical manifestation of just saying no is realizing that I don’t need all this stuff. The pandemic helped here, as I began working almost entirely remotely. My wardrobe needs did a 180—do I really need zippered pants?—and now I’m realizing it will never go back. Time to offload half of what’s in my closet. And while I’m at it, what are we doing with all these CDs? And glasses? And???? I fantasize about renting a dumpster and filling it.

Offloading stuff leaves more time for what matters. Appreciating the moment is another plus to aging. It’s not that aging provides instant Zen calm, but gradually all that saying no and offloading yields something else—the time and the wisdom to be in the moment. And that’s a gift for the ages. n SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

23

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FOOD & DRINK

Bottoms

Up!

Photo: iStockphoto.com/zoranm.

Craft cocktails you can make at home this summer

I

BY BRIANNA SNYDER

t gets pretty hot around here in the summertime—and this year is looking to be a record-breaker. Happily, this is also the season for icy cocktails, slushy and sippable fruity concoctions for poolsides, boat decks and bar patios.

Brendan Dillon, owner of Hamlet and Ghost in Saratoga Springs, says a great summer cocktail should be, above all, refreshing. “I like them to be fruit-forward, citrusy,” he says.

“I also like drinks that are uncomplicated, because I don’t like spending the time making a complicated drink when there are other things to be doing.”

Here you’ll find three cocktail recipes that meet—and we would even say exceed—those criteria. Drink up!

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FOOD & DRINK

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Jalapeño Cranberry Margarita Made by: Jamie Fronk, executive chef, The Front Street

Social Club, Ballston Spa

Why it’s great: ”A while ago, I got into muddling

everything,” Fronk says. “I started playing with a bunch of peppers. I got an amazing taste out of red pepper when I started mashing it. The flavor was just incredible. From there, I wanted to do something spicier.”

Fronk says he loves the contrast of cranberry and jalapeño.

“The best margarita is good tequila, agave and fresh lime,” he says. Adding cranberry gives the drink its summer fruitiness and “the flavor of jalapeño adds a nice little heat tingle to the back of your throat.”

• 2 oz your favorite tequila • 1 muddled sliced jalapeño coin • 1 oz light blue agave syrup (Substitute simple syrup if you don’t have agave syrup, although agave is preferred.)

• 2 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice • Splash cranberry juice • Salt rim

Photo courtesy The Front Street Social Club.

Shake well and strain over ice.

Garnish with fresh lime wedge and jalapeño coin on a pick.

Jungle Bird Made by: Dominick Purnomo, owner, dp An American

Brasserie, Albany

Why it’s great: “The Jungle Bird is thought to be

originally created by Giri Pancha at the Aviary Bar in the Kuala Lumpur Hilton,” Purnomo says. “We pay homage to this cocktail with a few slight tweaks.”

Purnomo says he loves tiki culture and rum-based cocktails. “My standard go-to cocktail is the Negroni or some variation,” he says. “The Jungle Bird is the perfect balance of a sweet but refreshing tiki cocktail tempered with the bitterness that Campari offers.”

• 1.5 oz Goslings rum • 1.5 oz fresh-squeezed pineapple juice (or highquality packaged) • 1 oz Campari • ½ oz simple syrup (1:1 water to sugar by volume, shake until fully dissolved) • ½ oz lime juice Combine ingredients in mixing glass with ice, shake until chilled (approximately 30 seconds).

Strain over fresh ice in rocks glass.

Garnish with pineapple & cherry.

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

Photo courtesy dp An American Brasserie.

CONTINUES ON 28 

For more cocktail recipes, visit 55pluslifemag.com.

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Howling Wolf Made by: Brendan Dillon, owner, Hamlet and Ghost, Saratoga Springs Why it’s great: “I was looking for things that are fairly easy to pull off,” Dillon says of his Howling Wolf cocktail recipe.

“People will be more inclined to make simpler things.

And this one is springy-summery, fun, pretty easy to put together and tastes great.”

Dillon also says he likes big-batch cocktails—pitchers of gin-and-tonic that can be set out on the barbecue table. And the muddled blueberries in the Howling Wolf have another appeal: “It’s pretty!” says Dillon.

Howling Wolf

• • • •

1 oz melon liqueur 1 oz vodka 1 oz fresh lemon juice ½ oz simple syrup or ¼ oz agave syrup

Muddle 10 blueberries in your shaker glass, then add the rest of the ingredients and ice.

Shake and strain into a cold glass of your choice.

Garnish with a thin slice of watermelon or cantaloupe. n

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Lightened-Up Patriotic Parfait SERVES 2 Ingredients: 2 1 cup 1 cup 1/8 cup 1/8 cup

(5.3 oz.) containers Two Good® Vanilla Greek Yogurt Fresh or frozen strawberries or raspberries, sliced or whole Fresh or frozen blueberries Hannaford Oat & Honey Low Fat Granola Planters® NUT-rition Heart Healthy Nut Mix, chopped

Directions: 1. Wash and rinse berries. If using frozen berries, microwave in 30-second increments, stirring frequently until mostly thawed. Drain excess liquid as desired.

2. In your serving dish or cup, alternate layers of yogurt, berries, granola and nuts.

This celebratory dessert has a perfect balance of creamy, crunchy, sweet and salty, and feels indulgent without a lot of added sugar. Not to mention it’s full of antioxidants, protein, healthy fats and fiber.

simply healthy from your Hannaford Dietitians

We’re committed to supporting your health and wellness goals.

Our team of registered dietitians offer free nutritional services online and in-store.

Visit hannaford.com/dietitians to learn more.

Nutritional Information: Amount per serving: Calories 210; Total Fat 7 g; Saturated Fat 1.5 g; Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 60 mg; Carbohydrate 26 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 15 g; Total Sugar 15 g; Added Sugar 1 g

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

Photo: Steve Klise/courtesy America’s Test Kitchen LLC.

For more taco recipes, visit 55pluslifemag.com.

PerfectPairing

FOOD & DRINK

Looking for an ideal accompaniment to our summer cocktails (page 25)? Try a taco recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, like these Grilled Fish Tacos. Or visit us at 55pluslifemag.com to get the recipes for Ground Beef Tacos and Tacos Dorados (Crispy Tacos). Enjoy!

G R I L L E D F I S H TAC O S SERVES 6

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS In the Yucatán Peninsula, far from the battered-and-friedfish taco stands of Baja, another style of fish taco is popular: grilled fish tacos. Traditionally, a whole fish is split in half lengthwise, bathed in a chile-citrus marinade, and grilled.

We wanted grilled fish tacos featuring a similarly bold flavor profile, but a simpler approach—no dealing with whole, skin-on fish. Although most recipes use whole snapper or grouper, we found that swordfish was easier to find, stood up well to flipping on the grill, and picked up plenty of flavorful char before the interior cooked through. We created a flavorful paste from ancho and chipotle chile powders, oregano, and ground coriander, which we bloomed in oil to bring out their flavors. Tomato paste provided a savory-sweet punch.

To replicate the flavor of traditional sour oranges, we used a combination of lime and orange juices. A fresh pineapple salsa was the perfect accompaniment to our spicy, earthy fish. Halibut, mahi-mahi, red snapper, and striped bass are all suitable substitutes for the swordfish. The recipe for the pineapple salsa makes more than is needed for the tacos; leftovers can be refrigerated for up to two days. Serve with shredded lettuce and diced avocado.

INGREDIENTS • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder • 2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • 1 teaspoon ground coriander • 1 teaspoon table salt • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • ½ cup orange juice • 6 tablespoons lime juice (3 limes), divided, plus lime wedges for serving • 2 pounds skinless swordfish steaks, 1 inch thick, cut lengthwise into 1-inch thick strips • 1 pineapple, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cored, and each quarter halved lengthwise • 1 jalapeño chile • 18 (6-inch) corn tortillas • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces • 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, plus extra for serving

INSTRUCTIONS 1 Heat 2 tablespoons oil, ancho chile powder, and chipotle chile powder in 8-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and some bubbles form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, coriander, and salt and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and, using spatula, mash tomato paste with spice mixture until combined, about 20 seconds. Stir in orange juice and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly mixed and reduced slightly, about 2 minutes. Transfer chile mixture to large bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.

2 Add swordfish to chile mixture and stir gently to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Brush pineapple and jalapeño with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

3a For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely.

Light large chimney starter mounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

3b For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.

4 Clean cooking grate, then repeatedly brush grate with well-oiled paper towels until black and glossy, 5 to 10 times. Place fish, pineapple, and jalapeño on grill.

Cover and cook until fish, pineapple, and jalapeño have begun to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Using thin spatula, turn fish, pineapple, and jalapeño. Cover and cook until pineapple and jalapeño are well browned and swordfish registers 140 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to platter and cover with aluminum foil.

5 Working in batches, grill tortillas, turning as needed, until warm and soft, about 30 seconds; wrap tightly in foil to keep soft.

6 Chop pineapple and jalapeño fine and combine with bell pepper, cilantro, and remaining ¼ cup lime juice in bowl. Season with salt to taste. Using 2 forks, pull fish apart into large flakes and serve with pineapple salsa, tortillas, and lime wedges. n SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

31

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TRAVEL

 Participants in Birding Virginia’s Eastern Shore program on Chincoteague Island.

—Photo by Brian Ezeike/courtesy Road Scholar.

DOING

GOOD on the go

Voluntourism is one way to get away and make a difference

BY SHERYL NANCE-NASH

A

volunteer vacation is the ultimate twofer. You do something to make the world a little better and also do something for yourself. It doesn’t get sweeter than that.

Overall, voluntourism is on the rise. A 2019 survey from Travelocity found that one in four U.S. travelers said they would volunteer on a trip that year and more than twothirds said that they had volunteered on a previous vacation.

Travelers said they were most likely to support humanitarian, animal welfare and environmental causes.

While the pandemic slowed travel of all sorts, interest in this kind of intentional travel is growing. “Since the world has started to open up, people are reassessing their impact while traveling,” says Jodi Bird in an email interview. She runs the Bountiful Blessings Travel blog and finds drop-in volunteer opportunities for travelers. “I put together itineraries that travelers can download,” she says. “All they have to do is sign up for their volunteer slot.”

George Balogh, owner of Blue Skies Travel in Albany,

says pre-COVID he had many clients who would visit destinations on cruises and take excursions to visit an animal shelter, read books to children or volunteer in other ways.

While Balogh says the pandemic has put some of these types of activities on pause, he expects that “interest will return as the locals on the islands gain confidence in the tourists being ‘healthy,’ or not having COVID.” The idea behind voluntourism is for people to pair their passion with a project that will have an impact in the local community. Ideally they contribute skills they already have or find an opportunity that requires little training. Whether in the U.S. or abroad, extra hands are always appreciated within the conservation field, for construction projects, or in activities such as cleanup, using writing, design or IT skills at a local nongovernmental organization, or socializing shelter dogs to prepare them for adoption.

The opportunities are boundless. If you’re ready to do good on the go, here are a few ideas.

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INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER HQ

This company specializes in senior volunteer opportunities abroad. Options include teaching English, supporting construction projects and assisting in wildlife conservation projects. Fully hosted senior volunteer programs start at $180 for one week, with everything organized for you. Volunteers can choose from homestay and private room accommodation upgrades. Imagine being in Costa Rica, supporting local veterinary clinics and animal welfare organizations with hands-on care and companionship to abandoned dogs and cats, or being stateside in San Diego renovating homeless shelters, coordinating food outreach campaigns, or sorting and distributing donations. Learn more at: https://www.volunteerhq.org RETREEPC

Panama City, Florida Panama City is known for fishing. Its historic downtown includes the Martin Theatre, built in 1936 and one of best examples of Art Deco architecture in the U.S. It’s about an hour’s drive to hiking, natural springs, beaches, and Florida Caverns State Park with its underground natural stalagmites, flowstones, and draperies. But you can also participate in ReTreePC, Panama City’s initiative to reestablish the city’s tree canopy after Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that ravaged the city in 2018, wiping out more than 80% of the city’s tree canopy. ReTreePC is on a mission to plant 100,000 trees in Panama City by 2025. If you want to assist them in reaching that goal, go to: https://retreepc.com GRENADA TOURISM AUTHORITY VOLUNTOURISM

Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique

Grenada recently launched a voluntourism program that offers numerous ways to contribute. At Myristic Mountain, for instance, tourists can help farm the crops, tend the horses, and plant more flora. The nonprofit Get Swimming Grenada offers free swimming lessons to children on the island who otherwise could not afford private lessons. Volunteers are needed to give swimming lessons to kids and adults. The Grand Anse Artificial Reef Project is a charity that addresses damage done by global warming. To combat the disappearance of reefs and sea life, Phil Saye at Dive Grenada oversees the building and placement of artificial reefs in marine protected areas where they are monitored and maintained.

Voluntourists can participate in underwater cleanups, urchin and fish counts, help with ID tag placement and more. Get information at: https://www.puregrenada.com/voluntourism CHINCOTEAGUE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Chincoteague, Virginia

Road Scholar, a not-for-profit provider of experiential learn-

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

Photos, top to bottom: Lighthouse and great blue heron at Chinco­teague National Wildlife Refuge, courtesy Road Scholar.

ing programs, has a weeklong service-learning program for small groups of people aged 50+. You’ll spend time on the barrier islands of Chincoteague and Assateague, famous for their ponies. Work on projects from repairing and clearing woodland trails and walkways to cleaning up undeveloped beaches, preserving historic sites, or working among the local museum’s collection of artifacts and records. While you do good, you can enjoy the waterfowl and wildlife and learn about the islands from experts. Get details at: https://www.roadscholar.org SEQUOIA RIVERLANDS TRUST

Visalia, California

If you’re headed to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in Visalia, consider lending a helping hand at one of

TRAVEL

Family Travels, Cascade Volunteers and First Nature Tours work together to host weekend immersion trips that include education, service, and recreation. For example, in September, you can volunteer for 10-12 hours to help maintain mountain bike trails in the McKenzie Ranger District. You’ll stay in the wildfire-impacted communities of the McKenzie River corridor and meet with locals to hear their stories. The experience includes downtime for hiking, mountain biking and other activities. You can learn more about the McKenzie Regenerative Travel Project at: https://cascadevols.org/mckenzie-regenerativetravel-project WILD SPIRIT WOLF SANCTUARY

Ramah, New Mexico

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in Ramah, New Mexico, offers multiday volunteer opportunities during the summer. The nonprofit, about two hours from Albuquerque, rescues wild wolves, wolfdogs, coyotes, foxes, and other animals. The sanctuary includes campgrounds where participants stay for free while they serve. If you don’t have a month or longer to volunteer, consider the Weekend Warrior Program, where your time will be spent landscaping, preparing meals for the rescues, building and maintenance work, campground cleanup and assisting the team with outreach events. For more details, visit: https://wildspiritwolfsanctuary.org/how-to-help/volunteer/weekend-warrior-program/ BUILDING AND ORGANIC FARMING IN BELIZE

San Ignacio, Belize Photos, top to bottom: volunteers with nesting leatherback sea turtle, Jannie Koning/courtesy Ocean Spirits Inc.; volunteer with International Volunteer HQ teaching English in Laos, ©International Volunteer HQ.

the Sequoia Riverlands Trust properties. Volunteers of any age, ability and interest can learn from naturalists and help propagate native and drought-tolerant plants in the native plant nursery; do trail maintenance, restoration and stewardship projects; assist in trash clean-ups; and assist with environmental education presentations, among other opportunities. To find out more about how you can make a difference in this part of the San Joaquin Valley, go to: https://sequoiariverlands.org McKENZIE REGENERATIVE TRAVEL PROJECT

McKenzie River corridor, Oregon

Devastating fires in the McKenzie River area of Oregon’s Willamette National Forest in 2020 have left communities and natural public spaces in dire need of rebuilding. Global

Kaya Responsible Travel has a volunteer project ideal for the entire family. It’s a farming and building project that benefits disadvantaged teenagers. The farm in Georgeville is a short bus ride from San Ignacio, where the volunteer house is located. During the week, volunteers can help construct outbuildings, using local resources and methods; assist in activities such as tilling and sandbag construction; and help with the building of waterless composting latrines and wood conservation stoves and ovens. In addition to learning about sustainability, participants may help develop the areas that house animals. Children can feed and take care of animals on-site. If children don’t want to build, they can assist with treehouse maintenance, paint signs for the property, learn organic farming techniques, collect eggs, and pick fruit, among other tasks. In Belize, it is law that orphaned children leave the system at 16. The farm is essential to the orphaned teens.

Your work will help improve the living conditions there. For more information, visit: https://www.kayavolunteer.com/project/familyvolunteering-building-organic-farming-belize n SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

35

Road Trips with

Rover How to safely and enjoyably travel with your dog

H

aving pets and leading a life filled with travel and exploration don’t need to be mutually exclusive goals.

Yes, traveling with our fur-babies can have added challenges, costs, and considerations, but it can be truly rewarding to take them with us instead of fretting over how they’re faring at home while we’re away. Since cats—our benevolent overlords—are often happier remaining at home to survey their kingdom, we will focus on tips for traveling with the most lovable of dopes: our canine companions.

We spoke with Dona Frederico of Saratoga Springs, who is a longtime volunteer at Capital District Humane Association (CDHA) and a frequent road-tripper with her beloved pups, Ralphy and Rocky. She offered some expert tips for smoothing out the rough edges that sometimes accompany driving with doggos.

PREPARATION

First and foremost, it’s important to make sure your dog is healthy enough to travel. Schedule a checkup with their vet before any big trip so that you can get the green light and have current medical records in case you need them in an emergency. It’s also a good idea to get your pet microchipped before any trip, in case they do manage to get away from you.

Even if your dog doesn’t usually stray, a long trip could be stressful enough for them to engage in behaviors like bolting or running away.

The next key to an enjoyable and (relatively) stress-free car trip with Fido is making sure he’s ready for the ride. If Spot already loves accompanying you around town, happily drooling out the passenger side window, then this shouldn’t be a problem. If, on the other hand, you maybe acquired a pandemic pet and Queenie hasn’t even gone around the block in a vehicle, you should probably start her off with little trips first. Federico advises taking your pooch for a test drive around the neighborhood. If she shows signs of anxiety— shaking, lip-licking, whining, or excessive panting—then you are going to have to do some positive feedback training

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

(reward her with lots and lots of treats) and work her up to longer trips.

Map out pet-friendly hotels in advance. Although the number of places that happily host pets is growing, every place has different requirements in terms of providing medical records or charging additional fees. Also, it’s a good idea to think about how you will get food while staying at the hotel, especially if you are traveling alone. It’s best to get your dinner, for example, on the road and bring it up to the room when you check in, rather than going out for a meal.

Leaving your pets unattended in a strange place can cause anxiety, barking, and undue stress, and could lead to other guests reporting an issue (...and then it becomes your issue).

“If they were in a hotel room and we went out to eat, I worried if they would be barking if we weren’t there,” Frederico says. “So I always left the TV on so there was that little bit of distraction.”

SAFETY

While Sparky might love hanging his head out the window, it’s really not the safest way for dogs to travel. Not only can insects and other flying debris cause eye damage, but a sudden stop could cause serious harm. It’s important, especially for long car rides, to have a safe containment system for Fido, whether it’s a doggie seat belt or car seat (which can be found online or in pet stores), or a comfy crate put in the back of the car. If you choose to crate your dog, make sure they have room to stand up and turn around, and optimally something soft to lay down on.

Most importantly: Never leave your pets unattended in a closed vehicle, particularly on a hot day. It doesn’t even make a difference if you crack a window or think you’ll only be gone for a few minutes. “It takes seven minutes for them to basically move into a situation where it becomes fatal,” Dr. Danielle Bernal of Wellness Natural Food noted in a Mental Floss article. “We need to make sure that all pet parents are aware of that.”

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Photos: Paw print illustration, iStockphoto.com/bluebright; sunbathing puppy, iStockphoto.com/Solovyova.

BY CAITLIN MANNER

TRAVEL

SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

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 Dona Frederico, a longtime volunteer at Capital District Humane Association, was a frequent road-tripper with her beloved pups, Ralphy and Rocky.

— Photo provided by Dona Frederico.

COMFORT

Whenever Frederico made the trip from her home in Saratoga Springs to her vacation home in South Carolina, she would put down the seats in the cab of the truck and make a cozy nook with Ralphy and Rocky’s dog beds from home.

“They really liked it,” she says, “with a little bit of lavender oil on their paws, and they would sleep! They were happy as clams.”

In addition to making sure your pup can get safely comfortable for the long haul, it’s a good idea to make accommodations for when he needs to go potty. Stopping frequently for a bit of water, a little exercise, and an opportunity to “use the facilities” is a must, but be prepared. Make sure your pet has its collar or harness and leash attached before you open the door, and try to make your stops away from other cars or lots of people.

Many experts, including the American Kennel Club, also advise having your canine companion skip breakfast. Traveling on an empty stomach will help prevent car sickness (which is actually common in dogs), and will make cleanup a little easier if it does occur. Do provide them with plenty of water, though, as they can dehydrate quickly, especially if stressed out.

WHAT TO PACK

• Food and Water: Always make sure that you pack plenty of food, treats, and water for your dogs—for both the car ride and for your destination. Any sudden change in their diet could lead to upset tummies and messy accidents, which CONTINUES ON 40  SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

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does not make for a relaxing vacation. If you are trying to reduce bulk, purchase collapsible bowls for water and food and make sure to acclimate Fluffy to them before your trip.

• Doggie Diapers: Whether it’s stress-induced or due to a dietary issue, dogs are more prone to “accidents” when traveling. Frederico came up with the ingenious solution of having her pups wear diapers called Belly Bands while in the car and at hotels in order to save her the hassle of trying to clean up the messes.

 Federico relied on Belly Bands, specially designed diapers, to ensure an accident-free hotel experience.

— Photo provided by Dona Frederico.

• Familiar crates, beds or blankets: If you are staying overnight anywhere, it’s a good idea to bring something that your dog is used to sleeping on. For many pups that means a dog bed or crate you can easily set up. For the more, ahem, pampered pets, who like to sleep in bed with you, Frederico advises bringing a familiar blanket to lay on top of the hotel coverlet. That way the dogs know where to sleep, and it’s a courtesy to the next guest staying there who might not love lying in a pile of Golden Retriever fur.

• Toys: Road trips can get pretty dull for humans, and the same applies to dogs, too. Pack a few of their favorite toys and at least one that will occupy a bunch of time, like those Kongs that you can stick a treat into so they have to work it out.

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40

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

Yes, it takes extra preparation and energy to travel with your pets, but having them along can make the experience more worthwhile. Not only are you avoiding prohibitive kennel boarding costs and the stress of having someone else take care of your furry loved ones, but you get to make memories with them as well. Frederico, whose dogs both passed last year from old age, says that while she is traveling with a bit more freedom now, it’s bittersweet. “I think … they’re part of our family, you know, so if you’re going anywhere for a long while they should be there with you,” she says. “It is a lot easier to travel without your pets than it is to travel with them, but I miss it. I do.” n

the

Maine Attraction

Where to go for the perfect southern Maine summer vacation

BY JOANNE CLEAVER

A

vacation in southern Maine offers it all, from scenery straight out of a Winslow Homer painting to people-watching worthy of a reality television show.

Start at the northern part—Old Orchard Beach, on the southern perimeter of the Portland area—or start at the south, at Kittery, the first town north of the New Hampshire line— and work your way down or up, respectively. Fuel your visit with fried clams, lobster rolls and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Nearly every town along the southern Maine coast has a beach, a locally beloved clam shack, and a small downtown featuring a bookstore, clothing stores selling navy-andwhite-striped boatneck tees, and kites. It’s hard to go wrong … which can be comforting when you arrive at the crack of 9 a.m. to find all the beachfront street parking occupied and the small nearby lots already full. Pull a Plan B and keep driving. If not York, then Ogunquit. If not Ogunquit, then Wells or perhaps Kennebunkport or Old Orchard Beach.

From the south, Kittery is the first stop in Maine. It’s worth a detour from the popular factory outlets along U.S. Route 1 to the historic neighborhoods of Maine’s oldest town, found-

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ed in 1647. Wind along State Route 103 to Cutts Island and the quiet marshes of the Rachel Carson Natural Wildlife Refuge, on the way to Seapoint Beach. The refuge spans coastal ecosystems in as natural a state as one can find these days, from forests to tidal salt marshes to meadows. Its network of trails, open sunset to sundown, offer a plover’s-eye view of protected habitats, especially for migratory birds. Visit the website, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/rachel-carson, for details about fishing, canoeing and kayaking in season and to sign up for seasonal activities that wade into habitats for a closer look at the plants and wildlife that have lived on the Maine coast for eons.

It’s not a visit to Maine without seeing a lighthouse. The most widely recognized is Nubble Lighthouse, which is publicly owned, and operated by the town of York in conjunction with the Coast Guard. Built in 1879 by federal order, the short, white lighthouse and adjacent, sharp-peaked white keeper’s house perch on a tiny peninsula connected to the mainland only by a narrow neck of rock. While the lighthouse and its immediate grounds are not open to the public,

TRAVEL

Sunrise at the Pier at Old Orchard Beach.

—Photo by C ­ ynthia Farr-Weinfeld/ courtesy Maine Office of Tourism

the entire sweep of the rocky shore is the perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee or an ice-cream cone, watching children climb on the rocks, tug at seaweed, and toss pebbles into the always-tumbling waves.

From the York Harbor Beach, clamber up the Cliff Walk, a 1.2-mile round-trip, real-estate gawker’s dream. As you stroll past sprawling estates that command endless views of the sea, you are always downwind of the ever-blooming roses that twine over the fences and keep the curious on the straight and narrow. Back at the beach, beware high tide, which nearly fills the narrow crescent.

Wells Beach is quieter, its small, smooth rocks slowly being ground into sand by the tumbling surf. Tiny clapboard beach cottages and seasonal picnic areas make for a sedate morning or afternoon of walking, snacking and occasionally splashing in the tidal pools. The Wells Beach Jetty is a popular spot for fishing. At low tide, the adjacent tumble of rocks sprinkled with tidal pools is a popular spot for clambering around and peering at tiny, stranded sea creatures.

A few miles north, Old Orchard Beach is the largest, loud-

est and most practical for a forced or planned end of the line: It has plenty of parking, recreational options for every age, and one of the most spectacular natural beaches in the state.

In fact, Old Orchard Beach is a good option for an off-season visit: on an unseasonably warm New Year’s Day, you might find yourself keeping up with locals trotting their horses through the shallow surf.

Brassy and boisterous, Old Orchard Beach contradicts every classy cliché about the southern Maine coast. It’s loud and tacky, not understated and old-money. It has cheap food and cheaper thrills, and lots of both, in sharp contrast to the sweetly scenic byways of Kittery and Kennebunkport. Its shops offer obscene T-shirts and barely-there bikinis, rather than the cashmere cardigans and white jeans that are the unofficial uniform of its stately sisters to the south. Its sweeping, deep, natural sugar-sand beach is the perfect parentheses to the comma-shaped beaches that punctuate the other coastal villages in the state.

CONTINUES ON 44  SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

43

TRAVEL

neon lights of amusements and rides, you can slurp slushies and head to the pier, which cantilevers beer and souvenirs for a few hundred yards over the sea.

CONTINUED FROM 43

Eat, Stay and Play When in Maine, clams and chowder are essential. Many highly rated clam shacks are only open seasonally, though, so always confirm hours before you set your heart on a toasted hot dog bun piled high with tender, pink lobster, or a fragrant bowl of white chowder, not too thick, studded with clams or fish.

Eat

As with all localities, whether or not a destination is open will depend on public health directives. Always call before you go to confirm hours and operations.

• Joseph’s by the Sea 55 W Grand Ave., Old Orchard Beach | josephsbythesea.com

Street food runs amuck at Old Orchard, which is pocked with joints that shovel pizza, fries, and fried dough across stainless steel counters to barefoot patrons. Under the blinking

For a more civilized experience, count on Joseph’s by the Sea, one of the few table-service restaurants, and one of the few with a true rooftop dining area. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially for the popular weekend brunch.

For the best clams, chowder and lobster, go where the locals flock: Sea Salt, just a few miles inland from Old Orchard Beach.

Clockwise from top left: Iconic Maine cuisine includes clams and lobsters; a fishing pier in Kittery; and the state’s most widely recognized lighthouse, the Nubble.

—Nubble Lighthouse courtesy Visit Maine.

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• Sea Salt 660 Main St., Saco | seasaltlobsterrestaurant.com In Kennebunk, the only place for clams is The Clam Shack.

• The Clam Shack 2 Western Ave., Kennebunk | theclamshack.net If you’re coming up from the south, plan your lunch or dinner at the Weathervane in Kittery, immediately over the state line. This local chain of five locations piles cardboard plates high with crunchy fried clams, scallops, shrimp and fish, and its chowder is second to none.

• Weathervane Seafood Restaurants 55 306 U.S. Route 1, Kittery | weathervaneseafoods.com

Photos: Clams and lobster, iStockphoto.com/BDMcIntosh; fishing pier, iStockphoto.com/DenisTangneyJr.

Stay Chain hotels are scarce around southern Maine, except for Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the southern border and Portland, on the northern, but short-term rentals are not.

They tend to book early, often by families who return every year. Still, in an era of COVID-forced cancellations, it’s worth a round of calls to scout last-minute openings.

Cliff House Maine in Cape Neddick has been perilously perched on the rocky shore for decades. A sprawling resort that melds traditional white-canvas décor with a streamlined modern aesthetic, it offers a range of rooms from standard to suite, as well as multiple dining rooms, a pool and a spa.

• Cliff House Maine 591 Shore Road, Cape Neddick | cliffhousemaine.com White Barn Inn in Kennebunk expands on the locally legendary restaurant’s wide-plank, wavy-glass antique complex with 27 rooms that would have made any sea captain faint with envy.

• White Barn Inn & Spa 37 Beach Ave., Kenebunk | aubergeresorts.com/whitebarninn New this year to Wells (and nearby inland Biddeford) is a brewery and distillery, Batson River, with tours, tasting rooms and a rooftop bar.

• Baton River Batson Fish Camp Wells: 73 Mile Road, Wells Batson River Brewing & Distilling: 17 Lincoln St., Biddeford batsonriver.com

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45

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Lap It Up Swimming is the right exercise for just about every body

BY BRIANNA SNYDER

P

atrick Quinn may have grown up by a river in Ireland, but it took 47 years and major heart surgery for him to start swimming.

“I was a runner, a track man,” Quinn, 91, says from his home in Loudonville. “I was pretty good at it. Won a couple of national championships.”

Despite all the running, Quinn was also a smoker in the years leading up to his surgery, which meant, of course, both a major life shift and a catalyst for lifestyle change.

“Swimming was the only exercise I could work on, so I decided to get in the pool,” he says. Unlike many other forms of cardio, swimming is low-impact and gentle on the body while providing a strong workout. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Water-based exercise can benefit older adults by improving their quality of life and decreasing disability. It can also improve or help maintain the bone health of post-menopausal women.”

The CDC also reports that swimming helps people with arthritis improve the use of their arthritic joints without worsening symptoms and that “people with rheumatoid arthritis have shown more health improvements after participating in hydrotherapy (exercising in warm water) than

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

with other activities.” (See our story on rheumatoid arthritis on page 48.) Swimmers also may see improvements in the use of affected joints and a decrease in pain from osteoarthritis.

Quinn says his first few days and weeks in the pool were tough. “I was very, very poor,” he says. “I could only do about three laps.” But after a year of persistence, he found himself good enough at swimming to be invited to join the Masters swimming race. “I lost badly but I was having fun,” Quinn says, laughing.

The benefits of exercise are well established and known, but the motivation to move—especially when one is in pain or limited in mobility—can hold people back from starting. That’s why finding movement that feels good for your body as you raise your heart rate is so important: It keeps you wanting to come back. The National Library of Medicine says that “Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.”

For people with aches, pains, and lethargy, going for a walk or joining a Zumba class can be uncomfortable or even

WHERE TO JUMP IN

Swim groups in the Capital Region • Albany Starfish Swim Club facebook.com/albanystarfish • Delmar Dolfins Swim Club delmardolfins.com • Adirondack District Masters Swimming adms.org • Schenectady-Saratoga Sharks Swim Club teamunify.com/team/adsssc/page/home

Waves texture illustration by iStockphoto.com/yugoro.

 I n January 2012, Patrick Quinn set an Adirondack Masters 1000-yard freestyle record for the 80-84 age group, with a time of 20 minutes, 48.79 seconds.

—Photo by Mark Woythal

alienating. Swimming, water aerobics, and other aquatic activity welcomes bodies of all skill levels and types, which Quinn says was a major appeal for him.

“One of the great things about Masters swimming is you can swim with fast or slow people. You can swim with anybody,” he says. “I can swim with people at any age because they divide the group into slow to fast lanes so you’re always swimming with someone at your own pace.”

Soon, Quinn had gone from “a 50-yard breast stroker to a two-mile swimmer.” He also quit smoking: “I found that you can’t smoke and swim at the same time. The cigarettes get wet,” he says.

So he gave up his soggy cigarettes and found his lung capacity improved. “The swimming enabled me to breathe easily,” he says. “I felt so good that I couldn’t smoke anymore and haven’t smoked since.”

Another benefit Quinn got from swimming? Community. “I met a lot of great, great friends, including people I’ve known now for 40 years,” he says. “That’s the great thing about the Masters. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, how slow you are, as long as you get out there and enjoy yourself and do what you can.” n

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47

HEALTH & WELLNESS

 Now a retired physical education teacher, Liz Duma, 64, learned she had the gene for rheumatoid arthritis at age 50.

— Photos provided by Liz Duma

Haven’t Got Time for the

Pain What you need to know about rheumatoid arthritis

BY BRIANNA SNYDER

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I

t started with stiff ankles and a little difficulty with walking. It was June, and Liz Duma was waking up each morning just a little bit slower, a little bit stiffer.

Then the stiffness spread to her hands, her feet, and her back.

While not easy for anyone, these changes were particularly tough for a physical education teacher. This was in 2008, and at 50 years old, Duma was still a long way away from retirement at her school in Halfmoon.

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Duma says. “At the end of June, I had gone to Myrtle Beach and when I was in the ocean I was boogie boarding. I was doing everything I could but at nighttime all my joints just stiffened up. Each day I was there it got worse.”

When she got back home, Duma went to her doctor.

Bloodwork revealed she had “the rheumatoid arthritis factor.”

According to the National Library of Science, “Rheumatoid arthritis is a multigene disorder with a substantial genetic component and a heritability estimate of 60 percent.”

Duma, despite not remembering any family members who struggled with the autoimmune disorder, carried the gene.

(An autoimmune disorder is one in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body.)

“Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by joint pain that more commonly affects the small joints, such as hands and wrists, feet, et cetera,” says Dr. Janaki Patel of Community Care Rheumatology in Mechanicville. “The cause is thought to be multifactorial from a combination of genetics and certain environmental triggers that causes an inflammatory cascade.”

Duma didn’t know it, but the cascade was in effect. As she waited for an appointment with a rheumatologist, “each day progressed to the point where I needed help to get out of bed,” she says. “I just had no strength in my body to lift myself out of bed and then I had to walk in the house very gingerly.”

At last, in August 2008, she was able to see the rheumotologist. “They gave me a regiment of prednisone and said in three days you’ll be able to get yourself out of bed and walk around,” Duma says. “And sure enough by the third day I was able to get out of bed and walk. It was amazing.”

Dr. Patel says the treatment for rheumatoid arthritis varies based “on the severity of the joint symptoms. Longterm treatment is aimed at preventing chronic deformities that are irreversible and can be detrimental on quality of life.” The treatment options are all immunosuppressant agents like the steroid Duma originally received.

The medications Duma received enabled her to continue teaching physical education and resume her daily activities. But in 2017 Duma started having trouble with her lungs. “I developed nodules in my lungs and had to have major surgery,” she says. “I didn’t realize arthritis doesn’t CONTINUES ON 50 

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just affect your joints but your organs, too.” Because rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, her immune system is compromised, making her vulnerable to other conditions.

The nodules caused her lungs to fill with fluid, which the surgery fixed. But then the same problem arose nine months later. Since that second surgery, though, Duma says things are better.

Today, she can do most of the activities she always did.

While she can’t run much, she golfs frequently and walks two miles a day.

“I’ll be 64 on July 4,” says Duma, who’s now retired. “I go on vacations. I’ve never felt like rheumatoid arthritis has prevented me from doing what I want to. Well, maybe jumping off a rope swing … I don’t do that anymore.”

Patel says early warning signs of rheumatoid arthritis include prolonged morning stiffness in your small joints lasting more than an hour, swelling and difficulty making a fist. If you experience any of that, she advises getting in touch with your doctor right away.

The news ultimately doesn’t have to be scary, Duma says.

“My philosophy is to smile and enjoy each day because you just don’t know what the next day is gonna bring,” Duma says. “I love to take pictures. I love selfies! In a selfie everybody smiles, so it makes you feel good mentally and physically. It’s just one of those things.” n For information about rheumatoid arthritis, visit the Arthritis

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

 Duma’s philosophy is to smile and enjoy each day. “I love selfies,” she says. “In a selfie everybody smiles.”

BE YOUR BEST

Use It or

Lose It! A few inspirational examples on the importance of “moving” into aging

Benita Zahn photo by Kris Qua Photography.

I

BY BENITA ZAHN

f your best activity is couch surfing, take heart. It’s never too late to build muscle mass. Research is clear that strength training is effective, important and safe as we age. Lean muscle helps your body more effectively burn fat, so you look better and keep your waistline in check. It also improves your stamina and strength, which are important to maintaining independence. Need some proof that you can do it? Read on.

Summertime means “play ball” for Ralph Caputo. He’s been playing some form of ball since he was 5 back in Brooklyn.

Now, on the verge of turning 68, he’s still playing, logging two to three games of baseball a week—with some guys as young as 45 and many collecting Medicare.

What keeps him going? Caputo says he’s still chasing that perfect, error-free game. That may be like finding a pot of gold at the rainbow’s end but he says it’s worth the investment.

Yes, he’s got aches and pains, but he says he’s had them since he was 27. The key, he says, is staying active. It’s kept him in shape. He’s an example of “a body in motion, stays in motion.”

But it’s not all physical preparation. Caputo envisions the game before stepping on the field. He sets his mind and embraces a positive attitude. Says Caputo, if you let your mind tell you “you can’t,” then you’re headed for the sidelines.

I hear the same from Debby Goedeke, who turns 69 in August. A mom and grandmother, she’s also a competitive triathlete who didn’t take up the sport until she was over 55. While she’d been a runner, the challenge of swimming stoked her fire.

It was a huge learning curve. In fact, she suffered a panic attack in the water at her first race. She flipped on her back, willed her breathing to slow and eventually completed the first leg of the race. Now she’s completed four full Ironman triathlons (swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles).

Goedeke loves the regiment of training even as she’s still working full time as destination services manager and Albany County film commissioner at Discover Albany. Like Caputo, Goedeke acknowledges the power of the mind. Your mind must be in the game first and always, she says. She also loves

being around younger people, noting that it keeps her young.

The grace note to all this is the importance of being a role model to her daughter and granddaughter.

Being a role model also fuels the fire in Tom Denham. At almost 56, he’s the youngest of this group. Active as a kid, he put that aside, building his career as a career counselor, and now sole proprietor of Careers in Transition LLC. He graduated college, earned a master’s degree and then his doctorate and co-parented his daughter. One day in his early 40s while attending a reunion with fraternity brothers, he realized they had all become plus-sized. He began running and won often.

He needed more, so he took up triathlons and again found himself on the podium.

When a friend suggested mountain climbing, Denham was in. That led to ice climbing. It was something new, he explains, requiring him to push himself to his limit. Like Goedeke, he’s a role model for his daughter, who often climbs with him.

Also like Goedeke and Caputo, the activity keeps him around young people, so there’s no time to “think old.” What he does think is “I can do it.”

The bottom line from all these stories? Move. Motion is lotion, as the saying goes, and being sedentary is closing in on tobacco as the number one killer. Being inactive increases your risk for diabetes, heart disease, some cancers, blood clots, lung diseases and dementia. The easiest way to get moving is to walk. Experts now agree that 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise along with weight-bearing exercise twice a week is the sweet spot for our well-being and to lower our disease risk. Start slow. Make sure your doctor greenlights your activity. Have a goal. Keep your mind in the game. Tunes can help motivate and enlist a workout buddy. Stretch. Hydrate.

And visualize your success: It’s the secret ingredient to getting and staying in shape. n BENITA ZAHN is a certified health and wellness coach working in the Capital Region. Visit benitahealthcoach.com.

SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

51

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

HEALTH & WELLNESS

talking about

Teeth

Why dental care is even more important as we age

BY THERESA SULLIVAN BARGER

Photo: iStockphoto.com/FatCamera.

M

ost of us know to brush after eating, floss daily and see a dentist twice a year, but as we age, we may have to step up our game. With proper care, we can retain our teeth into old age. But there’s the rub—the typical 17 seconds of brushing and occasional flossing isn’t going to cut it, dentists say.

After retirement, many of us lose dental coverage. Nationally, the percentage of dental expenses paid by private dental insurance decreases with age, from 50% for those 55 to 64 years, to 22% for those 65 to 74 years and 14% for those 75 and older, according to a study published in the Ameri-

can Journal of Public Health. Medicare only covers “medically necessary” procedures, and many state Medicaid programs do not cover dental services for adults.

Preventing problems down the road is largely in our hands. Periodontist Reed Ference, DDS, of Capital Region Periodontics & Dental Implants, keeps a New Yorker cartoon in his office showing someone meeting with a priest and confessing they lied to their dentist about flossing. Guess what? Your dentist knows. Dr. Anthony Cavanagh, director of St. Peter’s Hospital Dental Center, can’t remember how often he’s heard his patients lament: If they knew it was going CONTINUES ON 54  SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

53

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to cost this much or be this painful, they would have taken better care of their teeth. Here, Ference and Cavanagh share their tips for caring for your teeth as you age.

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE

As arthritis makes it more difficult to reach every tooth, Ference recommends using an electric toothbrush with a two-minute timer. He likes the timer feature because “most people only brush for 17 seconds.” Brushing too hard can cause gum recession, so look for an electric toothbrush with a strain gauge that lets you know if you’re pressing too hard, he says.

You could also try a DIY method of adapting your toothbrush’s grip such as inserting it into a foam hair curler, a tennis ball or a section of a pool noodle.

For those with limited dexterity who find flossing difficult, Ference recommends a water pick. “The gum tissue is like a turtleneck around the tooth,” he says. When the fibers that hold the gum tissue next to the tooth are destroyed and some bone is lost, he says, that creates a space where bacteria can accumulate and cause a pocket.

The water pick “flushes the pocket out and reduces the ability of the plaque to cause damage,” he says.

We floss to remove food between the teeth and the bacteria between the teeth and gums. This requires getting the floss around the tooth and under the gums where the toothbrush can’t reach, Cavanagh says. “With floss, you want to make a ‘C’ shape so it hugs around the side of the tooth,” he says.

People mistakenly stop flossing when their gums bleed, but that’s like someone going for a run once, feeling short of breath and giving up, Cavanagh says. The more they run, the easier it gets. It’s the same with flossing—each day their gums bleed less and after a week, their gums don’t bleed at all, he says. Gums bleed because they’re inflamed; they’re inflamed because bacteria are living between the gums and the teeth.

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Cavities thrive in an acidic environment. Saliva neutralizes acidity and without it, our mouth loses its defense. As we age, we produce less saliva. Cancer treatments and common medications for heart disease, depression and anxiety can cause dry mouth, Cavanagh says.

“People with less saliva are more susceptible to dental decay,” he says. That change makes it even more important to brush after every meal as we get older. If we can’t, at least drink water after eating or after drinking anything other than water. If you drink sugary drinks, energy drinks or specialty coffees all day, Cavanagh says,“You’re basically bathing your teeth in a solution of acid and sugar.” Cavities start from bacteria feeding off the sugar in our mouths, he says.

PERIODONTAL DISEASE

Periodontal disease can be prevented but not cured. Also known as gum disease, periodontal disease is one of the most common reasons adults over 55 lose teeth, Ference says.

Those with periodontal disease should see a dentist every three months for cleaning, he says.

While researchers used to suspect those with gum disease were at higher risk for heart disease and stroke, they now believe there’s more of a correlation than a causation, Cavanagh says. In other words, he explains, the people who have heart disease and periodontal disease may have lifestyle factors that contribute to both conditions.

Smokers and those with all types of diabetes, however, do have a higher risk of developing periodontal disease, Ference says.

Those with full dentures just need to soak their dentures in a cleaning solution while they sleep and don’t need to see a dentist. For people with removable, partial dentures, Cavanagh says, “it’s even more critical that they get in for their regular care and maintain the teeth they have left.” n

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LIFESTYLE

for the

Curious about bird-watching? These experts can help you take flight.

B

BY REBECCA GATTO

ack in January 2021, Cathy Hallam—like so many people weathering the strangeness of COVID-19 protocols—was searching for some interesting online courses to take when she came across an opportunity to learn about birding.

“I said to myself, ‘I don’t want to get into birding. It’s for old, weird people,’” Hallam, 63, recalls with a laugh. “Then I realized, ‘Well, I’m old and I’m kind of weird.’” So she decided to give it a shot.

Enrolling in the course ended up being a fortuitous decision for Hallam, who spent most of her childhood in the Capital Region and now lives in Maryland. She’s since been bird-watching in all 23 of Maryland’s counties, plus the city of Baltimore, a lofty goal she achieved in her first year. The hobby has brought her home to the Capital Region, and even to Costa Rica with the Grassland Bird Trust based in nearby Washington County.

Hallam says she fell in love with birding after a cross-country skiing trip, during which she spotted a tiny owl peeking out of a hole in a tree. She hoped if she ever got lucky enough to see another owl up close, she’d know how to identify it.

Plus, she says, it’s a peaceful hobby that connects her with nature—and with herself. “It gives me much the same feeling as when I did yoga,” she says. “There’s a freedom of mind.”

If you’ve ever found your heart aflutter after glimpsing

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bright feathers or delicate nests, bird-watching might just be your next hobby. The good news is, as far as hobbies go, it’s accessible: inexpensive, relaxing, and even good for the environment. But beyond simply noticing the wildlife on your favorite nature trail, where should you begin?

BIRD SMARTER, NOT HARDER

Some experts say the best way to get started is to bring the birds to you. Rob Snell, president of the Audubon Society of the Southern Adirondacks, has been watching birds for 50 years. His interest has taken him far, including a four-week trip to study tropical ornithology in the Bahamas during his graduate program that solidified his passion for the hobby.

But it all started with his mother’s attention to their own backyard visitors while he was growing up in Schenectady.

“She would always point out birds that came to the feeders,” he recalls.

“Backyard birding is the simplest way to do it,” Snell says.

“Put a feeder out back. Get comfortable watching birds come to your feeder.”

Peter Dubacher, director of Berkshire Bird Paradise in Grafton, N.Y., echoes that sentiment: “What I always stress, especially for bird-watching, is to put up some birdhouses on your property,” he says.

Dubacher has almost 150 delicate birdhouses lofted high

Photos: Bluethroat singing, iStockphoto.com/Zwilling330; bird illustration, iStockphoto.com/DragonTiger.

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on poles, clustered in groups for birds that like to nest communally. In addition to the pleasure of seeing avian friends come and go, Dubacher cites another, major benefit of bringing the birds to you.

“Believe it or not, we have no problems with mosquitoes,” he says. Different birds consume a smorgasbord of pesky insects, including biting black flies and disease-carrying ticks, all while eliminating any possible need to spray pesticides.

Backyard birdhouses don’t need to be fancy, and building a simple nesting box for your yard can be a fun and inexpensive project. But it can take a little while for the local winged wildlife to move in. Dubacher says fall is the best time to set

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• Inexpensive Binoculars Spina says you shouldn’t need to spend more than about $100 on an entry-level pair. “It is important to get a pair that makes you feel comfortable and empowered,” she says. “If you can’t see anything, you’re not going to want to go.”

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up new birdhouses so they’re ready for nesting mothers in the spring.

BEYOND THE BACKYARD

While you’re waiting for your own personal paradise to populate, the Capital Region offers plenty of places to look for birds and lots of experienced birders eager to teach what they know. Snell suggests connecting with a group, such as a local Audubon Society chapter or the Hudson Mohawk Bird Club, and letting an expert show you the ropes. Clubs host frequent bird walks where you can learn and meet like-minded individuals.

“Go out with somebody who can point things out and

teach you how to use a field guide,” he suggests. Snell also teaches a birding class twice a week at the Academy for Lifelong Learning in Saratoga (esc.edu/ALL) and speaks highly of the Cornell Ornithology Lab’s online courses (birds.cornell.edu). Cornell’s lab even offers a free field guide phone app that eliminates the need to carry an old-school book.

People seem eager to take Snell’s advice and learn from experienced bird-watchers. In the past couple of years, Paloma Spina, board director and vice president of the Grassland Bird Trust, has noticed group birding events becoming increasingly popular. She says it’s a combination of people looking for new, outdoor hobbies that are socially distanced and an accompanying change in the Bird Trust’s operations.

After being unable to hold any events in 2020, the trust

WHERE TO GO A selection of places to bird-watch in and around the Capital Region: • Brunswick Wildlife Viewing Area 855 Hoosick Road, Troy

• Bird Conservation Area sites 59 statewide www.dec.ny.gov

• Alfred Z. Solomon Grassland Bird Viewing Area 160 County Road 42, Fort Edward grasslandbirdtrust.org

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LIFESTYLE

downsized from a single, annual fundraising event that drew more than 2,000 guests to the Washington County Fairgrounds. Now, they regularly lead small groups on bird walks to a viewing blind on the grasslands, and the small nonprofit can hardly keep up with the waitlist.

“People really like the new model,” says Spina, who started bird-watching in college. “It’s way more natural than the county fairgrounds.”

The group outings have been so popular that the Grassland Bird Trust is currently fundraising to add birding trails to its land. In the meantime, the viewing blind is open for visits, and nearby Department of Environmental Conservation land has walking paths open to the public. All 59 designated Bird Conservation Areas in the state are listed on the DEC website, dec.ny.gov.

However you approach it, whether in your backyard or on an adventure, bird-watching can be a rewarding hobby that helps people feel more connected to nature. For Hallam, it continues to help her find tranquility.

“I love birding because you can be totally in the present. You forget yesterday, and you forget tomorrow,” Hallam says.

“I’ve lived in my house 26 years,” she adds. “Until this year, I never noticed all the sounds in the forest.” n

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LIFESTYLE

Even deeply ingrained habits (like nail-biting) can be changed—forever.

Habits:

Making Them, Breaking Them

BY TRACI NEAL

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Prostock-Studio.

How to rid yourself forever of a behavior that’s getting in your way

F

rom as early as I can remember, I was a habitual nail-biter. I tried everything—bitter-tasting nail polish, glue-on nail tips, even professionally applied acrylics—but nothing worked.

Habits, says psychotherapist and Siena College psychology professor Mo Therese Hannah, are often picked up when we’re younger—as mimicry of our parents, or in response to some stress or trauma. “Sometimes it’s how we cope with things as a child,” she says. “Our habits bring us some form of comfort.”

It wasn’t until my mid-40s that I tried a “brain trick” I CONTINUES ON 63  SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

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LIFESTYLE

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CONTINUED FROM 61

learned from a book called The Power of Habit, published in 2012 by former New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize-winner Charles Duhigg, and within days—and to this day some 10 years later—the urge to bite was gone.

To understand our habits, we need to identify the components of what Duhigg calls “habit loops”—the cue-routine-reward cycle that feeds them. Once the habit loop of a particular behavior is diagnosed, we can look for ways to supplant old vices with new routines, he says.

It works. At least it worked with my habit, and research shows it can work with yours, too. (Of course, every person and every habit is different.)

“It’s as if I were never a nail-biter,” I wrote to Duhigg in 2013, thanking him for changing my life with his book. He responded, asking me to tell my story for The Power of Habit paperback release the following year.

“Congratulations on breaking such a hard habit,” Duhigg replied. “Each habit is different, as is each person, each case. … I know from my research that many habits follow the same cue-routine-reward. I can say that with work and time, even deeply ingrained habits can be changed.”

Duhigg and I caught up again for this article and I asked him to repeat the steps I took to break my bad habit.

“Well, first, we don’t ‘break’ a habit,” says Duhigg, who left New York in 2020 for the West Coast but continues to write for The New Yorker. “You can change habits, but once you have those neural pathways associated with a habit, they won’t go away. So it’s important to think about changing it

rather than breaking it.”

To change a habit, you have to first recognize it and figure out what triggers or cues the behavior, Duhigg says. “Is it the time of day, a place, the presence of certain people?” he says, advising to try to note the behavior or emotion that precedes the habit.

“Pay attention to yourself and ask, ‘When I feel the urge for this particular behavior, who’s here? What time of day is it? How am I feeling?’ and usually it only takes a day or two to figure out what that thing is that’s triggering what’s happening.”

The next step, says Duhigg, is discovering the “reward” your brain is seeking by the behavior. “Sometimes it takes some experimentation to figure out.”

For Duhigg, his habit had caused him to put on weight; he explains in The Power of Habit about his workday walks to the company cafeteria every afternoon for a chocolate chip cookie. “Was it that I was hungry, in which case eating an apple would work as well?” he says. “Was it that I needed to get up and stretch my legs? Well, I could take a walk around the block instead, or go to someone’s desk.

“You have to conduct a little experimentation and pay attention to yourself,” he says, “and if you do, you’ll hopefully figure out what the reward is for the behavior.”

The third step, he says, is finding a new behavior that delivers something similar to the reward your brain is seeking, “but healthier.” Again, experiment with the new behavior unCONTINUES ON 64  SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

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til you get it right, he says.

For me, once I realized I bit mostly in the car and began paying attention to it, and that my brain was seeking the “reward” of a signal from my fingertips (steps 1 and 2), the rest was simple. When I found my nails in my mouth, or felt the urge to bite, I’d rap my fingertips on the dashboard (step 3), sending a signal up to my brain and giving it the “ahh” effect it, for whatever strange brain reason, was craving.

After about a week, using some other advice from Duhigg’s book, my habit had vanished. I was blown away and still can hardly believe it was so simple to change such an ingrained habit.

Creating a new habit works much the same way, says Sarah Mercier, a licensed master social worker and life coach at Root & Thrive LLC Life Coaching in Albany. Mercier takes Duhigg’s “don’t say ‘breaking’ a habit” a step further: She doesn’t call habits “bad” or “good.”

“I stay away from terms like good and bad and instead use helpful and unhelpful—is this a helpful habit, and if so, how?” says Mercier. “Assessing what this habit is doing for me … that’s really important to figure that out.”

Our brains, she says, really thrive on predictability—the type of predictability that’s upended around midlife, when children leave the nest, elderly parents require care, retirement nears and our routines are less ordered than they once were.

Roads were made for journeys.

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“Age 55-plus is really a period of transition,” says Mercier.

“Habits can be guideposts for people but they can also be disconnected and likely are changing at this point in life. I also think this is a good time to reassess those unhelpful habits.”

In her life-coaching work, Mercier says, habits are one of the first places to start when assessing a person’s life and goals. “It’s that important,” she says. “I really believe once I can figure out what a person’s routine is, what they are doing on the regular and how these routines are serving them, that’s a lot of information to work with.”

Mercier says she often sees “avoidance” as a habit people want to change. “We don’t necessarily think of this as a habit, but avoidance of the difficult, avoiding difficult relationships, avoiding activity or exercise, avoiding uncomfortable conversations with our kids, these things can become a really unhelpful habit for some people,” she says.

Being curious, recognizing the habit and exploring the reasons for it are good places to start when wishing to change, she advises. “One of the best things we can do is engage in what we’re avoiding, engage in the behavior that you want.”

Creating meaningful, measurable goals—I want to stay healthy for my grandchildren by walking every day, for instance—can be helpful, she says. “It’s important to create a goal that speaks to what’s valuable to you,” she says. “Is health valuable to you? If it is, then you set a goal that gets you up off the couch … because going for a walk shows your-

LIFESTYLE

self that ‘being healthy has value to me.’ If you don’t value exercise, you’re a lot less likely to be connected to a goal that’s related to that.”

Habits, Hannah adds, many times are “simply those goto behaviors” that people use to manage their anxieties. Obsessive-compulsive behavior, repetition, hair-pulling, even fingernail-biting, she says, “are like these little glitches that people engage in that work temporarily, but ultimately they desert us because they don’t work well as far as the rest of

our life is concerned.

“Irrational isn’t it?” she asks. “People have this mistaken idea that human beings are these logical machines, but we’re really not. A lot of times, those parts of our psyche are at war with each other.”

The real mark of growth is the ability to postpone immediate gratification for longer-term rewards, says Hannah, adding, “The best way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit.” n

GETTING STARTED A habit is a choice that we deliberately make at some point, and then stop thinking about, but continue doing, often every day. Put another way, a habit is a formula our brain automatically follows: When I see CUE, I will do ROUTINE in order to get a REWARD. Obviously, changing some habits can be more difficult. But this framework is a place to start.

q q q q

Identify the routine: What needs to change?

Experiment with rewards: What reward is your brain craving?

Isolate the cue: What precedes the habit?

Have a plan: What is a healthier reward?

—From “The Power of Habit,” Charles Duhigg, Random House, 2012

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65

11 RETIREMENT

Ways to Save Money… …Whether you’re on a fixed income or not

BY CARI SCRIBNER

W

e often think about our physical health as we age and what we can do to ensure we remain as healthy as possible. What many of us are less savvy about is our financial health.

“When I’m working with people on budgeting, the first thing I ask is how much they are spending each year,” says Michael Ruger, a certified financial planner at Greenbush Financial Group in Albany. “Only about 5% know that answer.

They know their mortgage and grocery costs, but when they look at their bank statement, there will be a lot of holes, such as car maintenance and insurance.”

An upswing in the number of people retiring early means many people need to plan for several decades ahead. “If you’re living off your pension and social security, you have to factor in inflation,” Ruger says. “You not only need to stay within your budget but to decrease your expenses. Now’s the time to start.”

The good news, even for those of us who haven’t saved as much as we’d like, is that saving is easier than you think. Here are some tricks to help you have more money at the end of the month, whether you’re on a fixed income or not.

1

66

Make a budget and stick to it. Whether you prefer a detailed spreadsheet or simply a pen-and-paper list of monthly income and expenses, write everything down.

Separate your fixed expenses, such as paying the mortgage, heating costs, gas and groceries. These are known

55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

2

3 4 5 6

as your “needs.” Then, make a list of where your money goes for “wants.” This includes entertainment (dinner out at that fabulous new restaurant), recreation (a new bike to tool around the neighborhood) and Amazon impulse purchases like new pillows or dinner plates.

Once you have a handle on your spending, work to decrease your “wants” list and put this found money into a savings account.

Pay with cash, or pay off your credit card balance(s) every month. According to financial experts, a whopping 80% of Americans are in debt, with an average of nearly $40,000 amassed (not including their mortgages). Average credit card interest rates are 16.45%. Not paying interest means more money in your pocket.

Look at your cable bill. Do you really need all those premium channels, or can you make do with the basic services? Perhaps it makes sense to pay for one app that gives you the most shows for your buck.

Sign up for auto-pay for regular expenses. By doing so, you can rest assured all your bills are paid in full and on time.

Lower your thermostat during the winter and raise it during the summer. Sure, it’s nice to bask in 70-degree temps in January, and keep cool in June, but adjusting your comfort zone can save you substantial energy costs.

Vacation locally. Why book a trip to the Grand Canyon when you have beautiful parks, waterfalls and gorges

Word Of The Day:

FIDUCIARY. fi•du•ci•ar•y

“A fiduciary is a person or organization

Photo: iStockphoto.com/NosUA.

that acts on behalf of another person or nearby that you likely haven’t explored yet?

7 Haggle over prices when you can. This ranges from the $12 vase at a garage sale to the vehicle you’ve been saving up for. Every dollar counts!

8 Pare down your driving miles. With fuel costs through the roof and predicted to rise, it’s time to get out your walking shoes or consult the local bus schedule for trips to the grocery store, dental appointments and the library. Bonus: It’s good for your health and sometimes can yield a lower insurance premium as well.

9 If you’re on Medicare, check to see if you qualify for a free annual wellness visit. Ask about tests including mammograms and colonoscopies, as well as recommended vaccinations.

Research and use a prescription discount card. You can 10 save as much as 75% off the costs of your medications with these cards. Google “Rx discount card” to see what’s out there.

Make your coffee at home. A daily trip to Starbucks for 11 a plain venti costs around $2.50. Women spend $2,300 per year on takeout coffee, while men fare slightly better, spending $1,900, according to a study by the Perfect Brew. If you make the switch to making your cup of joe at home, you’ll spend a paltry 27 cents per cup. So plug in that coffee maker that’s probably sitting on your countertop. As an added perk, you can drink it from your favorite mug. n

persons, putting their clients’ interest ahead of their own, with a duty to preserve good faith and trust.”

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If not, it’s time to re-evaluate that relationship.

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PARTNER CONTENT

all about

Receiving

Healthcare in Your Home

BY BRIAN M. JOHNSON, MBA, CLTC DIRECTOR, ADVISORS INSURANCE BROKERS

L

ong-Term Care, we often dread hearing the words. Our minds quickly go to an image of a nursing home. However, the good news is that many of us will never see the inside of a nursing home. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, the vast majority (80%) of elderly people receiving assistance, including many with several functional limitations, live in private homes in the community, not in institutions.

Your home doesn’t instill the same doom and gloom that a nursing home might. Still, in a recent study of adults over age 65, it was found that most respondents were more comfortable discussing and planning for their own death than their potential need for Long-Term Care. That is probably why many Americans fail to address this single biggest risk they will face in retirement.

One of the biggest misconceptions we hear from consumers and advisors is that Long-Term Care is covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Many seniors are under the impression that their traditional health care programs will provide the desired services in the home such as meal preparation, grocery shopping, assistance with hygiene, dressing, grooming, 24-hour care, etc. Medicare, Medigap and most Medicare Advantage Plans are designed to cover hospital stays, doctor bills and some short-term skilled nursing. Unfortunately, they do not cover the cost of everyday assistance in your own home.

Medicaid does cover some Long-Term Care services, however, it’s a means tested program meaning someone needs to be at the poverty line to qualify for benefits. This can be accomplished through Irrevocable Trust planning; however, Medicaid is primarily designed to cover the cost of Nursing

Home Care. It covers very limited Home Care in NY (zero homecare in most states) and no assisted living.

Long Term Care insurance is an option for such services, however this type of coverage is usually secured by individuals between the ages of 45 and 64 who are in better than average health and financially able to maintain a significant insurance premium into retirement.

While your loved ones will have the best intentions to be there for you when an unexpected crisis arises, most are not prepared for the time, energy, and amount of work involved in caregiving and can quickly become overwhelmed.

Home Care Plans are the newest innovation in our industry and the most viable alternative to traditional Long-Term Care Insurance. When assistance becomes essential in the event of a sudden injury or illness, these membership plans quickly coordinate and arrange care for seniors in the privacy and comfort of their own home. Every day can bring an unexpected challenge into a senior’s life. The good sense of having a Home Care Plan in place will give members and their families the peace of mind, security, and independence in being prepared as they move forward together. There is no medical underwriting, does not impact government benefits, no claims forms, no waiting periods, no age limits, are available nationwide and the cost is a fraction of traditional Long-Term Care insurance.

Like most things we plan for, it’s important to educate yourself and talk with your advisors and family members about your options for Long-Term Healthcare. A home healthcare plan may make sense as a component of the strategy.

To request a free copy of the home healthcare plan consumer guide, please reach our to our office:

ADVISORS INSURANCE BROKERS • (518) 688-8154 • bjohnson@advisorsib.com

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RETIREMENT

Photo: iStockphoto.com/BrianAJackson.

Where there’s a

Will # Way There’s a

Why updating a will should be on everyone’s periodic to-do list as they age

BY CARI SCRIBNER

F

or most of us, wills are something we prefer to ignore.

Fifty-one percent of us have successfully ignored the idea to the point of not having a will, according to a 2021 Gallup Poll. Many of the rest of us made wills years ago and then happily never looked back. Who wants to confront their mortality again?

But the will we made when we were 35 may not be the will that works best in our post-50 years. Our assets and life situation have likely changed dramatically over the decades.

It’s why experts recommend revisiting wills periodically as we age. Yes, it means confronting our mortality—which feels a lot closer in our 50s and 60s than it does in our 30s—but it’s a way to keep your affairs in order and ensure your family’s future comfort. Consider it just another legal document.

You can get through the process, and it should be worry-free CONTINUES ON 70  SUMMER 2022 | 55PLUSLIFEMAG.COM

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CONTINUED FROM 69

once you find the right legal advisor.

People of any age procrastinate about writing a will for any number of reasons. These include: • Not realizing the consequences. If you do not have a will, New York state will take the reins after you pass away and determine how your assets are distributed. This is frequently an expensive and drawn-out process.

• Worrying about the cost. Think a couple hours with an attorney is expensive? That’s potentially nothing compared to certain estate taxes that may become due after your death if you don’t have a will in place. Those taxes greatly outweigh the price tag of sitting down and making a legally drafted will. Plus, many lawyers and financial planners offer a complimentary consultation to see if you can communicate and work together efficiently.

• Erroneously thinking that only rich people need a will.

This is a common myth! But whatever your financial status, a will is necessary to protect your family and your assets. Remember, a will not only covers assets such as property and investments, but it can also make sure your granddaughter gets that collection of glassware she has admired for years.

• Having no idea where to begin. Ask friends and family for recommendations on estate planning attorneys, or

meet with a few until you find someone easy to talk to that explains everything clearly. By the way, online will packages that were popular years ago are no longer a good idea, experts say. These mostly-generic forms may not be applicable in New York state. This isn’t a time to cut corners.

Experts advise that everyone, regardless of age, review their will every five to seven years. During this passage of time, many lifestyle factors are likely to change: your marital status, financial situation, or other milestone changes.

“You should absolutely update your will as you get older,” says David Kabikian of Herzog Law in Saratoga Springs.

“Your needs and wishes are very likely to have changed over the timespan.”

Today’s financial planners also encourage people to have a written legal document known as a trust in addition to a will.

What’s the difference?

A will is a legal document stating who will receive your property at your death. It appoints a legal executor to carry out your wishes. Also, a trustee can be appointed in a will to hold onto assets for specific people in spelledout circumstances, such as children who are minors, until they reach a specified age. State law mandates that wills are signed and witnessed, and they must be filed with the probate court.

A trust, on the other hand, does not have to go through probate court. It can be used to begin distributing property

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

RETIREMENT

before death, at death, or afterwards. It holds and protects your assets, including property and investments. Larger and more complex estates generally benefit from having both a will and a trust. The trustee ensures legal transfer of assets to designated beneficiaries. Trustees are obligated to handle the trust solely in the best interests of the beneficiaries.

If you pass away without a will, known as dying intestate, and have made no other planning provisions, state laws will oversee how your assets are distributed. This could be a very long and tedious process, If there are no children, assets are generally turned over to your spouse; otherwise, they are likely to be split among family members. There are other specific provisions based on the number and relationships of people on your family tree.

Thinking about penning your own will and storing it in your safety deposit box? Not a good idea, say the pros. A handwritten will without proper witnesses is valid in New York state only under very limited situations.

That’s why financial planners advise people to work with an attorney. “You will miss necessary details if you write it yourself,” Kabikian says.

While you don’t need to put updating your will first on your to-do list, try giving yourself a deadline to seek out legal advice on the task. If you have not yet drawn up a will, get moving. Warns Kabikian: “The biggest mistake is to have no estate plan in place.” n

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BOOK REVIEW

From Strength to Strength:

Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life

by Arthur Brooks | Penguin Random House | 241 pages | $27

Celebrating Life’s

Second Curve How to rethink and navigate life as you age

BY JANET REYNOLDS

M

one, he told his partner, appreciated him anymore. He had any of us think of aging and begin ticking off the become irrelevant. Perhaps he’d be better off dead. ways in which we are losing what we once had. Our Brooks was shocked by what he memory, our ability to run overheard because the unnamed man 5Ks—hell, our ability to walk up the was someone whose life he had adstairs without pain—our realization mired for decades, someone who had that we apparently will never climb made a tremendous impact on the Mount Everest or sing on Broadway. world. Indeed, as the elderly man and Arthur Brooks, a Harvard profeshis wife disembarked the plane, other sor, suggests a different tactic. Rather passengers greeted him and thanked than denying and fighting the losshim for his work—all of which made es—because they are, after all, real— him smile and lose a bit of the morose he suggests instead that we recognize feelings he’d been exhibiting earlier. that the changes are inevitable and see The event got Brooks thinking. He them as potential sources of success. was nearing his 50th birthday at the Doing that, he says in his new book time and feeling some dissatisfaction From Strength to Strength: Finding Sucwith his own life despite many profescess, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the sional and personal successes. There Second Half of Life, can help make the must, he thought, be a better way. aging process more meaningful and, Some of the statistics and details ultimately, satisfying.

Brooks shares in the book can feel Brooks began thinking about this Arthur Brooks daunting at best and downright destrategy after a chance encounter with pressing at worst. Our ability to perform as high-level proan elderly man on a plane. The man, who is not identified fessionals begins to decline between our 30s and 50s. in the book, was bemoaning what his life had become. No

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Home is Where You’ll Find Us

He recounts his own story of starting his career as a successful professional French horn player only to realize later in his 20s that he was, in fact, becoming less proficient. After several years of angst, he pivoted and began getting an online degree in economics while still maintaining his musical career. At age 31, Brooks admitted musical defeat and focused on getting his Ph.D. Facing reality and deciding to discover new strengths and learn new skills rather than bemoaning the loss of old ones is the way to age more satisfyingly, Brooks says. Lean into the changes, he recommends, whether it’s your physical changes or the inevitable changes in how your brain operates—some of which, for the record, are improvements, if you choose to recognize them that way. Sure, you can’t remember why you went into the kitchen to fetch that whatever, but your vocabulary is likely better than it was in your youth, as is your ability to understand complex ideas. Instead of what is called fluid intelligence, the raw smarts of youth that help the creation of new ideas and innovations, older people have more crystallized intelligence, or the ability to use all that information they’ve been gathering in the past.

Beyond explaining the aging process, From Strength to Strength is a primer in how to do it more successfully. Brooks sets out a variety of strategies for learning how to embrace change. The book includes questions readers can ask themselves to better understand what motivates and drives them.

It helps create a starting point for change, if you will.

Then Brooks outlines ways to reframe aging. Don’t look at what you want; look at why you want. Consider your death now—not to be maudlin, but to put into perspective the life and choices you want to make going forward.

This is a book filled with thoughtful, useful, and doable strategies for getting to the place where aging can become a journey of gain rather than loss, a time of life where you move from strength to strength. n

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73

THE VINE

Grandma’s

Griswold B

eginning in 1865 in Erie, Pennsylvania, Griswold frying pans filled the kitchens of many American and European homes.

With the advent of indoor kitchens, flat-bottomed cast-iron skillets became an essential piece of cookware and Griswold’s lightweight skillets became a universal piece of cookware.

My paternal grandmother was the consummate chef with her cast-iron frying pans. I had the most wonderful experiences living with her after high school graduation. I did not have a driver’s license or car to drive, so I walked to work from her house. Her frying pans were used morning, noon, and night for so many interesting meals. My grandmother, uncle and myself dined together. I did the grocery shopping and helped pick out the meats from the traveling butcher who drove up to the curbside. Gram loved her T-bone steaks fried in butter and they were delicious. She came to life when she handled her Griswold and the rest of us were treated to her culinary delights.

After she passed on to that great kitchen in the sky, my sister told me to take what I wanted. At the time, I treasured other heirlooms more than the frying pans. As time rolled on, my brother said to me, “I know you are into cooking. Do you think you would like one of Gram’s frying pans?” I said sure. However, upon seeing the family heirloom—ancient artifact, more like—I saw a pebbled surface of grime, rust,

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55+ LIFE MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2022

“A handmade family treasure, waiting to be touched again.”

and what-haveyou all over it.

I quickly dismissed its useful services and stuck it in the basement for about five years.

My friend Randy mentioned he was into antique frying pans, and my interest in the family artifact piqued. I went to the basement and for a week straight I grounded, sanded and cleaned the mystery gift. Late one evening I could finally read and see the markings on the bottom and I realized I had a Griswold frying pan from 1916. This pan turned out to be my grandmother’s first frying pan after she married and, as I now recall, it was her favorite.

Today, this frying pan is my go-to skillet. Each time I pick it up, I can picture my grandmother standing at her kitchen range making sure that her T-bone was cooked properly.

Each time I take it from my kitchen cabinet, I call out her name.

Please remember an object does not have to glitter to be gold. Merely having been touched with hands of love, something that you can touch and retouch again, makes it priceless.

Thank you, Gram. I love you! n

Photos: Cast iron skillet, iStockphoto.com/benedek; steak in skillet, iStockphoto.com/laperla_foto.

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