PrimeTime - January 2019

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✔ Making Smart Choices ✔ Making Good Friends ✔ Making Healthy Foods Get HEALTHY by Getting

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PrimeTime January 2019 1944 Warwick Ave. Warwick, RI 02889 401-732-3100 FAX 401-732-3110 Distribution Special Delivery PUBLISHERS Barry W. Fain, Richard G. Fleischer, John Howell

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ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Donna Zarrella – donnaz@rhodybeat.com Bob Giberti, Lisa Mardenli, Melissa Miller, Cheryl Petrarca, Janice Torilli, Suzanne Wendoloski CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Sue Howarth – sueh@rhodybeat.com A Joint Publication of East Side Monthly and Beacon Communications.

Larry Grimaldi........................................4 Events.......................................................8 Animal Talk........................................... 10 Events.......................................................8 Working a Successful Marriage.... 11 Mike Fink.............................................. 13

certified personal trainer, certified health coach and certified hypnotist

6

Kent president

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Smart Choices

PROFESSIONAL PROSPECTIVE Your Taxes............................................. 12

FOOD & DRINK Smart Choices for the New Year......9

Building caring relationships

Simple, Delicious, Healthy Meals for the New Year

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PrimeTime Magazine is published monthly and is available at over 400 locations throughout Rhode Island. Letters to the editor are welcome. We will not print unsigned letters unless exceptional circumstances can be shown.

LIFESTYLES

Hypnosis 5 Lori Bernard, a

EDITOR / CREATIVE Linda Nadeau lindan@rhodybeat.com

PRODUCTION Lisa Bourque Yuettner Brian Geary

Retirement Sparks................................7

The importance of social connections and your health

MARKETING DIRECTOR Donna Zarrella donnaz@rhodybeat.com

WRITERS / CONTRIBUTORS John Howell, Don Fowler, Karen Kalunian, Larry Grimaldi, Jim Miller Elaine M. Decker, Meg Chevalier,

SENIOR ISSUES

Friends

Diet Tips 12

for the New Year

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LIFESTYLES

by LARRY GRIMALDI

Take My Technology – Please!!!

The late comic Henny Youngman began each of his performances with the classic “Take my wife-please” opening line. While edgier observations would have defined my constant frustrations with modern technology, decorum and good taste have prevailed in headlining this column. Thanks, Henny.

My battles with online commerce and customer service are the legendary in my family. Every ticket order, technical question, and information request funneled through my computer requires a user ID, password, birthplace, name of my first pet, my first concert, favorite baseball team, and mother’s maiden name. Stumbling to the end of these electronic interrogations, inevitably results in that dreaded red letter message declaring, “Your user ID or passwords don’t match.” Or maybe I forgot to include the last name of my father’s fourth cousin in Albany. These infuriating technological insults always unleash a torrent of questionable language bouncing off the walls of my den.

For me, customer service is a personal transaction. I bristle at endless number prompts that transfer me to another robotic messenger. Risking arthritic index fingers, I push the “operator” button or repeat “representative” until I talk to a breathing human. The representative always advises me to go online to resolve my problem. I firmly advise that representative that I have waited an eternity to talk to a real person! (Spoiler alert: The corporate scions and bean counters want you to surrender and return to electronic hell).

Here are a few personal case histories documenting computer warfare.

Case One: Recently, my wife and I went to the airport to board a flight to the Caribbean for a six-day vacation. My wife believed that she had pre-registered us for the flight. At the airport, we were greeted by an airline employee who directed us to a kiosk. Despite our “pre-registration,” the electronic gate agent demanded repetition of ALL of the information previously provided. We were instructed to print our own baggage tag, attach it to our luggage, and print our own boarding passes. The only task that any airline employee performed was weighing our luggage and heaving it on to the conveyor belt for the baggage handlers (robots perhaps?). In other words, I had become my own virtual gate agent. I wondered whether the “snacks and beverage service” on the flight would be dispensed from a vending machine.

Case Two: The Case One process reversed for our trip home.

Case Three: Last month, I purchased of tickets online to a Boston Bruins game. After enduring the inevitable user ID, password and registration gauntlet, the “tickets” showed up in my phone e-mail inbox. My son promptly deposited these “tickets” into my “virtual wallet.” Being a natural skeptic, I decided to practice retrieving the “tickets” from my “cloud wallet.” I failed the test. My twin granddaughters patiently explained to me the mysteries involved in retrieving these mythical ducats.

Case Four: Repeat Case Three, only this time for airline boarding passes for Philadelphia to return from vacation. No more than 30 seconds had elapsed before my virtual boarding pass vanished into electronic purgatory. While I was somehow to find it, my wife (who is much better with technology than I am) NEVER found hers. Fortunately, it was about 11:00 p.m. and a very compassionate gate agent allowed my wife to verify her identity using her passport.

Case Five: When we landed in Philadelphia, we had to pass through U.S. Customs and Immigration. It was time for another technology trial. The procedure is as follows: You insert your passport into a kiosk and play 20 questions with the machine.

If you answer all the questions correctly, the machine takes your picture (which resembles a mug shot taken at Alcatraz). You take your passport, customs and immigration forms and your prison photo to a REAL PERSON who conducts that final interview, stamps your forms, and green lights your re-entry.

Case Six: In Philadelphia, I bought a blueberry muffin while waiting for the final leg of our return trip to (SNOWY) Providence. I offered the cashier $3 in real U.S. currency for my purchase. I was handed a paper slip to insert into a scanner that charged the $3 to my CREDIT CARD! Even bakeries have succumbed to the technology age.

I offer two last case studies to illustrate my electronic skirmishes.

A few days ago, my e-mail address suddenly detached itself from the “cloud.” My computer advised, “We are having trouble connecting to Google, but we will keep trying.” After three days of waiting for “trying” to become success, I created a new e-mail address. Curiously, I can still access my previous electronic mailboxes using my phone.

The day after my e-mail obstruction issues were solved, one of my televisions decided to retire. Miraculously (for me), I traced the problem to a faulty converter box, got a new box from my cable provider, and installed it. You’ve probably guessed by now, reconnecting to television world did not go smoothly. I spent more than four hours in futile attempts to reprogram the remote control and re-establish the channel roster. Finally, I had to call a technician (I prefer magician) to get back on the “cloud’s” broadcast route.

I believe that technology gods are sinister practical jokers who delight in my electronic misadventures. I can hear their boisterous laughter each time I plead, “Take My Technology-PLEASE!”

Larry Grimaldi is a retired freelance writer living in North Providence. Comments can be e-mailed to lgrimald2149@gmail.com.

NEW YEAR NEW YOU

Friends and social connections are important The importance of friends cannot be overstated. Maintaining a healthy group of friends can help relieve stress by enabling a person to have a go-to network of close companions with whom to share the ups and downs of life.

The Mayo Clinic says that friends can increase one’s sense of belonging and purpose; help one cope with trauma; encourage change, including avoiding unhealthy lifestyle habits; and help one improve his or her self-confidence and self-worth.

The medical group also says that people with strong social support systems have a reduced risk of depression, high blood pressure and unhealthy weights.

While friends are important, some people find that making new friends, particularly in adulthood, can be challenging. That’s because making friends may not be too great a priority compared to caring for families or tending to work responsibilities. Those resolving to broaden their social circles can explore these tips for making new friends.

• Start at school. School is often the first place children make friends, but school also can be a great place for adults to meet new people. Take a class and meet some folks with similiary interest.

4 | PrimeTime

• Join groups. Kids find it easy to make friends due to consistency. They see the same kids each day at school and through sports teams and clubs. Adults can replicate this consistency by joining groups that spark their interests.

• Take the lead. Pursue a new friendship by taking some initiative. Invite someone out for coffee or over to your home for a glass of wine. Follow up afterward to say you had a good time.

• Be positive. Be conscious of what you are adding to a potential friendship. Start off the relationship adding value and joy to the other personÕs life, and he or she may be more inclined to do the same. Over time, you can have conversations about rough patches in your lives but wait until the friendship is firmly established to get so serious.

There is no magic number of friends a person should have, but individuals should value quality over quantity. Making friends may seem complicated, but it is actually easier than adults may think when they put themselves out there and shows a willingness to build relationships. TF17C540

January 2019

by DON FOWLER

NEW YEAR NEW YOU

Hypnosis

for HEALTH Warwick resident Lori Bernard is a certified personal trainer, certified health coach and certified hypnotist.

“Personal trainer” and “health coach” are familiar terms in today’s health conscious society. But when you add “hypnosis” to the equation, many people have visions of the stage performer who has people literally jumping through hoops and making fools of themselves. (Remember Frank Santos?)

“I want to get hypnosis out into the mainstream so people will understand it,” she said. “What it is and what it isn’t.”

“Hypnosis is a distinct, altered state of consciousness,” Lori said. “You are not asleep or unconscious. You are in a state of mind in which you can free your mind of constraints and limitations. While under hypnosis, you are more receptive to suggestions, and this allows you to replace old, non-productive thoughts with new, positive ones. This is how lasting behavior change is accomplished.”

Bernard is the owner of ASPIRE Fitness and Wellness in Warwick. She has a Bachelor of Science in occupational therapy and 16 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation in hospitals, senior centers and private practice. She has also shared her philosophy at wellness fairs around the state.

“I believe that optimal wellness is achieved when a strong body, positive mind and peaceful spirit exist in harmony with each other,” she said. “In my hypnosis practice, I combine health coaching with hypnosis to establish positive habits and facilitate lasting behavior change.

“It is important to understand the why behind what you do and do not do. My coaching techniques allow me to tailor hypnosis sessions to fit an individual’s needs and desired outcomes. I choose the hypnosis methods that are appropriate for the individual. With hypnosis, you are able to enter a relaxed, pleasant state where amazing, positive changes occur in your thinking, attitudes and behaviors.”

Pat Kohler of Cranston has been a client of Bernard’s for over two years, having been referred by her son and daughter-in-law.

“I was having some orthopedic problems and needed physical therapy,” she said. “Lori helped me to improve my mobility, and then we moved into strength training.

“Lori was studying for her hypnosis certification and was looking for volunteers,” she said. “At first I was not sure, but not anymore, and now I find it very helpful. She pulled the switch. She is such a good person and always trying to help.”

Bernard’s office on the second floor of an office building in Greenwood is small, quiet and welcoming. She offers free phone consultations before scheduling an appointment.

“A strong body is a healthy body,” she said. “One on one personal training ensures that you learn to do exercises properly, so we begin at the person’s fitness level and progress at their pace to get the results they desire.”

Bernard conducts her fitness training at Evolution Fitness at 1639 Warwick Ave., a quiet facility with all the right equipment.

Maureen Pierce of West Warwick has been working with Bernard at her office and at Evolution Fitness for the past two years.

“I know her and trust her,” she said. “Hypnosis helps me to be relaxed and open to positive changes. She put me at ease right from the beginning. And she has a nice, relaxing voice.”

“I have always been passionate about health and fitness,” Lori said. “After practicing as an occupational therapist for 16 years, I decided to follow my dream and become a fitness professional. I became a certified hypnotist to help my clients achieve lasting behavior change.”

Before being certified as a hypnotist, Lori attended 75 hours of classes with John Koenig, a certified hypnotist and instructor. While the profession is not licensed by the state, it is certified by the National Guild of Hypnotists, which

January 2019

Lori Bernard is a certified personal trainer, certified health coach and certified hypnotist.

conducts continuing education courses, seminars and conferences. There are about 15 to 20 certified hypnotists in Rhode Island. They meet with Koenig on occasion to share techniques and experiences and practice hands-on training, in addition to having their own support group.

Lori emphasizes that the hypnotic state is a natural state available to anyone with normal intelligence who is motivated and capable of following simple directions.

“It is a cooperative relationship between client and hypnotist,” she said. “It is not being under someone else’s control. It puts you in control of your own mind. The hypnotist is simply there to facilitate the process. I help my clients to understand their weaknesses and their strengths and change their mindset. Whether it is diet, strength or stress, hypnosis puts you in a relaxed state and more open to positive change.”

Lori practices self-hypnosis every day.

“I’m a Type A person, working with clients mostly in the mornings and evenings,” she said. “I take time every afternoon to clear my mind through hypnosis.”

She also takes time to improve her personal physical health by practicing natural bodybuilding.

Bernard works largely through referrals. She also maintains a website, aspirefitnessri.com. She can be reached at 258-7507.

PrimeTime | 5

by JOHN HOWELL

NEW YEAR NEW YOU

Kent president seeks to build ‘caring’ relationships Kent Hospital’s new president hasn’t taken long to initiate a program that could bring a cultural shift for the state’s second largest hospital.

Robert J. Haffey, who came to Kent in September from the Philadelphia area, recently introduced Relationship Based Care (RBC) to a 10-bed orthopedic unit. If adopted, Kent could become the first hospital in the state where nurses practice RBC. Haffey gave a brief outline of RBC in an interview last November where he described the condition of Kent as healthy and touched upon Care New England’s intent to be acquired by HealthCare Partners of Boston. Kent is a Care New England hospital.

Present for the interview was CNE’s director of communications, James Beardsworth.

“We’re very optimistic this is going to happen,” Beardsworth said of the acquisition by Partners, which is still undergoing regulatory review. Assuming Kent becomes a Partners hospital, Haffey said it would remain a “community hospital” but would benefit from the “halo effect” of Partners cardiologists and other specialists.

Both Beardsworth and Haffey gave Kent and CNE a sound financial report, although an annual report, unusually released at this time, has not been finalized.

“Care New England is profitable as a whole,” said Bearsdworth.

He said the carryover losses from Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket would show a deficit but that CNE operations for the past fiscal year were in the black. CNE closed Memorial’s intensive care unit in December 2017 followed by the emergency room a month later to stem losses.

“We’re moving forward,” said Haffey.

He finds the hospital’s revenue streams dependable. He looks to build upon Kent’s cardiac care unit and its ability to perform emergency coronary angioplasty. Haffey said he has met with emergency management services in the area and has brought EMTs who have rushed patients to the hospital into the cardiac labs to follow the lifesaving procedure and witness the outcome. Emergency coronary angioplasty involves the introduction of stents to open a clogged artery and restore blood flow to the heart.

Kent has long performed the procedures on an elective basis and in May 2017 introduced the procedure on an emergency basis, thereby reducing the time to reach care for individuals suffering a cardiac arrest from near Kent and points south. Rhode Island and Miriam Hospitals in Providence continue to perform the majority of the emergency procedures.

“This hospital is now profitable,” Haffey said of Kent.

That was not the case for the 2017 fiscal year.

That’s turned around.

The third quarter CNE report released last August showed its Obligated Group (CNE excluding Memorial Hospital) achieved income from operations of $4.6 million compared to a $6.5 million loss for the same April-June quarter last year. Overall, consolidated financial improvement (including Memorial Hospital wind-down) for the third quarter was $7.3 6 | PrimeTime

million better than the same quarter last year.

Beardsworth said Kent’s emergency department visits are a consistent 70,000 a year.

The hospital has 359 beds and employs 2,417, of which 853 are medical staff. In 2017 it had 12,948 admissions, 744 births and 8,926 surgeries.

There are no immediate plans to further expand the Kent campus, but Beardsworth points out the hospital continually is looking to respond to the community. He said Kent is in the process of developing an older adults program in response to the state’s aging population. Planned is a united-based program with professional trained in issues such as dementia faced by the elderly.

While finances are critical, Haffey is motivated to build a system that delivers safe, quality care and is there to meet community needs. He has introduced “Breakfast with Bob” as a means of getting to know the staff and learn of their ideas and concerns. Breakfasts Kent Hospital President Robert J. Haffey (Photo by John Howell) are held by units and are informal where Haffey updates staff on developments as well. engagement, and financial performance. The hospital “There’s a lot of work here,” says Haffey. He is constarted implementing the RBC model last November. fident he has the skill set to do the job.

The nursing staff was provided the book Relationship Recruited as a candidate for the Kent job, Haffey Based Care: A Model for Transforming Practice by was the president of Springfield, Pennsylvania-based Mary Koloroutis, and Nurse Director Nicole Hebert, Delaware County Memorial Hospital, Taylor HospiMSN, RN has been reviewing and discussing the book tal and Crozer Keystone Health System Ambulatory with the nursing staff. He said that the nursing staff Care Services. Haffey was associated with Crozer on 2 North have already started implementing some of Keystone Health System since 2012, serving as chief components of the care model. nursing officer for the five-hospital system before “I meet with the staff and the manager periodically moving to his current role in 2014. to see how things are going and to offer my insight and According to a release at the time of his selection, advice; however, it is truly a grassroots effort that the Haffey’s efforts at Crozer resulted in financial stabilnursing staff on 2 North have embraced,” he said. ity, recruitment of key specialty physicians and an Haffey said Chelsea Defeo, RN and Kari Dimascio, increased referral base. Haffey’s five years of bedside R.N are mapping out every step of the care they pronursing experience also give him an important unvide to patients throughout the day and are “reviewderstanding of hospital operations. ing this and determining which areas can be improved He earned his master’s of business administration through evidence-based practice and through keeping in health care administration from Eastern Univerthe focus on the patient and the patients’ experience.” sity in St. Davids, Pa., and his master of science in A Professional Practice coordinator will help with the nursing from LaSalle University in Philadelphia. implementation of this model throughout the hospital.

Haffey describes RBC as strengthening the rela“Staff from each individual unit will be included evtionships between those delivering the care and the ery step of the way,” he said. patient, between those delivering the care and, finalHaffey implemented RBC at a hospital in Philadelly, individually with themselves. phia.

As described online, Relationship Based Care “We saw great improvement in quality, safety, pa(RBC) is an operational blueprint for improving tient experience of care and staff satisfaction,” he said. safety, quality, the patient experience, employee January 2019

RETIREMENT SPARKS

SENIOR ISSUES

by ELAINE M. DECKER

Health Care Privacy vs. Accessibility At the time that I became eligible for Medicare, my primary care physician was a partner in a large group practice. I trusted him. If I didn’t, I would have changed doctors. At one of my check-ups, I was handed a pamphlet and asked to sign up for an electronic health information network.

Given the number of health issues I’ve had over the years, I appreciate the benefits of having all my medical information accessible to all the health care providers who might ever need to treat me. But what I read in the fine print in the pamphlet made my hair stand on end. Mice type always makes me skeptical.

Seeing more than two paragraphs of it sets off alarm bells. This pamphlet had seven.

My health care life became complicated enough when Medicare came along. It seemed like going electronic could actually complicate it even more. The mice type started out innocently enough; paragraph two laid out my HIPAA rights. “I understand that health information is protected under federal privacy laws.” Good news. They recognized my right to privacy.

Not exactly. “Providers… that access health information about me… may re-disclose this information to health care providers/organizations… for reasons unrelated to the coordination of my health care and treatment.” Wait a minute. Why would I want my private health laundry aired out for any reasons other

than medical ones? Seriously. You might as well say you’ll sell my name for marketing and fund raising purposes. I get enough junk mail already. I don’t need to feed that beast.

If you’re thinking: “That just comes with the territory,” keep reading. It got even better. “This health information may be re-disclosed to a person or entity that is not… covered by federal privacy regulations, and therefore, is no longer protected by those regulations.”

So (I said to myself ), let me see if I have this straight. Privacy laws protect health information.

However, in order to get better treatment, I need to be OK with giving my health info out to someone who has nothing to do with my treatment. And who, by the way, won’t have to respect my privacy. I wasn’t surprised to see that behavioral health was one of the areas that might get re-disclosed. A person would have to be certifiable to want to sign up for that.

Wait! Another area that could get disclosed was alcohol abuse. I’d be willing to cop to more than a few glasses of wine a day, if they agreed to tell the local purveyor of spirits that I’m a wino. That should get me an email when Fat Cat Chardonnay is on super sale. And by the way, my preferred purveyor is Bottles on the East Side of Providence.

I realized that if I worked this right, it could actually turn out to my advantage. My mother saw a po-

diatrist in her later life. I’d start that now if I could get an occasional free foot massage for those little piggies that go numb when I wear pointy shoes with high heels. That was never a problem when I was in my prime. I’d even spring for a dermatologist if it netted me a jar of high-end fade cream for my age spots. My hands are starting to look like my mother’s and that’s scary.

Hmmm. The pamphlet said that they also share information on genetic diseases. I’m not sure what that covers. I know that hypertension runs in my family. I’ve always wanted to try yoga for that. Maybe someone will offer me a discount on classes. Not the yoga with the weird breathing. And not the one that requires even remotely good balance. Just the plain vanilla type where you chant “Om-m-m. Om-m-m.

Om-m-m.” I think that’s Hindi for “I could really go for a glass of Fat Cat right now.”

Now that I think about it, I hope it’s not too late to sign up.

Copyright 2019 Business Theatre Unlimited Elaine M. Decker’s books include Retirement Sparks, Retirement Sparks Again, Retirement Sparks Redux and CANCER: A Coping Guide. Her essays appear in the anthologies: 80 Things To Do When You Turn 80 and 70 Things To Do When You Turn 70. All are available on Amazon.com. Contact her at: emdecker@ix.netcom.com.

We’’ Have Your Back I got my wife back

I got my life back

MOVE IN SPECIAL HAPPENING NOW! Move in during the Winter Season and lock in 2018 rates for all of 2019! Call for our other specials.

Before Mom’s short term stay at Scandinavian Assisted Living, I was nervous. My husband and I needed to get away, but there was no family nearby to care for Mom.

While we were away, Mom liked it so much, she wanted to move in! She made some friends, and now she can have the full life she deserves, while my husband and I enjoy the retirement we worked so hard for.

We thoroughly enjoy our visits, and Mom’s days are filled with friends, activities, and the excellent care and attention she receives from the staff.

Try a short term stay for your loved one. You will be pleasantly surprised.

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January 2019

PrimeTime | 7

❄

JANUARY

❆

11th annual Knitting Weekend and Fiber Art Marketplace January 19-20 • 10:00am–5:00pm. Slater Mill Historic Site, 67 Roosevelt Avenue, Pawtucket. A weekend of knitting classes, fiber art exhibition, and networking for the Fiber Art Community. The Fiber Art Market is free and open to the public, where several carefully selected fiber art vendors from across the North East will showcase and sell their yarns, fiber art tools, readyto-wear-works, and more. Knitting classes are limited to twelve students; registration required: one class; two classes.(401) 725-8638; info@slatermill.org

& community notes

Guided Walk on Neutaconkanut Hill, Providence January 5 • 10:00am–12:00pm. Park parking lot, 120 Killingly Street. Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy and the Providence Parks Department invite you to come and explore the only natural forest in Providence, unusual for an urban setting.

The guided hike will take you to the top of the hill, the highest point in Providence, 296 feet above sea level, from which you can see spectacular views of the City and nearly a quarter of the State. Several miles of hiking/walking trails provide a panoply of picturesque stone walls, unique geological formations, natural springs and brooks, wild flowers and berries. Dress for the day’s weather—be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes or hiking shoes. Free; $5 per family donation suggested; no advance reservations required. Suitable for ages 5 and up. Dogs on a leash are welcome. (401) 719-1482; susan@nhill.org; www.nhill.org.

Shipwrecks in Rhode Island Wednesday, January 23 at 6:30 pm North Kingstown Free Library | 100 Boone Street North Kingstown (401) 294-3306 Join us for an evening of maritime misfortune! Rhode Island has more shipwrecks per square mile than any other state, and archaeologist Charlotte Taylor will share images and stories of shipwrecks from the last 300 years. Ms. Taylor is an archaeologist at the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission. Registration preferred.

Free and open to the public.

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Northern Rhode Island Support Group January 11 • 10:30 am - 11:30 am Lincoln Senior Center, 150 Jenckes Hill Rd., Lincoln. Join us for our monthly Northern Rhode Island area education and support group. Facilitated by INSIGHT staff, these open monthly meetings generally include a presentation on a topic related to living independently with vision loss as well as the opportunity to ask questions and seek support from the group. The group is free and is open to anyone who is living with vision loss as well as family and friend. Call (401) 941-3322 x109

Pilgrim Senior Center The Pilgrim Senior Enrichment Center, located at 27 Pilgrim Parkway, offers educational, nutritional and recreational programs to folks 55 years of age and older. The center is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

• Chess players wanted. Join in this game of strategy on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. in the Billiards Room. They will teach new players, so come give it a try.

• Evening Adult Enrichment Square Dance Program classes are Thursday evenings at 6 p.m.

Participants must be 18 years old. Call Kathleen at 468-4074 for more information.

Evening Counseling Available If you are experiencing depression, anxiety or overwhelming stress coupled with an addiction to or dependence on drugs or alcohol, then The Kent Center’s new evening program may be right for you. The Kent Center is offering an intensive outpatient program for people battling co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders Program hours are 4:40-8 p.m., making it accessible for people who work.

The program is confidential and personalized to meet individual needs. For more information call 732-5656.

Free Yoga for breast cancer survivors The Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Foundation and Yoga at Studio Exhale offers yoga for breast cancer survivors every Sunday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Yoga at Studio Exhale, 1263 Oaklawn Ave, Cranston is the place to be to explore slow flow, gentle movement to create space in the body and eliminate stress. This class is designed to restore the nervous system and help release deeply held tensions from the body and mind. Visit GloriaGemma.org for more details.

Volunteers Needed to Sew Looking for something to do to help foster kids? Organizers of The Sewing Project to Help Foster Kids are looking for volunteers who want to help sew pillowcase or duffel bags for foster children. Currently their belongings are sometimes put in black trash bags. The Sewing Project has opened a Rhode Island Chapter working with the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and is in need of volunteers to sew. For more information contact Hollie Galloway at holliegal@verizon.net.

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January 2019

L

FAMILY FEATURES

eading a healthier lifestyle doesn’t have to mean making dramatic changes. It means making smarter choices.

Looking and feeling better starts by making conscious choices every day that may be small, but will add up in the end. Here are some simple tips and recipes that will help you make smarter food choices so that you can truly live better.

Add a Fruit or Vegetable to Every Meal. When you add a little bit here and there, before you know it you’ll be eating your five cups of fruits and veggies a day without even thinking about it. Here are some simple ways to increase your intake: n Lighten up your cheese omelet by adding fresh tomatoes, onions and avocado. n Fill your sandwich with crunchy veggies such as green peppers and cucumber slices and add a pickle on the side. n Keep mid-afternoon cravings at bay by stashing a bag of baby carrots or sugar snap peas in your office refrigerator for a healthy snack. n Satisfy your sweet tooth by tossing a handful of frozen berries on top of your frozen yogurt.

Choose Smart Staples. Many families have a set of go-to ingredients they purchase on each trip to the grocery store. It only takes small adjustments to your current grocery list to achieve a better-for-you mix of foods and beverages. Try these easy tips: n Low fat or fat-free plain yogurt is an ideal choice because it’s often higher in calcium than other dairy products and is a good source of protein and potassium. n When buying deli sandwich meat, going all natural is a great way to cut down on additives and preservatives. For example, Hormel Natural Choice deli sandwich meats are free of preservatives and artificial colors and flavors so they taste the way meat is supposed to taste: fresh and full of flavor. n Instead of drinking sugary sodas and juices, quench your thirst with tea.

Whether you drink it hot or cold, unsweetened tea is calorie-free and loaded with antioxidants.

Lighten Up Lunch. Start a “Lunch Bunch” at work where members take turns bringing in a healthy lunch item for the group. Healthy lunch clubs are an excellent way to experience foods that are new and different and also good

Chicken Tacos

Serving Size: 2

2 spinach or whole wheat tortillas

1 package Hormel Natural Choice oven roasted carved chicken breast strips 1/2 cup whole kernel corn, cooked, drained 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup shredded lettuce

2 tablespoons low-fat ranch salad dressing Layer each tortilla evenly with chicken, corn and cheese. Drizzle each with dressing; top with lettuce.

For child-size portion, use 1/2 spinach or whole wheat tortilla, 1 ounce chicken (size of average adult ring and little fingers) and 1 tablespoon each corn, cheese, lettuce and dressing.

January 2019

Simple and delicious ways to enjoy healthier meals

Savory Smoked Turkey and Blue Cheese Salad

California Turkey Wraps

Serving Size: 4

4 9-inch burrito size flour tortillas 1/2 cup ranch dressing, divided

1 9-ounce package Hormel Natural Choice oven roasted deli turkey

1 tomato, thinly sliced

1 small cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced

1 avocado, peeled, sliced and drizzled with 1 tablespoon lime juice

1 cup alfalfa sprouts

1 cup baby spinach leaves or arugula Lay tortillas on clean surface; drizzle each with 1 tablespoon dressing.

Layer each tortilla with equal amounts turkey, tomato, cucumber, avocado, sprouts and spinach. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

Roll up tortillas tightly; cut in half diagonally. Secure each half with wooden pick.

Savory Smoked Turkey and Blue Cheese Salad

Panzanella Salad

Serving Size: 4

8 slices Italian or rustic bread, 4 to 5 days old, crusts removed

3 medium tomatoes, coarsely diced 12 Kalamata pitted olives, quartered

1 medium red onion, minced 1/3 cup vinaigrette 12 large fresh basil leaves, shredded

1 (8-ounce) package Hormel Natural Choice smoked deli ham, cut into strips Tear bread into pieces; soak in bowl of cold water 2 to 3 minutes. Drain; squeeze bread dry, removing all water.

In large bowl, tear bread into smaller pieces with fork.

In small bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, onion and vinaigrette; stir gently.

Add vinaigrette mixture to bread pieces; mix well. And basil and ham; mix gently to combine.

California Turkey Wraps

Panzanella Salad

Serving Size: 2

1 8-ounce package Hormel Natural Choice smoked deli turkey, cut into strips

4 cups bite-size pieces red leaf lettuce

4 cups bite-size pieces romaine lettuce

6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1 tart, crisp apple, thinly sliced 1/2 cup candied pecans Prepared vinaigrette Freshly ground black pepper In large bowl, combine first 6 ingre­ dients. Add vinaigrette to taste.

Season with pepper. Toss well.

Chicken Tacos

PrimeTime | 9

ANIMAL TALK Local❤Adoptable❤Loveable

by Karen Kalunian

Spunky 'senior' seeks loving home!

Cole is a "spunky senior" with lots of love to give! As you can see he is adorable but his personality is what will really bring a smile to your face!

He is a seven year old Chihuahua with a black coat and chocolate brown eyes that will melt your heart. He hasn't had the best start in life, he has some hair loss and a back leg that he favors but all of these things just add to his cuteness. If you'd like more information about Cole please call The East Greenwich Animal Protection League at 401-467-3670 or visit them during their open adoption hours. They are located at 44 Worthington Road Cranston, RI. Hours of operation: Tuesday 12-4, Wednesday 3-7, Thursday & Friday 1-5 and Saturday 12-2. They are closed Sunday and Monday. You can also visit their website at www.egapl.com Please tell your friends and family about little Cole, he's looking for a warm lap to sit on for the new year! If you know of an animal in need, please contact Karen:

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January 2019

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7. Humbug 10. Breezed through 12. Not generally occurring 14. Baseball scoring term 15. Discharge from army (Br.) 17. Morally reprehensible 18. Leuciscus fish 19. Thin gruel or mush 20. Sulawesi 22. Take a seat 23. ___s - Nam’s neighbor 25. Popular cracker 28. _____ B. de Mille, filmmaker 30. Stories 31. Smaller quantity 33. A stone lined grave 34. Sales reciept 40. Popular BBQ meat 41. Rabbit 42. Days long past 44. Italian commune Lona-___ 47. Grooves on a column 50. Adjoined 51. Swiss river 53. Set free 55. Former $10 US gold coin 57. N. Central African country 59. Mountain range 60. Storage towers 61. Take in solid food 62. Large S. Am. burrowing rodent 63. Sandy piece of seashore (Br.) 64. A lyric poem 65. Owns 66. Very fast airplane

January 2019

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by DON FOWLER

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He Worked Days/ She Worked Nights Comedian Frank O’Donnell was doing his shtick about marriage when he asked if there were any couples in the audience who had been married over 50 years.

I raised my hand.

“And to what do you attribute the success of such a long marriage?” he asked.

“I work days; she works nights,” I replied, getting the biggest laugh of the night. (Sorry, Frank).

When you stop to think about it, the retort makes perfect sense.

I really don’t know how spouses, or anybody, can spend 24 hours a day together and maintain their sanity.

During our working years, Joyce was a night nurse at Jane Brown Hospital and then the Scandinavian Home. I worked days and many evenings for the Boy Scouts and later the Chamber of Commerce.

We raised two children, carefully arranging our schedules so that one of us was there to provide transportation, support, and care.

My weekly work schedule always had a DWW night (Date With Wife) that was carved in stone.

The arrangement worked well most of the time, and the kids and our marriage survived nicely.

We also survived the Empty Nest phase and soon found ourselves retired.

After years of sleeping during the day, Joyce’s body clock was not about to rewind. An avid reader, she would read until falling asleep after 3:00 a.m.

I am an early riser (6 to 7 a.m.), and enjoy the peace and tranquility of a cup of coffee, morning newspaper, writing, and my cat in my lap.

By the time Joyce is up and about, we are ready for afternoons and early evenings together.

As we look to the New Year, and our 60th anniversary in November, we resolve to continue a relationship that proved to be successful, enjoying the things we have in common and respecting our differences and different interests.

BEST THINGS TO BUY IN JANUARY WINTER APPAREL: As the winter progresses, the amount of clothing stock in stores starts to dwindle to free up room for a new season’s worth of attire. Starting in late December and continuing into the latter half of January, retailers are eager to liquidate their stock of scarves, sweaters, boots, and winter coats. This is a prime time to replenish wardrobes.

LINENS: “White sales” are traditionally in January, with home goods retailers running discounts all month long. These sales generally encompass towels, bed sheets, curtains, and other linens.

FITNESS ITEMS: January is the ideal time to purchase a new gym membership or fitness equipment since these purchases tie into New Year’s resolutions to get fit.

Gyms may waive extra fees or offer discounted rates.

TRAVEL AND ENTERTAINMENT: Most people return home after the holidays, and that can generate a slow travel season afterward. The travel industry attracts new customers with discounted hotel rates and other deals. Tickets to Broadway shows and other theaters also may be discounted to encourage people to leave the house.

PrimeTime | 11

SAVVY SENIOR

NEW

YEAR

NEW

YOU

by JIM MILLER

DIET Tips for a New Year Dear Savvy Senior,

Are there certain kinds of foods a person can eat to help lower their cholesterol?

-Cholesterol Concerned

Dear Concerned, What you eat can actually play a huge role in lowering your cholesterol, and for many, it may even eliminate the need for cholesterol-lowering medication.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS As you may already know, your cholesterol level is the amount of fat in your blood.

If it’s too high, you’re at a greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Ideally, you want your total cholesterol reading (that includes your LDL and HDL cholesterol) to be below 200, and your “bad” LDL cholesterol below 129 - less if you’re at risk for heart disease.

If your total level hits between 200 and 239, or your LDL reaches 130 to 159 you’re considered borderline high. And if your total is above 240, or your LDL is over 160 you have high cholesterol.

On the other hand, a higher number is better when it comes to the “good” HDL cholesterol. Most men range between 40 and 50 HDL, and women range between 50 and 60. Anything below 40 for men and 50 for women is too low, and anything above 50 for men and 60 for women is great, because it provides extra protection against heart disease.

CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING FOODS Lot’s of research over the past few years has shown that certain foods can help lower your LDL cholesterol and/or boost your HDL. Oatmeal and oat bran, for example, are loaded with soluble fiber. Oatmeal or oat bran is a great way to start the day and shave five percent off your LDL. Five to 10 grams per day are recommended. Other good sources for soluble fiber are apples, pears, prunes, citrus fruits, kidney and lima beans, barley, psyllium, carrots, broccoli and brussels sprouts.

Studies have also shown that a daily dose of walnuts and almonds can lower your LDL by 10 percent, and raise your HDL by as much as 20 percent. Peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans, some pine nuts and pistachios have also been shown to lower cholesterol. But be careful because nuts are high in calories, so a handful (no more than two ounces) will do.

The best way to add nuts to your diet is to substitute them with foods that are high in saturated fats like cheese and meat. That way you’re gaining the benefits of nuts without adding more calories.

12 | PrimeTime

Sterols and stanols are substances found in plants that help prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into your bloodstream. A recommended dose of two grams per day can help knock 10 percent off your bad cholesterol level. The best way to get these substances is to consume store-bought foods that are fortified with sterols or stanols, including certain orange juices, yogurts, breads, cereals, granola bars, cooking oils, salad dressings, margarine spreads and more. Check the labels to find products that contain sterols or stanols and watch out for high calories.

Rich with omega-3 fatty acids, eating fatty fish (mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, salmon and albacore tuna) a few times a week can help boost your good HDL cholesterol by as much as 10 percent, not to mention lower your triglycerides and blood pressure, and reduce inflammation. If you don’t like fish, other food sources that provide omega-3s are walnuts, soybeans, flaxseed and canola oil, or take a fish oil supplement.

Olive oil too contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your LDL without affecting your HDL. A good way to work olive oil into your diet is to substitute it with butter or other cooking oils, or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. About two tablespoons a day are recommended.

OTHER TIPS Additional lifestyle tips that can help lower LDL and raise HDL include reducing the saturated fats (fatty meats, butter and whole dairy products) and trans fats (found in store-bought cookies, cakes, crackers and many fried foods like french fries) you eat; lose excess weight (even five to 10 pounds can make a difference); exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes, five days per week); quit smoking; and monitor your alcohol consumption (no more than one drink per day for women and two for men).

Jim Miller has been a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE

YOUR TAXES

by M E G C H E VA L I E R

Child Tax Credit – What’s New Many people claim the child tax credit to help offset the cost of raising children. Tax reform legislation enacted last year made changes to that credit.

Here are some important things for taxpayers to know about the changes to the credit.

• Credit amount. The new law increases the child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000. Eligibility for the credit has not changed. As in past years, the credit applies if all of these apply: – the child is younger than 17 at the end of the tax year, December 31, 2018 – the taxpayer claims the child as a dependent – the child lives with the taxpayer for at least six months of the year • Credit refunds. The credit is refundable, now up to $1,400. If a taxpayer doesn’t owe any tax before claiming the credit, they will receive up to $1,400 as part of their refund.

• Earned income threshold. The income threshold to claim the credit has been lowered to $2,500 per family. This means a family must earn a minimum of $2,500 to claim the credit.

• Phaseout. The income threshold at which the child tax credit begins to phase out is increased to $200,000, or $400,000 if married filing jointly.

This means that more families with children younger than 17 qualify for the larger credit.

Dependents who can’t be claimed for the child tax credit may still qualify the taxpayer for the credit for other dependents. This is a non-refundable credit of up to $500 per qualifying person. These dependents may also be dependent children who are age 17 or older at the end of 2018. It also includes parents or other qualifying relatives supported by the taxpayer.

For More additional information please visit www.irs.gov and search for Publication 972, Child Tax Credit; withholding Calculator frequently asked questions and tax reform page.

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January 2019

letters

to the editor Editor’s note: Thanks to reader William Harter for sending us one of his awardwinning poems on aging.

I’m getting old

By William K. Harter I’m getting old; I lose my way, Forget what I desired to say, I watch TV and fall asleep, Then half the night, I just can’t sleep.

I don’t eat much; it has no taste, I drop my drink - oh, such a waste!

I drool my breakfasts, drop a spoon My, I’ve grown old, yes, far too soon.

When of a word I just can’t think, And hundred times, I want a drink, Tell stories old you know so well Be patient, dear, and sit a spell.

But now recall my love for you When once a child you then were too I wiped your nose, tucked you in bed, Put band-aids on you when you bled.

I picked up spoons and picked up toys, I watched you play and heard the noise, With words I couldn’t understand We’d walk together, hand in hand.

Think when your eyes see how I be, I read your stories on my knee, And when upon my shirt I drool, Remember how I helped in school.

So when you sit with spoon to feed, Remember bruises having need, And when a word I can’t recall, Who picked you up when you would fall?

Think when you help me when I’m lame, I dried your bottom without shame, And when you find my bed is wet, I did for you so don’t forget!

So hate me now, for you shall be Old and senile, just like me Remember me who loved you so Remember as you too grow slow.

PrimeTime values the opinions of its readers and wants your feedback !

We want to hear from you. Letters, comments or questions, poetry or photos can be sent directly to the editor at

LindaN@rhodybeat.com or by mail to 1944 Warwick Avenue, Warwick, RI, 02889 I look forward to talking to you soon!

Linda Nadeau January 2019

WHAT DO YOU FINK?

LIFESTYLES

by MIKE FINK

A lifetime of lyrics I was classified as a “listener” instead of a performer in my grammar school glee club. So, I recall the words, not the notes, set to music, the lyrics of a lifetime. Let’s see. Me mum hummed and crooned to me “Only Make Believe” and Judy Garland claimed “The Best Things in Life are Free!” and that about covers the Great Depression.

Once we were at War throughout the Duration (as it was called) the melodies were sad but sweet: “You’d be so nice to come home to, you’d be so nice by the fire” went Dinah Shore, and the Ink Spots mixed sentiment with sarcasm in the postwar period with “Everybody’s sayin’ hello again, why must we say goodbye?” The scores were all about separation, longing, hope, despair. “When the lights go on again, All over the world” ---my brother and I learned all the stanzas by heart and could recite them, or work as a team to bring back lost phrases and show off to the girls in our youthful lives. At my Hope High commencement the orchestra did “They tried to tell us we’re too young, too young to really be in love.... and yet some day they may recall, we were not too young at all!” Pick your verse and find your identity.

Moving right along, what were the tunes and rhymes of mid-century, and how did they express the mood of its decade? Well, I developed a taste for the unusual, like deaf vocalist Johnny Ray.... “walkin’ my baby back home” and June Christy simply saying the poetic lines without any “music” to back them up. I would listen to the radio in my college rooms. I went for the scat of Rose Murphy, who seemed to forget everything except the rhythm, like a baby.

So what were the politics of the postwar mid-century? Gobbledy-gook, by which I mean, the HUAC hunt for “unAmerican” ideas. Nonsense seemed like a reaction to repression, a liberation from logic, a salute to something like art for art’s sake. Remember “New Faces of 1952?” “Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her father 40 whacks and when she saw what she had done, she gave her mother 41!” “A Penny’s a Memory” and “I’m in love with Miss Brody, and I wish, I wish I was dead!”

Awfully silly stuff, but I loved it all, and among the voices there was the young Eartha Kitt, expatriate from USA to Paris, and there was Robert Clary the “hidden child” of occupied France,......

So much for my college years. Wherever my traveler footsteps might take me, I would find some way to re-discover these Old Songs---at piano pubs

in Britain, in Cape Verde’s “piano-bar,” in Paris cafes, because the melancholy merriment of yore created a world-wide mood indigo.

I preferred one solo at a time and never got caught up in the teen-age movements of the 1960s, teams of guitar players using mikes and before mobs of fans, but there were some exceptions.

I listened deeply to the details of “Like a Bridge Over Troubled Waters”

by Simon and Garfunkel or even the Beatles’ “I believe in Yesterday” Within those nostalgic sounds and among their creative and intimate eloquence I could pinpoint my own private and personal events writ large and loud or maybe softly. (My mother’s passing away, some auld acquaintance vanishing from my life into the Void) Once the hip-hop delight in filthy ballads came along I could roar with laughter and get my kids, by now, to write down “only the worst and nastiest lines, please” and then, I might go to the nearest cafe, stand at the microphone, and, without any attempt at harmony or what replaced its hymn to the heartfelt, just read those insulting attacks on civilization and culture. It was Great Fun to astonish the audience, and they seemed to like what I was doing, and like me as well! If ya can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, I guess.

Well, by now you get the gist. At FDR’s funeral, in early springtime 1945, the radio broadcast his favorite pop salute to America, “Home, Home on the Range, where the deer and the antelope play, where never is heard a discouraging word..”

In 1955 there was “Fly the ocean in a silver plane...but come back to ME” and now we are in a still-new, but no longer brand-new, millennium and century and I revert to the classics and the accompaniment to the old movies. In this I am like Turner Classic Movies, it’s young now to be old. Thank the gods for that!

Actually, here in Providence we had our Celebrity Club and I might in fact hear Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat Cole, or the scat sounds of Slim Gaillard at weekend jam sessions, long, long ago, but not at all far away. Just a hike along North Main Street to Randall

Square. I listened to Vaughan Monroe at nearby Lake Pearl. In my undergraduate life I eagerly absorbed the sounds of Edith Piaf in her drab dress crooning “I Regret Nothing!” and took the train to hear the farewell concert of Marlene Dietrich declaring “I’ve been in love before” before finishing with a sharp question, “Haven’t YOU?” Songs were stories then and vocalists were poets as well as vocalists. “What are you thinking about?” my adult son asks me if I am quiet for a spell. More often than not, I’m singing silently to myself (still a “listener”) the lyrics and longings of yesteryear.

Did my school-mates label me “Nature Boy” to make fun of my sentimentality about wildlife, or to admire me mixed in with the mockery? Of all the performing and articulate artists of that time and generation it was old “King” Cole who seemed to listen to himself, to the words as well as the notes, and I guess I’ll close my New Year’s reminiscence with its final line, “The only thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return.” Whatever that might mean to you!

PrimeTime | 13

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There’s At Least 13 Reasons You Can Trust the Quality of Our Care Roger Williams Medical Center and Fatima Hospital CharterCARE’s two hospitals are proud recipients of national distinction from Healthgrades, which independently analyzes quality performance at 4,500 hospitals around the nation. Healthgrades makes these awards based on three consecutive years using objective government data derived from actual clinical outcomes. Here are the areas we have been recognized in: • Appendectomy

• Heart Attack

• Pulmonary Care

• COPD

• Heart Failure

• Respiratory Failure

• Esophageal Surgery

• Pneumonia

• Stroke Treatment

• Total Knee Replacement • Treatment of Sepsis

These national recognitions are a credit to the dedication of our doctors, nurses and support staff who relentlessly pursue clinical quality and patient safety each day of the year.

You can turn to CharterCARE for the best care possible, whenever you or a loved one needs it.

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Happy New Year from Saint Elizabeth Community Where RI seniors come first Saint Elizabeth Home Short-term rehab, long-term care and memory care THE GREEN HOUSEÂŽ Homes at Saint Elizabeth Home

A new concept in nursing home care East Greenwich: 471-6060

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Cornerstone Adult Services Saint Elizabeth Community offers a full spectrum of care and services for older adults in Rhode Island, ensuring they receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

Adult day health centers Warwick, Bristol and Little Compton: 739-2844

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Affordable apartments for seniors and mobility impaired Providence: 273-1090

Saint Elizabeth Terrace To learn how we can help you or someone you love, call us at 471-6060 or one of the numbers listed.

Affordable apartments for seniors Warwick: 739-7700

Cathleen Naughton Associates Home health services Warwick: 773-7401 Wakefield: 783-6116

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A non-profit, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) charitable organization and a CareLink Partner.

January 2019