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MJRSC and YMCA team up to provide healthy activities

BY GREG WILLIAMS Sentinel reporter

gwilliams@lewistownsentinel.com

BURNHAM – For Roxanne Garrett, it’s a sign of the times: As winter progresses, many senior citizens experience the post-holiday blues.

Garrett, communications coordinator for Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corp. – The Care Network – also knows a sure-fire solution when she sees one. “Exercise and socialization are great tactics to help boost one’s mood and overcome loneliness,” Garrett said.

With time outdoors being limited by severe

weather, reduced mobility or illness, the MJRSC’s Centers in Motion program was seeking a venue where their senior members could remain active.

They recognized that partnering with an indoor facility like the Juniata Valley YMCA, 105 First Ave. in Burnham, provides alternative ways to maintain healthy habits.

“Our core mission at The Care Network is maximizing independence and well-being in those we service,” Garrett said. “This collaboration is an excellent fulfillment of that purpose.”

“When I was approached by the (Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corp.)

about partnering with the Juniata Valley YMCA to offer activities for their Centers in Motion program, it was a no-brainer,” YMCA Executive Director Victoria Searer explained.

“We are very excited for this opportunity to partner together with (Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corp.) and were eager to help anyway we could.”

In January, the YMCA and Centers in Motion will partner to provide four free fitness centers to local seniors. Participants must be at least age 55 and be a resident of Mifflin or Juniata counties.

The last of the four scheduled dates and activities is Friday, Jan. 26 –

Splish Splash Water Aerobics from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Both agencies also want to create a supportive environment for this age group to thrive. For Searer, it creates new opportunities for the YMCA to expand its services for the community.

“We cannot wait to partner with (Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corp.) and give this group some new activities to try,” Searer added. “Being active is an important part of staying healthy. But also remember, the YMCA is more than just working out for our senior population, it is also great for their mental health where they can connect with old friends and

make new friends.”

Michele Gray, senior community services program assistant for Centers in Motion, has worked to find opportunities for seniors to remain active in the community.

The two agencies have tried to make it easy for participants to take advantage of this new partnership.

“No registration required,” read the post on the (Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corp.) – The Care Network’s Facebook page. “Participants will go to the YMCA at the time of the session and sign in to attend.”

For more information about this opportunity or

other Centers in Motion activities, call (717) 320-8354 or email mgray@mymjrsc. com.

“We’re really happy to see collaboration between our two community agencies,” Garrett said. “Our work through the Mifflin-Juniata Area Agency on Aging already fosters active lifestyles for local seniors, notably through exercise classes and our annual Senior Games event.

“Many of our Senior Games participants faithfully return each year to compete,” she added. “We anticipate seeing some of their familiar faces during these January sessions and hope to make new connections as well.”

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Pickleball competition, one of the activities offered through the partnership between the Mifflin-Juniata Regional Services Corp. Centers in Motion program and the Juniata Valley YMCA.

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Do I really need supplemental insurance (Medigap) with Medicare?

BY ALEX ROSENBERG NerdWallet

Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, can fill some potentially pricey “gaps” in Medicare Part A and Part B. For example, before Part A will pay for your hospital stay, you need to pay a deductible of over $1,600 in 2024.

With Part B, you’re responsible for 20% of the cost of most outpatient services.

And there’s no annual cap on how high those expenses can go. If you buy a Medigap policy, it can cover many of those out-ofpocket costs. Medigap premiums would add to your monthly health care bills but could buy you peace of mind by covering higher potential costs down the road.

About 41% of Original Medicare beneficiaries had Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, in 2021, according to a February 2023 report summarizing enrollment data from AHIP, a national health insurance trade association.

For the other 59%, Medicare has some “gaps” that could be costly.

“There are many gaps in Medicare that a beneficiary has to pay if they don’t have a Medigap,” Kelli Jo Greiner, Minnesota State Health Insurance Assistance Program director, said in an email. “This can add up to be thousands of dollars per year.”

While it’s not mandatory, you might want to purchase a Medigap policy to fill some of the gaps in Medicare Part A and/or Part B. (Medigap doesn’t work with Medicare Advantage policies.)

a deductible of $1,632 in 2024, which you owe before Medicare starts to pay for inpatient hospital care.

“Just one hospital stay, you’re going to be paying that $1,632 deductible — so, really fast, your costs can add up,” says Joanne Giardini-Russell, CEO of Giardini Medicare, an independent insurance agency.

Most Medigap plans cover the Part A deductible.

And plans with premiums below $136 per month could put you ahead based on that benefit alone.

(New Medicare members can’t buy Medigap plans that cover Part B’s relatively smaller deductible of $240 in 2024, so you’d still owe that amount out of pocket.)

COINSURANCE AND COPAYS After you’ve met your deductible, there are outof-pocket costs for many Medicare services. For example, you pay a 20% coinsurance for most medically necessary outpatient services covered by Part B. Medicare Part A copays kick in after your 60th day in the hospital. They start at $408 per day in 2024 and get more expensive for longer stays.

All Medigap policies include at least some coverage for Part A and Part B coinsurance and copays. If you use a lot of health care, that coverage could mean big out-of-pocket savings.

OUT-OF-POCKET LIMITS

Unlike many other kinds of insurance, MediMedicare Part A has care Part A and Part B DEDUCTIBLES

don’t have maximum outof-pocket caps. There’s no limit on what you could owe as copays and coinsurance add up.

“Original Medicare without Medigap would be perilous because we need Medigap for the outof-pocket limit,” Michael Dayoub, a certified financial planner in Savannah, Georgia, said in an email.

Buying a Medigap policy is one way to put a cap on your yearly costs. Paying more upfront for premiums could pay off by limiting your future out-of-pocket spending.

IS MEDIGAP WORTH THE COST? You can expect to pay $100-$150 per month or more for the most popular Medigap plan, Plan G, when you sign up at age 65. And premiums can go up based on plan type, age, location and sometimes health status.

That’s a significant added expense — so is it worth it?

Giardini-Russell compares Medigap to car in-

surance, which you pay for each month, even though you hope not to need it. “It comes down a lot of times to the psychology and peace of mind,” she says.

“Are you willing to pay $150 per month for peace of mind?”

“We tend to hear from beneficiaries that they are very satisfied with their policy,” Greiner said.

Medigap is worth it if you can afford to pay the Medigap premiums along with your premiums for Medicare Part B and a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, according to Greiner.

If Medigap isn’t affordable, you might want to look into programs that can help with Medicare costs, such as Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help subsidies.

People who can’t afford Medigap premiums could also consider Medicare Advantage, according to Dayoub. Medicare Advantage plans are bundled alternatives to Original Medicare sold by private insurance companies. They have outof-pocket limits, but there are trade-offs to consider,

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ENROLLMENT TIME LIMITS The best and easiest time to buy a Medigap policy is right as you’re turning 65.

Your six-month Medigap open enrollment period starts when you’re 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During this period, insurance companies can’t use medical underwriting to charge you more or deny coverage based on your health or medical history.

After that, it can be more expensive or even impossible to get a Medigap policy.

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Assisted living gains momentum in senior care preferences JEFF FANG

Wealth of Geeks A third of senior citizens would choose an assisted living facility, especially one that provides transitional care, over a traditional nursing home. In recent years, elderly care has undergone a significant transformation as more seniors enter their golden years in better physical health than in previous generations.

According to A Place for Mom, about 818,000 Americans live in assisted living communities, while the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicate that 1.2 million Americans live in nursing homes.

But online search trends find fewer Americans seek around-the-clock nursing home care, as assisted living facilities become more popular retirement destinations. A Google Trends report from 2017 to 2023 indicates a growing interest in assisted living over traditional nursing homes.

The reasons behind this shift provide insight into the modern elderly care landscape. This change isn’t just a blip or temporary inclination, but appears to be driven by a confluence of economic,

societal, and cultural fac- early facilities. They’re no tors. longer just a place for seniors to live, but also comThe Economics of munities brimming with Elderly Care life, activity, and innovation.

The cost of elderly care Jennifer Silver, a denis a concern shared by tist and owner of Macleod many families, and as the Trail Dental, explains the financial landscape shifts, evolution. “Over the past so do the preferences for few years, there’s been a specific types of care. The push to innovate within rising expenses of nursing the assisted living sector, home stays made headlines making these facilities in recent years, pushing more resort-like with spas, families and those nearing art classes, and other recreretirement to consider oth- ational activities.” er avenues.

This innovation within assisted living commuAnshul Sharma, a nities isn’t merely about healthcare professional adding luxury but about experienced in long-term enhancing the quality of care, says, “The cost of life for seniors, making nursing home care has the proposition far more been rising steadily in re- attractive. For families, cent years. This is making the choice becomes clearassisted living a more af- er; why not opt for a place fordable option for many where their loved ones can families.” receive necessary care and Neither option is inex- also enjoy a fulfilling, vipensive. According to A brant lifestyle?

Place for Mom, the median monthly cost of assisted Societal Changes and living in the United States Their Impact is $4,807 per month. The median monthly cost of Society’s structure has nursing home care is about seen a drastic change over $7, 908 per month. These the years. Once tightly-knit costs vary by state and the and often cohabitating level of care. across multiple generaWhile cost plays a sig- tions, the family unit has nificant role, the evolution spread out. Modern family of assisted living facilities situations present unique has been a game-changer. challenges, particularly reThey’re very different from garding elder care.

Assisted living gains momentum in senior care preferences.

Silver says, “Modern family structures and dynamics are changing. With more dual-income households and geographically dispersed families, there might be a leaning towards assisted living, where seniors can get support and maintain independence.”

The essence of this is the desire to provide the best for our aging family members while managing the complexities of modern life.

Additionally, the concept of “aging in place” has increasingly found favor among seniors and their families.

Peter Evering, Business Development Manager at Utopia Property Management, explains, “Aging in place has gained significant traction in recent years, as more older adults and families opt for allowing seniors to remain in their own homes while receiving necessary care.”

The idea is simple yet profound: the reassurance of one’s home, coupled with the necessary care, offers the perfect blend of comfort, familiarity, and support.

ceptions, and the narrative around elderly care is no exception. During the pandemic, the media raised concerns around nursing homes and COVID-19, casting a shadow over the entire industry.

Craig Fukushima from The Fox Group, LLC notes, “During the pandemic, there was a substantial amount of negative press surrounding nursing homes and COVID’s effect on their patients. This likely led many people to seek assisted living communities instead of nursing homes.”

Further cementing this shift in perception are the local news outlets that often spotlight incidents in care facilities.

Silver says, “Incidents, either positive or negative, in local care facilities that gain media attention, can shape search trends.” With the rise of digital media and social platforms, news about these incidents circulates quickly, causing ripple effects across states and influencing care decisions.

such as climate, local culture, cost of living, and the availability of facilities can sway decisions.

Silver weighs in on this, and says, “The sheer number and concentration of one type of facility over another in a state can influence search behavior.”

Elderly Care Evolution

The transformation in elderly care preferences, as illustrated by search trends, demonstrates the interplay of economic, societal, and regional factors. From evolving family dynamics to the impact of media narratives, the choice between assisted living and nursing homes goes beyond just the care requirements. It reflects a broader societal shift in how we perceive aging and independence and how we increasingly believe that health is wealth in our golden years.

While the digital realm offers a glimpse into these preferences, the real stories are in the experiences of Regional Variances in families navigating these Elderly Care Choices choices, ensuring their Media Influence on the Elderly Care Narrative Geography also plays loved ones receive the care, a significant role in the respect, and vibrant life The media plays a formi- choices families make they deserve. dable role in shaping per- about elderly care. Factors

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Three ways to support veterans in your community (Family Features) As a group, United States military veterans have played an important role in protecting the rights and freedoms enjoyed today. However, the sacrifices made by service members can become easy to overlook with the passage of time.

For example, consider the experiences of Pfc. Antonio Ralph Martinez, one of 2,223 U.S. military servicemen aboard the Leopoldville, a Belgian transport ship. Ahead of the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive of World War II, the Leopoldville was crossing the English Channel from England to France when a German U-boat struck it with a torpedo on Dec. 24, 1944.

In an interview for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, Martinez recalled the ship zigzagging across the channel to dodge possible attacks.

He was playing cards and jolted forward when the torpedo hit. Under blackout conditions, Martinez jumped to a nearby destroyer, sliding down a rope into the frigid water, where he stayed, developing hypothermia, until being rescued by a tugboat after about two hours.

Of those on board the Leopoldville, 515 are presumed to have gone down with the ship while another 248 died from injuries, drowning or hypothermia.

Martinez was awarded a Bronze Star for his combat service during World War

II and later served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Stories like Martinez’s showcase the valor and sacrifice of veterans who deserve gratitude. Consider these three small gestures to help show appreciation to the veterans in your community as they reacclimate to civilian life following their service.

WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR

Pfc. Antonio Ralph Martinez

2. Encourage Veterans to Share Their Stories

The stories veterans car1. Send a “Thank You” ry with them are powerful Card and often help shape who they are. These stories can Offering a heartfelt ac- hold valuable lessons, deknowledgment of the chal- tails of accomplishments lenges veterans faced is and battles won or memoone of the simplest ways ries of friendship and cato show them your appreci- maraderie. They can also ation and provide an emo- serve as reminders of sactional boost. If you know rifice and hardship. a veteran in your commuThrough the Veterans nity, consider sending a History Project, the Li-

FIND

Photo courtesy of Library of Congress Veterans History Project

handwritten “thank you” note. Or consult with a local veterans service organization that may be able to help you share a letter, card, care package or supportive email with former military personnel in your area.

Check The Sentinel CLASSIFIEDS

brary of Congress collects and preserves the firsthand remembrances of U.S. military veterans like Martinez and makes them accessible. The project allows future generations to hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service.

Participating in the program involves submitting a 30-minute (or longer) unedited video or audio interview sharing service details and/or a collection of original photographs or correspondence. Veterans, or families of deceased veterans on their behalf, may also submit a minimum 20-page journal or unpublished memoir and/ or 10 or more original photos or letters. To get start-

ed, visit loc.gov/vets and click “How to Participate” to download a how-to field kit for details, instructions and required forms.

3. Volunteer at Veterans Facilities or Organizations

Many veterans organizations, including Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and medical facilities, welcome volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks such as clerical work, organization, transportation and simply visiting with wounded veterans to brighten their days. After locating a facility near you, contact the staff to arrange a visit and learn more about opportunities to volunteer your time and skills.

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How to use diet to combat age-related bodily changes that can affect your health Metro The human body is a marvel. How the body transforms over the course of an individual’s life is one of its more remarkable qualities, and those changes never cease, even as individuals near retirement age.

The changes associated with aging include physical transformations but also more subtle shifts the naked eye cannot see.

For example, metabolism slows as individuals grow older, and aging also can lead to a decrease in bone density and muscle mass.

These changes affect how men and women at or nearing retirement age should approach their diets in recognition of the various ways their nutritional needs change at this point in their lives. Any modifications to a diet should first be discussed with a physician, but the following are some ways aging adults can use diet to combat age-related changes to their bodies.

• Prioritize protein. The authors of a 2010 study published in the journal Current Opinion in Nutrition and Metabolic Care recommended that older adults consume between 25 and 30 grams of protein with each meal. The researchers behind the study concluded that such consumption could limit inactivity-mediated losses of muscle mass and function.

• Overcome reduced production of vitamin D. WebMD notes that people over 65 typically experience a decrease in natural production of vitamin D. Vitamin D is not naturally found in many foods, so aging men and women may need to rely on supplementation to ensure their bodies get enough of it. Vitamin D helps with anti-inflammation, immune system sup-

port and muscle function, among other benefits. So it’s vital that aging men and women find ways to get sufficient vitamin D. • Consume ample dietary fiber. The National Resource Center on Nutrition & Aging notes that fiber plays an important role in the health of older adults. Fiber has been linked with heart health, healthy digestion, feeling full, and preventing constipation, which the online medical resource Healthline notes is a common health problem among the elderly. Though the NRCNA notes that older adults need slightly less fiber than their younger counterparts, it’s still a vital component of a nutritious Metro diet. The feeling of fullness that fiber consumption can Diet can help combat age-related changes to your body. Modifications to a diet should be discussed with a physician. provide also is significant, as it can ensure adults who aren’t burning as many calories as they used to aren’t overeating in order to feel satisfied. That can make THERMAL IMAGING OPTICS it easier for such adults to From Pulsar • ATN • Zeiss maintain a healthy weight.

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Potential dangers of mixing herbal and prescription meds Metro Medications improve the lives of billions of people across the globe every day.

Without access to medication, millions may die while countless others would experience a dramatic decline in their quality of life.

Though there’s no denying the positive effects of medication, the efficacy of herbal supplements and prescription drugs does not mean each are riskfree. Risks may even be compounded when individuals take herbal

supplements and prescription medications concurrently. According to the Mayo Clinic, herbal supplements do not always interact well with prescription medications. For example, herbal supplements can interact with medicines utilized to treat issues affected the heart and blood vessels. That includes conditions like high blood pressure, which estimates from the World Health Organization indicate affects nearly 1.3 billion adults between the ages of 30 and 79.

Mixing medications

has always been risky, but a growing reliance on herbal medicines has potentially elevated that risk. That’s perhaps due to perceptions of herbal supplements as wholly natural, leading some to conclude that a substance that’s wholly natural cannot jeopardize the human body. However, an analysis published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology detailed more than a dozen instances of adverse drug reactions affecting individuals who took herbal medicines alongside various pre-

scription medications.

The medications taken, some of which were antidepressants, were prescribed to treat various conditions, including HIV, epilepsy and heart disease.

The potential dangers of mixing herbal and prescription medications underscore the need to engage in honest and open discussions with a physician before taking any herbal or prescription medications. Individuals currently taking a prescription medication should consult with their physician before

taking any herbal supplements, while those who take herbal medicines and supplements should bring that up with their physicians if they are prescribed a new medication.

What are some symptoms of herbal and prescription interactions?

The Mayo Clinic notes that a fast heartbeat and changes in blood pressure are two indicators of drug interactions. But many additional side effects can indicate a potentially dangerous or unhealthy interaction is taking place. For exam-

ple, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes that increased dryness or irritation of skin when taking more than one topical acne drug at the same time indicates an unhealthy interaction is taking place.

Herbal and prescription medication interactions can be dangerous. Individuals are urged to contact their physicians before combining medications and to bring up their existing medication regimen whenever they are issued a new prescription.

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Chatty robot helps seniors fight loneliness through AI companionship

BY TERRY SPENCER Associated Press

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) — Joyce Loaiza lives alone, but when she returns to her apartment at a Florida senior community, the retired office worker often has a chat with a friendly female voice that asks about her day.

A few miles away, the same voice comforted 83-year-old Deanna Dezern when her friend died.

In central New York, it plays games and music for 92-year-old Marie Broadbent, who is blind and in hospice, and in Washington state, it helps 83-yearold Jan Worrell make new friends.

The women are some of the first in the country to receive the robot ElliQ, whose creators, Intuition Robotics, and senior assistance officials say is the only device using artificial intelligence specifically

designed to alleviate the loneliness and isolation experienced by many older Americans.

“It’s entertaining. You can actually talk to her,” said Loaiza, 81, whose ElliQ in suburban Fort Lauderdale nicknamed her “Jellybean” for no particular reason. “She’ll make comments like, ‘I would go outside if I had hands, but I can’t hold an umbrella.’”

The device, which looks like a small table lamp, has an eyeless, mouthless head that lights up and swivels.

It remembers each user’s interests and their conversations, helping tailor future chats, which can be as deep as the meaning of life or as light as the horoscope.

ElliQ tells jokes, plays music and provides inspirational quotes. On an accompanying video screen, it provides tours of cities and museums. The device leads exercises, asks about

the owner’s health and gives reminders to take medications and drink water. It can also host video calls and contact relatives, friends or doctors in an emergency.

Intuition Robotics says none of the conversations are heard by the company, with the information staying on each owner’s device.

Intuition Robotics CEO Dor Skuler said the idea for ElliQ came before he launched his Israeli company eight years ago. His widowed grandfather needed an aide, but the first didn’t work out. The replacement, though, understood his grandfather’s love of classical music and his “quirky sense of humor.”

Skuler realized a robot could fill that companionship gap by adapting to each senior’s personality and interests.

“It’s not just about (ElliQ’s) utility. It’s about

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Joyce Loazia poses for a picture next to ElliQ, left, a tabletop device that uses artificial intelligence to conduct human-like conversations.

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Joyce Loazia interacts with ElliQ, left, a tabletop device that uses artificial intelligence to conduct human-like conversations, during an interview in her apartment in a senior community in Coral Springs, Fla., Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. Loazia is among the first in the country to receive the robot ElliQ, whose creators, Intuition Robotics, and senior assistance officials say is the only device using artificial intelligence specifically designed to lessen the loneliness and isolation experienced by many older Americans. friendship, companionship and empathy,” Skuler said.

“That just did not exist anywhere.”

The average user interacts with ElliQ more than 30 times daily, even six months after receiving it, and more than 90% report lower levels of loneliness, he said.

The robots are mostly distributed by assistance

agencies in New York, Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Washington state, but can also be purchased individually for $600 a year and a $250 installation fee. Skuler wouldn’t say how many ElliQs have been distributed so far, but the goal is to have more than 100,000 out within five years.

That worries Brigham Young University psychol-

ogy professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who studies the detrimental effects loneliness has on health and mortality.

Although a device like ElliQ might have shortterm benefits, it could make people less likely to seek human contact. Like hunger makes people seek See Chatty / Page 14

Friday, Jan. 19, 2024

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14—Lewistown, PA

Friday, Jan. 19, 2024

The Sentinel

PRIME TIME

Chatty

Continued from Page 12

food and thirst makes them seek water, she said “that unpleasant feeling of loneliness should motivate us to reconnect socially.”

Satiating that with AI “makes you feel like you’ve fulfilled it, but in reality you haven’t,” Holt-Lunstad said. “It is not clear whether AI is actually fulfilling any kind of need or just dampening the signal.”

Skuler and agency heads distributing ElliQ agreed it isn’t a substitute for human contact, but not all seniors have social networks.

Some are housebound, and

even seniors with strong ties are often alone.

“I wish I could just snap my fingers to make a person show up at the home of one of the many, many older adults that don’t have any family or friends, but it’s a little bit more complicated,” said Greg Olsen, director of the New York State Office for the Aging.

His office has distributed 750 of the 900 ElliQs it acquired.

Charlotte Mather-Taylor, director of the Broward County, Florida, Area Agency on Aging, said the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath left many seniors more isolated. Her agency has distributed 300 ElliQs, which she believes breaks them out of their

shells.

“She’s proactive and she really engages the seniors, so it gives them that extra kind of interaction,” she said. “We’ve seen very positive results with it. People generally like her and she makes them smile and brings joy.”

Skuler said ElliQ was purposely designed without eyes and a mouth so it wouldn’t fully imitate humans. While “Elli” is the Norse goddess of old age, he said the “Q” reminds users that the device is a machine. He said his company wants “to make sure that ElliQ always genuinely presents herself as an AI and doesn’t pretend to be human.”

“I don’t understand why

technologists are trying to make AI pretend to be human,” he said. “We have in our capacity the ability to create a relationship with an AI, just like we have relationships with a pet.”

But some of the seniors using ElliQ say they sometimes need to remember the robot isn’t a living being. They find the device easy to set up and use, but if they have one complaint it’s that ElliQ is sometimes too chatty. There are settings that can tone that down.

Dezern said she felt alone and sad when she told her ElliQ about her friend’s death. It replied it would give her a hug if it had arms. Dezern broke into tears.

“It was so what I needed,” the retired collections consultant said. “I can say things to Elli that I won’t say to my grandchildren or to my own daughters. I can just open the floodgates. I can cry. I can giggle. I can act silly. I’ve been asked, doesn’t it feel like you’re talking to yourself? No, because it gives an answer.”

Worrell lives in a small town on Washington’s coast. Widowed, she said ElliQ’s companionship made her change her mind about moving to an assisted living facility and she uses it as an icebreaker when she meets someone new to town.

“I say, ‘Would you like to come over and visit with my robot?’ And they say,

‘A vacuum?’ No, a robot.

She’s my roommate,” she said and laughed.

Broadbent, like the other women, says she gets plenty of human contact, even though she is blind and ill. She plays organ at two churches in the South New Berlin, New York, area and gets daily visitors. Still, the widow misses having a voice to talk with when they leave. ElliQ fills that void with her games, tours, books and music.

“She’s fun and she’s informative. OK, maybe not as informative as (Amazon’s) Alexa, but she is much more personable,” Broadbent said.

We’re now on

@lewistownsentinel Jeffrey Davis, Esquire

Torquato & Davis Law, LLC

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Deanna Dezern, 83, prompts her ElliQ, left, a tabletop device that uses artificial intelligence to conduct human-like conversations, to speak to visiting journalists, inside her home in Tamarac, Fla., Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. Dezern is among the first in the country to receive the robot ElliQ, whose creators, Intuition Robotics, and senior assistance officials say is the only device using artificial intelligence specifically designed to lessen the loneliness and isolation experienced by many older Americans.

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Friday, Jan. 19, 2024

­Lewistown, PA—15

The Sentinel

PRIME TIME How empty nesters can repurpose bedrooms in their homes Moderate-intensity activities Metro It can be bittersweet when adult children decide the time has come to move out of the family home.

Parents perhaps get their first trial run of this scenario when their children go off to college or enlist in the military. Rooms are left empty, if only for a certain period of time. Eventually, those rooms will remain empty as adult children move out of the house for good.

Converting a child’s bedroom into an area for adults may take some planning. It can be exciting to regain space, but at the same time, it can be disheartening to convert a child’s bedroom once and for all. When the time comes and homeowners are emotionally ready

to tackle bedroom conversions, these tips can help the process go smoothly.

• Repurpose the space for them. Give a childhood bedroom an adult spin without changing too much. If furniture is in good shape, replace the bedding, change the flooring, swap out artwork, and remove “youthful” items like toys, trophies and other collectibles. When the child comes home to visit, he or she will still feel comfortable in the space.

• Create extra storage.

The bedroom can be transformed into a walk-in closet or dressing space.

According to the design experts at Houzz, many clients request this type of dressing room situation.

There’s a bonus if the lay-

out allows the space to connect to the owner’s suite or bathroom. This is a major overhaul, so homeowners should enlist a professional contractor.

• Make a fitness center. A bedroom can be turned into a home gym to make working out more convenient.

Homeowners should take inventory of equipment they may have and then figure out where existing and new equipment will go. They may need to consult a structural engineer to ensure that the flooring can bear the weight of additional equipment.

• Create a work space.

One of the best ways to transform adult children’s bedrooms is to convert the

Converting a child’s bedroom into an area for adults may take some planning.

spaces into home offices.

Those who have been setting up “desks” at dining room tables or elsewhere may be excited about the prospects of finally having a private, dedicated space to work from home.

• Turn it into a craft room. The bedroom can be converted into a space to explore hobbies and various other interests. A dedicated craft space, a reading nook, a place to store photography equipment, or another function can serve as a useful way to repurpose an empty bedroom.

Empty nesters have many possibilities when it comes to converting their children’s old bedrooms into adult spaces.

Metro

that can improve overall health Metro

Exercise is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. The current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. But what constitutes moderate-intensity physical activity?

Moderate-intensity physical activity gets the heart pumping, but only around one in five adults and teens get enough exercise to maintain good health, says the American Heart Association. It may be because people are having difficulty figuring out what constitutes moderate-intensity activity. Here is a more detailed explanation of the types of activities considered moderate-intensity.

• Walking very briskly (roughly four miles per hour) • Heavy cleaning, like washing windows, vacuuming and mopping • Mowing the lawn with a power mower • Bicycling with light effort (10 to 12 miles per hour) • Playing recreational badminton • Playing doubles tennis • Slow dancing • Shooting a basketball • Water aerobics • Playing volleyball • Heavy gardening • Painting and decorating Anything that doesn’t increase heart rate and breathing speed will not count as moderate-intensity activity towards the recommended amount of activity. However, any exercise is better than no exercise at all.

16—Lewistown, PA

Friday, Jan. 19, 2024

The Sentinel

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