Aging Answers March 2015

A Supplement to

March 2015

Spring Clean

Help Your Loved Ones De-Clutter Their Lives

Dollars & Sense

Discussing money matters with your parents

Plus

40 Wellness Events

Bring Back Taste

A Supplement to

Contents March 2015

12 4 5 10

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6 7

8 10 12

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March 2015

Make a Fix to Bathroom Challenges Simple tips and additions that can make a home safer

Speaking Easier Post-therapy group provides unique communication offerings

When does taking in animals become hoarding?

Clean Slate

Help your loved one de-clutter their household

Dollars and Sense

Follow these tips to discuss finances with your aging parents

Living In Balance

Help loved ones stay safe at home by reducing their fall risk

Event Listings

Find groups and health activites for March & April

ART & PRODUCTION:

ADVERTISING SALES:

Sherry Lundberg, Advertising/ Production Manager sherryneoparent@gmail.com

Chris Geer, 330-614-8471

angela@northeastohioparent.com

Denise Koeth, Managing Editor deniseneoparent@gmail.com

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Pets & Parents

PUBLISHER:

Angela Gartner, Editor

Aging Answers is a property of Mitchell Media LLC

A few easy steps can counteract declines in taste and smell

Brad Mitchell brad@northeastohioparent.com EDITORIAL:

Supplement to Northeast Ohio Parent

Enhance Your Palate

OFFICE MANAGER:

Kathleen Coleman kathleenneoparent@gmail.com Subscription Services: subscriptions@northeastohioparent.com

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Aging Answers

3

Enhance

YOUR PALATE

A few simple steps can counteract declines in taste and smell

By Beverly Fertel

Did you know that by about age 60, even healthy people begin to experience a modest decline in taste and more dramatic declines in smell? Food is one of the main pleasures and requirements of everyday living. Meals provide us with nourishment, pleasure and time to socialize. So, what happens when your senses of smell and taste decline – and why? What are the results of no longer being able to enjoy food? Most importantly, what can we do to make food taste good again?

Changes Happen Taste allows us to derive pleasure from food, enhances the eating experience and prepares the body to digest food. Smell and taste work as a team, so when one sensation, like smell, is diminished, the flavor experience also can be different. Have you ever noticed that when you have a cold you may have difficulty tasting food? This is one example of the link between smell and taste.

The average adult has 10,000 taste

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Aging Answers

Nutrition & Cooking buds coating the tongue’s surface. Taste at the tip of the tongue detects sweetness, bitterness is detected by the back taste buds, and the side taste buds detect salt and sour tastes.

As we age, physicians will generally test for vision and hearing loss; taste can be an untreated sensory loss.

Taste and smell changes may result from normal aging, neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, certain medications, nasal and sinus problems, radiation treatments, smoking, deficiencies of some vitamins or even ill-fitting dentures.

When people do not eat properly, it can place them at risk for weight loss, malnutrition, dehydration, confusion, stress and lowered immunity to disease. It can affect chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis and can contribute to physical weakness, increasing the likeliness of falls and fractures, and even cause accidental poisoning.

However, good eating habits and proper nutrition at any age raises energy levels, boosts the immune system and protects the body against many illnesses.

Gratifying Eating Again What can we do to combat sensory decline and make meals more enjoyable? Adding flavor enhancers, such as beef, chicken or butter flavored powders, can punch up food flavors.

Apricot, peach nectars and pineapple

juice intensify the flavor of sauces in dishes such as sweet and sour chicken.

Enhance natural flavors with reduced, concentrated stocks or flavored vinegars.

Perk up food flavors with intense-flavored ingredients such as sharp cheese, toasted nuts or fruity olive oil.

Try adding to taste sensations while using less sodium than you would from the salt shaker.

Most of all, turn off the television or radio, eat with others and enjoy the dining experience.

OTHER TASTEFUL RECOMMENDATIONS:

4 Stop smoking 4 Avoid extreme temperatures, not too cold or too hot 4 Add texture to foods, e.g., granola on yogurt, or crushed oats on cooked cereal 4 Add gravies to food 4 Add color and shapes for eye appeal 4 Chew food better

Article courtesy of Beverly Fertel, senior marketing director for Arden Courts Memory Care Community. Beverly.fertel@hcr-manorcare.com, 440-543-6766

March 2015

Home & Lifestyle

Make a Fix to Bathroom Challenges Simple tips and additions that can make a home safer

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ny real estate agent will tell you that updating your bathroom is one of the best things you can do if you want to sell your home. However, it’s also one of the best things you can do if you have loved ones who plan to stay in their home for a long time to come.

As everyone ages, physical abilities and needs change. If a home doesn’t keep up with those changes, problems can arise. The bathroom is the room that often presents the most challenges. Fortunately, there are several ways to modify a bathroom to make it safer, most with little effort or expense.

Providing Balance If your loved one is having difficulty getting up and down from the toilet seat without relying on objects around them for stability, it may be time to swap a standard toilet for a comfort height model. Grab bars and handrails also can be professionally installed.

For more affordable fixes, use a raised seat attachment or a safety frame with an existing toilet; these options can be purchased at many drug and medical equipment stores. If your loved one has to stretch, turn or bend to reach the toilet paper holder from the seat, invest in a

March 2015

moveable holder that can be placed in a more convenient location.

If they find it harder to step into and out of the bathtub, have grab bars professionally installed. Another option is temporary grab bars that use suction cups, which are available at most drug and medical supply stores. If choosing this option, make sure it is installed properly and check frequently to ensure the bar remains firmly attached to the wall.

One can invest in a hand-held shower sprayer and shower chair made of sturdy plastic with slip-resistant rubber feet.

A skid-resistant bath mat or adhesive shower strips designed to increase traction also might help. Never use towel racks, toilet paper holders or shower

curtains for stability or to hold body weight. They simply weren’t designed for that purpose.

If the floor or obstacles in the bathroom can’t be seen without shadows or glare, consider having brighter or more even lighting installed. If the bathroom floor is tile or linoleum, add a rug with a non-slip rubber backing to increase traction.

If your loved one uses an assistive device, such as a cane or walker, they should always use it when going to the bathroom. There should be an out-ofthe-way place to stow it where they or someone else won’t trip on it.

For help in making a bathroom safer, contact your local area agency on aging, which can make referrals for minor home repairs and modifications, as well as other services to help your loved one live safely at home.

Call 866-243-5678 to be connected to the area agency serving your community.

Article courtesy of Sarah Jane Duffy and John R. Ratliff, Ohio Department of Aging. Visit the STEADY U Ohio website (www.steadyu.ohio.gov) for more things you can do to make your home and everyday life safer.

Aging Answers

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Support Services

Speaking EASIER

Therapy group provides unique communication offerings If you visit Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center on almost any Monday afternoon, you’ll see a group of very active adults in the Center’s large community room playing poker, trying out video games and just talking about the events of the day. However, this isn’t just any social club. These men and women are members of the Speak Easy group, which provides unique and innovative programming for post-therapy stroke patients and others with acquired neurogenic communication disorders.

Speak Easy was established more than 25 years ago to help stroke patients who, after completing traditional individual or group therapy, found themselves simply going home and having minimal communication contact with others. The group, which is coordinated and facilitated by licensed speech-language pathologist and Case Western Reserve University lecturer Jean Nisenboum, provides a support system that is geared toward improving communication.

“It’s a difficult thing to have a loved one who one day is functioning as you’ve

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Aging Answers

Speak Easy meets every Monday, except holidays, from 1-3 p.m. at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center (University Circle) in room 140. There is no charge to attend.

For more information, call 216-231-8787 or email jean.nisenboum@case.edu known them, whether it’s your mother, your father or your spouse, and the next second you are worried about them living as they have this stroke,” Nisenboum says. “And once you get past that fear, you worry about how you are going to get them back home. And then reality sets in when the individual cannot communicate the way that he or she did before.”

The Speak Easy group is composed

of individuals from a variety of different economic and living environments who have communication disorders resulting from strokes, head injuries or diseases such as Parkinson’s.

Because their speech is either quiet or slow to initiate, it is difficult for Speak Easy members to keep up in family conversations at home. The Speak Easy group is structured to be an environment where members can participate in conversation and have opportunities to choose the topics, comment, question, and share at a pace and in a manner in which they can successfully express themselves.

“We cover everything in the group, from daily news topics, what someone did on the weekend, who saw what movie, politics – even beer, because we have a beer-maker who is a stroke survivor in the group,” Nisenboum says. “It’s just conversation. And that sounds easy, but for our group members it’s the only time they have a chance to just converse.

“So on any given day we always have a group that plays poker,” she explains.

“Poker itself provides a lot of cognitive opportunities and a lot of communication opportunities. Many of the people who go to that group want to be able to participate in those kinds of games at home. So within that group, besides working on those general things, they might be working on their counting skills or getting their speech loud enough for the person across from them to hear.”

Recovery from a stroke is an ongoing process. Survivors can continue to improve their cognitive and communication skills for many years after the stroke if they continue to be involved in activities.

However, this type of long-term rehabilitation is not covered by health insurance.

For Nisenboum, the main evidence of Speak Easy’s importance is the fact that so many members keep coming back.

“We have a couple of people who have been attending regularly for over 20 years,” she says. “This tells you the need that is out there in the community.”

March 2015

Pets

When Does Taking in Animals Become Hoarding?

By Anna M. van Heeckeren, MS, DVM at One Health Organization

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veryone knows an animal lover; about 60 percent of all households have at least one pet – usually no more than a couple of dogs or cats. However, sometimes people take in more animals than this.

How many animals are too many?

From a non-legal standpoint, the answer is actually pretty simple: when the people in the home cannot adequately manage the health and welfare of each animal in their care, they are hoarding animals. For some, this is as few as one, and for others this is many more.

In my home, we have two cats, a fish tank, and two chinchillas. Each person in the home knows how to care for each species, we can afford to care for every animal (including annual or emergency veterinary services), and we are able bodied enough to take care of each of them. If we all go out of town or when we are no longer able to care for them ourselves, we know people who can help care for our pets. Since chinchillas are not common household pets, we provide extra training and guidance in their care.

My mother had many animals over her lifetime: dogs, horses, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds of nearly every variety (including ducks and chickens), sheep, llamas, goats, donkeys and more (not all at the same time). Because she was able to care for each animal – maintain a clean environment for all species, provide for veterinary care, and take care of their nutritional and space needs – she would not have been described as a hoarder despite the number of animals in her care.

There are different types of animal hoarders, including the overwhelmed caregiver, the rescuer hoarder, and the exploiter hoarder. While Animal Planet’s TV show “Confessions: Animal Hoarders” may come to mind, know that those are extreme cases.

Often, hoarders do not believe that March 2015

they are hoarding. They do not recognize that they are doing the animals more harm than good. Some even incorporate as a nonprofit organization to help raise the money needed to support the animals in their care – yet they are unable to maintain the standards of care required for the animals (or people) to live well in their environment. They do not adopt out many of their animals and end up “collecting” even more animals.

If you suspect that a loved one is hoarding, it will likely be a bigger problem than you can manage on your own. You may initially ask an animal care professional, such as a veterinary technician or veterinarian, whether there are too many animals in the home and whether the animals are suffering.

If the answer is “yes,” you will likely need to involve many different professionals: law enforcement, animal wardens, animal shelters, veterinarians, lawyers, photographers, first responders (i.e. fire and ambulance), and mental health professionals.

Some communities have laws in place regarding how many kinds of pets each homeowner may have. Check with your local public health department and your community’s website if you have questions about this.

As an example, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and my community’s website offer no information about the maximum number of animals we may have, but they do cite laws about rabies vaccination and regulations specific to dogs (e.g. leash laws). However, a nearby community is very clear about the number of pets any household can have (no more than two of any one species).

Do you or someone you know need help with pet care? We’d love to help.

Contact us at info@onehealth.org or visit onehealth.org for more information.

Aging Answers

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CLEAN S LATonEe

Feature Story ingly collected touchstones of a full life.

Safe Passage

If you have an aging family member or friend who surrounds him or herself with piles of papers, stacks of books and baskets m

By Marie Eliu of stuff, starting a decluttering conversation can be tough.

No one wants to be told what to do or all them the generation of how to do it. If rooms and countertops savers: books, coats, furare simply messy, that’s one thing, but if niture. And don’t forget the abundance of throw rugs, furniture, the paper – bills, letters, bank statements overflowing closets and crowded rooms and cards. poses a tripping or other hazard, that’s Part of a generation that has little an issue that needs to be discussed, tolerance for waste, many of our parents, advise local professionals. grandparents, great aunts, great grand “Tell them you need to keep them parents or other relatives have collected safe,” says Gayle Chillious of Caring – and kept – a lifetime of things they Transitions in Beachwood, a company want to hold onto. It may look like clutthat helps organize and declutter senior ter to us, but those items are their lovhomes and apartments.

ved Help your lo heir home de-clutter t or life

C

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Aging Answers

Clearing clutter also may be necessary if an older family member is downsizing or moving into an independent or assisted living apartment. Furniture that worked well in a four-bedroom home where they raised a family will overwhelm a smaller place. Multiple sets of dishes, large cookware pieces, and a garage full of tools and lawn equipment may be in great shape but are not necessary for today’s lifestyle.

Kindness and Respect Matter Lee-Ann Spacek of North Coast Residential Relocation is an advocate for senior citizens. As a real estate broker, she helps people downsize and move into places that better suit their living situations and support their desired lifestyles.

Many people she works with want to move somewhere that requires less upkeep but they are tethered by their possessions, making the thought of moving very overwhelming.

March 2015

“Make suggestions,” Spacek advises.

Tell them, “If you stay here the house needs to be safe and uncomplicated.”

Flip through magazines with them and help them identify photos of how they might like their house to look. Use those photos as a goal.

“We need to (encourage them by reminding) that so many of us have too much stuff,” she says.

Helping seniors separate from their stuff takes time, patience and respect, both Spacek and Chillious advise.

“Seniors are from a different era of saving,” Chillious says. “They keep what’s important. They’re from an era that really held onto things and there’s a comfort with holding onto things.

“I tell them to start in one room and don’t get overwhelmed by doing your house all at one time,” she adds.

Sit with your loved one in each room and ask them what items in that room they most love. Listen to the story about the china set or the rocking chair.

Encourage them to keep what they most cherish (in addition to family photos).

“This is your beginning point. They must keep their dignity as you go through this,” Chillious says.

Set out boxes and sort items by things

March 2015

they will keep, give to family members, donate to charity or dispose. Stick a note on each door when finished with that room to keep up with what has been accomplished. Allow two weeks per room.

Spacek takes a similar, sensitive approach. She recommends family members buy small boxes to help with the sorting. Books, for example, should be removed from shelves and sorted.

Clean or repair the (often sagging) bookcase and re-shelve the “keepers.”

Items that people want to keep but that still exceed the amount of space available can moved to a garage, closet or any place that is out of the way.

Spacek cautions against putting those boxes in a basement where an unsteady senior may fall if he or she needs to retrieve something.

Both Spacek and Chillious said keeping the items in an out-of-the-way place for several months usually is a good strategy. Encourage the senior to consider donating the items if they don’t use them in that amount of time.

The things that have emotional value in a box. Remind

your loved one that this box is retrievable, and put it in a place where they can easily get to it.

Helping an older family member tackle a clutter zone requires patience, a cooperative tone and time. Suggest a time to get started and keep in mind that some days might be productive, while other days are for sharing stories and visiting.

“Let them make the de-cluttering decisions,” Chillious adds.

And remember, it took a long life to acquire many of these things. They won’t – and shouldn’t – disappear overnight.

Aging Answers

9

Money Matters

Dollars and $ense Follow these tips to discuss finances with your aging parents

By Jeanne Hoban

such as home health care or home maintenance, are the most likely victims of financial exploitation. However, both men and women of all ages, ethnicities, incomes and health statuses can become victims.

When talking about money with your loved ones, pay close attention to three things:

1

How are your loved ones managing day-to-day financial matters, such as banking and bill paying, mail solicitations and/or charity, home repair or phone scams? “You don’t need to know all the details of how they handle things,” Rahl says, “but you do need to know that they are handling them.”

A

s a caregiver, you do your best to ensure that your loved ones’ health and well being are managed. You also can play an important role in ensuring their financial security.

While your parents’ finances may be an uncomfortable subject to broach, avoiding a discussion about their current and future financial situation will make your role as a caregiver more difficult – and could leave them open to financial exploitation or abuse.

“The range of scams, exploitation and outright stealing seniors may encounter is enormous,” says Bert Rahl, director of mental health services for Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging.

According to a recent study from MetLife, women between the ages of 80 and 89 who live alone and require help,

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Aging Answers

2

Where are their financial assets? Checking, savings and retirement accounts are just the beginning. They may also have: real estate (personal and investment); pensions and annuities; stocks, bonds and investments; life insurance and prepaid funeral policies; jewelry or precious metals; or antiques and hobby-based collectibles, such as stamps, coins, figurines or dolls, which can be “monetized.”

3

What are their plans for their financial future, and the new role (not role reversal, stresses Rahl) that you may need to assume if and/or when your loved ones can’t handle things anymore?

This discussion will help ensure that you know and understand your loved ones’ financial priorities, values, goals and aspirations. It also builds the kind of trust that can make

March 2015

acceptance of your parent’s new role – and yours – easier.

Ask Questions, Find Solutions

Rahl suggests taking a direct approach when starting the discussion about finances with your aging parents.

Here are some suggestions: • Ask them if they are having any problems paying bills. How are they managing their investments or rental properties? How are their finances holding out? Do they need assistance or are they having any problems paying for things?

• If there is a problem, you may be tempted to jump in and fix it. Resist that urge, especially if the issue is minor. Instead, Rahl suggests offering to help them figure out how to solve it.

• If you can’t bring yourself to raise the topic of finances directly, you can get a conversation started by talking about your own (or hypothetical) concerns.

• Talk about how exasperated you are about all the charity calls, home repair flyers or magazine renewal letters you are getting.

Then it’s only natural to ask your parents if they, too, are being inundated with solicitations, and learn what they are doing about them.

• Another option is to mention that bill paying has become such a chore that you’ve started paying some of your bills online or have set up direct payment through your bank account.

Offer to help them set up online or automatic payments, too.

March 2015

• If talking about personal or hypothetical issues doesn’t work, talk about what’s happening – especially bogus medical “breakthroughs” and scams – in the news.

“Everyone pays attention to the news, so those kinds of stories are pretty good conversation starters.” says Rahl.

Financial power of attorney

If you successfully get your parents to talk about their finances with you, it may be a good time to raise the topic of financial power of attorney. This would grant you or another designated person access to and management of specified financial accounts and resources, in case your parents were no longer able to manage them.

Some financial POAs divvy up responsibilities, for instance, giving one individual access to accounts used for bill paying and another person management of stock and investment accounts. Encourage your parents to discuss their options with their attorney or financial planner.

Rahl stresses that a POA must be created when the grantor (i.e., your parent) is totally competent because “if or when competency comes into question, there’s the possibility that the legality of the POA comes into question, too.”

Benjamin Rose is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization addressing important issues of aging through service, research and advocacy. It is a service provider that cares for people with complex, long-term needs through home care, mental health case management, social work and other services. benrose.org

Aging Answers

11

Health & Well Being

Living in

BALANCE

Help loved ones stay safe at home by reducing their fall risk

By Dr. John Kandare, Au. D. & Glenn Harbold, Owner of Zounds Hearing

T

he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls are the leading cause of injuryrelated emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths for Ohioans age 65 and older.

Falls among older adults cost Ohio residents $646 million in 2012.

Moreover, the rate of falling has been increasing – from 2000 to 2012, Ohioans ages 65 and older experienced a 167 percent increase in the number of fatal falls and a 136 percent increase in the fall death rate. On average, 2.7 older Ohioans

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Aging Answers

suffered fatal falls each day in 2012.

There’s a ray of hope in this disconcerting data: most falls can be prevented. In fact, preventing falls is the number one thing you can do to keep your loved ones aging safely at home.

Hearing Loss and Fall Risk

Two recent studies point to a critical link between hearing loss and an increased risk of falls.

In one study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that people with only a 25 dB hearing loss

(considered mild) were nearly three times more likely to have a history of falling, even when adjusting for other factors, such as age and vestibular function. The same study showed that as hearing loss increased beyond the 25 dB loss, so did the chances of falling.

Another study from Washington University in St. Louis showed that patients with hearing aids in both ears performed better on balance tests when their hearing aids were turned on compared with when they were off.

March 2015

Hearing Check-Ups Help Identify Fall Risk

Although the National Institutes of Health reports that 47 percent of adults ages 75 and older have a hearing impairment, the good news is that it is easy to find out how much loss is present, and that the majority of people with hearing loss can effectively be treated with hearingassistive devices, especially hearing aids.

A simple step to identify and prevent fall risk is to insist your aging loved one get a hearing check-up. This easy test is non-invasive, painless and takes less than an hour or two if there is a convenient location to get a hearing evaluation nearby.

Some audiologists and hearing

March 2015

aid fitters do not charge anything for a hearing evaluation, and will share the audiogram and other test results to help you quantify the hearing loss, if any exists.

Be sure to ask about costs and what you can expect to leave with when you schedule.

An Ounce of Prevention

This next step is critical but by no means easy, given the ambivalence many older adults feel about hearing aids. If the hearing loss is treatable with hearing aids or another assistive device, make sure they are worn. While hearing aid performance continues to rise, prices and sizes have fallen, meaning they’re more affordable and discreet than ever.

If your loved one’s current aids are not working properly, get the assistance you deserve to make sure the aids are functioning, have been fitted correctly, and that proper training in use and care was provided. Above all, help set realistic expectations since no assistive device is capable of returning hearing to a pristine state.

Consider Home Modifications

Fall prevention is critical for seniors to remain safely in their homes, according to Brian Pritchard, a home modification specialist for HandyPro of Cleveland.

“That TV commercial we’ve all seen, of someone who has fallen and can’t get up, is giving people a solution that only helps them after they’ve experienced an injury,” he says. “We want to prevent falls from happening in the first place.”

Start with the basics, like installing grab bars inside and outside the bathing area, and near the toilet.

“Many people use hand towel holders for support or to pull themselves up, and are pulling them right out of the wall and down to the floor when they fall.

You need something properly installed and designed to support enough weight to keep you safe,” Pritchard says.

Call Zounds at 216-377-5520 for a list of resources to help prevent falls.

Ohio Department of Aging’s Steady U – http://aging.ohio.gov/steadyu

Aging Answers

13

Wednesdays

Arthritis Foundation Tai Chi. 11 a.m.-noon.

Fees: resident $40, nonresident $48. Mentor Community Center, 8600 Munson Road, Mentor, 440-974-5720, cityofmentor.com/play.

Event Listings March & April Mondays

Qi Gong For Balance. Gentle, flowing movements to help improve balance and gait. 10:4511:45 a.m. at Lyndhurst Community Center, 1341 Parkview Drive. 440-473-5138, communitypartnershiponaging.org.

Caregiver’s Support Group. Join this free, open group at any time. 5:30-7:30 p.m. First and third Tuesdays of the month. Call the Outpatient Social Work Department at 216-778-5779. MetroHealth Old Brooklyn Health Center, 4229 Pearl Road, Cleveland.

Stroke Support Group. 11:45 a.m. Fourth Wednesday of the month. Director Sandy McLeod, 440-729-2782; facilitator, Paula Leonette. West Geauga Senior Center, 11414 Caves Road, Chesterland, 440-285-6569.

Breast Cancer Support: “Staying in Touch.”

6-7:30 p.m. Last Wednesday of every month.

Hillcrest Hospital Ross Auditoriums A & B, 6780 Mayfield Road, Mayfield Heights. No registration fee required. 440-312-6636.

Senior Exercise. A light workout to music.

Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m. at South Euclid Community Center, 1370 Victory Drive, South Euclid, 216-291-3902, communitypartnershiponaging.org.

like the Bossa Nova or learn new dances such as Cupid Shuffle and Cha Cha Slide. 9:30-10:30 a.m.

DeJohn Community Center, 6306 Marsol Road, Mayfield Heights, 216-291-3902, communitypartnershiponaging.org.

Gentle Yoga. Instructor can work with any ability level in this gentle workout. noon-1 p.m. DeJohn Community Center, 6306 Marsol Road, Mayfield Heights, 216-291-3902, communitypartnershiponaging.org.

Life After Stroke (Stroke Support Group).

Provides a forum for stroke survivors and their families to share ideas and solve problems.

Summa Rehab Hospital, 29 N. Adams St., Akron.

10 a.m.-noon. Second Friday of every month.

Contact Dr. Cathy Torcasio, 330-686-4455 or 330-572-7300.

Saturdays

Caregiver Support Group. This gathering provides a time for caregivers of parents/ grandparents/children to connect and talk about Stepping Stones: A Stroke Support Group. their experiences and challenges. Live speakers Provides education and support to stroke survivors are provided every other month. Free. Last Caregiver Support Group and Resource Speak Easy Therapy Every Monday, except holiand their loved ones. Third Wednesday of each Saturday of the month. Westbay Rehab and Care Center. Topics include community services for days, 1-3 p.m. Free. Cleveland Hearing & Speech month. Free. 2-3:30 p.m. Edwin Shaw Rehabilita- Center, 27601 Westchester Parkway, Westlake, caregivers; coping with the dynamics of caregivCenter, 11635 Euclid Ave. (University Circle) tion, Gym, 405 Tallmadge Road, Cuyahoga Falls.

440-930-0431. ing; planning; and learning caregiving techniques. 330-436-0966, akrongeneral.org.

For info, 216-231-8787 or email Free. 7-9 p.m. Third Tuesday of the month.

March 4 jean.nisenboum@case.edu.

Thursdays Southwest General Health Center, 18697 Bagley You Change You. This interactive 6-week Tuesdays Memory Care Support Group. This is a free sup- program hosted by the Cleveland Clinic is about Road, Middleburg Heights, 440-816-5018.

Sweet Life Programs. 6-7:30 p.m. through May port and discussion group for caregivers. 1-2 p.m. taking charge of your life. 10 a.m.-noon. Free.

Alzheimer’s Support. For caregivers and 12 at Summa Rehab Hospital, 29 N. Adams St., Typically meets the second and fourth Thursday of Limited availability. Registration Required. memory-impaired individuals. First Tuesday Akron. Free 15-week program provides practical the month. Mentor Senior Center, 8484 Munson Middleburg Heights Library, 15600 E Bagley Rd. ways to help improve your health. Contact Summa (7-8:30 p.m.) and second Friday (1:30-3 p.m.) of Road, Mentor, 440-974-5725, cityofmentor.com.

216-312-5640 or email jameysj@ccf.org. the month.

University Hospital’s Parma Medical Center at New Seasons Center for Health Equity, Center’s Health Education Center, 7300 State Road, Sudden Death Support Group. This group is for Cooking Foods Your Heart Will Love. Good 1493 S. Hawkins Ave., Akron. 800-237-8662. adults who have experienced a sudden death. This tasting food is the secret to success when trying Parma. 440-743-4900.

Take Charge Tuesdays. A “file of life” emergency sudden loss experience can be different from an to follow a heart healthy diet. Come and learn Park Fit. This is a monthly event sponsored by medical file, literature and Know Your Numbers expected loss. Free. 6:30-8 p.m. First Thursday of some new and old tricks to transform your favorite Southpark Mall and Southwest General.

Come wallet card will be provided. No reservations each month. Thomas P. Perciak Family Residential recipes without sacrificing taste. 10-11 a.m. UH for free blood pressure screenings from 9-10 a.m. Hospice, 18659 Drake Road, Strongsville, needed. Available every Tuesday. Special stroke Case Medical. assessment also is available on the last Tuesday of and a free health program at 10 a.m. on the third 877-794-2328.

Tuesday of each month.

Everyone is welcome March 7 each month. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at South Pointe HospiArthritis Exercise. This workout, which is easy on Free Blood Pressure Screening. Lake Health tal - Building B (Harvard Entrance) 20000 Harvard and there is always free coffee. South Park Mall. the joints, is approved by the Arthritis Foundation. offers free screenings to check blood pressure 440-816-4037.

Road, Warrensville Heights. 216-491-6690.

9:30-10:30 a.m. DeJohn Community Center, between visits to physicians. TriPoint Medical 6306 Marsol Road, Center, Physician Pavilion, 7590 Auburn Road, Mayfield Heights, Concord. Also, on March 21, 9 a.m.-noon at West 216-291-3902, Point Medical Center, Willoughby. For more info, communitypartner- 440-953-6000 or visit lakehealth.org/wegetit. shiponaging.org.

Pre-Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome/ Stop the Clock.

Avoid/postpone a diagnosis of diabetes by learning self-care management techniques and dietary guidelines from the certified diabetes nurse educators and dietitian. Thursdays, 5-6 p.m. $50 for four one-hour sessions.

Southwest General Main Campus, 18697 Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights.

Fridays

Intermediate Line Dancing.

Remember oldies

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Aging Answers

March 10

FitPaths Too. This class is a complete workout for active seniors that includes low impact aerobic activity, strength training and stretching. 10-11 a.m. Fairview Hospital Wellness Center, 3035 Wooster Road, Rocky River. $35 for a 10-card class.

440-356-0670, option 5.

March 11

Better Health with Whole Grains. Eating 3-5 serving of whole grains a day may reduce your risk for heart disease by 21 percent. 10-11 a.m. UH Case Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, Mather Pavillion Conference Room 1735. Free.

216-844-1058, uhhospitals.org.

March 12

Cleveland Clinic Supper Club. Enjoy several games of bingo from 3-4 p.m., followed by dinner and dessert. Euclid Hospital Cafeteria, 18901 Lake Shore Blvd., Euclid. Doors open at 2:30 for check-in and collection of bingo cards. Event runs through 4:45 p.m. Cost is $5. Receive two reusable bingo cards and dinner. Register at 216-448-1210 March 2015

Leave voicemail with your name & phone number. describe best practices to keep you walking with your best foot forward. Enjoy a healthy, Sugar School Diabetes Class. Want to know hot breakfast and foot screening after the walk. what to eat to control your blood sugar and lose 9:30-11 a.m. Great Lakes Mall, 7850 Mentor Ave. weight? Sugar School will teach you in just one Macy’s Concourse. night! Cost is $20 per person or $30 per couple.

Lodi Community Hospital, Elyria St., Lodi, 7-9 p.m. March 31 330-948-5546 or visit akrongeneral.org.

“Hear the Rest of the Story – When Hearing Aids Are Not Enough.” Free, Dr. Karen Kantzes March 18 answers your questions and discusses factors to Geriatric Assessment Program (GAP), Helpconsider when choosing a hearing health profesing Older Adults Manage Their Senior Years. sional and/or hearing instruments. 1:30-2:30 Are you worried about your parent or another p.m. Brecksville Library, 9089 Brecksville Road. To senior who might not be safe at home? Learn how reserve your spot, Call Rosemary at an evaluation by GAP can provide answers and 440-838-1477 or email rweizer@chsc.org. offer support with difficult decisions. 6-7:15 p.m.

TriPoint Medical Center, Physician Pavilion, 7590 Auburn Road, Concord. 440-953-6000 or visit Lakehealth.org/wegetit.

April 4

Healthy Strides. Combines a casual 1-3 mile walk, preceded by a brief informative talk by Cleveland Clinic physicians and caregivers.

8:30-9:30 a.m. Twinsburg Fitness Center, 10084 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg. 216-312-5640 for info.

April 6

Chair Yoga. A complete series of seated and standing yoga poses. Chair support is offered to safely perform a variety of postures designed to increase flexibility, balance and range of movement. 10-11 a.m. Fairview Hospital Wellness Center, 3035 Wooster Road, Rocky River. $35 for a 10-card class. 440-356-0670, option 5.

April 8

Understanding Cholesterol: The Good, the Bad & the Needed. Susan Musal, CNP, will lead a discussion on the relationship between cholesterol and heart disease. Free. Registration required. 6-7p.m. Brunswick Library, 3649 Center Rd, Brunswick. For more info, 216-3125640 or email jameysj@ccf.org.

April 22

Good Health in Store: Supermarket Tours for Diabetes. Supermarket tours provide hands-on experience reading food labels, determining portion sizes, learning what to avoid and knowing when to “bend the rules.” Open to everyone.

10:30-11:30 a.m. Miller’s Market, 711 Wooster St., Lodi. 330-948-5546 or visit akrongeneral.org.

Yoga for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain. This is a gentle yoga class for women who live with the symptoms of fibromyalgia and chronic pain.

Cost is $99. Starting Wednesdays, the 9:30 a.m. class runs through April 8. UH Women’s Health Institute, 730 SOM Center Road, Mayfield Village, 216-285-4043, uhospitals.org.

March 24

“Hear the Rest of the Story – When Hearing Aids Are Not Enough.” Free presentation, Dr. Laura Brady answers your questions and discusses factors to consider when choosing a hearing health professional and/or hearing instruments.

10-11 a.m. Beachwood Library, Meeting Room B, 25501 Shaker Blvd. To reserve your spot, call Rosemary at 440-838-1477 or, email rweizer@chsc.org.

March 25

Grandparenting Today. This class is designed to help prepare grandparents for their new role prior to and after the birth of a grandchild. Free.

7-9 p.m. UH Landerbrook Health Center, 5850 Landerbrook Drive,Cleveland. 216-844-2000, uhhospitals.org.

Senior Connection Lunch and Learn – “Could you benefit from home health care?”

Presented by Laurie Thompson. Registration is required. Lunch is $2. Noon-1 p.m. Willoughby Hills Community Center, 35400 Chardon Road. To register, 440-953-6000 or visit Lakehealth.org/wegetit.

March 27 Mall Walkers at Great Lakes Mall Podiatry Event. Join Lake Health podiatrists as they

RightFit

A free, down-to-earth wellness program designed to help adults ages 65 and older improve their health at a comfortable pace.

• Akron General Health & Wellness Ctr. - Green:

Mon. & Thurs., 2 - 3 p.m. 1940 Town Park Blvd.

Uniontown

• Akron General Health & Wellness Ctr. - North: Tues. & Thurs., 1 - 2 p.m. 4300 Allen Rd, Stow

• Akron General Health & Wellness Ctr. - West: Tues. & Thurs., 2 - 3 p.m. 4125 Medina Rd, Akron For more information 330-665-8272 RightFit@akrongeneral.org March 2015

Aging Answers

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