50plus Life Chester County – June 2022

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Complimentary | Chester County Edition

June 2022

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Just breathe ... and then move

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how to get help as an elder orphan page 12

African american music appreciation month page 15

Retirement Diary: The First 7 Seconds

By Peter Merkl I accomplished my main retirement goal within the first seven seconds of the first day.

At precisely 5:30 a.m., as it had for 40 years, my despised alarm clock blared Monday-morning mayhem into my slumbering skull. Eyes still closed, I reflexively reached over to spank the snooze button when I realized with a start that this day was different.

Today, this work dog had slipped the leash: I was free!

Free to do whatever I wanted for the whole day. Free in a way I’d never been in my entire life. No parents, no boss telling me where I had to be and what I had to do.

Free as an eagle sailing an updraft over a high mountain lake. Free as a lion slinking through the tall grass on a broad African savannah. Free as a dolphin leaping along big surf off a black Hawaiian beach.

Free! Living for the pure joy of it.

No longer waking every weekday and having my first thought be, “Is there any excuse I can use to get out of going to work today?” Not tethered by midyear reviews, yearly evaluations, customer ratings, puny raises, or my boss’s scowl.

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Never again, while driving to work, ruminating on all my long-overdue projects while praying I wouldn’t get sidetracked by the crisis du jour, only to get hit as I stepped into the office by two hellish crises du jour.

Not looking over my shoulder at computer-savvy younger employees or an ambitious subordinate. No longer one email away from disaster. Free of the weight of my boss’s expectations and my own petty ambitions.

No longer having to make good impressions each time I interacted with every single person up my supervisory chain. Free of the burden of having to always say the politically correct thing and of constantly editing my speech to avoid giving any, even dimly perceived, offense because that was absolutely verboten.

No more awkward small talk with my fellow nobodies as we waited for the important people to show up late for meetings. Not having to make everyone laugh at some half-witticism during and, most critically, at the end of meetings.

No more pretending that something of great consequence had been accomplished during a meeting and solemnly discussing it with another employee as we exited the conference room.

No more spreadsheets. No more PowerPoints. Never again having to sit through any presentations of any kind. No more charts. No more fiscal years.

Never again having to live under the tyranny of a supervisor’s moods. Never again counting to 10 before responding to a provocative email.

No more heart palpitations as I frantically search my crashing computer for the CYA email that will exonerate me from responsibility for some misbegotten project that has finally exploded into the flaming fiasco it was always destined to be.

No more weekends and holidays ruined by a work crisis. Never again staring forlornly out my office window at sultry summer, crisp autumn, snowy winter, and balmy spring days.

No more Microsoft Office updates. No more searching for lost files and documents. Never again fearing the last thing I’ll see in this beautiful world are life-sucking fluorescent lights as I’m gurneyed feet-first out of my office.

No more thermostat wars.

Never again feeling my heart thud against my chest when I’m suddenly ripped from the deepest REM sleep by the horrifying realization that I screwed up something crucial at work in some unfixable way.

No more human resources, accounting, IT, or legal. No more impatiently waiting for vacation requests to be approved. Being free to drink a beer with lunch — or breakfast. Not having to answer calls I don’t want to take.

Never again filling with dread while watching the lengthening shadows of another mournful Sunday sundown as I pondered whether this will be the week my ineptitude will finally do me in at work.

As I lay in bed with my hand poised over the snooze button, all these memories and more swept over me in a tsunami of regret — and pride — because, even when weighed in the scales of the Old Testament, 40 years is a long time to persevere through suffering.

And so, on the seventh second of my retirement, I fumbled in the dark for the alarm clock’s power cord and gave it a yank. Then I slowly rolled over and dreamed my way into the Promised Land. www.50plusLifePA.com

The Cautious Consumer Guy

Our Ancestors Drove Electric Cars Arthur Vidro

The gradual switching over of gasolineAlmost all were crushed. One functioning powered cars to electric cars doesn’t specimen still resides in the Smithsonian, bother me, even though I generally oppose and a few nonfunctional ones have scattered technological change and have been called, off to other museums. not unfairly, a curmudgeon.

And now electric cars have begun their I’m not bothered because electric cars are ascendancy anew. They seem to be the wave not a new technology. The majority of folks of the future. For instance, municipal law nowadays think electric cars are an invention in Atlanta, Georgia, requires all newly built st of the 21 century. Far from it. They go back homes to accommodate electric vehicles. th th to the 20 century. And even the 19 .

It looks like electric cars will become the At the dawn of the automotive era, three champs again in 15-20 years. Yet it’s possible versions of cars fought for market share: that future advances in internal-combustion steam, electric, and gasoline. All three types cars — such as finding a way to get 200 competed in 1898 in a hill-climbing contest miles from each gallon of gasoline — could in France; the electric car won. wrest the championship belt back from When 1900 came along, 40% of U.S. electric cars.

Morrison electric carriage. automobiles were powered by steam, 38% Arthur Vidro worked for a decade in the stock by electricity, and 22% by gasoline. But industry. Before and after, he wrote newspaper the steam engine proved complicated and extremely thirsty, and the gasoline articles and edited a few books. He has served as treasurer of theater and library engine was unreliable, noisy, and prone to excessive vibration. organizations. He’s been cautious with money ever since a dollar was worth a dollar.

Thus, the electric car emerged as the winner. At least for a while.

The gasoline car is often credited to Carl Benz, who drove his first internalcombustion vehicle — a three-wheeler — in early 1885.

At a public showing later that year, he forgot to steer (I wonder if he was posing for the press) and smashed the vehicle against a brick wall surrounding his estate. It’s probably the first car crash caused by distracted driving.

When did the electric car come into being? It dates back to circa 1890 when William Morrison of Des Moines, Iowa, built a car powered by electricity.

Electric cars became the most popular car in America during the late 1890s of Baby Boomers have taken action and early 1900s. as a result of seeing an ad in a print They were easy to operate, ran quietly, and did not emit smelly fumes. newspaper in the past 30 days.2 But they were limited in speed (about 20 miles per hour, tops) and needed recharging about every 50 miles.

Despite those limitations, electric cars were king of the hill by 1912, with more than 33,000 such cars registered in the United States alone.

Eventually, the first automobile to exceed 60 miles per hour would be an electric car.

But the game changed in 1912, when General Motors introduced the battery-reliant electric starter. This innovation did away with the need for the dreaded hand-crank, which pretty much required strength to use and tended to cause injury.

With the electric starter, women could drive solo too, and so could nonmuscular guys. Since then, cars with internal-combustion engines have reigned.

This vying for supremacy is a pattern not unique to automobiles. In the Because in print or online, newspapers are late 1970s and for most of the 1980s, I can recall two competing formats for videotapes, VHS and Betamax, duking it out. VHS won the videotape battle, but eventually they both lost the war to DVDs. of news and information among all age groups.1 Some of us remember that electric cars attempted a comeback in the late 1990s when General Motors mass-produced its EV1 vehicle. This experimental electric car was leased but not sold. Users were, by and large, very happy with their electric cars.

To advertise your products and services, call But once the leases expired, General Motors made the startling decision to 717-285-1350 or email info@onlinepub.com demand the return of all the cars and consigned them to the trash compacter.

Sources: 1Coda Ventures; 2NAA

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June 2022

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Cover Story

Just Breathe ... and then Move

By Lynda Hudzick Corporate Office

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June 2022

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June Smith Center provided a safe, comforting, and unique educational program for students with special needs.

Sally McKinney, or “Miss Sally” as she’s perhaps “We were able to assure better known these days, has the families that their always wanted to make a children have skills and positive impact on others in will make progress,” she whatever way she can. said. “Interacting with the Even in the midst of a parents was as important as pandemic, McKinney found interacting with the kids.” a way to do just that by Fast-forward to 2020 and connecting virtually with McKinney, though having friends of all ages. Although recently retired, was asked she admits she is “not at all by several of those parents if skilled with technology,” she could do something to she is thrilled when anyone stay in touch and “keep their acknowledges the difference kids engaged and learning” her online presence has made during the pandemic, she in their lives. said.

A Lancaster native and “I decided to read a book daughter of self-employed … and post it on Facebook florists, McKinney spent her and Instagram.” childhood surrounded by She opened each book“warm, sunny greenhouses reading segment by engaging and the smell of sweet peas, the children with her “breath carnations, gladiolas, and ball,” which she said helped many more.” the children “calm down and She remembers helping focus before being asked to with the business as a kid sit and listen to the story and alongside her brother. look at the pictures.”

“We were examples of The infamous “breath ‘take your kids to work day’ ball,” which McKinney used every day,” she said. in her classroom during A graduate of Pequea her teaching days as a Valley High School, calming strategy, is simply she received both her an expandable ball that she undergraduate and graduate opens while inhaling and degrees in elementary closes while exhaling. education from Millersville “It caught on, and soon I University. She is also the had adults, including parents proud mother of two adult and grandparents, saying, daughters.

‘I love your breath ball and McKinney spent her breathe with you when you teaching career as a preschool do your online story time … special needs teacher for ages where can I buy one? I need 3-6 at the S. June Smith McKinney’s many story-time videos one!’” McKinney said.

Center for 42 years. have earned her a devoted following Her reading videos provide “It wasn’t a chosen career,” among area preschoolers. a great opportunity for she said. “It happened to be grandparents to connect with something I applied for, and their grandchildren. it sounded like fun!”

“It’s fun to sit together for some quality time and McKinney found those years both rewarding read and learn — I go to the library a lot to get and challenging and particularly enjoyed good books,” she said. interacting with families who were “sending their And with so many options to choose from, children who had unique and special needs, many McKinney said “you can definitely get lost in complex, to school, for the first time.” books at any age. I saw a billboard that said, ‘You McKinney is proud that her work with the S. www.50plusLifePA.com

can’t buy happiness, but you can buy books.’ I wish I had thought of that because it is so true!”

As much as she encourages reading, McKinney also believes in the importance of getting up and moving, and it is that belief that led her to work on the creation of some “movement” videos for adults of any age.

“I absolutely believe that movement is medicine and the key to a better, happier life,” McKinney said. “I’ve posted a few simple fitness videos that guide people and give instructions to move … movement can be done anywhere, anytime, with family, friends, kids, by yourself … just do it!”

During the quarantine, McKinney and her daughters took that movement idea on the road, visiting nursing homes and sharing dances they had created with the residents, while safely remaining outdoors.

“We brought some joy to the isolated residents by walking around to their windows outside and blasting our music … even getting them to get up and move a bit,” she said. “I think it was as therapeutic for us as it was for them.”

McKinney is excited that people are enjoying her story-time and fitness videos and has actually been recognized a few times when out and about.

“Kids will say to their parents, ‘There’s Miss Sally from TV,’ or ‘Miss Sally, do you have any books, and where is your breath ball?’” McKinney said. “I love sharing, and I want to make an impact … I am so happy when anyone acknowledges my contribution.”

As has always been her wish, McKinney continues to make a very positive difference to those around her.

Soni Dimond, host/producer of the “Vibrant Living” segment series on abc27 WHTM-TV’s Good Day PA, recently featured McKinney on the program and found her inspiring.

“I am convinced we need Miss Sally in our lives!” Dimond said. “Adults and all generations love her!”

You can connect with Miss Sally via Instagram on instagram.com/ sallyemckinney or on Facebook at facebook.com/smckinney21.

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Assisted Living Residences/ Personal Care Homes

This is not an all-inclusive list of agencies and providers. These advertisers are eager to provide additional information about their services.

Bethany Village — MapleWood

325 Wesley Drive • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 • 717-766-0279 www.BethanyVillage.org • jyockin@asbury.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 100 Assisted Living Licensure: Yes Personal Care Licensure: No Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Telemedicine Available: No Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Featuring private accommodations with aroundthe-clock assistance to help you stay active and engaged.

evergreen estates retirement community

1600 East King Street • Lancaster, PA 17602 • 717-394-2208 www.evergreenestatesrc.com • john@evergreenestatesrc.com Total AL and/or PC Beds: 125 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

The Hickman friends senior community of west chester

Total AL and/or PC Beds: 125 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

400 North Walnut Street • West Chester, PA 19380 484-760-6300 • www.thehickman.org

Telemedicine Available: No Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: The Hickman is a senior living community located in the heart of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Guided by Quaker principles and tradition, The Hickman provides individualized care and assistance to older adults who seek a safe and affordable living environment.

Homeland Center

1901 North Fifth Street • Harrisburg, PA 17102 717-221-7727 • www.homelandcenter.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 56 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: No Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes On-call Medical Service: Yes

Homewood at Plum Creek

On-call Medical Service: Yes Telemedicine Available: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No

Moravian Manor Communities

300 West Lemon Street • Lititz, PA 17543 • 717-626-0214 moravianmanorcommunities.org • info@moravianmanor.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 55 Assisted Living Licensure: Yes Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

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June 2022

On-call Medical Service: Yes Telemedicine Available: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No – visiting pets only.

Comments: To schedule a personal appointment, please call Cindy Redinger at 717-625-6126.

50plus Life

Telemedicine Available: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Providing exemplary care in a beautiful environment for more than 150 years. Our continuum of care includes therapy services, skilled rehab, 24-hour medical staffing, plus Hospice, HomeHealth, and HomeCare outreach programs. All-private rooms include a full bath and kitchenette.

Landis Homes

425 Westminster Avenue • Hanover, PA 17331 717-637-4166 • www.homewoodplumcreek.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 93 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-private Rooms: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

On-call Medical Service: Yes Telemedicine Available: No Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Respite Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes

1001 East Oregon Road • Lititz, PA 17543 • 717-844-9766 www.LandisHomes.org • admissions@landis.org Total AL and/or PC Beds: 97 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: No Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: No Part/Totally Refundable: No Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

On-call Medical Service: Yes Telemedicine Available: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: No Alzheimer’s Care: Yes Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: Yes Comments: Attached to wellness center and pool without going outside.

vibralife senior living

707 Shepherdstown Road • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-591-2100 • www.vibralife.net • amilburn@vibralifemc.com Total AL and/or PC Beds: 46 Assisted Living Licensure: No Personal Care Licensure: Yes Private Rooms: Yes Semi-Private Rooms: Yes Private Pay: Yes SSI Accepted: No Short-term Lease/Respite: Yes Entrance Fee/Security Deposit: Yes Outdoor Areas/Walking Paths/ Fitness Center: Yes Medication Management: Yes

On-call Medical Service: Yes Telemedicine Available: Yes Health Fee-for-Service Available: Yes Alzheimer’s Care: No Social Programs: Yes Housekeeping/Laundry Service: Yes Transportation (Scheduled): Yes Personal Car Permitted: Yes Pets Permitted: No

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CROSSWORD

Puzzle Page

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 18.

SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

Rivers of the U.S.

Across 1. Concludes 5. Lackawanna’s lake 9. Wistful word 13. Writer Ephron 14. Do penance 15. Singer Falana 16. Black stone 17. Hare 19. Letters of distress 20. Columbo star Peter 21. Jewish scholar 22. Successor 24. Stir-fry pan 26. Yang’s counterpart Down 1. Son of Seth 2. Faux pas 3. After dinner drink 4. Woodwind instrument 5. And others, for short 6. Stone 7. Octopus’s defense 8. Always, in verse 9. Jessica of Dark Angel 10. Foyer 11. Excuse 12. Gown material 14. Open slightly 18. Biblical boat

27. Amphitheater 29. Droop 30. Most painful 32. Eight furlongs 34. Wager 37. Gob 38. Douglas fir, e.g.

40. Harem room 41. One of Alcott’s Little Women 42. Kind of exam 43. Farm horse 45. Draw 46. Liabilities

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Split pea Electric fish Depend ___ artery Feathery scarves Barbecue site Craziness Former Yugoslav leader Band member Actor’s forte From scratch Bouquet Consider Doctrines

20. Debacle 23. Compass pt.

24. Homeless child 25. Looked amorously 27. Hammett hound 28. Drift 29. Photog’s request 31. Bakery offering 33. Wears away 34. Hair holders 35. Blue-pencil 36. Beach shades 39. Brad 44. Actress Barbara ___ Geddes

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Repeat For all to hear Oblivion Author Umberto Beams From a distance Well (It.) Provo neighbor News bit Pulls Ancient Fish story Mai ___

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June 2022

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On Life and Love after 50

Tom Blake

Why High School Reunions are Good Places for Singles to Meet

In a recent e-newsletter, I wrote about a couple who started dating after reuniting at their high school reunion in 2018. The woman lives in Illinois; the man lives in California, near his three daughters, seven grandchildren, and 96-year-old mom.

The woman is frustrated because they live so far apart. She wonders if she’s wasting her time with him. Readers responded, including a woman named Althea, who wrote: “Your recent article inspired me to share this high school reunion story with you. My half-brother, Ray, who is now 89, was married for over 50 years to Shirley and was widowed in March 2010 at the age of 77.

“In 2011, there was a summer high school class reunion in our hometown of Foxboro, Massachusetts, which he attended. He was living in South Carolina.

“At that reunion, he met Diane, a woman he had known in high school, who graduated a year after he graduated. He knew her through a family member of hers. She is a retired nurse and a widow with five kids, and Ray also

has five kids.

“Diane lived in Ohio. Ray visited her there, and she visited him in South Carolina. Plus, between visits, they spent a lot of time talking over the phone.

“Ray and Diane married a year after Shirley died. I thought it was crazy and disrespectful to his wife of 50-plus years until I talked to him and my nephew, his oldest son, about it. They both said that Shirley wanted Ray to be happy and not be alone for the rest of his years.

“Even though Ray and Diane married quickly, they are still together and happy, now living in Ohio in an assisted living facility.

“The key to senior relationships is honest and upfront communication. The woman from your most recent article needs to have communication with the California guy if they are to be a forever couple who met at a high school reunion.”

I’ve written about two of my high school classmates — Phil and Sue — who hadn’t seen or communicated with each other since graduation. At our 50th Jackson, Michigan, high school reunion in 2007, they spent 20 minutes talking to each other. Both were married at the time.

Five years ago, Phil became a widower. He heard from another classmate that Sue was divorced. He lived in California; Sue lived in Michigan. He contacted her and asked if he could visit her. She said yes.

When they were together in Michigan for a week, they realized they had special feelings for each other. After he returned home to California, he proposed to her over the phone. They were married two weeks later in California. Sue moved there to be with Phil.

These two reunion stories illustrate four reasons why high school reunions are good places for older adults to meet potential partners: 1. The number of singles attending increases. As we age, more and more people who attend reunions are single again. Often widows and widowers attend because they know the people and feel more comfortable among them.

2. A single person might see someone they had secretly admired in high school who is also now single. Why not spend some time together?

3. When people who have known each other for years share memories and experiences at class reunions, they often have much in common, which is an important factor in compatibility.

4. Sometimes, people from different graduating classes also attend reunions, which means even more singles are there. You might meet someone older or younger whom you didn’t even know before.

When you receive that reunion notice, don’t just toss it aside. An unexpected meeting could happen.

For dating information, previous articles, or to sign up for Tom’s complimentary, weekly e-newsletter, go to findingloveafter50.com.

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June 2022

50plus Life

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Dear Pharmacist

Suzy Cohen

What an Intracranial Headache Feels Like

Having a headache is common, and up to 75% of adults worldwide have experienced one in the last year, according to the Cleveland Clinic. There are all sorts of headache disorders, such as migraines and tension, hormonal, and cluster headaches.

Popular medications can induce a headache, including the very effective blood pressure pills known as ACE inhibitors. You probably have heard of the ACE receptor; that’s what coronavirus binds to as it enters human cells.

But what about intracranial headaches due to high pressure on the brain? It’s a serious problem, and I think it is important to understand what that type of headache feels like. It’s also critical to distinguish this from a migraine, which often has an aura.

Probably the most common symptom of intracranial hypertension (aside from the headache itself) is eye trouble! There is no aura. You may have blind spots, poor peripheral (side) vision, blurry vision, double vision, and temporary bouts of vision loss. Left untreated, many people experience permanent vision loss.

An intracranial hypertension headache happens when there is increased intracranial pressure in the brain. Normally this occurs if a person has a traumatic brain injury, car accident, sports injury, or a disease involving the spinal cord.

It wasn’t that common except in the elderly population with high risk of a stroke, hydrocephalus, or aneurysm. Nowadays, I get questions about severe, moving headaches frequently, so I’ve been researching the cause of these.

The hallmark symptom, of course, is a severe headache, one that might even move quickly around your head! It may be sharp and severe or may feel like a dull, aching pressure that makes your eyes hurt.

You may feel less alert and a bit confused, but also possibly restless. As the pressure rises in your brain, you may become less able to speak normally and more weak. It may feel like it’s a little bit harder to breathe. These symptoms can come on in minutes and wake you in the middle of the night.

This is not a headache you can treat at home; this is a medical emergency, in many cases, because it could mean impending stroke or blindness.

There are, however, a number of cases where individuals can walk around and sort of function in life with mild ICP. And this may be you if you’ve been to dozens of doctors for your weird, unrelenting headaches.

The condition can be diagnosed with a lumbar puncture that assesses the pressure of your cerebrospinal fluid. A visual examination looking for papilledema is critical as part of the fundamental workup.

I hope this article has been helpful in enlightening you to the new type of headache we are seeing. I hope it helps you to have learned the symptoms today in case you or a loved one experiences this.

For more information, visit the Intracranial Hypertension Research Foundation at ihrfoundation.org.

This information is not intended to diagnose, prevent, or treat your disease. For more information about the author, visit suzycohen.com.

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June 2022

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Willing to Wander

The Often-Overlooked Islands of New York City

Victor Block

Mention New York City and “islands” in the same breath, and it’s likely that Liberty and Ellis will come to mind.

Liberty Island is home to the world-famous statue that, since 1886, has welcomed people to the United States. Once here, many of them were processed through the immigrant station on Ellis Island.

The pleasant surprise is that New York City comprises 40odd islands, many of them little known to visitors. Some are open to guests, while those that are not have attractions that may be viewed from offshore (nycgo.com).

From recreation to restaurants, chattering birds to

Photo credit: Dalia Kvedaraite/Dreamstime.com

Food-stealing squa birds are residents of the Chimney Sweeps Islands.

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A bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s head at Four Freedoms State Park.

sullen seals, the islands appeal to a variety of interests. Here’s an introduction to several that might convince you to do a bit of island hopping the next time you visit “the Big Apple.”

••• Randalls and Wards islands were separated until, in the 1960s, the channel between them was filled in.

Much of Randalls is set aside as parks that house athletic fields, a driving range, and other recreational facilities.

In the past, it was the site of asylums, hospitals, and cemeteries.

During the Revolutionary War, Randalls and Wards — which Native Americans

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called Minnehanonck and Tenkenas — were the site of British military posts.

They were used to launch attacks on Manhattan.

Other islands also saw chapters of history play out. In 1637 the Dutch governor of what was then New Amsterdam purchased an island in the East River from its Native American owners, Photo credit: Alexat25/Dreamstime.com and then lost it when the One of numerous restaurants on City Island.

Netherlands surrendered to Britain in 1664.

In 1796, a descendant of the original English owner built a home, which is the sixth oldest house in New York City.

Almost a century later, a Gothic-style lighthouse was constructed on the northern tip of the island.

In 1973, the name was changed to Roosevelt Island to honor the 32nd president of the country, and planning for the Photo credit: Gilad Fiskus/Dreamstime.com Franklin D. Roosevelt The Statue of Liberty dominates Liberty Island.

Four Freedoms Park got underway. The focus of the park is a plaza containing a bust of Roosevelt and excerpts from his famous “Four Freedoms” speech carved onto walls.

The name of Mill Rock Island is said to have come from a man who constructed a tidal mill there around 1701. At the start of the War of 1812, the U.S. War Department built a blockhouse armed with cannons to guard New York Harbor from the British navy.

Mile-long Hart Island has filled numerous roles, including serving as a Civil War Union prisoner-of-war camp. At that time, it held 3,413 captured Confederate Army soldiers, a number of whom died and were buried nearby.

Memories of a different war and other historical tidbits linger on Swinburne Island. The 4-acre artificial enclave, and nearby Hoffman Island, served as training stations for the U.S. Merchant Marine at the start of World War II. Some of the Quonset huts that were erected still stand.

Those islands played a very different role in the early 20th century: as quarantine locations for immigrants. After several cholera epidemics swept across the world, the U.S. government used them to house immigrants seeking to enter the country who were found to be suffering from contagious diseases.

Swinburne and Hoffman Islands today are part of a National Recreation Area. While they’re not open to the public, it’s possible to spot harbor and gray seals that hang out on Swinburne.

Wildlife also is an attraction on the Chimney Sweeps Islands, a pair of small dots of bedrock in City Island Harbor. They’re inhabited by numerous birds, including gulls, great blue herons, and predatory skuas, which love to steal food from other seabirds.

There are two legends about the origin of the islands’ name. One is that, from a distance, they resemble “chimney sweeps,” brooms used to clean out the chimneys of houses. The other is that a man once purchased the islands using money he had earned sweeping chimneys.

Then there are islands that serve as venues for a variety of activities and www.50plusLifePA.com

entertainment. City Island, which contains a neighborhood of the Bronx, echoes the charm of a New England fishing village, provided by oystermen, shipbuilders, and ship pilots who settled there in the past.

Along with marinas and yacht clubs, it’s famous for dozens of seafood restaurants Photo credit: PicturemakersLLC/Dreamstime.com where lobster is a popular The New York City skyline provides a backdrop specialty. for a Randalls Island soccer game.

Adding to the atmosphere are the spectacular Samuel Pell Mansion, built by a well-to-do oysterman in the 19th century, and the Nautical Museum, which displays maritime artifacts and antiques.

Speaking of atmosphere, the Climate Museum on Governors Island combines art, science, and various activities to raise Photo credit: Sangaku/Dreamstime.com awareness about climate Cannons at Fort Jay on Governors Island. change. It’s housed in a former military officer’s house dating from when the island was a U.S. Army post.

The island’s name stems from the British Colonial era, when the island was reserved for use of royal governors of New York.

The 172-acre protuberance in New York Harbor hosts an impressive yearround roster of programs and exhibitions that can make it worth a visit.

Adding to the appeal are fortifications built to protect New York Harbor.

Fort Jay, completed in 1795 and reconstructed several times, was designed to have 100 guns and barracks for 230 troops.

Whether you’re seeking a fishing village or a fort, an outstanding meal or an interesting museum, the below-the-radar islands of New York City may be worth checking out.

After gallivanting around the world, Victor Block still retains the travel bug. He believes that travel is the best possible education. A member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Victor loves to explore new destinations and cultures, and his stories about them have won a number of writing awards.

Information and support whenever you need it View online at: www.onlinepub.com (under supplements)

50plus Life

June 2022

11

Savvy Senior

How to Get Help as an Elder Orphan Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior, I need to find someone honest and reliable to look after my estate, health, and long-term care when I’m no longer able to do it myself. I’m a 67-year-old recent widow with no children and one sibling I rarely talk to. Any suggestions?

– Solo Ager

• A “durable power of attorney” that allows you to designate someone to handle your financial matters if you become incapacitated • A n “advanced healthcare directive” that includes a “living will” that tells your doctor what kind of care you want to receive if you become incapacitated

Dear Solo, This is big concern for millions of older Americans who don’t have a spouse, children, or other family they can depend on to watch out for their well-being.

While there’s no one solution to this issue, here are some tips and resources that can help you plan ahead.

• A “healthcare power of attorney,” which names a person you authorize to make medical decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to

Essential Documents If you haven’t already done so, your first step, before choosing a reliable decision maker, is to prepare a basic estate plan of at least four essential legal documents. This will protect you and make sure your wishes are carried out if you become seriously ill or when you die.

These essential documents include:

• A “will” that spells out how you’d like your property and assets distributed after you die and requires you to designate an “executor” to ensure your wishes are carried out To prepare these documents, your best option is to hire an attorney, which can cost anywhere between $500 and $2,000.

Or, if you are interested in a do-it-yourself plan, Quicken WillMaker & Trust 2022 and LegalZoom.com are some top options. please see ORPHAN on facing page

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It Was 50 Years Ago Today

‘The Candy Man’ Randal Hill

“It’s horrible. It’s white bread, it’s ‘cute-ums.’”

The Candy Man, oh, the Candy Man can Sammy Davis Jr. couldn’t imagine singing lyrics that The Candy Man can ’cause he mixes it with love included such cloying phrases as “groovy lemon pies.” But And makes the world taste good Davis was being pressured to record “The Candy Man” by both his manager and Mike Curb, the 26-year-old hotshot Woods did a serviceable job on the tune, but Newley president of MGM Records. hated the rather stiff rendition and felt that Woods’s version Curb was convinced the song had “hit” written all over could easily doom a potential hit single. Newley decided to it — but only if done by Davis. Before he approached the record his own interpretation, but Mike Curb got the jump legendary vocalist, Curb recruited his 16-member recording on him. group — the Mike Curb Congregation — to tape a Eventually, Davis capitulated, still fearing this could childlike background for “The Candy Man.” become a regrettable decision. Focused on a forthcoming Now if only Davis could be convinced to lay down a trip to Vietnam to entertain the troops, he hurried through vocal track …

“The Candy Man” in two takes.

As a member of the legendary Rat Pack, Davis had When he listened to the playback in the recording studio, earned celebrity by performing for sophisticated adult Davis moaned, “This record is going straight into the toilet, audiences. Was he willing to risk his reputation now by and it may just pull my whole career down with it.” recording a featherweight kiddie ditty?

To his amazement (but not Curb’s), the single caught the Photo credit: NBC Television Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was the classic nation’s ear when music fans of all ages embraced the joy Sammy Davis Jr. performing on 1971 movie based on the 1964 book Charlie and the the television program The Perry that Davis offered here. “The Candy Man” shot to No. 1 on Como Show.

Chocolate Factory by children’s writer Roald Dahl.

Billboard’s chart and even earned a Grammy nomination.

In Dahl’s novel, the main character is Charlie Bucket, In time, the 45 topped playlists worldwide.

“The Candy Man” who, along with four other juveniles, visits a candy factory “There are lots of regional hits, but rarely does a record

By Sammy Davis Jr. owned by the eccentric chocolatier Willie Wonka (played to become an international hit,” Davis explained later, June 1972 perfection by Gene Wilder). probably with a smile and perhaps a slight feeling of guilt.

British entertainment partners Anthony Newley and “With a 5% royalty, I made half a million dollars.”

Leslie Bricusse had created the music for the film’s soundtrack. The first tune heard is “The Candy Man.” Who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream Sung by actor Aubrey Woods as the neighborhood candy-store owner named Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream?

Bill, the shopkeeper enthusiastically extols the magical properties of Wonka’s The Candy Man. Oh, the Candy Man can seductive sweets: Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew Cover it with chocolate and a miracle or two?

ORPHAN from facing page Choosing Decision Makers and Helpers Most people think first of naming a family member as their power of attorney for finances and healthcare or executor of their will.

If, however, you don’t have someone to fill those roles, you may want to ask a trusted friend or associate, but be sure to choose someone who is organized and younger than you who will likely be around after you’re gone.

Also be aware that if your choice of power of attorney or executor lives in another state, you’ll need to check your state’s law to see if it imposes any special requirements.

If, however, you don’t have a friend or relative you feel comfortable with, you’ll need to hire someone who has experience with such matters.

To find a qualified power of attorney or executor for your will, contact your bank, a local trust company, or an estate planning attorney.

If you need help locating a pro, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (naela.org) is a great resource that provides online directory to help you find someone in your area.

Another resource that can help you manage and oversee your health and longwww.50plusLifePA.com

Randal C. Hill is a rock ’n’ roll historian who lives at the Oregon coast. He may be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

term care needs as they arise, and even act as your healthcare power of attorney, is an aging life care manager.

These are trained professionals in the area of geriatric care who often have backgrounds in nursing or social work. To search for an expert near you, visit aginglifecare.org.

Or, if you need help with bill paying and other financial/insurance/tax chores, there are professional daily money managers (see aadmm.com) that can help.

Aging life care managers typically charge between $75 and $200 per hour, while hourly rates for daily money managers range between $75 and $150.

It’s also important to note that if you don’t complete the aforementioned legal documents and you become incapacitated, a court judge may appoint a guardian to make decisions on your behalf.

That means the care you receive may be totally different from what you would have chosen for yourself.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.

50plus Life

June 2022

13

Bob’s Tech Talk Extra

The Brave New World of Tap-to-Pay Bob DeLaurentis

There are newer, more secure, and more convenient choices available to make payments at most cash registers. Secret PIN codes and signatures are making way for methods like tapto-pay plastic cards and smartphones.

Savvy consumers can take advantage of these methods to reduce the likelihood their credit and debit card numbers could be stolen. Even better, the new methods are faster and easier to use.

After years of swiping cards, signing receipts, and entering PIN codes, the new methods may seem awkward at first. But with a little practice and patience, you’ll soon be breezing through the process.

Credit card fraud is a serious problem. I have had my card information stolen several times. The experiences have left me poorer but wiser.

But what really influenced my thinking was a job working on software that processed credit card transactions. I had a front-row seat to fraud and the damage it causes.

So now, I prefer paying by the most secure method possible at cash registers.

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The new technology behind these transaction methods is known as near field radio communication. There is a chance you might see the acronym NFRC (or RFID), but the most commonly used descriptions are “tapto-pay” or “contactless payments.” The latter gained prominence for obvious reasons during the COVID era.

These names, along with others, often appear alongside large graphic symbols that denote tapto-pay.

Even in my small town, no two point-of-sale terminals work the same way. Yet the basic steps needed to pay are the same.

Once the terminal is ready to accept payment, you place either a smartphone or contactless credit card within a couple inches of the terminal for a few seconds. You do not actually have to tap anything; just pause a moment until the terminal beeps a confirmation.

After the beep, you may still be asked to sign a receipt or perhaps add a tip, but overall the process is quick and easy — once you try it a few times. please see PAY on facing page

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For more information, call Vision Resources at (717) 238-2531 and listen at visit www.vrocp.org. www.50plusLifePA.com

Appreciating African American Music This Month

By James Patterson

performers as Checker, Johnny Mathis (b. 1935), James Brown (1933-2006), and other African American musicians contributed to the end of racial segregation In April, singer Nat King Cole’s 1961 version of “The across the country.

Christmas Song” was added to the Library of Congress’s Reportedly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) 2022 National Recording Registry. Cole (1919-1965) was a fan of legendary blues singer B.B. King (1925had one of the smoothest voices of all singers.

2015). Alabama saw difficult times during the struggle Other great African Americans on the 2022 National for Civil Rights in the 1960s. B.B. King helped the Civil Recording Registry include Duke Ellington (1899-1974) Rights cause in Birmingham, Alabama. for his 1956 jazz album Ellington at Newport; Louis Celebrate African American Music Appreciation “Satchmo” Armstrong (1901-1971) for his 1938 “When Month by listening to your favorite songs by African the Saints Go Marching In”; and Mississippi opera star American artists. Expand your appreciation by listening Leontyne Price (b. 1927), et al., for 1965’s Aida (album). to other African American musicians across musical For a full list of the 2022 selections for the National fields, such as opera, folk music, international pop Recording Registry, see loc.gov/programs/nationalmusic, etc. recording-preservation-board/recording-registry/ Another way to celebrate African American Music complete-national-recording-registry-listing.

Singer Dinah Washington, 1962.

Appreciation Month is to write to our older African During African American Music Appreciation American artists. In your letter, extend your or your Month, music lovers might enjoy reading about the family’s appreciation for the artist’s contribution to America’s music. careers of their favorite musicians. For example, many African American Many mailing addresses for these older artists can easily be found on the musicians had roots in Alabama. internet, and many older artists sell autographed photos personalized for their Alabama’s list of African American musicians is long; it includes Cole, fans.

W.C. Handy (1873-1958), Dinah Washington (1924-1963), Percy Sledge If you include a gift with your letter of appreciation, consider a book of (1940-2015), Wilson Pickett (1941-2006), Martha Reeves (b. 1941), Big Mama postage stamps or other practical items. Include return postage on a selfThornton (1926-1984), and Lionel Ritchie (b. 1949). addressed envelope if you want a reply.

Ritchie recently received the Library of Congress’s Gershwin Prize for During African American Music Appreciation Month, stay mentally, Popular Song.

Pennsylvania’s famous African American musicians include Chubby Checker socially, and physically active. Enjoy music with friends. Dance away stress.

Our senior days are as happy as we make them. (b. 1941), Billie Holliday (1915-1959), Ethel Waters (1886-1977), Marian Dance your way to happiness? Give it a try!

Anderson (1897-1993), Patti LaBelle (b. 1944), Solomon Burke (1940-2010), and others.

James Patterson is a Washington, D.C.-based writer and speaker.

In the 1950s and 1960s, AM radio stations provided a steady stream of African American music to keep teens dancing. The popularity of such

PAY from facing page Understanding why it is better requires a bit of backstory. With traditional credit cards, the number embossed on the card identifies the account. Other numbers, including the expiration date, the number on the back of the card, and the PIN code were added over time to make fraud more difficult.

I still remember the days when complete credit card numbers and expiration dates appeared on printed receipts, making them prime sources for thieves.

Those were not the good old days, although they do help me explain this next part.

The reason tap-to-pay methods are more secure is in how the numbers are handled.

Compared to previous methods, your card number is invisible. Rather than depending on a permanent number, a single-use number is created on the fly and used instead. The overall effect is that your actual card number never appears anywhere, and your personal information is used in a more secure way.

My advice is simple: Whenever you have the option to use some form of tapto-pay, use it.

There is still more security and convenience available if you choose to use a smartphone rather than a tap-to-pay credit card.

When configured properly, your smartphone only unlocks for you. A thief cannot use someone else’s smartphone to complete a transaction. Private details, such as PIN codes and expiration dates, are password protected as well.

Some banks only issue a physical credit card on request. A card that does not www.50plusLifePA.com

exist is much harder to counterfeit.

One of the best features of using your smartphone is more information. I usually get a notification on my phone about a completed transaction while I am still standing at the cash register.

My phone records the date, time, and location of each purchase, as well as allowing instant access to my account balance and transaction history.

However, paper receipts are still important, especially to dispute a charge or return an item.

So far I have described tap-to-pay transactions in a general way. Next, I want to describe a specific restaurant purchase I made a few weeks ago to illustrate what is possible.

I used Apple Pay, although Google Pay is similar. (It also depends on how your smartphone is configured and which payment processor the restaurant uses.)

When the bill arrived at the table, I did not hand my card to the server, only to watch it be carried away.

Instead, I opened the smartphone camera and pointed it at the receipt.

A “pay now” button appeared. It took a few seconds to add a tip and finish paying the bill.

These kinds of transactions will become more widespread in the future, but the security and convenience of simple “tap-to-pay” transactions is already here.

Bob has been writing about technology for over three decades. He can be contacted at techtalk@bobdel.com.

50plus Life

June 2022

15

The History of Ordinary Things

Burma-Shave Highway Signs Doris Montag

Do you recall the series of six red advertising signs along the country highways?

In 1925, Clinton Odell and his brother, Allan, installed these sequential road signs to market Burma-Shave, a brushless shaving cream. In the early 1920s, their father had started the Burma Vita Co. to manufacture and sell a liniment for pain.

Unsuccessful with liniment, he enlisted a chemist, Carl Noren, to create a brushless shaving cream. The 143rd formula, when aged, resulted in a stable cream that supplied a fine shave. He called it Burma-Shave.

Selling a brushless shaving cream required men to give up their badger-hair brush and shaving mug, a time-honored barbering tradition. Burma-Shave touted convenience, especially when traveling. You didn’t have to pack a wet brush that would mildew and smell.

It was faster to use and “modern.”

Allan Odell proposed a set of signs to promote

Photo credit: Peter Merholz, licensed under CC-BY-SA-2.0.

Burma-Shave. With $200, he bought used boards, sawed them into 36-inch lengths, and painted them red with 4-inch white Gothic letters. A five-sign jingle was followed with Burma-Shave on the sixth sign.

Set 100 paces apart, they were designed to be read at 35 mph, the cruising speed in the 1920s.

The first sets were put on U.S. Highway 65 from Minneapolis to Albert Lea, Minnesota, and U.S. Highway 61 from Minneapolis to Red Wing, Minnesota.

Orders from the drivers on these roads started coming in.

The jingles used a mix of folk humor and wit, wordplay and pun, slang and colloquialism.

The corny humor was much needed in the postDepression era.

The public associated the comfortable style with friendly business folks. Initially written by the Odells, by the 1930s, the jingles were please see SIGNS on facing page

Display of Burma-Shave advertising slogans.

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• Security technology – mobile apps, sensors, wearable devices, smart clothing, etc.

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51% of people aged 52-70 spend fewer than 11 hours a week online.

While businesses need an online presence, print adds power to a media campaign.

Most boomers and seniors are open to and love classic media.

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Dig for the Truth behind Health Headlines You can find lots of health information in the newspaper, on TV, and online, but how much of it can you trust?

Harvard Medical School offers this guidance on sorting out the claims: Look at what was studied. A promising treatment is pronounced “safe” — but was it tested on humans? A story can hide the fact that a new drug has so far only been tested on mice or other animals and that human treatment is years away.

Be wary of dramatic language. Headlines may announce a “breakthrough” procedure or a “groundbreaking” solution. Sudden breakthroughs, though, are rare in

science. Most progress comes slowly, so don’t jump on the bandwagon of the latest sensational “cure.”

Don’t mix association and causation. Scientists may discover a link between a particular kind of behavior and a disease. That doesn’t necessarily mean that one causes the other. Many people who suffer from ulcers take aspirin, ibuprofen, and other drugs to treat severe headaches, for example. That doesn’t necessarily mean that aspirin causes ulcers. Don’t jump to conclusions.

Check the timeline. A new drug or procedure may offer hope for patients, but that doesn’t mean it’s ready to be put into use right away. Watch for words like “someday” or “in the future,” telling you that an actual cure may be very far off.

SIGNS from facing page selected from entries to annual contests that paid $100 for selected jingles.

These jingles are excerpted from The Verse by The Side of the Road: The Story of the Burma-Shave Signs and Jingles by Frank Rowsome Jr., printed 19651972.

HIS FACE WAS SMOOTH AND COOL AS ICE AND OH LOUISE! HE SMELLED SO NICE BURMA-SHAVE (1935) Burma-Shave themes were flirty-but-clean sex themes with many boy-girl jingles.

HE HAD THE RING HE HAD THE FLAT BUT SHE FELT HIS CHIN AND THAT WAS THAT BURMA-SHAVE (1934) IF YOU THINK SHE LIKES YOUR BRISTLES WALK BAREFOOTED THROUGH SOME THISTLES BURMA-SHAVE (1935) Other themes were public and highway safety and preventing forest fires.

Often the theme admonished one to avoid substitute brands.

GIVE THE GUY THE TOE OF YOUR BOOT WHO TRIES TO HAND YOU A SUBSTITUTE BURMA-SHAVE (1932) www.50plusLifePA.com

Burma-Shave signs expanded across Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin in 1926. Ultimately, over 7,000 sets were posted across 43 states.

Only four states were without official signs. Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico didn’t have enough traffic, and the roads in Massachusetts were considered too windy, and heavy foliage blocked the view of the series.

Initially, the red/white signs were alternated annually with orange signs with black print. Surveys showed no one recalled the orange/black signs. The red/white prevailed, saving money on steady replacements across the country.

DOES YOUR HUSBAND MISBEHAVE GRUNT AND GRUMBLE RANT AND RAVE SHOOT THE BRUTE SOME BURMA-SHAVE (1930) At their peak, Burma-Shave was the second-highest-selling brushless shaving cream in America. The road signs had worked in the 1930s-1940s, perhaps because of the lighthearted and often corny humor. It was a novel and captivating approach to advertising.

By the late ’40s, the heyday of Burma-Shave signs was over. What happened? Certainly, highways and interstate roads diverted the traffic patterns, with fewer folks driving the country roads.

But ultimately, TV reached more people and could quickly tell the story of your product. The corny signs could not compete.

Burma Vita Co. explored print, radio, and TV marketing but announced a sale to Philip Morris, Inc. in 1963. It became a division of American Safety Razor Products, who shifted marketing dollars to TV. The classic signs and manufacturing ended in 1966. (In the 1990s, the nostalgic Burma-Shave brand was reintroduced with a line of shaving cream, razors, and accessories.)

The Burma-Shave signs impacted whole generations of country drivers.

What are your memories?

Doris Montag is a homespun historian and an exhibit curator who researches and displays historical collections of ordinary things, such as can openers, crochet, toy sewing machines, hand corn planters, powder compacts, egg cartons, and more.

Contact or follow her on Facebook, HistoryofOrdinaryThings.

50plus Life

June 2022

17

The Heimlich Maneuver Saves Lives

By Nancy J. Schaaf, RN

National Heimlich Maneuver Day: June 1 The Heimlich Maneuver • Stand behind the victim with one leg forward, between the victim’s legs.

• For a child, move down to their level, and keep your head to one side.

• Reach around the abdomen and locate the navel.

• Place the thumb side of your fist against the abdomen just above the navel.

• Grasp your fist with your other hand and thrust inward and upward into the victim’s abdomen with quick jerks.

• Continue thrusts until the victim expels the object or becomes unresponsive.

• Even after choking stops, seek medical attention.

Puzzles shown on page 7.

Puzzle Solutions

If you see someone clutching their throat, coughing, gagging, or wheezing, would you know what to do?

When food or other foreign objects become stuck in the airway, they can cause choking.

Choking prevents oxygen from getting to the lungs and the brain, and lack of oxygen for more than four minutes may cause brain damage or death.

We should recognize and know how to handle choking at home and in public places.

Experts recommend the Heimlich maneuver, or abdominal thrusts, to dislodge objects and prevent suffocation.

National Heimlich Maneuver Day is June 1.

Dr. Henry Heimlich invented the maneuver in 1974 when he discovered the remaining air in a person’s lungs could be used to dislodge a foreign object from the esophagus.

This method is essentially an abdominal thrust where we place our fist slightly above the navel of a person who is choking. Then, with our other hand, we grasp our fist and shove it inward and upward to expel the object causing the person to choke.

In 2020, around 5,000 choking deaths occurred in the United States. Choking is not always related to an underlying health condition.

It may be caused by eating or drinking quickly, talking with food in the mouth, swallowing food without chewing adequately, or curious children putting objects in their mouths.

Death from choking is more common among the elderly, with food most often responsible for such incidents. Choking is also hazardous among young children, as they can choke on food and small objects, such as toys with small parts or coins.

We can prevent choking in adults by cutting food into small pieces; chewing food slowly and

thoroughly, especially if wearing dentures; and avoiding laughing and talking while chewing and swallowing.

Specific preventive measures for infants and children include keeping small objects and other hazards out of reach; cutting their food into small pieces, especially round foods such as hot dogs and grapes; avoiding hard candy; and supervising while children are eating and playing.

However, despite precautions, choking may occur. We should use the Heimlich maneuver if a person is conscious but choking.

We can usually tell a person is choking if they cannot speak, breathe, or cough. Ask the person, “Are you choking?” They may cough but cannot talk to ask for help. The universal choking symbol, holding your hands up and clutching your throat, is often used.

Do not attempt the Heimlich maneuver if a person can speak, cough, or breathe. Encourage the person to keep coughing. Sometimes a strong cough can free the foreign object. Only perform the Heimlich maneuver if a person’s life is in danger.

A different technique is used in infants and small children, so discuss the proper first-aid choking technique with a healthcare provider.

How can we learn the correct way to help someone who is choking? Using abdominal thrusts is often taught during first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes.

Contact a local chapter of the American Red Cross or American Heart Association or a local hospital or healthcare facility for a class schedule and more information.

National Heimlich Maneuver Day is important, as awareness can save many lives. We all can make a conscious decision to learn more about the method and educate others so that we are prepared the next time an unfortunate choking situation occurs.

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June 2022

50plus Life

www.50plusLifePA.com

Cataract Surgery Linked with Lessened Dementia Risk Cataracts affect most older adults at risk for Researchers hypothesize that people may dementia, and now researchers are finding strong be getting higher-quality sensory input after evidence that cataract surgery is associated with cataract surgery, which might have a beneficial a lower risk of developing dementia. effect in reducing the risk of dementia.

Based on the longitudinal data of over “These results are consistent with the notion 3,000 Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study that sensory input to the brain is important participants, researchers have now found that to brain health,” said co-author Dr. Eric B. subjects who underwent cataract surgery had Larson, a principal investigator of the ACT study nearly 30% lower risk of developing dementia and senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente from any cause compared with those who did Washington Health Research Institute. not.

Lee said another hypothesis is that after Study results were reported in JAMA Internal cataract surgery, people are getting more blue Medicine earlier this year. light.

The ACT study is a longstanding, Seattle“Some special cells in the retina are associated based observational study at Kaiser Permanente with cognition and regulate sleep cycles, and June is Cataract Awareness Month Washington of more than 5,000 participants these cells respond well to blue light,” she said. older than 65.

“Cataracts specifically block blue light, and Results showed this lowered dementia risk cataract surgery could reactivate those cells.” persisted for at least a decade after surgery. Cataract surgery was also associated The study results highlight a strong case for further research on the eye-brain with lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease dementia specifically. connection in dementia.

Lead researcher Dr. Cecilia Lee, associate professor and Klorfine Family Previous studies by Lee’s group at the UW have shown a strong link endowed chair in ophthalmology at the University of Washington School between other retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, and of Medicine, said the observational study adjusted for a number of potential the development of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. confounders, yet still yielded a strong association.

Subjects with macular degeneration or other retinal degenerative diseases are “This kind of evidence is as good as it gets in epidemiology,” Lee said. “This more likely to develop dementia. is really exciting because no other medical intervention has shown such a Further understanding the connection between the aging eye and brain may strong association with lessening dementia risk in older individuals.” offer insights and potential therapies to slow or prevent age-related dementia.

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June 2022

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Please Join Us for These 2022 Events!

omen’s Expo

23rd Annual

Sept. 21

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

LANCASTER COUNTY

Spooky Nook Sports 2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim

Sept. 28

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

York Expo Center Memorial Hall East 334 Carlisle Ave., York

YORK COUNTY

Oct. 12

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Carlisle Expo Center 100 K St. Carlisle

50plusExpoPA.com

9th Annual

Church Farm School 1001 East Lincoln Highway Exton

10th Annual

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

June 25

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Hershey Lodge 325 University Drive Hershey

Sept. 17

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Lebanon Expo Center 80 Rocherty Road Lebanon

E

Oct. 22

6th Annual

20th Annual

26th Annual

18th Annual

June 8

11th Annual

Caregiving t Finances t Health & Wellness t Home Improvements Leisure Activities t Nutrition t Retirement Living t Technology and more!

Health & Wellness t Finance t Home Shopping t Technology t Beauty Nutrition t Fashion and more!

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Spooky Nook Sports 2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim

omen’s Expo

Nov. 12

Cumberland County

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Carlisle Expo Center 100 K St. Carlisle

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Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available!

(717) 285-1350