50plus LIFE York County July 2019

Complimentary | York County Edition

bending with life’s flow page 4

starstruck in hollywood south page 10

VA Launches New Healthcare Options page 16

July 2019 • Vol. 21 No. 7

Reach Active, Affluent Boomers & Seniors!

Reserve your space now for the 17th annual

Sponsor and exhibitor applications are now being accepted!

YORK COUNTY

Sept. 25, 2019 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

York Expo Center Memorial Hall East • 334 Carlisle Avenue, York

Exhibitors • Health Screenings Demonstrations • Door Prizes

Why Participate?

Premier events for baby boomers, caregivers, and seniors • Face-to-face interaction with 3,000+ attendees • Strengthen brand recognition/launch new products

For sponsorship and exhibitor information:

(717) 285-1350

www.50plusExpoPA.com 2

July 2019

50plus LIFE t

Little-Known Blood Disorder Mimics Typical Symptoms of Aging New research has revealed that hemochromatosis — a genetic condition that causes more than a million Americans to absorb too much iron from their diets — is a much more serious cause of disease and disability than previously thought.

Hemochromatosis is an iron-storage disorder that can cause the body to July is absorb too much iron from Hemochromatosis foods and other sources, Awareness Month such as multivitamin supplements with iron.

This extra iron can gradually build up in the body’s tissues and organs, particularly in the liver cells, heart, pancreas, joints, and pituitary gland. If left untreated, this iron buildup may lead to tissue and organ damage over time.

Hemochromatosis is easy to detect through blood tests and is treated by blood withdrawals, but carriers suffer from a lack of nationwide awareness of the condition.

Two new studies, published in The BMJ and The Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, showed that hemochromatosis, previously thought to be a lowlevel health risk, actually quadruples risk of liver disease and doubles the risk of arthritis and frailty in older people.

It also causes higher risk of diabetes and chronic pain, and a small number of patients develop liver cancer.

The research was led by a team from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, the University of Connecticut, and the NIA Intramural Research Program.

Hereditary hemochromatosis is caused mainly by specific inherited alterations (mutations) in the HFE gene. When an individual inherits two altered copies of the gene — one from each parent — they are at risk of developing high iron levels, which may lead to illness or organ damage over time.

However, most people born with two altered copies of the HFE gene will not develop serious complications. www.gordonsinc.com People who inherit an altered gene Providing trusted service for over 40 years! from only one parent are carriers for Complete and Skilled the disorder, but are not typically Automotive Maintenance and Repair affected themselves.

COLLISION SERVICES In a study about 10 times 24/7 Emergency Towing/Recovery larger than any previous look at Roadside Assistance hemochromatosis rates, the team Specializing in Brake, Tire, reviewed data on 2,890 British people and Mechanical Services PA State Inspections and Emissions Testing who carried the two mutations.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY! They found that 1 in 5 men and 1 10 Mill Street, Stewartstown, PA 17363 in 10 women with these mutations (717) 993-2263 developed additional diseases as they www.50plusLifePA.com

got older, compared to those without the genes.

Hemochromatosis sufferers were Symptoms of also more likely to have chronic pain, Hemochromatosis decreased muscle strength, and to be • Lack of energy frail as they aged.

Hemochromatosis symptoms, • Abdominal pain such as fatigue and muscle and joint • Memory fog pains, are easily confused as part of typical aging, and the disease often • Loss of sex drive goes undetected until damage is • Heart flutters done.

Men and women have the same • Irregular heartbeat chance of inheriting two copies of the altered HFE gene. However, men are more likely than women to develop complications and at an earlier age because women lose excess iron in the blood naturally during menstruation and pregnancy.

Men usually begin displaying symptoms between ages 40 and 60, whereas women typically present symptoms after menopause.

Hereditary hemochromatosis is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States. Known in Ireland as “the Celtic Curse,” people of Northern European descent have a higher chance of having an altered HFE gene.

Hereditary hemochromatosis is more common among U.S. non-Hispanic whites and is less common among African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and American Indians.

Researchers hope that this increased awareness of the scope of the problem can help lead to increased testing and treatment, which should improve quality of life and reduce frailty and disability rates for those with genetic risk for hemochromatosis.

Anyone with a family history of the condition should talk to their doctor and consider being tested for hereditary hemochromatosis if they are experiencing severe fatigue, unexplained cirrhosis, joint pain, arthritis, diabetes, heart problems, or erectile dysfunction.

For more information, visit Hemochromatosis.org.

Watch for These Hidden Causes of High Blood Pressure

Senior Real Estate Specialist With 30 Years of Real Estate Experience • 2016 Realtor of the Year •2 014 President of Realtor’s Association of York and Adams County • Licensed in PA and MD

Paula Musselman

•P roviding Reliable and Trustworthy Contracting and Moving Resources

Selling or buying a house?

Please call me – I’ll guide you every step of the way!

•S pecializing in Senior Moves and Transitions

Office: (717) 793-9678 Cell: (717) 309-6921 2525 Eastern Blvd.

York, PA 17402 Paula1159@aol.com

Taking the time to make your transaction smooth and stress free.

Senior Real Estate Specialist ®

LEAPIN’ LIZARDS!

EVERYONE’S FAVORITE

ORPHAN IS BACK!

Many factors affect your blood pressure, including genetics, diet, and even your sleeping patterns.

The Healthline website advises you to be mindful of these possible contributors to high blood pressure as well: Over-the-counter medications. Common medications used to address everyday aches and pains can increase one’s blood pressure. These include anti-inflammatory drugs like Aleve, Advil, and Tylenol, as well as decongestants.

You don’t have to stop taking them, but check with your doctor.

JUNE 27 – AUGUST 10

Caffeine and alcohol. Both of these can heighten your blood pressure. Limit yourself to less than 300 milligrams of caffeine a day — two to three cups of coffee — and one alcoholic beverage a day for women and two for men.

Join Annie in one fun-filled adventure after another with songs like It’s a Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, and the eternal anthem of optimism, Tomorrow!

Food ingredients and supplements. Some herbal supplements, for example, use licorice, which can raise blood pressure.

In addition, some cheeses, cured meats, and also soy products contain high levels of tyramine, which can interact with medications like antidepressants, causing a spike in blood pressure. www.50plusLifePA.com

Lancaster, PA

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! 717.898.1900 • DutchApple.com

50plus LIFE t

July 2019

3

Cover Story

Bending with Life’s Flow Corporate Office

3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360 Chester County: 610.675.6240 Cumberland County/Dauphin County: 717.770.0140 Berks County/Lancaster County/ Lebanon County/York County: 717.285.1350 E-mail address: info@onlinepub.com Website address: www.onlinepub.com

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Donna K. Anderson

EDITORIAL

Vice President and Managing Editor Christianne Rupp Editor, 50plus Publications Megan Joyce

ART DEPARTMENT Project Coordinator Renee McWilliams Production Artist Lauren Phillips

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Senior Marketing Consultants Joshua Binkley Jennifer Schmalhofer Angie Willis Events Manager Kimberly Shaffer Marketing Coordinator Kelsey Fishburn Account Service Coordinator Emily Polito

ADMINISTRATION Business Manager Elizabeth Duvall

Member of

Awards

50plus LIFE is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc. and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirement communities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets serving the senior community.

On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature.

Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to revise or reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc. We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information not in compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State laws or other local laws.

4

July 2019

50plus LIFE t

By Jason J. Tabor

restaurant, The Downtown Lounge.

After the birth of her first daughter, Sirae, Riley opened her first fitness studio, Jump with Joy, “We are at any given time a sum of our past when she was just 23. experiences. I like to tell my students to gather up She also started a dog-grooming business to help their pebbles of knowledge and eventually it turns into a hill, and that hill will continue to grow into keep the bar afloat during the lean early years of the studio’s operation. Her second daughter, Kayla, a mountain,” says fitness educator Joy Riley. was born shortly afterward.

Her own journey for knowledge and self“Striking a balance between family and career discovery most recently led her to the sandy has always beaches been very of Bali, important Indonesia, to me,” she surrounded says. “As busy by turquoise as I was, my waters, rice focus was on fields, and raising my lush greenery daughters to while she be happy and completed a good mothers 200-hour yoga themselves certification by serving as course. a good role Riley has model to spent most of them.” her life sharing Riley began the knowledge building she’s up her accumulated accreditation with others, and teaching currently as certifications, a professor Riley sitting in Sukhasana (comfortable seated pose) leading fitness of physical in the small, bamboo shala where she trained at the and exercise education Power of Now Oasis in Sanur, Bali, Indonesia. instruction at one of classes at Harrisburg her studio and local community centers before Area Community College’s campuses, and as becoming an instructor at HACC, where she has a country club’s director of tennis, a recreation taught for the past 15 years. center’s tennis pro, and a yoga instructor.

“I love teaching at HACC; each new group A lifelong central Pennsylvanian, Riley was a of students I teach is a new experience with its natural athlete as a child, excelling at swimming, own set of struggles and rewards,” she says. “It gymnastics, and tennis. She swam competitively as a student at Shippensburg University, where she is extremely gratifying to me as an instructor to studied early childhood education and then taught work with students who are working hard to make positive changes in their lives.” pre-k classes for two years after graduation.

Most recently, Riley became a yoga instructor at It soon became clear to her that her real passion The Healing Habitat yoga and wellness studio after for teaching revolved around physical education. completing her certification class in Bali.

“Even while I was in college, I realized that I “I had some of the world’s best teachers from had really fallen in love with physical fitness,” she India, and when I finished the four-week program, says.

I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, like I had so much Fittingly enough, Riley met her husband of 37 more left to learn,” she says. years, Pat, when they noticed each other working Riley traveled to Bali in March 2018 to study out at the local YMCA. while her husband, having recently retired after They married a year later, and Riley then selling the bar to one of his former employees, divided her time between starting a family, joined her. teaching fitness, and helping run Pat’s bar and www.50plusLifePA.com

“He got to have a fun vacation while I was hard at work each day,” she laughs.

The yoga instruction took place on the beach, starting at 6:30 each morning and lasting until 4:30 in the afternoon. She, along with a group of other students, studied breath work, cleansing meditation, nutrition, and physical exercise each day.

“It was very challenging, but so rewarding. Most of my classmates were in their 20s and from all over the world. I took on a bit of a motherly role within the group, but we were all equal as students and learners,” she says.

“That role switch — becoming a student again — renewed my compassion for my own students. It reminded me of the importance of empathy for others and understanding other people’s learning needs and individual struggles.”

She credits her friend Emilie Charlotte, owner of The Healing Habitat, for inspiring her to go for her certification.

“As we get older and joint pain becomes more of an issue, yoga can provide beautiful healing powers for the body. I really fell in love with it, and of course me being me, I had to get certified and teach,” she laughs.

Riley views yoga as a philosophy and lifestyle that promotes health of the mind, body, and spirit.

“People associate yoga with stretching and poses, and while that is part of it, the physical aspects serve as a way of preparing the body for what is arguably more important: meditation.

“When I came out of Emilie’s classes at Healing Habitat, I felt physically, mentally, and spiritually sound,” Riley continued. “It’s a special community that provides support, uplift, and kindness in a safe, welcoming space, and I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Riley tells yoga beginners that choosing an instructor or class isn’t one-stop shopping.

“You need to determine what you’re looking to get out of yoga, and give yourself time to find the instructor you’re comfortable with,” she says. www.50plusLifePA.com

One of the biggest lessons she’s learned from yoga is the importance of focusing on the here and now, being in the present, and appreciating the blessings in her life.

“We find ourselves spending so much time concerning ourselves with things in the past we cannot change or worrying about the future, but the only things we can truly control are happening in the present.

We can support other people by uplifting them with kindness right now.”

Riley now relishes the five grandchildren she and Pat spend time with each week.

“I’ve been a grandmother for seven years now, and I love every minute of it,” she says. “They’re the love of my life!”

When not doing fitness instruction, Riley likes to recharge during “Riley Sundays,” where family members take turns hosting dinner and spending time together.

They have also made a yearly tradition out of taking family trips to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

“I’d like to slow a little bit and spend more time enjoying life with our grandkids, but I’m not ready for retirement yet. The fitness world has a way of keeping you young!”

Riley will turn 60 this summer, a milestone that has her feeling reflective, grateful, and optimistic.

“I see it as a new chapter … I have raised my family, run my household, and had many exciting careers. I am a survivor, and I still feel strong and capable. Life is not over after 50.

“Because our bodies may not be what they once were, we may lose some of our confidence,” she continued. “But stop — and realize that with wisdom and courage, we can enter this chapter of our lives with humility, grace, and pride over everything we have been through and should never feel bad about getting older.

“It’s a privilege that is denied to so many. Don’t stop exploring all the possibilities life has to offer.”

The cost of living keeps going up.

The cost of your funeral doesn’t have to.

Why pre-plan your memorial?

Like many things, costs will continue to increase, so locking in now is a wise decision. Yes, perhaps it’s a long way away, but all the more reason to get your plan together now. Contact your local Dignity Memorial® provider to lock in today’s prices.

Susquehanna memorial gardens york

SusquehannaMemorial.com

717-244-7674

mount rose cemetery york

MountRoseCemetery.com

717-845-6618

On the front cover: Joy Riley in front of the Ubud Water Palace, a Hindu temple in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, which was once the home of the royal family of Ubud.

50plus LIFE t

July 2019

5

Free Classes to Address Falling Concerns The York County Area Agency on Aging will host free classes for York County residents age 60 and older to learn how to manage the risk of falling and increase activity levels.

The award-winning series A Matter of Balance will be held 2–4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, July 10 to Aug. 2, in the Normandie Ridge Community Room, 1700 Normandie Drive, West Manchester Township.

A Matter of Balance targets older adults who have concerns about falling, have fallen in the past, have restricted their activities because of falling concerns, or are interested in improving balance, flexibility, and strength.

This free program emphasizes practical strategies to manage falls. Participants will learn to: view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risks at home, and exercise to increase strength and balance.

To preregister for A Matter of Balance, call Dave at (717) 718-2912. ··· Healthy Steps in Motion, a free class for adults with falling concerns and who are interested exercise-focused strength training and balance improvement,

will be held in two locations this summer.

This free program starts with a warmup, followed by strength and balance exercises, and ends with a cool-down stretch. There are three levels of exercise, which enables participants to continue HSIM for as long as they like.

Participants learn about exercise basics and safety, setting goals, aerobic walking, and more. In addition, they will be assessed for fall risk and given a free participant’s guide and other resources.

SpiriTrust Lutheran® Zimmerman Place, Gathering Room, 800 Bollinger Drive, Shrewsbury Township – Classes are scheduled 2–3 p.m. July 22, 26, and 30 and Aug. 2, 5, 13, 16, and 19.

To preregister for these classes, call Faye at (717) 771-9610.

Hayshire United Church of Christ, 100 Haybrook Drive, Manchester Township – Classes are scheduled 10–11 a.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 16 through Aug. 8. Call the church to register at (717) 848-4007.

Property Tax and Rent Rebates Deadline Extended The deadline for older adults and Pennsylvania residents with disabilities to apply for rebates on rent and property taxes paid in 2018 has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31 this year.

The rebate program’s income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 a year for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded.

Spouses, personal representatives, or estates may file rebate claims on behalf

Tom & Randi LaNasa “MEMORY MUSIC”

Attention: RETIREMENT HOMES, CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS.

of claimants who lived at least one day in 2018.

The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate application forms and assistance are available at no cost from Department of Revenue district offices, local Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers, and state legislators’ offices.

Your guide to choosing the right living and care options for you or a loved one.

Read it online, in print, and on mobile/tablet devices. onlinepub.com

Looking for entertainment?

Now booking our Christmas, variety, and specialty shows for 2019.

We have many variety shows featuring the music from the 1930s to the 60s.

Songs by legendary artists like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Kay Starr, Dean Martin, Patsy Cline, and the Mills Brothers.

Specialty shows include …

Songs from the WWII Years • The Post WWII Years: 1945 – 1955 AMERICA: From Sea to Shining Sea Salute to the Rat Pack (or if you prefer, just Sinatra) Elvis & Patsy • Classic Country Please contact Memory Music to book your next event!

Phone: (717) 846-6126 6

July 2019

E-mail: memrymusic@aol.com 50plus LIFE t

23rd annual edition

Call today for your free copy!

(717) 285-1350 www.50plusLifePA.com

Math and Reading Tutors Needed RSVP – York County is seeking volunteer tutors 55 and over for Southeastern School District, City of York School District, and Hanover Public School District starting in September.

Tutors are needed in both math and reading. Volunteers can pick which subject they would prefer.

Volunteer benefits include: free supplemental liability insurance, recognition and appreciation events, paid assistance with clearances, and free, two-hour tutoring training.

For more information, contact Scott Hunsinger at (717) 893-8474 or email yorkrsvp@rsvpcapreg.org.

Medicare Seminar Planned for New Retirees A free Medicare seminar for individuals nearing retirement or those recently retired will be held 6–9 p.m. Monday, July 22, in meeting room 1 of the Penn State Extension Offices, York County Annex, 112 Pleasant Acres Road, Springettsbury Township.

This free seminar will be presented by the York County Area Agency on Aging APPRISE program, the state health insurance counseling program for all Medicare beneficiaries in Pennsylvania.

Topics to be covered include: • Review of Medicare benefits • Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plan coverage options

• Medicare prescription drug coverage and tools to navigate the Drug Plan Finder • Medicare savings programs • Medicare preventive services • Supplemental insurance/Medigap plans • MyMedicare.gov and other technological tools Preregistration is required as seating is limited. Call (717) 771-9008 or (800) 632-9073 or email aging@yorkcountypa.gov for registration and further information.

At Your Fingertips Helpful numbers, hotlines, and local businesses and organizations eager to serve you—all just a phone call away.

Animal Hospitals Community Animal Hospital Donald A. Sloat, D.V.M. 400 S. Pine St., York (717) 845-5669

Health & Medical Services Alzheimer’s Association (717) 651-5020

Automobile Sales/Service Gordon’s Body Shop, Inc. 10 Mill St., Stewartstown (717) 993-2263

American Diabetes Association (800) 342-2383

Energy Assistance Low-Income Energy Assistance (717) 787-8750 Entertainment Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre 510 Centerville Road, Lancaster (717) 898-1900 financial services Morgan Stanley Wealth Management (302) 573-4027 funeral preplanning Mount Rose Cemetery (717) 845-6618 Susquehanna Memorial Gardens (717) 244-7674 www.50plusLifePA.com

Alzheimer’s Information Clearinghouse (800) 367-5115

CONTACT Helpline (717) 652-4400 The National Kidney Foundation (800) 697-7007 or (717) 757-0604 Social Security Information (800) 772-1213 Healthcare Information Pennsylvania HealthCare Cost Containment (717) 232-6787 Hearing Services Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (800) 233-3008 V/TTY Home Care Services Homeland at Home Serving all of York County (717) 221-7892

Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services Hanover: (717) 630-0067 Lancaster: (717) 393-3450 York: (717) 751-2488

Pharmacies CVS/pharmacy www.cvs.com

Hospice Services Homeland at Home Serving all of York County (717) 221-7890

real estate Berkshire Hathaway Paula Musselman (717) 793-9678 (Office) (717) 309-6921 (Cell)

Housing Assistance Housing Authority of York (717) 845-2601

Services York County Area Agency on Aging (717) 771-9610

Property Tax/Rent Rebate (888) 728-2937

Veterans Services Lebanon VA Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon (717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771

Insurance Medicare (800) 633-4227

Volunteer opportunities RSVP of the Capital Region (443) 619-3842

Vibra Health Plan (844) 660-2961 (TTY: 711) Insurance – Long-Term Care Apprise Insurance Counseling (717) 771-9610 or (800) 632-9073 PERSONAL CARE HOMES Family Care Personal Care Home (717) 373-5205

50plus LIFE t

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

July 2019

7

The Beauty in Nature

Summer Saltmarsh Sounds Clyde McMillan-Gamber

Saltmarshes are watery, grassy habitats between barrier island beaches and dunes along seacoasts and the mainland.

Saltmarshes along the Atlantic Ocean from New England to Virginia are alive with a variety of creatures in summer, most of which are there to Great egret raise young.

But only great egrets and snowy egrets, which are large and white, and laughing gulls, which are abundant in saltmarshes and noisy, are obvious to casual observers in summer saltmarshes.

The presence of gulls and other kinds of birds, however, is often noted by the sounds they make, some of them under the cover of the grass. Over the years of visiting Middle Atlantic States saltmarshes, I have heard all those iconic saltmarsh sounds.

Colonies of laughing gulls nest on grassy mats on the ground of saltmarshes.

Their boisterous cries sound like people laughing at some good joke.

These gray-and-white gulls, with black heads, scavenge invertebrates from marshes and catch small fish in marsh channels. But they also scavenge food littered by people on boardwalks and beaches, where gangs of these noisy gulls are most likely to be noticed.

Clapper rails are the size of small, long-legged chickens and are vertically slender to easily slip among grasses in their quest for invertebrates, without attracting predators.

Both sexes of this species are a camouflaging gray-brown and have vertically barred feathering on their flanks. Their calls are a descending “kek, kek, kek” and so on, or “cha, cha, cha, cha.”

   

Willets are a kind of large sandpiper that consumes invertebrates.

They are not seen in saltmarshes until they fly and repeatedly call “pill-will-willet.”

In flight, the white patches on their wings wave like banners, attracting attention to the birds.

Willet Strikingly beautiful male redwinged blackbirds are visible swaying on grass tops and loudly calling “kon-gareeeee” to establish territories and attract mates.

Male red-wings are black with a red patch on each shoulder. Those red beacons are raised each time red-wings sing from their exposed perches.

Camouflaged, but attractive, female red-wings are brown and dark-streaked.

Three species of appropriately named small birds — seaside sparrows, saltmarsh sparrows, and marsh wrens — are also heard in coastal saltmarshes in summer. The sparrows nest among the tall grasses, but the wrens raise young in stands of cattails. And both sexes of each kind of bird are similar.

Seaside sparrows are gray and dark-streaked. Males perch on tall grass or shrubs and repeatedly sing a quiet, wheezy “cut, cut-cheeeee.”

Saltmarsh sparrows are brown and streaked, with a buffy stripe over each eye. Males cling to tall grass and sing a buzzy, gasping “chup, chup-sheeeeeee.”

Marsh wrens are brown and streaked above and white underneath. This species builds bulky cradles of grass and cattail leaves on standing cattail stems above shallow water. Males’ songs are bubbly, loud, and end with a guttural rattle, repeated boisterously over and over.

These are some of the iconic sounds heard in summer saltmarshes. Readers can listen for some of these birds when visiting the Mid-Atlantic seacoast.

Check out our online Resource Directory!



    

 

        

     

8

July 2019

50plus LIFE t

Convenient print edition plus extensive online, searchable directory.

Discover support and services available to meet challenges you may encounter as a senior, as someone who is caring for an older loved one, or as a person with a disability.

www.ResourceDirectoryPA.com www.50plusLifePA.com

Free Workshop to Teach Healthier Living for Diabetics The York County Area Agency on Aging is offering a free diabetes selfmanagement workshop, “Living Well with Diabetes,” from 1–3:30 p.m.

Wednesdays, July 17 to Aug. 21, at York County 911 Center, 120 Davies Drive, Springettsbury Township.

York County residents 60 and older living with diabetes or prediabetes, and caregivers age 60 and older caring for someone with diabetes, can participate in the workshops.

The interactive workshops will be taught by certified instructors through the agency.

The program introduces participants to self-management tools, such as healthy eating, monitoring blood sugar, skin and foot care, stress reduction, action planning, and dealing with difficult emotions, among others.

A companion book, Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, 4th Edition, and an audio relaxation tape will be provided for all participants.

Preregistration is required by calling Megan Craley at (717) 771-9610.

Variety of Volunteer Opportunities Available RSVP – York County seeks volunteers 55 and over for various organizations and schools within York County.

Call or email to find out more about the volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers are also needed to help with food distribution and the shopping area at York County Food Bank.

Volunteer benefits include: free supplemental liability insurance, recognition and appreciation events, and assistance with clearances.

Please contact Scott Hunsinger at (717) 893-8474 or email yorkrsvp@ rsvpcapreg.org.

The Happiest State Where you live may determine how happy you are.

The WalletHub website examined data on such factors as economic, emotional, physical, and social health to find the states where people are happiest.

Money, it turned out, wasn’t the most significant factor. The data showed that happiness increases with wealth only up to an annual income of $75,000.

The 10 happiest states?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Hawaii Utah Minnesota North Dakota California Idaho Maryland Iowa South Dakota Nebraska

Aug. 27, 2019

Sept. 12, 2019

Radisson Hotel Harrisburg 1150 Camp Hill Bypass Camp Hill

Lebanon Expo Center 80 Rocherty Road Lebanon

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

This event is FREE to attend.

Veterans (of all ages), the military community, and their families are invited to join us!

The Expo brings federal, state, and local agencies together with area businesses to provide information and resources to veterans and their families.

The Job Fair brings veterans and spouses who need jobs together with employers who can benefit from this rich source of talent to aid their organizations.

At the Expo

Veterans Benefits & Services Medical/Nonmedical Resources Products and Services Available Support/Assistance Programs Education/Training Services

At the Job Fair

Employers Job Counseling Workshops Employment Seminars Resume Writing Assistance Hosted by:

Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available

www.veteransexpo.com

Brought to you by:

(717) 285-1350 www.olpevents.com

The unhappiest state? West Virginia. www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE t

July 2019

9

Traveltizers

Starstruck in Hollywood South

By Andrea Gross

Some people prepare for trips by researching facts and reserving accommodations. I prepare for them by watching movies. I hope that, in some mystical way, the film will help me better understand the culture of the place I’m about to visit.

This explains why the night before my husband and I leave Elvis Presley sang “Crawfish,” the opening song for Louisiana, with in the 1958 movie King Creole, from a grillwork my suitcase still not balcony in New Orleans. packed, I’m watching Steel Magnolias.

The film takes place in Natchitoches (pronounced Nack-a-tish), a small town 75 miles southeast of Shreveport.

It was written by native son Bobby Harling, depicts local events, and was

filmed there, thus showing the society as well as the scenery.

For millions of fans, Natchitoches represents the archetypical Southern community.

More important, the film pumped money into the town’s economy. State officials took note, and today Louisiana is one of the major film-producing areas in the world.

A shoot-out scene from Hard Target was filmed on Indeed, it is often Frenchmen Street near Decatur, not far from the called “Hollywood French Quarter.

South.”

Thus my husband and I embark on a road trip through Louisiana that takes us to places where many of these motion pictures were filmed.

We begin in New Orleans, hopping aboard a 10-passenger van that’s outfitted with video screens in front of each seat.

Please join us for these FREE events!

Simply mail this form and $15 for an annual subscription to: 50plus LIFE • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 Call (717) 285-8131, or subscribe online at www.50plusLIFEPA.com!

Name_ ________________________________________________________ Address_ _______________________________________________________ City_______________________________ State_ ____ Zip_ _______________

Please specify edition: oChester oCumberland oDauphin oLancaster oLebanon oYork

10

July 2019

50plus LIFE t

23rd Annual

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

LANCASTER COUNTY

Spooky Nook Sports 2913 Spooky Nook Road Manheim

Sept. 25, 2019

17th Annual

Get 50plus LIFE sent straight to your mailbox!

Sept. 18, 2019

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

YORK COUNTY

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

Oct. 16, 2019

20th Annual

Need more LIFE in your life?

9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Carlisle Expo Center 100 K Street Carlisle

Exhibitors • Health Screenings • Seminars • Demonstrations • Entertainment • Door Prizes Sponsor & Exhibitor Opportunities Available (717) 285-1350 (717) 770-0140 (610) 675-6240

www.50plusExpoPA.com www.50plusLifePA.com

I look out the The most opulent window to see a pink plantation is Houmas building with a green House, home to a balcony, and then museum-quality switch my eyes to the collection of art, video screen to see magnificent gardens, Elvis standing on that and an awardvery balcony as he winning restaurant. croons the opening It’s mostly used as an song of his 1958 hit entertainment venue movie, King Creole. and wedding site, In short order, we which made it the see the French Market, perfect place to film where Clint Eastwood ABC’s Revenge of the filmed Tight Rope; Bridesmaids.

The antebellum mansion on Houmas House St. Louis Cathedral appears in reflected glory in Frenchmen Street, En route to Plantation, as well as the magnificent gardens, This Property is Condemned, a 1966 film starring Shreveport, the where Jean-Claude Van makes it attractive as a location spot for projects Natalie Wood and Robert Redford.

Damme had a shootnorthwest hub of ranging from films to TV series and commercials. out scene in Hard Louisiana’s film Target; and the cemetery where industry, we stop in Baton Peter Fonda rendezvoused with Rouge, the film site of Showing his dead mother in Easy Rider.

Roots, starring Elizabeth Jonathan Rae, owner of New McGovern and Cicely Tyson.

Orleans Movie Tours, hands out Like Steel Magnolias, Roots bags of popcorn, and we munch celebrates life in a small away as we drive through the Southern town, one where Garden District, where the real community — and beauty stars are the grand old houses. parlors — are a fact of life.

Scenes were filmed in But it’s in Shreveport where virtually every room of the we see the true magic of the film house that was used as a industry, for while New Orleans retirement center in The Curious can turn its business district into Case of Benjamin Button, a generic downtown, Shreveport possibly giving it more on-screen has doubled for the North Pole, time than the star-of-record, the Bering Sea, and even the Oak Alley Plantation has been featured in films and TV programs starring heavyweights Brad Pitt.

Biblical City of Sodom. such as Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Fay Dunaway, and John Travolta.

Finally, we drive down a Before ending our starstreet in the Central Business studded Louisiana tour, we District, which often is used to represent Chicago in one movie, Dallas or New make our way to Natchitoches. The houses that were used in the film are private York in another. homes, and the people strolling down Front Street don’t have the dazzling smile “People don’t notice details,” Rae explains. “A row of tall buildings could be of Magnolias star Julia Roberts. But the atmosphere still resonates. anywhere.”

I ask a resident what it’s like to live in Natchitoches.

Like French director Jean-Luc Godard said, “Cinema is the most beautiful “Have you seen Steel Magnolias?” she asks. “That’s what it’s like. We’re a small fraud in the world.”

Southern community.”

Sometimes it really is a good idea to prepare for a trip by watching a movie. ··· Photos ©Irv Green unless otherwise noted; story by Andrea Gross (andreagross.com).

Of the hundreds of movies that have been filmed in Louisiana, only one has won the film industry’s big prize, the Oscar for Best Picture.

That’s 12 Years a Slave, which was filmed on 11 Louisiana sites: five in New Orleans and six on various Louisiana plantations.

We stop first at the closest of these, Destrehan, located on the Great River Road that runs 70 miles between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

There we see the grand eight-columned main house, the slave quarters, and many of the outbuildings, including the mule shed that was used in the film to represent the gin house.

But it’s at Oak Alley, where films such as Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte and Interview with a Vampire were made, that I feel as if I’m living on a movie set.

There’s the stately plantation home filled with elegant antiques, six reconstructed slave quarters, and Oak Alley Plantation, with its quarter mile of 300-year-old trees that frame the house so perfectly as to please the soul of the pickiest cinematographer. www.50plusLifePA.com

Like 50plus LIFE? Then “Like” 50plus LIFE!

www.facebook.com/50plusLIFEPA “Like” us on Facebook to receive a free 6-month subscription!

Plus, you’ll receive event updates, story links, and more!

50plus LIFE t

July 2019

11

Bill Would Expand Access to Assistive Technology for Seniors, Disabled In mid-June, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), the ranking member and chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the 21st Century Assistive Technology Act, which would increase access to assistive technology — devices or services that help seniors and people with disabilities maintain their independence and live where they choose.

The bill, which comes following a hearing in the Aging Committee on the topic, would also help reduce the low employment and high poverty rates of older adults and people with disabilities by helping them live independently and maintain employment.

“Assistive technology helps millions of people live independently and remain engaged in their community, and improves the quality of life for seniors and people with disabilities,” said Casey.

“It is important that we update this bill to support the advances in assistive technology over the last 15 years, so that those who need it can be full participants in every aspect of their lives.”

“As our population ages, the need for care and support is

Portable Oxygen For The Way You Want to Live

increasing,” said Collins. “Advances in technology are working to bridge the ‘care gap,’ improving function in activities of daily living, helping to manage multiple chronic conditions, reducing risk of hazards, and making homes safer for seniors.”

The 21st Century Assistive Technology Act (S.1835) Act would update the Assistive Technology Act by clarifying that the program serves all people with disabilities, including veterans and older adults who developed disabilities later in life.

The Assistive Technology Act would also increase the funding authorized for programs that serve rural areas.

Assistive technology refers to any piece of equipment, product, or service that helps someone with a disability or functional limitation accomplish their daily needs, such as wheelchair ramps, hearing aids, screen readers, and even smartphones.

ADVANCED HEARING AID TECHNOLOGY

“I was amazed!

Sounds I hadn’t heard in years came back to me!”

— Don W., Sherman, TX

For Less Than $200

How can a hearing aid that costs less than $200 be every bit as good as one that sells for $2,250 or more?

Includes Everything You Need to Regain Your Freedom At just 2.8* lbs, the Inogen One G4 is the ultralight portable oxygen concentrator you have been waiting for. The Inogen One G4 is approximately half the size of the Inogen One G3.

Meets FAA Requirements for Travel

JUST 2.8 LBS.

REQUEST YOUR FREE INFO KIT TODAY!

CALL TODAY! 1-844-846-0234 *With a single battery. © 2019 Inogen, Inc. All rights reserved.

12

July 2019

50plus LIFE t

The answer: Although tremendous strides have been made in Advanced Hearing Aid Technology, those cost reductions have not been passed on to you. Until now...

MDHearingAid® uses the same kind of Advanced Hearing Aid Technology incorporated into hearing aids that cost thousands more at a small fraction of the price.

Over 300,000 satisfied MDHearingAid customers agree: High-quality, FDA-registered hearing aids don’t have to cost a fortune. The fact is, you don’t need to spend thousands for a hearing aid. MDHearingAid is a medical-grade hearing aid offering sophistication and high performance, and works right out of the box with no time-consuming “adjustment” appointments. You can contact a licensed hearing specialist conveniently online or by phone — even after your purchase at no cost. No other company provides such extensive support.

Now that you know...why pay more?

Can a Hearing Aid Delay or Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

A study by the National Institute on Aging suggests older individuals with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop Alzheimer’s and dementia over time than those who retain their hearing. They suggest that an intervention — such as a hearing aid — could delay or prevent this by improving hearing!

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR 45-DAY RISK-FREE TRIAL!

Hearing is believing and we invite you to try this nearly invisible hearing aid with no annoying whistling or background noise for yourself. If you are not completely satisfied with your MDHearingAid, return it within 45 days for a FULL REFUND. Use Code HQ99 and get

For the Lowest Price Call

1-888-508-4879

FREE Batteries for 1 Year Plus FREE Shipping

www.50plusLifePA.com

The Bookworm Sez

The Trial of Lizzie Borden Terri Schlichenmeyer

Twelve people just like you.

At trial, each of them will hear the same words. They’ll see the same evidence and watch the same witnesses, but they’ll each embrace different things.

How will they judge? Guilt, innocence, or, as in The Trial of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson, will the end of the story come as a surprise?

Were she a child of today, Lizzie Borden would be considered spoiled.

Her father, Andrew, was a parsimonious, dour man of means who was quite surprisingly generous to his two motherless daughters, but he favored Lizzie, who once admitted that she always got what she wanted.

That was not the case, however, with Andrew’s second wife, Abby, a plump former spinster who was forced to make do with a small allowance to run the family’s sizeable household.

Though Abby was, by most accounts, a pleasant-enough woman, her existence seemed to upset the Borden girls, both of whom were disdainful of her.

As the girls matured, the atmosphere at the Borden home was often tense, becoming worse in 1887 when Andrew helped his wife’s half-sister financially: Lizzie and her sister, Emma, were reportedly very jealous and, although their father tried to soothe angry feelings and offered monetary gifts to the girls, the situation simmered for months.

But did it get so bad that, five years later, Lizzie Borden took an ax and … ?

At the inquest, most evidence pointed to a resounding “yes.”

District Attorney Hosea Knowlton questioned Lizzie at great length about where she was, what she was doing, and how it was that she saw and heard nothing while her father The Trial of Lizzie Borden: and stepmother A True Story were bludgeoned to

By Cara Robertson c. 2019, Simon & Schuster death.

400 pages During the questioning, she appeared to be either crafty or addled, contradicting herself, doublingback on answers, and frustrating the district attorney with her befuddlement.

Investigators and observers were sure that Lizzie was a killer.

Her trial would prove otherwise.

For sure, readers of this book’s first pages will be amazed at that outcome from more than a century ago. The evidence, presented at trial and again by author Cara Robertson, still overwhelmingly seems to point to guilt, but The Trial of Lizzie

Borden, a day-byday account of the then-sensational courtroom proceedings, explains what happened.

And that’s a fork in the road for readers.

Generations of true crime fans have devoured the story of Borden’s supposed “hacks,” and they’ll be delighted with this detailed retelling of her life, of the bloody crime, and of the weeks before arrest and trial, all

of which take up much of the front half of the book.

As soon as Robertson gets to the trial, however, this account becomes more about proceedings and legalities and less about the crime itself. That isn’t a bad thing at all for deep courtroom-drama fans, but it could overwhelm true-crime devotees.

Ultimately, be aware of what you want out of this book, and proceed accordingly. The Trial of Lizzie Borden is an excellent addition to this gruesome story, but wise readers will reserve their personal judgment.

The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer.

Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old, and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 14,000 books.

Your Choice. Our Privilege.

Devotion. Compassion. Dignity. When your loved one needs help, join hands with Homeland at Home.

We are privileged to be part of your caregiving team.

717-857-7400 | HomelandatHome.org Hospice volunteers are always welcome.

Community Outreach of Homeland Center www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE t

Homeland Hospice A Toast to the 10th … An Encore for More!

Save the date! Nov. 10

| Harrisburg, PA July 2019

13

1969: A Space Odyssey Some Little-Known Stories about the First Moon Landing, 50 Years Later

By Randal C. Hill By the early 1960s, America was trailing the Soviet Union in space development.

This undoubtedly played a part in President John F. Kennedy’s appeal on May 25, 1961, to a special joint session of Congress when he pronounced, “I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.”

Rocks, Walks, Heat Following NASA’s directive, Armstrong and Aldrin loaded nearly 50 pounds of moon rocks and soil into the Eagle, took photographs, and conducted tests.

The hardest task then facing the two was the planting of the American flag (which had come from Sears). The moon’s surface was rock-hard, and the astronauts only managed to hammer Old Glory a few inches into the surface, where it subsequently fell over from the Eagle’s takeoff blast.

The pair spent 21 hours and 36 minutes — almost a full day — on the moon. They stayed in their craft for over six hours after they landed, and they also took frequent breaks when they walked on the surface.

The thermally cooled underwear they wore inside their spacesuits helped them fend off the potentially lethal 200-degree Fahrenheit lunar surface temperatures, but Armstrong and Aldrin were always aware that their cooling properties could fail at any moment, so they purposely kept their ambles brief.

400,000 Helping Hands Eight years later, at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at 9:32 a.m. on July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 thundered off the launch pad in a billowy cloud of smoke, destined for immortality.

Neil Armstrong, a 38-year-old civilian research pilot, led the three-man crew, which also consisted of Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, 39, and Michael Collins, 38.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the moon.

Media coverage naturally focused on the astronauts, but the total number of scientists, engineers, and service and Homeward Bound construction workers involved in the Apollo 11 project had surged to more than The men returned to the lunar module by 1:11 a.m. Then, just before they 400,000 by that crisp, clear summer morning. secured the hatch, Aldrin accidentally tripped the circuit breaker used to In the next 76 hours, the astronauts soared 240,000 miles, averaging over activate the main engine; after a moment of panic, though, he was able to push 3,100 miles per hour. They entered a lunar orbit on July 19, and the next day, the breaker back into the correct position with a felt-tip pen. at 1:46 p.m., their lunar module, Eagle, separated from the command module, Besides the American flag, the astronauts left behind several other items, Columbia, where Collins remained on board to monitor the situation. including a plaque that read: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon — July 1969 A.D. — We came in peace for all mankind.”

25 Seconds to Go Armstrong and Aldrin reconnected successfully with Collins and Columbia, The Eagle began its descent to the lunar surface two hours later. and at 12:56 a.m. on July 22, Apollo 11 began its journey home, safely However, when Armstrong prepared to set the craft down, he realized splashing into the Pacific Ocean at 12:50 p.m. two days later. that boulders and craters were scattered throughout the landing site, posing a It is estimated that over 550 million people worldwide had followed the potential hazard. He eased his craft over to a flatter, safer place nearby, but that history-making event on television. maneuver burned fuel that was already running dangerously low.

When the Eagle finally settled onto the moon’s Sea of Tranquility, the I Don’t Believe It! remaining fuel would have only lasted another 25 seconds before the landing Though etched in our collective consciousness, the celebration this month would automatically have been aborted in order to guarantee adequate fuel for of the 50th anniversary of the historical milestone will probably not change the the return flight home.

Armstrong immediately radioed Mission Control in Houston with his now- minds of a small group of conspiracy theorists who, to this day, and contrary to abundant evidence available, believe that NASA faked the July 20, 1969, moon iconic announcement, “The Eagle has landed.” landing.

In 2002, the Washington Post featured a news item concerning Buzz Aldrin.

What’d I Say? The former astronaut was leaving a Beverly Hills hotel when he was accosted by At 10:39 p.m., Armstrong descended from the ship as a television camera a conspiracy theorist who shrieked, “You’re the one who said you walked on the attached to the Eagle beamed the astronauts’ progress back to Earth. moon when you didn’t!”

When he opened the hatch and stepped onto the moon’s surface, he After calling Aldrin a liar, the man waved a Bible in Aldrin’s face and maintained that he had intended to say, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” but a possible momentary microphone glitch had him insisted that he swear the truth on it. The former astronaut settled the matter by knocking the accuser to the ground with a well-placed right cross to the jaw. announcing to the world, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Although Randal C. Hill’s heart lives in the past, the rest of him resides in Bandon, Aldrin followed Armstrong 19 minutes later, being careful not to lock the Ore. He can be reached at wryterhill@msn.com.

Eagle’s hatch, as there was no outer handle … and no Roadside Assistance number to call 240,000 miles away.

14

July 2019

50plus LIFE t

www.50plusLifePA.com

Puzzle Page

CROSSWORD

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 16 SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

Veggies

Across 1. Quiz 4. Discharge 8. Verb preceder 12. Roman god of war 14. Like the White Rabbit 15. Frost lines 16. Ivy League university 18. S-shaped moldings 19. Newton or Stern 20. Garment workers 22. Clock standard (abbr.)

23. Texas cook-off dish 24. Monty Python airer 27. “Cogito ___ sum”

29. Housefly larva 33. Baseball stat 34. Horse of a certain color 35. New money 36. Reindeer country 38. Bug 41. Turkish cash 42. Hospital supplies 43. ___ Anne de Beaupré 44. Mystery 47. Orchard item 48. Word on a Ouija board

49. Israeli port 51. Pen point 53. Floral envelope 56. Tabloid twosomes 59. Bring to bear 60. Painters’ equipment 64. College bigwigs 65. Disney output, briefly 66. Gin flavor 67. Concludes 68. Peccadilloes 69. Flock member

17. Photo starter 21. Deadeye’s forte 23. Bamboozle 24. Scarlett O’Hara, e.g.

25. Genius 26. Bay of Naples isle 28. Roam (about) 30. Bold 31. Emulate Cicero 32. Drinks too much, old style 37. Hats and chickens 38. Minute 39. Abadan natives 40. Blue moon, e.g.

42. Bathroom installation 45. Milkshake types 46. Be bedridden 50. Diets 52. Panhandles 53. Surrender 54. Yoked beasts 55. Interpret 57. Stubborn sort 58. Winter blanket 61. Polynesian paste 62. King Arthur’s lance 63. Bishop’s jurisdiction

Down 1. Concert prop 2. Delhi dress 3. Malayan dagger 4. Kind of microscope 5. Welcome ___ 6. Four-time Japanese prime minister 7. Common fraction 8. Peignoir 9. Sundae topper, perhaps 10. Exploitative type 11. Costner role 13. Glitch 15. “Behold!”

Your ad could be here on this popular page!

Please call (717) 285-1350 for more information.

www.50plusLifePA.com

50plus LIFE t

July 2019

15

VA Launches New Healthcare Options under MISSION Act The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs launched its new and improved Veterans Community Care Program on June 6, implementing portions of the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018 (MISSION Act), which both ends the Veterans Choice Program and establishes a new Veterans Community Care Program.

The MISSION Act will strengthen the nationwide VA healthcare system by empowering veterans with more healthcare options.

“The changes not only improve our ability to provide the healthcare veterans need, but also when and where they need it,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie.

“It will also put veterans at the center of their care and offer options, including expanded telehealth and urgent care, so they can find the balance in the system that is right for them.”

Under the new Veterans Community Care Program, veterans can work with their VA healthcare provider or other VA staff to see if they are eligible to receive community care based on new criteria.

Eligibility for community care does not require a veteran to receive that care in the community; veterans can still choose to have VA provide their care.

Veterans may elect to receive care in the community if they meet any of the following six eligibility criteria: 1. A veteran needs a service not available at any VA medical facility.

2. A veteran lives in a U.S. state or territory without a full-service VA medical facility, specifically, veterans living in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

3. A veteran qualifies under the “grandfather” provision related to distance eligibility under the Veterans Choice Program.

4. VA cannot furnish care within these designated access standards:

5. The veteran and the referring clinician agree it is in the best medical interest of the veteran to receive community care based on defined factors.

6. VA has determined that a VA medical service line is not providing care in a manner that complies with VA’s standards for quality based on specific conditions.

In preparation for this landmark initiative, senior VA leaders will visit more than 30 VA hospitals across the country to provide in-person support for the rollout.

The VA MISSION Act: • Strengthens VA’s ability to recruit and retain clinicians • Authorizes “Anywhere to Anywhere” telehealth across state lines • Empowers veterans with increased access to community care • Establishes a new urgent care benefit that eligible veterans can access through VA’s network of urgent care providers in the community VA serves approximately 9 million enrolled veterans at 1,255 healthcare facilities around the country every year.

For more information, visit www.missionact.va.gov.

Puzzles shown on page 15

Puzzle Solutions

• Drive time to a specific VA medical facility

• Thirty-minute average drive time for primary care, mental health, and non-institutional extended-care services • Sixty-minute average drive time for specialty care • Appointment wait time at a specific VA medical facility • Twenty days from the date of request for primary care, mental healthcare, and non-institutional extended care services, unless the veteran agrees to a later date in consultation with his or her VA healthcare provider • Twenty-eight days for specialty care from the date of request, unless the veteran agrees to a later date in consultation with his or her VA healthcare provider

16

July 2019

50plus LIFE t

www.50plusLifePA.com

York County

Calendar of Events

Community Programs/Support Groups Free and open to the public

Senior Center Activities

Sundays, 6:15 p.m.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous Luther Memorial Lutheran Church 1907 Hollywood Drive, York (781) 932-6300 www.foodaddicts.org

Crispus Attucks Active Living Center (717) 848-3610, www.crispusattucks.org

July 1, 9:30 a.m.

Green Thumb Garden Club Meeting Emmanuel Lutheran Church 2650 Freysville Road, Red Lion (717) 235-2823

July 2, 7 p.m.

Surviving Spouse Socials of York County Faith United Church of Christ 509 Pacific Ave., York (717) 266-2784 July 16, 7-8 p.m.

Alzheimer’s Support Group Providence Place 3377 Fox Run Road, Dover (717) 767-4500

parks and recreation July 10, 7-8 p.m. – Birth and Life of the Northern Central, New Freedom Train Station July 14, 8:30 p.m. – Sunset Scramble Bike Ride, Hanover Junction Train Station July 24, 7-8 p.m. – 23 Letters, New Freedom Train Station

Collinsville Community Library, 2632 Delta Road, Brogue, (717) 927-9014 Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. – Purls of Brogue Knitting Club July 13, 8-10 p.m. – Public Observation at the York County Observatory July 15, 10:30 a.m. to noon – Mrs. Stauffer’s Introduction to Loom Knitting Dillsburg Area Public Library, 17 S. Baltimore St., Dillsburg, (717) 432-5613 July 13, 8-10 p.m. – Public Observation at the York County Observatory July 17, 6:30-7:30 p. m. – Summer Read Book Discussion: A Mother’s Reckoning Dover Area Community Library, 3700-3 Davidsburg Road, Dover, (717) 292-6814 Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. – Knitting Group July 11, 10-11:45 a.m. – TechTime July 12, 10:30-11:30 a.m. – South Central Pa. Search and Rescue Dogs Guthrie Memorial Library, 2 Library Place, Hanover, (717) 632-5183 July 11, noon to 1 p.m. – Geologist Jeri Jones July 16, 6-7:30 p.m. – That was Vaudeville … with Stephen Lee Rich July 22, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Beginners Quilting Class

www.50plusLifePA.com

Dillsburg Senior Activity Center – (717) 432-2216 Eastern Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 252-1641 Golden Connections Community Center (717) 244-7229, www.gcccenter.com Weekdays, 9 a.m. – Games Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – Pinochle Fridays, 9:15 a.m. – Computers 101 Golden Visions Senior Community Center (717) 633-5072, www.goldenvisionspa.com Heritage Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 292-7471 www.heritagesrcenter.org

Library Programs Arthur Hufnagel Public Library of Glen Rock, 32 Main St., Glen Rock, (717) 235-1127 July 13, 8-10 p.m. – Public Observation at the York County Observatory July 18, 1:30-4:15 p.m. – TechTime July 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p. m. – Public Observation at the York County Observatory

Delta Area Senior Center, Inc. – (717) 456-5753

Kaltreider-Benfer Library, 147 S. Charles St., Red Lion, (717) 244-2032 Thursdays, 6-8 p.m. – Knit Wits July 10, 2-3 p.m. – Explore the Universe with Jeri Jones at Red Lion Rec. Center

Northeastern Senior Community Center (717) 266-1400, www.mtwolf.org/SeniorCenter

Kreutz Creek Valley Library Center, 66 Walnut Springs Road, Hellam, (717) 252-4080 July 13, 8-10 p.m. – Public Observation at the York County Observatory July 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p. m. – Public Observation at the York County Observatory July 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m. – Cookbook Discussion Group

September House – (717) 848-4417

Martin Library, 159 E. Market St., York, (717) 846-5300 July 14, 2-3 p.m. – Sundays with Scott: Flames beyond Gettysburg July 15, 5-6 p.m. – TechTime July 27, 2-3 p.m. – Preparing for Medicare Paul Smith Library of Southern York County, 80 Constitution Ave., Shrewsbury, (717) 235-4313 July 6, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Family Game Day Red Land Community Library, 48 Robin Hood Drive, Etters, (717) 938-5599 July 8, 15, 22, 29, 10 a.m. to noon – Bridge July 11 and 25, 10 a.m. to noon – Mah Jong, Anyone?

July 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p. m. – Public Observation at the York County Observatory Village Library, 35-C N. Main St., Jacobus, (717) 428-1034 Tuesdays, noon to 2 p.m. – Village Knitters July 25, 4-5:45 p.m. – TechTime

Red Land Senior Center – (717) 938-4649 www.redlandseniorcenter.org

South Central Senior Community Center (717) 235-6060 https://southcentralyorkcountysrctr.webs.com Wednesdays, 9:15 a.m. – Ceramics Thursdays, 8:45 a.m. – Walking Through the Bible Fridays, 9 a.m. – Weights Class Stewartstown Senior Center – (717) 993-3488 www.stewsenior.org Susquehanna Senior Center – (717) 244-0340 www.susquehannaseniorcenter.org Mondays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. – Chorus Practice Tuesdays, 6-10 p.m. – Bluegrass/Country Music Jam Session White Rose Senior Center – (717) 843-9704 www.whiteroseseniorcenter.org Windy Hill On the Campus – (717) 225-0733 https://windyhillonthecampus.org Tuesdays, 1-2 p.m. – Ballroom Dancing Classes Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. – Exercise Class for Parkinson’s Patients and Caregivers July 16, 12:30 p.m. – Book Club Yorktown Senior Center – (717) 854-0693 www.yorktownseniorcenter.org Submit senior center events to mjoyce@onlinepub.com.

50plus LIFE t

July 2019

17

Savvy Senior

Adaptive Gardening: Tips and Tools for Older Gardeners

Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some good tools and tips for senior gardeners? My 77-year-old mother loves to work in the garden but over the past few years has been plagued by injuries.

– Concerned Daughter Dear Concerned, Aches, pains, and injuries are not uncommon among older gardeners. Because gardening is such a physical activity that often requires a lot of bending and stooping, squatting and kneeling, gripping and lifting, it can be extremely taxing on an aging body.

Back pain and knee injuries are most common among older gardeners, along with carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow.

To help keep your mom injury-free this summer, here are some tips and gardening equipment ideas that can make gardening a little easier.

Warm Up With gardening, good form is very important as well as not overdoing any one activity. A common problem is that gardeners often kneel or squat, putting

No Clipping Required.

ON AVERAGE, AARP MEMBERS ENJOY

$357*

SAVINGS

ON AUTO INSURANCE

when they switch from companies like

GEICO, State Farm and Allstate Your savings could be even more!

Call The Hartford 1-855-888-5720

The AARP® Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford.1 Saving is easy! With this policy, experienced drivers who switch save an average of $357* in the first year alone — and they get all the benefits and privileges you’d expect with the AARP Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford. Your own savings could actually be greater.

96%

of customers recommend The Hartford**

Q Q Q Q

24/7 claims service Lifetime renewability† Lock in your rate for a full 12 months New car replacement§§

The only national auto insurance program endorsed by AARP.

Call The Hartford now to request a FREE money-saving quote.

1-855-888-5720 No coupon necessary.

Not an AARP member? If you’re 50 or over, request a FREE quote and more information today!

FREE calculator when you request your free quote!*** * Savings amounts are averages based on information from The Hartford’s AARP Auto Insurance Program customers who became new auto insurance policyholders between 1/1/17 and 12/31/17 and provided data regarding their savings and prior carrier. Your savings may vary. ** Based on customer experience reviews shared online at www.thehartford.com/aarp as of November 2018. *** The gift offer is good for first time responders who provide a valid email address. Responders will be sent an email to confirm the gift. All responders in IA, IL, MA and RI who do not provide an email address are still eligible to receive the gift The gift offer is not available in GA, ND, NM or PA, but residents may still request a quote. The gift is available only as a limited time offer. Please allow 4-7 weeks for delivery. † If you are age 50 or older, once you’re insured through this Program for ait least 60 days, you cannot be refused renewal as long as applicable premiums are paid when due. Also, you and other customary drivers of your vehicles must retain valid licenses, remain physically and mentally capable of operating an automobile, have no convictions for driving while intoxicated and must not have obtained your policy through material misrepresentation. Benefit currently not available in HI, MI, NH, NC and TX. §§ Limitations apply.

AARP and its affliates are not insurers. Paid endorsement. The Hartford pays royalty fees to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. AARP membership is required for Program eligibility in most states.

The AARP Automobile Insurance Program from The Hartford is underwritten by Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affliates, One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155. It is underwritten in CA by Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company; in WA, by Hartford Casualty Insurance Company; in MN, by Sentinel Insurance Company; and in MA, MI and PA, by Trumbull Insurance Company. Specific features, credits, and discounts may vary and may not be available in all states in accordance with state filings and applicable law. Applicants are individually underwritten and some may not qualify. The program is currently unavailable in Canada and U.S. Territories or possessions.

1 In Texas, the Auto Program is underwritten by Southern County Mutual Insurance Company, through Hartford Fire General Agency. Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affiliates are not financially responsible for insurance products underwritten and issued by Southern County Mutual Insurance Company.

006131

18

July 2019

50plus LIFE t

extra pressure on their knees.

Then, to spare their knees, they might stand and bend over for long stretches to weed, dig, and plant, straining their back and spine.

To help your mom protect her body, she needs to warm up before beginning. Start by stretching, focusing on the legs and lower back.

And keep changing positions and activities. Don’t spend hours weeding a flowerbed. After 15 minutes of weeding, she should stand up, stretch, and switch to another activity, like pruning the bushes, or just take a break.

It’s also important that she recognizes her physical limitations and doesn’t try to do too much all at once.

And, when lifting heaver objects, she needs to remember to use her legs to preserve her back. She can do this by keeping the item close to her body and squatting to keep her back as vertical as possible.

Laborsaving Tools The right gardening equipment can help too. Kneeling pads can protect knees, and garden seats or stools are both back and knee savers.

Lightweight garden carts can make hauling bags of mulch, dirt, plants, or other heavy objects much easier. And long-handled gardening tools can help ease the strain on the back by keeping your mom in a standing, upright position versus bent over.

There are also ergonomic gardening tools with fatter handles and other design features that can make lawn and garden activities a little easier.

Easier Watering The chore of carrying water or handling a heavy, awkward hose can also be difficult for older gardeners.

Some helpful options include lightweight fabric hoses instead of heavy rubber hoses; soaker or drip hoses that can be snaked throughout the garden; thin coil hoses that can be used on the patio or small areas; a hose caddy and reel for easier hose transport around the yard; and a self-winding hose chest that puts the hose up automatically.

There are also a variety of ergonomic watering wands that are lightweight and easy to grip, and they reach those hard-to-get-to plants.

To find ergonomic gardening tools and the recommended watering aids, check with local retail stores that sell lawn and garden supplies or try online retailers like Gardener’s Supply Company (www.gardeners.com) or Radius Garden (www.radiusgarden.com).

Container Gardening If your mom’s backyard garden has become too much for her to handle, she should consider elevated garden beds or container gardening — using big pots, window boxes, hanging baskets, barrels, or tub planters.

This is a much easier way to garden because it eliminates much of the bend and strain of gardening but still gives her the pleasure of making things grow.

Trellises are another nice option that would allow her to garden vertically instead of horizontally.

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

www.50plusLifePA.com

Tea Proceeds to Support Mission Work Left photo: From left, Terry Holtzinger, Reg Gochenour, Pastor John Fritts, and David Boyer.

Bottom photo: Front row, from left, Deb Hoerner, Pam Gale, and Anne Fritts. Back row, from left, Susan Boyer, Sallie Nicklow, Deb Holtzinger, Ginny Potter, and Holly Holtzinger.

The ladies of Covenant Moravian Church in York were recently treated to tea served by the gentlemen of the church and catered by Red Brick Bakery.

More than three dozen women participated, and many wore hats to celebrate the day. This year’s tea

featured teacup centerpieces and tea cozies made by Women’s Fellowship members.

This annual event is sponsored by the Covenant Women’s Fellowship, and any proceeds are used to support mission work, both local and international.

Family Care Incorporated 4-bed personal care home in Springettsbury Township, York, PA. Affordable prices! We offer 24-hour assistance with ADLs and meal preparation. We provide professional and compassionate care to all residents!

Located in a wonderful neighborhood just minutes away from restaurants, entertainment, and interstate 83.

Request a tour today!

Contact Shakina Brown (Owner/Administrator)

(717) 373-5205

familycareincpa@gmail.com

www.50plusLifePA.com

Volunteer Spotlight YCAAA Honors Volunteers at Annual Recognition Event York County Area Agency on Visitor Program. He also served Aging Director Mark Shea was on the advisory council for many joined by years and with York County the Senior Commissioners Farmers Market Doug Hoke and Nutrition Chris Reilly Program at a recent voucher luncheon at the distribution.

York Outdoor Bear still Country Club enjoys delivering to recognize gifts during the Photo credit: York County Area Agency on Aging the work of holidays for the Dick Bear, 35-year volunteer, the agency’s Senior Santa receives his service award. From volunteers. program, as left, Bear, Commissioner Doug In the past well as assisting Hoke, Volunteer Coordinator Hope 12 months, with a variety Eberly, and Administrative YCAAA of volunteer Officer III Elizabeth DiLuigi. volunteers have roles at the served over York County 10,322 volunteer Senior Games, hours with the including agency. registration and Receiving the Wii bowling an award for event.

35 years of Hartnett volunteerism has served as with the agency a volunteer was Dick Bear. ombudsman Fellow volunteer since 1999 Photo credit: York County Area Agency on Aging and also has Ruth Hartnett 20-year volunteers receiving received an volunteered on recognition were, from left, Kathleen award for 30 the agency’s Urey-Strickler, Thomas Heberly III, years of service. advisory and Dorothy Blevins, with In addition, council.

Commissioner Doug Hoke. Not four volunteers As a current pictured: recipient Fred Christensen. received awards volunteer for 20 years ombudsman, of service to YCAAA: Dorothy she assists and advocates for York Blevins, Fred Christensen, Thomas County’s older adults. Before Heberly III, and Kathleen Ureyserving as an ombudsman, she Strickler. assisted with the Senior Games and Bear began as an agency the Disaster Recovery Center. volunteer in 1983 in the Friendly Do you know a 50+ volunteer who gives selflessly to others? Tell us what makes him or her so special and we will consider them for 50plus LIFE’s Volunteer Spotlight!

Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos are encouraged. Email preferred to mjoyce@onlinepub.com or mail nominations to 50plus LIFE, Volunteer Spotlight, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512.

50plus LIFE t

July 2019

19

This is Krista’s happily ever after.

Finding new ways to help people like Krista beat cancer.

This is why we’re continuing to innovate, expand and invest in the people of Central PA. Because this is the health we need to live the way we want.

This is Penn State Health.

PennStateHealth.org/CancerInstitute

CAN-14388-19-111241-0319

Cancer Institute