September 2020 OutreachNC

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Feature Intro: Aging Around the World - Colombia

As part of our series on Aging Around the World, ONC had the pleasure of speaking with Sonia Middleton, a Moore County resident who hails from the country of Colombia. Middleton has spent the last 20 years in the United States. While raising two children, Middleton taught soldiers Spanish, guided children in cooking skills through her business Sonia’s Bilingual Kitchen and is now pursuing her own education in theology as she moves into a new season of her life. Middleton sat down with ONC editor Amy Phariss to talk about her perspective and observations regarding life in Colombia and the United States including the experience of aging in both cultures. It’s a perspective she knows well as Middleton’s 75-year-old mother shares her time between the two countries, spending a large chunk of the year in America before returning again to her native Colombia.

Middleton shares her experiences on how aging affects women in both countries, the culture of respect for elders and what a good retirement means for Colombians. She discusses issues related to health care, money, family ties and the impact of globalization on aging in both countries.

This interview has been edited for length.

Amy Phariss: In America, there is sometimes a lot of pressure for American women to remain young and to appear youthful. Many women describe feeling pressured to remain thin, attractive and even sexy.

Does this type of pressure exist in Colombia?

Sonia Middleton: Yes. It is there, too. Internet – it is good but also brings some negative things too, all over the world. It’s the same issues with kids, teens and adults using devices all the time, making us compare to others. So, yes, we do, I see a lot of that with the addition that in Latin America we are more bold even showing what we have.

CONTENTS

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ASK THE EXPERT: UNDERSTANDING AN MRI FEATURE: AGING AROUND THE WORLD COLUMBIA FAITH: IN LIEU OF COMMUNION, RADISHES EYE HEALTH: WHAT IS THIS BUMP? VETERANS CORNER: HELP FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Amy Phariss, Editor-in-Chief, OutreachNC | editor@outreachnc.com

SEPTEMBER 2020 - 2 It is September, which means one last hit of summer and the hint of fall in the air. I can feel it already. I have a September birthday. When I was a little girl, my mother would say, “You have a birthday coming up.”

“When?”

“When the apples fall off the trees.”

I think of the conversation now and it seems so applicable, so natural and easy, no hard times or dates.

It’s the perfect answer for a small child’s brain, and as we continue to live in ‘uncertain times,’ it seems like the perfect way to measure time again.

This month, we continue our Aging Around the World series by traveling to South America. Moore County local Sonia Middleton gives us her perspective on aging in her home country of Colombia as well as what she sees here in America and how the two experiences are both different and much the same. Sonia’s mother, who is 75, spends much of her year here in the United States, which affords Middleton a timely view of how we age from two cultural perspectives.

Colette Bachand describes an unusual, though no less meaningful, communion in times when so many of our rituals have been curtailed or shifted in nature. I am looking at my vegetables in a new light after reading Bachand’s words.

Amy Natt explains the difference between a closed and open MRI and how to make each one a comfortable, successful experience in this month’s Ask the Expert.

Jim Pedersen of Moore County Veterans Services addresses new changes in the VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. You’ll want to pass this information along to anyone you know who may benefit from these upcoming changes. And Dr. Lisa Sitterson of Carolina Eye Associates explains what the small bump on the white part of your eye might be.

I think of Samuel Butler’s famous words as I consider the upcoming season and my birthday, after the apples have fallen:

Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits.

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ASK THE EXPERT: MRI

Amy Natt, MS, CMC, CSA | amyn@agingoutreachservices.com

My doctor told me that I am going to need an MRI to determine why I am having so much back pain. It feels like we have tried everything. He asked me if I would like a closed or open MRI. Can you explain the difference?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to see images in your body. It is considered noninvasive and allows doctors to get a peak at your organs, tissues and skeletal system. If you have not been able to resolve the reason for your pain, this is a logical next step.

MRIs of bones and joints can detect joint abnormalities, traumatic injuries, torn cartilage/ ligaments, disk abnormalities, bone infections and possible tumors of the bone or surrounding soft tissue. When the doctor writes the order for your MRI, it will specify what area of the back she would like to see images of. The lower back can include imaging of the spine, bones, disks and spacing between the vertebral bones where nerves pass. These images can be very helpful in determining the cause of the pain and best course of treatment.

SEPTEMBER 2020 - 3 There are two primary complaints I hear about MRIs. First is the noise. The MRI depends on imaging created by large opposing magnets, coils that produce radio waves and rapid pulses of electricity produced in multiple cycles. The result is a series of very loud banging noises that can sound like a jack hammer going off around you. It is very alarming to some people. Ear plugs or some form of ear protection will be provided, but be prepared for a lot of noise.

Second is the machine itself. Imagine laying on a table and being moved into a long magnetic tube. It can feel very claustrophobic to some people. To address your specific question, a closed MRI is shaped like a capsule you will lay inside of. The open MRI is two flat tables, with open sides. So, you would not be fully enclosed in an open MRI, but it will still be a tight space above and below you. An open MRI is typically easier for someone who has high anxiety and experiences claustrophobia.

A closed MRI can be faster and produce more accurate results; however, if an open MRI is all you can tolerate, then this is a good option. It is important to mentally prepare yourself the day of your MRI. Consider a close friend or family member who might attend with you. Wear comfortable clothing and remove all jewelry. Practice calm breathing techniques and consider music or a personal mantra that you can use to focus on. Ear protection should be provided, and you can add a sleep mask if this will help you relax.

A typical MRI will last for 15 to 45 minutes. You will need to hold very still so they can get clear images.

Do your best to relax and remind yourself this is temporary. While the test itself might not be pleasant, the results can be very helpful to gaining some answers and finding the next step in your pain relief journey.

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SEPTEMBER 2020 - 4

d n u o r A g Agin World the

It is very important to add that the Latin women are, for the most part, always put together, dressed up and make up done every day. That is part of us, even to run errands or stay at home or be grandma. We just feel good when we do it. It is part of our self-esteem.

AP: What is the main difference you see between aging in America and aging in Colombia?

SM: I think accepting ourselves at a younger age. I think people will accept themselves later in the United States.

They will fight more, for a longer time, what their role as a woman or as a mom is. In our country, that might be something we do much faster. We might accept that we are meant to be mom and grandma, embracing what comes with it, and part of the process done earlier for Latin women is because we have less distraction with performing other roles in our society.

We love it all. We don’t fight these things. We’re not trying to level ourselves with guys. They have their own role and their own place in society.

We have our special role that God gave us, and we respect that. I grew up hearing my mom saying, “Every age is beautiful. We just have to accept it.”

COLOMBIA By: Amy Phariss

continued from page 1 In Colombia, we will feel free to show it. We would wear a lower neckline or tighter clothes. The difference is that there it is very common to dress that way and it feels pretty natural. Women in general don’t give a second thought about whether to wear it or not.

That is a general attitude.

As it happens here, it’s not that everyone is doing this. But it happens. And it happens with the younger generations.

For any person in this world, we have to accept what we are here for, what our role in this life is in the present season. There are certain things that we are made for and the guys are not. We must understand that and embrace it.

Mature women and grandmothers love feeling they are useful at any age. It is the right thing to do. We want to help our family however they need it.

AP: What is the role of the grandmother in Colombian culture?

SM: The role is very much involved in the families, in each family. For the most part, not only being present in the home where the kids are being raised and living with them and helping prepare food and reinforcing manners at the table….just being there, watching or even guiding whoever is in charge of doing the cleaning of the house. Normally the grandparents don’t do much of the cleaning (I’m talking about middle-class people, which is the majority of the country).

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SM: No, not really. In most cases, there is someone in the family who needs a place to live. That mom will accommodate that other person. It could be a nephew, a niece, a cousin, a god son or god daughter, because families don’t have everything solved. The other common situation is that the mom will go to live with a sister. She will not live alone in a house. Or maybe a kid will come and live with her. This is happening more often nowadays. The kid will come back to the mom.

The mom is alone, and we don’t want to leave her alone.

We believe if the grandparent is left alone, they may die earlier. When the grandmother has someone with her, she feels loved and valued and she lives longer. She cooks for the family. If there is a baby in the family, she will take care of the baby. This is happening very often lately. Almost never she will go just on her own. If she is alone or is a widow, she won’t often just go fishing or shopping or go find a boyfriend.

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AP: When kids leave the house in the US, many parents think: now it’s my time (fishing, travel, etc.). Is this a common philosophy in Colombia?

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SM: It happens rarely; sometimes parents rotate between their kids’ houses or they will decide for the kid who makes the highest income, then the grandmother will live with them because they can afford the medical attention and recreation and a bigger house with an extra bedroom. But you can also see some parents who will also live with the kid who is making the lowest income because that’s the kid who needs them most; that person doesn’t have the maid in the house to help them. The grandma is available for them. She’s up to the challenge.

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AP: In the US, many of us live far away from our extended families. Is that common in Colombia?

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Grandma is there to bring her experience to the family, to bring the wisdom and to bring love to the family, to balance the family between that working mom or father who are making the income and those kids who are growing who need a hug, who need a kiss, who need someone to carry them and watch TV with them and talk to them, especially with| the love they have for them.

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It’s in our DNA that our life is to be given to someone else. Our life is not for us. This is in our skin, our heart. Our life is to be put to serve others.

The first group we think of, of course, is the family. It is a sacrifice. It is work. But we are here in this world for that.

AP: Do you see this philosophy in America?

SM: Within some families yes. But it’s not very common.

Once the kids leave the house, the kids see grandparents on vacation or see them every once in a while. And the parents will not always happily accept kids moving back; they have their reasons and it’s understandable. The parents fight for their time and space. TV and movies show the reality of each culture.

I can see the goodness of both, actually. In Colombia, when someone comes back to their parents’ house they might need a little extra push for a little while to get on their feet. It’s not that they didn’t succeed. It might just be circumstances, something in the moment. They want to be with someone they know for sure. The parents and grandparents, in this case, would be happy to do that.

But it’s also true, in a way, that yes, when you raise your kids well, you know, they’re going to be successful and be on their own. But things may happen in someone’s life that it might be hard for a year or two. It doesn’t mean that they’re not going to get on their feet later on.

If we have that family support, most likely you’re going to get out of that situation sooner. You won’t be in debt paying someone to watch your kids or rent. With the grandparents, they will not charge for watching the kids, and you will know that they are being watched well.

AP: Do many seniors live in retirement homes?

SM: Almost no one. That is a very rare situation… that is for a very elite group of people, maybe someone who raised kids and their kids have a very prosperous business and the kids don’t have time to spend with their grandparents. For the most part that doesn’t happen.

I’m not saying that all people with money and business will do that, but a lot of the people in those retirement homes are from families who have the means to pay for it or their children live out of the country and has the means to send the money to pay for that. But it’s not common. It’s very, very rare.

AP: How do people spend their time as they stop working and shift into retirement?

SM: I’ll give you the example of my own mother. She comes and lives with me for 8 or 9 months and goes back to Cartagena my hometown for 4 months. Her neighbors are doing the same. They have kids and grandkids.

While the kids go to work, they take the grandkids to the grandparent’s house. The grandparents take care of the kids when kids can’t go to school.

One good thing I see with the pandemic is that families are praying more and being more outspoken about our spiritual life, and the kids are doing this more, being exposed to prayers and reading the Bible more. This is semi-new and has moved fast with the way the world is changing now. With daycares and schools closed, grandparents are more in demand now. Those older aunts and uncles and even older siblings who are retired, they can help with that task too.

Prayer has become an activity that is being reinitiated because it was only for some days or on Sundays, but not as an everyday activity. Now it is more common to see that happening, not only in my country but also here in America and all over the world. It is a great change for the world. I trust in Him. AP: What would make someone feel sad about aging in Colombia?

SM: Being alone. Being alone would make someone really sad. We call it, it’s like dying alive. It’s like dying slowly, dying. We know we are all slowly dying, but being alone will speed up that process.

AP: In America, we fear getting sick as we age. Is that a fear in Colombia?

SM: Yes. Yes because a lot of people there don’t have medical insurance. As a Third World Country, our health system needs lots of improvement, but our system still sees everyone who needs medical care. They know that when they get sick they will go to a government hospital and will wait for doctors to see them for a long time.

Now, with this pandemic, they really don’t want to go.

They go to the hospital for one reason and while they were there they get infected and die.

AP: Do seniors do anything to prevent illness?

One thing I will say is that the people eat less, so we don’t have the problems with obesity that we have here. Diabetes may be an issue there. Cancer is still everywhere. But in Colombia people are more active, walk more, and they’re thinner. It’s not that they have everything all put together in their life, but they live a life with less pressure and less money. They are more content.

This helps to prevent illness that stress can bring.

It’s a slower life.

SEPTEMBER 2020 - 7 AP: How is it slower?

SM: It’s slower because, I guess, some of the things I learned when I came to this country was there is a big pressure of us parents to have our kids joining certain clubs to be great players in whatever discipline they wanted to, and that will be the ticket for many of that kids to join a college. That pressure you find everywhere in society. In Colombia, it’s not that much. Kids will go to private college if they have the means to go or to public university. If they don’t have the money, they will take loans. We also have more access to college for much less money in Colombia. There is not a super huge pressure that you have to become a good player to get a scholarship, on and on. In Colombia, there is less worry.

They do have to pay, but it is something they can afford if they work. And they won’t be in debt for 20 years.

Nothing like that. They can pay it in less time.

AP: How do you think aging has changed in Colombia with globalization?

SM: It’s not that all those mom and grandmothers now in their 60s are always home or all of them are at home, some of them are looking for friends or boyfriends, traveling. It’s not very common. It’s rare. But we see it more now. They’re having surgery to lift something up, maybe. They want to be loved. They want to be accepted.

All of that. We see it a little more. More grandmas on social media.

AP: What about the men?

SM: They divorce now; it’s more common now to see people divorcing now when they’re older. They also go out and try to find a young girlfriend. They want to be a sugar daddy for those. That is also happening more sadly. But not all the guys will do the same. Some of those grandparents are the sweetest ones. They will go watch the kids when the grandma is not available. They will go with the kids, go play ball, they will study and play instruments.

They are talented. They can teach the kids so many things to do with their hands, making wooden boxes and using tools. They can do craft projects together. We see a lot of that too. Good values will always remain.

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SEPTEMBER 2020 - 8 AP: How does your mother feel things are different for her, as a 75-year-old woman, when she lives in Colombia and when she lives in the United States?

SM: The people are more respectful in Colombia. We say in the US that it takes a village to raise a family. It’s a fact.

In Colombia, for the most part, the family is on the same page. The parents, the aunts and uncles, the neighbors, the teachers, everyone. So the kids respond to that. The respect to grandma there is stronger. Many kids in the US don’t see their grandparents every day. The relationship is different. It’s sad for the adults and children not to see each other much. The grandparents have so much love to give, and they will help to fill those kids’ love tanks.

My mom feels so welcomed there and acknowledged and appreciated for her opinion in Colombia. Here, with us, it’s a sense that: if I need your opinion, I will ask you.

SM: I think it’s divided. Young people maybe don’t want to age. With globalization, we see what beauty should look like. For younger people, it might be thin or with hair done, eye lashes or living a certain kind of life.

Maybe for older generations, people maybe in their 40s and 50s, we are more down to earth, and we are going through our own processes in our lives to help us embrace a different life.

I consider myself embracing my 50s. I love my 50s. I love the gray hair in my head. I call this my Golden Time. I’m loving it.

It’s common in this country or in this part of the world. If I need your opinion, I will ask you for it. I don’t want any advice without asking you. When we voice our thoughts in Colombia, others don’t need to act on it; we just listen and take it or leave it.

AP: Finally, Sonia, what is the general feeling about aging in Colombia? Negative? Positive?

Walter’s wife called and said this: “ Walter, don’t forget your swimsuit – water’s just fine! ”

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GRAY MATTER GAMES

ACROSS

1. Decorated, as a cake 5. “Hamlet” has five 9. Barbie’s beau 12. “Belling the Cat” author 14. Pumps and clogs 16. Clod chopper 17. Magnolia state 19. Biochemistry abbr.

20. Chlorox, e.g.

21. Suspicion 23. Greek earth goddess: Var. 25. Frosts, as a cake 26. Person directed to another for professional services 30. Second-year students, for short 32. Bauxite, e.g.

33. Gumbo vegetables 35. Coffee order

37. Arp’s art 39. Clock standard: Abbr.

40. Become friendlier 41. Commemorative marker 43. Nuclear energy weapon 46. Tokyo, formerly 47. Indic language of Orissa 49. Ocean’s surface used in reckoning land elevation (2 wd) 51. Biblical shepherd 52. Next month (abbrev.)

53. Deceptive maneuver 57. Breath sweetening lozenge 61. “Fantasy Island” prop 62. Sinful 64. “Much ___ About

Nothing” 65. Apprehensive 66. Taste, e.g.

67. “My boy” 68. Abstruse 69. Act

DOWN

1. Foot 2. Cover with plaster 3. “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto) 4. Measured portion of medicine 5. Balaam’s mount 6. Reprimanded 7. Pith helmet

8. Blood poisoning 9. Former Soviet premier 10. A long, long time 11. “Cool!”

13. Rogue 15. Humorous TV drama 18. Dodge 22. Move, as a plant 24. Pirate’s dismay 26. Engine parts 27. A Muse 28. Union of several states 29. Kind of wool 31. Screen from light 34. Veranda

36. Missing from the Marines, say 38. Accused’s need 42. Hottie 44. Third month 45. Swells 48. Set in a straight row 50. Go over 53. “Ah, me!”

54. Change 55. Algonquian Indian 56. Cork’s country 58. Better 59. Yorkshire river 60. Brought into play 63. Cheat

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FAITH: In lieu of Communion, radishes.

Instead of the little Communion wafers we usually have at church on Sundays, I recently served radishes.

I really did!

Traditional churches, of course, remain closed for the most part. Some have opened for in-person gatherings in small groups, but let’s face it, church isn’t what it was pre-pandemic.

While congregations are doing online worship and Bible studies, it just doesn’t replace belting out “How Great Thou Art” with everyone there.

People of faith agree, the pandemic has taught us to think about what “church” means. We humbly carry the knowledge that church isn’t a building but, rather, church is the love we share with humanity. That said, boy do we miss in-person worship.

One of the things denominations like mine (Episcopal) miss most is receiving Holy Communion where we share in God’s feast, symbolized to us in eating and drinking bread and wine. Through this weekly remembrance of Jesus’ life and death, we are nourished by this “community –union” of eating a bread wafer and sipping wine. It gives us nourishment to get through another week, but COVID has eliminated this kind of sharing, and here’s the problem: we need it more then ever.

Which is why I served radishes.

You see, as chaplain at a local long term care community, we’ve learned adaptive ministry. I offer a Sunday morning prayer service in one of our buildings with a small group of people. Until we can gather in the bigger chapel, this is the best we can do, but I can’t serve Communion.

In early July, some members of the group were lamenting how much they missed visiting garden stands and eating fresh picked veggies. When we were talking about my garden at home, I mentioned I had just picked a batch of radishes.

Their faces lit up. I hadn’t seen them that excited in months. So the next week, I brought in a couple dozen bags of radishes and gave each person (in a safe manner) radishes, in lieu of Communion.

SEPTEMBER 2020 - 11 Funny thing was the radishes had the same effect on them as Holy Communion. They were refreshed and felt connected to something wider.

It seems the holy, the blessed, the nourishing … it is all still ours for the partaking. The gifts we received being in traditional church settings are found everywhere in God’s creation.

We are still loved by God and God reaches into our lives to remind us God is there. The radishes might not have been Communion wafers, but they brought the Holy to us never the less.

With the world upside down, the sight of the bowl of radishes on our little altar brought such hope. The bright red and green cut through the colorless, gray world that sometimes seems to be hovering over us right now.

When I think about the intention of Holy Communion in worship, it is an exchange of love between us and the Divine. We open our hands to receive the wafer in a gesture that says God, I offer you all that I am. And into our open hands, God places all we need to know - we are God’s beloved. In pandemic times, it appears this works with radishes too.

SEPTEMBER 2020 - 12

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At Fox Hollow Senior Living, we take pride in keeping our residents happy and healthy while following the necessary CDC precautions.

WHY US? • We are open for business as usual and committed to safely moving new residents into our community • Our team has taken additional measures to prevent the spread of infection – from extra education, to sanitation, proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and the use of Protexus electrostatic sprayers • Culinary team is on-site and preparing three delicious, nutritious meals daily • Personalized activities available to residents in the comfort and safety of their room • We are using Zoom, Skype, and Facetime technologies to ensure our residents are staying connected to their loved ones

WHY NOW? • We provide a safe environment with a highly-trained team • Our team provides regular monitoring and quicker response times for any health-related concern • With all needs available on-site, there’s no need to leave the community for food, supplies, or medical appointments • Safe social contact is available to prevent isolation • Safety and peace of mind for family members who are unable to check in on their loved ones

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Eye Health: What is this bump on the white part of my eye?

SEPTEMBER 2020 - 13 When looking in the mirror you may have noticed a small bump on the white part of your eye. The white part of the eye or sclera is covered by a thin, vascular mucous membrane called the conjunctiva. With age, sun exposure or other irritants, the normal conjunctival tissue can change and a visible bump may appear on the conjunctiva.

cornea in a wing shape. Often there are prominent blood vessels and the eye appears red. There may or may not be discomfort, dryness or itching associated with the growth. A pterygium is also a non-cancerous growth, but may affect the vision. Smaller pterygia can push on the cornea as they grow and cause something called astigmatism, which blurs the vision and changes a glasses prescription. Larger pterygia can even grow across the pupil, obscuring the vision. UV light or sun exposure is the most important risk factor. I always recommend patients wear sunglasses when outside or in a car on a sunny day.

Figure 1. Pinguecula – a yellow-white nodule on the conjunctiva. Picture from the American Academy of Ophthalmology The medical term for this yellow-white nodule is a pinguecula (plural is “pingueculae).

It comes from the Latin word “pinguis” which means fat. These lesions are generally non-irritating and non-cancerous and can be observed. These growths stay on the conjunctiva and do not grow onto the cornea (the clear dome-shaped tissue that covers our iris and pupil); therefore, they do not threaten our vision. Sometimes the raised lesion can grow and cause irritation, disrupt the tear film, or become inflamed. If you notice any of these changes or a red, painful eye, you should schedule an appointment with your eye doctor.

Usually artificial tears or medicated eye drops can relieve the temporary discomfort caused by pingueculae.

A similar, closely-related lesion called a pterygium is similar in appearance but encroaches onto the cornea. A pterygium (plural “pterygia”) comes from the Greek word “pterygion” meaning wing. The lesion starts on the conjunctiva and grows onto the

Figure 2. Pterygium – a vascular wing-like lesion that grows from the conjunctiva onto the cornea. Picture from the American Academy of Ophthalmology Pterygia are slow growing, but may become irritated. If there is inflammation of the pterygium your eye doctor may treat it with prescription eye drops. Pterygia can also be removed with surgery if they are irritating or affect the vision. Any such growths should be examined by your eye doctor. Any unusual or atypical features, such as fast growth or severe pain, may cause your doctor to investigate further and question if there could be signs of eye cancer.

It is always important to monitor any lesions on the skin of our eyelids and on the surface of our eyes. Early detection of growth ensures we don’t miss any eye or skin cancers. Having an annual eye exam and protecting your eyes with sunglasses when outside can help prevent eye problems.

If you would like to set up an eye appointment please call Carolina Eye Associates at 910-295-2100 to schedule your appointment.

SEPTEMBER 2020 - 14

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Quail Haven Village

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305 Page Road | Pinehurst, NC

A PART OF THE LIBERTY FAMILY OF SERVICES

Jim Pedersen, VSO & Director of Moore County Veterans Service Office | 910-947-3257

VETERANS CORNER: Help for Family Caregivers

A family member who is caring for their severely disabled veteran loved one often faces an overwhelming situation. The VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) aims to help family caregivers through benefits such as training, respite care, counseling, technical support, travel benefits, a monthly stipend payment and healthcare through the Civilian Health and Medical Program, (CHAMPVA).

To date, only eligible veterans who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001 are eligible for the PCAFC.

However, the VA will expand eligibility for the program beginning in October, 2020.

The changes will be implemented in two phases.

Phase one will expand the Caregiver program to include eligible veterans who incurred or aggravated a serious injury in the line of active duty on or before May 7, 1975. Phase one will begin once the VA has fully implemented the required information technology system, expected in October, 2020.

Phase two will begin two years following the first date of expansion. It will expand eligibility to include veterans of all eras regardless of when an eligible veteran’s serious injury was incurred or aggravated in the line of active duty.

Qualifying veterans must have a VA serviceconnected single or combined disability rating of 70% or more. Veterans must require in-person personal care services in order to guarantee his or her safety. This care may be given by a family member or another in-person caregiver and includes respite care provided by an alternate caregiver.

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SEPTEMBER 2020 - 15 The veteran must need personal care services based on either: • An inability to perform an activity of daily living (ADL) or; • A need for supervision, protection or instruction.

Activities of daily living include: • Dressing or undressing oneself; • Bathing; • Toileting; • Feeding oneself due to loss of coordination of upper extremities, extreme weakness, inability to swallow or need for a non-oral means of nutrition; • Mobility (walking, climbing stairs, transferring from bed to chair, etc.); • Grooming oneself to remain clean and presentable; • Adjusting any special prosthetic or orthopedic appliance that by reason of the particular disability cannot be done without assistance.

To learn more about the VA Caregiver program, please call 855-260-3274 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Monday through Friday. Callers can be connected to a Caregiver Support Coordinator who can provide more detailed information on eligibility requirements and assist with completing the application. Veterans and caregivers may also apply by downloading VA Form 10-10CG at www.caregiver.va.gov and mailing it to Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, Health Eligibility Center, 2957 Clairmont Road NE, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30329-1647.

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SEPTEMBER 2020 - 16

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