OutreachNC May 2018

COMPLIMENTARY

MAY 2018 | VOL. 9, ISSUE 5

AGE OF

Technology

Serving the Sandhills & Southern Piedmont

MAY 2018 |

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| OUTREACHNC.COM

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MAY 2018 |

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features MAY 2018

28

Carolina Conversations with SimplyHome Founders Drue and Allen Ray

by Michelle Goetzl

35

The Wonders of Wickets Croquet: A Game Through the Ages

by Meagan Burgad

40

Ice, Ice Baby: Cryotherapy

by Michelle Goetzl

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Age of Technology Issue

The Good, the Bad and the Everyday

by Corbie Hill

50

Birding in NC: Raft Swamp Farm

by Ray Linville

MAY 2018 |

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May 2018

DEPARTMENTS

“Your computer in your washing machine is more powerful than the landing computer of the lunar module.”

—KEN BRANDT, DIRECTOR OF ROBESON PLANETARIUM & SCIENCE CENTER (P.46)

advice & health

life

14 Cooking Simple

62 Grey Matter Games

12 Law Review

18 Regional Culture

15 Role Reversal

20 Home Staging

16 Brain Health

26 Lifestyles

10 Ask the Expert

by Leslie Philip

by Amy Natt, MS, CMC, CSA

by Tyler Chriscoe

by David Hibbard

by Maryanne Edmundson, Ph.D., L.P.

21 Tech Savvy

22 The Triumphant Elder

by Kasia McDaniel

66 Generations

by Corbie Hill & Michelle Goetzl

Grandparents Day at Episcopal Day School

by Corbie Hill

by Michelle Goetzl

24 Planning Ahead

61 Resource Marketplace

by Tim Hicks

57 Technology

by Ann Robson

60 Arts and Entertainment

by Tim Keim

63 Over My Shoulder

54 Did you know?

by GCFLearnFree.org

by Ray Linville

Sudoku, Word Search & Crossword Puzzles

Find the resources you need.

by Rachel Stewart

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from the editor

“I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

If you’ve seen the Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey, this line likely sends a shiver down your spine. You can picture HAL 9000’s glowing red eye. You can hear the computer’s cold, impassive voice as it, a purely mechanical intelligence, turns on its human operators.

It’s been 50 years this month since the movie’s 1968 release, and in that time many more books, films and TV episodes have been written about computers or robots rebelling or simply running amok. From the Terminator films to the Borg in Star Trek, sci-fi writers are drawn like moths to the subject of technology overrunning humanity.

But has it happened? Maybe we think so in our grouchier moments, but if we stop and look at the world with a little more objectivity we can see the benefits of advanced technology. We’re far more connected, and can make video calls to the other side of the country – or the other side of the Atlantic –from a device that fits in our pockets. As Michelle Goetzl learned in her Carolina Conversations interview with Drue and Allen Ray of SimplyHome, modern tech like open-source software, smart devices and Google Home allows many older Americans to age in place. As for me, I decided to have some fun this issue, so I took a look in the rearview at some of last century’s cutting edge technology – including some innovations that were complete flops.

When it all comes down to it, computers have become quicker and more complex – and far smaller –than the villainous HAL 9000 in 2001. Still, they haven’t risen up to overthrow us – not yet, at any rate. So come with us this issue as we step into the world of tomorrow, or some similarly cheesy phrase.

In all seriousness, we hope you enjoy our “Age of Technology” issue. Thank you for picking up OutreachNC, and I’ll see you in June.

-Corbie Hill

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Reader Letters Editor-in-Chief Corbie Hill | Editor@OutreachNC.com Creative Director Kim Gilley | The Village Printers Creative & Graphic Designer Sarah McElroy | The Village Printers

[Amy Natt’s] article, “To Drive or Not to Drive” (see the March 2017 issue – ed.) is on target. It is a difficult decision for all involved.

Ad Designers Stephanie Budd, Cyndi Fifield, Nikki Lienhard, Sarah McElroy

MARCH

Proofreaders Ashley Eder, Kate Pomplun Photography Brady Beck, Diana Matthews Contributors Meagan Burgad, Tyler Chriscoe, Maryanne Edmundson, Michelle Goetzl, David Hibbard, Tim Hicks, Corbie Hill, Tim Keim, Ray Linville, Kasia McDaniel, Amy Natt, Ann Robson, Rachel Stewart

Y Publisher Amy Natt | AmyN@AgingOutreachServices.com Marketing & Public Relations Director Susan McKenzie | SusanM@AgingOutreachServices.com Advertising Sales Executive Ashley Haddock | AshleyH@OutreachNC.com 910-690-9102 Advertising Sales Executive & Circulation Manager Butch Peiker | ButchP@OutreachNC.com 904-477-8440 OutreachNC PO Box 2478 | 676 NW Broad Street Southern Pines, NC 28388 910-692-9609 Office | 910-695-0766 Fax info@OutreachNC.com

www.OutreachNC.com

OutreachNC is a publication of

The news that a loved one should stop driving is equally as hard on the one giving the message as for the recipient.

To prepare for this time in my life I did the following:

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1- After my spouse died I downsized and bought a house on the route served by public transportation for seniors.

2- I updated my old car and chose one with all the safety features to accommodate my slower reflexes.

3- To spare my daughter the painful chore of telling me to stop driving, I gave her a note to give to me should that time come. It said, “Mom, this is a note you gave me to hand to you when I judge that you should stop driving. You emphasized that if you resist I should sell your car, and know that I am carrying out a decision you made while you were mentally able to make this decision. Above all, please don’t feel guilty about doing this.”

My DOB is [in 1933]. I hope I don’t outlive my decision-making ability. But at this age, I am trying not to take anything for granted.

I look forward to reading more of your articles.

-Rozena I enjoy Outreach[, and] have been reading Outreach for a few years. I read good advice on all areas of life for the elder and children of the elder set. I refer the info to everyone.

-Joyce, Vass Keep up the great work.

-Bernard Letters have been edited for length and for clarity.

The entire contents of OutreachNC are copyrighted by Aging Outreach Services. Reproduction or use without permission of editorial, photographic or graphic content in any manner is prohibited.

OutreachNC is published monthly on the first of each month.

MAY 2018 |

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advice

Our Aging Life Care ProfessionalsTM will answer any aging questions you may have.

Email us your questions! info@OutreachNC.com

ASK THE EXPERT

How does one ease the transition from independent living to long-term care?

by Amy Natt, MS, CMC, CSA

Q: My sister is 76 years old and lives alone. She has been managing multiple chronic diseases and a recent hip fracture. It has become increasingly difficult for her to manage her care at home and we have made the decision to move her into a long-term care facility. What can we do to help make this transition easier on her?

The decision to place a loved one can be very difficult, both on the individual and the family.

In some circumstances, placement happens quickly because of a crisis or hospitalization.

In other scenarios, there is some time to plan for the move. It sounds like you have time to plan for your sister’s move and can do some homework prior to the transition. There are a few things you can do to help support her through this change. It is almost always better to plan for placement, even if it is just a backup plan. This will help you avoid making an important decision during a crisis.

Get to know the area and your options. There are typically several options and the right one for her will depend on her level of care, the resources available to pay for care and her personal preference. Her primary care doctor can help you determine the appropriate level of care. Typically, it will range from independent to assisted to intermediate to skilled. Knowing this will help ensure you choose an environment that has the right amount of support. If there are significant cognitive issues, memory care accommodations may also be necessary.

You should also think about the location in which you are choosing a facility. If moving to a new area to be closer to family is an option, you will want to look at facilities in both areas.

The cost of care may be a factor as well, as you may find one area is more budget-friendly than another. If you are serving as power of attorney 10

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

for your sister, having her closer to you might be a good option.

Tour several facilities. This will give you a good idea of what you like and dislike. Take good notes, observe other residents and have your questions ready. Some facilities will have a waiting list, while others may have beds available immediately. Another factor will be the type of room, location in the building and whether it’s private versus shared. All of these things can have an impact on quality of life once she has moved in.

Once you have selected the facility and secured the room, there will be paperwork that needs to be completed prior to her admission. It is likely she will need to see her physician as part of this step. She may also want your help filling it all out and making copies of things like her insurance cards.

Remember that this is a major life change for her and will likely evoke a range of emotions.

One of the most important things in the process is to include her in each step along the way and allow her to be a part of the decision-making process. She is likely grieving the loss of her home and life as she has known it, and she will need support to successfully process the loss and adjust to her new surroundings. There will be new people, smells, sounds and routines that can take time to accept. Here are a few things that you can do to help her through the transition:

1. Get the measurements and layout of her new room and assist her in planning what furnishings she will be able to take. She may need to purchase a few smaller items to fit the space.

2. Take time to help her select personal items and pictures that are the most important to her and offer suggestions to plan for the things she cannot take with her. She may choose to keep a small storage unit to change out seasonal items, pass things along to family members or donate some items to a favorite charity.

3. Offer to come label clothing she will be taking with her. Most facilities have large laundry facilities and it will be important to label her items with iron-on labels or laundry marker.

4. Plan a day to move items and set up the room prior to her moving in. The commotion of the move can be overwhelming, so put together a team to help. It may be easier for her to walk into a room that someone already put together, so one person can take her to lunch while others set up the room. Then she can just move around or place any personal items.

5. Ask the facility about mounting a television and pictures on the wall. You want to create a homelike setting with things that are familiar and comforting to her.

6. Remember to bring along her favorite music and a player. Music can be very soothing and fill a new environment with familiar sounds.

7. If you anticipate a specific challenge or increased levels of anxiety, talk to her physician and facility staff ahead of time. There may be something short-term they can recommend to help with the initial change.

8. Ask if you can bring in her favorite snacks. You will need to adhere to any dietary directives, but having a few of her favorite foods around may be helpful as she adjusts to a new meal schedule and the food offered at the facility.

9. Consider a change of address card to be sent to friends and family. This might encourage them to stay in touch and send her cards and notes. If she does not have family and friends in the area, ask the facility or local volunteer groups if there is someone who might visit or write to her.

10. Ask her how she is feeling at different points during the process. While you want to put on a brave face and remain positive, it is also important that she feels she can express how she really feels and any fears or grievances she has. You might not be able to resolve every issue, but just listening can be helpful.

11. Help her feel connected in the new facility. Get a notebook and help write down who key people are and how to get in touch with them, meal schedules, activities she may want to participate in, outings she might be able to go on and any other information to help orient her to her new surroundings. Even having to learn a new channel guide on the television can be frustrating, so try to help her gather information.

12. Be an ongoing advocate for her. Offer to attend care plan meetings and facility special events. A move to a facility can feel isolating and you are her link to the outside world. Be patient and be her advocate through the transition to ensure needs are being met.

You will both get through this, and then you’ll be able to focus on the increased support and opportunity for social interaction that she will gain. Give her time and opportunities to talk about how she is doing and allow for some patience during her adjustment. If time or distance does not allow you to do as much as you would like or to be her ongoing advocate, seek out a friend or professional who can help with this role. Maintain good communication with the facility staff and continue to work together throughout the transition. Best of luck to you and your sister.

Readers may send questions to Amy Natt, an Aging Life Care ProfessionalTM, certified senior advisor and CEO of Aging Outreach Services. She can be reached at amyn@agingoutreachservices.com .

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advice

L AW R E V I E W

The Benefits of Having a Will

by Tyler Chriscoe t is common for most estate planners and financial THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A WILL planners to have a substantial part of their client’s There are numerous benefits to having a will. One property to pass outside of probate. This means that is that you can appoint a personal representative. A after death the property passes by some legal manner personal representative is someone responsible for other than the terms of the will. For example, bank gathering all the assets, making sure creditors are accounts can be owned as joint tenants with right of properly addressed and then distributing the assets survivorship and IRAs and life insurance can have in accordance with the will. This is an important job designated beneficiaries. This means that upon the and should be taken seriously. A second benefit of owner’s death the property automatically passes to having a will is that you can recommend a guardian another, regardless of the terms of the will. Of course, it to the court to take care of your minor children if is crucial that these align with the client’s overall estate you have any at the time of death. A third benefit is plan. Unfortunately, a lot of people interpret these the residuary clause that should appear in every will. methods of passing property as implying that they no This gives the remaining property, if any, to one or longer need a will. more beneficiaries. There is always the possibility that someone forgot about an asset, so the residuary clause WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A WILL? acts as a net to capture any property not otherwise There is no legal requirement that you have a will. In addressed. There are other benefits of wills that are fact, North Carolina law provides a default distribution outside the scope of this column, such as waiving the of one’s property if that person dies and doesn’t have a requirement of posting bond. will. The underlying theory behind the statutes is that they mirror how a normal, average person would want Although many people believe that a will is unnecessary in this new age of property passing his or her property distributed upon death. However, outside of probate, the benefits of having one shouldn’t I haven’t found this to be true. For example, if you’re be overlooked. A will is still important enough to an elderly married individual with one or more grown consider for your estate plan, regardless of the value of children and you pass away without a will, North your assets.

Carolina law will divide the property among your surviving spouse and children. Presumably, I suspect most people would want the entirety of their property Tyler Chriscoe, an attorney with to pass to the surviving spouse for his or her support.

Robert S. Thompson, PA in Southern Pines, can be reached at Therein lies the problem: the default distribution that 910-692-2244.

North Carolina statutorily provides probably does not mirror your desires.

I

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MAY 2018 |

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life

COOKING SIMPLE

Spring Strawberry & Goat Cheese Salad

by Leslie Philip

Let the springtime shout out in a salad of goodness, especially if the ingredients are local. Everything in this salad, except for the balsamic glaze, is local, from MG3 Farm or Goat Lady – or my pecan man.

Ingredients

Directions

• Strawberries • Salad greens, including some arugula for bitterness • Goat cheese

To candy pecans, coat with sugar and bake in 350 degree oven until golden. Keep an eye on the pecans as they can easily burn.

• Candied pecans • Balsamic glaze

Leslie Philip, chief egg breaker and owner of Thyme & Place Cafe in Southern Pines, can be reached at 910-684-8758 or leslie@thymeandplacecafe.com .

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Arrange greens in a bowl, top with strawberries, candied pecans and goat cheese. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

For the glaze, mix 1/2 cup of good balsamic vinegar with 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat until the mixture bubbles, then reduce temperature to medium-low until reduced by half. Let cool before serving. Or, you can buy a bottle of glaze for drizzling.

ROLE REVERSAL

advice

Keeping Your Mental and Social Acuity As You Age

A

by David Hibbard

s we move through the various ages and stages of life, one of the most challenging things to handle can be the changes we see in people we’ve known forever.

Granted, there are times when change is positive, when it is accompanied by a sense of joy, fulfillment and accomplishment, such as graduating from college, finding professional success or personal growth.

But as we age—and as our parents age—we are sometimes confronted by changes that aren’t so rosy.

Physical challenges, deterioration of mental acuity and less interest in connecting with other people can all be in the picture as time marches on. Living with my mother for the past 10 years, I’m fortunate that I haven’t seen many of these challenges develop for her. Sure, she “runs out of gas” a bit faster than she used to, but after a little time to rest, she’s ready to go again. Mentally, she’s as sharp as she’s ever been, and while I’m sure luck of the genetic draw has something to do with that, I’ve also observed some habits that I think have helped her stay on top of her game.

I’m convinced that reading on a regular basis has been crucial to my mother’s vitality through the years. We subscribe to one newspaper, and a neighbor often shares their copy of another paper with us. There’s a stack of them on the coffee table in front of me right now; if mom doesn’t get them read each day, she saves them and reads them when she can. She’s a voracious consumer of news, and her knowledge and understanding of current events surpasses mine. Encourage your aging parents to stay plugged in to what’s going on in the world through reading, whether it’s newspapers, magazines or books.

There’s also listening to podcasts or watching television – whatever stokes their interest and keeps their brain engaged.

Managing household and personal finances is another way for our parents to keep their mind’s critical thinking

skills in full use. My mom has always paid the bills and kept track of bank accounts for as long as I can remember; during the years my dad was alive, he was more than glad to let her! To this day, she handles all her personal finances, maintains meticulous records and can quickly tell you where she’s stored copies of paid bills, bank statements, tax returns and the like.

Have a conversation with your parents about managing their affairs; there might be areas they need your help with, but gauge their level of ability to handle certain responsibilities and then turn them loose to do it.

Lastly, when you live with your parent as I do, encourage them to stay connected with the network of friends they already had before you came back. There’s plenty of evidence and research to support the value of human interaction to our mental agility and self-esteem throughout life, and especially as we grow older. If your mother has several friends she talks to on the phone or goes to lunch with regularly, make sure she continues to do that. If your father has been volunteering for a non-profit or enjoys playing cards with the guys once a week, be supportive. I believe my mom’s relationships with friends and neighbors has played a major role in her continued good health and outlook on life.

These are just a few ways your parent can keep their independence and enjoy the quality of life they’ve been blessed with over the years. You may find other outlets that give your parent the same satisfaction. Regardless, be encouraging and always be grateful for the opportunities they have to stay in, and on top of, the game of life.

Share your role reversal stories with contributing writer David Hibbard.

Email him at: hib1967@gmail.com

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health

B R A I N H E A LT H

How Modern Technology Can Benefit People with Cognitive Issues

T

by Maryanne Edmundson, Ph.D., L.P.

echnological advances are constantly being developed to improve all aspects of life, including cognition and other brain functions. So far, tech focuses on two main areas: one, compensating for the symptoms of brain disorders, and two, attempting to alter brain functioning to treat health conditions.

Brain-related technological devices have primarily been developed to enhance daily functioning and/or ensure safety. Neurological conditions can interfere with one’s ability to accomplish daily tasks. For example, people with Alzheimer’s disease have significant trouble remembering things day to day, making it difficult to keep track of appointments and manage medications. Here are some examples of devices for people with cognitive problems to improve functioning and safety: Medications: When someone has difficulty

remembering medications, this person can be at risk because they might take too much or too little medication. Sometimes all one needs is a reminder.

For this, you could just set reminder alarms on your cell phone calendar. That, or you can download free smartphone applications (such as “Medisafe”) that can help you track your medical conditions and medication list, send you reminders and send messages about your medication management performance to your family if needed. If memory problems get to the point that there is concern of double dosing, automated pill dispensers can help. For example, the Medminder dispenser has 16

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

a reminder light and beeps, can give you a reminder call and alerts your family to how you’re doing with medications.

Communication: Several cognitive

disorders can reduce one’s ability to communicate.

If you have trouble recalling or using phone numbers yet can recognize faces, there are picture phones where you only need to press a button with your family member’s picture to call them. These are available for landlines (such as the Future Call phone) or can be programmed into smart phones. Some neurological conditions, like stroke and severe brain injury, can affect a person’s ability to physically form words or quickly describe situations, which can make calling 911 difficult. In these circumstances, wearable emergency alert devices (such as Life Alert) may be considered. Devices like iPads are also frequently utilized by speech therapists to improve communication affected by neurological injuries.

Wandering: Wandering is of particular concern in

progressing dementia and can be dangerous if someone cannot recall how to get home. Wandering can be reduced in various ways, including providing adequate activities, stimulation and stress relief. Technology can provide this in many ways, from television programming tailored to the person’s interests to iPads with easy-to-use games to electronic books. Some nursing homes in Japan have even begun to use mechanical companions, such as the PARO robot dog, to provide mental stimulation, comfort and social interaction 24/7. These mechanical pets recognize their owners’ voices, respond to being stroked and held and learn what behaviors their owners enjoy. Some tech also helps to keep caregivers aware of their loved ones’ wandering behaviors through wander guards (devices that signal when an exterior door is opened) and devices to locate someone who has wandered from home (such as GPS watches and shoe inserts).

In recent decades, technology has become more scifi with implantable devices being developed to act on the brain itself to treat neurological and other health conditions. These apparatuses are typically used when non-invasive treatments have been exhausted. A prime example is deep brain stimulation (DBS). Because brain cells communicate electrochemically, DBS involves

implanting electrical leads to stimulate a malfunctioning part of the brain and can be turned on and off as needed.

Such devices are most often used to reduce tremor in disorders like Parkinson’s disease and calm abnormal muscle tensing in torticollis, and new treatment avenues continue to be investigated (e.g., Tourette syndrome, chronic pain). As we expand our understanding of the brain’s intricacies, we may be able to develop more complex stimulation devices. A fascinating newer area of implantable technology is the brain-machine interface, in which the brain itself controls a technological device.

These interfaces are currently being explored as a way for amputees to control and have tactile sensation from robotic prosthetic limbs.

If you are considering using any devices because of significant brain-related changes, contact your primary doctor to get an evaluation with the appropriate professional. Depending on your specific needs, they may have targeted technology that can best help.

Dr. Maryanne Edmundson, a clinical neuropsychologist at Pinehurst Neuropsychology, can be reached at 910-420-8041, or by visiting www.pinehurstneuropsychology.com .

Checks & Balances

MAY 2018 |

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life

R E G I O N A L C U LT U R E

A Dandelion by Any Other Name Is Still a Flower

by Ray Linville

W

hen I see a dandelion growing in May, I have mixed reactions. Are they unsightly in a yard and justify eradication, or are they poetic and offer a special significance?

When I was very small, I took special joy in watching dandelions mature from bright yellow flowers into fluffy seed stems and couldn’t wait until I could blow and send them flying into the wind.

Then when I was eight, my appreciation drastically changed. The dandelion was no longer an object of affection but one of drudgery. My brother, three years older, had just been assigned duty as the family yard mower, a position of great responsibility that gave him unlimited authority to assign me supporting chores. Before he began to mow the first time, he told me to “take care” of the dandelions.

I thought he meant that I could pick the seed stems and send No more. Now I had to run in front of him, pull out any and keep the seeds from spreading. Plus I had a new chore dandelions while they were yellow to keep the seeds from

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them airborne as usual. dandelion in his path, of pulling up new developing.

More than 60 years later, my brother still mows his yard and continues to detest dandelions.

Imagine how annoyed he gets when I encourage him to let them thrive as a sign of spring and as an early meal for beetles, bees and other pollinators. A dandelion has up to 100 florets, each one packed with nectar, which makes it a lifesaver for pollinators when they emerge from hibernation.

The first dandelion of the season sends chills down his spine because the pure greenness of a lawn gives him great pride. I, on the other hand, side with the poet Walt Whitman who appreciated the flower as “simple and fresh and fair” when it emerges in the spring: “innocent, golden, calm as the dawn.”

Yellow is my favorite spring color, and I enjoy the lowly dandelion as much as I do the daffodil, forsythia, Lady Banksia rose, Carolina jessamine and snapdragon – all I admire this season. But I appreciate the dandelion for more than its bright color and vital role for pollinators; the shape of the flower is another reason.

The French deserve our thanks for the dandelion’s creative name. Early admirers compared the toothed leaves of the flower to the teeth of a lion. The name derives from dent de lion, or “lion’s tooth” in French (now, if only I could rename the flower to emphasize how the seeds fly like little parachutes with the wind).

Perhaps dandelion wine would mellow the flower’s detractors, but I’m not sure. Earlier generations in our area did make wine out of dandelion pedals, all for medicinal purposes of course. And the entire plant is edible. Similar to other wildflowers, the dandelion has been a source of medicine and food for generations in our state, and it still deserves our appreciation.

U N C R E X H E A LT H C A R E P R E S E N T S

Flex Lawn Pass 10-pack just $210!* Plus, kids 12 and under are always admitted free on the lawn!

Pictures at an Exhibition and “Play with the Pros”

SAT, MAY 26 | 7:30PM SUPERHEROES SAVE SUMMERFEST

A Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration FRI, JUNE 1 | 7:30PM Family Fun Event!

Superheroes Save Summerfest SAT, JUNE 2 | 7:30PM

Blind Boys of Alabama BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA

SAT, JUNE 9 | 7:30PM

Classics Under the Stars SAT, JUNE 16 | 7:30PM

Summer Nights in Spain SAT, JUNE 23 | 7:30PM Jump, Jive, & Swing!

Glenn Miller to Gershwin SUMMER NIGHTS IN SPAIN

SAT, JUNE 30 | 7:30PM CONCERT SPONSOR: GALLOWAY RIDGE AT FEARRINGTON CONCERT SPONSOR: RESIDENCE INN RALEIGH DOWNTOWN

Independence Day WED, JULY 4 | 7:30PM

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MAY 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 19

It Doesn’t Pay to Wait and See When Selling Your Home

by Kasia McDaniel

A

lot of times, homeowners will rush to get their home on the market without doing much work to make it look presentable. They may have been told to stage their home, but they would rather “wait and see” before spending a dime on a home they no longer want. They assume, incorrectly, that people can see beyond the clutter and the furniture placement. Only 10% of buyers can actually see beyond your mess. The rest of them want to see how everything is placed and that the house is move-in ready, which is called home staging.

Let me show you some data that was gathered by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) on homes that were staged and those that were not.

On the left side, the graph shows the number of days on the market. RESA did a study of over 1,000 homes and found those homes that were not staged sat on the market for an average of 184 days. That’s six months on the market! But once those same homes were staged, homeowners received their first offer within 41 days.

Real Estate Staging Assoc. study of 1,081 homes concluded the following: By staging a home FIRST 225 you reduce the time on the market

Days on Market

by 90%

184 Listed Un-staged Homes

41

23

Same Listings Staged & Received First Offer

Staged Prior to Going on Market

If your monthly home costs = $3400 and it stays on the market for 6 months, that’s $20,400 out of your pocket!

If the sellers staged their home from the beginning, those homes would have sold within 23 days on average. A home would have sold in one month versus seven months, reducing its time on market by 90%.

Let’s put this in a monetary perspective. If, for example, your monthly mortgage was $2,500 and you add your homeowners’ insurance, electric bill, cable, water, etc., your monthly home cost could run you about $3,400. If your home is on the market for six months, that is $20,400 out of your pocket for a home you don’t want anymore.

This is money that you could have been put toward your new home.

Before you say “let’s wait and see what happens,” think about how long you want to pay for your mortgage.

Staging is an investment in your home, but it is one that pays you back when you sell your home faster.

Kasia McDaniel, a Home Stager and Certified Interior Decorator at Blue Diamond Staging can be reached at 910-745-0608 or by visiting www.bluediamondstaging.com

Serving residents of Scotland, Robeson, Richmond and Hoke counties in North Carolina, as well as Marlboro, Dillon and Chesterfield counties in South Carolina.

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www.ScotlandHospice.org

T E C H S AV V Y

advice

I Have to Provide My Phone Number?

Using Phone Verification

by GCFLearnFree.org | Image by Brenda Vienrich If you’ve used a webmail service like Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo! Mail in the past few years, you may have been asked to provide a phone number to help verify your account. As we conduct more and more of our everyday tasks online – like paying bills and shopping from online stores – it’s become increasingly important for many web providers to verify your identity and prevent others from abusing your account. Your phone number is one of the easiest ways to verify your identity with an online service provider.

How does phone verification work?

When you’re creating an account or trying to recover a lost password, you may be asked to enter your phone number. Your provider will send you a text message or call your phone with a verification code, which you can then enter online. This lets them know that you’re a real person and not someone else trying to gain access to your account. Basically, it’s an easy way to prove that you are who you say you are.

Does phone verification pose a risk to my privacy?

Not everyone feels comfortable sharing their phone numbers with large companies like Google and Microsoft. And while it may seem like a lot of personal information to give away, it’s important to realize that phone verification primarily exists to protect your account. It’s unlikely that your phone number would be used for any other reason.

Some services, like Google and Facebook, even let you use a phone number as part of a two-step verification program. Essentially, whenever you sign in to your account from a new computer, you’ll need to use your phone to enter a verification code. This makes it much more difficult for someone else to hack into your account.

Do I have any other options?

If you’d like to use these types of services but still prefer not to give your phone number, there are a few alternatives. While comparable, these services can’t always offer the convenience of a single account that you might find with Google or Microsoft.

Still, if privacy is important to you, options like Hushmail and DuckDuckGo provide a reasonable alternative.

Hushmail is a free email service that encrypts your messages, displays no advertisements and does not require phone verification, while DuckDuckGo is a free search engine that doesn’t track your search history.

GCFLearnFree.org is an online provider of free self-paced tutorials in a range of subject areas, from technology and computers to Microsoft Office, reading, math, and careers.

To learn more, visit www.gcflearnfree.org.

It may help to think of phone verification like providing an emergency contact number. If something goes wrong with your account, it will be easier for the online service provider to contact you directly.

MAY 2018 |

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health

THE TRIUMPHANT ELDER

Bringing the Heat to Health

by Tim Keim, EYT500, Yoga Therapist

A

ncient peoples all over the world have reveled in the use of sauna and steam baths for relaxation and any number of perceived health benefits for thousands of years. Now, medical evidence is emerging that shows our ancestors may have been right about the benefits of an exhilarating sauna.

Results from a recent study carried out by clinical cardiologist Jari Laukkanen, MD, Ph. D., at the University of Eastern Finland showed the ability of sauna bathing in reducing the occurrence of heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

The subjects of this multi-decade long study were 2,300 men aged 42-60 from Eastern Finland where men have “among the highest rates of heart disease in the world…” The medical team took into account major health indicators like smoking, alcohol consumption and blood pressure. Other factors considered were age, body mass index, systolic (blood pressure) and previous disease factors like diabetes and heart disorders.

The sauna bathing habits of these subjects were broken down into three categories: men who took sauna once per week, two to three times per week and four to seven times per week. Average stay in the sauna was fifteen minutes.

The evidence shows that frequency of sauna bathing made a significant difference in outcomes for disease risk. Men who relaxed in the sauna four to seven times per week experienced more benefit: 66% less chance for dementia and a 65% less chance for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

In a previous study focused on heart disease Laukkanen says, “We studied how frequency and duration were associated with cardiovascular outcomes … we also had quite consistent results compared to our dementia study. We found that the

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risk of sudden cardiac death and fatal cardiovascular events was significantly decreased in men who had the sauna more than four times per week. There was also very clear risk reduction.”

Some reasons for these apparent benefits could be that sauna raises heart rate to levels experienced during moderate exercise. Evidence also shows that sauna has a beneficial effect on the endothelial cells that line the vessels of the heart. These cells are responsible for vasoconstriction and vasodilatation, thus their effect on blood pressure. Indeed, the study also demonstrated that men who took sauna two to three times per week reduced their chance of high blood pressure by 24%.

Though not rooted in empirical information, many of Laukkanen’s subjects reported deeper sleep after sauna use. Science has already shown that highquality sleep has myriad benefits to human health.

As heat generally dilates tissues of the body, Laukkanen’s findings are also in agreement with ancient sciences like Ayurveda, the medical system of yoga that promotes heating of the body (except the head) to loosen toxins so they can be more readily discharged by the liver and kidneys.

These two studies by Laukkanen and the sauna habits of humans throughout history offer tantalizing confirmation that we have yet another potentially powerful tool to deploy in our quest to increase the length and pleasure of our lives.

Tim Keim is an IAYT certified yoga therapist, and has been teaching yoga for 15 years. Keim can be heard Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on 91.5-FM, WUNC. He can be reached at timkeim811@yahoo.com.

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OutreachNC.com 23

advice

PLANNING AHEAD

Capitalizing on Employee Stock Options

by Tim Hicks, RICP®, APMA®

A

24

n increasingly valuable form of compensation for many individuals who work for privatelyheld or public companies is the opportunity to own company stock. This is often made available through an employee ownership plan. If your employer provides you with this benefit, it’s important for you to understand how the employee stock options (ESO) work, and the most effective ways to take advantage of them.

• Strike price (also known as grant price or exercise price) – This is the price you will pay to purchase shares of stock utilizing the option. The price and number of shares available to you is specified at the time the company grants the option.

The opportunity to own shares in the firm you work for can, at times, be extremely valuable. In other circumstances, the actual financial benefit may turn out to be limited. Much depends on the level of success the company enjoys. One of the most appealing aspects of stock options is that they give you a greater stake in the potential success of the company.

• Vesting date – After receiving the option, you may have to wait for a specified time period before you can exercise it. When the vesting date passes, you may choose to purchase the stock at the strike price.

• Market price – The current value of a share of stock. This is important to know at the time you intend to exercise your option to buy company shares.

• Expiration date – Once the option is fully vested, you may choose to purchase the stock at any time before the expiration date.

Prices and dates to know

Timing matters

Before you make any decisions about how to take advantage of stock options, you need to understand the price you will pay for shares of company stock and the timing of those purchases. This is key to determining the ultimate benefit the ESO plan may have to offer. Here are some of the critical terms to understand:

The real benefit of holding stock options is the discount you receive on purchasing company stock. This happens when your company’s market share price has risen significantly above the strike price specified in your option. You can derive a meaningful financial benefit as soon as you purchase shares – a concept often referred to as the option being “in the money.”

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

If the market value of the stock stays below the strike price by the time you reach the expiration date, you may want to let the option expire. In this instance, you could consider purchasing company shares on the open market at the market price.

Once the vesting date is reached, you can purchase shares in several ways. You can pay cash for the actual shares or you can swap shares of the stock that you already own to cover the purchase cost at the strike price.

If you purchase shares, they become part of your portfolio and your overall financial strategy. As you exercise your stock options, it’s important to make sure you do so with your overall risk tolerance in mind.

Holding too much of a single stock in your portfolio increases your exposure to risk, and is a possibility if you accumulate significant shares of company stock over time. Review your options with a financial professional who can help you capitalize on the benefits of having an ownership stake in your employer’s firm while maintaining a well-diversified portfolio.

Tim Hicks, RICP®, APMA® is a Financial Advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Southern Pines, NC. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 6 years. To contact him, please visit www. hicks-associates.com or call 910-692-5917. The Southern Pines address is 510 NW Broad Street Southern Pines, NC 28387.

The S&P 500 is an index containing the stocks of 500 large-cap corporations, most of which are American. The index is the most notable of the many indices owned and maintained by Standard & Poor’s, a division of McGraw-Hill.

Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., a registered investment adviser.

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC. ©

2018 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

MAY 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 25

Photo Album

life

26

LIFESTYLES

Grandparents and Special Friends Day at Episcopal Day School in Southern Pines

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

Photography by Diana Matthews On March 23, Episcopal Day School in Southern Pines held Grandparents and Special Friends Day, during which students invited family members to come see their school. Some traveled from as far as Indiana, while others drove a shorter distance.

They walked the halls, snacked in the cafeteria and perused the selections at a book fair decorated to look like a medieval castle. Editor Corbie Hill was there, speaking with students and their guests for our “Generations� department (p. 66), while photographer Diana Matthews captured the following images of happy families.

MAY 2018 |

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Carolina Conversations with

Founders Drue and Allen Ray

by Michelle Goetzl

F

inding a way to maintain your independence is an important goal for many as they age.

For Drue and Allen Ray, creating and maintaining independence has become their way of life. They began providing support for individuals with disabilities and senior adults in 1989. Then, in 2003 they realized that enabling technology would expand what they could offer people. As a result, they developed the SimplyHome System and have been expanding their offerings and services ever since.

Talking to these two, it’s evident that they truly love what they do and that helping people is their bottom line, not making money off of someone who needs help. The Rays share a palpable passion and conviction.

ONC: So tell me a little bit about SimplyHome. What is it that you do?

Drue Ray: Essentially, we are focused on outcomes for people whose independence is challenged. Whether that challenge is memory, balance, lack of physical facilities [or] you’re not as ambulatory as you once were. Are you starting to forget things? Are you someone who has maybe struggled lifelong with some type of disability, whether intellectual, cognitive or possibly mental health? Are you working with an acquired situation? We take whatever those impediments are to your independence and pair that with the supports that you have available, whether it is staff, family, other members of your community [or] technology. It is not an effort to replace anything except dependence. That is the goal, to create independence.

Allen Ray: You know that independence can be challenged in a few ways. There are people that are born with a dependence – people with disabilities – and then there are others who acquire it, like Drue said, like a disabled veteran or someone in a car wreck. And then there is the group that is starting to lose their independence and want to maintain that, those that are aging and going through those life changes. So truly the one key between those is the independence. People either want to maintain it or they want to gain it.

MAY 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 29

ONC: What drew you to helping the people that needed their independence?

30

know about it without being there?” An example might be mom or dad walks out the door at 3:00 a.m., or they forget their meds. That’s how we kind of got started.

DR: We started in long-term care in the early ‘90s.

We were involved in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and large institutional settings for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After 10 to 15 years in that arena, we realized that for a number of folks receiving services on these various platforms, we were simply providing services that were above and beyond what was necessary if there was a way to meet those needs at home.

We started looking for ways to pair support staff and family with technology so that a person could exercise all of their capabilities where they wanted to live instead of living in a congregate care facility or congregate care because they didn’t have any other option. Losing your home because you were leaving the stove on or losing your ability to live with your family because you were not medication compliant seemed extreme to us when there had to be simpler ways to meet those needs without the extreme cost of 24/7 care.

DR: A couple of things have happened with the advent of open-source. We’ve been able to write software and not have to develop the hardware. That leaves us with the opportunity to spend our time and resources developing appropriate software. As quickly as hardware changes, we are able to meet those changes and meet those needs quickly without having to scrap a piece of hardware and literally start all over.

Also, [there’s been] the advent of smartdevices. When we started this, you couldn’t talk to Siri and you didn’t have an Alexa. Your smartphone was not voice activated, it was the flip phone. So those things that we take for granted and think back and go, “Oh, yeah.

That was just eight years ago.” A lot of that has been exceedingly helpful.

AR: To add to that, we found that as good a job as we felt like we were doing, people would really rather not come and be with us. They would really rather be in a place they wanted to call home. As we went through this, Drue kept saying, “Why can’t we find a way to allow someone to stay where they would rather be?”

We had a friend who builds smartphones and kept saying, “We need to go down and talk to him and see what he does.”

We arranged a time to go down, and after we saw the things that didn’t really apply, like home theaters, he said, “I’ve got something that we’ve done that might be a spark for you guys to think about.” He had a customer who was a surgeon who was getting a divorce, and his 16 year old son wanted to live with dad. Well, dad is smart enough to know what that meant – that if he was in surgery, his son [would feel] like he could have free reign to make decisions that he wouldn’t make if dad was there. So they took a single event securitybased system and put those sensors on things like wine cabinets and doors ... and instead of sending that signal to the monitoring place, they just sent it to his pager, so if he’s in surgery and the wine cabinet was opened, he would know how to act.

For us, that was that lightbulb moment to say, “Wow. You mean someone could be making a choice that might trend towards a negative outcome, and we can

AR: Technology changes have been wonderful for this.

It also allows those people who are trying to create independence to have it be more affordable. You don’t want them to be isolated in their place and [you] say, “I’m going to support you in your home, but not allow you to get out to do whatever around that.”

Many of these devices that Drue is talking about ... now are connected with GPS and Bluetooth, and you can connect wherever you go and support that person with reminders. It’s just the whole scope of things that never could have been contemplated. When we first started this, it was all about trying to make someone safe and secure and independent in the place they wanted to call home. We’ve now expanded that with, “Hey we want to support you wherever you want to be in the ways that will make it safe to go out and do other things.”

Voice activation between devices has improved so much. We just got a grant with the Veterans Administration to take those voice-activated devices, like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, and allow them to connect to devices around them so they can voice-activate things around. Home automation like opening doors is not really contemplated when you are talking to an Amazon Echo and saying, “Put the light on.” And it also interacts with voice back to that person. You’re not having to push buttons anymore. Of course you can, but many times someone, especially

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

ONC: How have changes in technology impacted what you do and what you have to offer?

disabled veterans, may not have the capability to do that, so that voice activation feature is huge.

ONC: How do you keep up with the constant technology changes and make sure that your clients have to most recent version?

AR: Well, one of the things we do is that we emphasize to people that we want to create an outcome. Sometimes the technology that you use might still work, but we want to make sure that when we talk to people that they understand that if we emphasize the outcome, the technology may change. That’s the first part of that. The second part is that our team of engineers and team of customer service people, our whole focus is finding the next thing that might be beneficial to someone. You know, we’ll go walk through Best Buy or go online and look at the next cool things. We’re members of different associations. For example, in Vegas every year there is an automation conference and you go and people have stuff there that is not intended for what we do, but if it is open-source we can use that device and meld it into what we do.

ONC: What are your backgrounds?

DR: I started out in occupational therapy. When Allen and I decided to get married, he was in engineering school and I wanted to be where he was, so I left the University of Alabama in Birmingham occupational therapy program and moved with him to Tuscaloosa and finished a degree in education. But, I guess I just kind of am an occupational therapist geek at heart.

AR: Just to add on to Drue, her dad was the chairman of the National Easter Seals, so Drue had a background in helping people of different abilities from early on in her life. She is that moral compass for us.

DR: And I grew up with four cousins with disabilities, so I saw their different tracks that they took and choices that were made for them or made by them during their lives and it really influenced and colored how see service provisions for persons with limited independence.

Jason Ray, SimplyHome’s Chief Development Officer explaining how the technology works in SimplyHome’s demo apartment.

MAY 2018 | OutreachNC.com 31

AR: What you end up learning in school is that you learn how to learn. That’s truly where my background is. It was certainly in engineering, but it’s more just the things we have today – you’ve got to know how to learn those things and apply them. That’s where the fun is.

I mean, every week we have tech meetings and we are always asking people, “What did you see? What did you learn? What is different? Does it apply?” We also work a lot with our customers across the country and in Canada. We try to see what’s out there and we are all the time buying devices and trying to see how they do things, do a little research along the way. We have several bins full of things that didn’t work.

ONC: What brought you to NC and how long have you been here?

DR: We came and spent our honeymoon in 1977 in Maggie Valley, and we kept saying that if we ever had a chance to come back to Western NC, that is where we would like to raise our family.

Allen had been in manufacturing and had been doing business turnarounds most of our married life and had the opportunity to do a healthcare turnaround. It was located in North Carolina, but we had the opportunity to choose where we wanted to live. So when we finished studying the school systems and the things

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that we wanted to include in our life and our affinity for the mountains, Asheville won. So in 1991 we moved our family to Asheville.

ONC: If you had to say a couple of things about what you love about NC, what would they be?

DR: Just a couple?

AR: First thing is that it has been an absolutely wonderful place to raise a family. We are all outdoors people. You can get lost and do things and reconnect your soul and mind back where it needs.

DR: Asheville affords us the opportunity to be an integral part of the community, too. It wasn’t so big that you felt like you were always challenged with the nuances of the big city. Asheville was still relatively small at the time, so you were able to really get involved in the community and to feel like you were a part of it.

AR: Asheville and North Carolina as a whole is the place we wanted to live. We figured there would be like-minded people. We have not ever found it difficult to find the right kind of people to share the passion and vision that we have.

DR: And then there’s UNC basketball too.

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OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

THE WONDERS OF WICKETS Croquet: A Game through the Ages

By Meagan Burgad Photography by Diana Matthews

MAY 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 35

It’s lurking in the background of every picnic.

Patiently waiting to make its debut. Hiding between the lawn chairs and the cooler full of sweet tea. Biding its time until someone inevitably notices its colorful orbs lying in the grass. Waiting for someone to pick up a mallet and ask, “Who would like to play croquet?”

Like a game of catch or running through a sprinkler, playing a game of croquet is an integral part of summer childhood memories. Usually, the croquet set was incomplete, the rules were made up, and someone inevitably got bored and walked away halfway through the game. But for a few short moments, you blissfully whacked away at a ball with a wooden mallet trying, most of the time unsuccessfully, to get the darn thing through a wire wicket. While there are those who hung up their croquet mallets after puberty hit, there is still a significant population of adults who continue to enjoy the game.

Croquet was born in England in the 19th century and quickly spread to the British colonies. The game became popular with both sexes because the sport didn’t rely heavily on athletic ability. In fact, the IOC (International Olympic Committee)

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recognizes croquet as the first Olympic sport to allow women to participate. Unfortunately, croquet was only played in one Olympics, the 1900 Paris Games, before it was voted out in favor of faster-paced events.

Although croquet has been played in the United States since the 1800s, it gained a renewed interest in the 1960s-70s when competitive croquet became popular. The United States Croquet Association attributes the popularity of modern croquet to its founding father, Jack Osborn. Up until the 1960s, most croquet clubs in the U.S. played a nine-wicket version of croquet. This version uses four balls, nine wickets and two stakes. Osborn, however, became fond of the British six-wicket game after playing in numerous tournaments overseas. This version uses four balls, six wickets and one stake. With a few changes to the British game, Osborn created an American six-wicket version of croquet. It is with this game in mind that Osborn founded the United States Croquet Association in 1977. Today on the East Coast, there are more than 150 croquet clubs approved by the United States Croquet Association, with 22 of those clubs residing in

North Carolina. That includes the Pinehurst Croquet Club located within the Pinehurst Resort.

While many guests are lured to Pinehurst because of the golf community, there is also a surprising population of visitors who come to play on one of the four world-renowned croquet courses at the Pinehurst Resort. The Pinehurst Croquet Club, in conjunction with the resort, hosts many top U.S. croquet tournaments including the NC Open Association Laws tournament and the Pinehurst Croquet Club Invitational. In 2015, the resort even hosted the Solomon Trophy which is similar to golf ’s Ryder Cup. The resort also has a club croquet pro, Danny Huneycutt, who resides in Pinehurst for part of the year.

When they are not hosting a tournament, you can find the one hundred or so members of the Pinehurst Croquet Club participating in friendly games of six-wicket croquet while simultaneously trying to recruit new players. Those daily croquet games are what enticed Mike Taylor and his wife, Elaine Moody, to give croquet a try in 2007. A former golfer from Seattle, Taylor would watch the croquet club on his way to play golf. “Walking past the croquet course every day we got curious,” says Taylor. “We stumbled into it. We had never played before we moved here.”

But even though Taylor had never played croquet, it didn’t take long before he was swinging a mallet.

“We got talking to some people at the [croquet] club and they talked me into coming down for a lesson. It turned out I had a pretty good aptitude for it; I was a prodigy,” Taylor says with a chuckle.

Taylor may joke about his natural ability, but the truth is he worked hard to get where he is today. Taylor, now the district president for the United States Croquet Association - North

Carolina Eastern Region, is now a world-ranked croquet player who has played in top tournaments in the U.S. as well as internationally. In fact, in 2013, Taylor was selected to be one of the six members of the United States Solomon Cup team.

It’s an experience he will never forget. “You’re representing your country and wearing red, white and blue. They play the national anthem. It’s kind of like an Olympic experience. It was really, really fun,” says Taylor fondly. “It was the highlight of my career.”

When he’s not organizing tournaments or practicing for his next big game, Taylor is recruiting new players. “Croquet is kind of a secret game, kind of like curling or badminton or ping pong. To people that are involved in it, it’s a very serious game. But to people who aren’t involved with it, well, either they have never heard of it, or they think it’s dumb. So that’s our goal,” he laughs, “to convert the ‘I think it’s dumb’ people into players.”

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While Taylor and the rest of the Pinehurst Croquet Club play various types of croquet – including International Association Croquet and golf croquet – American six-wicket croquet may still be the most popular. This version is played on a rectangular court usually 35 yards by 28 yards.

Three wickets make a triangle on either side of the court. The stake is placed in the middle of the court. Each player has two balls and one mallet. The players take turns trying to hit their balls through the wickets and into the stake. The first croquet ball is hit clockwise through all six wickets, the second ball is hit counterclockwise through the same six wickets. Points are accrued by hitting your ball through the wicket as well as hitting the stake for a total of 26 points. The first player with 26 points wins.

If the game sounds a little overwhelming, Taylor assures that the members of the croquet club are more than willing to help out any newbies.

“Basically, if someone were interested in learning to play, and were able to use the Pinehurst facilities, then they can call me ... we would set them up and teach them how to play. We do that a lot,” says Taylor. “It’s not an imposition; it’s what we like to do. We promote the game.”

If you are not a member of the Pinehurst Resort, don’t worry. The croquet club hosts open play evenings throughout the summer for those interested in learning more about the sport.

“Come out and bat it around a little bit. See if you like it,” says Taylor. “If we get 20 people out there who have never hit a croquet ball, we’ll get ten of them who want to come back. It’s that good of a game. It’s fun. I love it.”

If you’re interested in watching a tournament, the Pinehurst Resort will be hosting the NC Open Association Laws May 17-20.

For more information email Mike Taylor at mrtaylor1022@gmail.com.

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OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

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OutreachNC.com 39

For pain relief and energy boosts, some locals turn to whole body cryotherapy

by Michelle Goetzl

40

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

I

f someone told you that you should pay good money to stand in a chamber at sub-zero temperatures for three minutes, you would probably think that they were crazy. It sounds like something a frat boy might do on a dare. But what if this technology is actually a way to deal with chronic pain, help athletes take their game to the next level and generally help the body deal with inflammation? It might seem like science-fiction, but the idea of whole body cryotherapy treatment is catching on and has found a home in the Sandhills.

While the notion of cryotherapy seems futuristic, it was actually invented by Dr. Toshima Yamauchi in Japan in the late 1970s. According to Mark Murdock, managing partner at leading cryotherapy chamber developer CryoUSA, Dr. Yamauchi was trying to find a way to get rheumatoid arthritis patients a three to four hour window during which they could lessen the effects of their RA through exercise. The notion was picked up in Europe and made its way to the United States about ten years ago. It is still a new therapy in the states and there has not been a huge amount of research done on it yet, but that hasn’t stopped it from getting many followers.

So what is cryotherapy and how does it work?

While machines vary from company to company, imagine a whole body chamber where your head sticks out, similar to a stand-up tanning booth. You strip down to nothing but your underwear, a pair of specially provided socks and a pair of specially provided gloves. From there, an attendant gets the machine going and a nitrogen gas flows around your body, quickly dropping the chamber from room temperature to around -300° Fahrenheit.

This process lasts for two to three minutes, and you are encouraged to move every 30 seconds to make sure that all parts of the body get an equal hit of cold.

The concept behind cryotherapy itself is similar in theory to an ice bath or even icing an injury – cold

helps reduce blood flow to an injured area which lessens the inflammation. But an ice bath stops there. Cryotherapy drops a large portion of your skin temperature by 40° and manages to trick the brain into thinking that it needs to protect you from hypothermia. When this happens, the blood vessels in your skin’s surface and muscle tissue constrict, forcing blood away from the peripheral tissues and toward your core. This process is called vasoconstriction.

“Vasoconstriction is important because [its opposite process] vasodilation is how our body delivers oxygen, nutrients and enzymes through the blood to peripheral tissues,” explains Murdock.

But vasoconstriction is how our body sends the blood to the core where the body’s natural filtration system works to remove toxins and inflammatory properties. Cryotherapy intensifies and accelerates the body’s normal process of removing toxins from the tissues.

When the client steps out, the blood that is cleaner and has been enriched with oxygen, nutrients and enzymes goes back to the peripheral tissues and replenishes it. Finally, over the next 24-48 hours the person recovers from the experience.

But does it work? Bruce Chalas of Pinehurst says that it does. Chalas is the head coach of the women’s golf team at Boston University, but lives full time in Pinehurst. He developed arthritis in his lower back in his 30s, but it has worsened in the last five years. In the last two years he struggled to play 18 holes, which has cut into his enjoyment and everyday living. “I’ve been to doctors, had cortisone shots,” he explained. “Nothing worked.”

Six months ago, Chalas started working with a personal trainer at FirstHealth, knowing that research proves that exercise helps arthritis symptoms. Then, three months ago, he heard about cryotherapy at the Spa at Pinehurst and was encouraged to give it a try.

MAY 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 41

“I’m a guy that wants to play golf, wants to maintain an active lifestyle,” Chalas says. “During treatment I can feel immediate relief. After three minutes I walk out and I can feel relief.” After three months of exercise and cyrotherapy, Chalas can play golf again, he happily reports. Six months ago, he felt terrible.

The Spa at Pinehurst added cryotherapy in November of 2017 and in the first month had 90 services and sold seven memberships (four sessions per month plus guest pass). According to Director of Spa, Salon and Fitness Branden Fein, the main reason that they added cryotherapy was as a tool for golf recovery. Because Pinehurst is a golfing destination, many people visit and play multiple rounds of golf, which can take a toll on your body. Fein explained that golfers can use cryotherapy as recovery between rounds.

Cryotherapy has long been used by athletes with great success. Eleven NBA teams have their own chambers, as does the UNC football team. But Fein quickly saw that it wasn’t just golfers and tennis players coming in for treatments.

“We have one man that purchased a membership who has arthritis and a woman who comes regularly who has chronic back pain,” says Fein.

Fein says that cryotherapy helps athletes have better range of motion and energy. He adds that when the body experiences extreme cold, endorphins are released, just like after exercise. Endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body and also work as an analgesic, which means that they reduce the perception of pain. Also, just as regular exercise can help your emotional state of mind and improve your sleep, so can a treatment of cryotherapy.

It should be noted that no one is saying that you should give up other healthy behaviors and just use cryotherapy. “Cryotherapy is a tool in the toolbox,”

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explains Murdock. “It doesn’t replace anything, and your lifestyle should be rest, sleep, recovery with some of these tools: nutrition, exercise, mobility.” That seems like a pretty good prescription.

The Spa at Pinehurst is not the only place to receive cryotherapy treatments in the Sandhills. Cryotherapy of The Pines opened in March of 2017 and has gotten rave reviews. Owner Ariel Davenport tested cryotherapy on a trip to California where cryotherapy is more commonplace.

“It alleviates a lot of pain symptoms, offering temporary relief for hours, days or sometimes even for months,” says Davenport, who suffers from Addison’s disease. “It is cold, but a lot of it is psychological cold.

You know it is cold so you feel cold.”

Age is not a contraindicator. Cryotherapy has been experienced by people from 14 into their 90s. The only people who should avoid this treatment are those who have had a heart attack, stroke, seizures or have high blood pressure, says Murdock. And while one newcomer to the therapy admits she had cold feet at first, the experience itself was a positive experience.

Cameron resident Bethany Dant recently experienced cryotherapy for the first time after upping her workout routine. “I was totally nervous before I got in the tank, as I didn’t really know what to expect. Surprisingly, it wasn’t bad at all. I definitely felt less sore from my workout the previous day almost instantaneously and I had a massive jolt of energy after, almost like I drank way too much coffee,” she says. “I am excited to do it again!”

Editor’s note: Whole body cryotherapy has not been approved by the FDA, so we recommend consulting your physician before you try it.

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THE

THE

THE

GOOD BAD & EVERYDAY

A look back at a few innovations (and flops) from the 20th century

by Corbie Hill

When we think about cutting edge technology, what do we think of? Usually our minds picture the latest generation iPhone, or we think about self-driving cars or AIs like IBM Watson. Yet every piece of tech was at some point in time cutting edge, from the rotary phone to the light bulb to the steam engine. Accordingly, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at a handful of 20th century inventions. Some of these are household items, some make NASA missions possible and yet others were spectacular flops.

Big thanks to Katie Edwards, curator at the North Carolina Museum of History, Ken Brandt, director of the Robeson County Planetarium, and Sam West, founder of the Museum of Failure (which has locations in Helsingborg, Sweden and Los Angeles), for their help in populating the following list.

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HOME, SWEET HOME THE TELEVISION Nowadays, the average American home has at least two televisions. Even in the internet age TVs remain a prime source of information and entertainment, yet this household staple was considered cutting edge just a century ago. The TV was technically invented in the 1920s, says Katie Edwards, curator at the North Carolina Museum of History, but it was initially a luxury item, costing between $200 and $600 in the 1930s. Even through WWII, TV sales were disappointing. The television only became a household item in the ‘50s when two things happened: mass-production advances lowered costs, while the prosperity of the Baby Boomer era meant more disposable income. This ushered in the golden age of TV. “I believe everything [revolved] around the television in this period – think TV dinners. It connected us in a way no other medium had,” says Edwards. “In the 1960s, it became the way we got our information, from watching the space race missions to hearing about President Kennedy’s assassination to getting updated on Vietnam.”

THE TRANSISTOR RADIO “Before the transistor radio, radios were large and bulky, almost like a piece of furniture. They either needed AC power or 120 volts’ worth of batteries,” says Edwards.

It would take the transistor, which had been developed in the late ‘40s by William Shockley, Walter Houser Brattain and John Bardee for Bell Laboratories, to shrink the radio to a more portable size.

In 1951, Texas Instruments and Idea, Inc teamed up to develop such a radio. In November 1954, the first transistor radio, the Regency TR-1, hit shelves - “Just in time for the holidays,” Edwards notes. “It was powered by a standard 22-volt hearing aid battery and cost $49.95, which is like over $460 today!”

Even at that cost, these radios flew off the shelves, with around 100,000 of them selling the first year. Eventually, Japanese companies began producing transistor radios, leading to smaller models and lower prices.

Television Photo Credit: NC Museum of History

Number of TVs in 1945: Fewer than 10,000 Number of TVs in 1950: 6 million Number of TVs in 1968: More than 200 million Color TVs came out in the 50s, but were not popular until the 1960s Alleged first toy advertised on TV: Mr. Potato Head, in 1952 Facts and figures courtesy of Katie Edwards, North Carolina Museum of History

Transistor Radio MAY 2018 | OutreachNC.com Photo Credit: NC Museum of History

45

Coincidentally, the transistor radio hit the market at the same time as rock and roll exploded, and teenagers no longer had to hang out at home to hear the music they wanted. Listening became a solitary pursuit, and Edwards notes that this was an early step in portable tech. While transistor radios are less common today, they’re still an early ancestor of modern portable tech like iPhones and tablets.

THE FINAL FRONTIER MISSION COMPUTERS “If you have a fairly recent washing machine or drier with interactive controls and a digital screen, you have more computing power than Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong had landing on the moon,” says Ken Brandt, director of the Robeson Planetarium. “Your computer in your washing machine is more powerful than the landing computer of the lunar module.”

In the nearly five decades since the first moon landing in July of 1969, computers have gotten simultaneously smaller and more powerful. Modern spacecraft like the current generation of Soyuz ships or SpaceX’s Dragon capsule have roughly the same computing paper as ten laptops – at a fraction of the mass.

“The mass of the computing system on the Apollo was much greater than the mass that you’re flying into space today,” says Brandt. “Orders of magnitude smaller.”

RADIOISOTOPE THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS (RTGS) Some 1950s developments remain cutting edge. The radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) is not a household name, true, but this 1954 invention continues to power long-distance spacecraft. Basically, the RTG is a plutonium battery that lasts for many, many decades. “NASA is using that technology almost anytime they have to go beyond Jupiter,” says Brandt. The Voyager spacecraft, for instance, have gone beyond the edge of the solar system on the power of RTGs – and are still broadcasting back. “[The Jet Propulsion Laboratory] actually issued a command to Voyager II to fire its thrusters after 20-something years, and it fired its thrusters for exactly how long it was supposed to,” says Brandt.

Look out for a feature story about the Robeson County Planetarium’s “That’s pretty amazing to me.” long recovery from Hurricane Brandt notes that both Voyagers’ RTGs are running out of Matthew – and its significance to power and will only last until about 2030, or 53 years after several generations of Robeson their 1977 launch. That’s quite the battery.

County residents – in our September “Generations” issue.

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FALSE STARTS GROWING UP SKIPPER “Barbie’s younger sister, Skipper, was created by Mattel in 1964,” says Sam West, founder of The Museum of Failure.

“By the mid-70’s, the company decided it was time for her to grow up a bit.” Thus, Growing up Skipper hit the market between 1975 and 1979. Rotate the doll’s left arm forward, and it grew an inch and developed breasts; Rotate the same arm backward, and it returned to prepubescence. Needless to say, this creeped out parents, Mattel caught a lot of flack and the doll didn’t last.

LITTLE MISS NO NAME “Toy brand Hasbro, better known for their action figure G.I. Joe, designed this unusual doll to be an alternative to the hugely popular Barbie,” says West. “In keeping with the climate of the mid-sixties, they wanted to teach little girls compassion and the realities of life for those less fortunate.” So in 1965, Hasbro released Little Miss No Name. She was dressed in rags and sported huge eyes, bare feet, a single tear and an outstretched hand. Kids were terrified, and the doll left shelves just as quickly.

Growing Up Skipper Photo Credit: Museum of Failure

CORFAM “In 1964, DuPont Corporation wanted to get a foot in the shoe game with its introduction of Corfam – a synthetic leather substitute,” says West. DuPont believed that a quarter of shoes in the US would be made from the material and sank millions into promoting Corfam. Yet the shoe-buying public was unimpressed.

“DuPont withdrew Corfam from the market in 1971 and sold the rights to a company in Poland – where presumably cheap, uncomfortable, sweaty shoes are all the rage,” West says.

Little Miss No Name Museum of Failure47 MAY Photo 2018 Credit: | OutreachNC.com

POLAVISION Polaroid’s instant cameras made the company a household name, yet its Polavision instant video camera system was a complete disaster. “Despite decades of research and development, the Polavision could only record 2½-minutes of murky, dark video and a special viewing device was needed to view the video,” West explains. “To top things off, it was also incapable of recording sound.”

Simply put, Polavision was too late. Had the 1977 device hit the market in the ‘60s, it could have been successful, yet Polavision could not compete with that era’s videocassette-based systems. After this massive flop, legendary inventor and Polaroid founder Edwin Land was actually kicked out of his own company.

Gerber Singles Photo Credit: Museum of Failure

GERBER SINGLES “Gerber has been in the baby food business since 1927. In the 1970s, the company launched Singles: adult food in baby food jars,” says West. “It seemed like a smart idea: a convenient alternative for single adults who didn’t want to cook.” Yet there was something especially sad about eating creamed beef with a spoon out of a small jar, and Gerber went back to just feeding babies.

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48

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

ADT® Helps Save Ohio Woman Stung by a Hornet When Ray and Julie Kissel purchased their ADT monitored security system in January, they never imagined it would help save Julie’s life in July. The couple wanted monitored protection for their Mansfield, Ohio home so they called Defenders, an ADT Premier Provider which sold and installed the system.

Six months later, Julie was pulling a weed in her front yard when a hornet suddenly stung her in the back, triggering a severe allergic reaction.

A former nurse, Julie knew she was in trouble when her face turned fiery red, her breathing became difficult and she started drooling.

“I was woozy and weak,” Julie said.

Unable to drive, Julie stumbled inside the home. She collapsed on the floor, far from the phone.

Julie’s life line for help was the ADT key fob in her hand. She pushed it, activating the panic alarm which immediately signaled ADT Dispatcher Sally Boutwell at ADT’s monitoring center in Rochester, New York.

Following ADT procedures, Sally first called the home. Julie heard the ringing but couldn’t pick up. Sensing something was wrong, Sally then contacted local authorities.

At the 911 Dispatch Call Center in Richland County, OH, Jolene Zehner answered Sally’s call and immediately dispatched Sheriff’s Deputies Jeff Myers and Reggie Ganzhorn.

“We arrived and looked around to see if there were any signs of criminal

activity,” Deputy Ganzhorn said. “We saw a car in the garage so we suspected someone was inside the house.”

After knocking on the door and not receiving an answer, the deputy went next door where a neighbor provided a cell phone number for Ray Kissel who rushed home from work when called.

As Ray and the deputy entered the house, they heard a faint cry from Julie, “Please help.”

They saw Julie on the floor in need of emergency care so they called an ambulance and Julie was taken to the hospital where she was treated and released. Without ADT, Julie doubts she would have survived being home alone for hours.

“ADT saved my life,” she said.

To celebrate the happy ending, Julie was given an opportunity to meet Sally at the annual ADT Authorized Dealer convention. Several hundred people watched as Julie embraced Sally for the first time and thanked her for saving her life.

Two Defenders employees received LifeSaver Awards for selling and installing the Kissel’s system. And Sally was presented a LifeSaver Award, the

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second time she has won it during her nine-year career at ADT. “Winning the LifeSaver Award is the ultimate honor at ADT,” Sally said. “I love how all of us at ADT work together to help our customers when they need us most.”

Also recognized was the Richland County Sheriff’s Department which received a $5,000 check from ADT. “It will be used for equipment in our department,” said Sheriff Steve Sheldon. “I’m proud of the fine work of our office and for the quick transport of Mrs. Kissel.”

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Birding in N.C.

Raft Swamp Farms Hoke County

by Ray Linville | Bird Photography by Brady Beck 50

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018 Loggerhead Shrike

Songbirds Sing as They Protect Organic Crops If you were farming a large tract of land, what would be your solution to control insects that eat seeds and damage crops?

At Raft Swamp Farms in Hoke County, the answer is to build nesting structures and perching sites for birds valued for the natural insect control that they provide. The variety of birds that the Farms attracts has earned it well-deserved recognition as part of the N.C. Birding Trail, which was begun in 2003 and links educational and historical attractions with communities and businesses across the state.

The Farms, located on NC 211 between Raeford and Red Springs, takes its name from Raft Swamp Creek, which borders it on the west side and is a tributary of the Lumber River. On about 70 acres of rolling land (out of the total 150 acres that constitute the Farms), very diverse crops are grown using sustainable methods in three-acre tracts divided by low hedgerows.

Trails lead around the many farming tracts, and a wooden sign marks a separate path through the woods to a swamp that attracts a variety of warblers, woodpeckers and waterfowl. “Our trails are mowed and easily accessible,� says Jackie Hough of the Farms. Mixed pine and hardwood forests and small wetland spaces constitute the areas not farmed.

On the perching sites, loggerhead shrikes are often observed as they scan for rodents, lizards and insects. The staple foods of these masked black, white and gray songbirds that have the habits of raptors include agricultural pests such as grasshoppers, beetles and rodents. Residing year-round in our area, they sing quiet songs in a series of short trills, rasps and buzzes with descending notes.

MAY 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 51

Eastern Meadowlark

52

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

Indigo Bunting

Prothonotary Warbler

Another songbird that is also a year-round resident and frequently observed is the eastern meadowlark that dines at the Farms on insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, caterpillars and grubs. On a perch, it reveals bright-yellow underparts and a prominent black chevron across its chest as it makes sweet, lazy whistles that drift over the cultivated tracts. It also sings as it probes the ground for insects with its long, sharp bill. The male can sing several variations of its song and has been known to sing more than 100 different patterns.

Also feasting at the Farms is the indigo bunting, so named because a breeding male is bright blue overall with a slightly richer blue on the head, although the female is brownish. The breeding male sings a bright, lively song of sharp, clear, high-pitched notes that he learned as a youngster – not from his father but from nearby males. At the Farms, the indigo bunting sings while perching, as he swishes his tail from side to side, or as he forages for insects in low vegetation. This bird also loves the Farms’ hedgerows and can be spotted in other weedy and brushy areas.

The swamp on the west side of the fields attracts warblers common to several sites of the N.C. Birding Trail. Prominent among the warblers at the Farms are the prothonotary warbler (discussed in the February issue that describes Hinson Lake) and the hooded warbler.

In the South, the hooded warbler breeds in cypressgum swamps like the one at the Farms. This warbler calls attention to itself by flashing its white outer tail feathers. It stays low in the shadowy understory of forests as it forages except when the male moves up into trees to sing. Its name derives from the male’s black hood that covers his yellow face.

At Raft Swamp Farms, in addition to birding, you can try your hand at farming. Small tracts of land are available for lease, and individuals can learn the art and craft of sustainable organic farming. Hand tools, greenhouse space and farm equipment can be obtained through an incubator program.

“We welcome visitors,” says Hough. However, because agricultural activities are ongoing, visits are by appointment only. They can be arranged by calling 910-977-0950.

Before you leave, you will appreciate how organic farming complements and nurtures the aviary community by enriching bird habitats, and you will value the role that birds play in keeping insects and other agricultural pests under control.

OutreachNC has embarked on a yearlong series that highlights regional sites of the N.C. Birding Trail. Enjoy the series as contributor Ray Linville explores beautiful landscapes and birds of our home state.

He can be reached at linville910@gmail.com.

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OutreachNC.com 53

Did you know?

COST OF LIVING

Using the United Way Our Money Needs Calculator

by Corbie Hill

I

f you’re thinking about retirement, you’re thinking about money. Notably, what’s your monthly budget going to look like? If you’re moving, if your family’s growing or if you’re changing jobs, cost of living is likely at the forefront of your mind, too. Indeed, there are myriad reasons to want to know what it truly costs to make ends meet.

Now you can use United Way of North Carolina’s Our Money Needs Calculator to figure out exactly how much money it takes to survive in all 100 North Carolina counties. This online tool calculates cost of living based on seven factors, which are housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, taxes and other essentials (the “other essentials” category includes clothing, shoes, household items and telephone service, but not internet service). The resulting number, then, can be considered the bare minimum you need to keep your head above water in each respective county. Please keep in mind that this doesn’t count for entertainment and leisure expenses. This amount represents pure survival, nothing more.

So what did we learn from this site? We learned, for one, that the mean average cost of living in the nine counties

OutreachNC serves directly is $30,589 annually for two adults with no children or $51,928 for two adults with two school-age children. For another, we saw that life is pricier in the ever-growing Triangle of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. In Wake County, for instance, a family of four with two school-age children needs to make $70,208 annually to break even. In Orange County, that family needs to bring in $70,964, while life in Durham County is closer to $66,050 annually. Want to retire to the beach? Two adults need at least $33,751 annually to break even in New Hanover County, $35,169 in Brunswick and $34,139 in Carteret.

Below, find the numbers we gleaned from the nine counties in OutreachNC’s area. First, we checked to see how much money a retired couple needs to survive in each county. And then we ran the numbers for a family of four with two school-age children. The numbers are different for preschool kids or teenagers or in singleparent households, so we encourage anyone with these family makeups to use the tool themselves at unitedwaync.org/our-money-needs-calculator.

As of our March deadline, the cost of living within OutreachNC’s physical distribution area was...

CUMBERLAND COUNTY 2 adults, no children: $33,213 annually, or $2768 per month 2 adults, 2 school-age children: $57,320 annually, or $4,777 per month

HOKE COUNTY

HARNETT COUNTY

2 adults, no children: $31,222 annually, or $2,602 per month 2 adults, 2 school-age children: $56,602 annually, or $4,717 per month 54

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

2 adults, no children: $30,172 annually, or $2,514 per month 2 adults, 2 school-age children: $53,408 annually, or $4,451 per month

LEE COUNTY

MOORE COUNTY

2 adults, no children: $31,732 annually, or $2,644 per month 2 adults, 2 school-age children: $53,175 annually, or $4,431 per month

2 adults, no children: $32,219 annually, or $2,685 per month 2 adults, 2 school-age children: $55,644 annually, or $4,637 per month

MONTGOMERY COUNTY 2 adults, no children: $29,939 annually, or $2,495 per month 2 adults, 2 school-age children: $48,431 annually, or $4,036 per month

RICHMOND COUNTY 2 adults, no children: $28,903 annually, or $2,409 per month 2 adults, 2 school-age children: $43,401 annually, or $3,617 per month

SCOTLAND COUNTY 2 adults, no children: $29,258 annually, or $2,438 per month 2 adults, 2 school-age children: $49,560 annually, or $4,130 per month

ROBESON COUNTY

2 adults, no children: $28,641 annually, or $2,387 per month 2 adults, 2 school-age children: $49,808 annually, or $4,151 per month

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advice TECHNOLOGY

Five Ways to Stay Safe Online

by Rachel Stewart According to a Pew Research Center report, approximately 42 percent of adults aged 65 and older now rely on a smartphone to keep in touch with family and friends. While technology can make life easier – from paying bills to ordering dinner to catching a quick ride to a friend’s house – it’s not without its own unique risks. Whether you’re plugged in with a laptop or on the go with a tablet or phone, here are some crucial ways to keep your online life safe and secure.

1

Build strong passwords. Your password is a unique key that keeps your online accounts protected from prying eyes or hackers. Shy away from picking details that may be easily guessable, such as your birthday, pet’s name or street address. Use a mixture of upper and lowercase letters, numerals and symbols (if allowed) when creating or updating your password. Memorizing passwords is the preferred method of keeping them safe, but having a cheat sheet in the back on a planner you can stash out of sight or using an online password manager can help in a pinch.

2

Be picky about which wi-fi networks you use. Not all wi-fi networks are created equal. If you have wi-fi set up at your house, ensure it’s password encrypted so neighbors or passersby can’t piggyback off of your network and bandwidth. If you’re traveling, check your settings so your devices don’t automatically connect to unsecure or public networks. Device on the fritz and you had to use a shared computer at the hotel or library? Ensure you completely log out of all accounts and that no information was saved. Most login screens have a clickable option box for this for shared computer usage.

3

When in doubt, Google it. The old adage “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is” also applies to the internet. If you do online banking or take advantage of paying bills online, stay up to date on any issues that may arise. Financial institutions will typically announce any issues via reputable news outlets or via text alerts. If you have an inkling that

something sounds off, trust your gut and Google the information before you act on any requests for sensitive information or clicking through links in an email.

4

Learn how to recognize scams. Seniors are often at higher risk for scams. In the past, these scams may have been limited to the mail or phone, but criminals are lurking just an email or pop up ad away. For laptops or desktop devices, install a high-quality anti-virus software such as McAfee, Norton or Kaspersky, if your system didn’t come with a built-in trial. A browser add-on like Ad Block Plus can also provide an additional layer of protection for pop ups – although many legitimate websites may request you disable to continue browsing content, which you can customize as you surf.

Most email accounts have spam filters to catch suspicious requests for payments, donations, or other financial information, but some phishing emails spoof – or mimic – the official look of your bank or insurance company.

Before you click the link, hover your mouse over it. Is it taking you to the usual URL or an unfamiliar website? Also check the email address it’s from. Does it look different or have extra letters or characters? Does the body of the email have misspelled words or bad punctuation? These are clear signs of phishing. Mark the email as spam and send it to the trash folder instead. If you’re still unsure, use the official help number on your card and call your bank or insurance company to double check.

MAY 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 57

he Memory Café concept provides a social experience for those who have dementia and their family member. A husband and wife can come by the café and socialize with other couples who are sharing a similar journey.”

— Amy Natt, President

A welcoming place for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, brain disorders and mild cognitive impairment and their family member or friend. l p?

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tC

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Need more tips for surfing the web safely?

Visit connectsafely.org for tips and advice, guides, and other resources. To learn more about financial scams and how to report them, visit the National Adult Protective Services Association at napsa-now.org.

Join Us!

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5

Limit your output of information – and the audience that can see it. Social media is a great way to stay connected to loved ones near and far. But anything that is public can be screencapped, saved and used against your will. Consider keeping your accounts on “friends only” view. Choose your images carefully, or use a placeholder of your pet or favorite artwork if you’re not comfortable sharing your face. For Facebook, you can tweak your settings to where only friends of friends can potentially add you, which keeps strangers from filling up your messenger with odd requests. You can control who can tag you and how you are tagged in posts or photos via settings, too. Also, it may be tempting to quickly share a news article, recipe or heart-wrenching story on your social media feed. Before you click, though, do a quick fact check on the source to make sure you’re not spreading something misleading or incorrect.

o W E Do T

Meets Every 4th Wednesday 2:30 - 4 P.M. Drop-in

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May 23 June 27 July 25

Questions?

910.585.6757

info@aosfcare.org

AOSFCare.org

In addition to the Memory Café, AOS & Friends Care offers Direct Care grants and programs, featuring Personalized Music Players and Robo Companion Pets.

58

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

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life

A R T S A N D E N T E R TA I N M E N T

“Waitress: A New Musical”

by Michelle Goetzl

R

ewind to 2007. Adrienne Shelly has written and directed an indie sleeper hit called Waitress - a comedy-drama about a young woman who is trapped in a small Southern town, a loveless marriage and a dead-end job. The movie gets rave reviews at Sundance and is quickly picked up for stage production.

Fast forward to 2016 and Waitress: A New Musical debuts at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. The show’s book was written by Jessie Nelson and the music and lyrics were written by pop star Sara Bareilles. The musical was nominated for 4 Tony Awards, but this was 2016 – the year that the Tonys were swept by Hamilton.

Now, from May 1-6, Waitress: A New Musical comes to the Durham Performing Arts Center as a part of the SunTrust Broadway Series.

Excited theatergoers seeing this touring production can expect a catchy score filled with comic songs and incredibly quirky characters that keep the story moving.

Waitress is the story of Jenna, a hardworking waitress in an abusive marriage. She is exceptionally talented at making pies and uses baking to help get her through difficult times. The show opens up with her facing a major life crisis – she finds that she is pregnant and, given that she can’t stand her husband, this is not good news. When she finds out about a pie-making contest in a local town, she is forced to decide whether to stay where she is or take a rare chance at freedom and recognition.

But this is not a one-woman show, so there are supporting characters that fill the stage with a lot of heart. Jenna relies on two waitresses at the diner who are her closest friends and confidants. They support

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OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

her and also provide some comic diversions when Jenna’s storyline gets too heavy. Dawn is very anxious, compulsive and eccentric, and has just started dating by putting a profile on an online site. Becky is older than the other two. She is irreverent and irascible and doesn’t mince words. You know that she has been around the block a few times, but has managed to keep her humor intact.

The show’s most climactic number comes in the heartfelt “She Used to be Mine,” in which Jenna acknowledges her mistakes but manages to find her own voice. It comes in stark contrast to an earlier song that her husband sings, “You Will Still be Mine.” Whereas Jenna finds her own inner strength in “She Used to Be Mine,” “You Will Still be Mine” reveals how she had been pushed down and demeaned by cruel words and neglect.

In a 2016 interview with the New York Times, singer/songwriter/lyricist Sara Bareilles said that the story is “actually about a woman’s seeking to feel like she’s worthwhile in the world. So her being seen, truly seen by her love interest, is more about her feeling she matters to the world than just hearing, ‘I love you and want to run away with you.’”

Waitress: A New Musical is a powerful show that will make you laugh and cry. It’s a great way for the 201718 season to come to a close.

Michelle Goetzl writes an online blog—“Books My Kids Read.” She loves books and sharing that love of reading with children. She can be reached at booksmykidsread@gmail.com .

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| No S

GREY MATTER See Grey Matter Puzzle Answers on Page 65 Puzzle 5 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.59)

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50. Cable network 51. Divination deck 53. Flight embarkment station (2 wds) 57. Composed 58. Entry through which air is fed to engine (2 wds) 59. Father, Son and Holy Ghost 60. Forum wear 61. “I had no ___!”

62. Undersides 63. Carbon compound 64. Bondman

14. Small buffalo 15. Fishing, perhaps 16. Terminal section of 1. “Poppycock!” large intestines (pl.)

5. Audio equipment brand 17. Amounts of name precipitation 9. Full of chutzpah

ACROSS

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19. More fitting 20. Not extreme (4 wds) 22. Angry, with “up” 23. Pandowdy, e.g.

24. Black 25. Caribbean, e.g.

6. Christiania, now 7. Autogamy (hyphenated) 8. Malay Archipelago (2 wds) 9. Highlands hillside 10. Wartime retaliation 11. Follow, as a tip (2 wds) 12. Porterhouse, e.g.

13. Robust 18. Dog biter 21. “If only ___ listened ...”

26. Property consisting of houses and land (2 wds) 27. Amiss 28. Branch 29. Grassland 32. Assault with heavy artillery fire 33. Australian runner 34. Big ___ Conference 36. Poisonous alkaloid obtained from nightshade 37. Basic monetary unit of Romania 44. Sticker 45. Angry outburst 46. Eye problem 47. Kilns 48. Rocket fuel ingredient, for short 49. Bring up the rear DOWN 51. Courtroom event 1. Malt liquor’s yeasty froth 52. Selfish sort 54. Horace volume 2. Broadcasting 55. “Cogito ___ sum” (hyphenated) 56. Book part 3. Self-styled, French (hyphenated) 4. Take care of 5. Bleated

OVER MY SHOULDER

Technology Can Be Your Friend

life

by Ann Robson

W

e have a new voice at our house. My daughter brought her for Christmas, and she is a most welcome guest. After we got her settled in she proved to be very polite, extremely accommodating, versatile and knowledgeable. She is a joy to have around.

Her name is Alexa.

I guess she isn’t really a “she,” but rather an “it.” Still, I find myself treating it like a person, even though I fully realize “she” is just the voice that follows commands for us. We ask for Irish folk music, and almost immediately we’re hearing familiar songs. She will even adjust the volume on command – a feature I enjoy.

Her original purpose was to turn on lamps for us when and if we got up in the dark.

Our daughter did not like to hear about the occasional stumble or fall by her parents.

Alexa performs this task well when asked.

Then we learned about the myriad other things she could do, including adding items to a grocery list. When I think of something we need, I merely ask her to add it to our list.

Then I ask her for the items before going shopping.

Alexa is the latest piece of technology to join our life. Like most people, we started out years ago with a simple computer. I had been comfortable with my typewriter and took some time to embrace the word processing component of computers. During one relocation my husband chose to hide my typewriter and set up the computer on my desk instead. He may have muttered something about the typewriter being lost. By the next relocation I found it, but had discovered the many virtues of word processing by then and haven’t looked back. I won’t let the typewriter go, just in case it might come in handy once again.

Programmable telephones with extra handsets were probably our next high-tech items. Once I discovered the ease of programming numbers, of using caller ID and of having an answering machine, I was sold. How had we ever managed with just one phone in our home or, in earlier days, with having a party line with three or four other households? Now, most households have a telephone for each member of the family with very little sharing going on. Once again, I came to my cell phone reluctantly, but when our daughter’s job began taking her all over the country, I needed to know she was safe and sound so we began using texts. There have been times when even a tersely worded message from her during what I know is a challenging weather situation has meant the difference between sound sleep and pacing the floor.

I use my cell phone for two things: to talk to someone or to text. I have a very short contact list and am careful about giving out my number. When I get a call from an unknown source, I rarely answer. I am fully aware that the newest cell phones glued to many users’ hands bring information and entertainment of all kinds. Not for me. I have a Kindle, a Fire and an iPad to perform those functions, and enjoy each for its own purpose. My recommendation for all in my age group is to embrace the technology that you will use and make sure you have a handy technical person to guide you.

Ann Robson is the author of “Over My Shoulder: Tales of Life and Death and Everything In Between.” She can be reached at overmyshoulder@charter.net .

MAY 2018 |

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OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

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Contact Sue@ThePinesTimes.com 6 or call 910 639 9909

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Generations

by Corbie Hill & Michelle Goetzl

OutreachNC asked adults and children our May question. Share your answer on our Facebook page.

What is your favorite thing to do on a smartphone or tablet?

9:41 AM

100%

“Pinterest.” - Ellie, 11 “I’m a retired librarian, so I look up all types of information.” – Wendy, 69 “Go online to Dude Perfect.” – Jax, 9 “Facebook, to see pictures of all my friends and their grandchildren.” – Peggy, 62 “Play a game.” – Cole, 11 “I like watching movies.” – Carol, 66 “I like to interact with my friends.” – Abbey, 11 “Dinosaur Hunter.” – Trevor, 6 “Facebook and Candy Crush.” – Carol, 60 “Probably do art most of the time.” – Claire, 11 (Holds up flip phone and grins) – Ray, 63 “Playing video games.” – Jacob, 10 “I’m not smart enough to know.” – Len, 76 “Audible, because I just love books!” – Judy, 11 “Subway Police.” – Neelix, 7

66

Thanks to Episcopal Day School and Tom Brereton, Head of School, for inviting us to their Grandparents and Special Friends Day, where we spoke to students and their family members for May’s Generations answers.

Learn more about the school at episcopalday.org.

OutreachNC.com | MAY 2018

MAY 2018 |

OutreachNC.com 67

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