Homage - Homage 05.16.18

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April 2017

Vol. 44, No. 3

Formerly Senior Focus

Published by The Daily Herald and Senior Services of Snohomish County

Senior Services to launch new brand Page 2

A house filled with pets — and love Page 7

Tips for boosting your recall ability Page 10

Program stimulates seniors with memory issues

www.homage.org

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Walker, 90, keeps on truckin’ Page 13

Columns

Savvy Senior . . . . . . . . . . 3 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Washington Watch . . . . . 6 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

VOL. 45 NO. 4 | MAY 2018

Learn about programs and services available to seniors by visiting www .sssc .org .

Meals on Wheels volunteer Pam Timm places food (Dan Bates / The Herald) in the refrigerator and freezer

By Caitlin Tompkins

Herald Writer

Pam Timm is standing door with a cart of brown at his front grocery bags. “She’s my favorite lady,” Mike Kerasotes, 67, said. Timm, 66, delivers meals to him each week. She has been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels for six months. During that time, Kerasotes has battled cancer. “When you get $80 in food stamps, it doesn’t go very far. Without you, I wouldn’t have made it through radiation,” he said to Timm. Last year, Meals on Wheels volunteers

and staff served more than ple throughout the county 1,000 peoof 152,000 meals. Senior — a total Snohomish County has Services of managed the local chapter of Meals on 42 years. Each of the meals Wheels for is approved by a nutritionist. Most are and have helped diabeticslow sodium blood sugar under control, keep their said Martha Peppones, director of the nutrition program.

Since the program started, been a growing demand. there has Staff were able to bring the waiting list about 300 to 60 people last down from year.

Adaptation helps couple battle

Music wellness facilitator Noah Plotkin leads a drumming and singing session with Michael Folio as Cheryl Levin-Folio looks on.

Native American culture honors and respects elders

NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID SOUND PUBLISHING 98204

(Mark Ukena, Chicago Tribune)

The Focus is a publication of SENIOR SERVICES OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY 11627 Airport Rd ., Suite B Everett, WA 98204-8714

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Redesigned, more secure Medicare cards are on the way

for Lorna Jenkinson at

Broadway Plaza.

Meals on Wheels’ future uncertain under president’s propos ed budget “That’s 60 too many,” Peppones said. “Those are people who still need The program may be facing meals.” tial financial cuts if PresidentsubstanDonald Trump’s proposed budget approved. Nearly half of for 2018 is the program’s funding comes from the ernment through the Olderfederal govAmericans Act and Community Development Block Grants. The grants are removed under the budget slated to be plan. That would affect 150 meal recipients in Snohomish County, Peppones said. “Fortunately, it’s only a proposal,” she CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

early-onset Alzheimer’s

By Karen Berkowitz

Chicago Tribune

HIGHLAND PARK, Illinois Levin-Folio can’t anticipate — Cheryl milestone of memory loss every new as she and her husband, Michael Folio, navigate his Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes quick thinking comes in handy, as it did when Michael forgot one day to take off his clothes before stepping into the shower. Rather than correct her husband, Cheryl joined him in the shower with her clothes on

for a laugh. “I think the next time we our clothes off,” she gently should take told him. “I made light of it,” she said. “I never correct him. That’s not fair to In the five years since Michael.” Michael Folio was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at age 56, the Park couple has adapted Highland routine many times over. their daily They’d been together for years, but married less than four months, when CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

Music therapy enables stro to regain some languag ke patients e through song

By Rashod Ollison years, who sits within arm’s The Virginian-Pilot reach of him, nodding. They’re all in a small NORFOLK, Virginia — When the Johnny Cash room inside Fort Norfolk melody frustrates James Medical Center — RodriRodriguez, he chuckles, guez in his wheelchair and shakes his head and says, Bowdish on a low stool sandwiche d between an “I don’t know.” Tracy Bowdish gen- imposing keyboard and a tly pushes him, taking computer desk. Bowdish is his hand into hers as she a music therapist with Sentara’s Music and Medicine leans closer and sings in bell-clear perfect pitch lyr- Center. In a promotional ics from “I Walk the Line. clip for the program, she ” The goal is to get Rodri- mentions that her blindguez to find the words, still ness helps her to engage patients, to “see who they a difficult task since Music therapist Tracy J. his Bowdish plays the guitar stroke in summer 2011. are beyond the stroke.” As Bowdish holds Rodri- leads James “Jim Bob” Rodriquez in singing songsand But his progress has been during their session “remarkable,” says San- guez’s hand, singing lyrics in Norfolk, Virginia. at Sentara Neurology Specialists Rodriquez suffered a stroke dra, Rodriguez’s wife of 47 CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 2011 and Bowdish is helping him regain some in speech through music. (Bill Tiernan / The Virginian-Pilot)

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Volunteer with Homage during Older Americans Month Page 3

How early-onset Alzheimer’s drains a family’s finances You can build stronger muscles, no matter what your age Page 6

Is it time for your annual Social Security check-up? Page 6

Why exercise is so vital for folks older than 50 Page 7

Columns Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Savvy Senior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Senior Focus is a publication of HOMAGE (formerly Senior Focus) 11627 Airport Road, Suite B Everett, WA 98204-8714

NON PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID SOUND PUBLISHING 98204

Learn about programs and services available to seniors by visiting www.homage.org.

Pingpong players at the Center for Healthy Living, from left: Song Wu, Thanh Lam, Zhon Guo, Pi Jing Song and Yi Ling. (Photo by Megan Brown)

Pingpong wizards

Players keep fit with spirited games at the Center for Healthy Living in Lynnwood By Megan Brown Special to The Herald LYNNWOOD — The sport of competition ripens with age. Zhon Guo knows that too well. Guo visits the Center for Healthy Living every Tuesday for pingpong and mahjong matches. But he doesn’t just play to win. The fast-paced game keeps him sharp, mentally and physically. “Playing pingpong trains you to be more accurate,” Guo said. He credits it with keeping him in shape, too. The 79-year old Hong Kong native has been attending the center sessions for Chinese seniors for more than 10 years. But he still doesn’t consider himself a match for Pi Jing Song, 64. “He’s very fast. He’s our pingpong leader,” Guo said. Song came to the United States from China in 2013. He’s visited the center weekly since. Guo is a retired laboratory researcher. Song is a janitor at a laboratory.

to play,” Serier said. Song and Guo break “In the USA, “They’ll also practice a sweat making dives they play things, over and over for the treasured ball. again.” “You shouldn’t think the game for They practice for too much about it,” fun. In China, themselves, and for Song said of his strattournaments between egy. “Just be fast.” they do it for the Korean and ChiPingpong is a popunese groups. lar sport in China. Song exercise. It’s “They have different and Guo have been very fast.” players from either playing almost their entire lives. — Pi Jing Song team who come and pingpong player play, and people come “In the USA, they and watch,” she said. play the game for fun,” “It’s pretty intense.” Song said. “In China, they do it for Not everyone who comes to the exercise. It’s very fast.” center picks up a paddle to break a Song’s love of the game is as old sweat. as his sibling rivalry. On weekdays, Chinese, Korean, “I play pingpong at home with my Filipino and Vietnamese seniors younger sister,” he said. “But she’s gather and participate in a number just so-so.” of activities, from lively karaoke sets The tables predate the tenure to languid tai-chi sessions. of the senior center’s coordinator, “In China,” Guo said, “retired peoShannon Serier, who organizes ple like to meet in a big group, in a activities for the center’s multiculbig square, for dancing.” tural meetings. Serier said that the Living an ocean away doesn’t stop Chinese group brought in the tables and shares with other multicultural Lily Sun from enjoying that pastime. groups. “They encourage a lot of people See PINGPONG, Page 11

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