Great Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp
(StatePoint) When you think about exercise, you likely envision using the treadmill or lifting weights. But every bit as important to your long-term health and wellness are activities that keep your mind sharp and your cognitive abilities strong and limber.
Here are several things you can do to help keep your mind sharp:
• Solve a Crossword Puzzle: A crossword puzzle asks you to reach into your long-term memory bank to solve clues. You may be filling in boxes, but wellconstructed crossword puzzles will require you to think outside the box, as sometimes clues are a bit trickier than they seem at first glance, relying on word play or double meanings to work. A relaxing way to unwind and concentrate, consider adding this ritual into your morning.
• Get More from Nature: On your next nature hike, don’t check out mentally. Set goals and keep your senses alert, paying attention to sounds, sights and smells. New tech, such as Casio WSD-F30 Pro Trek Smart Outdoor Watch, can help. The watch features apps to support your hike, including Location Memory to record information on trails and viewpoints along the way, as well as Moment Setter to notify you when you reach your targeted altitude.
• Learn a Language: A multilingual brain works more efficiently, and it is never too late to pick up a new language. There are many languages apps available to help, some of them free, as well as more traditional taped audio lessons you can pop on while commuting to work or doing chores around the house.
• Make Math Fun: Want to build your critical thinking skills and improve your ability to problem solve? Delve into mathematics with fun math puzzles found online. Free online software, such as ClassPad.net, includes resources to help you solve problems, from simple calculations to statistics, graphing and more.
• Get Sleep: Sufficient high-quality sleep is one of the most fundamental ways to maintain a sharp mind and keep your brain healthy through the years. Between 7-9 hours a night is ideal for adults, according to the National Sleep Foundation. If you aren’t sleeping well, or feel foggy during the day, consider how to shift your evening routine to get more and better quality sleep.
From math puzzles to crossword puzzles to nature walks, prioritizing workouts for the mind will help you stay sharp.
Beware of people pretending to be from Social Security
By Kirk Larson Social Security Public Affairs Specialist for Alaska
Idaho Oregon Washington
Social Security is committed to protecting your personal information. We urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your Social Security number (SSN) or bank account information to unknown people over the phone or internet. If you receive a call and aren’t expecting one, you must be extra careful. You can always get the caller’s information, hang up, and — if you do need more clarification — contact the
official phone number of the business or agency that the caller claims to represent. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who called you.
There’s a scam going around right now. You might receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security or another agency. Calls can even display 1-800-772-1213, Social Security’s national customer service number, as the incoming number on your caller ID. In some cases, the caller states that Social Security does not have all of your personal information, Social Security, Page 3
such as your SSN, on file. Other callers claim Social Security needs additional information so the agency can increase your benefit payment, or that Social Security will terminate your benefits if they do not confirm your information. This appears to be a widespread issue, as reports have come from people across the country. These calls are not from Social Security.
Callers sometimes state that your SSN is at risk of being deactivated or deleted. The caller then asks you to call a phone number to resolve the issue. People should be aware that the scheme’s details may vary; however, you should avoid engaging with the caller or calling the number provided, as the caller might attempt to acquire personal information.
Social Security employees occasionally contact people by telephone for customerservice purposes. In only a very few special situations, such as when you have business pending with us, will a Social Security
employee request that the person confirm personal information over the phone.
Social Security employees will never threaten you or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, please report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.
You can also share our new “SSA Phone Scam Alert” video at http://bit. ly/2VKJ8SG
Protecting your information is an important part of Social Security’s mission. You work hard and make a conscious effort to save and plan for retirement. Scammers try to stay a step ahead of us, but with an informed public and your help, we can stop these criminals before they cause serious financial damage.
SENIOR CITIZENS ROOFING DISCOUNTS
•
•
• No Deposits
•
Types of Roofing Including Flat Roofing Systems!
Generation 50+
STAFF
Retail Display Advertising: Tammy Knaggs Advertising Sales Manager 206-461-1322
Art Department:
Mark Falconer, Art Director Guy L. Jackson
FAMILY RESOURCE HOME CARE
Dear Sheila: When Dementia Gives Rise to Abuse
Dear Sheila, My dad has dementia and while my mom is his primary caregiver she also has paid caregivers coming in every day for a few hours. Mostly they help with the physical tasks like bathing, dressing and so on. But if it sounds like things are under control — they’re not! Mom tells me that when no one else is around dad screams and curses at her, accuses her of terrible things, and tells her things that I know are not true. He accused her of sleeping with the male caregiver and with his best friend (who has been dead 10 years). He told her that he never loved her. Yesterday he accused her of stealing from him. Mom knows it’s the dementia talking but she’s terribly hurt and isn’t sure she can take it much longer. I know my dad is sick, but his abusive behavior is tearing my mom apart. Is there anything we can do to make him stop or make it easier for my mom?
Sheila McKannay
If your mother can pinpoint possible reasons, she may be able to reduce these behaviors by feeding your father or helping him complete a task or providing pain medication. Remaining calm, not engaging or arguing and leaving the room during outbursts may help calm your father. Accepting help from friends and family or hiring a caregiver from a licensed home care agency such as Family Resource Home Care and/or an adult day program will allow your mother time away from home to enjoy outside activities, friends and to rejuvenate.
Lastly, I highly recommend your mother find a support group through a local agency. She will have others in like situations to share experiences and ways to cope with living with a loved one who is in the throes of dementia.
~All Torn Up
I am glad your mother has you as an advocate.
~Sheila
General Manager: Robert Munford © 2019 Pacific Publishing Co. Inc. Mailing address | P.O. Box 80156, Seattle, WA 98108
Physical address | 636 S. Alaska St. Seattle, WA 98108-1727
Produced by the Advertising Department www.pacificpublishingcompany.com
Dear All Torn Up, Your mother is not alone in her pain. Intellectually she knows this is not the man she married and has lived and loved for so many years, but it is still hurtful and unbearable. There could be many factors that contribute to your father’s outburst and mean behavior, such as a UTI, pain, frustration, hunger and over stimulation. Your mother may want to track these outbursts to see if there is a time of day they occur. Is he frustrated that he cannot communicate something or unable to complete a task?
Sheila McKannay, MA, CMC, is Chief Operating Officer for Family Resource Home Care, the largest independent provider of home care services based in the Pacific Northwest. For more Dear Sheila letters or other helpful articles, visit our website: www.familyresourcehomecare. com/about/blog
