Senior issues The ability to drive a car and get around independently is essential for most adults. Driving safely is a key concern for eIders. Everyone experiences some vision changes due to normal aging. These include difficulty focusing on near tasks like reading, difficulty distinguishing colors and contrast, and the need for more light. Kent Higgins, Ph.D., vice-president for Vision Science, Lighthouse International, advises older persons to have regular eye check-ups to maintain eye health and to ensure that their ability to drive safely is not compromised by undetected vision loss. The following tips for older drivers are based on established research and on original research conducted by the Arlene R. Gordon Research Institute of Lighthouse International: - if you are 60 years of age or over, know that you are driving with only about one-third of the light you had when you were 20 years old. This is due to changes in the eye, of which we are generally unaware;
- keep in mind that as an older driver, you cannot process and respond to visual information as quickly and efficiently as you could when you
Nancy Boland Johnson
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THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River - Fri., May 24, 2002
miliar locations and avoid driving at night, in bad weather, and during the busy rush hours. If you or anyone you know has a vision impairment or would like more information about driving issues among older people with vision problems, call Lighthouse International's toll-free number at 1800-829-0500 or visit the Website at www.lighthouse.org.
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were younger; - be aware that driving under the influence of some medications can dramatically diminish an older person's ability to react to unexpected road hazards; - nighttime driving, which involves exposure to bright, fleeting glare, presents a particular challenge to older drivers; - to minimize glare exposure when driving at night, do not look directly at the headlights of oncoming vehicles. Direct your gaze down the road and toward the right side of the lane in which you are driving. When possible, drive in fa-
A campaign to help cut prescription drug costs and improve health is being conducted by AARP. The program "Check Up on Your Prescriptions" will help consumers talk with their health care providers and make good decisions about the efficacy and value of generic drugs. AARP reports that elders like Rita Cohn can save money when they ask their doctor for a generic drug. Cohn could have saved 45 percent a month in out-of-pocket costs by taking a generic for her cholesterol medication, Mevacor. A study released by AARP found that 75 percent of Americans age 45 and over use pre-
My thoughts on plann.~ng your own funeral There's an old joke about a much fun thinking about inbeautiful Lutheran cemetery stalling a hydraulic thingamajig not far from where I live. It in my casket that would make goes, "No one living within a me sit up half way through the half mile of the cemetery may funeral. be buried there." Now you are supposed to ask, "How come?" And one of my _ Norwegian relatives will guffaw, "Because they have to die first." I am going to pass By Dan Morris that along to the guys in the Knights of Columbus in Stuttgart, Ark. It I know I could persuade my might help them in a great new ministry they started this year friend, Bud, to hit the activahelping parishioners plan their tion switch. However, that own funerals before they die would wreck a lot of the fun (the parishioners, not the because he would be at the top . Knights). of my "Scare the Heck Out of Yes, yes, yes, I know you are Them List." Maybe I could get thinking, "Well, how in the the priest or deacon to operate dickens could you plan your it with his foot and have me sit own funeral any other way?" up and down two or three times. Har, har, har. Are you NorweThe Stuttgart Knights progian? Or maybe we should not duced brochures and CDs that joke about something as sig- educate Catholics about Cathonificant as our own funerals. lic burial stuff, even cremation. Then again, a little light- On the latter point, some of you路 heartedness might help. who are particularly fond of a Stuttgart Grand Knight Joe certain boat, chair or hammock Smith tells me people appreci- are going to be a little disapate the program (they even pointed. Apparently you cannot' named it funny, if you use the be cremated in or on any of acronym FAP for Funeral As- them and then have your ashes sistance Program), but a big sent to sea, planted under a tree challenge is to convince people or plunked in front of the teleto talk about their own deaths. vision. It's just you, babe. That surprised me. For beThe Stuttgart Knights can ginners, I had waaaay tooooo help parishioners save money
The offbeat world of Uncle Dan
on caskets and grave liners too. Good for them. The last time I priced a casket I wondered if the price included staterooms, a crew of 20 and foreign registry. I have seen less expensive yachts. In this regard I think the Stuttgart Knights would have been proud of my stepfather's funeral. I know he was. We brought him in his casket to the cemetery in the back of his cherished Ford pickup. It did raise a few eyebrows. It is not often that a funeral procession features an old red pickup with a casket in back tucked between a hearse and a limousine. Planning your music is a big deal too. Again, don't be too disappointed when you find out that neither John Denver nor Janis Joplin are anywhere on the .list of preferred artists for Catholic funerals, despite the fact both are dead - which it seems should carry some merit. On the other hand, there appears little in Catholic canons about postburial receptions. That's pretty much left to the Ten Commandments - none of which specifically forbids "Louie, Louie" or "Leaving on a Jet Plane."
Comments are welcome. Email Uncle Dan at cnsuncle@yahoo.com.
scription drugs on a regular basis. One-third said they do not always tell their doctors about other medications they are taking, putting them at risk to adverse drug interactions. Twenty-eight percent stopped taking a drug before the prescription ran out and one in five said they have had a prescription from their doctor over the past two years that they did not fill. Cost is the number one reason people said they did not have a prescription filled. Skipping doses, not filling prescriptions and unauthorized pill splitting are some of the measures consumers take in the wake of rising drug costs. Unfortunately, these cost-saving measures can also prolong the illness or medical condition as well as the expense of the treatment. More information about the "Check Up on Your Prescriptions" can be found at the AARP Website at www.aarp.org.
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Family members are often concerned about the eating habits of older relatives who live alone. An article from
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Lahey Clinic reminds us that poorly fitting dentures or weakened or missing teeth may limit the variety of foods a senior can comfortably eat. It may be impossible for someone with a dental problem to eat corn on the cob or to chew a thick steak. An elderly person's economic status can affect his or her diet. Faced with a limited budget and many monthly bills, some seniors may make a decision to cut back on the food budget by trying to make one meal stretch into two. If the individual no longer drives and must rely on public transportation or walking to get to the grocery store, he or she may select food based on what is easiest to carry home, not on what is most nutritious. Loneliness can also affect appetite. If an elder you know dislikes eating alone. you might encourage them to take part in a community dining program such as those offered by local churches or senior centers.
Nancy Boland Johnson is a parishioner ofOur Lady ofVictory Parish, Centerville.
DEVELOPMENJ:; DIRECTOR Holy Union Sisters seek Director of Development with at least 2 years experience to design and implement comprehensive development and marketing program to raise resources for programs and ministries of the Holy Union Sisters. Responsibilities include planning, writing, data base management, and major donor solicitation. Competitive salary and benefits. Position located in Greater Boston. Send resume and references by May 31, 2002 to alina@holyunionsisters.org or HUS Search Committee, P.O. Box 410, Milton, MA 02186.
Corpus Christi Procession With Bishop Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap.
Sunday June 2, 2002 at 12:15 p.m. Holy Name Church . 709 Hanover Street Fall River, Massachusetts
Starts at Holy Name Church after 11:30 a.m. Mass (12:15 p.m.) Procession Less Than One Mile St. Anthony's Band, Fall River