Senior Life - Elko Edition - December 2023

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Living Life After 50

December 2023 “No Greater Ministry Than That Of Service” See Page 16

Elko Edition REaching ElkhaRt, kosciusko, noblE and lagRangE countiEs Vol. 36, No. 10

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HONORED V ETERAN — World War II veteran Merlin Yoder, right, si ts draped by th e quilt presente d to him by M ary Ann Lienhart-C ross and the “I n the Bend” ch apter of Quilts of Valor. Photo by Keith Knepp.

A FAMILY AFFAIR — Four members of the Yoder family have been given Quilts of Valor from “In the Bend,” the local chapter of the national organization. Seated is World War II Army veteran Merlin Yoder, who served from 1945-46. Stand-

ing from left are Mary Ann Lienhart-Cross, representing In the Bend; Kim Miller, representing her father, Gerald Yoder, Air Force, 1959-63; Don Yoder, Army, 1969-70; and Keith Yoder, Army, 1971-73. Photo by Keith Knepp.

Four Yoders recognized for military service

By KEITH KNEPP Editor For the past several weeks, members of the Yoder family have gathered every couple of weeks at Dutch Village Restaurant, a popular local eatery on the west side of Nappanee, to celebrate what has grown to four members of the family who have been recognized with a Quilt of Valor for their past military service.

Locally, the quilts are handmade by

“In the Bend,” a chapter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation based out of South Bend. It was formed eight years ago by a group of women who would meet monthly at Erica’s Craft & Sewing Center to create the quilts. After the store closed, the expanding group began meeting at First Presbyterian Church in Mishawaka. They meet most months of the year on a Friday and Saturday to work on quilts they are honored to wrap around veterans to offer comfort and thank them for their service.

Mary Ann LienhartCross is a part of the local group and presented the four Yoders their quilts during three separate family gatherings.

The first recipient was Gerald Yoder, Elkhart, who was given his quilt on Sept. 28 in appreciation for his service in the Air Force from 1959-63, in Alaska. He was nominated by his daughter, Kim Miller, who had learned

Continued on page 2

RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE — Keith Yode r was the last four Yoder men of to receive a Q uilt of Valor from Mary Ann Lien hart Cross. Photo provided by K eith Yoder.

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2 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Gartee helps seniors stay in their homes

By LAURIE LECHLITNER Staff Writer “My love for senior citizens started in my childhood,” stated Kate Gartee, Elkhart. “My grandparents were an important part of my life. Maybe that’s really where it started.

I’ve never known a senior who has told me, ‘I’m going to a nursing home and looking forward to it.’ My experience is that they want to be in their home as long as possible. That’s why I try to make that feasible.”

Gartee is director/owner of Senior Outpatient Services, Elkhart.

“Actually, I started out with a psychology major from St. Mary’s in South Bend. My academic advisor suggested I look into OT. I observed an occupational therapy session where the therapist was helping a group of seniors with cognitive disabilities cook. I knew in that moment I was going to be an OT.” When Gartee had an internship at a hospital in Indianapolis, she thought she wanted to work in pediatrics. “I found myself being drawn to the geriatric patients and knew I wanted to work with seniors.”

Gartee got her master’s

degree in occupational therapy from the University of Indianapolis. “I started my career in nursing homes and then director of rehab for assisted living facilities.”

She’s been working with seniors for over 20 years.

After doing a little research, she found that some seniors were not eligible for home care because they didn’t have insurance that covered it or were not homebound and therefore ineligible. Some were ineligible for Medicaid, cutting them off from state help.

“I learned about a mobile outpatient therapy organization that actually traveled to seniors’ homes. I knew this was a service needed in our area.”

That was the beginning of her business, Senior Outpatient Services. Her organization strives to keep seniors safe and independent in their homes.

“Many are referred by their doctor. They are not required to be homebound, allowing them to still be able to drive, go to the grocery store or out to dinner. Some just need a little help. Of course, we’re also there for those who are homebound and have mobility issues and other limitations.”

She welcomes inquiries at (574) 333-9747. She has 11

therapists working with her.

“We offer occupational, physical and speech therapy.” Gartee loves the hands-on work she does when she travels to the senior’s home to evaluate their needs. “My favorite part of the job is hearing success stories.

One of our gentlemen wanted to sleep in his bed on the second floor. He was uncomfortable in his hospital bed on the main floor. Since he had severe limitations, at first, we were unsure his goal was attainable.”

She got a text message that the gentleman is now able to climb the steps to his bedroom.

“I love to know that we are making a difference!” There are some days Gartee gets discouraged. “I struggle with changing insurance policies, limiting the care our seniors need. But I have an incredible team at work and home.”

Gartee’s husband Dan is her best friend. They have two girls at home: Ella, 18 and Claire, 16. “I’m part of the sandwich generation. My kids are still at home and my father is getting to the age where he needs some help.”

The Gartees love to travel.

“We recently took a trip to Italy, where I had lived in my college days while studying abroad.”

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME — Kate Gartee is owner/director of Senior Outpatient Services, Elkhart. Her organization strives to keep seniors safe and independent in their homes. Gartee understands that to people of all ages, there’s no place like home. Photo provided by Kate Gartee.

were dropped in Japan.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a national organization dedicated to “covering service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor, a quality, handmade quilt that is machine or hand quilted.

The Quilt says unequivocally, ‘Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.’”

According to Lienhart-Cross,

local recipients are nominated to receive a quilt. They must have been honorably discharged to be considered. Each quilt is 60-inches by 80-inches in size and is handmade by members of the group.

There are now around 60 members who work on the quilts. Not all come to the monthly sewing sessions but rather sew at home to help the cause. In the Bend is always open to accepting new mem-

Four Yoders Continued from page 1

about the Quilts of Valor program through a “100 Women Who Care” event.

Other nominations for Yoder family members soon followed.

The next were Army veterans Don Yoder, Nappanee (Vietnam 1969-70) and Keith Yoder, Wakarusa (Germany 1971-73).

Their quilts were presented on Oct. 12. The two men are first cousins.

Finally, Merlin Yoder, 98,

Nappanee, was given his quilt on Oct. 26. Merlin is a World War II veteran, the father of Don and a brother to Gerald.

Merlin was drafted into the Army on Jan. 19, 1945, one day before his 20th birthday.

He first reported to Camp Hood, later Fort Hood and now Fort Cavazos, in Texas. He was honorably discharged from service Nov. 22, 1946. He was in the Pacific Theater aboard a ship when the atomic bombs

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bers. Since the local chapter’s foundation in 2015, they have made and presented approximately 500 quilts for veterans across the region, including the four Yoders. In 2023 alone, they have presented 160 quilts.

Lienhart-Cross said she is often asked how long it takes to make a quilt. She said it’s not an easy question to answer because of several variables.

“The complications of the pattern, the skill level of sewer, the time involved in selecting fabric, cutting the fabric, sewing, pressing, measuring the top for boarders,” she said.

“The machine quilting time depends on the size, stitch pattern selected, loading it on the frame could be 4 to 5 hours.

Then there is sewing the binding on by machine and sewing it by hand about 5 hours.” If you want to learn more about the local chapter, search for “Quilts of Valor: In the Bend” on Facebook, where you can volunteer to help, nominate a veteran for a quilt or donate to the cause.

For more information about the national organization, visit qovf.org.

December 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 3

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High flyers pay high flying fares

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features Covering the airline industry as a business writer for a daily newspaper and then working for an airline company before opening my own company taught me one thing: Flying is not and never has been considered fun by the airline folk. All you are is an

empty seat if you aren’t in their airplane.

Flying is not their full-time job. Getting you to fill one of their seats — marketing — is their full-time job.

Pricing is their major tool.

They’ve gone all out to make it as attractive as possible. This is nothing new. A seat is a commodity and prices rise and fall with demand. Demand tightens

Stop banking fee robberies

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features While interest rates soar, so does the number of fees for services banks keep charging, such as $30 for bounced checks or the 38 cents a colleague was charged for a $600 check that was inadvertently made out for $600.20.

Banks also charge for over-the-minimum number of monthly visits to the bank and over-the-minimum transactions made in a month.

Remember that these charges are made so they can keep your money in their coffers.

So, when faced with such fees, shop around for alternative banking sources. Tell your bank you don’t want to swap your credit card for a debit card if they’re going to charge you every time you have an overdraft in your checking account. Banks charge this overdraft fee even when you have more than enough in your savings account to cover the overage.

And go look for another financial institution if yours is charging you a minimumbalance fee, which can range as high as $10 if your balance falls below the minimum for just one day in the month.

Check the cost of a cashier’s check before getting one from your bank. If there’s any charge, get a money order at the post office for $2.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

up as boarding time approaches. A seat selling for $300 when booked on the internet book a couple of weeks ahead of time can be bumped up to $600 or $700 at boarding time after having dropped to $89 just 24 hours before the plane’s scheduled departure.

Decades ago, a writer for a major national magazine spoke to every passenger aboard a household name airline and discovered there were more than 100 different fares paid by his fellow flyers.

Today’s airlines boast about being more than economical than ever. That’s because they can advertise an attractive fare that fills the seat but doesn’t include all the ancillary fees – service charges, luggage charges, carry-on charges, seatselection charges and on-andon charges.

Self-described “discount” airlines proclaim dirt cheap

fares to deliver you to faraway places. Your dreamscape crumbles to reality when you learn how much it costs to take a bag with you. The charge you see is usually what your seat costs when you sit in it without anything with you — no bags, no pets, no food and in a seat they give you, not one you picked.

A British website that listed several examples of fares and final price differences showed a flight advertising a fare of slightly more than $20 was loaded with hidden costs of just over $160.

An airline may offer a cheap fare but, to get it, you have to join their travelers club, which has an annual fee and probably an up-front enrollment charge.

There’s an item called carrier-interface fee. This reportedly covers all the technology and interface connection used to book your flight online. You can

avoid this by buying your ticket at the airport, they report.

Have we mentioned the hidden airport fee? And taxes and security charges? Don’t think working with airline personnel will save you money because there’ll be an agent fee slipped into the total.

Airline marketers sales-talk their way through complaints by proclaiming the flying public likes to see those lower fares.

And that competitive juices force airlines to keep their fares low. But they say nothing about keeping their fees low, such as escalating charges for seat selection and carry-on luggage and on and on. Those fees skyrocket if you book an overseas trip.

Be aware that the final cost of a flight offered by the airplane company can be a much as 300% higher than the low-balled fare listed.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

4 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Brain trust I love to walk up and down the bookstore aisles, occasionally removing something from the shelves to sample, IN A hoping it NUTSHELL fits my

By DICK tastes. The WOLFSIE people at Barnes & Noble are totally

okay with this, but that habit has gotten me kicked out of Kroger about six times.

Recently, I decided to search the shelves for a book that might help me address a problem I am facing. My memory is not what it used to be. I tried Prevagen, but that was a total waste of money.

They tout the product as made from jellyfish, one of the few animals in the world with no brain.

I did find one book, “Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic

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Exercises.” For a fathead like me, this is the perfect read.

The author contends that there is not enough unpredictability in our lives. We get into a rut because our brains take the easiest paths — the routes we are most accustomed to.

Dr. Larry Katz throws in some cerebral references to axons, dendrites and synapses to make it all sound very scientific, but it was lost on me. On a biology exam in college, I labeled the parts of the inner ear but it turned out it was a picture of a woman’s reproductive system. I did get partial credit.

This book encourages you to use each of your senses in new and innovative ways.

One of the author’s suggestions is to brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand, thus creating new neural pathways. I tried it one night and found the experience instructive. I then used

my other hand to clean the toothpaste out of my nose and inside my ear.

In order to enhance your appreciation of good food, said Katz, stick plugs in your ears. This permits you to fully enjoy what is on your plate, focusing only on taste. I totally forgot to tell Mary Ellen I was doing this so I didn’t hear a word she said during dinner for almost a week.

Fortunately, she didn’t notice the difference. The book also suggests that to fully experience the texture of food, you should hold your nose when you eat. My wife did notice this on that first night when she had prepared what I assume was a delicious dinner. She was not happy, but I got a nice note from Grub Hub thanking me for all my subsequent take-out orders 10 nights in a row.

There is also a chapter on sex. Katz encourages you to have a romantic dinner with

your partner, and “to be sure to enjoy some flowers and candles.” I choked down a few rose petals, but the candles made me gag. For another novel experience, Katz suggests you switch cars with a nearby friend for a day so you can have a new tactile experience behind the wheel. Of course, remember to tell your neighbor before you do this, or you can then look forward to really feeling something new: your hands cuffed behind your back.

My favorite suggestion is to eliminate the traditional grocery list. Instead of jotting down the name of each item, write a description instead so you can fully appreciate its qualities. I tried that.

On my shopping list I wrote: “It’s about the size and shape of a soccer ball, tannish, heavily veined and dimpled.” I was talking about a cantaloupe, but it sounded a lot like my rear end.

What Seniors Think

“What is something you haven’t yet done that you’ve always wanted to do?”

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SHARON JANUS WARSAW My husband and I always wanted to visit Israel and the Holy Land. We were hoping to plan a trip there next summer.

Unfortunately, given the current events, I think we’re going to have to reconsider our plans.

JEANETTE BROWN ELKHART I’ve always wanted to be a grandma. God willing, I’ll get that chance next April when my son and his wife are expecting their first baby. If it is a boy, they’re going to name him after my late husband, Anthony.

JOHN BAXTER NAPPANEE I always thought I would eventually own my own business, maybe selling components to RV companies in the area.

I’m getting to the age now that I don’t think that’s going to happen, though.

PHILLIP MCDONALD WARSAW Everybody says, ‘why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane?’ Well, I’ve always wanted to. Skydiving is on my bucket list, but I have to convince my wife that I’ll survive it.

DEBORAH DIXON GOSHEN Owning a Corvette convertible has always been a fantasy of mine. The weather in Indiana isn’t really suited for that to be your primary car, though.

Maybe when we retire and move to Florida I will make that happen.

ROSS MILLER MENTONE Definitely retire with enough good health to be able to travel the country in an RV. I have a few more years to go, then we’ll sell our house and see America.

December 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 5

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Spotlight

Kirkendall keeping cut-glass art form alive Text and Photos

By LILLI DWYER Staff Writer Randy Kirkendall and his wife, Linda, have owned and operated Warsaw Cut Glass for 43 years.

Acquiring the shop had never been in Kirkendall’s life plan.

In fact, he and Linda had been intending to go to the University of Wisconsin to get their master’s degrees before buying it.

The previous owner, Jackson Dobbins, was nearing retirement and was going to close the shop if he couldn’t find anyone to take it over.

“Everybody was kind of suggesting we at least come over and take a look at it. I found it very interesting and said, ‘hey, I think I might like to do this,’” Kirkendall recalled. He bought Warsaw Cut Glass from Dobbins in 1980.

Kirkendall already had experience in furniture design and silversmithing, but glass cutting is a more delicate process. It took some time to lighten his touch and get used

to different methods.

“You start to feel comfortable after maybe the first six months. When you first start out it’s like chicken scratching,” he explained.

Despite his years of experience, Kirkendall doesn’t consider himself a master of the craft.

“I’m still trying to master it,” he said with a laugh. “That’s the fun thing about it. It’s always challenging, different designs, other people’s ideas that they want to have put on glass. Even after all this time, I’m still finding new ways of doing things. It’s a labor of love; it’s never boring.”

Kirkendall still employs the same techniques and equipment that artisans at the shop have been using since it opened in 1911.

“Working in a time capsule is really fun,” he noted.

Glass cutting is done by carefully pressing an item’s surface against a rotating stone, much like a grindstone. The stones operate on long belts and are attached to troughs of water.

The water serves both to catch

One more for the Gipper

By TOM MORROW Mature Life Features In a way I’m here because of President Ronald Reagan.

Let me explain.

Growing up in Seymour, Iowa, famous people were only known to us as images appearing in magazines, newspapers, film and, eventually, television.

So, every time the late President Reagan popped up in a movie or occasionally on television, our mother would make some sort of comment about knowing the movie star when he was a sports announcer at WHO radio in Des Moines, Iowa’s capital.

He was known to his radio listeners as “Dutch” Reagan, Mom would say in a matteroff-fact way. My sister and I would roll our eyes with a wink and a nod. Mom saw our disbelieving smirks but was not deterred.

When I got a little older, I asked Mom how she knew “The Gipper,” which was a moniker Reagan picked up from his movie role in “The Knute Rockne Story,” where he portrayed football star George Gipp. Mom said she knew him in the mid-30s during the Great Depression.

“I was slinging hash at a coffee shop across the street from the radio station. Dutch came in every morning for breakfast,” she explained. “I usually took his order.”

When there was a slow

time, Reagan would talk to Mom about what her aspirations were. At that time, she was in her mid-20s and was saving to go to cosmetology school. But with money being so tight, she had almost given up. As her story went, Dutch would keep encouraging her to follow through with that dream.

She did, and after graduation, she was hired by a small beauty shop in Seymour. Had she not followed Reagan’s advice and not taken that job in Seymour, she would never have met my father.

Now leap ahead to 1974.

California Gov. Reagan was making a political speech in Phoenix where I was a newspaper editor. As luck would have it, his wife came and sat down beside me. With tongue-cheek, I passed my business card to Nancy Reagan and asked her if Dutch would remember Mom? “Oh yes,” she assured.

“He never forgets people he meets.”

Two weeks later I got a letter from the California Governor’s office.

“I remember your mother very well,” he wrote. “Tell her I’m going back to Des Moines this weekend to celebrate WHO’s 50th anniversary.

Give her my best regards.”

When I showed Mom the letter, her only remark was: “… told you so.”

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

glass dust and to weigh down the whole apparatus. Otherwise, the vibrations caused by the stone’s rotation would unsteady the glass cutter’s hands.

Warsaw Cut Glass has about 60 standard designs. Kirkendall isn’t the only one who has a hand in creating them.

“My daughter has come up with some,” he said, adding, “my wife has, and my apprentice Matt (Light). That happens in any art form, after you’ve been doing it a while.”

Anything from plates and glasses to Christmas ornaments can be cut. Most of the shop’s glass items are shipped over from Europe. According to Kirkendall, lead crystal used to be considered the highest quality glass, but since the health hazards of lead have become widely recognized, titanium crystal is now more popular. In fact, a lot has changed since the art form’s heyday.

“Today, they have laseretched glass,” said Kirkendall.

“This is the old way. We only know of four glass cutters in the United States and two of them are here.”

Kirkendall went on to state that while he would like to have more time to get back into silversmithing again, he has no plans to give up on glass cutting.

“Retirement is for people who don’t like what they do,” he said. “If you like what you do, you go until you can’t do it anymore.”

MAKING THE CUT — Randy Kirkendall, owner of Warsaw Cut Glass for the past 43 years, sets a glass against a rotating stone to begin cutting a design into it. This stone has a sharp edge and will create clean lines on the glass.

CUT-GLASS CREATION — A set of wineglasses displays one of the 60 or so designs created and etched at Warsaw Cut Glass.

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1515 Provident Drive, Suite 250, Warsaw, IN 46580 Offices in Berne, Fort Wayne, Marion and Warsaw

6 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Finance

At home or on the go — Social Security is online

By MONA HARTER District Manager, South Bend Social Security Office When you retire, if you become disabled, or if someone you depend on dies — we are there when you need us. With your personal and secure my Social Security account, you can access your information, benefits, and important services from just about anywhere. Having a personal my Social Security account allows you to: • Compare future benefit estimates for different dates or ages when you may want to begin

receiving benefits.

• Check the status of your benefits application or appeal.

• Review your earnings history.

• Request a replacement Social Security card (in most states).

If you already receive benefits, you can also: • Get a benefit verification or proof of income letter.

• Set up or change your direct deposit.

• Change your address.

• Get a Social Security 1099 form (SSA-1099).

You can even use your person-

al my Social Security account to opt out of receiving certain notices by mail, including the annual cost-of-living adjustments notice and the income-related monthly adjustment amount notice. These notices are available in your Message Center when you sign into your account. We will email you when you have a new message, so you never miss an important update.

It’s easy to sign up for a my Social Security account. Please let your friends and family know that they can create their own my Social Security account today at ssa.gov/myaccount.

Social Security information is available at home or on the go.

Choose Greencroft Goshen Rehabilitation

By HOLLY SKIDMORE Greencroft Goshen Greencroft Goshen has a dedicated rehabilitation team consisting of licensed physical, occupational and speech therapists who are fully committed to restoring and improving your quality of life.

Here are several ways therapy can help adults move and feel better: Improve Balance and Prevent Falls Adults with poor balance may benefit from a balance training program. Therapy can be an effective way to improve balance by addressing the underlying physical factors that contribute to balance problems.

Manage Arthritis Symptoms Physical and occupational therapy can help people ease

arthritis symptoms and engage in the activities they love. They can provide personalized exercise recommendations and strategies that are safe and appropriate for an individual’s specific type and severity of arthritis.

Improve Mobility and Reduce Pain If you’re having trouble standing, walking or moving, therapy can help. Therapists may use noninvasive technology such as electrical stimulation which blocks the pain signal to the affected area while reducing inflammation. Also, ultrasound therapy and a combination of heat and cooling therapies may be used to reduce pain.

Stay Active and Independent Exercise is extremely important in managing many common symptoms of aging. Physical therapists can teach you how to

exercise appropriately for joint mobility, muscle strength, and fitness.

We Are Your No. 1 Choice For Rehabilitation!

Greencroft Goshen offers short-term rehabilitation after a hospital stay as well as outpatient rehabilitation for our residents and the greater community.

We offer: • Private short-term rehabilitation suites.

• 24-hour skilled nursing care.

• Outpatient therapy open to the public.

• State-of-the-art therapy technology for faster results, • Therapy available seven days a week.

Call outpatient therapy at (574) 537-4022 to schedule an appointment Greencroft Goshen is located at 1225 Greencroft Drive.

Flourish, Here.

READY TO REHAB — Darrel Hostetler is pictured working through his rehabilitation program at Greencroft Goshen. Photo provided by Greencroft Goshen.

As a caregiver, you manage multiple responsibilities for your loved one in addition to your own. When you need help, The Thelma A. Schrock Adult Day Services program is here for you – at least five hours a day or a few days per week. You get time to do the things you need to do while your loved one stays in a safe environment while enjoying themselves.

We are available five days a week, Monday Friday from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Call 574-537-4181. www.greencroft.org | 1904 S 15th St, Goshen, IN 46526

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December 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 7

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Road to retirement can be rocky

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features Some people plan their retirement, some retire in stages, while others just quit work and hope.

Whether you fit any of these categories or a special one of your own, there are a few things you should think about if you already haven’t.

You should know the dates and deadlines for optional and required minimum retirement-plan withdrawals to avoid unnecessary additional taxes.

The applicable age for when you must begin taking RMDs from traditional and Roth 401(k) accounts or traditional IRAs has changed so you should talk this over with your tax advisor. You may be subject to additional taxes if RMD deadlines are missed.

Don’t have a tax consultant? Get one.

If you haven’t retired yet, familiarize yourself with how Social Security income rises or falls depending on the age at which you decide to begin receiving benefits. And get to know Medicare’s various programs and deadlines.

There is a simple exercise you can do to determine how much you need to save before leaving the work force. Add up your monthly expenses and multiply that by 12 to get your annual total. Then multiply that by 25 to get the sum you’ll need for a financially comfortable retirement.

Retirement regulations, rules and deadlines that affect your income after you quit working begin to apply

Medicare Supplements Life Insurance

at age 50. At this stage, you can play catch up with some individual and employersponsored retirement plans.

It’s also a good time to start working with a financial advisor to go over your needs, goals and tax ramifications.

At 59, withdrawals from your individual retirement account or employer-sponsored retirement plan are no longer subject to 10% early withdrawal tax, though you still may owe regular income tax on the distributions.

Age 62 is the minimum age at which you can choose to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits. But for each year you postpone taking this benefit up till age 70, your monthly check will be larger.

If you retire at 62, you might need to buy a private health insurance policy to

tide you over until you’re eligible for Medicare at age 65.

Medicare covers much of the cost of physician and hospital care and other health services but it comes in categories A, B, C and D. The rules for signing up and receiving benefits through each one can be complex.

The Medicare.gov site offers basic information about the program.

Your retirement age for full Social Security benefits depends on the year you were born. If you were born between 1943 and 1954, your full retirement age is 66. If you were born between 1955 and 1959, your full retirement age is 66 plus two months for each year after 1954. If you were born in 1960 or later, your retirement age is 67.

If you wait until you’re

70 before claiming Social Security benefits, you’ll get the biggest possible monthly check, which could be almost

80% more than if you began collecting your benefits at age 62.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Help is just a phone call away!

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Service provided by InTRAC and phones available at no charge to those who qualify.

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8 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Sports

Clive Scott jumps out of retirement to coach soccer

By NATHAN PACE Staff Writer A lifetime of soccer is culminating at Warsaw for Clive Scott. Scott finished up his first season coaching the Warsaw girls team in October and will look to continue building the program.

“We beat Penn and Homestead in the regular season, which were considered big victories,” Scott said. “I think everybody had a good time.

Which is obviously very important. If you are not enjoying playing soccer then there is no point in doing it.”

Scott was born in the United Kingdom and has traveled far for work. He played soccer through college and even semi-professionally in England.

After traveling to California to work in computers, he began coaching a women’s team in Los Angeles.

“Moved to California, I didn’t know too many people,”

Scott said. “I played soccer at a relatively good competitive level. Somebody approached me and asked if I was interested in coaching. They knew of a women’s team that was looking for a coach. I was 24 at the time and it sounded like a really good idea.”

Scott coached the team for four years and met his wife, Rene, through it. In 1984, Scott switched careers from computers to orthopedics. After stops in Colorado, Tennessee and the United Kingdom again, Scott eventually found employment in Warsaw.

“When you are in orthopedics you ultimately end up in Warsaw,” Scott said.

When retirement came, Warsaw won Scott over as the place to stay and call home.

“I think it’s a great place.

I know lots of people as soon as they retire they move to Florida, but not me. My wife and I love it here. It’s got everything that we need. There’s

great places to go visit. Super restaurants. We live out by the golf course on Stonehenge so we play golf and we enjoy that.

Lots of amenities, it’s very safe.

People are friendly. I think it’s a great town.”

Even in retirement, Scott stayed busy coaching the Under-19 Warsaw Wave soccer team. He was also the announcer for the Warsaw High School girls soccer team. When the coaching job opened up, Scott quickly put his name in.

When he accepted the job, it meant his team would not only need to adjust to his style of play but also how he talked.

“I think I am the first English person they’ve ever met.

They enjoyed learning new words for things they didn’t know. They got a real kick out of some of the terms that I used,” Scott said.

It was a slow start for the Lady Tigers as the team adapted to the style and system Scott wanted to deploy.

“There were a few doubters because we started the season 0-1-2 and I think a few of the girls were like ‘Maybe this guy doesn’t know what he’s doing.’

We sorted it out together. Great group of girls, very coachable.

CLIVE SCOTT They picked up the new system and we started to attack people,” Scott said.

Warsaw was a goal away from earning a share of the Northern Lakes Conference and lost 4-3 to Fort Wayne Northrop in sectionals. Scott

hopes to takes his team further next year.

“We are looking forward to next season. We are pretty optimistic that we will have another run at the conference title and the sectional title this next season,” Scott said.

Professional Forum Interested Businesses Call Victoria Biddle 1-866-580-1138, Ext. 2319 A Monthly Question And Answer Advertorial Column

Professional Services

Elder Law Q: What is a recent “hot topic” encountered in the elder law practice?

A: Too often we see wealthy widows and

Q. What are important goals for an estate plan?

A. A comprehensive estate plan

is a key component of any successful wealth-building strategy and is an important contribution to the long-term financial well-being of an individual or family. Developing an effective estate plan requires great consideration for both current and future contingencies. Ideally, an effective estate plan should address four primary goals: minimizing estate taxes, ensuring that assets are transferred quickly and efficiently upon death, protecting beneficiaries from creditors or predators, and

Ryan Hahn

Trust Administrator providing for medical and financial decisions in the event of incapacity.

These goals provide a strong foundation for your estate plan to withstand life’s events.

Contact me to learn more about estate planning.

DISCLOSURE: This information is not designed, meant, nor does it constitute the rendering of legal or tax advice. You should consult with your attorney and/or tax advisor before implementing any strategy discussed here. Trust services provided by MEMBERS Trust Company are not federally insured, are not obligations of or guaranteed by the credit union or any affiliated entity, involve investment risks, including the possible loss of principle. MEMBERS Trust Company is a federal thrift regulated by the Office of the Comptroller or the Currency.

Ryan Hahn Trust Administrator Wealth Management Center 110 S. Main St. South Bend, Indiana 46601 (574) 284-6210, ext. 6232

widowers preyed upon by a subsequent non-wealthy significant other who abuse a romantic relationship to gain access to finances and real estate of the wealthy significant other. The dilemmas of these situations are obvious and difficult.

For example, the wealthy widow/widower is emotional from the loss of their first spouse but finds comfort in someone who comes along and pays attention to them. Over time, trust is built, and the widow/widower marries the subsequent non-wealthy significant other who eventually gains access to finances and real estate of the wealthy significant other, convincing the wealthy widow/widower to add the subsequent non-wealthy new spouse to titles, name that person as beneficiary, and/or add that person as P.O.D. /T.O.D. beneficiary.

As long as the wealthy spouse is competent, the family is at a loss and is defenseless against this activity. In addition, accusing the non-wealthy subsequent spouse of wrong doing generates hostility in the family. As such, planning ahead early for this

Kurt R. Bachman, Partner Member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. and a Veterans Affairs Accredited Attorney

possible scenario upon the death of the first wealthy spouse is critical. This type of planning should occur immediately after the death of the first wealthy spouse.

Such planning includes transfer of assets to Irrevocable Trusts, LLCs, and/or Family Limited Partnerships. These types of entities can designate individuals to rearrange the assets of the wealthy widow/widower in a manner which does not deprive that widow/widower of his or her dignity, current standard of living, or flexibility when it comes to ultimate distribution of assets at the second wealthy spouse’s death. Failure to plan in this regard can make the wealthy widow/widower a target for nefarious relationships that follow.

108 W. Michigan Street LaGrange, IN 46761 krbachman@beersmallers.com Ph: (260) 463-4949 Fax: (260) 463-4905

DISCLAIMER: Kurt R. Bachman and Beers Mallers, LLP Attorneys At Law, appreciate the opportunity to provide insight into legal topics of interest. The content of this article is designed to provide information of general interest to the public and is not intended to offer legal advice about specific situations or problems. Kurt R. Bachman and Beers Mallers, LLP Attorneys At Law, do not intend to create an attorneyclient relationship by offering this information, and anyone’s review of the information shall not be deemed to create such a relationship.

You should consult a lawyer if you have a legal matter requiring attention. Kurt R. Bachman and Beers Mallers, LLP Attorneys At Law, also advise that any information you send to this Newsletter shall not be deemed secure or confidential. Please visit our office to ensure complete confidentiality.

December 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 9

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Coping with grief over the holidays Editors note: Tom Rose is the author of “Balloon in a Box, Coping with Grief.” The book is available on Amazon, Fables Books, Goshen or at thomaslrose.com. He is available for speaking engagements and as a grief group facilitator. He would

love to hear your comments or questions. Phone: (574) 596-6256 Email: roseandrose@comcast. net.

Grief is complicated, but the holidays can make it incredibly challenging. When we experience a significant life change

Should I create a trust and if so, what type of trust best suits my needs?

By RYAN HAHN Trust Administrator Establishing a trust is an important part of financial planning and will transfer your assets to loved ones according to your wishes.

Trusts come in different types, so it is important to weigh the pros and cons of each before deciding which might best suit your needs. For example, each type has different tax implications and legal requirements, as well as details about who can become a trustee.

It is also important to consider what type of assets will be placed into the trust, such as cash or real estate, along with any other investments that may need to be included.

Lastly, make sure you review all the relevant laws for your jurisdiction prior to deciding on a particular type of trust.

Taking all these factors into consideration will go a long way toward helping you decide if forming a trust is necessary and which specific type best suits your needs.

There are a few different types of trusts that one might

consider when forming an estate plan: • Revocable living trust.

• Irrevocable living trust.

• Special needs trust.

• Charitable remainder trust.

Contact us to learn more about which trust would be best for you and your specific situation. Contact Ryan Hahn, trust administrator, Wealth Management Center, 110 S. Main St., South Bend, or call (574) 284-6210, Ext. 6232.

Disclosure This information is not designed, meant, nor does it constitute the rendering of legal or tax advice. You should consult with your attorney and/or tax advisor before implementing any strategy discussed here. Trust services provided by MEMBERS Trust Company are not federally insured, are not obligations of or guaranteed by the credit union or any affiliated entity, involve investment risks, including the possible loss of principle. MEMBERS Trust Company is a federal thrift regulated by the Office of the Comptroller or the Currency.

like the death of a loved one, the holidays tend to intensify those feelings of loss. To cope, many people pull back or try

By TOM ROSE to avoid the Guest Writer celebrations and traditions they had always enjoyed together. They do not know how to balance their grief and the joy of the holidays.

Many find the memories painful.

We know that grief is different for each of us, but in many ways, it is the same; we are all on a difficult journey. Particularly during the holidays, there is no right or wrong way to celebrate, but we must take special care to find what suits us. To cope with that first holiday season, it is best to plan and seek support from others, family and friends. Take it slow and easy in making decisions, and make friends and family aware of how you feel and want to proceed.

In my case, I had already decided that I was on a “love journey,” not a “grief journey”

(because grief is love; without love, there would be no grief) and was moving on with my life with her, not without her.

I told the family that I would like to have Thanksgiving in “our” home, as always, and that I would like to do the turkey.

Everyone agreed, so it was a traditional Thanksgiving with family, friends, and many great memories. You may want to ask me about the story of the turkey and the string.

Now it was time to decide about Christmas. Again, since I was moving on with my life with her, not without her, I wanted to continue with Christmas as we always had done.

So I brought all the boxes of Christmas decorations up from the basement, including her collection of 100 Santa’s, placing them on the shelves around the fireplace.

To continue the tradition, I even purchased a new one to add to the collection, making it 101. Of course, I had to decorate the mantel and above the fireplace with the collection of Christmas stuffed animals, the kitchen, and the table by bringing out the holiday china.

Then came the tree with over 150 ornaments, many of which

brought back memories of vacations and special occasions.

All of these memories were almost overwhelming but so wonderfully enjoyable. So, bottom line, it was a beautiful time with friends and family sharing all the memories. I have continued to celebrate with the same vigor and will continue to do so as long as possible.

It is tempting, but try to avoid “canceling” the holidays.

Remember, you are on a “love journey.” We know a part of us died with them, but we must also realize a part of them still lives within us. We need to allow ourselves to feel sadness, anger, and loneliness, but most of all, we must also allow ourselves to experience the joy and happiness of our memories.

Sharing laughter and enjoyment does not mean we have forgotten our loved ones but that they are still in our hearts.

So, let your heart lead you through the holidays.

May this holiday season fill your heart with love, joy, and happy memories.

“Christmas brings me memories of you. Fondly, I think back on our times together and raise a glass in your honor.”

-unknown-

Airports working for your leisure

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features While the airport-airplane experience grows more excruciating, airports around the country are working on some of those rough edges.

Several have introduced therapy dogs to pad around

the terminal to soothe irritated travelers. Others have brought in restaurants that offer relaxed dining. Some even offer day passes so locals can get through the security check point to eat and shop as jetliners swoop by their windows.

Some of the amenities tucked into airports around the

world include movie theaters, ice-skating rinks, wedding reception areas, and swimming pools.

When planning your next trip, you might check to see what airports along the way offer the best pastimes while you’re waiting for takeoff.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Wishing Everyone Wonderful

Holiday Greetings

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10 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Dining/Leisure/Entertainment

Christian singer Zach Williams at The Lerner in April “Zach Williams: A Hundred Highways Tour” will be coming to The Lerner Theatre at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 14, 2024.

Friends of the Lerner member tickets will go on presale at noon Eastern time Wednesday, Nov. 1. To become a Friend of the Lerner and have access to early tickets, go to friendsofthelerner.org/ donate.

Tickets went on sale at noon Eastern time Thursday, Nov. 2, with a 20% fan appreciation discount for standard tickets kicking off the same

day by using the code “Insider.” Running through Thursday, Nov. 16, the special offer is not valid for VIP or group ticket sales.

Concertgoers will experience an evening of the two-time Grammy Award winner’s chart-topping hits.

From “Chain Breaker” to “Rescue Story,” Williams’ music speaks to what it means to be human, and his live shows are unique in Christian music.

Opening the tour will be Riley Clemmons, a rising star

in the industry with hits like “Keep on Hoping” and “Fighting for Me.” The Awakening Foundation, powered by Awakening Events, announces the next leg of the The “Zach Williams: A Hundred Highways Tour” is coordinated by the Awakening Foundation, and powered by Awakening Events. Opening on March 8, the tour will go through May 10 with support by World Vision, Altrua HealthShare, K-LOVE Radio, and Air1 Radio.

Grandparenting good for kids

By JAMES GAFFNEY Mature Life Features One day a year has been set aside to honor a generation that gives of itself 365 days a year.

Most folks can tell you when Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Labor Day and a few other civic holidays fall.

But when is Grandparent’s Day? It was signed into officialdom by President Jimmy Carter. It’s celebrated annually on the Sunday after Labor Day to honor those unsung heroes and heroines whose many sacrifices have made life easier and better for succeeding generations.

Many people would be puzzled by the prospect of what to give as a gift. In fact, if one were to ask any grandparent what he or she would like for Grandparents Day,

the odds are the reply would be, “Something I can give my grandchildren, something that will make them healthier and happier.”

People forget that what makes grandparents happy is seeing their grandchildren (and their children, of course) happy, experts say.

Reports vary, but consensus tells us that some 10% of children under 18 years of age are cared for totally or at least partially by their grandparents. Almost 6 million children under 18 live in grandparent-headed households.

Grandparents often end up taking care of their grandchildren for long periods of time. Watching active youngsters can be challenging at any age.

The widespread use of drugs accounts for much of the rising incidence of

PL

E AS

E J OI N U

grandparenting, and nearly half are grandparents without partners and are caring for two or more children.

The rise of the cell phone has made it somewhat easier to keep tabs on the activities and location of youngsters under their grandparents’ care. A growing concern, however, is the fact that children tend to grow away from their grandparents in their teens.

But, according to an Oxford University study, maintaining grandparental contact contributes to the child’s well-being.

A commonly held misconception is that grandparents should find parenting easier since they’ve been through it already. But health, financial and housing restrictions as well as changing cultures belie this view.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

S!

OPEN OPEN HOUSE HOUSE

COMING TO ELKHART — Zach Williams will be coming to the Lerner Theatre Sunday, April 14.

Christmas celebration in Nappanee Dec. 2 Mark your calendars and prepare to experience the magic of the season as Miracles at Main and Market Street committee hosts an unforgettable Christmas celebration at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2.

They invite the community to join in for a festive evening filled with a dazzling parade, a heartwarming Christmas tree lighting ceremony, live music and delightful treats, including hot chocolate and cookies.

The festivities begin with a downtown parade featuring floats, carolers, Santa Claus and much more. Then, gather around the city Christmas tree for a breathtaking lighting ceremony. Local school choirs will fill the air with holiday tunes, and don’t forget to savor complimentary hot chocolate and cookies.

I

December 4th • 1 pm to 4pm

Joy FIND THE

in simplifying your life this holiday at Timbercrest!

• Meet with staff and learn how you can downsize to a richer, happier life by moving to Timbercrest!

• Savor delicious seasonal snacks.

“Our Christmas celebration is a time-honored tradition that brings our community together in the spirit of love, joy, and togetherness,” said Alison Stair, chairman of the Miracles at Main and Market Street committee. “We are excited to share this magical evening with everyone and create lasting memories that will carry us through the holiday season.”

Don’t miss out on this festive evening of camaraderie. Come out to downtown Nappanee and be part of a cherished holiday tradition that will warm your heart and create lasting memories for you and your family.

For more information about the Christmas celebration, visit MMMparade.com or contact Brooklyn Moore at bmoore@nappanee.org.

It’s easy! Simply find the gift on another page in this edition.

Go online to www.SeniorLifeNewspapers.com and enter your information, the edition, date and page number you found it on. Thiss will enter you for a chance to win a gift of $25.

(Online Entries Only) Entries Must Be In By Tuesday, December 12, 2023.

Brought To You By

• Tour our beautifully decorated community & apartments.

• Drop in on our bingo game starting at 2 pm.

2201 East St. North Manchester, IN 46962 260-982-2118 www.Timbercrest.org

206 S. Main St. Milford, Indiana 46542

The winner of the I Spy Contest for November is Lewis Wise of Hammond. The corn was located on page 15 in Senior Life Allen; page 6 in Senior Life Northwest; page 6 in Senior Life Elko and page 9 in Senior Life St. Joseph.

December 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 11

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Janis Joplin: Revenge of the nerd Just weeks before her untimely death in 1970, singer Janis Joplin made one final journey back to

By RANDAL her native C. HILL Port Arthur, Texas, this time for her 10-year reunion at Jefferson Davis High School.

The 27-year-old superstar had fled small-town life as a social outcast but was returning as a counterculture icon.

Weeks before the reunion, she had appeared on The Dick Cavett Show, where she claimed she had been “laughed out of class, out of town and out of the state.”

Moving to San Francisco, her career had skyrocketed after she began fronting the

Jeff ‘JJ’ Shaw, Attorney at Law

all-male band Big Brother and the Holding Company, her mezzo-soprano voice blasting out such blues-based classics as “Ball and Chain” and “Piece of My Heart.”

In high school, Joplin had been a whip-smart student — she belonged to the Future Teachers Club and graduated from Jefferson Davis a year early — but was never accepted by the peers who had always called the social shots. Often seen as a reclusive eccentric on campus, she once said, “I was a misfit.

I read. I painted. I thought.”

Joplin hung out with other teenagers on the school’s social periphery. One particular pal was a collector of record albums by such blues artists as Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Big Mama Thornton.

(In 1953, Thornton had cut the original “Hound Dog.”) At 17, while showering at home one night, something

happened that changed Joplin’s life: “I discovered I had this incredibly loud voice!”

Later, she said, “I started singing blues because that was always what I liked.”

The head of the 1970 reunion committee who had mailed the get-together announcement had insisted to newspaper journalists, “This is NOT a reception for Janis Joplin.” Janis, though, made a regal entrance that night, surrounded by bodyguards, reporters and paparazzi.

Many of her former classmates were no doubt shocked to see the girl they had once teased mercilessly hadn’t just overcome their tormenting, she had become everything they would never be. (Joplin had admitted that she was attending to see “all those kids who are still working in gas stations and driving dry-cleaning trucks while I’m making $50,000 a night.”)

Janis had arrived with purple and pink feathers crowning her head, oversized rose-tinted glasses framing her acne-scarred face, and bracelets jangling on both wrists. She was welcomed by some, but she also felt the chill of those who stood apart, much as they had

JANIS JOPIN ON APRIL 5, 1969.

PHOTO FROM EVENING STANDARD/GETTY IMAGES before, and made comments about her. One of them asked her “what she had been up to” for the past decade?

At evening’s end, Joplin was given a car tire, a gag gift offered to the attendee who had traveled the furthest distance that day.

Two months later, Janis Joplin died from a heroin

overdose, alone in a Los Angeles motel on a Saturday night. Four months later, she had the Number One single in America, the Kris Kristofferson-composed “Me and Bobby McGee.” In Port Arthur, some felt proud to have known her.

Others probably couldn’t have cared less.

12 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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INDEPENDENCE | DIGNITY | STRENGTH 1151 South Michigan Street | South Bend, Indiana 46601 | (574) 233-8205 | www.realservices.org

Aging in Place: Growing Older at Home Many people want the same things as they get older: to stay in their own homes, to maintain independence for as long as possible, and to turn to family and friends for help when needed.

Staying in your own home as you get older is called “aging in place.”

But many older adults and their families have concerns about safety, getting around, or other daily activities. Living at home as you age requires careful consideration and planning.

Support for aging at home Home�based care includes health, personal, and other support services to help you stay at home and live as independently as possible. In�home services may be short�term — for someone who is recovering from an operation, for example — or long�term, for people who need ongoing help.

In many cases, home�based support is provided at home by informal caregivers, such as Planning ahead for aging in family members, friends, and place neighbors. It can also be supplemented by formal The best time to think about how caregivers and community to age in place is before you need services. a lot of care. Planning ahead allows you to make important decisions while you are still able. Help you can receive at home includes: The first step is to think about the  kinds of help you need now and might want in the future. You can learn about home�based care and other services in your community and find out what they cost.

Planning ahead also gives you time to set up your home to meet your needs as you age.

Another step is to consider any illnesses, such as diabetes or heart disease, that you or your spouse might have. Find out about how the illness could make it hard for someone to get around or take care of themselves in the future. Your health care provider can help answer your questions.



 

Talk with your family, friends, and other caregivers about what  support is needed for you to stay in your home. Be realistic and plan to revisit the decision as your needs change over time.

Personal care: Help with everyday activities, also called “activities of daily living,” including bathing, dressing, grooming, using the toilet, eating, and moving around — for example, getting out of bed and into a chair Household chores: Housecleaning, yard work, grocery shopping, laundry, and similar chores around the house Meals: Shopping for food and preparing nutritious meals Money management: Tasks such as paying bills and filling out health insurance forms Health care: Help with many aspects of health care, including giving medications, caring for wounds, helping with medical equipment, and





providing physical therapy Transportation: Assistance getting around, such as rides to the doctor’s office or grocery store Safety: Home safety features and help in case of a fall or other emergency

Making your home safe and accessible There are a variety of ways to make your surroundings safer and easier to manage so they meet your needs as you age. Go through your home room by room to identify potential problems and safety issues. First, correct any immediate dangers, such as loose stair railings and poor lighting, and then work on other ways to ensure you will be as safe as possible at home.

Are you worried that making changes might be expensive? You may be able to get help paying for repairs and safety updates to your home.

�

Source: nia.nih.gov

�

�

REAL Services, believing in the dignity of all people, will provide services without regard to race, age, color, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, national origin, ancestry, political affiliation or belief, familial status or status as a veteran.

December 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 13

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INDEPENDENCE | DIGNITY | STRENGTH The tenant of DIGNITY At its most basic, the concept of human dignity is the belief that all people hold a special value that's tied solely to their humanity. It has nothing to do with their class, race, gender, religion, abilities, or any other factor other than them being human.

8 ways to promote dignity in caring for another…

1. Let people choose their own clothing 2. Involve them in decisions relating to their care

Thank you to those who participated in our 2023 Elves for Elders program by donating money or gift cards to seniors and disabled individuals in need!

Our program participants are truly thankful for your generosity.

You don’t have to wait for next year’s campaign. If you’d like to designate the Elves for Elders program simply do so on our giving page, or designate it on your check. All of the money from this campaign goes directly to the participants!

3. Address the person appropriately 4. Make food look appealing and tasty 5. Respect personal space and possessions

There is an on-going need for REAL volunteers.

Would you like to give an hour of your time for your neighbors in need?

6. Hygiene and personal care 7. Promote social activities 8. Engage in conversation

Join us in 2024!

Call: (574) 284-7138

Being treated with dignity makes us all feel like valuable human beings.

E-mail: voluteer@realservices.org -

Elkhart County Bristol: United Methodist Church 2021 Division St. Loretta, (574) 848-7182 Elkhart: Funtimers, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 405 W. Beardsley Mary (574) 320-5863 Riverside Terrace, 181 N Elkhart Ave, Delbert (574) 320-5995 Stratford Commons, 2601 Oakland Ave. Connie (574) 320-5996 Goshen: Greencroft, 1801 Greencroft Blvd, Tonda 574) 971-6016

Maple Leaf Commons 2926 Elkhart Rd., Goshen, (574) 238-8760 Kosciusko County

Syracuse: Syracuse Community Center, 1013 N Long Dr, Carolyn (574) 457-2631

Mentone: Community Room, 201 Main St, Linda (574) 353-7555

Warsaw: Retired Tigers, 320 W Main St, Cathy (574) 267-0037

North Webster: Community Center 301 N Main Suite D, Merita (574) 834-1193

Warsaw SAC, 800 N Park Ave,

Pierceton: 205 N First St, Tammy Jefferson (574) 526-1060

Marshall County

Silver Lake: Lions’ Building, SR 14E Jenny Hoagland (260) 450-2416

Nancy Zinz (574) 267-0026

Bourbon: Senior Center on North Harris, Jan (574) 342-7031 Bremen: Oakhaven Apartments 500 S Montgomery St Gary (574) 993-2944 Plymouth: Garden Court West 400 W. Washington St Linda (574) 935-0047

Argos: B & R Community Bldg 152 S Michigan St Becky (574) 892-9669

This program is funded in part by Indiana Family & Social Services Administration, Division of Aging, under the federal Older Americans Act and Older Hoosiers Act, as well as local grants and donations.

14 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Travel through time in Cape May

By PHYLLIS HOCKMAN Mature Life Features Look up!

That’s my one bit of advice to visitors to Cape May, NJ. But first, a little history.

Cape May is the nation’s oldest seashore resort. It has been catering to vacationers since pre-Revolutionary days.

Its shady tree-lined streets and colorful homes became the playground of presidents.

Ulysses S. Grant, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Chester Arthur and Benjamin Harrison all sought refuge there from the humidity of District of Columbia summers.

Although the town grew beyond its colonial trappings, it became stuck in the late-19th century Victorian Era when it was rebuilt after being razed by fire for the third time. With more than 600 structures, most of which have been refurbished, Cape May has been designated a National Landmark City, the only U.S city to be designated entirely as a national historic district.

Street after street and house after house enchants, charms and captivates visitors intrigued by the intricate detail that distinguishes one from the other.

Despite the similarity in architectural style, there is infinite variety in their presentation. Most of the homes, ablaze in multiple shades of browns, greens and mauves, sport some strange appendage on the roof alternately identified as a turret, cupola, gazebo, or belvedere. This is why you look up.

So many of the interesting adornments — the extra little touches — are near the roof as well as everywhere else. Wraparound porches adorned with decorative balustrades and whimsically

designed ginger-breading give each structure its distinctive personality. Bay windows are surrounded by individualized brackets and barge boards that vary in size, detail and decor.

The diversity of the slits, slices, slats and slots that contributes to the intricacy of design defining each structure is bound to fascinate even those who have never given a single thought to architectural motif. As one guide summed up the Victorian philosophy: “If a little is good, more is better, and too much is still not enough.”

The Washington Street Mall, a pedestrian walkway in the center of town, is reminiscent of what a beach-town boardwalk might have been like in the 1890s. The outdoor benches, cafes and shops decked out in their Victorian finery reflect an earlier easier era.

To personalize the transformation in time, walk down Hughes Street after dark. Its only illumination, provided by gas lamps — and occasionally, the moon — lets you picture yourself returning to a time when life was simpler, the pace was slower, the streets safer and all was well with the world, even if just for the moment.

Cape May recently found some new history to celebrate. The Harriet Tubman Museum opened in 2021 in a neighborhood that was not only the center of the AfricanAmerican community but played an outsize role in the abolitionist movement in the mid-19th century, spearheaded by Ms. Tubman herself.

After attaining her freedom, she worked as a hotel maid here to earn money to finance her journeys farther south to help free more slaves.

For bird-watching addicts, nearly 400 species of birds

ARCHITECTURE — Most of the architecture in Cape May is styled in shades of browns, greens and mauves. Photo by Victor Block. fly in during peak migration periods to be added to sightings lists. Cape May is listed as one of the top 10 birding hot spots in North America.

Its singularity doesn’t end there. There’s also the Diamond Droop at Sunset Beach in Delaware Bay. Cape May diamonds are semi-precious quartz stones that resemble cubic zirconia diamonds. They’re found along the water’s edge. Dull and cloudy when dry, they become bright and translucent when wet. Jewelry made from the stones after they have

CAPE MAY DIAMONDS — Cape May diamonds are semi-precious quartz stones that resemble cubic zirconia diamonds. They’re found along the water’s edge. Photo by Victor Block.

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been cut and polished has been featured on the QVC Television Shopping Network, but you don’t have to tune in to get some.

You can take your shoreline stash to the Sunset Beach Gift Shop and they’ll tell you how you can have a brooch or pair of earrings made to order.

And there’s always the reminder of why you came here — the beach. Several miles of rolling waves and white sand — very white sand.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

December 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 15

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‘Time in a Bottle’ Jim Croce’s signature single Jim Croce One night, Ingrid Croce sat her husband down at the kitchen table on their Pennsylvania farm. For five years, A Boomer Blast the two had To The Past tried in vain

By RANDAL to have a C. HILL child. That night, though, Ingrid had good news: They were about to become parents.

Jim Croce was so overcome with emotion that he composed “Time in a Bottle” on the table that night, telling how he wished that fleeting moment of euphoria

could last forever: “If I could save time in a bottle “The first thing that I’d like to do “Is to save every day till eternity passes away “Just to spend them with you.”

Of course, as we all know, life doesn’t work that way and that we are given only a certain number of days together: “But there never seems to be enough time “To do the things you want to do once you find them “I’ve looked around enough to know “That you’re the one I want to go through time with.”

Their blessed event was a boy.

The happy couple named him Adrian.

Jim Croce was a struggling

Grief can be managed

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

or laughing again.

There are many support groups dedicated to helping you through your mourning period. If your loved one died of a disease or accident, there likely is an organization linked to that particular event or disability that can provide comfort and counsel to get you through your trying time.

singer/songwriter who first performed with his wife. In 1966, the two recorded an album — “Facets” — and released it on their own Croce Records label.

The disc went nowhere. Three years later, they signed with Capitol Records, but their “Jim and Ingrid Croce” LP met the same fate, and Capitol dropped them.

Jim decided to try his luck as a solo artist, in the meantime driving trucks, working construction and teaching middle school to make ends meet while waiting to make music his full-time occupation.

“Time in a Bottle” ended up on Croce’s first successful album, “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim.” The title track on ABC Records had been a rollicking Top Ten novelty hit, but “Time in a Bottle” ended up being buried on the second side of the LP. Nobody at ABC Records ever thought of it becoming a 45 someday.

Fast-forward a couple of years, and Jim Croce had become a musical superstar. In September 1973, he and his small backup band were headlining shows at various college campuses in the south. All were scheduled to fly from a venue in Louisiana to another in Texas, but their small chartered plane struck a tree on takeoff from a regional airport, and everyone on board perished.

One of life’s cruelest blows is the loss of a loved one.

The death of a spouse, sibling or special friend over the holiday season can be more devastating.

It not only destroys the merriment and mirth of the annual celebration, it burns in a sad Mature Life Features Copyright 2023 memory for all future commemorations.

The first thing you have to do is face the fact that you’re mourning. Don’t fight your feelings as they gush onto you. this season difficult.

By GAYLA J. KONANZ They’ll range from self-pity to Seniors often are more isoMSW, LCSW anger at the entire universe. lated. They do not have a car, They may strike right away or and sometimes it was not their During the holiday season, lay in wait to spring out at some choice to give it up. If their fama well-beloved Christmas song unexpected later date. How long ily lives in different states, they calls it, “The most wonderful they last can be up to you. may not be able to travel to be time of the year.” The question Most everyone — experts as surrounded by their loved ones. really is, “Is it?” well as those who have expeFinancial limitations may stop I think we really want this rienced such a loss — suggest them from blessing grandchilseason to be the best. We want you conjure up and catalog the dren with gifts. And the loss of to be of “good cheer” but somepleasant memories and consider loved ones is front and center times life gets in the way. And how lucky you are to have had around the holidays. when you get older, there are a that person enrich your life. Be It is okay to grieve during lot of specific things that make thankful for the happy times as you recall them.

Monitor your actions to help pull yourself out of your mournful state. Keep trying to have the best day you can, because your feeling of loss is not going to go away. Celebrate your advances as you manage your grief.

You may never whistle or hum a happy tune again, but don’t feel guilty when you finally get through the day without feeling tired all the time.

Returning to your daily routine will help get you closer to normalcy — eat, sleep, and exercise like you used to. Go shopping, have coffee with friends, and call relatives like you used to.

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There’s no need to place the deceased person on a pedestal.

The simple thing to remember is that they were your friend and you enjoyed time together.

You’re managing your grief well if you catch yourself smiling

INGRID AND JIM CROCE WITH SON ADRIAN. PHOTO FROM JIMCROCE.COM Adrian Croce had turned 2 years old just eight days earlier.

Coincidentally, one week before the crash, ABC-TV had aired a now-forgotten Movie of the Week. It was called “She Lives!” and starred Desi Arnaz, Jr., in a story of a young woman stricken with cancer. The film’s producers had come across “Time in a Bottle” from Croce’s first hit

album and had secured permission to add it to the movie’s soundtrack.

The following day, radio stations were bombarded with callers asking to hear the heartbreaking tune again. ABC Records quickly issued “Time in a Bottle,” which raced to the peak of the Billboard chart and became Croce’s signature single.

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this season. It’s okay to be mad, broken, in despair; to cry for what you have lost. It’s what you should do, even if your loved one died many years ago. Grief is like an infection; you must address it before you can heal.

To make this season a little brighter, after addressing your grief, turn your sights to blessings. The memories created with your loved one is a blessing. The breath in your lungs is a blessing. Your neighbor who stops

by to say “Merry Christmas” is a blessing. Even small happenings are blessings and can bring joy.

When we focus on the blessings in our lives, we can then be fueled by the joy and turn it into blessings for others. There is power in calling a friend or family member or sending a personal greeting to brighten someone’s day. When we give joy, we receive it back and that is wonderful.

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16 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Faith

Smith offers love along with food for hungry people

By LAURIE LECHLITNER Staff Writer “I love being in charge of our church’s food pantry,” stated Pam Smith, Elkhart.

“It’s not just the fact that we are able to feed hungry people, we are also able to show them we love them from our hearts. I’ve talked to these people and developed a relationship with them. We’ve laughed and cried together. I pray with those who are going through a crisis. I believe there’s no greater ministry than that of service.”

Smith has been in charge of the food pantry at Radiant Life Church, Elkhart, for almost 12 years. She was not raised in church.

“My grandmother took me to Sunday school class at the Lutheran Church when I was young. But it wasn’t in the Lutheran Church that I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I asked Jesus to come into my heart and began to live for him when I was 13 and attending a Wesleyan church in northern Michigan.”

After graduation from high

school, Smith attended Spring Arbor University. “I earned a double major. I majored in child psychology with a concentration in autism. I also majored in youth ministry.”

She and her husband Robert were youth pastors in several churches. “We were at New Creation Fellowship in Bristol as youth pastors for about eight years.”

After the Smiths had been trying to be parents for nine years, they decided to adopt.

“One of the young people we had worked with became pregnant at a very early age and asked us to adopt her child.” They adopted Baby Benjemain. When Benjemain was 2 years old, he began exhibiting signs of autism.

“Now that he’s grown, he drives, lives by himself and is working several jobs. We’re real proud of him. We also adopted his half-brother, Jacob.”

They also have two biological kids: Alex and Isaac and four grandchildren: Victoria, 8, Westley, 7, Lucas, 5 and Ezra, 3. Three of their boys and all of the grandchildren attend Radiant Life Church.

“I want all my kids and

grandkids to love Jesus. Having a personal relationship with their Savior has eternal significance. I also want them to know people are valuable, not for what we can get from them, but because God made them special.”

Smith has a big heart for those who are struggling. Her life’s verse comes from Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” “To me, Micah 6:8 instructs us to walk in mercy. In today’s world there’s not a lot of mercy offered. Many people seem angry and lash out. But Jesus teaches us to look beyond the person’s actions and find the hurt inside them. Jesus offered mercy to His staunchest critics. When we have mercy, humility follows. We are no longer puffed up. Our focus is on the needs around us.”

The pantry started as a small operation. Through the years it has grown. “We’re open from 2:30-5 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month.

“I’m so happy that we have

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TAKING A BREAK — Pam Smith, Elkhart, sits under a tree with husband Robert. Pam is in charge of the food pantry at Radiant Life Church, Elkhart. She offers love and understanding to those coming through the church doors who are hungry. Photo provided by Pam Smith. grown to serve more people.

That growth is not because of me. The Lord sends church

volunteers to help, and the people receiving food and fellowship from us.”

Some simple steps can relieve ankle arthritis pain

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

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For Answers See Page 23 Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column or box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

The pain and debilitation caused by arthritic ankles can be treated several ways now, according to the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Unlike hips or knees, where arthritis comes from normal wear and tear, arthritic ankles usually are precipitated by a previous injury, such as a fracture or sprain that has caused long-term ligament and cartilage damage.

Pain in an arthritic joint that can limit movement occurs as cartilage deteriorates and

gets thinner.

The ankle bones lose their protective covering and may eventually rub together, causing pain and inflammation.

Patients with mild arthritis can be treated with cortisone shots to relieve inflammation and with ankle braces to support movement.

Minimal arthroscopic surgery can remove motioninhibiting cartilage fragments and painful bone spurs.

For severe cases, surgical options include a fusion procedure that locks the bones together or a total joint replacement.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

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Goshen Center Too much of a good for Cancer Care thing can be bad for you reaccredited

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features

Goshen Center for Cancer Care has earned reaccreditation from the Commission on Cancer, a national quality program of the American College of Surgeons. Accreditation evaluates continuous quality improvement of cancer services through an onsite visit and data reporting to the National Cancer Database, a joint initiative of the CoC and the American Cancer Society.

“In addition to requiring a multidisciplinary approach, this accreditation emphasizes the importance of providing care at every level – from screening, prevention and genetic counseling through treatment, rehabilitation and survivorship services,” said Randy Christophel, Goshen

Health president and CEO. “We appreciate this recognition of our commitment to providing comprehensive cancer care to our community.”

To be accredited by the CoC, Goshen Center for Cancer Care treats cancer as a complex group of diseases requiring consultation among surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, pathologists and other healthcare professionals who specialize in caring for cancer patients. Patients and their families benefit from access to clinical trials, screening and prevention, palliative care, genetic counseling, rehabilitation, oncology nutrition and survivorship services.

Participating in the CoC accreditation program gives cancer centers comparative benchmarks for similar programs, as well as reporting tools for quality improvement, quality assurance and surveillance. Accreditation is effective for three years. Goshen Center for Cancer Care has been accredited by the CoC — and met its standards — since 2004.

As long as a tan is perceived as cool, the risk of contracting skin cancer will continue.

This may sound like the wrong time to talk about this practice, with winter blowing in, but there are thousands of snowbirds from the frigid zones of Canada and the northern U.S. flocking to the sunburn sections for the season or quick getaways.

Just short of 100,000 new cases of sun-related skin cancer will be diagnosed this year.

Social acceptance of tanning is at fault, according the American Cancer Society. More than half of teens and adults believe people look better with a tan.

A century or so ago, it was unfashionable, identifying you as the type of person who had to work for a living, usually out in the field under the sun. People who owned those farms and big plantations could spend the day inside.

Industrialization changed all that. Workers moved inside large manufacturing plants and the wealthy began lolling along tropical beaches. So, tans became a fashionable sign of leisure.

That’s the image that needs changing, according to cancer researchers.

There are signs of a pendulum swing as the use of sunscreen spreads. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t use it correctly.

One finding of a not-toolong-ago survey is that many of the folks go to the beach, play a couple of games of volleyball and, when they see their skin turning red, figure it’s time to put on some sunscreen.

That’s too late. Most of the damage has already been done.

Added problems are that too little sunscreen is used, it may be washed off by sweat or swimming, or its sun protection factor may be too low. The cancer society recommends an SPF of 30 or greater.

Researchers explain that

it’s not the tan that’s the problem; it’s the ultraviolet radiation used to get a tan.

The ultraviolet rays from the sun trigger a reaction in pigment-producing skin cells to produce a browner color in the skin. This same radiation causes damage in the DNA of skin cells as well as other types of damage to the skin, and that is what has been related to the risk of skin cancer as well as premature aging of the skin.

There are two reasons tanning salons are not safe, even though they may advertise that they use innocuous UVA radiation and not the UVB that causes sunburn. First of all, UVA is not totally harmless.

An artificial tanner — tan in a bottle — gives you a tan in color only. It doesn’t protect you from the sun’s ultraviolet light.

The cancer society’s old slogan still works: Slip, Slop, Slap: slip on a shirt, slop on sun screen, slap on a hat.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

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18 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Health & Fitness

The year in review —

Eating well is a form of self-care From My Table To Yours

By Cat Wilson We all need to put our healthcare in the forefront of our busy days, which is easy to say, yet some days are nearly impossible. Right? I am right there with you.

It’s true that every bite improves or damages our health and our fight against disease in the long-term, so let’s recap a few items as we think about the holidays and 2024.

• Constant eating is bad on the gut biome. Your body needs time to digest and use the

energy you have consumed already. Fifty percent of Americans eat from 8 a.m. to 10:45 p.m., nearly 15 hours.

• Reduce your eating window to no more than 12 hours by either pushing breakfast to mid-morning or eating earlier in the evening and then being done — nothing else — done.

Do not eat within two hours of going to bed.

• Forget about KETO. Logic alone tells you consuming vast amounts of fat, animal meat and all the cheese you can consume will not make for a healthy body. It is not sustainable, does not give you the micro nutrients you need, it has a higher all-cause mortality rate, causes fatigue, hair loss, and a 30 percent higher rate of birth defects.

• Don’t be afraid of the good, complex whole food carbs like the simple potato or beans; be afraid of simple trashy carbs like over-processed breads,

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desserts and sugary drinks.

You already know this, but it’s hard and they are everywhere.

• Speaking of fiber: per day women need 25 grams and men need 35 grams — minimum. Get it from food. Eat more plants.

• Sugar — we could talk about it all day. Visualize it — a can of soda has 39 grams of added sugar, divide that by four, it equals nearly 10 teaspoons of sugar in one can!

Use that formula for every can, box or package you pick up. Women should get no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) a day and men 36 grams (9 teaspoons).

• Table salt is composed primarily of sodium chloride.

Daily recommendation is 2,300 mg per day, which is 1 teaspoon. Only 13 percent of the salt we consume comes from the shaker we use at home. The biggest culprits are restaurants, processed and packaged foods. Be aware.

• Every bite counts — make it be a whole food. Add vegetables to everything. Eat raw & cooked. Fill up with fruit & vegetables and you won’t have room for the high calorie/ low nutrient foods. Make and eat soup all winter long. Make bread that has five ingredients instead of 25 ingredients.

It’s so easy — whole unprocessed food, but the world makes it so hard. Hang in

WHATEVER IS IN THE FRIDGE — This was our ‘whatever’s in the fridge is for dinner bowl’. Warm farro grain, warm broccoli, raspberries, walnuts, tomatoes, power greens, radishes, avocado, cucumbers and feta drizzled with balsamic vinegar. there and be your best self.

Wishing you all good health, happiness, and God’s blessings in the new year.

Cat Wilson lives in South

Bend and transitioned from a vegetarian diet to eating a plant-based diet over two years ago. She may be contacted at cwilson@the-papers.com.

Hazardous home sweet home

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features The majority of injuries — slips, falls, burns, poisoning, bruises and cuts — to people older than 75 occur at home because that’s where they spend most of their time.

Home accident prevention requires changes in both behavior and the environment, reports the Center for the Advancement of Health.

Among its recommendations is that households draw up an escape plan in the

event their home catches fire.

While more than 95 percent of respondents to a survey said they had smoke alarms, less than 20 percent said they check the alarms every three months to make sure they work.

Other simple steps to take toward improving safety at home is to install grab bars in bathrooms and hand rails along any stairs around the house. And don’t leave shoes and clothing lying around to trip over.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

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20 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Discussing a funeral’s financial side

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features The topic is usually difficult or uncomfortable to introduce, but once you get talking about it, the conversation flows easier.

We’re talking about planning your funeral and those for your loved ones.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is stressful and

distracting enough without having to make arrangements and follow rituals for the treatment and disposal of the dead person’s remains. Modern-day sociologists suggest you might consider planning your funeral as a gift to your children. They won’t have to deal with it.

It assuages the guilt and anger that accompanies the grief you experience when a

dear one dies, and eliminates the need to consider logistics and costs tossed at you by professionals whose business is to plan and put together funerals and all their pricey trimmings.

Pre-planning your funeral or that of our spouse is just that. You plan exactly what you want done, whether it’s a lavish cortege to the cemetery or a quiet gathering around

your remains in an urn after cremation.

And it’s prepaid. All that has to be made after one’s death is a phone call.

You should also have a phone-tree of some sort fashioned if you feel there will be a sizable crowd at your service.

If you don’t feel this plan works, the least you can do it write down your plan and make copies for family members and your team of financial advisors.

This eliminates one worry that occurs if you have a prepaid funeral plan: will that funeral home named still be in business when you pass way?

Finding a reliable funeral home is a chore all its own.

There are stories galore about unscrupulous operators who over-charge grieving survivors for providing funeral and burial services. Doing this while you have time and not being pressed to put the body to rest gives you much more assurance that things will go

as you wish.

You can check with friends who have dealt with recent deaths and visit the funeral operators involved. Shop around just as you would for a house or car. Go over their list of services offered and the charges and fees for each.

There are many components to consider. A partial list includes the type of disposal of the body – cremation or an expensive coffin, embalming and cosmetics applied to the remains, facilities rental for any service, transportation of the body and headstone. You get the idea.

If you feel pressured, leave and keep on shopping. If possible, have a member of your family — one who will be responsible for arrangements after your death — to accompany you. This can save everyone a lot of money as well as a lot of added grief, at a time when they’re burdened with the grief of a dear one’s death.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Assisted Living, nursing And rehAbiLitAtion guide

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Hellenic Senior Living

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Hubbard Hill Retirement Community

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Greencroft — Goshen

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December 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 21

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A scam a day is usual these days

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features With the help of technology, scammers are tricking Americans out of more money than ever before.

Consumer losses to fraud hit $8.8 billion last year — a 30% increase from 2021, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The biggest losses were to investment scams, including cryptocurrency schemes, which totaled more than $3.8 billion.

Young adults aged 20-29 lost money more often than older adults aged 70-79, but older adults who did lose money, lost more. Retirees have assets like savings, pensions, life insurance policies and property that scammers target.

Crooks can now reach their targets by social media and text, as well as phone and email, but many of their tactics and strategies are familiar.

Many introduce themselves with a sense of urgency, explains the AARP Fraud Watch Network. It could be fear, panic, or just plain excitement — you just won a million dol-

lars from Publishers Clearing House! Now your defenses are down.

The most vulnerable individuals are seniors, people with disabilities, and folks with debt.

If you receive a call or text urging you to buy something or asking you for emergency money or to pay for something, just hang up. If you’re concerned, call the official business number of the business or government department purporting to have called.

Schemers will imitate someone in authority, such as a tax or debt collector, or a relative or loved one seeking immediate financial assistance for bail, legal help, a hospital bill, or to get home from some faraway place.

Romance scams are among the cruelest because they often target lonely and isolated individuals, and they can last for years as the thieves tuck their claws deeper and deeper into the unwitting victim.

A common red flag is the mention of gift cards. Just don’t use them. No legitimate company or individual is going to ask you to buy large

quantities of gift cards and then read them the numbers off the cards.

Then there are the investment scams — enticing get-rich-quick schemes that lure targets via social media accounts or online ads.

When you’re using Facebook or scrolling Google results, be aware of quiz scams that appear innocuous and ask about topics you might be interested

in, such as your car or favorite TV show. They may also ask you to take a personality test.

Scammers can then use the information you share to respond to security questions from your accounts or hack your social media to send malware links to your contacts.

When buying or selling products on Instagram or Facebook Marketplace, keep in mind that not every

interested buyer has the best intentions.

To avoid being scammed when selling online, check buyers’ profiles, don’t share codes sent to your phone or email, and don’t accept online payments from unknown persons.

Also, when buying something online, research the seller.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Follow the right index

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features The Dow drops 400 points, the headlines scream, but that’s hardly worth notice when the index is hovering around 30,000. And, while the Dow-Jones Index may be the granddaddy of all indexes since it emerged in 1896, it is not the only measure of stock market performance.

There’s also the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Russell 2000 to help you gain a perspective on the day-to-day market ups and downs.

It’s up to investors to check

these indexes and use simply as indicators of market machinations to be taken into account with other economic

barometers, so many of which are available over the Internet.

Mature Life Features Copyright 2023

Assisted Living, nursing And rehAbiLitAtion guide

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900 Provident Drive, Warsaw, IN 46580 (574) 371-2500 • www.masonhealthandrehab.com

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22 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

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Travel

Elegant Oliver Mansion typical of wealthy industrialists in late 1800s To get an up-close and personal look at how rich people lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s, drive to South Bend and tour the GREAT Oliver ManESCAPES sion. While Text and Photos you’re in the

By ROD KING neighborhood, have lunch at Tippecanoe House, the former home of the Studebakers. In fact, why not just spend the day and tour the Studebaker Museum, too?

J.D. Oliver made his money manufacturing plows, the kind pulled by horses. His were more durable than the iron ones made by competitors thanks to a chilling process developed by his father, James.

The company became the largest plow manufacturer in the world. The early versions cost $6.

When Oliver died in 1932, he was the richest man in Indiana.

Built in 17 months between 1895 and 1896, the Romanesque Queen Anne-style mansion is constructed of native Indiana granite field stones. It sits on 2.5 acres that include formal sunken gardens, a tea house, pergola, tennis lawn and fountain at 808 W. Washington St. They named the 38-room home Copshaholm.

Unlike many historic mansions around the country that display furnishings from a specific period, Copshaholm is full of fur-

niture and accents owned by the family. That’s because members of the Oliver family resided in the house for 72 years. The house was never abandoned, suffered weather damage or vandalism.

It was later given to the South Bend Historical Museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Oliver didn’t scrimp on the structure or its furnishings. The ceiling in the dining room, for instance, features five mahogany beams, the walls are covered with woven tapestries and the upper sashes of the bay windows are leaded glass. The 14 fireplaces were mainly for atmosphere because the building had central heat. Book cases, which are full of J.D.’s original books, match the curve of the exterior wall and the oak floors feature a parquet border. Much of the furniture in the house was chosen by the Olivers on a trip to Europe in 1899.

Continued on page 23

38-ROOM OLIVER MANSION — The Romanesque, Queen Ann-style Oliver mansion in South Bend was constructed of native Indiana granite field stones. It took 17 months to build between 1895 and 1896.

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MAIN ENTRANCE HALL — An elegant mahogany entry leads to the staircase to the second-floor bedrooms. Unlike many mansions around the country, the Oliver mansion was occupied by members of the family a total of 72 years. It was never abandoned or subject to vandalism. It’s now owned by the South Bend Historical Museum and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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SUNKEN GARDENS — The Oliver property at 808 W. Washington Ave., South Bend, covers 2.5 acres and includes sunken gardens, a pergola, a tea house, tennis lawn and a fountain.

December 2023 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ 23

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Travel

Elegant Oliver Continued from page 22

The polished wood floor, high ceiling and plaster relief give Oliver’s personal study on the first floor a decidedly English feel. His original “partners” desk dominates the room and the sterling silver plaque by Tiffany and Company on the back of the chair is engraved with his name.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the large kitchen is the 10-door refrigerator, which was originally the home’s icebox.

During the 1930s, the kitchen was remodeled. Stainless-steel counter tops were installed along with Art Deco light fixtures.

Mrs. Oliver met regularly here with the butler to discuss dinner menus and upcoming parties.

They employed a staff of 15.

Guests arriving for gatherings at Copshaholm entered the house from the covered portico

Road less-traveled lures seniors

By CECIL SCAGLIONE Mature Life Features Travel and tour operators are reporting a surge in demand for adventure travel that ranges from a Serengeti safari with luxurious food and facilities to strolling among the penguins in the Antarctic.

If you’re thinking about an adventurous getaway, check with your doctor to determine just how much activity you can handle. Can you complete the hikes some trips demand, or are you able to handle the canoeing and kayaking on the schedule, or does the food provided match your health and medical requirements?

As with all travel, consider a travel-insurance policy that includes emergency medical care and evacuation, and expect the unexpected.

PLOW COST FARMERS $6 — J.D. Oliver made his fortune manufacturing plows. His plows were more durable than his competitors, thanks to a chilling process developed by his father, James. When J.D. died in 1932 he was the richest man in Indiana. and porch into a small reception area. Instead of walking directly into the main room, they took a short set of steps at the side of the room and entered half-way up the elegant staircase so they could be properly announced to party guests, while making a grand entrance down the stairs.

The mansion is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday. Tickets for an hour-anda-half tour can be purchased in the Historical Museum behind the house. Adult tickets are $11, seniors are $9.50 and youth are $7.

Crossroad Tours Family Fun Tours

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24 ■ SENIOR LIFE ■ December 2023

www.seniorlifenewspapers.com

For me, caregiving is the hardest job I have ever done. It is also the greatest gift of love I could ever give. Many of us are in caregiving roles daily. We care for children, grandchildren, parents, friends and even our pets. I was a teacher for 40 years. I cared for students. As a mom of two and a grandma of five, I was a caregiver. All of these caregiving roles never prepared me for my mom’s diagnosis of dementia in 2007. At that time, there were not many facilities, support groups, or even friends who were dealing with dementia. I learned by trial and error.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services was a game changer. On October 1, 2011, my mom went from the hospital to a care facility. I had to take a week off from work to make sure this transition happened.

The first week of December 2011, I took my healthy dad to the doctor. After the doctor ran a few tests, we took him from the doctor’s office to the hospital. He never came home. He needed a quadruple bypass and valve replacement. I cared for him for six weeks while he was in the hospital, all this time ensuring my mom was receiving the care she needed.

through. As a child caregiving for my mom, I managed and directed. I didn’t live it 24/7.

I learned quickly what my dad’s heart went through when he was caring for my mom. That he probably didn’t sleep much. However, my mom was sweet and gentle - my husband was not. He became verbally abusive. It wasn’t him. He forgot he said those words. This was not an easy way to live.

Day after day, I was at the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services office in tears. It was easy for me to tell friends to go to support groups but I My Dad was in denial. It took him a year to come was not making the time to go. I was, as many, to terms with my mom’s diagnosis. As the not prepared for this new caretaking role. All the disease progressed, so did my caregiving role. I advice I have given to others through the years, I We buried my dad without my mom there. She sought the advice of an elder care attorney. never even knew or understood he was no longer was not taking. Having meaningful conversations I finally got my mom to a doctor to confirm the that required any depth of comprehension no alive. I am convinced that moms disease had a diagnosis of Vascular Dementia. I hired a home longer existed with my husband. Life at home major health impact on my dad. That day was a care agency to give my dad a break through the day of mourning for so many reasons. Mom lived was dependent on me; running the household week. My parents were married at this point for alone, making financial decisions alone, making for three years after dads passing.

60 years. My dad did a few things around the all decisions, alone. house, however, mom kept the house running. As My caregiving role continued. I made sure she a caregiver, I made sure their house was clean. was cared for properly. When she was not, I was Every doctor made the same claim. “This is a Laundry had to be done. Groceries had to be very complex case”. In September of 2023, a her voice. The second most difficult decision I purchased. I soon had to lay out clothing for my made was deciding to quit feeding my mom. She doctor diagnosed my husband with mixed dad to get her ready in the morning. I became the could no longer swallow – and I did not want her dementia. Vascular dementia from the surgery hostess of all family meals and holiday and Alzheimer’s from anesthesia and delirium in to choke. A few years after moms passing, I preparation. I was working full time as a teacher, became a caregiver for a few other seniors who the hospital. I am angry. I am angry for myself and at this time, I became a part-time caregiver. and for him. had no family and needed some assistance. At that point, I felt like I was or could be a I learned caregiving for a dementia patient is professional caregiver.

Caregiving is hard mentally and physically. I different from other diseases. I took my mom to promised my children I would not let my the dentist. Leaving the dentist’s office, she forgot My role of caregiver continued. In 2019, my 61husband’s disease take a toll on me as it did for how to get in the car. I could not get her to my dad. Many days I wonder how I do that. A year-old husband was diagnosed with a nonunderstand how to put her feet in the car. We friend once asked me why I thought dementia malignant rare craniopharyngioma brain tumor. both ended up on the concrete with me in tears. was worse than other diseases, like cancer. It is This type of tumor is near the optic nerve and Things became difficult for my 83 year old dad. It pituitary gland. In April 2022, the tumor was not worse, but different. Your loved one cannot was time to hire someone to come in each express how they feel. They cannot express their growing and his vision was worsening. Surgery morning to get mom ready for the day. wishes. They may forget who you are. They are was scheduled September 26, 2022. Two days 100 percent dependent on one person. later, I knew life would never, ever be the same.

Mom fell at home, the caregiver called 911 and My husband’s short-term memory was gone, and Their person. The one person who somewhere in mom ended up in the hospital. I raced to the their being knows they love you and you love after six weeks in the hospital, he was released hospital to make sure she received care. The them. and sent home. hospital would not let me in. I had to explain she barely talked. I had to fight to get to her. The Paula A. I was again a caregiver. This time, it was as a social worker at the hospital introduced me to Daughter. Wife. Mother. Caregiver. full-time caretaker. I know what my Dad went

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