Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 24, 2011

16

THE GOOD LIFE

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 24, 2011 

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

Today’s Subject: 

ARE MEDS MAKING YOU SICK?

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

RECIPES OF THE WEEK

SEPTEMBER IS SENIOR 

CENTER MONTH

NCOA’s National Institute of Senior Centers 
has designated September as Senior Center 
Month

“It Happens at My Senior Center”

Even though the Hart Park House Senior 
Center is under renovation, things are still 
“happening” at the center’s temporary home 
in the Community Recreation Center (611 
E. Sierra Madre Blvd.)so please join us:

September 2nd - The Senior Lunch Café is 
serving a special menu of Cheese Burgers 
with all the fixings & apple pie for dessert in

celebration of Labor Day; Noon . $2 donation- 
advance reservations required by calling 
355-0256.

September 7th - Community meeting regarding 
the proposed assisted living facility 
being built in Sierra Madre. Come to the

Recreation Center at 6:30 pm to hear more 
or to ask questions.

September 15th - Senior Excursion to the 
Historic Graber Olive House (see below for 
more details).

September 21th - Lunch & Learn; 12:20 pm. 
Join us for this special presentation by Lending 
a Paw, Therapy Dogs & meet some of 
their certified dogs. A special dry dog food 
collection will take please so please bring a 
bag to donate to families facing financial difficulties 
(donation not required to attend).

September 24th - Wellness in the Park; 9 am 
to 12 noon in Memorial Park. Free information 
including hearing & osteoporosis

screenings and flu shots (Medicare participants 
- $25 for others) plus the Senior Commission 
will be handing out the File of Life

medical information packet to residents.

Come early and enjoy the Kiwanis Pancake 
Breakfast 7 am to 11 am at $5 per person

September 30th - The Final Scoop - come 
build your own ice cream treat as we end our 
month of activities; 12:30 pm

For more information about the activities 
listed, please call the Senior Desk at (626) 
355-7394.

BEEF MEXICALI 

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp. shortening

1 lb. chuck roast, cut into 1” pieces

1 med. onion, chopped

1 med. green pepper, chopped

1 can tomato soup, diluted with 1 can of water

1/4 c. chili sauce

1 tbsp. prepared mustard

1/2 tsp. celery salt

INSTRUCITONDS:

Put hot shortening in a large skillet, saute meat on 
all sides until brown. Add onion and green pepper. 
Saute about 5 minutes or until onion is yellow, 
stirring occasionally. 

Combine tomato soup, chili sauce, mustard, salt, 
celery salt and soup, chili sauce, mustard, salt, 
celery salt and chili powder. Stir mixture into 
skillet. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Then 
uncover and stirring occasionally, simmer for 30 
to 45 minutes longer or until meat is fork tender 
and sauce is thickened. 

Serve with oven hot fluffy rice.


A few years ago, one of my normally robust 
patients came in with severe fatigue and marked 
weakness in his legs. He said that it was nearly 
impossible for him to get up the stairs to his 
apartment, and he was very concerned that his 
driving would soon be affected. We determined 
that a statin drug he was taking could be causing 
the symptoms and, once he was taken off the 
drug, his symptoms disappeared.

 It is estimated that millions of people suffer 
from side effects each year and that 4.5 million 
of these end up in their doctor’s office or an 
emergency room. The Institute of Medicine 
from The National Academy of Sciences 
estimates there are at least two million serious 
drug reactions in hospitals every year and that 
these reactions are the fourth leading cause of 
death following heart disease, cancer and stroke.

What to Do - If you are experiencing a set of 
symptoms that don’t go away, ask your physician 
to review the medications that you are taking. Often, a number of medications taken together will 
produce side effects that a single med will not cause.

Talk to your pharmacist ~ this professional will be able to tell you more about specific drugs than 
your doctor can. Pharmacists are also more likely to think “side effects” first.

Ask you doctor if there is a more conservative approach to your health concern instead of a drug. 
Can a lifestyle change be more effective?

Find out how long a particular drug has been around. Drugs with side effects documented over 
time are superior to new ones on the market that are just beginning to show their advantages and 
disadvantages. 

If you are an older person, you may be more vulnerable to the effects of drugs. Since 75% of 
Americans over sixty years of age take two or more drugs, and 37% take five or more, this is very 
important. Most drug studies are done on younger, healthier populations and the drug reactions in 
older folks are not so predictable.

In Closing - Not feeling right? Got a nagging set of symptoms? Ask you doctor or pharmacist to 
review your prescriptions. AARP’s Drug Interaction Checker is also a good place to start: aarp.org/
healthtools. 

Have a healthy week! Dr. John

Dr. John Talevich, D.C. has practiced in Sierra Madre 
for thirty years. His clinic, LifeWorks! Chiropractic, 
offers patient-specific approaches to the alleviation of 
pain and individually tailored wellness programs. 

September Birthdays

Yvonne Osti, Edwina Garcia, Donna 
Anderson, Teresa Chaure, Cathy 
Gunther, Esther Macias, Sheila Pierce, 
Nancy Shollenberger


John M. Talevich, D.C. 

CHIROPRACTIC: Simple, Elegant, Effective

31 S. Baldwin Avenue Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

626-355-4710

Meals-On-Wheels


Meals are delivered to home-bound 
seniors by volunteer drivers through 
the YWCA Intervale Lunch Program 
M-F (with frozen meals for the weekend.) 

Meals are delivered to the home-bound seniors 
by drivers through the YWCA Interval Lunch 
Program M-F (with frozen meals for the 
weekend.) 

 

 Call the YWCA at (626) 214-9460 for more 
information. 

New Flu Vaccine for Seniors Provides Better Protection

Dear Savvy Senior,

I’ve read that there is a new extra-strength flu 
vaccine being offered to seniors this year. What 
can you tell me about it, where can I find it, and 
does Medicare cover it?

Flu-Conscious Connie

 

Dear Connie,

The new extra-strength flu vaccination you’re 
inquiring about is called the Fluzone High-Dose, 
and it’s designed specifically for seniors, age 65 
years and older. Here’s what you should know.

 

Fluzone High-Dose

Manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur Inc., the 
Fluzone High-Dose vaccine was approved by 
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Dec. 
2009, and was first made available last flu season 
on a limited basis.

 

The main difference between the Fluzone High-
Dose and a regular flu shot is its potency. The 
High-Dose vaccine contain four times the 
amount of antigen (the part of the vaccine that 
prompts the body to make antibody) as a regular 
flu shot does, which creates a stronger immune 
response for better protection. This extra 
protection is particularly helpful to seniors who 
have weaker immune defenses and have a great 
risk of developing dangerous flu complications. 
The CDC estimates that the flu puts more than 
200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills 
around 24,000 – 95 percent of whom are seniors.

As with all flu vaccines, Fluzone High-Dose is 
not recommended for seniors who are allergic 
to chicken eggs, or those who have had a severe 
reaction to a flu vaccine in the past.

 To locate a vaccination site that offers the Fluzone 
High-Dose, ask your doctor or pharmacist, or 
check the online flu-shot locator at flu.gov for 
clinics or stores offering flu shots. Then, contact 
some in your area to see whether they have the 
High-Dose vaccine. CVS, Walgreens, Safeway, 
Kmart, Rite Aid and Kroger are among some of 
the chains offering the High-Dose shot.

 You’ll also be happy to know that if you’re 
a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover 
100 percent of the cost of your High-Dose 
vaccination. But if you’re not covered the cost is 
around $50 to $60 – that’s about double of what 
you’d pay for a regular flu shot.

 

Pneumovax

Another important vaccination the CDC 
recommends to seniors – especially this time 
of year – is the pneumococcal polysaccharide 
vaccine for pneumonia and meningitis (the 
vaccine is called Pneumovax 23). Pneumonia 
causes more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each 
year, many of which could be prevented by this 
vaccine. If you’re over age 65 and haven’t already 
gotten this one-time-only shot, you should get it 
now before flu season hits. Pneumovax 23 is also 
covered under Medicare Part B, and you can get 
it on the same day you get your flu shot. If you’re 
not covered by insurance, this vaccine costs 
around $75 to $85 at retail clinics.

 This vaccine is also recommended to adults 
under age 65 if they smoke or have certain 
chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease, 
lung disease, kidney disease, diabetes, sickle cell 
disease, have had their spleen removed, or have a 
weakened immune system due to cancer, HIV or 
an organ transplant.

Savvy Tips: In addition to getting vaccinated, the 
CDC reminds everyone that the three best ways 
to stay healthy during flu season is to wash your 
hands frequently with soap and water, cover your 
mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze and 
stay home if you’re sick. For more information on 
the recommended vaccines for older adults see 
cdc.gov/vaccines.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, 
P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit 
SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to 
the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy 
Senior” book.

 

EXCURSIONS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15th - 

Historic Graber Olive House in Ontario. 
Participants will get a short tour 
& history of the Graber Olive as well as 
learn more about how they are harvested. 
After the tour you will venture to 
a local restaurant to have lunch before 
heading back to Sierra Madre.

 The bus will leave the Community 
Recreation Center at 10 am and return 
around 2 pm. Cost is $8 per person 
(transportation & tour only) so please 
bring additional money for lunch.

SAVE THE DATES

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22ND - Big Bear 
Oktoberfest ; $36 per person. Registration 
begins September 7th online or in person.

*THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH - 

Historic Castle Tour & Lunch at the Mission 
Inn, Riverside.

*THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15TH - 

Candlelight Pavilion Christmas Show

in Claremont. Reservation for this excursion 
will start on September 26th either by 
visiting the Recreation Center in person 
or going online at www.cityofsierramadre.
com/onlineregistration


LUNCH & LEARN 

Join the Senior

Community Commission

at the 

Sierra Madre Recreation 
Center

 for a FREE presentation. 
Lunch is available for a 

$2 donation 

Call (626) 355-0256 by 

12 noon the day before. 

DIAL - A - RIDE 

TICKETS

Tickets can now be purchased at:

Sierra Madre City Hall

Sierra Madre Recreation Center

Sierra Madre Library


Pasadena Highlands, an independent and assisted 
living community, is proud to provide a 
special gift basket on the first Tuesday of each 
month. Accredited In-Home nursing care will 
provide a special prize on the 4th Tuesday of 
each month. Bingo takes place every Tuesday at 
1:30 pm at the Sierra Madre Recreation Center 
while the Hart Park House is under remodeling. 
The game begins at 1:30 pm but those wishing 
to play must arrive 10 minutes before to secure 
your Bingo cards. Join us on the 1st & 4th 
Tuesday of each month 


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