Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 11, 2012

17

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, February 11, 2012 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

Today’s Subject:

Another Teachable Moment

FEBRUARY ACTIVITIES

Senior Programs have returned to the Hart 
Park House enior Center, 222 W. Sierra 
Madre Blvd. in Memorial Park - Come by and 
see the changes!!

February Birthdays

Lorraine Bush, Hilda Pittman, Susan 
Henderson, Sylvia Lorhan, Ann Luke, Janet 
O’Day, Ana Ptasinski, Jan Reed, Winifred 
Swanson

 
On January 26th, the California house bill 
SB 352 passed by a margin of 34 to 1. This bill 
seeks to prohibit chiropractors from treating 
allergies. In California, testing allergies is 
defined as practicing medicine. Seems fair ~ 
any clear-minded individual can appreciate 
the special training that goes with the use of 
pharmaceuticals. The oversight of complex 
drug interactions and dangers of possible severe 
reactions requires an extraordinary degree of 
adeptness and vigilance. Chiropractors are 
simply not trained in these matters.

 The whole idea of this bill conjures up the 
image of the wild-eyed, unresponsible, crazy, 
renegade practitioner, out there practicing on 
those near and dear to us. Let’s move on, clear 
this up once and for all.

 The essence of chiropractic, the founding 
principle, is that we seek to remove interference 
within the nervous system. This is usually done 
by hand or with an instrument along the spine. Additionally, California state law provides us with the 
privilege of using “all necessary mechanical, hygienic, and sanitary measures incident to the care of 
the body, but not limited to, air, cold, diet, exercise, heat, light, massage, ultra-sound, physical therapy 
techniques in the course of chiropractic care.”

 Bottom line? The treatment of allergies using pharmaceuticals is most certainly the domain of 
medicine. Within it, doctors are prepared to subscribe medications and respond to the complex 
reactions that can occur with this approach. However, there is no reason why chiropractors cannot 
approach the same issues using their modalities. This attempt to deny the public clear access to non-
medical, non-drug systems of healing is monopolistic and contrary to the very spirit of freedom of 
choice.

Dr. John

Meals-On-Wheels


MONDAYS: City Hall & Lunch Café 

12 noon: Intervale Lunch Café: Come enjoy 
a hot meal with others. Donation for seniors 
(60+) of $2.00; visitors $3.75. Call 355-0256 
to make your daily reservation.

1:00 pm to 1:45 pm: Strength Training with 
Lisa Brandley. FREE class of stretching with 
light hand weights while you sit.

TUESDAYS: 

 FREE blood pressure checks by Methodist 
Hospital Nurse; 11 am to 12 noon.

1:30 pm to 3:30 pm: BINGO; cards are only 25 
cents each so stop by & play

5:15 pm to 6:45 pm: Yoga; $6.00 - 50 & over. 
Please call 355-5278 for more information

WEDNESDAYS:

11 –11:45 am: Balance Class with Teryl. FREE 
class designed to improve balance & refresh 
the joints

12 noon: Intervale Lunch Café; daily reservations 
needed 355-0256

2nd Wednesday of the month: FREE Legal 
Consultations: 10-11:30 am. Appointments 
call 355-7394

Wii Wednesday - 1:00 pm or call the senior 
desk at 355-7394 to arrange another time & 
day to learn how to play. No previous experience 
or skills required and it is great exercise.

THURSDAY:

1:00 to 3:30 pm: Game Day. Join us for Poker 
with Bridge on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays; so 
please call for more information.

FRIDAY: City Hall closed on Dec. 16, 23 & 30 
and Lunch Café closed on Dec. 23

 12 noon: Intervale Lunch Café; daily reservations 
needed 355-0256

Saturday: 11:30 am: Senior Club brown bag 
lunch and BINGO at 12:30 pm. 

The Senior Club will return to the Senior 
Center starting on Saturday, February 11, 
2012

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. 


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. 

LUNCH & LEARN 

Join the Senior

Community Commission

at the 

HART PARK HOUSE

 for a FREE presentation. Lunch is 
available for a 

$2 donation 

Call (626) 355-0256 by 

12 noon the day before. 

John M. Talevich, D.C. 

CHIROPRACTIC: Simple, Elegant, Effective

31 S. Baldwin Avenue Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

626-355-4710

2012 EXCURSIONS

SAVE THE DATES

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH - San Antonio 
Winery Tour & Tasting. Come 
enjoy a tour of this historic Los Angeles 
Winery, taste their wine, visit the gift 
shop and savor the flavors of their onsite 
restaurant.

Cost per person is $10 (includes transportation, 
tour & tasting). Lunch will be 
on your own.

Bus leaves the Hart Park House Senior 
Center at 10:30 am and will return 
around 3 pm.

SATURDAY, MARCH 3RD - Community 
Whale Watching Trip; $28 per person. 
The bus will leave the Community 
Recreation Center at 10 am and return 
at 3:30 pm. Cost includes transportation 
and a 2 1/2 hour charter boat tour out of 
Long Beach.

Registration can be done either in person 
or online at www.cityofsierramadre.
com/onlineregistration


HOW TO HELP ELDERLY 
DRIVERS LIMIT OR STOP 
DRIVING 

Dear Savvy Senior:

I’m worried about my father’s driving. At age 84, 
his driving skills have diminished significantly, but 
I know he’s bound and determined to keep going as 
long as he’s alive. What tips can you recommend 
that can help me help my dad stop driving? Nervous 
Daughter

Dear Nervous,:For many families, telling an elderly 
parent it’s time to give up the car keys is a 
very sensitive and difficult topic. While there’s no 
one simple way to handle this issue, here are a 
number of tips and resources you can try to help 
ease your dad away from driving. 

Take a Ride 

To get a clear picture of your dad’s driving abilities, 
the first thing you need to do is take a ride 
with him watching for problem areas. For example: 
Does he drive too slow or too fast? Does 
he tailgate or drift between lanes? Does he have 
difficulty seeing, backing up or changing lanes? 
Does he react slowly? Does he get distracted 
or confused easily? Also, has your dad had any 
fender benders or tickets lately, or have you noticed 
any dents or scrapes on his vehicle? These, 
too, are red flags.

Start Talking 

After your assessment, you need to have a talk 
with your dad about your concerns, but don’t 
sound alarmed. If you begin with a dramatic outburst 
like “Dad, you’re going to kill someone!” 
you’re likely to trigger resistance. Start by gently 
expressing that you’re worried about his safety.

For tips on how to talk to your dad about this 
touchy topic, the Hartford Financial Services 
Group and MIT AgeLab offers some guides titled 
“Family Conversations with Older Drivers” and 
“Family Conversations about Alzheimer’s Disease, 
Dementia & Driving” that can help, along 
with a online seminar called “We Need to Talk” 
that was produced by AARP. To access these free 
resources, visit safedrivingforalifetime.com.

Like many elderly seniors, your dad may not 
even realize his driving skills have slipped. If this 
is the case, consider signing him up for an older 
driver refresher course through AARP (aarp.org/
drive, 888-227-7669), your local AAA or a driving 
school. 

By becoming aware of his driving limitations, 
your dad may be able to make some simple adjustments 
– like driving only in daylight or on 
familiar routes – that can help keep him safe and 
driving longer. Or, he may decide to hang up the 
keys on his own. 

Refuses To Quit

If, however, you believe your dad has reached 
the point that he can no longer drive safely, but 
he refuses to quit, you have several options. One 
possible solution is to suggest a visit to his doctor 
who can give him a medical evaluation, and 
if warranted, “prescribe” that he stops driving. 
Older people will often listen to their doctor before 
they will listen to their own family. 

If that doesn’t do it, ask him to get a comprehensive 
driving evaluation done by a driver rehabilitation 
specialist – this can cost several hundred 
dollars. A driving evaluation will test your dad’s 
cognition, vision and motor skills, as well as his 
on-road driving abilities. To locate a specialist in 
your area, contact the Association of Driver Rehabilitation 
Specialists (driver-ed.org, 866-672-
9466) or the American Occupational Therapy 
Association (aota.org/older-driver). 

If he still refuses to move to the passenger seat, 
call your local Department of Motor Vehicles 
to see if they can help. Or, call in an attorney to 
discuss with your dad the potential financial and 
legal consequences of a crash or injury. If all else 
fails, you may just have to take away his keys. 

Arrange Transportation

Once your dad stops driving he’s going to need 
other ways to get around, so help him create a list 
of names and phone numbers of family, friends 
and local transportation services that he can call 
on. To locate community transportation services 
call the Area Agency on Aging. Call 800-677-
1116 for contact information. 

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.

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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A VALENTINE TIP FROM SOCIAL SECURITY

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, making this a popular time of year for proclamations of 
love. Such displays of affection can be as simple and sweet as a heart with a “be mine” message, or as 
life altering as a vow before the altar. 

If you happen to be a newlywed who is head over heels in love, you may not be focused on things 
such as taxes or Social Security, but you should be. If you plan to exchange your maiden name for a 
married name — including hyphenated names such as Smith-Jones — be sure you let us know.

Telling us about your name change shortly after your marriage will help us accurately keep track of 
your earnings and will ensure that you and your family get the Social Security retirement, disability, 
and survivors coverage you’re entitled to. Also, if the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security 
records do not show the same name and Social Security number, your Federal income tax refund 
could be delayed.

If you continue to use your maiden name consistently throughout your working years, you do not 
need to contact us. However, if you decide to change your name at a later time, you should let us 
know so that we can update your Social Security record and send you a Social Security card with 
your new name. 

There’s no need to pay someone else to mail in the information for you. Changing your name with 
Social Security is a quick, easy, and free service. Just go online to www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber, 
learn what documents you need, and click on “Fill Out and Print an application (Form SS-5).” You 
also can call us at 1-800-772-1213 to obtain the form. We will need the completed application along 
with a marriage certificate or divorce decree verifying your old and new names. If you were born 
outside the United States, you also need proof of your U.S. citizenship or proof that you are lawfully 
living in the U.S. You can bring or mail these documents to us.

You may be focused on the one you love, and we don’t blame you. But if you like us (we hope you do) 
please click on the Facebook icon at our homepage and “like” us on Facebook. Also, you can follow 
us on Twitter too. Look for our Facebook and Twitter icons at www.socialsecurity.gov. We share 
information daily that can help you and all your Valentines.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Social Security.