p16, v6.07 — The Good Life — Mountain Views News

The Good Life

Mountain Views News Saturday, February 18, 2012

MVNews this week: Page 16

THE GOOD LIFE

Mountain Views News Saturday, February 18, 2012

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

Today’s Subject:

B-R-E-A-T-H

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

Well, now, that's just silly, isn't it? After
all, the human animal cannot even survive
without the intake of oxygen.

True. Still, we have lots of interesting research
on just how poorly we humans tend
to breathe. In most of the animal kingdom,
breathing is a given, a natural event. When
prey animals are alarmed, they immediately
run and make their escape; within
minutes of reaching safety, they relax and
breathe normally. Hunting animals, too,
have their pattern: breathing changes profoundly
during the chase, and returns to
normal quickly once the event is over.

Humans, though, have forgotten these
patterns. Many times each day, we are startled
and either stop breathing or rapidly
breathe. The difference with us is, we do
not go back quickly to a normal breathing
pattern. Instead, we tend to remain anxious
and breathe in the upper portion of the lungs, thereby not receiving the benefit, and
calming influence, of deep breath.

Next time you feel anxious or depressed or just plain our of sorts, check in with your
breathing. Take a moment to pause and slow down, to breathe deeply and slowly, to exhale
in a relaxed fashion. Enjoy it. Watch how your body and mood reset, how life can feel more
normal and even uplifted.

Never underestimate the power of calm, deep breath. Try it ~ you'll like it! 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.

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.

John M. Talevich, D.C.

CHIROPRACTIC: Simple, Elegant, Effective

31 S. Baldwin Avenue Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024

626-355-4710

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.

2012 EXCURSIONS

ORGAN DONATION:
YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD

Dear Savvy Senior:

Is there an age limit on being an organ donor? At
age 73, I’m interested in being a donor when I die,
but am wondering if they would still want my organs.
What can you tell me, and what do I need to
do to sign up?

Willing But Old

Dear Willing:

There’s no defined cutoff age for being an organ
donor. In fact, there are many people well up into
their 80’s that donate. The decision to use your
organs is based on health, not age, so don’t disqualify
yourself prematurely. Let the doctors decide
at your time of death whether your organs
and tissues are suitable for transplantation.

Donating Facts

In the United States alone, more than 112,000
people are on the waiting list for organ transplants.
But because the demand is so much greater
than the supply, those on the list routinely wait
three to seven years for an organ, and more than
6,500 of them die each year.

Organs that can be donated include the kidneys
(which are in the greatest demand with more
than 90,000 on the waiting list), liver, lungs, heart,
pancreas and intestines. Tissue is also needed to
replace bone, tendons and ligaments. Corneas are
needed to restore sight. Skin grafts help burn patients
heal and often mean the difference between
life and death. And heart valves repair cardiac defects
and damage.

How to Donate

If you would like to become a donor, there are
several steps you should take to ensure your
wishes are carried out, including:

Registering: Add your name to your state or regional
organ and tissue donor registry. You can
do this online at either donatelife.net or organdonor.
gov. Both sites provide links to all state registries.
If you don’t have Internet access, you can
call your local organ procurement organization
and ask them to mail you a donor card, which
you can fill out and return. To get the phone
number of your local organization, call Donate
Life America at 800-355-7427.

Identify yourself: Designate your decision to become
an organ donor on your driver’s license,
which you can do when you go in to renew it. If,
however, you don’t drive anymore or if your renewal
isn’t due for a while, consider getting a state
ID card – this also lets you indicate you want to
be a donor. You can get an ID card for a few dollars
at your nearby driver’s license office.

Tell your family: Even if you are a registered donor,
in many states family members have the ultimate
say whether your organs may be donated
after you die. So clarify your wishes to your family.
It’s also a good idea to tell your doctors and include
it in your advance directives. These are legal
documents that include a living will and medical
power of attorney that spell out your wishes regarding
your end-of-life medical treatment when
you can no longer make decisions for yourself. If
you don’t have an advance directive, go to caringinfo.
org or call 800-658-8898 where you can get
free state-specific forms with instructions to help
you make one.

For more information on organ and tissue donation
and transplantation, visit the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services Donate the
Gift of Life website at organdonor.gov. Also see
the United Network for Organ Sharing at unos.
org, and transplantliving.org which offers information
on being a living donor.

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.

SAVE THE DATES

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 26TH - Palm Springs
Follies. Spend the day in sunny PS and see

the new show Hot! Hot! Hot! celebrating
those memories of endless summers with

music and dance. COST per person is $58
(includes transportation, tip & show).

Lunch will be on your own at one of the
many restaurants next to the theatre.

Registration can be done either in person or
online at:

www.cityofsierramadre.com/
onlineregistration

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

626-351-8444482 N. Rosemead Blvd., #201 | Pasadena, CA 91107www.elitedentistryofpasadena
Elite Dentistry
of Pasadenal Veneersl Implantsl Invisalignl Cosmetic Dentistryl Denturesl Root Canalsl Treatmentsl Extractionsl And much more...
Oksana Boyechko, DMD, CDIProfessor at UCLA School of DentistryOpen Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm | Sat 2pm - 4pm | Closed TuesdaysSat. & Evening Appts. Available | Please ask about our specials.
FROM SOCIAL SECURITY: Q & A

Question: How long do I need to work to become eligible for retirement benefits?

Answer: Everyone born in 1929 or later needs 40 Social Security credits to be eligible for retirement
benefits. You can earn up to four credits per year, so you will need at least 10 years to become eligible
for retirement benefits. During your working years, earnings covered by Social Security are posted
to your Social Security record. You earn credits based on those earnings. If you become disabled or
die before age 62, the number of credits needed depends on your age at the time you die or become
disabled. Learn more at www.socialsecurity.gov.

Question: I have children at home and I plan to retire next fall. Will my children be eligible for
monthly Social Security payments after I retire?

Answer: A child (biological, legally adopted, or dependent stepchild or grandchild) may potentially
be eligible. Monthly Social Security payments may be made to your children if they are:

• Unmarried and under age 18; Age 19 if still in high school or Age 18 or over, who became
severely disabled before age 22 and continue to be disabled.

Question: Is there a time limit on Social Security disability benefits?

Answer: Your disability benefits will continue as long as your medical condition has not improved
and you cannot work. Social Security will periodically review your case to determine whether you
continue to be eligible. If you are still receiving disability benefits when you reach your full retirement
age, your disability benefits will automatically be converted to retirement benefits. Learn more about
disability benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability.

Question: Why is there a five-month waiting period for Social Security disability benefits?

Answer: The law states that Social Security disability benefits begin with the sixth full month after
the date your disability began. You are not entitled to benefits for any month prior to that. Learn
more at our website: www.socialsecurity.gov/disability.

Question: My grandfather, who is receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), will be coming to
live with me. Does he have to report the move to Social Security?

Answer: Yes. An SSI beneficiary must report any change in living arrangements within 10 days
after the month the change occurs. If the change is not reported, your grandfather could receive
an incorrect payment and have to pay it back, or he may not receive all the money due. Just as
importantly, your grandfather needs to report the new address to Social Security to receive mail
from us. You can report the change by mail or in person at any Social Security office or call Social
Security’s toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778). You can get more information
by reading the booklet Understanding SSI, at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi.

Question: I found out that my son submitted incorrect information about my resources when he
completed my Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs. How can I get my
application changed now to show the correct amount?

Answer: You can call 1-800-772-1213 and let us know. Or you can visit your local Social Security
office (find it by using our office locator at www.socialsecurity.gov/locator). Information on your
application will be matched with data from other Federal agencies. If there is a discrepancy that
requires verification, we will contact you.