Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 4, 2014

10

THE GOOD LIFE

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 4, 2014 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

HOW TO CHECK UP ON YOUR HOSPITAL


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … October Birthdays*

Janda Ferris, Darlene Traxler, Margit Johnson, Sole Krieg, Ann Tyler, Pat Birdsall,

George Maurer, Dick Anderson, Barbara Cline, Eva Poet, Mary Jane Baker, Dixie Coutant, 
Cathleen Cremins, Lillias Eubanks, Alma Mays, Adie Marshall, Darlene Crook, Susan 
Gallagher, Maggie Ellis, Gloria Giersbach, Elva Johnson, Ellen O’Leary, Jenny Piangenti, Gail 
Ann Skiles, Anita Thompson, Linda Boehm and Angela Stella. 

 *To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth 
not required.

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Quote of the Week: “Of all the seasons, autumn offers the most to man and requires the least 
of him.” ~ Hal Borlund

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ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the Hart Park House 
(Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

 

 YMCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale Senior Café: Monday-Friday at 12:00 Noon 

(Participants are urged to arrive no later than 11:45 A.M.) 

All seniors 60 and up can take part in the lunch program. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 
for those 60 and over and $3.75 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary as space is 
limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256

Free Balance Class: Every 3rd Monday, from 11:00 to 11:45 am with Shannon. All ability levels are 
encouraged and welcomed.

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10:00am to 11:00am. Join 
instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula.

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to join. 
May be canceled if less than 5 people. Canceled on August 5th and 12th.

Free Blood Pressure Testing: Held 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11:00am to 12:00pm. No 
appointment is necessary.

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, August 27th from 10:00am to Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson 
is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, and Injury. 
For an appointment call 626-355-7394.

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am, except on the third Monday of the 
month when the balance class is held. A suggested donation of $5 at one of the classes is requested, 
but is not required.

Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month the Hart Park House Senior Center 
celebrates birthdays of our patrons. The free birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic 
Club.

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:45pm. A regular group of seniors play poker. Other games 
available for use.

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm with Lisa Brandley. The class 
utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the class are provided.

 

UPCOMING EXCURSIONS

Oasis Camel Dairy & Julian (Julian, CA) 

Date: Friday, October 17, 2014

Time: 8:00am to 6:00pm Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center

Cost: $20.00 (does not include lunch)

Join us as we visit the Oasis Camel Dairy and Julian, California. The adventure begins with an 
“All About the Oasis Camel Dairy” tour led by Camel Dairy Owner’s Gil and Nancy Riegler. This 
intimate, candid tour includes a seated “show” presentation where camels come to you followed by a 
leisurely, short stroll to the camel enclosures for some camel cuddling. There is also an opportunity 
for a camel ride, please see below for information about camel rides. 

 Following the dairy we visit the historic town of Julian to eat lunch, shop, experience the fall foliage, 
and enjoy the tastes of homemade apple pie, cider & much more. Lunch will be on your own and 
there are a few restaurants to choose from in Julian; participants should bring money for lunch

and souvenirs. Last day to register is Thursday, October 9th. Level of Walking: Medium to Low.

Camel Rides

 Camel rides are available after the group tour. The camel rides are the county fair, around in a big 
circle, handled kind of ride. The price is $10.00 per person and we need a minimum of 15 people to 
sign up for the camel rides to occur. If you are interested in the ride please let staff know when you 
register for the excursion. If the minimum number is met, staff will follow up with you regarding 
payment. Please note that there is a 200lb weight limit to ride the camels.

Excursion Refund Policy: Notification of the cancellation must be made at least 3 business days 
before the excursion. A refund will only be issued 1) for a medical excuse or 2) if the Department is 
able to fill the patrons spot from a waiting list. This refund will be issued in the form of a credit which 
will be applied to the patron’s account with the City, less a $10 cancellation fee. The credit will remain 
on your account for one year from the date issued and the credit may be used for any program or 
service offered by the Community Services Department. 

Dear Savvy Senior:

 What resources can you recommend for 
researching hospitals? I need to get a knee 
replacement next year, and want to find a good, 
safe hospital to have it done in.

Shopping Around

Dear Shopping:

 Most people don’t give much thought when it 
comes to choosing a hospital, but selecting the right 
one can be as important as the doctor you choose. 
Here are some tips and resources to help you research 
and check up on your area hospitals.

Hospital Shopping

 While you may not always have the opportunity 
to choose your hospital, especially in the case of an 
emergency, having a planned procedure can offer 
you a variety of choices.

 When shopping for a hospital, the most important 
criterion is to find one that has a strong department 
in your area of need. A facility that excels in coronary 
bypass surgery, for example, may not be the best 
choice for a knee replacement. Research shows that 
patients tend to have better results when they’re 
treated in hospitals that have extensive experience 
with their specific condition.

 In order to choose a hospital that’s best for you, it is 
important to discuss your concerns and alternatives 
with the doctor who is treating you. Some doctors 
may be affiliated with several hospitals from which 
you can choose. Or, if you’ve yet to select a doctor, 
finding a top hospital that has expertise with your 
condition can help you determine which physician 
to actually choose.

Another important reason to do some research is the 
all too frequent occurrence of hospital infections, 
which kill around 75,000 people in the U.S. each 
year. So checking your hospital’s infection rates and 
cleanliness procedures is also a wise move.

Researching Tools

 Today, there are a number of online resources that 
provide hospital safety and performance data to 
help you research and compare facilities. Because 
hospitals are such complex places, it’s wise to get 
information from a variety of sources. Here is a 
summary of some top guides.

Hospital Compare (medicare.gov/hospitalcompare): 
Operated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services, this free tool lets you compare general 
quality of care, as well as care for many medical 
conditions and surgical procedures in more than 
4,000 U.S. hospitals.

Consumer Reports Hospital Rankings 

(consumerreports.org/hospitalratings): If you don’t 
mind spending a few dollars ($7 for one month or $30 
per year), Consumer Reports ranks 4,500 hospitals 
in all 50 states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto 
Rico. The reliable resource provides information on 
up to 34 performance and safety measures.

U.S. News & World Report (usnews.com/best-
hospitals): This online publishing resource identifies 
the best hospitals for 16 specialties, and provides 
rankings by metro area and by specialty for free.

Healthgrades (healthgrades.com): A private, for-
profit organization, they provide free hospital ratings 
on patient safety and medical procedures, and scores 
hospitals using a 5-star scale. 

The Commonwealth Fund (whynotthebest.org): 
This is a private foundation that provides free 
performance data on all U.S. hospitals.

The Joint Commission (qualitycheck.org): This 
is a not-for-profit organization that accredits and 
certifies more than 20,500 health care organizations 
and programs in the U.S. Hospitals receive a 
checkmark for each set of measures they have met. 
But there’s no way to tell whether a hospital is 
stronger in one area over another.

Hospital Inspections (hospitalinspections.org): 
Established by the Association of Health Care 
Journalist, this focuses on violations and inspection 
reports.

The Leapfrog Group (hospitalsafetyscore.org): This 
national, not-for-profit organization grades hospitals 
on their overall performance in keeping patients 
safe. Use your city, state or ZIP code to search more 
than 2,500 hospitals.

VA Hospital Compare (www.hospitalcompare.
va.gov): If you’re a veteran, you can research and 
compare VA medical centers here.

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.


KATIE Tse..........This and That

THE MOST UN-HOLIDAY HOLIDAY, AND WHY WE 
LOVE IT!

 Walking around town, I can’t help but notice all the elaborate Halloween 
decorations that have been springing up since the last weeks of September. Aside 
from the folks who celebrate Christmas by festooning their houses and yards with 
giant Santas and mammoth-sized reindeer, Halloween seems to be the holiday for 
which people “go all out.”

 Why is Halloween so popular? Of course it’s fun for kids to dress up and binge on candy, but why 
go to all the effort of transforming your yard into a labyrinth of doom? After careful consideration, 
I’ve come up with a few possible explanations.

 Halloween’s place in the order of holidays 
allows for more energy to be spent on it. 
After the Fourth of July, we get the rest of 
July and all of August to relax. There’s Labor 
Day in September, but who decorates for 
that? Some people might have a BBQ, but 
it’s not really big on the holiday hit parade. 
Columbus Day is in October, but you never 
hear of Columbus parties, either. (Besides, 
modern culture has vilified Columbus so 
much that hardly anyone even gets the day 
off.) So, there’s been a lot of latent holiday 
energy building since the last firework 
fizzled away on July 4th. 

 Thanksgiving is a big energy drainer, 
especially if you’re responsible for cooking 
or hosting. Then there are the Black Friday 
warriors. I envy their stamina. Duking it 
out for the best deals on toys and electronics 
with a bunch of other crazed individuals 
must be exhausting.

 Some holidays lazily roll around, but 
Christmas sneaks up on you like a crouching tiger! There are people who thrive on the excitement 
of shopping in crowds and throwing parties. But for others (like me), these activities drain the life 
blood out of them.

 Another possible reason that Halloween is so popular is that it’s not a “family event.” By this, I 
mean extended family. When you stake a severed head in your yard or stretch a cottony cobweb over 
your entry way, you don’t have to worry about any pesky sister-in-law deriding your unkempt lawn or 
poor taste in decorations. The fact that Halloween is generally spent with strangers takes away some 
of the anxiety.

 Also, Halloween isn’t a “milestone” holiday. As kids, we all enjoyed our birthdays. But as we get 
older, we chide ourselves for failing to achieve whatever goals we’ve set out to accomplish. We say, 
“I’m 30 (or whatever age is significant for you), and I’m still not married, earned my masters, bought 
a house, or (fill in the blank).” New Year is another “celebration” famous for this kind of melancholy. 
Heck, just listening to “Old Lang Zine” is depressing enough!

 Yes, out of the calendar of holidays, you can count on Halloween to not be sentimental. There are 
no tear-jerker songs like “I’ll be home for Halloween,” or “Have Yourself a Merry Little Halloween.” 
So, deck your lawn with tombstones and stock up on Snickers and Twix. But be sure to save some 
Twix bars for yourself --you’ll need the energy for Thanksgiving and all that lies beyond. Come to 
think of it, you might as well save all the Snickers for yourself as well. So many kids have peanut 
allergies these days. “Happy Snacking” --I mean, “Haunting!” 


TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION • GET A SENIOR TAP CARD

Thursday, October 9th from 9:00am-10:00am

Learn the ins and outs of public transportation while enjoying each other’s company over coffee, tea, 
and pastries. On Thursday, October 9th at 9:00 am, a representative from Metro will be presenting 
information on MTA buses and the Metro Rail. Attendees will learn trip planning strategies, gain 
a better understanding of their transportation options, and become master TAP card users. Also, 
attendees who are 62 years of age and older will be given the opportunity to apply for a Senior TAP 
card on site.

CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES COMING SOON

Beginning on Thursday, October 9th, Case Management services from the YWCA San Gabriel 
Valley will be provided every 2nd Thursday of the month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm to assist in 
linking and helping seniors apply for supportive services. Schedule an appointment to learn more 
about the supportive services available to seniors living in the San Gabriel Valley and those that 
specifically cater to your own individual needs. Appointments last approximately 30 minutes and 
reservations need to be made in advance. To schedule an appointment, contact the Senior Center 
at 355-7394. Please call the YWCA Case Management Intake line at (626) 214-9465 if service is 
required at any time other than the 2nd Thursday of the month. The case manager can schedule an 
appointment to meet with you either at the Senior Center or at your home.

Furthermore, all individuals interested in utilizing the service are encouraged to come into the 
Senior Center on September 18th at 11:45am to learn more about the YWCA Case Management 
Program and meet the case manager who has been assigned to our location.

AARP SMART DRIVER COURSE

Tues. October 21 and Wed. October 22 from 9am to 1pm This class focuses on learning current 
rules of the road, defensive driving techniques, and how to operate your vehicle more safely in 
today’s increasingly challenging driving environment. You’ll also learn how you can manage and 
accommodate common age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time. Many states 
including California offer discounts on auto insurance rates for those who complete this course. 
Class held at the Community Recreation Center located in Sierra Vista Park, 611 E. Sierra Madre 
Blvd. Must attend both dates in order to complete course.

Cost: $15.00 AARP members, $20.00 non-members (Payment due to instructor on the first day of 
class) Registration is required, for more info or to register call 626.355.7394.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com