Mountain Views News          Saturday, November 28, 2015

11

THE GOOD LIFE

 Mountain Views News Saturday, November 28, 2015 

SENIOR HAPPENINGS

SENIOR-FRIENDLY FURNITURE AIDS 

FOR MOBILITY CHALLENGED SENIORS


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …November Birthdays*

Alberta Curran, Carmela Frontino, Kathy Wood, Lena Zate, Joe Pergola, Janice 
Kacer, Valerie Howard, “Mike” Ruggles, Joan Ruggles, Lois Stueck, Jean Wood, 
Shirley Yergeau, Kathi Jefferson, Pat Krok, Irene Nakagawa, Anna Ross, Mary 
Steinberg and Sue Quinn. *To add your name to this distinguished list, please call 
the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth not required

...................................................................

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

 

 Activities at the Senior Center

 YWCA San Gabriel Valley - Intervale Senior Cafe 

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA Intervale 
daily lunch program held at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Meals are served Monday through 
Friday at 12:00 pm and participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 am. Meals are a suggested 
donation of $3.00 for seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are 
necessary, space is limited. Please reserve your lunch by calling 626-355-0256.

Tech Talk: Held on Monday, October 19th and 26th from 1:30-2:30pm. Learn how to use your new 
technology devises. Please reserve your space with the Hart Park House by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10am to 11am. 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. 

 

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

 

Brain Games: Thursday, October 15th, 10:30am - 11:30am, improve your memory and strengthen 
your brain. Activities facilitated by Swati Puri, Community Liaison for New Wave Home care of 
Pasadena. 

 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, October 21st from 10:30am to Noon. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, 
and Injury. Appointment are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am. A suggested donation of $5 at one 
of the classes is requested, but is not required. 

 

Case Management: Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month. Case Management services are 
provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in a variety of areas. Appointments are required 
and can be scheduled by calling the HPH Office at 626-355-7394. 

 

Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House. The free 
birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 

 

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00pm. (Please note the time change.) 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. 

 

Senior Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown bag lunch at 11:30am. 
Club meeting at noon. Bingo 12:30-3:30pm. Annual Membership is only $10.00. 

CANDLELIGHT PAVILION (CLAREMONT) 

 HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

DATE: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015 

TIME: 10:30AM - 4:00PM 

MEETING LOCATION: HART PARK HOUSE SENIOR CENTER 

COST: $75.00 (LUNCH IS INCLUDED) 

 

Description: Ben D. Bollinger’s Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont provides 
patrons with a dinner theatre and musicals for a theatrical experience the caliber of the 
Broadway shows in downtown LA. The gourmet food prepared by the executive chef and served 
by his formal wait staff ranks the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre as a fine food restaurant 
that rivals any fine dining establishment in Los Angeles and San Bernardino. For 30 years, the 
Candlelight Pavilion has written and produced each of its Christmas shows with a focus on 
the spirit of Christmas and bringing family and friends together. Appropriate dress requested: 
Jackets for gentleman, tie optional, dress or dressy pant suits for ladies, no jeans, t-shirts or 
tennis shoes. Price includes lunch, show and gratuity. Level of Walking: Low. Last day to register 
is November 2nd. Please call the Hart Park House at (626)-355-7394. 

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 $11 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 Dept. 


Dear Savvy Senior,

I am interested in purchasing a recliner that lifts and 
lowers off the ground, or some other type of senior-
friendly furniture that can help my elderly father. He’s 
arthritic and overweight and struggles mightily with 
getting up from most of the cushioned furniture in the 
house. What can you recommend?

Need a Boost

Dear Need,

The task of sitting down and/or getting up from soft 
cushioned furniture is a problem for many seniors 
who struggle with excessive weight, arthritis or other 
mobility issues. Here are some different product 
solutions that can help.

Lift Recliners

One of the most popular types of cushioned furniture 
on the market today for mobility challenged seniors 
is an electric recliner lift chair. While they look just 
like regular recliners, powerlift recliners come with a 
built-in motor that raises and lowers the entire chair, 
which makes sitting down and getting up much 
easier. 

- With literally dozens of different types and styles of 
lift recliners to choose from, here are a few key points 
that can help you select a good fit for your dad.

- Chair size: The recliner needs to fit the person sitting 
in it, so your dad’s height and weight will determine 
the size of chair he needs. 

- Reclining options: Aside from the lifting system, 
the degree in which the chair reclines is your choice 
too. Most lift recliners are sold as either two-position, 
three-position or infinite-position lift chairs. The two-
position chairs recline only to about 45 degrees, which 
makes them ideal for watching TV or reading. But if 
your dad wants to nap, he’ll probably want a three-
position or infinite-position chair that reclines almost 
completely horizontally. 

. Style and features: You’ll also need to choose the 
type of fabric, color and back style you want the chair 
to be, or if you want any extra features like built-in 
heating or massage elements, or a wall hugging chair 
which is great if you’re tight on space. 

 While there are many companies that make lift 
recliners – such as Med-Lift, NexIdea, Catnapper, 
Berkline, Franklin and La-z-boy – Pride Mobility 
(pridemobility.com) and Golden Technologies 
(goldentech.com) have been around the longest 
and have some of the best reputations. With prices 
typically ranging between $600 and $2,000, you can 
find lift recliners at many medical supply stores and 
online. 

 You’ll also be happy to know that Medicare provides 
some help purchasing a lift chair. They cover the lift 
mechanism portion, which equates to around $300 
towards your purchase. 

Risedale Chairs

If powerlift recliners don’t appeal to your dad, another 
option to consider is a Risedale chair. These are open-
legged, wing back chairs that are different from lift 
recliners because only the seat cushion lifts instead of 
the whole chair. Sold by Carex Health Brands (carex.
com), the Risedale costs $725. 

Furniture Adapters 

If you’re looking for something less expensive, or if 
your dad doesn’t want different furniture, there are 
also a number of assistive products that can be added 
to his current furniture that can help too, like the 
Stander CouchCane or EZ Stand-N-Go (see stander.
com). 

 These products provide support handles that make 
sitting down and standing up a little easier, and they 
both work on couches and recliners. Available online 
at Amazon.com, the CouchCanes sell for around $110, 
and the EZ Stand-N-Go costs $129.

 Another way to make your dad’s furniture more 
accessible is by increasing its height with furniture 
risers. These typically range from 2 to 5 inches in 
height, are made of heavy-duty plastic or wood, and 
are inserted under the base of the legs or supports of 
his furniture. Costs typically range from a few dollars 
up to $50 or more and can be purchased at retail 
stores like Walmart and Target, or online at Amazon.
com. 

 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

SMASHED

You may have noticed that my 
column didn’t appear in last week’s 
paper. Usually when this happens 
it is because things have piled up 
at work and I’ve fallen behind in 
my submission of new material, or 
sometimes I simply don’t have any 
great ideas for an article. But this last week I did have a 
good excuse for failing to turn anything in --my finger 
hurt “like all get out!”

 What made it worse was that I wasn’t entirely sure 
how it happened. Sometime Wednesday night I woke 
up to get an extra blanket from the closet. Our closets 
have sliding doors that are infamous for smashing 
fingers, so in retrospect I think that must’ve been what 
caused it, but I was in a foggy sleep state at the time and 
can’t be sure. In the morning I was surprised that my 
finger hurt and was swollen. At that time, however, I 
hadn’t yet connected the dots between the pain in my 
finger and my midnight visit to the closet, so I thought 
maybe I had just slept on it funny. My husband told 
me I should have the nurse at the school where I work 
check it out.

 When I got to work I called my parents as I do every 
morning, and told them about my mystery injury. 
My Mom, bless her heart, did what she usually does 
whenever there is the slightest thing wrong with me 
--overreact. (What a blessing it is to have a mom who 
cares about you enough to overreact!) I assured her 
that it was probably not a tumor or Ebola. I was a little 
concerned when my Dad, the voice of reason, thought 
it could’ve been an infection for which I would need an 
antibiotic. 

 Throughout the day I was alright as long as I ignored 
the pain and swelling. When you work with kids 
there is never a dull moment, which is good if you are 
trying to take your mind off your own problems. I was 
debating whether or not to have the nurse check out my 
finger. She’s new at the school and I felt kind of silly 
waiting behind a kid who got hit with a ball at recess 
to have her look at my damaged digit. But she was very 
nice and took her time examining me. “And you don’t 
know how it happened?” she asked. “I think I may have 
smashed it in the closet door?” I said sheepishly. “The 
only other thing I can think of is a bite.” she said. Oh 
great! I thought. Our house, like probably every other 
property in Sierra Madre, has experienced an outdoor 
infestation of brown widow spiders. (I will have to write 
an article about that, too!) I had only seen one inside, 
but the thought of sleeping with those nasty buggers 
might just inspire my husband and I to burn our house 
down. We both HATE spiders! “But there doesn’t 
appear to be any bite marks.” the nurse said, turning 
my sausage sized finger from side to side. “Yeah, that’s 
pretty swollen.” she said. 

 By now the normal creases in my finger had 
disappeared. It reminded me of a bloated queen 
termite. (If this metaphor isn’t doing anything for 
you, look up images of queen termites and you’ll see 
exactly what I’m talking about.) “Is it, like--” she made 
a grimace to show that she was looking for a word. 
“Throbbing?” I said, “Yes.” “Can you move it?” she 
asked. I gingerly bent my finger for her. “Yeah, I don’t 
think you broke it,” she continued, “Otherwise you’d 
be howling in pain right now.” Does it still count that I 
might be howling if I wasn’t too embarrassed to do that 
in front of you and the second grader with a bump on 
his head? “Okay, well that’s good to know.” I replied. 
“I’ll get you an ice pack” she said, going to the little 
fridge between her desk and the cot where the sick kids 
lie down. I thanked her as I swaddled it around my club 
finger. It was noon and I had about three hours to go.

 As the day progressed I realized just how invaluable 
my right index finger is. Typing was difficult, using 
a fork at lunch was slightly challenging. However, 
things got worse during a meeting that afternoon. My 
presentation was over fairly quickly, although I had to 
consciously not gesture with my hands while talking. 
I didn’t want to scare anyone. By now my ice pack 
had become room temperature, and I could feel the 
blood throbbing against the taut skin. What if this is 
an infection? I thought. Maybe my finger’s going to 
actually explode! I remembered that you’re supposed 
to elevate wounds above your heart to lessen the blood 
flow, but I didn’t feel like I could casually hold my hand 
over my head for the rest of the meeting. 

 At one point the nurse came in to present her 
information. Here is my chance! I thought. I’ll 
discretely ask her to bring me another ice pack when 
she leaves the meeting. She is very serious and focused, 
so it took a while for her to notice me staring at her. 
Finally I whispered, “Really sorry! Could I please 
trade it in for a new one?” lifting my warm ice pack for 
her to see. She smiled, “Yeah! No problem!” I smiled 
back and waited for her to get up --but she never did. 
As the painful minutes ticked by I realized that she 
misinterpreted my indirect request for her to get me 
another ice pack. Sometimes when I’m stressed I can 
be literal like that, too. When at last I realized waiting 
for her was futile, I chose an opportune moment to 
excuse myself. 

 Part of why I wanted the nurse to get the ice pack 
herself was that I didn’t want to go through her 
things. But it didn’t matter now, all that mattered was 
surviving the meeting. Her little fridge looked like the 
promised land. So you’ll appreciate my dismay when, 
upon opening it, there was only a bottle of medicine 
inside! Gritting my teeth, I replaced my warm ice pack 
and returned to the meeting. The nurse smiled at me as 
I sat down, not noticing the absence of a new ice pack. 
I smiled back at her, wearily. Driving home that day I 
hooked my hand above my head on the door handle, 
not caring how ridiculous I looked to the other drivers. 
The swelling eventually went down and, as you can see, 
I’m able to type again. The morals of the story are: Be 
careful of sliding doors, particularly when you’re half 
asleep. And keep two bags of frozen peas at work, they 
make great ice packs, I learned.


UPCOMING EXCURSIONS:

LUNCH AND HOME DELIVERED MEALS PROGRAM

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale 
daily lunch program held at the Hart Park House. Meals are served Monday through Friday 
at 12:00pm (participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45am). Meals are suggested donation 
of $3.00 for seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Reservations for lunch must be 
made at least 24 hours in advance by calling 626-355-0256. The Meals-On-Wheels program 
offers hot meals to homebound seniors within the community. Meals are delivered at the 
door, Monday through Friday. For more information on this program, contact the YWCA San 
Gabriel Valley Intervale program at 626-214-9467.

LIFESAVERS PARAMEDIC SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM

The Sierra Madre Lifesavers Paramedic Subscription Program is an official program offered by 
the City of Sierra Madre which offsets the cost of emergency medical responses. The membership 
program is available to residents of Sierra Madre. Your subscription to the program will perform 
similar to a secondary insurance plan, with no out-of-pocket cost to you. Subscriptions are 
$60.00 per individual (July 1 – June 30). For additional information contact The Sierra Madre Fire 
Department 626-355-3611. 

PleaseRSVP626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre BlvdSierra Madre, CA 91024www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFE License198601953Join Us at The Kensingtonfor Festive Holiday SongsFeaturing talented studentsof the Connie Washburn StudioTuesday, December 1, 2015 from 6:00pm-7:30pmat The Kensington, 245 West Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, CAHors d’oeuvres and refreshments servedRSVP to SSciurba@KensingtonSL.com or 626-355-5700YOUR INVITATION TO A NIGHT OF HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT
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