THE GOOD LIFE
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Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 17, 2016
SENIOR HAPPENINGS
HEALTH TIPS AND ADVICE FOR SENIOR TRAVELERS
Dear Savvy Senior,
My husband and I are recently retired and would
like to do some traveling both in the United States
and abroad, but worry about health issues, such as
insurance, finding a good hospital if we get sick, etc.
What tips can you offer health conscious seniors who
want to travel?
Older Travelers
Dear Travelers,
A dream vacation can turn into a real nightmare if
you get sick or injured while you’re away and aren’t
prepared. Before setting out, here are some simple
steps to help ensure a safe and healthy trip.
Talk to your doctor: If you have a medical
condition or health concerns, a good first step is to
talk with your doctor now about what precautions
you need to take before traveling. You should also
have your doctor’s contact information with you
when you travel, as well as a list of your medical
conditions and the medications you’re taking in case
you need emergency medical care while you’re away.
If you’re traveling outside the U.S., you need
to find out the health conditions of the country
you’re visiting and what, if any, vaccinations and/
or preventative medications are recommended.
See CDC.gov/travel or call 800-232-463 to get this
information.
Check your insurance: If you have health
insurance or a Medicare Advantage plan through
an HMO or PPO that covers in-network doctors
only, check your plan to find out what’s covered if
you need medical care when traveling outside your
geographic area.
Beneficiaries that have original Medicare
are covered everywhere in the U.S. But if you’re
traveling abroad, you need to know that original
Medicare does not cover medical expenses beyond
the border except in rare circumstances, although
some Medicare Advantage plans and some Medigap
supplemental policies do. And, many private health
plans don’t pay health care costs outside the U.S.
either. Be sure to check.
If you need coverage when traveling abroad, get a
comprehensive travel medical insurance policy that
covers medical care, medical evacuation and trip
cancellation coverage. See InsureMyTrip.com and
SquareMouth.com to shop and compare policies.
Locate health care: Before your trip, find out what
health and urgent care facilities are near the areas
you’re visiting. Your hotel can help you with this, or
see UrgentCareLocations.com or USHospitalFinder.
com for U.S. facilities.
If you’re traveling abroad, the U.S. consulate or
embassy in the countries you’re visiting (go to step.
state.gov to enroll your trip) is a good place to get
a referral. Or join the International Association for
Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT.org), which
provides its members access to a worldwide network
of physicians who speak English and have agreed to
affordable prearranged fees. Membership is free.
Pack your meds: Make sure you have a sufficient
supply of medications to last the entire trip.
If traveling by air, you need to pack your medicine
in your carry-on bag, so if your checked luggage gets
lost or misdirected you won’t be without. It’s best to
keep your medications in their original containers to
get through airport security without delays. It’s also a
good idea to bring along a note from your doctor that
explains why you take these medications, especially
if syringes or other medical supplies are involved.
For airport security requirements visit TSA.gov
– click on “Disabilities and Medical Conditions.”
You can also call TSA Cares at 855-787-2227 prior
to traveling with questions about screening policies,
procedures and what to expect at the security
checkpoint.
Seek mobility aids: If mobility is an issue and you’re
flying to your destination, call your airline before
you leave and ask them to supply you a wheelchair
to use while you’re in the airport. And when booking
hotel reservations, ask for an accessible room that
accommodates wheelchairs and walkers.
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.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ….September Birthdays
Clem Bartolai, Pat Hall, Donna Anderson, Teresa Chaure, Cathy Gunther, Esther
Macias, Sheila Pierce, Nancy Sue Shollenberger, Yvonne Osti, Patti O’Meara, Judie
Cimino, Mary Steinberg, Geri Wright, Parvin Dabiri, Denise Reistetter and Nehama
Warner.
* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth
not required but you must be over 60.
...................................................................
ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the
Hart Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre
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: Will resume in the fall.
Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10:00 - 11:00am. Join instructor
Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula.
Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00 pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to join.
May be cancelled if less than 5 people.
Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11:00am - 12:00 pm. No appt. necessary.
Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 - 11:45am. A suggested donation of $5 at one of the
classes is requested, but is not required.
Case Management: Meets the second 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 12:00 pm. (Please note the time change.) A regular group of
seniors play poker. Other games available for use.
Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45 - 1:30 pm 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.
SENIOR EXCURSION -
THE GETTY CENTER (WEST LOS ANGELES)
September 16, 2016
Time: 9:00am to 4:00 pm
Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center
Cost: $ 10.00 (Does not include lunch)
Discover the museum’s historic collection and the Getty Center’s architecture and gardens by
participating in a rich selection of engaging talks and tours that bring the Getty Center’s unique
setting and the visual art to life. There are several gardens and fountains and landscaping for the public
enjoyment. Lunch will be on your own. Choose from elegant dining in the Restaurant (reservations are
recommended, 310-440-6810), to casual meals, coffee, and snacks at the Café, Garden Terrace Café, or
the Coffee Carts.
Participants should bring money for lunch and souvenirs. Level of walking: High. Please call the Hart
Park House 626-355-7394.
HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
THE JOY OF YOGA
CHALLENGE YOURSELF
What good
does all your
generosity
and love do if
you keep it to
yourself? Part of
a thriving yoga practice is having the ability to
flow freely and dynamically in the world. Your
practice should provide that for you. At times,
though, there is an experience of stagnation and
self-containment. To step out of that smaller,
limited space, there must be challenge. As a
general rule of thumb, you can’t grow unless you
challenge yourself. Thus, we need some heat, or
tapas within our practice.
A friend who was having a hard time recently
suggested an idea for this article. She said, “Please
write an article on ‘How to get out of a dark place”.
I thought for a moment on how to approach that
topic. It’s such a common struggle. Darkness
can apply to heaviness, sadness and the feeling
of being stuck. When this feeling comes on and
gets embedded, challenge is almost the last thing
we want to do. In fact, lying on the couch, alone,
seems like the best option. It brings up a very
good point: when there is no desire to grow, we
must create that for ourselves.
Creating a practice that brings enlivenment and
fluidity is key to breaking free of stagnation. A
focus on deepening and extending inhalation
along with moderate back bending is ideal. Think
about activating the upper body, heart, chest, and
throat with the breath. The practice should also
support your power of digestion at the navel center.
We do this by activating the abdomen and all the
muscles there. The pace at which you practice is
important. An efficient, progressive, continuous
pace works well. Still being mindful, deliberate
and conscious in movement and breath though.
A practice that includes these components will
leave you with a sense of ease and enlivenment. As
vitality is built up, there’s an overflow of love and
generosity that just naturally becomes available
to the world around us. The personal benefits are
immeasurable, but others get to receive too. It’s a
win-win.
Come to class, shed those extra layers and uncover
the beautiful you!
Namaste and Love, Keely Totten
Your InvItatIon to an EvEnt at thE KEnsIngton sIErra MadrERCFE License198601953www.theKensingtonsierraMadre.comWEdnEsdaY, octobEr 5, 2016From: 6:30pm – 8:00pm
at the Kensington
245 West sierra Madre blvd.
sierra Madre, ca 91024(626) 355-5700EvEnt dEtaIls• What activities really help bone health –and what
really does not! (You’re going to be surprised!)
• Does dairy consumption really help bone health –
or does it not?
• How to commit to memory the ENTIRE array
of actions representing a more successful bone-
healthy lifestyle.
• Some rather stunning statistics about osteoporosis
that will no doubt make you take bone health
much more seriously.
• The ironies around when cooking affects food
“negatively” for bone health, and when they
actually don’t do so.
• Best foods for Vitamin D, calcium.
• Best fruit for bone health (by far) – and how it’s
been made easy and practical to consume easily
every day.
• When to consider the medications for bone health
– and when NOT to.
• How to actually use colors to best measure and to
motivate one against osteoporosis.
Please rsvP via email tossciurba@Kensingtonsl.comor by calling 626-355-5700
Bone Health Made EasyAssessments will be available on a first come first serve basis.
Dr. Kenneth C. Howayeck
Health Success Educator, Author, and
Retired, Board Certified Foot & Ankle SurgeonLearn to keep your bones healthy with Dr. Kenneth C. Howayeck
200 WORMS AND NOT A PAPER
UMBRELLA IN SIGHT!
I’m sorry to be guilty again of recycling an old article. But
this one’s SO old that I barely remember it, which means
you definitely won’t. Enjoy!
If you were at the Buccaneer Lounge on May 21, please
don’t think that the middle-aged lady asking for a paper
umbrella was crazy. She’s not nuts --she’s just my mom.
Let me lead you down the winding trail of how my mom
found herself in the Buccaneer on a Monday afternoon.
It all started on Sunday, the day of the solar eclipse. I’ve
heard that eclipses bring out the weirdness in people
and animals. Maybe that’s why something seemed off
kilter when I left for a jog around
town. Passing Alverno, I couldn’t
help noticing a little gray fluff ball
perched on a twig in the middle of the
sidewalk. Upon closer inspection, I
saw two beady eyes gazing out as if to
ask, “What ‘choo lookin’ at?”
Some people are dog people. Some
people are cat people. And then there
are bird people, who are a bit weirder
than their mammalian counterparts.
(Apologies to all my fellow bird people,
but you must admit it’s true...) Had
the encounter occurred closer to my
apartment, or if I had been carrying
my cell phone, things would’ve been
easier. Nevertheless, there I was with
Finch, and what bird-loving person
wouldn’t try to rescue him out of
harm’s way? Seeing how comfortable
he was on his twig, I cupped my hands
over him and the twig and began the
trek to my parents’ house, because they
have cages and baby bird food.
I felt a little funny walking with
my hands clasped together against
my chest, the long ends of the branch
sticking out on either side like curb finders. My parents
are retired, so they were able to watch Finch when I went
to work the next day. Or rather, they didn’t have a good
excuse not to watch him
Work passed uneventfully, but when I called my
parents, they explained that their day was anything but
ordinary! Apparently Finch was suspicious of his semi-
liquid food, and refused to open his mouth. They tried
waiting until he peeped to shove in the food. But he
became very good at peeping through a closed beak, like a
ventriloquist. Fearing that he’d starve, my mom decided
to try feeding him worms. So she and my dad went to Pet
Smart to buy some. Wouldn’t you know that they didn’t
have any! Then my parents tried Centinella Pets. No luck
there, either. So they drove up and down Foothill, trying
to find the new location of “Highlander Pets,” a reliable
worm supplier. At last they found it. Unfortunately, the
owner was out of the containers of 25 meal worms, and
the smallest quantity she had was 200. Desperate, my
parents bought it. Back at the house hours later, Finch
was even less interested in the worms, and glared at them
disdainfully.
Meanwhile, my parents were hustling to finish an
“End of School” series for their online teachers’ store
(Readysets.com, you must check it out!) They had nearly
everything ready except the sample photo for a pop-
up summer/math coloring card. The finished product
involved a bear holding a paper
umbrella. Unbeknownst to me or my
dad, my mom took it upon herself to
find a paper cocktail umbrella for this
photo.
She scoured the liquor department
at Albertson’s, but came up empty-
handed. Rite-Aid, too, was a bust.
(A pharmacy isn’t the place I’d look
for cocktail ware. But I think she was
there to get dental floss anyway.) Back
in Sierra Madre she tried Happy’s, but
the paper umbrella remained elusive.
At the end of her tether, she decided
to try the Buccaneer. She parked in
back where there was a group of men
smoking and lounging around. Feeling
self-conscious, she went through the
Mail Boxes store to enter the Buck
through the front.
The Buck’s a great place, but
my mom didn’t fit in with its usual
crowd. And as if being a middle-aged,
teacher-type lady wearing flip flops in
the Buccaneer Lounge on a Monday
afternoon wasn’t enough --she had to
ask for a paper umbrella to top it all off.
The bartender looked around. “Nope. Sorry, I’ve run out.”
At this point, the guys at the bar had taken an interest in
this novel visitor, and started making suggestions. “Did
you try Albertson’s?” “What about Highland Liquor? Oh
wait... they closed.” Embarrassed and umbrella-less, my
mom thanked everyone and left as quickly as possible.
When she told my dad about it, he went to the garage
and returned in a moment with a paper umbrella,
(Apparently he had one on his work bench because he
thought it looked cute). Then when she told me about it,
I explained that I had half a box of paper umbrellas in my
office (you collect all sorts of unusual stuff in education).
Needless to say, my mom now has enough paper umbrellas
to last for a long time. Meanwhile, the bird finally started
eating the formula. So, let us know if you need any meal
worms!
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
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