Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, June 10, 2017

WHAT TO DO WITH CREMATED ASHES? 
Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 10, 2017 10 THE GOOD LIFE THE GOOD LIFE 
HOW TO HIRE A HOME HELPER 

Dear Savvy Senior,
I would like to hire a personal assistant/home helperfor my mom to assist with some simple householdchores like house keeping, errand running, drivingher to the doctor, and keeping her company. Butmom doesn’t require personal/physical caregivingnor does she require any home medical care. Anytips to help us find someone?
Looking for Mom How it works is you pay the company, and 

they handle everything including assigningDear Looking,appropriately trained and pre-screened staff toGetting your mom some help at home to handlecare for your mom, and finding a fill-in on dayssome of her household chores can make a bigher helper cannot come.
difference keeping her independent longer. Here’sSome of the drawbacks, however, are that youwhat you should know, along with some tips tomay not have much input into the selection ofhelp you find someone reliable for your mom. the aide, and the helpers may change or alternate,

which can cause a disruption.

Home HelpersTo find a home care agency in your area, GoogleFor seniors who could use some help at home –“non-medical home care” followed by the city andbut don’t need a caregiving aide for personal carestate your mom lives in, or you can use Medicare’s

– there are a bevy of personal assistance/homehome health agencies search tool Medicare.gov/
helpers out there that can help make life a littlehhcompare. Most home health agencies offereasier. some form of non-medical home care services too. 
Most home helpers can assist with any number You can also check your local yellow pages underof things like shopping, running errands, “home healthcare services.” 
transportation, light house keeping, laundry,
meal preparation, arranging services (homeHiring Directlymaintenance, lawn care, etc.) and other householdHiring a personal assistant/home helper on your

chores, along with providing companionshipown is the other option, and it’s less expensive.
and support. And, if your mom gets to the pointCosts typically range between $10 and $20 pershe needs personal/physical care like bathing orhour. Hiring directly also gives you more controldressing, they can usually help with this too.over who you hire so you can choose someone who

Most home helpers are part time workers whoyou feel is right for your mom.
work a few hours a day or a few days per week. YouBut, be aware that if you do hire someone onalso need to know that while Medicare does cover your own, you become the employer so there’shome health care services if a doctor orders it, no agency support to fall back on if a problemthey do not cover home helper/personal assistantoccurs or if the assistant doesn’t show up. You’reservices. also responsible for paying payroll taxes and

There are two ways in which you can go aboutany worker-related injuries that may happen. Ifhiring someone for your mom; either throughyou choose this option make sure you check thea home care agency, or you can hire someoneperson’s references thoroughly, and do a criminaldirectly on your own. background check.

To find someone, ask for referrals throughHome Care Agencyfriends or check online job boards like CraigsList.

Hiring a home helper through a non-medicalorg, or try Care.com, CareLinx.com, CareFamily.
home care, or non-medical companion carecom or CareSpotter.com.
agency is the easiest, but most expensive optionSend your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O.
of the two. Costs run anywhere from $12 up toBox 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
$30 an hour depending on where you live and theorg. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Todayqualification of the assistant/aide. show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 

BLOOD & TEA BAGS 

Hope you’re having a wonderful
summer! I’m sorry to be yet again
recycling another article from the
distant past. But since I can barely
remember I, I’m sure you can’t
either! So please enjoy, especially if
you are blessed with healthy gums!


 Can you take pain? When you slipwhile cutting melon do you laugh off the fact that yourleft forefinger is now three millimeters shorter than yourright? Or do you scream if grease flies from the fryingpan and singes your arm? I can’t bear nausea or havingmy blood drawn (the suction sound grosses me out), butother than that, I tolerate pain pretty well. I should warn 
you; this article is not for the faint of stomach. If you getwoozy at the mention of blood, continue on to anothersection of the paper!

 January is a time for renewal of health insurance,
and it was about this time last year when my dentist’sreceptionist called to cheerily inform me that my healthcare provider had approved yet another periodontal(gum) surgery. Oh joy! I’d been through a number ofthese operations before my dentist referred me to mycurrent specialist. He’s a tall, dark and suave Spanish guy with an exotic accent. We’ll call him Dr. Suave.

 Inspecting my previous surgical site, he remarked on how nicely his last operation turned out. With my 
mouth pried open I managed a weak “Uh huh.” He said next he’d tackle the upper front left quadrant of my 
mouth. For this, he’d need to harvest tissue from the deep part of my palate, which might be more painful.
If you’re blissfully ignorant of what these surgeries entail, let me enlighten you. The surgeon “harvests” somenice living tissue from the roof of your mouth, then cuts open your gums and stitches it in like a patch.

Yeah, yeah, I thought, listening to his prediction of pain. I’d never had to follow any precautions before. Hetold to me pick up some vitamin C and zinc supplements, along with frozen peas to lessen the swelling. “Uh 
huh,” I replied, with no intention of heeding his advice.

The surgery came and went; my eyes closed to the torture devices being sawed and drilled in me. I only 
wish they provided earplugs. Afterward, Dr. Suave fitted me with a rubber retainer to protect the harvested 
area. Underneath was a wad of gauze to soak up the blood. I numbly drove home, planning to take it off the 
next morning.

 To my surprise, some blood oozed out the back of the retainer. The gauze was starting to unravel, and longstrings tickled the back of my throat. Also, the pain was greater than before. I popped a couple Motrins andtried to determine if my face was as swollen as it felt. I attempted eating steamed veggies, but nearly gaggedwhen I realized the gauze had come loose and slid down my throat with a swallow of cauliflower.

 By dinner I was tired of wearing the retainer. As I gingerly removed it my husband asked if I wantedsomething soft to eat, but I cavalierly responded that I was fine! The first bite of chicken was okay, butthe next had a distinctly iron flavor, and felt as if it was warmly expanding as I chewed. Oh #*! I spit out 
the bloody food in a napkin and grabbed a freshone to staunch the bleeding. By then my husbandwas trying to be as helpful as one can be when one’sspouse’s palate is hemorrhaging. After a minute of 
applied pressure I carefully peeled away the napkin,
but was met with a fresh torrent of blood issuingfrom my mouth like a miniature geyser. I ran to 
the kitchen and held my head over the wastebasket.
Tears came, not because of any pain, but becausethe steady spattering wouldn’t stop. My husbandcalled Dr. Suave, who recommended compressingtea bags. Since neither of us are big tea drinkers,
my husband called my parents, and they arrivedshortly with a variety of teas. “Oh, yeah…” mymom nodded as I stuffed bags in my mouth likea chipmunk, “I had to use tea bags when I had mywisdom teeth out. I bled like a stuck pig for days.”

 When the flow finally ended, I downed vitamin Cand zinc tablets like they were candy, and consumednothing but yogurt and lukewarm tea for a week.
Recently a coworker asked me how my gum graftswent, since she is scheduled to have a similar 
procedure. Did it take a long time? Was it painful?
I smiled a thin-gummed grin, “Nah, piece of cake!” 


SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …June Birthdays* 


Joanne Thrane, Nellie Haynes, Dorothy McKay, Theresa Daley, Donna Doss, Mary 
Carney, Carol Handley, Marilyn McKernan, Pat Fujiwara, John Shier, Beth Smith-
Kellock, Ann Disbrow, Joan Ellison, Anne Montgomery, Trini Ornelas, Martha 
Spriggs, Pat Starkey, Kathleen Coyne, Suzanne Decker, Jacque Persing, Jeanne Peterson 
and Grace Sanders 

* 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 

Hawaiian & Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10a.m.
to 11a.m. Join instructor Barbara Dempsey as she leads you in the art of Hula. 
Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00p.m. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to join.
May be canceled if less than five people. 

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

Brain Games: Thursdays, 10:30a.m. to 11:30a.m., improve your memory and strengthen your 
brain. Activities facilitated by Senior Volunteers. 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesdays from 10:30a.m. to Noon. Attorney Lem Makupson isavailable for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, and Injury.
Appointments are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

Senior Club: Meets every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown Bag Lunch at 
11:30a.m. 

Tax Assistance: Every Wednesday beginning on February 1st through April 12th from 1:00p.m.
to 2:00p.m. - Don Brunner is available for income tax consultation. Appointments are required by 
calling 626-355-7394. 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45a.m. with Paul Hagen. 3rd Monday of eachmonth, a variety of balance exercises are practiced. All ability levels are encouraged and welcomed! 

*A suggested donation of $5 at one of the classes is requested, but is not required. 

Case Management: 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 Hart Park HouseOffice at 626-355-7394. 

Birthday Celebrations: Every 2nd Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House, share some freebirthday cake provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00p.m. Come join this group of Seniors in a poker game. 
Other games are offered to all. Please note time change. 

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

Stress, Resilience, Positivity: Finding Balance - by The Kensington Sierra Madre Four Tuesdays,
March 7 - 28th from 2:00 - 4:00p.m. Register by calling 213-821-6919 or 213-821-6908. 

SEASONAL FUN AT THE SENIOR CENTER 

Thursday, May 25th from 10:30a.m. – 11:30a.m. at the Hart Park House! 

Just in time for spring! Join us in making a silk flowers planter. All supplies will be provided. Let’s getcreative... Please call the Hart Park House, 626-355-7394, to make your reservations. 
Invite your friends and family for some arts and crafts fun and take home your planters for the season 

YOUR AD COULD BE HERE! 
Call Patricia: 626-818-2698 Today! 
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