Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, September 24, 2022

Mountain Views-News September 24, 2022 

Specializing in PlacingSeniors in Assisted Living and 
Memory Care Communities 

ASSISTED LIVING OR NURSING 
HOME? 

There are many myths about Assisted 
Living being like Nursing Homes. 
This is not true at all. Nursing facilities 
are for those with chronic health 
issues who require care around the 
clock from medical professionals. 


In Assisted Living, one will get the support as needed, such as getting help with showering, grooming, 
and dressing. Again, these services are based on the seniors needs. 

There are many reasons in working with us. At Safe Path for Seniors, we will assess the senior and 
depending on their care needs and budget, make recommendations. For example, we may suggest 
that the right fit is a Board and Care Home (normally a 6-bedroom house) as opposed to an Assisted 
Living Community or a Memory Support Facility. You will work with an experienced agent who 
knows the industry well and will give you recommendations. The good news is that there is no 
cost for this service. 

If you have any questions about placing a loved one, visit www.safepathforseniors.com or call Steve 
at 626-999-6913 

FREE ONLINE HEARING TESTS YOU CAN TAKE HOME 

Dear Savvy Senior:
Can you recommend any good online hearing tests? 
My husband has hearing loss, but I can’t get him 
to go in and get his hearing checked, so I thought a 
simple online test could help him recognize he has a 
problem. What can you tell me?
Loud Talking Linda 


Dear Linda: 

There’s actually a growing number of very good online and app-based hearing tests available that 
will let your husband check his hearing on his own. These tests are a quick and convenient option 
for the millions of Americans that have mild to moderate hearing loss but often ignore it, or don’t 
want to go through the hassle or expense of visiting an audiologist for a hearing exam. 

Who Should Test? 
Hearing loss for most people develops gradually over many years of wear and tear, which is the 
reason many people don’t realize they actually have a hearing problem. 

Anyone who has difficulty hearing or understanding what people say, especially in noisier environments 
or over the phone. Or, if you need a higher volume of music or TV than other people, should 
take a few minutes to test their hearing. 

Self-Hearing TestsOnline and app-based hearing tests can serve as a great screening tool. They are not meant to be 
a diagnosis, but rather to give you an idea of how bad your hearing loss is and what can be done 
about it. 

For most do-it-yourself hearing tests, you’ll be advised to wear ear headphones or earbuds and sit 
in a quiet spot. 

You also need to know that there are two different type of tests available. One type is known as 
pure-tone testing, where tones are played in decreasing volumes to determine your specific level of 
hearing loss. And the other type is known as speech-in-noise or digits-in-noise (DIN) where you’ll 
be asked to identify words, numbers, or phrases amid background noise. 

Where to Test 
If your husband uses a smartphone or tablet, two of my favorite app-based hearing tests are the 
hearWHO app created by the World Health Organization, and the Mimi Hearing Test app. Both 
apps are free to use and are available through the App Store and Google Play. 

HearWHO allows users to check their hearing status and monitor it over time using a DIN test, 
while Mimi uses pure-tone and masked threshold tests to give you a detailed picture of your hearing 
abilities. 

There are also a wide variety of online hearing tests your husband can take on a computer.
Some top online tests – all offered by hearing aid manufacturers – for speech-in-noise or DIN tests 
can be accessed at ReSound (resound.com/en-us/online-hearing-test) and Mircle Ear (miracle-ear.
com/online-hearing-test). 

And some good online hearing tests for pure-tone testing are available by Signia (signia.net/en/
service/hearing-test); Ergo (eargo.com/hearing-health/hearing-check); and MD Hearing Aid (mdhearingaid.
com/hearing-test). 

All of these hearing tests are completely free to use and take less than five minutes to complete. 

What to do with Results 
If the tests indicate your husband has hearing loss, it’s best to think of that as a starting point. He 
should take results to his doctor or an audiologist for further evaluation. 

Many insurance providers and Medicare Advantage plans cover routine hearing exams, however 
original Medicare does not. 

If his hearing loss is mild to moderate, he should look into the new over-the-counter (OTC) hearing 
aids, which are available this fall online and at retailers like Best Buy, Walgreens and CVS. 

OTC hearing aids don’t require a prescription or medical examination for purchase and they’re 
much more affordable than traditional hearing aids you buy through an audiologist or a licensed 
hearing instrument specialist. 

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. 


SENIOR HAPPENINGS 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS* 

Clem Bartolai, Pat Hall, Donna Anderson, Teresa Chaure, Cathy 
Gunther, Esther Macias, Sheila Pierce, Nancy Sue Shollenberger, Patti 
O’Meara, Judie Cimino, Mary Steinberg, Geri Wright, Parvin Dabiri, 
Denise Reistetter and Nehama Warner, Virginia Mullaney, Gwen 

Robertson. 

* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. 
YEAR of birth not required 
SIERRA MADRE SENIOR CLUB Every Saturday from 11:30am-3:30 pm in the Hart Park 
House Senior Center. Join us as we celebrate birthdays, holidays and pay BINGO. Must be 
50+ to join. For more information call Mark at 626-355-3951. 

DOMINOES TRAIN GAME 1st and 3rd Wednesdays, 11:00 am— 12:30 pm Hart Park 
House The object of the game is for a player to play all the tiles from their hand onto one or 
more trains, emanating from a central hub or “station”. Call Lawren with questions that you 
may have. 

PAINT PALS 

Tuesday, 9/8 10:30 am—Hart Park House If you enjoy painting, sketching, water color, or 
making some other form of artistic creation please join our new program, PAINT PALS!!! Bring 
a project that you are working on to the HPH and enjoy some quality art time with other artists 
looking to paint with a new pal. 

TEA AND TALK SENIOR BOOK CLUB Tuesday Se3pt. 14 and Sept. 28 — 9:00 am 
Staff has launched a new book club series, Tea and Talk, which meets twice a month to discuss 
the fun, suspense, intrigue, love and so much more that each selection will have in store! 

FIBER FRIENDS Tuesday, 9/6 and 9/20 —10:00 am If you enjoy knitting, crocheting, embroidery, 
needlepoint, bunka, huck, tatting or cross stitch then we have a group for you! Bring 
your current project, a nonalcoholic beverage, then sit and chat with likeminded fiber friends. 
We meet in the Hart Park House 

CHAIR YOGA Every Monday and Wednesday, 10-10:45 am Please join us for some gentle 
stretching, yoga, balance exercise and overall relaxation with Paul. Classes are ongoing and held 
in the Memorial Park Covered Pavilion or the Hart Park House.. 

HULA AND POLYNESIAN DANCE Every Friday, 10-10:45 am Bring a lei, your flower 
skirt or just your desire to dance! Hula in the Park is back and waiting for you to join in on all 
the fun! Memorial Park Pavilion. 

BLOOD PRESSURE CLINIC - Sept. 13 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Methodist Hospital will be holding a free to seniors clinic once a month in the Hart Park 
House. Walk in are welcome - no pre-registration required. 

BINGO: Sept. 22 1:00 pm - 2:00 pmCome down to the HPH (Hart Park House) for a lively round of BINGO. Prizes await! 

SENIOR CINEMA Wednesday, 9/14— Beginning at 1:00 pm ELVIS PG-13 2h 39m 
The life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming 
a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex 
relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. 


Wednesday, 9/28—Beginning at 1:00 pm 9 to 5 PG 1 h 49 m Three female employees 
of a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot find a way to turn the tables on 
him. Hart Park House. 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

WHO'S REALLY IN CHARGE 

Living in the country, our family did not have a television in our home. 
Unfortunately, most people in our neighborhood did not have a television. 
That just was normal.
Somehow we managed to entertain ourselves without TV, and of 
course, we did not have the Internet then. So how we got along without Facebook and 
cell phones is more than I can remember.
Then in 1963, something happened that changed the world when President John F. 
Kennedy was assassinated.
When that happened, my father decided he needed a TV to keep up with the news 
concerning this event. With that TV came something called the TV remote control. I’ve 
never seen that kind of thing before and was rather curious about what in the world it 
was all about. 
My father set up the TV and showed us the TV remote control in his hand and how it 
worked. 
“This remote control,” my father explained, “is to control the TV.” 
Then he looked around at us as we sat there and said, “Because I am the man of this 
home, I have control of this TV remote control. So this is my responsibility.” 
Looking at me, the oldest of the children, he said, “As a man, you are to be in charge of 
this TV remote control.” When he said that, he looked at all the kids, then looked at my 
mother, and smiled.
Since my wife and I have been married, I have tried to communicate this to The Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage. I am the man of the house and responsible for the TV 
remote control. 
There are many things in our home I have no control over. I’m not allowed in the 
kitchen area for a variety of reasons. I tried when first married and have been barred 
from going there ever since. I even tried to wash the dishes once, which was a kitchen 
flood disaster. 
So, my responsibility is the TV remote control.
That went well for an extended period, but recently something has changed. The remote 
control batteries have been running out too quickly.
One night I told my wife that the batteries were dead and asked if we had any new batteries 
for this remote control. She said, “Oh, I thought you were in charge of the TV 
remote control?” 
She then brought me fresh batteries for the remote control with a very suspicious snicker 
on her face. I looked at her suspiciously, took the batteries, inserted them into the 
remote control, and it worked just fine.
The next day I tried to turn on the TV, and the remote control was not working for 
some reason. I checked it and found the batteries were dead. 
I asked my wife, “Didn’t I put new batteries in the remote control yesterday?”
My wife looked at me and nodded her head. “Do you need new batteries again?”
She then got two new batteries, brought them to me, I gave her the old ones and put in 
the new ones, which were working very nicely. So I sat back in my chair in complete 
control of the TV. I was beginning to appreciate my father’s advice.
The remote control worked fine for the next few days, and I forgot about running out 
of battery power.
Then three days later, the batteries again were dead. I had to stop and think a little about 
what was happening. Batteries don’t work like this, at least from my experience.
When my wife walked into the room, she looked at me and said, “Is your remote control 
working okay today?”
How she said it caused me to think a little about what was happening. Something 
seemed a little bit out of whack. 
Then she handed me two new batteries, took the old ones and walked away with a 
smile. 
Thinking about this, I came up with a plan to figure out if she was playing me or not. 
I put a little X on the old batteries, and a little 0 on the new ones. I have been wrong 
so many times, but the thing that danced in my head was, what if I’m right about this?
The batteries worked for two days, and then on the third day, once again, they were 
dead. 
Before I could say anything, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage brought me two 
new batteries for the remote. “You probably need new batteries today, don’t you?”
I put the new batteries in, and the remote was working as usual. So before I went to bed, 
I checked the marks on the batteries, and it was a 0.
When I got up in the morning, I first checked the batteries and discovered both batteries 
had an X on them. So now I was beginning to see what was happening, she was 
switching them out at her discretion.
While I was trying to process this whole thing I was reminded of one of my favorite of 
Bible verses. Proverbs 3:5-6, “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto 
thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy 
paths.” 

When I think I know everything is going on around me, that’s when I get into deep 
trouble. I try to start out every day with the idea that I don’t know everything. The only 
person I can really trust for everything is the Lord. 

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