Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, October 1, 2022

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 1, 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 

AUTO AIDS THAT MAKE DRIVING EASIER AND AND SAFER 

Dear Savvy Senior:
Do you know of any car gadgets that can help older drivers? 
I drive a 12-year-old car and have arthritis in my 
neck, back and knees which limits my mobility making it 
more difficult to get in and out of the car and look over 
my shoulder to backup. Almost 80 


Dear Almost: 
To help keep older drivers safe and extend their driving years, there are a number of inexpensive 
products you can purchase that can easily be added to your vehicle to help with many different 
needs. Here are some popular auto aids to consider. 

Entry and Exit Aids 

For mobility challenged seniors who have a difficult time entering and exiting a vehicle – especially 
cars that are low to the ground or high vehicles such as SUV’s or pickup truck’s – there are 
a variety of support handles and special seat cushions that can help. 

Some examples include the Stander (stander.com) “HandyBar” ($40), which is a portable support 
grab bar that inserts into the U-shaped striker plate on the doorframe, and the “CarCaddie” ($20), 
a nylon support handle that buckles around the top of the door window frame. Stander also has 
an “Auto Swivel Seat Cushion” ($40), that rotates 360 degrees to help drivers and passengers pivot 
their body into and out of their vehicle. 

Rear Vision Improvements 

To help those with neck and back range of motion problems, which makes looking over the 
shoulder to back-up or merge into traffic difficult, there are special mirrors you can add as well 
as back-up cameras. 

To widen rear visibility and eliminate blind spots, Verivue Mirrors (verivuemirrors.com) offers 
the popular “Universal 12-Inch Panoramic Rearview Mirror” ($13) that clips on to existing rear-
view mirrors, along with a variety of “Blind Spot Mirrors” ($5 for two), which are small convex 
mirrors that stick to the corner of the sideview mirrors. 

Another helpful device is the “Auto-vox CS-2 Wireless Backup Camera Kit” ($120, www.autovox.
com). This comes with a night vision camera that attaches to the rear license plate, and a 
small monitor that mounts to the dash or windshield. When the vehicle is in reverse, it sends live 
images wirelessly to the monitor so you can see what’s behind you. 

Seat Belt Extenders 

For plus-sized people or those with mobility problems, there are seat belt extension products that 
can make buckling up a little easier. For example, Seat Belt Extender Pros (seatbeltextenderpros.
com) offers vehicle-specific “Seat Belt Extenders” ($13 to $26) that fit into the seat belt buckle 
receiver to add a few inches of length, making them easier to fasten. They also sell a “Seat Belt 
Grabber Handle” ($8), which is a rubber extension handle that attaches to the seat belt strap to 
make it easier to reach. 

Gripping Devices 

If you have hand arthritis that makes gripping difficult or painful, consider the “SEG Direct Steering 
Wheel Cover” ($17) that fits over the steering wheel to make it larger, softer and easier to grip. 
And for help twisting open tight gas caps, the “Gas Cap & Oil Cap Opener by Gascapoff ” ($17) is 
a long-handled tool that works like a wrench to loosen and tighten gas caps. 

Many of these products can be found in your local auto supply stores or online at the manufacturer’s 
website or at Amazon.com. Just type the product name in the search bar to find them. 

Professional Help 

If you need more assistance, consider contacting a driver rehabilitation specialist who are trained 
to evaluate elderly drivers and provide safety and driving equipment suggestions. 

In addition to the types of aids mentioned in this column, there’s also a range of adaptive driving 
equipment that can be professionally installed on a vehicle – like swing-out swivel seats, pedal 
extenders, hand controls and more – to help people with various disabilities. To locate a driver 
rehabilitation specialist in your area, visit ADED.net or MyAOTA.aota.org/driver_search. 

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! …OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS* 

Janda Ferris, Darlene Traxler, Margit Johnson, Sole Krieg, George Maurer, 
Dick Anderson, Eva Poet, Mary Jane Baker, Dixie Coutant, Jill Franks, 
Cathleen Cremins, Adie Marshall, Darlene Crook, Susan Gallagher, Maggie 
Ellis, Gloria Giersbach, Ellen O’Leary, Jenny Piangenti, 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 

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 play 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 

Thursday, 10/13 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 Oct. 12 and Oct. 26 — 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, 10/4 and 10/18 —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 - Tuesday, Oct. 11 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. 

LOTERIA: Oct. 20 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm 
Come down to the HPH (Hart Park House) for a lively round of Loteria (Mexican Bingo) 
Prizes await! 

OCTOBER CRAFT Tuesday, October 25 10:30am Hart Park House 
Have you ever had interest in balloon art? Well you are in luck! Join Recreation Coordinator 
Pardo as she instructs us on how to create a cat, bat or pumpkin balloon column. Space is limited 
so please call or email Lawren to reserve your spot. 

SENIOR CINEMA Wednesday, 10/12— 1:00 pm Hubie Halloween 

PG-13 1h 43m 
Good-natured but eccentric community volunteer Hubie Dubois finds himself 
at the center of a real murder case on Halloween night. Despite his devotion 
to his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts (and its legendary Halloween 
celebration). 


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder 

WHY GOD GAVE ME A TONGUE 

One thing about getting older is that you begin to understand the old saying 
that you don’t know what you don’t know. It has been so true for me. When 
I think I know everything, something comes up that I never even thought 
about. 

Sometimes The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage brings up something that I need to learn 
and she is a persuasive teacher. 

Truth be told, I didn’t really know what my tongue was all about. It’s been in my mouth from 
before the time I was born. And yet recently, I discovered a new aspect of my tongue.
The other day I snuck out of the house and went down to a restaurant, which shall be undisclosed 
here, to get a senior coffee and an Apple Fritter. 

Apple Fritters are not permitted in our home. For some reason, The Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage does not allow Apple Fritters to be part of my diet. She has explained this many 
times, and yet I still do not know the whole reason behind it.
And yet, sometimes I get a yearning for an Apple Fritter. I can only restrain that yearning for 
so long before I succumb to the desire to go and get one. I knew I could not bring it home, or 
I would be in some deep trouble, so I stayed at that unmentioned restaurant and enjoyed my 
coffee and Apple Fritter. 

As I was enjoying my time with my coffee and Apple Fritter, I suddenly became aware of 
something. It is amazing how often I come up with something that I’ve never come up with 
before. I had an idea that I never thought about before. 

The idea had everything to do with my tongue. How many times have I ever thought about my 
tongue? It’s in my mouth, I assume it’s doing its job, and forget it’s there. 

As I was munching on my Apple Fritter, I began to understand the purpose of my tongue, 
which had nothing to do with wagging.
As I thought about it, the thought that dominated my mind was simply this, if it weren’t for my 
tongue, I would not know how delicious this Apple Fritter really was. 

For a moment, I was frozen in time, and for the first time in my life, I began to appreciate 
my tongue. I laid my Apple Fritter down on a napkin and just admired it for a few moments. 
There it was in all of its magnificent glory and delicious taste. I don’t know who invented the 
Apple Fritter, but they deserve a Nobel Peace Prize from my point of view. 

I was going to savor this moment, and I slowly picked up the Apple Fritter, took a bite, and 
laid it back down on the napkin. I let that piece marinate in my mouth and let my tongue do 
its work. 

My tongue was very busy at that moment, conveying to me a most delicious aspect of that 
Apple Fritter. I never would’ve guessed that my tongue was so important to me. I mentally 
made a note that I would take better care of my tongue than I’d ever done before. My tongue 
has to become my favorite companion. 

Sitting there, the waitress came up and said, “Is everything okay?”
I looked at her, tossed her a wonderful smile, and said, “Yes, everything is perfect.” 
She smiled at me and then went back to her job. 

I thought of the word “perfect” and how it related to my tongue. I don’t know about other 
days, but today my tongue was perfect in expressing the delicious nature of that Apple Fritter.
I was wrestling with a little temptation at the time. I was tempted to go up to the counter and 
order another Apple Fritter. I remembered that hymn that says, “Yield not to temptation for 
yielding is sin.” Oh, how I wanted to sin at that moment. I did not yield, but I did enjoy the last 
bite of that marvelous Apple Fritter. 

Glancing at my watch, I realized I needed to finish up here and get home. It was so hard to 
leave behind such a delicious experience.
Leaving the restaurant, I noticed my tongue wagging back and forth in my mouth, most of the 
Apple Fritter I just ate.
I got home, and walked in the front door. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage was there 
and looking at me, she said, “Where have you been? And, what’s wrong with your tongue?”
Smiling at her, I simply said, “My tongue is wonderful. We had a wonderful time together.” 
Looking at me rather strangely she said, “Oh, yeah?”
I knew I could not tell her of my experience of the day, and I don’t think she would’ve understood. 
Some things are better left to yourself. This was one of them. No way could she understand 
what I experienced with my tongue and my Apple Fritter.
In thinking about this I was reminded of a person Scripture. “A wholesome tongue is a tree of 
life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).
A tongue can either be a blessing or a curse. It just determines how you use it. I can use my 
tongue for good and bless people or, I can allow my tongue to be a curse. God gave me my 
tongue, now I need to use it for his honor and glory. 

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. com. 

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