Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 8, 2015

Mountain Views News Saturday, August 8, 2015 
11THE GOOD LIFE Mountain Views News Saturday, August 8, 2015 
11THE GOOD LIFE 
MOBILE SAFETY PRODUCTS THAT CAN 
HELP SENIORS ON THE GO 


Dear Savvy Senior:

Do you know of any medical alert SOS buttons for

seniors that work away from the home? I would like

to get one for my 80-year-old mother, but would like

to find one that’s not limited to the house. 

Shopping Son 


Dear Shopping:a fall is detected and your mom is unable to pushThere are actually a number of medical alertthe button. 
products on the market today that give seniors theThe GoSafe is available at lifelinesys.com (or 855flexibility 
to call for help both inside and outside the276-7761) for $149, with monthly services fees thathome. start at $55. 

For years, medical alert devices (also known as“personal emergency response systems” or PERS)Most Affordable Alert 
have been popular home safety products for elderlyIf the GoSafe is more than your mom needs, anotherseniors that live alone. These systems come with aoption that’s easier on the budget is the GreatCallwearable SOS pendent button – usually a necklaceSplash, which costs only $50, with a $35 activationor wristband – and a base station that connects to fee and monthly service fees that starts at $20.
the home phone line.This pendent-style waterproof device, which fits

At the press of a button, your loved one could callin the palm of your hand, works like a cell phoneand talk to a trained operator through the system’swith GPS tracking capabilities, and can be worn onbase station receiver, which works like a powerfula belt, around the neck or attached to a key chain.
speakerphone. The operator will find out what’sTo call for help, your mom would push onewrong, and will notify family members, a neighbor,button, and an operator from the device’s 
friend or emergency services as needed.emergency monitoring service would be on the line

But these devices are limited because they onlyto assist her, and because of the GPS technology, herwork in and around the house. If you’re away fromgeneral location would be known. Or, for even morehome and need help, you’re out of luck. But today,peace of mind, there’s the Splash with fall detectionthere are numerous mobile products that workcapabilities (this option costs $35 per month, andanywhere. Here are some top options. the pendent must be worn around the neck for it to

work) that will automatically call for help when aHigh-End Devicefall is detected. 
If you’re interested in getting your mom aThe Splash can be purchased at GreatCall.comcomprehensive, high-end medical alert device that(or 800-918-8543), or at Walmart, Sears, Best Buyworks everywhere, consider the Philips Lifelineand Rite Aid Pharmacy stores. 
GoSafe system. It provides a necklace pendentbutton, which works like a two-way communicationOther Optionsdevice, allowing your mom to speak and listenIf you want some additional options to shop anddirectly through the pedant.compare, there are other good companies that

If your mom were to fall or need help at home,offer moderately priced mobile alerts, includingshe could press the button and the home-baseConsumer Cellular (consumercellular.com/ally);
communicator system would be activated to makeBay Alarm Medical (bayalarmmedical.com); 
the call to the response center, who would thenMobileHelp (mobilehelp.com); Medical Alert 
dispatch help as needed. But if she fell or needed(medicalalert.com); Life Alert (lifealert.com) andhelp away from home, the system’s AT&T wirelessSafeGuardian (safeguardian.com). 
network would kick in and place the call.

This system also has six sophisticated locatingSend your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O.
technologies so the response center would knowBox 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
your mom’s exact location, even where GPS signalsorg. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Todayare weak. And it has fall detection sensors built into show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. 
the pendent that can automatically summon help if 

KATIE Tse..........This and That 
JUNK --A CAUTIONARY TALE 


“A place for everything, and everything in its place.” This is a familiar platitude along

with other classics such as, “Cleanliness is next to godliness” and “Have nothing in

your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” And then 

there’s my personal favorite, “If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty

in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the 

house.” I wonder if the dusty pile of sneakers and flip flops in my closet implicates

a questionable character, a disharmonious dwelling, or both? But it gets worse, “If 

there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the 
nation, there will be peace in the world.” Shoot! Now I’ve got the responsibility for world peace on my 
guilty conscience!

 Although keeping ahead of my own junk is a challenge, I can only begin to imagine the physical andmental exhaustion of going through someone else’s stuff! This is the daunting feat my parents are dealing 
with at the moment. Before they retired, neither of them had the time or energy to sort through thethings they had accumulated over the years. And when my grandparents passed, my parents inherited 
even more stuff. Some people prefer to keep their things out of sight and out of mind in storage, but that’s 
expensive! Therefore, my parents’ things occupied the living room for a while, and then spilled over intothe back room. They finally condensed it all into a tightly packed area in the garage while the house wasbeing remodeled.

 When I say that they used the garage for 
storage, I don’t just mean that they stacked 
things up. Oh no! Every last cubic inch 
of available space was jam packed to the 
gills. This meant that some furniture was 
taken apart so that it would better fit into 
the limited space. When my husband 
and I moved into our house in February, 
my parents said we could have their old 
dining room table (to replace the TV trays 
we’re accustomed to eating off of). I suppose 
there’s something inherently disorderly 
and tacky about TV trays --that’s probably 
why we haven’t achieved world peace 
yet. Anyway, our table was trapped in 
“the core” of stuff for a long time. Every 
so often I’d catch a glimpse of a leg sticking 
out at an odd angle like an appendage in a 
Picasso painting.

 At last their building project is done, and now they’re faced with deconstructing the core in the garage.
Mind you the garage dates back to the 50’s. It vacillates between freezing in the winter and sweltering in 
the summer. So you can imagine my parents’ discomfort toting boxes around and dodging avalanchesof “the sands of time” --literally! But any physical exertion pales in comparison to the difficulty of theirdecisions as to which of the things they should keep and which they should get rid of. One small box often 
holds a multitude of miscellaneous items from generations ago, all with a certain amount of sentimentalvalue. 

 It doesn’t seem to help much whether or not there’s a logical reason to keep the stuff in question. The 
other day my mom asked me if I wanted my old bassinet or any of its blankets or other things. “Did you 
make any of them?” I asked. “Yes, a couple of blankets,” she said. “Okay, I’ll keep them.” “What are you 
going to do with them?” she asked. “I don’t know. I can’t get rid of them. You made them!”

 Well, after many weeks and much deliberation, the clutter in the garage is starting to thin out. My dad’swork bench is almost visible, so hopefully he’ll be able to return to his ship model building before 2015.
And my husband and I just recently brought home our very first proper dining table and chairs. Maybe 
world peace is within our grasp! 


SENIOR HAPPENINGS 



HAPPY BIRTHDAY! … August Birthdays*

Bill Nelson, Karlene Englert, Juanita Fernandez, Jeanette Francis, Joseph Kiss, 
John Luke, Jacquie Pergola, Maury Whitaker, Pat Miranda, Phyllis Chapman, Jerry 
Burnett, Margaret Aroyan, Phyllis Burg, Beverly Clifton, Rosemary Morabito, Susan 
Poulsen, Dorothy Quentmeyer, Genevieve Stubbs, Miep Tulleners, Ellie Baudino, 
Marcia Bent, Daryls Brechwald, Joan Spears, Ruth Torres, Jane Zamanzadeh and 
Harry Enmark.


 *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

 YMCA San Gabriel Valley Intervale Senior Café: Monday-Friday at 

12:00 Noon 
(Participants are urged to arrive no later than 11:45 A.M.)
All seniors 60 and up can take part in the lunch program. There is 
a suggested donation of $2.00 for those 60 and over and $3.75 for non-senior guests. Daily 
reservations are necessary as space is limited. Please call 24 hours in advance...626.355.0256 


TECH TALK: TECH TALK WILL RESUME IN SEPTEMBER WHEN OUR STUDENT 
VOLUNTEERS ARE BACK IN SCHOOL. 

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. 

FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION: Wednesday, August 19th 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, except on the third Monday of 
the month. A suggested donation of $5 at one of the classes is requested, but is not required. 

BRAIN GAMES - NEW DATE AND TIME! 

Thursday, August 20th, 10:30am - 11:30am (Third Thursday of Each Month) Improve your memory 
and strengthen your brain with fun, hands-on activities. Each month brings new games and contests 
to facilitate brain stimulation. Bring your friends as you engage in friendly competition for prizes. 
Activities facilitated by Swati Puri, New Wave Home Care of Pasadena. For more information 
contact the Hart Park House office at 626-355-7394. 

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. 

LUNCH & LEARN PRESENTATION 

Thursday, August 20th, 2015 beginning at 12:00pm 
Learn about French painter, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. His immersion in the colorful and theatrical 
life of Paris in the late 19th century yielded a collection of exciting, elegant and provocative images 
of the modern and sometimes decadent life of those times. Tanya Mazzolini from The Kensington 
will give a talk on the painter while demonstrating a project in his style of art. If you would like to 
have lunch during the talk, please make a lunch reservation with the Senior Lunch Café at 626-3550256 
or you may bring your own. 


UPCOMING EXCURSIONS: 

THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS 
CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER (LOS ANGELES)


Date: August 12, 2015 Time: 9:30am to 5:00pm 
Meeting Location: Hart Park House Senior Center Cost: $28.00 (Does 
not include lunch) 
Description: The California Science Center in cooperation with the 
Israel Antiquities Authority is Proud to present the largest Dead Sea 
Scrolls exhibition ever mounted outside of Israel, featuring over 600 
ancient artifact on display. We will also see Jerusalem in the IMAX 
Theater. Through breathtaking aerial footage, eye-opening personal 
stories and remarkable historical perspective, Jerusalem takes views 
inside the heart of the ancient city in ways never seen before. Lunch will 
be on your own. There is Trimana-Grill, or Market and Coffee Bar at the 
Science Center for you to enjoy a meal or light snack during your visit. 
Participants should bring money for lunch and souvenirs. Last day to register is Wednesday, 
August 5th. Level of Walking: High 

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. 

COCONUT DEMONSTRATION BY JONATHAN KELLEY 

Jonathan Kelley, an anesthesiologist by training, is an actor, chef, and pianist with a culinary 
interest in cooking with coconuts, plus creating hats and baskets from coconut palm fronds 
and crafting bowls from the coconut shells. Please join us on Thursday, August 13, 10:30 am, 
Jonathan will speak at the Hart Park House about coconuts: where they come from, how to 
select one, extract the water, open the shell, remove the meat, how you can incorporate the 
coconut into your diet, how you can make use of the shell, nutritional information and how 
coconuts can change your life. You’ll be able to sample a delicious coconut lime soup, as well 
as a Puerto Rican style coconut flan. 


SENIOR CINEMA AT THE HART PARK HOUSE SENIOR CENTER 


August 19th – Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) 


An American romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and George 
Peppard, based on Truman capote’s novel, this is the story of a young woman 
in New York City who meets a young man when he moves into her apartment 
building. He is with an older woman who is very wealthy, but he wants to be 
a writer. She is working as an expensive escort and searching for a rich, older 
man to marry. This movie won two Academy Awards. Start time: 1:00pm 
(run time 115 minutes) 

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