February 2017 Vol. 43, No. 2
Published by The Daily Herald and Senior Services of Snohomish County
Connecting with Black History Month
Page 4
Contact your lawmakers about health programs
Page 2
Learning the value of living in the moment
Page 3
Time-travel with those experiencing memory loss
Page 7
New book eases older adults into yoga
Page 11
Columns Elder Info. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Savvy Senior . . . . . . . . . . 3 Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Volunteer Connections. . 6 Tech Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Wander the Web. . . . . . . 8
Learn about programs and services available to seniors by visiting www.sssc.org.
A Senior Services of Snohomish County crew repaired problems at Delanie Allen’s Monroe home. (Photo by Megan Brown)
Home repair program helps senior homeowners in need By Megan Brown When Delanie Allen’s sewer backed up in July 2016, she panicked. The 63-year-old Monroe resident had lived in her house for only seven months. Purchasing it had depleted almost all of her savings, and she didn’t have money set aside for a repair bill. “It was going to cost thousands of dollars,” said Allen, who has physical disabilities. Allen remembered a friend telling her about Senior Services of Snohomish County. She contacted the Everett-based organization, which offers home repairs for low-income seniors. “They put me at the top of the list,” Allen said. “They were just awesome.” It took less than two weeks for the crew to complete sewer repairs in her home. Dale Miller is the director of the
Senior Services of Snohomish County Home Repair Program. “We do whatever it takes to keep seniors in their home, and keep them safe,” said Miller. “That goes across the board from changing light bulbs to doing major sewer projects and shower conversions.” During their repairs, the Senior Services crew workers performed a routine safety check on the house. They noticed that Allen’s bathroom had a free-standing bathtub. That’s a hazardous situation for Allen, who has impaired mobility. “I was always scared to death I was going to fall,” said Allen. Miller agreed. “She had a large step to get into the tub, and she’s not able to safely get in and out in that situation,” Miller said. “That’s where I evaluate it and make the decision to replace it with a shower pan.”
In December 2016, the crew returned to install a more handicap-accessible bathtub. Allen was surprised to hear from Senior Services so soon. “I was doing errands, and all of a sudden they called one day and said, “We’re here!”’ Allen said. “I said, ‘You’re what?’” They finished Allen’s new bathroom within days. Minor Home Repair is just one branch of the Senior Services umbrella. Senior Services also offers meal delivery, mental health counseling and transportation services. The organization is run by staff and volunteers. The main office is located on 11627 Airport Road B in Everett. Allen, once a successful wholesale mortgage lender, never expected that she’d be receiving help from Senior CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Outlook uncertain for newly tightened nursing home rules By Cheryl M. Keyser Revisions to nursing home regulations — in most cases, consumer friendly — were issued by Medicare toward the end of 2016, and already some advocacy groups are concerned
that they may be repealed. The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, a respected organization dealing with issues of concern to nursing home residents, issued a warning to that effect. If any such action is taken, however, there
are certain deadlines which must be met. Under legislation known as the Congressional Review Act (CRA), the two Houses of Congress are given specific time frames for instituting such a repeal. The Senate has 60 legislative
days, which started Jan. 24, and the House of Representatives clock started ticking on Jan. 31. For a repeal to be successful, it must pass by a two-thirds vote in both houses. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Feeling distracted? Here are 10 tips for decluttering your mind does anything but distract us from the positive, and deplete our energy. 3. Keep a gratitude log. It takes three to seven positives to neutralize
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“Declutter” is a buzzword these days, as people around the country were putting time and energy into their home to create a space that brings peace and joy versus stress and anxiety. But the most distracting and debilitating cluttered space is in our heads. A cluttered mind is restless and unfocused. Learning simple techniques for freeing our minds from negative thoughts and non-stop chatter will bring us into the present connected and peaceful. Decluttering the mind requires us to become intentional on where we place our attention and how we spend our time and energy.
1. Declutter your physical environment. Physical clutter can lead to mental clutter, bombarding the mind with excessive stimuli, forcing the brain to work overtime. Physical clutter signals the brain that there is always something that needs to be done, which is mentally exhausting. Declutter your physical space and you’ll discover your mind is decluttered as well. 2. Let go of the past. Easy to say, not always easy to do. Negative situations and thoughts from our past can stick with us like Velcro. We keep a large cabinet of mental drawers filled with mistakes, missed opportunities, fears, expectations, hurts and worries. It has yet to be proven that worrying and focusing on the past
a negative. Spend five minutes every day to note at least five things you CONTINUED ON PAGE 9
Senior Focus is a publication of SENIOR SERVICES OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY 11627 Airport Rd., Suite B Everett, WA 98204-8714
By Melanie Wiseman