How to Improve Your Balance as You Age

I've always been a walker, but after I fell last month my doctor suggested I start doing some balance exercises. Is this really something I need to practice?


Most people do not think much about practicing their balance, but it is something that should be considered. Just as you walk to strengthen your heart, lungs and overall health, you should practice maintaining your balance.

As we age, our balance declines, which can increase the risk of falling. Every year, more than one in three people age 65 years or older fall and the risk increases with age. A simple fall can cause a serious fracture of the hip, pelvis, spine, arm, hand or ankle. These injuries can lead to hospital stays, disability, loss of independence and even death.

How Balance Works


Balance is the ability to distribute your weight in a way that enables you to hold a steady position or move at will without falling. It is determined by a complex combination of muscle strength, visual inputs, the inner ear and the work of specialized receptors in the nerves of your joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons that orient you in relation to other objects.

The sensory cortex of your brain takes in the information from these sources to give you balance. Aging dulls our sense of balance and causes most individuals to gradually become less stable on their feet over time.

Poor balance can also lead to a vicious cycle of inactivity. You may feel a little unsteady, so you avoid or curtail certain activities. If you are inactive, you are not challenging your balance systems or using your muscles. As a result, both balance and strength suffer. Simple acts like strolling through a grocery store or getting up from a chair become increasingly difficult. This can shake your confidence and cause you to become even less active.

Balance Exercises


If you have a balance problem that is not tied to illness, medication or some other specific cause, simple exercises can help preserve and improve your balance. Some basic exercises you can do anytime include:
  • One-legged stands: Stand on one foot for 30 seconds, or longer, then switch to the other foot. You can do this while brushing your teeth or even while waiting in line somewhere. In the beginning, you might want to have a wall or chair to hold on to.
  • Heel rises: While standing, rise up on your toes, lifting your heel as high as you can. Then drop back to the starting position and repeat the process 10 to 20 times. You can make this more difficult by holding light hand weights.
  • Heel-toe walk: Take 20 steps and, with every step, touch your heel to your toe on your opposite foot. Keep your focus straight ahead instead of looking down at your feet.
  • Sit-to-stand: Without using your hands, get up from a straight-backed chair and sit back down 10 to 20 times. This improves balance and leg strength.
For additional balance exercises visit go4life.nia.nih.gov, a resource created by the National Institute on Aging that offers free booklets and a DVD that provides illustrated examples of many balance exercises. You can order your free copies online or by calling 800-222-2225.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

Published March 29, 2019

Palliative Care Services Can Help Relieve Pain

What can you tell me about palliative care? My husband suffers from lung disease and is receiving radiation for prostate cancer but is not terminally ill. I have heard that palliative care can help him with his pain and discomfort. What can you tell me?


Palliative care is a very effective service that can help patients relieve the symptoms and stress associated with a serious illness. Unfortunately, most people do not know about it or do not understand how it can help. Here is what you should know.

What is Palliative Care?


Most people hear the words "palliative care" and think "hospice," but these are two different types of care. Hospice is reserved for when curative treatments have been exhausted and patients have less than six months to live. Palliative care, on the other hand, is a medical specialty that focuses on providing relief from symptoms of a serious illness, such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and depression. It can also help patients deal with the side effects of medical treatment.

Anyone with a serious illness can benefit from palliative care, including those with cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer's, HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and other serious illnesses. Palliative care can be provided along with curative treatment at any age and during any stage of a serious illness.

Palliative care is provided by a team that works with your doctor to provide an extra layer of support and care. This team may include palliative care doctors, nurses, social workers and other specialists. Palliative care teams are trained to help patients understand all of their treatment options along with the quality of life ramifications so that patients can make informed decisions regarding what is best for them.

Often, patients assume their doctors will take care of their pain and stress, but some doctors may not be well-trained in pain and symptom management. That is why palliative care is invaluable.

Palliative care was developed in the United States in the 1990s but didn't became a formal medical subspecialty in 2008. Today, palliative care programs exist in 57% of U.S. hospitals with more than 50 beds and in 90% of hospitals with 300 beds or more.

How to Receive Care


According to the Center to Advance Palliative Care, there are approximately six million people in the U.S. who have a need for palliative care but most patients do not know to ask for it. If you feel that a palliative care specialist could help your husband, start by talking to his doctor and ask for a referral. If his doctor is not helpful, visit GetPalliativeCare.org where you can search for a specialist in your area.

Palliative care can be provided in a variety of places, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, doctors' clinics and at your own home. You will also be happy to know that most private insurance plans, as well as Medicare and Medicaid, cover palliative care services.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

WCCF is Offering Scholarships to Non-Traditional Students

The Washington County Community Foundation is now offering scholarships to non-traditional students through its Education Matters initiative. 

Education Matters is a regional undertaking organized by the community foundations that serve Washington, Scott, Harrison, Clark and Floyd counties to try to increase the number of working adults in our region who started but never completed some form of post-secondary education – education that extends beyond high school.

You might be surprised to learn that in Southeast Indiana, only 25% of our workforce has an associate’s, bachelors or professional degree, compared to 38% nationally. Yet one in four of our community’s adult workers has earned some college credits! That’s over 3,100 people in Washington County!  For whatever reason, they started but never completed their post-secondary education. This represents a tremendous amount of untapped potential in our community.

The community foundations that created Education Matters have elected to concentrate on a small sliver of the overall issue, those one in four of our adult workers who have some post-secondary credits but did not complete their degrees or certifications. This population of people who started but didn’t finish their education is where the Washington County Community Foundation sees opportunity to implement immediate changes that can drive our educational attainment numbers up, ultimately having real impact on our community.

The following criteria have been established for this first round of scholarships:  

  1. Annual awards will not exceed $3,000 the first twelve months and $5,000 per person in any subsequent twelve-month period.
  2. Scholarship applicants must be a minimum of 28 years old as of the date of application.
  3. Only individuals who can demonstrate continuing legal residence in Washington County for at least the past five years are eligible. Documentation such as tax forms, housing receipts, or utility bills will be used to verify residency and/or household income.
  4. Scholarship awards may be used for tuition, course-related fees, or books only. Checks will only be written to an educational institution or certified training provider.
  5. The application deadline is 3:30 on April 15, 2019. No exceptions. Applicants should apply online at wccfapplyonline.biz
  6. Adult scholarship awards may not be used to pay for college debt.
  7. Subsequent awards will only be considered for students maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA.

Call the Washington County Community Foundation office at 883-7334 or email program.officer@wccf.biz to request an application or for more information.

The mission of the Washington County Community Foundation is to engage people, build resources and strengthen our community. 

How to Stop Frustrating Robocalls

Is there anything I can do to stop perpetual robocalls? It seems like I receive five to ten calls a day on my home and cell phone, and I am tired of it!


Robocalls make up around 50% of all phone calls today, and it is only getting worse. Americans were hit with 26.3 billion robocalls in 2018, a whopping 46% increase from the year before. Fortunately, there are a variety of tools available today that can help reduce the number of calls you receive.

Register Your Numbers


If you have not already done so, the first step is to make sure your home and cell phone numbers are registered with the National Do Not Call Registry. While this will not stop illegal robocalls, it will stop unwanted calls from legitimate for-profit businesses who are trying to sell you something. Be aware that political organizations, charities and survey takers are still permitted to call you, as are businesses that you have bought something from or made a payment to in the last 18 months. To sign up, visit DoNotCall.gov or call 888-382-1222.

Home Landline Tools


To stop robocalls calls on your home phone, set up the "anonymous call rejection" option. This is a free landline-calling feature available through most telephone companies. It screens out calls from callers who have blocked their caller ID information — a favorite tactic of telemarketers. To set it up, you usually have to dial *77 from your landline. Note, however, that different phone services may have different procedures to set up this tool. Call your telephone service provider to find out if they offer this feature and, if so, what you need to do to enable it.

Another solution is to sign up for Nomorobo, which is a free service for landline phones that is provided through a VoIP landline carrier. Nomorobo uses a "simultaneous ring" service that detects and blocks robocalls on a black list of known offender numbers. While it is not 100% foolproof, it is an extra layer of protection. To sign up or see if Nomorobo works with your phone service provider, visit Nomorobo's website.

Cell Phones Tools


To stop unwanted robocalls and texts to your cell phone, ask your carrier about caller ID options that help identify, filter or prevent callers that are not legitimate.

For example, AT&T provides their subscribers a free app called "AT&T Call Protect" that has automatic fraud blocking and suspected spam warnings. It also allows you to manually block unwanted calls. Verizon is now offering free spam alerting and call blocking tools to their users. T-Mobile provides free "Scam ID" and "Scam Block" to combat robocalls and spam. Sprint customers can sign up for its "Premium Caller ID" service for $2.99 per month to guard against robocalls and caller ID spoofers.

Call Blocking Apps


Another way to stop robocalls on your smartphone is with call blocking apps. These apps can identify who is calling you and block unwanted calls that show up on crowd-sourced spam and robocaller lists.

Some top call blocking apps for iPhones and Androids include Nomorobo, Hiya Caller ID and Spam Blocker and Truecaller. Nomorobo costs $2 per month. Truecaller and Hiya apps are free to use but offer upgraded services for $2 or $3 per month.

Spam Proof Phones


There are also phones you can buy, like the Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Note or Google Pixel phone that have built-in spam and robocall protection in place. Samsung's Smart Call feature flags calls it suspects are spam, while Google Pixel phones have built-in spam call protection. With this feature, users that have caller ID enabled will receive a warning if a suspected spam call or robocall is received.


Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

 

Jinny Scifres Memorial Scholarship Applications Available

The Washington County Community Foundation will be accepting applications for the Jinny Scifres Scholarship.  The scholarship is for any individual planning to attend a post-secondary accredited institution in the 2019-2020 school year and plans to pursue studies in the medical field.  The number and dollar amount of scholarships will be determined by the committee.  Preference may be given to non-traditional nursing students who may be returning to school after starting a family or career, as did Jinny. 

After starting a family, Jinny made the tough decision to return to school and study nursing.  After graduation, she began her nursing career at Washington County Memorial Hospital as an Emergency Room Nurse.  Jinny’s love of nursing eventually lead her to several promotions and back to school once again.  She eventually became the Director of Patient Care Services.

Jinny died in the fall of 2000, after bravely battling bone cancer.  Her family and many friends established this scholarship fund in her memory, to assist others who, like Jinny, return to school to study nursing after starting a family or career.  

For questions or an application, please contact Judy or Lindsey at 812-883-7334 or program.officer@wccf.biz.  Applications are due by April 15, 2019 at 3:30.

Washington County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1993 to serve donors, award grants, and provide leadership to improve Washington County forever

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WCCF Offers Non-Profit Board Training

Washington County Community Foundation realizes that board training for small non-profit organizations can be difficult to schedule or plan for on a tight budget.   We also recognize that a great Board of Directors is critical to a nonprofit organization’s success.  We want you and your organization to be successful.  Therefore, we are offering a great opportunity for you and your Board of Directors to receive high quality board training right here in Washington County through the Community Foundation Research and Training Institute.  

Members of Non-Profit Boards of Directors are invited to the training event on April 24, 2019, at the Community Learning Center at 1707 N. Shelby Street in Salem.  Our guest presenter is David Bennett.  David is the President and CEO of the Community Foundation Research and Training Institute (CFRTI).  He formed the CFRTI in 2017.  CFRTI provides a variety of training opportunities for community foundations and nonprofit organizations, along with strategic planning facilitation and the preparation of organizational risk assessments.

Aside from overseeing the strategic planning process several times in Fort Wayne, he has served as the facilitator of the strategic planning process at the Parke County Community Foundation and the Johnson County Community Foundation. David also serves as a trainer for the Community Foundation Boot Camp course through the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance, and as an instructor for the Finance Course offered through the Council on Foundations.

Beginning in 2020, Washington County Community Foundation will require all nonprofits that receive funding from the Washington County Community Foundation to have at least one current, active board member that has completed this valuable training. 

The cost to attend a session is $100.00 per person.  However, this fee will be refunded if the Board Member attends the entire session.  If a Board Member leaves early or does not show up, the registration fee will be retained by the Washington County Community Foundation. 

Registration deadline is April 16, 2019.  Register by calling 812-883-7334.

Washington County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1993 to serve donors, award grants, and provide leadership to improve Washington County forever

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WCCF offering $30,000.00 in Spring Grant Cycle

WCCF has opened their Spring Grant Cycle.  Funds for the $30,000 grant cycle are made possible through our generous donors and the Foundation’s Touch Tomorrow Funds.

Grant applications for the spring grant cycle are available at the WCCF office located on Shelby Street in the Learning Center complex or by calling the WCCF office. You can also download the application from the Foundation’s website at www.wccf.biz.  The application deadline will be 3:30pm, April 15, 2019.  For more information, you can call Judy Johnson or Lindsey Wade-Swift at the Foundation office.  The number is 883-7334.

Washington County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1993 to serve donors, award grants, and provide leadership to improve Washington County forever

Youth Foundation Now Recruiting

The Washington County Youth Foundation is now recruiting new members for the 2019-2020 school year.  The Youth Foundation is a group of students from Washington County committed to making our community a better place to live.  The board has members who are sophomores, juniors and seniors in any area high school or are home schooled. 

The Youth Foundation averages one meeting a month.  Times and location will vary; however, most meetings occur on Sunday afternoons.  During the school year the Washington County Youth Foundation will offer one grant cycle, several community service activities and one peer community awareness/asset development event.  Also, Washington County Youth Foundation members will be expected to be volunteers in the Happily Ever After Project.  All members make financial contributions to support the service activities of the Youth Foundation.    

Application, permission slip and more information can be downloaded from the Washington County Community Foundation’s website at www.wccf.biz.  Additionally, information can be obtained from current Washington County Youth Foundation members or by calling the Foundation office at 883-7334.   Applications are due by 4:00 pm on April 15, 2019.

Washington County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1993 to serve donors, award grants, and provide leadership to improve Washington County forever

Does Medicare Cover Vision Services?

I will be enrolling in Medicare in a few months and would like to know if Medicare covers vision services. I currently have vision insurance through my employer but it will be discontinued when I retire. 


Many people approaching age 65 are unclear regarding what Medicare does and does not cover when it comes to vision services. The good news is that original Medicare covers most medical issues, like cataract surgery, treatment of eye diseases and medical emergencies. Unfortunately, routine care, including eye exams and eyeglasses, are the beneficiary's responsibility. Here is a breakdown of what is and is not covered.

Eye exams and treatments: Medicare does not cover routine eye exams that test for eyeglasses or contact lenses. But it does cover yearly medical eye exams if you have diabetes or a high risk of developing glaucoma. Medicare will also pay for exams to test and treat medical eye diseases or serious eye problems, like macular degeneration, dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, eye infections or if you get something in your eye.

Eye surgeries: Medicare will cover most eye surgeries that help repair eye function, including cataract surgery to remove cataracts and insert standard intraocular lenses to replace your own. Medicare will not, however, pick up the extra cost if you choose a specialized lens that restores full range of vision, thereby reducing your need for glasses after cataract surgery. The extra charge for a specialized lens can cost up to $2,500 per eye.

Eye surgeries that are typically not covered by Medicare include refractive (LASIK) surgery, cosmetic eye surgery or other procedures that are not considered medically necessary.

Eyeglasses and contact lenses: Medicare does not cover eyeglasses or contact lenses. There is one exception. If you have had a conventional intraocular lens inserted during cataract surgery, Medicare will pay for eyeglasses or contact lenses following the operation.

Ways to Save


Although original Medicare's vision coverage is limited to medical issues, there are ways you can save on routine care. Here are several options to consider.

Consider a Medicare Advantage plan: One way you can get extra vision coverage when you join Medicare is to choose a Medicare Advantage plan instead of original Medicare. Many of these plans, which are sold through private insurance companies, will cover routine eye care and eyeglasses. These plans may also cover your hospital and medical insurance and prescription drugs. See Medicare.gov/find-a-plan to shop for plans.

Purchase vision insurance: If you get routine eye exams and purchase new eyeglasses annually, a vision insurance plan may be worth the cost. These policies typically run between $12 and $20 per month.

Check veterans benefits: If you are a veteran and qualify for VA healthcare benefits, you may be able to get some or all of your routine vision care through the VA. Go to Vets.gov and search for "vision care" to learn more.

Shop around: Many retailers provide discounts – between 10% and 30% – on eye exams and eyeglasses if you belong to a membership group like AARP or AAA. Check out the vision centers at discount retailers or, if you have a copy of your prescription, consider buying your glasses online.

Look for assistance: There are also health centers and local clinics that provide free or discounted vision exams and eyeglasses to those in need. To find these centers, try calling your local Lions Club for referrals.
Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

How to Choose a Good Home Stair Lift

Can you provide some information about stair lifts? I have a difficult time getting up and down the stairs and am interested in purchasing a stair lift for my house but could use some help choosing one.


A good home stair lift is an excellent solution for those with mobility challenges. A stair lift will carry you up and down the stairs in a safe, seated position and provide easy access to the second story or basement level of your home.

To help you choose a quality stair lift that meets your needs and budget, here are a few shopping tips and recommendations.

Types of Lifts


There are two basic types of stair lifts that are sold today: straight and curved. The type you need will depend upon the design of your staircase.

A straight stair lift is one that travels in a straight line up a flight of stairs uninterrupted by landings, bends or curves. These stair lifts can cost between $2,500 and $5,000. Curved lifts, however, are much more elaborate and will go around corners, bends and curves. Curved lifts are much more expensive, typically costing between $8,500 and $15,000 or more depending on the complexity of the installation.

All stair lifts mount to the stair treads, not to the wall, so they are very sturdy and can be installed in almost any home. In addition to the standard option, companies also offer a heavy-duty lift with a wider seat and bigger lifting capacity. If you are tall, you will need to find out about raising the seat height during installation.

Most stair lifts available today also have seats, armrests and footplates that fold up out of the way when not in use. Some stair lifts have swivel seats that make getting into and out of the chair easier. Make sure the lift you choose has standard safety features, like seatbelts, braking systems, footrest sensors, push-button or rocker-switch controls located on the armrest for easy operation and "call send" controls, which allow you to call or send the unit to the other end of the stairs.

Depending on the company, you may also have the option of choosing between an electric (AC) and a battery powered (DC) stair lift. Battery powered units charge at the base station and are quieter and smoother than electric lifts. Another reason to go with a battery powered stair lift is that the system will work even if there is a power failure in the home.

Purchasing Tips


While there are many companies that make and sell stair lifts, two of the best, based on reputation and customer satisfaction ratings, are Bruno and Stannah.

Unfortunately, Medicare does not cover stair lifts nor do Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policies, but some Medicare Advantage plans may help pay. Many states offer Medicaid waivers that will pay for lifts for those that qualify. The VA offers cash grants to veterans with disabilities for home safety improvements.

To save some money, you may want to consider purchasing a used or refurbished model. If you only need a stair lift for a short period of time, consider renting one. Most companies offer these options along with financing programs.

To get started, contact some stair lift companies and ask to be put in touch with a dealer in your area. All dealers provide free in-home assessments and estimates and can help you choose an appropriate lift.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

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Washington County
Community Foundation

1707 North Shelby Street
Salem, Indiana 47167
Phone: 812-883-7334
E-Mail: info@wccf.biz

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