FRONT PORCH NEWS JANUARY 2020

Photos by Nancy Bitikofer

As we enter 2020, it’s a good idea to take inventory of your physical and mental health. People who had good healthy habits when they were younger tend to become healthy seniors, but it is never too late. Good health habits can make a difference even to those of us who are prone to illness or have not made our health a priority in the past. Consider these 10 tips for keeping up with your health needs: 1. Eat healthy. The digestive system slows down with age, so high-fiber fruits, vegetables and whole grains are as im-portant as ever. Because seniors are prone to dehy-dration, they should drink plenty of water to stay energized and sharp. 2. Focus on prevention. Preventative care visits, including health screenings for cholesterol levels, colon cancer, heart problems and more, qualify for Medicare coverage. Seniors also need to get vaccinations that can help prevent influenza and pneumonia. 3. Get information on medication management. Ask about and review the your medications with your physician on a regular basis. Consider possible drug interactions and take note of any new symp-toms (allergic reactions, drowsiness, loss of appetite and others) you’ve experienced after changing or starting medications. 4. Get some sleep. Frequent waking and insomnia in the night are common among seniors. Turn the lights down in the evening to spur drowsiness and make sure your bedroom is comfortable, cool and quiet. 5. Remember mental health. The Geriatric Mental Health Foundation recom-mends that seniors do crossword puzzles, read and write and try new hobbies to stimulate their minds and engage with the world around them. Activities like these can ward off a decline in mental health. 6. Screen for vision changes. Seniors who wear glasses should have their pre-

scription checked every year for changes and have their eyes screened for health issues. Having the right pair of glasses can reduce one’s chance of falling. 7. Socialize. Time spent with family and grandchildren helps sen-iors feel connected. Those visits can also make you feel more upbeat, which is the best medicine at any age. 8. Stay physically active. Exercise not only alleviates depression but improves energy and memory. An exercise program approved by a physician, long walks or short strolls can keep you healthier, longer. With your health under con-trol, you can do more and stay active, which is im-portant to your overall well-being. To see what clas-ses Green Hills is currently offering, see the main reception desk. 9. Take advantage of free physicals. During the first 12 months on Medicare, seniors are offered free physicals. After that first year, they re-ceive free annual wellness visits. 10. Visit the dentist every six months. Our risk for cavities goes up with age. Plus, many mouth infections can be linked to serious health conditions, such as diabetes, heart dis-ease and stroke. So be sure to see the den-tist regularly.

10 HEALTHY HABITS FOR THE NEW YEAR HAPPY 63RD ANNIVERSARY!

Monte and Rita For-sythe of Lewistown have been married for 63 years as of Decem-

ber 25, 2019.

They were married at Church of Christ in Ada by the same min-ister who baptized them at separate churches. The For-sythes reside at the

Inn.

They met when Monte agreed to help Rita’s family move to a home near Lewistown in 1956. They met each other again two

weeks later at an auc-tion. They were mar-ried six short months

after that.

The couple originally planned a New Year’s Day wedding, but the church was already booked so they opted

for Christmas instead.

Happy anniversary,

Monte and Rita!

GREEN HILLS CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE

1 Month New Years is in 5 12:00 AM 6 Small pieces of colored paper dropped on people at New Years parties 10 The night before January 1st is called New Years ____ 11 A promise you make to yourself 12 Couples do this at exact-ly midnight 13 Day of the month New Years is on

2 Blow these special whis-tles to make noise on New Years 3 Children bang these to make noise at midnight on New Years 4 Light these sticks to cele-brate the New Year 7 3-letter abbreviation for the city that has a famous New Years celebration in Times Square 8 Item that often hangs on a wall and is used to tell the date 9 There are twelve of these in a year

1 2 3

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5

6 7 8

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Polly Endsley Apartment 214A REMOVE: (937) 465-0172 KEEP: (740) 361-8445 Betty Stenger Apartment 214B REMOVE FROM LIST

RESIDENT

DIRECTORY UPDATES

NEW YEARS CROSSWORD PUZZLE

FRONT PORCH NEWS JANUARY 2020

OPEN INTERVIEWS– EVERY TUESDAY

Green Hills Community is hiring those who are willing to give, respect, engage, encourage, and

nurture those in their care. Open interviews are conducted every Tuesday from 2:00-5:00PM.

For a complete list of full-time and part-time positions available, go to www.greenhillscareers.org.

NO BOOK CLUB IN JANUARY

There will be no book club in January. Book club normally meets at 1:30PM on the third Friday of

the month in the Chapel. All readers (paper copy, e-readers, audio books) are welcome to discuss

the story. Stay tuned for next month’s pick!

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

Meets from 2:00 to 3:00PM the third Tuesday each month in the Green Hills Chapel.

Call (937) 465-5065. This group is led by Jeff Vernon, LISW-S.

COFFEE CONNECTION

All are welcome to attend Coffee Connection on Tuesday mornings at 9:30AM.

Come for the coffee and the conversation.

**Techy teens will be coming on Tuesday, January 7th**

FRONT PORCH NEWS

UPCOMING EVENTS Every Monday at 6:30 PM

Euchre Call Dennis Greene to

join (937)210-7858

Bakery

Tuesday, January 7th at 9:30 AM

Techy Teens Bakery

Friday, January 10th

at 10:30 AM West Liberty-Salem 2nd Grade Readers

Activity Room

Monday, January 13th at 7:00 PM

Mount Tabor Youth Choir

Foundation Hall

Thursday, January 16th at 2:00 PM Bill Figley

Entertainer Foundation Hall

Friday, January 24th

at 10:30 AM West Liberty-Salem 2nd Grade Readers

Activity Room

Thursday, January 30th at 2:00 PM Larry Eaton Entertainer

Foundation Hall

The last week of the year is often a time to look back and reflect. To look back and reflect on the joys that life brought our way, but also we re-member the losses as well. Maybe we had more of one and less of the other or it might have been the other way around. Either way, right now we stand on the threshold of the great adventure called 2020.

2020, wow! Think about all the things you have seen and experienced in your life. Re-flecting on life is kind of like walking through a museum. We stop and say things like, “Do you remember talking on a rotary dial phone?” Or, “It’s really amazing that I lived for that many years without indoor plumbing.” Or even, I used to own one of those _______. You can fill in the blank for yourself. It is fun to look back and reflect. But a new year is also time to think about the possibilities of what might be. I will either fo-cus on the negatives or the positives. The negatives, because as I am getting older these are things that can be taken away: Health Friends Family members Options But, the negatives can become positives be-cause- I’m NOT dead, yet! I can focus on the

possibilities of: Improving health New friends New family members New opportunities New adventures 2020-ready or not, here I come! I close with these words from Guideposts Maga-zine (January 1973):

Happy New Year!

2020-READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!

Pastor Ken Neighoff

Chaplain

BIRTHDAYS January Gizella Bikacsan 3

Maxine Downing 4

Mary Peter 4

Gertie Arbogast 5

Fred Root 6

Mary F. Yoder 6

Adam Buroker 8

Elizabeth Anderson 9

Martha Marine 11

Pat Swanson 11

Sharon Close 14

Doris Prater 16

Robert Lantz 17

Judy McAdams 19

James Hofmann 21

Jean Schmitt 21

Milton Watts 24

John Doty 25

Jennifer Blair 27

Mary Young 27

Debra Leon 30

Doris Walker 31

May the Lord make my New Year a blessed one…

Not by shielding me from sorrow and pain, but by strengthening me to bear it if it comes.

Not by making my path easy, but by making me sturdy enough to tread any path.

Not by taking hardship from me, but by taking all cowardice and fear from my heart as I meet hardships.

Not by granting me unbroken sunshine, but by keeping my face bright even in the shadows.

Not by making my life always pleasant, but by showing me where men and His cause need me most and by making me zealous to be there and to help …

God, make my year a happy one.