lebanon county 50plus senior news july 2013

Susan Weidener, creator of the Women’s Writing Circle, inside the bookshop where the group meets monthly.

Crafting the Roads and

History of New Hampshire

page 5

Hospital Gowns Get

a Redesign

page 15

Inside:

By Chelsea Peifer

Sometimes you create a life you’ve dreamed of and worked for, andsomething comes along that changes everything. In the aftermath, a personcan choose to give up and stay put or to keep going forward, to find newmeaning in a life with different circumstances.

As a writer and journalist, Susan Weidener had not only heard the storiesof people from all walks of life, but she had also articulated and retold theirstories so others could hear and understand. Writing had always been a wayfor Weidener to connect with others and to nurture her own soul.

So when Weidener was 44 and lost her husband—and love of her life—toa seven-year battle with cancer, she turned to writing as she chose to moveforward.

Weidener and her husband, John Cavalieri, had two sons, who were ages 7and 11 at the time John passed away.

“There were all of these messages then—and still are—that a singlewoman can’t raise boys alone,” said Weidener. “It’s not true. All a child needsis one charismatic adult in his or her life.”

Weidener’s perspective on single parenting might sound like effortlessperseverance, but she applies her hard work ethic to whatever she approaches,embracing the reality that one person can make a difference in a person’s life.

please see DRAFT page 14

Widowed Journalist Encourages Healingwith Writing Circle

Life’sSecond Draft

Lebanon County Edition July 2013 Vol. 8 No. 7

2 July 2013 50plus SeniorNews www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com

You bring the talent, We’ll provide the stage!

For more information, updates, or an application:

717.285.1350 • www.SeniorIdolPA.com

Do you dance … sing … play an instrument … perform magic … do comedy?Do you think you’ve got what it takes to be called PA STATE SENIOR IDOL?

Then we’re looking for you!

Pennsylvanians over 50 are invited to audition for the eighth annual PA STATE SENIOR IDOL competition at one of these locations:

Finals to be held on October 14, 2013 at:

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre510 Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA 17601 • (717) 898-1900

Win a limousine trip to New York City with dinner and a Broadway show!

Emcee:Diane Dayton

of Dayton Communications911

Phot

o Gr

aphi

cs

Tuesday, August 27Holiday Inn Harrisburg East

4751 Lindle Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111(Morning/Early Afternoon Auditions)

Thursday, September 5Heritage Hotel – Lancaster

500 Centerville Road, Lancaster, PA 17601(Afternoon/Evening Auditions)

www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com 50plus SeniorNews July 2013 3

Poison Control Center(800) 222-1222

Food & Clothing Bank(717) 274-2490

Food Stamps(800) 692-7462

Hope/Christian Ministries(717) 272-4400

Lebanon County Area Agency on AgingMeals on Wheels(717) 273-9262

Salvation Army(717) 273-2655

Alzheimer’s Association(717) 651-5020

American Cancer Society(717) 231-4582

American Diabetes Association(717) 657-4310

American Heart Association/American Stroke Association(717) 207-4265

American Lung Association(717) 541-5864

Arthritis Foundation(717) 274-0754

Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services(717) 787-7500

CONTACT Helpline(717) 652-4400

Kidney Foundation(717) 652-8123

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society(717) 652-6520

Lupus Foundation(888) 215-8787

Hearing & Ear Care Center, LLC200 Schneider Drive, Suite 1, Lebanon(717) 274-3851

Melnick, Moffitt, and Mesaros927 Russell Drive, Lebanon(717) 274-9775

Good Samaritan Hospital252 S. Fourth St., Lebanon(717) 270-7500

Medical Society of Lebanon County(717) 270-7500

Energy Assistance(800) 692-7462

Environmental Protection AgencyEmergency Hotline(800) 541-2050

IRS Income Tax Assistance(800) 829-1040

Medicaid(800) 692-7462

Medicare(800) 382-1274

PA Crime Stoppers(800) 472-8477

PennDOT(800) 932-4600

Recycling(800) 346-4242

Social Security Information(800) 772-1213

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs(800) 827-1000

Hope (Helping Our People inEmergencies)(717) 272-4400

Housing Assistance & Resources Program(HARP)(717) 273-9328

Lebanon County Housing &Redevelopment Authorities(717) 274-1401

Medicare Hotline(800) 638-6833

Pennsylvania Bar Association(717) 238-6715

Lancaster NeuroScience & Spine Associates1510 Cornwall Road, Lebanon(717) 454-0061 or (800) 628-2080

Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging(717) 273-9262

CVS/pharmacywww.cvs.com

StoneRidge Retirement Living(717) 866-3204

Annville Senior Community Center(717) 867-1796

Maple Street Senior Community Center(717) 273-1048

Myerstown Senior Community Center(717) 866-6786

Northern Lebanon County SeniorCommunity Center(717) 865-0944

Palmyra Senior Community Center(717) 838-8237

Senior Center of Lebanon Valley(717) 274-3451

Southern Lebanon County SeniorCommunity Center(717) 274-7541

Governor’s Veterans Outreach(717) 234-1681

Lebanon VA Medical Center1700 S. Lincoln Ave., Lebanon(717) 228-6000 or (800) 409-8771

Veterans Services

Senior Centers

Retirement Communities

Pharmacies

Office of Aging

Neurosurgery & Physiatry

Legal Services

Insurance

Housing Assistance

Hotlines

Hospitals

Hearing Aid Services

Health & Medical Services

Food Resources

Emergency Numbers

Resource DirectoryThis Resource Directory recognizes advertisers

who have made an extended commitmentto your health and well-being.

Not an all-inclusive list of advertisers in your area.

Name: _______________________________________________________

Address:______________________________________________________

City:__________________________State: _____ Zip: _________________

Please specify edition:Chester Cumberland Dauphin Lancaster Lebanon York

You can have 50 plus Senior Newsdelivered right to your home!

Simply mail this form and $15 for an annual subscription to: 50 plus Senior News • 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512Or, subscribe online at www.50plusSeniorNewsPA.com!


50plus Senior News is published by On-Line Publishers, Inc.and is distributed monthly among senior centers, retirementcommunities, banks, grocers, libraries and other outlets

serving the senior community.On-Line Publishers, Inc. will not knowingly accept or publish

advertising which may be fraudulent or misleading in nature. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles and letters

are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance ofadvertisements for products or services does not constitute anendorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will notbe responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within fivedays of publication. On-Line Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reviseor reject any and all advertising. No part of this publication may bereproduced or reprinted without permission of On-Line Publishers, Inc.

We will not knowingly publish any advertisement or information notin compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act, Pennsylvania State lawsor other local laws.

Corporate Office:3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512

Phone 717.285.1350 • Fax 717.285.1360Chester County:610.675.6240

Cumberland County/Dauphin County:717.770.0140

Berks County/Lancaster County/Lebanon County/York County:

717.285.1350E-mail address:

[email protected] address:

www.onlinepub.com

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHERDonna K. Anderson

EDITORIALVICE PRESIDENT AND MANAGING EDITOR

Christianne RuppEDITOR, 50PLUS PUBLICATIONS

Megan JoyceEDITORIAL INTERN

Jessica Johns

ART DEPARTMENTPROJECT COORDINATOR

Renee McWilliamsPRODUCTION ARTIST

Janys CuffeWEB DEVELOPER

Kahla Livelsberger

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Karla BackAngie McComsey Jacoby

Valerie KissingerDoug Kline

Susan KriegerRanee Shaub Miller

Lori PeckSue Rugh

SALES & EVENT COORDINATOR

Eileen Culp

CIRCULATIONPROJECT COORDINATOR

Loren Gochnauer

ADMINISTRATIONBUSINESS MANAGER

Elizabeth Duvall

Winner

Member of

Awards

Tales of Glenn Ford

Tinseltown Talks

Nick Thomas

If you’re a fan of old movies,you’ll recognize what the classicsGilda, Blackboard Jungle, The

Courtship of Eddie’s Father, andFastest Gun Alive all have incommon: Glenn Ford. Oddlyenough, though he appeared inaround 100 feature films, the firstbiography on Ford was onlypublished in 2011.

Ford’s son, Peter, authored GlennFord: A Life and talked about his dadand the book, which is an insightfulHollywood bio filled with stories ofone of film’s most underappreciatedactors.

In addition to acting, Ford had anumber of other interests, includinga great fondness for women, whichPeter approaches with objectivecandor without ever turning thebook into a trashy memoir.

“He’s perceived by the public as aJimmy Stewart—a wholesome, all-American guy,” Peter told me. “Hewas that, but he also had a lot ofErrol Flynn in him. In reviewing allmy sources, I counted 146 womenhe had a dalliance with, includingMarilyn Monroe.”

Those sources included Ford’sown writings.

“My father kept a diary every dayof his life since 1933, and I haveevery one of them. So there was anenormous amount of material there,”explained Peter. “If you picked anyday since then, I could tell you whathe had for breakfast, where he went,what he did, what he thought, whohe talked to, etc.”

Glenn Ford was also a packrat ofmonumental proportions. When Forddied in 2006, Peter says he donatedmany of his father’s personal items tocharities. Other items he sold,including a piano given to Ford byJudy Garland, a slot machine fromFrank Sinatra, and a couch on whichhe “entertained” Monroe.

In fact, an auction house hauledoff two 26-foot-long trucks filled with“stuff ”—and that still barely touchedthe surface of the contents of Ford’s9,000-square-foot home in BeverlyHills.

“He saved everything,” said Peter.

“I have every letter he ever receivedand copies of letters he wrote. I havehis baby teeth, the lock of hair fromhis first haircut, the dish he used as ababy, and every report card fromschool. There [were] also thousandsof photographs and thousands ofbooks.

“Wherever he went, he wouldtake scraps of paper and write histhoughts. Often, he would stickthese randomly in books, along withletters, Christmas cards, and evenmoney.”

Peter donated hundreds of thosebooks to libraries but had to checkeach one in case his father had leftsome long-forgotten treasure within

its pages. In one, he found manyletters from singer Sophie Tucker.

Another Ford “hobby” was tosecretly record telephoneconversations. In the late 1950s,Ford, unbeknownst to his family andfriends, installed a phone tap on thefamily’s phone. After his father died,Peter discovered hundreds of oldreel-to-reel and cassette recordings ofcelebrities and politicians.

“He has some of PresidentRichard Nixon,” said Peter with achuckle. “Isn’t that ironic? The mostinfamous taper himself gettingtaped!” Maybe we now know whereTricky Dick got the idea!

Peter also recalls childhoodSunday-morning walks with his dadalong Santa Monica Boulevard. Thetwo would often stop under a leafyfichus tree, and Ford would ask hisson if he wanted some chewing gum.

Adept at sleight-of-hand tricks,Ford would appear to pull somechewing gum from the tree, leadingyoung Peter to believe there reallywas such a thing as a “gum tree.”

In another story, Peter remembersflying in a private plane with his dadto Cody, Wyo., for the dedication ofthe Buffalo Bill Museum. Theceremony culminated with a livebuffalo dangling in a harness from ahelicopter, flying over the crowd.

But as the pilot hovered above theassembled dignitaries, the terrifiedanimal’s bladder and bowels provedsomewhat unstable. When combinedwith the downward force of thechopper’s rotor blades, Peter says itwas a most memorable event!

Glenn Ford was a complex man,which led to difficulties andintricacies in his professional andpersonal lives. Peter’s revelationsabout his dad—as well as his mom,the great dancer Eleanor Powell—provide a fascinating glimpse of thegolden age of Hollywood.

Thomas’ features and columns haveappeared in more than 300 magazinesand newspapers, and he is the author ofRaised by the Stars, published byMcFarland. He can be reached at hisblog: http://getnickt.blogspot.com

Ford with Rita Hayworth in Gilda (1946).

Photo credit: Peter Ford

Peter Ford, center, with his parents,Eleanor Powell and Glenn Ford.

Photo credit: Peter Ford

Ford, right, with Peter Ford onthe set of Heaven with a Gun

(1969).

Whether they’re looking for a new homeOr the help needed to stay in their old one —Will your services come to mind?

• Active adult and residential living• Independent and retirement living communities• Assisted living residences and personal care homes• Nursing and healthcare services• Home care, companions, and hospice care providers• Ancillary services

In print. Online at onlinepub.com.

Call about Early Bird Savings!Must reserve by Aug. 30, 2013

To include your community or service

in the 2014 edition or for a free copy of the 2013 edition,

call your representative or (717) 285-1350or email [email protected]

Your key to choosing theright living and care optionsfor you or a loved one.

Traveltizers Travel Appetizers: Stories that Whet the Appetite for Travel

Rhonda Besaw carefully placesthree small pouches on herdining room table.

They are meticulously adorned withvery tiny beads. One has three flowers,another has a geometric design, and thethird—my favorite—has sparkles oflight that swirl across a blackbackground.

Besaw explains that the sparklesrepresent her people as they cross overthe Milky Way to a place where theywill be reborn.

Besaw’s people are the Abenaki, atribe that has lived in southern Quebecand northern New England since beforethe beginning of oral history. Yet manypeople are unfamiliar with their cultureand contributions.

Besaw, an award-winning Nativeartist whose work is regularly shown ingalleries throughout the Northeast, ison a mission to change this.

“The Abenaki are still here,” she says.“Through these beads, I hope to sharethe story of our survival.”

My husband and I are visiting Besawin her home, which is in a small villagein the north woods of New Hampshire.The drive took us through the Notch, anarea where you can’t communicate by cellphone but where you can—if you’regood at this sort of thing—talk withmoose and bear.

We were, in all respects, on a “roadless traveled,” and this, for us, is part ofthe joy of “crafting,” a word that wecoined more than 20 years ago.

Crafting is the art of getting to knowa place—its history, its traditions, itspeople—through its handmade objects.

New Hampshire is the perfect placefor this type of travel. In 1932 it becamethe first state to officially support itsartists by establishing The League ofNew Hampshire Arts and Crafts, and thestate’s craft tradition—which includesNative, Colonial, Shaker, andcontemporary work—is among thenation’s finest.

Crafting the Roads and History of New Hampshire

Award-winning artist Rhonda Besawuses beads to tell stories of her

people.

Crafting takes people along the back roads,where scenes like this abound.

Dartmouth history professor Jere Daniellcalls Hillsborough “a quintessentialNew Hampshire town.”


please see NEW HAMPSHIRE page 9

When Vernon Barker was still ajunior in high school in 1943,he enlisted in the Navy. His

brother had joined the Navy earlier andhad told him about the high adventureof life aboard ship.

And we were at war, and everybodyelse seemed to be going, so he couldn’twait to become a sailor himself and seesome of that action. He sure got hiswish, since he later served in most of themajor invasions of the war in the Pacific.

His boot camp was at Naval StationGreat Lakes in northern Illinois. Thenhe was sent to Newport News, where hewas assigned to a brand-new lightcruiser, the USS Mobile. In those days,the Navy was scrambling to build andman the hundreds of ships it would taketo stand up to the powerful Japanesenavy. So crews were being sent intocombat as quickly as combat ships could

come on line. After a

shakedown cruisein the ChesapeakeBay to check outthe ship’s guns,radio, and manyother systems, theMobile sailedthrough thePanama Canal toHawaii, arrivingthere in June1943.

After a monthof training, theywere deemedready for combatand joined TaskForce 58 for aJuly 4 raid onMarcus Island, an

isolatedJapanese coralatoll some1,150 milessoutheast ofTokyo. It wasthe easternmostterritorybelonging toJapan.

And,although it wassmall, it was ofextremeimportance toJapan. AdmiralWilliam F.“Bull” Halseyhad spurred hismen on bysaying, “We’regoing to showthe Japanesewhat the

Fourth of July is all about.” And theydid, pelting the island with everythingthey had.

The Mobile then joined the fifth fleetfor the Gilberts campaign. There, shescreened the ships of Task Force 15 asthey struck at Tarawa Atoll in the firstoffensive in the critical central Pacificregion.

It was also the first time in the warthat the United States faced seriousJapanese opposition to an amphibiouslanding. The 4,500 Japanese defenderswere well supplied and well prepared, andthey fought almost to the last man.

Barker remembers it best for the shockthat came to him one morning when hewent to go on deck for a little fresh air.

“All I could see was bodies floating allover the place,” he said. “Tarawa was sosmall that they had no place to bury theJapanese, so they took the bodies out tosea 5 or 6 miles and dumped them intothe sea.”

Barker manned a 40-mm gun positionthat helped defend his ship from airattack, and in all the campaigns they wereinvolved in, air attack was continuous.His ship’s major responsibility was tosoften up the Japanese defenses againstamphibious assault.

After Tawara came Wake,

Bougainville, and Kwajalein, where theMobile performed fire support andcarrier-screening duties. Joining TaskForce 58, she pounded major enemybases at Eniwetok and Rabaul, and thenhelped devastate Truk, the base of theJapanese combined fleet.

Then they sailed for the MariannaIslands, where they struck Saipan,Tinian, and Guam. By March 24,Mobile’s first anniversary, she hadsteamed more than 70,000 miles andparticipated in 11 major operationsagainst the enemy.

But after having supported Alliedlandings in New Guinea and shelledWake Island, they were to face somethingnew and deadly. While raiding in thePhilippines and Peleliu, they, for the firsttime, were attacked by kamikazes, dayand night. They were the aircraft thatunskilled Japanese pilots tried to fly intoAmerican ships and installations.

Later, the Mobile faced the Kaitenone-man submarines, which, like thekamikazes, were guided by their pilots tocertain death. They were launched fromlarger submarines, and once in theKaiten, the pilot could not unlock thehatches. He was to exchange his life forwhatever damage he could do. Japanproduced several hundred of those deathtraps during the war.

The last action for the Mobile was theinvasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.Barker remembers seeing the famous flagraised on Iwo Jima and the particularlysavage battle for Okinawa, where some100,000 Japanese troops were dug-in incaves, cement tombs, and fortifications,well protected from the pre-invasionbombardment.

The invasion would see theassembling of the greatest naval armadaever. In total, the American fleet of morethan 1,300 ships gathered for the navalbombardment of the island.

During the invasion, nearly 1,500kamikaze flights were flown by theJapanese to sink 34 American ships anddamage 164 others. But naval gunfirewas used longer and in greater quantitiesthan in any other battle in history.

After 82 days, the Okinawancampaign was officially declared over onJuly 2, 1945, but to achieve that, more


From His Cruiser, He SawHundreds of Bodies Floating on the Sea

Robert D. Wilcox

Salute to a Veteran

717.285.1350717.770.0140610.675.6240

Limited SponsorshipOpportunities Available

Sept. 18, 20139 a.m. – 2 p.m.

York Expo CenterMemorial Hall East

334 Carlisle Avenue, York

11th Annual

Oct. 24, 20139 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Carlisle Expo Center100 K Street

Carlisle

14th Annual

Nov. 6, 20139 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Spooky Nook Sports2913 Spooky Nook Road

Manheim(Just off Rt. 283

at the Salunga exit)

17th Annual

NEWLOCATION!

NEWLOCATION!

Vernon Barker in boot camp atNaval Station Great Lakes.


On-Line Publishers, Inc. has an opening for a highly motivated person with aprofessional attitude to sell print and online advertising as well as niche events. The successful candidate should:• Enjoy building and maintaining your own long-term business relationships.• Be highly motivated, detail oriented, and able to multitask.• Have good communication skills.• Show a willingness to learn and grow in a fast-paced environment.We offer a competitive compensation plan with a benefits package that includeshealth insurance and a 401(k) plan. If you have sales experience and are interested in joining our growing sales team, please send your resume and compensation history/requirements [email protected].

is seeking an ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE

On-Line Publishers, Inc. • 3912 Abel Drive • Columbia, PA 17512 • 717.285.1350www.onlinepub.com

ships were used, moretroops put ashore, moresupplies transported,more bombs dropped,more Naval guns firedagainst shore targets thanin any other operation inthe Pacific.

On both sides, nearly170,000 died. TheJapanese lost 7,800aircraft and 16 combat ships. And wenow had a base for the plannedinvasion of the Japanese mainland.

Then the U.S. dropped the two A-bombs, and the war was over.

Barker says, “Truman was right todrop the A-bomb, because theprojected loss of life in attacking theJapanese mainland was monumental.”

The Mobile returned to San Diego,and Barker was discharged at Great

Lakes on Feb. 23,1946. He later came toCentral Pennsylvania tovisit his sister, Eileen,and there he met hisfuture wife, Gloria. Heliked CentralPennsylvania, too, sohe decided to stay.

Thinking back overhis days in the Navy,

he says he saw more combat than hecould ever have imagined. That hadearned him the Asiatic-Pacific Ribbonwith 12 Battle Stars and the PhilippinesLiberation Medal with two Stars. He’sproud of that … and truly thankfulthat he came through it all in onepiece.

Colonel Wilcox flew a B-17 bomber inEurope in World War II.

The light cruiser USS Mobile,on which Vernon Barkerserved in World War II.

CDC Urges You to Stay Cool

When Temps Soar

The Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC) is urging people toprepare for extreme heat this summer bystaying cool, hydrated, and informed.

“No one should die from a heat wave,but every year on average, extreme heatcauses 658 deaths in the UnitedStates—more thantornadoes, hurricanes,floods, andlightningcombined,” saidRobin Ikeda,MD, MPH,acting directorof the NationalCenter forEnvironmentalHealth andAgency for ToxicSubstances and DiseaseRegistry.

Extreme heat can lead to veryhigh body temperatures, brain and organdamage, and even death. People sufferheat-related illness when their bodies areunable to compensate and coolthemselves properly.

Extreme heat affects everyone, but theelderly, children, the poor or homeless,persons who work or exercise outdoors,and those with chronic medicalconditions are most at risk.

An analysis of 2012 data indicatesthat deaths are on the rise. In a two-week period in 2012, excessive heat

exposure resulted in 32 deaths in fourstates, four times the typical average forthose states for the same two-weekperiod from 1999-2009.

More than two-thirds of the deaths(69 percent) occurred at home, and 91

percent of those homes lacked airconditioning. Most of

those who died wereunmarried or living

alone, and 72percent weremale.

CDCrecommendsthat localgovernments

engage inadvanced planning,

such as increasingaccess to air

conditioning, coolingstations, or other public locations

that can be used by residents fortemporary relief from heat, particularlywhen temperatures are elevated forseveral consecutive days.

CDC is offering new resources,including a new website to prepare forextreme heat, new data on heat-relatedemergency room visits andhospitalizations, and a Climate Changeand Extreme Heat Events guidebook.

For more information on extremeheat and heat safety, call (800) CDC-INFO or visit www.cdc.gov/extremeheat.


By Megan Joyce

Co-sponsored by the Lebanon Valley YMCA andthe Lebanon County Area Agency on Aging, the 28th

annual Lebanon County Senior Games were heldMay 29 through June 5.

“The Senior Games gives individuals theopportunity to compete in competitive andnoncompetitive events in a friendly atmosphere,” saidBrian Wolfe, director of Lebanon YMCA at the VA.

“The games went great and everyone had a goodtime. It was a fun-filled, exciting time.”

Events offered for the 2013 Senior Gamesincluded 1- and 1.5-mile walks; miniature golf;bowling; golf; pinochle; table tennis; freestyle, 25-meter, and 50-meter swimming events; bingo; singlesand doubles badminton; basketball foul shooting;softball throw; bocce ball; billiards; shuffleboard; andhorseshoes.

For every event, players were divided into agegroups. Awards went to the top three place winners ofeach age group, both male and female, in each event.

“The new event this year was horseshoes, held atthe picnic grove at The Lebanon VA Medical Center,”Wolfe said.

“Our most popular events are mini-golf, held atthe Homestead at Coleman’s Park, and bowling, heldat Cedar Lanes.”

The Senior Games also highlight the manyavailable opportunities for recreation in the county,

resources even longtime residents might not be awareof.

“[The games] give the seniors of the community achance to socialize in different settings throughout thecounty,” Wolfe said. “It is a chance to showcase thedifferent activities Lebanon County has to offer andshows seniors different ways to live a healthy lifestyle.”

Held at various locations in Lebanon County, theSenior Games took participants to Lion’s Lake Park,Homestead Golf Course at Coleman Memorial Park,Cedar Lanes, Blue Mountain View Golf Course, theSenior Center of Lebanon Valley, the Lebanon VA(YMCA), and the Lebanon VA Hospital’s picnicgrove.

Wolfe, who is in his fifth year helping to organizethe Senior Games, said the attendance numberedabout 130 over the games’ six-day span.

“It was down from last year, but we had morepeople participate in events this year,” he noted.

There are already tentative plans in the works for2014, expanding the games both in scope and inlevity.

“Next year we are planning to have more eventsand have a little party at the end of the games,” Wolfesaid.

“Everyone said they had a great time and wishedthey would have signed up for more events.”

For more information on the 2013 LebanonCounty Senior games, visit www.lebanonymca.org orcall (717) 273-2691.

Good Players, Good Sports at Senior Games

www.StoneRidgeRetirement.com

You’ll feel right at home in over 1,400 square feet of luxuriousapartment living. With housekeeping, home maintenance, three dining

venues, a general store, and much more, you can leave the work to usand live the worry-free life you have been dreaming of for years.

Call 717-866-3553 to schedule your tour today!

Main Street is now open!And we are just waiting to welcome you to one of our

premier Park Avenue apartments.

ESponsorshipand exhibitorapplications

now beingaccepted.

To reserve space or for more information, go to:

a G r e a t W a y T o S p e n d M y D a y . c o mFREE advance guest registration online! ($5 at the door)

717.285.1350

October 5, 20139 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Lebanon Expo Center

80 Rocherty RoadLebanon

PPuummpp-UUpp Your Business.Be an Exhibitor!


Winner of $50 Giant Food Stores Gift Card:

Linda Farley of East Berlin

Congratulations!

Who Has the Best Bites inCentral PA?

50plus Senior News readers have spoken!

Here are the Lebanon County dining favorites for 2013!

Breakfast:

Heidelberg Family Restaurant

Lunch:

Heisey’s Diner

Dinner:

Heisey’s Diner

Ethnic Cuisine:

May's Wok

Celebrating:

Tony’s Mining Company Restaurant

Bakery:

Giant Food Stores

Coffeehouse:

Timeless Café

Fast Food:

Arby’s

Seafood:

Red Lobster

Steak:

Texas Roadhouse

Outdoor Dining:

Blue Bird Inn

Romantic Setting:

Trattoria Fratelli

Smorgasbord/Buffet:

Golden Corral

Caterer:

All About You

Thank You for Voting UsBest Smorgasbord/Buffet

in Lebanon County!— From the staff and management of Golden Corral

1147 Quentin RdLebanon, Pa 17042

(717) 274-1470

Besaw’s work includes beaded bags,moccasins, leggings, and drool-worthynecklaces and earrings. Her images arenot reproductions of traditional designsbut rather interpretations of ancientthemes. In this way she passes on notonly stories of her ancestors, but alsotheir spirits.

Our quest to glimpse NewHampshire’s colonial heritage takes usto Hillsborough Center, a town that isNew England to its core, right down tothe white-steepled church and stacked-stone fences.

Jon Gibson, a second-generationpewterer, greets us with a smile.

“I’ll show you the old schoolhouse,and then we’ll go into my studio,” hesays.

This is how we come to spend themorning in a 200-year-old schoolhouseas well as in an equally old post-and-beam barn, all the while learning abouta craft that was essential to the daily lifeof the early settlers.

I pick up a porringer and admire itsdecorative handle.

“Paul Revere worked in silver ratherthan pewter, but he made some of themost famous colonial porringers,” saysGibson.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Bostonhas in its collection several pieces madeby Paul Revere as well as a few itemsmade by Jon Gibson, a fact of whichGibson is rightfully proud. Some ofGibson’s pieces—which include bowls,plates, mugs, tankards, andcandleholders—are cast, some arehammered, and some are spun on anantique lathe.

From Hillsborough Center we travelto Amherst, where we meet SumnerBennett, who painstakingly craftsindividually fabricated Shaker boxes.The Shakers, who arrived in the

colonies in the late 1700s, believed indevoting their “hands to work and theirhearts to God,” and thus becameknown for items that were made withutmost love and precision.

I look at a set of oval nested boxes,perhaps the most well known of theShaker crafts, and quickly realize thenecessity for such precision. The top ofeach box must not only fit snuggly ontothe bottom of its handcrafted mate, buteach box must also be sized to fit intothe next larger one. Bennett makes setsthat consist of up to 10 nested boxes.

He is relaxed as he demonstrates thevarious steps required to make theboxes, from preparing the wood tocutting the ovals and distinctive finger-shaped joints that keep the boxes frombuckling.

As with Besaw and Gibson, Bennett’swillingness to share his knowledge, bothtechnical and historical, gives meinsight into the past, teaching me notonly how people lived, but also howthey thought.

Like all our crafting journeys, we runout of time much too soon. There aremore crafts to explore, more history tolearn. We haven’t even begun to delveinto the state’s thriving contemporaryart scene. For that, we’ll have to return.

The Annual League of NHCraftsmen’s Fair, which showcases thework of more than 350 craftspeople,takes place this year Aug. 3–11.

Rhonda Besaw: www.rhondabesaw.comJon Gibson: www.gibsonpewter.comSumner Bennett: www.sbshakerbox.comOther NH craftspeople:www.nhcrafts.org

Photos © Irv Green unless otherwise noted;story by Andrea Gross(www.andreagross.com).

NEW HAMPSHIRE from page 5


Lebanon County

Calendar of EventsSenior Center Activities

Give Us the Scoop!Please send us your press releases so we can let our readers know about

free events occurring in Lebanon County!

Email preferred to: [email protected]

Let help you get the word out! (717) 285-1350

What’s Happening?

Annville Senior Community Center – (717) 867-1796200 S. White Oak St., AnnvilleJuly 15, 10:30 a.m. – Planning Committee Meeting and Monthly Special MealJuly 19, 9 a.m. – Calendar and Newsletter Distribution/Mailing List

Maple Street Community Center – (717) 273-1048710 Maple St., LebanonJuly 8 to 12, 8 a.m. – Day Camp Week: Different Programs Each DayJuly 25, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Bus Trip: Christmas in July EventJuly 31, 10:30 a.m. – Carpool to the Mt. Gretna Timbers for Show

Myerstown Senior Community Center – (717) 866-678651 W. Stoever Ave., MyerstownJuly 10, 10:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Bus Trip: Footloose at Pine’s Dinner TheatreJuly 18, 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Bus Trip: Noah at Sight & Sound TheatreJuly 26, 4:30 to 11:30 p.m. – Bus Trip: Barnstormers Baseball Game and Buffet

Northern Lebanon Senior Community Center – (717) 865-0944335 N. Lancaster St., Jonestown – www.jonestownpa.org/senior.html

Palmyra Senior Community Center – (717) 838-8237101 S. Railroad St., PalmyraJuly 17, noon – Ice Cream SocialJuly 30, 5 to 11 p.m. – Bus Trip: Reading Phillies Baseball Game and PicnicJuly 31, 10:45 a.m. – “Sink Hole Capital PA” Consumer Education and Discussion

Southern Lebanon Senior Community Center – (717) 274-7541Midway Church of the Brethren, 13 Evergreen Road, Lebanon

Privately Owned Centers

Senior Center of Lebanon Valley, Inc. – (717) 274-3451710 Maple St., Lebanon

Washington Arms – (717) 274-4104303 Chestnut St., Lebanon

Please call or visit the centers’ websites for additional activities.

If you have an event you would like to include,

please email information to [email protected] for consideration.

Programs and Support Groups Free and open to the public

Lebanon County Department of Parks and Recreation

All events held at the Park at Governor Dick unless noted.

July 7, 1 to 4 p.m. – Music on the Porch: Bluegrass and Country Music Jam

Lebanon County Library Programs

Annville Free Library, 216 E. Main St., Annville, (717) 867-1802

Lebanon Community Library, 125 N. Seventh St., (717) 273-7624

Matthews Public Library, 102 W. Main St., Fredericksburg, (717) 865-5523

Myerstown Community Library, 199 N. College St., Myerstown, (717) 866-2800

Palmyra Public Library, 325 S. Railroad St., (717) 838-1347

Richland Community Library, 111 E. Main St., Richland, (717) 866-4939

July 24, 6 to 7 p.m. – Personal Care Family Support Group, Linden Village, 100 TuckCourt, Lebanon, (717) 274-7400

A refreshing swim can help lowerblood pressure and cholesterol. These arevascular health bonuses for people whoare at risk for stroke, the leading cause ofdisability and the fourth leading cause ofdeath in the United States.

In 2010, 137,000 Americans died ofstroke, according to the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Swimming is a vascular healthbonanza,” said David H. Stone, MD, amember of the Society for VascularSurgery. “Low-impact swimmingprovides a total cardiovascular workout.Regular exercise strengthens the heartmuscle, resulting in less effort [exerted]

and a decrease in blood pressure.”One in every three Americans over 20

years old—74millionAmericans—hashigh bloodpressure, accordingto 2010 statisticsfrom the CDC.One in every sixAmerican adultshas high cholesterol(more than 250mg/d L). MoreAmerican women than men have highcholesterol.

In a 2010 University of WesternAustralia study, 100 women swimmers,

ages 50 to 70,lowered their badcholesterol and lostmore inches in thewaist and hipsthan walkers.Likewise,swimming is easyon the joints anddoesn’t result inoverheating.

The AmericanCouncil on Exercise suggests that adultsburn 2,000 calories a week from

exercise. A lack of regular physicalactivity results in 250,000 deathsannually, according to a 2003 report inthe journal Circulation.

As long as the exercise regimencontinues, the health benefits remain.

After 12 to 14 weeks of a three- tofive-days-a-week exercise regimen of 20to 60 minutes at an intensity of 60 to 90percent heart rate, bad (LDL) cholesterolcan decrease by up to 20 percent,according to Livestrong.com. Anotherbonus: Aerobic exercise can increasegood (HDL) cholesterol.

(NewsUSA)

Swim Your Way to Heart Health


ResourceDIRECTORY

for the Caregiver, Aging, and Disabled

2013

Dual Marketing

onlinepub.comOnline

In Print

All at an affordable priceto you ... priceless to

consumers!

• Most comprehensive directory of its kind

• Links consumer with the appropriate informationand resources

• Supports local agencies and promotes efficientcoordination of services

• 400+ informative listings(FREE expanded listing with display ad)

• Complementary online e-dition – FREE

• Matte, full color for easier readability

• 8,000 free copies distributed throughout thecounty, including government offices,CVS/pharmacies, doctors’ offices, 50plus EXPOS,and wherever 50plus Senior News is distributed

717.285.1350 • 717.770.0140 • 610.675.6240 • [email protected] Publishers, Inc., 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512 • www.onlinepub.com

Space ReservationDeadline:

July 26, 2013.Contact your accountrepresentative today,or call (717) 285-1350.

If you’re an organization or business that offers a product or service relevant to seniors, the disabled,caregivers or their families, call now to be included

in this vital annual directory.

Advertise in theMost ComprehensiveDirectory of Its Kind

In Print and Online!Lebanon CountyIcelebrated my 62nd birthday on April

29, and I am still having troubleunderstanding how I could be two

years immersed in my sixth decade. When I think about birthdays, I can’t

remember a time when I said, “I wish Icould be in my 60s.” I do remembersaying that I wish I could be 21, for allthe obvious reasons.

I even thought that 30 was prettygood. By then I had a good job; I wasmarried; I had a newborn son and adaughtertwo yearslater; I hada house andaninexpensivenew car;and I feltthat thingswere goingwell. It washectic andchaotic,though.

When Ihit my 40s,things hadbegun to gowrong. I mean, I had been in my job for12 years and I was actually makingsome money. A couple of bucks left overafter household expenses were paidhinted that I was getting somewhere.

But some serious health problemsinterfered with our lives by the time Iwas 43, and a couple of years later, theteenagers living in our home wereovercome by hormonal madness and anomnipotent wisdom of all things thatever were and ever shall be.

Controlling the demonic forcesturned me into an unrecognizable figureof a man. Did I say there was anger?Oh, yes, and it was a righteous anger.

With the patience of a saint, I taughtboth of my children to drive. And wheneach one passed their driver’s test, I wasalmost willing to buy each a good carand provide a year’s rent somewhere onthe opposite side of the country.

“Get there safely but get there as fastas you can,” I wanted to say, “and don’tcome back until you realize how smartyour mom and I actually are.”

I remember when I was a teenager

how folks who were the age that I amnow would say, “Enjoy being young.Each new year flies by faster and faster.”And I would say, “Blah, blah, blah andblabbity, blabbity, blabbity.”

Just like my teenagers, I kneweverything. How frivolous and carefreeand invincible I was. It’s the universalstory of youth, isn’t it? I told my brotherthe other day that my new favorite songis “Yesterday, When I Was Young” byRoy Clark. Listen to it; you’ll see what I

mean. A

fadedcelebritysingersaid onetime on atalk showthat therewasn’t onedarnedthing thatwas goodaboutgettingold. Isupposethat’s true

for once-famous people who have losttheir luster and have been forgotten bythe public.

But I have never been famous orwidely known by the public. Gettingolder for a regular guy like me is justroutine; I have no delusions orflashbacks of glory.

Look, I’m not saying that gettingolder is a dream. The inevitable loss ofyouth can be difficult. Many of youalready know it; many more soon will.In sad resignation, I have often saidgood riddance to much of thefoolishness and turmoil of that earliertime, while in my heart I yearn for onemore stab at it.

I don’t ever remember saying that Iwish I could be in my 60s, but I surehope I can be in my 70s. The alternativeis difficult to ponder.

Mike Clark writes a regular column for TheGlobe Leader newspaper in NewWilmington, Pa. He lives outside Columbia,Pa., and can be contacted [email protected].

Birthday Thoughts

The Way I See It

Mike Clark

How do you describe scents orfragrance in flowers? There areprobably as many ways as there

are people, scent being very subjective.It was in the Victorian times at the

end of the 19th century that fragrance inthe garden became really popular for justthat, not for any functional use. Prior tothat time, fragrance was used medicinallyand to mask unpleasant odors.

It was also at this time (1893) thatscents were first categorized by Countvon Marilaun into six groups.

Since then, these have been expandedto 10 scent groups, all of which are usedfor flowers. These groups are based oncommon essential oils for each group ofplants. It is the volatile compounds fromthese oils that our noses register as“scents.”

1. The indole group has flowers smelling

like and resemblingdecayed meat orcarrion, such as theskunk cabbage(Lysichiton) and awake-robin (Trilliumerectum), and attractsdung flies forpollination.

2. The aminoidgroup also smellsunpleasant to attractflies, smelling ofdecayed fish orammonia, andincludes many umbelflowers, such as giantfennel.

3. The heavy group smells similar to thelast, only sweeter, and includes some of

the oldest knownfragrant flowers, such assome lilies and narcissus.

4. The aromatic grouphas some of the mostpleasantly scentedflowers with scents ofvanilla, balsam, almond,and cloves, such as insome primroses, peonies,stocks, and pinks.

5. The violet group andsmell is, of course,present in violets.Smelling of dampwoodland moss, it

attracts no insects, as the flowers are self-pollinating.

6. The rose group is pleasant and foundin roses in addition to some peonies andscented geraniums.

7. The lemon group is more often foundin leaves but also in some water lilies andevening primroses.

8. The fruit-scented group includes manyroses and some minor bulbs.

9. The animal-scented group usually isunpleasant and may smell of musk, as insome roses; human perspiration, as invalerian and ox-eye daisy; and animal fur,as in crown imperial.

10. The honey-scented group is similarto the last, only sweeter and often more

pleasant. Some examples are the butterflybush (Buddleia), showy stonecrop(Sedum spectabile), and meadowsweet(Filipendula).

As seen in most of these flower-scentgroups, insects or pollinators are themain reason for scent. It basically attractspollinators specifically needed topollinate a flower, and at the right time.Usually if a flower is not ready or is pastthe time for pollination, or has beenpollinated, it won’t have muchfragrance.

If a flower is fragrant at night, oddsare that it is pollinated by moths or evenbats. Sweet scents generally attract beesand flies for pollination, while thosewith fruity or musty-smelling flowersmay attract flies or beetles forpollination.

While a species of plant may havefragrance, some of its highly bredoffspring may not. These cultivars(cultivated varieties) may have been bredfor other traits instead, such as flowersize, shape, or disease resistance. Rosesare a good example of such a plant.Often, where there are many cultivars tochoose from—as with roses, peonies,daffodils, or crabapples—only some willhave fragrant flowers.

Fragrant summer perennials includebearded iris early in the season, tallgarden phlox later on as well as some ofthe oriental lilies, and lavender (wherehardy).

Dr. Leonard P. Perry is an extension professorat the University of Vermont.


A Garden Worth 10 Scents

The Green Mountain Gardener

Dr. Leonard Perry

Does Your Marketing Reach Active,Affluent Boomers & Seniors?

ReserveYour Space Now

for the 17th Annual:

November 6, 20139 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Spooky Nook Sports2913 Spooky Nook Road, Manheim

(Just off Rt. 283 at the Salunga exit)

It’s the premier event for baby boomers,caregivers, and seniors in Lancaster County

•Face-to-face interaction with 3,000+ attendees

•Strengthen brand recognition/

launch new products

Why Participate?

For sponsorship and exhibitor information: (717) 285-1350

NEWLOCATION!

NEWLOCATION!

Brought to you by:

&

Time is a Priceless GiftDo you know a 50+ volunteer who gives selflessly to others?

Tell us what makes him or her so special and we will consider them for 50plus Senior News’

Volunteer Spotlight!Volunteer Spotlight!Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos areencouraged. Email preferred to [email protected] or mailnominations to 50plus Senior News, Volunteer Spotlight, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512.

Submissions should be 200 words or fewer and photos areencouraged. Email preferred to [email protected] or mailnominations to 50plus Senior News, Volunteer Spotlight, 3912 Abel Drive, Columbia, PA 17512.


WORD SEARCH

SUDOKU

Solutions for all puzzles can be found on page 14

Your ad could be here! Sponsor the Puzzle Page!Please call (717) 285-1350 for more information.

1. Funnyman5. Energy-efficient

transportation10. Kind of meet14. State categorically15. Paradigm16. Forum wear17. Soupçon18. Fetid20. Role models22. Degrees23. Midnight medley?24. Buckle under26. Font style, for short

28. Debate position29. Ginger32. Stumps, once35. High dudgeon37. Book of Ruth figure39. Men of the cloth,

briefly40. Soft shoe41. Call it a day42. Novelist Loos44. Cole Porter’s “___

Clown”45. Ill-natured46. ___ de tête

47. Evita role49. Sugar source51. Ringo, for one53. Arena exhibitions57. Once-popular songs60. Flare-up62. Type of punch64. Designer Chanel65. ___ of Green Gables66. Door sign67. Bygone despot68. Fewer69. Squalid70. Dried-up

1. Bivouacs2. Characteristic of birds3. Rocket type4. Most gloomy5. Silver wattle6. Land on the Strait of

Hormuz7. Erb’s ___8. Anima9. Dickens character,

Artful ___10. Violin name, for short11. Cherry, e.g.12. Malarial fever13. Bridge option

19. Synthetic fiber21. Catches on25. Medicinal syrup27. Supple29. Decant30. Pianist Gilels31. Pathos32. Streetcar33. Rockfish34. “... there is no ___

angel but Love”:Shakespeare

36. Old World deer38. Conduits43. Took steps

45. Prig48. Chops up, as potatoes50. Major thoroughfare51. Trig functions52. Itinerary54. Notched55. Odd Couple character56. Salt away57. Nuncupative58. Kind of wolf59. Harasses for payment61. Expended63. Unified

Across

Down

CROSSWORD


Puzz

les

show

n on

pag

e 13

Puzzl

e Solu

tions

Her positive mind has forged the way fora positive life.

And her natural charisma may bewhat prompted so many women to jointhe Women’s Writing Circle thatWeidener began in November 2009.

The Women’s Writing Circle beganout of Weidener’s hope and dream offinding kindred spirits who couldconnect as a community of writers.

“It is very important when you are awriter to ease the loneliness and isolationof the work and find a community oflikeminded souls,” Weidener said. “All ofthese women have given me a new leaseon life.”

The group of women meets on thesecond Saturday of each month at a localbookshop. They share their writing witheach other and offer support andvalidation—things essential to anywriter’s success, both in their careers andas individuals.

“The emphasis is on how writing canlead to healing, self-discovery, andempowerment,” she said.

To merely say that Weidener loveswriting would be an injustice to her truefeelings, as she loves every aspect of it—“even the blood, sweat, and tears” that gointo it.

“I found that writing was a journeyinto the soul—a path to self-discovery, aswell as a way to develop understandingand empathy for others,” she said.

“When you put on paper what hastormented you, you take away the power

of painful memories and put thembehind you.”

Weidener is quick to point out thatthe group meets to connect not only aswriters, but also aswives, mothers,daughters, sisters,and friends sharingtheir journeys.

The group hassince evolved into amonthly critiquesession with aconcentration ondeveloping pieces ofwriting for potentialpublication,explains Weidener.Workshops havealso been formedfrom the Women’sWriting Circle,where the focus is on the craft andalchemy of writing.

The group recently published ananthology of stories and poems, calledSlants of Light: Stories and Poems From theWomen’s Writing Circle. The anthologycan be purchased in some localbookstores or at Amazon.com, and it willbe available as an e-book on Aug. 1.

Weidener brought in outsideworkshop instructors to teach on topicslike fiction and memoir writing andjournaling. She shares her own skills andexperiences as well. Weidener worked asa news and feature writer for The

Philadelphia Inquirer before leaving thepaper in 2007.

While she is committed to freelycheering others on in their journeys—no

matter what agethey may be—Weidener has alsobeen so bold as toshare her own lifejourney in its rawestform in twomemoirs.

Her first book,Again in aHeartbeat, waspublished in2010—the sameyear that she turned60. It is a memoirof love, loss, anddating again.

Weidener has notremarried since losing her husband butstill dates occasionally.

“I never met a man as strong or asconfident, as kind and as honorable asJohn,” said Weidener. “What has keptme going since John’s death is thememory of how he believed in me, mystrength as a woman, and he neverdoubted for an instant that I could raisehis sons on my own.”

She learned a lot about herself as shewrote Again in a Heartbeat and hopes thebook can help anyone who is goingthrough the loss of a loved one.

“When a person we love has cancer, or

any chronic illness, we may not alwayslive up to our own set of personalstandards,” she explained. “My anger andgrief should not have been directed atmy husband for dying but at the cancerand how the disease impacted our family,our two little boys, and my own naïvedream of a happily-ever-after.”

She points out in the book that whena person you love is dying, they willoften distance themselves from you.

“It would have helped me at the timeif I had had someone to talk about it andwhy I felt so abandoned by him.”

Weidener’s second memoir, Morningat Wellington Square, published in 2012,is the story of a woman’s search to findherself beyond traditional roles. Shediscusses the beginning of the Women’sWriting Circle and the end of her careeras a journalist. Leaving the newspaperwas painful in its own way; her time inthe newsroom was so rewarding and feltlike more of a calling than it did a job.

“I am always amazed when I think ofhow an idea to start a writing circle hasturned into a place where, over the lastthree and a half years, more than 200women have read their work,” Weidenersaid.

“Some come once or twice and don’treturn to the circle, while others havebeen coming steadily for a year, twoyears, even three.”

To follow the happenings of theWomen’s Writing Circle, you may visittheir blog at www.susanweidener.com.

DRAFT from page 1

Books authored by Weidener as well asthe entire Women’s Writing Circle havebeen featured at the bookshop where

they meet monthly.

U.S. Dementia Care Costs Reached $215 Billion in 2010The costs of caring for people with

dementia in the United States in 2010were between $159 and $215 billion,and those costs could rise dramaticallywith the increase in the numbers of olderpeople in coming decades, according to

estimates by researchers at RAND Corp.and the University of Michigan, AnnArbor.

The researchers found these costs ofcare comparable to, if not greater than,those for heart disease and cancer.

The study, supported by the NationalInstitutes of Health and publishedrecently in The New England Journal ofMedicine, totaled direct medicalexpenditures and costs attributable to thevast network of informal, unpaid care

that supports people with dementia. Depending on how informal care is

calculated, national expenditures in 2010for dementia among people older than70 were found to be $159 to $215billion.

OK, maybe it isn’t in the sameleague as the invention of themicroscope, the discovery of

penicillin, or the formulation ofvaccines, but the creation of the hospitalgown that closes in the back will certainlybe applauded by every patient who hasever had to wear one and who has hadto reach, pull, or twist it just so he canget to the bathroom without exposinghis rear end to the world.

When Iwas caringfor patientsin thehospital, weoften usedtwo of thoseflimsy, thincotton gownson ourpatients, onetying in theback and thesecond oneover it, tyingin the front.

Thepatients werenot asexposed asthey werewhen they were forced to wear the singlegown, and in addition, wearing twogowns made them feel a bit warmer.Sometimes we would let the patientsbring pajama bottoms or boxer shortsfrom home and wear them under thegowns.

The tie-in-the-back version of thegown is handy for nurses and doctors, asit provides easy access to the patient’sback and makes it quick and simple to,for instance, listen to a patient’s lungs orheart or to give an injection. And itmakes it easier for the patient to use thebedpan if necessary.

However, patients hate those darngowns. And with good reason. Andalthough they have provided fodder forcartoons for years, it’s time for them togo.

I saw pictures of one kind of newlydesigned gown, and it looks more like awrap-around spa bathrobe. It has acrisscross V-neck closure in the front andelbow-length sleeves. There are snaps

instead of ties and, while it does close inthe back, it also has an “access flap” fromthe neck down to the lower back.

The particular gown I saw and readabout was created at the Henry FordInnovation Institute and is currentlybeing used at a hospital in Detroit. Sofar, patient reviews have been positive.The goal now is getting the designlicensed and sold to a manufacturer whocan get this going on a grand scale. (I did

a little research on the Internetand found that other designersand companies are working onthis issue as well.)

The current tie-in-the-backdesign goes back to the early20th century, and while they

were agreat ideain a timewhenpatientsstayed flatin the bedmuchmorethan theydo today,theyhaven’tchangedmuchsincethen, and

they certainly don’t offer any measure ofprivacy.

And here’s another benefit of the spa-like gown, beyond preserving patientdignity: The new gown is made of athicker fabric, so using two gowns onpatients who are cold (in addition tobeing embarrassed) would no longer benecessary, thus saving on the number ofgowns the hospital needs to purchase.The manufacturing cost of the newgowns is comparable to those of the oldones, and yes, the new gowns launder upwell.

So, while it may not win the NobelPrize, a gown that closes in the back willbe dearly loved. Way to go, designers!

Gloria May is a registered nurse with amaster’s degree in adult health education anda Certified Health Education Specialistdesignation.


THERE’S NO NEWS LIKE

Help yourself to a

50plusSenior News

and a shopping basket.

Now there are even more places to getyour FREE copy of

50plus Senior News!!!Check out your local

CVS/pharmacy storesand look forthis display.

Hospital GownsGet a Redesign

NurseNews

Gloria May, M.S., R.N., CHES

Photos courtesy of Henry Ford Innovation Institute

“The Upper Hand”This phrase originated with the advent of

sandlot baseball. In order to determine whichteam would bat first, one player would graspthe baseball bat at the lower end. A playerfrom the opposing team would then place hishand directly above the first player’s hand.

They would alternate hands up the batuntil the end was reached and one of the

players had the “upper hand.”


Easy & direct colonoscopy scheduling.No need for a preliminary visit!

Due for a colonoscopy? Scheduling yours just got easier!

If you are age 50-75 and in general good health, you can now schedule yourscreening colonoscopy directly with Good Samaritan Digestive Health Specialistswith no need for a preliminary office visit.

Call Good Samaritan Digestive Health Specialists today at 717.376.1180 toschedule your colonoscopy!

Expert care for your digestive system and saving time with one appointment instead of two.

That’s powerful medicine and comforting care. Only at Good Samaritan.

Good Samaritan Digestive Health Specialists | 761 Norman Drive, Lebanon, PA | 717.376.1180 | www.gshleb.org/digestivehealth

lebanon county 50plus senior news july 2013

Documents

susan weidener

life youve

wayfor weidener

american lung association717

persons life

walks of life

american cancer society717

alzheimers association717