say to care-free and to home care

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Say hello to care-free and goodbye to home care.

2 THE DOMINION POST SENIOR POST SUNDAY, AUG. 29, 2021

3 - Senior centers and facilities4 - September is World Alzheimer’s Month6 - Clarence Harvey: Hooked on education7 - Women’s guide to menopause8 - Senior center activities9 - Preston County Schools and others provide

assistance for grandfamilies9 - Crossword10 - Electronic communication becomes a fertile field

for scammers10 - Assisted living and residential care communities11 - How to help seniors adapt to automotive tech11 - Senior emergency assistance

On the cover: Clarence Harvey has beenin the Monongalia County school system for62 years. Submitted photo.

SUNDAY, AUG. 29, 2021 SENIOR POST THE DOMINION POST 3

Harmony Senior Services communities were created to offer you or your loved one the comfort and support needed to truly enjoy each day. The days of lawn maintenance and tedious house chores are a thing of the past. We take care of all the burdensome tasks of home ownership, so you can dedicate your days to doing the things you love.

INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING | MEMORY CARE

304.241.8112 • HarmonyatMorgantown.com • 50 Harmony Drive | Morgantown | WV | 26505

Your to-do list just got shorter.


BY DOREEN SEAMONFor The Dominion Post

Alzheimer ’s dementia is adreaded diagnosis. As anestate planning attorney, Ihear from those afflicted withAlzheimer ’s or their lovedones almost daily as they

desperately search for answers at variousstages of the illness.

As an effort to raise awareness about thisdisease and to challenge the stigma thatsurrounds dementia, World Alzheimer’s Day isobserved Sept. 21. Locally, we have the Walkto End Alzheimer’s Oct. 17 at the MountaineerMall. All are welcome!

The statistics regarding Alzheimer’s demen-tia are overwhelming. On a national level, wehave 6.2 million Americans over the age of65 who have Alzheimer’s dementia, which is1 in 9 people in that age group. It is estimated

that we have 39,000 West Virginians withAlzheimer ’s dementia. In addition to theimpact on those who have the disease, theimpact on the caregivers and our economy isstaggering. In West Virginia, it is estimatedthat in 2020 85,000 caregivers provided145,000,000 hours of unpaid care, which isvalued at $1,971,000 — with two-thirds of theunpaid caregivers being women.

Dementia is a brain condition that affects theparts of the brain that control memory andlanguage. But it is not a specific disease. It isan overall term describing a group of symp-toms. Alzheimer’s disease is the most com-mon form of dementia. It destroys brain cellsand nerves, disrupting the transmitters thatcarry messages in the brain, particularly thoseresponsible for storing memories.

Most people who develop Alzheimer’s demen-tia are over the age of 65. However, the risk ofdeveloping Alzheimer’s dementia should not beconsidered a normal part of aging. Although therisk of developing the disease increases with

age, younger people can develop this degen-erative disease as well.

The potential of a dementia diagnosis alongwith the other uncertainties of our senioryears can be unsettling. Therefore, weshould take control by preparing for ourfuture. All adults should have an estate plan,and it should be updated during life’s tran-sitions such as changes in family status,certain medical diagnosis or aging issues. Ifyou are of the age where you are con-templating when you should retire, or drawon your social security income, or are apply-ing for Medicare, your estate plan shouldalso include elder law provisions.

Elder law provisions are included in estateplans to address issues such as long-term careplanning, public benefits, end-of-life issues,veterans’ benefits and the legal rights of theelderly. If you already have estate planningdocuments, you should not presume they havethe appropriate provisions in them. Usually,

these issues would be addressed specificallywith your elder law attorney in discussionsregarding the design of your documents andthe provisions should have been explained toyou prior to you executing those documents.

The cost of procrastination can be quite expen-sive. Because even if you are healthy orconsider yourself too young to have theseserious health issues, you do not have to beelderly to experience a serious injury from anaccident, a stroke or a new diagnosis of a long-term illness. When you have made your impor-tant decisions in advance, it is easier for you, aswell as your trusted helpers. While these con-versations may be uncomfortable, they are wellworth the peace of mind in the event of a crisis.Remember, it is never too early to plan!

Doreen L. Seamon, J.D. is an attorney withSeamon Law Offices PLLC. Her experienceincludes elder care and estate planning. She writesa regular column for Senior Post. Contact her [email protected].


Clarence Harvey, who is 95 yearsold, said he spent 62 of those 95 yearsworking in the Mon County schoolsystem.

“I tell everyone God blessed me inevery faction of my life. I had greatparents. My father was a coal miner,and I had a wonderful mother,” he said.“I was also blessed with three perfectchildren, seven grandchildren and 13great-grandchildren. Plus, I had acareer I greatly loved. This has been ablessing.”

Harvey said he began teaching in1948 in Daybrook.

I taught English and history.” hesaid. “I taught some awfully goodkids.”

Harvey said he served as an assis-tant superintendent for a number ofyears and served on the school boardfor 26 years. He retired in 1984.

Harvey was initially elected to a six-year term on the board of education in1984, and was re-elected to two four-year terms. He said he returned tooffice in 2006, and won re-election inMay of 2014.

“I had two teachers in my career whowere instrumental in me becoming at e a c h e r, ” Harvey said, “a teacher atUniversity High in 1944, and a collegeprofessor at West Virginia University.Both though I should be a teacher. Atthe time, I had my heart set on being al a w y e r. ”

He said during his career he had theopportunity of being a part of “tuningup” the head start program.

“That was a tremendous experi-ence.”

During the 80s, Harvey said he hadthe honor of representing the UnitedStates in Germany during the Inter-

national Conference on VocationalEducation.

“We were just building our vocationalprogram, and I went there to see whateveryone else was doing,” he said.

Harvey said he still maintains hisinterest in the Mon County schoolsystem.

“The county folks need to be awarethat when school opens, we have all-new schools and the ones that are notnew have been retrofit. That’s some-thing the people on the board haveaccomplished,” he said.

Harvey said he has been veryblessed to have had the opportunitiesthat he has had.

“If I was teaching today, I would askmy students to write in 100 words on‘What would you do to make Americabetter today?’ ” he said.

SUNDAY, AUG. 29, 2021 SENIOR POST THE DOMINION POST 7MetroCreative Connection

Menopause is a natural occurrence in awoman’s life. Menopause occurs 12 monthsafter a woman’s last period. It marks the endof the reproductive years, and the cessation ofmenstruation.

Many women mistakenly believe that theyears leading up to the end of their periods ismenopause. In fact, this time of potential hotflashes and changes in their monthly cycles is atransitional period known as perimenopause.

The National Institute on Aging saidmenopause can take place between ages45 and 55. Perimenopause may occur severalyears before that.

Signs the transitional yearsare beginning

Irregular menstruation is one of the firstindications that a woman’s body is changing.Periods may come at different times or beshorter or last longer. Some women bleed moreor less than usual. Women should consult theirgynecologists if their periods last more than aweek or if bleeding is especially heavy.

Hot flashes could occur

The NIA said many women experience hotflashes in perimenopause and menopause. Hotflashes are believed to be related to changingestrogen levels. The sudden feeling of heat in theupper part or all of the body is often accompaniedby flushing of the face and neck. When they occur

at night, hot flashes are called night sweats.

Mood changes/sleep issues

Fluctuating hormones can cause otherchanges in the body. It’s common for women inperimenopause to experience mood changes.However, mood also may be affected by dis-ruptions to sleep that can occur at this time.Women can speak to their doctors about reme-dies that can help with mood and sleep issues.

Additional changes

Since hormones are responsible for manyoperations in the female body, additionalchanges are possible at this point in awoman’s life. Thinning hair and dry skin mayoccur. Many women also complain of vaginaldryness. Loss of breast fullness might beevident. Furthermore, weight gain and slowedmetabolism are possible.

The Mayo Clinic said women may still expe-rience pregnancy in midlife, despite irregularperiods. This can be a confusing time for women,as they may not be sure if they’re pregnant or ifthey’ve started the menopause transition.

After a woman experiences menopauseand enters post-menopause, she is morevulnerable to heart disease and osteoporosis.Women should continue to see their doctorsfor routine health visits and screenings.

Menopause is often accompanied by variousside effects. Women can speak with theirphysicians if they have any questions or con-cerns during this unique time in their lives.


Solution on page 11.

BY JENIFFER GRAHAMFor The Dominion Post

Grandfamilies in Preston County have a friend inStormy Johnson. Johnson is the Preston County Schoolsstudent support specialist. She helps grandfamilies byreaching out to churches and organizations to helpprovide items needed for grandchildren in their care.

In a 2018 report, West Virginia State University saidWest Virginia is second in the nation when it comes tochildren being raised by their grandparents. The reportalso said the average income for the grandfamilies isbetween $15,000 and $35,000 — and the averagenumber of grandchildren being raised by their grand-parents is three.

“A few weeks ago, I found two beds for a grandmotherwho is raising her grandchildren,” Johnson said. “Lastyear, with the help of local churches we provided27 beds.”

She said 2020 she met with a group of women inBruceton Mills who said they would help her find neededitems. Johnson said the women were members of severaldifferent county churches. Another group that helps herprovide items needed by grandfamilies is the FosterInitiative at the Chestnut Ridge Church.

“Preston County has a lot of kinship care,” Johnsonsaid. “There are a lot of grandparents raising theirgrandchildren who don’t come forward. I went to agrandfamilies group meeting prior to COVID, and Ibelieve the biggest fear these grandparents have islosing their grandchild.”

Johnson said she tells the families she works with thatthe papers they fill out for her are only used to betterserve them. She said a grandparent seeking resources isnot a reason to call Child Protective Services. Everythingis confidential.

“I want to make sure they have what they need to carefor the child or children they are raising,” Johnson said. “Ithank every grandparent I see. After raising your chil-dren, you don’t think you will be raising your grand-children. It’s hard.”

Although she is provided some funds through PrestonCounty Schools, she said building a good relationship withlocal churches and the community is important.

“If it wasn’t for the faith-based communities in thecounty, I would not be able to do my job,” she said.

Preston schools provide backpacks and school sup-plies to help students being raised by grandparents whoneed assistance have the same educational materials asother students. Johnson said she also works withLovepacs Outreach to provide personal hygiene itemsand mental health information, and with the PresbyterianChurch Homeless Student Project to provide studentswith school and hygiene supplies.

She said she does a lot of referrals for utilities andhelps with housing.

“Last year, I did 80 HUD applications. I help families dothem, as long as they have a student in the PrestonCounty school system,” Johnson said. “I also work withthe Coalition to End Homelessness to find housing.

She said she would like to see a homeless shelter inPreston County.

“When I started in 2018, there were 48 homelessstudents. Mon County has a shelter. In Preston County, it’smore acceptable for families to double up. The federalgovernment doesn’t think doubling up is homelessness,because the person is not technically homeless,” Johnsonsaid. “I used the hotels in town in the past to provideshelter, but we are no longer allowed to do that.”

She said by the end of the year, she believes the numberof homeless students in Preston County will reach orsurpass 500.

To donate to the homeless student fund, send checksto the attention of Stormy Johnson, The Preston CountyBoard of Education 731 Preston Drive Kingwood, WV26537, or email [email protected] or call 304 -329-0400.


BY IRENE MARINELLIfor The Dominion Post

“They’ve had the million-dollar neurological workupand yet they still give awaythe farm in ways they wouldnot have when they were

y o u n g e r. ” This is a quote from Dr. Mark Lachs,physician at Weill-Cornell Medicine, affiliatedwith the prestigious New York-PresbyterianHospital. We’ve all heard and read how scam-mers target the older population, those of usover 60. That’s not to say young people andthose of middle age do not get scammed; theycertainly do. However, when we consider theresults of a 2016 study that found 83% ofwealth in America is held by people in their50s and older, it is no wonder scammers goafter this particular age group.

Scams can take many forms: pressuringpeople with a “limited-time offer,” threateningpeople with jail time or worse if they don’tagree to pay a false “outstanding bill,” pre-

tending to be a family member (usually agrandchild) in trouble or even claiming to holda kidnapped grandchild for ransom. The truthis these unscrupulous people can and do geta tremendous amount of personal informationfrom the internet, especially since many inter-net users are careless about putting suchinformation out there for easy viewing.

AARP recently highlighted some of thetop scams infiltrating our lives in 2021.Some are so clever, so creative, it makesme wonder how fortunate we all would havebeen if such clever creativity had been putto good use in helping solve some of theproblems and issues in our society, in ourown country and throughout the world.Instead, these creative minds are out therefishing for vulnerable fellow citizens whowill inadvertently help the scammers linetheir pockets with gold.

Incredible as it may seem, there are scam-mers who, in the midst of a worldwide

pandemic, are finding ways to profit fromCOVID. One example is the vaccinationscam. Unfortunately we have becomeaccustomed, almost addicted, to sharingpersonal information on our phones andcomputers. This is where the scammers findan open treasure chest. People post pic-tures on social media showing their vac-cination card. Think of all the informationsomeone can gather from that post; birthdate, full name, where the shots were admin-istered. All this is identity data and a veryvaluable tool for deceitful scammers.

During this pandemic when many meetingswere, and still are, held on Zoom and workingfrom home on Zoom has become common,scammers are on top of the game. They senda message (including the Zoom logo) inform-ing people they have either missed a meetingor their account has been suspended. In orderto get more details, the recipients must clickon a link provided by the scammer. If the link isclicked, it opens the way for the scammer to

“access personal information to use for iden-tity theft or search for passwords to hack intoyour other accounts,” said Katherine Hutt,national spokesperson for the Better Busi-ness Bureau.

It does make me wonder why our olderpopulation seems so willing to fall in with thesescams. Have we lost our ability to push backon high pressure salesmanship? Where is thatbuilt-in warning bell we’ve always relied on?

Until our federal and state lawmakers find away to legally stop these scammers, it is up tous to heighten our awareness of the problemand cut these unscrupulous people off beforethey get started. Unless we absolutely knowthe person or institution contacting us, let thatwarning bell ring loud and clear: hang up thephone, delete the email, slam the door shut ifthey come by soliciting.

Irene Marinelli writes a regular column for SeniorPost. Contact her at [email protected].


Metro Creative Connection

Modern automobiles are more techno-logically advanced than ever before. Thattech isn’t just making driving more com-fortable and convenient, but also more safe.

In a recent analysis of motor vehicle acci-dents, researchers at the International Insti-tute for Highway Safety found that vehicleswith blind spot and lane departure warningsystems were involved in 11% fewersideswipes and head-on crashes than carsthat did not feature such systems. In addition,the IIHS estimates that the number of auto-mobile crashes in the United States could bedecreased by 85,000 each year if everyvehicle were outfitted with a lane departurewarning system.

Driver assistance systems have made driv-ing safer for millions of people across theglobe, but one demographic may need someextra help adapting to modern vehicles, andmay even need a little extra encouragementto use tech that can keep them safe behindthe wheel. The Centers for Disease Controland Prevention notes that, in 2018, the UnitedStates was home to 45 million licensed driversaged 65 and over. That marks a 60 percentincrease since 2000. Though seniors’ per-ceived unwillingness or inability to use mod-ern technology is often overstated, someaging drivers may need a little extra help asthey try to learn how to use assistance tech-nologies in their vehicles.

n Learn the tech yourself. Assistance tech-nologies are not all one and the same. Vehiclemanufacturers have their own systems andthere can be a learning curve when adaptingto a new one. If you aspire to teach a seniorhow to use the assistance technologies in his

or her vehicle, first learn the tech on your own.If you and your aging friend or family memberown a Subaru, chances are you already knowhow to use the tech in your loved one’svehicle. If you drive cars made by differentmanufacturers, visit the dealership whereyour loved one bought his or her car and askfor a quick tutorial on all the safety features inthe vehicle. Salesman demonstrate thesefeatures every day, so it shouldn’t take long forthem to show you the ropes.

n Be patient. Each person adapts to a newtechnology at his or her own pace. It’simportant to remain patient when teachingaging drivers how to use the tech in theirvehicles. Old habits die hard, and while somedrivers may quickly adapt to tech like backupcameras, others may not be so quick toabandon driving techniques they’ve beensafely using for decades. Stay the course,remain patient and allow senior drivers toadapt at their own pace.

n Teach one tech at a time. It can beoverwhelming for drivers of all ages to adaptovernight to all the tech in their new vehicles.When teaching senior drivers how to usevarious driver assistance technologies, take itone tech at a time. When coupled with yourpatience, this approach can help seniorsavoid being overwhelmed and increases thelikelihood that they will embrace the tech intheir vehicles.

Many senior drivers use driver assistancetechnologies every day. A patient andmethodical approach to showing seniors howtheir vehicles can help them stay safe behindthe wheel can be a road map to helpingseniors adapt to life in modern vehicles.

say to care-free and to home care

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