senior spectrum newspaper - august 2015 issue

SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com / August / 3

August 2015CONTENTSTHIS ISSUE

- Medicare is 50

Page 18 - White House

Conference on Aging

Page 20 - Nevada Signs

Advocates For Veterans

Page 22 - Home Health

Agencies Five Star Rating

Page 23 - Senior Fest 2015

EVERY ISSUE

Page 4 -Opinion: U.S.

Senator Harry Reid

Page 6 -Opinion: U.S.

Senator Dean Heller

Page 24-Eclectic Observer

Page 25 - Calendar

Page 27-Biggest Little City

Page 29 - Tinseltown Talks

Page 30 -ResourcesPage 31 - CrosswordPage 33 -Seniors4Travel

HEALTH

Page 10 -CMS: 50 Years of Medicare and MedicaidPage 12 -The OlderAmericans Act, Dr. Weiss:Adding Life to YearsPage 14 -AARP - NevadaFamily Caregivers Provide$4.3 Billion in Unpaid CarePage 15 -Ophthalmology

FINANCIAL

Page 8 -A New Approachto Wealth Planning, BradlyAnderson - Anderson &Dorn & Rader, Ltd.

Senior Spectrum NewspaperP.O. Box 7124 • Reno, NV 89510

775-348-0717SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

[email protected]: Chris & Connie McMullen

Column opinions are writers, not publishers.

23

Medicare Turns 50 But Big Challenges Await

By Mary Agnes Carey

Medicare, the federal healthinsurance program for the eld-erly and disabled, has come along way since its creation in1965 when nearly half of allseniors were uninsured. Nowthe program covers 55 millionpeople, providing insurance toone in six Americans. Withthat in mind, Medicare faces ahost of challenges in thedecades to come. Here’s a lookat some of them.

Financing – While Medicarespending growth has slowed inrecent years – a trend that maycontinue into the future –10,000 people a day are becom-ing eligible for Medicare as thetrend-setting baby boomersage. Yet the number of workerspaying taxes to help fund theprogram is decreasing. Thatmeans Medicare will consume agreater share of the federalbudget and beneficiaries’ shareof the tab will likely climb. Anabundance of proposals tocurb federal expenditures onMedicare exist. They include

increasing the eligibility age,restructuring benefits and cost-sharing, raising the current pay-roll tax rate and asking wealthi-er beneficiaries to pay more forcoverage. Many Republicanshave backed a “premium sup-port” model — the govern-ment would give beneficiaries aset amount of money to pur-chase coverage from a numberof competing plans — as a wayto limit Medicare spending.Democrats say premium sup-port would undermine tradi-tional Medicare and shift moreof the program’s financial riskto beneficiaries. They favorother reforms in the program.By at least two-to-one margins,majorities of Democrats,Republicans and independentsfavor keeping Medicare as it israther than changing to a pre-mium support program,according to a recent poll fromthe Kaiser Family Foundation.

Affordability — MostMedicare beneficiaries don’t

(Medicare page 16)

President Lyndon Johnson signs the Medicare Bill at the Harry S. TrumanLibrary and Museum in Independence, Missouri.

LBJ Library photo by unknown, 34897-22. Taken July 30, 1965.

KHN

Last month,President Obamapermanently protect-ed over 700,000acres of land inNevada as the Basinand Range NationalMonument. The landthat President

Obama designated as a monument, twobasins and one range, is the perfectexample of the stark beauty of theNevada desert.

This monument is an area where theMojave Desert meets the Great Basinand Joshua trees and cactus give way toa sea of sagebrush. This monument is anarea that is home to desert bighornsheep, mule deer, elk and pronghornantelope. This monument is an area thatprovided food and shelter for Native

Americans, and where one can see theirhistory today in incredible rock art pan-els. This monument is an area thatreflects our pioneering western history—from early explorers to hardrock miningto the ranching that still exists.

I was raised in the desert wherethere’s no water, few animals and thelandscape is harsh but beautiful. I firstvisited this exact area in 2007, after Ihad been informed of a four-decade-oldmodern art project in the middle of thedesert. When I first saw it, I felt athome. I became passionate about doingsomething to protect this incredible workof art and the stark beauty of the desertsurrounding it – both of which are price-less.

In the center of Basin and RangeNational Monument is City, a grand

modern art sculpture the size of theNational Mall in Washington, D.C. Thecreator of City is internationallyrenowned artist Michael Heizer, who hasbeen working on the project since 1972.Michael Heizer is an artistic geniuswhose work will now be preserved forgenerations.

When I first spoke to PresidentObama about protecting this area, hesaid “Describe it to me.” I couldn’t. Istill can’t. You just have to experience it.And that is why this National Monumentdesignation is a win for today and futuregenerations – so all can experience it.

By using his authority under theAntiquities Act, President Obama hashelped preserve the life, history and cul-ture of Nevada – the land I love.

4 / August / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

OpinionU.S. Senator Harry Reid

Sen. Harry Reid

Basin and Range National Monument

This Augustmarks the 80thanniversary ofSocial Security. Itwas on August14th in 1935 whenPresident FranklinD. Rooseveltsigned the SocialSecurity Act into

law, bringing financial security to ournation’s senior citizens. I am proud to seethis program that is so important toNevada’s seniors continue to provide sup-port. As a member of the SenateCommittee on Finance and Senate SpecialCommittee on Aging, which have greatinfluence on important senior programs, Iam committed to preserving SocialSecurity for generations to come.

To help modernize the system as wecelebrate its 80th anniversary, SocialSecurity launched Social Security Matters,

a website that provides an interactive blogwhere any Social Security beneficiary cancommunicate with Social Security special-ists. On the website, users can find the lat-est updates and news about SocialSecurity affecting retirement, the chroni-cally ill, veterans, survivors and disabilitybenefits, and other beneficiaries. To visitSocial Security Matters, go tohttp://blog.socialsecurity.gov/.

Just as I believe Social Security is criti-cal to our nation’s seniors, I also believe itis important that Nevadans are aware ofthe different benefits available to themthrough the Social Security program.Other than retirement benefits, SocialSecurity covers an array of options. Forexample, disability benefits are available toindividuals whose medical conditions pre-vent them from working. Disabled indi-viduals with dependent family memberscan also receive payments. Social Securityoffers survivor benefits to widows, wid-

owers, and deceased workers’ dependentchildren.

Another great tool to best utilizeSocial Security is to create a My SocialSecurity account at http://www.socialse-curity.gov/myaccount/. The account pro-vides a direct route to receive benefit veri-fication letters, submit address and phonenumber changes, start or change directdeposit of an account, and acquirereplacement documents for tax season. Tocontact Social Security for further ques-tions, call (800) 772-1213. Nevadans canalso find their local Social Security officeby visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/agency/contact to speak with a Social Securityemployee in person.

I hope you find this informationhelpful. If you or any other Nevadan isfacing difficulties with this program, mystaff and I would be happy to assist you.To reach my Reno office, please call (775)686-5770.


OpinionU.S. Senator Dean Heller

Sen. Dean Heller

Knowing Your Benefits: Social Security

Estate Planning isimportant for passing

assets to the next generation. However, isthat enough? For many, Legacy WealthPlanning is an important element of theiroverall Estate Planning efforts. If EstatePlanning is the beginning, then LegacyWealth Planning takes it to the next level:your holistic efforts of protecting andplanning for future generations. LegacyWealth Planning is more than just yourmaterial possessions you’ve worked hardto acquire; it’s about the values that driveyou every day. It’s about the protections,guidance, and even the blind leap of faithoften taken on the way to a happy andsuccessful life. An important part of

Legacy and Wealth Planning will include aFamily Wealth Trust. There are two levelsof protection in a Family Wealth Trust.

The Family Access TrustFortunately, there is a way to combine

the holistic approach of Legacy WealthPlanning and traditional Estate Planning.The Family Wealth Trust allows not onlythose material possessions to pass to chil-dren and grandchildren, but it also servesas a protective mechanism against thosewith less than noble intentions who maycome into the picture later. Instead ofdivvying up the cash, this first level ofprotection, the Family Access Trust, willput important safeguards into place

against any future divorce proceedings. Itallows the beneficiary to access assets ashe or she chooses; however, it provides anadditional protection when it comes totheir inheritance.

Consider this scenario, both of whicha Family Access Trust could help to pre-vent:

Your sweet grandson has always beentrusting and because of his trustingnature, he chose the wrong woman tomarry. He realizes it soon enough, but notbefore they took the walk down the aisle.Now she’s expecting one-half of hisinheritance.

(Planning page 9)


A New Approach to Wealth Planning

Brad Anderson

Brought to you byBradley B. AndersonAnderson, Dorn, & Rader, Ltd.

The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneyswww.probatebusters.com • blog.wealth-counselors.com


Planning / page 8The Family Sentry Trust

The second level of protec-tion, the Family Sentry Trust,goes even further. It addressespotential creditors seeking torecoup their losses from yourchildren or other beneficiaries.

Here is a scenario in whichyou and your family wouldbenefit greatly from a FamilySentry Trust:

Your granddaughter is turn-ing sixteen and wants to have apool party. One of the partyattendants ignores the count-less reminders to not runaround the pool and an hourinto the party, he slips andbreaks his ankle. His familysues the owner of the pool –your son, who received hisinheritance in a protected trustafter your death.

These are just a coupleways Legacy Wealth Planning

can protect your family. Thereality is, none of us can pre-dict the future and a “surething” is rarely as sure as wethought. When we can putthose protections in place, it’sjust one more way of levelingthat playing field called life. Besure to choose a qualifiedEstate Planning attorney whocan help ensure your LegacyWealth Plan is everything youneed it to be.

Mr. Anderson is a memberof the American Academy ofEstate Planning Attorneys andhas been engaged in the prac-tice of law for the last 34 years.For more information or toattend an upcoming seminar,call (775) 823-9455. The LawFirm of Anderson, Dorn &Rader is devoted exclusively toestate planning. For moreinformation please contact usat (775) 823-9455 or visitwww.wealth-counselors.com/


It’seasy toforget

that before 1966, roughly halfof all American seniors wereuninsured, living in fear thatthe high cost of health carecould plunge not only them,but their families, into poverty.Few of us remember that notlong ago, far too many dis-abled people, families withchildren, pregnant women, andlow-income workingAmericans were unable toafford the medical care theyneeded to stay healthy andproductive.

Fifty years ago, on July 30,1965, the landscape of healthcare in America changed for-

ever when President LyndonB. Johnson signed the land-mark amendment to the SocialSecurity Act that gave life tothe Medicare and Medicaidprograms.

Medicare and Medicaidsave lives, help people livelonger, and provide the peaceof mind that comes withaffordable health care that’sthere when you need it.

Chances are, you or some-one in your family either hasMedicare or Medicaid or youknow someone who does. Infact, Medicare and Medicaidcover nearly 1 out of every 3Americans—that’s well over100 million people.

Marking the 50th anniver-

sary of these lifesaving pro-grams this summer gives us animportant opportunity to rec-ognize and remember the waysthese programs transformedthe delivery of health care inthe United States.

Fifty years later, no otherprogram has changed the livesof Americans more thanMedicare and Medicaid.Today, about 55 millionAmericans depend onMedicare to cover 23 types ofpreventive services, includingflu shots and diabetes screen-ings (some of these servicesare free; for others you have adeductible and a small copay-ment.) Medicare also covershospital stays, doctor bills, lab

tests, supplies like wheelchairsand walkers, and prescriptiondrugs.

Medicaid provides compre-hensive coverage to more than70 million eligible children,pregnant women, low-incomeadults and people living withdisabilities. It covers essentialservices like annual check-ups,care for new and expectingmothers, and dental care forkids from low-income families.

Medicare and Medicaidprovide more and moreAmericans with access to thequality and affordable healthcare they need and deserve tolive happy, healthy, and pro-ductive lives. Though theystarted as basic health pro-

Medicare

David Sayen

Celebrating 50 Years of Medicare and Medicaid

David Sayen, Regional AdministratorMedicare Region 9


grams for people who had noother access to health cover-age, Medicare and Medicaidhave helped millions get accessto care they wouldn’t get oth-erwise.

Over the course of fivedecades, Medicare andMedicaid have become thestandard bearers for coverage,quality, and innovation inAmerican health care.

Innovative and dedicatedteams are combating fraud andworking to continuallyimprove the quality of life andcare delivered under these pro-grams. Medicare and Medicaidare among the most efficientand well-managed health insur-ance programs in the world.They will continue to trans-form to create a healthcaresystem that delivers bettercare, spends healthcare dollarsmore wisely, and results inhealthier people.

President Johnson wouldbe heartened to know that the

hard-fought efforts to improveour healthcare system have notonly succeeded, but thatAmerica is on track to giveeven better access, higher qual-ity care, and improved healthfor the next 50 years andbeyond.

How has Medicare orMedicaid (or both) helpedyour life or that of someoneyou care about? Whetheryou’ve just enrolled or havebeen covered for decades, we’dlove to hear from you. Youcan share your Medicare orMedicaid story through ourMedicare.gov website, or con-nect with us on Twitter or ourjust-launched Facebook page.

David Sayen is Medicare’sregional administrator forArizona, California, Hawaii,Nevada, and the PacificTerritories. You can always getanswers to your Medicarequestions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

The Older AmericansAct (OAA) wassigned into law in1965 - 50 years ago! The OAA was passed as a partof Lyndon Johnson's GreatSociety reforms. It followedclosely behind the Civil RightsAct and the EconomicOpportunity Act which includ-ed many similarly structuredprograms based around a cen-tralized network of fundingfor a decentralized (communi-

ty level) service delivery sys-tem.

The OAA was a response toCongressional concerns aboutthe lack of community socialservices for elders. This act iscritical legislation which pro-vides high-quality, individual-ized services that improve thehealth, safety, and well-beingof nearly 12 million olderadults and one million familycaregivers across the country.The OAA home and commu-nity services are key to

enabling older adults to livetheir lives with dignity andrespect. OAA provides fund-ing for services like meals, jobtraining, senior centers, care-giver support, transportation,health promotion, benefitsenrollment, and more socialservices in the community.

The law provides for theorganization and delivery ofsocial and nutrition services toolder Americans and theircaregivers. This bill reautho-rizes programs through 2018and includes provisions thataim to protect vulnerable eld-ers by strengthening the Long-Term Care Ombudsman pro-gram and existing elder abusescreening and preventionefforts. The bill also promotesthe delivery of evidence-basedprograms, such as falls preven-tion and chronic disease self-management programs. Thereauthorization streamlinesfederal level administration of

programs, promotes the effi-cient and effective use oftransportation services, andimproves coordinationbetween programs at the fed-eral, state, and local levels.

No one over age 60 can bedenied services from OAAprograms, except on the dis-cretion of the state's Agingand Disability ServicesDivision which may imposemore restrictive criteria likehaving greater economic need.In FY 2008 these initiativesprovided services to nearly 3million people, and for FY2011 the federal appropriationfor all programs is $1.9 billion.A disproportionate amount ofseniors receiving services(27%) are below the povertyline. Recipients of servicesunder OAA are more likely tobe female, African Americansare over represented amongOAA recipients, and all otherminorities are under-represent-


775.626.5665

MorningStarSeniorLiving.com

l 2360 Wingfield Hills Road

“Adding Life to Years”

Larry Weiss

Dr. Larry WeissCenter for Healthy Aging

The Older Americans Act: Critical Federal Legislation


ed. Recipients are also almosttwice as likely to be rural,more likely to live alone, andon average have less income,less education, and are less healthy than those persons inthe general population aged 60 and over. Sixty percent ofthose receiving services livewith their families, the familybeing the primary support sys-tem. The older adult popula-tion represents 14 percent ofthe U.S. population, about onein every seven Americans or45 million, and is projected tomore than double to 98 mil-lion in 2060.

Nevada increased its elderpopulation from 2003 to 2013by 51 percent, the secondfastest growing elder popula-tion in the country. The OAAfederal funding for mandatory

programs in Nevada totalabout $9 million for Title III,Grants for State andCommunity Programs onAging, and about $157,000 forTitle VII, Vulnerable ElderRights Protection Activities.

Some of the innovative newelements of the OAA are:• Creates new support formodernizing multipurposesenior centers;

• Highlights the importanceof addressing economic needs;

• Requires that health promo-tion and disease preventioninitiatives be evidence-based;

• Allows the aging network toinclude oral health screeningsamong disease prevention andhealth promotion activities;

• Promotes chronic diseaseself-management and falls pre-vention;

• Promotes stronger elder jus-tice and legal services;

• Increases clarity for caregiv-er support and Aging &Disability Resource Centers;

• Clarifies current law thatolder adults caring for adultchildren with disabilities andolder adults raising childrenunder 18 are eligible to partici-pate in the Family CaregiverSupport Program

• When feasible, encouragesthe use of locally grown foodsin meals programs;

• Enables new opportunitiesfor intergenerational sharedsites.

Last month, the Senate passedthe OAA (Senate bill #192)and advanced it one majorstep toward reauthorization.The House needs to reautho-rize this Act, so if at time ofreading this article the househas not reauthorized, pleasecontact your federalAssemblyman and tell themthat the OAA needs to bereauthorized! If the Housedoes pass the OAA, then let’srejoice. Through reauthoriza-tion of the OAA will help in“adding life to years”.

Lawrence J. Weiss, Ph.D. isCEO of the Center forHealthy Aging. Dr. Weiss wel-comes your comments on thiscolumn. Write to him [email protected] c/o Center for HealthyAging, 11 Fillmore Way, Reno,NV 89519.

Older Americans / page 10

Family caregivers inNevada provided 324 millionhours of care—worth an esti-mated $4.3 billion—to theirparents, spouses, partners,and other adult loved ones in2013, according to AARPPublic Policy Institute’s newreport, Valuing theInvaluable: 2015 Update. Thetotal estimated economicvalue of uncompensated careprovided by the nation’s fam-ily caregivers surpassed totalMedicaid spending ($449 bil-lion), and nearly equaled theannual sales ($469 billion) of

the four largest U.S. techcompanies combined (Apple,Hewlett Packard, IBM, andMicrosoft) in 2013.

Family caregiving for rel-atives or close friends withchronic, disabling, or serioushealth problems so they canremain in their home is nearlyuniversal today. In 2013,about 350,000 family care-givers in Nevada helpedanother adult loved one carryout daily activities (such asbathing or dressing, preparingmeals, administering medica-tions, driving to doctor visits,and paying bills) every week.About 500,000 individuals in

Nevada performed familycaregiving activities over the course of the year.

“This new report demon-strates that we need to domore to recognize and assistthe hundreds of thousands ofcaregivers in our state – asilent army that in many waysforms the backbone of ourhealth care system,” saidAARP Nevada State DirectorHilarie Grey. “Providingaccess to resources and edu-cation, fostering awarenessamong employers, and build-

ing support for key legislationcan go a long way to help.”

Family Caregivers in the Future

As Americans live longerand have fewer children,fewer family members will beavailable for older adults torely on for everyday help inthe future. The ratio of poten-tial family caregivers to thegrowing number of older peo-ple has already begun a steepdecline. In 2010, there were7.2 potential family care-givers for every person age80 and older. By 2030, thatratio will fall sharply to 4 to1, and is projected to drop


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Nevada Family Caregivers Provide $4.3 Billion in Unpaid Care

further to 3 to 1 in 2050.

Impact of Caregiving onJobs, Money, and Health

Family caregivers reportthat the stress of caregivingaffects their physical andemotional health, finances,and their jobs.• More than half (55%) offamily caregivers reportbeing overwhelmed by theamount of care their familymember needs.

• Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) familycaregivers report a moderate(20%) to high degree (18%)of financial strain as a resultof providing care.

• In 2014, the majority (60%)of family caregivers had full-or part-time jobs.

Strategies and PoliciesNeeded to Help Caregive

“AARP strongly supportsstrategies and policies toassist caregivers, like theCARE Act, which unani-mously passed by both hous-es of the Nevada Legislatureduring the 2015 session,” saidGrey. “The fact that theCARE Act not only receivedbipartisan support amonglawmakers, but was alsoendorsed by more than 50organizations across the stateshows that family caregivingis a critical issue with univer-sal impact across the lifes-pan.”

The CARE Act, whichtakes effect in January, 2016,helps caregivers stayinformed when a loved one ishospitalized, and ensures theyare trained on any neededafter-care when the familymember returns home. Theintent of the bill was to fosterindependent living at home,and reduce the need for costly

hospital re-admissions.“Valuing the Invaluable: 2015Update” Methodology

The estimates in thisreport by AARP’s PublicPolicy Institute are based on ameta-analysis of 11 U.S.-based surveys of family care-givers conducted between2009 and 2014. Estimates arebased on about 40 millioncaregivers providing an aver-age of 18 hours of care perweek to a parent, spouse/part-ner, or other adult loved one,at an average value of $12.51per hour.

‘Caregiver’ is defined asan adult age 18 and older pro-viding care to a parent,spouse, or other adultloved one with theirdaily activities suchas bathing or dressing,preparing meals,and/or managing theirfinances, currently orwithin the last month.

CaregivingResources:• AARP CaregivingResource Center

• Caregiving in theUS: 2015 Report

• Home Alone:Family CaregiversProviding ComplexChronic Care(October 2012)

• The ABA/AARPChecklist for FamilyCaregivers: A Guideto Making ItManageable (2015)

• Amy Goyer’sABA/AARP JugglingLife, Work andCaregiving (2015)

• AARP’s I HeartCaregivers Initiative


Caregiving / page 14 Ophthalmology

Dr. Michael J. Fischer, M.D.Nevada Eye Surgery Center

Everwonderwhat youwould do

without sunlight? The answerrests with your eyes, whichprovide your brain with cluesthat help it set the internalclock that keeps you going ona 24-hour cycle. Fairlyrecently, researchers discov-ered that there are branchlikeeye cells that mammals uti-lize to set their inner clocksto either day or night. Theseso called “intrinsically photo-

sensitive retinal ganglioncells,” or ipRGCs, numberonly between one and twothousand and are positioneddeeper in the retina than therods and cones (the photore-ceptors that help the eye dis-tinguish light and color). Fortheir part, ipRGCs measureoverall light intensity andrelay the information to asmall region of the brain thatcontrols the body clock. Thisinformation explains whypeople deprived of light losetrack of time.

Michael J. Fischer

Internal Clock

have a lot of money and spend a largechunk of their finances on health care.Unlike many private health insuranceplans, there is no cap on out-of-pocketexpenditures in traditional Medicare, andthe program does not cover services thatmany beneficiaries need, such as dentalcare and eyeglasses. (Private insurers thatparticipate in Medicare Advantage may

cover these and other items that tradition-al Medicare does not.) In 2013, half of allpeople on Medicare had incomes below$23,500 per person, and premiums forMedicare and supplemental insuranceaccounted for 42 percent of average totalout-of-pocket spending among beneficiar-ies in traditional Medicare in 2010,according to an analysis from the KaiserFamily Foundation. Medicare does have

some programs to help beneficiariespay their Medicare expenses but theincome limits can be as low as $1,001per month with savings and otherassets at or below $7,280 (limits arehigher for couples).

Managing Chronic Disease —Illnesses such as heart disease or dia-betes can ring up huge medical costs,so keeping beneficiaries with theseconditions as healthy as possiblehelps not only the patients but alsoMedicare’s bottom line. An analysisfrom the Urban Institute finds thathalf of all Medicare beneficiaries willhave diabetes in 2030 and a third willbe afflicted with heart disease. Nearlyhalf of the people on Medicare havefour or more chronic conditions and10 percent of the Medicare popula-

tion accounts for 58 percent of spending.Reducing the rate of chronic disease byjust 5 percent would save Medicare andMedicaid $5.5 billion a year by 2030, andreducing it by 25 percent would save$26.2 billion per year, the Urban Institutefound.

Delivery-System Reform — Medicarehopes to better manage beneficiaries’needs by revolutionizing the way in whichit pays for medical care. Federal officialshave taken several steps to better coordi-nate and improve medical care, includingimplementing the health law’s requirementto reduce preventable hospital readmis-sions and form accountable care organiza-tions, or ACOs, where doctors and othersband together to care for patients with thepromise of getting a piece of any savings.Another federal effort uses bundled pay-ments, where Medicare gives providers afixed sum for each patient, which is sup-posed to cover not only their initial treat-ment but also all the follow-up care. Lastyear, 20 percent of traditional Medicarespending — $72 billion — went to doc-tors, hospitals and other providers thatcoordinated patient care to make it betterand cheaper.

The Growth of MedicareAdvantage — Enrollment inthese private plans that offeralternative coverage is growingsharply. But the health law seeksto cut the rate at which the gov-ernment reimburses insurers tomake it closer to what it spendson beneficiaries in traditionalMedicare. Nearly a third of bene-ficiaries are enrolled in MedicareAdvantage plans. Many of theplans provide benefits beyondwhat traditional Medicare covers,such as eyeglasses and dentalcare, as well as lower out-of-pocket costs. But as federal pay-ment rates decline the plans maybecome less generous. Anotherfactor to watch is concentrationin the Medicare Advantage mar-ket with just a handful of insur-ers now accounting for morethan half of enrollment.

Source: Kaiser Health News16 / August / SeniorSpectrumNewspaper.com

Medicare / page 3


The President hosted theWhite House Conference onAging July 17, announcingmany initiatives to help olderadults live well into retirementyears. One of the most criticalcomponents of middle-classlife in this country is a secureand dignified retirement, andthe President said several stepsare being taken to ensure thatAmericans have the tools theyneed to prepare for the future.

Among the announcementsare efforts to enable betterretirement planning. PresidentObama said he is working onFacilitating State Efforts toProvide Workplace-basedRetirement SavingOpportunities. About a thirdof the workforce lacks accessto a workplace retirement plan.In every budget since takingoffice, the President said hehas put forth proposals to pro-vide access for 30 millionAmericans to workplace-basedretirement savings by requiringemployers not currently offer-ing a retirement plan to auto-matically enroll their workersin an IRA. In the absence ofCongressional action, some

states are leading the charge.Similar proposals have beenpassed by a few states and areunder consideration in over 20others. Other states are consid-ering an approach that wouldencourage employers to create401(k)-type plans. A large con-cern, however, still remainsabout a lack of clarity regard-ing preemption by a federalpension law called theEmployee Retirement IncomeSecurity Act of 1974 (ERISA).By the end of the year, theU.S. Department of Labor willpublish a proposed rule clarify-ing how states can move for-ward, including with respect torequirements to automaticallyenroll employees and foremployers to offer coverage.

Another initiative includesModernizing Federal Rulesthat Affect Long-term Care,Healthy Aging and ElderJustice. Steps beingannounced feature a newCenters for Medicare andMedicaid Services proposedrule to update, for the firsttime in nearly 25 years, thequality and safety requirementsfor more than 15,000 nursing

White House Conferenceon Aging Initiatives

President Obama addresses attendees at the White House Conference on Aging.

homes and skilled nursingfacilities to improve quality oflife, enhance person-centeredcare and services for residentsin nursing homes, improve res-ident safety, and bring theseregulatory requirements intocloser alignment with currentprofessional standards.

A new proposed rule from theU.S. Department ofAgriculture will increase acces-sibility to critical nutrition forhomebound, older Americansand people with disabilities byenabling SupplementalNutrition AssistanceProgram (SNAP) benefits tobe used for services that pur-chase and deliver food to thesehouseholds.

A final Victims of Crime Act(VOCA) victim assistance rulefrom the U.S. Department ofJustice (DOJ) will be releasedby the end of the year that willrevise the current VOCAVictim Assistance Guidelines,clarifying that VOCA VictimAssistance funds may be usedto support legal services forcrime victims, and emphasiz-ing the need to use VOCAfunds to support social andlegal services to underservedvictims, including elder victimsof abuse, financial exploita-tion, fraud, and neglect.

Other announcements include:• Making it Easier to Age inPlace. Older Americans over-whelmingly prefer to stay intheir homes and communitiesas they age. As the older popu-lation grows, housing thatmeets their needs is increasing-ly important. To help addressthese needs, the U.S.Department of Housing andUrban Development released aguide to help older homeown-ers, families and caregiversmake changes to their homesso that older adults can remain

safe and independent. The U.S.Department of Transportationwill launch the NationalAging and DisabilityTransportation Center in fall2015. This $2.5 million invest-ment will provide technicalassistance to improve the avail-ability and accessibility oftransportation options thatserve the needs of people withdisabilities, seniors and care-givers.

• Combatting Alzheimer’sand Other Dementias. TheU.S. Department of Healthand Human Services (HHS)announced an update on theprogress made in the fightagainst Alzheimer’s disease andrelated dementias through theNational Plan to AddressAlzheimer’s Disease. Theupdate includes priorityactions that the governmentwill take over the next year toaddress these conditions. TheHHS Administration onCommunity Living is launch-ing a $4 million Brain Health

Awareness Campaign to helpolder adults better understandchanges that occur in the brain

as people age and reduce thefear of discussing concernswith family and clinicians.

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The last weekend of Julywas the perfect time for theNevada Department ofVeterans Services (NDVS) andthe Nevada National Guard tohost a Military and VeteransAdvocate Workshop at

Harrah's in Reno.The free classes were open

to all veterans and supportersof the military as well as toindividuals of the NationalGuard and Reserve.

Kat Miller, the director of

NDVS, said "Our departmentdesigned the free series ofworkshops to provide volun-teers with the knowledge andresources to help veterans andactive-duty military prepare forchallenges that they may

encounter."The courses covered state

and federal benefits programs.Those who completed thecourses, which ran over fourdays, were eligible to receivecertification as a Nevada


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Kat Miller, director of the NDVS, was interviewed by several local TV stations about the workshop for veterans.


Veterans Advocate, or as aVeterans Service Officer.

Some of the panels includ-ed Employment, ConflictResolution, VeteransAdministration Claims andRating Process, StateCemeteries, the VeteransHome, Introduction to VALoan Guarantees and relatedtopics.

Conflict Resolution is asubject that impacts both vet-erans and their families. “Weknow that conflicts veteransface can be overcome effec-tively with verbal communica-tion, nonverbal communica-tion and listening skills. In ourclasses we taught techniquesthat served to enhance com-munication skills among allconcerned."

Another topic that rarely isdiscussed is CompassionFatigue. Helping others cansometimes have negativeaffects on those doing the

helping. Working on a regularbasis with veterans, militarypersonnel and their familieswho are having difficulties canoften take a toll on those whoare providing positive assis-tance. Miller pointed out thatwhile helping others can behighly satisfying, it's importantto know that there are signsthat can be recognized andsteps that can be taken to limitnegative effects of reachingout to others.

"Compassion fatigue refersto a set of troubling emotions,thoughts and behaviors thatmay result from the pressuresof helping others throughtheir own traumatic situa-tions."

Nevada has thousandsof veterans, and most of themhave family members who areinvolved in the benefitsprocess. When added to theactive duty military stationed atvarious installations, the totals

number in the hun-dreds of thou-sands.

The NDVScontinuously worksto serve the state'sveterans populationand recognizesagencies and indi-viduals who standout by providingvolunteer help. Tothat end awardswere presented atthe gathering to several localindividuals and organizations.Glenna Smith, the military andveterans regional representa-tive for the office of Sen.Dean Heller (R-NV), receivedthe award for VeteranConstituent Support. AprilWolfe from the Reno Parks,Recreation andCommunity Services depart-ment was honored with theDisabled Veteran Programsaward. Organizations that were

honored included theNorthern Nevada VeteransCoalition, the United VeteransLegislative Council and theVeterans Resource Center.

Miller concluded, "Thereare many Nevadans who giveof their time, talent and treas-ure to support those who pro-tect our nation. It's our pleas-ure to recognize just a few ofthe many who typify the verybest of selfless service to ourservicemen and women."

Veterans had access to information from a variety of vendors at the military and veterans workshop.


By Jordan Rau KHN

The federal governmenthas released a new five-starrating system for home healthagencies, hoping to bring clari-ty to a fast-growing but frag-mented corner of the medicalindustry where it’s often diffi-cult to distinguish good frombad.

Medicare applied the newquality measure to more than9,000 agencies based on howquickly visits began and howoften patients improved whileunder their care. Nearly halfreceived average scores, withthe government sparingly dol-ing out top and bottom rat-ings.

The star ratings come ashome health agencies play an

increasingly important role incaring for the elderly. Last year3.4 million Medicare benefici-aries received home healthservices, with nurses, aides,and physical and occupationaltherapists treating them in thehome. Medicare spends about$18 billion on the home healthbenefit, which provides skilledservices that must be author-ized by a doctor, not house-keeping care that some elderlypay for privately.

For both the governmentand patients, Medicare’s homehealth visits are one of theleast expensive ways to pro-vide care, and the system hasbeen especially susceptible tofraud. Assessing quality is

often challenging for patientsand their doctors, who mustauthorize the visits, often justas patients are leaving the hos-pital. The elderly tend to beless familiar with the reputa-tion of home health agenciesthan they are with hospitalsand other institutions. Thatmakes evaluating quality diffi-cult for family members andguardians.

Experts said the ratingscould have substantial financialimpacts on agencies, even driv-ing some low-rated ones outof business. Hospitals, doctorsand nursing homes may bereluctant to refer patients toagencies with fewer than threestars. A total of 2,628 agencies

— 28 percent of thoseMedicare evaluated — receivedthose below average ratings.

The current star ratings arepublished on the HomeHealth Compare website, andare based on performancefrom the fall of 2013 throughthe end of last year. Source: Kaiser Health News

Nevada had 108 homehealth agencies rated,and 26 that were notrated. Of those rated,32 had a 4 or 5 star; 44 had a 3 or 3.5 star rating, and 23 had 2.5 stars or lower.

Home Health Agencies Get Medicare’s Star Treatment


Senior Fest 2015 is backSeptember 8, at the RenoTown Mall. In its 20th year,Senior Fest is a fair that pro-vides seniors with plenty ofopportunity to connect withsenior service providers andbusinesses.

Seniors can meet expertsin housing, health care, insur-ance, recreation, medicalequipment, elder law, hos-pice, and a host of other spe-cialities. Over 50 vendorswill be present inside themall providing informationand referral. Flu shots willalso be available.

Outside the mall, therewill be ongoing entertain-ment. The Eldorado HotelCasino will bring theSaltoriya, a theatrical cirquesensation performing nightlyin its showroom. Salads willbe provided by the Eldoradoand Bonanza Casinos.

Parking is available at theAltantis Casino Parking lotand in locations throughoutthe mall parking lot.

Senior Fest 2015 is freeand open to the public. Theevent runs from 9 - 2 p.m.People interested in learningmore can call us at Senior

Spectrum at 348-0717.Senior Fest is brought to

you be Senior SpectrumNewsmagazine, AARPNevada, All Valley HomeCare & Advanced HomeHealth Care, Baldini’s SportsCasino, BetterBreathing, theBonanza, Circleof Life Hospice,City of RenoSenior CitizensAdvisoryCommittee, theDolanAutomotiveGroup, theEldorado HotelCasino,HometownHealth, LakesideManor, Lend-A-Hand SeniorServices, LifeCare Centers,Morning StarSenior Living,Northern NevadaMedical Center,ProminenceHealth Plans,Renown Health,and WashoeCounty SeniorServices.

Senior Fest 2015

Flu shots will be available, sponsored by Nevada Aging and Disability Services.

LaborDay…theunoffi-cial

end of summer (trySeptember 23rd on the calen-dar for the actual autumnalequinox) … the beginning ofback-to-school season formost … and time for thefashionistas to put awayaccessories like white shoes.More important for many, itprovides the last three-dayweekend to get outdoors andenjoy a get-away.

Does anyone give muchthought to when Labor Daybecame an official holiday onU.S. calendars, or who should

be credited with its incep-tion? I certainly didn't – untilI was reaching for an idea forthis column. According to my1959 (!) Encyclopedia, amember of the Knights ofLabor of New York City, in1884, a resolution was passedto encourage an annualparade honoring Union mem-bers and laborers in general.Americana also informed methat Oregon was the first stateto make Labor Day a legalholiday. Over the early years,the date for this eventchanged from June to March,April then May. Finally, thefirst Monday in Septemberwas chosen by members ofCongress in 1894. (The sameday is also observed by our

neighbors to the North inCanada.) European nationsbegan a May 1st tradition ofLabor Day in the 1890s thatis “celebrated on this datewith great official gusto inthe Soviet Union and otherCommunist-ruled countries.(Remember, this comes froma 1959 encyclopedia.)

Checking a more currentsource for Labor Day history,I went to the ubiquitousWikipedia on-line. (Their 6-page entry was last updatedon June 19, 2015 at 10:43a.m. - could we be more cur-rent than that?) According toWiki, Labor Day is “a cele-bration of the American labormovement and is dedicated tothe social and economicachievements of workers.”Also, according to Wiki,President Grover Clevelandnixed commemorating LaborDay on May 1st as it mightremind workers of theChicago Hay Market (labor)Massacre on May 4, 1886.Two men are credited withoriginally proposing the holi-day: Matthew Maguire and

Peter McGuire.

Americana disagrees andnames a George R. Lloyd.) Atany rate, Labor Unions andtheir members felt the needfor recognition in the form ofa national holiday to offsetthe prevalence of early dis-putes and strikes.

Wikipedia states the follow-ing for the first proposal ofthe holiday: “A street paradeto exhibit to the public 'thestrength and esprit de corpsof the trade and labor organi-zations'.” It was to alsoinclude a festival, speechesby prominent citizens, andSunday church services “ded-icated to the spiritual andeducational aspects of thelabor movement.” Today, ifwe're not out camping or pic-nicing, chances are we'reshopping (while many mem-bers of a Labor Union are atwork in a service industry orretail job). And, those who“play” - as in sports – lookforward to Labor Day as thebeginning of their season forthe NFL and NCAA games.


THE ECLECTIC OBSERVERby Janet Ross

Janet Ross


July - Aug. 23 - Lake TahoeShakespeare Festival, Sand HarborState Park, (800) 74-SHOWS.

Aug. 3 - 9 - BarracudaChampionship PGA GolfTournament, Montreux Golf &Country Club, Galena area.

Aug. 4 - Take-A-Hike, 55+, InclineVillage Recreation Center, 9 - 2 p.m.,(775) 832-1310: 9/4, Thomas Creek;9/11, Azalea, Flora, Angela Lakes;9/18, Dry Pond Trail; 9/25, TahoeDonner Trails.

Aug. 5 - Hot August Nights,Eldorado events, 9/5 - 9/8:Downtown Cruises, 5-8th. NorthVirginia Street downtown Reno;Barrett-Jackson Cup, 9/5-7; PokerWalk Stop, 9/5-7; Show-n-Shine,9/6-8; Fireworks Show, 9/7-8; HotAugust Nights Parade, 9/9, 10 a.m.,South Virginia Street, (775) 786-5700.

Aug. 7 - 8 - Lake Tahoe Concoursd’Elegance Wooden Boat Show,Obexer’s Boat Company, Homewood,5355 W. Lake Blvd., Homewood, CA,(775) 851-4444.

Aug. 7 - The Fab Four, BeatlesTribute, Silver Legacy, 8 p.m., $29.50- $49.50.

Aug. 10, Wills/Estate PlanningEducation, 2:30 - 4:30 p.m., SeniorLaw Project, Reno Senior Center,(775) 334-3050.

Aug. 11 - Reno Aces Baseball,Arizona Diamondbacks, downtownReno stadium.

Aug. 15 - 30 - Reno-Tahoe SeniorSummer Games, (775) 657-4602,reno.gov/seniorgames.

Aug. 16 - Lake Tahoe SummerFest,Sierra Nevada College, 999 TahoeBlvd., Incline Village, (775) 298-0245.

Aug. 17 - City of Reno HistoricPreservation Relmagine, Reno FocusGroup, 5:30 - 7 p.m., Reno MasterPlan; Aug. 18 & 20, 925 RiversideDr., Reno.

August Calander

Aug. 21 - Silver Legacy’s 20th Birthday,fireworks show, 9 p.m., off the SilverLegacy building.

Aug. 21 - Tahoe Gala, Nevada Museumof Art, 5:30 p.m., 160 W. Liberty,www.nevadaart.org/

Aug. 21 - Reno Street Food, 5 - 9 p.m.,Idlewild Park, 1805 Idlewild Dr., Reno;

also Aug. 28, www.renostreetfood.com/

Aug. 22 - Anthony Cools, Eldorado,NoVi, uncensored hypnotist, 8 p.m.,$39.95, 21-years-old, (775) 786-5700,www.eldoradoreno.com

Aug. 22 - Reno Beer Crawl.

Aug. 24 - Living Wills/Power ofAttorney, 2:30 - 4:30 p.m., Senior LawProject, Reno Senior Center, (775) 334-

3050.

Aug. 23 - DuckRace and Festival,11 - 5 p.m.,Wingfield Park,downtown Reno.

Aug. 26 - BeachBocce Ball SunsetSocials, Ski BeachBocce Ball Court, 4- 5:30 p.m.,$15/$12with/IVGID pass,Incline VillageRecreation Center,

(775) 832-1310.

Aug. 26 - Feed the Camel, Reno’s onlyweekly Hump Day Food Truck Bazaar, 5- 8 p.m., McKinley Park, 925 RiversideDr., Reno, www.mellowyellowfood.com/

Aug. 26 - Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, 9p.m., Grand Theatre, Grand Sierra.

Aug. 27 - Full Moon Hike: Wine &Cheese Social, 55 +, Incline VillageRecreation District: The Sturgeon Moon,departs 5 p.m.; Sept. 24, The HarvestMoon, departs 4 p.m., return time nolater than 10 p.m., (775) 832-1310.

Aug. 29 - Canfest 2015. PeppermillResort Spa Casino.

Aug. 29 - Vince Gill, 8 p.m., GrandTheatre, Grand Sierra Resort.

Aug. 31 - Burning Man, till Sept. 7,Black Rock Desert.

Sept. 2 - 5, Nugget Rib Cook-Off,Victorian Square, Sparks.

Sept. 5 - Sammy Hagar and TheCircle, Live, 7:30 p.m., Harvey’sSummer Concert Series.

Sept. 7 - Labor Day.

Sept. 8 - Senior Fest 2015, 9 - 2p.m., Reno Town Mall, 4001 S.Virginia Street, Reno.

Sept. 9 - Dave Matthews Band, 7p.m., Harvey’s Summer ConcertSeries.

Sept. 15 - Panel of Pundits: FederalResources and Policies IssuesSupporting/Affecting Elders inNevada, Senior Outreach ServicesEducation Talk, Laxalt Aud., NelsonBldg., 9 a.m., (775) 784-7506.

Sept. 16 - 20 - NationalChampionship Air Races, Reno-Stead Airport, 7 a.m.,www.airrace.org/

Sept. 25 - Special Olympics, cele-brates Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day,Reno Police Dept., (775) 334-2178.


Calendar / from page 25

A couple of athleticevents last month

reminded me of the fact that it is betterto be the younger participant. One wasthe Wimbledon tennis win of NovakDjokovich over the elder statesman oftennis, Roger Federer. Djokovich isalmost six years younger. Theother was the playoff golf winin the John Deere Classic. Thewinner, Jordan Speith, was afull 25 years younger than hisopponent.

Those two events carried meback to the time when I wasstationed in Pusan, Korea andwas running the base basketballteam. At the time, we were abunch of 19-year-old StaffSergeants in various capacities.On one occasion the command-ing officer of the base stoppedme in the hallway ofHeadquarters Company andsaid, “I understand you have abasketball team comprised sole-ly of enlisted men. Some ofmy junior officers would like totry out for the team.” I repliedthat we would be happy to seethem at that evening’s practiceround. That night four or fivesecond lieutenants showed upat the gym and we set them upon a team against which ourstarting five scrimmaged. Itwas a long and enduring prac-tice session and the officersnever returned for a secondtime. Perhaps the difference inage was a contributing factor.

One of the stalwarts of thatArmy squad was the late RalphLamb and the rest of this articleis a tribute to him on his recentpassing.

It is always extra meaningful whenyou hear of a former team-mate pass-ing on.

Recent word from Las Vegas thaticonic Sheriff Ralph Lamb had died

(Biggest Little page 28)


Biggest little CITY

Harry Spencer

Youth Will Be ServedHarry Spencer

Sheriff Ralph Lamb

at age 88 reminded me of the first time Imade his acquaintance. The year was1946 and the place was Pusan.

We were stationed at a former JapaneseArmy base a few miles outside the city.Since I had been fortunate enough to

obtain the keys to the full-sized basket-ball gym at the base, I was able to forma basketball team comprised of threetowering individuals, namely GeorgeVucanovich, Jim Gremmels, JohnGrundy, myself and an occasional walk-on. We were always looking for a per-manent fifth man.

One night as we were prac-ticing at one end of thegym, we spotted a huskysix-footer shooting basketsat the other end. When welearned that he was from

Nevada and amember of thefamous Lambfamily, we invitedhim to join ourteam.We had a spectacularundefeated season wherewe played 20-minute quar-ters and strove to score atleast 200 points per game.Since we had the onlygym in a hundred mileradius, all our games werehome games.

The next time I sawRalph, he was at thebeginning of his long termas Sheriff of Clark County,which has been memorial-ized in film and TV. Weimmediately recognizedone another and he said,“If you ever need anythingin Las Vegas, just give mea call.” When I told himthat I usually travel to LVwith DA Bill Raggio, hesaid, “You certainly don’tneed my help!”

My last encounter withRalph was at an indoorReno Rodeo event at theLivestock Events Center.During that time we had afew beers and reminiscedabout that great overseas BB season.

Adios to a great team-mateand friend.


Biggest Little / page 27


Generally regarded as one ofthe classic beauties to grace thebig screen throughout the ‘40sand ‘50s, Arlene Dahl’s careerextended beyond the reach of thecamera.

“I’ve had many differentcareers,” said Ms. Dahl, who turns87 in August, from her home inNew York. “I was a writer fortwenty years with a beauty col-umn in the Chicago Tribunewhich was syndicated in 180newspapers around the world.”

As an author, Dahl haspenned fourteen books and iscurrently working on moreincluding an autobiography. She

was also the vice-president of anadvertising agency and, in the1960s, Sears hired her to visittheir stores to offer customersbeauty makeovers.

“They are commonplace onmany TV programs now,” shenoted. “I also created my ownperfume fragrance – Dahlia –before anyone else. So I started itall!”

Dahl says she can trace herinterest in performing toMinneapolis where, as a 5-year-old, she first experienced the joyof an appreciative audience dur-ing a family picnic at MinnehahaFalls. (Tinseltown page 32)

Tinseltown TalksNick Thomas

Arlene Dahl's Journey toHollywood and Beyond

Arlene Dahl

“My father put me up on apicnic table and asked me to

sing. After hearing theapplause they couldn’t get medown.”

At 17, she was discoveredby Jack Warner who spottedher singing and dancing on

Broadway during the 1945opening of “Mr. Strauss Goesto Boston.”

“He came backstage and invitedme to Hollywoodto make a screentest, but Ideclined,” saidDahl, who expect-ed the play toextend into a longrun.

“He said ‘give ittwo or three weeksand you’ll call me,here’s my card.’ Hewas right. I wassoon out of a job.”

Moving toHollywood, thecameras loved Dahland audiences fellfor her flaming redhair and trademark

beauty spot. She went on toappear in over thirty films.Initially handed romanticcomedies, Dahl eventuallytackled more dramatic rolessuch 1959s subterranean

adventure “Journey to theCenter of the Earth” withJames Mason and Pat Boone.

The first day’s shootingwith Mason was tense, howev-er. “He didn’t want me for thepart. I found this out two daysbefore I went to New Mexicoto shoot the cave scenes atCarlsbad Caverns.”

But her professionalismimpressed Mason.

“He came to my dressingroom after our first scene totell me I had done well. Thatwas like an Academy Awardfrom James Mason, and every-thing was okay after that.”

Everything, except the haz-ards on the set.

“I almost died in theunderground ocean scenewhere the boat was goinground in circles and waveswere rocking it,” recalled Dahl.“Giant water balloons weresupposed to hit our backs butthey hit me in the face, knock-ing me out. I woke up in thehospital with James and Patholding my hand.”

Between 1952 and 1976,that hand was given in mar-riage to several suitors, includ-ing to well-known actors LexBarker and Fernando Lamas –

father of heartthrob actorLorenzo Lamas. Today, Dahl ishappily married to MarcRosen, founder of MarcRosen Associates, a New Yorkfirm specializing in the designand packaging of luxury cos-metic products.

“I was working at Revlonand a friend suggested meetingArlene and I ended up design-ing the bottle and packagingfor her Dahlia perfume,”explained Rosen. “We becamegreat friends and despite our18 years age difference, weremarried. People said itwouldn’t last. Well, we just cel-ebrated our 30th anniversaryand proved them wrong!”

“I’ve lived a very full andhappy life, although there havebeen ups and downs,” saysDahl. “Many people don’tknow about some of my expe-riences, but they’ll be in myautobiography. You have noidea the stories I can tell …and will!”

Nick Thomas teaches atAuburn University atMontgomery, Ala., and haswritten features, columns, andinterviews for over 600 maga-zines and newspapers. Follow@TinseltownTalks


Solution from page 31

Tinseltown / page 29

Still photo from “Three LIttle Words,” 1950.

Publicity shot of Arlene Dahl in the 1940s.

Byearly

evening, after driving for hoursthrough heavy rainfall, thelights of Deadwood, SouthDakota were indeed a wel-come sight. With a big sigh ofrelief, we had finally made it tothe Black Hills. It was too latein the day for exploring; so wefound our motel and tookrefuge from rain that hadplagued us throughout theroad trip.

There are so many sites ofinterest in the Hills, including:Mount Rushmore, Black HillsNational Forest, Custer StatePark, Bear Butte State Parkand the Crazy Horse Memorial- as well as two national caves:Wind Cave National Park andJewel Cave NationalMonument. Jewel Cave ispresently the fourth largestcave in the world, with 57.4miles of surveyed and mappedpassages.

Trails abound throughoutthe parks for hiking, bikingand cross-country skiing.Nature lovers find an abun-dance of wildlife includingdeer, bison, antelope, bighornsheep, prairie dogs and more.

Mount Rushmore The faces of four of our

most exalted American presi-dents - George Washington,Thomas Jefferson, TheodoreRoosevelt, and AbrahamLincoln – are featured onMount Rushmore, consideredthe world's greatest mountaincarving – not just in our esti-mation but by critics aroundthe world. Gutzon Borglumbegan drilling into the 5,725-foot mountain in 1927 to cre-ate what was to become theShrine of Democracy. It took14 years and cost $1 million.Sadly, Gutzon died before hecould see the greatest work ofhis lifetime to completion.His son, Lincoln finished the

project.In a spectacular setting, the

60-foot high faces, 500 feet up,look out over the Black Hills.Flags of 56 states and territo-ries fly along the avenue belowthe memorial. Rangers pro-vide interpretive walks andtalks, including the EveningSculpture Lighting Ceremonythat takes place at 9 p.m.nightly (May-September) in thepark's amphitheater. Otherprograms include guided walksto the Sculptor's Studio,Presidential Trail walks, talkson the Grandview Terrace,afternoon children's activitiesand studio talks. Call (605)574-2523 for times.

South Dakota’s NativeAmericans

South Dakota has one ofthe largest Native Americanpopulations, with nine officialtribes and some 60,000 people.The Lakota Nation (betterknown as The Sioux) gained

control of the Northern Plainsin the 1700s, and developed aunique culture based on theabundant bison of the era.Faces and places in Sioux his-tory are legendary: CrazyHorse, Sitting Bull, Red Cloud,Spotted Tail, American Horse,High Hawk, Gall, Hump, Rainin the Face; bloody landscapeslike Little Big Horn River andWounded Knee Creek. Theircultural influence extends tothe state’s arts, mass media,fashions, jewelry, architecture,interior design, religion andpolitics.

Bad Lands National ParkThe 31-mile Badlands

Loop Scenic Byway passesthrough some of the mostamazing buttes, cliffs andmulti-colored spires ofBadlands National Park, whichin total is 244,000 acres ofsavage, beautiful nature, analmost desolate land. At theinformation center we learned

the history and geography ofthe area, then drove the two-lane, paved Loop road througha magnificent landscape ofmassive buttes and spires, pin-nacles and deep gorges.Badlands National Park ishome to the largest, mostcomplete example of mixed-grass prairie preserved by theNational Park Service. Inaddition, the park contains theworld's richest Oligoceneepoch fossil beds, dating 23-35million years old. Scientistsstudy the evolution of mam-mal species such as horse,sheep, rhinoceros, and pig inthe in the land formations.

Fees: Badlands NationalPark is a U.S. Federal fee area.The entrance fee for a passen-ger vehicle (good for 7 days) is$10. For U.S. citizens or resi-dents age 62 or over a lifetimeNational Park Senior Pass maybe purchased at the Bad LandsNational Park or any federalrecreation site.


Robert Boyd and Carolyn Prusa

Seniors4Travel

The Black Hills and Bad Lands of South Dakota

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senior spectrum newspaper - august 2015 issue

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