LUTHER HOUSE, 120-126 JENNERS POND ROAD, WEST GROVE, PA 19390 610-869-4240 Luther house gazette VOLUME 12, ISSUE 8 August 2014 Some flowers are lovely to the eye, but others are lovely to the heart. I have never seen it elsewhere than at my old home, and in the gardens of neighbors to whom its seeds were given by the gentle hand that planted ‘our garden’ and made it a delight. - Alice Morse Earle, Home Life in Colonial Days, 1898 August Activities Scheduled Computer classes continue to take place in all four builds every Tuesday and Wednesday. See activi- ty schedule for specific times. Saturday, August 2nd, Christian Friends will perform at 6pm in LH III. Free Reiki Stress Reduction sessions. To schedule call 610-932-3855. Tuesday, August 19th, OnSite Dermatology will sponsor a lecture entitled “Skin Cancer Preven- tion, Early Detection & Maintaining Healthy Skin” at 2pm in LH III. Saturday, August 23rd, Gene Arnold, Gospel Roads and special guest Lanny Blackburn will perform at 6pm in LH III. Wednesday, August 27th, Twin Pines Retirement Community (formerly Chatham Acres) will be sponsoring a BBQ at 12 noon in LH III. VOLUMEOLUME 12, 10, ISSUE I SSUE 8 7 PAGE Developing Social Support Social support is a network of family, friends, and other acquaintances you can turn to, whether in times of crisis or simply for fun and entertainment. Simply talking with a friend over a cup of coffee, vis- iting with a relative, or attending a church outing is good for your overall health. Social support can also increase your sense of belonging, purpose and self-worth, promot- ing positive mental health. And you don't necessarily have to actual- ly lean on family and friends for support to reap the benefits of those connections. Just knowing that they're there for you can help you avoid unhealthy reactions to stressful situations. Some people benefit from large and diverse social support systems, while others prefer a smaller circle of friends and acquaintances. In either case, it helps to have plenty of friends to turn to. That way, someone is always available when you need them. If you want to expand your social support network, here are some things you can do: Get out with your pet. Seek out a dog park or make conversa- tion with those who stop to talk. Work out. Join a class through a senior center or fitness facility, or start a walking group. Do lunch. Invite an acquaintance to join you for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Volunteer. Hospitals, museums, churches, community centers and other organizations often need volunteers. You can form strong connections when you work with people who share a mutual interest. Join a cause. Get together with a group of people working toward a goal you believe in. Join a hobby group. Find a group with similar interests in such things as gardening, books or crafts. Go back to school. Take a community education course to meet people with similar interests. Having a variety of interests can create new opportunities to meet people. And it may also help make you more interesting to others. Developing and maintaining healthy social ties involves give and take. Sometimes you're the one giv- ing support and other times you're on the receiving end. Your social support system will help you if you take time to nurture friendships and family relationships. Here are some things to keep in mind: Go easy. Don't overwhelm friends and family with phone calls or e-mails. Communication can be brief - 5 minutes on the phone or several sentences in an e-mail. Find out how late or early you can call and respect those boundaries. Be aware of how others perceive you. Ask a friend for an honest evaluation of how you come across to others. Take note of any areas for improvement and work on them. P AGE 2 L UTHER H OUSE G AZETTE Don't compete with others. This will turn potential rivals into potential friends. Adopt a healthy, realistic self-image. Both vanity and rampant self-criticism can be unattractive to potential friends. Resolve to improve yourself. Cultivating your own honesty, generosity and humility will enhance your self-esteem and make you a more compassionate and appealing friend. Avoid relentless complaining. Nonstop complaining is tiresome and can be draining on support systems. Talk to your family and friends about how you can change those parts of your life that you're unhappy about. Adopt a positive outlook. Try to find the humor in things. Listen up. Make a point to remember what's going on in the lives of others. Be wary of social support that can drain you. Some of the people you routinely interact with may be more demanding or harmful than supportive. Limit your interaction with those people to protect your own psychological well-being. As you seek to expand your social network, be aware of support systems that are unhealthy, oppressive or rigid, or that demand conformity. These can be just as damaging as hav- ing no connections at all. If your friends place heavy demands on your time and resources, or if you're unable to meet their needs, you may find yourself more anxious and depressed. Social support provides a sense of belonging, security and a welcoming forum in which to share your concerns and needs. It's never too late to build friendships or choose to become involved. The investment in social support will pay off in better health and a brighter outlook for years to come. VOLUME 12,10, IISSUESSUE 8 7 PAGE 3 Older Adults and Heat-Related Illnesses As we age, our ability to adequately respond to summer heat can become a serious problem. The Na- tional Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has some advice for helping old- er people avoid heat-related illnesses, known collectively as hyperthermia, during the summer months. Hyperthermia can include heat stroke, heat fatigue, heat syncope (sudden dizzi- ness after exercising in the heat), heat cramps and heat exhaustion. The risk for hyperthermia is a combination of the outside temperature along with the general health and lifestyle of the individual. Health-related (medications, diseases, obesi- ty, illnesses) and lifestyle (hot living quarters, overdressing, visiting overcrowded places) factors may increase the risk. Older people, particularly those at special risk, should stay indoors on particularly hot and humid days, especially when there is an air pollution alert in effect. Peo- ple without fans or air conditioners should go to places such as shopping malls, movie theaters, libraries or cooling centers which are often provided by government agencies, religious groups, and social service organizations in many communities. If you suspect that someone is suffering from a heat-related illness: •Get the person out of the sun and into an air-conditioned or other cool place. •Offer fluids such as water, fruit and vegetable juices, but avoid alcohol and caffeine. •Encourage the individual to shower, bathe or sponge off with cool water. •Apply a cold, wet cloth to the wrists, neck, armpits, and/or groin, places where blood passes close to the surface and the cold cloths can help cool the blood. •Urge the person to lie down and rest, preferably in a cool place. Free Monthly Reiki Stress Reduction Sessions Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation. Eleanor Gona, a local Holistic Health Practitioner, conducts free 15 minute sessions each month at 10 am in LH II. Eleanor sees four residents (or more) each month. Appointments are necessary. Call 610-932-3855 Wawa Food Donations Every weekday Wawa food donations are placed in the activity room freezers. Please help yourself. Delivery days are: Luther House I - Fridays, Luther House II - Tuesdays, Luther House III - Mon- days & Thursdays, Luther House IV - Wednesdays. Note: Delivery times are at the discretion of each volunteer. The 2014 Luther House Summer Picnic *Note Date Correction* will take place Saturday, September 13th from 11 am to 1:30 pm. See sign-up sheet at the front desk of each building P AGE 4 L UTHER H OUSE G AZETTE Spotlight on Resources “Full Dual Eligible” in the Medicare system refers to a recipient who receives both: Medicare Part B and also qualifies for Full Medicaid benefits, also called “Medical Assistance” in which the beneficiary's non-Medicare coverage is covered by Medicaid, effectively providing full health care coverage. Indi- viduals that qualify will be paid first by Medicare and the remainder will be paid by Medicaid. These recipients are also automatically enrolled in a no-cost Medicare Part D prescription plan. To qualify your income must be at or below $958 a month (asset limit $2,000) for an individual, or $1,293 a month (asset limit $3,000) for a couple. Note: there is a$20 monthly SSI disregard. If you think you might qualify, ask Diane for assistance. Dental Care (including general dentistry and extractions) for low income uninsured individuals can be obtained at no charge from Community Volunteers in Medicine located in West Ches- ter. To schedule an appointment, call 610-836-5990. Hearing Aids may be obtained at low cost ($125 each) through a program called the “Starkey Foundation.” This program pro- vides hearing aids for people with net incomes below $19,058 for a single or $25,743 for couples. Your only costs are a hearing test and an application fee of $125 per hearing aid request. To apply, call Bill Lockhart (Starkey Foundation Specialist) at 610- 436-9751. After helping you complete an application, Bill will refer you to an audiologist who works with this program.