Page S-12 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 12, 2010 6017 This newspaper requires NO POWER and can be ENJOYED ANYWHERE Not just recyclable — even greener than you think 227 W. Cota • Downtown Shelton 360-426-4412 • www.masoncounty.com • Fresh local news • Biodegradable • Saves toner - no printer paper needed • Reusable • Renewable • Scrapbookable • No monitor eyestrain • Portable • Memorable • Made in U.S.A. (Shelton, WA) Caution: Contents HOT with useful ads & info! NO POWER ENJOYED ANYWHERE
Transcript
Page S-12 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 12, 2010
6017
This newspaper requiresNO POWER
and can beENJOYED ANYWHERE
Not just recyclable —even greener than you think
227 W. Cota • Downtown Shelton360-426-4412 • www.masoncounty.com
• Fresh local news • Biodegradable • Saves toner - no printer paper needed• Reusable • Renewable • Scrapbookable • No monitor eyestrain
• Portable • Memorable • Made in U.S.A. (Shelton, WA)Caution: Contents HOT with useful ads & info!
NO POWER
ENJOYED ANYWHERE
Mason County’s guide to senior activities, products, services
ON THE INSIDE:pg 2 Local Senior Activitiespg 3 Senior Activities Centerpg 4 Helping Hands for Seniorspg 5 Retirement Optionspg 6,7 Dream Retirementpg 8 Children and Seniorspg 9,10 Safety and Exercisepg 11 Senior Job Opportunities
SENIORLivingLiving
August 12, 2010
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Page S-2 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 12, 2010
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By DEAN SIEMON
Senior citizens looking to stay active have several different choices in Shelton, including dis-counts at local gyms.
Kyle Cofield, supervisor and manager at Anytime Fitness on Olympic Highway North, said it is important for people to stay ac-tive as they grow older.
“As you get older, hormones go down and your bone density goes down,” Cofield said. “Almost ev-erything we offer is for cardio and strength training.”
For senior citizens, Anytime Fitness offers a 10 percent dis-count on monthly memberships through insurance companies like GroupHealth.
Cofield said that the majority of Anytime Fitness’ clientel are middle-aged or older.
“I would say our demographic are mostly people with kids or grandkids in high school,” Cofield said. “We don’t have many people that are under 40.”
The Shelton Athletic Club (S.A.C.), located on First St., of-fers not only weightlifting and cardio machines, but a swimming pool, raquetball court and sauna.
The club also offers swimming
aerobics classes and strength and range of movement classes three days a week.
S.A.C. manager Josh Johnson said that they also offer free gym memberships to senior citizens through GroupHealth and Medi-care, similar to Anytime Fitness.
But Johnson said that outside of the physical activities, senior citizens that go to S.A.C. also en-joy a social experience.
“It’s beneficial for them to net-work and socialize,” Johnson said. “They’ll work out for 45 minutes to an hour, then they’ll stay for two or three hours chatting.”
The city of Shelton’s Parks and Recreations is also providing classes that have had an enroll-ment of senior citizens.
“We have a number of seniors that are involved,” said Mark Ziegler, director of Shelton’s Parks and Recerations.
Tai Chi classes are offered at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, as well as yoga classes at 10 a.m. on Tues-days – both are held at the Shel-ton Civic Center.
Cost for 12 weeks of tai chi is $80. The same price goes for an eight-week session of yoga.
Ziegler also said the Huff n’
Puff Trail, located on Shelton Springs Road, is a good walking trail that has recently added a new walking service for the entire 1.85-mile course.
“We’re working on some up-grades, including directional signs,” Ziegler said.
Shelton High School also offers public use of their swimming pool
for lap-swim, Monday through Friday from 7 to 8:30 a.m., Tues-day, Thursday, Friday and Satur-day from noon to 1 p.m and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thurs-day.
Swim aerobic classes are held at the SHS pool from noon to 1 p.m on Tuesday, Thursday, Fri-day and Saturday.
Senior activities offered for locals
Journal photo by Dean Siemon
Butch Stallard plays a round of raquetball at the Shelton Ath-letic Club.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page S-11
At one point in the 2008 Oscar-nominated film “Frost/Nixon,” former President Richard Nixon, played by Frank Langella, says, “Re-tired people are the most bored people in the world.” While some retirees might scoff at that remark, others no doubt agree there’s an element of truth to it.
Perhaps boredom is one reason many se-niors continue to work past retirement age. According to the Congressional Research Ser-vice (CRS), 47 percent of male seniors and 34 percent of female seniors were employed in 2007. That those figures were from 2007 is significant, as it indicates this was before the economic downturn of 2008-09, a consequence of which was more seniors returning to the workforce.
For many seniors, though, working isn’t simply a means to earn money. In fact, se-niors who continued working past the age of 70 earned an average of just $20,000 in 2007. Seniors also tend to work to have something to do. For seniors looking to do just that, there are a host of employment or even volunteer opportunities that can help seniors stay busy and possibly put a little extra money in their pockets.
1. Local park service Many local park services hire seniors to
help keep the parks clean. These are often seasonal opportunities, making them ideal for seniors who live in different cities depending on the seasons.
2. Golf courseGolf courses are other seasonal businesses,
at least in much of the country, that also boast lots of part-time opportunities for seniors. For example, golf courses need rangers, who en-
sure all golfers play by the rules and respect the course, and even maintenance staff, who do everything from cut the grass to maintain-ing gardens. These can also pull double duty, providing seniors with daily exercise to help them stay healthy.
3. School systems Local school districts also have volunteer
opportunities that can be ideal for seniors. Po-sitions such as crossing guard or even helping out with the local athletic teams don’t require much of a commitment and can be rewarding and fun for seniors.
4. Consultant work Seniors who miss the thrill of business don’t
have to give it up completely simply because they’re retired. Many seniors earn a handsome amount of money by working as consultants, using their vast experience to help the next generation. What’s more, consultants often work on their own schedule, an ideal situation for seniors with a passion for business but an equal passion for the positives of retirement.
5. Library.Libraries might not be as popular as they
once were, but many are still going strong, and some even use volunteers and part-time employees to keep their operations running smoothly. Many libraries prefer hiring seniors thanks to their reliability and good attitude.
6. VolunteerMany programs that help indigent citizens
get by every day welcome seniors as volun-teers. Meal delivery services and other pro-grams that cater to the sick are often in need of a helping hand.
Job opportunities for seniors
Seniors looking to work or volunteer should consider working at the local li-brary.
Page S-10 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 12, 2010
Exercise is important for all people, including the el-derly. Yet, seniors who have limited mobility or are con-fined to a wheelchair may think they couldn’t possibly exercise. However there are many things such individu-als can do to stay in shape -- all while sitting down.
Doctors recommend at least 30 minutes of daily ex-ercise for most people. Exer-cise is beneficial for seniors because it keeps muscles from atrophying, improves mental alertness, strength-ens bones, and leads to a healthier metabolism, among other things.
For seniors who think they won’t be able to handle traditional exercise, chair exercises or modified pilates can be effective, even for those with trouble walking or standing for extended pe-riods of time.
To get started, all one needs is some loose-fitting clothing and a chair. Be-gin by doing some stretch-ing movements of the neck,
arms and legs. Rotate the head left and right and in circles to stretch the neck and back muscles. Lift arms over the head and slowly drop down to the sides of the body to stretch arms and back muscles. Lift and lower the legs a few times to warm them up.
To begin exercises, start slowly and gradually build up repetitions. Exercises to try include boxing or punch-ing into the air, arm circles, and arm curls. For the legs, work the back and front of the legs. Kick the legs out in front of the body several times. Hold legs parallel to the floor (as much as possi-ble) and do leg crosses. Put feet flat on the floor and lift up the heels. Keep feet on the floor and push down to work the buttocks and the top of the thighs.
Individuals who have mastered these exercises and have been told by a doc-tor that it is OK to do some-thing a bit more strenuous may want to add very light
weights to the equation for more resistance. Two or five pound weights are all that’s needed to give muscles even more of a workout.
Those looking to change things up from day to day can think about doing yoga in a chair or even tai chi ex-ercises. Deep breathing and meditation after workouts can be part of a cool down and stress-relief program.
If swimming is possible, or even simply entering a pool, water provides gentle resistance and could be a good way to work the body in a gradual manner. Buoy-ancy from the water will be easy on joints and this type of exercise is very low-im-pact.
Remember to always consult a doctor before be-ginning any type of exer-cise regimen, be it with a personal trainer or on your own. The doctor can discuss which type of exercises may be safe.
Exercises for seniors with limited mobility
Exercising in a chair is an effective way for seniors to stay in shape.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page S-3
By NATALIE JOHNSON
Members of the open line-dancing group at the Shelton Senior Activities Center have fun and stay fit participating in daily line dancing classes at the center.
“Step clap step clap, rock recover, step clap …” dance instructor Lorraine Hauenstein said to her line dance students at the center. “We’re supposed to know these cause it’s Fri-day, but we don’t.”
The line-dancers in this group dance to many dif-ferent songs trying to re-member all the right steps to their favorites.
“We do all different sorts,” Hauenstein said. “Friday is open line danc-ing and we just pick the ones we think we remem-ber.”
The members of the line-dancing group have a great time practicing dances that go along with their favorite songs, even when they make a mis-take. At one point during
their meeting on Friday, members began perform-ing a dance to the wrong song, but when they real-ized it, no one was angry or frustrated, they just laughed and moved on.
“We have fun, we social-ize together,” Hauenstein said, “We just plain have
fun, we meet new friends and we all really get along and it’s good exercise as well as good cardio.”
Group members said that getting exercise, be-yond having a good time, is one of the main things that motivate them to be a part of the line-dancing
group.“If I’m going to exercise,
I’m going to do something I enjoy doing,” Nancy Car-ey, a line dancer, said.
Many members of the group also dance outside of the group, Hauenstein said.
Beyond keeping them
healthy and entertained, line dancing, as well as other activities at the se-nior center, keeps the dancers young, Hauen-stein said.
“We don’t have time to get old,” Hauenstein said.
The senior center also offers other dance class-es, including senior bel-ly dancing classes. This month there are no belly dancing classes sched-uled, but activities direc-tor Tenielle Masteller said it won’t stay that way for long.
“We’re going to start the belly dancing up again soon,” Masteller said.
Line dancing classes are offered daily at the senior center. Beginning classes are offered Mon-days and Wednesdays from 9 to 10 a.m. Interme-diate and advanced class-es are held Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m. Open classes are on Fridays from 9 to 11 a.m.
Seniors dance for fun and for their health
Photo by Natalie Johnson
Members of the Shelton Senior Activities Center open line dancing group at Relay for Life
Maple Glen’s mission is to create rich living experiences for seniors. We strive to do that with trust, integrity, honesty, compassion, respect and passion.
• Air conditioned apartments
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• Weekly housekeeping and linen services
• Full activities program
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• Wheelchair accessible bus
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Page S-4 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 12, 2010
6055
By ARLA SHEPHARD
As people get older, living alone can become a difficult endeavor.
Faith in Action West Sound, the Belfair branch of the Faith in Action National Network, supports independent living for seniors and disabled people, by offering services like transporta-tion, grocery shopping and minor home repair.
“Study after study shows that seniors are better staying in their homes rather than living in insti-tutions,” said Patti Kleist, execu-tive director of Faith in Action. “In the 2000 census, 28 percent of North Mason were seniors, over the age of 55, and we are antici-pating in the 2010 census for it to be around 40 percent.”
With a growing senior popula-tion, Kleist has high hopes for the non-profit to build a new senior center, which it would operate in addition to its thrift store on Old Belfair Highway and its volun-teer services.
Faith in Action envisions a 10,000-square-foot facility where seniors could socialize and take
educational and recreational classes. It would also house the non-profit’s offices and money-generating thrift store.
More than anything, the cen-
ter could be a safe place for se-niors to gather when family mem-bers can’t watch after them, said Kleist, who has managed other non-profits before, primarily in
the field of alcohol and addiction recovery.
The non-profit has matching funds from Belfair’s Krueger fam-ily — who also provided Faith in Action with its temporary office space along State Route 3 until the Belfair sewer project is fin-ished — to build the center, and Kleist is working on raising mon-ey for it.
“In my spare time I’m writing grants,” she said. “There’s a real need for this in the community.”
For now, volunteers are on-call for services like lawn mow-ing, transportation and support for a doctor’s visit, or to provide a friendly ear to chat with.
“I have a lot of respect for the seniors in North Mason,” Kleist said. “They by and large are able to stay at home and cope with their challenges. I know 86-year-old ladies who are hauling their own brush to the dump … in my observation, it’s the 50-year-olds who are wimpier than the 80-year-olds.”
For more information about Faith in Action, call 360-275-0535.
Faith in Action offers helping hands to seniors in North Mason
Photo by Arla Shephard
Patti Kleist, executive director of Faith in Action West Sound in Bel-fair, stands in the non-profit’s new office. Kleist hopes Faith in Ac-tion will eventually be able to build a senior center in North Mason.
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Thursday, August 12, 2010 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page S-9
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Safety a major factor in the choice for assisted living
Thousands of people every year begin the pro-cess of evaluating assisted living facilities either for themselves or a loved one. Personal safety is one of the primary reasons individuals choose to enter a care facility.
Seniors often cherish their independence and don’t want to admit they may need help in certain areas of daily life. However, injuries in and around the house have become a routine part of many se-niors’ lives. At some point in time a conversation has to be had if it is no longer safe for an elderly person to live alone.
Although there are other living arrangements available, such as in-law suites in homes or a visit-ing nurse service, for many seniors the practical choice is to enter an assisted living facility.
Assisted living facilities are suitable for individ-uals needing help with ADL, or activities of daily life, but who desire to live as independently as pos-sible for as long as possible. An ALF acts as a tran-sition between independent living and a nursing home. It is practical for those who cannot live on their own but do not require constant supervision.
Facilities may offer a host of services, including assistance with eating, dressing, bathing, house-keeping, and other needs. The center also may be able to provide some level of medical care. How-ever, this medical care won’t be as extensive as in a nursing home or hospital setting.
Many times ALFs are part of a larger web of care called a Continuing Care System. This means there is a network of facilities in an adult commu-nity, from independent living to assisted living to a nursing home. This enables a person to work with one organization and travel comfortably through the system as need warrants.
Because safety is the primary reason for seek-ing a new living arrangement, safety should be one of the foremost considerations when choosing an ALF. Here are some questions to ask when visiting properties.
Once safety concerns have been addressed, fa-cilities can be considered based on other desireable factors. Many individuals want facilities that offer recreation, free transportation to stores and doctor visits and proximity to family and friends. Some residents desire a small facility, while others like the options of a larger community.
• Is there adequate lighting indoors and outdoors?
• Are apartments equipped with grab bars in the bathrooms and safety railings in the hallways?
• Can a person move freely throughout the apartment without tripping on carpet-ing or other obstructions?
• Are there safety signaling devices in-side the residence in case of an emergency?
• Are there personnel available 24 hours a day in case assistance is needed?
• Is a call-in system present to ensure that residents are doing well every day?
• Are employee references checked thor-oughly and have they undergone a back-ground check to ensure they are safe to have on the premises?
• Is the facility clean and up-to-date with the latest technology?
• Is there medical care available for rou-tine services, such as dietary needs, podia-try and general check-ups?
• Is there a maintenance staff available for home fixes, such as plumbing problems or electrical outages?
Page S-8 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, August 12, 2010
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For parents hoping to instill a sense of commitment to community in their children, the following volun-teer ideas can be a perfect way to do just that.
Perhaps no group’s eyes light up more at the sight of a child than the elderly. Many nursing homes and se-nior living facilities have volunteer programs for youth that encourage kids and seniors to play board games, puzzles, work on crafts, or even read together. Kids can go visit their
own grandparents or, if grandma or grandpa live too far away, simply visit a nearby nursing home or senior center and “adopt” a grandparent to spend time with.
Parents should call ahead and discuss their intentions with facility staff. Many seniors may be experi-encing failing mental health that a child might not understand. Parents may consider requesting their child be paired with a senior who can re-late to the child.
Children interact well with seniors
Thursday, August 12, 2010 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page S-5
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When searching for a retirement community, retirees often place an emphasis on fun. And that’s perfectly understandable, as retirees have worked their entire lives and earned the right to relax and enjoy themselves however they may choose.
But the right retirement fit isn’t entirely about fun. In fact, retirees typically look for a place that combines fun with a number of other factors.
Health services While those about to retire might enjoy excellent health, it is impor-
tant to find a community that can cater to existing and future health care needs. This means finding a place that offers a variety of com-petent physicians from primary care to specialists. Typically, when adequate doctors are present, local hospitals or medical centers have located and expanded in most cities/counties.
Accessibility When choosing a retirement community, most retirees are inter-
ested in whether the chosen city/county is accessible to family and friends. Oftentimes, this means within close proximity to a major city and an airport. When searching for your ideal location, look for one that offers the peace and quiet of a small to medium town but the ac-coutrements of city life as well. The closer a retirement community is to a major city and airport, the more frequent the visits from children and grandchildren are likely to be.
Culture and Entertainment Most retirees find that retirement life takes an adjustment. In fact,
after a lifetime spent working, retirees might find retirement a bit boring. But retirement doesn’t have to be boring and retirement com-munities don’t have to be sleepy. The Gadsden/Etowah County area combines the different charms of its 12 incorporated municipalities, all different sizes and with their own uniqueness, and with cultural facilities and programs of many larger cities.
The Great Outdoors After a life spent working, indoors or outdoors, many retirees look
for a community that allows them to “play outdoors.”
Finding a fitting retirement
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Northcliff PlaceAdult Family Home1109 Northcliff Rd.Shelton, WA 98584(360) 427-2646
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