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Kokomo Perspective Feb. 9, 2011

Community First Bank offers Travel


Club for those 50 and older
by Lisa Fipps to see and do.”
managing editor Later this year the group
editor@kokomoperspective.com will be going on a scandina-
vian and Baltic trip. Once in
Copenhagen, the group will

T
here’s a group
of folks 50 and cruise to different destina-
older who are tions, including Russia.
having a lot of What makes the Travel
fun across the Club great for participants
state, nation and world, is that Duke does all the
and many people could work and they just have to
join them but they prob- pay the fee associated with
ably don’t even know it. the particular trip or trips
Community First Bank they choose and show up.
offers a Travel Club, with “I do all the planning, and
Sally Duke as its director. give them literature saying
“It’s a bank loyalty pro- this is all that’s included for nity First Bank Travel Club gals in one bus and the guys
gram,” she said. “It’s a prod- this price,” she said. “We try gives them that. They don’t in the other.
uct a bank can offer clients to make it as carefree as have to do any planning and A man came up to her
to thank them for banking possible. They show up and they don’t have to go it and was looking at his feet,
with us.” don’t have to worry about alone.” timid like a schoolboy.
It’s simple to be a part of anything. We always have Duke said she thinks of Turns out he’d planned on
it. You just have to have a deluxe motorcoaches with her job as a ministry based sitting next to a woman he
Community First Bank ac- bathrooms. We can watch a on James 1:27: “Religion had a crush on. Duke
count with a minimum of movie. The luggage is han- that God our Father accepts changed the seating
$5,000 deposited. dled for them as much as as pure and faultless is this: arrangements. That couple
“I try to plan about 12 possible. It’s delivered right to look after orphans and ended up getting married.
trips a year that offer some- to their room. We try to take widows ...” “I have lots of sweet sto-
thing for everyone,” Duke care of them.” Duke likes watching the ries like that,” Duke said.
said. “Some people won’t Duke played a similar group dynamic as it “In my office at the bank I
fly. Some won’t go interna- role at another bank for changes during a trip. Par- keep two photos on my wall
tional. Some like day trips years until it was purchased ticipants will board a bus, of two women who were 18
because they have pets at by a large bank that wanted many times not knowing and at Lake Shafer. Next to
home they don’t want to to take the Travel Club in a anyone. It’s quiet. Then, it is a photo of those two
leave. Others like to be gone direction Duke didn’t like. they start talking. By the women in their 80s and pos-
“I love Community First,” end of the trip, people have ing on a Harley motorcycle
four or five days.”
Duke said. “I love Mike Ste- made friends. during a Travel Club trip.
A day trip might include
“Ladies who have be- “I keep those there to re-
going Indianapolis for a gall. When he called me
come lifelong buddies,” mind me that inside those
show, dinner and a tour of about coming to Commu-
Duke said. “I love watching 80-year-old bodies are those
the Indianapolis Museum of nity First, I told him, ‘I see
as the friendships are 18-year-old girls,” Duke
Art, for example. this as a ministry. I don’t
formed. You can’t put a said. “They don’t change;
“People really like our look at it as a job. I see it as
price on that.” their bodies age, but they
mystery trips,” Duke said. “I something we do for the
The Travel Club has even still want to have fun. The
don’t tell them where we’re community.’ A lot of these
biggest compliment I re-
going at all. Last year, we ladies have lost their hus- led to some marriages.
ceive is that I don’t treat
took them to a buffalo pre- bands. They spent their Duke recalls when she
them like they’re old. We
serve. They put us on trucks whole lives saying, ‘When took a group to Australia a
just have fun. I love working
and took us out in the mid- we retired, we want to ... few years ago that there
with seniors. They know
dle of the herd. Then we Well, they still want to do were so many she had to
how to have fun. We have
had lunch of bison and noo- things, but they need a safe rent two buses. She thought
tons of laughs. It’s like we’re
dles. I try to find quirky lit- environment to do it in. it would be simple to divide
one big family.”
tle places to go and things Traveling with the Commu- the group by putting the
Kokomo Perspective Feb. 9, 2011

D2 kokomoperspective.com/seniors

Looking for things to do? Bingo! Facilities offer a variety of activities


by Lisa Fipps types of exercise and sen- ber bands,” said Lori Hale,


managing editor iors need some of each, ac- director of admissions.
editor@kokomoperspective.com cording to the NIH, “Even those with limited
National Institute on Aging: mobility can do those exer-
cises.”

T
here is a •Endurance activities —
fountain of like walking, swimming, or But local facilities also Last year we
youth. Mil- riding a bike — which build make sure that seniors stay brought snow in
lions have "staying power" and im- active mentally and so- to them and they
discovered it, prove the health of the cially. all made
the secret to feeling heart and circulatory sys- For example, at Sterling snowmen.
better and living tem House, Bingo is big, said
l o n g e r. I t ' s c a l l e d s t a y - •Strengthening exercises Hale. We covered the
ing active. Finding a which build muscle tissue Residents there play tables, the
program that works and reduce age-related Bingo several times a residents had
for you and sticking muscle loss week. And one night a year gloves on, and
with it can pay big div- •Stretching exercises to Sterling House hosts Fam- we brought the
idends. Regular exer- keep the body limber and ily Bingo Night, when the
cise can prevent or flexible residents’ families get to
snow in. Then we
delay diabetes and •Balance exercises to join in the fun. Local busi- gave them sup-
heart trouble. It can reduce the chances of a fall nesses provide prizes. plies for arms
also reduce arthritis Of course, all of that “The more you play, the and noses. The
pain, anxiety and de- varies based on each indi- more they want to play,” snowmen didn’t
pression. It can help vidual’s ability. Hale said. last long, but it
older people stay inde- For example, at Sterling Sterling House gets cre-
pendent. House, “We do morning ex- ative, too. was cool — no
There are four main ercises, working with rub- “Last year we brought pun intended.


snow in to them and they
all made snowmen,” Hale
said. “We covered the ta-
bles, the residents had
gloves on, and we brought
the snow in. Then we gave
them supplies for arms and Lori Hale
noses. The snowmen didn’t
last long, but it was cool — complex, and it’s real full,”
no pun intended.” said Lisa Hutchinson, certi-
“If we can come up with fied therapeutic recre-
it, we’ll do it,” she said. ations specialist and
“Our schedule is very resident activity director at
Waterford Place Health every week, which is a councils so that those who
Campus and The Legacy at biggee with the ladies. We live there get to have input
Waterford Place. offer spiritual services, like on what activities are done.
“Every day we do some Bible studies. We are going “Trilogy (the parent com-
kind of exercise program, to start a ceramics class.
like chair yoga or some- pany) really wants to know
We have a cooking class.
thing. We offer a cards what the residents want
Always before meals we do
game/social time always. and what their preferences
trivia. We always have
Every day we offer some music programs. They do are,” said Hutchinson. “We
kind creative writing class. outings.” keep them mentally, physi-
We offer creative arts. They And most facilities, in- cally, socially, and spiritu-
do a lot of watercolors. We ally active. It’s the whole
cluding Sterling House and
have a nail and spa time
Waterford have resident holistic approach.”

Waterford Place Health Campus and


The Legacy at Waterford Place
employees receive recognition for
perfect attendance
aterford nizing their accomplish- a Trilogy Health Services

W P l a c e
H e a l t h
Campus
and

are pleased to announce


The
Legacy at Waterford Place

that five of their employ-


ment.
Fabian Calisto, executive
director of Waterford Place
and The Legacy, said, “We
truly appreciate the dedica-
tion that these employees
show our residents every
community. Trilogy com-
munities offer a full range of
personalized senior living
services from independent
and assisted living, to
skilled nursing and rehabili-
tative services, as well as
ees have been recognized day. We are fortunate to memory care services. Tril-
by Trilogy Health Services have them on the Waterford ogy’s senior living services
LLC for having perfect at- Place team.”
are delivered by staff spe-
tendance in 2010. The following employees
cially trained to honor and
These staff members were recognized for having
were among more than 600 perfect attendance in 2010: enhance the lives of our res-
employees company-wide Luanne Hawes, Legacy idents through compassion
who did not miss a day of Neighborhood director; and commitment to exceed-
work and were not tardy Kristy Smith, cook; Maryann ing customer expectations.
from Jan. 1, 2010, through Woodruff, housekeeping; To learn more about Water-
Dec. 31, 2010. For this Barbara Zook, LPN; Beth ford Place Health Campus
achievement they received a Nichols, business office or The Legacy at Waterford
$250 bonus and an addi- manager. Place please call 236.1239 or
tional day of paid time off, Waterford Place and The visit our website at water-
along with a plaque recog- Legacy at Waterford Place is fordplacehc.com.
Feb. 9, 2011 Kokomo Perspective

kokomoperspective.com/seniors D3
Now hear this:
There are options for those
who struggle to hear the TV
by Lisa Fipps Any one of these condi-


managing editor tions (distance, noise, or re-
editor@kokomoperspective.com verberation) can create
listening problems. More
Has this happened to you? often than not, they occur to-
You can’t hear the television, That’s where gether and have a debilitat-
so you turn it up, only to technology is ing effect on the ability to
have everyone in the house taking us, to more hear and process speech.
yell at you because it’s too sophisticated HATS can help you over-
loud? Or maybe you can’t situations. And the come these listening difficul-
hear yourself think because person doesn’t ties.
someone has the TV up so have to be
Kathryn Little, an audiolo-
loud. It’s likely the person completely
computer savvy. It’s gist with The Hearing Center,
who cranks up the volume is
Sonny Care thinks: What would I want? hard of hearing. That person easy to figure out. said one HATS option is
Phonak.


might even have a hearing “Different hearing aid
by Lisa Fipps volving door of people com- think, ‘This is what my mom aid, but sometimes hearing manufacturers have their
managing editor ing in and out,” Erb said. would want.’ ‘This is what I assistive technology sys- own; mostly Phonak is a
editor@kokomoperspective.com “They don’t want to have to would like.’ ‘This is how my tems, HATS, are needed. leader in this. There’s a TV
wonder, ‘Who’s going to dad would have wanted it.’ ” HATS are devices that can link hooked into the TV — it
Sonny Care is not a typo. come in today?’ ” Sonny Care offers a wide help you function better in works with a variety of TVs,
It’s not meant to be Sunny A lot of agencies send a variety of services all related day-to-day communication Kathryn Little you don’t necessarily have to
Care. It’s named after Mari- different person each time, to keeping a person in his or situations. HATS can be used have a new one — and then
lyn Erb’s father, Sonny. instead of allowing a client her home. That includes with or without hearing aids construction, and activities
the hearing aid user wears a
Erb learned a lot about and homecare worker to helping bathe clients, cook- or cochlear implants to in adjacent rooms. Back-
neck loop that receives a
home care when her father form a bond, to become a make hearing easier — and ground noise can make hear-
ing, cleaning, offering med- blue tooth signal. The TV
was dying of Alzheimer’s. family, Erb said. “I don’t thereby reduce stress and fa- ing very challenging. For
ication reminders, taking a Link sends a wireless signal
“I’m one of 10 and all of us allow a revolving door pol- tigue. optimum hearing, speech
client to a doctor, shopping via blue tooth and the person
live within 75 miles of our icy. That’s something my par- The following situations should be at least 20–25 deci-
for them, running errands — is aid able to independently
parents, so my mom had a ents wouldn’t have liked.” are difficult for all listeners, bels (dB) louder than any
everything that pertains to control the loudness of the
huge support system,” Erb Working for that agency in but they are especially diffi- competing noise. This is
whatever you do and need called the signal-to-noise TV. You can have it on mute
said. “But I realized that another town, Erb also no- cult for people with hearing
throughout the day.” ratio, or S/N ratio. for everybody else in the
someone who has no one or ticed, “People didn’t like the loss, according to the Amer-
Plus, Erb noted, “We work ican Speech-Language-Hear- Poor room room, but you can still hear
one child who lives far away fact that if they needed to get hand in hand with other ing Association. acoustics/reverberation: A it. You don’t have to be up
or a child who has a family a hold of someone in the
home health and hospice Distance between the lis- room’s acoustics are the close, either. It works within
and a full-time job has no evening that they have to call
agencies. We can provide tener and the sound source: quality of sound maintained 30 feet.”
one who can step in and take a service or leave a message
help two hours a day to 24 The farther away you are in the room, and they can af- Little said the really nice
care of them. I wanted to do on a machine. We answer
hours a day care. Whatever’s from a speaker, of course, fect your ability to hear ef- feature of that system is that
something to honor my par- 24/7. We’re always on call.”
needed. It’s very rewarding. the harder it is to hear the fectively. Sound waves the person with a hearing im-
ents.” She also noticed that
A lot of times when you walk speaker. This is because the bounce off hard surfaces like pairment is still able to hear
Considering she had some agencies are bad about
into someone’s house, intensity, or loudness, of a windows, walls, and hard everything else that’s going
worked at Howard Haven, not keeping clients in-
they’re so happy to see you. sound fades rapidly as it floors. This creates sound re- on in the room. Before
the county home for eight formed.
When I get those calls from travels over distance. So, flections and echoes (called HATS, those who were hard
years and used to work in “If someone was going to
family members and they tell while you may have no diffi- “reverberation”). The result of hearing had to were head-
geriatrics, too, it seemed not show up or be late, no-
us the difference the aid culty hearing someone in of excess reverberation is phones and then would miss
only natural to start Sonny body called the clients,” Erb
makes to the mom or dad, close range, you may have distorted speech. Large out on what others were say-
Care. said. “That was a big issue.
that’s what warms my heart considerable difficulty hear- gyms, cathedrals, and open ing.
“We’re family-owned,” she There has to be some consis-
said. “We’re big on family. We to know we’re making a dif- ing the same person across marble lobbies quickly come It also works with the tele-
tency. Some of these people
need to do something to help ference. Sometimes people the room. to mind when we think phone.
heavily rely on the help they
people stay at home.” just need somebody to come Competing noise in the en- about reverberation. Rever- “If the person gets a call, it
get from homecare services.
Erb worked for a home- into their house and give vironment: Most rooms have beration also can occur in overrides the TV,” Little said.
My dad wouldn’t have liked
care agency in another town. that.” them a purpose. As they get background noise that com- smaller spaces such as class- “They answer their phone
“I learned a lot about the Erb says that a lot when older, they forget they have a petes with the spoken mes- rooms. We’ve all experi- through that. It’s all through
homecare field,” she said, talking about Sonny Care, its purpose. We remind them sage or sound we want to enced how much easier it is bluetooth. That’s where tech-
namely that she saw a lot of services and its philosophy. that they have one.” hear. Examples of back- to hear in rooms that are car- nology is taking us, to more
room for improvement. “We try our best to put Sonny Care is at 109 E. ground noise include ventila- peted and have upholstered sophisticated situations. And
“People who have to rely ourselves in the shoes of Sycamore St., phone 319- tion systems, others talking, furniture (which absorbs the person doesn’t have to be
on homecare don’t like a re- those people,” she said. “We 3653. It’s next door to Area V. paper shuffling, computers, noise) than in empty rooms completely computer savvy.
radios, TVs, outside traffic or with tile or cement floors. It’s easy to figure out.”
Kokomo Perspective Feb. 9, 2011

D4 kokomoperspective.com/seniors

Despite economy, you can still protect your assets


by Brian Hayes asset protection planning
guest writer after the Deficit Reduction
editor@kokomoperspective.com Act of 2005 (DRA). A lot of
people mistakenly believe
that there are not any plan- A lot of people

A
re you con-
ning options outside of tra-
cerned about
the risk of losing ditional long term care mistakenly believe
your assets to a insurance anymore. I want
medical or long
term care illness? Most sen-
to remind clients, friends
and advisors that there is an
that there are not any
iors and retirees are, espe-
cially after looking at these
abundance of planning op-
tions available to single and
planning options
statistics:
•About 75 percent of sin-
married individuals who
want to protect assets from outside of traditional
gle individuals and 50 per- spending on nursing homes
cent of couples spend all of and long term care facilities. long term care
their savings within one year It does not matter if you are
of entering a nursing home.
•75 percent of people 65
planning to protect assets
five years in advance or if
insurance anymore.
years of age will require you are already receiving
long-term care (nursing care or are in a nursing
home, adult day care, as- home, you might be able to
expensive option, especially the assets if a long-term care
sisted living, or home care) employ various techniques
with the new “asset-based need arises, but if the policy
within their lifetime. such as Irrevocable Trusts,
long-term care” that are now is never needed, the benefits
•The average nursing gifts, Care Agreements, use
of immediate annuities and available. are paid to the insured’s ben-
home stay is 2.44 years, or
various other options to help Asset-based long-term eficiary of choice. If only
892 days
protect tens of thousands of care plans get around the part of the long-term care
•The Agency for Health
dollars worth of assets for main drawback of tradi-
Care Policy and Research benefit is used, any remain-
your spouse or other benefi- tional long term care insur-
determined that 43 percent ing benefit is paid to the in-
ciaries. ance, which is paying
of those Americans who sured’s beneficiary. Also,
On Feb. 8, 2006, then- premiums each year for
were 65+ in 2003 spent some there is 100 percent liquidity
President George W. Bush something that you may not
time in a nursing home, and on the account so if you
signed into law the Deficit ever use. As an alternative
that 24 percent of the same
Reduction Act of 2005 to the "use it or lose it" need the money for some
group spent at least one
(“DRA 05”.) DRA 05 was de- proposition, asset based other reason, you can get it.
year, while 10 percent spent
over 5 years signed to slow the growth of coverage converts some of Even with all the new
•On average, nursing Medicaid spending on indi- the assets that would be at rules and laws, asset protec-
home costs are increasing viduals who are in nursing risk to long-term care ex- tion planning is still avail-
by more than 10 percent home residents. With the term nursing home care. care. penses into a life insurance able. The sooner you start
each year. new law, planning practices Medicaid is a needs-based Before the DRA, the Om- policy or annuity and multi- planning, the more options
With all of the above in have changed as a result of program. Depending on the nibus Budget Reconciliation plies that amount to pay for
that you have. But even if
mind, and realizing that the the following reforms: ex- approach taken in a particu- Act of 1993 (OBRA) set forth long-term care expenses
you are currently obtaining
national average cost of a tension of the look-back, lar state, an individual must the rules with regard to Med- over a three to six-year pe-
have extremely limited as- icaid eligibility and restric- riod. The policy will pay for care and are worried about
nursing home stay is $74,208 change in start date of ineli-
sets (typically between tions with regard to asset long-term care when its ben- losing all your assets, there
annually (with ranges be- gibility period, annuity rules,
mandated “income-first $1,000 and $4,500) to qualify. transfers. The DRA signifi- efits trigger has been met are usually some planning
tween $49,153 in Louisiana
to $187,610 in Alaska), it is rule,” and the expansion of In most states, there also is cantly changed many of (typically the same as for tools available that can pro-
not surprising that older the State Long-Term Care an income test. those rules. Despite the traditional long-term care tect a good portion of your
Americans can become Partnership Program. Many elders and some fi- DRA’s restrictions, with policies- two ADLs or cogni- estate. Obtain the help of a
deeply concerned when they nancial advisors mistakenly proper planning some or tive impairment). So, asset- qualified and educated fi-
are facing a long-term care
Legislative believe that Medicare pays most assets can be pre- based long term care pays nancial advisor, attorney
illness. Additionally, with background the ongoing costs of a nurs- served while qualifying for for a long term care illness and CPA to help you navi-
older Americans now enter- Medicaid is a government ing home. As a result, many Medicaid. anywhere you need it (nurs- gate the waters and come up
ing assisted living facilities program designed to ensure elders fail to plan for these Even though there are ing home, adult day care, as-
costs or obtain long-term with the best plan for your
at an unprecedented pace, it the delivery of fundamental planning moves that can be sisted living or in your own
care insurance. Without individual situation.
is clear that they will incur healthcare services to eld- made to protect assets, long- home). But where it really
planning or insurance, eld- term care insurance should shines is when you don’t If you have questions,
more long-term care costs ers, individuals with disabil-
ers may have to pay not be overlooked or not need care the policy pays a please feel free to contact me
throughout their lifetimes. ities, and others who would
So what can you do? otherwise be deprived of $6,000–$15,000 per month considered. Depending on death benefit to the in- at Hayes Advisory Group at
Well, there is a great deal of such care. Significantly, out of their own pockets. several factors, long-term sured’s beneficiary, some- 452-PLAN, 800-939-1603 or
misinformation out there Medicaid is the only federal This has given rise to last- care insurance may be the times tax free. So coverage brian@hayesadvisorygroup.c
about the viability of Medi- program that can pay all or a minute attempts to access least complicated and least is there to protect the rest of om.
caid and Nursing Home portion of the cost of long- government-financed health-

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