C1ENCORE Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | Ferndale Record

A supplement of the Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record

A GUIDE TO A FULFILLING SENIOR LIFE IN WHATCOM COUNTY

ncoreEFerndale RecordWednesday, February 20, 2013

Group of women keep up morning exercise/coffee routine for 35 yearsWalkers do their two miles in all seasons, all weather; others indoorsBy Calvin Bratteditor@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — Talk about fast friends. First for some exercise at 7 a.m. and then coffee together at a different eatery each weekday — a group of Lynden wom-en has been keeping their bonds strong for about 35 years now (they’re not exact-ly sure how long). It all started with a desire to stay fit and active by doing two miles of walking each morning, ending up at the Fairway Cafe. Shirley DeBoer and Peggy Vellema were a part of that original plan — and Vellema remembers that they met for their walk halfway between their houses at the Lynden cemeteries. Mari Vanderpol and Margaret Baron were also involved, and, a little later, Kitty Van Ry and Myrna Brune. Marie Timmer was an early participant who has since passed away. Several happened to be members of Bethel Christian Reformed Church. And

at least three in the bunch lay claim to be-ing in the class of 1949 (“49ers”) at either Lynden or Lynden Christian high schools. But the motivation is pretty basic otherwise. “It’s a good thing to start off the day with friends,” DeBoer said. “And I don’t know of anyone else walking for 35 years.” They have a special breakfast togeth-er on each other’s birthdays, at a place of the birthday girl’s choice. Last week brought Peggy Vellema’s special day, so they met to celebrate at Dutch Mothers Restaurant. Peggy actually is making it out now only about two days a week, as those birthdays march on. What do they talk about? Their fami-lies. Travels. Churches. Whatever they’ve been up to. What’s in the local or national news. “We were talking about that cruise ship this morning,” Vellema said Friday. “We all add our part.” “We are kind of a diverse group. That keeps it interesting,” she said. It could even be politics, although “we’re all on the same fence on that one,” DeBoer said. Those keeping up the walking, about 30 minutes worth, no matter the weather or time of year, are Brune, DeBoer and

VanRy. Their route on two days is along Front Street from Fairway to downtown and back. On another day it’s around the fairgrounds, ending up at McDonald’s. Wednesday is their venturesome day, out on Birch Bay-Lynden and Tromp roads with coffee at Burger King.

From left, Margaret Baron, Kitty VanRy, Shirley DeBoer and Mari Vanderpol have been keeping up their daily exercise routine and then sitting together for coffee for about 35 years now. On Tuesday, their gathering spot is the Fairway Cafe. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

“If it’s icy, we walk around the Fair-way Center, but we still get in our two miles,” DeBoer said. Margaret Baron and Mari Vanderpol have shifted their exercise routine over to the Fairsquare Fitness center in recent years.

See WALKERS on C4

ENCOREC2 Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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cases of diabetes by half or more.” Part of staying healthy is having a health plan that covers all of your medical needs. For seniors selecting a Medicare plan, this means finding one that has the right doctor and provides the care, treatment and phar-macy benefits they need. To help Medicare-eligible beneficiaries select a high-quality plan, Kaiser Perman-ente offers four tips. 1. Know your health plan’s star quality rating. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services assign an overall star rating to each Medicare plan for how well it performs. The Medicare ratings range from one star (low-est rating) to five stars (highest rating). The system rates plans on preventive care, man-aging chronic conditions, member satisfac-tion, customer service and pharmacy care. 2. Use the Medicare ratings to find a quality plan. The highest-rated plans feature well-coordinated, patient-centered care. When seniors suffer from chronic illness or

See MEDICARE on C4

C3ENCORE Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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Aids can help seniors age while they keep their independenceBaby Boomers now are swelling the senior population Ask most seniors if they want to age independently in their own homes, and they likely will say yes. Surveys show 95 percent of people over the age of 75 de-sire to age in place, and about a quarter of seniors live alone. These numbers are just the begin-ning. Baby Boomers are now turning 65 at a rate of about 8,000 a day, ac-cording to AARP. But what if you’re the adult child of one of those independent-minded seniors? What if, like Alison Ja-cobson, whose SafetyMom.com blog has a loyal following, you find yourself frequently worrying about your parents’ well-being? “While aging-in-place is the goal for most seniors, how do you, as the adult

child, ensure they’re safe?” she asks. Here are some tips for dealing with the situation:      • Preventing falls. Falls are a  lead-ing cause of injury and death for seniors. Like the worry Jacobson describes, a new survey by market researchers found that a far greater number of caregivers were concerned about seniors being in-jured than seniors themselves were (76.1 percent vs. 33 percent). One simple first step is to remove all scatter rugs and make sure electric cords don’t extend into high-traffic areas.    •  Upgrading  lights.  While  seniors sometimes may be reluctant to admit it, vision diminishes with age. So brighten lights in kitchen work areas to reduce the risk of burns and cuts.    • Tech fix. The latest technology can be an answer to substantial research highlighting the importance of staying connected for both seniors and care-

See AIDS on C6

ENCOREC4 Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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Mary Foster of Ferndale has joined the group lately, but only for the coffee or breakfast. Mari said there is some connection among the women from their high school days, but really there is no particular re-quirement among them except commit-ting to their persistent routine.

Walkers: Main connection is they just keep doing itContinued from C1

Medicare: Customer service countsContinued from C2

require hospitalization, high-quality plans initiate best practices and treatment to de-liver excellent follow-up care. 3. Look for customer service and re-sponsiveness to your needs. The very best health care plans give patients support sys-tems that include making online appoint-ments, getting lab results electronically and providing secure email to their doctors. 4. Seniors can choose 5-star excellence almost any time of year through Medicare’s

A few other participants are “snow-birds” in the winter or have moved on from Lynden. This is the usual schedule for coffee or breakfast: Monday — The Woods Cof-fee at Fairway; Tuesday — Fairway Cafe; Wednesday — Burger King; Thursday — McDonald’s; Friday — the donut shop at Fairway.

Special Enrollment Period. Seniors who be-come eligible for Medicare as they turn 65 should enroll during the three-month period prior to and after their 65th birthday. After this initial enrollment period, they may be subject to higher premiums or late penalties if there has been a gap in their coverage. To find out the latest 2013 ratings, visit www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan. Plan per-formance summary star ratings are assessed each year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and may change from one year to the next.

C5ENCORE Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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Range of senior housing options to be presented at Bellingham eventKeynote address, panel discussion, representatives of agencies all lined up for Feb. 28

BELLINGHAM — On Thursday, Feb. 28, from 3 to 7 p.m., the Bellingham Senior Ac-tivity Center will host “What’s Next? Housing Options as We Age.” The event will begin with opening re-marks by Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville, followed by a keynote address by Shelly Zyl-stra of the Northwest Regional Council Area on Aging. Representatives from over 20 local elder housing agencies will be on hand to answer questions. In addition, a five-member panel of housing experts, moderated by David Stal-heim, City of Bellingham planning and com-munity development housing program man-ager, share perspectives.

This entire event is an open house and free to the public. “Housing Options as We Age” is an op-portunity to discuss and answer questions about housing for older adults in the com-munity. Whatcom County offers a wide range of housing options from shared housing and in-home attendants to adult family homes, rehabilitation, independent and assisted-living facilities. This event strives to assist individuals in making an informed decision that works for them and to help families talk with their loved ones about viable housing options. The event is geared toward older adults looking at their housing options, as well as individuals seeking options for their parents. This is the first housing-themed infor-mation fair sponsored by the Bellingham Se-nior Activity Center and is part of the What-com Council on Aging’s Health and Wellness Program. For more information, contact the Bell-ingham Senior Activity Center at 733-4030, or visit the website www.wccoa.org.

The Bellingham Senior Activity Center, 315 Halleck St., is a program of the Whatcom Council on Aging. The center offers a wide range of classes and services for persons 50 years of age and over to encourage emotion-al, mental and physical wellness for a healthy,

active and independent lifestyle. Classes and workshops include fitness classes, an open gym, dance and chronic disease self-man-agement. A community meal is served Mon-day through Friday.

Lynden’s Meadow Greens is one of the senior housing options planning to appear at the Feb. 28 event. (Courtesy photo/Meadow Greens)

ENCOREC6 Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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Aids: Easy communication important for caregivers’ relationships with seniorsContinued from A1

givers. Harvard University researchers found that the odds of mental decline doubled for seniors with no social ties. The survey also looked at the emo-tional toll on those trying to help loved ones age in place. “For caregivers, ease of communi-cation with the seniors they love relieves stress, reduces guilt and builds rich rela-tionships,” said Adriane Berg, an expert on successful aging. One fix could be the new CareLine home safety telephone system from VTech (www.vtechphones.com/Care-Line). This product includes three in-dividual pieces designed for optimal usability, even for those with vision, hearing and dexterity issues. The pieces are the corded base phone with photo displays for frequent contacts, a cord-less handset and a very handy pendant that can also be snapped onto a belt and

easily kept with the user. The pendant can make and receive calls, access voice-mail, and receive automatic reminders about medications and appointments.

C7ENCORE Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | Ferndale Record

Senior project offered dance party at Lynden Manor Friday LYNDEN — Olivia Hortegas knew there is an appreciation for dance by the residents at Lynden Manor. So, for her Lynden High School senior project, the part-time Manor employee organized a Valentine-themed dance exhibition. “Some residents used to be danc-ers, so they like to watch, especially the waltzes,” Hortegas said. On Friday, she organized the event, bringing in dance teachers Erica and Roger Nonhoff to perform a variety of dances. The event included live music, refreshments, bingo and other games.

— Tim Newcomb

Erica and Roger Nonhoff dance at Lynden Manor on Friday while event organizer Olivia Hortegas shares a laugh in the background. Hortegas, also an employee at the Manor, organized the Valentine-themed event as her Lynden High School senior project. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)

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ENCOREC8 Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | Ferndale Record