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Wednesday, January 27, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Successful aging in Sisters
By Sue Stafford
Correspondent
Successful aging requires intention
and planning, and perhaps a modi-
cum of luck. Here in Central Oregon,
we are fortunate to have many well-
qualified professionals and organiza-
tions to help navigate the path to and
through the aging process.
Financial planning, regardless
of the amount of assets involved,
can help you make well-informed
decisions regarding how and where
you will live as you age. BlueStone
Retirement in Sisters provides ser-
vices that help one maximize Social
Security benefits and other income
sources, reduce taxes, and develop
and implement a retirement income
plan. There is no charge for the initial
consultation.
John H. Myers, of John H. Myers
Law Office, is a local attorney special-
izing in wills and trusts which should
be set up while we are still competent.
He offered some valuable information
regarding the importance of having a
will and why to consider establishing
a trust, regardless of the value of your
assets (see sidebar at right).
With advancing age, maintaining a
satisfactory quality of life can be made
difficult by health issues or lack of
sufficient funds. There are a number
of ways to maintain or enhance your
quality of life, but it takes being pro-
active about one’s own health, both
mental and physical.
A consistent level of physical activ-
ity commensurate with one’s abilities,
eating healthy, balanced meals, and
getting adequate sleep every night can
go a long way in aging well. Gentle
yoga, walking, stretching, and even
chair exercise are enjoyable ways to
maintain flexibility as physical abili-
ties wane.
Massage relieves stress, relaxes
tight muscles, and increases a sense
of well-being. Chiropractic care and
physical therapy help keep a body
aligned and functioning properly.
Accountability to someone else for
practicing healthy routines often helps
keep motivation up. A membership in
a gym, yoga studio, or athletic club, or
recreational classes can provide that
structure. All of those businesses can
be found in Sisters.
If motivation isn’t an issue, there
are television programs, YouTube vid-
eos, and online exercise regimens that
can be done at home, as well as in-
home exercise equipment.
Deschutes County Health Services
is offering virtual programs avail-
able online designed to help par-
ticipants take charge of their health.
Living Well with Chronic Conditions
begins Friday, January 29 for
six weeks from 2 to 4 p.m.
for a cost of $10. Prevent
Diabetes Central Oregon is
a free-of-charge, evidence-
based program offering attain-
able lifestyle choices. There are
two classes from which to choose,
beginning Tuesday, January 26, 1-2
p.m. or 5:30-6:30 p.m. For more
information, visit www.deschutes.
org/preventdiabetes or www.
livingwellco.org.
Yearly vision exams and hearing
tests, especially after age 60, or ear-
lier with symptoms, can catch any
deficits earlier to avoid creating more
serious issues later in life. If hearing
loss is ignored, it can create perma-
nent damage to the auditory system,
which is not fully correctable with
hearing aids. Compromised hearing
can lead to isolation and memory loss
(see related story, page 24).
Good dental care is an impor-
tant lifelong practice and can help
avoid the development of other
health issues. Regular checkups
with the dentist and consistent tooth
care at home are important habits to
sustain.
An excellent resource for older
adults and their families is the guide
called “Directions,” produced by
the Council on Aging of Central
To download “Directions,” scan the
QR code with your smartphone.
Oregon. The guide provides quick,
easy access to listings of supportive
services, emergency contacts, finan-
cial and legal services, residential
and social opportunities, and more.
The guide is available from COACO,
can be downloaded from the internet,
and is often available at the Sisters
Library and Sisters Area Chamber of
Commerce offices in their lobbies.
At the end of life, assistance is
available from local hospices like
Partners in Care and Hospice of
Redmond. For people dealing with
a life-limiting condition, but who
are not at the end of their life, the
Transitions program offers services
provided by volunteers who come to
Hazelnut Hill
Place your
order online at
hazelnuthill.com
541-510-4464
The family-owned and operated Hazelnut Hill
farms 400 acres with the pride that comes with
being one of the very few tree-to-table producers
in the U.S.
Famous for producing delectable hazelnut-
based treats from brittles to buttery spreads,
Hazelnut Hill also offers their prized product in
forms that are both delicious and nutritious. Many
of their offerings consist of that single, intensely
nutritious ingredient.
Hazelnuts are rich in dietary fiber and Vitamin
E, which protects cells. A handful of hazelnuts a
day can be part of a heart-healthy, cholesterol-
lowering diet.
They roast and process to order so that every
shipment is fresh and flavorful. Salted hazels are
dusted with sea salt that was hand-harvested from
the chilly Netarts Bay, just over the Coast Range
from the farm.
When you shop with Hazelnut Hill, you’re
directly supporting the farm and all of those who
work among the trees and in the kitchen.
Step & Spine
Physical Therapy
If you have a need for physical therapy, don’t
let concerns about COVID safety keep you away.
Step & Spine is ready to help you — with proto-
cols in place to ensure safety.
Delaying treatment just makes problems worse.
Alana Vernon, a physical therapist at Step &
Spine’s Sisters clinic, is seeing the effects.
“People are coming in worse off than they usu-
ally do,” Vernon says. “They’re in a lot more pain.”
Delay of treatment can mean it takes longer to
resolve a problem.
Step & Spine helps patients problem-solve and
get back to the activities that they cherish. And
establishing a connection with a physical therapist
can be really important right now, relieving anxi-
eties and ensuring that you weather the current
storm in the best shape possible.
Your health has to be your top priority — not
just avoiding getting sick, but in helping you to live
to the fullest. Step & Spine is here to help.
Step & Spine Physical Therapy continues to
grow with the addition of their new Madras office
(formerly Apex Physical Therapy). The team in
Madras is pictured above.