Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
B3
Napping is a good thing at any age
Senior
Living
Scott
McKay
I
T IS 2:15 ON A SATURDAY
afternoon. As I am writing, my
eye lids are slowly, unwillingly
closing; my fingers are typing a row
of ZZZZZZZZZZZZs, and I know,
from these telltale signs, it must be
time for a short nap.
But don’t think I am just another
old codger who needs his after-
noon nap. Napping has taken on
added significance in this fast pace
world — a new way to increase
employee productiveness where
companies, including Apple and
Google, are allowing employees to
take naps. Research has shown a
nap can boast the brain’s learn-
ing capacity, improve memory,
increase creativity, and is more
effective than caffeine. And even a
short nap can have a marked effect
on your health — and I need all the
help I can get!
The article “The Science of the
Perfect Nap” that I discovered
on the website Lifehacker offers
several suggestions on how to take
the perfect nap. I’ll try to share it —
before I fall asleep.
1. Watch the time. Twenty-
minute naps work well.
2. Find a quiet and dark space.
(Unfortunately, during my college
days, the library was quiet and
dark, and I often slept there more
than I studied.)
3. Lie down. It takes significant-
ly more time to fall asleep while
sitting.
4. Get in your napping zone.
Concentrate on your breathing,
relax your muscles, and use visual-
ization techniques.
5. Plan naps into your day. Take a
nap before you get to the danger-
ous point of drowsiness.
6. Set an alarm. You don’t want
to sleep longer than you desire, and
make sure your nap doesn’t extend
past 3 p.m.
Naps are natural and beneficial.
And even the younger genera-
tions are now learning about the
advantages of naps — reaping the
benefits of improved productivity,
energy, and mental capacity. So
no longer think of napping as an
essential guilty pleasure. Napping
is a good thing — at any age!
•••
You should be receiving in the
mail a postcard from the CAPECO
Area Agency on Aging (AAA) ask-
ing you to complete a Community
Survey for Older Adults. CAPECO
AAA serves seven Oregon counties
from Umatilla to Hood River pro-
viding referral services, caregiver
supports, money management,
meal site funding and more.
I know you may be thinking,
“I don’t need another survey to
complete!” but this one is import-
ant. The AAA is asking for your
feedback so they can better assist
older people to be independent,
healthy and safe. I encourage you
to complete the survey online at
www.capeco-works.org or you can
call 541-705-5434. Your voice is
important!
•••
Stephen Shwiff, the local AARP
Tax Aide district coordinator, is
working to have the local plan to
assist taxpayers approved. To learn
more, email Stephen at gorgetax-
aide@gmail.com. But if you have
internet and only a few documents,
Stephen recommends you first go
to the “IRS Free File” Webpage.
Each free tax program has different
eligibility criteria. For example, if
your income is less than $37,000,
you can file using the popular tax
program TurboTax for free.
•••
The title of the political fiction
novel published in 1949 that popu-
larized commonly used terms such
as “Big Brother,” “doublethink” and
“Thought Police” is George Orwell’s
“1984.” I received correct answers
from Barbara Cadwell, Candy
Armstrong, Linda Frizzell, Rhonda
Spies, Tina Castañares, Valerie
Bellus, Jess Birge, Dave Lutgens,
Margo Dameier, Gene Uczen,
and this week’s winner of a raffle
ticket for the drawing of a beautiful
center quilt is Joanie Gilbert. And
last week I missed Patty Burnet and
Susan Ellis.
Whenever I mention “1984,” my
wife starts singing “Freedom’s just
another word for nothin’ left to
lose.” For this week’s “Remember
When” question, who sang the
song that included those lyrics
written by Kris Kristofferson
(who surprisingly was a Rhodes
Scholar)? Email your answer to
mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave
a message at 541-296-4788 or send
it with the album Cheap Thrills
performed by Big Brother and the
Holding Company.
•••
Well, it has been another week,
when I would rather be disappoint-
ed than surprised — or should that
be the other way around? Until
we meet again, don’t let all that’s
wrong mask all that’s right.
•••
“I’m not a genius. I’m just a tre-
mendous bundle of experience.”
— R. Buckminster Fuller
•••
Nutritious Home delivered
meals and pick-ups for anyone
over 60.
Hood River Valley Adult Center
— Call 541-386-2060.
The Dalles Meals-on-Wheels —
Call 541-298-8333.
The Sherman County Senior and
Community Center — Call 541-
565-3191 by 10:30 a.m. and leave a
message with the number of meals
needed and names of each person.
Klickitat County Senior Services
— Goldendale office call 509-773-
3757 or the White Salmon office
call 509-493-3068.
Skamania County Senior
Services — Call 509-427-3990.
Seniors of Mosier Valley — Call
541-503-5660 or 541-980-1157 at
least one day in advance to order
a Grab-N-Go meal, Monday and
Wednesdays from 11-11:30 a.m.
HRVAC receives $250K in donations
Phase One
fundraising
goal reached
The Hood River Valley
Adult Center has raised
$250,000 locally in Phase
One of its Capital Funds
Campaign.
“Our community has
spoken, and is behind the
center,” said Amy Mallett,
executive director. “The
board of directors, Capital
Funds Campaign committee
and staff of the center offer
sincere thanks to everyone
who donated towards Phase
One of this campaign. These
funds will go towards a
remodeled kitchen, where
meals for the Meals on
Wheels program, and con-
gregate meals are prepared.”
Phase Two of the Capital
Funds Campaign is now un-
derway, and matching grants
are being sought.
Providence Hood River
Memorial Hospital is
offering the services of their
grant writer, Paul Lindberg,
for this effort.
Once these grant funds
have been received, work
will begin to remodel the
kitchen at the center.
Upon completion of this
new kitchen, a ribbon cut-
ting ceremony and celebra-
tion will take place, adher-
ing to Hood River County
COVID-19 guidelines that
are in place at that time.
The HRVAC Board of
Directors and Capital Funds
Campaign committee
members are now looking
towards Phases Three and
Four of this campaign.
Funds will be raised in
the same way as in Phases
One and Two, with local
donations being matched by
grants.
Upgrades planned
These funds will be used
to upgrade the center in the
following ways:
■ Install an automatic
sliding front door for ease
and safety of entrance and
exit
■ Replace flooring with a
safe, non-slip material for
walkers and wheelchairs
■ Finish the second-floor
space for use as offices and
meeting rooms
■ Install an elevator for
access to second floor offices
and meeting rooms, and
ground floor Thrift Store
project
■ Remodel the first-floor
lobby, meeting rooms and
dining room
■ Install a COVID-19 air
purification and circula-
tion filter to the new HVAC
system
“While our community is
taking time to celebrate the
success of Phase One, we
are also focusing on future
improvements at the center,”
said Mallet. “Thank you for
standing with the center and
supporting these improve-
ments! “
Tax deductible donations
for this continuing Capital
Criminal justice &
mental health discussed
‘The Center
Collaborative’
podcast series
will explore
what works
An Oregon-based
nonprofit organization has
launched its own podcast
exploring the intersections
of behavioral health and
criminal justice.
The podcast, titled “The
Center Collaborative:
Creative Solutions in
Behavioral Health and
Criminal Justice,” is pro-
duced by the Oregon Center
on Behavioral Health
and Justice Integration
(OCBHJI), a specialized divi-
sion within Greater Oregon
Behavioral Health, Inc.
The series will feature
guests representing leader-
ship and other prominent
voices from government,
the judicial system, pub-
lic safety, healthcare, and
the broader community
throughout metropolitan
and rural parts of the state,
according to a press release.
“One serious issue led to
us creating this podcast,”
said Chris Thomas, podcast
host and Behavioral Health
Justice manager at OCBHJI.
“Nobody was talking about
what was working. We want
this podcast to shine a light
on partnerships that are
Funds raised will help pay for kitchen remodel.
Funds Campaign can be
made online by visiting
www.hrvac.org/donate, or
mail your check to HRVAC,
2010 Sterling Drive, Hood
moving the dial, leading to
better solutions and out-
comes for people who may
become involved with the
justice system due to expe-
riencing behavioral health,
intellectual/developmental
disabilities, or neurocogni-
tive concerns.”
The podcast is now avail-
able on streaming platforms
and major distribution
channels online.
Listeners can subscribe at
ocbhji.org/podcast to make
sure they receive updates
and alerts when new epi-
sodes are posted.
The podcast’s first full
episode debuted March 3
and will be released every
other week.
Episode links will also be
available on OCBHJI’s social
media accounts.
Thomas hopes the series
will not only raise communi-
ty awareness about partner-
ships in criminal justice and
behavioral health, but also
help connect existing agen-
cies with useful resources
and contacts.
“These are the kind of
conversations that bring us
together and make a real
difference,” Thomas said.
River, OR 97031.
•••
Non-profit organizations
looking to lease office space
in the upcoming remodeled
second-floor of the center
should contact Mallett at
541-386-2060.
March 31 is ‘double
deadline’ for some
eligible for Medicare
By Sue Ann Arguelles
■ SHIBA
coordinator
Photo courtesy of OCBHJI
Contributed photo
Medicare has many
deadlines, and March 31 is
an important deadline for
two groups of people who
are eligible for Medicare.
You are in one of these
groups if you have a
Medicare Advantage Plan,
but wish to switch to a differ-
ent Advantage Plan. Maybe
you switched plans last fall
during open enrollment, but
now you discover that you
don’t like the new plan. You
can change Advantage plans
again until March 31.
Your new plan will be
effective the first day of the
month after you sign up.
You are in the other
group if you are eligible
for Medicare, but have not
signed up for it or have
signed up for only part of it.
For example, perhaps
you thought that paying for
Medicare Part B was too
expensive, but have found
that paying out-of-pocket for
medical care is even more
expensive. You can sign up
for Part B (and Part A if you
need it) during the General
Enrollment Period that ends
on March 31. Your new
Medicare will be effective on
July 1.
Late enrollment penalties
may apply. The more years
you delay, the higher the
penalties.
This does not apply to
people who have been
continuously covered by
an employer’s group health
insurance.
You can get help under-
standing all things Medicare
by calling SHIBA (Senior
Health Insurance Benefits
Assistance) in Oregon at
800- 722-4134.
The number in
Washington is 800-562-
6900. Or you can call a local
SHIBA counselor directly at
541-288-8341.
State Health Insurance
Assistance Programs
are funded nationally by
the Administration for
Community Living at the
U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services,
Washington DC. The Oregon
program is administered
through the Department
of Consumer and Business
Affairs.
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