With the economic downturn of the last couple of years, and with so much

more financial complexity and turbulence today than before, the world can be a con-fusing place for the average retiree trying to make the best of his or her nest egg.

Where’s the best place to go for help?“The number one most confusing thing

I see seniors trying to deal with is knowing from whom to accept advice,” says Greg Gann, president of the investment firm Gann Partnership.Trust Is Not Enough

“I’ve seen a lot of CPAs and accountants who have gotten involved in selling invest-ments to their clients,” he continues. “They have a built-in trust and understanding of their clients’ finances, but many seniors have learned the hard way that accountants are not really investment specialists. They don’t have the systems in place or the time to make changes with their client when the market changes.”

True financial advisors offer investment skills to their clients that accountants lack, Greg says. This can be particularly help-ful for older people with little experience in financial matters. A wife (and occasion-ally a husband) may have relied entirely on

a spouse to handle the couple’s money matters. They may feel adrift when that spouse passes on.

“They’re overwhelmed with the situation,” Greg explains. “They want to rely on someone, but they

orizonsENLIGHTEN t ENRICH t ENGAGE Issue 12

Humanity’s love affair with wine began centuries ago. Some seem to

enjoy talking about it almost as much as they do drinking it. Here is a roundup of stories about the beloved beverage:

In The Beginning, There Was … The Grape?

Wine is older than most religions. An Associated Press story noted that the earliest known intact winery has recently been discovered in an Arme-nian mountain cave, and is estimated to date from 6,000 years ago. Complete with a vat, fermentation jars, drinking bowl and cup, the archeological site

provides clear proof that its inhabitants were onto something with long lasting appeal.

Wine Goes Hi-TechToday, some people are so enthralled

by the wine-making process that adult camps are offered.

On the trendy east end of Long Island, both well-heeled aficionados and novices can enjoy local vintages with gourmet food and discuss the secrets of wine and food pairing. Participants take tours of vineyards (getting their hands dirty if they want) and classes on the

There is nothing more notable in Socrates than that he found time, when he was an old man, to learn music and dancing, and thought it time well spent.

—Michel de Montaigne 16th century French author

As in so many things, Socrates may have been well ahead of

his time. The New Eng-land Journal of Medicine published a study a few years ago which found that “Par-ticipation in leisure activities has been associ-ated with a lower risk of demen-tia” … and no leisure activity had a stronger association with mental clarity than dance.

Researchers aren’t yet sure dancing provides protection against Alzheimer’s, but the study’s results are encourag-ing. And whether or not dance is specifically good at staving off dementia, it’s clearly a great

combination of social activity and exercise.Time To Dance

John McCraw, owner of an Arthur Murray Dance Studio, has seen the enthusiasm his older students bring to learning (or re-learning) dance.

“You’re exercising all your muscle groups at one time,” he

points out. “Plus, it provides the extra aspect of the men-tal challenge: the man has to lead, and the woman fol-low. There’s a lot more going on than just exercising.”

John says his older students are prompted by a number of motiva-tions to come to his studio.

“For empty nesters couples, it’s something they didn’t do when they were raising

children,” he explains. “They’re doing something to renew interest in each other. Dancing is a great opportunity to just have some fun together.

“In many cases, it’s something he’s always wanted to do for years as much as she has. They just

Inside

You & Your HealthDoctors now cau-tious prescribing once-popular hormone therapies .......... 3

Life At The Heritage ............ 4

Community Events ............... 4

Sudoku .............. 4

Crossword Puzzle ................ 5

What Makes A Full-Service Retirement Community?Three key factors to look for ......... 5

Reading The Signals For DeafnessWhen a spouse’s hearing starts to go, his wife is the first to notice .... 6

Free Subscription To GRAND Magazine .......... 6

House M.D.Ill-tempered doctor at the heart of popular TV drama ........ 7

Warm Up With WineA decadent recipe ............ 7

Discover The HeritageFull-Service Retirement Living ............... 8

Thrill Of The Dance Lures Retirees Back To The FloorInvigorating Pastime Promotes Joyful Living

Financial Advisors Help Clients Navigate Turbulent Times

Tradition Vies With Modernity In ‘Wine’s World’

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February 2011HorizonsPage 2

wine making process.There are even computer

applications which use Global Positioning System technology to help plan wine touring adventures and conveniently provide per-tinent information on win-eries, events, local hotels, inns and restaurants. The Long Island Wine Council sponsors a free Long Island Wine Country smartphone app, which is compatible with the iPhone, Blackberry and Android (www.liwines.com). No doubt these clever

promotions will spread to other wine producing locals.

Wine Is HipThe online newspaper

Huffington Post (www.huff-ingtonpost.com) recently decried all the hoopla sur-rounding the annual January predictions of which wines will be a hit in the upcom-ing year. The article postu-

lated that many recommen-dations are self serving.

Refuting the hypothesis that Chardonnay is dead, the column suggests that this category is merely in a state of experimentation, with many vignerons moving to the unoaked style wine. The dry white wine will still attract new fans.

Although Pinot Noir’s popularity was undoubt-edly boosted by the movie Sideways, credit for its suc-cess must largely go to the triumph of relatively young U.S. vintners finally scal-ing a steep learning curve and producing fine wine from this capricious grape. The Huffington Post article does allow that the movie encouraged more plantings of the grape, which will lower prices, and in turn, increase its popularity.

In spite of what naysay-ers predict, the Huffington Post piece expresses con-fidence that French and Italian wines’ popularity is secure in the American con-sumer’s favor, pointing out that these vintages comprise fully half of the U.S. wine market.

Competitive regions have

emerged. Because of the economical costs of land and labor in South America, Australia and Portugal, these regions are able to offer good wines at excep-tionally low prices. At under $15 a bottle they present real value. At $25, they are competing against a league of discounted wine from around the world.

Joanne Levengood of Mana-tawny Creek Winery in Penn-sylvania is skepti-cal of the idea that wine con-sumers are motivated by trendiness.

“We have not seen any trends this past year that are different from any other year; people buy and drink what wines they like no matter what anyone tells them and I think that’s fan-tastic,” she says, noting that she doesn’t anticipate any big changes in the coming year. “Life’s too short to drink wine you don’t like because someone says that’s

the type of wine you should be drinking.”

Purity Popular (But Potentially Pricey)

Another trend to watch for is the rise of organic wines. Europe already has a Agriculture Biologique logo, indicating that a wine was made from organic grapes which were grown without chemical fertilizers, genetically modified organ-isms or synthetic pesticides.

Several very prestigious European vineyards have successfully made the switch to organic growing, returning to the old prac-

tices, such as using compost. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), which sells its 2005

vintage for $16,000 a bottle, and has been organic since 1985, has even reverted to horses instead of tractors (to keep the ground loose) and applying natural products on its crop based on a lunar calendar. Organic propo-nents argue that chemicals have weakened the soil and depleted it of natural min-erals — elements that are critical to a grape’s taste.

don’t know who to rely on.”“Many turn to their children, but many of

those have been spendthrifts themselves. The widow doesn’t know who to get advice from because someone else has been taking care of things,” he continues. “The husband may have been confused, but now that he’s out of the pic-ture, she feels completely clueless.

“I can’t tell you how many people have told me, ‘My spouse has no interest, he or she relies on me. They gloss over it, it bores them.’

“ ‘This is out of my domain,’ they think.”Plagued By Lack Of Interest

Today’s markets pose considerable challenges for seniors who have limited or non-existent opportunities to increase their income outside of their investments.

“Seniors today need income, but interest rates are so low,” says Gann. “The question is, where do they get this income, while still having secu-rity of principal?

“We seek to mitigate loss by using a variety of different strategies that create income and also preserve principal, regardless of whether the market trend is up or down,” Gann explains. “We do a lot of individual issues that provide fixed interest rates, but with short term matu-rity, so that if interest rates do go up, you can capture that new rate and not have a major negative impact on what you own.”

One situation Greg sees fairly often is a cli-ent with a large concen-tration of stock in one company, often a legacy of holdings from where the client used to work.

“I had a client who had worked for a com-pany and had a large position of company stock,” Greg says. “So we created a strategy to protect that value and minimize the downside risk of having concentrated assets in a few com-

panies. We put a ‘stop’ in place so if the stock goes down a certain percentage, we sell it off.”Taxes ‘Wagging The Dog’

Clients also have tax-free IRAs that they haven’t adjusted for fear of the tax implications of doing so.

“They’re so afraid to cre-ate a protective strategy because of taxes, they let the tax tail wag the dog,” he explains. “They don’t make good investment decisions. They should look at the investment first, then the tax side. If 90 percent of your account goes out the window [due to a bad investment], the taxes are a very small portion of the game.

“We are today at very low tax rates, relative to historical rates,” Greg reminds us. “That’s a good thing. Tax rates on dividends and capital gains are at historically low levels. And with the Bush tax cuts still in place, we remain in a very generous estate tax environment.”

Accountants acting as financial advisers

may overemphasize the focus on taxes, Greg suspects.

“An accountant is really a historian looking at what happened in the past, and at how to arrange everything to maximize an account’s return given those taxes. They look very closely at

what can be written off,” he points out. “That’s very different than looking to invest in pharma-ceuticals, silver, or commodities! They typically just use a static asset allocation model, generally with mutual funds, that over an 80-100 year span may produce wealth. They’re not set up to move clients nimbly in real time.”Tackling Problems Face To Face

Finding a financial advisor you can trust can be a challenge. The Internet does offer clients a relatively easy way to check to see if a particu-lar advisor has had complaints, Greg points out, adding that the FINRA website (www.finra.org) is a particularly good resource for individual investors.

“Trust is different than just knowing what kind of results someone’s had,” Greg explains. “So many businesses have moved to the web and have no personal contact. When it comes to your finances, it’s good to have a deep personal con-nection with the person and sit eyeball to eyeball with them to discuss your account, and deter-mine if your values are in line with the other person’s values.

“It’s tough to get trust if you haven’t met the person,” he concludes.

Financial Advisors Offer Guidance On Prudent Investing

The ‘Veritas’ About ‘Vino’The ‘Death’ Of Chardonnay Is Greatly Exaggerated

“They should look at the investment first, then the tax

side. If 90 percent of your account goes out the window,

the taxes are a very small portion of the game.”

FROM “ADVISORS” ON P. 1

FROM “WINE” ON P. 1

French and Italian wines’ popularity is secure, though

competitive regions have emerged.

SEE “CONNOISSEURS” ON P. 7

Page 3 HorizonsFebruary 2011

Widely embraced by doctors and their patients in the latter

part of the 20th century, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) are far more controversial today. Though still considered valuable by conventional doctors, enthusiasm for the treatments dimmed consider-ably when the National Institutes of Health released the initial results from its Women’s Health Initia-tive (WHI) studies a few years ago. Both therapies were found to pose significant risks for patients.

“Forty years ago, the Western world thought that medicine had discovered the Holy Grail in the form of supplemental oestrogen …. By 2001, HRT was the number one prescription drug in the world,” notes Gillian Sanson, a staunch critic of these therapies and author of The Myth of Osteoporosis: What Every Woman Should Know About Creat-ing Bone Health. “The promise that a single pill could prevent age-related chronic diseases had led vast numbers of healthy women to take medication for diseases they didn’t have, and may never have developed. We now know they also were exposing themselves to serious harm.”Fewer Fractures … But More Strokes

According to the Ohio State Uni-versity Medical Center, the WHI studies found that both long term HRT and ERT regimens increased participants’ risk of stroke and blood clots, while reducing risk of fractures. In addition, a long term HRT regimen was found to increase risk of heart attack and breast cancer while reducing the risk of colorectal cancer. Studies continue to evaluate the hormones’ other potential risks and benefits.

The findings complicate the medical approach to older women facing the risk or reality of osteo-porosis, a reduction in bone density that can lead to increased risk of fractures.

The onset of osteoporosis is symptomless to the patient, but can be detected with a DEXA scan, a dual energy X-ray that measures hip and spine bone density (BMD).

Any score lower than -2.5 indicates osteopo-rosis. This condition can increase the risk of bone fractures and breaks, back pain, spine curva-ture (with resulting pro-truding abdomen), loss of height, and decreased mobility.Too Good To Be True?

Many women choose to use HRT or ERT because of symptoms that may accompany perimenopause and menopause, such as night sweats, vaginal dryness, itching, burning, discomfort during inter-course, and hot flashes. Since the hormone therapies were known to have the side benefit of helping prevent bone loss, HRT and ERT were seen as multi-faceted remedies

in the past. Doctors and their clients must now wrestle with the question of

whether their negative side effects outweigh their benefits.

In response to the WHI find-ings, doctors now prescribe reduced doses of hormones that still appear to be effective, yet lower the risk of unwanted side effects.

ERT is used for women who have had a complete hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and ovaries) or an oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries). Because ERT can increase a woman’s risk of developing can-cer in the uterus, it is not given to patients who have not had a hys-terectomy. A doctor may prescribe ERT for those who have had a hys-terectomy, or for those who will be taking estrogen for less than a year.

ERT only replaces estrogen, while HRT replaces both estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone is added to HRT to stem the rapid growth and thickening of the uter-ine lining and help reduce the risk of uterine cancer.

HRT has side effects that should be taken under consideration before initiating use. Some medical profes-sionals prescribe the estrogen and progesterone separately or in vari-ous forms (such as cream, patch or pill) in order to allow for fine tuning dosages depending on effectiveness

and side effects.To reduce added risks, doctors

advocate using the lowest effec-tive dose for the the minimum time period. Dosage can be kept lower by choosing the most direct deliv-ery method. For example, estrogen applied directly to the vagina is more effective for vaginal-only symptoms than a lower dose of estrogen in pill or skin patch form. The protective benefits of these therapies may outweigh the risks for women who reach menopause prematurely.Looking For Alternatives

The U.S. Food and Drug Admin-istration recommends that post-menopausal women discuss other osteoporosis medicines with their physician before taking ERT or HRT to prevent bone loss. In cases of severe osteoporosis in postmeno-pausal women when other treat-ments are unsuccessful, they may be the best solu-tion. In other cases, alterna-tive medications may be more appropriate.

Dr. Felicia Cosman, medi-cal director of the clinical research center

at Helen Hayes Hospital and profes-sor of clinical medicine at Colum-bia Hospital in New York, notes that “We’re not using hormone therapy for women in their 60s. That’s where you see the increased risk of heart disease, blood clots, and strokes, enough negative side effects that you don’t want to start women in their 60s and 70s on hor-mones anymore.”

It is recommended that only women who need relief from meno-pausal symptoms take HRT or ERT, in the smallest dose possible and for the shortest time necessary.

There are alternatives to combat osteoporosis: Eat a healthy diet, do regular weight bearing exercises, and take calcium and vitamin D supplements. Refrain from smok-ing and excessive drinking. If you do have osteoporosis, be sure to get your doctor’s recommendations for the most effective medical and lifestyle approach.

didn’t have the time.”You don’t necessarily need much money

to learn how to dance. Nitzi, a resident at The Heritage of Green Hills in Pennsylvania, enjoys taking weekly tap dancing lessons at her com-munity with her neighbors.

“We do it for a whole hour, though we take a couple breaks. (Remember, we’re senior citi-zens!)” she explains. “The instructor is very good at keeping us moving. People stop and watch us.

“The instructor brings along her own records,

mostly familiar tunes. At Christmas time we even tapped to Christmas music!”

Nitzi is no stranger to tap dance, having taken it when she was a child. Getting back into it as an older adult was appealing.

“I thought I would like it for the exercise it would give me,” she says. “I like to dance. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, I danced the jitterbug and stuff like that.

“I was never tossed up in the air,” she chuck-les. “I just used the floor.”Singles And Couples

John points out that his older clients are interested in a variety of dances, especially “your more traditional dances, like the foxtrot and the swing. Many are very interested in learning Latin American dances, like the cha cha’s and the tangos.

“In this day and age, with everything up in the air, people love to see the structured approach to something; they feel more comfortable with it,” he explains. “A lot more couples are taking lessons who aren’t necessarily married. They recognize the binding force of sharing things

and doing something each person likes. Dancing provides that.”

You don’t have to be part of a couple to get into dance, he says. In fact, learning dance can be a great boost for singles as well.

“For a single person dealing with a change of life, where their significant other has passed on, it’s not the easiest thing to deal with at that age,” he continues. “There can be a lot of self doubt.”

Singles clubs can be a particularly harsh envi-ronment for older people.

“There’s some negativity there,” he says. “Everybody gets labeled.

“Learning dance is a positive way to meet other people,” he continues. “There’s self improvement, and it’s all positive. Everybody is enjoying a common bond of learning and getting fun from the pursuit of learning to dance. Dance does wonders to help someone develop a more confident self image.”

There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good.

—Edwin Denby American dance critic

Foxtrot Or Tap, Dance Bestows Renewed Vitality On Senior StudentsFROM “DANCE” ON P. 1

Doctors now advocate using the lowest effective dose for the

minimum time period.

Early detection can often keep a minor physical problem from turning into a se-rious medical issue … which is why the residents of The Heritage of Green Hills appreciate the regular office hours that the associates at Green Hills Family Medicine hold on-site.

February 2011Page 4 Horizons

Here are some highlights of recent or upcoming activities at The Heritage of Green Hills.. For more information, contact us at 484-269-5143.

ON CAMPUSMonday in the Art Studio:

Mondays at 1 p.m.February 7: Fresh Flowers

with Gene. $10February 21: Charcoal

Sketching with Mary Lou.

February 28: Beginner Calligraphy with Joanne.

Tuesday, February 1Resident Survey

Results: Join Rita and the management team to review results of the resident satisfaction survey taken in December 11 a.m. 3 p.m.

Literary Dinner Club: Fly Away Home, Jennifer Weiner 5 p.m.Wednesday, February 2

Groundhog Day Celebration: Start the day with Heritage residents

watching to see if Heritage Hank will see his shadow. Lunch Specials in the Tavern and Groundhog Day the movie playing. 7 a.m.

Alvernia Breakfast: Dr. Kulp returns with a talk in Heart Health and CoQ10. 8:30 a.m.Sunday, February 6

Super Bowl Party: Join the Heritage fans to cheer on your favorite team. Food and bar available. Pittsburgh vs. Green Bay. 5 p.m.Thursday, February 10

Berks Youth Group: Local children come to visit with a special Valentine’s Day program for all in The Tavern. 6:30 p.m.Friday, February 11

Valentine Party: Celebrate this special day in the company of your friends. Music and dancing with Wahl Street. Drink specials and munchies. 3 p.m.Monday, February 14

“Singles” 3rd Annual

Valentines Day Party: Singles social in The Brandywine. Enjoy the day in the company of other residents with a special lunch and accordion music by Mickey. 11:30 a.m. $7.Wednesday, February 16

The Great Backyard Bird Count: Introduction video & learn how it works. Count birds for the Heritage team as little or long as you want. This can be done outside or from your window. Let’s help scientists document their movement. (Fri., Sat., Sun., & Mon. all day long.) 2 p.m.Thursday, February 17

Great Decisions Discussion: Sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association. Read an article, meet for a 30 minute video and a discussion of the topic. Must pre-register. 10:30 a.m. $25.Wednesday, February 23

Incredible India Trip: Journey with Rita to the 7th largest country in the world located in South Asia. Native lunch. 11:30 a.m for $7. Program 1 p.m.

ONGOING ON CAMPUSMondays: Meditation 11 a.m., Art 1 p.m., Wii Games 1 p.m., Needlework 3:30 p.m.

Tuesdays: Meditation 10:15 a.m., Dancing 2 p.m.

Wednesdays: Bridge 1 p.m., Wii Games 1 p.m., Needlework 3:30 p.m., LCR Dice 7 p.m.

Thursdays: Computer 3:00/3:30 p.m.

Fridays: Pickle Ball 2 p.m.

Saturdays: Bridge 1 p.m., Movies 7 p.m.

Sundays: Bridge 1 p.m., Movies 7 p.m., LCR Dice 7 p.m.

OFF CAMPUSWednesday, February 2

Energy Victory/Dr. Robert Zubrin: World-renowned engineer and author lays out a bold plan for breaking the economic stranglehold of OPEC. 5:30 p.m.Thursday, February 3

Philadelphia International Auto Show: Philadelphia’s premier car show, with some of the worlds finest automobiles at the convention center. 10 a.m. $6.Saturday, February 5

Main Street Cruisers: A night of good old time rock & roll at the

Sunnybrook Ballroom. 7:15 p.m. $25.Wednesday, February 9

A Common Heart: Dialogue surrounding the sacred books of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. 6:15 p.m.Thursday, February 10

Fryberger Gallery/Judy’s Lunch: See the works of Tim Prentice, kinetic sculptor and Ray King, sculptor using the phenomena of light at Penn State Berks’. 11:30 a.m.Saturday, February 12

Flapjack Fundraiser: Support Berkshire Baseball at this all you can eat pancake and sausage breakfast at Applebee’s in Exeter. 8 a.m. $7.

Met at the IMAX in HD Live: “Nixon in China” 11:30 a.m.Sunday, February 13

2nd Sunday @ Goggleworks: Tour the galleries, meet the

artists in their studios and demonstrations. 1 p.m.Tuesday, February 15

Lauer’s Park School Tour: Visit the school and children the Heritage volunteers at on Tuesdays. 12:45 p.m.Friday, February 18

Jasper String Quartet: Friends of Chamber Music present this delightful group. 7:15 p.m.Saturday, February 19

Met at the IMAX in HD Live: “Iphigenie en Tauride” 11:30 a.m.

Sports, Fitness & Golf Expo: The ultimate event for all sports enthusiasts at Reading Expo Center. 11:30 a.m. $9.Sunday, February 20

Reading Planetarium: The Dark Star Adventure. 12:30 p.m. $5.Friday, February 25

Arts at RACC: Walnut Street Theatre presents The Glass Menagerie. 7:15 p.m. $27.Saturday, February 26

Reading Express Football: Reading’s own indoor football team. 6 p.m. $15.Sunday, February 27

Reading Planetarium: Light Years From Andromeda. 1:30 p.m. $5.Monday, February 28

Mark Twain Onstage: Brand new one man show starring Tom Teti at Peoples Light Theatre. 5:30 p.m.

Have You Visited The Heritage At Green Hills Yet?

If you haven’t, you owe it to yourself to stop by and see the beautiful apartment homes and villas at the area’s premier active 55+ retirement community. You’ll enjoy envisioning the many floor layout possibilities that await you at The Heritage as you

stroll through our gorgeous model apartment home, tastefully appointed with furnishings from David’s Furni-ture. Fall is an excellent time to appreciate The Heritage’s lovely wooded campus.

Call Laura Zartman at 484-269-5090 today for a personal appointment with one of our retirement specialists.

Community Events

The Heritage of Green Hills Sales Office Hours

Appointments recommended.

Monday through Friday9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sunday (by appointment, only)11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Answers on page 5

February 2011 Horizons Page 5

Modern retirement communities have evolved into something never before seen in the retirement living industry. These new “full-service

retirement communities” can be identified by three key indicators.1. Full-service retirement communities feature a vibrant community lifestyle supported by all-season, climate-controlled walkways.

Social integration and good social networks are important factors for successful aging. These valuable social connections are much easier to keep when people are not at the mercy of weather, sunlight, and safety — which is far easier to do with all-season walkways.

At central Pennsylania’s premier full-service retireent community, The Heritage of Green Hills, visitors will find over 50 activities a month, on average. Because residents can easily walk to any of the on-campus loca-tions without ever having to go outside, many of these activities can take place in the evening, since there are no impediments like driving in the dark, bad weather, or personal safety concerns.

Research shows that social activities may be as good for us as keep-ing physically fit. James S. House, chair of sociology and a researcher at Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, published a review of the medical research into the effects of keeping up with friends and engaging in social activities. He found that a lack of good social relationships was a major risk factor for poor health, similar to other factors like blood pressure, blood lipids, obesity and physical activity.

At the University of California, Irvine, doctoral candidate Dara Sorkin surveyed 180 elderly men and women and found that those who were lone-lier had a higher risk of heart disease. Just a small increase in perceived emotional support resulted in a large reduction of disease risk, her study found.

In a 13-year study of nearly 3,000 retirees published in the British Medi-cal Journal, social activities such as playing cards or going to church were found to be as important to health as regular exercise. The results led the authors to conclude that social activities that involve little or no enhance-ment of fitness lower the risk of death as much as fitness activities do (although both are even better).

Isolation can often creep up on people in their later years, and it can rob the mind of the stimulation it needs to stay in tip-top form. A study of 2,812 people aged 65 years or more found that not taking part in social activities was associated with mental decline in later years.

The good news is that stimulat-ing activity can protect against such declines! Research-ers studying American women aged 60-72 years found that contact with friends and relatives and keeping up social activities had a significant effect in protecting against mental decline in those women who lived alone.2. Full-service retirement communities feature on-site physicians and health care professionals working on site.

This benefit is key to helping seniors protect their current active lifestyle and keep them out of expensive assisted living and nursing care options.

Many less-than-full-service retirement communities only employ a nurse. This is a very different offering. Experts suggest asking if a doctor holds regular office hours and has a fully equipped medical center AT the community. Ask to see the medical center and meet the doctor. In most cases, when really pushed, the answer is less than desirable.3. Full-service retirement communities offer its residents multiple entrance deposit options.

This important financial freedom allows potential residents to pick the financial scenario that works best for them and protects their estate.

The Heritage at Green Hills is proud to be the first full-service retire-ment community in the area to offer a 100% refundable entrance fee, pre-serving the estates of its many residents. Current fees range from $165,900 to $367,800. The community also offers a declining balance and a 75% refundable entrance plan which begin at $101,000.

Remember, it’s not one benefit that makes a full-service retirement commu-nity. It’s everything working together.

New Category In Retirement Living Makes It Easy To Pursue Healthy, Active Lives

With so many activities just a short indoors stroll away, residents at full-service retirement communities like The Heritage of Green Hills find their ‘evenings out’ become much more frequent.

Researchers have found that staying socially active is as important as staying physically active to maintaining good health. It’s easy for Heritage residents to enjoy lunch with friends and neighbors since their local restaurant is just down the hall!

Even many full-service retirement communities don’t offer amenities like the heated indoor pool at The Heritage of Green Hills. Staying active year-round has never been more fun!

ACROSS1 Indian groom5 Kipling hero8 Accounting

(abbr.)12 Amalekite king13 Individual

retirement14 Mule15 Phil. island17 Impair18 Camel hair cloth19 Kind21 Recommended

daily allowance (abbr.)

22 Punjab inhabitant

23 Yahi tribe survivor

25 It. marble29 Devil32 Jewish month33 With (pref.)35 Ten (pref.)36 Eagle’s nest38 Splendor40 Gael42 Eth. prince43 Her Royal

Highness (abbr.)45 Cataract47 Honey-eater bird50 Birth a lamb52 Dance company

54 Alleviate55 Son of, in Arabic

names56 Byron poem57 Corner58 Shelter59 Seed coat

DOWN1 Muttonfish2 “Arabian Nights”

dervish3 Sayings (suf.)4 Signed (abbr.)5 Lively6 Persia today7 N.Z. Polynesian

8 Hardwood9 Graces, aka10 Ribbed fabric11 Theme: music16 Bedouin

headband cord20 Noun-forming

(suf.)22 Pretty (Fr.)24 Hell25 Council for Econ.

Advisors (abbr.)26 Island (Fr.)27 Buy28 Name (Fr.)30 Perform31 But also34 Naut. line37 Sprite39 Swiss card game

41 Dravidian language

43 Rain (pref.)44 Raise46 Leaf division47 Jewish month48 Air (pref.)49 Elliptical51 Maiden name

lead-in53 Guido’s note (2

words)

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers on page 6

February 2011HorizonsPage 6

GRANDparents Corner

I met my husband, Allan, 15 years ago. We dated for a few months,

but it wasn’t until I saw him with his 4-year-old grandson, Brandon, that I fell helplessly in love.

Brandon had been deaf since he was 2 from complications of men-ingitis. When I came on the scene, his family was learning how to communicate with him. But when I saw Allan crouch down to Brandon at eye level and, with patience and love, gesture and point … well, as Renée Zellweger says (sort of) to Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, “You had me at the crouch.”Happy Walks And Long Phone Calls

Allan and Brandon took long walks in the forest, gardened, played games. They had their own special communication: lots of eye contact, gestures and instinct. (Over time, Allan learned some sign lan-guage, but he did not master it.)

When Brandon’s little sister, Brittany, was 4, she and Allan loved to talk on the phone. She told him long stories about her day and her school life. Eventually, their talks grew shorter and less frequent. I assumed it was because she was now a very social creature and had expanded her world to include school friends.

Then, about 10 years after we married, Allan’s loss of hearing became apparent. (More than a third of all hearing loss is attributed to noise: loud music, working condi-tions, home tools and recreational equipment — and baby boomers like Allan grew up with all of the above [see info at MayoClinic.com])A Familiar Problem

He began to complain that Brit-tany was impatient with him on the phone and that she mumbled. I became suspicious. I had grown up with a father who was very hard of hearing. With Allan, I had inadver-tently fallen into using the skills I had developed as a child to com-municate with my father. I noticed when we visited our grandkids in their home, Allan spent more time watching TV than joining in the fun. Brittany said that when she talked to him in the car, he would sometimes reach over and turn on the radio. She thought he

was angry with her or in a bad mood.

Both grandchildren had begun to use me as an intermediary between Allan and them. Was “Papa” grumpy, bored — or maybe he didn’t like being around them anymore? None of these reasons was true — but Allan did become stressed easily when the children were around, and it became all he could do to stick around during their birthday parties and other spe-cial events.

His relationship with Brandon was even more affected. As a deaf person, Brandon had developed a highly tuned ability to read emo-tions and facial expressions. He recognized frustration and distrac-tion in Allan, but he did not inter-pret these emotions correctly. He, like Brittany, felt his grandfather did not care to be around him, and so he, too, began to withdraw from my husband.

Allan was exhibiting other signs of hearing loss as well as putting off his grandchildren. At times, he did not respond appropriately to questions. He showed up late for meetings or showed up at the wrong place. He no longer enjoyed outings where there might be loud back-

ground noise.

But the most seri-ous con-sequence was that the beauty of his relation-

ship with his grandkids, the charac-teristic that first kindled my love for him, was in jeopardy. I felt helpless as the bond deteriorated, and I wor-ried that these were perhaps the first signs of early dementia. It was time to discuss the problem openly.Making Adjustments

A hearing test confirmed my suspicions. Allan’s hearing loss was mostly at the level of the “normal” human voice — at a decibel level somewhat lower than the average voices of women and children. He was told he would not need a hear-ing aid yet, and we were given hints and suggestions to help enhance his hearing. My further study into alter-native medicine uncovered herbs and supplements that are known to improve some hearing loss.

At first, Allan’s hearing loss was diagnosed as not severe enough to

need devices such as hear-ing aids, or special

phones or alerts (e.g.,

alarm clocks and door-bells).

Later, he had a special amplify-

ing device made to wear with his hard hat at work. It improved his hearing to such a degree he was far less stressed at work. This success eventually wore out his reluctance (and fear of the “stigma”) to invest in a hearing aid.The Family Adapts

To say Allan’s relationship with our grandkids changed overnight would not be true. Children are very forgiving, but it took time and effort on all our parts to change our listen-ing and speaking habits.

Brittany probably had the biggest adjustment to make, as she was now a bubbly, socially active tween. In time, she learned to slow her speech and to face Allan when talking to him in the car instead of gazing out the window. She learned to turn the radio off when she wanted to talk. (Talking on the phone was no lon-ger an issue: She was so past long telephone calls to her grandpar-ents.) When we visited, the children learned to turn off the television, lower the music and take turns talk-ing rather than having free-for-alls. If we had to repeat things to Allan,

we learned to try different words. When we went to a restaurant, we sat farthest away from noisy cus-tomers and preferably by a window or bright lighting so he could see our mouths. We were conscious of not covering our mouths or talking with our mouths full. We stopped assuming and questioned first.

Allan’s loss of hearing changed the dynamics of our family, but what seemed, at first, to be a loss of closeness with the grandchildren proved to be a positive experience: We took the journey with him, learned to be more considerate and developed relationships deeper in respect, understanding and patience.

Lily Dawn Robertson is a natu-ral health practitioner in Parksville, British Columbia, Canada, where she facilitates workshops on health, mental, emotional and spiritual subjects. This article originally appeared in the July 2009 issue of GRAND Magazine. Reprinted with permission of GRAND Media, LLC, copyright © 2010. All rights reserved.

ANSWERS

Hear And NowA Family Challenged By Deafness

by Lily Dawn Robertson

Children are very forgiving, but it took time and effort on

all our parts to change our listening and speaking habits.

Page 7February 2011 Horizons

He’s an arrogant, self-centered, manipulative, deceitful, and

sarcastic drug addict.And Americans have loved him

for seven years.“He” is Dr. Gregory House, the

brilliant and acerbic physician who heads up the Department of Diag-nostic Medicine at New Jersey’s fictional Princeton-Planesboro Hos-pital on the hit Fox drama, “House M.D.” Each week, he and his crack team delve into the enigmas of the human body and psyche to help cure whatever mysterious ailments afflict the unfortunate patients seek-ing their help.

It’s no mystery why patients seek his care: House is one of the best there is at solving baffling medical mysteries. Somewhat more mysteri-ous, though, is what keeps so many viewers tuning in to spend time with a man many would find insuf-ferable in person. How can such an unpleasant persona be the center of one of the longest-running dramas currently on the air?Brilliant American … Is British

Our first clue would have to be Hugh Laurie, the extraordinarily talented actor who portrays House. Many Americans might be surprised to learn that, before becoming House, Laurie earned fame in Brit-ish households as half of the come-dic duo Fry and Laurie. Laurie’s mastery of the American accent was so complete that the producer cast-ing for the House lead was unaware that Laurie was, in fact, British. Laurie has garnered several awards for his performance as House, including two Golden Globes and numerous Emmy nominations.

Laurie is backed by a talented supporting cast who play his hospi-tal compatriots, though only Omar Epps (playing Dr. Eric Foreman)

was likely familiar to many view-ers from his pre-House role on E.R. (One supporting actor, Kalpen Modi, was lured away from the show to work for a very differ-ent ‘House’: namely, the White House, where he serves as Associ-ate Director at the Office of Public Engagement.)

But the show has drawn a num-ber of very recognizable guest stars over the years, including James Earl Jones, Cynthia Nixon, Mira Sorvino, Candice Bergen, Andre Braugher, Amy Irving, and Joel Grey, among many others.Sharply Drawn Characters

No doubt many of the actors were enticed to the drama by its extremely strong writing. In lesser hands, the show’s premise — patient with mysterious ailment seeks help, symptoms throw the team for a curve until House can pierce the complexity at show’s end — would have exhausted viewers’ interest long ago.

The writers have kept the show fresh by creating believable and intriguing characters engaging in sharp dialog. As of this writing, Amber Tamblyn is House’s current foil. She plays the young Martha Masters, a woman perhaps House’s intellectual equal who is as idealis-tic and honest as House is cynical.

The cases themselves provide their own fascination. Real life doctor Lisa Sanders is the show’s medical consultant, and reports that some of the medical storylines are

more factual than you might have guessed. According to the Yale Daily News, Sanders’ “Diagnosis”

column in the New York Times Magazine inspired the hit series. “You never run out of stories, because

this is what doctors talk about all the time,” Sanders reportedly told Laurie.Mean But Loveable?

Then there is House himself. With one leg permanently injured and always in pain, he limps through the hospital halls popping Vicodin and tormenting patients and co-workers alike with his all-too-accurate assessment of their real intentions. “Everybody lies” is his less-than-sunny personal motto.

For all his faults, though, House represents something that many viewers envy. By dint of his tal-ent and brilliance, he manages — sometimes just barely — to get

away with doing things that we ordinary folks could only dream of. He dispenses with the dutiful defer-ence to superiors that most of us have to cope with as our ordinary workplace obligation. His scath-ing assessments of the idiocies of modern life skewer the diplomatic niceties of the ‘politically correct.’ And, almost in spite of himself, we see House struggling to live by an honorable moral code.

There have been some bright spots for House. After years of contentious flirting, he’s finally got-ten involved with his boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), a woman he’d fallen quite strongly for in previous seasons.

But will it last? Can the romantic relationship withstand the pressures of the constant work conflicts? Will he find the inevitable give-and-take of family relationships to require too much compromise of his own odd devotion to blunt exchange? Will the refreshing idealism of his young protege Martha Masters win out over his own hard-bitten cynicism?

Stay tuned.

In Connexion, a French news jour-nal in English, Gault Millau director Ber-trand Clavières says, “Organic wine had a bad reputation in the early days — it was unstable and did not keep well — but as vignerons have learnt more about what is needed, the wine has become much better. You cannot say a vine-yard like Domaine de la Romanée Conti is not producing world-class wines and it has been organic for decades.”

Some areas in the U.S., while not required to be organic, have local restrictions on pesticides. Charles Moussand, who owns and manages the award winning Paumanok Vineyards on Long Island, asserts that “Long Island is already perhaps the most restricted place on earth for pesticide use.

“Today we have new classes of pesticides ... known as ‘low risk, fast track pesticides’ that are

far more environmentally friendly than even some organic treatments,” he adds. “We like to use these in preference to any others.”

Another manifestation of this trend is the sustainable farming practices utilized at Manatawny Creek Winery. The winery uses compost-

ing, improved canopy management, a solar energy system, post-emergent herbicides, and natural phospho-rous acid products in an attempt to reduce its environmental impact.

Science To The Rescue?

There is also on-going scientific research into the pos-sibility of developing a naturally disease resistant grape, one that would be pleas-ing to the wine drink-er’s palette.

The Economist noted that Ricca-rdo Velasco and his team at the Agricul-tural Institute of San Michele all’Adige, in Italy, recently pub-lished the first full genetic sequence of

a grape variety (Pinot Noir) in the Public Library of Science.

A Cornell/Stanford team has also created genomic maps of over 1,000 samples, indicating which genetic markers link to a trait (such as disease resistance, acid-

ity, etc.), according to the National Academy of Sciences. Instead of wait-ing three to four years for hybrids to mature, harvest the grapes, make wine, and then sample and analyze the results; scientists can now test the first sprouting leaf and determine if it has the qualities they are looking for by studying its DNA.

* * *

Italian artist and genius, Leonardo da Vinci, (1452-1519) presciently noted, “The discovery of a good wine is increasingly better for mankind than the dis-covery of a new star.” While wineries innovate, connois-seurs will no doubt continue to expound the virtues and pitfalls of certain vintages, and wine lovers will con-tinue imbibing.

Cheers!

Gruff Eccentric At Center Of Popular TV Medical Drama, “House M.D.”

Scientists Join Wine Connoisseurs In Search For The Perfect Grape

A Wine Recipe To Warm You UpManatawny Creek Winery offers a wide range

of delightful wine recipes on their website (http://www.manatawnycreekwinery.com/Reci-pes/index.aspx). Here’s a sinfully delicious one that’s sure to dispel the can’t-wait-for-spring blues:

Cherry Hot Chocolate1/2 cup Cherry Wine

2 cups milk4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

1/4 cup sugar

Heat the milk in saucepan. Break the choco-late into bits and add, stirring until chocolate is melted. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add cherry wine, mix and serve.

House limps through the hospital halls tormenting

patients and co-workers alike. “Everybody lies” is his less-than-sunny personal motto.

FROM “CONNOISSEURS” ON P. 3

House (seated) and his team examine a patient on the popular Fox drama which airs 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT.

©2010 FO

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HorizonsPage 8 February 2011

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