Funding for Spana-Park Senior Center has received a boost of nearly $50,000 from Pierce County.
The County Council included $48,000 for the center in a $3.7 million supplemental budget approved in April in support of public safety, parks and community improvements.
Councilman Rick Talbert, whose district includes the Spanaway area, said the allocation for Spana-Park Senior Center restores its funding to previous budget amounts and ensures that the center “will be able to continue its operations.â€
The center, located on the grounds of the former Marymount Military Academy, offers meals, activities and other services.
With Fathers Day coming up, many of us are looking forward to this day of celebration when we can express our love and gratitude for all that Dad has done for us over a lifetime. Those of us with fathers in their golden years may find that Father’s Day becomes more poignant with each passing year, as the person we have always depended on now turns to us more and more often for help and support.
As the dynamic between parent and child shifts, it can sometimes be difficult to talk with our fathers about the new challenges that arise with aging. Whether we talk with our fathers in person or by phone or video chat, our conversations can often dance around difficult subjects – or we may avoid them altogether, figuring that we can wait until we find the “right time†to talk. But as some of us learn the hard way, if we keep waiting for the right moment, sometimes it’s too late.
This Father’s Day I want to encourage everyone with aging fathers to consider using some of that special time with Dad to ask him about his health. Perhaps you have a father who is already very open with you about his health and keeps you regularly updated. But if your dad is like mine, and statistics say he probably is, he tends to be reserved about discussing his health issues and concerns. A study found that 60 percent of men don’t go to the doctor, even when they fear they have a serious medical condition, so it’s likely your dad won’t be forthcoming with health concerns unsolicited.
But sometimes we kids want to know and need to know – certainly because we care about our dads’ well-being but also because many of us will end up as caregivers for our aging parents. In my own case, I saw my father’s health suddenly change, seemingly overnight, as he went from being very active and independent all his life to nearly bedridden and highly dependent on caregivers. This can happen to any of us.
Let’s resolve to use some of our time on Father’s Day to ask our dads about their health. If you anticipate this may be difficult, here are a few tips that may help get the conversation started.
Plan ahead. Think about how and when you want to start the conversation with your dad. For example, you might want to find time – or make time – when you can speak with him one-on-one rather than with the whole family present.
Come prepared. Do some homework on the kind of health issues that often arise for men his age. Here are some resources. Think of questions you’d like to ask your dad, such as: How recently has he seen a doctor? What did the doctor say about his health? Is he having any problems with his medications?
Show empathy. Going into the conversation, try to put yourself in your dad’s shoes and think about how he might feel about sharing information about his health with you. Be aware that health can be a sensitive issue for many people, one that often brings up fears about loss of privacy and autonomy.
Be encouraging. Use the conversation as an opportunity to encourage your dad to be proactive about his health, such as getting regular check-ups and health screenings. A little encouragement can go a long way. Check here for a list of common health screenings for men.
Re-assess your approach, if needed. It’s possible that your father simply will not want to talk about his health when you approach him. If that happens, step back and consider taking a different approach. Perhaps he would be more willing to have a conversation about his health by email rather than in person or by phone. Or he might be more responsive to just one or two questions at a time rather than an extended conversation.
We all want to be there for our dads when they need us. Part of being there is being willing to initiate this kind of conversation with them, no matter how awkward or unwelcome it may seem, at least at first.
And who knows? Our dads may actually surprise us and respond more willingly than we ever could have predicted. Maybe it’s they who have been waiting for us to signal your willingness to talk – and even more importantly, to listen.
I wish you a very happy Father’s Day.
Catherine Field, who wrote this article, is market president for Washington at Humana.
As spring unfolds in the Evergreen State, you’ll start seeing more greens like chard and collard greens at farmers markets and in grocery stores. These plants offer plenty of vitamins and minerals on their own, but blending them into a savory soup increases the nutritional value in a fresh and flavorful way.
Collard greens, long a staple in southern cuisine, offer high levels of vitamin K, which is good for the bones. Cooking Swiss chard brings out its natural sweetness, and adds antioxidants. And the blue-green leaves of kale provide high amounts of vitamin A, calcium, and potassium.
Here’s a recipe for soup that includes these health-giving greens:
Spring Green Soup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large Yukon gold potato (or 2 small), peeled and diced
Salt, to taste
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pinch red pepper flakes
6 to 7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 bunch collard greens, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 bunch green chard, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 small bunch kale (any variety is fine), stemmed and coarsely chopped
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for another 30 seconds.
Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the pot, and cook for a few minutes.
Add the collard greens, chard, kale, and another 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the pot. Stir well to combine so that the greens begin to wilt.
Add the remaining broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
In a blender, puree the soup in batches until very smooth, each time adding the cooking liquid first and then the greens mixture. (Or, use a hand blender if you prefer.) Blend the parsley into the last batch.
Pour the soup back into the pot, heat gently, and stir in the lemon zest and juice, as well as the lime juice. Taste and serve.
Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW) now has a presence in Graham and southeast Pierce County.
The Lutheran Church of St. Paul in Graham is hosting a satellite office for the agency on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Programs represented at the office include Home Care, Meals on Wheels, Senior Friends, RSVP and Senior Companions. LCSNW staff members will be available to introduce services to the community, recruit volunteers and workers, learn ways the non-profit social services agency can meet the needs of the area.
According to Lynda Stelzer, a community relations representative for St. Paul, the two biggest needs in the area are access to transportation and medical services.
Pierce Transit bus and shuttle service doesn’t extend to Graham. Pierce County Community Services offers a limited van service to connect residents in Graham with the bus system (“Beyond the Bordersâ€), but the resulting rides are ong and there are eligibility restrictions. Other paid transportation services such as Uber, when available, can be expensive – from $13 to $25 one way in the surrounding area. Additionally, there are few sidewalks or ADA-accessible pathways on the main thoroughfares.
Medical care is another challenge for the residents of Graham. The closest medical clinics are in Eatonville and South Hill. The Pierce County office for Aging and Disability Services is working to improve the situation through a program which provides phone consultation with a nurse practitioner. But physical access to a physician remains limited.
The Graham area can also be described as a food desert, with one grocery in the community. There are two food banks in the area, but for seniors who no longer drive, access to food is another hardship. There is no senior center or meal site for the community of over 23,000, 27 percent of whom are 50 and older.
Lutheran Community Services Northwest is seeking to meet this need through the expansion of Meals on Wheels to include southeast Pierce County. The program supplies balanced, nutritious meals at a cost of under $5 per meal. The variety of meals meet dietary guidelines and restrictions, along with many preferences for eligible clients.
Lonely and isolated elders might benefit from Senior Companions or Senior Friends, two LCSNW programs pairing volunteers with seniors for friendship and some assistance with transportation needs:
Senior Companions provides low-income volunteers, aged 55-plus, who can help at least 15 hours a week. There is a small stipend to offset the expenses involved in volunteering.
Individuals interested in helping their neighbors who don’t meet age, income or time requirements may qualify as Senior Friends.
Non-medical home care services through LCSNW can help seniors remain independent at home. The Home Care program is looking for compassionate, competent workers to help meet the needs of elders.
The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is also recruiting volunteers interested in helping at local food banks or other locations.
More information about LCSNW services in Graham is available at Lutheran Church of St. Paul office at 22419 108th Ave E. between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Mondays, or from LCSNW’s South Puget office at 253-272-8433 and www.lcsnw.org.
NEW MEMORY CAFE IN GRAHAM
Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW), in partnership with the Lutheran Church of St. Paul in Graham, is hosting a new Memory Cafe beginning June 13 from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the church, located at 22419 108th Ave. E.
Memory Cafes are social events for those living with dementia and their care partners. Participants meet regularly for coffee and conversation in a supportive setting to enjoy the moment together. After its debut this month, the Graham group will meet monthly on the second Wednesday of each month. Folks with memory loss at any stage, along with their care partners, friends and family, “are invited to join us to share stories, snacks, laughter and music with others in the same situation,†and also to find out about available resources, said Deb Dennison of LCSNW’s Caregiver Support program.
Memory cafes, sometimes called Alzheimer’s cafes, began in Europe 20 years ago and have since become an integral part of dementia-friendly communities. LCSNW-hosted Memory Cafes in Tacoma, Gig Harbor and Puyallup, along with Alzheimer’s cafes throughout King County, have helped families feel normal again through contact with each other, Dennison said.
Social isolation, more common in rural communities like Graham, has been shown to have an impact on cognitive decline among an aging population, according to LCSNW. Research has shown that individuals, particularly those living alone, are at an increased risk of developing dementia when they aren’t interacting with other people. A memory cafe, along with support groups, faith communities, service and social clubs, and neighborhood gatherings can help decrease that risk.
Additional information is available from Dennison at ddennison@lcsnw.org and 253-722-5682.
LCSNW is a non-profit social services agency. Other programs based at its South Puget Sound office in Tacoma that are specifically for caregivers and those with memory loss include Homecare respite services, Support U: Fostering Caregiver Wellness (classes on caregiving), the Early Stage Memory Loss Zoo Walk (in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association), Senior Friends and Senior Companions.
The Lutheran Church of St. Paul will host a satellite office in Graham for Lutheran Community Services Northwest programs for seniors.
