The Senior Scene

(Pictured: The Ashford entrance to Mount Rainier National Park).

Depending on the time of day and year, getting into Mount Rainier National Park now requires a reservation.

The timed-entry reservations, as park officials are calling them, will be necessary from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Paradise (south) entrance via Ashford from May 24 to Sept. 2 and from July 4 to Sept. 2 at the Sunrise (northeast) entrance via Enumclaw. Standard entrance fees will apply.

The park has experienced about a 40 percent increase in visits over the last 10 years, leading to overcrowding during the summer and damage to fragile ecosystems, according to officials. So timed entries during the prime, busiest hours will be tried in the hope of reducing traffic congestion and overuse of trails, particularly in heavily visited areas such as Paradise.

Entering before 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m. doesn’t require a timed reservation. The park is open 24 hours a day. And some parts of the park don’t require a timed reservation at any time. They include:

• State Routes 410 and 123 on the east side of the park.
• Ohanapecosh, including the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center and Ohanapecosh Campground, in the southeast corner of the park.
• Tipsoo Lake on the eastern border of the park along SR 410.
• Carbon River, including the Carbon River Ranger Station, at the northwest corner.
• Mowich Lake in the northwest corner along State Route 165.

Park entrance fees are $15 for pedestrians or bicyclists, $25 for motorcycles, $30 for private vehicles (cars and trucks), and $55 for an annual pass.

Adults 62 or older can buy annual passes for $20 or lifetime passes for $80.

Mount Rainier isn’t the only national park with timed entries or entry reservations. Others include Rocky Mountain in Colorado, Glacier in Montana, Arches in Utah, and Yosemite in California.

The Mustard Seed Village is unique in several ways. It’s the first assisted-living and memory care home on the Key Peninsula, it’s modeled on the Green House Project, and it is owned by a non-profit organization.

The Green House model emphasizes a feeling of living at home, as opposed to most facilities, where things are done based upon an institutional structure. Each elder in residence will have the opportunity to give input about how their home operates to ensure they continue to feel valued.

Mustard Seed Village is a 30-suite longhouse divided into three, 10-suite homes. Two of the homes are for assisted living and one is for memory care. Each suite opens onto a great room which includes a living area with a beautiful fireplace, family-style dining table, and an open, full kitchen. Each common area features art by local artists and photographs contributed by the local historical society.

Meals are prepared from scratch using fresh ingredients, and resident elders can help with preparation and cooking if they wish.

A spa room with a jetted tub, beauty salon station, and massage table rounds out that luxury feeling.

Phase II landscaping will be in full swing this spring with the installation of wheelchair-accessible raised garden beds that will give residents and community members a chance to exercise their green thumbs. Future plans include a place for adult playground equipment and more walking trails.

Across the street from the Village is the Crandall Center, home to the offices of the Mustard Seed Project (TMSP), which hosts the Mustard Seed Cafe and regular activities, including art classes, cribbage tournaments, gentle exercise classes, bingo, and seminars on many topics. The Key Senior Information Center (KSIC) is also housed in the Crandall Center. KSIC is a resource center for all seniors and is run by volunteers who are seniors themselves.

Two wheelchair-accessible buses, owned by TMSP, are available to take seniors on field trips to ball games, museums, parks, and more.

The Mustard Seed Project’s mission is to create an elder-friendly environment where community members can age in place with dignity, respect, and fun. The Mustard Seed Village is an important component of that mission for seniors who can no longer safely live independently in their own homes.

Please look at our websites https://mustardseedvillage.org and https://themustardseedproject.org/ for more information or to schedule a tour.

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The baby boomer generation is the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S.—and still behind the steering wheel.

By 2030, partly due to the aging of the boomers, there will be more than 70 million people age 65 and older, and approximately 85 percent of them will be licensed drivers. AAA, a not-for-profit organization with motoring and travel services, notes older motorists are known for practicing safe-driving habits by wearing safety belts, not drinking and driving, and observing speed limits, yet are more likely to be injured or killed in a crash due to age-related fragility. With the exception of teenagers, seniors have the highest crash death rate per mile driven.

AAA, in an effort to help keep seniors driving for as long as safely possible, offers a brochure titled “Drivers 65 Plus,” which features a 15-question self-rating driving assessment. How a driver answers the questions helps determine their driving capabilities, including strengths and weaknesses. Examples of questions include “I signal and check to the rear when I change lanes,” “My thoughts wander when I drive,” and “I think I am slower than I used to be in reacting to dangerous driving situations.”

AAA also has information on other types of driver assessments, some of which require a fee. Local office locations include Tacoma (253-756-3050), Tukwila (425-251-6040), and Bremerton (360-377-0081).

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), a federal government agency, notes that while many older adults value the independence of driving, some natural effects of aging can alter a person’s ability to drive safely. For instance:

• Stiff joints and muscles. Arthritis, which is common among older adults, can make it harder to turn your head to look back, turn the steering wheel quickly, or brake safely. Reaction time and reflexes can get slower, too.
• Trouble seeing. Diminished eyesight can be a problem when reading street or traffic signs or when driving at night. Eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, can also cause problems. NIA recommends that drivers 60 or older get a dilated eye exam from every one to two years.
• Trouble hearing. This can make it harder to notice horns, sirens, or even noises coming from your own car. According to NIA, drivers should get a hearing checkup at least every three years after age 50.
• Medications.  Some drugs include a warning about driving, but even those that don’t might have a negative effect. Ask a doctor or pharmacist.
• Certain medical conditions. The effects of Parkinson’s disease and strokes can mean it’s no longer safe to drive.
• Dementia. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, some people can keep driving. But as memory and decision-making get worse, they will likely need to stop. Family and friends need to monitor the person’s driving ability and take action if they observe a potential problem, such as forgetting how to find familiar places like the grocery store or the way home.

Sources: AAA and National Institute on Aging.