enh newsletter -july engaging nh news · 2018. 9. 6. · voter registration: sb 318 editor’s...

ENH NEWSLETTER-JULY 2012

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July 2012

Volume 7, Issue 7

BOARD OF

DIRECTORS

Carol Currier Concord, NH

Carol Dustin Lebanon, NH

Marge McClellan Berlin, NH

Barbara Salvatore Bedford, NH

Maida Sengupta

Nashua, NH

Roger Vachon Concord, NH

Donna Woodfin Concord, NH

Guest Editorial:

Guest Column

GUEST OPINION:

Governor’s Veto Message Voter Registration: SB 318

Editor’s Note: EngAGING NH has been

monitoring the process of two bills that

add new voter ID requirements and we

share with the State Committee on Aging

(SCOA) concerns about the impact on

older adults. On June 27, 2012 both bills

were passed when the House and the

Senate overrode Governor Lynch’s veto.

Now that these new requirements are

law, we will shift our focus to sharing

information that helps insure that your

right to vote is supported. There are still

unresolved issues and questions to be

answered in order to implement, so it is

critical that you stay informed. To give

you a background, we have chosen to

share Lynch’s veto statement on SB 318

which we feel clearly and concisely

addresses key issues.

As we approach the November elections,

we will continue to update you through

the Newsletter

and email alerts.

By the authority vested in me, pursuant to part II, Article 44 of the New Hampshire Constitution, on June 20, 2012, I vetoed SB 318, an act relative to voter registration. “We need to encourage all New Hampshire citizens to vote and to participate fully in our democracy. We

also need to ensure that our election laws do not unfairly burden those voters that have recently established a domicile in New Hampshire and are qualified to vote in this state.” With those words, I vetoed HB 1566 in 2006 because that legislation tied the constitutional right to vote to the registration of a voter’s motor vehicle in New Hampshire and thereby disenfranchised New Hampshire voters.

SB 318, as passed by the legislature and presented to me, is a different bill, but the end results are the same. It will also disenfranchise eligible voters in New Hampshire and will only lead to confusion concerning the meaning of

EngAGING NH NEWS

EngAGING NH

9 Eagle Drive

Bedford, NH

[email protected]

www.engagingnh.org

We need to encourage all New

Hampshire citizens to vote and

to participate fully in our

democracy.

In this Issue

NH Updates page 2

From Our Readers 4

News You Can Use 6

Health & Wellness 8

Dollars & Sense 9

Computer Tips 10

Laugh & Live Longer 10

Purposeful Living 11

Board Notes 11

NH Resources

12


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NH Updates

“domicile” and “residency.” These are the primary reasons for why I have vetoed this legislation.

SB 318 amends the voter registration form by requiring a person registering to vote to state: “In declaring New Hampshire as my domicile, I am subject to the laws of the state of New Hampshire, including the laws requiring a driver to register a motor vehicle and apply for a New Hampshire driver’s license within 60 days of becoming a resident.” Thus, in one short sentence, the legislature has used the terms “domicile” and “resident” in a manner that suggests that they are interchangeable, even though these terms have different, distinct meanings and legal implications.

The requirements to register a car and apply for a license, moreover, could be read to apply to a person regardless of whether the person had a car in New Hampshire or even drove in New Hampshire. For example, seniors who are residents of New Hampshire but maintain cars and second homes in other states could be confused as to whether they must now register their out of state cars here in order to continue to vote in New

Hampshire. Persons who are 18 and older who attend college in New Hampshire should be able to vote regardless of where they drive or have a license. This provision is overly broad and will effectively require resident seniors, as well as retirees and young persons coming from out of state, to register a car and apply for a New Hampshire license in order to vote. There is no compelling state interest for this requirement.

The New Hampshire City and Town Clerks Association is strongly opposed to SB 318 and has urged me to veto it. The legislation provides that a “supervisor of the checklist” is available to address questions or concerns of a person registering to vote regarding motor vehicle registration and licensing requirements. While the supervisors of the checklist are dedicated and hardworking persons who work a few days each year to ensure the smooth operation of our election process, they neither are full-time employees nor are they trained in our motor vehicle laws.

Our election laws already establish that voters must be domiciled in New Hampshire in order to vote in this state, and that all New Hampshire residents must comply with motor vehicle registration and licensing requirements. This bill is unnecessary.

Any changes to our voting procedures must ensure a person’s constitutional right to vote is

protected. This bill does not meet that test.

For all of these reasons, I am vetoing SB 318.

John Lynch is in his final term as

NH’s longest serving governor.

He was first elected to the

governor’s office in 2005.

GORIN NAMED SCOA CHAIR

A longtime Plymouth State University Social Work professor was recently named chairman of New Hampshire’s State Committee on Aging (SCOA). Dr. Stephen Gorin was named to the post by Governor John Lynch.

“I'm pleased by the governor's appointment and look forward to working in this critical position,” said Gorin. “This is a difficult time for those concerned about addressing the needs of older adults. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the State Committee on Aging to advocate for our older adult population.”

Dr. Gail Mears, the founding dean of Plymouth State University’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services, said Gorin’s appointment is a tribute to his knowledge and leadership on issues affecting New Hampshire’s aged population. “Dr. Gorin is a state and national leader in social work and is well-known for his work in public policy. He is a wonderful choice for this appointment,” Mears said.

ENH welcomes all points of view and invites your submissions.

To send articles or to add your name to our newsletter mailing list, contact:

[email protected]


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Dr. Gorin has a long and distinguished history in social work and in health care policy, serving on President Clinton’s Health Care Task Force and the Advisory Council of the Center for Mental Health Services in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He served as a delegate for the White House Conference on Aging and on Social Security.

Dr. Gorin has served as Editor-in-Chief of Health and Social since 2007. Currently serving the NASW New Hampshire Chapter as executive director, Dr. Gorin is a past president of NASW New Hampshire and was the chapter’s Social Worker of the Year in 1992.

WHAT IS SCOA?

The sheer volume of information on senior related issues is incredible. If you are a senior, or are concerned about issues affecting elders, you might be pleased to know that SCOA is an official, legislatively authorized state organization charged with looking out for the interests of New Hampshire’s older adults. SCOA is an acronym for the State Committee On Aging. This volunteer group is responsible for bringing elder issues to the attention of leaders and policy makers in our state and national governments.

By mandate at least eight SCOA members are over age 60 at the time of their appointment. Fifteen members are appointed by Governor and Executive Council.

Ten members represent each of New Hampshire’s counties, and there are three floating seats. In addition, a legislator is appointed by the chair of the on Health and Human Services Oversight Committee; a Representative is appointed by the House Speaker; and a Senator is appointed by the President of the Senate.

All SCOA members serve a three year term, excepting legislative members whose terms are coterminous with their two year elected terms. No member serves more than two consecutive terms, and no member can have a material financial interest in any agency receiving federal or other funds administered by the Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services.

SCOA is apolitical and advocates for solutions that integrate older citizens into the social and

economic life of the state. Members are specifically charged with assessing problems related to older adults. The committee is authorized to solicit the cooperation and help of various groups, including other State departments, regarding the concerns and challenges facing older adults. Section 161-F: 8 of Public Safety and Welfare’s Title XII states, “All governmental agencies within the state shall cooperate with the committee in making available such information, suggestions, and statistics to enable the committee to perform its duties.” Members of government agencies are readily available to help the committee on whatever issues are in focus.

The Committee’s primary function is to advise and assist the Commissioner of Health and Human Services on policies and procedures that affect the quality of life for New Hampshire’s elder population. SCOA plays an active role in the drafting and approval of NH’s State Plan on Aging. At its monthly meetings, members review and study issues such as housing, specific federal and state legislation, elder abuse, substance dependencies, medication safety, and care giving. Areas for further investigation and advocacy are pursued. Once an issue has been thoroughly discerned, recommendations are made to the Governor and to state legislative bodies.

SCOA actively collaborates with other state departments and organizations on issues of mutual concern. The committee works

NH SCOA Seeking

New Members

Can you serve your state as an Elder Advocate?

There are several vacancies on the State Committee on Aging and interested candidates, especially from Belknap County, are urged to apply.

For more information, contact:

Barbara Salvatore [email protected]


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with the Veterans Administration and the NH Office of Veterans Services to assure senior veterans receive appropriate support. SCOA members have a depth of experience in a wide range of senior concerns and their recommendations are always well crafted.

SCOA’s work includes major education and outreach efforts. Each year in May, they plan and sponsor the State Conference on Aging. In May 2012, over 800 hundreds seniors attended this conference, accessing a wide variety of health and wellness programs and vendors.

Members provide testimony at public and legislative hearings. Working with the NH Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services, they co-host listening sessions to better understand the current issues facing NH’s older adults. The committee’s work also includes the timely promotion and availability of essential information for seniors and those supporting older adults. This is accomplished through speaking engagements, fact sheets, publications (such as Aging News), editorials in local papers, meetings, and conferences.

Annually, SCOA recognizes exceptional senior volunteers from each county by awarding the prestigious Vaughan Awards. For 50 years, this honor has been presented to a couple or an individual over age 60 who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and volunteer service on behalf of senior citizens across the Granite State. Co-hosted with EngAGING NH, the event and ceremony is held in the Executive Council Chambers. Awards are presented to each recipient by the current NH Governor and the Commissioner of Health and Human Services.

SCOA normally meets the first Monday of each month (check the website for schedule changes of date or location) at the DHHS Brown Building at 10 AM. Meetings are open and the public is always welcome. Minutes of all meetings are also available on this web site: http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dcbcs/beas/aging/index.htm

As NH’s aging population numbers increase, the importance of an active senior voice in policy decisions grows. SCOA plays an active role in contributing to the success of the plans, programs and

services that support our state’s aging adults. SCOA is ever vigilant to be aware of issues and needs which impact our later years, to keep senior informed about the issues affecting them, and to advocate on the federal and state levels to influence decisions which promote healthy and successful aging.

Don’t Want Resuscitation?

GET A PINK DNR!

From time to time I hear a “horror story” about end-of-life situations in which the dying person’s wishes to avoid medical intervention go unheeded, causing stress for families who do not understand requirements of the law under certain circumstances.

A recent phone call from a friend who had flown home to a southern state to care for her dad in his last days illustrates the dilemma. She was frustrated and confused as she told me “Dad had a heart attack and respiratory failure and even though he had a DNR, his wishes were not respected and the emergency team resuscitated him. The family is now not sure how long it will be that he is with us in this suspended state of life”.

When folks have filled out all the paperwork needed for Advanced Directives and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, clearly stating that they do not wish life-sustaining treatment started, or if started, to be discontinued if they are near death and lack the

From Our Readers

“It’s odd when I think of the arc of my life from child,

to young woman, to aging adult. First I was who I was.

Then I didn’t know who I was. Then I invented

someone and became her. Then I began to like what I

had invented; and finally I was what I was again.”

Anna Quinlen


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capacity to make health care decisions, why is the directive not honored?

Conversations with the Jaffrey-Rindge Ambulance Service revealed the facts behind this seemingly unfair situation. In NH, the law requires that a P-DNR (Portable Do Not Resuscitate) order form be present when a person is not breathing or has no pulse.

DNR means: NO chest compressions, NO intubation, NO assisted ventilation, NO defibrillation, and NO pharmacologic resuscitation. The order form must be signed by a Physician or Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner and the Patient, Parent of a Minor, Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare or Guardian.

While a medical orders form or DNR bracelet/necklace are recognized DNR options in New Hampshire, a statewide recognized PINK document or wallet card is preferable. When a 911 call summons the ambulance service to respond to a person who has filed all the necessary witnessed documents, time is of the essence and PINK is quickest to identify in the wallet or at home.

Neither a Living Will nor a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare (DPOAH) is effective as a DNR order and even if the designated health care agent is present when EMT’s arrive, if they can not produce a copy of the DNR, resuscitation must be started. If the proper order is discovered during resuscitation,

the process may be terminated, according to a discussion I had with my own physician.

He was familiar with the common misunderstandings about the precise requirements of the law, and highlighted the importance of the PINK form/wallet card as helpful in an emergency response outside the home.

He indicated that folk’s fears that DNR would not be honored prompt numerous medical jokes, including the one about the elder who wrote in indelible ink across his chest:

DO NOT PRESS HERE!

These protocols are based on NH RSA CH.137-J effective January 1, 2007, and define for EMT’s what is called pre-hospital

treatment. Procedures for patients in hospice care or in health care facilities may vary, and the NH Statute does not address DNR orders from other states.

When my professional association provided an on-line Elder Attorney to answer questions, I posed the following:

“How can you assure elders and family that a DNR (do not resuscitate) order will be recognized and followed by EMT’s and ambulance services when 911 is called to the home? Do patient care protocols vary by State statutes?

Answer: I imagine that every state

is different. In Massachusetts, the

person who is appointed your

Health Care Agent under a Health

Care Proxy can make the DNR

decision. That form AND your

Health Care Proxy should be in a

place in your home as well as in

your medical records where the

ambulance service can get it.

We too have had circumstances

where these wishes have been

ignored, and what I've described

above is the process to enable the

ambulance service to follow a

DNR instruction.

In my experience, it is still a pro-

blem because sometimes in the

midst of an emergency, there is no

one around to show the service the

DNR, even if it is posted on the re-

frigerator. It is possible to place a

laminated card in one's wallet in-

dicating where the DNR order is.

And that seems to be the compelling argument for PINK! The NH Bureau of Emergency

CAN YOU HELP?

You may make a donation to ENH through our fiscal agent, Disabilities Rights Center, Inc. which is a non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation.

Make your check out to Disabilities Rights Center, Inc. and note “EngAGING NH” on the memo line. DRC’s mailing address is 18 Lowe Avenue, Concord, NH 03301.

Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.


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SHARE YOUR OPINION ON

CBS’S TV PROGRAMMING

Go to www.CBS.com and at the bottom of the page click on “feedback.

Medical Services is responsible for a comprehensive statewide EMS system in order to ensure excellence of out of hospital emergency medical care to all persons within the State of New Hampshire, and their training requirements are admirable. However, since the EMS Bureau functions include the dissemination of public education and information relative to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Statewide Trauma System, I feel that more publicity to the public is needed. Hope this helps!

Owen R. Houghton of Jaffrey is an

aging wellness educator, Past

Chair of the State Committee on

Aging, and a member of

Monadnock at Home. Readers

may contact him at

[email protected]

TV PROGRAMMING AND

AGEISM

CBS drew an estimated 12.7 million viewers Sunday with its latest Jesse Stone movie, starring

Tom Selleck, which on its face ought to be cause for cartwheels. Drill a little deeper, though, and the movie's geriatric skew – with adults over 50 accounting for the vast majority of its audience – underscores the problem the major networks are wrestling with as their profiles keep getting older.

This was put into rather stark relief over the weekend, when a number of Los Angeles Times readers expressed their dismay over the cancellation of “Harry's Law,” the NBC drama starring Kathy Bates. This makes sense, since about the only cohort approximating the age of “Harry's” viewers would be those who still read the print edition of the Los Angeles Times. As my colleague Rick Kissell points out,

“Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt” drew a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49, and an 11.4 rating among those 50 and older. In other words, if you called mom on Sunday night, there was a pretty good chance she said,

“I can't talk right now! I'm watching that nice young Tom Selleck!”

Yet because 18-49 and 25-54 are TV's currency of the realm, very little of that additional audience goes toward CBS's bottom line – the same drawback that made NBC not-so-wild about Harry, even though the legal series qualified as its most-watched drama.

Networks are still grappling with issues surrounding DVR viewing, trying to get more credit for

delayed replays of their shows. Frankly, though, nothing would be more helpful to a bunch of channels with a median age around 50 than convincing media buyers there was some value to be unlocked among those old enough to receive AARP magazine.

For now, though, the audience

that tuned in to “Jesse Stone”

might have watched with the

sound cranked up really loud, but

in media terms, they simply don't

make much noise. Source: Brian Lowry for

Variety.com

Editor’s Note:

HEALTH CARE FOR PRE-

EXISTING CONDITIONS

The Affordable Care Act created the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) program to make health insurance available to Americans denied coverage by private insurance companies because of a pre-existing condition.

People living with such conditions as diabetes, asthma, cancer, and HIV/AIDS have often been denied the opportunity to purchase coverage or the premiums have

Help Spread the

Word!

If you like this

newsletter, please share it with your

family, neighbors,

friends and

colleagues.

Forward it on!

News You Can Use


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been priced out of the reach of most Americans who buy their own insurance, and this has resulted in a lack of coverage for millions of people.

In New Hampshire the PCIP is administered by the state through NH Health Plan. As of the end of April, 2012 - 447 NH residents were covered by the plan.

In 2014, all Americans, regardless of their health status, will have access to affordable coverage either through their employer or through new competitive marketplaces called Exchanges, and insurers will be prohibited from charging more or denying coverage to anyone based on the state of their health.

Source: NH Voices For Health

SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security cost-of –living adjustments (COLA) have been based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners (CPI-W), which is based on the average set of goods purchased by urban wage earners and clerical workers.

This measure doesn’t reflect that many older adults spend two to three times as much of their budgets on medical care costs compared to younger households.

But now Congress is considering adopting a new methodology which would tie the COLA to the Chained CPI (C-CPI-U) which is an even smaller measure of inflation.

According to The Alliance for Retired Americans if the C-CPI-U

is adopted, when a someone who is 65 NOW turns 75 the annual benefit would be decreased by 3.7% ($560), at age 85 a 6.5% cut ($984) and at age 95 a 9.2% cut ($1, 392).

For more information contact nhalliance@gmail or call (603) 545-9989.

RAISE YOUR VOICE

AARP New Hampshire kicked off You’ve Earned a Say to ensure New Hampshire residents have a say and are part of the discussion on securing Social Security and Medicare programs for current and future generations.

Director Kelly Clark states that. “Social Security and Medicare are vital to New Hampshire residents. One in five persons age 65+ rely on Social Security, over one-third would fall below the poverty level if not for its benefits, and Social Security pumps over $3.25 billion dollars every year into New Hampshire’s economy.

Nearly all New Hampshire seniors rely on Medicare, and it’s not cheap. Beneficiaries spend $5,300 of their own money which is nearly a quarter of their income.”

AARP staff and volunteers are traveling the state, hosting community conversations, house

parties, informational forums and other events. For more information, click on the website in blue above or go to http://www.aarp.org/states/nh/

SCAM UPDATE

Faster than you can blink an eye, new ways to scam people are put into play. We can’t encourage you enough to do the following: 1. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER

give out personal information WHEN IT’S REQUESTED OF YOU without saying “I’ll get back to you” and then check it out yourself.

2. ALWAYS GO TO YOUR OWN SOURCE. Don’t use any phone numbers, websites or emails given to you. For example, if someone says it’s your bank calling, hang up and call your bank directly;

3. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, send or wire money to a friend or even a relative claiming to be “stuck” somewhere without first verifying that the story is true; and

4. ALWAYS report suspicious requests to the appropriate parties, such as your bank, Internet provider, credit card holder, police, or Attorney General’s Office/Consumer Protection Division.

Looking for a back issue of an ENH

newsletter?

Check our website:

www.engagingnh.org


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Health & Wellness

PATIENT DOCTOR

RELATIONSHIPS

“The clinical context creates a reluctance to be more assertive.” said Dominick L. Frosch, lead author of the new study and an associate investigator in the Department of Health Services Research at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute in California. “But patients still aren’t perceiving the relationship as a partnership.”

Now a study published in the most recent issue of Health Affairs has begun to uncover some of that perspective, and the news is not good. The researchers conducted several focus groups with 48 patients from five primary care physicians in the San Francisco Bay area. Questions included comfort levels in asking doctors about different treatments, discussing their values and preferences or disagreeing with their doctors’ recommendations.

The participants responded that they felt limited, almost trapped into certain ways of speaking with their doctors. They said they wanted to collaborate in decisions about their care but felt they couldn’t because doctors often acted authoritarian, rather than authoritative.

A large number worried about upsetting or angering their doctors and believed that they were best served by acting as “supplicants” toward the doctor “who knows

best.” Many also believed that they could depend only on themselves for getting more information about treatments or diseases. Some even said they feared retribution by doctors who could ultimately affect their care and how they did.

Interestingly, most participants in this study were over 50, lived in affluent areas and had either attended or completed graduate school.

“It’s hard to think that people from more disadvantaged backgrounds would find it any easier to question doctors,” Dr. Frosch said.

READ MORE: go to http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/afraid-to-speak-up-at-the-doctors-office/

Source: Pauline W. Chen, MD NY

Times Blog

CREATIVITY AND HEALTH

The link between creativity and better mental and physical health is well established by research. Creating helps make people happier, less anxious, more resilient and better equipped to problem-solve in the face of hardship.

JULY IS NATIONAL UV

AWARENESS MONTH!

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun are the main cause of skin cancer. UV damage can also cause wrinkles and blotchy skin. Anyone can get skin cancer, but the risk is greatest for people with:

� White or light-colored skin with freckles;

� Blond or red hair; and

� Blue or green eyes.

You can take steps today to protect your skin and eyes:

� Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

� Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher;

� Cover up with long sleeves and a hat; and

� Check your skin regularly for changes.

Lake Sunapee Region VNA and Hospice

LYME’S DISEASE

Removing a tick properly is important and the sooner the better. It is generally assumed that it takes up to 24 hours to infect, but there are other things that ticks can spread. Check out www.lymedisease.org/lyme101/prevention/tick-removal.html

EXERCISE/SUGAR AND

CAFFEINE

In order for your muscles to benefit from exercise and strength

Raise Your Voice!

Please let us know what’s on your

mind and what’s

important to you.

[email protected]


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WE WANT YOU TO KNOW EngAGING NH actively partners and works with other NH advocates. Here is a current listing of our affiliations. Formal Partnerships

� NH Voices

� NH State Independent Living Council

� State Committee on Aging-Vaughan Awards

� Disabilities Rights Center

� NH Cares

� UNH Center for Aging and Community Living Active Collaborations/ & Groups where we have active representation:

� Older American's Action Partnership � Elder Rights Coalition � Aging and Mental Health � Department of Health & Human Services Stakeholders

Groups we work with: � AARP � NH State Committee on Aging � NH Women's Lobby � NAMI � NH Alliance for Retired Americans � DD Council � UNH Institute on Disabilities � NASW-NH � Area Committees on Aging

© 2012 EngAGING NH All Rights Reserved

www.engagingnh.org

EngAGING NH Newsletter articles may be copied for personal use, but proper notice of copyright and credit to EngAGING NH must appear on all copies made. This permission does not apply to reproduction for advertising, promotion, sale or other commercial purposes.

Dollars & Sense

building routines, certain chemicals produced by the body during and more importantly, AFTER, your workout must take place.

Sugar and caffeine prevent this interaction. Skip the coffee, tea, fruit and pastry, and instead choose a protein during the two hours following your routine.

SUPER TIPS

Supermarkets are giant selling machines in which traffic patterns, product placement displays, and smells encourage shoppers to open their wallets. Consumer Reports offers this advice to resist both hard and soft sells:

� Sneaky sales signs . The sign reads “5 for $5,’’ the implication being you need to purchase the entire amount to get the discount. But rarely are you required to do so.

� Shop against the grain. Most stores have their main entrance on the right side, and their customers tend to shop counterclockwise. When researchers compared those shoppers with people who went through a left entrance and shopped clockwise, they found the clockwise folks spent $2 less per trip, on average.

� Bump outs, end caps. Beware of “bump outs,’’ displays and shelves that curve or jut out.

They catch the eye and make merchandise prominent.

� When you reach the end of an aisle, don’t assume the merchandise is always on sale.

� Look high and low. Prime selling space includes the middle or eye-level shelving. Vendors sometimes pay

retailers hundreds, even thousands, of dollars in slotting fees to take on new products or display products prominently. Check whether similar products on top or bottom shelves are less expensive.


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ARE YOU OLD?

The end of childhood is

when things cease to

astonish us.

Eugene Ionesco

� Front loading the veggies and fruits. The produce department is usually near the entrance, and there’s a savvy strategy behind the location. In addition to imparting the message that “this is a fresh, healthy place”, that placement gives shoppers license to buy cake and ice cream as a reward for picking up broccoli or apples.

� Be wary of the 9s. Do not be fooled if the price ends in 9. It’s a practice known as charm pricing. Some researchers believe that shoppers see a jar of peanuts priced at $6.99 as $6 rather than $7, making it seem cheaper.

consumerreports.org

WALLET WATCH

Just a reminder in case you are tempted to transfer a credit card balance to a zero percent card: check the transfer fee percentage. In the good old days, there was a limit on the fees charged, no matter how high the balance; there also was a minimum to guarantee the company some profit. Now, the companies seem to have found another sneakier way to wring money out of the unsuspecting.

There is no maximum fee, and the percentage they charge can range up to about 5%. That amounts to giving the credit card companies a lot of interest in advance. If you plan to pay off the debt in 6 months, then you would be paying a 10% in advance fee.

Of course, if you are in the 29% bracket and have a high balance that won’t be paid off quickly, then the advance fee might look a little more attractive. Simply do the math in advance to make sure the whole package really is to your advantage.

Once you make a transfer, check the terms again. You may wish to retire the card until the entire balance is paid off due to your “deal with the devil” penalty. If you make other charges on the card the terms of repayment may require any money you send in to be applied to the 0% balance first, leaving your new charges to accu-mulate interest at the old 29% rate.

What a deal for the companies! They get interest up front on the initial transfer and guaranteed interest at a very high rate on any other charges you may make!

EXPANDING THE ‘NET

While you were sleeping, there was something big going on that scarcely made the headlines.

June 6 was Global Launch Day for IPv6 (Internet Protocol, version 6). The inevitable lack of internet

address spaces is catching up with the current protocol IPv4.

What does this mean for you? Not much in the short run, but if you have a business, you may want to look into updating. Most current devices that connect to the Internet are not compatible to the new version and eventually updating will be required. Remember Y2K?

But many big companies, including Comcast, made the switch and the fact that you are reading this newsletter means the old and new protocol are running smoothly. Running parallel protocols will be required for a period of time but eventually the prior technology will be dropped.

LOTTERY WINNER Two older women are sipping their Starbucks when a truck goes past loaded up with rolls of sod.

“I'm going to do that when I win the lottery,” announced the first lady.

“Do what?” asked the second. “Send my lawn out to be mowed.”

COPPER WIRE DISCOVERED After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year outside of New York City, New York scientists found traces of copper cable dating back 100 years. They came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, a Los Angeles,

Laugh & Live Longer

Computer Tips


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Purposeful Living

California archaeologist dug to a depth of 20 feet somewhere just outside Oceanside. Shortly after, a story in the LA Times read:

“California archaeologists, report-ing a finding of 200 year old copper cable, concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.”

One week later The Daily News, a local newspaper in Concord, NH reported the following:

“After digging down about 30 feet deep in his pasture near the community of Rollinsford, NH, Buddy Smythe, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Buddy has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, NH had already gone wireless.”

Just makes a person proud to be from NH.

When she was 18 years old and a town selectperson, Pat Consentino found an elderly man dead in his home. Soon thereafter, Pat established a committee to help older people.

Years later in the 1980s, while preparing to graduate from the New Hampshire Technical Institute, Pat did internships with agencies that provided elder care. At the Taylor Home in Tilton, she encouraged new residents to bring with them part of their familiar landscapes.

In 2009, as a selectperson in Tilton, Pat recognized that programs for the elderly would be the first to be cut and older people would be “the ones left behind”.

She knew that there were many seniors who had sadly become forgotten. The majority of them lived alone, and it seemed as if no

one cared about them. She knew that she had to do something, which would not only be a temporary fix, but also create a long-term solution, addressing all their needs. Her plan was to put something in place that would ensure older adults are never forgotten again.

Being an incredibly passionate and driven person, with an unlimited supply of energy, she started on a quest to solicit as much help as possible. They would have a variety of special talents, be caring, and have the same passion she did for taking care of seniors.

At the first meeting with her new volunteers, she made it clear that it would be a lot of hard work and there was little or no money to get it done, but “it had to be done,” she said. Her vision was to create a large volunteer committee that would be called “CHAT” Caring Hands Assisting Tilton.

Over the next twenty-four months and thousands of hours, she put her plan into motion. It would not only address the daily needs of seniors, but would also improve their quality of life. Pat knew elders constantly faced obstacles, which they could not handle alone.

Under her leadership her volun-teers would achieve all the goals she hoped for. As if that wasn’t enough, she then expanded her plan to include a place for seniors to go and feel loved by the community. Now her second dream of a Senior Center has just reached completion this year and is a beautiful place for seniors to go. It opened May 10th, 2012 .

Pat Consentino was the 2012 Belknap County recipient of the Joseph D. Vaughan Award.

WE’VE COME A LONG WAY,

BABY

Board Notes

Pat Consentino


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…………………12

Yes, this is an actual ad for a psychiatric medication, and the model is not one of those no-torious politicians we’ve been hearing about.

But while it may cause you to chuckle, the truth is we live in a culture of responding to stress with violence! Everything from drive by shootings, road rage, and war, to milder forms such as criticizing ourselves. Who hasn’t said, or thought, in a moment of frustration, “You dummy” and internalized that form of violence we call punitive. Just listen to yourself and each other and you will pick up on this subconscious, reactive and irreverent behavior. We get critical/punitive with

ourselves and each other

whenever we think there is failure

or just a lack of success/control. Studies show that when we do this, the blood flow to the brain slows down and cortisol increases; we literally make ourselves sick! Is it any wonder than that people are afraid to speak up and get involved?

At the same time there is a new trend emerging around the globe. Our world is changing too fast and the problems are too complex for the old styles of problem solving to work. Necessity IS the Mother of Invention, people are coming together, to deal with social and business issues, working in new models such as ‘horizontality’ ‘circles’and ‘presencing’.

What they all have in common is an old understanding that two heads are better than one! Collective thinking creates an

environment that stimulates creativity and ingenuity. Further, a team approach expands on and leverages opportunity.

And underlying it all is respect: reverence rather than irreverent behavior and thought. What we think and feel can be perceived usually subconsciously but strong enough to generate matching responses. As Deepak Chopra once said, “If you think we are not all connected, please step off the planet.”

We are entering the Age of Aging and we all need to adapt to a future that probably is nothing like the one we planned for. Older Adults are generally more inclined to be civically engaged, and less reactive than our friend in the ad!

It’s time for all sane, reverent beings to get involved, demonstrate how to keep cool (without Thorazine) and work toward harmony; to build a culture of mutual benefit. In fact, it is precisely this age group that is the best positioned to set the tone.

Editor’s Note: There is no Resource List this month. New Hampshire Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) www.silcnh.org 603-271-0476 Editor-Paula Ninivaggi

Resource Guide

enh newsletter -july engaging nh news · 2018. 9. 6. · voter registration: sb 318 editor’s...

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