Fairfield Senior Times, February, 2014€¦ · ence, it’s little wonder that Medicare is not permitted by law to negotiate drug prices with drug companies, as federal agencies do

The Newsletter of the Fairfield Senior CenterVolume 24, Number 2 February, 2014

fairfieldsenior timesservices and support for fairfield’s older adults

Saturday Morning Pilot Program Set

Lower Your Prescription Drug Costs: Shopping Can Save You a Bundle

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In the wake of last year’s successful “Wednesday Night Out” programs, Center Director Terry Giegengack and her staff have developed a series of programs to be offered on nine suc-cessive Saturday mornings, starting February 1st.

Like the earlier Wednesday night programs, the Saturday openings are designed for seniors who find the cen-ter’s regular hours inconvenient. The following activities will be available:

• Pickleball, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This fast-paced game has proven very popular, and players will now have gym time available on Tuesdays, Fridays and Satur-days. All skill levels, including be-ginners, are welcome and everyone plays. Free of charge.

• Cross Training Strength and Con-ditioning, from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. This workout will ignite your me-tabolism to burn body fat, and im-prove flexibility, strength, balance and endurance. All levels are wel-come. They’ll be 10 minutes of core training at the end of the workout. Please bring two sets of weights, a mat and a band or tube. The center

Prescription drug prices in the United States are the highest in the world. According to an article in Time Maga-zine in 2004, “The prices Americans pay for prescription drugs, which are far higher than those paid by citizens of any other developed country, help explain why the pharmaceutical in-dustry is — and has been for years — the most profitable of all businesses in the U.S.” And there’s no end in sight. The AARP has published studies sug-gesting that prescription drug prices are rising significantly faster than general inflation.

The industry maintains an army of lobbyists in Washington numbering in the thousands; from 1998 to 2006, according to the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity, the pharmaceuti-cal industry spent $855 million, more than any other industry, on lobbying activities designed to protect their in-terests.

Given this kind of pernicious influ-ence, it’s little wonder that Medicare is not permitted by law to negotiate drug prices with drug companies, as federal agencies do in other programs. The Department of Veterans Affairs, which is allowed to negotiate drug prices and establish a formulary, has been estimated to pay between 40% to 58% less for drugs, on average, than Medicare Part D. Economist

Dean Baker has conservatively esti-mated that the government could save at least $50 billion a year if it were allowed to negotiate drug prices for Medicare Part D.

While congress is apparently unwill-ing to rein in drug costs, there are a number of ways you can reduce your own medication costs without sacrificing quality. If you don’t have prescription drug coverage, or one or more of your medications is not covered by your plan’s formulary, or you expect to fall in the “donut hole” coverage gap, try these cost-cutting strategies:

Check Your Insurance. If you have drug coverage, your first step is to find out what your plan covers. Do this by visiting the insurer’s website or by calling the company’s 800 number on the back of your insurance card. Once you have this information, share it with your doctor so he or she can prescribe medications that are best covered by your plan. You also need to find out if your insurer has a mail-order service. This may help you cut medication costs by 20 to 40 percent.

Go Generic. Find out if the medica-tions you’re taking are available in a generic form or a less-expensive brand-name drug. About 75 percent

Center to open Saturday mornings starting February 1st through March 29th from 9:00 a.m. to noon

Page 2 February, 2014

AT THE MOVIESIN February

Every Friday at 12:15

Robert Donat, Greer Garson — In his eighty-third year, Charles Edward Chip-ping, fondly referred to as Chips, recalls the fifty-eight years he has been at Brookfield, one of the oldest and most respected boys schools in England. Al-though revered by his charges and colleagues alike, his early years at the school were not always so harmonious. But above all, he remembers the idyllic court-ship and marriage that transformed his life. “A true classic!” 114 minutes.February 14th — Elysium (2013) ½

February 7th — Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939)

Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley — In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ravaged Earth. Backed into a corner, Max (Damon) agrees to take on a daunting mission that, if successful, will not only save his life but could bring equality to these polar-ized worlds. “A compelling vision of a wealth-dominated future.” 97 minutes.February 21st — Red 2 (2013) Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich — In this high-octane action-comedy sequel to the worldwide sleeper hit Red, retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses (Willis) reunites his unlikely team of elite operatives for a global quest to track down a missing portable nuclear device. To succeed, they’ll need to survive an army of assassins, terrorists and power-crazed officials, all eager to grab a terrible weapon. “Great cast, breezy spy action.” 116 minutes.

Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr. — This film tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. It traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man’s life and family. “Irresistible.” 132 minutes.

Drug Costs From Page 1

February 28th — Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013)

of all premium drugs on the market today have a lower-cost alternative. Switching could save you between 20 and 90 percent.

Buy in Bulk. Another cost-cutter is to buy your medications in bulk. Many local and mail order pharmacies give discounts if you buy a three-month supply of drugs versus a 30-day sup-ply. Also, find out if the pills you’re taking can be cut in half. Pill splitting allows you to get two months worth of medicine for the price of one.

Shop Around. Drug prices vary great-ly from drugstore to drugstore, so it’s worth your time to compare prices at pharmacies in your area. You can do this easily online by using websites like http://werx.org/ and http://www.goodrx.com. For example, the price for a 30-day supply of Atorvastatin, 20mg, the generic form of Lipitor, varies in the Fairfield area from a low of $16.23 to a high of $105.98—a difference of $89.75. Note also that chains such as Walmart, Target, Costco, Kmart, CVS, Walgreens and Kroger sell hundreds of generics for as little as $4 for a 30-day supply and $10 for a 90-day supply.

Using U.S.-based online pharmacies is another way to save 25 percent or more. Familymeds.com is one such site, but there are dozens to choose from. If you opt for an online phar-macy, be sure you purchase from ones that have the “VIPPS” seal of ap-proval (www.nabp.net/programs/ac-creditation/vipps/) from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Seniors enrolled in a Medicare pre-scription drug plan also need to make sure the online pharmacy they’re buy-ing from is included in their network. Otherwise, the purchase may not count toward their deductible.Get a Discount Card. Many pharma-cies have free or low-cost discount card programs that will let you buy generics for $4 or qualify for steeper

discounts on other drugs. Other drug card programs are available online. Search for “drug discount cards” and “drug discount coupons.”Search for Drug-Assistance Pro-grams. We wrote about these in our last issue. If your income is limited, you likely can get help through drug-assistance programs offered through pharmaceutical companies and other organizations. Call 1.888.477.2669 or visit www.benefitscheckup.org to get information.

George, I want you to be completely dishonest. How do I look?

Page 3February, 2014

February Menu

Leafy Greens Belong in a Healthy Kitchen Leafy vegetables are typically low in calories and fat, but high in dietary fiber, fo-lic acid, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium, and therefore are ideal for weight management, and for reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. Green leafy vegetables’ high magnesium content and low glycemic levels are also very helpful for persons with diabetes. Suggestions: kale, collards, turnip greens, swiss chard, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, cabbage, and romaine and iceberg lettuce.

Please make reservations three days in advance: call 203.256.3118 between 10:00 and 11:15 a.m. A $2.00 donation is suggested. 1% or

skim milk is provided. Margarine is served with all meals. Menu is subject to change.

*High in sugar content. **High Salt Content. +High fat.

― Charles M. Schulz

Center Closed Presidents’ Day

Senior Community CafeOpen Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Lunch service begins at 11:45 a.m.

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

3 4 5 6 7

Cranberry Juice Orange Juice Apricot Glazed Hearty Vegetable Soup Pineapple Juice

Low Salt Sliced Ham Spaghetti with Grilled Chicken Breast Unsalted Crackers

with Mustard Glaze Meatballs Stuffing Meatloaf Sauerkraut and Onions

Sweet Potatoes Parmesan Cheese California Blend Veggies Mushroom Gravy Brown Rice

Cauliflower with Garden Salad Whipped Potatoes

Red Pepper Italian Dressing Buttered Beets

Wheat Bread Italian Bread Rye Bread Multigrain Bread Pumpernickel Bread

Fresh Apple Birthday Cake Pineapple Chunks Sherbet Apricots

10 11 12 13 14

Roast Beef Mushroom Barley Soup Salisbury Steak Orange Juice Apple Juice

Beef Gravy Unsalted Crackers Onion Gravy Eggplant Parmesan Open Faced Turkey

Baked Potato Baked Fish with Mashed Potatoes Sandwich with

Peas Lemon Pepper Sauce Spinach Italian Blend Vegetables Turkey Gravy, Stuffing

Rice Pilaf, Zucchini Green & Gold Beans

Cranberry Sauce

Potato Bread Oatmeal Bread Italian Bread 12 Grain Bread

Mixed Fruit Cup Ice Cream Cup Tropical Fruit Cup Fresh Apple Valentine's Dessert

17 18 19 20 21

Escarole Bean Soup Cranberry Glazed Grape Juice Cranberry Juice

Unsalted Crackers Grilled Chicken Breast Low Salt Sliced Ham White Fish Filet with

Lasagna with Couscous Potato Hash with Onion, Dill Sauce

Marinara Sauce Green Beans Red and Green Pepper Harvest Rice

Peas Dinner Roll Spinach Carrot Coins

Pumpernickel Bread Rye Bread

Fresh Orange (Little Debbie) Peaches Pears

24 25 26 27 28

Apple Juice Low Salt Ham Steak Hamburger Beef Patty Baked Chicken with Sliced Turkey Breast

Beef Stew with Apple with American Cheese Orange Ginger Sauce Turkey Gravy

Diced Potatoes Cranberry Glaze Hot German Fried Rice Stuffing

Broccoli Potato Salad Spinach Geneva Blend Veggies

Carrots Pickled Beets

Ketchup and Mustard

Biscuit 100% Whole Wheat Hamburger Bun Italian Bread Oatmeal Bread

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Cinnamon Applesauce Vanilla Pudding Tropical Fruit Cup Citrus Sections

Sliced Pork Au Jus

Chuckwagon Vegetables

Ziti with Meat Sauce

Multigrain Bread

Oatmeal Crème Pie 100% W.Wheat Bread

Herbed Couscous

Page 4 February, 2014

February, 2014

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

39:00 AARP Tax-Aide

49:00 AARP Defensive Driving Class10:00 Writer’s Club10:00 Computer Course12:30 Balance Class 1:00 American Songbook7:00 FairfieldUWomen’s Basketball Home Game

59:00 AARP Tax-Aide

610:00 Vivaldi in Venice10:00 Computer Course1:00 Cold War

712:15 Movie: Goodbye, Mr. Chips

109:00 AARP Tax-Aide 9:30 Blood Pressure Screening

119:30 Silver Belles Shop Consignment Day10:00 Computer Course12:30 Balance Class

129:00 AARP Tax-Aide

1310:00 Vivaldi in Venice 10:00 Computer Course12:30 Special Program: Ruth Harcovitz, A Musical Valentine3:45 School Nurses Mtg.

14 12:15 Movie: Elysium

17 1810:00 Computer Course12:30 Balance Class1:00 Diabetes Support Group

199:00 AARP Tax-Aide10:00 Women and Finance10:15 FSCA Mtg.1:00 Genealogy

20 10:00 Computer Course

2112:15 Movie: Red 2

249:00 AARP Tax-Aide12:15 Beyond the Book Club

2512:30 Balance Class1:00 Bunco

269:00 AARP Tax-Aide6:00 Adult Children and Their Parents

27 2812:15 Movie: The Butler

Every Monday Every Tuesday Every Wednesday Every Thursday Every Friday

Calendar of Events

9:00 Woodcarving9:00 Table Tennis9:00 Table Pool9:10 Coed Exercise9:30 Bocce10:00 Senior Exercise10:00 Knit/Crochet*11:00 Flex & Stretch1:00 Open Bridge1:00 Dance Aerobics2:15 Pickleball

9:00 Pacers-Walking Group

9:00 Table Tennis9:00 Woodcarving9:00 Table Pool9:30 Yoga*10:00 Senior Exercise10:00 Open Painting11:00 Flex & Stretch11:30 Arthritis Exercise1:00 Model Airplane

Club1:00 Chess Club1:00 Mah-Jongg1:30 Elderberries*

9:00 Pacers-Walking Group

9:00 Table Tennis9:00 Woodcarving9:00 Table Pool9:10 Coed Exercise9:30 Open Crafts10:00 Senior Exercise11:00 Flex & Stretch12:30 Open Bridge1:00 Tai Chi

9:00 Table Tennis9:00 Quilters9:00 Table Pool9:00 Basic Zumba10:00 Music & Movement11:00 Flex & Stretch12:15 Movies1:00 Scrabble1:00 Pickleball

9:00 Pacers-Walking Group

9:00 Table Tennis9:00 Table Pool9:00 Basic Zumba9:30 Sewing Bee10:00 Senior Exercise10:00 Open Computer

Lab/Help11:00 Flex & Stretch11:30 Arthritis Exercise12:30 Bingo1:00 Open Bridge1:00 Tai Chi

Don’t forget about next month’s trip to the Westchester Broadway Theater. Enjoy a great lunch and a great musical—Ragtime—for the all-inclu-sive price of $105. The date is Thursday, March 27th, and the bus leaves the center at9:30a.m.Calltheofficeat203.256.3166forreservations.

Don’t miss our special program on February 13th at 12:30 p.m. when celebrated soprano Ruth Harcovitz presents A Musical Valentine. A special lunch ($2.00) will be served. Reservations required! Call 203.256.3166.

Free tax help is available starting Monday, Febru-ary 3rd and continuing every Wednesday and Monday thereafter through April 9th. An appointment is required. Pleasecalltheofficeat203.256.3166toscheduleone.

Schedule Note: Laura will be starting an arthritis exercise class on February 3rd from 11:30 a.m. to noon. Ali will continue to have her arthritis class on Wednes-days from 11:30 a.m. to noon.

* Continuing ed programs

Center Closed Presidents’ Day

Page 5February, 2014

The Fairfield Senior Times is published monthly by the Fairfield

Senior Center,100 Mona TerraceFairfield, CT 06824

Hours: Weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

DirectorTeresa Giegengack, 203.256.3169

Program CoordinatorMargaret Andrews, 203.254.5102

Town HallHuman Services Commission

Senior Times StaffEditor: Ron Atwater

[email protected]

Editorial Assistant: M.A. Atwater

© 2014. All rights reserved.Printed in USA by Liturgical

Publications Inc., Hartford, CT

Information: M-F, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 203.256.3166.Transportation: M-F, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 203.256.3168.Lunch (three days notice required): M-F, 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Call 203.256.3118 after 10:00 a.m.Coffee Shop: M-F, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.Gift Shop: M-F, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.Social Worker: M-F, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 203.256.3170.Blood Pressure Screening: 203.256.3166Notary Public: M-F, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 203.256.3166.

Senior Center Services

Notary public, long term care, medigap and Medicare counseling and social services Services Below by Appointment Only. Call 203.256.3166

Visit the Senior Times online at www.fairfieldct.org/senior.htm

Reminders & Other Stuff Women and Finance. In these fi-nancially difficult times, investment is a key protection for the future— whether that future’s way far out there or settling in around your ears. But how? And where? And why?

Paul Sheldon, Senior Vice President of Investments at Wells Fargo Advi-sors, has been instructing investors in fundamentals since 1974. And he specializes in female investors, de-claring that women are better at it than men. Why? Come and let him explain!

Wednesday, February 19th is the date, 10:00 a.m. the time, the senior center, the place. Though women may be the best investors, this pro-gram, which is sponsored by the League of Women Voters, is for all genders of all ages.

Computer Classes Resume in February. Bill Allinger, a charter member of our senior geek squad, tells us that a course in basic Win-dows 7 will be offered at 10:00 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in Febru-ary, starting on the 4th and conclud-ing on the 20th.

Let’s Talk: Adult Children and Their Parents. On Wednesday, February 26th at 6:00 p.m., Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield Coun-ty, in association with the Fairfield Senior Center, will host an informa-tive presentation about the issues facing aging parents and their adult children. The guest speaker will be Shannon White, author of the new book, The Invisible Conversations with Your Aging Parents.

This program and panel discussion will offer practical advice to adult children and their parents about how to communicate effectively about sensitive and important is-sues such as living arrangements, healthcare concerns, money, grief, memory loss, the ability to drive, liv-ing wills, advanced directives and much more. Panelists will include experts in elder law, healthcare, so-cial work, end-of-life issues and de-mentia care.

Plan on attending this most impor-tant presentation. It’s free of charge and open to the public. Refresh-ments will be served.

Home Care Fair Coming. Home care is growing in popularity be-cause it’s the setting that seniors prefer and it can be dramatically less expensive than alternatives like nursing homes. To find out more about this option, the center invites you and family members to attend our Home Care Fair on Wednesday, March 26th, between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the dining hall. Rep-resentatives of a number of local home care agencies will be on hand to provide you with information about their services and address your particular needs.

has lighter weights available. The instructor is Laura Dorr (see below) and the fee is $5 per class.

• Zumba Class with Laura Dorr from 10:30 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Zum-ba combines Latin and Internation-al music with a fun and effective workout. Zumba fuses fitness, en-tertainment and culture into an ex-hilarating dance that blends upbeat rhythms with easy to follow cho-reography. All levels are welcome. Laura will also introduce Zumba Toning and Zumba Sentao. The fee is $5 per class, payable to Laura Dorr, a highly qualified fitness and wellness instructor.

• Caregiver Support Group with fa-cilitator Kate Dressel, M.S., from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This se-ries of meetings is free of charge for anyone age 50 and over who cares for another person—whether an adult or child, family member or friend. Kate Dressel is a member of the Social Services Staff at the Fair-field Senior Center.

A lunch program will not be available on Saturdays.

Saturdays... From Page 1

Page 6 February, 2014

Photo Gallery

Senior Center Partners with PequotLibrary to Offer New Book Club

Quotable

Beyond the Book Club is more than just a book club. Taking inspiration from Pequot Library’s founder, Vir-ginia Marquand Monroe, this book club focuses on both women and Pe-quot’s Library’s mission of “Bringing literature, music, art, science and the humanities to our community.” Last year participants met throughout the year to discuss women of the 19th cen-tury and their contributions to litera-ture, science, history and art.

This year, Beyond the Book Club will focus on extraordinary women. Fair-field is in the midst of preparing for its 375th anniversary along with the 125th anniversary of the founding of Pequot Library. Through her generous gift, an extraordinary woman, Mrs. Virginia Marquand Monroe, built the Pequot Library on her estate and gave Pequot Library to the community to be “Free as air to all.”

In honor of both historic dates, this year’s Beyond the Book Club focuses on women’s contributions starting

Gary Kahn, a song stylist in the tradition of Sinatra, Crosby and Bennet, brought tunes from the Great Ameri-can Songbook to the se-nior center on January 6th. It was good to hear solid performances of music with intelligent, meaningful lyr-ics and great, memorable melodies.

Congratulations to our own Jeanne Harrison on being honored as Fairfield citizen of the year. Jeanne is re-sponsible for all those cute “minuteman” fire hydrants around town. She also leads the popular Story-teller Program (“Memories of Fairfield”) at the senior center.

with the life of post-revolutionary midwife, Martha Ballard. Two mov-ies will be shown in February explor-ing midwifery in the context of wom-en and community nurturing: A Mid-wife’s Tale (PBS) and Call the Midwife (BBC). A book discussion will follow, focusing on women’s experiences in the latter half of the 18th century. The books are: A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Di-ary, 1785-1812 (Ulrich) and Book of Ages: The Life and Opinion of Jane Franklin (Lepore).

The first session of the series will take place at the Fairfield Senior Center on Monday, February 24th, from 12:15 to 2:00 p.m.

April 2014 will feature a travel theme and focus on the hardships both men and women had to face in the wake of exploration of the sea and the poles. The documentary movie, The Endur-ance: Shackleton’s Legendary Ant-arctic Expedition (2003), provides insight into the “greatest of all adven-

tures” with original film and pictures by the ship’s photographer. The book club will read Polar Wives: The Re-markable Women behind the World’s Most Daring Explorers (Herbert) as well as a fictionalized account of a female adventurer in Cinnamon and Gunpowder (Brown).

In September of this year, the book club will feature women who defied their gender roles between the World Wars; and in November, the club’s theme will center around women who re-defined themselves during and af-ter World War II. The dates for these meetings will be announced.

For further information about the Be-yond the Book Club, contact Librarian Marianne Pysarchyk at 203.259.0349, extension 19, or email her at: [email protected].

“Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning, unquenchable.”

— Henry Ward Beecher

Left: Shannon White, author of The Invisible Conversations with Your Ag-ing Parents, will be at the center on Wednesday, February 26th for a special evening program (see our Reminders column on page 5). Below: Members of the Fairfield U Women’s Basketball Team visited the center on January 14th. Assistant coach Gail Strumpf-Cheney, right, introduced the team.