Welcome to the May 2005 Seniors Digest!

by Timmie Faghin

May is Older Americans Month, and in this issue of Seniors Digest, we take a look at a variety of topics important to elders in the Puget Sound area:

Advisory Council member Larry Verhei, who is on the staff at the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center, discusses hearing aids and beyond, describing many of the innovative new technologies available for people with hearing loss.

In honor of Mother's Day, we take a look at the often stressful lives of "Moms in the Middle" women of the "Sandwich Generation," who are caring for an older adult while also raising children.

We also highlight some fitness-related events going on this month, and offer important information about preventing falls. Falls can have a huge negative impact on the lives of seniors, but much can be done to prevent them...and inactivity is not a solution! We invite you to take the free online Fall Prevention Course that's located on the Seniors Digest Resource Center. When it comes to falls, knowledge is power!
 
Also in this issue....

• "Communication Concepts" wordfind
• "Older Americans Month" trivia quiz

And go to "Links You Can Use" to check out the new MyPyramid.gov website, designed to explain the brand new food pyramid, which is a bit more complex than the previous model!

For More Information....

Check out SeniorsDigest.org, our national companion website. The Seniors Digest Resource Center includes a "library" of quality links, and is a great place to begin your search for information about issues of interest to seniors and their families.

We hope you will refer to our electronic pages often to obtain advice, to learn of new and exciting services, and to offer us your constructive feedback.

Read Seniors Digest and tell us what you think. We are here to help.

* More About Thelma Coney

At a recent Advisory Council meeting, Thelma commented that she was having trouble hearing what people were saying. Fellow Council member Larry Verhei (see "It's All About Communication") pushed a "PocketTalker Pro" assisted hearing device across the table to Thelma. "What a difference!" she reports. Thelma, who has late-onset hearing loss due to tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and allergy-related hearing challenges, brings her PocketTalker Pro personal amplifier system to the theater, book readings and other crowded venues where it is sometimes difficult to hear.

Thelma, a life-long Seattle resident, is in her second term on the Advisory Council, and serves as Chair of the Planning and Allocations Committee. She earned her Masters of Social Work in 1966, and has worked as a social worker for Jewish Family Services and in private practice.