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Scott MacGregorPhysical Therapist-Dir.

of Rehab Services

Becky ClarkOccupational

Therapist Assistant

Sharon ButlerSpeech/Language

Pathologist

Erna HarmsOccupational

Therapist

Mae LandeOccupational

Therapist Assistant

Patrick HesslerPhysicalTherapist

Stephanie McVeyPhysical Therapist

Assistant

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JESSICA KELLERARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOAlthough Treasure Valley Community

College regularly turns out students withassociates degrees and plans for the futureevery year, not all classes are for credit andnot all students attend with plans to grad-uate.

A small but very important part of thecommunity college’s mission is to providethe extended community with continuingopportunities to learn, including seniorcitizens.

And some of the most popular coursesspecifically for seniors take place, not in aregular classroom, but in the computerlab.

This quarter, a group of seniors and afew nonseniors are wrapping up a class oncomputer basics, which is an introductorycomputer course that provides the essen-

tial knowledge needed to operate a com-puter.

The week before Valentine’s Day, mostof the hour and a half class was dedicatedto taking images on a computer and incor-porating them into a Microsoft program tocreate cards they could take home. Therest of the class time was dedicated to an-swering computer-related questions andreviewing basic computer lessons.

Darlene Escobar, the instructor for thecourse, who has been teaching communi-ty computer-related courses for the pastsix years, said the courses are always verywell attended and designed perfectly forthe needs of her students.

LaVonne Shaw, New Plymouth, a seniorwho was enrolled in the class for the firsttime, is familiar with and utilizesFacebook on her laptop computer athome, but her knowledge about the ma-

A lifetime of learningClasses through Treasure Valley CommunityCollege help seniors navigate the digital world

JESSICA KELLER | ARGUS OBSERVER

Treasure Valley Community College computer instructor Darlene Escobar, whoteaches programs for the community education department, looks over theshoulder of Ed Hammon, Ontario, as he completes a project the students in thecomputer basics worked on during class. In its mission to provide continuing ed-ucational opportunities for people, the college offers classes that are specifical-ly designed with senior citizens in mind, like the computer basics class.CONTINUED ON PAGE E4

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E3EASTERN OREGON CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

Disability Resource and Advocacy Center

Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living (EOCIL) is a disabilityresource and advocacy center that promotes independence, inclusion,

equality and opportunities for people with disabilities and seniors.

EOCIL offers individualized services that include: Information andReferral, Peer Counseling, Life Skills Training, Advocacy, Life

Transitioning and much more…

Do you need help with an issue and not sure what to do or where to turn forhelp? Do you rely on others and want your independence back?

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For complete list of services and descriptions please visit www.eocil.org

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EOCIL has three locations:

1021 SW 5th Avenue, Ontario, Oregon541-889-3119 Voice

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Web Page: www.eocil.orgEmail: eocil@eocil.org

541-276-1037711 Relay

Toll Free: 1-877-711-1037

400 East Scenic Drive, Suite 2.349P.O. Box 422

The Dalles, Oregon 97058(541) 370-2810 (Voice)(541) 370-2811 (Fax)

711 (Relay)1-855-516-6273 (Toll Free)

Providing Services in:Harney, Malheur, Baker, Union, Grant, Wallowa, Umatilla, Morrow, Wheeler,

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Information and ReferralIndependent Living Skills Training

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Life TransitionsEmployment Services

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HIV/AIDS ProjectAnd many other services

Retirement Redefined:Senior learning...............................................E2Don’t get scammed........................................E3Volunteering...................................................E5Senior vaccinations........................................E6Fitness in the golden years.........................E10Dealing with hearing loss ...........................E12

WILLIAM ANDERSONARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOIt could start as simple as a phone call

claiming to be a loved one, asking forhelp.

The results could be disastrous.There are many different schemes and

plots to separate senior citizens from theirmoney.

The schemes could be done over thephone, in the mail, at your front door andon the Internet, including e-mail.

To keep these scammers from yourhard-earned money, there are a few simplerules to follow.

The first, and maybe most obvious, is if itsounds too good to be true, it probably is.

“They are (going on) all the time,”Ontario Interim Police Chief MarkAlexander said about scams targeting theelderly. “The big ones are on the Internetand over the telephone. They have thesame basis, just different variations ofthem. They usually involve somebodywho wants money or feels they are entitledto it somehow.”

Early in February, there was a series oftelephone scams that took place on thewestern side of Oregon, resulting in seniorcitizens losing up to $6,000.

The scammers continued to try and findvictims but ran out of luck when they con-tacted a woman from Umatilla County.

The scam started with a man claiming tobe an FBI agent calling to conduct a fraud

investigation that had occurred withPublisher’s Clearing House. The lady onthe other end of the phone was informedin order to receive her money, all she need-ed was to send a refundable security de-posit of $3,000 via Western Union. The“FBI agent” also informed the victim thata person with the Oregon State Policewould contact her to verify the authentic-ity of the telephone call.

A couple hours later, the woman re-ceived another phone call, claiming to besomebody from the OSP office inPendleton, and the number showed up onher caller ID. After this phone call, thewoman called back the Oregon StatePolice office to report the calls. She wasinformed the calls were an attempt to scamher out of money.

After the incidents occurred, OSP sentout a scam warning and gave a few tips toavoid becoming a victim of fraud.

The first tip is don’t give out personal orfinancial information to someone whocalls you. If you are unsure, hang up andcall the law enforcement agency who thecaller is saying they work for. Second, be-ware of high pressure techniques, such asthe need to give information or make animmediate decision. Finally, if it soundstoo good to be true, it probably is.

On the Better Business Bureau Web site,there are a list of the top 10 scams that arecurrently going on and ways to avoidthese scams.

Targeting seniors:Make sure you don’t fall victim to scam artists

CONTINUED ON PAGE E13

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chine was otherwise limited. Shaw saidshe wants to be able to use her laptop tocreate personal calendars with pictures onthem. She said she initially asked herdaughter for help, and her daughter final-ly recommended Shaw take a class. Herson, Shaw said, gave her the class forChristmas.

“I just needed to learn the basics of thecomputer to go on and learn other things,”Shaw said.

The class has been very helpful, Shawsaid, and the students in the class have thefreedom to ask Escobar for personal helpif they get lost. Shaw said she also thinksthe class would be valuable for other sen-ior citizens.

“Well, I just think we’re getting so com-puterized, it’s just a neat thing to know,and taking the class is definitely the wayto learn it,” Shaw said.

Escobar said the class is designed to beaccessible for senior citizens and set at aslower pace than other classes. In the cur-rent class, she is teaching her studentscomputer basics, such as using the controlpanel, creating folders and naming files,how to save pictures onto the computerand how to use them for certain Microsoftfunctions.

She said she also touches on how to ac-

cess the Internet and how to contact localproviders.

Escobar said she encourages her stu-dents to use their own computers at homefrequently and play and explore on themto become more familiar with the ma-chines.

“Most of them don’t know how to usethe computer, and their grandkids or sonsand daughters want to send them e-mailand pictures,” she said.

Escobar said others in the class want touse the computer for certain projects. One,she said, wants to use his computer for ge-nealogy, and another wants to use his tocompose his life story.

Other adults, the working seniors, takethe class to become more proficient forwork.

“This is the best class for the seniors,and I’m glad TVCC has it,” Escobar said.“If they didn’t have it, I don’t know whatthey would do.”

She said, at the beginning of the course,she taught the students how to play CDson their computers as well as DVDs. Shesaid they all knew what a flash drive is, butthey didn’t know how to use it.

“They’re not exposed to a lot of the newtechnology,” Escobar said, adding they

CONTINUED FROM PAGE E2

CONTINUED ON PAGE E15

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E5

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SCOTT FORDARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOBeing a volunteer has its own special rewards. It leaves

the individual with a sense of belonging to something. Itgives a feeling of accomplishment, and it gives an indi-vidual the need to be needed.

Volunteering time for events is always needed andmany times those volunteers come in the form of seniorcitizens.

At the local high school level there are many individu-als who donate their time for the sporting events that goon almost on a daily basis. Volunteers are needed for allsorts of things, such as admission sales, concessions,score keeping, announcing, sideline crew and much,much more.

At Ontario High School, Ontario resident Bill Ragsdalehas been volunteering his time as a statistician for theOntario High School for more than 20 years. Now in hisretirement years, Ragsdale said it is nice to have some-thing to do that involves the youth of the community.

“I do it for the kids,” Ragsdale said. “It is nice to be apart of something like the Ontario football program.”

Ragsdale started out as a stat-man for the OHS basket-

ball program, but the long and numerous bus trips the bas-ketball teams have to make every year was just getting tobe too much for the retiree, and he decided to stick withjust football.

At Fruitland High School, Athletic Director Beth Holt

said the senior volunteers are key to the athletic programssuccess.

Fruitland High School Athletics are graced with thevolunteering of Debbie Kerr who keeps the girls basket-ball scorebook. Bob Havens announces the boys and girlsbasketball games, and Ben Kerfoot announces all theFruitland football games.

Havens has been calling the Fruitland boys and girlsbasketball games for the past seven years and he also doesthe FHS volleyball games as well. But his public an-nouncing began 15 years ago in Washington.

“Several years ago, when my children were competingin high school sports, I went to n professional sportingevent and listened to the announcers call the names of theathletes and I thought I could do that at our high school,”Havens said. “The greatest joy for me is to see the athletesand parents hear their names or the names of their chil-dren being called out during the game. Plus I love beinginvolved in the community.”

Havens said some of his most memorable moments asan announcer are the games that are won on last-secondshots or games that go down to the wire. Havens also vol-unteers his time in other areas of the community, with his

Young at heartVolunteering with youth sports programs keeps many seniors …

SCOTT FORD | ARGUS OBSERVER

Fruitland resident Debbie Kerr volunteers her timeas the scorekeeper for the Fruitland Grizzlies girlsbasketball team.

CONTINUED ON PAGE E7

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Ontario and Payette’s only locally owned and operated funeral chapel and crematory.

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During a difficult time, the last thing we want to do is compound a grieving family's stress. That's why we're devoted to making tough decisions easier with affordable burial or cremation services. If you've had

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JESSICA KELLERARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOWhile vaccinations are commonplace

for children, senior citizens need to beaware they too should receive immuniza-tions as they can help prevent serious ill-ness later in life when seniors are vulner-able.

Kelly Jensen, immunization coordina-tor at the Malheur County HealthDepartment, said there are a variety of im-munizations senior citizens should re-ceive.

“It’s very important for seniors to getvaccinated because, often, seniors are theones who have chronic conditions thatmake them more at risk for getting infec-

tions,” she said. According to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention Mortality andMorbidity Weekly Report released Jan.28, “Approximately 45,000 adults dieeach year from vaccine-preventable dis-eases, the majority from influenza.”

Jensen said everybody, especially sen-ior citizens, should receive an influenzavaccine every year.

Another recommended vaccine for sen-iors is the herpes zoster or shingles vac-cine, which is recommended for people 60and older and only needs to be adminis-tered once. Jensen said usually pharma-cies or doctors’ offices administer thezoster vaccine.

According to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, approximately 1million people get shingles every year inthe United States. It is most common inpeople 50 and older and develops in theform of a skin rash, often with blisters.According to the CDC, the rash usuallyappears on one side of the face or body andlasts from two weeks to a month, howev-er, a condition can develop that causes lin-gering pain for an extended period of time.Only someone who has gotten the chick-enpox can get shingles as it is caused bythe same virus as chickenpox. Rarely, ac-cording to the CDC, someone who has re-

ceived the chickenpox vaccinecan contracts shingles.

Dr. Mohsin Syed,Saint Alphonsus

Medical Group inOntario, said the biggestdeterrent for seniors receiv-ing the shingles vaccine is it isexpensive if it is not covered by in-surance and can cost $200 or more.Still, he said, if it is possible, all seniorsshould receive the vaccine because thedisease is very painful.

“Even though it’s not going to kill you,it’s going to make life miserable,” he said.

A very important immunization for sen-ior citizens is the pneumococcal vaccine.According to the CDC, pneumococcaldisease is a leading cause of vaccine-pre-

ventable illness and death in the UnitedStates. Anyone can get it, but people 65years and older or people with certainhealth problems, smokers or a weakenedimmune system are at greater risk.

Pneumoccal disease can lead to pneu-monia, an infection of the lungs, bac-teremia, an infection of the blood, andmeningitis, an infection of the covering ofthe brain. About one out of 20 people whoget pneumococcal pneumonia die from it.Bacteremia causes death in about 1 out offive people, and meningitis about threeout of 10. People who are 65 years of ageand older or who have certain health prob-lems may be more likely to die from thedisease.

Only one dose of the pneumococcalvaccine is needed usually, but a seconddose may be recommended for peopleolder than 65 if they got their first

dose when they wereyounger than 65 and it

has been morethan five

yearssince theywere adminis-tered their previousdose.

VaccinationsWhat senior citizens should know

about inoculations later in life

CONTINUED ON PAGE E7

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E7Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living

Providing Services in: Harney, Malheur, Baker, Union, Grant, Wallowa, Umatilla, Morrow, Wheeler, Gilliam, Wasco,

Sherman and Hood River Counties.

EOCIL’s Employment Services “Connecting Qualified Individuals With Employers”

EOCIL serves as a full service employment agency assisting qualifiedindividuals with the skills to secure the “right fit” job. EOCIL works closelywith each client by providing several different job development skills toassist clients with the following:

• Job Preparation - Resumes, interview coaching, mock interviewing.• Job Development - Outreach and direct interactions with local employers• Job Placement - Providing a positive employment decision for both the

client and employer.• Job Coaching - Mentoring clients/employees with specific job tasks at

the job worksite.• Job Retention - Assisting clients/employees in maintaining a job through

direct engagement with the client or the employer or both.EOCIL creates and maintains partnerships with businesses throughout

Eastern Oregon. These partnerships are built by EOCIL working with eachindividual employer to identify the specific employment needs.

EOCIL Employment Services Contact:Kevin Warburton 541-889-3119 kevinwarburton@eocil.org

EOCIL’s Work Incentive Network: Are you receiving SocialSecurity benefits and want to work? We may be able to help you!

WIN is a free benefits and work incentives planning service for individualsreceiving Social Security benefits and who want to work. WIN assistsindividuals to:

1. Make informed decisions about work and their benefits2 Use work incentives to achieve their employment goals3. Navigate the benefits system when they begin workingMany people receiving Social Security benefits believe that if they go to

work, they will lose all cash benefits or medical insurance they receive…thisis seldom true.

WIN provides a “one-stop” source of information and assistance, reducesthe fear and misunderstanding about the effect that working has on benefits,helps prevent crises when change occurs, and improves employment andeconomic outcomes.

WIN Services Contact:Jennifer Bonnell 541-889-3119 jbonnell@eocil.org

Corporate Office • 1021 SW 5th Avenue, Ontario, OregonWeb Page: www.eocil.org • Email: eocil@eocil.org

541-889-3119 Voice 711 Relay • Toll Free: 1-866-248-8369

Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living (EOCIL) is a disabilityresource and advocacy center that promotes independence, inclusion,equality and opportunities for people with disabilities and seniors.EOCIL offers individualzied services that include: Information andReferral, Peer Counseling, Life Skills Training, Advocacy, LifeTransitioning and much more…Do you need help with an issue and notsure what to do? Contact us…We may be able to help.

church or with other senior citizen activi-ties.

“I feel that people should live for a pur-pose and with a passion and being a vol-unteer gives me that feeling of purposeand passion,” Havens said.

In Weiser, Athletic Director TerryMooney said volunteer Dale Emert an-nounces games, Bruce Campbell runs theclock for football games and girls basket-ball games and Cynda Campbell takes

care of tickets and does door security.Mooney said all three of these individualshave been volunteering their time formore than 20 years at Weiser High School.

And there are many more out there whodo the same types of things for the schoolsin their communities.

Becoming a volunteer for school athlet-ic or after school programs is not a hardthing to do. All that is needed is for an in-dividual to contact the school and let themknow they want to be a part. It’s that sim-ple.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE E5

“One of the leading causes of death insenior citizens is pneumonia,” Syed said,adding the vaccine defuses incidents ofpneumonia by 70 percent.

Syed said seniors are especially at riskfrom pneumonia because abdominal mus-cles that would otherwise help push fluidout of the lungs are weakened in senior cit-izens. Three micro-organisms cause pneu-monia, and the vaccine prevents the mostcommon and deadliest, the pneumococci,from forming, he said.

Another vaccine that is newly recom-mended for senior citizens is the Tdap —tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis vaccine.Jensen said children receive a similar typeof vaccine when they are 7 and older, butmany adults don’t know about the Tdapand may never have received it. She saidmost people receive a tetanus vaccinationwhen they receive an injury, but the Tdapis important for adults. She said all adultsshould check with their medical providersto see whether they have had that vaccine,and, if not, see if it is recommended forthem. Once a Tdap is administered, peo-ple only need to have a follow up tetanusvaccine every 10 years after that.

Jensen said it seems most seniors aregood about receiving yearly influenzavaccines and a pneumococcal vaccine.More seniors are receiving the shinglesvaccine, she said, and local doctors havebeen diligent about sending seniors to re-ceive a Tdap. Depending on a person’sbackground or medical needs, healthcareproviders may recommend other vac-cines.

Jensen recommended people ask theirdoctors what vaccines are recommendedfor them and when to receive them. Withthe exception of influenza, many times,only one dose of a vaccine needs to be ad-ministered.

“They found in studies the more shotsyou get doesn’t increase your immunity,”she said.

Jensen said usually Medicare covers in-fluenza and pneumococcal vaccines.

Syed said seniors may be recommendedother vaccines based on their health back-ground or current activities. He said he hasto encourage many of his patients to re-ceive vaccines, especially for the flu. Hesaid there is a myth people can still get theflu after receiving the vaccine, but there isno evidence that happens. People mayconfuse other viruses for the flu, however,leading to the misperception.

“I think, in our society there is some re-luctance to take vaccinations,” Syed said.“I would say one third of my patientswould defer taking any vaccination.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE E6I think, in our society

there is some reluctance totake vaccinations. I wouldsay one third of my patientswould defer taking any vaccination.

—— DDrr.. MMoohhssiinn SSyyeedd

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SCOTT FORDARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOStaying in good physical condition is

not always an easy thing to do, especiallyin today’s fast-paced world.

However, for those who have the time tofit in a daily regiment of workouts, beingphysically fit will benefit those individu-als for years to come.

When it comes to the senior citizens,many think they are too old to “work out,”but the truth is, working out will benefitthe elderly’s lifestyle.

Ontario resident Walt Kovash does notthink he is too old to work out. In fact, heworks out four times a week and said be-ing fit made it easier for him to battle can-cer.

“I have been in a fitness program for

more than 30 years,” Kovash said. “It feelsgood to be fit.”

World Fitness trainer Derrick Piercesaid it is important for seniors to be in-volved with a physical fitness program sothey can maintain balance, strength andoverall better health.

“Come in and talk with one of our train-ers who can assess what is going on andhelp set goals,” Pierce said. “The trainersare involved and will get the individualson the right track. But the key is to getstarted.”

Casey Bonner, manager of WorldFitness, said the older a person becomes,the more muscle they lose and being in-volved in a fitness program will helpmaintain muscles and even build muscle.

“We can promote muscle at the age of 50

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Ontario’s Linda Quinn works her legs on a speciality machine at World Fitnessgym in Ontario. Trainer Derrick Pierce looks on to make sure that Quinn is do-ing the exercise properly.

CONTINUED ON PAGE E11

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and even 70,” Bonner said. “It’s a little bitharder, but it can be done.”

Before embarking on a new workoutplan it is always a good idea to visit thedoctor first to make sure you understandwhat the limits or limitations are beforegetting started. It’s also a good time tomake sure any medications will not con-flict with physical exertion.

Then, before a workout program is start-ed, study all the different options that areavailable and how to participate in the pro-gram.

Always start out slow to reduce the riskof injury, soreness and burnout, and if pos-sible, grab a friend or relative to join in onthe fun. This will make sticking to the pro-gram much easier.

Setting goals has proven to be a goodway to obtain desired results, and reachingthose goals is self-rewarding and can in-spire future physical fitness planning.

Begin by exercising slowly, especially ifyou have been inactive. Start with shortperiods of about five minutes to 10 min-utes twice a week. Then build up slowly,adding no more than a few minutes eachweek. If all goes well, as it probably will,slowly increase your exercise periods to15 to 30 minutes, three or four times aweek. Your doctor may advise stretching

as well as warm-up and cool-down peri-ods of five minutes to 15 minutes to tuneup your body before exercise and to helpyou wind down afterward. Always pay at-tention to what your body tells you. If youfeel much discomfort, you are trying to do

too much. Ease up a bit, or take a break andstart again at another time. Although mostpeople will have no problems if they startexercising slowly, be alert to unusualsymptoms such as chest pain, breathless-ness, joint discomfort or muscle cramps.Call your doctor if any of these occur.

There are some tips each individualshould learn when it comes to regular ex-ercise. Learning what your heart rate iswhile resting and how to monitor it whileworking out.

“The biggest factor to knowing the lim-itations of your body for the seniors is theyhave less room for error because their bod-ies are more prone to injuries and such,”Pierce said. “It’s way more important thatthe seniors are involved with fitness thanit is for younger individuals.”

The benefits for exercise include astronger heart and lungs, it can help lowerblood pressure, helps protect againstadult-onset diabetes, it can strengthenbones, keeps joints more flexible, can aidwith weight loss (combined with goodeating habits), it can improve overall ap-pearance and boost self-confidence, itcontributes to good mental health andkeeps individuals socially active, aids inbetter sleep, promotes a sense of well-be-ing and helps regulate and improve diges-tion.

Ontario resident Linda Quinn, 63, saidworking out on a regular basis has helpedher with her health, and it has kept hertone. Quinn also does her training atWorld Fitness, and she said the facility isa nice place to workout.

“Everyone here talks with you and theplace is clean,” Quinn said. “The trainerspush you, but they do not hurt you and thatmeans a lot to me.”

World Fitness offers personal trainersfor anyone who wants one, and they are alllicensed. Bonner said the gym has special-ty equipment that assists and keeps the in-dividual in the proper positioning whileexercising.

“Our equipment and our staff are thetwo most important things we have to of-fer,” Bonner said. “This is a clean andfriendly place to work out, and we have anumber of classes that range from largegroup to small group workouts.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE E10

SCOTT FORD | ARGUS OBSERVER

Ontario’s Walt Kovash works his up-per body under the supervision ofWorld Fitness trainer Derrick Pierce.Kovash has been physically active inthe gym for more than 30 years.

It’s way more importantthat the seniors are in-volved with fitness than it isfor younger individuals.

—— DDeerrrriicckk PPiieerrcceeWWoorrlldd FFiittnneessss ttrraaiinneerr’

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WILLIAM ANDERSONARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIOAre you always asking people to repeat

what they are saying? Do you have the tel-evision turned up too loud?

If you answered yes to these questions,maybe it is time to have a audiologist checkyour hearing.

As people age, their hearing is a sensethat often is overlooked as it begins to de-teriorate.

“Statistics have generally shown that ittakes seven years to recognize that there ishearing loss,” Paul Lancaster, an audiolo-gist with Elks Hearing and Balance Center,said. “That is five to seven years beforethey do anything about it. That is 14 yearsof life span.”

Lancaster said there are many reasonswhy it takes some people so long to do any-thing about their hearing loss, rangingfrom fear of the unknown, to lack of edu-cation and basically anything in between.

There are many warning signs out therefor those who may or think they may be ex-periencing hearing loss.

One of those signs is always asking peo-ple to repeat what they say. Also, if you arehaving trouble following two people in aconversation, this is a sign. Difficulty un-derstanding speech in background noise,and if people are sounding like they aremumbling, these are also signs of hearingloss.

According to Lancaster, the first thing todo is to get a hearing test.

“The hearing test will help them identifywhether the hearing difficulties they arehaving are due to hearing loss,” Lancastersaid. “At that time, you can identify hear-ing loss and treatment options.”

Lancaster said there are three types ofhearing loss — conductive, sensory-neu-ral and mixed.

The conductive hearing loss is loss ofhearing due to something blocking thesound from getting to the ear. This can be

caused by ear wax, infection or fusing ofthe inner-ear bones. This can sometimes bereversed with medications or surgeries.

Sensory-neural is nerve-related hearingloss. This type of hearing loss is usuallycaused by genetics, age or by noise expo-sure. This is non-reversible.

The mixed form of hearing loss is bothconductive and sensory-neural, or basical-ly an obstruction and nerve damage caus-es this type of hearing loss.

According to the Better HearingInstitute Web site, three out of 10 peoplewho are over the age of 60 have hearingloss of some sort. One in six are 40- to 45-year-olds who have age-related hearingloss or hearing loss caused by noise expo-sure.

If you think you might be experiencingsome hearing loss, Lancaster suggests get-ting in and getting checked out. Whensearching for a facility to get your hearing

DDiidd yyoouu hheeaarr??Dealing with hearing loss doesn’t have to be frustrating

CONTINUED ON PAGE E13

checked, look for somebody who understandsthe anatomy and physiology of the ear. Also lookfor somebody who can address the reason for thehearing loss.

“I would council with a patient on hearing lossto understand what it means and some commu-nication strategies,” Lancaster said. “I wouldcouncil them to let them know if they are a can-didate for a hearing aid and discuss what type ofhearing aid would be best.”

When it comes to hearing aids, there are manydifferent options available, some so discreet thatthey are hardly even noticeable.

Lancaster said the technology in hearing aidshas increased drastically in the last five or sixyears.

“They have gone from analog to digital,” hesaid. “There are hearing aids that reduce noise inthe background and improve sound quality.They do this and they are offered in smaller andsmaller packages.”

Lancaster also said that if the hearing loss goesa long time without being treated, it can lead to au-ditory deprivation and can atrophy the nerves.

“When we talk about hearing loss, we thinkabout how people are affected individually,”Lancaster said. “Hearing loss is a family andgroup problem. When my spouse has hearingloss, I need to compensate for them. It is some-thing that affects everybody. By identifying itearly, and receiving treatment early, it can im-prove relationships better.”

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In-ear hearing devices have grown ex-tremely smaller over the years.Today’s devices can fit directly intothe ear and are barely noticeable.Don’t dismiss the small size, however.Today’s hearing aids are powerful andcan aid almost anyone suffering fromhearing loss.

“The biggest thing is, if it sounds toogood to be true, it probably is,”Alexander said. “Never give any per-sonal information out over the phone.”

Alexander said he has heard of scamsclaiming to be a person’s bank callingto confirm information. He said banksdon’t do that, not over the phone.

In this case, Alexander said a goodway to verify if your bank needs infor-mation is to give them a call, or to sim-ply stop by your bank and ask them.

Also, if the person on the phone givesyou a number to call, don’t use thatnumber. Call a number you have usedbefore, or use a phone book to find theproper number.

Another scam to avoid is sending anysort of payment, or receiving and de-positing any sort of payment, if youdon’t know the source.

“Abig indicator is if the person on thephone is starting to get pushy or upset,”Alexander said.

Another way, locally, that scammershave attempted to hit local residents iswith door-to-door sales.

In Ontario, those who travel door-to-door are required to carry a licensefrom the city, to be able to sell productsin Ontario. The license gives law en-

forcement agencies an opportunity tokeep an eye on who is traveling throughtown, selling products to families.

“We don’t check out the product, wecheck out the people selling it,”Alexander said. “They are not sup-posed to come to a door with a ‘no so-licitors’ sign out.”

Alexander also said the salespeopleare not supposed to knock on a doorfrom 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

“Some people get pushy,” Alexandersaid. “You don’t have to let them inyour house.”

Alexander encourages people whohave someone knock on their door try-ing to sell a product to ask to see theirlicense before allowing business to beconducted.

Still, with any scam, Alexander said,“if in doubt, check it out further. Callyour local law enforcement agencies.Simply delete the e-mail. Throw awaythe stuff or get off the phone.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE E3The biggest thing is, if

it sounds too good to betrue, it probably is.

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LARRY MEYERARGUS OBSERVER

ONTARIO The Ontario Senior Citizens is located at

698 N.W. Eighth Ave., Ontario.There is live music every Friday from 11

a.m. to noon, followed by a lunch fromnoon to 1 p.m. Friday afternoons, there isline dancing from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. andwaltz and two-step dancing from 2 p.m. to3 p.m. Friday evenings, there is dancing tolive music from 7 to 10. For more infor-mation call (541) 889-5450.

The Payette Senior Center is located at137 N. Main St., Payette.

Meals are served at noon on Mondays,Wednesday and Fridays.

The center holds a dance from 6 p.m. to9 p.m. every Wednesday, featuring musi-cians Elvie Thomas and Vince Bingham.There is line dancing at 10 a.m. SilverSneakers takes place at 10 a.m.Wednesdays and Fridays. Pinochle isplayed at 6 p.m. Thursdays, and bingo be-gins at 12:45 p.m. on Fridays.

A foot clinic is held the first Tuesday ofthe month.

For more information, call (208) 642-

4223.The Nyssa Senior Center is located at

316 Good Ave., Nyssa.Lunches are served at 11:30 a.m. every

Tuesday and Thursday. Game nights are held from 6:30 p.m. to

9 p.m. on Thursdays, and there are otheractivities scheduled at the center eachmonth, such as foot clinics, potlucks,dancing and gospel music.

For information, call (541) 372-5660.

The New Plymouth Senior Center is lo-cated at 126 N. New Plymouth Ave., NewPlymouth.

Meals are offered to people of all ages atnoon Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

The center also offers Meals on Wheelsfor those who qualify and has a bus fortransportation.

Other activities include a support groupfor people with impaired vision, monthlyfoot clinics and bingo. For more informa-

tion, call (208) 278-5320.The Vale Senior Center is located at 182

Cottage St. S., Vale. Senior meals are served at 11:30 a.m. to

1 p.m., Monday through Thursday, with apotluck on Fridays. For more information,call (541) 473-2005.

The Weiser Senior Center, located 115E. Main, Weiser, serves lunch every day,Monday through Friday, at noon. Formore information, call (208) 414-0750.

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Senior Citizen centers

The Nyssa Senior Citizen Center is situated at 316 Good Ave. in Nyssa.

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are all very aware and interested in what’sout there. “Seniors need to be exposed totechnology, and this class starts themhere.”

She said more computer-related courseswill be taught next quarter, including anintroductory Internet class, and she hopesa sequence of computer classes alongthose lines can be planned.

Sheryl Romans, program coordinatorfor community education at TVCC, saidevery quarter there are classes that aregeared toward seniors, although there is acrossover between students.

Computer classes, she said, have alwaysbeen very popular, and the curriculum isrevamped to adjust with updates in com-puters.

In addition to a lesson plan that is veryhands-on and designed to move at a slow-er speed to accommodate new learners,the computer basics class also comes witha textbook that students get to keep andcan use at home, Romans said.

The “Senior Surf” class, which teachesthe ins and outs of surfing the internet isalso very popular, Romans said, as is adigital camera class.

The classes are extremely important,Romans said, “because there aren’t any

other places for these folks to go andlearn.”

Often, she said, when seniors want tolearn more about their computers, they aska child or a grandchild for help, but oftenthey are too busy, and it is just easier forthe seniors to come and take a class atTVCC among their own peers.

“This is just a better way for them tolearn,” Romans said.

TVCC offers other classes for seniorstoo, including senior aerobics classes andother classes not specifically designedwith them in mind but enjoyed by them aswell.

In the future, Romans said she is think-ing about arranging a class just focused onnew technology, such as the Kindle, thelatest cell phones and other new gadgetsthat are becoming popular and main-stream. She also would like to offer somegardening classes for seniors.

“I’m always trying to find somethingthat I think will be of interest to this par-ticular group,” Romans said.

She said the community education de-partment is also very interested in hearingwhat classes community members andsenior citizens would like to have.

“Anytime they bring anything to us, wewill do our durndest to make it happen,”she said.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE E4

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