LifestylesThis Month’s Focus: Giving Back

A Special Section Focusing on Senior Lifestyles

Learning and loving through dementiaBurnsville woman caresfor her mother dealingwith Lewy Body DiseaseBY EMILY HEDGESCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tammy Lofthus was always her moth-er’s helper. As a child, she followed Floaround the garden and kitchen, learningself-sufficiency and resourcefulness asthe military family reinvented itself incommunities all over the world.

“I had the most phenomenal child-hood anyone could ask for. I was veryclose to my mom and dad,” said theBurnsville resident.

At 53 years old Tammy is still hermother’s helper, but now she is the onecreating the safe and loving home. Flo,now 83 years old, suffers from Lewy BodyDisease, a kind of dementia.

“It’s a terrible thing when aging par-ents suffer from dementia. She has agood long-term memory, what we did inthe past, the places we traveled to, butzero short-term memory,” she said.

Tammy is no stranger for caring forloved ones at home. She grew up with hergrandmother living with her family. Shewatched her mother care for her untilshe passed away from stomach cancer.

“As a young girl and woman, I didn’tknow any different than caring for par-ents. I knew I would do the same for mymother,” she said.

As an adult, Tammy was constantlyflying home to Georgia to visit her par-ents and help take care of things. All thatchanged in 2010 when her father passedaway unexpectedly.

“I had promised my dad that I’d takecare of her. I brought her back toMinnesota from Georgia, and have beenher caregiver ever since,” she said.

The first thing Tammy did was tomake her home look as much like her

parents’ home as possible. She believesthe key for her mother is a rigid, pre-dictable schedule.

“The more consistent the schedule,the better it is. If everyday we get up tothe same, it lends less confusion forthem, the less they’re upset within theworld they live in, the better,” she said.

Every morning Tammy eats breakfastwith her mother, get washed and dressed.When she leaves for her job at Kraus-Anderson Insurance, her fiancé stayswith Flo until Tammy returns home atlunch. One or all of Tammy’s threedaughters – two in college and one atBurnsville High School – stay with their

Grandmother until she gets home in theevening.

“It definitely takes the entire family,”she said. “I understand why some fami-lies can’t do it. I’m just happy that wecan.”

Although her mother’s basic needswere being met, Tammy knew Flo neededconnections that were lacking since shemoved away from all of her friends.That’s when she saw an ad for HomeInstead Senior Care in Burnsville. Shecalled and spoke with a staff memberabout Flo’s needs. A short time later Uni,a Home Instead CAREGiver, enteredtheir lives.

“They instantly fell into a one-on-oneconversation,” said Tammy. “Now Unicomes on Thursdays. I always have sometype of dessert for them. She is here fortwo hours. It’s wonderful. It lets my momtalk. My mom has a friend.”

It also gave Tammy the chance forsome self-care.

“When Uni is there, I try to have lunchwith a girlfriend, or go shopping. It givesme that time with no worries about mymom. I know she is in good hands,” shesaid.

Vitaly Salo, executive director ofHome Instead Senior Care, believes theeducation and resources they offer tofamilies is one of the most important fac-tors in helping those families providebetter care and enjoy caring for theirloved ones.

“We have a training center with freeeducation for caregivers. It’s importantfor them to be good at what they do. Thisexperience will define them for years asloved ones need that care. A few thingsthey learn will go a long way,” said Salo.“We want caregivers to enjoy more andbe less stressed. My hope is that morepeople will come out and learn.”

For Tammy, the built-in support sys-tem she has with Home Instead gives herconfidence that no matter what happensin the future, she will be able to give hermother the care she needs.

“Caring for loved ones at home is notfor the faint of heart, but if you have agood support system, it’s possible,” shesaid.

Home Instead of Burnsville offersservices by the hour with rates startingat $24 per hour. Overnight services,around the clock care and personal careare all available. A free, no cost in homecare consultation allows families tounderstand what services are possibleand costs. For more information onHome Instead, go towww.homeinstead.com/505 or call 952-882-9300.

Tammy Lofthus uses the services of Home Instead Senior Care of Burnsville to help her take care of hermother, Flo, at home.

January 2013

2 Mature Lifestyles – Thursday, January 18, 2013 sunthisweek.mnsun.com

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Hopkins residentteaches aerobicsclass for 29 yearsBY EMILY HEDGESCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jean McSwiggen only knowsone way to inspire her seniorexercise class – by example. TheHopkins resident is known forrarely missing a class in the 29years she has volunteered toteach low-impact aerobics at theMinnetonka Senior Center. As aresult, the 88-year-old can run upstairs with no problem, and has aloyal following of fellow seniorswho consider her a friend androle model.

“I believe it is the largest sen-ior exercise program inMinnesota by number of stu-dents,” said Steve Pieh, seniorservices and activities managerfor the Minnetonka SeniorCenter. “The class draws 75 to 80people a day.”

McSwiggen was first moved tolead a more active life during atrip to Barbados with her hus-band in 1972.

“We were there visiting mysister in the Peace Corps. Wewalked the beaches and I keptgetting bushed. It was hot, butwe really weren’t doing anythingthat extreme,” she said.

From that time on, she beganincorporating exercise into herlife. She recalls waking up at 5:30a.m. and walking four milesbefore breakfast. During badweather, she would walk up anddown her basement steps 100times. After awhile that got bor-ing, so she decided to start goingto the Minnetonka Center for theArts in Orono where her hus-band was taking classes of hisown.

She drove regularly to Orono

until the 80’s gas crunch hit, andshe didn’t feel right wasting thegas. She took the opportunity atchurch oneSunday to askthe currentdirector oft h eM i n n e t o n k aSenior Centerif they offeredan exercisep r o g r a mthere.

“She toldme, ‘We needa new leader,and you’reit!’” she said.

McSwiggenwent to atraining pro-gram for ParkN i c o l l e t ’ s“Over 50 and Fit” program,where she learned the exerciseroutines. Since then, she hasadded a few original ones choreo-graphed by the late DagmerLocke, who served as her co-leader for a number of years.

“Now I can’t find anyone to donew routines for me,” saidMcSwiggen, who volunteers toteach classes on Mondays,Wednesdays and Fridays from 9a.m. to 10 a.m. and is known foralways showing up.

“I don’t miss because of snowor anything like that because it’sgood for me. I keep telling thegang that I wouldn’t do this if itwasn’t doing me some good,” shesaid.

McSwiggen is no stranger toserving others. The day sheturned 20 years old, she and afriend went in and volunteeredfor WAVES (Women Accepted forVolunteer Emergency Service), aWorld War II division of the U.S.Navy. Stationed in Pennsylvania,she served from 1944-1946 track-ing the location of supply ships.

“Women couldn’t join untilthey were 20. I already had mostof my family in the military,

including twosisters inWAVES,” saidMcSwiggen.

S h ereturned homeand enrolled inthe Universityof Minnesota.However, mar-riage and thebirth of herfirst child cuther academiccareer short.After raisingeight children,she decided toreturn to theUniversity in1974 to get a

degree in Political Science.“I needed to put a period to

that part of my life. I needed toget that degree,” she said.

Whether it’s exercising hermind, or body, McSwiggen isdetermined that growing older isa time to thrive.

“As you get older, it gets hard-er for your friends to get out, andyou need someone to talk to,”said McSwiggen.

“Here they have people to talkto while they exercise, and theydo. They talk all the way throughit.”

She says she enjoys the socialbuzz of conversation.

“I’ve made lots of good friendsthat way. They are my supportsystem. Everyone needs that,”she said.

The Minnetonka SeniorCenter is located at 14600Minnetonka Blvd. For moreinformation on classes, call (952)939-8393 or go to www.eminneton-ka.com.

Inspiration by example‘I believe it is the

largest senior exerciseprogram in Minnesota

by number of stu-dents. ... The class

draws 75 to 80 peoplea day.’

-STEVE PIEH, SENIOR SERVICES

AND ACTIVITIES MANAGER FOR MINNETONKA SENIOR CENTER

sunthisweek.mnsun.com Thursday, January 18, 2013– Mature Lifestyles 3

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4 Mature Lifestyles – Thursday, January 18, 2013 sunthisweek.mnsun.com

Hearing loss affects life connectionsBY EMILY HEDGES – CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jane Hutar doesn’t take hearing forgranted. With her new hearing aids fromhi HealthInnovations, the 74-year-old isreminded just how sweet the simplestsound can be, like your name across acrowded room.

“I noticed when I was in a large groupof people, I couldn’t hear or understandone word. That went on for quite a while,”said Hutar.

She recalls at one gathering, she men-tioned to the woman standing next to herthat she couldn’t hear. The womanresponded that she too was thinking ofgetting hearing aids.

“I thought that’s what I should do,” shesaid. “People expect you to hear what theyhave said, and it’s so difficult when youdon’t hear at all.”

Hutar’s daughter, who works forUnitedHealthcare, told her about hiHealthInovations. She went to the clinicin Eden Prairie and had her hearing test-ed at no charge.

According to Dr. Lisa Tseng, M.D.,

CEO, because hi HealthInnovations ispart of UnitedHealth Group they can offerhigher quality at a lower cost. She alsopoints to the support infrastructure asunique in the industry.

“The affordability of our hearing aidsand the amount of customer support weprovide set us apart,” she said. “We havefree one-on-one phone support from prod-uct specialists, online user videos, dailynew user seminars hosted by audiolo-gists, and in-person support in manycities nationwide.”

For Hutar, there is no downside to hernew hearing aids.

“I love them. They don’t show evenwith my short hair. I don’t think it wouldbother me even if they did show,” shesaid. “It’s nice to know what everyone istalking about and hear when someonecalls your name. It gives you more of afeeling of being included when you canhear everything.”

According to Dr. Tseng, seniors some-times don’t realize that hearing loss canimpact our closest relationships.

“It’s really hard to be intimate and

engaged when you feel the other personisn’t hearing you. It’s difficult enoughsharing feelings without having to repeatyourself,” she said.

Dr. Tseng points out that the misunder-standings that occur as a result of hearingloss is another important reason for sen-iors to seek help.

“Many people with hearing loss have aharder time distinguishing consonants,so they tend to have difficulty correctlyrecognizing words. Two people can behaving a conversation and have two differ-ent understandings of what went on. Itreally can be quite challenging,” she said.

Studies show that untreated hearingloss can affect a person’s ability to stayconnected to friends and family, con-tributing to social isolation, depressionand lower income. While 90 percent ofpeople with hearing loss can benefit fromhearing aids, fewer than 20 percent cur-rently use them, according to the U.S.Department of Health and HumanServices. The high cost of most hearingaids is one of the reasons many seniorschoose not to seek help.

“It is so important to treat hearing loss.It’s not something you have to live with,”said Dr. Tseng.

Hutar thinks that some seniors mighthesitate because they’ve heard they aredifficult to set, or they won’t actually usethem, or they will be self-conscious.

“I suggest going in as soon as you can.You don’t realize how much you missuntil you get your hearing aids. Don’t waita year or longer like I did. You’re just los-ing out.”

hi HealthInnovations also recentlylaunched a new program to make hearingaids more affordable for U.S. veterans andtheir spouses. Hearing loss is a growinghealth concern for some veterans, in partbecause of their history of noise exposureduring service. Hearing loss is the secondmost common health condition amongveterans, affecting more than 670,000members of the armed forces nationwide,according to The Hearing Journal.

For more information on the veterandiscount program and hearing tests, call1-855-523-9355 or go to www.hihealthinno-vations.com.

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BY EMILY HEDGESCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Marjorie Johnson may be known as ablue-ribbon baker, but red is definitely hercolor. Standing only four feet, eight inchestall, the Robbinsdale senior dons her signa-ture red dress and apron each time sheappears on one of many national showsthat clamor for her award-winningdesserts and powerhouse personality.

“When you’re on TV you aren’t sup-posed to wear stripes, plaids or white. Inoticed in every picture I see, red standsout. Since I’m small, I thought that a littlespot of red would be a pretty good way toget noticed,” she said.

Marjorie’s national fame began whenthe James Beard Foundation contacted theMinnesota State Fair for someone to repre-sent the state in one of its programs.Having won more than 2,500 fair ribbonsincluding more than 1,000 blue ribbons inher lifetime, Marjorie was the ideal person.

She flew to New York City for the event,and while there volunteered to do publicityappearances to promote the foundation’sMeals on Wheels program. She appearedon the Rosie O’Donnell show, and the twowomen hit it off.

“She kept inviting me back. I was therefor the last show in 2002,” said Marjorie.“Rosie had lost her mother. Perhaps shethought of me as a substitute mother.”

A producer from the Rosie O’DonnellShow went to work for Wayne Brady in2003, and an invitation to appear soon fol-lowed. One visit evolved into a contract toappear 23 times. Amateur bakers could“Challenge Margie” to a baking contestjudged by celebrities. She recalls the mostmemorable battle when Wolfgang Puckpronounced her pie the winner, comple-menting her superior piecrust.

Wayne Brady also began to sendMarjorie as a correspondent to marqueeevents like the Emmys and Sundance FilmFestival. When the Wayne Brady Showended in 2004, she thought her TV daysmight be over. Then in 2006 Rosie invitedher on The View. Soon after, she was askedto appear on The Tonight Show with JayLeno.

“I was on in January and they all likedme. I was invited back,” recalled Marjorie.“That March I went back on The View tomake Rosie’s 45th birthday cake.”

When Marjorie returned to The TonightShow that May, they asked her a strangequestion.

“They wanted to know if I knew a lotabout sports. They said, ‘We’re going tosend you to San Antonio to cover the NBAFinals.’ I told them if they sent me, I’dknow all about it.”

Her most recent appearance on TheTonight Show occurred on Dec. 20, 2012where she made a Christmas tree cakewith Jay Leno and Katherine Heigl. Shehas also appeared on The Martha StewartShow, Dr. Oz, HGTV, the Travel Channel,and Twin Cities Live.

Marjorie began baking at eight yearsold in a family of six girls.

“My mother was a fabulous baker,” sherecalled

Marjorie earned a B.S. degree in Foodsand Business with a minor in Journalismfrom the University of Minnesota.

“Things have changed so much sincethen, but I like to keep up on everythingnew in nutrition and health,” she said.

Marjorie hasn’t changed her attitudetowards life in decades. She has the samevitality, zest for living, interest in newrecipes and perfecting her baking as shedid when she was in her 20s. This is one ofthe reasons she was selected for inclusionin the new book, Awaken YourAgePotential: Exploring Chosen Paths ofThrivers (Beaver’s Pond Press, 2012) byTwin Cities author and gerontologist LoriCampbell.

“So many people fret their ‘inner pas-sions’ are not worthy to promote. Marjorieis a fine example that there is no passiontoo big or too small to bring forward andshare with the world,” said Campbell.

In the book, Marjorie sums up heradvice to seniors on how to thrive later inlife: eat healthy, exercise, get enough sleep,think positively, and be interested in some-thing.

“For me that is baking. You have to bevitally interested so you will wake up andwant to discover and be interested,” shesaid. “I expect the best. There’s alwayssomething to be happy about — littlethings, like a walk, or that first cup of cof-fee in the morning.”

For more information about Marjorie,her award-winning recipes, and upcominglocal and national appearances, go towww.blueribbonbaking.com or read herbook, The Road to Blue Ribbon Bakingwith Marjorie (Oh My Gosh! Press Nov.2007). For more information about TheAgePotential Movement, go to www.agepo-tential.com.

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Northeast Senior Services:Seniors helping seniorsBY EMILY HEDGES – CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Kay Acton of Columbia Heights knowswhat Northeast Senior Services means toseniors around the area because she is oneof them. As a long-time board member,she has helped design the non-profit fromthe ground up. As a volunteer, she staysconnected by giving rides to those whocan’t drive or manage public transporta-tion. As an 80-year-old resident, she usesNortheast Senior Services to keep herselfhealthy.

A group of local churches and commu-nity groups formed Northeast SeniorServices in 1973. In 1996, Acton was askedto represent Faith Methodist in St.Anthony Village.

She says her volunteer work has madeher more aware of the needs of others. “Itcan be really lonely for a lot of people. Weprovide a pal to go and visit. People needsomeone to talk to and discuss thingswith. You’ve got to have connections withpeople,” she said.

Kay Anderson, executive director ofNortheast Senior Services, hopes to seethe program expand through volunteerslike Acton.

“I envision a program where seniorscan call other seniors and stay in touch,”she said. “Many seniors don’t drive, sothey kind of get stuck in their house. Theyneed to talk to someone outside to getthem engaged.”

Anderson believes these connectionshave a direct link with improved health.

“When seniors stay at home too muchthey can get depressed and don’t eat well.Sometimes they don’t keep up with doctorappointments. Our program was designedas a way for seniors to connect with some-one,” she said.

Acton provides door-to-door service forseniors who need a ride to their appoint-ments.

“I really enjoy it. I think these olderpeople really appreciate it. Of course nowI’m 80 myself, but I still feel comfortabledriving,” said Acton, whose own motherlived to be 106 years old.

Acton said she usually waits at the

appointments and reads the newspaperunless they will take longer than about anhour. In that case, another volunteermight do the taking or picking up, or she’llgo home and come back.

“They all have a story, and I love hear-ing them. We just have a nice, pleasanttime,” she said. “People feel like you’re aneighbor giving them a ride.”

Acton, a retired school nurse, raisedfive kids in the Columbia Heights schoolsystem. She has 11 grandchildren and fourgreat-grandchildren. She served as theRepublican Chairwoman in ColumbiaHeights for many years until finally get-ting disillusioned by politics.

“When Nixon did his Watergate thing,that’s when I left it,” she said. “I was tiredof politics and went back to work.”

Acton says she has depended onNortheast Senior Services for Medicarecounseling, and regularly uses the exer-cise program offered through NortheastMethodist Church.

“It’s exercise for seniors. Most of it issitting in a chair, but it’s a good, hardworkout,” she said.

She anticipates needing more fromNortheast Senior Services as she ages.

Northeast Senior Services assists resi-dents of Columbia Heights, NewBrighton, St. Anthony Village andNortheast Minneapolis. Northeast SeniorHome Connection helps with low-costyard maintenance, home repairs, electron-ics troubleshooting, housekeeping, andhousing counseling.

Volunteers like Acton provide rides toappointments through the Senior RidesProgram. Riders donate what they canafford. The suggested donation is $8.Seniors can call by noon on Thursday forrides starting the next Monday or after.

Northeast Senior Wellness helps sen-iors improve their health and continue tolive independently. Seniors can sign up tohave a friend to visit with once per weekin-person or by phone.

For more information on services, or tobecome a volunteer, call 612-781-5096 or goto www.neseniors.org.

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