L UTHER H OUSE , 120-126 J ENNERS P OND R OAD , W EST G ROVE , PA 19390
610-869-4240
Luther house gazette
V OLUME 13, I SSUE 3
March 2015
Dare To Be Happy
Dare to be happy - don’t shy away,
Reach out and capture the joy of Today!
Life is for the living! Give it a try;
Open your heart to the sun in the sky.
Dare to be loving, and trusting, and true;
Treasure the hours with those dear to you.
Dare to be kind—it’s more fun then you know;
Give joy to others, and watch your own grow.
Dare to admit all your blessings, and then
Everyday count them all over again.
Dare to be happy, don’t be afraid This is the day that the lord hath made!
March Activities Scheduled
 Tuesday, March 10th Willow Tree Hospice, Senior Helpers & Southeastern Home will be hosting an Irish
Party at 2:30 in LHIII. Irish singer & Irish Food will be served.
 Wednesday, March 11th free mini manicures at 3:15 to 5:15 in LH II.
 Saturday, March 21st Community of Love Church will be hosting a Tea Party & Bingo at 2 pm in LH III.
 Monday, March 23rd Karen Marley from St. Michael Lutheran Church will conduct a sing-a-long in LH I at 2pm.
 Wednesday, March 25th nursing students from Lincoln University will be conducting a clinical study with volunteer residents.
 Wednesday, March 25th students from Lincoln University Nursing School will be conducting a workshop entitled
“Medications: Questions & Answers” at 2 pm in LH III. Refreshments will be served.
 Monday, March 20th Heartland Hospice will be hosting a party at 2pm in LH III.
VOLUME
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Lessons I’ve Learned
- anonymous
When I was a kid, my mom liked to cook.
One night in particular, she had made dinner for
us after a long, hard day at
work. Mom placed a plate of
jam and extremely burnt toast
in front of my dad. I was waiting to see if anyone would notice the burnt toast; but my
dad just ate his toast and asked
me how my day at school
went. I don’t remember what I said
that night, but I do remember my
mom apologized for burning the
toast. My dad replied: “Honey, I love
burnt toast.”
Later that night, I went to kiss
my dad good night. I asked him if he really liked
his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and
said, “Your mommy put in a long hard day at
work today, and she was really tired. Besides,
burnt toast never hurt anyone, but harsh
words do! You know, life is full of imperfect people and I have been known to
forget birthdays and anniversaries like
everyone else.”
What I have learned over the
years, is that learning to accept
each other's faults, and choosing to celebrate each others
differences is one of the most
important keys to creating a
healthy, growing, and lasting
relationship. Life is too short
to wake up with regrets. Love
the people who treat you right, and have compassion for the ones who don’t.
Does Medicare Cover the Shingles Vaccine?
It is recommended that anyone over the age of 60 receive the shingles vaccine. While your original
Medicare Part A & B does not cover the shingles vaccine, the government requires that all Medicare Part
D (also known as “PDP”) plans do. In most cases the patient will obtain a prescription from their physician
and actually get the vaccine from a pharmacy. In cases where there is a trained pharmacist on staff at the
pharmacy the patient can receive the injection at the pharmacy; however, in most cases the patient will
take the vaccine back to their physician to administer the injection in a medical setting. Co-pays may apply
for the physician office visit.
If you are unsure if the shingles vaccine is covered by your prescription drug plan, contact your Part
D plan. Part D plans have very specific rules about how to get the shingles vaccine. For example, a plan
may only cover the injection if you get it in a health provider’s office and not a pharmacy. Some plans
might also ask that you pay your doctor upfront for the vaccine and then seek reimbursement.
Ask your Part D plan: How much will I be charged for the vaccine? Do I need to get the shot at a specific location in order for it to be covered? Can I get the vaccine at a pharmacy or drugstore and get reimbursed by my plan? How will the plan pay for the administration of the shot if I get it in my doctor’s office? Will I need to pay my doctor upfront and seek reimbursement from the plan?
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L UTHER H OUSE G AZETTE
Foods Which are Dangerous to Animals
It can be very tempting to offer
pets food from the table, but pets
should not be given human food unless
recommended by your veterinarian.
Chocolate contains theobromine,
a chemical that is toxic to dogs in large
enough quantities. Chocolate also contains caffeine, which is found in coffee,
tea, and certain soft drinks. Even a few
ounces of chocolate can be enough
to cause illness or death in a small
dog.
Grapes and raisins can cause
acute (sudden) kidney failure in cats
and dogs.
Garlic and onions contain
chemicals that damage red blood
cells in cats and dogs. Affected red
blood cells can rupture or lose their
ability to carry oxygen effectively.
Cooking these foods does not reduce
their potential toxicity.
Other dangerous foods include:
milk (lactose intolerance prevents
break down of milk sugar leading to
dehydration), raw eggs (salmonella, e-coli,
and/or prevents absorption of vitamin B), alcoholic beverages (damage to respiratory and
nervous system), fat trimmings and bones
(choking, obstruction and lacerations in digestive
tract), apple seeds, apricot pits, cherry pits, coffee (grounds, beans, and chocolate-covered espresso beans), gum (can cause blockages and
sugar free gums may contain the toxic sweetener
Xylitol), hops (used in home beer brewing),
avocados, macadamia nuts, moldy foods,
mushrooms, mustard seeds, peach pits, potato leaves and stems (green parts) rhubarb
leaves, salt, tomato leaves and stems (green
parts), walnuts and yeast dough
(contains ethanol).
Many cases of human food toxicity in
pets are accidental. A pet may find and
chew on a package of gum or candy, or
steal food from a countertop or table.
The best way to prevent this is to keep
all food items in closed cabinets or in
areas that are inaccessible to pets.
Some cases of food toxicity in pets occur when pets are given a human food
that contains a dangerous component.
Children should also be taught to never
give human food items to pets. In many
cases, early recognition and treatment
are critical.
If you suspect your pet may have eaten
a dangerous food, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Coffee Social with Tim *Keeping it on the SUNNY SIDE*
All residents are invited.
Every Friday night at 5 pm - we will be meeting in a different building.
BLESSINGS! …time to talk about the good things in life
* Crafts - Refreshments - Activities *
March 6th in LH I March 13th in LH II March 20th in LH III March 27th in LH IV
Volunteer - If you have a story, poem, recipe, painting, photo, idea, etc. you would like to share in
future Luther House Gazettes - Call Diane at 610-869-4240 ext. 111.
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When Your Prescription Drug Plan Denies Paying for a Medication
When your pharmacist told you your insurance would not cover your drug, you should have received
a notice titled Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage and Your Rights. This notice provides a general set of
options for you to potentially get your drug covered. When you receive this notice, call your plan to ask
why your drug was denied and share this information with your doctor who prescribed the drug. The
drug may have been denied because it is not on your plan’s formulary, or because it has restrictions like
prior authorization, quantity limits, or step therapy. After reading this notice and speaking with your plan
about the reason for denial, you and your doctor should submit an exception request.
You can make your exception request over the phone or in writing, but it is recommended that you
send your request to your plan in writing.You must include a letter from your doctor that states why you
need this drug, and that the drugs on the formulary will not work as well for you or will harm you. This
is called a letter of medical necessity.You also can include any medical records that support your request.
You must specifically state what kind of exception you are requesting.You and your doctor may request that the plan covers a drug that is not on the plan’s formulary, or that the plan overrides a drug restriction, such as requiring step therapy before it will cover your drug. Keep copies of all documents and
records that you send to your plan.
Your plan must issue a decision within 72 hours of receiving your exception request. Know that if it
is an emergency and your health is in danger, your doctor can request a fast, or expedited, exception request. If your plan approves your exception request, your drug will typically be covered for the rest of
the calendar year.
Be somebody who makes everybody feel like somebody.
Local Lions Club Donates
Vision Aid Devices to LH
Volunteers from
St. Michael Lutheran Church
The West Grove Lions Club donated 2 magnification assistive devices to be used by residents
with impaired vision. The devices were placed in
the libraries of LH I and LH III. All residents are
encouraged to use the assistive devices to help
with reading. User guides are available at each station.
Local Community College Students seek Volunteers to Interview
The Chester County Technical College is looking for several volunteers to interview for a school project. Residents will be asked questions about their life experiences. Volunteers will provide students with
an opportunity to develop interviewing skills and present what they have learned to their fellow classmates. If interested, call Diane at 610-869-4240 ext. 111.
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SPCA of Chester County Announces Food Pantry Program
The SPCA Pet Food Pantry is open the 2nd and 3rd Saturday of each month.
Eligible participants will need to provide proof of eligibility such as: Snap benefits, Medicaid, Social security or SSI, Unemployment or Low income statement
(under $20,000/year - $25,000 if dependents). For more information call Julie
Lundy at 610-696-6113 x 216. Chester County SPCA. 1212 Phoenixville Pike,
West Chester, PA 19380.
Spotlight on Resources

Waiver program provides long-term supportive services to qualified older persons 60+ who wish
to remain in their home with supports. Program qualifications: 60 years or older, require nursing facility level of care, meet financial eligibility criteria. Income limit is $2,130 a month for a single person. The asset limit is $8,000 for single person. Note: only the participant’s income is counted. Call
610-344-6350 for details.

Tax Preparation help can be found at area Senior Centers.

PACE is a State-run Pharmacy Program for Pennsylvanians 65
years of age and older and a resident of PA. for last 90 days
run by the state lottery. PACE covers most prescription medications except for co-pay of $6 for Generic and $9 for Brand
name medications. The income limits for eligibility for PACE
is $1,208 Gross Income or less for a single person and $1,475
for a married couple (counts interest, not principle). There is
a Medicare Part B disregard. There are no asset limits. A senior who exceeds those incomes, see PACENET. PACE covers
up to $26.59/month for your Medicare part D monthly premium.You may have other Rx coverage except for full Medicaid. Call 1-717-787-7313 for details or 1-800-225-7223 for card members.

PACENET another tier of eligibility under PACE Program extends eligibility income. For persons age
65+, the income limit is $1,958 for a single person and $2,625 for a married couple. There is a Medicare Part B disregard. There are no asset limits. There is a $40 monthly deductible. Once you have met
this each month, you will pay a co-pay of $9 for Generic and $15 for Brand name medications.You
may have other Rx coverage except for full Medicaid. Call 1-717-787-7313 for details.
Good Neighbor Reminders:

Do not place card board down trash chute. All trash MUST be bagged and tied.

Remind your home health aids not to park in parking spaces marked RESERVED.
Our lives begin to end the day we stay silent about things that matter.
- Martin Luther King, JR.
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This Month in History
Birthday - American band leader Glenn Miller (1904-1944) was born in Carilinda, Iowa. His music
gained enormous popularity during the 1940's through recordings such as Moonlight Serenade and
String of Pearls. On December 15, 1944, his plane disappeared over the
English Channel while en route to Paris, where he was scheduled to perform.
March 3, 1913 - A women's suffrage march in Washington D.C. was attacked by angry onlookers while police stood by. Many of the 5,000
women participating were spat upon and struck in the face as a near riot
ensued. Secretary of War Henry Stimson then ordered soldiers from Fort
Myer to restore order.
March 4, 1681 - King Charles II of England granted a huge tract of land in the New
World to William Penn to settle an outstanding debt. The area later became Pennsylvania.
March 4, 1933 - Newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt took
office and delivered his first inaugural address attempting to restore
public confidence during the Great Depression, stating, "Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself..."
His cabinet appointments included the first woman to a Cabinet post,
Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins.
March 5, 1946 - The "Iron Curtain" speech was delivered by Winston Churchill at Westminster
College in Fulton, Missouri. Churchill used the term to describe the boundary in Europe between
free countries of the West and nations of Eastern Europe under Soviet Russia's control.
March 11March 12, 1609 - The island of Bermuda was colonized by the British after a ship on its
way to Virginia was wrecked on the reefs.
The Origin of Phrases
Happy as a clam - The derivation comes from the fuller version of the phrase, now rarely
heard - “as happy as a clam at high water.” High tide is when clams are free from the attentions of
predators. The phrase originated in the north-eastern states of the USA in the early 19th century. The first written record is from the Pennsylvania newspaper The Adams Sentinel, August
1844:"Crispin was soon hammering and whistling away as happy as a clam at high water."
Gone Haywire - Hay-wire is the light wire that was used in baling machines to tie up bales of
hay. At the turn of the 20th century the expression “a haywire outfit” began to be used in the
USA. This was used to describe companies that patched-up faulty machinery using such wire, rather than making proper long-term fixes.
In 1905, The US Forestry Bureau Bulletin described a “Hay wire outfit” as a contemptuous term
for loggers with poor logging equipment. By 1920, the use of haywire to mean 'awry' or 'out of
control' was recorded in Dialect Notes, Volume 82:"Hay wire meaning gone wrong.” To go haywire was recorded in the late 1920s "...their anxiety to score let their passing game go haywire
with many wild heaves finding marks in the bleachers."
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L UTHER H OUSE G AZETTE
Please REMEMBER OUR TROOPS
in your thoughts and prayers, and especially:

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


Bryan Hammell, grandson of Mary
Hammell (LH I)
Joseph M. Morrone, grandson of Rose Morrone (LH II)
James Edward Tackett, grandson of Jennifer
Rosa (LH IV)
Brock Morris, nephew of Jen Rosa (LH IV)
Steven Vansant, grandson of Helen Vansant
(LHI)
Jason Sunderland, son of Phyllis Sunderland
(LHI)
Jonathan Shavor, grandson of Nancy & Bob
Brynildsen (LH II)
Gregory Shaneman, grandson of Hilda
Shaneman (LH I)
Stephen Burke, grandson of Vera Passmore
(LH III)
My Favorite Recipe ...
Pineapple Stuffing
Becky Lockerby
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 - 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
5 slices of white bread, cubed
Cream together butter and sugar; beat in eggs
one at a time. Stir in crushed pineapple. Fold
mixture into bread cubes.
Turn mixture into buttered 9 by 9 inch casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350° for 1 hr. Let
sit for 5 minutes before serving.
On the Mountain Top
by Ron Sylvina, LH IV
Grandparent’s
Corner Blessed
are they who
spoil & snuggle, hug
& hope,
pray & pamper,
boost & brag,
...for they shall be
called
GRANDPARENTS!
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VO
OLUME
I was walking up a hill one day
when I saw a mountain in front of me.
I said, “I must climb to the top
of that mountain.”
When I got to top of the mountain,
I heard a voice call out:
“I have been waiting for you.
I am the Lord God Almighty
and I want to be with you everyday.
I will pray for you.”
And, at that time the voice disappeared.
I then came down from the mountain
but I heard the voice one more time.
“Remember, I will be with you forever.”
And he is - in my heart.
PAGE 7
Don’t say
you don’t have enough time.
You have exactly
the same number of hours as
Helen Keller, Louis Pasteur,
Michelangelo, Abraham Lincoln,
Thomas Jefferson,
and Albert Einstein.
Luther House
Information
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday
8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
“By the garden gate”
Painting by
Lorraine DeHaven
Happy Birthday
March
1 - Hilda Shaneman - I
2 - Brenda Martin - I
Phyllis Cogdill - II
Telephone: 610-869-4240 or
TTY/TDD AT 7-1-1 to connect
through the PA Relay Service
for Hearing Impaired
4 - Bertha Moore - II
www.lutherhousepa.org
13 - Shirley Kurtz - II
6 - Mary Jane Irwin - III
10 - Margaret Russell - III
Dell Gary - III
16 - Marian Pitts - III
20 - Ruth Wells - I
After hour maintenance
emergencies, please dial:
610-869-4240 ext. 0
Luther House is an equal
housing opportunity
organization providing housing
regardless of race, color,
religion, sex, handicap
or national origins.
Articles are due by the 24th
for next month’s publication.
Diane Berquist, reporter and
layout
Katie Parker, activity calendar
P AGE 8
21 - Asik Mehdihanian - II
22 - Kornelija Jaunakais - I
24 - Richard Boyer - II
25 - Mary Dennison - III
26 - Jean Dorety - II
27 - Ray Walker - I
28 - Beverly Lowthert - III
30 - Jean Root - I
31 - Virginia Sloyer - III
April
1 - Patricia Ramirez - II
Jean Stewart - III
2 - Elsie Woodward - II
5 - Gloria Tucker - II
6 - Arthur Ianni - III
Albert Watson - IV
11 - Venice Atwood - III
Vera Passmore - III
Barbara Atwood - III
Charlene Sweede - IV
12 - Becky Lockerby - IV
16 - Betty Schroder - I
17 - Catherine Silverman - I
18 - Wanda Madron - IV
20 - Elizabeth Cleveland - II
22 - Jo Rahme - II
Nancy Dry - IV
23 - Helen Carlin - II
24 - Linda Hamby - II
25 - Grace Peterson - I
Doris Trimble - IV
28 - Hazel Owens - I
Sara Duko - II
29 - Edna Farmer - I
Learn to listen.
Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
L UTHER H OUSE G AZETTE