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Senior Center News, March 2, 2021

North Central Senior Citizens Center April 5-9

April Menu by Earlene DeWinter Subject to change

Monday — Baked zita, salad, bread sticks

Tuesday — Salad, meatloaf, Au gratin potatoes, green beans, rolls, carrot cake

Wednesday — Oven-baked fish, rice pilaf, broccoli, coffee cake

Thursday — Chicken strips, french fries, salad, cookies

Friday — Soup, chef’s choice, dessert

The Senior Center’s doors are still closed to the public. We are providing limited services by phone with individuals bringing their paperwork down to the center. Help is being given over the phone when possible.

Tax preparation information

The AARP Tax Preparation people are having major challenges reaching people to help them with their taxes. People still are not answering their phones. They will try to contact you two or three times. After that your name will go to the bottom of the call list. If you don’t want this to happen, please answer your phone.

If you want your taxes done, put your name on the call list at the Senior Center and the preparers will contact you to set up an appointment. If you have a PRIVATE or RESTRICTED be sure to answer your phone — it may be one of the tax preparers. They are having problems with people not answering their phone or phones not working so they are unable to schedule appointments. As much as we don’t like the scam calls, you can hang up on them. Answer your phone in case it is from the AARP tax people so they don’t have to keep trying to call. They are taking additional seniors on their call list this week. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

On the day of your appointment, please wait it the alley by the doors on the west side of the building. Someone will come out and get you as they limited to the number of people they can have in the building at any given time.

They thank you for your patience.

Transportation: The Senior Center is providing medical transportation only. Remember to call ahead for Friday’s appointments. Monday and Thursday rides have to be worked around grocery delivery.

Congregate meals: We are still continuing to provide meals at the North Central Senior Citizens Center as grab-and-go meals while we are still closed. If you would like to pick up a meal, please be sure to call the center before 10 a.m. to order your meal through the kitchen. Your meals may be picked up at the center from 11:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m Monday through Friday. If you would like to, you may order a meal for one day or put in your order for the entire week. If you would please let us know which meals you would be like ahead of time, it would be beneficial in preparation so we are aware of how much food to fix each day.

If you wanted to change your Part D insurance, but didn’t get things done in a timely manner because of the Covid-19 situation, contact the Senior Center to see if it can be done now.

With the isolation, challenges are being felt by some people be a friendly neighbor. Contact a senior or a Veteran that may be facing challenges just to see how they are doing. The personal contact will help them feel a great deal better.

Important phone numbers:

• Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

• Tumbleweed Runaway and Family Crisis Program: 259-2558 (local) 1-888-816-4702 (toll free)

• Friendship Line by Institute on Aging - The Friendship Line is both a crisis intervention hotline and a warm-line for non-emergency emotional support calls. It is a 24-hour toll-free line and the only accredited crisis line in the country for people aged 60 years and older, and adults living with disabilities. Toll-Free Line: (800) 971-0016

• For those seniors getting frustrated with staying home and needing someone to talk to you can call 1-877-688-3377 for Montana’s Warm Line.

We encourage you to check out our Facebook Live from March 4 on government imposter phone scams below. Please share these scam resources with your friends and family—and help us spread the word on social media.

Doctor explains ‘pandemic brain fog’ and shares 3 helpful tips

By Kerry Breen, today.com

As the country enters its second year of pandemic precautions, many people are reporting feeling a “pandemic brain fog” that leaves them absent-minded or forgetful.

NBC News investigative and consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen called the pandemic brain fog an “umbrella” term “that covers a lot of things happening in our heads,” like an inability to focus, difficulty sleeping, feelings of negativity and more. The Atlantic reported on the anecdotal phenomenon earlier this month.

According to Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour, a professor of neurology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, the feelings of brain fog can be caused by a wide range of factors, including isolation, anxiety, lack of sleep, a decreased level of exercise and more. All of those feelings can fatigue the brain, especially the frontal network, which contributes to memory, recall and attention.

Removing social and physical stimulation with safety measures like quarantining and social distancing also removes some mental stimulation.

“These factors can affect the way we think and the way we function, how our brain functions,” Bonakdarpour said. “We haven’t been going out as much. We are not getting enough light. Our daily structures have changed. Our environments have changed. We are distracted more. We have to work, for example, in our houses. There are kids around for some people.”

Tyus Williams, an ecologist earning his doctorate at UC Berkeley, told Nguyen that his brain fog made it hard to think clearly.

“There’s this kind of staggered delay in performance for me in my day-to-day activities, and I physically feel it, and I can cognitively realize it,” Williams said. “I just feel like there’s kind of like this lull that holds me back a little bit. ... Something’s not right here.”

Many on social media reported feeling similarly.

Penn State assistant professor Pepsi Umberger said that in her classroom, many of her students have been mentally absent during class and had difficulties with deadlines and thinking clearly. Many wrote in school journals that they couldn’t focus on or absorb class material. Now, she’s teaching a course that aims to exercise minds and relieve stress.

“We start each of the classes with a meditation,” Umberger said. “One of the exercises (the students) enjoyed the most (is) the ‘Tear It Up’ exercise. You’re just writing down all the stresses that are in your life right now, and then you’re tearing it up into small little pieces.”

Umberger said that her students have reported feeling better.

“The students said that they felt that they had good tools for managing stress, and they felt a little bit more relaxed,” Umberger said.

Bonakdarpour said that people looking to battle their brain fog should try three steps:

1. Safely socializing with friends and family, preferably outdoors.

Movement and regular exercise can also help: Bonakdarpour advises adding short bouts of exercise to your day when possible. Getting outside for a walk, especially on a sunny day, can make a major impact.

2. Challenge your brain with activities like puzzles and reading.

Need a new book recommendation? Check out Jenna Bush Hager’s March book club pick: “What’s Mine and Yours” by Naima Coster.

3. Listen to music more often.

“Music is very close to our memory. Music that we are familiar with, that brings back memories,” Bonakdarpour said. “It taps into our attention. It can stimulate the brain. So it actually creates a feeling that you are with someone and you’re not alone, so it creates a sense of socialization.”

While the pandemic brain fog can feel alarming, Nguyen said that experts don’t think the effects will be permanent once the pandemic comes to an end.

“The good news is that our brains are resilient,” Nguyen said. “Experts don’t think this is permanent, as long as we can go back to some of our routines and interactions. They say healthy diet and getting enough sleep (is) also vital for your brain.”

 

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