From The New York Times website
While news reports focus on an epidemic of opioid abuse among young adults, another totally legal and usually hidden drug epidemic is occurring at the other end of the age spectrum: the fistfuls of remedies — both prescription and over-the-counter — taken by older adults.
While news reports focus on an epidemic of opioid abuse among young adults, another totally legal and usually hidden drug epidemic is occurring at the other end of the age spectrum: the fistfuls of remedies — both prescription and over-the-counter — taken by older adults.
According to the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, people aged 65 to 69 take an average of 15 prescriptions a year, and those aged 80 to 84 take 18 prescriptions a year. And that’s in addition to the myriad over-the-counter drugs, herbal remedies, vitamins and minerals they may take, any of which — alone or in combination — could cause more problems than they cure.
Among people over 65, 44 percent of men and 57 percent of women take five or more nonprescription and/or prescription drugs a week, and 12 percent take 10 or more.
Harold G. DeMello Jr., 79, of Henderson, Nevada, died on December 6, 2019 in Las Vegas. He was born on March 30, 1940 in Honolulu.
Visitation: 9:30 am; Service: 10:15 am on Thursday, January 9, 2019 at St. John Vianney Church, Kailua.
Private Interment on Friday, January 10, 2019 at Oahu Cemetery, Honolulu.
Retiree News extends heartfelt sympathy to Harold’s family and friends.
Related Retiree News posts:
Check Six: Old Friends from Maintenance – 35+ years ago
Retiree Update: John, Ray and Harold
Retiree Update: Old Friends from Maintenance
Harold served in several positions in the 154th Wing’s maintenance complex during his long career in Hawaii Air National Guard. For many years, he was the engine shop chief and later moved to the docks. He retired as a chief master sergeant. A super individual!
The pūpūkahi is the State of Hawaii Department of Defense monthly newsletter. Printed versions of the pūpūkahi have been the “command information” newsletter for decades, however, it was suspended in 2009 due to budget cuts. It is now a digital e-newsletter posted quarterly.
Click here to read the Winter 2019 digital pūpūkahi
Kudos to State Public Affairs Office (MAJ (R) Jeffrey Hickman, TSgt Andrew Jackson, Krystal Kawabata) and the Hawaii Army and Air National Guard contributors for another GREAT issue.
From the U.S. News & World Report website
Retirement is not a single event. It is a process that begins long before you leave work and continues for the rest of your life.
Here are some tips on how to transition into retirement and beyond.
From the U.S. News & World Report website
We’ve often heard that your ZIP code is a better predictor of health than your genetic code. And while most solutions focus on addressing social determinants of health like access to healthy food and transportation, we must acutely address another key barrier to good health: social isolation.
Studies show that loneliness and social isolation can significantly impact our health and overall well-being. In fact, research has shown that loneliness can be as harmful to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Aloha and Happy Holidays from sunny Hawaii. Best wishes from the State of Hawaii, Department of Defense.
Ken Hara
Major General Kenneth S. Hara
Adjutant General
State of Hawaii, Department of Defense
From the Images of Old Hawaii website
An early (possibly the first evidence of Western Christmas in the Hawaiian Islands) involves Captain Dixon on the Queen Charlotte at Waimea, Kauai, noting “This being Christmas, that season of the year so universally convivial throughout the civilized world, we spent our time as agreeably, and with plenty of as good chear we could procure, such as roast pig, sea-pie, &c. &c …” “… and to shew our refined taste, even in our liquor, we no longer drank grog mixed with simple water, but offered our Christmas libations in punch, mixed with the juice of the cocoa-nut, toasting our friends and mistresses in bumpers of this liquor, …”
Sailing with Dixon, on the King George, was Captain Portlock, who “found it would be impracticable for us to reach Wymoa before night came on; at this time we were not far from a comfortable house belonging to Abbenooe (at Niihau) …”
“White Christmas” is a 1942 Irving Berlin song reminiscing about an old-fashioned Christmas setting. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the world’s best-selling single with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide (as of 2018).
Merry Christmas from the Retiree News Staff
Off the Hawaii Air National Guard Facebook page
We see the Holiday season as a very special time of the year because it brings new opportunities for people to take care of one another, including our veterans. Members of the Hawaii Air National Guard, their families and Active-Duty friends came together this weekend to provide a Holiday Luncheon for veterans in need.
Warm meals, donations and all kinds of entertainment was provided to lift spirits and help our veterans get back on their feet. We especially enjoyed watching the HANG Ohana, a music group comprised of maintenance Airmen, share their talents on this occasion.
This annual event is part of the United States Veterans Initiative, a program that support veterans with housing, rehabilitation and job opportunities.
The Hawaii National Guard Association will host its annual golf tournament – the 2020 HNGA Warrior Classic – on Friday, February 7, 2020. The flyer above lists information about the tournament.
Off the Hawaii Air National Guard Facebook page
We are proud to be making strides toward cleaner energy sources. Our Commander and Chief, Governor David Ige, Hawaii Adjutant General, and partners joined us today during a project-blessing ceremony on the Hawaii Air National Guard Campus. A state-of-the-art microgrid facility is now in development, which is designed to produce renewable and alternate energy sources. We see this as an opportunity to create more sustainable power alternatives for future generations and are excited to be a part of it!
This project is managed by the State’s Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies (HCATT). Col (R) David Molinaro is the current HCATT director. He replaced Brig Gen (R) Stan Osserman who retired earlier this year.
From the Kaiser Health News website
It was a promise Matt Perrin wasn’t able to keep. “I’ll never take away your independence,” he’d told his mother, Rosemary, then 71, who lived alone on Cape Cod, Mass., in a much-loved cottage.
That was before Rosemary started calling Perrin and her brother, confused and disoriented, when she was out driving. Her Alzheimer’s disease was progressing.
Worried about the potential for a dangerous accident, Perrin took away his mother’s car keys, then got rid of her car. She was furious.
For family caregivers, this is a common, anxiety-provoking dilemma. They’ll promise Mom or Dad that they can stay at home through the end of their lives and never go to assisted living or a nursing home. Or they’ll commit to taking care of a spouse’s needs and not bringing paid help into the home. Or they’ll vow to pursue every possible medical intervention in a medical crisis.
23 December 1974. First flight of the Rockwell (now part of Boeing) B-1 Lancer, American four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber. pic.twitter.com/GXeQxGrOJs
— Ron Eisele (@ron_eisele) December 23, 2018
Retiree News 