Jubilación

A UARA publication for retirees

Volume 28, No. 1

September 2006

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Janice Murphy, President, University of Arizona Retirees Association

Each fall brings an air of excitement and possibilities. I feel this about UARA as we begin the 2006/7 year.

We welcome new leadership to the Council: Fenita King, treasurer; Linda Pace, luncheon coordinator; Lauren Johnson, Women's Studies; Dr. Richard Willey, OASIS; and Drs. John Guilbert and Thomas Rehm, with Corny Steelink, comprise the seminar committee.

The energetic and thoughtful approaches to their responsibilities of our returning leaders, Bob Sankey, Helen Mautner, Dusty Johnson, Jim Burke, Uwe Fink, Les Forster, Dianne Bret Harte, Jo Henry, Corinne Wilson, Heather Lukach, Kathleen Gonzalez Landis, make this organization. Each and every one is invaluable. It's hard to stop naming, all of our Council members contribute so much. UARA is, indeed, fortunate.

At the May meeting, the Council addressed the issue of how best to serve you through UARA. Taking that information together with the results of the annual Spring Ballot Survey, to which many of you responded, resulted in a plan of action that we will begin to implement this year. In addition to our luncheons, seminars, and newsletters, we will actively seek to identify and strengthen our ties to the University and to retiree organizations that we believe will be of interest and benefit to you.

As a beginning, members of our Executive Committee had a very positive meeting with President Shelton in July. We are pleased that he will be our guest speaker at the October luncheon at the Skyline Country Club and that you will have a chance to meet and hear him there.

For the first time in my experience, UARA is cosponsoring a seminar with Human Resources, on October 12, featuring ASRS Director Paul Matson. If your pension is through the ASRS Defined Benefit Plan or the Defined Contribution System, this is one seminar you will want to attend. Paul Matson has the answers and the vision.

Our Council is a congenial, entertaining and caring group to work with. This year

CONTENTS

President's Message 2

President Shelton 2

Loss 2

Let Jo Know 3

Yall Scholarship Fund 3

New Options 3

Legislative Update 4

Campus Parking 6

WOSAC 7

You are Invited 7

Candidates' Forum 7

SAGE Changes Name 8

Did You Do It? 9

Communication Aging 9

Upcoming Events 10

PCOA Volunteers 10

Fall Lecture 11

(continued on page 2)

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(President's Message continued from page 1)

UARA MEETS WITH PRESIDENT SHELTON

Bob Sankey, Vice President

On July 20, UARA past presidents Dusty Johnson, Cornelius Steelink and current UARA vice president Bob Sankey met with newly appointed UA President Robert Shelton to share information with him regarding UARA and UA retirees in general. We discussed issues of particular interest to UA retirees, current benefits for UA retirees, the Arizona State Retirement System, the relationship between UA and UARA, and the organization, purposes and programs of UARA.

Dr. Shelton revealed considerable knowledge and interest in retiree issues and expressed his appreciation for the efforts of UARA to provide programming and support for retirees' needs. The discussion was lively and very beneficial. We expressed our appreciation for being able to meet with him so early in his tenure as president.

UARA members will have an opportunity to hear from Dr. Shelton directly on October 21 when he is scheduled to be our luncheon speaker at the Skyline Country Club.

we're planning to devote some time in each meeting to an invited speaker. The months and speakers for the fall semester are: October, George Evanoff, Chair, Governor's Council on Issues of Aging; November, Peter McAllister, Director, School of Music. Council meetings are held the second Tuesday of the month, 9 a.m., in room 303 of the Swede Johnson Building. Come to one meeting or as many as you like. We welcome you to any and all!

In my opinion, an organization is only as good as those members who are willing to work for its success. We have two such members who have officially "retired" from responsibilities they have had. Dr. Robert Calmes for many years arranged for the wonderful luncheons we have enjoyed. Finding locations that can handle our numbers, negotiating reasonable prices for a varied menu, Dr. Calmes took good care of us! Corinne Wilson has served as UARA treasurer since 1994. She is one of those invaluable members who recognizes a need and sets about taking care of it, so her service has not been confined to being treasurer! Her sons have convinced her that she needs to take some time for herself. One of her pet projects has been the UARA/Irving Yall Book Scholarship and we are delighted that she will continue with that. We are grateful for the generous service of these two.

My special thanks to Dr. Robert Sankey, who has assumed the responsibilities of UARA president, and to Dianne Bret Harte, who is handling the Tucson coordination of Jubilación, during my absence this fall.

With a good plan and your support, this can be a splendid year.

With best wishes,

Janice Murphy

LOSS

We are sad about the loss of a long-time friend and member of UARA. Herb Abrams, past president of UARA and ongoing supporter _ he was an active participant at the March UARA Council meeting _ died July 9, 2006. Herb came to the U of A in 1968 to head the Department of Family and Community Medicine and worked tirelessly for the betterment of the University and the community.

University of Arizona Retirees Association Mission Statement

Purpose:  to foster the benefit, interests, and well-being of the retired faculty and staff of the University of Arizona through social, educational, and promotional activities, as well as to encourage continuing contact between retirees and the University.

Membership: open to University of Arizona retired faculty, staff, their spouses, and surviving spouses.

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LET JO KNOW

Jo Henry, UARA Membership Chair, requests your help by notifying her whenever you are aware of an address change or the death of a University of Arizona retiree: jhenry@email.arizona.edu; 520-744-2779; 8550 N. Hartman, Tucson 85742. Jo regularly reports to Systems and your help in notifying her of such changes is greatly appreciated.

It has been a rough ride, but what a wonderful accomplishment!

Editor's Note: Time passes so quickly and it will soon be time to make end-of-the-year decisions. Please keep the UARA Irving Yall Scholarship fund in mind so we can help more students. Checks should be made payable to the UA Foundation, specify on the memo line that it is for the UARA/Irving Yall Scholarship fund, and send it to Treasurer Fenita King, P.O. Box 42391, Tucson 85733.

IRVING YALL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Corinne Wilson

In the early 1990s, the Executive Board of UARA decided to give back to the University by establishing a book scholarship for a freshman or sophomore Arizona resident attending the University of Arizona. The sum of $10,000 was needed to establish the scholarship, which remains in perpetuity.

A most generous benefactress wrote a check in the amount of $4,750 to complete our $10,000. Thanks to Jency Hauser Yall our scholarship was accomplished. (So now you know why it is called the Irving Yall Book Scholarship.)

Poor investing by the University found our fund losing $700 in the first year leaving us with $9,300 instead of the $10,000. Once again, it was pleading for help to get back to our $10,000 so a $500 scholarship could be given to a needy student.

Finally, in 2004, our fund was $10,500, giving us the $500 for the scholarship going to our first recipient, Jeffrey Guilfoyle. The 2005 $500 went to Shante Womack and the 2006 recipient is Danyel Winn, a pre-physiology major.

I wish to thank all members of UARA who have continuously contributed through the years to make this a reality.

NEW OPTIONS FOR "SYSTEM" MEMBERS?

Jim Burke and Uwe Fink, Legislative Action Committee Co-Chairs

Sometime in August and September, ASRS is expected to invite the remaining members of the old (defined contribution) System to participate in open discussions of several new retirement options currently under consideration, options designed to obviate the anticipated volatility of future pension benefits. (Of the total benefits now being paid to retired System members, only about 37 % are guaranteed. The remaining 63% comes from excess earnings distributed as Supplemental Credits to the accounts of working members and as 13^th checks to retired members. In any year when System fund assets shrink to less than 95% of liabilities, ASRS must reduce benefits. Because 63% of current benefits are non-guaranteed, there is plenty of room for such reductions.) The average age of the current 1800 System retirees is about 76. There are 230 non-retired members, most of who are not currently working for the State or any of its political subdivisions. As of June 30, 2005, the assets of the System were equal to 107% of System liabilities. Preliminary calculations for fiscal year 2006 indicate that this factor will increase to about 109% effective 6/30/06. During the past year ASRS has been working with Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a Marsh & McLennan Company, to determine how much System members would have to pay into the Plan to transform their current non-guaranteed benefits into guaranteed benefits, either without Permanent Benefit Increases (PBIs), on the one hand, or and with PBIs, on the other. At the July 21 meeting of the ASRS Board of Trustees, Mercer gave their first public presentation of numerical results from their initial studies, which look quite

(continued on page 4)

WHO-BE-LAH-SEEOHN = Jubilación

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( New Options, continued from page 3)

promising. It appears that older retired members can transfer into the Plan with little or no reduction in current benefits, but without PBIs, or at a cost of about 4% of benefits to be eligible for PBIs. Younger retired members would see larger, though still modest, reductions.

Under the current proposal, two options other than transfer to the Plan would be available to System members: (2) remain in the System or (3) take a Lump Sum and terminate ASRS membership. In the view of one of us (JB) the current form of option (3) is inconsistent with the inherent nature of our "Life Annuity" insurance policies, wherein all retirees have implicitly agreed to pool their account balances at retirement, plus all gains thereon, so as to provide lifetime pension benefits to the longest-lived members, whose personal account balances at retirement, plus gains thereon, couldn't possibly even begin to support their current benefits at age 90 and beyond. We have several other questions about the results of the study that need to be addressed before we think we understand it well enough to choose correctly among the options. These should be answered in the course of the next few months as ASRS presents its current proposals at public meetings with members. As all members should appreciate, the questions being addressed at these meetings are of great importance and deserve serious attention and consideration. ASRS will be listening very carefully to the questions and comments of all members who come to the meetings. If members show sufficient interest in transferring into the Plan, ASRS is ready to prepare draft legislation for the 2007 Session of the Legislature, enabling transfer in 2008, at a cost to be determined by the funding status of the System on June 30, 2007.

As we (JB & UF) gain a better understanding of the current results of the Mercer study and its underlying assumptions, we will be putting together a working paper analyzing, as best we can, its strength and weaknesses, etc. Our purpose is to ensure that the final set of options are as fair as possible to each and every member of the System while retaining consistency with the collective, mutual features that have always characterized retirement under both the System and the Plan, and with the requirement that the various retirement options available in both are actuarially neutral. Because we are both System retirees, we are highly motivated to become as informed as possible. Our working paper will be available as an email attachment to anyone who emails either of us with a request for a copy. Our email addresses are listed on the back page of this issue of Jubilación .

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Keith Meredith

The Legislature adjourned sine die on June 22; the effective date of most bills passed will be September 21, 2006. The Governor signed one of the two bills supported by the Coalition of Arizona State Retirees Associations in both 2005 and 2006 on April 12, though in a weaker form than introduced in 2005. Originally labeled the "Spousal Consent" bill, HB 2082 had to be reshaped into the "Spousal Notification" bill in order to move all the way through the legislative process. The bill says that a member must notify his/her current spouse before either:

1. naming a beneficiary other than the current spouse or

2. changing the beneficiary if the current spouse is the beneficiary at the time of change.

Similar notification is required in the naming or changing of contingent annuitants of members who elect, or later wish to rescind, any of the "Joint & Survivor" or "Period Certain" retirement options.

The other Coalition-supported bill, Graded Multiplier (Equity) - HB 2390, stalled in the House in March, never to be revived. It would have placed an additional burden on the contribution rates of both employers and employees at a time when ASRS and legislators were trying to find ways to decrease that burden. The bill had the important goal of bringing the pension benefits of those who retired before August 11, 2001, to the levels granted by the Legislature to those who retired thereafter. Because the funding status of ASRS passed from bright to dim in 2001, the Legislature is between "a rock and a hard place" on this one. While we believe that the Coalition should continue reminding the Legislature of the need to correct the inequities attendant to their 2001 Graded Multiplier error, we see little prospect of gaining equity any time soon.

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ASRS was active this year in finding support for several successful bills that will help reduce the burden on current contribution rates, among them the Termination Incentive Program - HB 2103, which clarifies existing law with respect to who pays for such retirement incentives (employers, not ASRS); Repeal of the ASRS Modified DROP Program - HB 2340, which cancels a potentially costly program passed in 2001 but never implemented because of unresolved IRS issues and Optional Forms of Retirement - HB 1167, which limits the ability of a retired member to alternate between benefit options. (The implementation of this successful bill will have to await the receipt of a private letter ruling from the IRS.)

The web site www.azleg.gov has all the details of these bills and others, and much more.

Cancellation of Permanent Benefit Increases from 2006 to ?????

Readers of this newsletter were warned that Permanent Benefit Increases (PBI) and Enhanced Permanent Benefit Increases (EPBI) would not be available this year or for several future years (Actuaries project that 2012 will be the magic year for return of the PBI and EPBI.). ASRS sent out notices to all retirees over a year ago warning them of this event. Additionally, notices were provided through Employer meetings, the ASRS website, the Weekly Report, organization newsletters, and additional public meetings. Still, some members were caught unaware when they did not receive a PBI in July. Articles in the media fed the furor with some articles that were misinformed or provided incomplete and sometimes inaccurate information.

Here are some facts about PBIs and EPBIs.

Ø The PBI and the EPBI are not Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA).

COLAs are based on some index (e.g., the CPI). The PBI (and EPBI) are derived from a statute-based formula that uses investment returns obtained by ASRS over a 10-year rolling period. This 10-year period (previously a five-year period) was adopted in 2002 to mitigate the rapidly increasing contribution rates. Without this adoption, the increases in employer and active employee contribution rates would have been even greater. What we are experiencing are the effects of the 2001-2002 downturns in the market.

Ø The absence of a PBI does not indicate that the pension fund is "in trouble." (See previous articles in Jubilación.)

Ø The PBI has not been eliminated.

The PBI calculation is based on a formula. This year, and for several coming years, the calculation will result in no PBI. Once the PBI pool is replenished through average investment returns, the PBI will return.

Open Enrollment — Health Insurance

It's Open Enrollment time again for those ASRS members who participate or are considering participating in the ASRS Health Plan offerings. (As was the case last year, retired members who have remained with ADOA plans will also be engaged in Open Enrollment activities at this time.) Retirees should anticipate receiving their enrollment materials sometime between mid-September to early October. What should you expect this year? After five years of essentially the same premiums, co-pays, deductibles and benefits, there will be changes to virtually all of the choices this next enrollment period. You can expect increases in premiums, co-pays and deductibles. There will be changes in benefits. Another major change is the return to the Senior Supplement Plan. The Secure Horizons Direct Plan that was piloted this past year will no longer be offered through ASRS. Health Plan provisions will vary from plan to plan, so read your materials carefully upon receipt. We knew we were on borrowed time for the past five years, given the continued escalation of health-care costs across the nation. This is our year for adjustment.

The new plans will become effective January 1, 2007. Over 45 sites have been scheduled for Open Enrollment meetings throughout the state. Nine have been scheduled for Tucson. There should be ample opportunity to get answers to any questions that you may have after reviewing your enrollment materials. The dates and times of these meetings will be included in your enrollment materials.

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(Legislative update, continued from page 5)

Retiree permits are free and available at the Parking and Transportation Service Office on Sixth Street. Here are the exact regulations, taken from page seven of the 18-page book of regulations.

Section VB4d. Retiree permits entitle a benefits- eligible retired employee to park in Zone 1 and South of 6^th Street lots at no charge. Retirees holding state disabled license plates or disabled placards may also park in disabled spaces throughout the campus. Disabled retirees must display their state disabled placard AND the retiree permit when parking in a campus disabled space. Disabled retirees may also park in the Park Avenue and Tyndall Avenue garages on a space available basis.

Retiree parking privileges are for the benefit of the retiree only. Others attempting to park on campus using a retiree permit are subject to citation and impoundment. Retirees who have returned to active status greater than .49 FTE and are on the University of Arizona payroll are required to purchase a regular parking permit to park on campus property. Retiree permits that became too faded or otherwise unreadable must be replaced.

Acceptance of a parking permit means that the retiree agrees to obey all the other regulations in the book of regulations, such as not parking in restricted lots, not parking overnight, not using an expired meter, etc.

In my conversation with parking administrators, I found out another restriction that is not stated in the regulation handbook. The permits are issued on the assumption that the retiree visits the campus occasionally, not full-time every day. I am not sure how this is enforced. What is a "benefits-eligible retiree" (See first line of Section VB4d.)? In practical terms, it is someone who is in the Parking Office computer. Also, the new retiree permits have expiration dates on them, usually two years after renewal. Old -timers will remember that former retiree permits had no expiration dates.

Older permits are still valid. The Parking Office said that they are slowly converting old permits to new ones, but it will be a slow process. For the complete set of regulations, one can go to www.parking.arizona.edu or drop in at the Parking Office. The people there are very helpful.

ASRS continues to be above the median among peer funds nationally in terms of Funded Ratio (approximately 86% as of June 20, 2005). Keep in mind that our benefits rank in the top quartile nationally, having increased over 41 % in the last 10-15 years. In the last decade our PBIs have often been above the CPI index. Now, primarily due to the market downturn in 2001-2002, they will be below.

New Options for "System" Members

The "System" is a hybrid defined contribution plan that preceded the current "Plan," which is a defined benefit plan. The "System" has been closed to new membership for many years. Just over 2000 ASRS active and retired members remain in the "System". Jim Burke and Uwe Fink have written an excellent article for this issue of Jubilación describing new options that will be discussed with existing "System" members. If you are a "System" member, please read the article.

Meetings are being scheduled in key locations and times throughout the state during the months of August, September and maybe into October. The proposal, with associated options, will be presented and discussed at that time. "System" members will be notified about these meetings. Attendance at one of these meetings is highly recommended.

Contribution Rates

ASRS continues to examine factors that lead to rising contribution rates and identify any that can be legitimately and rationally modified so as to enhance the long-term stability and strength of funds managed by ASRS. We should see the rise in contribution rates begin to slow this coming year as they move toward a plateau that will be followed by decreases. So say our analysts.

CAMPUS PARKING AND UA RETIREES

Cornelius Steelink

The University of Arizona offers certain parking privileges to its retired employees.

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CANDIDATES' FORUM

Do you like to get first-hand information? This is your opportunity. COSCO, the Council of Senior Citizen's Organization, is sponsoring a candidates' forum on Monday, October 23, 1-3 p.m., at OASIS, 3rd Floor, Robinsons May, El Con Mall. Members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House District 7 and 8 have been invited to attend.

OWED TO A SPELL CHEQUER

Eye halve a spelling chequer,

It came with my pea sea.

It plainly marques, four my revue,

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word

And weight four it two say,

Weather eye am wrong oar write

It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid,

It nose bee fore two long.

And eye can put the error rite

It's rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it,

I am shore your pleased two no.

Its letter perfect awl the weigh,

My chequer tolled me sew.

Don't overlook the riches offered us by UA's

Arizona's Repertory Theatre. Upcoming this season are comedy, musical satire, rock opera, and classic, tragic love. Call the Fine Arts box office, 621-1162.

PASSING THE BATON

Heather Lukach, University Advancement

President Shelton and his wife were officially welcomed with a Mexican Fiesta in the Student Union on August 28. Peter and Pat Likins were honored at a festive reception, for their incredible years of service to the UA on Thursday, September 7.

UARA offers its profound thanks to President Likins for all his work on our behalf. We look forward to a warm relationship with our new President Shelton.

The Washington Post annually sponsors a contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. Some of the winners follow:

Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs

Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." Francis Bacon

"A goal is a dream with a deadline." Napoleon Hill

"All successful people have a goal. No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go and what he wants to be or do." Norman Vincent Peale

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SAGE CHANGES NAME TO OLLI

John Guilbert

The last several issues of Jubilación have extolled the advantages of the SAGE organization in Learning in Retirement and the therapeutic effects of keeping the seeds moving in the old melon. The SAGE acronym stood (for 17 years) for "Senior Advancement and Growth through Education," although some preferred other combinations such as "Some Antiquarians Gettin' Edicated."  Over the last couple of years, however, the SAGE Board of Directors has been working to forge an on-going link with the Bernard Osher Foundation, which sponsors and supports four-score Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes and whose acronym is OLLI. These 80-some organizations span the US, have many different formats, and are variously structured, but they all focus on the manifold advantages of learning in retirement. Bernard Osher, speaking at a recent national conference, made it clear that he hopes that his support will make his name as central to effective senior education as Annenberg is to public television. He and his organization plan to fund about 100 OLLIs.

To that end, the Osher Foundation provides, upon approved grant application, three consecutive annual grants of $100,000, followed by an endowment grant of $1 million, and unspecified "further support," to each group like SAGE. The Tucson group, approved by the Foundation last year, has received its first $100K, and plans to spend part of it on program development and on a move to better quarters. The Foundation's motives are to broaden the reach and effectiveness of senior education, so they urge that each group grow to meet its potential market. They require that each funded group recognize the Osher input with a name change, hence SAGE's shift to "Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arizona," less formally "OLLI at UA." This change is presently being voted upon as a by-law change by the membership, and is expected to pass.

So please welcome "OLLI" and kiss your "SAGE" goodbye!

Sparkling Program at OLLI (ex-SAGE) This Fall

The fall course list for OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arizona, is out, and its breadth and depth hold something for everyone. Before listing part of it, let

me remind UARA members that study sessions meet for 2 hours once each week at 9, 11:15, or 1:30 on Monday through Friday. It costs $225 to join for the year for as many study groups as you wish to attend, so courses next spring are essentially free. They meet in nice quarters in the University Services Building at University Boulevard and Euclid, due south and adjacent to the parking garage at Euclid and First Street. (For more details, see insert.) UARA members are especially welcome. Study sessions are non-credit, relaxed, informative, participatory, stimulating, and FUN.

Study Group titles only will be given here, by day. Some are for 7 weeks, some for 14 — call OLLI (629-9039) for details, expanded course descriptions, and times.

Monday: Human Anatomy and Physiology - II

Saving and Sharing Family Stories

Conceived in Liberty: The Origins of the U.S.

Denmark in Depth

Origins of World War I
Tuesday: Transitions

The Last Gift of Time: Life Beyond 60

The Women who Shaped the Presidents

Vietnam: The Johnson Years

WalMart: Friend or Foe

La Belle Toscana
Short Subjects (Various subjects and leaders)
Wednesday: Ancient China: Different Dynasties

Quantum Entanglement
A Look at Evolution
A Perfect Financial Storm Facing the U.S. Economy

History of the World in Six Classes

Islam: A Short History
Listening to Music: the Art and the Pleasure
Great Cities of the World

Thursday: Samuel Johnson's English Savant

"Science News"

Current Issues in Energy

George Eliot's Daniel Deronda

The Power of the Printed Word

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

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The Art of the Story

Friday: Food and History

Computers and Programs, Oh,Yes!

Come join the fun!  Stretch your mind!  Expand your horizons!  Follow a latent interest!

DID YOU DO IT?

Welcome new and returning UARA members. You've made a great decision and you're the reason for this organization's existence.

For those of you who haven't heard, dues are due. If you haven't put your check in the mail, do it now! Your support enables this organization to function: $10 per year or $125 for a lifetime membership. Either way, it's a bargain! Send your check, payable to UARA, to P.O. Box 42391 (2030 E. Speedway, #112), Tucson 85733.

In subsequent articles we will look more closely at problems of speech, language, and voice in the older population. Our series will end with a serious look at hearing loss and what can be done about it.

Our speech articulation holds well for a lifetime. The accent acquired as a young child colors our speech patterns throughout adulthood, unless a special effort through speech therapy was made to eliminate one's accent or dialect. Absent teeth or ill-fitting dentures may harm the clarity of one's speech, requiring professional dental services to correct the problem. Both speech and language can be affected by some kind of neurological disease, such as a stroke, or dementia, or a disorder like Parkinson's disease. A stroke may cause aphasia, resulting in severe language problems in both spoken and written language. The dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease, will typically cause language problems as the dementing disease progresses. Loss of speech clarity and difficulty swallowing are common symptoms of some of the progressive neurological diseases like Parkinson's.

The adult voice tends to lower in voice pitch as we age, with the female voice dropping in pitch with each decade in life. The male voice also deepens until around age eighty when the male pitch level slowly begins to rise. Shortness of breath when speaking can be a problem in the aged person who has smoked heavily or developed severe respiratory problems, perhaps related to emphysema or asthma. Voice therapy can often improve the hoarse voice that is sometimes heard in aging.

About the time we may feel the need for reading glasses [forty years plus], many people experience a beginning sensorineural hearing loss. We may hear the voices of the people around us but have some difficulty understanding what they say. This is because the typical sensorineural hearing loss compromises the higher frequencies [where the speech consonants are produced] more than the lower ones. There is increasing evidence that sensorineural hearing loss is occurring earlier in younger people, related to their continuous exposure to loud sound over time. Similarly, those in the older population exposed earlier in life to the noise of manufacture or to the sounds of war may experience greater hearing loss in aging than their age peers without such noise exposure. Hearing loss that interferes with communication should be medically and/or audiologically evaluated and possibly treated. Hearing loss can usually best be managed by the

COMMUNICATION IN AGING

Daniel Boone Daniel R. Boone, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing at the University of Arizona. Boone came to the U of A in 1973 to establish speech and hearing services in the Department of Surgery at the University Medical Center. His course, Communication Problems in Aging, was one of the first offerings in the University's Gerontology Program.

This presentation is the first of a three-part series that looks at communication in aging. Research in aging at The University of Arizona has found that older people as a group are often more effective talkers than younger people. The aging group tends to speak in longer sentences, shows greater use of adjectives and adverbs, producing more effective descriptive language. The older one lives, the greater the chances of experiencing a mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Despite some hearing loss, however, many older people develop intolerance for loud noise, which can be a problem in our heavily amplified environment. Hearing loss is often a major deterrent to effective communication in aging.

(continued on page 10)

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(Communication, continued from page 9)

The Medicare/Health Insurance Assistance program has two components: information and intervention on behalf of the client. Client contacts are by phone or by appointment in the PCOA office. The Medicare program has many facets and the questions directed to the volunteers can be very complicated. Volunteers undergo extensive training, but there is always an extremely knowledgeable backer's help available in the person of Lydia Baker to handle obscure points. A recent example of extensive information demand involved the implementation of the Part D Medicare option. Although we didn't recommend specific insurance carriers, we suggested several suitable alternatives for each client upon request. Comparison charts for Original Medicare and HMOs are sent to clients as requested. Questions about Long-Term-Care Insurance are often raised and we examine policies presented by a client and explain the features of a policy.

An important function is assisting clients in appealing denial of Medicare services or payment. Experience with claims enable us to determine the course of action that is most likely to lead to a positive result for the client or, in some cases, to advise that no recourse is available.

The Money Management Program is a joint PCOA/AARP activity designed to assist individuals with low or moderate income in making financial decisions and in budgeting their resources. The client who is willing to accept the volunteer's help and who makes the final decisions signs all checks.

The participation of volunteers in the Long-Term-Care Facilities program involves establishing amicable, non-confrontational relationships with nursing homes and assisted living apartments. A volunteer visits a given facility weekly and observes the living situation with the aim of making a more pleasant environment if so warranted. By a continued association with the residents, staff, and administration of a single institution, it is hoped to develop mutual confidence among the several parties.

professional fitting of a hearing aid with follow up auditory training by a licensed audiologist.

In subsequent issues of Jubilación we'll look in more depth at speech-voice disorders and hearing loss in the older population—and, most important, what can be done about such interferences to normal communication in aging.

UPCOMING EVENTS

October 10, Council Meeting, Guest speaker, George Evanoff

October 12, UARA/HR Seminar, Guest speaker, Paul Matson

October 21, UARA luncheon, Skyline Country Club, Guest speaker, Robert Shelton

November 11, Homecoming

November14, Council meeting, Guest speaker, Peter McAllister

October 21, Family Weekend

October 21, Phoenix Mars Mission Control Center Open House

THE PIMA COUNCIL ON AGING NEEDS VOLUNTEERS

Les Forster, Volunteer

The Pima Council on Aging (PCOA) provides many services to the elderly population of Tucson and the environs. The organization operates on a limited budget and requires volunteers to provide a high level of service. I have been a PCOA volunteer for nearly 10 years and can attest to the effectiveness of the organization and to the great satisfaction obtained from participating in some of its activities.

Most volunteers work in programs directed by the ombudsman, Stewart Grabel. These are: 1) Medicare/Health Insurance Assistance; 2) Money Management; and 3) Long-Term Care Facilities.

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Jubilación

FALL LECTURE _ PAUL MATSON, DIRECTOR, ASRS

Sponsored by:

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA RETIREES ASSOCIATION

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA HUMAN RESOURCES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2006

7 P.M.

Kiva Auditorium, Education 211

UARA and UA Human Resources are pleased to announce co-sponsorship of a lecture that should interest all UARA members, all UA retirees, and all those approaching retirement.

With concern abroad in the land about Social Security, corporate pension funding, and retirement economics in general, you will be happy to hear that the ASRS is in excellent hands and in exceedingly good health. Paul Matson, now residing in Phoenix, was Chief Investment Officer for ASRS from 1995-2002 and has been its Chief Executive Officer - Director since 2003. As such, he oversees a staff of 250 and manages a $24 million budget and $22 billion in investments for 400,000 members. This space is too small to list Mr. Matson's stellar credentials — you can see them on www.azasrs.gov — but we assure you of a fascinating, pertinent, timely presentation.

He will describe the current status of the ASRS pension fund, ASRS' general health and welfare, its strategic initiatives (plans for the future) and how that all affects YOU, and will end with a question and answer period.

Refreshments will be available...SEE YOU THERE!!!

YES, RESERVE SEATING AT THE "STRATEGIC UPDATE ON ASRS"

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Name: ______________________________________ Number attending: ____________

Please Print

Telephone or email address: ________________________________________________

MAIL RESERVATION FORM TO: UARA

(Submit by October 6, 2006)

UARA

P.O. Box 42391
Tucson, AZ 85733