Author: atwiford

As the population ages across the country, communities have to focus on different areas of wellness than they did before.

Among those concerns is balance and fall risk for seniors. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury in individuals 65 years of age and older. That statistic was addressed on April 17 at the Cherry Hill library, when it partnered with 3-Dimensional Therapy – a local physical therapy source that offers free balance screenings – to hold a community conversation on the subject. 

The session offered tips and exercises that seniors and other adults with balance concerns can easily do at home. Physical therapist Katie Gaunt ran the event and demonstrations and went over some of the common causes of balance problems: eyesight; muscle weakness; and medical conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s and diabetes.

“Neuropathy is a very common side effect of diabetes, so it happens a lot in your hands and feet,” she explained. “So obviously, we’re concerned with your feet. You lose sensation in your feet, so it’s going to throw off your balance if you can’t feel what’s under you.”

Gaunt also described a test that can be done for balance, where an individual sits in a chair and tries to stand up without the use of their arms. The faster and easier a person is able to do that, the better their balance. 

Gaunt also advised that anyone who feels dizzy when they sit up in the morning should move from bed slowly and wait until they feel steady to stand and start moving. Other recommendations to decrease the risk of falls include not carrying heavy objects or loads, wearing glasses and using walkers or canes if they are needed, ensuring adequate lighting, removing throw rugs and installing handrails by the toilet or in the shower.

Judy Hymowitz is a local resident who was on hand for the library conversation. She goes to physical therapy once a week after tearing tendons in one of her quads three years ago. 

“I just like to exercise as much as you can with it when, when it starts to hurt, you stop,” she said. “But it was very informative.”

Hymowitz was also glad to hear Gaunt recommended the brand of walking shoe she uses with her orthotics. 

Gaunt recommended other tests for balance. One is to stand on one foot with arms crossed over the trunk of the body and lean to each side. The length of time that takes varies by age. She also offered simple exercises, especially for those with little prior knowledge of them. They include kicking one leg to the side, practicing standing without use of arms and arm circles.

More advanced exercises involved the use of foam pads while standing on one foot to practice balancing on softer surfaces.

Among the wide range of classes offered to residents by the Cherry Hill library is a one-hour U.S. citizenship preparation class that takes place at 1 p.m. every Tuesday.

The aim of the six-week course is to prepare students for the naturalization test by helping them understand questions on the application, having them practice the reading and writing sections of the test and reviewing the language and conversation skills needed to succeed. The class also covers questions on subjects like civics and geography that may come up on the test.

The test is a major part of becoming a citizen. Applicants must show they have the ability to read, write and speak basic English for one part of it. In the other, they are asked 10 out of a list of 100 possible questions that could be on any topic, including the U.S. government, history and related topics. In order to pass, applicants must answer at least six questions correctly. 

Everyone has two chances to pass the test for a fee of $710 to $760. If applicants fail on the first try, they can take the test again between 60 and 90 days from their initial interview. 

The class has two instructors, Phyllis Levitas and Julie Kligerman. 

“It’s difficult to pass, and many Americans themselves couldn’t pass,” Levitas said. “So instead of people going unprepared, the idea was to give them a leg up.” 

The idea for the library’s citizenship prep class came when a student in the library’s ESL class expressed a need for help to prepare to the naturalization exam. Participants in the citizenship class are encouraged to participate and ask questions in order to engage more with the material. 

“We want to be welcoming,” Kligerman noted. “One of the reasons I’m doing this is, I want to put a welcome face to people who have tried really hard to get here, tried really hard to stay here. They’re not lounging around.” 

The library sees students from an array of backgrounds in its citizenship and other programs.

“Cherry Hill is a wonderfully diverse community,” Levitas pointed out. “My joke is, we’ve had people from every continent except from Antarctica, but I keep expecting a penguin to show up here at some point.”  

“I mean, they know more history than many Americans by the time they leave here,” Kligerman emphasized. “I’m very proud of them, because many of my friends and colleagues wouldn’t be able to do it without the language barrier. They really study hard and try.

“It’s very important to many people to be citizens here, to do it right.”

Home Genius Exteriors has donated $100,000 worth of windows to Habitat for Humanity of South Central New Jersey, a local branch of the national organization that provides affordable-home ownership and repair services. 

The donation was formally celebrated at a small ceremony on April 7 at the organization’s ReStore. 

“Growth has awarded us the ability to have resources to be able to contribute, and the most respected part is being able to look back upon what we’ve done and what we are proud of,” said Austin Killian, co-founder and vice president of the East region for Home Genius Exteriors. 

Leadership from both Home Genius and the Habitat for Humanity attended the ceremony, each bringing teams of volunteers to aid in delivering, sorting and organizing donated materials. 

“We had quite a bit of unusable and unreturnable windows from prior projects in the past,” noted Ambrose Powell, a regional install manager for Home Genius Exteriors, “and they were sitting in our warehouse … We can’t necessarily use them on every house that comes up … so we found it to be a phenomenal opportunity to help the community.” 

The windows will not be installed into houses built by Habitat but instead will be sold at the ReStore, which sells building materials and housewares at a discounted rate and uses the profits to continue building affordable homes in the community.

“The ReStore plays a vital role in our mission by selling donated materials at a fraction of the cost, keeping usable items out of landfills, and generating proceeds that directly support affordable housing efforts in our communities,” explained John Garton, CFO/COO of the area’s Habitat for Humanity branch, in a public statement announcing the Home Genius donation.

Home Genius has an initiative called Home Genius Cares, for which the company at least once a quarter puts away a small percentage of funds from every paid project to put forward donations and volunteer opportunities for its staff in every department. 

“So our employees actually went out and found an opportunity with Habitat for Humanity, where they have a program that allows them to repurpose building materials, because their plan is to build homes, communities,” said Killian. 

This is not the first time the two entities have partnered; Home Genius has helped donate roofs to veterans who needed repairs. Plans for further partnerships are in the works, both for more donated materials for the ReStore and another donated roof. 

Annie Fox is chief development officer for the local Habitat branch.

“I had been speaking with Austin (Killian), who’s one of the VPs and founders, and we’ve already agreed that he would help us replace another roof for another veteran,” Fox said. “So we’re going to be looking through our list of people who are in need and get that going as well.”