A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
April 2015 VOL. 40 • NO. 4
ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389
New Horizons
Lawman
Lawman Since 1995, Tim Dunning has served as Douglas County Sheriff. An Omaha-area native, Dunning was re-elected to the post in 2014. Douglas County covers 331 square miles ranging from the Missouri River to the Platte River. Its Sheriff’s Department has 133 sworn officers and 84 civilian employees. Nick Schinker’s profile of Tim Dunning begins on page 10.
Stepping down At the end of the 2014-15 school year, Sofia Kock will retire after a 43-year career as a teacher and principal for the Omaha Archdiocese. Kock spent the last 19 years as principal at Holy Name Elementary School. See page 18.
What’s inside Gardening expert has some watering tips ................... 2 Nebraska’s homestead exemption program. ............... 3 New paramedic program in Cass County ................... 4 Color Vibe 5k is coming to Omaha ............................ 5 Vols needed for Habitat’s trip to Argentina.................. 7 April 2015 events calendar ......................................... 8 ‘Read it and eat’ .......................................................... 9 Cancer conference at UNO ....................................... 16 Public Transit Week April 6 to 10 ............................. 19 Walkathon scheduled for May 16 ............................. 20
Become a water-wise gardener By Melinda Myers
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oo much or not enough water and never when you need it. That seems to be the long time plight of gardeners. Add to this extended droughts, flooding, and watering bans. What is a gardener to do? Become a water-wise gardener. Water wise is not just about growing drought tolerant plants or eliminating plantings. It’s a holistic approach to managing water to avoid flooding that overwhelms sewer systems, improper watering that wastes water, and poor landscape designs that generate too much work and require too many resources. Make this the season that you incorporate a few water-wise habits into your gardening. You’ll find it’s good for your garden, the environment, and your pocketbook. Start with one or more of these strategies this year. • Select the right plant for the growing conditions. Plants that thrive in normal growing conditions for your area will be healthier, require less care, and need less water. Look for drought tolerant plants that require less water once established. • Keep water out of the storm sewers and in the garden instead. Prevent flooding while improving your garden. Adding several inches of compost to the top eight to 12 inches of soil increases the soil’s ability to absorb and retain water. This means less runoff into the storm sewers and less frequent watering. • Use plants to prevent runoff and conserve water. Plant trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to slow the flow of rainwater, increase the amount of water that HorizonAD-2010:HorizonAD-08 stays in your landscape for
your plants, and to filter water before it enters the groundwater. Install one or more rain gardens to intercept surface water runoff for use by rain garden plants and to help recharge the groundwater. • Provide plants with a healthy diet. Use a slow release non-leaching organic nitrogen fertilizer like Milorganite (milorganite.com). You’ll encourage slow steady growth, so your plants will require less water and be less prone to insect and disease problems. Plus, the slow release nitrogen encourages healthy growth and doesn’t prevent flowering and fruiting. • Water wisely. Water plants thoroughly and only when needed. Water the soil, not the plant, using a watering wand, drip irrigation, or a soaker hose so less water is lost to evaporation. Water early in the morning whenever possible to reduce water loss during the heat of the day and diseases caused by wet foliage at night. • Manage your lawns to reduce water use. Select drought tolerant grass varieties to reduce watering needs. Prepare the soil before seeding or sodding or aerate and spread a thin layer of compost over existing lawns to increase water absorption and reduce runoff. Mow high to encourage deep roots that are more drought tolerant and pest resistant. Allow lawns to go dormant during hot dry weather. If irrigating, water thoroughly when needed, that’s when your footprints remain in the lawn. • Conserve water and reduce time and money spent on plant care. Mulch the soil around trees, shrubs, and other plants with several inches of woodchips, shredded leaves, evergreen needles, or other organic material. Mulching reduces watering frequency and prevents soil compaction from heavy rainfall thus increasing water absorption. It also adds organic matter to the soil as it decomposes. • Repair leaking faucets, fittings, and garden hoses. A slow leak of one drip per second can waste up to nine gallons of water per day. • Look for and use wasted water. Collect the “warming water” typically wasted when preparing baths and showers. Use a five-gallon bucket to collect this fresh water and use it for your containers and gardens. Collect water from your dehumidifier and window air conditioners for use on flowering plants. Do not, however, use this water if environmentally harmful solvents have been used to clean this equipment. • Check with your local municipality if you are considering using gray water. Once you wash clothes, dishes, or yourself, water is classed as gray water and most municipalities have guidelines or regulations related to its use. • Harvest rainwater if your municipality allows. The ancient technique of capturing rainwater in jugs, barrels, and cisterns has made a comeback. Collecting rain when it’s plentiful and storing it until it’s needed is one way to manage water for the landscape. But first check local regulations before installing a rain harvesting system. Several states have banned rain harvesting, while others offer rebates or rain barrels at a discount to gardeners. (Myers is a gardening expert, TV/radio host, author, and 2/4/10 8:00 AM Page 1 columnist.)
Attorneys at Law William E. Seidler Jr.
www.seidler-seidler-law.com 10050 Regency Circle, Suite 525 Omaha, NE 68114-5705
402-397-3801
Delivering quality legal services since 1957.
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April 2015
Millard Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: • April 5: Students from UNO will do a presentation about posture and its importance @ 9:30 a.m. • April 8: We’ll be making dresses for the girls in Africa. We’ll supply the materials and the sewing machines. • April 17: Listen to Bill Chrastil @ noon. Volunteers from AARP’s Tax Aide program will be at the center Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through April 15. On quilting day (Thursdays @ 9 a.m.) we’ll be learning to make new blocks. The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3.50 donation (free on your birthday) is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. Center activities include a walking club @ 8 a.m. (join and get a free t-shirt), Mahjongg on Wednesdays @ 1 p.m., Tai Chi class (Mondays and Fridays from 10 to 10:45 a.m. for a $1 suggested donation), chair volleyball (Tuesdays and Thursdays @ 10 a.m.), card games, and Bingo (Tuesdays and Fridays @ noon). During Bingo, we have baked goodies from Baker’s or Panera we give away as prizes. For meal reservations and more information, please call Susan at 402-546-1270.
Fremont Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field), this month for the following: • April 1: News with Nye @ 10 a.m. followed by pianist Wally @ 10:30 a.m. • April 3: Traveling pitch tourney @ 9:30 a.m. Players should bring a snack to share. • April 8: Music by Kim Eames @ 10:30 a.m. followed by the April birthday party. • April 9: Presentation on talking to your adult children about senior care options @ 10 a.m. followed by Mystery Bingo. • April 10: ENOA’s Chris Gillette will discuss the agency’s rural transportation program @ 9:30 a.m. • April 15: Music by Wayne Miller @ 10:30 a.m. • April 16: A representative from the Dodge County Extension office will discuss surviving on a fixed income. • April 22: Music by Jim Rathbun @ 10:30 a.m. • April 23: Rachel, a registered dietitian, will discuss how our nutritional needs change. • April 29: Music by The Links @ 10:30 a.m. The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 donation is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. Activities include exercising, Tai Chi, chair volleyball, card games, billiards, speakers, and access to a computer lab. Transportation to and from the center is available. For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.
Florentine Players’ melodrama scheduled for May 7 through 9
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he Florentine Players will present the melodrama No Name City or Florence the Finest Seat in the County on May 7 through 9 at the Florence City Hall Building, 2864 State St. The doors open each night
at 6:30 and the show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 or $8 for seniors and groups of eight or more. For reservations or more information, please call Diane Lemen at 402-6774604.
Return homestead exemption applications by June 30
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pplicants whose names are on file in the assessor’s office in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties should have a homestead exemption form mailed to them by early March. New applicants must contact their county assessor’s office to receive the application. The 2015 forms and a household income statement must be completed and returned to the county assessor’s office by June 30, 2015. A homestead exemption provides property tax relief by exempting all or part of the homestead’s valuation from taxation. The state of Nebraska reimburses the counties and other government subdivisions for the lost tax revenue. To qualify for a homestead exemption, a Nebraska homeowner must be age 65 by Jan. 1, 2015, the home’s owner/occupant through Aug. 15, 2015, and fall within the income guidelines shown below. Certain homeowners who have a disability and totally-disabled war veterans and their widow(er)s may also be eligible for this annual tax break. When determining household income, applicants must include Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits plus any
income for which they receive a Form 1099. The homestead exemption amount is based on the homeowner’s marital status and income level (see below). Maximum exemptions are based on the average assessed value for residential property in each Nebraska county. The Douglas County Assessor/Register of Deeds’ office (1819 Farnam St.) is sending volunteers into the community to help older adults complete the application form. The volunteers will be located at sites throughout the county. A list of these locations will be included with your application. Assistance is also available by calling the Volunteers Assisting Seniors at 402444-6617. Douglas County residents can also have their homestead exemption questions answered by calling 402-597-6659. Here are the telephone numbers for the assessor’s offices in the counties served by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging: Douglas: 402-444-7060; Sarpy: 402593-2122; Dodge: 402-727-3916; Cass: 402-296-9310; and Washington: 402426-6800.
Household income table Over age 65 married income
Over age 65 single income
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The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Web site includes information about: • • • • • • • • • • •
Bath aides Care management Chore services Community education Durable medical equipment Emergency food pantry Emergencyresponsesystems ENOA facts and figures ENOA Library ENOA senior centers
24 hours a day, • Homemakers 7 days a week!
• Information & assistance telephone lines • Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha • Legal services • Meals on Wheels • Medicaid Waiver • New Horizons Grandparent Resource Center • Nutrition counseling
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Ombudsman advocates Respite care Respite Resource Center Rural transportation Senior Care Options Support of adult day facilities • Volunteer opportunities
April 2015
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New Horizons New Horizons is the official publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. The paper is distributed free to people over age 60 in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Washington, and Cass counties. Those living outside the 5-county region may subscribe for $5 annually. Address all correspondence to: Jeff Reinhardt, Editor, 4223 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68105-2431. Phone 402-444-6654. FAX 402-444-3076. E-mail: jeff.reinhardt@nebraska.gov Advertisements appearing in New Horizons do not imply endorsement of the advertiser by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. However, complaints about advertisers will be reviewed and, if warranted, their advertising discontinued. Display and insert advertising rates available on request. Open rates are commissionable, with discounts for extended runs. Circulation is 20,000 through direct mail and freehand distribution.
Editor....................................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148 Contributing Writers......Nick Schinker, Leo Biga, & Lois Friedman ENOA Board of Governors: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson; Jim Peterson, Cass County, vice-chairperson; Gary Osborn, Dodge County secretary; Brenda Carlisle, Sarpy County; & Lisa Kramer, Washington County. The New Horizons and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provide services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, or age.
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New Horizons
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Florence AARP Chapter 2269
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Joint effort between UNMC, Cass County creating a new paramedic response program
he Florence AARP Chapter 2269 meets each month at the Olive Crest Methodist Church, 7180 N. 60th St. (one mile north of Sorensen Parkway.) The meetings begin at noon with a lunch that costs $7 per person each month. Here’s the schedule of programs for the rest of 2015: • April 20: Deb Marasco from the PACE Program. • May 18: Music by The Links. • June 15: Presentation on their visit to Cuba by Roger and Liz Rea. • July 20: Presentation on her time in the Ukraine by Elizabeth Meyers. • Aug. 17: Picnic. • Sept. 21: Compassion in Action with Teela Mickles. • Oct. 19: Immigration turmoil with Joann Feller. • Nov. 16: DJ music and karaoke with Jonathan Kellerk. • Dec. 14: Christmas music program. For more information, please contact Ruth Kruse at ruthkruse@cox.net.
Fontenelle Tours
Omaha/Council Bluffs
712-366-9596
Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy. For more information about our tours, please call Ward or Kathy Kinney at Fontenelle Tours at the number listed above.
Motorcoach “Hairspray” at the New Theater. June 28. $141. Come along on a Sunday trip to Kansas City. Enjoy a wonderful lunch buffet and the return engagement of this popular play. Set in the 1960s, it is the story of a “pleasantly plump” mother and her teenage daughter....both full figured and ready to fight for what’s right! The previous production of this play at the New Theatre sold out before it opened. “Godspell” at the Lofte. July 19. $99. ($89 before 4/19/15.) Composed of various musical parables from The Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus Christ recruits a group of followers and teaches them lessons through song and dance........followed by a delicious dinner at the Main Street Café in Louisville. (Call by April 19.) Kentucky – Bridles and Bluegrass. August 9 – 15. $1369. ($1299 before 5/1/15.) Explore Lexington, Bardstown, and Louisville including Claiborne Thoroughbred Farm Tour, Kentucky Horse Park, Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility, breakfast at Churchill Downs watching the thoroughbreds workout, Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Tour, dinner cruise aboard the Spirit of Jefferson, Old Kentucky Chocolates Tour, Bourbon Distillery Tour, The Kentucky Show, Historic Bardstown tour, Mega Caverns Tour, Prairie Fruit Farm and Creamery, Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch, and two nights at the beautiful Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville. (Call by June 1.) Michigan Lakeshores & Resorts. September 19 – 25. $1449. ($1379 before 5/15/15.) Explore Michigan’s east lakeshores and resort towns including the Saugatuck Art and Craft Galleries, guided sand dune buggy ride, Holland Windmill Island Gardens, dinner cruise on Lake Michigan aboard the Holland Princess, Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Mushroom Houses guided tour, Music House Museum, private Tall Ship Sail in Grand Traverse Bay, Old Mission Peninsula guided tour, Grand Traverse Winery and wine tasting, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, The Cherry Republic—largest cherry store in the world, Silver Beach Carousel & Amusement Park Museum, and two nights (and a full day to relax) at the Marina Grand Resort. (Call by June 15.) Branson Christmas. November 9 – 12. $729. ($689 before 8/9/15.) Enjoy SIX– The Knudsen Brothers, Dixie Stampede, Shoji Tabuchi, Pierce Arrow, Dublin’s Irish Tenors with the Celtic Ladies, Mickey Gilley, and the Trail of Lights, as well as Landry’s Seafood House. (Call by August 9.) “Dear Santa” at the Lofte. December 13. $99. ($89 before 9/13/15.) This play is composed of a number of short scenes that range from the hilarious to the touching. Many views of Santa are seen—from the point of view of the child who alphabetizes her Christmas list and sends it out in August as well as that of children at various stages of belief—and disbelief….followed by another delicious dinner at the Main Street Café in Louisville. (Call by September 13.) Kansas City Christmas. Mid December. More details on this trip available after the New Theatre announces its schedule of shows for the next season.
In Partnership with Collette Vacations Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and do not include airfare. More destinations available! Classic Danube. Eleven days from $3349. Features a seven-night Danube River Cruise visiting Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Munich,and Passau in Germany, Wachau Valley, Emmersdorf, and Vienna in Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia, and Budapest in Hungary.
Irish Splendor. Eight days from $1699. Return to times gone by as you experience fabulous accommodations, stunning scenery, and sumptuous food visiting Dublin, the Guiness Storehouse, Blarney Castle, Killarney, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, Dromoland Castle, and Tullamore Whiskey Distillery. Extend your trip in Dublin. Alaska Discovery Land & Cruise. Thirteen days from $3069. Featuring a seven-night Princess Cruise, you will visit Anchorage,Mt. McKinley, and Denali National Park, ride a luxury domed railcar to Whittier to board the Princess ship, cruise past the Hubbard Glacier, through Glacier Bay, to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, through the Inside Passage, and into Vancouver, then fly home from Seattle. Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. Our mailing address is: 2008 W. Broadway #329, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
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New Horizons
The county budgeted $356,000 from the inheritance tax fund to get the program started. This pays for the paramedics’ salaries and equipment, Weyers said. “As with every county we are struggling to cover those daytime calls, combine that with the long transport times to get to a hospital, and the addition of paramedics only enhances what our dedicated EMTs do,” she said. “By having paramedics available to assist on calls, it provides a higher level of care,” Dr. Ernest said. While EMTs are trained to immobilize a patient, administering CPR, or starting an IV with saline solution only, paramedics can give medications, intubate a patient if necessary, do cardiac assessments, and administer treatments. The response to the program has been very positive, Dr. Ernest said. This program is being eyed by the state as a model for other rural counties, said Dean Cole, emergency medical services and trauma program administrator for Nebraska. “Dr. Ernest is the perfect person to lead this effort,” Cole said. “As a young physician just out of an emergency medical services fellowship, he has a lot of enthusiasm for what he does and a great understanding of the needs of our first responders, too.” Along with Cass County, Dr. Ernest also is the medical director for the Bellevue Fire Department and Sarpy County Dispatch, and serves as assistant medical director for the Omaha Fire Department. He works with each agency to develop protocols for emergency responders and monitors the quality of the training they receive. “Overall, the goal is to improve patient outcomes and this may be the model to help those in rural communities,” Dr. Ernest said.
Elder Access Line Legal Aid of Nebraska operates a free telephone access line for Nebraskans age 60 and older. Information is offered to help the state’s older men and women with questions on topics like bankruptcy, homestead exemptions, collections, powers of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, grandparent rights, and Section 8 housing. The telephone number for the Elder Access Line is 402-827-5656 in Omaha and 1-800-527-7249 statewide. This service is available to Nebraskans age 60 and older regardless of income, race, or ethnicity. For more information, log on the Internet to http://www.legalaidofnebraska.com/EAL.
Eclectic Book club meets on April 21
Reflections of Italy. Ten days from $2449. Visit a land rich in history, culture, art, and romance including Rome, the Colosseum, Assisi, Perugia, Siena, Florence, Chianti Winery, Venice, Murano Island, and Milan. Extend your trip in Turin.
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Across Nebraska, approximately 430 licensed ambulance services provide life-saving emergency medical care at a moment’s notice. In most rural communities volunteers who are trained in basic life support fill the role of emergency responders. And it’s those first responders who have the biggest impact on a person in crisis, said Eric Ernest, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. As the medical director of the Cass County Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Ernest saw a need to enhance the care provided by first responders within Cass County. He also saw a need to provide more coverage during the middle of the day when the volunteer emergency responders are working their full-time jobs. So in a collaborative effort between UNMC and the Cass County Emergency Management Agency he helped create a new paramedic response program. A key feature of the program that was launched in January is the addition of two paramedics who assist emergency medical technicians (EMTs) on service calls and provide advanced life support. “The Cass County crew is composed of one EMT and one paramedic who respond to calls during the middle of the day when there is a general lack of coverage from the volunteer fire services,” Dr. Ernest said. The paramedics are seasoned professionals who have experience working in a volunteer system as well as in private transport in the Omaha metropolitan area, he said. When the paramedics aren’t on calls, they’re helping other ambulance services with training, visiting senior centers, and talking to community groups about the new program, said Sandy Weyers, director of Cass County Emergency Management.
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The 65-year-old Eclectic Book Review Club’s 2015 season continues on April 21. The monthly meetings – which are held at the Omaha Field Club, 3615 Woolworth Ave. – include a noon lunch followed by the book review at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $13 per person. Here’s the schedule: • April 21: Eclectic Book Review Club member Ann
April 2015
Van Hoff will review Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn. • May 19: University of Nebraska-Lincoln English professor Timothy Schaffert will review his book, The Swan Gondola. For reservations, which are due by the Monday prior to the Tuesday reviews, or more information, please call Rita at 402-553-3147.
Golden Age Games for veterans coming to area Aug. 8 to 12
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he Department of Veterans Affairs has selected the VA NebraskaWestern Iowa Health Care System to host the 29th annual National Veterans Golden Age Games Aug. 8 to 12, 2015. This event is the premier senior adaptive rehabilitative program in the United States and the only Golden Age program designed to improve the quality of life for older veterans. The National Veterans Golden Age Game provide a multi-event sports and therapeutic recreation program for veterans age 55 and older who receive care through a VA medical facility. Volunteers are needed to help make the event memorable for the expected 800 participants. For more information, please contact Anna Morelock at 402-995-5748.
Local medical leaders say funding for resident physician training is in critical condition Condition: critical. That’s how University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine leaders describe the state of funding for graduate medical education programs – programs that train resident physicians after graduation from medical school. The federal government provides the nation with about $15 billion a year for educating resident physicians. In Nebraska, support also comes from the state and hospitals where UNMC residents are trained. To save almost $15 billion over the next 10 years, federal funding would decrease by
.5 percent every year. “If the funding trajectory continues, there will be less money for training residents, which will mean less physicians,” said Mike Wadman, M.D., designated institutional official for UNMC’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs and associate dean for graduate medical education. “We’re likely to see that maldistribution exacerbated more and those impacted the most will be in rural and urban underserved communities.” Instead of waiting to see what happens at the federal
level, Nebraska Medicine and UNMC officials took action. In a move called Forward Thinking, Nebraska Medicine, which receives federal funds for GME, put financial decisions and management of GME funds in the hands of UNMC. Then UNMC formed an 11-member GME Finance and Workforce Committee, a “one-stop shop” where GME fund requests are reviewed and distributed. An algorithmic model the committee created helps determine where best to distribute GME funds in order to streamline and reduce
costs, Dr. Wadman said. “With this model, we chose to get engaged, participate, and not be a victim,” said Bill Dinsmoor, CEO of Nebraska Medicine. This is our work. We have an obligation to train the next generation of providers for Nebraska.” Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., UNMC chancellor, said changes like the new model are needed to avert more shortages of physicians. “We need innovative programs and innovation requires hard work and taking some risks,” he said. To educate each of the
475 UNMC resident physicians UNMC is responsible for, it’s estimated to cost $105,000 or more each year. “Before the new model, decisions made within UNMC departments weren’t coordinated,” Dr. Wadman said. “If you wanted to start a residency program, you could start one, but it wasn’t coordinated to address the true needs of the state or country. It might have been fine in the past, but now since funds are limited, they have to be spent for programs and initiatives that are really going to have the most impact.”
Fundraiser for ENOA
Color Vibe 5k run set for April 18
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he Color Vibe, a vibrantly colorful 5k fun run company, will host the Omaha Color Vibe 5k on Saturday, April 18. The colorful fun will begin at 8 a.m. at TD Ameritrade Park, 1200 Mike Fahey Street in downtown Omaha. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. During the Omaha Color Vibe 5k, participants will run, walk, or dance their way through color stations where vibrant colors will tie-dye white outfits and costumes. The Color Vibe uses a cornstarch-based colored powder to tie-die participants. The non-toxic, biodegradable powder washes out easily from skin and hair. After the event, everyone is invited to stick around for a colorful dance party hosted by a professional sound crew and a disc jockey. Runners, walkers, and dancers of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate in the Omaha Color Vibe 5k. “We don’t time our runs, so every participant can take their time getting colored,” said Nate Sorensen, Color Vibe’s race director. For more information or to register for the Omaha Color Vibe 5k, log on to www.thecolorvibe.com or e-mail support@thecolorvibe.com.
April 2015
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New Horizons
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Bicyclists need to know the rules of the road to be safe
Please see the ad on page 3
New Horizons Club gaining new members
By Sgt. Erin Payne Omaha Police Deparment
$25 Mrs. R.N. Eggers $20 Virginia Swierczek Carole Yanovich $10 Ralph Smith Barbara Cullen Mabel Tadlock L Lee Brauer $5 Dolores Abbott Jacqueline Johann Janet Miller Louise Godbey Reflects donations received through 3/20/15.
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on the rear of the bicycle will also increase a bicyclists’ visibility. • Drive with care and share the road. When you ride on roads, consider yourself the driver of a vehicle and always keep safety in mind by riding in the bike lane, if available. Take extra precautions when riding on a roadway. Make eye contact or wave to communicate with motorists. Be considerate and aware of motorists and pedestrians. Ride far enough away from the curb to avoid the unexpected from parked cars. Keep control of your bicycle. Always look over your shoulder and use hand signals before changing lanes. Use bells, horns, or your voice to alert others you’re approaching or passing. • Stay focused and alert. Never wear headphones while bicycling; they hinder your ability to hear traffic. Always look for obstacles in your path such as potholes, drainage grates, or anything that could make you fall. Be aware of the traffic around you and ride defensively. There are more than 105 miles of bicycle trails in the Omaha metro area. Enjoy a spring day on your bike. (Payne is with OPD’s Cime Prevention Unit.)
Member of The Sierra Group LLC is a licensed real estate agent
BBB offers tips for protecting your PII
You are invited to attend the
Intergeneration Orchestra Annual Spring of Omaha’s
Pops&Pie
CONCERT Sunday, April 19, 2015 @ 2 p.m. Doors open at 1 p.m. pie/ice cream/beverages
Witherspoon Concert Hall @ Joslyn Art Museum 2200 Dodge Street
Advance tickets are $10 for pie and concert Concert only tickets are $5 at the door Tickets are available by calling Chris @ 402-444-6536, ext. 221
The Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha is sponsored by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. Orchestra musicians are under age 25 and age 50 and older.
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As the weather warms up, many people take to the streets to bicycle. Biking can be a fun exercise as well as good transportation. Spring is a terrific time to review the simple safety measures bicyclists can follow to help keep them safe on the roads and trails. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are seven smart routes to bicycle safety for adults. • Protect your head by wearing a helmet. Helmets approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission are an effective way of preventing traumatic brain injury, which is the primary cause of death and disabling injuries resulting from bicycle crashes. • Be sure to ride a bicycle that fits you, ensuring the size of the bicycle is appropriate. There should be one to two inches of clearance between you and the tube (bar) and five inches of space if riding a mountain bike. Also ensure the seat is adjusted for a proper fit. With one foot on the pedal, the other leg should be fully extended with a slight bend. Be sure all bicycle parts are secure and in working
order. Ensure the handlebars are firmly in place and turn easily. Wheels should be straight and secure, and an experienced technician should adjust the brakes. • Learn and follow the rules of the road. Bicycles are considered to be vehicles on the road and bicyclists must follow the same traffic laws that apply to motor vehicles and drivers. Always ride with the traffic and obey traffic lights, signs, speed limits, and lane markings. Signal in advance of a turn using the correct hand signals. Yield to pedestrians and other vehicles. If you ride on a sidewalk, take extra caution at driveways and intersections. Check for traffic by looking left-rightleft before entering a street. Control your speed by using your brakes. • Be predictable and act like a driver of a vehicle. Always ride with the flow of traffic on the right side of the road and as far to the right as possible. • Always assume you’re not seen by others. Enhance your visibility by wearing neon and fluorescent colors. Wear clothing made from reflective materials. Install bicycle reflectors on both the front and back of your bicycle. A flashing red light
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www.igo-omaha.org
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illions of Americans could become victims of corporate data breach like the one that occurred recently at Anthem Insurance. Unknown hackers apparently stole personal identifying information (PII) from current and former Anthem customers including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and other information that can be used for identity theft. The Better Business Bureau recommends consumers always go to a company’s main website first and follow links from there. Scammers often take advantage of data breaches and subsequent confusion to set up spoof websites and then send phishing e-mails. The BBB offers the following suggestions for consumers concerned their PII has been stolen: • Do not take a “wait and see” approach as you may have done with breaches involving credit card data. You must act quickly. Breaches involving Social Security numbers have the potential to be far more detrimental to victims, and the damage can be difficult to repair. • Consider taking a preemptive strike by freezing your credit reports. This won’t impact existing credit cards and financial accounts, but will create a roadblock for thieves seeking to create fraudulent accounts using your personal information. • At a minimum, if you know your Social Security number has been compromised,
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place a fraud alert on your credit reports. While less effective than a freeze, this will provide an extra layer of protection. To learn more about security freezes and fraud alerts go to the BBB’s Consumer Blog at http://www.bbb.org/blog. • Take advantage of the free credit monitoring services that may be available. While this isn’t a preventative measure, this will alert you to new accounts or inquiries using your Social Security number so you can act quickly to repair the damage. • Vigilance is key. Regularly check your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com for unauthorized charges or other signs of fraud. This is the only free credit report option authorized by the Federal Trade Commission. • For more information and complete step-by-step guidance on repairing the damage caused by identity theft, visit the FTC’s identity theft resources. • Expect scammers will take advantage of this data breach to send out phishing e-mails and other messages that appear to be from legitimate companies. Don’t click on links from any e-mail, text, or social media messages about this or any other data breach. For more information about scams, check out BBB Scam Stopper. Sign up to receive weekly Scam Alerts to hear about the latest scams. If you would like additional information, please contact BBB President and CEO Jim Hegarty at 402-968-7030.
Habitat for Humanity needs vols to join its Global Village program By Don Browers
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aiti, Romania, Paraguay, Macedonia, Nepal, and South Africa are all a long way from Nebraska, yet families in every one of these countries have a special bond with Omaha families through Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village (GV) program. Most people are familiar with Habitat for Humanity and its mission of building “simple, decent, and affordable housing” for people who otherwise would not be able to afford a home of their own. Through the Global Village program, Habitat extends its mission around the world. Since 2011 Habitat for Humanity of Omaha has been organizing and facilitating local teams to travel overseas to build homes, to work alongside host families, and to make a real difference. For those men and women who love to travel, but want to be much more than just a tourist, a Habitat for Humanity of Omaha Global Village trip offers an unique and adventurous experience. GV volunteers get to immerse themselves in another country and another culture while helping deserving families in a meaningful
way. The GV experience is both deep and personal. The words most GV volunteers use to describe the experience are “life changing.” “We began organizing Global Village trips so our Omaha community could make a difference together,” said Amanda Brewer, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Omaha. “Global Village helps break down barriers, educate people about poverty housing needs, and builds relationships. We felt it was a tremendous opportunity to build life-long relationships among our own community members who experience this life-changing Global Village together.” Who can be a GV volunteer? Any man or woman with a positive attitude and an interest in helping others. A sense of humor doesn’t hurt, either. Construction experience is not required. Generally, volunteers must at least 18 years old (age 16 or 17 and up can join a team if accompanied by a parent). There’s no upper age limit and many older adults have joined previous Omaha Habitat GV teams. The trips are well suited for active older adults who want to travel and help others, but because the trips involve manual labor, participants should be in good health. It’s always Habitat’s goal that as many resources as possible go into building more houses. GV volunteers pay their own way, but Habitat for Humanity of Omaha assists team members, if they wish, in fundraising to defray all or part of the trip costs. Are you ready to build something? Are you ready to build enduring friendships with teammates from Nebraska? Are you ready to build lifetime memories? If so, a Global Village trip is for you. Habitat for Humanity of Omaha is recruiting team members for a GV trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina Oct. 2 to 11. For more information about this and other GV trips visit the GV page on the Habitat for Humanity of Omaha website: habitatomaha.org/volunteer/global-village or call 402-4575657. (Browers and his wife, Marjorie, are volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Omaha.)
Volunteer opportunities The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, Ombudsman Advocate Program, and Senior Medicare Patrol Program are recruiting older adults to become volunteers. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions must be age 55 or older, meet income guidelines, have a government issued identification card or a driver’s license, able to volunteer at least 15 hours a week, and must complete several background and reference checks. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions receive a $2.65 an hour stipend, transportation and meal reimbursement, paid vacation, sick, and holiday leave, and supplemental accident insurance. Foster Grandparents work with children who have special needs while Senior Companions work to keep older adults living independently. Ombudsman advocates work to ensure residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities enjoy the best possible quality of life. Ombudsman advocates, who must be age 18 or older, are enrolled through an application and screening process. These volunteers, who are not compensated monetarily for their time, must serve at least two hours a week. The Senior Medicare Patrol program helps Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect, and prevent health care fraud. These volunteers, who are enrolled through an application and screening process, are not compensated monetarily for their time, For more information, please call 402-444-6536.
Hit the road with Fontenelle Tours
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ith their “nanny” commitment to their grandchildren ending at the end of the school year, Ward and Kathy Kinney of Fontenelle Tours are excited about the wide variety of trips they’re offering in 2015. Many of the Fontenelle Tours excursions are via a motorcoach, which makes them perfect for older travelers. Destinations include Kentucky, Michigan, Branson, and Kansas City. See the Fontenelle Tours ad on page 4 for more information. “Hopefully, something will interest you and we can travel together again very soon,” Ward said. For more information, please call 712-366-9596 or log on the Internet to www.fontenelletours.com.
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‘Because Life Changes’
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hree sessions of Because Life Changes, a complimentary, six-week series are being offered on Saturdays during 2015 at the St. James Parish Center, 4701 N. 90th St., from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sessions are scheduled for April 11 through May 16, July 11 through Aug. 15, and Sept. 12 through Oct. 17 • Week 1: Dementia & Other Chronic Illnesses: The Road to a Diagnosis and Beyond with certified care manager Jan Hannasch. • Week 2: Legal Documents: Have Them, Have Them Up to Date, Have Them Accessible with estate planning attorney Niel Nielsen. • Week 3: L.T.C. Planning: A Process; Not a Product with Cathy A. Wyatt. • Week 4: Safe Environment Training: At Home & In the Community with occupational therapist BevVan Phillips and mobility expert Mark Zach. • Week 5: The ‘Moving’ Parts: Successfully Getting from One Home to Another with real estate broker Mike Fujan. • Week 6: Community Resources: Know What You Don’t Know with Michaela Williams of the ElderCare Resource Handbook. For more information, call: 402-661-9611.
Someday this button might save your life. For now, it sets you free. With Lifeline by Immanuel, you can enjoy an independent lifestyle in your own home—knowing that you can get help if you ever need it. In a fall or emergency, every second counts. Lifeline by Immanuel with AutoAlert is a medical alert pendent that can automatically call for help, even if you can’t push your button. Getting you connected to someone with access to your medical history, someone who can evaluate your situation and immediately send help. To learn more about the security and peace of mind provided by Lifeline, call (402) 829-3277 or toll-free at (800) 676-9449.
www.immanuellifeline.com
You’re invited To attend a program on
Saturday, April 18, 2015 10 a.m. A 55+ Calamar Community 7205 North 73rd Plaza Circle • Omaha, Nebraska
Woodbridge Senior Village
One mile north of Sorensen Parkway on 72nd Street near Immanuel Hospital
at
Woodbridge Senior Village!
nth One mo for T N FREE RE during s move-in May. & il r p A
• A realtor will discuss how to list and sell your home. • A specialist from Caring Transitions will discuss organizing your move Call Stephanie at to Woodbridge Senior Village. 402-575-9896
for more information or to arrange a tour.
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Please RSVP to Stephanie at 402-575-9896 by Wednesday, April 15, 2015
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Corrigan Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St., this month for: • April 1: Corrigan Easter meal featuring roast pork loin, brown rice, green beans, a dinner roll, and cheesecake with strawberries. Art & Social class @10:30 a.m. Make an Easter craft with Anita and stay for ceramics class after lunch. • April 2: Bingo and taco lunch. Tai Chi @ 10 a.m., chair volleyball @ 11a.m., and violinist Ivy. Soft shell taco or Oriental chicken salad lunch @ noon. Bingo @ 1 p.m. • April 6: Meatloaf lunch & Humor Day. To celebrate National Humor Month, bring jokes to read. Wear a funny shirt or tie, or bring a humorous photo or item. Meatloaf or a turkey chef salad lunch. Bingo will follow lunch. • April 7: Tai Chi @ 10 a.m., chair volleyball @ 11 a.m., and BBQ chicken or a chef salad lunch @ noon. • April 8: Art & Social class with rose petal magnets @ 10:30 a.m. Make a spring rose petal craft or paint your own crafts project. A tasty country fried steak or tuna salad lunch will be served @ noon. Stay for ceramics class after lunch. • April 9: Tai Chi @ 10 a.m., chair volleyball @ 11 a.m., violinist Ivy, a noon lunch of glazed ham lunch or chicken cordon bleu salad, then Bingo @ 1 p.m. • April 13: Spring Fling Day. Wear your favorite spring clothes and accessories. Join us for chair volleyball @ 10 a.m. and music by Billy Troy @ 11 a.m. Order a tasty turkey and potato casserole or tuna salad and ciabatta bun lunch. Spring theme Bingo and door prizes after lunch. • April 16: Baked ham dinner and Mega Bingo. Win part of a $75 bingo payout or split the pot raffle. Tai Chi @ 10 a.m. and chair volleyball @ 11 a.m. The reservation deadline is noon on Friday, April 10. • April 20: Volunteer Month Celebration. Meet the dedicated Corrigan volunteers. Chair volleyball @ 11 a.m. Crunchy Pollack or roast beef and cheese chef salad for lunch @ noon. Bingo @ 1 p.m. • April 27: Birthday party with music by Charlie Glasglow from the Merrymakers @ 11 a.m. Stay for noon lunch of Swedish meatballs and pasta or an Oriental chicken salad. New players are welcome to play chair volleyball every Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m. A noon lunch follows. Join us for Tai Chi, a relaxing and fun activity that’s proven to improve your balance Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in our spacious gym. Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun are also available. The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 contribution is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.
Introducing
April 2015 events calendar 7 National Geographic LIVE’s Pink Boots and a Machete Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. $9 and up 402-345-0606
18 Omaha Symphony Gala Featuring Martin Short Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. $22 and up 402-345-0606
11 8th Annual Omaha Health and Wellness Expo Also April 12 CenturyLink Center Omaha Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. FREE 402-346-8003
20 In the Mood: A 1940s Musical Revue Orpheum Theater 3 and 7:30 p.m. $40 to $59 559-372-7966
The Omaha Symphony The Fabulous 50s: Elvis, Doo-wop, and TV’s Hit Parade Also April 12 Holland Performing Arts Center Saturday @ 7:30 p.m. Sunday @ 2 p.m. $22 and up 402-345-0606 12 Black Violin Holland Performing Arts Center 7 p.m. $14 and up 402-345-0606 17 Opera Omaha Fidelio by Beethoven Through April 19 Orpheum Theater $22 and up 402-346-4398 18 Omaha Color Vibe 5k TD Ameritrade Park $24 to $40 435-554-0134
• Companionship • Light housekeeping • Cooking • Grocery shopping/Errands • Personal hygiene/Care • Personalized transportation • And more… “Empowering the individuals we serve to live life to the fullest.”
Toll free: 844-44-EMPOWER or 844-443-6769 www.empowerhomecare.com
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23 Kurt Elling Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $31 and up 402-345-0606 Pilobolus Dance Theater Orpheum Theater 7:30 p.m. $18 to $39 402-345-0606 24 Mamma Mia!’ Through April 26 Orpheum Theater Friday and Saturday @ 8 p.m. Sunday @ 1:30 p.m. • $35 and up 402-345-0606 Omaha Symphony Shostakovich’s 1st Symphony Also April 25 Holland Performing Arts Center 8 p.m. • $19 and up 402-345-0606 28 Arlo Guthrie’s: Alice Restaurant 50th Anniversary Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. $18 and up 402-345-0606
Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com
The art of eating well These cookbooks are filled with recipes to help you make good choices for cooking and eating. From DaCapo Press: Salad Samurai By Terry Hope Romero ( $19.99) A new manifesto of plant based, easy-to-make salads. Part I is a guide to the recipes, ingredients, equipment, and such. Part II has 100 seasonally organized recipes. The Science of Skinny Cookbook By Dee McCaffrey ($17.99) Eliminating chemicals and switching from processed foods to whole foods, this nutritionist and organic chemist lost 100 pounds more than 20 years ago. The Healing Remedies Sourcebook By C. Norman Shealy ($25.99) Alternative, low-risk options to “prevent and cure common ailments.” Part I is natural remedies, while Part II lists the holistic treatment methods. No prescription necessary. Choosing Raw By Gena Hamshaw ($19.99) This nutritionist, blogger, and raw food enthusiast, shares 125 simple recipes with health benefits and a 21 day sample menu. A commonsense approach to a plant-based diet. Grilling Vegan Style By John Schlimm ($20) Twelve chapters of fire featuring salads, tapas, burgers, and thirst quenchers from this old U.S. brewing family. Eat Right for Your Sight By Jennifer Thompson & Johanna Seddon (The Experiment, $24.95) A project of the American Macular Degeneration Foundation in collaboration with award-winning ophthalmologist Seddon and cookbook author Thompson. Try this recipe from Scott Uehlein of Tucson’s Canyon Ranch. Salmon with Peppered Balsamic Strawberries (Serves 4) Four 4-ounce salmon fillets 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Peppered balsamic strawberries 2 cups small diced fresh strawberries 2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 pound spinach Preheat a grill or broiler. Season the salmon fillets with lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Grill or broil the salmon fillets three to five minutes on each side until the fish is cooked through. In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries, basil, vinegar, sugar, and pepper until well combined. Steam the spinach to your desired doneness, about three to five minutes. Evenly divide the steamed spinach among four plates. Place each salmon fillet on greens and top with 1/2 cup of peppered balsamic strawberries.
Volunteers Assisting Seniors Volunteers Assisting Seniors, a local nonprofit organization, is looking for volunteers to review the required annual reports submitted by guardians and conservators in eastern Nebraska. The volunteers will also be asked to report any dis-
crepancies they discover to the court. This opportunity is ideal for anyone interested in helping the court determine if the finances of vulnerable people are being managed in their best interest. For more information, please call 402-444-6617.
Genealogical Society’s conference scheduled for Saturday, April 11
Free programs on third Thursday of each month through November
he Greater Omaha Genealogical Society’s Spring 2015 conference is scheduled for Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Nebraska Methodist College, 720 N. 87th St. Guest speaker Rev. David McDonald focuses on church-related research and on finding ancestors in New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
he University of Nebraska Medical Center’s EngAge Wellness program and The Art of Aging are co-sponsoring a series of free programs the third Tuesday of each month through November. The 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. presentations will be held at the Home Instead Center for Successful Aging, 38th Avenue and Leavenworth Street. Here’s the schedule: • April 21: Maximizing Independence: Vehicles & Motorized Transportation Needs with Mark Zach of Mobility Motoring. • May 19: Driving: When to Give Up the Keys with William Roccaforte, M.D., from UNMC’s Department of Psychiatry. • June 16: The Grace & Value of End of Life Planning with Julie Masters, Ph.D., from the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Department of Gerontology. • July 21: Memory Changes: What’s Normal and What’s Not with Barb Bayer, APRN, from UNMC. • Aug. 18: Swallowed by A Snake — Everyone Grieves with Joy Johnson, founder of Centering Corporation and Ted E. Bear Hollow. • Sept. 15: Age to Age: When Do We Need a Geriatrician? With Elizabeth Harlow, M.D., from UNMC. • Oct. 20: On the Move! Successfully Getting from One Home to Another with Mike Fujan of True North. • Nov. 17: Home for the Holidays: A Recipe for Peace with Diane Hendricks from UNMC. To register or for more information, please call 402-5527210 or log on the Internet to www.artofaginginc.com.
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he cost is $45 for Greater Omaha Genealogical Society members and $55 for non-members. There’s a $10 discount for registrations postmarked before March 31. Lunch, including a vegetarian meal, is available for an additional $5. No refunds will be available after April 4. For more information, please call 402-315-9665 or 402-571-7540, or send an e-mail to gogsworkshop@ gmail.com.
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r u o y d e e n e W
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I would like to become a partner with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, and help fulfill your mission with older adults.
ENOA
Traditional funding sources are making it more difficult for ENOA to fulfill its mission. Partnership opportunities are available to businesses and individuals wanting to help us. These opportunities include volunteering, memorials, honorariums, gift annuities, and other contributions.
$30 = 7 meals or 1.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 1 bath aide service for frail older adults. $75 = 17 meals or 4.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 4 bath aide services for frail older adults. $150 = 35 meals or 9.5 hours of in-home homemaker services or 8 bath aide services for frail older adults. $300 = 70 meals or 19.25 hours of in-home homemaker services or 16 bath aide services for frail older adults. Other amount (please designate)__________________________ Please contact me. I would like to learn more about how to include the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging in my estate planning. Please ma il with thisyofour donation rm to: Eas
tern Office oNebraska n Aging Address:___________________________________ Attention : Jef Name:_____________________________________
City:______________State:_____ Zip: __________ Phone:____________________________________
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4223 Ce f Reinhardt Omaha, nter Street NE 6810 5-2431 (402
) 444-665
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Former fine arts major has spent 44 years in law enforcement By Nick Schinker Contributing Writer
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n a very real way, Douglas County Sheriff Timothy F. Dunning began his career in law enforcement long before he ever pinned on a badge. It started with a microphone. The oldest of seven children, Dunning was about 19 and living with his family in Ralston when someone tried to sell two of his siblings a bag of marijuana. He took his outrage straight to the Ralston Police Department and told the officer there without hesitation, “Either you take care of this guy or I will.” Impressed by his determination, Ralston detectives worked with Dunning to set up an undercover marijuana buy at Todd’s Drive-In, a popular restaurant and teenage hangout at 77th and Dodge Streets in Omaha. Dunning wore “a wire” to record his conversation with the drug dealer. “I think I bought a pound, maybe a pound and a half of pot,” he recalls. “What I didn’t know at the time was the wire didn’t work. I made it back to Ralston safe, but all I could think about was what if I’d been stopped by the police in Omaha? “If I was that cop, I don’t know if I would have believed my story.”
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unning, his three brothers and three sisters grew up in Ralston with their parents, Jerome and Patricia. His father was a cattle buyer, working at the Omaha Stockyards and traveling to ranches and farms. Life in Ralston was like being in a small town surrounded by a growing city. There was a parade every Fourth of July and baseball games with friends. “I did a lot of fishing with my dad,” he recalls. “We’d go to Ray’s Valley Lakes, which is now Ginger Cove, and we had a place on the Elkhorn River until the flood in 1964 took everything away.” A graduate of Creighton Prep High School, Dunning attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), starting out as a fine arts major. “I wanted to be a copywriter,” he says. “Eventually, I switched to law enforcement.”
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A 1978 University of Nebraska at Omaha graduate, Tim Dunning worked for the Papillion and Omaha Police Departments before becoming Douglas County Sheriff in 1995. By the time he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at UNO in 1978, Dunning had already begun working in his chosen field. He joined the Papillion Police Department in 1971, where he was one of four sworn officers; then joined the Omaha Police Department (OPD) in 1973. His first assignment with OPD was not what he had anticipated. “They stuck me inside and I had to work the jail,” he recalls. “I thought I was just going to die. I was supposed to be out catching bad guys.” The assignment did have some unexpected rewards, he says. “I got to meet a lot of the
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guys on the force when they brought in their prisoners, and I got to know some of the criminals pretty well, too,” he says, “particularly the frequent fliers.” Dunning served as an accident investigator and as an undercover officer in vice and narcotics before being promoted to sergeant. He worked in the vice and narcotics units before achieving the rank of lieutenant and taking command of the OPD Organized Crime Unit in 1985. He went on to command the gang unit before serving as commander of the OPD Training Section in 1990, the same year he earned a master’s degree in public administration at
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UNO. Looking back, “working narcotics was interesting but training was the most fascinating of all my commands at OPD,” Dunning says. “At the academy, you’re taking former teachers and grocery sackers and molding them into law enforcement officers. That is important work.”
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hile serving with the OPD, Dunning took every opportunity to further his professional education and experience. He is a 1988 graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.;
and a 1996 graduate of the FBI National Academy Executive Development Institute. His growing expertise made him a prime candidate for the job of Douglas County Sheriff, and he was approached to run for that elective office four years before he accepted the challenge in 1994, when he defeated longtime Sheriff Richard Roth by 12 percent. Dunning retired from the OPD and took over the Douglas County Sheriff’s office in January 1995. When Dunning was elected, the sheriff’s office had 115 sworn officers and has since grown to 133 deputies --Please turn to page 11.
Every case is important to Douglas County Sheriff Dunning didn’t want to take a single day off, I loved the job so much. Today, there’s a different mentality. Some people start planning their retirement after the first couple years on the job.” He has been a part of some notorious criminal cases through the years but doesn’t talk about them, preferring to say, “every case is important.” And he has witnessed many changes in law enforcement through his 44-year career. “Technology is a big part
of the job now,” he says. “When I came to the sheriff’s office, that was the first time we used email. All the reports used to be recorded and then typed up later. Now everything is electronic and linked instantly by computers. The technology is better and the equipment we use is better. I think it all helps.” Not like 45 years ago, when wearing a wire during an undercover drug deal might be the riskiest business of all.
President George W. Bush shakes Dunning’s hand while visiting Omaha to attend the 2001 College World Series. Pat Thomas – the former Sarpy County Sheriff who died in 2010 – is in the background. --Continued from page 10. and detectives. “Back then, we were responsible for patrol and criminal investigation for 77,000 Douglas County residents,” Dunning says. “That grew as high as 95,000, but with Omaha’s annexations it is now about 82,000. But the rooftops out here continue to grow, so that number will change.” The sheriff’s office is also responsible for security at the Douglas County Courthouse in downtown Omaha.
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uring his tenure as sheriff, Dunning has overseen the merger of the Douglas County/City of Omaha 911 communications systems so all public safety agencies in Douglas County, including police and fire departments, are able to communicate with each other. He also led the development of a Cyber Crimes Task Force with the FBI to track down individuals who use the Internet for crimes against children, and helped implement Project Safe Schools, a program providing law enforcement patrols around elementary schools and the immediate neighborhoods before and after school. Dunning has continued to be recognized for his community service, earning several honors including the 2012 UNO School of Criminology and Criminal Justice’s Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award. And under his watch, the sheriff’s office has earned national accreditation from the
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in Jacksonville, Fla., to become the only sheriff’s office in Nebraska to have received such recognition. Dunning met his wife, Sue (Haas) while both were employed at the Skagway store at 72nd and L Streets. “She was in domestics and I worked the courtesy counter,” he says. He and Sue, a retired Millard Public Schools teacher, have four children and three grandchildren with a fourth on the way. Their son, Andrew, is a sergeant at the Douglas County Corrections Center. In his free time, Dunning likes to fish and hunt ducks, turkeys, and pheasants. He
and Sue also enjoy traveling and have been to Italy, Ireland, and Israel. He has served as an adjunct instructor at UNO, Bellevue University, and Metropolitan Community College. He has also been director of Douglas County Corrections, co-chair of the 911 Users Board, a member of the Governor’s Judicial Nominating Committee for the Nebraska Supreme Court, and president and vice president of the Nebraska Sheriffs Association. Most of all, Dunning enjoys wearing a badge. He has no intention of retiring soon. “I can’t retire,” he says. “I don’t know what I’d do. “When I first started, I
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Tips for women who want to travel alone
Alzheimer’s support groups available in Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy counties The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter offers several caregiver support groups and specialty support groups each month in Dodge, Douglas, and Sarpy counties. These support groups offer valuable space and educational opportunities for families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia to engage and learn. Please call Elizabeth at 402-502-4301 for more information. Second Wednesday @ 5:30 p.m. Espirit Whispering Ridge 17555 Emmet St.
DODGE COUNTY • FREMONT Last Wednesday @ 2 p.m. Nye Square 655 W. 23rd St.
Third Saturday 10:30 a.m. to noon Younger Onset Support Group Methodist Hospital 8303 Dodge St. REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Shalimar Gardens 749 E. 29th St. DOUGLAS COUNTY • BENNINGTON Last Thursday @ 6 p.m. Ridgewood Active Retirement Community 12301 N. 149th Cr. • ELKHORN Third Monday @ 6 p.m. Elk Ridge Village Assisted Living 19400 Elk Ridge Dr. • OMAHA
Third Monday @ 9:30 a.m. Ralston Senior Center 7301 Q St. • Suite 100 SARPY COUNTY
Every other Monday @ 7 p.m. Brighton Gardens 9220 Western Ave.
• BELLEVUE Third Monday @ 7 p.m. Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave.
Third Wednesday @ 3 p.m. Fountain View Senior Living 5710 S 108th St. First & third Monday @ 1:30 p.m. New Cassel/Franciscan Centre 900 N. 90th St. Adult day services are provided on-site.
Third Tuesday @ 5 p.m. Immanuel Fontenelle 6809 N 68th Plz. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Pointe 16811 Burdette St.
Second or third Saturday @ 11 a.m. Caring for Your Parents Teri @ 402-393-0434 for location • RALSTON
Second Thursday @ 10 a.m. Country House 5030 S. 155th St. Adult day services provided.
• OMAHA
First Thursday @ 6:30 p.m. Early Stage Support Group Security National Bank 1120 S. 101st St. REGISTRATION REQUIRED
First Wednesday @ 1 p.m. Eastern Nebraska Vets Home 12505 S. 40th St. Fourth Thursday @ 6 p.m. Hillcrest Health Services 1804 Hillcrest Dr.
Perhaps more than ever, women are willing to ditch their traveling companions and go solo when it comes time to see the world. A survey by Small Luxury Hotels of the World, for example, revealed between 2011 and 2012 there was a 53 percent increase in the demand for rooms by women traveling alone. The London Daily Mail also reports some hotels have taken steps to make their accommodations more appealing to women traveling on their own, with such features as women-only floors. Still, despite the trend, many women may worry such solitary excursions carry too many risks, making them a target for thieves and other criminals. But one woman who has logged endless miles exploring the world and finding romance says it doesn’t have to be that way. “There is no reason to let your fears keep you from the adventures you can experience,” says Barbara Foster, a veteran globetrotter and author of the book The Confessions of a Librarian: A Memoir of Loves. “Sure, there are risky places and bad types out there. But with the right precautions, women can travel solo with confidence, visiting the places, and meeting
the people they always dreamed of and returning home with wonderful stories and memories.” Foster’s travels have taken her across the country and around the world, with stops in Istanbul, Bombay, Buenos Aires, Jerusalem, and other locales. As an adventurer, Foster is something of a contradiction. She describes herself as a librarian who has difficulty reading flight schedules, and suspects a haggling merchant in an Arab bazaar would view her as easy pickings. He would be mistaken. While Foster has co-authored books on such esoteric subjects as Tibetan Buddhism, she’s also steeped in reallife experience. Foster, who says solo trips can be rewarding for women, offers five tips for traveling boldly while staying safe. • Steer clear of the most dangerous locales. Simply put, some places just aren’t worth the risk, so avoid “no go” neighborhoods, cities, and countries. For example, if you feel compelled to go to the Middle East, visit Israel, which is the safest Middle Eastern country. Still, if the destination is truly important to you, go ahead and take the risk. India can be dangerous and Foster says she was nearly kidnapped there, saved only by the intervention of a librarian friend. At the same time, she says, the country offers a once in a lifetime experience. • Connect with friendly contacts. Make yourself known not only to the U.S. embassy or consul, but also to people in your field. During her travels, Foster wrote articles about libraries she visited. Her fellow librarians were a protective group. • Learn the language or at least useful phrases. Even if it’s just a few key words, speaking the language can come in handy if you need assistance. Understanding what others are saying can alert you to potential dangers. • Dress wisely, pay attention to manners, and spend money in moderation. Don’t draw unnecessary attention to yourself. In her book, Foster recounts a visit to Istanbul where she watched as two Turkish men slapped a young British woman for wearing a miniskirt on the street. For added protection against thieves, Foster recommends carrying money and identification in a pouch under your shirt. • Travel in the USA. You will miss many of the world’s must-see places, but if the thought of traveling abroad holds too much stress for you, it might be better to stick closer to home.
Sweet Adelines’ luncheon, style show set for April 25
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Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Ridge 1502 Fort Crook Rd. South
he Acappella Omaha Chorus of Sweet Adelines International is presenting its 2015 Salad Luncheon and Style Show on Saturday, April 25. Titled, Fashions by C.J. Banks, Christo-
pher & Banks, this “spring fiesta” will be held at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 13271 Millard Ave. Tickets, which are $15, are available by calling 402-932-0155 or by logging on to www.acappellaomaha.com.
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Send your questions,comments, story ideas, etc. to
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www.southviewheightsomaha.com
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New Horizons
‘Our Town’ coming to the Blue Barn Theatre May 7 through June 7
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he Thornton Wilder classic, Our Town, will be on stage May 7 to June 7 at the Blue Barn Theatre, 614 S. 11th St. Winner of the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Our Town reminds people how rich their lives are if they just stop and listen. Show times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays May 17, May 31, and June 7. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for persons age 65 and older. For tickets or more information, please call 402-3451576.
The value of a thriving older workforce
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s chief of the Associated Press’ Tokyo bureau, Joseph Coleman wrote a story about an agricultural cooperative in southwestern Japan where organizers put older residents to work selling leaves and flowers as seasonal garnishes for highclass restaurants. The project showed it was possible to operate a thriving business with an older workforce, and it helped spark an idea for a book that took Coleman – the Roy W. Howard Professor of Practice in The Media School at Indiana University – to four countries to research how businesses, governments, and individuals deal with the aging workforce. The result is Unfinished Work: The Struggle to Build an American Workforce, published by the Oxford University Press. “For a variety of reasons, we will want to or have to work later in life,” Coleman said. “One of the great challenges for societies and companies is to develop effective strategies to make room for older workers in the workplace.” Coleman began writing stories on Japan’s rapidly aging society during his years in Tokyo from 2004 to 2008. “In Japan, life expectancy is among the highest, and fertility rates are among the lowest in the world,” he said. But he discovered the trend wasn’t unique to Japan. In fact, it’s just one of the consequences of economic development in capitalist economies. In industrialized societies, having children or larger families is expensive, he said. Fewer children mean fewer people to fulfill workplace demand, and fewer people supporting social
programs and national pension systems. Raising the retirement age is one way economies are offsetting this trend. “This is something the many countries will face sooner or later,” he said. Once the idea of a book germinated, Coleman started reading everything he could about the subject. He contacted nongovernmental organizations that specialize in helping low-income unemployed older workers find jobs. He also reached out to companies known to employ older workers. “I was looking for companies that for one reason or another found it advantageous and profitable to hold on to or attract older workers,” Coleman said. His research led him back to Japan, which Coleman said can serve as a preview for what other countries can expect. He also went to France to look at difficulties in boosting labor force participation rates among older workers. And he went to Sweden to examine its success in maintaining high labor force participation until the standard retirement age of 65. “What I was most concerned with in this book is bringing to life the stories of individuals grappling with this issue. Those individuals include workers, employers, policy-makers, and researchers,” Coleman said. Though Coleman looks at the aging workforce as a global issue, much of the book addresses people in the U.S. He interviewed dozens for the book, including a 54-yearold Illinois man who struggled through three years of unemployment and filled out 800 job applications during the recession before getting a job. Coleman also went to Sarasota, Fla., to talk to several aging baby boomers that still are working. He interviewed the owner and aging workers at a company in Japan that makes the nose cones for bullet trains. Of the myriad reasons people work longer, finances usually are part of the equation. In the United States, Coleman said the private pension system is eroding, so people have less guaranteed money at retirement. At the same time, unemployment can hit workers in their 50s, just as they are juggling mortgages, car loans, and their children’s college bills, forcing them to burn through their savings. People need to be saving more, and, according to Coleman, they’re not doing it. “People underestimate how much they’ll need, and how long they’re going to live,” Coleman said. He said the scope of the issue and the depth of the reporting were challenging, but overall it was a great experience. Coleman said the issue is one people of industrialized countries need to start thinking about. “We created a whole new chapter of life through medical science,” Coleman said. “Now we have to figure out what to do with that.”
Support group meeting for widows, widowers
Fed employee groups meet at Omaha eatery
Care HelpLine offering bilingual resource info
HEOS, a group for older widows and widowers, meets the second Monday of each month at the Presbyterian Church of the Cross, 1517 S. 114th St. The organization offers weekend activities, Wednesday night dinners, and pinochle twice a month. For more information, please call Dorothy at 402399-0759, Mary at 402-3933052, or Joan at 402-3938931.
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Chapter 144 meets the first Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-292-1156. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Aksarben Chapter 1370 meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-342-4351.
ilingual information about hospice care, palliative care, helping loved ones with grief and loss, and caregiving is available through the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Partnership. The number for the Cuidando con Carino Compassionate Care HelpLine is (toll free) 1-877-658-8896. The service is offered weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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AARP offering driving course AARP is offering a new four-hour, research-based Smart Driver Course for older adults. By completing the course, participants will learn research-based driving safety strategies that can reduce the likelihood of having an accident; understand the links between the driver, the vehicle, and the road environment, and how this awareness encourages safer driving; learn how aging, medications, alcohol, and health-related issues affect driving ability and ways to allow for these changes; increase confidence; know how to share the road safely with other drivers, and learn the newest safety and advance features in vehicles. The fee is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonAARP members. No tests or examinations are involved, course completion certificates are provided, and auto insurance discounts may apply. Here’s this month’s schedule: April 10 @ Noon Metropolitan Community College 829 N. 204th St. (Elkhorn) Class # AUAV004N-72 Call 402-457-5231 to register
April 11 @ 1 p.m. AARP Information Center 1941 S 42nd St. To register, call 402-398-9568
Smoke, carbon monoxide detectors The Omaha Fire Department is available to install free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors inside the residences of area homeowners. To have a free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector installed inside your home, send your name, address, and telephone number to: Omaha Fire Department Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Requests 10245 Weisman Dr. Omaha, NE 68134 For more information, please call 402-444-3560. ack
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Certified geriatric pharmacist provides vaccination guidelines By Sheryl Havermann
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accines have been subject to quite a bit of discussion in the media lately. Most of the focus has been on pediatric vaccinations. However, there are vaccinations recommended for older adults that should also enter into the discussion. There are three main vaccines for older men and women: • The shingles (herpes zoster) vaccine: The shingles vaccine is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) as a routine vaccination for men and women age 60 and older. This includes patients with a previous history of herpes zoster (shingles) as well as those with chronic medical conditions, unless those conditions are in contraindication to the vaccine. Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities age 60 and older should also receive the vaccine, provided their health history does not include contradictions to the vaccination. The shingles vaccine is a live vaccine (contains the live, diluted virus) that works to decrease the risk of developing shingles and any long-term effects from the disease. Herpes zoster is a reactivation of the varicella zoster (chicken pox) disease, so only individuals that have had the chicken pox can develop shingles. The vaccine dose is given as a onetime injection into the arm. Possible adverse reactions include redness, pain, swelling and/or itching at the injection site. A headache may also follow the injection. • Pneumococcal vaccine: The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is recommended by the ACIP for persons age 65 and older. It helps to protect against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria. There are specific parameters for vaccinating older adults that have never had a pneumococcal vaccine, and these men and women should be deferred to the physician for vaccine scheduling. The vaccine dose is given as a one-time injection after age 65. It can be given earlier in life and then again at age 65. The pneumococcal vaccines are inactivated vaccines and don’t contain any live virus particles. Possible adverse reactions include injection site pain, swelling, redness, headache, and fatigue. • Influenza vaccine: The influenza vaccine is recommended on an annual basis to prevent or reduce the severity of influenza types A and B. This is a respiratory flu type and does nothing to prevent the stomach flu. Most influenza vaccines are initially cultured from a chicken egg, and at one time thus anyone with an egg allergy was advised to not receive the flu shot. However, there is now a formulation that’s grown through a different medium, and can be given to those with an egg allergy. The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine. This means there are no live influenza virus particles in the shot and an individual can’t contract the flu from being vaccinated. The influenza vaccine can cause tenderness/pain at the injection site as well as malaise (body weakness and discomfort) and headaches. (Havermann is a certified geriatric pharmacist.) Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart 33 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In Home Consultations • Free Initial Consultation 6790 Grover Street • Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68106 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 cdorwartjd@dorwartlaw.com
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RSVP Retired and Senior Volunteer Program The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is recruiting persons age 55 and older for a variety of opportunities. For more information in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402-444-6536, ext. 224. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402721-7780. The following have volunteer opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties: • The Disabled American Veterans need volunteer drivers. • The American Cancer Society is looking for volunteers to assist walk in guests and for other duties. • The Douglas County Health Center wants volunteers for a variety of assignments. • Bergan Mercy Medi-
cal Center is looking for volunteers to help in several areas. • Rebuilding Together wants volunteers to work on home projects. • The Skyline Retirement Community is looking for volunteer for fitness classes and to visit with its residents. • Mount View Elementary School is looking for a TeamMates mentor. • The Douglas County Civic Center/Hall of Justice wants volunteers to host tours. The following have a volunteer opportunity in Dodge and/or Washington County: • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteer drivers. • The Fremont Friendship Center wants volunteers to facilitate classes. • The Danish American Archive Library needs volunteers to help with its archives. • The American Red Cross (Dodge County chapter) is looking for volunteers for a variety of duties.
The New Horizons is brought to you each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.
End of life planning program on April 17
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his month, the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Department of Gerontology and UNO’s Aging and the Life Span Teaching Circle will present Begin With the End in Mind: The Next Chapter. The program will focus on important aspects of end-of-life planning and will feature a guest expert and a question and answer session. On Friday, April 17, Margaret Schaefer, an elder rights attorney with Legal Aid of Nebraska, will discuss the necessary legal hurdles that older adults and their families may encounter in the lead up to and shortly after their death. Schaefer’s presentation will run from 1 to 2 p.m. in Room 132 at the UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service Commons building. Space is limited for the event, so reservations are required to attend. For reservations or more information, please contact Maria Sorick at 402-554-2272 or email unogero@unomaha.edu.
Study: Women vulnerable to frivolous spending While women continue to make impressive strides in academics, in the business world, and with buying power in general, a significant percentage are vulnerable to retail therapy and other modes of frivolous spending, says Erica L. McCain, a veteran financial expert and founder of McCain & Associates. According to a recent study from Prudential, women report they’re no more prepared to make sound financial decisions today than women in the study were two and 10 years ago. “Women love buying nice things not only for themselves, but also for their children and other loved ones,” McCain says. “As I’ve experienced in my years of assisting clients, and in my own life, you’re likely to kick yourself down the road when you realize $200 would’ve been better spent for retirement, rather than at the salon.” McCain, author of Ladies With Loot, reviews why women may be better off taking the scissors to their credit cards. • You’ll want financial independence for your golden years. As the Prudential study indicated, 75
April 2015
percent of women say maintaining their current lifestyle is very important, yet only 14 percent reported they were confident they could make that happen. “Most of us seem to be living in parallel realities, which is a dangerous long-term plan,” McCain says. “A good rule of thumb is that you need seven times your annual salary to fund your retirement. If you make $50,000 a year, your retirement savings should be a minimum of $350,000.” • Rare opportunities for your children come with a price tag. Being short of necessary funds for a child’s rare opportunity may come as a surprise to some women. A woman in her 30s may be accustomed to a lifestyle supported by two strong incomes, but in the event of a divorce, most women should prepare themselves for a financial reality check. “Err on the safe side of your finances,” McCain says. “If you’re enjoying a lifestyle of liberal spending because of a great income, realize much of that stream can drastically slow due to an unforeseen life event.” • Emergencies quickly follow with the need for funding. One of the defining characteristics of life is its unpredictability. A careless driver could total your car; medical emergencies are often expensive, even with insurance; you may need to hire an attorney for a number of reasons; and the list goes on. “Life is scary, but less so when you have adequate funds to deal with an emergency,” McCain says. • Time can be on a woman’s side. Women are uniquely pressured to maintain an image of beauty throughout their lives. With age comes added pressure to look good, so more money may be spent on hair coloring, haircuts, etc. It all adds up. “When it comes to saving money, time absolutely can work for us,” McCain says. “The more you save and longer you save it, the more asset building you can do. Instead of fighting time, why not use it to your advantage?”
Intergeneration Orchestra auditions are scheduled for May 9 and 10 The Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha, a special project of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, will hold auditions for its 31st season of concerts on Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 10. The IGO consists of musicians under age 25 and over age 50. Musicians must have an appointment to audition and be prepared to perform any style of music without accompaniment for conductor Chuck Penington. Musicians will also be asked to sight read music during the audition. To arrange for an appointment or to learn where the auditions will be held, please call the IGO’s Assistant Project Director Kristine Hendrickson at 402-490-4160.
American Heart Association offers six inexpensive tips for a healthy lifestyle The American Heart Association wants to raise awareness about the risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. While many people believe being healthy involves extra expenses like gym memberships and pricier groceries, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to boost heart health without busting your budget. Follow these six simple steps toward a healthier heart for less. • Go for a walk outdoors. If exercise isn’t part of your daily routine, all you need to do is walk to get heart healthy. Research shows walking briskly for 15 to 20 minutes per day decreases your chances of stroke and heart attack, prevents diabetes, and helps you lose weight. It’s also the most accessible exercises available. Walk around your neighborhood during your lunch break, or even to and from nearby errands. If the weather isn’t ideal for being outdoors, head to a local mall where you can walk while window shopping and avoid extremely cold or hot conditions. • Buy whole or frozen produce. According to the Harvard University based Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals, the more fruits and vegetables consumed, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Increasing your servings may seem like it will increase your grocery bill, but you can keep that in check by only buying whole produce. Those that are pre-cut, pre-chopped, or pre-sliced cost an average of 30 to 60 percent more. Frozen vegetables and fruits, especially berries, are less expensive and a great choice as they’re frozen at peak nutrient level so you get the same health benefits. • Look for manager markdowns on fish. Several studies indicate fish eaters have a lower risk of heart disease. In fact, it’s recommended you eat two to three servings of fish per week. The best diet choices are those lower in mercury like salmon. Even anchovies and sardines are good for you. To save money, look for manager markdowns on fish nearing its sell-by date and freeze whatever you don’t cook right away for later use. • Tame stress. More research is needed to find the direct impacts stress levels have on your heart, but it’s known to affect other conditions that lead to cardiovascular disease like high-blood pressure, high-cholesterol, and overeating. That’s why taming stress by meditating, getting more sleep, or doing yoga is critical. • Get your sleep. While sleep is essential for keeping your mood and productivity up, it’s also directly connected to heart health. According to WebMD, chronic sleep loss may lead to heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and other serious conditions. Make sure you’re clocking in more sleep by turning off all your personal gadgets and hitting the hay early. A comfortable mattress is also key, so if you find yourself struggling to sleep, it’s time to upgrade. • Quit smoking. It’s no surprise that smoking is extremely unhealthy, but did you know it causes 30 percent of all heart disease? Quitting will not only improve your health, it will also save you big bucks. The price of cigarettes gets more expensive every year plus health insurance companies often charge a higher premium for an individual’s smoking status. Follow tips to resist tobacco cravings from the Mayo Clinic and get support from family and friends.
Helping to preserve your memory A few decades ago, the state of your brain was believed to be beyond your control. Conventional wisdom taught that people are born with a certain number of brain cells that die over time and are not replaced. But recent years have brought good news: although the areas of the brain associated with memory and reason shrink with age, you can add still add brain cells and build new connections between those cells throughout your life. Dr. Bradford Dickerson, associate professor of neurology at the Harvard Medical School, studies how the structure and function of brain areas involved with memory and reasoning change with age. “Many of the activities linked to a reduced risk of dementia may truly be helpful in preserving memory and reasoning,” he says. The following lead the list. • Physical exercise. “The best evidence so far is for aerobic exercise and physical fitness,” Dr. Dickerson says. Not only have scores of observational studies linked regular aerobic exercise to reduced risk of dementia, the results of several randomized controlled clinical trials and a
few imaging studies indicate aerobic exercise increases brain mass and improves reasoning ability. In studies of healthy people that showed the greatest positive effect, people got an average of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week over a year. Moreover, controlled trials in people with mild cognitive impairment showed exercise was effective in arresting decline. There is also some evidence that mastering more complicated physical activities, like dance or sports, has greater benefits than repeating simpler ones, like walking. What the studies haven’t determined is whether the benefits of exercise disappear when people become sedentary. • Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet – high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes; moderate in olive oil and unsaturated fats, cheese, yogurt, and wine; and low in red meat – has been a mainstay of cardiac prevention for almost 20 years. More than a dozen observational studies have shown it’s also associated with a reduced risk of dementia. In those investigations, people who adhered to the diet most
Bellevue Senior Community Center You’re invited to visit the Bellevue Senior Community Center, 109 W. 22nd Ave., this month for the following: • April 1: Presentation on health, exercise, and diet by Clarkson College nursing students from 10:30 a.m. to noon. • April 2: Easter celebration @ 10 a.m. • April 6: Visit by Creighton University pharmacy students @ 11 a.m. • April 8: Hot breakfast @ 9 a.m. A $3 donation is suggested. The reservation deadline is April 6. • April 9: Bingo Bucks @ 10:30 a.m. • April 10: Presentation on emergency preparations by a representative from Sarpy/Cass Health Awareness @ 11 a.m. • April 14: AARP Safe Driving Class from 1 to 5 p.m. The cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non AARP members. Please RSVP by April 10. • April 16: Blood pressure checks and a presentation on health education by Methodist College nursing students @ 10 a.m. • April 23: Senior Prom featuring appetizers @ 3:30 and dancing to the music of Joe Taylor from 4 to 5 p.m. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the Chicken Oscar evening meal that follows the dance. • April 23: Pokeno @ 10:30 a.m. • April 29: Flower planting @ 10:30 a.m. The center is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meals. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations and more information, please call Kathy Van Den Top @ 402-293-3041.
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closely had the greatest reduction in risk. Although the few randomized controlled trials have been too short to yield meaningful results, the diet’s proven hearthealthy effects alone make it worth following. • Social connectedness. Evidence from observational studies linking reduced risk of dementia with social connectedness dates to the 1990s. As researchers have looked into these connections more deeply, they’ve discovered that variety and satisfaction in social contacts is more important than the size of a person’s social network. • Mental stimulation. There’s some evidence that challenges like playing a musical instrument or learning another language have more benefits than repetitive exercises like crossword puzzles. Although “braintraining” programs are a multi-million-dollar industry, there’s no conclusive evidence that any of them improves memory or reasoning ability. “We don’t know whether playing brain games is helpful,” Dr. Dickerson says. “Getting together with family and friends to play cards may be as good.”
AARP is offering a free, three-day class in basic computing
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ARP is offering classes in basic computer skills this spring at the Kids Can Community Center, 4860 Q St. The free courses begin on Wednesday, April 22. The classes are available to anyone age 50 or older regardless of AARP membership. The three-session courses – which are held on a consecutive Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. – will focus on basic computer skills development with an emphasis on word processing, searching the Internet, and e-mail usage. A special session on an introduction to tablet computing and another on how to work with digital photography are also being offered. For a class schedule, log on the Internet to www.kidscanomaha.org/community. To register or for more information, please call the AARP Information Center at 402-398-9568.
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Recycling your smartphone is easy
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ith a record four million pre-orders for Apple’s bestselling iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus recently, it’s evident consumers want the latest in smartphone technology at their fingertips. A new report by analysts at the German market research firm GfK determined global smartphone sales exceeded 1.2 billion units in 2014. That’s a 23 percent increase over 2013. With so many new smartphones and electronic devices being purchased, are users disposing of their older devices properly? According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data, approximately 2,440,000 tons of electronics, such as computers, mobile devices, and televisions, were disposed of in 2010. Twenty-seven percent, or 649,000 tons, of that “e-waste” was recycled. Because some materials in electronics such as lead, nickel, cadmium, and mercury, could pose risks to human health or the environment, the EPA strongly supports keeping used electronics out of landfills. “Recycling electronic equipment isn’t quite as easy as leaving it in a bin in your front yard, as we’ve learned to do with paper and plastics, but the health and environmental benefits of recycling e-scrap are tremendous,” said EPA administrator Mary A. Gade. “Also, we know half of the devices thrown away still work.” If Americans recycled the approximately 130 million cell phones that are disposed of annually, enough energy would be saved to power more than 24,000 homes annually. If we recycled one million laptops, too, we would save the energy equivalent to the electricity used by 3,657 U.S. homes in a year. Furthermore, for every million cell phones recycled, 35,274 pounds of
copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered. Recovering these valuable metals through recycling precludes the need for mining and processing new material from the Earth, thus not only conserving natural resources but preventing air and water pollution, as well.
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hankfully, recycling old smartphones and other electronic devices is an easy, typically cost-free process for consumers. Electronics retailer Best Buy offers the most comprehensive appliance and electronicsrecycling program in the United States with more than 400 pounds of products collected for recycling each minute the stores are open. Best Buy offers free recycling for most electronics and large appliances, regardless of where they were purchased. Some charitable organizations, like Cell Phones for Soldiers, also offer free cell phone recycling. Since 2004, the non-profit has prevented more than 11.6 million cell phones from ending up in landfills. All cell phones donated to Cell Phones for Soldiers are sold either to electronic restorers or a recycler, depending on the phone’s condition. The proceeds from the phone sales are used to purchase prepaid international calling cards for troops and provide emergency financial assistance to veterans. “Cell Phones for Soldiers truly is a lifeline,” says Robbie Bergquist, co-founder of the non-profit. “To withstand time apart and the pressure of serving our country, the family connection is a critical piece to survival.” (EarthTalk® is produced by Doug Moss & Roddy Scheer and is a registered trademark of Earth Action Network Inc. )
Living with cancer conference scheduled for May 2
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By Lois Friedman was totally surprised by my colorectal cancer. After completing radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, I luckily discovered one of the most amazing steps in my healing process. It’s called A Time to Heal, a non-profit, holistic cancer rehabilitation program. This often-free, 12-week program founded in Omaha, unites a small group of cancer survivors, patients, and caregivers one evening per week. Drs. Stephanie Koraleski and Kay Ryan, a dynamic duo of energetic psychologists, created a Time to Heal more than 10 years ago. During the weekly gatherings I attended, Dr. Koraleski made a delicious light supper. Then guest speakers – most with a Ph.D. – spoke about their area of cancer expertise, followed by discussion, and a movement session. A Time to Heal is now
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presenting its first annual The Art of Living With Cancer conference on Saturday, May 2 at 8 a.m. in the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus. Reserved parking will be available. The cost is $25. Space is limited, however, and the registration deadline is April 15. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Edward Creagan, a Mayo Clinic cancer specialist, a professor of medical oncology at the Mayo Clinic Medical School, and the author of How Not To Be My Patient: A Physician’s Secrets for Staying Healthy and Surviving Any Diagnosis. “Dr. Ed,” a medical consultant for A Time to Heal, will discuss stress, burnout, the healing power of pets, and his journey with thousands of cancer patients. Conference attendees will receive a copy of his book. Medical oncologist Dr. Nora Disis, a Komen Scholar who graduated from Creighton University and the University of Nebraska Medical School, will discuss Your Immune System and Cancer. The conference’s closing keynote speaker will be Michael Samuelson, MA, author of The Power of the Possible: Awakening to the Art of Living. He has walked, climbed, and hiked the path to surviving cancer. Other topics to be addressed at the conference include cancer survivorship, nutrition, managing metastatic disease, coping skills for the newly diagnosed, addressing the needs of the young adult survivors, tips for caregivers, and longterm strategies for living long and well. Many sessions will be videotaped so they can be watched online after the conference. Non-profit cancer groups will have exhibits on display and a delicious, nutritious lunch will be served. For more information, please call 402-401-6083.
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April 2015
Wednesday dancing at Legion Post #1 You’re invited to attend a dance each Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 4 at American Legion Post #1, 7811 Davenport St. Admission is $2. For more information, please call 402-392-0444.
Hearing loss group meets April 14 The Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America, a support group for hard of hearing adults, will meet on Tuesday, April 14 at Dundee Presbyterian Church, 5312 Underwood Ave. Participants are asked to enter the church on the Happy Hollow Blvd. (east) side. The 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. meeting will feature social
time and a speaker. The Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America meets the second Tuesday of the month from September through December and from March through August. For more information, please contact Beth Ellsworth at ellsworth.beth@ cox.net or Verla Hamilton at 402-558-6449.
Camelot Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Camelot Friendship Center inside the Camelot Community Center, 9270 Cady Ave., for the following: • April 1: Easter egg coloring @ 10:15 a.m. • April 2: Visit by Methodist College nurses @ 10:15 a.m. • April 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, & 28: Tai Chi class @ 10:15 a.m. • April 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, & 27: Tap class @ 1:30 p.m. • April 8: Birthday Bash • April 9: Book Club @ 10:15 a.m. • April 10 & 24: Movie Day @ 12:15 p.m. • April 15: Presentation by Carole Lainof. Other activities include Bingo, pinochle, card games, other games, crafts, candy making, and scrapbooking. The Camelot Friendship Center is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. For reservations or more information, please call Amy at 402-444-3091.
Film on Thursday, April 9 will allow viewers to get their kicks on Route 66
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fter traveling 25 times around the earth (600,000 miles), documentary film producer and RV king John Holod will be in Omaha on Thursday, April 9. Holod’s new production, Route 66 Exploring the Mother Road, will be the final offering in the 2014-15 Omaha World Adventures film series. Show times for Route 66 Exploring the Mother Road are 2 and 7:30 p.m. at the Village Pointe Theaters, 304 N. 174th St. Holod has traveled coast to coast across the United States and Canada and appeared in more than 120 RV shows. In 2007, the Recreational Filmmaker John Holod Vehicle Industry Association of American gave Holod its Distinguished Achievement in RV Journalism Award. Route 66 Exploring the Mother Road will take viewers from Chicago to Los Angeles as Holod visits many of the cities celebrated in Bobby Tourp’s classic song, Get Your Kicks on Route 66. Tickets, which are available at the door, are $14. For more information, please call (toll free) 1-866-3853824.
Newer televisions use less energy, reducing environmental footprint
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ccording to the U.S. Department of Energy, Americans’ 275 million TV sets burn through 65 billion kilowatt hours of energy each year. This total represents 4 to 5 percent of American household electricity consumption. Each U.S. household spends around $200 per year for electricity to power their televisions and related equipment. But while we may not be giving up our TV anytime soon, there is some light at the end of the tunnel, as the consumer electronics industry has started to prioritize reducing its environmental footprint. While screen size has continued to increase, the overall mass of televisions is much smaller than back in the days of boxy cathode ray tube sets. Many new flat screen models sport hyper-efficient screens that can be tweaked even further by the user to reduce power needs. Some of the energy-saving features this new generation of greener TVs makes use of include screens back-lit by light emitting diodes, automatic brightness controls that adapt the picture to the light intensity of the room, local dimming, where sections of backlighting are dimmed or turned off when not needed, and the ability to pre-determine picture settings optimized to save energy. “Even though televisions are the most widely owned device in the U.S., with a 97 percent household penetration in 2013, their total annual electricity consumption dropped 23 percent from 2010,” reports the Consumer Electronics Association, the trade group for electronics manufacturers. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program certifies appliances, electronics, and other energy-efficient consumer items to help Americans save money and protect the climate through saving energy. If you’re shopping for a new TV, start your search at EnergyStar.gov, where you can find and compare new models that are all at least 25 percent more energy efficient than conventional televisions. The easy-to-use site allows you to check-off which brands, screen sizes, technology types, resolutions, and other features you’re looking for before it serves up a list of matches complete with estimated energy use over a year. The EPA reports if every TV, DVD player, and home entertainment system purchased in the U.S. this year qualified for an ENERGY STAR label, consumers would keep 2.2 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere, the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road. Of course, buying a new TV introduces another potential environmental hazard: that associated with the disposal of your old set. Throwing your old TV in the garbage where it will end up in a landfill is not only bad for the environment, given the risk of chemical and heavy metal leakage, it’s also typically illegal. If you’re buying your new TV from a local store, ask them if they can take back your old set. Also, the CEA’s Greener Gadgets website provides an up-to-date list of resources to find out how to responsibly recycle old TV sets and other electronics directly with the manufacturers or through third-party recyclers. (EarthTalk® is produced by Doug Moss and Roddy Scheer and is a registered trademark of Earth Action Network Inc.)
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The impact of not being able to drive
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he ability to drive an automobile can be central to a person’s identity and can be an important expression of independence. When older adults become unable to drive, due to age or deteriorating health, their emotional well being can decline as a result of being unable to maintain social relationships or work schedules that require travel by car. A University of Missouri researcher has found that even if just one member of a couple stops driving, negative consequences result for both the driver and the non-driver. The researcher recommends older adults and their adult children, carefully discuss and plan for the transition to driving cessation. “Individuals should recognize that making the decision to stop driving is a major life change that needs to be taken seriously,” said Angela Curl, assistant professor in the School of Social Work within the University of Missouri College of Human Environmental Sciences. “The safety of the driver should be discussed as just one factor among many. Any time you recommend an individual stop driving, you should talk about alternative transportation options or, possibly, reloca-
tion. If the family wants to help, it’s best to come up with a concrete transportation plan ahead of time. These are complicated, difficult decisions, and mediation of the discussion can often be helpful through, for example, a social worker or counselor.” Curl found when one spouse stopped driving, both spouses were less likely to work or volunteer. Also, the likelihood a husband would work or a wife would volunteer decreased further over time. “People who are in the process of making the decision to stop driving often think their spouses will compensate for their inability to drive,” said Curl. “However, in our research, we found having a spouse who can drive does not completely remove the negative consequences of driving cessation.” Curl found consequences exist for spouses who stop driving and spouses who take on all the driving responsibilities for a household. This could be because individuals who stop driving have less ability to freely transport themselves, so spouses who can still drive may spend more time transporting their partners and have less time available for working or socializing, Curl said. (The University of Missouri provided this information.)
• Find out what you are hearing and what you are not. • We do computerized audiometric testing of your hearing. • This is a wonderful opportunity to determine if hearing help is available.
8313 Cass St., Omaha • 301 E 6th St., Fremont 402-512-5022
April 2015
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Sofia would be honored to be thought of as a Holy Name alumnus By Jeff Reinhardt New Horizons Editor
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hen she thinks about her final day as principal at Holy Name Elementary School – which will come some time in mid-June – Sofia Kock, age 66, knows she’ll run through the gamut of emotions when she exits the two-story brick building. There will be a lot of sadness. “I’ll miss the relationships I’ve built with the students and their families.” Sofia will feel great pride when she thinks about the impact she’s made on the lives of hundreds of youngsters during her 19-year career as principal of the school at 2901 Fontenelle Blvd. “I heard the voices of people in my office and I learned how to help them.” There will be unbridled joy, as Kock will have more time to spend with Frank, her husband of 43 years, their three children, and six grandchildren. Frank retired last month after a long career teaching science in the Westside Community Schools and as a lab technician for the Merck pharmaceutical company. She’ll also feel confident as she turns the school’s reigns over to Dr. Don Ridder, who will come to Holy Name in July from St. Patrick’s School in Elkhorn. “I couldn’t be more pleased with his selection. He’ll pick up the pieces I leave and run with them,” Sofia said.
“Holy Name is the safety net for many of our students. The children know they’re loved here and they can count on us.”
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Des Moines native, Kock came to Omaha to attend the College of St. Mary where she majored in biology and secondary education. After graduating from CSM, Sofia taught biology at Omaha’s Paul VI High School from 1971 to 1975. Kock quit teaching school for two years to help raise her first son, but returned to the classroom in 1977. She taught biological sciences at Omaha’s Cathedral High School until it closed in 1994. After spending two school years teaching science at Omaha’s St. Bernard’s Elementary School, Kock decided she was ready for a career change. She enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where she earned her master’s degree in educational administration. Shortly after beginning classes at UNO, Sofia was offered the opportunity to become principal at any one of the seven Omaha Archdiocesan elementary schools that had an opening in the fall of 1996. She chose Holy Name. “We (she and her family) lived on Fontenelle Boulevard (near the school), and even though I had taught at Cathedral, this (Holy Name) was our parish.” In 1996, Holy Name had 230 students in its pre-kindergarten through eighth grade classes. Of that total, 80 percent of the youngsters were Catholic. Today, of the 183 students who attend the school, roughly half are Catholic. According to the Holy Name website, more than 54 percent of the students are minorities.
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For the last 19 years, Sofia Kock has been the principal at Holy Name Elementary School, 2901 Fontenelle Blvd. The school’s student body today represents 16 cultural heritages and a variety of religious denominations. They represent 16 cultural heritages and a variety of religious denominations. “We educate children, regardless of their educational ability, socio-economic status, or faith experience,” Kock said. During Sofia’s tenure, Holy Name has opened a year-round childcare center for children ages six weeks to three years.
provides resources to schools in the city’s mostchallenged areas through fund development. The Servants of Mary sisters and the Redemptorists priests that opened the school in 1918 also played a crucial role during Holy Name’s first century in north Omaha, according to Kock. “We’ve stood on the shoulders of some giants,” she said.
aintaining the enrollment during tough economic times has been Kock’s biggest challenge in her nearly two decades at Holy Name. In February, a fundraiser for the recently established Sofia Kock Tuition Assistance Fund was held in the Mainelli Center at the St. Robert Bellarmine church and elementary school. An anonymous donor has pledged to match up to $50,000 in contributions to the fund. “This goal was exceeded as the result of the generosity of many donors who believe in the mission of Holy Name,” Sofia said. Kock said this fund would help families who want to send their children to Holy Name but need financial assistance to do so. Keeping the inner-city parochial school open has been possible due to the support of alumni, parishioners, donors, and Holy Name’s faculty, development, marketing, and recruiting staffs, Sofia said. Holy Name has also formed a partnership with CUES, a non-denominational not-for-profit organization formed by civic leaders and community advocates dedicated to supporting Omaha’s inner-city children through education. CUES
s her time at Holy Name approaches the finish line, Kock realizes how much she’ll miss the students. “Their genuineness, their honesty, and their ability to see the importance of their life and their faith.” She said among the greatest lessons she’s tried to impart in the youngsters is the importance of having patience. “Wait, think, and then act” is how she describes the axiom. Sofia will also miss her hardworking and very dedicated staff that make a real difference in the lives of the students and their parents every day. “Holy Name is the safety net for many of our students. The children know they’re loved here and they can count on us,” she said. “Holy Name School has been an educational anchor in north Omaha, and Sofia’s leadership has been instrumental in the success of the school,” read a letter from Patrick Slattery, superintendent of schools for the Omaha Archdiocese. While Kock wants to be remembered as a leader, a mentor, and a supporter, Sofia said she’d be honored to be thought of as a “Holy Name alumnus.”
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Providers, drivers honored during Public Transit Week April 6 to 10
During a ceremony last month in Lincoln, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a proclamation declaring April 6 to 10 as Public Transit Week in the state.
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ebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts recently signed a proclamation declaring April 6 to 10 as Public Transit Week in the state.
care, shopping, education, and employment. The NATP is thanking the state’s transit providers – including the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging – for their efforts, dedication,
ect to collect items for the agency’s food pantry. ENOA’s rural transportation program is available for older adults, the general public, and persons with a disability in Sarpy, Dodge,
Cass, Washington, and rural Douglas counties. The service can be used for any transportation need including medical and business appointments, shopping, going to Eppley Airfield, etc. Funding is provided through a grant from the Nebraska Department of Roads, county support, and passenger fares. ENOA’s rural transportation program staff members include dispatchers Yvonne Betts and Esther Gunderson as well as drivers Brian Hatfield, Brittany Jackson, Bill Connour, and Gordon Mix (Douglas, Cass, and Sarpy counties); Tammy Nolan, Dick Longstein, and Mert Olsen (Dodge County); and Seth Fergus and Ron Powers (Washington County). For more information, please call (toll free) 1-888-2101093 in Cass, Sarpy, and rural Douglas counties; 402-7217770, ext. 4 in Dodge County; and 402-426-9614 in Washington County.
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The proclamation is a special honor for the Nebraska Association of Transportation Providers (NATP) whose members strive to enhance the quality and accessibility of public transportation across the state. For many Nebraskans, public transit is the single point of access for medical
and support during the past 29 years. Special recognition is being given to the more than 700 public transit drivers in Nebraska. Locally, ENOA will celebrate Public Transit Week with a variety of activities including appreciation days for staff, passengers, and veterans, as well as a proj-
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Studies have shown social media usage Headaches may be caused by problems could lead to smarter, stronger brains with teeth, bite relationship, lower jaw
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hen you consider many older adults were around for the invention of the television in 1927, it’s no wonder they may be resistant to new technology and especially social media. For many older men and women, computers are intimidating, but it’s critical for family members and the healthcare community to encourage older adults to get involved in social media. A recent article in The Harvard Business Review points to several studies that show social interactions could lead to a smarter, stronger brain. This is traditionally a huge focus in senior living communities who try to encourage social interactions in order to promote overall wellness among its residents. Thanks to technology, these social interactions can now happen online. Asif Khan, CEO of Caremerge who launched Community Social – the first-ever social network dedicated to helping older adults lead an active and social lifestyle – offers six reasons why older men and women should use social media: • Keeping in touch with family. As the body slows down, visiting old friends and even family can be difficult. Couple that with busy work schedules and staying abreast of social current events can be challenging. The best part of social media is that it overcomes geography and now older adults can keep in touch with kids and grandkids. They can receive videos, photos, and have conversations with the push of a button. • Find old friends. Ever wonder what happened to your World War II buddy or your high school sweetheart? One of the most amazing parts of sites like Facebook is that you can find people from your past and reconnect. This can be a thrilling experience for someone living in a senior living community. • Make new friends. When a 25-year-old in a major city complains it’s hard to meet new people, imagine how an 85-year-old feels. Isolation is a huge problem for older adults due to limited mobility. Traditional social media can certainly help in finding old friends. However, finding new friends on the same old sites is not practical for the aging. What older men and women want is a much simpler solution that allows them to connect with other like-minded people within their own community. New social media sites geared for older adults make it possible for them to broaden their horizons and find people with similar interests in their community. Older men and women today are still looking for face-to-face interaction so sites like these are used as a tool to create an active lifestyle. • Keep working. Age 65 is no longer the retirement age for most older adults and while a daily commute into the nearest city may no longer be a viable option, digital and online opportunities for work are expanding at a rapid pace. Social media networking tools could allow older adults to no longer have to be forced into retirement. Moreover, senior living providers can post local jobs along with many volunteer positions to continue to allow older men and women to live an impactful and purposeful life. • Learn and research. Having an endless library at your fingertips is a luxury older adults didn’t have growing up. When most of them take the leap and begin to use the Internet and search sites like Google, they’re astonished at how much there is to learn. This will keep their brain active which is critical to health and wellness. This can lead to new hobbies or even business ideas and can be great for keeping up with world events. • Help with gifting and finding sales. For older adults who have grandkids, being a good gift giver is a core responsibility. Older consumers can follow their favorite brands on Facebook and other sites to be alerted to sales and promotions. They can also see what is “new and hot” among the younger generation and come up with great ideas their grandchildren will like.
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early everyone on occasion experiences a throbbing headache that interferes with his or her concentration at work or school, or saps the joy from the day. Sometimes the headache’s source can be surprising. For many people, the pain that emanates from the head can be traced back to their teeth, their bite relationship, and the alignment of the lower jaw. “Pain doesn’t happen randomly or because of bad luck,” says Dr. Fred Abeles, author of the book Break Away: The New Method for Treating Chronic Headaches, Migraines, and TMJ Without Medication. “There’s a cause and effect to almost everything in the human body,” according to Dr. Abeles. With many headaches, Abeles says, the cause is the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, the place at the front of the ear where the lower jaw and the temporal bone on the side of the head meet. Sometimes the bite and the lower jaw are out of alignment, putting additional strain on muscles, which leads to the headaches. For many, TMJ headaches aren’t going away because people try to mask the pain with medication rather than correct the underlying cause, Abeles says. How do you know a headache is caused by TMJ? Abeles says these are some of the warning signs: • Your jaw clicks or pops. Any joint in your body should work silently and seamlessly, Abeles says. If your jaw clicks or pops when you open or close it, it’s a clear sign the lower half of the joint isn’t in the proper position. Even if the popping and clicking don’t produce pain, he says, the muscles that have to support and stabilize the joint become fatigued and will produce pain. • Your bite feels off. The TMJ is the only joint in the human body that has 28 teeth stuck between the opening and closing motion of the joint to complicate things, Abeles says. Every other joint is completely controlled by muscles. The position of the joint, its movement, and range of motion are mediated by muscle. The TMJ’s position is dictated by where our teeth come together in our bite. So if your bite feels off or your teeth don’t fit together well, there’s a good chance your TMJ joints are off, too. • You have pain around your forehead, temples, back of your head, or radiating down your neck. Ninety percent of pain comes from muscle, Abeles says. If your muscles aren’t functioning well because of fatigue from supporting one or both of your TMJ joints in an improper position, they produce pain. It’s much like when you exercise or work hard and feel muscle pain later, he says. The only difference is that TMJ is more subtle and chronic. • You have forward head posture. Our heads are supposed to be centered over our shoulders. If yours is in front of your shoulders when you’re upright, you have forward head posture. That relates to your bite and your airway. The human head weighs about eight to 10 pounds. The farther forward it is off the center axis, the more strain it places on neck muscles and the vertebrae. • You snore. Snoring is a red flag that respiration during sleep is disturbed, Abeles says. Several factors can lead to snoring, but one of the most important is the position of the lower jaw, he says. If your lower jaw is a little too far back, then the tongue is farther back as well. “If the tongue is slightly farther back than optimal it vibrates against our soft palate, closes off our airway, and we snore,” Abeles says. The snoring doesn’t cause the headache, he says, but it could be a sign the lower jaw is too far back. As a result, the muscles that support the jaw in an improper position produce the headache pain.
Walkathon on May 16 to highlight ENOA celebration of Older Americans Act’s golden anniversary By Yvette Steffen
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ach May, our nation focuses on how older Americans are taking charge of their health, getting engaged with their communities, and making a positive impact in the lives of others. Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Older Americans Act into law. The OAA provided a nationwide aging services network and funding sources that help older Americans live with dignity in the communities of their choice for as long as possible. These services, which are often provided by agencies like the
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Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, include home-delivered meals, congregate meals, caregiver support, community-based assistance, public information, preventive health services, personal care, transportation, and ombudsman services,
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ach May, the theme for the Older Americans Act Month celebration changes. In 2015, the theme is Get Into the Act. By promoting and engaging in activity, wellness, and inclusivity, it’s hoped more older Americans will get into the act and take control of their lives allowing them to become more empowered. In 2015, the nation is celebrat-
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ing the OAA’s 50th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, ENOA’s Nutrition Division is hosting its first annual fundraising effort titled, The Step Out for Seniors Walkathon. The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 16 at 10 a.m. at the historic Benson Park, 72nd Street and Military Avenue. The money raised will go to ENOA’s 28 senior centers to help them update their programming and services. The Step Out for Seniors Walkathon is open to people of all ages and will include a Lifestyle Exposition, fishing, exercise demonstrations, and a friendly chair volleyball
April 2015
mini-tournament.
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he early bird registration fee through May 8 is $15 per entry. The cost to register May 9 to 15 is $20. The registration rate at the event on May 16 will be $25. Children under age 12 can register for $15 no matter when they sign up for the walkathon. Registration forms are available at any ENOA senior center or by visiting stepoutforseniors.weebly.com. For more information, please call 402-444-6513. (Yvette Steffen is the program assistant in ENOA’s Nutrition Division.)