New Horizons July 2018 by Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

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A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

July 2018 VOL. 43 • NO. 7

ENOA 4780 South 131st Street Omaha, NE 68137-1822

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389

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New Horizons old • er 74 adul ts since 19

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Cathy Hughes – founder and chair of Urban One – a media conglomerate based in Washington, D.C., returned home to Omaha recently for a series of events including re-naming a street in her honor, giving the keynote address at the Empowerment Network’s Rebuilding the Village Conference, and becoming the latest Face on the Barroom Floor at the Omaha Press Club. Leo Adam Biga chronicles Hughes’ life and career beginning on page 10.

Author In addition to penning several children’s picture books, Omaha’s Eve Heidi Bine-Stock has written a series a books showing aspiring authors how to write their own children’s picture books. See page 20.

Inside Proper garage door maintenance .............. 2 Coping with the loss of a loved one ........... 3 The gut, brain health correlation ................ 4 Advice for summer cookout safety ............ 5 State’s healthcare workforce examined ..... 7 ‘Read it & eat’ has seasonal recipes .......... 8 New gerontology facility at USC ................ 9 Dealing with fungus in the garden. ........... 15 Preserving the environment...................... 16 Ways to improve your posture..................18

Step Out For Seniors

Regular maintenance is important

The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Nutrition Division and the City of Omaha’s Parks and Recreation Department are sponsoring the fourth annual Step Out For Seniors walkathon on Friday, Aug. 17 at Benson Park, 7028 Military Ave. The walkathon is a fundraiser to help ENOA update programming and services at its 26 senior centers in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties. All ages are encouraged to participate. Sign-in begins on Aug. 17 at 8:30 a.m. The walk will follow at 9 a.m. The festivities will also feature a Lifestyle Exposition showcasing a variety of products and services. Food, drink, and health information will be available that day at Benson Park. Registration is $15 for adults and $10 for children. Groups of seven or more will receive a $10 per person discount. Participants can obtain a registration form at any ENOA senior center or at stepoutforseniors.weebly.com. For more information, please call 402-444-6513.

RSVP RSVP is recruiting men and women age 55 and older for a variety of volunteer opportunities. For more information in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402-4446536, ext. 1024. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402-721-7780. • The Corrigan Senior Center is looking for volunteers. • The Boys Town Hall of History needs volunteers. • Together Inc. wants volunteers for its food pantry. • The VA Medical Center is looking for volunteers. • The YWCA’s Reach and Rise Mentoring Program wants volunteers to work with children ages 8 to 15. • The Heartland Hope Mission needs volunteers for its food pantry. • The Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital is looking for volunteers for a variety of assignments. • The Low-Income Ministry wants volunteers for its food pantry. • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteers to drive older adults to their appointments once or twice a week. • ENOA’s senior centers want volunteers for a variety of assignments.

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE Wills • Trusts • Probate

Ask A Lawyer: Q — What is the difference between a Power of Attorney and an Executor? A — The holder of your Power of Attorney can act for you only during your lifetime. It can be effective immediately or only after you become incapacitated. The power can be quite broad or limited to specific areas, such as banking. It ends at death or if you should become able once again to act for yourself. An Executor (or Personal Representative) is the person who is responsible for settling the estate after death, carrying out the last wishes of the deceased. Have a question about estate planning? Give us a call!

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Tips for keeping your garage door safe

ust like other operational systems around the home, garage doors should be routinely checked to assure they work properly. Summer is an ideal time to make sure your garage door works as smoothly and safely as possible. “When you think about it, the garage door is most likely the most used door to your home,” says Jeffrey Nofziger, president of Haas Door in Wauseon, Ohio. “Your garage door opens and closes several times a day. Assuring that it’s operating efficiently and safely is a smart move for homeowners.” Nofziger and the team at Haas Door recommend homeowners consult with professional technicians to assure security of their garage door systems. They’re also sharing this safety tips checklist for garage door systems offered by the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association International (DASMA). While you should always consult the garage door manufacturer’s installation or instruction manual for safety information on your own model of garage door, these tips can get you started. • Replace old springs. Your garage door’s springs are arguably the most important and most dangerous part of your door. Springs wear out. When they break, injury can result. If you have an older garage door, have your springs inspected by a professional technician and replaced if needed. If your door has two springs, replace both, even if one isn’t broken. This will not only prevent any damage caused by the breaking of the second spring, but also keep your door working efficiently. • Check your cables. Visually inspect the cables that attach the spring system to the bottom brackets on both sides of the door. If these cables are frayed or worn, they’re in danger of breaking, which can cause injury. Due to the dangers associated with high spring tension, these cables should be replaced only by a trained, professional technician. • Squeaky springs? Springs can squeak and be noisy. This is caused by normal use and doesn’t necessarily indicate a prob-

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lem. Before calling a professional service technician, use a spray-on lubricant (recommended especially for garage doors). If the noise persists, call a professional garage door installer for service. • Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Installing a garage door can be very dangerous and isn’t recommended for a novice. DASMA recommends trained, professional door systems technicians install garage doors. • Safety cables. If your garage door has extension springs, you need a safety cable that runs through the spring and secures to the wall or ceiling at each end. When your garage door is down, extension springs are under high tension. If the spring breaks, it may cause injury. A safety cable can keep that broken spring contained. If you have extension springs but don’t have a safety cable, call your local dealer for a safety inspection. • Struggling door? If your door doesn’t go up and down smoothly, you may have an unsafe condition. Even older door systems should operate smoothly. If the awkward operation continues when the door is manually operated, you may have a spring system that’s out of balance. This can cause premature wear and tear on other important door components. Spring systems are dangerous and should be repaired only by trained professionals. • Watch your fingers. Every year, many unsuspecting homeowners injure their fingers by placing them between the door sections to pull down on the door. According to DASMA, if your door lacks pinch-resistant joints, you should have lift handles or suitable gripping points on the inside and outside of the door. Even if your door has an opener, the door must occasionally be operated manually. Never place your fingers between the door sections. If you manually open or close the door, use the handles or the safe gripping points. • Tamper resistant brackets. Since the bottom brackets on a garage door are connected to the door’s springs, these brackets are under extreme tension. They should be adjusted or loosened only by a trained door systems technician. Many manufacturers now include tamper resistant hardware that prevents loosening of the brackets by a novice. • Use the old track? When buying a replacement garage door, some homeowners are tempted to save a few dollars by putting the new door on the old track. However, your old track may not fit with your new door, depending on the thickness of your sections, the weight of the door, the headroom required, the location of the garage door opener, and other considerations. The track and sections work together as a system. For maximum performance and long life, you should use the track that’s designed for your specific door. • Get regular service. Your garage door is probably the largest moving part in your home and is typically used every day. Over time, parts can wear out and break, creating potential safety problems. Although you should provide monthly safety checks and maintenance to your garage door system, an annual visit from a trained, professional door systems technician can keep your door operating safely and smoothly for a long time. • Save the manual. Keep the owner’s manuals for your door and opener hanging near the door for easy reference. Every model of door and opener has specific safety instructions unique to that model. For additional safety guidelines and safety tips for garage door openers, visit dasma.com.

Volunteers needed for Hug-A-Bears

olunteers are needed to join the Hug-A-Bears, an Omaha organization whose members have created and donated more than 40,000 stuffed bears to local charities since 2000. The Hug-A-Bears meet Tuesday mornings at the Maple Ridge Retirement Community, 3525 N. 167th Cir. Volunteers are needed to help stuff and sew the bears. For more information, please call Stephen Dawkins at 402-740-2475.

A new way for older adults to deal with grief By Donna Campisano & Elizabeth Brown

n estimated 10 million Americans suffer from what experts call “prolonged, complicated grief.” This type of grief, which disproportionately affects older adults, is characterized by a daily yearning for the deceased individual, feeling emotionally numb, and having difficulty moving on with life. “There’s a trauma aspect to the grief,” said epidemiologist and biostatistician Dr. Kevin Kip, a University of South Florida (USF) distinguished health professor. Kip said prolonged, complicated grief is a significant cause of depression, anxiety, suicide, and poor physical health in older adults. “It’s a longing for the person, (and) an empty purpose to life. These people are haunted by the death and are continually ruminating about it. In that way, it’s a lot like post-traumatic stress disorder.” Kip and his USF Health College of Nursing colleague Dr. Cindy Tofthagen are embarking on a two-year study looking at a type of psychotherapy – called accelerated resolution therapy, or ART – that has been proven effective with sexual assault victims and military personnel suffering with PTSD. The study, funded with a $275,000 National Institute on Aging grant, will examine the usefulness of ART in treating 50 older adults who have had an immediate family member in hospice care die within the last 12 to 18 months. The older men and women must be suffering with prolonged, complicated grief as determined by a qualified clinician. Unlike traditional “talk” therapies used to treat conventional grief, ART focuses on desensitizing the patient to the signs of physical distress (a fast heartbeat, nausea, etc.) that emerge when thoughts of the death arise and re-imagining the past with the

loved one in a more positive way. The desensitization is achieved by asking the patient to first label the uncomfortable physical feelings, and then to follow the clinician’s hand as it moves left to right. “This simple act is stress reducing and helps the patient become desensitized to those unsettling physical sensations,” Kip said. The next step with ART is to bring up the memories that are packing such an emotional wallop and then reframe them. “We might ask patients what life was like when the loved one was sick,” Kip said. “Then we might ask them to add some memories of what life was like before he or she was ill. Basically, we’re asking them to add positive material to the memory. “When you ask the brain to do two things at once, you tax working memory. And when you overload the memory, it dilutes some of the emotionality of a traumatic experience. When you go to store that memory back in the file cabinet of your brain, it’s modified to include new, more positive information.” ART has never been studied as a therapy for complicated grief, but Kip and Tofthagen are excited by its promise, noting it could be a cost-effective and time-saving solution for grief-stricken spouses, especially since older adults with prolonged, complicated grief can develop other health issues. “Multiple losses compound the trauma that people are going through,” Tofthagen said. “If they don’t have good coping skills, they may never be able to get back to normal life, and that affects their health. They develop cancer more often, heart disease, and depression. It’s like a cascade.” (Campisano and Brown are with the University of South Florida.)

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, 4780 S. 131st Street, Omaha, NE 68137-1822. 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; Lisa Kramer, Washington County, vice-chairperson; Janet McCartney, Cass County, secretary; David Saalfeld, Dodge County, & Jim Warren, Sarpy 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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Dora Bingel Senior Center

Research conducted at Cal Tech, UCLA

You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • July 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m. • July 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, & 27: Ceramics @ 9 a.m. • July 6: The Merrymakers present music by Paul Siebert @ 11:30 a.m. Lunch is $3. • July 9: Book Club @ 10 a.m. • July 11: Holy Communion served @ 10 a.m. • July 18: Foot care clinic from 9 a.m. to noon. Make an appointment by calling 392-1818. • July 25: Birthday party luncheon @ noon. Eat free if you have a July birthday. The center will be closed on July 4. A nutritious lunch is served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. A $1 donation is suggested for the meals, other than $3 for Merrymakers. Round-trip transportation is available for $3. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for all meals. Other activities offered at the facility include: Tuesday: Joy Club Devotions @ 10 a.m., matinee @ 12:30 p.m., & quilting @ 1 p.m. Wednesday: Devotions @ 10:30 a.m.; Tai Chi @ 11 a.m.; bingo @ 12:30 p.m., and Bible study at 12:30 p.m. Friday: Bingo @ 12:30 p.m. For more information, please call 402-898-5854.

Fremont Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field), for the following: • July 1: Attend a patriotic concert in Omaha. Your $20 reserves your spot and your meals. Seating is limited. • July 18: Homemade cinnamon rolls from Nye Square around 9 a.m. Enjoy great music with Billy Troy at 10:30 a.m. followed by our monthly birthday party. • July 25: Music by Bill Chrastil @10:30 a.m. • July 26: Presentation by Nye Senior Services on home care services. The center will be closed on Wednesday, July 4 for Independence Day and from July 9 to 13 for the 4-H fair. Walking in the main arena Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. is encouraged. Keep track of your miles in our walking book. 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 contribution is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.

Connecting your gut’s health with your brain’s

he idiom “trust your gut” means relying on intuition, rather than thoughtful, deep analysis, to make a decision. But research shows there’s actually a tangible connection between gut health and brain health, and that linkage can affect emotions and cognitive processing. Research conducted at the California Institute of Technology by Elaine Hsiao showed how unhealthy or healthy microorganisms in the stomach can influence behaviors differently. Another study, led by Kirsten Tillisch at UCLA, suggested probiotics can have a positive effect on behavior, mental outlook, and brain function. “Scientists have now determined humans have two brains; the second one resides in the gut and is called the enteric nervous system,” says Richard Purvis, author of Recalibrate: Six Secrets To Resetting Your Age and CEO of Skin Moderne Inc. “It has more neurons than the spinal column or central nervous system. Understanding the relationship helps to clarify why the process of taking care of the gut and the brain within it also helps improve the health of the brain.” Given Americans’ notoriously poor eating habits, Purvis says gut health has never been more important. A Tufts University study estimates more than 318,000 deaths a year – or nearly half of American deaths caused by heart disease, stroke, and diabetes – were hastened by unhealthy eating. “Processed foods and sugar are among the biggest culprits for promoting the growth of bad bacteria in the gut,” Purvis says. “You can greatly improve your gut health – and by extension your brain health – by being kinder to it on a daily basis.” Purvis recommends four nutritional tips – and a nature trip – that benefit your gut and your brain: • Daily servings of cultured, fermented

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probiotic-rich foods. “Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha pickled veggies, yogurt, and kefir encourage the growth of good bacteria,” Purvis says. “By ingesting healthy, probiotic-rich foods, you are guaranteed colony forming units of bacteria, plus food sources are much cheaper than supplements.” • Prebiotic foods. Non-digestible shortchain fatty acids help your good bacteria flourish, says Purvis. These are found in artichokes, garlic, leeks, dandelion greens, beans, oats, onions, and asparagus. • A diet that keeps blood sugar balanced. “This also keeps gut bacteria balanced,” Purvis says. “A diet high in rich sources of fiber, especially derived from whole fruits and vegetables, feeds the good gut bacteria and produces the right balance of those short-chain fatty acids to keep the gut lining in check.” • Gluten reduction. Reducing gluten, or avoiding it altogether, Purvis says, will further improve gut health as well as healthy brain physiology. He agrees with medical professionals who say gluten can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, hurting digestion and sometimes leading to “leaky gut,” or damaged intestine walls. • Getting outside and into nature. “You need to connect with more microorganisms – the more, the merrier,” Purvis says. “Their purpose is to perform life-sustaining functions. Move outside, do some gardening, plant flowers, mow the lawn, take a walk in the woods. Do things that connect you and your immune system with all the microorganisms in the soil. “Lifestyle choice is considered by most the culprit contributing to our unhealthy bacteria,” Purvis says. “So, you have a choice, and the one you make with your diet will affect your whole body, and not least of all, your brain.

Elder Access Line

A few simple guidelines to help keep your summer cookouts fun, safe

Cookouts in Nebraska generally start each year as soon as possible in the spring, and for some people, seemingly egal Aid of Nebraska never stop. The idea is to gather people around the grill and operates a free teledinner table to share food and fellowship, so most people phone access line don’t plan for a family trip to the emergency room. It can for Nebraskans age 60 and happen, however, if proper food safety practices aren’t fololder. lowed. Information is offered to Foodborne illness is a major public health concern, and help the state’s older men while not every case involves a cookout, about 48 million and women with questions Americans every year will suffer a foodborne illness. on topics like bankruptcy, In recent years more than half the illnesses most often ashomestead exemptions, col- sociated with outdoor grilling were diagnosed from May to lections, powers of attorney, September. Most of the recommendations for safe grilling Medicare, Medicaid, grand- may also apply to your daily cooking. parent rights, and Section 8 The Douglas County Health Department suggests these housing. guidelines to help your cookout be successful and healthy. The telephone number • Clean your grill between each use. for the Elder Access Line is • Use a meat thermometer to ensure you thoroughly cook 402-827-5656 in Omaha and meat and poultry. 1-800-527-7249 statewide. • Beef and pork should be “rested” for three minutes after 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.

being removed from the grill to allow the heat to spread and kill more contaminants. • Keep cold foods cold (41 degrees or below) and hot foods hot (above 135 degrees). • Promptly refrigerate any leftovers. Grilled meat needs special attention. You can help avoid cross-contamination by putting cooked meat on a clean platter and not re-using a plate that earlier was used for raw meat. If you used a sauce to marinate meat, don’t re-use that same batch of sauce on cooked food. Wash your hands, utensils, and cutting boards if they were in contact with raw meat or poultry. The internal temperature of cooked meats should be: • Beef and pork, steaks, roasts, and chops: 145 degrees. • Hamburger and other ground meats: 155 degrees. • Poultry: 165 degrees. • Reheat precooked foods to 165 degrees. The only way to be certain meat is safe to eat is by using a food thermometer. You can’t tell if meat is safe to eat simply by looking at it.

Millard Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., this month for the following: • July 3: Compliment Your Mirror Day. • July 6: Bring a treat to share. • July 11: Board meeting @ 9:45 a.m. • July 13: Free blood pressure checks @ 9:30 a.m. • July 18: Picnic at Walnut Grove Park. Chicken will be provided. Please bring a side dish. Sign up by July 13. If the temperature is 87 degrees or higher, the picnic will be held at the center. No ENOA lunch that day at the center. • July 20: Music by Pam Kragt @ 10 a.m. • July 25: Canasta @ 1:30 p.m. • July 26: Goodwill outing @ 9:30 a.m. Sign up for your seat on the bus. • July 27: The Hula Hoop’s 50th birthday. • July 31: Bring vacation photos for show-n-tell @ 10 a.m. The center will be closed on July 4. In September, Methodist College nursing students will offer free toenail care. The center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served @ 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the meal the participant wishes to enjoy. For more information, please call 402-546-1270.

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Corrigan Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St., this month for: • July 5: Patriotic Day. Wear your red, white, and blue and join us for patriotic trivia and puzzles. • July 10 & 11: Toenail clinic from 10 a.m. to noon. Please sign up in advance. The cost is $12. • July 12: Join us at @ 11 a.m. as Sergio Robles from the Omaha Fire Department tells us how to be fire safe. • July 16: VNA presentation on nutrition for those over age 50 @ 11 a.m. • July 19: Red Raven Band and annual indoor picnic @ 11 a.m. Reservations are required by July 13 @ noon. • July 23: Music by Paul Siebert from the Merrymakers @ 11 a.m. The center will be closed on July 4. Other activities include bingo Monday and Thursday @ 1 p.m.; ceramics class Wednesday @ 1 p.m.; and chair exercise class Tuesday and Thursday @ 10:30 a.m. 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 contact Michelle Jolley @ 402-731-7210 or michelle.jolley@ nebraska.gov.

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 Arrow Rock, Clydesdales, and Chuck Wagon Dinner Show. August 9 - 11. $565. See the Budweiser Clydesdales at Warm Springs Ranch, enjoy a Chuckwagon Wild West Dutch Oven Dinner Show, “The 39 Steps” play at Arrow Rock’s Lyceum Theater, lunch at Les Bourgeois Vineyards, Columbia’s Candy Factory, a Jamesport Amish Farm Tour and lunch, and the village of Arrow Rock, an entire village designated as a National Historic Landmark. Branson Christmas. November 5 – 8. $719. ($759 after 8/20/18). Enjoy the Legends in Concert (Elton John, Brooks & Dunn, Tina Turner, The Blues Brothers, and Elvis), Daniel O’Donnell, The Hughes Brothers, “Samson” at the Sight & SoundTheater, Hot Rods & High Heels, and Million Dollar Quartet.

Study of antidepressants, incontinence meds shows a potential increased risk for dementia

he largest and most detailed study of the long-term impact of anticholinergic drugs, a class of drugs commonly prescribed in the United States and United Kingdom as antidepressants and incontinence medications, has found their use is associated with increased risk of dementia, even when taken 20 years before diagnosis of cognitive impairment. An international research team from the US, the UK, and Ireland analyzed more than 27 million prescriptions as recorded in the medical records of 40,770 patients over age 65 diagnosed with dementia compared to the records of 283,933 older adults without dementia. The researchers found greater incidence of dementia among patients prescribed anticholinergic antidepressants, anticholinergic bladder medications, and anticholinergic Parkinson’s disease medications than among older adults who were not prescribed these drugs. “Anticholinergics, medications that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have previously been implicated as a potential cause of cognitive impairment,” said Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Center for Aging Research investigator Noll Campbell, PharmD, MS, a coauthor of the new BMJ study. Dr. Campbell is also an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy. “This study is large enough to evaluate the long-term effect and determine that harm may be experienced years before a diagnosis of dementia is made. Dementia increased with greater exposure to anticholinergic medications. “These findings make it clear clinicians need to carefully consider the anticholinergic burden of their patients and weigh

Laughlin Laughlin in July. July 9 - 13. $329. Five days – four nights. Includes non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, four nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. Entertainment during this trip includes The Big Band Theory at the Riverside Resort. Laughlin in August. August 17 - 20. $329. Four days – three nights. Includes non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, three nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. Entertainment during this trip includes “The Legend Lives On…” with Elvis Presley Jr, featuring Bill Haley’s original Comet Joey Kay and his Comet band at the Riverside Resort. In Partnership with Collette Vacations Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and does not include airfare. More destinations available! Spotlight London Holiday. December 2018 Call for details. Iceland’s Magical Northern Lights. Early March 2019 Call for details. Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. 2008 W. Broadway Street #329 Council Bluffs, IA 51501

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other options,” said study co-author Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH, a Regenstrief Institute and IU Center for Aging Research investigator. “Physicians should review all the anticholinergic medications – including overthe-counter drugs – that patients of all ages are taking and determine safe ways to take individuals off anticholinergic medications in the interest of preserving brain health,” Dr. Boustani said. “This research is really important because there are an estimated 350 million people affected globally by depression. Bladder conditions requiring treatment are estimated to affect over 13 percent of men and 30 percent of women in the UK and the US,” said study lead researcher George Savva, PhD, visiting researcher at University of East Anglia’s School of Health Sciences. “We don’t know exactly how anticholinergics might cause dementia,” said study co-author Chris Fox, MD, professor of clinical psychiatry at UEA’s Norwich Medical School and a consultant psychiatrist. “Further research is needed to understand possible reasons for this link. In the meantime, I advise patients with any concerns to continue taking their medicines until they have consulted their doctor or pharmacist.”

Respite Across the Lifespan The summer months can bring on stress for many of us. Finding ways to relieve stress are important to our overall health and well-being. Caregivers are not immune to this stress. Please contact Respite Across the Life- span at edbennett@unmc.edu or 402-5595732 to find out more about respite services and to locate resources in your area.

Florence AARP chapter

he Florence AARP chapter meets monthly at Mountview Presbyterian Church, 5308 Hartman Ave. The programs begin each month with a noon lunch followed by a speaker. For reservations, please call Gerry Goldsborough at 402-571-0971. Rides to the meeting are available by calling Ruth Kruse at 402453-4825. Here are the 2018 programs: • July 16 Dr. Gabriel Long AWAKEN Chiropractic • August 20: Johnny Ray Gomez Music with Humor • September 17: Picnic • October 25: Tom Neal Nebraska Organ Recovery • November 19: The Big Garden • December 10: Greg Owen Holiday Music

UNMC report looks at state’s healthcare workers A 2018 rural health care workforce report issued by the University of Nebraska Medical Center reveals that while there has been an 11 percent increase in the number of physicians in Nebraska over the last 10 years, there are 13 counties that still don’t have a primary care physician. This and other key findings of the study appear in the 64page report, The Status of the Healthcare Workforce in the State of Nebraska. “The health care workforce is an essential component in making Nebraska the healthiest state in the union and timely and accurate data such as this report will help inform initiatives and policies to help address those challenges,” said UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D. The study was commissioned and funded by the Nebraska Area Health Education Center Program (AHEC) and used the most recent data from the UNMC Health Professions Tracking Service and the state of Nebraska. “This report helps to measure the progress we have made in the state in dealing with some of the workforce issues in rural Nebraska and in planning for the future,” said Mike Sitorius, M.D., professor and chair of family medicine in the UNMC College of Medicine. “Some programs have helped increase the number of rural health professionals, but there still exist substantial recruiting challenges to bolstering the health workforce and access to health care in rural and underserved areas,” said Fernando Wilson, Ph.D., acting director of the UNMC Center for Health Policy and lead author of the report. Among those challenges, include: • Nearly one-fifth of physicians in Nebraska are more than 60 years old, and likely to retire in the near future. • Eighteen of 93 Nebraska counties have no pharmacist. • Demographics in many counties are becoming more diverse, but the health workforce doesn’t necessarily reflect the populations being served. “In partnership with stakeholders from Scottsbluff

to Omaha, we’ve made progress over the years. But the landscape of health care is rapidly changing, and we must remain diligent to sustain the progress we’ve made and close the gaps,” Dr. Wilson said. The report examined 21 healthcare professions ranging from physicians and physician assistants to nursing, dental, and allied health professionals. It also looked at the sex, age, race, and ethnicity of each healthcare professional, as well as measured the number and rate of healthcare professionals per 100,000 people by county. Other key findings of the report include: • The number of registered nurses in Nebraska increased 61 percent in 10 years, from 17,335 to 27,922. • There are now 1,148 nurse practitioners in Nebraska. • The number of Nebraska dentists per 100,000 population has decreased slightly from 57.1 to 56.5 over the last 10 years. • There are nearly 400 more pharmacists and 1,200 more pharmacy technicians in the state now compared to 2009. • Nebraska has nearly 1,400 paramedics available – more than 70 percent more than 10 years ago. • There are substantial gaps in the distribution of allied health professionals across Nebraska, particularly in north central Nebraska, which has virtually no occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, or medical nutrition therapists. The following recommendations were made: • Support existing pipeline programs and educational initiatives that incentivize health care professionals to practice in rural communities. • Subsidize telecommunications and other infrastructure to support adoption of telehealth modes of delivering care to residents in rural areas. • Maintain an annual report of the state’s health care workforce distribution.

Senior Citizens League: 2019 Spice up your meals with a variety of hot peppers a habanero in every aspect except it’s not hot. Roulette is COLA could exceed 3 percent By Melinda Myers the perfect solution for different heat tolerances.

he annual Social Security cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2019 could top 3 percent, according to a new estimate released by The Senior Citizens League. A 3 percent COLA would be the highest since 2012, when the COLA was 3.6 percent. The COLA for 2018 is 2 percent. There was no COLA in 2016 and a 0.3 percent COLA in 2017. The estimate is based on consumer price index data through April 2018. “Our estimate could change, because we still have several months of CPI data to go before the COLA is announced in October,” said The Senior Citizens League’s Social Security policy analyst Mary Johnson. A 3 percent COLA would increase the average Social Security benefit of $1,300 by about $39 per month. “After the past nine years of COLAs averaging just 1.2 percent, one would think people living on Social Security would be dancing in the street,” Johnson said. “But that’s not likely. In reality, retirees are experiencing cost increases in common household expenditures that are growing several times faster than 3 percent. “The trend of retiree costs growing faster than the COLA has been consistent over the past 8 years, and our research indicates this will continue in 2019,” says Johnson, who studies the loss in buying power of Social Security benefits. According to The Senior Citizens League’s annual survey of more than 1,130 retirees, conducted between January and March 2018, household spending rose by more than $79 per month in 2017 for 55 percent of survey participants. (The Senior Citizens League provided this information.)

Turn up the heat and add a bit of spice to your meals with some winning hot peppers. Add them to your garden, flower borders, and containers for added beauty and easy picking. Your biggest challenge will be narrowing down your choices. Let AllAmerica Selections (AAS) help. This nonprofit organization tests new edible and ornamental varieties of hot peppers nationally. Cayenne peppers add a bit of zip to dips, stews, and marinades. Brighten your meals and garden with the brilliant red and tasty fruit of Red Ember. This 2018 AAS winner is pretty enough for flower gardens or containers. You’ll be harvesting earlier and longer. For a mildly spicy option with the same great flavor, try Cayennetta. Its heat and cold tolerance makes it a great choice no matter where you garden. If you like it even hotter, include a few habaneros in the garden. They add heat and flavor to jerk chicken, chili, jam, and other recipes. For those that like the flavor of habanero, but can’t stand the heat, try Roulette habanero. It looks and tastes like

July 2018

Add a full spectrum of color to containers and small space gardens with the early ripening Hungarian Mexican Sunrise and Sunset wax peppers. The conical shaped fruit transition from green to yellow, then orange to red. The fruit can be harvested and eaten at any stage. But the longer it’s on the plant, the better the flavor. Mexican Sunrise is semi-hot while Mexican Sunset is for those that like a bit more heat. Both can be eaten fresh, stuffed, baked, grilled, or pickled. Grow a few Aji Rico peppers to add warm heat with a hint of citrus to your dishes. Eat them fresh or cook into salsa and hot sauces. Control the heat with the number of seeds left in the fruit. The more seeds that remain; the greater the heat. Roast them, use them fresh, or string a few Giant Ristra peppers together to dry and use throughout the winter. Don’t be fooled by its appearance. This seven-inch chili pepper looks like a sweet Marconi but has the spiciness of a cayenne. For those who want to crank up the heat, try Emerald Fire at 2,500 Scoville units. Not the hottest pepper, but this jalapeno is certainly one to respect. The deep green fruit resists cracking and matures to red. Use them fresh, stuff with cream cheese, grill, or can for later use. If your taste lies on the other end of the heat spectrum start with Chili Pie and work your way to some of these hotter varieties. These miniature bell peppers are mildly hot when the fruit turns red. Be careful not to mix them in with your sweet bell peppers. Heed this warning when growing and using any hot peppers. Clearly mark or better yet grow your hot peppers away from your sweet peppers to avoid an unwelcome surprise. Keep your hands away from your eyes when working with hot peppers and wash them thoroughly when done. Most importantly, have fun growing and using hot peppers in your garden, containers, and meals. These beauties combine nicely with other vegetables, herbs, and flowers to create stunning garden beds and containers. Their spicy flavor is sure to help you create memorable meals this season. (Myers has written more than 20 gardening books.)

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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: Thursday, July 12 10 a.m. Metro Community College (Do Space) 7205 Dodge St. Call 531-622-5231 to register

Saturday, July 14 Noon AARP Information Center 1941 S. 42nd St # 220 Call 402-398-9568 to register

Saturday, July 14 9 a.m. The Premier Group 11605 Miracle Hills Dr. #205 Call 402-934-1351 to register

Tuesday, July 24 9:30 a.m. Sunridge Village 13410 Blondo St. Call 402-496-0116 to register

Please support New Horizons advertisers

Omaha Computer Users Group

ou’re invited to join the Omaha Computer Users Group, an organization dedicated to helping men and women age 50 and older learn about their computers regardless of their skill level. OCUG meets the third Saturday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Abrahams Library, 5011 N. 90th St. Participants will have access to a projector connected to a computer with Microsoft Windows 10 to show users how to solve their computer problems. For more information, please call Phill Sherbon at 402-333-6529.

Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com

Family event recipes For holidays, entertaining and family celebrations, these cookbooks overflow with yummy recipes and ideas. Be sure to wave the red, white, and blue for summer fun. Mashed By Holly Herrick (Gibbs-Smith, $24.99) Think Mashed 101 from seasoned mashed potatoes and cauliflower to parsnips, rutabaga, and more. Mashup soups, appetizers, main dishes for pavlovas, parfaits, gratins, guacamoles, and a plethora of fruits, vegetables, and such. Simply Scratch By Laurie McNamara (Avery, $32) Cook healthy, whole foods, more delicious and save $. This farm girl/blogger/mom shares her down-to-earth family cooking beyond the can or the box. Seven chapterts, 120 family friendly recipes, and stories. Brunch Is Hell By Newnam & Gagliano (Little Brown, $25) Forget brunch. Dinner parties is their manifesto. These podcast, NPR radio hosts/writers share it all from interesting and fun to dumpster fires. Principles, rules, conversations, and cleanup. The Pesto Cookbook By Olwen Woodier (Storey, $16.95) Move over basil, some new guys share the glory...fresh herbs and greens. More than 100 recipes using ginger, parsley, arugula,and more. Forty-nine pestos incorporated into 67 recipes. Savory and even sweet to make pesto, pastes, and purees from just about anything. Enjoy these global selections for making pesto traditional and beyond. Platters and Boards By Shelly Westerhausen (Chronicle, $25) Ideas, inspiration, and strategies for kicking presentations up a notch. Turn every surface into a beautiful, delicious platter with casual spreads for all times of the day and every occasion. Mouthwatering photography. Try this recipe for snacking and gift giving. Smoky Sweet Mixed Nuts (Makes 2 1/2 cups)

1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar 1 egg white 2 cups mixed nuts (such as pecans, hazelnuts, cashews, peanuts, or macadamias) Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, about 20 seconds. Fold the mixed nuts into the egg white until completely coated. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the nuts and toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until browned and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Serve once cooled, or transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Widowed Persons Group

he Widowed Persons Group of Omaha hosts a luncheon the third Monday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at Jericho’s Restaurant, 11732 W. Dodge Rd. For more information, please call 402-426-9690 or 402-493-0452.

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A gift from Mei-Lee Ney

New $20 million facility at USC will allow gerontologists to study longevity, well-being

new center dedicated to research on longevity and healthy aging has been established at the University of Southern California’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology with a $20 million gift from Mei-Lee Ney. The donation, creating the Ney Center for Healthspan Science, is the largest in the school’s 43-year history. “Our highly skilled researchers and scholars at USC Leonard Davis and across the university are tackling one of the greatest challenges in society today: ensuring that we remain healthy and happy as we get older,” USC President C. L. Max Nikias said. “This extraordinarily generous support from Mei-Lee Ney provides our scientists with valuable resources needed to advance their innovative research on longevity and well-being. We are incredibly grateful for her visionary gift and her commitment to improving lives.” School leaders envision the center as a hub of multidisciplinary exploration into the biological, demographic, and psychosocial aspects of aging. It will leverage the school’s uniquely wide-ranging expertise in investigating the science of aging and implementing innovations to help people live with purpose, safety, and security into their golden years. “Mei-Lee Ney’s generosity comes with a keen understanding that a society is measured by how it takes care of its most vulnerable members,” said Michael Quick, USC provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Her gift ensures that the university, led by the USC Leonard Davis

School, will be at the forefront of research and education that seeks to improve how we live and age.” The new center will build on USC’s growing university-wide efforts to improve health and longevity across the lifespan, a tenet of its new strategic plan. Tackling challenges related to extended life expectancy is a priority in the plan, which encourages researchers and scholars across the university to share their expertise and ideas on addressing aging-related issues as one of society’s wicked problems. The world’s population is rapidly aging, with people age 65 or older soon expected to outnumber children younger than age 5. That has significant implications for society. Stress on the health care system and individual caregivers will continue to increase. Age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, diabetes, and cancer will likely affect a wider swath of the population. Issues like social isolation, caregiving, housing, and work opportunities need to be addressed as older adults seek to remain vibrant and vital members of their communities. “Bringing scientists and experts from disparate fields together to focus on healthy aging will allow USC researchers to embrace the challenges and opportunities of our aging society, both locally and on the world stage,” Ney said. (USC provided this information.)

UNMC study shows a correlation between cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center have published a clinical review that finds a consistent increase of cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The review appeared recently on the front page of the British Medical Journal, a leading science journal. Journal articles serve to alert health providers to new medical information providers may use to help determine treatment for their patients. The findings come from researchers summarizing the overall body of evidence accumulated over the last decade of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis from a large number of independent studies. The studies range from in vitro and animal model studies to meta-analyses of large clinical trials and observational studies. “The ‘take home message’ is that rheumatoid arthritis does not solely target the joints,” said Bryant England, M.D., assistant professor, UNMC Division of Rheumatology & Immunology. “Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease with several mechanisms by which it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. He said because cardiovascular risk encompasses multiple mechanisms, health care providers need to implement a multi-faceted approach to prevent cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis patients. “This includes treating the rheumatoid arthritis aggressively, using medications that change the disease course of rheumatoid arthritis, smoking cessation efforts, managing traditional cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol), limiting the use of medications linked to cardiovascular disease, and encouraging a healthy lifestyle (e.g. diet and exercise),” Dr. England said. He and his colleagues hope to disseminate the findings to the medical community. Through the review, Dr. England said the team learned the amount of cholesterol and how well the cholesterol functions is altered by rheumatoid arthritis and the medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Understanding the mechanisms, implications, and management of the cholesterol changes is an area of active investigation by several groups. “Several mechanisms beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors confer this risk. Treating rheumatoid arthritis aggressively with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, limiting use of corticosteroids and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, and aggressively managing traditional cardiovascular risk factors are essential to reduce the substantial burden posed by this common presence of these two chronic diseases,” Dr. England said. (UNMC provided this information.)

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Personalized care and assistance with your daily care needs

• House of Hope Memory Care Assisted Living

Memory care for individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia

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Omaha’s Cathy Hughes proves you can come home again

Cathy Hughes said returning home to Omaha to visit with classmates, friends, and neighbors always leaves her feeling recharged. By Leo Adam Biga

welcome. Being back in Omaha always stirs deep feelContributing Writer ings. “Every time I come I feel renewed,” Hughes ebraskans take pride in highsaid. “I feel the love, the kindred spirit I shared achieving native sons and daughwith classmates, friends, (and) neighbors. I alters. Some doers don’t live to see ways leave feeling recharged.” their accomplishments burnished With part of Paxton Boulevard renamed after in halls of history or celebrated Cathy, a day in her honor officially proclaimed in by admirers. In May, however, Cathy Hughes, her hometown, and the Omaha Press Club mak71, personally accepted recognition in the place ing her a Face on the Barroom Floor, this visit where her twin passions for communication and was extra special for Hughes. activism began, North Omaha. “It was so emotionally charged for me. It’s like “I thank Omaha. Nothing’s better than making hometown approval,” she said. your mark in your hometown,” she said. During the street dedication ceremony at Getting all those accolades back here, howFontenelle Park, surrounded by a Who’s Who of ever, is not Hughes’ style. North Omaha, Hughes said: “I cannot put into “In Omaha, we just don’t get carried away with a whole bunch of fanfare and hero-worship- words how important this is to me. This is the memory I will take to my grave. This is the day ing. It’s how I grew up. That’s our way of life that will stand out. When you come home to your in Omaha and I thank God for that because it’s made a big difference. It’s a whole different men- own and they say to you ‘job well done,’ there’s nothing better than that.” tality and way of life quite frankly,” she said. Good-natured ribbing flowed at the park and at The media holdings of Urban One – the comthe Press Club, where Cathy was roasted. pany Hughes founded and chairs – include the The irony of the Omaha Press Club honor is Radio One and TV One networks. During a May 16 to 19 homecoming filled with that when Hughes was young, blacks were often unwelcome there except as waiters, bartendwarm appreciation and sweet nostalgia, Hughes ers, and kitchen help. For many, the idea of an reunited with life-shaping persons and haunts. An entourage of friends and family accompanied Omaha street honoring a person of color then was unthinkable. Cathy, who lives in the Washington, D.C. area “This community has progressed,” Hughes where her billion-dollar business empire is based. Her son and business partner, Alfred Liggins, III, told an overflow Empowerment Network audience during a luncheon address at the downtown who was born in Omaha, basked in the heartfelt

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Hilton. “An empowerment conference with this many people never could have taken place in my childhood in Omaha. This is impressive.” Empowerment Network founder-president Willie Barney introduced Hughes by saying: “She is a pioneer. She is one of the best entrepreneurs in the world. She is a legend.” University of Nebraska Heisman Trophy-winner Johnny Rodgers helped organize the weekend tribute for the legend. “I think Cathy Hughes is the baddest girl on the planet,” Rodgers said. “She’s historical coming from Omaha all the way up to be this giant radio and TV mega producer and second richest black lady in the country. It’s just fantastic she’s a product of this black community. I want to make sure all the kids in our community realize they can do what Cathy’s done. Anything’s possible. I want hers to be a household name.” Some people felt the hometown honors were long overdue. Everyone agreed they were welldeserved.

eople who grew up with Hughes weren’t surprised when she left Omaha in 1972 as a single mother and realized her childhood dream of finding success in radio. She had it all growing up – sharp intellect, good looks, a gift for gab, disarming charm, burning ambition, and aspirational parents. Her precocious ways made Cathy popular and at--Please turn to page 11.

Hughes’ mentors included Mildred Brown, Charlie Washington --Continued from page 10. tracted suitors. “She’s very personable,” lifelong friend Theresa Glass said. “She’s been a gifted communicator all the time. My grandmother, Ora Glass, was her godmother and she always believed Cathy was destined for great things. “Cathy was always an excellent student. She’s always used her intellect in various pursuits. She was always out in the working world. Cathy used all the education and skills she learned, and then she built on those things. So, when she went to D.C., she was prepared to work hard and do something out of the ordinary for women and African Americans.” Veteran Omaha radio personality Edward L. “Buddy” King said: “She had this thing about her. Everybody projected she would be doing some-

thing really good. She knew how to carry herself. Cathy’s a beautiful woman. She’s smart, too.” Hughes’ parents were pioneers themselves. Her mother, Helen Jones Woods, 94, played trombone in the all-girl, mixed-race swing band the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. Helen’s adoptive father, Laurence C. Jones, founded the Piney Woods Country Life School in Mississippi, which Helen attended. Cathy and her family lived in Jim Crow Mississippi for two years. She’s a major supporter of the school today. Hughes’ late father, William A. Woods, was the first black accounting graduate at Creighton University. He and Cathy’s mother were active in the Omaha civil rights group, the De Porres Club, whose staunchest supporter was Omaha Star newspaper publisher Mildred

Brown. “Very young, I marched,” recalled Hughes, the oldest of four siblings. “I was maybe 6 years old when we picketed the street car company trying to get black drivers. I remember vividly being slapped on the back of the head by my mother and told ‘hold the sign up straight.’ I remember demonstrating, but most importantly, I heard truth being spoken.” “Cathy’s parents were community-oriented people,” King said. “They cared about their community. They were well-to-do in their circles. Cathy grew up in that, but she never lost her street savvy.” Hughes attended private schools – integrating Omaha’s Duchesne Academy. “The nuns would send notes home to my mother saying I had delusions of grandeur. I talked all the time, and I was very opinionated. I bragged I would be the first

Cathy’s mother, Helen Jones Wood, played the trombone in an all-girls swing band. Hughes’ father, William A. Woods, was Creighton University’s first black accounting graduate.

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black woman to have a nationally syndicated program. I was good and grown before I found out that had already been accomplished.” Cathy’s penchant for speaking her mind stood her apart. “When I was growing up black folks didn’t verbalize their feelings and particularly children didn’t,” she said. Mildred Brown gave Hughes’ father an office at the Omaha Star. Cathy did his books and sold classified ads for the newspaper. Her father also waited tables at the Omaha Club and on the Union Pacific passenger rail service between Omaha and Idaho. She sometimes rode the train with her father on those Omaha to Pocatello runs. Cathy found mentors in black media professionals Brown and Omaha Star reporter-columnist Charlie Washington. The community-based advocacy practiced by the newspaper and by Omaha radio station KOWH, where she later worked, became Hughes’ trademark. “We had a militancy existing in Omaha and when you’re a child growing up in that you just assume you’re supposed to try to make life better for your people because that’s what was engrained in us,” she said. “We didn’t have to wait to February for black history. We were told of great black accomplishments on a regular basis at church, in school, (and) in social gatherings. Black folks in Omaha have a nationalist pride. “I was imbued with community service and activism. I don’t know any different. My mother on Sunday would go to the orphanage and bring back children home for dinner. We were living in the Logan Fontenelle projects and one chicken was already serving six. She would bring two or three other kids and so that meant we got a piece of a wing because Daddy always got the breast.” During her May visit to Nebraska, Hughes recalled the tight-knit “village of North Omaha where everybody knew everybody.” As a youngster, in the spirit of “always doing something to improve your community and family,” she participated in NAACP Youth Council demonstrations to integrate the swimming pool at Omaha’s Peony Park. “Because we were disciplined and strategic, there was a calm and deliberate delivery of demands on our part. I don’t know if it was youth naivete or pure unadulterated optimism, but we didn’t think we would fail,” Hughes said. Peony Park gave into the pressure. “Opposing injustice instilled in me a certain level of fearlessness, purpose, and accomplishment I carried with me for the rest of my life,” Cathy said. “It taught me the lesson that there’s power in unity.” The influence of her mentors went with Hughes wherever she went. --Please turn to page 12.

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Howard University’s communications school bears Cathy’s name

Photo by Gary Willis

Hughes’ son, Alfred Liggins, III is the CEO of Urban One. --Continued from page 11. “Mildred Brown unapologetically published Charlie Washington’s rants, exposes, accusations, (and) evidence. She didn’t censor or edit him. If Charlie felt the mayor wasn’t doing a good job, that’s what you read in the Omaha Star. It took the mute button off of the voice of the black community. It promoted progress. It also provided information and jobs. It’s always been a vehicle for advocacy, inspiration, and motivation. “That probably was the greatest lesson I could have witnessed because one of the reasons some folks don’t speak out in the AfricanAmerican community is they’re afraid of being financially penalized or losing their job, so they just remain silent. Mildred and Charlie did not remain silent and she was still financially successful.” Both figures became extended family to Hughes. “Charlie Washington became like my godfather. He was the rabble rouser of my youth. He had the power of the pen. Charlie and the Omaha Star actually showed me the true power of the communications industry. I saw with Charlie you can tell the truth about the needs and the desires of your community without being penalized even though he wrote probably some of the most militant articles in the United States. “That’s the environment I grew up in. So, the combination of Charlie always writing the truth and Mildred being able to keep a newspaper in Omaha solvent were both sides

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of my personality – the commitment side and the entrepreneurial side. “When somebody told Mildred ‘no’, she saw it as an opportunity to change their mind. She never saw it as a rejection. Nothing stopped Mildred.” Nothing stopped Hughes either. Today, Cathy inspires young black communicators with her own journey of perseverance and imagination in pushing past barriers and redefining expectations. “When I was 17, I became a parent. I realized I was on the brink of becoming a black statistic. My son, Alfred, was the motivation for me to think past myself. It was the defining moment in my life direction because for the first time, I had a priority I could not fail. It was Alfred who actually kept me going.” Hughes’ first radio job was at Omaha’s then black format station, KOWH. “KOWH fed into my fascination with having a voice. I think it is truly a blessing to have your voice amplified. I wasn’t even thinking about being an entrepreneur then. I was thinking about being able to express. I wasn’t at an age yet where I had come into who I was destined to be,” she said. Hughes left Omaha for D.C. to lecture at Howard University at the invite of noted broadcaster Tony Brown, whom she met in Omaha. The District of Columbia’s thenfledgling commercial radio station, WHUR, made her the city’s first woman general manager. Leaving home took guts. Staying

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On May 18, Cathy Hughes became the 157th Face on the Barroom Floor at the Omaha Press Club. in D.C. with no family or friends, sleeping on the floor of the radio station, and resisting her mother’s long-distance pleas to come back or get a secure government job, showed Cathy’s resolve. “I had to rely on and call forth everything I had learned in Omaha just to survive and move forward. If I had not left, I probably would not have become a successful entrepreneur because I had a certain comfort level in Omaha. I was the apple of several individuals’ eyes. They saw potential in me, but I think their love and support would not have pushed me forward the way I had to push myself once I moved into a foreign land. “When I went to D.C. and realized there weren’t people of color doing what I wanted to do, I just kept my eye on the prize. I refused to let anyone turn me around. When you learn to persevere in all types of elements, then business is really a lot easier for you.” Cathy grew advertising revenues and listeners at WHUR. A program she created, The Quiet Storm, popularized the urban format nationally.

oward University’s School of Communications is named after Hughes, who never graduated from college. Decades after first lecturing at the Washington, D.C. school, she’s a lecturer there again today. “They say I am their most suc-

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cessful graduate who never matriculated. I wasn’t prepared to be the first woman general manager of a radio station in the nation’s capital. That’s why Howard (University) sent me to Harvard to take a six-week course in broadcast management and to the University of Chicago to learn psychographic programming.” Hughes readily admits she hasn’t built her phenomenal career by herself. “I have been blessed by the individuals placed in my life. They sharpened me, prepared me, educated me, schooled me, nurtured me, (and) mentored me. I have been blessed so many times to be in the right place at the right time and with the right people.” Upon arriving in D.C., Hughes found an unlikely ally in Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham. She met Graham through Susan Thompson Buffett, the wife of Omaha investor Warren Buffett. Hughes parlayed connections to advance herself. “Part of my innate abilities since childhood has been to recognize an opportunity and take full advantage of it,” she said. Hughes’ first allegiance was to her listeners. Thus, she lambasted Graham’s Post for its perceived unfair portrayals of blacks, even encouraging listeners to burn copies of the newspaper. Cathy has succeeded in a male--Please turn to page 13.

Hughes: Blacks must disseminate their own information --Continued from page 12. dominated industry. “I never thought about being a woman in a male field. First of all. I was black. I was black first and a woman second. I had a goal I wanted to achieve and an objective that had to be accomplished. I didn’t see it as proving something to the old boys’ network. I was not intimidated by being the only female. “I was naive. I really thought there would be a whole proliferation of black women owning and managing radio stations. Women have made more progress in professional basketball – they own and coach teams – than they have in the broadcasting industry.” Men have played a vital role in her business success. The two black partners in Syndicated Communications, Herbert Wilkins and Terry Jones, loaned Cathy her first $1 million to build Radio One. Wilkins has died, but Jones and his wife, Marcella, remain close friends with Hughes. Cathy also credits her son for his immeasurWorking in a male-dominated profession, able contributions. Cathy said she was black first and a “Radio One was me. woman second. TV One was totally Alfred. He decided he wanted his own path. Our expansion, our going public, all of that, was in fact, Alfred. He does the heavy lifting and I get to take all the bows.” After a few bumps in the road, Liggins acknowledges the business partnership with his mother ultimately worked. “It was my mother’s willingness to want to see me succeed as a human being and as a business person. When it came time to let me fly the plane, she was more than willing to do that.” He recognizes how special her story is. “I could always recognize and appreciate her drive, tenacity, and lessons. We didn’t let any of the mother-son-family potential squabbles disintegrate that partnership. I guess we’ve always been a team since the day I was born.” Long-time Omaha radio man King further admires Radio One’s ability to thrive in an increasingly unstable broadcast environment. “Her son has done an excellent job since making it a publicly-traded company. As the stock market fluctuates, they’ve been able to survive.” Diversification into online services and, more recently, the gaming industry, has kept Urban One fluid.

A challenge she addressed in Omaha is black media not getting full value from advertisers. “My son and I want full value for our black audience and we insist on that with advertisers. I learned that from Mildred Brown. She wanted the black readership of the Omaha Star to have the same value as a white readership to The Omaha World-Herald.

ix decades into her media career, Hughes said she’s still learning. “I’m not totally prepared for some of the responsibilities and charges I’m being blessed with now. I’m just learning how to produce a movie (her debut project, Media, premiered on TV One in 2017). I want to learn how to direct a movie. I want to learn how to do a series.” Hughes is often approached about a documentary or book on her life. If there’s to be a book, she doesn’t want someone else interpreting who she is. “I don’t want someone else telling my story from their perspective. I want to tell my own story.” Looking back, Hughes said Omaha’s impact on her life has been incalculable. “It touched me probably a lot more deeply and seriously than I realized for many decades. When you’re trying to build your business, you don’t have a lot of time to reflect on how I got here and the people who influenced me. I went through a couple of decades working on my career and my personal and professional growth and development before I realized the impact the Omaha Star had on me and what a positive influence Omaha has been on me.” Though Liggins and his mom have been back to Omaha several times, with this 2018 visit, he said: “You feel like you finally made it and you’re making your community proud.” At the close of her Empowerment Network talk, Hughes articulated why coming back to acclaim meant so much. “I think Omaha teaches you to practices tough love. If you have the nerve to leave here and go someplace else, you better hope you do good because if you come home, you don’t want to hear about it (returning as a failure).” (Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.com).

oices like Hughes’ can often only be found in black media. “Black radio is still the voice of the community. Next to the black church, black-owned media is the most important institution in our community,” she said. “Information is power. Mildred Brown understood that, and it wasn’t just about a business for her – it was about a community service.” Hughes credits an unlikely source with unifying African-Americans today. “President Trump has single-handedly reignited activism, particularly in the black community. That did not occur in the Clinton administration, nor the Obama administration. But Trump has got people riled up, which is good. He has made people so mad people are willing to do things, voice their opinion, and that’s why black radio is so important. You are able to say and hear things that you couldn’t get anywhere else.” Hughes is adamant blacks must retain control over their own message. “You cannot ever depend on a culture that enslaved you to accurately portray you. That just cannot happen. I think too often African Americans have looked to mainstream media to tell our story. Well, all stories go through a filter process based on the news deliverer’s experience and perception and so often our representation has not been accurate. “The reality is we have to be responsible for the dissemination of our own information because that’s the only time we can be reasonably assured it’s going to be from the right perspective, that it’s going to be from the right experience, and for the right reasons.” Yet, she feels blacks do not support black media or other black business segments as much as they should.

Hughes said Donald Trump has reignited activism in the United States, particularly in the black community.

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Call 402-554-5961 for more information

Healthy adults, caregivers for persons with dementia being sought for UNO Department of Gerontology study

he University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Department of Gerontology is looking for healthy adults and caregivers for patients with dementia to participate

in a research study about social decision making, perception, and hormones. Participants must be between ages 19 and 110, able to comprehend written and spoken English, have

Call 1-402-421-1356 to learn more

Theatre Organ Society show is scheduled for the Rose on Aug. 26

he River City Theatre Organ Society of Omaha will host its annual concert at the Rose Theater, 20th & Farnam streets, on Sunday, Aug. 26 at 3

p.m. This year, Disney’s Hollywood El Capitan Theater organist Rob Richards will perform on the Rose’s mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ. The Pathfinder Chorus will be the show’s special guest. Tickets are available at the door for $20 or in advance for $15 through the mail through Monday, Aug. 20. To order tickets by mail, please make out a check for $15 per ticket to RCTOS, and then mail it to RCTOS, 8825 Executive Woods Dr. #85, Lincoln, Neb. 68512. For more information, please contact Jerry Pawlak at 1-402-421-1356 or rivercitytos@gmail.com.

the mobility to travel to the UNO campus, and have completed a minimum of two years of high school. Compensation is available for participants and complementary parking will be available a short walk from the building where the study will take place. Men and women won’t be eligible to be part of the study if they’ve received a diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disease (stroke, depression, etc.), are taking antidepressant medication, have vision, hearing, or motor difficulties, or are pregnant. Study participants will be asked to make a one-time, three-hour visit to a lab on UNO’s Dodge Street campus. The experiment will involve paper and pencil questionnaires, computer tasks, and saliva collection for hormone analyses. For more information, please contact Janelle Beadle, Ph.D. at 402-5545961 or ABELabUNO@ gmail.com.

Volunteer drivers are needed for Car-Go transportation program

he Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is recruiting volunteers age 55 and older to provide free transportation services for older adults in Fremont and Blair. “We’re especially interested in providing transportation services for military veterans,” said Pat Tanner, who coordinates the RSVP for the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. Sponsored locally by ENOA, RSVP is a national program of the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Senior Service Corps. RSVP staff members who serve in Dodge, Washington, Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties realize many older men and women live alone, are on fixed incomes, are no longer able to operate their own vehicle, and don’t have family members available to drive them to their various appointments. In response, RSVP’s Car-Go Project offers free transportation for men and women age 55 and older in Blair and Fremont through volunteers age 55 and older who use their own vehicles. Free rides can be given to medical appointments, pharmacies, grocery stores, beauty parlors, barbershops, banks, and other personal business locations. Rides for persons who use wheelchairs (must be able to transfer themselves) will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Car-Go Project – which isn’t available to nursing home residents – operates in Fremont and Blair Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on becoming a volunteer driver or to make a reservation (24 hours notice is required) for a ride, please call RSVP’s Fremont office at 402-721-7780.

Alzheimer’s support groups The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter offers several caregiver support groups and specialty support groups in Cass, Douglas, Washington, Dodge, 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. For more information about any of the groups listed below, please call 800-272-3900. DODGE COUNTY • FREMONT Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. The Heritage at Shalimar Gardens 749 E. 29th St. DOUGLAS COUNTY • OMAHA Second Thursday @ 10 a.m. Second Thursday @ 5:30 p.m. Country House Residences 5030 S. 155th St. Call Christina @ 402-980-4995 for free adult day services. Every other Monday @ 7 p.m. Brighton Gardens 9220 Western Ave. First & third Monday @ 1:30 p.m. New Cassel’s Franciscan Centre 900 N. 90th St. Call Melanie @ 402-393-2113 for free adult day services. Third Tuesday @ 5 p.m. Immanuel Fontenelle First floor classroom 6809 N 68th Plz. Second Tuesday @ 6:45 p.m. For caregivers of individuals with an intellectual disabilty/dementia. Barbara Weitz Center 6001 Dodge St. (UNO campus)

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First Thursday @ 6:45 p.m. King of Kings Lutheran Church CORE Conference Room 11615 I St. Call Karen @ 402-584-9088 to arrange for adult day services. Third Tuesday @ 6 p.m. Temple Israel 13111 Sterling Ridge Dr. SARPY COUNTY • BELLEVUE Third Monday @ 7 p.m. Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave. First Wednesday @ 1 p.m. Eastern Nebraska Vets Home (Vets and non-vets welcome) 12505 S. 40th St. • PAPILLION Fourth Thursday @ 6 p.m. Hillcrest Grand Lodge 6021 Grand Lodge Ave. WASHINGTON COUNTY • BLAIR Third Wednesday @ 6 p.m. Memorial Community Hospital Howard Conference Room 810 N. 22nd St.

Heartland Generations Center

Treating your plant’s fungal diseases By Melinda Myers pots and patches of white or gray talcum powderlike substance on your plant means powdery mildew infected your plant. This is one of the most widespread fungal diseases and attacks a wide range of plants. You may see mildew on a variety of trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, and lawn grasses. Don’t despair—you can reduce the risk of this disease with proper plant selection, maintenance, and if needed, organic intervention. Powdery mildew is most common during hot, dry weather. Wet foliage does not increase the risk of this disease, but high humidity does. You’ll typically see more mildew problems in crowded plantings, damp, and shady locations as well as areas with poor air circulation. Powdery mildew, like other diseases, occurs when the fungal organism and susceptible plants are present together and the environmental conditions are right for the disease to occur. Remove one of these factors and you eliminate the disease. You can’t change the weather but there are some things you can do to reduce the risk of powdery mildew. Avoid purchasing mildew susceptible plants. Instead select disease resistant varieties whenever possible.

Fortunately, many new varieties of phlox, bee balm, lilacs, and other mildew-resistant plants are now available at your favorite garden center. Further decrease the risk by growing plants at the recommended spacing in the preferred amount of sunlight. Giving plants room to reach full size ensures they will receive sufficient sunlight and air circulation, thus reducing the risk of this and other diseases. Your plants will be healthier and better looking when they have space to show off their beauty. Thin susceptible varieties of perennial plantings like phlox and bee balm in spring as new growth emerges. Removing one fourth of the stems increases light penetration and airflow reducing the risk of powdery mildew. Grow vine crops like cucumbers and squash on trellises and fences to accomplish the same results. Support large fruits of squash and melons with cloth slings anchored to the trellis. Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilization that encourages lush succulent growth that’s more susceptible to this and other diseases and many insect problems. Consider using low nitrogen slow release fertilizers that promote slow steady growth above and below ground. If mildew continues to be a problem and is impacting the health and beauty of your plants, you may decide to intervene. Lightweight horticultural oils trap the fungal spores on the plant preventing it from spreading. Select OMRI certified products like Summit Year-Round Spray Oil (SummitResponsibleSolutions.com) that are approved for organic gardeners. Always read and follow label directions of all chemicals, organic, or synthetic, before applying to any plant. Thorough coverage of the upper and lower leaf surfaces and stems will improve your success rate. Check plant tags, purchase wisely, and adjust plant maintenance to reduce powdery mildew problems in your landscape. A bit of prevention and proper care go a long way to reducing the time spent maintaining healthy, productive and beautiful gardens and landscapes. (Myers has written more than 20 gardening books.)

Driver safety

Notre Dame Housing/ Seven Oaks

The National Safety Council of Nebraska is offering a comprehensive three-hour driving assessment class for older adults by appointment. The Senior Driving Program, which costs $300, is designed to keep older adults driving safely on Nebraska’s roads for as long as possible. Participants will be able to assess and improve their driving skills to reduce risk to themselves, their passengers, and other drivers. The classes, held at the National Safety Council of Nebraska’s office, 11620 M Cir., offer a driving skills self- assessment, behind the wheel driving with statecertified instructors, driving tips, and evaluation, and recommendations. To learn more or to register for the Senior Driving Program, please call 402898-7371 or go online to safety@safenebraska.org.

You’re invited to visit the Notre Dame Housing/Seven Oaks Senior Center, 3439 State St. for the following: • Second, third, and fourth Friday: Community Food Pantry @ 11 a.m. • Second and fourth Tuesday: Get banking help as a representative from American National Bank visits @ 10 a.m. • July 10: Beat the heat hydration program @ 1:30 p.m. • July 17: Suicide: Get the Facts program @ 10:30 a.m. • July 23 to 27: Resident Appreciation Week. • July 24: Program on Hamilton CapTel (help for persons having difficulties hearing on the phone) @ 1:30 p.m. The center will be closed on Wednesday, July 4 for Independence Day. Notre Dame Housing/Seven Oaks Senior Center is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by 11 a.m. the business day prior to the lunch. For meals reservations and more information, please call 402-451-4477, ext. 126.

July 2018

You’re invited to visit the Heartland Generations Center – 4318 Fort St. – for the following: • July 3: Show and Share @ 11 a.m. and Big garden class @ 12:30 p.m. • July 9: WhyArts? class @ 10:30 a.m. • July 10: Natural healing meeting @ Denny’s. We’ll leave the center @ 10:30 a.m. • July 11 & 25: Manicures by Wanda from 10 a.m. to noon. • July 17 & 31: Big garden class @ 12:30 p.m. • July 18: Generations Mixer and Karaoke Night from 4 to 6 p.m. • July 19: Birthday party with music from the Merrymakers @ noon. • July 24: Movie Day at the A.V. Sorensen Library. We’ll leave the center @ 11 a.m. • July 26: Krafts with Kina @ 10 a.m. The center will be closed on July 4, 5, & 6. Play bingo on Wednesdays and Fridays @ 1 p.m. unless another event is planned. Enjoy Movement with Tisha Tuesday and Friday @ 10:45 a.m. unless another event is planned. The Heartland Generations Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is normally served at noon. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to attend. Bus transportation is available within select neighborhoods for 50 cents each way. For meal reservations and more information, please call 402-553-5300.

Hearing Aid Drive

uring July and August, Hear Now Mobile Hearing Solutions will be collecting used hearing aids – working or not – to donate to persons who can’t afford to buy their own hearing aids. The hearing aids, which will be distributed through the Sertoma Club and Starkey, can be dropped off at Help Adult Services, 1941 S. 42nd St., Suite 200 (Center Mall); New Cassel, 900 N. 90th St.; or Hear Now, 15906 Cedar Cr. For more information, please contact Janie York at 402 880-3938 or janie@hearnowsolutions.com.

The Sierra Group, LLC FREE Book & CD Call Us: (800) 309-0753

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UNMC researchers embark on a battle to defeat bile duct cancer

t’s a form of cancer that’s every bit as deadly as pancreatic cancer – just not as common. It’s called cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer of the bile ducts that extend from the liver to the small intestine. For the University of Nebraska Medical Center research team of Justin Mott, M.D., Ph.D., which includes a researcher and three graduate research assistants, cholangiocarcinoma has become their archenemy. “It’s a weird tumor that’s understudied and needs attention,” said Dr. Mott, who is an associate professor and medical assistant director, biochemistry and molecular biology. “There are less than a dozen labs with a major focus on this cancer.” The bile ducts’ major function is to move a fluid called bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine, where the bile helps digest the fats in food.

he average survival time for someone with cholangiocarcinoma is 8 to 12 months. About 5 percent of patients make it five years. Among the notables who have died from the disease are former football great Walter Payton and country music singer/songwriter Chris LeDoux. “We recently got a visit from a young cholangiocarcinoma patient and her family,” Dr. Mott said. “They were driven by curiosity to speak with researchers studying the disease. For these patients and their families, they want hope for future treatments.” Dr. Mott has a five-year, $1.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to study cholangiocarcinoma. His team is trying to determine why bile, which is normally toxic to other cells, seems to increase the tumor’s ability to grow and survive. The tumor cells appear to have protective proteins that are turned on by growth factors. Dr. Mott’s team is trying to identify a drug target that will allow them to “undercut this defense system.” (UNMC provided this information.)

NARFE 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.

Protecting our natural resources “We are looking ahead, as is one of the first mandates given us as chiefs, to make sure every decision we make relates to the welfare and well-being of the Seventh Generation to come,” writes Oren Lyons, chief of the Onondaga Nation. Our Native American brothers and sisters take the long view of the future, recognizing what benefits us in the short term may not be the wise choice. This is particularly clear when we consider threats to our environment. Interestingly, there is a growing movement among older adults to focus greater attention on the environment. It’s often older men and women, having lived through many decades, who recognize short-term thinking is detrimental to personal well-being and to society as a whole. These older adults focus on the world they’re passing on to their children and grandchildren. For example, those of us who have enjoyed fresh water for drinking, cooking, and bathing throughout our lives become concerned when we hear droughts and pollution are forcing some areas to ration their water. What will happen if the climate continues to warm, causing erratic weather patterns that lead to a lack of water that’s needed to survive? This may not affect us now, but will it affect our children and grandchildren? What if we pollute the aquifers, streams, and oceans? What will life be like for future generations if they’re forced to fight for

this basic life necessity? The same could be asked about maintaining forests and fertile soil. Overuse could leave future generations struggling to maintain adequate resources for their basic needs.

Conscious Aging By Nancy Hemesath

As I reflect on my own upbringing in the 1950s and ’60s, I see the influence from my parents who grew up during the Great Depression. They didn’t waste food, water, or material possessions of any kind. They were conservative consumers because they remembered when money was in short supply. Still the level of joy in our lives wasn’t diminished by their saving ways. In fact, we appreciated what we had even more. This is an experience older men and women can bring to the table today. It may not always be money that’s in short supply, but we know the resources of our planet are finite. We hope there will be enough to go around for our children, our grandchildren, and for the Seventh Generation. We older adults have a choice on how to express the hope we bring to this critical challenge. One response is to sit back, assuming with new technology, people will miraculously manage to solve these problems. The other response is

Prac�cal Sugges�ons for Challenging Behaviors Saturday, September 15, 9:30 to 11 a.m. Servite Center of Compassion 72nd and Ames Circle, Omaha.

Featuring Dr. Renee A. Hudson, PsyD, ABPP Hudson Neuropsychology Consultants LLC Dr. Hudson will review strategies that can be helpful dealing with challenging behaviors at home and in the community. While every person is unique, these basic principles can be modiﬁed to ﬁt each individual. Topics to be covered include: · · ·

Behaviors of concern

Factors that inﬂuence behaviors

General, environmental and interac�on strategies

To register, contact Sister Margaret Stratman at 402-951-3026 or email scc@osms.org. Presented by Flaherty Senior Consulting For more informa�on, visit www.ﬂahertyconsul�ng.net or contact ﬂahertyconsul�ng@cox.net * 402-312-9324

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to assume responsibility for the future by taking action now to ensure there will be enough to go around. For example, by choosing to “reduce, reuse, and recycle” we’re acting as good stewards of our finite earth.

We can educate ourselves on actions that will preserve our environment for the future. By considering the welfare of our planet in our decision making, we’re exercising the wisdom modeled by Native Americans who always considered the benefit to the Seventh Generation. (Reach Hemesath – who owns Encore Coaching – at nhemesath@cox.net.)

Ralston Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Ralston Senior, 7301 Q St., this month for the following: • July 2 & 16: Korean community activity from noon to 12:30 p.m. • July 10: Bus trip to WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa. The bus leaves from the Ralston Senior Center @ 7:30 a.m. and returns around 4 p.m. The cost is $5. Call Dorothy @ 402-553-4874 for reservations. • July 11: Music by the Links sponsored by the Merrymakers @ noon. • July 12 & 26: Line dancing @ 10 a.m. and bingo @ 1 p.m. • July 18: Board meeting @ 10 a.m. Contact a board member if you have any questions. The center will be closed on July 4. Other activities include exercise on Tuesday and Friday @ 10 a.m. Lunch is served Wednesdays. A $4.50 contribution is requested. Reservations are due by noon the Tuesday before the meal you wish to enjoy. Call Janice @ 402331-7210 for reservations. For more information, please call Diane West @ 402-339-4926.

Korean firm’s gift to Salk Institute will fund development of an Alzheimer’s research lab

he Salk Institute has received a $1.5 million gift for research into the cellular underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease from NANOS Co. Ltd., a company based in the Republic of Korea. The funds will establish a dedicated laboratory space called the NANOS Alzheimer’s Disease Stem Cell Suite, which will serve as a cell bank focused on Alzheimer’s. This cell bank will house both stem cells and somatic (body) cells from human donors, critical for analysis and testing of therapeutic drugs. “With Alzheimer’s among the leading causes of death, the disease has long been a significant focus for Salk researchers,” says Salk President Rusty Gage, whose lab is one of several at Salk that studies cellular models of dementia and other diseases of aging. “As people worldwide live longer, the need to find novel treatments and therapies for diseases of aging becomes ever more urgent and we are very grateful for the opportunity to partner with NANOS to expand our efforts in this vital area of research.” “We are very excited to support this research into Alzheimer’s and build an emerging partnership between Salk and NANOS,” says Seon Gil Yang, chief executive officer of NANOS. “It is vitally important for companies to support foundational research and build collaborations that can lead to essential therapies. “Ultimately, the purpose of the collaboration between NANOS and Salk is to open a discussion about the creation of research and development centers focused on the biology of aging and Alzheimer’s research. Such centers could involve various parties such as the Korean government, NANOS, the Salk Institute, and select medical university committees between the U.S. and Korea.” Alzheimer’s is an aging-related neurodegenerative disorder that results in severe

memory loss and cognitive decline. Nearly 50 million people worldwide have this disease and related dementias, with estimates from various Alzheimer’s organizations suggesting that 130 million people will be affected by 2050. The global cost in 2018 will be $1 trillion, yet numerous clinical trials targeting Alzheimer’s have failed to stem this public health crisis. It’s imperative to explore alternative mechanistic drivers for Alzheimer’s, and to understand the disease within the broader context of aging. Led by Gage, a renowned neuroscientist and stem cell biologist, the Salk Institute is home to many of the world’s foremost leaders in the fields of neuroscience, aging, epigenetics, DNA damage repair, long-lived proteins, mitochondria, metabolomics, and machine learning, making the Institute uniquely positioned to identify game-changing breakthroughs that deepen humanity’s understanding of Alzheimer’s disease. The new suite will allow Salk scientists to collect samples and data from a large number of individuals to more accurately pinpoint processes, like DNA repair, that go awry in Alzheimer’s and to identify novel avenues for intervention. By collecting skin samples from hundreds of individuals and transforming these cells into neurons in the NANOS Alzheimer’s Disease Stem Cell Suite, Salk scientists will be able to analyze these brain cells and test novel therapeutic compounds. “This will represent an invaluable experimental resource for both researchers at Salk and the Alzheimer’s disease research community at large,” says Gage. “With the body of knowledge we have accumulated at Salk and the committed support from companies such as NANOS, we believe novel therapies for Alzheimer’s are within reach.” (The Salk Institute provided this information.)

Study indicates exercise for older women can help offset genetic effects of obesity

orking up a sweat can help reduce the influence one’s genes have on obesity in women age 70 and older, according to a new study. “Our sample, which included older women, is the first to show that in the 70 to 79-year-old age group, exercise can mitigate the genetic effects of obesity,” said the study’s lead author Heather Ochs-Balcom, an associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health in the University at Buffalo’s School of Public Health and Health Professions. “The message here is that your genetic risk for obesity is not wholly deterministic,” Ochs-Balcom, Ph.D., adds. “The choices we make in our life play a large role in our health.” The study was published

last month in the journal Menopause. Researchers studied 8,206 women of European ancestry who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative. They used a larger set of 95 genetic polymorphisms to construct their body mass index (BMI) genetic risk score to study the interaction between physical activity and obesity. Then, they evaluated whether genetic associations were modified by exercise and age. The study revealed that genetic associations on BMI were strongest in sedentary postmenopausal women and weakest in women who reported high levels of recreational physical activity. “Our work suggests that in older age, we can overcome our destiny for obesity – given to us by our parents – through exercise,” Ochs-Balcom said. The study is significant in that, up to this point, little had been known about the effect of obesity genes later in life, particularly whether genetic predisposition can be mitigated by healthy behaviors such as physical activity. It’s also one of a growing number of studies highlighting the benefits of being physically active, especially as it pertains to healthy aging. “For the elderly, exercise is important for preventing muscle loss, which helps reduce the risk of falls,” says Ochs-Balcom. “Plus, there are many other benefits of exercise in older adults.”

July 2018

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Protection against the heat, humidity

he summer heat and humidity have emphatically arrived. What seems routine for some people remains a luxury for many in our community, and the consequences can be deadly. According to a recent Centers for Disease Control study, extreme heat is responsible for more than 650 deaths per year in the United States. That makes it the nation’s biggest weather killer. With high temperatures forecast to reach into the 90s coupled with high humidity expected to push the heat index to above 100 degrees, the Douglas County Health Department hopes you’ll take some simple steps to prevent heat-related illness. The DCHD has some basic suggestions to help avoid heat-related problems: • Never leave a person or animal in a closed, parked vehicle. • Drink plenty of fluids before you get thirsty and avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine. Water is the best drink. • Take advantage of air conditioning when possible. • Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. • Limit outdoor activities to the cooler morning and evening hours. • Check on persons age 65 and older who are – like children – more at risk of a heat-related illness. • Use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher. • Check regularly with your favorite news outlet for updates on possible heat advisories, especially between noon and 6 p.m.

Call 402-505-1482

DAV needs volunteers to drive veterans to the VAMC

he Disabled American Veterans need volunteers to drive veterans one day a week to and from the VA Medical Center, 4101 Woolworth Ave. in Omaha. While the volunteer drivers don’t need to be veterans, they do need a valid driver’s license, and be able to pass a drug screening and a Department of Transportation physical given at the VA Medical Center. Drivers will be given a lunch voucher on the day they volunteer for the DAV. For more information, please contact Command Sergeant Major (retired) Lance Fouquet at 402-505-1482 or sgmman1447@gmail.com.

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Call 402-444-3560

Omaha Fire Department can install free smoke, carbon monoxide detectors

he Omaha Fire Department’s Public Education and Affairs Department will install free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors inside the residences of area home-

owners. 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 1516 Jackson St. Omaha, Neb. 68102 For more information, please call 402-444-3560.

Volunteers age 18, older wanted for ENOA’s Ombudsman Program

he Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging is looking for men and women age 18 and older to join its Long-term Care Ombudsman Program which is co-sponsored by the Nebraska State Ombudsman Program. ENOA’s Long-term Care Ombudsmen volunteer in local long-term care facilities and assisted living communities to protect the residents’ rights, well-being, and quality of life. Long-term Care Ombudsmen must complete 20 hours of initial classroom training and 12 hours of additional training every two years. During the training, the volunteers learn about the residents’ rights, aging issues, Medicare, Medicaid, communication skills, how to investigate the residents’ complaints, the importance of confidentiality, and about the federal and state rules, regulations, and laws regarding Nebraska’s long-term care facilities and assisted living communities. Before being assigned to a long-term care facility or an assisted living community, new volunteers will make four visits to a site with an experienced Ombudsman Advocate to learn more about what the program entails. After a threemonth probationary period, the new volunteers are certified as Ombudsman Advocates. Certified Ombudsman Advocates will be assigned to a long-term care facility or an assisted living community where they’ll visit for two hours a week to meet with administrators, residents, and the residents’ family members to address concerns. For more information about ENOA’s Long-term Care Ombudsman Program, please call Beth Nodes at 402-4446536.

Volunteers needed The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging is looking for volunteer drivers for its Meals on Wheels Program. Flexible weekday schedule delivering midday meals to homebound older adults in the greater Omaha area. Call Arlis at 402-444-6766 for more information.

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Ideas for improving your posture By Dr. Steven Weiniger

om was right, posture is important, especially as we spend our days hunched over telephones and computers. Poor posture strains muscles and joints, and is linked to back and neck pain, as well as overall stress, and depression. Plus, slumping makes you look older. Here are 10 tips to ACE your posture from PostureMonth.org to build new habits and retrain posture by improving your body Awareness; taking Control of how you sit, stand, and move; and designing the postural Environment right for you. Here are 10 tips to help you ACE your posture: A is for AWARENESS: • Take a picture. Seeing how you really look is a great incentive to improving your posture. Check your alignment compared to a line through the middle of your head, shoulders, hips, and ankles. Any camera works for front and side pictures or use the free PostureZone app for any mobile device to visualize and track exactly how your body stacks up. • Get moving: Take posture breaks throughout the day. Set a reminder to get up and stretch or try a postural exercise like the ones below. Moving your body every 90 minutes or so will make a big difference in how you feel at the end of the day. C is for CONTROL: • Ground your feet: Lift your heels and come up on your toes, then lift your

toes to come up on your heels and spread your toes. Roll onto the outside edge and then the inside edge of each foot. Press down on all four corners of both feet to connect with the ground. • Center your pelvis: Core exercise isn’t just for the gym. Lengthen your spine with a gentle low back arch and tuck. Repeat for five cycles to wake up and reset neglected muscles during your day.

• Open your chest: Lift your shoulders all the way up, roll them back, and then release them down. Repeat five times to open your chest and relax your spine. • Level your head: Imagine a balloon gently lifting the top of your head toward the sky. Keep your head level and focus on a spot directly in front of you to retrain the deep muscles that align your neck. • Take five breaths: Belly breathing with your diaphragm is key to strengthening posture. Lengthen your body and spine with five slow, aware breaths to let your shoulders relax and clear your mind. E is for ENVIRONMENT: • Adjust it: There’s no perfect posture position, and your body is designed to move. So, change it up. Consider a desk that lets you stand up or sit down to keep moving throughout the day. Instead of an office chair, try sitting on a ball for a couple of hours. When taking long trips, adjust your car seat each time you stop. When texting, lift your phone up to eye-level instead of folding your head down. • Sit strong: Adjust the rear-view mirror in your car so you have to sit tall with upright posture to see. Change the angle of your computer monitor or lift it a bit higher to reduce stress on neck muscles. • Stand taller: Head up, shoulders down, and pelvis engaged gives you more height and less girth. Plus, people with strong posture often feel less pain, look younger, and feel more confident. Recheck your posture a few times a year to keep track of your improvement. Visit PostureMonth.org for more ideas to ACE your posture. (Dr. Weiniger is the director of PostureMonth.org.)

Older adults being recruited to become Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents Men and women age 55 and older who want to earn a tax-free stipend while making an impact in their community are encouraged to join the Senior Companion Program and the Foster Grandparent Program. Sponsored locally by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, the SCP and FGP are national programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Senior Service Corps. Senior Companions help other older adults maintain their independence by visiting them at home to discuss the news, read mail, play cards, run errands, etc. Foster Grandparents serve as positive role models for children who need special attention with education, healthcare, and

July 2018

social development in schools, Head Start programs, and child development centers. SCP and FGP volunteers must meet income guidelines and complete an enrollment process that includes references and background checks. In exchange for volunteering 15 hours or more per week, Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions receive a $2.65 an hour tax-free stipend, mileage reimbursement, an annual physical examination, supplemental accident insurance coverage, and other benefits including an annual recognition luncheon. The stipend does not interfere with rent, disability, Medicaid, or other benefits. For more information on the FGP and SCP, please call 402-444-6536.

Regular check-ups, meds are good ways to protect your heart, lungs

CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY while supporting the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Meals on Wheels Program.

By Lois Jordan, RN-C

e need both our heart and lungs to work properly. What happens if they don’t operate efficiently? What are the consequences if you find out you have an issue with your heart such as high blood pressure, an irregular heart rhythm, or clogged arteries? What happens if you have difficulty breathing? Most people don’t realize the same inflammation and degeneration that happens in the arteries can also happen in the lungs. Since it’s vital for our heart and lungs to work properly, it’s important we know how to take care of ourselves if there’s a family history of heart or lung disease or if we’ve been told there’s a problem with our own heart and lungs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the top three causes of death in the United States as heart disease, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease. More than 13 million Americans have been diagnosed with heart and lung diseases and millions more don’t know they have them. Fortunately, we live in an era of incredibly advanced health care and there are things we can do to take care of our heart and lungs. First of all, get regular checkups by your physician. Don’t put it off and say, “I’ll do it some day when I have time.” Early detection of heart and lung issues means a better chance of slowing the progression or stopping it all together. If the doctor prescribes medication, take it. High blood pressure is also called the “silent killer”. You may not realize your blood pressure is high because there aren’t always symptoms you feel. The same is true with your lungs. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes a restriction in the flow of air in and out of your lungs. Because it’s so common, it co-exists with many other diseases, including heart disease. If you’re a smoker or an ex-smoker, you may have assumed your cough or shortness of breath is from smoking. In reality, these signs may mean your lungs are developing COPD. Just like physical therapy strengthens your muscles and gets movement back in your hips or knees after an injury or surgery, there’s cardiac-pulmonary therapy that helps strengthen your heart muscle and lungs. “If you have a heart or lung condition, cardiac or pulmonary rehab programs can help you get healthy and function independently as quickly and safely as possible,” said the Florence Home’s Physical Therapy Director Sheila Benedict. It’s never too late to take care of yourself. (Jordan is the president and CEO of Midwest Geriatrics in Omaha.)

THEOS THEOS, a social organization for singles age 60 and older, meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at New Cassel, 900 N. 90th St. Older men and women are encouraged to meet for a fun afternoon and to sign up for other activities throughout the month. On July 9, the 1:30 meeting will be followed by a trip to Lauritzen Gardens. For more information, please call Dorothy at 402399-0759 or Mary at 402-393-3052. Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart, J.D. 36 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In-home consultations • Free Initial consultation 10404 Essex Court • Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 cdorwartjd@dorwartlaw.com

Purchase your fireworks from the stand on the northeast corner of 168th & West Maple Rd. (Shoppes at Elk Creek • 165th Street & West Maple Road north end of the parking lot.) The stands will be open to Wednesday, July 4.

Thank you from the ENOA staff and the men and women who receive Meals on Wheels.

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July 2018

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Lonergan Lawns

Mow, fertilize, aerate. Trim trees & bushes. Clean gutters. Build walls. Haul junk. Call Tim @ 402-612-3576

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Please support New Horizons advertisers Senior Citizens (62+) Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue.

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New Horizons

We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.

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Bine-Stock’s books designed for kids, new authors

ve Heidi Bine-Stock became interested in words as a child growing up in Iowa’s Quad Cities area. Whenever she asked her mother what a word meant, Eve Heidi was always told, “Look it up.” Bine-Stock’s brother, Neil, gave his sister a dictionary on her 13th birthday with the inscription: “May your blessings be as numerous as the words in this book.” That same year, the Iowa teenager created a mock-up for a girls’ magazine, a precursor for her future career in the publishing industry. Bine-Stock earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Iowa. She also worked toward a doctorate in the Visual Scholars Program at the Iowa City school. Following college, Eve Heidi traces her love of Eve Heidi moved to words back to her childhood. Los Angeles where she worked in the film industry for four years looking for and re-writing movie screenplays. In 1986, Bine-Stock relocated to Israel for what she called “Zionistic reasons”. “I wanted to find people like myself, and I did,” she said. During her 15 years in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Eve Heidi worked as a technical writer and as a developer of educational software for children. She met Edward Z. BineStock in Israel, and the couple were married in 1998. For Edward’s job as a steel trader, the Bine-Stocks moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 2001. While living in Marin County, the husband and wife team created a small boutique press they named E & E Publishing. Shortly after relocating to California, Eve Heidi began writing children’s picture books. Titles have included A Kiss from Mommy, The Beetle & the Berry, and Dogs: A Kid’s Book of Dog Breeds. She also created a three-part

alphabet series about Birds, Flowers, and Things that Go! In 2012, Edward Z. BineStock died. Wanting to be with family, Eve Heidi came to Omaha to live near her brother, David Smalheiser, and his wife, Melanie.

n 2004, after many years of reading and writing children’s picture books, Bine-Stock realized she had discovered things about the craft nobody had written about, so she began creating a three-volume series titled How to Write a Children’s Picture Book. “Most people think it’s easy to write a children’s book. They don’t realize just how sophisticated children’s books are, and how much skill is required to write one,” she said. “It is, however, an achievable goal.” Eve Heidi said good children’s picture books are 32 pages long, include 16 to 32 illustrations, and feature 300 to 500 words. “Each word has to count.” Bine-Stock – who has written and published 30 books during the last 18 years – said children’s picture book authors should use action verbs, not write passively, and while a book’s main character can be older, he or she can’t be younger than the reader. “Almost always, the main character has changed in

Bine-Stock said books written by grandparents make great gifts for their grandkids. some way by the end of the story, having learned something about himself; something about others, about life, etc.” The illustrations should be appealing, and the writ-

ing needs to be entertaining, she continued. Eve Heidi had another simple piece of advice for budding children’s picture book writers. “The child in the book should solve the story’s problem, not the adult.” Books written by grandparents and great-grandparents make great gifts for grandkids and great-grandkids, according to BineStock. “When Grandma or Grandpa writes a book, the grandchild or great-grandchild is usually the main character, and the subject is normally based on a family story.”

hese days, in addition to writing and publishing children’s picture books, Bine-Stock also contributes articles to Our Little Friend, a Christian children’s magazine. Looking back on her literary career which has included International Book Awards and the Mom’s Choice Award, Eve Heidi is perhaps most proud of the How to Write a Children’s Picture Book series. “I’m grateful my books have touched the lives of my readers,” she said. Bine-Stock’s books are available at Amazon.com.

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