Luncheons honor Senior Companions

“We can’t mask our appreciation for everything you do” was the theme of the 2021 recognition luncheons that honored 46 Senior Companion Program (SCP) volunteers last month.

A national program of the Corporation for National Service through AmeriCorps Seniors, SCP has been sponsored locally by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging since 1976.

Senior Companions offer support and friendship to frail, sometimes isolated older adults in the clients’ homes.

As a way to limit crowd size and promote social distancing, small groups of Senior Companions were honored at three luncheons this year at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 5410 Corby St.

For more information about the SCP, call 402-444-6536.

Lucille Frizzell has been a Senior Companion Program volunteer for 20 years.

Arlea Lebahn is in her third year as a Senior Companion Program volunteer in Fremont.

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You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field) for the following:

As of July 1, participants will have a choice of a hot meal or a deli meal weekdays @ 11:30 a.m. Reservations can be made for one day at a time or for the entire month by calling 402-727-2815 by noon the business day prior to the meal the participant wishes to enjoy. A $4 contribution is suggested for the meal.

Music will be offered: • July 14: Billy Troy @ 10 a.m. • July 21: Pam Kragt @ 10:30 a.m. • July 28: Tim Javorsky @ 10:30 a.m.

Volunteers – who will need to fill out an application form – are needed to wrap silverware, wash tablecloths, take the kitchen towels home and wash them on Fridays, serve lunch, and lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The center will be closed July 5 to 9 for the 4-H Fair.

For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815. Being a family caregiver can be difficult. Challenges may include balancing work and family life with caring for a loved one, feeling isolated, navigating senior care and medical systems, caring for a loved one who isn’t the same person as before their disease arrived, and more. You don’t have to navigate this alone. Join a free Flaherty Consulting Caregiver Solutions Group.

Group members discuss topics of their choice and receive input from the facilitator and individuals in the group. Participants learn how to deal with different caregiver issues, obtain skills and knowledge, and engage in great discussions with a special focus on caring for loved ones with dementia.

While there’s no charge, registration is required to attend these sessions which meet approximately every other month.

CDC guidelines will be followed. Masks are mandatory and social distancing will be observed.

Although no food is allowed, you can bring your own beverages.

There are four active Flaherty Consulting Caregiver Solutions Group sites in Omaha:

• The Servite Center of Compassion 72nd Street & Ames Cr.

• St. Vincent de Paul Church 14330 Eagle Run Dr.

• St. Timothy Lutheran Church 510 N. 93rd St.

• Faith Westwood United Methodist Church 4814 Oaks Ln.

Contact Nancy Flaherty at 402-312-9324 to register for a meeting or for more information. Flaherty is also is available for private consultations.

Visit flahertyconsulting.net to learn more about available resources and programs.

You’re invited to visit the Intercultural Senior Center (ISC), 5545 Center St.

The facility – open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. – offers programs and activities Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Persons attending the ISC are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and bring their vaccination card with them the first day they attend the facility. The ISC offers a light breakfast, lunch, fitness classes, programs, and activities. Lunch reservations are due by 9 a.m. A voluntary contribution is suggested for the meal. Please call 402-444-6529 for reservations.

Monthly food pantries are available for adults age 50 or older.

Older adults are invited to visit the ISC’s new Grandparents Boutique.

ISC’s SAVE bus can bring case management services to your doorstep.

For more information, please call 402- 444-6529.

We’re here to help you stay healthy!

The men and women of Midwest Geriatrics are dedicated to keeping you happy, healthy, and living life to the fullest.

Call 402-827-6000 to learn more about :

• Florence Home Healthcare • Royale Oaks Assisted Living • House of Hope Assisted Living • House of Hope Memory Care • Gerimed & Unimed Pharmacies

Visit Lighthouseguild.org Early diagnosis, treatment keys to recognizing symptoms of cataracts, preserving your vision

Cataracts are a common eye condition that often affects people as they age. In fact, more than half of Americans age 80 and older have a cataract or have had cataract surgery. With symptoms of blurry, dim vision that gets worse over time, cataracts can cause

Caregiver support programs

Angels Care Home Health is offering a series of monthly caregiver support programs for persons caring for a loved one with dementia. The sessions are held the third Monday of each month through February 2022 at 11:30 a.m. at Amelia Place, 57 W. Ferndale Dr. in Council Bluffs. Lunch will be provided. For more information, please call Amber at 402616-2561. blindness if left untreated.

Lighthouse Guild is spreading the word that early diagnosis and treatment can help preserve vision and offering tips to help people recognize cataract symptoms so they don’t delay in getting effective treatment.

“Early intervention is key,” says Lighthouse Guild Chief of Low Vision Services Dr. Bruce Rosenthal. “The best way to know if your symptoms are caused by cataracts or another eye disorder is to see an eye care professional for a vision test and comprehensive dilated eye exam.”

Acataract is a clouding of a lens in your eye. Leading causes are age, smoking, and diabetes, with increased risk from prolonged exposure to ultraviolet sunlight and a family history of cataracts. Cataracts may also develop after eye surgery or an eye injury.

Symptoms of cataracts include cloudy or blurry vision, seeing faded colors, glare with headlights, lamp, or sunlight appearing too bright, seeing a halo around lights, worse vision at night, double vision/seeing multiple images, and having to change your eyeglasses or contact lens prescription often.

“The early symptoms of cataracts may improve with new glasses, antiglare sunglasses, magnifying lenses, or brighter lighting,” Dr. Rosenthal explains. “But if you don’t see enough improvement in your vision, you may need surgery to remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial lens. Surgery needed on both eyes is usually done separately about four weeks apart.”

For more information, visit Lighthouseguild.org. (Lighthouse Guild provided this information.)