Redeeming produce vouchers

You don’t have to stop gardening just because you’re downsizing

By Jen Beck

Downsizing and living in a smaller space provides a great opportunity to purge, live among only the things most important to you, and create a simpler life. However, if you’ve lived in a larger home with access to a sizable yard, you may find yourself missing your area of growth; and that’s your old garden.

Scaling back on space doesn’t have to mean giving up your green thumb or fresh veggies, but it does mean finding new and creative ways to implement plants, flowers, and shrubberies in a limited area.

Small spaces are great for tall potted snake plants, especially if you love the look of greens without the work. Snake plants are popular for corporate buildings, beginner want-to-be green thumbs, and everyone in between because it loves your attention. They will survive, even if you get busy.

Couple that with some vivid perennials and it’s a great way to brighten up your tables, corners, and have color for more than one season. Hardy plants like this are both beautiful and sustainable for all lifestyles.

It seems everywhere you turn, a succulent is hung as décor, planted as a centerpiece, or tucked in the corner of the patio. Succulents are a small way to make a big impact. They come in a variety of colors and sizes and can be amplified by a lively pot or wall hanging. Because of their shape and minimal size, succulents can fit any and all tiny spaces and pots. The bonus of succulents is the very real appearance of their faux succulent friends. They can be stored and exchanged seasonally for a minimal cost.

If it’s the fresh veggies or spices you’re missing, visit your neighborhood community garden. These spaces are popping up all over cities and counties and are a great alternative to tending a massive garden all alone. Community gardens exist for fellowship, food insecurities, and education. Check in to your neighborhood for an opportunity to rent a small space for your own garden. These programs often have a free area where neighbors can come and pick their own produce, one tomato at a time. Community gardens are a great way to find horticulture enthusiasts, companionship, and get your hands dirty again.

Whether you’re creating a wreath of colorful succulents or hunting the best produce in the community garden, spending time with seed, soil, or sun is good for your mental and physical health.

If you find yourself in a position of downsizing, don’t be discouraged. Your new oasis of plants and flowers awaits. With a little creativity and imagination, your inner gardener will delight in oxygen and beautiful botany. (Beck is with Midwest Geriatrics, Inc. of Omaha.) The Great Sarpy County Quilt Show runs Saturday, July 10 through Saturday, Aug. 14 at the Sarpy County Museum, 2402 Clay St. in Bellevue.

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

The quilt show features more than 60 historic and modern quilts either made or donated for display.

Visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite quilts and enter a raffle to win a hand-made quilt.

For more information, please call 402-292-1880.

Please see the ad on page 3 NH Club gains new members

$15 M.M. Elaine Zink

$10 Bill Adams

$5 Marlene Hodik Madge Cupich Kathleen Koons Jane Navrude

Reflects donations received through June 25, 2021.

Redeem Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers at summer farm stands

Whispering Roots and The Big Garden are offering a series of summer farm stands where consumers can get fresh, local fruits and vegetables using their Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers.

Whispering Roots and The Big Garden will match dollar for dollar every dollar spent in Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers, allowing consumers to double their voucher values.

For more information, please call 402-444-6513 or go to http://biggarden.org/summer-farm-stands.

The farm stands will be held at the following locations on the dates and times listed.

July 21 Intercultural Senior Center 5545 Center St. 9 to 10:30 a.m.

Charles Drew Health Center 2915 Grant St. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July 23 One World Community Health Center 4930 S. 30th St. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

July 27 Notre Dame Housing 3405 State St. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

West Omaha WIC Clinic 735 N. 120th St. 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

August 10 Notre Dame Housing 3405 State St. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sarpy County WIC Clinic 701 Olson Dr. Papillion 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

August 11 Charles Drew Health Center 2915 Grant St. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Midtown WIC Clinic 1941 S. 42nd St. 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

August 13 One World Community Health Center 4930 S. 30th St. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Go to getvaccineanswers.org Make an informed decision about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 has changed how we live and how we feel. Vaccines are now widely available and getting vaccinated is an important step in a process that will get us back to doing what we miss most.

GetVaccineAnswers.org offers five things you and your family should know about COVID-19 vaccines so you can make informed decisions about being vaccinated. • You won’t get COVID-19 from a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines are safe and effective. Researchers began developing vaccines for COVID-19 in January 2020 based on decades of understanding immune response and how vaccines work. Thousands of volunteers participated in clinical trials that started that spring, making sure we can trust the vaccines to be safe and effective. • The federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to all Americans. Insurance providers will cover the vaccine’s cost and the government has set up a system to cover the costs for those without insurance. No one can be denied a vaccine even if they’re unable to pay the administration fee. • Health providers shouldn’t discriminate against undocumented individuals from getting the COVID-19 vaccines. Some personal information – which will vary by site – might be requested. Although fear is a reality for members of the undocumented community when giving out personal information, it’s important to seek information from community allies. Speak with a local trusted source about how you can get a COVID-19 vaccine in your state and what personal information will be needed. • Researchers made sure the trials included adults of diverse backgrounds, races, ethnicities, and geographic areas. • Follow CDC guidelines for wearing masks, maintaining social distance, avoiding crowds, and washing your hands frequently.

For more information, go to getvaccineanswers.org.

Alzheimer’s webinars

The Alzheimer’s Association is offering a variety of free educational webinars.

Topics include the warning signs of Alzheimer’s, dementia research, healthy living, legal and financial planning, early stage care partners, late stage caregivers, and understanding and responding to dementiarelated behavior.

To register or for more information, please call 800272-3900 or go to alz.org/crf.

Custom-fitted diabetic shoes part of a plan to preserve foot health

By Justin Isaacson, Pharm D. Candidate & David Kohll, Pharm D.

Diabetes is a chronic health condition affecting more than 34 million Americans. If left uncontrolled, diabetes can cause complications in many of the body’s major systems. One of the most common complications of diabetes is development of calluses, sores, and ulcers on the feet. As many as one in four people with diabetes will develop some degree of foot ulceration in their lifetime without proper preventative measures. In severe cases, amputation of part or all of the foot may even be required. Thankfully, medical equipment specialists are here to help people with diabetes.

A comprehensive diabetes care plan includes several key components. Blood glucose lowering medications and a diabetes-friendly diet are at the center, but individuals can also take preventative measures to preserve their foot health. Foot ulcer development in people with diabetes occurs due to a combination of reduced blood flow, uneven pressure, and rubbing from nonspecialized shoes. Irritation sometimes goes unnoticed for long periods of time in people with diabetes due to decreased sensation caused by the disease, eventually leading to ulcer development.

Custom made diabetic footwear works by redistributing the wearer’s weight to relieve pressure in critical areas by 30% or more and preventing skin irritation, which reduces the chance of ulcer development and recurrence by up to half.

So how can you tell if the shoes are doing their job? “I still wear less supportive shoes or slippers around the house or for short trips, but when I go for walks or stand on my feet all day at work, I always wear my fitted pair,” said one consumer. She also uses extra inserts in tennis shoes for added safety.

The benefit of custom fitted diabetic shoes is clear, and everyone with diabetes should have a pair. Luckily, they’re covered by most insurance plans including Medicare and Medicaid. Before bringing in a prescription, there are a few key steps that must be taken to ensure your new diabetic shoes will be covered by insurance. First, you must have had an in-person visit with the doctor that manages your diabetes within the last six months. At this visit, your doctor needed to perform a foot exam and document evidence of one or more of the following conditions in the medical record:

Poor circulation in either foot, evidence of callus formation of either foot, foot deformity of either foot, a history of pre-ulcerative calluses or foot ulceration of either foot, or a previous amputation of either foot or part of either foot.

Once an in-person foot exam has been performed and evidence of a foot-related condition has been documented, the next step is obtaining a prescription. The requirements for a medical equipment prescription are slightly different than a typical medication prescription, so be sure to remind your doctor to include the following information:

Your name, your doctor’s name, a detailed description of the items ordered (i.e., one pair of depth diabetes shoes and three pairs of inserts), a dated physician’s signature, and the date of the order/diagnosis.

Your new diabetic shoes supplier will also need a copy of the chart note specifying which of the conditions listed affect you. Requesting the chart notes ahead of time and bringing them along with the prescription will speed up the paperwork process significantly.

Once your medical equipment provider has acquired the proper documentation, you’ll be contacted to set up a fitting for a brand-new pair of custom diabetic shoes. It may take up to 17 days to process the fitting and construct the shoes, but they’ll be well worth the wait.

If you have questions regarding insurance coverage for diabetic footwear, contact a medical equipment specialist. (Isaacson and Kohll are with Kohll’s Rx in Omaha.)

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211 telephone network

The 211 telephone network has been established in parts of Nebraska to give consumers a single source for information about community and human services.

By dialing 211, consumers can access information about human needs resources like food banks, shelters, rent and utility assistance, physical and mental health resources, employment support, support for older Americans and persons with a disability, volunteer opportunities, and donations.

The 211 network is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information is also available online at ne211.org.