New Horizons June 2020

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Celebrating 45 Years

A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Offce on Aging

June 2020

VOL. 45 • NO. 6

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

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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

old • er 74 adul ts since 19

Dennis Loose

On June 30, Dennis Loose will retire after a decade as executive director of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. The retirement will end Loose’s 42-year human services career in the state.

See page 7.

Pandemic questions Answers to your COVID-19 questions are available in English and Spanish through the Douglas County Health Department. The telephone information line is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 402-444-3400.

See page 3.

Holistic A University of Nebraska at Omaha grad, Doris Moore is the founder and CEO of The Center for Holistic Development in Omaha.

Leo Adam Biga’s profile of Moore begins on page 6.

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Ideas for funerals, memorials during a pandemic Nurse discusses the importance With new federal guidelines maximizing gatherings to 10 people due to the coronavirus pandemic; funerals, memorials, and those mourning the death of a loved one are adversely affected.

There’s an estimated 7,700 deaths in the U.S. each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Michael Schimmel is the CEO of Sympathy Brands, which specialize in end-oflife preparation, grief, condolence, and commemoration services. Schimmel offers these funeral and memorial recommendations: • Work with a local funeral home, cemetery, and clergy to determine how to proceed with private funerals and burials with a restricted guest list.

• Determine whether funerals should be in chapels or conducted graveside in the fresh air. Implement a six feet of social distancing rule.

• Determine if the funeral home has online streaming options and if this fits into a mourner’s comfort zone.

• Expressing condolences and remaining in touch by phone, text, FaceTime, and

other means of technology is effective and useful in supporting a mourner.

• Send sympathy notes, messages, or condolence cards that share thoughts and offer personal expressions. Given restrictions, closures, and limited resources, an email is also acceptable.

• Remember mourners will still need support, sympathy, and condolences. The modification of plans for honoring, commemorating, and memorializing their loved ones often creates a new type of grief and sense of loss.

• Food is a thoughtful way of paying tribute and at the same time provides nourishment for the mourners. In many traditions it’s common to send a sympathy basket or a condolence meal.

• Flowers are another way to let the family know you’re thinking of them.

• Planting a tree in memory of an individual or family’s loved one remains an appropriate way to express condolences.

Schimmel says funerals and burials will continue to take place. He emphasizes the mourning family must still be cared for and --Please turn to page 9.

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New Horizons

By Michelle Chambers, RN My life as a nurse has meant that through my professional experiences (and personal ones, too), I’ve learned to suffer well. The COVID-19 pandemic our world is facing has really challenged me to keep this mindset of “suffering well” at the forefront of my coping. Here’s what I mean: Adversity inherently brings about pain, suffering, disappointments, frustrations, a feeling of helplessness, and a slew of other feelings that impart suffering. I know by accepting these feelings it will help me be stronger. I’ll be a better nurse and a better person.

Michelle Chambers It’s part of personal growth.

But it’s not easy. Like most other skills, learning to suffer well requires conscious practice, practice at bouncing back, and practice with moving forward no matter what. In other words, adversity helps us practice resiliency, so we learn to suffer well.

Suffering makes me think of resilient people. Resilient people develop a mental capacity that allows them to adapt during times of adversity. They’re kind of like a bamboo branch that bends instead of breaks. They possess some powerful traits in order to do this. I’d like to think I possess those powerful traits, as I’m sure you do, too.

Here’s a small but mighty list of some traits I think resilient people have. Hopefully you see yourself described here: • Resilient people accept their battle. Do we not get up every day ready to fight? We find ways to meet challenges head on by embracing them. Once we accept the situation and let go of the outcome (we usually can’t control it anyway, right?), we can adapt and even thrive in the face of adversity. Think about a time when you had no choice but to accept the challenge in front of you. What traits did you possess to persevere?

• We practice patience. The power of patience is a must in healthcare. We have no choice but to foster that patience trait in just about everything we do. People count on us to come through and help, and, our “compassion for others” meter runs high. We’re not about to let anyone down.

• We know when to let go. The physical reaction to fear and pain is called the “fight or flight” response. Letting go is an inner action that helps us resist fear. Letting go comes from having a nonjudgmental outlook toward people and life and keeps us humble. I think it’s our ability to let go that helps make us flexible and adaptable. Letting go is hardly easy as it takes a conscious effort. But learning to let go of the day’s negative or burdensome activities allows for a fresh start the next day. This is really important to our mental state.

• We are flexible. I think this quote by Lao Tzu sums it up best. “Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. What is soft is strong.” Think about that. How flexible are you in times of adversity? If you think you’re soft, remember the quote.

The COVID-19 pandemic brings new challenges every day. I’ve learned to suffer well during this time, and I’m doing OK. How about you?

(Chambers is a registered nurse with Prime Home Health and Compassionate Care Hospice in Omaha.)

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of being resilient in tough times

• June 2020

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DCHD has COVID-19 information line

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he Douglas County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention want Nebraskans to be educated about the COVID-19 outbreak.

The DCHD has been in emergency planning mode for weeks, setting up a structure to address its role.

Working with colleagues at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine, the DCHD has created a COVID-19 information line at 402-4443400. The information line will be open seven days a week (until further notice) from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Callers will be able to have their questions answered in Spanish and English.

“Our website and social media platforms will continue to provide the best and most current information,” said Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour.

COVID-19 symptoms include a fever, cough, and shortness of breath. They

may appear as soon as two days or as long as 14 days following exposure.

Dr. Pour said the best advice to avoid the COVID-19 is to practice good hygiene like you would with the seasonal flu. Good hygiene includes: • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Hand sanitizer is a second option.

• Don’t touch your mouth, nose, or eyes, especially with unwashed hands.

• Avoid contact with people who are sick.

• Stay home while you’re sick.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing. Don’t cough or sneeze into your hands.

• Frequently clean and disinfect your home, car, and workplace A COVID-19 vaccine isn’t available yet. Most people have recovered by drinking lots of fluids, resting, and taking pain and fever medication. If symptoms worsen, medical care might be needed.

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AARP Information Center

ue to the Coronavirus and its potential impact on older adults, the AARP Information Center, located at the Center Mall, will remain closed during June.

AARP isn’t sponsoring any in-person events or activities since its main concern is for its members,

presenters, and staff. AARP would like to re-open the office in July and may reschedule the annual document shredding event originally scheduled for May. In the meantime, please continue to stay home, stay well, and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Return homestead exemption applications by June 30

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pplicants whose names are on file in the assessor’s office in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties should have had a homestead exemption form mailed to them by early March. New applicants must contact their county assessor’s office to receive the application.

The 2020 forms and a household income statement must be completed and returned to the county assessor’s office by June 30, 2020.

A homestead exemption provides property tax relief by exempting all or part of the homestead’s valuation from taxation.

The state of Nebraska reimburses the counties and other government subdivisions for the lost tax revenues.

To qualify for a homestead exemption, a Nebraska homeowner must be age 65 by Jan. 1, 2020, the home’s owner/occupant through Aug. 15, 2020, and fall within the income guidelines shown below.

Certain homeowners who have a disability, are developmentally disabled, are totally disabled war veterans, or the widow(er) of a totally disabled war veteran – including those who have remarried after age 57 – may also be eligible for this

annual tax break.

When determining household income, applicants must include Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits plus any income for which they receive a Form 1099.

The homestead exemption amount is based on the homeowner’s marital status and income level (see below). Maximum exemptions are based on the average assessed value for residential property in each Nebraska county.

Here are the numbers for the local assessor’s offices: Douglas: 402-4447060, options #2; Sarpy: 402-593-2122; Dodge: 402-727-3911; Cass: 402-2969310; and Washington: 402-426-6800.

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.

Household income table Over age 65 married income

Over age 65 single income

Exemption %

0 - $34,500.99 $34,501 - $36,400.99 $36,401 - $38,300.99 $38,301 - $40,100.99 $40,101 - $42,000.99 $42,001 - $43,900.99 $43,901 - $45,700.99 $45,701 - $47,600.99 $47,601 - $49,400.99 $49,401 - $51,300.99 $51,301 and over

0 to $29,400.99 $29,401 - $30,900.99 $30,901 - $32,500.99 $32,501 - $34,000.99 $34,001 - $35,500.99 $35,501 - $37,100.99 $37,101 - $38,600.99 $38,601 - $40,100.99 $40,101 - $41,700.99 $41,701 - $43,200.99 $43,201 and over

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

June 2020

Editor....................................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148 Contributing Writers......Nick Schinker & Leo Biga ENOA Board of Governors: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson; Janet McCartney, Cass County, vice-chairperson; Lisa Kramer, Washington County, secretary; David Saalfeld, Dodge County, & Angi Burmeister, 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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New Horizons

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Call 402-444-6513 for more information

See ad on page 3

New procedures developed for Farmers Market coupons

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uring June, older Nebraskans meeting income and age guidelines are eligible to receive $48 in coupons that can be exchanged for fresh produce sold at SFMNP certified Nebraska Farmers’ Market stands.

To be eligible, coupon recipients must be age 60 or older and have an annual income less than $23,606 for a single person or less than $31,894 for a two-person household.

Only one set of coupons are allowed per household.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the process for the distribution of coupons will change this year. In 2020, there will be a two-step process in which participants will request and fill out an application form and then bring the completed application form to the coupon distribution site.

To receive an application form, eligible older adults need to call their distribution site/senior center. The application form will be mailed to the participant along with instruc-

tions on how and when to pick up the produce coupons. Because each location will have instructions specific to their site, all requests for an application form should be directed to each specific site/senior center.

If you need to find a participating location, please call the ENOA Nutrition Office at 402444-6513.

A curbside distribution of the coupons will be used at most locations to limit human contact. Participants will need to have the application form completed prior to the distribution. Participants must bring the completed application form with them in order to receive the coupons.

The program’s appropriations are limited, therefore, not everyone requesting coupons may receive them and having an application form does not guarantee the receipt of coupons.

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June 2020

$15 Richard Petersen John Oltman $10 M.D. Guilliatt $5 Kathleen Coons List reflects donations through May 22, 2020.

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NH Club gains new members

Information is offered to help the state’s older men and women with questions on topics like bankruptcy, homestead exemptions, collections, powers of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, grandparent rights, and Section 8 housing.

The telephone number for the Elder Access Line is 402-827-5656 in Omaha and 1-800-527-7249 statewide.

This service is available to Nebraskans age 60 and older regardless of income, race, or ethnicity.

Its hours of operation are 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 1 to 3 p.m.

Friday.

For more information, log on the Internet to legalaidofnebraska.com/EAL.

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he National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Aksarben Chapter 1370 normally meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more informtion, please call 402-2067786.

Dealing with the threats of boredom, loneliness brought on by being isolated by the pandemic

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his stay-at-home practice is getting a little old. We’ve been “stuck” at home for nearly three months and most of us feel it’s not safe to go back to our former social lives— even if some of our favorite places are opening. We may be safe from COVID-19 but, if we’re not careful, two other healthcare threats may take over our lives.

Here I’m raising the red flags of boredom and loneliness.

Boredom settles on us when we lack stimulation, events to anticipate, or human connections. If this is what we’re facing, there’s some danger we’ll become vulnerable to temptations.

It isn’t unusual when we’re bored to comfort ourselves with too much food or drink.

Other distractions might be mindless TV programs that create noise to mask the quiet. Some may just watch repetitious news programs that increase their anxiety.

Surfing the Internet passes time but may provide little more than hours of distraction. These activities may temporarily address the boredom but will do little to alleviate its causes. They might also threaten our mental and physical health.

Loneliness is a state of mind that stirs up fear of abandonment, a sense of uselessness, and restlessness. It’s a painful state that’s the result of feeling deficient, not cared for, or not supported. People suffering from loneliness feel they have no choice in the matter.

In truth there’s a choice we each have when we experience being physically

separated. Instead of dwelling on our deficiencies, we may cultivate a mindset that’s open and grateful for that we do have. We can choose to be intentional about how we use the gift of time we’ve been given. A useful practice is spending time in silence to center oneself with deep breathing, prayer, or meditation. These are all ways of clearing the mind and calming feelings. Beginners may start this practice five minutes at a time. Others may relish the chance to spend longer periods of time getting in touch with their deepest selves.

This habit enables us to be intentional about how we spend our days. A calmer mind may delight in reading worthwhile books that both educate and entertain. We may

Conscious Aging

By Nancy Hemesath

be more selective in choosing television programs that challenge our thinking or elevate our spirits. We might decide to cook and eat nourishing meals in moderation rather than stuffing ourselves for comfort. By being mindful, we empower ourselves to make wise, intentional choices for our own well-being in a spirit of gratitude.

A grateful spirit is also a generous spirit. Instead of focusing on one’s own deficiencies, we focus on others. What gifts do I have that others need? Who needs a call or a card? Perhaps I could share part of my stimulus money with someone or some organization that’s struggling.

By being a gift to others, we sense our own worthiness. Loneliness abates.

By reframing our experience as solitude vs. loneliness, we offer ourselves the opportunity to come to know ourselves better, allowing deep feelings and enlightenment to emerge.

Busy people sometimes take days for retreat to gather themselves or to become more mindful of beauty, truth, and wisdom. This pandemic has forced us all into a kind of retreat. Let’s make the most of it.

On another note, I’m planning to start a book study via ZOOM on Conscious Living, Conscious Aging in the near future. If you’re interested, please email me at nhemesath@cox.net. It may be a useful way to spend this stay-at-home time.

(Hemesath is the owner of Encore Coaching in Omaha.

She’s dedicated to supporting people in the Third Chapter of Life.)

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Vols needed for Ombudsman Program

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he Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging is looking for men and women age 21 and older to join its Long-term Care Ombudsman Program which is cosponsored 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 three-month 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.

June 2020

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New Horizons

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Moore working to make people the best they can be

Doris, a licensed mental and behavioral health counselor, started The Center for Holistic Development in 2001.

By Leo Adam Biga Contributing Writer

T

he public health emergency around the COVID-19 pandemic has taxed people’s emotional well-being as they try coping with a myriad of disruptions to their regular routines.

In March, schools and restaurants closed. By May, job losses approached Great Depression levels.

Social distancing and self-quarantining have forced many folks to work, communicate, celebrate, or mourn remotely.

Worries about catching and spreading the novel coronavirus add stress. It’s enough to make anyone anxious, depressed, lose sleep, overeat, and abuse alcohol or drugs.

The strain is on top of pre-existing personal health, relationship, and economic issues before the outbreak.

“What COVID has brought to light is that there are people truly struggling and the struggle is even worse now,” says Center for Holistic Development Founder and CEO Doris Moore. “We are our experiences – for good or bad – and sometimes people can get stuck. They habitually respond in certain ways.

Doing things in the same way and expecting different results is kind of crazy. Unfortunately, people do that consistently.”

Counseling offers a discreet, safe space for people to discover or unburden themselves of the baggage holding them back, according to Moore.

“Most of us don’t have those conversations very much in our daily

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lives,” she says. “We don’t generally talk about the underlying things that relate to why we’re feeling certain emotions.”

That’s where professional counseling comes in.

“I truly believe people don’t pay enough attention to their mental and emotional needs. But when you consider it, the mind is integral in everything we do as human beings, and yet we take it for granted.

We figure it’s just going to work the way it’s supposed to, when, in reality, maybe it does and maybe it doesn’t.”

Moore said The Center for Holistic Development, 6659 Sorensen Pkwy., is a place “where we help people become the best they can be, where they can experience relief from their mental or emotional pain, and learn how to balance life experiences to the best of their ability.”

Doris knows people of all ages, including older adults, are especially hurting now because they’re confiding to her and her staff.

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oore, a licensed mental and behavioral health counselor, formed the Center in 2001 as a haven offering culturally specific care addressing the mind-body-soul.

The Omaha native believes maintaining mental-emotional balance is a key to successful living. Balance is more important than ever in this highly charged environment.

“This is trauma nationwide, worldwide. People will be changed as a result of everything happening with COVID. It’s going to plant this seed in your memory, even from the

New Horizons

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standpoint of scarcity and people feeling like they have to hoard.

The way we operate is going to be changed forever. As soon as people recognize that and accept it, then we have some influence on what that change looks like. But just know that it will be.

“To get through this crisis people have to create a new way of operating for themselves. Most people don’t really want to do that with somebody else telling them what to do. Somehow we have to adopt as a personal strategy for survival those things that are going to help us take care of ourselves and our families.”

Moore says outpatient counseling is one way of making sure people have some tools and strategies on how to safely and soberly manage crisis. “One thing I tell people to do is deep breathing. Make sure you’re breathing from your diaphragm.

During a time of stress and anxiety everything tightens up in your body and makes it hard for you to think clearly because the blood flow is constricted. It’s not just the physical stress – but the psychological stress.

“I tell people to create a routine.

Do your best controlling those things you can control. Working from home has to be really challenging for some people who need that personal interaction with others in an office setting. It may mean finding another way of doing it – using Zoom meetings or other platforms – to stay connected to people.”

Because most of us have an innate need and longing for connectedness and belonging, Doris says it’s important we don’t overly socially distance from others and end up isolating ourselves.

In working with clients to navigate this challenging time, Moore urges people to follow a behavioral health model she devised called S.P.E.C.I.A.L. • Spiritual: “If you’re a faith person, then rely on faith to help you stay centered and know that the God of your understanding has everything under control. That can bring a level of peace to help you move through it.”

Mental health professionals also recommend developing a support system where to lean and perhaps confide.

• Physical: “Make sure you’re sleeping appropriately, you’re getting the right amount of nutrition you need, and you’re doing some sort of exercise. Create some physical routine that works for you.”

• Emotional/Economic: “Look at where you are as far as your emotions and what’s going on and come up with strategies to keep your emotions in balance. Journaling can be helpful for some people.

“In this day and age when many people are struggling economically, it’s important figuring out ways to save money and managing what you’re spending. It may mean accessing community resources such as pantries. It may mean starting

June 2020

your own garden to grow some of your own food.”

• Cultural: “Use some of your cultural strengths and traditions to get through this.”

• Intellectual: “Use this time to continue be a lifelong learner. I’m a believer in learning something new every day. This might be the opportunity to pursue your curiosity about something. Perhaps there are how-to videos on YouTube you can watch to learn a new craft or hobby.”

• Associations: “I encourage people to build or maintain their social associations and to stay connected, even virtually. In your social distancing, make sure you’re not isolating.”

• Love: “Be cognizant of having love of self and others. Do that selfcare you need for yourself – listening to or making music, walking, cooking, eating right, perhaps volunteering to help someone else.”

Referring to the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. tenets, Moore says, “These are things I think are crucial for people to balance out during this time of COVID. They’re just meant to give people some ideas, but I encourage people to fill those letters with things that mean something to them.

You want to do stuff that helps keep things in balance. I really think that’s what managing life is about.

When we hit the extremes is when we really struggle.

“When I’m doing therapy with clients, I talk to them about their values because our values are reflected in what we do,” Doris adds.

Sometimes, she says, our lives are not congruent with what we say we value. That imbalance can be a source of emotional disturbance.

“You may say you value family time, but if you’re working 24-7, how is that valuing family time?”

Integrating our inner and outer selves, our past and present, is critical, she says, in order to be whole.

“It’s making sure we are a reflection of the values we say we have.

It’s OK to look back at negative or challenging things that happened to us. In fact, it’s imperative we do if there’s something unresolved about it because when you stay stuck back there, you’re not able to move forward. At the Center we teach how to use thought processes to create strategies for a life that recognizes the importance of balance.”

For anyone feeling out of balance, whose moods impair daily life functioning and disrupt relationships, Moore implores they seek professional help. The Center for Holistic Development is one of many community providers that offer free behavioral health assessments.

Even Doris struggles with balance in her own life. She and her husband, Henry Moore, are parents to two grown daughters.

“It’s really a challenge,” she acknowledges. “I lean a lot of my faith. I have a great support system.

But I have times where I have to force myself to not work.”

--Please turn to page 8.

Loose called ‘pioneer in establishment of Nebraska’s aging programs’

ENOA Executive Director Dennis Loose.

By Jeff Reinhardt New Horizons Editor

W

hen Dennis Loose retires as executive director of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging at the end of June, he won’t exactly be riding into the sunset.

He does, however, plan to spend more time out west visiting his sister in Scottsbluff, his brother in Wyoming, as well as his two sons, four granddaughters, and one grandson in Montana and Idaho.

He’ll be accompanied on those trips by his wife, Lyn. The Looses have been together for 36 years.

Born is Scottsbluff and raised in Gering, Dennis Loose graduated from Chadron State College in 1973 with a BA degree in education majoring in history.

Following college, Dennis spent five years helping persons who have developmental disabilities for a regional agency that covered 11 counties in the Nebraska panhandle.

In 1978, while reading The Omaha World-Herald, Loose learned the South Central Nebraska Area Agency on Aging in Kearney was looking for a new director. He applied for and accepted the position, a post he held until 1991.

Loose said his greatest accomplishment while leading the SCNAAA was developing the care management program that assesses a person’s needs and then utilizes a system of services designed to keep older adults living at home for as long as possible. Eventually, this program was implemented in Nebraska’s eight area agencies on aging including the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging through the Nebraska Care Management Act. While he enjoyed working with people who have developmental disabilities, Loose has a special place in his heart for older adults.

Loose (back row) with a group of ENOA employees who were educated by the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s department of gerontology.

“They have such interesting life experiences and their dignity has always impressed me,” he said.

At the same time, working in human services agencies funded by local, state, and federal government sources can be challenging.

“You’re constantly validating what you do to the decision makers,” Dennis said.

I

n 1991, Gov. Ben Nelson appointed Jacqueline Smith and Loose as director and deputy director respectively, of the Nebraska Department on Aging.

Three years later, Smith stepped down, and Dennis was elevated to the director’s position.

In 1996, Nelson – knowing Loose was an Army veteran who served as a radio and telephone operator during the Vietnam War in 1967 and ’68 – asked Dennis to also oversee Nebraska’s Veterans homes in Omaha, Grand Island, Scottsbluff, and Norfolk.

The following year, the state decided to merge its Aging, Social Services, Health, Public Institutions, and Juvenile Services agencies into what became the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

During the next 10 years, as its chief deputy director, Loose focused his attention on HHS’ state unit on aging, Nebraska’s Veterans homes, child welfare, and economic assistance programs.

“It was a lot of work, but it was exciting,” he said looking back.

D

ennis left state government in 2007 and joined Quality Government Solutions. Founded by former Nebraska HHS Director and State Treasurer Ron Ross, QGS is a Lincoln-based firm specializing in managing and consulting with state and local govern-

ments.

Loose worked closely with the state’s area agencies on aging, and in 2010 became ENOA’s executive director.

“I always had a high opinion of ENOA. All the programs were functioning as they should and the staff members knew what they were doing,” he said.

A decade later, Dennis said ENOA has maintained its outstanding reputation in Nebraska and across the country. “We have an incredible staff,” he said. “It’s an honor to work with these dedicated people.”

He said other keys to ENOA’s success have been a strong governing board headed by Douglas

County Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson and an amazing advisory council lead by Dr. Julie Masters, chair of the department of gerontology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Dr. Masters spoke highly of Loose. “He’s a pioneer in the establishment of aging programs in Nebraska.

Whether leading an area agency on aging or as state director for the Department on Aging, Dennis has always been at the forefront of making a difference.

The status and reputation of ENOA has never been better.”

She said Loose has been a true friend of Nebraskans during his 42-year career in human services. “The care and concern for those with the greatest social and economic needs were always at the top of his mind when decision making.”

T

hese days, Loose said his health is good, but the time is right for retirement. He’ll miss the energy he feels working with and for the men and women of Nebraska. “It gets into your blood. When you see people who need assistance, it makes you want to do whatever you can do make their lives better.”

He said he’d like to be remembered as someone who made a difference.

“On behalf of my fellow ENOA Advisory Council members, we wish Dennis the very best in this new chapter of his life,” Dr. Masters said. “We remain forever grateful for the privilege and honor of working with him over the last several years.”

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New Horizons

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Page 7

CHD’s focus on African American culture paramount during COVID-19 pandemic --Continued from page 6.

Moore transformed her career from the corporate track (OPPD and IBM) to the human services field in order to better align her work with her values, and thus find a better life balance. The 64-year-old is the oldest of four siblings whose parents journeyed north from Mississippi during the Great Migration. She was the first in her immediate family to graduate college (University of Nebraska at Omaha). When she left the corporate world behind to realize her passion for helping others, she’d become disconnected from the rat race.

“I have always had a desire to help people be the best person they can be, and I think even as a little girl I recognized your mental and emotional state is so influential in how you progress in life.”

One day, while driving to her IBM job, Moore heard a psychologist on the radio offering sage advice. It clicked that she was meant to do life coaching that drew on her solid foundation or core.

Growing up in northeast Omaha during the 1960s she felt a sense of community. Attending a predominantly black elementary school, she felt emboldened and affirmed by its lone black teacher. She experienced the sting of racism and exclusion when her family moved from an all-black area to a mostly white neighborhood. Doris remembers being chased to and from school by bullies.

She found solace for any troubles by leaning on her loving family and worship community, Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church, which she still attends today. Each encouraged her to dream big.

“I was instilled with things like working hard and the importance of giving back. I was raised in a household and a faith community where I was told I could do whatever I needed to do. There were no limitations put on what I could do as far as excelling in different areas of life.”

As a Goodrich Scholar, she studied psychology at UNO. “I was always intrigued by the mind and what the mind can do and how the mind is influential in helping us be the best version of ourselves. I wanted to learn how people interact with one another and how we become who we are. The environment we grow up in is extremely influential in what happens in our lives.”

F

ifteen years elapsed between Moore earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology and acquiring her master’s degree in community counseling at UNO, where she was a graduate assistant.

“I have a thirst for knowledge. At one point I worked for three different providers. I worked at these places not only to get the hours I needed for licensure but to learn the different counseling approaches used.”

While working as a counselor

Page 8

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at Nebraska Methodist College, Doris was introduced to the idea of holism. “It’s when I realized people are more than mental or emotional beings.”

In surveying the counseling landscape, Moore says one of the key things missing was the cultural piece. “In the mental health field, I didn’t see any organization providing services specifically geared toward the African American experience. There was a gap in services offered. I believe whatever cultural

understand that parenting is about being effective in helping your child maneuver through life and we give parents tools and strategies to do that.”

• Kids Squad: “We are part of a collaborative effort that goes into childcare centers and Head Starts to train staff on how to build social and emotional competence in children with challenging behaviors.

Reports show 2 and 3-year-olds are being kicked out of preschool, which is ridiculous. It’s happening primarily because children are not learning how to play, share, and do those things that help them get along with other kids.”

• Real Talk: “We partner with after school programs to work on building social and emotional competence in children. Building social and emotional competence has been shown to actually help children improve their grades because they know how to self-manage. We focus on things like goal-setting and problem-solving, recognizing and managing emotions. If we help them understand their own feelings and emotions it really helps them in relationships with their peers, parents, teachers, and the community as a whole.”

• Urban Youth BOLT (Building Our Leaders Today): “This started as a diversion program for black males created to interrupt the disproportionate minority contact issue. It’s been pretty successful.

Sixty percent of kids who complete our program no longer have any involvement in the juvenile justice system. We’ve expanded the program to also serve boys and girls referred to us by youth-serving community organizations.

“We talk to young people about African and African-American history. We correct things the media and history books have gotten A Goodrich Scholar, Moore studied psychology at the University wrong, like the Black Panthers. We of Nebraska at Omaha. She earned her master’s degree in educate on what they really did and community counseling from UNO 15 years later. how they were a positive force in background or ethnicity you’re opmental and cultural needs. communities. We talk to kids about from is an integral part of who you This emphasis on culturally atBlack Wall Street – how black are. Dismissing and not recogniztuned services is ever more parapeople were able to achieve a level ing the influence of that hinders mount during COVID-19, which of economic growth and developyour personal growth. affects African Americans dispropor- ment.

“I know for most African Ameri- tionately hard. Blacks tend to pres“We talk about black inventors, cans our relationship to our culture ent a higher incidence of underlying millionaires, (and) entrepreneurs. really impacts who we are. I love conditions such as hypertension We talk about black leaders and being black. I celebrate it. I think and diabetes that are risk factors for royalty. The youth participating in African Americans are extremely COVID infection. Compromised im- the program all mention they learn skilled in a lot of areas. We bring mune systems can make people prone things they did not know or were a history and heritage from Africa to severe, even fatal cases of COVID. not taught before. We let African in coming from kings and queens Access to quality care can be spotty American youth know they can acand inventors and some of the first for blacks due to poor community complish so many things. We teach civilizations. I take a lot of pride in resources. Some blacks also defer them to be critical thinkers. that. My pride in being an African- healthcare in favor of self-treatment “That’s a crucial piece. Don’t let American female is influential in or prayer. the media or anybody else think for the work I do and how I approach you. Life is more than about just the work I do.” n addition to the Center’s indisurviving, it’s about thriving and Moore saw clearly the path she vidual counseling services, it of- using the resiliency we have as part wanted to make for herself in the fers support programs designed of our history.” field would address these cultural for youth, adults, and families.

The program highlights the black dynamics.

• Parenting with a Purpose: “Par- pride that Moore champions.

“Many of the theoretical models enting is the hardest job you’ll ever “We have to make sure our kids I learned about were not created by have without an instruction book,” understand we are special, we are people who look like me. ConseMoore says. “As a parent, you do one talented, there are no limits to what quently, I take the information I of two things -– you parent the way we can do. But we have to do it. We learn, and I make sure it applies you were parented unless you learn use Kwanza principles as a founto people of color – because it something different. We help parents --Please turn to page 12.

New Horizons

doesn’t always.”

Doris intentionally made The Center for Holistic Development a sanctuary that addresses things like generational trauma inherited by African Americans.

“Although generations of African Americans may not have the lived experiences of being enslaved and traumatized, I believe that, combined with institutional racism, changes pathways in the brain.”

The center offers professional therapists of color able to meet devel-

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June 2020

Take care of your mind, body

Held on Monday, June 15

The importance of staying active during the coronavirus pandemic

Annual WEAAD recognizes elder abuse around the globe

By Lynn Even

On Monday, June 15, men and women around the world will recognize World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. An annual event, WEADD was started by the United Nations in 2006 to raise awareness of the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults.

Each year, Adult Protective Services, a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services agency, handles around 3,000 elder abuse cases in the state.

The APS hotline (1-800652-1999) is available to citizens, mandatory reporters, and law enforcement officers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year if they suspect an older Nebraskan has been abused.

Unexplained injuries, not taking medications properly, withdrawal from normal activities, and changes in a person’s finances are among the warning signs of elder abuse.

While an estimated five million older Americans are abused annually, only 16 percent of these cases are reported.

Anyone who believes an older adult has been the victim of self-neglect, physical, financial, or sexual abuse, is encouraged to call the APS

A

re you living a more sedentary lifestyle and performing less physical activity than usual due to the COVID-19? How do we remain active and mindful when we’re all spending so much time at home?

While our circumstances have certainly changed, our physical and mental health needs haven’t. This is an important time to take care of your body and mind. The following are a few reminders and tips to help you.

Please check with your health care provider before beginning any exercise routine.

• Remember the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or a combination of both each week. In addition, perform two full body muscle strengthening sessions each week.

• Include outdoor activities as much as possible. Outdoor exercise provides benefits beyond those offered by exercise alone. It boosts vitamin D levels, enhances self-esteem, improves cognitive function, and reduces stress.

Our park trails, golf courses, and neighborhoods are still open.

Go for a run, ride your bike, or walk your dog a couple of times a day.

• Access to gyms may be limited, but you can still strength train at home. If you don’t have exercise equipment, perform body-weight exercises like squats, lunges, planks, and push-ups without equipment. Single-arm rows, curls, and overhead presses can be performed with household items like milk cartons or laundry detergent. Get creative.

• Eat healthy and stay hydrated.

M

any of us are feeling anxious and uncertain. Clinical psychologist Dr. LuAnne M. Even reminds us that now more than ever it’s important to take care of yourself.

Dr. Even offered these simple tips to help keep our mental health in check.

• Stay informed and connected but don’t let the Coronavirus dominate your conversation. Dr. Even said social media is important and we need to stay informed, but don’t obsessively check the news.

Stay connected with friends and loved ones. Take intentional breaks from the Coronavirus discussion. Suggest to your friends that you’d like to spend the next hour talking about literally anything else.

• Focus on the things you can control. You can’t control what other people are doing or what’s going on outside your four walls, but you can control what you’re doing.

Find things that make you feel good about what you’re doing for you and your loved ones. Plan for what you can control like weekly meals and activities throughout the day. Taking control of what you can do will help alleviate anxiety.

• Don’t let the “what ifs” spiral out of control. Dr. Even suggested bringing attention to your breath and body. Focus on five things you can see (phone, photograph, computer); four things you can touch (pencil, chair); three things you can hear; two things you can smell; and one thing you can taste. By the time you get through the exercise, the negative thought cycles will stop and allow you to move forward.

• Take care of your mind and body. Dr. Even said to establish a daily routine and make time for activities you enjoy.

Self-care is more important now than ever before. Take care of your body with regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Make time to unwind and do the activities you enjoy. Stay connected with family and friends. We’ll get through this together.

(Even is a senior fitness specialist and owner of Second Wind Personal Training in Omaha. She’s dedicated to helping older adults with mobility, balance, and strength training. Contact her at lynn@secondwindpt.com.)

June 2020

hotline or a law enforcement agency.

When needed, APS investigators work with law enforcement officials and the courts, make referrals to community resources, and arrange for food, clothing, and shelter for abuse victims.

For more information go to dhhs.ne.gov/WEAAD.

Funerals...

--Continued from page 2. supported by extended family and friends to help them through the grieving process. Sending a sympathy gift remains an appropriate way to express condolences.

“There will never be a replacement of personal interaction, however these options for expressing condolences and showing support will assist family members, friends, and colleagues during their time of need,” Schimmel said.

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House of Hope Alzheimer’s Care 4801 N. 52nd St. • Omaha, NE 68104 omahaseniorcare.org • 402-557-6860

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New Horizons

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Page 9

Enjoy your favorite activities

Tips for dealing with the summer heat

By Ginny Czechut

S

ummer arrives this month and midwestern summers are famous for their high humidity and severely hot temperatures. Heat-related illnesses and deaths occur when the body is unable to compensate for high temperatures and cool itself properly. Normally, the body is able to cool itself by sweating. However, sometimes sweating isn’t enough and the body’s temperature can rise rapidly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, very high body temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs.

Heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable, so it’s crucial people know how to care for themselves when dealing with summer’s extreme heat. The following helpful hints will help you prepare to endure the hot Nebraska weather: • Drink plenty of fluids: During hot temperatures, it’s especially important to increase your fluid intake levels, no matter what activities you might be doing. Drinks that contain alcohol or high levels of sugar can increase the amount of body fluid you lose, so avoid them during a heat wave.

It’s important to drink regularly, even before you start feeling thirsty. If your doctor has limited the amount of fluids you should consume, be sure to ask how much you should drink during hot weather.

• Wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen: Choose lightweight, light colored, loose-fitting clothing for the summer months. This is more than just a fashion statement; it will help you remain cooler during the heat of the day.

If your activities take you outdoors, protect yourself from sunburn by wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

Apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior to going outside and reapply as directed on the package.

• Schedule activities carefully and pace yourself: Try to limit your outdoor activities. If you must go outside, schedule activities for early morning or late evening when the heat is at its most bearable. Look for shady areas to rest, and pace your activity, especially if you’re not used to spending time in the heat. If you feel light-headed or weak, find a cool area to rest.

• Call on a friend: When working in extreme heat, be mindful of your friends or co-workers and ask them to look out for you. If you’re age 65 or older, ask someone to call and check on you twice a day. If you know someone in that age group, check in on them. According to the CDC,

individuals age 65 and older are less likely to compensate for heat stress effectively and are less likely to sense and respond to a change in temperature.

• Use common sense: Don’t leave anyone, especially infants, children, or pets in a parked car.

• Avoid hot foods or heavy meals that can add heat to your body.

• If possible, stay indoors in an air-conditioned environment.

• Provide plenty of fresh water to pets and leave water in a shady area for pets that live outdoors.

Keep yourself informed of hot weather health emergencies by checking in frequently with local weather reports. With a little bit of preparation and some easy preventative measures, you can enjoy your favorite summer activities safely.

(Czechut is with Midwest Geriatrics, Inc. in Omaha.)

Metro Women’s Club of Omaha

The Metro Women’s Club of Omaha whose motto is “Extending the Hand of Friendship,” holds a monthly luncheon on the second Omaha Fire Department Tuesday of each month. The organization also offers a The Omaha Fire Department’s Public Education and Afvariety of other activities fairs Department will install free smoke and/or carbon mon- including Bunco, Bridge, oxide detectors inside the residences of area homeowners. and Gadabouts.

To have a free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector Due to the COVID-19 installed inside your home, send your name, address, and pandemic, however, all telephone number to: Metro Women’s Club of Omaha Fire Department Omaha events are on hold Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Requests until further notice.

1516 Jackson St. For more information, Omaha, Neb. 68102 please go online to HorizonAD-2010:HorizonAD-08 2/4/10 8:00 AM Page 1 For more information, please call 402-444-3560. metrowomensclub.org.

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June 2020

Picking the proper mobility device

By David Kohll, Pharm. D. When considering purchasing a scooter or a power wheelchair, you might have questions about the differences between these two types of mobility products. By understanding the distinctions, you’ll be able to choose which type is right for your needs.

Mobility scooters are equipped with a tiller and handlebars while a wheelchair is operated using a joystick. Your range of mobility when operating a device may indicate whether a scooter or power chair is best for you.

An electric scooter typically has three or four wheels, whereas an electric wheelchair typically has six or more wheels. Most power chairs have two large drive wheels and four smaller wheels called casters for added stability.

While power wheelchairs come standard with captain’s style seating, there may be optional seating available such as a solid seat pan or a Synergy® seat. Scooters usually come with standard vinyl seating, although the seat can be adjusted and may be able to swivel.

Electric wheelchairs are equipped with a height-adjustable foot platform that can flip up when not in use. Leg room on a scooter can vary depending on the model. A three-wheel scooter offers more leg room for taller individuals, while a four-wheel scooter is equipped with a broader wheelbase to ensure even weight distribution for stability.

Some scooters are extremely portable making them conducive for traveling. They can be easily taken apart and placed in your back seat or trunk. They can also be quickly assembled. There are folding travel scooters and power chairs that don’t need to be dissembled and are commercial airline approved.

If your scooter or power chair doesn’t easily dissemble and is heavier, a vehicle lift is a great option. When working with a scooter or power chair company, tell them what kind of vehicle you have. They’ll match the vehicle with the scooter or power chair to confirm which vehicle lift is appropriate. If you want the ultimate vehicle lift, consider purchasing a wheelchair van.

To determine whether you need a motorized wheelchair or an electric scooter, ask yourself where the mobility product will be used. While many motorized scooters and electric wheelchairs can be used indoors and out, power chairs offer more maneuverability indoors.

Many scooters are more rugged, designed for outdoor use, and can be equipped with suspension components for navigating varied terrain.

Another point to consider when choosing between a scooter or a power chair is your method of paying for the mobility device. Medicare may cover part of the cost of a power mobility device for use in your home, providing it’s shown to be medically necessary.

You’ll need to have a face-to-face examination with your doctor to discuss your needs for a mobility device. Your physician must consider the use of a cane, walker, or manual wheelchair before considering a scooter or power chair.

This exam and a special prescription from your doctor are required before Medicare will consider helping to pay for your scooter or electric wheelchair. Private insurance generally follows Medicare guidelines.

Many people can get around in their residence safely with a cane or walker, but if they want to go to the park, grocery store, or a family event, a scooter or power chair will keep them more safe, stable, and able to keep up.

Since these men and women can get along without the power chair or scooter at home, Medicare or insurance may not pay for the chair or scooter.

When choosing a company that will provide your scooter or lift chair, consider the following: • Do they have scooter or power chair specialists on staff? Ask to speak with an assistive technology practitioner certified and trained to fit people properly for wheelchairs, power chairs, and scooters.

• Do they have a large selection of power chairs and scooters on hand that you can see and touch?

• Do they have vehicle lift options on display so you can see options to use your power chair or scooter outside the home?

• Do they have on hand travel (folding) scooters and power chairs, or wheelchair vans to sell and rent? Can they modify your vehicle on site so they can adapt your scooter or power chair?

(Kohll is with Kohll’s Rx in Omaha.)

Several options are available if you’re looking to sell your home

By Ben Souchek

S

pring is typically a popular time to sell a house. But given the current market environment the COVID-19 has created, you may be wondering if this is a good time to sell a house, or if it would be better to wait until things have returned to normal.

There really is no one answer that’s correct for everyone.

Some areas are still seeing houses bought and sold, but many sales have been in the pipeline for weeks, so what happens in the next 30, 60, or 90 days, and after is anyone’s guess.

In addition, large billion-dollar direct home buying companies like Zillow, Opendoor, Offerpad, Redfin, and others have stopped their home buying activity. These companies don’t operate nationwide, but other home buying companies and lenders will look at this as a cue to proceed with extreme caution for their own home buying activities.

Understandably, sellers would prefer not having potential buyers, home inspectors, appraisers, and others related to a sale of a house walking into their home.

If you don’t have an immediate need to sell your house, it may be a better option to wait. Especially if you’re concerned to not have people coming in and out of your house, touching your furniture, and breathing around you.

However, there are reasons why a person may want or need to sell a house sooner rather than later. Are financial circumstances dictating it would be best to sell your house now? Maybe an apartment community has an opening for a unit that’s just what you’ve been waiting for. Amenities like being on the ground floor, takes pets, or other features or benefits that aren’t always available.

Maybe you’ve had an unfortunate health event that’s forcing the decision and creating a need to move sooner rather than later.

You have multiple options to sell your home. The traditional way of listing your house with an agent is still available, although the process may have been affected. In person home showings will be more restricted than previously. Thanks to technology, there will be an increased use of virtual tours and showings to keep buyers and sellers safe. The use of high-quality photos and videos will be a necessity to ensure the first impression a potential buyer sees is positive.

A home sale may also take longer to close than previously. Longer time frames for home inspections, mortgage approval and funding, getting needed repairs completed for a buyer, and the logistics involved with moving may add to this time.

Although not as common, selling a house to a direct buyer may be an option to consider in today’s market.

Although a home seller may not net as much as they may have received in the past real estate market, the value a direct home buyer’s benefits offer may be greater than a higher price with a traditional sale and the challenges that come with it. Benefits such as not putting the house on the market, not having other potential buyers coming in and out of your house, not having to worry about updates or repairs the house may need, only needing to take and move the items you want to keep, no appraisal or whole house inspection, and flexibility of closing and possession dates so ta move to your new home can be as stress and hassle free as possible.

In general, more control of the sale of your house and transition to your new home. When considering a sale to a direct home buyer, be sure it’s a quality company that has great reviews, has been in business through multiple market cycles, can pay cash for your house, and can close when you want.

Do your research. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the real estate market today, but if you need or want to sell your house, you do have options.

(Souchek is the owner of The Sierra Group, LLC, a professional home buying company.)

COVID-19 legal advice hotline Nebraskans who have questions or who are experiencing legal problems due to the coronavirus/COVID-19 public health emergency can get legal advice and help through the free COVID-19 Disaster Relief Hotline.

Hosted by Legal Aid of Nebraska, working closely with the Nebraska State Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP), this hotline aims to make key legal assistance easy and accessible.

If you’re a Nebraskan facing legal issues related to the virus, or the owner of a small, locally owned business (less than 50 employees, and not a franchise) that’s closed, in risk of permanent closure due to the virus, and where the payment of fees would significantly deplete your resources, the hotline may be reached at 1-844-268-5627.

Callers will be connected to the hotline’s voicemail. Callers should leave their name, phone number, brief details of the problem and the assistance needed, and in what county they’re located.

Callers will receive a call back from an experienced Legal Aid staff member. Individuals and businesses that don’t qualify for Legal Aid’s free services will be directly referred to the VLP. The VLP will work to place cases with Nebraska volunteer lawyers who will provide free legal assistance.

The types of legal issues associated with COVID-19, and focused on by the hotline include: • Tenants with rent issues, including those facing eviction.

• Debt problems, including debtors with garnishments or who are ordered to appear at a debtor’s exam.

• Mortgage foreclosures, including advising on options for delinquent payments.

• Unemployment insurance denials.

• Employee rights, including sick leave and wage payments.

• Government benefits available to low-income persons such as ADC, SNAP, AABD, and SSI. • Medicaid and medical insurance claims.

• Drafting wills, health care power of attorney, and transfer on death deeds.

• Domestic abuse and safety issues.

• Elder abuse and exploitation.

• Access to education.

• Helping small, locally owned businesses with business and employment related matters, including human relations issues, unemployment benefits, and contracts.

More information on these legal issues, including ways you can directly help yourself, are available online at legalaidofnebraska.org.

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Page 11

Doris: Stigma of mental illness may stop people from getting help -Continued from page 8. dation for learning to help them understand this is more about them individually but that what they do will impact the community.”

Kwanza is an African American cultural celebration recognized throughout the United States from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. It’s based on the agricultural celebrations of Africa called “firstfruits,” which are times of harvest that reinforce family togetherness, reverence, commemoration, and recommitment.”

The Center holds an annual Community Kwanza Luncheon Celebration each year.

Kwanza values also permeate the Center’s counseling with adults because the celebration’s themes of unity and community reinforce the holism at the root of Moore’s approach.

“It’s about building up our community, it’s about collective work and responsibility, it’s about self-determination, it’s about using our creativity, our faith and learning, (and) what our purpose is. All of those things go into making us the best person we can be, and that person is connected to a community. In my opinion, we are our brother’s keeper, our daughter’s keeper, we’re a community, and what impacts one is going to impact others.”

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t took time for The Center for Holistic Development to arrive at the suite of programs and services it offers today. Going from a private practice to starting a counseling center was a big leap of faith for Moore.

“I did some investigating and decided a nonprofit would work best for the work we’re trying to do,” she recalls. “In order to do the prevention, education, outreach, and intervention we really have to have funding support from foundations. It’s been a process.”

Doris started the Center from her own personal savings. “I did not take a salary for several years.”

The Center’s slowly grown in terms of staff and services with support from financial donors and programming partners. It has a staff of seven and contracts with facilitators and therapists to help deliver certain services.

“Everybody that works at the Center is totally committed to the mission we’re performing,” Moore says.

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New Horizons

Now understaffed, Moore’s doing the work of three or four people, and she’s seeking funds to hire more help.

Sustaining a community-based mental health center is tough enough in good times due to the stigma attached to mental illness and its treatment.

“I was totally scared when I started this and I’m still scared to be honest,” Moore says. “It’s very challenging to operate a nonprofit, particularly in a field that is very stigmatized. I don’t feel mental and behavioral health gets the respect that other healthcare professions do. One in four adults struggles with a mental illness. That’s a pretty significant percentage of the population.

“When it comes to mental healthcare and wellness, I think it’s crucial we help people understand there shouldn’t be a stigma associated with anyone who struggles from mental illness or behavioral health concerns and gets treatment for it.

“I think too many times the stigma stops people from receiving the help they need. We must recognize the mind is not a separate entity from our body. The mind, body, and soul all go together to help us to be a successful person.”

Societal perceptions make public-private support of mental health a hard sell compared with other health and medical conditions.

“The funding support is out of line with the need. It makes it really hard. For me, it really is a walk of faith. I have gotten to the point where I believe God has got this. I felt He led me to this profession, and He will sustain me through it.”

interviews to help share information about staying healthy in this pandemic.

Moore hopes the Center becomes as long-lived as larger providers in the community with histories of a century or more.

“I know that’s very ambitious, but we want to create a legacy beyond our lifetimes. My ultimate goal is to have this organization around providing services for as long as it can be because we know we’re meeting a need that isn’t going away.”

For more information, visit chdomaha.org or call 402-502-9788.

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he COVID-19 scare has made things even tougher for Moore since health precautions forced the postponement of the Center’s annual June fundraiser. The event will be merged into the Center’s annual Community Kwanza Luncheon Celebration on Dec. 29.

The pandemic has also opened new care delivery opportunities at The Center for Holistic Development.

“Because of COVID-19 we now offer telehealth so that clients who don’t feel comfortable coming into the office can do one-on-one or family counseling through video,” Doris says.

She’s also participating in Zoom panels and

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June 2020

Doris started The Center for Holistic Development with her own savings.