New Horizons September 2018

rn

ka Offc

eo

g in g •

• E a st e

bras

nA

Ne

A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

September 2018 VOL. 43 • NO. 9

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

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

en oa. org

ing Serv

New Horizons old • er 74 adul ts since 19

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

El Museo Latino

Born in Mexico City, Magdalena Garcia moved to the United States at age 9.

A graduate of Omaha Gross High School and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Magdalena founded Omaha’s El Museo Latino in 1993. Today, the 18,000 square-foot facility at 4701 S. 25th St. welcomes 50,000 visitors annually.

Leo Adam Biga profiles Garcia beginning on page 10.

Dancing Ken Moore and Judy Crone are members of the “Let’s Dance” group that meets each Wednesday at American Legion Post 1.

See page 5.

Walking (From left): Claudia Hardy, Marcia Bredar, and Carl Hardy were among the participants at the fourth annual Step Out for Seniors.

See page 6.

.

Programs for caregivers

Call 402-880-2066 to learn more

You’re invited to attend two educational programs for family caregivers of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The sessions will be held at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center (near the clock tower) on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus, 6001 Dodge St. The classes are scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. both evenings.

Here’s the schedule: • Oct. 18 This is Me! • Nov. 15 Now What?

For more information or to register (which is required), please contact Janet Miller from the Munroe-Meyer Institute at janet.miller@unmc.edu.

Sons of Norway’s annual torsk dinner is scheduled for Oct. 21 at Croatian Center

Y

ou’re invited to attend the Sons of Norway Elveby Lodge #1-604’s 30th annual torsk dinner on Sunday, Oct. 21. The dinner will be held at the Croatian Cultural Center, 8711 S. 36th St. in Bellevue.

The menu will feature torsk with melted butter or shrimp sauce, meatballs with gravy, potatoes, cucumbers, pickled herring, pickled beets, cranberry sauce, carrots, rolls, desserts, and lefse.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $6 for children ages 3 to 11. Children under age 3 will be admitted at no cost.

Seating will be offered at 4, 5, and 6 p.m. Advanced registration is requested by Oct. 1. Carry out will be available.

For tickets and more information, please call 402-8802066 or go to torskdinner@gmail.com.

Please support New Horizons advertisers

Vols needed to drive veterans to VAMC The 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 402-5051482 or online at sgmman1447@gmail.com.

Elder access line

L

egal Aid of Nebraska operates a free telephone access line for Nebraskans age 60 and older.

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

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

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

Hearing loss group

Page 2

•

New Horizons

•

September 2018

The Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America, a support group for hard of hearing adults, will meet next on Tuesday, Sept.

11 at Dundee Presbyterian Church, 5312 Underwood Ave. Participants are asked to enter the church on the Happy Hollow (east) side.

The 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. meetings feature social time and a speaker.

The Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America meets the second Tuesday of each month from September through December and March through August.

For more information, please contact Verla Hamilton at 402-558-6449 or verlahamilton@cox.net.

Early prostate cancer diagnosis is the key

By Dr. Dudley Seth Danoff Prostate cancer is one of the most serious health problems on earth. Other than skin cancer, it’s the most common malignancy among American men and has touched almost every family. Recently, the rate of prostate cancer caught up to that of lung cancer among men.

More than 165,000 cases of prostate cancer will be detected this year in the United States alone. About one in every nine American men will develop the disease during his lifetime.

With the prevalence of prostate cancer, it’s understandable to want to ask, how can I prevent prostate cancer? The truth is, you cannot actually prevent prostate cancer— not by diet or activity, nor even by picking your parents wisely. We must turn to early diagnosis to beat the disease’s deadly potential.

Many patients live long and productive lives with prostate cancer. With a thorough examination, the ability to make a timely diagnosis is nearly 100 percent. If the diagnosis is made early enough to allow the maximum effective treatment, life after prostate cancer surgery or other treatment can be rich and rewarding, allowing a man to be continent, sexually active, and vigorous in all areas of his life. A similar situation exists for other cancers in the genitourinary tract, including testicular cancer.

So, what can you do? The best course of action is to educate yourself. Patient awareness allows you to assume a proactive and participatory role in the treatment process.

Part of educating yourself is getting your yearly PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test and digital rectal examination. Published data has shown screening using the PSA blood test in conjunction with a standard, digital rectal examination doubles the detection rate of early prostate cancer.

If you are male and over age 40, a PSA test and a digital rectal exam are recommended annually. If prostate cancer runs in your family or you’re African American, annual PSA screenings are even more important, as the chance of suffering from aggressive prostate cancer is higher among these groups. If either test is abnormal, consult your urologist immediately. Further testing and evaluation will be required and might include a prostate biopsy, CT scan, MRI, or a bone scan.

Your urologist should also review any medical conditions you may have, including hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. In addition, your lifestyle, sexual activity, anxiety level, and accessibility to a prostate cancer treatment center should be considered before a treatment plan can be determined.

Since widespread PSA testing began in the early to mid-1990s, the 10-year survival rate for prostate cancer has increased from 53 percent to 98 percent. In addition, the death rate from prostate cancer in the United States has decreased by about 40 percent.

Don’t put off a PSA test any longer.

(Dudley Seth Danoff, MD, FACS, is president and founder of the Cedars-Sinai Tower Urology Group in Los Angeles.)

Are you washing your hands properly?

A new study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows when it comes to handwashing before meals, consumers are failing to properly clean their hands 97 percent of the time.

Rushed handwashing can lead to cross-contamination of food and other surfaces, resulting in foodborne illness.

“As a mother of three young children, I am very familiar with the mad dash families go through to put dinner on the table,” said Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the USDA Carmen Rottenberg.

“You can’t see, smell, or feel bacteria. By simply washing your hands properly, you can protect your family and prevent bacteria from contaminating your food and key areas in your kitchen.”

The preliminary results of the observational study conducted by USDA in collaboration with RTI International and North Carolina State University, showed some concerning results.

• The study revealed consumers aren’t washing their hands correctly 97 percent of the time.

• Most consumers failed to wash their hands for the

necessary 20 seconds.

• Numerous participants didn’t dry their hands with a clean towel.

• Only 34 percent of participants used a food thermometer to ensure their burgers were cooked properly.

• Of those who did use the food thermometer, nearly half didn’t cook the burgers to the safe minimum internal temperature.

• The study showed of the participants spreading bacteria from raw poultry onto other surfaces and food items in the test kitchen: 48 percent of the time are contaminating spice containers used while preparing burgers, 11 percent of the time are spreading bacteria to refrigerator handles, and 5 percent of the time are tainting salads due to cross-contamination.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 48 million Americans are sickened with foodborne illnesses each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Children, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk.

With grilling season upon us, the USDA is reminding consumers to use a food thermometer and cook meat and poultry products to the recommended safe internal temperatures. When cooking meat and poultry patties, insert the thermometer through the side of the patty until the probe reaches the center of the patty. Meat and poultry products are done when they reach these minimum internal temperatures: • Beef, pork, lamb and veal (steaks, roasts, and chops): 145°F. • Ground meats (burgers): 160° F. • Poultry (whole or ground): 165° F. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling raw meat, poultry, or eggs. Make sure you’re washing for a full 20 seconds, and always dry your hands on a clean towel.

For more information, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MP-HOTLINE (1-888-674-6854). Live food safety experts are available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Expert advice is also available 24/7 at AskKaren.gov.

September 2018

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.

•

New Horizons

•

Page 3

Dora Bingel Senior Center

CMS looks at times doctors spend with patients

You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • Sept. 3, 10, 17, & 24: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m.

• Sept. 5: Holy Communion served @ 10 a.m.

• Sept. 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, & 28: Ceramics class @ 9 a.m.

• Sept. 10: Book Club @ 10 a.m.

• Sept. 12: The Merrymakers present music by Joyce Torchia @ 11:30 a.m. Lunch is $3.

• Sept. 19: A nurse visits from 9 a.m. to noon. Call 402392-1818 to make an appointment. The cost is $10.

• Sept. 26: September birthday party luncheon @ noon.

• Sept. 28: Hard of Hearing Support Group @ 10:30 a.m.

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.

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 Branson Christmas. November 5 – 8. $759. 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 & Sound Theater, Hot Rods & High Heels, and Million Dollar Quartet.

Laughlin Laughlin in October. October 4 - 7. $339. 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 A Tribute to Barry Manilow starring Mark O’Toole at the Riverside Resort, Keith Urban at the Event Center, Rockin’ Country Riverwalk Festival at the Colorado Belle, and “Girls Day Out”, a retail party and girl’s entertainment at the Aquarius.

In Partnership with Collette Vacations We started working with Collette in 2009 when we were looking for a way to offer international trips to our travelers. We wanted to find a company that shared our core values of providing quality tours, well hosted at a reasonable price. We were not looking for a low-cost alternative. Our first personal experience was when we took about 24 people on the "Shades of Ireland" tour.

It was an incredibly positive experience! Since then we have helped others to experience Collette Tours on: Historic Trains of California; New York City; Canada’s Atlantic Coast with Nova Scotia; Pilgrimage to Fatima & Lourdes; Austrian Delight - Oberammergau (coming up again in 2020); Pasadena Rose Parade; Islands of New England; Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park; Islands of New England; Reflections of Italy; Canadian Rockies by Train; Tropical Costa Rica; Alaska Discovery Land & Cruise; and others. Please call if you have one of Collette’s many destinations on your bucket list. We can help make it happen!

Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule.

2008 W. Broadway #329 Council Bluffs, IA 51501

Page 4

•

New Horizons

•

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed historic changes that would increase the amount of time doctors and other clinicians can spend with their patients by reducing the burden of paperwork clinicians face when billing Medicare.

The proposed rules would fundamentally improve the nation’s health care system and help restore the doctor-patient relationship by empowering clinicians to use their Electronic Health Records (EHR) to document clinically meaningful information, instead of information that’s only for billing purposes.

“The reforms proposed

by CMS bring us one step closer to a modern health care system that delivers better care for Americans at a lower cost,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. “Such a system requires empowering American patients by giving them price and quality transparency and control over their own interoperable health records, goals supported by CMS’s proposals.

“These proposals will also advance the successful Medicare Advantage program and accomplish a historic regulatory rollback to help physicians put patients over paperwork. Further, the proposed reforms to how CMS pays for medicine demonstrate the commitment of HHS to implementing President Trump’s

blueprint for lowering drug prices,” Azar continued.

“The ambitious reforms proposed will help deliver on two HHS priorities: creating a value-based health care system for the 21st century and making prescription drugs more affordable.”

“Today’s proposals deliver on the pledge to put patients over paperwork by enabling doctors to spend more time with their patients,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Physicians tell us they continue to struggle with excessive regulatory requirements and unnecessary paperwork that steal time from patient care.

This administration has listened and is acting.

“The proposed changes to the Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program address those problems head-on by streamlining documentation requirements to focus on patient care and by modernizing payment policies so seniors and others covered by Medicare can take advantage of the latest technologies to get the quality care they need,” Verma added.

The proposals, part of the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and the Quality Payment Program (QPP), would also modernize Medicare payment policies to promote access to virtual care, saving Medicare beneficiaries time and money while improving their access to high-quality services no matter where

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 402-444-6536, ext. 1024. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402-7217780.

• The Boys Town Hall of History needs volunteers.

• Partnership 4 Kids is looking for volunteers to mentor Pre-K through high school students.

• Heartland Hope Mission needs volunteers to help with its food pantry.

• The Fremont 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.

• Care Corps Family Services is looking for volunteers Thursdays from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

• Fremont’s Habitat for Humanity wants volunteers for a variety of duties.

• Fremont Health needs volunteers.

• Nye Legacy Health & Rehabilitation is looking for volunteers to help with its bingo games Tuesdays @ 2 p.m.

• Premier Estates of Fremont wants volunteers to assist its activity director.

September 2018

T

they live.

Such changes would establish Medicare payment for when beneficiaries connect with their doctor virtually using telecommunications technology to determine whether they need an in-person visit. Additionally, the QPP proposal would make changes to quality reporting requirements to focus on measures that most significantly impact health outcomes.

The proposed changes would also encourage information sharing among health care providers electronically, so patients can see various medical professionals according to their needs while knowing their updated medical records will follow them through the health care system.

If these proposals were finalized, clinicians would see a significant increase in productivity – leading to substantially more and better care provided to their patients. Removing unnecessary paperwork requirements through the PFS proposal would save individual clinicians an estimated 51 hours per year if 40 percent of their patients are in Medicare.

Changes in the QPP proposal would collectively save clinicians an estimated 29,305 hours and approximately $2.6 million in reduced administrative costs in 2019.

(CMS provided this information.)

Caregiver retreat

he 2018 Take Time for You Caregiver Retreat is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Thompson Alumni Center, 6705 Dodge St., on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus.

The retreat is designed for anyone who is providing care, support, or advocacy for another person.

Participants will sign up for three sessions from a menu that includes chair and hand massages, painting, journaling, social media, gardening, and meditation and relaxation techniques.

Registration – which is due by Wednesday, Sept. 26 – is $20 for persons who sign up by Sept. 1 or $25 for registration after that date. Information on the limited number of scholarships is available by calling Pat at 402-306-6055.

Participants can pre-register online at www.caregiverretreat.com or by calling Pat @ 402-306-6055.

For information on respite providers, locations, and funding, please call Ellen at 402-559-5732.

Members range in age from 75 to 96

Wednesday afternoon dancing at Legion Post 1

E

very Wednesday afternoon from 2 to 4, a group of as many as 25 men and women ranging in age from 75 to 96, gather at the American Legion Post 1 – 7811 Davenport St. – to dance.

There are a variety of reasons these older adults get together each

week.

“It’s impossible to worry while you’re dancing,” said Judy Krone.

“Dancing is wonderful exercise.

It’s good for your balance and your brain.”

“I like to dance, and I like to meet people,” said Charlie Dopheide,

an 82-year-old Army veteran who served in the Korean War. “I can’t watch TV 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so I dance,” said 95-year-old Ken Moore, a WWII Army vet. “I enjoy the combination of music, dancing, and socializing.”

“We have a great time dancing,” said Evelyn Cloyed, age 96.

The “Let’s Dance” club has met at the American Legion Post 1 for 13 years. Mary Raasch helped find a new location for the group after its previous site at the Bluffs Run Casino in Council Bluffs was overrun by slot machines.

“It’s impossible to worry while you’re dancing.”

Judy Krone

T

The dancers include (left to right): Jeanie Waller, 94; Ken Moore, 95; Evelyn Cloyed, 95; and Howard Denker, 96.

he men and women glided smoothly across the floor moving gracefully to a variety of ballroom, waltzes, foxtrots, swing, rumba, and cha-cha favorites.

Between sessions on the dance floor, the men and women of “Let’s Dance” ate ice cream sandwiches and cake and sipped on a variety of cold beverages from the Legion Post bar.

Whether dancing or enjoying refreshments, these men and women smiled and enjoyed the warm fellowship that filled the room.

Older adults who like to dance are encouraged to join in the fun. “They can show up any Wednesday afternoon,” Krone said. “Admission is $2 each week.”

For more information, please call Krone at 402-991-3347 or 402-8718249.

Programs for dementia caregivers scheduled for September, October Flaherty Senior Consulting of Omaha is offering free programs in September and October to help caregivers understand how to provide the best care possible for their loved ones with dementia: • Learning to Live with Dementia Saturday, Sept. 8 & Saturday, Oct. 13 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Servite Center of Compassion 72nd Street & Ames Circle The workshop focuses on the various types of dementia and how to manage its symptoms.

To register, contact Sister Margaret Stratman at 402-951-3026 or scc@osms.org.

• Is It Normal Aging or Is It Something Else?

Wednesday, Sept. 5 • Noon Holy Cross Church 4837 Woolworth Ave.

Independent & Assisted Living

• No Entrance Fee • Medicaid Waiver Approved • All Utilities & Housekeeping Included • Spacious 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments

• Practical Suggestions For Challenging Behaviors Saturday, Sept. 15 • 9:30 to 11 a.m.

Servite Center of Compassion 72nd Street & Ames Circle

September 2018

“Let’s Dance” members Jeanie Waller and Charlie Dopheide.

A Caring Community Called HOME!

This workshop will address the warning signs of dementia.

To register, contact Connie Swanson at 402-558-0625 or awakcone@gmail.com.

Dr. Renee Hudson of Hudson Neuropsychology Consultants will review helpful strategies for dealing with challenging behaviors.

To register, contact Sister Margaret Stratman at 402-951-3026 or scc@osms.org.

Locally, Learning to Live with Dementia and Is It Normal Aging or Is It Something Else will be presented periodically by Nancy Flaherty of Flaherty Consulting.

For more information, call 402-312-9324 or log on to flahertyconsulting@cox.net.

Evelyn Cloyed with her dance partner Howard Denker.

49th & Q Street • 402-731-2118 www.southviewheightsomaha.com

•

New Horizons

•

Page 5

Event raises money for ENOA’s senior centers

T

The Fremont Senior Center’s Silver Steppers joined in the fun at ENOA’S fourth annual Step Out for Seniors.

he fourth annual Step Out for Seniors walk-a-thon – a fundraiser held last month to benefit the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s 24 senior centers – was a huge success, according to Susie Davern, who coordinates ENOA’s congregate meals program.

ENOA’s congregate meals program provides nutritious midday meals for persons age 60 and older at sites in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties. The centers also offer friendship, support, access to resources, and a variety of fun and educational activities.

Step Out for Seniors raised more than $4,000 to help update programs and provide entertainment and other amenities at ENOA’s senior centers.

Nearly 90 men, women, boys, and girls walked around the lagoon at Omaha’s Benson Park, 7028 Military Ave., at the event sponsored by ENOA’s Nutrition Division and the City of Omaha’s Parks and Recre-

ation Department.

The festivities also included a raffle for 57 gift baskets, free massages, line dance lessons, Tai chi, and a Lifestyle Expo which featured several products and services.

ENOA’s Nutrition Division staff wanted to thank the following sponsors: Platinum: The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Department of Gerontology; Methodist Health System; Immanuel; Heafey, Hoffman, Dworak, and Cutler Funeral Homes; and Life Care Advisors. Bronze: Via Christie and Prime Home Care. Friend: Hillcrest Health Services. Water: Sherri Hinkle, Keller Williams Realty. Food: Company Kitchen. Vendors: Ascent Audiology and Hearing; Outlook Nebraska; Project Houseworks; and UNMC’s Weigel Williamson Low Vision Center.

Also, various raffle donations were provided by Omaha businesses.

invites you to celebrate

N

Sunday, September 9, 2018 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Clowns • Pony Rides • Petting Zoo • Face Painting Climbing Wall • Games • Prizes • Live Music • Raffle Sloppy Joes • Hot Dogs • Cotton Candy • Sno-Cones RSVP 402/345-5683 or tzornes@stjoevilla.com 2305 S. 10th Street • Omaha, Nebraska 68108

This event is complimentary and open to the public!

Page 6

•

New Horizons

•

September 2018

Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol

ebraska Senior Medicare Patrol, a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services program that works to educate and empower older adults to help prevent health care fraud, offers these tips to help you avoid Medicare scams: • Don’t provide your Medicare number to anyone except your trusted health care provider.

• Ask friends and neighbors to pick up your mail while you’re away from home.

• Shred important documents before throwing them away.

• Read Medicare summary notices carefully looking for possible mistakes.

• Use a calendar or health care journal to record information from doctor visits.

• Compare your calendar or health care journal with your Medicare summary notices.

• Don’t speak to anyone claiming to be a Medicare representative about Medicare.

Medicare loses billions of dollars each year. It’s up to you to help fight fraud.

If you believe you may be a victim of Medicare fraud, please call 800-942-7830.

The importance of creating a memorable legacy

F

the importance of legacy.

We want to know our roots and are curious about how we carry on what has been handed on to us. The names and dates of our ancestors provide skeletal information, but what we find more meaningful are the stories that flesh out these fac-

Conscious Aging

By Nancy Hemesath

tual details. We focus on the events and stories that shaped our ancestors and own lives.

“What was it like to live in a granary for months after the farmhouse burned down?”

“What was it like to attend a one-room school house for their education?”

“How did the Depression change parents and grandparents?”

Those of us living in the “third chapter of life” are conscious of our mortality and see ourselves and the links between our ancestors

September 2018

E

ssentially, we’ll be remembered for who we are and how we lived our lives. Consequently, if there are aspects of our lives that need repair, we may want to do this while we have the chance.

Let us celebrate our lives by telling our stories and sharing our wisdom. One day there will be family reunions recalling our lives and we want them to be a gathering full of joy and appreciation.

Next month, I’ll write about a systematic way of leaving an “ethical will” for future generations.

(Nancy Hemesath is the owner of Omaha’s Encore Coaching which is dedicated to supporting people in the ‘third chapter of life.” For more about her presentations and workshops, follow Nancy’s blog at lifencorecoaching. com. Her email address is nhemesath@cox.net.)

Fall Into Savings LL

SPEC

$50

OFF FIRST 3 MONTHS RENT

Graceland Senior Apartments

I

L:

As memories are stimulated, many stories came to mind that illustrated my family’s legacies.

Frequently we think of legacy only in terms of that which is passed on through our wills—money and property. Legacy includes so much more than monetary inheritance. A deeper understanding of legacy includes the non-tangibles that fashion our lives. This form of legacy lives in our memories and in the values we’ve absorbed.

The current interest in genealogy is a testament to

and our prodigy. The third chapter creates the opportunity to reflect on what we’ve received and what we’ll hand on as legacy.

What is it that descendants will remember about us?

What stories will be told? What values have we imparted?

A

amily reunions are great fun. Last weekend I attended two family reunions—one for my father’s side of our family and one for my mother’s side. I saw cousins I hadn’t seen in years. The stories flowed and stirred memories long tucked away in the back of my mind. I heard about events I never knew occurred.

Parents and grandparents long deceased came into clear view again. I could smell Grandpa’s pipe and taste Grandma’s perfectly formed sugar cookies, assisted by my sister’s baking.

She got the taste but not the perfect shape. Other stories reminded me of the roar of my grandfather’s Buick engine as he pulled out of the driveway and our Sunday afternoon visits at my grandparents, the original play dates.

I found delight in spending time with my siblings, recalling our parents’ legacy.

What we remembered was so simple; e.g. recipes and

songs. We honored them by preparing my mom’s signature desserts and savoring the flavors. We pieced together lyrics from songs my father used to sing. In my head I could hear his voice clearly even though it has been 10 years since he sang them.

FA

By Nancy Hemesath

Studios at $595-$650 1 BR’s at $695-$750 2 BR’s at $795- $850 CALL TODAY

402-557-6643

55+ Apartments

• All utilities included • Laundry facilities • On bus line • Secure building • Club & fitness room

7350 Graceland Drive Omaha, NE 68134 • KeystoneVillasLiving.com

•

New Horizons

•

Page 7

Millard Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., this month for the following: • Sept. 5: African dressmaking @ 9 a.m.

• Sept. 6, 13, 20, & 27: Quilting class with Sherri.

• Sept. 7: Senior field day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch will not be provided that day by ENOA. • Sept. 12: Board meeting @ 9:45 a.m.

• Sept. 19: PAWS @ 10 a.m.

• Sept. 21: Crafts with Sherri @ 10 a.m. Call 402-5461270 to find out what supplies you’ll need.

• Sept. 25: Canasta @ 1:30 p.m.

• Sept. 27: Methodist College nursing students will perform blood pressure and toenail checks @ 9:30 a.m. Call 402-546-1270 to sign up. Space is limited.

• Sept 28: Music by Paul Siebert @ 10 a.m.

The center will be closed Sept. 3 for Labor Day. On Oct. 18 we’ll visit the Cloisters on the Platte.

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.

Other center activities include walking, card games, Tai Chi, dominoes, needlework, chair volleyball, and bingo.

For reservations or more information, please call 402546-1270.

Fremont Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field), for the following: • Sept. 5: Hints with Home Instead @ 10 a.m. followed by pianist Wally.

• Sept. 6: Presentation about the Hope Center.

• Sept. 9: Grandparents Day. • Sept. 12: Music by Bill Chrastil @ 10:30 a.m.

• Sept. 13: Share a special fact about yourself @ 10 a.m.

• Sept. 17: AARP driver safety class from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonmembers. Movie Monday @ 9 a.m.

• Sept. 19: Cinnamon rolls from Nye Square @ 9 a.m. followed by music from Julie Couch.

• Sept. 25: Movies with Larry @ 10:30 a.m.

• Sept. 26: Board meeting @ 9:15 a.m.

• Sept. 26: Music by George and the Juniors @ 10:30 a.m.

The facility will be closed on Labor Day. 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.

Please see the ad on page 3

NH Club gains new members $50 Howard Roberts $40 Verla Hamilton $25 Carole Buczkowski James Place

$5 Susan Burney K Koons Elaine Brand D. D. Robbins

Reflects donations through Aug. 24, 2018.

•

New Horizons

T Garden fresh goodies

By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com

Take advantage of the plethora of fresh goodies from the garden and farmers markets for yummy eating. Enjoy the seasonal joys with these cookbooks packed with recipes and ideas for the back to school days ahead.

•

he Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging is looking for men and women age 21 and older to join its Longterm Care Ombudsman Program which is co-sponsored by the Nebraska State Ombudsman Program.

Easy Soups From Scratch With Quick Breads To Match

By Ivy Manning (Chronicle, $24.95) These under-an-hour recipes to pair and share are from this award-winning author/teacher. Seventy recipes for Vegetable-Centric, Bean & Grain, Seafood & Chowders, Meat & Poultry soups, and an assortment of quick breads. Helpful ideas with a Flavor Toolbox and trouble shooting tricks.

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.

Home Sausage Making Long-term Care OmBy C. Reavis & E. Battaglia (Storey, $24.95) budsmen must complete 20 Be inspired to make your own artisanal sausage. One hours of initial classroom hundred recipes for sausage plus 100 for charcuterie. All training and 12 hours of adabout the sausage makers with Meet the Maker stories, ditional training every two Trade Secrets, tips, and history. Mouthwatering photos. years. During the training, the volunteers learn about Rao’s Classics the residents’ rights, aging

By Frank Pellegrino Sr. and Frank Jr. issues, Medicare, Medicaid, (St. Martins, $35) communication skills, how More than 140 southern Italian recipes from this New to investigate the residents’ York City family restaurant. The secrets, colorful stories, complaints, the impormagic, and favorites from Antipasto to Zuppa di Clams.

Create all this at home. It’s almost impossible to get a reser- tance of confidentiality, and about the federal and vation at this tiny corner in East Harlem. state rules, regulations, and laws regarding Nebraska’s The Blossom Cookbook long-term care facilities and

By R. Sero & P. Elizabeth (Avery, $30) assisted living communiPlant-based meals and chefs’ secrets for Appetizers ties. through Desserts. Eighty new vegan specialties from this Before being assigned to popular NYC restaurant. Food lovers’ recipes from Adobo a long-term care facility or Mushroom Tacos to Zucchini Napoleon. an assisted living community, new volunteers will make Sheet Pan Suppers Meatless four visits to a site with an

By Raquel Pelzel (Workman, $16.95) experienced Ombudsman Meatless just got easier with vegetable forward cookAdvocate to learn more ing made delicious and doable for Bits, Bites, Snacks, and more for the whole day. Recipes, chapter and helpful head- about what the program entails. After a three-month notes for a one pan supper (note to self: EASY clean up).

This “Zoodle” recipe can be served hot or cold. Think solo probationary period, the or salad (add mozzarella and a few raw veggies). new volunteers are certified as Ombudsman Advocates.

Zucchini Ribbons Aglio E Olio Certified Ombudsman Advocates will be assigned Serves 4 to a long-term care facility or an assisted living 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil community where they’ll 3 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane-style rasp visit for two hours a week Heaping 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to meet with administrators, 8 cups spiralized zucchini residents, and the residents’ from about 6 medium-size zucchini) family members to address 1 teaspoon kosher salt concerns.

Heaping 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves stacked, rolled, For more information and very thinly sliced crosswise into ribbons about ENOA’s Long-term Flaky sea salt (or more kosher salt) for serving Care Ombudsman Program, 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional) please call Beth Nodes at 402-444-6536.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, place a rimmed sheet pan on top, and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Place the oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small heatproof bowl (such as a ramekin) and place it in the oven until the garlic is fragrant, two to three minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Place the zucchini on the rimmed preheated sheet pan, add the garlic oil, and toss to coat. Roast until the zucchini is tender and golden, five to seven minutes, stirring midway through cooking. (You don't want the zucchini to become deeply browned.) Transfer the zucchini to a serving bowl and toss gently with the kosher salt. Sprinkle with the basil, flaky salt, and pine nuts (if using), and serve.

$10 Betty Vanetten Jan McCrudden Sandra Hartman Shirley Vondorn

Page 8

Read it & eat

Volunteers needed for Ombudsman Program

September 2018

Art studio

A

rtists – who work in any medium – are encouraged to join an open art studio that meets Mondays from 1 to 3 p.m. at Presbyterian Church of the Cross, 1517 S. 114th St. For more information, please call Claudine Myers at 402-496-4330.

UNMC involved in cancer battle using genome-editing technology

T

wo University of Nebraska Medical Center scientists and their novel Easi-CRISPR genomeediting technology have contributed to a significant breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

The discovery may lead to new and safer treatments for autoimmune and other diseases, including rare inherited disorders.

The two UNMC scientists – Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy, D.V.M., Ph.D., associate professor of developmental neuroscience at the Munroe-Meyer Institute, and Rolen Quadros, transgenic researcher in the Mouse Genome Engineering Core Facility – collaborated with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to develop a technique in which they genetically reprogrammed T cells, the body’s foremost immune system fighter, to find and destroy cancer cells in mice.

The new method, described in a recent issue of Nature, offers a robust molecular “cut and paste” system to rewrite genome sequences in human T cells without using viruses to insert the DNA. The collaboration began more than two years ago when Dr. Gurumurthy met Alex Marson, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and immunology, UCSF, and principal investigator of the study, at a scientific conference where they discussed the idea of using the Easi-CRISPR method to engineer T cells.

Theo Roth, a student pursuing M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in UCSF’s Medical Scientist Training Program and the study’s first author, tested the idea and then did a series of other technical improvements to efficiently engineer T cells.

Before this breakthrough, numerous attempts by many researchers to place long sequences of DNA into T cells had not been effective. “The typical success rate of inserting longer DNA sequences into T cells is about one percent or less,” Dr. Gurumurthy said.

“Easi-CRISPR provided us one of the ways to develop an efficient strategy to insert longer DNA cassettes into T cells,” he said. “With this method, we can take a cancer patient’s blood cells, isolate the T lymphocytes, manipulate the genome, train them to kill cancer cells, then transfer them back into the patient. Engineering a patient’s own T cells to find and kill cancer cells would be the most effective way of treating cancer.”

T cells are naturally attracted to an antigen on the cancer cell surface. Genetic engineering turns those cells into super cancer cell killers.

To demonstrate the new method’s versatility and power, the researchers used it to repair a disease-causing genetic mutation in T cells from children with a rare genetic form of autoimmunity and also created customized T cells to seek out and kill human melanoma cells.

Viruses cause infections by injecting their own genetic material through cell membranes, and since the 1970s, scientists have exploited this capability, stripping viruses of infectious features and using the resulting “viral vectors” to transport DNA into cells for research, gene therapy, and in a well-publicized recent example, to create the CAR T-cells used in cancer immunotherapy.

T cells engineered with viruses are now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to combat certain types of leukemia and lymphoma. But, creating viral vectors is a painstaking, expensive process, and a shortage of clinicalgrade vectors has led to a manufacturing bottleneck for both gene therapies and cell-based therapies.

“There has been 30 years of work trying to get new genes into T cells,” Roth said. “Hundreds of labs can now engineer these cells. They can work with increasingly more complex DNA sequences and try more possibilities, which will significantly speed up the development of future generations of cell therapy.”

(UNMC provided this information.)

Hug-a-Bear Volunteers 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.

Thursday, November 29 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Holiday Bazaar

Shop local, shop small

Free entry & Bake sale Holiday crafts & Hand-made items 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.

September 2018

Sloppy Joe lunch for $5

Raffle prizes

Jewelry Avon

Keystone Villas

Independent Living

More than 20 vendors 7300 Graceland Drive 402-557-6637 & much more The New Horizons is brought to you each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.

•

New Horizons

•

Page 9

Father’s advice emboldened Maggie to follow her dream just do the best you can – no skipping school, no playing hooky – that’s my expectation of you.’ Education was always very important to my parents. I don’t know how they put six girls through Catholic grade school and high school.”

Jesus Garcia’s advice also drove Maggie to follow her heart. “When I was older, he sat me down and said, ‘You have to work, you need to be able to take care of yourself, so find something that makes you happy, that you love, that you have passion for, and go for it.’ I know that conversation happened with my sisters, too.”

The Garcia girls are all accomplished college graduates.

“There weren’t any limitations placed on us. Starting with that belief of who you are, where you come from, and that support from family was key for all of us,” Maggie said.

I

Before opening El Museo Latino, Garcia worked as a human resources manager for Enron.

By Leo Adam Biga Contributing Writer

M

agdalena “Maggie” Garcia has the rare opportunity this year to celebrate 25 years of a dream coming true and still going strong.

The founder and executive director of El Museo Latino in Omaha, the first Latino-Hispanic art, culture, and history museum in the Great Plains, opened in 1993 because Garcia wouldn’t relinquish an idea. That idea to create a museum celebrating Latino heritage was emboldened by the empowering message conveyed by her father.

Garcia, 64, is the oldest of six sisters all born in Mexico City to Jesus and Beatriz Garcia. She did part of her growing up in Mexico, where

Page 10

•

she was exposed to the fine and performing arts that inspired her.

“We returned (from Omaha to Mexico) every summer, sometimes for weeks and other times for the summer months,” she said. “Growing up I loved art and I was proud to be who I am.”

Her interest in the arts continued after she and her family moved to Omaha when Garcia was 9. She participated in traditional folk dancing from early childhood, even teaching fellow elementary school students to perform for the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Festival. Maggie learned to make clothes from her seamstress mother. She admired her carpenter father’s handiwork restoring antique furniture. Garcia also dabbled in watercolor painting.

She comes from a family of art

New Horizons

•

appreciators and creatives who all display some artistic talent.

As a young woman her life became more focused on education and employment.

“I come from a working-class family. I never felt I needed anything because we had everything we needed. Always you worked toward something. It was that immigrant American Dream of if you work hard and have a dream, it will come true,” she said.

Garcia’s never forgotten the family patriarch’s words.

“I remember my father telling me, ‘My job is to provide everything you need – food, shelter, transportation, (and) tuition. Your job is to do the best you can.’ He never said you have to get all A’s.

That was never a pressure. It was

September 2018

t took Garcia some time to put into practice her father’s advice about heeding her heart after she was hired at Northern Natural Gas Co. in Omaha through an affirmative action program “That opened a door but that didn’t guarantee you were going to stay or advance in a career. I always felt it was important I prepare myself for any position I wanted.

I checked off the requirements for education and training to make myself more qualified.”

She climbed the corporate ladder. “My last position was as a human resources manager.”

Maggie’s passion for art still burned but was muted by the grind of a 8 to 5 workday and taking University of Nebraska at Omaha business classes at night. Still, art was near her office as Joslyn Art Museum sat across the street. An experience there rekindled her flame.

Garcia’s company made a permanent loan of its Maximilian-Bodmer Collection to the Joslyn, which in 1984 developed a national touring exhibition of these important Western art-history holdings. Maggie and some fellow employees trained as docents for the Views of a Vanishing Frontier exhibit.

“Marsha Gallagher, then-chief curator at Joslyn, welcomed us.

She took us to one of the (storage) vaults. Watercolor was my passion and here were the Bodmer watercolors laying out in preparation for the exhibit. That was the moment I wanted to change careers. I said to myself, ‘I know I need to find a way to be in a museum.’”

Garcia changed her UNO major from business to art history.

In pursuit of her own dream, Maggie paved the way for her sisters’ higher education.

“Maggie was working full-time and married when she started at UNO,” said her sister Maria Vazquez, who went on to earn degrees from Metropolitan Community College (MCC) and UNO. --Please turn to page 11.

El Museo Latino celebrating 25 years of serving the community --Continued from page 10.

She’s now vice president for student affairs at MCC. “I remember her taking me when she registered for classes.

She wanted to expose me to that environment, to that other world,” Vazquez said.

When Northern Natural Gas merged with Enron, Garcia made the move to its corporate headquarters in Houston. However, the lure of working in a museum was too great and she left Texas to embark on a two-year museum studies graduate degree at Syracuse University in New York.

To supplement her studies, Maggie immersed herself in museums.

“I did volunteer work in a number of museums in my journey, including the Joslyn, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse.”

All of that was preparation for creating El Museo Latino in Omaha.

G

arcia’s journey coincided with an explosion in America’s Latino population.

She observed institutions seeking to reach that demographic through programming.

“I saw where Latino art collections were located. It made me aware for the first time there were only four Latino museums (then) in the whole United States: New York City, Chicago, Austin, and San Francisco.

“It made me stop and think, ‘Why not one here in the Great Plains? Why not Omaha?’”

Thus, the seed for El Museo Latino was planted.

Maggie applied for a paid internship at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City but was surprised by a full-time job offer. Though flattered, she wanted to fast-track her master’s degree, so she did a parttime paid internship instead at the Los Angeles County Museum which was preparing to host a traveling Mexican art show.

Actor Edward James Olmos visited the museum in 2001.

When Maggie began planning to establish El Museo Latino in Omaha, the only Latino museums in the United States were located in New York City, Chicago, Austin, and San Francisco.

“I worked in the education department putting together some of the programming and training, writing materials, (and) teaching docents.”

That experience further stoked her desire to make a Latino museum happen in Omaha. Reinforcing that desire were state mandates in Nebraska to bring multiculturalism into school curricula in 1993.

“All those things were on my mind,” said Garcia, who was ready to take the best art opportunity afforded her.

“I was at a time in my life when I was going to pick up and go wherever. But this was still home.”

Maggie decided to share her dream with community leaders.

She’d already drafted the mission and focus such a museum would have and what it would need in terms of a nonprofit status and a board of directors.

Maggie approached Omaha activist-educator Jim Ramirez with her vision. He organized a meeting with other movers and shakers including then-Omaha Mayor P.J. Morgan and arts enthusiast David Catalan.

She made a presentation. The group toured the site she’d fixed on – a former print shop in the Livestock Exchange Building.

Where others were cautious, Garcia was determined. “The expectation was we’re going to do it.

Who wants to help. I signed the first contract with the Lund Company for that Livestock Exchange (Building) space.”

She didn’t let objections to the rough shape of that 3,000 square foot space stop her. “There were holes in the wall. There were pools

of grease and ink.”

Some people thought the site could never become a museum. “I thought it could be. It wasn’t much, but it was a good start,” Maggie said.

All the work to get the building secured and cleaned happened with sweat equity. There was no budget.

At the time, south Omaha was undergoing a major transition. The South 24th Street business district was dead, and the immigrant-refugee resurgence was just beginning.

The Big Four packinghouses were long gone. The stockyards were on their last legs.

“We had to put a screen door on the entrance to our museum to keep out the flies,” Garcia said.

It took a big effort to repurpose the old print shop into a museum.

“Everybody we could pull in pitched in. Family, friends, (and) their friends. We’d come in in shifts.”

It was an all-day, every day push for Garcia. “I’d go home, get a shower, take a quick nap, and back I went.”

Her father helped restore the huge, beautiful windows that featured oak trim and copper fixtures.

“About a week before we were scheduled to open, I got a phone call from the owner of Designer Blinds in Omaha. He asked, ‘What are you going to do about the windows?’”

Though gorgeous, the windows let in excess sunlight not safe or conducive for the display of artwork. Maggie thought about painting over or covering them, but it was a week before the opening and the windows were still exposed.

September 2018

•

The Designer Blinds store owner eventually donated the blinds, their delivery, and the installation for free.

Those blinds – which went up opening day – went with the museum when it moved to its current building in 1998.

Carpeting was donated to the museum by the Nebraska Furniture Mart.

Garcia also got her former employer to donate desks, panels, and partitions. “Some we’re still using,” she said.

To assemble the opening exhibits, Maggie called on local artists and tapped her own collection of Mexican textiles cultivated on her travels.

“We opened with two exhibits.

One with local art, including painting and sculpture, and the other with textiles from my travels. That was the beginning.”

In 1993, the museum opened May 5, the Cinco de Mayo observance of Mexican independence.

The renovation took 34 days.

The museum might have located elsewhere. Area colleges courted it for their campuses, Some pressed for an Old Market or suburban site.

But Garcia insisted it operate independently and be situated near its population base.

“We needed to be autonomous and we needed be in the Latino community of south Omaha. It should be in the community it represents and belongs to. The neighborhood doesn’t depend on the museum but there’s that support and connection, even if it’s just visual,” Maggie said. “The purpose of a --Please turn to page 12.

New Horizons

•

Page 11

Maggie maintains connections to Mexican art world --Continued from page 11. museum is to serve its community, but I think ethnic museums have even one more connection with their community.”

The state multicultural mandate gave fledgling El Museo Latino an in with student tours. Founding board member Jim Ramirez proved a powerful ally and networker.

“He was very instrumental in getting the museum in front of superintendents and principals,” Maggie said. “We’ve always worked with schools to get students here.”

Garcia’s adamant about focusing on Latino art, culture, and history year round – not just for Cinco de Mayo. There’s an inexhaustible reservoir of rich material to draw on.

“If you live to be 1,000, you’ll never see everything that’s available or that you could see here,” she said.

Over the years, El Museo Latino has built support by selling memberships and attracting grant money and donations. The Nebraska Arts Council, Humanities Nebraska, and the National Endowment for the Arts are among its funding sources.

G

arcia has worked hard to establish international ties with art scholars, curators, and artists in Mexico.

“That had been taking place before the museum opened. I would travel to different places to feed my interest in art. In my two years of graduate work I spent part of the summers in Mexico City at universities there meeting department heads and artists.

“In Houston, waiting to get into grad school, I took some classes at Rice University, whose gallery showed a photography exhibition curated by several artists. One of them was Cristina Kahlo. That’s when I met Cristina. We corresponded and anytime I was in Mexico City we would meet. She introduced me to artists. The artists there knew what I wanted to do

and were aware when the museum opened. They knew it mean exhibition opportunities.

“I did research on Mexican muralists. Over time I continued to build those connections,” Garcia said.

Maggie has parlayed those connections by having Mexican artists and scholars visit El Museo Latino.

Khalo has had several exhibits there.

A frequent visitor is educator, photographer, mixed-media and installation artist Humberto Chavez. Garcia feels fortunate having a friend of the museum as well-versed and connected as Chavez is in Mexican art circles. His extensive travels and work exposed him to diverse artists and art communities.

“We’ve worked with professor Chavez since 1995. Over the years we’ve had his work in a number of exhibitions. We’ve worked with artists and art organizations he’s been associated with in different parts of the country,” Garcia said.

Chavez said the work he brings to Omaha highlights different art strains in Mexico. “We have different centers of art in different states of Mexico. I am trying to show the production of each center.”

Just as Garcia values this ongoing association, Chavez appreciates his Omaha ties. “Having this new connection with artists was very important to me.”

In Omaha, he’s found a kindred art family 1,500 miles from Mexico City. He looks forward to the relationship continuing. “For all my life, I hope. Yes, I like to come, I like the artistic life in Omaha. I like for Omaha artists to come.”

E

l Museo Latino soon outgrew its space in the Livestock Exchange Building, and in 1998 moved to its current site at 4701 S. 25th St. “We looked for about a year at different buildings,” Garcia said.

The former Polish Home became the top choice for its size (18,000 square feet), proximity, and historical

Art classes have long been a part of the educational programs offered at the site since the museum opened in 1993.

Page 12

•

New Horizons

•

A youngster has her face painted during a Family Day celebration at El Museo Latino.

significance (it’s now on the National Register of Historic Places).

“I had never been in this building before,” Garcia said.

The brick walls, red tile roof, and manicured courtyard reminded her of a Mexican hacienda.

El Museo Latino at first leased only the north wing with an option to purchase the entire building.

Then, in July 1998, the museum took over the rest of the building. What had been the ballroomreception hall became the main galleries. The bar became a classroom.

The museum presented a centennial anniversary look back at the 1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in Omaha. That 19th century fair likely included the state’s earliest public display of Hispanic heritage. In doing research for the museum’s commemoration of the event, Garcia discovered Mexico sent a cultural exhibition and an official delegation.

“The exhibit was installed in the International Building. It included Aztec things and samples of products such as beans and gold.

In addition to Mexico, other Latin countries sent things. Panama, for example, sent a replica of the canal.

“It was nice to make that connection. I’ve often wondered if everything got sent back to Mexico or if it’s sitting somewhere here in Omaha.” Maggie said.

Each El Museo Latino exhibit has its own life. Whenever possible, Garcia tries having featured artists at their exhibit openings.

“A new exhibit is an opportunity to research and learn about an art form or perhaps a new approach,” Maggie said.

Part of her role is to bring to light an exhibit’s social, cultural, and historical context. “I think if you can bring more aspects of that culture, it’s richer, and it becomes more aligned and true.”

Former UNO Center for Innovation in Arts Education Director Shari Hofschire said the El Museo Latino “provides a showcase for rich Latino heritage and traditions.

It is a regional gem in the quality

September 2018

of its programs and exhibitions.”

Hofschire said it not only provides a cultural background for the Latino community but to the wider overall Omaha community.

Founding board member David Catalan said the museum’s “enriched our community.”

He and Hofschire refer to Maggie as “the building block and foundation” of the museum. Both credit her passion and leadership for its success.

Recognition has come to Garcia from various quarters. In 2015 the Mexican government honored her lifetime achievement in the arts with an award presented locally by the Mexican Consul.

T

he museum’s permanent collection is mostly photographs, prints, and textiles, with some sculptures. El Museo Latino annually hosts six or seven traveling exhibits.

“My new favorite is whatever I have up now,” Garcia said. “Over the years there’s been some really special ones and we’ve featured some major artists.”

The 2001 Smithsonian exhibit, Americanos: Latino Life in the United States, featured 120 photographs depicting the diversity of Latino life.

To promote the exhibit, Garcia selected an image of a peasant man posed against a field of flowers.

“He’s holding these beautiful yellow tulips in his huge hands,” Maggie said. “It was the most beautiful representation of who our working people are out in the fields.”

A special added attraction with the show was the participation of actor-activist Edward James Olmos, who helped organize and promote the exhibit and appeared at each opening on its national tour.

“He was here for the opening,” Garcia said. “I got to pick him up at the airport. It was wonderful to meet him. He spent two days here.

He wanted to talk to our youth, so we contacted the Boys Club and they brought several vans full of kids. We filled a big room.”

A history of Latinos in Omaha is on permanent display. Humberto --Please turn to page 20.

ENOA recruiting men, women to become Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents

Hospice focused on caring, nurturing

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 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.

By April Hauf

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)

sisted living facility and provide extra care to the person in need. Hospice not only helps that person, but also assists facilities and caregivers to relieve some of the demands of Some people may be caring for someone during their last days. apprehensive or fearful of Hospice aims to provide physical, emotional, and spirituhospice care or don’t have a clear understanding of what al care to the patient and their family or caregivers. Hospice includes aspects of conventional medicine as well as other hospice can provide. This approaches to care. Some include pain and symptom manarticle will shed some light agement, nursing care, bath aides, spiritual services, pet on the meaning of hospice therapy, music therapy, and massage therapy. and the benefits it can proCertain hospice agencies offer more holistic approaches vide during end of life care. to pain and symptom management such as healing touch, The focus of hospice is on nurturing and caring, not aromatherapy, acupuncture, and mental health services.

There are several hospice agencies in the Omaha area. curing. Hospice care can be Choosing the right agency with the proper services will provided in the home, at a not only help the loved one but can offer great support to nursing home, or in an ascaregivers and families. sisted living facility.

Hospice offers bereavement services after the loved one When people hear the passes away such as grief support groups. term hospice, they may Medicare, Medicaid, most private insurances plans, and believe someone is dying or will die soon. In some cases, HMOs cover hospice. Many hospice companies will work with persons needing hospice care if they don’t have insurpeople can be put on hosance to ensure the patient receives the necessary services. pice as early as six or more I’ve seen firsthand the benefits hospice can provide to months before the expected time of death. Often, people patients, family members, and caregivers. It can bring families together and provide comfort, extra love, and care will get better due to the during the end of life. nourishment and services (Hauf is the director of social services for Omaha’s Florthey receive and graduate ence Home Health Care.) off hospice. During this time, hospice can provide many services to enhance TRAVEL CAT TOURS, LLC • 2018 TOURS their quality of life.

Six Countries without a Passport #1 - Sept 25 There are many terminal illnesses which can qualify Barn Quilts & Nebraska Amish - Oct 9 an individual for hospice Fall Colors in Loess Hills - Oct 16 care. The list includes Iowa’s Scandinavian Villages - Oct 30 cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, Religions of the World Tour - Nov 11 heart disease, or lung disProgressive Holiday Meal of Historic Homes - Dec 11 ease.

End of life care can be We Are an Omaha Based Company MORE TOURS LISTED ON WEBSITE complex and often takes a toll on family and/or careFor reservations, call 531-777-2124 or register online at givers. Hospice staff can travelcattours.com • email: info@travelcattours.com come to the home or as-

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.

September 2018

•

New Horizons

•

Page 13

ACEP is working to improve, standaridize Does worrying make you ill? id the latest challenge in life bring on a tightenemergency department care for older adults ing in your stomach? Does constant worry about

T

he Department of Emergency Medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City is the first in New York state to be accredited as a geriatric emergency department (ED) by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). Eight emergency departments in the nation received this accreditation which is part of a nationwide effort to improve and standardize emergency care for older patients.

According to the Emergency Care Research Institute, geriatric adults (age 65 and older) account for up to 25 percent of all ED visits, but their needs may not be met in a general ED. The ACEP accreditation has three levels with specific criteria, which include having physicians and nurses on staff with specialized geriatric training, ensuring appropriate environmental conditions, and implementing a geriatric quality improvement program.

“Our multidisciplinary team has social workers, case managers, physical therapists, pharmacists, physicians, and nurses who are working together and providing the best possible care to a population of patients with a multitude of needs,” said Denise Nassisi, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine and Director of the Geriatric Emergency Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

Dr. Nassisi says protocols for the geriatric ED include having a physical therapist screen patients for their risk of falling, a certified pharmacist review patients’ medication history, and a team of physicians and nurses monitor patients for cognitive dysfunction, frailty, and other ailments unique to this patient population.

A special section of the ED has modified lighting with skylights to admit sunlight during the day and dim lighting at night to promote sleep, nonskid flooring, extra handrails to help prevent falls, special mattresses that help prevent bedsores, reduced ambient noise, and curtains designed to minimize noise.

“Mount Sinai’s Geriatric Emergency Department has developed a robust program since the launch of the geriatric ED in 2012, when we became one of the first academic centers in the country to create a unit dedicated to delivering emergency care tailored to the needs of elderly patients,” said Gallane Abraham, MD, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and associate director of the Geriatric ED at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

“As the baby boomers age, we are seeing more older patients with chronic disease who are living longer and coming to emergency departments across the country, which is why it’s critical to provide specialized care.”

D

a loved one’s health make you physically ill yourself?

Everyone at some point feels the effects of stress. Not everyone deals with stress in the best way, though.

“Often stressed-out people seek relief through alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, but that just makes matters worse,” says Richard Purvis, a health and wellness practitioner and author of Recalibrate: Six Secrets to Resetting Your Age (www.richardpurvisauthor.com).

“Instead of relieving stress, those toxic substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state, causing even more physical problems,” he says.

Now is a good time to reflect on how the demands and anxieties of daily life put a strain not just on our minds, but on our bodies as well.

Stress, of course, is not always a bad thing. It does serve a positive purpose.

“It can keep us alert and prepares us to avoid danger,” Purvis says. “But stress becomes a negative factor when a person faces continuous challenges without any time mixed in for relief or relaxation.”

As a result, he says, people become overworked, and stress-related anxiety and illness can occur. The strain leads them to suffer from such ailments as headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping.

Purvis says a few examples of how stress can play havoc on our bodies include: • Musculoskeletal system. When we experience stress, it’s natural for our muscles to tense up. “It’s the body’s way of guarding against injury and pain,” Purvis says.

Usually, the muscles relax once the stressful event passes.

But chronic stress keeps the muscles in a constant state of guardedness.

“When muscles are taut and tense for long periods of time other reactions in the body are triggered,” he says.

Chronic muscle tension in the shoulders, neck, and head can lead to tension-type headaches and migraines.

• Respiratory system. Stress causes people to breathe harder. “That’s not a problem for most people,” Purvis says.

“But if you suffer from asthma or a lung disease such as emphysema, getting essential oxygen can be difficult.”

He says some studies show acute stress events – such as the death of a loved one – can trigger asthma attacks in which the airway between the nose and the lungs constrict.

Also, rapid breathing associated with stress – or hyperventilation – can result in a panic attack in some people.

• Gastrointestinal system. Sometimes people who are stressed will eat much more than usual. Sometimes they will eat much less. Neither is healthy.

“You can get heartburn or acid reflux if you eat more food or different types of food, or if you increase how much alcohol you drink or tobacco you use,” Purvis says.

When you’re stressed, the brain sends alert sensations to the stomach. Your stomach can react with butterflies, nausea, or pain.

“Severe stress can cause vomiting, diarrhea or constipation,” he says. “If your stress becomes chronic, you might develop ulcers or severe stomach pain.”

So, what’s to be done? Purvis points out stress is a natural occurrence in life and happens to everyone.

“Since you can’t avoid life experiences, the best thing to do is learn to manage stress,” he says. “You won’t avoid stress entirely, but it is possible to minimize the effects by eating healthy, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and taking care of yourself in general.”

Charles E. Dorwart Govier, Katskee, Suing, & Maxell, PC, LLO 37 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • Medicaid Planning • In-home consultations • Free Initial consultation 10404 Essex Court • Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68114 Office: (402) 558-1404 or (402) 391-1697 chuck@katskee.com

Page 14

•

New Horizons

•

September 2018

NARFE

Omaha Computer Users Group

Y

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 402-3424351.

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.

THEOS

AARP offering driving course

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.

The guest speaker will be Angie from the Omaha Police Department on Safety Inside and Out. For more information, please call Dorothy at 402399-0759 or Mary at 402393-3052.

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:

Widows The 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.

Omaha Fire Department

T

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

To have a free smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector installed inside your home, send your name, address, and telephone number to: Omaha Fire Department Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Requests 1516 Jackson St. Omaha, Neb. 68102 For more information, please call 402-444-3560.

Saturday, Sept. 8 Noon AARP Information Center 1941 S. 42nd St # 220 Call 402-398-9568 to register

Tuesday, Sept. 18 9:30 a.m.

Sunridge Village 13410 Blondo St. Call 402-496-0116 to register

Wednesday, Sept. 12 9 a.m.

CHI Health Midlands 11111 S. 84th St. Call 888-333-7520 to register

Saturday, Sept. 22 9 a.m.

The Premier Group 11605 Miracle Hills Dr. #205 Call 402-934-1351 to rregister

Wednesday, Sept. 12 Noon Bloomfield Forum 9804 Nicholas St. Call 402-390-9991 to register

Saturday, Sept 22 10 a.m.

Walnut Grove 4901 S. 153rd St. Call 402-861-1611 to register

Submission deadline is Oct. 1

Older adults, students invited to participate in poetry contest Sigma Phi Omega, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Gerontology Department’s honor society, invites submissions for its 2018 Intergenerational Poetry Contest.

The competition is a partnership between UNO, the Omaha Public Library, the Nebraska Writers Collective, and the schools connected to UNO’s Advanced Placement Program and Service Learning Academy.

The contest is open to poets age 50 and older and poets in grades 7 through 12. The age groups will be judged separately. Winners in each age category will be awarded prizes for first, second, and third place of $100, $50, and $25, respectively. Seven $10 honorable mention prizes will also be presented.

Poets should submit two poems. The first poem about how the world views or treats older adults and a second poem about how the world views or treats teenagers.

Poems must be submitted by Oct. 1 by email to unospochapter@unomaha.edu or through the United States Postal Service mail at Sigma Phi Omega Poetry, UNO Department of Gerontology, 211 CPACS, 6001 Dodge St., Omaha, Neb. 68182.

For more information, call Kay at 402-554-2272.

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

Sokol Omaha Polka Hall of Fame dance, induction ceremony scheduled for Sept. 9

T

he Sokol Omaha Polka Hall of Fame will host its annual dance and induction ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 9 at the Sokol Auditorium, 13th and Martha streets. The doors will open at 2 p.m.

This year, Charlie Petrmichl, Steve Steager, Big Joe Siedlik, and Johnny Halama

will be inducted.

Dance to the sounds of the Czechlanders Orchestra from 3 to 6 p.m. The induction ceremony follows from 6 to 7 p.m.

Food and beverages will be available.

For more information, please go online to wwwsokolomahapolka.com.

AARP’s shredding event on Sept. 15

Y

Holiday Soup Supper 5:30 to 7 p.m. | Friday, Nov. 30 Keystone Villas Independent Living 7300 Graceland Drive | Omaha, NE

Choice of three soups, salad, bread, dessert, & beverage RSVP BY THURSDAY, NOV. 29

ou’re invited to discard your paper documents on Saturday, Sept. 15 as AARP hosts a paper shredding event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the third floor parking lot at the Center Mall, 1941 S. 42nd St. Please enter the parking lot at the corner of 40th and Center streets.

Participants – who are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items which will be donated to a charity – can bring bags or small boxes of paper documents which volunteers can lift from cars and place into the shredding truck.

For more information or to volunteer at the event, please call AARP’s Information Center at 402-398-9568.

September 2018

Please bring an unwrapped toy for a child or make a monetary donation to support Angel Tree & Adopt a Family

For more information, please call

402-557-6637 •

New Horizons

•

Page 15

Report analyzes Alzheimer’s medication development ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s, a network of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s that represents leading Alzheimer’s scientists across the globe, recently released its 2018 annual Drug Pipeline Analysis, The Current State of Alzheimer’s Drug Development: 2018 Alzheimer’s Drug Pipeline – Phase 2 and 3, at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

The report shows the number of drugs in Phase 2 clinical trials has increased 17 percent over the past year, from 58 to 68 drugs.

This rapid expansion of Phase 2 drugs demonstrates the brain science that contributes to our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease is progressing.

The robust drug development pipeline suggests a cure may be here before we know it, but the healthcare system may not be prepared.

Those responsible for the infrastructure of our healthcare system seem to believe they have ample time to secure the resources and set up the physical spaces and processes that will be needed to deliver cures to Alzheimer’s patients.

If the state of the healthcare system, however, doesn’t keep pace with the science, we risk finding ourselves in a situation where those living with Alzheim-

er’s disease are unable to access an identified cure.

“Scientists have delivered molecules worthy of intensive investigation for their potential to treat Alzheimer’s disease,” said George Vradenburg, chairman of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s. “It’s now the turn of governments, investors, and institutions to ensure that when these scientific discoveries are translated into effective therapies, the infrastructure is in place to readily deploy those therapies and get them into the hands of people who need them.”

Nearly 50 million people worldwide including 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and the number is expected to rise sharply as the size of our older population grows.

The number of people who should receive an Alzheimer’s treatment will also rise as our diagnostic capabilities improve and we identify more people with the disease who are affected at different stages.

The healthcare system isn’t equipped to seamlessly incorporate a cure for Alzheimer’s disease into its drug delivery system. The challenge will only become more difficult as the number of people with the disease increases.

“To truly cure Alzheimer’s disease, we need to see innovation happening inside and outside the lab,” said Dave Morgan, a professor in the Department of Translational Science and Molecular Medicine at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Lead Representative of ResearchersAgainstAlzheimer’s.

“Preparing the healthcare system to accommodate the efficient treatment of millions of Americans when a cure comes online is far from trivial. We need to start now,” he said.

Just as innovation is required for discovering the drug formula for a cure, it’s also necessary to overcome existing barriers to accelerating that cure. For instance, the Global Alzheimer’s Platform (GAP) is projecting a crippling shortage of clinical trial sites capable of performing pending clinical trials and is recommending a number of changes to how clinical trials are conducted that will mitigate this shortage.

Additional capacity is needed if clinical trial sites are to meet the timelines of the substantial, growing Alzheimer’s drug pipeline. GAP concludes a failure to address this critical element of the healthcare system infrastructure will cause years of significant and avoidable delays in the discovery of a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Notre Dame/Seven Oaks Senior Center 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: A representative from American National Bank visits @ 10 a.m.

• Third Wednesday: Community food pantry @10 a.m.

• Sept. 6: Nutrition talk by Susie Davern from ENOA. • Sept. 11 & 19: Learn about North Omaha Area Health @ 10:45 a.m. (Sept. 11) and 10 a.m. (Sept. 19).

• Sept. 12: Have your Medicaid insurance and home healthcare questions answered from 10 a.m. to noon.

• Sept. 13: Learn about the Creighton University School of Dentistry @ 1:30 p.m.

• Sept. 20: Expand Your Horizons program on Immigration: Root Causes, Just Responses @ 7 p.m.

• Sept. 24: Birthday party with music by Pam Kragt from the Merrymakers @ 2 p.m.

• Sept. 25: How to prepare for your Nebraska HHS recertification @ 1:30 p.m.

• Sept. 27: Presentation on ENOA’s volunteer programs @ 1:30 p.m.

Notre Dame Housing/Seven Oaks Senior Center is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For meals reservations and more information, call 402-451-4477, ext. 126.

Heartland Generations Center You’re invited to visit the Heartland Generations Center – 4318 Fort St. – for the following: • Sept. 4: Birthday celebration with music sponsored by the Merrymakers @ noon.

• Sept. 6: Show and Share @ 11 a.m.

• Sept. 10: Farmers Market Shopping Day. We’ll leave the center @ 10:30 a.m.

• Sept. 12 & 26: Manicures by Wanda @ 10 a.m.

• Sept. 17: Trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo. We’ll leave the center @ 10:30 a.m.

• Sept. 18: Legal Aid presentation @ 11 a.m.

• Sept. 19: Krafts with Kina @ 10 a.m.

• Sept. 20: Understanding Estate Planning presentation at the VNA headquarters. We’ll leave the center @ 11 a.m.

• Sept. 25: Natural healing meeting at Denny’s. We’ll leave the center @ 10:30 a.m.

• Sept. 26: Blood pressure screenings @ 10 a.m.

• Sept. 29: Dancing with the Seniors.

The center will be closed on Labor Day. Play bingo on Wednesdays and Fridays @ 1 p.m. and enjoy Movement with Tisha Tuesday and Friday @ 10:45 a.m. unless otherwise noted.

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.

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.

Page 16

•

New Horizons

•

September 2018

Finding the right contractor for your home improvement project

S

ummer is a popular time for home-improvement projects, whether it’s a roof replacement or a kitchen remodel. How can you be sure you’re hiring the right contractor?

Finding a reputable and qualified home-improvement contractor is a decision that’s not to be taken lightly. Mishaps aren’t uncommon during renovations, whether it’s a pipe break, broken window, or even a fire, which can be set off by oily rags from staining projects.

“It’s critical to do your due diligence when choosing a contractor,” says Dan DiClerico, a home expert with HomeAdvisor, a Colorado-based home-improvement website. “It’s like dating; don’t rush into marrying the first guy you meet, no matter how perfect he seems.”

For a major remodeling project, like a total kitchen renovation or master bathroom addition, DiClerico recommends starting with a list of 10 contractors and whittling it down to about five based on online reviews and availability. He then suggests meeting with the remaining five and getting bids on the project.

“Throw out the highest and lowest bids,” he says.

Then the real vetting should start. Here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau: • Research the contractor’s track record. Check their BBB listing for complaints, ask for local references, and, if possible, inspect the contractor’s work yourself. See if he is a member of a professional association that has standards or a code of ethics.

• Get at least three quotes from different firms. Make sure they all address the same criteria. Remember the cheapest bid isn’t always best; in fact, if one is much lower than the others, that may be a red flag.

• Get it in writing. Don’t rely on any verbal representations. Make sure the contract is fully filled in without any blanks. At a minimum, it should include contact information, start and completion dates, a detailed description of the work, material costs, payment arrangements, and warranty information.

• Verify licensing, bonding, and insurance. Make sure the contractor has workers compensation coverage as well.

If not and a worker gets hurt on the job, you may be sued.

Also verify the insurance coverage of subcontractors.

• Confirm that necessary building permits were issued before work starts.

• Keep copious records, including proof of licensing, bonding, and insurance; contracts; invoices; proof of payment; progress photos, and all project-related correspondence.

Remember home-improvement stores have a network of experienced, licensed, and insured contractors they work with to provide professional installation services, whether it’s as simple as installing blinds or more involved, such as a kitchen remodel. These stores stand behind their recommended contractors and warrant the work.

DiClerico has some additional advice for homeowners: “In making your final decision, listen to your gut. Is there good rapport between you and the contractor? Does he or she communicate clearly? Do you feel like you can trust them? Any misgivings you have during the initial meetings are only going to intensity once the project gets underway.”

T

T

Florence AARP

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:

Volunteer drivers are needed for Car Go Project in Fremont, Blair

T

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.

• September 17: Picnic • October 25: Tom Neal Nebraska Organ Recovery • November 19: The Big Garden • December 10: Greg Owen Holiday Music

Please support New Horizons advertisers

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.

Respite Across the Lifespan

he 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 Lifespan at 402-559-5732 or edbennett@unmc.edu to find out more about respite services and to locate resources in your area.

September 2018

•

New Horizons

•

Page 17

Ralston Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Ralston Senior, 7301 Q St., this month for the following: • Sept. 11: Bus trip to WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa. The bus leaves @ 7:30 a.m. and returns around 4 p.m. The cost is $5. Call Dorothy @ 402-553-4874 for reservations.

• Sept. 12: Board meeting @ 10 a.m.

• Sept. 12: Music by the Links sponsored by the Merrymakers @ noon.

• Sept. 13 & 27: Line dancing @ 10 a.m.

• Sept. 13 & 27: Bingo @ 1 p.m.

• Sept. 17: Korean community activity @ noon.

The center will be closed Sept. 3 for Labor Day. Other activities include exercise on Tuesday and Friday @ 10 a.m.

Lunch is served on Wednesdays. A $4.50 contribution is requested. Reservations are due by noon the Tuesday before the meal you wish to enjoy. Call Diane @ 402-8858895 for reservations.

For more information, please call Diane West @ 402339-4926.

Retiring on $30,000 a year T

he world is full of affordable destinations where your dollar goes further. While filling a tank of gas, getting the week’s groceries, paying rising health insurance premiums, and making all the other ends meet costs us more back home, thousands of folks have discovered there are places overseas where even a little bit of money goes a long way Here are the five best spots to retire for under $30,000 a year in Europe, Latin America, and Southeast Asia that make good sense for a lower-cost, highquality life.

• Mafra, Portugal: Corrigan Senior Center Located 21 miles northwest of Lisbon and 15 minutes You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 from world-class surfing X St., this month for: beaches in Ericeira, Mafra • Sept. 6, 13, & 20: Visit by UNMC nursing students is the proud possessor of from 9 to 11 a.m. one of the country’s largest • Sept. 4: Labor Day bingo @ 1 p.m.

• Sept. 5: Toenail clinic from 9 a.m. to noon. The cost is national palaces.

Mafra offers an attractive $12. Space is limited. mix of indoor culture with • Sept. 10: Grandparents Day treats, trivia, and puzzles outdoor opportunities in @ 10 a.m. both a splendid park next to • Sept. 12: Alan Jackson video on the big screen @ 11 the palace called the Jardim, a.m. and council meeting @ 2 p.m. and the nearby Tapada de • Sept. 13: Music by the Links sponsored by the Mafra, the former royal Merrymakers @ 11 a.m. hunting grounds established • Sept. 17: VNA presentation @ 11 a.m. in 1747.

• Sept. 20: Dinner dance with music by Kim Eames.

• Sept. 26: Blood pressure checks by Methodist College The town is a low-key place of white-washed housnursing students from 10:30 a.m. to noon. es trimmed in yellow and The center will be closed on Sept. 3 for Labor Day. blue, lining narrow cobbled Other activities include bingo Monday and Thursday @ streets. The scent of grilling 1 p.m.; and chair exercises Tuesday and Thursday @ 10 sardines is ever-present in a.m. the air, along with the sound Card groups or other clubs needing a place to meet are of laughter and clinking encouraged to call Michelle Jolley at 402-731-7210. glasses in the village’s many The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from cafés and bars.

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 Here, a couple can live contribution is normally suggested for the meal.

Reservations are normally due by noon the business day well on a monthly budget of $2,034. prior to the meal you wish to enjoy.For meal reservations or more information, please contact Michelle Jolley @ 402- Mafra’s palace, cultural center, and music school all 731-7210 or michelle.jolley@nebraska.gov. provide frequent concerts, plays, and other events. If you want to spread your REHAB, wings a bit, no problem. A reliable, comfortable bus RENEW, service operated by MaAND RETURN frense departs regularly from in front of the palace to the Campo Grande bus station in Lisbon.

Express buses make Transitional care at Florence Home the trip in approximately 40 minutes. The cost is $5.30 one way and $8.80 Florence Home Healthcare specializes in roundtrip. In the opposite rehabilitation to help you recover from an illness or direction, at the end of the injury so you can safely transition back home. line you’ll find yourself at the beach in the world-class To learn more about this service, please call surfing reserve of Ericeira.

402-827-6000 • Cuenca, Ecuador: and ask to speak to our Cuenca, Ecuador’s thirdlargest city and the ecoClient Services Director. nomic center of the southern sierra, has leaped into the WWW.OMAHASENIORCARE.ORG international spotlight recently.

Cuenca has long been known for a rich intellectual, artistic, and philosophical

HOME

Page 18

•

New Horizons

•

September 2018

Costa Rica’s Central Valley offers excellent medical facilities, first-class shopping, splendid restaurants, and spectacular natural wonders. tradition that matches its colonial architecture. It’s famous for colorful festivals, distinctive food, and breath-taking scenery.

Because of its history and state of preservation, Cuenca is one of Ecuador’s five UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

A couple can enjoy a wonderful retirement on $1,680 per month in Cuenca, excluding travel, which can vary greatly from household to household, depending on your lifestyle.

On the checklist for places for older adults to retire was living in a city where there were many interesting and varied activities to ensure keeping busy; where the climate was temperate and not extreme; where walking around was easy and owning a car was not necessary; where the cost of living was low; and where they felt safe and secure. Cuenca won, hands down.

A three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom, 1,400 square foot condo rents there for just $700 a month.

• Central Valley, Costa Rica: The Central Valley, home to about two-third of Costa Rica’s population is the place to find elegant residential communities, excellent medical facilities, first-class shopping, splendid restaurants, and spectacular natural wonders, including volcanoes, soaring waterfalls, roaring rivers, and wildlife-filled forests.

It’s hard to beat the Central Valley when you’re looking for a beautiful, friendly, and relatively inexpensive place to live. Nestled among forests, mountains, and farms are villages where expats have been living side by side with Costa Ricans for decades.

Throughout the Valley there are charming, small towns that will remind you of another age.

A single person can live on between $1,500 and $1,800 a month. Some single people scrape by on considerably less, and others spend hundreds of dollars more. In most cases, a couple can live well on $2,000 per month and even better on $2,500. It depends on your lifestyle.

• Pedasí, Panama: Pedasí, the small town on Panama’s Pacific coast, is a four-hour trip from Panama City. The fishing town, sitting on the tip of the Azuero Peninsula, is best known for the expansive beaches just outside of town, regarded by many Panamanians to be among the nation’s most beautiful.

With friendly locals and a tiny population, Pedasí is a place where the pace of life is slow and the people are laid back. Unspoiled, dark brown beaches are coupled with often stunning rock formations and warm Pacific waters.

Large cattle ranches and cornfields surround the village.

• Phnom Penh, Cambodia: If you’re worried you don’t have $30,000 a year to retire, there are still spots where you can live well on a modest budget—like super-affordable, exotic Cambodia. For the third year in a row, Cambodia claims top spot in the cost of living category in IL’s Annual Global Retirement Index.

While the cost of living in Cambodia may be one of the lowest in the world, the standard of living is high—leading to more retirees and expats choosing to make this country their home each year. A single retiree can live here for $1,150 a month or less.

Rent is $250 per month for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with a balcony in the center of the city.

Utilities average around $80 to $100 a month, including water, electricity, garbage, cooking gas, and drinking water.

About $200 a month is enough to keep a fridge filled with food, fresh fruit, and vegetables.

Volunteers needed at the American Cancer Society

T

he American Cancer Society – 9850 Nicholas St. – is looking for volunteers to help with its mission to save and celebrate lives and lead the fight for a world without cancer. More than 10 million Americans turned to the American Cancer Society last year for information about cancer treatment, prevention, and early detection.

Volunteers are needed weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to answer phones, take messages, transfer calls, greet and assist visitors and volunteers, open and sort mail, prepare regular and bulk office mailings, fold brochures, cut paper, collate material, assemble packets, fold and sort t-shirts.

Interested men and women must attend new volunteer orientation, privacy and confidentiality training, and an onsite customized training session. More information about this training can be found at www.cancer.org. Click on the “Get Involved” page and then select “Volunteer”.

For more information, please contact Sherry Welton at 402-393-5801, ext. 70760 or sherry.welton@cancer.org.

Carnival scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8

Y

ou’re invited to attend the Carnival of Caring on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 3617 Greene Ave. (1.3 miles north of Cornhusker Road in Bellevue).

The event, designed for all ages, will include kids’ games, clowns, a health and resource booth for older adults, live entertainment, a petting zoo, a cake walk, carnival games, a picnic, and food prepared by the women of Aldersgate.

Admission, parking, and the carnival games are free.

For more information, please call Aldersgate United Methodist Church at 402-734-2400 or Ruth Hamlin at 402-650-7132.

Eclectic Book Review Club The Eclectic Book Review Club, in its 69th year, will meet this fall at the Field Club, 3615 Woolworth Ave. The cost for the noon meetings – which includes lunch and the book review – is $13 per month.

• Sept. 18: Sarah BakerHansen and Mathew Hansen from The Omaha World Herald will discuss The Better Half-Nebraska’s Hidden Treasures.

• Oct. 16: Theodore Wheeler will review Kings of Broken Things.

• Nov. 20: Brooke Williams on Someone Always Loved You. To reserve your place, call Rita at 402-553-3147 by the Monday prior to the meeting you wish to attend.

WHITMORE LAW OFFICE

CLASSIFIEDS Lamplighter II

WE BUY HOUSES

Some of the nicest, newer 1 & 2 bedroom apartments. Elevator, w & d, heated parking garage. Small complex. By bus & shopping. No pets or smoking.

402-639-8891

93rd & Maple • 402-397-6921

www.sellyouromahahousenow.com

Buying or selling?

A+ Heartland Concrete Const.

Use the New Horizons CLASSIFIEDS Call 402-444-4148 or 402-444-6654

TODAY to place your ad.

Hairstylist Needed For current clientele.

Hair coloring, perms, haircuts, & some back-combing.

Aksarben Hairstylists 919 S. 48th Street (Near UNMC campus) Call for more information

402-553-7287

Driveways, garage floors, sidewalks, retaining walls, patio specialists.

Since 1985 Insured/references.

22 years BBB Member

402-731-2094

Please call 402-444-4148 or 402- 444-6654 to place your ad Cartagena Painting Service

Commercial/Residential Interior/Exterior/Insured Free estimates/BBB member 402-714-6063 cartagenapainting@yahoo.com

OLD STUFF WANTED (before 1975)

Military, political, toys, jewelry, fountain pens, pottery, kitchen ware, postcards, photos, books, and other old paper, old clothes, garden stuff, tools, old household, etc.

Call anytime 402-397-0254 or 402-250-9389

RICK’S

TOP CASH PAID

Best & honest prices paid for: Vintage, Sterling, Turquoise, & Costume jewelry, old watches, old quilts, vintage toys, old postcards, advertising items, military items, pottery, and antique buttons.

Also buying estates & partial estates.

Call Bev at 402-339-2856

HANDYMAN SERVICES

Big jobs or small, I’ll do them all!

[Bonded & insured]

402-658-1245 rickfitzlerhomeimprovement.com

Please support New Horizons advertisers

deFreese Manor

Subsidized housing for those age 62 and over with incomes under $26,250 (1 person) or $30,000 (two persons) 2669 Dodge Omaha, NE 402-345-0622

Senior Citizens (62+) Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue.

Bellewood Courts

1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300 Bellewood@KimballMgmt.com

Monarch Villas

GET RID OF IT!

201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882 Monarch@KimballMgmt.com

Johansen Brothers

Managed by Kimball Management, Inc. PO Box 460967 Papillion, NE 68046 www.kimballmgmt.com

Haul away, garage, basement, rental clean out…

Call Frank

402-312-4000

We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.

Wills • Trusts • Probate

Ask A Lawyer: Q — What is the difference between a will and a living trust?

A — Both a Will and a Trust state your wishes for transfer of your property at your death. A Trust can avoid the need for the delay and expense of probate, which is needed if you transfer your property by Will. A Trust also provides protection for you if you should become disabled and unable to handle your financial affairs, at which time the Trust provides management of your assets for your benefit until you recover.

Have a question about estate planning? Give us a call!

AARP Legal Service Network • No Charge For Initial Consultation

7602 Pacific Street, Ste 200 • (402) 391-2400 http://whitmorelaw.com

ENOA September 2018

•

New Horizons

•

Page 19

Maggie Garcia...

--Continued from page 12.

Chavez made the exhibit’s photo portraits.

“He was at the end of a Bemis Center residency,” Maggie said. “I loved his work and I shared with him I wanted somehow to document Latino presence. He decided it had to be in black and white (with accompanying biographies).”

The project prompted Garcia to reflect on the immigrant story of her own family and other families.

“I know we ended up here because I had an aunt who moved here many years before us.

Many times, families will go where there’s a relative.

You’re not going to be totally alone, you’re at least going to know somebody who can help you get started.”

The prevalence of meatpacking and railroad jobs in Omaha was a big draw the first two thirds of the 20th century. Many folks As El Museo Latino celebrates its 25th came escaping anniversary in 2018, Garcia would like to see poverty or civil the museum reach even more people. unrest.

Garcia said Omaha came to be known as a good place to find work and to raise a family. It didn’t have the overcrowded slums of other major metropolitan areas.

One day Maggie wants to document the length of time it takes for an immigrant family to consider their new surroundings to be home.

When she was in her late teens her family returned temporarily to Mexico. Garcia completed her junior year of high school in Mexico – before deciding to return to America. She’s a graduate of Omaha’s Daniel J. Gross High School.

“It’s a different way of life down there. Once we came back (to Omaha), this was home. It’s a different mindset. We can always go back (to Mexico) to visit – but this is home.

“I’ve always been proud of my heritage. I’ve never denied coming from Mexico. At the same time, America is home.”

T

he El Museo Latino’s 2018-19 calendar is rich. The annual Day of the Dead exhibit will run from Oct. 13 through Nov. 17. Also showing this fall is a photo exhibit by Garcia’s old friend and colleague, Humberto Chavez, titled TESTIGOES from Oct. 20 through Dec. 1. In January, the museum will present Tintes Naturales, an exhibit of natural tints textiles from Mexico.

The museum’s dance program and troupe are among the year-round ongoing activities.

“When the museum opened that was one of the first programs we started with. It’s been a standing program ever since,” Maggie said.

The museum is commemorating its 25th anniversary throughout the year, including an open house on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As far as its future, institutionally, the museum continues to grow – maybe not as fast as it should, according to Garcia. “Programmatically, there’s more requests coming in, so I’m trying to find a way to grow to the next level where we can be reaching out to the community to many more people. I want it to grow.”

More staff is needed and that means more funding. “We need somebody to manage contracting and developing more outreach. It’s still a small group managing all that now,” Maggie said.

Things may not be as far along as she’d like, but 25 years educating and entertaining the public is no small feat. All Garcia has to do to know the museum’s making a difference is to look at its role in the community.

“This summer we had an outdoor screening of Coco and the courtyard was full of families. To plan something and then see the reaction of people is satisfying.”

Seeing visitors, especially children, walk through the galleries and respond to the work, makes the exhibit worthwhile and makes the museum worthwhile, Maggie said.

Tour groups are the museum’s lifeblood. Some 50,000 patrons visit the El Museo Latino yearly. “We know people are coming from all over the metropolitan area,” Garcia said. “A lot of them are coming from outside Omaha.”

For more information, please visit www.elmuseolatino.org.

(Read more of Biga’s work at leoadambiga.com.)

Page 20

•

New Horizons

•

Robots helping healthcare staff at Omaha’s VA Medical Center Text & photos by Jennifer Scales

nmanned robots are roaming the elevators and hallways at the Omaha VA Medical Center, 4101 Woolworth Ave. While there are humans behind the scenes, the robots – called Tugs – are in the forefront actively involved in helping the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System staff.

Tugs are great workers for at least three reasons: they don’t need a salary; they don’t take smoking breaks; and they don’t get tired.

Jason Junge, a biomedical equipment support specialist at the Omaha VAMC, explained how the unmanned robots function. “They support the facility by delivering logistical items and lab samples, to name a few. Plus, they can work 24 hours a day, which saves on manhours. They are battery powered and will return to their respective docking station when their deliveries are complete.”

The Tugs have been operating at the VAMC since June, according to Tom Billotte, a contractor with Aethon from Pennsylvania. “The outpatient lab Tugs have been doing their job which has included making deliveries to and from the hematology and histology areas,” he said.

As men and women walk the hallways and use the elevators at the medical center, the Tugs are aware of the human presence. “The robots are patient. They will stop and pause if they sense a person is in their space, no matter how long it takes,” said Billotte.

While the Tugs don’t climb stairs, they do the next best thing. They call the elevator by way of their wireless network, get on, and self-adjust so they’re facing the exit when their floor arrives for them to disembark.

The Tugs have a built-in map of the facility, so they’ll remain in the building. They won’t go outside, no matter what kind of enticement a person may use on them.

Though the Tugs – which can carry 900 pounds by using a cage attachment – have only recently been introduced at the Omaha VAMC, they aren’t new to the VA network. Billotte said the robots can be found at VA medical centers in Pittsburgh, Dallas, Houston, and New York City.

It’s a misconception that Tugs are replacing human employees. In fact, in some cases, they’re making life easier for VAMC staffers. “For instance, when it comes to carrying heavy items around, they save on many pushpull injuries that employees may get,” Junge said.

He said there are plans for making the robots more personal. “Once we get all of them operating, we will be giving each of the Tugs their own name. As the holidays approach, we could even adorn them with seasonal decorations.”

“I think that is pretty neat. We’re heading for the ‘George Jetson’ age, getting all modern and stuff,” said Marine Corps veteran and VAMC visitor Bernard Fritz about the Tugs.

(Scales is the public affairs officer at the Omaha VA Medical Center.)

U

The Tugs have been helping out at the Omaha VAMC since June.

September 2018