A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
June 2017 VOL. 42 • NO. 6
ENOA 4780 South 131st Street Omaha, NE 68137-1822
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389
New Horizons ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Journalist
In 1967, Steve Jordon, then a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student, was a summer intern at The Omaha World-Herald. Since then, Jordon – now age 70 – has covered the police, courthouse, youth, education, and business beats for the newspaper. Today, Steve writes the Warren Watch column for the OWH and has authored The Oracle & Omaha, a book about Warren Buffett. A father and grandfather, Jordon is a musician in his spare time. Nick Schinker’s profile of Jordon begins on page 10.
MAMAP Lt. Kevin Bridges with the Nebraska State Patrol is recruiting men and women for the Metro Area Motorist Assist Program. MAMAP volunteers help stranded drivers in the Omaha area. See page 3.
Vets honored Edward Nielsen, who served in the United States Coast Guard during WWII, was among the veterans honored last month during a ceremony at the New Cassel Retirement Center. See page 20.
Visually impaired patrons have access to audio description of shows
O
utlook Nebraska has partnered with the Rose Theater, the Orpheum Theater, the BLUEBARN Theatre, and the Omaha Community Playhouse to offer audio descriptions for the visually impaired at some of the performances held at these venues. Audio descriptions allow those who are visually impaired to more fully enjoy live performances through a verbal description of the stage production through a personal headset. A trained audio describer provides live verbal descriptions of actions, costumes, scenery, and other visual elements of the live performance. The description is transmitted to the headsets so only those wearing the headsets hear the describer’s voice as well as the performance’s dialog. Visually impaired persons wishing to use the audio description service must call the venue to request the service and to purchase tickets at least two weeks in advance to ensure availability. An audio description preshow will start 30 minutes before the performance time listed below. The service is made available through the generous support of the Enrichment Foundation and the Gary and Mary West Foundation. For a complete list of audio description events, please visit outlooknebraska.org/theater. June 4 @ 2 p.m. Rent Orpheum Theater 409 S. 16th St. 402-661-8501
June 17 @ 2 p.m. Peter Pan Rose Theater 2001 Farnam St. 402-345-4849
Please support NH advertisers
Omaha Computer Users Group You’re invited to join the Omaha Computer Users Group (OCUG), an organization dedicated to helping men and women age 50 and older learn more about their computers. Anyone can join OCUG regardless of his or her computer skills. The organization 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. Annual dues to OCUG are $25. OCUG has a projector connected to a Microsoft Windows 7 computer and a Windows 8 computer to show users how to solve their computer problems. Bring your questions concerning your computer problems to the meetings for answers. For more information, please call Phill Sherbon at 402-333-6529.
Call 402-721-7780
RSVP recruiting volunteer drivers for its Car-Go Program 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. 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 with Car-Go, or to make a reservation (24 hours notice is required) for a ride, please call RSVP’s Fremont office at 402-721-7780.
Senior Moving Services
“Moving services personally tailored for seniors.”
We offer a full range of moving services that we believe can reduce the stress and anxiety related to your move. We specialize in both the physical and the emotional aspects of this type of move.
Examples of Services: • Provide a complimentary in-home assessment to determine your transitional needs. • Plan, schedule, and coordinate all aspects of the move. • Prepare a floor plan. • Organize, sort, pack, and unpack household contents. • Prepare change of address for mail delivery. • Coordinate transfer of utilities, phone, and cable service. • Disconnect and reconnect electronics. • Unpack and settle your new home including hang the shower curtain, make the beds, and hang the pictures; making your new home feel familiar. • Coordinate shipment of special heirlooms to family members. • Coordinate a profitable dispersal of remaining household items through estate sale, auction, consignment, and/or donation.
•
New Horizons
•
Senior Moving Services today at
We understand the anxiety and the challenges, and we will personally see you through the entire move process; from the first phone call until the last picture is hung. There is hard work to be done and well will be with you every step of the way.
Page 2
To learn more, contact
June 2017
402-445-0996
www.seniormovingservices.com
Men and women needed to join the Metro Area Motorist Assist Program
D
ean Bentzinger, a retired truck driver and Randy Koehler, a retired OPPD electrician open the hatch door in the back of the white Nebraska State Patrol van covered with NASCARstyle stickers to inspect the cargo. The inventory includes a can for gasoline, another can for antifreeze, an automatic external defibrillator, jumper cables, an air bubble to inflate tires, and a variety of tools. Bentzinger and Koehler are ready to begin another four-hour afternoon shift as volunteers with the Nebraska State Patrol’s Metro Area Motorist Assist Program. Started in 1997 as a community policing pilot project, MAMAP provides roadside assistance to motorists in the Omaha area along Interstates 680, 480, and 80 (to exit 426), the Kennedy Freeway, the North Freeway, and Highway 75 south to LaPlatte, according to Lt. Kevin Bridges, who coordinates the effort for the State Patrol. MAMAP receives funding from a variety of public and private sources including the Nebraska Department of Roads, AAA, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency. Weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m., the volunteers offer free nonemergency help to motorists like providing small amounts of fuel and oil, tire changes, jump starts, arranging to have vehicles towed, and providing driving directions. The volunteers also help prevent highway accidents by removing debris and other obstructions from the road and tagging abandoned vehicles. On University of Nebraska home football Saturdays, MAMAP operates
Randy Koehler
Volunteers Dean Bentzinger (left) and Randy Koehler before their shift with the Nebraska State Patrol’s Metro Area Motorist Assist Program. four hours before game time through kick-off. The service is also available for holiday shoppers from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas. Stranded motorists can access MAMAP by calling 1-800-525-5555 or *55 on their cellphones or other mobile devices.
B
ridges says these volunteers – who handle 6,000 service assist calls annually – free Nebraska State Patrol officers to perform other law enforcement duties as needed. “As far as I know, Nebraska is the only state in the nation with a motorist assist program staffed by volunteers,” he says. MAMAP has 17 volunteers who are asked to work at least two four-hour shifts per month, but Bridges says at least a dozen more men and women are needed for the program. New volunteers are asked to complete four hours of CPR training, a four-hour defensive driving class through the Nebraska Safety Council, and four hours of additional training with Bridges. Before heading out on their own, new volunteers will ride along on a shift or two with the more experienced volunteers to get a better idea of what’s entailed in a typical shift. “We don’t ask them to do anything they’re not comfortable with,” Bridges says.
B
entzinger, who volunteers two or three shifts each week, has been a MAMAP volunteer since
the program’s inception. “I wanted to do something to give service to the community,” he says. “This is payback for all the help I’ve received on the road as a truck driver.” A five-year MAMAP veteran, Koehler gets a lot of satisfaction helping stranded motorists. “When they try (unsuccessfully) to slip a $20 bill into your pocket, you know they appreciate the assistance,” he says. “You get a good feeling helping people.” MAMAP volunteers interested in being reimbursed for their round-trip mileage driving between their home and the Nebraska State Patrol headquarters at 4411 S. 108th St., can enroll in the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. To learn more about RSVP, please call Pat Tanner at 402-444-6536. For more information on volunteering with the Metro Area Motorist Assist Program, please contact Lt. Kevin Bridges at 402-3313333.
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; Gary Osborn, Dodge County, secretary; Brian Zuger, Sarpy County; & Janet McCartney, Cass County.
Dean Bentzinger
June 2017
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
Written by Marilynn Preston
Book offers tips to keep you mentally, physically fit In her new book, All is Well: The Art and Science of Personal Well-Being, Marilynn Preston – the author of America’s longest running fitness column – offers rules to keep your body fit, your mind active, and your attitude full of attitude. After 40 years of writing a column titled Energy Express, Preston is a role model for staying vibrant and engaged as you age. Published by Creators Publishing, All is Well: The Art and Science of Personal Well-Being features Preston’s rules for healthy aging which include: • Expect success. Aging is not a disease, it’s part of the natural flow of life. Embrace the positives about aging – wisdom and freedom are two biggies – and let go of the negative. People with positive perceptions of aging live seven years longer than people with negative perceptions. • Exercise your mind and body. To age gracefully, stay active. Walk, bike, swim, do yoga, whatever you like. Strength train, too. If you decide to run with only one of Preston’s so-called rules, make it this one. • Vent in healthy ways. Difficult things like sickness, pain, and loss happen as you age. You can’t avoid the stress but must learn to deal with it in healthy ways. Yoga, Qigong, and meditation exist for that purpose. Find your own practice, your own path, and you’ll know you’re on it when your anger turns to forgiveness and your jealousy to joy. • Take risks. If you want to feel vital and fully alive as you age, keep taking risks. Keep challenging yourself. Keep testing your limits. “Go out on a limb, that’s where the fruit is,” former United States President Jimmy Carter once said. • Accept what is. Strive to accept your life as it unfolds, without being angry or bitter, or feeling victimized. At the same time, fight hard to live the best, most-balanced life possible. Don’t dwell in the past or obsess about the future. Live in the moment, and love the kind, compassionate person you are. (All is Well: The Art and Science of Personal Well-Being is available at bookstores and through online booksellers.)
Florence AARP Chapter 2269 AARP’s Florence Chapter 2269 meets monthly at Mount View Presbyterian Church, 5308 Hartman Ave. The meetings feature a noon lunch for $8 followed by a program at 12:45 p.m. The meetings are open to both AARP members and non-members. Transportation is available by calling Ruth Kruse at 402-453-4825 or Marge Willard at 402-455-8401. • June 19 Dr. Betty Foster Advance planning for older adults
Writing Workshops You’re invited to attend a series of guided autobiography workshops titled What’s Your Story beginning this month. • Mondays from June 5 through July 24 at the Grand Reserve at Elkhorn, 3535 Piney Creek Dr. (east of 204th Street and West Maple Road) from 6 to 8 p.m. There is a nominal fee for the workshops to cover the materials and refreshments. Scholarships are available. For more information, please contact Chris Stewart at 402-881-6140 or chris.bellstewart@yahoo.com.
Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com
Beautiful foods for the season Enjoy this array of recipes and the beauty of the season. Lovely ideas for the lovely days ahead. Juice Manifesto By Andrew Cooper (Chronicle, $22.95) More than 120 recipes for snacks, breakfast, and smoothies. Everything from soup to nuts juiced for your whole family to enjoy. From Workman: Good and Cheap By Leanne Brown ($16.95) Originally written as a project for her Masters degree at NYU. Strategies and tips for this award-winning guide for breakfast through desserts with price per serving included. Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked By Raghavan Iyer ($16.95) From this award-winning teacher/author who loves every form of potatoes from munchies, morsels, tidbits, finger foods, sweets, desserts, and grand finales. Seventy-five reasons for “potato-holics” to enjoy. Passion for Pizza By C.Whitson, T. Gjesteland, M. Widen, & K. Hansen (Surrey, $29.95) A travelogue journey through thick and thin to discover the world of untold pizza family stories in Italy and the USA. Sixty recipes for classic and favorite pizzas. Tin Fish Gourmet By Barbara Jo McIntosh (Arsenal Pulp, $21.95) Ten seafood chapters from this fish lover. Open a tin and savor these recipes from humble to glamorous and from cupboard to table. 101 One-Dish Dinners By Andrea Chesman (Storey, $16.95) Get dinner on the table without the fuss. International comfort food recipes with a contemporary twist for Dutch ovens, skillets, casserole pans, and salad bowls with colorful photos. Try this skillet supper.
Chicken & Summer Vegetable Sauté (Serves four)
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into once inch pieces 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1-pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 tomatoes, seeded and diced 1 yellow summer squash or zucchini, diced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, and thyme. Alone or in any combination.) 1 tablespoon capers 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste Salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and boil for one minute. Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Sauté the chicken in the oil for six to eight minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink and slightly browned outside. Add the beans and garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the tomatoes and squash and sauté for two to three minutes, until the squash is tender. Mix in the herbs, capers, and lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Please support NH advertisers Page 4
•
New Horizons
•
June 2017
Hearing loss group will meet on June 13 The Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America, a support group for hard of hearing adults, will next meet on Tuesday, June 13 at Dundee Presbyterian Church, 5312 Underwood Ave. Participants are asked to enter the church on the Happy Hollow Blvd. (east) side. The 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. meeting will feature social time and a speaker. The Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America meets the second Tuesday of the month from September through December and from March through August. You’re encouraged to like the Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America on Facebook. For more information, please contact Beth Ellsworth at ellsworth.beth@ cox.net or Verla Hamilton at 402-558-6449.
Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents are needed
M
en and women age 55 and older who want to earn a taxfree 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.
I
n 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. CP and FGP volunThe stipend does not inteers must meet interfere with rent, disability, come guidelines and Medicaid, or other benefits. complete an enrollFor more information ment process that includes please call ENOA’s Volreferences and background unteer Services division at checks. 402-444-6536.
S
Flag Day paintings on display at JCC
A
tribute to Flag Day featuring paintings by Connie Stillwell of Omaha and artists from across the United States will be on display June 1 through 30 and July 4 at the Jewish Community Center, 333 S. 132nd St. For more information, please call Stillwell at 402-333-6460.
Homestead Exemption application assistance The Nebraska Homestead Exemption program can provide significant savings in property taxes for older adults who still own their home. Certain other homeowners may also be eligible for a full or partial exemption on their property taxes through this annual program. The deadline to file for the homestead exemption is June 30. Homeowners age 65 or older on Jan. 1, 2017, homeowners with certain physical disabilities, and certain disabled veterans and their widow or widower may also qualify for the tax break. Eligibility is also governed by household income and the valuation of the property. For more information on the Homestead Exemption program, please see pages 7 and 14. Volunteers Assisting Seniors will be available to provide free assistance filing the homestead application at various sites in the Omaha area during June. Make an appointment to meet with a VAS counselor by calling 402-4446617.
June 2017
•
New Horizons
•
Page 5
Dora Bigel Senior Center
Examining collegiates’ perceptions of aging
You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • June 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, & 30: Ceramics @ 9 a.m. • June 5, 12, 19, & 26: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m. • June 7: Holy Communion served @10 a.m. • June 7, 14, 21, & 28: Tai Chi @ 11 a.m. • June 12: Book Club @ 10 a.m. • June 21: Foot care clinic from 9 a.m. to noon for $10. Call 402-392-1818 to make an appointment. • June 28: Music by Paul Siebert from the Merrymakers @11:30 a.m. Lunch is $3. • June 28: Birthday party luncheon @ noon. Eat for free if you have a June birthday. • June 30: 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. Meal reservations are required 24 hours in advance. Other activities offered at the facility include: Tuesday: matinee @ 12:30 and quilting @1 p.m. Wednesday: Devotions @ 10:30, Tai Chi at 11 a.m., bingo @ 12:30 p.m., and Bible study at 12:30 p.m. Friday: Joy Club Devotions at 9:30 a.m. and 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 “Let’s Visit Kansas City”. August 11 - 12. $299 before 6/15. ($319 after 6/15.) Join us on a Friday/Saturday trip to Kansas City to see a live performance of “The Million Dollar Quartet” at the New Theater Restaurant, the Arabian Steamboat Museum, Historic City Market, Crown Center, Union Station, National World War I Museum and Memorial, and the option to see the musical “Body Guard” at the outdoor Starlight Theater. Nebraska State Parks and Solar Eclipse. August 20 - 25. $909. Come along to help celebrate Nebraska’s 150th Anniversary of Statehood. Begin the trip with the Total Solar Eclipse in Kearney, which is in the direct path of totality. Experience the beauty of Nebraska nature in several state parks, historical parks, recreation areas, and monuments. Includes a cookout, guided tours, cabin stays, and special highlights as we make a giant loop around the state. Branson Christmas. November 6 - 9. $699 before 8/6. ($739 after 8/6.) Enjoy Daniel O’Donnell at the Welk Theater, Pierce Arrow, The Brett Family, Neal McCoy, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons hits in “New Jersey Nights”, and either “The Miracle of Christmas” at the Sight and Sound Theater or the SIX Show, and Grand Village shopping.
R
esearchers at Felician University in New Jersey recently announced the results of a study on college student perceptions of aging during the American Society on Aging Conference in Chicago. Aging Expectations, Attitudes, and Perceptions found most students anticipated being active and living in their own home independently with financial security beyond age 85, but more than 70 percent hadn’t started planning for their older years. As a result, Felician University is looking to expand and replicate the study at other colleges to gather more information about students and the optimal onset of planning for one’s older years. That information will then be integrated into courses taught at the university. “Teaching students life skills across the lifespan is the responsibility of a university,” said Dr. Anne Prisco, president of Felician University. Course work would include banking and financial planning, investments, housing markets, mortgages and estate planning, types of insurance (car, life, health, longterm care), wills, power of attorney, and tax liabilities. The study – which was conducted with undergraduate and graduate students at Felician in 2015 – underscores how little research has been done on college students and their aging expectations. It also highlights how important it will be to develop more economic, health, and social policies and programs for that group. The older population (65+) is expected to grow 68.7 percent from 2012 to 2032, meaning an increasing number of older adults who will face a critical demand for
Do
about
Kansas City Christmas. Dates to be determined after the New Theater announces its new season.
Laughlin Laughlin in June. June 17 – 21. $299. Five days – four nights. Includes non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, four nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. It is a very affordable way to get away!
In Partnership with Collette Vacations
America’s Music Cities. October 1 - 8. $3149. New Orleans, Memphis, and Nashville by air. Some highlights include a French Quarter tour and jazz revue, swamp cruise, Gaylord Opryland Hotel stay, Graceland, Country Music Hall of Fame, reserved seats at the Grand Ole Opry, whisky distillery tour, Belle Meade Plantation tour, and a Louisiana cooking demo. Discover Panama. February 22 – March 2, 2018. Details to follow. Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park. Mid July 2018. Details to follow. Spotlight London Holiday. December 2018. Details to follow. Iceland’s Magical Northern Lights. Early March, 2019. Details to follow. Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. 11808 Mason Plaza, Omaha, NE 68154
New Horizons
aging services
Log on to
enoa.org
The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Web site includes information about:
Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and do include airfare. More destinations available!
•
?
have questions
in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, or Washington counties?
Laughlin in July. July 10 – 14. $299. Five days – four nights. Includes non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, four nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport.
Page 6
you
health services, transitional housing, transportation, and financial support services. Except for living independently, most respondents chose the “unsure” category when asked about their future living conditions, which included modifications to housing, the need for a live-in-caregiver, living with adult children or family members, relocation to independent living, assisted living, nursing home, and living in another state. When asked about Activities of Daily Living, the majority responded they anticipate the need for assistance after age 85. However, they plan to remain active by attending theatre, movies, socializing with friends, and attending senior centers and social events. They weren’t sure if they’d be able to continue to play golf, tennis, or other sporting activities. Other key findings included: • Intending to have enough money to live independently until age 85 and beyond. • Being unsure at what age they’d need regarding federal and state assistance to stay in own home. • Need for companionship to avoid loneliness and a feeling of isolation at age 85+. • Expecting to need support services (home-health aides, visiting nurses, and social service information and referrals for services provided by the community, county, and state) at age 85+. • Owning and driving a car until ages 75 to 84 and depending on neighbors, friends, and community transportation services after age 85. • Unsure at what age financial planning help would be needed for older years. • Consider themselves “old” at age 65. (Felician University provided this information.)
•
• • • • • • • • • • •
Bath aides Care management Chore services Community education Durable medical equipment Emergency food pantry Emergency response systems ENOA facts and figures ENOA Library ENOA senior centers
24 hours a day, • Homemakers 7 days a week!
• Information & assistance telephone lines • Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha • Legal services • Meals on Wheels • Medicaid Waiver • New Horizons Grandparent Resource Center • Nutrition counseling
June 2017
• • • • • •
Ombudsman advocates Respite care Respite Resource Center Rural transportation Senior Care Options Support of adult day facilities • Volunteer opportunities
You can transfer your homestead exemption to your new residence
A
lice is a 68-year-old widow who owns and lives in her own home. For the last several years, she’s been getting a full property tax exemption on her home because she’s enrolled in the Nebraska Homestead Exemption program. The homestead program allows up to a 100 percent exemption from property taxes on the principal residence of eligible Nebraskans. For more information on the Nebraska Homestead Exemption Program, please see page 14. Alice decided to downsize and bought a townhome for a little less than the value of her current home and moved in during June. Fast forward to December of the same year. Alice receives a property tax bill for her new home because, although she applied for and was granted a homestead exemption on her prior residence, she didn’t apply to transfer her homestead exemption to her newly purchased townhome. This resulted in her loss of a homestead exemption for the year because she neither lived in her previous home long enough to qualify during the year, nor did she apply to transfer the homestead exemption to her new home. Alice didn’t know she needed to transfer her exemption and, in fact, her real estate agent told her she’d get a letter from the Nebraska Department of Revenue about her property taxes and the homestead exemption for her new home. The result for Alice, who is single, over 65, with an annual net income that would qualify her for 100 percent homestead exemption, is sad because she has a property tax bill she hadn’t anticipated. Here’s the scoop—homestead exemptions can be transferred. To qualify for a homestead exemption, the person seeking it must own and occupy the residence or mobile home from Jan. 1 through Aug. 15 each year. If not owned and occupied during that time, the homestead exemption, by state law, will be disallowed for the entire year. There’s an annual requirement the owner file an application for the homestead exemption along with an income statement, on or before June 30. However, the homestead exemption is transferable if certain conditions are met. If the owner acquires and occupies a new homestead prior to Aug. 15, he or she must file, in addition to the annual application and income statement for the original homestead, an Application for Transfer (Form 458T) with the assessor’s office in the county in which the new homestead is located on or before Aug. 15. To transfer a homestead exemption to a newly- purchased home, several things need to happen. First, Alice must have filed a homestead exemption application (and income statement) for the first house with her assessor’s office. She can file that application between Feb. 1 and June 30. Second, if the new townhome was purchased and occupied prior to Aug. 15, Alice needs to file an Application for Transfer (Form 458T) with the assessor’s office on or before Aug. 15. If Alice had completed those filings, she would have received the homestead exemption on the new home. Her old home, however, will no longer receive a property-tax exemption and will be taxable. We know the importance of the Homestead Exemption program. And we know moving brings with it a long list of things to do. Be sure your homestead exemption goes with you to your new home by filing the application on the old house and then filing the transfer statement for the new residence. You can find the homestead exemption forms at www.dcassessor.org. Click on the box for “Homestead Exemption”. If you have any questions about the homestead program, please feel free to contact the Douglas County Assessor/ Register of Deeds office at 402-444-7060. Choose Option 2 for homestead exemption. (The Douglas County Assessor/Register of Deeds office provided this information.)
The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging has been providing programs and services for older adults in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties since 1974.
June 2017
•
New Horizons
•
Page 7
Poll: Later years are the happiest
T
he secret to happiness is found in our later years, according to a Gallup-Healthways poll. That should come as no surprise since many older individuals are living healthier, more engaged lives than ever before, says Dr. Noelle Nelson, author of Happy Healthy…Dead: Why What You Think You Know About Aging is Wrong and How to Get it Right (by MindLab Publishing). “The survey shows two things,” says Nelson. “One, society’s stereotype of older people as being worn out, depressed, and sickly is simply not true, and second, instead of dreading the thought of growing older, we should be looking forward to those years as a time of renewal and joy.” The 2015 poll compared the well being of Americans age 55 and over with those in younger age brackets. Older Americans achieved a well-being index score three points higher than those under 55. Participants were asked about their level of worry, stress, and depression. In each category, older Americans registered significantly lower levels than younger age groups. The survey also asked participants about their amount of exercise, eating habits,
healthcare, and financial wellbeing. With the exception of exercise, those age 55 and over scored the highest in all categories. Some experts believe happiness through life comes in the form of a u-shaped curve. “We are typically happy during our childhood, feel the stress of determining who we want to be in life, raising a family and finding a financial footing in our middle years, and then enjoying peace and satisfaction in our later years,” Nelson says. Since life spans are increasing, “old age” can cover 30 to 40 years. “Ultimately, it’s up to each of us as individuals to decide how we choose to live those years,” she says. “Attitude, attention to health, staying active, and being part of large social structure with friends and family can make all the difference between a miserable life and one worth living—rules to live by regardless of age.”
Fremont Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field), for the following: • June 1: Blood pressure checks by Fremont Hospice @ 9:30 a.m. followed by a presentation on hospice care @ 10 a.m. • June 2: Nye will lead us in a craft time @ 10 a.m. • June 5: Farmers’ Market coupon sign up and distribution begins @ 9:30 a.m. Allow 30 to 45 minutes. • June 8: A representative from Legal Aid of Nebraska will talk about scams, wills, and powers of attorney @ 10 a.m. • June 13: Presentation on Travel to the Gulf Coast by Rich Hirshman @ 10:30 a.m. • June 14: Music by Bill Chrast @ 10:30 a.m. • June 15: Presentation on elder abuse @ 10 a.m. • June 21: Accordion player Wayne Miller @ 10:30 a.m. • June 22: Presentation by Nye on dehydration and the importance of drinking water @ 10 a.m. • June 28: Music by Denis and Betty Neal @ 10:30 a.m. Walking in the main arena Tusesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Keep track of your miles in our walking book. The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.
Alzheimer’s support groups The Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter offers several caregiver support groups and specialty support groups each month in Cass, Dodge, Douglas, 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 (toll free) 800-272-3900. CASS COUNTY • PLATTSMOUTH Second Tuesday @ 6 p.m. First Lutheran Church (chapel) 1025 Ave. D DODGE COUNTY • FREMONT Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Shalimar Gardens (second floor community room) 749 E. 29th St. DOUGLAS COUNTY • OMAHA Second Thursday @ 10 a.m. Country House Residences 5030 S. 155th St. FREE on site adult day services are provided. 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. FREE on-site adult day services are provided. Third Tuesday @ 5 p.m. Immanuel Fontenelle 6809 N 68th Plz.
Page 8
•
New Horizons
•
June 2017
Third Tuesday @ 6 p.m. Temple Israel (media room) 13111 Sterling Ridge Dr. Caring for Your Parents Second or third Saturday @ 11 a.m. Call Teri @ 402-393-0434 for locations Spanish Language Support Group Second Tuesday @ 4 p.m. Intercultural Community Center 3010 R St. 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.
AARP offering driving course AARP is offering a new four-hour, research-based Smart Driver Course for older adults. By completing the course, participants will learn research-based driving safety strategies that can reduce the likelihood of having an accident; understand the links between the driver, the vehicle, and the road environment, and how this awareness encourages safer driving; learn how aging, medications, alcohol, and health-related issues affect driving ability and ways to allow for these changes; increase confidence; know how to share the road safely with other drivers, and learn the newest safety and advance features in vehicles. The fee is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonAARP members. No tests or examinations are involved, course completion certificates are provided, and auto insurance discounts may apply. Here’s this month’s schedule: June 7 @ 12:30 p.m. Bloomfield Forum 9804 Nicholas St. To register, call 402-390-9991
June 11 @ 11 a.m. First Christian Church 6630 Dodge St. To register, call 402-210-3472
June 10 @ 9 a.m. The Premier Group 11605 Miracle Hills Dr. #205 To register, call 402-557-6730
June 16 @ 11:30 a.m. Metro Community College 2709 “Babe” Gomez Dr. To register, call 531-622-2620
June 10 @ 1 p.m. AARP Information Center 1941 S. 42nd St . #220 To register, call 402-398-9568
June 20 @ 10 a.m. Sunridge Retirement Comm. 13410 Blondo St. To register, call 402-496-0117
OFD can provide free smoke, carbon monoxide detectors
T
he Omaha Fire Department’s Public Education and Affairs Department can 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 10245 Weisman Dr. Omaha, Neb. 68134 For more information, please call 402-444-3560.
THEOS
T
HEOS, a social organization for singles age 60 and older, meets from 1 to 4 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. For more information, please call Dorothy at 402399-0759 or Mary at 402393-3052.
Bringing your garden to the dinner table By Melinda Myers
M
ake every meal a special event by bringing the garden to the table. Serve your favorite dishes made from homegrown ingredients. Then allow guests to add their own herbal seasonings right from the garden or container. Start by growing the ingredients for your favorite recipes and beverages. Consider those, like tomatoes, that taste best fresh from the garden. Or create a salad bar by filling window boxes and raised beds with greens, hot peppers, green onions, and more. Just hand your guests a plate and let them create their own fresh salad. Dress up the table or balcony with a few containers of herbs on your patio, deck, or near the grill. Use small herb containers as edible centerpieces. Include a pair of garden scissors and allow your family and guests to season the meal to their taste. Add a bit of color to your meal with edible flowers. Try nasturtium and daylily blossoms stuffed with cream cheese, calendula petals sprinkled on your salad, and mint leaves a top a slice of chocolate cake. Include a few herbs and vegetables that can be blended, muddled, or added to your favorite beverage. Use the hollow stems of lovage as a straw for your tomato juice or bloody Mary. You’ll enjoy the celery flavor this edible straw provides. Or pluck a few mint or rosemary leaves to flavor iced tea and lemonade. Just be sure the vegetables and flowers you select are free of pesticides. Remove the bitter tasting pollen from edible flowers. Start your party preparation in the garden. Once you compile your list of favorites prepare your garden and containers for a productive growing and entertaining season. In the garden, add several inches of organic matter such as compost to the top eight to 12 inches of soil. You’ll improve drainage in clay soil and increase the water holding ability in sandy soils. This is also a good time to incorporate an organic nitrogen fertilizer, like Milorganite (milorganite.com) into the soil. This slow release fertilizer provides needed nutrients for six to eight weeks. Then be sure to add a mid-
season boost to keep your garden healthy and productive. For container plantings, select a pot with drainage holes and fill it with a quality potting mix. This is also a good time to add an organic nitrogen fertilizer that will eliminate the need for weekly feedings. Give containers a second application mid-season. Mulch the soil with shredded leaves, evergreen needles, or other organic matter to suppress weeds and conserve moisture. As the mulch breaks down it improves the soil for future plantings. Harvest regularly to keep your plants looking good and producing. Cut the outer leaves of leaf lettuce when four to six inches tall and it will keep growing new leaves. Pick peppers and tomatoes when fully ripe, so the plant continues flowering and forming new fruit. Dress up the table with a bouquet of your favorite garden flowers. Pick a few extras to send home with your guests and they’ll surely remember your special gathering filled with homegrown flavor and beauty. (Gardening expert Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written more than 20 gardening books.)
Nebraska Wind Symphony The 2017 season of performances by the Nebraska Wind Symphony, Omaha’s community concert band, continues in July as it presents two free outdoor concerts featuring patriotic and entertaining music. The shows will also include the Nebraska Wind Symphony Swingtones Big Band. • Sunday, July 2 @ 6 p.m. @ St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, 11900 Pacific St. (Performance inside in case of rain.) • Tuesday, July 4 @ 6 p.m. @ the Chalco Hills Recreation Area, South 154th Street and Giles Road. Among the NWS performers are percussionist Steve Jordon (featured on pages 10 through 12) and his wife, Helen, on the French horn. Audience members are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, blankets, and a picnic.
The relationship between hormone therapy, hearing
I
t has long been suspected that menopause and the use of hormones had a direct effect on hearing. Findings from previous studies, however, have been conflicting, with some suggesting hearing worsens at menopause but that there’s benefit for hearing with hormone therapy. Now results from the first large population study conducted to assess the association between hearing and hormone therapy show older age at natural menopause and the use of oral HT are each associated with a higher risk of hearing loss. The study outcomes were published online recently in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society. Hearing loss is a common problem, with nearly 48 million Americans already affected. This number will grow as the population continues to age. Because hearing loss becomes more common after menopause, the point in a woman’s life when estrogen and progestogen levels fall off, it has long been assumed HT would help reduce the risk of hearing loss. The article, Menopause and Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy and Risk of Hearing Loss, details the largest study to date that examines the independent relations between menopause and post menopause use of HT and the risk of self-reported hearing loss. After reviewing self-reported hearing loss in 80,972
June 2017
women involved in the Nurses’ Health Study II, researchers found the use of oral HT in postmenopausal women, and for longer durations, was associated with an even higher risk of hearing loss. The finding that older age at natural menopause was also associated with a higher risk of hearing loss was unexpected, and the mechanisms for this association were unclear. “The finding from this observational study that women who underwent menopause at a later age and used oral hormone therapy had greater hearing loss was unexpected but should lead to more testing in a randomized, clinical trial,” says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS’ executive director. “Information about the potential effect on hearing is important to include in a discussion regarding the risks and benefits of hormone therapy for symptomatic menopausal women,” she said. (The North American Menopause Society provided this information.)
•
New Horizons
•
Page 9
Steve has represented journalism at its best for a half century By Nick Schinker Contributing Writer
I
f you laid the articles written by Steve Jordon for The Omaha World-Herald over the past 50 years from end to end, they would probably stretch all the way to the Moon - and back. Maybe. But that’s just speculation. And there has never been a place for speculation in Jordon’s impeccable reporting career. Or bias. Or innuendo. Or wild accusations. Or unconfirmed claims. Just the facts. Responsible, reliable, and respected, Jordon is the consummate journalist. “Steve represents journalism at its best,” says Mike Reilly, former World-Herald executive editor and now a vice president of BH Media Group. “Dedicated to truth, fairness, and the interests of readers.” And Steve loves his work. “Part of the fun is learning new things,” Jordon says, “then telling the readers.” He’s been doing that since his very first World-Herald byline – on June 9, 1967 – a feature about another first, Nebraska’s initial group of Job Corps graduates. He was an intern at the time, studying journalism at the University of NebraskaLincoln. The article ran on Page 11. It wouldn’t be long before Jordon would graduate to Page One.
J
ordon, 70, was born in Parkersburg, W.Va. His father, Ken, was an Air Force pilot who flew in England during World War II and was recalled to service to fly in Korea, then continuing his career through Vietnam with the Strategic Air Command. Steve’s mother, Jane, was a speech therapist and homemaker. After the senior Jordon was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue in 1962, Jane was a volunteer with the Head Start program in Omaha. Steve graduated from Bellevue High School (there was only one at the time) in 1964 and received
Photo courtesy of the OWH
Steve Jordon was born in Parkersburg, W.Va.
Page 10
•
Photo by Tom Plambeck
On March 18, Steve Jordon became the 152nd ‘Face on the Barroom Floor’ at the Omaha Press Club. The drawing was done by Jim Horan. his bachelor’s degree from UN-L in 1968. He has two brothers. Brian is a public information officer with the Colorado Department of Transportation. David is an attorney and retired judge who lives in Michigan. A singles and doubles tennis player, Jordon participated in the Nebraska state tournament in high school. He briefly contemplated trying out for the Huskers’ tennis team. “I went out one day and saw that Nebraska had no indoor tennis courts, so they were playing tennis in the gym,” he recalls. “The coach explained the practice schedule to me and I handed back the sweatshirt. I said, ‘I have to go to school sometime.’ That was the end of my athletic career.” However, the music career he began as a band member in sixth grade continues today. He played in the Cornhusker Marching Band and plays during one halftime each year with the NU Alumni Band. He has played in the Omaha Press Club band for its annual fundraising stage show for more than 40 years, as
New Horizons
•
well as writing skits and performing in the annual production. Jordon is a percussionist with the Nebraska Wind Symphony, plays drums for the popular band, the Swingtones; and plays congas for a new band, Monkey Funk. Music has made him happy in many ways. It’s how he met his wife, Helen. “A friend of hers from high school was a roommate of a guy who played in the Explosive Megatones in college in Lincoln,” he says. “We were introduced as freshmen and married as seniors.” Helen’s family was from Ralston and she played French horn in the band there. She continued to play in college. Today, the Jordons perform together in the NU Alumni Band and in the 80-piece Nebraska Wind Symphony. An art education major, Helen taught briefly after college before deciding to pursue a different path as a graphic artist. She also served as a volunteer with the Nebraska Aids Project for 22 years.
June 2017
The Jordons have a son and daughter. Leland is a retired U.S. Marine who played contrabass bugle in the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. He now works as a web developer in Fort Meade, Md., where he lives with his wife, Jin. Ingrid Jordon-Thaden is a botanist who lives in Albany, Calif., with her husband, Brandon, a physicist. They have a daughter, Mabel.
A
fter working at the WorldHerald as an intern his junior year in college, Jordon served as a correspondent his senior year, telephoning his stories in from Lincoln. He was hired fulltime by the newspaper after graduation and has worked a variety of newsroom and reporting assignments or “beats,” from the police beat and the rewrite desk to covering the courts, county government, the Omaha Public Schools during court-ordered busing, and higher education. He began reporting business events back when the topic was --Please turn to page 11.
Jordon is proud of earning his readers’ confidence
Photo by Helen Jordon
Jordon (far left) plays the drums each fall as a member of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Alumni Marching Band. --Continued from page 10. more of a “beat”. “There wasn’t a separate business section at the time,” he says. “There was a page where we’d run a story or two, along with the hog prices and the stock market table, and a regular feature called Business Topics that ran on Sundays.” Gradually, the newspaper added business pages until it evolved into its own section, today titled, Money. Jordon recalls many times when, no matter the reporter’s beat, a particular event would involve any and all available pads, pencils, and typewriters. “We’d often get pulled into regular coverage when something big happened,” Jordon says. “The day we brought our newborn daughter home from the hospital was May 6, 1975 – the day of the tornado. I was out taking photos as soon as the storm passed.” Jordon reported on many front-
page stories including school integration and the riots in North Omaha, the horrific Norfolk, Neb. bank robbery in 2002 that left five people dead; the Von Maur shooting deaths in 2007; and the tornado that devastated the Boy Scout camp in Little Sioux, Iowa, killing four and injuring dozens in 2008. As a business reporter, he has built a file cabinet of reliable sources, a roster that helps as he reports on one of the world’s biggest names in business, Warren Buffett. In 2008, Jordon began writing a weekly column, Warren Watch, about all things Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. In 2013, Jordon wrote a WorldHerald book about Buffett titled, The Oracle & Omaha: How Warren Buffett And His Hometown Shaped Each Other. He says he and other OWH reporters work without influence from the multibillionaire. “He owns the
Nebraska Wind Symphony director Larry MacTaggart (center) with Steve and his wife, Helen, before a 2015 performance. newspaper, so we need to disclose that, but he doesn’t interfere with us or change things,” Jordon says. “The book was already printed when he saw a copy.” And though he doesn’t get to meet with Buffett on a regular basis, Jordon says he is never short of interesting tidbits to report, and often to confirm – or refute. “There are always things being written and printed about him,” Jordon says. “There was some guy in Greece who claimed he sold an island to Warren Buffett. I knew immediately that wasn’t true, so I sent a note to his office and he sent back a comment.” He says Buffett is a voracious reader, not only of business news
Photo by Nancy Line Jacobs
Steve and Warren Buffett hold a copy of Jordon’s book ‘The Oracle & Omaha’ in 2013.
June 2017
•
but also quarterly and annual reports. “He’s probably a genius in terms of processing information,” Jordon says. “He remembers things. He can relate things that to you or me may seem unrelated. And, he has talked about how hard it was to get information back in the old days, before the Internet and computers.” The “old days” – like back when Buffett and Jordon got their start.
F
rom teletypes and typewriters to today’s high-speed Wi-Fi and laptops that enable reporters to file stories from anywhere, Jordon has seen many transformations in the newspaper industry over the past 50 years. “Probably the biggest change has been in printing and delivery technology,” he says. “People rely so much on the Internet today. Our circulation is down, yet more people read what you write than ever before. We get half a million hits a day on our website.” Jordon’s stories have been recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the Associated Press, and the American Newspaper Publishers Association. He has taught reporting and newswriting at Creighton University and is a regular speaker at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Genius of Buffett course for executive MBA students. On March 18, he was honored as the latest Face on the Barroom Floor at the Omaha Press Club, where he is a founding trustee of the Omaha Press Club Foundation. At five years past the average retirement age, Jordon still has plenty of ink in his veins. He has built a reputation and a following that keeps his job interesting and fun. And, although times have changed, he says the basic values that attracted him to print journalism haven’t. --Please turn to page 12.
New Horizons
•
Page 11
Camelot Friendship Center
The ‘OWH’s’ Steve Jordon...
You’re invited to visit the Camelot Friendship Center inside the Camelot Community Center, 9270 Cady Ave., for the following: • June 5: Foot care clinic @ 10:15 a.m. • June 6: Field trip to Werner Park. • June 7: Nurse visit @ 10 a.m. • June 7: Music by Joe Taylor from the Merrymakers @ 11:45 a.m. • June 8: Book Club @ 10:15 a.m. • June 13: Veggie vouchers. • June 16: Movie Day @ 12:15 p.m. • June 19: Chair volleyball @ 10:30 a.m. • June 22: Crafts @ 10:15 a.m. Other activities include Tai Chi (Friday @ 10:15 a.m.), Bingo, pinochle, card games, other games, crafts, candy making, and scrapbooking. The Camelot Friendship Center is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. For reservations or more information, please call Amy at 402-444-3091.
Heartland Generations Center You’re invited to visit the Heartland Generations Center – 4318 Fort St. – for the following: • June 8: Farmers’ Market produce coupons distribution process begins @ 9 a.m. See page 15 for more details. • June 13: WhyArts? Family Night @ 6 p.m. Enjoy percussion music by Michael Fitzsimmons and hot dogs. • June 14: Music by Tim Javorsky from the Merrymakers @ 11:30 a.m. Stay for lunch and an ice cream sundae. • June 19 to 21: Crafts classes with Alexandra and Amanda @ 10:30 a.m. • June 26: Richard Chung from WhyArts? will help you work with clay @ 10:30 a.m. • June 28: Trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Other center events include bingo Wednesday @ 10: 30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. and Friday @ 10:30 a.m. Quilting Friday @ 10:15 a.m. Tai Chi Tuesday and Thursday @ 10:45 a.m. 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.
Photo by Tom Plambeck
The Jordon family around the ‘Face on Barroom Floor’ at the Omaha Press Club. From left: granddaughter Mabel Thaden, daughter-in-law Jin Jordon, son-in-law Brandon Jordon-Thaden, Ph.D., wife Helen Jordon, Steve Jordon, daughter Ingrid Jordon-Thaden, Ph.D., and son Leland Jordon, USMC Ret. --Continued from page 11. “Newspapers were the main source of reliable information for a long time,” he says. “Credibility is one thing newspapers have built, and it’s still the bedrock of what newspapers are all about. “Journalism is one of the few occupations listed in the Constitution. The role journalists have is to inform the public, to keep track of people and events, (and) to serve as a watchdog on the public’s behalf
– it’s a service we provide. The longer you stay at a paper, the more sources you develop. You become more valuable to your readers,” Jordon continues. “I am proud of the time I’ve spent being responsive to the readers; building their confidence in the World-Herald and in newspapers as a source of the truth. You can’t do that all at once. You have to do it day by day for years.” Fifty of them. And that’s a fact.
Photo by Helen Jordon
Steve plays the trap set with the Nebraska Wind Symphony Swingtones. Jordon’s dad purchased HorizonAD-2010:HorizonAD-08 8:00 AM the trap set for his son2/4/10 in 1962.
Jordon in the ‘World-Herald’ newsroom, his work home since 1967.
Page 1
Attorneys at Law William E. Seidler Jr.
www.seidler-seidler-law.com 10050 Regency Circle, Suite 525 Omaha, NE 68114-5705
The Sierra Group, LLC FREE Book & CD Call Us: (800) 309-0753
Page 12
•
New Horizons
402-397-3801
Delivering quality legal services since 1957.
•
June 2017
Notre Dame Housing You’re invited to visit the Notre Dame Housing, 3439 State St. for the following: • First and third Tuesday: Blood pressure clinic from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the wellness center. Use the north entrance. • Tuesday & Thursday: Tai Chi @ 10:30 a.m. Use the north entrance. • Second, third, and fourth Friday: Saving Grace from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Use the east entrance. • Third Thursday: The Center for Holistic Development will provide confidential one-on-one counseling from 3 to 5 p.m. Use the east entrance. • Third Wednesday: Food pantry from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please bring a picture ID and a piece of mail from the last 30 days showing proof of address. Use the east entrance. • June 8: Farmers Market coupon sign-up @ 9 a.m. Use the north entrance. • June 15: Presentation on financial elder abuse @ 1:30 p.m. • June 27: Celebrating June birthdays with music by Michael Lyon from the Merrymakers at 1:30 p.m. Use the north entrance. Notre Dame Housing is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by 11 a.m. the business day prior to the lunch you wish to attend. For meal reservations and more information, please call Brenda at 402-451-4477, ext. 126.
R
RSVP
211 Network
Please see the ad on page 3
NH Club gains new members $20 Roseanne Walters Bobbie Allgood
T
he 211 telephone network has been established in parts of Nebraska to give consumers a single source for information about community and human services. By dialing 211, consumers can access information about: • Human needs resources like food banks, shelters, rent and utility assistance. • Physical and mental health resources. • Employment support. • Support for older Americans and persons with a disability. • Support for children and families. • Volunteer opportunities and donations. The 211 network is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The information is also available online at www.ne211.org.
$10 Dorothy Pesek $5 Sandy Clements Reflects donations received through 5/26/17.
BLUEBARN Theatre Priscilla, Queen of the Desert-the Musical will be on stage at the BLUEBARN Theatre, 1106 S. 10th St., through Sunday, June 25. Show times are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert-the Musical is the adventure of three glamorous friends – Tick, Bernadette, and Adam – who take their show to the middle of the Australian outback. BLUEBARN Producing Artistic Director Susan C. Toberer co-directs the show with Associate Artistic Director Randall T. Stevens. Set, lighting, costume, sound, and properties design are by Martin Scott Marchitto, Alberto Segarra, Jenny Pool, Craig Marsh, and Amy Reiner, respectively. Tickets are $35 each for adults and $30 each for students, seniors, TAG members, and groups of 10 or more. For tickets or more information, call 402-345-1576.
SVP is recruiting persons age 55 and older for a variety of opportunities. For more information in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402444-6536, ext. 224. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402-721-7780. • The Corrigan Senior Center is looking for volunteers. • The Lutheran Thrift Store needs volunteers. • The Douglas County Health Center is looking for volunteers for a variety of assignments. • Crestview Village wants volunteers to teach ESL and GED classes. • The Low Income Ministry wants volunteers for its food pantry. • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteers to drive older adults to their appointments once or twice a week.
We want to hear from
you!
• Do you have questions about the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, its programs or services? • Do you have a comment about the agency and how it serves older adults in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties? • Maybe you have a story idea for the New Horizons?
Send your questions,comments, story ideas, etc. to
DHHS.ENOA@nebraska.gov We appreciate your interest in ENOA and the New Horizons.
June 2017
•
New Horizons
•
Page 13
Millard Senior Center
Return Homestead Exemption applications by June 30
You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., this month for the following: • June 1: National Say Something Nice Day. • June 2: Ice cream social. Bring a topping to share. • June 6: Gardening Exercise Day. • June 7: Farmers’ Market produce vouchers will be distributed @ 9 a.m. • June 12: Elliott quick speech @ 10 a.m. • June 15: Smile Power Day. • June 16: Music by Kathy Dovel @ 1 p.m. • June 19: Foot clinic from 12:15 to 5:15 p.m. • June 21: Picnic at the park. • June 23: Celebration of the Senses Day. • June 27: Presentation by Legal Aid of Nebraska on Protecting Seniors from Scams. • June 30: Tightrope Day. On Sept. 20, the center will celebrate its 20th anniversary. The festivities start @ 9:30 a.m. 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, quilting, chair volleyball, and bingo. For reservations or more information, call 402-546-1270.
WHITMORE LAW OFFICE
A
pplicants whose names are on file in the assessor’s office in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties should have a homestead exemption form mailed to them by early March. New applicants must contact their county assessor’s office to receive the application. The 2017 forms and a household income statement must be completed and returned to the county assessor’s office by June 30, 2017. A homestead exemption provides property tax relief by exempting all or part of the homestead’s valuation from taxation. The state of Nebraska reimburses the counties and other government subdivisions for the lost tax revenue. To qualify for a homestead exemption, a Nebraska homeowner must be age 65 by Jan. 1, 2017, the home’s owner/occupant through Aug. 15, 2017, and fall within the income guidelines shown below. Certain homeowners who have a disability, are developmentally disabled, are totally disabled war veterans, or the widow(er) of a totally disabled war veteran – including those who have remarried after age 57 – may also be eligible for this
annual tax break. When determining household income, applicants must include Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits plus any income for which they receive a Form 1099. The homestead exemption amount is based on the homeowner’s marital status and income level (see below). Maximum exemptions are based on the average assessed value for residential property in each Nebraska county.
T
he Douglas County Assessor/Register of Deeds’ office (1819 Farnam St.) is sending volunteers into the community to help older adults complete the application form. The volunteers will be located at sites throughout the county. A list of these locations will be included with your application. Assistance is also available by calling Volunteers Assisting Seniors at 402-4446617. Here are the numbers for the local assessor’s offices: Douglas: 402-444-7060, option #2; Sarpy: 402-593-2122; Dodge: 402-727-3915; Cass: 402-296-9310; and Washington: 402-426-6800.
Household income table
Wills • Trusts • Probate
Ask A Lawyer: Q — Aren’t trusts just for rich folks? A — That’s one of the most common misconceptions, the “rich kid with a trust fund.” Actually a living trust is a simple way for your home, belongings, accounts, and/or investments all to seamlessly transition to your spouse, children or other person(s) of your choice upon your death, without the delay, cost, and frustration of probate. Many people assume a will does this, but they are surprised to find that it does not, and that a great deal of trouble could be avoided with a living trust. A trust is appropriate for most people who own a home, property, or have any investments.
Over age 65 married income
Over age 65 single income
Exemption %
0 - $32,500.99 $32,501 - $34,200.99 $34,201 - $36,000.99 $36,001 - $37,700.99 $37,701 - $39,400.99 $39,401 - $41,200.99 $41,201 - $42,900.99 $42,901 - $44,700.99 $44,701 - $46,400.99 $46,401 - $48,200.99 $48, 201 and over
0 to $27,600.99 $27,601 - $29,100.99 $29,101 - $30,500.99 $30,501 - $31,900.99 $31,901 - $33,400.99 $33,401 - $34,800.99 $34,801 - $36,300.99 $36,301 - $37,700.99 $37,701 - $39,100.99 $39,101 - $40,600.99 $40,601 and over
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Join Us at the 43rd Annual
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
PARKSIDE
FREE d n garage a500 up to $ng movi specials!
June 9th - June 10th - June 11th Downtown Omaha • Farnam Street • 10th to 15th Streets
SMOKE FREE
FREE!
Independent apartment living for persons age 55+ • Spacious 1 & 2 bedroom apartment homes • Elevator • Washer/dryer in every apartment • Garage included in rent • Beautifully landscaped grounds • Within walking distance of Ralston Park
PARKSIDE
• Emergency alarm system • 24-hour emergency maintenance • Controlled access entry • Community areas on every floor • Microwave • Icemaker • Window blinds furnished
Call today to view your new home in the park!
7775 Park Drive • Ralston, Nebraska
Page 14
•
New Horizons
Florence Home Rehabilitation
Rehab, renew, return home More than 375 individuals have safely transitioned to their home.
Call 402-827-6000
www.omahaseniorcare.org
402-339-9080
•
Erin Carpenter, Ceramics, OSAF Juried Artist
June 2017
Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions honored
Farmers’ Market coupons available at ENOA senior centers during June
C
oupons which can be exchanged for fresh produce are scheduled to be distributed primarily during the first two weeks of June at the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s senior centers. The Nebraska Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program – administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services – provides fresh, nutritious, locally-grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The program also helps increase consumption of the state’s produce. To be eligible for $48 in coupons, recipients must be age 60 or older and have an annual income of less than $22,311 for a single person or less than $30, 044 for a two-person household. The coupons can be exchanged through Oct. 31, 2017 at SFMNP certified Nebraska Farmers’ Market stands. If you’re interested in obtaining 16 coupons – each worth $3 – please contact the ENOA senior center nearest you for information regarding the specific date and time the center has scheduled to distribute the coupons. Only one set of coupons will be issued per household. The program’s appropriations are limited, therefore, not everyone requesting coupons may receive them. More information is available at the ENOA senior centers. A complete list of these facilities can be found online at enoa.org by clicking on Programs and then the Senior Centers link.
NARFE chapters 144, 1370 Volunteers from the Foster Grandparent Program (top) and the Senior Companion Program were honored last month at a luncheon at the DC Centre.
A
Mary Maxwell was the guest speaker.
Julie Nash thanked the volunteers for their dedication and service.
group of 125 men and women – volunteers with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Foster Grandparent Program and Senior Companion Program – were honored recently at the annual FGP/SCP recognition luncheon at the D.C. Centre. Sponsored locally by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, the FGP and SCP are national programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Senior Service Corps. RSVP (see pages 13 and 16) is also part of the Senior Service Corps. 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. Senior Companions help other older adults maintain their independence by visiting them at home and reading to them, visiting about current events, sharing stories, playing cards, etc.
The luncheon featured a delicious meal, humorist Mary Maxwell, the volunteers reciting the Senior Corps pledge, and comments from Julie Nash, the Nebraska State Director for the Corporation for National and Community Service. For more information on the Senior Companion Program and the Foster Grandparent Program, please see the story on page 5 or call 402-444-6536.
Federal employee groups meet at Omaha restaurant The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Chapter 144 meets the first Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-292-1156. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Aksarben Chapter 1370 meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-342-4351.
Immanuel Affordable Communities Immanuel Communities offers beautiful affordable independent apartment homes for seniors who are on a fixed income. Call today to schedule a personal visit.
Income guidelines apply
Doris Fowler was among the Senior Companions honored at the annual recognition luncheon.
June 2017
Immanuel Courtyard 6757 Newport Avenue Omaha, NE 68152 402-829-2912
Assisted Living at Immanuel Courtyard 6759 Newport Avenue Omaha, NE 68152 402-829-2990
Trinity Courtyard 620 West Lincoln Street Papillion, NE 68046 402-614-1900
Affilated with the Nebraska Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
•
New Horizons
•
www.immanuel.com
Page 15
Rutgers program unites exercise science majors with older adults
RSVP vols celebrate #Day of the S!
F
or New Jersey residents Ruth Gottlieb, 82, and Jean Timper, 85, exercise is the high point of their day. What gets them most excited is line dancing. “I even dance around the house. When I’m vacuuming or cooking, I just stop and dance around and stretch. I like to be flexible,” says Gottlieb, a former teacher whose only regular exercise had been running after students. Since 2002, these two friends have kept moving through programs designed by Rutgers University’s Center for Exercising and Aging, in which students lead older adults in activities ranging from strength training to aerobics. “If I had not been exercising all these years, I don’t think I’d be here or doing as great as I am,” says Timper. The center was founded by Susan Kaplowitz, a teaching professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Rutgers’ School of Arts and Sciences. As a personal trainer specializing in older adults, Kaplowitz realized her students – primarily exercise science majors – would benefit from working on an exercise program for older adults. “I wanted to provide a course that would prepare them for careers that involved geriatrics,” she says. “Plus, I thought it would be a great way to apply our knowledge to benefit the local community.” Kaplowitz launched the program with the participation of her own clients as she reached out to local senior centers and assisted living facilities. The organizations partner with the program by allowing students to work with their members on-site or sending older adults to gyms on the Rutgers’ campus for exercise classes throughout the year. Older adults visit centers mainly to socialize. “It’s an important part of their day,” Kaplowitz says. “The program allows them to socialize and build their self-confidence as they see their strength improve. Many of our participants have not exercised before, especially in strength training.” Exercise helps older adults maintain daily functions, Kaplowitz says. The most important exercises focus on the lower body to improve balance since older men and women are prone to falls. Cardiovascular exercise is also essential. As people age, muscle mass decreases and body fat composition increases, which can lead to conditions like diabetes. Cardio can improve body composition and endurance and allow older adults to perform daily tasks without losing their breath. Strength training improves flexibility. When older adults keep moving, their joints stay mobile, helping to prevent osteoarthritis and assisting them in physical activities. “I’ve seen many 80 year olds who are more fit than 50 year olds. It doesn’t matter how athletic you once were, when your body ages, you need to exercise to maintain it,” says teaching assistant Bella Bulsara. “The most important goal is to preserve the ability to perform simple tasks like lifting your arms and walking, without losing breath. Each person has his or her own constraints. The students learn how to tailor exercises to the individual, even when leading a large group.” “I bubble over when I exercise with the students. They give great pointers,” says Millie Holder, 93. “It’s so important to keep as active as possible for your ability – even if you’re just moving your fingers. The students help me zero in on arthritis. I roll a ball up my arm with one finger, squeeze a ball or use stretch bands.” Exercise has improved Holder’s stamina. “I used to think it was such long walk to my apartment. Now, I run from my home to the auditorium,” she says. “Being active every day is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
The RSVP luncheon was held last month at the German American Society.
B
ernard Anderson, Charles Fink, Mary Ann Jares, Charles Karrick, Thomas Lichliter, Walter Meier, Janice Newman, and Dona Roy – each who provided more than 800 hours of volunteer service during the last year – were among the men and women honored last month at the annual RSVP recognition luncheon. Held at the German American Society, the festivities included remarks by Tom Lynch from the RSVP Advisory Council, Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging Executive Director Dennis Loose, RSVP Coordinator Pat Tanner, and Nebraska
Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart 35 years of legal experience • Wills • Living Trusts • Probate • Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney • In-home consultations • Free Initial consultation 6790 Grover Street • Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68106 Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) 779-7498 cdorwartjd@dorwartlaw.com
Page 16
•
New Horizons
•
June 2017
State Director for the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Senior Service Corps Julie Nash. Mary Ann Eusebio, director of ENOA’s Information and Assistance division gave a presentation on the agency’s programs and services as the keynote address, and “Mr. Memories” singer Joe Taylor, entertained the audience during lunch. Sponsored locally by ENOA, RSVP is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Senior Service Corps. The Senior Companion Program and the Foster
Grandparent Program (see pages 5 and 15) are also Senior Service Corps Programs. RSVP volunteers – who must be at least age 55 – are an important resource for public and nonprofit organizations, health institutions, food pantries, and senior centers in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties. The luncheon ended as the volunteers saluted the #Day of the S!, part of a week-long celebration recognizing the impact the Senior Service Corps makes across the country. For more information on RSVP, call 402-444-6536.
Bacteria is an important part of your digestive system By Jack Oswald
S
auerkraut, kimchi, pickles, and sourdough breads made with heirloom wheat, for thousands of years these bacterially fermented foods – rarely eaten today – were staples of the human diet. The human digestive system, and more specifically the bacteria that are an integral part thereof, has relied on these foods as a source of what is now known as “microFood” (aka prebiotics, or prebiotic soluble fiber). Without them, the body cannot function optimally because we’re starving bacteria that are critical to the basic workings of what makes us human. Over time – and thanks largely to the introduction of Pasteurization – the modern Western diet has moved away from these bacterially fermented food sources. Today, few people eat more than a rare small serving of fermented vegetables. Most bread is made only using yeast, the sourdough bread that’s available uses different wheat than in the past, and it’s made too quickly. Unfortunately for us, the human body and its integral bacterial population hasn’t evolved to keep up and so we’re still dependent upon this type of microFood for optimal health and to avoid many common chronic health conditions such as chronic acid reflux and chronic constipation. The bacteria in our bodies (our microbiome) produce substances that keep us healthy, and as a result, they function just like any other organ of the body. They can only do that if they get the energy source they need. That’s where microFood comes in. When our bacteria can’t access their preferred food, they’ll adapt to use other energy sources to survive. These can include the mucus lining of the gut. When that happens, the body’s primary protection from harmful bacteria and viruses is compromised, increasing the chances of infection. These “chinks in the gut’s armor” lead to what is called “leaky gut syndrome,” a primary source of systemic inflammation. This can lead to a host of chronic ailments including acid reflux, constipation, IBS, Crohn’s and colitis, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. Many people are turning to probiotics in foods
like yogurt and kefir or taken as supplements to “replenish” their bacteria. But your stomach is designed to kill bacteria with its acid and enzymes. As a result, those probiotics rarely make it to the lower digestive tract where they are most needed. If some do happen to get through, you could be making matters worse, unless you’re concurrently ingesting an adequate amount of microFood to feed those additional mouths.
More than 10,000 participants
Study: Positive social support can reduce risk of developing dementia
P
ositive social support from adult children is associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia, according to research published recently in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Conversely, negative social support is linked with increased risk of developing dementia, according to the 10-year follow-up study carried out by a team of researchiber is also touted as a way to solve digestive prob- ers from the University of East Anglia (UEA), University lems. Insoluble fiber (a.k.a. bulk fiber), helps trans- College London (UCL), London Metropolitan University, and the University of Nottingham. port your digesting food through the alimentary The study was based on data from the English Longitucanal. It provides stool bulk, slows gastric emptydinal Study of Aging (ELSA). ing, and can blunt the rise in blood glucose after a glucose The researchers analyzed a decade of data that followed load. But it does nothing to feed your beneficial bacteria. 10,055 core participants from ELSA who were dementiaThe other fiber – soluble fiber – is the type that profree at the start of the study in 2002-2003. Participants were vides microFood for your beneficial bacteria. You might be thinking – can’t I just eat better? In theory interviewed every two years during 2004 to 2012. Incidences of dementia were identified from self-reports by particiyes, but a normal healthy Western diet isn’t the solution. pants or information given by nominated informants. Although many of your bacteria can get their microFood Measures of positive and negative experiences of social from plants and whole grains, others require bacterially support were calculated at a 2002 baseline using a set of six fermented microFood. items within an ELSA health and lifestyle questionnaire of Unless you’re eating large servings of bacterially ferpeople age 50 and over. mented foods every day just like our ancestors did, an imAn increase of one point in the positive social support portant subset of your gut bacteria is starving. Drinks like score led to up to a 17 percent reduction in the instantakombucha and kefir aren’t enough. neous risk of developing dementia, the findings showed. If you’re eating vegetables and grains, you’re likely Positive support was characterized by having a reliable, getting enough plant-based microFood in your diet. To get approachable, and understanding relationship with spouses your daily dose of bacterially fermented microFood, you or partners, children, and other immediate family. can eat several servings of fermented foods like kimchi or Negative support scores showed stronger effects – an sauerkraut every day. These foods contain the bacterially increase of one point in the negative support score led to up fermented molecules your starving bacteria desperately to a 31 percent rise in the risk. Negative support was charneed, but you’ll need significant amounts of these speacterized by experiences of critical, unreliable, and annoycial foods to get them. Fermented vegetables also aren’t particularly pleasing to every palate—so be prepared for the ing behaviors from spouses or partners, children, and other taste. Alternately, you can take a daily dose of a bacterially immediate family. Of the 5,475 men and 4,580 women the study followed, fermented microFood supplement. Several years ago, researchers at Louisiana State Univer- 3.4 percent were recorded as developing some form of dementia during 2004 to 2012. sity in Baton Rouge developed a fermentation process that “It is well known that having a rich network of close isolates a very specific microFood maltosyl-iso-malto-olirelationships, including being married and having adult gosaccharide (MIMO)—the molecule present in traditionchildren, is related to a reduced risk of cognitive decline ally fermented foods and sourdough bread. Numerous studies have shown microFood supports better and developing dementia,” said Dr. Mizanur Khondoker, a senior lecturer in medical statistics at UEA’s Norwich digestion and regularity, boosts immune system function, supports healthy weight management, helps regulate health Medical School. “However, a relationship or social connection that does blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and improves mineral not work well can be a source of intense interpersonal absorption for bone health. stress, which may have a negative impact on both the Additional effects that consumers have noticed include physical and mental health of older adults. It is not only the better sleep, more energy, reduced constipation, and imquantity of social connections, but also the quality of those proved mood. Good health starts with good nutrition for connections that may be an important factor affecting older the entire body—and that should include microFood. people’s cognitive health. (Oswald is co-founder and one of the inventors of ISO“This work is a step toward a better understanding of Thrive Prebiotic Nectar.) the impact of social relationships on dementia risk. Further research is needed to better establish any potential causal Sarpy County Museum mechanisms that may drive these associations.” “Our findings add to the growing evidence of the relevance of social relationships for cognitive health in older ie socials are an American tradition that will age,” said UCL professor Andrew Steptoe. “Specifically for come to the Sarpy County Museum – 2402 Clay health and social care practice, the research highlights the St. in Bellevue – on Saturday, June 10 from 2 to value of thinking about social relationship issues in individ4 p.m. This community fundraiser is a kick-off uals vulnerable to dementia, while pointing toward specific event for the annual Great Sarpy County Quilt Exhibit ways of potentially modifying risk. sponsored by the Braided River Quilt Guild. “Our results will add to the impetus underlying local and The museum will be open so national efforts to help strengthen the social relationships of visitors can view the more than older people, many of whom are isolated and lonely.” 100 quilts on display from area quilters through Aug. 19. Pie ($2 per slice), drinks ($1), Thank, shake hands with a veteran and ice cream ($1) will be available for purchase. ou’re invited to stop by American Legion The museum parking lot will Post #1, 7811 Davenport St., on Saturday, be blocked off with reserved June 17 between 9 and 10 spots for handicapped parking. a.m. as the American Legion Public parking will also be availRiders begin a 100-mile journey riding able at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 903 W. Mission Ave. motorcycles, driving in cars, and riding The festivities will include old-fashioned games on magic carpets to shake the hands of for kids, crafts including a make your own barn quilt, area veterans and thank them for their weaved cards, and pie demonstrations. The Bellevue military service. train depot and the Union Pacific caboose will be open For more information, please contact to explore. John “Hammer” Hanzlik at For more information, please call 402-292-1880. jmhcycle@cox.net.
F
P
Y
June 2017
•
New Horizons
•
Page 17
Pick up your free copy of New Horizons each month The New Horizons is available at locations throughout eastern Nebraska. Stop by and pick up a free copy each month at one of the following: Adams Park Senior Center 3230 John Creighton Blvd.
ENCAP 2406 Fowler Ave.
Life Care Center 6032 Ville de Sante Dr.
Ridgewood Apts. 6801 Spring St.
Aksarben Manor 7410 Mercy Rd.
Evans Tower 3600 N. 24th St.
Livingston Plaza Apts. 303 S. 132nd St.
Rorick Apts. 604 S. 22nd St.
The Ambassador 1540 N. 72nd St.
Florence Home 7915 N. 30th St.
Louisville Senior Center 423 Elm St.
Royal Oaks/House of Hope 4801 N. 52nd St.
American Red Cross 3838 Dewey St.
Florence Senior Center 2920 Bondesson St.
Lutheran Home 530 S. 26th St.
St. Bernard Church 3601 N 65th St.
Arlington (Neb.) Senior Center 305 N. 3rd St.
Fremont (Neb.) Friendship Center 1730 W. 16th St.
Mangelsen’s 84th & Grover streets
St. Bridget Church 4112 S. 26th St.
Maple Crest Condos 2820 N. 66th Ave.
St. Joseph Tower 2205 S. 10th St.
Mercy Care Center 1870 S. 75th St.
St. Joseph Villa 2305 S. 10th St.
Millard Manor 12825 Deauville Dr.
St. Mary’s Church 811 S. 23rd St. Bellevue
Bank of Nebraska 7223 S. 84th St. Bellewood Court Apts. 1700 Lincoln Rd. Bellevue Bellevue Library 1003 Lincoln Rd.
Friendship Program 7315 Maple St. Gold Coast Square 1213 Gold Coast Rd. Papillion Hallmark Care Center 5505 Grover St.
Millard Montclair Senior Center 2304 S. 135th Ave.
Bennington (Neb.) Senior Center 322 N. Molley St.
Heartland Family Service Senior Center 4318 Fort St.
Mission Vue Apartments 406 E. Mission Ave. Bellevue
Benson Tower 5900 NW Radial Hwy.
Hickory Villa 7315 Hickory St.
Bickford Cottage 11309 Blondo St.
Hillcrest Care Center 1702 Hillcrest Rd. Bellevue
Monarch Villa 201 E. Cedardale Dr. Papillion
Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave.
Dora Bingel Senior Center 923 N. 38th St. Blumkin Home 333 S. 132nd St. Camelot 6 Apartments 9415 Cady Ave. Camelot Friendship Center 9270 Cady Ave.
Hooper (Neb.) Senior Center 208 N. Main St. Immanuel Courtyard 6757 Newport Ave. Immanuel Medical Center 6901 N. 72nd St.
Montclair Nursing Home 2525 S. 135th St. Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition 2240 Landon Ct. New Cassel 900 N. 90th St. Nehawka (Neb.) Senior Center North Bend (Neb.) Senior Center
Carter Lake Senior Center 626 Locust St.
Immanuel Trinity Village 522 N. Lincoln St. Papillion
Central Park Tower 1511 Farnam St.
Immanuel Village 6803 N. 68th Plz.
Oak Valley Apts. 12425 Krug Ave.
Christie Heights Senior Center 3623 P St.
Intercultural Community Senior Center 3010 R St.
OEA Apts. 122 S. 39th St.
Chubb Foods 2905 N. 16th St. W. Dale Clark Library 215 S. 15th St. Corrigan Senior Center 3819 X St. Croatian Cultural Society 8711 S. 36th St. Crown Pointe Retirement Center 2820 S. 80th St. Crown Tower 5904 Henninger Dr. deFreese Manor 2669 Dodge St. Dodge (Neb.) Senior Center 226 N. Elm St. Douglas County Housing 5449 N. 107th Plz. Durham Booth Manor 3612 Cuming St. Eagles Club 23rd & L streets
Jackson Tower 600 S. 27th St. Kay Jay Tower 25th & K streets Kohll’s Pharmacy 50th & Dodge streets Kohll’s Pharmacy 4230 L St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 2923 Leavenworth St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 12739 Q St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 3427 S. 84th St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 617 N. 114th St. Kohll’s Pharmacy 1413 S. Washington St. Papillion Kubat Pharmacy 4924 Center St.
Oak Grove Manor 4809 Redman Ave.
OEA Manor 320 N. 22nd St. OJ’s Mexican Restaurant 9201 N. 30th St. Omaha Nursing Home 4835 S. 49th St. The Orchards at Wildwood 7454 Gertrude St. Papillion Senior Center 1001 Limerick Ave. Park East Tower 539 S. 26th St. Park Tower North 1501 Park Ave.
St. Margaret Mary’s Church 6116 Dodge St. St. Vincent DePaul 5920 Maple St. Sarpy County Courthouse 1261 Golden Gate Dr. Seven Oaks at Notre Dame 3439 State St. Skyline Manor 7300 Graceland Dr. Snyder (Neb.) Senior Center 2nd & Elm streets Social Security Office 7100 W. Center Rd. Suite 200 Social Settlement 4868 Q St. South Omaha Eagles 6607 Sunshine Dr. Southview Heights 49th & Q streets Swanson Library 9101 W. Dodge Rd. Joe Tess Restaurant 5424 S. 24th St. Thrift Store 7328 Maple St. Trinity Cathedral 18th Street & Capitol Avenue Twin Tower Apts. 3000 Farnam St. Underwood Tower 4850 Underwood Ave. Veterans Hospital 4101 Woolworth St.
Petrow’s Restaurant 5914 Center St.
Ville de Sante Terrace 6202 Ville de Sante Dr.
Phil’s Foodway 3030 Ames Ave.
Village Inn 309 N. Fort Crook Rd. Bellevue
Phil’s Foodway 4232 Redman Ave. Pine Tower 1501 Pine St.
Eagle (Neb.) Senior Center 509 4th St.
LaVista (Neb.) Senior Center 8116 Parkview Blvd.
Plattsmouth (Neb.) Senior Center 308 S. 18th St.
Elmwood (Neb) Senior Center 144 N. 4th St.
Leo’s Diner 6055 Maple St.
Ralston (Neb.) Senior Center 7301 Q St.
Elmwood Tower 801 S. 52nd St.
Leo Vaughn Manor 3325 Fontenelle Blvd.
Remington Heights 12606 W. Dodge Rd.
JC Wade Manor 3464 Ohio St. Walgreen’s Pharmacy 5038 Center St. Weeping Water (Neb.) Senior Center 101 E. Eldora St. The Wellington 501 E. Gold Coast Rd. Papillion
Event to raise awareness of elder abuse set for June 15 Every day 10,000 Americans turn age 65. As our nation’s older adult population total rises, a startling number of these older men and women will face abusive conditions at one time or another. Every year, as many as 5 million older Americans are victims of elder abuse. Experts believe for every case of elder abuse or neglect reported, another 23.5 cases go unreported.
CLASSIFIEDS RETAINING WALLS CONCRETE STEPS
Lamplighter II
All types • Call Dave
402-208-0596
Please call 402-444-4148 or 402- 444-6654 to place your ad Cartagena Painting Service
Some of the nicest, newer 1 bedroom apartments. Elevator, w & d, heated parking garage. Small complex. By bus & shopping. No pets or smoking.
Commercial/Residential Interior/Exterior/Insured Free estimates/BBB member 402-714-6063 cartagenapainting@yahoo.com
HOUSE CLEANING
Lonergan Lawns
93rd & Maple • 402-397-6921
Always thorough. Personalized service. Satisfaction guaranteed. Call Judy
Mow, fertilize, aerate. Trim trees & bushes. Clean gutters. Build walls. Haul junk. Call Tim @ 402-612-3576
GET RID OF IT!
OLD STUFF WANTED
402-885-8731 REFRESH CLEANING refreshcleaning.site
Preserve Your Family Memories
The United States loses an estimated $2.6 billion annually due to financial abuse and exploitation; funds that could have been used to pay for basic needs like housing, food, and medical care. On June 15, the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging will join organizations across the United States to commemorate World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. WEAAD is a call to action for individuals, organizations, and communities to raise awareness of the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older men and women. WEADD originated in 2006 as a combined effort of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. For more information about WEADD, please contact the National Center on Elder Abuse at (toll free) 855-500-3537 or nceainfo@aoa.hhs.gov. To report elder abuse and/or financial exploitation in Nebraska, please call Adult Protective Services at (toll free) 800-652-1999.
The New Horizons is brought to you each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.
Volunteers needed The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging is looking for volunteer drivers for its Meals on Wheels Program.
Make sure your photos & videos are preserved for the future. Have them transferred to digital for easy viewing, sharing, and safe storage.
Paper Moon Imaging Call us today: (402) 661-9195 www.PaperMoonImaging.com
RICK’S
Haul away, garage, basement, rental clean out…
Johansen Brothers Call Frank
(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
402-312-4000
Tree Trimming Beat the bursting buds!
TOP CASH PAID Best & honest prices paid for: Nice old vintage and costume jewelry, old watches, vintage toys, Fenton glassware, 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
Senior Citizens (62+)
Please support New Horizons advertisers
Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue.
Bellewood Courts
1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300 Bellewood@KimballMgmt.com
deFreese Manor
Monarch Villas
201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882 Monarch@KimballMgmt.com
Subsidized housing for those age 62 and over with incomes under $25,250 (1 person) or $28,850 (two persons)
Managed by Kimball Management, Inc. PO Box 460967 Papillion, NE 68046 www.kimballmgmt.com
2669 Dodge Omaha, NE 402-345-0622
We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.
Chipping & removal. Your prunings chipped. Experienced & insured. Senior discount.
402-894-9206
Buying or selling? Use the New Horizons CLASSIFIEDS Call 402-444-4148 or 402-444-6654 TODAY to place your ad.
Flexible weekday schedule delivering midday meals to homebound older adults in the greater Omaha area. Call Arlis at 402-444-6766 for more information.
ENOA June 2017
•
New Horizons
•
Page 19
New Cassel Foundation event salutes veterans, their spouses
A
t a special celebration held last month, the New Cassel Foundation saluted more than 50 veterans from the New Cassel Retirement Center and the Franciscan Centre Adult Day Service program. Among the heroes honored were a code breaker from the Korean War, a Medevac nurse who helped return severely wounded combatants back to the United States, a Navy seaman who protected our country from sabotage during WWII, a Navy Choral member who sang with Frank Sinatra, and a Distinguished Service Cross recipient from the Korean War.
The festivities included a rifle salute by the Color Guard from American Legion Post #1.
Al Buckles – CMSGT USAF (retired) from the Department of Defense Senior Executive Service – was the guest speaker. Buckles once served as the Looking Glass program’s command-and-control superintendent. American Legion Post #1 posted the Colors, played Taps, and conducted a rifle salute. Each veteran received a patriotic gift and spouses of veterans received red, white, and blue flowers courtesy of the Honor and Remember Nebraska Chapter. “Honoring Our Veterans at New Cassel is a beautiful tribute to those who defended this country and gave us all the freedom we have today,” said New Cassel Foundation President Cindy Petrich. “We, as a community, are called to salute our heroes for their sacrifice and fortitude in protecting our homeland and our way of life. They made sacrifices that many of us could never dream of making. We take great pride in thanking these men and women with a very special tribute.”
Alan Williams from American Legion Post #1 played ‘Taps’ at the May ceremony.
Al Buckles who served with the Looking Glass program was the guest speaker.
Your home. Your care. Your pace. Our program provides a complete system of health care. The service is called PACE, which stands for: Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We provide primary and hospital care as well as prescription drugs, transportation and so much more to our participants. Services are provided in the home, at the PACE Center and in the community. For complete program details and benefits, please call 402-991-0330 or visit www.immanuel.com. PACE participants may be fully and personally liable for the costs of unauthorized or out-of-PACE program services. Emergency services are covered. Participants may disenroll at any time.
Serving select zip codes in Douglas, Sarpy, Washington, Dodge, Cass and Saunders counties. 5755 Sorensen Parkway | Omaha, NE 68152 | 402-991-0330
Page 20
•
New Horizons
•
June 2017
Elder Access Line Legal 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. For more information, log on the Internet to http:// www.legalaidofnebraska. com/EAL.