A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging
October 2016 VOL. 41 • NO. 10
ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OMAHA NE PERMIT NO. 389
New Horizons ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Fourth estate to real estate
Carol Schrader was one of Omaha’s first female television news anchors. Later, she became news director for a local radio station and the chief deputy in the Douglas County Assessor’s office. Today she’s a realtor. Nick Schinker profiles Schrader beginning on page 10.
Rosarian Jean McIntosh has more than 300 rosebushes in her northwest Omaha gardens. She’s also the treasurer for the Omaha Rose Society. To learn more about Jean and the ORS, please see page 20.
What’s inside Pets and the digital landscape ...........................2 Help prevent falls, minimize injuries .................3 Rides for veterans in Fremont, Blair ..................4 SCP, FGP recruiting new volunteers ..................5 ‘Read it & eat’ has cookbook reviews................6 Maximizing your spouse’s SS benefits ..............7 Picking a peck of the proper peppers ................9 Grant to aid rural healthcare education ...........14 Advice for avoiding back pain .........................16 Medicare Part D enrollment sites ....................17
Survey examines relationship between pets, social media
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rom dogs and cats filling up social media feeds – some even with their own profiles – to true pet celebrities who command the attention of millions, animals have become a major part of the digital landscape. With this in mind, Mars Petcare conducted a survey to learn more about people’s social media habits when it comes to animals. Here are some of the top findings. • About 65 percent of pet owners post about their furry friends on social media an average of two times per week. One in six said they’ve created a social media profile specifically for their pet, and half of those pet owners say their pets get more social attention than they do online. One third said they post about their pets as much and as often as they do about their human family and 13 percent admitted to posting about their pets even more than they do their human relatives. • More than half of pet owners polled care more about getting “likes” and/or comments for their pet-related posts
than they do for most other topics, including changes to their own profile picture. • Thirty percent of pet owners follow famous animals on social media. The bottom line is people love pets, whether it’s their own or one with real rock star status, and love sharing their stories with the world.
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he survey underscores what was already known. Pets have become an integral part of people’s lives and pop culture. To learn more about how to make a Better World for Pets, visit facebook.com/ABetterWorldforPets. (Family Features provided this information.)
Legal Aid is offering Elder Access Line for older Nebraskans
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egal Aid of Nebraska operates a free telephone access line for Nebraskans age 60 and older. Information is offered to help the state’s older men and women with questions on topics like bankruptcy, homestead exemptions, collections, powers of attorney, Medicare, Medicaid, grandparent rights, and Section 8 housing.
The telephone number for the Elder Access Line is 402-827-5656 in Omaha and 1-800-527-7249 statewide. This service is available to Nebraskans age 60 and older regardless of income, race, or ethnicity. For more information, log on the Internet to http:// www.legalaidofnebraska. com/EAL.
Blue Barn Theatre
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he 28th season of performances at the Blue Barn Theatre, 1106 S. 10th St., opens as Bertolt Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is on stage through Sunday, Oct. 16. Show times are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, 9, and 16. The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui is a witty satire of Adolph Hitler’s rise recast by Brecht into a fictional, small-time Chicago gangster’s takeover of the city’s green grocery trade in the 1930s. The allegory combines Brecht’s epic style of theatre with black comedy and overt moralism. This compelling parable uses a wide range of parody and spoof from Al Capone to Shakespeare’s Richard III and Goethe’s Faust. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for persons age 65 and older, students, and groups of 10 or more. For ticket information, please call the Blue Barn at 402-345-1576 or log online to www.bluebarn.org.
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Alzheimer’s Foundation of America offering tips to help prevent falls, minimize injuries
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he Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is offering tips to help prevent falls and minimize serious injuries among individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. “The fear of falling is a real concern for older Americans,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., the AFA’s president & CEO. “Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease are at greater risk of falling because of their altered mobility and cognition, including difficulty with spatial perception. Taking some simple precautions in the home can help safeguard loved ones against falls.” AFA offers the following tips: • Clear clutter. Excess clutter, including newspapers, knick-knacks, pets, toys, and packages can block walkways and staircases and increase the likelihood someone will trip. Get in the habit of putting things away immediately. Remove excess furniture and arrange tables, chairs, etc. so pathways are clear. Light the way. Place nightlights or motion-sensitive lights strategically throughout the living space in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, and hallway, and on
the staircase. • Straighten up the stairway. If stairs are carpeted, make sure the carpet is securely attached. On bare steps, affix slip-resistant treads to each step. Ensure handrails are securely attached. Also remove or secure with slip-resistant backing any area rugs or throw rugs at the top or base of the staircase and anywhere else in the home.
• Bump-proof the bathroom. Use a slip-resistant rubber mat or textured adhesive on tub and shower floors to help reduce slips. Install grab bars and/or a durable seat in the tub or shower to ease access. If lowering oneself onto the toilet is a concern, consider installing a raised toilet seat. Keep it within reach. In the kitchen keep dishes, pots, utensils, and food within reach to reduce spills. Be sure to wipe or mop any excess water or other spills from the floor and around fixtures, especially in the
Astronaut, his book focus of club’s book review, luncheon The fall 2016 schedule has been announced for the Eclectic Book Review Club, which has met each year since 1949. • Oct 18: Astronaut Clayton Anderson from Houston will review his memoir Ordinary Spaceman. • Nov 15: Omaha World-Herald columnist Mike Kelly will review his book Uniquely Omaha. The monthly meetings, which include lunch and a book review, are held at noon at the Field Club, 3615 Woolworth Ave. The cost is $13 per person per month. To reserve a seat, call Rita at 402-553-3147. The reservation deadline is the Monday morning prior to the Tuesday meeting.
kitchen and bathroom. • Build up the body. Consult with a physician about appropriate diet and exercise. A healthy diet can help build bone strength. To avoid feeling faint or losing balance, say “yes” to plenty of water. To avoid frail bones, say “no” to alcohol and smoking. Strengthening exercises, such as chair rises and Tai Chi may help strengthen leg muscles and improve balance. • Take stock of medications. Certain medications – alone or in combination with one another – can cause dizziness or drowsiness. This also applies to over-the-counter drugs such as pain relievers and allergy medications. Ask a doctor or pharmacist to do a medication review for possible side effects that can cause a fall. • Put your best foot forward. Stretched-out slippers, high heels, socks, and bare feet can increase the risk of falls. Wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes with rubber non-skid soles. Keep laces tied and consider shoes that have another type of fastening (i.e., Velcro). Pay attention to pets, which could dart out quickly in your path and cause a fall. Check vision. Ensure eyeglass prescriptions are up to date. Monitor conditions such as cataracts or glaucoma that can adversely affect eyesight including peripheral vision and depth perception. • Have a notification system in place, especially when people live alone. Consider medical alert products that notify a call center in the case of a fall or other emergency. Ask a family member, neighbor, etc. to check on the person daily by phone or in person—and take action if something seems amiss.
Florence Home Healthcare
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Membership includes a subscription to the New Horizons newspaper. New Horizons Club Send Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging 4223 Center Street to: Omaha, NE 68105-2431 I get the New Horizons regularly and don’t need to be put on the mailing list. I would like to start receiving the New Horizons at home. My address is below. NAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP
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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, 4223 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68105-2431. 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; Jim Peterson, Cass County, vice-chairperson; Gary Osborn, Dodge County secretary; Brenda Carlisle, Sarpy County; & Lisa Kramer, Washington County. The New Horizons and the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging provide services without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, or age.
www.omahaseniorcare.org
October 2016
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Dora Bingel Senior Center
App simplifies medical conditions, procedures
You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m. • Oct. 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, & 28: Ceramics @ 9 a.m. • Oct. 5: Holy Communion served @ 11 a.m. • Oct. 12, 19, & 26: Tai Chi class @ 11 a.m. • Oct. 12: Music by Joe Taylor from The Merrymakers @ 11:30 a.m. Lunch is $3. • Oct. 19: Foot care clinic from 9 a.m. to noon for $10. • Oct. 26: Birthday party luncheon @ noon. Eat free if you have an October birthday. • Oct. 28: Hard of Hearing Support Group @ 10:30 a.m. Lunch is served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. A $1 donation is suggested for the meals other than $3 on Merrymakers Day. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for all meals. Round-trip transportation is available for $3. Other activities offered at the facility include: Tuesday: Free matinee movie @ 12:30 p.m. & quilting @ 1 p.m. Wednesday: Devotions @ 10:30 a.m., Bible study @ 12:45 p.m., Bingo @ 12:45 p.m. Friday: Joy Club @ 9:30 a.m., Bingo @ 12:45 p.m., Bible study @ 12: 45 p.m. For more information, please call 402-898-5854.
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: Saturday, Oct. 8 @ 1 p.m. AARP Information Center 1941 S. 42nd St. #220 Call 402-398-9568 to register
Friday, Oct. 21 @ 9 a.m. Metro Community College 9110 Giles Rd. Call 402-457-5231 to register
Saturday, Oct. 22 @ 10 a.m. The Premier Group 11605 Miracle Hills Dr. #205 Call 402-557-6730 to register
Healthy•Active•Living
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When you visit Skyline Independent Living, no other community compares to the value and caliber of amenities we offer. It’s more than just our beautiful apartments and common areas. More than delightful dining and activities. It’s devoted attention, outstanding caring staff, and simply the best Residents who choose to call us home.
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ustin, Texas-based cardiologist, Dr. Manish Chauhan, has launched a first-of-itskind multimedia resource, CardioVisual, that makes it easier to explain and comprehend heart conditions and medical procedures. CardioVisual is a free, downloadable app available for iOS and Android devices that has become a game changer in the heart patient education realm. Reviewed regularly by expert cardiologists to provide accurate and updated information about heart treatments, this unique educational tool is being adopted by leading cardiology practices, hospitals, physicians, and heart patients. Around the world, heart disease is the leading killer for young and old alike. Yet it’s a complicated concept to discuss for doctors and patients. Most physicians lack the instant material to easily explain and guide patients at the time of their visit with easy-to-understand information about life threatening heart conditions and their treatments. Meanwhile, patients and caretakers need clear communication from a trusted source to understand their medical conditions, visualize the corrective procedures, achieve optimal compliance, and make informed decisions, the absence of which can add to their anxiety. CardioVisual fills this critical information gap by offering providers and their patients everything they need to know about heart health from the convenience of a handheld device. The power of good information and an easy process is how this simple app is making a global impact with thousands of patient downloads, a partnership with 20+ medical companies to provide useful and reliable heart information (including India’s largest medical education provider), and patronage with U.S. hospitals. “CardioVisual empowers medical professionals and patients to have more engaged, high-level conversations, aided by videos and interactive visual displays, all from the convenience of a smart-phone or tablet,” said Dr. Chauhan. “Short, curated video-based content provides consistent, repeatable, and
reliable information to enhance patient understanding and satisfaction while saving time and improving quality of care,” he added. CardioVisual is available to both patients and healthcare professionals for free. The app’s 100+ professionally produced, patient-friendly videos and interactive illustrations of corrective treatments and devices allow providers to accurately portray each patient’s heart condition. Providers can then share edited images with their patients. They can “prescribe” the app to patients to download and learn about medical treatments at their own pace. The app uniquely allows better education for patients from their trusted providers and avoids the need for spending hours on the Internet searching for reliable and relevant information. Austin heart patient Dan Santema shares how using the app changed his outlook and helped him make an informed medical decision: “My cardiologist repeatedly noted my sleep apnea symptoms. However I was skeptical, mostly because I did not understand what it was all about,” he said. “After the doctor played videos demonstrating sleep apnea and its treatment, explained in simple terms, my wife and I saw our fear and hesitation disappear, and were able to accept the diagnosis. A few weeks later, I underwent a sleep study and was confirmed to have sleep apnea. Now, I wear a CPAP at night. Understanding the problem helped me accept its treatment and, possibly, is saving my life while also controlling my blood pressure.” “In a world where people expect technology and access to instant, reliable information, CardioVisual has taken patient education and satisfaction to another level,” said Jayne King, Director of Heart and Vascular Care at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center. “My patients report being less scared and more informed after watching the apps’ videos,” she said. For more information, visit www.CardioVisual.com, follow the page on Facebook, and download the app on iOS and Android.
You!
Recruiting volunteer drivers
Car-Go providing free rides in Blair, Fremont
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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
October 2016
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 resident – operates in Fremont and Blair Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on becoming a volunteer driver or to make a reservation (24 hours notice is required) for a ride, please call RSVP’s Fremont office at 402-721-7780.
Hearing loss group will gather Oct. 11 at Dundee Presbyterian
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he Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America, a support group for hard of hearing adults, will next meet on Tuesday, Oct. 11 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. For more information, please contact Beth Ellsworth at ellsworth. beth@cox.net or Verla Hamilton at 402-558-6449.
Better Breathers Club meets at Lung Association’s office The American Lung Association invites persons living with lung cancer and their caregivers to attend its Better Breathers Club on the fourth Monday of each month through April 24, 2017 (except in December). The 3 to 4:15 programs are held at the American Lung Association’s office at 8990 W. Dodge Rd., Suite 226. Colleen Hoarty – a social worker with the Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center – will teach participants how to better cope with lung cancer. Here are the topics: October: Managing medical costs; November: Medications, oxygen, and rehab; January: To be determined; February: Ask a physician; March: Nutrition; April: Caregiving. For more information, please contact Hoarty at colleen.hoarty@nmhs.org or 402-354-5893.
Omaha Computer Users Group
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ou’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 1 to 3 p.m. during October and November. In December, the meeting time reverts back to 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Annual dues to OCUG, which has existed for 15 years, 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 OCUG’s president Phill Sherbon at 402-333-6529.
ENOA recruiting older adults to become Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions
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en and women age 55 and older who want to earn a tax-free stipend while making an impact in their community are encouraged to join the Senior Companion Program and the Foster Grandparent Program. Sponsored locally by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, the SCP and FGP are national programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service through the Senior Service Corps. Senior Companions help other older adults maintain their independence by visiting them at home to discuss the news, read mail, play cards, run errands, etc. Foster Grandparents serve as positive role models for children who need special attention with education, healthcare, and social development in schools, Head Start programs, and child development centers. SCP and FGP volun-teers must meet income guidelines and complete an enrollment process that includes references and background checks. In exchange for volunteering 15 hours or more each week, Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions receive a $2.65 an hour tax-free stipend, mileage reimbursement, an annual physical exam, supplemental accident insurance coverage, and other benefits including an annual recognition luncheon. The stipend does not interfere with rent, disability, Medicaid, or other benefits. For more information, please call 402-444-6536.
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.
To learn more, contact
Senior Moving Services
• Coordinate a profitable dispersal of remaining household items through estate sale, auction, consignment, and/or donation.
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.
October 2016
402-445-0996
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New Horizons
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Fremont Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field), for the following: • Oct. 5: News Flash @ 10 a.m. followed by pianist Wally. • Oct. 7: Traveling pitch tournament at North Bend. • Oct. 12: Music by Paul Siebert @ 10:30 a.m. • Oct. 19: Entertainment with Cristine Coulson @ 10:30 a.m. • Oct. 20: Annual spaghetti feed from 5 to 7 p.m. at Christensen Field. Tickets are $7. Children under age 5 can eat for free. Carryouts are available. Call 402-727-2815 before noon on Oct. 20 to pre-order your carryout meals. • Oct. 26: Music by Wayne Miller at 10:30 a.m. The center will be closed on Oct. 10 for Columbus Day. The Fremont Friendship Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 contribution is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. Regular activities include exercising, Tai Chi, chair volleyball, Bingo, card tournaments, and coloring classes with Paulette. For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.
Florence chapter of AARP will convene on Monday, Oct. 17
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he Florence chapter of AARP meets monthly at Mount View Presbyterian Church, 5308 Hartman Ave. Each meeting features a noon lunch and a speaker at 12:45 p.m. The cost is $8 per person each month. Rides are available. For more information, please call Ruth Kruse at 402-453-4825 or Marge Willard at 402-455-8401. Here’s the schedule for the rest of 2016: October 17 Years at North High School With Mark Schulze November 21 Music with Greg Owen December 12 Christmas music
Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com
Recipes to share with others Enjoy the glorious times ahead and these cookbooks packed with recipes sure to inspire your kitchen creations. Food Swap By Emily Paster (Storey, $19.95) Ideas, 80 recipes, and decorating plans that include festive gift tags and suggestions for organizing a gathering for bartering, sharing, and giving to swap with others who love to cook. Gather friends and family to share homemade sweets, soups, preserved fruits, veggies, and more. Soup Swap By Kathy Gunst (Chronicle, $24.95) Gather together to share soups, chowders, stews, and several side dishes. Sixty comforting recipes, go to ideas, helpful notes, sidebars, photos, and ideas to form a group of friends who love to cook from this award-winning author. One Pan, Two Plates By Carla Snyder (Chronicle, $24.95) More than 70 international recipes with many ingredients and detailed instructions. Clean up, extra hungry, and beverage suggestions for a two-person household. Robert Rose: 150 Best Meals in a Jar By Tanya Linton (Robert Rose, $19.95) A Mason jar obsession lead to a life-changing recipe with a pop-of flavor and a secret ingredient from Linton’s Ukrainian grandfather. Make breakfast through desserts with dos and don’ts for the perfect meal in a jar. 200 Best Sheet Pan Meals By Camilla Saulsbury (Robert Rose, $24.95) Fast, quick-to-the-table, simply prepared recipes. Make a complete meal on your sheet pan. Set and forget cooking method with tips and variations from this fitness pro. One Magic Square By Lolo Houbein (The Experiment, $18.95) From famine to farming this author creates vegetable gardening in a three-foot square. Forty plot designs, tips and techniques. Sit back and enjoy the bounty. Beyond Canning By Autumn Giles (Voyageur Press, $21.99 Preserve, pickle, ferment, and put up these recipes for curds, jam, jelly, compote, etc. with umamu results. Make It Easy By Stacie Billis (DaCapo, $30) Scratch and on-the-fly dinner solutions with time-saving shortcuts, pairing recipe suggestions for mix and match, 120 recipes, tips, and more. Try this recipe for fish lovers.
Sesame-Crusted Salmon (Serves 4)
4 (six-ounce) salmon filets Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds All-natural cooking oil spray Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Pat the salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Pour the sesame seeds onto a plate and press the salmon, flesh side down, onto them. Repeat as necessary to coat the entire surface of the fillet. Place, skin side down, on a baking sheet and lightly spray the sesame seed crust with cooking oil. Roast the salmon for 13 to 15 minutes, depending on their thickness and your desired doneness. Serve immediately.
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October 2016
Boosting the surviving spouse’s Social Security benefits can increase lifetime income significantly
‘Walk the Night: Visions of Shadows’ on ConAgra campus through Oct. 29
By Rachel L. Sheedy
The staff of the Blue Barn Theatre is proud to present Walk the Night: Visions of Shadows through Oct. 29 in Building 1 on the ConAgra Foods’ headquarters campus, 908 ConAgra Dr. Show times are 7 and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The pre-shows begin at 6:30 and 8:15 p.m. Based on William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, creator and director Spencer Williams’ Walk the Night: Visions of Shadows is the story of five missing people; four from decades past, and one recent. The events occur in real time throughout the ConAgra campus. There are no seats and guests are free to explore any of the 18 stories as they happen. Masks are provided at the door. Comfortable footwear is recommended. The production staff includes choreographers Kat Fackler and Stephanie Huettner (TBD Dance Collective), Homero Vela (technical, set, and lighting design), Lucia Milone (set dressing), Jenny Pool (costumes), Joy Marshall (properties design), Miles Taber (puppetry design), and Andrew Heringer (sound design). Each night yickets are $20 for a one-part performance or $35 for both performances. For tickets, call the Blue Barn Theatre at 402-345-1576.
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he recent crackdown on Social Security claiming strategies used by married couples left widows and widowers unscathed. Surviving spouses can still mix and match benefits to boost lifetime income by tens of thousands of dollars. While couples don’t often think about boosting the survivor benefit, says Judith Ward, senior financial planner for T. Rowe Price. “It can make a significant difference for whomever the surviving spouse is.” Keep in mind that delayed retirement credits earned by the first spouse to die are included in the survivor’s benefit. This is the primary reason experts often suggest at least the higher earner delay claiming benefits past age 66 to earn those generous 8 percent a year credits until age 70. The extra 32 percent that adds to the worker’s benefit will support the survivor as long as he or she lives. If the worker dies before claiming a benefit, any credits earned will boost the survivor’s benefit. When the surviving spouse is older than age 70, the claiming regimen is simple. The survivor should switch to a survivor benefit if it’s higher than his or her own. “The bigger of the two amounts lasts until the second spouse’s death,” says Roberta Eckert, vice president of the Nationwide Retirement Institute. But it’s trickier if the surviving spouse is younger. Then, the question becomes: Would you be better off taking your own benefit or the survivor benefit first, and then switching later on? While the survivor benefit cannot get larger past the surviving spouse’s full retirement age (except for annual cost-of-living adjustments), the widow or widower’s own benefit can grow with delayed retirement credits. “The key is, can that survivor grow her own benefit to age 70 to exceed her survivor benefit?” says William Reichenstein, a professor of finance at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and a principal of the consulting firm Social Security Solutions. A surviving spouse can claim a reduced survivor benefit as early as age 60 (age 50 if he or she is disabled). Claim a survivor benefit at or beyond your full retirement age and you get 100 percent of your deceased spouse’s benefit, even if you took your own reduced benefit or a reduced spousal benefit early. Divorces spouses may qualify for a survivor benefit, too. Since your own benefit can earn 8 percent in delayed retirement credits every
year from full retirement age to age 70, the first step for 60 something widows and widowers who haven’t claimed a benefit is to see if waiting, say, from age 66 to age 70 to earn a 32 percent boost pushes their own benefit above the full survivor benefit. After doing that math, you need to do some strategizing. “The Social Security agent can’t give you advice on what to do,” says Reichenstein. If you simply choose the higher of the two benefits and never look back, you may give up a more lucrative check in the long run. Let’s say John’s full retirement age benefit is $2,000 and Mary’s is $1,700. John dies at 66, when Mary is also 66, making Mary eligible for a survivor benefit of $2,000. She can file for the survivor benefit now. But age matters, too. Let’s say instead Mary was only 64 when John died at age 66. In this situation, Mary should consider claiming a reduced benefit right away. But should it be her reduced benefit or a reduced survivor benefit. Again, that choice hinges on whether Mary’s own benefit with four years of delayed retirement credits would exceed the full survivor benefit that she could take in two years. Mary would receive about $1,474 a month at age 64 after the 13.3 percent reduction for claiming her own benefit two years early. At age 66, she could then switch to the full survivor benefit of $2,000. But she might be better off taking a reduced survivor benefit of $1,810 at age 64. Six years later, she could switch to her own boosted benefit of $2,244 a month for the rest of her life. (Sheehy is with Kiplinger’s Retirement Report,)
Omaha Fire Department
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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 402444-3560.
Fontenelle Tours
Omaha/Council Bluffs
712-366-9596
Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy. For more information about our tours, please call Ward or Kathy Kinney at Fontenelle Tours at the number listed above.
Motorcoach Branson Christmas. November 7 - 10. $729. Enjoy Daniel O’Donnell at the Welk Theater, Jim Stafford, Puttin’ On the Ritz (with Dino), Texas Tenors, “All Hands on Deck”, and either “Moses” at the Sight and Sound Theater or the Oak Ridge Boys, including dinner at Landry’s Seafood House. “Twas The Night Before Christmas” at the Lofte. December 4. $105. “Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” But a mouse IS stirring because Santa missed his house last year! Before you can say “Merry Christmas!”, we’re off on the wild adventures of a mouse, an elf, and a spunky little girl who just won’t take no for an answer. This journey is an exciting one for the whole family. Dinner afterwards at the Main Street Café in Louisville. Kansas City Christmas. December 13 - 14. $359 before 10/13. ($379 after 10/13.) Webster House Holiday Luncheon, Strawberry Hill Museum with Christmas decorated ethnic exhibits, Crown Center, “Sister’s Christmas Catechism” performance at the indoor Starlight Theater, “Fabulous Lipitones” performance at the New Theater Restaurant starring George Wendt from “Cheers”, and a Christmas Party (just our group) at the New Theater before the luncheon show. Black Hills “Ski for Light”. January 21 – 27, 2017. Third annual trip to Deadwood, South Dakota. A very rewarding week-long event for blind and physically challenged persons to participate in skiing and/or other outdoor activities. If you know of someone who might want to participate, call us. Volunteers also needed to provide various types of assistance at the event. Financial assistance also needed to make this event more affordable for participants. Motorcoach will pick up at various points across Nebraska. Contact us at 712-366-9596 for more details. Watch for upcoming details about a winter getaway.... Laughlin Laughlin in November. November 9 - 12. $299. Includes nonstop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, three nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. It is a very affordable way to get away for a while. During this stay, you will have the option of seeing a performance of Aaron Tippin’s 25th Anniversary Celebration at the Riverside Resort and the Marshall Tucker Band at Harrah’s. In Partnership with Collette Vacations Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and do not include airfare. More destinations available! Reflections of Italy. 10 days from $2449. Visit a land rich in history, culture, art, and romance including Rome, the Colosseum, Assisi, Perugia, Siena, Florence, Chianti Winery, Venice, Murano Island, and Milan. Extend your trip in Turin. Irish Splendor. Eight days from $1699. Return to times gone by as you experience fabulous accommodations, stunning scenery, and sumptuous food visiting Dublin, the Guiness Storehouse, Blarney Castle, Killarney, Dingle Peninsula, Cliffs of Moher, Dromoland Castle, and Tullamore Whiskey Distillery. Extend your trip in Dublin. Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. 11808 Mason Plaza, Omaha, NE 68154
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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. Mary Magdalene Church 1817 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
Call 402-398-1848 to learn more
New version of ElderCare book available from Care Consultants
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magine having the answers to your senior care questions in the palm of your hand. It’s possible thanks to Care Consultants for the Aging. The 12th edition of the Omaha ElderCare Resource Handbook for 2016-2018 became available recently in both the book format and online. The handbook serves as a valuable resource for information about services offered to older adults in the Omaha area. The handbook list options divided into five tabbed sections: • Government, Financial, & Legal. • Medical Support. • Home Health Care & Support Services. • Living Options. • Senior Services. It also includes an index of services and companies to make the right business or organization easier to find.
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he ElderCare Resource Handbook is updated every two years and used by social workers, medical professionals, pastors, human resource professionals, police officers, and the general public. “The handbook is my ‘go-to’ place to start any search for senior services and solutions,” said Carol Schrader of Nebraska Realty. “Nothing else compares to this valuable resource.” You can obtain the handbook any of five ways: • For $8 at the Care Consultants for the Aging office, 7701 Pacific St., Suite 100. • To have a copy mailed to you, send a check or money order for $12 to Care Consultants for the Aging, 7701 Pacific St., Suite 100, Omaha, Neb. 68114. • Call 402-398-1848 with a credit card to have a copy mailed to you for $12. • Log on to www.careconsultants.com and click on the ElderCare Resource Handbook link to view a copy for free or to have a handbook mailed to you for $12. • Copies are also available at Kubat Pharmacy, Nebraska Medicine’s CornerStone gift shop in University Tower, the Clarkson Hospital gift shop, and Think Whole Person pharmacy. For more information, please call 402-398-1848.
NARFE
Add hot peppers to your garden, meals
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By Melinda Myers on’t be afraid to add a little spicy heat to your meals by growing a few hot peppers in the garden or containers. It’s easier than you think and many of the hot pepper myths floating around the garden are simply not true. Don’t worry about your hot peppers heating up your sweet peppers. Peppers are normally self-pollinated. If an insect happens to move the pollen from a hot to sweet pepper, it won’t affect the flavor or heat of the harvest. If you save the seeds from a crosspollinated pepper and plant them in next year’s garden, the plants they produce may have hot or sweet fruit (or a little of both), but only time will tell. Don’t assume all green peppers are sweet or you’ll be in for a surprise. Jalapenos are typically harvested when green and others, like habanero, Anaheim, and Poblano are hot, whether harvested when green or red. You’ll also find hot peppers can be yellow, orange, brown, and of course, red. You can turn down the heat when preparing your favorite recipes, too. Contrary to popular belief, all the heat in hot peppers doesn’t come from the seeds. While partially true, the majority of the capsaicin that gives hot peppers their heat is in the white membrane that houses the seeds. When the seeds are growing they may also be coated with extra capsaicin from the membrane. So remove the white membrane and the seeds, just to be safe, if you want to turn down the heat. The spicy heat of hot peppers is measured in Scoville Heat Units. The ratings are based on the amount of sugar water needed to neutralize the spicy heat in the extracted capsaicin that has been diluted in
an alcohol-based extract. A panel of five taste testers decides when the spicy heat has been neutralized and then assigns the rating. Today many companies use a chemical process (liquid chromatography) but translate their results into the popular Scoville heat units. The Scoville heat unit ratings vary from one type of hot pepper to another, with Poblano rating between 1,000 to 2,000, jalapenos 2,500 to 6,000, habaneros at 100,000 to 300,000 and one of the hottest, the ghost pepper, at 1,000,000 to 2,200,000 Scoville heat units. Check online or the Homegrown with Bonnie Plants mobile app (for iOs and Android) for the Scoville ratings, growing tips, and a Pepper Chooser to help you pick the best varieties to grow. Ratings may also vary from individual plants within a specific type based on individual plant differences and the growing conditions. Whatever kind you grow, be sure to label hot peppers when planting, harvesting, and storing to avoid any mix-ups. The sweet banana pepper, for example, can easily be confused with hot banana. This could make for an unwelcome surprise when preparing, serving, and eating. Also, consider wearing rubber gloves and avoid touching your face and eyes when working with hot peppers, as they can burn. Wash your hands, utensils, and cutting boards when finished to avoid any future issues. Don’t worry if you’re having a bad day when planting your hot peppers. Contrary to some old adages, planting hot peppers when you’re angry won’t make the peppers hotter, but unknowingly taking a bite of a hot pepper may very well change your mood. (Myers, who has more than 30 years of gardening experience, has written more than 20 gardening books.)
RSVP
The National Active and RSVP is recruiting perRetired Federal Employees’ sons age 55 and older for a Chapter 144 meets the first variety of opportunities. For Wednesday of each month more information in Dougat 11:30 a.m. at the Amazlas, Sarpy, and Cass couning Pizza Machine, 13955 ties, please call 402-444S Plz. 6536, ext. 224. In Dodge For more information, and Washington counties, please call 402-292-1156. please call 402-721-7780. The National Active and • The Together Inc. Retired Federal Employees’ Food Pantry wants volunAksarben Chapter 1370 teers to help with a variety meets the second Wednesof assignments. day of each month at 11:30 • The Blair and Frea.m. at the Amazing Pizza mont Car-Go Program Machine, 13955 S Plz. needs volunteers to drive For more information, older adults to their appointplease call 402-342-4351. ments once or twice a week. 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
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Schrader has worked hard to earn, keep the public’s trust By Nick Schinker Contributing Writer
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s an award-winning radio and television broadcaster, news anchor, and director, Carol Schrader earned more than a reputation for honesty and compassion. She earned the public’s trust. Her comforting voice and familiar face took Omaha radio listeners and television viewers through many tragedies and triumphs. In nearly 20 years at KETV, three years at KFAB, and six more as a freelance broadcaster hosting and producing shows and reports for Nebraska Public Television and other outlets, Schrader delivered the facts without a hint of personal bias. Her strong ethics can be traced to Joe McCartney, Warren Francke, Bob Reilly, and the other instructors from whom she learned as a student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) school of journalism. “I was taught that it isn’t about the reporter, it’s about the story,” she says. “I also learned that stories are more than a recitation of the details, stories are about people, and I was very lucky to meet an amazing cross section of fascinating people. “There are two key components in journalism: the people in the story and the story itself, and they both deserve your respect and attention,” Schrader adds.
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arol Schrader is a lifelong Omahan. Her father, Carroll Schrader, was a salesman
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After leaving her position with the Douglas County Assessor’s office, Carol has been a real estate agent. and manufacturing representative for several companies. “He sold peg board and Masonite to Lozier and other companies,” she recalls. “He also sold garage doors and openers, and he traveled a lot. “One of my favorite memories is going on an overnight sales trip with him when I was about 8 or 9
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years old. We went to Beatrice and stayed in a motel with one of those beds that vibrated when you put in a quarter. I remember my poor dad going out to get more quarters for that silly bed. I also remember going to the theater that night to see Darby O’Gill and the Little People. “I can’t remember what I did
October 2016
yesterday, but I can remember every detail of that trip.” Her mother, Pat, had become ill during her senior year in college and put her education studies on hold until after Carol and her siblings Kate, Jim, and Bill had been born. “Mom did go back to Duchesne College here in Omaha, back when Duchesne had a college, and completed her education degree,” Schrader says. “She graduated the day before my eighthgrade graduation.” Schrader is a 1969 graduate of Omaha Ryan High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and broadcasting from UNO. “As a kid, I was always curious as hell,” she says. “Journalism was a way of feeding that curiosity.” She began her broadcasting career as an intern at Omaha television station KMTV. It was there she covered her first major news story. “One of the few times I worked nights, there was a breaking story about a barricaded gunman and a police officer down,” she recalls. “They handed me a Bell & Howell camera with three minutes of film and they sent me off to Lutheran Hospital, where the police officer was to be taken.” It was June 1974. The officer, whose wounds proved fatal, was Paul Nields. He was 29 and, like Schrader, was a Ryan High School graduate. The gunman, Elza Carr, had barricaded himself in a rooming house at 1818 N. 25th St. after --Please turn to page 11.
Carol was inducted into Press Club’s Hall of Fame in 2013 “I still have that check.”
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Schrader began her broadcasting career as an intern at Omaha’s KMTV. --Continued from page 10. shooting his stepbrother and two other people. Nields was shot when he approached the front door. Carr staged a gun battle with police and sheriff’s deputies for more than four hours. Eventually, the law officers fired tear gas canisters into the house, setting it ablaze. The police shot Carr when he stepped from the burning home onto the same front porch where Nields had been shot. “When they brought Officer Nields to the hospital, there was practically no light available, so I slowed the film speed and pointed the camera as he was taken past me,” Schrader recalls. “I remember I could smell the tear gas.” The incident became national news, and KMTV supplied film and information to NBC for broadcast across the country. “I couldn’t believe it but they used my footage,” Schrader says. “I got a check for $10 from May Broadcasting (KMTV’s owner).
Torsk, meatball dinner scheduled for Oct. 16
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ou’re invited to attend the 28th annual Torsk and Meatball Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 16 at Augustana Lutheran Church, 3647 Lafayette Ave. Serving times are 4 to 5 p.m., 5 to 6 p.m., and 6 p.m. to close. The menu will include torsk and meatballs, boiled potatoes, lefse, sliced cucumbers, pickled herring, rolls, cranberry and fabulous Norwegian or Danish and Swedish desserts, cakes, and beverages. The cost is $16 for persons age 12 and over, $6 for children ages 4 to 11, and free for children age 3 and younger. For more information, please call Carole at 402292-5759.
fter her internship at KMTV, Schrader accepted a fulltime position at Omaha radio station KLNG. “It was a low-power station, meaning we had to lower the power at sunset and raise it at sunrise,” she says. “I still have my 3rd class engineer’s license.” In 1977, she was offered a news reporter position at television station KETV, “but only if I did the weekend weather,” she says. “That was back in the days of the ‘weather girls.’” She stayed at KETV until October 1996, serving as a reporter, news anchor, and producer. Carol covered many major stories as a reporter, including the visit of Pope John Paul II to Des Moines in 1979. An estimated 350,000 people attended the Pope’s appearance and Mass. “There were so many people there they kept the media in a big tent,” Schrader says. “They had television monitors set up inside the tent showing a live feed of the pope and the Mass, and I was doing a live play-by-play watching the feed.” Ultimately, Schrader moved from reporter to become one of the first woman news anchors in Omaha. “I liked reporting a lot, and I enjoyed going live from the scene,” she says, “but when you’re an anchor, you don’t have that opportunity very often.” She continued covering topics that were close to her interests and her heart, including the Viewpoint interview show and the popular Wednesday’s Child segments on children seeking adoption. She and her former husband, Joe Napravnik, adopted one of the children Carol had featured on the segment. After KETV, Schrader served as news director at KFAB until May 2000. From then until 2006, she served as host and producer of the halfhour news interview show, Consider This… for Nebraska Public Television, and as writer and producer of spot news reports and extendedlength features for public radio outlets including Voice of America. Through the years, she has seen many changes in the way news is reported. Schrader says the most significant change is how technology has altered the delivery of news events. “The 24-hour news cycle is a double-edged sword,” she says. “Technology allows the constant monster to be fed, but because of that,
While at KETV, Carol covered Pope John Paul II’s 1979 visit to Des Moines. we see that the latest sound bite is all people remember. I think that results in less substantive discussion of world events. “Most people today are looking for selective information, and the sound bite rules. Everything is reactive, then we immediately move on to the next event.” n 2006 and 2007, Schrader served as chief deputy in the Douglas County Assessor’s office. “I was assigned personal property and homestead exemptions and was told to improve morale,” she says. While in journalism school, Schrader had taken a class in the principles and practices of real estate at UNO. “That’s why I was the only person in the newsroom who could figure out a mill levy,” she says. Uncomfortable with the politics of public office but interested in the subject matter, Schrader left the Assessor’s office and took --Please turn to page 12.
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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. 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. For complete program details and benefits, please call 402-991-0330 or visit www.immanuel.com.
Serving Nebraska in the Counties of Douglas and Sarpy 5755 Sorensen Parkway | Omaha, NE 68152 | 402-991-0990
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Carol Schrader...
Corrigan Senior Center
another real estate class, followed by the real estate license test. She joined Deeb Realty, now Nebraska Realty, as a licensed real estate agent. As a real estate agent, older adults are among Schrader’s areas of expertise. “Their situations are more complex today, and people want and need to stay in their homes as long as they can,” she says. “I believe we will face a serious shortage of affordable housing for Baby Boomers.” She also enjoys working with young home buyers. “They make me laugh,” she says, smiling. “They are all about texting; most don’t want to talk at all. It keeps me on my toes and from getting older mentally.” Schrader has proved her love for Omaha through service including hundreds of speeches to schools and civic groups. She volunteered three years as chairwoman of the UNO Women’s Walk for Athletics, and has served on many community boards. Though Carol has embarked on a successful non-media career, it’s her time facing the camera and microphone that Omahans remember the most. Admired by the public, she is also respected by her peers. In 2013, Schrader was inducted into the Omaha Press Club Journalists of Excellence Hall of Fame. “I consider myself very lucky,” she says. “Being in the news business was the most wonderful thing in my life. I got to satisfy my curiosity about life and get paid for it. “As a reporter, you act as a witness
You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St., this month for: • Oct. 3: Author Brooke Williams from Plattsmouth will read passages from her romantic comedy books Accept the Dandelion and Mama Razzi @ 11:15 a.m. Lunch is a delicious chicken breast or a deli ham & cheese sandwich. • Oct. 6: Katie from the Visiting Nurse Association will present The Importance of an Annual Flu Vaccine @ 11 a.m. Stay for lunch and Bingo. • Oct. 7: Flu shots @ 11 a.m. A BBQ pork ribette or a deli chicken in a pita pocket for lunch. Bingo after the meal. Call 402-731-7210 to sign-up for the lunch and/or flu shots. • Oct. 11: Presentation on Fall Planters, Bulbs, & More by Melinda from the Douglas County Extension office @ 11 a.m. Stay for a noon lunch and 1 p.m. Bingo. • Oct. 17: Presentation on Leaving a Legacy with Kathy Jeffers and Barbara Greer @ 10 a.m. Limited enrollment, so call today to sign-up. The deadline is Oct. 7. Noon lunch and Bingo will follow. • Oct. 20: Oktoberfest Dinner Dance with great food, raffles, and dancing. The Red Raven polka band will entertain @ 11 a.m. The noon lunch menu features pork roast with gravy, seasoned red potatoes, peas and carrots, sauerkraut, rye bread, and apple pie. Bingo follows lunch. The reservation deadline is 11 a.m. on Oct. 14. Carol’s first media publicity • Oct. 24 & 31, Nov. 7 & 14: Memory Box Workshops photograph at KETV. @ 1 p.m. with UNO students Karen & Karlie who are working on their service learning course. for the people who cannot be there. I • Oct. 24: Birthday party with music by Joyce Torchia was privileged to meet so many people, from The Merrymakers. Lunch is a delicious turkey a la and then I got to bring them back to the newsroom and put them into a minute-thirty king or a deli choice roast beef & Swiss on a Kaiser roll. Bingo @ 1 p.m. (seconds) report. I got to tell their stories. • Oct. 31: Monster Mash Halloween Party with tricks and “That is the kind of satisfaction treats, a costume contest, and more @ 10 a.m. Entertainfew people have the opportunity to ment by keyboardist Bob Ford @ 11 a.m. Lunch is Sloppy experience.” Joes or a crab macaroni salad. Stay for Bingo following lunch. The center is closed on Oct. 10 for Columbus Day. Traditional funding sources Everyone, including new players, is welcome to play are making it more difficult chair volleyball every Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m. A for ENOA to fulfill its noon lunch will follow. mission. Partnership Join us for Tai Chi – a relaxing and fun activity that’s proven to improve your balance – Tuesdays and Thursdays opportunities are available at 10 a.m. in our spacious gym. to businesses and individuals Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun wanting to help us. are also available. These opportunities include The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 I would like to become a partner with the volunteering, memorials, a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 contribuEastern Nebraska Office on Aging, and help honorariums, gift annuities, tion is normally suggested for the meal. fulfill your mission with older adults. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day and other contributions. prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.
r u o y d e e n e W
! t r o p p su ENOA
$30 = 7 meals or 1.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 1 bath aide service for frail older adults.
Camelot Friendship Center
$75 = 17 meals or 4.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 4 bath aide services for frail older adults. $150 = 35 meals or 9.5 hours of in-home homemaker services or 8 bath aide services for frail older adults. $300 = 70 meals or 19.25 hours of in-home homemaker services or 16 bath aide services for frail older adults. Other amount (please designate)__________________________ Please contact me. I would like to learn more about how to include the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging in my estate planning. Please ma il with thisyofour donation rm to: Eas
tern Office oNebraska n Aging Address:___________________________________ Attention : Jef Name:_____________________________________
City:______________State:_____ Zip: __________ Phone:____________________________________
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f Reinha 4223 C rdt Omaha, enter Street NE 6810 5-2431 (402
) 444-665
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October 2016
You’re invited to visit the Camelot Friendship Center inside the Camelot Community Center, 9270 Cady Ave., for the following: • Thursday, Oct. 6: Book Club @ 10:15 a.m. and Diane Sapp @ 11:45 a.m. • Wednesday, Oct. 12: Birthday Bash. • Friday, Oct. 14 & 28: Movie Day @ 12:15 p.m. • Monday, Oct. 17: Chair volleyball @ 10:30 a.m. • Thursday, Oct. 20: Visit by Methodist College nursing students @ 10:15 a.m. and Jackpot Bingo @ 12:15 p.m. • Wednesday, Oct. 26: Candy crafts @ 10:15 a.m. • Thursday, Oct. 27: Halloween Party. The center will be closed on Monday, Oct. 10 for Columbus Day. Other activities include Tai Chi (Tuesday and Friday @ 10:15 a.m.), Bingo, pinochle, card games, other games, crafts, 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.
Report details the importance of Social Security for retirees
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ocial Security benefits lifted 14.5 million older Americans out of poverty in 2014, according to a new report from the Democratic staff of the U.S. Congress’ Joint Economic Committee under the direction of ranking member Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). The report also details how important Social Security benefits are for millions of retirees. According to the report, roughly 45 percent of older adults – approximately 20 million people – rely on Social Security payments for a majority of their income. Twenty-two percent of older men and women count on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income. “Social Security has been a pillar of economic and retirement security for more than 80 years,” Rep. Maloney said. “With fewer workers receiving pensions, it will be even more important in the coming decades. This report highlights why we must continue to support and strengthen our Social Security system.” The report adds without Social Security, the poverty rate among women age 65 and older would increase from 12 percent to more than 45 percent. More than half of older African Americans, and 47 percent of Hispanic older adults would be living in poverty without Social Security benefits. Other key points from the report include: • The average retiree this year will receive $1,350 a month in Social Security benefits, or just over $16,000 annually. • According to the Federal Reserve, 90 percent of current retirees receive income from Social Security. • One in four women age 65 and older receives at least 90 percent of her income from Social Security, compared with less than one in five men. • On average, Black and Hispanic older men and women receive 41 percent of their retirement income from Social Security, while white older adults receive one-third of their retirement income from Social Security. • The latest Social Security Trustees report maintains even if no action is taken to shore up the program, it will continue paying full benefits through 2034, after which benefits would be reduced by about one-quarter.
Call 402-559-6870 for more details
Motorists ages 65 to 90 needed for UNMC driving safety study
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olunteers ages 65 to 90 are invited to participate in a research study on predictors of driving safety in older motorists through naturalistic driving over extended time frames in the real world. Participation involves several visits to complete neuropsychological testing and study follow-up. A camera will also be installed for two threemonth periods in the drivers’ own car. Compensation is provided. Please contact the Mind and Brain Health Labs in UNMC’s Department of Neurological Sciences at 402-559-6870 or mbhl@unmc. edu. This study is listed under IRB #217-15-FB.
You’re invited to our OPEN HOUSE
Please RSVP by
October 18 to 402-557-6631
Skyline Outpatient & Inpatient Therapy is hosting an “Agewell with Skyline Therapy” OPEN HOUSE Thursday, October 20 2:30 to 4 p.m. Skyline Campus-Building 5 7350 Graceland Drive, Omaha, NE
Caregiver retreat Are you providing care, support, or advocacy for a person with special needs such as an intellectual or developmental disability or a chronic health issue like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease? Have you thought it would be nice to have a special day to meet other family caregivers and learn how to reflect, energize, and create? If so, you’re encouraged to register for a daylong retreat that will give you an emotional, physical, and mental respite that’s vital to your well-being. You will have an opportunity to reflect, re-energize, and relax.
Cuts in Medicare funding for home medical equipment is impacting patients, providers
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n July 1, Medicare cut funding for home medical equipment by 50 to 80 percent. The consequences have severely impacted some people with disabilities and chronic conditions who rely on medical equipment. Caseworkers and homecare providers are also feeling the effects of the cuts. The stories below have been collected by People for Quality Care and showcase the wide range of stakeholders whose daily living and ability to service patients has been limited as a consequence of these drastic reductions in funding for vital home medical equipment and services. For Rita Thomas of Eclectic, Ala., Medicare cuts mean cutting back on her CPAP supplies needed to treat sleep apnea. Rita was concerned about her inability to get her CPAP supplies because patients must now front the difference in what Medicare pays and the cost of the equipment. The retreat is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 5 from Rita still hasn’t received her supplies because she’s on a limited income 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on and can’t afford them. the University of Nebraska Beneficiaries aren’t the only people burdened after at Omaha campus. On-site Medicare’s funding cuts. Case managers and discharge parking will be available. planners like Kristie are having a hard time finding Participants will make suppliers who take Medicare patients. Kristie has called new friends, learn new numerous HME providers to find equipment for her relaxation techniques, patients but has found no one taking Medicare. new self-care techniques, “With Medicare rate cuts and competitive bidding, I new life activities, and constructive ideas for future am really struggling to find equipment for my patients. I have gone through all my regular channels, and no one is success as a caregiver. servicing Medicare patients anymore,” Kristie says. The cost is $20. The cuts to HME are impacting Medicaid patients Participants must register as well, according to Cindy Coy from Sioux Falls. Her to attend. To register or for hospital-based home medical equipment provider has more information, please already limited its service area because the reimbursement contact Ellen Bennett or doesn’t cover the cost of extended travel and personnel Janet Miller at 402-559expenses. Coy says many hospital-based providers are 5735. following suit and shrinking their coverage areas. Weekly dance “We do not want to turn patients away, but if we aren’t fiscally accountable, we won’t be able to take any patients. We are doing everything we can to cut costs. We are You’re invited to reviewing vendor contracts, looking at our delivery models, attend a dance each (and) how we service patients,” Coy says, Wednesday afternoon If immediate action isn’t taken, the hardships from 1 to 4 at American experienced by Rita, Kristie, and Cindy will continue. Legion Post #1, 7811 To advocate for preserved access to medical equipment, Davenport St. Admission call and/or send a letter to your Congressmen asking for is $2. immediate legislative relief. For more information, (Kohll’s Pharmacy and Homecare provided this please call 402-392-0444. HorizonAD-2010:HorizonAD-08 2/4/10 8:00 AM Page 1 information.)
You!
Attorneys at Law William E. Seidler Jr.
www.seidler-seidler-law.com 10050 Regency Circle, Suite 525 Omaha, NE 68114-5705
There will be displays, screenings, refreshments, and giveaways!
402-397-3801
Delivering quality legal services since 1957.
October 2016
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Alzheimer’s support groups
Helmsley Foundation provides $5.5 million
Grant will allow UNMC to use trucks, manikins to enhance training for rural healthcare providers
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
Third Tuesday @ 6 p.m. Temple Israel (media room) 13111 Sterling Ridge Dr.
• 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.
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
The program includes four customized mobile simulation training trucks.
Third Monday @ 7 p.m. Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave.
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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.
Third Tuesday @ 5 p.m. Immanuel Fontenelle 6809 N 68th Plz.
The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging has been providing programs and services for older adults in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties since 1975. A Caring Community Called HOME! Independent & Assisted Living
• No Entrance Fee • Medicaid Waiver Approved • All Utilities & Housekeeping Included • Spacious 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments
49th & Q Street • 402-731-2118 www.southviewheightsomaha.com
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he University of Nebraska Medical Center has received a $5.5 million grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to use mobile, high-tech simulation trucks to provide training opportunities on life-saving procedures for rural emergency medical providers and hospitals. The Simulation in Motion Nebraska grant includes the purchase of four, customized mobile simulation training trucks and 20 high-fidelity patient simulators (manikins) that will be available to rural emergency medical services, hospitals, and universities for training on advanced trauma and cardiac life support. The trucks are valued at about $500,000 each and the manikins are valued at almost $900,000. The grant will help fund program operation for three years. Private funding, partnerships, fee for services, and state and federal grants will be sought to sustain the project after the first three years. Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said he is excited to add a fourth state to the Simulation in Motion lineup. The program has been implemented in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana. “This partnership is a terrific opportunity to improve the health and lives of Nebraskans. Our rural emergency medical responders and rural hospitals face many obstacles to get this critical training,” he said. “Now, the training will come to them, which is very important in rural Nebraska.” University of Nebraska President Hank Bounds said rural Nebraska in particular will benefit from the grant. “Simulation training is an exciting frontier in medicine that offers enormous potential for us to maximize our resources and extend our reach even further,” he said. “UNMC is a leader in this area. With this grant, UNMC and its partners will be able to continue their important work in meeting healthcare needs across our state. I thank the Helmsley Charitable Trust for its generous support, and all our first responders and health care providers for the life-saving work they do every day.” UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., said the partnership will expand UNMC’s
October 2016
education mission of training Nebraska’s healthcare workforce. “The mobile simulation training trucks will provide a phenomenal advantage in training emergency medical service staff where every minute counts,” Dr. Gold said. “The mobile nature of this training also supports the vibrancy of communities since emergency responders won’t have to leave their families and businesses to get the training.” Paul Paulman, M.D., UNMC assistant dean for clinical skills and quality, is principal investigator of the grant. Dr. Paulman said rural emergency first responders are a key link in the healthcare system – and in areas of low population density in Nebraska – they may be the only medical providers for many miles. “The simulation units and manikins funded by this grant will allow state-of-theart simulation training to be brought to the communities of our rural first responders, thus decreasing some of the training burden for them,” said Dr. Paulman. “Since the number of rural first responders in Nebraska is decreasing, it is essential that we support them as they continue to save lives and serve the citizens of our state.” The units, which are expected to be delivered in January, will be stationed in Norfolk, Lincoln, Kearney, and Scottsbluff, where UNMC has nursing college divisions. In Kearney, UNMC has nursing and allied health programs. Training will be conducted by certified emergency medical services instructors. The rear compartments of the trucks have areas that can simulate an emergency room and an ambulance. The manikins are computerized training tools that talk, breathe, have heartbeats, and can react to medications and other actions of the learners. They can live or die and can be revived over and over again. Each mobile unit will be outfitted with supplies to recreate an environment as close to reality as possible for the learner. Specially educated trainers will bring real-life, on-site emergency training scenarios to rural healthcare providers to enhance training and recruit new personnel. (UNMC provided this information.)
Program aims to help prevent Medicare fraud
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hat constitutes a good death? How do we each want to be remembered? Can life continue to hold meaning in the face of death? Joy Nugent’s new book As Good As Goodbyes Get – A Window into Death and Dying seeks to process her own feelings about death while removing the fears and taboos that individuals in Western societies often feel. This private palliative care nurse with three decades of experience caring for patients believes at her core that death is more than a medical matter – it is a matter for the soul, and what is most important at the time of death is the dying individual’s state of mind. She explains the environment of a person at the end of life needs to be peaceful and filled with loving energy rather than medical monitors and clinical observations that frequently promote tension. In short, Joy writes that what’s most needed at the time of death, regardless of the setting, is sacred space.
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Fall Into Savings LL
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Graceland Senior Apartments
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You can receive your FREE copy of the New Horizons each month in any of ways!
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he Omaha World Adventurers film series presents Norway Land of the Vikings with filmmaker Dale Johnson on Thursday, Oct. 13 at Village Pointe Theaters, 304 N. 174th St. Show times are 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $15. In the 9th Century, Vikings swept down from the Scandinavian Peninsula to sack places like Paris, France and Dublin, Ireland. They were more than brutal raiders; the Vikings were accomplished sailors who also landed in North America 500 year before Columbus. Norway Land of the Vikings is the second in Johnson’s series of six films. The former NASA producer covers Norway from the south to the North Cape, the most northern point in Europe. He visits all the major cities including Oslo, the Filmmaker capital, and attends the Dale Johnson Constitution Day celebration. Today, Norway is a relatively wealthy nation due to oil. It’s the world’s second largest exporter of oil (behind only to Saudi Arabia). Even so, gasoline is nearly $10 a gallon in Norway. The Lofoton Islands have some of the nation’s most surreal beauty. It’s a natural paradise with Artic wildlife, mountains, and quaint fishing villages. In Alta, the midnight sun warms the air to 80 degrees, even though it’s 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Norway ranks number one in the world’s Prosperity Index, the Better Life Index, and the Index of Public Integrity. For more information about Norway Land of the Vikings, please call (toll free) 866-385-3824.
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he stories she tells in As Good As Goodbyes Get offer insight into how death is not something to be feared but instead, with preparation, can be what she calls “another miracle of life.” While most of Joy’s clients died in their own homes, she says hospice care can translate to nursing home care with a change in attitude. “Palliative care has been called the science of the anecdote, and through the stories in As Good As Goodbyes Get, I seek to increase interest in end-of-life issues and the preparations needed for a peaceful death with the goal of making death more friendly,” Nugent says. As Good As Goodbyes Get – A Window into Death and Dying is published by Dorrance Publishing Co.
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ebraska Senior Medicare Patrol, a Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services program that works to educate and empower older adults to help prevent health care fraud, offers tips to help you avoid Medicare scams. • Don’t provide your Medicare number to anyone except your trusted health care provider. • Ask friends and neighbors to pick up your mail while you’re away. • Shred important documents before discarding. • Read Medicare summary notices carefully looking for mistakes. • Use a health care journal to record information from doctor visits. • Compare your health care journal with your Medicare summary notices. • Count your prescription pills. If the total is less than expected, go back and tell the pharmacist. • Don’t speak to anyone claiming to be a Medicare representative about Medicare. • Medicare loses billions of dollars each year. It’s up to you to help fight fraud. If you believe you may be a victim of Medicare fraud, please call the Nebraska Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-942-7830.
Omaha World Adventurers
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• All utilities included • Laundry facilities • On bus line • Secure building • Club & fitness room
7350 Graceland Drive Omaha, NE 68134 • SkylineRC.com
Pick up a copy at one of the more than 100 distribution sites (grocery stores, restaurants, senior centers, libraries, etc.) Through the United States mail New subscribers should send their name, address, and zip code to: New Horizons, 4223 Center Street, Omaha, NE 68105. Online on your computer* Log on to enoa.org, scroll down until you see the New Horizons cover, then click on click here for pdf version. * Online subscribers will not receive a hard copy of the New Horizons each month.
The Sierra Group, LLC FREE Book & CD Call Us: (800) 309-0753
For more information, please call 402-444-6654. October 2016
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Heartland Generations Center
Check POSTURE to help reduce your back pain
You’re invited to visit the Heartland Generations Center – 4318 Fort St. – for the following: • Oct.1: Document shredding from 10 a.m. to noon. • Oct. 3: Presentation from VNA on Tips for Communicating with your Doctor @ 10:30 a.m. • Oct. 5: Visit from Skutt Catholic High School students. • Oct. 6: Community walk. Glucose, and blood pressure checks from 1 to 4 p.m. • Oct. 17: WhyArts? painting class with Joe @ 10 a.m. • Oct. 21: Talk by Methodist Hospital nurses @ 10 a.m. • Oct. 21: Birthday party with music by Pam Kragt from The Merrymakers @ 12:30 p.m. • Oct. 25: Why Arts? Halloween party with Michael Fitzsimmons @ 6 p.m. Wear a costume and join us for dinner. • Oct. 28: Halloween party @ 11 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. Regular activities include Bingo, chair exercises, and free Tai Chi classes. For meal and more information, call 402-553-5300.
PARKSIDE SMOKE 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
402-339-9080
Volunteers needed
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elatively low gas prices, high airfare, and painfully long TSA lines are pushing more people than ever to head out on the highways this year. Before the rubber meets the road, spine specialists caution travelers to check their “POSTURE,” an easyto-remember acronym for seven tips to keep back pain at a distance. “Many people think of a road trip as a lazy and inexpensive vacation, but it’s actually a tough workout for your back and can end up costing you big in health care costs and lost work down the road,” said Chad Patton, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and the chair of the NASS Public Affairs Committee. “By using the seven preventive tips from ‘POSTURE’, travelers can stay pain free and keep the focus on enjoying this special time.” • Position your body for comfort and support as soon as you get into the car and put on your seatbelt. Adjust your seat to a 100-degree angle to prevent slouching. Make sure you can see mirrors and dashboard gauges without turning your head when it’s supported by the headrest. Support your lower back’s natural curve with a pillow or rolled-up shirt or towel placed in the small of your back. Be close enough to the steering wheel that your elbows and knees are slightly bent. • Only pack what you absolutely need. Lifting suitcases and coolers can cause back strain, so pack less and work with a partner to lift
any heavy items, using your leg muscles, not your back. • Share the driving. Don’t drive the entire route—let others take a turn at driving. Use the extra time to relax and enjoy watching the passing scenery. • Take a break every 45 to 60 minutes to drink water, walk around to improve circulation, and gently stretch your back, neck, and hip flexor muscles. In between exercise stops, try to move a little in your seat—even 10 seconds of movement and gentle stretching is helpful. • Use cruise control. Resting both feet on the floor is easier on your back and hips than constant foot pedal movement. • Remove items from your back pockets. It sounds unbelievable, but sitting on or against a wallet or cellphone for a long period of time can throw your spine out of alignment and trigger back
and leg pain. • Easy does it. Replace worn shocks, brakes, or tires before your trip to ensure a smooth ride. Choose a route with the least traffic, construction, and potholes. And the self care shouldn’t stop there. Dr. Patton recommends resting and considering some stretching exercises when you get to your destination, too. “It’s only natural to want to hop on the thrill rides the second you get to Universal Studios or go hiking when you make it to the Grand Canyon. If you can, try to build enough time into your schedule to rest your back, perform some gentle stretches, and decompress emotionally from your long drive for a few hours or ideally, overnight.” (The North American Spine Society provided this information.)
Please see the ad on page 3
The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging is looking for volunteer drivers for its Meals on Wheels Program.
New Horizons Club membership roll rises $25 Betsy Hildebrandt Joanne Murcek
Flexible weekday schedule delivering midday meals to homebound older adults in the greater Omaha area.
$20 Kay Oehm
Call Arlis at 402-444-6766 for more information.
$5 Margaret Griffith List reflects donations received this month through September 23.
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Medicare Part D open enrollment set for Oct. 15 to Dec. 7
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edicare beneficiaries have the option to review and change their Prescription Drug Plans and their Medicare Advantage plans during the annual open enrollment period that runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. Each year, plans can change premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. Medications that were covered this year may not be covered next year. Doctors that may have been in network on a Medicare Advantage plan in 2016 may not be in 2017. Medicare’s open enrollment period gives beneficiaries the ability to review their coverage and switch to another plan that offers better coverage or pricing. Volunteers Assisting Seniors serves as the Nebraska Senior Health Insurance
Information Program regional office in eastern Nebraska. VAS provides free, unbiased information to area Medicare beneficiaries. Below is a list of VAS sites where Medicare beneficiaries can sit down with a trained counselor for assistance in evaluating their Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage options for 2017. Assistance is available outside the Omaha area by calling 800-234-7119. VAS will also be able to help older adults review their Medigap Supplement plans after the Medicare open enrollment program concludes. Here’s the VAS schedule including dates, locations, addresses, times, and the phone numbers needed to make an appointment.
Wednesday, Oct. 19 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Monday, Nov. 7 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St. #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Friday, Oct. 21 Metro Comm. College 829 N. 204th St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Wednesday, Nov. 9 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Monday, Oct. 24 Goodwill 4805 N. 72nd St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Thursday, Nov. 10 Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home 12505 S. 40th St. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 402-444-6617
Monday, Oct. 24 Arlington Senior Center 305 N. 3rd St. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 402-478-4774 Wednesday, Oct. 26 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Friday, Oct. 28 Metro Comm. College 9110 Giles Rd. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Friday, Oct. 28 North Bend Library 110 E 13th St. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 402-727-2775 Monday, Oct. 31 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Wednesday, Nov. 2 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Thursday, Nov. 3 Hooper Senior Center 208 N. Main St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-727-2775 Friday, Nov. 4 Metro Comm. College 829 N. 204th St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
Saturday, Nov. 12 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St. #312 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 402-444-6617 Monday, Nov. 14 Goodwill 4805 N. 72nd St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Tuesday, Nov. 15 Arlington Senior Center 305 N. 3rd St. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 402-478-4774 Wednesday, Nov. 16 Metro Comm. College 825 N. Broad St. Fremont 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Thursday, Nov. 17 Washington County Extension Office 597 Grant St. #200 Blair 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 402-426-9455 Friday, Nov. 18 Metro Comm. College 829 N. 204th St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Friday, Nov. 18 Washington County Extension Office 597 Grant St #200 Blair 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 402-426-9455
Monday, Nov. 21 Sump Library 222 N. Jefferson St. Papillion 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 402-444-6617 Monday, Nov. 21 Dodge County Extension Office 1206 W. 23rd St. Fremont 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 402-727-2775 Tuesday, Nov. 22 Dodge County Extension Office 1206 W. 23rd St. Fremont 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 402-727-2775 Tuesday, Nov. 22 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St, #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Monday, Nov. 28 Goodwill 4805 N. 72nd St. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
1001 Limerick Rd.
Fall Festival, honey sales at the Papillion Senior Center You’re invited to attend the Fall Festival at the Papillion Senior Center, 1001 Limerick Rd. (just west of the post office) on Saturday, Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festivities will include craft sales, pet supplies, a flea market, a garage sale, raffles, a bake sale, food, and entertainment. Desserts, coffee, and hot cider will be served in the morning. Lunch will be available from 11:30 a.m. until the food is gone. The menu will include Sloppy Joes, potato salad, a cookie, and a drink for $5 or a hot dog, chips, a cookie, and a drink for $5. The Fall Festival is also the first day Papillion Senior Center participants will be selling honey as a way to raise funds for center programs, events, and education. The honey, which will be sold year round at the senior center and at special events in Papillion, sells for $10 for a 24-ounce jar. The jars come with a custom nametag made by the center’s crafting ladies. For more information, please call Nancy Tesnohlidek at 402-619-6707 or Donna Monteleagre at 402-597-2059.
WHITMORE LAW OFFICE Wills • Trusts • Probate
Ask A Lawyer: • • • • •
Is Your Will Up-To-Date? Could a Trust Be the Best Choice For You? How Can You Avoid Probate? Do You Need Powers of Attorney? Are You In Need of a Probate Attorney in Your Time of Loss? We can help.
Call today for your free, no-obligation initial consultation with Tom Whitmore. Tom has over 40 years of experience in the field of estate planning and probate and will help ensure your plans are exactly what you want and need.
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
Wednesday, Nov. 30 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Friday, Dec. 2 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St. #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Monday, Dec. 5 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617 Wednesday, Dec. 7 VAS 1941 S. 42nd St #312 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 402-444-6617
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Women’s Wellness Conference on Oct. 7 The 19th annual Omaha Women’s Health and Wellness Conference will be held on Friday, Oct. 7 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the La Vista Conference Center, 12520 Westport Parkway. The conference offers a day of new health insights, encouraging and empowering messages, health screenings, exhibits, and fun. The conference is hosted by the Olson Center for Women’s Health, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Medicine, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and WELLCOM. The theme of the conference is Strength and Motivation for Life’s Challenges and will feature three main sessions and six health education sessions. The opening session speaker, Steven Wengel, M.D., professor and chair of the UNMC Department of Psychiatry, will explore the effects of stress and offer practical ways to reduce stress levels to cope with the ups and downs of life. The general session speaker will be Sheritta Strong, M.D., assistant professor, UNMC Department of Psychiatry, who will talk about resilience and overcoming adversity, what traits are important to maintain resiliency or to return to this state, and how to overcome obstacles. Breast cancer survivor, Ashli Brehm, will be the closing session speaker. The conference will kick off with a continental breakfast and a morning health fair with more than 40 vendors. Breakout sessions include: • Being a Smart Consumer of Health Insurance. Cindy Jodlowski, from Blue Cross Blue Shield Nebraska, will discuss the importance of educating yourself on health insurance and your benefits. • Sexploration: Teens, Sexual Identity, and Self-image. Amy Lacroix, M.D.,
Do
you
about
UNMC Department of Pediatrics, will address the changing sexual environment teens are facing. • That’s the Third Time I’ve forgotten Where I Left My Glasses This Week! Do I Have Alzheimer’s Disease? Stephen Bonasera, M.D., Ph.D., UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, will talk about Alzheimer’s warning signs and steps families can take to deal with caregiving challenges. • Carbohydrate Queries: What You Need to Know about Fueling with Carbs and Sugars. Meghan McLarney, registered dietician from Nebraska Medicine’s Diabetes Center, will share the ways carbohydrates impact daily nutrition and health and talk about the different types of carbohydrates and how to choose the best carbs. • Sex Trafficking: Unseen but Present. Sister Rosalee Burke from the Notre Dame Sisters’ Coalition on Human Trafficking, will talk about sex trafficking. • Need Tips on Retirement? Take it from a Pro. Betty Foster, Ph.D., retired from the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, has been retired for 18 years and has experienced the ups and downs of retirement. She will offer her tips on retirement. The cost of the conference is $59, which includes lectures, exhibits, breakfast, lunch, afternoon refreshments, and door prizes. Continuing nursing education credit is available for an additional $30. Low cost screenings including a lipid and glucose profile and complete blood count will be available for $17. A thyroid-stimulating hormone test will be offered for $7. Flu shots are $20. For more information and registration, call 402-559-6345 or go to http://omahawomenshealthandwellness.org/agenda.
?
have questions
aging services
in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, or Washington counties? Log on to
enoa.org
The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Web site includes information about: • • • • • • • • • • •
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
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New Horizons
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Ombudsman advocates Respite care Respite Resource Center Rural transportation Senior Care Options Support of adult day facilities • Volunteer opportunities
October 2016
New Yorker, 22, chronicles life as a caregiver for her grandmother By Zoey Wade
I
t feels like just yesterday my mother sat my sister and me down to tell us she had some pretty serious news to share. My mind immediately raced in a thousand different directions, with my thoughts heading from bad to worse. My grandma, Ruth, had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive motor disorder. Ruth isn’t your typical grandma and our connection is more than the typical grandma-granddaughter relationship. We’re more like best friends. My grandma and I have become so close over the years because she has played an integral part in helping me cope with my own medical condition, epilepsy. Growing up with epilepsy wasn’t easy, but no matter how I was feeling my grandma was always there for me, comforting me when I felt at my worst. She was my rock. The news of my grandma’s Parkinson’s diagnosis shocked me and I didn’t know what the future would hold, but I knew one thing – my grandma had always been there for me and this was my time to be there for her. Not long after my grandma’s diagnosis, her Parkinson’s disease progressed in an unexpected way. My grandma began seeing things that weren’t actually there and believing things were happening that weren’t true. At first my grandma’s hallucinations seemed realistic. She said there were mice in her home, so my mom called an exterminator, but he was not able to find any evidence of rodents. But eventually the hallucinations became more extreme. She told me that a tai chi class was practicing in her backyard each morning, someone was on her roof and, most disturbingly, she said people were watching her while she was sleeping. These hallucinations began to terrify my grandma. So when I was 16, my mom, sister, and I began taking turns spending the night at her house to provide reassurance to her and keep her safe. Caring for my grandma, going to doctors’ appointments, and logging her health became a part of my daily routine. It was hard when my grandma’s hallucinations and delusions began affecting our relationship. I remember one time my mom telling me that my grandma thought I was ignoring her when because I wasn’t talking to her. But I hadn’t even been at her house to hear her questions. I was at school all day. More than anything these delusions made me really sad and frustrated. How do you tell someone you’ve always been so close to and love so much, that what they’re seeing isn’t real? That what they believe isn’t true? A person I had admired my whole life and one of the most positive people I knew, would now look at me with a blank stare – her eyes full of terror at what she believed to be reality. Thankfully, my family spoke up about her hallucinations and delusions by talking to my grandma’s doctor. We learned nearly half of all patients with Parkinson’s disease experience hallucinations and delusions over the course of their illness. These discussions lead to my grandma’s participation in the clinical trial for what is now the first and only FDA approved treatment for hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease. About a month into her participation I noticed her hallucinations had decreased. Eventually, she even began to realize when she was having a hallucination or a delusion; alleviating that fear she had become so accustomed to. I’m sharing my grandma’s story because while it may sound unique, it’s not. When most people think about Parkinson’s disease, they think of tremors or rigidity. But this progressive disease is more than that. People living with Parkinson’s disease may have non-motor symptoms, like hallucinations and delusions, and it’s important to watch for those symptoms so that you can tell the doctor. I may have turned 22 this year, but one of my best friends is 92. She makes me laugh, she made me strong, and it’s because of her I can find the positivity even in some of life’s greatest challenges. (Wade lives in Long Island, NY.)
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THEOS
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 402-3990759, Mary at 402-393-3052, or Joan at 402-393-8931.
Bilingual resource information
B
ilingual information about hospice care, palliative care, helping loved ones with grief and loss, and caregiving is available through the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Partnership. The number for the Cuidando con Carino Compassionate Care HelpLine is (toll free) 1-877-658-8896. The service is offered weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Genealogical workshop on Oct. 22 The Greater Omaha Genealogical Society’s 2016 fall workshop is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Nebraska Methodist College, 720 N. 87th St. Guest speaker will be Paul Milner from northern England who has been writing books, lecturing, and designing genealogical workshops for more than 35 years. Milner specializes in the church and its role in recordkeeping. The Oct. 22 workshop will feature Finding British Isles Ancestors. The workshop’s cost is $45 for Greater Omaha Genealogical Workshop members and $55 for nonmembers. Participants who register before Oct. 5 will receive a $5 discount. Lunch will be available for an additional $5. A vegetarian selection will be offered. Please register after Oct. 12 by calling Merrily at 402-706-1453.
Lung Force Expo is scheduled for Oct. 13 at Embassy Suites The American Lung Association is sponsoring its Lung Force Expo on Thursday, Oct. 13 at the Embassy Suites, 555 S. 10th St. The Lung Force Expo is designed to allow patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers to learn more about the latest trends, resources, and research in lung cancer, COPD, and asthma. Speakers will present medical information on the topics that have had the most impact on their lives and discuss ways to help support lung cancer patients and their caregivers. The programs for healthcare professionals begin at 7:30 a.m. Sessions for lung patients and their caregivers start at 10 a.m. The early bird admission price for healthcare professionals is $75. Lung cancer patients and their caregivers will be admitted for $10. For more information, please call 402-502-4950.
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ENOA Aging October 2016
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New Horizons
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Neighbor compares McIntosh’s backyard to the Gardens of Versailles
W
Jean McIntosh has more than 300 rosebushes in the front and backyard gardens at her northwest Omaha home.
hen Jean McIntosh moved into her northwest Omaha house in 2012, there was only one rosebush on the property. Four years later, an area the width of the home floods the front yard with scores of beautiful roses in a vast array of colors including red, white, yellow, coral, and pink.
The front yard, however, is only an appetizer for flower lovers. A neighbor has compared Jean’s backyard landscape with the Gardens of Versailles in France. All told, McIntosh – who began delivering Meals on Wheels for the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging more than 25 years ago – maintains 300-plus rosebushes. Retired from a career that included teaching school in inner city Cleveland, years as a seamstress, and a decade in the insurance business, McIntosh spends a minimum of 40 hours a week in the
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garden watering, fertilizing, spraying, and deadheading the roses. While it’s a lot of work, Jean is passionate about her rosebushes. “Once you start (planting roses), you catch the bug. And you have something to show for your time.”
W
hile taking care of 300 rosebushes from May through late October or early November each year is challenging, McIntosh is proud to share the fruits of her labor with visitors and members of the Omaha Rose Society (ORS). Jean is the ORS’ treasurer. She said the group gets together the third Thursday of each month to exchange ideas and find out what’s new in other members’ gardens. The ORS normally meets at the Douglas County Extension office, 8015 W. Center Rd. Jean said ORS membership is $15 a year. Persons interested in joining can send a check to McIntosh at 1429 N. 127th Cir., Omaha, Neb. 68154. When asked why she enjoys rose gardening, McIntosh paraphrased a line from Jane Austen’s novel Emma. “Rose gardening, I believe, like virtue, must be its own reward.”
New Horizons
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October 2016
Jean spends at least 40 hours a week maintaining her rosebushes.