New Horizons September 2015 by Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

A publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

September 2015 VOL. 40 • NO. 9

ENOA 4223 Center Street Omaha, NE 68105-2431 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

New Horizons

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Singer comes home

An Omaha Central High School graduate, Carol Rogers is perhaps best known musically as a singer with Brazilian jazz great Sergio Mendes. A member of the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame, Rogers moved from California back to Omaha in 2013 to help care for her mother, Jeanne, who has Alzheimer’s disease. Leo Adam Biga chronicles Carol’s amazing life and career beginning on page 10.

Friendship Senior Companion Al Martin (standing) with Frank Peak. To learn more about these two friends and ENOA’s Senior Companion Program, please see page 6.

What’s inside Retirees may want to consider getting a job .......... 2 Meet ENHSA board member Jim Peterson ............ 3 Intergenerational poetry contest ............................ 4 Picking the right trustee for your heirs................... 7 September calendar of events ................................ 8 A new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease................ 9 ‘Read it & eat’ offers a gazpacho recipe ............... 14 Could you handle a cut in SS benefits? ................ 16 The thrill of a lifetime ........................................... 16 America’s Attitude on Aging ................................. 18

Millard Senior Center at Montclair You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., for the following: • Sept. 9, 16, 23, & 30: Our community service project of sewing dresses for women and young girls in Africa. • Sept. 11: Senior Field Day @ Dodge Park. The bus will leave the Millard Senior Center @ 9 a.m. The fun will include games and activities, lunch at noon, and trophies. • Sept. 16: Craft Project Day @ 9:30 a.m. • Sept. 25: Nursing students will provide free blood pressure and blood sugar checks from 9 to 11 a.m. • Sept. 27 to Oct. 3: Live Your Adventure Active Aging Week featuring billiards, ping-pong, and bean bag baseball. • Sept. 29: Music by Kim Eames @ noon. • Oct. 6: Outing to the Serendipity Chocolate Factory. The cost for the tour and lunch is $12.65 per person. The center will be closed on Sept. 7 for Labor Day. The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3.50 donation is suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy. Center activities include a walking club, quilting class, Mahjongg, Tai Chi class (for a $1 suggested donation), chair volleyball, card games, and Bingo. For meal reservations and more information, please call 402-546-1270.

Heartland Intergeneration Center You’re invited to visit the Heartland Intergeneration Center, – 4318 Fort St. – for the following: • Sept. 3: Labor Day party with music by Billy Troy from the Merrymakers @ 1 p.m. • Sept. 8: Crochet and knitting class with Mary @ 1 p.m. • Sept. 10: Creighton University fall risk assessment program @ 9:45 a.m. Call 402-553-5300 to register. • Sept. 14 & 28: WhyArts? acrylic painting class with Kim @ 10 a.m. • Sept. 17: Watch the movie Sleepless in Seattle @ 10 a.m. • Sept. 22: Scrapbooking class @ 1 p.m. • Sept. 24: Trip to Nebraska City. • Sept. 25: Blood pressure and blood sugar checks from 10 a.m. to noon. The facility will be closed on Sept. 7 for Labor Day. The 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. Transportation is available within select neighborhoods for 50 cents each way. Regular activities include Tai Chi classes (Tuesday and Thursday @ 10:15 a.m.) and a daily walking club. For meal reservations or more information, please call 402-553-5300.

Working is one way for retirees to increase income, stay busy

hat do school kids and retirees have in common during these dog days of summer? For many, it’s having lots of time and not knowing what to do

with it. “But that comparison begins to break down almost immediately, because kids go back to school, but retirees have an indefinite amount of time to contend with,” says financial advisor Jeff Bucher, president of the Citizen Advisory Group, a firm that engages its community with education and charity efforts. “Worse still for retirees, many don’t know if they can afford the time they have left, which may not be yielding a satisfying lifestyle. After all the technical details I review with clients and their finances, such as protecting and growing their money, I sometimes offer a bit of unexpected advice: consider your employment options.” Many people who take his advice often do so more for overall happiness than money, Bucher says. Work gives us structure, purpose, and a social network. Bucher reviews many fun options that retirees often find appealing. • Golf course: This is a popular option since so many retirees love golf. And, if you are a morning person, working at a golf course is perfectly suited for you. Some popular jobs available at a golf course for retirees include golf shop staff, ranger, starters, and golf course maintenance. • Retail: A smiling face and a pleasant disposition has earned many retirees positions as greeters. • Sporting venue: If you love sports, consider being an usher at a venue. Ushers assist fans to their seats and help answer any questions fans may have. You might have to walk up and down steps, so if that’s difficult for you find out beforehand whether the job involves steps. Ushering may also have perks, such as free tickets. • Tour guide: A tour guide’s job is to introduce people to places they’re unfamiliar with, which may include wineries, museums, and historical locations. • Theme park or zoo: If you want to brag about your job to your grandkids, look into the local zoo or theme park. Some of the most popular jobs for retirees at these parks include ticket takers, working at a merchandise stand, or helping assist guests at an information booth. • Your current or former job. This one may throw you for a loop, but it could be perfect. You’ll likely maintain the same salary as the rest of your earning years; it’s something you already know, and are good at. Many people derived much satisfaction from their profession. You may find new freedom in knowing this job is more optional than before, which may engender a sense of freedom and, perhaps, an outside-the-box mentality.

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New Horizons

omeone gets your personal information and runs up bills in your name. They might use your Social Security or Medicare number, your credit card, or your medical insurance along with your good name. You could get bills for things you didn’t buy or services you didn’t receive. Your bank account might have withdrawals you didn’t make. You may not get bills you expect. You could check your credit report and find accounts you never knew about. Here’s what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggest you do in these circumstances: • Protect your information. Put yourself in another person’s shoes. Where would they find your credit card or Social Security numbers? Protect your personal information by shredding documents before throwing them out, by giving your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary, and by using strong passwords online. • Read your monthly statements closely and check your credit scores. When you get your account statements and explanation of benefits, read them for accuracy. Once a year, get your credit report for free from AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. The law entitles you to one free credit report annually from each credit reporting company. If you see something you don’t recognize, you’ll be able to deal with it if you have one of these credit reports. Act quickly if you suspect identity theft. Contact the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 or 1-866-653-4261 (TTY). (The FTC provided this information.) VOTES WANTED

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

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FTC offers tips for fighting identity theft

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September 2015

Jim Peterson representing Cass County, serving as vice-chairperson of ENHSA governing board

im Peterson, who is in his third fouryear term representing District 3 on the Cass County Board of Commissioners, is serving as the vice-chairperson of the Eastern Nebraska Human Services Agency’s governing board in 2015. The ENHSA Governing Board consists of an elected official from Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties. Board members oversee the activities of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, ENCOR, the Alpha School, and Region VI Behavioral Healthcare in its five-county service area. ENOA provides programs and services designed to help keep men and women age 60 and older living in their own homes with independence and dignity for as long as possible. ENCOR serves individuals of all ages who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. The Alpha School’s mission is to help students with behavioral and emotional conditions that have been unable to maintain a traditional school placement. Region VI Behavioral Healthcare organizes and provides a system of behavioral health programs including mental health, substance abuse prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services. Peterson, age 66, is a property and casualty independent insurance agent who owns the Midwest Insurance Exchange, Inc. in Eagle, Neb. Jim, and Colleen – his wife for 45 years – live in Eagle and have four children and four grandchildren. A graduate of Plattsmouth High School, Peterson

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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.

An ENHSA governing board member since 2013, Jim Peterson was first elected to the Cass County Board of Commissioners in 2007. earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Huron College in South Dakota in 1970. Peterson was first elected to the Cass County Board of Commissioners in 2007. “I have always volunteered or served my community, so when my term as an officer for the Independent Insurance Agents of Nebraska was completed and my neighbors asked me to be a candidate for the Board of Commissioners, I thought serving would be a new challenge, and I jumped right in,” he said. Jim also represents southeast Nebraska on the Nebraska Association of County Officials’ board. He joined the ENHSA board in 2013, and said ENOA plays a vital role in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties. “We have no other organization that serves the needs of our senior citizens that ENOA does. Whether it’s transporting men and women to medical facilities, delivering meals, or administering the programs available.” Jim said the greatest challenge ENOA faces going forward is the ability to continue providing its programs and services under budget restraints. Peterson is confident, however, the agency and its staff will meet those challenges. “It’s imperative that ENOA continues with the quality of leadership we have. Leadership that knows the priorities seniors face and that works towards providing for those needs.”

Aging with Passion and Purpose Conference

Make a donation to help support the

he fifth annual Aging with Passion and Purpose Conference is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19 at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center on the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Dodge Street campus. Check-in begins at 7 a.m. and the program runs from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The registration fee is $75 before Sept. 21 and $100 on Sept. 21 or later. The cost includes the conference, materials, continuing education credits, lunch, parking, and refreshments. The registration deadline is Oct. 9. Generations Working Together is the theme for the 2015 Aging with Passion and

Purpose Conference. The theme recognizes the fact the American work force comprises several generations of workers, each with its own social, economic, and cultural contexts and values. Participants will learn instead of casting blame or taking sides, employers and employees should try to understand the differences, find commonalities, and develop strategies for improving the interaction among the workplace’s generations. The keynote speaker will be human resources expert and business advisor Libby Sartain who was named one of the 25 most powerful women in human resources by Human Resources Executive magazine.

September 2015

NAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP

$25

$10

$50

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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.

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Camelot Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Camelot Friendship Center inside the Camelot Community Center, 9270 Cady Ave., for the following: • Sept. 1, 4, 8, 15, 18, 22, 25, & 29: Tai Chi @ 10:15 a.m. • Sept. 4 & 18: Movie Day @ 12:15 p.m. • Sept. 9: Birthday bash. • Sept. 10: Book Club @ 10:15 a.m. • Sept. 11: Senior Field Day @ Dodge Park @ 9 a.m. • Sept. 16: Music by Billy Troy from the Merrymakers @ 11:45 a.m. • Sept. 21: Chair volleyball @ 10:15 a.m. • Sept. 23: Visit by Methodist College nursing students @ 10:30 a.m. • Sept. 24: Presentation by Joy Johnson @ noon. • Sept. 25: Line dancing @ 12:15 p.m. • Sept. 30: Crafts @ 10:15 a.m. Other activities include Bingo, pinochle, card games, other games, crafts, candy making, and scrapbooking. The Camelot Friendship Center is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. A $3.50 donation 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.

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Next AARP Chapter 2269 meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 21

he Florence AARP Chapter 2269 meets each month at the Olive Crest Methodist Church, 7180 N. 60th St. (one mile north of Sorensen Parkway.) The meetings begin at noon with a lunch that costs $7 per person each month. Here’s the schedule of programs for the rest of 2015: • Sept. 21: Compassion in Action with Teela Mickles. • Oct. 19: Immigration turmoil with Joann Feller. • Nov. 16: DJ music and karaoke with Jonathan Kellerk. • Dec. 14: Christmas music program. For more information, please contact Ruth Kruse at ruthkruse@cox.net.

‘Poetry Across the Generations’ contest entries are due Sept. 21

ubmissions are due Monday, Sept. 21 for the seventh annual intergenerational poetry contest, Poetry Across the Generations. The University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Omaha Public Schools, and the Omaha Public Library are sponsoring the competition. Poets are divided into two categories: Men and women age 50 and older and students in grades seven through 12. Each competitor is asked to write a poem about how the world views and treats older adults and a second poem about how the world views and treats teenagers. First prize in both categories is $100. Second and third prize in each contest is $50 and $25, respectively. Seven honorable mention poets in each age group will receive $10 each. The $100 Dale Wolf prize will also be awarded in the age 50 and older category for the poet whose work fits the “traditional, classic, and rhyming style.” Wolf’s family is contributing the prize money to honor Dale who was a longtime poet. The winning poets can collect their prizes on Sunday, Oct. 18 at a celebration that will be held at the Milo Bail Student Center on the UNO campus from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Poets age 50 and older can submit their poems to the Poetry Across the Generations Contest, Sigma Phi Omega Poetry, Department of Gerontology, CB 211, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 6001 Dodge St., Omaha, Neb. 681820202. They can also be emailed to www.omahapoetsplace.net. Teen poets should send their entries to the Omaha Public Library, Bess Johnson Elkhorn Branch, Att: Karen Berry, 2100 Reading Plz., Elkhorn, Neb. 68022. The can also be emailed to www.omahapoetsplace.net.

Fremont Friendship Center You’re invited to visit the Fremont Friendship Center, 1730 W. 16th St. (Christensen Field), for the following: • Sept. 2: News with Nye @ 10 a.m. followed by pianist Wally. • Sept. 3: Talk on nurse practitioners @ 10 a.m. • Sept. 8: Adaptive recreation magician show @ 6:30 p.m. • Sept. 9: Music by the Old Rusty Minstrels @ 10:30 a.m. • Sept. 10: Talk on Medicaid, Medicare, and the PACE Program. • Sept. 14: Trip to the Blackbird Casino. The $20 cost includes bus fare and a buffet lunch. Reservations are required. • Sept. 14, 21, & 28: Computer class @ 1 p.m. Reservations are required. • Sept. 16: Music by The Links. • Sept. 21: AARP Safe Driving class from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members. • Sept. 23: Music by Bill Chrastil. • Sept. 24: Presentation on community living. • Sept. 28: Blood pressure checks. • Sept. 30: Music by Al Knoell. • Oct. 15: Spaghetti feed from 5 to 7 p.m. The cost is $7. Children under age 5 eat for free. 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 donation is suggested for lunch. Reservations must be made by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations and more information, please call Laurie at 402-727-2815.

Grandparents as Parents Conference on Sept. 17 Someday this button might save your life. For now, it sets you free. With Lifeline by Immanuel, you can enjoy an independent lifestyle in your own home—knowing that you can get help if you ever need it. In a fall or emergency, every second counts. Lifeline by Immanuel with AutoAlert is a medical alert pendent that can automatically call for help, even if you can’t push your button. Getting you connected to someone with access to your medical history, someone who can evaluate your situation and immediately send help. To learn more about the security and peace of mind provided by Lifeline, call (402) 829-3277 or toll-free at (800) 676-9449.

www.immanuellifeline.com

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The Grandparent Resource Center in conjunction with the Nebraska Children’s Home Society, the Children’s Respite Care Center/Kroc Therapy Center, the Nebraska Family Support Network, and the Dreamweaver Foundation are sponsoring the second annual Grandparents as Parents Conference on Thursday, Sept. 17. The Grandparent Resource Center is a collaborative program of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging and Partnerships in Caregiving. The free conference, which begins with an 8:30 a.m. check-in and continental breakfast, will be held at the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus,

September 2015

6001 Dodge St. Attorney Molly Blazek will present the keynote address at 9 a.m. Her topic will be Parenting Your Grandchildren: Your Legal Rights & Your Legal Options. The conference – which ends at 3 p.m. – will include breakout sessions on a variety of topics in the morning and afternoon and a luncheon featuring humorist Mary Maxwell as the guest speaker. The Grandparents as Parents Conference is designed for any grandparent raising their grandchildren in their home. Reservations – which are required by Thursday, Sept. 10 – can be made by calling Janet Miller at 402-996-8444 or emailing her at jlmiller809@gmail.com.

Call 402-559-6117 or 402-552-7205 to learn more

Persons with dementia, their caregivers needed for UNMC study of new Care Ecosystem program

ost patients with dementia receive care and support from spouses, children, or other caregivers, but caregiving for a patient with memory or behavior problems is incredibly challenging. Some caregivers feel reluctant to ask for help, some don’t know what they need or where to look, and sometimes there’s not much help available. To help manage and prepare for the challenges of dementia care, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of California-San Francisco have developed a proactive care program called Care Ecosystem. The Care Ecosystem (CE) offers personalized care to patients and their caregivers. Each patient and caregiver pair connects with a Care Team Navigator (CTN) who

regularly calls them, and offers education, guidance, and customized links to community resources. The CTN works with a clinical team – a nurse, a social worker, and a pharmacist – to help deliver the best possible care to families coping with the different stages of illness. The CE is also using new technologies to help the CTN and clinical team keep track of patient and caregiver needs. Smart watches and in-home sensors help the team measure changes in behaviors like sleep and walking, and are designed to help the CE deliver excellent, consistently available care that’s also more affordable.

coordinated and supportive care model like CE could be groundbreaking for the growing number of people affected by dementia. UNMC’s hope is to show a telephone-based program – which would be easily accessible in both urban and rural areas – improves quality of life while reducing the overall cost of care. UNMC is seeking participants who have a diagnosis of dementia and a caregiver who supports them to help test this model over the next two years. For every three patients enrolled, two will receive the CE intervention and one will be surveyed about the regular care they’re receiving. The research team is enrolling participants for this study. If you’re interested in participating or want more information, please contact Jackie Whittington at 402-559-6117 or jwhittin@unmc.edu or Denise Kreski at 402-552-7205 or denise.kreski@unmc.edu. (UNMC provided this information.)

ENOA orchestra’s 2015-16 concert schedule

he Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha, a special project of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, has recently released it schedule of performances for 2015-16. The IGO consists of musicians under age 25 and age 50 and older.

All performances are free except for the April Pops and Pie concert. For more information or to purchase Pops and Pie concert, concert and reception, or reception only tickets, please call Chris Gillette at 402-444-6536, ext. 221. Here’s the schedule:

Sunday, Aug. 30 @ 7:30 p.m. Sumtur Amphitheater 11691 S 108th St. Papillion Sponsored by Jim Harvey IGO Board of Directors

Sunday, Feb. 21 @ 2 p.m. Quality Living Inc. 6409 N. 70th Plz. Sponsored by the Scoular Foundation

Sunday, Sept 20 @ 2 p.m. New Cassel Retirement 900 N. 90th St. Sponsored by Jim Harvey Sunday, Oct. 18 @ 2 p.m. Maple Ridge Retirement Community 3525 N. 167th Cir. Sponsored by the Scoular Foundation Sunday, Nov. 8 @ 2 p.m. St. Paul United Methodist Church 5410 Corby St. Sponsored by the Scoular Foundation Sunday, Jan 17 @ 2 p.m. Douglas County Health Center 4102 Woolworth Ave. Sponsored by the Scoular Foundation

Sunday, March 20 @ 2 p.m. Brookestone Village 4330 S. 144th St. Sponsored by the Scoular Foundation Sunday, April 17 Annual Spring Pops & Pie Concert Witherspoon Concert Hall @ Joslyn Art Museum 2200 Dodge St. Doors open @ 1:30 p.m. Concert @ 2 p.m. Concert only tickets are $10 (Age 6 and younger are admitted free.) Pie, ice cream, and coffee will be served at a post-concert reception. (A separate $10 ticket for the reception must also be purchased. Reception only tickets are $10 and must be purchased by April 10.)

September 2015

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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 Michigan Lakeshores & Resorts. September 19 – 25. $1449. Explore Michigan’s east lakeshores and resort towns including the Saugatuck Art and Craft Galleries, guided sand dune buggy ride, Holland Windmill Island Gardens, dinner cruise on Lake Michigan aboard the Holland Princess, Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Mushroom Houses guided tour, Music House Museum, private tall ship sail in Grand Traverse Bay, Old Mission Peninsula guided tour, Grand Traverse Winery and wine tasting, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, The Cherry Republic—largest cherry store in the world, Silver Beach Carousel & Amusement Park Museum, and two nights (and a full day to relax) at the Marina Grand Resort. Branson Christmas. November 9 – 12. $729. Enjoy SIX–The Knudsen Brothers, Dixie Stampede, Shoji Tabuchi, Pierce Arrow, Dublin’s Irish Tenors with the Celtic Ladies, Mickey Gilley, and the Trail of Lights, as well as Landry’s Seafood House. “Dear Santa” at the Lofte. December 13. $99. ($89 before 9/13/15.) This play is composed of a number of short scenes that range from the hilarious to the touching. Many views of Santa are seen—from the point of view of the child who alphabetizes her Christmas list and sends it out in August as well as that of children at various stages of belief—and disbelief….followed by another delicious dinner at the Main Street Café in Louisville. (Call by Sept 13.) Laughlin Laughlin in September. September 14 - 18. $259. Includes nonstop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, four nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. It is a very affordable way to get away for a while. In partnership with Collette Vacations Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy, and do not include airfare. More destinations available! Classic Danube. 11 days from $3349. Features a seven-night Danube River Cruise visiting Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Munich, and Passau in Germany, Wachau Valley, Emmersdorf, and Vienna in Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia, and Budapest in Hungary. 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. Alaska Discovery Land & Cruise. 13 days from $3069. Featuring a seven-night Princess Cruise, you will visit Anchorage, Mt. McKinley, and Denali National Park, ride a luxury domed railcar to Whittier to board the Princess ship, cruise past the Hubbard Glacier, through Glacier Bay, to Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, through the Inside Passage, and into Vancouver, then fly home from Seattle. Watch New Horizons and our website www.fontenelletours.com for our trip schedule. Our mailing address is: 2008 W. Broadway #329, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501

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Al Martin is more than a Senior Companion to Frank Peak By Jeff Reinhardt New Horizons Editor

r. Frank Peak and Al Martin sit in adjacent chairs in the living room of Peak’s north Omaha home. On a cloudy, rainy summer morning the conversation ranges from what’s going on in the community to what’s happening with their families. The dialogue is filled with compassion, laughter, and a lot of eye contact between Peak and Martin, ages 72 and 63, respectively. It’s obvious these men are good friends. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Martin visits Peak in Frank’s home as part of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging-sponsored Senior Companion Program (SCP). The Corporation for National and Community Service administers the SCP nationally. Senior Companions must be age 55 and older and able to meet income guidelines. In exchange for volunteering 15 to 40 hours each week in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties, Senior Companions receive a tax-free stipend, transportation and meals reimbursement, supplemental accident insurance coverage while volunteering, and a variety of other benefits including an annual recognition luncheon. Senior Companions spend time with their clients to support independence and dignity. While the volunteers provide transportation, share stories, read mail, etc. for their clients, they don’t do housework, prepare meals, or pay bills.

r. Peak’s work career includes stints as a psychiatric aide, substance abuse counselor, and outreach specialist for a variety of local human services organizations including the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute and Creighton University Medical Center. He’s also the founder and retired CEO of NETWORK (Nebraska Ethnics Together Working On Reaching Kids). Frank and Lyris – his wife for 45 years – have four children. “We’re also foster parents, neighborhood parents, and grandparents,” Peak says proudly. Since retiring, Frank has had both knees replaced and battled a variety of health

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Every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., volunteer Al Martin (right) visits Dr. Frank Peak in Peak’s north Omaha home as part of ENOA’s Senior Companion Program. ailments including triple bypass surgery in 2010. In addition to being Frank’s primary caregiver, Lyris works full time as the governance and family engagement specialist for the Omaha Public School’s Head Start Program. She appreciates Martin’s assistance with her husband. “Al is awesome. He’s a real Godsend for me,” Mrs. Peak says. “Al and Frank have a lot in common and they bonded quickly.” The Peaks learned about the SCP through friend Connie Campbell, a former ENOA employee. In November 2013, Peak was matched with Senior

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Companion Al Martin, a retired cook, father of four, and grandfather of six. Martin says he became a Senior Companion because he was looking for a reason to get out of the house. His relationship with Peak has become much more. “I’m someone Frank can talk to and joke around with,” Martin says with a smile. “I keep him straight and he keeps me straight.” “Al is my confidant, a friend, and my go-to person,” Peak adds. “I’m so glad I got into the (Senior Companion) program and met him.” Martin drives Peak to medical appointments and

September 2015

helps him with his errands. The men – both military veterans – also enjoy having lunch together at their favorite area restaurants.

eth Paleogos, who coordinates the Senior Companion Program for ENOA, said the SCP is recruiting new volunteers. Males are especially needed. “Clients and their caregivers benefit greatly from having that special connection with someone,” she says. “Volunteering gives the Senior Companions added purpose and reminds them they’re still valuable members of society.”

Martin highly recommends becoming a SCP volunteer. “It’s a joy to help in any way you can,” he says. Peak is a huge fan of the Senior Companion Program. “As we get older, we need encouragement to be an active participant in life. The SCP provides the impetus for us to get out and stay active.” Frank values his friendship with Martin. “Having a friend like Al keeps me from becoming a lone ranger.” To learn more about becoming a Senior Companion, please call Paleogos or Chuck Udstuen at 402-4446536.

Alzheimer’s education series

Why it’s important to select the proper trustee

he greatest transfer of wealth in history is happening right now, according to a study from the Boston College Center on Wealth and Philanthropy. A staggering amount – $59 trillion – is projected to be passed down to heirs, charities, and taxes between 2007 and 2061. “We are in the middle of a massive, unprecedented wealth transfer from the World War II generation to the Baby Boomers, and then to subsequent generations,” says family wealth guru John Pankauski, author of the new book, Pankauski’s Trustee’s Guide: 10 Steps to Family Trustee Excellence. “But much of that wealth will not be given to beneficiaries outright,” he adds. Instead, Pankauski says the funds will be held in a trust, which is a distinct entity, much like a corporation. The trust is managed by a trustee who protects the trust property for the beneficiaries’ benefit. Sounds good – as long as trustees are honest individuals who don’t use the trust as a personal ATM, and simmering rivalries among beneficiaries don’t explode, Pankauski says. “Some trusts will be competently managed,” he says. “Others will be abused in a number of ways the creator of the trust had not intended.” The best way to ensure money is handled correctly – and honestly – is to pick the right trustee, but the right one may not be obvious, he says. Pankauski offers perspective on how to choose a trustee. • Don’t choose just

anyone. Family members, friends, and even felons theoretically could be entrusted with managing an inheritor’s money. But tread carefully. “Your hard-earned money could be fought over, misspent, or squandered if you leave inheritances in a haphazard way or choose a trustee who handles the trust improperly,” Pankauski says.

family member often is chosen, but he warns that can lead to ill will among relatives. The decision on the trustee should be treated like a business consideration, and not a personal one. • Multiple trustees are allowed, but can cause problems. Personal relationships that were previously cordial can turn icy when there are multiple trustees. Co-trustees administer the trust by majority rule unless the trust document demands unanimous decisions. A common problem Pankauski sees is when there are two co-trustees who don’t get along, but must agree on everything. It may make sense to have a third co-trustee such as an impartial trust attorney, bank, or trust company, to serve as the tiebreaker. Pankauski also offers perspective on whether to be a trustee. • “I am trusted, but should I be a trustee?” Being a trustee is a great responsibility. Perfection is not required, but incompetence won’t be tolerated, Pankauski says. Criticisms could flow freely. If you’re holding a lot of cash and the markets go up, beneficiaries may complain you failed to capture those gains. If you’re fully invested in the market and the market takes a dip, the beneficiaries may complain you’re overexposed. If one of six beneficiaries requests funds for a minor child’s education, the other five will want a similar distribution—regardless of need. You may be fairly compensated for your duties as trustee, but the money may not be worth the potential headaches. • You don’t have to accept the appointment. You can decline to serve as a trustee. Merely sign a one-page document, which can be as brief as a sentence, stating you decline. No reason is required. Deliver your statement and a copy of the trust, including all original documents you have, to the beneficiaries and the successor trustee named in the trust document. If no successor trustee is named, you should notify the beneficiaries in writing that you decline to serve and they should retain counsel to protect their interests. You can agree to serve and later resign. But doing so raises a host of issues, Pankauski says. You can’t just ditch your duties. You’re still in charge until there’s a smooth transition to a successor. Regardless of whether you plan to create a trust, or you have been appointed the trustee of one, you’ll want to seek legal counsel, Pankauski says. “The laws that govern the management of a trust vary from state to state and evolve over time,” he says. “The right guidance is essential.”

Blue Barn Theatre

Eclectic Book Book Review Eclectic ReviewClub Club

The 2015-16 schedule at the Blue Barn Theatre has been announced. The 27th season will be the Blue Barn Theatre’s first in its new location at 1106 S. 10th St. TRUBLU membership season ticket prices are $110 for adults and $90 for seniors and students. • Sept 24 to Oct. 18: The Grown Up by Jordan Harrison. • Nov. 27 to Dec. 20: Little Nelly’s Naughty Noel by Tim Siragusa and Jill Anderson. • Feb. 4 to 28: Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan. • March 24 to April 17: The Christians by Lucas Hnath. • May 19 to June 19: Heathers – The Musical by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy. For more information, please call 402345-1576.

The Eclectic Book Review Club’s 66th season begins on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at the Omaha Field Club, 3615 Woolworth Ave. The noon lunch will be followed by the 12:30 review each month. The cost is $13 per person per month. For reservations, which must be made by the Monday prior to the review, please call Rita at 402-553-3147. Here’s the fall schedule: • Sept. 15: Omaha author Summer Miller reviews her book Prairie Kitchen. • Oct. 20: Emily Getzchman from the Omaha Public Library will review All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. • Nov. 17: Author Alex Kava will review her book Silent Creed.

September 2015

The Alzheimer’s Association is sponsoring a series of free caregiver education sessions the third Thursday of each month through November. The 5:30 to 7 p.m. programs will be held in the boardroom at the Visiting Nurse Association, 12565 W. Center Rd. Walk-ins are welcome. Here’s the class schedule: • Sept. 17: Effective Communication Strategies. • Oct. 15: Understanding and Responding to DementiaRelated Behavior. • Nov. 19: Holiday Tips for the Caregiver. For more information, please contact Elizabeth at 402502-4301 or echentland@alz.org.

‘Because Life Changes’ programs offered Sept. 12 through Oct. 17

session of Because Life Changes, a complimentary, sixweek series is being offered on Saturdays during 2015 at the St. James Parish Center, 4701 N. 90th St., from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sessions are scheduled for Sept. 12 through Oct. 17 • Week 1: Dementia & Other Chronic Illnesses: The Road to a Diagnosis and Beyond with certified care manager Jan Hannasch. • Week 2: L.T.C. Planning: A Process; Not a Product with Cathy A. Wyatt. • Week 3: Legal Documents: Have Them, Have

Them Up to Date, Have Them Accessible with estate planning attorney Niel Nielsen. • Week 4: Safe Environment Training: At Home & In the Community with occupational therapist BevVan Phillips and mobility expert Mark Zach. • Week 5: The ‘Moving’ Parts: Successfully Getting from One Home to Another with real estate broker Mike Fujan. • Week 6: Community Resources: Know What You Don’t Know with Michaela Williams of the ElderCare Resource Handbook. For more information, call: 402-661-9611.

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September events calendar 4 Bridge Beats: Down to Here Bob Kerrey Bridge 6 to 9:30 p.m. FREE 402-444-4640

18 Omaha Symphony Brahm’s Third Symphony Also Sept. 19 Holland Performing Arts Center 7:30 p.m. 402-345-0606

11 Omaha Restaurant Week Through Sept. 20 Various venues $20, $30, & $40

Oktoberfest Also Sept. 19 German-American Society Friday 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday noon to midnight $5 402-333-6615

12 24th Annual Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow Metro Community College (5730 N. 30th St.) 1 to 7:30 p.m. FREE 402-457-2253 Sounds of the Fall @ Wildlife Safari Park 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. $5, $6, & $7 402-944-WILD Rockbrook Village’s 43rd Annual Art Fair Also Sept. 13 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. FREE 402-390-0890 16 Lunch for the Girls Featuring Billie Jean King CenturyLink Center Omaha 11:30 a.m. $100 & $200 402-457-4676 18 Bridge Beats: Hector Anchondo Band Bob Kerrey Bridge 6 to 9:30 p.m. FREE 402-444-4640

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20 Family Fiesta at the Zoo Noon to 5 p.m. Zoo admission 402-738-2038 24 River City Roundup Through Sept. 27 CenturyLink Center Omaha 402-554-9600 Antique and Garden Show Through Sept. 27 Lauritzen Gardens 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 402-201-0686 26 Fly into Fall Event Youngman Lake Park 192nd Street & West Dodge Road 2 to 5 p.m. FREE 402-444-4640 Fourth Annual ARTsarben Also Sept. 27 Aksarben Village 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 402-345-5401, ext. 106 27 Zoo Run 8 to 11 a.m. $25 & $30 402-738-2038

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September 2015

Dora Bingel Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center, 923 N. 38th St., this month for the following: • Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22, & 29: Grief support group @ 10 a.m. • Sept. 7, 14, 21, & 28: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m. • Sept. 16: Music by Hal Cottrell from the Merrymakers @ 11:30 a.m. Lunch at noon for $3. • Sept. 25: Hard of hearing support group @ 10:30 a.m. • Sept. 30: Birthday party luncheon @ noon. Eat free if you have a September birthday. Lunch is served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. A $1 donation is suggested for the meals other than $3 on Merrymakers Day. Round-trip transportation is available for $3. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for all meals. Other activities offered at the facility include: Tuesday: Free matinee movie @ 12:30 p.m. and quilting @ 1 p.m. Wednesday: Devotions @ 10:30 a.m. and Bible study @ 12:30 p.m. Friday: Joy Club @ 9:30 a.m., Tai Chi class @ 11 a.m., and Bible study @ 12:30 p.m. For more information, please call 402-898-5854.

Corrigan Senior Center You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St., this month for: • Sept. 8, 12, 15, 22, & 29: Visit by Lucena from the Meristem Farm Produce Market @ 12:30 p.m. • Sept. 14: Exercise is Medicine presentation by Jeannie from the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Engage Wellness Center @ 11 a.m. Lunch is Swedish meatballs and pasta or an Asian pork salad. • Sept. 17: Silver Screen Cowboy Western theme musical show by Paul Siebert from the Merrymakers, a roast beef dinner, and Mega Bingo beginning @ 11a.m. The reservation deadline is noon on Sept. 11. • Sept. 21: Birthday party featuring music by The Links sponsored by the Merrymakers @ 11 a.m. Join us for a Swiss steak or chicken salad on a croissant lunch. Bingo will follow the meal. • Sept. 28: Entertainment by the Omaha Country Kickers @ 11 a.m. Wear your favorite Western clothes as we celebrate Omaha’s River City Roundup. Enjoy BBQ beef on a bun or a chicken Caesar salad lunch. Stay for Bingo and snacks. Sept. 29: Flu and pneumonia vaccine clinic from 10 a.m. to noon. Stay for the noon lunch. • Sept. 30: Entertainment by St. Peter and Paul Elementary School students from 10 a.m. to noon. The third-grade students will perform a drum show and the fourth-grade students offer recorder karaoke. The center will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7 for Labor Day. Everyone, including new players, is welcome to play chair volleyball every Tuesday and Thursday @ 11 a.m. A noon lunch will follow. Join us for Tai Chi – a relaxing and fun activity that’s proven to improve your balance – Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. in our spacious gym. Bingo, ceramics, exercise, woodcarving, and loads of fun are also available. The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3.50 contribution is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy. For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai using blood cells from bone marrow to treat Alzheimer’s disease

edars-Sinai researchers have successfully tested two new methods for preserving cognition in laboratory mice that exhibit features of Alzheimer’s disease by using white blood cells from bone marrow and a drug for multiple sclerosis to control immune responses in the brain. Under the two approaches, immune cells from outside the brain were found to travel in greater numbers through the blood into the brain. The study showed measurable benefits in mice, an encouraging step toward further testing of these potentially powerful strategies in human trials. Researchers point out the brain’s own immune cells are critical for its healthy function. During the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, these cells are found to be defective. In this study, the researchers discovered immune cells infiltrating the brain from the blood effectively resisted various abnormalities associated with the condition. “These cells appear to work in the brain in several ways to counter the negative effects associated with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai, and the senior author of the article published in Brain, a journal of Oxford University Press. “The increasing incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and the lack of any effective therapy make it imperative to explore new strategies, especially those that can target multiple abnormalities in such a complicated disease,” Dr. KoronyoHamaoui added. In Alzheimer’s disease, a protein fragment known as amyloid-beta builds up at the synapses of neurons – the point where neuronto-neuron communication occurs. As a result, synapses are lost and cognitive function becomes severely impaired.

Dancing Wednesdays

ou’re invited to attend a dance each Wednesday afternoon from 1 to 4 at American Legion Post #1, 7811 Davenport St. Admission is $2. For more information, please call 402-392-0444.

Immune cells in the brain that are exposed to increasing concentrations of the toxic protein fragment deteriorate and lose their ability to attack and clear away the buildup. Over time, these cells themselves go awry, contributing to harmful inflammation and becoming toxic to the neurons.

of Neurosurgery and partment of Biomedical Sciences. “This study provides the evidence that a subgroup of unmodified monocytes, extracted from the bone marrow of healthy mouse donors and grafted into the bloodstream, can migrate into the brains of sick mice,

“The increasing incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and the lack of any effective therapy make it imperative to explore new strategies.” During the course of the disease, cells that support the brain’s structure and function also fail at the cellular and molecular levels, steadily impairing memory and learning functions. In efforts to boost an effective immune response, the Cedars-Sinai scientists have devised ways to “recruit” white blood cells known as monocytes from bone marrow to attack the protein fragments and preserve the synapses. The researchers evaluated two such methods and their therapeutic potential. In one, they extracted a specific type of monocytes from the bone marrow of healthy young mice and injected the cells into the tail veins of sick mice once a month. A second group of sick mice received weekly under-the-skin injections of glatiramer acetate, an FDAapproved drug used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis; the drug has been shown to foster the migration of white blood cells from the bloodstream to the brain. A third group received both treatments. All three groups experienced a substantial decrease in Alzheimer’s-like pathology and symptoms. The varied approaches were effective in recruiting protective monocytes to lesion sites in the brain, removing protein fragments, and reducing harmful inflammation through the secretion of chemicals that regulate immunity at the molecular level, said Koronyo-Hamaoui, the head of Cedars-Sinai’s neuroimmunology laboratory at the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and a faculty member in the Department

directly clear abnormal protein accumulation, and preserve cognitive function,” said Yosef Koronyo, the article’s first author and a research associate in the Department of Neurosurgery. Koronyo said the study gives unprecedented details about monocyte numbers migrating into brain lesion sites and the compounds they secrete, and shows the body’s natural monocytes can also have direct effects on the integrity of the synapses.

Health care access program on Sept. 8

ou’re invited to attend a program on health care access for Nebraskans on Tuesday. Sept. 8 at Second Unitarian Church of Omaha, 3012 S. 119th St. The 1 p.m. presentation by Lauren Williams of Nebraska Appleseed, is part of a meeting for the church’s retirees group. Williams will address a variety of topics including the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid eligibility requirements, and Medicaid expansion. For more information, please contact Gary Emenitove at info@2uomaha.org. VOTES WANTED VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO VOTES PLEASEWANTED GO TO

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September 2015

RSVP Retired and Senior Volunteer Program The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is recruiting persons age 55 and older for a variety of opportunities. For more information in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402-444-6536, ext. 224. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402721-7780. The following have volunteer opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties: • The Disabled American Veterans need volunteer drivers. • The Douglas County Civic Center/Hall of Justice wants volunteers to host tours.

• Bergan Mercy Medical Center is looking for volunteers to help in several areas. • Catholic Charities Christ Child Center North wants volunteers to help older adults with crafts, outings, and other activities. • The Livingston Plaza Apartments need a volunteer teacher. • HELP Adult Services is looking for volunteers to serve as family care companions and for other duties. The following have a volunteer opportunity in Dodge and/or Washington County: • The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Program needs volunteer drivers. • The Danish American Archive Library needs volunteers to help with its archives. • The American Red Cross (Dodge County chapter) is looking for volunteers for a variety of duties.

The New Horizons is brought to you each month by the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging.

Smoke, carbon monoxide detectors The Omaha Fire Department’s Public Education and Affairs Department is available to 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, NE 68134 For more information, please call 402-444-3560.

Midwest Geriatrics, Inc. and Senior Health Foundation 22nd Annual Golf Benefit September 25, 2015 Quarry Oaks Golf Club Ashland, NE Help us care for Omaha’s senior citizens by supporting our golf outing. For player and sponsorship information, contact Mark Kresl @ 402-827-6051 or mkresl@shf.org Senior Health Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit serving the elderly of Omaha since 1906.

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Page 9

Life comes full circle for Omaha vocalist Carol Rogers swaying, table-topping blues performance in the spirit of Big Mama Thornton and Shemekia Copeland. “Coming in with the girls, I knew I was going to break it down into something completely different,” Rogers said. “Yeah, I’m an entertainer. I think that’s what makes me different from other folks. I’m not afraid to act a little silly. I want to explore my uniqueness as an entertainer and to never compromise my professionalism. “I don’t fit into anybody’s mold and I will not acquiesce.” During the kinetic A Happening concert she did recently at Omaha’s Carver Bank with new age musician Dereck Higgins, Rogers adorned herself in head band and glitter to help affect just the right groovy mood for this retro rave. Carol feels certain her bohemian spirit is divinely directed, saying, “God was deciding my mind frame to think outside the box.”

‘I just want to celebrate and excite as I go and come,’ said Carol Rogers, who traveled the globe performing and teaching music for several years. By Leo Adam Biga

rap metal group Rage Against the Contributing Writer Machine. Carol’s association with Mendes ince putting down Omaha put her in the company of celebriroots again after years away ties and dignitaries. That heady pursuing her musical career, period fulfilled a lifelong desire to free-spirited singer Carol feed the “beat-of-a-distant-drumRogers is sure she’s exactly where mer” leanings she’s always felt. she’s supposed to be. Despite growing up surrounded This hipster hails from a revered by the sounds of Motown’s black musical heritage family that’s divas, Rogers said, “I used to think I done great things with their craft. was Doris Day. I would come down Like her brothers Donnie, Ronnie, the stairs, ‘Que sera, sera, whatever and Keith, Carol made a name for will be, will be.’ My brothers would herself here but enjoyed her biggest wait for me at the bottom of the success elsewhere. Her big break stairs to pummel me with, ‘Who do came earning a spot singing and you think you are? Wake up, you recording with Brazilian star Serskinny chicken head, wake up.’ So I gio Mendes. It meant performing kind of lived in a fantasyland. I nevin English and Portuguese across er really saw myself like everyone myriad musical styles. Rogers’ virelse looks at themselves. I like to tuosity has inspired some in the biz do things differently. I kind of was to call her “a vocal god.” a hippy without the drugs because I Her stage persona and song inliked the way they dressed. terpretation can be sweet, salty, or “Even as a young woman I sultry. She can scat; sing jazz, R&B, couldn’t look like everybody else. soul, blues, country, pop, rock, and To this day I feel most comfortable even heavy metal. She once acwhen I have on lots of colors.” companied the Los Angeles-based Rogers’ funky sensibility extends

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to a window treatment in her home that has a gingham curtain with a paisley print against a red wall, though she said she’s self-conscious enough to wonder if visitors think, “I’m decorating like a crack-head in a brothel.” At the end of the day, she said, “I just want to celebrate and excite as I go and come.” It’s why after dying her hair she’s let it go gray, proudly wearing the beauty of her age in dreadlocks that frame her queenly features. “I began to embrace my gray. It’s a crown of righteousness if it’s accompanied by good works.”

arol’s righteous energy found expression in a Ladies Sing the Blues concert at Omaha’s Love’s Jazz & Arts Center when she arrived in character as an older adult negotiating a walker to the stage. Once there, Rogers shed costume, wig, and prosthetics to reveal her youthful, high-octane self and sleek legs. She then proceeded to tear up the joint with a full-throated, hip-

September 2015

he family matriarch who made music a family inheritance for Carol and her brothers is their mother, Jeanne Rogers. She was a woman who did her own thing as well. Jeanne sang with area big bands and gigged as a jazz pianist-vocalist. Jeanne’s talent for music didn’t fall far from the tree, as Carol and her siblings have all made a living in music and joined their mother as Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame inductees. Carol’s four children “all have voices,” too. Bethany, a recording sound engineer by trade, is especially gifted, according to her mother. Mom proudly watched her daughter “tear it up” one Sunday at Omaha’s One Way Ministry Apostles Doctrine Church, where the family worships. Even when Jeanne became an Omaha Public Schools educator and administrator, she never left music behind. Indeed, she used it as a tool to reach kids. Carol, who as a girl used to accompany her Mom to school to help her and other teachers set up their classrooms, followed in Jeanne’s footsteps to become a teacher herself, including running her own “kindergarten school of cool” that all her kids went through. Carol, age 61, also grew up under the influence of her grandmother, Lilian Matilda Battle Hutch. She remembers her as an enterprising, tea-totaler that on a domestic worker’s wages managed buying multiple homes and subletting rooms for extra income. She also sold Avon products on the side. “She could see opportunity and she was on the grind all the time. They called her ‘The General’ because she’d rifle out her demands. ‘You coming in? I need you to go in the backyard and weed some stuff.’” When Jeanne developed dementia, Carol’s trips back home increased to check on her mother and --Please turn to page 11.

Carol recalls growing up in a home filled with music --Continued from page 10. eventually take charge of her care. When Jeanne could no longer remain in her own home, Carol placed her in nursing facilities. She rests comfortably today at the Douglas County Health Center. Carol’s since come back to stay in Nebraska. She and two of her kids reside in her mother’s former northeast Omaha home.

s a homage to her educator mother, Carol has a kitchen wall double as a chalkboard with scribbled reminders and appointments. “Chalk is how she relayed things,” Carol said of her mom. Both sides of a living room door are also chalkboards, only Rogers calls them “blessing boards.” She has guests leave inscriptions and affirmations on one side and she writes scriptural passages on the other side. She calls it “seasoning” the door. There in her home, one August morning, Rogers recounted her personal journey as an artist and a woman of faith who’s been born again. She recalled growing up in a bustling household on Bristol Street where she couldn’t help but be immersed in music between her siblings rehearsing and her mother and her musician friends jamming. That 24-7 creative hub imbued Carol with a love for performing. “In the summertime it was just crawling with people because my brothers had instruments. In the basement they were always practicing. It got so I couldn’t study without a lot of noise. I still sleep with noise. If you didn’t get home in time and there was food you didn’t eat because the people who were in the house ate. It was first come-first served. That used to make me mad. “But there was music. Folks would come. A typical weekend, Billy Rogers, not any relation, would come and jam. Everybody who was anybody came in and jammed. I didn’t know who they all were, all I knew there was always noise.” The Rogers’ home was the place neighborhood kids congregated. “My mother would boast that kids’ parents would say, ‘Why is my child always at your house?’ Because they’re welcome and there’s music. And so that’s just the way it was. That’s the way I remember the house. I didn’t have to go looking for people or excitement – it came to the house. There was always something going on.” Jeanne Rogers grew up near enough the old Dreamland Ballroom on Omaha’s North 24th Street to hear the intoxicating rhythms of the black music greats who played there. “That’s when she got bitten by the jazz bug,” Carol said. “She would go to sleep hearing the music playing at Dreamland.” Carol enjoyed an even more intimate relationship with music

The melodic sounds that filled the Rogers’ Bristol Street home 24-7 during her childhood in North Omaha, provided Carol with a love for performing at an early age. because of the nightclub atmosphere Jeanne orchestrated at home. “Oh, these jam sessions that Mama would have. All I know is we would have to be whisked to bed. Of course, we could hear them at night. They would never go past 10 or so. Occasionally she would let us come down and just watch, which was a privilege. There’d be Basie Givens – who she played with forever – Clean Head Base, Cliff Dudley, the names go on of all the people who would come in. And they’d just jam, and she’d sing and play piano. “It was a big party and to-do thing at the house. I would go to sleep hearing her and her friends play the jam sessions. Coming downstairs in

the morning there was always somebody crashed out on the floor.”

s a girl, Rogers was aware of the racism and discrimination that typically confined AfricanAmericans in Omaha to the city’s Near North Side. “I didn’t venture past 72nd (Street) much,” she said. But she also saw how music broke down such barriers. “Music was colorless and it brought everybody together. White folks would come into the neighborhood to play at my mother’s house. Italians, (and) Jews were coming in. It was like a United Nations. Anybody could play, you came in.”

September 2015

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The diversity Carol was exposed to at home and at Omaha Central High School helped prepare her for the cultural smorgasbord she found with Mendes on international tours and in cosmopolitan Los Angeles. It took a lot to finally get this restless singer to come back home to stay. She went through a stage when life was a series of gigs and parties. Then she settled down to raise her four kids as a single Mom, eventually making her living as a much-indemand vocal instructor. She still works with artists today. The truth is even though Rogers is settled in Omaha now, there’s still a part of her yearning to go off somewhere. It’s why she visits Rio de --Please turn to page 12.

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Rogers says God has played a major role in her life, career --Continued from page 11. Janeiro to work with an aspiring performing artist. Now that Rogers is back home, she’s gigging at different venues around town. This is where it all started for her. Some of her earliest musical expressions came performing in youth Show Wagon concerts in Omaha city parks and in talent shows at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. She starred in Central High road shows. She appeared at Allen’s Showcase in North Omaha. She made her first television appearance on KETV’s Black on Black community affairs program. Carol first flew the coop as a teen with the Omaha Can Do Ambassadors on a tour to Greenland, Iceland, and Canada. Rogers, whose musical influences never seemed in synch with the times or her culture, as witnessed by her idolizing Judy Garland and Doris Day, eventually fixed on a suitable model. “I wanted to be Diana Ross,” she said. “I wanted to stand up and sing, ‘Baby, baby…’ Yeah, that was my dream.” Carol never found the solo career she craved but she did tour the U.S. with Omahan C.W. McCall in the wake of his Convoy hit record. Chip Davis – later of Mannheim Steamroller fame – was the producercomposer-arranger for that song. Playing redneck honky-tonks with McCall, Carol couldn’t always be out front with her big personality because African-Americans weren’t always welcomed. Receding further into the background and having her spirit dampened was killing her. She quit C.W. McCall and returned to Omaha, where she was the area’s most requested studio background singer for records and commercials. Once again Rogers found the city too stultifying for her free spirit. This caged bird not only needed to fly but to soar far away. She went to California to audition for Stevie Wonder but never really got a fair shake, not even meeting the famed artist. Dejected by that experience, she despaired what to do next. “I was very depressed here because I knew I had to do something else. I said, ‘I need something more.’ “A true story: I was lying in bed knowing I should go to church – I hadn’t been born again at the time – when God’s voice told me to go back to California. There was no doubt in my mind who had spoken to me. I immediately put everything I wanted in my Volkswagen and left and I haven’t had to look back. That mission was successful.” Rogers managed a face-to-face audition with Sergio Mendes, who needed singers for an upcoming tour. It came down to her and another girl, and Carol won the spot. Rogers said it worked to her advantage that she didn’t realize how big a star Mendes was before trying out. “Naiveté was the angel’s wings I

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floated on with him. I had no idea how huge he was, otherwise I’d have panicked. I auditioned in the latter part of June 1976 and on July 4 he called to say, ‘If you want the job, it’s yours.’ I put the phone down and screamed.” Carol said she reminded Mendes that she’d earlier sent in an audiotape of her voice that he never acknowledged, to which he re-

you to do something, you better do it. Mama won’t loan you money, because I’m not that kind of Mama. Mama might give you a little lecture because that’s what Mamas do. But Mama’s going to show you how it’s done and Mama’s going to ask you to do it exactly.” Carol said that bigger-than-life persona is “the rock side of me, the metal side of me.” Since relocating back to Omaha in 2013, Rogers said, “Mama’s a bit quieter here because nobody believes her. After I start teaching again (which she plans to do at the collegiate level) I would like to be called Mama O again.” Even with work and faith, the L.A. scene became trying for Rogers. “California became my Canaan experience. Friendship is hard to find. Backsliding is very easy. But if you’re called and you know you’re born again, nobody can pluck you from God’s hand. “Everything closed for me in my life. You know when God closes a door but opens another? That’s exactly what was happening to me.” Carol said though she was “a favorite, award-winning” teacher at the school where she taught, she endured a backlash from administrators because her forceful personality made her stand out. Students asked for her specifically. “Kids would come thousands of miles from Europe, India, Japan, and say, ‘We want Mama.’ They called me Mama. They were told, ‘Well, she’s taken, you can’t have her.’ I said, ‘Fix it, give me some more hours.’” The young singers she worked with on all aspects of performance represented many vocal-music styles and Rogers determined she wouldn’t teach something unless she could do it herself. “I had to do it all, even heavy Rogers said after reading Billy Graham’s book, ‘How To Be metal. How can I tell to do someBorn Again’ in 1980, she began writing Christian songs. thing if I don’t show you I can do sponded, “I never even listened to away. I spontaneously started writit? I was adamant about that. It set it and per that tape, I would have ing Christian songs.” me apart from my contemporaries never hired you.” The words and music came flow- at school and for that reason the As the whirlwind touring coming out of her as if supplied by a director of the school said, ‘You’re menced, Carol said she soon dishigher source. an easy target, we want everybody covered like Dorothy in The Wizard “You see, when you’re first born to be alike. But you stand out like a of Oz, that she wasn’t in Kansas again the Lord sojourns with you sore thumb.’” anymore. “Whew! But I was ready.” and he talks to you. Today, my faith As her situation there became ten During nearly 25 years workis now seasoned with trials and uous, Carol was touched by students ing together, Rogers and Mendes rejoicing in trials.” siding with her. But each time she became muses to each other. spoke out, tensions only increased. “We fit because I was ready to ogers found great satisfac- She felt like the administration totally immerse myself into sometion teaching at a prestiwanted to dampen her originality in thing. I was fascinated with black gious L.A. performing arts order to make her conform. people speaking another language school. At a certain point “When my job began to become (Portuguese). The ability to imshe developed a sort of alter ego for corporate, I couldn’t breathe, I merse myself in something and her teaching role – Mama O. couldn’t exercise my God-given travel the world and get paid for it, “Mama O came about when uniqueness.” well, it was a great education, it was I needed an identity to separate So, she left, and in 2013 she finala Ph.D.” me from the students. Everybody ized her move to Omaha. Rogers got the adventure she respects Mama, so I decided I’m go- “I didn’t want to come back to sought but like many who get what ing to be Mama. And Mama what? Omaha but I knew I had to come they ask for, she found career sucSo, Mama O, in deference to my back for my Mom because I became cess alone didn’t complete her. time in Brazilian culture. her guardian. I needed to be here in “I went through some things “That got to my psyche so power- all of the Midwest’s mystery, awe, in L.A. Severely depressed for fully that I felt more powerful as a hummingbird moths, and thundersome years. Working top dollar teacher. I’m not just Carol Rogers, storms. I was telling my daughter but depressed because something no, I’m Mama. When Mama tells Please turn to page 13.

New Horizons

was missing. I was separated from the Lord. I was still traveling with Sergio when I was reborn in 1980 coming off a long tour in Japan. “I babysat a friend’s house and I needed something to read, so I went to a bookstore and got Billy Graham’s book, How To Be Born Again. I read it and knew that when Jesus went to that cross he died for me, too. It absolutely blew me

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September 2015

Singer, two of her children are enjoying life in Nebraska --Continued from page 12. during a beautiful thunderstorm that the lightning was God’s paparazzi.” Rogers said she never imagined her two children living with her would ever take to Nebraska, but they have. “They both marvel at the thunderstorms and the cicadas in the trees and the squirrels and wild turkeys running around. My oceans are the cicadas at night, the diminuendo and the crescendo.” It’s not just her family who’s fond of Midwest living. “If I describe this place to my California friends as ‘everything I need for a taco is running around free,’ they think it’s paradise.”

arol’s disheartened though Omaha now suffers from inner city woes like persistent gun violence that didn’t really exist back in her day. Like many from her generation, she longs for a return to the “it-takes-avillage-to-raise-a-child culture” she grew up in. With some perspective now, Rogers feels things worked out the way they were supposed to in bringing her back home to be with her Mom. She never forgets the inspiration for her life’s journey in music. “Mom gave us music and she gave us a house full of it all the time.” Seeing her Mom’s mental capacities diminish has been difficult for Carol. Seeing Jeanne no longer recall the words to songs she sang thousands of times, like My Funny Valentine, cuts deeply. No one is prepared for losing a loved one, piece by piece, to the fog of Alzheimer’s. All Rogers or anyone can do is be there for the afflicted. “I’m glad I’m close by for her sake to remind her she’s loved and hopefully, even though she doesn’t recognize me, give her a familiarity.” As if dealing with her mother’s odyssey wasn’t enough, Rogers no sooner got situated in Omaha than the home she inherited suffered a disaster while she was away. “I came back to find the pipes burst over the winter. The water in the basement was up to my knees. Then the tears began to roll because I’m thinking, ‘You don’t know how much insurance will pay off.’ That winter was so terrible they couldn’t get to me for five days. By the time they got to me this place stank of mildew and mold.” There was insurance but it didn’t come near to covering the damage. “I didn’t know what I was going to do but I knew God didn’t bring me this far for nothing.” Carol attributes Providence with bringing the home from disaster to rebirth and the blessings that came with it. “A Christian couple to whom the Lord has given many gifts love my vocal ministry and they gave me $50,000 to put this house back together. The demolition guys came

in like piranhas and took everything down to beams and joists. I could see the attic from downstairs.” Carol was put up at hotel for five months while the heavy work was done. The result is essentially a brand new home. “Everything is new,” she said. “As the guys were installing the appliances I was crying. Why? Because God has granted me favor beyond favor. The Lord impressed upon my heart the scripture that says, ‘In Christ, all things become new.’ It just doesn’t mean your spirit – you can get some new stuff, too. That’s OK.” Rogers has given the home a Biblical name. “I call my home Lazarus Resurrected because by the time they got to it, it stank, but Jesus resurrected it. My mission statement of this home is to serve. Just like my Mother’s house did but with a little bit more decorum. Can’t just anybody get in and out of here. “And once music begins I’m sure I’ll have more people coming through. “Inevitably the basement will become my kick-it space like it was once before. I’ll be able to put instruments down and not fear water finding its mark again.” Playing hostess will be new for Rogers. “Because in L.A. I was too busy to have company. I’d come home after driving to and from (work) and would want to collapse. So I’m learning hospitality and welcoming it. I look forward to it because this house is blessed, it’s anointed. It’s blessed me. It was an inherited blessing from my Mother, it has to continue and it will. My kids are here.” Rogers feels blessed, too, whenever she takes the stage. “In this day and age when you’re inundated with the electronic ability to insulate yourself, I never ever count it anything less than a privilege to be heard by a live audience. That being the case, I have to prepare. I’m not so fast at learning things anymore, so it takes a long time to prepare these days. “Yeah, it’s a privilege to be able to share my feelings and my life experience through my singing. Sometimes my nerves derail me but usually that means I needed to pay a little bit more attention to details.” Just as she’s most alive when she freely expresses her uniqueness, Carol helps voice students find and nurture their own uniqueness. The student she’s working with in Brazil has all the necessary vocal chops, Rogers said, but needs confidence in herself and in her ability to perform in front of live audiences. Carol draws her own vast experience to try and get students to look at performing as a collaboration or communion. She likens it to a figure eight. “The band is behind me and at the apex is me and then the audience is in front of me. Everything they do when I’m on stage comes through me and it’s just a circular exchange

of credibility – we believe you, we give you our energy. And the band’s supporting me. What a privilege to have people backing me. They’ve got my back. “To be in front at that apex, sharing it and feeling it come back to me through them is such a high. That is what I really concentrate on. It’s cathartic, especially as I’ve learned to sing the blues.” Hanging on a wall of Rogers’ home is a metal artwork depicting an after the club scene with unmanned band instruments and overturned chairs. It doesn’t take much imagination to picture Carol at the apex with a hot three-piece band behind her and a live wire crowd in front.

ogers still records from time to time. On a 2011 visit to Omaha she met local jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Chuck Marohnic at Countryside Community Church when she insinuated herself into a piece he was playing. He immediately asked her to be one of the singers from around the nation lending their voices to his Jazz Psalms Project that features original music for all 150 psalms in the Bible’s Book of Psalms. “I’d never been asked to do something like this before,” she said,

referring to jazz arrangements of scriptures. Ironically, her mother introduced jazz tinges to traditional hymns at Church of the Resurrection in Omaha when she was music director there. For the Jazz Psalms Project Rogers said, “We did everything live. Oh, what a high. And the guys were great, including Chuck at the piano. It was absolutely amazing all of us playing together.” Upon return from her voice coaching stint in Brazil, Carol will no doubt grace various nightspots with her unique talents starting in the fall. It’s a good time for Carol Rogers. She’s more comfortable in her own skin than she has been in a long while. “Being home has helped. Having two of my kids here has helped. Also seeing God work miracles, ah, that’ll make you get your head right.” This ever-curious searcher just wants to keep creating and stretching herself. Her exploration, she said is never done. Just don’t ask her to stay in the shadows. “I want my light to shine.” Follow the artist at www.carolrogersmusic.com. (Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.com.)

Visitors to Rogers’ home often leave greetings for Carol on her ‘blessings board.’

September 2015

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FTC warns about phone scams

Elder Access Line

You receive a telephone call or an email that may seem to have come from a government official, your grandchild, or a friend saying you’ve won a prize or that someone needs help. Maybe the call came from someone you feel like you know, but haven’t met in person, maybe someone you met online and with whom you’ve been sharing emails. Whatever the story, the caller’s request is the same: wire money to pay taxes or fees or to help someone you care about. Is the caller really the person they say they are? Is there an emergency or a prize involved? Judging by the complaints to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the answer is probably no. The person making the call is pretending to be someone else. Here’s what the FTC suggests you do if you receive this type of call or email: • Stop and check things out before you send money to anyone. Call the person, the government agency, or someone you trust. Then decide what to do. No government agency will ever ask you to wire money. • Pass this information on to a friend. You may not have received this type of call, but chances are you know someone who has. If you spot a scam, please report it to the FTC by calling 1-877-382-4357 or 1-866-653-4261 (TTY). You can report the scam online at ftc.gov/complaint. Your complaint can help protect you and other people. By filing a complaint, you can help the FTC’s investigators identify the imposters and stop them before they can get someone’s hard-earned money.

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

Read it & eat By Lois Friedman readitandeat@yahoo.com

Late summer, early fall recipes Enjoy the last days of summer and the start of fall weather. These cookbooks have lots of recipes to enjoy the seasons. 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.

The Way We Ate By Noah Fecks & Paul Wagtouicz (Touchstone, $35) A year-by-year celebration of fanciful food and wine preparation that reflects “what happened” in a particular year. Recipes created by 100 dazzling chefs for each 20th century year. Time travel bite by bite. Miss Vickie’s Real Food Real Fast By Vickie Smith (Wiley, $22.99) From the “Queen of Pressure Cookers” comes guidance, tips, tricks, and more than 200 “goof-proof” recipes for breakfast through dessert. Ten golden rules, 25 important dos & don’ts, and detailed instructions. Say goodbye to hot ovens and hello to fast and easy. BBQ Bistro By Karen Adler & Judith Fertig (Running Press, $20) Expand your BBQ repertoire using the flavors of a French bistro. Hors d’oeuvres to desserts from these two Kansas City, Mo. authors. Ooh-la-la to merci beaucoup! Lighten up, y'all By Virginia Willis (Ten Speed, $24.99) Southern food emphasizing indigenous ingredients for your health and wellness journey. Think down-home nourishing. Ten chapters ranging from Starters & Nibbles to Sweet Indulgences. Pure Pork Awesomeness By Kevin Gillespie (Andrews McMeel, $29.99) The star of the show with more than 100 international recipes to celebrate pigs. From “This Little Piggy” to “Odds and Ends.” Everything you want to know. Grill Eats & Drinks: Recipes for Good Times Series (Chronicle, $14.95) More than two dozen recipes to pull off a relaxed grillside gathering compiled from previous Chronicle cookbooks. From Foolproof Burgers, Honey-Ginger Lemonade to this sure to please, refreshing seasonal soup:

Quick Summertime Gazpacho Serves 4

4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped English cucumber 1 red onion, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp chopped garlic Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Tabasco sauce Place the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olive oil, vinegar, and garlic into a blender. Blend until pureed. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour, or as long as overnight. This gazpacho is even better when served the next day. Serve chilled.

Hearing loss group to meet Sept. 8

he Omaha Area Hearing Loss Association of America, a support group for hard of hearing adults, will next meet on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at Dundee Presbyterian Church, 5312 Underwood Ave. The 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. meeting will feature social time and a speaker.

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September 2015

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.

UNMC’s Buffett Cancer Center will feature garden as part of its Healing Arts Program The University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine announced recently that the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center will include an outdoor healing garden – Leslie’s Healing Garden – as part of its Healing Arts Program. Leslie’s Healing Garden will be created with support from Marshall and Mona Faith, longtime supporters of the Omaha community, with an undisclosed amount through the University of Nebraska Foundation. The healing garden will serve as a place where patients and their families can visit to escape the realities of cancer and spend time outside enjoying the flowers, pine trees, and heated walkways. Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., UNMC chancellor and chairman of the Nebraska Medicine Advisory Board,

said the Faiths’ gift will be an integral part of the Healing Arts Program that is being developed using evidence-based research to aid in healing patients. “Our patients will truly benefit from Leslie’s Healing Garden and the entire Healing Arts Program,” Dr. Gold said. “We could not be more grateful to the Faiths for their generous gift.” From reduced pain perception, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and depression to providing new insight and clarify feelings about a cancer diagnosis and treatment, the Healing Arts Pro-

gram will include the most motivating and meaningful works of art to help heal the human spirit. “Healing requires more than just treating the patient medically. Studies have shown creating an atmosphere of hope and resilience through artwork goes beyond curing a disease and leads to improved patient outcomes. Patients, visitors, and staff will all benefit from this enhanced environment.” said Kenneth Cowan, MD, PhD, director of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. “The Fred & Pamela Buf-

fett Cancer Center is creating a place of continued innovation, holistic healing, and an environment that serves patients beyond their expectations,” said Gail Yanney, MD, Healing Arts Program committee member. “Leslie’s Healing Garden is the first of many exciting announcements about the Healing Arts Program. There is a vision to present a prestigious and diverse healing art collection and the University of Nebraska Foundation is working to raise the needed funds to create a program like no

other.” For instance, the Healing Arts Program could feature more than 200 pieces of original works of art that would reflect a diversity of cultures and perspectives; create an oasis of calm that provides pleasant distractions from the anxiety of visits and treatments; and provide patients, staff, and visitors opportunities for introspection that will motivate, rejuvenate, and build endurance to fight against cancer on all fronts. For more information, please visit the website BuffettCancerCenter.com.

Bilingual information Bilingual 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.

Fed employee groups meet at Omaha eatery The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Chapter 144 meets the first Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-292-1156. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Aksarben Chapter 1370 meets the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S Plz. For more information, please call 402-342-4351. VOTES WANTED PLEASE GO TO

www.lightthebridge.org 100% non-profit addressing hunger VOTES TO DATE • For: 2,681 • Against: 90 • Please vote today to address hunger.

September 2015

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New Horizons

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Page 15

Alzheimer’s support groups

The impact of a reduction in SS benefits

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. Call Elizabeth at 402-502-4301 for more information. CASS COUNTY

First & third Monday @ 1:30 p.m. New Cassel/Franciscan Centre 900 N. 90th St. Adult day services are provided on-site.

• PLATTSMOUTH Second Tuesday @ 6 p.m. First Lutheran Church 1025 Ave. D

• OMAHA

DODGE COUNTY

Third Tuesday @ 5 p.m. Immanuel Fontenelle 6809 N 68th Plz. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Pointe 16811 Burdette St.

• FREMONT Last Wednesday @ 2 p.m. Nye Square 655 W. 23rd St. Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Shalimar Gardens 749 E. 29th St.

First Thursday @ 6:30 p.m. Early Stage Support Group Security National Bank 1120 S. 101st St. REGISTRATION REQUIRED

DOUGLAS COUNTY • BENNINGTON Last Thursday @ 6 p.m. Ridgewood Active Retirement Community 12301 N. 149th Cr.

Second or third Saturday @ 11 a.m. Caring for Your Parents Call Teri @ 402-393-0434 for location

• ELKHORN Third Monday @ 6 p.m. Elk Ridge Village Assisted Living 19400 Elk Ridge Dr.

SARPY COUNTY • BELLEVUE

• OMAHA

Third Monday @ 7 p.m. Bellevue Senior Center 109 W. 22nd Ave.

Second Thursday @ 10 a.m. Country House 5030 S. 155th St. Adult day services provided.

Fourth Thursday @ 6 p.m. Hillcrest Health Services 1804 Hillcrest Dr.

Third Wednesday @ 3 p.m. Fountain View Senior Living 5710 S 108th St.

Second Tuesday @ 5:30 p.m. Heritage Ridge 1502 Fort Crook Rd. South

Maplewood Estates Lifestyle • Community • Convenience • Family Values

Move-in Specials Get 6 months of FREE lot rent for moving a single wide home Amenities include: into the park, or $3,500 for • Playground • Off street parking doublewide for moving expenses. • Clubhouse • Pool • RV’s welcome Call for more information.

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Call: 12801 Spaulding Plaza www.maplewoodestatesonline.com Omaha, NE 68164

Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart 33 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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New Horizons

Social Security disability benefits are paid for through payroll taxes. Benefits are calculated based on the disabled worker’s earnings history and the length of time worked. A total of 10.9 million disabled beneficiaries receive a monthly benefit averaging about $1,017. According to TSCL’s annual “Senior Survey” conducted earlier this year, 31 percent of the survey respondents said they had no other retirement income like pensions or savings, in addition to Social Security. The survey found no support for fixing the Social Security disability or retirement programs by cutting benefits, other than measures to reduce fraud and abuse. The survey found instead that 70 percent of respondents support raising the taxable maximum wage cap to apply the Social Security tax to all earnings. Currently the highest income workers, earning more than $118,500 per year, pay nothing on earnings over that amount. In addition, the survey found 45 percent favored very gradually increasing the payroll tax rate by 1 percent each for all workers and employers versus 30 percent who opposed the proposal. “TSCL believes the Social Security disability program’s solvency can be addressed without benefits cuts, without running down the clock, and without turning Social Security into political football,” says Cates. To learn more and to participate in TSCL surveys and polls, visit www.SeniorsLeague.org.

Up, up, and away in a hot air balloon

First Wednesday @ 1 p.m. Eastern Nebraska Vets Home 12505 S. 40th St.

Every other Monday @ 7 p.m. Brighton Gardens 9220 Western Ave.

new poll by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) found there would be serious financial repercussions for beneficiaries if Congress does not act in time to fix the Social Security Disability Insurance program. The poll asked: “How would a 20 percent Social Security benefit cut affect you?” • 57 percent of participants said they wouldn’t be able to afford one or more basic essential needs like housing, food, or medicine. • 27 percent said they would have to spend through savings faster than planned. • 14 percent said they would be forced into debt. • Only 2 percent said the cut would be “no big deal.” The poll was open to current Social Security recipients and anyone with an interest in Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability insurance benefits. The scenario is not as hypothetical as some may think. The Social Security trustees project by the end of 2016 the Social Security Disability Insurance trust fund – which operates separately from the retirement and survivors trust fund – will be insolvent and unable to pay disability benefits in full. When that happens disability benefit payments would have to be reduced by about 20 percent to match the tax revenues coming in. “So far Congress has not made public any plan to prevent this from occurring,” says TSCL Chairman Ed Cates.

•

n a beautiful, warm summer evening last month, several residents of The Good Samaritan Society – Millard got the ride of their life inside a tethered hot air balloon 100 feet above the Nebraska countryside. Resident Harold Polan was among the older men and women who took to the skies. “All my life I wanted to ride in one of these and didn’t think it was possible, but the opportunity arose,” he said. The Good Samaritan Society – Millard in conjunction with the Dreamweaver Foundation, offered the hot air balloon rides at the Chalco Hills Recreation Area. The wheelchair-accessible hot air balloon – called Serena’s Song – was created and is owned by Phil Gray and Gary Waldman. The balloon is named after Waldman’s daughter, Serena, who has cerebral palsy. The balloon visits communities around the country giving rides to people with special needs. “We were thrilled to offer this opportunity to our residents,” said Erica Brock, director of recreational therapy at Good Samaritan Society – Millard.

September 2015

Good Samaritan Society - Millard resident Harold Polan with daughter, Jody Sotello (left), and granddaughter, Erin Sotello, after their hot air balloon ride aboard Serena’s Song.

The importance of trees on humans, their environment

rees are known to improve air quality by capturing six common air pollutants and toxic gases: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and lead. In fact, a single tree can absorb 10 pounds of air pollutants per year. In a study published in 2014, United States Forest Service scientists and collaborators calculated that trees are saving more than 850 human lives a year and preventing 670,000 incidents of acute respiratory symptoms. The researchers valued the human health effects of the reduced air pollution at nearly $7 billion every year. “We found that, in general, the greater the tree cover, the greater the pollution removal, and the greater the removal and population density, the greater the value of human health benefits,” says Dave Nowak of the U.S. Forest Service. More recently a 2015 study from the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) in Barcelona, Spain found children exposed to more greenery – as measured by satellite imagery of their schools and neighborhoods – demonstrated better attention skills and memory development. While the association was partly mediated by reductions in air pollution, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, one of the study’s authors, noted he and the study’s other researchers don’t think it’s all air pollution. “I think it’s also some kind of direct effect you see quite a beneficial effect of green space on mental health.” Numerous recent studies have focused on the positive effects that exposure to trees and nature has on our mental health. A recent study published in the journal Nature combined satellite imagery, individual tree data, and health surveys from 31,109 residents of the greater Toronto area, and found people who live in areas with higher street tree density report better health perception compared with their peers living in areas with lower street tree density. “People have sort of neglected the psychological benefits of the environment,” says Marc G. Berman, an author of the study and professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. “I’m very interested in how the physical environment affects the brain and behavior.” Such studies correlate to the “biophilia hypothesis” associated with German-born American psychoanalyst Erich Fromm and Harvard University evolutionary biologist Edward O. Wilson. The hypothesis proposes that humans have evolutionary biological and psychological needs attached with the natural world. According to the book, The Biophilia Hypothesis, coedited by Wilson and Yale University social ecology professor Stephen R. Kellert, relentless environmental destruction could have a significant impact on our psychological and spiritual quality of life. “Why do people bring flowers to the hospital all the time? Is it just superficial? Is it just a nice gesture, nice but not important? I would suggest it is a much deeper recognition of the healing effects associated with affirming life,” Kellert told Yale 360. With more than 80 percent of Americans living in urban areas, this newer research implies an indispensable need for growth and implementation in urban tree planting, urban greening, and biophilic design in educational institutions and places of business for enriched physical and mental health. (EarthTalk® is produced by Doug Moss & Roddy Scheer and is a registered trademark of Earth Action Network Inc.)

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and pinochle twice a month. On Monday, Sept. 14, magician Walt Graham will perform at the meeting. For more information, please call Dorothy at 402399-0759, Mary at 402-3933052, or Joan at 402-3938931.

Traditional funding sources are making it more difficult for ENOA to fulfill its mission. Partnership opportunities are available to businesses and individuals wanting to help us. These opportunities include volunteering, memorials, honorariums, gift annuities, and other contributions.

$30 = 7 meals or 1.75 hours of in-home homemaker services or 1 bath aide service for frail older adults. $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.

Support group for widows, widowers THEOS, a group for older widows and widowers, meets at 6 p.m. the second Monday of each month at the Presbyterian Church of the Cross, 1517 S. 114th St. The organization offers weekend activities, Wednesday night dinners,

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September 2015

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Survey indicates Americans are taking an active role in fighting back against aging

Please see the ad on page 3

New Horizons Club gains new members

$15 William Tietjens $10 Gary Emenitove $5 Sharon O’Connor Colleen Smith Reflects donations received through 8/24/15.

Monthly speakers at Walnut Grove

ou’re invited to attend a free series of monthly programs with speakers through December in the theater at the Walnut Grove Adult Living Community, 4901 S. 153rd St. • Tuesday, Sept. 8: Safe Environment Training: Starting with Fall Prevention with BevVan Phillips from Total Home Access Solutions. • Tuesday, Oct. 13: 55+ Community Resources and Support with Michaela Williams from Care Consultants for the Aging. • Tuesday, Nov. 10: Swallowed by A Snake: Everyone Grieves with Joy Johnson from the Centering Corporation and Ted E. Bear Hollow. • Tuesday, Dec. 8: The Sandwich Generation: Caring for Family with Cathy Wyatt from the Art of Aging. Each program begins at 1 p.m. To RSVP or for more information, please call 402861-1611.

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, September 5 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Park East Tower 539 S 26th Ave. Call 402-345-3168 to register

Saturday, September 12 Noon to 4 p.m. AARP Information Center 1941 S. 42nd St # 220 Call 402-398-9568 to register

Friday, September 25 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Metropolitan Community College • 2709 Babe Gomez Ave. Class # AUAV-004N-71 Call 402-457-5231 to register

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e’ve all heard the phrase: “You’re only as young as you feel.” New survey findings from InsideTracker, however, have shown outward appearances and attitudes can be deceiving. The America’s Attitude to Aging study found while 65 percent of people say they look good for their age, less than half believe they’re in good shape physically. It also found 60 percent of users of the InnerAge platform – a service that determines a person’s biological age – are in fact older than their years (on average by 3.13 years), despite people reporting they look (70 percent) and feel (61 percent) younger than they are. The survey also calls into question the notion America is a youth obsessed society: • Three times as many people claim they would rather stay at age 50 than age 20. • Only 17 percent of respondents consider people in their 60s to be old. • Of those responding, 72 percent expect to live into their 80s and one in 10 believe they’ll reach 100. • Americans are honest about our age, with only one in five people having lied about it. When people do lie, they’re more likely to claim to be older than their actual age. • Of the respondents, 71 percent expect to live longer than their parents. • The top three celebrities believed to be aging well are George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Sean Connery for men; and Madonna, Betty White, and Jennifer Aniston for women. Interestingly, the survey found 84 percent of people

believe they can take steps to slow down the effects of aging. People employ a vast array of methods to reduce the physical effects and appearance of aging with diet being the biggest weapon ahead of exercise and anti-aging treatments and procedures. Those methods include: • Changing diet (54 percent) and regularly taking supplements (45 percent). • Joining a gym (28 percent). • Using anti-aging creams (24 percent). • Giving up smoking (22 percent) and alcohol (18 percent). • Conducting cognitive mental exercises (19 percent). “While people claim to look and feel younger than their years, scientific study after study show people are in fact more likely to be older than their chronological age,” said Dr. Gil Blander, InsideTracker’s chief science officer. “That being said, our America’s Attitudes to Aging study shows people are taking active roles to combat the impacts of aging and are embracing the prospect of their senior years. Today, 50 is the new 30, people in their 60s are far from being considered old, and people are enjoying and expecting to lead healthy, active lives well into their 80s.” InnerAge is a service that assesses a person’s biological versus chronological age by analyzing the five blood biomarkers most scientifically proven to impact longevity. It then suggests five “focus foods” which if incorporated into diet can optimize these biomarkers and help slow the effects of aging from the inside out. Since the platform launched in January, it has found people have an InnerAge that is on average 3.13 years older than their given years. It has also seen many examples of people reducing their InnerAge, in some cases by over a decade, by changing diets to optimize the key biomarkers, which include glucose, vitamin D, testosterone for men and DHEAS for women, “While we can’t beat old father time, there are steps people can take to optimize their inner health,” Dr. Blander said. “To improve longevity, people need to manage and optimize their body’s glucose, vitamin D, and inflammation levels, as well as improve their liver function.” Immediate actions people can take include avoiding prolonged exposure to the sun, quitting smoking, and eating more foods such as avocados, beans, and artichokes to reduce glucose, eating more salmon, cheese, and mushrooms to increase levels of vitamin D, and incorporating citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit into their diets to improve immune functions. Like retirement planning, it’s never too early to invest in health decisions that can extend and improve the quality of life in our golden years. With the right information, actions, and diet there is every reason to believe people can look, feel, and become younger than their years.

ENOA volunteer opportunities The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, and Ombudsman Advocate Program are recruiting older adults to become volunteers. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions must be age 55 or older, meet income guidelines, have a government issued identification card or a driver’s license, able to volunteer at least 15 hours a week, and must complete several

background and reference checks. Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions receive a $2.65 an hour stipend, transportation and meal reimbursement, paid vacation, sick, and holiday leave, and supplemental accident insurance. Foster Grandparents work with children who have special needs while Senior Companions work to keep older adults living independently.

September 2015

Ombudsman advocates work to ensure residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities enjoy the best possible quality of life. Ombudsman advocates, who must be age 18 or older, are enrolled through an application and screening process. These volunteers, who are not compensated monetarily for their time, must serve at least two hours a week. For more information, please call 402-444-6536.

Cass County Tourism, provider thanked for transportation to storytelling festival

he Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Nutrition Division wishes to thank Cass County Tourism for its generosity in providing funding to transport 36 ENOA senior center participants to the StoryArts Moonshell Storytelling Festival at Mahoney State Park on Saturday, Sept. 12. ENOA’s Nutrition Division also wishes to thank George Davis for transporting the older adults aboard Ollie the Trolley to the event that features local authors telling tales.

POOL TABLES Moving, refelting, assemble, repair, tear down. Used slate tables. We pay CASH for slate pool tables.

Big Red Billiards 402-598-5225

Call 402-444-4148 or 402-444-6654 to place your ad.

WILL TRANSFER Records, cassettes, and 8 tracks to CD. Also VHS to DVDs.

Lamplighter II

Some of the nicest, newer 1 bedroom apartments. Elevator, w & d, heated parking garage. Small complex. By bus & shopping. No pets or smoking. 93rd & Maple • 402-397-6921

Chaplain Royal Non-denominational minister for funerals, weddings, and baptisms. 402-575-7006 InclusiveLife.org

Omaha Computers Users Group You’re invited to join the Omaha Computer Users Group (OCUG), an organization dedicated to helping men and women age 50 and older learn more about their computers. Anyone can join OCUG regardless of his or her computer skills. The organization’s 50 members meet the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon at the Abrahams Library, 5111 N. 90th St. 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.

CLASSIFIEDS

Call: 402-218-7551 HOUSE CLEANING

EVERYONE Deserves a Clean House!

REFRESH CLEANING SERVICES JUDY: 402-885-8731 Call 402-444-4147 or 402-444-6654 to place your ad

FOR RENT

Northridge Apartments 10747 Old Maple Road (Quality 50+ community) One-bedroom apartments, private entrances, no stairs, on-site laundry. Section 8 welcome. 402-212-2795 402-498-0684

OLD STUFF WANTED (before 1975)

Military, political, toys, jewelry, fountain pens, pottery, kitchen ware, postcards, photos, books, and other old paper, old clothes, garden stuff, tools, old household, etc. Call anytime 402-397-0254 or 402-250-9389

GET RID OF IT! Haul away, garage, basement, rental clean out…

TOP CASH PAID Best & honest prices paid for: Nice old vintage and costume jewelry, old watches, vintage toys, Fenton glassware, old postcards, advertising items, military items, pottery, and antique buttons. Also buying estates & partial estates. Call Bev at 402-339-2856

Johansen Brothers REPUTABLE SERVICES, INC.

402-312-4000

• Remodeling & Home Improvement

Senior Citizens (62+)

• Safety Equipment Handrails Smoke and Fire Alarms

Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in Papillion & Bellevue. Rent determined by income and medical expenses.

Call 402-280-4810 to learn more

• Painting Interior & Exterior

National Osteoporosis Foundation’s Bone Health Group to meet monthly at CHI/Creighton Medical Center

Call Frank

Monarch Villa West 201 Cedar Dale Road Papillion (402) 331-6882

• Handyman Services • Senior Discounts

Bellewood Courts 1002 Bellewood Court Bellevue (402) 292-3300

• Free Estimates • References • Fully Insured

The National Osteoporosis Foundation’s Omaha-area Bone Health Group will meet during September, October, and November from 1 to 2:30 p.m. each month in Room 5766 of the CHI/Creighton Medical Center building, 601 N. 30th St. Here’s the schedule:

Managed by Kimball Management., Inc.

Quality Professional Service Better Business Bureau Member

402-4 5 5-7 0 0 0

We do business in accordance with the Fair Housing Law.

• Wednesday, Sept. 9 Retired Omaha Fire Department Captain David Mann • Wednesday, Oct. 14 Melanie Clark, PT from the Visiting Nurse Association on fall prevention • Wednesday, Nov. 11 Dr. Robert Recker on osteoporosis medications For more information, please call Susan Recker at 402280-4810.

TRAINING

Would you like to provide a respite for someone who is caregiving for a loved one with special needs but don’t know where to start?

Consider this to be a great training opportunity that is being offered at NO CHARGE.

Partnerships in Caregiving is conducting REST Training Thursday, August 6, 2015 • 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Home Instead Senior Care Training Center 622 N. 108th Court, Omaha NE 68154

ENOA Aging and New Horizons

Please contact Ellen at (402) 996-8444 to get more information or to register. You may also email: edbenne@gmail.com

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Monthly programs on third Thursday

Travel film series begins on Sept. 23 The Omaha World Adventurers’ sixth season of travel films begins on Wednesday, Sept. 23 as Clint and Sue Denn present Cruising France. The 2 and 7:30 showings will be held at the Village Pointe Theaters, 304 N. 174th St. The Denns will take viewers to France’s wine growing region and to Paris where they’ll sample French cooking and wines and visit olive farms, forts, medieval villages, and Roman ruins. Armchair travelers will also make stops at Monet and Van Gogh’s retreats, as well

The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s EngAge Wellness program and The Art of Aging are co-sponsoring a series of free programs the third Tuesday of each month through November. The 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. presentations will be held at the Home Instead Center for Successful Aging, 38th Avenue and Leavenworth Street. Here’s the schedule: • Sept. 15: Age to Age: When Do We Need a Geriatrician? With Elizabeth Harlow, M.D., from UNMC. • Oct. 20: On the Move! Successfully Getting from One Home to Another with Mike Fujan of True North. • Nov. 17: Home for the Holidays: A Recipe for Peace with Diane Hendricks from UNMC. To register or for more information, please call 402552-7210 or log on the Internet to www.artofaginginc.com.

as the Normandy beaches and cemeteries. Cruising France is the first of six OWA films in the 2015-16 season. More information is available in the OWA ad on page 8. Tickets to each show – which are available at the door – are $15. Season tickets are $70 for all six shows or $37 for three OWA films. For more information, please contact Ralph at 866-385-3824 or email him at ralph@traveladventurecinema.com.

Providing peace of mind and security while enhancing independence and quality of life at home. PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS* Push a button on a pendant worn on your wrist or around your neck and get connected to someone who can summon help for you in case of a fall or an emergency 24/7. * Telephone landline and electrical outlet are required.

NO LONG-TERM CONTRACTS MediGUARD USA also offers home monitoring services and other customized products.

402-891-9700 www.mediguardusa.com Locally owned

A subsidiary of American Electronics • 4760 S 135th Street • Omaha, NE 68137

‘Learning to Live with Dementia’ presentations on tap for this fall

free educational series of programs that will help caregivers of persons with dementia understand how to provide the best possible care for their loved ones will be offered this fall. Called Learning to Live with Dementia, the presentations focus on the various types of dementia and how to manage symptoms. The series takes place Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11, and Dec. 9 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Servite Center of Compassion, 7400 Military Ave. To register, contact Sister Margaret Stratman at 402-9513026 or scc@osms.org. Registration is limited so persons who sign up are asked to attend all four sessions. The four components of the program are: • Dementia basics focusing on four types of dementia. • Mystery and reality of living with different dementias covering the symptoms, behaviors, and preserved skills of the four types of dementia. • Person-centered care discusses the importance of shortterm and long-term individual planning for both the caregiver and the care receiver. • Compassionate care outlines resources available for support and talks about the Compassionate Journey. “Taking care of a person with dementia presents unique challenges, and this series provides caregivers with helpful information and also provides a forum for caregivers to learn from and support each other,” said Nancy Flaherty, president of Flaherty Senior Consulting. For more information, contact Nancy Flaherty at 402312-9324 or flahertyconsulting@cox.net.

Your home. Your care. Your pace.

Your home is best and Immanuel Pathways’ goal is to help you continue living in your home as long as possible. Our program provides a complete system of health care. The service is called PACE, which stands for: Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. We provide primary and hospital care as well as prescription drugs, transportation and so much more to our participants. Services are provided in the home, at the PACE Center and in the community. For complete program details and benefits, please call 402-991-0330.

5755 Sorensen Parkway | Omaha, NE 68152

www.immanuelpathways.org

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.

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September 2015

Acappella Omaha Women of all ages who enjoy singing are invited to attend Acappella Omaha’s Global Open House on Monday, Sept. 14, 21, and 28. The 6:45 to 8 p.m. events will be held at Presbyterian Church of the Master, 10710 Corby Cir. Acappella Omaha is a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, an organization of nearly 25,000 women worldwide who sing four-part acappella harmony. On Saturday, Nov. 14, Acappella Omaha will perform its own musical, Out of This World at 7 p.m. at Papillion-LaVista High School, 84th and Centennial streets in Papillion. For more information, please call 402-932-0155.