20 minute read
Legendas are Created
Local Doctor’s journey is the stuff legends are created
NO ONE LIKES TO STAND IN LONG LINES especially while waiting to see a doctor. Dr. Hisham Abukamleh learned that lesson when he was a young boy living with his family in a refugee camp. He remembered the lines of people waiting for medical attention and saw how difficult it was for those with injuries or fevers to wait for help.
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He decided to become a doctor so he could make a difference for people who were in pain. He believed that people forced to wait in long lines for medical help were being underserved. “I believe the shortage of timely medical care is a humanitarian issue,” he said. Eventually he and his family came to the United States and settled in the High Desert.
He attended Victor Valley College and UC Riverside. He went to medical school in the Caribbean, received his medical training in Bakersfield and selected Internal Medicine as his specialty because doctors in this field cover all aspects of the patient’s treatment and care. Dr. Abukamleh recently opened his office in Apple Valley. He is a Paragon Healthy Partner.
He compares his role as doctor of Internal Medicine to being the quarterback of a football team. He sees adult patients first, by referral from another physician or the patients calling his office themselves for an appointment. He assesses the problem, much like a quarterback making a game plan. He can handle general medical issues but may refer the patient to a specialist. As patients progress through diagnosis, testing and treatment, Dr. Abukamleh formulates the next moves.
“Specialists and others send their test results and information to me,” he said. “I collect everything and decide where to go or what to do next.”
With their emphasis on preventative care. Dr. Abukamleh and his team enjoy seeing that patients receive the treatments they need. The best reward is taking complicated cases and removing the patient’s feelings of helplessness. “We want to send the patient home, happy.”
During the current pandemic, Dr. Abukamleh and his staff practice “patientcentered” using “unprecedented precautions.” “We appointments and patient distances,” he said, “and we have hand sanitizers at every station.” Masks and gloves are standard wear for everyone in the office, and all stations down thoroughly after every visit. In addition, patients’ temperatures can be taken enter the office, and patients can their cars as well.
Dr. Abukamleh sees patients Valley Hospital and Victor Valley Hospital in Victorville a Mary Medical in Apple Valley.
To make an appointment, call 760-515-4003. His office is located at 18144 Highway 18, Ste. 140,
Office hours through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
IMAGINE A CALIFORNIA WHERE THE MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN, youth and families is cared for and supported in every aspect of their lives. Thirty stakeholders from the High Desert and other areas of rural San Bernardino County recently came together to share their insight to help make this vision a reality throughout our state.
The goal of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) is to reimagine the way behavioral health support is provided to all children, youth and families in California. “We aim to do this by aligning the systems that support behavioral health to create an ecosystem that fosters social and emotional well-being and addresses the behavioral health challenges facing children and youth,” explained Melissa Stafford Jones, Director of the initiative. “The initiative takes a whole system approach by creating cross-system partnerships to ensure that the reimagined ecosystem is child and youth-centered and equity-focused.”
One major aspect of the CYBHI is to hold engagement events throughout the state and assess resident experiences with the current state of our behavioral health system. The California Department of Health and Human Services (CalHHS) hosted events in the larger urban areas along the coast, but wanted to ensure that our rural and inland residents were included in the discussion.
The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative was announced in July 2021 with a $4.4 billion investment to enhance, expand and redesign the systems that support behavioral health for children and youth. This stakeholder engagement gathering was designed to collect feedback, stories, and information about the experiences of youth, parents, and other stakeholders to inform these efforts.
This event was focused on gathering feedback and data regarding the opinions of rural residents of any background, age group, career, or pre-existing relationship with the California youth-serving behavioral health system. The CYBHI team aims to listen closely to the needs of attendees and collectively brainstorm a more equitable behavioral health system.
“I thought it was spectacular,” commented Michael Grabhorn, a Victorville resident and High Desert Community Coalition member who participated in the confidential listening session. “I can’t wait to read the report on the data that is being collected and to see what happens next.”
Please visit CYBHI project for more information about the CYBHI project.
Contact: Sarah Boyer Institute for Public Strategies (760) 843-7003 ext. 146 sboyer@publicstrategies.org
SWIM speakers for November meetings held on Thursday at 1 pm in the Percy Bakker Community Center, 9333 ‘E; Ave, Hesperia
November 03 Margaret Topartzer, Erma White, Juanita Riedell “How did I get here?”
November 10 Richard Rorex Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
November 17 Norman & Bill The British Bands – Part Two
November 24 Thanksgiving No Meeting
David Stedman
13782 Bear Valley Rd Ste D3 Box 321 Victorville, CA 92392 Cell: 909 838 6298 Email: stedmandd@yahoo.com
6 Festive Fall Activities for Seniors
Fall is here, the leaves are changing color
IT’S REFRESHING TO FEEL THE CRISP FALL AIR and watch the leaves change color.
To celebrate the new season, we’ve rounded up 6 festive activity ideas that you can enjoy with your older adult.
They’re all simple, inexpensive, and fun!
6 festive fall activities for seniors
1. Enjoy fall-themed coloring pages
Coloring is an activity that everyone can enjoy, from the very young to the very old, as a solo activity or with others.
As an added bonus, psychologists say that coloring has stress-busting abilities similar to meditating.
There are hundreds of free, printable, fall-themed coloring pages available online.
Here are some of our favorites: • 30 festive fall images with autumn leaves, pumpkins, apples, sweaters, owls, scarecrows, and more • A variety of fun fall scenes including fall scenes and animals, trees/leaves, pumpkins/squash, and Halloween-themed pages • 24 fun Halloween designs including a few classic Disney characters
2. Make decorations
Making and putting up fun decorations is a nice way to mark the change of seasons and get in the mood for fall holidays.
It’s also a good opportunity to display some of those finished coloring pages!
Simple and fun DIY ideas: • Fall leaf garland – bring some gorgeous autumn color inside with these leaf templates or go outside to collect fallen leaves • Clove-studded orange pomanders – delicious-smelling and beautiful • Ribboned pumpkins – a few ribbons transform pumpkins into lovely decor
3. Work on a fall-themed jigsaw puzzle
Sitting at the table with a warm beverage and a festive puzzle is a great way to celebrate the season.
Here are some of our favorites: • Rocky Mountain Wildlife – 35-piece sequenced puzzle with color coded pieces, peaceful mountain scene with dozens of animals, designed for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia • Mystic Hour – 100-piece puzzle, a cozy cabin in the woods at sunrise • Birds On A Flowering Branch – 300 large-piece puzzle, five beautiful birds on a lovely branch • Signal Point – 500-piece puzzle, a quaint lighthouse and charming seaside cottage
4. Prepare festive (and easy!) homemade treats
Baking, mixing, and assembly are fun activities that many older adults will enjoy.
Mmmm! Try these delicious and easy-to-make treats: • Baked apple roses – easy to make and they truly look like gorgeous roses • Baked apples with oatmeal streusel topping – simple, healthy, and delicious • No bake pumpkin cheesecake – cheesecake, pumpkin, no baking…what could be better? • Soft glazed pumpkin sugar cookies – add some pumpkin spice to a classic cookie
5. Prepare for Halloween trick-or-treaters
If you’re planning to hand out treats to children in the family or neighborhood kids, your older adult might enjoy helping with the preparations.
For a safer, no-contact Halloween, prepare individual treat bags in advance and place them on the porch so trick-or-treaters can help themselves.
Some ideas: • Prepare fun little pumpkin pouch goody bags • Use the completed coloring sheets and other decorations to make the front door more festive • Someone with dementia might enjoy sorting a mixed bag of candy into different containers. It’s a great no-fail activity that helps them feel included – even if you don’t really need the candy to be sorted.
6. Enjoy the natural scenery and fresh air
Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy nature with your older adult.
Bundle up and breathe the fresh air, admire the beautiful colors on display, and hear the crunch of fallen leaves as you walk.
Be sure to wear face masks (unless it’s not safe for your older adult’s health conditions) and keep a safe distance from other people.
Adapt activities to suit different mobility levels: • Open a window to smell the fresh air and take in the scenery • Relax in the backyard or on the porch • Walk to the mailbox and back • Stroll a block or two in the neighborhood • Walk through a local park
How to Thrive as a Caregiver: 10 Things I Learned in Dementia Care
“I FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY’S DEMENTED GRANDMOTHER,” Zelda declared as she wriggled her tiny frame out of the cavernous restaurant booth that had swallowed her up.
“I am somebody’s demented grandmother,” she added with a giggle once she had planted her feet on solid ground.
I cared for my dear stepmother Zelda from 2005 to 2006 as she gradually disappeared into the fog of dementia.
Her self-awareness, the sense of humor that helped define her, a lively imagination – all slowly sucked into the vortex of an unrelentingly progressive disorder.
Since Alzheimer’s research was in its infancy and outside resources were scarce back then, so much of what I learned came from trial and error.
In sharing our story, I’ve confirmed that many of those lessons remain timeless and universal.
But Day One, there I was – a raw recruit, bursting with naïve expectations.
In the beginning, I read every book I could find on aging and cognitive decline, hoping to better arm myself against a stealthy and cunning foe that threatens to destabilize family relationships and annihilate established routines.
One thing the books taught me was to be discerning; not all counsel is good counsel for a given situation.
But the literature also induced me to be flexible as I slowly accepted the fact that general principles of behavior no longer applied.
A 2005 journal entry reflects my frustration:
The concept of living in the moment is popular with contemporary mental health specialists. It makes sense in the context of busy lives complicated by conflicting demands from work, family, school, social causes. Don’t miss out on today obsessively planning for or worrying about tomorrow, they caution.
I get it.
But when you are companion to a dementia sufferer whose conscious thoughts have no consistent framework, concerns for the future plague you, and expert advice can start to feel like scolding.
Zelda lives in the moment by default.
She has lost her ability to connect today to tomorrow. And yesterday – unrecordable in the jumble of disconnected synapses at the root of her confused thinking – may not exist for her at all.
Now I must train myself to identify with her new perspective without being engulfed by it.
Some days this is a challenge. But the will soldiers on.
In the course of that forward march, I formulated a strategy to help me stay on course.
As you map the way through your own caregiving adventure, I offer some guideposts.
Use them according to your own best judgment, steered by your intuition and your heart.
10 things that help you thrive as a caregiver
1. Be assertive
With doctors, with people who “mean well” but don’t know the whole story.
And ask for help, when you need it.
2. Be patient
With yourself above all, with your charge, and with others who share your concern for the sufferer.
3. Be forgiving
Of your own missteps: There is no onesize-fits-all map to follow in this calling.
4. Try not to eat (or drink) for comfort
You’ll just end up with one more thing to forgive yourself for!
5. Talk about it
To your spouse, to your siblings (they need the opportunity to share your reality, anyway), to a support group, to good friends.
6. Write about it
Keep a dump-it-all-here journal, compose an email or a letter to a supportive friend, join an online discussion page. overwhelming, or bigger than you are, lean on your faith or spirituality.
8. Walk off the stress
Or bike it off or swim it off. Physical activity is a side effect-free path to tranquility.
And getting or staying fit bolsters not only your self-confidence but also your emotional and physical stamina. Serotonin and endorphins are our friends.
9. Don’t make assumptions
About anything: another person’s state of mind, or health, or view of your circumstances.
Communication is key here. Ask the question. Clarify the message. Choose your advisors with care. Take good notes when new facts emerge.
10. Don’t take it personally
And by “it” I mean anything.
You are not the cause of the dementia sufferer’s ill-temper. And your actions may not be the motivation behind constructive criticism.
Opinion-givers are often moved by their own frustration, guilt, denial, sense of helplessness, or sheer lack of information.
Throughout the caregiving experience, emotions can run wild on all sides. I hope these reminders will help you tame them.
If you should reach the boiling point, please sleep on it before zipping off a fiery email or making a heated phone call.
I personally tested the acting on impulse thing, so I can save you the trouble. In the trial and error system, that one definitely belongs in the error column.
What the Inland Empire Resource Network Convening Means to Local Nonprofits
MUCH LIKE A SPECIALIZED CHAMBER of commerce for nonprofits, schools, ministries, public service agencies, volunteers and community-minded businesses, Inland Empire Resource Network Convenings provide meaningful opportunities for regional leaders to learn about funding opportunities, resources and best nonprofit best practices, meet with peers, exchange ideas, and share resources with the aim of fostering higher levels of cooperation, collaboration and community support.
Our vision is an Inland Empire where leadership is strong, collaboration and innovation are the standard communities thrive, and opportunity abounds for all. Academy for Grassroots Organizations™ (AcademyGO) is an independent, nonprofit management support organization working to strengthen community organizations and their leaders.
Each year, AcademyGO works with hundreds of organizations and their leaders to help them learn new skills and best practices, develop resources, and collaborate in order to improve quality of life for the region’s diverse population. Programs include training, networking and collaboration opportunities, information and resources sharing, and technical assistance provided to organizations that address a wide variety of community needs.
Today, with a mission to Convene, Equip, and Guide Community Leaders, “AcademyGO” provides a variety of resources and learning opportunities throughout the region.
AcademyGO began in 2000 in the City of Barstow, California as a networking group aimed at helping a few dozen community groups share information and resources. Today, AcademyGO is a recognized nonprofit leader, trainer, and convener with an extensive network of thousands of nonprofit professionals and volunteers throughout the Inland Empire region. The organization is a critical component of the region’s infrastructure, as well as the nonprofit capacity-building ecosystem in Southern California.
AcademyGO works with a wide variety of community organizations including nonprofits, schools, public agencies, associations, clubs, ministries, funders, and businesses that serve the residents of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Of the more than 10,000 nonprofits serving the region, most are underfunded and lacking resources to sufficiently meet identified needs.
Strengthening community organizations is critical for the Inland Empire and our State. The region continues to be the epicenter of new growth and demographic change in California, yet higher rates of poverty, and poor education and health outcomes, continue to plague the population.
Business leaders are encouraged to attend to connect with the nonprofit sector which contributes more to the gross domestic product and employs more of the nation’s workforce than several industries including utilities and construction.
For more information, visit www. AcademyGO.org.
HDCWC Celebrates Writers Week with Children’s Book Panel
THE HDCWC OPENED A PANEL OF LOCAL AUTHORS discussing children’s books and stories and the different approaches to this genre of writing and editing at the Hesperia Library on October 17th. This free presentation was intended to inform and encourage those wanting to write children’s stories but did not know where to begin. The remarkable thing about this panel was its makeup of such different authors. Andrea Willow’s “The Whole World is Naturally Curly” is an artistic book that can appeal to adults as well as children. Amelia Hansen, at 14 years old, has published nine books about the adventures of a cat saving other animals in distress; Mary Langer Thompson has written “How the Blue-Tongued Skink Got His Blue Tongue” and “The Gull Who Thought He Was Dull” and Mary Ruth Hughes has written a series of books accompanied by a CD of the story plus music.
Moderator Jenny Margotta has edited 162 books during her career, many of which are children’s books. She offered a multitude of tips on getting together specific information and intent before you start writing the book, and advice on how best to think about publishing it.
All participants are members of the High Desert Branch of the California Writers Club (HDCWC) which meets monthly in Apple Valley.
For more information, visit www.hdcwc.com or call 760.221.6367
left to right Andrea Willow, Amelia Hansen, Mary Langer Thompson, Mary Ruth Hughes, Jenny Margotta
Another story has a local gas station that had one tank that held moonshine. This “fuel” was dispensed only to trusted customers through a dedicated pump.
As we reflect on its history, and the fun we enjoyed with Halloween Spirts at our annual Trunk or Treat Festival was all the family fun, foods, and drinks. One thing history has taught us … Lucerne Valley may be arid, but we were never completely dry. And now you know ….
Museum Digs for November: Double Event!!
11 /5 Museum Outdoor Yard open from 10 am to 2 pm …We are next to our library and it’s free 11 /6 Hike at Chimney Rock, 10 am followed later with Battle at Chimney Rock presentation at 5 pm in our Museum yard then Stories Around the Campfire. Both events are free.
Lucerne Valley Museum
Located Between Library & Pioneer Park / Community Center 33187 “Hywy 247” , Lucerne Valley 92356 November 2022
DID YOU KNOW WHEN WE PREPARED FOR OUR ANNUAL TRUNK OR TREAT FESTIVAL this past Halloween with all the spirits, ghosts, goblins, and costumes at the Senior Center (October 31st)— and ready for the coming holidays with all its foods & drinks, there was a time when our “Spirits/Drinks” were outlawed.
In 1919 the eighteenth amendment to the US Constitution was passed which banned the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcoholic beverages. What did our local law-abiding citizens do back then? … bootlegged their liquor. They felt it was none of the government’s business and distilled their own liquor in defiance of the law.
One story in Lucerne Valley, a rancher had his stuff buried in the driveway, hidden. But when the bootlegger had a fight with his wife, she informed on him. Prohibition enforcers came, showed the warrant, borrowed a pitchfork, and went at everything in sight. They pitchforked the haystacks, hay bales, the grain, and around the driveway. They finally gave up and returned to their cars to leave … which were parked over the rancher’s hidden stash.
There were “stills” hidden in Furnace and Arctic Canyons. There was even a still in a mine tunnel which had its entrance hidden by chicken coops. We have an original tub with axe holes in it from a raid found in a tunnel hideaway.
Another story has a local gas station that had one tank that held moonshine.
This “fuel” was dispensed only to trusted customers through a dedicated pump.
As we reflect on its history, and the fun we enjoyed with Halloween Spirts at our annual Trunk or Treat Festival was all the family fun, foods, and drinks.
One thing history has taught us … Lucerne Valley may be arid, but we were never completely dry. And now you know ….
Museum Digs for November: Double Event!!
11 /5 Museum Outdoor Yard open from 10 am to 2 pm …We are next to our library and it’s free
11 /6 Hike at Chimney Rock, 10 am followed later with Battle at Chimney Rock presentation at 5 pm in our Museum yard then Stories Around the Campfire.
Both events are free.
Announcements:
For more interesting historical stuff, see our book “Lucerne Valley: A Wild West Town of Character(s)” now on sale at our market.
MDAQMD funds ‘Car Buy Back and Scrap’ program
THE MOJAVE DESERT AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (MDAQMD) wants to buy your old car.
The District’s Car Buy Back and Scrap program offers $1,000 to residents in exchange for their operable, registered vehicle at least 20 years old or more.
MDAQMD funds the program and contracts Environmental Engineering Studies, Inc. to operate it. Funds are available for the program until they’re exhausted each year.
Aside from the 20-years-or-older requirement, a qualifying vehicle is in working condition; has been registered as operable in MDAQMD’s jurisdiction (which includes the High Desert portion of San Bernardino County and Palo Verde Valley in Riverside County) for the preceding 24 months; and passes a smog check if the vehicle is due for one within 60 days of the surrender date. Other restrictions apply.
Once the local scrapper receives the vehicle and verifies compliance with the requirements, the registered vehicle owner will receive a check for $1,000.
This program is not operated by the State of California. For more information on how to participate and additional requirements to qualify a vehicle, call 800-717-7624.
For more information about MDAQMD and its mission to attain and maintain healthful air quality, visit mdaqmd.ca.gov or find them on social media.
WE WANT YOUR OLD
Voluntary program sponsored by the Mojave
Desert Air Quality
Management District. It is not operated by the State of California.
CAR/TRUCK/VAN
VEHICLE MUST BE 20 YEARS OR OLDER
& WE’LL PAY YOU $1,000
IF QUALIFIED To qualify, vehicle must meet requirements including:
• Model year is at least 20 years old; • Currently registered as operable; • Registered as operable in the
Mojave Desert AQMD jurisdiction for the past 24 months; • In operating condition • Vehicles within 60 days of a required smog check must take and pass smog check.
Partial list of requirements. Some restrictions apply.
For more information
on how to participate, call 800-717-7624
