New Horizons Newspaper

New HorizonsA publication of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging

December 2011 VOL. 36 • NO. 12

ENOA4223 Center StreetOmaha, NE 68105-2431

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDOMAHA NE

PERMIT NO. 389

BrothersTom Hurst (middle) has young-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Three times a week, Tom – seen here with his wife, Kathy Tewhill – is visited by Ezequiel Roque (right), a native of Mexico, and a volunteer with ENOA’s Senior Companion Program. Nick Schinker’s words and photos illustrate the special bond Tom, Kathy, and Ezequiel have built.

Pages 12 & 13.

Ramona Silva stands beside

La Catarina at the second annual

Celebracion Dia de los Muertos

(Day of the Dead) at the

Intercultural Senior Center.

La Catarina is a symbol of the

welldressed and wealthy in

Mexican society.

See page 4.

CelebrationInsideDecember events calendar .............. 3

Erna Clanton is honored .................. 6

‘Read it & eat’ ............................. 8

New heart disease treatment ...........11

Enroll in Medicare Part D ...............16

ENOA health clinics ......................17

Caregiving’s impact on labor force ....20

Lowering your heating bills .............21

Christmas at Union Station .............22

National park passes for $10 ...........22

The right light bulb .......................23

Over-the-bed table

$59.88

KEYSTONE HOME CARE

Prices good through December 31, 2011

C e l e b r a t i n g 5 2 y e a r s o f i M P r o V i n g y o U r H e a lt H !

We fix and rent wheelchairs

and knee walkers

50%

Kaz Humidifier

Save

7328 Maple St reet • Omaha, Nebraska • 402-391-2659Open six days a week • Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. • Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. • Closed Sunday

Abestbuy

10 - 20 mmHg, 20 - 30 mmHg and 30 - 40 mmHg

Buy 1 pair get 2nd pair 1/2 price

Knee high, thigh high, or pantyhose

SUPPORT HOSIERY(Compression)

PRIDE lift chairs

Starting at $444.00

Save30-40%

$119.88

Save

40%

Lightweight aluminum transport chairs starting at

$34.88

Bath chair with back

Save

50%

ASK US ABOUT OUR DIABETIC STRIPS We accept Medicare & Medicaid.

We have a new TALKING no code, PC link meter.

The meter sets itself, is automatic, and PAINLESS! Comes with blood glucose

strips, user guide, owner’s manual, storage

case, daily logbook, and AAA batteries.

FREE with a doctor’s order

of diabetic strips.

Check out our diabetic shoe selectionYou could qualify for FREE diabetic shoes. Medicare/Medicaid covers the cost of diabetic shoes so you may have little or no costs. Our staff will work with your insurance provider to see if you’re covered.

Call 402-391-2659 today to set up an appointment for a

custom fitting and a FREE evaluation.

DIABETIC?

Rollators

Starting at

Save up to

50%

$78.88

With handbrakes, seat, and basket.

Selection of wheelchairsSave up to

50%off

Just in time for the holidays.

Folding shopping carts

$49.88

All PrideScooters &Wheelchairs1/2 price!

(existing stock only)

December 2011 • New Horizons •

Advertisements appearing in New Horizons do not imply endorsement of the advertiser by the Eastern Nebraska Of-fice 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 25,000 through direct mail and freehand distribution.

New Horizons is the official publication of the East-ern Nebraska Office on Aging. The paper is distrib-uted 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: [email protected]

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.

Editor..............................................Jeff Reinhardt Ad Mgr................Mitch Laudenback, 402-444-4148Contributing Writers......Nick Schinker, Leo Biga, Barc Wade, & Lois FriedmanFremont Delivery.........................Dick Longstein

ENOA Board of Governors: Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County, chairperson; Ron Nolte, Cass County, vice-chairperson; Bob Missel, Dodge County, secretary; Jim Warren, Sarpy County & Jerry Kruse, Washington County.

New Horizons

ADDRESS

CITY/STATE/ZIP

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.

Join the

New Horizons Club today!

Membership includes a subscription to the New Horizons newspaper.

“Voice for Older Nebraskans!”

Make a donation to help support the

$5

$10

$15

$25

$50

Other _______

NAME

New Horizons Club

EasternNebraskaOfficeonAging

4223CenterStreet

Omaha,NE68105-2431

Send to:

December 2011 events calendar

2Ethnic Holiday Festival

Durham Museum5 to 9 p.m.

$5, $6, & $7402-444-5071

Yesterday and TodayThrough Dec. 31

Omaha Community Playhouse402-553-0800

3Cut! Costumes & Cinema

Through April 29, 2012Durham Museum

$5, $6, & $7402-444-5071

Holiday Air Affair:501st Legion Stormtroopers

Strategic Air and Space Museum

9:30 a.m. (Santa arrives @ 10 a.m.)

$6, $11, & $12402-944-3100

Holiday HappeningsAlso Dec. 4

Lauritzen GardensNoon to 4 p.m.

$3 & $6402-346-4002

The Durham Museum’sHoliday Concert Series

Saturdays and SundaysThrough Dec. 18

$5, $6, & $7402-444-5071

4Christmas at Boys Town

Through Jan. 14, 2012Tree lighting @ 7:45 p.m.

FREE402-498-1141

6Family Nights with Santa

Through Dec. 20Durham Museum

5 to 8 p.m.$5, $6, & $7

402-444-5071

9Aspen Sante Fe Ballet

The NutcrackerThrough Dec. 11Orpheum Theater402-345-0606

10Holiday Lights FestivalDickens in the Market

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.FREE

402-345-5401

16Omaha Symphony: Christmas

with the SymphonyThrough Dec. 18Friday @ 8 p.m.

Saturday @ 2 & 8 p.m.Sunday @ 2 & 7 p.m.

$15 to $80402-342-3560

Supper with Santa atOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo

Through Dec. 196 to 8 p.m.

$15 402-738-2092

26Holiday Time

Around the WorldThrough Dec. 30

The Rose TheaterMonday @ 2 & 4:30 p.m.Tuesday & Wednesday

@ 2 & 7 p.m.Thursday & Friday @ 4:30 & 7 p.m.

$16402-345-4849

Penguins and Pancakes atOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo

Also Dec. 278:30 to 10 a.m.

$15, $12, (free for under age 2)402-738-2038

31Holiday Lights Festival

& Fireworks14th & Farnam streets

7 p.m.FREE

402-345-5401

New Year’s Eve atOmaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.Free with zoo admission

402-733-8401

The Durham Museum’sNoon Year’s Eve Celebration

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.$4 to $8

402-444-5071

• New Horizons • December 2011

Day of the Dead celebrated at Intercultural Senior Center

Strolling musicians, a variety of children’s

activities, arts andcrafts sales, and lots of

delicious food were among the

highlights as 700 to 800 participants and guests

at the Intercultural Senior Center,

2021 U St., celebrated the Dia de los Muertos

(Day of the Dead) on Oct. 28.

Altars (left) were erected to honor loved ones

who have died.Francisco Salcedo

(right) was among those who enjoyed the day’s festivities.

For AllYour Mobility Needs…


ENOA senior center menuDecember 2011

Thursday, Dec. 1BBQ Rib Patty

Friday, Dec. 2Chicken Strips

Monday, Dec. 5Honey Baked Chicken

Tuesday, Dec. 6Beef Strip Patty

Wednesday, Dec. 7Turkey Chili

Thursday, Dec. 8Cheese Lasagna Rollup

Friday, Dec. 9Swedish Meatballs

Monday, Dec. 12Savory Beef Casserole

Tuesday, Dec. 13Turkey Fritter

Wednesday, Dec. 14Tuna Noodle Au Gratin

Thursday, Dec. 15Swiss Steak

Friday, Dec. 16Oven Fried Chicken

Monday, Dec. 19Herbed Pork Loin

Tuesday, Dec. 20Beef Chili

Wednesday, Dec. 21

Ham w/Raisin Sauce

Thursday, Dec. 22Chicken A La King

Friday, Dec. 23Veal Italiano

Monday, Dec. 26Closed

for the holidays

Tuesday, Dec. 27Sausage, Onions, &

Peppers on a Bun

Wednesday, Dec. 28

Crunchy Pollock

Thursday, Dec. 29Cheeseburger

Friday, Dec. 30Garlic

Rosemary Chicken Please support New Horizons advertisers!

For AllYour Mobility Needs…

Alzheimer’s • CHF • COPD • Parkinson’s Hypertension • Falls Prevention • Diabetes

Stroke/TBI • Nerve Pain/Neuropathy

Angels Care Home Health

Proudly serving Omaha and surrounding areas (402) 934-4752

Call today to arrange an evaluation or to learn more about our Disease

Management Programs that include:

100%MEDIcare covERAGE


Make Friendships At Saint Joseph Tower! Life Is What You Make It...

• Quality living at an affordable price

• Licensed nurse staff and certified staff on duty 24 hours a day

• Outstanding activities program

• Locally owned & operated

Erna Clanton, a resident of Immanuel Village, 6803 N. 68th Plz., has been rec-ognized in the honorable mention category in the LeadingAge’s Celebrate Age exhibit. Clanton was acknowledged for being a shining example of someone who is living life with ex-traordinary zest. She makes a difference by sharing her musical talents, serving oth-ers, and making her part of the world a better place to live.

Clanton was born in 1920 with the gift of song and made a career out of this passion. Music continues to be an instrumental part of Erna’s life at Immanuel Vil-lage where she has lived for 14 years.

At age 91, Erna is still

shaping lives with the Chime Choir and as Imman-uel Village’s choir director. She uses her gift of music to heal and delight.

LeadingAge is a national association of 5,600 not-for-profit organizations dedicat-ed to expanding the world of possibilities for aging.

Erna Clanton honored for her zestful lifestyle

Erna Clanton is a resident of Immanuel Village.

By Catherine N. Swiniarski

The Aid and Attendance (A & A) pension provides benefits for vet-erans and surviving spouses who

require the regular attendance of another person to assist them with eating, bathing, dressing, undressing, toileting, etc. It also includes individuals who are blind or liv-ing in a nursing home because of a mental or physical incapacity. Individuals receiv-ing care in an assisting living facility also qualify for the A & A benefit.

To qualify for A & A your physician needs to establish that you require daily assistance to dress, undress, bath, cook, eat, put on or take off of prosthetics, leave home, etc. You don’t have to require as-sistance with all of these activities. There simply needs to be adequate medical evi-dence that you cannot function completely on your own.

The A & A pension can provide up to $1,632 per month to a veteran, $1,055 per month to a surviving spouse, or $1,949 per month to a couple.

Eligibility must be proven by filing the proper Veterans Application for Pension or Compensation. This application will require a copy of DD-214 or separation papers, a medical evaluation from a physi-cian, a list of current medical issues, net worth limitations, and net income along with out-of-pocket medical expenses.

If you’ve lost your original DD-214 and are receiving or have applied for disability or educational benefits from the VA, they may have a copy on file. At the very least, if you’re receiving benefits (or did in the past), the VA should be able to provide a Statement of Service which can be used instead of a DD-214.

Any war-time veteran with 90 days of active duty – one day beginning or end-

ing during a period of war – is eligible to apply for the Aid & Attendance. A surviv-ing spouse (marriage must have ended due to the death of the veteran) of a war-time veteran may also apply. The individual applying must qualify both medically and financially.

Applicants must have on average less than $80,000 in assets, excluding their home and vehicles.

There is a lot of information that needs to be gathered and prepared when apply-ing for A & A. It’s hard to speculate on what you’ll experience while filing for this pension. Each case is unique and carries its own set of challenges. It’ll also depend on which processing center will be han-dling the claim. For unknown reasons, some centers do a more efficient job than others. How complete the application package is will also impact the process.

It will take four to six months on aver-age for your application to be processed and for you to receive a determination let-ter. Due to the current backlog of claims to be processed this time frame can be much longer.

Many families can’t afford to pay for care while waiting for the pension to be approved and funds to be released which places an additional burden on them. Some assisted living facilities will work with you if they know the resident quali-fies for A & A. Fortunately, all benefits are retro-dated back to the original filing date.

If you or your loved one is age 70 or older, you should request the application process to be expedited. VA laws state ap-plications for benefits for a veteran/widow age 70 or older are to be given priority. It’s advised you include a cover letter with the application noting this request.

Although filing for Aid & Attendance can seem to be a daunting task, it can be a benefit that will allow the veteran or spouse of a veteran much needed funds to pay for nursing care and assistance in a nursing facility or their own home. It should always be considered when plan-ning for care for a loved one or the spouse of loved one who served our country in the armed forces.

(Swiniarski is an Omaha attorney.)

Do you, your spouse qualify for Aid & Attendance?

Applicants must have on average less than $80,000 in assets, excluding their home

and vehicles.

WHITMORE LAW OFFICEWills • Trusts • Probate

AARP Legal Service Network • No Charge For Initial Consultation

7602 Pacific Street, Ste 200 • (402) 391-2400

http://whitmorelaw.com

Ask A Lawyer:Q — Should I put my child’s name on my home title?

A — Let’s look at the pros and cons of this. Pro — It will avoid the need for probate on your home. Con — You would make a gift of a share of the property, and your child would become an owner (joint tenancy). Your child and his/her spouse would have to sign if you ever wished to borrow against your home or sell it. If you ever need Medicaid, you would be subject to a penalty period. Your child would also have to pay capital gain tax on the difference between your original cost and the value at the time of your death.

You can avoid these negative factors by use of a simple trust, which is often the best way to avoid probate.

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

You’re invited to attend the 37th annual Omaha Holiday Caroling Festivities on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. at the Ne-braska Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, 7410 Mercy Rd.

“This enjoyable and rewarding community service project is open to entertainers, singers, and musicians of all talent levels and ages,” said event founder/director Vincent Leinen.

Among those expected to attend are Santa Claus, members of the Omaha Chorus of Sweet Adelines International, The Country Kickers, Omaha city council-man Franklin Thompson, Irish folk singer Jill Anderson, former Omaha mayor Hal Daub, Joe “Mr. Memories” Taylor, magician Walter Graham, and Domesti-Pups therapy dogs.

“It’s very fulfilling to give and receive joy, happiness, and holiday spirit to and from the residents, caregivers, and participants while enhancing one’s own perspective and appreciation of life, health, and family,” Leinen said.

For more information, please call 818-342-9336 or log on the Internet to www.reachforthestars.com/carol-ing.

Christmas caroling festivitiesscheduled for Sunday, Dec. 18


Save money on your utility bills

Nebraska homeowner/tenants who meet income guidelines (see below) are invited to sign up

for a free home weatherization program that can save them money on their utility bills. The Nebraska Weatherization Assis-tance Program is administered statewide by the Nebraska Energy Offi ce for the U.S. Department of Energy and the Ne-braska Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Nebraska homes will be inspected to identify the most effective energy and dollar saving improvements including: • Adding insulation to the attic, side walls, and fl oors. • Sealing cracks with caulking. • Adding weather stripping around windows and doors. • Cleaning, tuning, and adjusting all heating equipment. • Repairing or replacing primary doors and windows. • Installing or adjusting door thresh-olds and/or sweeps. The program will also repair or replace faulty or non-working heating plants. Homes will be disqualifi ed form the pro-gram if they have leaky roofs, structural damage, pest infestation, or are a health

or safety risk to the owner/tenant. The project is managed by Weatheriza-tion Trust, Inc. (Douglas County), the Southeast Nebraska Community Action Council (Sarpy & Cass counties), and Goldenrod Hills Community Services (Dodge & Washington counties). For more information, please call 402-342-1611 (Douglas County), 1-888-313-5608 (Sarpy & Cass counties), and 1-800-445-2505 (Dodge & Washington counties). If a household member is receiving Supplemental Security Income, Aid to Dependent Children, or Energy Assis-tance payments from HHS, the household automatically qualifi es for the project regardless of its income.

HouseholdSize

12345678

Add $7,480 for each additional household member.

IncomeLevel

$ 21,660 $ 29,140 $ 36,620 $44,100 $51,580 $59,060 $66,540 $74,020

TheWellingtonLife.com • Papillion, NE • 402-331-3101

The WellingtonRETIREMENT RESIDENCE

We loved our home, but never realized how time consuming it was. At The Wellington, the

incredible staff handles all the maintenence, light housekeeping and laundry if we choose.

We’re in charge of living life to the fullest.

We’ve rediscovered the joy of living

At The Wellington

By Carol McNulty

During the winter, bears aren’t the only animals that hibernate. But unlike bears, hu-mans tend to gain weight during the winter months.

According to nutrition specialist Wanda Koszewski, Ph.D., there are three things most important in staying healthy during the winter.

Eating healthy can go a long way in stay-ing healthy. Often when people tire, they skip meals or eat high-fat meals. Be sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. To help make meals healthier and liven them up, barley and brown rice can be added to soup. Adding fruits and vegetables to meals can also help. Eating a variety of foods from all food groups and at an ap-propriate portion size will help get the most nutrient density.

The second thing people can do is exer-cise. People don’t exercise as much during the winter because it’s cold outside. While the cold weather may put a stop on running or biking, other little things can be done to build up exercise. Walking halls at work or the mall, riding an indoor bike, or doing water aerobics all can help. Television show exercises can help motivate as well.

Snowboarding and skiing also are great for exercise. Cross-country skiing burns up lots of calories, but even going sledding and walking up and down a hill can do a lot.

Koszweski reminds us if someone does choose to exercise outside during the win-ter, it’s important to dress appropriately. Wearing layers and dressing for wind, cold, ice, and snow, including wearing breathable fabrics, helps. Also make sure to warm up and cool down and drink plenty of fluids when exercising.

People may not always feel comfort-able exercising in public. Some people feel intimidated or uncomfortable when work-

ing out around others. During the winter, exercise where you feel comfortable, but exercise.

The third thing people can do is get the right amount of sleep. Adults need seven and a half to nine hours of sleep a night on average.

People also can stay healthy by not con-tracting any illnesses. Washing hands and not sharing food or cups with sick individu-als can help people from catching colds or the flu.

One thing that further complicates stay-ing healthy is Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as the winter blues. SAD is a mood disorder and can cause depression. A sun lamp can help with the disorder by ex-posing a person to bright light, employing the same therapeutic effect as sunlight.

Koszewski says that people with ques-tions about staying healthy should visit a local health care provider. If depression persists, go see a local doctor or physician qualified to deal with depression.

For more information on a variety of subjects visit http://douglas-sarpy.unl.edu.

(McNulty is an educator with the Uni-versity of Nebraska Cooperative extension office in Douglas and Sarpy counties.)

Nutritionist: Stay healthy this winter by eating properly, exercising, and getting adequate sleep

Fontenelle Tours Omaha/Council Bluffs: 712-366-9596

Quoted prices are per person, double occupancy. For more information about our tours, please call Ward or Kathy Kinney at Fontenelle Tours at the numbers listed above.

Plan to attend our “OPEN HOUSE” on Tuesday, January 17 @ 3 p.m. at St. Roberts Church (11802 Pacific Street) for information on all our trips and

presentations on the following trips:• San Francisco with Lake Tahoe • Greece and its Islands

• Alpine Christmas Call 712-366-9596 for details.

2012 Tours

Early Winter in Laughlin (by Air). January 4 - 7. $329. Includes non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, three nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. Register early…these winter trips fill up fast!

Valentines Day in Laughlin (by Air). February 13 - 17. $349. Includes non-stop, round-trip airfare to Laughlin, Nevada, four nights lodging at the Riverside Resort and Casino on the banks of the Colorado River, and shuttle transportation to and from the airport. Register early!

Kansas City Spring Fling. April 10 – 11. Come along with us and celebrate Spring! Includes “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the New Theater Restaurant, “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the American Heartland Theater, and more!

Treasures of Panama. April 11 – 19. See the Miraflores Locks on your tour of Panama City. Enjoy a cruise through the rainforest to Monkey Island where you’ll see iguanas, toucans, and crocodiles. Spend four nights at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort. Cruise through the Panama Canal. Enjoy the stunning scenery aboard the Panama Canal Railway. Visit an Embera indigenous village to learn their heritage and traditions, and overnight at a luxurious beachfront resort in Playa Bonita.

Heritage of America. May 25 – June 3. Begin your trip with a tour of New York City. Visit Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Learn about and experience the Amish community lifestyle in Lancaster. Enjoy a guided tour of Gettysburg. Visit Shenandoah National Park, Monticello, Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Enjoy a guided tour of our nation’s capital including the White House, Capitol, the monuments, memorials, and museums, visit the White House Visitor Center, Arlington National Cemetery, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Kennedy gravesites. Islands of New England. June 8 – 15. Enjoy a tour of Providence, Rhode Island and Newport’s historic mansions. Tour the Marble House, the exciting city of Boston, visit a cranberry bog, see Plymouth Rock, enjoy a New England lobster feast, tour Martha’s Vineyard, cruise to Cape Cod, ride the ferry to Nantucket, tour Hyannisport – home of the Kennedy compound, and enjoy dinner aboard an elegant dinner train. Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park. July 17 – 24. Beginning in the Canadian province of Alberta – in the foothills of the Rockies – travel to Waterton Lakes National Park, then Glacier National Park where you’ll travel the “Going to the Sun Road” with its spectacular views. Spend time touring Banff, overnight at the “Castle in the Mountains.” Travel to Jasper by way of the unforgettable Icefields Parkway. See the Maligne Canyon, and visit the vibrant city of Calgary. San Francisco with Lake Tahoe. August 23 - 29. Enjoy a sight-seeing tour of San Francisco including the Twin Peaks, Seal Rocks, and Golden Gate Bridge. Visit Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, ride a famed cable car, travel to Sonoma Valley to visit the wineries, visit Monterey to see one of the most breathtaking coastlines in the world, Pebble Beach, the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento, the old west town of Virginia City, and spend two nights at the Montbleu Resort & Spa in Lake Tahoe including a cruise on beautiful Lake Tahoe.

Chicago and the Cubs. Early September. Dates will be based on the Cubs schedule. Explore Chicago with us! Details later.

Greece and its Islands. September 23 – October 6. Visit Athens, the Olympic Stadium, the Acropolis, Santorini Island, and more.

Nebraska Junk Jaunt. September 28 – 29. Join us on this fun-filled 200-mile long two-day garage sale adventure.

Daniel O’Donnell in Branson during November. Enjoy a Christmas trip to several shows including Daniel O’Donnell. Details later.

Alpine Christmas. December 4 - 11. Explore the Christmas markets of Austria and southern Bavaria. Stay in the Austrian Alps!

Kansas City Christmas. Early to mid December. Enjoy theater, Christmas lights, some shopping, and a few surprises.

More trips to come for 2012, including some one-day trips!Watch our website at www.fontenelletours.com


New Horizons Newspaper

Enoa Aging

Read it & eatBy Lois Friedman

[email protected]

With visions of sugarplums, cakes, cupcakes, cookies…thumbnail sketches of everything sweet for your holidays and then some…something for everyone on your list.

From Chronicle ($19.95 each):Cake Pops By Bakerella

Pretty Cupcake Kit By S. Faust & E. Klivans Very Merry Cookie Party By B. Grunes & V. van Vynckt Fat Witch Brownies By Patricia Helding (Rodale, $22.50) Fifty recipes you can make in one hour from this New York bakery including chocolatey, lemony, nutty, fruity, and yummy! Fabulous Party Cakes and Cupcakes By Carol Deacon (Tuttle, $16.95) Step-by-step instructions for fondant creations for every celebration. Cookielicious By Janet Keeler (Seaside, $19.95) One hundred and fifty recipes for anytime, sharing, chocolate, kids, and holiday cookies selected from the St. Petersburg Times archives. Intoxicated Cupcakes By Kate Legere (Running Press, $15) Forty-one tipsy treats, Oh-So-Decadent, A Bit o’ South-ern, Fancy Pants, and Tooty-fruity all spiked with booze! Jiggle Shots By Rachel Federman (Abrams, $15.95) Seventy-five wiggly, jiggly recipes organized by color to add whimsy to your holiday parties. Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook (Wiley, $19.95) Two-hundreda and fifty recipes for holiday entertain-ing. Everything from soup to nuts to serve or give as gifts. Make this easy recipe.

Swedish Nuts (Makes 8 servings)

Some holiday treats and sweets

1 egg white, slightly beaten2 cups pecan or walnut halves1/3 cup sugar2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Heat oven to 300˚F. Grease 15 x 10 x1 inch pan with short-ening or cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix egg white and pecan halves until pecans are coated and sticky.In small bowl, mix sugar and cardamom, sprinkle over pecans. Stir until pe-cans are completely coated. Spread pecans in single layer in pan.Bake about 30 minutes or until toasted. Cool completely or serve slightly warm. Store tightly covered up to 3 weeks.

“As Is,” At a Fair Price, On the Date of Your Choice !!!!

• Weuseprivatefundssowecanclosefast.• Youdon’thavetodoanyrepairs.• Movewhenyouwant.• Leaveanyorallofyourstuff.• NoCommissionsorFees.WepayClosingCosts.

Call Today for a Free Report: (402)-291-5005 or www.7DaysCash.com

The Sierra Group LLC / We are a Professional Home Buying CompanyBBBMemberMemberofTheSierraGroupLLCisalicensedrealestateagent

S e l l Yo u r H o u s e

Please support New Horizons advertisers!

402-571-1207

www.glassmanhearing.com

FREMONT • 33 West 6th Street • 1-800-239-7866OMAHA • 12100 W. Center Rd. • (402) 571-1207

A Safe, Cozy, Homelike Environmentfor those affected by Alzheimer’s & Dementia

17620 Poppleton Ave. Omaha, NE 68130402.333.5749edgewoodvista.com

We offer peace of mind for caregivers that need to get shopping done & their homes ready for the holidays, attend holiday functions, or maybe to take a vacation. • Quality staff specializing in

Alzheimer’s & dementia care• Secure, cozy, home-like environment• One-level floor plan• Quiet, calming atmosphere• Activities and Home Cooked

Meals provided

Adult Day Care &Short Term Stays

Helping Nebraska grow stronger every day

For more information, call 402-398-9568 or email [email protected].

AARP Nebraska Information CenterMonday – Friday | 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Center Mall1940 S. 42nd St., Ste. 220 Omaha, NE

AARP works to help all Americans get the most out of life. In the Omaha metro area alone, the volunteer-run AARP Nebraska Information Center serves the community with an incredible amount of free programs and services, including:

•AARPbenefitandprograminformation

•Monthlyeducationalandentertainmentprograms

•Referralstootheragenciesthatcananswerquestionsorsolveproblems

•LatestAARPpublicationsonhealth,SocialSecurity,retirementplanning, long-term care and more

•VolunteeropportunitiesattheInformationCenter

•Computerclasses

•Freeincometaxpreparation

•Homesteadexemptionfilingassistance

•AARPDriverSafetyrefresherclasses

•Free,unbiasedMedicarePartDcounseling

•FreeannualdocumentshreddingeventtofightIDtheft

•Ta’iChiclasses


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

The Art of AgingBy Cathy Wyatt, CSA

Once again this holiday season, members of the Beaded Broads – a group of 16 Omaha women who wear black and white beads to their monthly meetings and events – donated non-perishable food items and clothing to an area food bank and a homeless shelter.

This year’s November event was called A Time for Caring and Sharing, according to group mem-ber Lee Tweedy.

Throughout the year, the Beaded Broads have also donated Easter bas-kets and school supplies.

For more information about the organization, please call Tweedy at 402-891-1064.

Beaded Broads makeholiday donations

3-month Participation Special NO ENROLLMENT FEE!$100 for an individual or $150 for a couple

WHOLE PERSON WELLNESS FOR ADULTS 50+

•Individualizedfitnessprogrambasedoncurrentfitnesslevelandgoals

•State-of-the-artequipmentpoweredbyairpneumaticsinsuringsafetyandeaseofuse

•T’aiChi,toning,lowimpactaerobics,andstretchingclasses

•Healtheducationprograms

•Educated,trainedandcertifiedstaff

Home Instead Center for Successful AgingLeavenworth Street at 38th Avenue

FREE Parking in Lot 16L on 39th St. (between Leavenworth & Jones)OPEN: Monday - Friday • 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

402-552-7210www.unmc.edu/homeinsteadcenter/wellness.htm

“It is a quality investment and a smart career move.” Those words came from a 22-year-old graduate student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. What is Lakelyn Hogan talking about?

If you can believe it, she’s referring to a certificate in gerontology. Yes, a certificate in the study of aging in the last chapters of life.

“The study (of gerontology) encompasses every aspect of living,” said Dr. Lyn Holley, an associate professor in the Department of Gerontology at UNO. “The physical, psychological, spiritual, social, financial, and environmen-tal study of these aspects (of life) may be pursued within a number of disciplines including biology, physiology, neuro-science, psychology, and sociology.”

“I learned about it by talking with the (UNO Gerontol-ogy) Department Chair, Dr. Julie Masters,” said Hogan. “She told me that if I were to go for my MBA (Masters of Business Administration degree), then the graduate certifi-cate would be a better fit for me as opposed to a minor or undergraduate certificate.”

According to Dr. Priscilla Quinn, an advisor and coordi-nator in the Department of Gerontology at UNO, the

certificate consists of 18 credit hours of coursework in the field of aging. Fifteen of those credit hours or five courses are taught in the classroom and three credit hours account toward the 156 hours of a practicum.

“The certificate can enhance an individual’s life in two ways,” said Quinn. “In the classroom – information learned and taught by professionals in the field of aging – will be invaluable. Outside the classroom with classes that include service-learning and the gerontology practicum, the stu-dents get the opportunity to have ‘hands-on’ and ‘real-life’ experiences again with professionals in the aging field.”

UNO’s Department of Gerontology was established in 1972. The certificate was established in 1973 as the result of the U.S. Administration on Aging and Congress passing the Older American’s Act of 1965. This legislation was a response to concerns by policymakers and others about a lack of social services for older adults and other areas of aging such as educational programs in aging.

“I have students from very diverse backgrounds,” said Quinn. “The one main thing they all share is they want to make this world a better place for older adults.”

“Once I graduate from UNO,” said Hogan, “I hope to marry my passions for business and the elderly by working for a company that serves seniors on a daily basis. I ulti-mately would love to work for my parents’ business, Home Instead Senior Care.”

Wherever she lands, the world is a better place because of Lakelyn and other young adults interested in pursuing this field.

“It is heartwarming to know that these young adults may very well be taking care of me,” said Quinn. “They will have a huge impact on the care of older adults. Simply put, they ‘get it.’”

UNO gerontology students working to make the world a better place for older Americans

The AARP Driving Safety Program offers a four-hour refresher driving class that reviews the rules of the road and emphasizes driving strategies for persons age 50 and older.

Fees are $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. There are no exams or tests involved. Insur-ance discounts may apply.

Here’s the class schedule:

AARP offering driving class

Saturday, Dec. 101 to 5 p.m.

AARP Information Center1941 S. 42nd St.

Call 402-398-9568 to register.


Dora Bingel Senior CenterDecember 2011 events calendar

10050 Regency Circle, Suite 525Omaha, NE 68114-5705

402-397-3801

www.seidler-seidler-law.com

A t t o r n e y s a t L a w

William E. Seidler Jr.

Delivering quality legal services since 1957.

HorizonAD-2010:HorizonAD-08 2/4/10 8:00 AM Page 1

A painless, non-invasive medi-cal procedure for treating heart

disease called EECP ther-apy (Enhanced External Counterpulsation) has been cleared by the FDA and is now being used on heart patients in leading hospitals and medical centers around the country including the Mayo Clinic.

Some researchers and physicians familiar with the therapy and the physiologi-cal benefits the therapy has on the patient’s circulatory system say EECP therapy could eventually replace most of the drugs and inva-sive surgical procedures cur-rently used to treat cardio-vascular disease.

The painless treatment, done on an outpatient basis, has the patient recline on a padded table while three sets of inflatable cuffs are wrapped around his calves, thighs, and buttocks. Trig-gered by a computer pro-gram wired to ECG sensors monitoring the patient’s heartbeat, the cuffs are inflated with air during the heart’s resting phase (dias-tole), gently squeezing the lower body and pumping extra blood throughout the body, especially to the heart and coronary arteries. The cuffs are deflated during the heart’s pumping phase (systole), thereby signifi-cantly reducing the heart’s workload.

“After having been ap-plied successfully to several thousand patients, EECP treatment had been cleared by the FDA for the treat-ment of stable and unstable angina, cardiogenic shock, congestive heart failure, and acute myocardial infarc-tion (heart attack),” says Dr. Ozlem Soran, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Car-diovascular Institute of the University of Pittsburgh.

“The clinical safety and

efficacy of EECP therapy has been well documented in hundreds of peer-re-viewed publications, with findings consistently show-ing a success rate of 75 to 80 percent.”

Dr. Soran says EECP therapy benefits the pa-tient’s cardiovascular health by forcing open collateral arteries in the patient’s body and heart, circumventing blocked arteries, and creat-ing new pathways for blood to reach the heart as well as other organs and tissues.

EECP creates additional blood flow through the ar-teries, which stimulates the endothelial cells lining the vessels, improving arterial health and actually revers-ing arterial inflammation, constriction, and hardening of the arteries associated with cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Soran says EECP is often prescribed by car-diologists whose patients have undergone invasive procedures such as stenting and coronary bypass but still suffer from chest pains, other angina symptoms, and other symptoms of heart failure.

“EECP can relieve pain and return mobility to pa-tients who are ineligible to receive additional invasive procedures, but we feel that EECP can be an effective first option for millions suf-fering from certain types of coronary artery disease prior to any other interventional procedures,” she says.

A new way to treat coronary diseaseYou’re invited to visit the Dora Bingel Senior Center,

923 N. 38th St., this month for the following:• Dec. 5, 12, 19, & 26: Al-Anon meeting @ 7 p.m.• Dec. 6, 13, & 20: Grief Support Group @ 10 a.m.• Dec. 15: Red Hat Society meeting @ noon.• Dec. 16: Hard of Hearing support group meeting @

10:30 a.m.• Dec. 21: Christmas and Birthday Party luncheon @

noon. Music by Johnny Ray Gomez. A $3 donation is sug-gested for the meal. Lunch is free if you have a December birthday.

The center will closed from Dec. 26 through Jan. 2.A nutritious lunch is served on Tuesdays and Fridays. A

fancier lunch is offered on Wednesdays. A $1 donation is suggested for the meals, other than $3 for Regeneration.

Round-trip transportation is available for $3.Reservations are required 24 hours in advance for all

meals.Other activities offered at the facility include:• Tuesdays: Tai Chi class @ 1 p.m.• Wednesdays: Crochet class @ 9:30 a.m.and a 1 p.m.

Bible study.• Fridays: Bible study @ 1 p.m.For more information, please call 402-898-5854.

With Lifeline by Immanuel, you can enjoy an independent lifestyle in your own home — knowing that you can call for help if you ever need it. One push of your Lifeline button connects you 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.Free activation for Christmas.

Someday this button might save your life. For now, it sets you free.

www.immanuellifeline.com

7300 Graceland Drive • Omaha 68134 • www.skylinerc.com

Call today to schedule a tour!

402-572-1870

Experience Counts

Catered living at an affordable price

• NOENTRANCEFEE!

• Independent,assistedliving,&skillednursingcare.

• Askaboutour$750studiospecial(meals, utilities, and cable TV included).

Servingolderadultsformorethan40years

So much more– you have to explore!

Some of the proven benefits of EECP therapy include:

• EECP is safe -- no side effects, no risk of complica-tions.

• EECP requires no prep-aration or recovery time.

• EECP works -- over 160 peer-reviewed publications all document a high percent-age of reducing/eliminat-ing chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, improve-ment of ability to engage in physical activity, improved blood flow, and better qual-ity of life.

• EECP provides lasting benefits; positive effects last for years.

• EECP is painless and non-invasive. Patients can read during the one-hour treatments.

• EECP is covered by Medicare and private insur-ers.

• EECP is right for virtu-ally everyone regardless of age, size, and physical condition.

• EECP is inexpensive. A full battery of 35 treatments costs approximately $6,000.

“More than 66 billion dollars are spent annu-ally on heart disease treat-ments. That amount could be reduced two- thirds if EECP was used on a wider scale,” Dr. Soran says.

“The clinical studies show that EECP also reduc-es the number of emergency room visits and hospitaliza-tions, which in turn reduces the health care costs.”

A Health Plan that gives you

The representatives are independent and authorized insurance producers of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska.

Lon Olson, LUTCF2525 Parkview DriveFremont, NE 68025

Phone: (402) 720-4367

An Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.


--Please turn to page 13.

By Nick SchinkerContributing Writer

When he worked for North-western Bell Telephone Co., Tom Hurst pioneered

the telecommunications firm’s evo-lution from analog to digital tech-nology. As a service manager and engineer, he’d brilliantly articulate solutions to communication prob-lems for some of the region’s largest companies.

Today, because young-onset Al-zheimer’s disease has stolen many of his communication and decision-making skills, it’s almost impossible for Hurst to answer the phone.

“Sometimes when it rings,” says his wife, Kathy Tewhill, “he’ll hand me the TV remote control.”

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dis-ease affects more than one person. For Tewhill, caring for her husband in their west Omaha home has meant many changes and adjust-ments. Help comes from their daughter, Kristin Donovan, who lives with the couple. It also comes from the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Senior Companion Pro-gram, and a very selfless volunteer by the name of Ezequiel Roque.

Though Roque’s visits three days a week have enabled Tewhill to con-tinue working as a part-time instruc-tor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s School of Communication, she says he gives her more than time. He provides peace of mind.

“Ezequiel is my family,” she says. “He’s my brother. He’s my joint caregiver. I can teach knowing that Tom is not only being cared for while I’m gone, he’s having fun.

“Having Ezequiel means I always have someone here who loves Tom as much as I do.”

Mary Parker is the coordina-tor of the Foster Grandpar-ent and Senior Companion

Programs at ENOA. She says the companion program does far more than simply provide older adults with some company a few hours a week.

“Years ago, the idea behind the program was to get seniors out of their homes to socialize,” Parker says. “Today, with the segment of our older population growing so

quickly, this program is having an impact on the community as well. The end result is delaying long-term care for many of our seniors.

“The successes we’ve seen sup-port research indicating that by keeping older adults in their homes longer, we lessen the strain on our social and health care systems.”

The Senior Companion Program is funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service with local sponsorship and addition-al funding through ENOA.

The funding pays for 67 volun-teer positions working 20 hours per week. Volunteers must be age 55 or older and meet income guidelines. In return, they receive a tax-free stipend of $2.65 an hour, transpor-tation and meal reimbursement, supplemental accidental insurance, and other benefits, Parker says.

“Many facilities donate meals to the volunteer,” she says. “Some donate transportation expenses. Creighton Family Practice, for ex-ample, has conducted physicals for the Senior Companions at half the normal price.”

Volunteers attend 20 hours of pre-service training and 20 more in a classroom setting with other new Senior Companions and Foster Grandparents. Each month, Senior Companions and Foster Grandpar-ents also attend a four-hour in-ser-vice training session.

Recruitment of volunteers is an ongoing process. A recent recruit-ment effort has yielded a waiting list for new Senior Companion positions. The program is popular among volunteers, Parker says.

“Retention has never been an is-sue,” she says. “Our longest-serving volunteer will mark 20 years this year, and she’s in her 80s. Once people get involved, they want to stay with the program. They’re hooked.”

Senior Companions typically don’t do housework or prepare meals. Their role is to spend time with their clients and do things that friends would normally do together such as swapping stories, discussing the news, reading mail, watching television, playing cards or games, running errands, or going for a walk.

The program is available to older

adults in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, and Washington counties. Volunteers visit clients in private homes, adult day services centers, hospitals, home care agencies, mental health centers, and rehabili-tation facilities. The 67 volunteer companions serve more than 65,000 hours annually to an average of 400 clients. ENOA has sponsored the program for 35 years.

When an older adult contacts ENOA about obtaining a Senior Companion, Parker says they aren’t always convinced it’s right for them.

“Quite often they are nervous initially,” she says. “Usually the volunteer visits for four hours a day, and they’ll tell us they don’t know what they’ll do with this person in their house for four hours.

“Then, after three or four weeks, they’ll call and ask for more time.”

When Tewhill suggested the idea of a Senior Compan-ion to her husband, “he

didn’t like the idea of having some-one else in the house. He wants to be independent.”

Hurst sits in his favorite chair beside Tewhill as she recounts their first meeting with Roque. Unable to speak complete sentences, Hurst smiles as he listens, and replies with a word or two when prompted by his wife.

“Then, when you met Ezequiel, what did you think, Tom?” she asks.

Hurst responds with a smile and a laugh.

“Now what do you think of Eze-quiel?” Tewhill asks.

“Oh,” Hurst says, “my brother.”Sitting nearby, Ezequiel nods and

smiles. “Yes,” he says. “We are like brothers.”

Tewhill and Hurst met when both worked for Northwestern Bell and have been married 24 years.

“His last job was service man-ager for large companies including Union Pacific and First Data,” she says. “If something would hap-pen, Tom would be the one they’d call. I remember many nights he’d be paged at 2:30 in the morning. They’d explain the problem and Tom would be able to come up with a solution.

“He is a very, very bright man.”

She says they first noticed signs that something was wrong when Hurst was in his mid 50s.

“He’d have trouble finding the right word to say, or he’d transpose letters,” she recalls. “Nebraska Furniture Mart would be Nebraska Murniture Fart. Things at the time we thought were funny.”

The symptoms progressed, and Hurst would have trouble finishing a sentence. She advised him to go to a doctor, but he declined.

“When he was 58 or 59, I noticed he couldn’t write his name well,” Tewhill says. “He always had beau-tiful penmanship.”

When he was about 60, Hurst was diagnosed with expressive, and then receptive, aphasia, which according to the National Aphasia Associa-tion is an acquired communication disorder that impairs the ability to process language. Aphasia makes it difficult to speak and understand others, and can restrict the ability to read and write.

“In my heart, I knew Tom had more than aphasia,” Tewhill says. “As I saw Tom’s memory decline and his decision-making skills van-ish, I kept pressing for more testing and an accurate diagnosis. As his symptoms kept increasing, it was clear we were dealing with more than a language problem.

“Today, enhanced PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scans con-firm the brain tangles and plaques consistent with Alzheimer’s.”

Hurst is 69. He can’t remember a thought long enough to put it into words. He is unable to read or drive. It is difficult for him to understand directions and process information that involves more than one step.

“Tom can’t be left alone for any length of time because he wouldn’t even be able to call 911 if he needed help,” Tewhill says. “I hate to think this smart man needs help putting on his shoes, but he does.”

That’s why having a companion for Hurst is so important, she says.

Roque, a former construction worker who moved to Omaha from Mexico to be with his daughter and grandchildren, has been Hurst’s companion for three years. In that time, he’s witnessed a deterioration in Hurst’s condition.

Tom Hurst (left) and his Senior Companion Ezequiel Roque. Ezequiel has been visiting Tom in his home for three years.

Ezequiel Roque has brought laughter back into Tom Hurst’s life


--Continued from page 12. “When I started coming, he was really in good shape,” Roque says. “He’s lost 30 percent, maybe 40 percent since then.”

He visits Hurst on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. They go together to the mall for coffee, and they tinker and repair things at the workbench in Hurst’s basement.

“Because Ezequiel knew Tom when he was better, he knows sometimes what Tom needs without Tom being able to say it,” Tewhill says.

The two men have forged a true friendship.

“They tease each other a lot,” Tewhill says. “They tease me, too.”

She tells of trips she has made to area hardware stores in search of a particular screw or other item the two men said they needed to repair something, only to return home and find they were already done. One day after she went back to her teaching job, she came home to find brightly-colored balloons strewn about the living room.

“They told me they had a party.” Listening to her tell the stories,

Roque and Hurst just chuckle.“Ezequiel brought laughter back

into Tom’s life,” Tewhill says. “Alzheimer’s takes so much of that away from a person.”

ENOA’s Parker says Senior Companions and their clients each benefit from the pro-

gram.“The companion brings their

world into the home of someone who might seldom see beyond their own front door,” she says. “They

may provide the only human con-tact for some individuals. With the intervention of Senior Companion

services, additional costly needs may be delayed and sometimes pre-vented, allowing people to remain in their own home.”

She says volunteers gain satisfac-tion knowing they are helping oth-ers. “They have a purpose for those who so strongly rely on them. Many of our companions say they are healthier than when they didn’t volunteer and that they go to their doctor less often. Some even say it’s more satisfying than their careers.”

Some volunteers say that the financial reimbursement from the Senior Companion Program has en-abled them to become independent of government assistance such as food stamps.

“I believe in this program 100 percent,” Parker says.

So do Tewhill, Hurst, and Roque.“I understand Tom can’t be

alone,” Tewhill says. “With Eze-quiel and programs like Senior Companions, we keep people we love at home longer. If I couldn’t care for Tom, he would need to be in a dementia care unit. I can’t bear to think of him in a facility without his favorite chair.

“Tom has been able to stay here longer because of Ezequiel.”

Roque says being with Hurst is good for him, too.

“He and I laugh,” he says. “When I came back from vacation, he gave me a big hug. He missed me.”

Hurst puts his arm around Roque’s shoulder and smiles. “Happy,” Hurst says. One word that speaks volumes.

Tom Hurst and Kathy Tewhill, his wife of 24 years, relax in their west Omaha home. They met while working at Northwestern Bell.

Tom and Ezequiel share a laugh while spending time in Hurst’s workshop during one of Roque’s three weekly visits.

Tewhill: Senior Companion Program keeps loved ones at home longer


$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.



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.

ENOA

I would like to become a partner with the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging, and help fulfill your mission with older adults.

Please mail your tax deductible donation with this form to:Eastern Nebraska Office on AgingAttention: Jeff Reinhardt4223 Center StreetOmaha, NE 68105-2431(402) 444-6654

support!We need your 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 tax deductible contributions.

Name:_____________________________________

Address:___________________________________

City:______________State:_____ Zip: __________

Phone:____________________________________

The National Association of Retired Federal Employ-ees’ 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 402-333-6460. The National Association of Retired Federal Employ-ees’ Aksarben Chapter 1370 meets the second Wednes-day of each month at 11:30 a.m. at the Amazing Pizza Machine, 13955 S. Plz.

For more information, please call 402-392-0624.

NARFE groups meet

The 211 telephone net-work has been established in parts of Nebraska to give consumers a single source for information about community and hu-man services.

By dialing 211, consum-ers can access informa-tion about human needs resources like food banks, shelters, rent and utility assistance, physical and mental health benefits, and employment support.

Law Offices of Charles E. Dorwart

26 years of legal experience• Wills • Living Trusts • Probate

• Healthcare and Financial Powers of Attorney

• In Home Consultations • Free Initial Consultation

11414 West Center Road • Suite 344 Omaha, NE 68144

Office: (402) 558-1404 • Fax: (402) [email protected]

By Peggy Buchanan

Older adults are living longer, healthier lives due in part to better fitness and nutrition programs. With the number of Americans 65+ expected to reach 20 percent of the popu-lation by 2050, exercise and diet are more important than ever. These tips can help older adults enhance overall well-ness into their later years.

• Fight afternoon fatigue: Fatigue is a common prob-lem among older adults, especially after lunch. Having a glass of water and a high-antioxidant food like a prune can revitalize the body and stimulate the mind.

• Exercise from the neck up: Keeping the brain active and fit is imperative to the health of older adults. Not only does it stave off memory-loss illnesses like Alzheimer’s and dementia, but it also fosters executive function. Try word games and recall exercises.

• Pole walk: Walking poles allow for more balanced mo-bility than walkers or canes. Walking with poles engages the muscles of the upper torso, which increases upper-body strength and cardiovascular endurance. Consult a physician before making the switch to poles.

• Dine in duos: Those people who share meals with others eat less than those who eat alone. This is an easy weight-loss tactic and one that fosters social interaction and engagement. While this is easy for those aging in com-munity, older adults aging at home can plan to have meals with family or friends at least several times a week.

• Break routine: Routine limits brain stimulation. Intro-duce new foods or new ways of eating the same food. For example, replace canned peaches with freshly sliced ones. Also, try taking a different route to the grocery store or shopping center.

• Sole Support: As people age, the fat pads on the bot-tom of their feet compress, creating fatigue and pain. Con-sider wearing supportive shoes or inserting foot pads for better stability and comfort or socks that have extra pad-ding and a wicking agent to keep feet dry and comfortable.

• Fats: Out with the bad, in with the good: Older adults with an increased genetic risk for dementia can reduce the risk by increasing the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in their diet. These fatty acids, found in fish, nuts, ol-ive oil, and green leafy vegetables, can reduce brain inflam-mation, a possible cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

• Decrease salt and increase your salsa: High blood pressure that can lead to strokes and a significant decline in cognitive function often increases with age. As adults get older, the sense of taste also fades, leading to a desire for more salt on food to enhance flavor. Decreasing salt intake by putting down the shaker – and increasing exercise habits by shaking to a salsa beat – will enhance cardio and cogni-tive health.

• Balancing act: In addition to exercises that build strength and improve flexibility and cardiovascular endur-ance, make sure to add balance activities to the daily rou-tine. Good balance requires maintaining a center of gravity over the base of support. Tai chi, yoga, walking on chal-lenging surfaces and water exercises enhance balance.

• Dance like there’s no tomorrow: Older adults get-ting regular physical exercise are 60 percent less likely to get dementia. Exercise increases oxygen to the brain and releases a protein that strengthens cells and neurons. Dance involves all of the above plus the cerebral activity present in learning and memory.

(Buchanan is the coordinator of vitality and wellness programming for Front Porch, a provider of retirement liv-ing communities in southern California.)

Tips on fitness, nutrition

Access resource infothrough 211 network

In response to an increasing demand for lawyers and professionals with specialized knowledge of laws that affect older adults – a field known as elder law – the College of Law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

and the Department of Gerontology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha have partnered to offer a set of dual-de-gree and certificate programs that combine law and geron-tology. Beginning in the fall of 2012, students interested in the fields of law and gerontology will have the option to pursue a master of arts in social gerontology/juris doctor, a master of arts in social gerontology/master of legal studies, or a graduate certificate in gerontology/juris doctor. The program’s goal is to provide advanced courses of study that prepare students to serve the aging population more effectively. “Lawyers who represent seniors will benefit from a greater depth of knowledge about the social and psycholog-ical issues facing their clients,” said Susan Poser, dean of the College of Law. “And, likewise, nursing home adminis-trators and other professionals in the field will benefit from having a sound knowledge of the legal issues that confront their patients and affect their institutions on a daily basis.” “We are thrilled to offer this inter-campus arrangement,” said Dr. Julie Masters, chair of the Department of Geron-tology at UNO. “We believe it will be of great benefit to elders needing legal assistance throughout Nebraska.” Applications for admission are now being accepted. Stu-dents will need to apply to the UNO and UN-L programs separately. For more information, please contact Dr. Masters at [email protected] or Kirk Kluver, assistant dean of admissions in the College of Law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln at [email protected].

UN-L Law College, UNO partneringto create programs with degreescombining elder law, gerontology


Elmwood TowerGracious, affordable apartment living

designed for people over fifty.• Owned&operatedbytheresidents• Allutilitiespaidincludingcable• Monthlymaintenancefee

An address of distinction801South52ndStreet•Omaha,Nebraska

402-558-3161

You’re invited to enjoy a free bus tour of Omaha’s holi-day lights on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Touching Hearts at Home and Bloomfield Forum are sponsoring the evening’s events.

Buses will leave Bloomfield Forum, 9804 Nicholas St., at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Participants are asked to arrive at Bloomfield Forum for pastries and coffee 30 minutes before their tour bus leaves.

Reservations, which are due by Dec. 10, can be made by calling 402-934-3303. Seating is limited.

Lights tour reservations due Dec. 10

Corrigan Senior CenterDecember 2011 events calendar

Legal Aid of Nebras-ka operates a free telephone access

line for Nebraskans age 60 and older.

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

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

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

For more information, log on the Internet to http://www.legalaidofne-braska.com/EAL.

Older adults have access to free

legal information

Older adults may no-tice gradual changes in their hearing,

memory, vision, and mo-bility that could create the need for assistive technol-ogy. Some of these older men and women may need a cane, a scooter, a listening device, or a lighted magni-fier.

One way to learn more about obtaining assistive technology equipment is by logging on to at4all.com, a free online service that lists and can help you find these devices in Nebraska.

The service can help consumers borrow and try the equipment before buying,buy used and/or free equipment, and list items they want to share or sell.

For more information, please call Assistive Tech-nology Partnerships at (toll free) 1-888-806-6287.

Assistive technologyoffered by at4all.comRSVP

Retired and Senior

Volunteer Program

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is re-cruiting persons age 55 and older for a variety of oppor-tunities. For more informa-tion in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties, please call 402-444-6558, ext. 224. In Dodge and Washington counties, please call 402-721-7780.

The following have volunteer opportunities in Douglas, Sarpy, and Cass counties:

• The Omaha Visitors Center is looking for a vol-unteer Ambassador.

• Mount View Elemen-tary School needs a Team-Mates mentor.

• The Stephen Center Homeless Shelter wants volunteers for its thrift store.

• Alegent Health Ber-gan Mercy Hospital needs volunteers for its informa-tion desks and as patient and family escorts.

• The Omaha Police De-partment wants volunteers for a variety of assignments.

• Boys Town wants vol-unteer mentors and a volun-teer office assistant.

• Lakeside Hospital needs volunteers for its Wel-come Center and gift shop, as well as in its registration area, to visit patients, and to offer clerical support.

• Project NEMO wants volunteers for a variety of duties.

• The Douglas County Health Center wants volunteers for a variety of assignments.

• The Omaha Children’s Museum wants volunteers for a variety of duties.

• The Franciscan Centre is looking for volunteers for a variety of assignments.

• The Fund Fighting Fibromyalgia is looking for volunteers for a variety of duties.

• The Waterford at Miracle Hills needs volun-teers for a variety of assign-ments.

• The Omaha Home for Boys wants volunteer men-tors.

• The Ronald McDonald House Charities needs a receptionist and an opera-tions volunteer.

• The Domestic Violence Coordinating Council/Family Justice Center is looking for volunteers for a variety of assignments.

• ENOA’s Grandparent Resource Center wants

volunteers to help walk sheep associated with the Luv a Lamb Program.

• Opera Omaha needs ushers.

The following have volun-teer opportunities in Dodge and Washington counties:

• The Fremont Chamber of Commerce wants a vol-unteer for its visitors center.

• The Blair and Fremont Car-Go Programs needs volunteer drivers.

• CareCorps Inc. is looking for volunteers for a variety of duties.

• The Building Blocks Boutique needs volunteers to help with young mothers and babies.

• The Blair Auxiliary Closet needs help in its warehouse and gift shop.

• The American Red Cross needs a receptionist.

• The Hooper Care Cen-ter wants volunteers for a variety of assignments.

• The May Museum is looking for volunteers to serve as tour guides and for its gift shop and garden.

• The Washington Coun-ty Recycling Center needs volunteers to handle quality control.

• Nye Point Health & Rehab wants volunteers to help with a variety of duties.

• The Fremont Friend-ship Center needs help with its Tuesday Supper Club.

Omaha Performing Arts presents the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Orpheum Theater on Friday, Dec. 9 through Sunday, Dec. 11. The pro-duction is highlighted by performances from nearly 100 young local dancers along with professional company dancers.

The Nutcracker fea-tures choreography that combines traditional and contemporary elements, including cirque-style aerialists. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet brings energy and versatility to this timeless holiday favorite.

Children of all ages will marvel at the magic of this production with its daz-zling sets and an extraor-dinary cast of dancers, actors, and circus artists.

Tickets start at $25 and are available to purchase online at TicketOmaha.com, by calling 402-345-0606, or at the Ticket Omaha office inside the Holland Performing Arts Center, 13th & Douglas streets. For group sales call 402-661-8516 or toll-free at 866-434-8587.

‘The Nutcracker’ at Orpheum Dec. 9 to 11

TLC Services, LLC402-706-0290Providing bath assistance, light

housekeeping, & companionship, etc.

10-hour weekly minimum.

North Omaha based.

Accepting Medicaid WaiverCall 402-546-1870

for a referral.

Donna:

Here’s your ad as it will appear in the December 2011 New Ho-rizons. Please make any changes you’d like, and then send the ad and a check for $100 by Monday, November 28 to:

New Horizons4223 Center St.Omaha, NE 68106

If you have any questions, please call me at 402-444-6654.

Thanks,

You’re invited to visit the Corrigan Senior Center, 3819 X St. this month for:

• Monday, Dec. 5: St. Nicholas lunch, music by the Of-futtaires, and bingo.

• Thursday, Dec. 8: Personal Health Records Review. Here’s a great chance to have your prescription medications reviewed. Call 402-731-7210 for details.

• Thursday, Dec. 15: Holiday dinner & Mega Bingo, The noon menu is roast beef w/gravy, baked potato w/sour cream, California blend vegetables, a tossed salad, a wheat roll, and apple pie. A $3 donation is suggested for the bingo with its $75 jackpot. The reservation deadline is noon on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

• Monday, Dec. 19: December Birthday Party featuring the Michael Lyon Christmas Show sponsored by the Mer-rymakers @ 11 a.m. Bingo will follow lunch. Reservations are due by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15.

• Thursday, Dec. 22: Corrigan Christmas Party @ 11 a.m. Enjoy Christmas music, games, bingo, and a delicious noon lunch. Treats and appetizers are welcome.

• Wednesday, Dec. 28: Trip to Ameristar Casino. The bus leaves Corrigan @ 11:30 a.m. and returns around 3:15 p.m. Casino goers can enjoy lunch at Corrigan @ 11 a.m. by making a special reservation.

The center will be closed Dec. 26 for Christmas. The Corrigan Senior Center is open weekdays from 8

a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch is served at noon. A $3 donation is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are normally due by noon the business day prior to the meal you wish to enjoy.

We offer card games, bingo, ceramics, exercise, wood-carving, and loads of fun! A T’ai Chi Movement Improve-ment For Seniors class is held at 11 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

For meal reservations or more information, please call Lynnette at 402-731-7210.


Inviting You to Become

Part of Our Family

Welcome Home!

Florence Home HealthCare | House of Hope Alzheimer’s CareTransitions Day Program | Royale Oaks Assisted Living | Unimed Community Pharmacy

Millard Senior CenterDecember 2011 events calendar Medicare Part D enrollment,

plan reviews available through Dec.7Older adults who want to enroll in a

Medicare Part D insurance plan, have their current Medicare Part D plan re-viewed, or change Medicare Part D providers are invited to visit one of the sites listed below on the dates and times shown.

Free assistance from trained counselors will be available. To make an appoint-ment, please call Volunteers Assisting Seniors at 402-444-6617.

This year, the Medicare Part D enrollment dates run through Wednes-day, Dec. 7.

In 2012, there will be changes in the Medicare Part D insurance plans includ-ing some of the medications covered and in the deductible and co-payment amounts.

When enrolling in Medicare Part D, to have your Medicare Part D plan re-viewed, or to change Medicare Part D

Thursday, Dec. 1Volunteers Assisting Seniors1941 S. 42nd St. • Suite 502

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 2Immanuel AgeWell

6801 N. 67th Plz. • Suite 1009 a.m. to 4 p.m.

providers, beneficiaries should:• Gather a list of their medications (in-

cluding doses and when the medications are taken), provide the names of their health care providers (physicians, phar-macies, etc.), and bring any notices they have regarding changes in their Medicare Part D policy from their provider, Social Security, or Medicare.

• Be prepared to compare their Medi-care Part D policy to other Medicare Part D policies based on costs, coverage (are your providers part of any plans you’re considering?), and customer service.

• Bring their Medicare card and their Medicare Part D card (if they have one).

Here are the dates and times trained counselors will be available to help older adults enroll in a Medicare Part D insur-ance plan, have their current Medicare Part D plan reviewed, or change Medicare Part D providers.

Tuesday, Dec. 6Papillion Public Library222 N. Jefferson Street

12 to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 7Volunteers Assisting Seniors1941 S. 42nd St. • Suite 502

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For an appointment, please call 402-444-6617

The Douglas County Historical Soci-ety is hosting Mr. Dickens in Coming to Town on Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday, Dec. 17.

The festivities will feature four perfor-mances of A Christmas Carol, a one-man show by Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens. Here’s the schedule:

• Friday, Dec. 16Proper English Tea @ 2 p.m.

Performance of A Christmas CarolField Club of Omaha3615 Woolworth Ave.

Dinner @ 8 p.m.Field Club of Omaha3615 Woolworth Ave.

• Saturday, Dec. 17Book signing @ 10 a.m.

The Bookworm8702 Pacific St.

Performance of A Christmas Carol

1 p.m.Field Club of Omaha3615 Woolworth Ave.

An Intimate Evening with Mr. Dickens

6 p.m.General Crook House5730 N. 30th St. #11B


Sponsored by the DCHS

Dickens’ relation to perform‘A Christmas Carol’ in Omaha

Heartland Family Service Senior CenterDecember 2011 events calendar

You’re invited to visit the Heartland Family Service Se-nior Center, 2101 S. 42nd St. for the following: •Dec.1,8,&15: Why Arts theater program with Kim @ 10:30 a.m. •Dec.2:Visit from Heartland Family Services CEO John Jeanetta @ 10:30 a.m. •Dec.5: Christmas entertainment by Physha from the Merrymakers @ 10:45 a.m. •Dec.11:Decorate cookies and the center with mem-bers of the Student League. •Dec.13: Trip to Fontenelle Forest to decorate Christ-mas centerpieces. The cost is $5 for the forest and $4 for the centerpiece. •Dec.14: Birthday party, presents, and pictures with Santa. •Dec.21: Red Hat Society meeting at Petros at 11:30 a.m. Bring a $5 to $7 Christmas present to exchange. •Dec.29: Wear your sparkles and welcome 2012! The facility will be closed on Dec. 23, 26, and 30. The Heartland Family Service Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is normally served at noon. A $3 donation is suggested for the meal. Reserva-tions are due by noon the business day prior to the lunch you wish to attend. For reservations, call 402-553-5300.

You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Mont-clair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., this month for the following:

Special events include:• Dec. 2: Health maintenance clinic.• Dec. 6: Trip to see the gingerbread houses at the Mor-

mon Trail Visitors Center and lunch at the Golden Corral.• Dec. 7: Helping Hands Christmas tea,• Dec. 13: Lunch Bunch featuring roast beef.• Dec. 14: December birthdays.• Dec. 20: Christmas party and pinochle tourney.• Dec. 23: National Pfeffernuesse Day.• Dec. 30: New Year’s Eve party.The center will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26.The Millard Senior Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m.

to 2 p.m. Lunch is served at 11:30. A $3 donation is sug-gested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon the busi-ness day prior to the lunch you wish to enjoy.

Round-trip transportation to and from the center is now available

Center activities include a walking club, Tai Chi, Wii sports, chair volleyball, card games, and bingo. Knitting, crocheting, quilting, and embroidery classes are available.

For meal reservations or information about transporta-tion, please call Rita Mathews at 402-546-1270.

The Eastern Nebraska Office on Ag-ing’s Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha recently performed a concert for residents of Waterford Assisted Living, 11909 Miracle Hills Dr.

What the audience members probably didn’t know was the IGO musicians and vocalists ages 25 and younger and ages 50 and older actually pay a $100 annual tuition fee to play in the orchestra.

The young IGO members are tutored by the older ensemble members who, in turn, find new enthusiasm for their music. Each musician and vocalist also has the opportunity to work with the nationally renowned conductor Chuck Penington.

In its 27th season, the Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha operates on a slim, self-supporting budget supervised by a board of directors, a project director, and ENOA. The tuition fees paid by its mem-bers help meet the orchestra’s expenses, but fall well short of the necessary funds.

As a result of this annual shortfall, the IGO and ENOA are looking for financial supporters to match the $100 each mem-ber pays to perform with the orchestra. Tax-deductible donations of any amount, however, are welcome and appreciated.

For more information about donating to the Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha, please call Chris Gillette at 402-444-6536.

Intergeneration Orchestra seeking financial support

ORCHESTRAof Omaha

IntergenerationTHEIntergenerationof Omaha


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

A Caring Community Called HOME!

• No Entrance Fee• Medicaid Waiver Approved

• All Utilities & Housekeeping Included• Spacious 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments

Independent & Assisted

Living

Ralston Senior CenterDecember 2011 events calendar

You’re invited to visit the Ralston Senior Center, 7300 Q St., Suite 100 (attached to the Ralston House Apart-ments). An annual membership is available to anyone age 55 or older for $10.

Activities include games, cards, exercise classes, monthly birthday parties, speakers, line dancing on the second and fourth Thursday of the month at 10 a.m., en-tertainment, and bingo on the second and fourth Thurs-day of the month at 1 p.m.

Visitors also have an opportunity to check out books from the center library.

Trips to the WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa for $5 are tentatively scheduled to resume after Interstate 29 reopens following the recent floods.

Each Wednesday a catered lunch from the Justin Thyme Café is available at the center for $4. Reserva-tions – which are required by noon on Tuesday – can be made by calling Joan at 402-592-3362.

A variety of volunteer opportunities are also available at the Ralston Senior Center.


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

DOUGLAS COUNTY

Toscheduleanappointment,callInterimHealthcare

@402-392-1818

Camelot Senior Center9270CadyAve.

Wednesday10a.m.tonoon

Christie Heights Senior Center5105S.37thSt.

Monday–Thursday9:30to11:30a.m.

Corrigan Senior Center3819XSt.

Monday,Wednesday,&Friday9to11:30a.m.

Crown Tower

5904HenningerDr.Tuesdays–Thursdays11:30a.m.to2:30p.m.

Durham Booth Manor923N.38St.Wednesday

9:30to11:30a.m.

Heartland Family Service Senior Center

2102S.42St.Monday–Thursday

10a.m.tonoon

Florence Community Center

2920BondessonSt.Tuesday

9:30a.m.tonoon

Jewish Community Center333S.132ndSt.

Monday9to11:30a.m.

Millard Montclair Senior Center

2304S.135thAve.FirstFridayofthemonth

9:30to11:30a.m.

St. Mary Magdalene Senior Center1817DodgeSt.

Tuesday–Thursday10a.m.tonoon

The Eastern Nebraska Office on Ag-ing offers health maintenance clin-ics at 17 sites in Douglas, Sarpy,

Dodge, and Cass counties. The clinic’s goals are to ensure that older adults have ongoing access to regular health screen-ings at a low cost.

Services include vital signs and weight monitoring, foot and nail care, prepara-tion and administration of medications (includes syringes and Medisets), injec-

tions, blood glucose monitoring, breast exams, nutrition and health counseling, diet monitoring, and referrals to health care providers.

The maximum contribution request is $5 per visit.


Here’s a listing of the sites, addresses, days and times, and how to make an ap-pointment.

DOUGLAS COUNTY(Cont’d)Toscheduleanappointment,

callInterimHealthcare@402-392-1818

Underwood Tower 4850UnderwoodAve.Tuesday–Thursday

1to3p.m.

SARPY COUNTYToscheduleanappointment,


Bellevue Senior Center

109W.22ndSt.Monday–Thursday

9a.m.tonoon

Papillion Senior Center1001LimerickRd.

FirstandthirdWednesdayofthemonth

10a.m.tonoon

DODGE COUNTY Toscheduleanappointment,


Fremont Senior Center

1730W.16thSt.FirstandthirdTuesday

ofthemonth9:30a.m.to12:30p.m.

Snyder Senior Center2nd&ElmStreetsThirdWednesday

ofthemonth11a.m.to2p.m.

CASS COUNTYToscheduleanappointment.

signupatthecenterslistedbelow.

Louisville Senior Center

5th&ElmStreetsThirdTuesdayofthemonth

9a.m.tonoon402-234-2120

Plattsmouth Senior Center625Ave.A

FourthMondayofthemonth9a.m.tonoon

402-296-5800,ext.1

ENOA health maintenance clinics

Nicholas HalburAttorney & Counselor at Law

[email protected] • www.thompson.law.prowww.linkedin.com/in/nicholashalbur

Are you or a loved one entering a nursing home or in need of long term care? Please, come speak to me about your rights, key care issues, Medicaid, & other payment options.

I am a Nebraska and Iowa attorney in the general practice of law including, but not limited to wills & estates, elder law, powers of attorney, guardianships & conservatorships, & planning for long-term care needs.

13906 Gold Circle, Suite 201

Omaha, NE 68144-2336

402-330-3060 Ext. 117


Immanuel Affordable Communities

Immanuel Communities offers beautiful affordable independent apartment homes for seniors who are on a fixed income.

Call today to schedule a personal visit.

Affilated with the Nebraska Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America www.immanuelcommunities.com

Immanuel Courtyard6757 Newport AvenueOmaha, NE 68152402-829-2912

Assisted Living at Immanuel Courtyard6759 Newport AvenueOmaha, NE 68152402-829-2990

Trinity Courtyard620 West Lincoln StreetPapillion, NE 68046402-614-1900

Income guidelines apply

Reflects donations throughNovember 23, 2011.

Please see the ad on page 3

New Horizons Clubgains new members

HELP Adult Services, which annually provides services to more than 6,000 older, disabled, and chronically ill individuals, has moved to the Center Mall – 42nd and Center streets.

The Health and medical Equipment Loan Program provides items like bath chairs, crutches, wheel-chairs, canes, commodes, grab bars, scooters, toi-let seat risers, transport chairs, and hospital beds for under-insured or unin-sured individuals as well as those who don’t qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.


HELP Adult Servicesmoves to Center Mall

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 DepartmentSmoke/Carbon Monoxide Requests10245 Weisman Dr.Omaha, NE 68134


Call 402-444-3560OFD can install

free smoke, carbonmonoxide detectorsDouglas County representatives

recently announced a new dental discount card program available to county residents. Careington

International Corporation administers the program in partnership with the National Association of Counties (NACo).

This discount card can help Douglas County residents save five to 50 percent on their dental care services and 20 percent on orthodontic services. This affordable plan starts at $6.95 per month and $59 per year for individuals and $8.95 per month or $69 per year for families..

“The card is easy to use and will save people money,” said Douglas County Board Chair Mary Ann Borgeson. “Cardholders schedule an appointment with a participat-ing dentist or specialist and present their card to receive a discount at the time of service. There are no forms to complete and everyone in the household is eligible to receive a discount.”

With this discount card (which is not an insurance plan) participants will experience significant savings on dental cleanings, x-rays, braces, dentures, crowns, root canals, and more.

“Especially during these tough times, NACo is pleased to provide this discount dental program to our member counties,” said NACo President Lenny Eliason, Com-missioner in Athens County, Ohio.

The NACo Dental Discount Card Pro-gram can complement health insurance plans or work in conjunction with health savings accounts, flexible spending ac-counts, and health reimbursement arrange-ments. It is also a cost-effective way for younger retirees to meet their dental needs.

More information about the NACo Den-tal Discount Card Program is available at www.nacodentalprogram.com or by calling (toll free) 877-354-6226.

NACo is offering dental discountplan to Douglas County residents You may be eligible to receive help pay-

ing for your telephone (land line or cellular) service thanks to a program administered by the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

The Nebraska Telephone Assistance Program can reduce the cost of telephone service (one phone per household) up to $13.50 per month. The discount would ap-pear as a credit on the phone bill within 60 days after enrollment into the program. No cash or checks will be distributed.

The telephone bill must be in the name of, or include the name of the individual that qualifies for the program, according to NPSC member Anne Boyle. Any changes of address must be reported to the NPSC for the service to be uninterrupted.

The program can also reduce the cost of installing landline telephone service by 50 percent or $30. In addition, NTAP provides a deferred, interest-free payment for the in-stallation charges that may not be covered.

To qualify for the Nebraska Telephone Assistance Program, applicants – who have phone service – must be enrolled in one of the following: Medicaid (not Medicare), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro-gram (food stamps), Supplemental Security Income, Federal public housing assistance, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Pro-gram (LIHEAP), Children’s Health Insur-ance Programs such as Kids Connection, SAM, MAC, or EMAC.

To apply for NTAP, consumers can download an application form (in English or Spanish) from the NPSC’s Web site (www.psc.nebraska.gov), call 1-800-526-0017 or 402-471-3101, or mail a request for the form to NTAP, PO Box 94927, Lincoln, Neb. 68509-4927.

Completed forms should be returned to NTAP, PO Box 94927, Lincoln, Neb. 68509-4927. For more information, please call 1-800-526-0017 or 402-471-3101.

Get help paying your phone bill

$25Nancy Giordano

Betty Schrier

$15Maryann JoveDarlene Miller

$10Julann Kroy

$5James HortonCarol Kasal

Gertrude Heimann?• Bath aides• Care management• Chore services• Community education• Durable medical equipment• Emergency food pantry• Emergency response systems• ENOA facts and figures• ENOA Library• ENOA senior centers• Grandparent Resource Center

Log on to enoa.org

Do you have questions about aging services

in Douglas, Sarpy, Dodge, Cass, or Washington counties?

• Homemakers• Information &

assistance telephone lines

• Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha

• Legal services• Meals on Wheels• Medicaid Waiver• New Horizons• Nutrition counseling

• Ombudsman advocates• Respite care• Respite Resource Center• Rural transportation• Senior Care Options• Senior employment• Support of adult day facilities• Volunteer opportunities

The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging’s Web site includes information about:

24 hours a day,

7 days a week!


Americans who provide care for their aging parents lose an estimated $3 trillion dollars in wages, pension, and Social

Security benefits when they take time off to do so, according to The MetLife Study of Caregiving Costs to Working Caregivers: Double Jeopardy for Baby Boomers Caring for Their Parents.

Produced by the MetLife Mature Market Institute in conjunction with the National Alliance for Caregiving and the Center for Long Term Care Research and Policy at New York Medical College, the study reports that individually, average losses equal $324,044 for women and $283,716 for men. The percentage of adults providing care to a parent has tripled since 1994.

The researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to determine the extent to which older adult children provide care to their parents. They also studied gender roles, the impact of caregiving on careers, and the potential cost to the caregiver in lost wages and future retirement income.

“Nearly 10 million adult children over age 50 care for their aging parents,” said Sandra Timmermann, Ed.D., director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. “As-sessing the long-term financial impact of caregiving for aging parents on caregiv-ers themselves, especially those who must curtail their working careers to do so, is especially important, since it can jeopardize their future financial security.”

In addition, the study found: • Adult children age 50+ who work and

provide care to a parent are more likely than those who do not provide care to report their health is fair or poor.

• The percentage of adult children pro-viding personal care and/or financial as-sistance to a parent has more than tripled over the past 15 years and represents a quarter of adult children, mainly Baby Boomers. Working and non-working adult children are almost equally likely to provide care to parents in need.

• Overall, caregiving sons and daughters provide comparable care in many respects, but daughters are more likely to provide basic care (help with dressing, feeding, and bathing) and sons are more likely to provide financial assistance defined as providing $500 or more within the past two years. Twenty-eight percent of women provide basic care, compared with 17 percent of men.

• For women, the total individual amount of lost wages due to leaving the labor force early because of caregiving responsibilities

equals $142,693. The estimated impact of caregiving on lost Social Security benefits is $131,351. A very conservative esti-mated impact on pensions is approximately $50,000. Thus, in total, the cost impact of caregiving on the individual female care-giver in terms of lost wages and Social Security benefits equals $324,044.

• For men, the total individual amount of lost wages due to leaving the labor force early because of caregiving responsibilities equals $89,107. The estimated impact of caregiving on lost Social Security benefits is $144,609.

Adding in a conservative estimate of the impact on pensions at $50,000, the total im-pact equals $283,716 for men, or an average of $303,880 for male or female caregiversage 50+ who care for a parent.

“These family caregivers, the celebrated members of the sandwich generation, are juggling their responsibilities to their own families and to their parents,” said Gail Hunt, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. “There is also evidence caregivers experience consider-able health issues as a result of their focus on caring for others. The need for flex-ibility in the workplace and in policies that would benefit working caregivers is likely to increase in importance as more working caregivers approach their own retirement, while still caring for their loved ones.”

“As the percentage of employees who are caregivers continues to grow, there will be greater demand on employers for help and support. There are many workplace resources and programs that can be made available that benefit all stakeholders since financial stress can negatively impact physi-cal health and workplace productivity,” added Timmermann.

The study contains implications for individuals, employers, and policymak-ers. It points out employers can provide retirement planning and stress manage-ment information and can assist employees with accommodations like flex-time and family leave. Individuals, it said, should consider their own health when caregiving and should prepare financially for their own retirement.

Policymakers are made aware of the fact more states are considering paid fam-ily leave, especially as it’s accrued through workers’ compensation funds. On the federal level, a voluntary long-term care insurance program is part of the Affordable Care Act and will likely increase public awareness of the issue.

(The MetLife Mature Market Institute provided this information.)

The cost of providing care

ENOA recognizes RSVP volunteersin Dodge, Washington counties

The Child Saving Institute honorsFoster Grandparent Lula Gunnells

Lula Gunnells (center) – a volunteer with ENOA’s Foster Grandparent Program for eight years –

was honored recently for her work with children and families at the Child Saving Institute. She’s seen here with Jana Habrock (left)

and Dalhia Lloyd from CSI.

Volunteers enrolled in ENOA’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program were recognized recently

at RSVP’s annual banquet in Fremont titled, The Experience of a Lifetime. These men and

women volunteer at 37 sites in Arlington, Blair, Dodge, Fremont, Hooper, North Bend, Scribner, and Snyder. Mavis Lidberg, Leroy Lidberg, Bill Michaud, Neil Rosenbaum, Edith Cappen, and Marvin Cappen were honored for volunteering

more than 1,000 hours during the past year.

ENOA thanks table sponsors forRSVP recognition event in Fremont

BlueCross & BlueShield of NebraskaFremont Area Medical Center

Ludvigsen MortuaryMoser Memorial Chapel

Nebraska Medical Mart II, Inc.Platte Valley Bank

Scribner BankWashington County Recycling



Enoa Aging

As the holidays approach, this is a good time to think about maintaining a healthy weight. For older adults, healthy eating is especially impor-tant.

Being underweight has long been known as a red flag for possible health problems with older men and women. Geriatrics specialists today, however, focus equally on the dangers of being overweight.

According to Dain LaRoche, assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of New Hampshire, the com-mon image of a “bird-thin” older adult being at the highest risk of disability might not be accurate. “With two-thirds of Americans overweight or obese and the elderly popula-tion expected to double by 2030, we are going to see a large portion of people who are disabled due to the concurrent gaining of weight and loss of strength,” he said.

Most people are aware of the nation’s obesity epidemic and are familiar with the connection between obesity and heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. During the past year, researchers have also confirmed the connection between ex-cess body fat and other major health conditions including:

• Osteoporosis: Geriatricians have long cautioned being underweight leaves older adults vulnerable to bone loss. A recent study shows excess body fat may also cause thinning bones. Miriam A. Bredella, a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, reported excess belly fat in particular puts older men and women at higher risk of osteoporosis.

• Memoryproblems: Researchers from Chicago’s Northwestern Medicine linked obesity to decreased memory quality in older women. Their study showed for every one-point increase in a woman’s body mass index, her score on a standard memory test dropped by one point. Belly fat was also the main culprit in this study.

• Dementia: The American Academy of Neurology reported people who are overweight in midlife have an 80 percent higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia in later life. Study author Weili Xu of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute reported, “Our results contribute to the growing evidence that controlling body weight or losing weight in middle age could reduce your risk of dementia.”

• Arthritis: Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston discovered obesity increases the risk for osteoarthritis of the knee, a painful and debilitating condi-tion that can reduce the length and quality of life. Arthritis, in turn, makes it harder to manage many health conditions.

Noting the alarming rise in obesity during the last decade, study author Elena Losina, Ph.D., said reducing obesity to levels observed in 2000 would prevent 172,792 cases of coronary heart disease, 710,942 cases of diabetes, and 269,934 total knee replacements.

For many older adults, maintaining a healthy weight is a challenge. Help is available in many ways including:

• Mealplanning: As we grow older, our metabolism slows down and we need less fuel for our bodies. Our need for nutrients, however, doesn’t decline. According to the USDA, most older Americans are having trouble fitting the recommended number of daily food group servings into their decreased calorie budgets.

• Mealpreparation: Grocery shopping and cooking can seem like trouble for older adults living with a mobil-ity, sensory, or cognitive impairment. As time goes by, they may find themselves subsisting on frozen meals and pack-aged snacks. Prepackaged foods are often higher in fat and sodium and lower in nutrients than freshly prepared meals.

• Encouragingphysicalactivity: A healthy diet is half the strategy for maintaining a healthy weight. Exercise is the other half. Physical activity burns calories, builds muscle mass, and helps control appetite.

• Companionship: Many older adults report they don’t eat healthy meals because it’s too much trouble to cook for one. Geriatricians have long understood that loneliness and isolation can result in an unhealthy weight loss for older men and women who live alone. They are now expressing a similar concern about obesity. Older adults may overeat out of boredom, skip meals, and then fill up on junk food.

The National Institutes of Health warns as our popu-lation ages, healthcare costs in the U.S. will skyrocket. Obesity-related illness will account for $66 billion in ad-ditional costs by 2030.

(Right at Home provided this information.)

The health problems caused by obesity in older adult population Here are some thoughts

on how you could lower your heating bill without freezing your way through the winter:

• Energy audit: The first step is to assess any prob-lem areas. Ask if your utility company provides a free or low-cost energy audit that will identify changes you should make. If such audits aren’t available, there are still ways to ascertain prob-lems for yourself and small projects you can accomplish without professional help.

• Seek incentives: Some states offer improvement incentives including pro-viding and installing a free programmable thermostat; paying a portion of insula-tion upgrades; or providing rebates on the cost of mate-rials. Look for such offers at the Database of State In-centives for Renewables & Efficiency. If you can’t find an applicable program, you can reduce the cost of sup-plies by finding coupons for major home improvement centers, hardware stores,

big-box stores and more at such sites as CouponSherpa.

• Change furnace fil-ters: Many of us think of changing our furnace filters just once or twice a year, yet experts say we should replace them every month during the heating season. Better yet, switch to a per-manent filter you can clean regularly.

• Dodge the draft: Ac-cording to the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy, you can waste five to 30 percent of your energy use to heat the great outdoors through drafts. The simplest remedy is to place draft dodgers or snakes at leaking doors. You can use an old towel or make your own easily out of a leg of pantyhose stuffed with rice or sawdust and tied at both ends.

To find air leaks, place a light candle in front of pos-sible drafts, have someone blow through the crack from the other side, and watch to see if the flame wavers.

• Weather strip thresh-olds: Draft snakes are fine

Simple tips for lowering your home heating costs

By Stephanie Hadenfeldt

It’s cold season again! Not just cold as in “time to turn on the furnace,” but cold as in snif-fling, coughing, and sore throat sick. Besides the standard preven-tion technique of washing hands,

maybe you’ve heard taking vitamin C can help keep you healthy. Is there any truth to this rumor?

There is debate about whether or not vitamin C can help prevent or treat the common cold, but there is evidence to suggest it could help shorten the dura-tion.

Chemist Linus Pauling published a book called Vitamin C and the Common Cold in 1970. He promoted the use of vitamin C for the common cold and other diseases. Pauling took three grams (3,000 milligrams) of vitamin C daily himself, a much higher dose than the recommended daily/dietary allowance of 75 milligrams for adult females and 90 milligrams for adult males. He made vitamin C popular with the public, but caused debate in the medical community.

Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables (i.e. oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, green & red peppers, strawber-ries, and sweet potatoes). One cup of orange juice contains about 97 mg. of vitamin C which easily meets the RDA.

Supplements are also available in the

form of tablets, lozenges, gummies, etc. for those who wish to get more than what’s in their diet. Because it’s a water-soluble vitamin (meaning the body will excrete whatever it doesn’t need), over-dose is not a concern. However, there can be some adverse effects to taking higher doses such as stomach irritation (taking it with food can help avoid this), diarrhea, and a possibly increased risk of kidney stones. An upper limit of two grams of vitamin C daily is advised.

Beyond the common cold, vitamin C has other potential uses. It’s proven effective for preventing and treating scurvy, a disease that plagued sailors and pirates in centuries past who ran out of fruits and vegetables while out on the seas for extended periods. It’s also effec-tive for improving iron absorption, so if you take iron supplements for anemia, it may be helpful to take it with vitamin C.

Other proposed (but not proven) uses for vitamin C include improving wrinkles, reducing the risk of gallbladder disease in women, slowing the progres-sion of osteoarthritis, slowing age-related macular degeneration, boosting the im-mune system, and helping with depres-sion.

Before adding vitamin C supplements to your medication regimen, be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about pos-sible drug interactions.

(Hadenfeldt is with Midwest Geriat-rics, Inc. of Omaha.)

Can taking vitamin C help you fight off colds?

for cracks at the bottom of doors, but we often lose heat at the sides and top of doors and windows. Check out this Dummies.com video explaining how to install weather strips.

• Install a programma-ble thermostat: A program-mable thermostat allows you to keep the house cooler when it’s empty and auto-matically turn up the heat before you arrive at home or get up in the morning. Programmable thermostats can save you an average of 10 percent a year on your heating and cooling bill.

• Upgrade your at-tic insulation: Roofs are energy vampires. They’ll suck rising heat right out of your home if not properly insulated. Types of insula-tion include the standard fiberglass, rigid foam board, spray foam, and cellulose. Unless you’re handy around the house, this is a project best left to professionals, but it’s the best investment you can make to reduce future energy bills.


Do you have a drinking problem? Not alcohol; but water, soda, coffee, tea, or juice? While millions of Americans tote around bottles of water or chug down cans of soda, millions more are plagued with inconti-nence a problem they probably never talk about.

Fluid management is a method that helps control urinary incontinence, the unintended loss of urine suf-fered by an estimated 32 million adults, according to the new edition of Harvard Medical School’s special health report titled, Better Bladder and Bowel Control. Incon-tinence is a medical condition that can progress to the point where it’s difficult to maintain good hygiene and carry on an ordinary social and work life.

There are many causes of incontinence. Most often, it is the result of damage from childbirth in women and from prostate problems in men. A diagnosis from your doctor will help determine a course of treatment. For most people with urinary incontinence, some form of fluid management can help. You can use the following fluid-management techniques along with treatments recommended by your doctor:

• Keep track of how much fluid you drink each day and at what time.

• Try to drink only when you feel thirsty, and don’t exceed six to eight eight-ounce cups of fluid per day from all sources, including soup or milk in your cereal, unless you have a medical condition that requires more. Note that an eight-ounce cup is only two-thirds of a standard soda can.

Here are some other tips:• Don’t drink more than 8 ounces at a time. • Don’t guzzle. The faster your bladder fills, the more

likely you are to feel urgency to urinate. • Minimize caffeinated and carbonated drinks. • Decrease or eliminate alcohol consumption. • If you’re thirsty because it is hot or you have exer-

cised, don’t hesitate to drink water. • Fill your glass only two-thirds as full as you usu-

ally do. One study showed this technique alone helped reduce episodes of incontinence.

Better Bladder and Bowel Control also covers topics like treating urinary incontinence, neurological strate-gies for overactive bladder, and treating fecal inconti-nence.

The report is available for $18 from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of the Harvard Medical School. Order it online at www.health.harvard.edu/Bladder2011 or by calling 1-877–649–9457.

Report examines ways totreat urinary incontinence


Enoa Aging

Lifetime passes to Ameri-ca’s national parks for older adults and Americans with disabilities are now avail-able through the mail.

National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said the Senior Pass and the Access Pass will still be available at national parks, “But the option of receiv-ing a pass by mail may better suit some people and any change that makes it more convenient to prepare to come to the parks is a change for the better. We want everyone to experience the amazing places in our care.

“National parks have a lot to offer,” continued Jarvis. “They are places to share with children, grand-children, and other family members. They facilitate recreation and healthy liv-ing. Many parks, including Yellowstone, Shenandoah, and Denali, have trails that are accessible to people with limited mobility and to wheelchair users. We also have many accessible camp-ing and picnic areas.”

The Senior and Access passes provide admis-sion to, and use of, federal recreation sites that charge entrance or standard ame-

nity fees. Pass users also receive a 50 percent dis-count on some amenity fees for activities like camping and launching a boat. They are available to citizens and permanent residents of the United States age 62 or older or those who have per-manent disabilities regard-less of age.

The “Senior” and “Ac-cess” versions of the Amer-ica the Beautiful Pass – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass – are good for a lifetime. The Access pass is free and the Senior pass is just $10. There is a $10 processing fee to receive either pass by the mail.

To get your Senior Pass through the mail just submit a completed application, proof of residency and age, and $20. The fee covers the cost of the pass and a docu-ment processing fee. You can print out an application at http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html.

Once the application package is received and the documentation verified, the

pass will be mailed to you. The application for the

Access Pass is also available at http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html.

To receive the Access Pass, mail the completed application along with proof of residency and documen-

tation of permanent dis-ability plus the $10 docu-ment processing fee. Once the application package is received and verified, the pass and the documentation of permanent disability you provided will be mailed to you.

Lifetime passes to America’s national parks available to older adults for $10

The lifetime passes are good for admission to places like Yellowstone National Park.

You’re invited to visit Omaha’s Dur-ham Museum, 801 S. 10th St., this holiday season during Christmas at Union Station. This beautiful tradition began in the 1930s when the Union Pacific Railroad deco-rated and displayed large evergreens from the Pacific Northwest for Union Station travelers to enjoy. This tradition continues in 2011 with the region’s largest indoor Christmas tree and an exceptional line-up of family friendly events.

Here are some of the scheduled activi-ties:

• Dec. 2 from 5 to 9 p.m.: Ethnic Holiday Festival. Learn how the world celebrates this joyful time of year. Local cultural organizations display their crafts and traditional dress while musicians and dancers perform. Hard to find ethnic foods and gifts will be on sale.

• Dec. 6, 13, & 20 from 5 to 8 p.m.: Family Nights with Santa.

• Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, & 18: The Dur-ham Museum’s Holiday Concert Series. Visit www.DurhamMuseum.org for a list-ing of the performances.

• Dec. 31: The Durham’s Noon Year’s Eve Celebration.

• Through Dec. 31: Holiday Miniatures Exhibit.

• Through Dec. 31: The Ethnic Holiday Trees Exhibit. Each tree is decorated by a local ethnic society and is accompanied by interpretative text explaining the meaning behind the various decorations and unique traditions within each culture.

• Food Drive: The Durham Museum is teaming up with ConAgra Foods and KETV to accept non-perishable food do-nations throughout the Christmas at Union Station season. All donations will benefit the Food Bank for the Heartland.

Admission to the Durham Museum is $8 for adults; $6 for seniors; $5 for chil-dren ages 3 to 12; and free for members and children age 2 and younger.

For information about The Durham Mu-seum including extended holiday hours, please visit www.DurhamMuseum.org.

Celebrate the holidays with a visitto Omaha’s Durham Museum

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some) will be on stage at the Blue Barn Theatre, 614 S. 11th St. through Dec. 17.

Santa Claus and almost every other Christmas character in pop culture makes an appearance as three actors decide to retell every Christmas story ever told in 90 minutes.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for persons age 65 and older.

For reservations or more information, please call 402-345-1576.

Christmas show at Blue Barn Theatre


Call today to see how we can tailor our services to meet your needs.

Basic computer skills made easy!Whether it’s a one-time lesson or ongoing instruction and support, learn how to use the computer with Dr. David M. Cohen, Ph.D., an educator and innovator who specializes in teaching computer skills to persons with little or no experience.

Cohen’s Computer Club402-637-3935

[email protected] Dr. David M. Cohen, Ph.D.

LEARN:• How computers work.• How to e-mail friends and family.• How to use programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.• How to use SKYPE for free video-conferencing with your children and grandchildren.• How to organize your addresses, phone numbers, & budget.• How to play games on the computer.• Shop, read newspapers & books, and watch videos online.

CLASSIFIEDSPlease call 402-444-4148

or 402- 444-6654to place your ad

REPUTABLE SERVICES, INC.

402-4 5 5-7 0 0 0

• Remodeling & Home Improvement

• Safety Equipment Handrails

Smoke and Fire Alarms

• Painting Interior & Exterior

• Handyman Services

• Senior Discounts

• Free Estimates

• References • Fully Insured

Quality Professional Service

Better Business Bureau Member

deFreeseManor

2669 DodgeOmaha, NE

402-345-0622

Subsidized housing for those age 62 and over

with incomesunder $24,750

(1 person)or $28,250

(two persons)

Senior Citizens (62+)

Accepting applications for HUD-subsidized apartments in

Papillion & Bellevue. Rent determined by income and medical expenses.

Monarch Villa West201 Cedar Dale Road

Papillion (402) 331-6882

Bellewood Courts1002 Bellewood Court

Bellevue (402) 292-3300

Managed by Kimball Management., Inc.

We do business in accordance with

the Fair Housing Law.

TOP CASH PAIDBest & honest prices

paid for: Old jewelry, furniture, glassware, Hummels,

knick-knacks, old hats & purses, dolls, old toys, quilts, linens, buttons, pottery, etc.

Also buying estates & partial estates.

Call Bev at 402-339-2856

Integrity Builders

BBB Honor Roll member

Free estimates & inspections

• Roofs • Windows • Siding • Gutters

Storm damage specialist

Call Colin @ 402-510-7360

Tree TrimmingBeat the

falling leaves!

402-894-9206

Chipping & removal. Your prunings chipped. Experienced & insured.

Senior discount.

OLD STUFF WANTED(before 1975)

Postcards, photos, drapes, lamps, 1950s and before fabrics,

clothes, lady’s hats, & men’s ties, pictures, pottery, glass, jewelry, toys, fountain

pens, furniture, etc.Call anytime

402-397-0254 or 402-250-9389

Will transfer your cassettes, LPs, & 8-tracks to CD.

Also VHS tapes to DVD.402-345-3232

John Bouska1913 Farnam St. #70868102-1915

Lamplighter IISome 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

Moving, refelting, assemble, repair,tear down. Used slate tables.

We pay CASH for slate pool tables.

Big Red Billiards402-598-5225

POOL TABLES

PAID THROUGH December 2011

DO YOU NEED HELP?With meals, laundry, errands,

and household duties.Reasonable rates.

Call 402-345-2596

Please support NH advertisers!

The Fontenelle Nature Association’s SUN (Seniors Understanding Nature) program has an activity for older adults the second Tuesday of each month at the Fontenelle Nature Center, 1111 Bellevue Blvd. North.

The programs, held from 9:45 to 11 a.m., feature an indoor program, an optional nature walk, and refresh-ments.

The cost is $5 per person each month.

On Dec. 13, stop by for Design with Boughs of Holly with Jan Heiner.

While walk-ins are welcome, registration is preferred. To register, or for more information, please call Catherine Kuper at 402-731-3140, ext. 240.

Monthly programs forolder nature lovers

Just a decade ago, incandescent light bulbs were just about the only game in town, despite their inefficient use of electricity to generate light and their primitive technol-ogy that hadn’t changed since being invented 125 years ago. But now that’s all changing fast, with phase-outs of incandescent bulbs going on in Australia, Brazil, Venezu-ela, Switzerland, and the European Union, with Argentina, Russia, Canada, and the U.S. following suit shortly.

Legislation was passed in the United States in 2007 to increase the efficiency of light bulbs sold in the nation by 25 percent or more by 2014, and by as much as 60 percent by 2020.

For decades, persons concerned with energy savings have been touting the benefits of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) over incandescent bulbs. CFLs use only one-fifth of the electricity of incandescent bulbs to generate the same amount of light and can last six to 10 times longer. But CFLs’ cooler color and inability to be dimmed have made them less desirable.

Another hindrance to the widespread adoption of CFLs has been their higher cost (though most consumers would save in energy costs over the life of a bulb). Also, CFLs contain mercury, a dangerous neurotoxin that’s released when the bulbs break. And once CFLs burn out they must be disposed of properly to avoid releasing mercury into the environment.

Given the issues with CFLs, LED (short for light emit-ting diodes) bulbs are beginning to come on strong. These highly efficient bulbs don’t generate heat like incandescent bulbs (which helps to keep air conditioning costs down as well) and can last five times longer than CFLs and 40 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Tiny LED bulbs have been around for years in special-ized applications (such as stadium scoreboards), but light-ing engineers got the idea to cluster them and use reflective casings to harness and concentrate their light for residential use.

In recognition of the LED’s potential, the U.S. Depart-ment of Energy set up a special “solid-state” (LED) light-ing R&D program to hasten the advance of the technology.

In comparing the total cost to run three different types of 60-watt equivalent bulbs for 50,000 hours (factoring in the cost of the both bulbs and electricity), the EarthEasy Web site found LEDs would cost $95.95, CFLs $159.75, and incandescent bulbs $652.50.

The 42 incandescent bulbs tested used up to 3,000-kilo-watt hours of electricity compared to 700 and 300 for CFLs and LEDs, respectively. However, despite the savings most consumers are loath to spend $35 and up for an LED bulb (even though it will save more than $500 in the long run) when a traditional incandescent bulb right next to it on the shelf costs $1.

There are other newer technologies in the works. Seattle-based Vu1 now sells highly efficient bulbs based on its Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL) technology, whereby accelerated electrons stimulate a phosphor coating on the inside of the bulb, making the surface glow. One of Vu1’s 65-watt equivalent bulbs retails for under $20 and uses a similar amount of energy as an equivalent CFL.

Incandescent bulbs aren’t out of the efficient lighting race altogether just yet. Top bulb makers recently released new versions that use as much as one-third less electricity to operate (complying with 2012’s new federal standards) and are promising newer models still that will run on even less energy.

(EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E - The Envi-ronmental Magazine.)

Which is the best kind oflight bulb for you to use

Buying or

selling?

Use the New Horizons

CLASSIFIEDS

Please call 402-444-4148

or 402-444-6654 today to

place your ad.

New Horizons Newspaper

Documents

Transcript of New Horizons Newspaper