Laura Lynn’s Home Care Named as Provider and Employer of Choice

Laura Lynn’s Home Care announced today that it has received both the 2019 Best of Home Care® – Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice Awards from Home Care Pulse. These awards are granted only to the top-ranking home care providers, based on client and caregiver satisfaction scores gathered by Home Care Pulse.
Laura Lynn’s Home Care is now ranked among a small handful of home care providers across the country who have proven their ability to provide an exceptional working experience to employees and the highest quality care to clients.
“We want to congratulate Laura Lynn’s Home Care on receiving both the Best of Home Care – Provider of Choice Award and the Best of Home Care – Employer of Choice Award,” says Erik Madsen, CEO of Home Care Pulse.
“Since these awards are based on real, unfiltered feedback from clients and caregivers, Laura Lynn’s Home Care has proven their dedication to providing a great work environment and solid training to employees, while maintaining their focus on client satisfaction. We are pleased to recognize their dedication to quality professionalism and expertise in home care.”
Best of Home Care providers have contracted with Home Care Pulse to gather feedback from their clients and caregivers via live phone interviews each month. Because Home Care Pulse is an independent company, it is able to collect honest and unbiased feedback.
“These awards confirm what we have always believed. Our team of caregivers is the absolute best you can get. We’re so proud of their hard work, their compassion and the care they provide to the families we serve,” says Laura Hicks, CEO and founder of Laura Lynn’s Home Care.
“Our goal at Home Care Pulse is to empower home care businesses to deliver the best home care possible,” says Erik Madsen, CEO of Home Care Pulse. “We are happy to recognize Laura Lynn’s Home Care as a Best of Home Care award-winning provider and celebrate their accomplishments in building a team of happy, qualified caregivers who provide outstanding care for their clients.”
For more information about Laura Lynn’s Home Care, visit LauraLynnsHomeCare.com or call (405) 418-2961.
Established in 2002 by Laura Lynn Hicks, Laura Lynn’s Home Care is a licensed home care agency and has become Oklahoma’s premier provider of private-duty services. Laura Lynn’s Home Care provides in-home assistance delivered by a team of Certified Home Health Aides. Laura Lynn’s Home Care clients are able to remain in the comfort of their homes, while receiving long-term care or post-operative assistance.

Game Warden Nathan Erdman has been promoted to Chief of the Law Enforcement Division. Erdman previously served as Assistant Chief of the division since 2016.
The Law Enforcement Division is responsible for upholding the laws and regulations that protect Oklahoma’s wildlife resources. Game wardens are public servants sworn to protect wildlife and the public’s interests in the outdoors. These certified peace officers have statewide jurisdiction to act on any law violation. They check licenses and bag limits of hunters and anglers. Oftentimes wardens may have to wait, day or night, for long periods in concealed locations to nab the poachers who are stealing fish and game.
As Chief, Erdman oversees the division of about 120 people, the largest of the Department’s five divisions. Employees consist of Game Wardens, Game Warden Supervisors and eight District Chiefs. Headquarters staff includes an Assistant Chief, an Operations Manager and Training Supervisor, and a secretary.
“I’m just lucky I’ve got 117 of the finest employees that I could ever want,” he said. “I’m up here to work for them; trying to make sure that they have everything that they need to get their job done and get it done more efficiently.”
Erdman said he knew early in his life that he wanted to work as a game warden. “I grew up in the country, hunting and fishing.” He recalls asking his college adviser what classes would be required to become a game warden.
Erdman earned a fish and wildlife management degree at Northeastern State University, and was hired as a game warden shortly after he graduated. His first assignment was in Beaver County in the Panhandle, where he spent 13 years. He then transferred to his home Okfuskee County in 2007. A year later, he was promoted to Supervisor in District 4, where he worked until becoming assistant chief in 2016. He has worked for the Wildlife Department for 24 years.
He said becoming Chief has been somewhat surreal. “I grew up in the small town of Okemah, and graduated with 43 kids. To go from small town to being Chief of enforcement for all of Oklahoma’s Game Wardens is something you would never imagine.”
Game wardens must do their job well, as they are constantly in the public eye. They are expected to know all there is to know about hunting, fishing, wildlife laws, wildlife management, camping and other outdoor activities as well as general information about their county.
Game wardens often spend time visiting landowners in their county, encouraging them to allow ethical hunters and anglers on their land to harvest the surplus wildlife. They may assist the landowner with poaching problems or give them information about stocking fish in a pond.
Game wardens frequently help teach hunter education courses and fishing clinics. And they often help operate events for students involved in the Department’s Archery in the Schools and Shooting Sports programs. They occasionally visit with sportsmen’s clubs, schools, Scout groups and civic groups. They may speak about new laws and regulations, or about some topic directly related to hunting or fishing. They may also pass along printed information published by the Wildlife Department.

By Joshua Vascil, OU Medicine

When it comes to healthy and effective exercise habits, the amount of time and effort you can put in to the workouts is the key. However, an OU Medicine internal medicine provider says there are some helpful options for those who don’t have much time to work out.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, adults should spend 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity, or 75 to 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. The Journal also recommends adults perform muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups two or more days a week.
Joanne Skaggs, M.D., OU Medicine internal medicine physician, says time does matter when it comes to your workout habits, however, if you don’t have much time, she recommends High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT work-outs or simply limiting idle time throughout the day.
“Weight-bearing exercise is key for metabolism and losing weight just as much as aerobic physical activity is,” Skaggs said. “You always want to do a combination.”
Maintaining a routine to ensure that you get the most out of your exercise habits is important, Skaggs said. She recommends marking time for exercise on a calendar. “It forces it to become part of your schedule so that it’s harder to ignore, or at least there is some guilt. Group fitness is also a good way to motivate and become socially engaged in your community.”
For those who can’t find time or can’t make it to a fitness facility or gym regularly, Skaggs suggests trying to limit idle time by incorporating some of these activities in your day:
· Move more
· Sit less
· Park at the back of the parking lot
· Take the stairs when you can
· Incorporate physical activity into family time
· Look for fitness videos online, even if it’s only a 10 minute workout
“I always recommend the rule of 3’s,” Skaggs said. “Three minutes for three days in a row. Increase by three minutes every three days until you are able to reach 30 minutes. It’s much more doable this way.”
Skaggs warns that it’s always important everyone knows their limits and not push too hard, to avoid injury. “Do not go out and try and lift excessively or over exert yourself. Know your body. Do what you can, gradually pushing yourself to maintain a steady, healthy exercise pattern. And, you need to realize that physical fitness and health takes time. You’re not going to lose 50 pounds overnight.”
Before starting a new exercise and fitness regimen, it is important to check with your doctor.
OU Medicine has primary care physicians available at many locations across the Oklahoma City metro. For more information, go to: https://www.oumedicine.com/oumedicine/primary-care

When you hear the word “malnutrition,” you probably think of people in impoverished countries, but the fact is, one in every two older adults is at risk of becoming malnourished.
An elderly Oklahoma City woman was that one in two. Sharon Gibson said she was wasting away. Doctors had given up hope and so had she.
“It was just all overwhelming and I was to the point where I didn’t care whether I lived or died,” the 74-year-old said.
Malnutrition in older adults is a hidden and growing epidemic and a costly one. The estimated price tag of the increased health care costs for disease-associated malnutrition in older U.S. adults tops $51 Billion a year. Hunger is not the sole cause. Sometimes it’s about eating the wrong foods and sometimes medical conditions like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s are to blame.
Gibson had been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which left her constantly out of breath. She also had digestive issues that impacted her ability to eat, as well as trouble standing, which made it difficult to cook.
“I was very sick physically, emotionally. I couldn’t eat. My digestive system was shot. My lungs were shot – my whole bone structure. I couldn’t even stand up straight,” she explained. That was before Gibson found Valir Pace, a non-profit program that provides all-inclusive care to older adults.
“A lot of participants have come to me when I’m doing their initial assessment and they say, ‘you know, sometimes I have to pay my medicine, you know, pay for medicine and sometimes I have to decide if I want to eat or what I’m going to buy to eat and that’s so heartbreaking,” said Zella Classen, MA, RD/LD, director of Food and Nutrition at Valir Pace.
At Pace, Classen and the entire nutrition team spend their days preparing, serving and packing meals for delivery to participants. They know malnutrition in older adults can lead to a variety of health problems. These include:
• An increased risk of infection due to a weak immune system
• Poor wound healing
• Muscle weakness and decreased bone mass, which increases the risk of falls and fractures
• A higher risk of hospitalization and death
“A lot of times someone will come to me and they may not have been educated on an appropriate diet for them. And remember, as we are get older, we may develop a chronic disease like diabetes or heart disease, and things like that; and they may not have been educated on that. Or if they have been, they really struggle on getting the right foods for that diet because of their limited income. So, we try to work with them on educating and then trying to help solve that problem on getting them the appropriate foods,” Classen said.
Today thanks to Valir Pace, participants have access to two meals a day, as well as delivery of specially prepared meals and groceries to their homes. It’s not just providing food, though. Classen said it is about providing the right food and the right nutritional supplements to optimize health.
Today, Gibson has a very different outlook on life.
“Nutrition is the basis of everything. If you’re not eating, your body isn’t functioning. You can’t do anything else. So, Zella interviewed me and asked really good questions. They got to the root of my digestive problems and set up a plan with me and, slow but sure, I gathered strength,” she said.
Gibson pays nothing for the program – a program she says has literally saved her life.
“They’ve turned my life around. I’m living again. I’m not just existing. I’m not waiting to die. I’m living and enjoying each day,” she said.
To find out if you or a loved one qualifies for the program, visit www.valirpace.org

Male, J.D., 7 months old, and female, Rukai, 8 months old, are now on public view

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is pleased to announce the arrival of two clouded leopard cubs: seven-month-old male, J.D., and eight-month-old female, Rukai. The duo were paired at the Pittsburgh Zoo, Rukai’s birthplace, in October and have spent the past two months bonding. J.D. was born at the Nashville Zoo in late April. The hope is that Rukai and J.D. will one day grow up to have their own cubs together and in clouded leopards, breeding is more successful when future mates grow up together. The method of introducing juvenile, genetically valuable male and female clouded leopards began about a decade ago when the clouded leopard population began to drastically decline.
“The Zoo is so excited to welcome these beautiful, gregarious clouded leopard cubs,” said Tyler Boyd, curator of carnivores. “In addition to serving as ambassadors for their species – educating Zoo guests about their plight in the wild and the need for wildlife conservation – J.D. and Rukai’s potential offspring will help ensure the species continues to thrive for generations.”
The cubs are located in the Cat Forest habitat between the Tiger and Small Cat Interpretive Centers. The carnivore and maintenance teams have added elevated perching opportunities to better suit the arboreal tendencies of this species and afford guests more opportunities for viewing. The Zoo is also home to 15-year-old male clouded leopard, Luke, who will not share a habitat with J.D. and Rukai.
Rukai and J.D.’s relocation to the OKC Zoo was a Species Survival Plan® (SSP) recommendation. The mission of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) cooperatively managed SSP Program is to oversee the population management of select species, including the clouded leopard, within AZA member institutions like the OKC Zoo and to enhance conservation of this species in the wild. Each SSP Program coordinates the individual activities of participating member institutions through a variety of species conservation, research, husbandry, management and educational initiatives.
Clouded leopards are native to Nepal and Bangladesh. They are the world’s strongest climbing cats, which gives them an advantage over the other big cats sharing their territory. The species is listed by the IUCN as vulnerable to extinction due to deforestation, poaching and the pet trade. Clouded leopards are protected in most range countries although enforcement in many areas is weak. Precise data on clouded leopard population numbers is not known (they are among the most elusive cat species) but researchers estimate there are around 10,000 clouded leopards in the wild.
Every cloud(ed) leopard has a silver lining – you can CAT-ch them at the OKC Zoo’s Cat Forest habitat! Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Regular admission is $11 for adults and $8 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay up-to-date with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and by visiting Our Stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming Oklahoma Zoological Society members at ZOOfriends.org or in-person at the Zoo! To learn more about these and other happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.

Dear Savvy Senior,

A couple months back I read that the IRS will be offering a new senior-friendly tax form this tax season that will be easier to use. What can you tell me about this? Paper Filer

Dear Filer,
It’s true. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has created a new federal income-tax form specifically designed for senior taxpayers, age 65 and older, that should make filing a little easier this year, particularly those who don’t file electronically. Here’s what you should know.
Form 1040-SR
Created by the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act, the new two-page simplified federal income tax form is called the 1040-SR. Similar in style to the old 1040-EZ form that the IRS discontinued last year, the new 1040-SR has larger print and better color contrast that makes it easier to read.
In addition, it also includes a chart to help older taxpayers calculate their standard deduction, which may help ensure that fewer seniors neglect to take the additional standard deduction that they are entitled to. For 2019, the additional deduction for those 65 or older or the blind is $1,300.
The 1040-SR form also has specific lines for retirement income streams such as Social Security benefits, IRA distributions, pensions and annuities, along with earned income from work wages and tips. And, it allows a child tax credit for seniors who are still taking care of a dependent child or grandchild.
You can also report capital gains and losses, as well as interest and dividends on this new form. Any of the tax schedules available to those using the standard form 1040 may also be used with the 1040-SR.
You should also know that the 1040-SR doesn’t put a limit on interest, dividends, or capital gains, nor does it cap overall income like the old 1040-EZ form did. But, if you have to itemize because of state and local taxes or charitable giving, then you will not be able to use the new Form 1040-SR.
Paper Filing Advantage
Seniors who use tax-preparation software to file their taxes will be able to generate a 1040-SR, but the new form will provide the most significant benefit to taxpayers who still fill out and file their returns on paper.
Last year, about 88 percent of the 153 million individual federal tax returns filed to the IRS were filed electronically. About 5 percent were prepared using tax software, then printed out and mailed to the agency, while about 7 percent were prepared on paper.
To use the new 1040-SR tax form for the 2019 filing year, taxpayers, including both spouses if filing jointly, must be at least age 65 before Jan. 1, 2020. You also don’t have to be retired to use the form – older workers can use it too. But early retirees (younger than 65) cannot use 1040-SR.
To see the 2019 draft version of the new 1040-SR form, go to IRS.gov/pub/irs-dft/f1040s–dft.pdf.
Tax Preparation Help
If you need help filing your tax returns this year, consider contacting the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (or TCE) program. Sponsored by the IRS, TEC provides free tax preparation and counseling to middle and low-income taxpayers, age 60 and older. Call 800-906-9887 or visit IRS.treasury.gov/freetaxprep to locate a service near you.
Also check with AARP, a participant in the TCE program that provides free tax preparation at more than 4,800 sites nationwide. To locate an AARP Tax-Aide site call 888-227-7669 or visit AARP.org/findtaxhelp. You don’t have to be an AARP member to use this service.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Ensemble performs woman composer Libby Larsen with Mozart, Weber, Schoenberg

Guest pianist Stephen Buck joins the Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble in this season’s third concert, “Rustic Gardens,” Tuesday, January 21, 7:30 p.m at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Brightmusic continues the season featuring female composers with “Barn Dances” by Grammy Award winner Libby Larsen, in addition to works by Weber, Mozart, and Schoenberg. Buck serves on the academic faculty of State University of New York (SUNY) Purchase Conservatory of Music and champions new music.
Cowboy dances inspired American Libby Larsen (b. 1950) to write “Barn Dances” for flute, clarinet, and piano. Larsen named each movement for a dance step “to take a flight of fancy in each movement and to create the musical equivalent of a calendar drawing.” The second movement, Divide the Ring, pays homage to country singer Gene Autry.
“Rustic Gardens” continues with the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B-flat major (Op. 34) by German composer Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) and the Quartet No. 1 for Flute and Strings in D major (K. 285) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). Weber had his friend, clarinet virtuoso Heinrich Baermann, in mind, with rich technical and melodic passages for the soloist. Mozart likewise wrote his quartet for Dutch surgeon and flutist Ferdinand Dejean. The quartet charms with clear form and texture.
In contrast is the harmonically complex Chamber Symphony No. 1 by Austrian Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951). The piece marks the end of his conventional (post-Romantic) period and anticipates his evolution to a twelve-tone technique, giving equal emphasis to all notes.
Musicians appearing in this concert are: Stephen Buck (piano), Gregory Lee and Katrin Stamatis (violin), Mark Neumann (viola), Jonathan Ruck (cello), Parthena Owens, (flute), and Chad Burrow (clarinet).
Admission is $20 at the door and free for children, active-duty military, and students with ID.
Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble, Oklahoma City’s own chamber ensemble, presents fine classical chamber music in acoustically-rich St. Paul’s Cathedral at NW 7th and Robinson near downtown Oklahoma City. Free parking is available south of the cathedral. For more information about the ensemble and upcoming concerts, visit www.brightmusic.org

This Christmas, Claire Phillips is leaving the bright lights of Hollywood for a road trip back to her native Oklahoma. The young actress is on her way to spend the holidays with family and friends, and hopefully watch the Oklahoma City Thunder play on New Year’s Eve.
Phillips graduated from Oklahoma City University in 2013 with a degree in Theatre Performance and Music. She headed for the West Coast and landed some lucrative roles in shows like ABC’s “Speechless,” “Fresh off the Boat,” and HBO’s “Togetherness.”
But shortly after moving to Los Angeles, life threw her a curve ball.
“When I was 24, I was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Phillips said. “Luckily it had not spread throughout my body yet. It was aggressive though, and the doctors moved very quickly.”
Phillips said she had no family history, so her diagnosis came as quite a shock.
“Honestly, I had a three-week scare leading up to my diagnosis, and deep down I knew I had cancer,” she said. “Once they started doing the tests, I had this gut feeling something was wrong. So, by the time they told me the results of my biopsy I had already accepted it in a way. I didn’t cry, I was just numb. Two of my best friends held my hand and my parents were on speaker phone when they told me, then I went straight into fight mode.”
She leaned on the resources of the American Cancer Society, and through her doctors at UCLA, Phillips began her journey attacking cancer.
“The American Cancer Society has always been an amazing resource for fighters to help take a small amount of the stress away during their battle,” she said. “Whether it’s a free wig, a ride to treatment, the 24-hour hotline, the research—the American Cancer Society is a valuable partner to have on your side.”
Phillips chose a team of doctors at UCLA, then had a double mastectomy with full reconstruction, followed by chemotherapy.
Today, besides her work on TV and film, she is an advocate for ACS and cancer patients everywhere.
“I was so excited to hear about the beginning phase of Oklahoma’s Hope Lodge,” Phillips said. “Providing those who have limited funds a place to stay free of charge when traveling for treatment will be such an impactful way to give back where it is needed. I was lucky enough to live in a major metropolitan city with some of the best doctors in the country when I was diagnosed, and I didn’t have to travel far from home. But I know that is not always the case for all fighters. I am very happy Oklahoma is providing Hope Lodge as another resource to those who are battling cancer.”
Last October, Phillips passed the five-year mark, and says she feels great.
“My doctors are still staying diligent in my check-ups, scans and bloodwork,” she said. “And we are keeping an eye on my little sister and my mother.
“Life is good,” she added. “I live in Los Angeles with my wonderful boyfriend and new puppy, I have great family, friends and doctors, as well as resources like the American Cancer Society I rely on. So, this Christmas, there’s much to celebrate!”

http://www.cremation-okc.com/