By Marise Boehs

Explaining the Stretch Zone difference, owner Wendy Uvino said, “Stretch Zone takes all of the stretching away from an individual, so it is totally practitioner assisted.”

“We have a series of straps that mobilize people onto the table which allows them to relax and stretch properly,” she continued. “Our practitioners have over 70 different stretches that they learn. And they put them together in protocols in order to work on whatever your goals are in terms of your body. It is something basically anybody can benefit from.”  

Stretch Zone’s isolation of individual muscles breaks up tissue glue, unwrapping the stranglehold on posture and valuable energy. Proper stretching slows down the aging process. Improved posture, circulation, and range of motion can be achieved at the stretch studio.

Different from stretching at home, practitioner-assisted stretching is a personalized routine performed by trained practitioners. Using our patented strapping system and proprietary tables to position, stabilize, and isolate muscles, our certified staff delivers a life-changing stretch experience to help you move efficiently and effortlessly. Simply put, we do all the work, you get all the benefits.

Starting in our 30s we begin losing flexibility at an average rate of 1% a year. Strains and micro-stresses on muscles compounded over time can glue them together. This “glue,” or scar tissue, tightens the surrounding tissue and restrains how we are able to move. Over time, the snowballing loss of flexibility ages us. Stretch Zone’s isolation of individual muscles within a muscle group breaks up the glue, unwrapping the stranglehold on our posture and valuable energy. Proper stretching slows down the aging process. We can feel younger by improving posture, circulation, and increasing range of motion.

Due to sedentary lifestyles and overworked, stressed muscles, we develop residual tension in resting muscle, or “tonus.” When we flex a muscle, we create excessive tonus in the muscle. A certain amount of resting muscle tonus is necessary to keep form and posture. But when we have excessive resting tonus, it becomes harder to move. Many people walk around with stiff muscles, and it’s not from the gym. Working with an experienced practitioner at one of the Stretch Zone studios can reestablish a more ideal resting muscle tone, relieving stiffness and soreness through active stretching.

Call today to schedule a free demo. 

Edmond 

309 S. Bryant 

Chatenay Square

10600 S. Pennsylvania Ave. Suite 5

405-445-6700

North Penn 

5629 North Pennsylvania Ave, 

405-242-3428

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

At press time leisure travel is not available or recommended, but it does not keep us from planning and revisiting destinations worthy of future consideration. Reminiscence is the safest kind of pleasure travel, sometimes called arm chair travel. For a few moments we have a respite from current news. In the following months this travel column will revisit previous personal travel experiences. Enjoy.
Some Florida resorts are located amid a massive amount of traffic and tourist activity. The Marriott Pompano Beach Resort and Spa is somewhat off the beaten track, and is boon for motorists, with their own transportation.
While a stroll within a mile of the property can be charming, there are not many cafes, restaurants or shops within the immediate area. If your desire is to get away from it all, and just ensconce yourself in a comfortable setting with pristine and maintained beaches, 2 pools, 2 towers of accommodations and delicious eating experiences, Marriott Pompano Beach Resort and Spa may be your ideal.
When you consider a visit to Florida at any time of year, it is important to keep in mind the annual hurricane season from mid-summer through September. Of course these days, predictable weather patterns of past years seem to be unpredictable. It’s a boon to Pompano that they are far North of Miami Beach with its recent health headlines. It also is North of Fort Lauderdale, and a comfortable distance from its neighbor Lauderdale-By-the-Sea, which is a more active community with its many eateries and entertainment options. Again motorists will find it near enough to quench a typical Florida tourist’s appetite.
Near Pompano is the Hillsboro Lighthouse, privately owned and only open for tours at certain times, being a coast guard operated property. Check them for opening times and tours, as you book your visit.
Happily, sequestered in your ninth floor ocean front room with balcony, you might find the sporadic afternoon thunderstorm a real 3-D entertainment, more impactful than the best free action disaster movie, shown on your large in room TV screen. Be sure and inquire about a corner suite room, for added luxury. As with many upscale hotels, housekeeping may be sporadic, even when alerting them to your out of room schedule.
Check in time is listed at 4 pm, but as someone I know had to do, you might have to wait until 6 pm, which will give you time to explore the property, Atlantic Ocean beach, Spa, and exercise room or grab a bite to eat.
McCoy’s restaurant both comfortably inside or out by the active pools, offers a variety of delectable meal options and beverages with congenial wait staff. If you’re a fan of specially cocktails, with the proper and courtesy instruction, they follow through with your requests most satisfactorily.
Florida still offers what many sun worshipers require and the family welcoming Marriott’s Pompano Beach Resort, might be your new favorite Florida oasis for you and your extended family.
For more information and reservations: www.marriott.com/fllpm

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
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www.martinitravels.com

Dear Savvy Senior, How does Medicare cover in-home health care? My husband has a chronic health condition that makes it very difficult for him to leave the house, so I’m wondering if he could qualify for Medicare home health care.

Seeking Help

Dear Seeking,
Medicare covers a wide variety of part-time or intermittent in-home health care services to beneficiaries in need, if they meet Medicare’s criteria. Here’s how it works.
In order for your husband to secure coverage for home health care, Medicare first requires that he be homebound. This means that it must be extremely difficult for him to leave home, and he needs help doing so either from another person or medical device like a cane, wheelchair, walker or crutches.
He will then need to have a face-to-face meeting with his doctor to get a home health certification confirming that he needs skilled-nursing care or skilled-therapy services from a physical or speech therapist on a part-time basis.
His doctor can also request the services of an occupational therapist and a personal care aide to assist with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and using the bathroom. His doctor must renew and certify his home health plan every 60 days.
He will also need to use a home health agency that is certified by Medicare.
If he meets all of the requirements, Medicare should pay for his in-home health care.
But be aware that Medicare will not pay for personal care aide services (for bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, etc.) alone if he does not need skilled-nursing or skilled-therapy services too. Homemaker services, such as shopping, meal preparation and cleaning are not covered either.
If your husband has original Medicare, you can locate a Medicare-certified home health agency by calling 800-633-4227 or by visiting Medicare.gov/care-compare. If he has a Medicare Advantage plan, you should contact his plan directly and ask which home health agencies work with the plan and are within the plan’s network of providers.
For more detailed information on how Medicare covers in-home health, see the “Medicare and Home Health Care” online booklet at
Medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10969-Medicare-and-Home-Health-Care.pdf.
Other Options: If your husband does not qualify for Medicare home health care coverage, there are other coverage options depending on your situation. Here are several that may apply to you:
Insurance: If you happen to have long-term care insurance, check to see if it covers in-home care. Or if you have a life insurance policy, see if it can be utilized to pay for care.
Medicaid: If your income is low, your husband may qualify for Medicaid, which offers different home and community-based services that can pay for in-home care. To investigate this, contact your local Medicaid office.
Also see if PACE – which stands for “Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly” – is available in your area (see NPAonline.org). PACE provides in-home care, including help with activities of daily living, such as meals, dental and medical care, among other benefits.
Veterans Benefits: If your husband is a veteran, the VA also offers some benefits that can help. Two programs to inquire about are “Aid and Attendance or Housebound Allowances” and the “Veteran-Directed Care” program. Both programs provide monthly financial benefits to eligible veterans that can help pay for in-home care. To learn more, contact your regional VA benefit office (see Benefits.va.gov/benefits/offices.asp or call 800–827–1000).
To look for these and other programs in your area that can help pay your husband’s home care, go to PayingForSeniorCare.com and click on “Find Financial Assistance for Care” to access their Eldercare Financial
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.

COVID cases are on the uptick and our healthcare community is exhausted. What a great way to give back to those that have done so much for our community while supporting small business! It’s a two-fer!
Many in our communities are looking for ways to give back to our frontline healthcare professionals and, while food deliveries are great, we have an idea that will last long after the next meal is served. How about pre-paying for the required training of a healthcare professional? These professionals have to recertify every two years at a minimum in CPR (known as BLS Provider); many, depending on specialty or area of expertise, also have to take ACLS and/or PALS as well. Heartland CPR presents the “pay it forward” frontline fighter scholarship that allows appreciative community members to pre-pay for a healthcare professional’s training – either by assigning that payment to a particular individual – or by letting us apply it on a first donated-first requested basis. We’ll let you know how your $100 training “scholarship” was used and who the recipient was (if you haven’t pre-selected); likewise, we’ll let the recipient know who funded their training (unless they prefer to remain anonymous, of course).
Heartland CPR wants to help be part of the solution to keep our healthcare professionals trained and working on the front lines and let them know how very appreciated they are in their communities! Reach out to us if this program is of interest to you or your place of business. Thanks for choosing Heartland CPR! Call 405-603-6666 or email Contact@HeartlandCPR.com.

OU Health is projected to receive more than $1 million to participate in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative to better understand the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. Enrollment in the study begins soon, and researchers will follow participants for up to four years.
The NIH launched the RECOVER (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery) Initiative to learn why some people have prolonged symptoms (often referred to as “long COVID”) or develop new or returning symptoms after the acute phase of infection from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The most common symptoms include pain, headaches, fatigue, “brain fog,” shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, fever, chronic cough and sleep problems.
“This is a unique opportunity to be part of a nationwide study that investigates the impact of post-acute sequelae from SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), which includes long COVID. In other viral infections, you rarely see long-term symptoms at the rate we have seen with COVID-19. If we can understand the biological underpinning of these symptoms, that may help us to better treat people who continue to have problems for weeks or months after the infection is over,” said Timothy VanWagoner, Ph.D., co-principal investigator of the study for OU Health.
VanWagoner is deputy director of the Oklahoma Clinical and Translational Science Institute (OCTSI) at the OU Health Sciences Center. The OCTSI unites universities, nonprofit organizations, American Indian communities, public agencies and primary care providers in research addressing the health outcomes of Oklahomans. OCTSI’s existing infrastructure will be used to enroll patients from across the state, including those in rural and medically underserved areas. OU Health is among more than 30 academic healthcare institutions across the nation enrolling patients in the study.
OU Health will enroll approximately 80 adults in three different study categories. One group will include individuals with a past COVID-19 infection who continue to have symptoms. Another group will be comprised of people with a recent COVID-19 infection who may or may not continue to have symptoms. To serve as study controls, the final group will feature people who have never had COVID-19. Participants will be asked to undergo laboratory tests and other analyses, depending on the category.
Current data show that 10% to 30% of people who have had a serious COVID-19 infection will continue to experience symptoms for at least one month. Researchers don’t know why symptoms persist long after the infection or why some people have little to no symptoms.
“The RECOVER study is important because researchers around the country will be sharing their findings in real time in an effort to find answers as quickly as possible,” said Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., co-principal investigator of the study for OU Health and director of the OCTSI. “We hope to discover factors that put people at higher risk for ‘long COVID’, as well as protective factors. That information will be critical for preventing and treating the long-term effects of the virus.”
The current study will focus solely on adults; however, a study in children and adolescents will be forthcoming.
For more information about enrolling in the OU Health study, call (405) 271-3490 or email osctr@ouhsc.edu.

Tealridge Independent Living begins new normal

With COVID numbers dropping and the increasing number of vaccines that have been given in the state of Oklahoma, one could say that senior living communities are opening up! What wonderful news it is! Many people who were almost ready to make the decision to move during 2020 but placed their plans on hold have decided it is time to return to their search and make their final selections. Tealridge Retirement community has seen a significant influx of inquiries and  move-ins during the last 60 days!

During the pandemic, Tealridge Retirement Community in Edmond followed the recommendations of county and state health departments. As the state began relaxing some of its COVID-19 recommendations, so did Tealridge.

Gov. Kevin Stitt recently signed Executive Order 2021-11 to withdraw and rescind the COVID-19 State of Emergency.

“We are open! Residents are able to accept guests in their apartments. In fact, we are conducting tours in person. We  feel very fortunate that we are able to provide that place where residents can socialize and get back to normal”, said Melissa Mahaffey, Tealridge Retirement Community executive director.

The community continues to follow recommendations set by the county health department. Currently, residents continue to wear masks in common areas. However, Tealridge Independent Living is offering full dining again while maintaining an area in the dining room for residents who choose to eat by themselves or whenever an individual is not fully vaccinated.

“All in all, we are back and stronger than ever. Our community has continued to be the choice for so many seniors – we are growing!” Mahaffey said.

Joe and Sandra Ward, along with resident Jose Diaz, are among the residents who recently moved to Tealridge Independent Living.

“I think Tealridge has managed the CDC guidelines very well,” Jose said.

Retirees are eager to be a part of the Tealridge Family. The “opening” of the community encouraged Jose and the Wards to not waste a lot of time to make the decision to move. Jose said he wants to find ways to volunteer at Tealridge and meet all the residents.

In fact, people are wanting to make sure that they are somewhere that they will not feel isolated. When the pandemic was at its highest peak, Joe and Sandra were unable to socialize with friends or neighbors during darker days of the pandemic. They didn’t go out of their single family home because everybody was scared. They didn’t want to get sick, but they were impressed by the safety standards and amenities they found at Tealridge. Sandra said life at Tealridge Independent Living has made her feel safer during the pandemic.

“I was flabbergasted when I came down to visit the community. I looked around and saw a  nice living room and super dining room,” Joe said. “They showed me a couple of apartments and one that we finally settled on. People would wave to me or tell me, hello. It was just open and wide, clean and smelled good. Everybody you talked with was happy. I observed people sitting and visiting with one another. It appeared that everyone got along great and welcomed me. It was super.”

Sandra said she became impressed with Tealridge when driving up to the front door.

“From the very beginning it started off so nice,” Sandra said. “I was so pleased that people were there to help me so soon when we arrived. I just can’t tell you how much I love the place. I am impressed with it. People here help you and they’re great.”

The sales staff made a great impression on Jose, he said. He told his son that he was looking for a good place to relocate. He checked out a couple of other independent living centers, but they were not for him. Tealridge Independent Living best suited his needs, including health care concerns, he said.

Sales Coordinator Cathy McComas said the long-established residents at Tealridge are ready to get back to familiar ways of life whenever possible.

“They understand things have to open up slowly,” McComas explained. “I have people say, ‘Can my daughter have lunch with me,’ or ‘when can we do this or that’. We’re just as excited as they are. We’re ready to get back to family night. We’re ready to get back to lunch tours. We’re ready to get back to things we were doing before, but we’re being very cautious. We’re opening up a little bit at a time.”

COVID never really excluded people in the community from reaching out to Tealridge in previous months, said Kristen Moss, retirement counselor. Now many of those individuals who put their moving decisions on hold are approaching the retirement community saying they want a new tour. The next day, they call and let me know they are ready to make the move, Moss said.

While people were in their own homes during the pandemic, we were seeing more people that were not able to see their families. And families are even calling saying. “My gosh, I had no idea what was going on with mom, because we chose not to go inside their home for fear that we could potential create a health risk to them.”

COVID vaccinations changed everything. Families are no longer feeling the need to stay put in their home. It’s exciting for the Tealridge staff to be able to share the community, build on success, and be a resource for people, Moss said.

They even help people navigate to find resources they need, Moss has also counseled people as to where to get COVID shots.

We are delighted that so many people have chosen to make a decision to move to our community. This is family, we are all here at Tealridge to create a great environment where everyone feels welcome!” Moss said.

To learn more about the Tealridge Retirement community call (405) 604-5433 or visit our website www.tealridge.com. Visit us at 2200 NE 140th St, Edmond, OK 73013.