SENIOR LIVING TRUTH SERIES BEGINS NINTH YEAR OF EDUCATING

Story by Eddie Roach, contributing writer

Senior Living Truth Series is gearing up for its ninth year of offering free monthly seminars intended to educate, equip and empower mature Oklahomans as they enter new and often uncharted territories. This year, the series will focus more on a person’s stage in life rather than on a person’s age.
The 2024 series began on January 11 at 10 a.m. in the Atrium at Crossings Community Church with the “The Truth about Longevity: Stage Versus Age.”
“In a world where age often defines one’s abilities and limitations, this seminar challenges these stereotypes and encourages attendees to embrace the full spectrum of our life’s journey,” said series organizer Dr. Nikki Buckelew, PhD.
Buckelew is a native Oklahoman and nationally recognized speaker, educator, and coach known for her ability to deliver tough topics with enthusiasm and candor.
She said the first seminar will set the tone for coming sessions and will help attendees gain a better understanding of the distinction between lifespan (an age concept) and healthspan (a stage concept).
“Three people, all seventy years old, while the same age, may not have the same needs,” Buckelew said. “We have to be sensitive to this and share information that meets everyone at their unique stage in life.”
She highlighted topics for the first quarter of 2024. The remainder of the year’s schedule is available at www.seniorlivingtruthseries.com.
The February 8 topic is “The Truth about Staying Purposeful at Every Stage of Life.”
“Whether you’re planning to retire (or already have) or considering an alternative path, this discussion promises to offer fresh perspectives and truths often not shared,” Buckelew said.
The March 14 topic is “The Quest for Truth: Medicine, Healthcare, and Aging.”
“While we may not have all the answers, our seminar aims to empower you by providing key questions and trusted resources,” she said. “Join us for an enlightening discussion that navigates the complexities of healthcare, challenges the status quo, and points you in the right direction for informed decision-making in your unique stage of life.”
About a dozen education partners work with the Senior Living Truth Series to ensure a broad range of input to meet attendees’ needs. Education partners donate time, money, space, and resources so that programming can be provided at no cost to participants. While targeted toward mature adults in various stages, anyone is welcome to attend.
“We welcome anyone who believes the information would be valuable to them,” Buckelew said. “If you are not a senior (yet), but are seeking information to navigate your own stages in life as you mature, please join us.”
Thanks to Crossings Community Church which provides space for the 90-minute seminars held on the second Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. in the Atrium at Crossings Community Church, 14600 N Portland.
Pre-registration is available at https://seniorlivingtruthseries.com/ or by calling (405) 563-7501.

By Marilyn Olson, Executive Director, VillagesOKC

VillagesOKC continues it’s free daylong workshops focused on senior health with “Listen to Your Gut” on February 21. The workshop at the Metro Technology Center, 1900 Springlake Dr. will feature two speakers, a light lunch and resource tables. Presented by VillagesOKC, the lead sponsor is CompleteOK Home Health and Hospice.
Gut health refers to the health of the entire digestive system and the health of the microorganisms living in the digestive tract. This includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine. When you eat food or drink liquid, your body breaks those items down into nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, etc.) as they travel through your digestive tract.
Debbie Ozment, DDS, MS, will address “Vitality Takes Guts: How Your Microbiome Impacts Health.” Gut microbiome is the collection of all the bacteria that live within the gut. Candace Sturlin, PA-C, will be speaking on “Wellness and Longevity of the Gut.”
Contrary to what many people believe, not all bacteria are threats to health. In fact, the gut microorganisms are critical to many of the body’s processes, and when these bacteria are healthy, they have a huge positive impact on our overall health. However, chronic inflammation can accelerate disease progression.
Dr. Ozment is committed to early diagnosis and intervention of periodontal disease to positively affect not only the mouth, but the entire body. According to Dr. Ozment, gum disease is an early warning of larger disease problems: heart disease, cancer, Type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis among other afflictions.
She has been a private-practice dentist since 1985. A graduate of Oklahoma University College of Dentistry, she served as adjunct faculty there for seven years. Dr. Ozment completed a Masters’ degree in Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and is a Diplomate with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Trained at Mayo Clinic, she is a Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach.
Sturlin has extensive training and over 21 years of experience in Family Medicine, Anti-Aging, Emergency Medicine, Urology and Sexual Medicine. A graduate of Southern Nazarene University, she earned a Master of Science as a Physician Associate with Distinction from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center College of Medicine. She joined Total Healthcare Partners and Wellness and Longevity in 2010 working along side Dr. Paul Rothwell to promote individuals living healthier lives through wellness to reduce sickness.
Registration for the free workshop is required on the VillagesOKC events calendar
https://villagesokc.org/calendar or by calling (405) 990-6637.

The Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) presented Excellence in Quality awards to four hospitals during its recent annual conference. This award recognizes exceptional efforts to improve outcomes in clinical quality performance practices, capabilities, and results, and represents the highest level of professional acknowledgement from the OHA Council on Quality & Patient Safety.
Award applications from OHA hospitals across the state were scored based on their story of a clinical project specific to improving patient safety within the hospital, creating innovative interventions that incorporate evidence-based best practices, demonstrating measurable and quantifiable results, sustaining/spreading the success within the hospital, and stimulating learning for others. Four award categories based on number of beds were recognized.
“The goals of the awards are to recognize outcomes in clinical quality performance practices, capabilities, and results, share best clinical practices, challenges, and successes among Oklahoma hospitals, and stimulate innovation, knowledge and learning in achieving clinical quality and safety in health care among member hospitals,” said Patrice Greenawalt, OHA vice president of quality & clinical initiatives.

2023 awardees for Excellence in Quality are:

Critical Access Hospital and Under 25 beds: Rural Wellness Anadarko. Project Title: Reduction of Falls for Patient Safety. Submitted by: Rachel Stephens, chief nursing officer

26-100 beds: Select Specialty Hospital Oklahoma City. Project Title: Reducing Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections. Submitted by: Tami Kirk, director of quality management

101-300 beds: Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Lawton. Project Title: Reduction of Hospital-Acquired Clostridioides difficile. Submitted by: Melissa Alvillar, RN, chief nursing officer

More than 300 beds: Norman Regional Health System. Project Title: Hip Fracture Morbidity and Mortality. Submitted by: Cathy Snapp, orthopedic program administrator

Getting a flu shot protects you, your family and the community from getting sick. The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System provides flu shots and COVID vaccinations for Veterans and they are going one step further. Veterans can also visit participating pharmacies and community care partners and get free vaccinations closer to home. Eligible Veterans can get a no-cost flu shot from a nearby VA clinic or within your community from one of nearly 65,000 in-network pharmacies or urgent care locations.
Keep in mind:
To get a no-cost vaccine, the provider must be part of VA’s community care network.
If you receive a flu shot from a non-network provider, you may be responsible for the cost of the vaccine.
Retail pharmacies include most supermarket and local pharmacies.
Many urgent care locations offer walk-in care.
Call ahead to see if a pharmacy or urgent care site:
participates in the VA flu shot program.
offers the specific flu vaccine that you prefer
To learn more about the program the VA provides fact sheets, language options are available in English or Spanish versions. Flu vaccines are usually available September through April. Use our on-line VA locator to find locations.
And if you would like to get both vaccinations, you now can safely get shots for flu and COVID at the same time – one visit, two vaccines. (Call ahead to make sure COVID vaccine available). Remember, if you go to a local urgent care for your vaccine, the visit must be for vaccination ONLY for it to be covered. If you seek additional treatment on top of receiving the flu or COVID vaccine, you may be responsible for a co-payment.
You are eligible to receive a no-cost flu shot at an in-network retail pharmacy or urgent care location if:
You are enrolled in the VA health care system
You received care from a VA provider or an in-network community care provider within the past 24 months.
How do I know if I am eligible?
Call 800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411) Select option 1 (urgent care information or check urgent care eligibility). The system will verify your eligibility for the community urgent care benefit, which includes the flu vaccination.
Or call the OKC VA at 1-405-456-1000 option 2 or find your local VA facility
Your state may have age and health-related restrictions.
For more information, please visit the below link: https://www.prevention.va.gov/flu/FluShots.asp

Agnes Baker

(Right) 100 years old. In Stroud today, having lived her life in Lincoln County. In her century, she recalls helping her parents pick cotton; riding to school in a covered wagon; marrying her husband; becoming a mother; leaving her home to move into assisted living and the Covid shutdown.

Marci D. (Pruitt) Coppedge

(Left) 100 years old. She is blessed with two children, 5 grandchildren, seven great grandchildren & a host of extended family & friends. Her words of wisdom for younger people: “Live your life the best you have at the time; when things change, adjust & go on!”

Gilbert Mike “Choc” Charleston

(Right) 100 years old. He is a full-blooded Choctaw & his heritage permeates his life. He & his wife of 79 years, Billie, owned & operated Choctaw Trading Post providing authentic Indian artifacts attracting visitors from around the world. This is a man who put his heritage & service to his country & to others first. He was a spokesperson for the OK Department of Tourism.

Bill Stoddard

(Right) 100 years old. Originally of Connecticut, now lives in Owasso. He celebrated his 100th birthday today with his family. He is a military veteran having served four years during WWII and in Korea with the Army and Air Force. Bill’s words of wisdom for us today are: Don’t Drink or Smoke. Thank you for your service.

The Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Heath Care System is currently notifying local Veterans that the North OKC VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic will be closed between 3 to 6 months due to water damage from a broken water riser valve.
The OKC VA hospital is asking patients that had previously scheduled appointments at North OKC Clinic and are unsure of their new transitioned appointment location, please contact the VA scheduling staff at 405-456-1000, select option 2.
During this temporary closure period, Veterans medical needs are a priority and Veterans will be contacted and redirected to alternative clinic locations around the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
For any questions or concerns about upcoming scheduled appointments, Veterans can call the Oklahoma City VA to ensure every Veteran previously scheduled at North OKC CBOC has a new rescheduled appointment location.
The OKC VA understands this is an inconvenience and wants to assure Veterans that every effort is being made to minimize the impact on their healthcare experience. They are tentatively targeting January 16, 2024, for confirmation of the new appointment locations.
The building owner is currently working diligently with the insurance company, cleaning crews and construction teams to repair the site as soon as possible.
Again, if you are unsure of your new North OKC appointment location, please contact the VA scheduling staff at 405-456-1000, select option 2.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation $5.8 million to work toward easier diagnosis and better treatment options for Sjögren’s disease, an autoimmune condition.
In Sjögren’s, immune cells attack moisture-producing glands, causing painful dry eyes and mouth. It can result in irreversible tissue damage, neurological problems, lung disease and cancer. There is no known cure, and current treatments address only the symptoms.
OMRF scientists Joel Guthridge, Ph.D., Darise Farris, Ph.D., and Christopher Lessard, Ph.D., received a four-year grant through the Accelerating Medicines Partnership in Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Diseases Program (AMP AIM). The team’s goal is to develop less invasive clinical tools to diagnose patients more effectively and identify new targets for future treatments.
“This disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose,” said Lessard, who’s been studying Sjögren’s at OMRF since 2007. “It shares features with many autoimmune diseases and lacks effective diagnostic markers, which makes studying it challenging. This grant provides us with technology to analyze the salivary glands of people with Sjögren’s in a way that wasn’t possible previously.”
The researchers will use blood and biopsy tissue samples donated to OMRF by people with Sjögren’s to better understand different patient sub-groups’ genetic and molecular characteristics.
“This knowledge should help clinicians diagnose the disease more easily and determine who may benefit from different potential therapies,” Guthridge said.
Most studies of Sjögren’s have focused on patients who test positive for certain autoantibodies in the blood. However, a significant percentage of people with the disease test negative for those autoantibodies. In those cases, diagnosis requires an invasive biopsy of the salivary glands.
“Of the more than 600 people seen in our research clinic who met the criteria for Sjögren’s, about 40% tested negative for these autoantibodies,” said Farris, the Alvin Chang Chair of Biomedical Research at the OMRF. “This positions us to study the molecular issues unique to that particular Sjögren’s patient group.”
AMP AIM is a nationwide public-private partnership aimed at developing more effective treatments for autoimmune diseases. The partnership involves the NIH, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, nonprofit disease foundations, biopharmaceutical and life-science companies, and 52 research institutions. OMRF Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., is chair of the more than $60 million program.
The AMP AIM Sjögren’s research is funded by grant No. 3UC2 AR081032-02S1 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, part of the NIH. Farris and Guthridge received support from the Oklahoma City-based Presbyterian Health Foundation for experiments preceding the NIH grant. Additional support came to Farris from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology and to Guthridge from the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research.

For more information about ongoing Sjögren’s research at OMRF, visit https://omrf.org/patient-studies/sjogrens-disease/sjogrens/.

The Metropolitan Library System is pleased to announce the annual Friends of the Library Booksale, scheduled to take place on February 24-25 at the Oklahoma Expo Hall Building, located at 3213 Wichita Walk within the OKC Fairgrounds. Running from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday, this free and public event will feature an extensive collection of over 500,000 books, music, DVDs, Blu-rays, audiobooks, and more.
The sale will be divided into two rooms, with a general room offering $1 paperbacks and $2 hardbacks, and children’s items at half the price. The Better Books room will showcase items in better condition, with individually priced books starting at $3. Due to limited building occupancy, attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather.
The Booksale serves as the primary fundraiser for the Metropolitan Library System’s Friends of the Library, a 501c3 organization that, in collaboration with the library system’s 19 branches, has raised $6,000,000 in gifts over the years. These funds have supported various initiatives, including scholarships for library staff, technology for homework help, games, toys, supplies, and diverse library programming.
This year, proceeds from the Booksale will be combined with funding from the Library Endowment Trust to establish a sustainable fund for early childhood literacy outreach in Oklahoma County. The focus will include supporting the popular Dolly Parton Imagination Library book gifting program for preschoolers. For more information on this program, visit https://imaginationlibrary.com.
Members of the Friends of the Library will enjoy an exclusive members-only event on Friday, February 23, from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. This special preview is a token of appreciation for their ongoing support. Membership sign-ups are available at –
https://supportmls.org/fol/membership until 5:00 pm on February 21. No memberships or tickets will be sold at the event.
Becoming a Friends member is not only a commitment to fostering literacy but also a meaningful way to give back to the community. Volunteers are invited to register or find more information at https://supportmls.org/fol/volunteering. To express gratitude to our volunteers, they will receive an early shopping opportunity on February 22 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Their assistance in setting up, customer service, book stocking, and more is invaluable to the success of the event.
Teachers and nonprofits interested in claiming leftover items at the end of the sale on February 25 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm can register at https://metrolibrary.wufoo.com/forms/w1hn7kl51k5zgiq.

How many daily steps do we really need for optimum health? Ten thousand steps seems to be the gold standard in most of what we read to keep diabetes and high blood pressure (as well as several other conditions) at bay. And how do we keep track of all our steps?
Before you decide on a target number of steps per day, call your medical provider and ask how many you should be doing. You might learn that with an otherwise active, healthy life, several thousand steps per day might be enough, rather than the whole 10,000.
How to count those steps is the tricky part. I have several of those little clip-on step counters, and unfortunately, they all come up with different results. I have no way of knowing which are accurate.
There is a popular tracker called Fitbit, a fancy step counter that looks like a watch. Each model has pros and cons, per thousands of online reviews. Some do more than just count steps; they also keep tabs on your location with GPS, your pace and how far you’ve walked, your sleep profile, your heart rate and your stress level. They can be pricey, especially if you want to unlock all the features and sign up for Fitbit Premium to see all your data on the dashboard.
Your best bet is to Google “best step counters for seniors” and wade through a few dozen choices. You’ll find Apple Watch, 3DTriSport Walking 3D Pedometer, Garmin Vivofit 4 activity tracker and so many more. If you have a subscription to Consumer Reports, check their reviews on activity trackers for seniors.
Before you opt for an expensive tracker, visit a store where they are sold and try them out. A watch font might be too tiny to read, or a clip-on might not stay clipped on.
Bonus: Several Medicare Advantage plans provide either free or reduced-cost Fitbit devices.

Dear Savvy Senior, Does Medicare cover any weight-loss treatments for overweight retirees? I just turned 65 and need to lose about 100 pounds and would like to know if Medicare can help. Overweight Owen 

Dear Owen,
Yes, traditional Medicare does indeed cover some weight-loss treatments like counseling and certain types of surgery for overweight beneficiaries, but unfortunately it doesn’t cover weight-loss programs or medications. Here’s what you should know.
Who’s Eligible
For beneficiaries to receive available Medicare-covered weight-loss treatments your body mass index (BMI), which is an estimate of your body fat based on your height and weight, must be 30 or higher.
A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese and increases your risk for many health conditions, such as some cancers, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and sleep apnea. To find out your BMI, the National Institutes of Health has a free calculator that you can access online at nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm.
What’s Covered
If you find that your BMI is 30 or higher, Medicare Part B will cover up to 12 months of weight-loss counseling conducted by a medical professional in a primary care setting (like a doctor’s office).
Most counseling sessions entail an initial obesity screening, a dietary assessment and behavioral therapy designed to help you lose weight by focusing on diet and exercise.
Medicare also covers certain types of bariatric and metabolic surgery for morbidly obese beneficiaries who have a BMI of 35 or above and have at least one underlying obesity-related health condition, such as diabetes or heart disease. You must also show that you’ve tried to lose weight in the past through dieting or exercise and have been unsuccessful.
These procedures make changes to your digestive system to help you lose weight and improve the health of your metabolism.
Some common bariatric surgical procedures covered include Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, which reduces the stomach to a small pouch that makes you feel full even following small meals. And laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, which inserts an inflatable band that creates a gastric pouch encircling the top of the stomach.
What’s Not Covered
Unfortunately, original Medicare does not cover weight-loss programs such as fitness or gym memberships, meal delivery services, or popular weight-loss programs such as Jenny Craig, Noom and WW (formerly Weight Watchers).
Medicare also does not cover any weight-loss drugs, but it does cover FDA approved diabetes drugs that have unintentionally become very popular for weight loss.
Medicare Part D plans cover Ozempic and Mounjaro for diabetes only, not for weight loss! So, your doctor will need to prescribe these medications for diabetes in order to get them covered.
Medicare also does not cover Wegovy or Zepbound because they’re approved only for weight loss.
The reason behind the weight-loss drug omission is the Medicare Modernization Act, which specifically excluded them back when the law was written 20 years ago. They also excluded drugs used for cosmetic purposes, fertility, hair growth and erectile dysfunction.
Medicare Advantage
If you happen to be enrolled in a private Medicare Advantage plan, you may have coverage for gym memberships and some weight loss and healthy food delivery programs. These are considered expanded supplemental benefits and have gradually been added to some plans to provide coverage for nutrition, health and wellness. Contact your plan to see what it provides.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit https://savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.