Majority of nursing homes, nearly half of assisted living communities operating at a loss

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes, assisted living communities, and other long term care facilities across the country, announced the release of a recent survey of providers across the U.S. Results from the survey showcase the urgent need to address the economic crisis facing the profession.
Key findings include:
* Only a quarter of nursing homes and assisted living communities are confident they can last a year or more.
* More than half of nursing homes and nearly half of assisted living communities say their organization is operating at a loss.
* Nearly half of nursing homes and assisted living communities have had to make cuts in 2021 due to increased expenses or lost revenue.
* The top three costs facilities have incurred due to COVID-19, regardless of whether they have had cases or not, are additional pay for staff, hiring additional staff, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
* In 2021, 84 percent of nursing homes said they are losing revenue due to fewer post-acute patients coming from the hospital.
* Ninety-two percent of nursing homes and 62 percent of assisted living facilities said the Provider Relief Fund has been helpful during COVID.
* More than half of nursing homes and more than one-third of assisted living communities say that Medicaid fee-for-service is problematic in covering the actual cost to provide care to residents. Of those, more than one-quarter of both providers qualify it is a serious problem.
“Even though COVID cases in long term care are at historic lows, providers are struggling to recover from the economic crisis the pandemic has induced. Too many facilities are operating under shoestring budgets simply because policymakers have failed to dedicate the proper resources, and this can have devastating consequences,” said Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of AHCA/NCAL.
An analysis by AHCA/NCAL earlier this year estimated that the nursing home industry is expected to lose $94 billion over the course of the pandemic, and more than 1,800 facilities could close their doors. Closures are hard on vulnerable residents who are forced to move, their family members who must often travel farther to see their loved ones, and dedicated caregivers who are out of a job.
“Lawmakers and public officials across the country must prioritize the residents and caregivers in our nursing homes and assisted living communities,” continued Parkinson. “This starts by sending immediate resources through what remains of the Provider Relief Fund, and it continues by finally addressing the chronic underfunding of Medicaid, which only covers 70 to 80 percent of nursing home care. We have laid out key proposals in our Care For Our Seniors Act to transform America’s nursing homes, but without the help from Congress and state legislators, these necessary reforms will not be possible.”
“We look forward to working with federal and state governments to ensure the stability of our care economy, so that every provider has the ability to deliver the highest quality of care. From being able to have an adequate supply of PPE to compensating caregivers for their heroic work, long term care facilities need financial assistance from lawmakers to keep serving our vulnerable residents,” concluded Parkinson.

‘Do Good Twice’ by supporting local groups in Oklahoma while sharing the mission to Remember, Honor, Teach

Throughout the month of July, national nonprofit Wreaths Across America (WAA) will be featuring its annual Giving in July campaign — a month dedicated to the groups and individuals giving back in their communities while helping to share the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach.
Locally, groups like Roll To Wreaths Riders 4 Vets, Riverside Flight Civil Air Patrol, Broken Arrow Creek Chapter NSDAR, and Catholic War Veterans USA OK Memorial Post 168 among those hundreds of sponsorship groups raising funds through the sale of wreaths sponsorships to support its efforts.
Since its founding in 2007, WAA has partnered with hundreds of like-minded charities, community programs, and civic groups throughout the country to remember and honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military all year long. Giving in July celebrates these groups and highlights the opportunity to ‘do good twice’ through the sponsorship of veterans’ wreaths through the organization’s Group Sponsorship Program. Through the program, donations received in fact ‘do good twice’ because WAA gives back $5 of each $15 wreath sponsorship made to support the local group’s own mission, which include programs helping veterans, military families, youth and more, in communities across the country.
Through this national program, WAA has given back nearly $15 million in local contributions over the last 13 years!
“I have long said, it would be disingenuous for us as an organization whose mission is to Remember the fallen, Honor those that serve and their families, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom, if we do not support other like-minded programs doing just that in their communities,” said WAA Executive Director Karen Worcester. “Our Group Sponsorship Program is a year-round effort, but through Giving in July we hope to remind people that veterans and our current military serve and protect us 365 days a year and it is never too early to make a difference in your own community.”
This year, more than 2,500 cemeteries will participate in National Wreaths Across America Day, including locations in (Macomb Oklahoma Area Cemeteries-Roll to Wreaths Riders 4 Vets, Memorial Park Cemetery, Floral Haven Cemetery , and Sunny Lane Cemetery) – Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 – and thousands of local Sponsorship Groups are working in their communities to raises funds and awareness to honor the local servicemembers with the placement of veterans’ wreaths made of fresh Maine balsam.
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.
For more information or to sponsor a wreath please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

OKC Zoo’s giraffe matriarch, Ellie, welcomes a male calf, her sixth offspring to be born at the Zoo.

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is thrilled to announce the arrival of an endangered giraffe calf, born to 20-year-old, Ellie. Ellie’s sixth offspring to be born at the Zoo, a male, was born on Thursday, June 3, 2021, at 12:01 p.m. at the Zoo’s giraffe habitat barn. The calf, who is yet to be named, is the first to be fathered by four-year-old, Demetri. The Zoo’s youngest giraffe is healthy and strong, and weighs approximately 157 lbs. and stands six-foot one. He will continue to spend time bonding with his mother and herd mates behind the scenes. Ellie’s daughter, Julu, 5, is also pregnant and expected to deliver her first calf soon. It’s been neck and neck between this mother-daughter giraffe duo to see who would give birth first, and Ellie delivered! To view the giraffe birth, click here.
“Witnessing Ellie and Julu experience pregnancy together has been the greatest joy and we’re thrilled to watch our herd grow with the addition of this little calf,” said OKC Zoo’s Curator of Hoofstock and Primates, Tracey Dolphin-Drees. “This birth is critical for the conservation of this endangered species and a true testament to the importance of the Zoo’s involvement in collaborative breeding efforts.”
Ellie arrived at the Zoo in 2008 from the Birmingham Zoo, in Birmingham, Alabama. The calf’s father, Demetri, arrived from the Fossil Rim in Glen Rose, Texas, in 2018, as part of a breeding recommendation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Giraffe Species Survival PlanTM (SSP). SSPs are cooperative, long-term management programs designed to maintain genetically viable and geographically stable populations of specific species. The Zoo is also home to two-year-old female, Mashamba.
The gestation period for giraffes is approximately 15 months. The average weight for a newborn giraffe is about 150 pounds. Newborns stand within an hour of birth at a height of around six-feet tall. According to giraffe caretakers, Ellie’s water broke around 10:40 a.m. and she was in active labor until the calf’s birth at 12:01 p.m. By 1:13 p.m. the calf was standing and attempting to nurse.
Native to East and South Africa, giraffes are currently listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. There are approximately 111,000 giraffes remaining in the wild, an almost 40% decline since the 1980s. This population decline is caused by illegal poaching and habitat destruction. The Zoo has contributed to giraffe conservation for decades by supporting the Northern Rangelands Trust and the Giraffe Conservation Fund, as well as becoming a member of AZA’s Giraffe Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) partner organization in 2018.
Weather depending, Ellie and her calf will have access to the giraffe habitat yard over the weekend. The Zoo’s giraffe feeding experience will be tentative for the time being. Follow the Zoo’s social channels for updates about our growing giraffe family.
Love these gentle giants as much as we do? Save the Date for the Zoo’s World Giraffe Day celebration on Monday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. presented locally by Bob Moore Subaru. Guests will enjoy information stations, biofacts, activities, photo opportunities and more.
The Oklahoma City Zoo is currently in its summer hours and open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the last entry no later than 4 p.m. Purchase advance tickets at www.okczoo.org/tickets and avoid the entry lines. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC 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. Regular admission is $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay connected with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, and by visiting our blog stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming a ZOOfriends member. Starting at $45, memberships can be purchased at ZOOfriends.org and provide access to the OKC Zoo for an entire year plus, additional benefits and discounts. To learn more about Zoo happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.

When it comes to luck, my sense of timing could not be worse.
If one lane on a congested interstate suddenly starts moving at normal speed, I just moved to the other lane, and am now sandwiched between two semis, both hauling explosives.
If I schedule an outdoor party, local weather forecasters immediately start telling viewers to expect rain the entire day. Historically, they have been correct most of the time.
I never owned GameStop stock but I’m certain I would have dumped it at its 52-week low of $3.77 as opposed to the all-time high of $483 it achieved in January, following chatter on Reddit investor forums.
Now comes word that ordinary Americans are getting rich just by rolling up a sleeve and getting jabbed with the coronavirus vaccine. Just ask Abbigail Bugenske, 22 of Cincinnati.
In exchange for doing something ALL Americans are being urged to do as soon as possible, Bugenske received $1 million as part of Ohio’s Vax-a-Million lottery. Four other Ohio residents will be receiving similar windfalls if their names are chosen. Not to be outdone, California is offering $1.5 million prizes to 10 vaccinated residents. New York, Maryland and Oregon are among other states that feel cold hard cash is the best way lower coronavirus numbers.
I had the misfortune of settling in Illinois, where no money will be changing hands, or arms, as of now. Some retail establishments have stepped up, however. Illinois is one of only 13 states that feature White Castle restaurants, and, through May 31, the chain was offering vaccinated patrons one of its three “desserts on a stick.” For free! I chose not to partake in that offer, feeling I was simply trading one potentially fatal malady for another. I won’t die of the coronavirus, but clogged arteries kill plenty of people annually.
For the record, I received my injections back in mid-February, when the vaccine was still in its rollout stages and states were struggling to figure out who should have priority. I asked for nothing in return, feeling I had won a personal lottery just because I was able to snag an appointment. Heck, I didn’t even take a complimentary candy from the dish that sat next to the health care worker processing my exit paperwork. My prize was relief that I was on the road to a life free of facemasks and quarantine.
But now it’s payback time. Even though I shunned dessert on a stick, I want a piece of the pie.
Somebody needs to mow my lawn.
As I write this, I have just completed the weekly task of pushing the mower up and down, back and forth over bumpy terrain, trying to keep up with my neighbor who feels grass should be pampered, as opposed to clipped. He is much younger and, I’m sure, doesn’t spend the following day recovering from the assortment of joint pain that lawn mowing delivers to my body.
Ironically, I suffered no side effects from either vaccine dose. While friends updated me, via social media, of their high fever and body aches after vaccines one or two, I went about my day pain free. I would like to continue doing so, hence the lawn mowing request.
Sure, I could use a million dollars, but other Illinois residents need it more, vaccinated or not. All I want is to wave my vaccination card at a passing lawn service truck, have the driver do an about face and follow me to my yard, where his crew would cut my grass while I lounge on the patio. I would like this routine repeated weekly until at least Labor Day. I’ve read I may need a COVID-19 booster shot in approximately eight months, which I will gladly receive.
Provided I win the Illinois “Shovel My Driveway” vaccination sweepstakes.
(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at Amazon.com. Visit Greg on the web at www.gregschwem.com.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s monthly humor columns in Senior Living News. But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at www.gregschwem.com)

As little as 130 calories per day could make a significant impact on your cardiovascular health.
That’s approximately how many calories are in about 2.5 cups of strawberries. And it’s the amount a new study led by Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation physician-scientist Hal Scofield, M.D., found is needed to lessen our risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
“This is the ideal health finding,” said Scofield, a physician and medical researcher in OMRF’s Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program. “Strawberries don’t require a prescription, and they’re available year-round.”
Previous work in Scofield’s lab showed that strawberries could have a positive impact on health. But in the new study published in the journal Nutrients, researchers were surprised to find that such a reasonable amount of the berries could make a difference.
Scofield found that in people with obesity, the daily consumption of 32 grams of freeze-dried strawberry powder mixed with water (the equivalent of about 14 oz. of fresh strawberries) lowered participants’ blood glucose, improved good lipids and reduced LDL cholesterol, all factors for heart attack and stroke. Study participants also showed improved insulin resistance, an underlying cause of Type 2 diabetes.
But like the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, the researchers found the natural compounds in strawberries to be most beneficial when consumed as part of a whole.
“We know that eating fish has more health benefits than taking fish oil pills. This appears to be the same for strawberries,” said Scofield, noting that freeze-dried, powdered berries retain the nutrients of fresh berries. “We aren’t certain why, but it supports the idea that eating real, whole foods is important.”
Scofield’s lab has previously shown that strawberries are an effective anti-inflammatory measure to reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis, the leading cause of disability and joint replacements in adults in the U.S.
“The idea that strawberries have anti-inflammatory and heart-healthy compounds is not new, but applying the benefits directly to specific diseases is,” said Scofield. “The bottom line is to eat well. We’re supposed to eat five servings of fruits and veggies a day. This is just one more indicator that the benefits of that are real.”
Scientists at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma State University and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas contributed to the work. The research was supported by National Institutes of Health grant Nos. U54GM104938 and 5P20GM109025 and institutional funds from OUHSC and UNLV.

U.S. News & World Report has cited four degree programs offered by the University of Oklahoma College of Allied Health as among the best educational programs nationally. The rankings recognize top schools for training at the master and/or doctorate levels. Each school’s score reflects average rating based on a survey of academics at peer institutions.
OU College of Allied Health programs ranked by the national publication are: Audiology: Ranked 36th in the nation. Audiologists are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of hearing and balance. Professionals with the Doctor of Audiology degree work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, academic institutions and private practices. Physical Therapy: Ranked 42nd. Physical therapy is a rehabilitation field focused on improving quality of life through prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education. Physical therapists are movement experts who examine, evaluate, and treat injuries, disabilities, or other health conditions, including nerve and muscle function, posture, balance and pain disorders for individuals of all ages. Occupational Therapy: Ranked 58th. Occupational therapy is a rehabilitation field that maximizes performance in everyday activities such as self-care, home management, work, school and leisure for people across the lifespan. Occupational therapists evaluate and treat motor, visual, cognitive and psychological deficits, and innovatively modify tasks and environments that support participation in life activities. Speech-Language Pathology: Ranked 63rd in the nation. Training in speech-language pathology prepares professionals to assist adults and children with disorders of speech, language and swallowing. This high-demand and fast-growing profession includes professionals in a wide range of work settings, including clinics, hospitals and school systems.
Jane Wilson, Ph.D., dean of the OU College of Allied Health, said “The acknowledgement by an external entity of the outstanding quality of our programs and the faculty and staff who support those programs is gratifying. We are confident that our college community will be able to continue the excellent work and learning that places us in the top tier of programs nationally.”

Story by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

Osage master artist Clancy Gray is excited and grateful to show his artwork at the annual Red Earth Festival coming up June 12-13 at the Grand Casino Hotel in Shawnee for being his one constant for exposure in the time of COVID-19.
Gray says his being selected Red Earth The Honored One in 2019 and the Festival being held with masks in 2020 is probably the reason he was nominated in 2020 to receive an Oklahoma Governor’s Art Award.
He said one of the surprising parts of being nominated for the Governor’s Art Award is the nomination came forward in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Governor’s Arts Awards is an annual event recognizing individuals and organizations for their contributions to the arts in Oklahoma. First awarded in 1975, the awards are presented by Gov. Kevin Stitt during a special ceremony at the State Capitol.
The selection committee may honor a recipient in a category of its choice. Gray assumes if selected his award would be an Arts in Education Award for promoting Native American art and cultural. It recognizes an individual, organization, school, educator or group for their outstanding leadership and service in the arts benefitting youth and/or arts in education.
During his 39-year career teaching high school art in the Greater Tulsa area Gray taught several thousand students at three schools.
“I was fortunate even when art shows were scarce, someone was evaluating my life-long contribution to art in Oklahoma enough to nominate me,” Gray said. “This new status, even if I am not selected this year, makes me doubly proud to be a member of the Osage Nation, both as a former art teacher and artist.,”
The Red Earth Honored One is an annual award presented to a visual artist whose support of Native art has been substantial throughout his or her life and whose continuing involvement, activity and participation in their art form embodies the collective wisdom of their cultural experience.
This year’s Red Earth again features a large art show, lectures, demonstrations, activities, a dance grand entry and opening ceremony.
“People always talk about my versatility in describing my efforts as an artist. They are amazed I work in so many media— mainly painting, watercolor, pencil drawing, silversmithing jewelry, sculpting and pottery,” Gray said. “I am fortunate my long-time patrons and my dozen or so international clientele continued to commission my work as I continue to honor my Native American heritage in creating all this art, even during the pandemic.”
Continuing his tradition of gaining notice for his individual works of art at the Red Earth Festival, Gray received recognition again in 2020 for his silversmithing of two jewelry pieces “Elegant Ring and Bracelet.”
“I have always been blessed in receiving recognition at Red Earth, as well as other art shows because I do not limit myself to one media, but create in many media,” Gray said.
Last fall, the Oklahoma Arts Council accepted nominations for the 2021 Governor’s Arts Awards, expecting to present the awards in spring 2021. They altered the timeframe as the COVID-19 pandemic evolved. Following the guidance of public health officials, the Oklahoma Arts Council adjusted the timeframe for the awards ceremony, with the goal of presenting the awards in fall 2021.
“Again, I am humbled by the nomination to be a Governor’s Art Award recipient,” Gray said.
Gray, who retired in 2018, says he is grateful he was able to just be doing his own art during the pandemic, instead of trying to teach his way through a school year impacted by COVID-19. He says, “God Bless Our Teachers!”
“My 39 years of teaching has allowed me to showcase many Native American youth in various shows, events, contests and scholarships,”. Gray said. “Exposing our Native American art student’s talents outside of their schoolwork was very important for their futures.”
Gray’s dramatic use of depth in the impasto style of painting has elevated his status in the Native American art world. His use of a palette knife to apply vivid acrylics gives the paintings depth and allows light to animate the focus of his work. This signature style allows the Osage master artist to create a modern ruggedness celebrating the light’s reflective sparkle built up in some areas.
By creating a ceramic glaze depth with skillful repetitious palette strokes of the water-based acrylic paint his paintings are unique. Those high-gloss highlights have a richness of color which capture the eye, whether portrait and figure, still life, or landscape.
For the collector there is a stillness, balance and yet movement in his work. The art patrons celebrate Gray’s intentional building up of depth in the painting highlighted by brilliant hues or light catching the shiny acrylic. Many art patrons add extra lighting to those areas in their homes where they display his work to get the full effect of his talent.
Osage Nation member and bronze casting legend John Free Jr. casts most of Gray’s sculptures at his Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska, Okla. Free is famous for capturing the artist’s real goal in their work by applying some of the most skilled patinas in the crucible industry.
Gray said John and Matt Free’s ability to create a life-like patina to the many bronze sculpture he has created over the years has added to his own ability to create innovative patinas.
“It is an honor and a privilege to get to work with John Free and his group at the Bronze Horse Foundry.” Gray said. “I always say sculpting success is a two-part process, the artist who first creates it in clay and the foundry artisans who duplicate it in bronze for them.”
Gray’s traditional and contemporary influenced jewelry reflects the Osage master silversmith’s fondness for vivid color, texture, and asymmetrical design. The silver jewelry is often the most collected of his work and leads to the most commissions. This nationally collected master silversmith has won many awards in exhibitions and museum shows.
The Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival is one of the largest Native American cultural events in the country. It is held at the event center at the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort, a tribally-owned business 30 minutes east from downtown Oklahoma City on I-40.
The festival features a juried art market and competition attracting artists and collectors from across the state and nation.
Red Earth, Inc. is an Allied Arts member agency and is funded in part by the Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Kirkpatrick Family Fund, James H. and Madalynne Norick Foundation, Oklahoma’s News 4, Allied Arts, and the Oklahoma Arts Council which receives support from the State of Oklahoma and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Festival sponsors include the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort, Visit Shawnee and Communication Federal Credit Union

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.

Story by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

Described as a realignment and costing half a million dollars, the new section of the MAPS 3 West River Trail (WRT) opened the first week in May. This reopening allows its multi-use travelers access to and from downtown Oklahoma City on the trails after being closed for 22 months.
For seniors trying to make a decisive quality of life recovery from pandemic restrictions this reopening is important. Seniors got outside more for exercise during the pandemic. Bicycling and walking was two of the major explosions in growth. Seniors who are bicycling and walking more say their pent-up demand to safely ride their bicycles to and from the Boathouse District and downtown Oklahoma City is strong.
“My long bike rides each week often took me almost downtown, so the closure of the West River Trail was a huge inconvenience,” said Steve Persa, who lives across from the Lake Overholser Trail. With the trail closed I was forced to ride north, which took me into traffic, which is no fun at age 78.”
The WRT had been closed in the area since late spring of 2019. It was closed because of severe erosion from near-record heavy spring rain and resulting high North Canadian River flow next to the Rush Peterbilt Truck Center. The high rains moved the bend in the river closer to the truck center. Low-lying flat areas along the North Canadian River in El Reno, Yukon and west Oklahoma City in Canadian County were flooded by those heavy rains.
Although it looked safe to traverse from the trail after the heavy rains, it was not safe. Where the trail skirted the truck center property to the west, the river had eroded and dug out under the embankment below. This part of the trail posed a liability exposure to the city and endangered users. This caused the city to close it out of an abundance of caution in case it fell into the river.
The closure was from its western-most point at the Reno Avenue trailhead to Safari Point at Crystal Lake near SW 8th Street and Rockwell Avenue. This was about 3.3 miles of the 7.5-mile trail.
The new realignment section makes the trail longer than the posted 7.5-miles now running from NW 10th Street west of Council Road to SW 15th Street at Meridian Avenue. There it connects to the east to the Oklahoma River Trails to continue downtown. The North Canadian River is named the Oklahoma River through Oklahoma City’s downtown area.
Originally completed in 2015, the trail’s new realignment construction began in January of this year to reroute the trail east between the truck center and Interstate 40. The new trail features large, long concrete barriers protecting it from the embankment just north of the truck center. It turns south at 8700 W Interstate 40 Service Rd. and continues south next to Cara Lane to go west along SW 8th Street to reconnect to the existing trail.
“Cyclists have missed the use of the trail for the almost two years it was closed, because it is easier than riding to Lake Hefner and back,” said Dixie Duff, a retired nurse who rides here bicycle every other day in the area. “The West River Trail is preferred because of its east-west route, making it protected from Oklahoma’s strong south winds in spring and summer and winter’s strong and cold north winds.”
The WRT is one of the three trails created by tax dollars from MAPS 3. (The other two trails are Will Rogers and Lake Draper.) This is a more rural trek, taking users along the North Canadian River and around Crystal Lake well away from streets and traffic. The trail offers parking at NW 10th Street on the west end, Reno Street or Crystal Lake midway through the scenic trail.
This trail is a part of the more than 90 miles of Oklahoma City’s multi-use trails. The trails system offers recreation and exercise along a network of 10 interconnected trails that can take users to almost every point in the city.
Using the Better Streets, Safer City Sales Tax, the city has been adding bike infrastructure and resurfacing multiple trails around the city these last two years. Latest figures show 56 percent of Oklahoma City residents live within a half-mile of a park or trail. Oklahoma City averages one park for every 3,995 residents.
The good-for-all-skill-levels WRT offers several activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are welcomed but must be kept on a leash. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the trail system. This kid and stroller friendly trail is ideal for family nature trips. Many residents walk and run the trail while taking in the many river views.
It is a venue of unexpected ruggedness with some of its close-in, tree-lined boundaries in some sections. Parts of the trail fit the description of a nature trail. Most of the other city trails are open and windswept.

by Steven Sibley, Ret Army, DAV

Memorial Day has just passed and I want to salute all those who took the time to commemorate those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Since 1775, records indicate that as many a 1.3 million lives have been lost by those who served in our country’s military. That is basically the population of Tulsa, Edmond, OKC, Moore and Norman combined. Imagine, almost half of them died in a senseless civil war that took nearly half those lives. The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states. For those who fought for freedom for all, there was a familiar ring back to the words of Patrick Henry in March of 1775, “Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” The price of freedom for all is that great, that precious.
Our veterans have not only died, many have been wounded, maimed for life, and scarred both physically and emotionally. While complete statistics were difficult to find on this subject, it appears that on average, for every veteran killed, up to 10 were wounded. That is a significant number. It is why it’s so important for us to do the very best we can, to take care of our veterans. The heroic 1% of our population. This is one of the greatest needs we have as a country. It’s the greatest reason for those who are the top 1% of income earners in our country, to freely and responsibly give, in whatever way they can or must, to support these heroes, who have sacrificed so much for others to have the opportunity and freedom to succeed in our country at the highest levels.
Soon it will be Independence Day, 2021. This is my challenge to those who would seek to honor both those who have given their lives and those veterans who have been injured or disabled in the service of this country. Between July 4th this year and November 11th, Veterans Day, for those 5 months, would you purposely and proactively reach out to at least 1 veteran a month, and tell them you appreciate their service, and then serve them in some way. What ever you feel led to do, send them a card, buy them a meal, mow their lawn, take them to an appointment or just have a conversation with them. Imagine if everyone in Tulsa, Edmond, OKC, Moore and Norman reached out to just 5 veterans, that would be over 5 million times a veteran was talked to, recognized, appreciated and helped.
As a retired, disabled veteran myself, my wife and I do our part by helping veterans who transition into Medicare. We help them understand how those benefits work with their VA Benefits and Tricare Benefits. We provide support, advocacy and information about Medicare Plans offered by companies that have special plans for veterans, that offer additional benefits which they’ve earned and deserve. While healthcare issues and delivery of healthcare is confusing enough for seniors, it is even worse for veterans who have sacrificed their bodies and blood only to find red tape and bureaucracy standing in the way of the healthcare they desperately need. If you need our help, just call, there is never any charge, any pressure, just help. We are here to serve you at www.Sibleyinsures.com, (918) 404-0807.