In the process of aging, many older adults bear the heavy burden of dementia and vascular cognitive impairment, conditions that can rob them of quality of life and put them at risk for falls and injuries. To explore a promising premise in aging research — that changes to the brain’s tiniest blood vessels may play an outsized role in cognitive decline — an OU College of Medicine researcher recently received a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Shannon Conley, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the college’s Department of Cell Biology and a research member of the Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, earned the five-year grant, which will allow her to further explore how damaged micro-vessels in the brain may contribute to cognitive decline.
“It has become increasingly evident over the past 10 to 15 years that the smallest blood vessels are important in terms of contributing to disease pathology,” Conley said. “In the brain, this is especially important with aging. Because the brain can’t store any extra oxygen, the loss or damage of even a few tiny blood vessels means there’s not enough oxygen being supplied. In this project, we want to understand what is causing the damage or loss of blood vessels in the brain of an older adult.”
Specifically, Conley is focusing on the relationship between IGF-1, a common growth hormone that promotes blood vessel health, and smooth muscle cells, which surround the outside of blood vessels and help regulate blood flow by contracting and dilating. Researchers know that a person’s IGF-1 levels decline with age and that a deficit of the hormone can lead to defects in blood vessels. However, much less is known about the role of smooth muscle cells in that process.
“The research community has not really looked at the role of IGF-1 deficiency on the smooth muscle cells, specifically in the brain and in the context of aging and age-related cognitive impairment,” Conley said.
For this project, Conley has created an animal model that does not have a receptor for IGF-1 in the smooth muscle cells, resulting in a research model that mimics accelerated aging. Her first aim is to chronicle what happens when the smooth muscle cells can’t respond to IGF-1. Potential effects include damage or loss of blood vessels and impairment of the blood-brain barrier. She will also monitor to see whether the smooth muscle cells become impaired in their ability to contract as they normally do.
“One of the things that is important about smooth muscle cells in the brain is that they contract to protect the small blood vessels from the effects of systemic hypertension,” she said. “If you have systemic high blood pressure, you don’t want the tiny blood vessels in the brain to experience that. They’re very fragile and could have small bleeds or hemorrhages. So we’ll be watching to see if the smooth muscle cells lose their ability to protect the small blood vessels.”
Conley’s study will also seek to determine what is happening on a molecular level when smooth muscle cells cannot respond to IGF-1. “For example, do we see changes in the genes that are associated with cell contraction? Do we see early death of smooth muscle cells?” she said.
Ultimately, one of her goals it to identify targets that might be suitable for a therapeutic intervention. Treating an IGF-1 deficiency isn’t as simple of giving someone a supplement of IGF-1; because it is a growth factor, it could promote abnormal growth in other tissues and cells. However, some of the changes that occur because of IGF-1 deficiency could be a target for future treatments, she said.
Conley’s research is a component of the growing discipline of geroscience research, the study of the biology of aging. Aging itself is one of the biggest risk factors for disease, and many of the cellular mechanisms of aging are common across a wide range of pathologies.
“The things that go wrong in the blood vessel cells in the brain that can lead to dementia are some of the same things that can go wrong in the retina and lead to age-related macular degeneration. And some of those same cellular mechanisms can contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease pathologies or Parkinson’s disease pathologies. Among geroscience researchers, there is a lot of interest in what we call the basic cellular mechanisms of aging. We’re not looking specifically at the disease, but how the cells change as we age, and how that increases our risk for a variety of pathologies.”
As people live longer, research like Conley’s is especially important. Medical advancements may be able to keep people alive longer, but many will be diagnosed with conditions that significantly decrease their quality of life.
“As we have longer life spans, it’s really important to identify ways to simultaneously promote increased health spans,” she said. “It’s very challenging when you have loved ones who have severe illness or cognitive impairment, yet they are not dying; they are physically able to keep living. We want to help people stay healthier longer.”
Research reported in this news release is supported by the National Institute on Aging, a component of the National Institutes of Health, under the award number 1R01AG070915-01A1. Federal funds were secured with the help of seed grants from the Presbyterian Health Foundation, the OU College of Medicine Alumni Association, and the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology.

Rising gas prices, the ongoing fear of contracting the latest illness, and just parking and traffic in general.
Tealridge Retirement Community residents don’t have to worry about any of it when it comes to receiving therapy services – all from the comfort of their own retirement community.
Tealridge Executive Director Melissa Mahaffey’s, MHA, goal was to bring convenience and accessibility to the residents of Tealridge – something that currently is being done in other metro communities. However, her aim was to find something that was very unique and different. She found what she was looking for when she found Orthopaedic and Neurological Rehabilitation (ONR).
“I think overall everyone’s aim is quality of life so people be independent as long as possible,” Mahaffey said. “We’re working together. The residents are top of mind of anything we do here and we want to make sure we have resources in place to make it easy and possible for each and every resident to access the care that they need.”
The ONR TOUCH program works with continuing care retirement, assisted living, and senior living communities to establish and maintain innovative, onsite therapy and wellness programs.
Support is matched to each resident’s ability to age gracefully by offering proactive, comprehensive therapy services across the continuum of care.
What that means for Tealridge residents is they are able to receive physician-ordered rehabilitative, physical, occupational, and even speech therapies without leaving their residence.
In addition to therapies, ONR also provides fitness, wellness, and educational programming from a full-time, onsite licensed physical therapist in Kate Glasgow, PT.
Glasgow previously worked in a home health setting. She likes the partnership with Tealridge, which gets her back into the residents’ daily lives and into the halls at Tealridge.
“It’s very beneficial,” Glasgow said of being onsite. “Building rapport and relationships with residents here and getting to know them on different levels helps them improve in their environment as opposed to offsite where the skills we work on might not transfer as well to their environment.
“It really is a convenience factor being on-site full-time. We’re here Monday through Friday.”
Kaitlin Petrie, OTR/L, is ONR’s director of business development.
She said Tealridge is the first ONR community partnership in the OKC metro area and one that’s sure to be a hit with residents and their families.
She expects the model to be quickly adopted by others.
“It lends itself especially to independent living residents because they are out and about and they want to be out and about,” Petrie said. “Our fitness classes allow us to connect with residents and build rapport and have more of an impact with fall reduction.”
“We’re so thankful and so blessed,” she said. “We’ve experienced exponential growth and I think it’s because our model is so unique. We’ve got the resource of a full-time director on campus Monday through Friday.”
The partnership allows ONR to fulfill outpatient speech, physical and occupational therapy orders from providers in the comfort of a patient’s own apartment or in the dedicated ONR therapy gym inside Tealridge.
Services are billed under Medicare part B outpatient services and covered under most insurance plans.
The ONR TOUCH program offers staff stability with the same dedicated director and therapists in the community daily.
Residents seeking enhanced mobility, greater independence and increased success with activities of daily living will enjoy the luxury of these onsite therapy services. With more than 30 years of experience providing personalized and specialized therapeutic care, ONR’s core tenet is that life should be lived to the fullest at every stage.
Pain, weakness, or limited mobility should not prevent you from doing the things you love.
Petrie said ONR’s program utilizes several evidence-based, research-based clinical programs that dictate plans of care and treatment programs.
“There are really very few ailments that exist that we don’t have a matching clinical program,” Petrie said. “It’s always evolving with the research and that’s where ONR dedicates its resources.”
For Mahaffey, the partnership just made sense for Tealridge and its residents.
“It’s convenience and accessibility,” Mahaffey said. “They’re going to be able to easily access these services. It keeps them independent for as long as possible and with a good quality of life and that’s all we want to aim for. In addition to ONR, Tealridge has several partnerships with home health agencies, physician mobile services as well as ComForCare Home Care.
“We want to have everything, hopefully, under one roof. For the most part, residents don’t have to leave the community to get medical issues taken care of unless it’s a specialist provider appointment.”
Tealridge Retirement Community is a full-service retirement community located at 2100 NE 140th Edmond, OK 73013. Should you have any further questions, please call 405-546-2385.
For more information on Tealridge Retirement Community visit: https://www.tealridge.com/

By Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready

In Oklahoma, natural disasters are a tragic reality. Every year, disasters disrupt different parts of our state, leaving behind lasting effects on Oklahomans and property. After a disaster, many in our community need help and first responders may not be able to assist right away. That is why it’s important to Get Ready now. You and your family can take simple steps to Get Ready for emergencies and mitigate your risks. Here are some very easy but essential things you can do to Get Ready.
Document Your Property
One of the most important things you can do before a storm hits is to make a home inventory. Keep a detailed record of your valuable belongings to help you recover and file a claim more quickly. Take photos or videos to record your belongings and write down descriptions. Take photos or videos of the inside and outside of your home, including spaces like closets and cabinet interiors. Keep your inventory somewhere away from your home (i.e. safe deposit box, virtual cloud), where it can be accessed after a disaster.
Review Your Insurance
Disasters are a matter of when not if. Understand the risks you may face and talk to your agent to ensure that you have the insurance coverage you need for your property. For example, a standard homeowners policy does not cover floods, and you may need a separate wind and hail policy if you live in tornado-prone areas. It’s also important to prepare your property before the storm hits. Sometimes it is not the storm that directly causes the damage to your home but your possessions that are not secured in your yard. Cut down or trim trees that may be in danger of falling on your home. Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage.
Make a Plan
Lastly, having a plan in place and knowing how you will respond to the storm can make a significant impact. Be sure to have flashlights, food, water and a weather radio ready at all times. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find and practice that plan regularly. Sign up for your community’s alert and warning systems and make sure you understand what these alerts and warnings mean.
To help Oklahomans prepare for this storm season, we’re releasing the three-part column series—Mulready Says Get Ready: Before, During and After the Storm. This comprehensive series will provide you with detailed information on how best to prepare for disasters. In this series, I’ll explain general disaster preparedness tips for before, during and after disasters. Please follow #GetReadyOK and visit www.oid.ok.gov/getready for more information on how to Get Ready.
If you have questions about other insurance issues, please contact the Oklahoma Insurance Department at 1-800-522-0071 or visit our website at www.oid.ok.gov.

On March 22, 2022, at 10 a.m. the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) opened the Oklahoma State Capitol Museum, a state-of-the-art gallery space in the Oklahoma State Capitol. Created as part of the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project and located on the ground floor near the new primary public entrance on the south side of the Capitol, the Oklahoma State Capitol Museum contains 4,400 square feet of exhibit space and 13 exhibit cases, featuring more than 125 artifacts relating to the history of the Oklahoma State Capitol and the work of Oklahoma’s state government.
“The Oklahoma State Capitol Museum is a necessary addition to our Capitol Building,” said Lt. Gov. Pinnell. “No state can match our heritage and history, and these exhibits will provide Oklahomans and out-of-state visitors with a hands-on way to experience that history. I appreciate the hard work Trait Thompson and the rest of the Oklahoma Historical Society have put in to make this dream a reality.”
“The new Oklahoma State Capitol Museum provides a key educational component to our beautiful Capitol for visitors from around the world,” said Thompson. “The Oklahoma Historical Society has worked very hard to install exhibits that showcase the unique story of our Capitol and help people of all ages understand the important work that takes place within its walls. This museum is an integral part in making the Capitol a must-see destination when people come to Oklahoma City.”
Admission to the Oklahoma State Capitol Museum is free to all visitors. The museum will be open from Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Since 1951 the cannon used by William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie in their Wild West Show has been on display at the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) headquarters in Oklahoma City. It was first displayed outside the original OHS building at 2100 N. Lincoln Blvd., and then at the new Oklahoma History Center at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive. After more than 70 years in Oklahoma City, the cannon will return to the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee.
According to Ronny Brown, the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum director, the Model 1861, 3-inch ordnance rifle was cast in 1863 at the Phoenix Iron Company in Phoenixville, Penn. The gun reportedly saw service in several Civil War battles, including Missionary Ridge, before Pawnee Bill acquired it for use in the Wild West Show. After the Wild West Show, the gun found a home on the front lawn of Pawnee Bill and May Lillie’s mansion. Shortly before Pawnee Bill died in 1942, he gifted the gun to his longtime friend and publicist Frank Stuart. The carriage was in bad shape and continued to deteriorate as the gun sat in Stuart’s backyard in Oklahoma City for many years. Stuart died in 1950, and under his will the cannon was gifted to the OHS in 1951. The OHS had a new carriage built for the cannon, and has displayed it in Oklahoma City ever since. Now the gun is set to return home to the front lawn at the Pawnee mansion.
The OHS is providing $15,000 in matching funds toward the $30,000 needed to restore the carriage, build a suitable exhibit space, and move the cannon to Pawnee. “This has been a dream of the local community for many years, and we are so excited to be working on plans to make it happen,” said Mona Denney, president of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association. “We are launching a fundraising drive to raise the $15,000 needed to complete the project. This will be a big attraction for the ranch, and we can’t wait to see it back home on the mansion lawn.”
“We are very pleased to be working with the community of Pawnee to bring the cannon back to the ranch,” said Trait Thompson, executive director of the OHS. “The project includes placing a flagpole near the cannon and lighting the front of the mansion and the cannon display. The cannon will be placed on a concrete pad with exhibit panels to tell the cannon’s story. Also included in the project is a new sidewalk to ensure the display is accessible to everyone,” continued Thompson.
“Come by for a visit and make a donation to the project to be a part of this opportunity,” said Denney. “If you can’t make it for a visit, give the ranch a call to make a donation at 918-762-2513.”
For more information about the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum or directions to the site, please visit www.okhistory.org/pawneebill or call the ranch at 918-762-2513. The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Road in Pawnee.

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

There’s an old joke where a preacher is asking his congregation to raise their hands if they want to go to heaven. Many do raise their hands, but one man does not. The preacher asks the man why he didn’t raise his hand. “Don’t you want to go to heaven?” asked the preacher. And the man replied, “I thought you were asking, who wanted to go right now!”
Many of us are not ready to go to heaven right away, but I’d go to Paradise, No April Fools, that is, Florida’s Paradise Coast anytime. It is the area inclusive of the West Coast Florida Cities of Mediterranean style Naples, and the tropical Marco Island
Naples offers upscale and funky shopping at their Fifth Avenue South: Florida’s own version of Rodeo Drive. Shopping in the historic Third Street South area, one might find the perfect piece of art in one of kind shops. I was surprised at the Tommy Bahama store where a restaurant and bar separated the men’s from the women’s clothing sections. That’s the way to shop! T.B. is famous for their drink of the day, often in martini format, with names like, Frost Bite, Kiwi-Tini, Cayman Cooler and Watermelon Splash. I was tempted to sample one, but dining at the award winning Sea Salt was waiting.
Sea Salt is an upscale restaurant known for fine beverages and a sophisticated culinary experience. After tasting a selection from the extensive menu it’s easy to see why Sea Salt received Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2009 and 2010, and named one of the Top 20 Best New Restaurants of 2009 by Esquire.
I could have spent the evening at Sea Salt, but then I would have missed a charming musical production by the Naples Players of “I Do, I Do” at the Sugden Community Theatre in the Fifth Avenue South district. (That show is long gone but check out their upcoming shows.) Another diversion is a pleasurable stroll through the Naples Zoo, with their Black Bear Hammock, Tiger, Lion and Giraffe exhibits, along with their Alligator Bay.
For a real break from reality an airboat ride on Lake Trafford gets you up close and vegetation slapping personal, with the folks at Airboats and Alligators. The extended drive north east to Lake Trafford is worth the effort for the natural vegetation and creature viewing on this west coast head water of the Florida Everglades, known as Corkscrew Swamp.
For your headquarters in paradise, The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club offers a family owned yet expansive hotel complex right on the beach; a Naples novelty. Owned and operated by the Watkins family since 1946, the comfy rooms have an historic old Florida feel about them. With plantation shuttered windows overlooking several pools and ocean views, you feel relaxed and right at home. And as the name describes a fine golf course is adjacent. Also unique to Naples, is the hotels HB’s, which is the only beach front dining restaurant in the City of Naples, and has been awarded a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2005-2010.
Once ensconced at a resort I usually like to leave the car parked and do nothing on a schedule, and know that my needs are met at the hotel; whether it is finding snacks and forgotten sundries from the gift shop, dining options, or the comfort of viewing a lazy sunset, or a favorite movie on the flat screen.
A Florida Paradise Coast getaway is a little bit of heaven, with shopping, attractions, fine dining, resort accommodations and relaxing seaside, letting any stress evaporate into the gentle ocean breeze. I can see why AARP named Naples-Marco Island the 10th best place in the country to retire and live.
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For more information before you go check out: www.paradisecoast.com
Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club: http://www.naplesbeachhotel.com/
Sea Salt Restaurant, Naples: http://www.seasaltnaples.com/
Naples Zoo and Caribbean Gardens: www.napleszoo.org
Airboats & Alligators: www.laketrafford.com/tours.html 1-239-657-2214
Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa: www.hiltonmarcoisland.com or 1-800-445-8667

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=terry+zinn
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=zinn
http://new.okveterannews.com/?s=TERRY+ZINN
www.martinitravels.com

Christina Sibley, EMT/RMA
Bachelor of Science Health Studies-Gerontology emphasis

We’ve all heard it, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. The assumption being that learning or improving our brains is somehow behind us, past a certain age. The truth is, that’s a bunch of malarky. Our brains continue to grow new connections, reorganize connections, and prune unused ones, through our entire lives. This is called brain plasticity.
In short, the nerve cells in our brains look a little like trees. There’s nerve endings where roots would be, these receive signals. There’s a sort of trunk, that contains an axon and a cell body, signals travel through/over this, and finally there’s an area that looks like spread out branches, these are dendrites and they send the signal to the next cell.
These amazing cells are lined up end to end (axons to dendrites). There are tiny gaps (synapses) in between and chemicals (called neurotransmitters) move between the two ends, to send and receive signals. These individual cells line up, bunch together, and make up our brain, spinal cord and all our nerves.
The cells and connections between cells can be damaged by many things, but our brains are designed to attempt self-repair, to make new branches/connections or to make a new connection with a different neuron, and clean out damaging proteins/debris. This repair and reorganization, according to Dr. Sanjay Gupta in his new book Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age, happens best, it turns out, when we sleep.
We form new connections and memories all the time, especially in the areas of the brain we use often. The more we visit the information or skill, the more the area builds and becomes permanent. It has to go from short term memory, which we lose quickly, to long term memory.
This new cell growth is helped by good overall nutrition and moderate exercise. Get the blood flowing with plenty of nutrients and oxygen, and good things happen to our bodies. We’ve been told this for years. Easier said than done, but it’s worth a revisit and it holds true for all our cells.
Many of us have kids and/or grandkids that we have watched grow. As children they have to build massive amounts of brain cells/neurons that go all over their bodies. They are also building muscle cells and dexterity. How do they do it? They play of course.
They’re active physically. They are unafraid and learn new things and skills all the time, from us or in school. They’re mentally active. They laugh, dance, dream, and create for their own benefit, simply because it feels good.
So the next time you think “I can’t learn that” know that you absolutely CAN. If you feel intimidated or awkward, take a lesson from your kids/grandkids and play to learn. Within reason, of course, no rollerblading, and consult your physician. Be unafraid to learn. Don’t worry about how long it takes or that it’s a work in progress. The act of learning new things and skills is what helps keep our brains, and bodies, healthy and functioning properly. Your awesome brain will thank you!
Christina Sibley, with Sibley Insures, is a licensed health insurance agent who specializes in Medicare plans, all types, and Medicare education. Call (405) 655-6098 or visit sibleyinsures.com. See our ad in the Resource Directory on page 17.

The final installment in a series of exhibitions featuring works by Native American artists and sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation opens this week at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. Ascendant: Expressions of Self-Determination, on display through Aug. 14, includes works by artists while enrolled at the University of Oklahoma from 1946 to 1954.
Following in the footsteps of the “Kiowa Six,” Chief Terry Saul (Chickasaw, Choctaw), Walter “Dick” West (Cheyenne) and Oscar Howe (Yanktonai Dakota), the exhibition explores the context in which this remarkable group of students came to OU, presents their development as artists, and demonstrates their legacy.
Ascendant is the result of a collaboration between the Art History program of the School of Visual Arts and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. The exhibition and accompanying catalog are funded by a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in New York City. The show was organized by five student curators – Meagan Anderson, Danielle Fixico (Chickasaw, Mvscoke), Chris Tall Bear (Cheyenne), Olivia von Gries and Nathan Young (Delaware Tribe of Indians, Pawnee, Kiowa, and Cherokee Nation) — who were enrolled in the fall 2021 seminar on Native American Art and Museum Studies led by Alicia Harris (Assiniboine) Assistant Professor of Native American Art History.
“The artists in this exhibition are the first Native Americans to receive M.F.A.s in
the United States,” says Harris. “The exhibition revolves around topics of Native American spirituality (when the full expression of which was illegal in the United States at the time), political and legal paradigms, and their legacy as artists, teachers and leaders. We worked to expand the label “Modernism,” which has been applied to their abstract compositions and assert that these artists also fit securely into the art histories and ancestral paradigms of their unique, sophisticated communities.”
The exhibition features work from FJJMA’s permanent collection and special loans from the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa and the Western History Collection at the University of Oklahoma.
An exhibition catalog published in conjunction with the show is also available at the museum free of charge. Included in the catalog are essays and biographies of the artists written by the curators with an introduction by Alicia Harris. An exhibition webinar with the student curators is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, March 24. The exhibition and related programming are free and open to the public.
More information about this exhibition and related programing is available on the museum’s website at www.ou.edu/fjjma.
The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is located in the OU Arts District on the corner of Elm Avenue and Boyd Street, at 555 Elm Ave., on the OU Norman campus. Admission to the museum is complimentary to all visitors. Further information regarding this exhibition and accommodations are available by calling (405) 325-4938 or visiting www.ou.edu.fjjma.
The decades following World War II were rife with change on a global scale, no less so for Native American artists at the University of Oklahoma. Ascendant: Expressions of Self-Determination considers the Native art students enrolled at OU from 1946-1954 as the “second generation” of Native artists in the legacy of the university, following in the footsteps of the Kiowa Six. Chief Terry Saul (Chickasaw, Choctaw), Walter “Dick” West (Cheyenne) and Oscar Howe (Yanktonai Dakota) came to OU at a time of political, social and personal transformation. Artists turned to ancestral philosophies of artmaking to represent their identity, celebrate heritage and assert individual artistic agency.
During this period, Native art was becoming increasingly accepted as “fine art.” This generation of artists is notable as teachers and leaders whose resounding influence on the vast field of Native American art is felt to this day. Curators for the exhibition include instructor Alicia Harris and student curators Meagan Anderson, Danielle Fixico, Chris Tallbear, Olivia von Gries and Nathan Young. This exhibition was made possible with generous support from the Mellon Foundation.
Oscar Howe (Mazuha Hokshina) U.S., Yanktonai Dakota) 1915-1983 Waci (He is Dancing), 1973 Watercolor on paper Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman; The James T. Bialac Native American Art Collection, 2010
Tommy Wayne “T.C.” Cannon (U.S., Kiowa/Caddo, 1946-1978)
On Drinkin’ Beer in Vietnam in 1967, 1971 Lithograph Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman; The James T. Bialac Native American Art Collection, 2010

Legends at Rivendell invites professionals

by James Coburn, Staff Writer

Healthcare professionals are invited to celebrate the arrival of spring at Legend Senior Living at Rivendell.
Gather among friends at the event hosted by Sarah MacAllister and Kristen Thomas at Legend Senior Living at Rivendell in Oklahoma City from 4:30-6-30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, located at 13170 S. May Ave., Oklahoma City.
Legend at Rivendell is a center for assisted living and memory care.
Festive activities for the spring fling professional mixer will include appetizers and prize raffles.
“I feel like we are so caught up sometimes in the day-to-day. So, we just wanted the opportunity for professionals to just kind of relax. You can talk about work; you can talk about raffles. We’re just going to have raffles, nothing too scripted just so they can relax and put their feet up,” MacAllister said.
Legend at Rivendell has done similar events in the past prior to the pandemic. Healthcare is one of the most challenging industries to be part of with experiencing COVID-19, MacAllister continued. Their job of caring for millions of seniors across the US continues every day.
“We still need those connections and people outside our building to do their job. And we’re relying on everyone else, and they are relying on us to do our job,” MacAllister said.
While spring is a time of new beginnings, healthcare professionals continue their noble calling of carrying on their shifts with compassionate care and best practices in protecting lives and quality of life itself. Each day is a time of learning something new and to celebrate the human spirit.
The professional mixer is a time to gather with long-time colleagues and to make new personal connections. It is a time to leave your office space and social media to meet in person. Professionals will be able to enjoy the comfortable and relaxed environment.
“We’ll be offering tours if people want to see our community,” she said.
The campus offers assisted living and began offering memory care a few years ago as the need presented itself.
“I can hold 66 in assisted living and then in the memory care they can hold 75 residents,” she said.
The memory care offers three separate neighborhoods, depending on the level of cognitive function of the residents, depending on what the family likes and what the nurses would prefer. They are safe in a home where they can best thrive and be with other residents of a similar mindset and physical level.
Legend Senior Living at Rivendell love community involvement. They are members of both the Newcastle and Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce.
“We believe in paying it forward and having everyone help out. The residents all have cardiologists and primary care doctors and all those things that are in the professional healthcare world,” she said.
Please RSVP by calling or emailing.
For more information, contact Sarah MacAllister, at 405-703-2300 or sarah.macallister@legendseniorliving.com.
Visit www.legendseniorliving.com.