By Ron Burg

As we age, there are certain things we can expect to change. Our memory isn’t as good, we usually take longer to make decisions, and we might need help doing tasks that were once simple. However, when a loved one – whether a parent, grandparent, spouse or sibling – begins to show signs of aging, it’s scary.
An even more frightening thought is determining whether he or she may need more medical and living assistance. This could mean moving to a smaller, more manageable household, professional home care services, or even moving in with a relative. You want to provide the best care possible for your loved one, while still respecting their independence and wishes. Your decision will likely be based off the mental and physical condition of your elderly loved one.
But, how do you know your mom’s sudden forgetful nature is a normal sign of aging or something worse? When it comes to dementia and Alzheimer’s, early detection can provide the best treatment and care.
Here are the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease:
· Memory changes
This is often the most obvious and common change associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Forgetting the occasional appointment or name is a usual sign of aging, and the elderly person can usually remember them later.
Memory loss that can signify something worse consists of forgetting new information, important dates and events, asking the same thing or needing to hear the same information over and over, and an increased dependency on reminders. If the memory loss disrupts a person’s daily life, you should probably head to the doctor.
· Withdrawal from usual activities
A person who suffers from the early stages of Alzheimer’s will avoid social activity and may stop all social interaction, hobbies, and sports due to their changes. You may also notice they become passive – watching TV for long hours, sleeping more, or avoiding daily tasks. What is normal, however, is an elderly person sometimes feeling weary of social obligations.
· Problems with writing and speaking
An early indicator is a sudden inability to follow or join a conversation. A person might stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue, or repeat himself or herself often. They may also struggle with vocabulary and have trouble finding the right word for an object.
· Disorientation with time and place
While it is typical for a senior citizen to forget what day it is or where they were going, it is not an aging-related sign when a person becomes lost in a familiar area, doesn’t know how to get back home, or cannot recall how they got to their current location.
· Changes in mood and personality
Everyone experiences mood swings, but, in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, a person will often rapidly switch moods for no apparent reason.
· Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
Some people will experience trouble reading, judging distance, and determining color and contrast. They will likely show signs of having difficulty while driving.
If you are concerned about a loved one or have suspicions they may have Alzheimer’s, seek a medical opinion. Remember, you are not alone, and it is best to receive an early diagnosis.
About Already HomeCare
Already HomeCare was founded with the ideal that we would never place a caregiver in someone’s home that we wouldn’t place in our own family member’s home. We operate in a culture of compassion, and are committed to helping your loved one live a healthy and independent life. Providing senior home care is a highly personalized, intimate experience. We go above and beyond to help reduce the stress and ensure your loved one is getting the quality care they deserve.

Date/ Day/ Location/ Time/ Registration #/ Instructor

May 5/ Thursday/ Okla. City/ 9:30 am – 4 pm/ 951-2277/ Palinsky
Integris 3rd Age Life Center – 5100 N. Brookline, Suite 100
May 10/ Tuesday/ Midwest City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 691-4091/ Palinsky
Rose State – 6191 Tinker Diagonal
May 10/ Tuesday/ Mustang/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 376-1297/ Edwards
Mustang Senior Center – 1201 N. Mustang Rd.
May 13/ Friday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 951-2277/ Edwards
SW Medical Center – 4200 S. Douglas, Suite B-10
May 18/ Wednesday/ Okla. City/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 752-3600 or 478-4587/ Reffner Mercy Hospital – 4300 W.Memorial Rd.
May 24/ Tuesday/ Edmond/ 1:30 pm – 3 pm/ 210-6798/ Palinsky
AARP State Office – 126 N. Bryan
May 24/ Tuesday/ Edmond/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 340-1975/ Reffner
Touchmark – 2801Shortgrass
Jun 2/ Thursday/ Okla. City/ 9:30 am – 4 pm/ 951-2277/ Palinsky
Integris 3rd Age Life Center – 5100 N. Brookline, Suite 100
Jun 7/ Tuesday/ Norman/ 9 am – 3:30 pm/ 307-3176/ Palinsky
Norman Regional Hospital – 901N. Porter Ave.
The prices for the classes are: $15 for AARP members and $20 for Non-AARP. Call John Palinsky, zone coordinator for the Oklahoma City area at 405-691-4091 or send mail to: johnpalinsky@sbcglobal.net

Arrest warrants have been issued for a general contractor and a subcontractor charged with fraudulently padding an insurance claim. An investigation by the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Anti-Fraud Unit found that Lisa Loven, 50, and Jeffrey Scott, 41, filed fake invoices with the insurance company for equipment that wasn’t used.
“Anyone who thinks insurance fraud is a victimless crime is dead wrong,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “Insurance fraud leads to higher premiums for everyone. I will do everything in my power to prevent these crimes from happening and to make sure the perpetrators are punished.”
The Anti-Fraud Unit began investigating Loven in May after receiving complaints she was acting as an unlicensed public adjuster. One complaint involved an Edmond church that had received roof damage during a hailstorm on May 29, 2012. Investigators found Loven had submitted a typed invoice for $14,923 to pay for a rented crane to remove the church steeple.
When investigators contacted the owner of the crane rental company, he said he had never worked on the church and that his invoices are handwritten. The owner said he provided a handwritten estimate to subcontractor Jeff Scott of Edmond Roofing. After speaking with an independent adjuster hired by the insurance company, investigators learned that a crane was not used on the church repairs and the steeple was not removed.
Investigators believe Loven and Scott worked together to submit false documents to the insurance company for personal benefit. The Oklahoma County District Attorney has charged them with one count each of conspiracy to commit a felony and false claim for insurance.

The Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) today unveiled a new video, “Losing Rural Hospitals,” as part of its makeOKbetter initiative to broaden health care coverage under Insure Oklahoma.
The video illustrates the impact a hospital closing has on a rural community. It features residents of Sayre, Oklahoma. Sayre Memorial Hospital shut its doors in February, costing the city jobs, sales tax revenue and local hospital care.
“It makes a tremendous difference if you have a stroke or heart attack to get somewhere very quickly,” said A.L. Whinery, retired Sayre businessman.
The closure of the hospital is also affecting the city’s image and economy. “I think we’re going to lose a lot of residents, a lot of people are going to move out,” said Francie Bauldridge, Sayre hair stylist and business owner. “You can’t have a viable community without a hospital.”
According to iVantage Analytics, 42 of 76 rural hospitals in Oklahoma are at risk of closing.
“Sayre’s story is too close to becoming a reality for more than 40 other communities in Oklahoma,” said OHA president Craig Jones. “We must act now to take back federal funds to help sustain these rural hospitals and towns.”
With only two months left in the legislative session, OHA is calling on Oklahomans to contact their legislators and tell them to protect rural health care, communities and jobs by taking back federal dollars for Insure Oklahoma as a part of the state’s budget deal. Building on Insure Oklahoma would bring $9.9 billion to Oklahoma and allow more than 230,000 Oklahomans to have medical insurance.

To learn more, visit makeokbetter.org. Follow the movement on Facebook at www.facebook.com/makeOKbetter or Twitter at twitter.com/makeOKbetter.

The names of one hundred and fifty five (155) law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty in Oklahoma will soon be engraved on the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial. The deaths date back to 1872.
“These officers have not been forgotten, we just have not had the space or money to engrave them on the memorial until now”, says Dennis Lippe, Chairman of the organization that oversees the memorial. Most of their stories have been on the memorial’s web site for several years. The newest granite stone to be added to the memorial was ordered in January 2014 to accommodate the names of the officers. The stone was not delivered until October. About the same time the stone was installed the memorial organization was looking at expanding the original memorial plaza to include the six stones that have been added outside of the plaza over the years since the memorial was dedicated on May 15, 1969. This is when contractors, who were to bid on the expansion project, discovered the plaza was starting to sink. The Oklahoma Law Enforcement Memorial organization is making efforts to raise the almost $60,000 needed to just make the repairs. The memorial is totally supported by donations even though it sits on state property on the west grounds of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Headquarters.
Oklahoma’s was the first state law enforcement memorial built in the United States.
Forty-eight (48) of the new names are those of officers of the US Marshal Service. Almost half of all the US Marshal Service officers who have died in the line of duty in the United States died in Oklahoma both before and after statehood.
The new names will be dedicated during the 48th Annual Oklahoma Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Service to be conducted on Friday, May 20th.
Those officers being added are:
M. H. Adams, US Marshal Service, 1873;
Alexander A. Anderson, Grady County Sheriff’s Office, 1925;
Robert W. Arnold, Osage County Sheriff’s Office, 1924;
John M. Beard , US Marshal Service, 1894;
Seth Beardsley, US Marshal Service, 1873;
Black Sut Beck, US Marshal Service, 1872;
Sam Beck, US Marshal Service, 1872;
William Beck, US Marshal Service, 1872;
Richard D. Bell, Haileyville Police Department, 1909;
William R. Benningfield, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 1941;
William T. Bentz, US Marshal Service, 1872;
Joe Big Knife, US Indian Police, 1895;
Jim Billy, US Marshal Service, 1890;
Ed Bohanon, US Indian Police, 1895;
John R. Boston, US Indian Police, 1881;
A. J. Boyd, Langston Police Department, 1900;
George W. Bradley, Caney Police Department, 1920;
Benjamin F. Brashears, Panama City Police Department, 1919;
Howard O. Brewer, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, 1926;
Leander Brown, US Indian Police, 1882;
Robert B. Bryant, Depew Police Department , 1911;
Charles L. Bullock, Delaware Police Department, 1917;
William H. Butler, Bartlesville Police Department, 1915;
(First Name Unknown) Campbell, US Marshal Service, 1886;
James J. Campbell, US Marshal Service, 1891;
Felix Chapman, Okmulgee Police Department, 1908;
Charles F. Christian, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 1935;
Henry D. Cobb, Bartlesville Police Department, 1935;
Reuben D. Coleman, Grayson County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office, 1881;
D. B. Cook, Ardmore Police Department, 1908;
David S. Cox, Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, 1908;
Andrew Creason, Rock Island Railroad Police, 1903;
Billy Cully, Seminole Lighthorse, 1906;
Tom Dancer, Maud Police Department, 1906;
Kenneth L. Denton, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 1989;
L. P. Dixon, US Marshal Service, 1907;
George M. Doolittle, Lampasas County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office, 1879;
James Doss, El Reno Police Department, 1895;
Morris T. Dunn, Fannin County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office, 1888;
Jerry D. Emerson, Logan County Sheriff’s Office, 1903;
Charles I. Epperson, Boynton Police Department, 1925;
Fred Evans, Mannford Police Department, 1911;
Frank Faulkner, US Marshal Service, 1894;
James E. Fields, Osage County Sheriff’s Office, 1961;
Walter C. Floyd, Roff Police Department, 1923;
Robert S. Garrett, Hastings Police Department, 1909;
John Garritson, Delaware Police Department, 1917;
Franklin W. Goss, Chouteau Police Department, 1957;
James A. Hands, Sapulpa Police Department, 1918;
William T. Harden, US Marshal Service, 1890;
Henry L. Harper, Harmon County Sheriff’s Office, 1919;
West Harris, US Marshal Service, 1894;
Bill Harrison, US Marshal Service, 1894;
Joseph P. Heinrichs, US Marshal Service, 1899;
Jesse Hendrickson, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, 1893;
Isaac L. Hicks, Bartlesville Police Department, 1903;
William Hicks, US Marshal Service, 1872;
Ben J Higbee, Coyle Police Department, 1904;
Otto Holler, El Dorado Police Department, 1924;
Fred Hollingsworth, Washita County Sheriff’s Office, 1915;
Tom Hood, Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, 1933;
Luther Houston, US Marshal Service, 1902;
L. C. Hughes, Mill Creek Police Department, 1904;
William H. Humble , Kiowa County Sheriff’s Office, 1930;
William D. Hutchins, Claremore Police Department, 1918;
Henry H. Jackson, US Bureau of Prohibition, DO J, 1932;
Aron W. Johnson, US Marshal Service, 1896;
Berry Jones, Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office, 1920;
Harrison Jones, Jackson Township Police Department, 1911;
William F. Jones, Fredrick Police Department, 1934;
Joseph M. Jordan, US Marshal Service, 1897;
Lincoln Keeney, US Marshal Service , 1894;
William Kirby, Jay Police Department, 1974;
T. John Kirk, Marble City Police Department, 1911;
William Kirksey, US Marshal Service, 1885;
James Knight, Cherokee Junction Police Department, 1901;
William Leech, US Marshal Service, 1884;
Webb H. Lester, Guthrie Police Department , 1894;
Anderson Lewis, Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, 1905;
Johnson Lewis, Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Office, 1893;
James R. Lindsey, Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office, 1926;
John C. Lunsford, Beggs Police Department, 1910;
Thomas R. Madden, US Marshal Service, 1896;
John T. Martin, Carnegie Police Department, 1960;
William Mayes, Federal Prohibition Unit, IRS, 1919;
William R. Mayfield, OK Department of Corrections, 1926;
William W. McCall, US Marshal Service, 1895;
Claude H. McDonald, Rock Island Railroad Police, 1911;
Henry McGill, Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Office, 1883;
Herbert McIntosh, Jr., McAlester Police Department, 1984;
Mose McIntosh, US Marshal Service , 1888;
John McWeir, US Marshal Service, 1883;
Henry Miller, US Marshal Service, 1886;
Nimrod J. Miller, Burnett County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office, 1881;
Benjamin F. Milligan, Cimarron County Sheriff’s Office, 1909;
Lem E. Mitchell, Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office, 1914;
James H. Murphy, Fairfax Police Department, 1912;
Howard E. Murray, Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, 1910;
Charles M. Nichols, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, 1921;
Joe Nix, US Marshal Service, 1894;
Richard E. Oliver, Canute Police Department, 1983;
Slack Palmer, Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office, 1911;
James E. Parish, Bennington Police Department, 1912;
Henry Peckenpaugh, US Marshal Service, 1899;
John B. Pemberton, US Marshal Service, 1892;
Steve Pen-su-wau, US Marshal Service, 1891;
William Pitts, US Marshal Service, 1890;
John Poorbear, Fort Gibson Police Department, 1890;
Josiah Poorboy, US Marshal Service, 1891;
Harry L. Potter, Beaver County Sheriff’s Office, 1971;
Richard H. Pratt, Gore Police Department, 1927;
Marion Prickett, US Marshal Service , 1890;
Bud Pursley, US Marshal Service, 1884;
Ezekiel M. Putnam, Allen Police Department, 1909;
Robert Reed, US Marshal Service, 1889;
William T. Reynolds, Chandler Police Department, 1926;
William W. Roberts, Comanche County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office, 1948;
Ralph Robinson, Rock Island Railroad Police, 1926;
William Roland, Shidler Police Department, 1927;
Wendell R. Rowan, Wright City Police Department, 1980;
Running Eagle, Pawnee Tribal Police Department, 1891;
Running Over Water, Ponca Tribal Police Department, 1908;
Sherman Russell, US Marshal Service, 1893 ;
John H. Scott, Quinton Police Department, 1918;
George W. Selvidge, US Marshal Service, 1872;
David Sizemore, US Marshal Service, 1890;
Donald W. Smiley, Texhoma Police Department, 1983;
Warren N. Smith, Bokchito Police Department, 1951;
James D. Snider, Osage County Sheriff’s Office, 1921;
Charles C. Starr, Braggs Police Department, 1916;
George C. Starr, Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, 1912;
Charles H. Stricker, Commerce Police Department, 1919;
Jeff Surratt, San Bois County Sheriff’s Office, 1900;
J. H. Swinford, Kiefer Police Department, 1909;
Homer Teaff, Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, 1922;
William C. Temple, Anadarko Police Department, 1910;
Oscar M. Terry, Creek County Sheriff’s Office, 1913;
Albert Turner, Wilburton Police Department , 1909;
William C. Turner, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 1935;
Thomas E. Tyus, Creek County Sheriff’s Office, 1911;
John Wall, Tatums Police Department, 1923;
James Ward, US Marshal Service, 1872;
James Ward, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, 1919;
Charles T. Warner, US Marshal Service, 1935;
Thomas Whitehead, US Marshal Service, 1891;
Adam Wilkins, Choctaw Tribal Police, 1920;
William O. Wilkins, Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office, 1924;
Jim Williams, US Marshal Service, 1889;
William Williams, Bismark Police Department, 1916;
Sore Lip Willie, US Marshal Service, 1889;
Charles B. Wilson, US Marshal Service, 1884;
J. C. Wilson, Weleetka Police Department, 1932;
Riley Woods, US Marshal Service, 1872;
Pleasant Yargee, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, 1909;
Thomas Young, US Marshal Service, 1882.

For more information on these officers or any of the almost eight hundred (800) law enforcement officers who have died in Oklahoma go to www.oklemem.com