Story and photos by Darl DeVault

One of the most family-oriented organized bicycle rides in the state kicks off at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, August 15 at Mitch Park, 1501 W. Covell Rd. in Edmond, offering three distances starting in the 133-acre park. The park features several family friendly playgrounds including handicap accessible facilities, multi-use trails, basketball courts, pavilions, picnic tables, and grills.
Begun in 1973, and moved to Mitch Park in 2008, the Oklahoma Bicycle Society Streak has evolved into a family event using one of Edmond’s premier parks as a base. It has undergone changes in location, name and sponsorship, but continues as a cycling community premiere family event. (story continues below)

“I signed up for the 40-mile route because I always have a good time at the Streak,” said Dixie Duff, a retired OKC nurse who has ridden the Streak dozens of times. “There is something for everyone and it’s nice to be able to do something different besides the River Trails, Lake Overholser, and Lake Hefner. The rides are challenging and well supported with several rest stops.”
Organizers emphasize the Streak will go on rain or shine and is not a race. No times will be kept or posted. What is posted are the names of registered riders winning the door prize raffles. Please check the prize board after the ride. Riders must be present to win—no prizes will be mailed.
The ride has been going on for so long seniors have come to see it as an opportunity to help introduce their grandkids to an organized ride. All youth riders (ages 12-18) must be accompanies by an adult rider.
Multiple rest stops with rest rooms are open until 1 p.m. on the half hilly 100K, 40- and 25-mile routes. Download the maps from the OBS site, RideWithGPS maps are available at the 2021 OBS Streak Web Page. Fluids and snack foods will be available in the rest stops. SAG (Support and Gear) support will be provided.
Online Registration is $35 (Discounted to $30 for current OBS members – online only). Online registration closes at midnight on Thursday, August 12.
Day of event registration begins at 6 a.m. at Mitch Park. The Edmond Downtown Community Center at 28 E Main St. offers early registration and packet pickup on Saturday, August 14, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The first 300 riders are guaranteed event T-shirts.
Proceeds from the OBS Streak are used to supply helmets for kids who receive bikes from the Salvation Army Buck$ 4 Bikes program for Christmas.
Day of event registration fees are Adult Rider: $40, – Tandem/Tri, Captain: $40, – Tandem/Tri Stoker: $20, – Accompanied Youth (12-18 Yr. Old): $20
The OBS is a not-for-profit group dedicated to the promotion of bicycle safety. It supports bicycling in all its forms and the furtherance of the sport by defending the rights of bicyclists.
OBS organizes weekly rides all year for riders of all levels. See their web site for more information: www.OklahomaBicycleSociety.com which has a link to the Streak registration online.
For the latest news on the club activities, upcoming rides throughout the state and to further the enjoyment of bicycling, the club has a monthly newsletter, The Pathfinder, online. The club asks seniors to consider joining the OBS to help keep bicycling safe.

The 49th Annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition and Sale will display the 264-piece collection of original paintings and sculpture at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum through August 8, 2021. The works displayed in Prix de West are available for purchase and will not be on display to the public again once the exhibition closes.
For more information on Prix de West and the artists, visit nationalcowboymuseum.org/prix-de-west.

Story by Darl Devault, Contributing Editor

In the afterglow of the Tokyo Olympics their canoe/kayak medalists and world champions will compete under the lights Saturday at the 2021 ICF Canoe Sprint Super Cup August 21 at Riversport on the Oklahoma River. The free event’s world-class paddlers will be competing for both medals and prize money in the first internationally televised night event being beamed to Europe and China.
“To host this international competition right after the Olympics is a huge honor for Oklahoma City and an exciting opportunity for Oklahomans,” said David Holt, Oklahoma City Mayor.
The free entry ICF Super Cup is 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, with prime seating at the Boathouse District’s Finish Line Tower terrace as the centerpiece of a multi-day race event. It will be a fast-paced event designed to fit the 90-minute TV format.
The Oklahoma Paddlesport Festival will include a World Party, the American Canoe Association (ACA) 2021 Slalom and Sprint National Championships. The weekend also features the USO Experience, a three-day expo event expected to attract thousands of military members and their families from across the region.
“Oklahoma City is known for our hospitality and for all Riversport offers in the Boathouse District,” said Mike Knopp, Riversport executive director. “It’s unique in the world for a city to have both flatwater sprint and whitewater slalom in the same venue. We’re looking forward to sharing this with paddling enthusiasts around the globe.” (story continues below)

The invitational event will be held at Riversport, a $100M outdoor sports and recreation venue in the city’s Boathouse District. In its 15th year of making sports history, the venue is the only permanently lit flatwater course in the world. Completed in 2013, the permanent racecourse lighting along the river was another integral part of the MAPS 3 Oklahoma River improvements,
Spectators’ participation is encouraged to help bolster the new sport of Xtreme Slalom which, will debut at the Paris Olympics in 2024. The ICF Canoe Slalom Ranking Race features top slalom athletes in three boats at a time dropping 12 feet into whitewater, then paddling head-to-head in completing turns, combat rolls and other maneuvers in racing to the finish
“The ICF is extremely excited and proud that Oklahoma City will host the ICF’s Canoe Sprint Super Cup in 2021,” said Simon Toulson, ICF secretary general. “This event brings together only the best athletes in our sport to fight for cash prizes in the amazing river setting of Oklahoma. The night finals are going to be quite unique with a large audience which adds to the important role Oklahoma plays in the sport of Canoe on a world stage. We are indebted to Riversport and the supporters of this event to persevere through the pandemic to host this event”
The 350m sprint distance allows sprint paddlers to take on endurance athletes in the sport. Riversport’s rare course lighting gives these elite athletes an opportunity to race at night. The event, so soon after the Olympics, promises to help keep them in world-class fitness as they prepare for this year’s ICF canoe sprint world championships in September in Copenhagen.
“This event will feature the world’s greatest athletes in canoe/kayak competing under the lights on television around the world at one of the world’s greatest venues for canoe/kayak,” said Mayor Holt. “Let me also add, these Olympians will not have had crowds at the Olympics due to the COVID situation in Japan, so we want to show up and give them the cheers they deserve to hear.”
The weekend will also include an Extreme Slalom demonstration event and the ICF Super Cup Sprint Portage race. The Extreme Slalom whitewater demonstration event will be Friday, August 20 at 7 p.m., in Riversport’s whitewater center rapids. The Super Cup Sprint Portage race will be held Saturday at 10:00 a.m. on the Oklahoma River. The 800m race involves racers paddling a short distance, docking, running with their boats and then re-entering the water to finish the race.
Riversport is working in partnership with the International Canoe Federation, the State of Oklahoma, the Chickasaw Nation and First Americans Museum, Inasmuch Foundation and the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau to host the event. The public is invited to attend the World Party honoring international athletes and coaches. It will be held Friday, August 20, 7 to 10 p.m., in the McClendon Whitewater Center and will feature the Extreme Slalom demonstration event. Tickets are $35 and may be bought online at ICF World Party – Riversport OKC
“We encourage everyone to come out for the ICF Super Cup,” Knopp said. “This is a unique opportunity to see Olympic and World Champions in some of the most exciting races ever staged.”
Riversport is known as an innovator is both Olympic sports and outdoor recreation. The nonprofit Riversport Foundation has developed Oklahoma City’s Boathouse District. It has evolved into one of the world’s premier urban outdoor adventure and water sports venues. It regularly hosts national and international races in both rowing and canoe/kayak. Located at America’s crossroads, the Boathouse District features iconic architecture, world-class adventure sports and recreation, and powerful programming for all ages.
It is an official US Olympic and Paralympic Training Site and a model for other communities to embrace bold ideas and bolster outdoor culture.
The International Canoe Federation is the umbrella organization for all national canoe organizations worldwide. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and administers all aspects of canoe sport worldwide.
The full schedule for the weekend events is available online at: Oklahoma PaddleSports Festival – Riversport OKC

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

Seeking Help

Dear Seeking,
Medicare covers a wide variety of part-time or intermittent in-home health care services to beneficiaries in need, if they meet Medicare’s criteria. Here’s how it works.
In order for your husband to secure coverage for home health care, Medicare first requires that he be homebound. This means that it must be extremely difficult for him to leave home, and he needs help doing so either from another person or medical device like a cane, wheelchair, walker or crutches.
He will then need to have a face-to-face meeting with his doctor to get a home health certification confirming that he needs skilled-nursing care or skilled-therapy services from a physical or speech therapist on a part-time basis.
His doctor can also request the services of an occupational therapist and a personal care aide to assist with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and using the bathroom. His doctor must renew and certify his home health plan every 60 days.
He will also need to use a home health agency that is certified by Medicare.
If he meets all of the requirements, Medicare should pay for his in-home health care.
But be aware that Medicare will not pay for personal care aide services (for bathing, dressing, using the bathroom, etc.) alone if he does not need skilled-nursing or skilled-therapy services too. Homemaker services, such as shopping, meal preparation and cleaning are not covered either.
If your husband has original Medicare, you can locate a Medicare-certified home health agency by calling 800-633-4227 or by visiting Medicare.gov/care-compare. If he has a Medicare Advantage plan, you should contact his plan directly and ask which home health agencies work with the plan and are within the plan’s network of providers.
For more detailed information on how Medicare covers in-home health, see the “Medicare and Home Health Care” online booklet at
Medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10969-Medicare-and-Home-Health-Care.pdf.
Other Options: If your husband does not qualify for Medicare home health care coverage, there are other coverage options depending on your situation. Here are several that may apply to you:
Insurance: If you happen to have long-term care insurance, check to see if it covers in-home care. Or if you have a life insurance policy, see if it can be utilized to pay for care.
Medicaid: If your income is low, your husband may qualify for Medicaid, which offers different home and community-based services that can pay for in-home care. To investigate this, contact your local Medicaid office.
Also see if PACE – which stands for “Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly” – is available in your area (see NPAonline.org). PACE provides in-home care, including help with activities of daily living, such as meals, dental and medical care, among other benefits.
Veterans Benefits: If your husband is a veteran, the VA also offers some benefits that can help. Two programs to inquire about are “Aid and Attendance or Housebound Allowances” and the “Veteran-Directed Care” program. Both programs provide monthly financial benefits to eligible veterans that can help pay for in-home care. To learn more, contact your regional VA benefit office (see Benefits.va.gov/benefits/offices.asp or call 800–827–1000).
To look for these and other programs in your area that can help pay your husband’s home care, go to PayingForSeniorCare.com and click on “Find Financial Assistance for Care” to access their Eldercare Financial
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

“We have seen a 34% increase in childbirths at Mercy in the last 10 years,” said Jim Gebhart, community president of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. “We want to be able to serve every pregnant mom and newborn that needs us, but the reality is that our existing facility is not designed to support our current volume of patients. We simply need more space.”
Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City was built in the 1970s and the existing Mercy BirthPlace was designed to handle around 3,000 births a year. Nearly 4,000 babies were delivered annually at the hospital over the last two years.
“Our physicians and nursing staff are incredible, and they’re always looking for creative ways to serve more patients with the kind of compassionate care they’ve come to expect from Mercy,” said Dr. Chad Smith, obstetrician-gynecologist and chief medical officer at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. “They know the need for this new facility better than anyone, and they are just so excited to see this dream finally become a reality.”
The Love Family Women’s Center will be a 175,000-square-foot, four-story building on the campus of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City. It will feature an obstetrics emergency department staffed by obstetricians.
Three large Caesarean section suites located in the women’s center will connect to the hospital on the first floor via the existing hospital surgery suite. This strategic design allows for quick, safe access to additional services if there are any medical emergencies during delivery.
“We looked at a number of different options and locations for a new facility over the years and ultimately decided this really is the best of both worlds for patients,” said Dr. Donald Rahhal, longtime Oklahoma City obstetrician-gynecologist and former medical director of Mercy BirthPlace. “Patients will have the easy, convenient access a free-standing structure provides while also having immediate access to all the services a hospital provides in case of any kind of emergency.”
Postpartum rooms will be on the third floor of the women’s center that connects to the hospital via a skybridge. This allows moms of babies needing a higher level of care to have direct elevator access to the neonatal intensive care unit on the fifth floor.
The new state-of-the-art facility will also feature Oklahoma’s first hospital-based low intervention birthing unit. The unit will be run by accredited midwives who are also registered nurses in collaboration with obstetricians. The program will offer the option of a low intervention birth with access to a higher level of care under the same roof if issues arrive during labor and delivery.
Mercy will serve women of all ages at the Love Family Women’s Center, including a dedicated area for women recovering from surgeries. Outpatient therapy services, specifically pelvic floor therapy, will also be offered. A large conference center will host support groups and classes on everything from childbirth, infant care, CPR and more.
A large portion of this project was generously funded through Mercy Health Foundation Oklahoma City. It is the largest fundraising campaign in the history of Mercy. The Tom and Judy Love family gave a $10 million lead donation to this project. Campaign co-chairs Judy Love and Cathy Keating led the way in raising more than $30 million toward the $40 million fundraising goal.
“Judy Love and Cathy Keating dedicated themselves to helping us serve more patients and raised an incredible amount of money during a pandemic and worldwide economic uncertainty,” Gebhart said. “We simply could not have done this without them, and our Oklahoma City community is better because they are a part of it.”
Just the facts: * Construction expected to be complete in fall 2023
* 175,000-square-foot, four story building on the campus of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City
* 73 patient rooms
* Obstetrics emergency department
* Oklahoma’s first hospital-based low intervention birthing center led by midwives
* Direct access to NICU in the hospital via a skybridge on the third floor
* Community services including educational classes, support groups and community events

In a sunny Tuesday morning ceremony, National Cowboy Museum president, board members and supporters broke ground on the newest phase of Museum expansions, the Meinders Event Lawn & Garden and additional parking structures.
“Phase II of our Capital Campaign has required a lot of hard work and coordination by many, many partners,” said National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum President and CEO Natalie Shirley at the ceremony. “First and foremost, we have to thank Herman and LaDonna Meinders for their support. Without it we would not be able to create this wonderful garden that will soon grace the front of the Museum. What you see now is asphalt, but in just a few short months, you are going to see something lush, green and beautiful.”
In addition to the new garden and event lawn, Phase II of the expansion plan includes a parking garage and terraced, uncovered parking spaces on Museum grounds, as well as a refresh of the Sam Noble Special Events Center.
“We have had a dream of solving several issues to bring this museum to a higher level,” said Larry Nichols, Museum Board Member and Chairman of the Capital Campaign, in a speech at the ceremony. “We need more parking, we need covered parking, we need a better entrance, and we need additional spaces for people to gather.”
The Meinders Event Lawn & Garden, made possible by a generous donation from Herman and LaDonna Meinders, will include walking paths, an event lawn and a butterfly garden.
Construction on the garden and additional parking is the second phase in a three-phase plan to beautify and improve the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. The first phase of expansions produced Liichokoshkomo’, the Museum’s 100,000 square foot outdoor play-based learning addition including native dwellings and STEAM learning opportunities.

by Greg Schwem

It never fails. All the good Father’s Day gift ideas appear after the holiday.
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I loved the barbecue tools and swimmer’s headphones that my wife and daughters gifted me last month. But had I paid more attention to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ space quest, my wish list might have looked very different.
Bezos, we all know by now, recently completed a short journey to space aboard something called the New Shepard rocket. Named for first man in space Alan Shepard and launched on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the craft returned safely and intact, allowing Bezos to resume duties as the world’s richest individual.
The capsule was completely automated, allowing Bezos and his three passengers to do absolutely nothing during the ride other than admire the views, the strongest evidence yet that space tourism could soon be a real thing.
As long as tourists are willing to climb into something that, no matter how you try and sugarcoat it, resembles the male phallus.
The design was confirmed by millions on social media who used it as additional fodder to unload on Bezos and his desire to spend billions on space travel while so many Americans live below the poverty line.
Seethe in anger all you want, Bezos haters. I will reserve judgement and applaud Bezos’ efforts, provided he agrees to run Blue Origin, his space exploration company, the same way he runs Amazon: Enable consumers to purchase whatever product their heart desires affordably and conveniently.
Admit it, isn’t that why we all use Amazon? We know that no matter what material good we see in a store, it can most likely be found cheaper on Amazon. We execute a few mouse clicks and then wait excitedly for whatever we ordered to arrive on our front porch. Well, we’re not always excited; the toilet brushes I recently ordered filled me with no adrenal rush whatsoever.
Bottom line? I want my own spacecraft, and I’m counting on Bezos to deliver it to me. I have ample room in my backyard to set up the launchpad. The area is also free of trees and power lines, ensuring a safe and unencumbered launch of my new spaceship.
Bezos’ three-person crew included a family member, his brother Mark. My only sibling lives eight hours away, but my wife enjoys quick getaways. Then again, she would probably prefer a little peace and quiet in the house, even if only for a quarter hour. So, I’ll leave her behind and ask a few of my male friends from the neighborhood. At least one needs to bring beer. Again, since computers will guide us through of our journey, there is no need to select a designated driver.
Once we return, we will have the ultimate excuse for laying on the couch and doing positively nothing. For as long as we desire. Demands that we get up and mow the lawn, take out the garbage or fold the laundry will be met with, “Hey, I was just in space!”
So, Jeff, please make good on my requests before late September, as my birthday falls at that time. Christmas at the latest. I have big plans for my spaceship in 2022.
Oh, and I’d also like free shipping.
(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)

In person meetings scheduled to begin in August. Hearing Loss Association of America Central Oklahoma Chapter (HLAA COC) is happy to announce that beginning with the Ice Cream Social in August face to face meetings will once again be held monthly and are open to the public. No admission charge. Meetings are on the third Thursday, 11:30 – 1PM, each month beginning in September. Meetings are held at the Will Rogers Garden Center Exhibition Hall, 3400 NW 36. The Ice Cream Social, August 15, 2-4PM, will host the introduction of HLAA COC scholarship recipients, the inauguration of new chapter officers, and official announcement of programs for the remainder of the year. In the past, the Ice Cream Social was a ‘pot luck’ event but with current conditions, the chapter will offer individually portioned treats, all at no charge.
Speakers and programs announced: September, Dr Patricia Burke, head of newborn screening in Oklahoma. October, Lezley Bell discussing the free telephone and service offered by Caption Call. In November, chapter members Tony & Sharon Howard’s fantastical players with skits, hints, & tricks for managing family gatherings and parties for the holidays will be seen. The December meeting will host the annual Christmas party. Everyone is invited if you have hearing loss, know someone who does, or are interested in the overall health of Oklahoma City residents. HLAA COC is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization with no paid employees. HLAA COC has been active for 29 years assisting Oklahomans with hearing loss to live better in a hearing world. Please look at Facebook, www.facebook.com/OklaHearingLoss, visit our website at www.OklahomaHearingLoss.org, or check out our new YouTube page: Oklahoma Hearing Helpers Room.

Story by Bobby Anderson, RN

Oklahoma’s assisted living providers are set to gather later this month for the first time since Covid-19 in what Melissa Holland hopes to be a celebration and a learning event that will benefit Oklahomans.
The Oklahoma Assisted Living Association’s 2021 convention and trade show will be held Aug. 24-26 at RiverSpirit Casino Resort in Tulsa.
This year’s theme will be OKALA’s Roaring to Kick Off a New Decade with a 1920s flapper theme.
Melissa Holland, OKALA’s executive director, said this industry-only event will afford the opportunity for members to interact for the first time since Covid-19 in a comfortable, fun environment to share and learn best practices to serve the state’s assisted living population.
“We’re really excited because it will be an in-person event, back to our annual educational and trade show event,” Holland said. “We’ll have educational sessions for our administrators, nurses, activity directors, dietary, marketing and maintenance so they can come and get a lot of good education courses based on some of the needs they have expressed.”
Former University of Tulsa Head Football Coach and Oklahoma Senator Dave Rader will help kick off the event with a session on team building.
Holland said she frequently receives member requests on how to build strong, more cohesive staff units to better serve residents and Rader is one of the best in the field.
Having coached college football for four decades, Rader is best known for his 12 seasons as head coach of the University of Tulsa. At age 29 he was the youngest offensive coordinator in the Southeastern Conference. Then his alma mater made him the youngest head coach at the time in Division I NCAA football at the age of 31.
Awarded the NCAA District Coach of the Year honor in 1991 after his Freedom Bowl Champion University of Tulsa team finished 22nd in the national polls, he was appointed to the American Football Coaches Association Ethics Committee, and served as the representative of Independent Universities to the now defunct College Football Association.
Many of his student athletes went on to play in the NFL including seven quarterbacks, and many more to productive careers outside of athletics. His Tulsa teams consistently graduated at a higher rate than the university body in general.
He is honored to be a member of four Halls of Fame.
Walt Disney World/Epcot Center and Marriott Hotels alum Toni Fisk will present on her newly-released book #dinewithdignity Unlocking the Mystery of Dementia and Dining. Fisk brings her 35 years in the food and hospitality to bear in tackling an often overlooked senior issue.
The book focuses on the role of care partners and provides insight and tips on ways to maximize enjoyment in the dining environment while answering “the questions that you didn’t know to ask.”
Holland said information will be presented on the Covid-19 vaccine and separating fact from fiction in today’s fragmented media environment.
The pandemic stretched providers in a number of directions in their efforts to keep residents and staff safe.
Holland said her members continued to rise to the occasion.
“They have been phenomenal. They really have,” Holland said. “They have been amazing. When they were locked down I was able to send them ideas and (information) to help them. I”ve never had so many thank-you’s in this last year-and-a-half.”
Assisted Living was founded on a resident-centered philosophy to enable choice, preserve dignity, encourage independence, and promote quality of life.
Assisted living communities offer supportive amenities, service and care in a residential setting with the comforts of home. Assisted living communities have a staff available 24/7 to assist with care, safety and support. When you have seen one assisted living community, you have just seen one. They come in all different shapes and sizes, and offer a variety of features, amenities and prices.
The association offers a number of resources to help you make an informed decision when evaluating the state’s 170 assisted living communities. You can visit their website at okala.org or call them at 405-235-5000.

* *Includes 27 pediatric hospitalizations.
**Focus, Rehabilitation and Tribal Facilities numbers are not assigned to a specific region as their patient populations reside across the state. Information provided through survey of Oklahoma hospitals as reported to HHS as of the time of this report. Response rate affects data. Facilities may update previously reported information as necessary.
Data Source: Acute Disease Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health. *As of 2021-07-29 at 7:00 a.m.