Do you have a loved one in a nursing facility that needs assistance transitioning back into the community? Oklahoma Living Choice Program may be what you are looking for. The Oklahoma Living Choice Program assists Oklahomans wanting to transition out of a nursing home and back into the community in a residence of their own. The populations served are individuals 65 and over, and individuals 19 and up with a physical disability.
To qualify for the Oklahoma Living Choice Program one should meet the following:
* Be at least 19 years of age
* Qualify for SoonerCare (Oklahoma’s Medicaid Program) for at least one day prior to transition
* Have lived in an institutional setting (nursing home) for at least 60 consecutive days
* Voluntarily want to transition back into the community
* Be willing to play an active role in his/her plan of care
Depending on the individual’s needs there are many services that the Oklahoma Living Choice Program offers, such as: assistance finding a new home, home delivered meals, transportation, skilled nursing, therapy services, personal care, medication management, and there are transitional funds (a one-time allotment of up to $2,400).
Anyone can refer a potential individual that resides in a nursing home for the Oklahoma Living Choice Program by accessing the online referral form http://www.okhca.org/ReferralHome.aspx?ref=LC
If you need more information or have questions about the Oklahoma Living Choice Program you can contact 888-287-2443 or email Oklahoma.livingchoice@okhca.org
If you have a loved one in a Long-Term Care facility and have any questions regarding any concerns you may have, you can contact an ombudsman to assist you.
Areawide Aging Agency Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program advocates for the needs of residents in LTC facilities serving Canadian, Cleveland, Logan, and Oklahoma Counties. You may contact us at (405)942-8500.

The American Nurses Association (ANA), representing the interests of the nation’s 4.2 million registered nurses, supports health care employers mandating nurses and all health care personnel to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in alignment with current recommendations for immunization by public health officials.
Increasing circulation of new variants, lagging COVID-19 vaccination rates, and continued public skepticism calls for nurses to uphold their professional and ethical obligations to model the same prevention measures as their patients. For our nation to maintain the momentum of recovery efforts from this persistent pandemic, enough individuals and communities must get vaccinated to reduce the risk of further infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.
“The scientific rigor to swiftly develop effective COVID-19 vaccines and the monumental efforts to ensure all Americans get vaccinated is nothing short of amazing. Vaccination is both a significant public health victory and a scientifically proven strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent the loss of more American lives,” said ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN. “As the largest group of health care professionals, nurses are critical to all facets of COVID-19 response efforts and must strive to remain physically and psychologically safe to function optimally to care for themselves, their patients and their communities. Nurses must get vaccinated.”
ANA’s decision to support COVID-19 vaccine mandates for nurses aligns with its longstanding position on immunizations, which emphasizes that effective protection of the public health mandates that all individuals receive immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases. ANA also believes that the safety profile of authorized COVID-19 vaccines is stable and has included the three COVID-19 vaccines being administered under the Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization. ANA maintains its stance to not support philosophical or religious exemptions as reasons not to get vaccinated.
“A significant number of nurses working in a variety of health care settings across the nation have diligently fulfilled their ethical duty to protect themselves, their colleagues, patients and loved ones by getting a COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Grant. “We would absolutely be remiss to not acknowledge these nurses and applaud them for leading the charge and setting an example for their patients.”
In a survey of over 22,000 nurses conducted by the American Nurses Foundation between January 19 and February 16, 70% of nurses said they had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. Most recently, in a survey of over 4,500 nurses conducted by the COVID-19 Facts For Nurses Campaign between April 12 and May 4, 83% of nurses reported that they had received the recommended dose regimen of two COVID-19 vaccine shots.
Nurses might desire more understanding about the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines as they decide whether to get vaccinated and there are legitimate reasons that a nurse might decide not to take the COVID-19 vaccine, such as severe allergies, compromised immune systems, and other serious health conditions. ANA will continue to provide all nurses education and resources to guide their understanding and consideration of COVID-19 vaccines.

Story by Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer

Just for Seniors is a licensed companion-sitter agency providing services to help families care for aging loved-ones. We provide a variety of “rent-a-daughter” services that help fill-in for families when busy schedules will not allow. Our goal is to keep the seniors you love living safely and comfortably at home without the need for a care facility.
Our passion is getting seniors out of the house and engaged in the community while they still can. We love working with seniors to find fun and stimulating activities that get them excited and improve their quality of life. (story continues below)

Just for Seniors has been in business since August 20, 2012. Deborah Wallace started the business because her mom needed someone to help her. “It was after my dad passed away, my mom had several small strokes and could no longer drive. I was working at Chesapeake at the time so taking time off during the day was very challenging. Trying to handle things in the evenings and weekends was exhausting. I was also very concerned that she was spending most of her time in the house watching TV. I wanted her to at least get a change of scenery on a routine basis. I needed someone to take her to the beauty shop every week and to lunch a couple days a week. I needed someone to take her grocery shopping and run errands so I didn’t have to do it on my time off. All the commercial options we found had a three to four hours service minimum. That was more action than she could handle. Ultimately, we were able to find someone privately to help her, but I knew there was a need,” Deborah explained.
Currently, we are the only Just for Seniors; we are not a franchise. There are six part-time employees, five in the OKC metro area and one in Stillwater. Officially, they are called, Just for Seniors Associates. “Unofficially, they are called, Rent-a-Daughter/Son,” Deborah said with a smile. “We have approximately ninety clients signed up to use our service. Roughly, thirty to forty people use us each month.”
Deborah grew up in Oklahoma. “My dad was a Methodist minister so we moved around Oklahoma every three to four years. I was born in Lawton and lived in Chickasha, Choctaw, Hugo, OKC, Weatherford, Pryor and Guymon before graduating OU in 1988. I moved to Houston, staying there until 2007 when I returned to OKC to help my parents. That was quite a few moves! I currently live in Bethany and plan on staying here for a while,” she said.
Starting high school in Weatherford, OK, Deborah graduated high school in Pryor, OK. She earned her undergrad BBA in Management Information Systems from OU. She earned her graduate MBA in Finance and International Business via night school from the University of Houston.
Deborah wears many hats as a business owner and says that each day is dramatically different. “After spending twenty-five years in an office, I try to spend as little time as possible in the office now,” she said. “My office time is usually focused on accounting and administrative activities,” Deborah said. “I am the primary marketer so I am responsible for networking and marketing activities. I work with families to find resources that address their loved ones needs. I still do some caregiving so I might be helping a client with something,” she added.
Asking Deborah what her biggest reward is from Just for Seniors, she replied, “Helping a senior solve a problem that be a challenge for them could be something easy for me or an associate. Sometimes, resolving little issues can make a huge difference in the quality of someone’s life. That brings me satisfaction that I never felt during my twenty-five years in corporate America. I love working with the seniors and knowing that they are being taken care of.”
“Finding good Senior Associates is something we are looking for each day. We are growing quickly and we are always looking for new associates in certain parts of town. It is a challenge to find people of the right fit.”
On a personal note, Deborah likes spending time with her wonderful husband, Steve. “We don’t have any human children but we try to save as many dogs as possible. We currently have a crazy rescued Pomeranian.”
For more information visit: www.justforseniorsok.com.

On Friday, August 13, at noon the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore will host a wreath-laying ceremony and flyover to mark the anniversary of the August 15, 1935, death of Will Rogers and Wiley Post in an Alaskan plane crash. The grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Herb McSpadden—relatives of Will Rogers—are invited guests. Pilot and museum Roper docent Tom Egbert will fly the plane for the flyover. The public is welcome to join in viewing the flyover and the wreath laying at the site of Will Rogers’s tomb, overlooking the town of Claremore.
For more information about this event, please call 918-341-0719 or visit willrogers.com. The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is located at 1720 W. Will Rogers Blvd. in Claremore.
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.

Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) announced a 20% retroactive rate increase for Community Living, Aging and Protective Services (CAP) and Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS) waivered services providers. These interventions, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), are retroactive back to Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2020. Pending approval by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority board, OKDHS is seeking additional interventions for the periods Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2021 and April 1 through June 30, 2021. The first payment will be sent in Aug. 2021, with subsequent payments made in 90 day increments.
Home and Community Based Waiver Services (HCBS) include a comprehensive array of services including case management, residential, employment and habilitation services and supports for individuals three years of age or older. HCBS uses a person-centered planning approach where an individual’s team assesses the needs of the individual and develops an annual plan of care to address those needs. Waivers allow the state to offer community-based services as an alternative to institutional or nursing facility services, increasing independence and quality of life for the service recipients.
Waivered services providers are also currently experiencing significant workforce shortages to serve HCBS customers. Higher wages offered by businesses competing for the same labor pool is a primary contributor to the HCBS labor shortage, and the lack of qualified and skilled labor has significantly increased over time, increasing provider costs.
“We are grateful for the retroactive increase as it will help fill the gap in our budget,” said Robin Arter, Executive Director at Think Ability, Inc. “It is a much needed relief in our efforts in supporting Oklahomans with developmental disabilities.”
These temporary add-on payments will help bolster services and address this short-term shortage of qualified staff, allowing providers to meet their immediate needs while OKDHS conducts a rate study to develop a strategy for a permanent solution.
“Our waivered services providers have done a phenomenal job in serving aging Oklahomans and individuals with developmental disabilities in their own homes and communities during a really challenging time,” said Samantha Galloway, OKDHS Chief of Staff and Operations. “These additional funds are a vital, yet short term, intervention to help providers mitigate workforce issues while a longer term solution is developed. We are equally excited about the opportunity to invest additional dollars in things that have a real and immediate impact on people’s quality of life, such as eyeglasses, dental and hearing aid services in a big way that is beyond what has been available in our single year budget historically.”
In addition to the retroactive rate increases, both CAP and DDS will also offer a one-time initiative to purchase eyeglasses and hearing aids, propose development of model smart homes, expand assistive technologies, offer staff education and direct support staff professional development programs, among many initiatives intended to strengthen supports for older Oklahomans and individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
To learn more about OKDHS’ Developmental Disabilities Services, including Home and Community Based Waiver Services, visit https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs/services/dd/developmental-disabilities-services.html. To apply for services, visit https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs/services/dd/areacontactinfo.html.
To learn more about OKDHS’ CAP, including the Advantage Waiver program, or to apply for services, visit https://oklahoma.gov/okdhs/services/cap/advantage-services.html.

By Steven Sibley, MBA/Healthcare Administration

On August 1st, 2021 I turned 65. Like every American, I needed to make a decision about Medicare. Timeline for that decision is 3 months before the month of your 65th birthday, through the 3 months after your birth month. Fortunately, my wife and I are Medicare agents, so I was well prepared for this decision. Unfortunately, most veterans, whether on Tricare, VA care or both are not. It’s training we never really received. I know, I was in the military for 36 years, 15 Active and 21 Reserve and served in both the Air Force and Army. I retired from the Active Reserve at age 61. During my last two years of service, I attended multiple Transition Assistance courses on retiring from Active Duty and the Reserve. You can leave the service and still not know how the healthcare really works, whether you only did 4 years or 20, and you certainly won’t remember by the time you turn 65.
You see, they really don’t teach you enough about this process while you are in the service. For me, the education came after I retired and decided on a career as a Medicare agent. Now, I want to share that information with every veteran I know who has Tricare, VA care or both, who is qualified for Medicare. In my case, I have the ultimate in health care coverage. I retired in September of 2017 with Tricare Prime and eventually a 100% VA disability rating. In addition, I am married to a healthcare provider. That being said, at age 65, Tricare changes. (story continues below)

If you are a retired veteran, under the age of 65, you typically have Tricare, the health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families around the world. It provides comprehensive coverage to all beneficiaries, including: Health plans, Prescriptions and Dental plans and it’s managed by the Defense Health Agency. When you turn 65, this changes to Tricare for Life (TFL). TFL combines Original Medicare Part A, Hospitalization (inpatient) coverage, Medicare Part B, Primary Care (outpatient) coverage which essentially only covers about 80% of the cost of your care, with TFL provided as a zero premium “wrap around” coverage for the 20% of non-covered Medicare benefits plus Prescription Drug coverage. Also, TFL is administered by Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS) not the government.
Here is the point of my message, Veterans can miss out on additional benefits because they are unaware of their eligibility for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans or Medicare Part C. These plans work with TFL to provide even more benefits than Original Medicare, which may include vision and dental, that TFL clients must pay for in addition to their TFL plan. These MA plans may also include Medicare Part B premium reductions, and additional wellness benefits like gym memberships and over-the-counter (OTC) benefits. If you are on or going to become eligible for TFL, you need to learn about these plans, so please call me.
If you have VA care, regardless of your rating, you too can benefit from a Part C plan because of the additional benefits they may offer which are not covered by Original Medicare or the VA.
Call us at Sibley Insures and get the training and information you need to make a better more affordable decision about your healthcare when you get on Medicare. Sibleyinsures.com, 405-850-1569.

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.

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

By James Coburn, Staff Writer

If you told Ryan Bell when he attended nursing school that he would be a hospice nurse, he would have thought you were “off your rocker”.
Today, Bell is more than content and gratefully enriched by serving as the Regional Director of Operations at Kindful Hospice in Oklahoma City.
“Once I got into it, I fell in love with it,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to do anything different. I don’t foresee myself ever going into any other line of nursing.”
Bell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism before switching careers. He has primarily worked in hospice for nine years since graduating from nursing school from Metro Technology Center in Oklahoma City.
“We started Kindful about three years ago,” Bell said of what was once a small mom-and-pop, pre-existing hospice in Norman and Ada with 11 patients.
Now Kindful Hospice has grown to serve nearly 300 hospice patients with comfort and compassion. Nobody is treated as a number at Kindful Hospice. Patients are treated like family. (story continues below)

“We are one of the ones that actually do,” he emphasized.
His staff are among the most compassionate people he has ever worked with. They give of themselves until one would think they have surpassed their energy level. But they give some more.
“They just pour into our patients an incredible amount of love and compassion towards them,” Bell explained.
Hospice nurses work with what is perhaps the most vulnerable of patient populations. Case manager Vanessa Rodriguez, RN, keeps her spirit strong by having a good foundation with God. To give of oneself as a hospice nurse is totally fulfilling, she said.
“From my experience, we can help them get their wings. They get to meet Jesus — it’s helping them up through the journey,” Rodriguez said. “Taking care of them is really kind of self-care in itself because you get to spend that time with them, connecting with them, and making sure they’re comfortable in the process.”
She also makes sure to invest in activities that fulfill her soul such as hiking with her children. Recently, she has re-established exercise goals as key to stamina. And she is mindful of the need to be empathetic with family members and their loved ones in hospice. COVID-19 was a challenge for family members visiting loved ones outside a window of a long-term care facility. The nursing staff gave kindness so not to be a stranger sitting beside somebody taking their last breath, she said.
“For me it’s having a strong faith and that’s what helps me,” Rodriguez said. “It’s different for everyone, but I thank God every day for the opportunities to help his children.”
Her grandma is what brought her to hospice. She had been working in intensive care units and cardiac. Rodriguez lost both her parents at a young age, so her grandmother was part of her core strength of inspiration. She was 99.
“When she got sick it was hard for me, and she had a hospice nurse — she had a light over her — and I thought that would be the most amazing thing to ever do,” Rodriguez said. “And so, I jumped in — for me it was my grandma. She just touched my life.”
What she reveres the most about Kindful Hospice is knowing patients and family members who open the door of acceptance for her to be part of their lives. Just walking along beside them in their journey is an opportunity to fortify faith.
“Some of them aren’t believers, and that’s fine. So just to help them with were they’re comfortable is to learn something different about each one of them,” she said. “It’s something that helped me grow in just meeting them where they’re at.”
There are different variations among families. Not everyone is able to be with their dying family members when the final second comes. Every experience is different, and Kindful Hospice embraces the opportunity for the staff to give what is needed.
She is available to help educate the probable timeline when asked the toughest question: How long does mom have?
Rodriguez always tries to prepare family members to expect the unexpected, she said.
“We have a trajectory of knowing the signs and symptoms of what we are watching for. I always try to over prepare versus under prepare. Sometimes you miss it, but you do your best.”
Rodriguez tries not to compare patient to one another but individualizes their care plans to meet their needs.
It’s helping each individual patient reach their end-of-life goal. Bereavement coordinators follow the patients’ families for at least 13 months after their loved on passes away. No one is left alone.
An entire interdisciplinary team offers a circle of care, including doctors, nurses, CNAs, chaplains, social workers, and volunteers have one goal in mind.
“That is to provide the best care we possibly can to the people who are put in our path to care for,” Bell said.
For more information about Kindful Hospice and Palliative and Virtual Care visit:
https://kindfulhospice.com.

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)