By Ron Hendricks, Hearing Loss Association of America Central Oklahoma Chapter

Hearing Loss Association of America Central Oklahoma Chapter (HLAA COC) announces the 2022 winner of Hearing Aids! Kelly Miles, who is a retired physician and lives in Oklahoma City, is the winner of ReSound Hearing Aids.
Kelly attributes his hearing loss to three possible factors: he was a premature baby and the fact that as a young child his parents took him to the airport because he loved to listen to the roar of the prop airplanes as they started their engines. One other factor is that he has taken a medicine that is ototoxic.
Kelly reminds us all that the loss of hearing can multiply loneliness many times. He shared a quote from Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who says there is a new epidemic in the world: Loneliness. People need to stay connected and Hearing Loss Association is a wonderful place to meet people and make friends.
Dr. Pam Matthews, owner of Pro Hearing, donated the fitting fee as well as consultations. Pro Hearing treats a variety of adult patients with services such as ear cleanings, hearing testing, hearing aids, hearing aid repair, tinnitus support, and more from one of their two Oklahoma City locations. Keep an eye out because you might see Dr. Pam on the pickle ball court.
HLAA COC holds an educational seminar each month September through May at Will Rogers Garden Exhibition Hall, 11:30 – 1:00. For additional information see our website: oklahomahearingloss.org.

Centenarian is derived from Latin and means “of a hundred.” Centenarian of Oklahoma celebrates the lives of Oklahoma citizens who are “of a hundred” or more.
Centenarian of Oklahoma is a non-profit, volunteer group based in Tulsa, Oklahoma whose sole purpose is to honor and celebrate the lives of our Oklahoma citizens who have reached the age of 100 or more. There is no cost, fee or obligation. It is the only group of its kind in the United States
Each Centenarian is honored with a biographical sketch; a Centenarian of Oklahoma Certificate and a Golden Okie Pin. The group follows up with the Centenarians on their birthdays; at Christmas and with other remembrances during the year.
Since the beginning of this program in 1991 Centenarians of Oklahoma has honored more than 2700 Oklahoma Centenarians. Currently Centenarians of Oklahoma has 281 living honorees. Every effort is being made to locate and honor even more Oklahoma Centenarians.
The group maintains a website at centenariansok.com detailing all their activities. The website includes a video completed in conjunction with the Oklahoma State University 100 Year Life Program, along with statistics and other interesting facts. The Facebook page: Centenarians of Oklahoma highlights current honorees. Permanent records of deceased Centenarians of Oklahoma are archived at the Oklahoma Historical Society and become an honored part of Oklahoma history.
If you know an upcoming Centenarian, or someone who is already a Centenarian, contact the group at:
centenariansofoklahoma@gmail.com, by phone at 918-510-0150, or you may complete the website forms by following the instructions on the form; submit by scanning the form and returning by email or US Mail.

SSM Health at Home is proud to announce the health ministry now offers hospice service to people living in Oklahoma City and surrounding communities including Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties.
On May 26, 2022, SSM Health at Home achieved accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), demonstrating the organization’s commitment to delivering high quality care through compliance with ACHC Accreditation Standards, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Conditions of Participation and Oklahoma state regulations.
“We have been providing home health services to the greater Oklahoma City area for many years. Offering hospice care will allow us to be there for patients throughout their entire health care journey,” said Melody McCormick, Branch Manager for SSM Health at Home’s hospice services in Oklahoma. “Adding hospice services will allow us to focus on providing compassionate care and improve quality of life for our patients at a time when they need it the most.”
“We are honored to expand our services to patients and families who need us at one of the most difficult points in life and are blessed to have a tremendous team of staff ready to provide the best care possible,” said Denise (dg) Gloede, President of Post-Acute at SSM Health.
“Hospice is the ultimate form of comprehensive care at the end of life. It is the combination of exceptional medical service, compassion, dignity and faith. It is an essential part of SSM Health’s ministry and Mission,” said Dr. Waddah Nassar, SSM Health at Home Medical Director and SSM Health Medical Group family practice physician.
To learn more about how hospice care can provide support to you or your family, please call 405-231-3755 or visit ssmhealth.com/athome.

High gas prices prevent some patients from accessing lifesaving care

A single mom with no extra money to fill up the tank to get to her cancer treatments. A 60-year-old man already struggling with finances diagnosed with metastatic cancer, his disability check not enough to cover the 40-mile round trip to receive the treatment that gives him relief from physical pain and provides more time with his family. These are the patients Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City is able to help thanks to a patient transportation grant recently awarded by the American Cancer Society (ACS).
“Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a burden for all of our patients, but for some, accessing specialized care is a significant challenge,” said Tracy Higgs, executive director of cancer services for Mercy. “Transportation programs are vital for these patients to get the treatments they need, and we’re grateful for the support of the American Cancer Society.”
ACS has awarded the $6,000 grant to Mercy for several years, allowing Mercy’s cancer navigators to provide more than 600 gas cards to approximately 250 patients.
“With the recent rise of gas prices, multiple patients have told me they simply don’t have the means to make it to and from their scheduled appointments,” said Irving Baccus, a Mercy social worker who works with oncology patients. “Two different single moms battling cancer told me they have to ration out funds every month just to buy food, get their kids to school and pay for daycare. Barely having enough to cover their bare necessities deterred them from starting the treatments needed to save their lives. When I tell them about the gas cards, they are so relieved and are able to make it to their appointments.”
According to ACS, an estimated 23,700 Oklahoma residents will learn they have cancer this year. To help patients get the critical care they need, the American Cancer Society’s Patient Transportation Grants are awarded at a local level to health systems, treatment centers and community organizations in select communities through an application process.
“Disparities predominantly arise from inequities in work, wealth, income, education, housing and overall standard of living, as well as social barriers to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services,” said Anthony Wilson, senior program manager for the American Cancer Society. “ACS collaborates with community health partners to reach individuals in areas with higher burdens of cancer with little to no access to transportation because even the best treatment can’t work if a patient can’t get there.”
For more information about the American Cancer Society’s transportation grant, call 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

https://newbyvancemobility.com/

Dear Savvy Senior,

A few months ago, I read a column you wrote on extremely cheap smartphone plans for budget-conscious seniors. Can you do a similar column for those of us who still use basic flip phones? My old 3G flip phone is about to become obsolete, so I’m looking for the cheapest possible replacement. I only need a simple cell phone (no data) for emergency calls when I’m away from home.
Penny Pincher

Dear Penny,
For many seniors, like yourself, who only want a simple basic cell phone for emergency purposes and occasional calls, there are a number of super cheap plans available from small wireless providers you may have never heard of. Here are some of the best deals available right now.
Cheapest Basic Plans
For extremely light cell phone users, the cheapest wireless plan available is through US Mobile (USMobile.com), which has a “build your own plan” that starts at only $2 per month for 75 minutes of talk time. If you want text messaging capabilities, an extra $1.50/month will buy you 50 texts per month.
US Mobile runs on Verizon’s and T-Mobile’s networks and gives you the option to bring your existing phone (if compatible or unlocked) or purchase a new device, while keeping your same phone number if you wish.
If your flip phone is becoming obsolete, as you mentioned in your question, you’ll need to buy a new device, which you can do through US Mobile if you choose their plan. They offer the “NUU F4L” flip phone for $39 for new customers. Or you can purchase an unlocked phone through retail stores like Walmart or Best Buy, or online. One of the best value flip phones right now is the (unlocked) “Alcatel GO FLIP 4044 4G LTE,” available at Amazon.com for $80.
Some other super cheap wireless plans worth a look are Ultra Mobile’s “PayGo” plan (UltraMobile.com/PayGo), which provides 100 talk minutes, 100 texts for only $3 per month. And Tello’s (Tello.com) “build your own plan” that starts at $5 per month for 100 talk minutes and unlimited texting.
Both Ultra Mobile PayGo and Tello also run on T-Mobile’s network and will let you use your existing phone (if compatible or unlocked) or buy a new one.

Senior Targeted Providers
In addition to these super cheap plans, there are several other wireless companies that cater to older customers and offer low-cost basic plans and simple flip phones. One of the least expensive is through TracFone (Tracfone.com), which offers a 60-minute talk, text and web plan for $20 that lasts for 90 days. That averages out to $6.66 per month.
Three other providers that are popular among seniors are Snapfon (Snapfon.com), which offers a 100 minutes and unlimited texting plan for $10. Consumer Cellular (ConsumerCellular.com), which provides an unlimited talk plan or $15 per month. They also give 5 percent discounts to AARP members. And Lively (Lively.com), maker of the popular Jitterbug Flip2 senior-friendly flip phone. Their cheapest monthly plan is 300 minutes of talk and text for $15.

Subsidized Plans
You also need to know that if you’re on a government program such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income or food stamps/SNAP. Or, if your annual household income is at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines – $18,347 for one person, or $24,719 for two – you might also qualify for free or subsidized wireless plans from various carriers via the federal Lifeline program. To find out if you’re eligibility or apply, visit LifelineSupport.org.

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.

The crowd watched as Nelson and Lola Cresente enjoyed their first dance together, as a newly renewed husband and wife. Surrounded by friends, family and their healthcare team at Valir PACE the couple showed what love through adversity looks like.
Just months ago, Lola Cresente thought she would be planning a funeral for her husband Nelson, but instead she planned a vow renewal — celebrating their 28th anniversary.
It seemed impossible. Last fall, Nelson was hospitalized with COVID pneumonia. He refused a ventilator, opting to go home on hospice care.
“The doctor told me I was going to take him home to die,” Lola said.
“We even helped them call a priest,” said Ashley Henson, a nurse practitioner with Valir PACE, a program of all-inclusive care for the elderly. “It was that dire.”
But he refused to give up.
As his PACE provider, Henson made a few home visits to check on Nelson and Lola. The PACE program works in partnership with Medicare and Medicaid to provide at-risk seniors the care they need to stay as healthy as possible and living independently in their community.
It was during one of those visits that something miraculous seemed to have happened.
Lola was explaining to Henson and a nurse from Valir Hospice how a neighbor had stopped by the day before to pray over Nelson, specifically that his lungs would open.
“I listened to his lungs and his hospice nurse listened to his lungs. We looked at each other and were like, ‘We’re hearing air here. Air is moving,’” Henson said.
Within weeks he was moved off of hospice. He started using a portable oxygen machine. And he regained much of his independence.
Now, months later, the couple celebrates a love that they came so close to losing with a special ceremony to renew their vows.
It was a first for PACE, to host an event like this. Henson led the way, knowing it would create a special memory for everyone involved.
“I took it to the team and said they would like to do this and there was just a big cheer that erupted in the room,” Henson said.
“It was Valir that was beside me when he got sick and I couldn’t think of any better place to spend our anniversary than here,” Lola said.
PACE employees created a bouquet, a boutineere and floral decor for the Cresentes, another employee made them a wedding cake. Another member of the team served as the ceremony officiant. It was truly a special day.
Daphne Chapman, an RN with Valir Hospice, was one of the nurses who cared for Nelson when he first returned home. She was also able to attend the ceremony.
“It’s a tremendous improvement. He definitely was doing very poorly,” Chapman said. “It’s wonderful to get to see them renew their vows today. Very special.”
While it isn’t the case for every hospice patient, it’s something that can happen.
“Thinking their loved one is going to pass and then them rebounding and getting to spend more time with family, it’s a wonderful thing,” Chapman said.
Henson even offered an emotional toast at the event, saying how proud she was of the Cresentes for not giving up and battling for Nelson’s health.
“It has been the most inspiring love story in my life to see,” Henson said.
After their first dance, Nelson took a seat to enjoy a Groom’s Steak (instead of cake). A meat lover, steak was one of the things he missed during his battle with COVID pneumonia.
They also had cake and appetizers, provided by Valir PACE’s dietary team.
The Cresentes say they couldn’t have asked for a better celebration.
“We just appreciate it very much,” Nelson said. “For me, this is just unbelievable.”

Call Nerve Renewal Now! 405-422-9518

Story and photo by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

Faced with a challenge many artists would not be able to pull off, PJ Acker recently used her easily demonstrable talent and social grace to create an oil painting a young boy will cherish forever. In capturing the boy’s likeness while adding the photorealistic painting of his deceased father, she provided the family with a comparative study for the ages.
Working in her newly named Treehouse Studio, located upstairs of the Paseo Arts and Creativity Center (PACC) building, Acker was recently touched by a special commission.
Her narrative of what happened next is so direct it is largely unedited: “He doesn’t have a photo of his Daddy and him together,” A young woman named Leah whispered to me. She and her son, Brayden, were visiting my studio during a recent First Friday Art Gallery Walk. Brayden, 11 or 12 years old, seemed captivated by the process of the pencil sketch I was doing of another visitor. When I asked if he’d like his portrait sketched, he was shy but seemed very eager, nodding yes.
While Brayden was occupied with looking over the sketch I’d completed for him, Leah whispered to me, “If I supply a photo of his dad, could you paint a portrait of them together?”
I’ve done similar portraits for others, so I told her I’d love to try. Soon, our plan was made. As we visited, I discreetly snapped several photos of Brayden with my phone.
Over the following weeks, I chose from photos Leah emailed and developed a composition. After emailing a rough draft for her approval, I got to work. While it usually takes about two months to finish a portrait from start to finish, this project touched my heart and had my full attention. I completed the painting in three weeks. These kinds of projects make the years of study and practice pay off.
I form a connection with my portrait subjects while studying their faces and the tiny nuances of expression. I become energized, excited and eager to commit to canvas what I see and feel.
In one of our communications, Leah confessed to me she’d cried more than a few tears while watching the painting as it developed. While it’s common for me to feel connected to my subject during the hours of trying to capture its essence onto canvas, a process called ‘chasing the likeness,’ this one felt special to me.
Arriving to pick up his painting, Brayden entered my studio closely following his mother. His eyes immediately landed on the 11 by 14-inch portrait in oil on the center table.
He stared motionlessly at it from the doorway. When he didn’t move or speak for minutes that seemed an eternity, I silently sought out his mother’s eyes. She gently moved him toward the table. I lifted the painting into his hands. Remaining silent, his eyes never left the painting.
“He’s overwhelmed,” his mother told me, smiling.
We took a couple of photos together, Brayden, his painting and myself, before they left.
Ten minutes later, I received a text from Leah, “He hasn’t let go of the painting. He’s crying quietly in the backseat.”
Being a mother and grandmother herself, Acker understood a mother’s desire to give her son a link to his father.
Capturing common similarities of expression while portraying an ease of comfort between the two required a certain intuitiveness. Employing the power of photorealism while imagining “what would be” required imagination. Blending disparate images with different settings and lighting conditions required technical ability. Doing these things simultaneously defines the challenge and artform of this type of portraiture.
Sketching her first portraits in pencil and crayon, Acker recalls from her childhood, “I’ve always been fascinated with faces, with watching and studying people.”
Holding true to this, she chose nursing as her first vocation. Seven years later, she taught herself the skills needed to work as a technical typist at the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. With a promotion to a position with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Training Department, she worked with and scheduled mandatory workshops for social workers throughout Oklahoma.
After retiring, her passion for creating art reignited. Doggedly pursuing whichever technique or medium that called to her at the time, Acker acquired her education in art attending workshops across the country, as well as seminars and art courses locally at Rose State College and OCCC. Workshops with Philippe Faraut, a world-renowned sculptor, and Betty Pat Gatliff, past Forensic Reconstructive Sculptor for the State of Oklahoma, encouraged her love of portraiture and figurative art. She has created works in oil, acrylic, oil pastel, soft pastel, charcoal, watercolor, soft clay, and oil-based clay for bronze work.
For the last 25 years, Acker has worked as a professional artist in Oklahoma and has been a member of the Oklahoma Art Guild, Oklahoma Sculpture Society, Oklahoma Pastel Society and the Portrait Society of America. She cites John Singer Sargent, John Howard Sanden, Berthe Morisot and Philippe Faraut as her primary influences.
Her artistic passion continues to grow and develop as it chooses from her Treehouse studio. She blogs about works-in-progress and accepts commissions through her website www.pjackerart.com.
Visitors are welcome during her usual studio hours: Tue – Sat 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 6 – 9 p.m. every month on Paseo’s First Friday Gallery Walk.
“What I paint or sculpt now is often more informed by what I feel than by what I see,” Acker said in an interview. “Capturing the essence of a person on canvas or clay has always been magical to me. Creating is the anchor that reminds me of who I am, from whom I come, and I’m happy to be able to share.”
The Paseo Arts Association hosts the PACC as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working since 1981 to develop the historic Paseo into a thriving arts district.
Oklahoma City’s only authentic arts district is known for its eclectic galleries attached to art studios, high-quality restaurants, bars, and many types of merchants. The walkable cultural area surrounding a curving street features Spanish Revival architecture with trees providing shade during its well-attended Arts Festival each May. The three-day event Memorial Day Weekend – May 28-30 this year usually adds 100 artist’s booths to what the 80 district resident artists offer.

The Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma has made a $1 million donation to Mercy Health Foundation in support of the new Love Family Women’s Center under construction on the campus of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City.
“We know the new Love Family Women’s Center will be a great asset to the state,” said Neil Stitt, board president of the Masonic Charity Foundation. “Many rural Oklahomans are without access to family planning and much-needed prenatal care. The new women’s center will be a great place for moms and families to come and receive the best care.”
When construction is complete in fall 2023, Mercy will have a total of 73 patient rooms to serve women in the new center, increasing the capacity for deliveries by 40%.
Mercy coworkers and donors recently celebrated a construction milestone on campus as crews installed the first horizontal steel beam at the site. That beam was the beginning of an elevator that will allow families of newborns needing a higher level of care direct access from the women’s center to the existing fifth-floor neonatal intensive care unit in the hospital.
“We are so grateful for the Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma for their incredibly generous gift which will allow us to provide innovative new services and introduce a new gold standard of care for women and families across the state of Oklahoma,” said Lori Cummins, vice president of development at Mercy Health Foundation in Oklahoma.
The existing Mercy BirthPlace is original to the hospital, which was built in the 1970s and designed to handle around 3,000 births per year. More than 4,000 babies were delivered in the space last year.
The Love Family Women’s Center will be a 175,000-square-foot, four-story building featuring an obstetrics emergency department staffed by obstetricians, the state’s first hospital-based low intervention birthing unit staffed by certified midwives, C-section suites, birthing units, postpartum rooms, a dedicated area for women recovering from surgeries and outpatient therapy services.

Liam Sasser was no stranger to research when he arrived at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation last month for the John H. Saxon Service Academy Summer Research Program.
The West Point cadet studies Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases during the academic year. However, Sasser said he was humbled and a bit overwhelmed in the lab of OMRF scientist Sathish Srinivasan, Ph.D., who focuses on the lymphatic system.
Lymphatic vessels transport blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. When they stop functioning properly, fluid buildup results in a chronic and potentially life-threatening condition called lymphedema. Srinivasan’s lab is working to understand the mechanisms that promote the healthy growth of lymphatic vessels to combat lymphedema.
“The breadth of this field surprised me,” Sasser said. “I was surprised at how unexplored it is and how much this work this lab is producing to improve the understanding of lymphatics.”
OMRF’s Saxon program compresses an intensive summer internship into three to four weeks, culminating in a presentation of their research. John Saxon III, M.D., a Muskogee physician and OMRF board member since 2000, established the program to honor his father, a West Point graduate who was a career Air Force pilot and taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
“Some people may not think of basic science and the military as linked,” said Saxon. “But I thought that I could use OMRF’s work as an opportunity to stimulate some basic bench science interest with cadets at service academies.”
Now in its 12th year, the program has hosted 37 cadets since its inception. In addition to Sasser, a life science major from Cape Carteret, North Carolina, this summer’s students include Naval Academy Midshipmen Alexandra Foreman of Denver and Zoe Scooter of Boulder, Colorado, and Air Force Academy Cadet Philip Golder of Greenwood, Indiana.
Srinivasan, Sasser’s mentor, welcomed the opportunity to host his second Saxon student. “They are so focused, disciplined, respectful and so motivated,” he said, “and they bring such a positive aura that it bleeds over into the rest of the lab.”
After leaving ORMF, Sasser returned to campus to serve as a basic training platoon leader for new cadets before starting his senior year. With medical school in his sights, Sasser also departed OMRF with some essential experimental techniques.
“They apply these techniques to so many problems, and once I’ve mastered them, I can apply them to a variety of problems in my own research,” Sasser said. “This experience has been amazing.”