Friends of the Capitol was honored to be a part of the Celebration of the Life of Oklahoman, Robert Miner, by engraving his name at the Memorial Plaza at the Oklahoma State Capitol and meeting Miner’s friends and family who visited his paver. Nothing was going to stop Miner’s loved ones from celebrating his life, Covid-19, construction or heat, it did not matter!
Bob Nelson Miner, 77, of Edmond, Oklahoma was a very special Oklahoman. He leaves an incredible legacy of love for his country and his people. A graduate of the University of Kansas’ political science program, he held top management positions on Bob Dole’s U.S House of Representatives and U.S Senate staffs from 1962 to 1977. Bob was a business owner, golfer, photographer and strong health care advocate. He served in many leadership roles while volunteering for the American Heart Association. Bob retired in 2018 from the Oklahoma State Department of Health as the Clean Indoor Air Coordinator where he passionately worked toward a tobacco free Oklahoma.
“Friends of the Capitol” loves being a part of celebrating the life of a loved one by engraving a name on a granite paver at the Oklahoma State Capitol. “I have made so many friends though our non-profit when a donor donates at paver for a loved one”, says Amy Dillon, Executive Director.
Friends of the Capitol is a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) corporation that is devoted to providing private funds to maintain and improve the beauty of the Oklahoma State Capitol building and complex and its works of art. It is the only tax-exempt corporation designated to receive private funds for this purpose.

Story by Darl DeVault contributing editor

What does nationally successful comedian Greg Schwem, 58, do when he hears a return performance at Tellico Village in Loudon, Tenn. set for October sold out in two hours? Realizing the power of comedy is important to his burgeoning senior audience Schwem looks at his busy national schedule and calls back to offer to do a second show because he wants to accommodate his fans.
“I’ve already written my opening line,” Schwem said. “Rather than say, ‘How many of you saw me last time?’ I’m going to say, ‘How many of you can’t remember if you saw me last time?”
Schwem has been writing a nationally syndicated comedy column appearing in Senior News and Living since 2010. Now that he has joined the active senior demographic, he realized it was time to start talking humorously about his own senior “experiences” as opposed to just writing about them. (story continues below)

Schwem joins a famous Oklahoman who realized he needed to include senior humor in his routine when Will Rogers quipped “When you are dissatisfied (with aging) and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.”
Schwem is grateful to his audiences as he secures more bookings speaking to this demographic. He has generated a good amount of interest with bookings at Sun City Austin, Texas and the Forest CC in Fort Myers, Fla. for next year. Many fans are joining the legion of Schwem devotees because they can watch his online videos of his national performances on his website www.gregschwem.com and via his social media channels. His followers have howled as Schwem recounts his battle with a kidney stone, the embarrassing sounds he emits during yoga classes and seniors who are building massive houses as opposed to downsizing.
“Why do you need a wine cellar?” he asked a recent audience. “At some point in your life, the only thing in your house that should be aging is you!”
Already hugely successful as a comedian writing and performing customized routines for some of our nation’s largest corporations, Schwem is enjoying the opportunity to add seniors to his national schedule. He says he is delighted seniors are such great laughers; they inspire him to write new routines to tickle their funny bone.
He has been writing comedy at the national level for many years. His column appears in the Chicago Tribune’s web edition and more than 25 other newspapers and periodicals around the world.
The Illinois native left a promising career as a broadcast journalist in 1989 to pursue his love of standup comedy. After several years traveling the country working comedy clubs, Schwem transitioned into providing humorous keynote presentations for the corporate market.
“I realized I had a knack for writing customized material about individual companies, whether it was making them laugh about their products or just their culture,” Schwem said last month. “It can be tricky; there is a very fine line when having fun with a company’s employees, so I am careful to make the business community laugh while also praising its work.”
Over the past 20 years, Greg’s corporate clients have included Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, Southwest Airlines, McDonald’s and even the CIA. “If I can get America’s covert intelligence agency to laugh at itself, I think I am doing pretty good,” Schwem said.
And now seniors are squarely in his sights for humor. “It is such a joy to watch people who are clearly enjoying their golden years be entertained, and laughter is a big part of that,” Schwem said. “Since I am 58, I realized performing in front of active seniors would allow me to continue doing what I love. People love to laugh at their aches and pains and other issues associated with aging and I’m no different.”
He shared a joke in our interview that fits here: “I’m now playing Pickleball. The game begins with everybody meeting at the net and revealing what physical ailment drove them to play Pickleball.”
His humor reaches out from his audience to the communities they live in.
“Florida retirement communities always seem to contain an animal’s name in the title. And yet you never see that animal in the community. I stayed with a friend who lived in Panther Crossing. Trust me, any panther who attempted a crossing would have been nailed by a golf cart.”
Finally, knowing his audience is suffering from assorted maladies, he is happy to share his own.
“I threw out my back pulling weeds. I tore my retina shoveling snow,” he said. “At this point, I’m only two seasonal injuries from laying on the couch for the entire year.”
Schwem has booked dates at several Del Webb communities and now seeks out active retirement communities near the sites of corporate dates where he is to perform, “In February, I’m doing a date in Fort Myers, Fla. for a metals association and, the next night, I’ll be performing for 200 active seniors 10 minutes away. I hope I can keep the audiences straight,” Schwem quips.
Greg Schwem is a monthly columnist for Oklahoma’s Senior News and Living.

“Songs without Words”

Guest pianist Tanya Bannister joins the Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble in their season-opening concert “Songs without Words,” Tuesday, September 21, 7:30pm at First Baptist Church in midtown Oklahoma City. The concert spans two centuries with works by Romantic era composers Robert Schumann, Carl Maria von Weber, and Walter Rabl, alongside the elegiac “Soliloquy” by living American composer John Corigliano. Tanya Bannister is a versatile pianist serving as co-founder and artistic director of AlpenKammerMusic in Austria.
John Corigiliano (b. 1938) began “Soliloquy” as an elegy for his late father, a former concertmaster who found solace in the violin. The work is adapted from his clarinet concerto commissioned for New York Philharmonic clarinetist Stanley Drucker and Leonard Bernstein as conductor, whose personalities are reflected in the first and third movements, respectively. (story continues below)

German composer Robert Schumann (1810-1856) dedicated his Piano Quintet in E-Flat Major to his beloved wife and fellow pianist/composer Clara Schumann, who regularly performed it. Schumann composed it and five other chamber music pieces in just one year, and Clara considered the work “splendid, full of vigor and freshness.”
“Introduction, Theme, and Variations” for clarinet and string quartet was formerly attributed to German composer Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826), but it is now thought to be composed by his contemporary Joseph Küffner (1776 – 1856), known more for his guitar music. Similarly, Austrian composer Walter Rabl (1873-1940) is less well known today, but Johannes Brahms awarded him first prize at the 1896 Vienna Tonkünstlerverein (Musician’s Society) competition for his Quartet in E-Flat Major for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano.
Musicians appearing in the concert are: Tanya Bannister (piano), Chad Burrow (clarinet), Gregory Lee and Katrin Stamatis (violins), and Jonathan Ruck (cello).
Admission for each concert is $20 at the door and free for children, active-duty military, and students with ID. Or, save $55 with a $125 season pass for all 5 regular season and 4 summer 2022 festival concerts. Passes are available by mail or online at brightmusic.org/passes. Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble, Oklahoma City’s own chamber ensemble, will perform its 2021-22 season of fine classical chamber music at First Baptist Church, 1201 N Robinson in midtown Oklahoma City. The venue offers plenty of space for social distancing. Free parking is available north and southwest of the building. For more information about the ensemble and upcoming concerts, visit www.brightmusic.org.

The Airbase Arizona Flying Museum is bringing one of the most iconic warplanes from World War II to visit WIley Post Airport, September 7-12. Rides and ground tours may be purchased for our B-25, Maid in the Shade. The public can experience a Living History Flight in a fully restored B-25 Bomber on Friday to Sunday, September 10-12.
The aircraft will be open to the public for ground tours Tuesday and Friday to Sunday from 2-6 pm and Wednesday and Thursday from 9 am-6 pm. To schedule a ride book online at www.azcaf.org/tour or call 480-462-2992.
The B-25 proved to be one of the best weapons and was possibly the most versatile aircraft of WWII. Heavily armed, it was utilized for high- and low-level bombing, strafing, photo-reconnaissance, and submarine patrol. Its most distinguishing role was in the historic raid over Tokyo in 1942 by the Doolittle Raiders. The B-25 saw duty in every combat area flown by the Dutch, British, Chinese, Russian, Australian, and US forces.
Our particular B-25J, Maid In The Shade, served her wartime duty with the 319th Bomb Group, 437th Squadron at Serragia Airbase, Corsica. There it was assigned Battle Number 18. The plane flew 15 combat missions over Italy and Yugoslavia between November 4 and December 31, 1944. The majority of the targets were railroad bridges. After the war, she was used as a trainer before being sold at auction and used as an insect sprayer. She was acquired by Airbase in 1981 and after a 28-year extensive restoration, flew again in 2009.
The Airbase Arizona Flying Museum, a unit of the Commemorative Air Force, has operated from historic Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona for over 40 years providing inspiring and educational experiences to young and old. Its annual aircraft touring programs, living history flights and its top-rated exhibition museum in Mesa, Arizona are available to the public year-round. Its mission is to ‘Educate – Inspire – and Honor,’ through its many programs of flight and living history experiences. Airbase Arizona is a not-for-profit educational organization, designated Blue Star Family Museum and is affiliated with the Smithsonian.
The event will be at the Wiley Post Airport, Meta Special Aerospace FBO 7200 NW 63rd St, Bethany, OK

Join the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) and Oklahoma Humanities (OH) on Wednesday, September 22, at 6 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center for a live podcast crossover event. OHS Executive Director Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn of the OHS’s “A Very OK Podcast” and Dr. Sunu Kodumthara of OH’s “Brain Box” will lead a conversation about growing up in Oklahoma from multiple cultural perspectives, featuring guests Kelli Brooke Haney and Javier Hernandez. This crossover event will be recorded in front of a live audience.
Prior to the program, DJ Tangerine will perform and a bar will be available with complimentary beer and wine, sponsored by Coop Ale Works. Registration is $15 for OHS members and $25 for non-members. A charcuterie box can be purchased for an additional $7. The panelists will be available before the recording, as will related OHS resources. Registration is required, and attendees must be 21 years old or older. Please visit www.okhistory.org/crossover to register.
On the Oklahoma Humanities “Brainbox” podcast, Dr. Sunu Kodumthara and her cohost, Dr. Ben Alpers, use the humanities to discuss issues affecting American society and culture. On the OHS “A Very OK Podcast” Trait Thompson and Bob Blackburn explore the interesting stories and fascinating personalities that make up Oklahoma’s unique history.
Kelli Brooke Haney is the sixth child out of seven siblings. She was raised in Seminole and later Tahlequah. Haney graduated from the School of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma. In the 2000s she toured regionally with her Rockabilly band the “Oh Johnny! Girls” and worked in the photography, video and art industries. Haney is the daughter of retired Choctaw Native American tribal attorney L. Susan Work, who worked diligently on the McGirt v. Oklahoma case. Her father is Enoch Kelly Haney, the first full-blood Seminole and Creek Native American state legislator in Oklahoma and an artist of monumental sculptures such as “The Guardian,” which sits atop the Oklahoma State Capitol.
Born in Mexico City, Javier Hernandez’s mother moved the family to Oklahoma when he was two years old. Hernandez earned his bachelor’s degree from Mid-America Christian University and graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law. He has been part of the US Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and practices law with the firm Dunn and Hernandez. He has served as president of the Hispanic Law Student Association, president of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Group and vice president of the Immigration Legal Society.
Danny Eagle (DJ Tangerine) is an Oklahoma City open format DJ who performs regularly at Fassler Hall. He has been a mainstay in the area since 2016. He also performs in direct support of touring artists.
Oklahoma Humanities is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen communities by helping Oklahomans learn about the human experience, understand new perspectives, and participate knowledgeably in civic life through humanities disciplines such as history, literature, film studies, art criticism and philosophy. As the state partner for the National Endowment for the Humanities, OH provides a free educational magazine, Smithsonian Institution exhibits, reading and discussion groups, and other cultural opportunities for Oklahomans of all ages. OH engages people in their own communities, stimulating discussion and helping them explore the wider world of human experience.
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.

*Includes 64 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 2021-08-26 at 7:00 a.m.

Dear Savvy Senior, Does Social Security offer any special help to beneficiaries who struggle managing their benefits? My aunt, who has no children, has dementia and struggles keeping up with her bills and other financial duties. Inquiring Niece

Dear Inquiring,
Yes, Social Security actually has a little-known program known as the “representative payee program” that helps beneficiaries who need help managing their Social Security benefit payments. Here’s what you should know.
Representative Payee Program
Authorized by congress back in 1939, the Social Security representative payee program provides money management help to beneficiaries who are incapable of managing their Social Security income. Beneficiaries in need of this help are often seniors suffering from dementia, or minor children who are collecting Social Security survivors’ benefits.
Currently more than 5 million Social Security beneficiaries have representative payees.
Representative payees also handle benefits for nearly 3 million recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a Social Security administered benefit program for low-income people who are over 65, blind or disabled.
Who Are Payees?
A representative payee is typically a relative or close friend of the beneficiary needing assistance, but Social Security can also name an organization or institution for the role – like a nursing homes or social-service agency.
Some of duties of a representative payee include:
* Using the beneficiary’s Social Security or SSI payments to meet their essential needs, such as food, shelter, household bills and medical care. The money can also be used for personal needs like clothing and recreation.
* Keeping any remaining money from benefit payments in an interest-bearing bank account or savings bonds for the beneficiary’s future needs.
* Keeping records of benefit payments received and how the money was spent or saved.
* Reporting to Social Security any changes or events that could affect the beneficiary’s payments (for example, a move, marriage, divorce or death).
* Reporting any circumstances that affect the payee’s ability to serve in the role.
As a representative payee, you cannot combine the beneficiary’s Social Security payments with your own money or use them for your own needs. The bank account into which benefits are deposited should be fully owned by the beneficiary, with the payee listed as financial agent.
Some payees, generally those who do not live with the beneficiary, are required to submit annual reports to Social Security accounting for how benefits are used. For more information on the responsibilities and restrictions that come with the role, see the Social Security publication “A Guide for Representative Payees” at SSA.gov/pubs/EN-05-10076.pdf.
How to Get Help
If you believe your aunt may need a representative payee, call Social Security at 800-772-1213 and make an appointment to discuss the matter at her local office. Applying to serve as a payee usually requires a face-to-face interview.
Social Security may consider other evidence in deciding if a beneficiary needs a payee and selecting the person to fill the role, including doctors’ assessments and statements from relatives, friends and others in a position to give an informed opinion about the beneficiary’s situation.
You should also know that if you become your aunt’s representative payee you cannot collect a fee for doing it. However, some organizations that serve in the role do receive fees, paid out of the beneficiary’s Social Security or SSI payments.
For more information on the program visit SSA.gov/payee.
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.

By Nick Thomas

When the Los Angeles Hollywood Museum reopened in August, having closed its doors to the public during much of the pandemic, Claudia Wells was one of many guests invited to celebrate the event that included a “Back to the Future” exhibit (www.thehollywoodmuseum.com).
Wells appeared in the original 1985 movie as Jennifer Parker, girlfriend to Marty McFly played by Michael J. Fox who starred in the beloved movie trilogy. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991 at age 29, Fox later established the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (www.michaeljfox.org) which was also presented with a $5,000.00 donation during the event.
“I’m a big cheerleader for the Back to the Future trilogy,” said Wells from Los Angeles (see www.claudiawells.com). “So, anything I can do to promote the movies and help support Michael I’m there with bells on.”
“Back to the Future” was Wells’ first movie role. Her scenes were brief but memorable, as was her first day on the set.
“It was the last scene of the movie with me, Michael, and Christopher Lloyd in the car,” she recalled. “I remember when he (Lloyd) got out of the car and raised up those metal glasses on his face, it ripped the old-age make-up on his forehead and we had to wait for hours for him to get the make-up redone to shoot again.”
She also recalls meeting Fox for the first time. “They were filming the Enchantment Under the Sea dance scene at a church and I was sent around to meet Michael. He came outside, gave me a hug, and told me he was looking forward to working with me. He was very positive, upbeat, kind, funny, natural, and great fun to work with.”
But when time came to reprise her role 4 years later in “Back to the Future Part II,” Wells was unavailable due to a family illness and was replaced by Elizabeth Shue in Parts II and III.
“I’ve met fans who remember watching Part II when it came out and didn’t even notice a different actress was playing Jennifer,” Wells said. “But others told me they were screaming at the screen wondering why there was a different Jennifer.”
Despite bumping into other cast members of the trilogy while traveling the film convention circuit over the years, ‘the two Jennifers’ have never met (who knows what that might do to the space-time continuum!). “I’d love to meet Elizabeth because I think she’s just a brilliant actress and I was actually quite flattered when they cast her in the role.”
After an acting gap of about 20 years, Wells returned to film and television. She also opened and still runs Armani Wells (www.armaniwells.com), a menswear store in Studio City. “The store will be 30 years old in December. I am so fortunate to have found two different careers that are completely fulfilling.”
Wells says she was thrilled to be included in the reopening of the Hollywood Museum, especially with its ‘Back to the Future” exhibit and its support of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
“Michael was able to hide the disease for a number of years and I was absolutely flabbergasted when I first heard he was diagnosed,” she said. “He was so good at physical comedy and so healthy. But he has not only been an inspiration to others who have Parkinson’s but has encouraged research that will hopefully lead to a cure one day.”
Nick Thomas has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. See www.tinseltowntalks.com.

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn [email protected]

Travel is always an adventure and no more so than on a cruise where you are definitely not in control, as that is the responsibility of the ship’s Captain. With a Blount Small Ship Adventure you are sure to have an adventurous nature as their relatively small ships (80 passengers) traverse less traveled waterways and dock at destinations where only small ships can go. My trip aboard the Grande Caribe took me from Montreal (see Part One of this sojourn) up to Quebec, then back through the Saint Lawrence Seaway, along the trail of the Erie Canal via the New York Canal System, down the Hudson River and docking in little old New York City, after a farewell cruise by the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan while pausing at the Statue of Liberty.
This being my first time with Blount (it has about a 50% return booking of previous passengers) I have to commend the cruise staff from Captain John Hunnewell , to the all-important Cruise director, Lisa Pontarelli, down through all the seventeen support staff of housekeeping, galley servers and the deck hands who were all cheerful and helpful day after day of my twelve day cruise. A cruise ship company can have little control over weather, or tides, but when they pay special attention to passenger service, you know you have a good company and see why Blount has such a good return booking.
Blount is not so much about luxury accommodations as they are about informative and enjoyable destinations where many other cruise ships cannot go. Among other destinations my favorites (I have several favorites) include historic Hyde Park, home of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt; the Impressive West Point academy; Cooperstown with its charming main street shops, the Baseball Hall of Fame, and nearby Fenimore Art Museum preserved in an historic house. The Grande Caribe also stopped off at the Wooden Boat Museum, the towns of Troy and Quebec, the Fredric Remington Art Museum and a tour of the Singer Castle. But most enjoyable was progressing at a leisurely pace along the waterway with its water side homes and mansions of the Thousand Islands and all along the fabled Hudson river valley. Traveling on the water gives you a tangible concept of the country’s geography and how it influenced the area’s history.
For true marine lovers the over thirty canal locks encountered from Montreal to NYC, is illuminating. Passengers continued to marvel at these engineering mechanisms and how adept the crew and captain was at navigating through them. These relatively short pauses gives one time to reflect on the communities they bolster as well as a glimpse into American culture.
A Blount Small Ship Adventure nurtures a leisurely pace of travel. While the day is structured with a 7:30 a.m. bell to call you to breakfast, and the following lunch and dinner, you never feel rushed, even though everyone on my cruise was eager for the delicious meal times. Breakfast offers a cold buffet of fruit, yogurt cereals, as the crew serves the specialty of the morning which might be eggs Benedict, fresh scrambles eggs, hot pancakes, muffins or waffles. If there is a special egg order it is gladly taken. Lunch usually consists of a soup of the day and a variety of sandwiches throughout the cruise. After a BYOB cocktail hour, dinner may start off with a salad, followed by an entre of the day, maybe a steak, Mahi Mahi, pasta or Game Hen. Complementary wines are served by the glass during lunch and more extensively at dinner. Of course a desert of ice cream or cake or pie tops off the meal. All meals are open seating and it’s fun to mix up your dining partners, or cling to the congenial folks you like the most. The hit of any of our meals was the variety fresh baked of breads.
As a single traveler I relished having one of the few cabins with an outside door to the walk around deck. While the sliding door often would not stay shut, when it was open during day cruising it was a joy to relax on the opposite bed with views out the door of the shoreline accented with a variety of homes and landscapes dotted with colorful autumn trees. My cabin was designed for two, and I might suggest for my tastes two persons might be one too many in any of the cabins, as elbow room in the cabins is at a premium. But such is the design of small ships. I did hear some first time passengers comment on the noise in the cabins of the individually controlled air system , the engine noise, and the challenge in taking a brief compact shower, but that has to be chalked up to part of the small ship adventure. Again, the Blount cruise is about destinations not accommodations.
The evenings offered a formal cultural lecture in the common area, by Frederick Stonehouse, author of thirty books which made him an expert on the maritime history we were experiencing. A personable gentleman who was just as interesting when joining him during the informal family styled meals. Other evenings there was on board entertainment. The best perhaps was the jazz trio of Skip Parsons who brought a Dixieland style to this ultimate river boat. As my trip was in the fall, when children would be in school, my cruise was made up almost entirely of senior citizens. I found all the fellow travelers well informed and well-traveled. Getting to know a portion of their knowledge was an added Blount Small Ship Adventures treat.
For your special interests sign up for email alerts and explore a variety of 2015 cruise destinations at: www.blountsmallshipadventures.com

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
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Story by James Coburn, Staff Writer

Debbie Gordon likes helping patients stay away from hospitals by being where they want to be — at home.
“Our goal is to keep our patient in their homes as long as we can, so that they can stay there safely,” said Gordon, a licensed practical nurse at Companion Home Health in Guthrie. “They get to stay in their environment, their comfort zone.”
It was providence that led her to a nursing career, said Gordon, who had never dreamed of being nurse. But it was God’s will, she said.
She’s lent a compassionate hand to patient care at Companion for four years. Gordon also serves as a Companion hospice nurse when needed. And, she re-energizes by doing barrel racing.
This seasoned professional entered the nursing field in 1980 after graduating from Meridian Technology Center, located in Stillwater. Gordon said she likes the hometown feeling of working for Companion that connects with nurses and families without a big corporate image. (story continues below)

“They definitely care about their patients and I feel like they care about their employees,” said Gordon, who enjoys the one-on-one patient time that home health allows her to bond with patients. “You kind of get a closer relationship with your patients doing home health than in the hospitals.”
Home health transcends the simple definition of a job because it centers on patient care. Nurses help them become stronger and educate them about their medications. The staff ensures patients use medications properly without dangerous complications caused by combining non-compatible drugs.
“The patients are important to the nursing staff,” she said. “And they care what happens to the patients.”
Nurses see all walks of life and give everyone the same loving care. They make sure therapy is provided, that patients are dressed and bathed, and have nutrition on a regular basis.
“Every individual is different as far as what the need or might need,” Gordon added.
Diabetes is prevalent, so she teaches patients to monitor their blood sugar every day in order to prevent complications and co-morbidities that are common with the disease.
“It’s important to keep their sugars within normal range because if they don’t it affects all kinds of different functions in their body, their eyes, their kidneys, circulation and everything,” Gordon explained.
Patients can still go to church, get prescriptions and get their hair styled. However, they are not supposed to drive, shop for groceries or go to the mall.
“They don’t have to be tied to home, but they can’t be out running around,” Gordon said. “It’s a taxing effort for them to do that.”
Patients have not mentioned a lot about COVID and the new Delta variant that is spreading across the state, Gordon said.
“Their biggest question is ‘Have you been vaccinated?’ Surprisingly, I have not had a lot of COVID questions. I’ve actually dealt with more frustration from it than questions about it. I know the patients that we have in assisted living facilities — it was very difficult for them not to be able to see their family.
The nurses always wear masks to help prevent the spreading COVID. But several patients have said to her, “I don’t want you to wear that mask.”
Gordon explains to them that she’s required to wear a mask in order to protect them from contracting the disease.
Gordon is well seasoned as a nurse in her career of about 40 years. Experience brings wisdom.
She went to college on a rodeo scholarship. And she still performs at rodeos.
Family issues brought her back home from college. Her sister was a nurse. When she learned Debbie had quit school, she said, “Are you just going to be a bum?”
Those words crushed Gordon because she always wanted to make her sister happy.
“So, I just went home that night, and I was lying in bed crying. And I said ‘Lord, I’m lost, and I don’t know what to do. And I need you to guide me.’ And in six months I was in nursing school.”
She never turned her back on nursing or rodeo. Rodeo was in her blood since she started riding a pony at age 5.
“I started competing when I was about 8, and I still do it,” she said of barrel racing. “It’s kind of like a second job for me. I train on my own.”
She keeps five horses of her own and two from her sister that she rides north of Crescent.
Horses are large animals, and they can take advantage of that. But Gordon knows how to earn and keep their respect.
She learned when turning a horse loose, to never let them walk away from her. They stand their until she walks away from them.
They are creatures of habit, sort of like people, she said.
For more information visit:
http://www.companionhealthcare.net/