A world-renowned lupus expert at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation will lead a study aimed at detecting the disease sooner and preventing the resulting damage.
OMRF is accepting study volunteers for the Autoimmune Drivers and Protectants (ADAPTS) study, which is funded through a $6.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, said OMRF Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D.
James’ team is seeking volunteers at high risk of developing systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, because of a family history or a positive autoantibody test.
“Some people have blood markers for lupus but never get sick,” said James, who is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. “Others have the markers and develop some symptoms but never get the full-blown disease, while in others, it ravages the body. We want to better understand why and ideally how to prevent the transitions.”
Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system becomes unbalanced and attacks the body’s own tissues. It can result in damage to the joints, skin, kidneys, heart and lungs and is a leading medical cause of death among women of childbearing age. Although only about 400,000 individuals in the U.S. have the most severe form of the disease, perhaps up to 1 in 10 individuals will have blood markers that look like lupus.
The cause of lupus is unknown, but studies have identified links to genes, immune and inflammatory influences and exposure to environmental factors.
James, who leads OMRF’s Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program and holds the Lou C. Kerr Endowed Chair in Biomedical Research at OMRF, will collaborate with scientists and clinicians from Vanderbilt University and New York University.
“Finding people at high risk of developing lupus before they get sick is a challenge,” James said. “It will require a team approach, using the expertise and the patient samples that each of our three institutions brings.”
Jill Buyon, M.D., director of the NYU Langone Health Lupus Center, will provide samples from study volunteers who, despite being asymptomatic, receive what Buyon called “a double-whammy” diagnosis during pregnancy: they have autoantibodies found in people who have lupus, and these autoantibodies have caused their infants to have lifelong heart damage.
Some of these mothers ultimately develop severe lupus or another autoimmune disorder called Sjögren’s disease, while others develop only mild symptoms or none at all, Buyon said.
“If we can unlock the secrets of what makes someone progress from benign autoimmunity to clinical autoimmunity, that would be revolutionary,” she said. “Then we could tell a woman, ‘You have these factors, so we might want to put you on preventive therapy,’ and in others, we could avoid putting them on medicine unnecessarily.”
By analyzing thousands of patient samples, James said she hopes to discover genetic or environmental protections against lupus.
To volunteer for the study or receive more information, call 405-271-7221. OMRF will enroll individuals for autoantibody testing and potential follow-up into the Oklahoma Cohort of Rheumatic Diseases, a collection of tens of thousands of blood, urine, saliva and tissue samples donated since 2001 by patients in OMRF’s Rheumatology Center of Excellence.

Ruby Miller

(Right) Ruby Miller was 100 on April 10, 2023. She lived in Hominy all her life and was a meat cutter and caregiver until retiring in her 90s. Ruby loves Christmas, having the family together, seeing grandkids happy and cooking big meals.

Georgia Friedman

(Left) Georgia Friedman celebrated her 100th birthday today in Bartlesville. She loves music from the Big Band Era, a big pot of spaghetti for the family & meatloaf.
Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday because of the food & watching her family play the annual touch football game called “The Turkey Bowl!” She loved to wear hats so her words of wisdom for younger people: “Take care of your skin; wear hats; use sunscreen; work hard & enjoy your family!”

Loretta Marshall

(Right) Loretta (Keller) Marshall of Hydro celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this year. She was a farmer, homemaker, mother & housekeeper. She keeps her yard & its many flowers & cactus in beautiful condition & mows a half acre lawn. She was the only church organist for her Parrish (Hinton Sacred Heart Catholic Church) for 52 years.

Bill Eugene Muncy

(Right) WWII Army Veteran Bill Eugene Muncy celebrated his 100th birthday today in McAlester.
He enjoys family gatherings, traveling, fishing & being outdoors. Candy bars were the only gifts he requested for his birthday. Thank You for Your Service and Welcome to the Centenarians Hall of Fame.

KNOW A CENTENARIAN?
If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor, please visit
http://centenariansok.com/ and download and submit our form.

https://www.harborchase.com/harborchase-south-oklahoma-city/?utm_campaign=gmb

Story and phots by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Volunteer residents and staff will host a free Sip & Shop Craft and Health Fair Extravaganza at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 14, at Saint Ann Assisted and Independent Living. Last year, 90 vendors and 1,500 shoppers enjoyed the holiday market.
Campus Director Joyce Clark says Sip & Shop is an excellent example of how the senior living community designs daily life around an emphasis on fun and resident-centered services. She says this year’s market will likely be the most well-attended event ever staged in the 21-year history of the northwest Oklahoma City independent and assisted living community.
“Sip & Shop will be an affordable and entertaining way for people to purchase their Christmas gifts and other items,” Clark said in an interview. “Resident volunteers are actively involved in the planning and management of the market.” “After the market, we have a second celebration by raffling door prizes donated by generous exhibitors to our residents.”
The retail and health exhibitor lineup features many diverse vendors.
Showcases of crafts, food, art, senior services, healthcare, vintage items, and an extensive array of items are offered. “With so much variety, there should be something for everyone,” said Clark. “I personally am attracted to the handmade linens, food, barn quilts, clothes, jewelry, wood crafts, and engravings,” Clark said. “One of the rewarding outcomes of Sip & Shop is how we support and promote local small businesses and entrepreneurs.”
Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City Eusebius J. Beltran’s vision of a senior living ministry motivated the Archdiocese to develop the campus 21 years ago. The assisted and independent living center is a not-for-profit Catholic organization serving people of all faiths, featuring a chapel, Chaplain, and daily Mass. It includes 120 independent living apartments, 50 assisted living apartments and a convent.
The “Sip” part of the event will be free apple cider and wine tastings. Put A Cork In It, a local company, will host the wine tastings. The wine venue has been a Bricktown mainstay since 2008, offering award-winning wines.
Archwell Health, Oklahoma Senior Journal, and Put A Cork In It are major sponsors of Sip & Shop. Oklahoma Senior Journal’s radio show on The Eagle 96.9 station will broadcast live from Saint Ann the hour before the event starts. An estimated audience of 22,000 people will hear the program. Organizers say the radio show adds a spark to attract visitors to the fun-filled day.
“Our hard-working dining services staff will make close to 400 lunches for exhibitors, residents, and employees,” Clark said. The neighbor next door to the west, Zion Lutheran Church, will provide overflow parking. Shuttles will circle to make sure people quickly get back and forth.
Saint Ann Assisted and Independent Living is located at 7501 W. Britton Road in Oklahoma City. Residents of all walks of life enjoy the home’s active lifestyle and caring atmosphere.
Organizers say remodeling is in the works for the cozy campus and is set to begin soon after the Sip & Shop event in October.
For more info, call Lisa at (405) 721-0747 Ext 322 or visit https://www.saintannretirementcenter.com/ Independent Living | Assisted Living OKC | Saint Ann Retirement Center

by Greg Schwem

One of the greatest joys of having adult children is knowing I now have the freedom to criticize other parents and their disciplinary methods.
OK, maybe “criticize” is too harsh; “actively observe and silently disagree” might be a better phrase.
My children are 26 and 21, independent (more or less) and free to make their own decisions without my guidance. Which leaves me with plenty of free time to notice, in grocery stores, airports and other public facilities, millennial and Gen Z couples who have chosen to have children instead of dogs and now realize you can’t cage a child if it acts up. Like my parents, I find myself cringing at what this new breed of procreators consider to be acceptable punishment.
I don’t envy today’s parents and the challenges they face. Suffice it to say none of the other parents in my daughters’ kindergarten carpools would have marched into their schools and demanded their severely underpaid teachers stop reading “The Little Engine That Could” because it’s too “woke.” Well, come to think of it, a mother of seven who lived on my block and attended church several times a day may have if she’d been familiar with the word and its meaning.
Social media was a novelty in my daughters’ middle and high school years and certainly not the harmful behemoth that, today, is the gateway to bullying, ostracization and, in some cases, suicide. Yes, they both had cellphones at young ages and there were moments I had to lecture them about proper phone etiquette. Was I too lenient in certain situations? My father certainly thought so and wasn’t shy about voicing his opinions, usually at holiday gatherings. I would fruitlessly explain that he may have a different view if cellphones had existed when I was under his tutelage.
So maybe I’m overstepping my bounds when I question today’s parents about their punishment tactics. But I am generally curious. At the very least, can somebody with children please answer the following three questions?
1. Have you ever actually gotten to ”three”?
Time and again, I see children misbehaving, only to silently snicker as their mom or dad says, “Logan, I am going to count to three.” What follows is the slowest, most drawn out recitation of “one” and “two” that I have ever heard. If I were a professional boxer, got knocked down in the ring and had 10 seconds to get to my feet, I would want one of Logan’s parents to be the referee. The Logans of the world aren’t stupid; they know they still have at least 20 seconds to do whatever has drawn their parents’ ire before backing off.
2. What exactly are “privileges”?
Because I am always looking for future comedic material and column ideas, I recently started driving for Uber. While taking a couple and their two children to the airport, I heard the dad telling his son if his behavior didn’t improve, he would lose all “privileges.” It’s not the first time I’ve heard that, and now this inquiring mind wants a definition. Maybe it’s because I don’t remember having any “privileges” when I was growing up. In my father’s eyes, being born was a privilege.
3. What, and where, is the “Circle of Trust”?
I first heard that phrase when Robert DeNiro famously uttered it to Ben Stiller in “Meet the Parents.” But that was a fictitious movie. When the Uber dad reminded his son that he was approaching a Circle of Trust violation, I wanted to stop my vehicle and ask if I could view the circle some time. Is it actually drawn somewhere in the house? What are the dimensions? These circles must exist somewhere, because I have heard multiple parents refer to them.
Parents of young children, if I receive the answers to these questions, perhaps I will no longer roll my eyes or mumble under my breath when your little darlings are throwing tantrums at the bank or the hardware store. Even though my father never understood my concept of parenting, I want to understand yours. So I eagerly await your replies.
Don’t make me count to three.

(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 https://www.amazon.com/. Visit Greg on the web at https://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 https://www.gregschwem.com/)

Across
1 __-relief
4 Sacks
8 Loose strands of hair
13 Tonsillectomy doc
14 Class struggle?
15 Point of contention
16 Binary pronoun
17 *Genetically engineered retriever?
20 Many a Riyadh resident
22 Family chart
23 NYC airport near Citi Field
24 *Colleague of an Idaho farmer?
28 Care follower
29 Relatively small upright
30 Tammy of country
32 NFL stats
33 Socket set
35 Let up
36 *Advice to someone who doesn’t want more kittens?
39 Star in astronomy
42 Of all time
43 Hr. to go
46 __ knot
49 Successful candidate
51 God with good aim
52 *Teaches tricks to circus animals?
54 “Better Call Saul” network
55 Interminable time
56 Nevada city
57 *Food and water supplied during a marathon?
62 Future louse
63 Clip
64 Draft category
65 New prefix
66 Nonsensical
67 Holiday song, and, phonetically, an apt description of the answers to the starred clues
68 Start to sneeze?

Down
1 “You should smile more”
2 Barometer type
3 Soprano Teresa known for her recording of Berg’s “Lulu”
4 Sack
5 Body spray brand
6 Beetle juice?
7 Clobber, biblically
8 Port producer
9 “Amazing Grace” ending
10 Abbreviation on old maps
11 Young hens
12 Data storage company
18 Got bigger
19 Exposed
21 Shut out
25 Promotional links
26 Chalcedony with black and white bands
27 One who’s well-versed
28 Exhausted
31 Not as far
34 Binary pronoun
36 In things
37 Square
38 Hibernian, e.g.
39 __ jar
40 Meteorological concern
41 Ristorante dumplings
43 __ Aigner: fashion house known for accessories
44 Sneaks on the court?
45 Classic autos advertised with the Cole Porter song “It’s De-Lovely”
47 Cow owner in a Rockwell painting
48 Real hoot
50 Caboose, e.g.
53 Salad topper
55 Shrinking Asian sea
58 Caterpillar roll fish
59 Peace activist Yoko
60 Word that indicates a name change
61 ESPN reporter Paolantonio

Ensign William Michael Finnegan, was appointed Ensign on Nov. 18, 1941, after rising to Chief Radio Electrician.
Ensign is the junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy. As division officers, Ensigns were in charge of overseeing the work of a crew of seamen and petty officers in a specific division. As a Chief Radio Electrician, Finnegan was required to qualify for the ratings of Radioman, Aviation Radioman, Radio Technician, Radarman, and Soundman.
In addition to the USS Oklahoma, Finnigan’s Duty Stations included USS Nevada (BB 36), USS Tennessee (BB 43), Naval Air Station San Diego, CA, USS Ranger (CV 4), Headquarters, 15th Naval District, USS Farquhar (DD 304), New York Navy Yard, NY, Radio School, Cambridge, MA and Recruit Training, Great Lakes, IL
Awards and Decorations include: Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal (2), American Defense Service Medal (Fleet Clasp), Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (Bronze Star), World War II Victory Medal and the American Campaign Medal.
Ensign William Finnegan was born in Bessemer, Michigan and died during the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor. Finnegan will be buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, on September. 7th.

https://tealridge.com/

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Kristina Tell, RN, knows how important leaving a legacy can be, both in life and in business.
That’s why the executive director for Excell Home Health and Hospice believes her staff is making a difference every day.
“We provide life-changing services and for every one of our employees that is their goal,” Tell said. “We have always been an agency where we have scored well on our surveys that come back. That’s because we really take the time to take care of our patients. You can have the best marketing team in the world and they can go out and sell your product but if you’re not fulfilling that product it’s not going to continue.
“Our legacy is a legacy of excellence and that’s what we continue to strive for.”
Excell is able to offer a continuum of care with both home health and hospice services. If the time comes, patients can seamlessly transfer services without having to give up those important relationships.
“I think going to hospice is one of the scariest words for patients and so for them to be able to have that same nurse transition with them and still go through that time … we’ve seen a really amazing product from that,” Tell said.
Patients suffering from disease progression, frequent emergency room visits, multiple hospitalizations, and/or aggressive medical interventions may also be eligible for hospice care. Hospice care can be discontinued at any time and is a covered Medicare benefit.
Home Health and Hospice offer an affordable way to receive medical care at home. Many who access these benefits are over the age of 65 and are entitled to Medicare benefits which cover 100 percent of the cost of services and associated medication and supply costs. Medicaid and most commercial insurances also provide home health and hospice coverage.
Often, when patients elect home health or hospice, it is their primary physician who authorizes, coordinates and follows their care from start to finish.
Excell Home Care & Hospice works closely with the physician of your choice to provide care. If the patient does not have a primary care physician and needs to be seen by a doctor, the Home Health and Hospice agency has Medical Directors who can visit the patient.
Tell started her nursing legacy in the intensive care unit at OU Medical. Looking for a change, she found Excell in 2010 and accepted a position as a field case manager.
A clinical supervisor role quickly followed before she accepted the position as director of nursing.
A transition in ownership in 2017 placed her in the director of clinical services role leading both home health and hospice.
“I just love our agency. We’re very family oriented,” she said. “I think it really reflects that when our employees are happy so are our patients. We really care about each other and want the best for each other. I think it would be really difficult to leave my family because I see them all as my family.”
In a very mobile industry, Tell and Excell have enjoyed a loyalty from staff that is uncommon.
“I think that’s one of the things that really sets Excell apart, we have a lot of tenure,” Tell said. “Our director of rehab has been there since our doors opened in 1995. We have a lot of nurses that are 20-plus years, LPNs that are 15-plus years. We have a home health aide who has been here for 17 years. We have a lot of longevity and I think that speaks to who we are.”
Each Excell employee knows they are helping patients leave a legacy, and in turn, creating one of their very own.
“I really think it is because we show our employees that we do value them and care for them. That makes a huge difference,” Tell said of her staff longevity. “If they’re just an employee, just another number they’re going to go someplace else, chase that extra dollar. When you really put the time into your employees, getting to know them and their families we spend a lot of time together.”
For more information about Excell Home Health and Hospice, visit https://excellcares.com.

National Newspaper Carrier Day on September 4th recognizes the dedicated newspaper carriers (yes, they are still delivering) who deliver the news in the wee hours of the morning.
A lot has changed since the first newspaper carrier. Not only have the routines changed, but their methods and the age of the people delivering has changed, too. However, the newspaper carrier still exists in some form. Each and every newspaper carrier owe their start to an enterprising young immigrant in New York City over 180 years ago. As the tradition gradually fades, their history becomes no less fascinating.
According to a captioned photo released by the Museum of the City of New York, The Sun‘s publisher Benjamin Day hired the first paperboy on Septemeber 4, 1833. A 10-year-old Barney Flaherty answered the advertisement that September day. And although the ad specified for “steady men” to apply, Flaherty so impressed the editor that Day was so impressed by the boy’s sincerity; he gave him the job.
Down on the corner, passersby soon heard Flaherty hawking his sales pitch. Eventually, the universal chorus of boys (and sometimes girls) calling, “Paper! Get your paper, here!” could be heard on the streets selling papers.
“A number of steady men can find employment by vending this paper. A liberal discount is allowed to those who buy to sell again.” ~ Benjamin Day’s 1833 advertisement in The Sun.
In 1960, The Newspaper Carrier Hall of Fame was created. It acknowledges some famous newspaper carriers in our nation’s history, too. Included in the Newspaper Carrier Hall of Fame are Martin Luther King Jr., Warren Buffet, and John Wayne.
Note from the publisher:

Nearly every time I attend an event, I meet someone that delivered papers at some point in their lives.
My brother and I started selling GRIT newspapers. Kids could buy these “Enquirer” type publications – 50 at a time – out of the ad section in comic books. I think we paid eight cents per copy and stood outside Gibson’s Department store in McAlester and hawked those papers to customers for a quarter. It wasn’t much, but it paid for our next batch of papers and a bunch of junk food and soda pop.
Later we delivered the Mcalester News Capital and really started making money, LOL. I’ve been in the business for 53 years, all because of GRIT. Oh, and my Grandpa, for sitting at Gibson’s Department store watching us sell those GRIT copies – sometimes all day!
Times have changed (and I’m still not in the Hall of Fame with John Wayne) but the 55-plus crowd still loves picking up our newspaper every month. Advertisers know that when they contact us – and we are sure glad they do.
Take care of those newspaper carriers this month. Give a pat on the back to our SNL delivery folks that work so hard to make sure you have your latest copy of Oklahoma’s Senior News and Living.
By the way, I love hearing your stories. So if you delivered newspapers or just know a funny story, send me an email at [email protected]. Who knows, maybe I’ll publish your nugget so more than 60,000 seniors can enjoy.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reminds the Medicare community of the Jimmo Settlement Agreement (January 2013), which clarified that the Medicare program covers skilled nursing care and skilled therapy services under Medicare’s skilled nursing facility, home health, and outpatient therapy benefits when a beneficiary needs skilled care to maintain function or to prevent or slow decline or deterioration (provided all other coverage criteria are met). Specifically, the Jimmo Settlement Agreement required manual revisions to restate a “maintenance coverage standard” for both skilled nursing and therapy services under these benefits:
Skilled nursing services would be covered where such skilled nursing services are necessary to maintain the patient’s current condition or prevent or slow further deterioration so long as the beneficiary requires skilled care for the services to be safely and effectively provided.
Skilled therapy services are covered when an individualized assessment of the patient’s clinical condition demonstrates that the specialized judgment, knowledge, and skills of a qualified therapist (“skilled care”) are necessary for the performance of a safe and effective maintenance program. Such a maintenance program to maintain the patient’s current condition or to prevent or slow further deterioration is covered so long as the beneficiary requires skilled care for the safe and effective performance of the program.
The Jimmo Settlement Agreement may reflect a change in practice for those providers, adjudicators, and contractors who may have erroneously believed that the Medicare program covers nursing and therapy services under these benefits only when a beneficiary is expected to improve. The Jimmo Settlement Agreement is consistent with the Medicare program’s regulations governing maintenance nursing and therapy in skilled nursing facilities, home health services, and outpatient therapy (physical, occupational, and speech) and nursing and therapy in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals for beneficiaries who need the level of care that such hospitals provide.
The Jimmo Settlement Agreement included language specifying that nothing in the settlement agreement modified, contracted, or expanded the existing eligibility requirements for receiving Medicare coverage. While the Jimmo Settlement Agreement resulted in clarifications of the coverage criteria for skilled nursing and therapy services in the SNF, HH, OPT, and IRF care settings, it did not affect other existing aspects of Medicare coverage and eligibility for these settings. A few examples of such other requirements would include that the services be reasonable and necessary, comply with therapy caps in the OPT setting, and not exceed the 100-day limit for Part A SNF benefits during a benefit period.
If you have a loved one in a Long-Term Care facility and have any questions regarding care or concerns you may have, you can contact an Ombudsman to assist you.
Areawide Aging Agency’s 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 and ask to speak with an Ombudsman or visit our website at https://www.areawideaging.org.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Senior citizens 55 and over can celebrate near-space travel with free admission to the fairgrounds on their special day with events from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 20. The festivities are in the Special Events Area at the south end of the Modern Living Building at the Oklahoma State Fair.
Sponsor OG&E energizes the day along with others who support the “Out of This World” themed event with alien and flying saucer decorations. Senior activities, a photo booth all day, entertainment, exhibits, door prizes and health screenings are designed especially for the golden ager.
“Our 46th annual Senior Day at the Fair fits the 55+ fair goer in many ways,” said Cindy Dimit, longest serving committee member. “First, you have access to the total experience of the fairgrounds, while others come to the Modern Living Building to enjoy the Senior Day, never leaving the building because of our many exhibitors, screenings, and entertainment.”
The Okie Stompers kick the morning off with their combination of tap with line dancing as their ten performers dazzle with their ultimate toe-tapping’ clogging and bright outfits show. They perform again at 11 a.m. for late arrivals.
Area independent and assisted living and long-term care communities have created a one-minute video of their residents “In Motion.” The entries were judged, and the top 10 will be shown all day for the public to select the winner.
Along with the many senior-oriented booths making their services available, Senior News and Living will give away the September issue at the booth all day. The publication will supply a door raffle prize from the stage and raffle prize at the booth.
The audience can participate in themed activities on the decorated stage. At 1:20, audience singers take the stage to perform in the “Out of This World Karaoke Contest.” The otherworldly experience is offered to everyone seated throughout the day.
This year again features back-to-back Elvis tribute artists in the late afternoon and evening. Back from his popular performances for the last two years, Mike Black sings Elvis’ songs at 6:30 p.m. The Choctaw resident has opened concerts for major acts Percy Sledge, Eddie Raven, The Grass Roots, Three Dog Night and Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Shawn Klush kicks off the most significant tribute to Elvis outside at 7:30 on the Chickasaw Country Entertainment Stage. He has starred as ‘Elvis’ in the award-winning Las Vegas show “Legends in Concert.”
Klush has sung in the “Elvis Birthday Tribute Tour” with Elvis’ former musicians, singers, and friends in major venues in multiple cities. He portrayed Elvis in the “The King and I” episode of HBO’s historical drama TV series “Vinyl” produced by Martin Scorsese and Mic Jagger.
Activities planned for the day that saw 4,000 seniors last year include a robust lineup of free health screenings: Blood Pressure Screenings, Blood Sugar Screenings, Pain Management Assessment, Vein Testing, Depression and Memory Screenings, and Diabetic Foot Screenings.
Passport Health will offer Flu, 65+ Flu, Shingles and Pneumonia vaccines at a cost. Attendees are asked to present their insurance card if it covers their shots. They can file to the following plans – Aetna, BCBS and all affiliates (Anthem, BlueLincs, etc.), Cigna, Global, Healthcare Highways, HealthChoice Oklahoma, Humana (Medicare Advantage only), Medicaid/Sooner Care, Medicare/Medicare Advantage, UMR, and United Healthcare (not if the card says “referrals required”).
Those without insurance or a plan not in Passport Health’s network will have to pay at the time of service. Vitamin B-12 injections are $20 cash. The day also features 24 other senior health and recreation exhibitors.
Door Prizes are offered (Registration: Session 1: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Session 2: 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. & Session 3: 3:30 – 6 p.m.) Pick up your ticket at the prize table for a chance to win one of many donated gifts. There will be multiple drawings in the morning, the early afternoon and then again in late afternoon. Each session’s tickets will be discarded after the end of their respective time. Please register again for both afternoon door prize sessions.
“Since January, the volunteer Senior Day committee has been working hard to plan an excellent event for Oklahoma Seniors 55 and over,” said Robyn Holly, Fair Special Programs & Events manager. “We look forward to a successful Senior Day and Fair.”

A full listing of what goes on “Out of This World” is available online at https://okstatefair.com/uploads//senior-day-event-details-2023.pdf