The Pioneer Woman Museum is excited to host its annual Prairie to Palate fundraising dinner on Thursday, September 21, from 6-9 p.m. The event will be held on the beautiful lawn of the Pioneer Woman Museum in Ponca City.
Prairie to Palate is an outdoor, farm-to-table dining experience. Enjoy a night of delicious food, wine, live music, and a silent auction. Dinner will be provided by Stagecoach BBQ & Catering, dessert by Banana Crate, drinks by Vortex Alley Brewing and El Patio, and live music by Ryan Burkett. All proceeds support the Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue’s operating costs throughout the year.
Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased online at the PWM website. Bottomless drinks with a souvenir-etched Pioneer Woman Museum pint or wine glass can be purchased for an additional $12.50. Please RSVP by Friday, September 15.
Corporate sponsorships are available for $1,000 each. This covers eight dinners with bottomless drinks and souvenir glasses.
The Pioneer Woman Museum is located at 701 Monument Rd. in Ponca City. For more information, please call 580-765-6108 or visit their website, https://www.pioneerwomanmuseum.com/.
The Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue 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 https://www.okhistory.org/.
On Saturday, September 9, from 1-4 p.m., the Oklahoma History Center with host an introduction to cross-stitch workshop. Participants will learn the process of cross-stitching and create a cross-stitch bookmark to take home.
The cost of the class is $20 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $25 for nonmembers. The deadline to register is Saturday, September 2. All materials and instruction will be provided, along with light refreshments.
The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. in Oklahoma City. It is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Please call 405-522-0765 or visit https://www.okhistory.org/historycenter for admission costs and group rates.
The patriotically-dressed Christion group Okie Stompers pose just after bringing their toe-tapping clogging excitement to the Senior Day at the Fair last year.
Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor
Elvis tribute artist Mike Black appeared in his second year entertaining Senior Day at the Fair crowds.
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.”
The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) announced today that Oklahoma has adopted regulations enacting a “best interest” standard on annuity sales and recommendations based on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Model Regulation (#275).
The amended regulations, which are located in Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 365:25-17, are set to go into effect on September 1, 2023. The rules require a producer to act in the best interest of consumers under the circumstances known at the time the recommendation is made.
“The new rules will provide stronger protections for retirees and safeguard access for lower and middle-income families in the state,” Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready said.
Oklahoma is the 40th state to implement the NAIC model regulation, a template for states to create their own regulation governing annuity sales that would align with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Regulation Best Interest providing robust consumer protection at the state and federal levels.
Earlier this month, the OID issued a bulletin about the training requirements for producers involved in the sale, solicitation, or negotiation of annuities. The training requirements are now located in OAC 365:25-17-7.1. To learn more about annuities, visit https://www.oid.ok.gov/consumers/annuity/ or contact the OID at 800-522-0071.
The Oklahoma City Skydance Bridge will join other nationwide landmark bridges as part of a news stamp series by the U.S. Postal Service beginning August 24th. famous OKC landmark will soon grace collectors’ books and the corners of envelopes nationwide. The Skydance Bridge will be featured in a new stamp series (one of four) by the U.S. Postal Service starting Aug. 24.
Inspired by Oklahoma’s state bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher, Skydance bridge soars over Interstate 40. The bridge is a 380-foot-long pedestrian bridge with a 197-foot-tall sculpture.
The bridge opened in 2012 and connects Upper and Lower Scissortail Park. The bridge was built at a total cost of $5.8 million for the pedestrian use, designed and structurally engineered by S-X-L, a local business. Visit your local post office or shop the USPS online at: https://store.usps.com/store/product/stamp-collectors to purchase these iconic stamps.
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
Bill Ruhman,of Edmond OK, won a Gold Medal in the 95-96 category for Bowling at the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh, PA.Regina Stewart returns home with a medal in 4×100 relay.Sue Hlavacek, Interim NSGA President, left and CEO with Kathleen Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Senior Games.Here’s the Oklahoma Old School team in the Men’s 3on3 Basketball, 60-64 age group. Left to right Jim LaCamp, Patrick Keaney, Tim Larson, and Jerry Moore.
Seniors from Oklahoma participating in the National Senior Games which was held recently in Pittsburgh, PA represented the state well, finishing with a balanced number of medals, 22 Gold, 23 Silver and 24 Bronze for a total medal count of 69, this number does not include the number of ribbons that were won for fourth through seventh place finishers. While the Oklahoma athletes finished in the lower tier of the medal count, they faired well. The state with the highest number of total medals was Florida with 586 with 19 states gathering at least 100 total medals. View the final results at https://nsga.com/results-2023/.
The next National Senior Games will be in Des Moines, Iowa in 2025. Oklahoma seniors can begin preparing for that competition this September through October. While not a qualifying year, preparing this year will get you headed to qualifying in 2024. Check out the list of events and dates the OSG Facebook page or on the website, at https://okseniorgames.com.
Resident Karel shows off the gift basket she won last year, donated from vendors raffled to Saint Ann Assisted and Independent Living residents.
Story and phots by Darl DeVault, contributing editor
From left, Assisted Living Administrator LaTrona Fulbright, Director of Community Outreach Richard Amend, and Campus Director Joyce Clark, Campus Director, stand behind seated Archbishop Emeritus Beltran, welcoming attendees at last year’s holiday market.Resident Karel shows off the gift basket she won last year, donated from vendors raffled to Saint Ann Assisted and Independent Living residents.Bri Bibbs, owner of Felicity Flowers Company, is a talented florist and one of last year’s vendors at the Sip & Shop Craft and Health Fair.
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
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.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahomans looking to jumpstart a career in long-term care can receive help finding a job and getting their training paid for through Care Careers Oklahoma, a new employment program. Care Careers helps applicants find job openings at skilled nursing facilities near them and reimburses the cost of Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) and Certified Medication Aide (CMA) training. Potential applicants are urged to learn more and apply at CareCareersOK.com.
Program Ambassador Tanecia Davis, who oversees Care Careers, said that she views her role as helping to put other Oklahomans on a career path for advancement and stable employment for many years.
“We aren’t just helping people find ‘a job,’” said Davis. “We are helping Oklahomans develop new and marketable skills while they work and earn a living. The on-the-job training they receive is setting the stage for a lengthy and rewarding career. Working in long-term care means knowing that you are using your skillset and training to make a real and positive difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Care Careers Oklahoma is a project of Care Providers Oklahoma and LeadingAge Oklahoma, associations representing the interests of the residents, staff and ownership of Oklahoma’s long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living homes and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Care Careers is funded through money made available by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). In 2022, the State Legislature appropriated $4.5 million in ARPA money to Care Providers for “the purpose of recruiting, educating, and stabilizing Oklahoma’s health care workforce.” Using those dollars, Care Providers Oklahoma and Leading Age launched Care Careers, which also receives oversight from the Oklahoma Health Care Workforce Training Commission.
Care Providers Oklahoma President Steven Buck said the Legislature acted wisely by investing in workforce development.
“Our profession is facing a real crisis, and that is a lack of qualified long-term care personnel here in Oklahoma,” said Buck. “That crisis has already forced multiple facilities to close. It is also directly related to the quality and consistency of care that our residents receive. My thanks go out to our lawmakers, particularly the authors of our appropriation, Sen. John Haste and Rep. Kyle Hilbert, for recognizing the severity of this challenge and taking steps to address it.”
LeadingAge Oklahoma Director of Member Services Leanna Vasquez said she was grateful for the opportunity to help address Oklahoma’s health care workforce shortage.
“We see the significant workforce needs in the long-term care facilities across Oklahoma and we want to do all we can to help provide a better quality of care to its residents through this program,” said Vasquez.
About Care Providers Oklahoma:
Previously the Oklahoma Association of Health Care Providers (OAHCP), Care Providers Oklahoma represents the interests of more than 18,000 residents and 19,000 professionals that work in Oklahoma’s long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living homes and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Care Providers Oklahoma’s mission is to assist its members in providing the highest quality care to the seniors, individuals with disabilities and vulnerable Oklahomans who live in our facilities. We advocate for the enhancement of that care so that Oklahoma long-term care residents may live in the comfort and dignity they deserve. Learn more here.
