What do you hope is under the Christmas tree this year? Heritage Assisted Living Center

Just time with my family and friends. Joan Dark

Could I get new eyes? I can work with my hearing, but not my eyes. Jane Carter

I would like to get a chair lift that mounts to a car so I can travel more. Ron Kirby

I’d like a brand new outfit to go to town. Mary Brunnert

By Darlene Franklin

Merry Christmas? Not always. For many, it’s the loneliest time of year. Merry Christmas? Not always. For many, it’s the loneliest time of year. How do you read “Godisnowhere?” Many cheer that God is now here. Others wander in the darkness of “God is nowhere.” Some still wonder if Emanuel, God with us, has ever come. God not only makes promises. He transforms, fulfills, and perpetuates them. PROMISES GIVENIn the 21st century, Christians are tempted to question why people didn’t recognize Jesus as the Messiah at His birth. We don’t think about how long Jews had waited waiting for Emanuel to be born, ever since the birth of their nation, a promise that extended back to the Garden of Eden.Fifty-three years ago, my ten-year-old self said “I will” when the preacher asked, “who will go?” I fbelieved I was supposed to serve as a music missionary to Mexico.Our southern neighbor was pretty exotic to someone from Maine. I studied Spanish on my own until I got to high school and pursued advanced degrees in Bible and music.Did I ever get to Mexico? Yes, for eight glorious weeks one summer while I was in college. My dream of fulltime service ground down over the years. Financial and family difficulties intervened, and I found myself too old and unfit. I gave up, but God didn’t. When I moved west, Mexicans worked in fast-food restaurants, did my hair, and became my neighbors, friends, and co-workers. They accepted my halting attempts at Spanish with delight. When I didn’t get to Mexico, God brought Mexico to me. PROMISES TRANSFORMEDGod did more than bring Mexico to me. He turned the tables on me. A couple of weeks ago one of my nursing home aides, Maria Ochoa, helped me get ready for the day. Spanish Catholic music played on her phone, and I sang along. She showed me the lyrics on the screen. For ten minutes, we told the gospel through endless verses. It was a powerful time of worship. Maria had switched roles and ministered to me. The Lord took the promise to bring me to Mexico and transformed it into something even more beautiful.  Similarly, the Messiah who arrived didn’t match what people expected. Instead of a King to sit on David’s throne, God sent the Lamb who would take away the sins of the world and rule over a heavenly kingdom of people from every tribe and tongue and nation. PROMISES FULFILLEDThose first century Jews had it partly right. The Day of the Lord is coming and His Kingdom will be established on earth as it is in heaven. But they missed the bits about the humble servant who would suffer and die (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus fulfilled those prophecies. Sometimes a promise happens in stages. The fact we didn’t get everything we expected doesn’t meant those things will never come to pass. Take the book I’m working on now. I’ve been to compose prayers from Genesis to Revelation. I’m jumping for joy because God called me, promised me, that I would be writing a devotional book over twenty-five years ago. After my nonfiction proposals got rejected repeatedly, I decided God wanted me to write fiction. I’ve been blessed with many novels, and have contributed devotions to books now and then. Over the past eighteen months, God has opened one door after another to write nonfiction. And now God gave me this this awesome, almost scary, gift and assignment. Praise Him.PROMISES PERPETUATEDGod gives every generation enough signs to believe the Lord is returning in their generation.  In my youth, we looked at the restablishment of Israel as a nation for the first time AD 70 (in 1948). I spent my young adult years watching for the Lord’s return. If it happened within a forty-year generation of Israeli nationhood, He would come in 1988. When it didn’t happen, I knew I had figured wrong. Perhaps the biblical promises to bless the righteous to a thousand generations works like that. That’s a promise that stretches beyond the family I can imagine, to places I’ve never been-until the Lord’s return. God will fulfill every one of His promises. It’s only a question of when.Sponsored by Darlene Franklin. Best-selling hybrid author Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. Mermaid Song is her fiftieth unique title! She’s also contributed to more than twenty nonfiction titles. Her column, “The View Through my Door,” appears in four monthly venues. Other recent titles are Christmas Masquerade and Maple Notch Romances Eight Couples Find Love You can find her online at: Website and blog, Facebook, Amazon author page

INTEGRIS Health and its employees have once again donated turkeys from their annual Turkey Toss to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. This year, 865 turkeys were donated and distributed to fellow Oklahomans who have inconsistent access to nutritious food.
“We consider ourselves blessed to work for an organization that values our employees and is willing to reward them in this special way,” said Bruce Lawrence, president and CEO of INTEGRIS Health. “Donations made to the Regional Food Bank allows INTEGRIS to live our mission by supporting our community through giving to those in need this holiday season.”
INTEGRIS Health traditionally hands out turkeys to their employees in November as a way of ‘giving thanks’ for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. Many employees ‘pay it forward’ by donating their turkey to the Regional Food Bank.
“Having a meal to share is often out of reach for many of our Oklahoma neighbors,” said Katie Fitzgerald, chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank. “There are too many of our neighbors – people you may even know – who are quietly living with hunger. Thanks to INTEGRIS Health and all of their wonderful employees, hundreds of families will now enjoy a nutritious holiday meal together.”
This year alone, INTEGRIS, and its employees, donated 25,850 pounds of food through its Turkey Toss and Gov. Mary Fallin’s Feeding Oklahoma Drive. In total, 7,626 turkeys have been donated to the Regional Food Bank since INTEGRIS Health began the partnership in 2010. The majority of Oklahomans served by the Regional Food Bank are chronically hungry children, seniors living on limited incomes and hardworking families struggling to make ends meet.
It’s not too late to make a difference this holiday season. Thanks to a generous matching challenge from APMEX.com, the Cresap Family Foundation and Chesapeake Energy Corporation, every gift we receive through Jan. 15 will be matched, dollar for dollar – up to $600,000 – for a total impact of $1.2 million. To make a donation call 405-600-3136 or visit regionalfoodbank.org/donate.

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Heritage Assisted Living has been in Curtis Aduddell’s family for 17 years.
The director realizes when he comes to work every day he’s walking into someone’s home.
He’s proud of that. And walk the halls of the Yukon residence for a few minutes and you’ll quickly see he’s not the only one.
“More laughter going on here than any other facility around, I’ll bet you,” said resident Jane Carter.
“We do have fun,” resident Ron Kirby chimed in. “It’s the reason to live. That’s what it’s all about. When you’re happy you live longer.”
There’s life in these hallways.
The sound of people laughing.
The smell of chicken enchilada soup simmering on the stove in preparation for dinner.
FAMILY DIFFERENCE
Aduddell became a nursing home administrator in 1993 in Texas. When the opportunity arose to move back to Oklahoma he jumped on it.
His brother and father approached him with a plan to open several assisted living facilities. The family built Heritage Assisted Living from the ground up and Aduddell has been at 9025 Northwest Expressway ever since.
Joan Dark’s residence is just 10 feet down the hall from Aduddell’s office.
His door is alway open, usually with Chief Canine Officer Cotton’s head poking out. Aduddell’s affectionate, gentle and patient Great Pyrenees knows every resident by sight and visits with them on a daily basis.
In 2015, Dark sold her house and moved into independent living. Less than a year later she realized the move didn’t solve the day-to-day chores of cleaning, cooking and shopping.
A friend suggested Heritage Assisted Living.
“I love it here,” Dark said.
And one of the things she loves is the access she has to the man in charge.
She’s used that access on a couple occasions but mostly she pops in just to say hello.
“A lot of people like the fact they can go to somebody that can at least give them an answer. Whether the answer is yes, no, this that or the other you don’t have to run it up a corporate chain of command,” Aduddell said.
“We do it because we love the seniors and we love what we do. That’s my goal. Open door – absolutely.”
SMOOTH TRANSITION
The open door policy is just one of the amenities new residents are offered when Director of Admissions Kimberly Brinner begins the discussion of moving in.
“We get a lot of information before people come in and find out their likes and dislikes,” Brinner said. “We try to pair them up with someone here who is very similar.”
From that information a myriad of things begin to fall into place.
“They feel comfortable. They know there are people they can go to talk to over and over again,” Brinner said. “We know this is going to be hard. The first six weeks are always bumpy, no matter wherever they go.”
“But it’s bumpy because their entire world has just turned upside down. We want to make sure during that time we’re here for them 100 percent.”
That’s where the hospitality committee comes in. Sharing stories, memories, tips and feelings of their own personal transitions oftentimes brings it home to people that they don’t have to go through this phase alone.
Residents are encouraged to take ownership at Heritage. Whether it be serving on resident committees or leading in other ways the message is clear: Heritage is your home.
“We work here. You live here,” Brinner said. “We’re working in your home. We want to know what you want us to do in your home. We don’t want to cross that line when we’re in your home. You tell us what you need us to do to make your life better.”
“The thing I always stress is that we’re a family-owned facility but we’re a family here. My mom lives here.”
Dinnertime is a special time at Heritage – largely because it’s driven by what residents want.
The food council meets monthly with Chef Felipe Castillo to help craft the menu.
Special requests are made and family recipes are shared with Castillo so he can share with everyone.
A few years back, residents even opted to restructure dining times and implement reserved seating.
“They wanted that. It’s not for our benefit,” Aduddell laughed. “They wanted it to get to know the people at their table.”
Remodeling has already begun at Heritage. A bistro will open along with a workout facility. More open reading areas will be offered.
Granite countertops and new flooring are also being installed.
Staff longevity reigns at Heritage. Director of Nursing Jodie Spradlin has several night staff that have worked at Heritage for 17 years.
Many others are reaching a decade of service to residents.
“People come and stay,” Aduddell said. “We just try to hire caring and compassionate people. I think we’ve done a good job in that.”
They’ve also done a good job of making a home.
To find out more information you can call Brinner at 405-470-4249 or go online to
www.heritageokc.com.

Dear Savvy Senior,

What’s the best way to distribute my personal possessions to my kids after I’m gone without causing hard feelings or conflict? I have a lot of jewelry, art, family heirlooms and antique furniture, and three grown kids that don’t always see eye-to-eye on things. Planning Ahead

Dear Planning,
Divvying up personal possessions among adult children or other loved ones can often be a difficult task. Deciding who should get what without showing favoritism, hurting someone’s feeling or causing a feud can be difficult, even for close-knit families who enter the process with the best of intentions. Here are a few tips to consider that can help you divide your stuff with minimal conflict.
Problem Areas
For starters, you need to be aware that it’s usually the small, simple items of little monetary value that cause the most conflicts. This is because the value we attach to the small personal possessions is usually sentimental or emotional, and because the simple items are the things that most families fail to talk about.
Family battles can also escalate over whether things are being divided fairly by monetary value. So for items of higher value like your jewelry, antiques and art, consider getting an appraisal to assure fair distribution. To locate an appraiser, see Appraisers.org or AppraisersAssociation.org.
Ways to Divvy
The best solution for passing along your personal possessions is for you to go through your house with your kids or other heirs either separately or all at once. Open up cabinets, drawers and closets, and go through boxes in the attic and/or basement to find out which items they would like to inherit and why. They may have some emotional attachment to something you’re not aware of. If more than one child wants the same thing, you will have the ultimate say.
Then you need to sit down and make a list of who gets what on paper, signed, dated and referenced in your will. You can revise it anytime you want. You may also want to consider writing an additional letter or create an audio or video recording that further explains your intentions.
You can also specify a strategy for divvying up the rest of your property. Here are some methods that are fair and reasonable:
· Take turns choosing: Use a round-robin process where your kids take turns choosing the items they would like to have. If who goes first becomes an issue, they can always flip a coin, draw straws or roll dice. Also, to help simplify things, break down the dividing process room-by-room, versus tackling the entire house. To keep track of who gets what, either make a list or use adhesive dots with a color assigned to each person to tag the item.
· Have a family auction: Give each person involved the same amount of play money, or use virtual points or poker chips to bid on the items they want.
For more ideas, see “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate?” at YellowPiePlate.umn.edu. This is a resource created by the University of Minnesota Extension Service that offers a detailed workbook or interactive CD for $12.50, and DVD for $30 that gives pointers to help families discuss property distribution and lists important factors to keep in mind that can help avoid conflict.
It’s also very important that you discuss your plans in advance with your kids so they can know ahead what to expect. Or, you may even want to start distributing some of your items now, while you can still alive.
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 Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) announced the first two deaths caused by the flu in the state. Both deaths occurred in patients who were over the age of 65. There have been 105 influenza-associated hospitalizations reported statewide.
The number of flu cases is relatively high for this time of year, and public health officials are concerned there will be a high risk of spreading the flu during the holiday season. The highest number of flu-related hospitalizations has occurred among those who are older than 50 years of age, as well as children younger than 5, which are both groups at greater risk of experiencing severe illness and complications due to flu.
The OSDH reminds the public that there are still several months left in the flu season. The single best way to protect against flu and its consequences is to get the flu vaccine. Many local county health departments, pharmacies and health care providers have vaccine and health officials urge everyone 6 months of age and older to get the vaccine to protect themselves and those around them from influenza, especially babies too young to receive a vaccination. It takes about two weeks after getting a flu shot for a person’s immune system to respond and provide defenses against influenza viruses.
Those who already have the flu can spread it to others even before they feel sick. One may have the flu if they have some or all of these symptoms: Fever, Cough, Sore throat, Runny or stuffy nose, Body aches, Headache, Chill, Fatigue
It is important for those experiencing flu-like symptoms to consult with a health care provider as soon as possible. Antiviral drugs may be prescribed to treat the flu. These drugs work better for treatment when started within 48 hours of noticing symptoms. Influenza antiviral drugs may also be indicated as a prevention measure to protect those who have just been exposed to someone diagnosed with influenza and are especially vulnerable.
Certain people are at greater risk of serious flu-related complications. Young children, elderly persons, pregnant women and people with some long-term medical conditions are reminded to contact their health care provider as soon as they develop flu symptoms.
OSDH recommends staying home for at least 24 hours after a fever is gone. Avoid going to work, school, social events and public gatherings as well as traveling and shopping. The fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as acetaminophen before returning to a regular routine. To prevent the spread of the flu, the public is reminded to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and wash hands often.
For more information about influenza and activity updates, visit the Ok Flu View at flu.health.ok.gov.

Q. My husband and I are both self employed and have Obamacare (aka The Affordable Care Act,ACA). Even though we make a good income, it fluctuates but we do not qualify for any subsidies. Our premium has jumped to over $1000 per month with a deductible of $6500!! There is nothing affordable about raising our premium 76%. Our stress level has also jumped 76%. What is happening to hard working people whose incomes do not jump even close to 76%.
Janet and Kyle

A. Oklahoma has only one health care provider, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS). All the other insurance carriers have left Obamacare. When losses exceed premiums, the only options are to stop doing business with this group of Oklahomans or raise premiums.
According to John Doak, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner, since the 2014 implementation of the ACA, BCBS combined losses are more than $300 million. So they can exit this group of people, leaving them with no coverage or they can skyrocket the premiums.
Subsidies sound great but not everyone qualifies for them. It sounds like you and your husband fall into the group of people that will have to find a way to make more money on your own. As if you didn’t have enough stress, now this.
Oklahoma is an unhealthy state. According to Business Insider, Dec 2013, Oklahoma ranks #7 on the 10 Unhealthiest States List. Obesity rates are high in our state. The amount of public funding available for health care has dropped 40% in the past two years. Addiction rates are high.
Options for those on Obamacare are limited but the following are: suggestions:
1. Check to see if you qualify for any subsidies.
2. Don’t have insurance and pay the penalty at tax time.
3. Spend less – can you modify your budget?
4. Work more – not good for mental health/physical health
5. Lower stress by staying as healthy as possible
*exercise–get out and move your body *nutrition–choose healthy options, avoid impulse eating *laugh — there are funny moments — seize them *sleep — most people are sleep deprived.
Maybe you can motivate the unhealthy Oklahomans to put down their fork and put their walking shoes on. This is a serious issue with a serious consequence and a domino affect that could be disastrous.