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Letters: larry martin / tom ryan
That might depend on whom you ask. For decades, our nation tended to think a “senior” is anyone past the traditional retirement age of 65. For administrative purposes, many programs and organizations, such as JAAA, place that age at 60. Others recognize “seniors” as young as 55 or 50. Meanwhile, an active generation has redefined the other end of “senior” by pushing the traditional retirement age into the 70s and living longer, more healthful lives into their 80s and 90s. Here’s another definition of “senior.” It is a definition based not on the increasing fluidity of age, but one that comes from the stories in this premiere edition of the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging SR magazine: A “senior” is someone who is able to apply the experience and wisdom of her or his life into living better today. See also “Angie Davis” on page 12, “Jerold Binkley” on page 25 … and many other local, living definitions of the word “senior” in these pages. Whether you’re not quite 50, 65 or 88, we hope you’ll enjoy this tribute to the mission of JAAA and take home some senior wisdom to apply to your own life. —Topeka Magazine What does the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging ( JAAA) do for you? The one point that I would like you to take away is that the area agency on aging should serve as your initial point of contact whenever you need information regarding services for seniors or those with disabilities—just pick up the phone. What else do we do? The two primary programs that we administer are the Senior Care Act and the Older Americans Act. Through these two programs, we coordinate the delivery of services through our partnerships with numerous community agencies and activities. Funding from these programs goes to such programs as home-delivered meals, congregate meal sites, community health organizations, legal services, in-home care, health insurance counseling, transportation services, information outreach and a new nutrition program called CHAMPSS. With the ongoing budget battles at federal and state level, it is increasingly difficult to fund all necessary services that the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging oversees. In recent years, we have been forced to focus resources on core services. We need your input to ensure we are addressing your needs. I encourage each of you to contact the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging by either calling (785) 235-1367 or going online at www.jhawkaaa.org. Let us hear from you!
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
2
JAYHAWK
Who is a senior, anyway?
Larry Martin Chairman, Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging Advisory Committee
A friend of mine who served on the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging ( JAAA) Board and lives in my community approached me one day and asked if I would be interested in serving out the remaining term of a board member who was leaving for health reasons. That was 14 years ago. Little did I know my involvement with JAAA would last so long. After completing the first term, I was asked to continue for another term. I have enjoyed every day of my service. During my first term as chair, I accompanied a case manager to get the feel of her job and was impressed by her interaction with our client. But our client needed a $15 item we could not provide because restrictions on the funds we allocate did not allow it. Today, our Guardian Angel Fund, supported by donations, allows us to take care of client needs that fall through the cracks of our funding sources. Another pressing concern for the agency was that we had outgrown the building we were renting. Rent was high and climbing. Other rental buildings suitable for our needs were equally high. With the help of the owner, we were able to purchase our current home at 2910 SW Topeka Blvd. Owning, for us, is cheaper than renting. Several years ago, when our executive director left the agency, we did not have sufficient funds to replace her. We decided to try a team management concept utilizing the outstanding talent of our employees. Team managers elected Jocelyn Lyons as their team leader. Five years later, having proven her leadership ability to both the board and our employees, Lyons has assumed the position of executive director. Our clients benefit from a staff that continues to do an outstanding job of meeting the needs of our aging population.
Tom Ryan Current board chair, Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging
AREA AGENCY ON AGING
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging SR magazine is a joint, annual publication of the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging (JAAA) and Topeka Magazine, a division of Sunflower Publishing. For questions regarding distribution, editorial stories or advertising, please contact Sunflower Publishing. srjayhawk@sunflowerpub.com
Editor
designer/Art Director
Nathan Pettengill Jenni Leiste
Photographers Jason Dailey Bill Stephens Becky Bridson Contributing Writers Kim Gronniger Molly Murphy Karen Ridder Christine Steinkuehler Debra Guiou Stufflebean
COPY EDITOR
account executives
Ad Designer
publisher
Christy Little Kathy Lafferty (785) 224-9992 John Kramer (785) 865-4091 Jenni Leiste Bert Hull
645 New Hampshire St. Lawrence, KS 66044 (888) 497-8668 www.sunflowerpub.com
contents
06
Perspective
One of Topeka’s most influential artists talks about the rewards and responsibilities that come as life unfolds—in her education, in her work, and in her love
12
The Unstoppable Force
Senior bodybuilder Angie Davis takes on young blood and wins the big prize, health and satisfaction
16
dinner on demand
Innovative dine-out program represents growing trend in Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging’s approach to senior services
24
More So
The senior years open up chances to explore new pursuits or expand on lifelong interests
28
Honor Brigade
Student for Life
Area institutions offer many senior educational opportunities
36
Calendar of Events
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging Calendar of Events, May 2013 – April 2014
Bob Crapser volunteers at Topeka’s Combat Air Museum
JAYHAWK
premeire eDitioN
2013
AREA AGENCY ON AGING
on the
4
34
cover
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
A core crew of dedicated senior volunteers keeps history and legacy of Topeka museum open for future generations
All History,
No Dust
PG 28
Active Volunteers Preserve the Past
Tough Enough
Topeka’s Senior Bodybuilder
Modern Aging JAAA’s New Approach
Years of Perspective
Wa t e r m a n - P e t e r s o n Artistic Growth
Senior Combat Air Museum volunteers include, from left, Gene Howerter (current chairman of the museum’s board of directors), Bob Crapser, and Danny J. San Romani (museum curator). Photograph by Jason Dailey
Profile: Barbara Waterman-Peters One of Topeka’s most influential artists talks about the rewards and responsibilities that come as life unfolds— in her education, in her work, and in her love
A b o u t
Interview by Molly Murphy Photography by Jason Dailey
the writer
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
6
Perspective Lawrence-based artist Molly Murphy has established a reputation as one of the region’s leading young artists. Her work—mostly paintings and sketches—often touches on themes of female identity and self-
I was born here in Topeka. My father came back from World War II very ill and died when I was 6. We then lived in New Jersey, New York and New Mexico, but came back to Kansas, and I have lived either in Topeka or in the Topeka area ever since. All through school, from elementary grades to college, I was lucky to have very supportive teachers, and I was fortunate that my family was also supportive, my mother probably more than anyone. After my daughter started school, I enrolled at This interview has been Washburn University. When I graduated in 1973, I was transcribed, edited and told I didn’t need graduate school. The message I was condensed by Molly getting was: a) you are a woman, b) you are married and Murphy and Topeka have a child, and c) you’re not serious—no woman ever Magazine / Sunflower does serious work. So, being a good little girl, I believed Publishing. what I was told. For a number of years, I taught drawing, painting, design and watercolor. At the same time, I worked on and presented my own art. My work at that time was based on experiences I had while growing up. You see, the matriarchy was alive and well in my psyche. My mother was married several times after my father died, but these men, while very nice, did not really form father figures for me. I was heavily influenced by my grandmothers and my mother and by the Catholic nuns in school. I based my early work on a lot of experiences with them. I delved into old wives’ tales and things that I had been brought up with. It was fairly surrealistic and almost nightmarish. It was pretty scary stuff with brilliant colors and strange figures, women with no breasts and no arms. It was what I needed to say at the time. But I felt the work needed to progress because I knew that if I stayed in that mode then I was going to dry up. I realized I was a woman who wanted a master’s degree. So, I decided to go after one. I went to graduate school at K-State when I was 51 years of age. I roomed with my daughter who was then an undergraduate in the agriculture department. That was an interesting experience in and of itself. Though I had been teaching around Washburn University, I had not been a student with a backpack on for years. The first day, I had so many books in my backpack that I fell down and some very nice, young underclassman helped me up. It was very embarrassing. But I have no regrets as far as being a late-bloomer for getting my master’s because it came to me when I really was prepared to receive it. They say that you get knowledge when your mind is prepared for it. And by the time I went, I was prepared to just soak up things. I took cultural history, women’s studies and, of course, every art history course I could get my hands on. Art history was as invaluable to me as the women’s studies and the cultural history because I had the good fortune to take a course that dealt with women in art history. This was that sea change of, “Hey, there were women artists!” and so forth. It was a door-opening for me that enriched me and felt in line with what I already knew. It was just fantastic. Also, I think that I had had enough experience that I was able to really know the questions to ask. And having already taught university students before I went to graduate school, I could understand what professors were trying to tell me and respect their viewpoint. In fact, a number of professors at Kansas State were friends of mine and so, in a way, it put them in an awkward position. But in another way, they challenged me and helped me to think about my work differently. At that time, I had been working on maps, which I considered another way to look at the landscape. When I was in school for the first time, the minimalists and the abstract expressionists were very, very hot. And the figurative part was absolutely passé. You did not do figurative art except in life drawing class, just for practice, just to learn how to draw. But no serious artist who really wanted to succeed worked in figurative art. So, I suppressed what I really wanted to do and turned to a sort of metaphoric landscape, recollection. She serves on the board of the Lawrence Arts Center and directs Lawrence’s Final Fridays events. Regionally, her work can be seen frequently at exhibits in Lawrence and Kansas City.
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This project was supported, in part by a grant number 90MP0087, from the U.S. Administration on Aging, Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration on Aging policy.
Barbara WatermanPeters Topeka-based artist Barbara WatermanPeters has spent her life creating art. She received her bachelor’s of fine arts from Washburn University in 1973 and her master’s of fine arts from Kansas State in 1998. She is a founding member of Topeka’s Collective Gallery, and she serves on numerous boards and agencies including the committee of collections at Kansas State’s Beach Museum. Waterman-Peters has mentored and championed numerous Topeka artists while also expanding and exploring her diverse work of art, which can be seen at numerous showings in Topeka and Kansas.
the maps. These maps were the first time that I attempted any humor or irony. They had underlying little messages, a little subtext, and were about the current political situation with a sort of caustic humor. The map series wasn’t in-your-face. It wasn’t confrontational like the women series but with the maps I began to develop the women series. I’m not in my early forties anymore—I’m not even in my fifties anymore—so I have mellowed a bit. I have been working on this series for 21 years now. And the women’s series has evolved from this very surreal, nightmarish, to a more human image. Now, the strangeness is in the figures’ costumes. For a while, the figures in the women’s series were literally dressed in clown outfits with clown makeup. I was trying to show that they were women playing the roles that are foreordained for them. They were greeting the world in these
roles that they felt compelled to do. I am interested in perhaps a less strident message, but getting across women’s issues as part of the human condition. Men have their own things going on. Men have their own problems and things they deal with. I’m not a man-hater by any means. In fact, there was a time when I would show the early work and most women wouldn’t even look at it. But men would look at it. The work became a channel for people to share their stories. And men would share their stories, their family stories, and I was flattered and honored that people felt they could share these stories with me. That is why we make images, that is why we write music or write stories. Or dance. Or perform in a theater. We are communicating. We’re addressing the issue of our own existence. There is the artist, the work and the viewer—and in that equation,
Waterman-Peters sorts through some of her early work at her studio in North Topeka. Much of her recent work can be seen at her website: www.barbarawaterman-peters.com
the artist and the work are not complete until someone has had a chance to see the work and respond to it. Now, this could be because I am old, but I feel that I have responsibility. I really think that in order to be taken seriously, art does have to be a communicator of something interesting that you want to say. No one is immortal. What we leave behind is what we have created. And if this body of work is of interest to people now, and maybe I hope, a little bit in the future, then all my years will have been spent in some kind of worthy pursuit. And in a very demanding pursuit. You have to be very self-disciplined and serious about art. It is not something that I have pursued lightly. When I remarried, I married another artist—Larry Peters— and I moved into his home and I moved into his studio, which was interesting and
9
Profile: Barbara Waterman-Peters Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
territorial. We never talked about it—but we made, somehow, a pact that our lives as husband and wife would never be brought into our art. By that, I mean, we would not be angry at each other and let it out on the other’s art, such as: “I hate you and you are a horrible painter!” I could be so mad at him as a husband that I would want to string him by his fingernails, but I would cut out my tongue before I would say, “And by the way, I don’t like those pots you did.” We have been married going on 27 years, and that has never happened. There’s also mutual growth. For example, I did not break from the landscapes into the maps until he and I were married. So I think that our both being artists, being strong personalities and having mutual respect for each other’s work, has been extremely beneficial to our growth as artists. We obviously talk to each other, we look at each other’s work a lot, and there is bound to be an influence, by osmosis if nothing else. It has been a fabulous thing for both of us.
10
Waterman-Peters traces a direct connection between her more recent “women’s series,” center, and these sketches from her “map” series, above and top.
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Profile: Angie Davis
Force A b o u t
Story by Becky Bridson Photography by Jason Dailey
the writer
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
12
The Unstoppable
Senior bodybuilder Angie Davis takes on young blood and wins the big prize, health and satisfaction
Becky Bridson, who has a B.A. from Washburn University and M.S. from KU, does the heavy lifting when highlighting the accomplishments of Angie Davis. Bridson works as a personal trainer in Lawrence and writes for Lawrence Magazine.
National bodybuilding champion Angie Davis applies her muscles to pull a Topeka Metro bus.
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
Topekan Angie Davis is the mother of two daughters and four grandchildren. But instead of cross-stitching, she spends her time crosstraining. And when she travels across the county, it’s to compete against other women—some not much older than her grandchildren—in national bodybuilding competitions. Davis began her career as a figure competitor at age 57. Now 61 she’s a full-fledged bodybuilder and wishes she had given up her cross-stitching hobby much sooner. Even though she’s well past the hobby stage of her athletic endeavors, her therapy very much is currently working out four days a week with her trainer, former bodybuilder and Mr. America, Charles Banks. Davis trains to compete in two to three bodybuilding competitions per year. Going up against 20- and 30-somethings, Davis wins the majority of the contests she enters. With an infectious energy, a high-caliber work ethic and the status of an elite athlete, Davis started like many— losing 15 pounds on Weight Watchers. “Once you see a change, it’s enough of an incentive to keep going,” says Davis. The momentum never stopped. Davis, more than most, understands full well it takes tremendous sacrifice in order to reap tremendous reward. She credits her success to her own hard work and willpower but also recognizes the support of Banks, her nutritionist, Abu Shabazz, and especially her husband, Lawrence. “When I started doing this, he started doing the cooking for me,” says Davis about her husband. “He would do the chicken and the turkey and the fish, and he’d have it pre-packaged in the freezer. He’s fantastic. Whatever it is I want to do, he’s behind it 110 percent. I don’t know what I’d do without him.” Davis, in turn, brings a spirit of professional support to her competitions. “By far, I’m the oldest one out there, but you know I’m having a great time,” says Davis. “I tend to be kind of the grandmother of the group,” she says of her younger rivals. “They’re just as cute as they can be though. It’s just a little community of trainers and nutritionists and ladies who have banded together to help each other.” In the beginning, though, Davis had her own fair share of insecurities. It wasn’t just getting on stage. It wasn’t simply performing while on stage. It was being comfortable doing all of this in little to no clothing. “When I got backstage with the other ladies, everybody was in the same amount of material,” says Davis. “It’s not like I stuck out like a sore thumb. It’s
13
kind of a camaraderie back there. Your carrot is getting out on stage. I want to be better than I was the last time I was out there. That’s your carrot.” Better indeed. That philosophy has led Davis to 15 first-place finishes and one Grand Champion finish. She has also won her pro cards in the 35+ and open (all ages) bodybuilding divisions. Davis relishes the demands that have led to this success. “I like to see how far I can mentally challenge myself,” says Davis. “It is as much mental at it is physical.”
“I’m the oldest one out there, but you know I’m having a great time.” -angie davis
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Most definitely the toughest aspect to stomach is the nutrition and strict diet. Davis asserts it either makes you or breaks you and is a requirement for those who really want to excel. From hemp milk to high-fiber Uncle Sam cereal, from egg whites to buffalo burgers, from copious amounts of asparagus to 2 ounces of tilapia, if it helps her be the best, Davis is more than willing to try it. “If Shabazz gives me a set of stuff he wants me to eat, I’m creative about how I get it down,” says Davis. She’s also creative about her future. More time with the sport means less time with the family. Davis is realistic and knows she won’t be able to compete at a high level forever. She’d like to travel to Oregon to spend more time with her oldest daughter and her four children. She’d also like to pass along what she’s learned by helping and inspiring others through either judging or training. She’s a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and currently trains her youngest daughter, a former javelin champion at Pittsburg State University. “I do use her as a guinea pig,” says Davis. “I try different exercises out on her and different techniques. We try different rotations and see what works best for her. She’s doing really well.” Davis is not done yet. She plans on always training, and her advice for competing is the same she will take into her postcompetition days. “The day of the show, be the best you can be,” says Davis. “You’re doing this for you. You’re not doing it for anybody else. If you are a goal-oriented person, it’s the place to be.” Another really good place to be is joining Davis at a restaurant after competition. “When I’m done, all I want are some ribs and some French fries and some carrot cake,” says Davis. “And that’s what I have after every show because that’s what I want. And that makes me happy.”
14
Trophy Case In just a few years of competing as a senior athlete, Angie Davis has won some of bodybuilding’s top regional and national competitions, including: Grand Champion, Ms. Figure – Masters Division 2010 Kansas City Championships First Place, Masters Figure, 40 years and over 2010 St. Louis Gateway Naturals First Place, Figure Short, 40 years and over 2011 Natural Southern States Classic First Place, Novice Women’s Bodybuilding 2011 Tulsa Naturals First Place, Open Women’s Bodybuilding 2011 Tulsa Naturals First Place, 50 and over Masters Bodybuilding 2011 Kansas City Classic First Place, 35 and over Women’s Bodybuilding 2011 St. Louis Gateway Naturals First Place, Open Women’s Bodybuilding 2012 Kansas City Classic First Place, Ms. Kansas Bodybuilding 2012 Kansas City Classic First Place, Open Women’s Bodybuilding 2012 OCB Nationals First Place, Masters Women’s Bodybuilding, 35 years and older 2012 OCB Nationals
Angie Davis offers …
6 tips on keeping healthy for 60 and beyond 1.
Try to exercise (begin with walking) 20 to 30 minutes daily (you can break it up and do 10 to 15 minutes in the morning and 10 to 15 minutes in the afternoon).
2.
If you are able, lift light weights to help keep muscle tone and strength in your arms. Soup cans work very well.
Angie Davis regularly works out at Topeka’s GreatLife Golf and Fitness, Berkshire.
3.
A workout buddy helps the time pass, and can help keep you motivated.
4.
Avoid sugar. During serious competition training, I even try to avoid fruits because of the sugar content.
5.
Consume three to four servings of green vegetables daily.
6.
I love puzzles. They help keep the brain active.
15
dinner on demand Story by Debra Guiou Stufflebean / Photography by Bill Stephens
Innovative dine-out program represents growing trend in Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging’s
Ab o u t
the writer
approach to senior services Debra Guiou Stufflebean is the executive director of The Shepherd’s Center of Topeka which provides education, activities and trips for people over age 55. She is a graduate of Washburn University and the University of Kansas.
JAAA in the Context of National Senior Services: A Timeline 1920 Civil Service 1935 Social Security Retirement Act created to provide retirement system for many government employees
16
Act becomes law and provides for old age assistance as well as provisions for the blind, permanently disabled and dependent children
1950 President Harry Truman initiates the first National Conference on Aging
1956 Office of the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare creates a special Staff on Aging
1964 President Lyndon Johnson signs the Older Americans Act to establish the Administration on Aging and state units on aging
1964 Medicare is enacted under the Social Security Act as a health insurance program for the elderly
1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act is signed into law
Marvin Tabbert takes a late lunch at Rosie’s Downtown in Oskaloosa. Tabbert and several other seniors regularly dine at the restaurant by using their CHAMPSS program card.
1972 A new section of the Older Americans Act authorizes funds for a national elderly nutrition program
1974 New 1973 New sections of Older Americans Act authorize grants to local agencies for creation of senior centers
sections of Social Security amendments authorize grants to states for social service programs, including senior projects
1976 Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging created through efforts of Shawnee, Douglas and Jefferson counties as well as cities of Topeka and Lawrence to coordinate new agency; decided location and chose the name; founders guaranteed they would provide matching money for federal funds
1977 JAAA establishes staff of four and expands programs, including funding a senior transportation program in Douglas and Jefferson counties
Late197os JAAA works with Jefferson County Health Department and the University of Kansas medical center to create a rural health screening program that goes on to become a model for rural communities across the state.
17
Betty Owens, left, says using her CHAMPSS card allows her to eat out and support local businesses.
Marvin Tabbert enjoys eating at Rosie’s Downtown in Oskaloosa like other folks in the community, but there is a difference. Tabbert is enrolled in a meal program known as CHAMPSS (Choosing Healthy Appetizing Meal Planning Services for Seniors). Through CHAMPSS, Tabbert can dine at Rosie’s any time he wants, has a variety of menu items to choose from, and when he pays at the register, he swipes his CHAMPSS card. JAAA ( Jayhawk Area Agency on Ageing) brought CHAMPSS to the region in April 2011, when it began the program at Rosie’s Downtown. Since that time, CHAMPSS has expanded to eight locations in the JAAA 1978 Set of amendments to Older Americans Act introduces range of services, including grants specific to American Indian tribal organizations
18
region of Jefferson, Douglas and Shawnee counties. More than 858 seniors have enrolled in the meal program. Though this
“It’s all about providing options for seniors.” -Jocelyn Lyons
number is less than one-tenth of the number of clients that JAAA serves throughout the year, JAAA executive director Jocelyn Lyons says that CHAMPSS perfectly illustrates
1978-1979 JAAA begins funding LULAC and East Topeka Council on Aging programs
1980 JAAA begins funding Valley Falls senior center
1984 JAAA begins funding Papan’s Landing senior center
1987 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act introduces range of laws on regulation of long-term care facilities
a trend in senior services—providing opportunities for an increasingly active senior population to be fully integrated throughout the community. In the past JAAA subcontracted to have meals delivered to traditional congregate meal sites at churches and senior centers; however, attendance at these locations has greatly decreased in the past few years, causing some to even close. “For locations that have the numbers, those sites will continue, but there appears to be more interest in CHAMPSS,” Lyons explains. “It’s all about choice. It’s all about providing options for seniors.” Tabbert, an 80-year-old rancher who has
1993 JAAA receives additional money through Senior Care Act to expand staff and services
1997 JAAA adds 13 case managers as it begins a senior care assessment program
1997 JAAA opens satellite office in Lawrence
spent most of his life in Oskaloosa, says that CHAMPSS has allowed him to take approximately four meals a week at his favorite diner. “I know about everybody up there, and I get to visit with people,” he explains. “It’s kind of like a family situation.” For all of this to work, CHAMPSS subcontracts with local businesses such as Rosie’s to offer healthy menu options that provide 1/3 of the daily recommended calories for older adults under the Federal Regulatory Dietary Allowance. The portions include 3 ounces of meat, ½ cup vegetable, a fruit, a starch (like a roll or potato) and 8 ounces of milk. Eligible seniors must be 60 years of age or be married to a spouse 60 years of age. They cannot receive home-delivered meals while enrolled in CHAMPSS. Also, new clients must attend a one-time orientation session, held monthly in Topeka and quarterly in Jefferson County. Once a client is enrolled, they can load and re-load up to 12 pre-paid meal charges to their card at a suggested donation of $3 per meal. The card can be used for one meal each day. “We like that the dollars we spend go to our local business,” says Betty Owens, a regular customer at Rosie’s who purchases her meals using the CHAMPSS card. “Rosie’s has been around for a long time – it’s the heart of downtown.”
“I like going in Rosie’s,” says Ron Traul, another Oskaloosa senior in the CHAMPSS program, “because I know a lot of people and can catch up on the gossip. It’s convenient to go downtown, but I also like the flexibility of using my CHAMPSS card at locations in Topeka and at Max’s Grill in Valley Falls.” In Topeka, consumers purchase meals where neighbors tend to shop, from Hy-Vee or local Dillons stores (five of seven Dillons in Topeka participate). Since grocers are required to offer both a dine-in and carryout option, neighbors and other family members can join them to eat. Jean Rader, a resident of Lawrence, uses her CHAMPSS benefit when she’s in Topeka because presently there are no CHAMPSS providers in Douglas County. Jocelyn hopes that will change soon. “A lot will depend upon whether the federal dollars will be there to continue the program,” says Lyons, “and allow us to add to our number of locations.” Though the CHAMPSS meal program might represent the future of senior care, it is just one part of the services Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging has provided since its founding in 1976 and in its role of being “the single point of entry for helping seniors and their caregivers, the physically disabled and those with traumatic brain injuries to get the assistance they need to remain independent.”
JAAA OFFICES & CHAMPsS LOCATIONS Jefferson County
Champss Locations
JAAA in Jefferson County
Dillons (5 locations) 2010 SE 29 St. 5311 SW 22 Place Topeka, KS Topeka, KS
410 Liberty St. Oskaloosa, KS 66066 800-798-1366
SHAWNEE County
4015 SW 10 St. Topeka, KS
Hy-Vee 2951 SW Wanamaker Topeka, KS
6829 SW 29 St. Topeka, KS
800 NW 25 St. Topeka, KS
JAAA Head office 2910 SW Topeka Ave Topeka, KS 785-235-1367 www.jhawkaaa.org
DOUGLAS County
JAAA in Douglas County
2001 Haskell Ave. (Independence Inc. building) Lawrence, KS 66046 800-798-1366
2000 National
2001 JAAA
Family Caregiver Support Program created and funded
begins offering family caregiver support programs
2002 JAAA begins counseling programs for senior prescription drug, Medicare D and insurance programs
2008 JAAA opens satellite office in Oskaloosa
2011 JAAA opens its first CHAMPSS food program with Downtown Café in Oskaloosa
Champss Locations Mac’s Grill 408 Sycamore St. Valley Falls, KS
2011 JAAA opens first CHAMPSS food program in Topeka, with Hy-Vee
2012 JAAA opens first CHAMPSS food program in Valley Falls at Mac’s Grill
Rosie’s Downtown Café 522 Liberty St. Oskaloosa, KS
2012 JAAA CHAMPSS food program expands to eight Topeka locations through Dillons partnership
2012 JAAA is contracted to be official Aging Disability Research Center for Douglas, Jefferson and Shawnee counties
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In addition … (more JAAA services) JAAA traces its mission back to the Older Americans Act of 1965 that established area agencies on aging. The act required each agency to establish an advisory council responsible for being the eyes and ears in the community in setting priorities to determine services needed in the community, as well as a board of directors as the policy makers and stewards of funds received. Presently, JAAA has four main funding programs: Older Americans Act, Senior Care Act, Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansans and Kansas Aging Disability Resource Center. People who call on JAAA for information or services are referred to one or more of these programs based on staff assessment of which might be most beneficial for their particular situation. JAAA services also include (see below):
Older americans act (oaa) Supportive services
Access services • Information & assistance * • Transportation * • Outreach * • Case management • Assessment In-home services • Attendant care (bathing/dressing assistance) * Community services • Legal assistance * • Screening * • Program development • Coordination Nutrition services
Congregate meals * Home-delivered meals *
Family caregiver services
Assistance/information Group services/outreach Flex & bath In-home services • Attendant care (bathing/dressing assistance) * • Homemaker * • Respite *
Senior care act (sca) Assessment Case management In-home services • Attendant care (bathing/dressing assistance) * • Homemaker * • Personal emergency response monitoring *
Disease prevention/ Health promotion
Physical fitness & exercise Screening * CARE (Client Assessment Referral and Evaluation) provides screening prior to nursing home placement, assesses functional ability and correct placement, or determines if there are services available to keep the person in the home. JAAA also provides assistance/advice in times of crisis, such as when a hospitalization has occurred. JAAA provides case management (OAA, SCA or private pay) for people who selfrefer or are referred by family members or medical professionals who have become
20
concerned about a progression of changes in a person’s health and ability to care for themselves. The person is visited in their home and informed about what assistance JAAA can provide such as lining up service providers and on-going monitoring of their care. The agency provides direct help under the OAA Family Caregivers Program such as finding a support group or making minor modifications to a home, such as providing toilet risers and bath bars. Depending upon individual needs of the family, there may
Senior health insurance counseling for kansans (shick) Medicare D enrollment assistance Education/outreach regarding Medicare and Medicare supplemental policies Finding extra help for premiums
Aging and disability resource center Information referral and assistance Options counseling Functional assessment screening • Frail/elderly • Physically disabled • Traumatic brain injured • Care (Client Assessment Referral & Evaluation) *JAAA contracts with local service providers in Jefferson, Douglas and Shawnee counties to provide these services.
be minimal funds for small appliances and minor repair if it is determined necessary in order to provide a good environment to care for a loved one. Under the state program of the Senior Care Act, funds for in-home services are provided on a fee-based sliding scale which can cover homemaker assistance, attendant care and emergency alert. For more information, JAAA also recommends consulting “Explore your Options,” a resource directory for seniors published by the state.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging’s staff to readers of this magazine. With an accumulated 246 years of service—or an average eight years of service—JAAA staff members are one of the most dedicated and knowledgeable group of
professionals in the communities we serve. Although each position carries educational and professional requirements, the most valuable asset our staff members bring to clients is their life experiences. Those personal experiences may include working family caregiving, family members with dementia or physical disabilities, or extended families who are underinsured, uninsured or living in poverty. It is our staff members’ life experiences that enable them to easily identify with our JAAA mission of seeking to change those conditions that either directly or indirectly pose barriers for those who wish to live independently in the community and to participate in a full and meaningful life. It is because of our experiences with aging family members that we follow the simple golden rule when working with the public. And for some, it is through our own aging, and the number of years employed at JAAA, that we seek to identify and change the delivery of services to address all ages. JAAA has offices in Douglas, Jefferson and Shawnee counties, where staff members have earned respect from peers and demonstrated themselves as assistant lifelines, adopted family members and friends to the clients they serve. JAAA staff also lend themselves to being very active volunteers in their communities, serving on councils and boards, participating in community activities such as food drives, Alzheimer’s walks or cancer walks, and assisting at homeless shelters—in some cases while pursuing advanced degrees. Please be assured that all JAAA staff members are ready, willing and able to assist clients in the counties we serve. Jocelyn Lyons, Executive Director, JAAA
To carry out its mission, JAAA staff is divided into four service areas, clockwise from upper left: case managers, office staff, administrative staff and aging disability research center staff.
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by the numbers
Information supplied by Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging
[what does jaaa stand for?]
champss piece de resistance
total number
of clients served by JAAA and Partner Providers
for 2012
9,533 Younger than 65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,649 65 – 74. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,186 75 – 84. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,369 85 and older . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,129 Unknown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
CHAMPSS
program Total restaurants participating in CHAMPSS:
8
Fried Chicken Responding to numerous CHAMPSS client requests, chefs and nutritionists at Dillons stores in Topeka revised their fried chicken recipe to correspond to nutritional and caloric guidelines set by CHAMPSS standards.
In Topeka: In Oskaloosa: In Valley Falls:
e n r o ll m e n t Total enrollment in
CHAMPSS Program:
858
percentage of clients served by JAAA and Partner Providers by County Residence
champss undercover
JAAA
The Secret Shopper JAAA deploys secret shoppers to purchase CHAMPSS meals and verify that restaurants/ providers adhere to price and quantity guidelines.
tota l N u mbe r o f
Elvis Sightings
Shawnee County . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 % Jefferson County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 %
at J A A A E v ents
Douglas County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20% Other Counties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1% Shawnee County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763 Jefferson County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Other surrounding counties . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Douglas County. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
(Elvis Impersonator at May 4, 2013, Annual Charity Ball)
10 Year
According to 2010 US Census, the percentage of residents who are
65 years or older...
Budget Trend
In Douglas County - 9.1%
2002. . . . . . .$2,024,904 2012. . . . . . .$2,881,213
In Jefferson County - 15.8%
(approximately equal to the 2002-2012 Consumer Price Index percentage change)
In Shawnee County - 14.6%
Percentage of seniors who... Were concerned with the cost of health care. Always. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67% Sometimes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18% Rarely. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6% Never. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6%
rated their own health as... Excellent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11% Good. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55% Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29% Poor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3%
see themselves as … Old . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14% Elderly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37% Middle-Aged. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38% Young. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4% Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3%
senior Survey says…
Budget for all JAAA services, programs and expenses for Douglas, Jefferson and Shawnee counties
In 2008-2009, JAAA conducted an unprecedented, comprehensive survey on the needs of the senior population in Douglas, Jefferson and Shawnee counties. Here are some results from that survey.
information
Been Around This Town … Like most any nonprofit, JAAA has placed its head office wherever it could find a low-cost, accessible building in Topeka. That has meant several moves since JAAA’s founding in 1976. 1
JAAA’s first location, which now houses the Kansas Lottery Commission 2
68% 40% 54%
1300 block of Topeka blvd. JAAA’s second location, housed on one floor in a renovated residential building
3
444 Quincy St. JAAA’s third location, housed in a federal office building
4
1198 SW BUCHANAN JAAA’s fourth location, housed in a former school building; current JAAA executive director Jocelyn Lyons has an office in the same room that was her homeroom as a first-grade student.
Percentage of seniors who say they learn about community information from …
79%
128 N. Kansas Ave.
1710 SW TOPEKA BLVD.
5
JAAA returns to Topeka Blvd. 6
2910 SW Topeka Blvd. JAAA’s current location
Newspapers
Television
Radio Word of Mouth 40
Percentage of seniors who require assistance with particular home chores.
1 40 70
SW
35% 30% 30% 22% SW Lane St
SW
10th
4
6th
3 Ave
Ave
2 70
5
40
SW 17th St Regular house cleaning
42% 41% 36% 32% Percentage of seniors who think they will require assistance with particular home chores within 5 years.
SW 21st St
SE 21st St
a Blv d
Minor home repairs
SW T opek
Lawn and yardwork
SW Burlingame Blvd
Major home repairs and upkeep
6
SW 29st St
SE 29st St
Profile: 5 SENIORS
The concept of “active retirement� is more than a phrase in the daily routine of many area seniors. As seniors live longer, fuller lives they remain engaged in the community with new activities or volunteering. These five seniors are examples of the post 60 years continuing the best parts of life, and more so. A b o u t
Story by Christine Steinkuehler Photography by Bill Stephens
the writer
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
24
more so
The senior years open up chances to explore new pursuits or expand on lifelong interests
Christine Steinkuehler grew up on a farm in rural Jefferson County. She enjoys meeting new people, reading and walking Moose, her dog.
“You can get a lot done if you have a plan.” -jerold binkley
You can most always find Otto Vaughn standing between classes talking with students in the front hallway of Topeka’s Highland Park High School. Vaughn has been volunteering in the high school lunch room, the library, the classroom and the playing fields since his children were students there in the late 1980s. Vaughn says he tries to bring balance and structure into the lives of the students he works with. “It is not me, it’s we,” Vaughn says, repeating a motto from the school’s sport teams. “Realizing that we are all intermingled is the first step in success.” He encourages students to do well in school and life and hands out straight-talking, sincere advice on friendships and success that comes from taking a genuine interest in their well-being.
Otto Vaughn, previous page, enjoys some downtime at Highland Park High School in Topeka where he has volunteered for many years. Jerold Binkley, above, prepares a garden bed at Topeka’s Gage Park.
Jerold Binkley Jerold Binkley’s blue eyes twinkle and he smiles mischievously as he describes his upcoming public garden project. He claims he isn’t doing too much these days—just “four or five hours a day, but you can get a lot done if you have a plan.” He is currently busy envisioning the spring not only at his home but at the Ensley botanical gardens and Gage Park, where he volunteers. And on this particular day, Binkley is contemplating solutions to a bindweed problem and wanting to learn about these new redleafed peach trees that have the sweetest white peach. As he sits talking at a café, seemingly everyone comes up to Binkley to say hello. Many people ask about the tulips and the legacy of Topeka’s “Tulip Time” festival that he helped create. Binkley responds by inviting them to come out and enjoy the gardens at Ensley, Gage Park or Ward Meade.
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
Otto Vaughn
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Profile: 5 SENIORS Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
Clay Loyd
26
If you were to ask Clay Loyd’s daughter she would tell you that he is the greatest guy in the world. You would get a similar answer from the staff at Old Prairie Town where he has been a volunteer and on the volunteer board since the 1980s. Loyd takes great joy in being involved at Old Prairie Town. With much laughter, he tells stories of student groups he has spent the day with in the old schoolhouse and how much fun the kids have sitting in the corner wearing the dunce cap to have their picture taken. He also recounts how once he “bought out the bar,” the ice cream and soda fountain bar, for his wife’s birthday. Serving as president of the Greater Auburndale Neighborhood Association (GANA) and editor of the GANA Gazette, Loyd taps his journalism background while helping to maintain the fabric which holds the neighborhood together. He is one of the first on hand to see kids try out new play equipment at the park, rejoicing in watching the neighborhood’s next generation.
John Homlish With his glasses sliding down his nose, John Homlish is signing paperwork while conversing with staff members at Topeka’s Community Action Inc. Homlish became involved in civic groups nearly 20 years ago and continues to work as Community Action’s director of community services, where he builds relationships with other organizations, churches, schools and government agencies. Homlish concentrates his services on the city’s low-income populations. He is particularly proud of the success of the Back to School Fair, which his organization began and has since passed on to a number of other civic groups. Currently, Homlish is talking up the potential of a “First Tee” character building program that is piloting in USD 501 and aims to develop perseverance and focus in students. But his desk is also covered with the reports and memos of many other programs. “It keeps me active,” says Homlish. “It keeps me in contact with people.”
Virginia Mansfield Virginia Mansfield began traveling as a senior, returning most recently from a trip to Costa Rica to visit her daughter. She has been everywhere from the Orphan Train Museum in Concordia, Kansas, to the platforms of the Moscow underground Metro system where she wore a sign around her neck with instructions on what to do if she got lost. Traveling, Mansfield says, has made her realize just how rich we are as Americans not just in material things but in our freedom. “We may slave away at our jobs, but you can change it. In some countries, when you are born into certain conditions they are what you have.”
Clay Loyd, above left, works on his community newsletter from Topeka’s Old Prairie Town, where he also volunteers. Virginia Mansfield, top, points out the countries she has visited—and the ones she still wants to see—on a globe at her home. John Homlish, above, works as director of community services for Topeka’s Community Action, Inc.
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Profile: combat air museum
Brigade A b o u t
Story by Kim Gronniger Photography by Jason Dailey
the writer
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
28
Ho nor
A core crew of dedicated senior volunteers keeps history and legacy of Topeka museum open for future generations
Kim Gronniger, whose father flew Navy helicopters and whose husband worked on planes as a Marine, appreciates the museum volunteers’ riveting work to preserve history.
Volunteer Bob Crapser sands one of the displays at Topeka’s Combat Air Museum.
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
Military principles of honor, duty and perseverance through often difficult conditions and daunting odds continue to play a role for a dedicated band of volunteers—most of them seniors—striving to preserve war plane history at Topeka’s Combat Air Museum. With 32 volunteers, a full-time curator and a part-time office manager, the museum hosted 10,608 visitors from 47 states and 34 foreign countries in 2012, up 897 from 2011 figures. The feat is especially impressive considering that the museum manages several million dollars in assets, and its survival depends solely on admission fees, fundraising events and generous donations from the public. Volunteers include retired executives, educators, a banker, an attorney, weather professionals, mechanics, airplane and ship model builders and others with an affinity for the Topeka museum’s mission and a willingness to apply their skills toward its survival. Some volunteers have military backgrounds, whereas others are simply fascinated by flight aircraft and artifacts and want to ensure other generations have a forum in which to enjoy them. In 2012, volunteers logged 42,528 hours. Whether they welcome guests in the gift shop, conduct tours, craft display cases, balance the books, fix the computers, develop fundraising strategies, shovel the walkways or paint and preserve salvaged planes, each volunteer’s contribution is “necessary and appreciated,” according to Gene Howerter, chairman of the board of directors. “Volunteering out here is a labor of love.” Although the museum doesn’t receive federal or state funds, Howerter notes that the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority located nearby at Forbes Field “has been extremely kind through the years in many ways. We couldn’t do what we do without them, too.” “We run this place like a business,” adds Dave Murray, deputy chairman of the board and a Hill’s Pet Nutrition retiree. He says board members frequently review key performance indicators regarding number of visitors, gift shop sales and admission revenue, then make adjustments to maximize resources. The average age of a Combat Air Museum volunteer is 76, so board members and volunteers visit churches, clubs and community and civic groups to encourage others to visit the museum or contribute time or money to ensure its continuation. Dick Trupp, a Nebraska native, board member and former IBM marketing executive who flew Navy helicopters in the late 1960s, describes the museum as “a treehouse” where he spends “valuable time doing something that’s necessary or these artifacts won’t survive. If we hadn’t collected a lot of these items, they would have been scrapped by now. It’s a good feeling of reward to keep these things alive.” Howerter says the museum also has become a welcome repository for keepsakes once treasured by veterans and passed to children and grandchildren who don’t want the items but don’t have the heart to throw them away: mess kits, letters or photographs.
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an 35 years Caring for more th
Don Dawson, a retired Goodyear maintenance employee, restores artifacts and maintains forklifts, mowers and power equipment used to move more than 30 airplanes around when necessary. Most recently he has been reconstructing and repainting an R-2800 18-cylinder engine that had been rusting in a hangar for several years. “Visitors appreciate what we’re doing,” he says. “We get people through here who have flown the planes we’re preserving, and it’s a thrill for them and for us.” Displays in the museum have been painstakingly built, from the replicas of a Field Chapel and World War II POW barracks to displays celebrating women aviators and a U.S.S. Oriskany aircraft carrier model in development now.
The Midland Continuum of Care includes: Hospice • Home Health • Adult Day Care • PACE Grief and Loss Services • The House at Midland Care 200 SW Frazier Circle Topeka KS 785.232.2044
Kids’ Camps Fuel www.midlandcareconnection.org
A GreAt MArketinG tool for your Business
Aviation Interest Combat Air Museum volunteers and board members Dick Trupp and Dave Murray facilitate four-day kids’ camps offered during spring break and summer months. “It’s been said that every 50 years or so people forget what happened in the past, and we’re seeing that now with some of our World War II and Vietnam history,” says Trupp. “The classes show children about the sacrifices that have been made for our way of life, and we present the information in a way they can enjoy it.” For $50 each, students 8 to 12 attend three-hour morning sessions that cover the fundamentals of flight theory, aircraft structures, weather, aviation charts and maps and the phonetic alphabet used for aviation contact and control. Campers also tour the museum and spend handson time in a 1960s vintage instrument trainer. Side trips include treks to see Kansas Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopters, Kansas Air National Guard KC135 tankers and Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority firetrucks. Additionally, Boy Scouts working toward an aviation merit badge can attend a three-hour class offered Saturday mornings February through August. The cost is $5 per scout. Advance booking of one month is required with a 10-scout minimum and 20-scout maximum.
For more information,
contact the museum office manager at (785) 862-3303 between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. weekdays.
to advertise contact Kathy Lafferty klafferty@sunflowerpub.com | 785.224.9992
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Jack Vaughn guides Dylan Marion and Jim Marion through the Combat Air Museum’s exhibits.
Visiting:
“It’s a good feeling of reward to keep these things alive.” -Dick Trupp
Don Dawson works to keep the museum’s exhibits in good repair.
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
The Combat Air Museum is open March through December, Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and in January through February seven days a week from noon to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children and military veterans. No visitors admitted after 3:30 p.m.
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Chapel Oaks Cremation & Funeral Services
Premium Service • Lowest Price (785) 783-7753 235 SW Topeka Blvd. Topeka, KS 66603 info@chapeloakstopeka.com
w w w. c h a p e l o a k s to p e ka . c o m Jill Harrison
Hutton Monuments Helping families commemorate life with a granite memorial since 1873 (785) 354-7005 201 SW Topeka Blvd. Topeka, KS 66603
www.huttonmonuments.com
To provide affordable quality housing that enables seniors to live independently as a part of a safe home like community.
Active Retirement Living
The FirsT ApArTmenTs Seven-Story community with Studio and one-bedroom apartmentS deSigned for the maximum comfort of residents.
Each apartment contains carpeting, tile or vinyl, blinds, individually controlled heating/air conditioning, kitchens complete with a range and refrigerator. Apartments are all electric. A storage locker is available with each apartment.
785-272-6700 • www.thefirstapartments.org 3805 SW 18th St Topeka, KS 66604
TrusT us WiTh Your LegacY
hisToric ToPeKa ceMeTerY Established 1859
Where History Lives
1601 se 10th ave Topeka, Ks 66604 785-233-4132 www.topekacemetery.com
In fact, the U.S.S. Oriskany model is what drew Bill Newman to not only volunteer at the museum but to enlist his former U.S. Weather Bureau colleague to join him, too, after their respective retirements. A former Navy airedale, Newman says, “I knew a lot of people who flew the planes on the Oriskany,” he says. “As volunteers, we do what we do here for our brothers.” Although Newman prefers giving tours, he often finds himself working the early-morning gift shop shift, making coffee and greeting guests because that’s where the need is the greatest. Even after several years of volunteering, “my wife is still surprised I can run a cash register,” he jokes. Jack Vaughn, a 20-year museum volunteer who served as a Navy airedale in the Korean War and retired from IBM, loves the “fellowship” he has with other volunteers and the conversations he has with visitors. One memorable exchange was with a German Learjet consultant who drove to the museum from Wichita to glimpse a German plane flown by his former flight instructor, World War II ace Erich Hartmann. “After coming out here to volunteer, I haven’t picked up a golf club since,” says Vaughn. Volunteering at the Combat Air Museum is serious fun and serious business. “I always ask prospective volunteers if they’re for real or for baloney,” says Howerter. “If we take the time to train someone, we really want them to stick around.” When new volunteers express interest in joining the crew, they shadow a veteran volunteer for about three hours before taking on a particular shift tailored to their interests and skills. Whether someone registers runners and walkers once a year for an event or spends 20 hours or more a week assisting in some capacity at the facility, Howerter is as grateful for the time donations as he is the monetary ones. Volunteers who become entrenched in the work and commit a significant amount of time are even honored on a plaque in the Field Chapel for posterity. “We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers,” he says.
Volunteer Options Available:
Planes, Pancakes and Hangar Polishing Each year Combat Air Museum volunteers hold an annual pancake feed the last Saturday of April and a run/walk event the last Saturday of September. Washburn University nursing students provide health checks in a helicopter cockpit at the pancake feed, and run/walk participants receive a customized T-shirt commemorating not only the occasion but a special airplane as well. Sometimes the shirts are
even autographed by the pilots who flew the planes, as was the case with Navy Lt. Hal Loney, who flew with the prestigious Blue Angels. This year’s $6 per-person pancake feed will be April 27 from 7 a.m. to noon, and the 5K/10K run and 5K walk events will be at 8 a.m. Sept. 28. The featured 2013 T-shirt plane will be a Panther recovered from a trench silo in Minnesota.
In addition to supporting the museum by eating a stack of pancakes and a side of sausage or exercising with friends and family, volunteers also arrive each April for an annual hangar housekeeping party where “anyone who wants to dust a cockpit or canopy or sweep the floor” is welcome to assist, says Gene Howerter, chairman of the board for the museum. The spruce up is set for April 2426 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
TOP Gene Howerter, Danny J. San Romani and Crapser train new volunteers at the museum. Combat Air Museum officials say they would welcome a new generation of active volunteers. BOTTOM Charie Broughton works part time and volunteers at the museum.
Join this accomplished cadre of Combat Air Museum volunteers Call Gene Howerter at 785.862.3303 Email combatairmuseum@aol.com
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Profile: student for life
Student for
life
Area institutions offer many senior educational opportunities
It is not the topic that matters, so much as the chance to get out, get involved and stay plugged in with learning. Seniors taking advantage of local educational programming are living longer lives. They find opportunities to be a part of civic activities, stay on top of the changing world and find a good referral network for services. “They truly do want to continue to learn and see new places and try new things. They are not seniors who are willing to become homebound and let their health come down and wait for the end,” says Debra Stufflebean, director of Topeka’s Shepherd’s educational center. Here are five other reasons local senior program directors recommend seeking senior education.
1. So you don’t have to ask the kids: Self-sufficiency is a major appeal for seniors taking outreach programs at the Lawrence Public Library. Outreach coordinator Pattie Johnston says seniors at their courses enjoy learning how to keep their independence. The library’s “Skill Builders” series includes subjects like legal, financial and life adjustment issues as well as personal safety, cooking, home maintenance, organization and downsizing.
2. So you can meet new friends and see your old ones: Seniors who attend regularly offered educational programs get to know each other. Osher LifeLong Learning Institute director Jim Peters says classes are usually a very social event for students. Often socials, meals or other entertainment go along with the classes. Even seniors in retirement facilities tend to be more social if they engage outside their facility.
3. So you can stay on top of your health: Classes on disease treatment and research development offered at local hospitals help seniors learn what is on the cutting edge of health care and recognize symptoms in themselves or others. Stormont-Vail’s Connie Wood says their programs help seniors to stay on top of medications offered and to learn what kind of questions to ask about their health.
where the Seniors Study JAAA What: The Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sponsors monthly sessions on senior themes, caregiver classes, tai chi classes and programs at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. Cost: Classes are free (see details in JAAA calendar section of this edition) but donations are accepted. (785) 235-1367 www.jhawkaaa.org
The Shepherd’s Center What: The partnership between 27 Topeka area churches and 15 community partners provides educational and social opportunities for people over 55. Quarterly Adventures in Learning sessions include four Fridays in February, April, August and October. Each session includes a day of classes in community,
Story by Karen Ridder Photography Shutterstock
A b o u t
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What: Osher partners with academic institutions, retirement communities and other senior services organizations to provide enrichment noncredit courses on an eclectic mix of topics. Most class formats are a total of 6 hours of content given in three 2-hour sessions offered on a semester system. Cost: $40 per course, a sliding cost scale is available, and some organizations subsidize the courses for members or residents. (785) 864-5823 www.osher.ku.edu
the writer
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
The Osher Institute
religion, health, people and places, the arts, library wisdom, music and current events. Lunch is included. Cost: Adventures in Learning is $25 a quarter. Those interested can attend one Friday session at no charge. (785) 267-0248 www.shepherdscentertopeka.org
Healthwise 55 What: Stormont-Vail’s “Healthwise 55” program offers health education programs in the Topeka area. The format is a halfhour program with a dinner, lunch or dessert. While the program does outreach at local retirement centers, a monthly dinner at the hospital addresses a variety of health topics including medications, medical resources, nutrition and exercise. They also offer AARP driving classes once a month. Healthwise 55 also sponsors an educational television program at 9 a.m. Fridays on WIBW. Cost: A $5 fee covers the program with dinner or lunch. A quarterly Healthy Times newsletter features a programming calendar. (785) 354-6787 www.stormontvail.org
Douglas County Senior Services What: Activities include workshops and classes for personal health, financial services, general education, art, foreign languages, exercise and daytrip/tour opportunities.
Karen Ridder, former director of continuing education at Newman University, is currently a freelance writer living in Topeka.
es Inc. m o H Winter Meadow at Mulvane Street
adult care home es Plus m o H d A Ka icense ging l nsas Depa Support with rtment on A medications, bathing, dressing and other activities is provided by trained, certified professional, caregivers supervised by an experienced Registered Nurse.
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785-383-4531 • Wintermeadowhomes@yahoo.com
w w w. w i n t e r m e a d o w h o m e s i n c . c o m
T a o p k eka e p o T Magazine
Magazine
Spring ’13
Vol. VII / No. II
from the editor
Nathan Pettengill
Editor
Shelly Bryant
dEsignEr/Art dirEctor
Cost: Most course offerings require pre-registration and are listed monthly in the 60 & Better newsletter. The cost varies by program. (785) 842-0543 www.dgcoseniorservices.org
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What: The four-day event, scheduled for June 3-6, is geared toward lifelong learners. Attendees will have the chance to learn more about the current research of KU faculty members through interactive lectures in a variety of disciplines. Cost: $250, including all lectures, breakfasts, lunches and two dinners. Registration closes May 15. (785) 864-1767 www.minicollegeku.edu
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University of Kansas Mini-College:
Kathy Lafferty (785) 224-9992
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What: The Lawrence Public Library Senior Outreach program includes book talks at area retirement homes as well as programs on requested subjects. The library also sponsors a “Skill Builders” series that runs twice yearly and addresses topics useful for people who have gone through major life changes due to death or disability of a spouse. Cost: Free, but registrations is required. (785) 843-3833 www.lawrence.lib.ks.us
Jason Dailey
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team note that on s minor league baseball it a the Carlsbad Potasher edition’s cover story—h the records from the subject of this and 11, 1959, Gil Carter— , a fudging of caution the night of August was a safe estimate who of 650 feet. But that Carter, a topeka native home run for a distance indicated 730 feet. ments feet. measure actual distance set at 733 disbelief when the n, remembers the But Could have been. to live in his hometow record. a returned been since have has would s world it—that home run from the Guinnes Any way you mark hotline to officials a who have didn’t Mantle, at that time belongs to Mickey minor league teams ome-run title officially baseball’s longest-h Records. And so, in Detroit in 1963. feet at an away game whacked a ball 634
UARE
Washburn University and the University of Kansas both have tuition waiver programs for nondegree seeking seniors. At Washburn, a senior student over 65 years of age may audit a class for free. At KU, seniors over 60 years of age may apply for a tuition waiver, which must be submitted every semester. In both programs, fee-paying students receive priority for class space over seniors.
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Doing a crossword puzzle is a good way to stimulate the brain, but the benefit of keeping your mind engaged about a topic can be greater, explains Peters. “Not only are you the learner, but you are also sometimes the teacher. That’s a pretty rewarding thing for people.”
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4. So you have a more rewarding way of engaging your brain:
the riNG to azine Guide @TopekaMag us on twitter Followmer’s A Newco : facebook.com/topekamag Find us on facebook
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To subscribe, contact topekamagazine@sunflowerpub.com or call 888-497-8668.
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$5
Calendar: 2013-2014
calendar of
events Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging Calendar of Events, May 2013 – April 2014
October 15, 2013 – December 7, 2014 JAAA offers counseling on Medicare part D enrollment; seniors may call to set up appointment to work with volunteer on individual basis; sessions available during work day with occasional evening hours; also includes Medicare Advantage enrollment
January 31, 2014 JAAA holds info meeting; this month’s 1-2 hour theme is about glaucoma; free and open to all seniors, JAAA head office
February 28, 2014 JAAA holds info meeting; this month’s 1-2 hour theme is about home heart health; free and open to all seniors, JAAA head office
October 25, 2013 May 2013 National Older Americans Month This year’s theme: “Unleash the Power of Age”
May 4, 2013 JAAA holds its Annual Ball to benefit the Guardian Angel Fund (special fund to supply essential items for local lowincome seniors) with live musical performance by Elvis and the 1950s Secrets Band. 5:30-9:30 p.m., Great Overland Station; advance tickets available at the JAAA head office, 2910 SW Topeka Blvd., Topeka, or by calling (785) 235-1367
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging sr
May 6, 2013
36
(and the first Monday of every month) JAAA sponsors Medicare Mondays, 1-3 p.m. Each month has an in-depth theme on details of Medicare coverage; free and open to the public, held at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 SW 10th Ave., Topeka
May 31, 2013 Donna Kidd Award Ceremony: annual JAAA award to honor volunteer in area of aging, literacy and advocacy; JAAA head office
June 13, 2013 JAAA presents 65, Now What? an overview of services, concerns and opportunities
available to seniors throughout the region; free and open to the public, held at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
June 13, 2013 JAAA presents Medicare, A-Z, a short overview of Medicare coverage; 6:30 p.m., Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library; free and open to the public. Tentative repeat dates at the library are December 12, 2013, and March 13, 2014; program repeats at JAAA head office on July 11 and August 8, 2013.
June 28, 2013 JAAA holds info meeting; this month’s 1-2 hour theme is about home safety; free and open to all seniors, JAAA head office
July 2013
(various dates) JAAA hosts area legislators and policy-makers on a series of “Independence Days”
August 30, 2013 JAAA holds info meeting; this month’s 1-2 hour theme is about cataracts; free and open to all seniors, JAAA head office
September 12, 2013 JAAA presents 65, Now What? an overview of services, concerns and opportunities available to seniors throughout the region; free and open, held at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
JAAA holds info meeting; this month’s 1-2 hour theme is about pharmacies and senior prescriptions; free and open to all seniors, JAAA head office
November 2013
(various dates) JAAA commemorates Caregivers Month with a series of workshops in Douglas, Jefferson and Shawnee counties focusing on training and honoring senior caregivers
December 27, 2013 JAAA holds info meeting; this month’s 1-2 hour theme is about AIDS awareness; free and open to all seniors, JAAA head office
January 1, 2014 – February 14, 2014 JAAA offers individual counseling on Medicare Advantage disenrollment; seniors may call to set up appointment to work with volunteer on individual basis; sessions available during workday with occasional evening hours
January 1, 2014 – March 31, 2014 JAAA offers individual counseling on Medicare general enrollment, part B; seniors may call to set up appointment to work with volunteer on individual basis; sessions available during workday with occasional evening hours
March 13, 2014 JAAA presents 65, Now What?”an overview of services, concerns and opportunities available to seniors throughout the region; free and open, held at Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
March 28, 2014 JAAA holds info meeting; this month’s 1-2 hour theme is about senior nutrition; free and open to all seniors, JAAA head office
April 25, 2014 JAAA holds info meeting; this month’s 1-2 hour theme is about community volunteer opportunities for seniors; free and open to all seniors, JAAA head office
For more information throughout the year, see JAAA’s newspaper Amazing Aging in the February, May, August and November editions of the Kaw Valley Senior Monthly. (All dates and events are subject to change; please call JAAA head office prior to event to confirm; (785) 235-1367)
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