September short shorts

Aging Actively For Life by Connie Rausch Director Butler County Dept. on Aging
Who hears short shorts? Hopefully you do, because we have some very good items to share with you! Read on, fellow Butler County person - you are due for some good news!
+ A huge (A+) plus is the news that your local Department on Aging is partnering with the Douglass school system to collect school supplies for students in Moss Point and Pascagoula Mississippi. We are in the process of recruiting a volunteer coordinator, and hope to include all county employees and many more school systems before we buy the postage and send those supplies packing. Hey, we cannot help every flooded school - but it's a start! Call the DOA or your local Senior Center if you have questions.
+ $$$$$! Got your attention? Did you retire too early? Need to start a new career? Want to supplement your income? Plan to attend a free job search workshop at the Butler County Workforce Center, 2318 West Central, El Dorado. The preliminary session is scheduled from 2 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15; but after that - plan to go to class at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays from Sept. 21 through Oct. 12.
You will learn job search skills training, receive counseling in interviewing skills, resume writing, and cover-letter-writing; do some quality networking, enjoy some moral support, and help in career assessment and job referral. For more information contact Diana Nichols at 800-794-2440 or 620-340-2372. The Older Kansans Employment Program (OKEP) is an Equal Opportunity Service funded by the Kansas Department of Commerce.
+ The 9th Annual Butler County Senior Fair is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, at the El Dorado Civic Center. The fair is free to the general public, and door prizes will be given away at 30-minute intervals. Refreshments and lunch will be provided by the Leon Senior Center - their food will be delicious and their prices reasonable! Come and join us for a fun time; learn about in-home and Hospice Services, Assisted and Independent Living, volunteer opportunities, senior employment, Medicare changes, and much, much more.
Do you have questions about Medicare's new Plan D Prescription coverage? Don't miss Suzi Lenker, SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansans) Coordinator and Outlook Coordinator for the State of Kansas, who will present information at 10 a.m. and again at noon, at the Senior Fair. The event is sponsored by the Butler County Community Services Advisory Board (BCCSAB).
+ BMOM (Butler Mission of Mercy) 2006 - a free dental clinic provided by the dentists of Butler County - is scheduled for June 2. The BMOM held in February of 2005 was so successful that our local dentists, being the benevolent men and women that they are, have decided to host a second one-day clinic in 2006. This event is also sponsored by the BCCSAB.
+ A seminar on the Prevention of Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation, (PEANE) is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the El Dorado Senior Center.
There is no charge for the seminar; lunch and refreshments will be provided. However, because food must be prepared, and materials purchased, pre-registration for this seminar is absolutely required. Contact the DOA for a registration form, or visit your local Senior Center.
The seminar will feature a representative from the Kansas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division: Dr. Mary Corrigan, WSU; Phil Wickwire, Butler County Sheriff's Office, Marlo Mason and Gina Brewer, Adult Protective Services; Becca Gagliano, Kansas State University; Cecil Walker, Resource Center for Independent Living, and other experts in the recognition and prevention of elder abuse. The event is sponsored by Butler County Department on Aging, Butler County Community Services Advisory Board, and RSVP. Funding for this seminar and for additional educational activities in the prevention of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation is provided by a grant from the Kansas Department on Aging. Members of the El Dorado Senior Center will be doing the cooking!
+ KMOM (Kansas Mission of Mercy) is scheduled for Feb. 17-19, 2006 in Wichita. This is the free dental clinic you've read about in Garden City, Salina, Kansas City, and more. This one is huge; first-come-first-served, and takes place at Century Two. Anyone who can get there and get in line soon enough, will be seen. Typically, KMOM's draw people from across the state and from neighboring states.
+ AARP Butler County Chapter meets today, Sept. 14, at the El Dorado Senior Center; 10 a.m. Officer Phil Wickwire, with the County Sheriff's Department, will present the program, "Identity Theft." Call the senior center for the next AARP meeting date.
+ "55 Alive," a Defensive Driving Course, sponsored by AARP, will be held on Oct. 12 and 13, at Butler Community College. The class is from 1 until 5 p.m. both days, and you must pre-register. Call 322-3193.
Would you like more information for yourself or for another citizen over the age of 60? Call the Butler County Department on Aging at 316-775-0500 or 1-800-279-3655.
Volunteer opportunities are available for the Butler County Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Start enjoying the benefits of volunteering today! RSVP does reimburse for mileage.
+ The RSVP Volunteer Driving Program needs volunteers to provide transportation for seniors when public transportation is not available.
Call Butler County RSVP for more information. Officed with the Department on Aging, 510 E. Augusta Avenue, Augusta. Phone: 775-0500 or 800-279-3655.
Our next column will feature more services available for one of our most valuable national resources - our older Americans!
Until then, may you continue to age comfortably, and be well in mind and body!

The Partnership and Missouri Foundation for Health kick off 'Vital Signs' campaign

In the Tea Room at Zeno's Restaurant in Rolla last Friday morning, the Phelps County Community Partnership brought together a group of individuals to discuss "Vital Signs," an area public awareness campaign slated to begin in October."Last year, through funding by the Missouri Foundation for Health, weconducted a county-wide health assessment," said Amy Beechner-McCarthy, executive director of The Partnership. "Participants were asked to share their opinions on healthcare issues in Phelps County, and the results of the survey were tabulated. By doing this survey, we were basically taking the pulse of the county, and getting an overall impression of what the people are feeling about these important issues. Is Phelps County thriving in certain areas? Are we falling short? This was a way to find out."
Beechner-McCarthy said that in essence, the The Partnership and The Missouri Foundation for Health were checking for signs of vitality in Phelps County, hence the name of their campaign.The plan, according to the executive director, will focus on 12 major community health issues during the year-long campaign, with a different issue featured each month. The community can expect to hear the information on local radio stations and read about it in the Rolla Daily News and St. James Leader-Journal, and through other media outlets."Each issue will have a team of spokespersons," she continued, "and we have brought in some familiar faces from the county to draw attention to this important information."Among the topics covered will be dental care, obesity and nutrition, poverty and affordable housing, mental health, smoking and tobacco use, alcohol abuse, exercise, childcare, women's health, illegal drug use, birth to teens, and health insurance and Medicaid issues.Those working on the campaign include: Penny Perriguey, Mike Brooks, Donna Lewis, Judge Mary Sheffield, David Connell, Christie and Vincent Ryan, Jamie Myers, Bruce Wade, Dr. Mary Graham, Stacy Johns, Dr. Jon Wilsdorf, John Butz, Dr. Mathew Ausmus, Bob McKune, Frank Chambers, David Duncan, Jodi Waltman, Linda Kuenzie, Jay Goff, Joe Davidson, Rick Smith, Scott Caron, Mike Lehn, Joy Tucker and Rich Cravens.The Missouri Foundation for Health is a philanthropic organization whose mission is to improve the health of the communities it serves. For moreinformation about Phelps County Community Partnership or the Vital Signs campaign, log on to www.thepccp.org or call 368-2849.#

Empty Waiting Room

Seems like "health" studies, and taking advantage of the health center on campus isn't the main course of conversation at CAU. According to student data reports on the campus website, www.cau.edu, 7,780 students were enrolled at CAU as of Spring 2004- of those students 5 to 6,000 of them visit the health center a year, TeLisa Simpson Director of Student Health Services, said.Despite the number of students visiting the small health center trailer on Mildred Street, there are still students that don't take advantage of the free services. There are also students who don't trust the services or professionalism of the staff.Felicia Howard, a CAU sophomore, said there are too many students working in the center."I don't trust my personal information about my health with them," she said. Simpson said students have nothing to worry about."The only person in direct contact with student files are those providing the services," said Simpson.Still there are students that know about the center but don't utilize it. "I never use our [CAU] health services, but I guess I should start since I'm paying for it," said Andrea Williams, a senior Biology major.Williams said her county job offers insurance, which is why she never considered the university's insurance. Each semester $100 is automatically included in students' tuition for student health fees.Everyone is not as lucky as Williams to have an alternate insurance, nor are they aware of the free service that is offered.Shawnae' Corbett, a senior public relations major is working to change that. As part of her senior project she is leading a campaign to inform students, females especially, of the service offered at the heath center, like gynecology check-ups.According to Janet Prince, a registered nurse with the health center, these services have been offered since last spring. However, during Corbett's research she found that female students were not as up to par as the health center seems to think.In a focus group held in early March by Corbett 6 out of 8 girls were unaware that female annual exams were offered on campus.Simpson said some level of exams has always been offered. "Now we offer pelvic exams and GYN services, which includes STD and HIV test if requested by the students," the 13-year veteran said. Another thing the health center offers students are insurance coverage through Markel Insurance Company. Markel covers students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. It covers hospital visits prescriptions, and even some dental visits.All of the health services are free of charge to undergraduate students except services that the center cannot provide, such as surgical procedures. In the event of health emergencies that require serious medical attention, the students are referred to professionals off campus.Student Sharde McCoy said she only gets checked during breaks back home to Detroit."I just trust my doctors more," the sophomore explained. She admitted that she is concerned about the experience of the doctors at the health center."Who are they, where do they come from?" McCoy asked. Simpson said the doctors and nurses are under contract."They are the same doctors and nurses you would see at any other hospital," Simpson said.