SPRING 2017
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
SPRING FLING IS MAY 3, 2017
Celebrate the beginning of Older Americans Month at the annual Spring Fling Senior Resource Fair in El Dorado. With
over 120 booths and three locations, this is the largest Butler
County event focusing on the services, trends, and opportunities for today’s older adults and caregivers. Spring Fling
takes place Wednesday, May 3, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This year’s theme is the Beach with “Seas the Day” as our
motto. Have a relaxing and enjoyable time while learning
more about the services and products available to today’s seniors and caregivers. It’s a great way to gather information
while having fun.
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
At three locations in El Dorado
Civic Center
Community Building
Senior Center
American Senior Newsletter
Written and Published by the
BUTLER COUNTY DEPARMENT ON AGING
WHAT’S INSIDE
Cook Healthier ...................................................... Pg 2
Commodity Supplemental Food Program ............. Pg 2
Kan-Care Ombudsman .......................................... Pg 2
It’s Tax Season ...................................................... Pg 3
Section 8 Housing ................................................. Pg 3
SHICK Counseling Available .................................. Pg 3
Prevention of Senior Malnutrition ........................ Pg 4
Coloring Prevents Boredom .................................. Pg 4
Prevention of Alzheimer’s seminar ....................... Pg 5
BCDOA Staff Changes ............................................ Pg 5
Unique Alternatives to an Urn .............................. Pg 6
Crossword Puzzle .................................................. Pg 7
Butler County Transportation ............................... Pg 7
Puzzle Solution ...................................................... Pg 8
Notable Days ......................................................... Pg 8
Getting Newsletter Emailed to You ....................... Pg 8
Admission is free. Booths will be located at the Civic Center
(201 E. Central), the Community Building (206 N. Griffith),
and the El Dorado Senior Center (210 E. Second). A free
shuttle service is available at all three parking lots to enable
everyone to park at one location and take the shuttle to visit
all the sites. The shuttle is wheelchair accessible. Fourpassenger golf carts will be at the Community Building and
Civic Center to offer relief from the long walks to and from
your vehicle.
Fair visitors will have lots to do. A free photo booth will be
located at the Civic Center. Door prizes are at every booth
along with lots of information and giveaways. Register to
win one of three TVs by signing up at each location. Health
screenings are held at the Community Building. Document
shredding is being offered at the El Dorado Senior Center by
Flinthills Services, Inc. Monterey lunches will be available
for $7.00, which includes a Monterey, a drink, and dessert.
This year’s sponsors are: El Dorado Health and Rehabilitation
Center, Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, SBA Memorial Hospital, Kirby Morris/Carlson Funeral Homes, Active Age
newspaper, PT Plus Physical Therapy, Homesteads of Augusta and El Dorado, Interim Healthcare, Life Care Center of
Andover, Kansas Medical Center, LT Care & Medicare Solutions, Grene Vision Group, Rivercross Hospice, Emprise
Bank, Kindred Hospice, Walgreens, Brookdale Senior Living
and Humana. We also want to thank our community partners,
the Community Foundation of Butler County and the City of
El Dorado.
Please call BCDOA at 316-775-0500 with any questions!
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Cook Healthier
COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL
FOOD PROGRAM
One of the simplest ways to transform your
diet into one that benefits your heart is to pick This is a monthly food-box program,
the right cooking method. Tops for health are available in Butler County, for incomeeligible elders age 60 and older. This prosteaming, stir-frying, roasting, and grilling.
Steam: Using steam to cook foods is one of the healthiest cooking
techniques. It’s a particularly nice way to cook fish, and steamed
veggies are among the easiest side dishes to prepare. If steamed
food tastes bland, add herbs, spices, or citrus juice to the dish for a
pop of flavor. Marc Anthony Bynum, a chef in Long Island, N.Y.,
who works with the American Heart Association, pairs steamed
broccolini with caramelized onions and chopped thyme.
Stir-fry: Because stir-frying requires such high heat and so little oil,
it’s a good option for cooking meats and veggies—provided you
don’t drown them in sauce. “Stir-fry” food in water and you’re essentially steaming it.
Roast: Possibly the most flavorful way to cook vegetables is by
roasting them. Drizzled with a little olive oil, carrots, asparagus,
green beans, red peppers, and even red cabbage sweeten to perfection.
gram’s food is provided by the USDA
through the State of Kansas and may include such items as canned juice, fruit,
vegetables, milk and meat, peanut butter
or dry beans, cereal, macaroni or rice and
two pounds of cheese for each family
member who qualifies by age and income.
Eligibility Guidelines:
People age 60 and older qualify at 130% of
the federal poverty level.
Proof of identity and age.
We will accept a driver’s license, birth certificate, medical card with birthdate
shown or an immunization card.
Proof of residency. We will accept a utility
bill or letter that has been mailed to
Grill: This is especially great for meats because it doesn’t require
additional fat (that is, you don’t need to coat meat in oil before
placing it on the grill) and allows the fat in meat to drain, so you’re
eating the lowest-fat version.

Filing a complaint/grievance

Filing an appeal

Filing for a state fair hearing
(before taxes and expenses). If you are
a Social Security beneficiary, please
Security statement.
Over 400,000 Kansans access KanCare but many are not aware
of how to navigate Medicaid. The KanCare Ombudsman program can assist in:
Signing up for KanCare
Proof of your gross monthly income
bring a copy of your most recent Social
KAN-CARE OMBUDSMAN

you.
You can secure a Commodity
Application by calling:
United Methodist Open Door: 316-267-0511
or
Butler Co. Dept. on Aging: 316-775-0500
1-855-643-8180
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.kancare.ks.gov/ombudsman.htm
2
SECTION 8 HOUSING CHOICE
VOUCHER PROGRAM IS OPEN
It’s Tax Season
Need help filing 2016 taxes?
Tax assistance is available at the following senior
centers. APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED and priority is given to senior citizens. Tax preparers are
volunteers of AARP.
The Sedgwick County Housing Authority (SCHA)
Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is still
accepting new applications. Be aware that there
will still be a wait for assistance. SCHA’s jurisdiction for Section 8 rental assistance is Sedgwick
County (outside the city limits of Wichita), all of
Butler County, and all of Harvey County.
If using this FREE tax preparation service, you
must bring your social security card along with all
other required documentation. Questions, and to
schedule an appointment, please call:
Applications are available online. Go to
http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/housing to
apply. For all members of the family (all adults
and children), you will need:
El Dorado Senior Center
316-321-0142
Tuesdays, February 7-April 11, 2017
Augusta Senior Center
316-775-1189
Thursdays, February 2nd - April 6, 2017
Rose Hill Senior Center
316-776-0170

Social Security cards

State-Issued Birth Certificates

Proof of all income (wages, unemployment,
social security, disability, child support, cash
assistance and/or food stamps)

Court Ordered Custody Paperwork
If you have any questions, call 1-855-200-2372
and ask for the Sedgwick Co. Housing Authority.
Wednesdays, February 1– April 12, 2017
One of the good things about getting
older is you find you're more interesting than most of the people you
meet. Lee Marvin
Senior Health Insurance Counseling
Now Available in El Dorado
A SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling
for Kansas) counselor will be at the El Dorado
Senior Center (210 E. Second) on the first
Wednesday of each month. The counselor will be
there during the morning hours. Beneficiaries can
make an appointment to see the counselor by calling the Sedgwick County Extension office at
316-660-0100.
3
PREVENTION SENIOR MALNUTRITION
At this very moment, an older adult you love could be malnourished. Senior malnutrition should be as much of a public health priority as the obesity epidemic.
Malnutrition costs the U.S. an estimated $157 billion annually — $51.3 billion
for those 65 or older. In fact, poor nutrition has been associated with a 300 percent increase in healthcare costs. How is it that someone who has food available
every day could end up malnourished?
Senior malnutrition isn’t always easy to spot. We’ve witnessed the most
extreme cases of malnourishment in the news, but this condition is also damaging at less noticeable levels, especially in older adults, half of whom are at risk.
Malnutrition happens when a person doesn’t get the right nutrients to live a
healthful life; whether that be from not eating enough or eating too much.
Older adults are most at risk. The most common reason for malnutrition in
older adults is extended illness when regular meals are not possible. Other seniors suffer from dental problems or lack of appetite. At times, limited income
and lack of transportation may prevent seniors from purchasing nutritional foods.
And, in some cases, seniors may opt not to eat at all rather than eat alone and be
reminded of their solitary life.
The health hazards of malnutrition. The consequences of malnutrition
among elders are quite severe. Few Americans starve to death, but people weakened by lack of nutritious food are at risk for severe health problems. They are
more likely to suffer falls or bedsores, and once hospitalized, to suffer complications. They stay in the hospital longer than those who are well nourished, and
their death rates are higher. Elder malnutrition is preventable, but that it does
require action by families, the healthcare system, and the local community
Proven ways to prevent malnutrition. It’s hard to know the specific number of older adults currently suffering from malnutrition, but in a St. Louis PostDispatch article, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon cited a study showing that about 40 percent
of older adults eat less than 75 percent of the recommended daily allowance of
nutrients.
One of the most reliable ways to detect malnutrition is weight loss, and this may
occur for a variety of reasons. For example, Mayo Clinic staff state that weight
loss may be due to a change in medications that suppress appetite, or your loved
one may be experiencing oral pain or chewing problems. The Mayo Clinic encourages caregivers to talk with the older adult about any changes in their medications or how they’re feeling and to refer to a physician with concerns.
Here are some other ways to treat early signs of senior malnutrition.
 Schedule a visit with the elderly person around mealtime, then check the
contents of their refrigerator.
 Offer to buy groceries or extend an invitation to take him or her shopping.
 Prepare ready-made foods that are high in protein and fiber and loaded
with flavor.
 Make mealtime a social event. Visit often with loaded grocery bags, then
offer to fix lunch or dinner to eat together.
4
Coloring Prevents
Boredom and Has
Health Benefits
Boredom in older adults can cause
problems, including difficult behavior and depression. And, seniors who have moved in with relatives or into assisted living are
more likely to be bored because
their lives have changed so much.
Coloring may sound like a simple
activity to ward off boredom, but it
can actually improve health. A research study found that adults 65 or
older who engaged in creative activities had better overall health,
made fewer visits to the doctor,
used less medication, and had fewer health problems.
Wow!
It’s also an excellent mood booster
and de-stressor –
making it a perfect
activity for caregivers too!
Create beautiful art – no
skills needed!
A great activity for seniors is to
explore their artistic side. These
fine art coloring books are lots of
fun, even for people who don’t enjoy painting or free-hand drawing.
They’ll get the joy of creating a
beautiful work of art with no artistic skills required!
Beautiful coloring books for
seniors
We found some inexpensive, nonchildish coloring books seniors will
love. The pictures are realistic and
lovely and the subjects will interest
many older adults.
Colored pencils, crayons, or watercolor paint can be used on the highquality paper. The pages are perforated so they’re easy to remove for
display. The lines are gray, so
they’ll basically disappear after the
pictures are colored in, making it
look even better!
Seniors will be proud to display
their finished artwork.
PREVENTION OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
ADOPTING A BRAIN-HEALTH LIFESTYLE
APRIL 8, 2017
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Augusta Public Library, 1609 State Street, Augusta, KS
SPEAKERS
Pamela Cartwright, RN, BSN
Director of Community Services at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital
Pamela has extensive work in developing and providing outreach and
education on Alzheimer’s Disease
Breana Jones
Program Director for Alzheimer’s Association of South Central Kansas
TOPICS
Signs, Symptoms and Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Modifiable and Nonmodifiable Risk Factors.
Prevention in the areas of social, physical, mental, and spiritual with a
special emphasis on boosting cognition and brain exercising.
The general public is invited, and caregivers a welcome. Learn about
our greatest weapons to protect our minds and bodies.
For more information call the Health & Wellness Committee of the Augusta United Methodist Church at 316-775-3072
Butler County
Department on
Aging Staff Changes
Our office has had some big staff
changes in the last month. We
were sad to say goodbye to Rachel
McKee who was our Foster Grandparent Coordinator and to Rachel
Burns, our RSVP Coordinator. Rachel Mckee is now with ICI Insurance. Rachel Burns is going to be a
stay-at-home mom to her infant
twins.
We are excited to introduce our
new employees! Cary Bathon is
our new RSVP Coordinator. Satina
Goodwin is our new Foster Grandparent Program coordinator. Both
will be a great asset to our organization It is great to have them with
us.
Here are the names and titles for
the rest of our administrative staff:
Crystal Noles
Director
Brenda Louthan
Asst. Director & Program Manager
Melody Gault
FGP/RSVP Program Manager
Wendi Vittitow
Transportation Coordinator
Connie Fahrbach
Office Manager
Sharon Fischer
Planning Aide
5
Unique Alternatives to an Urn
Jason Walsh wasn’t 40 yet when he started wondering
what he wanted done with his body after he died. Having
tried to sprinkle his grandfather’s ashes in the ocean, only to get a face full of them, he decided to try something
different. Like, how about living forever in the form of a
12-inch vinyl record pressed with your ashes?
Walsh isn’t the only one who figured there had to be
something better than the traditional urn or sprinkling of
ashes. Today, you can choose to live on — or vanish altogether — in any number of ways. Spaceflight, anyone?
tered. In late 2016, Bio plans to launch its new Bios Incube — a high tech add-on that tracks the tree’s vital
signs and sends the data to an app, and also provides water to the urn when it’s needed. Price: For the Bios Urn,
$145 covers it all.
.
Turn Ashes into a Diamond Only a small
amount of a person’s ashes are needed to make memorial
jewelry, which turns carbon into diamonds through a lab
process that uses high temperatures, a diamond seed and
ashes. It’s simple: Pick your preferred diamond cut, coland setting; send the ashes in the mail; wait about 70
Turn Ashes into a Tattoo. When Barbara Peter- or
days for the diamond to be incubated; receive a sparkly
son lost her husband of 40 years to cancer, she chose to
piece of jewelry — anything from a ring or earrings to
keep his ashes under her skin; a local tattoo parlor
cufflinks and pendants — made with a loved one’s reagreed to create a blue flower surrounded by swirls on
mains. Price: From $2,500-$12,999 depending on carat
Peterson’s right hand in his memory. Super trendy right
size; family plans available!
now, memorial tattoos using ashes are offered by tattoo
artists who aren’t troubled by the macabre and don’t care
that half the ashes get thrown out with the ink. It’s not an Send Ashes into Outer Space. Who knew going to space could be so affordable — and put you in
easy process: The ashes have to be baked in order to
such good company? Timothy Leary’s cremated resterilize them, then fine-ground.
mains, along with those of “Star Trek“ creator Gene
and several others, were launched into
Turn Ashes into Vinyl. Would you like your sur- Roddenberry
space on the 1997 inaugural memorial spaceflight of
vivors to have the pleasure of listening to their needles
Celestis, the first company to offer the service. Today,
scratch on vinyl that contains your remains? Nominate a
your ashes can be sent into Earth orbit, onto the lunar
friend or family member to deliver your ashes to a recsurface or into deep space; or you can choose to just take
ord pressing facility in London, and pick music — or
the ride and have your ashes parachuted back to earth.
record a final message — for the 24-minute soundtrack.
How long will you be up there? Anywhere from 10 to
The British company that offers the service, Vinyly,
140 years, according to Celestis. Price: Starting at
presses 30 copies of each memorial album and offers
$995 for a space flight with return to Earth and up to
optional additional services, including backing tracks for
$12,500 for a launch into deep space.
your goodbye words or a “bespoke” soundtrack coproduced by you, and original cover artwork –
And Lest We Forget… Turn ashes into “art”: Art
your portrait painted by an artist whose work hangs in
London’s National Portrait Gallery or by a street artist.
In Ashes will mix some of your or your loved one’s
For a price, Vinyly will even distribute the album to rec- ashes into paint to create a memorial artwork.
ord stores. Price: Approximately $4,600 for 30 copies of Turn Ashes into Fireworks: Angels Flight will pack
a 12-inch record; a package that includes music, cover
the ashes of a loved one into fireworks and send them
art and distribution can run as high as $15,000.
skyward.
Turn ashes into ammo: Holy Smoke will fill riTurn Ashes into a Tree. There’s something poet- fle cartridges and shotgun shells with your ashes —
cheaper than a burial, the company claims.
ic about the idea of becoming part of a growing being.
The award-winning Bios Urn is a biodegradable contain- Turn ashes into a suncatcher:Art From Ashes offers a
range of glass suncatchers. “The cremated ash is subtly
er for your ashes that also contains a soil mix and the
present in the center core.”
seed of a tree. You can choose from a selection of tree
Turn ashes into glass marbles: Solstice Glass will hand
seeds (including ginko so no-one forgets you), or you
blow free-form glass marbles containing some ashes;
can provide your own tree, bush or flower seed. Your
loved ones “plant” the urn, and your ashes help to nour- marbles can be displayed or carried in a pocket pouch.
ish the tree as it grows — just as long as they keep it wa-
Senior Planet
6
Butler County Transportation
If you have given up a vehicle for any variety of reasons, you can always
count on the Butler County General Public Transportation vans to get you
where you need to go. All general public transportation vehicles are wheelchair accessible.
Routes Offered: Augusta and El Dorado have routes in each town Monday
through Friday. Routes begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. For Andover, the
route is operated Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to noon. A route to
Wichita is traveled every Wednesday and Thursday.
Cost: Inside city limits is 50 cents each way. Town to town inside Butler
County is $2 each way. Wichita route is $4 each way.
43. Red cole
45 Muse of love
poetry
49. Tote
50. Emissaries
53. Armory
57. Matchless
59. Lasso
60. Expunge
61. Barbarous
62. Type of sword
63. Pitcher
64. _____ fit
65. Writing table
ACROSS
1. WW1 plane
5. Elector
10. Untidy one
14. Vagabond
15. Insect stage
16. Adhesive strip
17. Chocolate cookie
18. Instigator
20. Implore
22. Bondage
23. Move from side to side
24.
25.
32.
33.
34.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
DOWN
1. Sneaker or pump
2. Smut
3. Assist in crime
4. Thresholds
Kidney-related
5. Shrew
A vegetable stew
6. Leave out
Complies
7. Buff
Place
8. Hens make them
Central
9. Somersault
“Oh my!”
10. A barrel slat
Inexpensive
Early 20th century art move- 11. Burdened
ment
12. A drama set to
music
Mesh
13. Aquamarine
Considers
19. Dog-_____
Judges
7
21. Dines
25. A soft sheepskin
leather
26. Competent
27. Nipple
28. Doorkeeper
29. List of components
30. Rental agreement
31. One time around
34. Wise men
35. Midmonth date
36. Short run
38. Chief Executive
Officer
39. Tottered
41. Hindu loincloth
42. Fathers
44. Seldom
45. Leave out
46. Regenerate
47. Lissome
48. Sometimes, works
with lions
51. Carve in stone
52. Indian dress
53. Beers
54. No
55. Mimics
56. Scallion
58. Passenger vehicle
Butler County Department on Aging
2101 Dearborn, Ste 302
Augusta, KS 67010
NOTABLE DAYS
BUTLER COUNTY DEPARTMENT ON AGING’S MISSION
is to link older adults with the services they need to
ensure a continuum of care.
FIRST DAY OF SPRING
March 20, 2017
Crossword Answers
GOOD FRIDAY
April 14, 2017
EASTER
April 16, 2017
MOTHER’S DAY
May 14, 2017
MEMORIAL DAY
May 29, 2017—OFFICES CLOSED
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