Deadline for poetry entries is December 31, 2010, and any poems received after the deadline will not be considered. Contestants must be 60 years of age or older and be a resident of Oklahoma. All poetry must be original and each contestant may submit no more than one poem. All appropriate entries may be published on the conference website and in a booklet that will be distributed during the Oklahoma Conference on Aging. Poems can be submitted by e-mail to AgingServicesPoetryContest@OKDHS.org. Submissions can also be mailed to OKDHS Aging Services Division, Attention Paula Cockrell, 2401 N.W. 23rd St., Suite 40, Oklahoma City, OK 73107.

“Poets may write on any topic,” said Paula Cockrell, conference coordinator. “We usually receive more than 200 poetry entries, and they cover a broad range of topics from humorous accounts of past experiences to very inspiring messages from people with great insight of life and living.”

Winners will be notified by April 20, 2011, and recognized at the conference on May 10, 2011, during Senior Day at the Embassy Suites Norman. All Oklahomans age 60 and older are invited to participate in Senior Day Activities free of charge.

For information regarding the poetry contest, contact the South Western Oklahoma Development Authority (SWODA) Area Agency on Aging (AAA) by calling the Senior Info-Line at (800) 211-2116 or by calling the OKDHS Aging Services Division at (405) 521-2281.

The following information is required for those attending this event: the correct spelling of the beneficiary’s name, date of birth, beneficiary’s Medicare red, white and blue card, prescription medications, dosages of those medications and the number of times per day each medication is taken.

 Time at the event will be limited, so call the SWODA AAA Information Assistant, Ada Vanderford, or the Planner, Staci Mauney, at 1-800-627-4882, to make an appointment or for questions about the event. Walk-ins are welcome, but this may extend the wait time.

Seasonal flu season can begin as early as October and may last through March. The best time to get immunized for flu is in October or November; however, December or later is still recommended if a person has yet to be immunized.

All adults age 65 and older are advised to get a seasonal flu shot. People with Medicare who are under age 65 and who have chronic illness, including heart disease, lung disease, diabetes or end-stage renal disease should also seek immunization. Because the vaccine for flu changes each year, it is important to be immunized every fall or winter. People cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Pneumococcal vaccinations, however, are generally given once a lifetime after age 65.

Vaccinations for the H1N1 influenza virus became available in 2009 and are available again this year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this virus is probably spread the same way as the seasonal flu, including from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with this virus or by a person touching a surface or object with flu viruses on it and then touching his or her mouth or nose.

Illness with the H1N1 flu virus can range from mild to severe. Most people recover without requiring medical treatment; however, hospitalizations and deaths have occurred. About 70 percent of those hospitalized have had one or more medical condition that placed them in the “high risk” category for seasonal flu-related complications, including pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney disease. While those age 65 and older are the least likely to become infected with H1N1 flu, those who do become infected are also at high risk of developing complications from the virus. As of this time, data from the CDC show that H1N1 flu has infected more people younger than 25 years of age than older people. There are relatively fewer cases and deaths reported in people 65 years and older, which is unusual when compared with seasonal flu.

For information on where to get flu shots, consumers should contact their physician, their local pharmacy, their local health department or log on to the Flu Clinic Locator at http://www.flucliniclocator.org.

SWODA contracts with Community Action Development Corporation (CADC) in Beckham, Custer, Kiowa, Roger Mills and Washita counties and with Southwest Oklahoma Community Action Group (SOCAG) in Greer, Harmon and Jackson counties to provide homemaker, chore, home repair and assisted transportation services on a limited basis. Other services include Medicaid home and community-based services such as Personal Case Services, which may include in-home assistance with bathing, grooming, light housekeeping and laundry, and ADvantage Waiver Services, which may include personal care, skilled care, home delivered meals, physical therapy, case management and hospice care.

For more information about these services as well as a referral to the appropriate agency, contact Ada Vanderford, SWODA information specialist, at 1-800-627-4882 or 580-562-4882.

The total amount of funding awarded in the SWODA area was $202,402.00. To help assist meals programs offered in many communities in Oklahoma, these funds are used in a variety of ways, including paying food costs, equipment, travel and repair/maintenance, among other things.

Entities that received grant funds included the following: Roger Mills County (Berlin), Warren Senior Citizens, Town of Hammon, Roosevelt Senior Citizens Center, Town of Mt. View, Town of Reydon, City of Thomas, Arapaho Senior Citizens Center, Lone Wolf Senior Citizens Center, Hobart Senior Citizens Center, Cordell Senior Citizens Center, Washita County/Cowden, Washita County/Cloud Chief, Town of Rocky, Town of Sentinel, Corn Senior Citizens Center, Town of Willow, Butler Senior Citizens Center, Town of Gotebo, City of Erick, Sayre Nutrition Site, Opportunities Inc. in Clinton, Town of Blair, Mt. Park Senior Citizens Center, City of Erick, City of Altus, Weatherford Senior Citizens and Town of Cooperton.

For more information about CENA or to learn more about services available to older people in the SWODA region, contact Staci Mauney, Aging Services planner, at 1-800-627-4882 or locally at 580-562-4882.

To download the application, please go to the Grant Applications page.

918 539 Overlay – PSAP Letter 1st Notice

Click on the following link for the FY 2011 CENA grant application:

http://swodanews.wordpress.com/grant-applications/