AARP Kansas

Recently, my spouse d eveloped physical challenges that made him unable to perform some of his own personal care. We were quite concerned, for a time, that the incapacitation was caused by a systemic and degenerative condition and were very relieved to realize that the cause of his disability is localized and, hopefully, can be repaired with surgery.

Wichita has become the first city in Kansas to join an elite worldwide network of age-friendly communities. In presenting Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer with its membership certificate in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities today, AARP Kansas Director Maren Turner acknowledged the City of Wichita’s commitment to become more accessible, convenient and, ultimately, more user-friendly for older Americans.

As part of my Environments and Aging class, I was asked to evaluate my current home using universal design checklists for each of several areas – kitchen, bathroom, living room, exterior, lighting and sound, etc. The lists we used as a class were compiled by Rosemary Bakker, an interior designer and gerontologist, in her book AARP Guide to Revitalizing Your Home: Beautiful Living in the Second Half of Life. Ms. Bakker has written several other books on building or retrofitting homes for lifelong use.

The workshop, “Protecting Yourself from Home Repair Contractor Fraud and Scams” scheduled for tonight at 6:30pm at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library has been because of the severe weather expected on Monday evening. The workshop will be rescheduled. Be sure to check back here or on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/aarpks for more information.

Ever been a victim of a home improvement scam? Find out how you can prevent this from happening at a workshop in Topeka on Monday, February 25 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. The National Center for the Prevention of Home Improvement Fraud has gathered experts to help you learn how to deal with home repair contractors and learn what the typical scams are. Also, learn how to hire contractors, how to check them out, what should actually be in your contract, the building permit process, how to set up payment schedules, insurance issues you may not know about, how to deal with problems that may arise, change order, lien releases and a whole lot more. Learn how to protect yourself now and in the future. Speakers scheduled to provide information include:

I have always enjoyed learning, whether it is traditional “book-learning” or the more spontaneous kind. Since receiving my Bachelor’s degree in 1980 from Emporia State University, I’ve returned to school many times for a class or two – I even completed 20 hours toward a Master’s degree before I met my husband. I stopped taking classes toward that degree to help him finish a very important job – raising three teenaged girls. Now, I’m a grandmother, with six beautiful grandchildren.

Black History Month is about American History with a focus on the contributions African American/Blacks made to build our country. Here in Kansas, we can trace the outstanding contributions of Gordon Parks, George Washington Carver, Langston Hughes, and others. We can be proud that African Americans/Blacks fought for Kansas in the Civil War and helped to settle towns in Kansas, including Nicodemus, which stands today as a national historic site.

It’s that time of year when lots of critical issues are being discussed and debated at the Kansas Legislature in Topeka. AARP Advocacy Director Ernie Kutzley is working with partners and volunteers to research issues, testify before legislative committees, and keep in constant contact with legislators. While AARP Kansas introduces and/or monitors dozens of the hundreds of bills that get introduced each year, there are several we are focusing our attention on in 2013.

January 9, 2013

In honor of Native American Heritage in November, and to highlight Diabetes Awareness, AARP Kansas partnered for the 2 nd year with the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) to sponsor the second annual Intertribal Cooking Class at the Prairie Band Potawatomi Casino and Resort in Mayetta, Kansas . Forty members from all four federally recognized indigenous tribes in Kansas (e.g., Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, Kickapoo Nation of Kansas, Sac and Fox Nation, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) attended one of two 45 minute interactive diabetes education classes taught over the course of two days. Each participant then spent several hours learning how to eat a healthy diet from Richard Hetzler, renowned and award winning executive chef from the Mitsitam Cafe at the Smithsonian Institute. Unlike typical cooking demonstration workshops, participants actually cooked a full course meal before having it served to 80 friends and family. The menu of traditional indigenous foods included walnut salad with grilled corn, chili and chocolate dusted salmon filet, anasazi bean puree, wilted brussel sprout leaves, and cinnamon apple tatin made with a whole wheat crust. The food was delicious and family members and friends wanted the recipes! After the first class in 2011, vending machines were loaded with only sugar free drinks, two tribes built walking paths, cooks started using low-glycemic substitutes instead of high calorie ingredients, and several people lost weight. More evidence that the classes are making an impact on healthy living behaviors will be collected in the coming year.