Silver Quill

OCTOBER 2020

VOLUME 38,

NO. 10

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Medicare Part D

Open Enrollment 2

Attn: Snowbirds 3

Election Info 4

Donations 5

Nutrition 6

Fargo Menu 7

West Fargo Menu 8

Volunteer

Spotlight 10

Rural Cass

News 11

RDO Caters Taters 12

Contact Tracing 13

Flu Shot Clinic 14

Flu vs COVID 15

MENU INSIDE!

Where’s my menu? Menus will no longer be mailed indi-vidually - you can now find the Fargo menu on page 7

and the West Fargo menu on page 8 of the Silver Quill newsletter, or online at

valleyseniorservices.org.

Valley Senior Services Receives ChamberChoice Award

Valley Senior Services has been awarded the 2020 Not-for-Profit of the Year ChamberChoice Award from the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce. The ChamberChoice Awards are hosted annually to recog-nize local organizations in six categories: small business; business; not-for-profit; entrepreneur; young professionals best place to work and people’s choice. Winners exemplify excellence through proven growth or stability, innovation, creativity, community leadership and achievements.

We are so proud of our staff and all of the volunteers who make it pos-sible for us to keep up with the growing demand for services for the seniors we serve. This award recognizes the great work that they do. Congratulations, team we appreciate all of your efforts!

Brian Arett – Executive Director

Valley Senior Services

P.O. Box 2217

Fargo, ND 58108

www.valleyseniorservices.org

Directors: Becky Christianson

Jane Hazlett

Henry Kucera

Marlene Batterberry

Connie Elledge

SuZ Smith

Vince Dalke

Duane Fontaine

Director:

Brian Arett

Transportation Manager: Paul Grindeland

Outreach Manager: Bernie Johnson

Nutrition Manager: Shannon Lang

Metro Senior Ride Operations

Supervisor: Cindy Girdner

Dispatchers: Sharon Sondreal

Paula Thomas

MaryJo Fandrich

Resource Specialists: Patty Dahley

Jill McCall

Kassie Emanuel

Sheena Nelson

Karleen Wyum

Administrative Assistants: Em Janes

Kathy Watt

If you are qualified, your rights to receive the

services provided by this organization without

regard to race, color, religion, sex, national

origin, age or handicap are protected by

Federal Law. If you believe you have been

discriminated against, please contact: Brian

Arett, Valley Senior Services, P.O. Box

2217, Fargo, ND 58108. (701) 293-1440.

Statement of Identification - Silver Quill

Published Monthly by: Valley Senior Services, Inc.

2801 32nd Ave. S, P.O. Box 2217, Fargo, ND 58108

To receive the Silver Quill call 293-1440 or toll free 1-877-827-1916

or e-mail us at: info@valleyseniors.org

October 2020 2

2021 Medicare Part D Open Enrollment

The annual Medicare Part D Open Enrollment is from October 15th – December 7th. During this time period, you can compare prescription drug plan coverage and decide about your coverage for 2021. North Dakota Insurance Department is available for telephone and Mi-crosoft Teams virtual appointments for enrollment assistance. They will not be scheduling any open enrollment events throughout the state this year due to the pandemic. They can be contacted at 701-328-2440 Option #1 or 1-888-575-6611. Valley Senior Services Resource Specialists will conduct Part D com-parison sessions via telephone, Microsoft Teams and in person for 2021 Medicare Part D Prescription drug plans during the open enroll-ment period based on staff availability. Session appointments must be scheduled in advance and the following safety guidelines will be in place for in person appointments. Masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing are mandatory. Clients will complete the COVID questionnaire before they are

seen by staff. Contract tracing spreadsheet will be completed (date, name,

phone number) You can make an appointment by calling our office at 701-293-1440 and ask to speak to the Intake Worker. She will provide additional in-formation and mail you a Medicare Client Intake Form for you to com-plete and bring with you to the appointment along with a list of your medications and your Medicare card. Information from the Medicare website on drug plans available in North Dakota for 2021 will be provided. We cannot recommend a pre-scription drug plan or other Medicare Health Plan but will assist in en-rolling you in a plan that you have selected. Plan comparison information provided by the Medicare Plan Finder website is an estimate of costs. We recommend you review the com-parisons provided to you to ensure accuracy of your medications. You should also check with your pharmacy to ensure they accept the plan you select. Medicare Part D sessions will be at Valley Senior Services office - 2801 – 32nd Ave S and Broadway Station – 1461 Broadway afternoons

starting on October 20th and continuing until December 3rd.

Valley Senior Services

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Attention Snowbirds!

Please contact us at 701-293-1440 or info@valleyseniors.org to put a hold on the newsletters while you are gone for the winter. It will help us save on paper and postage. Thank you!

October 2020 4

Protecting 50+ Voters During a Pandemic

AARP is fighting to protect 50+ voters and make their voices heard on the issues that matter — protect-ing Social Security and Medicare, lowering prescription drug prices, and ensuring voters 50+ can vote safely from home or in-person. While polling places are expected to be open on Election Day, North Dakota makes it easy for you to vote absentee, from the safety of your home. Here are some important reminders if you plan to vote absentee:

Voters need to apply for an absentee ballot; Voters can request an absentee ballot application from your county auditor’s office or online

at https://vip.sos.nd.gov/absentee; Voters must have valid identification, such as a driver’s license, state-issued ID card or Trib-

al ID that includes your date of birth and current address; Voters must return their ballots postmarked by Monday, Nov. 2, or drop them off at their

county auditor’s office no later than Nov. 2. AARP North Dakota is urging residents who want to vote from home to apply for an absentee bal-lot right away. The first day you can vote absentee is Sept. 24. If you are interested in learning more about voting safely from home or in-person for the November election, join AARP North Dakota at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, for a live telephone town hall. The telephone town hall will feature Donnell Preskey Hushka, the executive director of the County Auditors and County Treasurers; and Erica Johnsrud, the McKenzie County auditor/treasurer, who will answer questions about voting safely this fall. Register to participate at https://vekeo.com/aarpnorthdakota/. Also, be sure to tune in to Prairie Public Broadcasting throughout October for nonpartisan election pro-gramming featuring the U.S. House candidate debate at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8; and the N.D. Superin-tendent of Public Instruction debate at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16. The time and date of the N.D. gubernato-rial candidate debate is yet to be determined. If you have questions about voting safely or voting in-person on Election Day, check out AARP North Dakota’s election and voting guide page at https://bit.ly/31w3vFx or visit aarp.org/election2020. Stay safe and make your voice heard!

(information provided by AARP North Dakota)

Valley Senior Services

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$100.00 and Above

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We appreciate the many donations we have

received and thank each and every one of you for

your support. All contributions can be sent to:

Valley Senior Services,

P.O. Box 2217 Fargo, ND 58108

The family of Mary Lavelle in memory of Mary Lavelle - $625

John Trelstad - $517

Joan Lee - $300

The family of Arlene Carpenter in memory of Arlene Carpenter - $250

Blackbaud Giving Fund - $150

Cathy Prichard in memory of Frances Rebstock - $100

Astrup Law Office in memory of Frances Rebstock - $100

Randy & Robyn Wimmer in memory of Mary Lavelle - $100

Anderson, Carol in memory of Mary Lavelle Berg, Jean in memory of Mary Lavelle Burkholder, Keith & Vel Rae in memory of Odin Dahl Diederich, Michael & Mary in memory of Mary Lavelle Goerger, Jacinta in memory of Mary Lavelle Hamilton, Kristin & Barry in memory of Mary Lavelle Hill, D.J. in memory of Mary Lavelle Houglum, Barry & Jeanine in memory of Mary Lavelle Jordahl, Joseph & Coleen in memory of Mary Lavelle Lamont, Larry & Jane in memory of Mary Lavelle Nelson, Shirley in memory of Mary Lavelle Oster, Robin & Nancy in memory of Mary Lavelle Prather, Mark & Jane in memory of Mary Lavelle Quick, Bruce & Roberta in memory of Mary Lavelle Skarphol, Linda in memory of Mary Lavelle

Tobin, Terry & Diane in memory of Mary Lavelle

Thank You To Our Contributors!

October 2020 6

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Vitamin D By Lane Lipetzky, RDN

Vitamin D has found its way into the news a lot lately with varying degrees of in-formation on how it affects our immune health. Our bodies have many uses for vitamin D and in northern regions of the world, it can be hard to meet our daily requirements year around. In this month’s article we will discuss why vitamin D is important, its sources, how much we need and how much is too much.

Why do we need vitamin D? Vitamin D, like all vitamins, is essential to our health. It is commonly associated with bone health since it plays a major role in calcium absorption. Overtime, people who are vitamin D deficient may develop osteoporosis, osteomalacia or rickets (children). Adequate vitamin D levels have been as-sociated with reduced risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease, increased cognitive health in dementia patients, reduced risk of multiple sclerosis, type I diabetes and other autoim-mune disorders, as well as reducing some symptoms of psoriasis. Because of possible ties be-tween vitamin D and the immune system, this area of research has become popular. According to Harvard School of Public Health, two questions researchers are currently trying to answer are: Does vitamin D deficiency contribute to the development of certain autoimmune diseases? And could adequate levels of vitamin D help increase our body’s defense against infectious disease such as the seasonal flu or Covid-19? Research is still new and developing, however, having an adequate blood vitamin D level is not a bad idea. Sources of Vitamin D There are several food sources of vitamin D but our main source of vitamin D is sunlight. The best food sources of vitamin D are the flesh of fatty fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks and some mushrooms. Sometimes foods like dairy products are fortified with vitamin D which means they have vitamin D added to them. Lastly, we can consume vitamin D through supplementation. There are two forms of vitamin D. Vitamin D2 is found in plants, fortified foods and some supple-ments. Vitamin D3 is naturally produced in the body from sun exposure and can also be taken through supplements. Studies show vitamin D3 is more effective in raising blood vitamin D levels than D2. As always, talk to your dietitian or doctor before starting vitamin supplementation to de-cide which form is best for you. Fortified foods: foods that have a nutrient added that does not naturally occur in the food. Daily Recommended Amount (RDA) of Vitamin D

Adults up to age 70: 600 IUs (International Units)

Adults over the age of 70: 800 IUs

RDAs published by the Institute of Medicine (IOM)

People who are at risk for vitamin D deficiency are those who do not eat foods containing vitamin D, people living far from the equator, those with inflammatory bowel disease or altered

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October 2020 8

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Valley Senior Services 9

(Continued from page 6)

Vitamin D

kidney function, people with darker skin pigmentation, those who are obese or have under-gone gastric bypass surgery and the elderly. Toxicity, on the other hand, is usually caused by over supplementation. Taking 4,000 IUs or more a day is not recommended unless under the close supervision of a doctor. Elderly are at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency for several reasons. Reduced sun expo-sure from staying indoors more often or heavy use of sunscreen and a lowered ability to ab-sorb vitamin D are two main reasons for an increased deficiency. Kidney and intestinal disor-ders increase the risk of vitamin D malabsorption as well. Tips to Increase Vitamin D Levels • Spend time outdoors. Not only will it help increase blood levels of vitamin D but time out-

doors is great for your overall mental and physical wellbeing. • Consume foods containing vitamin D or foods that say they are fortified with vitamin D. • Talk to your dietitian or doctor about starting a vitamin D supplement.

October 2020 10

Volunteer Spotlight We have the best volunteers, let’s introduce you to Benjamin Hanson:

What do I enjoy most about volunteering for Meals on Wheels?

Given the Covid-19 precautions my family is taking , vol-unteering with Meals on Wheels has given me a great op-portunity to get out of the house and interact with other folks. My son usually tags along, giving us a good hour of bonding as well. And, of course, there's a great deal of satisfaction that comes with the gig, knowing the brief stops at the door delivering meals may also be a highlight in the day of our seniors. I'm fortunate to have the time and ability to volunteer and thankful to Valley Senior Ser-vices who do an incredible job organizing the effort, mak-ing my small part easy and oh so enjoyable.

Many thanks to Ben Hanson for his volunteer service to Meals on Wheels!

11 Valley Senior Services

Rural Cass News

Congregate Dining: Now Available as Pick Up and Take Out Until Further Notice: Page Cafe, Page, ND (668-2254): T,Th, F 11:30-12:30; Leonard Cafe, Leonard, ND (645-2240):

M,W,F 11:00; Hunter Cafe & Bakery, Hunter, ND (874-2253): M,W,F 11:00. Please call ahead to or-

der your meals.

Cass County Council Meeting: Christmas party on Monday, December 21 at 10:00 a.m. in Davenport

(please check ahead to see if this is still scheduled).

Cass County Rural Bus Schedule:

Routes: North Cass County South Cass County

Hunter 8:00 a.m. Leonard 8:00 a.m.

Arthur 8:20 Kindred 8:30

Casselton 9:00 Horace 8:45

Fargo 9:45 Fargo 9:15

North route runs October 6, 13, 20 & 27. South route runs October 7, 14, 21 & 28. Express van runs Mon-

days and Thursdays. Please call 356-7433 for more information or to schedule your ride. For Page resi-

dents: you can use Steele County bus to Fargo on October 12 & 23. Please call 1-800-845-1715 for pick-

up information and to reserve a ride.

October 2020 12

RDO Caters Taters Donors

We are so happy to announce: Valley Senior Services, has been chosen as the charity for the annual RDO Caters Taters event. RDO Caters Taters event was started back in 2000 as a way for RDO and the employees to give back to the community. The delicious potato luncheon is postponed this year due to COVID 19, but there is still a great, fun way to be involved. RDO is hosting an on-line silent auction with great items donated by many local and regional partners of RDO, all proceeds will be donated to Valley Senior Services. Look for details on the silent auction in the November newsletter. They have also invited their partners to donate to us and many of them already have contributed for which we are grateful! Due to COVID-19, Valley Senior Services has seen a dramatic increase in demand for our services. The need for meals on wheels alone has increased by 15 percent. This change has resulted in addi-tional expenses through extra meals, getting the correct protective equipment for seniors and staff, and more. Although we’re forgoing a physical event in 2020, there’s nothing stopping the tradition of community support that we’ve celebrated for more than 20 years, and we invite you to join us in keeping that tradition strong this year. You can help us be successful by going on-line to valleyseniorservices.org.

Donations will be used as a match for Giving Hearts Day in February 2021

Your donation of $25 provides 5 hot meals to a senior Donate online: valleyseniorservices.org

Eide Bailly - $2,500 BC Contracting - $500 Voya Financial - $500

Advanced Business Methods - $100 Red River Valley Design - $25

Valley Senior Services 13

What To Know About Contact Tracing

If you've been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, you may be con-tacted by a contact tracer or pub-lic health worker from your state or local health department in an effort to help slow the spread of the disease. Contact tracing helps protect you, your family, and your community by:

• Letting people know they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should monitor their health for signs and symp-toms of COVID-19.

• Helping people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 get tested.

• Asking people to self-isolate if they have COVID-19 or self

-quarantine if they are a close contact

Here's what to know if you get a call:

• A contact tracer may call to let you know you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. All information you share with a contact tracer, like who you've been in con-tact with and your recent whereabouts, is confidential.

• You may be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days. This means staying home, monitor-ing your health, and maintain-ing social distance from others at all times.

• You may be asked to moni-tor your health and watch for symptoms of COVID-19. Notify your doctor if you de-velop symptoms, and seek medical care if your symp-toms worsen or become se-vere.

Be aware of scammers pretend-ing to be COVID-19 contact tracers. Legitimate contact trac-ers will never ask for your Medi-care Number or financial infor-mation. If someone calls and asks for personal information, like your Medicare Number, hang up and report it to us at 1-800-MEDICARE.

(Information provided by The Medicare Team)

October 2020 14

2020 Flu Shot Clinics Fargo Cass Public Health

Fargo Cass Public Health would like to remind residents of the importance of staying up-to-date with routine immunizations or vaccinations. The influenza vaccine is especially important for adults age 65 years and older. Influenza (also known as the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. Flu can cause mild to severe illness, possibly requiring hospitalization and sometimes result-ing in death. Most people ages 6 months and older should receive an annual influenza vaccine. The best way to protect against flu and its potentially serious complications is with a flu vaccine. September and October are good times to get vaccinated. However, as long as flu viruses are circu-lating, vaccination should continue, even in January or later. Flu shots will be available at the following locations on the days and times noted below: **No Appointment Necessary**

Ed Clapp Senior Center 2801 32 Avenue South Fargo, ND 58103 Tuesday, October 6, 2020 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Trollwood Senior Center 3105 North Broadway Fargo, ND 58103 Monday, October 12, 2020 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Broadway Station Senior Center 1461 North Broadway Fargo, ND 58103 Tuesday, October 13, 2020 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Flu Shot Friday at Fargo Cass Public Health 1240 25

th Street South

Fargo, ND 58103 Friday, October 30, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Residents who wish to receive a flu-shot are reminded to bring Medicare or health insurance infor-mation to the clinic. High Dose flu vaccine will be available to those 65 and older. Regular dose flu vaccine will be provided to those under the age of 65. Please note that a variety of precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) will be in place. Individuals wishing to receive a flu shot are strongly encouraged to follow all precautions. Please call the Fargo Cass Public Health Immunization program at 701.241.8189 with any ques-tions.

Valley Senior Services 15

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID FARGO, ND 58102 PERMIT NO. 1123

Valley Senior Services, Inc. P.O. Box 2217 Fargo, ND 58108

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