Neighbors Helping Neighbors Age in Place 
Newsletter of
Northeast Village PDX  
Northeast Village PDX is a group of neighbors in Northeast Portland, Oregon, who are creating a membership organization that will help seniors in the area stay in their own homes as they age - by providing volunteers to help with rides, simple home repairs,  friendly visits, and light yard work, as well as professional services (plumbing, electrical, care giving and others) at reduced rates. This newsletter will keep you up to date on the steps the Village is taking to achieve its goals.
March 2017 -- In This Issue:


Once a month, a group of NE Village urban hikers sets out on foot to explore a corner of Portland, followed by lunch at a local restaurant. What to join them? See listing below or on the NE Village website.

Introduction to Northeast Village PDX
Sunday, March 5, noon - 1:30

Hollywood Library, 4040 NE Tillamook

Come and learn about the Village movement in general, and the Northeast Village in particular.
Time to Gather at NE Village Potluck
Open to All

March 8, 6:00 pm

Rose City Park United Methodist Church
5830 NE Alameda St.
(Just off of Sandy)

Remember when NE Village PDX was still in the brainstorming phase, meeting once a month in the Rose City Park church basement? 

It's time for another all-Village gathering where members and volunteers have enough space to come together. It's also an opportunity for anyone who's interested in NE Village to meet the people who are already involved.

Bring a dish to share ...
Northeast Village PDX Coming Events in March
  Please see the event calendar on our website for more details.

Tuesday March 7, 10:00 am
Open to All

FIRST TUESDAY COFFEE
 
Warm up with hot coffee (or tea), tasty treats and conversations with fellow Villagers on the first Tuesday of every month.
 
Miss Zumstein Bakery, 5027 NE 42 nd  Avenue 
No reservation required  
 
Monday March 13, 10:00-12:00 
Open to All 

NEIGHBORHOOD WALK: 
Pearl District to Slabtown Loop

This walk follows the streets and railroad spur lines of Portland's railroad heyday, from 1880 to the 1920's.

Meet at Union Station, 800 NW 6th just under the Broadway Bridge.

Reservations required.  Contact Jane Braunger by email or at 503-880-0339.

Be sure to leave a phone number so we can get in touch quickly if the weather forces us to cancel.
 
Wednesday March 15, 10:00
Open to all - Priority to Members

FRAUD WATCH
How can you protect yourself from identity theft and fraud? AARP volunteers Julie Manuel and Carlos Romo will give you useful new tools and information during this presentation.
 
Community Room at Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33 rd Avenue
Street parking and parking lot available
Reservation required.  Please call the NEV office.   
 
Thursday March 16, 4:00 - 6:00 
Open to All

HAPPY HOUR
 
Join us at the Pocket Pub, a cozy little neighborhood bar. 
 
Pocket Pub, 2719 NE 7 th  (cross street: NE Knott)
No reservation required.  

Sunday, March 19 at 1:15
Members Only

LET'S GO TO THE OPERA

The Portland Opera is giving free previews at Central Library in the Collins Gallery on certain Sundays. 

The first preview on March 19 covers three productions: La Boheme, Man of La Mancha, and Cosi Fan Tutte.  Seating is limited so it's important to get there early.  
Meet Sunday, March 19 at 1:15 at the Collins Gallery, Multnomah Public Library, 801 SW 10th St. 

Reservation required. Contact Sigrid at essiekc@gmail.com. Use subject line: Opera NEV-PDX

Monday March 20, 9:30-11:00 am
Members Only

BIRD WALK: 
Whitaker Ponds Nature Park
 
Join Audubon volunteer Sue Carr for bird walk at this hidden nature preserve in NE Portland.  We will circle the pond looking for ducks and wintering songbirds. 
 
Whitaker Ponds Nature Park,
7040 NE 47 th .  (TriMet bus #75)

Reservation required:
Contact  Sue Carr at  sacarr_98@yahoo.com  or 503-313-8086.

Be sure to leave a telephone number so we can get in touch quickly if seriously inclement weather forces us to cancel.   
 
Tuesday March 21, 10:30 am
Members Only

LANSU CHINESE GARDEN TOUR
 
Enjoy the Chinese Garden in all its spring beauty by taking a guided tour.   Then find a spot in the garden and relax or visit the teahouse for a cup of tea or a snack.
 
Admission f ree to members of Chinese Garden;   $7 to non-members of Chinese Garden  

Meet at the Garden entrance, 239 NW Everett (at NW Third)

Reservation required: Contact the NEV office.
 
Wednesday, March 22, 1:30 pm
 Members Only

SINGING GROUP
 
Come sing with us - no experience necessary. Our goal is to have fun while making music together. All you need is the desire to sing along with others. 
 
Helen's home -  Reservation required:  
Contact Helen Richardson at 
503-287-8832 or  gsgram@comcast.net to RSVP and get the address of the gathering.  
 
Monday March 27, 4-6 pm
Open to All

NEWCOMERS GATHERING
 
Are you new to Portland? Want to meet some friends of your own generation? Find out about fun and interesting things to do in your new hometown? 

Circa 33, 3348 SE Belmont
Reservation required : Contact Ann Anderson at   

Tuesday March 28, 9:30 am
Open to All

COFFEE WITH EASTSIDE VILLAGE
 
Our Villagers join Eastside Villagers at Fleur de Lis Bakery for coffee and conversation. 
 
Fleur de Lis Bakery, 3930 NE Hancock St.
No reservation required
 
Wednesday March 29, 11:30 am
Members Only

LUNCH AT ALBERTINA'S KITCHEN
 
Enjoy "fresh, heritage-inspired dishes" in a setting of old school charm run by a volunteer organization that uses proceeds to benefit local people with disabilities.  

Albertina's Kitchen, 424 NE 22nd Ave.     Small parking lot behind building
 
Reservation required: Contact the NEV office by March 15.
Village Holds Presentation on Advance Medical Directives

Do you have a plan in place for what kind of medical care you'll receive if you can't speak for yourself?
 
If you've been putting that unpleasant chore off, you've got company. On February 1, NE Village PDX hosted a presentation at McMenamins Kennedy School on the Advance Directive and POLST.  These documents stipulate the level of medical care desired when an individual is unable to communicate directly with medical care providers.
 
Dr. Lynn Wittwer, MD, who is Medical Director for Clark County emergency medical services, led a lively and informative question-and-answer session with the 19 Village members present.  For those who couldn't attend, the main points of the presentation are summarized here.
  • The Oregon Advance Directive can be downloaded, printed and filled out (see the link at the end of this story).  The completed Directive must be signed and witnessed.  To be effective, it must be made available to medical care providers.  The Directive is NOT usually available to emergency medical providers (EMTs) unless someone gives it to them when the ambulance arrives, so it typically determines the desired level of care after a person is hospitalized.  
It's a good idea to file the signed Directive with both your primary care physician and the hospital where you are likely to be hospitalized.  There is no central registry for Advance Directives, so take a copy with you if you are traveling.  The directive can be rescinded at any time if you can communicate.
 
The Advance Directive allows you to designate a Health Care Representative to tell providers what medical procedures you want if you are unable to communicate directly.  The designated representative(s) must sign the form. Representatives need to know the types of care you want if you can't speak for yourself, even though these may be difficult conversations. 
  • A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare Decisions is a more complicated way of designating someone to make healthcare decisions for you if you become incapacitated. The form must be notarized and is acceptable in most states and countries, whereas the Advance Directive for Oregon works only in Oregon. It's advisable to take this document with you if you are traveling out of state. 
  • The Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form directs EMTs and other hospital and care facility personnel to provide the level of care you want, based on your communications with your doctor. This includes specific desires regarding CPR and limited interventions such as intubations with a breathing tube, artificial (tube) feedings and respirators. In all cases, EMTs and other personnel are instructed to give whatever comfort measures are needed, regardless of what the form says. 
If you have a POLST, it will follow you as you move from one healthcare setting to another. It must be signed after discussion with a physician and submitted to the registry by the physician, not the patient. Generally, POLST submissions are advised for people who are already in a fragile medical condition. The POLST should be prominently displayed, such as on the bedroom door or on the refrigerator.
 
Why have a POLST?  If an ambulance is called, emergency medical personnel are obligated by law to provide the necessary care, including all life-saving measures in case of sudden death or unconsciousness.  

The arriving paramedics will initiate life-saving procedures such as CPR unless they have a physician order to the contrary.  In Oregon they can query the electronic registry for POLST (Washington has no registry). If they find that you have a POLST and it says you do not want to be resuscitated, only then will they stop providing life-sustaining care. EMTs in Oregon are trained to look for a POLST in the home and to check the registry.
 
To learn more about advance health care directives, visit these websites:
 
 
Membership Climbs Toward 100 !
NE Village is a continually expanding social network, adding new members and volunteers with each day the office is open.
 
On Feb. 6, the charter members who made a $500 donation in addition to paying membership fees had a party hosted by the Village to celebrate their generosity. These people have done a lot to help NE Village achieve financial sustainability.
 
Many thanks also to our volunteers. The Village couldn't exist without you!
 
Here's the latest tally:  
  • 99 members  
  • 29 charter members 
  • 63 volunteers
Save the Date:  Tuesday April 11
Join us the evening of Tuesday, April 11 for Friends and Family Night at McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd Ave. 

McMenamins will donate 50% of all food and beverage sales in the Courtyard Restaurant to NE Village. Come have a burger (or ribs or pizza or duck ravioli) and invite your friends.
On the Nightstand: A Readers' Forum
Q: What do you get when you cross  Harold and Maude with  Grumpy Old Men ?
 
A:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, c. 2012, Washington Square Press.
 
When this Swedish novel (also a movie) opens, Ove, age 59, has just been summarily retired from the workforce due to lack of employment prospects for younger people. He has no family. Grieving the recent death of his wife and no longer needed at work, Ove can see no further point in living. So he has decided to end it.
 
But life, it appears, has other plans.
 
Even if Ove thinks he doesn't need anybody and commerce has kicked him to the curb, there are people who need him. This dry-witted narrative has such wickedly good gallows humor you might find yourself laughing aloud as you read. Ove may be a curmudgeon, but he's also the most likable curmudgeon I've met on the page.
 
This is a story about the importance of community and the redemptive power of personal connection. It offers some interesting glimpses into how issues of aging and disability are dealt with in a country that has universal healthcare. It's also a good, satisfying read.
 
   --  Pat Vivian
 
CALL FOR BOOK REVIEWS: 
Have you read a book  you'd like to share with fellow villagers? Want to help energize a readers' exchange in this newsletter? 

Please write up your thoughts (it needn't be long; 200-450 words is plenty) and send them to info@nevillagepdx.org. Reviews of all types of books and topics - fiction, nonfiction, poetry - are welcome. Reviews of books that address issues of aging and community are especially encouraged.

Village Boundaries
Northeast Village PDX is a member of the Villages NW tax-exempt network.

For more information, contact:
Margaret Baldwin
503-895-2750

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