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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 1979)
improper medication called dangerous to elderly Between 25 and 50 percent o f the elderly in the U.S. do not take their medicines properly. The results: unnecessary health problems fo r many and unnecessary hospitalization fo r some. The reasons are m a n y: p o o r eyesight th a t h in d e rs re a d in g o f prescription labels, money concerns that keep prescriptions fro m being fille d , forgetfulness, lack o f under standing about what the medicine is fo r and how it is to be used, ad v e rtis in g suggestions th a t n o n p re s c rip tio n m edications can cure almost anything, etc. “ W hatever the reasons, e ffo rts insist be made by m any people to help co rre ct the p ro b le m s ,” says Oregon State U n ive rsity pharmacy professor who is deeply involved in research and teaching in the area o f drugs and the elderly. W illia m S im onson em phasizes that pharmacists, doctors, spouses, re la tiv e s , frie n d s , social w o rke rs, and the media among others, “ all have o b lig a tio n s and o p p o rtu n itie s to help.” M ore needs to be known about the medication needs o f senior citizens, he noted. As a person ages, there are p h y s io lo g ic a l changes th a t take place. Some o f the changes affect the response o f the body to drugs, says Simonson. "T h e re ’ s a tendency fo r drugs to be elim inated fro m the body more slowly in aged persons. Dosages o f ten have to be regulated downward. Adverse reactions to medicines is a p a rtic u la r p ro b le m . O ld e r persons appear more susceptible to such reac tions. “ But sometimes the adverse d rtift reaction is seen sim ply as another sign o f old age- loss o f balance, etc— rather than what is really is. A lso , the more drugs a person takes, the greater the chances fo r a drug reac tio n . The elderly (over 65), although o n ly 10 p e rce n t o f the U .S . population use about 25 percent o f the out-patient prescription d ru g s," the pharmacist observed. D o c to rs and p h a rm a cists PORTLAND OBSERVER e veryw here s h o u ld re co g n ize the need fo r sp e cia l care in c o m m unications w ith elderly patie n ts,” Simonson advises. "L a c k o f hearing goes hand in han d w ith re a d in g problems. The end result is the same- -th e p a tie n t d o e sn ’ t fu lly c o m prehend the why and the how. Non- com pliance o r abuse o f drugs can fo llo w .” Some older persons get prescrip- (Please tu rn to page 10 col. 5) Volume 9 Number 61 December 27. 1979 10C per copy USPS 959 680 Commission presents juvenile plan The M ultnom ah C ounty Juvenile Services Commission has completed its “ First Phase Plan fo r Juvenile Services” and w ill present the plan to the County Commission on January 3rd. The p la n , w hich asks fo r a six month appropriation o f $316,554, is the first step in requesting the Coun ty ’ s share o f the $4.9 m illio n ap p ro p ria te d by the L e g isla tu re fo r programs to prevent the onset o r the continuation o f delinquent behavior. Ms. Barbara Roberts, chairman o f the Commission, explained that the proposal is divided in to tw o phases to su b m it a p la n as q u ic k ly as possible and still have time to w rite a comprehensive program. The Second Phase w ill be submitted before July 1st. The First Phase Plan includes: - 33.7 per cent o f available funds fo r a Case Management program o f intensive Juvenile C o u rt p ro b a tio n services fo r up to 200 juvenile o ffe n ders and their fam ilies. Three case Jawanza Kunjufu. from the Institute of Positive Edu- cation in Chicago, took time out from a busy speaking schedule while in Portland, to talk to a very receptive audience at the Black Educational Center (Photo: Richard Brown) Educator discusses Black identity by Stephanie L. Michael Recently the Black Cultural A ffairs Board at Portland State University sponsored a lecture on the topic o f black identity and race relations. The session was held at the Smith memorial center. One o f the featured speakers was Jawanza Kunjufu, principal and educational consultant at the Institute o f Positive Education in Chicago, Illinois. Kunjufu spoke on the topic o f "Black Identity: Today and Tom orrow.” He stated that black people should be able to feed, cloth and educate themselves. He also ex plained that how much a people puts into their children tells how serious a people they are Kunjutu said, “ Who ever controls the tnind controls the body. Who is best experienced to write about the black story? Black people. History is nothing but His/Story or mystery, M y/Story and that’s what our story can become. Children are actors and we must be correct if we want them to be correct. We have begun to act like the Romans act. The West is not our way: we are the people o f the sun.” Looking back to the '60s, Jawanza K unjufu explained the period as an an ti-talk period which he describes as the unergraduate state. He says the '70s and '80s are pro-work periods, and black folks are now up to the graduate level. Still, groups like the N A A C P and the Urban League are receiving funds from primarily non-Black groups. “ Some o f us have still not learned that where you get your money is where you get your ideology. We have learned to respect other people more than we respect ourselves. You are what you are taught, it is everything you believe. If you act like a m inority you will be treated like a m inority. Black people in this world are not minorities—91®/o o f the w orld’ s population is made up o f people o f color. White people make up only 9% o f the world population." The principal o f I PE said that the institute is concerned about obtaining more land and to expand com munication outlets. Third World Press, an agency started in 1976, is owned by the educational facility. Kunjufu says black people should become more concerned about “ Who They A re.” He says a people must know this before they can have pur pose and identity. “ I f you think your heritage starts in America subtract 1776 from 1979. You will find that your family has only been around for 203 years and you know your roots start elsewhere. Over 250,000 slaves died coming to America in the slave trade Blacks in America earn annually $108 billion dollars We are the ninth wealthiest nation in the world. We have become lost in the labor market working fo r the man in stead o f ourselves. We spend a 24-hour day working. Remember it takes money and labor to build a nation: we contribute to both. It is time we go beyond the cockroach stage o f sur viving. We have mastered that. It is time to undertake the development o f our lives fo r the 21st century. A nation without land, communication, food, clothing and education is like theory without practice.” Kunfufu stressed that one out o f three marriages in the black com munity results in divorce. He says blacks must concentrate on their values. He says they must be cautious not to sell themselves and their souls for material items. “ We must learn that " w e " is more important than “ I ” . The western world o f insecurity focuses on selfish reasons for marriage rather than a combining o f two persons com promising and giving to form a unity o f one. We have become too involved with spending our hard-earned salaries on ourselves, looking forward to a new ride, wardrobe or house. These are short-term goals, not long term solutions. In order to improve our situation in this country we must study, work, maintain our health and spirituality. We must also undertake the seven levels o f unity; self, family, neighborhood, community, nation, race and w orld.” managers w ould be assigned to two o ffic e s , to serve no m ore than 25 ju v e n ile s each. T h e y w o u ld be available 24 hours a day to provide in te n s iv e in d iv id u a l services to y o u th w h o have a lre a d y d e m o n strated delinquent behavior. - 8.4 per cent o f available funds fo r a P ro b a tio n S upport Weekend d e te n tio n p ro g ra m housed at the D onald E. Long Home fo r up to 120 ju v e s n ile o ffe n d e rs w ho have v io la te d th e ir p ro b a tio n . Y o ung people w ould be assigned in groups o f ten to in te n s iv e week end programs designed to upgrade their self-image and to teach self control. Parents would be encouraged to par ticipate. - 35 per cent o f available funds set aside to contract w ith local ser vice providers fo r increased access to prevention services fo r juveniles who are not yet o ffic ia lly involved in the juvenile justice system. Prefetcnce w ill be given to agencies that provide comprehensive services to ch ildren and fa m ilie s in th ie r ow n homes, w ith emphasis on early detection and treatm ent o f sym ptom s o f pending delinquency. - 22 per cent o f available funds reserved fo r e v a lu a tio n , research, adm inistration and indirect costs. In M ultnom ah C ounty about 3 per cent o f the children seventeen years and y o u n g e r are re fe rre d to the J u v e n ile C o u rt fo r d e lin q u e n t b e h a vio r. Less than one per cent, 1,076 in 1978, were referred m ore than once, but ten per cent o f those repeaters w ill eventually be co m m it ted to state tra in in g schools. M u lt nomah C ounty com m itted 313 boys and 61 girls to state tra in in g schools in the 26 month period between July 1, 1977 and September 1, 1979. The Juvenile Services A c t funds are designated to provide programs that w ill direct the child out o f the cycle th a t leads to the tra in in g schools and on to prison. Executive Board honors advocates The M inority Business Opportunity Committee, a part o f Portland’s Fed eral Executive Board, recently honored several individuals fo r their accomplishments in M inority business development in Oregon. Specifically cited for outstanding contributions were Carl Kelley, manager o f the Walnut Park Branch o f the First National Bank o f Oregon, and Roy Nakayama, Equal O pportu nity Specialist, Bonneville Power A d ministration. Donald Matsuda, Chairman o f the selection committee, reported that Kelley and Nakayama have made sig nificant contributions to the develop ment o f m inority enterprise in Oregon. Kelley, in his past position as the M inority Lending and Concerns O ffi cer for the bank, has been an effective advocate o f m inority lending and has been instrumental in significantly in creasing the bank’ s m inority lending portfolio, notably through Small Busi ness Adm inistration loans. Nakayama serves as co-chairman o f the organization’s Procurement Sub committee. He was the overall coor dinator o f the M in o rity Business O p portunity Day held recently at the Memorial Coliseum, and also serves as B P A ’s M in o rity Business liason, insur ing that a proportionate share o f BPA's total procurements go to m inority firms. Certificates o f A ppreciation were awarded to seven individuals, recognizing their contributions to m inority business. Those receiving cer tificates were: Don Chapman, Director o f the As sociation for Portland Progress Scott Foster, Tektronix Bob Sandoval, Portland Business Development Office Nola Worley, US Bancorp Peter Jenkins, Federal Highway Adm inistration Harold Vaughn, City o f Portland Kent Gorham, C ity o f Eugene •f Class addresses typist shortage By Kathryn H. Bogle Busy Vernon Chatman o f Poitland’s Urban League, just com pleting the winding up o f a class in typing he arranged fo r beginners, (and those who wanted to improve their skills), is already arranging another to follow in 1980. Chatman, who says he formed the firs t class at P ortland C o m m u n ity College "o u t o f necessity," has been jubilant over its sucess and estimates that 90°’o o f the students enrolled are now ready for "entry-level" jobs. The Urban League, apparently, had more jo b o ffe rs than they had q u a lifie d people to fill them. Hence the new classes. Chatman, ready to point out the advantages in taking the class, men tions tirst that the Urban League, in cooperation w ith the college, is o f fering the typing class free o f charge. That’s right! Free o f charge. A student must supply his (or her) own paper to use fo r practice. A rrangem ents fo r v is itin g con sultants to come to this special class met w ith instant success. Students found that representatives o f hiring companies came to them to tell them o f opportunities open to students once they reach a certain level o f competen cy. In addition, a personal grooming consultant is listed to speak with and help the students with suggestions for attractive hair styles, use o f cosmetics and general appearance. Clever ways to utilize a wardrobe and stretch the clothing d o lla r also proved to be a popular extension o f the typing class. Emmanuel Hospital and Benjamin Franklin were mentioned by Chatman as being among organizations scouting for employees from this class. I Among the consultants is Adrienne M iller, whose picture with the class is shown here. Bertha Hawkins o f PCC is regular instructor o f the typing class. C hatm an advises th a t early registration is open for the next class due to begin January 15th on the PCC Campus. Registration is through the Urban («ague office. International high fashion modal and native Port lander Barbara "Shailah” Edmonds was in town visit- ng Iter parents Dock and M yrlte Lyons for the Christ- no.iaay, onanan. baaed in Naw York City, models on the European circuit, in Japan, and has appeared In many of the trade publications (Photo: Richard Brown)
