REGION
Friday, February 21, 2020
East Oregonian
A3
Being prepared can help dementia patients in an emergency
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
UMATILLA COUNTY
— Experiencing a major
flood or other natural disaster
can be disorienting for any-
one, but it can be particularly
difficult for people experienc-
ing dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Associa-
tion offers tips for emergency
preparation for those whose
loved one has dementia.
The association suggests
that for those whose fam-
ily member lives in a resi-
dential facility, they should
check on the facility’s emer-
gency plans, and make sure
they take into account spe-
cific needs, such as an oxygen
tank or medications.
The
Juniper
House
assisted living and mem-
ory care facility in Pendle-
ton wasn’t among the places
flooded this month, but assis-
tant director Hanna Bass said
they keep contracts at all
times for backup housing for
residents if something hap-
pened to their building.
“We always have some-
where to relocate to,” she
said.
In the event of an emer-
gency, she said staff would
contact each patient’s fam-
ily by phone to give them an
update and let them know
where their family member
was being relocated to.
They also keep at least
a week’s worth of food and
other supplies on hand in case
they need to shelter in place
or supplies can’t get through.
stock in their home, the Alz-
heimer’s Association sug-
gests people add copies of
important documents, such
as legal papers regarding
guardianship and insurance
“DO NOT LEAVE THE PERSON WITH
DEMENTIA ALONE.”
— Alzheimer’s Association guidelines
For others, who care for
a loved one with dementia
in their home, having those
same type of preparations are
equally important. Beyond
the standard food, water,
flashlights, clothing and other
supplies that everyone should
information to a grab-and-go
emergency kit.
Such a kit should also
include medications, a list
of needed medications, dos-
age information, the patient’s
physician’s name and con-
tact information. Other phys-
Teens get a taste of adulthood
Hermiston High
seniors take
part in financial
simulation
By JESSICA POLLARD
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — It
would seem that Hermiston
High School’s class of 2020
is thrifty with a keen eye
for homeownership.
In partnership with
the Hermiston Chamber
of Commerce and Sim-
mons Insurance Group, the
Hermiston School District
hosted a financial simula-
tion for high school seniors
called Financial Aware-
ness Basics, or “FAB” Life,
this week. The goal was to
teach students about bud-
geting after graduation.
“It’s been so fun to have
students see what adult-
hood is like,” said Herm-
iston Chamber CEO Kim-
berly Nevil.
Each student received a
job title, salary and a fam-
ily assignment. Some peo-
ple were married, while
others had to factor chil-
dren into their budget as
single parents. The high-
est paying job title in the
simulation was doctor, at
$178,000 a year. The low-
est was as a temporary
employee, at $17,280.
Students had to budget
everything — from hous-
ing, to internet and cell-
phone packages to phil-
anthropic donations — on
their assigned monthly
budget within a single class
period.
Whoever had money
leftover at the end of the
simulation got a PayDay
candy bar, and whoever
went into debt got a Zero
candy bar.
Student Antonio Leo-
nides, 17, chose to be a
translator for the simula-
tion with a yearly salary of
more than $45,000. He was
also cast as a single parent.
“I chose a translator
because I thought I could
do that. I speak two lan-
guages,” he said.
He’s now considering
pursuing the role after high
school.
Staff photo by Jessica Pollard
Deborah Wainwright, right, a branch loan officer with Columbia Bank in Hermiston, assists
Hermiston High School senior Antonio Leonides, 17, with financial information during a
FAB Life simulation at Hermiston High School on Thursday afternoon.
Leonides
said
his
monthly budgeting was
going very well until he
received a “Crystal Ball”
simulation card that showed
that there was an oil disas-
ter near his home.
He had to dish out $122
he hadn’t anticipated and
have to take on second jobs
to sustain their passion.
They’re even reconsidering
where they’ll go to college
in the fall.
“I didn’t realize I’d need
two jobs,” Moreno said.
“Everything adds up so
quickly. It’s a steep hill.”
“I DIDN’T REALIZE I’D NEED TWO
JOBS. EVERYTHING ADDS UP SO
QUICKLY.”
— Mildred Moreno, Hermiston High School senior
headed to the “bank” to
reconsider his personal
spending for the month and
make up the difference.
Not the easiest task as a
single parent.
“Parents go through a lot
having kids,” he said.
Both Mildred Moreno,
18, and Cynthia Gonzalez,
17, chose to be veterinary
technicians because it’s
what they want to do after
high school graduation.
Now that they know
what it’s like to live off
of $2,000 a month, both
agreed they’ll probably
Both Gonzalez and
Moreno chose to rent apart-
ments with roommates for
the simulation in order to
save money in the short
term.
“I could make this
work,” Gonzalez said.
But according to Tracy
Hunter, a broker at eXp
Realty who volunteered to
help at FAB Life, choos-
ing to rent was not the
overall norm for the high
schoolers.
“Most kids are taking
this really seriously,” she
said. “Students are choos-
ing to own. In the Hermis-
ton market, a mortgage can
be more affordable.”
She said none of the stu-
dents had to come back
to renegotiate their hous-
ing circumstances for bud-
getary reasons. She said
some students were get-
ting creative, renting apart-
ments with extra bedrooms
and deciding to take on
roommates for additional
income.
“It’s been eye open-
ing to see what they know
and what they don’t know,”
said
Columbia
Bank
Branch Manager Chris
Bettencourt.
She spent the simulation
encouraging students to
open savings accounts and
offering financial strategy
advice.
“This is all what my dad
and mom have been telling
me,” said Broc Remmer,
18, who chose to be an elec-
trician for the simulation.
As FAB Life drew to a
close on Thursday after-
noon, all students walked
away from their simula-
tions with extra money left-
over in their budgets, and
Payday candy bars galore.
March CAT update meetings scheduled in
Bend, Ontario, La Grande and The Dalles
East Oregonian
SALEM — The Oregon
Department of Revenue is
hosting a series of meetings
next month to provide infor-
mation to business taxpayers
and tax professionals about
the administrative rules for
Oregon’s new Corporate
Activity Tax.
The meetings — sched-
uled for Bend, Ontario, La
Grande and The Dalles —
are being held in cooper-
ation with the small busi-
ness development centers
at Central Oregon Commu-
nity College, Treasure Valley
Community College, East-
ern Oregon University and
Columbia Gorge Community
College.
“Our CAT team will per-
sonally engage taxpaying
communities again in March.
We want to provide taxpay-
ers with the information and
tools necessary to comply
with the law and will ask
taxpayers to provide us with
feedback on the temporary
rules completed to date,” said
Nia Ray, director of the Ore-
gon Department of Revenue.
The meetings kick off
Monday, March 2, in Bend
and Tuesday, March 3, in
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Ontario. Both meetings are
set for 6 p.m. The third meet-
ing will begin at 10 a.m.
Wednesday, March 4, in
Room 101 in Zabel Hall at
Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity, One University Bou-
levard in La Grande. Later
in the day, the final meeting
starts at 6 p.m. in the lecture
hall in Building 2 at Colum-
bia Gorge Community Col-
lege, 400 Scenic Drive,
The Dalles.
The meetings are part of
a second statewide tour by
the department’s CAT policy
team. Department represen-
tatives used input collected
from stakeholders during a
12-stop tour in fall 2019 in
prioritizing and writing the
rules. March’s meetings will
include a presentation and
discussion of the initial tem-
porary rules.
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ical needs, such as eyeglasses
or incontinence products,
should also be accounted for.
According to the Alzhei-
mer’s Association, “changes
in routine, traveling and new
environments may increase
the risk for wandering and
agitation for people with
dementia.”
“Stay alert for unexpected
reactions that may result from
these changes. When appro-
priate, share the diagnosis
with others, such as hotel,
Red Cross or shelter staff,
family members and airline
attendants, so they can better
assist,” the guidelines state.
“Do not leave the person with
dementia alone.”
With that in mind, the
association encourages peo-
ple to make sure their loved
one has identifying informa-
tion, such as a medical alert
bracelet or clothing labels,
and to make sure they have
a picture of the person with
them in case they need to
search for them.
Bass said people should
think about whether a large
Red Cross shelter is the right
environment for a dementia
patient, or if they can make
alternate arrangements ahead
of an evacuation.
“It can be overstimulat-
ing,” she said. “You want to
minimize stimulation, take
them to a calm environment.”
BRIEFLY
Umatilla County
transitions into
recovery operations
UMATILLA COUNTY
— Umatilla County has
transitioned its emergency
operations center into
recovery operations and
reduced staffing, according
to a Thursday press release.
The county will con-
tinue to coordinate with
municipalities, volunteer
organizations and other
agencies, the release said,
but the phone lines at the
emergency operations cen-
ter will no longer be staffed.
Those in need of assis-
tance should contact the
Community Action Plan
of East Central Oregon for
donations at 541-276-1926,
or an American Red Cross
caseworker for immedi-
ate needs, such as food or
clothing, at 541-215-2908.
Those who need help
with debris cleanup or mold
remediation can visit www.
crisiscleanup.org or call
844-965-1386.
Roads in the Mill Creek
area on Oregon’s side of the
border remain closed but
are expected to be reopened
on Friday, according to the
release. Walla Walla River
Road remains closed to
all but local residents and
emergency
personnel.
Bingham Road and others
along the Umatilla River
are now open up to Mea-
cham Creek, and Cay-
use Road is open to Thorn
Hollow.
Police seek help
finding Oregon
wanted woman
vehicles are
in
Walla
Walla.
S h e
allegedly
bought
items total-
Hill
ing or tried
spending
$43,219.02 in Colorado,
Wyoming, Idaho, Wash-
ington and Oregon, records
stated. In these cases, she
reportedly entered a code
to override the card being
declined at stores. This tac-
tic later stopped working.
Hill was summoned to
her first appearance Dec.
30, 2019, but failed to
arrive, and a bench warrant
was issued.
Those with information
can call Walla Walla Police
Officer A.C. Castillo at
509-542-4394.
Fireline Safety
Refresher class
March 21
BAKER CITY — East-
ern Oregon Training Group
will have an RT130 Annual
Fireline Safety Refresher
class on March 21.
The class will start at
8 a.m. at the Baker School
District office, 2090 Fourth
St., Baker City. A prac-
tice fire shelter deployment
will take place. This is a
required class for all fed-
eral and state contractors
that will be on the fire line.
A certified National
Wildfire
Suppression
Association instructor will
teach the class. Cost is $100
for NWSA members and
$130 for nonmembers.
Registration can be
done at oregonfiretrain-
ing.com. Pre-registration is
requested. More informa-
tion is available by calling
Laurel Goodrich at 541-
403-0907 or Jeff Sherman
at 541-519-6213.
— EO Media Group and
wire services
WALLA
WALLA,
Wash. — Walla Walla
police are asking people
for information about a
Milton-Freewater woman
accused of fraud and theft
in multiple states totaling
thousands of dollars.
Marky L. Hill, 24, was
charged locally with two
counts of defrauding an
innkeeper, second-degree
organized retail theft and
2/21-2/23
third-degree theft.
Hill is accused of using Cineplex Show Times
$5 Classic Movie
or trying to use her Ban-
corp Chime prepaid debit Showing Wednesday @ 12p
Pork Chop Hill
Visa card in 2019 at Walla
Walla businesses, includ- The Call of the Wild (PG)
ing three times at Com-
fort Inn and Suites, Walla 12:10p* 2:30p* 4:50p 7:10p 9:30p
Walla Garden Motel, mul- Sonic the Hedgehog (PG)
tiple times at Taqueria 12:00p* 2:20p* 4:40p 7:00p 9:20p
Mi Pueblito, and Vape ‘N
Goods, records stated.
Fantasy Island (PG13)
Police also discovered 1:20p* 4:10p 6:40p 9:10p
Hill allegedly used the card
at SD Car Audio in Pasco Downhill (R)
as well as at Pioneer Auto 12:00p* 2:10p* 4:20p 6:30p 9:00p
Sales in Engelwood, Colo.,
for two vehicles, records Bad Boys for Life (R)
stated. She has a non-ex- 1:10p* 4:00p 6:50p 9:40p
traditable warrant from
* Matinee Pricing
Colorado, records stated, wildhorseresort.com
• 541-966-1850
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
and police believed the two