Remembrance, beyond the ceremonies
By Christine Vanlandingham You’ll likely notice the flags. They line the streets this time of year – some small, some large – each placed with intention and care. Throughout our communities, parades, gatherings, and moments of remembrance fill the weekend. If you find yourself along one of those routes, or quietly witnessing a ceremony, you […]
Does Medicare cover mental health counseling?
Q. My father lost his second wife last year and his behavior has really changed. I’ve suggested grief counseling, but he refuses. Lately even watching the news seems to make him agitated and he acts out in anger to his kids and grandkids. I’m worried he is having some sort of mental breakdown or has […]
My favorite day of the year
By Alexandra Newman I’m not exaggerating when I say the Senior Expo is my favorite day of the year. OK, maybe it’s second to my birthday (and my grandma’s birthday) but it really is a special day for me. When I was first tasked with planning the Senior Expo when I started at Area Agency […]
The quiet impact of showing up: The value of the Senior Companion Program
By Christine Vanlandingham Sometimes the most meaningful support doesn’t arrive with fanfare. It shows up at the door on a Tuesday morning. It sits at the kitchen table. It listens. That’s the heart of the Senior Companion Program. Across our community, Senior Companions – older adult volunteers themselves – are paired with other older adults […]
Absentee voting benefits wide range of people, including older adults
By Lynn Kellogg Attacks on absentee voting are just wrong. Absentee voting was created to assure registered voters have a way to vote without physically going to a poll and waiting in line. The President recently voted absentee. Why? Because he’s a busy man and couldn’t get to or take time to get to his […]
Replacing a Medicare card, and when you should carry it
By Sara Duris Q. My Medicare card has been water-damaged. How do I get a new one? A. You can get a replacement card by logging into or creating a Medicare account to order or print an official copy of your Medicare card, or you can call to request one. Contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to order […]
Make Your Voice Heard: Advocacy Takes Us All
By Alexandra Newman Throughout my time working at Area Agency on Aging (AAA), I have met many wonderful people who credit us with helping them to stay living independently in their homes. Just last week I spoke with a woman, Julie, who cares for her 90-year-old aunt. She told me, “Following a serious illness that required surgery and a lengthy stay in a nursing facility, my aunt’s greatest wish […]
Grandma hobbies are making a comeback
By Emily Marshall Most evenings, while my 5-year-old and 2-year-old boys are wreaking havoc in my living room with remote control cars and stuffed animals strewn about and LEGO bricks causing a minefield for anyone walking through, when I’m not playing with them, rather than checking-out and being sucked into the mindless void of doomscrolling […]
Protecting older adults and the programs that serve them
By Lynn Kellogg “The budget reconciliation act (H.R. 1)—formerly named the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” or OBBBA—was signed into law on July 4, 2025. It cuts over a trillion dollars from Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).” Implementation is planned after the mid-term elections. The quote above is from Justice in Aging, […]
Reauthorizing the Older Americans Act: Why It Matters Here — and Why It Must Move Now
By Christine Vanlandingham Most of us want the same thing as we grow older: to remain in our own homes, connected to our communities, with dignity and independence intact. We want help when we need it — without giving up autonomy, dignity, or the ability to live at home. For more than 60 years, the […]