Help a Senior Fight Isolation, Become a Friendly Caller-Christine Vanlandingham
It’s been dubbed the double pandemic for seniors: loneliness and COVID-19. Already the most isolated demographic group before the pandemic, rates of isolation and loneliness among adults 65 and older have skyrocketed in the past year. Staying apart and limiting in-person connectivity has been a lifesaving strategy, reducing risk of exposure to COVID-19. For the […]
Seniors Invited to Receive Weekly Check-In from a Friendly Caller
Seniors Invited to Receive Weekly Check-In from a Friendly Caller As we approach one year since the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic, we still see the senior population at great risk. They have been disproportionately affected by the virus physically and psychologically. Social isolation, sweeping lock downs, and not being able to connect families […]
2020 Award Nominations
Caregiver of the Year Award– People from all corners of the community have been stepping up to help seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. From delivering groceries, providing hands-on care, picking up prescriptions, shoveling sidewalks, giving rides to the doctor’s office and more, these unpaid caregivers are the glue that have kept many seniors safe and […]
Free Tax Prep and Does Medicare Cover Assisted Living? – Sara Duris
Q. Will there be tax preparation clinics this year given all the pandemic restrictions? A: The appointments might be handled a little differently, but the plan is still to have free tax preparation available for older adults and persons with disabilities. Both the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and AARP Tax Volunteer programs should […]
On MLK Day, the Continued March for the American Dream for All-Lynn Kellogg
The other day I was able to sit in, by zoom of course, on the first of a series of frank discussions on racism. I welcomed the opportunity. It triggered some of the roots that led me to the field of aging. The discussion pulled me back to the 1970s when I was mesmerized by […]
Looking Forward to 2021 and Making it Count-Pat Arter
Happy New Year! Recently, I have been feeling a bit sorry for myself, thinking about all the things I can’t do right now. Sometime over this last long weekend I told myself to snap out of it! While I don’t always listen to me, I knew I had to do something to change my current […]
Can we talk? Really talk?-Christine Vanlandingham
It seems the answer is often no. The new level of shouting on my Facebook feed has me running for the ‘back button’ or ‘close window button’ more quickly than ever. There are fewer genuine conversations than there are soliloquies in our public discourse. It’s so easy to shout at each other from a distance […]
Kelsie’s Story
One morning 26-year-old Kelsie woke up unable to walk. She had suffered a spinal stroke that left her paralyzed. She called Region IV Area Agency on Aging (RIV AAA) to get help finding resources and understanding her benefits. Her Care Manager was able to get her the equipment she needed to work towards walking again […]
Medicare Questions and Debt Help for Older Adults-Sara Duris
Q. I found out my mother changed to a Medicare Advantage Plan and could lose her Medigap plan next year. Can anything be done? A. Anyone who has switched from Original Medicare Parts A and B with a Part D drug plan to a Medicare Advantage plan has the option to switch back in the […]
Help the Seniors in your Life Fight Isolation During the Holidays-Lynn Kellogg
The holidays are upon us. It’s gratifying to see so many embracing ways to connect with family and friends while also protecting health. What we may not be aware of is how critical connection with others is to our health. This year, the national Home for the Holidays campaign launched annually by the National Association […]