The commissioners, with their extensive and varied experience and expertise, are all volunteers and without exception are primarily concerned with doing whatever they can to improve the lives of our county’s seniors in and around the Motherlode.
"Practice Random Kindnesses and Senseless Acts of Beauty"
More Memory Musings
Items in the news regarding dementia...
- I misplaced the link, but being a big to-do notes kind of person, an item caught my eye recently about “to do notes affecting the brain by relieving it of the responsibility of remembering” thus creating the effect of losing more memory. Whoa. Is that true? Anyone else read or heard this?
- From “9 Strange But True Health Tips”, the writer says “Google is making us forgetful, because we're less likely to try to remember information that we know is readily accessible.” http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/9-strange-but-true-health-tips
- Check out Joan Aragone from July 30: “Alzheimer's Café to open in Menlo Park” in which she relates that “The point is for dementia patients and their families to meet in a relaxed setting.” http://www.mercurynews.com/joan-aragone/ci_18588499
- In addition, Marge Depew Warner gives us this interesting info to be seen here: http://newbrightlife.com/2011/5-ways-you-can-influence-your-aging-each-day
“Jots & Thoughts”
**Speaker: Susan Thompson, a member of the California Senior Legislature (CSL), spoke before the commission at our General Meeting August 8th. She gave an overview of the Legislature, what it does, and how the process works for proposals that the legislators write (author). She has authored one potentially impactful proposal having to do with patients’ rights. It seems many patients don't realize that they don't have to leave the hospital when their usual 3 days is up. Medicare DOES indeed pay for extra time if the patient doesn’t “feel ready” to go home. A patient has appeal rights, and if they appeal, during that appeal period Medicare will cover the time. Susan is proposing that each patient room has additional signage in the room that displays a reminder. She has found that some hospital staff members aren't aware of this patient appeal right either. To read about the goings on at CSL, go here: www.4csl.org
Susan responded to many questions and had some other new information to share as well. She - and we - have agreed to keep the pipeline open between us in future.
Susan responded to many questions and had some other new information to share as well. She - and we - have agreed to keep the pipeline open between us in future.
**Charlie: I went to my mailbox the other day and encountered a neighbor, Doug Lee, walking his dog. The dog is a Shih Tzu named Charlie. Charlie is 13 years old and the cutest thing. It turns out Charlie is a trained “therapy dog” in his spare time. He is taken out by Cheryl Lee, Doug’s wife, to the Senior Center and retirement homes to effect his cute fuzzy doggie magic upon seniors. Petting him, it was not hard to see why Charlie is good at his job!
**Summertime in the foothills (heat warning): “Over 65 and not worried about heat? You should be” – This warning is making the rounds... Seattle Times, Yahoo Health, Forbes... http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_med_heat_wave_seniors
**Summertime in the foothills (heat warning): “Over 65 and not worried about heat? You should be” – This warning is making the rounds... Seattle Times, Yahoo Health, Forbes... http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/ap/us_med_heat_wave_seniors
**Meeting guests: John Gray and Liz Bass visited the executive Board meeting on August 1. It was a most interesting discussion about ways in which to keep lines open between us and the Tuolumne County BOS. They wanted us to start appearing more regularly before them in open session to share our activities, thoughts, input and issues. We have set up a plan to do that starting next week on August 16.
**"How Safe is Your Home?": http://crimeprevention.crimereports.com/2010/03/31/how-safe-is-your-home/
**Personal: I had to put my doggie to sleep last week, resulting in much sadness in my house, but a few days later I saw this anonymous quote - and popular bumper sticker in Berkeley - which says: So... I hope I was, at least to him. And I had the thought that if one can do that, one has done a fine job in life, hey?
The Commission’s Centenarian Society Event. The Commission on Aging is seeking information on local centenarians, those who have reached or surpassed the age of 100 years. A special recognition and honoring event is planned for mid-October at the Senior Center on Greenley Rd., in Sonora. The Commission is asking eligible individuals’ family members, friends, churches, residential care and skilled nursing facilities to submit names. For additional information, contact Cathie Peacock at 586-4802 or JoAnn Rascon at 588-9004.
Did YOU Know?
by editor Roberta Goodwin, email me at: aging2010@gmail.com
Year of the Family Caregiver: 2011 has been designated as Year of the Family Caregiver by the U.S. Administration on Aging in honor of the 10th anniversary of the federal National Family Caregiver Support Program.
Interfaith has a wood donation program: Their crews can come and cut it, load it and haul it off as long as the tree is on the ground and “easily accessible”. They give it away in August to their low-income and no-income clients to heat their houses the following winter. To donate your tree or wood, call Cathie Peacock or Barbara Woodward at Interfaith 532-0905. And to sign up for the program to receive ½ cord free firewood, call Interfaith in August.
“Minor Home Repair”: Area 12 Agency on Aging offers a program for eligible county seniors “designed to assist seniors over 60 who have home repair problems they cannot resolve which threaten health & safety.”
To be eligible, you must: be 60 years of age or older; reside in Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa Counties; live in your own home.
Typical repairs include... (among others)
hard to turn faucets; leaky toilets; door knob repair; install grab bars; repair doors and windows; ramp repair
hard to turn faucets; leaky toilets; door knob repair; install grab bars; repair doors and windows; ramp repair
Call Area 12 Today for more information on how you can arrange for needed home repairs 209-532-6272... or go to: http://www.area12.org/support.aspx. Also, you can view their website at: http://www.area12.org/ or email them at: info@area12.org
Centenarian Society Event is coming up in October: The Commission on Aging is seeking information on local centenarians, those who have reached or surpassed the age of 100 years. A special recognition and honoring event is planned for Wednesday, October 19th, 11AM, at the Senior Center on Greenley Rd., in Sonora. The Commission is asking eligible individuals’ family members, friends, churches, residential care and skilled nursing facilities to submit names.
In addition, anyone who has reached the ages of 96, 97, 98, and 99 yrs will be honored as well, in recognition of their status in Tuolumne County’s Centenarian University of Life. Those who are aged 96 years are freshman, 97 years are sophomores, 98 years are juniors, and 99 years are seniors. Upon reaching the age of 100 years, those individuals will be inducted into the Centenarian Society of Tuolumne County. Their name will be placed on the Centenarian Society wall plaque at the Senior Center on Greenley Rd. Each name submitted will receive a personal invitation, including their families, and a certificate of recognition of their status in our communities. The Senior Center will provide lunch free to the honorees, and $3.50 to all others, to be served by community leaders and Commission on Aging members.
For additional information, contact Cathie Peacock at 586-4802 or JoAnn Rascon at 588-9004. You may also download a nomination form here (right-hand side of the page "centenarian application" link)": http://portal.co.tuolumne.ca.us/psp/ps/TUP_COMM_ON_AGING/ENTP/h/?tab=DEFAULT
In addition, anyone who has reached the ages of 96, 97, 98, and 99 yrs will be honored as well, in recognition of their status in Tuolumne County’s Centenarian University of Life. Those who are aged 96 years are freshman, 97 years are sophomores, 98 years are juniors, and 99 years are seniors. Upon reaching the age of 100 years, those individuals will be inducted into the Centenarian Society of Tuolumne County. Their name will be placed on the Centenarian Society wall plaque at the Senior Center on Greenley Rd. Each name submitted will receive a personal invitation, including their families, and a certificate of recognition of their status in our communities. The Senior Center will provide lunch free to the honorees, and $3.50 to all others, to be served by community leaders and Commission on Aging members.
For additional information, contact Cathie Peacock at 586-4802 or JoAnn Rascon at 588-9004. You may also download a nomination form here (right-hand side of the page "centenarian application" link)": http://portal.co.tuolumne.ca.us/psp/ps/TUP_COMM_ON_AGING/ENTP/h/?tab=DEFAULT
REMINDER - Tuolumne County Commission on Aging encourages and welcomes not only visitors to our meetings but we have vacancies at the moment, and so we always welcome any interested parties to apply. Attendance at our meetings is a prerequisite. Please come to our meetings and see what we’re about!
Commission on Aging Events Calendar 2011
* NOTE, NEW: The Commission on Aging is beginning a series of quarterly appearances before the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors in order to update them on Commission activities. Our first such appearance is Tuesday August 16.
* Commission on Aging general meetings 1:30PM, 2nd Monday each month, at Area 12 Agency on Aging, Standard Rd., Conf. Room C
* Commission on Aging Executive Board meetings 1:00PM, 1st Monday each month, at the Senior Center
* Commission on Aging Public Relations committee meetings, 12:00PM, 1st Wednesday each month, at Interfaith
* Commission on Aging Education Committee meetings, 9:00AM,
3rd Tuesday each month, Starbucks, Sonora Crossroads Shopping Center,
in the Prudential 2nd Floor Conference Room
3rd Tuesday each month, Starbucks, Sonora Crossroads Shopping Center,
in the Prudential 2nd Floor Conference Room
* September 29 – As yet un-named COA “Education Day” at the Senior Center, with speakers
* October 10th General Meeting & Former COA Commissioners Reunion Event
* October (day TBD) - Centenarian Awards Ceremony 11AM Senior Center Sonora
*** 2011 Speaker Schedule ***
· September – Evan Royce, County Board of Supervisors
· October – no speaker due to ex-COA members "Reunion" Event
· November – speaker pending
· December – no speaker 2011 year-end wrap-up
All COA meetings are open to the public. Please come and give us your ideas, concerns, and information regarding senior issues!
In future, we will be blogging with even more information on matters of interest to county seniors so stay tuned! And please feel free to let us know YOUR ideas for events or forums that you want to see! We actively solicit your comments. As always, you may contact the Tuolumne County Commission on Aging by email aging2010@gmail.com.
To go to the Little House website, go here: http://thelittlehouse.org
To go to Friends and Neighbors website go here: http://seniorfan.com/
To go to the San Francisco Institute on Aging website, go here: http://www.ioaging.org/
Blog Editor: Roberta Goodwin
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