Welcome to the Tuolumne County Commission on Aging blog: it’s our ongoing effort that we hope will bring information to help and inform seniors in our county. 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.
“Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.” ~ Buddha
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Jots
& Thoughts
Save the dates!!!!
All events Presented by the Tuolumne County Commission on Aging
2012 Senior Expo ~ The 3rd Annual Senior Expo is scheduled for June 13, 9AM – 2PM, in the
NEW DATE: 2012 Senior Volunteer of the Year Awards ~ The Senior Volunteer of the Year Awards ceremony is scheduled for July 12, 11AM – 12PM, in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 4th floor,
2012 Centenarian Awards ~ The 2012 Centenarian Awards ceremony is scheduled for October 3, 11AM – 12PM,
and more....
√ Announcing!
The GRADUATION ceremony of
the Inaugural Class of Leadership Tuolumne Seniors will be held Friday, May 18. For more info, call Carleton Penwell at
532-8583. Congratulations to the participants and to LTS committee for their
fine work.
√ MOTORIZED SCOOTER UPDATE, from Roberta Goodwin:
Our previous post related the situation on their seemingly forever broken motorized cart issue. If you remember, I both called and wrote a letter to the district manager in
√ From Sandi Fitzpatrick, the Executive Director of the California Commission on Aging office in
√ Computer training classes: are available locally for seniors and are provided by various local agencies, locations, trainers. Last we looked, an organization called “"California CONNECTS" sponsored by ATCAA and other organizations and offered at various locations throughout the Mother Lode. The low cost classes are taught by a man named Bob Ingalls, and one “Ms. Reinecke.”.
(The
It is advised to check your copy of the Union Democrat for details, dates, and contact info. The opportunities provided by using a computer and the internet are numerous: A senior can pay bills online, saving postage and trips to the post office; using email and Facebook can help with isolation and loneliness; learning and using a computer’s various programs “exercises” the mind, and affords other advantages. As far as cost goes, computers cost far less than just a few years ago, and donated computers are available from certain local agencies. One would be well-advised to call around and ask. As well, keep in mind that when a family member or friend upgrades their computer, they might be willing to part with their old one, frequently still in good running order.
√ Scam report from AARP Outreach & Service a piece entitled “Affinity Fraud”… and how to avoid being a victim of these predators. See: http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-01-2009/affinity_fraud.html
“Legal Matters”
Here are some of the matters affecting seniors that the Tuolumne County Commission on Aging is currently following and concerned with (but NOT necessarily endorsing – see our disclaimer at the bottom of our blog).
1. Silver Alert SB 38: proposed by
Sen. Elaine Alquist (D-San Jose) – was recently passed… Almost 600,000 individuals in California United
States
2. SB 810: as per - http://www.democraticunderground.com/101440504
As of Tuesday Jan 31, 2012 “Today SB 810, “Medicare for All” single payer legislation, was killed on the California Senate Floor.
More about the bill from this website: http://californiaonecare.org/learn-more/sb-810/sb-810-overview
As of Tuesday Jan 31, 2012 “Today SB 810, “Medicare for All” single payer legislation, was killed on the California Senate Floor.
More about the bill from this website: http://californiaonecare.org/learn-more/sb-810/sb-810-overview
3. AB
1525: Financial Elder Abuse: Money
Transmitters sponsored by Assembly member Michael Allen)… This bill requires
that money wire transfer services be included in the definition of mandatory
reporters of suspected financial elder abuse.
4. AB
2374: sponsored by Assembly member
Roger Hernandez. Prohibits a consumer credit card reporting agency from
charging a person who is 65 years old or older a fee when placing a security
freeze on his or her credit report.
5. AB 1648: Brownley: The
California
Did YOU Know?
For your better living…1. Area 12 Agency on Aging: This agency’s helpful staff provides services to more than 11,000 seniors in five counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and
T’is the Season: one of Area 12’s season appropriate services is help with fire clearance. Call 532-6272 and ask about their “Chore” program, or ask them in general how they can help you with your other living challenges.
2. PG&E’s low-income program: PG&E has a low-income program called “The Energy Savings Assistance Program” and they partner locally with Sears to bring new refrigerators to folks. According to an installer I talked to named “Mike” … he and his crew make about 10 stops a day in the county to bring free brand-new refrigerators. His clients run to – he estimates – about 70% seniors. As part of the program, the crew even picks up their old refrigerators (and refurbishes/recycles them). The service area extends from Mi-Wuk to Riverbank, more or less, as he explained. Other features of the program include what they term “Improvements to your house, apartment or mobile home including compact fluorescent lights, caulking, showerheads, minor home repair and more.” To find out more about the program and whether you're eligible, or if someone you KNOW is eligible, go to: http://www.pge.com/myhome/customerservice/financialassistance/energysavingsassistanceprogram call or call 800-989-9744.
3. Senior Services Directory - Pick up this handy 24-page guide to local senior services at the sheriff’s Community Service Unit office in The Junction Shopping Center. Published by the nonprofit Senior Resource Service (SRS), it includes contact information for everything from health care and housing to transportation and emergency services – “anything a senior might need,” says
4.
"REACH" or “Relief for Energy Assistance through Community
Help” is a program provided
by PG&E and administered by the Salvation Army to help folks with
delinquent electricity bills.
This from Catherine Driver: “We are working with our local Salvation Army to provide help to elders in need of assistance with their PG&E bills. We will be helping those 62 and over while Salvation Army will work with those under 62. (We will help in the case of a participant in the OE program, regardless of age.) Our part, like the Salvation Army's, is to assist in filling out the needed paperwork and making sure all appropriate paperwork is included (i.e. PG&E bills, proof of age, etc.). We then call PG&E to make the ‘pledge’ and then fax the paperwork to Salvation Army inSan Francisco
This from Catherine Driver: “We are working with our local Salvation Army to provide help to elders in need of assistance with their PG&E bills. We will be helping those 62 and over while Salvation Army will work with those under 62. (We will help in the case of a participant in the OE program, regardless of age.) Our part, like the Salvation Army's, is to assist in filling out the needed paperwork and making sure all appropriate paperwork is included (i.e. PG&E bills, proof of age, etc.). We then call PG&E to make the ‘pledge’ and then fax the paperwork to Salvation Army in
5. 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, and Mariposa Counties
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/
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/
The
Commission on Aging Meeting & Events
Calendar 2012
Please also go to
MyMotherlode.com Community Events Calendar to see our upcoming events: http://www.mymotherlode.com/community/events/
(The Commission appears on a regular basis before the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors in order to update them on Commission activities.)
(Note re-meeting dates: Sometimes holidays and other events force us to change the day; emailing us at aging2010@gmail.com is always recommended.)
* COA General Meetings, 1:30PM, 2nd
Monday each month, at Area 12 Agency on Aging, Standard Rd.
*COA Executive Board meetings, 1:00PM,
1st Monday each month, at the Senior Center
* COA Public Relations committee meetings, 12:00PM,
1st Wednesday each month, at Interfaith
* COA Legislative committee meetings, 10:30AM, 2nd Thursday each month, at
Area 12 Agency on Aging, Standard
Rd.
* COA Education Committee meetings, 1:30PM, 3rd Thursday each month,Sonora
Crossroads Shopping
Center
* COA Education Committee meetings, 1:30PM, 3rd Thursday each month,
2012 Speakers’ schedule
May – Sam
Taylor, Senior Youth Partnership
June – Valerie Farley, ATCAA
July - TBD
August – Dick Pland
September – John Gray , in
Groveland
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 blog 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. You may contact the Tuolumne County Commission on Aging by email at aging2010@gmail.com
To go to:
Area 12 Agency on Aging’s website, go here: http://www.area12.org/
Little House website, go here: http://thelittlehouse.org
Friends and Neighbors website go here: http://seniorfan.com
THANK YOU for reading our blog! Editor Roberta Goodwin
Nothing on this website should be taken to constitute professional advice or a formal recommendation and the Tuolumne County Commission on Aging hereby excludes all representations and warranties whatsoever (whether implied by law or otherwise) relating to the content and use of this site. Information is provided on this site to be accessed and used by the individuals as they see fit and they must do their own due diligence as to the potential value or lack thereof.
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