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Since 1963, Older Americans Month has been a time to celebrate older Americans, their stories, and their contributions. Led by the
Administration for Community Living
(ACL), the annual observance offers a special opportunity to learn about, support, and recognize our nation's older citizens. This year's theme, "Age Out Loud," emphasizes the ways older adults are living their lives with boldness, confidence, and passion while serving as an inspiration to people of all ages.
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AOASCC will celebrate Older Americans Month with 2 Annual Events.
Do you know a centenarian? Invitations to our annual Centenarian Luncheon will be mailed in March. If you know someone 100 years old or older, or who will celebrate their 100th birthday in 2017,
let us know!
Art of Aging - We are looking forward to again having our walls covered with works by our local artists. Opening Reception - May 18th.
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S.T.E.P.S. - SENIOR TRAINING EMPLOYMENT
PROGRAM SERVICES:
Connecting Senior
s with Job Development and Guidance
Leland is a young-at-heart octogenarian with a spiritual and artistic approach to life. He is a multi-talented musician with seven decades of honing his craft, becoming a prolific musician and embodying a perfection and passion seldom seen.
A graduate of both The Juilliard School and Columbia University, he has taught music (both instrumental and vocal), had leading tenor roles in opera houses in Europe and South America, and even designed and built a gourmet food store in Key West, Florida (with great success I might add). For the past sixteen years he was the organist at a local church, a position which he dearly loved. Unfortunately nothing lasts forever, and the position was phased out.
Leland came to the STEPS program with optimism, ready and willing to meet the challenges he might face because of his "age". The first thing to tackle was a resume, since he did not have one. As he puts it, "The fact that I do not have a resume does not reflect lack of work; I have worked since the age of seven." After his resume was created he stated, "Gloria! Gloria! In Excelsis Deo!!!! Thank you for showing me what a resume looks like. A resume sure doesn't show all the wonderful things that happened in a long life; nor does it show the many scars we pick up along the way -------the resume reader has to pick up the humanity between the lines..." Oh how true!!
The STEPS Coordinator is looking forward to helping Leland find a position that will make him happy and fulfilled.
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CHOICES
More and more people are continuing to work beyond the Medicare eligibility age of 65. Do they need to sign up for Medicare? Even if you have coverage through a current or former employer, you still may need to make some important Medicare enrollment decisions. You may have to pay a
penalty
if you don't enroll on time, so it's best to understand how your current coverage works with Medicare before making any decisions.
If you are turning 65, employed, and have health insurance coverage through your employer, ask your benefits administrator at work if they require you to sign up for Medicare, many do. If the employer doesn't require you to sign up, you can sign up at a later date without any penalty.
If you are over 65, you don't need to do anything until you (or your spouse) retire or you lose the coverage if both of these apply: you (or your spouse) are working and you're covered by an employer or union group health plan based on that employment.
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Did You Know?
More older Americans - those ages 65 and older - are working than at any time since the turn of the century. Pew Research Center
- 18.8% of Americans ages 65 and older, or nearly 9 million people, reported being employed in 2016 (compared to 12.8%, about 4 million, in 2000)
- Of those working, only 36.1% are part time (compared to 46.1% in 2000)
The incidence of long-term unemployment increases with age. In a 2015 study, the US Dept. of Labor reported that
- 44.6% of those 55 years and older had looked for work for 27 weeks or longer - compared with 22.1% for those under age 25
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Caregiver Corner
New Caregivers
There are many caregivers who have been providing care to loved ones for a very long time. They are the experts in caregiving and there's a lot to learn from them. Listed below are some of the useful tips they've learned through their experiences. Perhaps they can make your caregiving journey a bit easier.
1. Join a caregiver support group. There is wisdom and power in the experiences of others who've walked the same road. They can help make the load feel lighter.
2. Take care of yourself. You can't care for anyone else if you aren't rested and healthy.
3. Learn all you can about the health conditions of the person you care for.
4. Make sure you're working with a doctor who is responsive to your needs and will partner with you to ensure your loved one's health is being managed as well as possible.
5. Create a medication record.
6. Organize all the health and financial records in one file.
7. Modify the environment to meet health & safety needs. There are no rules about which room is the bedroom or where supplies are kept. Make it as convenient for yourself as possible.
8. Get a power of attorney. It's easier to have it and not use it than to try and get it in an emergency.
9. Have a plan for what would happen if you have a medical emergency and can't care for your loved one for a while.
10. Keep your sense of humor. Find something to laugh about each day. It will help relieve the inevitable stress caregiving can bring!
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Caregiver Workshop Series Announced
P
o
werful Tools for Caregivers is a self-care education program for family caregivers, designed to provide you with tools and strategies to better handle the unique caregiving challenges you face.
This is a free program, meeting every Thursday morning beginning April 13th for six weeks.
Find out more.
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Seeking Professional & Volunteers to Lead Live Well Workshops
Make a difference through this national health promotion program for Adults with Diabetes.All training and materials provided.
Find out more.
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Are You Leaving Money on the Table?
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Need help finding support at home?
Care Network Link is a wonderful resource to find trusted providers: Homemaking, Personal Care Assistance, Live-In Caregivers, Wheelchair Ramps, Fall Alert Systems, Hair Stylists that come to your home.
Give us a call at 203-495-1655 or sign up for membership at
www.CareNetworkLink.org Membership is FREE and will earn you discounts from the providers you hire. Care Network Link credentials all the providers before allowing them on the network to make sure they are trustworthy businesses to have in your home.
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Social Security Disability Assistance Program
Our goal is to provide the knowledge and dedicated assistance necessary to succeed after you have been denied your claim for disability benefits. By navigating you through the Social Security maze, our goal is to truly be your advocate for independence
®.
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As part of the Agency on Aging's mission to advocate for independence, we are committed to building awareness, breaking down stereotypes and challenging unfair policies to stop ageism now.
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Stay Up to Date!
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