The office will be closed on Monday, Oct. 14th

October at a Glance

Thurs., Oct. 3, 1:30pm - Empire Waist at New Canaan Playhouse

Fri., Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, 10am - Walk with Kate at Irwin Park

Wed., Oct. 9, 12:30pm - Lunch and Learn at Lapham - Protecting Your Skin

Thurs., Oct. 10, 4:30pm - 6:30pm - Annual Meeting at Lapham

Tues., Oct. 15, 10am - Men's Coffee with Dr. Luizzi at Staying Put

Wed., Oct. 16, 10am - Ladies' Coffee at Staying Put

Thurs., Oct. 17, 11am - Tour of Mather Homestead and Lunch

Tues., Oct. 22, 6pm - Library Program - How to Age in Place

Tues., Oct. 29, 10am - Men's Coffee at Staying Put

Wed., Oct. 30, 12pm - Book Talk Group and Lunch at Staying Put

Thurs., Oct. 31, 12pm - Halloween Lunch at Waveny House

SAVE THE DATE

Sun., Nov. 10, 1pm - 3pm - Take in Your Patio Furniture with NC SLOBs

Welcome New Members!

Manik (Nik) Advani, Joan & Mike Alloca, John Clausen & Frances Edwards, Joanne Crane, Robert Curry, Betty Dileo, Ellice Fatoullah,

Trudy & Alan Goldberg, Meera & Arun Kapur, Ruth Lewis,

Nancy & Jim Malling, Bob Mayer, Kathy Mitchell, Evy Rosen, Walter Secord, Gerda & Bob Smith, Phyllis & Hugh Sneddon, Karen Snierson,

Ellen & Terry Stewart, Natalie (Bea) Trifunac, Peg & Art Ulrich,

Jim Walsh & Beverly Abinanti

Registration Required for all events.

Call the office at 203-966-7762 to RSVP

MEMBER EVENTS

Thurs., Oct. 3, 1:30pm: Empire Waist at New Canaan Playhouse. Join your Staying Put friends for a matinee showing of New Canaan native Claire Ayoub's "Empire Waist". Movie starts at 1:30pm and carpooling is available from Staying Put. $10. Cash or check made out to Staying Put. RSVP by Wed., Oct. 2nd.

Fri., Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, 10am: Irwin Park Walk with Kate. Come enjoy a lovely walk with Kate. Please meet in the lower parking lot at Irwin Park and don't forget your sneakers and water bottle. Note - this is for those who are active, with no mobility issues.Free. RSVP by Thursday prior.

Wed., Oct. 9, 12:30pm: Lunch and Learn at Lapham - Protecting Your Skin with Elle De Moll, M.D. Dr. De Moll will discuss skin cancer prevention, detection and treatment options. Learn how to spot skin cancer and how to keep your skin healthy. Free. RSVP by Mon., Oct. 7th.

Thurs., Oct. 10, 4:30pm to 6:30m: Staying Put in New Canaan's Annual Meeting. Hear what Staying Put has done and plans for the future. Elder Law attorney Ann Fowler-Cruz will present: "Legal Tools and Strategies for Staying Put". Free. RSVP by Fri., Oct. 4th

Tues., Oct. 15, 10am: Men's Coffee at Staying Put with New Canaan Public School Superintendent

Dr. Bryan Luizzi. Join Staying Put friends for coffee, treats, good conversation and learn about what is happening at the New Canaan Public Schools. Free. RSVP by Fri., Oct. 11th. 

Wed., Oct. 16, 10am: Women's Coffee at Staying Put. Join Staying Put friends for coffee, treats and good conversation. Free. RSVP by Tues., Oct. 15th.

Thurs., Oct. 17, 11am: Tour of The Mather Homestead with Lunch. Join us for a tour of the Stephen Mather homestead and learn about the history of the house and Stephen Mather's role in the National Park Service. Following the tour, we will have lunch in the new barn on the property. Free. RSVP by Tues, Oct. 15th.

Tues., Oct. 22, 6pm: Home Adaptations and Physical Therapy for Aging in Place. Kevin Finn of Accessible Answers, LLC and Jeff Moreira, PT/OT will present an overview of the activities of daily living (ADLs), the available equipment, and why it's needed to make daily living manageable. Jeff will offer physical routines to delay the need for assistive equipment and address when it's time for assistance and the recommended equipment. They will also cover interior and exterior navigation, food preparation and dining, personal equipment, dressing, transferring and more. Free. RSVP by Mon., Oct. 21st.

Tues., Oct. 29, 10am: Men's Coffee at Staying Put. Join Staying Put friends for coffee, treats and good conversation. Free. RSVP by Mon., Oct. 28th.

Wed., Oct. 30, 12pm: Book Talk Group and Lunch at Staying Put. Join Staying Put members for lunch and an exchange of recommendations about current fiction and non-fiction books they have enjoyed reading. Lunch will be provided. Free. RSVP by Mon., Oct. 28th.

Thurs., Oct. 31, 12pm: Halloween Lunch at Waveny House. Enjoy lunch with friends and hand out candy to young trick or treaters. Costumes are not necessary but encouraged. Free. RSVP by Tues., Oct. 29th.

October

Member Birthdays

Marjorie Aronson, Beatrice Camporine,

Carole Clarkson, Bob Dalury, Chris Dombrowski, Ann Flinn, Jeanne Gnuse, Trudy Goldberg, Julie Green, Arun Kapur,

Sandra Lefler, Liz Massey, Don McCouch, James McKeon, Katie O'Brien, Jeanne Piscitello, Jackie Powell, Jake Powell, Sue Scannell, Judy Schurman, Hugh Sneddon, Nate Snyder, Rita Stone, Wendy Stone, Gretchen Watkins, Peter Ziesing.

Make Your Vote Count

Early Voting

Early voting is now the law in Connecticut. Voters registered in New Canaan can vote starting on Monday, Oct. 21st through Sunday, Nov. 3rd between 10am and 6pm at New Canaan Town Hall - 1st floor, across from the Registrar's office.

Election Day

Voting on Election Day will take place, Tuesday, Nov. 5th between 6am and 8pm. Voting on Election Day is done by district. District 1 votes at New Canaan High School, Districts 2 and 3 vote at Saxe Middle School and Districts 4, 5 and 6 vote at East School. If you are unsure of your district, contact the New Canaan Registrars of Voters office at 203-594-3060. If you will need a ride to the polls, either for early voting or on Election Day, please call Staying Put at 203-966-7762.

Absentee Ballots

Registered voters in CT can vote absentee if they are out of town on Election Day or if sickness or disability prevents them from voting in person. If this applies to you, absentee ballots will be available at the Town Clerk's office on Oct. 4th. If you can't make it to the Clerks' office, call Staying Put for an absentee ballot application. The application will need to be filled out and sent in asap, so an absentee ballot can be mailed out in time. For more information on absentee voting go to: portal.ct.gov/sots

What is an Elder Law Attorney and Why You May Need One?

Staying Put Annual Meeting speaker,

Attorney Ann Fowler-Cruz

Elder law attorneys tend to work with clients over the age of 65, clients with disabilities, and clients with disabled loved ones. Many elder law attorneys have knowledge and experience with programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. As an elder law attorney, I spend a lot of time with clients discussing advanced planning and the various legal documents that will support them as they age. These documents include Power of Attorney, Health Care Instructions, wills and trusts. All of these documents appoint an agent to “speak” for you when you are unable. I discuss the choice of agents for each of these jobs. For those who lack the capacity to execute these documents, we turn to the conservatorship process in the probate court to protect those individuals. Many of my clients are concerned about aging in place. As an elder law attorney, I have a working knowledge of many of the different housing options that are available to the senior/disabled population, such as independent and assisted living, continuing care retirement communities, residential care communities and nursing homes. Most people, however, would prefer to remain at home. For those clients, we discuss financial options to pay for care in the home, including Veteran’s benefits, reverse mortgages, and Medicaid.

Planning and applying for Medicaid is also a very specific area that elder law attorneys have experience with. I help families navigate the maze of paying for long-term care. The average cost of a nursing home in Fairfield County is currently $18,000 per month. A live-in homecare aide costs about $10,000

per month. Strategic planning is important to protect assets for the spouse and family, but sometimes, asset protection strategies may also be available in crisis situations.

As an elder law attorney, I also help families through the probate process when a loved one passes. The process can be very complicated and lengthy, especially without legal representation. Estate administration requires a team effort between the family and the attorney.

FAQ:

1. What the difference between a revocable trust and an irrevocable trust? Revocable trusts are used to minimize probate court involvement, and to manage more complicated beneficiary designations. Irrevocable trusts can be used to protect assets as a Medicaid planning strategy or for estate tax minimization. Revocable trusts can be amended, changed or revoked at any time before death. Irrevocable trusts, except in limited circumstances,

cannot be changed or amended once established.

2. Will Medicaid take my house if my spouse is in a nursing home? No. The home is an exempt asset if you are living there.

3. Do I need a power of attorney if all my accounts are joint? Yes. The power of attorney will be needed to access retirement accounts (IRA, 401(k)), to get information from insurance companies, and to transfer assets (if necessary).

4. Can I gift more than the annual exclusion of $18,000/person/year? Yes, you can gift up to your exemption amount (which is currently over $13m!); but you will need to file a gift tax return (no tax due). But if Medicaid is needed within five years of the gift, gifts of almost any value can be

problematic.

Ann, a certified elder law attorney, has been a staunch advocate for the elderly and the disabled for more than two decades. Her extensive knowledge in the area of elder law enables her to assist the elderly and the disabled in realizing the very best quality of life. Her elder law practice focuses on long-term care planning, asset preservation strategies, Medicaid applications, disability planning, utilizing conservatorships/guardianship and special needs trusts. Her estate planning practice includes the creation of wills, trusts, and advance directives. Ann also handles probate administration.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Open Tech at New Canaan Library

Tuesdays, 2pm to 4pm

151 Main Street

Open Tech is a drop-in tech help program held weekly. If you have questions about social media, email, smart phones, or accessing the digital library, stop in to get one-on-one assistance with a tech librarian. All technology questions, queries and interests are welcome. Drop in tech help is limited to 20 minutes. Tech help will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis.  For more information, go to: newcanaanlibrary.org or call 203- 594-5000.

Town of New Canaan Free Shred Day

Saturday, Oct. 19th

8am to 1pm

New Canaan Wastewater Plant Entrance, 394 Main Street

Free and open to all New Canaan residents. Paper only - binders, metal clips, computer media or plastic covers not accepted. For more information go to: newcanaan.info

Lapham Center Programs

Call 203-594-3620 for more information and to RSVP

Wed., Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 12:30pm - 1:30pm: Blood Pressure and

Blood Sugar Screenings. Call to schedule an appointment. Free. 

Thurs., Oct. 3, by appointment: Free Medicare Counseling.

Medicare counselor, Dick Neville, can guide you through enrolling in Medicare, choosing a Medicare supplement plan and a Part D prescription drug plan, and understanding the Medicare Advantage Plans. Free.

Mon., Oct. 7, 21, 28, 12pm, (no classes October 14): Fit for Life with Mike. This class focuses on upper, lower, and core muscle strength while emphasizing posture and balance. Participants use their own body weight and stretch bands in a power circuit of exercises. This class integrates elements of sports conditioning, yoga and Pilates. It is a dynamic and safe program, and every aspect is scalable to almost any fitness level. Free.

Wed., Oct. 9, 10am: The Benefits of Physical Therapy - It's Not Just Rehab with Roger Silva. Physical therapy isn't just for those who've sustained an injury or are recovering from surgery, it is also for those who want to prevent injuries or surgery. Free.

Thurs., Oct. 10, 2pm - 4pm, by appointment: Ask the Attorney

with Nedder and Associates. Private, 15-minute consultations to answer your legal or financial questions. Call to schedule an appointment. Free.

Fri., Oct. 11, 12pm: Health Talks with Shannon and Ellen. Meet up with Shannon and Ellen from the Health Department for coffee, conversation and snacks. Free.

Tues., Oct. 15, 12pm: Superfoods for Brain Health. Join Chef Gary Seri for a fun, interactive presentation to explore how certain foods can fuel your brain and enhance cognitive function. Lunch served. Free.

Wed., Oct. 23: Flu Vaccination Clinic. A limited number of high dose flu vaccinations will be available. Call the Health Department to schedule:

203-594-3020.

Staying Put in New Canaan Services and Staff

Our Team is Here for You

We provide New Canaan seniors with a wide range of practical services and social connections - from rides to helping with errands, minor home repairs and technology, to brightening the day with a call or visit - all making it easier for seniors to live confidently at home and stay engaged in the community.

Gina Z. Blum, Executive Director

director@stayingputnc.org

Kate Brambilla, Manager of Member Services

members@stayingputnc.org

Robin Bates-Mason, Manager of Events & Volunteers

events@stayingputnc.org

Iryna Radiuk, Office Administrator

admin@stayingputnc.org

Office Hours

Monday - Thursday, 9am to 5pm

Friday, 9am to 1pm

Please call us anytime

at 203-966-7762

Gina, Kate, Robin & Iryna