October 2025

2025 Annual Meeting

Join us for our 2025 AOASCC Annual Meeting!

This gathering brings together leaders, professionals, and advocates from the aging and disability sector to share best practices, explore emerging trends, network with peers, and shape the future of care in our communities.

Join us for a Keynote Presentation from Social Justice Advocate Joanne McGloin.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 22nd at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven, CT.

Doors open at 8:30 am for a full buffet breakfast - Presentations begin at 9:00 am

Spotlight on VOLUNTEERING

Helping clients pursue what they love whenever and for as long as possible is something our Senior Companions try to provide for their clients.

One of our Senior Companion volunteers, named Debra, is committed to helping her client Marilyn, an 82-year-old woman who is totally blind in one eye, and whose vision is severely compromised in the other eye, continue to walk and be outside moving as much as possible. Marilyn has always been an active woman, and it is fundamental for her to be outside and physically moving! Yet walking around her apartment complex and elsewhere is tricky given her severely compromised vision. Fortunately, her Senior Companion, Debra, feels it is very important for Marilyn to continue walking despite her vision impairment and is committed to supporting Marilyn’s passion by walking with Marilyn regularly to ensure her safety and quality of life.

Many steps later, Debra and Marilyn are still walking. The two have even taken this fun activity up a notch by participating in local sponsored walks. Their latest challenge is to participate in the Greater New Haven Walk to End Alzheimer’s race organized by the Alzheimer’s Association that will take place on Sunday, September 28, 2025. The two are quite a dynamic pair both on and off the walking trail. No matter what the outcome they will continue to cross the finish line together!

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CHOICES Corner

Medicare Open Enrollment begins October 15 and continues through to December 7. This is your opportunity to make changes to your Medicare D insurance. Medicare D covers most of your out-patient prescription drug expenditures. Coverage plans are sold by private insurance companies. Each plan has a formulary, which is the list of drugs they cover. Although all plans have drugs for each category of illness, not all plans cover all drugs in each category, so it is important that you verify with a plan that they cover the drugs you need. Plans change their formularies, so you should not assume that because they covered your prescriptions last year that they will continue to cover them this year.



Additionally, there is variability in the price of prescription drugs, so it is wise to investigate which plan offers the best price for the drugs you need. Plans have monthly premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and some limitations on drug choice. You should review policies to determine how much you will pay on average for the drugs you typically purchase each year, and what the cost of getting those drugs will be when the cost of the premiums, deductibles and co-pays are factored in.  

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This newsletter is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $555,853 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.    

CAREGIVER Corner

Family caregivers frequently become caregivers without any plans or intention to take on the role.

Someone they love loses their ability to provide for their own care and someone needs to take on the task of helping. Caregiving rarely begins as full on 24/7 care, but in many situations, it becomes that. Individuals who become caregivers rarely have prepared themselves to become caregivers. They haven’t studied anything in school to prepare themselves and they probably never thought about how they would handle a caregiving situation. Becoming a caregiver often involves taking on financial and legal responsibilities, healthcare decisions, activities of daily living, social and recreational life and communication. Caregivers report that they fear the legal and financial responsibilities the most, but it is the communication problems that are the most exhausting.

Although preparation for caregiving may not have been a priority, now that you are a caregiver it is essential to help you manage your role as a caregiver. Caregiving can be a very difficult and challenging role, but it can be easier if you are prepared. It can be a gift if you can manage the challenges and have time and energy to fully experience the opportunity to give of yourself to someone who has entrusted their life to you.

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