Generations
OCTOBER 1, 2020 | Monthly News & Updates
COUNCIL ON AGING NEWS
Home Fire Safety Tips For Seniors for Fire Prevention Week October 4-10th
Fire safety issues are very important for every age group but especially for seniors. According to FEMA, in 2015, about 15% of the US population were over the age of 65. Yet, 40% of all fire deaths that year involved seniors.
Statistics like this show how critical it is to include fire safety as part of the overall re-education of making the home environment safer not only for seniors, but also for caregivers and other family members, as well as any pets living in the residence.
Here is a list of fire safety tips for seniors and their caregivers.
  • Be realistic about the cognitive and physical capabilities of the older adult(s) in the home.
  • Have an escape plan.
  • Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
  • Equip the home with easy to use and accessible fire extinguishers.
  • Avoid or use extreme caution with flammable objects like candles, hand sanitizers, portable heaters, etc.
  • Avoid hazardous behavior like wearing loose clothing while cooking, smoking in bed, overloading electrical sockets, etc.
  • Keep up with maintaining fireplace inspections, dryer inspections, etc.
  • Use voice search tools like Alexa and Google Home to call 911 in case of a fire.
  • If you have pets, be extra cautious and vigilant to keep them from accidentally starting a fire.
Niurka Castillero has been nominated for a special commendation.
It was Lana Bennett's birthday and she made it special for her, she bought her a cake and flowers. We don't believe anyone has done that for the client in a very long time. It was an emotional day for the client and she cried when the aide had to leave to care for other clients. The aide was the only one the client had to celebrate her birthday with.  Lana has had trouble connecting with aides in the past and Niurka has been able to develop a great rapport with the client that other aides have not been able to achieve. She also has been very attentive to her needs and has been very good at communicating with us and being the eyes and ears for supervisory staff in the field.

Help us give a round of applause to Niurka for going above and beyond!
We Need You to Brighten A Day!
Volunteers of any age are needed to write simple notes of encouragement to seniors.
A note or card to say, "Have a bright, sun-shiney day!" or a simple "You Matter" can brighten the day of a quarantined senior. Or, sharing an anecdote about your family, job, or hobby can enliven their day. 
Seniors in quarantine feel the walls closing in. A note like yours can push those walls back and give them hope and help them feel less alone.

Notes received will be given to seniors receiving Meals on Wheels and those living in senior housing facilities. 
  • Please DO NOT lick the envelopes, instead, leave them unsealed.
  • Do not write about politics or COVID-19. Uplifting subject matter only.
Letters may be dropped off at:
The Osceola Council on Aging, 
700 Generation Point, 
Kissimmee, FL 34744

Questions may be directed to Marie Blackford 
or 407-933-9532
Breast Cancer Awareness Month Begins Today
Ask your doctor when you should get a mammogram.
Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms.

Fast Facts About Breast Cancer
  • Each year in the United States, more than 250,000 women get breast cancer and 42,000 women die from the disease.
  • Men also get breast cancer, but it is not very common. About 1 out of every 100 breast cancers diagnosed in the United States is found in a man.
  • Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women.
Free Flu Shots at the Osceola Council on Aging
Eric Larson, Pharm. D. Owner of Prescriptions Unlimited visited the Council on Aging recently to provide Influenza vaccines to staff and our Adult Day Health Care Clients. He is an amazing partner and has gone above and beyond to help keep our staff and clients safe from this upcoming flu season. Please visit Prescriptions Unlimited at 13th St, Suite A, St. Cloud FL 34769 to get your yearly vaccines or prescription needs.
DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT
Osceola Council on Aging Adult Day Health Care
The goal of the Adult Day Health Center is to provide compassionate and comprehensive care for frail elderly in a secure environment, while recognizing the unique individuality of each participant as well as the need of support for their caregivers.
AHCA License #9073

Daycare is actively accepting new participants please contact Migdalia Colon-Harris at (407) 933-9552
Adult Day Health Care is following strict CDC Guidelines
HEALTH & WELLNESS
People 65 Years and Older Need a Flu Shot

Influenza (flu) can be a serious illness, especially for older adults.
FACT: People 65 years and older are at high risk of developing serious complications from flu, compared with young, healthy adults. This risk is due in part to changes in immune defenses with increasing age. While flu seasons vary in severity during most seasons, people 65 years and older bear the greatest burden of severe flu disease. In recent years, it’s estimated that between 70 percent and 85 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths in the United States occur among people 65 years and older, and between about 50 percent and 70 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations have occurred among people in this age group.
An annual flu vaccine is the best way to reduce your risk of flu and its potentially serious consequences.
FACT: While flu vaccine can vary in how well it works, vaccination is the best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications.
Flu vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness and more serious flu outcomes that can result in hospitalization or even death in older people. While some people who get vaccinated may still get sick, flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness in those people.

Flu shots have a good safety record and do not cause flu.
FACT: The side effects of flu shots are mild when compared to potentially serious consequences of flu infection.
After getting your flu shot, you may experience some mild side effects. The most common side effects include soreness, tenderness, redness and/or swelling where the shot was given. Sometimes you might have headache, muscle aches, fever, and nausea or feel tired. The high dose and adjuvanted flu vaccines may result in more of the mild side effects.

Long-term medical conditions can also put you at high risk of serious flu complications.
FACT: Flu can make long-term health problems worse, even if they are well managed.
Diabetes, asthma, and chronic heart disease (even if well managed) are among the most common long-term medical conditions that place people at high risk of developing serious flu complications. It is particularly important that all adults with these or other chronic medical conditions get a flu shot every year.

FACT: There are prescription drugs that can treat influenza virus infections. People 65 years and older should be treated with influenza antiviral drugs if they get sick with flu.
If you have flu symptoms--even if you had a flu shot--call your doctor, nurse, or clinic. Doctors can prescribe medicine, called antiviral drugs, to treat flu and lessen the chance of serious illness. These medicines work better the sooner they are started. Call if you have any or all of the following symptoms:
• Fever • Cough
• Sore Throat • Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches • Headache
• Chills • Fatigue (tiredness)
• Sometimes diarrhea and vomiting

It’s very important that antiviral drugs be used early to treat flu in people who are very sick with flu (for example, people who are in the hospital), and people who are sick with flu and are at high risk of developing serious flu complications, like people 65 years and older.

Take control of your health and fight flu this season with an annual flu vaccine. For more information about the flu or the vaccine, call 1-800-CDC-INFO or visit http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
People 65 years and older should get a flu shot, not a nasal spray vaccine. They can get any flu shot approved for use in their age group with no preference for any one vaccine over another. There are regular flu shots and there are also enhanced vaccines approved for use in people 65 and older that may provide a better immune response.

1. A high dose flu vaccine (Fluzone® High-Dose) contains 4 times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot. The additional antigen creates a stronger immune response (more antibody) in the person getting vaccinated.

2. An adjuvanted vaccine (FLUAD™) is a standard dose flu vaccine with an adjuvant added. An adjuvant is an ingredient added to a vaccine to help create a stronger immune response to vaccination.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
WALL OF DONORS
Thank you to all of our donors. We are not able to get a photo of every donor but we thank you all the same.

We are so fortunate to have had so many of you reach out to us asking how you can help and what you can do to ensure our community is well cared for. As an essential business we provide meals and other services to members of the community in need.Your donations are more critical now than ever to ensure they continue to receive these services during this unprecedented time.

Our greatest needs are contributions, both monetary and grocery items, for our community food pantry. We are trying to keep up with the new demand and increasing needs to feed the community. Leveraging your monetary donations allows us to stretch your dollars to serve even more individuals.

Thank You!
SEPTEMBER'S NEWSLETTER SPONSORED BY
Osceola Council on Aging | www.osceolageneration.org

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