Generations
DECEMBER 1, 2020 | Monthly News & Updates
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Older Driver Safety Awareness Week: December 7-11, 2020
It is a fact of life that people grow older every day. With increasing age come changes in physical, mental and sensory abilities that can challenge a person's continued ability to drive safely. But this recognition must be associated with the importance of learning about and accessing education and options. There are a variety of safe travel options. The real need is a broader awareness of the solutions, rather than a narrow focus on the problem.
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) believes that occupational therapy practitioners have the skills to offer education, assess risk, and when required, evaluate a person's overall ability to operate a vehicle safely as a gateway to providing solutions. Many occupational therapy practitioners are specially trained to offer evaluation and intervention along a spectrum of driving rehabilitation services. Occupational therapy practitioners work with older adults, and their families and caregivers, to offer individualized assessment and recommendations. They can identify individuals' unique challenges and find strategies and specialized services that will afford each driver a pathway to participation in daily living by partnering with them to meet goals of keeping active, healthy, and safe in their communities.
AOTA's Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, December 7-11, 2020, aims to promote understanding of the importance of mobility and transportation to ensuring older adults remain active in the community—shopping, working or volunteering—with the confidence that transportation will not be the barrier to strand them at home.
Throughout the week, AOTA will partner with stakeholders to bring attention to a different aspect of older driver safety. Occupational therapy practitioners are encouraged to inspire your peers to build a network of services by sharing your experiences during Older Driver Safety Awareness Week on CommunOT.
- Monday: "Anticipating Changes That Can Affect Driving"
- Tuesday: "Family Conversations"
- Wednesday: "Screening and Evaluations With an Occupational Therapist"
- Thursday: "Interventions That Can Empower Drivers and Families"
- Friday: "Staying Engaged in the Community With or Without a Car"
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If you are like most people, you feel cold every now and then during the winter. What you may not know is that just being really cold can make you very sick.
Older adults can lose body heat fast—faster than when they were young. Changes in your body that come with aging can make it harder for you to be aware of getting cold. A big chill can turn into a dangerous problem before an older person even knows what's happening. Doctors call this serious problem hypothermia.
What Is Hypothermia?
Hypothermia is what happens when your body temperature gets very low. For an older person, a body temperature of 95°F or lower can cause many health problems, such as a heart attack, kidney problems, liver damage, or worse.
Being outside in the cold, or even being in a very cold house, can lead to hypothermia. Try to stay away from cold places, and pay attention to how cold it is where you are. You can take steps to lower your chance of getting hypothermia.
Bundle Up on Windy, Cold Days
A heavy wind can quickly lower your body temperature. Check the weather forecast for windy and cold days. On those days, try to stay inside or in a warm place. If you have to go out, wear warm clothes, and don't stay out in the cold and wind for a long time.
Here are some other tips:
- Dress for the weather if you have to go out on chilly, cold, or damp days.
- Wear loose layers of clothing. The air between the layers helps to keep you warm.
- Put on a hat and scarf. You lose a lot of body heat when your head and neck are uncovered.
- Wear a waterproof coat or jacket if it's snowy.
- Change your clothes right away if they get damp or wet.
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Dear Friends of the Council,
The Council estimates more than 4,000 seniors in Osceola County are in need of nutrition and companionship during the Holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching, and during this time the Council on Aging considers the needs of our cherished seniors. Are they safe, do they have enough food, will they be alone for the holidays? This year has been more challenging than we have faced in the last 49 years of providing services. COVID-19 has changed the way we live, provide services, and the funding needed to provide services.
Many individuals and businesses such as yourself have stepped up to assist the Council on Aging during the pandemic. Unfortunately our work is not complete. Holidays can be a difficult time of year for those who live alone and have been isolated from family and friends, especially this year.
Since 1986 the Osceola Council on Aging has maintained one specific focus each holiday season: Making certain that no elderly person in our community spends the most joyous time of year alone. This year it is more important than ever to comfort our seniors and make sure they are cared for during the holidays. Our “Senior Santa” program provides the warmth, laughter and good nutrition vital to our seniors during the holidays.
Holiday Activities have been modified this year as we make every effort to keep our seniors safe. We hope that you (or your business) will consider adopting one or more Seniors in our Senior Santa program with a small contribution of $30. This year, your adopted senior will receive a special gift and a holiday dinner delivered by a caring community volunteer on Christmas Day.
Please join us in becoming a “Senior Santa” sponsor in making a difference in someone’s life today by completing and returning the enclosed response card with your donation or go to our website at www.osceolagenerations.org. On behalf of all of our seniors, THANK YOU from the Osceola Council, on Aging for your generosity and support.
Happy Holidays
Wendy Ford
President/CEO
Osceola Council on Aging
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Osceola Council on Aging's Pet Corner
Research has shown having a pet has several benefits for older adults, including higher levels of physical activity which in turn may lead to better health. As well, because pets need a routine of feeding, walking, etc., this gives older adults a daily routine. Pets can be protective against feelings of loneliness, provide emotional support, and give people something to talk about, perhaps a way to make friends or to chat to caregivers.
For those on a limited budget as most seniors, the costs of pet ownership may be prohibitive, or they may elect to spend money on a pet at the expense of food or other items for themselves. Friends and family may try to discourage seniors from getting a pet due to concerns about who will take care of the animal if the person moves into an assisted living facility or passes away.
Addressing these concerns is how Pet’s Corner came into fruition. Available to our clients and Osceola County resident’s Pet’s Corner accepts donations to help seniors care for their pets.
Keeping our promise to our clients who are no longer with us, are too frail to care for them, or moved into a long term care facility we have started an adoption page to help rehome displaced pets. Please see below our current pets available for adoption and email Edi Blume at blumeedi@gmail.com if interested in adopting.
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Osceola Council on Aging named Florida Trend Floridian of the Year for Non-Profits Social Services |
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The Osceola Council on Aging Clinic works with volunteers and partnering healthcare providers to deliver quality healthcare, prevention, education, specialist referrals, referrals to community social services, and case management services to the underserved and uninsured residents in Osceola County.
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The Health Clinic is following strict CDC Guidelines |
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MyPlate 4 Step Plan for Holidays
Holiday times are here! This means a lot more activity and disruption to regular meal and exercise patterns. The good news is that you can remember MyPlate’s most important message to lower calories and eat healthier! Make half your plate fruits and veggies. Here is how to adopt that message during the crazy holiday rush:
1. Fill appetizer plates half way with vegetables. Look at the savings:
Plate 1: 546 calories
• 4 mini quiche: 240
• 2 slices cheddar cheese: 226
• 5 crackers: 80 calories
Plate 2: 145 calories
• 1 cup carrots and celery 25
• 2 mini quiche: 120 Visualize a plate before you eat snacks (and bring your snacks!)
Are you zooming through the mall and tempted by large pretzels, cookies, and cinnamon rolls? They smell great and offer holiday spirit except they are really bad news for your waist. We have become oblivious to lare sizes because they are everywhere. Picture that item on a dinner plate. Does a cinnamon roll or pretzel likely take up a whole plate? That is too much! Bring an apple in your purse or choose a healthier item from the food court.
2. Fill dessert plates half way with fruit.
Instead of filling up your plate with pie, cake, brownies and cookies, fill it up with fruit and leave room for a small slice or piece of one favorite treat. Consider the savings:
Plate 1: 900 calories
• pecan pie slice: 500
• 1 butter cookie: 200
• peppermint brownie:
200 Plate 2: 145 calories
• 1 cup fresh fruit: 90
• 1 cookie or 1/2 of a pie slice: 200 calories
Hint: bring a beautiful fresh fruit salad or bowl of fruit so you can have this option.
3. Make a healthy plate for lunch and dinner.
No matter where you eat, using the MyPlate method of portion control can help you lower calories.
1 big bowl of pasta with meat balls: 900 calories
MyPlate method: 1/4 pasta, 1/4 meatball and 1/2 veggies = 400 calories
Make MyPlate at home, when you eat out and when you are a guest somewhere else. It works in the cafeteria, the food court, the drive through and office parties!
4. Eat a healthy snack plate with fruits and veggies before going to a party.
Okay so we realize it is not always easy to eat MyPlate at someone else’s house or the office party. So here is one more strategy. Eat your MyPlate fruits and veggies before you go out. Eat a small salad and a piece of fruit - that way when you go somewhere you can have a smaller serving of what they are offering and you won’t arrive starved only to fill up on a whole plate of fried chicken or fatty roast beef and fritters.
In accordance with Federal Law and US Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis or race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all program.) to file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 800-795-3272 or 202-720-6382 (TTY) USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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Eating right and staying fit are important no matter what your age. As we get older our bodies have different needs, so certain nutrients become especially important for good health.
Calcium and Vitamin D
Older adults need more calcium and vitamin D to help maintain bone health. To meet these needs, select calcium-rich foods and beverages and aim for three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products each day. Other sources of calcium include fortified cereals and fruit juices, dark green leafy vegetables, canned fish with soft bones, and fortified plant-based beverages. Good sources of vitamin D include fatty fish, such as salmon, eggs and fortified foods and beverages. If you take a calcium supplement or multivitamin, choose one that contains vitamin D.
Vitamin B12
Some adults older than 50 may not be able to absorb enough vitamin B12. Fortified cereal, lean meat and some fish and seafood are sources of vitamin B12. Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian nutritionist if you need a vitamin... READ MORE
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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!
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DECEMBER'S NEWSLETTER SPONSORED BY |
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Osceola Council on Aging | www.osceolageneration.org
Solicitation of Funds The Osceola County Council on Aging, Inc. #SC00067 has complied with the registration requirements of Chapter 496, F. S., Solicitation of Contributions Act. "A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE." 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com
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