Independence

November 2023

AOASCC News & Notes

Fantastic Turnout for the Annual Meeting 2023

The AOASCC Annual Meeting for 2023 was a huge success. Over 200 people attended the event held at the Race Brook Country Club in the town of Orange. The attendees included staff, volunteers, Board members, and community partners.

This year’s theme was Community Voices where some of our clients and caregivers shared their stories. One of our clients, Yvonne Harrison, expressed how she was able to raise her children in her home... Read More

Spotlight on Volunteering

Welcome to the Experience Corps Literacy Program’s 2023-2024 school year. We have trained our volunteers, gathered up books, and begun tutoring in October.

My name is Christine Hunter, and I am thrilled to be the new Program Manager for Experience Corps and a part of the AOASCC. AARP Foundation Experience Corps is a community-based volunteer program that engages people over fifty as tutors to help students become better readers by the end of third grade. It helps students to succeed and the volunteer tutors to become involved in the community. With the Structured Session program, tutors follow a well-planned process, helping students gain confidence in what they are reading. I have become part of an extraordinary team, working with Ann Kandratowicz, Jody Kelly, and Emily Marble.

As a life-long reader, I first came into the program two years ago as a volunteer and loved seeing the impact it made. Kids cannot find the magic in books if they feel frustrated. So many say they dislike reading, but it is really the struggle to get the words right … and feeling their friends and classmates are leaving them behind. Once they start to feel confident, their reading worlds and their imaginations expand.

We tailor part of our sessions to their interests. One student loved fast cars (Lamborghinis), so we read a book about how these cars were invented. Reading about his passion made a difference in the student’s progress.

Our job as tutors is to engage students and help them see that improving is a process, it can be fun, and they will get there. One of our mottos is ‘practice makes permanent.’ If you know of any people who would love to volunteer, please share information about the program with them. 

Find out more about the Volunteer Program and other support programs. Visit our website or call the volunteer team at 203-752-3059.

CHOICES Corner: Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare’s Open Enrollment period is the time of year when you can make changes to your Medicare coverage. You can make changes to your Medicare coverage from October 15 to December 7. You can review options and make changes using the online service at Medicare.gov

If you prefer to speak with someone who can review the options with you and help you determine which plans work best for you, you can speak with a certified CHOICES team member who can guide you through the process. 

You can reach CHOICES at: (800) 994-9422 for one-on-one assistance with reviewing health or prescription drug plan options. A CHOICES team member can help you understand your rights under Medicare. Do you know what your rights are?

Do you know how Medicare works with supplemental policies, retiree coverage, Medicaid, and other insurers?.  

Call CHOICES for information and assistance related to your Medicare coverage.

CHOICES is federally funded by the U.S. Administration for Community Living.

*This article 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 $577,477 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

Last week, I had the opportunity to hear from family caregivers about their experiences as caregivers. I was very touched by one woman’s comment that she lost her mother-daughter relationship when she became her mother’s caregiver. It struck me as so sad that she felt she was forced into a situation where there was only one role she could fill in her relationship with her mom. 

It is a common experience for caregivers to learn new skills, face new challenges, and charter new territory. This is part of the responsibility they take on when they become caregivers. However, it shouldn’t result in the loss of treasured relationships. The person for whom we provide care still needs us to be the person we always were. Our relationships are the guideposts we rely on to orient ourselves throughout our life. Our relationships are the source of love, laughter, success at times and pride, anger, motivation at other times. If we forego our usual relationships when we take on the caregiver role, we strip ourselves and our loved ones of precious memories, enjoyment, hope, laughter and are only left with the work of the caregiver role. 

Relationships are important to caregivers and care recipients alike. Invest time in preserving your roles. For most of us that means we must find the means to get some support in our caregiving roles. Finding the time to share with your loved ones for the little things that make us family, that connect us together.

Many primary caregivers get support from other family members and family friends who step in to give the caregiver a break. Respite breaks are essential for caregivers to enable them to provide care over the long term. Respite provides an opportunity to refresh the body and spirit of the caregiver. Without respite, the caregiver can become drained of the compassion and love they feel and are left only with the tasks. If you don’t have family and friends who are providing you with respite breaks, call the Agency on Aging. We have caregiver programs that can provide services and support that can help you receive the support you need to continue providing care while also preserving your loving relationships.

Save the Date! This national conference for family caregivers will be held in the New Haven area on November 9. Watch our website and Facebook for details.

Did you know that SNAP(Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) was formerly known as food stamps? SNAP makes healthy food more affordable for people who are on a tight budget. Call us and find out if you qualify.  

You can reach our information counselors

at 203-785-8533 - select option 4.