SANDWICH COUNCIL ON AGING NEWSLETTER September 2021 270 Quaker Meetinghouse Road - East Sandwich, MA 02537 Phone (508) 888-4737 Email: [email protected] Director - Susan Marancik As we move closer to fall, it is a joy to report we have been fully open to the public for several months, with programming back in place. It has been wonderful to see everyone! The biggest re- ward for the staff is seeing your joy in resuming activities you have missed and reconnecting with friends you may not have seen for some time. It has been a fun summer even with the plentiful rain. Highlights have included an outdoor lunch- eon with great seafood from Seafood Sam’s “Fish on the Fly” food truck, Jukebox Bingo with guest announcer Mike Riley of Boston sports media fame, coffee and Cape Cod Donuts, nature walks, movies, corn hole, gardening with the Roberti Community Gardeners and our fresh summer pro- duce program. Our schedule will continue as posted. Should there be any change to programming or protocols, be sure to sign up for our email updates and like our Facebook page for the latest updates. Check in- side this newsletter for additional Covid-19 vaccine and testing resources and information. The Sandwich Center for Active Living continues to progress on schedule. You may have noticed the elevator shaft has been built and a lot of earth moved! The foundation work continues and some structural work for the gym and walking track has begun. Additional framing will happen in the weeks ahead to be ready for winter and interior work. September is National Senior Center month and also includes Fall Prevention Week. In past years the National COA selects a theme, this year they encouraged us to choose our own which we have decided is “say yes to new adventures”! The past year meant saying yes to a lot of new adventures (mostly unplanned!). We are celebrating with new programming including strength and balance classes, fall prevention exercises, our own antiques roadshow, the UCLA Memory Training class, Zumba, car talk, sports talk and more! Stay well, see you soon and don’t forget to say yes to new adventures! Outreach Corner ~ Rita Wahlstedt, Outreach Coordinator Fuel Assistance -Recertifications have been mailed out by the South Shore Community Action Council, Inc. for this upcoming heating season. If you participated in this assistance program last year, look for your lilac colored forms in the mail, and put them aside! In addition, you will be eligible to receive a discount on your Eversource bill for one year. If you are a first time applicant, we can help with the application starting in mid-late September. Please call (508) 888-4737 at that time to schedule your 2021-2022 season appointment with Rita. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Senior Care Options- (SCO) Did you know that there is a program for MassHealth Standard mem- bers aged 65 and older that provides you with all your MassHealth benefits? If you have Medicare, all of those services are covered too, plus more. There is no cost to you. You may be eligible to enroll if you: Are eligible for MassHealth Standard Are age 65 or older; and live in the service area of a SCO plan. MassHealth Customer Service can tell you more about the program and direct you to the five SCO plans available. Call 1.888.885.0484 and Get to Know SCO! ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Personal Emergency Response Systems- (PERS) give you peace of mind at home or away. For more information on a local medical alarm, please contact Rita in Outreach. Cellular Base Systems and Mobile Alert Systems are available with fall detection. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ SHINE Open Enrollment 2021 October 15 – December 7 Serving Health Information Needs of Everyone Program The time is now to review your Medicare coverage! By September 30th, each Medicare beneficiary receives an Annual Notice of Coverage which includes important information regarding Medicare costs and benefits. You can compare your Medicare benefits and health insurance options at no cost with your local SHINE counselor. A visit or phone call with a certified SHINE volunteer may reduce your out of pocket medical and/or prescription drug costs. In addition, meeting with your SHINE counselor during open enrollment can help you identify public programs that can help with premi- ums, copayments and health coverage based on income and assets. Open enrollment is October 15 – December 7 and state certified SHINE counselors are available at your senior center by appointment to help you understand health care coverage, review cost increas- es, and find out what’s new with Medicare. Plan to have the following information available for your SHINE appointment: Medicare A/B card, Medigap or Medicare Advantage Card, Prescription Drug Plan Member Card (if you have a Part D plan), list of medications and dosage which can be obtained from your lo- cal pharmacy, My Medicare account username and password (if you have an account created) this will save time as all medications and dosage information are stored and can be updated. For those who prefer to view Medicare plan choices and costs online please visit www.Medicare.gov, then, click on find a provider and click on the health and drug plan tab. FOOD RESOURCES AVAILABLE COA Bread Donations– Bread donations from Stop and Shop are available at the COA on Mondays from 9:30-4:00. Fresh produce will be out if available as donated by the Roberti Farm Community Gardeners and local residents. St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry (Mary’s Pantry)- is open and available to you every week– Thursdays from 9:30am to Noon. Located at Mary’s Closet, 330 Quaker Meetinghouse Road. Food Pantry - The Food Pantry is available for seniors. Please call Jennifer on Mondays from 10am- 12 pm to register if you have not used the Pantry previously. (508) 888-3816. You may go to the office on Wednesdays (10-12) for help with registration. If you are new or do not have a phone to do an online order, a volunteer will assist you. When you are registered, Pantry hours are Wednesdays 10- 12, every 3d Saturday and the last Wednesday of the month 10-12 and 6-7:30. Senior Farmers Market Coupons -To be eligible to receive Senior Farmers Market Coupons, you must be: 60 years of age or older, or Disabled and living in senior housing where congregate nutrition services are provide. You must meet the income eligibility requirements. Please contact the COA for more infor- mation. Complete Cape Cod Food Resources - Please call the office for a copy of the new Cape Cod Food Resources brochure from the Barnstable County Cooperative Extension. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ UPDATED COVID-19 INFORMATION VACCINES- Vaccine information and scheduling is available at vaxfinder.mass.gov and barnstablecountyhealth.org *The COA can help schedule vaccine appointments if you do not have online access *Transportation is available if you are unable to get to a vaccine site *CVS-both Sandwich locations offer walk in and pre-scheduled vaccine appointments TESTING- Contact your Primary Care Physician if you are experiencing symptoms including headache, runny nose, or post nasal drip. They can refer you for a COVID test. *If you need testing for other reasons including travel, uncertainty about possible exposure or symptoms use the resources listed below: *Testing locations are listed at www.mass.gov/covid-19-testing *Call the CCH Community Testing Line at (508) 534-7103 to schedule a drive through test at CC Hospital or Falmouth Hospital PRECAUTIONS TO CONSIDER Due to the presence of the Delta variant in Barnstable County, the Sandwich Health Department recommends you have any outside workers entering your home such as home care professionals, house cleaners, or contractors wear a mask. VOLUNTEER CORNER Volunteer Coordinator– Pat Ryan We are so happy to welcome you back! Volunteers are the backbone of our organization and we could not carry out many of our programs without your assistance. Below is a list of Current Volunteer Opportunities Newsletter Collating – This group of volunteers collates our newsletter on the last Monday morn- ing of each month. Volunteer Medical Drivers - The Sandwich Council on Aging is looking for volunteer drivers to transport seniors to medical appointments using their own vehicles. Passengers are independent, needing only a light elbow assist. This rewarding, flexible position requires a commitment of just a few hours a month. Genealogy- Assist seniors as they research their family tree. Using your own experience, teach pa- trons to navigate family history sources and help them work through “brick walls” in their research. Walking Group Leader – We are looking for a volunteer(s) to lead a walking group. If you enjoy walking the neighborhoods and trails of Sandwich, this position is for you. Times and frequency are flexible. Technology Assistance - We are looking for volunteers interested in assisting seniors improve their computer/smart phone skills. This service is currently offered by appointment only. New Volunteer Program - One of our Volunteers has offered to do minor sewing repairs and light mending for Sandwich seniors. Please call the office for more information. Do you have a skill or talent to share and are willing to teach a class? Please let us know. We are always looking for instructors and program Leaders to share a special talent. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ UCLA Memory Training Innovative, 4 week educational program for improving memory Thursdays, September 16th- October 7th at 11:00am – 12:30pm Developed at the UCLA Longevity Institute, the program is an evidence-based, four- week educational program to improve memory for those individuals experiencing normal age-related memory loss. The program was written and designed by Gary Small, M.D., and Linda Ercoli, Ph.D.