Elder Options activities for July, 2023
July 4, 2023 - Independence Day - Elder Options Gainesville, Florida Office Closed
SHINE Virtual Medicare Class Schedule for July 2023
SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders)
SHINE will be hosting LIVE online Zoom classes for anyone interested in learning more about Medicare, Medicare Financial Assistance and the latest in Scams! You can join via computer or by phone! Please register 24 hours in advance of the class you want to attend. Classes are hosted by PSA3 SHINE Team, If you have questions, email shine@agingresources.orgm call (352) 692-5209 or the local Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243, or visit www.agingresources.org. To become a SHINE Volunteer, visit www.floridashine.org.
Monday, July 10, 2023, 10:00-11:30 am - Medicare Basics
Register 24 hours in advance here: https://agingresources-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEpfuysqDIjG9HxNQ_busXhYj8A87g8BHGc.
Wednesday, July 12, 2023, 10:00 - 11:30 am - Medicare Part C
Register 24 hours in advance here: https://agingresources-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwufuCrpzojHtXsImn05PrV6X0JhTyMWZsh.
Wednesday, July 12, 2023, 12:00-1:00 pm - Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
Register 24 hours in advance here: https://agingresources-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqc-ypqDMpGdD1BlsRb9ag2KRsVej3Qi4P.
Monday, July 17, 2023, 10:00-11:30 am - Navigating Medicare.gov
Register 24 hours in advance here: https://agingresources-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsc-6grTMpGt1jjO8Xv5Fx20mDFEelYFOz.
Thursday, July 27, 2023, 10:00-11:30 am - Long Term Care Planning
Register 24 hours in advance in advance here: https://agingresources-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUudeCsqzIvHtbnEKBTG3zS8YiH3NgigfWa.
Watch "World Elder Abuse Awareness Day" on TV
Elder Options is in the news! WCJB - TV20 covered the Elder Options World Elder Abuse Awareness Day eventm held June 15 at One Health Center in Ocala, Florida. Watch TV20's coverage of the event here: https://www.wcjb.com/2023/06/15/leaders-organizations-marion-county-shine-light-world-elder-abuse-awareness-day/.
Department of Elder Affairs "Disaster Resource Guide" is out!
This guide provides tips for sheltering in place, planning evacuations, and taking care for your furry family members during a weather emergency. We recommend that older and disabled adults sign up for their local Special Needs Registry. This Registry will connect you to important information from local emergency management officials about evacuation and sheltering options. Each county hosts the Special Needs Registry in a different office - to find your local registry, call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243.
Summer is Here - and the Temperatures are Climbing!
Too much heat is not safe for anyone. It is even riskier if you are older or have health problems. It is important to be cautious and get relief quickly when you are overheated. The National Institute for Health has information on how to stay safe as temperatures rise: https://www.cdc.gov/aging/emergency-preparedness/older-adults-extreme-heat/index.html.
Hope Heroes needed for hurricane season!
Sign up today to be in the system so you can help seniors in need before and after a storm. Volunteers may help with everything from loading sandbags to working in shelters. Sign up at HelpCreateHope.com.
Tuesday, July 11, 10:00-11:15 am - Elder Abuse Neglect and Exploitation Training
Are you a Professional or Direct Service Provider who works directly with the senior population? This training may be for you! Our Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Training is provided virtually every month, on the second Tuesday of the month from 10:00 to 11:15 am. Certificates are provided. Register for one of our monthly trainings below using the link. We look forward to seeing you! Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvcuqorT8oGtIT7zQFNmPyxqbOnzM9GfTC#/registration.
Your Nose Knows: Smell Loss and Brain Health
Many may be surprised to learn that our sense of smell is linked to brain health. Although one in two people over age 60 may be living with smell loss, many do not know it until they are tested. Monitoring your sense of smell could give you important information on your brain health as you age. Unlike temporary smell loss associated with COVID-19, ongoing smell loss can be a signal of cell damage associated with brain disease. In fact, smell loss may be one of the most important signals of risk for Parkinson’s disease. (Not everyone with smell loss develops Parkinson’s.)
A study from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) is exploring this link. A simple scratch-and-sniff test could help scientists learn more about risk and develop new treatments. MJFF is asking everyone age 60 and older without Parkinson’s disease to take a free smell test. Visit mysmelltest.org/partners to request a test. You’ll receive your test in the mail, and it’ll take about 15 minutes to complete. Then you’ll be asked to enter your answers online. Your results may mean you’re eligible to join a brain health study.
Please help spread the word. Tell everyone you know over age 60 - family, friends, neighbors and community members - to monitor their brain health and contribute to this important research at mysmelltest.org/partners.
Parkinson's Support Groups and Resources can be found at UF's Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at https://fixel.ufhealth.org. For information on groups and classes, email Amanda Fessenden at Amenda.Fessenden@neurology.ufl.edu
Resources include:
PD Patients/Caregivers Support Group, Zoom/online meeting on the third Friday of every month
PD Educational Day for New PD Patients/Caregivers, Small group live class held once every 3 months
First Friday Caregivers Only Support Group, Zoom/online meeting on the first Friday of every month
Annual Parkinson’s Disease educational symposium, a half-day event typically held on a Saturday in Spring
Medicaid Redetermination
Visit the website at https://www.myflfamilies.com/services/public-assistance or call 850-300-4323 (Florida Relay 711 or TTY: 1-800-955-8771).
CONTACT ELDER OPTIONS
ONLINE: https://agingresources.org/
PHONE: 1-800-262-2243
PHYSICAL ADDRESS: Elder Options, 100 SW 75th Street, Suite 301, Gainesville, FL 32607