Advocate for Senior Programs

Your Voice is Needed to Continue Funding Programs that help Older Adults Thrive

As a friend of the Area Agency on Aging and supporter of our local senior community, you're probably already familiar with SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders). and our evidence-based, balance classes and disease prevention programs, like Tai Chi and the Diabetes Empowerment Education Program.

These programs help tens of thousands of Florida seniors every year.

SHINE provides free, unbiased, and confidential counseling assistance to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers. Our team of dedicated volunteers and staff helped beneficiaries choose plans, save money on prescriptions, identify fraud, and even submit appeals.

Healthy Aging programs provide communities with evidence-based wellness classes designed to empower older adults to manage their health. Classes are taught by staff and community partners, like senior centers and health departments in small group settings.

But funding for SHINE and Healthy Aging programs is in jeopardy. As the US Congress continues 2026 budget talks, they are considering eliminating all funding for these critical programs.

You can tell your elected officials how you feel about ending senior programs! There are two quick and easy ways you can do this:

Call or email our Senators and Representatives:

Senator Rick Scott - (202) 224-5274 or https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/contact/share-your-opinion

Senator Ashley Moody - 202-224-3041 or https://www.moody.senate.gov/share-your-opinion/

Find your representative here: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Upcoming Special Events

Register for our Open House

Save these Dates:

May 2025:

Elder Options Online Open House, Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Community Health and Resource Fair, Saturday, May 17, 2025, Marion County, Tabernacle of Deliverance Church from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Click HERE for more information
Elder Options office closed, Friday May 23, 2025.
Older Americans Month, May 2025: Flip the Script on Aging, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Elder Options and ElderCare of Alachua County,

June 2025:

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Events, Marion County, June 19, 2025.
Elder Options office closed, Thursday, June 19, 2025.

Thank You, Elder Options Volunteers!

April 2025 was Volunteer Appreciation Month, and there’s no better time to recognize the amazing individuals who give their time, energy, and compassion to support our mission. From helping caregivers find relief to guiding individuals through the complexity of Medicare, our volunteers make a real and lasting impact in our community.

This month, we hosted special events to celebrate our Caregiver Volunteers and SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) Volunteers—just a small token of our gratitude. Thank you to every one of you for the difference you make every day!

Enjoy some highlights from the celebrations below! More photos coming on social media...

To learn more about volunteering with us, visit https://agingresources.org/volunteers/

Caregiver and Wellness Classes

Upcoming Classes

The following classes are starting soon. To learn more, and register, click on "Sign up for a Class Today!": link. Our website is searchable by city name.

Caregiver Support Groups

Zoom, Second Monday of every Month, May 12, 2025
Gainesville, Second and Fourth Tuesday of every Month, May 13 and 27, 2025

Savvy Caregiver Training

Brooksville, May 1
Zoom, May 15

Diabetes Empowerment Education Program

Dowling Park, May 8, 2025
Gainesville, July 7, 2025

Coping with Caregiving

Oxford, June 4, 2025

A Matter of Balance

Ocala, June 5, 2025

Eating for Prevention

Gainesville, June 24, 2025

CLICK HERE TO Sign up for one of the above classe today!

SHINE Webinar Schedule

SHINE hosts monthly virtual Medicare classes. To request SHINE counseling, call our Helpline at 1-800-262-2243 or visit www.floridashine.org to view counseling sites. Click the links below to view the May and June schedule.

May 2025 SHINE Schedule

June 2025 SHINE Schedule

May 2025 is Older Americans Month

Each May we observe Older Americans Month (OAM), a time to recognize older Americans' contributions, highlight aging trends, and reaffirm our commitment to serving older adults.

The 2025 theme, Flip the Script on Aging, focuses on transforming how society perceives, talks about, and approaches aging. It encourages individuals and communities to challenge stereotypes and dispel misconceptions.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

Join us at one of 3 area WEAAD events!

The purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse, neglect and exploitation of older adults. This years events will feature speakers from the State Attorney's offices, law enforcement, Seniors vs. Crime and SHINE/SMP.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Leslie Andrews at andrewsl@agingresources.org