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| July 2020, Vol. XXI, No. 1 |
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| GCCOA Programs Online |
The calendar says July, but it is sure hard to believe that the year is already half over! Much of 2020 has been spent keeping things moving while we all try to figure out where we are heading. It was clear early on that one of our destinations, whether we were ready or not, was ‘online’!
So we held the SeniorPalooza, in part, online and it went even better than we had hoped. We did something similar with our regular Creativity Expo participants, and we are still hearing from folks about their ’projects’ and how much they enjoyed themselves. We have held our kinship caregiver group online, which has been met with mixed reviews, but we are hopeful the changes we have made will make it an even more supportive experience. The Xenia caregiver group came together online for the first time, after a long hiatus!
We have also given a facelift to our website and have ramped up our Facebook posts. Your Council has embraced the use of technology in reaching out to seniors, caregivers and the community, but realize that there is so much more that we can be doing—and that is our plan. We also know that there is nothing that can replace being with people when you are trying to educate, inform, and support those we are here to serve. We are planning for small group sessions for many of our programs, some of which will take place later this month, but we also have taken some of these programs and created alternate versions which are available online!
A shortened version of our Medicare 101 can be found on our You Tube Channel. This 22 minute session is presented by our Benefits Specialist Susan Allen and it covers the basics, from Social Security to Medicare enrollment and coverage. We also invite you to contact the Council at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 937-376-5486 to request information on the August in-person, limited seating Medicare 101 session, which will be a more in-depth discussion about Medicare.
You can also view Memory Loss, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease on our YouTube Channel, presented by Care Manager and Dementia Specialist Maureen McCarthy-Magill. Two other presentations will be added later in July — A Safe Environment for Those Living With Dementia and Brain Fitness Know-How. Thank you for hanging in there with us … there is more to come!
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| Care Calls: A New Resource For Area Seniors |
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Many of us take for granted that we have people in our lives to whom we can turn or count on for conversation and regular connection. But for many seniors in our community, they have outlived family and friends or may not have had the opportunity to connect with others because of caregiving responsibilities, physical limitations, or even the location of their home.
There is no question that social interaction has a positive impact on our physical and emotional wellness. This is something that we ‘know’, but it has hit home and hit hard during the check-in calls made over these four months and in the voice messages and notes we have received in response.
To formalize this effort, the Council has initiated Care Calls for Greene County seniors. A phone call is made once or twice a week to seniors to see how they are doing and to give them the opportunity to have a pleasant and unrushed chat. If you or someone you know might benefit from a regular Care Call, we invite you to contact the Council at 937-376-5486 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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| Robocalls: Just Don't Answer! |
We all find ourselves on the receiving end of robocalls, whether to a landline or a mobile phone. These robocalls are auto-dialed calls with a prerecorded message. There are some robocalls that we have signed up for, making them legal. Other robocalls are not wanted, cause us angst and frustration, and may even be illegal.
The legal robocall includes the reminder message about your upcoming doctor’s appointment or the message that your prescription is ready from the pharmacy. Illegal robocalls, on the other hand, are those to which we have not agreed and their express objective is to either get us to pay for something or share our personal information.
The robocalls appear to come from our area code with a message stressing an urgent response. We are given the option to press a number to speak with someone or to unsubscribe. We are then met with a believable request to make a payment to the caller via wire or prepaid money or gift card. We may also be told to NOT tell anyone or to stay on the phone until we have done what has been asked. The caller may say they are from a government entity, like Social Security or the IRS —neither of which would request a payment like this. Or we are told that it is about a warranty, credit card, or a loved one who is in a tough spot.
Technology makes it easy for scammers to find us. And while there is nothing we can do to totally block robocalls & scammers, there are steps we should all take to protect ourselves and loved ones from being taken advantage of. As shared by the Ohio Attorney General, at www.OhioProtects.org:
- Register your phone numbers with the Do Not Call Registry at www.DoNotCall.gov or 888-382-1222
- Research services through your phone provider to block unwanted calls
- Install a trusted and reliable app on your mobile phone to block or warn of suspicious calls
- Add trusted phone numbers to your contacts
- Limit with whom you share your number
What you should NOT do is
- Answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize
- Provide personal or financial information over the phone
- Interact with the caller in any way, including pressing a number
- Call back the unknown number
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| Summertime Memories |
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Summer is here, in all her glory. It is a time of heat and humidity and our activities ha
Summer is here, in all her glory. It is a time of heat and humidity and our activities have been stilted with all that is going on, but we cannot let these challenges take away from all that summer should be. We need to spend as much time as we can creating and recalling summertime memories.
Lightning bugs, chirping crickets, and the sounds of lawnmowers and laughter around the firepit. Splashing in the pool or running through the sprinkler and gazing at the stars to search for the Big Dipper or a falling star.
Popsicles, ice cream, and iced tea—sweetened or not. Watermelon, corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake. Grilling, with a few dropped morsels snatched up by the dog. And of course the lighting of sparklers and enjoying Fourth of July fireworks with family and friends.
This is a sampling of memories, which we hope you have a chance to experience—along with many others. We also challenge you to share your favorite summer memories with others, and post a few on the Council’s Facebook page.
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| COVID-19 ~ Keeping Safe |
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We continue to encourage Greene County residents to do what you can to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. We need to keep up our handwashing, use hand sanitizer when traditional hand washing isn’t possible, cover our mouth and nose when sneezing/coughing, wear a mask when around others, avoid close contact, and monitor our health.
Greene County seniors and caregivers are encouraged to contact the Council if you do not have a washable mask, as we have had a number of wonderful community members, as well as the Emergency Management Agency, donate masks that we can deliver to you.
We also ask you to be on alert regarding the various COVID-19 scams. There are no magic items to aid us with the pandemic and your money is best kept in your wallet. For more COVID-19 information, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ or https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/home
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Donor Spotlight |
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| Please join us in thanking these generous donors who shared a gift since the last newsletter. |
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In Memory Of:
Juanita McGlothen
Donors:
Diana Atkins
George Biach
Melvin Carwile
Robin Collier
Mary C. Graves
Gregory Heffner
Berniece Powers
John Williamson
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Thank You To Our June Volunteers
Cathy Brown
Beth & Ryan Massie
Barbara McKown
Nike & Jane Nihiser
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| Thank You to those who have donated to the Council via Amazon Smile, Goodshop and your workplace giving programs. We also want to thank those of you who donated your gently used (and some still with price tags) items to the Council’s Yard Sale. We are hopeful that we will be able to hold this July 16th event, which benefits the Grab Bar Installation Program. Click here for more info. |
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| Important Info ~ Electronic Communications |
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◊ Weekly Programming with our Partners at Real Roots Radio, WBZI FM 100.3:
Wednesdays around 12:05pm Boomers and Beyond
Thursdays soon after 6:00pm Partners in Caregiving
◊ Caregiver & Kinship Support Groups ~ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information
◊ Regular Updates and Information Posts on the Council’s Facebook Page
◊ Greene County Directory of Services and Support on Council’s website ~ www.gccoa.org
◊ Questions or to request grab bars or other services ~ 937-376-5486 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
◊ Annual Yard Sale ~ Thursday, July 16th, 9am to 4pm (fingers crossed!)
◊ Virtual JamFest ~ August 12th through August 19th (keep watch for more info)
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Greene County Council on Aging
937-376-5486 ext. 101
Committed to Seniors and Caregivers
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| Our mission: To promote independence and quality of life for Greene County senior citizens and caregivers by facilitating and supporting the development, implementation and continual improvement of a comprehensive and coordinated system of contact and care. |
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| This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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