National Family Caregivers Month 

Are you a caregiver? 
     According to recent studies, there are more than 50 million people who, in any given year, provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend.  30% of family caregivers who are caring for seniors are themselves 65 or over while 15% are between the ages of 45 to 54.  The monetary value of the “free” services that caregivers provide are estimated to be $306 billion a year – twice as much as is spent on homecare and nursing home services. 
The role of caregiving is complex and varies with every family situation.  It can last a few short months or become a lifetime commitment.  Caregiving can be done with everyone living in the same house, or it can take place long distance.  Anyone who has placed a loved one in a nursing home knows that care giving does not end when you are no longer responsible for a family member’s daily needs.
What then is the common bond of caregiving?  A growing list of studies shows that it is the emotional impact on caregivers including:  the intense sadness of wanting “the miracle of normalcy,” the upheaval of family dynamics and loss of personal time, the isolation of living outside the norm and focusing on everyday activities of daily living that others take for granted, and the stress that impacts negatively on all caregivers and can ultimately lead to severe depression.  This level of stress can shorten a caregiver’s life by as much as 10 years.
One way in which the Council on Aging supports caregivers is with our Senior Supportive Day Program, otherwise known as “The Club,” which provides socialization and caring support for 6 hours daily, 5 days a week, for elders who otherwise would be home alone, subject to isolation and depression.  In a recent series of state-wide talks on building community care for elders with various mental heath issues, Commissioner Childs of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health pointed out that “depression is the single biggest mental health problem in the country, and is entirely treatable.”  Programs such as ours have been successful in combating loneliness and depression.
     At this time, a unique opportunity exists for Westporters who attend our Senior Supportive Day Program.  We currently have two scholarships available: one from a private party; one through the Friends of the Westport Council on Aging.  Please contact Gloria, our Supportive Day Program Director at 508-636-1026. Read a caregiver letter on pg.6.
The staff at the WCOA is committed to supporting caregivers and their loved ones at all stages of care.  Call us for assistance in accessing information and community resources.

 

FUEL ASSISTANCE

     Applications are now available for Westport households who are eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) (Fuel Assistance) which begins in November.  If you would like to apply, please call the Westport Council on Aging for an appointment—proof of identify, income and utility bills are required.  Special provisions are made for those households whose heat is included in their rent and those living in subsidized housing.
     Households with incomes up to 200% of the Federal Poverty level are eligible for the Fuel Assistance Program.  Homeowners and renters are both eligible.  For the 2006-2007 heating season, income eligibility guidelines are:  One-person household, gross income $19,600/yr., and for a two-person household, gross income is $26,400.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
EMERGENCY LIST—The Westport COA, in cooperation with the Westport Emergency Management Agency, maintains an emergency list of elders who live alone and may be frail, on oxygen, or have other situations that may require assistance during weather or civil emergencies.  If you would like to be on such a list, please contact the COA, 508-636-1026.

INFORMATION AND REFERRAL for Westport residents, 60 years of age and over to the network of services available to elders.  WCOA is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

SERVING  HEALTH  INFORMATION  NEEDS  OF  ELDERS (S.H.I.N.E.)--information about Medicare, supplements, MassHealth--Phone consultations and one-on-one appointments can be arranged for Westport residents, 508-636-1026.

W.C.O.A.  CANCELLATION  POLICY
Westport COA will cancel all activities and programs at the Senior Center, if the Westport Community Schools are closed due to bad weather or other local emergency.

TRANSPORTATION for Westport’s elders, and handicapped persons of all ages, Monday through Friday, to area appointments scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Advanced notice required.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

Thursday, November 2nd, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Caring for a loved one with changing abilities can be very stressful.  Join us each month as we share information on understanding and coping with behavioral problems and learn about accessing local resources for caregivers. Transportation is available.

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SUPPORT GROUP

Tuesday, November 14th, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Your participation and input are important to us!

VIDEO MAGNIFIER--To help read documents more easily.

BOOKS ON TAPE--Wide selection available.

 

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT LOANS

Many individuals and families who no longer need their foldable walkers, wheelchairs, canes, etc., donate them to the COA.  Call if you need any of these items.

CAREGIVER  HARVEST  TEA
1:00 p.m., Thursday
November 16th
Westport Senior Center
Please call to reserve a seat--636-1026.

National Caregivers Month

  “Caring for an elderly person can be a rewarding and a challenging experience.  We are giving back to parents and relatives all that we were given by them for so many years.  We come to an understanding of the awesome responsibilities which we may have taken for granted.
  Fortunately, we in Westport are blessed with a local program which helps us to provide for our senior citizens.  The Senior Social Day Program is based in the Council on Aging building on Reed Road.  Five-days a week, a qualified and supportive staff is available to work with and supervise the clients who participate.
  Visiting the program is a rewarding experience.  One might expect to see people just sitting and resting.  The opposite is true.  There is singing, arts and crafts, exercise, good conversation, field trips, breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  Our elders are busy and stimulated from the time they arrive until they leave.
  Caregivers can be assured that their family members are watched over and treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve.  There is open communication with the staff.  The Westport Social Day Program offers peace of mind for the hours that our seniors are in their care.”          --Beverly Bond

 

VETERANS BREAKFAST
Thursday November 9th
9:00 a.m.
Westport Senior Center

·        Calling all Westport veterans.
·        Come for an SOS breakfast.
·        Call the COA by Friday, November 3rd, 636-1026.

  

  

 FLU CLINIC

Flu shot information will be available at the office of the Westport Town Nurse, Kathleen Burns.  Please call 508-636-1030.

FILE OF LIFE

The COA has File of Life packets to record your important medical information in case of an emergency.  A small donation is requested to help cover costs.

T.A.P.

Are you a shut-in or alone, in need of someone to check in on a weekly basis via a telephone call?  The Westport COA has a volunteer program –Telephone Assurance Program.  If you are in need of such a service, or if you would like to volunteer for this or any other volunteer opportunity, please call the COA, 508-636-1026.

 

 Losing a Loved One

After a loved on dies, there are many issues which need to be addressed to wrap up the person’s legal and financial affairs.  The following is a checklist of issues to consider:
Ø    The funeral home should take care of providing you with certified copies of the death certificate.
Ø     The funeral home should contact the Social Security Administration to report the death.  If there is a surviving spouse, the spouse will be entitled to a one-time death benefit of approximately $250.  In addition, the surviving spouse may begin receiving the deased spouse’s monthly Social Security payment if it was higher.
Ø      Regarding any life insurance, you will need to call the insurance company to report the death.  The company will send you a claim form to complete and will request a certified copy of the death certificate.
Ø       If your loved one was receiving a pension from the VA or a former employer, you should contact the institution and report the death.
Ø       If your loved one owned real estate in joint tenancy with another individual, a certified copy of the death certificate should be filed with the county register of deeds office.  The same is true if they owned the real estate alone, but had designated a beneficiary.  Keep in mind if the home is now vacant, there will most likely be a limit on how long the home will continue to be insured—you should check with the insurance company.
Ø       If you loved one owned a car jointly with another individual or had a designated beneficiary, a death certificate should be filed with the local Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Ø       Any other assets remaining like bank accounts, CDs, stocks, and bonds, should be handled similarly to the real estate and car.  Those assets with Payable on Death (POD), or Transfer on Death (TOD) beneficiary designations will require that a death certificate be provided to the appropriate financial institution or company.

Finally, you may be wondering if anything will have to go through probate; only those assets that were titled in your loved one’s name alone with no beneficiary designation at the time of death need to be probated.  If there was such an asset, then your loved one’s Last Will and Testament will probably need to be filed with the probate court.  If there was no Last Will and Testament in place, a probate estate will need to be opened and state law will determine the distribution of the assets.
 

Regardless of the amount of assets and how they are titled, it is always wise to contact an elder law attorney for guidance after the loss of a loved one.       

--Elder Law Attorney Michelle Beneski

BRAILLE
Notice of new class at Senior Center.

Bob Branco, who has taught Braille classes for many years for Continuing Education at schools in Fall River, New Bedford, and Westport, has offered to teach a weekly Braille class here on Thursdays, 2 – 4 p.m.  The fee will be determined according to the enrollment.  Call the COA for details—508-636-1026.

 

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

Lisa Sarkis, Regional S.H.I.N.E. Director, will speak about the open enrollment on the Massachusetts-sponsored prescription plan and the Medicare-prescription drug plans, and what you need to know.

Thursday, 10:00 a.m.

NOVEMBER 2, 2006

Westport Senior Center

Register for this important presentation by calling the COA, 508-636-1026.

Prescription Advantage (PA)

Can Help Lower Your Prescription Drug Costs
Open Enrollment ENDS Nov. 15
Enrollment forms can be obtained at Westport COA.

    Don’t miss this opportunity to reduce your prescription drug costs.  PA, the state’s pharmacy assistance program, is a secondary payer to Medicare Part D and can help to reduce your costs by:
·   providing benefits during coverage gaps such as deductibles or the “donut hole,”
·  lowering your co-payment amounts, and
·   providing you with an annual out-of-pocket spending limit.
 

MEDICARE  PART D  OPEN ENROLLMENT BEGINS NOV. 15
Sign up or change coverage.

  

CAREGIVER  HARVEST  TEA

This November, the National Family Caregivers Association is continuing its Caring Every Day Campaign with an emphasis on health issues and encouraging family members to take 3 steps each day to make their lives easier: 
 1) Believe in Yourself,
 2) Protect your Health, and
 3) Reach for Help.
The Westport Council on Aging is hosting a Harvest Tea for all caregivers on Thursday, November 16th at 1:00 p.m. 

A complimentary, therapeutic chair massage will be offered by a nationally certified Massage Therapist who is dedicated to “relaxation, comfort, and stress and pain reduction”.  Come and take care of yourself!  Please call the WCOA, 508-636-1026, to let us know if you and your loved one plan to attend.

Westport
Senior Center
10th Anniversary Celebration

     Please join the staff of the Westport Council on Aging on Saturday, December 2, 2006, for our Ten-Year Anniversary of the Opening of the Hazel Tripp Senior Center! We have not always had this beautiful building for our operations:  the WCOA began in one room in the Town Hall Annex, with the Senior Social Day Program opening in the basement of the Westport Middle School in June 1993.  The Transportation Program was begun in July 1995.  It was not until December 7, 1996 that a large number of very dedicated Westporters succeeded in obtaining this site and the grant funding to restructure the building. 
    
Come and listen to their stories, see the building, talk with the staff, have refreshments, and enjoy a cabaret performance by Lisa Manning and her puppets.

Activities begin at 1:00 p.m., and end at 3:00 p.m.

FRIENDS OF THE WESTPORT
COUNCIL ON AGING, INC.
Supporting the Senior Center
P. O. Box N-192
Westport, MA  02790

After taking a few months off this past summer, the FWCOA is back in action under the leadership of our new President, Sybil Burba.  Membership chairman, Lillian Barresi, reports we have 381 members, slightly down from September 2005.  If you have not renewed your membership, please do so.
Plans are being made for the “Holiday Fair” to be held December 4 through 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Senior Center.  Call the COA before dropping off items for the sale—clothing and toys will not be accepted.  A “Bake Sale” will be held on Wednesday, December 6.
The FWCOA will begin the 2007-2009 Westport Telephone Book drive in December with a mailing to our advertisers.  The phone book is distributed free of charge to every mailing address in Westport.
Profits from our fundraisers and your dues provide needed equipment and improvements to the Senior Center.  Two of the Senior Center’s most recent acquisitions are a new computer system and a new copy machine.  FWCOA funds also provided for a central air conditioning system this past summer.