Adult Day Services have been identified by the Blount County Senior Action Council as one of the area’s critical and growing needs. You are invited to come learn about options to provide this service locally. Blount County Office on Aging has partnered with U. T. Business School’s MBA program. Students have researched and benchmarked sustainable adult day programs across the nation and will present their findings and recommendations. This will occur on Tuesday, April 24, 2:00-3:00pm at Blount County Public Library Dorothy Herron Room. For more information, call 983-8411 ext. 25.
The East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability and Walgreens are teaming up to provide medication reviews to adults age 60 and over in Blount County. This is an especially valuable resource for older adults, who often use many medications. The Pharmacists at Walgreens will review the list to identify any potential complications that might exist. The Blount County Office on Aging will provide a form on which to list medications and over-the-counter items, and will forward it to Walgreens. Once the review is completed, if any issues are identified that need attention, Walgreens will contact the consumer. Only Walgreens will have access to medication lists, which will be shredded on completion of the review. Please visit the Blount County Office on Aging at 3509 Tuckaleechee Pike, Maryville or contact Joani Shaver at 983-8411 ext. 25 to take advantage of this service.
Senior citizens are at a greater risk of being involved in a scam than the rest of the population. Even though scammers target everyone, 85% of scams target seniors. Whether it be a home repair scam, an email from a “friend” in trouble asking for help, work at home scheme, or the businessman from Nigeria asking you to transfer money into your account, they are familiar scams. Kim Spencer, Certified Financial Planner, for Patriot Investment Management & Volunteer with BCSO Neighbors Helping Neighbors Program, will provide two presentations at the Blount County Public Library, one on Wednesday, March 21st at 11 a.m. and one on Thursday evening, March 22nd at 7 p.m. She will discuss the various types of fraud for which seniors need to be alert and give tips on being prepared to deal with these people. There will be several handouts from the Federal Trade Commission that attendees will be able to take home with them to give more information. The presentations are free and open to the public at Blount County Public Library (Sharon Lawson Room), located at 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville. This is co-sponsored by the Blount County Public Library and the Blount County Office on Aging.
The new edition of the Blount County Senior Service Directory is available on the Blount County Community Action Agency website along with the links to organizations found in the directory. These links are listed on the Home Page and also on the Office on Aging page (under the Programs/Services tab). The directory is as close as your computer!
Click here for the Senior Service Directory 2012
Click here to view the Senior Service Directory 2012 Websites
On Thursday, March 8, at 11:00a.m. the seventh edition of the Blount County Senior Service Directory, a reference book of services and programs targeting the 60+ age group, will be released by the Office on Aging. There will be an event at the Everett Senior Center, 702 Burchfield Street in Maryville for the release and the public is invited. The directory is aponsored by local businesses and organizations and made available free of charge.
Office on Aging Coordinator, Joani Shaver, recommends that seniors and their caregivers pick up a copy and use it as a resource to identify local programs. Free copies are available at the Blount County Public Library, Everett Senior Center, Blount Memorial Hospital, Blount County Chamber of Commerce, Blount County Community Action Agency, and all directory sponsors.
The Blount County Senior Service Directory is published every three years with the support of the East Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability and Blount County Community Action Agency. The previous edition was released in 2008. For more information call Joani Shaver at (865) 983-8411 extension 25.
Bill Johnson of Johnson Law Firm will be speaking on wills, durable powers of attorney and durable powers of attorney for health care at the March 6, 2012 meeting of the Hope for Today group. The meeting is at 6:15 p.m. and will be held at Piney Grove Baptist Church. Free transportation is provided and the Piney Grove Baptist Church bus will pick-up passengers at Broadway Towers at 5:45 p.m. Directions to Piney Grove Church are as follows: From Blount County Courthouse, go 1 mile on Court Street. Turn left on Wilkinson Pike and proceed 3 1/2 miles. Turn right onto Blockhouse Road at Chilhowee View Community Center. Go 1 mile, Piney Grove Baptist Church is on the left.
Is the memory loss you’re experiencing just a normal part of aging…or could it be Alzheimer’s or dementia?
As people age, concerns about memory loss somtimes arise. After all, if someone can be affected with Alzheimer’s when that person is as active, capable and high-profile as Pat Summitt, it’s possible for anyone to contract the disease. The question is how to know the difference between normal aging memory loss and some form of dementia. In either case, it’s helpful to know what to do.
Two different programs about Alzheimer’s and dementia will occur at the Blount County Public Library, in cooperation between the library and the Blount County Community Action Agency’s Office on Aging, presented by two different individuals:
“Memory Loss: Is This a Normal Part of Aging?” by Mary Wegman, registered nurse certified case manager and geriatric care manager, will be presented on Wednesday, October 26, at 11 a.m.
This program will explore the subject of memory loss and dementia, including warning signs, diagnosis of dementia, management, and ways to keep your mind sharp. Free cognitive screens will be available for anyone who wants an assessment of memory loss/dementia.
“Dementia & Alzheimer’s: Symptoms & Tips,” the second program will be presented by Janice Wade-Whitehead, Executive Director of Alzheimer’s Tennessee, Inc., on Thursday, October 27, at 7 p.m.
Wade-Whitehead will present an overview of dementia (what it is, warning signs, how it compares to aging-related “normal” memory loss), diagnosing dementia, management and prevention tips. After the program, Wade will be available to answer questions.
Both presentations will be in the Sharon Lawson Room.
Mary Wegman is owner of Choices in Senior Care, a geriatric care management company serving East Tennessee. The company mission is to empower senior adults and their families to make the best care decisions for their individual situation. Wegman and her staff members believe in the senior’s right to dignity, and they support senior autonomy for as long as possible. They provide professional individual assistance in sorting through the maze of options for senior care. The owner and founder, Mary Wegman, is a highly experienced RN CCM (Registered Nurse Certified Case Manager) and GCM (Geriatric Care Manager). She has practiced in the East Tennessee community for over 20 years. Her extensive experience includes case management for the geriatric and disabled population, as well as in depth interaction with many of the areas home health, non-medical home care, and hospice providers. Mary is a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers.
Janice Wade-Whitehead, the Executive Director of Alzheimer’s Tennessee, Inc., was awarded the “Public Citizen of the Year Award” in 1995 by both the Knox Area Chapter and the Tennessee State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She served as served as Secretary of the State of Tennessee Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force and is a leader in state and federal advocacy efforts for Alzheimer’s Tennessee. She has served on various committees with a national scope regarding public policy and educational initiatives. Prior to working with nonprofits, she was a high school history and economics teacher. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and lives in Knoxville. Wade-Whitehead’s experience with dementia is also personal because, during her mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s disease, Janice helped to manage her care.
Free and open to the public, the program is at the Blount County Public Library, located at 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville. For further information about library programs or services, call the library at 982-0981 or visit the Web site at www.blountlibrary.org. To sign up to receive a monthly calendar by email, type in your email address under “Programs and Events” on the Home Page. Also check out Facebook at “Blount County Public Library” and Twitter at “Blount_Library”.
Blount County does not discriminate based on race, color or national origin in federal or state sponsored programs, pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d).
Blount County Community Action Agency and the Blount County Office on Aging have a chance to win a gift of a $5,000 Gas Card through the good folks at CITGO. They are giving away $120,000 in Gas Gift Cards in 2011 for their Fueling Good Program. They’ll award 24 charities throughout the year with a gift of a $5,000 Gas card. We are registered with the hope of being one (or two) of them, but we need your help to win!
Just think of how much good we could bring to Blount County every day with an entire year’s supply of fuel. We could feed more seniors through our Meals on Wheels program by offsetting the cost of fuel to deliver meals! We could also provide gas cards for those looking for employment through our Community Service Block Grant Program! We could provide more homemaker services to homebound seniors needing extra assistance to stay in their home. Vote daily between now and October 27th at www.fuelinggood.com and look for us as a Health & Well-being Charity type in TN and vote for both Blount County Community Action Agency and Blount County Office on Aging. Thanks!
Blount County Public Library and the Blount County Office on Aging are offering a series of four presentations on topics of interest to senior adults and their caregivers, beginning on August 31 and continuing on the last Wednesday of each month through November, 2011.
The seminars will be held at the Blount County Library, 508 N Cusick St in Maryville, from 11 a.m. until noon. Speakers will be available afterwards for individual questions.
Dates and Topics are as follows:
August 31 - Legal Issues for Seniors and Caregivers (Elder Law Atty Matthew Haralson)
September 28 – A Maze in Grace: Your Medicare Questions Answered (Kim Ward, State Health Insurance Program)
October 26 – Hospice and Home Health Options (TBD)
November 30 – TBD (Possibly Adult Day Care!)
Topics for future presentations are welcomed! Please send your ideas via email to jshaver@blountcaa.org. Thanks!
10 Signs of Caregiver Stress
- DENIAL about what’s happening and the changes in the loved one. “I know Mom’s going to get better.”
- ANGER at the person or others that no cures exist and people don’t understand what’s going on. “If he asks me that question one more time, I’ll scream.”
- SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL from friends and activities that one brought pleasure. “I don’t care about playing music anymore.”
- ANXIETY about facing each day and what the future holds. “What happens when she cannot stay alone any longer?”
- DEPRESSION begins to affect the ability to cope. “I don’t care anymore.”
- EXHAUSTION makes it nearly impossible to complete daily tasks. “I’m too tired for this.”
- SLEEPLESSNESS caused by worry and concerns. “What if she falls and hurts herself?”
- IRRITABILITY that reduces patience, increases moodiness, and triggers negative reactions. “Leave me alone!”
- LACK OF CONCENTRATION makes it difficult to perform familiar tasks or affects memory. “I completely forgot about my appointment!”
- HEALTH PROBLEMS begin to take their toll, both mentally and physically. “I can’t remember the last time that I felt good.”
©2011 Alzheimer’s Association