Senior Center News, March 5, 2021

North Central Senior Citizens Center, March 8-12

Menu by Earlene DeWinter; subject to change

Monday — Swedish meatballs, rice, Harvard beets, fruit

Tuesday — Apple sauce, roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli Normandy, rolls, peach kuchen

Wednesday — Ham and turkey club sandwich, pickle spear, dessert

Thursday — Barbecue chicken, baked potato, Riviera vegetables, cheese cake with cherries

Friday — Soup, chef’s choice, dessert

The Senior Center’s doors are still closed to the public. We are providing limited services by phone with individuals bringing their paperwork down to the center. Help is being given over the phone when possible.

Tax preparation information

AARP Tax Preparation will contact you if you have called in and put your name on the call list. The individuals who do the preparation are diligently working on the procedures they have to follow. We have a list with names and phone numbers at the center people have been put on. They are taking additional seniors on the call list. You will be called and an appointment will be set up. Be sure to answer your phone as they will try a couple of time but cannot spend all day calling one person. You can hang up on the scam calls. Walk-ins will not be accepted. On the day of your appointment, please wait it the alley by the doors on the west side of the building. Someone will come out and get you as they can only have one person in the building at time. The process is taking a little longer because of restrictions. Please be patient. They thank you for your patience as the new methods are tested and implemented.

Transportation: The Senior Center is providing medical transportation only. Remember to call ahead for Friday’s appointments. Monday and Thursday rides have to be worked around grocery delivery.

Congregate folks: We are still continuing to provide meals at the North Central Senior Citizens Center as grab-and-go meals while we are still closed. If you would like to pick up a meal, please be sure to call the center before 10 a.m. to order your meal through the kitchen. Your meals may be picked at the center from 11:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you would like to, you may order a meal for one day or put in your order for the entire week. If you would please let us know which meals you would be like ahead of time, it would be beneficial in preparation so we are aware of how much food to fix each day.

With the isolation, challenges are being felt by some people be a friendly neighbor. Contact a senior or a veteran who may be facing challenges just to see how they are doing. The personal contact will help them feel a great deal better.

Important phone numbers:

• Montana Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673

• Tumbleweed Runaway and Family Crisis Program: 259-2558 (local), 1-888-816-4702 (toll free)

• Friendship Line by Institute on Aging — The Friendship Line is both a crisis intervention hotline and a warm-line for non-emergency emotional support calls. It is a 24-hour toll-free line and the only accredited crisis line in the country for people aged 60 years and older, and adults living with disabilities. Toll-Free Number 800-971-0016

• For those seniors getting frustrated with staying home and needing someone to talk to you can call 1-877-688-3377 for Montana’s Warm Line.

Ten resources every senior should know about

Plenty of organizations provide seniors with free or low-cost help with meals, transportation, housing, finances, and more

By Beth W. Orenstein

Medically reviewed by Farrokh Sohrabi, M.D.

Most of us would prefer to live independently for as long as we can before going to an assisted living facility. And while that’s not always possible, sometimes all it takes is one simple solution for seniors to remain in their homes, said Edwin Walker, deputy assistant secretary for aging at the Administration on Aging within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Whether they need help preparing meals, seek rides to the doctor’s office, or could use some assistance with light chores around the house, these 10 places can help seniors get the care they need, said Walker, for either little or no cost at all.

1. Your local agency on aging. “They’re a wealth of knowledge,” said Carrie Smith, chief operating officer at the Foundation for Senior Living in Phoenix, Arizona. (The agencies don’t provide direct services, but they can direct you to the organizations that do.) Assistance for seniors can vary from agency to agency, but case managers can usually arrange for meal delivery, transportation to and from appointments, and in-house services like housekeeping, medication management, and personal care. They can also recommend family caregiver support programs in your area. Find the agency in your ZIP code via the Administration on Aging’s website, or by calling 800-677-1116 to speak to a specialist.

2. Eldercare Locator. This web tool provides plenty of other resources, too: It connects older people and caregivers with local organizations and trustworthy sources of information. Services also vary depending on where you live, said Walker, but case managers can often help you find legal services, transportation, housing alternatives, employment services, financial assistance, and more. To find out what’s available in your area, call 800-677-1116, or visit Eldercare Locator Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST to chat with a specialist.

3. Catholic Charities. This organization is a national network that serves people regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds. Members can provide seniors with nutritious meals, adult day care, and more. Find an agency in your area at CatholicCharitiesUSA.org.

4. A local religious establishment. “It doesn’t have to be the one you attend,” said Barbara Ensor, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist in Parkville, Maryland, who specializes in eldercare. Churches tend to know who can provide services that the elderly might need, such as snow removal, home repairs, or transportation to appointments, she said. And the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies also provide assistance in many communities, which you can find through their online directory.

5. Your public library. Looking for a little research help? Try visiting the local library. Most provide free Internet access and have staff members who can help you search for resources that will help you live independently, said Ensor.

6. Local transit services. Many cities offer some type of help to seniors with transportation needs. For instance, elders who live in New York City can get free van service to and from medical appointments and meals, planned activities at senior centers, and more through Project Cart, said Linda Hoffman, president of the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens. Other cities offer help as well. In Austin, Texas, West Austin Caregivers has compiled a list of transportation services for seniors; in Southern California, the Jewish Family Service of San Diego offers a host of transportation options for people in their area.

7. AARP. It’s one of the best-known foundations in the country, and for good reason: Its members can connect you with the sources you need to find help with local housing, health care, and meals. Visit the AARP’s website, or call 888-OUR-AARP, 888-687-2277, to find assistance in your state.

8. State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP. SHIP provides free health benefits counseling services for Medicare beneficiaries and their families or caregivers. (SHIP isn’t affiliated with the insurance industry.) “Its mission is to educate and counsel seniors so they can make informed healthcare benefit decisions,” Ensor said. Visit their website for more information about your state’s program.

9. The American Bar Association. Its local branches can help you find legal assistance that will help elders manage their finances, or offer them additional protection if they’ve been a victim of fraud or abuse.

10. Meals on Wheels. This organization provides nutritious meals to homebound people in almost every community across the country. Volunteers not only deliver meals to residents’ homes, but they will also check in on shut-ins and provide them with companionship. Some programs will even lend seniors assistance with home repairs and transportation. Find out what’s available near you at http://www.MealsonWheels.org, or by calling 888-998-6325.