SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – If you or someone you know wants help signing up for Medicare, you will want to sign up for one of the upcoming free Zoom Medicare classes hosted by Senior Solutions. The classes are held May 13 at 10 a.m., June 10 at 2 p.m., and July 15 at 11 a.m. Our information is totally neutral. We do not offer any insurance but offer this valuable information.
Call 802-885-2669 or toll-free 866-673-8376 to register and receive the email link for the Zoom.
Check out Senior Solution’s Spring Benefit Silent Auction on our website, www.seniorsolutionsvt.org, where you will find many great local items and services to bid on. The bidding ends April 30 so don’t miss out! Proceeds to benefit our Volunteer Visitor Programs. Many thanks to the generous local businesses and crafters for their donations.
The Moore Free Library in Newfane held its Community Memory Partners Meeting April 15. Plans were discussed for the next training session for the Oral History Project, which will commence in September and October 2021. The current session ends in August. For more information on this program, go to www.communitymemory.moorefreelibrary.org. To take part in this project, contact director Erica Walch at 802-365-7948 or go to www.moorefreelibrary.org.
Because of the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, many of us are feeling the loss of social gatherings. Sometimes we feel it is not worth getting dressed because we don’t go anywhere. Even some who work from home get a bit stir crazy from seeing the same walls and furniture every day. It gives us all an insight into the lives of many of our older Vermonters whose access to friends and relatives and community functions are restricted because of health and mobility issues. Happily, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for many of us. We are lucky because all we needed was the vaccine and careful social distancing to regain our contact with our community. If it were only that easy for many others.
We have wonderful volunteers who can’t wait to stop by and visit with their partners. As we carefully move back to seeing each other in-person, volunteers can still keep in touch by phone and other devices. We have received some Covid funds to help us purchase tablets and laptops that we can lend to clients that will help them communicate with loved ones and with their doctors. Too many of us have difficulty without proper Wi-Fi or cell service. We are working to help overcome these barriers.
A more subtle and difficult situation arises for various reasons when someone is exhibiting symptoms of self-neglect. With Covid-19, it became almost impossible to detect. In the past these situations were reported to Adult Protective Services. Now the state has mandated that they be investigated by the area agencies on aging like Senior Solutions in Windham and Windsor counties. We are uniquely well poised for this task. Our mission is to enable older adults to live in the home of their choice in dignity and good health. Our case managers can assist in securing adequate nutrition, fuel, medical care, wellness programs, and money-saving benefits through the National Council on Aging and the Older Americans Act.
Often without good nutrition, we suffer physical and mental health issues. Even dehydration can cause loss of mental acuity and physical impairment. If we live alone, we may not notice our own decline. We may think it is just a normal part of aging. When you add social isolation or physical isolation, the conditions are accelerated. Put all this together and we have the potential for some older Vermonters to suffer from mild mental disabilities and also we have the ideal conditions for individuals to develop symptoms of self-neglect.
People have a statutory right in Vermont to live any way they choose. Others may not find it acceptable but that does not matter. So long as the individual is mentally capable they can live without a kitchen, running water, heat, or in a hoarding situation. With respect and gentle kindness in a non-judgmental way, these individuals can often be helped find resources to take better care of themselves. We will never know the trauma or emotional issues that cause self-neglect, but we can care for the person who is in that condition. Even if they don’t change their living conditions, at least they know that someone cares about them.
Please call our Help Line at 802-885-2669 for advice and help with National Council on Aging Benefits, 3SquareVT assistance, health insurance, fuel assistance, loneliness, wellness programs, and more. We are here for you, and we do not charge to help. We serve Vermont adults who are over 60 or disabled in Windsor and Windham counties.