Category: Older Adults

NBHS 50 Year Club Update

NB 50 Year Club gathering on June 6, 2020 CANCELLED

After talking with the committee, I need  to inform everyone that the 50 Year Club will not be meeting this year on the first Saturday in June 2020, June 6th. 

With the COVID19 virus, the President and Ohio Governor both mandating stay at home orders for the month of April, and Ohio predicting that it will peak mid May, this seems to be the right call.  Considering the age of our members, I do not want anyone to take any health risks. 

We have over 700 people on our roster, and that makes it an expensive project to do a mailing, so I’m asking all of you to pass the word.  We will plan to reunite on June 5, 2021.

Kathy Eninger, Secretary

Social Security Recipients WILL get Stimulus Checks

“It’s the ONE question nearly all Social Security recipients are asking: Will I get a Coronavirus stimulus check? 

Social Security Recipients WILL get Stimulus Checks
 
WASHINGTON, DC, Mar 31 — “It’s the ONE question nearly all Social Security recipients are asking: Will I get a Coronavirus stimulus check? If yes, do I get one even if I haven’t filed a tax return in recent years? The answers are YES and YES!, says Jeff Szymanski, political analyst at the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC].
 
The “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” (CARES Act) passed by Congress provides for substantial stabilization of America’s economy during the unprecedented medical crisis now sweeping the country. The Act provides critically needed funding in key areas like expanded unemployment benefits and specific aid to many business segments facing extraordinary disruption, along with financial relief payments to most Americans, subject to income guidelines below.
 
“Under the Act’s provisions, Americans having a valid Social Security number will receive direct cash assistance, specifically including those who receive welfare and Social Security benefits. Relief payments will be $1,200 for individuals, $2,400 for couples, and $500 per child, for individuals with incomes at or below $75,000 ($112,500 for heads of household) and couples with income at or below $150,000. Individuals earning up to $99,000 and couples up to $198,000 will receive a reduced payment, prorated according their higher income level,” according to Szymanski.
 
The procedural details on how the approved payments will get into the hands of recipients are still being finalized, but these are the general elements:
 
·      According to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, most payments should be in the hands of recipients within three weeks
 
·      Eligibility for cash payments is based on income as reported in your most recent income tax return (note: adjusted gross income is the figure used)
 
·      If you did not file tax returns and are receiving Social Security payments, the IRS can use your Form SSA-1099 Social Security Benefit Statement or your Form RRB-1099 Social Security Equivalent Benefit Statement to send your check
 
·      If you have received a tax refund in the last two years by direct deposit, that’s where your money will be sent. If not, the IRS will mail a check to your “last known address”
 
·      The IRS will mail a notice confirming distribution of your payment, along with IRS contact information if you haven’t actually received the confirmed payment
 
·      You do not need to do anything in advance. For many recipients, the IRS has your banking information and will likely execute direct transfers to your account
 
AMAC’s sister organization, The AMAC Foundation, updates a site five days a week entitled The Social Security Report. For the absolute latest daily information on this vital program, visit www.socialsecurityreport.org. Many of this week’s headline and latest news posts on The Social Security Report deal specifically with The CARES Act (Stimulus Bill), and those seeking more detailed information will find it a valuable resource.
 
But to reiterate, reports Szymanski, “YES, Social Security recipients are eligible and need do nothing at all to receive their $1,200 per person relief payments due them. If you are required to file a tax form, it is likely that having done so already may speed up delivery of the payment.”

WCCOA Continuing Modified Operations Through April

WCCOA is reinforcing the importance of our participants remaining at home and avoiding public gatherings….

Wood County, OH (March 27, 2020) – Based upon information available at this time, all WCCOA Senior Center locations (Perrysburg, Rossford, Walbridge, Grand Rapids, Pemberville, Wayne, North Baltimore, and the Wood County Senior Center in Bowling Green) will remain closed to the general public through Thursday, April 30, 2020. WCCOA will continue to offer our modified services during this time.

As April 30, 2020 approaches, we will consult with the Wood County Health Commissioner (Ben Batey) regarding the status of re-opening.

WCCOA is reinforcing the importance of our participants remaining at home and avoiding public gatherings (including Church, restaurants, and movies). We are also encouraging the older adults who participate at the Senior Center congregate dining sites to take advantage of home delivered meals during this time. If you are a Wood County resident (age 60+), in need of home delivered meals or other assistance, please contact the Wood County Committee on Aging at 419.353.5661 or 800.367.4935 or via email at [email protected]

You may also follow WCCOA on Facebook.

 

WCCOA has put a plan in place for modified operations of services during the Coronavirus pandemic. This is our starting point and will be modified as need arises or as recommended by the Wood County Health Department.

 

This plan calls for the following:

 

  • Medical Escort will be provided on a case by case basis (but not for clients who are symptomatic of the virus).
  • All Senior Center locations will be closed to participants and the general public.
  • Home delivered meal service will continue. All home delivered meal participants will receive one (1) hot lunch delivered daily and will be offered a weekly drop of seven (7) frozen meals to reheat for dinner.
  • WCCOA will be developing a modified menu for the timeframe determined for the closure.  This menu will offer one entrée rather than a choice and during Lent all Friday menus will be meat-free (i.e. vegetable lasagna or macaroni and cheese).
  • Staff and volunteers who will be delivering home delivered meals will not be entering client homes unless absolutely necessary to make the delivery. Staff / volunteers will also be instructed to remain at least 6-feet away from a client if they need to enter the residence. The clients will be asked to have a table/surface near the inside of the door or on their front porch/in their garage for meals to be placed upon at delivering. In order to assure that the client is well, the staff/volunteer will have a visual of the client or at minimum voice interaction through the door.

  

For those Wood County residents (age 60+) who do not currently frequent a Senior Center in Wood County and who opt to follow the recommendation to remain at home, avoiding crowds and public places, and who may find that they would benefit from participating in the home delivered meals programs, please call WCCOA at 419.353.5661 or via email at [email protected] for additional information.

 

About The Wood County Committee on Aging:

The mission of the Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc., shall be to provide older adults with services and programs which empower them to remain independent and improve the quality of their lives.

 

For information on programs and services, please contact the Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc., at (419) 353-5661, (800) 367-4935 or www.wccoa.net

AMAC on COVID-19

A statement from AMAC CEO Rebecca Weber

To our age 50 + friends,

A statement from AMAC CEO Rebecca Weber
 
To our age 50 + friends,
 
I wanted to reach out to you during these challenging times to assure you that the Association of Mature Americans (AMAC) is doing everything we can to help protect people who are at risk for contracting the coronavirus, keep the outbreak in a calm perspective, set the expectations of what is to come while continuing to fight for your interests in Washington, DC.
 
Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been doing:
 
·      In the interest of containing the spread of the virus, we’ve postponed our annual conference as well as all AMAC advocacy events throughout the country
 
·      We’ve committed to the free flow of information from our trusted sources by creating a special section on www.amac.us dedicated to the coronavirus and are constantly updating it
 
·      Taken steps to ensure that our United States-based call centers are fully operational to support AMAC members as well as anyone who chooses to contact us
 
·      Successfully recommended that the White House establish a timeline of events describing how quickly and thoroughly the President has responded to the crisis
 
·      Conduct on-going dialogue with medical experts on AMAC media platforms to keep people informed
 
·      Highlighted and supported the expansion of care for Medicare patients, including telemedicine
 
·      Recognized the financial implications for seniors living on a fixed-income during this time and urged Congress to protect Social Security benefits from court-ordered garnishment and recommended a guaranteed cost of living increase for beneficiaries in 2021
 
·      Successfully fought for the provision that allows for penalty free withdrawals from retirement accounts for necessary purchases that was included in virus aid legislation
 
·      Encouraged Congress to pass H.R. 856 to increase access to healthcare for low-income individuals and families
 
·      Watched very carefully the legislative maneuvering on Capitol Hill to prevent political opportunists from taking advantage of the crisis by inserting bad policies into virus aid bills
 
·      As this political watchdog, we’ve already identified harmful policies that would drive up medical costs and limit access to health care that were included in some legislation and successfully fought to have them removed
 
·      Continued this fight to have more bad policy removed from virus aid legislation that would restrict patient options and potentially price-fix and over-regulate the direct primary care option
 
Friends, AMAC is here for you. We are tirelessly fighting for your interests as we have done for 13 years. We’ve redoubled our efforts during this crisis and ask that you remain calm and act with prudence. While we are working hard to do our part in supporting people during this emergency, we put our faith in God’s providence and ask Him to grant wisdom to our leaders, strength for stressed-out healthcare workers and first responders, ingenuity to scientists to develop new therapies and also for His healing hand to comfort us all.
 
Sincerely,
Rebecca Weber
Chief Executive Officer
Association of Mature American Citizens

Ohio Records First COVID-19 Death

Senior Centers, Adult Day Cares to Close …….

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, M.D., MPH, today announced that a Lucas County man has died from COVID-19. 

The death of the 76-year-old man is the first death due to COVID-19 in Ohio. 

There are currently 169 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 28 Ohio counties including: Ashland (1), Ashtabula (1), Belmont (2), Butler (12), Clark (1), Coshocton (2), Cuyahoga (69), Darke (1), Delaware (2), Franklin (14), Geauga (1), Hamilton (7), Huron (1), Lake (3), Lorain (10), Lucas (2), Mahoning (7), Marion (1), Medina (6), Miami (1), Montgomery (1), Richland (1), Stark (6), Summit (10), Trumbull (3), Tuscarawas (1), Union (1), Warren (2).

Of these cases, 39 individuals are hospitalized. 

SENIOR CENTERS/ADULT DAY CARE

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine also announced today that he is ordering all of Ohio’s senior centers and adult day care services to stop providing care in congregate care settings. Congregate care settings are single locations where more than 10 people, including staff and providers, are in a confined space.

The closure will be effective at the end of business on Monday, March 23, 2020. 

“It is a significant risk for anyone to be in a group setting, and that certainly includes our senior citizens,” said Governor DeWine. “We have been telling providers that this day was coming, so they have already been working to ensure every senior will have continued care in a different setting.”

This order does not prohibit providing services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in residential settings, which are not congregate in nature. Rules that require day services and vocational habitation to be provided in community or work settings are being relaxed to recommend those services be provided in a person’s residence.

INSURANCE GRACE PERIOD

The Ohio Department of Insurance is issuing an order for insurers in Ohio to allow employers to offer employees a grace period for insurance premiums.

The grace period is for all health insurers, and it must provide the option of deferring premium payments interest free for up to 60 calendar days from the original premium due date, which means employers can defer their premium payments for health insurance for up to two months.

Health insurers must allow employers to continue covering employees even if the employee would otherwise become ineligible for insurance because of a decrease in the hours worked a week.  

LETTER TO PRESIDENT TRUMP

Governor DeWine also signed onto a letter that will soon be sent by multiple state Governors requesting President Trump unlock existing federal funding in the disaster unemployment account, which would make funds available to contract workers (those who file a 1099) who are ineligible for unemployment benefits under current rules.

WARNING TO NON-COMPLIANT BUSINESSES

Governor DeWine also issued a warning today to business owners who are not complying with orders to take steps to protect employees from the spread of COVID-19. 

Although many businesses are heeding the advice of the Ohio Department of Health, others continue to ignore directives to keep distance between employees and keep a clean environment. 

“I continue be notified of businesses that are recklessly risking lives of employees, their families, and everyone else they come in contact with. This must stop,” said Governor DeWine. “As I continue to balance my responsibility to protect the people of Ohio with our attempt to keep this economy moving, let me make it clear that I will err on the side of protecting people. The bad, reckless behavior must stop.” 

Video of today’s full update can be viewed on the Ohio Channel’s website.

For more information on Ohio’s response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.

Marketing to Baby Boomers

Understanding the importance of marketing to baby boomers is crucial ……..

It’s long been said that the children are our future. While this sentiment does ring true, many marketing professionals seem to have taken this statement and run with it. Current advertisements and marketing campaigns almost always seem to target a younger demographic, often leaving older consumers out to dry. In an effort to appeal to millennials and Gen Z shoppers, many companies overlook older individuals entirely. However, baby boomers can have a significant impact on current consumer trends and ought to be regarded as highly as members of younger generations. Companies who understand the importance of marketing to baby boomers are more likely to be successful than their counterparts who appeal only to millennials.

Baby boomers comprise a large audience

There’s no denying that baby boomers make up a rather large percentage of society. The term “baby boomer” refers to anyone born between 1946 and 1964 and, as one might guess, this range encompasses a lot of people. It’s estimated that there are roughly 65 million baby boomers on the planet today. Because baby boomers make up such a large portion of our population, it stands to reason that they would also have a large impact on overall market trends. There is strength in numbers, after all. Adjusting your marketing strategy to appeal to baby boomers, therefore, will help get a very large and influential segment of consumers on your side.

Baby boomers are affluent

In addition to being one of the largest segments of consumers, baby boomers as a whole are also among the most affluent age demographics. Members of this age demographic tend to have a higher income than their younger counterparts and thus have a higher disposable income. As a result, baby boomers are more likely to spend their money freely and are also more likely to purchase big-ticket items, such as a car or a home. Many baby boomers are now retired and are ready to spend the money that they’ve spent so long earning. As such, luxury companies will benefit more from marketing to baby boomers than they would to millennials; after all, many of them are still trying to pay off student loans or save up for a home.

Baby boomers are easy to reach

Many marketing companies shy away from marketing to baby boomers because they feel they’re too hard to reach, particularly in our increasingly digital age. Contrary to popular belief, however, many baby boomers are quite tech-savvy and boast a very strong social media presence. Still, your digital marketing strategy will likely require very few adjustments in order to effectively target baby boomers. However, there are some measures you can take to ensure that you are effectively marketing to baby boomers across a digital sphere, such as prioritizing customer service and producing clear, concise content.

Wood County Good Deeds Program

Introducing a FREE real estate deed and motor vehicle title review process….

Wood County elected officials Cindy Hofner, Julie Baumgardner, Matt Oestreich, and David Woessner would like to introduce the Wood County Good Deeds Program.  This program is a FREE real estate deed and motor vehicle title review process to determine if your current deed/title will transfer upon your death without Probate Court involvement.

 

Wood County residents with real estate or a motor vehicle titled in their name may participate.  A copy of your current deed(s) will be made available for review.  You will receive information on how to designate your vehicle title to your beneficiary or surviving owner.  Options available as to how to transfer these assets to a named party upon your death outside of probate will be discussed.  Participants will also receive a list of attorneys with the Wood County Bar Association willing to assist with legal advice as may be necessary.

 

Sessions will be held at Senior Centers throughout Wood County on the following dates and times this year:

May 4th                       11:15am               Bowling Green

May 5th                      4:30pm                 Bowling Green

June 29th                     12:30pm               Perrysburg

July 7th                       12:30pm               Pemberville       

August 24th                12:30pm               Walbridge

September 9th             12:30pm               Rossford

October 22nd              12:30pm               Wayne

November 13th           12:30pm               Grand Rapids

December 14th            12:15pm               North Baltimore

 

To register, visit the Wood County Auditor’s Office website at co.wood.oh.us/auditor or register in person at any Wood County Senior Center.

 

 

Wood County Senior Centers Update

Senior Center closing, Home delivered meals available……………

From Denise Niese, Executive Director of Wood County Committee on Aging:

As you have heard through various media outlets, those most at risk for dire consequences related to the coronavirus are predominately the population served by WCCOA.  That being said, WCCOA has put in place a plan for modified operations.

This will be our starting point and will be modified as need arises or recommended by the Wood County Health Department.

This plan calls for the following:

  • Medical Escort will be provided on a case by case basis (but not for clients who are symptomatic of the virus).
  • WCCOA will work with the Wood County Health Department to access masks for use by staff and volunteers who will be delivering meals and/or working directly with the public.
  • All Senior Center locations will be closed to participants and the general public.
  • All Congregate meal clients will be offered home delivered meal service during the duration of the sites being closed.  Beginning Wednesday (3/11/2020) we will be asking participants to complete a form indicating whether they choose to be provided home delivered meals should the Centers be closed or they may also opt to decline. 
  • All current home delivered meal clients will continue to receive meals.
  • All participants will receive one (1) hot lunch delivered daily and will be offered a weekly drop of seven (7) frozen meals to reheat for dinner.
  • WCCOA will be developing a modified menu for the timeframe determined for the closure.  This menu will offer one entrée rather than a choice and during Lent all Friday menus will be meat-free (i.e. vegetable lasagna or macaroni and cheese).
  • Staff and volunteers who will be delivering home delivered meals will not be entering homes unless absolutely necessary to make the delivery.  Staff / volunteers will also be instructed to remain at least 6-feet away from a client if they need to enter the residence.  The clients will be asked to have a table/surface near the inside of the door or on their front porch / in their garage for meals to be placed upon at delivering.  In order to assure that the client is well, the staff/volunteer will have a visual of the client or at minimum voice interaction through the door.
  • All Centers and staff will increase the frequency of sanitizing their work areas and public areas with disinfectant which has the compounds necessary to “kill” “Human Coronavirus”.  This includes disinfecting agency vehicles.
  • All Centers will be thoroughly cleaned prior to re-opening following the closure
  • All staff will be reassigned duties which will support the delivery of our identified essential services, most notably home delivered meals.

 

We will also be contacting management at the senior living apartments throughout Wood County for their assistance in organizing the ability to make a single drop within their specific complex (and for the management and their maintenance staff to deliver to specific apartments).  This will reduce exposure of WCCOA staff and volunteers should a resident within a complex be infected with the Coronavirus.

 

For those Wood County residents who do not currently frequent a Senior Center in Wood County and who opt to follow the recommendation to remain at home and avoid crowds and public places, and who may find that they would benefit from participating in the home delivered meals programs, please call WCCOA at 419.353.5661 for additional information.

About The Wood County Committee on Aging:

The mission of the Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc., shall be to provide older adults with services and programs which empower them to remain independent and improve the quality of their lives.

 For information on programs and services, please contact the Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc., at (419) 353-5661, (800) 367-4935 or www.wccoa.net  

WCCOA to hold “Matter of Balance” Classes

Targeted toward preventing falls….

 Bowling Green, OH (March 2, 2020) – The Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc. (WCCOA) will be holding a “Matter of Balance” course at the Wood County Senior Center (305 N. Main Street, Bowling Green) every Tuesday from March 31 to May 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. This 8-week evidence-based course costs $15 and includes a manual for training purposes and a certificate upon completion of the course.

 

Are you experiencing a fear of falling? Are you limiting your activities due to this fear? Are you becoming physically weak? If you answered “yes” to any of these three questions, A Matter of Balance is for you! During this class participants will learn to view falls as controllable, set goals for increasing activity, make changes to reduce fall risk at home, and exercise to increase strength and balance.

 

This course is sponsored by Aetna Better Health of Ohio.

 

Please contact the Programs Department of WCCOA to register by calling 419-353-5661 or 1-800-367-4935, or by e-mailing [email protected]

 

The mission of the Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc., shall be to provide older adults with services and programs which empower them to remain independent and improve the quality of their lives.

 

For information on programs and services, please contact the Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc., at (419) 353-5661, (800) 367-4935 or www.wccoa.net.

Tax Day is Quickly Approaching, File for Free

… , thousands of residents across Lucas, Wood and Ottawa County will pay hundreds of dollars to file their taxes, but, United Way of Greater Toledo (UWGT) can help for free.

 
[TOLEDO, Ohio] – As Tax Day (April 15) quickly approaches, thousands of residents across Lucas, Wood and Ottawa County will pay hundreds of dollars to file their taxes, but, United Way of Greater Toledo (UWGT) can help for free.

By visiting “MyFreeTaxes.com” anyone in our community can file a simple return at no cost, no matter your income. This program is made available via a partnership between United Way and H&R Block. Since 2009, 1.2 million Americans have successfully filed using MyFreeTaxes.

Additionally, individuals who earned less than $56,000 can file their taxes face-to-face with a certified Volunteer Income Tax Assistant. These appointments are possible due to a strong partnership between UWGT and LISC Toledo (Local Initiatives Support Corporation).

“Individuals who qualify for a free, in-person appointment can reserve a time by calling or texting 2-1-1,” said Jill Bunge, director of community impact at UWGT.

She continued, “Because of our partnership with LISC Toledo, we are able to schedule tax appointments with 2-1-1, while they setup filing sites, coordinate volunteers and handle logistics to actually help folks with their taxes.”

In 2018, UWGT and LISC Toledo helped return over $2 million in tax returns to the community, a critical boost to the local economy.

“Free tax preparation and allowing individuals to file at no cost is generally overlooked when we talk about our local economy, and ways in which folks are lifted out of poverty,” said Shaulonda Jones, program assistant at LISC Toledo.

“Often, earned income tax credits and a tax refund is something that could keep a person or family from falling below the federal poverty threshold. That’s why it is so important to offer this service for free, so individuals can maximize their dollars and not have to spend money on costly tax software or in-person consultancies,” said Jones.

For more information on United Way 2-1-1 and tax filing sites throughout the community, visit 211nwo.org. Appointments are limited.

Help Wanted – P/T Route Driver South/North Baltimore

Part-time (25 hour per week) position based at our North Baltimore site.

Position Posting

Route Driver South/North Baltimore

Part-time (25 hour per week) position based at our North Baltimore site. Examples of duties include: Packaging, prep and delivery of home-delivered and congregate meals, and maintaining cleanliness of vehicle and facility. Must be able to lift a minimum of 50 pounds consistently. Requires lifting, bending, stooping, reaching and standing for extended periods of time, and carrying hot pans/trays of food. 

Qualifications:  Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent, a proven record of working harmoniously with older adults as well as colleagues, be eligible for bonding and insurable under agency policy, possess a valid Ohio driver’s license with proof of auto coverage (state minimum), must have a minimum of 5 years driving experience and a demonstrated ability to operate large vehicles (CDL not required).  Successful candidate must successfully complete BMV and BCII background checks.

Applications available at WCCOA, 305 N. Main Street, Bowling Green, Ohio.  Downloadable format available at www.wccoa.net   Completed applications can be directed to the Manager of Human Resources.  Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled. 

The Wood County Committee on Aging, a non-profit organization, is an Equal Opportunity Employer