Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
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Every day, Medicare fraud affects people with Medicare and their families across the U.S. - regardless of background - robbing them of hard-earned money and peace of mind. Scammers know the ins and outs of the Medicare system and their attempts can be well thought-out enough that it’s not always easy to know when and where fraud is occurring. By remembering some simple but effective tips, you can protect yourself against scams, including identity theft and prescription drug fraud. Remembering to protect, detect and report fra...
The Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging thanks community members and Tulare County employees who donated items, large and small, to the Stockings for Senior Citizens Project. The Stockings for Senior Citizens drive strives to alleviate social isolation and loneliness in older Americans, a problem associated with higher rates of chronic disease, depression, dementia and death. This year, because of many generous contributions, more than 400 seniors in the Kings/Tulare County...
The Visalia Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon-cutting on December 6 at the Open Arms House, a hospice house scheduled to open in Visalia in 2017. (See article in our Nov.-Dec. issue.) "Construction has begun on the house with anticipation that it will be complete in about four months," said Open Arms House Board President Carol Nickel. "We are in process of applying for our RCFE license, which could take up to six months. "It was just a year ago that we officially signed...
Bids for Lemoore Senior Center Rejected In 2015, the City of Lemoore was awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) in the amount of $1,419,391 to repair its 25-year-old senior facility to bring it up to code and provide long-term energy cost savings. Approximately $1.17 million was designated for this work. Since all of the five bids received so far have exceeded that amount, the Lemoore City Council decided to have a new round of bidding, even though the work must be completed by October 31. Free Tax Assistance for...
The Farmersville City Council is expected to make a decision about how to spend its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) at one of its January meetings, according to Farmersville Mayor Paul Boyer. The State of California approved a CDBG for the City of Farmersville that includes $150,000 for senior services for two years. About $140,000 is for “activity delivery” and about $10,000 for administration. Seniors at the Farmersville Senior Center, however, rejected the grant money because it means allowing CSET (Community Ser...
In February of 1993, the Tulare County Sheriff's Department formed Volunteers in Patrol (VIP), the first volunteer unit to support its growing needs. This new branch of law enforcement was created to serve as extra eyes and ears for the officers, sharing valuable information about the communities. Volunteers perform many of the duties that do not require sworn personnel, allowing officers to better use their time serving the community. VIPs provide visual deterrents and...
The new Call Reassurance (CARE) service is now serving seniors in Kings County. "It is installed; it is up and running; and it has been tested," said Kings County Sheriff's Department Commander Kris Zuniga, whose department operates the new service. CARE is a telephone system that contacts the elderly and handicapped to ensure their well-being. When necessary, the program can provide emergency notifications to all those who sign up. "Call Reassurance does some of the same thin...
The State of California recently approved a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for the City of Farmersville that includes $150,000 for senior services for two years. About $140,000 is for "activity delivery" and about $10,000 for administration, according to Farmersville Mayor Paul Boyer. Seniors at the Farmersville Senior Center, however, don't want the money if it means allowing CSET to run their center. CSET (Community Services Employment Training) has been serving...
Hospice care is a compassionate and team-oriented approach to medical care for the terminally ill. A hospice house, such as the Open Arms House that will open in Visalia in 2017, is as close to home as possible while still supplying the necessary round-the-clock care. "Most hospice houses are operated by a single hospice agency and they have a license like a skilled nursing agency," said Open Arms House Board President Carol Nickel. "They cost millions of dollars to build and...
"We have our 'oldies but goodies' but they become new again during the holiday season," said Nicole Burnham, victim advocate with the Tulare County District Attorney's Office, about the scams and frauds seniors and others can expect during the holidays. "For example, charity fraud exists every day year round but during the holiday season, when people are feeling more generous, there is an upswing," she said. "I want to remind people it is never safe to give a donation over...
It's that time of year again. Time to buy gifts for those near and dear to you. If your Christmas gift list includes a hard-to-buy-for senior, we have a few ideas for you. Perhaps your loved one was a fan of "The Golden Girls." If so, you might want to consider the following two options. Funko offers a Golden Girls action figure four-pack featuring Rose, Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia. The figures, measure 3.75 inches high. The set is currently offered on Amazon for $268.65. As w...
The Tulare County District Attorney's Elder Abuse Task Force has been growing as it uses some of the $400,000 in grant funding it was awarded in July. The two-year funding from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services allows the county to expand its efforts to protect seniors and broaden its community educational outreach. Elder abuse is defined as neglect, financial exploitation, physical abuse, sexual abuse or emotional abuse of an individual age 65 or older. I...
Visalia Transit's new bus fare prices went into effect on August 6. Three of the price changes affect seniors: the Fixed One-Way Fare for seniors is now 75¢, the Day Pass is $2.50, and the 7-Day Pass is $7.50. These new prices are the same for the military and the disabled. The midday/off peak discounted fares have been discontinued and all other fares will remain the same price. "We used to have two different rates for service on any given day," said Visalia Transit Manager...
More than eight out of 10 seniors are not aware they can sell their life insurance policy for an immediate cash payment. According to a survey of more than 600 people conducted by Coventry Direct, 86.1% of life insurance policy owners do not know they have the choice to sell their unwanted policy instead of lapsing it for nothing or surrendering it for its cash value. Even a term policy with no cash value can be sold. Consider this story: A car dealership owner originally...
The Kings County Sheriff's Department will be upgrading its RUOK ("Are You OK?") program in the near future. The decision was made to replace the system it has been using to serve the needs of its seniors for the past 18 years with a Call Reassurance (CARE) service. CARE is a telephone service that contacts the elderly and handicapped to ensure their well-being. The program can also be used to check in on latchkey children to make sure they are OK when their parents are at...
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors approved a request by the Tulare County District Attorney's Office to allow it to accept grant funding in the amount of $400,000 for a new Elder Abuse Program. The two-year funding from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services allows the county to hire victim witness workers. "The grant allows for two full-time employees to get in their cars and go throughout Tulare County," said Chief Deputy District Attorney Dan Underwood...
Senior citizens in 47 states and the District of Columbia aren't replacing enough of their pre-retirement incomes, according to a new Bankrate.com study. Many financial experts believe retirees need at least 70% of the income they earned in their working years, but only seniors in Hawaii, Alaska and South Carolina meet that threshold. Nationally, the median income for those who are 65 and older is just 60% of the median income among 45 to 64 year-olds. The 15 states with the largest retirement income gaps are all located in...
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York permanently barred eight individuals and entities from operating an alleged international multi-million-dollar mail fraud scheme in the name of alleged psychics Maria Duval and Patrick Guerin. Pursuant to a consent decree, the defendants were barred from using the U.S. mail to distribute any advertisements, solicitations or promotional materials on behalf of any psychics, clairvoyants or astrologers. The consent...
Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, has joined with other national and local organizations to help strengthen food assistance for low-income, food-insecure seniors by closing the "Senior SNAP Gap." More than one in 12 older Americans in our nation are food insecure. Many may have worked low-income jobs for most of their careers and were unable to save or plan for their post-retirement years. Other seniors are retiring with fewer financial resources than they expected, due to the Great...
Financial fraudsters often attempt to evoke strong emotions in their victims to convince them to hand over money, and seniors may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of heightened emotions on decision making. With funding and research participation from the AARP Fraud Watch Network and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, psychologists at Stanford University found that inducing emotions in older adults increased their intention to buy falsely advertised items. The...
Concerns about providing the best care for aging parents is something felt in cultures all over the world, including in India, the world's largest democracy. "Should we give up our well-paying jobs abroad and modern lifestyle to take care of our parents in the twilight of their life?" wonder many Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), professionals who left their native India for careers in other countries. "Or should we take our parents along with us and make their life difficult by...
With the 2016 election season in full swing, two of America's most admired seniors are front and center on opposing sides of the political fence and presidential campaigns. Americans say that Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are the most admired public figures over age 75, according to a survey jointly undertaken by Hart Research Associates and McGinn and Company. That popularity has not gone unnoticed by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as they continue to pursue their...
Nearly 8 in 10 Americans (77%) are worried about the safety of their parent and/or grandparent living alone or with a spouse/partner, according to a new Caring.com report. Yet despite these concerns, the majority of children and grandchildren have not equipped their older loved one's home with safety features such as grab bars in the shower, raised toilet seats, an emergency response system and/or an entrance ramp. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
The Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging (K/T AAA) recognizes that older adults are reinventing themselves through new work and passions, engaging their communities, and blazing trails of positive impact on other people's lives. To celebrate these trailblazers, the agency is sponsoring the 47th Annual Senior Day in the Park, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at Mooney Grove Park, 2700 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia. "Fiesta!" is the theme of this year's free event for event for...
PlanBeyond, a Seattle-based company, has launched a new website to help seniors and their family members educate and prepare themselves for end-of-life healthcare, financial, legal and funeral decisions. With articles devoted to common end of life topics and a section with easy-to-download planning documents, PlanBeyond gives users a one-stop-shop to explore end of life decisions. PlanBeyond launches at a time when the Baby Boomer generation is starting to face end of life decisions. Today, nearly 15% of the US population is...