Douglas county
senior
services
July 2012
Volume 39 No. 7
Stan Vickers and Bruce Neuenswander of Baldwin City serve up breakfast at the Senior Wheels fundraiser held July 16 in Baldwin City.
“Eastside Village Lawrence” Proposed Informational meeting July 19 Most seniors prefer to “age in place” in the homes they love as they grow older. However, as physical abilities decline with age, this often becomes challenging. The “village” concept, which has been growing across the country, is a big step towards meeting this challenge. Villages are grassroots organizations, run by volunteers and paid staff, to coordinate access to affordable services. Members of a village contact the coordinator whenever they need assistance. The coordinator will then find a volunteer to meet the need. It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors. To learn more about villages, see vtvnetwork. org or beaconhillvillage.org. Some local elders, including members of the Lawrence Douglas County Advocacy Council on Aging, are working to promote a village-type organization in east Lawrence, east of Massachusetts Street. A community meeting is being held July 19 at 7 p.m. at the East Lawrence Recreation Center. Judy Willett, national director of Village to Village Network will be here to help get the ball rolling. Please plan to attend the meeting to learn what Eastside Village Lawrence is all about. If you have any questions or would like to be part of the organizing group, contact Bonnie Uffman at 856-0057 or bonuff@gmail.com.
incorporated Mission: To create opportunities that allow Douglas County residents 60 years and older to remain independent and active in their homes and communities.
Visit us at www.dgcoseniorservices.org
New Baldwin City Volunteer Transportation Program Launched The wheels are turning in Baldwin City! There is now a new Senior Wheels, Baldwin City volunteer transportation program in operation. The service is offered to seniors age 60 and older who need transportation for medical, nutritional and personal reasons. Currently, the rides are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. One day a week, transportation to Lawrence will be offered on a regular basis. Baldwin City resident Bill Neuenswander has been instrumental in pulling the volunteers together. Recently, a breakfast fundraiser was held, with proceeds going to the operating expenses of the program. These expenses mostly consist of fuel and maintenance of the bus, which is owned by Douglas County Senior Services. For more details, please call 785-865-6925 or to schedule a ride, call Linda at 785-594-3376 or 785-3316101 at least 48 hours before the ride is needed.
“Welcome to Medicare” Meeting July 18 Are you new to Medicare? Do you have questions? Douglas County Senior Services will present a “Welcome to Medicare” meeting on Wednesday, July 18 from noon to 1 p.m. Community Services Program Assistant and Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) Coordinator Criss Tomlin will give an overview of Medicare and answer questions. This is a brown bag session and participants are free to bring their lunch or reserve one through our Senior Meals program. For more information please contact the DCSS Community Services Department, 785-842-0543, or toll free 1-877-295-3277.
Fans Available Need a fan or know another senior who does? Thanks to another generous donation from the local employees at Westar Energy, DCSS has fans available to those in need. Call the Community Services Department at 785-842-0543.