Senior Citizens Go back to College… Sort of…

Generally, we try to write a lot about Oregon Assisted Living and general senior housing issues, but this is too good to pass up. I just read what I thought was a hilarious story on FoxSports.com about a unique job that senior citizens have found at the University of Kansas. It seems that the school’s athletes sometimes have trouble… um… “remembering” to go to class. This is not news to anyone who follows collegiate sports. Many Division I athletes got their scholarship, and routinely cut classes with the unspoken understanding that their professors will let it slide. This is especially true in College Basketball, where the top athletes generally attend just one year of college (because they are not old enough to go pro yet), and then bolt for the NBA. They don’t care about grades.

Anyway, there is the backdrop… So the University of Kansas decided to hire people to keep tabs on their athletes; to make sure they weren’t cutting classes. They had tried using other students, but of course, that didn’t work. So instead, they hired grandparents!

Okay, not the actual grandparents. The University hired a retired elderly police officer and a band of additional senior citizens to watch over the shoulders of the student athletes. If they cut class, the will report them. So far, this arrangement seems to be working out great. The students would prefer a different system, of course, but they go with it. They know deep down that they need the accountability. And who better to give it than actual elderly folks?

This just goes to show you that a retired senior can still make a world of difference. And there are a host of volunteer opportunities as well as part time work available to those who are willing to work outside the box.

So kudos to Kansas! They made a smart move!

AARP Now Offering Free Tax Help to Some Seniors

The American Association of Retired People (the A.A.R.P.) has just begun its annual Tax Aide volunteer program for low income seniors. The program has caught on all around the nation. Last year in Oregon, more than 51,000 returns were filed by the AARP Tax Aide volunteers, and the total refunds received topped 57 million dollars! As far as volunteer elderly care services go, this one is hard to top!

How do they do it? They have an army of volunteers designed to make tax time less painful. Seniors who have normal “straight forward” tax returns are welcome to bring their returns along with their 2010 financial statements and identification to an AARP Tax Aide volunteer site.

There is, of course, the chance that a senior’s taxes will be too complicated to be handled for free by a Tax Aide volunteer. Seniors generally know when they fall in to this category. Remember, these are volunteer tax preparers who are giving of their time for free. If you think your taxes could be too much for a volunteer to handle in a reasonable amount of time, it is better to contact a professional tax preparers office, like H & R Block.

The tax Aide service is a great tradition, put on by some great, big hearted folks. To find a location to get your taxes done if you are a low income senior (or a senior loved one, if you are not:), visit the AARP site here. If you need some other type of care for elders in your life, visit our homepage.

Central Oregon Senior Services

With the generation of baby boomers all reaching seniorhood, many senior citizen service organizations are feeling the need to expand and network together to more fully address the growing demand for senior care.

Finding Senior Services in Central Oregon

The Central Oregon Council on Aging (COCOA) is an example of senior citizen service organizations networking together to care for the seniors of central Oregon. COCOA is a private nonprofit organization whose goal is to meet the immediate needs of central Oregon’s senior citizens while supporting their dignity, safety, and independence.

Seniors in LaPine, Madras, Sisters, Redmond, Prineville, and Bend, Oregon may benefit from transportation services including discounted bus fares and personal transportation to and from work, doctor’s appointments, shopping centers, and other recreational destinations offered through COCOA’s Dial-A-Ride service.

Another well known organization, Meals-on-Wheels, in conjunction with COCOA, provides hot weekday lunches and frozen weekend meals and nutritional information to central Oregon seniors who are house-bound.

COCOA has networked with senior centers in central Oregon to help seniors become aware of the elder care services and community activities offered through their local senior center. Providing opportunities for seniors to connect with each other and give back to their community by participating in projects are just twp of the many ways senior centers are enriching the lives of Central Oregon’s seniors.

In addition to the above services, COCOA has coordinated with SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance) to provide seniors with assistance in obtaining medical insurance, understanding insurance coverage, and resolving medical bill or insurance disputes.

To find out more about the elderly care services offered by the Central Oregon Council on Aging, call 1-877-704-4567.

Seniors Find Fulfillment in Volunteering

Millions of adults are, right now, counting the days until they can give up their careers, settle down and retire. Retirement is a prize to them after years and years of faithful service for their families. They want to golf, travel, shop, and relax. And when they finally get to do it, many absolutely adore their new lifestyle.

But for others, this lifestyle quickly starts to feel empty. Maybe it is the lack of productivity. Or maybe it is the lack of personal contact–even if it just means they don’t see people at the office anymore. But whatever it is, it feels hollow. And they want more.

Thankfully, we live in a world where volunteering is understood to be a noble pursuit. And seniors all around the country, from Oregon Assisted Living facilities to Texas Elderly Care homes, to retirees in Florida, have found that volunteering can fulfill them even more than their career did.

What do seniors volunteer for? Virtually anything. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP, connects thousands of seniors with local services all around the country. Seniors can do what they know how to do, whether that means teaching an adult education class, knitting a blanket for a nursing home, painting a house, tutoring a child, or giving advice to local businessmen. The opportunities are as varied as the seniors who fill them.

When seniors plug into the community, they find a kind of fulfillment that only comes when one human being helps another. To find volunteer opportunities in Oregon, click here.

Networks for Helping Seniors

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in their handy “Guide to Choosing a Nursing Home,” recommends that people explore different options BEFORE deciding to put their loved ones in a nursing home. In many cases, those loved ones do not need intensive, 24-hour assistance, but their needs are just a little more than any one person can handle. The Guide lists many different kinds of services that can help out based on the individual’s needs, so that the Nursing Home option doesn’t have to be the first and only option. I’m posting those options below, along with a brief definition and explanation.

■ Adult day care : This is a unique service offered to seniors who live with loved ones but need care during the day while their loved ones are at work. Most adult day cares are designed for seniors who have dimentia or alzheimers and cannot care for themselves.

■ Meal programs (like Meals-on-Wheels) Meals on Wheels is a national program that offers home delivery of lunches to seniors who are not able to get out. Delivery Drivers are volunteers

■ Senior centers are gathering places for seniors and their caregivers where they can find limitless information on senior services, and also find friendship, recreation, employment, and volunteer opportunities.

■ Friendly visitor programs: Offer much needed fellowship and friendly assistance for seniors who are stuck at home without friends and family. The volunteer network of is dedicated to making those they help realize that they are not alone.

Be sure to check with any of these networks to inquire about further assistance in transportation, shopping, or any other questions regarding elder services in your area.