Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
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On August 19, Quail Park on Cypress honored its five residents who turn 100 to 104 years old this year. Betty Lane (100), Bea Moring (100), Patricia Pope (100), Geraldine Soultz (104) and Ken Albert (100) were presented with certificates of recognition from the County of Tulare by Supervisor Amy Shuklian. These five honorees were also presented letters of recognition from the City of Visalia. Residents filled the room to celebrate this milestone, as well as to celebrate ten...
October is really when sweater season starts. We can still have many warm, or even hot, days; these are balanced by the shorter days and cooler nights. You may be noticing new foliage growth, or flowers on plants that have been snoozing during the summer heat. Planting October is a busy month for planting. In the vegetable garden, plant chard, spinach, turnips, beets, snow peas, carrots, cilantro, lettuce and Asian greens from seed. Continue planting seedlings of greens, brocc...
Question: I am a senior and want to stay in my home for as long as I can. My daughter said there are too many hazards for me here. How can I live safer in my home? Your daughter is correct. What used to be a safe zone for you when you were younger can become extremely hazardous. As you age, your home should be someplace where you feel safe and secure. A 2014 study conducted by the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention found that 28.7% of adults over 65 reported fallin...
Every year people over the age of 60 are bilked out of $28.3 billion in financial scams. There are people with nefarious intentions who use a variety of ways to try to scam money from older adults Here are just a few of those ways and the steps you can take to avoid being victimized: The Grandparent Scam In this scam, the victim is contacted by someone posing as a grandchild or other loved one, who claims to be in a precarious situation and needs money immediately. Their name might even show up on Caller ID. The stress of...
On Friday, September 20, the Kings County Commission on Aging will host this year's Senior Picnic at Burris Park, 6500 Clinton Ave., Kingsburg. The event, which will feature food, a cake walk, games, informational tables, a crazy hat contest and an Elvis performance, will run from from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event is free, but there is a $3 suggested donation. For more information, call (559) 852-2828....
Plans are currently underway to celebrate fall with the annual Visalia Senior Center Fall Open House. The event, scheduled for Friday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 310 N. Locust St., Visalia, will feature information tables, programs and a lunch. Attendance is free for guests of all ages. The Fall Open House is expected to include more than 40 local vendors, each hand-selected as an agency, program or business that offers vital resources for mature adults. "The Visali...
August can be a light work month in the garden. Continue to repair water leaks and keep up with warm season weeds. August is also perfect for the following tasks: Planting This is the big month to plant seeds for cool season vegetables such as Asian greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leek, lettuce, pea, spinach and Swiss chard. You can also direct-seed another crop of beans. You can plant some ornamentals, but it will be a lot easier on you and them if you wait until...
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors is seeking interested individuals to fill vacancies on the In-Home Supportive Services Advisory Committee representing the following: Consumers A consumer must be an individual who is, or has been, a user of personal care assistance who has paid for those services, through private or public funds. Providers Providers must be current or past providers of in-home personal care services. Committee terms are for three years. There is one meeting per year, held in the Health and Human Service...
At a May 21st Reflection Garden Dedication, Kaweah Health unveiled a monument "to honor the selfless work by its healthcare personnel." The new monument, donated by community members like Eric Shannon and Kaweah Health employees, pays tribute to life and the devoted caregivers in its organization. The monument, sitting at the center of the Reflection Garden, has a unique design and a moving poem that pays homage to the team's efforts in caring for the Tulare County community....
Question: I was fully vaccinated and boosted for COVID, yet I still got it. Now that I have recovered, I am still fatigued, get short of breath easily, and have a foggy brain. Why is that? The CDC recently reported on a large study conducted in the USA, where they used 30,000 people who received the vaccine. They found that “Long COVID” (lasting effects of the virus) can occur for many months after recovering from COVID. Long COVID results in lingering symptoms such as respiratory problems, loss of taste and smell, fog...
Question: My mother has decided to move to an assisted living and wants to sell our family home to supplement the payment for her care. The family doesn’t want the home sold. What are the options? Many families have a difficult time letting go of the home where they grew up. The bottom line is that it is her home. Her home is one of her assets and it will help her in the next chapter of her life. She may feel like she is not safe, needs more socialization or feels like the upkeep is too much for her. There are options, h...
When you were younger, you might have had "family game night," huddled around the kitchen table with dice and tokens. Besides the happy memories this brings, those game nights may actually help boost one's health. Social connections, sense of purpose and an active mind can be key parts of healthier aging. Coming together to play games can be one way to encompass all three – while helping to reduce isolation. In light of this, Ageless Innovation's Reach Out and Play campaign, s...
Falling represents one of the most pressing health concerns facing older adults. As people consider ways to prevent falling, either for themselves or a loved one, it can seem daunting – with so many risk factors, how can we prevent them all? It doesn’t have to be overwhelming – here are three ways you or a loved one can take action: 1) Start or Expand a Workout Routine We begin losing muscle mass in our 30s, and that deterioration increases the risk of a fall as we age. To counteract that, a regular fitness routine can help...
Question: My friend wants me to be her Power of Attorney. Why is it so important to have one and are there any pitfalls that I need to be aware of if I do become her Power of Attorney? Power of Attorneys are very important to have in place before a crisis occurs. If you are not able to make your own health and financial decisions, your Power of Attorney can step in and handle your medical and financial decisions for you. They can manage your finances, medical care and legal issues that might arise if you are incapacitated....
Gen Zers who plan to be involved in their parents' senior care anticipate their parents moving in with them or them serving as their parents' primary or supportive caregivers Caring.com, a senior living referral service and a site for senior care reviews, recently published a report that examines how Gen Z-ers plan to care for their parents as they age. The report shares insight into Gen X-ers' and Baby Boomers expectations of their children's involvement in their future...
Today, you are more likely to meet a farmer over the age of 65 than under the age of 44. Most farmers have been in the industry for more than a decade, and over 60% of them work another job in addition to farming. Farmers are the oldest workforce in the country. According to the last USDA Census of Agriculture, the median age of a farmer is 57.5 years. This is more than two years older than any other job. For generations, farming was considered a family calling, but today one-...
Nearing age 65 and not sure when to enroll in Medicare? Have you ever received a bill from Medicare and weren't sure which course to take? You are not alone. Between now and 2030, an average of 10,000 U.S. Baby Boomers will turn 65 every day. Navigating the multifarious options of Medicare health insurance, including billing, is part of that transition. SHIP/HICAP, the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, a federal and state-sponsored, volunteer-supported...
The 2023 Visalia Senior Games, the first since the pandemic, were held over the weekend of November 4-5. This year's games featured competitions in pickleball and table tennis. "It was great to be back in action after not hosting the Visalia Senior Games since 2019," said Holly Ellis, recreation supervisor for the City of Visalia Parks and Recreation Department. "We experienced lower participation numbers than previous years, which can be attributed to the time of year, and...
Every year, thousands of people become victims of holiday scams. Scammers can rob you of hard-earned money, personal information and, at the very least, a festive mood. According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, non-payment or non-delivery scams cost people more than $337 million. Credit card fraud accounted for another $173 million in losses. Also this time of year, beware of auction fraud, where a product is misrepresented on an auction site, and gift card fraud, when a seller asks you to pay with a pre-paid card....
(This is the fourth in a series of articles from the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency about supportive services for local seniors to appear in The Good Life.) Do you know someone aged 65 or older who needs help at home? The Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) is a resource in Tulare and Kings Counties that provides social and health care management services to help older adults remain in their homes and communities. To be eligible for MSSP, individuals must be 65 years of age or older, be eligible for...
Check use may be declining, but check fraud is still a serious problem, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Watch out for the scam dubbed "check washing," which involves stealing checks from mailboxes and then altering them. Fortunately, you can do a few things to protect yourself and your business. How the Scam Works You send a check in the mail as payment for a service or product. However, a few days or weeks later, you are contacted by the company you paid. They...
The Aging Network California will host the Inaugural Professional Summit for senior living professionals on August 22 in Visalia. The goal of the event is to inspire, encourage and equip professionals with practical tools and expert insights to reach new heights in their personal and professional lives. The keynote speaker will be Melanie Warner, author of Defining Moments. Other featured speakers include Cindy Ames and Danny Hill who will share their insights on shifting mindsets, achieving success through laughter and...
The NorthPointe Community Church Elder Care Ministry and AgeWell Fresno have partnered to bring a free Education Summit & Senior Resource Fair proclaimed “All Things New” to the Fresno campus of NorthPointe Community Church on Saturday, May 6, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Education Summit will present three speakers, each on a subject that is practical, relational and inspirational. Sally Westlake of the California Department of Finance & Innovation will speak on protecting yourself from electronic fraud. Douglas E. Noll, J.D...
If you’re like me, you’ve had enough of being cooped up with the cold, winter weather, and are chomping at the bit to get outside and enjoy the spring sunshine! But a note of caution – while we’re out there frolicking in the beautiful spring weather, let’s remember to be mindful that just about everybody likes the springtime – even scammers! Yes, even scammers. And most recently, their fraudulent schemes are targeting seniors outdoors – in parking lots. So, let’s educate ourselves, and take a look at what some popular parking...
As Mental Health Awareness Month, May is a time to raise awareness of and reduce the stigma surrounding behavioral health issues, as well as highlight how mental illness can affect all of us – patients, providers, families and society at large. A local program is about to celebrate its tenth year of providing residents with a unique approach to coping with the struggles of mental illness. And while it is open to anyone ages 18 and up, most of the participants are over the a...