Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Travel, Leisure & Fun for South Valley Adults
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 287
Tulare County Public Health and the California Department of Public Health are investigating four cases of suspected West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in Tulare County. Three adult males and one child have been affected, three of the individuals from the Visalia area and one from Tulare. The West Nile virus is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, and there is no vaccine or medication to treat the virus. Delta Vector Control has also confirmed that the St. Louis Encephalitis Virus has been detected in mosquitos in Tulare...
Recognizing that California's over-65 population is projected to grow to 8.6 million by 2030, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order calling for the creation of Master Plan for Aging to be developed by October 1, 2020. The Master Plan will serve as a blueprint that can be used by state government, local communities, private organizations and philanthropy to build environments that promote healthy aging. "The Golden State is getting grayer and we need to be ready for...
Visalia Emergency Aid Council (VEAC) received a $10,000 donation from Humana, a leading health and well-being company. A check presentation and celebratory event was held May 2 at its food pantry in Visalia. The donation will allow VEAC to provide 52,632 pounds of food for its food pantry, which will feed 1,315 families with children. "Our work depends on the support of our community and partners like Humana," said Iris East, development director of VEAC. "We're honored to...
The Stanford Center on Longevity named teams from the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford co-champions of the 2018-2019 Longevity Design Challenge competition. These teams beat out 97 entries from 24 countries during the course of the competition. Both teams will receive a $10,000 first prize for their accomplishment. The Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge is a global competition to encourage students to design products and services to improve the lives...
The Inspector General of Social Security, Gail S. Ennis, is warning citizens about a caller-ID “spoofing” scheme misusing the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Fraud Hotline phone number. The OIG has received recent reports of phone calls displaying the Fraud Hotline number on a caller-ID screen. This is a scam; OIG employees do not place outgoing calls from the Fraud Hotline 800 number. Citizens should not engage with these calls or provide personal information. Callers may use a...
Two years ago, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office received grant funding in the amount of $400,000 for a new Elder Abuse Program. "This was a highly competitive statewide grant and we were one of the few jurisdictions awarded it – and I believe we have been good stewards of it," said Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward. "The grant has really given us the means to chart a new course when addressing elder abuse by being proactive. Our ability to educate s...
Tulare County's annual ceremony to mark Elder Abuse Awareness Month was held at Government Plaza in Visalia on May 28. The event was attended by about 50 people. "This event is to build awareness in the community about elder abuse," said Deputy HHSA Director of Adult Protective Services John Mauro, who noted, "One in every 10 people over 60 experiences some form of elder abuse." "The whole concept of elder abuse has been very personal to me this year," said Tulare County...
Shoppers at Visalia's Farmers Markets will be saying goodbye to a long-time location this year, but will double down in more ways than one when two new venues open in May. The Downtown Thursday Night Market is no more, a victim of poor air quality and stifling summer heat, according to Farmers Market Manager Angie Warkentin, who added there has been a downward trend in vendor and participant attendance at the event. "Last year, we averaged 30 vendors," she said, contrasting...
The 2019 Visalia Senior Games has wrapped up another year of successful competition with 533 athletes competing in various locations in Visalia over the last two weekends in March. Seniors from over 80 California cities and from Utah, Maine, Nevada and Washington competed in 13 various sporting events, including a 5k/10k run, archery, bowling, cycling, disc golf, golf, horseshoes, pickleball, softball, swimming, table tennis, track & field, and trap shooting. By far the most...
Local events have been scheduled to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. On Tuesday, May 28, "Elder Abuse Awareness Flag Ceremony 2019" will be held on the northeast lawn of Government Plaza, 5957 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, starting at 9 a.m. Coordinated by Tulare County Public Guardian & Adult Protective Services, the annual ceremony will again feature local officials and community leaders, and a display of purple flags. "Each report of elder abuse will be recognized with a...
The Visalia Senior Center is ready to kick-off spring with its annual Spring BBQ and Open House event, scheduled for Wednesday, April 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will take place at the Visalia Senior Center, 310 N. Locust St. and feature plenty of information, programs, activities and entertainment for active adults. The Spring BBQ and Open House is designed to bring local businesses and providers of programs and services for the senior population together to one...
Winning never gets old for the athletes who participate in Visalia Senior Games. The 4th Annual Visalia Senior Games return this spring, spanning the last two weekends of March (March 23-24 and 30-31). The Visalia Senior Games, sponsored by the Kaweah Delta HealthCare District, promote a healthy, active lifestyle for adults ages 50 and better. This is an event that not only recognizes active seniors but draws attendees from all over California and the Western United States,...
In February, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued an in-depth investigative study on romance scams, describing how fraudsters target people who are looking for romance. BBB's follow-up study, "Fall in Love – Go to Jail: A BBB Report on How Romance Fraud Victims Become Money Mules," describes how fraudsters then exploit that relationship further. As detailed in the original study, romance scammers typically contact their victims through dating websites, apps or social media, often using fake profiles and even stolen c...
"Six-bed facilities are the wave of the future," said California State Assemblyman Jim Patterson (R-Fresno). "This is where many of our moms and dads are. Eighty percent of residential care facilities for the elderly are six-bed facilities." Patterson authored Assembly Bill 1437, which addresses the two main issues faced by owners of more than one six-bed care facility. The assembly easily passed the bill and the state senate is expected to also approve the bill. 6Beds, Inc.,...
When a claim is denied, it is usually because the veteran is missing one of the elements for any service-connected disability claim. If the VA denies your claim and you feel there is sufficient evidence to support the finding of a service connection, you must follow specific procedures laid out below. Some people will tell you that you just need to continue to disagree with the decision until the VA agrees with you; however, this procedure rarely, if ever, works. If you fail...
The City of Visalia Parks and Recreation Department will host the annual Visalia Senior Center Fall Open House at 310 N. Locust St. Visalia, on Wednesday, September 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will feature plenty of information, programs, activities and entertainment for seniors. Free for guests of all ages, this event will feature 30 local vendors. Each vendor has been selected as an agency, program or business that offers vital resources for mature adults,...
"We have plans to invest in elder abuse issues," said Kings County District Attorney Keith L. Fagundes. The current effort is currently grouped with other crimes such as insurance fraud. Unlike neighboring Tulare County, Kings County has not applied for grant money to create an elder abuse task force, so the D.A.'s office is working within its budget. "Grant funding is always nice, but it creates false security," said Fagundes. "You don't know if it's going to continue. I'm no...
An Elder Abuse Awareness Flag Ceremony was held at Government Plaza in Visalia on June 6, which was attended by about 70 people. Speakers included Tulare County Board of Supervisors Chairman Pete Vander Poel, Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward, Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreax and Family Services Executive Director Caity Meader. June has been designated as World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, and annual ceremonies and other events educate people around the world about...
Congress established the Vet Center Program in 1979 because a significant number of Vietnam veterans had problems readjusting to civilian life. They are community based, and in some cases (including the one in Fresno), are not even located at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). Through the years, Vet Centers have expanded to cover veterans having served during other operations. Vet Centers provide a range of services including counseling, outreach and referral...
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that in late April the first confirmed illness in California this season due to West Nile virus occurred in Kings County. An illness caused by the virus was reported in Visalia in May. “We are anticipating a significant increase in the number of WNV cases because of all the rain this year,” said Dr. Milton Teske, health officer for Kings County. “It’s a perfect combination of a lot of water and warm weather.” He advises that it is especially important to eliminate...
In an effort to reduce identity theft and fraud, the nation's 60 million Medicare enrollees will be receiving new cards next year, and are being warned to watch for an inevitable increase in scams that will undoubtedly follow. While all current Medicare enrollees will also receive the new cards in the mail starting April 2018 to replace their existing cards, the timetable for implementing the new cards will start earlier. "Any beneficiary that starts participating in Medicare...
A survey of senior service providers and senior care providers is currently being conducted by the Tulare County Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Team and Adria Navarro, Ph.D., LCSW, assistant professor of Clinical Family Medicine at the University of Southern California. "We are hoping that the survey will show us where the gaps in services are for elder victims," said Nicole Burnham, victim advocate with the Tulare County District Attorney's Office. "Hopefully, we will gain...
The 48th Annual Senior Day in the Park, a free event for seniors, their families and caregivers, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, May 12, at Mooney Grove Park. This year's theme is "Sock Hop." The event is organized by CSET (Community Services Employment Training). Sponsors include Kings/Tulare Area Agency on Aging, Tulare County Health & Human Services, Kaweah Delta Health Care District, Family HealthCare Network, and Salser & Dillard. Entertainment will include...
Each year, an estimated five million older persons are abused, neglected and exploited. In addition, elders throughout the United States lose an estimated $2.6 billion annually due to elder financial abuse and exploitation, funds that could have been used to pay for basic needs such as housing, food, and medical care. Unfortunately, no one is immune to abuse, neglect or exploitation. It occurs in every demographic, and can happen to anyone. Yet it is estimated that only about...
Living Care Lifestyles and local partners have joined forces to build and operate a new senior living community at the intersection of Demaree and Flagstaff in northwest Visalia. "Our research indicates there is a significant need for additional senior living facilities in the Visalia area," said Denis Bryant CEO of Living Care Lifestyles. "This new community will provide exceptional living and health services to senior residents and peace of mind to their families." Kaweah...