Medicare open enrollment is happening right now, and it’s important to understand exactly what Medicare is and which plans you can choose. Based on Medicare survey data 57% of all Medicare enrollees don’t review or compare their coverage options annually. The problem? You may not have the plan that best serves your needs. And the…
Read MoreAge-Friendly Communication for Seniors All Over the World
The single barrier to age-friendly communication with older people is how information is presented in the print form or audibly. The font size on text materials, mainly hard copy and visual displays such as television, can often be too small to read. Product labels and instructions, particularly for medications, can be hard to decipher. Page…
Read MoreLet Us Help You Make the Right Medicare Choices
Our in-depth, one-on-one Medicare insurance counseling sessions are designed to help older adults and their families, friends, and caregivers make the right Medicare choices. During open enrollment, Robert Cohen, a long-time SHIBA counselor for the CoA, helps hundreds of people make the right choices for each individual situation. “I try to steer people in the…
Read MoreHelping Seniors Navigate the Path of Aging
The path of aging is complex, which is especially true during the pandemic era. Feelings of isolation and loneliness are on the rise and the lockdown has exasperated the problem. Many seniors don’t know where to turn. They didn’t plan to worry about surviving a pandemic. But life doesn’t come with a script or any…
Read MoreHow Our Social Security System Unfolded: It’s Quite a Story
It all started with the Great Depression in the 1930s, which left more than half of the people in the U.S. unable to provide for themselves. The depression brought about the crumbling of the stock market and the disappearance of retirement savings for many senior American citizens. As a result, Social Security was implemented as…
Read MoreNational Senior Citizens Day, August 21st
It was 1988, when, through Proclamation 5847, Ronald Reagan deemed August 21st the day America would celebrate seniors. Over 30 years later, as older people live longer, healthier, and more productive, the cause for celebration is more appropriate than ever. Reagan intended National Senior Citizens Day to be a time to give back to older…
Read MoreSenior Isolation and Loneliness. An Epidemic of Pandemic Proportions
As we age, the inevitable happens. Friends and relatives pass away. Social circles become smaller. Married couples lose a spouse. Physical limitations limit activities when an aging adult can no longer drive, has mobility issues, hearing difficulties, or trouble following a conversation. Anyone of these scenarios can leave an older adult feeling very lonely and…
Read MoreBob Bailey, Information and Resources Specialist, Is Your Answer Man
Over the course of our life time, our circumstances are likely to change. Information, answers to questions, and access to resources aren’t always easy to obtain. That’s where Bob Bailey comes in. As our Information and Resources Specialist, he’s always happy to help answer inquiries from an aging adult, their caregivers, or concerned children. Bob…
Read MoreStep Back in Time: The History of Our Recently Acquired Building
We feel so lucky to have been connected to the founding father of our new (1952) building, Mr. Max Williams! He recently visited the building to share some stories about how the Latter-Day Saints congregation designed and constructed this Bend landmark. Explore the history of this beautiful building.
Read MoreBuilding Our Future
We’re building our future one brick at a time. Our Senior Services Center is planned to be the home to a new generation of inclusive, age-friendly services that can meet the needs of a rapidly changing and aging Central Oregon. As the provider of services for older adults in Central Oregon for 45 years, we…
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