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SCHEDULE OF
EVENTS WESTPORT SENIOR CENTER (programs for
elders 60 years of age and over) As of Monday,
March 01, 2010 March
2010 News & Events At The Westport Senior Center Meet The Candidates April 7th Before we know it, spring will be here with all of the promise of warmer weather and crocuses blooming. It is also the time that is set aside for Town Business. Don’t forget that there is a Special Town Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 9th. It is very important to be an informed voter. Tuesday, April 13th is Election Day. Come to the Senior Center on April 7th at 1:00 p.m. to hear the candidates discuss the issues facing the Town. It will also be a good opportunity for you to ask questions of the Town Administrator and the Superintendent of Schools about the proposed override of Proposition 2 ½.
Mary Ellen Gomes,
Director AARP Tax-Aide Program Again this year, a volunteer tax-aide, Jean-Louis Clapin,
will be at the Westport Senior Center to help Westport residents over 60
years of age prepare their simple 2009 tax returns. Mr. Clapin will be at the Center on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, by appointment only, through April 14, 2010. Please contact Mr. Clapin at (508)
672-5683
for an appointment. This program is offered by the AARP Foundation in
conjunction with the IRS, in co-operation with the COA. Transportation Corner - Updates
& Reminders From The WCOA
Transportation Department Appointments for transportation must be made in advance to provide quality transportation for our clients. Appointments can be taken between 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Beginning March 1st 2010, appointments cannot be made for the following day. Please call at least 1 week prior to your appointment. For example, if you need an appointment for a Wednesday, you must call to schedule it with us no later than the Wednesday before your appointment. This gives us time to prepare our schedules in a more effective manner. Please keep this in mind when scheduling you’re appointments.
Donations- During these tough economic times your support is more important than ever to help keep the transportation service that the WCOA provides going. A $5 donation is suggested a round-trip ride, and $3 for a one-way transport. Also donations may be made to the Town of Westport. Thank You Again for your continued support for such a great service! Elder Law
Today by Surprenant & Beneski, P.C. Ten Asset Protection Mistakes Mistake #1 Relying only on
a Will or a Living Trust. A Will takes effect only at your death and a Living
Trust will not protect your assets from the government and nursing homes. Mistake #2 Relying on
Medicare or Health Insurance. Neither Medicare nor health insurance pays for
the cost of long term in a nursing home. With the average cost in
Massachusetts approximately $9,000 without a Plan most families will quickly
run through their life savings Mistake #3 Transferring
all assets to children. This almost always creates a five-year period of
ineligibility for Medicaid. The tax
consequences can be devastating. Mistake #4 Placing all
assets into joint ownership with other family member. This also creates a
five-year period of ineligibility for Medicaid and can create unfortunate
legal problems for families. Mistake #5 Selling the
family home to pay for nursing home care. This is almost never required. Yet many still believe that a person must
sell his home to pay the nursing home. Mistake #6 Not taking
Medicaid estate recovery seriously.
The government can and does sell your home after your death to recoup
benefits paid out on your behalf. Mistake #7 Applying for a
guardianship. This court-supervised method of dealing with a person’s
incapacity is time-consuming, costly, burdensome and restrictive. With proper
planning, you would avoid the need to go to court. Mistake #8 Relying on
family members to “do the right thing” when critical health care and
financial decisions need to be made. In the absence of a Plan to protect
assets and other planning documents, this is an awful burden to place on your
family. Mistake #9 Not seeking the
advice of a specialist in elder law and asset protection planning. Medicaid and other government benefits
programs are a highly complex area of the law, which varies from state to
state. Very few attorneys and advisors
know and understand the laws and rules that apply. Mistake #10 Doing nothing.
Unless you have no assets to protect or you are unconcerned about how
decisions will be made in the event of your disability or incapacity, you
should take steps now to protect yourself. Mistake #11 Trying to
prepare your estate plan yourself. The
laws are too complex. You are likely
to find out that your assets are not protected when a problem arises and it
is too late to fix. Mistake #12 Create your
Estate Plan and then forgetting about it.
Your life will change and your estate plan should be reviewed at least
every three years to ensure that that it will work when you need it. Please join us for Soup &
Sandwich and a Movie! Wednesday, March
17 - Lunch and entertainment! The Council of
Aging will serve Corned Beef & Cabbage at the Westport
Senior Center. Lunch will be served at
11:30 a.m. with entertainment by guitarist/vocalist Susan Lainey at 12:00
noon for the first 60 guests who make reservations--all for the bargain price
of $3.00 per person. Advance
registration is required - please call (508) 636-1026 Pc & Internet Classes For
Senior Citizens Hi and welcome to Computer Classes at Westport COA. My name is Joan Hale, and I am here to help you get the most out of your PC. I want you to excel in how you use your PC, be it Internet, surfing, emailing, word processing, or just as simple as using the mouse. I hope this training will help break down the “Typical
Barriers” and “Obstacles” which are responsible for stopping the majority of
senior citizens learning the value in owning a PC and getting online. Keep in
mind, “You Cannot Break the Computer”. So let’s have some fun and learn
together. Call Me at the Creative Drawing Class Join the multi-media drawing class at the Westport Senior Center. Share the fun and comradely as you learn new ways to express yourself, responding to your surroundings with new awareness of form, perspective, and color learning techniques. Classes are on Thursdays 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for a cost of $30.00 for a 5 week session, continuing through the year. Barbara Farnell is the instructor. Please call the Westport Council on Aging at (508) 636-1026. “Food For Friends” Food Pantry Is Open!! This great resource is available to families in the
Westport Community. If you have any questions on who qualifies, please call
the center and ask for Andrea or Phyllis at 508-636-1026 in the Outreach
Department. Thank you to everyone who has generously contributed to
the Food Pantry. We are doing well,
serving nearly 30 Westport households. “Food for Friends” depends on the
community support and you and the community-at-large have been wonderful. We always welcome whatever you can donate, whether it be
canned and prepackage foods, toiletries, volunteering to work at the Pantry,
or making a donation. We are now posting on the “erasable” board in the COA
main hallway a list of items that are particular needed. Small sizes are more manageable than larger
for our recipients. Specifically, we can use the following foods and
toiletries. Please drop items off at the WCOA. Food: Cold & hot healthy Cereal, Peanut butter, Jelly,
Fruit, Baked beans, Ravioli, Spaghetti, Stews & Chili, sweet & white
Potatoes, Protein beans (kidney, chickpea, pinto), Hams. Toiletries: Toothpaste, Toothbrushes, Paper Towels,
Kleenex and disposable Razors. Thank You for all your support. Individually and together
we are making a difference.
Heather Heath Reed, COA Board Chair Food
Pantry Is Open Every Thursday from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Fuel Assistance Forms & Assistance is now available through the Outreach department. Please call to schedule an appointment with Andrea or Phyllis.
S.N.A.P. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - helps low income individuals and families buy healthy, nutritious food. Please contact the Outreach department to see if you are eligible!! Senior Center Closing Policy: If the Westport Community Schools announce closings due to
weather emergencies, the Senior Center will close for classes,
transportation, and other activities--the My Life My Health Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Created by: Stanford University New session beginning Monday, March 8th. Please call to reserve your space for this six-week session. Classes will be held on Mondays from 12:00 - 2:30. Please feel free to call Toni Cormier, LSWA, at the Westport Council on Aging for more details at (508) 636-1026. Southern Charm The Westport C.O.A. through the Friends of the WCOA is sponsoring a trip to Charleston, Savannah & Jekyll Island April 18th - 24th, 2010. Hosted by Collette Vacations.
For more information, contact Mary Ellen Gomes at the Westport Council on Aging, 508-636-1026. Healing from
Grief and Loss Sponsored by Community Nurse & Hospice Care Jennifer Marszalek will be presenting a 4 week group on
coping with Grief & Loss at the Westport COA. Starting on Thursday March
4th and continuing on March 11th, 18th, and 25th at
9:00 - 10:30 a.m. For
more information, please call (508) 636-1026. Parkinson’s Support Group Parkinson’s Support Group is having a meeting on Thursday,
February 11th at 1:00 p.m. at the Dartmouth Legal Advice Attorney Jennifer Heald will meet individuals for fifteen-minute appointments on Wednesday, March 17th from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Senior Center. The first six individuals to sign up will meet with Attorney Heald who will help to answer your questions at the Senior Center. Please write down your questions so you can make good use of your brief time with her. Please call in advance (508) 636-1026. Attorney Heald established her general civil practice in Westport
handling civil matters including estate planning and landlord/tenant
cases. As an Estate Planning attorney,
she is able to give advice on Last Wills and Testaments, Durable Powers of
Attorney, Health Care Proxies, Living Will Declarations, HIPAA Authorizations,
and Declarations of Homesteads for clients.
She can also provide legal assistance in probate administration. * * * * * * * * Senior Center Closing Policy: If the Westport Community Schools announce closings due to weather emergencies, the Senior Center will close for classes, transportation, and other activities--the COA office may operate for routine administrative operations only.
Information And Referral to the network of services available to Westport residents, 60 years of age and over. WCOA is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
The Shine Program (Serving The Health Information Needs Of Elders)--information about Medicare, supplements, MassHealth. Phone consultations and office appointments. Call Karen Urmson at (508) 222-1399
Transportation for Westport’s elders, and handicapped persons of all ages, Monday - Friday, to area appointments scheduled between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. When you make your doctor’s appointment, call us for a ride, ASAP. Please have the exact doctor’s name, street address, and telephone number when you call.
Mind Art Expressions – Bingo – Drawing – Games – Knitting – Quilting – Poetry – Writing - Watercolor And Body Aerobics, Billiards, Chair Massage, Osteoporosis Prevention Fitness Prevention, Reiki, T’ai Chi, Yogafit, Zumba Programs: Call for space availability and fees: (508) 636-1026. Caregiver
Support Group w/ Phyllis March
16 at 1:30 p.m. Visual Impairment Support Group w/ Andrea – 3rd Tuesday, March 16, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Also Books On Tape - Video Magnifier Transportation is available for Westport residents.
Chair Massage w/ Karen – 1st Friday, March 5, 2010 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. Chair
Massage w/ Heather—Every Wednesday 9 to 11 a.m. This is a complimentary service—no charge. REIKI w/ Deborah--Mondays, 10:00 a.m.-12 noon. Donations.
Blood Pressure Clinic w/ Nurse Kathy 3rd Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Blood Pressure Clinic w/ Nurse Pauline Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 10:30 – 11:30 p.m. Podiatry Clinic at Dr. Spiri’s office in Somerset. Thursday, March 25, 2010. For an appointment call the WCOA at (508) 636-1026 * * * * * * * * Friends Of The
Westport Council On Aging, Inc. Supporting the Senior Center P.O. Box N192 Westport, MA 02790 New
Year – New Telephone Book As you know, a new Westport Phone Book is being published this year. 1.
If you
are not in the New Bedford Verizon directory (delivered since February 1st)
you will not be in our Telephone Book, unless you contact us in writing
giving us your name, address, and the telephone number that you want in the
book. Send to: FWCOA, P.O. BoxN192,
Westport, Mass. 02790 2. If you get your mail at a Post Office Box
and you want that information shown in the new Telephone Book, you must call
Claire at (508) 636-3535 or e-mail cvkenny@yahoo.com. We
will include the Post Office Box numbers but only if you notify us as shown
above. 3. We are willing to show your cell phone
number in the Telephone Book if you are no longer using a “land line”. But you must notify us in writing of
this-send to: FWCOA, P.O. Box N192, Westport, MA 02790 The
FWCOA publishes this Telephone Book as a service to the town and a fundraiser
for the senior center. It is
distributed free to every household and if you have a business or service, it
is the best possible place to advertise-our rates have not been raised. If you have not received the forms and
rates for an ad-call Lillian at 508-675-7635. and they will sent to you. All
ads must be submitted promptly in order to make our deadline. Thank
you, Claire
Kenney
* * * * * * * * CALENDAR OF EVENTS - WESTPORT SENIOR CENTER (Programs for elders 60 years of age and over) Special Events
For March 2010 And Beyond “Sing-a-long with Natalia” – Wednesday, March 3rd – 12 noon. Entertainment by Natalia Southern Charm –The Westport C.O.A. through the Friends of the WCOA is sponsoring a trip to Charleston, Savannah & Jekyll Island April 18th - 24th, 2010. Hosted by Collette Vacations. For more information, contact Mary Ellen Gomes at the Westport Council on Aging, (508) 636-1026. Please join us for Soup &
Sandwich and a Movie! Wednesday, March
17 - Lunch and entertainment! The Council of
Aging will serve Corned Beef & Cabbage at the Westport
Senior Center. Lunch will be served at
11:30 a.m. with entertainment by guitarist/vocalist Susan Lainey at 12:00
noon for the first 60 guests who make reservations--all for the bargain price
of $3.00 per person. Advance
registration is required - please call (508) 636-1026 Dr.
John Meehan, Ophthalmologist - Tuesday,
April 20, 11:00 a.m. Dr. John Meehan, Ophthalmologist from South Coast
Eye Care will be giving an informational on
Macular Degeneration. Screenings may
be available. Please call (508)
636-1026 to sign up for this presentation. Regular Daily
Events For March 2010 Click here to get an hourly/weekly schedule of Senior
center activities.
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Events of Westport All rights
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