Month: January 2017

It’s not that we have more patience as we grow older, it’s just that we’re too tired to care about all the pointless drama.

Kids today don’t know how easy they have it. When I was young I had to walk nine feet through shag carpet to change the TV channel.

The House of Representatives has passed the Older Americans Act reauthorization. AARP urges the Senate to quickly pass this bill,” said AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. This OAA reauthorization bill safeguards essential programs and services that assist, protect, nourish and sustain older Americans, and promotes their dignity and independence in a fiscally responsible way. The OAA helps save precious federal and state tax dollars by keeping older Americans out of nursing homes and preventing unnecessary hospital readmissions.

Since it was enacted into law in 1965, millions of at-risk older Americans have relied on the services provided by the OAA for their health and financial security. These services help older Americans live independently by:

 Supporting nutrition programs, including Meals-on-Wheels;

 Providing home and community-based services, including preventive health services and transportation assistance;

 Assisting family caregivers with information and referral, counseling and respite care;

 Preventing and detecting elder abuse; and

 Providing part-time community service employment and training, including the Senior Community Employment Program (SCSEP), which has helped more than 1 million older Americans enter the workforce.

A few weeks ago, AARP’s Take a Stand campaign delivered petitions to Fox News and CNN urging the networks to ask the candidates a question about how they would update Social Security for future generations. Ted Cruz said we should raise the retirement age, reduce the rate of growth of benefits for younger workers and allow private accounts. John Kasich said we should reduce benefits for higher-income workers. Marco Rubio said we should gradually raise the retirement age, and reduce benefits for higher-income workers. Donald Trump said, “I want to leave Social Security as is. We will get rid of waste, fraud and abuse. ”

Wonder what the Democratic candidates have to say? Secretary Clinton doesn’t support any reductions in benefits. She favors increasing benefits by raising benefits for survivors, and creating a caregiver credit. She is also looking to increase revenue for Social Security by lifting the payroll tax cap and broadening the taxation base. Senator Sanders also doesn’t want to reduce benefits, and he would actually boost them via a general increase for all recipients, a further jump in the minimum benefit, and a higher price index for cost-of-living adjustments. Like Secretary Clinton, he would boost revenue for Social Security by lifting the payroll tax cap and broadening the tax base.

DEADLINE for articles for the Dispatch First Tuesday each month

E-mail to Marlene Hruby

Snail (US) mail to Dispatch, 2156 Orestes Way, Campbell CA 95008

Executive Board Meeting, Wesley Manor — Second Tuesday each month — 10:00 am

Chapter Meeting Campbell Community Center, Room Q80 — Third Tuesday each month — 9:30 am

Four different April drawings at three for $1 are:

French Nails (free manicure)

2091 S Bascom Ave, Campbell  408-879-0609

(thanks to Marlene Hruby)

Panera Bread (1 doz. Bagels)

Various Locations

(thanks to Angie Jaggars)

Harry’s Hofbrau ($25)

390 Saratoga Ave., San Jose  408-243-0434

(thanks to Jan Delucchi)

Campbell Express

(Thanks to the Howe Family)

February Winners were:

          Curves: Veronika Phillips

          Café San Jose: Mary Stanton

          Campbell Express: Jeanne Ulrich

          AARP Tee Shirt: Veronika Phillips

          Flowers: Marilyn Clough

 This month we will be amazed and amused once again by Bay Area’s Best Entertainer, Phil Ackerly. His magic has taken him to Off- Broadway in New York City, the Magic Castle in Hollywood, and he just returned from performing in Las Vegas and spending time with 16 magicians from around the world studying from International Magician, Jeff McBride. He will have many new tricks up his sleeve. So make yourself appear for this magical meeting.

April

April 19 10:00 a.m.

Social Time 9:30 a.m.

Campbell Community Center Room Q80

Please bring books to share. Leave clean clothing and bedding and canned food for Sacred Heart outside the meeting room on the bench. Please do not bring garage sale type items for Sacred Heart. Put new and used greeting cards in the box on the troop table. Bring your items for the GI’s into the meeting area.

Lunch after meeting:

Fish’s Wild, 1554 Saratoga Ave

San Jose 95130 408-378-3318

Program:

Phil Ackerly, Magician

Hi all, Marlene always encourages us to read the national AARP Bulletin and so I did in March and found a fact-filled article on the health good news and bad for the 50 states. Probably when we think of moving out of our wonderful but expensive California, we don’t consider these stats:

 Oregon rates #9 with low numbers of falls but high prevalence of chronic drinking.

 Hawaii is #4 with 12% more getting their flu shot but mental health days up 18%.

 New York is #21 with readily available home health providers but high percentage of seniors living in poverty.

 Arizona is #22 with high hospice use but a low percentage with a dedicated health care provider.

 Florida is #27 with high community support expenditures and 26% more sedentary older adults.

 Arkansas is #47 with a decrease of 18% usage of ICU but a low percentage of “able-bodied” seniors.

Please consider all aspects of a move! I’ve always wanted to write this, “Sheila Gold’s column will return in June when she returns from a 3-week sojourn to South America! Best to all.”