February 2017 – Campbell Area AARP Chapter

Volunteer Instructions

February 20, 2017 by FYoung

VOLUNTEERS – SUPER IMPORTANT— PLEASE SAVE THIS PAGE …Marlene Hruby

This is a clarification of how to report your volunteer hours. The Day of Service category refers to the National AARP Day of Service, not each individual day that you did your volunteering. Unfortunately, National usually notifies us of this date too late to be announced in our Dispatch and sometimes even too late for our general meeting.
The annual AARP Activities Report is very specific as to volunteer categories. Our Standing Rules state all community-oriented volunteer activities of our members shall be considered “chaptersponsored.” These activities are in no way conducted by AARP, which has no responsibility in connection with such activities. These are the same reporting categories to match AARP’s definitions as last year. Thank goodness they did not change them again.
The report asks for the number of times as well as hours, i.e. if you worked once a week two hours at a time, you would report 4 times and a total of 8 hours for a four week month. If you have questions about this, call Marlene.
Advocacy/Legislative: Non-partisan activities supporting the goals and strategies of AARP, your AARP State Office or a local community need. Examples include get-out-the-vote campaigns, writing letter to Congress on issues of concern, or hosting a community issues forum.
Education/Scholarships or other: Programs designed to identify and support the ongoing education of deserving students in the community. Any other school- or education- based community activity, such as literacy2 projects, adopt-a-school programs, tutoring, building a school playground, collecting school supplies for needy children or instructing seniors on how to use a computer should also be included in this section.
Fundraising: Projects like bake sales, silent auctions and other activities that raise money for the chapter’s community service projects (i.e. our Treasure Chest and Opportunity Drawing).
Health and Wellness: This includes chapter support for events promoting physical activity.
Hunger: Chapter efforts or programs that support or fight hunger. Examples include food drives or donating money to help hunger.
Long-Term Care/Nursing Home Support: Programs in which members provide friendly visits, reading, letter writing, etc. for shut-ins, residents of nursing homes and veterans’ facilities, as well as general support for such facilities.
AARP’S DAY OF SERVICE – This is National AARP’s Day of Service that they never give us ample time to publicize. IT IS NOT the day that you perform your volunteer duties.
AARP Driver Safety
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide
All Other: This general category includes all other chapter community service projects, including clothing drives, other support for needy members of the community, disaster relief or emergency preparedness, outreach to the disabled community, Habitat for Humanity, services to youth and seniors, etc.

National Nutrition Month

February 19, 2017 by FYoung

National Nutrition Month — Healthy Food Shopping for Senior Adults
Gene Lennon
Serving size. Calories. Total fat. Percent daily value. Understanding food nutrition labels can be challenging, and many consumers just figure why bother? But for older adults, simply ignoring nutritional information can significantly compromise their health. To help make better food choices and create a healthy eating style, seniors and their family caregivers can turn to National Nutrition Month^®. Organized by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the March event includes recipes, videos, articles and educational tools on ways for people of all ages to adopt good nutrition.

This year’s theme is “Put Your Best Fork Forward,” a reminder that every bite counts toward a balanced diet. Even small changes in more nutritious meal and snack options add up to long-term health benefits including stronger bones, greater muscle flexibility and increased longevity.

“As we age, we require fewer calories but more of certain nutrients including calcium, potassium and vitamins D and B12,” said Gene Lennon, President/CEO, Right at Home Santa Clara County. “Many seniors encounter difficulties when shopping for and cooking nutrient-rich foods, but dietary obstacles are usually quite manageable with a little coaching and assistance. Staying active and independent as an older adult often starts in the grocery store aisle.”

Lennon recommends the following tips for helping the elderly shop for well-balanced foods:

Understand the basics of nutrition. The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers ChooseMyPlate.gov, which has nutritional information about the food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins and dairy) and healthy eating pointers for older adults. Encourage seniors to pay attention to the key components of food labels: calories, sodium, sugars and fats. Help ensure that elders fill half a mealtime plate with fruits and vegetables. At least half of grains served at a senior’s meal should be whole grains, and meats should be naturally lean or low in solid fats.

The National Institute on Aging website overviews the importance of reading food labels and including essential nutrients in food selections. Elders with diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic health conditions are advised to consult with their doctor or a registered dietician on specific foods to include or avoid for healthy eating.

Plan first, buy second. Smart food choices involve planning which ingredients you’ll need for recipes and knowing their nutritional value, price and availability. Suggest seniors make a detailed list of foods and beverages to buy for several days at a time. For older adults who typically cook for one or two, consider which foods can be made in larger quantities but safely stored for additional meals. Snacks and desserts are tempting to purchase, especially when they are on sale, but these items should be occasional buys. The outer ring of the grocery store typically stocks more nutritional food selections such as fresh produce, unsalted nuts and low-fat dairy products. Wholesale stores are well-suited for families, but for older couples and individuals, the discounted large-quantity items may spoil before use.
Think accessibility. For getting around the grocery store smoothly, elders may want to rely on a motorized cart or ask an employee for assistance with getting items off shelves. If fatigue sets in while shopping, seniors can rest in a chair at the store’s pharmacy, customer service or entryway. Remind older adults to shop when they are well-rested and the shopping center is not crowded with other customers. To help eliminate impulse purchases, encourage seniors to hold off grocery shopping when they are tired, hungry or feel rushed.
Consider using grocery apps. To make food shopping easier, a number of cellphone and mobile device grocery apps are available to create shopping lists, find coupons and scan barcodes. Several apps integrate menu planning, recipes and meal suggestions. Do a little research to make sure the app is user-friendly to match the senior’s tech proficiency.
Arrange for assistance. If grocery shopping with an aging loved one is not possible, perhaps a friend, neighbor or volunteer from a senior center or place of worship can help. Certain chain grocers and supermarkets offer online ordering and home delivery services. Some stores offer free delivery of groceries for seniors, and others charge a nominal fee. Many older adults benefit from professional at-home senior care services like Right at Home, which can provide a helping hand with meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking.
“National Nutrition Month raises awareness for ways to eat well as people age, particularly when dental problems make chewing a painful chore or diseases such as Parkinson’s or dementia affect swallowing,” Lennon added. “One’s sense of taste and thirst can also lessen with age and lead to a disinterest in food or cause dehydration. These special health needs highlight the importance of encouraging seniors to stay engaged with their daily food choices, putting their best fork forward for every snack and meal.”For additional information about National Nutrition Month and healthy eating for older adults, visit www.eatright.org or call the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at 1-800-877-1600.

President’s Message

March 13, 2017February 19, 2017 by FYoung

President…Ken Schieck
I hope that many of you have had a chance to visit our new website at campbellaarp.org. Our treasurer, Rick Loek, has created this site and also offers training courses on how to publish articles on it. If you would like to be on the team that publishes articles, contact Rick directly.
Valentine’s Day will be history when we convene on Feb. 21 for our general meeting, but wouldn’t it be fun to wear red? Speaking of Valentine’s day, our 8 year old granddaughter has combined this with another holiday and calls it “Valgiving” (for Thanksgiving!). She and her mom couldn’t celebrate Valentine’s day in their new house last year, so she wants to make it a yearly celebration at her new house from this point forward. (Funny how kids think.) Celebrate your grandchildren’s creativity, especially when it comes as a surprise.
On a more sobering note, there was an article in the Campbell Express a week or so ago about an ‘AARP SCAM ALERT’; you are offered a government grant which never has to be paid back. The kicker is that you have to provide your checking account information. Never give that information to people you don’t know. Report scams to local law enforcement and go to the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatch for more information and tips on fraud prevention.
Happy beginning of spring cleaning. And be careful; Margaret and I are both victims of falling and tripping.

Legislative Report

February 19, 2017 by FYoung

Legislative Report…Daniel Nnorth and Claudia Schott
It looks like Medicare is on everyone’s mind, including President Trump’s and Senator Paul Ryan’s. This may not be a good thing. Because Medicare has benefitted from ObamaCare, and the President and the good Senator as well as most of the GOP congress are thinking to repeal it, Medicare may be irreparably damaged. This is according to the latest article from AARP. Senator Ryan wishes to overhaul and modernize Medicare by turning it into a “defined contribution” program. This would mean that we, the beneficiaries, would get a set amount with which to buy our own private sector insurance. Also, the Senator wishes to raise the eligibility age to 67. He also states that these reforms would not affect those of us who are in or near retirement, just the younger generations….. Just how near retirement do we need to be to NOT be affected, Senator? Read more here: http:// www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2016/why-medicare-matters-special-report.html?intcmp=AE-POLADVO-EOA

AARP has countered with their stance on Medicare: “While fighting to protect and defend Medicare for current and near-term beneficiaries, we must also improve it for future generations while continuing its guaranteed benefits. We will work to find sensible solutions that improve care, reduce costs and create real savings for taxpayers without cutting benefits or access to care. These include: reducing prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and improving access to lower-cost biologic drugs; improving care coordination; cracking down on waste and fraud; and eliminating inefficient payment systems, uncoordinated care, mistakes, duplication and unnecessary paperwork.” (The underlining is my doing. I am so glad we have AARP on our side!) “We will also fight to protect the key provisions of health care reform that you have told us are important to you and your families:

Eliminating discrimination by insurance companies due to preexisting conditions.
Restricting discrimination by insurance companies based on age and gender.
Closing the “doughnut hole” to make prescription drugs more affordable under Medicare. 
Keeping children on their parents’ policies to the age of 26. 
Expanding preventive services. 
Protecting Medicaid’s critical long-term services and supports that help our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, including older adults and disabled children, continue to live in their homes and communities.

Read more here: http://www.aarp.org/politics-society/advocacy/info-2016/we-will-fight-for-medicare-jenkins.html. Of course, AARP can’t do it alone. That’s what its members are for! This is our call to action! We need to raise our voices to ensure that all Americans continue to receive the health care that they have earned, that they need and that they deserve. Our call to action is here: President-Elect Trump: Tell Congress that Medicare cuts are unacceptable! aarp.org/nocuts.