Blood Donations Are Critically Needed

Both Stanford and the Red Cross are in critical need of blood donations.

Stanford’s Blood Center has a site at 295 E. Hamilton Avenue and their general web site is: https://stanfordbloodcenter.org/  

The Red Cross main location is on North First Street, San Jose.  Their web site is:  https://www.redcross.org/local/california/northern-california-coastal/about-us/locations/silicon-valley.html

The Red Cross has a blood drive this Saturday, Feb 13 at St. Lucy’s Catholic Church, 2350 Winchester Blvd., from 9 AM to 3 PM. 

Santa Clara County Announces “No Wrong Door” for COVID Vaccinations

On Feb 4 Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s Health Officer, announced anyone 65 and older can get their vaccine from anywhere in the county. 

The county’s new “no wrong door” policy makes it possible for seniors to get vaccinated regardless of who their normal medical provider is.  “A Kaiser patient can go to the county, a Stanford patient can go to Kaiser, a county patient can go to Stanford (to get vaccinated),” said Dr. Cody. “It doesn’t matter where you go, we want you to get vaccinated.” 

County officials said that the change would become effective immediately within the county hospital system, while it might take a few days for all of the South Bay’s vaccine providers to make the transition.

President’s Message … Margaret Schieck

Here we are in the dreary month of February, but at least we have Valentine’s Day and Presidents’ Day to look forward to.

The Campbell Area AARP Chapter 5151 members should be very proud.  Together we managed to accrue 3,091.75 volunteer hours of service in 2020.  That is 187 hours more than we accumulated in 2019.  Considering the fact that many of our activities had to be conducted virtually, that is outstanding.  Many thanks to Leona Fails for doing the massive job of adding all those hours up.  In February, the National AARP will be accepting nominations for the National Community Service Award.  We should try to have a nominee.

As I mentioned at the January meeting, a student at Harker Academy, Arthur Kajiyama, has set up a group of students to make phone calls to seniors who would like to be contacted once a week by telephone.  If you are interested in receiving a phone call from a teenager, please send an e-mail (preferably) to Joy Walsh at joywalsh1@comcast.net or at her phone number(s) listed on Page 3.  There are two adult mentors for the group.

Hopefully, we will be able to meet in person after March.

AARP February Meeting … Paul Levine

Our speaker for the February 16, 2021, meeting will be Kerry Perkins, the Campbell Museums supervisor since 2014.  Kerry was hired in 2003 as the Campbell Historical Museum and Ainsley House and, over the years, has expanded their education programs to include on-site field trips, traveling history trunks, family-friendly special events, an evening lecture series, and a Sunday jazz concert series.

Like many organizations across the world during the current COVID pandemic, the Campbell Museums have had to physically close and adapt their programming.  Kerry has created online programs for remote education, virtual lectures, tours, and more.  She enjoys making history relevant in our lives today, which includes trying to collect and record history as it is happening in real time.  The last year has provided more material than she and the Collection Specialist can collect and process.

Kerry’s presentation on February 16th is entitled, “Lessons Learned from a Pandemic: What Can the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918-1919 Teach Us?”  She will explore how Santa Clara Valley citizens lived with and through that pandemic and how, in our present-day COVID-19 pandemic, we face some of the same fears, anxieties, frustrations, and safety measures—but can work together to get through it.

Kerry has a BA in English Literature and a MA in US History.  Though not a Campbell resident, she feels a deep affinity for the community of Campbell and takes pride in representing its heritage at the Museums.  She currently lives in Los Gatos with her husband and two daughters.

Membership … Shelly Schwartz

Have you paid your dues for 2021?  Call me if you are unsure (408-379-8080).  The deadline for payment is February 28th.  If we have not received your membership check by then, this will be your last issue until your dues are paid (i.e., received by the aforementioned date). We hope to hear from you very soon and thank you for your continued support of our chapter.   Take care and stay safe.

Legislative News … Daniel Nnorth and Claudia Schott

On his first day in office, President Biden signed 28 (!) executive orders, setting a new record.  Looks as if President Biden wanted to make a statement.  Now, states’ attorneys general are looking very closely at them and taking issue with some.

It looks as if 2021 will be a very interesting year.  We may be tempted to think, “Well, at least it’s not 2020, the year we all want to forget!”  However, the new year is proving to be difficult as well.  The coronavirus continues to rage, with new strains spreading quickly throughout the world (that may or may not bow to the vaccines we already have or are developing).  Nonetheless, we hope you have gotten your appointments — as the current vaccines have proven to be highly effective for what we’re dealing with today!

Here is a rundown of some California legislation (with author/sponsor) that was passed in 2020:

AB 890 (Wood) Nurse Practitioners – Full Practice Authority – Allows nurse practitioners (NPs) who meet certain standards to transition to practice at the full level of their training without the routine presence of a physician.  This will increase access to primary care for millions of Californians. – SIGNED by the Governor


SB 1196 (Umberg) – Price Gouging – Expands existing protections for consumers in several important ways.  First, it applies price-gouging restrictions to existing sellers as well as new-product sellers who are charging unreasonably high prices for critical supplies.  It keeps prices from going up in a declaration of a state of emergency and keeps them from going up beyond 30 days after such a declaration. – SIGNED by the Governor


SB 1383 (Jackson) – Paid Family Leave Job Protections – This will protect working Californians from losing their jobs when they take leave to care for themselves or a seriously ill family member. – SIGNED by the Governor

SB 1123 (Chang) – Elder Abuse – Update Definitions for Use by Law Enforcement – Amends California Penal Code 368.5 to align the definition of elder and dependent adult abuse with the definition currently found in the Welfare and Institutions Code.  It also requires that the updated definitions be included in updates of policy manuals and handbooks used by law enforcement agencies.  This means that law enforcement agencies will have accurate terms to use in the course of reporting or investigating claims of abuse. – SIGNED by the Governor

SB 852 (Pan) – Prescription Drugs – Office of Drug Contracting and Manufacturing – Requires the California Health and Human Services Agency to enter into partnerships to increase competition, lower prices, and address shortages in the market for generic prescription drugs, to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for public and private purchasers, taxpayers, and consumers, and to increase patient access to affordable drugs. – SIGNED by the Governor


AB 2644 (Wood) – Nursing Homes – Transparency Requirements – Adds a much-needed element of transparency and accountability for California’s skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) during public health emergencies caused by a communicable disease, such as COVID-19.  AB 2644 mandates several measures that will protect nursing home residents while also giving them access to the advocacy support of a long-term care ombudsman.  Moreover, AB 2644 requires that SNFs ensure that health care providers (HCPs) receive infection prevention and control training.  AB 2644 makes this common-sense provision applicable at all times, not just during an emergency. – SIGNED by the Governor

And it looks as if Governor Newsom has included the older generations in his budget proposal, which enhances funding for many programs that help older Californians remain living in their homes and communities as they age.