Tai chi with Senior Solutions (Herb Swanson Photo)
Upcoming Tai Chi Classes
Celebrate the new year by getting moving! Click here for a list of tai chi classes and call the HelpLine (1-802-855-2669, toll free at 1-866-673-8376) for instructor contact information.
Volunteer Program Recruitment
Looking to make new friends while serving your community? We would love to bring in a few more Senior Companions as well as Vet to Vet and Friendly Visitors. These programs are very popular, and the requests keep coming in. If you can spare a couple of hours a week and would like to do a good deed for a nearby aging Vermonter, please call our HelpLine, shown above. The Senior Companion program is a well-established federal service with an income benchmark for users and a small stipend for visitors, in addition to mileage reimbursement. All these programs (which are more fully described on our website) are a great way to join our wonderful and dedicated team of volunteers.
The State-wide Vaccine Marketing Campaign is in Full Swing
Click here, to watch a video commercial featuring our own Southeastern Vermont Volunteer Visitors explaining why they got the COVID-19 vaccine. This is being shown around the state through a joint venture among all Vermont Area Agencies on Aging (AAA’s) pooling funds to produce highly professional public service announcements on various media platforms. Spread the word and help us protect the health of our vulnerable populations.
Senior Solutions Talk Radio
WOOL Radio (WOOL-FM, 91.5, Bellows Falls) broadcasts our program from 5-6 p.m. every Tuesday evening. We bring our latest updates on programs and services of interest to those of us who are “60 and Better.”
Coming To A Senior Center Near You in 2022
Senior Solutions has received a grant from the National Council on Aging’s Center for Benefits Access (NCOA). This Benefit Enrollment Center (BEC) Grant provides funding for 20 months (October 2021 – September 2023) allowing Senior Solutions to partner with the six senior centers in Windsor and Windham Counties: Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Springfield, Black River, Woodstock, and White River Junction.
Benefit Enrollment Centers (BEC) find and enroll Medicare beneficiaries—adults aged 65+ years and adults living with disabilities—who have limited income and resources. They get help gaining access to available benefits with a focus on the following five core programs:
- Medicare Part D Extra Help (or Low-Income Subsidy, LIS)
- Medicare Savings Programs (MSP)
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps)
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
A BEC adviser will work with an older adult to apply for multiple benefits at one time, based on that individual’s needs. Currently, Senior Solutions assists older Vermonters with the programs listed above, in addition to Meals on Wheels, Case Management, Information & Assistance, and Wellness Programs such as Tai Chi and Matter of Balance. This additional grant will allow Senior Solutions and local Senior Centers to assist 650 individuals to apply for and receive much needed benefits for which they qualify.
For more information, contact Wendi Germain at wgermain@seniorsolutionsvt.org or 1-802-755-7295. For general questions related to aging in Vermont, please call the HelpLine (1-802-885-2699 or 1-866-673-8376).
A New Addition to our Volunteer Services Staff:
We are pleased to announce that U.S. Air Force veteran Susan Triplett has joined Senior Solutions part-time to promote our Vet to Vet program throughout Windsor and Windham Counties. We will soon be arranging gatherings to introduce her to our veteran friends and volunteers. She will also be working to continue the development of our Veteran Advisory Councils.
Susan lives in Wilder, Vt. and enjoys working with fellow veterans. She has volunteered at the White River Junction VA Hospital, where she completed an internship at the Woman’s Care Center. She also participated in a health fair and activities within the hospital. Susan served as vice president of the non-profit Women’s Veterans of New England Organization, which sponsored a community event at the Vet Center. She has a master’s degree in Health Care administration.
For those of you who would like to welcome Susan, here is her email address: STriplett@seniorsolutionsvt.org.
