Prime Times Briefs

Program to discuss estate & advance care directives planning
        The Care Compass project, a quarterly network gathering for caregivers and those who may be caregivers in the future, offers a place to gather information and obtain resources to make the journey of caregiving less stressful.
        The project is sponsored and brought to the community by Brookdale of Bowling Green, Wood County Committee on Aging, Golden Care Partners, Optimal Aging Institute at BGSU and Wood County Hospital.
        The upcoming session, focusing on estate planning and how to complete your advance care directives, will be held in-person and virtually via Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. at the Wood County Senior Center, 140 South Grove St., Bowling Green.
        The program is free and open to all caregivers and community members but requires pre-registration by calling 1-800-367-4935 or 419-353-5661 or by emailing programs@wccoa.net Zoom login information will be given upon registration.
        Lunch, sponsored by Brookdale of Bowling Green, will be available to the first 20 Wood County residents registered for the session and who will be attending in-person.
        The agenda includes:
        • 11 a.m.: “The Basics of Estate Planning,” presented by Tim Alley, Esq., Chamberlain Law Group, Ltd. An estate plan will ensure an older adult has the peace of mind that their assets and belongings will be distributed the way they’d like.
        • 11:45 a.m.: “How to Complete an Advance Care Directive,” presented by Elizabeth Geer Fry, Esq. This session will cover the preparation of an advance care directive and will discuss the legal variance state to state. Attendees will leave with a notarized document for the state of Ohio if they choose to attend in-person. Please bring your photo ID to the session.
 
Virtual caregiver support
        The Alzheimer’s Association, Northwest Ohio Chapter, offers a number of free, virtual caregiver support groups.
        Registration is required. To register, call the association’s 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900. A link to connect to meetings will be emailed after registration.
        Support groups meet:
        • First Tuesday every month at 9:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.
        • Second Wednesday every month, 6:30 p.m.
        • First and third Thursday every month, 10 a.m.
        • First Thursday every month, 12:30 p.m.
        • Fourth Thursday every month, 10:30 a.m.
        Online seminar set
        The Alzheimer's Association Northwest Ohio Chapter will offer a special online seminar combining “Caring for the Caregiver” with the “Effective Communication Strategies,” educational program on Wednesday, Jan. 26 from 3-4 p.m.
         “Caring for the Caregiver” will provide practical tips and information on how caregivers can care for themselves. In addition, “Effective Communication Strategies” explores how communication takes place when someone has Alzheimer’s, how to decode the verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia and identifies strategies to help connect and communicate at each stage of the disease.
        Visit alz.org or call 800-272-3900 for more information.
 
Poetry contest accepting entries
        The Wood County Committee on Aging is accepting entries in its 2022 Poetry Contest. The theme for this year’s contest is, “Coming of Age.”
        A $50 gift card will be awarded to the first-place winner, sponsored by Manor of Perrysburg.
        The contest is open to Wood County residents aged 50 and over. Submissions will be accepted through Friday, March 25 at 4 p.m. Entries must be handwritten or typed in English, double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font. Poems are to be no more than one page.
        Submissions must be entirely the entrant’s own work and never previously published. Each person is limited to two entries. Intent to submit will not be accepted.
        Submissions must include the entrant’s name, address, phone number and email (if applicable). Winners will be announced April 22 on the WCCOA blog and Facebook page. The winner will also be called.
        All submissions become the property of WCCOA and can be published online or in print. All poems will be placed in a book that will be available to all participants by request.
        Send entries to the Programs Department at the Wood County Committee on Aging, 140 S. Grove St., Bowling Green, or email programs@wccoa.net For more information, call 419-353-5661 or 800-367-4935
 
Tax vouchers
        To meet the need locally for tax preparation assistance, GLCAP will provide low-income seniors ages 60 and over to a $75 voucher to offset the cost if they use a tax preparation business located in Sandusky County.
        Neither VITA nor AARP will have a physical site in Sandusky County, and neither is accepting “drop-off” kit service in the county.
        Seniors should call 419-334-8383, option 1, to see if they qualify to receive a voucher. A list of businesses willing to accept the voucher (intent to pay) and bill GLCAP are available upon request. A limited supply of vouchers is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
Senior directory
to be mailed
        The Ottawa County Task Force on Aging is developing a 2022 Ottawa County Senior Directory. Thanks to a grant through the Ottawa County Department of Job & Family Services, these directories will be mailed to anyone 55 and over in Ottawa County.
        The directories will also be given to First Responders in Ottawa County as well as social service agencies, libraries, government offices, churches, senior living communities and senior care facilities.
        It is the hope of the task force that these directories will be used by seniors, those working with seniors, caregivers and family members to help find valuable resources in and around Ottawa County.
        The directory includes information on housing, transportation, health services, legal services, home care, food services, insurance, volunteer opportunities and more.
        In addition to the grant funding, the project was made possible through the support of Ottawa County Task Force on Aging members and advertising sponsors.
        The Ottawa County Task Force on Aging is a 501(c)3 organization formed to address issues facing Ottawa County Senior Citizens aged 60 and older, and to raise awareness of the problem of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. The collaborative works to solve problems and find practical ways to improve the quality of life for seniors in the community.
        Call 567-262-3174 or email ottawacoaging@gmail.com for more information about the task force.
 
Grab `n Go meals
offered in Oak Harbor
        Due to a lower number of participants at the Oak Harbor Senior Center location this winter, Grab `n Go meals are being offered through March.
        Meals are available by reservation only and will be distributed between 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. The pickup location is at Door D, the entrance for the Riverview Multipurpose Room, 8180 SR 163, Oak Harbor.
        Direct questions to the Oak Harbor Senior Center at 419-898-2800 or Ottawa County Senior Resources at 419-898-6459.