Older American’s Month – A Chance to Be Powered by Our Connections
This month is Older American’s Month, and the theme this year is “Powered by Connections”. I started to cogitate (I used that word in honor of older American’s month) about how much our lives are powered by connections. How did we function without our smartphones, our tablets, and our computers? They help us compensate for some of the maladies of growing old . . . I can use my wife’s phone to find my phone and vice versa. They let me FaceTime or Zoom with my family, especially during a pandemic. They let me communicate with my healthcare providers without requiring a trip to the doctor’s office. They help me stay up to date on what’s happening in the world and alert me to changes in the weather and traffic jams as I travel. I can learn how to repair almost anything through YouTube (I call it YouTube University). It seems that every part of our lives is impacted by our electronic connections. But we need to remember that at the end of the day, our most important connections are with other humans, not electronic devices.
While the number is dwindling, there are older Americans who don’t own a smartphone or a computer. But, almost without exception, they have a someone, a relative or friend, that helps them stay connected at some level. This basic level of connection is becoming essential because some of the basic parts of our lives (paying our bills, banking, receiving our social security payments) are headed toward a paperless process. I receive almost nothing of importance anymore in the mail. The important things are almost always online.
There is another group of older Americans who may be electronically savvy but lack the high-speed connection that is required to truly be connected. Antennas gave way to cable TV, and cable TV is giving way to streaming services like Apple TV, YouTube TV, Netflix, etc. This high-speed connection becomes even more important when we talk about telehealth and the expanded role it is playing now in our health and will hopefully play in the future. We need to urge Congress to make telehealth services a permanent part of Medicare and to enact policies that will make high-speed internet available to everyone.
One of the most important electronic connections we can have is the one that links us to the government programs and services that are available to every senior at some level. There are local, regional, state, and federal programs that offer a wide range of services to older Americans. The challenge is knowing how to navigate through all the different programs to find which services you need and qualify for. Some seniors don’t take the time to look into these programs because they don’t think they qualify for any of them. In one of the seminars at the recent American Society on Aging conference someone reminded us that the Older Americans Act (OOA), legislation that was enacted in 1965, was put in place to establish, “broad social policy objectives oriented toward improving the lives of all older Americans”. The OOA was not just for the financially challenged or disabled seniors but for all of us to help us stay healthy, both physically and mentally. There are services available to help in many areas as we navigate the road to growing old.
Here is a great link that gives you a window into the many services that are available. I put in my zip code, and here is what I found in my area. The first place was my county’s information and assistance program. They had a web page, an email address, and a phone number. They described the services they provide:
County Health Department's Senior Services, a county government agency, coordinates services for the county's older adults and family caregivers to maximize independence, safety, and health. Services include senior lunch in senior centers and home-delivered, information and assistance, transportation, health insurance counseling, caregiver support & education, case management to coordinate in-home services, Long-term care Ombudsman, RSVO Volunteerism, recreational, social, and educational programs.
In looking through the other services available in my zip code, I found information on:
The Area Agencies on Ageing
Disability services
Elder abuse
Adult Protective Services
Health insurance counseling including access to Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIP) counselors who can help in choosing the right supplemental, Medicare Advantage or prescription drug insurance programs
Legal services
Long-term care options
All of these places give us the ability to connect to a human being who can help us in the particular and personal way that best serves each of us. Just connecting us to community and senior centers and educational programs can serve to help us mentally by getting us out of the house and the chance to meet with and enjoy other people’s company. There are resources that can provide free transportation that can keep us from being isolated.
I do want to mention one other agency that can offer a great service to veterans, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). I was one of those veterans who didn’t bother to contact the VA to see what benefits I qualified for. Finally, a couple of years ago, I decided to contact them. Even though I only served for 8 years, I found that there are many benefits that I earned, especially since I served in Vietnam. If you’re a veteran, don’t hesitate to get in contact with your local VA office. Set up a meeting. You will find it worth your time.
I hope you take advantage of the resources available to you. Older American’s Month is a great time to see how we can truly be powered by these important connections.
Best, Thair